Test Drive: Garnier Moisture Rescue Fresh Cleansing Foam

It may seem like a weird beauty item to be really excited about, but I love shopping for a new cleanser. Most people just grab whatever and go, but I spend many tens of minutes painstakingly walking up and down the drugstore or Sephora aisles carefully inspecting ingredient labels and looking for the words "removes makeup."

I had been a big fan of Garnier's Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel-Cream (read up on that here) and decided to give the cleanser a go. One word - love.

The Experience:

The label lists grape and apple water extracts as two key ingredients (the grape protects from external aggressors and the apple maintains skin's moisture barrier) and this cleanser definitely smells light and refreshing. Also, something about the words grape and apple water just made me want to slather this all over my face. A little goes a very long way with this rich foam so just use a little pea sized amount to create major foamy lather. When I rinsed my face felt clean, fresh and hydrated. The best part though is that it removed every last trace of makeup; even eyeliner and mascara. I was majorly impressed because nothing (not even eye makeup remover on a cotton ball) gets all my eye makeup off.

The Verdict:

Two thumbs up on this one. If you're looking for a gentle and refreshing cleanser that won't over dry and removes all traces of dirt, oil and makeup (oh and at the fab price of $5.99) pick up Garnier Nutritioniste Moisture Rescue Fresh Cleansing Foam.

Availability:

Drugstores nationwide.

Paul Wesley Loves CeraVe!

Can we have a candid moment here? I am one of those vampire-obsessed way too old to be watching stuff like Twilight and The Vampire Diaries but I do anyway kinds of girls. Can you really blame me though? Rob Pattinson, Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder? Yes, please. 

If you're like me and have been waiting for The Vampire Diaries to start its new season (tomorrow on the CW btw) you'll appreciate hearing that Paul Wesley's gorge face is taken care of by CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser and Moisturizing Lotion, according to VD's makeup department head Beverly Jo Pryor.

CeraVe is a line of super gentle, dermatologist-recommended cleansers and moisturizers perfect for those with dry, sensitive skin or if you're using something like a retinoid and want to keep the rest of your routine non-irritating.

I'm a big fan of the cleansers because I come from the school of thought that you should leave the crazy acids and such in your treatment products and just use a gentle cleanser that thoroughly removes dirt, oil and makeup without stripping skin dry. And this brand does just that!

Swoon

One Less Excuse to Avoid the Gym Courtesy of Neutrogena

Now that summer is almost here and I can no longer hide under a huge wool sweater, I've started to get serious about working out. Since back in the day I was an avid runner who could finish 10 miles with ease (ease may be an overstatement, but I could run 10 miles), I've decided to dust off the Nikes and hit the pavement in order to get into prime shape. There's just one problem - sweating. It makes me feel like every pore on my face is clogging simultaneously. The good part is I'm so worried about my skin that my run is over before I know it. 

Someone over at Neutrogena must be as crazy as I am because the brand recently introduced Deep Clean Sport, a facial cleanser that eliminates 99% of sweat, dirt and oil, "keeping you worry-free about post-workout skin concerns." (couldn't have put it better myself). Beta Hydroxy Acid deep cleans to remove pore-clogging impurities and an active skin-cooling agent leaves your face cool, clear and refreshed. Sounds like just what you want after a run in the hot sun, no? I also love the package - it looks all sporty and like it won't leak in your bag if you're taking it to the gym. For the ultimate in portability, there's also Deep Clean Sport On-the-Go Cleansing Wipes. Both retail for $6.99 and can be picked up at drugstores nationwide.

Invasion of the Scrubby Cleansers

I've been noticing a major trend as of late - scrubby cleansers. I'm not talking about an exfoliating cleanser with beads, these new cleansers come with little scrubby tools attached to get the deepest clean possible and have been popping up en masse at drugstores. I like to call them the poor man's Clarisonic. Clarisonic is a super popular cleansing system that utilizes a brush to majorly deep clean. The only downside? Prices start at $149 for the Mia. Clarisonic is well worth the investment, but sometimes you just can't rationalize dropping that dough on a brush that cleans your skin. Enter, drugstore scrubby cleansers. 

Exhibit A: L'Oreal Go 360 Clean. Each of the four cleansers - deep, deep for sensitive, deep exfoliating and deep cream - come packaged with a cute little scrublet to clean pore by pore. For some reason I expected the scrublet to be hard and plasticy, but it's actually super soft and rubbery. I sampled the Deep facial cleanser and it definitely delivered. My skin felt so soft and really clean, with nary a flake or clogged pore in site. Plus it's a steal at $6.99.

Exhibit B: Garnier Nutrioniste Skin Renew The Brusher Gel Cleanser. So the name is a mouthful, but this cleanser delivers. I'm a fan of Nutrioniste cleansers as it is because they're very nourishing and detoxifying, and the added bonus of a brush attached right to the cleanser is huge. This is similar to the Clarisonic idea, except you have to use your own elbow grease in lieu of batteries. Skin is left deep cleaned and soft. Pick it up for $6.99.

Back From the Dead

I have been sick something fierce since Wednesday afternoon, and I'm just now starting to feel like a human being. I think it started out as the flu, then evolved into a bad cold, and now a cough has suddenly appeared, so I think it might be time to get thee to the doctor.

Now that I'm finally not bed-ridden, I've begun to notice the beauty toll my sickness has taken on me. Totally white skin from lack of self-tanner use, chipped nail polish on nails that need to be filed immediately, grown out eyebrows, dirty hair, yikes. The one thing that hasn't suffered is my skin. No matter how sick I am, I make sure to clean my face day and night.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not standing at the sink lathering and rinsing, being sick (or extremely tired, or after a late night of partying) is the perfect excuse to break out some good old cleansing towelettes - pre-moistened cloths that remove dirt, oil, even eye makeup.  Check out my two favorites.

Olay Definity Illuminating Makeup Remover Towelettes effectively remove everything - even waterproof eye makeup, while also revealing beautifully clean, more luminous skin. Now I'm a sucker for anything that has "illuminating" in the title, because I'm always in search of that glowy look, and these actually deliver. I've used them on many a late night and they really do get rid of the grime without drying you out, and I actually did notice a difference in skin clarity.

Garnier Nutritioniste Nutri-Pure Detoxifying Wet Cleansing Towelettes go beyond just basic cleansing to detoxify with antioxidants Vitamin E and Grape extract, Vitamin B5, which infuses skin with moisture to prevent overdrying and Green Leaf extract, which soothes and refreshes. The texture of these cloths is awesome - it feels like you're smoothing a super soft t-shirt over your face. 

Stash them in your nightstand drawer and you'll really have no excuse not to cleanse.