Nothing ordinary about The Ordinary

Hi guys,

It’s been 2 weeks since my last post and I thought I would post a quick update.

Work has been keeping me busy but what’s kept me excited is this

If you are a beauty fanatic like I am, you must have heard about The Ordinary line. It is the latest buzz in the skincare world. It has been 6 months since I have been testing these out and I thought before I post my review on the products let me drop a quick note on these products, what they are and why did I choose them.

The Ordinary skincare line is one of the many brands under Deciem. They call themselves “The Abnormal Beauty Company”. The basic philosophy of this company is to provide good quality authentic products at a sensible price. It might seem to be pretty much what every beauty company would aim to do but dare I say, this company has proved it. If you have a good look at the products under The Ordinary skincare line, you quickly come to realise that the ingredient list in each of these products is cutting edge but the prices are well below the $20 mark. Ingredients like Niacinamide, Vitamin C, Matrixyl, Arbutin are generally on the ingredient list of the most expensive skincare but what you get from the Ordinary is the pure form of each of these ingredients.

However, I must say that it won’t be easy for someone extremely new to skin care to pick out what they need. It needs some understanding of how the ingredients work and what you need exactly for your skin.

The site does have a general guide on how the products can be used in terms of morning and nighttime routines and how to layer and that is quite helpful.

There are around — products in this line and they look quite similar. Since I did get confused the first time doing back and forth between the different products and doing my extensive research, as usual,  I thought I could save some of your time by giving a general direction as to which product would suit you best.

My most favorite product is the Lactic Acid 5% + HA 2%. The other product that I have started loving is the Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5. I bought it in the winters but was scared to use it then and have only started using it now in the summers. If you didn’t know, Hyaluronic acid tends to attract water molecules from the environment and that’s how it attracts moisture to the skin and makes it soft and supple. However, you wouldn’t find a lot of moisture in the environment during winters and hence it ends up pulling out the water molecules from the skin, negating the effect. It’s summer now and this product is absolutely brilliant at this time of the year.

Let me know if you would like a detailed review of any of the above products.

 

REVIEW: BE – Beauty Essentials Clean Creamy Cleanser 150 mL

Hiya,

In my last two posts, I spoke about products that I absolutely love and I thought to balance it out, my next post should be about something that didn’t work well for me.

Well, story time again.. when I just landed in Sydney in October, my skin was dry and the cold Sydney weather was not helping me much. I wanted a creamy cleanser that would not leave that stretchy feeling on my skin but not be so mild that it doesn’t take away the impurities. I landed up in Priceline and as usual, there were so many options to choose from and though in my mind, I knew that the Cetaphil gentle cleanser was the best bet (especially since I hadn’t done my tons of research, googling reviews), I decided to pick up the BEAUTY ESSENTIALS Clean Creamy Cleanser 150 mL. I loved the clean packaging and the paraben free promise. It claims to contain jojoba oil and wheat germ oil and I felt it would be a good buy for the decent price (AUD 5.99 ~INR 300).

 

A little about me… before I buy any product I research quite thoroughly, read as many reviews as possible and then make an informed choice. Not saying that all the choices work for me but still it is an informed one, so fewer regrets. And then there are those times when I make an impulsive decision and that has never ever gone right!!! It feels much worse… do you know what I mean??

Sigh..Anyways, I have given it a couple of tries and am then writing my review… it is not a first impression as such since I do not believe in first impressions.

I have used it as a general cleanser in the morning, after work in the evening and this product just doesn’t work for me. I don’t have much to say about this. The consistency of the product is great and looks quite promising but I don’t feel it does what it is intended to do – “cleansing”. Every time I used it, I didn’t feel that it had cleansed my skin. Instead, I was left with a layer of product on my skin, like an oily feeling.

There are some face washes that are moisturising and so you can feel like a moisturised feeling but this wasn’t it. It was more of an oily skin and I couldn’t stand it and used another face wash after it!

Well after my unsuccessful attempts of using this, I did a research and didn’t find sufficient reviews on it which meant it was more important that I put this out. I learned that the Beauty Essentials is a Priceline-owned brand. Personally, I’m quite wary of such products but I have heard quite good reviews of other products from this brand. However, this is a definite pass from me. It remains unused after around 7 uses and I am now thinking of reusing it as a shaving cream!! Not a bad idea, what do you think??

I will let you know how that goes, though!

CBA Opinion: Based on my personal experience, I would not recommend this product.

I am still on the lookout for a great cream cleanser. Do you have any suggestions?

Leave a comment below. I would love to hear your views.

Till my next post…

XOXO

Read my previous posts:

REVIEW : L’Oreal Pure-Clay Mask Detox & Brighten Treatment Mask – CaffeinatedBeautyAddict

REVIEW : CETAPHIL DailyAdvance Ultra Hydrating Lotion 85 g

 

 

REVIEW : L’Oreal Pure-Clay Mask Detox & Brighten Treatment Mask – CaffeinatedBeautyAddict

Hiya,

It’s middle of a crazy week at work and there are still 2 more days to go for the weekend! Gosh! Coffee remains my saviour as usual. Btw how was your valentine’s day? I had a pretty relaxed evening with some good food and Netflix!!! I am looking forward to the weekend as I plan to do a pamper session at home. Yayy!! And today’s post is another raving review about one of my favourite pamper essentials.

