Treatments -Avene - Cleanance K
thecartel 11/21/2011 7:36:00 PM
I bought a bottle a couple years ago and was not impressed at all. It burned my skin and seemed like it irritated my acne more. A couple weeks ago, however, I came across it in my medicine cabinet and since I was running out of my Avene Triacneal, I decided to try it again. I could not believe it: it actually works! I still experience a stinging sensation but nothing too severe, even after exfoliation. I apply it on my whole face and neck (I got a nasty breakout from Revlon Colorstay because I blended it down). It literally reduces my acne bumps almost completely by the next morning! I seriously could not believe it. I have terrible terrible skin: acne-prone, clog-prone, scars, inflammation, large pores, oily.. the list goes on! But ever since Cleanance K, my skin feels less bumpy, smooth, less oily and my acne marks are starting to fade slightly. I am really happy I tried it again! I learned that there is a new formula out and I hope a lot hasn't changed because this stuff is amazing. It takes a lot for something to impress me so I definitely recommend you buy it!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Revlon - ColorStay Makeup
thecartel 11/4/2011 11:06:00 PM
This was my foundation for at least 5 months. I have a lot of scars on my skin and it is extremely acne-prone and oily. The only good thing about this foundation was that it had decent coverage, although some of my worst scars still showed through. At first I was impressed by the staying power, but then I got frustrated whenever I removed my makeup at night because it took forever! Also, I realized that this foundation was the cause of the worst breakout I ever had (and I have really bad skin). Due to a limited range of shades, the most yellowest shade was still too pink for me so I had to blend it all the way down to my neck in order for my makeup to look remotely natural. As a result, my neck was covered in painful pimples along with scars. I was horrified! It couldn't have been because I wasn't removing the makeup properly, because I am very diligent with my skin care routine and I always make sure I cleanse thoroughly. As soon as I switched to another foundation (Avene Fluid Foundation Corrector), my skin calmed down a little. I absolutely loathe the packaging of the Revlon Colorstay- I never get the amount I need and it is not very hygienic. Also, it's one of the more expensive drugstore foundations (20+ CDN). Overall, I do not recommend this foundation for those with acne-prone skin. Do not be swayed by the full coverage- you might end up covering way more in the end because of all the blemishes that it causes!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Body -Biotherm - Draine Choc - Shaping Body Expert
thecartel 7/11/2011 10:22:00 PM
I got this on sale for $12 a bottle (I bought 3). I used it after every shower for a month and did not notice any immediate results. I forgot about it for a couple months and started to use the product again but I never noticed anything- good or bad. Recently, I started going to the gym everyday and applying this on my thighs, my arms, my butt and my abdomen. I think the only way to get any noticeable results is to use this in conjunction with regular exercise. My thighs look more toned as well as my arms and my abdomen is more defined (I didn't get these results with exercise alone). To be honest, this isn't really worth it at regular price. It comes in a spray bottle and I find most of the product gets sprayed into the air so that's a waste. One thing I like though is that it absorbs really quickly and there's no sticky residue, instead, my skin feels soft. Other than that, it's just an extra step I have to take after I moisturize and the results aren't that drastic.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Bioderma - Sebium H2O
thecartel 3/24/2011 10:19:00 PM
I was really happy with this product. I don't use it to wash my face alone. I wash my face first with my regular cleanser then I apply a little of this just to make sure I get all the stuff that my cleanser might have missed. It says no rinse, but I still do it anyways just in case! I feel like this really, REALLY wipes my face clean. My skin feels so fresh and oil-free, and my pores seem refined. It also contains zinc and copper (I think), which actually helps to heal acne, and it does slightly reduce the severity of my breakouts. I think that if you use it as your main cleanser, it's like draining the whole bottle down the sink! I definitely recommend this as more of a toner, but with a quick rinse afterward. Just try it, and you'll see just how little you really need :) (Be careful if you have dry skin though, you may not want to do the whole "wash your face twice thing" as it may be irritating)
