Review: Olay Pro-X Facial Cleansing System

I have had this for almost a year... When I bought it, I said I would wait at least a month until I did a review so I knew for sure if I liked it. We all see how that went... Then I said I was going to wait until I had a good skin care routine down and just do a whole post about that. Well it's been 10 months and I am still jumping from cleanser to cleanser. The only routine thing I have is a moisturizer... I had actually forgot about doing it until I was going through my photos to look for something to post about today. But I'm rambling again...
Ever since the Clarisonic became all the rage in the beauty world, I wanted one so bad! But at around $200, I didn't want it that bad lol. I don't remember where I first heard about this one, but I remember that it was being compared to the Clarisonic, so I decided to give it a try.
If my memory serves me correctly, it was around $30. I didn't really expect it to make that much of a difference. I mean, sure I knew it would exfoliate but so does a $3 bottle of St Ives. But after using it just once, I was hooked!

Excuse my horribly chipping polish... 

It runs on 2 AA batteries (included) and now that I think about it, I don't think I've changed them out since I bought it... Also included in the box is a replacement brush and a sample bottle of the cleanser from the same line. I wasn't a huge fan of the cleanser though...

The top button is the power button. Pretty self-explanatory. The other one controls the speed, high/low. The biggest difference I've heard about between this and the Clarisonic (besides price and the brush head is slightly bigger on the Clarisonic) is that this rotates, while the Clarisonic oscillates.

This completely changed my life. And I don't say that lightly. The entire texture of my skin has improved! Plus it helps keep clogged pores and blackheads at bay. It can be used with any cleanser, brand or type. I do suggest though, that if you have overly sensitive skin not to use an exfoliating cleanser with it, as it may be too rough for you. After using it for a few weeks, I felt like I couldn't wash my face without it. It just felt like the cleanser was just sitting on my face and not deeply cleansing it. I got over that finally lol, and am now able to wash my face without it if I'm in a rush. I personally use it just about every time I wash my face, morning and night. Unless I'm using a cleanser that contains salicylic acid (like now) because I find it dries out my skin. Which I believe is the salicylic acid, because my skin reacts funny with it sometimes. But if you have sensitive skin, I would recommend just using it once a day, or even once a week for a deep cleansing until you know how your skin will react to it.
There is something so therapeutic about using it. Especially in the mornings. It just feels like it's getting deep down in your pores and purging out all of the dirt and yuckiness that lives in there. The first time I used it, it sort of tickled my face. It was the weirdest feeling ever, but it was so nice! Now I guess I'm just used to it because it doesn't tickle anymore, it just feels like a little massage.
Like I said above, it comes with 1 brush replacement head, which needs to be changed every 3 months. They also sell just the heads, which come in a pack of two for $10 I believe.

They say that you can either apply your cleanser directly to the brush or on your face. I've tried both and the way I prefer is to rub it all over my face, wet the brush, then use it on high. When done, just rinse the brush out and you're done! This post is getting to be super long, so I will wrap it up by saying this is awesome! Seriously, if anything ever happens to it, I will promptly buy another one. As for how it compares to the Clarisonic, I honestly can't say because I've never used one. But in itself, it is an amazing product! Your skin feels so smooth and clean, but not overly exfoliated (mine doesn't anyway). It seems to make your makeup go on so perfectly! The cleanser, as I said before, wasn't that great to me. It wasn't horrible, just not worth it to be (I believe it's $20). On the box it says you can use any Olay face wash with it, but I'm sure that's just advertising haha. I have used many many brands with it and it worked perfectly fine! Wow, I was supposed to be wrapping up... I just feel like I could rave about this all day! I honestly can't think of a single bad thing about it. Maybe that it's so addictive? Well that is all for now girls and boys! Until next time, <3 Rebecca

January and February 2012 Favorites

Hello Lovelies! Long time, no see! (< understatement of the century) I wanted to get back into doing monthly  favorites, but (obviously) I missed January. But since they were essentially the same, I decided to combine them. I had wanted to do a 2011 Favorites, but I kinda missed the ball on that one too... I still might do it though, since we are only 3 months into the year... But before I start rambling, here are my Jan and Feb Favorites!

