As someone who has always suffered from acne and oily skin, I was ecstatic to try SkinCeuticals Gentle Cleanser face wash. I’m always bouncing around from face wash to face wash, trying to find one that doesn’t irritate my skin and works well with my makeup and the regimen my dermatologist has prescribed for me. Speaking of which, I just went to the dermatologist last week, and when he asked me what I had been using to wash my face, I told him SkinCeuticals Gentle Cleanser. He was so glad to hear me say that! He told me that is what he was going to tell me to try if I wasn’t already using it. Talk about meant to be!
Because I have sensitive skin, I was glad to discover that when I pumped out the cleanser, it was silky smooth. It wasn’t rough like a scrub—it actually had a consistency much like lotion. When applying it to your face, if it doesn’t lather, don’t worry! That’s normal. It does not lather up like a regular soapy face wash. In this sense, I was little weirded out because I felt like I needed to keep rubbing it on my face over and over to get it really good and penetrating my skin.
I will say that while I like the way it feels on my face when I’m washing it, when I’m drying my face off, I sort of feel like my face did not get 100% clean. I guess it is because I am used to harsh scrubs and soapy cleansers? Maybe I am just not used to my face feeling so smooth that I mistake it for dirty? Either way, it does clean your face and it will make your skin feel very soft. And while the smell is strong, is an intoxicating, fresh aroma that I really enjoyed.
Overall, I am enjoying this product. It makes my skin feel fresh and smooth, and if my dermatologist recommends it, it must be good for me!
The SkinCeuticals line isn’t exactly drugstore prices—the Gentle Cleanser will run you about $30 anywhere you buy it. But if you’ve been prone to bad skin such as I have, that may just be worth it.
SkinCeuticals uses non-irritating emollients, skin conditioning ingredients, and orange oil to soothe sensitive skin. Here’s the full list of ingredients:
Aqua (Water), Carbomer, C12 15 Alkyl Benzoate, Methyl Gluceth 20, Cetyl Alcohol, Tridecyl Stearate, Neopentyl Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Tridecyl Trimellitate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG 100 Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Butylparaben, Propylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil (Orange), Thriethanolamine, Polysorbate 20, Disodium EDTA
From vampire love to true love—Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer, stars of HBO’s wildly popular True Blood, exchanged vows Saturday in a beachside ceremony in Malibu after a year-long engagement. The two met and fell in love while filming the first season of the vampire sudser.
Paquin wore an elegant halter-style gown, black platforms, and a few nice accessories—a 50-carat diamond Neil Lane vintage inspired necklace and diamond stud earrings, to be exact. “She wanted something with a vintage-inspired, romantic vibe,” says Lane. Believe me, I think she got it. Not many brides choose to wear a halterneck dress, but I think that style fits her petite body type perfectly.
Aside from the fact that I love Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer, and I LOVE True Blood, I like them together and I really hope it works out. They are a cute couple and I like that they make their big age difference work for them. And though the pictures that are out right now aren’t the clearest in the world, I really hope we get to see some better images soon! Everyone wants to see what Bill and Sookie looked like when they said “I do!”
-Brandi
I love lip gloss. So when I was asked to review Hard Candy’s Mouthing Off Sheer Lip Shine, I was totally stoked. I mean, I used to be that girl who had a separate zippered pouch in my purse for my 15 lip glosses. This product would definitely have been in the bag if I had it years ago because I really like it!
When I got the gloss, I was a little nervous--from the packaging, it looks very dark. However, once I put it on, it was not dark at all; it had a lovely shimmer and just the perfect hint of color to give your lips definition, without making you look garish.
The gloss itself smells delicious! It has sort of a vanilla scent to it that is really quite nice. Once I applied it, the gloss stayed on my lips for quite a while. On one day, I put it on before coming into work and it stayed put for at least 2+ hours and my lips still looked perfectly shiny. I even drank and ate popcorn after I applied it on another day, and though some of it came off, there was still some residual shimmer left on my lips. And you know how you hate it when glosses are so sticky it’s like you’re wearing syrup on your lips? Not with this gloss! It’s never too sticky—a major plus for me.
With this Hard Candy gloss, I noticed that it stayed on a little better if I put on some sort of Chapstick-like lip treatment first, and then applied the gloss—however; this is something I do with any gloss of mine because I like to keep my lips extra moisturized.
