April 2012 Used It! Part II

Orly Glosser* I used this up by coating some wooden hairsticks I'm decorating with it. It's not really anything as a top coat, and I never just paint my nails clear. 

Self-made shea butter hair cream* This was my second batch of this. Now, I'm on my third. I use it as a pre-shampoo treatment, as styling paste (can either calm down flyaways or help braids stay sleeker longer), and as a leave-in conditioner for my ends.

Silk Naturals Awesome Sauce* This was my second bottle of this. It's pretty great stuff, and I highly recommend it, but I'm trying their Super Serum instead now.

Silk Naturals Equalizer sample - I'll probably get a full size of this yellow-green powder at some point. It's great to tone down redness and even out skintone a bit without looking made up.

Simple Cleansing Wips travel size - Wow! These work! They're just not a fun experience, and they feel a bit too rough, even though they're designed for sensitive skin.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Foundation sample - I did buy a full size tube of this. It's not bad stuff. The shade "fair" matches me pretty well, and it looks good on my skin. More to come on this, probably.

Yes to Blueberries facial wipes* - Smell nice, sort of work, not worth the price. Also, they kind of sting if I use them to take off eye makeup.


I am going to be talking about the rest of the stuff I used this month in another post more focused on my opinions on acids in skincare.


*Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel (full strength) - little tube. 
*Brazilian Peel sample vial

*Dr. Dennis Gross blemish treatment sample
*Dr. Dennis Gross serum sample

November 2011 Used It!

I used up 14 things in November, 11 of them full size. Let me talk about a couple winners:

1. Silk Naturals Apricot Cleansing Oil. If you love the concept of the oil cleansing method but hate the idea of having to painstakingly steam oil and crud off your face, you probably should try this. Unlike most cleansing oils, this one has a rinsing aid added to it that allows it to rinse off with water.

This stuff is GREAT for getting off makeup, even eye makeup, without stripping your skin. I usually use it before using another cleanser, just because I like to make sure all the gunk from the day is off. The only reason I'm not buying a replacement is because I bought some of the emulsifier they use and am now making my own cleansing oils.

2. Desert Essence Daily Essential Moisturizer. I liked this a lot, for summer. I found that it moisturized my face and got rid of the post-cleansing "tight" feeling and did not break me out, make me an oil slick, or smell weird. Winner! I also like that it has actual moisturizing ingredients. I did not like the packaging - a jar, and also did not love how it seemed to almost leave me feeling still too dry after it started getting cold out. But I would recommend this to anyone looking for a basic, inexpensive night cream. It also makes a fantastic base for evening makeup, but don't use it during the day because there's no SPF.

Here's the complete list:

Garnier Nutrisse 3-way daily cleanser*
CVS brand non-acetone nail polish remover*
Crazy Rumors Mocha lip balm*
Silk Naturals Apricot Cleansing Oil*
Aromaleigh Glissade foundation 2W2L*
Neutrogena Sheer Liquid sunblock - spf 55*
Yes to Tomatoes Daily Clarifying facial cleanser*
Oily face serum sample
Fresh black tea age-delay face serum samples
Korres white tea cleanser sample
Korres yogurt aftersun lotion*
Garden of Wisdom Magic Lockes leave-in*
Ecotools Heel Cream*
Desert Essence Daily Essential Moisturizer*