I'm finally getting it together with Blogger & trying to do more reviews. While it's usually a "mini" review, it is a review nonetheless. Today I wil be reviewing the Bioré PURIFY Steam Activated Cleanser (with SteamActiv beads).
What Bioré has to say about their new product:
Bioré PURIFY Steam Activated Cleanser with SteamActiv beads harnesses the steam in your shower to give you your best clean! The unique SteamActiv beads are activated as the cleanser is lathered, providing a mint infused sensorial experience you will want to experience everyday!
What they recommend (instructions and frequency): Pump cleanser into hands. Beads activate as you work the cleanser into a creamy lather. Gently massage face. Rinse thoroughly. Use product daily in the shower for best results.
After one week of testing the product I've decided to do a review on it. I started using it on Monday and continued to; once a day in the shower for a week. I wasn't expecting much out of this cleanser or to even like it but I actually did. I'm really surprised because I usually dislike Bioré products. While I'm not running to Wal-Mart or Shoppers Drug Mart to buy it any time soon, it is on my To Buy list when I run out of a cleanser (I have atleast 2 or 3 bottles of cleansers to finish off, *sigh*). I would buy it if I wasn't on my No Buy Oath though...
So I've read some reviews on the Bioré PURIFY Steam Activated Cleanser & Muse from Musings Of A Muse is very keen on this stuff too. The downside was that she didn't find it lathered on the face very well so the cleanser had to be rubbed in between hands first. I actually didn't have a problem with the foaming abilities. A pea size amount slathered on the side of my cheek would lather enough to cover my whole face. Another review said there was inconsistency with the beads. From my sample*, I agree 100%. I only many beads in my sample* but I only caught them on my hands twice. I'm sure if I had the actual product in a pump bottle things would be different. Even so, there aren't enough beads to exfoliate & neither does it "activate" as I cleanse like Bioré says it will. The "mint infused sensorial experience", I find came from the cleanser itself & not the beads. Seriously, I think the beads are useless! If anyone argues otherwise that's entirely fine by me. Considering how I used 2 beads out of the 7 times I tested the product I can honestly say that the refreshing & cooling sensation I felt in the shower definitely did not come from two beads that I only used twice on separate occasions. Yeeeesh! Besides the bead fiasco, the cleanser itself is alright. It produces a nice creamy lather & cleanses well. On the downside, after 7 straight days of testing the cleanser I noticed my skin has become tighter & drier. That only means I can only use this every other day :( Another downfall is that eyeliner and non-waterproof mascara cannot be fully removed with the cleanser (without leaving black smudges under the eyes). I use the cleanser to remove light foundation or tinted moisturizer in the shower because the steam in conjuction with the cleanser work well to break down my facial make-up. The major highlight for me is the scent. I was expecting it to be a plethora of minty freshness but I find it smells like vanilla mint toothpaste but less toothpaste-y/minty & very pleasant. I was expecting a burst or a super charge of "invorating" and "refreshing" because the description said it would provide a mint infused sensorial experience but that didn't happen. It is a tinge refreshing in a hot shower but not annoyingly so. I expected this to be very irritated after using the cleanser daily for a week because it contains menthol and that held true... It sucks that I can't use this daily but it works, sort of. Right?
All in all this cleanser worked fairly well, smelled great, & costs at most $10 at drugstores or grocery stores. If I use it strictly for the shower, it would last me a year tops! I dig it. It is one of those basic cleansers that are enjoyed best in showers. After two days with a new cleanser I usually notice signs of tight skin & redness or drying but it took five days for visible confirmation. You'd think I'd push the product away for that but I have issues, okay!?!
Last note: I recommend it for those who don't have sensitive skin or drier than dry skin but if you insist on trying it, don't use it daily! This should work well for normal to combination or oily skin types but I'm not an expert, this is based on assumption.
P.S. That "Ass out of U & Me" saying is true but I'm rubber and you're glue! What ever negative things you have to say about me bounce off of me & stick onto you! (Or something along those lines...)!
