Freeman's Clay Masks | The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

About a year ago I became obsessed with face masks. I don't know how it happened but suddenly I couldn't resist the need to have drying clay tightening on my face. I started small...and by small I mean cheap.

So where does one go when they want to experiment with their skin on the cheap? Walmart, of course. I ended up buying 3 of the Freeman's clay masks and really, how can you go wrong paying $4.50 for 6.0 oz?! I'm not kidding, these tubes are HUGE. Plus they have a ton of different types to choose from depending on what your skin needs and from what I can tell they're constantly coming out with new types - so it was pretty easy for me to justify buying them.

So let's review the Good, the Bad and the Ugly of these 3, shall we?

The Good #1: Avocado & Oatmeal Clay Mask - 7/10

The website describes this mask as a creamy clay mask with avocado and oatmeal which purifies and nourishes for soft skin. I do have to agree that once taken off, this mask does leave your skin feeling super soft. While it doesn't have any exfoliating or acne-fighting properties, due to its added avocado oil it's definitely a moisturising mask and that's fairly obvious once its washed off and even through to the next day. I do have to say that I don't particularly enjoy the smell, it isn't overpowering or anything but I've never been a big fan of the smell of avocados in the first place. For $4.50 though, this is a good deal and was a big help for my skin during the Winter months when my skin felt tight and dry.

The Also Good #2: Mint & Lemon Clay Mask - 8/10

By now I hope we're all aware of how much I enjoy products that smell good and this mask really does! It's described as a "cool and crisp" mask which I can get behind. It certainly has a bit of a cooling effect on the skin which is nice since this mask is targeted for reducing oil and breakouts and a lot of the time similar products which target those problems tend to be kind of harsh and irritating, so thankfully the Mint & Lemon mask isn't like that. It does have Bentonite as its second ingredient which is an absorbent clay, so this makes me feel better in the sense that we're not all being duped by the packaging and it's actually doing what it says it does...I hope. Obviously this is a good one for the Summer and early Spring when all of our faces tend to be a little shinier but I've used it year-round and still really enjoyed it. It's my favourite of the 3 that I've tried so far.

The Bad AND the Ugly #3: Chocolate & Strawberry Clay Mask - 1/10

OH GOD, I don't know what went wrong with this one but whatever it was I had to throw it out after using it once. This mask is supposed to tone the skin, absorb oil and mositurize. It contains both Shea and cocoa butter which usually I'm not irritated by but something about this Chocolate & Strawberry mask went horribly wrong. It gave me a blotchy red rash all over MY ENTIRE FACE! In the realm of rashes, the face is probably the last place you want a rash...on second thought...moving on!

I gave this a 1 out of 10 simply because this mask smells really good. If this scent came in candle form I would buy it in a heartbeat but other than the smell this mask was a total nightmare for me. First of all, it burned. It burned the second I put it on and continued to do so until I couldn't handle it any more a minute or two later when I gave up and furiously washed it off. Then the rash - it focused mostly on the perimeter of my face (weird?), such as my forehead, cheeks and jaw. THEN it proceeded to turn those places into itchy dry patches! It marked me, I tell you! For 2-3 days after that horrific experience I was still mocked by that stupid mask every time I looked in the mirror. Chocolate and strawberries have never done me wrong before, I don't know what I did to anger them so.

Even though that last mask what a total shit-show I'm still pretty eager to try out more of what the Freeman's Beauty line has to offer. I'm still working through the first two (like I said, they're HUGE) and I also picked up a clay mask from Origins back in September that I need to finish - but once those are done I'm definitely trying out of of their peel-off masks. They have a Sweet Tea & Lemon peel-off as well as a Cucumber one. But what I really want to get my hands on is their Charcoal & Black Sugar Polishing Mask and see if it has any similarities to the Origins one I'm using now.

Anyway, I hope this was fun for all of you and maybe you'll check out this brand the next time you're in Walmart. But whatever you do, just remember, chocolate and strawberry are for eating not for smearing on our faces or you too may feel their wrath like I did.

Clinique Moisture Surge Overnight Mask | HG Status

So I'm bad at keeping up on blogs, what can I say?

What I CAN say is that I have a much needed review of the Clinique Moisture Surge Overnight Mask which I bought on Boxing Day 2013 and I'm still using it. I'm not even joking, this shit is for real, y'all. Plus it's not even like I use it once a week, I use it almost everyday.

