BEAUTY NEWS!!!

HELLO EVERYONE!!! How have you been?!, I'm glad you're back for more info and feel free at anytime to ask questions of leave comments and of course follow in INSTAGRAM @ aprilmaykup.
I just wanted to bring you the sales for this week.

Rite Aid
BOGO 50%- Garnier, c.Booth, Revlon, vita K, L'Oreal lip/face, Covergirl face, Almay, St. Ives, Ponds, Noxema, Rimmel
ROC Buy 2 get 1 FREE!
Nivea lip 2/$5

Walgreens
BOGO 50%- Revlon lip/eye, Neutrogena, Cerave, Panoxyl, L'Oreal

CVS
BOGO 50%- Sally Hansen, Garnier, Maybelline face/lip/eye, Tresemme, Dove, Biore, Jergens, Physicians Formula, Covergirl eye/nail, Milani, Rimmel, NYC, St. Ives, Noxema, Simple, Ponds, CVS brand products, Organix, Axe, Neutrogena
Nivea 2/$9
Aveeno Buy 2 get 1 FREE!
BOGO FREE!!! Tony& Guy, Marc Anthony, Salon Grafix

Ulta
FREE $15 Ulta gift bag with any $19.50 purchase of Ulta products
BOGO 50% Revlon, L'Oreal, Sally Hansen, Physicians Formula, Almay, Maybelline, Covergirl eye/lip/face
15% off Cetaphil, Nivea, Neutrogena, L'Oreal

I am currently working on an article for an at home spa day. Check back later when it will be up. I would love to hear your feedback!
Until then HAPPY SHOPPING!!
Feel free to comment with any online sales I may have missed!

Summer Skincare: Camp Edition

     I've been to camp, as a counselor. I have slept in tents in the woods and also cabins, for weeks. I know how difficult and tiring it is with the kids and the chaos.  Skin care is probably far from everyone's mind at this point. I have put together a list of suggestions and products to help keeping your skin healthy and clean, even in the middle of nowhere.

Exfoliants
-Normally I would not recommend these, but for easy access, a facial cleansing scrub is the best option. This way you kill 2 birds with 1 stone.  Your face gets clean and you get a little exfoliation.
Options: (all products are between $5-$8, depending on location)
Neutrogena Deep Clean Long Last Shine Control Daily Scrub
Neutrogena Oil Free Daily Scrub
Clean & Clear Blackhead Eraser Scrub

-Another exfoliation option could be wipes. There are a few out on the market. They are quick and easy and require no water.
Options: ($3-$7)
ELF Exfoliating Cleansing Wipes
Simple Exfoliation Cleansing Wipes

Cleansers
-If you decide to use an exfoliating cleansing scrub, you can skip this part entirely. These products DO NOT require water.
Options: ($3.50- $8)
Cetaphil/Family Dollar cleanser
Boots No.7 Cleansing Water (for normal to oily skin)
Boots No.7 Lotion Cleanser ( for normal to dry skin)

- If you are into the 'old fashioned' cleansers LOL (the ones that require water) here are a few for you.
Options: ($3.50-$8)
Cetaphil/Family Dollar Cleanser
Neutrogena Oil Free Cleanser
Olay Daily Cleansing Cloths

Moisturizers
-You could use your usually moisturizer, but if that I a little heavy for you try a gel cream or lotion.
Options: ($10-$13)
Garnier Gel Cream ( normal/dry and normal/oily formulations)
Boots Botanics Shine Away Gel Cream
Simple Gel Cream

-If you would like a moisturizer with SPF
Options: ($13-$20)
Lumene Vitamin C Day cream (for all skin types)
Boots Botanics Shine Away Daytime Gel Cream
Ambi Day Moisturizer (oily skin)

Sunscreen
-Even though you use a day cream with moisturizer you still need to reapply sunscreen. Here are some options in a powder formulation, specifically for the face.
Options:
ELF SPF 45 Sunscreen Powder $6
Peter Thomas Roth SPF Powder $30 (available in spf 15 and spf 30)

Sunscreen Face Lotions (also contain moisturizers, so you can skin the moisturizer step)
Options: ($8-$34)
Neutrogena Clear Face Sunscreen
La Roche Posay Anthelios
Coola Facial Sunscreen

Sunscreen Sprays for face and body
Options: ($10-$34)
Neutrogena
Hawaiian Tropics
La Roche Posay
Coppertone
 
