Cleansers -Avene - Cleanance soapless gel cleanser for oily skin 
kdscott 10/27/2012 6:06:00 PM
I originally bought the Avene Cleanance gel cleanser because my normally dry-combination skin had become increasingly oily in the T-zone and I was experiencing breakouts and clogged pores. My former cleanser (Cerave Foaming Face Wash) simply wasn't doing the trick. I was initially concerned about trying this product because I have mild rosacea and my skin tends to get dry easily. Most cleansers designed for oily skin are too drying and irritating for my skin type. However, Avene strikes the balance between eliminating my oily skin and breakouts, while not irritating my rosacea or increasing dryness. After using it for about 2 weeks, my skin is significantly more clear. My breakouts have stopped and the oiliness is under control. Avene Cleanance is more expensive than a drugstore cleanser. I purchased it for about $18.00 with free shipping from Dermstore. However, I feel like it's worth the price. You only need a pea-size amount for your face. With the Cerave cleanser I used, I needed at least 2-3 pumps to get the same amount of lather. Also, Avene Cleanance does have a light scent. I used to use Neutrogena oil-free acne face wash when my skin was acting up. However, with Neutrogena, it may eliminate my breakouts, but it irritates and over-dries my skin. Not good.Avene Cleanance is really the perfect cleanser if you have sensitive skin, but experience breakouts and oiliness. I highly recommend it. I'm definitely putting it in my skincare arsenal for when the weather gets hot and/or humid or I'm experiencing breakouts.
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Shampoo -Redken - Color Extend Shampoo
kdscott 8/31/2011 9:49:00 PM
I have highlighted hair and my stylist recommended this Redken Shampoo to me. I have combo hair with greasy roots, but dry ends. I liked the Redken shampoo for awhile. It made my slightly damaged hair softer and more manageable. However, after 2 months of solid use, it made my hair oily like I hadn't washed it that day. I thought maybe that I hadn't washed out all the shampoo from my hair, but I got the same result the next several washes. After that, I binned it. I really couldn't tell if the color "extend" part made any difference in the my time between highlighting visits. I really don't think it did. So, I guess a fail on that part as well. I tried the Redken shampoo a year later when I was staying at my parent's house and it was the only shampoo available. Had the same oily-haired result as before. Definitely will never repurchase.
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Mascara -Cover Girl - Lash Blast Length
kdscott 8/31/2011 9:27:00 PM
Great drugstore mascara. I've been looking for a great cheaper dup for my favorite Lancome Defincils mascara for a long time and I've finally found it. In a mascara, I'm looking for super length, not volume. I've found that the volumizing mascaras get too clumpy on my lashes. Lash Blash Length is never clumpy, and it gives the illusion of length. When I use it, I apply several layers, and it coats really well, and never gets too thick. Will definitely keep buying.
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Mascara -Maybelline - Great Lash Mascara
kdscott 8/31/2011 9:15:00 PM
HATE THIS. I will never understand the hype about this mascara and the reason it makes so many "Best of" lists. I've tried it numerous times, based on the hype, and I've never been satisfied. It's hard to get a good application, so I have to keep reapplying. Of course, when I reapply, instead of getting lovely fully lashes, it clumps like crazy. Awful, awful stuff. Will never buy again.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -BeneFit Cosmetics - Benetint
kdscott 8/31/2011 8:58:00 PM
I should learn my lesson with BeneFit products. I've never found one that works well. They've all been so disappointing. With BeneTint, I was looking for a long lasting blush. Instead, BeneTint is extremely hard to apply, which the way it's packaged seriously doesn't help. Are you seriously supposed to apply it with the nailpolish brush it provides? I tried and that didn't work. At all. Then, I tried to apply it with a makeup sponge and a brush. The makeup sponge absorbed too much of the product, and it didn't spread well with the brush. When I did manage to get some product on, I thought the shade looked too manufactured and fake. Not something I could ever wear out, unless it was Halloween. Definitely will never repurchase.
