Review: Burts Bees Soap Bark & Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream

For when my skin is sensitive and dry, I love to use cream cleansers and this is one of my favorites. It has soap bark which is a natural soap. The reason I chose this particular cleanser was because of all the impressive ingredients. It claims to be 100% natural but while I don't think that is entirely true it does have a lot of recognizable products which is nice to see for a change.

Click here for complete info!

As you can tell I have used quite a bit of this and it is my third one. The consistency is the best. Its very thick white cream so its not going to slide around. What I hate most is a cream cleanser that is watered down and that disappears on my face. The smell is...interesting. It has a sort of herbal smell with a menthol behind it. I don't love the smell but it doesn't bother me at all. It's actually a bit refreshing and always brings me back to life in the morning, for sure.The most interesting thing about this cleanser is the sensation you get after you pat your face dry. It is extremely cooling. Avoid getting this in your eye area because the skin is too delicate for the menthol in this product. When I used my Clarisonic with this my skin was even cooler. Almost too cool but not burning. I want to warn people with extremely sensitive skin though. The menthol may be just too much to handle. Do a patch test.

My favorite way to use this is with a facial sponge similar to this on the right. I find that the cleanser sort of sinks into the sponge a little bit so usually I will use my fingertips to work the product in my face and then wet a sponge and then buff it in for some exfoliation.

Even though this product says it removes makeup I don't think it is thorough enough for heavy duty foundation and powder. When I use my toner afterwards I still get excess makeup so I always use a wipe before just to make sure.

My most loved thing about this product is that it doesn't make my face tight afterwards and I do not feel the need to use a moisturizer right away after. I will always continue to purchase this!


Overall I give this one an A!
Pros: consistency, mostly natural ingredients, packaging allows to get everything out, refreshing, inexpensive ($8.00)
Cons: cooling can be too much for sensitive skin, smell is a bit strong, doesn't remove makeup as effectively as I would like


<33 Caraalisa

Review: Korres 24 hour Moisturizing and Brightening Cream

I got this free with my Clarisonic Plus purchase at Sephora and I was just so thrilled because I love Korres products so much. I was also interested in trying a more higher end moisturizer for the winter time because I have more dryness than usual around this time of year. This also had vitamin-C formulated into it which is exactly what I am looking for to keep my glow :)

Click here for product info!

According to Sephora:
What it is formulated WITHOUT:
- Parabens
- Sulfates
- Synthetic Dyes
- Petrochemicals
- Phthalates
- GMOs
- Triclosan
 ^^ Which is awesome!


My first impression is that this is a very light moisturizer that goes on pretty thin without leaving the face greasy. It doesn't smell much like rose to me only a faint smell I suppose but nothing offensive. It soaks into the skin very quickly. It almost soaks in too fast to me because sometimes it seems like it just disappears on my skin completely. Although when it does dry it leaves the skin very silky. I assumed this was a night cream because no SPF but boy was I wrong...

A huge con about this product is that it did not specify anywhere that I could find whether it was a day or night cream. I had to test this out as both before I decided this must be a day cream which is rather inconvenient as a shopper. For under makeup I think this performs great with my skin because of how sheer it is. The fact that this soaks in so well is great for doing makeup in a rush because I don't have to wait ten minutes after I apply like other day creams I use. Just remember to not skip an SPF with this because it is for sure lacking in that department. One more con is the packaging. It does not come with a pump because its in a lame glass jar so you have to make sure to wash your hands before digging in!

I don't think that it is rich enough to be a night cream especially if you have dry areas. I had some dry patches on my chin and I had to put on a thicker cream on those areas because they just soaked up the Korres and my chin still felt dry. The only way I could make this work is to put one layer on let that dry then put on a second layer. That way I feel like it could better perform as a night time cream even though its not even that great when I do it that way. For someone who already has oily skin and they don't want anything heavy for night time I think they would actually love this and benefit from the light texture.

As for the brightening effect that it claims I have not used it long enough and my skin honestly is already very healthy looking but it seems to be keeping my skin looking radiant. I have noticed my acne scarring isn't too noticeable anymore though which is awesome but I am not sure if it is from this.

I don't think I will buy this again just because I would rather have a day cream with an SPF but that is just a preference of mine. If you like a light day moisturizer with a light smell that absorbs very quickly and you don't care about sun protection then this is made for you!

