Simple - Kind to Skin Refreshing Wash Gel | Review

So Christmas has come and gone and I hope everyone had a nice break and enjoyed whatever time they managed to get off. I actually took a week's vacation from work so luckily I had a lot of time to loaf around and do nothing aside from sleep and eat. It was heavenly.

I did in fact get the Philosophy Purity Cleanser, which I've been using since I got it on Christmas Eve but that will have to go into another review post since I have more pressing matters to discuss!

My mom gave me the Simple - Kind to Skin Refreshing Wash Gel in my stocking because I really enjoy their make-up removing wipes (...maybe that will be another review for another time) and I thought I would give it a go as an every day type of cleanser. BIG MISTAKE.

I was pretty disappointed with it, since I usually really like the Simple products. I'm not a professional when it comes to product ingredients so I typically use the trial and error method when testing things out and I've never had a problem with this brand before, until now.

The Refreshing Wash Gel is a little bizarre to begin with since it's literally a clear, thick gel. It doesn't really lather at all (which annoys me, I don't know why) so it kind of just feels like you're slathering on, well, a thick gel and moving it around on your face! How pleasant...

The smell doesn't bother me since it's pretty faint but it is kind of hard to rinse off, like you really need to rub it off  for your hands/face to feel gel-free. I think as a cleanser it's OK but that's the least of my problems.

My main complaint is that it isn't Kind to Skin at all. If anything, it leaves your skin kind of red! Not all over, but I've noticed places on my face that may have had a blemish or was already a little irritated was only made MORE red and irritated by the Simple cleanser. Not to mention, I suspect it may have caused a small break out on my jaw line...

All in all, I think I'll be throwing it out. I don't think I want to risk ruining all the hard work I've been putting in on my skin (that sounds hilarious when I reread it, but I'm keeping it in!). My advice is if you're interested in the Simple products to stick with the make-up removing wipes. My mom also gave me a sample of their eye make-up remover but I might have to put off testing that for a while until I can block out the memory of their Wash Gel.

Clarisonic Mia 2 : Cleanser Battle

Yesterday I mentioned that I've been using the Clarisonic Mia 2 since around mid-September and that I was looking to get my hands on the Philosophy Purity Made Simple cleanser to use with it since I've heard they're a good combination.

Since getting the Clarisonic I've used two different cleansers with it, each with varying results. 

The first was kind of a staple for me, the Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash in Pink Grapefruit. I have acne prone skin but I can usually keep it under control without many problems and I feel like the Neutrogena cleanser was really helpful with that. By the time I got the Clarisonic I was probably on my fourth bottle. 

I can only assume since the cleanser is already a little strong due to the salicylic acid that when combined with the Clarisonic it goes into over drive! The Clarisonic is continuously exfoliating whenever it lands so I probably should have figured that a gentler cleanser should have been the way to go. My normal-oily skin suddenly had huge dry patches and was sometimes red and itchy - not a good look, to say the least. 

The second was also a bit of a classic product for me, the Aveeno Clear Complexion Foaming Cleanser. My mom bought this for me years and years ago and I've pretty much stayed true to it with a little wavering once in a while. I find it a lot gentler and I like that it doesn't give you that "tight" feeling after you've toweled off. 

I've been using the Aveeno with the Clarisonic for the last month now and I've gotten some decent results. I feel like since it's gentle to begin with, the product just works better since the Clarisonic is allowing it to work further than it normally would. So overall I can't complain. 

BUT that doesn't mean I'm not going to seek out something even better. I've read a lot of reviews for the Clarisonic and everyone seems to say it works well but once you find the right cleanser to use with it then it REALLY works well. 

The Clarisonic itself is a really great product. I mean, it's basically a machine for your face! The texture of my skin has improved and I do think it helps with blackheads a little, I have a few around my nose and I've noticed they've gone way down. A lot of reviews have also mentioned that they experienced sort of a "purging" period with their skin during the first few weeks they started using it where their skin went all kinds of crazy. I can't say I experienced anything like that but I guess I can see why you would. Aside for the random blemish here and there, I think it's been doing a really great job and I would definitely recommend it. I would recommend it even more if you can get it as a gift! 

Christmas Wishlist 2012 : Beauty Edition

I'm feeling quite UN-glamorous today. Why is it that when someone else in your house is sick and you're not you still subconsciously react as if you're sick too? Is that just me? My husband has been laying around all day due to a cold and I'm been shuffling around as if I am too. What the hell is happening  Some doctor's need to look into this or something.

Anyways, I thought instead of sitting around wallowing in my pseudo-sickness I should instead write my Christmas list. These are all actual things I'm asking for, some I've tried before and some I haven't. If I'm good I may even receive a few of them!

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair: Since I update this blog so infrequently it would appear to the average reader that I just bought this product not long ago. But through the magic of the Internet (or my being lazy) I've used up that bottle of ANR a loooong time ago and my skin has been dreaming of it's return. This is truly a great product and as much as I do think it's worth the price tag (somewhere in the ballpark of $75 CND) it's hard for me to justify on a regular basis. But buying overpriced things is what Christmas is FOR, right? Right??

M.A.C. Mineralize Skinfinish Natural: I probably go through one of these once or twice a year and I always go back to them. Considering I use it over my foundation everyday (sometimes even twice a day) I think the MSF has a wickedly long life span and I've yet to find something even close to similar. The finish is..obviously as per the name, really natural looking but forgoes that "dewy" or as I like to call it "shiny as a mofo" finish. Thank god.

Philosophy Purity Made Simple Cleanser: My birthday was in September and I was really spoiled and got the Clarisonic Mia 2. It was something I had wanted for a dog's age and my husband remembered after my having mentioned it once, like a year ago and bought it for me as a surprise. Since then the Clarisonic and I have been BFFs. I'll probably do a separate review of it and the cleanser I've currently been using with it another time. Anyways, anytime I look up good cleansers to use with it, the Purity Made Simple keeps coming up. Philosophy as a brand is kind of foreign to me in general (I think I have one of their lip glosses) but by the sounds of things I think their cleanser would work really well for me.

I think that's about it for my Christmas list. I may also add a M.A.C #217 and #239 brush on there too, but we'll see how it goes. Is it sad that I'm basically only asking for beauty products? I didn't think so either.