skincare Archives - Page 4 of 5

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.

Cetaphil DermaControl Review & Giveaway (Ended)

January 18, 2015

Hi everyone!

I am so excited to be holding my first giveaway! My blog is turning one soon (January 30th, to be exact) and I wanted to do something here to celebrate it. Perfect timing to do this giveaway, so thanks to Canadian Beauty Bloggers & Cetaphil for the opportunity! Cetaphil will always hold a special place in my heart as it was the first face cleanser I’ve used, so there was a bit of nostalgia while writing this post.

Please keep in mind this is my first giveaway, I am welcome to suggestions on how I can improve it.

Keep reading on this product and how to win!

The Cetaphil DermaControl line is specifically formulated for oily, combination or blemish-prone skin… right up my alley (unfortunately? haha!). The special ingredient in this is zinc, which apparently absorbs oil really well and provides a shine-free, matte finish. Let’s see how it does!

I was a bit hesitant as to how effective it would be, but as I mentioned before, I used to be a big fan of Cetaphil in my puberty days and knew that their products were always great. For the sake of this review, I went back to basics and used only these two products for a week, before mixing these products in with my other skincare favourites!

First up, was the oil control foam wash. The scent was slightly medicinal, and had a light and airy feel to it. I agree that it was very gentle and would be suitable for those with sensitive skin!

My skin did not feel dry after using this product, and felt moisturized! I felt like this was a good everyday wash if you don’t wear heavy foundation. Otherwise, I don’t think it will be enough to take off heavy face makeup.

After using the cleanser, I followed up with the oil control moisturizer. I liked how the moisturizer was lightweight and non-greasy. Just like the cleanser, the moisturizer did not have any fragrance or perfume to it. It smelled a bit like sunscreen due to the SPF 30, but wasn’t as thick as sunscreen.

I used this every morning for a week while going to work to establish a regular routine. I chose to do this when I was back in the office as I noticed that my skin tends to get oily around 1pm. If my skin was not very oily in the afternoon while I was work, I knew that the cleanser and moisturizer had done its job!

Cetaphil foam wash back — Back of the Cetaphil Derma Control foam cleanser!

For the first day I used this, my skin was amazingly not oily by the time 1 pm rolled around! I was quite surprised, as I had gotten used to having to blot my face but I didn’t have to. For the rest of the day, my skin did not get oily or shiny! But I thought maybe this was beginners luck… nope!

For the next week using this product, I am happy to say that it these two products did an amazing job at combating my oily skin. I love how these two products are very gentle and mess free to use! I’m not sure how well this product works for non oily/blemish prone skin, but I can say without doubt that this product will do a great job at making you oil and shine free for hours and hours!

Cetaphil moisturizer back — Back of the Cetaphil Derma Control Moisturizer!

Oh Cetaphil, how much I’ve missed you. Sometimes it’s great to go back to basics and your beauty roots. I’m glad that I did too. Thank you Canadian Beauty Bloggers and Cetaphil for giving me this opportunity! Click on their names to read more =)

How to enter:

Comment on this post below and let me know:
- The first skincare brand used
- And how old you were!
Go on Instagram (@curiouslycarmen) and like my giveaway photo, and comment with the first skincare brand used and at what age
You don’t have to do both, but it will increase your chance of winning!
This information is not used for marketing purposes, I’m just curious and want a fun/personable way to host this giveaway, as Cetaphil was the first brand I personally tried!

Giveaway fine print:

Prizes: One travel sized Cetaphil DermaControl Oil Control Foam Wash & One travel sized Cetaphil DermaControl Oil Control Moisturizer SPF 30 (Same as the two products I just wrote on!)
Open to Canadian residents only
Must be of legal age in your province or territory of residence
Winner will be contacted by e-mail and announced on February 1, 2015 (So be sure to leave a valid email when commenting. If entered through Instagram, I will contact you via private message!)
If you are the winner (yay!), you will need to provide me with your mailing address and phone number as well
Questions: Leave a comment or email me at hello@curiouslycarmen.com / leave me a message on Instagram

Thanks for reading and best of luck!

-Carmen

An InLinkz Link-up

Montagne Jeunesse Honey Manuka Peel-Off Mask (Part 3/3)

January 17, 2015

Hi guys!

My apologies that I haven’t written a post all week…I missed writing here so much (thank goodness for draft posts, bloggers will understand haha). This week has been hectic and I didn’t have any time or energy to write a coherent post.

I also have been working on my first ever giveaway (!!! Ahhh!) coming up soon, so be sure to check back on the details 😉

During the holiday break, I first introduced two Montagne Jeunesse masks on my blog, sent to me courtesy of Obssessed Canada. Today, I am finally going to talk about the last one of those masks that I received… turns out that I coincidentally saved the best one for last =P Well, in my opinion at least.. I liked this one the most out of all three, even though the other two were good as well.

These were the three I chose from Obsessed Canada, they have around twenty different Montage Jeunesse products that you can chose from on their website. I picked the top three that sounded appealing for my oily skin type. I had already written on the Blemish Mud (click here) and Mud Pac (click here), today I will talk about the Manuka Honey peel off mask!