Overall I give this one an A-
Pros: great day moisturizer, light smell, works well under makeup, formulation
Cons: price, doesn't specify use for day/night, too light for dryer skin, no SPF, packaging

<33 Caraalisa

Review: The Face Shop Rice Ceramide Moisture Emulsion

I purchased this a few months back on Sasa.com because I was interested in trying a moisture emulsion for the first time. I chose this one because of the rice ceramide which aids in protecting the barrier of the skin and has many other benefits. It also claims to fade dark spots which I need! Also its very affordable at under $7 (sometimes price fluctuates just a little).

Ingredients:

• 【Oryza Sativa (Rice) Extract】softens and moisturizes skin.
• 【Ceramide 3】hydrates and repairs skin.
• 【Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Oil】acts as a softener.

Click me for product info!

This is a light moisturizer for sure. I have worn it under makeup and it doesn't effect the lasting power of my foundation because it sinks in nicely (just don't forget SPF!). Althouht I wouldn't let this replace a night cream, I do like to use it in combination with my night cream. Its a thin, creamy consistency and you use a cotton pad to smooth it over the face (its kind of weird to spread a cream on with a cotton pad but o well) which helps get rid of makeup residue also.

I like to use this after I cleanse my face during the day at home just to have some moisture in my skin without having to worry about a shiny face. It soaks into the skin very well and leaves my skin perfectly balanced. It smells so good and if you have ever smelled the Body Shops Japan Yuzu & Rice Body Milk spray it definitely reminds me of that. It has that sweet rice smell to it but I cannot explain it. Just trust me its a good smell!

I also believe this is suitable for all skin types. It was one of the few things that didn't burn when my skin was extremely dry and peeling from some topical medication I was using. All of my other moisturizers stung but this was good to me during that time. Now that my skin is more oily in areas and dry in others it still has worked out for me.


My only gripe about this product is the packaging. The product is in a bottle and it comes out through a hole at the top. I'm almost halfway done with this so I have to squeeze the bottle so that I can get some out. The problem is that the plastic is so thick its very hard to squeeze. Sometimes I just shake the bottle until I can get it to trickle out of the hole. I think I would love this product even more if it had a pump. This is just minor and it wont stop me from purchasing again because I love it so much.

Overall I give this one an A-
Pros: smell, light, great for all skin types, price, awesome ingredients
Cons: packaging, can only order online that I know of :(


<33 Caraalisa

Review: Bliss Fabulous Foaming Face Wash

I actually also received this product free with my Clarisonic Plus purchase along with a bunch of other goodies. I don't normally gravitate towards these type of cleansers just because I have had bad luck with gel like cleansers like this one in the past. Usually they dry out my skin and give me a tight feeling which I hate so I like to use a good cream cleanser instead. I thought I would give this a go because A. it was free (worth $22) and B. because its a pretty color and smells so refreshing. Other than than I wasn't too excited about it to be honest.

Product info is all here

First off, I think that the name of this product is misleading. They should cut out the word foaming and just call it fabulous because honestly it doesn't foam at all. I couldn't get a lather out of this with my hands if I tried. I thought it was maybe because they skipped using a sulfate but then I checked the ingredients and turns out Sodium Laureth Sulfate is the second ingredient which is lame. When I tried it with my Clarisonic it did lather just a tiny bit but not everyone has a Clarisonic to work up some suds with. Even though this doesn't dry out my skin I do still need a moisturizer afterwards. I believe that this can work for all skin types but it will not help with acne control.

Even though it didn't live up to its fabulous foaming promises I was happy with the results of this. It has very fine granules to lightly exfoliate which is great for sensitive skin. I don't think this can replace a regular exfoliation routine but its great for keeping dead skin cells away. My favorite thing about this is the smell though. It is so refreshing. It reminds me of being on the beach for some reason but its not a tropical smell. Its just a very clean scent and doesn't smell like any other face wash I have tried so far. Its also rather thin in consistency so it spreads easily on the skin and does a nice job at cleansing. The packaging is also very nice with a pump and a cute see though bottle.

I do not think that I will be buying this again. Although I do enjoy it and will use it til' the end, I don't think it is worth the price at all. I feel like I can get the same results with my favorite St. Ives green tea cleanser which gives me the same refreshing feeling with no dryness. Its just an average cleanser to me and I would much rather buy a high end moisturizer if I were to splurge. 