Mid Day Refreshers
-We could all use these whether we are in a camp or not. If I'm not wearing makeup and constantly applying sunscreen I could DEFINITLY use one!
Options: ($1-$10)
Wipes:
BioSwiss Wipes ( $1 *GEM*)
Simple Cleansing Wipes
Dickenson's Witch Hazel Wipes

Sprays:
Boots No.7 Mineral Water Spray
Boots Botanics Rose Water Spray

I hope this list gives you a good idea on how to maintain good skincare in the wilderness. I offered quick, easy and mostly inexpensive options. The majority can be picked up at your local drugstore, with the exception of a few. Feel free to list any personal suggestions below.

BEAUTY NEWS!!

     HELLLLLO AGAIN! Welcome Back! As always it's good to see you! As the semester comes to it's long awaited end, I will be able to bring you more ON TIME articles.
     I have also started a new challenge. I am using Boots No.7 Lash Serum on my lashes and brows. Over the next 8 weeks my lashes should grow longer and stronger. Since this is an all natural serum I will not experience any side effects. PLUS, the serum is safe to use on brows...I should have bought 2...and 1 for my mom...5 sounds like a good number! I should have bought 5! I still have time since all No.7 products are on sale at Duane Reade/Walgreens BOGO 50% off until May 31st!

 

On to more sales! There aren't that many for this week, but if you need sunscreen this is the week to get it.

 

CVS
BOGO 50%- Roc, Nuance, Vichy, La Roche Posay, Clean&Clear, Acnefree, Olay, Ponds, Simple, Noxema, Wet n' Wild, Neutrogena, Nivea
20% off Burts Bees

 

Rite Aid
BOGO 50% L'oreal, Almay, Olay, artificial nails and lashes, Neutrogena skincare & face/lip products, Covergirl face products, Maybelline
25% off Revlon face products

 

Walgreens/Duane Reade

BOGO 50% Maybelline face, L'Oreal skin/sun care, Ponds, St. Ives, Dove, Revlon

Also Nature's Bounty Hair, Skin and Nail pills are STILL on sale BOGO FREE for the rest of the week.

 

     The sales at Ulta from last week are good until the end of the month.

 

     I realized I didn't give you a $1 *GEM* or a Best $10, BAD APRIL! Luckily I have a couple products that fit these requirements. I will get those 2 things to you by the end of the week. I will also have a list of skincare/makeup do's that people feel a little weird about...maybe I'll even add in some don't just for good measure!

 

 

 

 

BEAUTY NEWS!!

     HELLO EVERYONE!!! It  feels go to be back! I missed out on this article last week, I got a little stressed out, but I'm more relaxed...than I was and I'm back and updating you on what's been going on.
     Last Sunday, I attended The Makeup Show. Unfortunately, for me, I have a makeup show curse, where something goes wrong with my bank account preventing me from "being all I can be" at this event. I did get some things for my kit, especially silicon mascara brushes, acrylic cases and beauty blenders. I also got this AMAZING brow gel from Ofra! I'm officially obsessed with my brows now.
     I have a rant to post. I never rant on here, but I have one and can't let it go :/ hopefully you'll still love me after you read it. :)

NOW, SALES!!!

Ofra is having a 40% off sale until May 21st, I would take advantage if I were you.

Ulta
15% off skincare
Buy 2 Get 1 FREE Neutrogena, Revlon
BOGO 50% Physicians Formula, NYX, Maybelline, L'Oreal, Jane, Palladio
Buy 2 Get 2 FREE Ulta cosmetics

Walgreens/Duane Reade
BOGO 50% L'Oreal, Covergirl, Yes, Garnier, Revlon, Boots No. 7

CVS
BOGO 50%  Revlon, Milani, Physicians Formula, Almay, Maybelline, Covergirl, Rimmel, Lumene, cotton products, Biore, Clearasil, St. Ives, Simple, Ponds

Rite Aid
BOGO 50% Revlon lip/face/eye, Ecotools, NYC, Cetaphil, Olay
BOGO FREE cotton products, tools, nail polish removers
20% off L'Oreal skincare

     I have some challenges up my sleeve, I'm just getting things together. Also, later in the year I would like to do another palette for 30 days...and a challenge all about liners...I have a few ideas. PLUS school is ending and I can not wait to have that free time to experiment with more stuff! 

