Treatments -Clarins - Face Treatment Oil - Lotus
selesticow 7/1/2007 1:28:00 PM
Ingredients: Corylus Avellana (hazel) seed oil, pelargonium graveolens (geranium) flower oil, Parfum/fragrance, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf oil, anthemis nobilis (chamomile) flower oil, salvia sclarea (clary) oil, lotus corniculatus flower extract, citronellol, linalool, geraniol, limonene, citral, coumarin, benzyl benzoate.
Pros: The science behind this idea is flawless. Treat like with like, adding oil to your skin does help control your oil glands. This won't break you out (more, if you are already breaking out this won't miraculously cure it) and long term use will help your skin.
Cons: The third item on the ingredients is fragrance. What the hell?!? I don't usually like to bathe my face in perfume. Also, I'm on the fence over whether this is any better than a homemade version which can be found for MUCH cheaper than the $45 I shelled out to Clarins (for a crappy bottle with no dropper, no less). It shouldn't be hard to blend sage and rosemary essential oils into pure jojoba oil for the same results, and I will be trying that after I finish this bottle.
7 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Masks -Queen Helene - Mint Julep Masque
selesticow 5/24/2007 10:20:00 PM
A good mask at a great price. I took off a lippie because, like other reviewers have mentioned, this thing BURNS when it's on. The coolness of the "mint" (not sure where it comes from, cuz there's no mint in the ingredients!) tries to disguise it, but it burns underneath it even on my combo-oily skin, which I don't consider sensitive (I do use 10% BP daily). What also worries me is that after I rinse it off, my skin is red, which slowly fades away, but does show that the mask is fairly irritating. I haven't noticed any miracles so far, but the mask does seem to bring all my black and white heads to surface, so it does do what it claims of sucking the oil and other crap out. However be forewarned it is very drying. If you are looking for something to use before extracting your black/white heads, this give a whirl. It is cheap and pretty effective, if you can stand the burning.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Clean & Clear - Foaming Facial Cleanser - Sensitive Skin
selesticow 5/23/2007 7:52:00 PM
First off, I hate the packaging. This pump bottle design is the worst ever - it dispenses very little at a time and requires a lot of pressure to push down. The locking mechanism is a joke.
As for the product itself, I really wanted to like it as I purchased it based on the rave reviews here, but after a full month of use I decided it's not for me. I didn't enjoy the smell, and while it lathered normally, my hands and face felt slippery and unnatural after I used it, almost as if it left a very thin film on the surface. Lastly, while I don't think it caused any harm, it did nothing to improve my combo, breakout happy skin. Which is surprising, because it definitely dried my cheeks out! It just goes to show there's no product for everybody!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Clearasil - Vanishing Cream
selesticow 5/23/2007 7:34:00 PM
This is one of the few acne treatments that I have actually finished the entire package without giving up in disgust or returning it. It's a pretty straighforward benzyl peroxide cream that applies easily and is not oily/greasy. It does leave a white cast that sits on top of your skin, so I took off a lippie for that. Be aware that BP is very drying, and this will make my skin flake, but I wash it off in the morning and put on my day moisturizer and it's all good.
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Treatments -Philosophy - A Pigment of Your Imagination
selesticow 5/23/2007 7:23:00 PM
I bought this based on Dr. Baumann's recommendations for my skin type - my acne scars stay around forever in the form of brown, yucky spots in my face. Unfortunately, I had not heard of MUA at the time, because if I had read the reviews, I would've known better. This product did absolutely nothing but waste my $. I'm sure it might work for some people (maybe freckles are more receptive) but if you have brown spots from acne or sun I wouldn't be too optimistic.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Treatments -Banana Boat - SPF 30 sunscreen lip balm Aloe Vera with Vitamin E
selesticow 5/22/2007 5:26:00 PM
This is the only lip balm I will use now, after having tried every "Chapstick" out there (including the All-Natural one). It is petroleum free, which is very important to me, yet it is very moisturizing and provides the thick cover my lips need to survive the harsh desert air. It has a nice light coconut aroma/smell, and no taste at all. As an added bonus, there is SPF30 in it. HG!
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Lotions/ Creams -Cetaphil - Cetaphil Theraputic Hand Cream
selesticow 5/17/2007 6:01:00 PM
This is what I consider a very gentle, non-offensive product, but not at all what I was looking for in a hand cream. I need something thick with staying power or my knuckles get cracked very quickly in the dry desert air, and I would find myself constantly reapplying the cream. Tube is ugly but very practical, and it is affordable like all Cetaphil products. It also sinks in very quickly and does not leave grease whatsoever. Unfortunately, just doesn't feel moisturizing enough for me, so I've moved on to L'Occitane 20% Shea Butter Hand Cream, which I LOVE.
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Lotions/ Creams -L'Occitane - 20% Shea Butter Hand Cream
selesticow 5/17/2007 5:57:00 PM
This is the best hand cream I have ever used. I was using Cetaphil hand cream or just normal lotion, but this stuff sinks right in and stays in your skin without being greasy - the Cetaphil hand cream would sink right in but my hands would feel dry again right afterwards and I'd keep using more and more. I have been using 1 oz of this stuff for over 4 months now, and I still have more than half left! A little goes a long way, and the smell is very non offensive, kind of baby powder-ish (not fruity or floral at all) and it goes away quickly.
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