Glam Glow

I’m sure by now if you are a regular blog reader, you know my affinity for cleansers. They are so easy to interchange in and out of a skincare routine and results are quicker than serums or moisturizers. I’ve recently been testing out three new cleansers that vary from the average cleanser out there in either formulation or technology. All are from brands that I love and respect (and use frequently), so I knew my skin was in good hands.

1. First Aid Beauty Milk Oil Conditioning Cleanser – The name completely confused me when I first saw this bottle. Was it an oil? Was it a milk? How could it be both? Well as you can see from the left swatch in the below photo, it’s a thick milk texture. The oil in the name refers many of the ingredients that are derived from different oils, but the overall feeling of the cleanser is a delightfully thick milk. It is designed to be used without water, and in a pinch can remove makeup and cleanse the skin by just massaging it on and wiping away with a tissue. I prefer to use it with water, but the results are still the same. This stuff cuts through some serious makeup – fast and easy. It feels so nourishing on the skin and while I normally follow my initial cleanse with a second cleanse (by a different cleanser), this was so effective I could use it alone and my skin felt amazing. Another hit from First Aid Beauty.

2. Perricone MD Blue Plasma Cleansing Treatment – While I may have been a bit confused by the FAB Milk Oil Cleanser, I was totally at a loss on how to use this new Perricone MD Blue Plasma Cleansing Treatment. It says it can be used as a cleansing water to remove makeup and cleanse the skin, but we all know I wear a full face and this just wasn’t powerful enough to do that. However, that being said, I shortly after fell into my groove with this as a second cleanse and now can’t get enough of it. I find it best used on a cotton pad and swiped over the entire face which leaves my skin feeling so fresh and clean, yet still conditioned and hydrated. Because of the Blue Plasma technology, it helps to purify pores by removing impurities which is the first thing I noticed. I have been suffering from an awful hormonal breakout this past month, and only after a few weeks into the breakout did I decide to try this cleanser and soon began to notice that is why my skin began to take a turn for the better. It wasn’t overnight, but there was a marked difference when I added in this cleansing treatment. The congestion I was suffering from on parts of my face was beginning to subside and now I am in the homestretch and my skin is slowly getting back to normal. Just as I felt the original Blue Plasma was a winner, this new Cleansing Treatment is definitely award worthy.

3. GLAMGLOW Powermud Dualcleanse Treatment – Though not technically a standard cleanser, this new mud-to-oil treatment definitely straddles the mask/cleanser category and deserves some recognition. While I don’t use this to remove my makeup, I L-O-V-E this as a second cleanser step because it helps me knock out two birds with one stone – cleanse and mask. I apply this after my first cleanse, leave it on for 5-10 minutes and then remove. While it sounds basic and simple, it’s so not. The mud dries down and then once water is added turns into a glorious oil that really gets my skin super clean and soft. Because it’s such a deep cleaning treatment, I find it best used only once a week but that one time will leave your skin glowing. I have used other GLAMGLOW products and enjoyed them but this instantly stood out to me and became a favorite from the range.

Shop some of my other cleanser recommendations:

It’s baaaaack!!!  I skipped my monthly favorites for January because I was testing so many different things but I am back with some great picks for February.  These posts are truly one of my favorite (no pun intended, har har) to read from other bloggers, so I really enjoy doing them myself.  2014 has a lot to live up to beauty wise, because I found some pretty amazing things during my beauty exploration in 2013.  But so far, the year is starting off strong with my favorite finds – so I am feeling hopeful.  Here are my favorites from the past two months:

1. Chanel Le Vernis Nail Color in Magic and Tapage – Magic was a limited edition color exclusive to Chanel.com and Macy’s, but it was a beauty.  A gorgeous deep navy that was just the perfect shade of blue (see swatch here).  Tapage was from the Spring 2014 Collection and if this color does not perk up your mood just by looking at it, then nothing will.  A bright red/coral that is perfect to wear both in the winter, when your nails need a bit of life, and the spring/summer when it’s taboo not to have bright nails (see swatch here).

2. Sunday Riley Good Genes – Yup, I fell victim to all the hype surrounding this product.  And thank goodness I did, because I adore it.  I wear this as a serum under my night time moisturizer and even upon first application, it made my skin glow.  It’s designed to be a brightening, multitasking and radiance treatment and it delivers on every promise – immediately at that.  Plump, supple, radiant, and glowing is the only way to describe my skin the next morning – otherwise know as perfect skin.  I now understand why people freak out when they run out of this stuff – I dispense it like it’s liquid gold, never sparing even a drop.

3. Glam Glow Supermud Clearing Treatment – Well isn’t this just a month of cult classic favorites, right? I bought this during the same haul as my Good Genes, and yup I loved it too.  It really does clean out pores like no other treatment, and has a slight exfoliating effect as well, so after my skin is always smooth and beautiful.  This did come in a set with the Youthmud Tinglexfoliate treatment mask, and while my skin is nowhere near sensitive, it was a tad too harsh for my skin to take.  But the Supermud original is the jam and worth every penny.

4. REN Bio-Retinoid Anti-Aging Cream (c/o) – I dedicated an entire blog post to this product as it was my first experience with Retinol, and it was life changing.  I have seen products help with my breakouts before, but nothing quite like this cream – it had profound results on how smooth, clear and even my skin looked.  You can read the entire post here.  In the meantime, snag a sample of this if you can, you won’t be disappointed.

5. Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation – What is a favorites post on this blog without Hourglass, amiright? Once again, they knocked it out of the park again with this product.  It is a liquid/cream/mousse like foundation that goes on flawlessly, and does a great job of keeping me matte throughout the day.  I always still need to touch up with powder (I am that oily) but this foundation has some serious staying power, lasting all day for me. My Hourglass love affair continues.

6. Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz and Brow Powder Duo (c/o) – If there was any brow product that could steer me away from my Hourglass Brow Tool, it would be ones from the brow queen herself, Anastasia.  Both of these have made me cheat on my holy grail Hourglass, and with such great results, I can’t say I feel bad.  The Brow Wiz pencil gives a much more exact and bolder look for when I am wearing a bit more makeup, while the Powder duo is a bit more natural for more subtle days.  With the powder duo, the ability to mix two colors makes it even more of a perfect fit for my hair color.  But application and colors aside, the staying power on these products is ridiculous – they last ALL. DAY. LONG.  This summer humidity better get ready for my brows.

7. Nude Perfect Cleansing Oil (c/o) – Never met a cleansing oil I didn’t love (ok maybe a few, but I block those out), and this Nude oil is no exception.  It’s extremely gentle and not as thick as other cleansing oils, making it easier to use when removing even the most stubborn makeup.  Sometimes when the cleansing oils are too thick, it takes more work than it’s worth to wash my face – no thank you.

8. Tom Ford Lip Color in Pink Dusk – This was one of my first experiences with Tom Ford lip colors, and of course I fell in love.  *watches wallet contents empty* It’s a full coverage lipstick, which I love with an extremely creamy texture.  The only caveat with this color is that  my lips need to be exfoliated properly or it won’t apply evenly.  This made me a bit hesitant at the beginning when using it, but the color was just so darn pretty and opaque that I settled for the fact that it would be a bit more high maintenance.  The beauty end justified the fussy means.

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