I'm a girl who loves beauty products, even though I haven't always been very keen on them, so I decided to start a beauty blog, where I share beauty product reviews with others and tell you about both the worst and best beauty products out there, according to me.

I'm also hoping it will make beauty and makeup more fun, even for those who are not beauty addicts already.

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Review: Clean and Clear Morning Energy Shine Control Daily Facial Lotion


So it is time to review the last out of the Clean and Clear products I tried lately. It is a product called the Clean and Clear Morning Energy Shine Control Daily Facial Lotion, which sounds like it would be a lotion, right? But it is actually a toner, intended to be used in the morning, to reduce shine and to clear up your skin.

I got it because I wanted a whole set of skin care products from Clean and Clear, including a cleanser, toner and moisturizer. And the Clean and Clear Morning Energy Shine Control Daily Facial Lotion seemed like the best Clean and Clear toner available at that time.

The thing that some might not like about the Clean and Clear Morning Energy Shine Control Daily Facial Lotion is probably that it kind of stings when you use it. This actually does not bother me all that much, since I see that as a sign that it works, but I still think it is worth mentioning, since it might bother some, and since it probably means it is not a very gentle toner, compared to others.

I must admit I did not notice that using this toner would have made my skin any less shiny, but it does keep my skin clear and healthy looking, which is the most important thing, after all.

So I would definitely recommend this Clean and Clear toner to anyone with combination/oily skin, it does work, but if you do not like to "feel" the product working, you should probably pass on this toner, since you will feel something when you put this on. A big pro is that you don't need to use a lot of this toner at a time, which means that a bottle should last you quite long too.

Some other Clean and Clear products I want to try

So after having tried so many Clean and Clear products lately, I still have a few more I would like to try. They are mainly the fruit based facial washes, that seem to both work wonderfully and smell delicious.

They are all from the Clean and Clear Morning Burst line, but have some small differences, so I just can't seem to figure out which of them would work best for me.


So if any of you readers have tried any of these Clean and Clear products:
1
2
or
3
please let me know what you thought, to help me make a decision!

Review: Clean and Clear Exfoliating Daily Wash


The Clean and Clear face wash/mask mentioned in my previous post is not the only Clean and Clear cleanser I have been trying lately, I also got a slightly exfoliating face wash, called the Clean and Clear Exfoliating Daily Wash, which I have been very happy with.

This Clean and Clear facial cleanser is less harsh on your skin than some of the other Clean and Clear products I have tried, which means you can actually use it every day if you want, without it messing up your skin too much. And it does exfoliate slightly, which is something I like, since I do get dry patches on my skin sometimes, even though my skin is generally combination/oily. Of course, if you need serious exfoliation for some reason, you might need to use something with rougher exfoliants in it, but for day to day use, this is really perfect.

So unlike the other Clean and Clear products I have reviewed so far, the Clean and Clear Exfoliating Daily Wash is really a product I would recommend to everyone, especially for those with oily or combination skin of course, but I think it really works on other skin types too.

So this Clean and Clear facial cleanser was probably the best buy out of all the Clean and Clear products I got!

Review: Clean and Clear Blackhead clearing 2-in-1 wash/mask


Another one of the Clean and Clear products (besides the Clean and Clear Dual Action Moisturizer) that I tried that I liked, but didn't fully see all the advantages of, was the Clean and Clear Blackhead clearing 2-in-1 wash/mask, and the reason for that was simply that I actually don't have that many blackheads. (Which probably makes you wonder why I got this product in the first place right? Well, the pharmacy where I bought it had a "Buy 3, get one free" offer on Clean and Clear products, and this seemed like the 4th best thing on offer. And I figured it would probably double as a reliable Clean and Clear facial cleanser, even if you don't have blackheads)

So if you are reading this review to see if the Clean and Clear Blackhead clearing 2-in-1 wash/mask gets rid of blackheads or not, I can't answer that, since I didn't use this Clean and Clear cleanser for that, but I must say I liked it very much otherwise. It's a mix between a facial wash and a mask basically, which means it looks like a mask, pretty much, but you leave it on for less time. Neutrogena has a very similar product as well, for those of you looking for an alternative.

