• September 2018 Product Empties

    October 1, 2018

    Hi Everyone!

    This month I went through a lot of products! So, let’s get started!

    Bioré Blemish Fighting Astringent – This would sometimes sting my skin (even if I didn’t have a pimple. The alcohol content was very high and would make my eyes water.

    Repurchase? No.

    belif bergamot Toner – This was a very nice, gentle toner.

    Repurchase? Maybe.

    Spectro AcneCare Wash – This was a great acne wash that wasn’t too strong.

    Repurchase? Yes.

    COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patches (read my review) – Cannot get enough of these patches, they’re amazing!

    Repurchase? Yes.

    Clinique Pep-Start Quick Cleansing Swipes – These were gentle and removed makeup okay.

    Repurchase? No longer available, I believe.

    The Face Shop Clean Face Clear Away Spot Treatment (read my review) – This wasn’t very strong, I would rather buy the Kate Somerville eradiKate or Mario Badescu Drying Lotion.

    Repurchase? Probably not.

    The Face Shop Jeju Volcanic Lava Self-Heating Clay Mask (read my review) – This was interesting. The self-heating factor might be good for body aches (although it would be a bit messy).

    Repurchase? Probably not.

    Live Clean Baby Colloidal Oatmeal Eczema Cream – This cream definitely smelled like oatmeal. I don’t know if it did anything to help. I was using it when I didn’t have any eczema flare ups.

    Repurchase? Probably not, I would rather get a Cetaphil cream bottle.

    got2be Guardian Angel Gloss Finish Flat Iron Balm – I have only ever tried 2 heat protectant sprays, but this did the job and made my hair look glossy.

    Repurchase? I have.

    Remay Shave Gel Bar – I received this for free and while it smelled nice and was very nice to shave with, I probably wouldn’t purchase it.

    Repurchase? Probably not.

    Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo – I got this in a Topbox and I knew it was expensive so I kept not using this little bottle. I love the smell of this dry shampoo and I got compliments twice when using it that I smelled nice.

    Repurchase? I finally splurged and bought a new one. I got a mini because the big size was out of stock.

    Live Clean Mineral Clay Rebalancing Shampoo + Conditioner – I liked this shampoo and conditioner.

    Repurchase? Maybe.

    Coastal Scents Eclipse Palette (read my review) – This is a good concealer palette if you’re just starting out and don’t want to splurge. You can use it to colour correct, conceal and contour.

    Repurchase? No, because Coastal Scents charges shipping to Canada.

    Colourpop No Filter Concealer in Light 20 – This concealer was bought before they added more shades, so there’s no longer a shade called Light 20. This concealer was okay for me. It oxidized really quickly. I would rather get Maybelline Fit Me Concealer since that’s easier for me to pick up.

    Repurchase? No.

    Milani Retouch + Erase Light-Lifting Concealer in 02 Light – This is a thick concealer that blends out nicely. I wasn’t sure if I would like it because I thought it might cause creasing under my eyes, but I wore it for over 8 hours and it didn’t crease 

    Repurchase? Maybe.

    Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer (Colour Correcting- Adjust) (read my review) – This did nothing to cover redness.

    Repurchase? No.

    Nude by Nature Perfecting Primer (read my review) – This was an okay primer, I didn’t love it and didn’t hate it.

    Repurchase? No.

    Make Up For Ever Step 1 Equalizer Primer (Smoothing) – This is one of my fave smoothing primers.

    Repurchase? Yes.

    Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation in Y245 – This was a great foundation, but the shade was too yellow. I think I’d need to mix two shades with different undertones to get the right match.

    Repurchase? Maybe.

    Burt’s Bees Goodness Glows Liquid Foundation in 1025 Natural Beige (read my review) – Because this foundation is very natural, it washed away easily with water. I didn’t like the smell of it either and it lingered after applying it.

    Repurchase? No.

    Fenty Pro’Filtr Soft Matte Longwear Foundation in 150 – This was too matte for me. While it was beautiful, I prefer something more luminous and natural.

    Repurchase? No.

    Coastal Scents Revealed3 Palette (read my review) – These had some great neutral colours if you’re starting out with eyeshadows.

    Repurchase? No.

    Urban Decay troublemaker Mascara – This deluxe sample was hard to judge the full-sized because it was such a short stick, I couldn’t apply the mascara very well to my lashes.

    Repurchase? No.

    Bella Pierre Cheek Stain in Coral – It was pretty, but I feel like I never gave it a fair shot. I think I’d prefer a cheek stain that twists up or in a pan instead of a pot.

    Repurchase? No.

    Burt’s Bees Nourishing Mascara – While this was easy to wash off, it didn’t do much for my lashes.

    Repurchase? No.

    bareMinerals Gen Nude Radiant Lipstick in Tutu – It was a pretty pink shade, but a bit too pale pink on me. I might consider buying a different shade.

    Repurchase? Probably not.

