Loreal 360 Clean Review

Before the recession, I’ll admit that I spent way too much on beauty products. I stopped into Sephora several times a week, trying to buy my way to perfect skin, hair and makeup.
I was convinced that drugstore products just did not work as well- after all, they cost so much less, and the more expensive a product is, the better it is, right?
Well, times changed and money became tight. I could no longer afford my expensive beauty habit. I found myself heading over to the drugstore one night for the first time in years to find a face cleanser.

One of my favorite high-end facial products was Murad's Cleansing Scrub, which contained both scrubbing beads and AHA/BHA (alpha and beta hydroxy acids). It really blasted away the flakes on my dry, dull skin and made it look glowy, fresh and clean. It was the best, most effective cleanser I had ever used. It also cost $23 a bottle.

In the past, as a teenager, I had tried several drugstore brands which did an ok job of removing makeup, but never made my skin feel that deep down clean I was after. So, when I got to the drugstore and saw Loreal’s 360 Clean cleansers, I was excited to try one. The label on the bottle claims that the product gets deep down to the pores, and even though it does not contain any AHA/BHA, like the Murad one does, it comes with a "Scrublet", a small rubber sponge, which acts as a manual, rather than chemical exfoliant.

I purchased the formula for sensitive skin with the blue label for $6.99 at Walgreens.
The label states the following:
• Fragrance-Free
• Soap-Free
• Cleaner Skin
• Smaller Pores
• Smoother Skin
• Dermatologist tested
“The Scrublet is more effective than cleansing by hand. Super-soft, gentle, flexible material. Deeply cleans skin and unclogs-pore by pore-without overdrying. Removes all traces of oil, dirt, and makeup. Pores look visibly smaller.”
The Scrublet pops out of the middle of the bottle, and can be stored back in the same spot when not in use- which I think is an ingenious packaging idea. The Scrublet itself is a very soft, flexible rubber disc with hundreds of tiny little “fingers”. It felt so soft, I was skeptical that it would really get down into my pores and scrub deeply.
As a massaged the product over my face with the Scrublet, it foamed very nicely, and my face actually started to turn a little pink. I was surprised that something so soft was actually causing my skin to redden slightly. I rinsed after about 30 seconds and when I dried my face and looked in the mirror, the pink color was starting to fade and I saw that refreshed, clean glow I had, back when I used the Murad scrub. My skin felt extremely smooth and exfoliated, without a hint of dryness.
I don't recommend this product for daily use, because daily exfoliating can over-dry the skin. The exception would be those of you who have oilier skin- most experts recommend daily exfoliation of oily skin to prevent clogged pores. But for me, using 360 Clean a few times a week will give me super clean, glowy skin that's smooth and ready for makeup.

Based on my experience, this inexpensive exfoliating cleanser works just as well, if not better, than the high end cleansers you’d find at high end boutiques and department stores. I have to admit, I may just become a drugstore beauty convert after all!

New Cover Girl Lash Blast Fusion Demo/Review

 I just got my hands on the new Cover Girl Lash Blast Fusion, and it's amazing!  I took some pics so you can see what it does...it's a fusion of Original Lash Blast and Lash Blast Length to both thicken and lengthen.  I'm not even going to blab on and on, because the pictures really say everything. The brush is great, not a lot of clumping, and the formula is really buildable.

Here are my lashes without anything...(by the way, I'm not wearing eyeliner or any other eye makeup in these photos).

And here's what they look like after applying 2 coats of Lash Blast Fusion!

After I took the pics, I went back and applied a third coat, and they just kept getting bigger.  Below is both eyes...it totally almost looks like I'm wearing false lashes!

Here's what the tube and brush look like...

This is what the packaging says...

To get a tube of this before it hits stores, visit http://www.facebook.com/covergirl. There are very limited quantities available during the presale.  Otherwise, you can get this in stores in April.

Revlon Colorstay Mineral Mousse Makeup Review

I

 I really like the idea of a mousse makeup- it just sounds like it would be light and airy, giving your skin a flawless, airbrushed glow. 

