Friday Flop: Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream

Dear Garnier:

I was so excited to see that someone finally made an affordable bb cream. Your Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream seemed like a dream come true, but apparently bb cream isn’t what you think it is. BB, or beauty balm, cream is part tinted moisturizer, part skin treatment and part primer. It has been popular in Asia for quite some time now, and is just starting to hit big in the US. I have tried samples of other bb creams, and I loved them. Unfortunately they run upwards of $40 a tube, and it’s just not worth that much to me. I was anxious to try your version.

And now I’m sorry I wasted the $13.

What came in the tube you labeled as bb cream is simply tinted moisturizer. And not a good one at that. Let’s begin with the scent: What in heaven’s name possessed you to put a week’s worth of crappy perfume into each dollop of this stuff, I don’t know, but please make it stop. It was strong and it lasted a loooong time. My powder brush still smells faintly of the stuff (note to self: wash your brushes). I could have lived with the scent, but that was only the appetizer. While the fair/medium color worked well on my skin, I didn’t really get the way it never seemed to dry down on my face. Or maybe it did dry, but it certainly never looked as if it did. I kept waiting for the sheen to dissipate, but it never did. I looked like I had just walked out of a steam room. Not a good look. A little luminosity is a good thing. Sweaty is not. I had to powder my face within an inch of it’s life just to look normal. Or least what I though was normal until I got outside. Now seems like a good time to tell you that the purpose of bb cream is to make your face look better, to blur imperfections and even skin tone. The skin tone I’ll give you, but because of the shiny quality of this formula, it highlighted every single flaw in my skin, including some I didn’t even know I had.

I used it exactly twice. And never will again. I’m going to try to take it back to the store. If they won’t take it, I don’t know what to do with it. Because I certainly can’t pass this on to a friend. I like my friends.

It’s not me, it’s you,

Megan

 About The Author: Megan is a professional writer, amateur photographer and an accomplished beauty product crash test dummy. She'll try anything once, especially if it's a free sample. She's still trying to figure out what she wants to be when she grows up, but it will probably involve travel and Colin Farrell. And maybe some writing and photography. You can visit her at onethousandwordsormore.com or follow her on Twitter: msmegan.

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Splurge Or Save: Anti-Aging Moisturizers

Once you reach, say, your mid-thirties, your skincare focus shifts to keeping the ravages of time at bay. In other words, you start looking for anti-aging stuff. Facial moisturizers are probably the most used of all the anti-aging remedies, judging by the sheer number of options out there. But they seem to run the gamut from ridiculously expensive to maybe too cheap, so how can you find a moisturizer that will level your fine lines and fit in your budget comfort zone?

Let me offer you some ideas:

Splurge

Philosophy Hope In A Jar- $39 for 2 ounces, Sephora. The moisturizer that Oprah sent into the stratosphere by declaring it one of her favorite things. By luxury brand standards it’s not particularly expensive, but it’s probably more than a lot of women would think to spend. It contains alpha-hydroxy acids to gently exfoliate the skin and give you a bit of a glow. The exfoliation helps to minimize fine lines as well. It’s a great moisturizer for all skin types. They also make a sensitive skin version and one with spf 15.

Save A Little

L’Oreal Youth Code Youth Regenerating Skincare Day/Night Cream Moisturizer- $22.99 for 1.6 ounces, Walgreens. L’Oreal’s new line claims to get skin looking and “acting” younger. It remains to be seen if it actually does what it says (I can’t see a difference), but as a moisturizer it’s pretty darn good. A bit perfumey (a distinct departure from the chemical-but-not-unpleasant-to-us scent of Hope In A Jar), but a good, rich moisturizer that’s not greasy. And increasing moisture in the skin can help plump it up, make it look lifted and blurring lines.

