Almay Oil-Free Makeup Remover Towelettes Review

I'm on my last pack of my favorite Neutrogena makeup cleansing wipes, so I figured I'd try out some wipes that I found on sale for 50% off:  the Almay Oil-Free Makeup Remover Towelettes.  Stepping after my love affair with Neutrogena wipes, Almay had some big shoes to fill....

My HG Toner! L'Oreal Hydrafresh Toner Review

While I love experimenting with different cosmetics, once I find something that works with my skin, I tend to stick with it for the long haul.  One of these long-term skincare products of mine is L'Oreal's Hydrafresh Toner.

I think there is a myth out there that people with dry skin shouldn't use or don't need toner.  I don't take stock into this belief myself.  Whereas people with oily skin use toner as an astringent to soak up excess oil, people with dry skin can find benefits with toners that kind of "prep" your skin for your moisturizer.  It's all about the type of toner you choose.

Hydrafresh is a great toner for dry skin.  It contains no alcohol, so it doesn't strip your skin at all.  For me, it takes off any dirt my cleanser didn't get to or any remnants of cleanser left behind.  It also makes my skin feel even fresher than with cleanser and exfoliant alone.  I find that moisturizer hydrates better if I put this toner on first.

Bottom Line:  Amber's Obsessed!

I'm on my 3rd bottle of this stuff and I haven't been tempted to stray.  I especially love this in the summer when I'm hot for an instant refreshing.

You can find more information on this product on L'Oreal's website. It retails for $6.

Garnier Moisture Rescue Gel Cream for Dry Skin Review

 I've mentioned before that my HG moisturizer of all time was Garnier's Moisture Rescue Gel Cream.  So you can imagine how excited I was to hear they were coming out with a version of the same moisturizer specifically for individuals with dry skin.  The original formula was already moisturizing enough for me so I was interested to see what the difference was with the dry skin formula.

Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Dark Circle Roller in Medium/Deep Review

Probably about a year ago, I decided to pick up Garnier's Skin Review Anti-Dark Circle Roller at Target.  At that time, there was only one shade that was supposedly a "one shade fits all" kind of deal.  Needless to say, it was wayyyyyy to light for me and I gave it away.  So I was really excited to see Garnier now coming out with a second shade in Medium/Deep so I could really give it a try.  Check it out!

Sample Sunday: Forward Skin Care Lift & Firm Cream

A while ago, I was given samples from Forward Skin Care and I'm just now getting around to writing about it.  Skin Care products always take me a while to form an opinion on because it takes time for you to see any real changes in your skin (unless the product sucks, then you can usually tell that right away).

So in a way, the fact that I've been taking a while with this Lift & Firm Cream review is a good thing, because if it was plain out bad I would've been able to review it already.  

On the other hand, though, it's hard to judge a skin care product on just a tiny sample.  So I'm just going to go into my first impressions of this cream so far.

And so far I think I like it.  I've been reaching for it a lot more lately now that the cold weather is drying up my skin.  I always worry about putting new products on my skin due to its sensitivity but I had no issues with Lift & Firm.  

Immediately after application my skin kind of feels like it getting firmer.  I'm not necessarily noticing a firmer appearance yet (like I said, I only have a sample) but it does feel firmer when I put it on.  I like to think it's doing something :)

Would I be interested in purchasing a full size based on the sample?  Maybe!

I don't shop around much when it comes to skincare because of my skin's sensitivity, but I'd be willing to give this one a shot.  It's a bit pricey for me currently, but I'd still like to see what it can do in the long term!

You can find more information about this product at the Forward Skin Care website.  Full size retails for $69.

Disclaimer:  I received this sample complementary from the Forward Skin Care company/PR.  I received no compensation for my review nor was I required to do a review at all.  As always, all personal views and experiences expressed are my honest opinions and in no way influenced by any other party or circumstance.

