Audrey Dao

Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion ($18) Skin MD Natural is a shielding lotion, a very special type of lotion helping the skin restore its integrity, enhance its protective functions so that the skin is able to heal naturally and regain its youthful appearance. Skin MD Natural works by bonding with cells of the skin’s outermost layer to form what works as an invisible shield. This layer of protection prevents environmental irritants and pollutants from penetrating the skin, while sealing in the skin’s own natural oils and moisture, helping resolve the dry skin condition. Skin MD Natural uses only the finest natural ingredients, and is focused on urging the skin to be active, and to use its own moisture to effectively heal itself. It is not oily or sticky, doesn’t sit on top of your skin leaving a greasy residue on everything you touch, it doesn’t rub or wash off easily, is hypoallergenic, fragrance, colorant and paraben free and dermatology tested.

My Thoughts:

I’ve been using Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion for nearly a year. I was first introduced to it when my work started carrying the line. The customers that would come in and see the display would always ask me if it worked or not. Embarrassed, I would tell them I didn’t know. I know. What a great sales person I am.  I just hate recommending products I don’t know much about or don’t believe in. Not knowing much about Skin MD and the constant questions from customers made me try Skin MD. Thank goodness I did because I fell in love with it.

Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion is a light, thin (almost watery) lotion. I suffer from dry skin, especially during the winter. It’s really weird because it doesn’t get really cold in California during the winter and yet I have dry skin. For a thin lotion, Skin MD is so moisturizing. It is also quickly absorbed into the skin. So, no waiting around for the lotion to be absorb before you get dressed/ready. It’s a pricey bottle of lotion, but a little goes a long way. A pea sized drop is all I need to moisturize both my arms. Less than a quarter sized drop is all I need to moisturize my whole body (I’m 5′5). The moisturizing effects lasted the whole day for me. I can’t say it’s my favorite lotion because I’m not a fan of the thin, almost watery consistency. I prefer thicker lotions for traveling purposes.

To show you how well this lotion works, I did not moisturize my arm for about a week to exaggerate the dryness (before photo). Sigh. The things I do for this beauty site. The after photo was taken after 2 weeks of daily use. See the difference?

Disclaimer: I was provided a bottle of Skin MD Shielding Lotion to review. However, prior to being contacted for product review consideration, I was already using Skin MD for over half a year.

Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream ($13.49) For dry, sensitive skin, Cetaphil^® Moisturizing Cream is a non-greasy cream formula that is excellent for the hands, feet, elbows and knees—anywhere that requires intensive moisturizing. It is also appropriate for facial use and is fragrance-free. Dermatologists have been recommending Cetaphil^® Moisturizing Cream to help alleviate dry skin associated with eczema and psoriasis for over 20 years.

My Thoughts:

Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream is a miracle cream. It is the best, or at least one of the best, moisturizers I have ever used. I use this everywhere: my face, body, feet, and hands. It is pricey, but it has lasted me at least 2 months with daily use.

Pros:

• Non-greasy
• Fragrance free
• Fast absorbing
• Non-irritating
• Absolutely moisturizing
• Long lasting ( a little goes a long way)
• Doesn’t clog pores. It helped me get through overly drying prescription acne medication

Cons:

• There aren’t any

Covergirl Clean Makeup Remover For Eyes and Lips ($4.79) This lightweight lotion gently and thoroughly sweeps away traces of eye and lip makeup, while the gentle formula helps keep delicate skin around the eye and mouth soft and smooth. Perfect for removing your CoverGirl mascaras and Outlast lipcolors.

My Thoughts:

This is by far has got to be one of the worst makeup removers ever. It didn’t remove anything. When I used it to remove eye makeup, it blurred my vision because of the oily residue. I honestly think it’s just oil. It’s that oily! It didn’t remove any lip color either. The remover is also very thick and doesn’t have a pleasant smell. It’s just bad, bad, bad.

I recently had the privilege of trying Body by Bridgitte wax strips kits.These kits can be found at Ulta.

Body byBridgitte Wax Stips Kit – Face, Brows, Bikini ($6.99)

Each kit comes with:

• 2 pre-wax desensitizing towelettes that are infused with natural clove oil to clean and prepare the skin before waxing
• 2 post-wax towelettes that are infused with natural lemongrass and aloe to gently clean the area treated and freshen the skin
• 30 wax strips in 3 different sizes

Body by Brigitte Wax Strips Kit – Legs, Body, Arms ($9.99)

Each kit comes with:

• 2 pre-wax desensitizing towelettes that are infused with natural clove oil to clean and prepare the skin before waxing
• 2 post-wax towelettes that are infused with natural lemongrass and aloe to gently clean the area treated and freshen the skin
• 30 wax strips in 3 different sizes

My Thoughts:

Pros:

• It wasn’t gooey sticky. It only stuck to the hairs I wanted to remove and not to my surrounding skin.
• The initial pull wasn’t painful.
• It wasn’t messy at all.
• Didn’t cause any tenderness after waxing.

