getupkid144
Member Since: June 6, 2016Reviews
Aveeno® Calm + Restore Body Wash
My skin often gets tired and sensitive from overuse of harsh, fragranced and chemical-laden body products. As a result, I frequently do a sort of skin detox or reset, where I focus on using gentler products that will help it recover. This body wash... +
My skin often gets tired and sensitive from overuse of harsh, fragranced and chemical-laden body products. As a result, I frequently do a sort of skin detox or reset, where I focus on using gentler products that will help it recover. This body wash is perfect for sensitive, yet dry skin that’s look to rehydrate. It’s fragrance free, dye free, sulfate free, soap free, paraben free, and recognized by the Canadian Dermatology Association. Its formula is fairly straight-forward and includes glycerin, aloe leaf extract, panthenol (aka B3) and oat extract to help soothe and calm. When they say fragrance free, they really mean it. The body wash itself smells absolutely neutral and will likewise not leave a lingering fragrance after use. Its more of a gel-like consistency and doesn’t lather up in the traditional way, but does a great job of cleansing and leaves you feeling squeaky clean, yet still hydrated. I like using this knowing that it isn’t harming my skin, but rather is helping maintain the hydration balance and my skin barrier, without any harsh ingredients. Even my husband who suffers from pretty bad eczema had an enjoyable experience using this and didn't notice any dryness or other effects. -
Grown Alchemist Skin Renewal Serum
When Grown Alchemist describes this serum as a “powerhouse”, they aren’t exaggerating. This formula is loaded with clean ,skin-benefitting ingredients like glycerin, niacinamide, panthenol, aloe leaf juice, arginine, echinacea, and... +
When Grown Alchemist describes this serum as a “powerhouse”, they aren’t exaggerating. This formula is loaded with clean ,skin-benefitting ingredients like glycerin, niacinamide, panthenol, aloe leaf juice, arginine, echinacea, and ashwagandha. I used it as recommended, as an overnight serum. A few small drops were sufficient to cover my entire face, though I recognize that the price of a 25mL bottle is quite steep. The scent is really pleasant, a sort of herbal-botanical fragrance that no doubt is the result of all the natural ingredients that have been included. My skin is usually very visibly parched/dehydrated. After a week of continuous use, my face does look plumper and more hydrated than before. It may be too early to tell whether this is helping with my fine lines and early wrinkles, but everything does look a little more softened or “blurred” than before. I was also able to apply my usual water-based gel moisturizer over top with no pilling.
- Product received for free from Grown Alchemist in exchange for an honest review.
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Grown Alchemist Instant Smoothing Serum
I’m always on the lookout for a more natural, “clean” skincare routine. Grown Alchemist has been great for trying out high-quality formulas, in luxe packaging, that also contain a select number of effective, safe ingredients. The formula of... +
I’m always on the lookout for a more natural, “clean” skincare routine. Grown Alchemist has been great for trying out high-quality formulas, in luxe packaging, that also contain a select number of effective, safe ingredients. The formula of this serum is very simply and straight-forward, and it’s even ceritfied organic, certified toxic-free, and EWG verified (a huge green flag). I used this in the evenings before applying my regular moisturizer. It contains Hyaluronan molecules, which are meant to impart intense hydration to your skin. I tried using it in the mornings before applying my makeup, but found that my foundation and concealer just didn’t mix well with this, so I stuck to evenings only. Come morning, my face did look plumper and smoother. I didn’t notice any dramatic improvement to my fine lines and early signs of wrinkles, but it seemed like there was a bit of softening taking place. Most of all, my skin is incredibly dehydrated, so I was interested to see how this fixed the issue. In combination with my regular moisturizer and used religiously each night, my face really did look a lot more hydrated and generally just healthier after continued use of this. While a bottle of the serum is only 25mL, a little goes a long way in spreading across your face. Also worth nothing, if you’re expecting or hoping for a flowery scent, this won’t be for you. It’s by and large a fragrance-free formula, with its scent best described as being clinical-neutral. This makes it ideal for those with sensitive skin and noses, who can’t handle anything overwhelming.
- Product received for free from Grown Alchemist in exchange for an honest review.
