Lush haul!

This is actually a Lush haul from about a month ago. I’ve wanted to pick up a few things at Lush for a while but for one reason or another every time I went to the store they were either sold out, completely packed and all available associates were helping other shoppers, or oddly closed. Evidently fourth time is a charm because after going to the mall to return an item at a different store, I popped into Lush and thankfully the one item I initially went in for was in stock … and after talking to the sales associate I picked up a few other products, plus one I had heard rave reviews about on YouTube.

It’s understandable that Lush is on the pricier side. Their products are hand made, cruelty free, and are made from fresh ingredients and no harsh chemicals, additives, etc. Due to the price of things at Lush I don’t go in there often, but I do when my skin is in need of some extra TLC because I’ve found Lush products have come to my rescue on more than one occasion.

So what exactly did I pick up on this trip?

-          Mask of Magnaminty

-          Grease Lightning

-          Cosmetic Warrior Fresh Face Mask

-          Honey Trap Lip Balm

Haul: Bye Bye Blemish

Bye Bye Blemish Drying Lotion has become a staple in my acne skincare routine whenever I have a large/small breakout on my face. I realize this product isn’t a miracle worker (meaning it is not going to get rid of all my acne) but it’s a pretty stand-up product where it helps treat my acne, reducing some of it and working at shrinking others.

In case you’re not aware, Bye Bye Blemish is a sulfur based acne skincare product. So with sulfur based product, the product does have a very noticeable scent to it. But after a few minutes it doesn’t come off as very noticeable. Mario Badescu as well as other skin care lines have come out with drying lotion sulfur products.

I had this on my list of things to repurchase … and then I realized when I used my product last I didn’t screw the cap on all the way so some of the liquid had evaporated. So I went into “panic mode” and submitted an order on Amazon for it.  Hooray for Amazon and hooray for Bye Bye Blemish Drying Lotion!

You can see my review of the product here.

Klout Perk: Freeman Masks

I was awarded a Klout perk which was featuring Freeman masks.  I’ve tried some Freeman products in the past and have enjoyed them pretty much across the board. There have been a number of Freeman products I have not tried, so I was pretty excited to see the Charcoal & Black Sugar mask in the package I received. Since I have oily/acne prone skin I enjoy the effect charcoal has on my skin … so I’m pretty much excited to see how that mask fairs on my skin.  I’ve tried the cucumber mask in the past, but I have never tried their avocado mask so again, another product I’m looking forward to trying.

These are the few masks I’ve received:

Cucumber Facial Peel-Off Mask. According to the pamphlet, this mask is an all-over face mask for total renewal.  It is a thick gel mask that dries into a thin sheet that you peel to reveal brand-spanking new skin.

Avocado & Oatmeal Facial Clay Mask. According to the pamphlet, this is a great product to use in the T-Zone or any oily spots. It’s supposed to channel old school beauty routines with Freeman’s modern-day clay mask that pulls toxins out of the skin.

Charcoal & Black Sugar Facial Polishing Mask. This product is supposed to be great for dull, dry patches.  According to the pamphlet, the new product starts as a scrub but then purifies like a mask.

QUESTION:

Have you tried any Freeman masks?

Review: Lancome DreamTone

I received a sample bottle of Lancome DreamTone which is the lines ultimate dark spot corrector for the purpose of review. I have suffered from acne and pigmentation issues due to acne and scarring for a very long time. I had not really branched out to try any lightening/dark spot correcting products as I’m in a constant battle of finding the correct line of products that will work on curing my acne. But when I was invited to take part of this campaign, I was delighted. I’ve heard amazing things about the L’Oreal Youth Code Texture Perfector and have wanted to give that a try (I only bring this up because L’Oreal is owned by Lancome).

PACKAGING & PRICE

The product is packaged in a sleek pink to burgundy colored bottle, with a silver lid that you twist to one side to reveal the products dispenser pump. I like this design because you can feel it “click” open and closed and if the top isn’t fully clicked into “open” the product will not dispense. I feel the design itself makes this a relatively safe product to travel with. The bottle itself is a hard plastic bottle, which has a decent weight to it.

Each bottle contains 1.3 fl ounces of product and can be purchased for $98.

