Beauty on a Budget: Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser

You may remember my review of Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Soothing Lotion and  how much I loved it.  A few weeks later, I am still excited to use it every day.  However, it did take me a while to decide on using the cleanser from the same line.  I don't usually trust that all products in a particular line will work as well as the first one I fall for.  I have been burned before (literally, in the case of an Aveda product that had cucumber extract in it, which it turns out I'm allergic to) by thinking that everything by a particular brand must be used together.  In most cases, it is simply not true (it's called "marketing").  I've found that picking and choosing carefully is the best way to go and I rarely love every single product I try in a line, no matter how much I love the brand.

Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser is an exception to that rule for me.  I had already seen a slight decrease in my usually facial redness from using the lotion.  Adding the cleanser to my routine has pretty much eliminated it.  When I get out of the shower, I'm so used to seeing my skin a pale shade of red from the heat (it doesn't take much) that not having any red was almost shocking.  And so delightful.  The skin on my face is more comfortable, less oily without going straight to dried out, and very soft.  

This is a soap-free, dye-free cleanser without sulphates.  It does produce a small amount of (SLS-free) lather, but rinses clean quickly.  It would be even better if there was no added fragrance, but at least it's at the very end of the ingredients list. There is one ingredient listed that will make me reconsider this product (in other words, I have to do more research), but such is the result of buying inexpensive products - a long list of ingredients in a beauty product is likely going to mean lots of chemicals and preservatives, which is why researching ingredients is so important (more on that in my next post).

More Reviews:
NouveauCheap blog
About.com
Saved by the Beauty blog

Beauty on a Budget: Clear Scalp & Hair Beauty / Pantene Curly

I have been reading rave reviews about Unilever's newest haircare line, Clear Scalp and Hair Beauty Therapy, for a few months now. At $5-6 a bottle and represented by the lovely Heidi Klum, I decided this was definitely worth a try.  Unilever's claim for this line is that it "feeds the scalp and creates the right foundation for stronger, more beautiful hair in just seven days."  I bought the Clear Scalp Damage and Color Repair shampoo and conditioner and used them for a little over a month.    

Unfortunately, I saw no positive change to my hair.  It didn't make my hair worse, but it also didn't strengthen it or make it look more healthy, shiny, etc.  I could have kept using this line, because it certainly wasn't damaging my hair, but I just wasn't overly fond of it.  The smell was kind of generic.  The shampoo lathers well, but feels like it strips my hair.  And the conditioner was a little on the thin side for repair.  It is certainly an inexpensive choice, but you are getting what you pay for, which is to say nothing special.  For my chemically treated hair, I need something that is really going to make it happy and feel soft and soothed.  This stuff is just not it.


I was happier with the Clear Scalp line than some of the other drugstore brands I've tried (Garnier Fructis, John Frieda and Redken) and I used it for as long as I did because I couldn't afford my usual from Bumble and Bumble.  Luckily, I came across a coupon for Pantene Pro-V and found that Pantene has a lot more choices and doesn't cost much more.

I was delighted to find that Pantene has a few lines specifically for curly hair (I didn't think drugstore brands got that specific).  I chose the Pantene Pro-V Curly Hair Series Moisture Renewal line.  I've now been using the shampoo and conditioner from this line for the past two weeks and I really like it.  I was surprised at how much I like the way it makes my hair smell.  The shampoo lathers so well that even my big ol' pile of hair only needs a quarter-size dollop.  And the conditioner controls my frizz and makes my hair shiny without weighing it down.  I really like the fact that Pantene offers a lot of options, since a lot of curly haircare lines don't work for me (my hair type, aside from being curly, is not usually targeted).  


More Clear Scalp reviews from MomAdvice.com, Budget Beauty Blog and Makeup Alley.

More Pantene Pro-V Curly Hair Series Moisture Renewel from WalMart, Drugstore.com and Total Beauty.

Beauty on a Budget: Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Soothing Lotion SPF 15

The Neutrogena Original Beauty Bar has long been my mother's most trusted facial product, but I haven't had much luck with the brand.  Their cleansers dry out my combination skin (which is probably more to do with my sensitivity than anything else) and their sunscreens usually feel uncomfortable (like a creamy coating on my face - not good).  

However, the Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Soothing Lotion is one of the best face lotions I've tried on my super-sensitive skin.  This lotion is thin enough for a humid summer, but you don't need much - it smooths on easily.  It has broad spectrum UVA/UVB SPF 15, absorbs quickly, doesn't feel greasy and even took some of my usual redness out (without being tinted).  At about $15 for 4 fluid ounces, this is quite a bit of bang for your buck.  There is also a cream version, for those of you with dry skin.  One reviewer complained about the fragrance, but I honestly didn't notice that this lotion had one.  It doesn't seem to have worked for all sensitive skins, but my skin loves it and I actually look forward to putting it on every day.


