Cleansers -Avalon Organics Botanicals - Vitamin C Facial Cleanser
underdreamskies 11/24/2012 4:22:00 PM
(This review is for the Refreshing Cleansing Gel. Just making this clear as there's also a cleansing milk under this line.) For my very oily skin and the climate I live in -- year round average temperatures of 85° F and humidity above 70% and usually very sunny days -- this is outstanding as an AM cleanser, to refresh my skin and prep it to face the environment without being too drying or making me anymore oily than normal. I love the scent, it smells like fresh cut oranges, really makes you wake up in the morning! There are no synthetic fragrances or colors, or parabens or phthalates or sulfates, which is so important for me, especially the no sulfate part as I also have occassional acne and have noticed that sulfates in products irritate my skin. Despite there being no sulfates, this cleanser does produce a little bit of lather, enough to give you that feeling of cleansing the skin (not like oil cleansing). The product is dispensed through a pump which is very nice, so the packaging is purely practical. I purchased this at a Walmart, it can be found online and the price is very reasonable. I only use this in the morning because I am not sure it would do a good job at removing make-up at the end of the day, I prefer for my night cleansers to both remove make-up and cleanse the skin all at once. From other reviews it seems that this product is definitely not for someone with dry skin, those with combo should be careful, but it would be perfect for someone with oily skin who wants something that will help control oil with the added benefits of the antioxidants and no sulfates to further irritate the skin/produce more oil.
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Foundations -Lancome - Photogenic Lumessence Compact Foundation
underdreamskies 7/20/2012 10:35:00 AM
I use this cream compact foundation as a spot concealer for acne scarring (as per the Lisa Eldridge advice that I really loved, to let the healthy areas of my skin show through and only apply fuller coverage where I need to, as opposed to the full blanket of makeup I used to believe necessary). I think what impressed me the most about this is how effortlessly it blends into my skin, how easy to apply it is. I don't use the sponge included in the compact, I use my own concealer brush. I usually prefer liquid foundations, but on comparison with other cream foundations they are all a lot tackier than this, this is a lot easier to manipulate, like effortless. So you would think that with the slipperyness of this compact foundation that it would get real disgusting on my oily skin, but to my surprise it didn't! Set with a finishing powder I find my skin doesn't get gross at all, and it is so longwearing and really looks so natural even at the end of a full day of wear. I have sensitive skin and it doesn't feel heavy on my skin at all, nor did it break me out.
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Gels/Soaps -Dove - Beauty Bar
underdreamskies 7/20/2012 9:43:00 AM
My grandma, my mom, and I have been using this soap for ever! I think the love runs in the family. We all love it and personally I know I have never purchased a different brand of bar soap, I've also never ever seen my mom purchase any brand other than Dove and at my grandma's house this is all I ever see... I sound a little crazy haha but I love this soap, it just feels luxurious. Everything else leaves my skin tight or just not as soft as this would, not to mention the smell of Dove beauty bars... Just love. <3
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Eye Makeup Remover -Simple - Eye Make-Up Remover
underdreamskies 7/19/2012 9:20:00 PM
worst.makeupremover.ever. ! Leaves my eye area feeling so tight and just uncomfortable, not nourishing at all, and the worst part is I have to really dig into my lashes to remove my (non waterproof!!!) mascara. Even then, I end up with that black halo under my eyes the next morning. There are so many better drugstore make up removers! I bought this because I was in a pinch after forgetting my regular eye make up remover at home while traveling, it was the first mu remover I found... *never* again!
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Mascara -Physicians Formula - Organic Wear Jumbo Lash Mascara 
underdreamskies 7/18/2012 3:41:00 PM
Love this mascara! Love of course that it is all natural, but it actually performs comparably to the higher end mascaras that I own and love. The only bit I dislike about this mascara is the huge brush, I'm not a fan of huge brushes at all, but the formula is worth it in the sense that it doesn't smudge, builds length and thickens a bit without drying too quickly or beign too wet either, it lasts without smudging, and yet comes off effortlessly when washing my face at night.
