SEARS now Carries BIODERMA!

For all of you that LOVE Bioderma and HATE paying super steep prices because it's not available in the states, where here ya go! Bioderma is now available at SEARS, their famous Créaline H2O as well as a few other Bioderma brand items! I myself have never tried Bioderma but now that it's available in the states I just might!

Check it out here:  http://www.sears.com/bioderma-cr-aline-h2o-travel-format-100ml/p-SPM7723994602?prdNo=7&blockNo=7&blockType=G7

Review: NEW Clean&Clear Morning Burt Gel Moisturizer (comparison)

I was SUPER excited to try this brand new moisturizer Clean&Clear released this month. If you haven't spotted it yet, don't worry, it's coming! 

I have combo/oily skin so I prefer to use gel moisturizers rather than lotions and cream. That's why I was dying to give this one a go. Clean&Clear is one of my favorite skin care brands and I use a few of their products in my daily routine. 

At the top in the picture above is the Clean&Clear Moisturizer. At the bottom is the Garnier Moisture Rescue Gel Moisturizer for dry skin. (I use this at night because it's just a tad more hydrating than the original) As you can see Clean&Clear's is a transparent white-ish shade. The consistency between the two is very very similar.

Another similarity between the 2 is they both smell amazing. Clean&Clears is a fruity, melon-y, cucumber scent where Garnier's is a semi-fruity refreshing scent.

This product comes in a generous sized squeeze tube and contains 3 oz. of product.

I find this is best to use in the morning. It's light weight, and cooling to wake you up. It doesn't make my skin feel greasy at all and it absorbs into my skin fairly quickly. It's a slightly thin consistency and after you blend it in a bit it feels like you're smoothing slightly thick water into your face. I know that sounds odd but what I'm trying to explain is that it's very refreshing, like water, and feels like water, instead of oils or creamy solutions.

As far as hydration goes, I like this as a light splurge in the morning to refresh, wake me up, and hydrate my face slightly before I apply my makeup. I use the word slightly because it's so light weight, it's not the moist hydrating moisturizer. The Garnier version is a bit more moisturizing, both the oily and dry skin versions, but I think this is great for the morning because it's not overly hydrating.

I do really like this product and recommend it for oily skin as a lighter morning time moisturizer as the name initials.

Tell me about your favorite moisturizer down below!

xoxo,
Glimmer

How to Establish your own Skin Care Routine:

Firstly, you will need to identify your skin type. This is generally pretty easy. Is your skin dry, oily, normal, or combination? I myself have normal/oily skin because my T zone does get more oily throughout the day.

Next, do you have acne prone skin? Is your skin dull looking? Do you have dark spots? Dark circles? Wrinkles or fine lines? You need to decide what your goal for your skin is, how you want it to look, and what areas your skin needs help in. Also, decide on your price range. I use a mixture of both high end and low end products, but I don't feel like you have to spend a lot on skin care. There are lots of really really nice products that are inexpensive and work well from the drugstore! But, I also think if there is something to splurge on, it's your skin. You want your skin to look, feel, and be as healthy and beautiful as possible! So if high end products work for you, that's great!

And lastly you need to find products that will work with your skin type and will perform well on your skin, so you can (eventually) get results! That means finding products that react well, feel good, and improve your skin. 

Cleanser - I've tried more drugstore cleansers than I have high end. If you are looking for acne and blemish fighting products hands down Clean & Clear is my favorite. They actually work, and I like that you can feel them working. After you wash your face it truly feels like you've gotten a deep clean that's refreshing without being harsh. Neutrogena also makes some very nice cleansers. If you want something more on the Natural side, the Neutrogena Naturals Line is more gentle, for more sensitive skin. I've also used their Oil Free Pink Grapefruit Acne Wash line in the past, and I do like the facial cleanser, however the line does smell way STRONGLY of grapefruit, so if you're sensitive to that, maybe go another direction. I was loyal to the Clinique Dramatically Different Gel Cleanser for a long time. That was a very nice, gentle cleanser. I would recommend it, but I just needed something with a deeper clean for my skin. 

Toner - Some people say toner is essential in their skin care routine. They swear by it and say it makes a total difference in the health of their skin. Others say its not so necessary and you can do without it. I think if you have acne prone skin or have frequent break outs, you should purchase a toner or astringent. I've tried "calming" and "soothing" and "nourishing" toners and they just don't work. The toners I think make a true difference are the ones made of Witch Hazel and salacylic acid. Those ones really treat the blemish on your skin helping treat them and remove any dirt or impurities from your pores. If you don't have blemish prone skin, but you think a toner would be helpful in your routine, go for it. I wouldn't recommend a toner or astringent for someone with drier  or sensitive skin because they can be harsh and a bit drying.