**Makeup**

•  L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara - this was my January Favorite. My lashes were being really stubborn that month and for some reason, this was the only mascara they liked.
• Jordana Best Lash Extreme Mascara - To be honest, I had never tried or even heard of Jordana until very recently. I can't remember if a blogger or youtube'r mentioned this, but when I saw it at Walgreens I grabbed it. It's awesome! It's volumizing and lengthening, without being clumpy :)
• Revlon Colorstay Lipgloss in Crystal Lilac - I first heard about this from Amy on YouTube when she absolutely RAVED about them. She also said this was her favorite shade, so when I saw it at Walgreens for $3.50 I was super excited! I'm usually not much of a lip product person, but I absolutely LOVE this shade! It's a light pink with a purple tint to it, but not so purple that you feel like Ke$ha...
• L'Oreal Tru Match Foundation - Honestly, I'm not that into this. It (once again) was on sale at Walgreens. I am currently out of my MUFE Mat Velvet + and I have been too lazy busy to order another one since I don't live anywhere near a Sephora... This has been an okay replacement. It's gotten me through the past few months, but I don't know if I would repurchase it.
• Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad To The Bronze - If I could pick only one favorite for the months, this would definitely be it. I was a little skeptical about these at first, but when I heard a lot of people, mainly TiffanyD say they were great and comparable to Mac Paint Pots (which I can't attest to since I've never used one) I had to try it. I own 3 now, but this is my absolute FAV! It is the most perfect color for everyday wear. To me, it's more of a mix between bronze and taupe than a true bronze. It is so quick and easy to just swipe it on the lid and go. It also makes a great base for under-pigmented shadows. Overall, these are just so much win!
• Sigma F80 Flat Top Kabuki - I have had this about a year now, but I've just now really started using it regularly. Mainly because of the L'Oreal foundation. I usually apply the Mat Velvet with just my fingers, so it was unused. But since I've ran out, I've been using it more often, and I love it :)
• Wet N Wild Shadow Singles in Nutty and Brulee - Nutty is my absolute favorite eyeshadow. It is just perfect to put on the lid and crease in like 5 seconds and look perfect. It changes colors in the light, so it looks like two different colors. I cannot say enough good about this shadow! It's wonderfully pigmented and the consistency is awesome! And I am so scared they are discontinuing it, because I haven't seen it anywhere lately. I finally found some at Rite Aid... I now have 3 backups. And Brulee is the perfect highlighter "eraser" shade for me. Basically, if my eyeshadow goes up higher than I want, I use this on a dense brush to fade it out, aka erase.
• Physicians Formula Blush in Nude Glow - This came in a set I bought around Christmastime because I wanted the powder foundation in it. When I first opened it, I did not have high expectations about it. It was the most non-existent color ever. It looked like nothing would show up, and if any possibly did, it would be such a light pink that you wouldn't notice it anyways. I finally did give it a try though, and I love it! I don't know where the color comes from because what shows up on my face is nowhere near the color in the pan. It is the most perfect "everyday" blush shade! (apparently this was my thing these months because I've said that about everything...) But I love it and will probably repurchase it when I run out :)
• Hard Candy Glamoflauge Concealer in Light - Holy Hell! I'm going to try and not go into too much detail because I am going to do a separate review on this, but this is amazing! I have never really used concealer because everyone I tried (and believe me, I tried a lot!) never worked for me. Under the eyes it was always cakey and gross looking, and over blemishes it never covered anything, wore off after like 30 minutes, and just looked like a caked up mess. But this is Awesome! I just can't say enough good about it! I honestly can't remember how I wore makeup without it.

