Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm

I had never heard of cleansing balms before my Birchbox this month. I received a sample of Cailyn Dizzolv'it Makeup Melt Cleansing Balm and I loved it! I've been using makeup wipes for years now and it wasn't until this past year that I realized how much makeup was left behind. I started using an astringent after the wipe and the cotton pads just kept coming away with more makeup. When I tried the Cailyn balm sample, there was nothing left on my face. I really want to buy a full size of it, but it's $36 for 100ml on the Birchbox website and I have to wait for shipping... blah blah blah... So I checked out my other options. I found this Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm on the Sephora website for $28.50 for 125ml so I figured I would give it a try, since I was going to Sephora that weekend anyway.

The product comes in a large squat container that is a lovely shade of purple with a silver cover. The original texture of it is very stiff, some people have said it looks like lard. I think it reminds me of a solid coconut oil, but at the point that you can still scoop it out with your fingers. The first time I used it, I used a spatula that I have. Some people prefer this because of possible contamination, etc... I am not one of those people. It's much quicker for me to just dig in with my fingers. I wash my hands before touching it anyway. There is no scent with this product whatsoever. That may make this a better product for some people than the Cailyn balm with a very distinct (though, amazing!) scent.

This balm should be applied with dry hands to a dry face. The thick product will melt into an oil to rub into your skin. Wait! An Oil?! On my Oily face?! ... Yes. Don't be afraid. The oil takes off all the makeup then rinses completely off your skin. If you want, you can follow it with a toner or other cleanser. What I do is take some out of the container, about the size of a quarter, then rub it between my hands to spread it out - not so much that it's a liquid, just to get onto my fingertips, then rub all over my face. This is a great time to give yourself a facial massage. It's safe to use around eyes and works wonderfully at getting all of your eyeliner and mascara off, though it does make a mess. Sometimes I will use a different cleanser to take off most of my eye makeup first (if I'm wearing a lot) then let the balm get the rest of it. Then rinse my face with warm water and pat dry. I usually follow it with a quick swipe of witch hazel on a cotton pad, just to make sure the oil is gone, then my night moisturizer. It's actually a lot faster than what I was doing.

I am officially a cleansing balm convert now. I used to not want to take the time to put my hair back, get my face wet, etc... but it just works so much better taking off all my makeup that I take the time now. This is a really gentle product that is available everywhere, since it's Clinique. This will be very easy to travel with too, since I can just put some in a smaller container to take with me.

Hard Candy Haul

While I was home in North Dakota, I decided to stop by the new Wal Mart in Grand Forks and get some Hard Candy items I was hearing about. (There is a Wal Mart sort of close to me in LA, but I've heard horrible and scary things about it and have been warned not to go... so I don't.)

First I decided to try the Glamoflauge Lite in Light Medium because I don't have a very good basic all-over concealer. I am really impressed with this. It comes with a more yellow tone on one side to correct and a more pink tone to cover. It is very creamy and easily blendable. It's not the greatest for under eyes, as it does pull a little bit, but I have used it in a pinch. Cost: $6

Left: the yellow end / Center: the pinker end / Right: blended together

Then I decided to try the Cheeks and Balances Contouring Stick in Cheeky Pink. I have started to really love cream highlighters. I really like that this comes with a highlighter. It's very light, but is nice for days when I don't want to wear a lot of makeup, and can definitely be layered. Cost: $7

It's hard to see the highlight, but I think that's kind of the point. It's just a nice shimmer. This was only one swipe.

Of course I had to pick up one of the All Glossed Up Hydrating Lip Stains. I chose the color Pout. This is my new favorite makeup trend: the tinted lip stain/balm sticks. I don't have a lot of them yet, but I do have a few, all different brands. This one is amazing. I may brave a trip to the Wal Mart here in LA to get another color (or 5), that's how much I like it. (Though, I think I'll just order them online.) It is very smooth and hydrating. The stain lasts a long time too. I can't say much as far as morning to lunch, etc. but I can say that I am very happy with it. I will be wearing it a lot. Cost: $5 

Pout is very pink, and is not this sheer on the lips. Again, this is only one swipe. You can see that it is very glossy though. 

Last, I decided I wanted a bronzer, but I don't really know how to use it and what color would be the best so I thought the So Baked Contour Trio in 3rd Wheel would be a good option. It is a baked powder that comes with a highlighter, blush and bronzer in one. I love the finish of this powder! It has a nice sheen to it without being glittery and the bronzer isn't too dark for a novice like me. I find myself layering this on top of a cream blush at times. Cost: $9

I wish this brand wasn't exclusive to Wal Mart because I really like it, but now that I've moved to LA, it's so much harder to get. I've bought other items from Hard Candy in the past: tinted mascara, glitter eyeshadow, and nail polish. My favorite is the Black Tie Affair nail polish. 

