Top Ten Beauty Products: DAY FOUR

4. Clarisonic MIA

OK so it's $149.00. NO, DON'T LEAVE!! Let me speak - er - write first.

Bad news first:

CONS:

a) the price, b) you must replace the brush every 3 months, which is an extra $25.00

PROS:

a) It removes over six times the grime and makeup washed off by your hands or a washcloth alone.

b) It cleanses pores (and reduces their visible size) so well that your cleanser's effectiveness will be maximized to its intended potential. 

(True story: The use of a particular natural cleanser along with the MIA worked wonders for me skin which it had not done when I used a cloth).

c) It gently sloughs off dead skin, giving your face a radiant glow.

d) Specifically to acne-sufferers: Throw away the prescription drugs -- you're in for the ride of your life. I guarantee this product will clear up your acne. Why? Oh, there are many technial reasons which a dermatologist could give you, I'm sure. But my personal experience is simply that all the acne products I used were not getting into my pores because my pores were clogged. MIA unclogged them and got the cleanser where it needs to be. 

A word of warning: I got the MIA as a Christmas gift and felt immediate results -- but I had to use it for over five months before I saw results. (That makes sense, as the dermatologists usually have you try a product for six months before dubbing it a failure). My skin is clearer than ever and is boosting my confidence to new heights!!!

I really recommend you either save your pennies or write to Santa about this one, because it's worth it. Come on, you know you want to click...

Top Ten Beauty Products: DAY 3

I know, I know, this should be like... day seven or something. I have a good excuse; my sister's wedding was on Saturday! HA! No complaining from YOU. ;-)

Have fun with this one...

3. Makeup Forever HD Invisible Cover Foundation

A few days after I bought this foundation, I was raving about it to a good friend of mine. She didn't seem impressed by my 5 star review, and I was wondering why until she said; "Hm. I wonder how long it will be until you return this one." 

She wasn't being grumpy, she was talking as someone who knows me well. I have a tendency to buy a beauty product, love it for a week, then, when I start to recognize its flaws, I fly to Sephora to exchange it for something bigger and better. 

I've been wearing this stuff for about 7 weeks. 'Nuff said?

It comes in 26 shades, with varying undertones (pink, yellow, and olive) so each can find their appropriate match. This is the first time I have ever found a liquid foundation which matches my skin tone so well. My shade is ultra-pale, but with pink undertones: it doesn't wash me out or turn me orange like most foundations do. 

It doesn't come off easily to the touch (but it comes off well when you wash your face; it's non-comedogenic.

It's buildable and can also be concentrated in areas to be used as a concealer. 

It has a smooth, whipped texture and does not look cakey and artificial.

If I were to name my two favorite things about this product it would be the maximum coverage with minimum buildage, and the plethora of color choices.

$40.00 per bottle which lasts for a few months. 

Go be pretty!

Top Ten Beauty Products: DAY TWO

2. MARY KAY MINERAL POWDER FOUNDATION (LOOSE)

I swear I don't work for Mary Kay -- they just have some great stuff. But I won't write a novel about this one.

Just for kicks, I will compare the MK mineral foundation with the ultra-popular Bare Minerals foundation.

MK: The texture is like that instant cake mix you buy in a box: velvety smooth, and good enough to eat. (Just please don't consume this stuff. Stick to Betty Crocker in that area...)

BM: Do you like orange cake? 'Cause that's what this mix will make. Yea, it's smooth. Yea, it comes in twice the color choices as MK -- but I doubt any of those choices will match your skin tone. (My favorites are Sunset, Florida's Naturals, and Candy Corn). Get the hint?

MK: Offers weary skin a soothing respite from harsh, drying powders.

BM: Feels really good on your skin -- for the first thirty minutes. After that, keep your face away from everything besides oxygen, because the powder turns into a sort of goo which will come off at the slightest nudge. If your skin is itch-resistant and you manage to leave well enough alone, then have no fear! the foundation will still find a way to irritate you... in the manner of congealing. Yes, congealing. After about five hours of wear you will start resembling a giraffe: you'll have splotches of orange all over your face.

MK: Removes shine for hours.

BM: My face looked like an oil lamp about twenty minutes after I applied the stuff. If I applied more, it would congeal even worse than before.

MK: $18.00

BM: $25.00 - 28.00

You decide.

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