Moisturizers -Garnier - Nutritioniste Ultra Lift Anti-Wrinkle Firming Moisture Cream SPF 15
ltarwater 11/11/2012 4:02:00 PM
After they reformulated the Purpose facial sunscreen (sigh) I’ve been looking for a new acceptable sunscreen for everyday. I thought I’d try this one since I’ve had good luck with Garnier hair products. It’s been decent - good enough to use up the jar, but I plan to try other brands before I re-buy. It soaks in nicely, works fine under makeup, but breaks me out just a tad (most sunscreens do, this is better than most). I like the pump form factor, but haven't noticed any anti-aging effects.
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Moisturizers -Alba Botanica - Hawaiian Aloe & Green Tea Oil Free Moisturizer
ltarwater 11/6/2012 6:21:00 PM
This is my go-to night cream during the summers. It’s light, doesn’t irritate my skin and absorbs nicely. It does seem to break me out just a little but unfortunately most moisturizers do. The price seemed like a lot when I first purchased, but a little goes a long way and the tub lasts a long time.
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Lip Treatments -Eucerin - Aquaphor Healing Ointment for Lips
ltarwater 11/6/2012 6:20:00 PM
I love Aquaphor, but this form factor is just ok. I wish it were a bit thicker so it’d stay on your lips longer, and have a slanted applicator like the Chapstick Overnight that seems to have been discontinued, boo. As it is, I’m not sure why you’d pay more for a little tube when you can just use your finger and a regular jar of Aquaphor.
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Cleansers -Eucerin - Redness Relief Soothing Cleanser
ltarwater 11/6/2012 6:18:00 PM
After I’d had success with the Eucerin redness relief night cream, I wanted to try more of the line. I like this and use it as my face wash in the shower during the cooler months. It’s very thick, so I’m not sure that I’d use it to remove makeup at the sink because it would be a pain to rinse off your face without making a mess. I don't notice a big benefit after using this, but I don't notice any additional dryness or breakouts either, which certainly happens with some products and my skin.
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Moisturizers -Eucerin - Redness Relief Soothing Night Creme
ltarwater 11/6/2012 6:15:00 PM
This stuff saved my face last December when the combination of travel in a snowy dry climate and a change in face products caused my skin to look like I’d been out all night in a windstorm. It calmed the reaction down without tingling or breakouts. It’s too heavy for me to use during the hotter months but I do use it every few nights during the winter.
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Gels/Soaps -Neutrogena - Body Clear Body Wash - Pink Grapefruit
ltarwater 11/6/2012 6:14:00 PM
Helps with breakouts and smells better, IMO, than the original Neutrogena body clear - it’s my go-to body wash during the hotter months. It’s too stripping for me to use in the winter as my skin gets drier as I get older. It's just a body wash, not a leave-on product, so don't expect it to work miracles by itself.
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Cleansers -Neutrogena - Oil-Free Acne Wash redness soothing cream cleanser
ltarwater 11/6/2012 6:12:00 PM
This is my go-to face wash in the shower during the summer (I switch to the Eucerin redness relief in the winter). I don’t know if it really helps improve redness but it definitely doesn’t make it worse and it keeps my skin calm and happy.
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Cleansers -Cerave - Hydrating Cleanser
ltarwater 11/6/2012 6:10:00 PM
I think I read a blogger who recommended this a while ago as an alternative to Cetaphil, which never worked as well for me as it did for other people. I really like the Cerave - it’s gentle but cleansing and strikes the balance of not being either stripping or too greasy. I use it when washing my face at the sink, and something a bit thicker in the shower (Eucerin redness relief cleanser in the winter and Neutrogena redness soothing cleanser in the summer).
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Shampoo -Suave - Professionals Dry Shampoo Spray
ltarwater 11/6/2012 6:08:00 PM
This is the best dry shampoo I’ve found, which is a little bit like damning with faint praise because most of the dry shampoos I’ve tried have been a complete waste of money. (There’s something about dry shampoo in an aerosol form that has not been perfected yet.) It takes a little shaking to get going but I’ve used it multiple times and there’s still plenty in the bottle. I have brunette hair and nothing shows, and it does help cut out greasiness and allow you to make it another day before a proper shampoo. I probably wouldn’t bother with this if it were more expensive but given the low price it’s nice to have around.
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Eye Primer -E.L.F. - Eyelid Primer
ltarwater 11/6/2012 6:02:00 PM
As far as I can tell, this does zilch for me, as far as keeping my eye makeup on longer. Used alone, it does have a nice subtle highlighting effect. Fortunately, it’s ELF so it didn’t cost that much!
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Eyeliner -E.L.F. - Waterproof Eyeliner Pen
ltarwater 11/6/2012 6:01:00 PM
I’ve recently discovered ELF and my favorite product so far has to be these eyeliner pens. I am a makeup minimalist and have never consistently worn eyeliner because most brands and formulations were either impossible to put on accurately and/or slid off halfway through the day. This is easy to apply even for the uncoordinated like me, and it stays put on my face. The ELF gel eyeliners are even better if you need more staying powder and impact, but they are fussier to put on because you have to use a brush and have a pretty steady hand (I save them for special occasions and use the pen version for most days). The only downside, if you must have one, is that the product gets used pretty quickly and I’ve had to replace it every month or two, and that’s not using it every day. (Those of you who are saying this ran out in a day or two - are you storing with the pen down in a cup?) At this low price, however, it’s hard to complain. I also wish they had some lighter colors, because even the coffee brown is quite dark.
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Tinted Moisturizer -Stila - NEW Stila Sheer Color Oil-Free SPF20
ltarwater 11/6/2012 5:56:00 PM
I have a hard time finding foundations that are light enough and pink-toned enough for my skin, and this is even harder with tinted moisturizers, which usually come in a narrower range of shades. I was thrilled when I saw this at Sephora and it was close to my skin tone. I quite like it and have worn it a lot this summer, either alone or over primer or sunscreen. You can apply with your fingers, but I prefer to use a sponge or a foundation brush for better evenness.
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Moisturizers -Stila - STILA SHEER COLOR TINTED MOISTURIZER
ltarwater 10/25/2012 8:07:00 PM
I have a hard time finding foundations that are light enough and pink-toned enough for my skin, and this is even harder with tinted moisturizers, which usually come in a narrower range of shades. I was thrilled when I saw this at Sephora and it was close to my skin tone. I quite like it and have worn it a lot this summer, either alone or over primer or sunscreen. You can apply with your fingers, but I prefer to use a sponge for better evenness.
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Liquid -Neutrogena - Healthy Skin Liquid Makeup SPF 20
ltarwater 10/25/2012 7:24:00 PM
I have a hard time finding foundations that are light enough and pink-toned enough for my skin, especially in the winter. Neutrogena has always been the one drugstore brand that worked with my skin tone and wasn’t too yellow. Recently I bought a new jar after spending most of the summer wearing tinted moisturizer from other brands, and although the color was fine, I noticed that I was breaking out a lot on the days after I used the foundation. I don’t know if this is due to a change in the formulation or a change in my skin care routine, but I am unlikely to repurchase.
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Primer/ Corrector -Boots - Mattifying Make-up Base
ltarwater 10/25/2012 7:13:00 PM
I’ve only dipped my toe into the world of primers, but I’m strongly suspecting that silicone-based primers do not work for my skin. This stuff applies easily, and it works as far as keeping my skin not oily and making my makeup last longer. But the day or two after I’ve used it my skin breaks out like crazy. I still use it occasionally for very special occasions but it’s certainly not an everyday product for me.
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