ProductWhores

Ultra Cool

There are certain Kiehl's products that I can't live without.  Their Blue Astringent Herbal Lotion has been a staple in my bathroom for years.  (Seriously.  Years).  I haven't tried a ton of their other facial products though, so when Kiehl's introduced their new Ultra Facial Cleanser and Ultra Facial Toner (to go along with their popular Ultra Facial Moisturizer), I was excited to test them out.  The cleanser is a gentle formula, made with a sugar-derived foaming agent.  It's mild, which I like - I always get nervous that new cleansers are going to strip my face of all its moisture and I'll wake up with cracks on my forehead or something.  (Note:  this has never happened to me, so I have no clue why it's such a fear of mine.  It's like being afraid of the bogeyman - you know it's stupid, but you worry about it anyway).  My skin felt clean and refreshed after I used the cleanser, which is the bottom line for me.  The toner is mild and non-astringent and softens the skin without stripping it of its moisture.  (Both the cleanser and the toner are made with a blend of the ingredients that Kiehl's is famous for, including Squalane, Apricot Kernel Oil, Avocado Oil, and Vitamins C and E).  The cleanser will definitely be making it into my daily rotation - I'm a little scared to change toners only because I subscribe to the "If it's not broken, don't fix it" theory of skin care, but I'll definitely keep it handy in my bathroom for those days my skin is feeling too dry for the Blue Herbal Lotion.  (And as always, Kiehl's is famous for their samples, so you know I'll be snagging some of those to take on my next trip with me). 

The Ultra Facial Cleanser retails for $17.50 and the Ultra Facial Toner for $15.00 (both fantastic prices for the amount of product you get) and can be found at Kiehl's.com.

Photos courtesy of Kiehl's

All Clear

Lately, I've been noticing that no matter how many face cleansers I have in my closet (and believe me, there are A LOT of them), when I inevitably decide every few days to switch things up a little, I reach for something Neutrogena. Maybe it's because I have pretty much every product they ever make, maybe it's because they're in the front and I don't have to move forty-seven bottles, tubes and jars to get to them... Who can say? Either way, I'm never disappointed. Their stuff just works for me. And when I want something to exfoliate, it's pretty much a guarantee that I'm going to go with their Deep Clean Invigorating Foaming Scrub. It makes my face feel really clean and I know that it's working because when I use toner afterwards, there's no trace of makeup on the cotton balls. That's my litmus test. (Very scientific, aren't I? I'm expecting the call from MIT any day now). I also love the scent - it's a clean, fresh smell without any trace of alcohol. Plus the little scrubby bubble things (another scientific term) are great exfoliators. I also feel like you can't go wrong with any brand that uses Jennifer Garner as a spokesperson instead of, say, Lindsay or Paris. (Do you really believe that when Lindsay is passing out at the end of the night, she takes the time to wash her face? I think not). All in all, a pretty awesome purchase, especially at less than $10. No wonder it's front of the shelf material.

Hydrate and Cleanse

I decided to try the Hydrate & Cleanse Micro-bead Cleansing Serum by Olay and I'm not fussed about it at all.  Olay claims that the cleanser will give back more to your skin than it takes away - i.e. supposedly giving so much hydration your skin will not feel dry.  Well, not so much.  My skin feels tighter than when I use other cleansers and the micro-beads are downright annoying and incredibly drying to my skin.  I guess they're supposed to be "hydration beads" but they really feel like little pieces of sand which is not comforting at all.  The cleanser smells nice, but really I don't need a nice smelling cleanser that dries out my skin and reminds me why I hate the beach.  Save your money.  Unless you like rubbing sandpaper against your face every morning and evening.

Vividly Awesome

There's nothing that makes me feel more like an adult than having an actual skin care regime instead of just the old package of Noxzema and half-empty bottle of Sea Breeze that I used in high school. (Remember that stuff? I think it stripped the top layer of my skin off every time I used it). I also love discovering new products - there's nothing better than being the first one to try the next Hard Candy or Carol's Daughter. So I was really happy when a friend told me about a line, Vivid M.D. Skin Care, that she was excited about. So far I've tried three of their products and I'm loving them all. The Satin Cleanser is a great every day face wash. It gets rid of all my makeup and my skin is really soft when I wash it off. But best of all, it smells exactly like a creamsicle! I could seriously lick it out of the container, that's how good it is. In fact, I love the scent so much that it motivated me to drive to Ralph's and buy a box of actual Creamsicles, which were every bit as good as I remembered them. I also love their Perfection C revitalizing serum. According to the website, it helps "to tone, moisturize, and renew the skin’s natural radiance and silkiness." It has a ton of different vitamins and minerals in it and even though I know nothing about science (sad, but true), my skin looks awesome using it, so they must be making a difference. It's a nice consistency too - it's a liquid, but not runny, so you only have to use a little bit to cover your entire face and it sinks it almost instantly. Also, I feel exceptionally smart using a "serum," like I'm taking such good care of my skin that it won't ever age. (Just let me believe that, people. I've already found a grey hair this month, I need to pretend that I won't ever have wrinkles to make it through). The last product I've tried is their Micro Dermabrasion Cream. It's a great exfoliator, which I just learned helps tone down the appearance of wrinkles and lines. Whoo hoo! Here's hoping that means I'm going to be one of those Hollywood women who looks thirty when they're sixty, only not in a creepy, Joan Rivers, I couldn't stop going under the knife kind of way. You can order all their products on their website, Vivid M.D. Skin Care, so check it out. And as a bonus, you're supporting an up and coming company, so when they show up at Sephora, you can brag and tell all your friends you knew them when. How cool is that?