Save A Lot

Alpha Hydrox Enhanced Anti-Wrinkle Cream – $12.99 for 2 ounces, Drugstore.Com. This stuff has been around for quite a while, and is an old favorite of mine. It seemed to have briefly disappeared, only to reappear a few years later. With 10% glycolic acid, it’s a powerful brew at a bargain price. And, as most dermatologists will tell you, alpha-hydroxy acids and retinoids are the only anti-aging ingredients that are proven to work. Your skin may tingle a bit a first, but you’ll quickly get used to it. The line also includes a facial wash – whether or not using both together boosts the effectiveness, we don’t know. But it couldn’t hurt.

What’s my go-to? In this instance, I splurge. I don’t know what it is about Hope In A Jar, but even if I stray I always go back. How do I justify the expense? Here’s a secret: I actually buy the 8 ounce jar ($110 at Sephora exclusively), which, if you do the math, you’ll find comes in at an almost reasonable $13.75 per ounce. That’s less than the Youth Code at $14.37 per ounce.  Of course, the Alpha Hydrox is only about $6.50 an ounce, so it might be worth another look… I can’t resist a bargain!

About The Author:  Megan is a professional writer, amateur photographer and an accomplished beauty product crash test dummy. She'll try anything once, especially if it's a free sample. She's still trying to figure out what she wants to be when she grows up, but it will probably involve travel and Colin Farrell. And maybe some writing and photography. You can visit her at onethousandwordsormore.com or follow her on Twitter: msmegan.

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Confessions Of Makeup Newbie

I started wearing makeup later in life, and when I finally decided to hide the uneven tones and redness from my rosacea, I tried several products before I found one that I loved. And to this day, I feel like the absolute best investment I have ever made in my beginnings of a makeup collection is the Bare Escentuals Customizable Get Started Kit. This kit comes with everything you need to get started with using the Bare Minerals foundation – three brushes, a brush shampoo, a get-started DVD, and the three basic powders you need to start your day. I was hooked from day one, not only because of the $100 savings from not buying everything piece by piece, but also because I found I enjoyed the loose powder over other foundations I have tried.

Eventually, this lead me to wonder how I would like loose powder for my eyelids. I began with a neutral color, something that would look very natural. Because of my new desire to dress up my eyes, I was gifted with the Big & Bright Eyeliner Kit. The whole kit is fabulous, however, one of my favorite things in this kit is the Brightening Opal eyelid primer. Unlike the plain primer I was using to dress up my eyes, this one has a slight sheen to it that helps accentuate my eye shadow. I recently started to use the Brightening Opal primer instead of water as a base for making eye liner from my loose powder. The tricky part to this is cleaning up the brush after use, but the results are amazing. (My tip: use a little Jojoba oil to clean the brush, followed by the Well-Cared For brush shampoo.)

My number one secret to beautiful, healthy skin isn’t in the powders or primers though. If there was one thing that I believe helps my skin, whether I wear make-up or not, it would be moisturizer. Even though I am new to make-up, I have tried many moisturizers over the years. My current choice is the Purely Nourishing Cream for Dry Skin. This moisturizer has a fantastic floral and citrus scent, and even though the cream feels thick, which I love in the winter time, it doesn’t sit on top of your skin. Having become a huge Bare Escentuals fan, I even tried another one of their moisturizers and didn’t find it nearly as pleasant as the Purely Nourishing Cream.

Being relatively new to make-up, I have found the kits to be invaluable to building up my beauty collection. I haven’t cast anything aside in my BE kits, because everything works so well together. But, whether I am putting on my make-up, or taking it off, nothing beats a great moisturizer.

About Our Guest Blogger: Lynda lives in Northern California with her boyfriend and their two dogs. She currently is going to school to learn web design, training for her next Olympic weightlifting competition and enjoys reading, writing, and goofing off on Facebook when she finds some free time. You can find her blog at http://crazynerdybeautiful.wordpress.com and she has a private account on Twitter @lovelylynda (though she will probably add you if you don’t look like a Twitter spammer).

Friday Flop: Bliss Fabulous Rubberizing Mask

I love taking some time for myself, doing things that make me feel pretty and pampered. What I do not love making too much effort in the process, which is why Bliss Spa’s Fabulous Skin-Reviving Rubberizing Mask is a flop for me.

