Glysomed Hand Cream Great as a Body Lotion Too

Image Credit: Glysomed

I have been using Glysomed for both my hands and body on and off for the last five years and I think it is one of the best drugstore products available. My hands and body get especially dry during the cold and dry winters here, especially when it is about to snow. It is also a great moisturizer for the warmer months too. Although the tube says it is a hand cream, I like to use this on my body too to hydrate my skin and to soothe away the itchiness from dry skin. Glysomed dries and absorbs into my skin very quickly and my skin stays hydrated for hours and hours.

Over the years, Glysomed’s texture has changed. It used to be a thick sticky and silky feeling cream from the silicone; however, nowadays, it feels like a regular thick frothy cream, without the stickiness. I actually prefer the old sticky version better because my skin feels silkier. The hand cream has a “triple action formula,” of Glycerin to hydrate and restore the skin’s moisture balance; Silicone to lock moisture and protect hands; and Chamomile to soothe and calm dry and irritated skin. The scent is pleasant and natural.

I have the one that is scented but the scent is not so overpowering that I can’t wear perfumes of another scent that would conflict with the hand cream’s scent. The scent is not very long lasting. I can smell it in the tube and as put it on my body, but once the cream dries the scent is no detectable. This also comes in an unscented version.

Aveeno Positively Radiant Dual Texture Cleansing Pads

This was another pleasant find for me from the Aveeno Positivity Radiant product line. Each tub of pre-moisten pads cost $13.99 CAD at Shoppers Drug Mart and since it is a drug store product, they go on sale quite often.

These cotton pads are huge at 8 cm diameters. One side is a regular cleansing pad that is smooth and used for washing and removing makeup and dirt. The second side is textured with little pixels for exfoliating. The exfoliating side is very gentle and can be used everyday if necessary. The pads are not only moisten but very very wet. Even after effectively cleaning my face, the pad is still soaked. The moisturized pads contain skin conditioning cleansers and soy extracts, typical of the Positively Radiant line. These are oil-free, soap-free, noncomedogenic and hypallergenic. To prevent my pads from drying out, I keep the tub upside down.These pads lather up generously, leaving my face soft  and doesn’t dry out my skin. Generally, I find the size of pad almost too large, so I cut them in half and find that sufficient in cleaning my face, my neck and the back of my ears.

I think that these are efficient for light to medium cleansing because I do have quite a bit of makeup residue left when I am wearing a full face of makeup with foundation. Although I do like that it removes my eye makeup quite cleanly, I find foundation would need a second round of cleansing and a toner afterwards. If I do want to use the pad for a cleaning a full face of makeup without cleansing for a second time, I would need the full size 8 cm pad and use a toner after. If I am bare faced or wearing little makeup without foundation a half sized pad cleans well. After using these for several occasions with various amount of makeup, I prefer to use these in the morning when I am bare faced and wearing zero makeup. because I like to use a regular cleanser for removing makeup. I also like to use these to lightly exfoliate in between the days I use a scrub.

The price is fair for a drug store product but it is not as price economical as the regular Aveeno Positively Radiant Cleanser. Depending on how you decide to use the pads, it can be a little bit expensive or very cheap. The cleanser cost about $10.00 CAD for 200mL and can last me about 3-4 months. The cleansing pads cost $13.99 per tub or about $0.50 per pad. If I use it everyday twice a day, I would use it up within two weeks. To make my dollars stretch, I cut my pads into half creating 56 pads and only use it about 3-4 times a week once a day, which should last me about two months.

Although I do like the Positively Radiant Cleanser better, I like these cleansing pads because they are relatively inexpensive and they clean and exfoliate my skin well enough when I am wearing little to no makeup. The light cleansing pads feel very nice and gentle on my skin and the fragrance is pleasant. I think these are also handy to have around especially, during those lazy early mornings or late nights when I am just too lazy and tired to cleanse properly. They are also useful for removing makeup mistakes.  I will probably buy another tub of these when I run out as a stand by cleanser for the above reasons.

Aveeno Positively Radiant Moisturizer SPF 15 with Moisture Rich Soy Extract

This bottle of moisturizer looks a bit deflated but it is because I have used this for a few months already. Usually a 120 mL bottle lasts me about 3-4 months. This is an inexpensive drugstore moisturizer that retails about $19.99 CAD and it goes on sale every few weeks.

