Over the last year or so, I’ve started to appreciate cleansing oils a heck of a lot. Sure, my tried and true trusty Marcelle eye makeup remover is still my favourite thing EVER when it comes to removing my eye makeup, but it’s just not the most efficient thing for the rest of my face.
Sephora Supreme Cleansing Oil – pump top
My last cleansing oil experience was with the Dermalogica Precleanse, and I loved it, but dang is EVER expensive. So if there’s a cheaper option that does the same thing, why not go for it?
This Sephora CollectionSupreme Cleansing Oil is a “cleansing oil with the effectiveness of an oil and the gentleness of a lotion for skin that is immaculately clean without dryness.” And yep… checkmark to all of that.
And bonus? This is the first and ONLY cleansing oil I’ve ever owned that hasn’t leaked through the pump top. My previous experiences with other brands all resulted in a super leaky pump top and, consequently, a disgusting mess on my bathroom counter. I’m a third of the way through this bottle now and it’s showing no signs of dribbling anywhere!
Sephora Supreme Cleansing Oil
The only thing I’m not overly keen on is the scent, but hey, that’s a personal thing. (For those wondering, it smells a little bit like lipsticks from days of yore. You know… before they started scenting everything with vanilla.) But I can totally ignore the scent because the Sephora Supreme Cleansing Oil works so wonderfully to remove all my makeup, including waterproof products. It’s gentle and helps rehydrate my skin simply because of the oil content. All this for for a very reasonable price tag too!
Trying out growth serums kind of freaks me out to be perfectly honest. Like… what the heck is the product actually DOING that’s encouraging follicles to grow?? BUT, I’ve got pathetic eyebrows so I’ll gladly give natural remedies a shot!
RapidBrow and RapidLash
I have both RapidBrow and RapidLash to test out, and be warned, the packaging tells you to wait a LEAST a month or two before you’ll notice results. So with that in mind, I’ve been using these absolutely every single day since the beginning of March.
RapidBrow is an eyebrow enhancing serum featuring “Hexatein 2 Complex, a unique proprietary mix of six highly effective fortifying ingredients, essential proteins, vitamins and other moisturizing and conditioning ingredients to boost density, while adding shine and softness. RapidBrow is ophthalmologist tested for safety and easy use.”
RapidLash is an eyelash and eyebrow enhancing serum (although I only ever used it on my lashes) and features “Hexatein 1 Complex, a unique proprietary mix of six highly effective ingredients. Dermatologist and ophthalmologist tested, safe and easy to use.”
RapidBrow and RapidLash – applicators
I’ve been using both products at night before I go to bed for the evening. RapidLash is the small eyeliner type brush and I’ve been painting it on as if I were applying eyeliner. RapidBrow is the spoolie brush and I’ve been combing that through my brows nightly as well. Neither of them feel “weird” or “wrong” in terms of texture or feeling on my skin, but I did notice my eyes took a little getting used to for the RapidLash. It didn’t burn or anything, but I think I got a bit in my eye (which you’re definitely encouraged NOT to do!) and it felt a bit *different*. That feeling went away after the first week.
But you’re here for results! So here’s how it looked on me after just over two months of daily use:
Before and After – Left Side
As you can see, I barely have a tail to my brows. I don’t pluck my brows at all and never suffered the 90s curse of overplucking back in the day, so what you see is just my natural growth (or lack thereof) over the years. I definitely see more growth on the tail of my brow (particularly the especially LONG hair at the end!) and it’s actually made a noticeable difference to me because it provides a better guide when I’m applying my eyebrow products in the morning.
Before and After – Right Side
My right side didn’t develop the extended tail that my left side did, but it definitely got a lot bushier right around where my arch is supposed to be. I can also see some baby hairs coming in as well on the tail.
Closer look at my lashes
As for eyelashes, I had no great before and after shot since they were all at varying angles that weren’t very descriptive. So I thought I’d show you what I’ve noticed the most: The lash growth serum seems to affect my lashes at different rates. The arrows are pointing to some of the exceptionally long lashes that I ended up with as a result of the serum. It’s definitely WORKING, but I didn’t seem to get consistent growth on every single eyelash. Rest assured though, it definitely looks natural!
Too Faced Better Than Sex Waterproof Mascara – nothing on lashes, one coat and two coats comparison
The other area I noticed (which is not visible unless I have mascara on, which is why I’m showing you a shot from my Too Faced Better Than Sex Waterproof review) is that the lashes in the middle section got REALLY long. I’m lifting my eyebrows a touch in the shots above, but when I’m looking face on, those middle section lashes actually HIT my eyebrows – something I’d definitely never experienced before!
Final Thoughts
I definitely feel like both RapidBrow and RapidLash are working although it seems to be a subtle change. I’ve personally enjoyed the results so much though that I’ve continued to use these products nightly even after I finished my testing period, and I think that really says a lot since so often bloggers will get through a testing product and either just discard the product or move on to the next thing to try. But I’ve enjoyed adding these into my nighttime routine because it’s such an easy step to do. Also, bonus points to the sleek and simple packaging – I was able to bring these with me to Iceland last month since they’re so small and compact!
Throw the term “youth” or “youthful” into any kind of skincare and women will gravitate towards it like moths to a flame. The Body Shop‘s Drops of Youth skin care collection “uses plant stem cell technology, along with other ingredients to achieve younger-looking skin. Enriched with Edelweiss, Sea Holly, and Criste Marine, these plant stem cells help to protect, firm, and renew skin, leaving skin refreshed and smooth”.
