TOP Brands

Best Brand Overall

Skincare

1. Fresh
2. Dr. Dennis Gross
3. LUSH
4. Jack Black
5. Bioderma 
6. La Roche Posay - Anthelios (Sun Protection) Line

Makeup

1. MAC
2. Beauty Blender
3. Lancome
4. Laura Mercier
5. Bare Minerals
6. The Body Shop

Haircare

1. KMS California - Styling Products
2. Sebastian
3. Bumble & Bumble

Most Anticipated Brands to Try

Skincare

1. John Masters Organics

Makeup

1. Guerlain
2. Shiseido
3. Urban Decay
4. Real Technique Brushes
5. Hourglass

Haircare

1. Shu Uemura
2. L'oreal Professional
3. Pureology

Biggest Letdown Brands

Skincare

1. Korres
2. Clinique
3. Caudalie
4. Clarins
5. MAC 
6. L'Occitane en Provence
7. Laura Mercier

Makeup

1. Smashbox
2. Quo Brushes

Haircare

1. Living Proof
2. Matrix
3. Paul Mitchell 
4. Redken

Middle of the pack brands include: Make Up For Ever, Ole Henriksen, Anthony Logistics, and First Aid Beauty. 

Agree or disagree? Let me know in the comments!

Revlon Colorstay for Combination/Oily Skin (8/10)

Summary
Cons

• Tends to look cakey
• No pump
• Transfers easily

Pros

• Affordable
• full coverage
• Perfect finish for about 4 hours

In-Depth Review

One of the most popular drugstore foundations has been those in the Revlon Colorstay line. It's a strong performer as a full coverage, long lasting and affordable foundation.

I chose the combination/oily skin formula over the dry/normal skin and it has worked out pretty well. Due note that the dry/normal skin formula has SPF 15 vs the 6 found in the combination/oily formula (potentially more flashback). I've been using this foundation for more than a year and it performs pretty well when I know in advance what my day is going to be like. For instance, I won't be wearing this if there's a chance i'll be sweating heavily or trying on clothes because it is not transfer resistant. I also won't be wearing this for a full day because i know after 4 hours, oil will start to seep through and by the 6 to 8 hour mark, the foundation begins to separate on my skin - not the look i'm going for.

Since this is a medium-full cover foundation, selecting your foundation shade is crucial for a more natural look. The shade I chose was perfect for summer when I'm more tan but doesn't match at all during the winter months. Application is easy but there is a tendency to overuse the product - especially because there is no pump to control the amount that comes out. To reduce transfer onto clothing it's best to set this foundation either with a powder or with a tissue (firm patting motion over entire face) to take off the excess product/oils. Finish is semi-matte and it photographs well.

Revlon Colorstay was my first drugstore foundation and I have no regrets in my purchase. Even though I don't use it as often as I used to it, it's become a handy concealer for redness around my face.  I will not however be repurchasing this in the future to use as a foundation. 

How to Treat Your Oily Skin (Part I - Introduction)

I've had oily acne-prone skin since my early teens and I've learned a lot over the past 10 years about what works and what doesn't work with my skin. Granted, everyone skin is different but I'm hoping you can find some useful tidbits in this series. These posts will be quite wordy with minimal images but I will try to list out key points. Also, these findings that i will share with you are observations made from my own experiences as well as research done over the internet - I have not received any training, nor am I an aesthetician or dermatologist. With that being said, I have had very little success with trained professionals when it comes to the health of my skin.

This primer on how to deal with oily skin will be divided into three parts: 

1. Introduction
2. Skincare
3. Makeup  

As mentioned above, my skin is acne-prone and oily, but it's also sensitive and dry. How can that be? Well, it is because my skin is dry that it's producing so many oils to protect and restore the moisture in my skin. If our pores were to excrete water (instead of oil) to moisturize our face it would simply evaporate into the air (like sweat). So instead, oil, which can't evaporate, is excreted to create a barrier between the dry air and our skin/body - which is composed of a lot more water than exists in the air! By maintaining this barrier, the skin can hydrate itself through our bodies more effectively - so drink up! 

Science aside, a lot about "dealing" with oily skin is learning to accept it. I know it sucks, but embrace it - you'll never need a highlighter and I've been told to expect a delay in the onset of wrinkles (but i'm still not sold on that). Of course, a shiny face isn't the most pleasant of looks so be sure to look out for my follow up posts!

Anthony Logistics for Men Alcohol Free Toner (8.5/10)

Summary
Cons

• Artificial scent
• Not very moisturizing
• Minimal reduction in pore size

Pros

• Clears blackheads
• Improves skin texture
• Reduces skin discolouration

Philosophy Purity Made Simple (9.5/10)

Summary
Cons

• Removing make up
• Preventing breakouts

Pros

• Affordable
• light scent
• Does not over dry

In-Depth Review

I've got oily skin through and through but during the winter my cheeks and jaw line tend to get dry patches, and then oily throughout the day - very frustrating. One way I help adapt to the weather is changing my facial cleanser from a gel to a cream. This summer I've been using The Body Shop's Tea Tree Cleansing Facial Wash which is has a gel consistency. Philosophy's Purity cleanser was a gift I received a year or year and a half ago. I use the cleanser during the cold months and it's perfect for keeping the dry patches hydrated. 