I have been using Aveeno Positively Radiant Moisturizer SPF 15 on and off for about 4-5 years and it is my go to moisturizer when I am on a budget. It is a great price and the product works well as a basic moisturizer. The SPF level is great for everyday use, if the UV rays are low. I don’t burn and I tan easily so SPF 15 is often adequate for me. Whenever I use this moisturizer I feel moisturized all day and all night. I used to use this everyday twice a day, but nowadays I use this only once in the afternoons when I need some moisturizing. I cut down the use because I am using some Clinique skin care items now, not because I no longer like this moisturizer.

The texture looks like a thick rich cream but it fees very lightweight on my skin. I have combination/dehydrated/dry skin and I prefer my moisturizers to be a cream texture over a lotion texture. The cream absorbs and moisturizes my skin quickly. It has a gold shimmer  to add “radiance,” but the shimmer shows up very subtle on my NC 37/NW35 skin tone. I don’t think the shimmer is necessary and I don’t think it really adds radiance but the shimmer doesn’t bother me. However, girls with fair skin or older ladies may not like the sparkle in the moisturizer as it may be more obviously shimmery. I do like to mix this moisturizer in my foundation because I think the concoction adds a dewiness to my skin.

The moisturizer is hypoallergenic, noncomedogenic and oil free. It also has ‘Total Soy Complex,” like all the Positively Radiant products. The soy is suppose to even out skin tone and smooth the texture. However, I have been using the moisturizer for about 4-5 years and I never noticed a change in texture or skin tone. I have also started using the Positively Radiant cleanser and toner as well for the last 3-4 months and I still haven’t noticed the benefits from the soy extract, except that it is very moisturizing. Also, another benefit from soy is that it is suppose to make facial/body hair less visible. I am not exceptionally hairy faced and I wax my upper lip and tweeze my brows regularly, so I haven’t noticed the hair eliminating claims either.

Although these benefits from soy extracts haven’t worked on myself, it has worked on other users. Overall, I like this moisturizer because it does its job: moisturizes and protects my skin from UV rays. It is inexpensive. My skin never feels dry when I use this and I would always go back to this moisturizer when I am on a budget. It is a bonus that I like all the other products in the Positively Radiant line and I would buy those products again too.

Aveeno Positively Radiant Toner with Moisture Rich Soy Extract

This is one of my favourite toners to use because it does what a basic toner does. It picks up left over makeup and dirt residue after cleansing. I even use this for my neck and behind my ears. It is really gentle and it does not contain alcohol, an ingredient that is in many toners. It is alcohol free, noncomedogenic and hypoallergenic. My skin feels very refreshed and moisturized after every use. It also helps absorb my moisturizer better. The toner is not fragrance free but I find the fragrance mild and refreshing. Like all of Aveeno Positively Radiant products, the toner has soy extracts. However, I did not feel I benefited from the properties of the soy extracts. The soy extract is suppose to moisturize, even skin tone and smooth the skin’s texture. I have been using this product along with the cleanser and moisturizer together for several months but  I did not really notice any improvement to my skin from the soy extract. The soy extract does feel very moisturizing and makes my skin feel very soft. However, I am not sure if the toner even outs my skin tone or smooth the texture because I am using Clinque’s Even Better Skin Tone Correcting serum and moisturzier and the Clinque products are more powerful and effective products for skin tone correcting. Even if Aveeno’s Positively Radiant Toner does not even skin tone or smooth the skin, I would still buy it because it moisturizes my skin, keeps it soft and cleanses, which is everything a toner is suppose to do. It is cheap too. It cost in between $9.99 to $11.99 CAD at my local pharmacies.

Aveeno Positively Radiant Cleanser with Moisture Rich Soy Extract

I am a long time user of the Aveeno Positively Radiant Moisturizer SPF 15 for about 4-5 years now and the moisturizer has always been my go to budget product. This is my first time testing out the Positively Radiant Cleanser. At my local pharmacies this cleanser costs about $11.99 to $13.99. I have been using this cleanser everyday twice a day for about 3 months now.

