Facial Wipe Wednesday: Forever 21's Love & Beauty Tissues

Steph, at Imperfectly Painted, was talking about using Pond's Facial Wipes and how much she likes them. She mentioned that she felt like she was cheating using facial wipes. I think she meant it was a quick and easy way to cleanse the face rather than with some product and a wash cloth.

However, I beg to differ. My version of cheating would be to NOT take off my makeup at all. And that is one of the biggest No-No's in my book. I bet I have only gone to bed with my makeup on less than 2 dozens times in all the decades that I have worn makeup. In fact, I was washing my face nightly before I was even wearing makeup.

Steph's love for the Pond's Facial Wipes led me to purchasing a package myself. It was a reminder that I really do like to use facial wipes. And, facial wipes are something I take with me when I travel. I don't need water to use them and there isn't the chance that they will open and get goo all over my makeup bag.

One thing can lead to another and I thought I would do a review on a few easy-to-find makeup/facial wipes, semi-weekly on Wednesdays. Hence, the title.

My first facial/makeup remover wipe is from Forever 21's love and beauty 'makeup cleansing tissues'. 'Tissues' sound a bit more sophisticated than 'wipes', doesn't it?

These wipes have lavender extract in them. Lavender is one of my favorite, natural fragrances. It's not always been that way. I used to think lavender was an 'old lady' aroma. Well, long before I got into this 'old lady' era myself, I found that I actually do like the smell of lavender. And when lavender is mixed with other fragrances (think Bath and Body Works 'lavender macaroons' candle or, Teavana's 'Citrus Lavender Sage' tea), I'm in!

So, right off the bat, I'm loving the fragrance of these tissues. The wipes, itself, were very soft and silky to the touch...

There's nothing very special about how it looks but, how it feels and performs are key.

And my verdict, after using love & beauty's wipes, I didn't want to move on to the next week's new brand of wipes. I really, REALLY like this one. Not only was it gentle to my face but, it took my makeup off without having to scrub at all.

Here's my criteria for reviewing facial cleanser/makeup remover wipes:

1) Well, it has to work. I'm looking for a product that will remove my makeup as well, as cleanse my face.
2) The fragrance has to be pleasant to me or, have no fragrance at all. Especially, if it says it has no fragrance.
3) It will need to feel comfortable on my skin. Even wash clothes are not super silky, but I don't want to use something that is like wool either.
4) Do I feel the need to rinse my face with water after using the wipe and/or, do I feel the need for a moisturizer?

love & beauty succeeds in all categories. I have dry skin right after washing so I always use a moisturizer anyway. But I want to see exactly how my skin feels after using a facial wipe and not, immediately, applying a moisturizer. This one was just OK. After 15 minutes, I felt the need to put on my evening moisturizer. My skin was feeling tight on my cheeks and the middle of my forehead.

Verdict: The Vanity says these are the best, so far. I am actually on my 3rd brand and this one is my favorite to date.

This product can be found at Forever 21 stores. The cost will set you back a whole $1.

Tool Tuesday: Eye and Lip Liner Sharpeners

This is a simple tool, but a very important one, on the vanity. It is the pencil sharpener...

Seems simple enough, doesn't it? They are quite affordable and if you use eyeliner and/or lip liner pencils, this is something you have to have.

Here are a couple of reasons why you need one, and you may not have thought about these. One is that the color/liner is made out of a waxy substance. There has to be enough binder in it to keep it held together but not so much that it dries out the product. I'm thinking right now you are remembering dealing with those two very incidents at your own vanity. Right?

One trick to eliminate this is to only sharpen your liners when you are ready to use them. That way you will shave off the dried out sections and expose the more fresh, pliable, workable liner.

Next, using a sharpener after you have used your liner helps keep it clean from nasty bugaboos and other germs that can come into contact with your eyes or lips. And keeping your sharpener clean is not only going to keep germs from taking up residency on it, but also help keep the little blades at their sharpest.

So, which do I suggest, sharpening before or after use? I do both, especially for my lip liner pencils. And I clean off the shaved parts from the sharpener with a bent paperclip, a tissue and creamy makeup remover.

