New Brahmin

Neutrogena Acne Stress Control Is The TRUTH!

There are days that I need a reality check that I'm not 15 again. The only thing is that when I was 15, I didn't have asthma, braces and breakouts. While the asthma is controlled and there's nothing I can really do about the braces for another 20 months, there's nothing worse than pimples in your mid (late?) 20's. 

Last weekend, while in western Mass to see Blonde Redhead, I found some Oil-Free Neutrogena Acne Stress Control Power-Clear Scrub in the medicine cabinet at the in-laws. Someone probably left there so I claimed it as my own and have been using it for well over a week. I chalk up my current break outs to a mixture of hormones, crazy weather and the fact that I can't stop touching my face. The results were close to immediate (I had a huge zit on my cheek that was gone within 2 days of using). 

Now, I'm not an ingredient snob like, say, Jeannie (who refuses to use many/most/any chemical-based cleansers), but the stuff makes my skin feel great. It has alpha hydroxy acid as well as the typical 2% salicylic acid, but the kicker for me is cucumber and camellia extracts used to sooth the skin. They say there's green tea but I don't see it in the chemical-heavy ingredient list. Maybe I should question the packaging more, but hell, it works wonderfully for my skin. The best part is that it doesn't dry my skin out the way most acne treatments do. Nothing worse the flaky skin. Available at most drug stores for about $7.99.

CG Lash Blast More Like Trash Blast

Touted as being the biggest mascara launch in recent history (with over 6 million or something units sold), I finally gave in and shelled out $8.49 to try this beastly orange-clad mascara from Cover Girl:  Lash Blast.

Well it sucks. 

I have many snarky though well-informed reasons; read about them after the jump.

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The Creme of the Crop

Let's face it: 24 years of smiling, tanning, boozing, nights out and dieting (or binging) have taken a toll on my skin.  That's right, I'm 24 and I have not escaped the fate of "happiness wrinkles", similar to "fun fat" if you will.  And while I can't turn back the hands of time and relive my life healthily, I can surely slather myself in the healthiest products I can find in hopes of reversing my signs of...aging (GASP).

I tried not to look surprised when The Body Deli's Creme de la Rose was donated to such a cause.  That night, I went home to dip into my new found fountain of youth.  My initial reaction: not to keen on the smell, but it went on grease free and icy cold.  The next morning my typically frightful morning appearance was slightly less horrifying when I felt how smooth my skin was.  I decided out with Creme de La Mer, in with Creme de la Rose. 
Come to find out, each batch of Creme de la Rose is handmade, taking over 24 hours to make.  All ingredients proved quite impressive, but certified Organic Bulgarian Rose oil (that sells at over $4000/lb!) is their showstopper.  It has apparently been used for centuries for its therapeutic healing and regenerating qualities. 

After a few days of use, I could truly see a difference and the smell had become much more enjoyable.   Tip: I've been mixing a dab of foundation and a dab of Creme de la Rose on my fingertips and then applying to face.  It makes your foundation go on dewier than ever! 

While eternal youth doesn't come cheap (at $75 for a 2oz tub), it's hard to deny a product that truly works.  And although I'm not crawling around in diapers with a martini just yet, next time you see a girl at the bar that is screaming underage drinker (unless you're at Sissy K's or the like), come say hi!

A Rush Of Oxygen To The Face

Oxygen has been a substantial trend in skincare over the past few years, especially with stars like Madonna and Britney making oxygen facials a crucial part of their neurotic celebrity beautification rituals.

Dermelect, a line developed by licensed estheticians and professionals in the medical field, brings the oxygen wave to your medicine cabinet with a new product they call Detoxifying Oxygen (O₂) Facial Commission.  It works as both a daily cleanser and energizing mask (love those two-in-ones).

I'll be perfectly honest with you, this product is way too sci-fi for me to bring near my dry and sensitive face.  But I gave it a controlled test drive so I could accurately assess to whom I might recommend this product.

You want this if you have oily skin, clogged and enlarged pores, aren't too sensitive, and are all in all feeling a little junked up in the facial area.

Read on for some more specifics.

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Too Good To Be True...But It Is.

When I opened my jar of Blueberry Fusion Scrub from The Body Deli for the first time, I thought I had mistakenly grabbed blueberry sorbet out of my freezer.  That's how good it smells.  Top that with the fact that the olfactory delight it imparts comes not from artificial fragrance or perfume, but real live blueberries, and I was pretty much hooked.

This little jar houses one of the better facial exfoliants I (product whore) have ever tried.  It's extremely natural and fresh (arrives on ice) and is like health food for your skin.  It is gentle enough to use a couple times a week but effective in removing the top layer of dead, dull skin to reveal a beautiful, glowing complexion.
More fanaticism and ingredients dishing after the jump.

Lighten Up For Winter

Beauty Test Drive is a new feature where we test out new products sent to us from a variety of companies. We promise that our reviews are honest and are by no means influenced by the companies who send us products. 

We recently received a package of goodies from The Body Deli, a beauty brand made of natural, fresh ingredients, sold directly through their e-commerce site and at some very select spas around the world. Inspired by natural living and the science of "living foods", all of the products are handmade in small batches and incorporate raw, fresh, natural and organic ingredients.

Figuring that I'd leave the reviewing up to our in-house beauty experts (that would be Jeannie & Lauryn), I couldn't let The Body Deli's Flash Flood Light Facial Emulsion go. It's that time of year when I have to put away the Oil of Olay that I've been using since I was 16 (by my mother's influence) because my skin becomes fragile from the cold. So fragile that I'm convinced that I'm allergic to the cold. I usually turn to a heavy cream that makes my skin feel like an oil slick, just to keep it from flaking off. 

My full review after the jump...