EMPTIES | June 2014: Part 2 (Skincare)

CLEANSERS

✓ Etude House AC Clinic Daily Acne Foam Cleanser --This was a good cleanser. I'm not too sure on the whole foaming claim as I expect tons and tons of bubbles to be truly foamy. The creamy texture was great for my dry and sensitive skin during the winter months. This small sample lasted quite a while, even with twice-daily use. It worked well with my Clarisonic. I don't know if it worked to reduce the number of blemishes but at least it didn't increase them. The smell is medicinal but it didn't bother me. 

Bottom Line: It was okay but nothing spectacular. I won't be repurchasing as it's a bit hard to get a hold of here in the States and I've found something that I really, really like.

✗ Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Foaming Scrub* -- This was just bad. I thought it was a regular scrub so I would wash my face with a cleanser and then use this. My face got so dry and flakey that I had to use a super thick cream to rehabilitate my parched skin after a week of this harsh regimen. When I read the directions, I realized that this basically combines the cleansing and exfoliating steps in one. You're also supposed to lather it up in your hands and apply the foam to your face, not the actual scrub. The scent was nice. Having Vanessa Hudgens advertise this product made it cool but I don't know why she would advertise such a drying product?
Bottom Line: Would definitely not buy the full-size. It was way too drying for my normal-combination skin type and it didn't even exfoliate well.
✗ Biore Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser -- I've heard good things about Biore products in the past. Blair of JuicyStar07 fame had recommended this a while back so I decided to give it a try in hopes of controlling my blemishes. This was okay for summertime, but as fall and winter settled in, it dried out my skin. I had to use such a thick cream, usually meant for dry skin types, to keep the moisture in my face. I continued to break out even more and eventually decided to give up on this product. I instead used the last bits to deep clean my brushes, which it worked surprisingly well at.  The "ice" part is due to the menthol in the product, causing the cooling feeling. I've read from a couple sources that menthol is irritating to the skin and long-term exposure could prove detrimental.
Bottom Line: I will not be repurchasing this cleanser.

SPOT TREATMENTS

✗ Clinique Acne Solutions Spot Healing Gel* -- This was quite good. It dried quickly but that might have been due to the high alcohol content. It did dry out fresh pimples but it also dried out the surrounding skin, making makeup application looking patchy and uneven. While it worked, I'm trying to find alternatives that don't have alcohol as that compromises your skin's ability to retain moisture with prolonged use.
Bottom Line: I won't be buying the full size.

✗ Clean and Clear Advantage Acne Spot Treatment -- With rave reviews on Youtube, I bought this one summer. It did work but I felt like it didn't work as effectively if I used it consistently for a week. I took a break and forgot about until I started cleaning out my products and realized it was going bad in 2 months. I'm proud to say I did finish it completely before it expired. :)
Bottom Line: It contains a lot of alcohol, which is really drying for my skin if I use it too much. My blemishes take at least a week to heal and applying it over broad areas like my chin makes it so dry and flakey within days. I've found something much better and though it's a tiny bit drying, it's not as bad.

