BF received a few products to try out and review. In the past I had interviewed him on a couple men's products and it went over really well. So, to all my male readers, here's a review on Anthony Logistics' Glycolic Facial Cleanser.
What is your facial skin type? I have normal skin, my nose produces the most oils and my forehead will get a little oily by the end of the day. How long have you been using this product? About 2 months. How would you explain the texture? It's like a watered down lotion. It spreads really easily, feels smooth and slightly lathers up. Does this cleanser have a scent? Not really, it just smells clean to me. Do you use this cleanser with your Clarisonic? Yes, I started to use it with my Clarisonic Mia about a month ago. How do you feel about the cleansers performance without the Clarisonic? I prefer to use it with the Clarisonic Mia. It lathers up really good and it makes my skin feel cleaner afterwards. How do you feel about the cleansers performance with the Clarisonic? It's alright, it doesn't lather up a lot so I feel like it doesn't penetrate as much as when I use it with the Clarisonic Mia. How often do you use the cleanser? Every day, sometimes I skip a day on the weekends. Has this cleanser improved your skin? It has cleared the random red dots on my forehead and the occasional breakouts I used to get. It keeps my nose and forehead from getting oily. Is this a product you would repurchase? Yes. Do you think this cleanser is worth the price point? Yes. Would you recommend this product to your friends/family/subscribers? Yes.
Anthony.com: Glycolic Facial Cleanser Objective: Make your face squeak with cleanliness. Strategy: With Aloe Vera for soothing, Glycolic Acid to ease away fine lines, Vitamins A, C and E to nourish. Method of Use: Wet hands, face and neck. Squeeze facial cleanser into palm and work into lather. Massage gently over face and neck.Rinse thoroughly with warm water. Why it Works?: The Glycolic Facial Cleanser thoroughly cleanses face and buffs away surface skin cells, leaving skin smooth and ready for shaving. It also helps prevent ingrown hairs and razor burn. 2oz $8.00 8oz $21.00 32oz $50.00
Hey Everybody! I'm Morgan from http://beautymatrix21.blogspot.com here guest posting on Beauty By Krystal. I'm doing a review on the Laura Mercier Oil Free Tinted Moisturizer. I'm a tinted moisturizer junkie because I don't like the feel of a heavy foundation on my face. I got this one because I'd heard so many good things about it and bought it sort of on impulse at Sephora about 6 months ago. With it being $42 it was a major splurge for me. But, the amount of product you get is more than average. You get 1.7 oz. so I'm hoping it will last a while.
I really like the packaging. It's dark and sleek looking. I think the dark tube makes it look chic. The lettering is very simple, so I can read it without problems. It states what it is supposed to do on the back, gives a little bit of direction, and states the ingredients. Pretty basic. The packaging feels durable and sturdy in my hands and I have not had problems with it bursting open in my back or getting bent, etc. It is a squeezy tube, which I know sometimes isn't all that convenient because you could end up squeezing too much or not be able to get that last bit of product out. I wish it would've been a pump but a squeezy tube is good for on the go.
The texture of the product is a bit different from my other tinted moisurizers. It's kind of tacky feeling, not slick and watery like most. It still feels cooling and refreshing like other tinted moisturizers though. This is great because with the summer months I want something that's going to feel refreshing, like a breath of fresh air.
Due to the strange texture, application of the product is a bit strange feeling. I just apply it with my fingers usually, but if I want more coverage I will use a stippling brush. I find with my hands I have to rub it inbetween my fingers for a bit and then pat it on my face, then I would blend it in. The tackiness makes this product harder to blend, so beware of that and make sure you don't have that foundation line at your jaw. It does apply evenly and gives a really healthy glow. The glow I get is probably my favorite part of using this product.
This product is highly pigmented for a tinted moisturizer! I would say you could build is up to medium coverage, but wear it light if you wanted to. I really like that I have those options with this. The color blends into my skin really well and still allows my natural blush to show thru. So, I don't need to apply a separate blush usually.
Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer will stay in place for about 8 -10 hours. It's a tinted moisturizer, so it will soak into your skin and stay on longer than a foundation typically would. I can wear it out in the sun and sweat and it will still stay put. When it does fade, it doesn't look blotchy, which is a plus.
It didn't break me out at all which I was happy about since it was such a luxurious product. It also has SPF 20, so I feel that if I forget to apply sunscreen it won't be such a problem and I'll still be protected.
