Cleansers -MD Forte - Facial Cleanser II
eefie 12/24/2010 11:08:00 AM
I am used to applying BHA at night for my acne prone skin. Since that didn't cleared my skin up enough, I switched to AHA to see if that would work better. I had high hopes for this one, since the good reviews on MUA. My skin is used to daily 2% BHA, so I started with the II-cleanser right away. I use it twice a day, morning and evening. In the evening I apply it on my face and wait a minute or two, than wash it off. After half a minute it really stings, so now I am diminishing the time I keep it on my face, otherwise it is too irritating. After I wash it off, my face is smooth and soft, but a bit irritated, so I apply a light moisturizer over it. In the morning I wash my face with the cleanser and my Clarisonic. Afterwards I apply the level II lotion from MD Forte. In the beginning I thought I saw a little improvement on my blemishes, but now, after three weeks of continuous use, it did not make my skin clearer, nor does it prevent new blemishes. In fact, I believe I have more blemishes now than when I started. Since I had to order it from the US (I live in Europe, where they don't sell MD Forte), I paid heavy shipping costs $15, in addition to the original price of $28. In total this product is really not worth my money. Maybe it needs more time before I can give a final opinion, but since it was that expensive, I am finishing the bottle (which is quite cheap looking for this price) and leave it with that.
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Treatments -Paula's Choice - Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Gel Exfoliant
eefie 12/24/2010 10:44:00 AM
Since I have acne prone skin, I am always on the lookout for good skin products. BHA's are said to be better in beating blemishes than AHA's, so I choose the 2% BHA from Paula's Choice. Here in Europe she is one of the few who offer BHA for a reasonable price. I started with the liquid a few years ago, but is was kind of drying and hard to handle (you have to apply it with a cotton ball since it is so runny, but that is kind of wasteful), so I switched to the gel. The gel is easier to apply: I put it all over my face at night. However, it doesn't seem to sink in and leaves a sticky residu - unless you apply some moisturizer over it. But I am afraid that will diminish the effect, so I don't apply anything over it. The BHA is drying to my (oily) skin, so when I tried to use it twice a day (morning and evening) it was too much. And you can only put foundation on when you first apply moisturizer over it, otherwise the gel will roll up in balls on your face. But with my oily skin, that is not an option. Due to medication my skin started to change a few months ago (more oily and more blemishes), so I am considering switching back to the liquid again, hoping it will not be too drying. I think I can use the BHA than twice a day, ánd put foundation over it. The BHA really does work for the blemishes. Not right away, but after a few days to a week I could already see a difference. And when I stopped using it, the pimples came back more often. As an experiment I am now trying AHA, but I am not as happy with it as the BHA effect. Also, the AHA stings more than the BHA ever did. The BHA doesn't take all the blemishes away, so I am still searching for new products that will give me beautiful smooth skin. Maybe there is a product with a higher percentage of BHA in it?
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Mascara -Max Factor - Masterpiece Max
eefie 12/24/2010 10:25:00 AM
I started with the Masterpiece regular version (gold tube), but changed to the Masterpiece Max mascara. All in all there is not much of a difference, but the Max is a little better imo. It retails here for €12 (around $16), which is a nice price for a mascara. It lengthens a little and it gives volume a little, but not dramatic. Since I prefer the more glamorous look, it is a bit too mediocre for me, but it is a nice 'everyday' mascara. The brush exists of nylon bristles, which I really like. It starts broad but ends in a little tip, which is quite handy for the hard to reach places (inner eye corner for instance). If I could, I would give it 3,5 lippies.
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Mascara -Chanel - Mascara Exceptionnel
eefie 12/24/2010 10:16:00 AM
This mascara has a strange looking brush: half bristles and half comb. According to Chanel you should move the wand with a rolling gesture over your lashes, but somehow I can't manage to handle it that way (at least I can't, on that tiny surface!). Despite that, it is a reasonable nice mascara. The tube is glossy black with a real luxury feeling to it. The formula is creamy and easy to apply. It does get a little clumpy unfortunately, but offers good volume. I already have curly lashes, so I don't know if it is any good on that aspect. It doesn't lengthen very well. Also, it is hard to wash off at night, so I use a special eye make up remover. But than still I have to pluck the last clumps with my fingers out of my lashes. Since it is really pricey (€29 which is around $38), I am not quite satisfied due to the clumpiness and I wouldn't buy it again.
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Mascara -Maybelline - Volum' Express The Falsies
eefie 12/24/2010 10:02:00 AM
This mascara is a great one! The tube is a bit cheap looking (bright pink) and the bulgy shape suggests it contains more than it actually does. But the mascara itself is great: it lengthens my lashes, it gives great volume, and almost no clumps (which is a miracle, considering all mascara's I've tried). I have blond hair and very light lashes, so I do like the dramatic look. And with this mascara, you really can get a glamorous effect by applying a few layers (not too many, because than it does get clumpy). The brush is a bit curved, which is strange to use in the beginning, but gets better with a bit of practice. All in all a great mascara for a reasonable price (€16 in The Netherlands, which is around $21).
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Mascara -Yves Saint Laurent - Everlong
eefie 12/24/2010 9:44:00 AM
This mascara retails in The Netherlands for 29 euros, which is quite expensive imo. I am a fan of mascara wands with nylon bristles, so I had high hopes for this one. The tube is a nice gold colored one, with a real luxury feeling to it. Unfortunately, the mascara dries out really fast (within three months). Thinking I bought an old, bad one, I even purchased another one. My mistake... Right after opening the tube, the mascara is very dry, too dry for my liking. It clumped together on the wand and on my lashes and gave me the spider leg effect. Not so nice... However, I was not ready to throw it away yet, since I paid good money for it. So I added a little water, which made it more manageable. The mascara does lengthen my lashes, but it does little for the volume. Since I already have curly lashes, I can't judge if it does anything on that aspect. In total, the mascara is really not that impressive and for nearly $38 I expect a whole lot more. And that does not include tweaking the substance with water... I bought the first one in brown, which is a nice dark brown color. Since YSL offers other beautiful colors for this mascara (black, blue and some kind of purple), I tried also the dark green version. It looks nice on the wand, but it is not even visible on my lashes. I have blond hair, so you would expect it to show in some way, but it was a (double) waste of my money. Certainly not buying this mascara again.
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