Mini Ulta Haul

My first reason for going to Ulta again was to redeem my birthday gift. I wasn't getting emails for being a member, but my birthday was a month ago and one of the cashiers told me I could call to get a code. I couldn't miss out on a free full-size mascara! I emailed customer service and got a great reply saying they were sorry the emails weren't coming but here's the code. This year they were giving out CK One Mascara.

"Precision curved brush and patented lycra technology amplifies, shapes, and lifts every lash for maximum volume. Customized lash looks with a unique twist brush applicator. Select definition or volume with a twist of the cap in this all-in-one mascara. Delivers buildable full lashes that remain soft and supple stroke-by-stroke. Ophthalmologist tested. Dermatologist tested. Safe for contact lens wearers."

I love that the box is specifically for birthdays. Super cute!

But I had no idea it was one of the new(er) twist wand mascaras! (I didn't read the description before) That made me really excited!

I'm sorry the second picture is kinda fuzzy, but you can definitely see that the bristles squish together a little bit. I've discovered that it's better to start applying with the brush in it's squished form to coat all the lashes, then unscrew it to comb the lashes apart. I really like this formula. It does get a bit hard, but I'm ok with that. It's a nice dark black, and it doesn't seem to clump at all. The tube is also more of a matte soft material on the black part, which is different. It's originally $18 but if your birthday is still coming up, go sign up (for free) for Ulta's club card to get this for free and 1 point for every dollar you spend. 

I also decided to get the Mally Starlight Eyeliner in Midnight. 

"They glide on easily without a shadow base, yet last all day. These waterproof pencils are able to deliver a crisp line above, below, or inside the lashline for a perfect defined eye that lasts until you take it off."

I got the silver color in my Ipsy Glam Bag a few months ago and I really like how smooth it is. I wanted a new eyeliner that would last all day. Midnight is a very dark black that glides on smoothly. They say if you want to smudge it, to do it within 30 seconds before it sets. It's been great and doesn't move.

I finally decided to get the full-size Benefit Dr. Feelgood Balm.

I got the travel-size from sephora.com and loved it so much I wanted the large size for every day use.

"Mattify shine with our invisible, weightless balm that leaves skin feeling silky-soft. Fabulous for mid-day touch-ups... this makeup artist fave can be worn alone, under or on top of makeup. Contains Vitamins A, C & E to help smooth away the appearance of fine lines. Pat and smooth over makeup with its accompanying sponge. Or, simply wear it alone. Reapply with a sponge for instant mid-day mattification that's better than blotting papers! Works best when pressed onto the skin in a patting motion."

You can read my original review of the travel-size here. Basically, this stuff is magic! If you have super oily skin like I do, please try this! It does work the best for 'blotting' throughout the day but it works as a primer too. It doesn't smooth pores as much as other primers, but your skin will feel soft. It's one of the best oil control products I've ever had. The best way to use it is over makeup, with the sponge. Simply rub the sponge across the product, but don't pick up too much, then pat gently over your makeup where the shine is. Somehow this balm will instantly mattify. You can use your fingers too, but I think part of the magic is the sponge. Yes, the sponge will get dirty. It washes up really well though. It's nice to have multiple sponges if you don't wash your tools every day or every other day. I have lots of little triangles to go with my travel balm, then I just wash a few at a time.

I picked up this Physicians Formula Correcting Powder on a whim. I have a little bit of redness on my cheeks and around my nose, and my under eye area is always very dark. I figured this might help.

The brush is terrible. It's not soft and it's too tiny for the bottom of the container so it moves around awkwardly.

The pan was attached to the container with only this one little strip of "glue". Very cheap.

I took the strip of "glue" that stuck the plastic to the cardboard box and put that inside. It helped a little bit.

"3-in-1 Corrector, Primer, Powder. Versatile powder color corrects the most common skin imperfections, smooths skin texture and evens out skin tone. All colors blend together to create a perfect canvas finish: Pink brightens, Green tones down redness and Yellow adds warmth. High-tech Japanese formula delivers a natural-looking finish that won't cake, crease, or settle into fine lines." 

I think it helps a little bit. It's very light, but my plan was to put this on then put my usual powder over top. I haven't used it very much and I'm actually thinking I might return it since I've since found a better powder.