Love it or Leave it
Since I’ve been retired and blogging, I’ve had the chance to check out and use many different products. I know when I was working, I wanted what was tried and true. I didn’t have the time to experiment with these items. But now that I have the extra time, I thought I’d share with you on occasion what products that I’ve termed love it or leave it. (Yes, I do watch that HGTV show, Love it or List it).
Granted, I realize that everyone looks for distinct properties in everything they purchase. So not only will I give you my rating on the product, but I’ll tell you the whys behind it. With my scientific background as a retired dentist, I am intrigued by what makes a product work. Or maybe why it doesn’t.
I’ll let you know how I obtained these products, because I think that’s an important part of it. Each item is linked in the title if you’re interested. And I tried to keep it short. If you have any questions about how I used it, or anything else, feel free to either comment or email me. I’m always 100% honest.
1-Silver Shield Gel
I talked about this product a couple of years ago when I published a post on actinic keratosis. This gel gets purchased about once a year because of all of the skin damage from my suntanning days. There is a 20 ppm gel which I used to get, but I switched to the stronger 24 ppm last time I bought it. I’m not sure if the stronger version is much different, but I figure I can use all of the help I can get.
There is even a smaller size in both strengths if you want to try it out. I’ve gotten my mom and friends using this too, because it works so well for me. I also use it on cuts and any other skin issues.
Of course, your dermatologist may recommend other options depending on your skin and history. Luckily, mine is open to more natural ways, except when these spots turn to cancer. I’ve had 2 basal cells spots surgically removed, many areas burned off, and I’ve used the prescription Efudex in the past. Let’s just say I am very experienced in skin issues. Actinic keratosis is a pre-cancerous area, and on me, it starts as red, dry patch.
Verdict: Love it
2-Triderma Vein Defense
I actually won this in a contest on Instagram. And I was so excited to use it. There is a small spider vein on both my face and leg that have been there for years.
Trust me, when I say that I’ve tried many things to try to fix the one on my leg by myself. When I was working as a dentist, I even tried injecting saline in it. I also read somewhere that hydrogen peroxide can help, so I tried applied that daily last year for over two months.
Needless to say, those attempts didn’t make a difference. Well, neither did this cream. I wish it had. I wanted it to. But truthfully, nothing has changed.
Verdict: Leave it
3-Lash & Brow Serum
This serum was purchased after my aesthetician told me there were less expensive serums at the stores. I discussed it in skin care post this last winter. I think I paid about $30 for it at Bed, Bath & Beyond; however, I don’t see it there (at least online) anymore.
After finding that the R+D eyelash serum made my lashes longer (not thicker, just longer), I really wanted to find a less expensive option.
The hardest thing about these serums is it takes me over 6 weeks (usually over 8) to see a difference one way or the other. So when I started using this serum, it seemed fine. But after the skin care post, I started noticing that the right eye’s lashes were definitely not as long anymore. YIKES!
Therefore, I have to admit this product isn’t great for me. There’s another one being tested right now that’s still less expensive than the R+D one. I’ll let you know in the future if it’s a love it or leave it. I may end up having to splurge again on the R+D brand.
Verdict: Leave it
4-NYX Honey Dew Me Up
I was gifted a box full of NYX makeup about 2 months ago. I don’t think I would have tried this brand because I’d never really heard of it.
In fact, when I first took out this Honey Dew Me Up, I didn’t even know what it was. On the bottom of the bottle, it says primer, and after googling it, that’s the consensus. This primer is supposed to help neutralize discoloration and redness. I could care less about that, because what I want is something to keep my makeup looking fresh all day.
I admit, I’m not a huge fan of the plastic applicator and it’s certainly different consistency than any other primer I’ve used. It’s a little gooey, yet it’s less expensive than my previous primers.
I used to be a huge fan of Laura Mercier primer and foundation; but I’ve noticed in the last couple of years, it doesn’t work as well on my skin. I’m sure it has to do with hormones and menopause. Yet this honey primer works under all of my different foundations. What that means to me, is I don’t get that foundation patchiness even after 6-8 hours on my face. In fact, I’m halfway through this bottle, and plan to buy some more when it’s out.
Verdict: Love it
5-T3 Hairbrush
I was actually gifted this brush by another blogger, Grace. I had commented on her Instagram post about needing a brush like this, and she so graciously sent it to me. It really goes to show that there are some incredibly nice people out there.
If you haven’t bought a new hairbrush in a while, you might be overwhelmed at the selection. I remember looking at BB & B recently, and feeling that way. Yet for me, this kind of brush with the metal cylinder seems to tame the frizziness so much better than my plastic brush. Of course since everyone’s hair is different, this is probably a personal preference. But I imagine that the heat of the hair dryer against this metal acts like my straightener does. So I figure that I’m reducing one heat product on my hair by using this only.
Tip: I do find that I have to dry a section of hair twice, using the brush and dryer both times to tame the frizz. Also there is another less expensive version at Bed, Bath & Beyond. I actually bought this less expensive one as a comparison, and it works exactly the same for my hair.
Verdict: Love it
I hope you liked this run down of make up and beauty products. I have many more products to talk about, but if you have a specific concern, I’d love to know about it.
The Facts
Even if you wouldn’t consider purchasing items online, it can be helpful to look through my links to see what is available! It certainly doesn’t hurt my feelings, if you click on them but don’t like them. Just so you know, one of the ways I make money from this blog is through these linked items.
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