Moisturizer - Moisturizer is pretty basic. If you have dry skin, go for something a little richer and more hydrating. If you have combo skin, get a thin and lighter moisturizer that isn't greasy. I have combo-oily skin and I LOVE gel and gel-cream moisturizers. Garnier makes some wonderful gel moisturizers for both oily and dry skin. Clean&Clear has also recently released a new hydrating gel moisturizer, which I will have a review posted on next week. I also tried the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizer, but I wasn't as loyal to that one. It was really runny and a bit too greasy for me. I think the Dramatically Different Gel Moisturizer would have been a better fit for my skin. 

Exfoliant - Exfoliating your skin is very important. Not only does it remove dead skin cells from the surface of your skin, it helps to achieve glowy skin, it clears your pores, and evens your skin out. If you have sensitive skin, you'll want to find an exfoliator that's not too abrasive. If you have rough/dry skin, you might want to find one that's more abrasive. St. Ives apricot scrub is good for that skin type. It really depends on your skin and how it will react. I recently tried a sample of the Freeman Charcoal and Black Sugar scrub and I really enjoyed it! I personally am on the market for a new scrub, so if you have a recommendation, let me know! I'm having trouble getting my hands on a full size of the Freeman's one! Michael Todd True Organics have a few AMAZING scrubs that work well and smell super good too! 

Treatments/Masks - These can make a HUGE difference in your skin. There are so many great masks targeted for tons of different skin types, and you don't have to spend a lot to get a good one. Pick the issue on your skin you want to target. Say... dryness. Then look for a mask that extra hydrating. Freeman's makes so awesome masks, and high end wise I just love Micheal Todd. And the Micheal Todd website tells you what products are best for your skin type!

Any tips you want to share? Leave a comment!

xoxo,
Glimmer 

NEW Novelties!? Neutrogena NEW additions to Naturals Line

Neutrogena added some products to their Naturals line a couple months ago and I thought I'd let you all know!
These should be up in stores already, but they don't have a display, so I thought I'd show you guys if you hadn't seen them. Check in the regular Neutrogena section if you're interested.

Naturals Acne Cream Cleanser:

Product Description:

Clinically proven acne medicine treats and help prevents breakouts. Fortified with an acne fighting bionutrient from the wintergreen leaf for clear, healthy looking skin.

This creamy formula lathers to gently cleanse and thoroughly remove pore-clogging oil, dirt and impurities. Powerful natural salicylic acid powerfully penetrates down into pores to treat breakouts and help prevent new ones from forming.

Cream cleansers are supposedly better for your skin than foaming ones. Will you be trying this one out?

Naturals Acne Foaming Scrub:

Product Description: 

Clinically proven acne medicine treats and helps prevent breakouts. Fortified with an acne fighting bionutrient from the wintergreen leaf for clear, healthy looking skin.

Powerful natural salicylic acid powerfully penetrates down into pores to treat breakouts and help prevent new ones from forming. Exfoliating microbeads sweep away excess oil, dirt, and dead skin cells to soften skin.

I am on the market for a new face scrub... Maybe i'll give this one a go?

Naturals Acne Spot Treatment:

Product Description: 

Clinically proven acne medicine treats and helps prevent breakouts. Fortified with an acne fighting bionutrient from the wintergreen leaf for clear, healthy looking skin. 

With powerful natural salicylic acid, this spot treatment penetrates down into pores to treat breakouts and help prevent breakouts. 

This I definitely want to try! I hope I can get my hands on it soon.

Already tried them? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

info credit: neutrogena.com

xoxo,

Glimmer

Review: My *Holy Grail* Makeup Remover:

Hey Again :)
Today I have a quick review on my favorite way to remove my makeup and get a fresh and clean face at the end of the day, the Up & Up Makeup remover Cleansing Towelettes.

How I Use Them:
Let me start by saying I don't use these to cleanse my face. I use the to remove my makeup only. On a normal day I will follow up with a cleanser after I remove my makeup to remove impurities and get me skin as clean as possible. Every once in a while, if I'm feeling a bit lazy or I'm tired, I may skip the cleanser and crash for the night.

My Reasoning:
I have used tons of different makeup wipes and these are the ones I have been loyal to for about a year now. I have tested out Neutrogena, Estee Lauder, Maybelline, Walmart's Equate brand, "Yes to Cucumbers". and many more wipes. These work best for me!

Specifics:
Up & Up has several different versions of their wipes. They are all supposed to compare to another, more expensive, drugstore brand. For example, my favorite, the Up & Up blue packaged cleansing wipes, compare to Ponds Clean Sweep wipes. I also enjoy the purple packaged ones, that compare to Neutrogena's.

Why I Love Them:
-They remove all my face makeup
-They remove eye makeup easily without tugging on my eyes
-They remove waterproof eye and face makeup
-Many of them are quilted or texture to make removal easier
-Not at all harsh
-Affordable!

Available at Target.

xoxo,

Glimmer