Overall, I think this product definitely lives up to the hype. It's a fantastic all-around product and can be used everyday. If you are contemplating making the splurge I say get a sample, see if it breaks you out. It's an amazing product and is now my holy grail tinted moisturizer. I hope you enjoyed this review and check out my blog at http://beautymatrix21.blogspot.com when you get the chance!
I am officially hooked on the Barielle Ultra Speed Dry Manicure Extender polish. This is actually the first quick dry polish I have ever used and owned, for some reason I never believed the claims of fast drying top coats before. Now that I have been using the Barielle Speed Dry top coat, I cannot believe I used to wait 5-10 mins for my manicures to dry, or sometimes be so impatient and then wind up nicking them all over and ruining my manicure. Using this speed dry polish on its own, my nails are completely dry in about 3 minutes, no matter how many coats of polish or crazy designs I have going on underneath. As a mother of two children in diapers, I'm able to move on to my mommy duties in a matter of minutes and not have to worry about ruining my nails - it's the ultimate test!
I also love how shiny it leaves my manicures, it's a relatively thin formula so if you have a textured manicure it won't smooth it out - just a heads up :)
Barielle.com: Ultra Speed Dry Manicure Extender / .50 oz / 14.8g / $16.00 Quick drying top coat with UV protection Keeps dark colors from fading and light colors from yellowing Apply as needed after manicures Remove at the end of the week with acetone-free nail polish remover Use with desired base coat
This award winning, high gloss, quick drying formula provides a hard, chip resistant top coat. This formula was also developed to help protect the nail and color from UV radiation to help keep dark colors from fading and light colors from yellowing.
Use: Use as the last step in your manicure treatments, after allowing your manicure to dry completely. Clean and remove after 5-7 days and repeat process.
Dibutyl-Phthalate Free, TolueneFree and Formaldehyde Free
*Product(s) mentioned were received for trial and review; these are my honest opinions
I received a sample size of Indie Lee The Body Scrub in my February Beauty Army kit and I finally let myself use up the last bit of it, which I was hiding from BF because I was being soft-skin-greedy. I had never used a body scrub before getting this sample, and now I cannot imagine my shower routine without a body scrub. Aside from it smelling SO delicious (enough to eat, but, yes, I held back) it makes your skin feel like silk - like brand new baby skin! It's unbelievable how good this makes me feel. I don't even feel the need to use a body lotion after I get out of the shower. The only down side, for me personally, is the price - nearly $40 for 12 oz. I just know I would only use it on "special occasions".
IndieLee.com: The Body Scrub / 12oz / $38.00 Indie formulated this all natural scrub, to deliver a daily dose of pampered, sexy skin. The essential oils create a calming, light, lemon scent to start or end your day. INGREDIENTS: Saccharum Officinarum (sugar cane), Coco Nucifera (coconut) Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (jojoba) Oil, Melissa Officinalis (lemon balm), Essential Oils of Cymbopogon Citratus (lemongrass) and Vanilla Planifolia (vanilla) DIRECTIONS: Massage onto moist skin with hands, wash cloth, or luffah; rinse with warm water. Best to use weekly, prior to shaving, during a bath or shower. Keep at room temperature to prevent hardening. For external use only.
Last month I received a couple pigments from Fi.R Cosmetics to try out and review. You might recognize these pigments from my latest makeup look, Birds of Paradise. These pigments are so pure in color that you really only need a tiny bit to cover your entire eye area! You can use these shadows dry or wet, and if you're really creative you can use these in other ways than just eye shadows. Fi.R Cosmetics makes really gorgeous shades, I follow her on InstaGram (@fircosmetics) and she's always posting photos of her pigments and makeup looks using the pigments - so beautiful!
Peep is a bright and cheery yellow. It has a delicate shimmer when worn dry, but when you apply it wet, Peep turns into a bright yellow with a gorgeous, golden shine - I like to think of it as an ethereal goddess shade. I worn this on my lid, applied wet, in my Birds of Paradise look - that was a hot and sunny day, so Peep was more than fitting.
Jazzy Jewel is a soft, luxe purple. It has a delicate lavender shimmer when worn dry, but when you apply it wet, Jazzy Jewel turns into a purple based, lavender, duo-chrome with a light blue flash to it. It's an impressive shade to wear. I've worn it as an all over lid color, which blends out into a deep purple so you get a lid color and a crease color in one. My favorite way to wear Jazzy Jewel is wet and as a liner - like in my Birds of Paradise look. That light blue flash is amazing and as a liner it makes your eyes sultry with the deep purple but still attracts light to your eyes with that beautiful shine.
