Neutrogena Healthy Skin Brightening Eye Perfector - Review

Although I've been loving my Maybelline Fit Me concealer, I tend to be a bit of a makeup ho - I can't just settle for something that's great, I have to keep trying new products. BzzAgent has an ongoing campaign featuring a suite of Neutrogena products, and one of them is their new click-pen eye brightener, with skincare benefits.

Packaged in a shiny, chubby silver pen, you get 0.17 ounces of concealer for around $10 (the MSRP is $11.99, but the stores I've found this in have for a bit less at regular price). Packed with skin loving ingredients, and boasting a broad-spectrum SPF of 25, this concealer has the makings to be the best thing ever for your eye-area, right?

Neutrogena says:

Discover a do-it-all product that not only brightens and conceals with a patented blend of anti-oxidants including Vitamin E, wild chamomile and soy, but is also clinically shown to de-puff and treat the appearance of dark under eye circles. A flow-through brush perfectly applies the Brightening Eye Perfector for on-the-go flawless coverage anytime. 

We'll talk about the packaging, first. I don't like "flow-through" brushes. They're not sanitary, unless you clean it, and then you lose a fair amount of product. They also tend not to blend well, which is true for the Brightening   Eye Perfector (I end up using my finger or MAC 224 to really blend the product in). I like that the cap snaps tightly shut, though. And, after the seemingly endless number of "clicks" to bring the product up into the brush, two clicks is more than enough for both of my eyes.

I selected the shade "Fair," which is a touch too dark. This ends up being fine, though, because the product is not very pigmented. It needs a coverage boost from a thicker concealer, or corrector (like Bobbi Brown's, or even Cover Girl's). That said, however, it does seem to bring some amount of light to my eyes, which is what I would consider to be the essential function of an eye brightener. It is a fairly thin liquid, which is likely why it doesn't provide a ton of coverage.

It wears well, lasting all day without creasing. After using this for about a week, I haven't noted any real changes to my skin, but I'm not really a believer in products that make makeup and skincare claims. It doesn't appear to dry my skin out, or cause breakouts, however.

If you do not need heavy-duty coverage, this is a great product for you. If you need coverage, you may wish to skip this product. It's not for everyone who, like me, needs a real concealer for their under eye area.

Please know, this product was sent to me for review by BzzAgent. The thoughts above are my own, and I was not paid to say anything complementary or otherwise.

Philips SatinPerfect Epilator HP6576/50 - Review

I hate shaving my legs, but I love the way they feel afterward. I really hate shaving my legs in the winter. Really. I've heard of epilators, but to be honest, they sound terribly scary. I mean, the thing rips hairs out of the follicles. It's medieval torture, right?

When BzzAgent offered me a campaign for an epilator, I was curious and excited. Curious about the pain part, excited about the option to try one for free, and a nice one, at that. The Philips Satin Perfect epilator is nice. Really nice. And spendy, too. To view the product details on Amazon, click here. This unit has an MSRP of $149.99, which is pretty steep. But, the bells and whistles it comes with make up for that price, I think.

The body of the epilator is ergonomically designed, with an angled head. It's white, with champagne/gold and silver accents. It's actually very pretty.

The epilator comes with 2 heads, an epilating and shaving head, and four attachments, one for the shaver, and three for the epilator. If you're not familiar with what an epilator is, think of it this way: a bunch of spinning discs, that are tilted to form tweezer-esque blades pull hair from your skin (legs, arms, back, where ever).

The different heads provide a different experience, supposedly. In actuality, I didn't notice a difference between the "active massage" head (the one with rollers), and the other. Both still hurt. The "trimming comb" I found it to be utterly useless. The shaver, like most electric shavers, didn't provide a super smooth result, however, it's still pretty awesome to have that option, so if you did buy this unit and found epilating to painful for all of those areas where you don't want hair, you can use this gadget to shave with. The clear comb for the shaving head seemed useless, as well. The heads and accessories are super easy to clean. The unit itself is not water proof, though, so don't take it in the shower!

The epilator charges in about an hour, and will run for 40 minutes on a single charge. Not too shabby. It has two speeds, and starts out at a high speed, and hitting the power button lowers the speed.The kit also includes super cool tweezers for your brows that have an LED in them, similar to the LED the body of the epilator has, to help you find all those hairs you missed. The tweezers have a little metal tube for storage and travel, that even has a slim mirror. A bag and small cleaning brush completes the ensemble.

So, after all of that, what do I think? It's pretty cool. I've used it a total of 4 times now (not including the sessions that lasted 2 seconds, after which I decided the pain was too great). I have noticed a marked difference in my pain tolerance between the first time and the 4th - the more you do it, the easier it gets, honestly. I do NOT like pain at all, and found the most recent session to be relatively benign. I still can't do my knees, though. I've found that pulling my skin taunt, and taking my time when going over each area also helps - don't go too fast! You'll just have to go over the area again. I've found it's best to exfoliate the area you'll be epilating really well, and epilate immediately after your shower or bath, after you've dried the area. Plan on exfoliating the area again, to help reduce the likelihood of ingrown hairs.