✗ Clean and Clear Persa Gel 10 Maximum Strength -- Upon Elle of AllThatGlitters' recommendation, I bought this in an attempt to control my pimples. With 10% benzoyl peroxide, it worked wonders to reduce the redness and size of those suckers. As amazing as it was, it came at the expense of my skin, making it drier and flakier than when I was using the Acne Spot Treatment, which contains 2% Salicylic Acid. I think my skin responds better to benzoyl peroxide but the combination of salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide is quite potent at removing pesky blemishes. I'm sad that I didn't use it all up since it's still full but it's a couple months past the expiration date. I'm not too keen on putting expired products on my face as the last time I did that, my face got sooooo itchy and red.
Bottom Line: I don't think I'll be repurchasing it. The one I'm using now is working wonders without the drying effect so I'll just be sticking to it for now. I'm feeling a bit cheeky for keeping these new acne products under wraps but I promise I'll have a post up soon to babble and gush over them soon!
✓ Etude House AC Clinic Intense Pink Powder Spot -- Sunny of Sunnydahye recommended this product and I'm so glad I listened to her! It worked well at drying up my pimples without drying out the surrounding skin. It's not a product that you can slap on in the morning and walk out the door with unless you like having pink spots all over your face. It was a bit annoying to take a cotton bud and dab each spot but it was definitely worth it. It didn't transfer much onto my pillow and I didn't notice any bleaching problems that can come with using the Persa Gel. My only complaint is that the liquid part runs out before the pink powder and with only the pink powder, I didn't find it to be effective at drying out my blemishes.
Bottom Line: I've already purchased the full size! I haven't used it yet as I've been trying out a new product but I will be alternating for reasons that will be discussed in an upcoming post.
✓ Garnier Fructis Skin Renew Dark Spot Corrector -- This is a staple product in my skincare routine!! I didn't think much of it before but after trying out something else, I realize how much I love this product. It does everything it's supposed to: lighten and fade my hyperpigmentation spots. Sure, it may take a couple of weeks to notice any effects but that's the most important thing--that the product have some visible effect. It was pricey for a drugstore skin care product, but compared to other products that claim to do a similar thing, this is the most effective. My skin responds well to Vitamin C, a major component of this product so make sure you keep the cap securely on as Vitamin C oxidizes with prolonged contact with air.
Bottom Line: I have repurchased it but as I'm trying to use up something else, it hasn't been seeing much action.

MISCELLANEOUS

✗ Yes to Grapefruit Dark Circle Correcting Eye Cream -- I have done a whole blog post on this item before so I'll keep it short. While it did moisturize my under eyes, it didn't lighten my dark circles. Dark circles have many causes so it just didn't work to lighten the kind I have, which is probably due to lack of sleep than a pigmentation issue. It didn't layer well under some of the under eye concealers I tried it with (Skinfood Salmon Dark Circle Concealer) but with the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer, it looked alright as long as I give the eye cream ample time to settle in.
Bottom Line: Would repurchase for the moisturization but don't have hopes for the dark circles. The squeeze tube is more sanitary and protects the product's integrity compared to the standard jar packaging IMO.
✓ Chapstick Skin Protectant/SPF 15 Moisturizer Lip Balm -- Chapstick was all I used for years and I liked to collect all the flavors available. I was really bad at finishing them up since I would lose them all the time. This is the second one I've ever finished out of the countless that I bought. I've actually finished this a couple of years ago but since it had a little bit left inside, I guess I kept it around in hopes of using it up completely. Needless to say, I'm sure it's expired by now so it' going in the bin.
Bottom Line:  I'm not sure why I stopped using Chapstick but as I have sooo many lip balms now, I won't be repurchasing anytime soon.
✓ Maybelline Baby Lips SPF 20 in Quenched -- This came in a two piece set that I got at Walgreens. I gave away Pink Punch because it's not a shade of pink that I think looks good on my yellow toned, light-medium complexion.The clear formula was perfect for layering over stains to keep my lips hydrated throughout the day. I don't wear stains as much anymore so I haven't repurchased this exact shade. It lasted about 4-5 months for me, which is surprising since lip balms usually last a max of 3 months with daily use. It wasn't sticky or thick but more of a watery texture that I prefer for day time.
Bottom Line: I haven't repurchased this particular shade but I have amassed quite the collection of Baby Lips. Would repurchase in the future.

So this concludes the past month's empties. I'm going to try to do these monthly (I already have three products finished and a couple more on their last legs as well) so we'll see if I can top the amount that I've gone through these past couple of months (15 from the previous post + 11 from this post = 26 total).If you haven't checked out Part 1 of this month's empties, I recommend you do so! Let me know down below what products you've finished lately!

XOXO,

MWAH ♥

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Disclosure Statement: All products mentioned were purchased with my own money. I am not sponsored by any of the companies mentioned above and was not compensated for this post. All opinions are my own. Links are not affiliate links and are provided for the readers' convenience. I cannot guarantee that the product(s) will work for you. I do not approve or endorse the products or information available on these sites. Proceed at your own risk. Products marked with an asterisk (*) were given to me as samples or gifts with purchase.