The Body Shop Drops of Youth – Youth Concentrate
So basically, this is for those of us looking to get a bit more bounce back into our aging skin. The Body Shop put it nicely, but this is definitely geared towards maturing skin!
The Body Shop Drops of Youth – Youth Concentrate
The Youth Concentrate “is a quick-absorbing, non-sticky concentrate, that leaves your skin feeling instantly softer”. It features a dropper like system which… for the life of me… I suck at using. Does anyone else have this problem? I can only get about half a dropper full every time I use one (and it’s not just this one… I have the same issue with foundation too!). The Youth Concentrate is like a very liquid gel formula that feels a little bit slippy on the skin.
The Body Shop Drops of Youth – Youth Cream
The Youth Cream “is a lightly air-whipped face cream that leaves a flawless, velvety-soft finish to the skin”. It definitely has that whipped cream consistency, but there’s a hint of gel-like formula to it. It’s far lighter feeling than more creams which is a huge bonus for those who don’t want something heavy on their skin.
Both products have a lightly organic scent that was inoffensive to my nose.
My Thoughts
The Youth Concentrate is neither here nor there for me as I didn’t feel like it did a whole lot on its own. It did sink into my skin very quickly and I wasn’t left with any kind of tacky residue on my skin which I highly appreciate. However, I can’t use the Youth Concentrate on its own because my skin just doesn’t feel hydrated enough with it. I found myself using the Youth Concentrate first, waiting a minute for it to dry, then applying the Youth Cream on top. Doing this made my skin feel refreshed and hydrated. I was also able to apply my makeup within ten minutes and haven’t suffered any kind of makeup meltoff like some overly hydrating creams can be.
The Youth Cream was definitely the winner out of these two products for me. I could use it alone or with the Youth Concentrate and it performed exactly the same. I love how the pot looks and feels solid and has a decent weight to it. I know a lot of people look for SPF in their moisturizer, but I prefer not to have one and apply my own whenever I need it, so for that reason I am REALLY happy that this one doesn’t haven’t SPF in it. Worth noting though: this is a lightweight formula, so for those with excessively dry skin, you may want to look at something a bit more moisturizing. My “reasonably” dry skin was just fine with the Youth Cream however!
I’m always a little thrown off when beauty brands bring hemp into the mix with their products. There’s something a little less than savory about seeing the tell-tale green leaves that usually signify a different kind of store down Yonge Street in Toronto (if you know what I mean).
“Hemp is hope, not dope”
The Body Shop went straight to the heart of that matter with their Hemp Rescue Balm as the inside of the tin packaging disclaims, quite loudly, “Hemp is hope, not dope”. Their Hemp Rescue Balm “instantly relieves rough, tight ultra-dry skin and soothes elbows, knees, knuckles and feet. [It has] a rich balm to oil texture and hemp seed oil packed full of essential fatty acids, your skin will be left feeling softer and more protected.” Once I read that, I was determined to use this on my nasty heels (which I have lamented about before).
The Body Shop Helm Rescue Balm
The balm has a bit of a tough texture on top, but once you break through that you’re left with the smooth balm underneath. It’s really a lovely texture – it’s smooth and emollient enough to sink into your skin (even my nasty ass heels), but not so slippery that it just wipes away when you walk around. And low and behold, it WORKS! This Hemp Rescue Balm has been keeping my heels in great shape and keeping the deep heel cracks at bay. I use this roughly every 2-3 nights before going to bed and I’ve been extremely happy with the results (especially since the last heel balm I used – by Dermacol – was doing NOTHING to help me out!). The scent is neither appealing nor unappealing to me, so that’s also a bonus.
So if you suffer from extremely rough patches of dry skin, or even cracked skin that needs healing (my husband’s been using it on his elbows, albeit not as regularly as me, and I have noticed a bit of a difference) you may want to give this one a shot!
Although I’ve been a long-time user (and staunch advocate for) the NeutrogenaHydrating makeup removing wipes, I’ve not really delved much into the rest of their skincare. That changed this past month while I was trying out the NeutrogenaHydro Boost Gel Cream!
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel Cream
The Hydro Boost Gel Cream is formulated for extra-dry skin, and is fragrance-free. (Although I do detect a subtle scent personally – it was quite nice!). It is a “lightweight gel-cream that instantly quenches and continuously hydrates skin. Formulated with hyaluronic acid, it boosts hydration and locks it in so skin stays hydrated, smooth and supple day after day. Applies effortlessly, absorbing quickly into skin without leaving behind an oily or greasy feel.”
And you know what? For once, all of the claims made by a company are totally freaking accurate and I actually experienced them myself! This isn’t a super thick formula, which means I *can* wear it after I’ve washed my face in the morning and my makeup won’t be slip-sliding everywhere afterwards. It sinks in within a few minutes and it doesn’t leave me with that tight skin feeling that a lot of gel formulas do. You know the one… where your skin feels like it might crack as the gel is settling in? I can’t be the only one that feels this…
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel Cream
One thing that needs to be pointed out so that you don’t make the same mistake I did… but this formula of gel cream is really, REALLY slippery. If you open the jar haphazardly when you’re in a rush, you’ll risk sloshing it absolutely everywhere (something I have totally done). It’s not like most gel creams I’ve tried that stay put in the tub – this one moves around almost like it has the consistency of wet, melting snow.
Final Thoughts
The texture and feel of the NeutrogenaHydro Boost Gel Cream moisturizer has me completely sold. I love how it sinks into my skin quickly and doesn’t leave me with a greasy mess on my face. The packaging lover in me loves the blue tub as well as the blue-tinted product inside. Suffice to say… I love it!