PRODUCT

The product is sold in three skin-tone appropriate formulas (fair, medium and dark). Each customized shade targets specific skin issues, while also coming in a shade that is appropriate and unnoticeable on the skin. For fair tones it’s customized to treat dark spots, uneven skin tone and redness.  For medium skin tones it’s customized to treat dark spots, uneven skin tone and sallowness (a yellow-looking complexion). Whereas for dark skin tones it is customized to treat dark spots, uneven skin tone and acne & blemish marks.  It is formulated without the use of parabens, sulfates and phthalates.  According to the brand and its trials conducted these are the results they found:

 

“IMMEDIATELY:

• 74% saw glowing skin*

7 DAYS:
• 70% noticed a more even skin tone*

4 WEEKS:
• 69% saw the appearance of dark spots reduced*

8 WEEKS:
• 78% saw color imperfections reduced*”

The product itself pumps out of the container in precisely just the right amount of product. You’re not left with an overwhelming amount of product. I simply dab the product all over my face and neck then blend it in wit my fingertips.  The color of the product will vary depending on the type (based on your skin tone) you purchased.  The product for medium skin is a pink shade. 

The product does have a fragrance to it, which I find to be completely delightful. It smells of roses and it’s very elegant and girly. I can smell the product on my face for a few minutes after application, but the scent quickly dissipates or perhaps it becomes unnoticeable to me.

Applying the product to my face, I apply a pump to the back of my hand, then use my fingertip to dab the product all over my face for even application. I then use my fingertips and gently massage the serum into my skin. I can wear this with or without makeup. I want to point out that I have oily skin and this does not make me extra oily or shiny. After the product is applied to the skin, you can almost immediately notice a glowy look to the skin. A few minutes after its set, that glow is more apparent. It’s not a shiny glow … it just makes me look more awake, it evens out my skin tone, and truly does tone down the appearance of dark spots/pigmentation issues on my skin. It also leaves my skin feeling luxurious - very smooth and silky to the touch.

PURCHASING

The Lancome DreamTone is available for purchase at select high-end retailers such as Macy’s, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Dillard’s, Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus, Lord & Taylor and Sephora.  The product can also be purchased online at many of these retailers’ websites, as well as through HSN (Home Shopping Network) as well as though the Lancome website.

OVERALL

I am quite enjoying Lancome DreamTone and am finding it makes my face smooth and glowy. I will admit there have been days where I forgot to apply it at night or in the morning, so there have been days where I’ve only used it once.  But nonetheless I have enjoyed seeing the results. I’m not an everyday makeup wearer so I’ve been pleasantly surprised and quite thrilled with the results I see. My face can look tired, particularly when I’m feeling under the weather and DreamTone has completely given my face and skin a whole new life. Concurrent acne troubles aside, I feel my face is brighter, warmer and the focus is less on the current acne breakouts when wearing the product. I also like the fact that I can put this on my face and NOT have to follow up with a full face of makeup.

Since the DreamTone serums are broken down into color profiles to cater to specific skin concerns; I honestly feel as though I would benefit better from a combination of the medium and dark serums. My skin is medium/tan – but I have redness around my cheeks and nose, uneven skin coloring, sallowness (yellow-looking skin). My skin tone also gets darker in the spring/summer months, but regardless of that I also have blemish marks on my face from acne that I would like to give the 1-2-punch. Admittedly two bottles of DreamTone in different shades would be a pretty penny out of my wallet, but I may pay a Macy’s counter a visit while in the mall and ask for a sample and give it a try. If I like the results from the dark serum I’ll gladly purchase a bottle in that shade range.

QUESTION:

Have you tried the Lancome DreamTone?

Disclaimer: I received a sample bottle of Lancome DreamTone for the purpose of review. Even though I received this product for free, I want to note that this does not alter my opinion of the product in any way.

Nordstrom Mario Badescu Haul

I have been trying to complete my Mario Badescu acne skincare collection that was created for me from the skincare team at Mario Badescu. Initially I ordered four of the 8-9 items that were recommended for me. Initially I didn’t order everything because it was over $200 and I just wasn’t feeling that a number of months back.