Ingredients:
Aqua, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Ammonium Cocoyl Isethionate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Acrylates Copolymer, Glycerin, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Camellia Sinensis, Mentha Piperita, Cocos Nucifera, Withania Somnifera, Tocopheryl Acetate, Aloe Barbadensis, Propylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, BHT, Mannitol, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Chromium Oxide Greens, Iron Oxides, Potassium Hydroxide, Benzophenone-4, Menthol, Menthyl Lactate, Polyquaternium-10, DMDM Hydantoin, Diazolidinyl Urea, Iodopropynyl
Butylcarbamate, Parfum, Blue 1.
P.S. I signed up for a sample* of this product on the Bioré website and only 30,000 received a sample* of it, I was one of the lucky few. The sample* came with a $2.50 off coupon on the purchase of 2 Bioré products & of course a sample* of the Bioré PURIFY Steam Activated Cleanser. I decided to do a review on the product for fun & to share my experience on this blog. I'm not being paid for this review. Neither am I affiliated with the company.
Hello again friends! I did a mini review on the Maybelline The Falsies Volum' Express Mascara awhile ago but now I'm back with a full review minus pictures.
Here's what Maybelline has to say:
The Falsies Mascara delivers a false lash look, giving you a full set of voluminous, bold, fanned-out lashes and the appearance of no gaps from any angle. The Pro-Keratin Fiber enriched formula is designed to deliver immediate results, distributing volume and visible intensity to your lashes. The spoon-shaped brush helps fan lashes out. The Falsies Mascara is designed to give the appearance of no gaps and spaces. In a wink, lashes you didn’t even know you had look visibly thickened!
I was a little disappointed when I first tried the Maybelline The Falsies Volum' Express Mascara but now I have figured out a way for the mascara to work better for me. I was using the mascara wand the wrong way (good goin' y'goof!). Instead of "spooning" my lashes, I should have been using the brush upside down so it was on a curve (hill shaped??). The bristles are a little short of medium length but not incredibly short meaning a mascara guard is necessary (for me atleast). No matter how careful & gentle I am when applying the mascara, I still manage to get it onto my eyelids! Unlike before, the brush has separated my lashes & grabs hold of each one creating a nice fanned-out set of lashes. The formula isn't as wet when I first use it also & noticed this happened with the Maybelline The Colossal Volum' Express Mascara too. I actually prefer the consistency a little thicker but if you don't, you can always stick your tube of mascara in a cup of hot water & the formula will melt back into the thin, wet consistency that it once was. I can't begin to compare or explain the difference in the formula because it is changing constantly over time. For now, I find it is working well. I can get very dark, natural long looking lashes with two coats. With three I get volume but tiny clumps along the way but atleast it holds my curls! Add a fourth or fifth coat & I find my lashes all clumped up and spidery as @#$! but dramatic nonetheless. Still, it sucks to say that the volume Maybelline promised was not obtained.
*Edit: I forgot to mention that it still flakes but doesn't smudge!
Would I still recommend it? Yes but only if you ignore all the gibberish Maybelline claims in the description of their product (and at a discounted price of course). Depending on the person and technique used to apply the mascara, the outcome could be amazing or sorely disappointing. For the price I paid, I am happy with my results.
Hope you all had a happy Tuesday! I may have done very bad on my math test today but I don't find out until Thursday.. I'm off for a nap before the depression hits me like a brick :(
And I know it may ward off readers when I don't include real photos but I can't help it. My camera skills suck & I'm too shy! Help me boost my confidence??
P.S. I bought this myself and I'm not being paid for this review. Neither am I affiliated with the company.
I wasn't going to review anything skincare related until later but technically I use The Body Shop Cucumber Cleansing Milk as a make-up remover so it's not related to skincare (haa!).
What The Body Shop has to say about the Cucumber Cleansing Milk on their website:
"Best if you want to: Wash away excess oil, makeup and impurities with a refreshing cleansing milk that gently cleanses without drying to leave skin feeling soft, smooth and refreshed."
