Loreal Magic Perfecting Base Review

Face, Inexpensive Products, Kroger's, Kroger's Grocery Store, Loreal, make up remover, Makeup Application, Oily Skin, primers, product review No Responses »

Feb 272013

I purchased the Loreal Magic Perfecting Base last month when I saw it on sale at Kroger’s grocery store. I’ve had my eye on this primer since 2011 when I saw my friend and fellow Makeup Artist Jennifer use it for a photoshoot. The reason I hadn’t purchased it sooner is because it was a bit pricey. Before last month, I hadn’t seen it cheaper than about $13. That’s a lot to me, for a drugstore primer that I haven’t used before.

Here’s a picture of it on sale at Kroger’s. I started to get 2 of them, but since I hadn’t used it before, I decided to wait and try it out first. I ended up waiting too long to try it and by the time I went back, the sale was over. I’m not sure why it was a close out sale because the product hasn’t been discontinued. I even checked the packaging and it was the same as the ones that were regular priced.

Here it is opened. I like that it’s a pale pink color. So cute and feminine. ;-p

Here it is on my hand. The consisitency is similiar to a thick gel. When rubbed into the skin, it just melts and provides a barrier between your skin and the product. It feels similar to MAC Matte gel, but a bit thicker.

Overall, it’s not a bad product, especially for less than $7. I wouldn’t say it’s the best primer I’ve ever used in my life, but I can tell the difference between wearing it versus when I don’t wear a primer at all. My makeup blends better and my skin is definitely smoother. I didn’t notice that much of a difference as far as controlling oil, but I don’t think this product is even geared towards absorbing oil so I can’t hold that against it. Again, I’ll say I can notice a difference when I wear it versus nothing, but I do have to blot a few times throughout the day. I’m proud to report it didn’t leave a white film so it’s safe for women of color to wear without appearing ashy. *whew*

Even though I do like the color ( my favorite colors are pink and purple.) I don’t like the jar. I’d rather squeeze or pump out my primer. Yes, I know with jars, you’re able to get all of your money’s worth by scraping everything out, but I prefer tubes and pumps because they’re more sanitary. Unless I find it on sale, I probably wouldn’t buy it again.

Dr. Denese Cosmetics

Dr. Denese, expensive products, eye creams, moisturizers, Oily Skin, Oily Skin woes, skin care, Tinted Moisturizer 2 Responses »

Nov 092011

What’s the one moisturizer I can count on that has a high SPF and helps me keep a matte finish? It’s Dr. Denese SPF 30 Defense Day Cream!!

It comes in two sizes 1.5oz retails for $34 and the 4oz retails for $75. Now I know this sounds super expense however, it’s totally worth the money. You only need a small amount so this product will last you a very long time. My mom introduced this product to me last spring and I promise you the 4oz lasted me til this spring. This is the amount that I usually squeeze out.

On the left was my initial squeeze. On the right is where I rubbed it a bit just so you can see how it spreads out.

She ordered a special value package off of QVC and it came with an eye moisturizer that doesn’t appear to be available anymore because I didn’t see it on the website.

It looks like this

I guess it was limited edition or made specifically for QVC. Not sure if you can tell from the reflection of my flash, but there’s STILL product in here. I’ve been using it for about a year and a half now.

Don’t be deceived by the name. I’ll admit that I was at first. I tend to stay away from any product that says it’s a cream. In my mind I’m already thinking this is not meant for my skin type and I’ll be a greasy mess in 30min. Well I’m not sure what magic Dr. Denese uses, but whatever it is causes this Day Cream to dry down to a perfect matte finish. The product does have a bit of a tint that’s supposed to blend with your skin. I honestly don’t feel it blends with all skin tones. If I put on too much, it’ll show up as too light. It does NOT provide coverage so I don’t see it as a Tinted Moisturizer, it’s just that the product has a color to it. (Hopefully that made sense. Ha ha!) As long as I don’t use more than I showed you in the picture above, I’m fine. This product works even better for me than M.A.C. Oil Control Lotion and most importantly, it has a SPF of 30. That’s higher than any other moisturizers that I’ve ever used.

In conclusion, I can honestly say that I love this brand so far. I’ve only tried one other moisturizer which is the Hydroshield Hydrating Dream Cream.

It retails for $43.50 for a 3.4 oz.

I like it and it does have the gel consistency that I prefer but since it doesn’t have an SPF and doesn’t have the matte finish, I don’t use it as much. I’ll use it sometimes at night, but I use it sparingly since I already have other moisturizers that I use at night and due to the price I don’t want to have to buy more right now.

Results of My Kiehls Skin Care Kit

Kiehls, Oily Skin, Oily Skin woes, product review, results, skin care, skin care kit 2 Responses »

Nov 012011

A couple of months ago I did a post on my new skin care kit by Kiehls that’s for Oily Skin. Here are my thoughts about how it worked for me.

Ultra Facial Oil-Free Moisturizer Starter Kit

I was able to notice that my skin wasn’t as oily as it would be if I didn’t use anything to help control the oil. Did it stop me from being oily? Of course not. It certainly worked better than most products I’ve used in the past. I also feel it had extra help because I used my Clarisonic with it. The Clarisonic makes everything work better for me.