    Dior Addict Lipstick in 983 Insoumise – My mom bought this for my sister’s wedding, but it was way too pink for her and had shimmer in it, so she gave it to me. It’s a beautiful pink shade, but it’s a bit too pink for me too. I would sort of do an ombré lip with this on top of a nude/pink lipstick and it added the perfect amount of shine and pink.

    Repurchase? Not this shade, but I loved how hydrating this lipstick was, so I would definitely consider getting the Dior Addict Lip Glow or purchasing a different shade.

    What products did you finish this month?

    Love,

    jen

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  • Review | The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil Targeted Gel Blemish Stick

    January 16, 2018

    Hi Everyone!

    I read that tea tree products are good for acne-prone skin, so I thought I’d try the products from The Body Shop since they always have those specials (buy 2 or 3 and get 1 or 2 free). I decided to try something small just in case my skin reacted to the tea tree oil, so I got the Tea Tree Oil Targeted Gel Blemish Stick.

    Jennifer Catherine (C) titles(5)

    I use the stick when I feel a pimple coming or after it’s already popped up. The spot treatment works the same way as the Kate Somerville EradiKate. It dries out the blemish without drying out the surrounding skin. I think I like it better than the EradiKate because it can’t be too good for your face to always put sulfur on it whenever you have a breakout.

    media-20180116dOur Tea Tree Targeted Gel is designed for on-the-go targeted care. Enriched with organic Community Trade tea tree oil, our blemish stick is ideal for blemished skin. With a handbag-friendly wand-applicator, this quick drying gel can be applied directly onto skin, to see you through any skin emergency, mess-free.

    • A handbag essential
    • Ideal for blemished skin
    • Soothes and instantly cools targeted area without over-drying skin
    • Gives clearer-looking skin

    I’ve been using it whenever I get hormonal acne…you know, the kind that hurts, but it doesn’t have a whitehead. I used it on three pimples (two on my chin and one under my nose) that I got recently and it reduced the size of all of them, and dried two of the pimples out and brought the whitehead to the surface. All three of the pimples were quite painful, and after using the blemish stick, the pain went away. The one under my nose hurts if I accidentally touch it, but now at least it doesn’t hurt when I move my face.

    Even though it says “handbag essential,” I don’t think I’d ever use it on the go because it has a very strong smell. It’s a bit medicinal (not sure what tea tree oil actually smells like) and reminds me of Chinese herbal medicine, although it does beat the sulfur smell from the EradiKate.

    After seeing how well the blemish stick performed, I’m definitely interested in trying out the other tea tree oil products that The Body Shop sells: toner, cleansers, etc. I know that the blemish stick is probably more potent since it’s a spot treatment, but maybe the toners and cleansers can help to prevent breakouts.

    RATING: 4/5

    It’s a bit expensive for a small tube, but it works really well for me. Also, I wish it came packaged differently. Maybe a squeeze bottle or something similar to the EradiKate bottle so that I can use a clean q-tip each time I use it. It can’t be too hygienic to use the sponge tip applicator on a pimple and then put it back into the container.

    Check out my review for The Body Shop’s Tea Tree Oil Anti-Imperfection Daily Solution

    What products do you use for acne?

    Love,

    jen

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  • Review | The Face Shop Clean Face Clear Away Spot Treatment

    December 28, 2017

    Hi Everyone!

    If you have acne-prone skin like I do, you probably know about Kate Somerville’s EradiKate Acne Spot Treatment and Mario Badescu’s Drying Lotion. Last year, I bought The Face Shop’s Clean Face Clear Away Spot Treatment thinking it was a dupe, but it contains different ingredients. The EradiKate and Drying Lotion contain sulfur, whereas the Clean Face Clear Away Spot contains salicylic acid and tea tree extract.

    JC titles for blog

    It works in the same way as the Drying Lotion and EradiKate, you use a q-tip to pick up the sediment at the bottom and dab it onto your problem areas. Because it doesn’t have sulfur, the smell isn’t nearly as strong, it smells more like rubbing alcohol and tea tree oil.

    I bought the acne treatment for $17 CAD for 18 mL (at the time of purchase last year, price may have gone up).

    A special care product that instantly soothes and controls breakouts

    Contains Tea Tree Extract that soothes the acne and purify the skin, and Salicylic Acid that removes dead skin cells effectively

    Provides soothing effects and controls the excessive sebum production with Calamine Powder

    Prevents inflammation, pigmentation, and anti-aging concerns such as wrinkles and dehydration

    To compare, I have the EradiKate (I’ve never used the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion). I have acne-prone and sensitive skin, so my skin gets very dry from products that contain ingredients like benzoyl peroxide.

    I wouldn’t suggest using this overnight because after a few minutes, it hardens and gets very flaky. If your face makes the slightest movement, it will start to flake off.

    RATING: 4/5

    Obviously it doesn’t work as well as the EradiKate, but if you’re looking for something gentler than the EradiKate or Drying Lotion, this is a great alternative because of the salicylic acid.

    What acne treatments do you use?

    Love,

    jen

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