skincare Archives - Page 5 of 6

Garnier Clean + Makeup Removing Lotion Cleanser

March 5, 2015

Hi everyone,

I’m always into trying out new skincare products. I wish I was blessed with perfect, fair, smooth skin but unfortunately I’m not. Luckily, there are a lot of products out there that can make your skin feel and look healthy, given that you are willing to put in the effort! The new Garnier Clean Plus is one of these skincare products.This product is targeted for those who have sensitive skin and wear makeup, especially those who live on waterproof mascara! Removing waterproof mascara is no easy task unless you have a great makeup remover at hand. In fact, waterproof mascara is so difficult to remove that Garnier specifically points out that this cleanser will remove waterproof mascara! That is a pretty bold claim!

Since the Clean + is for sensitive skin, there is no scent in it. I found the texture of the cleanser to be very creamy and thick, but also oily. I think the oily factor is for removing tough waterproof mascara. I’ve noticed that the best makeup removers I’ve ever used are oily, it must be some sort of ingredient in that oil that breaks and dissolves the makeup.
Since I had this product shipped from Garnier, it was out in the cold all day before I picked up the package. By then, the cleanser had slightly frozen over, I had to give it a good shake as all the oil was coming out instead of the creamy cleanser. This won’t be a problem if you are getting this product in stores, or if you don’t leave this out in the cold for hours on end. It was a weird and interesting experience as I’ve never dealt with frozen facial cleansers before!

I decided to test this out in the shower, without removing my makeup as I normally do. When I came out of the shower, any trace of my super tough Kat Von D eyeliner was gone. I was wearing minimal foundation that day too, Maybelline Dream Mousse, and it was easily removed as well! I noticed that my face felt really smooth and soft afterwards.
The next day, I decided to test out this product out with some of my toughest products and see if it would withstand the test. On my hand are five different products, including waterproof mascara on the bottom. For this test, I also primed my skin as well, like I normally would if I was wearing full makeup.
I was shocked at how effortlessly the makeup came off! The toughest product to remove was not actually the waterproof mascara, but my Stila waterproof liquid eyeliner followed by the Benefit push-up liner! Even then, they both came off a few short moments after.

The area where the cleanser went made my hand extra soft as well.

I would recommend this to those who have sensitive skin. As well, those who are looking for an all in one powerful cleanser – makeup remover, cleanser, AND moisturizer!

After writing this post, I am feeling like introducing my Holy Grail makeup remover in a future post!

Have you tried this product? Do you prefer to have a 3 in 1 cleanser OR prefer to do each step with different products?

Thanks for reading! You can see other reviews on this product here on She Blogs-CrowdSocial or check out #GarnierSensitive on Twitter!

-Carmen

Product provided for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and not altered by the requests of Garnier. This blog post does not reflect Garnier’s opinions in any way.

Favourite Drugstore Facial Washes

February 21, 2015

Good afternoon everyone! (Or whatever time it is where you are!)

I’ll be talking about my favourite drugstore facial washes today. These two face washes never fail to disappoint me, and always do an amazing job taking off my makeup at the end of the night. I’ve tried higher end face washes, such as the Bliss Fabulous Foaming Wash which was pretty disappointing. It’s kind of sad that a $3 product removes makeup better than a $24 product does… and it’s 8x more cheaper!

My two current favourite drugstore washes are the Olay deep cleaning face wash and St. Ives apricot scrub. They are both great at deep cleaning and will remove all your face makeup, no matter how much you have on or how much primer you put on!
Starting with the St. Ives apricot scrub, I’ve been using this for many years now… probably even since high school. I just have nothing bad to say about this product. For $3, it is seriously amazing. It smells great, removes all your makeup, and acts as a great exfoliant. After using this, my skin always feels great, refreshed, and re-energized.

