Monday, November 30, 2009

Neutrogena Wave review

Price: I got mine for $9 on sale from Target... I think it's ~$13.99 from Walmart?

What they say: Now a breakthrough new power cleanser by Neutrogena that will transform your cleansing routine. Experience an extreme deep clean for a refreshed feel and remarkably softer skin.

What to do: Neutrogena Wave Is Water Resistant and Can Be Used At The Sink Or In The Shower. It's As Easy As Brushing Your Teeth. How to Use In Three Easy Steps: 1. Simply Attach A Disposable Pad to The Attachment Head. 2. Hold The Power-Cleanser Under Running Water to Activate Foaming Pad. 3. Turn On Cleanser By Pressing Power Button and Gently Massage Over Face. Avoid The Delicate Eye Area. Rinse Face Thoroughly and Dispose of Pad After Each Use. Replacing Batteries: Remove Battery Door By Gently Pressing The Latch. Replace Old Battery With 1-Aa Battery.

What's in it: Glycerin, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Peg-8, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Decyl Glucoside, Lauryl Methyl Gluceth-10 Hydroxypropyldimonium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Citric Acid, Salicylic Acid, Menthol, Fragrance.


The good stuff:

  • Relatively inexpensive
  • Cute!
  • Leaves skin feeling soft, smooth, and clean
  • Seemed to improve my complexion
  • Smells nice
  • Tingling/cooling sensation

The low-down:

  • Burns like hell if you get it in your eyes
  • Does NOT foam
  • Have to keep buying refill pads, pricey
  • Contains menthol... a no-no ingredient for me
  • Cooling sensation became unpleasant for me
My take: I was wary to buy this because Michelle Phan's claims that it just vibrates and you're better of scrubbing your face with an electric toothbrush. But since it was on sale, I figure what the heck, might as well try it. Overall, I think it is a decent product. All it does really, is vibrate :P But I will say that it did leave my skin looking nice/feeling nice. If only the refill pads weren't so expensive for so little!

I've pretty much come to the conclusion that every Neutrogena product in existance that claims that it is "foaming," DOES NOT FOAM. This is no exception. It foamed up a bit when I really scrubbed my face with it, but I don't really want to have to do that all the time. Also, it reaaaally burns if it gets in your eyes! :( Another downer is that it contains menthol, which really irritates my skin. Although the cooling sensation it gives off was nice at first, it did get a bit too strong for me in the end, even after rinsing off. All in all, I think it's a good/okay product, but it's not as revolutionary as it claims. I can get the same results scrubbing my face with a good cleanser.

Would I repurchase: No.



Neutrogena makeup remover cleansing towelettes review

Price: $2.29 for 7 pack from drugstore.com

What they say: Ultra soft cloths Gently dissolve all traces of dirt, oil and make-up Even Waterproof Mascara Gentle, ultra soft cloths offer you superior cleansing and make-up removal. Gently and effectively dissolve all traces of dirt, oil and make-up Patent pending technology is so effective it easily removes waterproof mascara. Leaves skin thoroughly clean with no heavy residue, so there's no need to rinse. Use daily for clean, fresh, make-up free skin in 1 easy step. Gentle enough to use around sensitive eye area, even for contact lens wearers Ophthalmologist tested Dermatologist tested Allergy tested Alcohol free

Cloths measure: 7.4" x 7.2" (19 x 18.5 cm)

What to do: Gently wipe face with towelette, removing dirt and all traces of face and eye makeup. There is no need to rinse. Dispose of the towelette in trash receptacle (do not flush). After removing towelette, reseal pack.

What's in it: Water, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Isostearyl Palmitate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Isononyl Isononanoate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Hexylene Glycol, PEG 4 Laurate, PEG 6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Sucrose Cocoate, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Benzoic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Fragrance

The good stuff:
  • Super soft texture
  • Effective at removing makeup
  • Did not burn eyes
The low-down:
  • Left an oily residue
  • Kinda pricey... I've used better for cheaper

My take: I really wanted to love these, but sadly, I was disappointed :( While they do a good job at removing makeup and I like the soft, gentle cloth . . . they leave behind an oily residue and I HATE that in a makeup removing wipe. Check out the bolded section in the product description. Key words: NO HEAVY RESIDUE. But there is still a residue, and I had to wash my face after. I'm glad I only got the 7 pack to test it out! I've definitely used better for a fraction of the price of the full pack. For example, I really like Epielle cleansing wipes (review here), which have like 30 per pack for only $2 AND they worked just as well at removing makeup, smelled good, and did not leave any residue. I find these similar to the Clean N Clear wipes (see previous link)... a no-go for me :(

Would I repurchase: No.