     One last thing, I hope you are following me on instagram @ aprilmaykup. If not, you should...like yesterday! In the meantime come back for my rant and review later in the week and HOPEFULLY a new youtube video or 2.

BEAUTY NEWS!!! Finale Challege Wrap up!

     HELLO BEAUTIFUL! I hope you had a wonderful week. I was busy, but I had time to catch up on some sleep on Saturday, it was magical!
     I went to IMATS on Friday! It was wonderful!! I hit all the booths I wanted/needed to hit and even some I didn't plan on, but they had great stuff and great prices so, who am I to argue.
     I'll do a video about my IMATS haul, just to share...it was unbelievable! I will be going back as long as they will have me!
     I am happy to announce that I am on SPRING BREAK!!! WOO HOO!! I am gong to crank out a few reviews, while I have the time off.

     Challenge wrap up
I enjoyed it, but I am SO glad it's over. I have all this new stuff to use and although I was able to test my creativity, I could not wait for the challenge to be over! I would do it again, I plan on it. I also plan on modifying it.
     What I Learned: This palette was similar to the "Lotus" palette, being that they were by the same brand, LA colors. I couldn't layer the colors, because when I did, I created a whole new color that changed the look I planned on.

Here are the looks:

From left to right:
1-muted purple in the inner corner, blue on the rest of the lid, purple liner
2-muted purple all over the lid, black smudged liner
3-blue near the lash line, bright purple to the brow, blue liner
4-bright purple on the lid, blue in crease and outer corner (by laying the colors I created a 'new purple', purple liner
5-bright purple on lid, muted purple on the outer corner
6-bright purple in the center of the lid, blue around that color ( near the lash line, inner and outer corners and crease) blue liner
7-*this picture was taken at the end of the day*  muted purple on the lid, blue in the crease, blue liner

SALES
If you haven't already gotten the Sunday paper, GET IT! there is a $4 Almay coupon inside!

Tarte is having a 20% off sale
Ulta is having a 20% off sale (with coupon) and 40% off of Almay,  Maybelline, Revlon

SALEORAMA up in here!!

CVS
BOGO 50%-Revlon, Almay face &eye, Milani, Physicians Formula, Nuance, L'Oreal, Iman, Cetaphil, Ponds, Biore
Aveeno buy 2 get 1 FREE
Rite Aid
BOGO 50%-Maybelline, Covergirl, Almay, Revlon, L'Oreal, Neutrogena, Aveeno
Nair is BOGO FREE
Clean&Clear $5.99

Walgreens
BOGO 50% -L'Oreal, Neutrogena, Rimmel, Maybelline
$3 off Indeed products

Duane Reade
BOGO 50%-Maybelline, Covergirl, Revlon, Neutrogena, Studio35, Aveeno, Almay
Biore 2/$12

BEAUTY NEWS and Challenge Wrap Up!!!

     HEY THERE EVERYONE!!! Welcome back! I hope you had a wonderful week! My week was fun, filled with new information, and I'm sleepy!
      This week ended our 3rd week of the "1 palette, 7 days challenge", with one last and final week, I randomly picked another palette by LA Colors, the "Iris"palette, which I also got at Family Dollar on clearance for 80 cents (regular price $1.50). With this brand we already know what we're getting. I'll need to use primer with and I can't expect rich colors. This palette is perfect though, it's a part of my $10 full face makeup tutorial, which I will be shooting this week. I wanted to shoot it last week, but I sounded like death. Maybe I'll even shoot it today. Before we get to that, let's do a recap of last week.
     I picked this palette a couple years ago because of the colors. I was going to Vegas and needed something vegas-y. (yes I'm pretty sure that's a real word) The colors are rich enough for everyday and can be easily layer to make the color brighter and richer. The silver is the richest color, even though I always use it, it barely looks touched. The black and pink did fade, but the colors did not crease with the primer.

Here are the looks
* in some looks I would have had richer colors, but I was starting a new job and didn't want to scare anyone LOL

 

1- pink on the lid, black in the crease, silver highlight

2-silver in the inner corner, pink in the middle, black in the outer corner and crease

3-silver on the lid, pink in the crease

4- "smoky eye" black near the lash line, pink in the middle, silver highlight

5-pink on the lid, black in the outer corner

6-pink on the lid, black in the crease and inner & outer corners

7-pink under on the bottom lash line, black in the outer corner

black liner was used for every look.

