Product Review: Garnier Skin Active Micellar Cleansing Water

Hello Everyone!

I've returned, to bring you a quick product review on the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water.
Micellar cleansing waters have become an essential item within the beauty community, and this is the first time I've seen a Trinidadian store carrying any brand of Micellar water.

I found mine randomly at my SuperPharm, and it cost me approximately TT$60. The bottle contains 13.5 fl.oz, which is great for the price.

Product Claims: This All-in-1 bi-phase cleanser is surprisingly powerful yet gentle to skin. It effectively removes makeup, cleanses skin and refreshes. A multi-purpose cleanser that contains Micellar technology. The micelles capture and lift away dirt, oil, and makeup without harsh rubbing, leaving the skin perfectly clean and refreshed without over-drying.
This product is also:

• Oil-free
• Alcohol-free
• Fragrance-free

My Hope: My hope for this, was that it could be a suitable replacement for my Maybelline Clean Express Makeup Remover, which I believe is discontinued.
 
My Experience: I used this the very same night I purchased it, and I must say I was impressed. It removed my eye makeup with such ease, and that day I was wearing my waterproof Maybelline Colossal Mascara, and that stuff just does not budge. I also used it to remove any residual residue left behind by my makeup remover wipes.

Post-Mascara Removal

Now, this photo isn't the greatest quality, however, this product did a really good job at removing the waterproof mascara, without me having to harshly rub my eyes with the cotton pad. Unlike the Maybelline Clean Express Makeup Remover, it does not leave behind any slickness, the Micellar Water just leaves your face feeling refreshed and clean.

I actually really enjoyed using this, and it is good for spot clean ups also, especially for winging out your eyeliner.

Conclusion: Considering the price, and the amount of product that you'll be getting, this is a good product to invest in. To me, it is a good replacement for my Maybelline Makeup Remover, and it feels better on my skin. I'm actually pleasantly surprised that I enjoy using this product, and it is now a staple on my vanity.

Thank you all so much for stopping by for this quick review. I know I've been missing in action (M.I.A), for close to 5 weeks now, but my semester is really long and drawn out, and I've just been getting increasingly fatigued and frustrated with it all. I do hope to be back to posting regularly now, however, I have become more active on my Instagram (@ladyjpsych), so feel free to follow me there. Again, thank you for the support, and as always until next time, I hope you all stay happy, healthy and positive.

Bye (^_^)/

Link: Maybelline Clean Express Review: http://jsmindpalace.blogspot.com/2015/06/maybelline-clean-express-makeup-remover.html

My Current Skin Care Routine

Hello everyone!

Welcome back to my blog. Today, as promised I bring to you the products that are in my current skin care regime.

Thank you so much for visiting my blog, and let's jump straight in!

Cleanser: Bioré Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser

I have always been a fan of Bioré face washes and cleansers, so I was really hoping to enjoy using this one also. Verdict: I really like this stuff. It cleans the face without stripping it, so essentially, after washing your face, it doesn't feel tight or uncomfortable. My face feels a lot smoother after using this wash, and looks brighter and more alive. I've recently repurchased this product, because I am almost out, and it cost TT$56 at SuperPharm.

Bioré Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser *new bottle*

 

Exfoliators: Frutique Papaya Enzyme Exfoliating Gel & Freeman Pink Grapefruit Exfoliating Scrub

Frutique Papaya Enzyme Exfoliating Gel

Frutique is a fairly new brand I've seen in SuperPharm, and I decided, why not give this a shot to see how it works. This exfoliating gel is considered to be a resurfacing gel that detaches dead skin cells and removes impurities. How it works, is you pump product onto your finger tips, massage into the face for 30-60 seconds, until you start to see your dead skin cells "appear in flakes". Those flakes for me a just big balls of gunk, that initially freaked me out! You do get used to it though, and after you rise with warm water (it has to be warm water, or else the flakes and product won't wash off properly), it's like your skin has just been revived. After using this, my skin looks brighter, my skin feels softer, and appears more even in terms of my skin tone. I really like this stuff, but if I do recall correctly, it is bit pricey between TT$75-TT$120, but to me it was worth it. Since purchasing, I actually had a week when I chose not to use this product, and my skin was not happy. I didn't realise that my skin needed something like this to truly remove dead skin and impurities.

