Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit

I remember when I was as little as 10 yrs old my dad used to buy these small transparent orange-colored face soaps (because I told him I wanted clear and pretty skin!) Many years passed since my dad has bought me that soap and I’m proud to say that now so many years later I still appreciate and love the same brand of soap. I did want to take the time and say that Neutrogena in my eyes have always took the time to offer quality products...and it's a plus as I happen to adore the Neutrogena brand. As a Neutrogena devout customer I was excited at the chance to try out their newest line of skincare, the Oil-free Pink Grapefruit line.

*The following products were sent to me to try out and review. All opinions expressed are my own and are not influenced by anyone.*
This is what the packaging looks like.....I currently have the body wash, face cream cleanser, facial scrub and face cleanser. Prices of each vary depending on where you get it from.

Up first is the Facial cleanser....

What they say it is/does:
'With an uplifting blast of grapefruit plus vitamin C, this unique formula clears blemishes and blackheads and eliminates oil and dirt without overdrying.'

product: 5 stars out of 5
packaging: 5 stars out of 5
quality: 5 stars out of 5
overall: 5 stars out of 5
Here is what I thought: Another great by Neutrogena! It cleans thoroughly without drying out the skin, it removes even the toughest of makeup, and I love the scent! I find this would work perfectly on those makeup wearers that need that extra benefit of working a cleanser in that will take care of current or future breakouts. Love it!

On a scale of one to ten I'd rate: 10

Cream facial cleanser

What they say it is/does:
'Powerfully clears blemishes and blackheads - Patented with Microclear.'

product: 4 stars out of 5
packaging: 4 stars out of 5
quality: 5 stars out of 5
overall: 4.5 stars out of 5
Here is what I thought: Not for me....Too moisturizing, may feel a little too much if you apply too much so a little goes a long way but I love the tingling minty sensation on the skin after applying, it is very refreshing. I feel this cream cleanser would be perfect on acne prone skin.

On a scale of one to ten I'd rate: 8

Facial foaming scrub

What they say it is/does:
'Gentle microbeads smooth away roughness without over-drying or irritation.' Contains the same blast of grapefruit plus vitamin C as in other products in this line.

product: 4.5 stars out of 5
packaging: 5 stars out of 5
quality: 5 stars out of 5
overall: 5 stars out of 5
Here is what I thought: I actually love this scrub simply because it isn’t too abrasive (such as the St. Ives Apricot Scrub) but it is gentle enough to use every other day. The scent isn’t overpowering and a little goes a long way (something I’ve always said I love). I find it bizarre that it says it 'foams'...Since using it I have yet to see it foam :) It lathers nicely, but not foams.

On a scale of one to ten I'd rate: 9.5

Body Wash

What they say it is/does:
'Unique formula clears body breakouts.Specially developed to treat body breakouts such as those on your back, shoulders, and chest without over-drying.'

product: 3.5 stars out of 5
packaging: 5 stars out of 5
quality: 3.5 stars out of 5
overall: 4 stars out of 5
Here is what I thought: Is wonderful as a body cleanser with added benefit of the acne medicinal feature, but I feel that the tiny beads don’t do much on the skin....they don’t burst or exfoliate the skin which render me to think these beads are a waste. I hardly feel them when applied to the skin and I only see them gathering on the floor of the shower. I use this body wash simply as a body wash because I really love the scent :)

On a scale of one to ten I'd rate: 7

In a nutshell:

Favorite of the 4 - The Facial cleanser, which smells great and removes all traces of makeup

Least Favorite of the 4 - Body Clear body wash

All 4 are patented with Microclear

The Oil-free foaming facial scrub and facial cleanser are Allure Readers Choice Winners (2009)

Body Wash - Beads are unnecessary but is a nice scented body wash

Facial cream cleanser - Best for skin with acne

Facial cleanser - Perfect for gentle makeup removal

Facial scrub - Perfect for gentle facial exfoliation

Scent - Clean pure grapefruit, not overpowering, just clean and fresh scent!