I have the 16 oz. size and I've still got half of the product remaining. The cleanser is scented very lightly with a hint of lemon and some herb. It doesn't bother me and I suspect that those sensitive to smells won't have an issue with this cleanser. The consistency is creamy but thin and you require very little to wash your entire face and neck. As a cleanser it's near perfect. My face feels fresh without any residue, similar to how it feels when I use my Cetaphil cleanser, but more moisturized. That's not to say I don't need to moisturize after cleansing but only the trouble spots I have that are extra dry. The only issue I have for this product is removing make up. I don't wear waterproof anything so I can't comment on the effectiveness of this cleanser for those products but for non-waterproof make up, I feel that I need to wash my face twice to really get that clean feeling. This is because of the thin consistency of the product. I feel that if it were thicker, it would be able to "grab" the product more easily because just using more product doesn't help. This is only a small inconvenience and I rarely use this cleanser to remove make up anyway so as an everyday facial cleanser, it's great.

Since I've been switching around toners, and especially since i've run out of Ole Henricksen's Sheer Transformation, I've noticed the texture of my skin being quite rough. I'm interested in purchasing their exfoliating wash to suit my needs better. But I whole heartedly recommend this cleanser to anyone who has sensitive or dry skin. It won't target specific problems (acnes, discolouration, surface texture, etc.) but it will soothe and cleanse your skin.

Clinique Superbalm Moisturizing Gloss (10/10)

Summary

Cons

• Color payoff
• Messy application

Pros

• Long lasting
• Moisturizing
• Good value
• High shine

In-Depth Review

I got a mini version of Clinique's Superbalm in Passion Fruit a while back when I purchased one of their Moisture Surge Kits. On it's own, it retails for about $17 CAD for a full-sized tube but you get a relatively large amount of product compared to other brands.

On to the gloss! I use this product more as a lip balm than a gloss - I don't care much for glossy lips. The reason for this is because it's super moisturizing, more so than my MAC lip conditioner. It's quite tacky/sticky so if you don't like those kinds of glosses, don't bother with this one. Personally, I like sticky glosses because they last for ages, and this one is no exception. I can expect this product to last for 4 to 6 hours depending on the amount I eat/drink/talk/etc. The color payoff on this product isn't great. It's quite sheer, which is what I prefer. The passion fruit color does contain small glitter particles visible in the tube but on the lips it's undetectable. There is quite a lot of shine with this product and since I don't like that, I apply very little to my lips. I still have about half of my mini tube remaining and I've probably been using this gloss for about a year (granted i'm not a gloss addict - I use it when my lips are dry)!

When I run of of this product, I will most definitely be purchasing a full-sized product of Clinique's Superbalm Moisturizing Gloss (probably in Ginger).

St. Ives Blemish & Blackhead Control Apricot Scrub (6.5/10)

Summary

Cons

• Does not reduce blackheads or blemishes
• Strong scent
• Exfoliating beads are large

Pros

• Does not strip skin of moisture
• Inexpensive
• Gentle enough for every day use

In-depth Review

I’ve been using the St. Ives Apricot Scrub for just under a year. It’s served me well but now well enough for me to repurchase. As a cleanser this scrub is great for every day use; the formula is not too harsh that it strips away all the oils leaving your skin taut feeling. The exfoliating beads are quite large and I found them harsh when I first used it but I learned to use a gentler hand with this product. The scrub is effective at minimizing skin that is peeling but do not expect it do much else – I didn’t find a reduction in blackheads, pore sizes, or blemishes. If you couldn’t already guess, the scent of the scrub is apricot. While there is no lingering scent after use it is a little on the strong side and can be irritating for those who mind. I’ve bought 3 tubes in total (only on sale, which is quite frequent at drug stores) and have used one and a half tubes over the course of 10 months. One tube contains quite a lot of product and for their price (~4 CAD) they are an excellent value. Overall the scrub is a good general cleanser but for people who require specialized care (acne, anti-aging, etc.) this product won’t serve you well. I’ll be using up my second bottle (I’ve given 1 bottle to my sister) and will be on the lookout for other exfoliators.

Note: If you are interested in purchasing this scrub from Shoppers Drugmart, I’d advise you to first visit the St. Ives website and get yourself familiar with the label of the product that you are interested in because St. Ives has tons of scrubs and very similar lables/colors for each. In addition, they are constantly renewing their labels (Basically all their labels say “New Look”) and last I checked their website stock images haven’t been updated. Good luck!