Treatments -Avene - Cold Cream
princess_eab 9/20/2012 2:52:00 AM
This cream is saving my skin! Since becoming pregnant I've suffered from extremely dry, tight, painful skin. Even though I was already using cleansing oil and Eucerin creme for my combo sensitive skin, I had to totally rehaul my routine. Avene has been a great brand for me with this new problem. Other creams - even Weleda's Skin Food and E45 - don't touch my dry facial skin, but leave it crispy and taut within an hour or two. Meanwhile, Avene Cold Cream sinks right in and "becomes" part of my skin, leaving it moisturized and soft for up to a whole day! I am amazed. While it's relatively cheap here in the UK, it's not drugstore cheap, and it does contain a (not-exactly-nice) fragrance and a paraben, so I removed a lippie. However, I am willing to compromise at this point since so many creams have not been moisturizing my skin. In addition, it's a wonderfully cheap replacement for Lancome Nutrix (which is outrageously expensive), my other favorite. This stuff is amazing for severely dry skin and I will be using it every winter, I predict, even after I give birth.
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Moisturizers -Weleda - Skin Food
princess_eab 9/19/2012 4:39:00 AM
I initially liked this a lot, but I think it's the cause of my continuing dry skin. It initially seems very moisturizing and I like that it's all-natural, but alcohol is very prominent in the ingredients list and my facial skin tends to react badly to alcohol. My skin has been peeling and has looked more lined and dry since I've been using this. I love the way it smells - just wish they'd left the alcohol out! I'm back to Avene Cold Cream and Lancome Nutrix to stop my skin peeling - just wish I could find something nice and natural that would take care of my seriously dry pregnancy skin!
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Shampoo -LUSH - BIG
princess_eab 9/17/2012 6:22:00 AM
This has got to be LUSH's star product. It's definitely the best clarifying shampoo I have ever tried and it does miraculous things to my hair. I have dry hair but I also moved to an area with very hard water, which means that over a period of using regular shampoos, my hair gets very gunked up and dries out even more thanks to product buildup. I've tried so many things to get my hair to behave again - baking soda mixed with shampoo (which is OK, but not amazing), various "clarifying" shampoos, even body wash! I didn't really believe BIG would solve my problems, but it smelled lovely so I thought I'd give it a go. Well, I'm hooked. Yes, it's expensive, but given that you only really need a small bit at each shampoo, I think my tub will last for quite awhile. The texture is funny, but it smells gorgeously of coconut oil. I take a small amount and add plenty of water to lather it in my hand, then make sure my hair is very wet and begin swirling. This lathers so well! In hard water it's nearly impossible to find a shampoo that will actually lather and get all the way down to the scalp - I'm so often left with greasy patches despite multiple shampoos. This gets it all out in one go and feels fabulous while doing so. It rinses very clean - a bit "squeaky" but that's what I need in a clarifier. After it's dry my hair is light, voluminous and gunk-free. It styles better and behaves better for an entire week. I do use a serious moisturizing conditioner with this and I do put jojoba oil in my hair the night before using, but it works amazingly as a once a week treatment. I wouldn't use it more than that unless you've got very oily hair. I am a convert to this shampoo because it's really solved my hard-water hair problems. You'd think using a clarifying shampoo on dry hair wouldn't work, but it's just what I need! I highly recommend this product especially if you are struggling with hard water hair issues.
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Other -Vaseline - Petroleum Jelly with cocoa butter
princess_eab 9/17/2012 6:11:00 AM
This stuff is SO much better than regular Vaseline petroleum jelly for moisturizing! It heals my dry winter lips within a couple of applications and really stays put. It softens cuticles right up, and it works a treat on dry feet under socks. It smells fantastic too. Everyone should have a big tub of this - it's a wonderful multipurpose product and the cocoa butter really does make a difference!
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Moisturizers -Weleda - Almond Facial Oil
princess_eab 9/9/2012 7:11:00 PM
I'm pretty sure this is saving my skin at the moment! Since becoming pregnant I have suffered extremely painful dry skin on my face. I bought a bunch of Weleda products in the hope that I could finally moisturize my skin - some of them are better than others, with Skin Food and Almond Facial Oil being the real standouts. I pat this on morning and evening immediately after toning (DHC Mild Lotion) or spraying with Avene Spring Water to lock in moisture. I even put it on my T-zone - my skin really doesn't have any of its own oil right now and needs it!! This keeps my skin comfortable all day and night when layered with Skin Food. I am very happy with this light oil - it hasn't broken me out and it makes my moisturizer much more effective. It's saved my skin!!
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Cleansers -Weleda - Almond Cleansing Lotion
princess_eab 9/9/2012 7:04:00 PM
This really doesn't do the job as far as makeup removal is concerned. It hardly gets anything off and does not touch eye makeup at all. I am a fan of creamy/ milky cleansers and currently my two favorites are DHC's Cleansing Milk and the Body Shop's Vitamin E Cleansing Cream, which both remove makeup, rinse well and leave skin moisturized. While Weleda Almond Cleansing Lotion smells delicious, it simply does not remove makeup, yet somehow leaves my skin feeling a bit squeaky after I rinse - maybe it's the alcohol? I won't repurchase.
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Cleansers -Avene - Gentle Milk Cleanser
princess_eab 9/9/2012 6:59:00 PM
I received a sample of this product from the Avene UK website. I have very dry skin that does much better with a milky cleanser than anything else, even oil cleansing. My favorite milk cleanser is DHC's Cleansing Milk, but it's really expensive. I also like the Body Shop's Vitamin E Cleansing Cream, but it's got parabens in it. This Avene cleanser is nice and creamy with a light fragrance. Fragrance is usually something I steer clear of, but if the product is good I'll compromise. It doesn't sting when rubbing to remove makeup - even eye makeup. It rinses completely clean - even a bit squeaky clean - and leaves no trace of makeup. It's great at makeup removal, but it actually rinses a bit too clean for my taste - I like a layer of moisture left on my skin. I may purchase this in a large size as the price is good compared to DHC's, but it's not perfect for me even though it seems gentle enough and is excellent for makeup removal.
