Review: Almay Hypo-Allergenic Eye Makeup Remover Pads, Non Oily

Almay is not one of the brands in the drugstore that I go for, but sometimes the deal is too good to pass up. I either paid a minimal price or got these for free at CVS. Almay claims that their eye makeup remover pads "nourish skin as they gently remove eye makeup, even waterproof mascara and longwearing lipcolor, without irritation". I don't know how Almay makes the claims they make about these but I found them ineffective. They managed to remove my long-wearing liner and shadow but they barely made a dent with my waterproof mascara. I also found them drier than I would usually expect for this sort of product. Maybe I got a bad batch? I definitely won't be paying retail price for these in the future!

Mascara for Sensitive Eyes/Contact Wearers

My husband indicated that one of his colleagues asked him to ask me about mascara. She is a contact wearer and indicated she needed a waterproof formula for sensitive eyes. I wrote what my husband called a small essay but I thought it was useful information that anyone could use!

Q: JT help! What mascaras would you recommend for sensitive-eyed contact lens wearers that prefer waterproof formulas?

I'm not sure what price point you are looking at, but you have a few options. First of all, anything that is "waterproof" is going to have not so nice ingredients in it which may cause eye irritation if yours are particularly sensitive. If it's only the contacts you are concerned about, you are likely more worried about flaking (which can occur with any mascara and especially drier formulas or tubes that have dried out).

If your eyes are sensitive, I would recommend Neutrogena Healthy Volume mascara. Fairly inexpensive at the drugstore and the Neutrogena line in general is known for putting out products that aren't nearly as irritating as some of the more standard lines. A few years ago, I had a bad case of tearing eyes and this didn't add extra irritation.

If you have some money to spend, I would recommend tubing mascaras. They coat the lashes in a coil and are easily removed with warm water and gentle pressure. One of the more popular ones is Blinc (which you can get at Sephora). A plus, if it doesn't work for you, you can easily return it (same for the Neutrogena at CVS, Rite Aid and Walgreens).

If you get flaking, you may need to replace your mascara more often. The recommended time frame is generally 3-6 months depending on the formula. Another thing I want to mention is removal. If you aren't removing all of your mascara, it can lead to irritation, especially if specks get in your eyes overnight. I would highly recommend an oil-based cleanser just to ensure you are getting every bit of mascara off. Even the most sensitive eye friendly mascaras will cause irritation if they aren't thoroughly removed.

Agree or disagree? If you have any additional tips for my husband's coworker, I can always follow up!

June Birchbox (2013)

Birchbox (referral link) has really been hitting it out of the park for me recently. This month's theme is about travel, or wanderlust as they put it. Aside from the perfume sample, I think this box was awesome (though the cap to my glossy kiss came off mid transit and made quite a mess - Birchbox is sending another - awesome CS!). I received the following:

* Klorane Extra-Gentle Dry Shampoo with oatmilk 50ml (full size 150ml|$18) worth $6
* Color Club Reign in Spain nail lacquer .25floz (full size .50floz|$8) worth $4
* Mirenesse Glossy Kiss .15oz/4g (full size 3g|$26.55) worth $26.55
* Oscar De La Renta Something Blue EDP ~$0
* adorable anchor nautical twistband hair tie (6 ties|$14) worth ~$2.30

The Glossy Kiss received looks to be old packaging, as the image on the Birchbox site is different but still definitely a full size product. You'll recall that while I was dubious about the twistband hair ties, especially due to the high price, I wound up loving them! And they also included 4 adorable post cards from their different offices. Certainly worth the $10 this month. What did you get in your June Birchbox?

Review: Kiss My Face Moisture Shave Lavender and Shea

I was recently on the look out for a new shaving cream and although I wasn't looking to spend a lot of dough, it seemed like I was gravitating towards some of the more pricey ones. Well, I happened upon the Kiss My Face Moisture Shave in Lavender Shea when I was checking out at Vitacost (referral link - please read below) and it was on sale for all of $4.58 - score (it's now $5.39) so I thought what the heck. Well, I am happy to report that it is quite nice. It is slightly more liquidy - it reminds me of hand soap - than the etsy shea version I was using previously and it is definitely thinner than the whish which didn't impress me at the price (and clogged my razor).