Mother's Day FOTD and Giveaway

I hope everyones Mother's Day was super! Because I am so late with this post I am going to include a small giveaway, so for everyone interested please read on for details!

Just wanted to show you all a very simple and natural FOTD that I wore for Mother's Day. My mother's day was very nice. I went shopping in the morning, picked up a few things for my grandmother and then met her for lunch around noon-time. I had some cute cards waiting for me when I got home made by my boys and my baby daughter. I watched all my favorite DVD's for the rest of the day and took a nap...How was your Mother's Day? What did you do?

FACE:

MAC Studio Fix Fluid

Hard Candy concealer

William Tuttle setting powder

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Custom Glow

blush bronzer duo 'Berry Glow'

EYES:

Wet n Wild eyeshadow palette 'Vanity'

Sephora Plumping Lash mascara (review coming soon)

Revlon colorstay black eyeliner

LIPS:

Make Up For Ever professional lipstick

-Rouge Artist intense #30 (review coming soon)

Small giveaway it is! Write a small comment in this post about your most favorite memory of your mom. Winner will receive 1 goodies bag with makeup and other beauty items personally chosen by me!

Since I did not grow up to know my 'real' mom I thought I'd share a nice memory of my 'true' mother which is my paternal grandmother. She raised me and has been there for me all along. My grandma, or 'mom' as I used to call her is simply one that is old-fashioned (but in a good way), comforting, classy, and down-to-earth. She loved to make me dresses. She would sew me a dress for special occasions and of course I would pick out the pattern and material. She is great thus why I have so many more memories of her!

...........................................

Giveaway rules:

Entries must be in no later than July 1st 2011.

Winner will be announced July 2nd 2011.

Giveaway open to US and overseas.

Include your email in your comment.

You can email your entry at lali_amoramakeup@yahoo.com

Only 1 entry per person.

Only 1 winner will be chosen.

Participants must be a follower of Lali Amora Beauty Blog.

Turning ugly polish colors into pretty ones!

I've been wanting to share this with the rest of the world for the longest time just in case anyone else was in a similar situation...And when I say situation, I'm saying the situation where you think you own the world's ugliest nail polish!

 I think I own one of the world's ugliest, haha....no offense Essie but 'Big Bag Theory' is atrocious (as well as it's name!).

I have no idea what prompted me to buy such an ugly color. Nevertheless I clearly was not thinking or may have just liked it at the time! But I think it's safe to say that even the most ugliest nail lacquers can be saved with a quick fix. I've only had to do this the once and hopefully it will be my last, but just in case you wanted to get an idea of how to turn those ugly colors in gorgeous ones, read on!

So, Big Bag Theory is a yellow-toned reddish rust color with a touch of brown, unfortunately that seems to bring out the very worst of my skintone and color. In the pictures it looks like a red but don't let the pictures fool you! ...please excuse my dry skin and cuticles :)

Decide on a color scheme:

I decided to make it into a light pink. Because nail polish is super pigmented, especially this color, I started emptying about 3/4 of the nail polish (all that was left was about 1/4 of the bottle).

Add in your first color:

I added in Sally Hansen's Lavender Cloud....I added to match up the color in my new bottle so now the bottle was half full. The first additions are always just to test it out. I shook the bottle to see the result. It wasn't quite what I wanted so I added more of a different color.

Remember to shake bottle very well:

I wanted more of a muted pink so I wanted to add in some beige to see what it would do, I used Sally Hansen's Iced Coffee. I added in about 1/4, after shaking and mixing the bottle was 3/4 full.

Keep adding in colors to see what results, stop when you have achieved the color you want!
Last but not least I wanted to lighten it up so I added in some plain white. I used Sally Hansen's White On, and added in the remainder to complete a full bottle.

Lots of shaking and mixing!

(Leave a comment to name my new creation! Give me your ideas!)