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Other -Murad - Pure Skin Skin Clarifying Dietary Supplement
underdreamskies 7/4/2012 3:58:00 PM
I have done my research on the amounts of everything on this and they are all safe, they are for sure at the very upper limits of especially the highest percentage ones but most of these vitamins are water-soluble so it's impossible to overdose on those as you just pee them out! Anyway, on to the product. I have used these supplements on two separate occasions this past year. It's been two times because the first time, after just two months, I was so happy with the change in my skin that I figured I was cured! Recently though I had a horrific volcanic explosion on my chin, jawline, and upper lip because I was trying out the OCM (didn't work for me!). Out of desperation to cure my skin I went out and bought this stuff again, two weeks later my dozen or so pimples from this adverse reaction have cleared up, and I haven't had any new eruptions since! This stuff is not cheap but so worth it for me, I do take the four pills a day (religiously, might I add -- after breakfast & after dinner). My acne (besides the reaction to OCM) is hormonal as I have PCOS. My medication for PCOS hasn't done much for my acne and I believe this supplement corrects what that can't (I've read that there are issues with absorption of various vitamins when you have PCOS, mainly vitamin B, and that an extra amount of vitamins/minerals are needed to help counteract the effects of the hormonal imbalance). Anyway, this is just one of those things you've got to try, especially if you have hormonal acne like I do, nothing has helped it the way these supplements in conjunction to good skincare has!
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BB Cream -Christian Dior - Diorsnow UV Shield BB Creme SPF 50
underdreamskies 7/4/2012 3:51:00 PM
Love that this is a BB creme with such a high SPF and luckily for me, it matches my skintone pretty much spot on, I'm very warm and beige and so is this creme. In the summer it's a tad too light for my naturally tanned skin but the Dior SA advised to use a bit of bronzer (I use any kind) and it really helps to keep the color true to my skin. It does not feel very hydrating but as I have oily skin this is perfect for me, it leaves my skin so very matte and in a natural way! While I do still have to blot throughout the day I have overactive hormones to blame for that. The coverage is surprisingly impressive! It covers SO much more than Laura Mercier's Tinted Moisturizer (which I also love, I use the shade Sand which is a perfect match), looks perfectly like natural skin (just make sure you use the heat of your fingers to blend it into your skin), my uneven skintone evens out with this stuff and it even helps to mute out redness of my acne & acne scarring (not completely, but a lot more than I'd expect from a BB creme!). It took me some time to figure out how to use than one pump for my entire face because it dries like instantly after I first rub it into my skin but I've found that spraying my face lightly with rosewater just prior to putting this one helps so much to blend less than one pump onto my entire face and neck. Really love this! As with all BB cremes though, I would suggest testing out the color to see how compatible it is with your skin.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Foundations -Bare Escentuals - bareMinerals SPF 15 Foundation
underdreamskies 6/4/2012 9:52:00 PM
This has been my everyday foundation for the past year. It looks like my natural skin, never cakey or overdone. It provides medium coverage for my acne scarring, not quite as strong as I'd like but I feel safe knowing I am giving my skin the ability to breathe easily under this gentle stuff that does still even out my skin tone and make me look glow-y in a beautiful light-reflective way (not in an oily way of course!). For me, with the proper primer, this stays intact all day long.
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Powder -Korres - Mineral Powder Foundation
underdreamskies 6/4/2012 9:49:00 PM
Maybe I just am using the wrong shade for me but I actually prefer Bareminerals over this stuff... the texture of it looks unnatural on my skin, it just looks cakey and seems to exacerbate my already larger than life (clean!) pores.. doesn't do much to cover my acne scarring and actually makes my skin look more uneven than it really is... don't know what it is, oh well! The packaging is horrible and don't you dare think about using that sponge, you will look like a donut with a powdered sugar coating. It looks better with a proper kabuki brush but still, I have found better mineral foundations for the price.
