Fresh Soy Face Cleanser
Fresh Soy Face Cleanser
Fresh Soy Face Cleanser
($15.00 for 1.7 oz. / $38.00 for 5.1 oz.) is recommended as a daily cleanser for all skin types as an “ultra-gentle face wash” that also contains “nourishing amino acids, rich soy proteins, and soothing botanicals to hydrate, calm, and tone.” According to Fresh, despite being a gentle cleanser, it “effectively removes every last trace [of makeup], even around the delicate eye area.”
It’s taken me months to flesh out this review, because I like this cleanser overall, but it’s hard to quantify why. (I usually jot down notes as I test products, then do some summary points at the end to later write a review with.) I wouldn’t say it’s the best cleanser I’ve ever tried yet I reach for it whenever I’m in-between cleansers. I think those who go heavier on the eye makeup will find it lacking in comparison to cleansing oils or dual-phase removers. I don’t find it breaks down longer-wearing products like eyeliner well enough to warrant skipping the eye makeup remover–good but not perfect.
As a general cleanser, I love it–it feels gentle and leaves my skin clean without being dry. It does do a good job of breaking down face makeup like foundation and tinted moisturizer, though. When I use my toner, it’s easy to see how effective the cleanser is, because there is really nothing left behind, except for around the hair line (which I don’t always get cleanser far enough up, just because I don’t want it in my hair, ha, so that’s more user error!). One of the best things about this cleanser is that it is incredibly gentle on the eyes; no burning, clouding, or stinging at all for me.
Fresh describes it as a creme gel formula. It’s a semi-opaque gel that squeezes out of the tube, and while it foams, it doesn’t foam as much as your typical gel cleanser would. It’s more like a cross between milkiness and full-on lather. I’ve heard some complain about the scent, but I really like it–it smells like fresh cucumbers to me with a little hint of soy. It comes in two sizes, and honestly, I wouldn’t bother buying the larger size (at least not initially), even though it is less expensive by the ounce. It’ll take you several months to work through the 1.7 oz., and it might be better to 1) see how long it takes to get through a tube and 2) be able to get a fresh tube more regularly than using the same one 3 or 4 times as long. I use about a pearl-sized drop of product each time.
ingredients: Rosa Damascena (Bulgarian Rose) Distillate, Centaurea Cyanus (Cornflower) Water, Water, Coco Glucoside, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, PEG 7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Xanthan Gum , PEG 120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Glycine Soja Germ Extract (Soybean), Glycine Soja Oil (Soybean), Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Cucumis Sativa (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Rose Flower Oil, Borage (Borago Officinalis) Oil (Borago Officinalis), Malva Sylvestris (Mallow) Extract Anthemis Nobilis (Roman Chamomile) Flower Extract, Propylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Malva Sylvestris (Mallow) Flower Extract, Aloe Vera (Aloe Barbadensis) Extract, Ginseng (Panax Ginseng) Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Ascorbyl Palmitate (Vitamin C), Retinyl Acetate (Vitamin A), Helianthus Annuus Oil (Sunflower), Capric/Caprylic Triglyceride, Citric Acid, Tetrasodium EDTA, PEG 40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Polymethyl Methacrylate, PEG 40 Sorbitan Peroleate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Methylparaben, Sodium Propylparaben, Polysorbate 20, PEG 35 Castor Oil, Methylparaben, Butylparaben, Ethylparaben, BHA, BHT
MAC Pro Eye Makeup Remover
MAC Pro Eye Makeup Remover
MAC Pro Eye Makeup Remover
($18.00 for 3.4 fl. oz.) is touted as a gentle eye makeup remover that is “mega-effective” but will still “calm, hydrate, and soothe skin.” It’s gentle, all right! While it’s a dream to apply–no stinging, burning, or cloudiness–there’s not much else it does well.
As a makeup remover, it just doesn’t do an effective job at removing eye makeup, even just regular mascara and eyeliner prove to be too hard to handle for this remover. On waterproof/long-wearing products, it doesn’t cut through it at all. I’ve pressed a cloth soaked in the remover against my eye for thirty seconds or longer, but I wasn’t able to get much product removed. It seems to be okay for eyeshadow, but it doesn’t remove eyeliner, mascara. Given that it’s an eye makeup remover but doesn’t excel at that task at all, I definitely do not recommend this product.
