Blemish Control and Concealing! (Review)

Hi all! Sorry for the hiatus, I've had some personal tragedies and haven't wanted to post much. I may address it in another non-beauty related blog post. That being said, I'm back to review three new products I've been testing out, one facial wash, one moisturizer, and one foundation! Those of us with acne prone skin know that with acne, especially cystic acne like I experience from time to time, comes blemishes and hyperpigmentation...annoying right? Well, I've been trying products to help control and minimize the appearance of my acne scars, and so far I love them, so I decided to come share! I won't ramble on. Here's the review of each product. Enjoy!

1. Neutrogena Visibly Even Foaming Cleanser (Target, $5.89) - This is a new product from Neutrogena. I hadn't heard anything about it so I decided to be a guinea pig and try it out. I absolutely love this product. I've been using it for about 2 1/2 weeks, and my dark spots have lightened up significantly. My skin tone is also more even overall. It smells fresh and clean, cleans makeup off well, and has even helped to cut down on new breakouts because of the deep clean it gives. The only thing I dislike is how it burns the eyes a bit. 9/10

2. Ambi Even & Clear Daily Moisturizer, SPF 30 (Target, $11.29) - I was hesitant to get this, because I hate buying products that cost more than $10 lol, but I have not been disappointed. This moisturizer is lightweight and non-greasy, a common problem with moisturizers with SPF, and doesn't have much of a smell, perfect for people with sensitive noses. In addition, it has prevented my hyperpigmentation from darkening, unlike the SPF 15 moisturizer that I was using previously for daytime. The price is my only gripe. 8/10

3. Revlon 24 Hour Colorstay Makeup for Combination/Oily Skin (Target, $9.99) - I've had my eye on Revlon Colorstay for quite some time, and I finally decided to take the plunge and try it out. This foundation applies and blends beautifully, whether you're using a sponge, brush, or even your fingertips. It dries fast, but gives ample time for blending. And yes, it really does last 24 hours and beyond! After accidentally falling asleep in it a few times (and it didn't break me out either) and awakening, the foundation was still in place and looked great! It also doesn't rub off or transfer easily, so don't be afraid to hug a friend :). I do, however, recommend using a toner or astringent (depending on your skin's needs) after washing this off, just to get it all off. It can be a bit stubborn once it settles onto skin. Also, I don't have to use a concealer with this! The coverage is opaque without being caky. The wide range of colors is also a huge bonus! 9/10


Hope this review helps, especially for those of you with hyperpigmentation and acne scarring like me. If you try any of them out, please let me know how you like them! Your opinions and feedback on the items I post and talk about here are always welcome! If you have any budget beauty products that you would like for me to review (makeup, skin care, hair care, and related items), please send your request to me at lindsi.green@gmail.com. Looking forward to hearing from you! ;)

Beauty Product Fails! (For me at least...)

Hey y'all! I'm back with another post. Have you ever been really excited to try a beauty product and been disappointed in its performance once you finally got it? Chances are you have. It may not be that the product is a fail overall, but you just know that is isn't for you. In this post I'll talk about four beauty products that I was really excited about initially but less than pleased with once I finally bought and was able to use them. Every product isn't for everybody. Thank goodness we have such a vast variety of beauty products to choose from ;). This isn't a review, just my general feelings on these four products. As a disclaimer (though it's probably not needed), every product I review has been purchased with my own money, not sponsored.

1. Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisturizer (with SPF 15) - This is the greasiest feeling moisturizer I've ever used. Even underneath the best mattifying primer, this stuff makes my skin so oily and slides my foundation and concealer all over the place. This type of formula may work well with dry skin or combination skin, but it's horrible with my super oily skin. I will not buy this product again unless they change the formula.

2. Wet n Wild Megalength Mascara - The only thing this mascara lengthened was the time it took for me to put on my mascara. It separates lashes very well and doesn't clump, but it doesn't lengthen my lashes at all.

3. Black Radiance Complexion Perfection Under Eye Concealer - The color is perfect, but this concealer creases like nobody's business, regardless of what I set it with or how well I blend it. I have fine lines underneath my eyes, and the concealer settles in and then disappears a few hours later. I've tried setting this concealer every way I know how, but to no avail.

4. Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream - All I can say about this product is "ugh". I initially tried it out over a year ago and gave it a decent review, but the more time passed the less I liked it. If you have oily skin, I do not recommend this BB cream. I've set it with every mattifying powder that I own and also have used mattifying primer before putting it on, but it still turns into an oily, oxidized mess. For those who aren't familiar with the term, oxidation is when your makeup changes to a reddish, orange, or yellow (for fairer skinned women) color on your skin due to chemical reactions from being on your skin.