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Treatments -Murad - Acne Spot Treatment
underdreamskies 6/4/2012 9:43:00 PM
HG spot treatment, forever. I have only used another sulfur-based spot treatment product (from Proactiv) but this one is tons better. Helps to relive irritation much more quickly than anything else. HG!
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Skincare - Face -Murad - Exfoliating Acne Treatment Gel
underdreamskies 6/4/2012 9:41:00 PM
My HG for treating and preventing my horror-monal acne. A little bit goes a long way. I first used this from the acne kit by Murad and the only products I have stuck with are this gel and the sulfur spot treatment tube. I will never be without this serum for as long as I continue to have acne (which will probably be forever as I have PCOS) but whatever acne I do get vanishes in a matter of days with this stuff. I don't get as many breakouts during my most stressful times with this. While I can't do anything about PCOS, this has become my absolute HG for my acne, I have no other words for it!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Tinted Moisturizer -Laura Mercier - Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20
underdreamskies 6/4/2012 9:35:00 PM
I was lucky enough to receive this as a gift, somehow in exactly the right shade for me...! It is so lightweight as a moisturizer, which is perfect for my naturally oily, shiny all of the time skin. The coverage is I guess between medium and light, however for me it takes a whole lot of coverage to impress me as I have hyperpigmentation from acne scarring but I do notice that my skin looks glow-y and more even after just a little bit of this. My only issue with this is the ridiculously low SPF.. I live in Miami so this is important, also for the reduction of my scarring/prevent new hyperpigmentation as well as for the needed protection after the anti acne serum I use. For this reason alone I have chosen another BB cream over this, all this is lacking is a higher SPF and I'd be all over it for forever.
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Eye Shadow -Lancome - Color Design 5 Shadow & Liner Palette
underdreamskies 6/4/2012 9:30:00 PM
So much love for these. They are worth the money, if I wasn't a college student I'd be all over these palettes. Beautiful color payoff and long lasting, completely blendable, god the most gorgeous colors! I am a shimmer fanatic and the Pink Envy I have is very shimmery (I haven't grown into understanding matte yet nor do I think I have the skillz for matte shadows haha), so beautiful...!
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Liquid -Clinique - Redness Solutions Makeup SPF 15 with Probiotic Technology
underdreamskies 6/4/2012 9:27:00 PM
I don't have rosacea but I do have red acne scars that to most people continue to look like living, breathing breakouts when they're just vestiges of breakouts from months before.. all over my body my skin has an issue with repairing scars. But this foundation works perfectly to counteract the redness of my scarring, it blends perfectly into my skin, is so moisturizing and yet lightweight and yet provides as close to full coverage as it can get with this price range and the lightweight texture. It leaves me with a gorgeous dewy finish, not oily but literally "Hi I'm actually a hummingbird" kind of glow, that easily goes away if you're not into the dewy look with translucent powder. Doesn't cause me to break out or any other irritation in any way and is the best foundation I've tried that cancels out the redness of my scars without looking green or whatever.
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Treatments (Eye) -Burt's Bees - Radiance Eye Cream with Royal Jelly
underdreamskies 6/4/2012 9:20:00 PM
I don't have dark circles or bags or anything like that (and am too young to have any lines) and while I used to think that maybe I just have good genes when it comes to that, maybe it's the use of this cream for the past few months (still haven't finished my first jar either!) that has kept my under eye area this way even during immense stress. A little goes a long way and it keeps my under eye area hydrated. I only use this at night, I use a light-reflective eye cream during the day (which this cream is not). Only issue I had was a little irritation on my eye (in the form of tearing up randomly...!) but I realized I wasn't applying eye cream correctly -- all eye creams should be gently spread/tapped over your orbtial bone, not straight under your eye! (Silly me.) This is the only drugstore product still in my skin care routine (not because I'm a snob but because I have seriously complicated skin) and I don't see that changing for a while!
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