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Proactiv® Refining Mask in the House

October 31, 2011 By

When Proactiv® was like, Hey our Proactiv® Refining Mask is pretty awesome,  we obviously had to try it. Being that we are generally pretty big fans of the Proactiv® line of products, it was no trouble whatsoever (winky face) but at the same time, I don’t generally use facial masks or anything that I have to leave on for more than a couple minutes. Ladies, I get impatient. The Proactiv® Refining Mask has made me realize that I have to be more patient sometimes.

After a long shower, and a wash with the Proactiv® Body Wash, I decided to apply the Refining Face Mask and “relax” while it was doing it’s thing. This mask was voted Allure’s best mask for oily/acne-prone skin. A thin layer of Proactiv® Solution Refining Mask dries out and prevents zits… so we put this bad boy to the test. What am I working on this week? A cluster of blemishes on my chin. I have combination skin, so keep that in mind.

First impressions? Just like all the other Proactiv® products we have tried, the Refining Face Mask the odor is non-offensive and “clean”. I have read reviews online that have said it has a sulfuric smell but I didn’t notice it and if I did? I don’t think I would actually mind it. The mask is applied to damp skin and then immediately starts to dry to your face. Don’t be alarmed.  This is the face mask doing it’s thing. I settled in and let the mask set and act. Note:  Since relaxing is a loose term for me… here is a good time to read a book, write a letter, straighten up your bathroom, water your plants, put together your grocery list,  etc etc and so on.

Results? Well, I have to say that once I rinsed the mask off, my skin felt much brighter. While I didn’t notice an immediate change in my blemishes, I did feel that the mask helped sooth my irritated skin. I have also been using the spot treatment and renewing cleanser to work with the face mask and have been seeing fantastic results. I have noticed my skin getting clearer.

Word of warning though… In using the face mask, I have to be careful not to use it too often. My skin tends to get dried out. I would guess, you have to find that right balance depending on your skin type and in combination with a moisturizer. All in all, I am happy to put the Refining Face Mask in my skincare battalion because the whole line of products leave my skin feeling fresher and younger and looking fresher and younger. Hello.

Have you guys tried any Proactiv® Products? What do you think and what do you recommend? Share your stories and join the conversation here, on Twitter (@proactiv) or Facebook!

*Proactiv® was awesome enough to let us try this product for the sole purpose of telling you, our amaaaazing readers, exactly what we thought of it. Though this post is sponsored, our opinions are 100% honest because we would never lie to you guys… we love you! xoxo

Filed Under: Acne, Body, Face, Skin Care Tagged With: , , , ,

Get a Free Sample of Proactiv® Refining Face Mask on Facebook!

October 21, 2011 By

Hey there ladies! As you have probably gathered by now, we are huge fans of Proactiv® and their line of products. So as you can imagine we were really excited to share their latest promotion with you, well, because it’s awesome! If you LIKE Proactiv® on Facebook, while supplies last, you can get a FREE sample of their award- winning Refining Face Mask… how much does that rock?!!

 

Proactiv® Refining Face Mask This therapeutic clay mask is designed to soothe irritation and heal blemishes—as well as to help keep breakouts from getting started.

  • Blemish-free skin is good. But flawless, radiant skin is better.
  • Fans call it their “secret weapon.” Allure Magazine calls it “best of beauty.”
  • A 6% concentration of antibacterial sulfur works as part of our Combination Therapy® to heal and help prevent acne.
  • Vitamin-enriched omegas help keep skin balanced and toned.
  • Put it on your face, put your feet up for 15 minutes, then rinse it off.
  • That’s all it takes to see radiant, healthier-looking skin, with refined texture and tone, reduced appearance of pores and wonderful clarity.
  • Use it two or three times a week and we promise, your skin will thank you.
  • Just a dab works wonders as an overnight treatment for stubborn pimples.

 

So what are you waiting for?! Head over to the Proactiv® Facebook page now to get your free sample while you can!

Filed Under: Acne, Aging / Wrinkles, Body, Face, Skin Care Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Spa Sonic Skin Care System Face & Body Polisher

September 27, 2011 By

The NEW Spa Sonic Skin Care System is available at Target.com!

Give your skin a luxurious spa treatment with this sonic skin-care system that contains 7 pieces and is priced affordably at $65.00.

The battery-operated unit includes several attachments to let you customize your skin-improvement experience, and the kit is suitable for use on your face and body. A perfect gift or the perfect at-home spa set! (Keep in mind for Christmas!!)

Spa Sonic Skin Care System Face & Body Polisher is an affordable, waterproof device that’s ideal for use in the shower, bath or sink and works to deep cleanse the entire face and body. It operates with 4 attachments (all included): a small brush for the face, a large brush for the body, pumice for rough areas, and a facial sponge for microdermabrasion and reduction of fine lines and wrinkles. The Spa Sonic’s dermal penetrating action promotes rapid absorption of skin care products and leaves skin toned and super smooth.

Spa Sonic tested comparably to the Clarisonic® Plus Skin Care System in an independent study conducted by the leading consumer testing laboratory (STR/Shuster Labs 2010).