N.B. It is recommended that you use this product twice a week, and I only use it at night!

Frutique Papay Enzyme Exfoliating Gel

Freeman Pink Grapefruit Exfoliating Scrub

This scrub is on the gentler end of exfoliating scrubs, it's not abrasive, it does not contain microbeads, and it smells heavenly.   

I probably use this once or twice a week, depending on whether I've been wearing more makeup than I normally do, but I don't use it on the same day as my Frutique Exfoliating Gel. It does the same job as the St. Ives Apricot Scrub, but with a better scent and price (roughly TT$30), and not to mention it is very gentle on the skin, I would highly recommend this for sensitive skin guys and girls out there! 

Freeman Pink Grapefruit Exfoliating Scrub

Toner: Witch Hazel

Serum: L'Oreal Youth Code Dark Spot Corrector Serum

I enjoy changing my skin care products every 3-4 months, so it is rare that I have one product that sticks around for an extended period of time. This product has been in my regime for approximately 2 years, maybe more, and I genuinely love it! It has been in past empties posts I've done, but this stuff just works for my skin and for getting rid of hyperpigmentation. It does cost TT$180, but it works!

L'Oreal Youth Code Dark Spot Corrector Serum

Day Cream: L'Oreal Youth Code Dark Spot Corrector Day Cream with SPF 30.
 I figured if I love the serum, why not give the day cream a try. So far it's been working pretty well. It isn't super greasy, or too heavy for my skin, but it is a thick consistency creamy, so you only need to use a small amount to cover the surface of the face. I don't have any major complaints, but I am not 100% sure if I absolutely love it.

L'Oreal Youth Code Day Cream

Night Cream: Garnier Ultra Lift Miracle Sleeping Cream
Now I honestly don't think miracle is the correct word to describe this. This cream is marketed as an anti-age and anti-fatigue night cream, and claims that after the first use, the first morning, 93% of users said skin felt smoother & hydrated, while 77% said their skin looked well rested.
Well, after my first use I woke up with oily skin, but it did look brighter. After continued use, I still found that my skin would look bright, but not feel hydrated, it just looked oily.
The consistency of this product is very weird, it feels like pizza dough, and even smells that way also. It hasn't broken me out so I'll use it until I finish it but I don't see it becoming a necessity...and yes I know this is targeted towards older adults, but hey it's never too early for a near 24 year old to start thinking about anti-aging products.

Garnier Ultra Lift Miracle Sleeping Cream

Optional: Garnier Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel Cream & Bio- Oil
These two products I rotate in and out of my routine, as moisturising options after having used my Frutique Exfoliating Gel. They both absorb into the skin quickly, and leave the skin feeling hydrated. The Bio-Oil has the added benefits of evening skin tone, reducing the appearance of scars. The Bio-Oil is roughly priced around TT$99, while the Garnier price, I cannot recall.

Bio-Oil and Garnier Moisture Rescue Gel Cream

This is my current skin care routine, and it will definitely be changing towards the end of the 2015, but I do hope you enjoyed. As always, thank you so much for taking time out of your day to visit J's Mind Palace, and I hope you will stop by again very soon. I won't be doing a dedicated favourites post this month, because I haven't really bought much new products that I haven't already spoken about, but I may post something over on my Instagram (@ladyjpsych).

Thanks again for dropping by, stay happy, healthy and positive, and I shall see you next Friday!
Bye (^_^)/

Garnier Daily Shine Control BB Cream Review

Hello everyone! So happy you can make it today. I hope you're all having a wonderful day today. I'm currently under the weather, but that isn't going to prevent me from doing this review for you.