I liked the smell and the texture of this wash/mask, it wasn't as heavy as some masks are, but was heavier than a simple cleanser, of course. And your skin really does feel superclean, yet not dried out afterwards! So I believe this Clean and Clear cleanser does a great job at cleansing your skin, so it could be worth trying even if blackheads aren't your main issue. I certainly liked this wash/mask a lot, despite not worrying about the whole blackhead thing so much.

If you are looking specifically for Clean and Clear blackhead fighting products, I think this could be a great buy for you, since I saw several people who bought this Clean and Clear face wash with blackheads in mind say that it is the best blackhead product they have ever used in different reviews. So I would recommend it especially for anyone looking for a cure against blackheads, but yeah, for other people with oily skin too. If you have dry skin, this product wouldn't work on you though, since it is designed to dry out acne and the skin in general as well, I believe. But anyone who has oilier skin can probably benefit from this Clean and Clear facial cleanser a lot, despite the rather funny name!

Review: Clean and Clear Dual Action Moisturizer


Like I mentioned in my previous post, I am trying out several Clean and Clear products at the moment, and one of them was a Clean and Clear moisturizer called Clean and Clear Dual Action Moisturizer. This moisturizer is said to both give your skin moisture, and fight acne and breakouts at the same time, and since I have rather oily skin, and suffer from breakouts from time to time, I thought it could be worth a try, since I wanted to try a whole line of Clean and Clear products at the same time anyway.

I have to say I like the texture of this moisturizer, it is rather light and is absorbed into your skin rather quickly, which is always a plus for me, but the big con about the Clean and Clear Dual Action Moisturizer for me is that the moisture you get doesn't seem to last for very long. I mean, I am used to moisturizers that you apply once, and then your skin feels like it has moisture for several hours. The Clean and Clear Dual Action Moisturizer just doesn't do that for me, after around half an hour after application, my skin felt rather dry again, which I didn't like. So I found myself using this moisturizer more often than I normally do with other brands.
On the plus side, however, this moisturizer definitely does not leave your skin looking or feeling greasy, like some moisturizers do, and it is completely oil free, so it should not clog your pores either. And the good thing is that you actually feel the active ingredients in this working when you apply it, so it must do some good.

To be fair, I think this Clean and Clear moisturizer might not have been the right choice for my skin type, since I do not suffer from severe acne, and this is actually meant for Clean and Clear acne treatment, so it could be that this moisturizer was simply too strong for me. I was also not really able to see if the stuff against severe acne that this moisturizer is supposed to contain worked either, so I guess I would recommend others who have acne prone skin, and not simply oily skin that suffers from breakouts from time to time, to try this Clean and Clear moisturizer. I think it could be a good fit for that kind of skin type, but I do feel this was slightly too strong for my skin.

Review: Several different Clean and Clear products


One problem with liking beauty products a lot is that I rarely stick with an entire beauty routine, or line of products for a long time, and that can be a problem, since a lot of beauty products are actually meant to be used together for best results. But since I always run into so many new products I want to try, I often mix products, meaning I use a cleanser for my face from one brand, a moisturizer from a different brand, an eye cream from a third brand, and so on. And while that is okay, I think it could still be interesting to see how the results vary if you try entire lines together. So that's what I have decided to do the next few times I try new skin care products, to buy them in sets if possible, use them for a long period of time (it is said that your skin needs some time to get used to new products after all, and that it is normal to have your skin break out during the first week after you try a new product, so for the best results - and to avoid breaking out every week - I will try to stick with each line I try, for a month or two at least).

Some of the lines I really want to try are Bliss's skin care products (since I am a huge Bliss junkie, like we all know) as well as Dermalogica's lines. But I started off with some Clean and Clear products, since I had heard a lot of good things about the from friends, and also read a lot of really nice reviews about several of the products online. So I will be reviewing a Clean and Clear moisturizer, a Clean and Clear face wash (the daily variety), a Clean and Clear moisturizer, a Clean and Clear blackhead eraser mask as well as a Shine Control Facial Lotion by the brand in the upcoming posts, to answer the question: Does Clean and Clear work as well as people say?
So if you are thinking of getting this rather price worthy drug store brand, stay tuned to read some more about the products!

Monday, September 17, 2012

Interesting article about bacteria on your skin

And how it is actually not always a bad thing, since bacteria can actually help make your skin look younger!
Read more about this in the Daily Mail, here.