The cleanser is a gel cream formula that feels very gentle, smooth and creamy against my skin when I lather. This formula is soap-free, oil-free, hypoallergenic and noncomedogenic. Although, it is soap-free it does foam up. It is low foam but my skin feels very clean afterwards. My skin does not feel dry or tight after using this and it makes my skin feel quite moisturized. The gel cream cleanser has a golden iridescent shimmer to it that is supposed to add radiance to the skin, but the shimmer does not stick on my skin and washes off when I rinse. This cleanser cleans very well and gets the job done. It is a basic cleanser that takes off almost all my makeup, except for my eye makeup, where I need to use an eye makeup remover before hand. When I use a toner afterwards, there is little to no makeup or dirt residue left on my face. While this is cleanser is suppose to add radiance to my skin, I don’t really notice my skin becoming more luminous from using this; however, it is an excellent basic cleanser that cleans and moisturizes.

All the products in Aveeno’s Positively Radiant product line contains soy extract. Soy extract has certain beneficial claims that include: moisturizing and smoothing the the skin, as well creating an even skin tone. While I find this cleanser moisturizing and keeps my skin smooth, I don’t think it evens out my skin tone or at least I don’t notice. I am also using other Positively Radiant products which include the toner and daytime moisturizer and I have yet to notice the skin tone correcting properties. I will post entries on my thoughts on the other Positively Radiant products on later dates.



Sensitive Skin or Looking for a Gentle Soap Free Cleanser? Try Bioderma Sensibo 3-in-1 Cleanser

A Beauty Advisor at London Drugs recommended this to me a few months ago because my skin was extremely irritated from using Retin-A Micro and I had patches of eczema on my face. Gross I know! This cleanser feels very gentle and soothing on my irritated skin. I did find this cleanser moisturizing because it is free of soap, fragrance and alcohol with zero phenoxyethanol. I don’t need to rinse this off with additional water, hence further dehydrating my skin. It is a bonus that it is a basic cleanser, eye makeup remover and toner in one. All I have to do is soak a cotton pad with the cleanser and wipe my face with it. This would be a nice item to bring along on short trips, such as camping, as I would not want to carry around varies bottles and I would not be wearing a lot of makeup or any at all. Having said that, I find this cleanser is effective on light makeup but not anything waterproof or when I am wearing a full face with foundation, concealer and powder.

Although this cleanser is gentler, I find that I have difficulty taking off foundation and waterproof makeup, as I always have makeup residue from using this cleanser alone. If I use Bioderma Sensibo alone as a cleanser, I would need to soak a second or third cotton pad to cleanse my face and splash with water as well to make my face clean. I find it is more effective as a toner, used after a gel or cream cleanser, as it would clean up the residue the makeup remover has left on my face. Only when I use it as a toner, it would be “no rinse.”

In summary, I find that is product is OK as a cleanser because it only cleans well with light makeup; however, I think it is excellent as a toner. As a toner, it cleans off the leftover makeup residue and it hydrates my skin. I find that this product helps my skin absorb my moisturizer better.

Source: Bioderma

NOTD OPI Suede Nail Lacquer Lincoln Park After Dark

Above: OPI Suede Nail Lacquer Lincoln Park After Dark

OPI Suede finish nail lacquers was released in September 2009, as an alternative to the matte nail trend. It has micro shimmer in the polish and dries to a semi-matte satin finish. Suede polishes’ formula is a bit thicker than the original OPI nail lacquer formulas. This suede finish Lincoln Park After Dark’s original sister was a glossy creme finish and the colour is the shade of a blacken purple that looks like black currant. The original was released several years ago in the Chicago collection. The suede finish Lincoln Park After Dark looks nothing like the original colour. To me this new incarnation of the colour is a blacken pinkish purple. In the bottle it looks like a shimmery purple with pink and silver sparkles; however, on the nail it appears as a charcoal base with with millions of pink and silver sparkles in it. I like this colour and I thought this is what MAC Baby Goth Girl nail polish from the Style Black collection should look like, except with the glossy finish and the flakier and chunkier flecks of glitter that Baby Goth Girl has.