I had been checking out sales on websites (Mario Badescu and Nordstrom) and was impatiently waiting. Since Ulta carries the line in-store I was frequenting the store near my favorite Trader Joe’s but unfortunately the line is always be pretty much picked over with only testers available. So, in stepped Nordstrom! They were having a “free gift with purchase” deal which was for a $60 (or $30 – I can’t remember) value collagen skincare kit. So … I jumped on board!  Plus with my Ebates account I was able to score 5% cash back just from ordering off the Nordstrom website, so it was a no brainer.

Here’s what I ordered:

• Acne Facial Cleanser
• Buffering Lotion
• Drying Cream

And these are the products that came in the collagen kit:

• Super Collagen Mask
• Peptide Renewal Serum
• Collagen Moisturizing SPF 15

QUESTION:

Have you tried anything from the Mario Badescu line?

Mario Badescu Haul

I have heard so many rave reviews about Mario Badescu skin care, so a while back I had requested samples of products tailored to what my skin care regiment should be. I received the samples, tried them out and decided to purchase a few of the recommended products for my skin that I enjoyed.  I didn’t order everything – but just recently (this week) I submitted an order for additional items on the Nordstrom website.

The great thing with this initial order was I was able to obtain free shipping and I also received 15% off with a coupon code.  Mario Badescu products can be rather pricey, especially when you’re buying more than one product at a time, so the coupon codes certainly come in handy.  Depending on how these products work out for my skin in the end, I’ll try to purchase products again whenever those codes are offered by the company.

So this here is what I ordered:

-          16 oz. Enzyme Cleansing Gel

-          16 oz. Special Cucumber Lotion

-          2 oz. Drying Mask

-          2 oz. Healing & Soothing Mask

One of the cool things with ordering from Mario Badescu is with every order you can choose up to 3 samples.  These are the samples I chose:

-          Special Hand Cream with Vitamin E

-          Drying Cream

-          Whitening Mask

QUESTION:

Have you tried any Mario Badescu products?

The Body Shop Nutriganics Haul

This is the product of an online sale and a $10 off $20 Groupon. I happen to be a huge The Body Shop fan and I am trying to steer towards more natural skincare products. I realize with my acne prone skin that can sometime be a little daunting but I’m trying to give it a go as much as I possible can.

Lately I’ve been concerned with reducing the signs of aging. I realize I’m in my late 20’s and this is one of the prime times to begin trying to combat the effects of aging on the skin. I’m trying to collectively battle two wars at the same time – acne and aging.  With that, this Nutriganics line caught my attention as I was browsing the website.  It sounded promising and the reviews on the website were pretty positive.  It also helped that the line was 40% off online which made for even bigger savings along with my $10 off.  I opted to get three products to give it a go.

Here’s what I picked up:

-          Nutriganics Smoothing Serum

-          Nutriganics Smoothing Eye Cream

-          Nutriganics Smoothing Day Cream

QUESTION:

Have you tried the Nutriganics line?

Beauty Box by Target!

If you're an avid Target fan and you have participated in their Beauty Bag giveaways in the past through Target Style then this might interest you.  In case you are not aware -- apparently the last time the beauty bags were sent out it was the last time Target was going to continue doing the beauty bags (which were free to those individuals who signed up for them through the Target Style website/facebook page).

Surprisingly enough they came back with a new Beauty Box -- but this time you have to pay $5.00 for it.  This $5 includes the cost of shipping, tax and the products inside

Target provided the following little blurb in regard to the box: "Try on and try out some of our beauty faves. The Beauty Box by Target boasts beauty, skin care and nail care brands you already know, and a few that may be completely new to you. Shipping is included, plus each order includes a special offer to keep you looking fab while staying on budget."

If you are interested in signing up, you should do so quickly since they are only sending out 20,000 of these.  Here's the link to the Target Style facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TargetStyle?sk=app_363229193782196&app_data=main

I ordered mine this afternoon and from my confirmation e-mail was advised to expect delivery within 4-6 weeks.  Fingers crossed there are some great (full sized!?) goodies in the box!

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I received my replacement Clarasonic!

OH HAPPY DAY!

Well, that was a happy day about 3 or more weeks ago!  My new replacement Clarasonic finally arrived.  My Clarasonic that I had (and received from the LUUUX shop) wouldn’t charge.  It continued to make this god-awful pulsating sound and was pulsating so much that it was “crawling” across my counter and eventually falling onto the floor, into the sink, etc.  I submitted an e-mail request to Clarasonic to inquire about what their policy was, especially if a device was not a year old.  I submitted that request right around Christmas so I wasn’t expecting to hear back anytime soon since many businesses tend to close shop around that time of the year since half the work-force is usually on vacation.

