Category Archives: All Skin Types

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
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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

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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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

Thayers Rose Petal Witch Hazel Toner

My name is Addy and I am a toner user.

I know a lot of people don’t want to or can’t bother taking this extra step and I respect that.

However, if you use the right kind of toner, I find it a beneficial and inexpensive step.
I’ve been using Thayers Alcohol-Free Rose Petal Witch Hazel Toner for probably 10 years. There are other formulas/scents but I’ve never tried any of them. In researching this post, I discovered that they have a medicated version that looks like it could work out really well for someone with large pores and oily, acneic skin. If that’s you and you want to let me know how you like this product, I’ll post a review here with what you have to say. You can email me at addy at addysesthetics dot com.

Here’s how I use it:
– After washing my face both am and pm, I pour a small amount
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MyChelle Deep Repair Cream

I purchased the MyChelle All Skin Types Sampler Kit and have been working my way thru it’s offerings. I recently over did it a bit with the retinol and had some flaky skin on my chin. Some say the flaking is a good thing but I don’t like it – I think the skin should be fresh and dewey often and that dry, flaky patches are not a goal. Some types of skin need the flakes to get results quickly, but I think everyone will get results from retinoids with regular, measured applications. However, I have sensitive skin and sometimes retinol can make the skin flake (especially if the same skin has a new scrub tested on it the morning after retinol is applied…).
I tried the Deep Repair Cream from my little kit to see if it would help and I used it every night until it was gone – I love it so much I’m probably going to go buy some at Rainbow now that I’ve used the last smidgen, even tho I’ve plenty of other moisturizers to use at night.

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SkinCeuticals Hydrating B5 Gel

SkinCeuticals does a great job with serums. Their Hydrating B5 Gel is a standout. It offers the skin the water part of the water/oil mix necessary for healthy skin. That’s not to say that it’s just expensive water – the base ingredient is Hyaluronic Acid, which holds 1,000 times it’s own weight in water and is naturally occurring in our skin and other areas of the body.

Here’s how I use it:
– After cleansing, toning (if you do – optional) & applying Vitamin C serum (highly recommended if you don’t already), apply 1-2 drops to your whole face, including eyes.
– If you are dry & need additional moisture than your sunscreen offers, apply your moisturizer then your sunscreen. I use sunscreen as my moisturizer often so as to save a step.

The upsides:
The Ingredients
– There is no fragrance or color added and the list is pretty short. (unfortunately, I can’t confirm what’s ACTUALLY on that list because they don’t publish the ingredients anywhere but on the box, which is long gone)

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Nature’s Gate Lavendar & Aloe Body Wash

Back when I was a kid, my mom always bought us Nature’s Gate shampoo and conditioner from the health food store. That brown pudding-like conditioner that made my cat knead my scalp like it was catnip is one of my most confused childhood memories. I love it because it reminds me of that childhood – the places we lived, the way the cat walked on the edge of the tub when I was in it – but I really never quite cared for the way it felt or smelled. I think it was the only option my mom had within her desired parameters, of which, I have only a vague idea: natural, inexpensive, large size…
Now they make all kinds of products that smell and feel great, are pretty natural, and do a great job at what they’re made for, including this Lavendar & Aloe Body Wash that’s just lovely.

Some might find the $9.99 price tag a bit steep and I can’t say I disagree. However, I can say that this product is worth it in the long run.

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