I picked up a few goodies and want to share them with you!
Mario Badescu Enzyme Cleansing Gel: Have you ever been to Ulta or Sephora, stood in the check-out line and noticed the plexi-glass baskets full of trial-sized products? Those doggone baskets get me everytime!! I always feel compelled pick up a last minute lotion, or cleanser, or "something-or-other" when I come face to face with those baskets! Well last week, I bought a small sample of Mario Badescu's Enzyme Cleansing Gel. The first thing that struck me about this product is the short list of ingrediants. The lable lists water, glycerin, papaya extract, grapefruit extract, a detergent, a stabilizer, and a preservative. In the beauty world, that's a REALLY short list.
Overall, I like the cleanser. It's fairly gentle for an "enzyme"-based cleanser. It left my skin feeling soft, not stripped. I wouldn't say that I experienced all of the other effects I typically experience with an enzyme-based cleanser like the appearance of smaller pores or a "fresh" feeling, but I liked that I can use this cleanser every day without it drying out my skin. I also noticed that my t-zone was not nearly as oily in the middle of the day. I would recommend this product to those with normal/combination skin who are looking for a relatively gentle cleanser.
Price: $12 for 8 oz.
IMAN Corrective Concealer: Ok, I can be honest with you, right? I've never been a fan of concealer. They typically come in weird shades and are either too thick (like theater make-up) or too cakey. Years ago, you could always tell when someone was wearing concealer because the "concealed" sections of their face would look lighter than the rest of their face. And if those sections were actually highlighted, then what's the point of applying a concealer?? Well, concealer formulations have come a long way and recently, while browising the aisles of Target, I picked up Corrective Concealer by IMAN Cosmetics. Over the years, I have come to REALLY like IMAN's line of make-up and the bronzer/pressed power are staples in my make-up bag.
I LOVE Corrective Concealer for a number of reasons. First, the shade I picked (Earth) matches my skin perfectly, which is always a plus for mocha-toned sisters like me. :-) Next, the applicator tip is genius. When you remove the protective cap on the product, you expose a spongy tip through which the concealer flows. The concealer is released by twisting the bottom of the product. I love this mechanism because you can control how much product you use at any given time and then you can use the tip to actually apply the concealer, instead of using fingers (although I usually go back over the area with my finger). Lastly, I love the formulation. The product is thick enough to provide excellent coverage but it dries to a natural, matte finish. If you're looking to just touch up a few areas on your face, you can apply this concealer to trouble spots and go! LOVE, LOVE!! Video coming soon.
Price: $11
butter LONDON Lippy - Come to Bed Red: If you've watched any TV show or read any fashion magazine within the past month, you'll notice that the RED lip is a MUST HAVE for the winter season. I typically stick to my old stand-bys such as Russian Red or Ruby Woo by MAC. However, while in Ulta, I happened to walk by the butter LONDON display and tried one of their new Lippy lip glosses. The Lippy line is made with Shea Butter and Vitamin E and promises to be both moisturizing and have a lacquer-like shine. I also like that the line is free of parabens, petroleum, phthalates, sulphates, and bismuth.
The lip gloss goes on very smoothly and my lips felt hydrated while wearing it. I love the shade - a bright, vibrant red with a slight blue undertone which works really well with my skin tone. The Lippy line comes in 26 shades, and I will definitley be checking out a few others.
Price: $17
What products are you LOVING this week??