I love using honey in my skincare routine! I used to quickly whip up my own honey & sugar masks when I felt my skin feeling yucky, or if I was at the boyfriend’s house and did not have any masks to use. With that said and my love for honey, let’s get the review started!

When I first opened the packet, I noticed how lovely the scent was! It was a mix of sweet honey and jasmine, very calming and soothing. The consistency and colour of this mask looked just like honey, which makes sense as it is made mainly with manuka honey.

Manuka honey is a type of honey reigning from New Zealand and Australia, and has been suggested to have antibacterial properties. It also contains aloe, chamomile, and caramel to name a few!

There were also a few non natural ingredients in this as well which isn’t worth mentioning because I don’t know how to spell lengthy chemical names by heart nor do I know what the purpose of each of those are.

Montagne Jeunesse Manuka Honey Peel Off Mask 4 — Picture taken from chantalscorner.blogspot.ca

As you can see, it looks just like honey! Applying it on my face was fairly easy, it did not drip everywhere.

However, I strongly recommend making sure all your hair is tied back because it’s sticky (due to the honey). Some of it got stuck in my hair and it took me some time to wash it out.

Comparing to the other two MJ masks used, the consistency of this one was a lot thinner and lighter. The pack, just like the previous two, had more than enough for one person so I highly recommend doing the mask with a friend or having a ziploc bag handy to keep the leftover pack in (preserves freshness and less messy). I asked the boyfriend to use the rest of the mask for me as I didn’t want to store it, and he agreed to try it =) Guys can do masks too okay!!!

peel_off_face_mask — It felt like I was peeling off my own skin! (Photo from eco-lina.com)

After fifteen minutes, both of our masks had completely hardened and I helped him peel his off first. Honestly, at first it was really weird because it looked like I was peeling his skin off.

I removed mine afterwards, and it was the first time I tried a peel off mask. I think it’s easier and cleaner than washing it off with water. As you’re peeling it off, it also feels good because your skin feels so tight when the mask is drying on your face!

The peel off mask was new to the both of us, but I actually really like the idea of it and will look into buying peel off masks (once I get past the idea it looks like I’m peeling off my own skin, haha!) It’s less messy, and one of my BIGGEST pet peeves are getting my sweater sleeves wet from washing my face… yes I could roll it up higher but I always forget until it’s too late.

Our skin felt really soft and smooth afterwards. Honey and aloe are known to be great for your skin, so it’s no wonder that our skin felt so great. The boyfriend even said my skin looked glowing and I’ve never heard him say that!

I’ve never been blessed with smooth, clear, and glowing skin so to hear that was very surprising… I guess it is a step forward (until my skin goes back to its usual self, but it’s all about preventative measures right =P)!

You can get this mask online at Obssessed Canada for $2, with free shipping over $25!

Stay tuned to hear about my first ever giveaway!

-Carmen

This product was sent to me by Obsessed Canada, and I was not paid to write the review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and not altered by the requests of Obsessed Canada.

Bliss Fabulous Foaming Face Wash

January 11, 2015

Harroooo everyone! =)

About a month ago, I told you all about my Black Friday Sephora mini haul. One of the items I bought during the sale, which I briefly mentioned in that post, was the Bliss fabulous foaming face wash, a 2 in 1 cleanser and exfoliator.

It was one of those items where I wasn’t planning on buying it, but I saw that it was on sale for 50% off and had great reviews. I took too long deciding whether or not to buy it, and when I went to checkout, I found it was sold out along with all the other products I wanted =(

But when I went to Sephora in person the following day, I was happy to find that they had plenty in store, for the same sale price! I got it for $12 canadian, usually it is $24.

Because Sephora is always better at marketing a product than I am, here is what they say- “Bliss Fabulous Foaming Face Wash harnesses the power of botanical soothing technology and super soft exfoliating beads to deliver a simply sensational skincare solution. This bestselling, oil-free purifier instantly dissolves excess oil and makeup and lifts away dead cells, leaving skin clean, nourished, and fresh.”

Maybe because I read so many great reviews on this product, I was expecting more than it delivered. Some people claimed that this product instantly melted away their entire face makeup, so I was really excited to try it because having difficulty removing makeup when you just want to go sleep is a pain!

I tried this a few times when I had full coverage makeup on, it did not remove all my makeup easily. It also did not come off instantly, I had to scrub. It also said that it is an exfoliator, but I see this as a cleanser because it doesn’t do a great job in exfoliating.

I think this face wash would be good on a daily basis, but if you are wearing full coverage, I would recommend something else. My Lush Herbalism cleanser does an amazing job at taking off makeup, clearing breakouts, making my skin tone even, etc… it is truly a magical product. Actually, even my $3 St. Ives Apricot Scrub does a better job at exfoliating and taking off my makeup LOL!

I really liked the light scent it had, it was very refreshing. The gel formula also had a bit of a cooling sensation. This did not dry out my face at all, and felt really moisturized after usage.

For $24 regular price, I don’t think I would buy it again because it’s not worth the price to me. There are products out there that are definitely better at removing makeup, and for a better price as well. However, I am glad that I tried it and I’ll probably finish the bottle eventually because it’s not a bad product. I just had higher hopes for it! =)

What are your favourite face washes? Let me know in the comments down below!

-Carmen