Clinique deems this to be an "overnight mask" as the title suggests but it's really just a glorified moisturiser and boy is it glorious. For a long time I felt like I was doing reviews on things that I really didn't like but this time we've struck gold!

I don't have dry skin but I do believe my skin gets dehydrated fairly often and Clinique's Overnight Mask is a real life saver. I use this almost exclusively at night before I go to sleep and depending on what my skin feels like is how I determine how much of this I use. On regular days I'll use your average amount of moisturiser although in this case a little really does go a long way (hence why I'm still using the same tube almost 1.5 YEARS LATER!).
                                             

I sort of bought this product on a whim and after researching it (the "mask" definition confused me at first), not only does it have nearly 5 star reviews across the board and works for all skin types, I also discovered a little trick for when your skin is having an exceptional "blah" day. Well, perhaps its not a great trick but ANYWAY after you use the moisturiser like you normally would - give it a second to sink in - and then go in with a second layer patted over top. Normally doing something like this just leaves my face feeling gross but not with this stuff. It's like it works double-duty and the next morning my face feels like it just got the softest collagen injections known to man.

Like I said, I've been using this for well over a year and I wanted to mention that I've been using it consistently throughout the change of seasons and haven't noticed any differences as far as dryness or over-saturation goes. I feel like this is important because I HATE having to buy things depending on the season, I have to do this with my foundations and it annoys me to no end. But in the case of the Clinque Moisture Surge Overnight Mask, it really is a perfect all-rounder. 

Just to cover our basics, the size I have is 3.4 oz (which I believe is the biggest size?), is oil-free and retails for $39.00 on Sephora. At the same time I also bought the Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm which is also amazing.

So with all that said I give this product a definite 10/10. We've hit the holy grail, people!

The Body Shop - Brazil Nut Scrub | Review

I would definitely consider myself more of a makeup person than a hair or body care person. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love a good body lotion or hair dryer (both reviews coming soon!) as much as the next person, but makeup is really where I put my time and effort...and money, of course. So it was a little out of the ordinary for me to drop almost $80 on a Body Shop online order.

If you're anything like me, you get a million emails a day from every retailer who's somehow managed to get a hold of your email; The Body Shop being one of them. But for some reason I haven't unsubscribed from them (you CAN unsubscribe from those pesky emails in case you didn't know!) and I suppose it's because I really do like The Body Shop's products and although I had never ordered from them before, you just never know!

A few months ago they sent out an email saying that everything online was 40% off...in my mind I read it as "Everything online is ALMOST 50% off!" and away I went.

One of the things I put into my cart was their "limited edition" Brazil Nut body scrub. Now, I'm not a huge body scrub user...I like a nice loofah (I also happen to use one from the Body Shop and it's amazing and lather-y) and they seem to do the trick. Although once in a while I like to use a scrub whether it be for a real "deep skin clean" or because I haven't shaved my legs in a while (usually the latter), I like to have one on hand.

The first thing that struck me about the Brazil Nut scrub is the smell. It smells HEAVENLY. I really, truly wish I could share the smell of this stuff through the screen with you. If you like nutty scents like I do, you will enjoy this. If you like rich food scents in general, you will enjoy this. Sometimes I find myself just opening the little tub and taking a nice long whiff even if I'm not using it. I definitely plan on buying a few more Brazil nut scented products from The Body Shop! So yeah, it's that good.

Another thing I like about this is that it's not really gritty. Obviously, it's a scrub so it is a little gritty but not overly. It has a light "grit" in it, if that makes sense, as well as some scattered heavier "grit" in the form of crushed Brazil nut shells.

The only thing that is only SLIGHTLY annoying about the Brazil Nut scrub is that when you wash it off the Brazil nut shell pieces sort of linger on the bottom of the tub...but that's nothing a little kick of water in the direction of the drain can't rectify. That's it, that's my only con about this scrub and I was really reaching there...

Overall I'd rate The Body Shop's Brazil Nut scrub a solid 9.5/10.

What's you're favourite body scrub? Or even your favourite Body Shop scent! I picked up quite a few things from The Body Shop so I'll probably review a few more in the coming weeks.

Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm | Review

Sometimes you just need to take your skin care back to basics, you know? I feel like most of the skin care products I use on a regular basis are either really strong and harsh, really fragranced or really abrasive. Most of those products are OK to use on an as-needed basis but their directions will encourage you to use them everyday, sometimes twice a day!

After Christmas my skin was going crazy. It's usually on the oiler side of things (a burden in the summertime but a blessing in the the colder months) but it became dry and irritated and was breaking out and no my usual arsenal wasn't making the cut.

I remembered that when I was in high school I used to use Clinique's Dramatically Different moisturizer, which a lot of us are familiar with I'm sure; with its bright yellow colour and boxy packaging. While looking back on it, I probably needed something a little more moisturizing although the thing that I remember most is appreciating how gentle it was.

So on Boxing Day I did I quick buy and dash at The Bay (yes, I was one of the crazy people who went to the mall on Boxing Day but my husband was circling the parking lot waiting for me!) and picked up a couple things from Clinique. One of them being their Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm.

I'd been hearing a lot about these "cleansing balms"; a couple of brands do them and they'd always piqued my interest. But the whole idea of using a "balm" on my face sort of freaked me out and made me wonder, how good of a cleanser could they really be? Well the answer is: AMAZING!

First of all, Clinique's cleansing balm comes in a huge pot and you hardly need to use any at all so it'll last forever. Also, it's totally fragrance-free, not one iota of scent can be found in this product.

You're meant to massage a pea sized amount (and I seriously mean a pea sized amount - and not even a big pea) onto your dry skin and it literally melts away any make up, including mascara. I normally take off my eye make-up with Bioderma but I tested it without having taken off my eye make-up first and while it took an extra 20 seconds, the Take the Day Off balm definitely did its job.

The entire process is really enjoyable and to be honest I actually look forward to taking off my make-at night just because I get to use the Clinque balm. After washing it all away (it doesn't leave a trace of any stickiness or gross film) your skin feels really moisturized and like you've added something good into it. In short, it's just awesome. The price isn't too cringe-worthy, I think I paid $35.00 for it and because I know it'll last a long time and I am definitely forking over another $35.00 to have this in my life when it eventually runs out.

I've been using it for over a month now and I haven't had any issues with irritation. Normally I would have had at least one break out by now and other than a random blemish here or there I'm seriously impressed. So if you were considering picking up this product I would say - don't think - run and buy it.

Rating: Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm 10/10 (I think that's the best rating I've even given!)

Caudalie Beauty Elixir | Over the Moon or Overrated?

I might be a little bit late jumping on the Caudalie Beauty Elixir bandwagon but I tend to purchase things at a turtle's pace. 

I bought the much talked about Beauty Elixir/Toner/Makeup Setting Spray/Apparently Does Everything But Cook Your Food back in January on a whim. I was picking up a replacement brush head for my Clarisonic and the Caudalie section was lit up like a sparkling earthy beacon just a foot away. 

Like most people who follow beauty blogs and Youtube channels, all everyone heard about for the last 6 months was Caudalie Beauty Elixir, this - It's so refreeeeshing, that! And like most people, I was sucked in. Especially after seeing a video with the Queen herself Lisa Eldridge raving about how much she loved it. 

I bought the little mini bottle instead of the full size in case I didn't end up liking it and also because the mini bottle itself is pretty expensive for what it is. I don't remember how much exactly but it was over $20. 

It's probably a good thing too since the product itself ended up being a real miss for me. I think the concept is nice and I think it's marketed itself quite well too as an all-natural do-it-all face spray. I've heard a lot of comparisons to the MAC Fix+ as well, but I've never tried it so I can't say anything to that. 

In all honesty, I didn't find it worked as a makeup refresher since it actually felt really drying on my skin. It basically evaporates as soon as it's sprayed and I'm convinced it was leaving my skin quite dry. 

Not to mention for an all natural product, it really stung my eyes. Not that I was spraying it with my eyes open but once I did open my eyes it felt like the scent lingered in front of them and irritated the crap out of them similar to that feeling you get when you breathe in Vicks Vapor Rub. And that's another thing: the scent!

So many people talked about how much they enjoyed the smell of the Caudalie Beauty Elixir but I am not one of them. I can't really explain what it smells like, the best I can come up with is peppermint and wet leaves. Mmmm refreshing. But then again, that's just my opinion, clearly mostly everytone else in the world absolutely loves this stuff. 