Made with Clear Skin Technology, the Spa Sonic brush heads were specially designed by dermatologists, to deep clean while being completely non-irritating. I have tried it with all my normal facial cleansers including gels, creams and scrubs – all with fantastic results.


Four removable rotating brush heads offer a variety of benefits:

  • Small facial brush: cleanses the face by getting deep in to pores;
  • Large body brush: cleanses entire body deeper than loofah and body sponges;
  • Facial buffer: aids in moisture absorption and exfoliation to reduce fine lines and dark spots;
  • Pumice stone: smoothes rough areas such as elbows, knees and heels.

Features:

  • Exfoliates, smoothes & softens skin
  • Recommended by dermatologists
  • Can be used with favorite cleanser and moisturizers
  • Tightens & reduces size of pores
  • Supports the reduction of fine lines and dark spots
  • Eliminates dirt, makeup and oil
  • Safe & effective for all skin types
  • 4 bonus attachments included
  • Long lasting AA battery four pack – no need to charge

This thing works great! Just as good as my Clarisonic and at a much more affordable price. So yeah, now even YOU can afford to have great skin. And not just on your face either! This thing is super versatile and packed with power. I was impressed with how easy it was to change out the brush heads.

Includes:

  • 1 body polishing unit
  • 2 Small facial brushes
  • 1 Large body brush
  • 1 Facial buffer
  • 1 Pumice stone
  • 1 Battery four pack

The only bummer is that it doesn’t have a charger. It comes with 4 AA batteries but they do need to be replaced. I have been using this unit for about a month and it’s still going fine, so I don’t know how often exactly they will need to be replaced. I recommend buying Duracell Charger With 4AA Pre Charged Rechargeable Nimh Batteries (Only $14 on Amazon) so you can recharge your own batteries and then pop them back into the Spa Sonic unit.

Overall, I recommend this unit for EVERYONE. It’s versatile, affordable, effective and a must-have for anyone who wants a clearer complexion and smooth skin!

Price: $65

Availability: Target.com

* The product for this review was provided to us free of charge for the purpose of product testing. This does not effect our opinion of the products in any way. We only write about products we personally like and use, regardless of how they were acquired.

Filed Under: Acne, Aging / Wrinkles, Body, Face, Hands & Feet, Skin Care Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Proactiv® Advanced Blemish Treatment

September 26, 2011 By

Phew! Thank Goodness!

I am telling you something… my Proactiv® products could not have come at a more opportune time! Well, I hate to call it opportune but quess who has just broken out? Yep, you guessed it! Little ol’ me…It’s not something I usually shout from the rooftops but, simply put, acne is a fact of life for me. The clarity of my skin depends on lots of variables, as I am sure it does yours… Mine depends on the time of the month, the weather, the amount of stress at my job or home, if I slept with my hand on my face (yes, sadly I can’t help it).  I can have clear skin one day and acne on my face, chest and/or back another day.

Fortunately, for all of us there are products like Proactiv® out there. This particular breakout was not my worst but certainly was not enjoyable. I was in need for a spot treatment for a lovely blemish right on my chest and a couple on my chin that have been lingering. What did I pull from my Proactiv arsenal?  The Proactiv® Advanced Blemish Treatment:

 

The Proactiv® Advanced Blemish Treatment helps erase problem pimples fast using the acne-fighting ingredient, benozoyl peroxide, that kills acne-causing bacteria on contact.  KEY INGREDIENTS:  What’s up 6 percent benzoyl peroxide (antibacterial); panthenol and allantoin (moisturizers)? In the past, I have used acne “spot treatment” gels that smelled medicinal and stung upon contact but Proactiv’s Blemish Treatment was quite the opposite. The cream seemed more like a lotion than a gel and had a very non-offensive smell . At first I was concerned that it might not work because it didn’t seem as “powerful” as something that smelled more potent and burned when it came into contact with a pimple… but I was wrong. I used the blemish treatment before bed and then the next morning and saw a difference within a day. My problem areas we becoming a thing of the past.

Obviously, I will get more blemishes in the future but The Proactiv® Advance Blemish Treatment is surely something handy to have hanging around for just that occasion. Best of all? I didn’t feel like it I sacrificed my skin’s moisture. This spot treatment helped clear up my skin without leaving it dry and flaky.

Proactiv® was awesome enough to let us try this product for the sole purpose of telling you, our amaaaazing readers, exactly what we thought of it.  While this is a sponsored post, our opinions are 100% honest because we would never lie to you guys… we love you! xoxo

Have you guys tried any Proactiv® Products? What do you think and what do you recommend? Share your stories and join the conversation here, on Twitter (@proactiv) or Facebook!

Filed Under: Acne, Body, Face, Skin Care Tagged With: , , , , ,

Burt’s Bees New Sensitive Skin Line

September 8, 2011 By

We are certainly big fans of all the Burt’s Bees products out there (there is a grapefruit shampoo and conditioner that I ADORE the smell of) so it is no surprise that we think their new Sensitive Skin Line is super awesome. Way to go Burt’s Bees for offering great skin care products at very affordable prices.

