Review: Albolene Moisturizing Cleanser

The weather has gone from pleasant to freezing overnight (a couple mornings ago, the temperature was actually in the low 30s!). This means two things: 1) my skin is even more dry than normal and 2) I get even more tired than normal. I purchased Albolene at my Rite Aid a few months ago right before their store overhaul when it was 50% off. Not that the stuff isn't ridiculously low priced anyways. The big 12oz tub will run you $10-$12 at most drugstores.The ingredients are not what you'd call "good" but there aren't many and the major one, mineral oil, is not something I react badly to.

I know I needed a bit of a skincare overhaul when my skin was feeling dry and tight during the day with no makeup. While my skin is on the drier side, if I don't apply makeup, it can get a little oily (far from you oily skin folks) but it happens. So when my skin was feeling tight and uncomfortable, when makeup wipes were literally hurting, I knew something had to change. Enter Albolene. What's interesting is when I first started trying it, I was using it similar to a balm cleanser (which you can totally do) but the directions actually tell you to apply and wipe off without water.

Well, guess what made a reappearance for this method? The Shiseido Facial Cottons are actually perfect to remove this when my skin is feeling extra parched. Not as though I would purchase the cottons specifically for this product but since I have 2 bags of them (yes still), I figured why not.

This stuff does actually remove everything and it's very gentle. I haven't broken out from using it (even with the no water method). If you're dry skinned and want a no-fuss inexpensive cleanser, this is a great one.

Ingredients: Mineral Oil (Paraffinum Liquidum) , Petrolatum , Beeswax (Apis Mellifera) , Ceresin , Beta Carotene (Vitamin A)

NOTD: Zoya Nyx

It was a rare opportunity when I discovered all of my nails were the same length. I snagged one on the cruise and hadn't worn polish for weeks. Tonight I decided to try out one of the Zoya Pixie Dust polishes, Nyx. Nyx is a gorgeous lavender-grey with silver sparkle and it looks like gumdrops on your nails. These Pixie Dusts dry quickly and have amazing lasting power. This is a bit much for the office, but with nails on the shorter side, I think I can pull it off.

October Birchbox 2013

So one of the not so great things about the internet is that for these sample boxes, you see what everyone else received and while my box is a good one, some people received Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish which Birchbox (referral link) is now carrying (!) and I have been dying to try but never wanted to pay to ship it from the UK. Now, it's a bit more accessible for us US folk, which is awesome, but I would have preferred some of that in lieu of pretty much any of the items I received, though they are nice.

Inside my (Liz Earle free) Birchbox was:

* Karuna Hydrating Sheet Mask, 1 mask (4 masks|$28) worth $7
* POP Beauty Aqua Lacquer in Flowering Fuschia, full size $14
* 12 Benefits Instant Healthy Hair Treatment, 1.5oz/45ml (6 oz|$19) worth $4.75
* Supergoop! City Sunscreen Serum 5ml/.17oz (1.6oz|$42) worth $4.50
* Chapstick Hydrating Lock, full size $2.99


The 12 Benefits seems to be similar to It's a 10 which surprisingly, I've never tried. Although the Chapstick is considered a "Birchbox Find Alert" and not a "real" sample, to be honest, I've received samples that were worth less than the $2.99 and much less useful. As I said, I'm pleased with this box but I would have loved to receive the Liz Earle. Maybe next time.

Disclosure: Referred link

Miss Me?/Random Favorites

I know, world's worst blogger, awful maintainer of blog website, lazy you-tube-watcher and tea drinker who doesn't make time for blogging...

Anyway, my parents took my husband and I and my brother and his girlfriend on a cruise vacation to New England and Canada. I stepped inside a Shoppers Drug Mart for the first time ever which was uber exciting. I bought 1 makeup item, the Annabelle Smoothliner in Black, which not only did I find for CAD$4.99 on sale, but happens to stay amazingly on the waterline and tightline. I scrounged the two story Halifax store for Bioderma but they were out of the pink version. Major disappointed ensued until I found Aero mint balls. Yum.

I managed to pack a smallish makeup arsenal and rediscovered some past loves from my makeup collection, including Bare Minerals Foundation in Fair which I wore just about everyday on the trip. For evening meals I used the Revlon Colorstay Whipped Foundation in Ivory which I applied with my trusty Beauty Blender. I rediscovered my love for MAC Lustre Lipstick in Rubia which is quite old but has retained the vanilla scent (thank goodness since it's a gorgeous nude). For fragrance I wore Bath & Body Works Forever Red Eau de Parfum roller ball which I picked up for a mere $2 at the last semi-annual sale. It's lovely and my husband likes it (win win).

I'm not going to go through everything right now, but I used eve lom cleansing balm and a muslin cloth to cleanse my skin every night. I used First Aid Beauty Daily Face Cream as a day moisturizer and Skindinavia Makeup Setting Spray to set.

I'll leave you with some beautiful places I saw on my trip:

Bar Harbor, Maine

Cathedral, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

 Botanical Gardens, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

I hope everyone has had a great beginning to their October!