Claims: This bb cream, promises to control shine, minimize pores, even skin tone, hydrate and protect. 

In terms of shine control, it's alright. I still have to blot every 2-3 hours with or without a primer underneath.I do live in a hot and humid climate (Trinidad) and I have combo/oily skin. 

Minimizes Pores

....not really. My pores look the same when I wear this. I have noticed that the finish of this bb cream may exaggerate my pores a bit and it looks quite heavy as opposed to my actual foundation. I do use a small amount of the bb cream so I don't understand why the finish looks so cakey, (in person). So tough cookies there.

Even Skin Tone 

It does even.out my skin tone, however, for the colour medium/dark it comes off super light at first but eventually it matches me well enough.

Hydrates

Meh, it doesn't seem that way to me at all. Then again, in my skin tends to over hydrate itself (oily!). 

Protects

This bb cream contains SPF 20, which is a reasonable amount of SPF coverage, but I don't recommend using this as your main spf throughout the day. Take note of the UV index in your area and choose your spf according because some days SPF 20 just isn't going to cut it.

Picture taken right after application 

Two hours after application.

Although, this may not be my favourite product, it is not bad. It is good for days when you want a bit of coverage, but you're not in the mood for foundation. 

Please forgive me if this post seems rushed, I'm currently under the weather and in need of rest. I have more reviews in the coming weeks, so look forward to that. 

Thank you taking time out of your day to read my blog, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend and week ahead and I shall see you next time.

Bye! (^_^)/

August Favourites

It's the end of August and I was just bombarded by the fact that 10 years ago today, at the age of 12, I started Secondary School........I feel so old!!!!!! (-____-'')......
Alright, I need to stop feeling sorry for myself and get onto my favourite products from last month.

Skin Care:

• Garnier Nutritioniste Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel-Cream - I'm pleasantly surprised by this product. It's my first time using a gel moisturiser and I must say I love that it doesn't make me look exceedingly shiny. My face doesn't feel oily at all, it feels hydrated and soft. A big yes to this product especially if you are an oilier individual and if you have drier skin, I do believe Garnier makes a formula specific for dry skin.

• L'Oreal Youth Code Serum - I mentioned this in my skincare empties a while back and nothing has changed, I still absolutely love this product and will continue to repurchase it. It truly fades dark spots and dark marks, it leaves the skin looking luminous and it's just a great product. Highly recommend! 

Makeup:

•   Avon UltraGlazewear lip glosses - I hauled these a while back and these two glosses have rekindled my love of lip glosses. For the past 2 years I gave up on lip glosses because I could not stand the sticky and gunky feeling of some of the glosses I owned, so I went exclusively to lipsticks. However, these bad boys have converted me. The shades I own are rich Raspberry (left) and Palm Beach Pink (right). The colours are beautifully pigmented, slightly tacky but not sticky, and they wear beautifully. They've been living in my handbag ever since I bought them and I really do want to get more of these glosses. Avon keep up the awesome work with the makeup products, I love'em!

• Avon AeroVolume Mascara - This mascara I've been using for just over a month now and I do like it, however it's not the best mascara I've ever used but it's good. It thickens the lashes and adds a decent amount of volume. It's not the outrageous volume you would expect from something named AeroVolume, but it's more volume than a natural lash look but it's not super dramatic.

• Real Techniques brushes - I've been lusting over these brushes for so long and now that I finally own them, I can see why so many people love them. They are AH-MAZE-BALLS!! Super soft and plush, the Expert Face brush blends and buffs foundation like a dream. However, it's the Fine Liner brush that takes my heart. It tales the work out of applying gel liner. It picks up just enough product for a full application to the eye, without the need for constantly dipping the brush back into the product and  it makes doing winged liner so much easier. I will not be surprised if my brush collection slowly starts developing into a Real Techniques shrine.

Videogames:

•  Sims 3 - I've recently started back playing the Sims 3 and I forgot how easy it was to just get sucked into that game for hours on end. The Sims 4 will be released later this month and I know that I need to buy it....goodbye non-existent social life!

