Beauty Product Reviews | Page 2

Good value for money, but it is just an average cleanser!

Packaged in a durable plastic lockable pump top dispenser, it makes for ease of distribution and less chance of wastage. The first thing I noticed when I dispersed the Cleanser for the first time was actually the smell, which reminded me of something familiar. It has a distinct lemon fragrance and I am normally really fond of refreshing citrus scents, but this smells a bit like Sunlight dish washing detergent to me and it isn’t particularly appealing when used on my face. The perfume, fortunately, doesn’t linger on my skin once it’s washed off, so it didn’t trigger any reactions, although I would have preferred if it were less prominent or completely unscented.

The thick, creamy formulation is of a pearlescent appearance, with tiny traces of Mica included, which I found to be a bit strange for a cleanser. Were these particles added intentionally, to somehow gently exfoliate the skin, or are they purely cosmetic? Is that supposed to be the basis of the ‘radiant’ part maybe? That by imparting shimmer particles to the skin it may suddenly appear more illuminated?? Who knows, but I do find it rather bizarre! I only need one pump, to achieve a gentle, lightly foaming lather, which is enough for my whole face and neck. It cleans my skin without leaving it feeling taught or dry, removing most makeup, other than my waterproof mascara, which just streaked under my eyes. But, that is normal with most cleansers though anyway, so I find use an oil-based cleanser to combat stubborn waterproof makeup.

While I can’t say I noticed my skin looking any more radiant than usual during the short time I used this Cleanser, particularly as the glittery bits wash off with water anyway, but my skin does feel clean and comfortable. I am uncertain if this product contributed to my skin being excessively oily during this trial or not, but in the future I will use it again, this time without the addition of the Tinted Moisturiser to hopefully rule out that conception

Overall, I am still a bit ‘on the fence’ about this Aveeno Positively Radiant Cleanser because while it is exceptionally good value for money, at the end of the day I find it is just an average cleanser and ‘nothing to write home about’. It does remove dirt, surface oil and the majority of my makeup, yet the scent is a bit off-putting and at this stage, I can’t see any improvements to my skin tone. I guess this product would be the ideal Cleanser for anyone who wants a normal ‘run of the mill’ cleanser that is budget friendly and won’t break the bank.

A refreshing, hydrating toner that instantly nourishes my skin.

This is a toner, which has progressed to become a permanent resident in my beauty regime, quickly evolving to a staple, after my first spritz, nearly two and a half years ago. While I mostly use this toner at night, as an essential step in my PM skin care regime, I have also adopted it as a facial mist, to use as needed, throughout the day, because it provides a nourishing burst of cooling relief from the vast humidity, especially during a typical Tropical North Queensland summer. The botanical cocktail of anti-ageing ingredients boasts ingredients such as antioxidants, vitamins, peptides and deeply hydrating hyaluronic acid, to target the premature signs of ageing, while leaving my skin feeling refreshed and completely revived. Sometimes I spritz some of the Dermalogica AGE Smart Antioxidant Hydramist onto a cotton pad and wiping on my skin as per a normal toner; otherwise, I spray it directly onto my face and gently press it into my skin. When in need of an instant ‘pick-me-up’ I just apply a fine mist to my skin and allow it to dry naturally.

Super staying power, dynamic colour!

These cute little tubes of highly pigmented lip colour are unique and innovative. It looks like gloss but it actually resembles something similar to paint for your lips. I guess they are like paint in many ways, because you can mix the various shades together to create endless new hues so they are ideal if you have a creative spark. While they might look like paint, the texture is in fact super lightweight and drenches my lips in opaque colour that stays put for hours, eventually creating a long lasting stain. The tube might seem tiny, but believe me when I say one tube will probably last you an eternity, hehe. You need only a pin-sized amount per application…if that, haha. A teeny weeny, itty bitty product that packs one enormous, almighty big punch!!

With a rainbow of shades to select, these liners destinclty define to make eye's pop!

I have a few of these because they are definitely the nicest coloured eyeliners I have personally used. They are rich in colour and super vibrant on my waterline and the colour lasts for longer than most others do. The pencils are incredibly soft and creamy allowing them to glide on with ease and they don’t smudge at all so they don’t wind up all over my face. Available in a spectrum of colours, these eyeliners are extremely cheap and in my opinion much better than many other eyeliners that are twice the price.

The perfect lip treatment (smells awesome too)

This lip treatment might be expensive compared to other lip treatments but it is an investment into more youthful lips. I adore the delectable sweet fruity scent that always tempts me to go back back for more. It immediately nourishes my lips and leaves them soft, plump and shiny. It has taken years off my pout and regular use ensures they stay younger and healthier. My lips have never looked or felt better.

A rich, creamy cleanser that lightly foams leaving skin clean and comfortable.

This is a cleanser that I prefer to team up with my Clarisonic PRO Sonic Skin Cleansing System during my PM skin care regime, which is the ideal companion to my cleansing tool. The botanically enriched formulation is lightly scented with that yummy signature fragrance you can always expect from Clarins; so subtle and never offensive. It has a rich, creamy consistency though, but upon contact with water it foams up ever so slightly into a light, frothy lather that gently, but thoroughly, washes away any trace of dirt and grime, whilst instantly dissolving all makeup, so my skin feels refreshed and comfortable without being stripped or taut. Fortunately, it doesn’t leave any cleansing residue behind after rinsing, instead my skin is silky smooth, soft to touch and nicely nourished with an almost matte-like finish, making it ideal for my skin concerns. As I am one who baulks up at the thought of wasting anything, I will continue to use this cleanser in addition to the other current cleanser I am using until that is finally finished and I can gladly see the 'rear end' of it, in which case the Clarins Gentle Foaming Cleanser will become my ‘go-to’ nightly cleanser, supporting my cleansing tool.