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Aveeno® Eczema Care Rescue Relief Treatment Gel Cream
This gel cream is a really neat product, unlike any I’ve seen before from any brand, let alone Aveeno. The consistency is, as the name suggests, gel-like and it feels very cooling and refreshing on the skin. I can see myself turning for this gel... +
This gel cream is a really neat product, unlike any I’ve seen before from any brand, let alone Aveeno. The consistency is, as the name suggests, gel-like and it feels very cooling and refreshing on the skin. I can see myself turning for this gel over the summer months, particularly when dealing with heat rashes or reactions to things like plants and flowers. I love using products with shea butter to really effectively moisturize my skin, but they’re often very fragranced so I end up having to stop using them after a short time because it irritates my eczema and causes flare-ups. However, this product incorporates shea butter, along with colloidal oatmeal, oat extract, and oat oil all in one unscented package. It’s a great way to enjoy the benefits of shea butter, without any of the unintended consequences of added fragrances. This was really a miracle product for calming my eczema – both in terms of calming the itch and moisturizing the underlying skin. It's worth noting that it does contain lactic acid, so you need to be careful when going out in the sun after using this, and for a bit of time afterwards. -
Aveeno® Eczema Care Daily Moisturizing Cream
I suffer from occasional eczema which is obviously worsened by the cold, dry weather we have in the winter. I’ve tried products aimed at combatting eczema symptoms from an enormous range of brands – my cupboards are filled with half-used jars... +
I suffer from occasional eczema which is obviously worsened by the cold, dry weather we have in the winter. I’ve tried products aimed at combatting eczema symptoms from an enormous range of brands – my cupboards are filled with half-used jars, bottles, pumps, etc. that seemed great at first, but quickly proved useless. I always find myself returning to Aveeno’s products, which have been tried and true proven to not further irritate my skin. Their special Eczema Care line takes what they’ve been doing to the next level. This cream is specially formulated to both benefit and protect the skin. Its star ingredient is colloidal oatmeal, which is widely-known to be a skin-soother, but it also contains oat extract, oat oil, glycerin, panthenol, and petrolatum. It’s basically a mixture of all the top ingredients I regularly seek out when looking for an eczema-effective body cream. I’ve been using it all over for about a week now and have noticed the redness and irritation on my arms and legs has really gone down. I can see why this is an accepted product by the Eczema Society of Canada! It’s also fragrance-free, which is essential for eczema sufferers – any sort of scent can really irritate the skin even more. It absorbs really quickly and doesn’t leave me feeling greasy when I put on clothes overtop of applying it, and its effectiveness has really helped soothe and calm my skin at a time when I really needed it. -
Tom’s of Maine Rose & Vanilla Deodorant
Tom’s of Maine was the very first natural deodorant that I ever tried, when first experimenting with these types of products. It’s great to see them still thriving all these years later. This deodorant is of course aluminum free and contains... +
Tom’s of Maine was the very first natural deodorant that I ever tried, when first experimenting with these types of products. It’s great to see them still thriving all these years later. This deodorant is of course aluminum free and contains glycerin and aloe vera jleaf juice. Not only does it not contain any aluminum, artificial fragrance, parabens, or baking soda, Tom’s also is dermatologist tested, not tested on animals, is a certified B corporation and donates back 10% of its annual profits to charity. That’s a whole lotta good! This deodorant was effective at combatting odour throughout the day for me. It’s hard to say whether it will be as effective for me personally during the hotter, sweatier summer months, but it’s an ideal choice during the winter, when I try to use more natural deodorants on the daily. I wouldn’t necessarily say that it helped with wetness, as I tend to experience that no matter what I use on my underarms. The scent was irresistible – like rose mixed with a more hempy, natural smell. It really reminded me of the yummy smell you get a whiff of whenever you enter a natural foods store, but mixed with the floral rose scent. I couldn’t get enough of it! -
CLEAN RESERVE H2EAU Nectarine Petal
Immediately upon smelling this fragrance, I was transported back...back to a simpler time, when the internet was just blossoming and we had to turn on the television or flip through a physical magazine to learn the latest and greatest in makeup and... +
Immediately upon smelling this fragrance, I was transported back...back to a simpler time, when the internet was just blossoming and we had to turn on the television or flip through a physical magazine to learn the latest and greatest in makeup and fashion. Fruity scents were so commonplace during my younger times that at one point as I grew up, I had a bit of an aversion to them, considering them too immature a fragrance. The Nectarine Petal scent from Clean Reserve’s H2Eau collection is a more upscale and mature twist on those fruit-based scents. I love that it’s a way to honour that time in my life, while also having it fit my currenty lifestyle and look. The rollerball itself is sleek, with a silver cap and the fragrance tinted aqua. The ball glides so smoothly along the skin, without ever catching or hitting a dry spot. It’s difficult to describe the scent other than an elevated floral-peach. This is a water-based (as opposed to the standard alcohol-based) formula, which makes it gentle on the skin. I will say the longevity is not the best I've ever had, but it's enough for a few hours. Ever since receiving this, I’ve been carrying it around in my purse on a daily basis and using it for little touch-ups throughout the day. It’s absolutely fantastic for that purpose, or for longer-term travel when you don’t want to bring along something bulky. -