I did hear back via e-mail and received a huge list of questions to answer and some trouble shooting tips.  So I replied back and waited … and waited and didn’t hear anything. So like two weeks later I called customer service and after being on hold over 20 minutes I got a live person, who I advised I submitted a claim online and he said he would initiate one and get me a new device out as soon as possible.  After providing all necessary information, about a week later the device was shipped to me from Washington – which took another week to arrive.

I was told I could keep the brush head on my dead Clarasonic.  Upon receipt of my replacement device there were 2 additional brush heads in each box.  SCORE!  In case you aren’t aware Clarasonic brush heads are a little pricy (generally $25/ea) so I was happy to see two of them because these will last me a little while.

After charging up my device for the full 24-hours it works like a charm and has become an almost daily part of my skincare routine.  I’ve noticed significant change in my skin and I love it.  Of course that means it brings some of the hidden pimples that were below the surface TO the surface, but that’s expected with any exfoliating.

Overall I am happy with my replacement and am appreciative of the Clarasonic warranty policy.

QUESTION:

Do you have a Clarasonic?

REVIEW: Bye Bye Blemish Drying Lotion

I had been looking into the Mario Badescu acne care line and noticed they had a drying lotion.  I looked into it (as there are many different items for their acne care/control) and I read that this product is similar – if not the same thing as the Mario Badescu drying lotion.  The general gyst of what I read about the product is that it contains all the same ingredients and is pretty much the same end result.  Since the Bye Bye Blemish sells for about 1/3 of the price of the Mario Badescu I decided to order the Bye Bye Blemish to see if it’d work.

PACKAGING & PRICE

When purchased, the product comes packaged in a cardboard box which houses a glass 1 oz container.  The vial contains a clear liquid and a pink substance which settles to the bottom of the vial.  The trick is to keep the vial up right to ensure the product stays separated.  Pricing varies depending on where it’s purchased – typically the price ranges between $5.59 to $9.99.  If purchasing online you can get a percentage (varying store to store) of cash back by using websites such as Ebates, etc.  If you don’t have an ebates account you can sign up for one using my referral link: http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=ky2d7dwKtlCkZT5PXSb8mw%3D%3D

PRODUCT

The Bye Bye Blemish Drying Lotion is to be used on top of present acne on the face.  The bottle should not be shaken or stirred – it should be kept upright to allow the sediment (the pink product) to rest at the bottom of the vial.  I will say it has a bit of an annoying sulfur smell (the product does contain 10% sulfur!), it can be obnoxious but the scent does fade after it’s been on your face.  It’s not ghastly to the point I feel nauseous but it is an unpleasant scent for a few minutes (particularly if I am applying under my nose or around my mouth).

Before applying the product you should cleanse and dry your face.  You should then use a clean Q-tip and insert it into the vial, the tip of the Q-tip picking up some of the pink substance.  You then apply that substance on top of any pimples on the face.  Do not re-dip the used Q-tip into the container – use another q-tip or flip it over and use the other side of the Q-tip.  Leave the product on your acne spots overnight and wash off the next morning during your normal skincare routine.

The product states use is okay on sensitive skin.  I will say, I have sensitive skin and have not had an allergic reaction to this product.  I do want to point out, according to Bye Bye Blemish: “This overnight spot treatment rapidly reduces the size and severity of pimples. Salicylic acid exfoliates dead skin cells, allowing the all-natural drying agents to penetrate pores and treat infection.”

PURCHASING

The product is available at select stores – but I was not able to locate it at a few of my local pharmacies that are supposed to carry it (stores around me carry select products depending on shelf availability/demand).  Since I was not able to find it in a physical store, the online stores that do carry it are: Ulta.com, Amazon.com, CVS.com, Drugstore.com, Walgreens.com, and Vitacost.com.

