POND’S: Cleansing Dry Skin

I’ve been using POND’S for about 4 years now. Pond’s has great products for people that have dry skin. Anytime I have used their products, I always end up with a soft, glowing healthy skin. POND’S has been a trusted brand in the beauty realm for over 50 years, so it’s easy to see how they’ve nailed down great quality products that are available at drugstores nationwide.

Since POND’S seems to mesh well with my skin, I was excited to give the POND’S Cold Cream Cleanser and POND’S Evening Soothe Wet Cleansing Towelettes a try. The aroma of the Evening Soothe towelettes alone is reason enough to use them. It felt like such a luxurious experience to remove my makeup and cleanse my skin. A little tip I have for removing extra stubborn eye makeup is to run one end of the cloth under the faucet to create a little bit more of a “suds” and press that on your eyes to soften the makeup. I wear a lot of mascara, so I’ve found that pressing an extra-moistened towelette on my eyes before attempting to work the makeup off is much kinder on my lashes.

The POND’S Cold Cream Cleanser is perfect for these dry winter months. And it’s both gentle and effective.

The last thing I want to spend time on in the morning is covering up any blemishes, and these products have helped me maintain blemish-free skin while also keeping it nice and hydrated.

My skin is prone to dryness in the first place, but especially in the winter I find that dry patches and irritation is common. Here are a few tips on cleansing dry or sensitive skin in the winter months:

1. Don’t use piping hot water. I know it’s much more relaxing to use hot water when you are washing your face, but the hot water can end up being a little bit too harsh and cause extra dryness in the end. Luke warm is best!

2. Don’t rub your skin with a washcloth afterwards. Pat it dry instead or let your face air dry! This motion will be a little bit more gentle on fragile parts of the face.

3. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Drink plenty of water AND use a good moisturizer. Both will contribute greatly to well-hydrated skin throughout dryer months.

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Huda Beauty Resting Boss Face Setting Spray Review

When it comes to wearing makeup, we’re all weary of having it smear or disappearing and having to touch up. I almost never touch up because the thought of having to reapply makeup on dirty skin grosses me out. So, the idea that setting sprays can keep our makeup in place all day is extremely attractive. When Huda Beauty released her waterproof setting spray and I saw what it could do I ordered it immediately. I tested this out over the last week and here’s what happened.

𝓒𝓵𝓪𝓲𝓶𝓼

Huda Beauty’s Setting Spray offers “extra-hold” with a waterproof matte finish. This is a non-aerosol spray. You get 100ml of product for $33.

𝓘𝓷𝓰𝓻𝓮𝓭𝓲𝓮𝓷𝓽𝓼

Well, this is like looking at a not so good report card. There are quite a few hazardous ingredients-Benzyl Salicylate, Coumarin, Hydroxycitronellal, and Isoeugenol. Alcohol is the first ingredient listed and alcohol tends to dry out your skin which is a no-no. The last three are all fragrances and I think everyone has heard just how bad the fragrance is in this spray. Benzyl Salicylate is associated with allergies and contact dermatitis and also works as an ultraviolet light absorber. Actually, almost half of the ingredients in this list function as fragrances!

To be fair, this never claimed to have any sort of skin care benefit. I mean, what do you expect from something that claims to be waterproof and was inspired by extra hold hair spray? If you’re particular about the ingredients in your cosmetics, then run far, far away from this!

𝓡𝓮𝓼𝓾𝓵𝓽𝓼

First time using this, I sprayed directly to my face then on my makeup sponge and applied my foundation with it. In hindsight that isn’t what the directions said to do, but oh well! When applied directly on face, I did find the fragrance to be a bit much. My friend also tried it before we went out and she said the Resting Boss Spray irritated her skin. She felt this burning sensation and was kinda sticky to her. But, after a while that feeling went away.