Overall I give this a B+
Pros: smell, packaging, exfoliation properties, not drying
Cons: price, doesn't foam well

<33 Caraalisa

Review: Kenzia Moroccan Argan Oil...HATE! + Mini review on two other oils

So I found this oil when I was shopping at TjMax a while ago and it was $12.99. I was so excited about this because I had been looking specifically for an argan oil for my hair. I was thrilled this was so cheap compared to other oils that I have seen ranging in the $30-50 range.

I used this this for over a month because I just wanted to give this a fighting chance but I cant take it anymore!! This dries my hair out like no other. I even switched up my shampoo and conditioner to see if different hair combinations would make this product work better. I always had the same result even when I knew I used the shampoo and conditioner that worked great with my hair.

Let me tell you this product is very sticky and thick for a product claiming to be an oil in my opinion. When I looked into the bottle in the light it had chunks of buildup layered on the top. When it spreads onto the hair its very difficult to get this throughout your hair because of the thick texture. It also smells like lavender but that was probably the only positive thing about this product. There is just no way this product is retail $30! OUT IN THE GARBAGE IT HAS GONE. R.I.P....not really.

I decided to switch things up a bit to see if it was in fact this product destroying my hair. I got a different oil from Ulta called the El Erman Aragan Oil from Morocco by Hairganic which was $14.99. Still a resonable price! After using this oil one time my hair changed for the better. The texture was just as I wanted and it glides through the hair like a dream. The scent is also very nice. I knew it was the Kenzia because this new oil was a match made in heaven with my hair. So far I have used up the whole bottle and I am very sad about that. I always notice that there is only one maybe two or even sometimes no more bottles left on my local Ulta shelf so I am guessing people like this.

 Click to see the info on this fabulous stuff below

I then ventured out even more and decided to purchase the ever so famous Macadamia oil which I am currently using and this one is also quite lovely. If you would like a review on this let me know!

 So next time you go to TJMAX seriously avoid this Kenzia crap in a bottle. Instead go with the Hairganic. mhmmm.


Overall I give this one an F-
Pros: smell, packaging, price
Cons: thick, odd flakes of buildup in bottle, doesn't spread easily, makes my hair feel worse

Well have a lovely weekend dolls :)

<33 Caraalisa

Review: Brazillian Peel

All the information on this product is at:
http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P261612

Just for a bit of background, this is a clear scentless gel mask that you are supposed to use once a week for a month. It is a formula with 30% glycolic acid which is claimed to be professional strength but you can so at home.

I received one treatment of this product with my Clarisonic Plus purchase and I was actually quite frightened to try this. I am very sensitive to mask like products because they usually sting my sensitive areas so I waited until I felt my skin was ready to handle this acid based mask. The fact that this is in a syringe type of packaging makes it look a bit intimidating too I must admit!XD


I have to say that I am very happy I mustered up the courage to try this yesterday!

I cleansed my face and squirt the product in my hand then mixed it up with my fingers. As I mixed the product in my palm it got very warm but no burning sensations whatsoever.  As I begin to spread the mask on my face it doesn't feel as warm and it spreads easily. I leave it on for ten minutes and then wash it off just as directed.

When I left this on for the ten minutes it begins to dry quickly into a sticky gel so make sure that your hair is completely out of your way because it will STICK to your face. Its rather thick too and takes a while to completely wash it off the face. I had to keep splashing my face for a good five minutes until I felt that the residue was off. Also when I was splashing water with my face a little bit went into my mouth on accident and it tastes sour so make sure you close your mouth tight because you do not want to swallow any of this. I am happy to say that it caused NO redness or irritation at all even in the slightest. Even other traditional masks drugstore and high end have given me redness and stinging in the past with little results.  It did not leave my skin with any dry or tight feeling afterwards either which I love!

After I patted my face dry I noticed my face looked instantly smoother and my pores looked tighter. I could not believe how soft and smooth my skin was after I put my moisturizer on. Literally it felt like porcelain afterwards and even my boyfriend noticed. The day afterwards (today) my skin tone is almost perfect. It looks like I have at least a tinted moisturizer on because my complexion is so even and the glow to my skin is amazing.

When I have the money I do want to buy the four month treatment because I noticed a difference just after one time and I am curious about the progress my skin would make after four treatments!

If you tried this let me know what you think and if it worked for you!