The scent reminds me a bit of Philosophy Purity which is honestly something I disliked at first sniff but really grew on me. It is a nice relaxing type of scent and doesn't smell artificial to me (though they also have an unscented version). The shaving gel/cream is light but provides a nice slick surface for shaving and it doesn't clog my razor! My legs didn't feel dry afterwards which is great since they are prone to sensitivity especially after shaving. I like the pump bottle as well as it reduces mess and waste. All in all, I am quite happy I found this though I'm probably late to the bandwagon!


Disclosure: The referral link gets you $10 off a $30 or more purchase (I used one from a youtuber to buy this and tea, yummy chips and organic fruit snacks) and I get $10 too.

Also, I apologize for my semi-absence. No good excuse!

Review: Dr. Sebagh Purifying Mask Anti-Pollution

First a disclaimer:
I'm not even going to pretend that I did or would ever pay $80 for a face mask. I would absolutely pay $80 for a facial (I've actually paid more than $80) but with the facial, you get the whole experience and with this face mask, I slapped it on in old pajamas and crawled into my non-spa bed with my pink head wrap thing and an iced tea and watched You Tube videos - not quite the same. I got this for a steal off of SpaceNK and since I'm stuck in bed recovering from a surgical procedure (and my face has been a hot mess), I thought I'd give it a whirl.

I don't know much about Dr. Sebagh - I'll give you that. I know he's a Dermatologist and I believe he is a Dermatologist to the stars, which gives him the ability to charge $80 for face masks among other things. His line is sold at exclusive high end retailers like Barneys New York and SpaceNK London. I actually really like the slightly clinical looking packaging but I know that would annoy others due to the price point.

The Dr. Sebagh Purifying Mask Anti-Pollution promises to "refine and refresh the skin whilst providing deep cleansing to the skin" [verbatim except I changed the tense]. Whilst may be my favourite word ever (see what I did there? I'm a bit delirious, sue me).

Anyway, the mask comes out a whitish cream and I liberally put it all over my face and relaxed for 10 minutes per the instructions. When the mask was first applied, I felt a slight tightening sensation, likely due to the kaolin clay. It was your standard clay mask hardening effect and not unpleasant. The mask doesn't burn or tingle which is great since I didn't do a spot test and my skin can be quite sensitive. It easily removed with warm water and a muslin cloth.

Afterwards, my skin felt soft and smooth but not dried out which is unusual with these types of masks. I'm going to have to thank Dr. Sebagh for adding oils to the mask and not causing my skin to dry out like the Sahara. All in all, very pleasant. Fairly quick for a mask and low key but very expensive.

Would I ever tell you to part with $80 of your hard earned money and buy this mask? No. I'm not a mask person but I couldn't resist the bargain myself.

For a mask, it's pretty darn good.

Disclosure: Don't hate me, but I got this for $12, yup.

Review: Tatcha Pure One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil

On with the "need to try something new bug." I recently placed an order at Tatcha for some blotting papers and also received an adorable 15ml sample of their cleansing oil. The Tatcha Pure One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil generally retails for $48 and comes with 5.5oz of product.

My sample came with a dropper which isn't my favorite since it's very hard to see exactly where I'm dropping without my glasses. Sample packaging aside, I found this oil effectively removed most makeup as it claims. I also found it weightless on the skin, and it doesn't leave any sort of residue. It didn't effortlessly remove waterproof mascara which is fine since I don't mind using and buying the Makeup Forever Sens'eyes remover which does make it effortless!

While this is nice, I'm not sure if I'd purchase as I tend to prefer the balm cleansers. However, if you are sensitive to mineral oils, this might be one to try as that ingredient (among others) is missing from the list.

Actives: Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Oil, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Algae Extract, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract.
Formulated without: Mineral Oil, Synthetic Colors, Synthetic Fragrances, Sulfate Detergents, Parabens, PEGs, PPGs, Urea, DEA, TEA or Phthalates.

