Beauty Gadget Review - Foreo Luna Mini - The new and fun way to clean your face

Foreo Luna Mini?

What on earth is that? It was the thing that I caught my eye when I stepped into the Sephora store. Of course, I didn't buy it as it is this strange looking stuff that you are supposed to wash your face. 

I researched it on the internet when I got home and wow! Every review (except one) I read loves it! Since it is in the face cleansing gadget area where Clarisonic reigns supreme, I also read all the relevant Foreo Luna Mini vs Clarisonic Mia reviews. I was fascinated that Luna Mini was preferred by many of Clarisonic Mia's die hard fans. 

I have been toying with the idea of buying a Clarisonic Mia for a long time (like 1+ years!). Just in case you have not seen one before, here is what it looks like. 

It was quite strange but it took me less than a day to be convinced that I should buy the Foreo Luna Mini.Click on this link for the 4 reasons why I bought the Foreo Luna Mini instead of Clarisonic Mia.

How to use

It is really simple, just take it out of the box, charge it for 1 hour (and that is good for 300 uses) and wash with soap and water before using it on your face with facial cleansing soap. Press the button once, start from your chin and move it up your right cheek, avoiding the eye area. The pulsations will pause for a while, signaling that it is time to change to the other side, move from chin up to left cheek. Next move right from the centre of your forehead to the right, and then from the centre to the left. After which, you can hold the luna mini on the side and move up and down the nose area. Press the button again now to slow down the pulsation and use it around the eye area. For me, I skip that since my eye area is quite sensitive but I use the lower pulsation round for my neck area, moving the luna mini upwards from my neck to my chin.


My experience

The Foreo Luna Mini is really fun to use and feels really good. The T-sonic pulsation helps massage and deep cleanse the face. I find myself cleaning my face more diligently. My experience is much better using the Luna Mini in the shower. Maybe it is the cleanser that I am using, the one in the bathroom has more foam and there is no concern if I splash all over. My face feels very clean after that.

Verdict

  

After using for it for a week, I still love washing my face with the Luna Mini. My face feels cleaner, softer, smoother and looks somewhat brighter. I definitely recommend it to my friends and family. Try it and let me know if it works for you.   

Updates on Jan 23, 2015

It has been a month since I starting using Foreo Luna Mini and I absolutely loved it. I had some really late nights (staying up till 4-5 am) and usually, my face would look quite tired the next day. However, by using the Foreo Luna Mini twice a day, I could not even tell that I stayed up the night before. That was pretty amazing. My skin is definitely smoother and softer. I love it and look forward to using it every day!  

DIY Beauty - Honey & Brown Sugar Scrub

It is important to exfoliate regularly to keep your skin nice and soft. You can check out my earlier blog on why you need to exfoliate.

Chances are you have honey and brown sugar in your kitchen, these are all you need to make your own fresh Honey & Brown Sugar Scrub - no preservatives and it tastes delicious. 

The Honey & Brown Sugar Scrub Recipe:

Ingredients: 

• 1 teaspoon of brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon of honey
• 1/2 teaspoon of water
• 1 small saucer/ bowl

Directions: 

1. Mixed everything together as evenly as possible (all done in less than a minute).

2. Wet face and neck

3. Apply mixture evenly, rubbing it in around areas that feels rough especially on the nose and avoid eye area. I also apply it on my lips. 

4. Apply left over on hands and arms

5. Leave the mixture on the skin for 5 minutes

6. Massage skin for 15 to 30 seconds

7. Rinse off

Results

My skin feels soft and smooth right after rinsing. My skin also feels quite hydrated. 

Try it and let me know if it works for you!

Product Review - Aveda Tea Tree Oil - An effective pimple/ acne treatment solution

It has been a while since I had some breakout. Recently, I bought a Vitamix blender and went way overboard in terms of drinking almond nut milk and ended up with some pretty bad breakout. Yes, it was due too much almond nuts.