OVERALL

I have to say hands down, this is one of the best over the counter acne products I have purchased and tried in a very long time.  I was a little skeptical at first as to if this was going to work, but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised and have used it since purchasing on any trouble spots that erupt on my face.  This is not a miracle cure, it is not going to completely rid you of acne, but it will help.  I do notice after applying and waking up the next morning, I find the smaller pimples I applied the product to are gone.  Whereas on my larger acne spots (and even some of my cystic acne spots) I find it may take a couple uses before those are minimized. I will say I do find it’s useful to exfoliate the morning after use to help get any dead skin cells off your face.  You will notice the spots the Bye Bye Blemish was applied to the skin will just kind of “glide” off with your fingernail – so definitely exfoliate!  I cannot say enough good things about this product other than I hope to dabble into a little more of the Bye Bye Blemish skincare line.

RATING

A+

REVIEW: Lush ➡ Cupcake Fresh Face Mask

This is a review waiting to happen, but better late than never, right?  My last haul at Lush was kind of an unexpected one.  I went in to get some treatment for my hands and left with a slew of products – one of those products being the Lush Cupcake Fresh Face Mask.  This mask is packaged into containers, which are refrigerated, so this can only be purchased within a Lush store location.  This also has a limited shelf life (roughly 3-weeks ~ mine was already a week into expiry when I purchased it :/).  The tub does look smaller, but it’ll give you at least 3-4 masks which will last you a good 2-3 weeks since it’s not a use everyday type of product.

PACKAGING & PRICE

The product is packaged into the signature black sleek Lush screw top containers.  The tub contains 2.1 oz of product.  It retails for $6.95 each.  I admit it can be a little pricy but I feel it’s worth the splurge once in a while.  Also the one great thing about Lush is if you save your containers (any screw top lid container) you can bring 5 empties into the store and get a FREE Fresh Face Mask. So there is incentive there if you enjoy their products!

PRODUCT

Cupcake got its name because of its distinct smell of peppermint scented cake batter.  It smells so good you want to eat it – but you shouldn’t, it’s not made for that.  It is geared towards oily, problematic (blemished) skin.  From what the company states the creator whipped up a batch for his teenage daughters slumber party and it was a hit.  Cupcake includes sandalwood oil, rhassoul mud, glycerine, linseed infusion, talc, cocoa powder, cocoa butter, spearmint oil, peppermint oil, fresh mint, and vanilla absolute.

The description and directions for the product are on the top of the lid: "To calm breakouts, this Rhassoul mud cleans and soothes, while cocoa butter, linseed and cocoa powder softens the skin.  Balancing peppermint, spearmint and sandalwood oils complete the effective deep cleansing experience.  Smooth onto dry skin, avoiding the eye area.  Leave for five to ten minutes, then rinse away with warm water.  Keep chilled."  The website directions are as follows: “Cleanse your face and pat dry. Smooth a good dollop of Fresh Face Mask over your entire face, making sure to avoid the eyes and mouth. Leave the mask on for five to ten minutes.  Wash off with warm water.”

PURCHASING

As previously mentioned this can only be purchased within Lush store locations.  The item is showcased on the company website, but due to this having to be refrigerated; it’s only sold in-stores.

OVERALL

I enjoy this product but the only thing I dislike is the limited shelf life.  It’s expected because the ingredients are natural – but I think part of me is just bummed because I was sold a tub that was already a week into its expiration date, which meant I had to plow through using this a lot faster than I would have liked.  The end results from the mask are quite nice.  I do notice my skin is less oily after use and it’s not very oily in the morning either.  It’s not drying as most oil calming products are.

I will say, I’ve used this as directed, cleansing my face and drying, then applying the mask.  Since the mask is refrigerated it is cold when you apply it, but it warms to your skin tone.  As it sits you can feel the slight tingling from the mint.  After 10 minutes I do rinse this off.  Sometimes I find it easier to just jump into the shower to rinse it off or I’ll rinse my face over the sink.

RATING

B+

Shannon’s Random Target Haul

This is what happens when I head into Target to start Christmas shopping for my niece and nephew.  I inevitably end up in the beauty department buying a little something-something.  I bought some hand cream at Target which I keep at home, but when I saw the Nivea crème on sale I had to buy it.  The tiny little jar (the one above the travel size) was $6 at Walmart so this gigantic one was on sale at Target for $5.30 so of course I had to buy it.  I figured I’d add it to my lotion collection on my desk at work.  A few days before I had watched a “Get unready with me” video by nguerriero19 and she was talking about the Neutrogena toner and I’ve seen her talk about it a few times so I figured I’d give it a shot.  I’ve been using Lush’s tea tree toner and the Acne Free toner (different time of the day) and I’m finding with the AcneFree (my morning routine) it’s making my oilier than necessary so I wanted to try something else out that’s geared toward acne prone skin.

