Ole Henriksen 3 Little Wonders Kit

With an order from Sephora, I chose this sample kit: Ole Henriksen : 3 Little Wonders. I’m not very familiar with Ole Henriksen and was excited to get to try three of their products at once – especially the Invigorating Night Gel.

How I Used It:
On the first night, I noticed that the Invigorating Night Gel (ING) felt mildly tingly – it might be too strong to use nightly, as suggested, if it feels this tingly every night. When I put the Sheer Transformation (ST) on top, it melted in nicely but felt Continue reading

Home Treatment 01: Many Layers Peel

Here you’ll find a guide to giving yourself a thorough home facial. If you’re reading this website, I’m guessing you’ve got a nice collection of products you can use to do your own version of this treatment.
Here’s how I did it:
Sit in a hot bath, the hottest you can handle, until your face starts to perspire a bit.
Splash water on your face a few times.
Cleanse with Avalon Organics Vitamin C wash
by massaging it into your skin for a few minutes. Really take your time with this and get to know your face thru two handsful
Continue reading

Origins Eye Cream Comparison

Youthtopia = favorite because it’s creamy and light, not greasy. Dry skin

Plantscription = did not like because its a gel, too light. Eyes didn’t feel protected. Great for oily skin or, as they advertise, someone with a lot of wrinkles around the eyes.

Ginzing = too light weight & didn’t like shimmery-ness. Great for oily or combination skin

Starting Over = acceptable but lighter than youthtopia. great for normal, youthful skin with no complaints as prevention of wrinkles.

Melvita Perfecting Cream

I went into Melvita to get my favorite cleanser and was given a sample of this Perfecting Cream. Because I love the whole Melvita story, I’m sorry to report that I don’t care for it.

It’s full of exfoliating, anti-acne ingredients, which is great for oily skin. I have combination skin that I keep hydrated for the sake of a healthy glow and minimal blackheads. The “healthy glow” can look like an oily shine by the end of the day so I’m guessing that’s why the sales rep gave me this sample.

Because I have combination oily/dry/sensitive skin, when I use moisturizers with exfoliation acids, I break out. My skin is oily with small pores which means breakouts are really frustrating. I get red bumps with nothing in them, or no way for what’s in them to get out and they take forever to heal (usually more than a week with topical acne treatment products). I do not like
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Melvita Cleansing Jelly

Because the right cleanser can make all the difference, I tend to review them the most. Plus, it’s the one product I need to buy rather often and it’s hard for me to stick to just one (even if I do call it my favorite). This Cleansing Jelly is by the brand Melvita, which pulled me in when I was working at Burke Williams in the Westfield Mall. Melvita had posters advertising their natural products all around the mall and I had to check it out.

Here’s how I use it:
– Dry Skin: 3-5 pumps of the gel, massaged into skin while adding water bit by bit until rinsing. I do this when my skin is especially oily or dirty.
– Wet Skin: 1-2 pumps of the gel, massaged into skin until a light foam forms and then rinse. I do this after the above or if I’m feeling cleaner that day.

The upsides:
– The scent is a light and fresh barely there citrus.
– The texture is silky smooth and feels great on the skin and makes the skin feel soft and smooth cleansing.

The Company

– Melvita was founded by a Beekeeper and Biologist, Bernard Continue reading

Avalon Organics CoQ10 Facial Cleansing Gel

I love Avalon’s other cleanser, so I thought I’d have an easy go of it with this one but I really didn’t care for it.

Here’s how I use it:
– Like any other cleanser. Wet face, 1/2 pump, massage thoroughly into skin, rinse. Easy.

The upsides:
– It’s affordable. (less than $15 on their website or at your local health food store or apothecary)
– It’s gentle. (Chamomile is listed in the ingredients – that’s soothing for most skin)
– It comes in a pump and measured doses help maintain the veracity of the above two points.

The not-so-upsides:
– The scent is not my favorite. It’s not disagreeable, but I don’t Continue reading

I’m back!

So sorry to have disappeared for so long… I was busy getting settled in with my massage and esthetic offerings.
Of course, I’ve been using products old and new so stay tuned – there’s new reviews on the way!
xoxo
Addy

NUDE 4 piece sampler

I got a sample set of NUDE Skincare products and I’m already in love and ready to settle down and make 10,000 babies with these products (and I’ve only used four little packets!)
I’m so in love with this company and its products that I’m breaking my standard “upsides/not-so-upsides” form.

The sample kit I got came with four little envelopes of product:
Cleansing Facial Oil (love)
My first experience with cleansing oils was in Esthetic school when we used Dermalogica’s PreCleanse in every facial. I may write about that one someday but for now I’ll say that I fell in love with cleansing oils back then and I still really enjoy them. Nude’s version is fabulous. You apply it to your skin without water and massage it in for a while. Bit by bit, you add water and watch it emulsify into a watery, creamy substance. This gets the skin super clean by attaching the cleansing oil to the oils on the skin and then rinsing them away with the water. Plus, it leaves the skin feeling conditioned and fresh and not dried out.

Advanced Eye Complex (feels wonderful)
It’s hard to say much about eye cream from a sample except for how it feels.

Age Defence Moisturiser (not too heavy, feels lovely)
Same as eye cream. Worth purchasing more of it to really see
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Murad Oil-Free Sunblock SPF 30

Sephora sent me a small sample of Murad‘s Oil-Free Sunblock SPF 30 and I was surprised at how much I liked it.

Here’s how I use it:
– Wake up, wash face, apply toner, apply Vitamin C serum, apply eye cream, apply sunscreen.

The upsides:
– It’s got a gentle matte finish. I say “gentle” because it’s not a true mattefying product but it does dry in a matte way. This may seem a bit semantic but those of you with oily skin know what I’m talking about. This will not mattefy your skin, but it won’t add to your oiliness. I forgot I’d put it on until the next morning when it was time for me to put sunscreen on. I’ve had experiences where I feel greasy all day and can only think about how greasy my skin feels. That was not the case with this product.
– The fragrance they use is mild and pleasant.
– The company is named for the inventor, Dr. Murad and I like
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Amore Pacific Treatment Enzyme Peel

A while back, I ordered from Sephora online and was given an option to order this Amore Pacific sample of Treatment Enzyme Peel for $5. Being the exfoliant lover I am, of course I clicked “add to bag.” And I’m very glad I did.

Here’s how I use it:
– I use this in the shower but I keep it on a shelf outside of my shower (see the very top of this page). It’s a dry powder so it’s imperative to keep humidity out of the bottle until you’re ready to use it.
– After washing my face, I pour a small pile (appx 1/8 tsp) into my hand and massage it with water until it starts to foam up and isn’t sticky.
– I massage it into my skin for just over a minute, being sure to focus on the parts of my face that get clogged.

The upsides:
The Ingredients
– While I don’t love that it has artificial color, fragrance and parabens, the active ingredients are all botanical or food based, which is what drew me to it in the first place.

Effectiveness

– My skin feels wicked smooth after using this. The smooth feeling lasts a day or so, which makes sense since it can be used daily. For more sensitive skin, I’d say try it a few times a week at first. For oilier skin, daily use will help keep the skin clean and clear. People with dry skin should always be sure to use an appropriately rich moisturizer after any exfoliation treatment Continue reading