The Triumphs and Fails of Skincare Products

Well hello!

I haven't written a blog post in a while because I have just been incredibly lazy SO busy lately. Woops. Well anyways, the last few months I have kind of ventured out into skin care. I never really took care of my skin before, thinking that it didn't really matter what products I used on my face as long as it got the job done. Face dirty? Use soap. Face dry? Use moisturizer. I wasn't really taking into consideration the fact that there were products out there that were specifically designed for my skin-type (which varies btw... -___- such an annoyance). So now that I have dipped my toe into skin care products - I have found a few MUST haves and a few ehhhh...'s. These are a few of the skin care products I have purchased/recieved within the last 2 months and what I think about them :)

 

 

SO, let us start with makeup remover as it is the first thing I use when I wash my face. The two products I have been using lately is Clinique's Rinse-off Eye Make-up Solvent which I recieved in a Clinique Prive Topbox which is a monthly beauty box subscription (if you would like to learn more about Topbox click here) and Soap and Glory's Off Your Face Cleansing Cloths. I've been kind of obsessed with Soap and Glory products lately so I bought the cleansing cloths hoping that they would live up to the standards I have set for the brand. Unfortunately it did NOT -__-. Although the packaging (as always) is pretty and girly and the smell is quite pleasant, I was not very fond of the job it did. I had to use (most times) 3 cloths to take all the makeup off of my face. And since the wipes were approximately 10 dollars I am essentially using 1.20 each time I wash my face. I think that they would be fine if I wasn't wearing a lot of eye makeup but that rarely happens. Needless to say, I probably wouldn't buy it again. The Clinique Rinse-off Eye Make-up Solvent however, is AMAZING. It effortlessly took off all of the makeup off of my eyes and face without bothering my skin. It is definitely something that I would pay a little extra for because it did such a brilliant job.

 

 

Now moving on to cleansers and toners. The three I am about to discuss have actually done wonders for my skin and they were each very inexpensive. The Clinique Clarifying Lotion (which isn't a lotion at all) was something that I, again, recieved in my Clinique Prive Topbox. It does have a medicinal not-so-friendly scent but it left my skin feeling very fresh and soft without being completely dried out. I will definitely buy it when I have finished my sample of it. The Burt's Bees Rosewater Toner is officially something I can not live without haha. I purchased it on a whim at Shopper's thinking "oh i like roses" and it ended up being one of my favourite purchases of the month at only 15 dollars. Now, most people probably wouldn't like the scent because it is a very strong rose smell and I know that some people would find it reminiscent of an elderly lady's perfume. BUT I LIKE IT so whatever! It gave my skin the good "clean-tinglies" and took off any extra makeup. The last product I purchased was the Fresh Soy Face Cleanser from Sephora at 18 dollars. Its a very gentle lotion that is applied to wet skin and then rinsed off with water. I think the reason that I like this product so much is the combination of its light cucumber scent and the fact that it is not abrasive. I use this specifically at the end of the day and I feel like it really removes all the built up oils and makeup remnants on my face. All three of these products are just awesome and I will definitely buy them again.

 

Moving on to moisturizers and serummmms... I am going to start off with the worst and lead up to my most favourite product in the world (yes.. that is an intense statement). So this month I hit 500 points at Sephora so I happily cashed in my points for a Clinique sample box. I recieved a moisturizing lotion in this box and at first I was excited to try it. After applying it to my skin I noticed that it was quite tacky, almost as though I had placed a diluted glue on my face. It did not have an appealing scent either and after these pictures were taken I threw it in the trash. The next product that again I recieved in the Sephora sample box is the Clinique under eye massage serum which is supposed to get rid of under eye puffiness/just generally wake-up the look of your eyes. I dont think that I have really noticed a difference but I do like the concept of it as well as how it feels when I roll it on in the morning so I think I will continue to use it until I have used it up. The next product was something that I recieved in a Benefit Prive Topbox and UNFORTUNATELY my mother has used over half of it so I haven't fully been able to enjoy it. It is the Benefit Total Moisture Facial Cream. It is very light and it smells wonderful. A little goes a long way with this moisturizer. I love how it absorbs into my skin without leaving it oily looking or greasy. It's definitely a must buy. The FINAL product is the most amazing thing I have been introduced to and it is the Josie Maran 100% Argan Oil which I purchased at Sephora for (wait for it) 58 dollars... but yes.. it was worth every penny. I use this unscented oil as my nightly moisturizer and when I wake up in the morning my skin is incredibly soft. I also think that it has assisted in getting rid of blemishes and diminishing the look of scars on my face. I also use this product in my hair, daily, as a smoothing serum and to reduce split ends and it makes my hair so shiny and soft and healthy looking. It is literally a miracle in a bottle and I adore it.

 

Thanks for reading!!

xx Robyn