Here’s what I picked up:
-    Nivea Crème (13.5 oz glass container)
-    Tide to Go pen
-    Neutrogena – Oil Free Acne Stress Control – Triple-Action Toner

Shannon's Amazing Clearance Haul!

I popped into one of the local grocery stores yesterday after running a few errands.  I needed to pick a couple things up and since I was right next door I popped on in instead of driving to the grocery store nearest my house.  In this particular grocery store I tend to check out their clearance section (in the back of the store near the dairy section) because they tend to clearance items just because there's only a few of the item remaining so they throw them on the clearance shelf to get rid of them.  I was looking through the cold medicine bin and tucked in the very corner of the bin were a few of these AcneFree 24 Hour Acne Clearing Systems marked down to $5!  I've seen a few people sharing hauls where they've purchased these systems and really like them -- so I figured why not?  I've been looking for acne cleanser that worked, so with fingers crossed, I tried it out tonight and hope to enjoy the results.  I also spotted a single eos lip balm in summer fruit!  The greatest part?  It was 90 CENTS! SCORE!  I have my eos lip balm on my computer at work, so I threw this one in my purse to have with me all the time.  I prefer medicated lip balms the most, but these are nice when I just feel my lips are slightly dry -- but with the one at work?  I've been slathering that bad boy on all day -- almost like it's part of my daily work routine haha.

Shannon's Amazon Haul: Skin MD

This was a haul which was triggered by MakeupbyTiffany on YouTube.  She had been talking about this moisturizing lotion which could be used on hand, face and body.  The fact that she said it worked so well is what triggered me to purchase.  During the winter and occasionally during the summer the backs of my hands get terribly chapped due to the weather.  Lately I've been having issues with my fingers so I figured that could help -- while this could also work on my face when I get into an intense routine of my Retin-A which tends to make my skin flake and somewhat dry in certain areas.  I went on the SkinMD website and noticed it stated they sold the product at CVS -- so I called the few CVS' around me after going to two of them and found no one really carried it -- not even the one CVS the companies website listed.  I then looked it up on Amazon and purchased it that way -- while it was also cheaper to purchase on Amazon than it was direct.

Haul: Garnier Skin Renew

I picked up a tube of Garnier Skin Renew at CVS last weekend to try out on my face.  I've been super annoyed with my skin lately and since I'm waiting to see my dermatologist (hopefully this week) I'll have some better advise as to how to move forward.

I originally went into CVS looking for the Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Eventone Dark Spot Corrector BUT I've been highly unsuccessful in locating that anywhere.  Since I couldn't find the Palmer's I went in search of the new Olay CC Cream BUT CVS didn't have that either.  So that left me meandering through the skincare aisle aimlessly and I stumbled upon the Garnier section.  I noticed the Dark Spot Corrector so I pulled it off the shelf.  I went back and fourth as to if I should get it or not and I finally decided what the heck, it won't hurt to try it.  This was $17.99 and I was able to get $2 off using one of the coupons taped up near the product.  They also have an overnight peel, but since I do use Retin-A I figured that may be doing more unnecessary things to my face and/or it may just have a huge couter-reaction to my Retin-A and cause me even more skin troubles.  Anyway, I haven't noticed any results as of yet, but then again it's only been a handful of days.  But one thing I do notice is if I don't use a toner on my face before applying this, I get SUPER shiny and oily and just gross within a few hours.  If I use a toner underneath this and then apply a moisturizer over this, it's not terrible and I don't notice the oil.  But as I use it more, I'll be able to pinpoint certain things and hopefully (fingers crossed) see some results.