The sparkles add a light sheen to the nail, but it does not dry to a high gloss finish like the original. Instead, it dries to a semi-matte/satin finish with the sparkles preventing the nail from looking like a true matte. A true matte would have flat, no shine and flatter finish. Since it is a suede, a topcoat is not necessary, as it would give the nail a glossy finish.  There were some minimal chipping during my second day wearing this polish.Without a top coat, the polish lasted me 4 days before any major chipping appeared on my right hand.

In summary this polish:

Dries to a semi-matte/satin finish

Gets shinier as the days go by (about 3 days for me) as the matte finish and matching colour glitter wear off and expose more silver glitter

Has micro-shimmer in silver and the colour that matches the polish

Does not need a base or topcoat but just like a regular glossy polish when finished with a a topcoat

Wear time is about 1/2 the time of glossy finishes with a base and topcoat; however, the wear and tear are determined by what you do in your daily life. I got a good 4-5 days of wear before any major chipping on my active hand.

Above: OPI Suede Nail Lacquer Lincoln Park After Dark

Above: FOTD MAC Blue Sorcery and Devil May Care Mineralize Eyeshadow with NOTD of OPI Suede Nail Lacquer in Lincoln Park After Dark

NOTD (Nails of the Day) OPI Nail Lacquer Suede Suzi Skis in the Pyreness

Above: OPI Suede Suzi Skis in the Pyreness

OPI’s Suzi Skis in the Pyreness was originally released in the Espana Fall 2009 collection, which is a blacken bluish polish with a creme finish. Matte nails are trendy for fall 2009, as many nailpolish companies such as OPI and Zoya are releasing matte finishes for some of their most popular colours.  However, OPI’s Suede finish is a play on the matte trend and has a micro shimmer in it to add dimension and a bit of sheen, resulting in a semi-matte/satin finish depending on the colour of shimmer in the polish. The shimmer also prevents the polish from looking too flat and chalky, something that some polish lovers dislike. The suede finish is a nice way to ease yourself into the matte trend if you want to try something different from a traditional glossy nail. It adds just the right amount of bling to the nail without being too flashy.

Suzi Skis in the Pyreness suede finish is very different from the original, as it is a gun metal gray with many micro silver glitter in the polish. I love the finish and look of of this colour because in Grade 11 I am always looking for the perfect gun metal gray polish. My 16 year old self would be very pleased with this polish. The colour is dark but not blacken nor is it metallic. The colour reminds me of a black night sky in the country with millions of stars in the sky.

The polish’s formula applies a bit thicker than the original glossy counterpart. When the polish is wet it looks glossy, but it dries to a satin finish because the silver sparkles reflect and give the nail shine. It doesn’t look glossy, but the sparkles disqualify the polish from being a true matte; however, in pictures using a flash it looks like a glossy polish. I do notice that after a few days the satin finish turns glossier, when the silver sparkles get more visible and the matte finish wears off. As it is a specialty finish like matte, a topcoat is not required because with a topcoat, it would look like a regular glossy nail. However, I did put on a base coat. In general, matte and suede finishes do not wear as long as glossy finishes because of the lack of top and base coats. When I was wearing Suzi Skis in the Pyreness, the polish lasted me about 4 days without a top coat and the chipping was minimal. There was some chipping on my right hand because I am right handed. However, I think the chip and wear factor varies between each colour in the collection and what you do in your daily life. Suzi Skis in the Pyreness is one of the more shimmery and glittery colours in the collection and the glitter makes the polish more hardy. Being a glitter polish, it is harder to remover than creams, but I just rest the cotton ball soaked with polish remover on my nail for 5 seconds and it wipes cleanly.

In summary this polish:

Dries to a semi-matte/satin finish

Gets shinier as the days go by (about 3 days for me) as the matte finish and matching colour glitter wear off and exposing more silver glitter

Has micro-shimmer in silver and the colour that matches the polish

Does not need a base or topcoat but looks just like a regular glossy polish when finished with a topcoat.

Wear time is about 1/2 the time of glossy finishes with a base and topcoat; however the wear and tear are determined by what you do in your daily life. I got a good 4-5 days of wear before any major chipping on my active hand.

Above FOTD MAC Young Punk and Medusa’s Makeup Eye Dust Boy Toy and on nails is OPI Suede Suzi Skis in the Pyreness.