 

This weeks FINAL palette:

 

 

SALES!!!

I know the part we've all been waiting for!

 

Duane Reade

BOGO 50%- Revlon, Neutrogena, Cerave, Nivea, Simple

25% off- Wet n' Wild, Rimmel

 

Rite Aid

BOGO 50%- Maybelline, Revlon, Covergirl face& lip, Ponds, Noxema, Simple, NYC

40% off- Almay, Wet n' Wild

Revlon Colorstay Mascara and Liner $4.99

 

Walgreens

BOGO 50%- Revlon, Simple, Neutrogena

 

CVS

BOGO 50%- NYX, Rimmel, Covergirl, Simple, Clearasil, Cerave, Covergirl, Simple, Revlon, Olay

Buy 2 Get 1 FREE- Physicians Formula, Wet n' Wild

 

Also Hautelook has a special on NYX products, 40% off.

 

Hopefully this week I can get you a product review and a youtube video. I have LOTS of stuff to tell you, but just not enough hours and a day to do it in.

 

 



 

 

 

 

BEAUTY NEWS!!!

HELLO AGAIN!!!
      Welcome to another fun filled week. My writing schedule has been way too erratic, so I'm going to try and catch up with lots of things I missed.
       First, let's do a challenge recap. I just finished the first week of our " 1palette, 7days" challenge, using one small, 3/4 color palette for a week. At random, I chose the Lotus palette by LA Colors (retail value $2, bought on clearance for 80 cents!) I bough this palette b/c I obviously wanted to try the brand, because  this is beauty on a budget :) but I also liked the color combination. I had little hope that these colors would have ANY type of pigment , but they weren't all bad. The green was also a frosty white, the pink was super sheer and the blue was actually almost true to color.
     I am happy to have that set of colors out of the way! Honestly, out of all my small palettes this one is the only challenging one. I feel like the colors almost resembled clown makeup, I hate to say it, BUT I did find some looks that weren't too crazy and somewhat wearable...maybe not for everyday, but at some time of the day. I realize that I did cheat you out of one look, and I'm still trying to figure out how that happened. Here are the 6 looks:

From left to right
1-green on the lid, blue in the crease, pink highlight, blue NYX gel liner
2-blue by the lash line, pink in the middle/lid, green highlight, blue NYX gel liner
3-pink on the lid, blue in the crease and  in outer corner, black liner
4-green in the inner corner, pink in the middle, blue in the outer corner and slightly in the crease
5-green on the lid, pink in outer corner and crease, pink ELF shimmer liner
6-blue all over the lid and over the crease, blue NYX liner
I used NYX primer for all the looks.

     My new palette I'll be using for the rest of the week is from The Body Shop. It's a smoky eye kit and contains, black, grey, silver and a white shimmer cream shadow/highlighter. (retail value $30, I got during a semi annual clearance AND 1 day special deal, in a kit with a bronzer and lipgloss for $10!!)

 

 

 



ON TO SALES!

Don't forget ULTA is still their 21 days of beauty until April 4th and check for daily online deals!

Lorac is having a sale on their site, with items starting at $6!

 

Walgreens

BOGO 50% - Revlon, Almay, Covergirl, Neutrogena, St. Ives, Studio 35, Ponds, Dove

Maybelline $2 off

 

CVS

BOGO 50%- L'Oreal, Roc, Cetaphil, Cerave, Trim tools, Milani, Covergirl, Clean&Clear, Lumene, Revlon, Simple, Olay, Nuance, Ponds, St. Ives

L'Oreal Mascara $7.99 ( try the Telescopic Mascara)

Almay buy2 get 1 free

 

Rite Aid

BOGO 50% -L'Oreal face & eye, Revlon, Almay, Neutrogena

Nivea Lip Butter 2/$4

Physicians Formula 40% off

 



Beauty News!!!

     WELCOME BACK!!! I hope you enjoyed your superbowl weekend...I'm actually writing this as the game is STILL on, but did you see Denver get slaughtered!?!
Anyway this is about beauty, not football.
     Biore is changing their packaging again!! Do we know what that means? Check you clearance aisles for items in the old/current Biore packaging. I'm not sure when the change will take effect nationwide, but I have locate some items for 50% off at Walgreens.
     Biore is also added NEW items to their line. They will have a cleanser and a 1 minute mask which will both be CHARCOAL based. I have not seen these items on the shelf yet and I can't wait!