I really liked the toner because it didn’t burn but it still felt effective. This was my favorite out of the three products. The cleanser was okay. Still not as good as my Coastal Scents African Black Soap, but pretty good. I liked that it was a liquid but it would be even better if it was in a pump. I was quite pleased that after using the cleanser, my skin didn’t feel tight and uncomfortable but still clean. It didn’t seem to remove make up though, so unfortunately I still had to use either my Ponds wipes or my Neutrogena Foaming Cleanser first. The lotion was my least favorite product. It’s not terrible and I wouldn’t say it’s not a good product, I just didn’t care of the texture. It was a bit thicker than what I’m used to. I also didn’t like that it didn’t have any SPF so this means I have to add yet another product to my skin care routine or use foundation with an spf. *sigh* I prefer moisturizers that are a gel-like texture not a lotion. Due to the thickness, I only used a very small amount.

I also didn’t like the fact that the 3 products weren’t equal in size. The lotion was significantly larger than the cleanser, and the much smaller toner. This means that I have a whole lot of lotion left, no toner left, and if I squeeze the tube and roll it I can get a couple of drops of the cleanser.

With all of this being said, I guess I should answer two more questions.

1.) Would I buy this kit again? No. But I would get the toner.

2.) Would I recommend this kit? Sure. It’s worth a try. Most people aren’t as oily as me so for people who have normal to oily combination skin or dry and oily combination skin, this may be perfect for you.

So in conclusion, overall it wasn’t a bad kit but I’m going back to my old faithful Coastal Scents African Black Soap. I’ve been using a Neutrogena Pore Refining Toner in the meantime. It’s okay but I wouldn’t buy it again. I don’t NEED moisturizer but because I didn’t like the texture of the Kiehls lotion in this kit, I stopped using it and went back to using the Dr. Denese Daily Mattifying Cream with SPF 30. It’s the best I’ve ever used.

Kiehls New Oily Skin Care System

expensive products, Kiehls, lip balms, masks, Oily Skin, Oily Skin woes, skin care 3 Responses »

Aug 232011

I’m always on the hunt for cosmetics that will help reduce my oiliness. I went to Kiehls with my mom for my birthday, 6/26/11, to see if they had any new products to offer me. The last time I went to the Kiehls store, I remembered seeing products for Acne, but not for just regular oily skin (This is a common problem I run into. I don’t know why companies don’t realize that just because you’re oily doesn’t equate acne). I ended up buying a masque and lip balm. Well this time, it just so happened that Kielhs had just launched a new line of skin care for oily skin. They had starter kits available for $24.50! This is amazing because Kiehls tends to be on the more expensive side. Of course I was a bit weary because I’ve heard for years that this product will really help keep you matte, or that product will control the sebaceous gland, blah, blah, blah. The guy working there was very thorough in explaining how the products worked and said they guaranteed results so if I tried it and wasn’t satisfied, I could bring it back. So I figured, cool! I absolutely love my masque and my lip balm so there was a strong possibility that I’d like this new skin care system as well.

Below is info about my new skin care system. It’s taken from the Kiehls website. I’m guessing this kit has gotten pretty popular because the site is currently out of stock. They do have the regular sizes though. Kiehls is currently allowing free shipping with purchases over $35 and free samples with purchases over $50. If you’re interested in purchasing this system, you may want to go ahead and get the regular sizes since they’re offering the special promos.
Ultra Facial Oil-Free Moisturizer Starter Kit

Ultra Facial Oil-Free Moisturizer Starter Kit

3 Steps to No-Shine Moisture. Step up to 24hour No-Shine with Kiehl’s portable Ultra Facial Oil-Free Moisturizer Starter Kit that includes 3 steps to healthier skin.

Step 1: Cleanse with Ultra Facial Oil-Free Cleanser – Compliments of Kiehl’s! Our quick-lathering cleansing foam removes oil and impurities resulting in a shine-free finish.
Step 2: Tone with Ultra Facial Oil-Free Toner – Compliments of Kiehl’s! pH-balanced toner visibly reduces excess oil and maintains proper moisture levels.
Step 3: Moisturize with Ultra Facial Oil-Free Lotion – This 24-hour lightweight hydrating lotion rebalances oily skin and seals in moisture.

So it’s designed in a 3 step system, similar to Clinique. There’s a Cleanser, a Toner, and a Moisturizer.
While listening to the guy explain the products in detail, I got a bit worried because he stated it works to hydrate the skin and hold it’s moisture throughout the day. That kind of talk is usually geared towards people with drier skin. He reassured me though that with this updated technology, it holds in moisture to help balance the skin without being greasy. Balance is what I want and what I hope to achieve…some day.

It’s taken me a while to review this because I still had some M.A.C. Lightful products I wanted to finish first. I used this for the first time yesterday morning. I think this kit is a month’s supply. At the end of Sept. I will give my full review. I wanted to at least let you know that I was trying something new. I will say that so far I’m highly impressed!!! I was not a greasy monster yesterday and that was just from one use. Woo Hoo! Could it be that I’ve FINALLY found the perfect skin care system? Oh God please let it be. The only major con is that the moisturizer doesn’t have SPF so I have to use a separate one or wear a foundation with it. That means an added step to the morning routine.

