L'Oreal Paris Elvital Phytoclear Anti-Dandruff Regulating Shampoo 250 ml Review

Ingredients:

Aqua, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Coco-Betaine, Glycol Distearate, Glycerin, CI 42090/Blue 1, CI 14700/Red 4, CI 19140/Yellow 5, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Hydroxide, PPG-5-Ceteth-20, PEG-55 Propylene Glycol Oleate, Salicylic Acid, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil/Tea Tree Leaf Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Limonene, Fumaric Acid, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Oil, Menthol, Linalool, Propylene Glycol, Piroctone Olamine, Carbomer, Geraniol, Octyldodecanol, Citronellol, Citric Acid, Hexyl Cinnamal, Parfum/Fragrance.

I try to mark the sunscreen ingredients in red and other possible irritants in lilac. Ingredients thought to be good and useful for skin I mark green.  Learning as I go, google is my friend etc...

Thoughts:

- The claims about removing dandruff are a bit over the top




+ Surprisingly good for the price.

+ Smells fresh, not overpowering.

+ It does make hair feel clean and includes good purifying ingredients (salicylic acid, tea tree oil, piroctone olamine)

* Don't remember if I've told, but these basic L'Oreal shampoos are pretty good for the money compared to other market brands and easy to find, so I've been buying them for years. There's nothing amazing about them but they do a good job for normal, non-processed hair.

Price: 

About 3 € / 250 ml, I just bought 400 ml ones on sale for 3 € too

Bought from: 

Supermarkets, everywhere

Buy again? 

Yes, and I already have.

Worth the money?

I'm impressed, for the price the shampoo is very good! I wasn't expecting it to cleanse scalp any better than other L'Oreal shampoos I've had but actually it does (usually they are all the same I feel, except the one with oils, it was more nourishing but not so cleansing). I would recommend it for people with oily scalp, just like Head&Shoulders. However it's not drying at all so I could see anyone using it. Can't say if it helps with dandruff, though.

Skinfood Mint Sparkling Foot Scrub 100 ml Review

Ingredients:


Water, Pumice, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Lauryl Betaine, Acrylates Copolymer, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, Mentha Rotundifolia Leaf Extract, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Leaf Extract, Mentha Viridis (Spearmint) Leaf Extract, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Fragrance, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Disodium Edta, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Honey Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Extract, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Sucrose.

I try to mark the sunscreen ingredients in red and other possible irritants in lilac. Ingredients thought to be good and useful for skin I mark green.  Learning as I go, google is my friend etc...

Thoughts:

- Not very effective as a scrub in my opinion

- For me a foot scrub is not a very necessary product




+ Smells nice and sweet and duh, fresh - none of that "disgusting" mint smell that I abhor. I do like mojitos!

+ Good for those relaxing moments when you just want to pamper yourself.

+ Afterwards feet are soft but aren't they always after any scrub or washing...

+ But hey, it's a good scrub for armpits as well! It is really that gentle.

* Received this Skinfood's foot scrub by accident because the seller sent a wrong product... never would have initially bought it myself! But actually it's not bad at all, I'm so pleasantly surprised.

* But honestly when/if I feel like I need an extra feet scrub, I use those peeling socks or just go to sauna and physically scrub away some dead skin after the heat and soak...

Price: 

Maybe about 12 USD/€ / 100 ml

Bought from: 

Some ebay seller accidentally sent it

Buy again? 

No. But I did not buy it in the first place anyway! Could also be discontinued by now.

Worth the money? 

Nah, I don't think so if it really is/was about 12 €. It's a fun product though and pleasant to use. It is not very effective.

The Ordinary Colours Serum Foundation (SPF 15) 1.2N 30 ml Review

Ingredients:


Cyclopentasiloxane, Aqua (Water), Caprylyl Methicone, Coconut Alkanes, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Coco Caprylate/Caprate, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, Cetyl Diglyceryl Tris(Trimethylsiloxy)silylethyl Dimethicone, Dipropylene Glycol, Tocopherol, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Hectorite, Sodium Chloride, Hexyl Laurate, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Stearic Acid, Alumina, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin. May Contain [+/-]: Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Tin Oxide, Aluminum Hydroxide, Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163), Mica, Triethoxycaprylylsilane.

I try to mark the sunscreen ingredients in red and other possible irritants in lilac. Ingredients thought to be good and useful for skin I mark green.  Learning as I go, google is my friend etc...

Thoughts:

- Color is not a good match for me; it steers to orange, is surprisingly "dark" (at least for my winter skin!).

- Clogs my pores/breaks me out a little.