While I usually will not spend $38 on a face mask that will only last me six weeks (it comes in a package of six individual masks to be used once a week), I had a gift card. So I splurged and got the mask, reportedly one of Bliss’ in-spa favorites. I liked the idea of a peel-off mask because it’s much simpler than rinsing one off.

In theory.

The mask comes in powder form, along with six tongue depressors and a scoop. You put the powder in a bowl, fill the scoop with water and mix the ensuing gunk with the tongue depressor. Are you tired yet? Because I am and I still haven’t gotten this on my face. Once the mask is mixed, trowel it on , preferably with the tongue depressors because it’s messy. As you are doing this you must be careful to layer it on thickly or you will not be able to get it off easily.

Once you’ve gotten it all on your face, don’t rinse the bowl. Leave it to dry. The directions explicitly say not to wash the mask down the drain, but to throw it away. I guess you don’t want it to rubberize in your pipes. Pitch the tongue depressor.

After you’ve done all this, you can finally relax. For about 15 minutes. Then you have peel the thing off because if you wait too long it will overdry and then you have to wet it and that defeats the whole purpose. If you’ve gotten it on thickly enough (which you probably haven’t, no matter how many times you’ve done this before), you just peel the whole thing off. Except for those places where you put it on too thinly. Like all the edges. So you have to wet your face so you can scrape those off. When it’s off, you throw the mask away, peel the remains from the bowl and put them in the trash too. Then you’ll have to wash it anyway because stuff will stick.

Really? So not worth it.

Your skin will feel good. At least mine did. But the amount of effort totally negates any benefit. There are other, cheaper masks that require less effort and make my skin feel good. Thanks anyway, Bliss. I’ll save it for the spa.

Featured photo credit

Friday Flop: GoodSkin Labs Skincare

I’m kind of habitual about my skincare products. If I find something that doesn’t a) make me break out b) dry the hell out of my face and c) give me a rash (no, really), I generally stick with that product.  Occasionally, however, I’m susceptible to shiny new ads and gimmicks.  Enter GoodSkin Labs. This is a line of skincare products that’s available exclusively through Kohl’s. Recently, while at the recent BlogHer conference, I was given the opportunity to try a few of the objects for free. FREE? I’M IN.

I started using GoodSkin Labs Tri-Aktiline Total Face about two months ago. Now this stuff is a moisturizer that also claims to instantly reduce wrinkles. And after four weeks I’m supposed to notice in overall face moisturization (duh?). I also got Citra-Peel Exfoliating & Neutralizing Peel Pads which is a two-part system of pH resurfacing and neutralizing. And, lastly, we’ve got the Eyliplex-2.  This is a container with eye cream for day and nighttime use, claiming “eye lift” and dark circle reduction.  The results?

Tri-Aktiline Total Face ($42.50): My first impression with this stuff was, “Whoa. Thick.” Clinique is my regular stuff, and it’s a fairly light  moisturizer. But the Total Face formula is much thicker. While I can see how this would be beneficial for “reducing” lines (by filling them…with cream…ick?), I didn’t like that I had to rub so hard to get it smoothed all over my face. This felt counter-productive. I also felt like I needed to use much more than should be necessary. The plus side is that, for as heavy as it goes on, the lotion doesn’t feel heavy on your skin. So if you’re the type of consumer that’s partial to a thicker, more substantial lotion, this might work well for you. I’m sure there’s some of you out there. Right? I, for one, won’t be purchasing a second tube.  (Also note that I *did* notice an increase in breakouts while using this product. Like, a substantial increase. But in all fairness, since my trial period also coincided with, um, Halloween, I can’t be completely certain of the cause. Ahem.)