Most of the ingredients in Hard Candy’s Mouthing Off Sheer Lip Shine have a 0-6 hazard rating from the Environmental Working Group’s cosmetic database, except for the Polyethylene, which has a mild hazard rating of 5-8. And if you’re worried they test products on animals, don’t be. Hard Candy states “We love our animal friends. We don’t test our products on them.”
For someone who doesn’t really wear lipsticks but still wants a hint of color and a lot of shine, try Hard Candy Mouthing Off Sheer Lip Shine. And since Hard Candy cosmetics used to be sold only in department stores, it’s nice that this product can now be bought for a fraction of the price at Wal-Mart. I think for $6, you’ll be pretty darn satisfied!
- Brandi
In a new interview with Spin magazine, Taylor Momsen, the 16-year old star of Gossip Girl and her rock band the Pretty Reckless, gets a little harsh when it comes to defending her “high class hooker” style.
“Clearly, it’s provocative, but it makes me feel good. And if the only reason it makes someone uncomfortable is because I’m 16, then that person’s a scumbag because it shouldn’t matter.”
Momsen is known for her heavily lined eyes, her grunge-rock style and her buzz-worthy sound bites. Earlier this month she garnered some negative feedback after making a few unsavory comments about priests, vibrators, and Justin Bieber. In this latest interview, she says she’s quite peeved that pop stars are trying to pass as rock stars. “People think pop is rock, and the lines are getting blurred. Now Rihanna‘s wearing f– leather jackets, and it’s really annoying.”
Well, I have a leather jacket and I’m not a rock star. Does that make me an annoying poser? I sure don’t think so. And, for someone who is only 16, Momsen’s making quite a name for herself—and maybe not in a good way. I definitely think everyone has a right to dress however they want, but you can’t just go around trashing everyone else just because you don’t think they should be wearing something apparently only you can wear. And I happen to like Rihanna’s music. And she can totally rock out in awesome outfits whenever she wants! Now, I’m going to go get my leather jacket and hit the road.
-Brandi
When it comes to Hollywood, versatile actress Juliette Lewis has always kind marched to the beat of her own drum. From starring in films like Whip It! and this month’s The Switch (which opens Friday) to rocking out with her band, she’s never shied away from showing her true personality. So when it came time to walk the red carpet for the premiere of her latest film, she decided for a bit of an unusual fashion statement: blue hair.
Now for most people, I’d say blue hair is a no-no. It could easily come off looking like a high school experiment gone wrong or a cartoon character. But for Juliette, I think it totally suits her! She naturally has a funky, eclectic vibe, and this hair doesn’t seem out of place to me.
She’s a rocker. She’s an actress. She’s unique. It’s always news when a celebrity gets a drastic new haircut or a new tattoo, but I’d say this takes the cake. I love that she was confident enough to do it, and I think she pulls it off nicely. I envy her that she could actually make blue hair work…I know I never could!
- Brandi
In an interview with the New York Magazine this week, Katie Holmes says that as far as fashion advice goes, she listens to her 4-year old daughter, Suri.
“Tom and I went to the Met ball a couple of years ago, and I had this beautiful red gown and these royal-blue shoes that I wasn’t planning on wearing, but Suri made me put them on and so I was like, 'Okay, I trust you.'”
She also says that Suri picks out all her own clothes and has for around three years now. So it seems Suri is quite the precocious little fashion plate, no? She’s been seen sporting adorable “high heels”—or high heels for children, if you will – and Holmes says she likes to change up her clothes a lot. “She says, 'I want this sleeve cut,' and it’s like, 'Okay, we’ll cut it.'
I think this is a cute little dynamic they have going on. How many times have you seen little girls running around in a tutu or boys in a Spiderman costume (I know I begged and pleaded my mother to wear my Glinda the Good Witch costume everyday when I was younger…to no avail)?
I think if you give your child the freedom of style when they are that young, you are only expanding their creative abilities and allowing them to express themselves. It is an endearing gesture that allows these tiny people to be themselves and show their blossoming personalities. I say, if they want to be miniature fashionistas, let them! You never know, you could be nurturing the next Coco Chanel or Giorgio Armani.
- Brandi