This spray smells like perfume which normally wouldn’t bother me but it can be overwhelming. The spray does control oil pretty well. Normally, my T-Zone would start to get greasy after 3 or 4 hours, but the Huda spray kept it in check. Side note- It did cause me to have a migraine and I did feel sick. The setting spray was applied at 10pm and lasted throughout the night until 6am, when I finally came home to go to work. You know what was amazing though? I had gotten some of the spray on my eyelids and my eye makeup was creaseless. I didn’t use eye primer, so I was impressed! Overall, not bad for the first time.

I tried different ways of using the spray- spraying directly onto the face, doing it Huda’s way, and spraying targeted areas. If you spray directly onto the face, the fragrance is over-powering and cue in all the bad reviews on Sephora. Spraying directly onto the face will also lead to unevenness with more product on one part of the face than the rest. This formula really is like extra hold hair spray!

Primp Tip: Spray after your skin prep rituals and at the end, apply Huda Beauty Resting Boss Spray onto the beauty blender for less irritation and for more coverage. The fragrance is a little tolerable this way.

If you are wondering if Huda’s setting spray is waterproof, I can’t really say right now. February 15, 2020 was a rainy night but my friend and I makeup stayed in tact.

Compared to other setting sprays, Huda’s setting spray is significantly stronger and longer lasting.

If your skin is really oily then the spray will keep your face looking fresh throughput the day. For the normal to dry skin people, makeup will still look fresh and radiant. But since this has a matte finish, I would suggest don’t use it as much because like I previously stated, alcohol does dry out the skin. For the sensitive skin type, try applying with your beauty blender sponge instead of directly onto face.

𝓞𝓿𝓮𝓻𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀

The Huda Beauty Setting Spray is some heavy-duty stuff! If it wasn’t for the bad ingredients, I would be singing more praises because it works better than its competitors. I love that I don’t have to do any touch-ups when using this product, but I value my skin more.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

HUDA BEAUTY

Resting Boss Face, $33

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The Verdict Is In: What We Thought Of The NEW Fenty Mascara

Did Rihanna do it again?

Fenty Beauty is making waves in the industry, and we want to try everything Rihanna is putting out there – she is a real-life goddess, after all! Sure, it’s not the album the Navy fan club have been begging for, but maybe it’s the next best thing?

Of course, we had to get our hands on her first-ever mascara, which landed January 16th! As the name suggests, the Full Frontal Volume, Lift & Curl Mascara, $24, is designed to give you everything you want from a mascara. Plus, who doesn’t want to get Rihanna’s gorgeous lash look! Here’s our full review.

What it is: A mascara created to lift, lengthen, and curl lashes with a unique ‘flat-to-fat’ brush – the fat side is designed to pile on the formula and the flat side defines and adds a curl. The ultra-black, long-wear formula is also water-resistant and has been tested by Rihanna to withstand everything from sweat and tears, all without smudging. Ingredient Callouts: This product is also cruelty-free and gluten-free.

To get really up close and personal, beauty YouTuber Alissa Ashley shared close-ups of the wand, taken with a macro lens, on her Twitter.

What we thought: The lightweight mascara is designed to build easily with a formula that doesn’t dry too quickly, which is definitely true. We layered up our lashes effortlessly with no clumping, and we had plenty of time to build up what we thought were some pretty gorgeous lashes before they set. The wand is easy to use, and we started by using the flat side to build up volume on our lashes (the opposite to what Fenty suggested). Once we were happy with the volume added, we started to use the ‘fat’ side (or what we referred to as the skinny side) to define and separate the lashes. We were also really impressed with how well the wand managed to curl and shape the lashes, all while keeping them separated and fanned out.

The wear: We didn’t notice any smudging or flaking all day – hallelujah – and although we didn’t cry, we did test them out with a little water and they didn’t run everywhere!

The result: We loved the final result – a fanned out, wispy lash look that was natural-looking, but also added drama. We didn’t achieve quite the same result as the image we had seen of Rihanna, which was a little more dramatic, but we imagine if we kept building, we would have been able to layer up for more volume. If you have thicker, dense lashes, you should be able to build even more drama. As you can see from the before and after, we achieved both length, curl, and volume.