These Fi.R Cosmetics pigments are getting a lot of use in my collection, and I have a few other shades in mind to get next; Blood Diamond, Pink Panther, Purple Luv. Pigments are $10.00ea, and come in 5 gram jars.
my Birds of Paradise look :)
*Product(s) mentioned were received for trial and review; these are my honest opinions
Last week my cousin's, Shane, Kristin and Julian, came down from Washington to visit, so I packed my kids in my little VW Beetle and headed over to my other cousins' houses to spend some time with them. Kristin was handing out manis like candy, so of course I had to get in on some water marbling! She used a ton of polishes, which she photographed and shared on her bloggy yesterday so you can check those out HERE.
Do you remember my Target Beauty Bag spamming last month? Well, my Target Summer Beauty Bag finally arrived! I'm really excited to try these out and to do some shopping with my Target coupons ;)
If there's another Target beauty bag, I'll always share it on my blog, Facebook, Twitter and InstaGram - so be sure to follow so you don't miss out on your FREE beauty sample bag!
I'm so excited about this! Barielle is hosting a BFF Sweepstakes on their Facebook page!
Contest dates: May 21, 2012 and ends June 30, 2012
# of winners: 20
Prize: Barielle’s Nail Strengthener Cream (full size), Barielle Base Coat, Barielle Top Coat and 3 Barielle Shades Colors of your choice (a retail value of up to $74.50!)
(not the exact prize, you get to choose your own 3 shades)
This month I was really nervous to try out the newest feature on Beauty Army, choosing a mystery sample for my kit. The whole reason why I LOVE Beauty Army is having all the control and choosing my own samplings, but I was curious what kind of sample surprise I would receive. Oh, and I got an extra sample in my kit because in my April kit, my foundation sample broke and got all my other samples, tissues and box dirty with makeup. I had forgotten to choose an extra sample in May's kit so they were sweet enough to still honor the extra sample for my June kit :)
Sadly, though, there were a couple boo-boos with my kit. I received a shower gel instead of the body butter I chose, and one of my samples is only half full.
*NEW FEATURES*
- You can gain badges on your Beauty Profile from taking surveys, recruiting others to join, and for being an ongoing subscriber. The badges will score you some awesome discount codes (note: the codes are unique to your profile and cannot be shared, also they have expiration dates.)
- The kit no longer has those little beauty words and phrases circling the Beauty Army logo on the black box, now it is just the simple beauty of the words "Beauty Army' in their gorgeous font.
- The samples are not individually wrapped anymore, rather they fold up a few of the samples in one full sheet - that way you can reuse your tissue paper instead of throwing it out. Yay for recycling!
- There is now an option on your Beauty Army profile to skip a month, perfect for those months where you'll be out of town on vacation or you simply just don't see any samples you want to try out that month.
Here's what I CHOSE for my June Beauty Army Kit: Atopalm Intensive Moisturizing Cream (.25oz) Korres Shower Gel Guava (should have been a body butter) (.3oz) Eye Candy Coolers (1 set of Eye Coolers - reusable) Youngblood Mineral Primer (.1oz) Apothederm Stretch Mark Cream (.7oz) *MYSTERY SAMPLE* CellCeuticals PhotoDefense SPF 55+ (.33oz) *EXTRA SAMPLE* LA Fresh Eco-Beauty Oil-Free Face Cleassner Home & Away Set (1 wipe)
Atopalm Intensive Moisturizing Cream
This unique, paraben free, patented MLE formula, containing plant derived ingredients, mimics the structure of the natural skin lipids and aids in the replenishment of the loss of natural skin lipids in the stratum corneum helping to restore the skins’ protective moisture barrier. It also helps prevent the over evaporation of the skins’ own moisture and protects it from environmental stresses. In addition, it aids in restoring the natural lipids lost from the skin barrier which are depleted by microdermabrasion and other harsh treatments. It leaves the skin feeling soft and supple.
Product Size: 3.4 fl oz / $30.00
Sample Size Received: .25oz
Korres Shower Gel Guava
Creamy-foam showergel with hydrating ingredients that provides a lasting moisturizing effect and helps to maintain natural moisture level of the skin. With an invigorating blend of tropical fruits.