SALES!!!!

ULTA
Ulta has this amazing IN STORE sale on CARGO products!! They are all 50% off!!!
Don't Forget about the other sales on Revlon, NYX, Covergirl, etc...for BOGO 50%

Rite Aid
BOGO 50%- Revlon, Maybelline, Almay, Covergirl, NYC
Neutrogena 40% off
St. Ives $3.99
Garnier Dark Spot Corrector products $14.99

Walgreens
BOGO 50%- L'Oreal, Neutrogena, Yes, Studio35, Rimmel, St. Ives, Revlon, Simple.
CarMax 3/$3

CVS
BOGO 50%- Covergirl, Olay, Almay, Neutrogena, Roc, Trim tools
Neutrogena Buy 2 Get 1 Free!!

Tune in this week to my youtube for my brush video.
I will also be bringing back the $10 I ever spent, $1 *GEMS* and a NEW challenge.

BEAUTY NEWS!!!!

     Hello beautiful people!!! I really tried to follow my own schedule and have these specials here for you on Friday, BUT because of the snow, I didn't get any new flyers left on my doorstep and even my mail was late! Sucks! not really because I never got the chance to make it to Ulta and my book just came this morning! So now I know what to get, if anything...is there anything left for me to get?

     Also, sad news, my phone is on the fritz, it's DEAD! I have to call up and order a new one. I am crossing my fingers that I am able to get my pics off of it before I send it back!

     As I have told you previously, this is brush month! And I just got this amazing little product from Sephora, that I've been coveting! I haven't used it yet, BUT I already love the design!

I'll be posting my brush cleaning article this week. ( in 3 days I've already written 4 articles, EXCITED)

Now on to sales!
First, do you know about eBates? You can earn cashback for shopping online. No this isn't a solicited message, BUT what I found interesting is that they have Sephora, Ulta, Drugstore/Beauty.com and eyeslipsface as their included companies. You can earn as much as 4% back on purchase, to buy MORE beauty products!!

Rite Aid
BOGO 50%-Neutrogena, L'Oreal, NYC, Covergirl lip, nail and eye, Maybelline face products, Almay, Clean & Clear, Aquaphor, Eucerin, Aveeno, Roc, Revlon

CVS
BOGO 50%-Neutrogena, Wet n' Wild, Physicians Formula, L'Oreal, Almay, NYC, Revlon, Cerave, Lumene, Olay

Walgreens
BOGO 50%-Neutrogena, Aveeno, Covergirl foundation, primer, blush, powder and concealer
Aquaphor, L'Oreal, Revlon, Studio 35 products
L'Oreal Skincare 20% off

Ulta
35% off professional skin treatments (treatments starting at JUST $13!!!!)
FREE GIFTS with the purchase of MANY skincare products.
20% off select cosmetic bags
BOGO 50%- Almay (plus free gift), NYX, Jane, Covergirl (plus free gift), Rimmel and MANY more!!
30% off Ulta skincare
15% off skincare

Beauty News!!!

HI AGAIN!
   Here we are, Halloween week and I have some great looks to show you along with some 'how to' directions. BUT today, let's talk sales and give you some more info our the next makeup challenge, starting on Friday.

CVS
BOGO 50% - Revlon, Covergirl, Roc, Ardell, Andrea, and Katy Perry
Maybelline 30%
Covergirl Mascara 2/$15
Olay products 2/$8

Walgreens
BOGO 50% - St. Ives, Almay, Vaseline, Simple, Revlon, Wet n' Wild, Maybelline Smokey line & lipgloss
L'Oreal Skincare 20%
Cetaphil $8.99- and they have a new line of Oil Reducing products

Rite Aid
BOGO 50% - Covergirl, Olay, Revlon Colorstay, Almay face products, Neutrogena, Maybelline lip products, Rimmel
Maybelline Mascara & Smokey line $5.99

Ulta
Urban Decay, Book of Shadows Palette for $32, This set includes 16 eyeshadows, full sized 24hour liquid liner, travel sized primer and curling mascara. ($64 value)
along with the other sales from earlier in the month.

Sephora
As usual, check their sale page.