*For those that don't mind cheaper ingredients and prefer a cheaper price point, check my review on the The Body Shop version here*

Review: Nuxe Reve De Miel Ultra-Nourishing Lip Balm

Oh Nuxe! I so wanted to love your Reve de Miel. I tried the stick version and just wasn't impressed. Then I ordered the pot and even though I hate pots, I thought - "ok, now it'll wow me". Well, it's good, don't get me wrong. It comes in a frosted glass jar which is very elegant and it makes my lips feel moisturized in the morning, but it's in a pot. And that means I need to stick my finger (or designated non grimy object) into it to apply. And well, that means I only really get to use it at night or on the weekends (since I'm too rushed to do it in the morning - my own fault of course) and I don't get home until late (darn you DC traffic).

So it's good, yes. And you can get it for less expensive on international sites like feel unique ($15.68 btw) but I wish Nuxe would put this formula in the tube. I mean, it can't be that hard, right?

 

I may re-buy, but not because I enjoy using potted balms!

*tip: Make sure to really rub it in upon application like you would a lip scrub

Review: The Body Shop Moisture White Shisho Make-up Cleansing Oil

You know that bug you sometimes get where you just want to try something new? I am still in love with my balm cleansers. I've loved each one I've tried but I thought I'd mix it up with something different: cleansing oils. Cleansing oils have been a big thing for several years but I just never got into it. Now that I've tried and loved balm cleansers, cleansing oils seemed to be the next logical step. I recently purchased The Body Shop's Moisture White Shisho Make-up Cleansing Oil. At $15 for 4.2oz and often on sale, this cleansing oil is a good one to try and it won't break the bank.

Now, it's not all natural, it has added fragrance (a lighter version of TBS Moonflower - my favorite from their old lineup) and it comes in a standard white plastic bottle, but it's pretty darn good. Like balm cleansers, you apply on dry skin, massage and then add warm water, and most if not all of your makeup dissolves away (it easily removed my eye makeup - even waterproof mascara though it required a bit more effort, concealer and my Studio Fix Powder but ymmv). The flip cap squeeze bottle made it easy to dispense the right amount. It's pretty low frills but I found it quite effective and I'd repurchase, especially with a sale!
 
Full Ingredients Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (Emollient), PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate (Skin-Conditioning Agent), Isohexadecane (Emollient/Solvent), Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil (Emollient/Skin Conditioner), Glyceryl Behenate/Eicosadioate (Surfactant - Emulsifying Agent), Water (Solvent/Diluent), Fragrance (Fragrance), Perilla Ocymoides Seed Oil (Skin-Conditioning Agent), Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate (Antioxidant), Butylphenyl Methylpropional (Fragrance Ingredient), Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract (Conditioning Agent, Humectant), Citric Acid (pH Adjuster).

NOTD: Sally Hansen Diamond Strength Sparkly Rose + Revlon Powder Puff

This Nail of The Day includes Walgreens clearance as you can see from the slightly obnoxious "reduced price" sticker on Sally Hansen Diamond Strength Sparkly Rose. I had a hell of a time trying to photograph this polish. It's so complex with the shifting rose/coral sparkles, though quite beautiful. Since I intended to use it sheer, I layered Revlon Power Puff underneath, perfect since it's a suede and dries quickly. Before you think I'm lying about the Rose, look at the bottle picture below. 

Anyway, as I mentioned actually photographing this was a pain. I took several pictures and none really gave the awesome duochrome flash the polish gives, which is one of the reasons I chose it as just a flash at work is better than full on glitter bomb!

You can kind of see from the pinky that with just a little movement, the pink flash goes away.

Anyway, I think I've bored you enough with my manicure today. I hope everyone in the US has a wonderful Mother's Day!

Fourth Blogiversary Giveaway Winner!

Today, I have the winner of the Nume Flat Iron from my Blogiversary Giveaway!

Congratulations to... *drum roll*

Jennifer D.

Jennifer, you should have already received an e-mail from me requesting your address. 

 

Thank you all for supporting Jeweled Thumb. More giveaways will be upcoming.