Other reviews:
Amazon
MakeupAlley
Ulta

Beauty on a Budget: NYC Nail Polish

Before I get into this review, a few people have asked about my favorite Sonia Kashuk Nail Colour, Rock Star.  I couldn't find it on Amazon (so I can't provide a product link photo), but the embedded link above will lead you to Target, where I originally bought it.  Rock Star (13) isn't currently listed, but will hopefully come around again (check your local Target, they may still have it).  The Noir Lacquer post here gives a good representation of this shimmery indigo polish (shimmery, not opalescent).  On to the review...

Target is always a great place to find good, inexpensive and fun beauty products.  Meg is always a good person to listen to about style and living on a budget.  Combine the two in a conversation about me hating hot pink nail polish and you get a surprise:

MoMa

It turns out that there is a hot pink nail polish that I will actually wear (who knew?!).  And I have Meg and Target to thank for it.  But that's not all - I have completely fallen for the New York Color - In a New York Color Minute nail colors.  At $1.72 each (at Target), these seem too good to be true.  The biggest complaint about them from other reviewers seems to be that they're too thin, but I agree with one of the MakeupAlley reviewers - it makes it easier to control. 

Lincoln Square Lavender

I know everyone's crazy for the Sephora by OPI collection, but I spent the last few years trying a bunch of their polishes and never being satisfied with any of the colors.  So far I've tried five colors from the NYC In A New York Color Minute line - and I love every. single. one.  Granted, the grey and lemony ones probably don't look as good on me as someone younger or more fashionable, but I still really like them.  




All of the colors dry quickly with a glossier finish than I'm used to (requiring no top coat, if you're lazy, like me)  This line also has a mattifying polish, if you're interested.  All of the ones I tried definitely require two coats to avoid streaks, but you get nice, bright, glossy color and after a week my polish hasn't chipped.  I also love that I can actually afford to have a decent selection of great nail color thanks to NYC (the regular NYC line is only 99 cents each!).  

MoMa is the hot pink I was referring to, but it's more a dark fuchsia...I think of hot pink as being a bit on the neon side.  When Meg first told me about it (and showed it to me on her own nails) I wasn't so sure.  I tried it on my toenails and was surprised how much I liked it.  I'm guessing that what bothered me about the color at my last pedicure was the opalescence.  There's just something about bright and dark opalescent polishes that I do not like.  MoMa is my favorite of these five.

Lincoln Square Lavender is a shade or two lighter than MoMa and a great contrast (sorry to tell the world your secrets, Meg!).  I haven't found a single picture of it that doesn't look so purply, so I'll just tell you that it is a nice pink-purple mix, just enough purple to keep it from being bubble gum.  I prefer this one on my fingernails, which is downright shocking - I almost always wear nudes or clear polish on my hands.

Sidewalkers is a cement grey and doesn't have as much blue as most pictures show.  I don't think it makes pale skin look as dead as most of the dove greys out there.



Lexington Yellow is more lemon custard-y then it looks, pale-but-still-bright yellow.


Mulberry Street is not as sheer as I thought it would be (read: wanted it to be), but it's a nice, shimmery nude and, okay, it has a bit of opalescence.  I think this shade is suited for a classy occasion (but I have no class, so I'll have to find another excuse to wear it).  

Other reviews:  Makeup Alley, Glam on the Cheap, additional links to reviews embedded in the nail color names (above).

Is there a product you'd like to learn more about for the Beauty on a Budget section of this blog?  Leave a comment on this post or email us and we'll look into it!

Beauty on a Budget: Wet 'n Wild Juicy SPF 15 Lip Balm

I've never been a huge fan of lip gloss, but I love tinted lip balm.  When everyone else was using Kissing Potion roller lip glosses (sticky but tasty) in the 80s, I was obsessed with Maybelline Kissing Koolers.  I loved those.  I'd totally buy those now.  They stopped making Kissing Koolers a long time ago, probably around the time that we were all convinced that dark berry-colored Revlon lipstick looked really great on us (I feel sure it didn't).   

I've tried dozens of lip products since then and found a few that I really liked, but Fresh Sugar Tinted Lip Treatment is the one I've lingered on the last five or so years.  However, at   $22.50 each (at Sephora) they are not exactly budget-savvy.


Enter Wet 'n Wild Juicy Lip Balm (with SPF 15).  An oversized lip balm, available for about $3, in four flavors (red rasperry, cherry, strawberry and watermelon).  These aren't as big as the jumbo Bonne Bell Lip Smackers (another hot 80s beauty product, but this one could be used as a Kubotan), but they are larger than your average tube of Chapstick.