St Ives Olive Scrub

Above left to right: St Ives Olive Cleanser and St Ives Olive Scrub

I have been using this scrub since the beginning of September twice a week, following my use of the St Ives Olive Cleanser. Previously I was using St Ives Apricot Scrub for Normal/Combination skin and switching back and worth with St Ives Apricot Scrub for Blemish Prone skin. I have always liked the original apricot scrub because I love exfoliator with beads in it and I liked how clean and soft my skin feels after exfoliating. I never find the apricot scrub too harsh on my skin, like many other people.

I starting using this to compliment my use of the olive cleanser and I like this olive product a lot better than the oliver cleanser too! This scrub feels very luxurious on my skin. It is creamy and buttery without feeling greasy. Also this foams slightly and glides on smoothly on my skin without having to scrub hard. My skin always feel very soft and moisturized after every use. I only use about a quarter size drop every time. It is much creamier than the apricot scrub with less exfoliating beads. It has about half the amount of beads in every quarter size drop compared to the apricot scrub. The olive scrub’s beads feels softer and less sharp and ragged compared to the apricot scrub. Those who find the apricot scrub too harsh for their skin should give the olive scrub a try because it is much creamier and gentler. However, those who like exfoliators with lots of beads in it may find this unsatisfying and subconsciously think that it doesn’t clean as well. At first I did prefer a scrub with more beads but now I am used to it. I find that it exfoliate and cleans my skin just as well. It doesn’t smell like olives or oil at all, but has a slight floral scent to it. I will definitely repurchase this when I run out and I will be alternating this with my MAC Volcanic Ash Exfoliator. This scrub costs $7.49 CAD at my local Pharmasave and occasionally it goes on sale. The tube is 2oo mL and should last me about 4-5 months with me using this 1-2 times a week.

St Ives Olive Cleanser

Above left to right: St Ives Olive Cleanser and St Ives Olive Scrub

I started using this in September and I have been meaning to try this new line from St Ives since it came out last year, but it was extremely hard to find. When I stumbled upon this at my local Pharmasave and it was at an affordable $7.49 before tax, I decided to try it. There are many beneficial claims to olive oil products, these include: moisturizing; regaining natural oil balance in the skin; softening of skin; the antioxidant properties protect the skin from environmental damage; and it is a great source of vitamin E. With that being said and my skin is so dry then, I have nothing to loose to give it a try .

This cleanser comes in a pump bottle and it is see through, which I like because the pump reduces contamination and messiness and I can see how much product is left in the transparent bottle. I thought this would smell like olive oil but it has nice pleasant light floral scent to it. It is a gel soap cleanser that feels very soft and mild on my skin. Just as I expect from any gel cleanser, it glides on smoothly and gently. The soap is also low sudsing. After about 1.5 months of use, I don’t find this particularly moisturizing, in fact, I find it occasionally drying at night. In general, I find most soap based cleansers a bit drying on me, even if it is mild and low foaming. I don’t mind cleansers that foam but I just prefer that it has no sodium laureth sulphate in it because these cleansers feel drying on my face. However, despite the slight dehydration from this cleanser, I find that it removes makeup really well and it leaves my skin very clean.

When I use a toner afterwards, I find very little makeup residue leftover. It removes some waterproof makeup easily and readily. On a few occasions I purposely did not use makeup remover and I find that it removed my Urban Decay 24/7 liner and my lighter colour eyeshadows easily and cleanily in one swipe. However, with waterproof mascara and any dark and highly pigmented makeup, I would still need to use an eye makeup remover

In general, I like this cleanser because I like the gel texture on my face and it is an excellent makeup remover. It even cleanses better than the St Ives Apricot Cleanser and I really like that one because I have used it for years. Those who hate the micro beads in the Apricot cleanser may want to give the olive cleanser a try because it is gentler and has no beads. The only thing I hate about the olive cleanser is that it is little dehydrating. After 1.5 months of use I am just about half way through a 200 mL bottle and I estimate that one bottle can last about 3-4 months of use with me using this 2 times a day.  Being that it cost just $8.38 with both taxes and it would last me about 1/4 of a year, it is a pretty good deal. I am not sure if I would buy this again if I run out because I would definitely like this cleanser more if it is a cream. I just find cream cleansers more luxurious and moisturizing.

I have also used the St Ives Olive Scrub with this twice a week. Stay tuned for the review!