Review: Origins Checks & Balances Frothy Face Wash

Note: this post was written originally around January 2012. At that time I was still in college. Somehow it got lost in all of those posts I "posted"!

I got this wash as a Christmas gift from my mother. She bought it in a holiday set from Macy's (along with the A Perfect World facial moisturizer).

This product is, as the name describes, a very frothy, fluffy face wash. You squeeze out a little bit from the tube and just rub it all over your face. Afterwards, you gently massage it into your face, and then you wash it off. This product is ideally for combination and oily skin types. Or at least the lady at the Origins counter stand told me later on.

My first impressions? Pretty darn good.

The face wash, despite not having any "special ingredients" like salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide, actually cleaned my face pretty well. It got rid of all of the oil and even the excess makeup that I was not able to get off originally. Also, it really really cleaned my face well. My face LITERALLY felt "squeaky clean".

I usually use this twice at night in the shower, and once in the morning.

A great plus is that this is in a tube, which means that it is more hygienic than if it were in a jar. Also, a little bit goes a long way, and one bottle can last me a long long time.

This wash has gotten great reviews all over (you can check makeupalley.com for this), and I think it lives up to its reputation.

The only thing I don't like about it is its price. It costs $19.50 for 5 oz at Sephora, and I couldn't find it any cheaper anywhere else. I guess the good thing is that it lasts a long time, but the problem is that, since I am still in college and am about to go to med school soon, this is A LOT. 

Would I repurchase it? If I had the $$, yes. But since I don't, I have to stick to cheaper things.

Who would I recommend this product to? People with oily or combination skin.

Would would I NOT recommend this product to? People with dry skin.

Have you guys/gals ever used this product? If so, do you like it or dislike it? Leave a comment!

<3

Sources: 1 / 2

Review: Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion

I bought a two-pack of this lotion from Costco about a year ago. I had heard great things about this brand, and, seeing that I needed some more lotion and that this formula had great reviews, I decided to go for it - big time.

A two-pack of this at Costco costs about $16. Really cheap for such a great lotion!

The ingredients are, according to drugstore.com, as listed:

Active Ingredients: Dimethicone (1.25%) (Skin Protectant)

Inactive Ingredients: Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Flour (Oat), Benzyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Distearyldimonium Chloride, Glycerin, Isopropyl Palmitate, Petrolatum, Sodium Chloride, Water


What do I think of it?

Pros:
-Very emollient
-Able to absorb into the skin
-Very protecting
-No weird smells or fragrances
-Simple ingredients
-Has oats as a soothing ingredient
-Prevents drying, chafing, etc of the skin
-Can be used on face and body

Cons:
-None

I give this product a 10/10 for sure. I would recommend it for people of all skin types, except for those who are allergic to oats, of course.

Seriously, this is a great product! I would definitely repurchase it. But first I'm going to try out some other lotions to see how they are like.

Source:

Fall brings dry skin issues...

Like I've written about on previous posts, apart from my face, I have pretty dry skin. Lately, with the whole fall season picking up into pace, I've been getting really dry hands and feet. I've resorted to using petroleum jelly and coconut oil to moisturize at night. Lolz for the emollient materials!

Products I am using as of late:

Petroleum jelly


Coconut oil

C.O. Bigelow's Lemon & Pomegranate Lip Cream (will review later):

Beauty product (clipped to polyvore.com)

Sources: 1 / 2 / 3

NOTD, 9.16.2012

   

At the request of one of my friends and long-time followers, I decided to do a Nails of the Day photo. Lately I haven't really been painting my nails because we're in Gross Anatomy Lab all the time, and well, when you're dissecting and everything, it feels kind of.... "gross"!

Don't get me wrong - I actually really appreciate anatomy lab as a course and have learned a lot from it. I just don't feel that having manicured nails and everything is very helpful during lab. And also, because of lab, the nails chip a lot more.

Apologies for the nail chipping - I've been running around a lot and have to do a lot of random stuffs!

Anyway,

Bottom + top coat: Sephora by OPI Nail Treatment - 3 in 1 Base, Top, & Strengthener

Middle 2 coats: Julep Nail Vernis - Anne

<3

Review: Giovanni 2 chic collection: Shampoo, conditioner, Leave-in Conditioning & Styling Elixir

 

I was fortunate enough to recently receive (usable) samples of these product from my mom. Giovanni is a haircare line that I have always admired but have never really bought for economical reasons.

I use shampoo, conditioner, and leave-in conditioner typically every night; and how did I think of these products?

Pros:
-Very smooth and useful
-Did not leave any knots in my hair (conditioner worked well)
-No frizz
-Did not make my scalp feel itchy

Cons:
-The elixir felt kind of sticky and stayed on as if it weighed down my hair
-The cost! Each of these full-sized products costs $9, and that's for 8.5 fl oz shampoo, 8.5 fl oz conditioner, and 4 fl oz leave-in conditioner. Compare that to Tresemme (which I normally use) - $4 for 32 oz. And Tresemme (which is my HG shampoo/conditioner) gives similar results - especially the conditioner.

Overall? If someone really wants nice hair and has $$ to spend, I would say go for it. However, for me, I won't be purchasing the full-sized products. I'll stick to Tresemme and my typical leave-in conditioner (Fruitopia Hair Serum, click here for review) for now.

All right now, enough of this, now back to work for me!

<3

Source: 1