Garnier Clean+ Nourishing Cleansing Oil Review

So I just gave this stuff a try and.. I really like it. It works just like the much pricier Dermalogica Precleanse that I've been using for years. You apply it to your completely dry face and massage it into your skin to loosen up whatever is on there: makeup, oil, hydraulic fluid, oatmeal, whatever. I don't pretend to know your whole life story and what crazy things may end up on your face over the course of the day. Then you get some water on your hands and massage it into your now super oily skin to "emulsify" it which basically means to make a mixture out of the oil and water. Then you rinse and it easily rinses clean.

Before I tried the Precleanse I was pretty horrified at the idea of using oil to clean my face but I've had NOTHING but positive experiences. Shoutout to my esthetician! In my teen years I did everything I could to suck the oil out of my face and it didn't help all that much. But now I don't fight against it, I work WITH it and Bam! Instant awesome!

Using a cleansing oil dissolves the crap on my face so that it rinses cleanly away, removing the need for harsher products. I can just rinse, or if I'm in the mood to super clean (or I'm preparing to use an exfoliant or masque or both), I use the oil first and then my regular cleanser. SUPER clean, not super dried out.

I'm not quite sure the difference in quality between this drugstore oil and the spa quality one I've been using. But I'm going to spring for a bottle (I mean $7 vs. $40 why not?!) and I'll see if it has an effect in the long term.

So my quickie review:

It smells nice. It breaks down the junk on my face and waterproof mascara. It does leave a little cloudiness in my eyes, but I've removed my contacts beforehand each time I've used it just in case it did that. I haven't noticed that with Precleanse unless I open my eyes a bunch while I'm using it, but this stuff seemed to seep into my eyeballs. Didn't hurt or irritate at all, things were just blurry for a few moments. Overall, I give it my thumbs up and I can't wait to give this a long-term try!

P.S. The bottle says it's for dry skin. I'm telling you: I have combination-to-oily skin and cleansing oils work wonders! Don't be afraid!!!

Thanks Target and Garnier!

So I got a little surprise in the mail today. :)

Here's the packaging, letting me know that they sent me the Garnier Ultra Lift Transformer Anti-Age Skin Corrector with Broad Spectrum SPF 20 Sunscreen.The full-size product retails for $16.99 according to the Garnier website. My sample is 0.34 oz (10 mL).

Now I'm trying to understand what this product actually is. I mean it's obvious it's a moisturizer with anti-aging properties. But the website states that application instantly corrects and brightens skintone which leads me to believe it's some kind of BB or CC cream. I'll let you know!

As you can see, my package also included a few other samples and coupons. I got:

-Garnier Fructis Marvelous Oil Deep Nourish 5-Action Hair Elixir, a hair oil treatment for dry, damaged hair, with custom-blended Cupuacu & Brazilnut oil, which nourishes and helps repair. Retails for about $6.
-Garnier Clean+ Nourishing Cleansing Oil. Now I've used cleansing oils a lot in the past, and I LOVE them. My favorite is Dermalogica Precleanse. The retail value of the full-size Garnier product is less than $10 versus the nearly $40 that Precleanse costs. So if I love it.. there's a great chance I'll be switching it up for some time to see how it works in the long term.
-Garnier 5-Second Blur Instant Smoother. This looks to be a primer product. Retails for around $17.

Reviews to come! :)

Hum Nutrition Re-Order and Code for $10 OFF YOUR FIRST ORDER

I'm getting ready to place another order with Hum Nutrition. I posted previously about using Red Carpet and Skinny Bird.

A quick review: I do think my hair is growing! I chopped off  at least 8 inches last summer and it feels like it's taking forever to grow back. It has grown, but I swear it's grown more out than down (silly curls!). But since I've been using Red Carpet, I do honestly feel like I've got some growth. I am VERY happy about this. :) My skin looked great for awhile although today it looks scary. I think that's PMS-related, though. The Skinny Bird.. well I did lose 5 lbs quickly. It could be diet/workout related or it could be the vitamins. I like to think it was money well spent.

My next order is going to include something new: Cleanse 28. Per the Hum website:

Feeling out of sync? In need of a physical spring cleaning? Flush out unwanted toxins and hit the reset button. We combined the Who’s Who of the botanical world to support your liver, bowel, kidneys, lungs, lymphatic system and skin in our Cleanse 28 formula. 

Proprietary AM Cleansing Blend 1,295 mg *

Artichoke (Cynara scolymus) leaf extract (2% cynarin), Yellow Dock (Rumex crispus) root, Red Root (Ceanothus americanus) root, Burdock (Arctium Lappa) root extract 5:1, Celandine (Chelidonium majus) leaf, Partially Hydrolyzed Guar Gum, Corn Silk (Zea mays), Dandelion (Taraxacum officinalis) root extract 4:1*, Oregon Grape (Berberis aquifolium) root, Echinacea angustifolia root, Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum) seed extract 4:1

Proprietary PM Cleansing Blend 1,400 mg *
Flax (linum usitatissimum) seed, Red raspberry (rubus idaeus) leaf, Aloe ferox leaf latex, Marshmallow (Althea officinalis) root, Rhubarb (Rheum palmatum) root, Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) seed, Ginger (Zingiber officinalis) root, Peppermint (Mentha piperata) leaf

Suitable for Vegetarians & Gluten Free
Contains no: added salt, yeast, wheat, corn, gluten, soy, preservatives, artificial colors or flavors       

I am very excited to try this new one out and let you know how I feel. Stay tuned!

Get $10 off your first order of $29 or more with offer code: F5C86

Sephora Haul, New! BRIOGEO HAIR CARE, Ole Henriksen, Too Faced, Kat Von D, Philosophy, Bliss..

Ooooooohhhh I came home from the gym to a box of treasures! A little Sephora haul just for me! :)

My purchases were from this new (new to me, I'm not sure how new they are) hair care line, Briogeo. My hair is naturally curly and recently, I'd say within the past 1-2 years, I've gotten really into the idea of treating my hair better to make it look better. This is as opposed to the chemical and heat battles I've had to straighten my hair in the past. Now don't get me wrong, I still straighten my hair and sometimes it's the look I want. But I'll never chemically relax my hair again. Part of the 'being nice to Gerogina's hair' bit is getting away from sulfates and silicones. Read up on the Curly Girl Method for some info. And of course we all have different hair so some people do okay with certain chemicals and some are extra sensitive. I don't think my hair is particularly sensitive, but I do think my curls are happier and look healthier when I stay away from the sulfates. So far all I've done is use Wen, which I find super expensive, and some drugstore stuff like VO5 (conditioners only) and Tresemme Naturals, and just recently DevaCurl, which I'm not sure how I feel about. It's not love.

Anyways I'll post when I get to try out all these products. Just to introduce you, read below! :)

The next item was the Briogeo Curl Charisma Leave-In. It smells AWESOME. 

And finally Briogeo Rosarco Oil. Cleverly named for the Rosehip, Argon, and Coconut Oil blend. :)

Other than the hair stuff, I got some deluxe samples and regular samples, as well. I'm really excited about this Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer deluxe sample and the Ole Henriksen 3 Little Wonders kit.

Kat Von D Unlock-It Makeup Remover Wipes, bliss Micro Magic, Philosophy Miracle Worker, Philosophy Time in a Bottle for Eyes.

I LOVE samples. Nothing makes me make poorly chosen drunken online purchases quite like a perfect sample. Also I make conscious choices due to samples as well. Especially makeup samples, perfume, hair care.... skin care.... food.... omg never mind. I like all samples! GIVE ME ALL THE SAMPLES!