It is suited for all skin types and is a part of The Body Shop "Original" range of products that they brought back a few months ago. I bought this on May 8th(?) during the $5 gift box promotion where you buy a box for $5 and everything you can fit in the box is 50% off. The original price is $8.99 but with the promotion it was $4.50.
The instructions say, "Massage over the face and neck, using fingertips. Wipe away using a tissue or rinse off with clean water."
I personally do not tissue it off because I find it a waste of tissue especially if I do it daily. I'm trying to reduce my carbon foot print, aren't you? Anyway it smells like the Vaseline Aloe Fresh Hydrating Body Lotion and personally, I'm not fond of the scent. The texture of the Cucumber Cleansing Milk is like a milky lotion (light) that is gentle & two nickel sized dollops of this is enough for the whole face. I use it on a dry face. I've tried using the toner to moisten my face for the cleansing milk but it made my face skin & burn ... yikes. Try it on a dry face or regular water.. don't be silly like me!
Anyhow, it works well for removing tinted moisturizer, primer, powder foundation, any light make-up but not heavy duty liquid or cream foundation. It definitely doesn't get rid of waterproof mascara either and it kind of stings the eye so I use a separate eye make-up remover for that. I have to follow up with another cleanser because like I said, I use this only to remove make-up only. It's kind of like a cleansing oil I guess but I've never used a cleansing oil before so I can't do a real comparison. This doesn't dry out my skin either and even after my second cleanse, my skin is fine. The only reason why I use this to remove my make-up is because it contains no detergents that dry out my skin and it works for the days I wear little to no make-up. For $4.50, I'd recommend it but for $8.99, I'd go with something heavy duty.
Ingredients list:
The Body Shop Cucumber Cleansing Milk
INGREDIENTS:Water (Solvent/Diluent), Glycerin (Humectant), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (Emollient), Cetyl Alcohol (Emulsifier), Stearic Acid (Emulsifier), Triethanolamine (pH Adjuster), Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil (Emollient/Skin Conditioner), Benzyl Alcohol (Preservative), Lanolin (Emollient), Phenoxyethanol (Preservative), Cucumber (Cucumis Sativus) Juice (Natural Additive), Fragrance (Fragrance), Hexyl Cinnamal (Fragrance Ingredient), Geraniol (Fragrance Ingredient), Butylphenyl Methylpropional (Fragrance Ingredient), Citronellol (Fragrance Ingredient), Linalool (Fragrance Ingredient), Hydroxycitronellal (Fragrance Ingredient), Benzyl Salicylate (Fragrance Ingredient), Green 5 (Colour), Yellow 5 (Colour).
The Body Shop Cucumber Freshening Water
INGREDIENTS:Water (Solvent/Diluent), Rosa Centifolia Flower Water (Natural Additive), Polysorbate 20 (Emulsifier), Sodium PCA (Humectant), Alcohol Denat. (Solvent/Diluent), Potassium Sorbate (Preservative), Cucumber (Cucumis Sativus) Juice (Natural Additive), Benzyl Alcohol (Preservative), Fragrance (Fragrance), Hexyl Cinnamal (Fragrance Ingredient), Glycerin (Humectant), Citric Acid (pH Adjuster), Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Extract (Natural Additive), Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice (Skin-Conditioning Agent), Geraniol (Fragrance Ingredient), Methylparaben (Preservative), Butylphenyl Methylpropional (Fragrance Ingredient), Butylparaben (Preservative), Ethylparaben (Preservative), Isobutylparaben (Preservative), Propylparaben (Preservative).
P.S. I bought this myself and I'm not being paid for this review. Neither am I affiliated with the company.
Disclosure
Make-Up Kismet is a personal blog written and edited by myself. This blog was created to share my experiences with whom ever reads it.
All reviews posted are written by me and are my honest opinions. All products reviewed are purchased by me for personal and/or review purposes unless stated otherwise. Each person is different, as are our experiences. With that said, I cannot be held responsible for any unsatisfying reaction to a product I review or recommend.
Photos on this blog are either from Google, other Bloggers or, my own. I try to depict all products as accurately as possible. I may edit photos for this purpose.