Well, that description is not far off from Revlon's Colorstay Mineral Mousse foundation.  I purchased this during a Buy 1 Get 1 Free at CVS last week, along with Revlon's Colorstay Concealer (a big disappointment I'll tell you about another day).  This however, was fabulous.  I will note that since I have dry skin, I have always used this foundation with a primer.  I chose shade Medium (pictured above).

The packaging says that this foundation will give your skin a soft matte glow.  It contains silk, as well as mother of pearl.  It comes out of the tube in a mousse-like consistency (hence the name), and it spreads very smoothly on the skin with a velvety soft finish.  I would say the coverage is medium. I cannot say enough how much I love this foundation!  I tend to stay away from anything with a matte finish, because of my dry skin, but this is matte, yet glowy at the same time, if that's possible.  It has no shimmer whatsoever, but by glowy, I mean airbrushed looking, not dry or cakey.  It diffuses flaws even better than the new PhotoReady line, in my opinion.  If you're thinking of trying it, check to see if your local CVS is having the BOGO sale!  Revlon has so many great products- Colorstay Eyeliner and Colorstay Eyeshadow quads are great buys! 
Some quick tips: 
If you have dry skin, or even just dry patches, you will need to use agood moisturizer and primer with this foundation. 
Since this is a Colorstay product, it dries very quickly, so you will need to blend it fast for best results.  
The first time I used it, it was a little separated coming out of the tube, so I had to shake it up a little first. 
Check out these video reviews for even more tips, tricks and opinions...

Cover Girl Smoky Shadow Blast Review

One of my readers suggested I review Cover Girl's new Smoky Shadow Blast, and I admit, I've been dying for an excuse to try it.  Drew Barrymore's eyes look amazing in all the ads.  
I normally love Cover Girl products, and I really wanted to love this one.  But I can't.  
The idea is great in theory- to get a smoky eye with one double-ended product.  I chose Bronze Fire (pictured) because I figured I have so many grays/silvers/blacks, I just wanted something different. 


Here are the Pros: 
- Convenient
- Glides on smoothly
- Easy to Use
- Decent range of color combos


Now for the Con:
-Does not last...at all.  I applied it before work around 7:30 am- by 9:30 am, all that was left of my smoky eye was a faded base color up near my browbone, and the darker color had folded into a single dark line in the crease.  It barely looked like I had any eye makeup on at all, nevermind a smoky eye.  Even with eye shadow primer, it only lasted a little longer, but not much.


I really love Cover Girl, but I cannot say that I love this product, as much as I wish I could.  I hope they can revamp the formula and make it last longer.  That's my only complaint but unfortunately, it's a biggie. 
Here are a few great video reviews...

New Ion Technology Skincare at your local drugstore!

The skincare world is buzzing about Ion Technology, and the results seem promising. They use an electric microcurrent to stimulate the skin to boost collagen. One of the lines using Ions to achieve younger looking skin is Neutrogena with their Clinical line.  Roc is also getting in on the trend with their Brilliance line as well as Aveeno with Ageless Vitality.
Here's a quote from Neutrogena's website. "Healthy skin naturally restores itself with positively charged ion flow, which facilitates cell-to-cell communication. Dermatologists are now recognizing that as we age, this flow diminishes, leading to a breakdown in collagen that causes skin to lose shape and definition."  The process is achieved by using two products together.  One that contains ion-mineral conductors and the other is an activating moisturizer.  Once combined, they go to work helping your skin to boost collagen.  Sounds cool...but it also sounds kinda scary!

Roc's website states, "It contains E-PULSE^™: a patented micro-current technology inspired by the latest professional procedures and backed by years of research. It uses electrostimulation to bring new life to the look of your skin.
Electrostimulation instantly creates a gentle flow of energy within the surface layers of the skin and stimulates the skin’s natural process for dramatic results.".  

According to Aveeno's website, Ageless Vitality: 

• Reduced appearance of under-eye and
  crow's feet lines
• Diminished sagging around the eyes
• Diminished look of puffiness and dark
  circles
• Increased elasticity
• Restored appearance of upper eyelid folds
• Improved brightness, dark circles and an overall lifted appearance around the eyes

Here are some of the results from Roc and Neutrogena's websites: 

Neutrogena Clinical retails for between $35-$45 on drugstore.com, while Roc Brilliance is $50 for all products.  Aveeno retails for $35.99 for all kits, plus they offer a $15 off coupon on their website as well.
What do you guys think?  Are the prices good?  Does this technology excite you or scare you?  I can't wait to test these out, but in the meantime, I'd love to hear from someone who already has.