I just realized that I have a brand new Aveda Tea Tree Oil solution in my bag that I bought quite a while back before I tried the amazing Etude House Pink Powder Spot Treatment. My first instinct is to reach for my favourite Pink Powder spot but decided to give the Aveda Tea Tree Oil a try for my latest breakout.

My experience

The smell is a little strange but it is not horrible. In fact, it smells better than the Etude house pink powder. More importantly, the smell goes in less than an hour (or I got used to it?). All I need was drip 2-3 drops on a cotton bud and apply the solution directly on my pimples. I did it twice a day, morning and night. It only took 2 days to see remarkable improvement. My pimples were reduced in size and were not red any more. I continued for another 2 days and they look like they have almost cleared up. Oh yes and unlike most pimple solution, it does not leave the applied area feeling dry. I am pretty happy with its effectiveness.

Verdict

I love the Aveda Tea Tree Oil. It was effective and does not dry up my face. It definitely works better for the day treatment than the Etude House Pink Powder (Day). For more effective night treatment, the Etude House Pink Powder (Night) is still the best!

Product Review - Lacoupe Orgnx Coconut and Macadamia Oil Shampoo and Conditioner

It has been a while since I tried a new shampoo and a conditioner. The Nexxus Shampoo and conditioner I bought last June just finished and I was browsing at Costco and saw the Lacoupe Orgnx Coconut and Macadamia Oil Shampoo and Conditioner set for $15.99 . Seriously, how do you pronounce the name? Org - Nix?

The key selling ingredients for both Shampoo and Conditioner are Coconut Oil and Macadamia Oil extracts. Both are cherished ingredients packed with moisture quenching properties that promote shiny, strong and healthy-looking hair. The shampoo is also sufate, gluten and paraben free. It is also infused with Cocoa Butter and to provide gentle care for your hair. To top it off, a Moringa Tree is planted for every product purchase. Imagine planting a tree for less than $10. How can you resist such tempting marketing pitch? I can't so I bought it. 

My experience

The smell is delicious. Indeed, it smells like a rich creamy butter. It hardly lathers since it is sulphate free. It felt pretty heavy on the hair and I ended up losing more hair during the shampoo process than I usually do with my Nexxus or Biosilk Shampoo. It kinda reminds me my shampoo hair loss experience with the Marc Anthony shampoo. The conditioner smells equally delicious but it feels heavy too on my hair, despite rinsing it off several times. 

My hair felt horrible the day after using both the shampoo and conditioner. It felt super dry and heavy. It certainly didd not feel healthy, shiny or hydrated! I was so disappointed after the first day that I tried again for a second time just to be sure. My hair got worse after the second try. I had to do an Olive oil treatment and had to use the Biosilk shampoo and conditioner for 2 days before my hair returned to its original soft condition.  

Verdict

Although the Lacoupe Orgnx Coconut and Macadamia Oil Shampoo and Conditioner set appeals to both the heart and the mind intuitively, it failed miserably on my hair. I will not be using the remaining shampoo and conditioner since it almost ruined my hair in my 2 earlier attempts. My only consolation is that 2 Morigna Trees will be planted because of my purchase.   

Product Review - Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion - Is it really good for dry Skin?

As the weather warms up with winter coming to an end, most of us are looking forward to nice moisturized skin again. Cetaphil has been always been known for a brand for sensitive skin. 

What is it? 

According to Cetaphil's website, the Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion is non-comedogenic (i.e. does not clog pores) and has a non-greasy formulation that is mild, non-irritating and long lasting. The gentle moisturizing formula contains emollients and humectants that bind moisture to the skin. It is fragrance - free and does not contain lanolins or parabens. 

Sounds pretty good and promising. 

How much is it?

I bought mine at Costco for C$16 about 2 months ago. Usually Costco sells the cleanser but during winter season, it also carries the moisturizing lotion. 

Where to get it? 

All leading grocery and drug stores. 

How to use? 

Just apply liberally on body. Although I have read that it can be applied on face too but it seems quite rich to be applied to my face so I did not try that. 