I would definitely be interested in trying some of their other products because they really do talk a good game. But the Beauty Elixir is something I'm going to leave to the professionals. 

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.

Clarins Lotus Face Treatment Oil | Review

As long promised I said I would review the Clarins Lotus Face Treatment Oil; I've probably had a good 2 months to decide if I like it or not and the verdict is good! 

There's a couple of different ways you can use this depending on what your skin needs. First and foremost, like Estee Lauder's ANR, it's meant to be used at night leaving ample time to sink in while you sleep. 

I've been dabbling with both methods, the first being straight on it's own (I put 3 drops on my fingertips and massage them onto my face) and the second being mixing 2-3 drops in with your regular moisturizer. I've been doing the latter if I feel like my skin isn't too parched. 

The Lotus Face Oil is meant for oily to normal skin from my understanding and I suppose the whole theory behind it is that by putting oil onto your skin (Yes! Oil on the skin! What a concept!) make your skin produce LESS of its own natural oils - leaving you less shiny. 

That's a pretty big statement for Clarins to make. 

Has it resolved all of my shiny problems? No. Has is significantly reduced them? Yeah, definitely. Keep in mind, I also use a mattifying foundation but even still, I feel like the Lotus Face Oil makes a big difference. 

I've never tried anything like this before so I wasn't sure what to expect. One thing's for sure, as a straight up moisturizer, it's really good! I don't think there's ever been a time when my (oily, mind you) skin didn't feel "tight" and kind of dry. The Lotus Face Oil has totally remedied that, so that in itself is pretty satisfying. 

It also leaves your skin feeling reeeeally soft, so that's another plus. 

The bottle isn't enormous and at $50CND it seems pretty steep; BUT considering it's been 2 months and I've barely made a dent in it, I think it's safe to say you would only need to buy one bottle a year IF that. 

This is my first experience with Clarins products and so far I'm impressed! I think I might have to look into some of their other skincare products if they deliver the same results. 

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair - Worth the Cost?

I realized yesterday that I like to blog about a lot of different things but lately the only things I've been interested in posting about is products! It felt odd posting all of those things on my other blog, so I've transferred those posts to this; my new blog. Beauty Nouvelle.

Anyways, I've decided I might try to start posting a little more regularly (but not suuper regularly, keeping my standards low) so let's see how it goes!

Something I've been a little been obsessed with lately comes in the form of a luxury item you could say, and I'm actually really glad I picked it up. The item in question is Estee Lauder's Advance Night Repair (ANR) Serum (Haha, I actually just wrote "sperm" instead of serum...take that how you will).

It's no secret I'm a huge make up enthusiast, so I'm definitely no stranger to this product. I've never owned it in it's full size version before, mostly because I could never be bothered to fork over the dough to cover its hefty price tag. But I've gotten this as a sample probably a half dozen times when Estee Lauder run their GWP (gift with purchase) promotions (actually, their GWP might still be going on now, it was last week when I picked this up!). Anyways, like I said, I've gotten a bunch of samples of this but I was always a little bit unsure how you're supposed to use it. Is it a moisturizer? A serum? How does one even use a serum of this nature? To Youtube I went! Apparently I was using it incorrectly all this time and it's actually to be used after you cleanse and before you moisturizer at night before bed (it's meant as a night time thing while you sleep).

So it's been a little over a week since I've been using this (correctly, I might add) and I've actually noticed a good deal of difference in my skin! Which is surprising, I'm usually quite skeptical about these things, but this has actually worked really well for me.

I've noticed my skin has become a lot more even (and considering it's only been under two weeks, that's quite an improvement, I'm looking forward to seeing it pan out after a month or so) and my skin is reeeeally soft. As far as acne goes, my skin's clearer but I can't say for sure whether that's due to the ANR or I might just be having a good week...

I've even gotten compliments from a couple girls at work! The first thing my work friend who I hadn't seen in a few days said upon seeing me was "Your skin looks so even!" ... now that I think about it, that's kind of an odd thing to say, but she also works for Elizabeth Arden so I'm trusting her! Haha

All in all, I'm frankly quite impressed with Estee Lauder's ANR already. If all goes well by the time my bottle runs empty, I would definitely repurchase this, even though I'll cry for my bank account while doing it.