Powder -Tarte - Smooth Operator Micronized Clay Finishing Powder
Ubiq 5/23/2013 8:06:00 PM
I've been using this for about six months now and I really like it. It works well in a lot of situations for me, which helps me to justify the price. I layer this over sunscreen to reduce the greasy look if I'm just stepping out for errands. It's also nice as a finishing powder over tinted moisturizer or foundation. Since it's clear, it doesn't alter the color of anything you put it over. I'm quite fair-skinned, but I bet it wouldn't make darker skin tones look ashy either. It really does disappear and doesn't have a whitening effect. But, if I had a darker skin tone I would get a sample at Sephora first, just to make sure. The very best thing about this powder is that it doesn't play up all my fine lines. Most powders make me look like my skin is made of crepe paper, but not this one. The bad thing about this is the price for me, but I will probably still repurchase. The container also bugged me when I first got it because I felt like I was losing powder. It's very light and flies around a bit. However, after six months I'm not close to running out. I will say to make sure the cap is on tight because you'll lose some when you shake it to dispense otherwise. I got a cute little sample one from Sephora that I carry in my purse and use for oil cover ups at work. It has never come undone but I always do a careful check of the cap. I use a little portable Ecotools brush and carry it in a makeup bag so it doesn't roll about.
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Hair Removal -Sally Hansen - Hair Remover Wax Strip Kit for Face, Brown & Bikini
Ubiq 11/21/2012 11:24:00 PM
I have really sensitive rosacea skin that reacts badly even to salon waxing or depilatories. I'm also on Retin-a. I also have clear and very fine hair on my upper lip that I have to get rid of every week. This is all a very bad! :( The problem with most waxes is that they aren't sticky enough to grab this kind of hair. My skin is so sensitive I can't go over the same spot twice so I have to make sure I get it all the first time. This is the best wax I've ever tried for this. It beats Nads, Parissa and Bliss hands down. I'm posting the method I've developed over the years to deal with waxing my ridiculously sensitive skin. This is the only way I can deal with waxing. And I have to wax. Maybe it'll help someone else out there with bad skin at least get rid of their mustache. How I use: -Wash your face, preferably with a soapless cleanser of some kind. Get your face and hands really dry. -Use a natural talc-free powder like the one from Jason to lightly coat the area to be waxed. I have used makeup powder for this but why waste that when you can get a canister of rice powder with tea tree oil that'll last a year. Then brush away the excess. This really helps ensure that sensitive skin doesn't get ripped away if you don't pull just right or if the wax isn't hot enough. I haven't tried cornstarch or regular talc but I imagine they would work. -I like to have a q-tip or 2 already dipped in some of the Azulene finishing oil for removing stuck wax or to calm just waxed skin if its burning but the wax session isn't finished yet. It has a calming agent in it. Don't get any on area yet to be waxed. The wax won't stick and you'll have to go through the whole prep process again. -Warm wax strip with a hair dryer or a plug-in space heater. The heater is best if you have roomies or a sleeping boyfriend. Give it 30 seconds or so. The wax shouldn't burn but I've found that it won't work well unless it has actually melted. -Place the strip on the area you want to wax and lay it on the skin in the direction the hair grows. Press it down firmly. The wax will stick to itself and not get left on the skin if you give it 5 seconds or so. -Pull your skin taut. -Rip, as in pull *very* quickly, in the opposite direction you laid it down and at such an angle that you are pulling it against itself if that makes sense. When the directions say pull the skin taut and pull the strip in the opposite direction, they mean it. It'll really hurt if you don't do this step right. ;) -Do a small area until you get a feel for it so if you do rip skin off the area is contained. *Ouch* -When done, rub in some of the Azulene finishing oil to remove excess wax and calm skin. I use just a bit with my fingers. Sometimes I have to use kind of a lot but I don't wash it off with soap, just water. -My skin is really sensitive and so its red and burning at this point. I use Bactine which I have found doesn't break me out like some anti-pain and irritation things do. I reapply this throughout the night if it starts burning or turning red again. I also take benadryl at night and I think that also helps control bad reactions but I'm no pharmacist. ;) -I then use argan oil instead of my nightly moisturizer. This prevents acne, calms my skin, and usually means I can go back to my regular routine the next night. I get a rather big bottle of this from Whole Foods. It's from AAASheaButter. It lasts more than a year and is much cheaper than other brands that sell argan oil. This is probably the best thing I've ever used on my face and I don't think I could wax without it because the irritation would be too severe. -The next morning I will use a cleansing oil like the one from MAC for removing waterproof eyeliner. Using even a mild cleanser at this point will cause a reaction because the skin hasn't yet rebuilt it's defenses. If you don't have one then it's better to just use water and maybe some more Bactine if you are still raw. I know this all sounds very involved but if I don't do all of thse steps, I'll regret it. It's worth it for a hair and rash free face.
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Lips -L'Oreal - Colour Riche Balm
Ubiq 10/22/2012 4:17:00 AM
I have Nourishing Nude and Plush Plum. I'm very fair with rosacea and neither of these play up my redness but I will use the nude if I'm looking especially beet red. My lips are always chapped and these help give me color when my lips are too chapped for lipstick. I use Shiseido sunblock for lips underneath this and both these conceal how whitening and drying it is. I need to reapply often but it's no big deal - lip stains aren't good for a dry lip situation anyway.
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Cleansers -Shu Uemura - High Performance Balancing Cleansing Oil Fresh
Ubiq 7/29/2011 3:41:00 PM
I have sensitive, rosacea skin that somehow manages to be oily and acne ridden as well. Or, I should say it used to be oily and acne ridden. This cleanser has really saved me! I think all the other cleansers, even Cetaphil, were too stripping and this made my skin overcompensate by producing loads of oil in a vain effort to protect itself. With this cleanser, my skin gets really clean and there is no reaction or rawness! I've been through two tubes of Philosophy's Help Me since I started using this, something I could never have attempted before this oil. It even removes the Shiseido sunblock spf 55 better than Shiseido's oil cleanser. I'll use that one if I'm in a pinch, but Shu's is in on a whole other level. One last note, I've tried most of Shu's oil cleansers and I do think 'Fresh' has a definite exfoliating effect over the others. I LOVE it, and I put a 3 for price because I have Saved so much money since I started using it. I use 2 pumps instead of 4 like the instructions say. One large bottle lasts me about 10 months and is about $80 with shipping. Do the math-I think I spent more when I was using Neutrogena!
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