Saturday, November 28, 2009

10 Beauty facts

Lisa from Shop N' Chomp did this awesome tag on 10 beauty facts about yourself! So I "stole" this tag from her hehe =)

Anyways, here's my 10 beauty factoids - - -

1. From time to time, I get ONE BIG JUICY PIMPLE in the WORST place. Right now, it's smack dab on my left cheek (on my face :P). I only get it in horribly noticeable places, like on the tip of my nose, the middle of my forehead, between my eyebrows, or on/in my eyebrows. In addition to being huge and disgusting, it lasts forever. TMI?! And for the record, no spot treatment has EVER worked for me more than once!!!

2. I am addicted to collecting lip balm/gloss. The dumb thing is though, that I tend to buy buy buy and then not use any of it -_-



3. I'm totaly with you Lisa, I suck at applying falsies! If I were better at it, I'd wear them every day! ↓ TOOK ME FOREVERRRR TO DO =(



4. I am a lover of Neutrogena, but only because a select few of their products have HG status!



5. I range between being a budget and brand buyer.






6. My skin is mineral spoiled. EDM has been my go-to for over 2 years.



7. I own NO MAC! Yes, I am serious!



8. I love bright, funky nail polish. I almost always have my nails did =)



9. At nighttime, I ALWAYS take my "face" off, no matter what. Lol.



10. This will come in my next post . . .

Has everybody done this tag already? I wanna know your beauty facts!!



Monday, November 16, 2009

ELF nail polish drip bottle?

While on the topic of nail polish and ELF stuff, by any chance, has anyone ever received one with the little paint drips on the top?? It shows that on the website banner and I thought it was soooo cute! But I have never received any bottles like that :( so I started thinking maybe it's just for display.

But apparently, there are bottles that DO have the little drips!







Image credit: http://www.thebudgetbabe.com



Wahh, so cute! Why don't ALL of them have those?? I really want a bottle like that!

Have any of you received this elusive ELF nail polish bottle?




Saturday, November 14, 2009

ELF products I would actually reccommend

So, the lovely mama Chee asked me what ELF products I would reccommend and I realized a couple of other people have asked me that as well. I think I've mentioned things here and there but never really listed which products have worked for me and which have not. So here's my list on ELF products that I would actually reccommend!

I WOULD RECCOMMEND:


I LOVE these eyeshadows. There's so many to choose from. The ones I got have good color payoff, go on smoothly, and last all day for me. Definitely worth $1.











I love their nailpolishes. For only $1, you can't go wrong. Many color choices and I've always been satisfied with every one I've tried.










Extremely convenient! The only downside is it makes you fingers sticky but other than that, it's great.











Does the job, nice and moisturizing for the cuticles (:












One of my HG e/s brushes. The bristles are super soft but firm and pick up color extremely well.











Another of my HG brushes. Super soft bristles but firmly packed, picks up concealer great!!











Love this stuff. Goes on smoothly and conceals well. The only thing is it doesn't last too long.. and it says it contains tea tree oil but on the box it doesn't. But other than that I love it.









I have this in "Smoke" and it's really great but it does smudge easily. The color payoff is excellent tho.











Gives a nice soft finish to skin. Doesn't conceal redness too well but does seem to give a brightening effect.











Believe it or not, the Treat side did work on me and does regrow my brows! The tame side does a nice natural eyebrow look. The shades are not accurate though, so I got "dark" and it works well for me.










Excellent at controlling shine! Does make skin look soft and smooth but I wouldn't say exceptionally different on camera. The best part has to be the shine control, tho, lasts all day!









Got this just for the eyeshadows and blush/bronzer. Excellent! I got it for free with code LOYAL or FREEMINI. If it wasn't free though, I wouldn't pay $15 for it.









STUFF THAT'S JUST "OKAY"


Well, they do the job decently but mine had a strong alcohol smell and really stung my eyes. I've used better for cheaper.












This stuff is okay. The color is nice but when applying it, if you layer over itself, it tends to rub off.











Don't love this stuff, but don't hate it either. I think it's what it would feel like if you were rubbing crisco all over your lips. Moisturizing but really slick.










I got this in Honey and it was too dark for me. It is also kind of sticky and has a citrusy scent. I think if I had it in the right shade, I would like it better.










This is good for people who need minimal concealing coverage. It was waaaaaay too sheer for me.











I think the face kabuki is decent. It is soft to the touch but not on the face :( that's the biggest downer for me since it's super cute and works well at buffing in powder, but I feel like mine was too scratchy.










These are decent. They are cute and pink but they stink like hell! I feel like they could also be a bit firmer.











This is decent. I would say that it does help intensify e/s and keeps it on longer but it has a weird smell/texture. I would rather use UDPP.









I WOULD NOT RECCOMMEND:


Sticky, smelly, overly shimmery. Nuff said.













See above. Not worth it.













Also EXTREMELY sticky. Smelly. Dried out my lips. Too bad, since the color is pretty.













Wayyyy to flimsy. Better of using this as a paint brush.












Extremely sticky. Hard to get the clear and color to come out at the same time and even then, the color is pretty much non-existant. It does have high shine though and seems to be ever so slightly "conditioning" but the stickyness just kills it.








What are your fave ELF products? Hated ones?