Empties Lately #1

It's such a rare event that I hit pan or the bottom of a bottle that I can't help but get excited about it.  For some reason, it seems that over the month or so I've had a bunch of empties all at once.

• Garnier Moisture Rescue Fresh Cleansing Foam

I'm now on my 3rd bottle of this stuff.  I occasionally try different cleansers but I always go back to this one!

• Stila One Step Correct

I've had a backup of this One Step Correct for a while now, but at $36, I've tried to squeeze every last drop out this first bottle as I could.  

• Garnier Moisture Rescue Gel-Cream Moisturzer

As tiny as this jar is, it seriously lasted me forever.  Well, it lasted me over 1 1/2 years.  I'm now trying out the new Dry Skin formula.  Can't wait to review it for you guys.

• Dove Visible Care Renewing Body Wash

This is the only Empty that I was glad to see go.  I'm a HUGE fan of Dove Body Wash.  My skin is dry and sensitive and the only wash that I've found to accommodate both issues is the regular ones from Dove.  So I figured, if the regular ones are good, the Visible Care ones must be better.....not really though.  My skin was left dryer and I did see any effects from the "Visible Care" that was supposed to happen.

Glossybox USA September 2012: Better Late Than Never :)

If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you've already heard this apology but I'm gonna say it again:  I'm sorry I've been rather MIA lately.  It's midterm/project/group work time in grad school right now and I just haven't been able to sit still long enough to put out quality posts.  One of the casualties of this situation has been September's Glossybox, which I've had a while now and am just now getting around to showing.  And that's a real shame because it's quite awesome....

My First Look Bag (June 2012) Just Arrived!!

I've been window shopping at a lot of these beauty sample subscription services for a while now but up until a few weeks ago haven't taken the plunge. But my mom decided to gift me a 6-month subscription to The Look Bag because she's a client of Damone Roberts, the "Brow King" who happens to be the face of the service and I've been anxiously awaiting June's bag which was to be my first.  Well, it just arrived today and I couldn't wait to share its contents with you.  So without further ado.....

My #1 Favorite, Tried and True, HG Moisturizer: Garnier Moisture Rescue Gel-Cream!

The title pretty much sums it up:  I love this guy.  I've been using Garnier's Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel-Cream for over a year now and couldn't be any happier.  Take a look!

Yu-Be Skincare Review

If you've entered my giveaway you already know this, but the great folks over at Yu-Be sent me some samples of their line of skincare products and I've finally played with them enough that I feel comfortable sharing a review with you.  I was more than excited to try them when I found out they were geared toward dry skin, which I suffer from year round.  You can read up on the history of the Japan-based company, which is actually very interesting, here. Check out the products out after the jump!  (And don't forget to enter in the giveaway to get your own travel set of Yu-Be products!)

[CLOSED] My 1st Giveaway! Yu-Be Skincare Travel Set! [CLOSED]

So Yu-Be sent me some product samples a couple weeks ago for me to try out and also offered to sponsor a giveaway to my awesome readers!  I've been testing the skincare products out for a while and feel like I'm finally ready to review them,  so I'm opening the giveaway today and will have the reviews up throughout next week while you guys get your entries in :)

Color Me Curious: ELF Mineral Face Cleanser

So E.L.F just put up a few random new products on their website but none so random and unique as the Mineral Face Cleanser.  It's a powder...and a cleanser...yea.  I've never seen a product like this before so excuse my bewilderment.  As per the instructions listed on the site, apparently you moisten your hand, dump some of the powder, rub your hands together to lather, and then rub your face and rinse it just like a normal cleanser.  And because it's a powder, E.L.F. says it also exfoliates while it cleanses.  It's also filled with all kinds of aloe, green tea, jojoba, avocado, and Vitamin E goodness.  I'm not one to bounce between different skin care products but this had definitely perked my interest.  Especially with its additional claim of its calming ability.  I'm probably gonna check this one out, even with the $8 price hike.


Do you know of any products that utilize powder to cleanse the face?