Bare Minerals Deep Cleansing Foam
Bare Minerals Deep Cleansing Foam
Bare Escentuals Bare Minerals Deep Cleansing Foam
($20.00 for 4.2 oz.) has been my go-to night time cleanser for the past three months, and I’ve really enjoyed using it. I’ll definitely be keeping it in my to-go-back-to bin (as I rotate through to test out new products, I hold onto ones I really like). Earlier this year, Bare Escentuals rolled out a full range of skincare that has been in the works for years, and the cleanser is the first product I figured I’d try out (I am also anxious to review their Purely Nourishing Cream–which I loved–but I keep forgetting to photograph the jar!).
It’s a rich, foaming cleanser that is activated by applying a pearl-sized amount onto wet skin. One thing I love about this product is just how little you need–seriously, a pea-sized amount is more than you really need. It’s a really thick, rich and creamy cleanser that goes on easily and is easy to move across the skin. There is a subtle herbal-ish scent (it’s not strong at all nor does it linger) that seems due to the ingredients (not fragrance, as it is free from synthetic fragrances, as well as parabens, sulfates, petrochemicals, and the like).
My skin always feels really clean without being tight or dry, and it feels so gentle the entire time. Foaming cleansers can sometimes leave skin feeling stripped, but I never experienced that with this cleanser, which I used even when my skin was drier than normal. The instructions actually say to avoid the eye area, but being impatient as I am, I didn’t read the instructions before using it the first few times, so I used it on my eyes, but I had no ill effects–no stinging, burning, cloudiness, etc. Not that I would endorse using the product that way, but if you accidentally get a little near your eye, it shouldn’t be the end of the world. It was able to break down all my face makeup, including medium coverage foundation.
I’m totally surprised at the affordability of the range, though, and in particular, this cleanser, because seriously, this tube of cleanser will last me a solid year, if not longer. My tube doesn’t even look like I’ve used it, and I’ve used it nearly every night for three months! Oh, and for Clarisonic users, this cleanser works fabulously with it!
Kate Somerville Gentle Daily Wash
Quick & Clean with Kate Somerville
Kate Somerville Gentle Daily Wash
($32.00 for 4 oz.) is a no-frills cleanser for me. I really like it, because it just gets the job done quickly and effectively. I purchased mine several weeks ago via Gilt, when they had a Kate Somerville sale, so I bought the economy-sized 16 oz. bottle for $47 (regularly $95, from what I see on QVC).
Ingredients: Purified Water, Sodium Alpha Olefin (C14-16) Sulfonate, Cocomidopropyl Betaine, PEG/PPG-8/3 Diisostearate, Glycerin, Acrylates Copolymer, Silicone Quaternium-8, Quillaja Saponaria Bark Extract, Salvia Offincinalis (Sage) Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Zinc PCA, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Chlorphenesin.
It’s a lightweight gel cleanser that has a light lather that smells a little like lavender and tropical fruit. I have no idea why I always get tropics out of it. Nobody else does, so I think my nose is engaging in some wishful thinking! It cleans effectively and quickly; directions state to work into moistened skin for thirty seconds and then rinse. There is no tight feeling left behind, and my skin doesn’t feel parched either. I just feel clean and refreshed!
For me, it does all the cleansing that I need. It gets rid of dirt and grime and any foundation/tinted moisturizer I’ve worn that day. This won’t breakdown heavy eye/lip makeup, but in my experience, gentle cleansers rarely do as that is not what they’re designed for. (I personally use something targeted for makeup to do a preliminary/makeup cleanse, and then follow-up with a gentler cleanser.) I was surprised it removed my foundation so well, though, but the toner-test (take a cotton pad with toner and see if your cleanser missed any makeup) showed nothing was left behind.
At its regular retail price, it’s a rather pricey no-frills cleanser. A little goes a long way, certainly, so I imagine this super size would get one through at least six months’, if not a year’s, worth of cleansing. The jumbo size also features a pump system, while the normal, regularly available sized cleanser comes in a squeeze-tube. I think I’d actually like the squeeze-tube better, even if it is easier to manage a pump with damp hands.
I don’t need a full pump’s worth, so I usually do about a half pump, but this has resulted in excess cleanser getting stuck in the dispenser and hardening a bit from exposure to the air. It’s easy to remove, but it’s a little annoying, too. (It’s kind of like if you squeeze too much toothpaste out of the tube–it lingers until you remove, and it’s not difficult, but it’s a bit frustrating.)
