You want me to wash my face with oil????!!!!!

Come a little closer so I can share this ridiculous secret with you.... Oil based face wash. Wait, did you hear me correctly? Yes...Oil based face wash. Here's the story...


I was watching a special on the girls from Gossip Girl aka one of the biggest addictions for fashion lovers. I mean, seriously, those girls are HOT! Okay, back to the point... Apparently, during the filming, the makeup artist for the cast recommended that the girls wear an oil based face wash nightly. The surprising thing is that Leighton Meester has been an avid fan of oil based cleansers for years! That girl has got some KILLER skin! Turns out, Blake Lively LOVED the difference it made in her skin.


So what's the deal? We've been told for years to avoid oil. Oil-free products have been pushed into our attention since our CosmoGirl days. Since I am such a HUGE fan of Blake Lively, I just had to give it a shot. I got a Sephora gift card for Christmas from one of my amazing roomies, and though, hmm...this is my chance. So, I spent about two hours debating between several different oil based cleansers. I finally chose one... For about $27.

Clinique "Take the Day Off" cleansing balm. I have used a lot of Clinique products, so I felt pretty confident about this, especially after reading the reviews. The main function of this product is makeup remover and cleanser.

Finally, after about three days my product arrives. I was so excited! I had been wearing MAC StudioSculpt foundation topped with MAC mineral finish and bronzer, so I had a heavy bit of makeup on. At first, I was shocked. The product is like a thick waxy substance. Not creamy or anything. And, the directions say to APPLY IT TO A DRY FACE, as opposed to a wet face. Well, I gave it a go. Oh my gosh.... StudioSculpt is near IMPOSSIBLE to remove easily, yet this cleanser was amazing!!!! It even took off my MAC waterproof mascara without effort!

The product does have an oily feel on my face while I'm massaging it in, but to be honest, I kinda liked the feeling. It was very soft and luxurious. I rinsed the product off with warm water, and patted dry. My face has NEVER felt softer and smoother! On top of that, I didn't have to re wash to get any oily residue off because there was none. I didn't moisturize because my skin felt great, not dry to taut. 

After using this product every night for a week, I can certainly notice a huge difference! My face is softer, smoother, and more moisturized. I break out very easily, and haven't had a single pimple since I started. This product is AMAZING! I am forever hooked on using an oil based cleanser nightly.

I rate this product a 5/5 and am HIGHLY recommending it. Especially if you have issues removing your makeup!

Alright ladies, here's some work for you. Comment on my posts and let me know if you have any products you'd like reviewed or discussed. I am currently giving a Ponds cleanser a try and will be reporting on it very soon. 

xoxo

Tresemme FreshStart

Yay! Post two means I am taking a step towards committing to this thing! Go me!

...Oh right, back to the blog...

Ok, so one of my many occupations has been bartending. I absolutely looooove the job. You meet so many awesome people and there is tons of potential to make some great dollars, if you're good. But, let's face it, if you've got massive amounts of hair like me, nobody wants to smell like smoke. Washing my hair after every shift is not an option unless I'm trying to be Frizzy McFrizzison. What's a girl to do? I tried baby powder, fragrance mist, and perfume, but to no avail. Until...

I hit the jackpot! First, I bought the TRESemme Freshstart Refreshing Mist (~$6). This mist is so clean and fresh! I spray it throughout my hair and the cigarette scent is gone! I love it. No greasiness, no stickiness, just clean and refreshing. Definitely a MUST esp for that price!

Next, I tried the Dry Shampoo spray. Now, I have used some very expensive dry shampoos, but once I read the ingredients I am too scared someone might light a match around me. While this dry shampoo does have some flammable ingredients, it's still nowhere near as damaging as others. The first thing I notice about this spray is that it absorbs any oil that may be at the root. However, you must use VERY LITTLE or you will notice a white color on your roots from the product. Overall, it works great if you need to absorb a bit of oil on your roots but don't have time for a full hairwash. The scent is nice too.

The weightless foam shampoo is great for naturally curly hair. Since my hair is pretty straight, I've barely used it. When I did use it, I loved the results. It looks great and smells fabulous! All in all, I can't believe these products are so inexpensive! I would gladly pay $20 or more for the results these products achieve.

So... The final breakdown....

Scent: fresh and clean

Results: Minimizes odors, oil, and adds volume

Price: Each product is around $6

Overall Rating: 4.0/5 

Recommend to friends: YES!

Note: comment if you have requests of products you've been wanting to try but need a review, or a product you have that you need help with! Much love. 

Blessed,

Jess

My first post! and Maybelline FITme Foundation

Welcome to my blog! :)
I am really excited to start posting and reviewing products for all my fellow makeup-a-holics. As a reader, I encourage you to comment on posts with requests. More than likely, I already own the product you'd like me to review, and if I don't, I will make sure to make it a priority to get it! I will be reviewing things like makeup, shampoos and conditioners, hair and makeup tools, and even stores! There is no main price point on the products. As a college student, I am interested in finding value products, but I can't ignore the expensive products, either. I'm sure I will stray off the path and do some other reviews, but, hopefully it's something you'll enjoy.


For my first review, I am going to talk about Maybelline's newest foundation; FITme. Recently, I have seen tons of commercials for this foundation and I was eager to try it out. I usually go back and forth between Clinique's Even Better foundation and MAC's studio sculpt. However, I was excited about the price of the FITme foundation. It was about $6 at Target. The first thing that I loved about this product is the selection of shades. No matter your skin shade, you'll be able to find a color to match. Target had small testers to match your shade, and I'm pretty sure WalMart and drugstores will have those as well, so be sure to match your shade well. My shade was 220.


Next, I noticed the bottle. Usually, cheaper brands have plastic bottles, but this is a glass bottle. It feels  like you are purchasing a quality product. I usually like to apply my foundation with a brush. Usually a duo-fiber like MAC 187, or a flat brush like MAC 109. Because of the type of opening of the bottle, a brush isn't really an option without pouring some of the foundation on your hand. So, I tried using my fingers, which I generally don't mind since your fingers warm up the product. After trying several application techniques, I decided that the cosmetic wedges worked best.


Okay, so the product is not intended to be full coverage. It's a wonderful, lightweight formula. Concealer is a must if you have dark spots or blemishes like me. The formula feels great on your skin, it's very smooth and breathable. I ended up sweeping the product across my face twice, and it built up beautifully. It didn't look like I had any makeup on at all, it just looked like I had beautiful skin! The finish is natural, not too matte or dewey. I used a loose powder (Clinique's Invisible Blend) to set the foundation and it looked great!


Because the foundation is really lightweight, it doesn't last very long. This didn't really bother me, because it gave me a chance to have a foundation for things like class, dates or shopping, etc. It's definitely not a foundation I'd wear going out at night or something like that, but it's great for a daytime foundation. It also has SPF 18 which is great! 


So the final breakdown....


Coverage: Light-Medium/Buildable
Price: $5-7
Finish: Natural
Overall rating: 4.5/5
Recommend to friends: YES!


Hope you guys enjoyed my first post! More to come!