Category Archives: Oily

Ole Henriksen 3 Little Wonders Kit

Leave a reply

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 →

Origins Eye Cream Comparison

Leave a reply

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

Leave a reply

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
Continue reading →

Avalon Organics CoQ10 Facial Cleansing Gel

Leave a reply

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 →

Murad Oil-Free Sunblock SPF 30

Leave a reply

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
Continue reading →

Avalon Organics Vitamin C Refreshing Cleansing Gel

Leave a reply

I first tried Avalon Organics about three years ago. Of course, it was cleanser that first drew me in (favorite product). I’m also a big fan of Vitamin C use on the skin so when I saw their Vitamin C Refreshing Cleansing Gel I got very excited. (Y’all didn’t have to hear about me getting “very excited” about a cleanser to know how much of a nerd I am about products, did you?)

Here’s how I use it:
– 1/2 pump [yes! I love pumps and I love measured doses (and spreadsheets and organizing – it all falls in the same nerdy category to me)] massaged into wet skin in the morning and evening. I use it over my eyes and it works great at getting eye makeup off without irritating my sensitive eyes.

The upsides:
The Scent
– I’ve used products in the past that look like they’re going to Continue reading →

Pangea Organics Egyptian Basil & Mint Body Wash

Leave a reply

This post is moot because the product has been discontinued. Maybe I’m not the only one who didn’t care for the scent… My friend Eliza loves Pangea Organics products and she gave me their Egyptian Basil & Mint Body Wash to try out. I happily obliged.

Here’s how I use it:
– In the shower, I wrench the flip top lid off, just barely containing my desire to use my teeth (dentists strongly advise against such use of the teeth) and just barely getting it open after pushing really hard with both hands (maybe it’s just my bottle but it’s really annoying!), squeeze out about a dime sized amount and lather up.

The upsides:
– A little goes a long way!
– It has a pleasantly interesting scent that doesn’t linger (that’s a plus for me as I prefer to smell like my perfume).
Continue reading →

Revision Skincare Black Mask

1 Reply

The Revision Black Mask came to me as a sample at work. Combination skin gives me plenty of chances to test out oil absorbing, pore clearing, purifying masks so I was excited to try it.

Here’s what they have to say about it at their (slow loading, flash based) website (under the 3rd key if you’re looking to dig it out yourself):

Continue reading →

Collective Wellbeing Cinnamon Purifying Clay Cleanser

Leave a reply

I got Collective Wellbeing‘s Cinnamon Purifying Clay Cleanser because I wanted to try something new and found the title and description quite intriguing. The very first time I used it, however, I was disappointed. This is less a cleanser and more a masque.
I wanted a cleanser.
Once I got over that disappointment, I set about finding it’s strong suits and discovered that it’s excellent as a masque.


Here’s how I use it:
At night I wash my face with whatever cleanser I’m testing at the time and then apply this as a masque for a few minutes, until a thin coat is dry. After a few days of doing this, my skin is super soft and clear.

Continue reading →