Category: Product Reviews

Product Review: Aesop Sage & Zinc Hydrating Cream with Sunscreen

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We’re nowhere near the end of summer, but I just ran out of both my facial sunblocks, Pratima Neem Rose Face Sunscreen and Josie Maran Argan Daily Moisturizer SPF40. (Apparently I’ve been practicing good sun protection!) When I went to purchase a new bottle of one or the other, however, I realized that both products were sold out.

What to do?

Fortunately, I found  a few sample packets of Aesop Sage & Zinc Hydrating Cream in my drawer. This seemed like the moment to give them a try.

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Product Review: Sally Hansen Colorfast Tint + Moisture Balm in Happy Berry

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Sally Hansen is famous for its nail-care products, but it also offers a few color cosmetics. Colorfast Tint + Moisture Balm is Sally Hansen’s entry in the increasingly crowded field of “chubby pencils” or “crayons” for lips. (Lipstick Queen seems to have started the trend, with the Chinatown collection, but Clinique popularized it with their Chubby Sticks.)

I picked one up in Happy Berry (#25), a cool medium-raspberry shade.

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Product Review: LUSH Emotional Brilliance Translucent Face Powder

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Nothing forces us to assess our usual makeup routines like a summer heat wave. This is the time to pare down, to lighten up, and to keep things simple. It’s also the time when we (or I, at least) need to fight extra facial shine. The problem is that most “mattifying” makeup also has a tendency to look chalky, or else it includes ingredients that irritate my skin.

LUSH’s Emotional Brilliance Translucent Face Powder is beautifully simple, and it’s been my everyday finishing powder for the past year. For special days/nights, I still turn to Caron’s loose powder, but Emotional Brilliance is a basic yet effective (and affordable) alternative.

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Product Review: ILIA Lipstick Crayon in Dress You Up

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ILIA Beauty’s newest product is a twist-up Lipstick Crayon with a semi-matte finish and a healthy formula that includes sesame oil, rose hip oil, papaya seed oil, and candelilla wax, among other natural ingrdients. I’ve been trying it in the shade Dress You Up, which ILIA describes in this way:

Our first true mauve that will suit most skin tones. This rose-berry hue is just enough color to take your lips from a day to night look.

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Product Review: Aesop Purifying Facial Cream Cleanser

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I recently wrote about my new-found liking for Aesop’s skincare, particularly its Fabulous Face Oil. One of the many nice things about Aesop is the company’s sample policy: I’ve received several thoughtfully recommended samples of other products every time I’ve made a purchase. I’ve recently been trying out Aesop’s Purifying Facial Cream Cleanser, and once again, I’m impressed.

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