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Blush -NARS - Orgasm Blush
kdscott 8/31/2011 8:43:00 PM
Love this blush! My HG. I have fair, cool-toned skin, and NARS orgasm blush is the absolute perfect shade. I tend to be very pale and vampire-like, especially in mid-winter, but NARS Orgasm tends to give me the color I need to look human. It looks natural, without being overdone. Great everyday blush.
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Cleansers -Neutrogena - Oil-Free Acne Wash
kdscott 8/31/2011 8:35:00 PM
When I was a breakout prone, combo skinned teenager, this was my go-to facial cleanser, especially when I became more oily in the summer. It did a great job at reducing my facial oiliness and overall breakouts. I still use this face wash when I travel to tropical climates where I get more oily and start to breakout again. It always does the trick. As a more combo-dry adult, I usually need a light moisturizer when using this product, otherwise my skin feels a little too tight. Still my default product when my skin gets a little acne prone.
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Masks -Clinique - Acne Solutions Oil Control Cleansing Mask
kdscott 8/31/2011 8:24:00 PM
Despite the generally good reviews for this mask, it did absolutely NOTHING for me. While my skin really isn't that oily, (I'm more combo-dry) I wanted something to treat my occasional breakouts. I couldn't afford to repurchase my favorite DDF Sulfur Mask, so I tried for this Clinique mask which was more reasonable. I've used this mask many different times and during different months, and I've never noticed that it improves my skin in any discernable way. I might as well have plain water on my face from all the difference it makes. I will admit though that since I don't have oily skin, it might be that I'm the reason the product isn't effective versus it being the product's fault. Definitely didn't treat breakouts though. One good thing about the mask is that unlike other clay masks, it doesn't harden immediately upon leaving the container. This fact makes is might easier to spread on your face. It also covers a larger area because it's so spreadable, so you don't have to use much goop each time. I also found it lasts a lot longer in the tube than my DDF Sulfur Mask did. The DDF Mask hardened in the container after awhile and I had to throw it away, which wasted a large portion.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -Joico - K-Pak Reconstruct Shampoo for Dry or Damaged Hair
kdscott 8/30/2011 10:05:00 PM
I bought Joico K-Pak after my hair was seriously dried out from using L'Oreal's Sulfate Free Shampoo in Rosemary Mint (STAY AWAY!). My hair was feeling like straw and really needed hair rehab, STAT. I actually wasn't familiar with the Joico brand (more into skincare, than haircare) but did a quick MUA product review search and read amazing reviews. Decided to try it out since I wasn't quite ready to shell out the money for Pureology. LOVE the shampoo. After just the first wash, my hair immediately felt better. Richer, well moisturized (but not greasy), and softer. The results have continued over the past 2 weeks. Joico K-Pak is definitely the best shampoo I've found in this price range. Very happily surprised. I do wish it gave me a little more body, but my hair definitely feels better and I needed that. ETA: It also smells fantastic. My husband loves it.
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Moisturizers -Olay - Complete with SPF 15 Lotion
kdscott 8/25/2011 11:59:00 PM
I have combo skin that tends to get dry easily, but also can get very oily and greasy looking when using most moisturizers. What I like most about the Olay moisturizer is that it doesn't do this at all, unlike other products I've tried. I also like that it has SPF 15, though I do wish it was 25-30. The drawback to the Olay is I don't feel like it always moisturizes enough. Sometimes, I have to really slather it on to get the right effect. I also wish it had a pump instead of a squeeze bottle, because I have a hard time getting the proper amount of moisturizer out of the bottle. However, I'm willing to deal with those issues right now, because I spent so long trying to find a moisturizer that doesn't make me look like an oil slick. Bottomline: Not my HG, but a pretty decent product.