(the pic is from the Daily Mail as well)

Sunday, September 16, 2012

The product I want to try most right now

Despite always having very long wish lists for cosmetics and beauty products, there is one product that I want to try more than others at the moment, the Korres Wild Rose + Vitamin C Advanced Brightening Sleeping Facial, available over at Sephora, for instance.

This cream has gotten excellent reviews almost everywhere, and I don't think I've ever tried a product like it, so it would be amazing to give this a try. I am definitely ordering this online as soon as I get back from a holiday I am going on soon (I don't want to have a lot of packages lying around the post office while I am gone)!

Sunday, September 2, 2012

More stuff on my wishlist right now

Like I've mentioned before, I still want to try some more Bliss products, even thought I have been trying quite a few of them lately. So a lot of the stuff on my current beauty wish list is Bliss stuff of course.

- Like the Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Eye Mask.
Because who doesn't need a pick me up around the eyes from time to time?

- Their Pore-perfector gadget, which seems a bit similar to the Clarisonic.

Expensive, but should be worth it if it works!

- Their new Firm, Baby Firm serum.

I'm not a big fan of serums, but I think I want to get better accquainted with them, and what could work better than a serum from my favorite brand?

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Review: Bliss The Love Handler

Okay, so it is time for the last Bliss review for a while. Don't get me wrong, I am still absolutely thrilled about Bliss and their beauty products, but I don't have any new products besides this one, and the ones I've already reviewed for now. But I definitely plan to get more at some point, so there will be some more Bliss reviews coming up in the future for sure!

The last product I will be reviewing for now is a liquid called The Love Handler, described by Bliss themselves as a workout for lazy abdominals. This lotion is supposed to reduce bloating in the stomach area, as well as make your skin in this area tighter and smoother, in order for your abdominals to look more toned. You can also use the lotion on any love handles on your back and waist if you have them.
I personally love the smell of The Love Handler, it is a strong minty smell, but if you are not into minty smells, The Love Handler might not be for you.

After applying the lotion, you will also feel a tingling sensation (as well as a nice, cooling sensation, which I loved, since I tried this product out during the summer), which I find kind of nice, but I do realize some may be bothered by this as well, since this is something you might not experience with other similar lotions.

I do believe this tightened my skin, after having used it for a month or so, but one should of course be aware of the fact that this is by no means a miracle product that gives you a six pack without you working out. If you are working out and want faster results, it should help you along the way, however.

So if you are in okay shape, and wish you had tighter, more toned contours around the belly, this is definitely worth a try. Unlike the FatGirlSlim starter pack, one bottle of the stuff will be enough for you to see if it works for you or not (it was for me, anyway), which is great, and one bottle also lasts for surprisingly long, since you do not need to use a lot of the lotion each time.

So all in all, a very impressive product, if you are looking for something to tighten your skin!

(I should also add that I read somewhere that you can use this product on your arms as well, so I have been using the lotion on both my mid-section and my arms for the entire time. And I got the same,  impressivly toned results on my arms as well!)

Review: Bliss Thinny Thin Chin Neck Firming Cream

Yes, I do realize it seems like I am sponsored by Bliss by now, since I write about their products all the time. I wish I was (believe me!), but I really am just very excited about most of the products I've tried, so I end up getting more and more Bliss beauty products all the time. And of course, it makes sense to share what I think of them, in case anyone else is thinking of getting the same products too.

This review will be about a neck and decolletage cream that Bliss has developed, called the Thinny Thin Chin Neck Firming Cream, which is supposed to be used on your entire v-zone (neck and decolletage), despite the name.
I must admit this is the first time I use a neck and decolletage cream (I've never had any issues with these parts of my body, and I am not sure I do still, but sometimes it's better to start using products before you actually need them, you know?), so I am not an expert on these creams by any means. But I really liked the Thinny Thin Chin Neck Firming Cream since the texture of the cream is lovely and light.
You see, I don't like heavy creams and lotions that take hours to absorb, and Bliss is really great when it comes to making creams that work well, but dissappear from your skin fast, so you don't feel sticky and uncomfortable using them. The Thinny Thin Chin Neck Firming Cream is no exception, and it has a lovely citrus smell too.

So I like using this cream, and will do so for a while, but must admit that I have not seen any very dramatic results. But then again, no dramatic results were really needed for me at the time either.