And since these little tools are cheap (I got this one from Wet 'n Wild for 69 cents), it is easy to replace them on a regular basis. Sharpeners like the one in my photos, I replace 3 times a year. My specialty ones, for much larger, blush pencils, I replace as I find that size.

These are simple tips that will keep your sharpener in good shape and keep your face healthy too.

Del Sol Polish: Sun Kissed

Ready to start your week? How about starting it off with a fun nail polish? Del Sol polish is fun. It's one color indoors and when you step out into the sun, it changes instantly to a different color...

There is a Del Sol shop at the Orlando Airport. I happen to be fortunate to have some clients there. After my visits, I swing by the Del Sol shop to see what new polishes they have.


'Sun Kissed' isn't exactly a new shade. However, I picked it because orange and reddish-orange shades are hot this summer. First, this is what 'Sun Kissed' looks like in the shade...

It's a very powdery-soft mellow orange. And, once I step out into the Florida sunshine, things start to shift...

Full out in the sun, and things begin to deepen and brighten...

 A bit more...

 And here you have 'Sun Kissed' with its total sun look...

You cannot believe how smooth this polish applies. I have 3 coats on and no top coat. However, I'm told that a clear top coat doesn't have any effect on the color change. Even through the bottle, you can see the metamorphosis...

If this was a drink, I'd add some rum to it, put in a slice of pineapple and enjoy a little bit of time at the pool. And I think I'd spend half of my time reading my Kindle Fire and the other half would be spent gazing at my 'Sun Kissed' nails...

Have you tried Del Sol polishes? What color do you have?

Forever 21's Love & Beauty: Pink Star Glitter Polish

Pink stars remind me of a childhood cereal...

I would have thought those free stickers in the box would have been neat. If kids got those today, they'd be so pissed they'd punch their Mom.

This polish is a bit punchy too. I got it at Forever 21 and since it is pink, I had to get it...

I knew what I was getting myself into with those sparse glittery stars: it was going to be hard to get them onto my nails. But, looking at them in the bottle made them so inviting...

I have already reviewed the base color I used, Milani's 'Hot Pink Frenzy' here. And this is what it looks like with Pink Star glitter polish as a top coat...

 

I had to fish out the stars. And honestly, I didn't fish too hard. I knew too many glittery stars were going to be hard to remove later. I did like the glitter over the Milani creme pink though. And the sparse stars made the look more of an accent than a full-blown starry look.

These two polishes played very well together. I used 2 coats of the Pink Stars. That seemed to be just the right amount of charm for me.

I was not too partial to Lucky Charms. The marshmallows were the only tasty part. I liked Captain Crunch with Crunch Berries. Do you like Lucky Charms?

5K Race Day Nails: Pure Ice Remix

Today was RACE DAY! I ran the Operation-Giveback 5K held at the University of Central Florida. This is the 2nd annual run, so there wasn't a huge crowd...and that was just fine with me.


Almost all of the course was run on sidewalk and I wasn't too happy about that. Well, let me say it this way: my hip joint wasn't too happy about that. However, it didn't hurt to the point where I started limping and am not in pain some 8 hours later. Thank goodness for good running shoes (I wear Adidas) and good socks too (those are Adidas as well).


Here I am, ready to get this race underway...

My manicure is using Pure Ice's Vinyl Remix collection. I used the green ('DJ Spinner'), yellow ('Emcee Me') and purple ('Vintage Remix'). What is fun about using these polishes is that I don't have to be steady-handed. I apply the 'Platinum' Magic Base Coat, first. Then the black shatter polish over that. Instantly, the black shatters and the white polish is 'stained' to show a particular color. Neat!!! I did each finger in a different configuration and made it fun. I added a top coat to enhance the shine and extend the wearability. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And, at the end of the race at the photo op. 

I pinned a photo of my step-nephew, Bill, to my shirt because I ran to honor him. The race is to raise awareness and aid for the wounded coming back from the Iraqi and Afghanistan war. Bill is one of those wounded warriors. I went home with shaving 3 minutes off my personal best 5K time and with this medal...

Pure Ice Vinyl Remix collection was provided to me for my honest review. My opinions are totally my own.

P.S. Why did that shirt-less dude, to the left, photo-bomb my winner's circle photo!!?