Maybelline Baby Skin

Hey beauties!  A few weeks ago I was able to pick up the last Maybelline Baby Skin at my local RiteAid.  I've used it a few times (not extremely regularly) but I thought I'd do a review for you because I already have a good feel for how this performs.




Prior to picking this up, I had to rely on my favorite YouTube gurus and bloggers for information on it because this wasn't (and still isn't) on Maybelline's website!  I had heard mixed reviews, but I thought I'd give it a try anyway.  My pores aren't out of control and I'm not self-conscious about them, but if I can make them less apparent, why not give it a try?  Plus RiteAid was one of the first to pioneer the awesome beauty return policy, so I could always return it if it sucked. 

Being the coupon-crazed fiend that I am, I ended up snagging this for around $4.00.  I believe it retails for about $6.00.  Baby Skin comes in a 20 ml / (.67 fluid ounce) adorable light turquoise squeeze tube.  Not a lot of product, but I guess if you just concentrate it around your nose like I did and not your whole face, it isn't too bad.

The product is a clear matte gel that feels extremely similar to NYX's Studio Finish Photo-Loving Primer (my daily primer) or ELF Mineral Face Primer.  It has no apparent smell. 

The back of the tube stresses to "SMOOTH" the product onto your skin, so the first time I used it, that's what I did.  I concentrated it around my nose area and not really anywhere else, but honestly couldn't tell an immediate difference.  The product is extremely silicone-y feeling and doesn't blend into the skin.  I tried patting it into my pores to fill them à la Loreal Miracle Blur, but couldn't really tell a difference.  Ok, maybe my pores looked a little less noticeable, but that's only if I looked really hard.  And pretended. 

I let it sit for a few seconds then applied foundation.  Aaah, there's the difference!  My pores were less noticeable (note: not invisible) with this product as opposed to no Baby Skin.  They were only slightly blurred.  I've never tried a product that completely eliminated the tiny holes in my face.  I kind of liked the result.  Better than nothing, but not great.  The next test was to see how it wears throughout the day. 

Amount used to cover nose area

But does it work?
Eh.  It doesn't really have any staying power and isn't mattifying.  About 4 hours later I could start to see my pores again.  Keep in mind, it's winter and tend to use a few Kleenexes throughout the day, so that could obviously cause some wear.  I've tried layering it under and on top of my primer to see if I could get it to perform differently.  Under primer actually works surprisingly well.  I apply Baby Skin to my bare skin, wait a few seconds, apply my primer, wait a minute, then apply foundation.  That layering method seems to work best for me.

I've used this several more times and my opinion really hasn't changed.  Baby Skin works ok, but it's no miracle product. 

Would I purchase this again?
I could take it or leave it.  My primer works just fine and if I'm in a rush in the morning, it's just another step I would have to take.  Either my pores aren't that bad, or I just don't care about them like some others do.  I mean, do I really want someone that close to my face anyway? 


What are your thoughts?  Have you tried this?  How does it perform for you?

Tarte Pure Maracuja Oil

Hi beauties!  In yesterday's post I mentioned I use oil on my face (!!) so I thought it would be appropriate to review it next. 

About a year ago my sister received a sample of Tarte's Pure Maracuja Oil when she purchased another Tarte product at Ulta.  She looked at it and said "oh hell no."  She has oily, sensitive, acne-prone skin and the thought of her putting more oil on it grossed her out.  She handed it over to me like it was a pile of toenail clippings.  Little did she know she just fueled my obsession.  Having skin the exact opposite of her, I couldn't wait to try it.  I had heard mixed reviews, so I was extremely curious. 


 The packaging is quite nice.  Tarte chose a glass vial with a dropper lid - very classy looking - which makes dispensing the product super easy.  The sample bottle is just a smaller version of the regular size, which makes it super cute. 

The oil is thin and clear.  Much different than olive oil.  It's almost like melted coconut oil consistency; very watery, but will not harden like coconut oil will.  The smell is a fragrant, almost nutty scent, but not unpleasant.  I quite like it.  The only downfall is when you drop it on your fingertips, it runs between your fingers, so you have to work quickly, and kind of rub all sides of your fingers on your face.  It's a really strange motion, but it's the best way I've found short of dropping the oil directly on my face (a task I have not yet mastered without missing my face a few times.)

I use this product at night following package instructions.  I dispense a few drops on my fingertips (except I use 3-4 drops,) rub my fingertips together, and smooth over my face starting with my nose and spreading outward, sometimes in a patting motion.  The area around my nose tends to get super dry in the winter, so I concentrate most of the oil there.  The instant I put this on my skin, I feel relief.  Yes, it does feel weird slathering oil on your face, but the dryness just soaks it right up.  The maracuja oil absorbs into the skin so quickly, it doesn't take much to work it in to the skin. 