If you have any budget beauty products that you would like for me to review (makeup, skin care, hair care, and related items), please send your request to me at lindsi.green@gmail.com. Looking forward to hearing from you! ;)

Aveeno Clear Complexion Cream Cleanser and Daily Moisturizer Review

Hey all! I'm back with a review of 2 of the new products I have tried out in the past month. About two weeks ago, I posted on my Instagram that I was going to try out the new Aveeno Clear Complexion Cleanser and Moisturizer and do a review, so here it is! I usually wait until I've been using a product for about 2 weeks before I do a review, and it's just shy of a day so I think it's appropriate to do so now. I purchased them in a set for $6.00 at Walmart (which is an awesome deal considering the individual prices which I will list below). In the review of each product I will list the price, pros and cons, overall opinion, and rate it between 1-10 (1 = completely awful, 10 = completely awesome!). Just as a disclaimer, I purchased all the products I have reviewed thus far with my own money. I was not sent any products to review or sponsored by the companies. Hope you will find this helpful!

1. Aveeno Clear Complexion Cream Cleanser (5 oz.), $6.99 (Aveeno.com)

Site Description: "This creamy cleanser gently exfoliates while helping treat and prevent blemishes and breakouts with salicylic acid, a proven acne fighting ingredient, without overdrying. The ACTIVE NATURALS® moisture-rich soy formula helps visibly improve skin tone and texture, for healthier-looking skin. Oil free, hypoallergenic, noncomedogenic and gentle enough to use every day."

Pros: Light, non-offensive smell, exfoliates gently, softens skin

Cons: Doesn't completely clean face, does not remove dark spots/blemishes

Overall: Eh, I must say I'm underwhelmed by this cleanser. When I read the description, I was under the impression that it would be more of a cream, but the texture is more true to that of a product that is exclusively an exfoliant. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but the name "Cream Cleanser" is a bit misleading in my opinion. This product also does NOT completely clean your face, especially if you're washing makeup off. I found that I had to run a washcloth over my skin to completely remove the makeup from my face when washing it with this product, which has usually not been the case with any other cream cleanser I've used of any other brand. I have noticed that it has prevented new blemishes from popping up, but as far as my old blemishes are concerned, they have not lightened or improved in any way. The texture of my skin has improved, and I have not had to use a separate exfoliant due to the exfoliating properties of this cleanser, so that is convenient. I give this product a 5 out of 10. 

2. Aveeno Clear Complexion Daily Moisturizer (4 fl oz.), $16.99 (Aveeno.com)

Site Description: "This unique, skin-nourishing daily moisturizer harnesses the power of ACTIVE NATURALS® Total Soy Complex and salicylic acid to help clear up blemishes and improve the health of your complexion. This oil-free formula, with a proven acne-fighting ingredient, clears and helps prevent breakouts, and helps even out skin tone. Oil free, hypoallergenic, noncomedogenic, and gentle enough to use every day."

Pros: Helps control oily skin, does not clog pores, assists in preventing new breakouts

Cons: VERY strong and lingering smell, can feel heavy on skin, does not contain any SPF to prevent premature aging and darkening of blemishes

Overall: I have a love/hate relationship with this moisturizer. The smell is strong, entirely too strong. My nose wrinkles before I even get the stuff onto my face. Also, considering the fact that it is supposed to help clear blemishes, I would think that it would contain at least SPF 15 (which prevents darkening of blemishes and hyperpigmentation due to sun exposure), but I digress. The moisturizer also "sits" on the skin, meaning that when I wash it off of my face at night, I smell it. I also have not noticed any lightening of the blemishes that I already have, but new ones have been prevented. It has also helped greatly with controlling my oily skin (along with NYX's Shine Killer which I will discuss in another post) and I absolutely love that. I have also noticed that it is helping prevent new breakouts, which is a great thing. The amount of pros and cons are the same, hence, the love/hate relationship. However, due to the fact that it is helping with breakouts and oil control, I rate this product a 6 out of 10.

That's all! Hope that I didn't ramble on too much, but I wanted to be thorough in my explanation and opinion of the products. If you try them out, please feel free to let me know if they worked better for you than for me! If you have any budget beauty products that you would like for me to review (makeup, skin care, hair care, and related items), please send your request to me at lindsi.green@gmail.com. Looking forward to hearing from you! ;)