Review: Bioderma Sebium H2O Micelle Solution

Written on Friday, June 3rd, 2011

I’m not a fan of “one-size-fits-all” when it comes to cleansing and taking care of your skin so I was so happy to see that Bioderma made a cleansing water aka micelle solution for combination/oily skin. This solution comes in a few sizes but the one pictured above is from a starter set that includes an exfoliant and a moisturizer.

So what is a micelle solution? It’s a liquid cleanser that you don’t wash off. It can be used as a toner (depending on the brand) and it helps to cleanse the skin of dirt, sebum and makeup.

About this product (taken from the website) : Bioderm innovation, Sébium H2O gently cleanses the skin without drying it, through the micro-emulsion of impurities and excess sebum. Enriched with purifying active ingredients, Sébium H2O cleanses the epidermis in depth and regulates secretion of sebum. The patented sebo-correcting complex, Fluidactiv®, normalizes sebum quality.

How to use: Soak a cotton pad and cleanse your face. Repeat until the cotton pad is clean. It can be used morning and evening.

Overall: I really like the way that this micelle solution feels on my skin; it feels cool but not in a irritated kind of way. I also like that it doesn’t leave a residue on the skin and that I can go ahead and apply my serum and moisturizer on top.  I’ve used it to remove my makeup and it removed it pretty well; I would still use an eye makeup remover though as I don’t know that this product is safe to use around the eyes. Although it removed my makeup pretty well, I prefer to  use it on bare skin prior to a makeup application; which would make the perfect addition to the skin prep items that I carry in my professional kit.

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Review: Consonant Body

Written on Monday, March 7th, 2011


I was first introduced to Consonant Body’s product, in particular their face wash, when I visited the fresh.beautiful skin studio a month or so ago. I liked the way that the cleanser felt that I went out and purchased the Jet Set kit. This kit contains travel sizes of the unscented body lotion, face wash, face cream and body wash. When I opened the face cream to use it, I noticed that that the cream was hard and slightly discolored so I contacted the company to find out if this was normal. They responded right away to my concern and sent me a new Jet Set along with a full-size spearmint and sage body lotion and a sample size Firming Eye Cream.

Right off the bat, I was blown away but their AMAZING customer service. I was really hoping that I would be just as blown away by their products and I have to say that they didn’t disappoint. Of the items that I tried out, by far my favourites would have to be the face wash, face cream and firming eye cream.

I would like to preface my overall thoughts on natural/organic skincare by saying that of the previous brands that I have tried, I found the results to leave something to be desired. While they did smell good, they didn’t really clean my skin; they just pushed the dirt and makeup around and left a bit of a film on my skin.


The Consonant Organic Face Wash is truly an amazing product for me. It has a nice earthy smell and doesn’t dry out my skin. I use it with a baby wash cloth to help remove my makeup (foundation,powder,blush) from my face first and then I followup with another cleanse using my clean fingers to gently massage my face.


I follow the cleanser immediately with the Ultra Moisturizing Face Cream. It has a nice soft texture and I find that it easily absorbs into the skin. At first I thought that it would be more of a night creme for me but I soon found out that it works beautifully under makeup. My skin tends to be a bit dehydrated and normally I would have to use a serum but this cream does it all for me. My face feels soft and hydrated without feeling overly greasy.


The Firming Eye Cream was another one of my favourites which I find surprising since I hardly ever remember to use an eye cream. I love that I can feel it firm up around my eye area as soon as I’ve finished tapping it in.

I should mention that although I do really like the body lotion, it doesn’t provide me with as much moisture as I like; my body tends to be super dry and flaky during the cooler months. I think that I would definitely enjoy it more during the summer.

Overall, I was really impressed by the Consonant Body products that I tried and can see myself repurchasing the face wash, face cream and eye cream in the future. The only thing that I feel is missing would be some kind of an exfoliant but because I use the baby wash cloth to remove my makeup, I do get a light exfoliation from that. If you get a chance or have had a chance to try out their products, I’d love to hear your thoughts on them.

*pictures courtesy of ConsonantBody.com*

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A Great Cleanser for Combination/Oily skin

Written on Monday, December 20th, 2010

I really love this cleanser and I’m glad that I rediscovered it on a recent trip to Kiehl’s at Yorkdale Mall. The Foaming Non Detergent Washable Cleanser lathers enough to cleanse the skin but not enough to strip it and cause it to feel dry or tight; which is perfect for my combo/oily dehydrated skin. I like to use this cleanser after I have removed my makeup with a cleansing oil such as MAC’s Cleanse Off Oil or Dermalogica’s Pre Cleanse.

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Spring Skin Shape-Up

Written on Monday, May 3rd, 2010


When the sun finally begins to warm our faces again, and the world slowly looks a little greener, we always feel the need to freshen up our looks a bit. In an enthusiastic hurry to apply this season’s bright makeup colors, we may forget to stop and realize that the most important step is good skincare for a clean, smooth base. After the cold wind, dry heating systems, and dark days are done with our faces, most of us go into springtime looking a little dull.

