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Courtney Em

Courtney Em

Tag Archives: skin

Radical Skincare Instant Revitalizing Mask Review

16 Sunday Feb 2014

Posted by http://courtneyem.com/ in Beauty and Fashion

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

beauty, mask, radical skincare, review, sephora, skin

Sorry for my lack of posts and comments lately… these past few weeks have been horribly busy!  Because one of my pet peeves is when people spend a long time complaining about how busy they are, I’ll just leave it at that. 😉

Anyway, I’ve got a great product review today: Radical Skincare Instant Revitalizing Mask.  This product was sent to me courtesy of Radical Skincare and Sephora, but my opinions of the product are honest and entirely my own.

Here’s some info about Radical Skincare Instant Revitalizing Mask from the Sephora website.  A one-ounce bottle of the mask costs $65.00.

What it is:
A fun-to-apply skin soothing, intelligent mask that foams, pops, and gives radical radiance in minutes while providing hydration, vitamins, and energy to your skin.

What it is formulated to do:
The Instant Revitalizing Mask is the ideal coach for the skin: it delivers the nutrients necessary for hydration and regeneration while teaching it to breathe, stock up on energy, and optimize its oxygen resources in rarefied conditions. It leaves skin amazingly revitalized, healthy, and glowing.

What it is formulated WITHOUT:
– Parabens
– Sulfates
– Phthalates

Active Ingredients:

-Sodium PCA: Used to increase the skin’s softness as it helps maintain a healthy moisture balance.

-Vitamin E: Preserves the skin against aggressivity of free radicals created by oxidation coming from exposure to pollution, excess of sun, and age.

-Green Coffee: A good scavenger of active oxygen species, and a very strong antioxidant.

My Review:

I love that this product doesn’t contain parabens, sulfates, or phthalates, which are all ingredients that I try to avoid putting on my skin.

Before I review the product itself, I think it’s important for me to talk about my skin to give you the best possible impression of the product.  If your skin is totally different than mine, then you may have a different experience with the product.  My skin is sensitive and combination: sometime’s it’s oily, but sometimes it’s dry.  It doesn’t bother me too much: I’ve never had serious skin issues that warranted visiting a dermatologist or using any prescription cleansers, creams, or gels.  I’ll use cleanser and toner in the morning, and moisturizer at night.  Harsh cleansers and toners make my skin burn and get red.  As a frame of reference, Clinique toner is too harsh for my skin.  I rarely wear liquid foundation: I usually stick to BareMinerals powder foundation or Benefit Some Kinda Gorgeous Foundation Faker.  I generally have good skin: obviously sometimes it’s red or imperfect, but I’m usually pretty satisfied with it how it looks.

SO onto the actual review… sorry for that wall of text!

I applied this mask after removing my eye makeup and washing my face with some gentle toner on a cotton ball to remove makeup from my face.  I applied a pea-sized amount of the mask to my cheeks, nose, and chin.  It looked white and foamy when I first applied it, then it turned clear.  I liked that while wearing the mask, my face didn’t look like I was wearing a mask.  The mask felt foamy and bubbly on my skin, and I rinsed it off after a few minutes.  My skin felt very soft and looked great.

About half an hour after I rinsed off the mask, my face started to feel itchy.  This was weird, especially because my skin wasn’t red at all.  I put some moisturizer on my face, and the itching went away.

I’ll try the mask again, but not for a few days because the instructions say to use it twice a week.  I wasn’t really sure why my skin itched, but I don’t think it was because I’m allergic to the ingredients because I didn’t see any inflammation on my face.  Overall, I liked the product, but I think it’s designed for people whose skin isn’t as sensitive as mine.  I’ll use it every once in a while, but I’m not sure if my skin can handle using it twice a week.  We’ll see!

Thank you so much to Radical Skincare and Sephora for sending me this product to try.  I really appreciate it, and I hope my readers do, too!

My Four Favorite Toners

20 Saturday Jul 2013

Posted by http://courtneyem.com/ in Beauty and Fashion

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

beauty, boots, clean & clear, neutrogena, skin, skincare, toner

Toners are such under-rated products.  They can be used as gentle cleansers, as part of a skin-clearing regimen, and even as quick makeup removers for when you wake up with leftover makeup under your eyes.   Just dampen a cotton ball and wipe it over your entire face.  I use toner in the morning and cleanser at night to keep my skin fresh and clean.  Here are four of my favorites products.  You can find them all at drugstores.

For normal or sensitive skin

1 // Boots Expert Sensitive Gentle Refreshing Toner

For oily or acne-prone skin

2 // Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control Triple Action Toner

For sensitive skin

3 // Clean & Clear Deep Cleansing Toner

For dry skin

4 // Neutrogena Alcohol-Free Toner

L’Oreal BB Cream Review

18 Monday Jun 2012

Posted by http://courtneyem.com/ in Beauty and Fashion

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

bb cream, beauty, cream, essie, loreal, maybelline, skin

Being back home has caused me to remember that the world contains more than college students and intellectual-looking professors.  And the bubble I call college is home to some really beautiful people.  But actually, everyone there takes care of themselves and generally looks pretty good all the time.  This is my reaction when I realize I’m not on campus anymore.

It usually happens in JoAnn Fabrics or WalMart.  I’m a terrible person.

I finally found this nail polish – I’ve been looking for it for a long time!  It’s by Essie, called Bikini So Teeny.

This photo doesn’t do it justice; it’s a GREAT color!