I know it's common to say that hair removal, in general, causes the hair on that area to grow back darker, coarser, etc. I've never found that to be true, and certainly not in this case. My legs stay super smooth for about a week, and then I start to feel a bit of stubble. The areas that I've epilated the most feel less hairy, though, which is likely caused by damage to the follicle. Like waxing, if you epilate enough, you will find that your hair is less dense. The first time using this, I'd recommend using the slower speed, it seemed to hurt a bit less. Also, make sure you keep the head at a 90 degree angle from the surface you're working on, as this ensures the best and smoothest result.

** I was provided a free Philips SatinPerfect Epilator by BzzAgent. Although the unit was free, the opinions above are my own, and I was not compensated in anyway for posting this review.

Burt's Bees Natural Skin Solutions Sensitive Facial Cleanser - Review

BzzAgent was nice enough to send me a full sized tube of Burt's Bees newest cream cleanser, with cotton extract, just like the moisturizer reviewed here. Like with the moisturizer, while I received this product for free, I'm not being compensated in any way to say only positive things about it, although, I do like it.

Burt's Bees says:

This soap-free cream cleanser is clinically proven to moisturize sensitive skin while gently cleansing away dirt, oil and make-up without over drying or causing redness. Distinctly formulated with softening Cotton Extract to help skin replenish its outer layer and minimize the effects of potential irritants such as harsh soaps or cleansers, it also moisturizes with Rice Extract and soothes with Aloe. Naturally gentle and skin-friendly for daily use, it’s what every sensitive product should be.

• Softens and helps replenish skin's outer layer with Cotton Extract
• Gently removes dirt, oil and make-up without over drying or causing redness
• Formulated with Quillaja and Yucca Extracts to help remove impurities without stripping essential moisture
• Fragrance-free and hypo-allergenic
• Allergy-tested and dermatologist-tested

For $10 (the MSRP), you get a 6 oz tube of creamy, moisturizing face wash. I was a little surprised that there were no suds from this cleanser, and yet, it manages to remove my face make up relative easily, using a minimal amount. I remove my eye makeup separately, however. 

It really reminds me of sweetened condensed milk - thick, creamy, semi-transparent but not really.The amount shown above is enough for my face. My skin doesn't sting or tingle when using this cleanser, and feels softer after I've rinsed my face. I was relieved to find this cleanser rinsed very cleanly, since I'm not used to cream cleansers. 


The scent is... interesting. It's sort of medicinal, herbal, and floral mix. It's not unpleasant, and doesn't seem to last. 


Overall, I like this cleanser. I like others better, but, if you're in the market, and have a coupon or find Burt's Bees on sale somewhere, I'd recommend this one!

Burt's Bees Natural Skin Solutions Sensitive Daily Moisturizing Cream - Review

I'm currently on the prowl for a new moisturizer, and, as luck would have it, Bzz Agent offered me an opportunity to try a new product from Burt's Bees, their Daily Moisturizing Cream. While I received a full size for free, I am not compensated in any way for using the product, nor providing any sort of positive, or negative, feedback regarding the product.

The cream comes attractively packaged in a white cylindrical pump-top tube. The full size is 1.8 fluid ounces. The MSRP is $15.00, which seems high for a drugstore brand, but, since coupons are available for this brand, you may not have to pay full price. The big draw to this cream, it seems, is that it includes cotton extract, which is an extract I had never heard anything about. A quick googling of "cotton extract gave me more information than I needed. Here are some of the highlights:

• can be used to delay menstruation (?)
• has been known to increase fertility (??)
• not just for the ladies, it can help with impotence, as well

Anyway, Burt's Bees uses the extract to improve the skin's repair mechanism. Here's the word from Burt's Bees:

Clinically proven to moisturize sensitive skin all day without causing redness or irritation, this nourishing day cream is formulated with softening Cotton Extract to help skin replenish its outer layer and minimize the effects of potential irritants such as harsh soaps or cleansers. All while Rice Extract moisturizes and Aloe soothes your skin. Naturally gentle for daily use, it’s what your sensitive skin has been waiting for. 

