Showing posts with label Brand: Neutrogena. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brand: Neutrogena. Show all posts

Review: Face Cleanser Comparison (Boscia VS Neutrogena)


This is actually a two part review because I figured the cleanser comparison should just be one video & post ^_^ Just to keep things tidier and shorter~



I'm on a serious Boscia fix right now - I was so impressed with the Boscia Luminizing Black Mask (review coming up in Part 2 aka the next post) that I binged on a bunch of Boscia products with the Boscia $10 off $30 off sale.   So there will a lot of Bosica reviews coming up ^_^ Anyway, this cleanser was my first try at a "higher end" aka non-drugstore, non-bar-of-soap for removing makeup attempt.  I was looking for makeup cleanser that cleans AND removes makeup in one step (I'm too lazy to do an oil-cleansing step and a cleansing step every day :P).


Bosica is all about no preservative, very gentle and as natural as possible - and while people can be just as a allergic to something "natural" as to something artificial - I had no breakouts and I felt this was a very gentle yet effective product.  I won't rehash everything I said in the video, but overall I think the Bosica Purifying Gel is a good cleanser for people with sensitive skin not on a tight budget.  This does remove all my face makeup in one step (BBcream, concealer, and setting powder), but this will NOT remove eyeliner (I tried MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack and Urban Decay pencil in Zero), so you will need to use eye makeup remover.  However, it does remove Koji Dolly Wink Liquid Liner and most eye shadows.  Otherwise, this helps you get as much makeup off your face as possible at once without irritation.

This bottle is rather small and one is tempted to use more than 1 pump at a time since it seems so mild, so this runs out in 2-3 months.  Speaking of, don't be tempted to use a lot of pumps...this cleanser is a clear gel and you need to lather it up first to get enough to cover your face.  Foam up your cleanser before you decided to use more. 


The Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser claims to:
Fresh Foaming Cleanser is a cleanser and makeup remover in one.
Removing makeup before you go to bed has never been easier. This dermatologist-tested formula effectively removes dirt, oil and makeup. It even removes eye makeup, without soaps or oils that can sting or irritate the sensitive eye area. No more raccoon eyes! It rinses completely and won't leave any pore-clogging residue. Forget the excuses and get refreshingly clean skin and complete makeup removal in one step. 
- Soap-free 
- Oil-free 
- Non-comedogenic (won't clog pores) 
- Hypoallergenic
I need to wash my face 2x at least to remove just BBcream, concealer, and setting powder.  It definitely does not remove eye makeup in general, though it does remove lighter eyeshadows.  It  does not irritate my face or cause breakouts, but I feel that it "strips" my face and is a little drying.  It doesn't leave a residue though.  What really turns me off this product is the scent (and appearance); it looks and smells like a cheap handwash soap you use in public restrooms :\  It doesn't seem to harm my face but the experience isn't that great.  Also, this doesn't lather any better than the Boscia Cleansing Gel.  This is a problem since Neutrogena's cleanser specifically advertises itself as a foaming cleanser whereas the Boscia cleanser is just a gel.  It's not a huge deal, but it irks me a little.

Anyway, let's just cut the chase and keep this post as short as possible ^_^


Overall, both are quite "usable" though I much prefer the Boscia - which I should considering the price!  However, even though the Boscia is effective, I still will be keeping an eye out for a cheaper cleanser that is comparable to the Boscia.  After I'm done with this bottle, I'll be back on the hunt for the perfect makeup remover + cleansing in one!  I have my reservations about finding my dream cleanser though :P there's a reason the "Asian skincare regime" involves double cleansing :(....

Review: Neutrogena Healthy Skin Custom Glow Blush & Bronzer Duo


I've been wanting to do this review for awhile now because I was so miffed about it :P  Anyway I bought this about early September in Raisin Glow 50.  I didn't care so much about the blush color, I just was looking for a nice bronzer for contouring, so I got a darker duo than I normally would've chosen. 


The packaging isn't bad; it's quite hefty and sturdy.  It comes with a brush, which I used several times and can conclusively say is a cheap piece o' shite.  It's machine cut (aka jagged edges) and the bristles having been falling out since Day 1.  Another design flaw is that since the blush is right next to the bronzer, the fallout from the blush tends to migrate over to the bronzer side.  This wouldn't be a problem if say, the blush weren't so dark or if there wasn't so much blush fallout.


The swatches I took turned out badly so I didn't include them. I would say the color you see is what you get on your face (at least for the first five minutes...).

Good:
- very pigmented (the blush is actually more pigmented than the bronzer I think)
- it is indeed "lightweight and velvety" as written on packaging
- bronzer doesn't have much fallout
- a little goes a long way
- the micro-glitters are quite pretty

Bad:
- blush is so pigmented that when it shifts over to bronzer side it messes the color up
- blush has a lot of fallout
- the brush that comes with this duo is awful
- bronzer oxidizes orange on your face
- bronzer turns very streaky over time

The last bit is why I especially hate this duo and had to return it.  When I put the bronzer on my face it's not powdery but still streaks a bit.  I could live with a bit of streaking except that if I sweat even a little, the bronzer's streakiness goes from bad to terrible and turns orange.   I never noticed how awful the affect was until I took some pictures on Halloween.  I mentioned in my American McGee Alice makeup tutorial that I didn't get to take a lot of closeups of my face....well this is the reason why:

LT: No flash.     RT: Flash.

WTF is that?! It looks terrible in both - even Po'shop can't save this mess.  This is less than one hour after I put on my makeup.  All I'd done was run outside for maybe 1/2 an hour to take a picture in the woods and come back in to take close up shots...and FYI, it'd been a cool day so I don't even think I sweat very much (if at all).  Needless to say after I examined the closeups I was pissed off enough to return the duo the next day.

Overall
I do not recommend this duo.  It was pretty expensive to me ($10.77 at Walmart), the bronzer awful, the brush useless and the blush had too much fallout.