SCENT: Tropical, sweet
FEEL: Luxurious, gourmet
Provides a moisturizing effect and helps maintain the natural moisture level of the skin
Contains emollients and humectants to leave the skin soft, smooth and feeling moisturized
Product Size: 13.53 fl oz / $19.50
Sample Size Received: .3oz
Eye Candy Coolers
Eyecandy coolers are reusable, chill-able, candy-colored soft gel rounds that work quickly to reduce puffiness, minimize dark circles and fine lines, relieve allergy symptoms, and instantly soothe pesky tension or stress headaches. Simply chill in the fridge, freezer (briefly), or glass of ice water and you are ready to be eyecandy for the world in just minutes. eyecandy coolers may be safely used over and over again.
Product Size: 1 set of Eye Coolers (Cotton Candy Pink) / $12.00
FULL SIZE RECEIVED, 1 set of Eye Coolers
Youngblood Mineral Primer
Youngblood’s Mineral Primer is the perfect all-over primer for flawless make-up application and skin rejuvenation. The light-weight, silky formula is packed with vitamins and minerals that smooth the appearance of fine lines and pores creating an even surface for foundation. This colourless base helps enhance the performance of makeup through the day while providing intense skin protection.
Perfect for any skin type, with added benefits for mature skin, Youngblood’s Mineral Primer contains Youngblood’s signature mineral blend of Rhodolite, Zincite, Malachite and Hematite combined with V itamins A & E for skin rejuvenation and antioxidant protection. The Primer is also free from talc, perfumes and chemical dyes while being non-comodogenic and cruelty free.
PRODUCT SIZE: 1 fl oz / $41.00
Sample Size Received: .1oz
Apothederm Stretch Mark Cream
This unique, paraben free, patented MLE formula, containing plant derived ingredients, mimics the structure of the natural skin lipids and aids in the replenishment of the loss of natural skin lipids in the stratum corneum helping to restore the skins’ protective moisture barrier. It also helps prevent the over evaporation of the skins’ own moisture and protects it from environmental stresses. In addition, it aids in restoring the natural lipids lost from the skin barrier which are depleted by microdermabrasion and other harsh treatments. It leaves the skin feeling soft and supple.
Product Size: 3.4 fl oz / $30.00
Sample Size Received: .25oz
CellCeuticals PhotoDefense SPF 55+
Photo-Defense Anti-PhotoAging Daily Skin Protector is an ultra light hydrating formula with patent pending Photoplex, which provides extreme anti-aging protection against daily UVA and UVB sun exposure, oxidative stress, and glycation. Fortified with a powerful Auto-Defense System and vitamin D to help strengthen the skin's natural defenses. PhotoDefense contains Photoplex, a photostable complex with exclusize Cellular EEQ (Excited Energy Quenchers) Technology. Photoplex provides broad-based spectrum UVA/UVB protection and quenches both free radicals and advanced glycation end products, which prevents premature skin aging.
Product Size: 2 fl oz / $45.00
Sample Size Received: .33oz
LA Fresh Eco-Beauty Oil-Free Face Cleasner Home & Away Set
Bye-bye dirt, oil and all those other alcohol-based cleansers. Hello fresh, clean, glowing skin. La Fresh® wipes refresh and purify all skin types with a luscious blend of Aloe, Cucumber, Papaya, Pineapple, Marshmallow, Jojoba, Vitamin C & Vitamin E. Scented with natural yuzu aromatherapy.
Free of parabens, sulfates, alcohol, petrochemicals, glycols, dyes, PEGs, artificial fragrances & animal byproducts.
Directions:Gently wipe your face with love and good intention. Soon it will be fresh, clean and glowing. No need to rinse. Carefully re-seal the pack after use. Do not flush. It has a shelf life of up to one year when kept in cool, dry place away from sun.
Product Size: Includes 2 pouches & 15 single sachets. 75 wipes total! / $24.99
Sample Size Received: 1 wipe
If you are as excited as I am about Beauty Army - click here to join: (my referral link) Join Beauty Army
Then jump over to Beauty Army on Facebook and say "I just joined the beauty revolution! Thank you Beauty By Krystal for recruiting me, I can’t wait to choose my own samples!" (feel free to tag me in the post too)
You can also tweet about it by saying "I'm joining the #Beauty Revolution http://on.fb.me/oHF5yB Thanks to @BeautyByKrystal & @BeautyArmy #luxury #beauty #samples"
