Review! Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare - Extra Strength Alpha Beta Face Peel

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare - Extra Strength Alpha Beta Face Peel is expensive stuff.  But, they did two things very right:

1 - They made a product that freaking works!
2 - They offer a really decently sized trial package, so you can see just how well it works before plunking down a chunk of change for the stuff.

Before:

After 3 uses:

After 4th use.  The first three uses were consecutive nights, then I waited a week, then I waited two days to take the final photos.

Granted, in the photos, it doesn't look like a whole lot of change.  Keep in mind that I used a very high resolution for these pictures, so you get to see me in all my flawed glory.  It did fade some of my dark spots, but the real change happened with my pore size, blackheads, and skin radiance.  

I can finally feel confident again not wearing makeup.  Is my skin perfect yet?  No.  Do I plan on buying more of these and seeing just how far these little things can take me?  You can bet your blush brush I am!

This peel is incredibly easy to use.  In the package of 5 treatments, each treatment is individually packaged.  I like that, because I don't have to worry about the pads drying out.  I'm not sure if the bigger sizes are individually done, but if they aren't, I would recommend sticking to the sizes that are.  You don't use these every day.  I used them for three nights in a row, and on the third night, I experienced considerable stinging, nearly burning feeling.  It wasn't bad enough for me to abandon the process, but it did tell me that my face didn't need the treatment so often.

That said, I would not recommend this for sensitive skin.  If you really want to try it, okey-dokey, but you've been warned.

So, all you do is open the first packet, and rub the little wipe all over your face and neck, using small circular motions.  Keep doing that until the wipe feels mostly dry.  Then, wait two minutes.  Open the second packet, and do the same thing with that wipe.  This will initially make your face sting more, but it is supposed to be neutralizing the first product.  Afterwards, do not wash your face, and do not use products that contain alcohol.  Wear sunscreen for at least a week after one treatment (if you don't already use one, get one).

I highly recommend getting the little 5-pack and trying this stuff out.  It is going to be a permanent addition to my beauty routine.

Review! Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Blush in Splendor

Today I'm taking a look at Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Blush in Splendor.  I don't see it on Tarte's website anymore, which has me a bit baffled, as I bought it not too long ago.

I hate powder blushes.  I hate how they get cakey.  I hate how they take away the dewy look of my makeup.

Well, I don't know what the heck Tarte did, but this blush is AWESOME!  Yes, it is a powder, but it blends so seamlessly, without any caking or powdery residue, that it looks completely natural.  It does have big flakes of mica in it, which I am not sure what the point of that is, but those flakes don't stick to the cheek.  There is also small gold glitter in it, but very little of that sticks, either.  It makes the blush look prettier in the pan, but other than that, I'm not sure what the point of it is.

I look forward to trying other blushes from this line.

Review! Buxom Divine Goddess Luminizer

Buxom  Divine Goddess Luminizer... I love this!  I have been adding it to my tinted moisturizer to add illumination and extra "dewiness" to my look.  One word of warning; it contains mint oil.  DO NOT get this in your eye.  It's not exactly painful, but it sure isn't pleasant.  The minty-cool-burning sensation wears off after about two minutes... but holy moley, those are REALLY LONG two minutes.

Hand Swatch, dot:

Hand Swatch, smoothed around a bit:

Hand Swatch, blended:

You'll notice that once it is blended it, it doesn't go crazy with flash photography.  It's currently $28 and is only available through Sephora.  After I ran out of my Laura Mercier Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer, I started looking for something similar to buy; not because I really wanted to switch brands (I love the Laura Mercier Illuminated Tinted Moisturizer.  Love.), but because I review stuff, so I have to get new stuff.  I got this Luminizer as part of a little kit, and added it to my regular foundations, BB Creams, and tinted moisturizers, and it works with all of them! 

Because this can be added to many different foundations to change to finish of the foundation, I highly recommend trying this out.  You can get a free sample at any Sephora just by asking for it, so you can try it out before committing to the full-sized tube.  It only comes in the one shade, and while they say it works for all skin tones,  I'm leery of any claims of "one-size-fits-all".  Also, you might not like the mint oil in it.  So, again, get a sample if you can.

Review! Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara

Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara is definitely making it to the final rounds of my mascara selection tests.  It has a large spoolie wand, which I love.  It goes on smoothly without any clumps or sticking together, and adding a second or third coat isn't very fiddley, so I can get a very dramatic look quite easily.  In my photos here, there is only one coat.  It does seem to add length with additional (more than one) coats, and it also builds volume (which I expect from any mascara).  I really like how I can put on one coat for running errands on the weekend, two coats for workdays, and three or more coats for social occasions.  I love it when one product can easily get me through several functions.  This mascara is not waterproof, which I love because it washes of easily without pulling out any of my eyelashes.  I did not experience any running or smudging, unless I started rubbing at my eyes (which I do not usually do).