While I was writing this review, I decided to look up some other opinions on this scrub. Some people said that the exfoliant in the apricot scrub was too abrasive and rough on their skin. For me personally, I don’t mind but I don’t use this product daily. I use it on days where I have full foundation coverage on because it does a great job in breaking down the foundation, or days where I feel my skin feels extra oily.

My second favourite drugstore foundation that works wonders is the Olay deep cleansing face wash with witch hazel. My mom bought this and at first, I didn’t really like it because of the scent, but it does a great job at deep cleansing your skin. It has a thicker and creamier texture, and is a weird silvery/grey colour. This one is suitable to use daily as it is not an exfoliating scrub like the apricot scrub.

When I’m taking my foundation off, I first start with the apricot scrub since the naturally grainy texture in it really separates and breaks apart foundation. I gently rub my face in small circles to get all my makeup off. If I feel like going the extra step, I’ll use the Olay wash next which is more gentle. My skin seriously feels soft, refreshing, and is makeup free after these two quick steps.

These two full sized products combined will definitely not break the bank. I get the St. Ives apricot scrub at Wal-mart for $3, I can’t believe how cheap it is. Actually, it might even be $2.50 or $2.95… I can’t remember exactly. I believe the Olay wash is around $4.

You really don’t need to spend lots to have effective face washes! =)

Also, if you’re wondering, my daily cleanser is the Lush herbalism cleanser. While the Lush cleanser is just as effective as these two, it also costs more and I try to only use a little bit each day because of the price. With that said, I need more product when removing a full face of makeup, so I rather use the apricot scrub or Olay wash. You can read my detailed review on the herbalism cleanser here.

What are your favourite face washes? Have you tried any of these products and how did you like them?

Thanks for reading!

-Carmen

Amie New Bloom Cleansing Wipes

February 6, 2015

Hi everyone,

It feels as though I haven’t written a beauty post in so long! Truth be told, I’ve been quite busy this past month so I’ve just been using simple products that I’ve already mentioned previously. My skin was breaking out due to stress last month and I’ve recently rediscovered and reloved by Lush herbalism cleanser and it has seriously helped clear my skin so much.

Giveaway update: I have already drawn the winner for my Cetaphil skincare set giveaway, congrats to Naomi for winning! Take a look at my Instagram to see how the winner was determined.

Okay, now on to the actual review!

Amie had sent me these facial wipes, which came at a perfect time because I was just looking at trying out different cleansing wipes.

These come in a standard packaging, like the ones used for baby wipes. I like the size of the packaging, as it is compact and travel sized, I don’t think I would have a problem bringing these with me if I go on vacation (someone take me to Hawaii right now please, Vancouver is in the middle of a wind and rain storm right now).

The sheets are damp, and not bad to work with (eg. it is not super thin so that it tears). I decided to test these out while wearing full coverage makeup, I would say it removed around 70% of my foundation. I rarely wear foundation so this isn’t a problem for me.

With that said, they are not deep cleansing wipes but probably something you could use after washing your face to give it a “final” clean before moisturizing.

As always, Amie’s products are free from parabens, mineral oils, and animal extracts. These wipes include pomegranate, cranberry, and green tea extracts, which explains why they smell so wonderful.

These would be really great and convenient to use after a gym work out or hiking. Or, if you’re a person who is constantly on-the-go, these would be great to stash in your purse or car in between appointments and errands.

What are some of your favourite facial wipes? This is the first facial wipe I’ve owned so I’m open to trying new ones 🙂

Thanks for reading!

-Carmen

Press product featured, all opinions are my own.

Amie Morning Clear Facial Wash

November 26, 2014

After being introduced to a few Amie products in September, I have quite liked all the products in the line so far. If you haven’t read my previous post on Amie products, Amie is a UK-based skincare company that has recently launched products in Canada. For now, Amie products are exclusively available at Shoppers Drug Mart locations, but I haven’t been able to find any of the Shoppers locations that I go to. I think maybe because they have just recently launched, they are slowly bringing it to all the stores? Also, am I the only one that finds the Shoppers website hard to use? I tried to search up which locations sell Amie products but it was giving me a difficult time like always… I guess I’ll just try my luck by visiting the stores in person, hopefully each Shoppers will carry Amie products soon!