    Now for our next challenge, I (or we) will be picking 1 palette at random and use that for the entire month. I have yet to name this challenge, until I pick the palette. I will announce which palette I have chosen on Thursday.
     The process of choosing a palette was super scientific. I wrote the names of all my palettes on post-its, folded them up and put them in a container. I'll pick one at random and use that for 30 days, whether it's 4 colors or 100! Honestly, I'm hoping for a smaller palette, less than 100, but more that 4, so I can get a variety of looks, push my creativity and see how much I can stretch a small amount of colors.
    So I hope to see you've been back here, checking out my Halloween looks and checking in on 'challenge day eve'.

Weekly Review-Cleansers

     Like so many other things, the perfect cleanser (for yourself ) is hard to find! I tested 16 cleansers...so far. Below I reviewed 8. These were all great products, some just not for me and my skin type. I shared my recommendations and hopefully one of these will work for you...if not I have another review of cleansers waiting in the wings.  A few of the cleansers listed, I have already incorporated into my skincare routine.
     These products can be found at local drugstores, Ulta, Sephora, Walmart and Target.

Neutrogena Oil Free Cleanser ($8)- This is an old favorite. I've been using this for years. Its a great everyday cleanser, but it's not good for acne breakouts.  I find it a little bit much for twice a day cleansing. It's heavy, creamy and doesn't foam. However, you can feel it cleaning out your pores ,with this tingling sensation that goes from icy to warm. It contains salicylic acid.
Recommended for daily use for people with oily or combination skin.

Biore Ice Blemish Clearing Cleanser ($7)-  I use this cleanser for about 2/3 days before "shark week" and 2/3 days after, depending on how bad my breakout was. This cleanser is cooling, foamy, and leaves skin feeling fresh and clean. When used frequently, it can become harsh to the skin, leaving redness in some areas, even with my sparing use. Does irritate my eyes slightly, but this is balanced by the cooling effect.
Recommended for use when needed, for oily or acne proned skin.

Biore Pore Clearing Scrub ($7)  foamy, slightly exfoliating, creamy. Similar to the ice cleanser without the cooling effect and I used it for the same reason. 
Recommended for use when needed, for oily or acne proned skin.                                    

Biore Cleanser for Combination ($7)  Just like the name suggests this cleanser is for combination skin.  It's lighter than the other 2 Biore products on the list. Since it's for combination skin,  ideally it's designed not to leave dry/normal parts dry and still work on diminishing oil in the oily areas.  Recommended this for all skin types (except sensitive) especially if you find other acne clearing products too harsh.






Cetaphil  ($12) This cleanser can be used with or without water, which amazes me. I didn't try the dry application, but it makes me wonder where this cleanser was when I was working at a camp! Its very gentle, it doesn't foam. 
 Recommended it for sensitive, dry or normal skin. It just doesn't cut  it for oily skin.

Family Dollar Cleanser ($3.50) This is a definite dupe for Cetaphil! Same formula, results,  everything! But at 1/3 the cost.

Bliss Fabulous Foaming Face Wash ($24)- I wanted to love this ever since I smelled it. The smell is addictive and delicious, like glazed donuts or candy! It contains microbeads for light exfoliation.  It's foamy, light and cleans well. Can be used daily. I even use it as a morning cleaser. After using a harsh one at night I just want something light in the morning and this does the trick.
Recommended for all skin types.

Yes to Grapefruit ($12)- I love this stuff. Why? Well it has citrus which helps with dark spots, exfoliating crystals and salicylic acid to help with oil and acne. This is my new everyday cleanser. I use it once a day in the evening. Leaves my skin feeling clean, soft and smells like fresh grapefruits!   
Recommended use for normal to oily skin types
(even if you don't have dark spots)           
                                            


I'll continue the rest of this review in November, just to make room for all the Halloween looks I have to post this month.
As usual if you have questions/comment please leave them below.
THANKS FOR READING!!
 
                                                 

Weekly Review: Oil Controllers

     Before I start I'd like to invite you guys to check out my Instagram: aprilmaykup.
I just started posting pics this afternoon, but there should be new ones everyday!
Check me out! Follow me!
     Now your review. There are so many oil controlling/ mattifying/ oil eliminating products out there, in so many different forms. I tried cleansers, masks, medicine,  moisturizer, wipes and setting spray.  I rated them based on ease of use, price and if they actual eliminate or calm the oil production on my face.
     First let me say that with all these products my nose was the first thing to get shiny. Nothing I tried really calmed the oil production there.