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Avene - Cleansing and Make-Up Remover Micellar Lotion
thecartel 3/24/2011 10:06:00 PM
I don't use this as a makeup remover, per se. I wash my face first with Phisoderm which removes most of my makeup, then I follow with the micellar lotion to pick up anything that my cleanser might have missed. Although it says "no rinse", I just splash my face with water just in case, wipe dry and spray a very fine mist of Avene thermal water. Finally, I apply the Avene cicalfate. I have a nice glow and my complexion is much more even. My skin feels really soft and clean after the micellar lotion. The fragrance doesn't bother me and it doesn't seem to irritate my acne. And since I don't actually use it as my main makeup remover, I don't need a lot of it so the bottle will last a while.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Face -Pro Activ - 3-Step System
thecartel 3/6/2011 1:26:00 AM
Proactiv literally ruined my face. I used it years ago when I was in high school and had only mild acne. It seemed to work slowly for the first couple of months, but after about a year or so, it wreaked havoc on my skin! My skin became irritated, dry, red and the frequency of my breakouts increased. My complexion was a mess. I remember trying to cancel my orders several times to no avail- their customer service was crap. I was about 14 at the time and I swear the benzoyl peroxide caused fine lines on my forehead. When I finally stopped using it, I noticed that the it had literally bleached the tiny hairs on my face and along my hairline! Terrible product.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -L'Oreal - Dermo Expertise Futur-e Moisturizer SPF 15 (Oil-Free)
thecartel 1/17/2011 9:13:00 PM
I have been using this product for about 7 months now and it is one of the very few moisturizers out there that doesn't irritate my combo/acne-prone skin. I found that this makes my face shinier later on in the day so now when I put this on, I concentrate mostly on the drier areas (the sides of my face) and I go towards the middle, where I'm the most oily and this seems to decrease the shine. The scent is not too overpowering which is quite pleasant. The hygienic pump is also a bonus (mostly because my father uses it from time to time so I don't have to worry about germs!) and it also delivers the perfect amount of product every time. I like that it has SPF as well because I'm on acne medication and I want that extra protection. It hasn't caused any more breakouts than I usually have- at least not anything dramatic. My skin has definitely improved in the last few months but I'm not sure if I can attribute it to the moisturizer or the "pure" vitamin E that's in it as I have been using other products to treat my acne. I can say, however, that it works well in conjunction with my other face treatments because I have a brighter and more even complexion now. It is a tad expensive (16.99 CDN) though. Overall, I definitely recommend this product!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Avene - Diacneal Acne Treatment [DISCONTINUED]
thecartel 9/15/2010 1:42:00 PM
I have been using this product for a little over two weeks now. Thus far, I have seen minor improvements in the quality of my skin: redness has decreased only slightly and the little bumps all over my face seem to be growing smaller in size (slowly). I consider myself to have severe acne. I have hyperpigmentation marks all over my face, tiny little bumps (clogged pores) clustered EVERYWHERE, large pores and a couple (3-5) cystic breakouts at once. (not to mention blackheads) I started taking 50mg of zinc gluconate each night over a month ago and it has helped a little. It didn't rid of all of my pimples and my face still scars easily, but the life span of my zits have been cut nearly in half, so I'm pretty happy about that. In addition, I scrub my face daily with baking soda and my facial cleanser (I use Phisoderm) and that helps make my skin super soft. I think both the zinc and the BS help draw out the gunk in my clogged pores to a whitehead much faster. But I digress. After following this regimen for quite some time, I decided that it needed an extra "oomph", so I went ahead and purchased this product (about 30$ cdn). Upon first application, there was absolutely no stinging or burning sensation, as others have mentionned previously; it dried quickly and the scent wasn't all bad. Again, my skin hasn't changed dramatically, but I believe that with persistant use, my skin will be on its way to recovery! I definitely recomment this product. I'm only 17 and I've had acne since the age of 13 and it has worsened considerably as the years went by. I've tried tons of drugstore products and Proactiv, so I'm praying that this works!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No