- The pump is messy and cheap, not a good control.

- You really have to shake the bottle properly every time so that the liquid turns even.

- I don't personally think it's worth it to start mixing my preferred foundation color at home and buy several shades of the product for that reason... I'm too lazy!

- During the day I felt like the foundation started to slide off the tip of my nose and forehead.



+ Price point is excellent!

+ There is an option to buy a dropper if you truly hate the pump but then again I don't know which is worse to use anyway.

+ Lots of shades (but yet it seems none of them would truly fit me).

+ Liquid consistency, easy to blend.

+ Natural light finish.

+ Probably suits all skin types except (very) oily.

* Even though the color match is not quite right, with some effort and careful blending and light layer it works; also I think this could be my shade if I tanned. I bought the shade 1.2N Light Neutral.

* I looked at TO's foundation shades and it now seems that they do not have my preferred shade even though they have so many... everything feels slightly off. To get the orange down, I'd have to go more to cold/pink shades because neutral wasn't neutral; but my undertone is not pink so I don't know how that would look like. The other neutral shades 1.1N Fair looks very pink and light, 2.0N Light Medium is most likely too dark, 1.0N Very Fair shadewise looks ok (actually neutral) but it's also too light!

* I have no idea which ingredient is breaking me out or if it's just the overall formula. I had high hopes for this foundation as many seem to love it!

Price: 

6,70 € / 30 ml

Bought from: 

The Ordinary website

Buy again? 

No.

Worth the money? 

If you find your shade and it doesn't break you out! Actually it's cheap to get two to three shades and decide which suits you the best. Personally for me it obviously wasn't worth it, everything about it was slightly wrong (except the price).

SKIN&LAB K Plus Red-X Essence 50 ml Review

Ingredients:

Water, Glycerin, Glycereth-26, Butylene Glycol, Panthenol, Spirulina Platensis Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Boswellia Serrata Resin Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Allantoin, Polyglutamic Acid, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Polyacrylate, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Solanum Melongena (Eggplant) Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Artemisia Montana Leaf Extract, Vaccinium Corymbosum (Blueberry) Fruit Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Menadione, Polyglyceryl-10 Diisostearate, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Ceramide, Disodium EDTA, Carbomer, Guaiazulene, Arginine, Fragrance

I try to mark the sunscreen ingredients in red and other possible irritants in lilac. Ingredients thought to be good and useful for skin I mark green.  Learning as I go, google is my friend etc...

I really liked how the box was green and patterned inside!

Thoughts:

- Not helping with the redness, sadly. But it is catered more for irritated skin redness, not for chronic redness. Even though I must say I didn't notice difference on irritated redness either.

- Might leave skin slightly sticky if applied generously. But didn't notice that it would affect other products.

- Full of all sorts of plant extracts, I'm always worried that some of them might be irritating.

- I think this essence is breaking me out a little/clogging my pores? And if it's not breaking me out, at least it's not stopping any breakouts.

- Doesn't control oiliness as promised but feels fresh when applied nonetheless.




+ I like the pump bottle, it's stylish, works well, pumps out a good amount of product at a time! Good and pretty packaging otherwise too.

+ The consistency is very watery gel, easy to spread on skin, absorbs quite nicely, feels fresh. Doesn't affect other products or make them pill.

+ Not too strong fragrance, even though it's weird: smells like soap, like dish soap, Fairy?

+ Feels soothing, actually! (Even if it doesn't live up to redness reducing claims)

* I'm always curious to find solutions for the everlasting redness of my skin... even though I have accepted that my skin will always be a thousand different shades at the same time and I flush easily.

* Can't really comment on the recommendation of using this product after surgery etc, so I don't know if it really helps burned/fragile/healing skin. Personally I feel they are promising too much and for a bruised skin you should just visit a pharmacy...

* Skin&Lab seems to have a lot of interesting products but I feel their claims are way over the top. I might pick up some other products later if I feel like it, at least based on this essence their packaging is very good and their product formulas are pleasant!

* K Plus Red-X Essence is somewhat hydrating/moisturizing too (of course) but it's just so basic that does it even need mentioning? It's ok, nothing amazing, nothing bad.

Price: 

USD 15.25 / 50 ml

Bought from: 

Jolse

Buy again? 

No.

Worth the money? 

Skin&Lab's K Plus Red-X Essence is overall a pleasant product to use, like a basic gel-type essence in a good packaging. It is soothing but I really have to wonder that maybe a basic aloe gel does exactly the same thing for cheaper? However I guess this essence is good for those with normal skin, not too oily or dry or clog prone and it's not that expensive. If you want an essence mainly to be hydrating, maybe keep looking?