Slippery When Wet

I am obsessive when it comes to washing my hands.  I will eat something that fell on the floor as long as I get it in my mouth within ten seconds, but I will wash my hands repeatedly if I feel like I’ve touched something gross.  That said, my hands are constantly suffering from the frequent washings.  I found the Chapped Hands Cleanser by C.O. Bigelow, so I had to give it a go.  Soap-free and extra-moisturizing, this cleanser leaves your hands feeling moisturized, but sadly, also very greasy.  I’m not talking slightly greasy, I’m talking full-on oil slick all over my hands.  It was difficult to even turn the tap off when I was finished!  Aside from the greasy factor, I am concerned that my hands aren’t actually getting cleansed.  It feels more like I just dipped them in Vasoline (which, by the way, I hate the feeling of).  Basically, when it comes to cleansers for my hands, I would rather stick with a moisturizing bar of soap, to be honest.  But, C.O. Bigelow made a fantastic chapped hands cream that I think they have since discontinued, which makes me want to scream out in anger.  They cancel the stuff that actually works and leave the weird oily cleanser.  Makes perfect sense. 

The Japanese Think Of Everything

Leave it to the Japanese to decide it’s a good idea to lather olive oil all over the face to dissolve makeup and impurities.  But the craziest part is the stuff doesn’t clog pores and won’t make you break out!  How the heck did they do that?  Of course the magic people who have the coolest cellphones years in advance of us, were able to accomplish this task.  I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s been receiving the DHC Skincare catalog for years (you know, the weird one that you have no idea why you’re on their list but inside there are always some cool samples?)  Well, I finally gave in to the catalog and ordered their Deep Cleansing Oil.  I was so curious to see how my skin would react to this product that is literally olive oil, rosemary oil and vitamin E.  You squirt some in your hand and spread on dry skin.  Then rinse off.  While it really makes my skin soft, I was skeptical if it was actually removing makeup from my face.  So, I did what any self-respecting beauty junkie would do – I wrote on my hand in lipstick and put the Cleansing Oil to work.  And yes, it actually removes makeup.  Crazy!  While you don’t get the satisfaction of the lather, you will reap the benefits of lack of lather because your skin will actually be softer.  And I’ve been using the stuff for a week now and no breakouts, so can’t seem think it’s clogging my pores.  It’s a very small pump bottle for the price, but a little goes a long way, so it will probably last me a while.  They have some pretty interesting stuff on the website, so check it out.  Even more interesting is all the packaging is in Japanese so they include an English cheat-sheet so you know how to use all the stuff.  Oh, and with every order you get free samples.  I’m such a whore for free samples.

Foam-tastic

When I'm traveling, my favorite cleansers to pack are those dry cloths that foam up under water. I figure that way I stand a better chance of making it all the way to my destination without some sort of liquid ending up all over my Seven jeans. The new Neutrogena Make-up Remover Cleansing Towelettes are the latest ones I've tried and they're fantastic. The thing that sets them apart from the other ones on the market is that you can even use them to take off your eye makeup, including waterproof mascara. Such a bonus! Now I don't have to go through the trauma of taping my bottle of eye makeup remover shut and putting it in a sealed Ziploc bag in my suitcase (I really love my Seven jeans). They don't leave an oily residue and because they're alcohol free, they don't dry your skin out. Plus, you get to just throw them away when you're done, leaving you more room in your luggage for whatever else you pick up along the way (shoes, purses, a bag of Dunkin' Donuts coffee... Whatever, I'm not picky). I like these so much, I'm even considering using them when I'm at home. Of course, then I'd have to go back to Target to restock before my next trip. Damn, my life is hard...

Come here, Skin, come here. Good Skin.

There’s nothing more fantastic than finding a product that does what it’s supposed to do and costs practically nothing.  If you’ve ever stepped into a Kohl’s, you would be greeted with some great makeup and product choices, including a wonderful brand created by a dermatologist – Good Skin.  I’ve been using their Soft Skin Creamy Cleanser for dry skin and have been very impressed.  At only $10.50 for a big bottle, it has lasted me forever.  Armed with aloe and chamomile, the cleaner takes off all my makeup effortlessly and still leaves my skin feeling moisturized.  Normally if I use a cleanser my face feels tight afterwards, but not with Good Skin.  I wonder if Good Skin can help me fit into my Seven jeans again.  I’ll have to call the company and ask.

Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Wash 60 Second Mask Scrub

Neutrogena is my favorite drugstore brand. Mainly because I’m convinced that if I use enough of it, I too will look as good as Mandy Moore, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Mischa Barton when they’re not wearing “any makeup.” Strangely, it doesn’t seem to be working, but I’m fairly certain the effects are going to kick in any day now…

This is one of the newest in their line of cleansers, all very reasonably priced, and my favorite so far. For under ten dollars, you get a 6 ounce jar, which actually lasts a long time.

The smell is great, very fresh and tingly, and it has little blue exfoliation beads that are the perfect size. Too small and they don’t do anything, too big and you end up looking like you just made out with Bigfoot. You’re supposed to leave it on for 60 seconds to let the mask penetrate, but I always left it on for 3 or 4 minutes, just in case. By the time I washed it off, my skin felt soft and clean and there were no makeup streaks on the towels I dried off on (a common cleanser problem), so I really felt like it did its job.

Make sure to look for Neutrogena coupons when you’re at your local drugstore so you don’t miss any great deals. One of the perks of drugstore shopping are the coupons, which you can’t get at department stores or Sephora, and it’s worth it to take advantage of them when you can.