Blue Lizard Australian Sensitive Sunscreen
Mineral sunscreens have come a really long way over the years with recent formulas showing a lot of improvement and innovation. I had been hearing about Blue Lizard for a while, but was constantly wary of trying yet another mineral formula. I regret... +
Mineral sunscreens have come a really long way over the years with recent formulas showing a lot of improvement and innovation. I had been hearing about Blue Lizard for a while, but was constantly wary of trying yet another mineral formula. I regret waiting so long, as this was unlikely any other mineral sunscreen I had tried in recent years. Not only did it absorb quickly into my skin, it didn't leave behind any greasy or tacky texture and the white cast I had come to dread was nowhere to be found. It looked a bit shiny when I first applied it to my face, but that dissipated pretty quickly and if anything, my skin just looked a little "pinker" than usual. It also held up really well when exposed to water and sweat, so I have no concerns using this under the strongest rays even when at the ocean. Speaking of which, this is a reef-safe formula and small enough to bring along in your carry-on luggage, making it a must-pack for any beach trips. -
YSL Lashclash Mascara
I have a pretty standard routine and preference when it comes to my daily makeup application. Even after trying almost every mascara out there, I always come back to a few selected tried and true products. So, naturally, I was skeptical to try out... +
I have a pretty standard routine and preference when it comes to my daily makeup application. Even after trying almost every mascara out there, I always come back to a few selected tried and true products. So, naturally, I was skeptical to try out yet another mascara which I figured would inevitably lead to fretting over raccoon eyes all day. I don’t say it often, but…I was way off the mark on this one - the Lash Clash Waterproof Mascara from YSL Beauty knocked it out of the park! Even after marching outside in the rain-snow blend that is the hallmark of early spring, my mascara didn’t budge an inch. When YSL claims that this mascara is action-proof (including sauna-proof!), they aren’t messing around. This is absolutely going to be the go-to mascara for days when I need true waterproof mascara in my life. It also doesn’t compromise on volume at the expense of longevity, either. The double conical brush is large and in charge, baby! And somehow that’s not all – the formula is enriched with a hair conditioning agent to help protect lashes. The lift and separation were also great, which I’m very picky about. The only downside about this mascara comes at the end of the night: it’s undoubtedly a lot of work to fully remove it from your eyes. I typically use an oil cleanser on my dry face, rinse, follow up with a cream cleanser in the shower, and then wipe my face with a makeup removing cloth. This tends to do the trick but there’s occasionally a bit of residue left behind, which I usually handle with a facial milk lotion and a reusable cotton round. All around, this mascara far exceeded my expectations and adds a nice touch of luxe to my makeup routine.
I #gotitfree to try in exchange for my honest review.
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Aveeno® Calm + Restore Age Renewal Serum
I used this Age Renewal Serum from Aveeno in conjunction with the eye gel from the same Calm + Restore line over a period of weeks. The formula of the serum is very similar to that of the eye gel in that it is also gel-based and contains glycerin... +
I used this Age Renewal Serum from Aveeno in conjunction with the eye gel from the same Calm + Restore line over a period of weeks. The formula of the serum is very similar to that of the eye gel in that it is also gel-based and contains glycerin, niacinamide, cranberry extract and oatmeal to help nourish and soothe skin. It’s also fragrance-free, which means fewer additives and chemicals to be absorbed into your delicate facial skin. The downside is the scent of the serum is not ideal, but it dissipates fairly quickly and isn’t overly offensive. The serum, being water-based, absorbed super quickly into my skin, which allowed me to move on to the next step of my skincare routine quickly and without having to mess around in leftover greasy residue, like other products leave behind. It also had a cooling sensation, again because of the water-base and gel consistency, which I really enjoyed. After using this consistently for about a month, I found that my skin looked noticeably healthier. It looked more plump and hydrated, which is really difficult to achieve during the cold and dry winter months. As a result, the fine lines I have around my laugh lines and the deeper lines on my forehead appeared visibly softened and my skin just overall felt better and healthier to the touch. This is a great drugstore alternative to higher-priced serums and my experience with it has made me want to try the corresponding moisturizer from this same line once I run out of my current one.
I #gotitfree to try in exchange for my honest opinion.
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