Citra-Peel ($32): Okay, so this stuff was by far my favorite of the three. (And, unfortunately, Kohl’s seems to be out of stock of the stuff at the moment.) The first step is a pre-moistened pad that had me nostalgic for those zit-filled OXY days of my teen years where the only way to treat an outbreak was to burn the hell out of your face and hope for the best in the morning. Turns out for me, the “best” was “you are allergic to salycilic acid” and “here is your red-ass face” and “good luck in homeroom!” But while Citra-Peel felt similar to other acid-based treatments, it didn’t burn as much as it tingled. And no rash!  Perhaps it’s because of Step Two: the balancing pads. After a few minutes, you apply a pH neutralizer before rinsing. The end result was a refreshed, glowing skin tone that was rash free. Now, whether that’s worth the $32 is up to you, but I think I’d consider buying the stuff myself.

Eyliplex-2 ($39.50): Now, this stuff I wanted to love. I really did. The day cream is a nice gel that’s cooling and refreshing to the eye area. The down side, however–and it’s a pretty significant one in my book–is that the gel leaves this residue if you use too much. And too be honest, as much as I tried reducing my application amounts, there always seemed to be a residue. When I would apply my concealer, the result was this awful you’ve-got-a-fungus effect around my eyes. DISLIKE.  The overnight cream, on the other hand, was pleasant. Not as cooling, but certainly did the trick without too much heaviness. And after washing my face in the morning, the residue was never an issue. But since you can’t buy just one (they come together in a single unit), I’d have to pass on this one as well.

Bottom Line: Guys, I thought the best thing about this line is the packaging. I mean, really. Doesn’t it look impressive? While there were clearly some benefits, I don’t think the price point is worth those perks. Not for me, anyway.

Tinted Moisturizer… as Goldilocks would say… “Just Right.”

Susannah here.  Known in very limited circles of the Internetwebs as PaintingChef.  I’m one of the newbies on this website and I’m quite excited to be involved.  Mostly I’ll be writing (long-winded and somewhat rambling) beauty product reviews, I’m a cosmetic junkie so I’m always trying something new, even if I’ve found my one true love and BFF of a product, I’ll still keep shopping… it’s a disease.  Let the healing begin!!

I have recently had a birthday, and as my mirror (and perhaps my mother) ever so gently informed me, maybe it is time to move beyond the Clinique Oil-Control Pressed Powder that I’ve been using since I was about 13.

Now, I won’t lie… in the skin department, I’m fairly lucky, even though I’m just now, at 33, realizing this.  My skin is pretty darn oily but apparently, according to all the internet gurus (i.e. Sephora, Mario Badescu and Facebook) this makes me lucky.  Because while it stains my pillows and makes me fight the teenage boys for elbow room in the Clearsil aisle at Walgreens, it also apparently keeps my skin from getting those fine lines and wrinkles that Diane Lane and Jennifer Garner keep hassling me about in the Neutrogena ads.

But… I’m a former smoker and I’m unable to leave my monthly chin-zit (oh yes… you know what I’m talking about) alone so I do have a couple of little lines, some dark spots that are scar-like because they never fully heal AND one large wrinkle on my forehead that is screaming for Botox.  (Lucky for my husband, my feet scream even louder for Italian shoes and I am, so far, un-botulism-ed).

So through a fortunate happenstance, a deluxe-sized sample of Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer came into my life.  I was already somewhat on the lookout for something more than a powder but less than a foundation.  I’m opposed to foundation for reasons too numerous to list here but they start with oily skin and end with me liking my summer tan and not wanting to hide its light under a layer of pancake makeup, thank you very much.

One evening as my husband and I were getting ready to meet some friends for dinner, I decided to give this tinted moisturizer a whirl.  My skin was looking less than glowing and those dark circles under my eyes were doing too good a job of tattling on me for the copious amount of rum I’d had the night before.  The instant that perfectly light moisturizer hit my skin, I was in love.  It was sheer coverage, blended in perfectly and easily with just my fingertips and was completely weightless.  I didn’t feel like I was wearing a thing on my skin.  (And did I mention the SPF 20!?!?  BONUS!)

After a quick coat of powder, I was floored by how flawless my skin looked.  But the real test (for me at least) was going to be how it wore over the course of an evening.  Have I mentioned that I’m a forehead sweater?  As soon as any kind of sunscreen hits my face, I break out into a sweat.  I also can’t wear any of those “luminizing creams” or facial highlighters.  Dewey?  Please.  I end up looking like I just ran a marathon.  (From the neck up… the rest of me still screams couch-potato.)