A great example how expiration dates should be printed. 

Essence All Eyes On Me Waterproof Multi-Effect Mascara 8 ml Review

Ingredients:


AQUA (WATER), CERA ALBA (BEESWAX), CARNAUBA (COPERNICIA CERIFERA) WAX, C30-45 ALKYL DIMETHICONE, HELIANTHUS ANNUUS (SUNFLOWER) SEED WAX, PROPYLENE GLYCOL, STEARIC ACID, PALMITIC ACID, NYLON-12, ACRYLATES COPOLYMER, AMINOMETHYL PROPANOL, ACRYLATES/ETHYLHEXYL ACRYLATE COPOLYMER, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, HYDROXYETHYLCELLULOSE, SODIUM DEHYDROACETATE, LAURETH-21, MYRISTIC ACID, ARACHIDIC ACID, BEHENIC ACID, OLEIC ACID, PHENOXYETHANOL, CI 77499 (IRON OXIDES).

I try to mark the sunscreen ingredients in red and other possible irritants in lilac. Ingredients thought to be good and useful for skin I mark green.  Learning as I go, google is my friend etc...

Thoughts:

- Not exactly waterproof enough for me - could be just my oily eyelids smudging the mascara though

- The brush shape wasn't my favorite, feels a bit clumsy (I like thin ones)

- Also the application wasn't as easy and smooth as with some mascaras, but not a disaster in any way either

- Not a party mega lashes look mascara



+ Ok mascara? No strong feelings one way or the other

+ The price point is extremely ok!

+ Didn't start to hurt my eyes despite me using it longer than you're supposed to (3-6 months usually) and it didn't dry out before that time

+ Can be layered for decent everyday lashes, no clumps!

+ Easy to wash off

* What can I say about this long-name mascara by Essence? Yes, it's a mascara. It does work like a mascara. No, it's not my favorite but I wouldn't mind buying one again (because of price mainly). The reason I bought exactly this mascara was the price - it was the cheapest in the store and I needed something quickly.

* I kinda think that mascaras should be rather affordable as they should be replaced more often than other make up and skincare but look at me, using this cheapo mascara still for nearly 10 months! I'm disgusting. It didn't look or feel like it had changed at all so I didn't realize.

Price: 

About 2,50 € / 8 ml

Bought from: 

Supermarket 

Buy again? 

Probably not, but might try other mascaras from Essence. There are some other ones that people were praising.

Worth the money? 

Yes, very much worth the money and easy to find mascara! However I felt like I never really trusted the mascara properly and it wasn't an enjoyment to put it on. I mean, I made a mess a lot more often than with other mascaras (maybe I'm not very coordinated or whatever?) and I assume my oily eyelids made the mascara melt a little even though maybe it is waterproof (who knows?). So I would not recommend the All Eyes On Me Waterproof Multi-Effect Mascara for oily eyelids/face and for those who are picky about their mascaras.

Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet 15 ml Review

Ingredients:

Aqua (Water), Vitis Vinifera (Grape)Fruit Water*, Dicaprylyl Ether*, Glycerin*,Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter Extract*,Hexyldecanol*, Hexyldecyl Laurate*, Behenyl Alcohol*, Glyceryl Stearate*, Acrylates/C10-30alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Erythritol, Parfum (Fragrance), Tocopherol*, Lecithin*, Caprylyl Glycol, Mannitol*, Sodium Benzoate, Xanthan Gum, Palmitoyl Grape Seed Extract*, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Juice*, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Sterols*, Butyleneglycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Citrate, Citricacid, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flowerextract*, Sodium Carboxymethyl Betaglucan,Sodium Phytate*, Potassium Sorbate, Biosaccharidegum-1, Sodium Hyaluronate, Homarine Hcl, Glycerylcaprylate*, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-15. (098/120)"

* Plant Origin

I try to mark the sunscreen ingredients in red and other possible irritants in lilac. Ingredients thought to be good and useful for skin I mark green.  Learning as I go, google is my friend etc...

Thoughts:

- Even though the moisturizing sorbet is surprisingly moisturizing, it's still not quite enough for the harder winter time (when it's below -10 C) but it still soothes

- When I opened the tube for the first time I felt the fragrance was overpowering but it has since faded a bit? It's still there, but strangely I don't mind

- I feel like the product runs out very quickly, about 2-3 weeks for 15 ml! When used twice a day.

- Costs more than I would like!