Amie’s morning clear purifying facial wash claims to be a “moisturising facial wash that removes all dirt, oil, and makeup leaving skin beautifully soft and refreshed. Mayblossom and elderflower help control oiliness and prevent blemishes while orange blossom and raspberry tone and refresh. Natural moisturisers ensure skin is not dried out.”

unnamed (4) — Looks the same as the facial wash, amirite?!

First impression: The packaging and design of the bottle was the same as the previous Amie products I tried, so nothing new there. The colours of this tube are also the exact same as their hydrating daily moisturizer which added to the confusion. It may not seem that confusing but trust me, when you are half awake at 7 am on a Monday morning, things can get tricky (that or I need more sleep).

Compared to Amie’s exfoliating daily wash, this facial wash had a very creamy texture. In fact, the first couple of times using this was a bit strange to me because the texture was exactly like moisturizer, and I felt like I should just be applying this on my face as a cream rather than washing it off with water.

My favourite part of this facial wash, and what made it stand out for me was the scent! My goodness, if Amie ever came out with a perfume that smelled like this facial wash, I would be their first customer. The facial wash had a very flowery and girly scent to it. After washing my face, the scent stayed on for awhile and was quite noticeable, the boyfriend could smell it as well.

This product was also purposely sent to me in the upcoming winter season, as it is supposed to protect your skin against the cold. After a few days of usage, I noticed that my skin was a bit softer. I’ve been suffering from very dry skin lately, which was very surprising because my skin tends to be the opposite- very oily!! I’m pretty sure this facial wash played a vital role in moisturizing my skin, it doesn’t feel as dry and look as flaky anymore. One of the main ingredients in this face wash is cacao seed butter (no, I don’t mean cocoa) which contains a very high amount of antioxidants and is really moisturizing as well. I probably wouldn’t use this when it starts to get warm again because it’ll just make my face extra oily. But in the current weather, it brings a good balance to my skin. Yay!

unnamed — My Amie haul from September- Click to read!

Another great thing about this product is that it is free from parabens, sulphates, mineral oils, petrochemicals, products that have been genetically modified, and animal extracts. Amie also does not test on animals. All products are suitable for vegetarians and vegans, and their formulas contain high-quality plant and botanical ingredients. No, they did not pay me to write that! 🙂 It is also 100% soap free but to be honest, I’m not sure what kind of pros are involved in that so I’ll have to contact Amie and get back to you LOL. If you know, please leave a comment and enlighten us all.

Well, another great and moisturizing product from Amie! Have you seen any Amie products in your local Shoppers Drug Mart? Please let me know in the comments down below!

Thanks for reading!
-Carmen

This product was sent free of charge in exchange for a product review. Opinions are my own and are not altered by the requests of Amie.

Update (12/2/2014): After asking Amie what the benefits of a soap-free product are, it means that the ingredients in soap (Sodium Laureth Sulphate and Sodium Lauryl Sulphate) have a high pH level since it is an alkaline/base (remember your high school chemistry? haha). Therefore, it can disrupt your skin’s natural acid balance due to it’s high alkalinity, which can leave skin feeling dry and taught (I personally hate that feeling). In case you didn’t know, acid and base are opposites. For example, Tums stomach pills are high in alkalinity because when you have a stomachache or heartburn, the acid in your stomach increases, so the Tums balances out the acidity. Hm, the things you learn beauty blogging!

Amie Natural Skincare Products Review

September 27, 2014

I was approached from UK based Amie skincare line to review some of their skin loving beauty products! I was quite excited as they have just released their products into the Canadian beauty market last month, selling them exclusively at Shoppers Drug Mart.