REVIEW: Simple Smoothing Facial Scrub

I admit I went a little crazy when Simple first was introduced to the US. I purchased a bunch of products they came out with and after I went through a few bottles of the refreshing facial wash gel I decided it would be best to give the Smoothing Facial Scrub a try. I don’t exfoliate my face everyday and I was hoping this would be a wonderful alternative to using harsh exfoliates in the shower. Sadly, I don’t think this will be my everyday exfoliate in the shower. I feel as though it does a decent job when my face is all sweaty and gross, but for an everyday product, I don’t feel it’s that fabulous as exfoliating. The exfoliates in it are VERY small. Granted, Simple is a sensitive skin product, so I can understand why the exfoliating particles are so fine – but I personally would prefer something that’s a little grittier to pull the gunk off my face.

PACKAGING & PRICE
A full size bottle comes with 5 fl ounces of product in it. The bottle itself is a light lime green which is a bit opaque, but not completely. The price itself truly varies where you purchase it. CVS sells this for $7.99 a bottle – but you’d more inclined to receive some sort of ECB offer, or a buy 1 get 1 offer at CVS/Walgreens than you would at say a Target or Walmart. The bottle sells for $6.99 at Target and I do know there is currently a coupon available online for $2.50 off the purchase of 2, or $1.50 off the purchase of one.

PRODUCT
The product is white in color and has very small exfoliating beads in it. You can’t quite see them to the naked eye, but when you rub your hands together you can feel them. There aren’t a whole lot in there, considering it is made for sensitive skin. It glides onto the skin nicely and you don’t need a whole lot of product to clean your face. For me this would be my “every once in a while” facial scrub and not my everyday facial scrub.

PURCHASING
This is available at all major pharmacy locations (CVS, Walmart, Rite Aid) while it is also available at department stores like Target and Walmart. Target and Walmart do generally have them for the cheapest out of pocket proce, but pharmacy locations tend to be the locations where you can get a good deal of the week. You can also purchase the line at Drugstore.com, Walgreens.com, CVS.com, Amazon.com, Target.com, and Walmart.com.

OVERALL
I would recommend this product if you are looking for a very light exfoliating product for your face – particularly if you have sensitive skin. But if you have sensitive skin and can handle a little harsher of an exfoliate I would not strongly recommend this. I do notice it works when my face is really grimy, but I don’t really notice a difference in my face when I use this on a daily basis. Would I repurchase? Probably but only when my acne meds flare up my face and I can ONLY use sensitive skin products on my face. I find Simple doesn’t aggravate my skin at all and I truly enjoy everything that I have tried from this line.

Single item Avon Haul - Silicone Glove

A few weeks ago I scanned the Avon campaign booklet and didn't see much of anything that caught my eye outside of a new bottle of lotion.  Since it was a premier in the campaign they were offering it for 99 cents for a 3.5 oz bottle of lotion.  Since I am a bit of a lotion lover (aka hoarder) I decided for a dollar I couldn't go wrong.  Plus I'd be annoyed if I heard fabulous things about it and then had to buy it for full price (which I want to say is $4-5).

I have dry skin on my hands, especially in the winter -- but now that I deal with paperwork Monday-Friday at work my hands are becoming more and more beat up, especially around my fingers.  I've been looking to find a lotion to aid in repairing it so I have hopes for this.  I have an older Avon lotion which is actually like an exfoliate where after you rub your hands together it literally beads your dead skin cells right off your hands/arms.  It's quite amazing.  I just got this bottle of lotion today so I haven't given it a shot yet but once I do I will write up a review.

SheSpeaks FREEBIE: Simple Light Moisturizer!

I received a full-size Simple skin care Hydrating Light Moisturizer from SheSpeaks! How did I receive this freebie? I signed up to be part of their Simple Skin Care program, where I answered a few questions then went into a local Walgreen's to see if the beauty advisor in Walgreen's could provide me with some background information on the product. Upon going into Walgreen's, the beauty advisor was not there, but there was a kid working in the department stocking shelves, etc., and unfortunately he wasn't familiar with the product and just gave me a pamphlet off the display which had a $1 off coupon attached to it. Upon going home, I checked off that I completed the task and a 2 question survey. I answered it and was e-mailed that in a few days I'd receive a questionnaire to fill out based on my experience. All I had to do was type up a 500 character or less scenario as to what I experienced and submitted it -- then was told in 3-5 weeks I'd receive my free product as a thank you.

According to the paperwork received, they were sending out full-sized light moisturizer, moisturizing facial wash or the smoothing facial scrub. I personally own all of these products and love each and every one of them - so I'm glad to have a backup moisturizer now!