**Hair**

 

• Organix Brazilian Keratin Therapy - In case you can't tell, I was obsessed with this line! But I put the focus on Was... I just don't really know how I feel about this now. It was the best shampoo/conditioner system I had ever used, then I used another shampoo and now I just don't know haha. I am going to fully review the whole line in a separate post, but I will say that I do still love the Anti-Breakage Serum. And I don't hate the deep conditioner... It's mainly the shampoo I have an issue with. But I will get into that later. But for these months it really was a fav!
• Ionika Hairbrush - Honestly, if someone had told me they had a favorite brush of the month, I would think they were crazy. I mean, a brush is a brush right? Well obviously, one you get for 50 cents isn't going to be all that awesome, but for the post part they're the same. Wrong. Seriously, I feel like such a weirdo for my love obsession with this brush. This was in my "gift basket" from my cousin this Christmas (she knows what I like lol) She is notorious for leaving the tags on things, and I think it said it was around $17. I don't remember the exact amount, but I remember thinking "Holy crap I hope she got this on sale! Why would someone spend so much on a hairbrush?" Can you tell how cheap I am? haha. I figured I wouldn't even use it, because it looked like your hair would get caught in the rhinestones. But I gently ran it though the ends of my hair to test, and it didn't so I tried it. Now I'm not saying this is a life-changing brush. But I will be really sad if anything ever happens to it. It just detangles my hair so effortlessly and there is virtually NO breakage! I say virtually, because I haven't noticed any, but I guess I can't be 100% sure... And when I blow dry my hair, it seems to help it straighten and reduce frizz. Now it's not anything super noticeable, since my hair is crazy frizzy, but it makes me smile a little inside :)
• Sedu Ionic Ceramic Pro Flat Iron - This was my "main" Christmas present. I knew I wanted a new straightener, but I had no clue as to which one. I was leaning towards Chi, because I had heard of a lot of people liking them. But one night I was just researching them (I can't help myself, I must find reviews of big purchases before I buy them) and I ended up on Folica. I have heard of a visited this website before but never ordered anything. I think I was looking at their best selling items, or highest rated I don't remember. But this was the number 1. Well, it was the 1.5 inch and I got the 1 inch... The site says it is originally $150, but they sell it for $119. Plus there was a Christmas coupon thing going on where I think you got 30 or 35% off your purchase. It ended up being about $80. Which isn't bad I think, since I love it so much :) At first, I wasn't sure about it. It just felt wrong in my hand because it was so small and light. My old straightener was a 1 inch too, so the plates are the same, but the actual handle and stuff is so much smaller than a regular one. But once I got used to it, I absolutely love it! It straightens my hair so much faster than any other one I've ever used. It goes from 250 to 410 degrees. The first time I used it I put it all the way up and it burned my ends a little, but now I keep it on about 340 and it works perfect :)