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Masks -Freeman - Feeling Beautiful - Facial CLAY MASK Avocado & Oatmeal
kdscott 8/25/2011 11:50:00 PM
LOVE this mask. One of my HG masks. For me, the only mask that equals this one is the DDF Sulfur Mask. To do this mask, I washed my face using my Clarisonic and basic CeraVe cleanser. Then, I applied the mask focusing in the t-zone where my breakouts occur. I applied quite a bit of product; really slathering it on. The mask said to rinse after the mask has dried. However, past experience has taught me to keep a mask on longer than is indicated to get maximum results. I left the mask on for 2 hrs while I watched a movie. After the movie, I rinsed the mask off. The results were amazing. My pores were so much smaller than I've ever seen them, and they were completely clear. Seriously, it looked like I had a facial. The only drawback to the mask is that it did make my eyes sting for a few minutes in the very beginning. I didn't put the mask anywhere near my eyes, and I still felt this effect. The stinging wasn't too bad, but I feel like I should give the heads up about that. I've read this is a common experience with this particular mask. I've used a lot of skincare products and I've rarely experienced such an incredible results, especially considering how cheap the mask is. I definitely, definitely urge other people to try it.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -L'Oreal - EverPure Sulfate-free Color Care Shampoo
kdscott 7/31/2011 10:32:00 PM
I have highlighted hair and heard sulfate free products were the way to go to maintain my color. I had a great experience with L'Oreal's EverPure Hair Masque, so I thought I would try their Sulfate Free Color Care Shampoo. I have oily hair that requires daily shampooing or it looks like a grease slick. I started using this product and almost immediately my hair became so dry it was like straw. The texture was just awful. It's not easy to almost impossible for my normally oily hair to become dry, so that's how harsh this shampoo is. It did give my fine hair a little more volume and shine, however it wasn't worth the damage my hair experienced from being so dried out. Definitely don't purchase.
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Cleansers -Burt's Bees - Radiance Facial Cleanser
kdscott 7/31/2011 10:26:00 PM
Love this cleanser! I've used many high end brands and I find this product to be equal to or exceed products like Philosophy's Purity Made Simple and Dr. Haushka's cleansers, and at a fraction of the price (around $10). Definitely my HG, and I don't assign that designation lightly. I have combination skin that's prone to dryness. The Radiance Facial Cleanser is gentle enough to use daily with my Clarisonic Mia. The only drawback is the smell, which reminds me of home hair dye. I'm willing to overlook that aspect though, since it's otherwise such an amazing product. Definitely worth a try!
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Moisturizers -Cerave - Facial Moisturizing Lotion - AM SPF 30
kdscott 10/17/2010 2:23:00 AM
My fair combination skin definitely gets dry and tight feeling if I don't apply a moisturizer after washing. I bought this product because I wanted an inexpensive moisturizer with a good SPF factor. The CeraVe goes on too thickly for my liking, but it doesn't leave my face looking or feeling greasy like other moisturizers have. There's also no white cast, which is a definite plus. However, it does take a little while to soak in, so I wouldn't recommend applying makeup immediately after. The other potential drawback is that there is a definite sunscreen scent. It doesn't bother me, but it might for those sensitive to fragrance. I will probably purchase CeraVe AM again because it does have a good SPF and it's better than other moisturizers I've tried. However, I'm still on the hunt for my HG. This isn't it.
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Moisturizers -Kiehls - Ultra Facial Moisturizer
kdscott 10/4/2010 1:50:00 PM
I have combination skin that tends to be dry, so I thought I could deal with a creamier moisturizer. However, this product is way too emollient for me. Even using the smallest amount makes my skin very shiny and appear greasy, which has never happened to me with any other moisturizer. I'm also starting to get more clogged pores since I've been using it. Definitely switching up moisturizers for something lighter, and maybe I'll finish the Kiehl's product when my skin is even drier in the winter. EDIT: I tried using the Kiehl's again when I was home for the day. However, later that day I noticed my skin starting breaking out in flesh covered bumps. Ick. I discontinued use immediately. Might use it as body lotion or give it away to a drier skinned friend. Will not repurchase.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No