It came out just as I wanted, I was trying to make a muted-light pink. I tried to stay clear of making colors that looked too similar to what I already own. Overall the other pinks I have are way different than this frankened one today. I am glad for that! So, see you later Big Bag Theory, you will NOT be missed :) 

Have you ever frankened your own nail polish color? Let me know!

I need a new name for my new frankened polish, please comment in this post and give me your ideas! 

Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Dark-Circle eye roller

'Over time, lack of sleep and daily fatigue make eyes look tired. Microcirculation slows and the delicate skin around the eyes becomes thinner and more translucent. Dark circles and shadows appear.

'Skin Renew Anti-Dark-Circle Roller is right for you if you want to instantly correct the appearance of dark circles and brighten the skin around your eyes'


Facts and ingredients: Contains caffeine and lemon essence. Skin Renew with caffeine gel energizes and stimulates microcirculation. The lemon essence brightens and mineral pigments instantly corrects dark circles.

Aqua/Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Alcohol Denat., Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Phenyl Trimethicone, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Squalane, Bis-PEG/PPG-14/14 Dimethicone, Magnesium Sulfate, Talc, Nylon-12, Maltitol, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Aluminum Hydroxide, Sorbitol, Caffeine, Citrus Medica Limonum Extract/Lemon Fruit Extract. May Contain: CI 77891/Titanium Dioxide, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499/Iron Oxides.

-Dermatologist tested for safety

-Opthalmologist tested

-Gentle to skin

-Allergy tested

-Non-greasy

Gently roll Skin Renew Anti-Dark-Circle Eye Roller under the eye from the inner corner to the outer corner, one to two times. Use finger to smooth in any excess with fingertips.

Instantly: dark circles are corrected and shadows appear diminished.
In 1 week: eyes look bright.

Can be found at: CVS stores, Walmart stores, Walgreens stores. I bought mine at Walmart for $10.97

product: 5 stars out of 5

packaging: 4.5 stars out of 5

quality: 5 stars out of 5

overall : 5 stars out of 5

would buy again? Yes

My thoughts: When you first apply it you can feel the small buzz-like sensation that is the caffeine within the formula. Indeed it is very light which is great for the delicate under eye skin. My first impressions is that I didn't think it would mask or 'conceal' anything to be honest because the formula feels watery and light but after you smooth it out evenly under the eye it does cover nicely.

I prefer my under eyes to be well concealed so I applied 2 coats under my eyes just to be sure...I am just use to doing it this way but if you are use to applying a small amount of any concealer under your eyes regularily then you would really like this concealer/treatment.

Did it diminish dark circles and shadows under the eyes? Instantly yes it did. In one week noticeably I didn't see a difference right away but I did wait for about 2 and a half weeks before trying to see results. My results? Brighter by just a bit, but not much else. Just because this concealer didn't have a miraculous change on my skin doesn't mean it would be that way for everyone else. All skin types are different just to keep in mind.

How it feels throughout the day: I find this concealer to be very moisturizing and comforting, not dry at all. Even though my under eye skin and texture changed just a tad bit doesn't mean I'll be ditching this concealer altogether because I really like using it for everyday natural looks.

The best thing about it: It is the pigments in the formula which gives your eyes and face a bright look...my eyes looked less tired after application. One of the interesting things about this undereye treatment is that it isn't a color that you apply under the eyes to mask dark circles but it is a treatment treat that works with your natural texture and tone that reflect on these pigments for brighter eyes and I love it!

Pros: Great for brightening up face in the mornings, decent amount of product, is effective, easy to use, travel friendly

Cons: Packaging of the 'Roller Ball'? Sometimes the silver roller ball seems to track out of it's spot. This has only happened about 2 times since I've bought mine. It is really unusual when this happens, the product sort of oozes around and the ball sinks in slightly but then it fixes itself a few seconds later. I find this really odd when it does happen.

The lasting power: About 5 hours, I have re-applied after 5 hours and I find that applying translucent powder on top helps to make it last longer.