• Pokémon Y - I'm going to become a Pokémon master no matter how long it takes me! I've been breeding and trading Pokémon in a desperate attempt to complete the Pokédex before the release of Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, hopefully I can get it done in time *fingers crossed*

 I've been pretty slow on finishing a couple of books I've been reading. I need to finish The Hobbit, The Percy Jackson Series as well as Philip Zimbardo's Lucifer Effect (because Psychology lol). Doctor Who is the only thing I watch on television lately and I must say I'm loving Capaldi.

Anywhosers, that's it for this post, hope you all enjoyed. Feel free to tell me some of your faves in a comment and until next time, stay happy, healthy and positive and I'll see you soon.
P.S SNS links are on the side if you want to chat with me or follow me
Bye (^____^/)

Skincare Empties: Likes, Dislikes and Everything in Between

I promised that I would have two post up this week and I'm a girl who keeps my promises.

Today, I'm going to share with you my most recent skincare products that I've used up and whether I love them enough to repurchase them or if they fail miserably and were a waste of money.

Products: 

1. Freeman's Clay Mask Mint and Lemon - Love it! Leaves my face feeling refreshed and clean, definitely will repurchase.
   
   
2. Freemon's Facial Polishing Mask Charcoal and Black Sugar - Love it! I did a blog post about this mask, and I can't stop praising it. It helped to reduce the number of blackheads I had. Highly recommend this mask for anyone with oily skin or prone to blackheads.
   
   
3. Simple Kind to Skin Soothing Facial Toner - Eh....it's okay but it's definitely not my favourite. My favourite toner/astringent is the Bioré Blemish Treating Astringent. If you have super sensitive skin or dry/normal skin the Simple Toner would be great for you but for me it just didn't make a difference. Will not be repurchasing.
   
   
4. Simple Kind To Skin Hydrating Light Moisturizer - I do like this and I've already repurchased this product. It's lightweight as the name implies and very moisturizing. My only problem is that my skin tends to get oily when I used coming down to the end of the bottle. That never happened in the beginning, so I'm quite perplexed as to why it happened. Nonetheless, it's a great moisturizer that is not super heavy, so I don't mind busting out the blotting sheets once in a while.
   
   
5. L'Oreal Youth Code Serum Corrector - I'm officially on my fourth one of these, so if that isn't love I don't know what is! It leaves my face feeling baby soft and luminous (not oily). It makes my skin looks as though it's naturally glowing and it has reduced my hyperpigmentation dramatically. I love it! I love it! I love it!
   
   
6. Simple Kind To Skin Vital Vitamin Night Cream - I have a love/hate relationship with this guy, one night I absolutely love it because it's very moisturising and it makes your face feel plump and nourished (good!)  but the next night it just feels heavy and greasy and my face looks and feels oily (bad!!). I'm currently trying out the Garnier  Nutritioniste Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel-Cream as an alternative to this Simple Night Cream and I'm liking it so much more, so I won't be repurchasing the Simple Night Cream.
   
   
7. Olay Age Defying Eye Gel (not pictured) - Hate it! I had to be upfront about this, I cannot stand this eye gel. It does absolutely nothing. It made my eye area oilier than it usually is, my dark under eye areas looked as though they got darker and I just...I don't like it one bit! Will not repurchase this at all!

Now, I really don't want to end this post negatively, so I'll mention my favourite face wash and scrub which I keep in stock because I love them. My favourite face wash is the St. Ives Blemish Control Green Tea Gel Cleanser and my favourite facial scrub is the St. Ives Blemish Control Apricot Scrub. Both contain salicylic acid, are oil-free  and both absolutely amazing.

We've reached the end of today's post, but I will be back next week with a new post and it will be Avon related. I'm super excited to get working on that Avon post and it isn't a haul, I've been trying to behave myself and not shop for makeup as much as I usually do. So until then have a great weekend, a great week, stay happy, stay positive and I will see you soon.

Bye-Bye :)