To give you a brief history behind this brand, Amie was founded by an ex-Estee Lauder executive, who created these products in hopes to help her daughter’s puberty-troubled skin. As a result, Amie products are made for consumers with sensitive skin, whether it is dry, oily, prone to breakouts, whatever. There are also no harsh or irritating ingredients in any of their products, and are made from an average of 95% natural ingredients. I also have “swatches” of each product at the end of this post so keep on reading!
My products arrived in this cute, plastic travel bag. Immediately, I fell in love with the cute and colourful packaging! I was also able to smell the lovely scents of the products after opening the bag. Judging from how good the products smelled when I didn’t even open them, I was quite excited to actually try them out.

I also ended up bringing the plastic bag on a weekend getaway, and kept the bag in the shower the whole time. I loved how it was waterproof and very durable. The smudge on the white part of the bag was from my foundation, which accidentally leaked on the roadtrip – not a packaging fault from the company!
I had recently finished my favourite matte seaweed moisturizer from The Body Shop, and was looking to either re-purchase it or try a new product. Perfect timing! This is Amie’s matte finish moisturizer ($12 Canadian), which claimed to control oiliness and shine, while softening and hydrating skin. Out of all the Amie products, I liked this one the most as it really did combat the oiliness in my face for over 10 hours and left my skin looking dewy! I didn’t have to dab the oil off my face at work. I suggest this product if you suffer from oily skin like moi.
This is Amie’s deep cleansing mask ($12 Canadian), which claimed to purify pores, and combat both oiliness and blemishes. I must warn you that this product burned my skin at initial contact, due to the strong peppermint in this. I was actually worried that I was having an allergic reaction to this product, but my face eventually calmed down after 5-7 minutes of applying this. Afterwards, my skin felt really cool and light (again, due to the peppermint probably), and really refreshed. I would recommend this if you want to brighten up your skin, if it looks a bit duller than usual.
Up next is the radiant dawn exfoliating daily wash ($10 Canadian), which claimed to deep clean pores and exfoliate skin, leaving a clear and radiant complexion behind. I really enjoyed the scent of this product, and it had a gel texture with tiny microbeads. It was very gentle on my skin, and for that reason I didn’t feel that it deep cleaned my pores. I loved the smell of this first thing in the morning, it felt really refreshing and really woke me up. Overall, a decent daily face wash but probably not suitable for deep cleaning pores.
The last product I received was the hydrating daily moisturizer ($12 Canadian). Since my skin is more oily, I preferred the matte finish moisturizer that I talked about above more, as this one did leave my skin feeling a bit more oily. I would recommend using this if you have a normal skin type, and just need a simple, everyday moisturizer.
As promised, here are some “swatches” of the product. I wanted to give you guys an idea of the texture and consistency of the products. The matte finish moisturizer had the thickest consistency. The deep cleansing mask had more of a paste-y texture to it, and was not as wet or easily spreadable. The exfoliating daily wash was very gel-like, with tiny, non abrasive micro beads in it. This one had an amazing smell 🙂 Lastly, the hydrating daily moisturizer was your standard moisturizing cream.

Pros:

Free from parabens, sulphates, mineral oils, animal extracts
Catered towards sensitive skin and works well with combating oily skin
Vegan and vegetarian friendly
Great, light smelling scent

Cons:

May be hard to find at Shoppers Drug Mart; I searched some of my local stores online and they did not carry it
Products are a lot cheaper in UK than Canada
Amie website is a bit confusing to use, some products are missing descriptions

All in all, I really enjoyed all the Amie products and don’t really have anything negative to say about them. They are all definitely affordable, and the packaging is so cute. For the amount of natural ingredients each product has in them, and how gentle it is on skin, Amie products are definitely worth a try!

Check them out at Amie skincare or Shoppers Drug Mart!

-Carmen

The products in this post were sent to me free of charge from Amie, and I was not paid to write this post. Everything in this post is my personal opinion and was not altered by the request of the company.