Sensitive Facial Cleanser, $10.00

Natural Skin Solutions: SENSITIVE. Why treat sensitive skin with anything but gentle, natural ingredients? Burt’s Bees’ new Sensitive range of products is clinically proven to gently moisturize and cleanse without causing redness or irritation-the main symptoms associated with sensitive skin. The line is distinctly formulated with Cotton Extract to soften, Rice Extract to moisturize, and Aloe to soothe skin, so your skin is left looking and feeling healthy.

Sensitive Night Cream, $15.00

Sensitive Daily Moisturizing Cream, $15.00

Sensitive Eye Cream, $15.00

What do you think? Would you try Burt’s Bees new Sensitive Skincare line?

Filed Under: Acne, Aging / Wrinkles, Face, Skin Care Tagged With: , , , , ,

tändaZAP Zit-Zapper – Does It Really Work?

July 22, 2011 By

We decided to take on the tändaZAP zit-zapper and see if it actually works.

Tanda says:

This breakthrough hand held, pocket-sized device is perfect for the social butterfly who doesn’t have time to worry about blemishes and pimples. With the power of three proven technologies -light, heat and sonic vibration – at your fingertips, the tändaZAP is clinically proven to clear or fade acne blemishes in 24 hours. No pain. No dryness. No irritation. And best of all, no pimple. Think of this as the answer to all your pimple prayers!


Tanda Zap

I used it several times over several weeks and this is my assessment…

PROS

  • Compact size that you can take with you.
  • Reduces redness
  • Faces acne in 1-5 days
  • Affordable solution to zap select zits

CONS

  • Doesn’t zap EVERY pimple. Some go, some stay.
  • Blazes through batteries like no tomorrow. Arm yourself with a 20 pack of batteries for sure…
  • Doesn’t zap MOST pimples in 24 hours

No, it doesn’t clear up acne on your whole face. If you have chronic acne all over your face, don’t bother with this. This product is meant for that one giant zit that shows up out of nowhere and lands in the middle of your chin the day before your wedding. Not for every day acne breakouts that plagues your life.

Most of the time, it seemed to reduce redness within the first 2-3 uses and then by the 4th or 5th use on ONE SINGLE pimple, it would bring it to a head so that it could be popped. So essentially it was making the pimple “ripe” within 48 hours when that might normally take a week or more. In cases like that it definitely reduced the amount of time I was afflicted with the pimple.

On small pimples, it didn’t do a whole lot… I never saw it actually ZAP a pimple… More often it just made it easier to pop, not eliminated it entirely.

It is small and compact though…

From reading the reviews of it on Sephora, I can see most people agree with my assessment of the product is pretty typical. All in all, it’s worth the money (and batteries) if you want some extra protection against living with a giant red zit for a few weeks. It can reduce the amount of time to around 24-48 hours. It’s not a miracle worker though! Don’t expect to be acne free forever amen! If you get an occasional giant zit (like we all do!) then this works great!

Price: $49

Availability: Sephora.com and Amazon.com

* The product for this review was provided to us free of charge for the purpose of product testing. This does not effect our opinion of the products in any way. We only write about products we personally like and use, regardless of how they were acquired.

Filed Under: Acne, Skin Care Tagged With: , , , , ,

5 Exfoliators You Should Try

June 8, 2011 By

I am always looking for the best new exfoliate  out there that will make my face so fresh and so clean, clean… I have definitely tried MANY MANY different brands in many many different price ranges. So which ones are my favorite? Well, I shall share those kernels of wisdom with you today!

For a special treat? Never a Dull Moment, Origins $25.00 is super sweet smelling, almost a gel type facial scrub. It really does leave your face with a “glow” and dare I say radiant. I wouldn’t use this on a daily basis because I need something a little “scrubbier”  as the microbeads (or seeds in this case) are fewer and farther between but this is great for a pamper yourself feel!

I love to always have a tube of  St. Ives Invigorating Scrub, St. Ives, $3.00, in the house. The man likes to use this too and being that it is so inexpensive, I don’t mind sharing. This has enough grit to scrub away those layers of skin and does not irritate the skin. This is our low key scrub/ it’s OK to share.

This is another scrub that the man and I share. This is great when I feel like my face is ready to break out or is a little oily. Neutrogena is great at cleaning your skin and this one you can use on a daily basis without totally taking away all the healthy skin as well. Neutrogena Clear Pore Daily Scrub, Neutrogena, $6.99

Biore Complexion Clearing Pore Unclogging Scrub, Biore, $7.99 comes in a close second to the Neutrogena daily scrub. I like the Biore to switch things up a little. It has the same effect as Neutrogena and the same affordable price tag.

Goldfaden Power Scrub, Goldfaden Skincare, $95.00 This is the power house… this stuff rivals doctor’s office microdermabrasion. It’s price tag is pretty steep for a “Scrub” but this scrub is not to be used every day.  This stuff means business so if you are looking for some serious exfoliation then this is for sure my recommendation. Mama likes!

 

Filed Under: Acne, Face, Skin Care Tagged With: , , , , , , ,