+ Feels very fresh on the skin, melts and sinks into it almost immediately, easy to spread

+ Considering how light this moisturizer feels, it's super hydrating/moisturizing at the same time

+ After applying it's almost like I've applied nothing but my skin feels great

+ Works well with my makeup

+ Can be layered

+ Light, gel-like, turns watery when applied to skin, doesn't clog my pores or cause any breakouts

+ Actually soothing? Maybe less irritation/redness? 

+ Maybe less oil production?

* I must say I was surprised by this moisturizer, even though as I understand it is very popular. Looking at Caudalie's products now, I also feel like I would like to try their Intense Moisture Rescue Cream, Make-up Removing Cleansing Oil and Grape Water.

* Based on such a short testing period, I can't be absolutely sure if the moisturizer is breaking me out or not but I didn't notice anything out of ordinary. Talking of The Ordinary, I felt like it was such a pleasure to use a different cream once in a while! Been using TO's NMF + HA for a while (soon finishing the second 100 ml tube).

* Is this Caudalie's moisturizer magic? No, it's not. I didn't notice any "big improvements" in my skin and what I felt like I maybe noticed can't be proven in any way (maybe a bit less oily T-area, less irritated skin?). But then again isn't it the same with almost every product?

When I couldn't squeeze anything out anymore, I cut the tube and lo and behold! Still enough for one week.

Price: 

About 24-28 € / 40 ml

Bought from: 

Got in Lookfantastic Advent Calendar, sample 15 ml

Buy again? 

Yes. When I feel like I want to treat myself and I've used up my other moisturizers, I'm going to repurchase Moisturizing Sorbet.

Worth the money? 

I'm so impressed by how much my skin likes this moisturizer and the overall performance that my heart says yes even though my head is denying it. I do recommend it highly, at least to try, if you want to splurge. I think that it suits all skin types and is especially good for combination skin. And yes, for me this moisturizer feels luxurious so using it definitely lifts my mood! (Plus the tube is cute and pink.)

The Ordinary Ethylated Ascorbic Acid 15% Solution 30ml Review

Ingredients:


Propanediol, Ethyl Ascorbic Acid.

I try to mark the sunscreen ingredients in red and other possible irritants in lilac. Ingredients thought to be good and useful for skin I mark green.  Learning as I go, google is my friend etc...

Thoughts:

- Might leave a slight oily feeling to skin, especially if too much is used. I can feel it when putting other products on top.



+ Positively surprising to see and feel the difference immediately between AGS and EAA! I guess EAA is stronger or works differently, because my skin has been even softer! But the overall softness (and plumpness/good condition) is the biggest thing I noticed under a week of using.

+ No stinging or irritation. Just a bit of a warm feeling that's gone in a couple of seconds. After some time (month? Two?) I don't always even feel that.

+ Didn't feel any dryness. (Even when used twice a day.)

+ Feels oily (like squalane) so it's easy to spread. Still didn't affect makeup.

+ Smells like warm sugar.

+ No breakouts. Just improvements! Good for dry, sensitive, acne prone skin?

EAA is a lot like squalane oil, clear, runny, oily.

* I've been using The Ordinary's Ascorbyl Glucoside Solution for a while (just almost finished the bottle, took 5 months?) and started to slowly switch myself to this product (every other day at first). But now I've been using EAA for months, I'm half way through the bottle.

* I'm at a loss what to say about this product - yes, I love it. Not much anything negative.

* If I compare TO's AGS and EAA, EAA gives better results and irritates my skin less even though there's the initial warmness when applying, with AGS it doesn't happen. But AGS is much more drying on my skin. AGS absorbs better/faster and leaves no oily feeling. Then again I'm not bothered by that, it goes away. Neither one of them affects my makeup. AGS is cheaper, 12,90 € vs. EAA 18,00 €. Neither one breaks me out. I like using both!

* I still have The Ordinary's Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2% somewhere unopened, should test that next! I hear it gives the best results but is also the most irritating on the skin so it already sounds like my skin will not tolerate it long. But who knows? My skin seems to like Vitamin C products. 

Price: 

18,00 € / 30 ml

Bought from: 

The Ordinary webstore

Buy again? 

Yes, very likely. At least if the stronger one doesn't work for me.

Worth the money? 

EAA 15 % costs a lot more than other vitamin C products from TO. However for me, and for other people with sensitive skin, it's certainly not a deal breaker seeing the results (well I keep repeating that but it's still not a miracle product obviously). But if your skin is not that sensitive and you have a tight budget, maybe the Vitamin C Suspension 23% at 5,80 € is a better deal.