Softens and helps replenish skin's outer layer with Cotton Extract

Moisturizes with Rice Extract

Does not cause redness or irritation

All day formula

Fragrance-free and hypo-allergenic

Allergy-tested and dermatologist-tested

I've used this cream for 2 straight weeks now, so I've had a great chance to see how I like it. And, well, it's sort of meh. It moisturizes okay, I guess. It doesn't irritate my skin, has no real noticeable scent (to me). I felt that 1 full pump was a bit too much for me - I always had a little too much, so I'd just use whatever was left on my neck. I didn't feel this moisturizer left me greasy, which is a plus for my oily T-zone, but I also didn't notice a difference in my skin day to day. Once I removed my makeup, my skin still felt the same as it did if I skipped this moisturizer. I guess I could've been removing it with the rest of whatever I was wearing but, still, I would've liked to have my skin feel different, otherwise, what's the point of this product? The surface redness on my cheeks was not diminished in anyway after using this product (but, honestly, nothing except MUFE's HD Microperfecting primer does).

It did absorb nicely into my skin, not leaving me shiny (which is a plus). 

So, would I buy this? Probably not. It's nice, and I may find I like it later on when the air starts to get dry inside from being heated by fireplaces or furnaces, but right now, it's a bottle of meh to me. I think if you have dry skin, though, you may really like it, since it didn't leave me oily. 

Cover Girl Natureluxe Silk Foundation - Review

I don't know what's wrong with me. I seem to always go through a phase where I am craving a new foundation. When I found out that BzzAgent was offering a new Cover Girl campaign, I was hoping I'd get a chance to be part of it. I ended up having to use a Golden Key (annoying) to get into the campaign, but who cares? I got to try out this product, which I was extremely curious about.

Cover Girl's website says:

"Redefine natural beauty with our lightweight silk foundation. With a touch of cucumber water and a hint of jojoba and rose hip extracts, our light yet luxurious formula takes heavy weight out of your polished finish."

I think, again, Cover Girl's staff knows what adjectives like "touch," and "hint" mean. While Cucumber is fairly close to the top of the ingredient list, Jojoba isn't:

"Active Ingredients: Titanium Dioxide (2.6%), Octinoxate (2%) Inactive Ingredients: Cyclopentasiloxane, Water, Cucumis Sativus Fruit (Cucumber), Glycerin, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Sodium Chloride, Diethylhexyl Carbonate, Talc, Propylene Glycol, PEG/PPG 18/18 Dimethicone, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Wax (Jojoba), Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Juice, Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Allantoin (Comfrey Root), Dimethicone, Methicone, Aluminum Hydroxide, Fragrance, Trideceth 9, Bisabolol, Lactic Acid, PEG 10 Dimethicone Crosspolymer, PEG 10, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Benzyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, May Contain (+/-): Iron Oxides"

This foundation is packaged in a squeeze tube (nice), and it's pretty - pearlized soft green with darker green... squiggles? I guess? They make me think of those old school Windows screensavers, with the lines that change color as they move around the screen. The tube makes it super easy to control the amount of product you get out. This retails for $10-$13, depending upon where you purchase it. You get 1 fluid ounce for your money.

Moving on from that, this foundation feels like a silicon-heavy primer to me. It does make my skin feel like silk - the kind of washed silk you might find at Sears, that is. Or, if you've tried Benefit's POREfessional, or philosophy's The Present, it gives the skin that feeling.

Coverage is sheer. I received a tube of this foundation in shade 310, Flax, the second lightest shade offered. My normal color matches are Chanel Mat Lumiere in Porcelain, or a quarter shade lighter than MAC NC15. The color was a touch too dark, but due to the sheerness, it blended fairly well. Until it oxidized. Badly. It went from nearly invisible to orange after about 4 hours. Plus, I was extremely greasy looking, even with powder, but this foundation does not claim to be an oil-controlling or long wearing foundation, so I can't fault it for that.

All in all, I'm really glad I was able to try this foundation. Although the color match wasn't great, I was able to determine the formula was just not that good for me. I can see this working on normal or normal/dry skin. I think if you have dry/patchy skin, however, this may not work too well for you. You would also want to skip this if you need more coverage.

**I received this from BzzAgent for free. I wasn't paid to say nice things about this product, and the ramblings above are my own opinions. Any questions? Please ask!

Did you know...

...That Cover Girl is celebrating 50 years of bringing affordable, quality products to women everywhere? Yay!

Pretty nifty, eh? And to reward customers, you can win free, fullsize products from Cover Girl on Facebook by clicking on the "My Cover Girl" tab! Please note - this link does not reward me in any way - I'm simply sharing a good deal for those of you who love Cover Girl and the opportunity to win a free product!

While Cover Girl isn't a brand I use everyday, I have a few favorites from the line - like LashBlast! I'm also looking forward to getting my next Bzzagent kit (a PR firm representing Cover Girl) - featuring Cover Girl's Natureluxe foundation and lip balms (which I've already reviewed... how does a giveaway sound?)

** I am a Bzzagent, and part of the 50th Anniversary campaign for Cover Girl. I am not paid or compensated in anyway by Cover Girl, Bzzagent, etc. The thoughts above are my own. Any questions? Feel free to ask!