Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion

So you would think from the name, that Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion, would be dramtically different than the rest of the moisturizers on the market. Sadly, it is not. Now granted, it is less expensive that many of the department store moisturizers out there, but it is still significantly more expensive than a drug store moisturizer.

My main problem with this moisturizer is that it is SUPER greasy, it almost feels almost sticky, both on my fingers when I apply, as well as on my face. And even after I have rubbed this moisturizer into my skin, it feels most like bug repellant than moisturizer.

And another turn-off is that there are artificial colors added to this moisturizer. And any reason the creators might have chosen to do that is absolutely beyond me. I prefer my moisturizer to not have any color.

I prefer Nivea's skin so soft or any of the Dove or Neutrogena moisturizers to this. For about one third the price, you can get a moisturizer that actually feels like it is hydrating your skin. And of course, you all know that my FAVORITE moisturizer is Lancome's Hydra Zen for Dry Skin ... but that of course, comes with a steeper price tag.

The one upside, is that I purchased this program, as I do all of my department store moisturizer purchases, when Clinique was in gift. So I did accumulate a bunch of free make-up when I bought this product, which made me feel a little bit better about wasting money on this over-promising product.

John Frieda Root Awakening - Strength Restoring Conditioner

I tried this conditioner out because it was on sale at CVS, and in addition to it being on sale, I had a coupon for it that basically made the deal "an offer I couldn't refuse."

The conditioner (and matching shampoo which I also purchased) both smell good, almost minty and very clean smelling. This is a big plus for me, because I'm not a fan of conditioners that smell like coconut or bubble gum or any other scent that doesn't leave with sense of cleanliness.

When I applied the conditioner I noticed that you did not have to use a whole lot to get your whole head smooth, which is also a plus, because that makes the price tag that would normally accompany this product a little easier to swallow.

I tend to leave conditioner in for a few minutes in order to ensure that my hair becomes silky smooth and tangle free. When leaving this condition in my hair, I did notice after about 30 seconds my head began to tingle. This is the first conditioner I've used where that has actually happen, so I began to put a little more faith in its claims of restoring capabilities.

The conditioner left my hair like silk and extremely easy to brush through. I'm not sure that over time I've seen noticeably fewer split ends that I've had with other conditioners. But another plus is that is doesn't weigh your hair down at all, even if you leave it in for 2-3 minutes (which is about how long it takes me to shave) ...

All in all, I think I would give it an A- ... the minus based in part on cost and in part on that it makes a LOT of big claims and while it follows through on some, it's not noticeably MUCH better than other conditioners.

Clinique All About Eyes Moisturizer

Clinique's All About Eyes Moisturizer is touted as being able to diminish the appearance of eye puffs, darkness and fine lines. It is also marketed that the formula actually helps hold eye makeup in place.

I have been using this moisturizer for a few weeks now. I was initially excited, because I do have dark circles under my eyes, and there is nothing I would like better than to have them disappear.

The moisturizer's texture is nice, it's not greasy, and it applies smooth. And I have noticed that I am less puffy around the eye area than before I started with the moisturizer. However, there has been no affect whatsoever on my dark circles, which are just as dark as they were before I started using this moisturizer.

I'm not sure what to say about the claim that this moisturizer helps keep eye make-up in place. I do not wear eye make-up every day, usually only for special occasions. I wore some the other day for Easter and was wearing this moisturizer as well, and my eye make-up did stay in place all day long. But I'm not sure whether to credit that to the make-up itself or to this product.

This product is a little pricey at $28 for a small bottle/tube. And for what it is supposed to do, I am relatively unhappy with it. Most of my moisturizers prevent puffiness, I was really looking for something to reduce dark circles, and this just didn't cut it.

As per usual though, I did receive a gift with purchase, so it's not a total loss.

L'Oreal Go Clean 360 Facial Cleanser

So, I saw a commercial on TV for this new product, L'Oreal Go Clean 360 Facial Cleanser. The commercial promises "noticeably smaller pores" because it has a scrublet that cleans deep down. Later that week, I found a coupon for this very same product in my weekly newspaper, so I decided to give it a go.

I bought the orange variety, as it promised even more exfoliating qualities than the original green bottle.

Now I must admit, I was excited about this scrublet. As pomised, it is in fact, super soft. And it does feel like it is cleaning deep down in your pores. However, I've been using the product for over two weeks now, and my pores are not any noticeably smaller. And in fact, the pores on my nose, which I most worry about, are not any noticeably cleaner, they still seem to retain dirt and sweat.

However, my face does feel really clean after using this product. It almost stings, but in a good way, which makes you feel like the product is working as promised, and it does in fact clean you, however, it does not follow up on it's promise of smaller pores and no more trapped dirt and sweat. And one final plus for this product is that it smells like apricots, which I love.

Next up for me to try is Biore's Ultra Deep Cleansing Pore Strips, which also promise to rid your nose of all your blackheads and dirt.