I mentioned that I really loved the masque that I purchased from Kiehls. Here it is below. This was taken from the Kiehls website.
Rare Earth Pore Cleansing Masque

Rare Earth Pore Cleansing Masque

Our Rare Earth masque helps purify and detoxify skin while minimizing the appearance of enlarged pores. Formulated with Amazonian White Clay to gently draw out oil, dirt and toxins that can clog pores. The addition of Oatmeal and Aloe Vera will help soothe, hydrate and protect sensitive skin.

It retails for $23 for 5 oz. Kiehls has an entire Rare Earth line. I only opted for the masque I use it about 2x/wk.

I tend to prefer masques over scrubs because they tend to be more gentle and can still be used when you have break-outs. Scrubs are not good to use if you have pimples because the beads will just spread the bacteria to the rest of your face. You’d want to use a non-manual exfoliator such as a masque instead. #Royalbeautytip

This is the lip balm that I purchased along with the masque. Below that is the lip balm I purchased with my new skin care starter kit.
Lip Balm #1

Lip Balm #1

A Kiehl’s classic and #1 bestseller, soothing lips since 1969.

•Temporarily protects and helps relieve chapped or cracked lips.
•Helps protect lips from the drying effects of wind and cold weather.
•Formulated with soothing emollients Squalane, Lanolin and Sweet Almond Oil as well as Vitamins A and E.

It retails for $7. It would be the best I’ve ever used if…it had a better applicator. It has a flat screw top that’s uncomfortable and messy to apply from the tube. I started using it with a lip brush, but I’d prefer to just be able to squeeze it out and apply it directly to my lips. As a result, I wanted to try another one so I purchased this one below.
Lip Balm SPF 15

Lip Balm SPF 15

Temporarily protects and helps relieve chapped or cracked lips. Helps protect lips from the drying effects of wind and cold weather. SPF15 sunscreen provides UVA and UVB protection.

It retails for $9.50 and has the nice slanted applicator. I haven’t used this yet because I wanted to finish some other lip balms that I have. On a good note, both of these are fragrance free. They do have other lip balms that are tinted and have flavors and scents to them. I don’t like those.

Another great thing I found out after talking to the guy in the store (wish I would’ve gotten his name, he was really good) was that they have a recycling program. After 3 empties, you get a free lip balm. That’s better than M.A.C.! I think after six, you get a discount on a purchase, I just don’t remember what it was.

Have any of you used Kiehl’s products before? What are your thoughts?

*The images and descriptions were taken from Kiehl’s website*

Black Opal Invisible Oil Blocking Loose Powder

Black Opal, M.A.C. prep and prime powder, Oil Blocking powder, Oily Skin 2 Responses »

Jun 242011

So I purchased the Black Opal Oil Blotting loose powder last month during the Memorial Day special in which they were offering free shipping with a $15 purchase. You already know how much I hate being oily and how much of a sucker I am when it comes to oil controlling products. Well I absolutely LOVE Black Opal Foundation Sticks so I figured I should give the powder a try.

Apparently the person at allure magazine who tried this powder is not oily. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad that Black Opal was recognized for it’s product. I just wish it would’ve been for the fantastic foundation sticks and not this loose powder. I didn’t notice ANY oil blocking. It was like using a regular loose powder. Now this doesn’t mean that the powder is worthless trash, it just means that it’s no different from every other loose finishing powder. This in No Way compares to M.A.C. Prep and Prime Powder, which I was hoping it would be a dupe for. Will I continue to use it? Of course, but I will also use all of my other mattifying products along with it. I paid $8.95 for this powder so it’s not going to waste. I’m so disappointed. I will NOT purchase this again nor do I recommend it to anyone who is looking for an oil absorbing powder. If you just want a loose finishing powder without adding extra color, sure go for it.

*The picture was taken from the Black Opal Website

Elf Blotting Sheets

Blotting Sheets, Inexpensive Products, Oily Skin 7 Responses »

Jun 092011

I’m always on the hunt for products to help me with my extremely overactive Sebaceous Gland that causes me to be a “greasy monster”. As I’ve mentioned in other posts, I’ve used so many products and have yet to find the perfect one. I realize that I’m going to be oily so I may as well just accept it and blot throughout the day. I really like M.A.C. blotting sheets but they’re a bit pricey. The Clean and Clear blotting sheets are comparable except they are really small. I like the way that they work and how they feel (more like a film than a piece of paper.) I went to Sephora and looked at blotting sheets that were Lavender scented. I was quite excited to try them but they felt more like paper. I didn’t want to spend $10 on blotting paper. I want something soft. I’ve been purchasing a lot of ELF products and I saw that they made blotting sheets for $1. I figured I’d give it a try. Unfortunately, just like the Sephora blotting sheets, they feel like paper, and they are small like the Clean and Clear sheets, BUT they are very inexpensive so I plan to use all of these until I venture off to find more suitable ones.