My experience

It is indeed fragrance-free and lightweight. However, I do not find it very long-lasting. It is definitely not sufficient if I just use it twice a day (once in the morning and once in the evening) during winter. I find that my hands and feet are still dry despite daily application. 

My husband went away for a work trip in January and came back with super-dry and badly cracked hands because he forgot to apply moisturizer during the trip. His hands were terribly uncomfortable and he applied the Cetaphil Moisturizing lotion for 2 days when he returned and his hands got from bad to worse and ended up super itchy. It got to the point when his hands started bleeding. We had no idea what happened. After he stopped using the moisturizing lotion, his hands got better. The strange thing was that he had used the moisturizing lotion before the trip and it did not make his hands uncomfortable in any way. 

My verdict

After my husband's terrible experience with Cetaphil moisturizing lotion, I am hesitant to recommend it to any one else. It is only an ok moisturizer to me and it is definitely not recommended if your skin is super dry, especially with cracks. I am definitely looking out for other moisturizer when I am done with the one I bought from Costco. 

Product Review - Blistex Regular Balm (Lip Balm) - Protection is better than cure!

As mentioned in my earlier post, it is better to use lip protection and prevent chapped or dry lips than cure it, especially during the dry winter season. I have been using this once/twice a day this winter season and it has been pretty effective in preventing dry lips.

What is it? 

Blistex regular balm seals in moisture, soothes and prevent dry lips. It also contains SPF 15.  

How much is it?

I bought mine as a set of 6 Blistex sticks from Costco for C$8. Blistex sticks are usually between C$3-C$5.

Where to get it? 

All leading grocery and drug stores. 

How to use? 

Just apply on the lips liberally.

My experience

It is a lip balm with a mild SPF, great for the winter season. I like the Blistex designed compared to many other lip balm because the stick is smaller than the usual Nivea Lip balm. The problem with the thicker lip balm is that it tends to melt eventually. It ends up pretty messy especially when the stick breaks off half way. The thinner stick design makes application easier and less messy.

My verdict

I like the Blistex regular balm. The lip balm is not better than regular lip balm though the light SPF portion provides an edge during the winter season. Its thinner stick design is its main selling point compared to lip balms using other design. As I mentioned in my last post, regular applicaiton of lip balm during the winter season is effective in preventing chapped or dry lips. That is a lot more effective than trying to find a solution once lips have chapped. 

Product Review: Blistex Lip Medex (Lip Balm)

Are you suffering from dry and chapped lips during this winter season? I know the feeling. It is terribly uncomfortable. Nothing seems to work. 

What is it? 

Blistex Lip Medex is a medicated lip balm. Unlike the usual lip balm, it contains medicinal ingredients: Amphor 1%, Menthol 1% Phenol 0.54%, Benzyl Alcohol 0.4%. This medicated formula is expected to deliver a noticeable and immediate cooling action to provide fast relief from the hot, itching sensations that accompany sore lips. It also provides a special barrier that helps lip cells return to their natural moisture. 

How much is it?

I bought mine as a set of 6 Blistex sticks from Costco for C$8. Blistex sticks are usually between C$3-C$5.

Where to get it? 

All leading grocery and drug stores. 

How to use? 

Just apply on the lips liberally.

My experience

My first initial experience when I first tried it was "Gee! The smell ... ". It does not smell or taste good. After all it is medicated. As promised, it is cooling. Was it effective? My lips were just dry so I don't think it was better than the usual lip balm. However, my husband just return from a business trip recently. The weather and flight was very dry and his lips was really in a bad shape after 3 days. He used Blistex Lip Medex for 3 days. It looks much better but his sore and cracked lips still feel uncomfortable. 

My verdict

If you are using lip balm regularly as form of protection, Lip Medex is definitely not the one to use since it does not smell or taste good. If you are trying to rescue seriously sore or dry lips, Lip Medex will not provide an instant solution either. It is probably more effective than regular lip balms. My conclusion is always put on lip balm as a protection, even if it is once or twice a day. Prevention is definitely better than cure in this case!