Neutrogena Deep Clean Long Lasting Shine Control $8 (drugstores, target. walmart)- This is a cleanser and a mask. I used to use it as a mask once a week and sometimes as a cleanser. With this product it's necessary to use for a while to get the desired shine control. When I was using it once a week, I noticed that the first morning was great control, but by then end of the week I was back to my oily self. When I used it as a mask I leave it on for 10 minutes then rinse. As I cleanser I just massage it in for about 1 minute, then rinse. Does it work? If I had to use just 1 oil control cleanser , I'd pick this. As a daily cleanser it gives you a matte base to start with, but not dry. It also contains microbeads, which provides exfoliation. For me, exfoliation helps with controlling oil.  This use to be my only form of defense against oil. I would stick with it and add it back into my routine as needed.

Lumene Matt Touch Deep Cleansing Peat Mask $12 (drugstores)- First of all this stuff smells. It looks like baby poop...SORRY just being honest. It's supposed to absorb oil and tighten pores. I like it as just a mask (once I get over the small and look of it) I didn't notice any difference with the oil on my face, but maybe it's one of those products you have to used overtime. As a mask it's great! My skin feels soft, clean and not dry. I would like to test it for a few more weeks to be absolutely sure it's not an oil controlling dud! Honestly, for the price I would rather stick with my old favorite, the Neutrogena. If I did not get this product for more than 50% off I would have never bought it. It am willing to give it more of a chance because Lumene makes some VERY AWESOME products!



Olay Fresh Effect Shine Minimizer $6 (drugstores)- I did not like this product. It is shine minimizing, which I took as a 'oil controller.' It controlled the oil from coming out on the surface, but when I got home I have so many pimples. They were small, but they had literally popped up throughout the day, trapping that gross oil underneath my skin. It was disgusting. I was still oily too! When I washed my face that night, I was doing damage control on my skin.








Simple Oil Balancing Cleansing Wipes $6 (drugstores, target, walmart)- I used these in the morning instead of washing my face as normal...and I must say WOW! I don't really know a lot about Simple. I've only used 1 cleanser 1 time. I love these though. I wasn't oily, well only in my nose area, which wasn't affected by any product I tried. These are a great quick fix! No water is needed, so you can use these anywhere/anytime. I'd buy these wipes again and again! I looked slightly dewy, but not shiny.




Bentaberry G-1 Face Cream $22 (birchbox.com)- This cream is thick and soft. It's moisturizing. It smells medicinal, but it doesn't work as a matiffying product. It immediately leaves the skin with a matte finish, but that's where it ends. In a couple hours my skin was it's normal oily self.









Urban Decay De-slick Setting Spray$14-$29 (Sephora.com)- I definitely had to read the directions a couple times to get this right. You have to spray this before and after you put your makeup on. It worked great! that's probably why it's so expensive. I wore my makeup for almost 12 hour that day and I wasn't oily until the last couple hours, when the party was over and I was on my way home. I am struggling with the price to value ratio of this product.  I do like this though...I'm only holding from saying  'love' for the price.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Milk of Magnesia $2.50 (family dollar, drugstores)- When I used this, I didn't think it would work. I had a TINY bit of secret faith, because I know the product dries chalky and matte. I had no idea how to apply it so I used a cotton round, which didn't work well, so I used my fingers. I let it dry, which took a couple minutes. Then I applied my makeup. I was surprised I didn't have a white face, chalky, cracked face. My skin was still soft and pliable, but matte. I was VERY surprised that this worked! I would use it again and again. I would have been using it everyday if I didn't have other products to test. This lasts about 8 hours and again on my nose, nothing worked.

 

This was an interesting challenge. I also found it informative because I need oil controlling, especially in the summer time. The round up of everything is I would use and oil controlling cleanser like the Neutrogena or the simple wipes, then a 'treatment' like the milk of magnesia...and if I had an endless supply of cash, the Urban Decay spray. Yes the Urban Decay spray is an AWESOME product, but you do need up to 8 sprays for each make up application. If you're using it everyday, the cost does add up fast. I would use the milk of magnesia everyday. You need such a tiny bit that the bottle will last a long time! Also incorporate an oil cleanser, if you're trying to really combat oil.

     It's a process to combat oily skin and over time, with the use of cleansers and treatments you would reduce the amount of oil your face produces.