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Sunscreen -Shiseido - Ultimate Sun Protection Lotion For Face & Body, spf 60 PA+++
princess_eab 7/9/2011 9:46:00 AM
I loved the texture of this on my face and the way it seemed to combat all the issues of high-SPF sunscreen - oiliness, thickness, etc. However, I started having a huge breakout the same night and the next day, my face was an absolute explosion of blemishes! I've never seen anything like it. It was about 10-15 bright red scaly blemishes all over my cheeks! Very strange, because the ingredients don't look that bad, but it does have alcohol in it and sometimes alcohol makes my skin react in strange ways. Sigh. Back to Neova Ti-Silc for me...
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Skincare - Body -Neutrogena - Body Clear Body Spray
princess_eab 5/27/2011 5:01:00 PM
Didn't do a darned thing! I've been using Murad Body Clarifying Spray for years and I love it, but it's $36. So I jumped at this one when it came out. It's sticky and has a lot of fragrance, but that wouldn't matter if it worked. It just. doesn't. work. Weird, because I use the Neutrogena Body Clear Body Wash and it works well for me. This was a waste of money - back to Murad!
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Treatments -Clinique - Pore Refining Solutions Correcting Serum
princess_eab 5/23/2011 10:04:00 PM
I am addicted to this stuff. I have dry acne-prone skin with large pores, and it really makes a difference. I've been using it for a couple of months. It tightens and firms the skin and makes skin very silky. It's a perfect makeup primer and blackhead treatment in one. It blurs the pores and "fills them in". I use it at night all over my face underneath Differin, and it really helps with my acne and keeps the Differin from being too harsh on my skin. In the morning I use it only on my T-zone and moisturize everywhere else. I am seriously in love with this product and that's amazing because I'm tough to impress!
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Loose Powders -MAC - Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder
princess_eab 5/22/2011 10:42:00 PM
Awesome stuff. I usually use pressed powder, but this works so much better to completely and permanently set foundation/ sunscreen/ anything else you want. It leaves a flawless/ poreless airbrushed finished that's not overly matte, but "tamps down" shine and keeps it that way. It's amazing! It's great for foundation setting, but the best thing I've used it for is setting heavier/ greasier sunscreen. I wear a slightly oily SPF 60 in the summer and this completely airbrushes and mattifies the finish! I love this, and it's never made me break out, though I was afraid it would.
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Moisturizers -First Aid Beauty - Ultra Repair Cream
princess_eab 5/7/2011 10:20:00 AM
This is a miracle cream. I'm shocked to find that there is actually something out there that works as well as this does. I have acne-prone skin that is retinized, sensitive and tends to flake and peel. Since I switched to Differin a couple of months ago, I've been having itchy, reactive, flaky skin that wouldn't go away even with layers of Aveeno and Eucerin creams. A light application of this calms the itching and redness and gives me smooth, moisturized but non-greasy skin on my face! I was amazed. I've bought a tube and I'll keep repurchasing in the future. I wish it were cheaper, but nothing, not even Eucerin or Cetaphil creams, work as well as this. I think the high colloidal oatmeal content makes a real difference. Fantastic stuff!
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Makeup Brushes -Sephora - Professionnel Platinum Air Brush #55
princess_eab 4/18/2011 9:56:00 PM
I recently returned a MAC 187 brush because it seemed terrible quality for the price - it shed like crazy and the finish was not as smooth as I wanted. Happily, this Sephora brush is cheaper and *so* much better! It's very, very soft and gently on the face, and blends more quickly than any foundation brush I've ever seen. I'm done in half the time it took me with my conventional foundation brush (the flat kind) and the finish is flawless. With a dusting of setting powder it stays all day. I use Origins Stay Tuned, which blends nicely and pairs very well with this brush. I highly recommend this brush to anyone dissatisfied with flat makeup brushes or stippling brushes like the 187.
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Concealers -Clinique - Airbrush Concealer
princess_eab 4/13/2011 1:02:00 PM
This is a new purchase but it's great so far. I was looking for something more brightening and blendable than my regular Origins concealer for my undereye circles. I use Clarins Eye Revive Beauty Flash and dot this in the inner eye, all around the bottom of the eye and in dark or capillaried spots like around my nose. It gives a very finished-looking face even with just moisturizer and powder. I was impressed. The only thing I don't like is that it does settle into creases a bit. Otherwise, it's a keeper and so much cheaper than Touche Eclat!
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Liquid -Origins - Stay Tuned Foundation
princess_eab 4/12/2011 2:13:00 PM
This is an amazing foundation! I've tried several in a quest for future wedding-photo perfection (I don't normally wear foundation). It's incredibly silky, sheer and blendable. It smells fantastic and doesn't contain parabens or other nasties. The color range is amazing - I was matched with Bisque, which is not what I would have picked for myself, but it evens out and brightens my ruddy complexion. Unlike most other foundations I've tried, it doesn't settle into lines and pores, which is such a relief - I don't have to keep blending throughout the day. The best part about this foundation is that it *stays on my face*. I mean, it doesn't rub off for anything, especially if set with powder. It stays on all day! I use Origins Clean Energy oil cleanser to take it off at night, which gets it completely off - I'd recommend an oil cleanser for this because it does have such good staying power. Overall, I highly recommend this foundation, but do go into an Origins store to get matched - I was several shades darker than I expected!
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