I do really like this cleanser in conjunction with the Clarisonic, though. It has just the right gel consistency and light lather that works well with the device! I will probably switch to another cleanser soon so I can test-drive something else, but I definitely see myself keeping and returning to this one at some point. If the boy doesn’t steal it and use it all up!
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- Product: 28/30
- Value: 7/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 4/5
RECOMMENDATION: If you have the dough, it’s a nice cleanser that feels gentle and does the job. But it’s not exactly revolutionary, and as much as I like it, it’s quite costly, even relative to other high-end brands of skincare.
AVAILABILITY: Sephora
Shaun, aka The Tech Guy, aka my boyfriend, is back from the depths… I mean… vacation. He’s twenty-seven with normal-to-dry skin and suffers from no more acne (much to my envy!). And who always gets into the products I’m totally digging! (I reviewed this product a few weeks ago here.) Why doesn’t he use products that I’m just so-so on? I think there’s less than 1/4 left!
Shaun enjoys long walks on the beach, vegging out on the couch watching chick flicks, and cuddling with Mellan. Or maybe not! He handles all the behind-the-scenes action here at Temptalia, from tech support to server woes to being my shoulder to cry on.
It’s been weeks… Months…. Years… Days… Probably like a half an hour… I’ve been locked in the Temptalia Vault coding and creating videos when I was finally released from my tomb. I saw the light, AND IT BURNED! I’ll allow that Simpsons reference to fester a bit… Anybody? *crickets* They used to be good I swear.
After my dark period, I went to the TV and turned it on, I exclaimed: “SOCCER?! Did we lose a war?! What’s that buzzing sound? Were we taken over by Bees? What the hell is a Vuvuzela?!” Anyway, as this is a beauty blog I should probably talk about something beauty-related.
I’ve been using Renee Rouleau’s Luxe Mint Cleansing Gel for a few weeks, and I have to say for such a small bottle it lasts a long time. I’ve been gobbing it on my face, and I have yet to be hit by a blunt object by an angry Christine. I’m assuming she hasn’t figured out my obsessive usage yet, so I’ll continue using it and once finished, fill it up with water and mint toothpaste. She’ll never know the difference!
This is a solid cleanser, and despite the purple on the bottle and the obscenely feminine name, it cleans like a champ. I don’t think I’ve ever felt my skin feel better than I have since using this stuff. I never thought I’d use the term “minty-fresh feeling” about my face, but that’s exactly how it feels after usage.
Although, I tend to gob it on, and you don’t seem to need that much, so at $35.50 a bottle, that’s a good thing. If you want to get your man to use this stuff go buy a bottle of Valvoline and dump out the contents. IN THE PROPER DISPOSAL AREA! No letters please. Then fill it up with this stuff and replace whatever he uses to clean his face at the moment. This could be anything from you know… Nothing to… a S.O.S pad.
Recommendation: My skin feels MINTY-FRESH! Oh, no… I’m turning into a woman… Must go… Lumberjack something…
On-the-Go Makeup Fixers
MAC Cleansing Tips ($14.50 for 30) are my absolute favorite when it comes to easily fixing any minor application mistakes. They’re basically dual-ended cotton swabs that have been soaked in makeup remover and are individually packaged (though each sheet has ten, you just tear them off individually). One side is the usual rounded swab, while the other is tapered and more precise.
I actually really, really love these. They work so well for cleaning up under the eyes when you work with shadows that have fall out, but they’re great for touching up during the day if you happen to be testing one smudger of an eyeliner, too! They remove everything without a fuss. Since they’re individually wrapped, you can just toss one into your purse when you need to (e.g. a special occasion), too.
So, I did not pay attention to how much these run you when I originally purchased them. These wonder-swabs don’t come cheap! They end up costing about $0.50 a pop! Even the small package of MAC Wipes are cheaper ($0.40), while the bulk package of MAC Wipes are half the price ($0.26). This is so saddening for me! This is a great product, but it’s not something one should use often at that kind of cost.
They do work incredibly well to clean-up any faded or smudged eyeliner if you’re out and about. I’ll continue to purchase them as I need to, but I will make myself only use them when I’m on the go or traveling–no more using those at homes. Gotta go the extra step and use my own swabs and separate makeup remover, LOL!
If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ!
- Product: 30/30
- Value: 4/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 4/5
RECOMMENDATION: If you use them sparingly, they can be an excellent time-saving, space-saving tool to have in your evening bag when you want to look your best. Just don’t use them by the dozen!
AVAILABILITY: MAC Cosmetics
