Review: Purity by Philosophy Facial Wash

Hello! Sorry for the late updates, been really busy with school and exams! But now that the holidays have started, I'll try to post slightly more and update on what new stuff I have been trying out(:

I originally wanted to do a mega-post on the many facial washes I have used+ currently use, but I realised some of them are discontinued, so I've decided to update with one of my HGs ((holy grail)...

It's my Purity by Philosophy facial wash, that I've been enjoying for slightly less than a year now(: I purchased my first bottle of Purity in Sephora, London, together with my trusty Clarisonic Mia 2.

What drew me to this facial wash initially was the fact that it was included with the Mia before, so I assumed it would be a good product to have, to complement my Mia 2. I was quite disappointed when I discovered that it was no longer in a set with the Mia 2 ): Instead it came with the Boscia Cleansing Wash which I will review in a later post.

Philosophy Purity Made Simple is a pH-balanced formula that rapidly dissolves dirt and makeup while deep cleaning pores. The bestselling cleanser contains infusions of sage, chamomile, and carrot. (from Sephora.com)

PROS

Gentle on the skin-> unlike other washes I've used, this one doesn't leave my skin feeling particularly sticky nor tight, maybe it's because it's a more milky formula (which I know, doesn't appeal to everyone)

Moisturising-> leaves my skin feeling pretty hydrated and fresh

Can be used as a makeup remover-> YES it can! The lady at Sephora told me I could use this as a makeup remover in case I didn't like it as a facial wash, since it's more milky than bubbly. To use this as a makeup remover, deposit some on a clean cotton facial pad and wipe away gently.

CONS

Milky-> Sometimes after a really long day at school/work, all you wanna do is just to feel fresh and clean. This facial wash sometimes doesn't leave us with the super squeaky clean feeling, because it's bubble-free, so not everyone will like it!

Herby smell- I read in a review (can't remember by who, exactly) that it smelt of rosemary. I didn't pay particular attention to the scent of the wash at first until it was pointed out, and that beauty blogger didn't like the smell. My pregnant aunt also really dislikes the scent too!

Rating: 4.0/5.0

Would repurchase if I run out(:

Till next time!

x maddy

Update- PS. Have finished one travel sized bottle. one 8oz. version, and I've started on my 24oz (the monstrous one) bottle. Still loving it! My sister who recently tried it also really loves it! (:

Review: The Benefit Boi-ing Concealer

Review: The Benefit Boi-ing Concealer 

Price: USD 20.00 on Sephora.com

The Benefit Boi-ing concealer is an "industrial strength concealer".
It's said to camouflage dark circles, shadows, and discoloration without creasing or fading. An added bonus? This formula is now available in a full range of shades from light to deep so gals of all skintones can be imperfection-free. (from Sephora.com)

I purchased mine quite a while back, and I was shade 02-medium. Based on the sephora website, they've come up with in-between shades, which is perfect because I always believe that a concealer should be as close to your skin tone as possible, even if you are going to wear foundation over it. What I look for in a concealer is its staying power and ease of application, because it's no point really, having a perfect formula and lousy packaging/difficult application of the concealer. 

PROS
-Good formula->it has pretty amazing staying power, but there is a catch. I've realised that layering it on BB cream is not very effective as the concealer tends to rub off after a while--maybe something to do with its oil based formula? What I do is to wear BB cream first and then powder before putting on the concealer so it sticks better. Besides, the concealer has a matte finish so it doesn't draw extra attention to that hateful blemish of yours. 

-Colour->I find that the colour 02 matches my NW22 (MAC foundation colour) skin almost perfectly when blended in. It doesn't leave my skin looking grey (as some other stick concealers have done). 

CONS

-Drying and cakey-> This is after all, a heavier consistency as compared to a liquid concealer, and for some this can be rather drying for the skin. For those with oilier skin (like myself), I find that this concealer tends to cake up on the area after some time-- if it hasn't rubbed away, causing skin to look blotchy and even worse than before. 

-Unhygenic-> This comes in a pan rather much like eyeshadow and for concealer, I'm not sure this is the most hygenic way it can be packed. The best application tool when using the Benefit Boi-ing, I've discovered, is your God given fingers. You can rub your fingers on the palette and tap gently on the blemish to fade it away... That being said, this would contaminate the pan and is not ideal. I prefer to use my fingers to apply my concealer (after washing them, of course), and I'm not sure why, but over some time, my pan of concealer had a greyish look on the top like it got contaminated. I'm very sure it's not mould, but still this grey patch is quite troubling. 

-Difficult to apply-> Other than using one's fingers, you would need a small concealer brush. Your fingers are able to cover up bulging pimples, but as for more severe acne scars on dents in the skin, your finger isn't going to be able to reach into the tiny cracks and fill them up with concealer. The second best option would be to use a concealer brush, which would cause the area of skin to be cakey. Blend it out patiently to achieve a more even skin tone. 

-Packaging-> I'm not sure I love the packaging... It could have been better if it were in a lipstick tube, or at least a case that flipped open rather than a screw lid. For the record, screw lids could potentially go missing and leave you with a lid-less pan of concealer. Bacteria heaven. 

In general, I quite like the benefit concealer, because I don't have many more deep acne scars, basically some discolouration of the skin and the occasional zit or two. It does an okay job for what it;s suppposed to do, especially the fact that it isn't too grey(: 

Rating: 3.0/5.0




Would I repurchase? Maybe not. I say maybe, because the colour does match me quite well and it isn't too grey(one of my pet peeves wrt concealer!)