But does it work?
Afterwards, my skin does have an oily glow and is very slightly greasy.  I honestly don't mind because it feels so good.  Plus, it's nighttime so I'm not looking to put makeup over it anyway.  By the morning, my skin feels SO SOFT and looks fantastic.  I have not had any adverse reactions to using this oil on my face - no breakouts, overly clogged pores, nothing.  And I use it in conjunction with my Garnier Nourishing Cleansing Oil. 

Tarte's website claims this maracuja oil has "anti-aging and healing properties for firmer, brighter, and smoother looking skin."  I can't attest to the anti-aging properties (I'm only 28!) but it certainly makes my skin look healthy, smooth, and bright!

Y'all may be thinking I have uber dry skin to be using two oil-based products on it, but it really isn't.  I believe girls with normal skin can use this product, but those with oily skin should probably stay away, or at least keep it away from the oily parts of their face. 


Would I purchase this again?
I have!  After the sample was gone, I couldn't wait to get my hands on the full-size bottle.  Tarte Pure Maracuja Oil is pretty expensive for my taste, and I wasn't really willing to pay the retail $46.00 for 1.7 fluid ounces for it.  Instead I decided to try to find a cheaper alternative.  I did without it for a while, and my skin wasn't quite the same.  Lucky me though, I found it at an Ulta 21 Days of Beauty event a few months ago for $25.00.  Score!    Why didn't I buy 2...?

Garnier Clean Nourishing Cleansing Oil

Before I talk about what I put on my face, I need to mention what I use to take it off. 

I recently saw a Garnier stand-alone display in my local CVS with a few products on it.  The only thing that caught my eye was their *NEW* Nourishing Cleansing Oil.  I have normal-to-dry skin that has been more on the dry side this winter.  I have been really into thick, nourishing moisturizers and have been using oils on my face, too (more on that later) so this really caught my eye.  My skin is not very temperamental, so I can usually try just about anything. 

 

The bottle claims that the Cleansing Oil "Dissolves Impurities & Makeup + Replenishes Skin" with Jojoba & Macadamia Oils.  Right up my alley.  It was around $7.99+ and comes in a clear bottle with a pump top and 4.2 fluid ounces of product. 

 

I decided to check for it at RiteAid (I find that it's a bit cheaper there and it's closer to me) or wait for a coupon to come out soon before I purchased it.  I have a pretty good nighttime routine that works just fine for me, so I wasn't in a rush to make the purchase.

 

Yeah, that didn't happen.  After 3 days of not getting this cleansing oil out of my mind, I had to have it.  I checked around several other drug stores, Ulta, and, coming up empty-handed, went back to CVS to purchase it. 

 

The instructions indicate to make sure your hands and face are dry before use.  1-2 pumps are recommended, but I use 2, maybe 2.5 pumps.  The oil smells, well, oily.  It doesn't have a chemical scent, it's not floraly, and it's not a clean scent.  It smells like it's good for your skin.I use my fingertips to rub the oil all over my face and really work it in, starting with my cheeks, chin, forehead, and ending on my eyes.  It takes a bit of work (gently, of course), but I can really feel the oil breaking up my mascara after a bit.  I don't typically open my eyes when washing my face, but I did try with this product and it did not seem to irritate them at all. 

 

Water emulsifies the oil and makeup to make it easy to wash off.  When I rinsed my face the first time, I felt like I couldn't rinse it enough to make the oil come off.  I felt greasy and unclean.  But the more times I used the product, I realized that the residual oils that were left on my skin, making it smooth, soft, and supple.   My skin felt really great, not like that "dry, clean" feeling you get when you use a cleanser, if you know what I mean. 

 

But does it work? 

For the most part, yes.  The majority of my makeup comes off except for a few areas that I may miss when rubbing the oil around, like around my nose.  I also notice that my mascara doesn't come off as well as I thought it had.  I still use a makeup wipe to clean up my eyes again and do a once-over of my face, but I don't notice that the "oily" feeling dissipates too much.  After several weeks of using Garnier Clean Nourishing Cleansing Oil, I haven't had any breakouts or irritation and I've noticed I use less of my regular moisturizers.  I have moved my regular cleanser to the shower and wash my face there.

 

In short, this product does remove makeup well, leaves my skin feeling soft and healthy, and smells great.  I can't wait to see how this works when the weather changes in the spring/summer. 

 

Would I purchase this again?

Yes.  I have also recommended it for a friend who was telling me about her dry skin.  She loves it. 

 

 

If you've tried this out, let me know what you think!