To bring your face back to life, there are some basics that always help whether you’re at a spa or your bathroom sink. Firstly, be sure to exfoliate: it can be as simple as adding salt (for oily skin)or sugar (for dry skin) to your face wash or buying one with exfoliating beads in it. It always helps to add a product with something like fruit enzymes or hydroxy acids into your regimen for added results. Going to get microdermabrasion at a local spa is a great choice for deep exfoliation that will be noticed right away. Any of these options will reveal fresh skin that is glowing and smooth.


photo courtesy or internationalorange.com

Second, you need to moisturize (regardless of your skin type) and you’ll want to be sure you’re using a formula appropriate for your skin type, like a gel for oily skin, a richer cream for dry skin, or something in between if you have combination skin. Booster products like serums are a great way to re-hydrate your skin at a deeper level and can be layered on top of other serums, worn underneath or mixed into your regular moisturizer. Some of the face lotions with radiance/skin brightening ingredients are perfect for dewy spring skin, and are a nice boost for any look.

If we just take a little extra care in reviving skin at this time of year, the reward will be a complexion that’s more awake and well-textured. Your face will look flawless all season long!


Content provided by Sarah Logan on behalf of Aesthetic Science Institute (ASI). ASI is a beauty school for new students interested in a career in aesthetics and licensed aestheticians interested in advanced aesthetics training and certification.

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Caudalie Cleansing Water

Written on Friday, April 23rd, 2010

I’ve picked up a sample-size bottle on the Caudalie Cleansing Water a while back while shopping at Sephora. This stuff is amazing. I love products that multitask. I wouldn’t recommend it if you wear heavy makeup but it’s perfect for those that wear little to no makeup. Also, you can use it as a toner; which is the way that I’ve been using it. It has a light fresh scent and doesn’t irritate the skin.
Have you tried any cleansing waters? I’d love to know what you thought of them.

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Bioderma Antoderm Ultra-Rich Foaming Gel

Written on Wednesday, April 14th, 2010


As a beauty blogger, makeup junkie and mua, I’m always trying out new products. Last week I was trying out the Dr. Wexler skincare range that I picked up a while ago and one of the products that I was testing out irritated my skin so badly that it was red, hot and burning. Once the burning and the redness subsided, I noticed that my face was covered it what can only be described as a mild diaper rash.

I immediately stopped using the skincare that I was testing out and went back to my Dermalogica products but my skin was still irritated from the products that my special cleansing gel was further irritating my skin. On a whim, I ran to the SDM near me and asked the cosmetician what I could use to wash my face that wouldn’t burn, or further irritate and strip my skin; she recommended the Bioderma Antoderm Ultra-Rich Foaming Gel and advised me that I could use it on my body as well. Fast forward a few days later and the “rash” that was on my face has just about cleared and the burning sensation has dissipated. This cleanser has helped me immensely and now I don’t think that I could be without it.

Has something like this happened to you? What were the products that you reached for to help you get your skin back on track?

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Review: Marcelle Cleansing Cloths

Written on Friday, March 5th, 2010


I am no stranger to Marcelle’s facial cleansing products; my mom’s been using them for years and when I first started using a skin regime I got a set for Christmas.
For the past week, I’ve been testing out the Cleansing Cloths from Marcelle that I received as part of my goodie bag from TBBM. I’m still a little bit weary of cleansing cloths but after using these I’m not weary any more.
What I like about these cloths is that they are not rough and that they are not overly saturated with cleansing solution. These cloths remove everything. The first time I used them I wasn’t sure if they had removed all the makeup that I had been wearing during the day so I used my cleansing oil. When I emulsified the cleansing oil with water there was nothing there; the wipes had removed everything.
I must say that I’m pretty impressed. The only thing that I don’t like about these cloths is that it leaves my face feeling a little but parched other then that I really like these and will definitely be purchasing these once I run out.

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Face Scrubs Pt. 1

Written on Wednesday, January 20th, 2010

There are a few different ways to exfoliate the face and this post will talk about the manual scrubs.


I’ve talked a lot about different face cleansers but I don’t think that I have talked too much about exfoliators. Manual exfoliators contain either synthetic-type beads or ground-up fruit pits. I prefer the synthetic-type beads but I do really like the Skin Prep Scrub because it uses corn meal. Pictured above are a few of the manual exfoliators aka scrubs that I have on hand. Depending on how my skin is feeling I’ll reach for one of the scrubs pictured below.

Pictured are a few of the different formulas that I use. If I need a gentle scrub because my face is feeling sensitive, I’ll reach for the Boscia Smoothing Facial Polish (jelly) or the Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant(powder. If my skin is a little bit oilier or I’ve been dealing with some breakouts, I’ll use the Dermalogica Skin Prep Scrub (beige cream)and if I’m somewhere in between, I’ll reach for the Clinique 7-day Scrub. Keep in mine that I usually exfoliate once a week sometimes twice depending on what my skin needs.
The purpose of scrubs are to help remove any dead skin cells that have accumulated on top on the skin. You’ll find that when you use them that your skin feels really soft and smooth and that all your treatment products and moisturizer are able to penetrate the skin much better.
In part two, we will go over chemical exfoliants.

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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*

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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.

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