**Skin and Body**

•  Bath and Body Works Vanilla Bean Noel Body Wash and Lotion (forgot to photograph) - This is an all-time favorite for me, but seeing as I can only get it around Christmas it is usually just a winter fav. I have always been a huge fan of the Triple Moisture Body Cream over the Lotion, however, I ended up with 2 bottles of it for Christmas. I was super excited. Then when I go to put it in my drawer, I found a colony of B&BW lotions I forgot I had. So I decided to start a "use up all my lotion mission". Of course I started with the Noel, and to my surprise, I think I like it better than the Triple Moisture Cream for the whole body. The Cream is better for more dry areas or just in the Winter when I have really dry skin, but the Lotion is lighter and I think will be much better for Summer. Not to mention, my skin literally feels like silk. I'm not sure if it's just this scent, as it's the only one I've made it through so far, or if all of them work this great. Either way, I like it.
• Yes To Carrots Cream Cleanser - This is kind of like the Shampoo I mentioned earlier, as in I loved it when I was using it but afterwards I'm not so sure. I think I'm going to do a separate post about it, but I'll give a quick rundown... It feels like the weirdest cleanser I've ever used. It literally feels like you're putting lotion on your face. When I first applied it, I knew I was going to hate it. It does not feel like it is cleaning anything at all, however, when you wash it off, your face actually does feel cleansed. I can't explain it. It was great when my skin was really dry since it moisturizes amazingly. I just don't know how I feel about it now, this was more of a January fav. I will have to use it again before I do the post on it, so I actually know my current feelings about it haha.
• Tree Hut Shea Sugar Body Scrub in Coconut Lime - I needed a new exfoliater, this was the only one my Wal-Mart had to offer. I expected to hate the smell, since I'm not usually a fan of "beachy" smells. But surprisingly, it's not that bad. I won't say it's the best, but it doesn't make me nauseous lol. But I absolutely LOVE the formula. It has the weirdest consistency I've ever felt. The best I can describe it is a gritty gel. But it works so amazingly!! It doesn't leave the skin feeling dry or "over-scrubbed" at all! The other day I saw they had a Honey Almond scent I think, and I was going to get it but it smelled like grossness. Seriously, so bad. nothing like honey or almond at all....
• Olay Active Hydrating Moisturizer - Holy Grail product for sure! I don't know why, but this is the only moisturizer my skin likes. I don't know what I'm going to do if they ever discontinue it... I have tried SO many others from SO many brands, including Olay, and nothing works for me like this does. It makes your skin feel so hydrated and "plump" (haha, that's the only way I can think of to describe it) It doesn't make my skin feel oily at all, it's just overall an amazing product! The only downside I can think of is it's pretty heavily scented, so if you are sensitive to those kinds of things, then this might not be for you...
• JLo Still Perfume - I first smelled this when I was 15. I don't want to think about how old that makes me now... Anyways, a friend of mine was wearing it and I fell in love! I never bought it though... But this Christmas, I was trying to think of what I wanted from my sister, (we never pick out each others gifts lol. we pick out our own and instruct the other on what to buy) I knew I wanted perfume but I couldn't think of which one. After weeks of trying to decide, I thought "is there one that I used to love way back but haven't had in a while" Then I remembered it. And I am SOO glad I did! I can tell though, it's one of those smells that smells totally different on everyone. Just like her Miami Glow (my fav perfume), it smells amazing on me, but if you just smell it out of the bottle it kinda stinks. I don't know what it is about my body chemistry that works so well with JLo perfumes, but I love it!
• Katy Perry Purr Perfume - There's a story behind this one also haha. I smelled this in a magazine I believe, and loved it! I had mentioned to my husband before that I wanted it but thought it was too expensive (I don't know why I had it in my head that it was like $70 for a small one, apparently I read the wrong thing) Well, for Christmas he bought it for me. He hunted all over the place in order to find it (nowhere around us sold it for some reason) He finally found it at Buckle, which I didn't know sold perfume... He was so excited to give it to me, and I was excited to receive it! Then I smelled it... Apparently, not only did I read the wrong thing according to price, I also smelled the wrong perfume. And this was before Meow came out so I have no clue what I smelled, but it wasn't this. It's wearable, but it's nothing I would have picked out had I known what it smelled like. I like sweet, fruity, or "cool" smells (as I call them. I have tried and there is no way I can describe what a "cool" perfume smells like but it's just how my brain describes it) This is none of that. It's kind of floral, which I don't mind sometimes, but it's strong. I think it contains lavender, which we all know is Satan's flower... It will probably take me years to finish (when I wear it, I spray an extra spray in the air so it will empty sooner and the husband won't know I don't love it) But, it has the cutest bottle I have ever seen. It is a favorite, just because seeing that bottle everyday makes me smile. And knowing what he went through to get it, and how happy he was for me to open it. But will I ever repurchase it? Not even if it's on the 90% off rack...

Wow, that's a lot of blog. I guess it's been so long that once I started, it was hard to stop. But I am going to go right now and type a couple other posts while I'm in the mood. I have SO much I want to post about! It's just hard for me to actually get up and do it. I'm not a huge writer lol, every time I get a new product, I immediately take photos and plan out the blog post in my head, but it may be a month or two before I actually get around to it. I AM going to try and be better! I promise :) Well that's all for now! Until Next Time, <3 Rebecca