Cons:

• It took about 3 pulls/tries to remove all the hair.
• The pre-wax towelette did not smell all that great.

I decided to test wax a small area because I did not know what to expect. I think it’s best to wax a small area instead a large area all at once since it will take more than 1 pull to remove all the hairs. This will prevent the pain.

Before

After

Maybelline 100% Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover ($4.99)

Why You’ll Love It

This 100% oil-free formula gently and effectively removes washable mascara and eye makeup without oily residue.

• Fragrance-free
• Hypoallergenic
• Dermatologist tested

My Thoughts:

Since the Maybelline Moisturizing Eye Makeup Remover was a bust, I decided to try Maybelline 100% Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover. Much better experience than the Moisturizing Eye Makeup Remover. However, it didn’t work as well as the Moisturizing Eye Makeup Remover. It didn’t remove all of my mascara or eye liner. I rubbed and rubbed and it didn’t remove all the eye makeup. I used up quite a bit of the remover before I was satisfied. Definitely not worth it.

Maybelline Moisturizing Eye Makeup Remover ($4.99)

Why You’ll Love It

Gently removes waterproof mascara and eye makeup.

• Conditions and moisturizes delicate eye area
• Hypoallergenic
• Fragrance free

My Thoughts:

I decided to try Maybelline Moisturizing Eye Makeup Remover since the weather is getting warmer and I’ll be wearing waterproof mascara. Oi! Bad idea! It left an oily residue I had the most difficult time getting rid of. To make matters worse, the oily residue got into my eye and underneath my contacts. As a result, blurry vision! No matter how many times I washed my contacts,  the oily residue just stuck to my contacts.I had to throw the contacts away. Aside from the oily residue horrid experience, it does remove waterproof mascara. I will not be using or repurchasing this eye makeup remover ever again. It is just too oily for my taste.

Clean and Clear Daily Pore Cooling Toner ($6.49) I’m not sure if I’m imagining this or not, but I think this toner actually reduced the size of my pores. It also helped clear up the blackheads. What I really liked about this toner is that it didn’t burn or sting my skin  nor did it leave it feeling dried out. I actually stocked up on this Clean and Clear toner because it was on sale and it’s being discontinued (or has been already). After I run out, it’s back to toner hunting.

Garnier Nutri-Pure Microbead Cream Scrub ($6.49) Scrub with purifying “skin-nutrients*” polishes away dullness, leaving skin smooth and pure.

Is it right for me?
Nutri-Pure is right for you if you want to gently detoxify without drying.
• Dermatologist tested for safety
• Oil-Free **
• Non comedogenic—won’t clog pores
• Gentle to skin
• Allergy tested

How is it different?
“Skin-Nutrient*” Facts Nutri-Pure with:
Vitamin E + Grape Extract anti-oxidant to help detoxify
Vitamin B5 infuses skin with essential moisture, to prevent overdrying
Green Leaf Extract naturally soothes and refreshes

My Thoughts:

I know quite a bit of people don’t like this cleanser, but I do. Usually microbeads in cleansers are either too harsh or so completely useless they might as well be non-existent. The microbeads in this Garnier cleanser is perfect! It leaves my skin feeling soft and refreshed. It does a great job of removing dead skin, and it even reduced the amount of blackheads around my nose. I have yet to break out from using this cleanser (I have acne-prone skin), and I’m almost done with my second tube.

Coppertone Sport Lotion SPF 50 ($10.49 for 8 oz.)

• Waterproof and ultrasweatproof, so it won’t run into eyes and sting
• Ultradry formula allows for no-slip grip
• Oil free
• Broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection
• Available in 4 oz. and 8 oz. sizes

My Thoughts:

Coppertone Sport Lotion is my go-to sun block all year round. When you live in California and it feels like Spring and Summer year round, you need a good sun block that is sweatproof. I live an active life, so I’m outside quite a bit. Whether it’s jogging, playing tennis, swimming, or chilling at the beach, Coppertone Sport has never failed me. It has never stung my eyes when I went swimming. An absolute plus! Because trust me, getting sun block in your eyes is a painful, irrititaing feeling and experience. It goes on like a lotion with no sticky, greasy or layered feeling. It also dries quickly and doesn’t rub off or melt in the heat. I have never burned when I’m wearing Coppertone Sport. A total HG sun block.

Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Facial Cleanser ($7.99) Salicylic acid acne treatment. MicroClear technology. Clears breakouts. 100% Naturally derived grapefruit extract. With an uplifting blast of grapefruit plus Vitamin C, this unique formula clears blemishes and blackheads. Eliminates oil and dirt without over-drying.

My Thoughts:

This face wash is exactly like the original, Neutrogena Acne Wash Oil-Free. It didn’t prevent breakouts, dried out my face, and did nothing for the blemishes I already had. The only difference between this and the original is the grapefruit smell. If I had to choose between pink grapefruit and the original, I would choose the pink grapefruit because it smells really good.