Review: Befine Night Cream

Long time no see! No real excuses. Just busy and tired for the most part. My very last semester of graduate school is starting soon and I'm excited to be done but I am not "into" the idea of school right now. Some semesters I've been excited or at least curious how the class would be. Right now, I'm dreading this final "known to be the hardest of the program" class. Anyway, I've been meaning to use up some of my skincare samples and while this one wasn't perfect for my skin type, those with more normal skins would probably love it so I'm sharing.

It's the Befine Night Cream with Cocoa, Millet and Rice Bran. I received a decent sized .5oz sample with one of my beauty boxes (I think it was Beauty Army). This is a very light moisturizer and for me, wasn't enough for nighttime but it was a nice cream that sunk in quickly and didn't leave behind a thick or sticky residue. That's why I think it would be great for people with more normal to oily skin. It didn't make me break out either. I used this mostly during the day under foundation which worked beautifully, but also used it a couple times as a quick first step before my super mega rich night cream in the evening. I know that seems a bit silly/redundant but it was really nice and light and perfect in the summer when I tend to get overheated straight out of the shower.

The night cream normally comes in a 1.7oz pump bottle for $30 which is a little spendy but it's available on sites that offer decent discounts or like Birchbox where you can spend your points on it. I wouldn't repurchase myself as it's not quite right for me even in the summer (though I did finish my tube), but if your skin is more normal or oily, I'd definitely give this cream a try!

Disclosure: Referral link

Review: Oilatum Natural Repair Face Cream

So let's review. My skin is very dry and very sensitive. 

Saturday I woke up with a rash that basically covered my entire face aside from my forehead. Of course, it was nowhere near my body so no walk-in clinic would treat me. Splashing lukewarm/cold/warm water on it burned, touching it burned (showering was highly unpleasant). It looked gross. I was in the middle of trying to write a paper so it was very distracting. It was red and blotchy and hurt. I was really at a loss and basically decided that I was going to baby my skin and hope it got better on its own (side note, you know why that is? Because no walk in clinic would prescribe me a corticosteroid because it was on my face and my doctor's office isn't open when office workers walk the earth). Anyway, basically, since Saturday, I have very gently washed my face with the Ahava Rich Cleansing Cream and then slathered this on top. This being the Oilatum Natural Repair Face Cream which Kelly so kindly sent me ages ago. Thank goodness I didn't use this as a regular moisturizer because although there are still remnants of angry red blotchy sand-papery monster, there are some spots where you can actually feel my skin and after several days of that not being the case, any progress is good news!

So here's hoping Oilatum comes to the states in a more reputable venue than slightly sketchy Amazon sellers. Or Kelly and I will just have to have another swap soon (hint hint).

Basically, this stuff rocks.
(The Ahava ain't too shabby either. I quite like it and the little tube that came in the Birchbox lasts forever.)

Review: Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream

I mentioned I picked up a set at TJmaxx of the Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream a few (ok more than a few) months ago. I didn't try this till I finished up the Lancome Nutrix Soothing Treatment Cream which I happen to love - er loved past tense since I have since used it up and have not yet re-bought. As you can see by the pan up above, I do really like the 8 Hour Cream. I use it as a night cream when my skin is feeling particularly parched and does a great job of giving it more moisture.

I also find that it doesn't leave my skin as greasy the next morning as the Lancome which I honestly didn't mind as usually I'm super dry and flaky so the grease was a pleasant change!

The texture is a bit strange and the smell is rather odd. It's not bad enough for me to not use the product but it's not a nice smell by any means. Simple yet somehow cute and retro packaging and a lower price tag than the Lancome makes me happy I found this stuff. I haven't used it as a lip moisturizer as I'm not sure I can handle the smell that close to my nose but as a night treatment, it's great.

Worth the hype but I wish they would do something about the smell.

Winter Skin Savior

Most winters are absolutely brutal on my skin. This one has been no exception. For me, even though my skin is dry, I still suffer from occasional breakouts, unevenness, roughness and other awesome bumps. Obviously everyone's skin is different but this winter I've learned that I need to slightly over-moisturize. And I've been using super rich creams and aside from an occasional pimple that comes to a head, I haven't broken out.

My winter skin savior?

Lancome Nutrix Soothing Treatment Cream, $45 1.9oz

This cream is super rich and once it kind of melts in, it kind of feels like rubbing butter all over your face, but in a good way. The no frills packaging evokes the time period that this first launched, 1963 - if it ain't broke, don't fix it.


If you have oily skin, you will hate this.

However, for us dry skinned gals, sometimes you want to look glowy and not matte and dry and parched like my skin tends to look. The price is a little high, but you don't need much though I like to slather it on since it feels so good and my skin feels so soft in the morning. After it softens with my body temperature, I also like to massage it in a little. It's a super thick and luxurious cream, almost like a salve.

Do you see the slightly sheen it has left on my hand above (it's not shimmer or anything though the lighting makes it look that way)? That is exactly what I'm missing in the winter months. Love!

Greasy Goodness

On my favorite budgeting blog, there was a link that intrigued me. Well, first of, the man doesn't really write about beauty so when I noticed the words, "La Mer" on my screen, I had to investigate.

What is this fabulous product that rivals the super pricey La Mer?

I'll give you one guess.

Two? Three? Four?

Don't believe me? Read this. And then read some reviews on makeupalley. Crisco has a user rating of 85%!

It's not just for pie. And it's probably the only thing you'll put on your body with the following warning:

WARNING: Oil will catch fire if overheated. Damage or serious burns may result. DO heat shortening carefully, uncovered, on medium heat. DO reduce heat if smoking occurs. DO NOT leave unattended while heating. DO NOT refill bottle with hot shortening. IF SHORTENING CATCHES FIRE: DO turn off heat. DO cover pot until cooled to room temperature to avoid reignition. DO NOT carry pot until cool. DO NOT put water in hot or flaming shortening. 

I'm actually tempted to try the stuff, at the very least on my cuticles and horribly dry legs. Have you ever used Crisco as a moisturizer? Share your thoughts!

Review: Murad Essential Day C Moisture SPF 30

Some of you probably remember that in my Empties post, I mentioned that I had started using Murad Essential-C Day Moisture since I had recently used up another Murad moisturizer. Well, I've been using it now for a couple of weeks and I wanted to share my thoughts.

First of all, the price is absolutely ridiculous, even more so than the pricing on the rest of the Murad moisturizer range (which at $33 for 1.7oz isn't exactly cheap either). This will set you back $60 for a measly 1.7oz of product. What I like about this is that it has SPF without the smell of what you get in a normal sunscreen. This has a light citrus scent which is really quite pleasant.

Unfortunately, the good things stop there. Since it's still cool here, my skin is still dry which means that in the morning it needs more moisture that this can provide. I mean, sure, I could slather it on, but it doesn't really sink in and then balls up on your face (this is very frustrating when you notice it in the middle of putting on your foundation which forces you to remove everything and start back over). For me, I need to use a separate moisturizer underneath this which kind of defeats the purpose of a 2-in-1 product. That being said, this is probably great for the oily gals out there that don't need a super moisturizing product, and I'd recommend it if not for the insane price tag.

Have you tried the Murad Essential Day C Moisturizer? What did you think?