These balms leave a very light, translucent tint and very little shine, but they do glide on easily without feeling waxy or heavy.  They don't have much staying power, but they do have an initial and very light fruity scent/flavor that you might enjoy reapplying anyway.  I chose the Red Raspberry and found the tint turned a little too hot pink with a touch of purple for me, but it wasn't a bad color - it just didn't suit me.  I would be willing to try the Cherry one, which appears to have the most tint to it (see the Beauty Junkies Unite review for color swatches of all four).  


While this isn't the hottest product on the market, I actually do think it is a good product for someone who just wants to use something to keep their lips moisturized and protected from the sun while adding just a hint of color.  You also really can't beat that price.

Still not sure?  Here are some links to other sites for reviews on this product:

MakeupAlley.com:  Some people have complained of a chemical taste.  I haven't experienced that, but it should be noted.  One reviewer said it burned her lips, which would have convinced me to not try the product, but I've tried it and not had that experience (and I have freakishly sensitive skin).


Beauty Junkies Unite:  The original review I found for this product that made me want to try it.  

Do you prefer a drugstore brand or something more fancy? Is there another product you think we should try?  Leave a comment for us here!

The Body Bar Reviews

About a month ago, our Megan challenged me to write about my dislike of bar soaps.  I took this as the opportunity to try even more bar soaps and determine if there really is no bar out there that will make me happy.  I had already collected a few to try, but I figured a few more wouldn’t hurt.

LUSH Sea VegetableSoap:  

Price: $6.66, but you can ask for as much or as little as you want.

The scent of this lovely LUSH soap is supposed to be lime, lavender and seaweed.  The lime is definitely there and it’s not overpowering citrusy.  It is also well-balanced by a marine fragrance (for those who associate seaweed with the smell of fish, this soap does not have a remotely fishy smell).  I didn’t get the lavender, but it is better when it’s subtle anyway.  This would be a good fragrance for men or women.

As with most of the bar soaps I tried, LUSH’s Sea Vegetable Soap felt like it dragged across my skin (instead of gliding – I love the gliding).  I tried using it on a mesh sponge, but couldn’t get enough lather unless I reapplied it a few times.   It did leave my skin soft, but since I have combination skin and live in a humid climate, this is probably not the right soap for someone with dry skin. 

I will use this again as hand soap because I love the fragrance, the way it looks and the exfoliating salt.

Given the wide variety of solid soaps you can get from LUSH, don’t be put off by this review – if you want a solid soap, there is a good chance you’ll find one you like there in a really wonderful fragrance.

Philosophy PurityMade Simple Cleansing Bar: 

Price: $20, but I got it for a little over $12 at TJ Maxx.

I found this at my local TJ Maxx for about eight dollars off the average price and I really wanted to love it.  Purity has a nice, clean, soapy smell and a creamy texture.  It lathers exceptionally well, even if you don’t use a mesh sponge or loofah, and that creaminess glides over skin without feeling oily.  I liked it so much at first that I used it on both my face and body (it’s meant for both).  But after a week and a half, it was drying out the skin on my forehead to the point of peeling.  My skin is combo instead of oily these days and it is sensitive, so this might still be a great face soap for someone with oily and/or younger skin.

I will travel with this as a body soap, but take along a separate face cleanser.

Scottish Fine Soaps HoneyB Bath Soap: 

Price: $10, but prices vary depending on where you buy.

Made with honey, vitamin E and shea butter, I had high hopes for this soap.  The first thing I noticed was the scent.  Honey can be a subtle fragrance or a sticky sweet one.  Scottish Fine Soaps definitely got the balance right on this one – a blend of honey, milk, vanilla and sweet amber, according to the brand’s site.  I also love the packaging, but as cute as it looks sitting on my shelf, I have to like how it works.

This soap lathered very well and retained that great, subtle smell, but after two uses made my skin itch.  This could have been a reaction to some random ingredient that won’t bug anybody’s skin but mine, but sometimes it’s a question of how much fragrance is added (the more fragrance, the faster skin gets irritated).  Because of the skin irritation, I can’t even use it as hand soap.

I will shave off pieces of this into a bowl and put it in my closet so that everything smells like it.

Canus Goat’s MilkSoap (in Apple):

Price: $2.29 only at Whole Foods Market in this scent.

The last bar soap I bought for this experiment caught my eye at Whole Foods Market.  There was an endcap display of these beautiful Canus bulk soaps in a variety of scents and colors.  When I saw the great price, I considered it, but it was the goat’s milk part that made me buy it – because it reminded me of Michelle’s goats on Goat Berries (if you don't follow this site yet – Pasqualina just gave birth and you must see the adorable pictures of her fluffy twins on the Goat Berries Facebook page, then LIKE the page just for giving you that moment of cuteness).

This soap has a nice, light, crisp scent.  But I honestly don’t know if I did get the apple one – I can’t say for sure because all of the Canus soaps are described as “fresh, light and grassy,” so…all I know is it’s light green and smells good. 