TreSemme Fresh Start Dry Shampoo Review

I don't wash my hair every day, because if I do, it gets really dried out. Yesterday, I ended up putting a lot of product in it, and since today wasn't a hairwash day, I woke up late this morning and then realized I had really greasy-looking hair.  So I stopped off at Walgreens on my way in, because I remembered seeing a new dry shampoo by TreSemme, and I figured it would be the perfect thing to review for Frugirl at the same time.
Unlike other dry shampoos, this one is not powdery- it contains mineral clay which absorbs the oil.  I've tried some that leave my roots looking gray, but this one dries clear and sprays clear, like hairspray.  It smells like lemon-lime, which adds freshness to the hair, and isn't sticky at all.  It made my hair much less greasy, and even added some volume. I wouldn't say it looked freshly washed, but it didn't look greasy anymore either.    At $3.99, this is a fantastic buy!

Loreal HIP Jelly Balm Review

So, I've noticed the Loreal Jelly Balms at drugstores, but I could never bring myself to pay $9 for them, because that seems a bit steep for a drugstore product.  But since they were buy one get one free at Walgreens I couldn't resist trying them out.  The reviews on Makeup Alley and Drugstore.com were promising, averaging 4-5 out of 5 stars.  

Jelly Balms come in 4 shades shown in the picture below (clockwise)- Plush, Succulent, Delectable and Ripe.  I chose Plush (pink) and Succulent (a plummy rose) because the Delectable and Ripe (coral and red) seemed too dark for my fair skin tone.

This is my new favorite lip product hands down...and I feel like I've been missing out on something! The color in these is unbelieveable- they have very rich pigment.  Because my lips are very pale in color naturally, I feel like dark colors look clownish on me, and I am always looking for a lip color that enhances my natural lips just a little. The plush gave me the perfect, gorgeous rosy-pink glow that was just a little darker than my lips, and I was surprised because in the jar, it looked very light. The Succulent was a bit darker, and I would wear that one to go out at night.  It's a plummy-rose that is just an amazing color.  Those of you with a darker natural lip color will see more color with this one than with the Plush.

The texture is thicker than a gloss, because it's a balm formula, but it doesn't feel sticky and spreads very smoothly and evenly.  The texture keeps it firmly on the lips, rather than a gloss that slides off after you take one sip of a drink.  This has staying power, and even after the color does wear off, the moisturizing feeling does not.  It makes the lips feel soft and smooth with just the perfect hint of dewiness (it's not super glossy, yet has more shine than traditional lip balms).  Oh, and it smells like vanilla, or maybe it's sugar cookies...  well, whatever it is, it's subtle, yet delicious!  This is going on my favorites page for sure.

Revlon PhotoReady Foundation Review

After trying Revlon's PhotoReady powder, I knew that I had to try the foundation.  It cost $12.99 at Walgreens, considerably less than other HD foundations, such as Make Up For Ever HD, which is $40. 

The first time I used it, I wasn't really a fan. I was in a hurry that morning and I didn't use a primer.  PhotoReady has a pretty thin consistency, and I noticed flakes on my forehead and around my nose right after applying it.  I was so pissed off that my face was flaky and I had to redo my makeup, that I took the foundation right off and used something else.  Needless to say, I was disappointed and I didn't even notice whether the product actually did what it claimed to do. 

The next day, I decided to give it another go using a primer this time.  I applied Loreal's Studio Secrets Primer to my moisturized skin and then added the PhotoReady over it.  Aha, perfection!  It went on smoothly and evenly, and despite it's thin consistency, it covered imperfections very well.  It diffused the light and made my face look really flawless.  Now that I know how to apply it, I am really loving this foundation, and is comparable to the more expensive HD foundations.

People with oilier skin might not have to layer the primer underneath to get a flawless look like I did, but I'd really like to hear from those of you who've used it! 

I've read on other review sites that some people have found this to be glittery...I didn't experience this at all.  It has maybe a slight shimmer in certain light, but it adds a glowy effect that I thought looked really pretty.