Overall I give this one an A+
Pros: no redness/irritation, no smell, noticeable results after first use, easy/fast to use, no dryness afterwards
Cons: price, very sticky and annoying once it starts drying, takes few mins to wash off, tastes sour if it gets in mouth accidentally


<33 Caraalisa

Review: NYC New York Color Liquid Lip Shine

Let me start off by saying that I am not a huge fan of lip gloss at all. I own maybe two lip glosses in my collection and I barely touch them. I would much rather have lip sticks and that is just that! I just have not found a lip gloss that I feel actually looks good on me and that does not bother me with stickiness. So this isn't going to be a comparison at all, just my initial thoughts coming from an inexperienced lip gloss wearer.

I received some complimentary products (yes, 100% FREE) in my Holiday Voxbox and this was one of the things out of many that I was sent. I was excited because I do want to start appreciating lip gloss more so this was one of the first things I tried.

Packaging: Its just an average lip gloss packaging with a clear base to see the color and a black top. Nothing spectacular. It has a doe foot applicator which was a bit strange to me. I don't know if its just because I don't have a lot of experience with lip gloss but the doe foot is pretty long in my opinion. It is a lot longer than any other wand I have seen. It almost is too long because when I put this on I feel like I am almost getting product inside my lips. I have to remind myself to be careful when I put this on. For a person with larger lips they may not have a problem.

Formula and color: Aside from the awkward applicator I do really love the color I received. It is called Nude York City. On the lip without any lip stick it leaves a slightly nude tint with a subtle shimmer. Its quite beautiful on its own but I like to use it on top of my Loreal Fairest Nude lipstick. I like the formula its a bit thicker than the glosses I have used before and it is not sticky. I like the thicker formula because it stays on longer and doesn't flatten out my lips which is a problem I usually have with gloss. It keeps my pucker pouty. When it wears it does leave a kind of stickiness to the lip but I think that it normal. The smell is also really nice. It almost has a vanilla smell with a bit of sweetness but it is not offensive or overpowering in any way. If you are sensitive to smell I would go visit a drugstore and check it out for yourself :)

<33 Caraalisa

You can visit NYC at http://www.newyorkcolor.com

Review: XOut Wash in treatment from makers of Proactive!

I was a bit hesitant to try this product because I did not have a good experience with the original Proactive kit and I knew that this product is from the makers of Proactive. I have to say overall I am very happy with this product so far. I received this in my Holiday Influenster Voxbox which is a great opportunity to discover new products. Its also 100% FREE!!! Check it out if you like free stuff :) This was my favorite thing I got in my box also!



This product can be used as an everyday cleanser, a mask, and a spot treatment. This is amazing for traveling and you have more options for whatever problems your face has going on at the time.

Packaging is lovely. It has a pump at the top and is in a white bottle. The pump dispenses the perfect amount for me. The formula is white and has small granules...almost like a micro-dermabrasion cleanser would have. It has a pleasant smell and nothing chemical about it.

The way I like to use this is with my Clarisonic Plus on the low setting. One pump is enough for me and once I clean my face I feel so refreshed and rejuvenated and leaves my skin beautiful and I love the cooling sensation. My skin does not feel as dry as some other acne treatments washes which is a bonus. I do prefer to use a moisturizer afterwards.

I think this product is GOLD with spot treating. When I received this I actually had a massive, painful period pimple coming though on my chin and I was so excited when I found out that this was also a spot treatment. So I actually took a cotton tip and just dug a little bit of product out from the opening of the pump and that was enough to top off the pimple. I then took one of those circular bandages and stuck that on along with a tiny bit of vitamin E (to prevent dryness) and left that on overnight. The instructions say to leave on for only 10 minutes but I was miserable with this pimple. It did cause some unwanted redness/irritation but my pimple went completely flat and I did not flake. Even though my pimple went away I wont do it again just because I had the redness and irritation. Thats what I get for not following directions though. I mean with other spot treatments I usually experience flaky skin so I am thrilled this didn't turn my skin into sandpaper! For smaller blemishes I actually followed the directions to only leave this on for 10 minutes and it still works like a charm. I have yet to use this as a mask though but as soon as I do I will give an update!



Overall I give this one an A
Pros: smell, exfoliation properties, acne treatment, 3 products in one, packaging, less drying than other acne treatments, good for travel, refreshing feel
Cons: have to order online


<33 Caraalisa