Review: MD Skincare Alpha Beta Daily Face Peel

Written on Monday, January 18th, 2010


A while back I ran out of my DDF glycolic cleansing pads so I decided to give this one a try after talking to one of the cast members at Sephora. I picked up the seven-day pack so that I could try it out and see if I liked it before investing about $100 for a 30-day supply.

Initial thoughts: $28 + tax for 7 days worth of gycolic acid, in a tin, is a bit steep. I also noticed that each day’s peel was individually wrapped but blistered into sets of two; the peel and the neutralizer. I also noticed that this peel kind of smelled like mosquito repellent.
Unlike most pre-moistened pads that tend to be dry, I found that these have a bit too much liquid on them.

Overall: While, I did like that the MD Skincare Alpha Beta pads really worked to help clear out and clear up my skin, I don’t think that I would repurchase these. The pre-moistened pads was overly saturated with the liquid it felt like my skin is burning until the product evaporated from my skin. What I ended up doing in the end was gently wring out some of the liquid into a separate jar. After doing that my skin didn’t feel like it was burning. This product does work and I found that my skin had a nice rosy glow to it. I has also noticed that the acne that I had around my jaw and on my cheeks were getting smaller or had completely vanished. I also noticed that some of the acne scars that I had were starting to fade. If you have acne-prone skin and some extra money to spend then I think that this is the product for you because it helps to exfoliate the skin without being abrasive like manual/granular scrubs can be.

*picture courtesy of Sephora.com*

No comments yet!

Tried and True Products Part 1: Face

Written on Monday, December 14th, 2009

I’ve loved all things makeup and beauty for as long as I can remember and over the years I have tried a lot of good and not so good product. This is going to be a series of post of my favourite tried and true products that I keep going back to over and over again.

La Roche Posay ~ Effaclar and Toleraine Facial Cleansers.
When I was in my early twenties I starting breaking out with lots of cystic acne all over my face. It was very painful and the Effaclar was the only cleanser that I was able to use the was gentle enough to cleanse my skin with out irritating it. I use the Toleriane during the winter when my skin gets irritated from the cold and also when it gets irritated from trying new products that don’t agree with my skin.

Mary Kay Oil-Free Hyrdating Gel
I use this gel all year round to boost my skins hydration. I like that it doesn’t feel sticky and that it feels cooling on the skin. It also absorbs fairly quickly which is great. I wear this under my regular moisturizer.

Vichy Normaderm Active Anti-Imperfection Concentrate.
This is one of my favourite pimple creams. It has a nice fresh scent and really does work to help reduce the size the blemishes that you have.

No comments yet!

Review: Murad Clarifying Mask

Written on Monday, September 7th, 2009

A few weeks ago, I got a few samples of the Murad Clarifying Mask to try out. I had recently finished my Lush Cupcake mask and was looking something new to try. Usually, I experience the occasional breakout but lately my skin has been freaking out; most likely due to the crazy weather that we were having.

What Sephora Says:

What it is:
A natural, clay-based mask that reduces irritation and minimizes breakouts.

What it is formulated to do:
Draws out impurities and reduces breakouts by delivering powerful acne medication deep into the skin and absorbing pore clogging dirt and oil.

What I say:
This mask has quite a medicinal smell to it but I didn’t find it offensive. I think that is mask is quite strong but it did work well to reduce the size of the blemishes that I had. The texture of this mask is kind of soft and spreads easily. The directions say to leave the mask on for 10 minutes but I find that it’s a bit too long for me. I left it on for about 6 minutes as I find that when I leave masks on for too long it completely removes all of the oils from my skin leaving it feeling rather dry and parched. This mask can also double as a spot treatment and I would put some on a blemish and let it dry and leave the mask on over night ans was it off in the morning. I found that the spot had reduced in size which is great because I didn’t have to spend so much time covering it in the morning. Price wise, it’s a bit pricey at $37; although it is not the most expensive mask that I have tried.
My skin has cleared up a quite a bit since using it and I still have another sample to use so I won’t be rushing out to purchase this. Also, I think that this mask is better for those that persistent, active acne; $37 seems a bit too expensive for a spot treatment in mu opinion. If you choose to get this, I would alternate this with another mask that doesn’t contain anti-acne ingredients.

No comments yet!

It’s the Grease Lightning

Written on Monday, July 27th, 2009

I’ve got zits, they’re multiplying, and I’m loosing control… Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.
A few weekends ago when I was at Lush, I picked up a bottle of Grease Lightning which is a new spot treatment gel. According to Lush, Grease Lightning spot cleanser is “a super effective Tea Tree and Witch Hazel gel to spot cleanse acne-prone skin, with Aloe Vera to soothe and cover redness”.
This is probably one of the best blemish spot treatments that I have ever tried and I’ve tried quite a few. The reason for this is that I find that it doesn’t dry out my skin; I believe that that’s due to the Aloe Vera gel in it.
The active ingredients include: Tea Tree oil, Witch Hazel, Thyme, Rosemary and Lavender which give it a fresh herbal scent. When rubbed into the skin, it feels more like a serum than a thick goopy gel. I also love that once it’s dried and absorbed into the skin, it doesn’t leave a sticky film.
Overall I would recommend it for mild acne breakouts.

No comments yet!

Acne Spot Treatments

Written on Wednesday, April 15th, 2009

I am not a believer in treating the whole face with acne medication because they can be quite drying. Instead I opt to cleanse my face with a gentle, non-medicated cleanser, toner and moisturizer and then spot treat as needed. Pictured to the left is my all-time favourite product; Keihl’s Blue Herbal Spot Treatment. It’s a clear gel so it’s perfect for wearing under your makeup. Other good ones to try are Garnier Skin Natural SOS Anti Blemish Spot Pen, Vichy NormaDerm Active Anti-Imperfection Concentrate for sudden localized breakouts, and Clean & Clear Invisible Blemish Treatment.

No comments yet!

Beauty Tips for the Ance Prone

Written on Thursday, February 19th, 2009


Here are a few things that you can do to help prevent future breakouts. If you use makeup brushes, please make sure that you are cleaning them on a regular basis. The more often you use them, the more often you should be cleaning them. I clean my brushes every week and spot clean the brushes that I use in creamy products such as foundations, concealers, lipsticks and gel or cream eye liners after EVERY use. This ensures that bacteria doesn’t grow in the brushes and contaminates the rest of your product. I found the best way to clean my foundation bushes is to first take some olive oil onto a paper towel and then gent swipe the brush into the oil; which help to break up the product. Once the product has loosened you can then wash it with a mild soap; dove unscented, baby shampoo or baby body wash will work fine.Brush cleaner also works well too.
Make sure that you clean all of your phones with a little bit of an astringent toner or isopropl alcohol. This will help remove the buildup and bacteria that can gather there. Don’t forget to change your pillow cases every few days as oils from your skin can be absorbed into the case.

No comments yet!