Mario Badescu Special Cucumber Lotion A few months ago, I requested a set of Mario Badescu samples and the special cucumber lotion was one of the items sent to me. I really enjoyed using it and one of my close friends got the full size product for my birthday. (Thanks Emily!) This is a gentle toner that’s perfect for oily and combination skin. Personally, I only use a toner in the warmer/more humid months. Most of the time I use this product at night after cleansing my skin. But I do use it in the morning when my skin is experiencing more breakouts. This product does a great job of removing makeup residuals that the cleanser failed to take off. To use this product, simply pour a little bit of the liquid onto a cotton ball/pad and wipe it outwardly towards the sides of the face. It gives off a very refreshing feeling and it does not dry out the skin at all. Unfortunately, this toner is not alcohol-free. But I don’t mind that because it’s quite a gentle toner overall. The cucumber gives a soothing effect and the sulfur effectively controls my acne-prone skin. I would definitely recommend this product to those of you with oily/combination and acne-prone skin. This product is available at Nordstrom, MB official website, and Ulta (in-stores only). -Karen Follow me on: Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin

Mario Badescu Special Cucumber Lotion

A few months ago, I requested a set of Mario Badescu samples and the special cucumber lotion was one of the items sent to me. I really enjoyed using it and one of my close friends got the full size product for my birthday. (Thanks Emily!)

This is a gentle toner that’s perfect for oily and combination skin. Personally, I only use a toner in the warmer/more humid months. Most of the time I use this product at night after cleansing my skin. But I do use it in the morning when my skin is experiencing more breakouts. This product does a great job of removing makeup residuals that the cleanser failed to take off. To use this product, simply pour a little bit of the liquid onto a cotton ball/pad and wipe it outwardly towards the sides of the face. It gives off a very refreshing feeling and it does not dry out the skin at all. Unfortunately, this toner is not alcohol-free. But I don’t mind that because it’s quite a gentle toner overall. The cucumber gives a soothing effect and the sulfur effectively controls my acne-prone skin. I would definitely recommend this product to those of you with oily/combination and acne-prone skin.

This product is available at Nordstrom, MB official website, and Ulta (in-stores only).

-Karen

Follow me on: Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin

4 hours ago
2 notes    
Revlon Colorstay Foundation for Combination/Oil Skin (240 Medium Beige) Since this product is one of the best medium-high coverage drugstore foundations for oily/combination skin, I knew I had to try it. Since my teenage years, I’ve always struggled with prominent red undertone and uneven skin tone. This foundation does a great job of concealing redness and hiding hyperpigmentation scars caused by acne. Pros: Great coverage, don’t really need to use concealer With a face primer, such as the Avon Magix Face Perfector, it’s pretty long lasting. But I wouldn’t leave it on my face for 24 hours even though it claims to last for up to 24 hours. It doesn’t break me out Cons: Terrible packaging: I wish it comes with a pump dispenser. I deal with it by flipping the bottle and tapping it on my palm a few times before opening the cap and dispensing the product onto my flat kabuki brush. This foundation is really thick. I always mix it with a BB cream or facial moisturizer to thin it out. It clogs my pores sometimes. If you use this foundation regularly, you have to use a cleanser that’s effective for removing makeup, such as the Philosophy Purity Cleanser. You’d also need to use a facial scrub at least once a week because this foundation can easily clog the pores around your nose. This product is available on Amazon, drugstore.com, and your local drugstores. -Karen Follow me on: Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin

Revlon Colorstay Foundation for Combination/Oil Skin (240 Medium Beige)

Since this product is one of the best medium-high coverage drugstore foundations for oily/combination skin, I knew I had to try it. Since my teenage years, I’ve always struggled with prominent red undertone and uneven skin tone. This foundation does a great job of concealing redness and hiding hyperpigmentation scars caused by acne.

Pros:

  1. Great coverage, don’t really need to use concealer
  2. With a face primer, such as the Avon Magix Face Perfector, it’s pretty long lasting. But I wouldn’t leave it on my face for 24 hours even though it claims to last for up to 24 hours.
  3. It doesn’t break me out

Cons:

  1. Terrible packaging: I wish it comes with a pump dispenser. I deal with it by flipping the bottle and tapping it on my palm a few times before opening the cap and dispensing the product onto my flat kabuki brush.
  2. This foundation is really thick. I always mix it with a BB cream or facial moisturizer to thin it out.
  3. It clogs my pores sometimes. If you use this foundation regularly, you have to use a cleanser that’s effective for removing makeup, such as the Philosophy Purity Cleanser. You’d also need to use a facial scrub at least once a week because this foundation can easily clog the pores around your nose.

This product is available on Amazon, drugstore.com, and your local drugstores.

-Karen

Follow me on: Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin

4 days ago
2 notes    
Avon Magix Face Perfector I am a big fan of primers. They are life savers that keep my makeup in place regardless of how hot and humid it gets in the south. But I’ve always thought that good quality primers tend to be overpriced. The Benefit POREfessional and Smashbox Photo Finish retail for $30 and $36, respectively. As you can see, I’ve been on the hunt for an affordable and effective face primer for quite a while. A few months ago, I discovered the Avon Magix Face Perfector while browsing on Amazon. It has a lot of great reviews, it’s under $10, so I thought why not give it a try? Since I use a BB cream on an everyday basis and it’s supposed to have the “priming effect”, I only use face primers for special occasions or during hot summer months. The Avon Magix Face Perfector is a good silicone-based primer that provides a smooth base for foundation. It fills in my pores and it doesn’t break my out. Additionally, it has SPF 20, which is always nice. For my skin, this primer definitely helps to control oiliness and prevent makeup from slipping off my face. But I have noticed dry patches from time to time when I used this in the cold winter months. That could just mean that I need to use a heavier moisturizer when I use this primer in the winter. I would strongly recommend this product to those of you with oily or combination skin. If you want a product that mainly fills in your pores to make them look smaller, I don’t think this is as effective as the Benefit POREfessional. But for the price you pay, I think it does a pretty good job. -Karen Follow me on: Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin

Avon Magix Face Perfector

I am a big fan of primers. They are life savers that keep my makeup in place regardless of how hot and humid it gets in the south. But I’ve always thought that good quality primers tend to be overpriced. The Benefit POREfessional and Smashbox Photo Finish retail for $30 and $36, respectively. As you can see, I’ve been on the hunt for an affordable and effective face primer for quite a while. A few months ago, I discovered the Avon Magix Face Perfector while browsing on Amazon. It has a lot of great reviews, it’s under $10, so I thought why not give it a try?

Since I use a BB cream on an everyday basis and it’s supposed to have the “priming effect”, I only use face primers for special occasions or during hot summer months. The Avon Magix Face Perfector is a good silicone-based primer that provides a smooth base for foundation. It fills in my pores and it doesn’t break my out. Additionally, it has SPF 20, which is always nice. For my skin, this primer definitely helps to control oiliness and prevent makeup from slipping off my face. But I have noticed dry patches from time to time when I used this in the cold winter months. That could just mean that I need to use a heavier moisturizer when I use this primer in the winter. I would strongly recommend this product to those of you with oily or combination skin. If you want a product that mainly fills in your pores to make them look smaller, I don’t think this is as effective as the Benefit POREfessional. But for the price you pay, I think it does a pretty good job.

-Karen

Follow me on: Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin

1 week ago
1 note