To note, my eyelashes are naturally very light, with blond (almost clear) tips.  Adding any mascara changes their look dramatically.


Before and After:

Before and After:

 

Review! Lancome Hypnose Drama Mascara

Lancome Hypnose Drama Mascara didn't really deliver.  Fresh out of the tube, it was clumpy.  My lashes stuck together, and it took quite a bit of fiddling around to make it look decent.  I didn't feel that it added any length, and it only added the amount of volume that I would expect any mascara to add.  I did like the plush applicator wand.

Note that my eyelashes are very lightly colored, and the tips are very blond.  You can't see them without mascara on them, so adding mascara is a very dramatic change to my appearance, just because you can suddenly see my lash length.

Before and After:

Before and After:

Overall,  I wouldn't re-purchase this mascara.

Review! MAC Lustreglass in Love Nectar

MAC Lustreglass in Love Nectar is on today's review menu.  A full size tube of this is 0.17 ounces, and costs $15.  MAC calls it an "ultra-soft apricot with pearl".

MAC says:

Two high-powered effects - Lustre and Glass - in one new lip finish. This amazing ornamental finish shines the lips with hi-shine overlaid with various tones of pearlized glaze. Beyond sexy. Transcends all known shine.

Hand Swatch:

Before:

After:

This gloss' tint matches my lip's overtones (the light peachy-pink color) exactly.  In regular photos, it just looks like a pretty, even toned gloss.  What you can't see, is the depth and all the layers of... stuff... they have in there.  The undertone is that peachy-pink, but there is also a pink pearl sheen (which is very close to my mid-tone lip color), and teeny-tiny flecks of gold glitter.  However, with one layer of application, I didn't get that look.  It just looked like clear gloss on me, because the undertone and overtone matches my overtone and midtone, respectively.  After another coat, it started to gain some depth, and when I really piled it on, the color started getting really cool looking. 

BUT.  Who the heck is going to be looking at my lips from 3 inches away to see all those neat effects?  Not many people, I can tell you that.  My man certainly could do without the lip goop, and my little girls... well, they just start asking for more kisses to that they can wear it, too.  I'm totally on to them.

Anyway, it's pretty, and I'll wear it, but I probably won't re-purchase it.  It takes too much product to get the "lustre" and "glass" effects.  It lasts an hour or two. 

Review! Benefit FakeUp Hydrating Crease-Control Concealer

I received a sample of Benefit's FakeUp with a recent Sephora purchase.

Benefit's website says:
Cover-up goes incognito! This hydrating crease-control concealer - with Vitamin E & apple seed extract - hides dark circles & diffuses fine lines for a silky smooth, ultra-natural look. Available in three shades, it’s proven to keep skin hydrated for 6 hours!

First, I tried the Light shade.  I didn't like it because it was too light, and seemed to accentuate my undereye circles. 

Before:

After:

Yes, it moisturized, and yes, it looks pretty darn good in photos, but in person, I had that "reverse raccoon" effect going on.  It is worth noting that this concealer photographs extremely well.  My lighting changed, but otherwise, the FakeUp is the only difference between the two photos.  I tried the sample several times (using tape to re-seal the blister pack), and just didn't like it.

I was about to just toss the rest of the sample in the trash, but thought I'd give the Medium shade a try just for giggles.  Whoa, Nelly.

Before:

After:

Other than the FakeUp, the only difference of the two is some mascara and I filled in my eyebrows.  I was taking these shots for a different reason, and only realized afterwards the difference the FakeUp made.

The Good:
-Photographs beautifully.
-Moisturizes very nicely, it reminds me of my almond oil.
-The Medium shade blends my undereye area perfectly to the color of the skin on my cheek.
-This concealer works well to help achieve a "dewy" look, if you don't use setting powder.
-Re-applying mid-day plumps the skin back up, helping me look more awake and radiant.

The Bad:
-It does not last all day without a setting powder.  If you use a setting powder, you cannot easily re-apply it, because trying to put something liquidy over something powdery turns into a cakey mess.
 -It costs $24 a tube.  After just reviewing 3 concealers that were all under $8, that's a bit hard to swallow.
-This only comes in three shades. 

Overall, I like this concealer.  It works very well when I wear a tinted moisturizer, and it looks very nice in photos.  However, I have plenty of other concealers, and I feel that this photographs a bit better than it wears in real life.  While I do tend to photograph myself a lot (haha!), I'm not in a rush to buy the full-size product.  If I happened to come across it on sale at 50% off?  I'd definitely buy it.