Throughout the week, I feel my skin is tortured by pollution, harsh sunrays, stress and we all know the side effects – clogged pores, breakouts, dull skin, larger pores not to mention ageing, pigmentation in the long run. While I don’t intend to say that this is a miracle product that will transform your skin and help you deal with all of the above, it definitely helps in some of the major issues.

Today I am talking about the Loreal Paris Detoxifying & Brightening Charcoal Pure Clay Mask. There are 3 masks in the Pure Clay range by Loreal Paris. The others are the Exfoliate & Refining red algae clay mask and the Purify & Mattify Eucalyptus clay mask. You can read all details about the ingredients on the website.

I have tried the red algae clay mask but didn’t really find it to be worthwhile. I do not know if there is anything I should be doing differently as I know many beauties love this. But I do not find it to be any different that a regular scrub. The charcoal clay mask on the other hand is a gem. Priced at $19.99 AUD (I got it at $10.99 AUD on sale!!), it is in strong competition with The Body Shop Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Glow Mask. I have already used a tub and have another one for backup. See proof below! I try to use it twice a week typically Wednesdays and definitely on Sundays

This has a typical clay mask consistency. While it does look thick in the jar, it actually breaks down easily when you spread it onto the skin and it glides super quickly. It dries out in 15 mins to the stiff feeling that all masks give. I haven’t felt any tingling sensations as such when I put the mask on. Once it dries, I wipe this out with a lukewarm flannel cloth. I actually started doing this to avoid staining my pretty white sink but then started to believe that I get better results when I do this.

I definitely see a difference after using this mask. I feel that my pores are unclogged and as a result, my face looks much brighter and my skin is much softer. There is no visible reduction in pore size but it definitely helps in removing the dullness. Clay masks are generally better suited for oily skinned people, however, I have normal to dry skin and this does not dry out my skin. I do spray on some hydrating mist after using this, though, it is more out of habit than a need.

My one and only complaint is the tub style packaging which necessitates me to dip my fingers for applying which is quite messy. However, I do love this pack so much that I have resorted to using a small spatula or brush.

CBA opinion: There are many clay masks in the market that I have tried, however, I feel that this is worth every penny. I bought the first tub at the regular price and was still using it when I saw it on sale and bought the backup tub. If you are looking for a weekly detox that can suck out all the gunk from your skin then search no further. I think this would suit all types of skin; dry skinned beauties can follow up with a light moisturiser but you do need this for good clean up and for better skin. Sadly, not launched in India but do grab this once it is out.

Have you used the Loreal clay masks before? Share your thoughts and leave a comment below. I would love to hear your views.

Till my next post…

XOXO

Read my previous post

REVIEW : CETAPHIL DailyAdvance Ultra Hydrating Lotion 85 g

Hiya,

My very first post and I choose to speak about this. Yes, it’s that dear to me and I absolutely love it.

ooh oh.. did I kill the suspense for you? Oops sorry…

To share a small story on how and why I bought it.

Well, it was October 2016 and I had just moved to Sydney from Bangalore, India. The weather wasn’t too different and it was around 19-21 degrees but my skin wasn’t adjusting. I did have dry skin when in Bangalore and hence used cold pressed oils and I had tugged them along to Sydney when I moved here. But they didn’t seem to work. Yes, a heavy layer of oil on my face and it was strange to still see dry patches.

I needed a better option and that is when I bought this. In a different country with not much of my usual research to back up, I thought I could rely on the familiar brand of Cetaphil than the others and it’s been the best decision ever.

Ok. I’ll stop rambling and get down to the actual review.

The packaging is the standard tube packaging and no complaints on that front. However, the texture is not like a lotion as the name suggests. It is of a light cream consistency, not too dense or thick, but not too thin either. You can see the texture here.

There isn’t a strong fragrance either, very mild and fades away once applied on the skin.

The first few times I applied this (remember I had extremely dry skin with patches), I used a large amount.. around the size of a 50 cent coin.. and within a few seconds my skin would soak in. I noticed a glow within a week of usage (yayy!!!!), though this is not what the product claims. I do not mean any glow due to brightening but you know the glow of a healthy moisturised skin? That’s exactly what I am talking about. And needless to say it became my go to moisturiser from then on. Yes, I did reduce the amount as I didn’t need the extreme hydration. But I would use it in the morning after a shower, at night after oils, anytime and every time.

Moving forward to a few months and we are now in the Aussie summer weather with temperatures running to 40 degrees on some days. You would think that this product would be too oily for the extreme humid temperatures. But no.. a pea size amount gives the perfect hydration needed without any oiliness. I still use it pretty much every morning below my sunscreen and light makeup and it works perfectly well. I think my makeup looks better with this than any other moisturiser that I own.

P.S. My hubby who has oily skin also loves it, though he uses a very unique way of applying. A tiny miniscule drop (in his huge palms!!), rubs it vigorously (by the time I feel it has all got absorbed in his palms) and then pats it on his face. Well, on second thoughts, I do not think his opinion now counts! Let it rest…

So coming to the end of this review, overall it is a fantastic product especially for normal to dry skin.

1. It is budget friendly, the whole tube will easily last you for a good 6 months or more.
2. It is dermatologically tested, non-comedogenic (won’t clog your pores… so no breakouts).

CBA opinion: if you have normal to dry skin, definitely give it a try and experiment with the quantity. If you have oily skin, sad but you should skip it. It would be better to go for a water based product like Neutrogena Hydro Boost or the Vichy Hydration range.

Come and tell me a hi if you liked my post in the comments below

Be gorgeous!