Purify & Refresh (Philosophy gel cleanser and moisturizer review)

In my opinion, Philosophy is one of the best-smelling bath and body lines out there. The first product I purchased from them was their Raspberry Sorbet shower gel. You know how they say scent can trigger memory? That shower gel reminds me of my junior year of high school. Good times, haha.

Anyways, I digress.

My most recent Philosophy purchase was the Purify&Refresh set from the Impulse counter at Macy's. It contains the Purity Made Simple gel cleanser and Take a Deep Breath gel cream moisturizer.

Purity Made Simple gel cleanser

   I've been intrigued by the Purity Made Simple cleanser since I saw the original one-step facial cleanser in the shower caddy of one of my college housemates. Because I have oily skin, the SA recommended I use the gel cleanser, but she was also nice enough to provide me with a couple samples of the creamier original formula.

To be honest, I wasn't all that impressed by this product, especially since it was expensive. I'll admit I was sold by the claim that it could double as an eye makeup remover- in my ongoing quest to simplify and green my routine, I've decided to cut back on using the cleansing wipes, i.e. use them only when I end up crashing at a friend's place and am too tired/drunk to really wash up. Unfortunately, this only does a subpar job of removing eye makeup- especially liners/shadows with more pigment to them, a la MAC and Sugarpill. Not to mention, if it gets in your eyes, it stings!

I recently asked my mom what she uses to take off her makeup at night, and she said Cetaphil! D'oh! How did I not think of that? I've been using the Purity gel cleanser for almost three weeks now, and it hasn't caused me to break out, which I take as a good sign. Once I finish up with the tube, I think I'll make the swap to plain ol' Cetaphil. It's a tried and true classic, no?

Take a Deep Breath gel cream moisturizer- found in both tube and pot!

I was slightly more impressed by the moisturizer, but not by much. However, it didn't do a very good job of making my skin feel hydrated. I guess this is ideal for oily skin, but I'm used to the heavier texture of Origin's A Perfect World- a much better antioxidant moisturizer, imo. The microscopic sparkles give my skin a nice faux glow, which is kind of pointless when I'm just going straight to bed after I wash up. I would consider using this moisturizer during the day- IF it had SPF! Also, I was disappointed that this cheap plastic jar isn't even slated for recycling. (Its recycling program is another reason why I'm pro-Origins.)  

Overall, both products were just OK. If there's anything from Philosophy I'll repeatedly go back for, it'll be their shower gels, but not their facial products.     

Gimme the Fine One One (Product Review)

Benefit Cosmetics- one of my favorite brands. The quality, the retro packaging, the quirky names they give their products...unfortunately, they don't meet my requirement list (green packaging, no animal testing, etc), so Benefit makes it onto my guilty pleasures list.

During the last employee appreciation at Macy's (see previous post), I picked up one of their newer products, the Fine One One. It's a blush/highlighter that can also be used to give the lips some color.

The full product.

Product view from the top (shades L to R): pink champagne, sheer watermelon, soft coral.

I'm not the most confident blender, so I typically tend to stay away from cream products. However, the handy size of the product made it relatively easy to use. The colors are gorgeous, and give me a nice flush. It looks nice in person, but my crappy little camera does not do it justice.

Other reviewers have complained that the color doesn't last, but I also made sure to put on the POREfessional beforehand, so we'll see how it goes! The girl at the Benefit counter also recommended putting a powder blush over Fine One One, so I just used a MAC blush over it. I'll probably try it again tomorrow with the Nars Orgasm blush.

As I mentioned earlier, Fine One One can also be used on lips, but I think I'm just going to use it on my cheeks only. Call me a weirdo, but there's just something not right about putting a product on my lips that's been rubbed up my cheekbones.

Beauty Mini Haul (Macy's Edition)

I started working at Macy's during my first year of community college. One of the perks is employee appreciation! As I may have mentioned before, this is the only way I'm able to afford department store beauty products! Anyways, during the last employee appreciation I went on a mini-haul and came home with some goodies from Philosophy and Benefit. Here's what I ended up with (also got a pair of high-waisted shorts, which aren't included):

  (In no particular order): Philosophy "Purify & Refresh" kit, Benefit Fine One One, Philosophy freebies

 The Freebies. (Pictured left to right): Field of Flowers shampoo shower gel & bubble bath, Kiss Me Color tinted high-gloss lip shine in pink, Miracle Worker anti-aging moisturizer, Purity 3-in-1 cleanser

I'll do a product review of Fine One One in a separate post. I haven't tried any of the skin care products yet (I believe in using up old products before opening new ones ;p), but hopefully they work out! Have you tried any of these products? If so, did they work out for you? I'd like to hear what others think!  