But I was AMAZED.  The Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer never made me feel oily, my pores never felt clogged.  The coverage stayed all evening.  And as a daytime trial the next day proved, it stayed all day as well.  My skin felt softer and smoother and looked FLAWLESS.  I even felt less oily and shiny hours after putting it on so I think it helped my powder stay in place as well!

After only using my deluxe sample (in Nude) three times, I went to Sephora’s website to get a full-sized tube.  I was a little shocked at the $42 dollar price tag but I still placed my order.  I ended up purchasing a shade darker in Bisque.  A little of this moisturizer goes a long way so I think this tube will last me a good 4 months at least.  Plus I further rationalize it by telling myself that it REALLY is two products in one.  I no longer use my regular moisturizer during the day before putting on my makeup.

A more inclusive look through Sephora, Drugstore.com and my local Walgreens taught me that tinted moisturizers are all over the place and I’m just late to the game.  There is also a good chance that if I took the time to look around, I could find a product comparable to the Laura Mercier one that is a little easier on my wallet.  But I’m too in love with this product to even consider something else.  I’ve also since learned that there IS an oil-free formula, something I missed the first time around.  While I have NO complaints about the oil levels in the product I’ve been using, I will probably, when what I have runs out, switch to the oil-free option as I try to make a habit of only using oil-free products on my skin.

So if you are looking for something more than a powder but lighter than foundation or maybe you just don’t like the feel of heavy makeup but need a little extra coverage, I would HIGHLY recommend that you look into this product.  Happy shopping!

While I did receive this product as a deluxe sample from Sephora, it was only because I already spend so much money on their website, it was NOT sent to me for the purpose of being reviewed.  That part was all me…

Cleansers for oily AND dry skin?

I love it when people ask me questions.

It makes me feel smart and better than you.  I mean, helpful.  It makes me feel helpful.

My point is – someone asked me a question.

Elizabeth asked:

“do you know of any good facial cleansers that control oily and dry spots? As in, both at the same time? My forehead is both. I have no idea how this is scientifically possible, but my old cleansers aren’t working anymore. Help!”

Allow me to pretend to be an expert in skin care.

My immediate answer is your skin is probably not actually both oily and dry.

Truly oily skin is very, very rare.  And while cosmetic companies have been talking about “combination” skin for pretty much EVER, that is also pretty rare.

And yet, you’re breaking out AND having parts of your skin flake off, right?

Been there.

In fact, I actually had black heads and zits once right not top of skin that was dry and flaking off.  I googled and googled and then finally broke down and scheduled an emergency facial.

And then I rolled around for a few minutes in the idea that I was someone that scheduled emergency facials.  I started imagining myself using terms like “the help” and “my Jimmy Choos” and “that lovely woman who does my toes.”

But back to my schizophrenic face.

As it turns out, what was actually going on was that my face was really, really, really dry.  The blackheads and zits and oiliness were a result of my skin trying to work overtime to make up for the fact that I was stripping away the moisture in my skin by trying to fight the zits.

At least, that’s what the very expensive esthetician told me.

I didn’t believe her, of course.  Because it doesn’t make sense that dry skin would have blackheads and oil slicks.  And also – maybe I made my skin more dry by trying to fight the acne, but I had to do that because the acne was there in the first place, right?

My very expensive esthetician told me to shut up and do what I was told.

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Facial Tanner: Jergens Natural Glow

I am not a tan girl.

My mother is a natural redhead and she generously passed on her fair complexion, freckles, and tendency to burn if exposed to the sun for longer than 3 minutes.

(She did not, however, give me her beautiful hair color.  Figures.)

Porcelain skin can be sexy.  Nicole Kidman rocks the pale faced look.  Unfortunately, I am no Nicole Kidman.  My skin tone leans more towards pasty than porcelain.

What’s a pale faced girl to do when she wants a little summer color on her face but can’t step into the sunlight without burning up like an old world vampire?

Fake it.

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