The verdict: We really love how this mascara made our lashes look and we feel like this is a great everyday mascara, especially as it wears so well. It didn’t give the most volume we have ever seen from a mascara, but if you love a more natural, wispy-looking lash, then you will definitely love this.

Have you guys tried it yet? Let us know in the comments below.

FENTY BEAUTY BY RIHANNA

Full Frontal Volume, Lift & Curl Mascara

$24

COLOR: Cuz I’m Black – true black

Standard size: Matte finish

KYLIE SKIN LAUNCHES FACE MASK & LIP MASK

When Kylie Jenner first announced she was launching skincare, thoughts were mixed if it fits in with her brand or if it’s best left up to skincare pros. And then the first collection promptly sold out and Kylie Skin was officially a hit. Next came a summer collection and now, a face mask and lip balm are here. “The @kylieskin family is growing,” Jenner wrote on Instagram. “My hydrating lip and face mask are available NOW on KylieSkin.com! My secret to moisturized skin all day long.”

Since Jenner has dry skin, her first face mask is a moisturizing one. The Hydrating Face Mask is fragrance-free and contains niacinamide (one of two forms of vitamin B3), shea butter, glycerin and sodium hyaluronate (a water-soluble salt form of hyaluronic acid). Jenner promises it keeps her skin soft and moisturized. And she keeps that hydration on her lips, too. The Hydrating Lip Mask—a fancy way of calling it lip balm—features pomegranate sterols, shea butter, sunflower and kiwi seed oil. You can use it anytime throughout the day or layer it on thick overnight for “mask” action.

What’s especially nice about masks is that, unlike the rest of the products in the brand’s lineup, they don’t necessarily have to be used every single day, so you can work them into your current routine when you need a little hydration boost, without having to sacrifice your regular faves.

I’m a face-masking fiend, and even though my collection is already quite large, I’m curious as to how much Kylie Skin’s Face and Lip Masks cost, as I can almost guarantee I’ll be adding them to my collection. According to Jenner herself, the brand’s first-ever masking products guarantee hydrated, happy skin, and with cold winter weather here, a little extra hydration doesn’t sound half bad. Will the new duo end my seasonal chapped lips and dry skin for good? Fingers crossed, y’all.

What I love about this instead of using just a regular balm, is this is more like a treatment for your lips,” Jenner explained in a video on the Kylie Skin Instagram account. It definitely locks in the moisture in my lips and keeps them feeling good all day,” she added. As far as formula goes, Jenner dishes that the Lip Mask features nourishing oils, shea butter, and vitamin E, and can be used whenever you’d like. I love to put it on before bed — I feel like my lips feel the most chapped at the end of the day,” she said in the video. Apparently, it’s also a great option for no-makeup days: “It gives it a little bit of a sheen, so it almost looks like you’re wearing lip gloss, which I love,” she raved.

This! There is nothing like this,” exclaimed Jenner in her Instagram explainer video, “This is the most moisturizing mask you can find. This helps smooth, soothe, brighten, hydrate… it’s ideal for anytime use. I love to put this on, again, at all times of the day. I didn’t want to just say Night Mask for this, because I use it all the time,” Jenner explained, adding, “You don’t have to wash this off, although you can. She also uses the mask prior to applying makeup – applying it 15-30 minutes before she does her makeup and then washing it off like any other face mask.

While the Hydrating Face Mask has a thick, moisturizing formula, it still feels lightweight and easy to blend, much like a classic moisturizer:

As for ingredients, Jenner describe the lineup as, “Pretty much just a magical mixture of things to really help out your skin.” That includes vitamins C, E, and B3, as well as shea butter, hyaluronic acid, and kiwi seed oil, so she’s certainly right about that.

I love that she’s listening to her buyers’ requests! And honestly, I can’t help but wonder what’s next. Another type of face mask? What about a clay mask, or a sheet mask? You can’t deny that a pink Kylie Skin sheet mask would be cute AF. While you wait for her to announce her next drop, shop the Hydrating Face and Lip Masks now on the Kylie Skin website.

Our mission at BEAUTYLEEBAR is to bring beauty to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.

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