E.L.F. Brow Kit product review and eyebrow herstory

This is an adapted version of the review I posted on makeupalley.

For most of my short life, I've had issues with my eyebrows. As demonstrated by the following pictures, they've gone from too bushy to too thin, with far too "just right" moments in between.

2013: Finally more or less at peace with my brows, thanks to the Benefit Brow Bar and E.L.F. brow kit. (I'm on the left.)

2007: Best friend and I, back when our only makeup strategy was black pencil eyeliner. (I'm on the right.)  I had my eyebrows waxed once at the beginning of high school; this picture was taken right after our first semester/quarter of college. Clearly I didn't keep up with plucking.

Summer 2007..or 2008? Strategy to avoid dealing with caterpillar brows: wear sunglasses so oversized, they cover your brows entirely! (Still not really a good look.)

Early 2009: More of a shape, but my brows still look a little funky. Also, why am I not wearing more eyeliner? I can't believe I thought I looked cute when I went out like this! 

Summer 2009: 20th birthday. Overplucked.

Fall 2010: Another strategy to avoid brow issues: grow out your bangs so they're covered! This was more or less my go-to solution, til my bangs grew out, I couldn't afford as many trims, and I was forced to confront the situation..

Enter the e.l.f. Studio Eyebrow Kit. With this product, they finally feel just right. (That being said, I could stand to take a trip to Benefit and get them cleaned up!) Anyways, I digress...

This is the first brow kit I've ever purchased. I usually like to start with cheapie drugstore brands before investing in the more expensive stuff, but as far as brow products go, I'm content to stick with E.L.F. This product does a good job of making my dark hairs look more polished/keeping them in line, which is more than I ever expected for $3. Because my brows are naturally on the thicker side, I feel I have to use a lot of the gel. But like I said, luckily this product is cheap! 

I've laughed at the E.L.F. Studio line for its dupe NARS packaging, especially when the product was terrible. But because the Eyebrow Kit actually works, it deserves to look luxe! 

My only issues is that the brush is TINY. But we all know that's a problem easily solved. :)

clean slate (nighttime skincare routine)

At the end of a long day, there's nothing more refreshing than taking off my makeup. Here's a short and sweet list of what I'm currently using. (However, the makeup cleansing towelettes are subject to change, as I'm still on a quest to find one I like best!)

Step 1: Cleansing towelettes. I use these to make sure I'm getting off the majority of my makeup, with the bonus of cleansing my face. At the moment, I'm using the Burt's Bees Sensitive Facial Cleansing Towelettes. (I'll probably do another more detailed post on this product later...based on the review I wrote on MakeupAlley.) On nights when I'm extremely tired (or let's face it, just plain lazy) I'll count this as "washing my face," but otherwise, I'll wash my face anyways, even though most towelettes claim there's no need to rinse. Which brings me to...

Step 2: Facial cleanser. I'm currently using A Perfect World Antioxidant cleanser with White Tea by Origins. This was a stocking stuffer- I'm probably gonna have to look for something new once I run out, as Origins is on the pricier side and I am but a somewhat broke college grad. After rinsing and patting my face dry, I go on to...

Step 3: Moisturizer. I was acne prone as a teen, but now that my skin's more or less calmed down (one of the few perks of getting older), I'm in love with Origins A Perfect World Antioxidant moisturizer with White Tea. Again, this was another stocking stuffer. When I was in school, my mom would buy all my skincare products, so I could "afford" higher-end products. But honestly, I love this moisturizer so much, I think I'll go beyond my budget to splurge on it.

Additional Steps:

-Spot treatment. When my skin does flare up, I'll use a spot treatment. I currently have one by Clean & Clear, but I'm planning to move on to a different brand once this one finally runs out.

-Eye makeup remover. I like to layer on my eyeliner (pencil and liquid), so cleansing towelettes don't always get the job done. I'm currently using Almay's oil-free liquid makeup remover. This isn't my favorite brand, but 1) it's formulated for sensitive skin, and 2) Almay doesn't conduct animal testing. (I know, I know, some of the other brands I use still do- I never claimed I would cut them out completely, but I'm in the process of seeking alternatives.)