And now for a new beauty product that I saw on The Martha Stewart Show.  Don’t judge… it’s the only thing on at 10 am on weekdays while I’m working.  Presenting BB Cream!

What is BB Cream?  Wikipedia says…

BB cream, also known as Blemish Balm, Blemish Base or Beblesh Balm (due to an apparent copyright on the word “Blemish”), is a cosmetic item sold mainly in East and Southeast Asia, although larger beauty brands are increasingly introducing BB creams to Western markets as well. Originally formulated in Germany by dermatologist Dr. Christine Schrammek in the 1950s, the cream was initially used to protect skin after laser procedures and surgery, while also providing light coverage. Introduced to South Korea and Japan in the 1980s, BB cream has been named “the secret of Korean actresses” and has been heavily endorsed by Korean celebrities, which gained it large exposure in these Asian markets.

BB creams come in a variety of different formulations and qualities mainly perceived as being anti-inflammatory and having a soothing effect.  As companies focused initially on the East Asian market, BB creams have a limited number of hues.  Due to its “multi-tasking” all-in-one properties — moisturizer, primer, foundation, and sunblock — the cream became a hit in Asia, especially in South Korea, where BB creams make up 13% of the cosmetics market.

Companies began in 2011 to launch BB creams in Western markets, namely Garnier and Dr. Jart, with others such as Dior and Clinique following suit in 2012.  BB creams have been tailored for Western markets: for example, although whitening properties are a main selling point of BB creams in Asia, Estée Lauder is not including it in their formulation for North America.

Ok, so what’s the big deal about it?  It’s an all-in-one cream!  I’m pretty lazy about my skin – a cleanser, the occasional scrub, and a bit of liquid foundation or sunscreen are about all I use.  So a product that has many uses is perfect for me.  Here are two brands of BB cream that just hit the market, and you can find them both in drugstores.

[ source ]

[ source ]

I got the L’Oreal one, and it makes my skin look so fresh and healthy!  It evens out skin tone and just makes your skin look and feel refreshed and smooth.  It looks like it has sand in it when you first squeeze it onto your finger, but that quickly dissolves when you put it on your face.  It’s a little expensive for drugstore makeup (mine was around $11), but it’s cheaper than buying all the products one at a time.  I’d definitely recommend it!

That’s all for now,

❤  Courtney

Beauty Essentials Part 1

27 Tuesday Dec 2011

Posted by http://courtneyem.com/ in Beauty and Fashion

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

almay, beauty, cleanser, covergirl, eyeliner, eyeshadow, flat iron, john frieda, kiehls, lotion, makeup, mascara, mousse, neutrogena, revlon, serum, skin, skincare, tresemme

I’m kind of obsessed with beauty products.  For me, getting a new eye shadow palette is the grown-up version of getting a new Barbie doll!  Here are a few of my favorites. Smile

 

hair

My hair is extremely thick and frizzy, so straightening it takes forever!  But if you’re armed with these three tools, you can get your hair from puffy to straight in record-time.

1. After showering, while your hair is still wet, apply John Frieda Frizz-Ease serum.  It’s powerful, so you only need a little bit (about the size of a nickel) to fight frizz all day!

2. Blow-dry your hair, then straighten it using a good-quality flat iron.  Chi, Cloud 9, and Babybliss are top brands.  These may be more expensive than hair straighteners you can get at the drugstore, but trust me, it’s totally worth it to invest in a good one.

3. After straightening, apply an egg-sized dallop of Tresemme Climate Control Mousse.  This will protect your hair from heat and humidity, keeping it straight and healthy.

skin

1. Bliss Lid + Lash Wash Makeup Remover – this is hands-down the best makeup remover I have ever tried.  It takes everything off, even waterproof makeup, and leaves your skin feeling fresh but not oily.

2. Neutrogena Naturals Purifying Pore Scrub – I have sensitive combination skin: sometimes it’s oily, but sometimes it’s dry, so choosing a facial cleanser is tricky.  This one is all-natural and gentle enough for sensitive skin.

3. Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream – in winter, your skin can succumb to the dreaded windburn, which is no fun!  Slather on some of this lotion before going outside, and your skin will look great even in the worst weather.

eyes

1. Apply Covergirl eye shadow in white to your eyelids from lash line to crease.  I like using other eye shadow colors, too, of course, but white is my favorite everyday look for day or night.

2. Swipe on a coat of Almay One Coat Dial Up mascara.  I keep the dial on “3” for voluminous lashes, but you can twist it to the other settings for a lighter coat of mascara.  This stays on all day and doesn’t irritate your eyes.

3. Apply Revlon ColorStay liquid eyeliner in black just above your upper lash line and just above your lower lashes.  I prefer liquid eyeliner because it provides a bold, precise line, but I’ll admit that it can be difficult to use.  The key is a steady hand and plenty of patience- if you’ve never used liquid liner, it takes practice!  Here is how I usually do it:

1. Open the eyeliner and hold the brush in your dominant hand.

2. Close the eye you want to apply the liner to, and with your other hand, gently pull the outer corner of your eyebrow outwards.  This will stretch your eyelid skin and make it easier to apply the liner.

3. Brush the eyeliner from the inner corner of your eyelid to the middle of it.  Stop and take a breath.  Fix if necessary.

4. Next, brush the eyeliner from the outer corner of your eye to the middle of it.  Again, breath!  You’re almost done!

5. Repeat steps 2-4 on the other eye.

 

I hope these tips are helpful!

 

What is one beauty product that you absolutely love?

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