This soap lathers well, though there is a bit of drag, and it kept my skin hydrated.  It doesn’t sound very exciting, but this is the only soap I kept in my shower and continued to use. 

Just until something else catches my eye.

Other Soaps I’ve Known…

In addition to the bar soaps I purchased to try this year, here is the rundown of the ones I tried to like before.

Dove Sensitive Skin Bar:  Too much drag, which in this case may be because it was too moisturizing for my skin.  It did not leave me feeling clean.  That said, the Dove bar soaps are a huge hit among my friends.  Of the people I spoke with who prefer bar soaps, almost all of them stated that they use Dove.  Our Megan prefers the Dove Exfoliating Bar (see her comment on the yesterday’s post), which I have not yet tried.

LUSH Queen of Hearts:  (http://lush.com/shop/products/bath-shower/soap/sea-vegetable-) seemed like a good option, since I could use it on my face and my body, but I didn’t love the smell (didn’t mind it, either) and it didn’t foam that well.  In the end, just didn’t measure up enough to buy it again, but I did use up the whole bar.

Kiss My Face Olive & Aloe Bar Soap: http://www.kissmyface.com/product/item/18  Wanted to like this because it is SLS free (among many other things) and has a light fragrance that I liked, but it didn’t lather well and it melted into my bar soap holder overnight, making it nearly impossible to remove the next day.

Next time on The Thinnest Skin:  Solid beauty products you’ll love to travel with…

Sensitive and Impressionable

I will be the first to admit that I have an unhealthy love of lotions and potions.  I try not to be sensitive about it (no, really), though having one friend roll his eyes at my insistence that I'm in recovery, made me reconsider whether or not my hoarding days are truly over.  One thing that I can say for myself is that I have been rethinking my skincare for the last couple of years.

First, my skin has changed.  Once I got into my mid-thirties that oily skin I had so resented as a teenager started drying out.  My previous aversion to anything with the words “cream” or “oil” in it and anything that doesn’t foam started to dissipate.  Then I realized that, with my change in career, I could no longer afford to spend every Saturday at LUSH and Sephora, especially since I was more of a collector than a frequent user.  Next I had to come to terms with a different climate – from Northern California to Northern Virginia.  Finally, I moved to the DC Metro Area and (after I'd settled in – about a week later) I took a good look around me and realized that very few of the women I've met wear full makeup.  In fact, I’m pretty sure some don't wear any.

I am not by any means saying that I felt an instant need to conform to the beauty standard around me, though I do believe we are bound to be influenced by just that.  In this case, what I felt was relief.  I looked around at all these lovely fresh faces and saw how elegant and classy the women looked despite their lack of…well, shellac, and I was impressed.  I came here thinking that DC would be packed with women who wore makeup like war paint.  Women who would undoubtedly pair their heavy makeup with starched politician hair (you know what I’m saying).  And those women are here, too, but the majority of women I’ve met keep it simple and look good doing it. 

Riding on the Metro

The first time I rode the Metro into DC, I sat across from a woman who must have been in her mid-forties and looked more confident and comfortable than I think I have ever felt.  She was wearing an outfit that some of the women I know would have considered “a bit young for her,” and she looked great wearing it.  She wore her hair short and seemingly effortlessly styled with the barest traces of makeup on her face.  I do hope that she couldn’t tell I was staring, only because she couldn’t have known that I was thinking, “Oh lady, I want to be you when I grow up…you know, next year.”

The stranger on the Metro may have been what it took to completely change the way I looked at myself, beauty-wise.  Since all the women I’d met in DC had been younger than me, this woman was the one who had the greatest impact.

Cha Cha Cha

Let me take a step back for a moment.  I love beauty products, but in general, we are really unkind to our skins (I can get away with making that a plural, right?).  It’s hard to know what is truly good for you when you are drowning in cosmetic advertising, a delightful array of new products every season (I am such a sucker for those) and supposedly expert advice being thrown at you from every direction.  What you should do, must do, mustn’t do and should have been doing all these years but, wait, it’s not too late if you use this one miracle product!  In the end, you have to decide what really works for your skin.  If you have dry-as-the-desert skin, it’s unlikely you’re going to love the bar soap my mom’s been using to clean her normal-to-oily skin for about fifty years.  And if maturing hasn’t had any impact on your face feeling like an oil slick, I’m fairly certain you’re not going to want to go anywhere near my favorite cream cleanser. 

The women who contribute to the content of this site endeavor to show you options – regardless  of skin type, whether you love to get made up or love a bare face, etc. -  tricks we’ve learned, mistakes we’ve made and what we love in the wide world of beauty.  We also want to know what you want to know about, so send your queries to DCLostGirl@gmail.com or leave a comment on one of the posts and we’ll see what we can do about it.