Hey kids, Meagan here. I've had "write post" on my to do list for quite some time. Lately, it's been an increasingly judgmental to do item: "write post, this time for real" and "no seriously, stop being lazy and write something you oaf." So here I am. Finally posting while watching San Andreas for the 15th time (sidenote: if anyone wants to talk pop culture at some point, I am totally in. But you should know that I find The Rock to be an entertainment genius and I'll defend anything he's in with the zeal of a Univision soccer commentator. The Tooth Fairy? Oh yeah, loved those tights. You can visit my room in the middle of the night to leave me gifts any time, pal. Doom? I've seen it at least a dozen times and it is objectively a garbage movie. Don't care. He looks great in cargo pants. Do I have the premiere date of Baywatch on my calendar? You betcha. Dwayne Johnson 4eva.). But I digress. Back to beauty product reviewing...
I really enjoyed Sara's post and her introductory rules to beauty. I was going to shamelessly copy and provide my own, but upon thinking about it, I realized based on consistency, that the best way to describe my beauty regimen is that I take a bit of an Outback approach: no rules. just right. Only it's more like: no rules. lots of trial and error. some results? Clearly, I should never go into marketing. However, I have stumbled on a few products that I really like, I think seem to be working and even if they're not, isn't beauty in the eye of the beholder or something? Without further rambling, here are some of my current favorites:
Foreo Luna Mini
My face decided to completely freak out on me last year and I had a string of break outs of cystic acne along my chin and jawline. Eeeeeek. Some basic googling told me this may be the result of stress. Although I was relieved to finally google health symptoms and not be told that I was definitely dying, probably from cancer, being told that I needed to reduce my stress to help with the symptoms wasn't exactly any more helpful. Therefore, I looked to another solution. I figured if I could deep clean my face on a daily basis, that would help keep my pores unclogged and therefore acne free, stress be damned!
I debated between the Clarisonic and Foreo Luna facial brushes (thanks go to Kyle for alerting me to the existence of the latter when I first began this search). The reviews for both products are fairly similar. They are both highly rated and people seem to credit each with curing all that ails them. More on what I think it actually does and doesn't do below, but ultimately, I went with the Foreo because I didn't have to bother with replacement heads and it came in more colors. #truthiness.
http://www.sephora.com/luna-mini-P387258?skuId=1633650&browserdefault=true&om_mmc=ppc-GG&mkwid=s6Ou5k4uE&pcrid=50233218639&pdv=c&site=_search&lang=en&gclid=CIyMvNTGp8wCFVhZhgodLJQIyQ
The Luna comes in two sizes, although the mini works perfectly for me. You can use any regular face wash with it, which is nice. I use one of the many Aveeno products, but have been experimenting lately with other face washes. So far the soap itself has made little difference. What I do notice is a difference in how my face looks and feels between when I use the Luna and when I go without. I'm not sure about all the anti-aging claims it makes. I tend to think that impact may be a bit overstated. However, it definitely helps keep my acne under control. I have fewer breakouts when I consistently use this lil' guy, and I can tell you for sure that my stress levels have hardly decreased. I also notice that my skin in general is a little clearer. The pores on and around my nose in particular are clearer. And going back to that eye of the beholder thing, my face just feels clearer and better when I use this product. It's a little expensive (~$100 for the mini), but given that I feel less inclined to buy other fancy face wash products now that I'm using it and I don't have to buy replacement heads, I think the upfront price may be worth it in the long run. In all, it gets a two thumbs up from me.
Korres Night Cream
Last winter seemed to go on forever and by the end I felt like the skin on my face was taking on a bit of a Walking Dead look: dry, sallow, somewhat horrifying all around. At the time I was using an all-purpose day/night face lotion that I didn't think was cutting it anymore. After looking around and asking for recommendations, I decided to switch to different products for day and night. L'oreal Revitalift Day Lotion for the day - you can find it at pretty much any drugstore and it has served me well. Light, has SPF in it, provides decent daily moisture for my face and works well under my makeup. For the evenings, I went with Korres Quercetin & Oak Antiaging & Antiwrinkle Night Cream. What a mouthful. It has a bit of a an oaky smell, but I don't find that it's overpowering. It is definitely a heavier cream, but it absorbs well into my skin and doesn't feel too heavy. I've used it for almost a year now and it worked equally well in the summer as it did this winter. My skin looks and feels better this year after using this in combo with the Luna. I spend less time in the morning lamenting the state of my skin and trying to cover it up with makeup. It's a bit expensive (I am totally breaking Sara's No. 1 rule right and left thus far, although you can get both of these products on Amazon so at least I have that going for me!), but the one tub has lasted me a year.
http://www.korresusa.com/quercetin-and-oak-antiageing-and-antiwrinkle-night-cream
Co-sign on products Kyle has previously mentioned
Prior to purchasing the Luna, I tried the Japanese (Korean?) "Natural Aqua Gel" that Kyle posted about. It's the stuff that you put on your newly washed face and then roll off in little balls. Aside from just being good old fun, I found that the gel made my skin feel clean and fresh. Basically, the same feeling I get from the Luna these days. After washing my face with the Luna, I tried the Aqua Gel and noticed that I had a lot less skin to slough off, so I tend to think that you can do one or the other, but both aren't necessary (Kyle, I think you made this observation as well). However, if you don't want to go in on the Luna and want to try other exfoliating face washes, I really like this one.
St. Tropez Gradual Tan Everday Body Moisturizer. Y'all. I love this stuff. I haven't tried the mousse or the more aggressive tanning products this line produces, but the daily moisturizer is fantastic. It really does spread evenly, smells great and dries faster than some of the other products I've tried. If you're looking to get a big color difference in one application, this isn't the stuff for you. However, if you're just looking to even out last year's still visible tan lines or want some color on your legs during the annual spring transition from tights to bare legs, I highly recommend.
And with that, I think I'll sign off on my inaugural post and finally scratch this one off the list! Cue me mentally (and perhaps literally) doing this:
Later gators! M