The ultimate cleansing tool.

I was originally dubious about using this cleansing tool at all, because I expected it would be too harsh for my sensitive, fragile skin and I usually prefer to avoid manual exfoliating products. However, my therapist ensured me this unit is not a manual exfoliator, it’s actually a cleansing device and recommended I use it with a Delicate Replacement Brush Head, instead of the original attachment, making it perfectly safe, even for those with the most sensitive or traumatic skin. Initially, I was just loaning this unit, but ended up being literally blown away by how it made such a significant difference to the overall well being of my skin in that short space of time, so much so, that I decided to buy it and intergrate it into my PM skin care regime. While I am confident that this until cleans my skin better than anything else I have ever tried, I was not ready to part ways with my regular, ever faithful glycolic cleanser either. I appreciate the cleanser because it has supplementary perks that my skin will advantage from, making it optimal in my anti-ageing skin care prescription. In a bit of a pickle and unable to make a decision one way or the other, I decided why not alternate the two? The more I thought about it, this was the perfect solution as they would actually compliment each other nicely, if used modestly. Therefore, I now use the Clarisonic PRO Sonic Skin Cleansing System one night and my ASAP Daily Facial Cleanser the following, subsequently, to indulge me with the best of both worlds. After 9 months of continued, regular use, I have noticed a visible reduction in the appearance of the enlarged pores around my nose, which don’t get clogged up anymore, hence blackheads have become a rare occurrence. I have a much clearer, brighter skin tone that is more uniform in colour and the facial redness I use to suffer from has practically vanished. The surface of my skin has smoothed out in texture, feeling firmer and more resilient, whilst my purified pores don’t produce as much oil, staying in balance so I don’t have much worry about always sporting greasy skin (or, as I always claim; my skin doesn't look like I just jumped out of the deep fryer, LOL). It’s amazing, but this product alone, actually has produced such a big improvement to so many of my ongoing concerns, which is why it easily earned a permanent home in my beauty ritual.

My favourite primer to date :)

This primer literally blew me away, it totally exceeded my expectations, as never have I tried a tinted primer, much less one that also has the benefits of broad spectrum chemical and physical sun protection properties. It’s silky smooth in texture with added silicone's that magically transform my complexion, evening the tone and hiding the imperfections for a flawless finish. My skin looks amazing BEFORE I have even applied any foundation. It keeps my makeup in place and looking matte all day, definitely the best primer I have tried to date. I am sceptical on the effectiveness of the SPF, however, so if heading outdoors I just apply additional sun protection to be certain.

A tinted moisturiser with a difference!

This is a tinted moisturiser with a difference, providing super staying power and a fresh, dewy finish in a non-greasy formulation. It has a thick foundation-like texture, but blends with ease to achieve a the fullest sheer coverage tinted moisturiser I’ve ever seen, which is also buildable for extra concealment of any stubborn imperfections, ensuring an evenly toned, healthy, natural looking complexion. The one downfall is that I wouldn’t be inclined to reply it as my sole sun protection product because the chemical sunscreens, unfortunately don’t offer broad spectrum protection, so I like to use it in conjunction with another form of protection.

A deeply hydrating body wash that locks in moisture and leaves skin soft and glowing.

This body lotion that initially looks like your average body moisturiser, packaged in a plastic tube with a flip-top lid is by all means far from average!! Enriched with the signature sweet, fruity aroma that accompanies all of the products in the Radiance skin care range, the perfume is not as overbearing in this body lotion as it is in several of the other products in this line-up. The scent doesn’t appeal to me personally, yet a certain audience could be quite attracted to it. The scent is very mild and delicate in this body lotion, and any inkling of the perfume delivered to the skin ends up fading away quickly to provide the only the goodness of the botanical/plant based ingredients minus the headache that I sometimes am left sporting when I use products that are too heavily scented.

The moisturising lotion is lightweight in texture and of a medium, fluid-like consistency, which blends evenly into my skin with ease. Like with my facial moisturisers, I find that many body moisturisers are too heavy and rich for my oily skin, whereas this formulation is ideal for the humid, tropical, FNQ climate because it absorbs well, rather than suffocating my skin and leaving me with a sweaty film on my body. I like to apply the lotion as soon as I step out of the shower while my skin is still damp, so after just a quick wipe down with a towel to remove any excess water dripping, I slather on the lotion, which leaves my skin instantly nourished and locks in moisture for lasting hydration. After it rapidly sinks into my skin, I notice immediately the texture is super soft and smooth and it imparts an all over shimmer. After my original application, I was somewhat taken aback when I discovered all of the glitter particles remaining on my hands, which is when I discovered that the mica, these light reflecting particles, were visibly prominent all through this lotion. It reminded me of one of those glitter lotions I often used as a teen, so I was not expecting to find this in a mature person’s anti-ageing skin care product, lol. I personally don’t mind a bit of shimmer on my body, however, as per the directions it suggests that this particular lotion may be applied to the face or the body. I honestly can’t imagine why anyone would want to present themselves with their face resembling a disco ball that is covered in glitter particles, so I wouldn’t even consider going there with that option, lol.

Overall, this is a fun, chic body lotion, which would be ideal for a day at the beach or even a night out dancing on the town, yet it might not be the most appropriate solution for the conservative office environment. The advantages of this moisturising lotion to the skin, definitely outweigh any negatives, with the natural, botanical infused formula packing a punch when it comes to making my skin feel so soft and nurtured, while keeping it completely moisturised for hours and hours and the imparted light reflectors ensure a lasting vibrant, illuminated all over glow.