Elf Zit Zapper: Hit or Miss?

This $1.00 product contains a blend of Salicylic acid, Tea Tree Oil, Witch Hazel and Camphor. 

It claims to help fight and prevent acne and zits, reduce redness and swelling, 

minimize pore size, and as a consequence, clear skin. 

I've been using this constantly for a couple weeks and it does work...to an extent. 

I used this as my only form of zit medicine and it did clear up my breakout in about 5 to 7 days time which is okay but not fantastic, but it does get the job done. 

I continued using this for another week and a half as a prevention treatment concentrating the product on the areas where I'm prone to breakouts and my skin has continued to stay clear in those areas two months later.

My concern is the roller ball method of dispensation. 

Why?

Your Zit and its juices are coming in direct contact with the roller ball and traces of zit juice and excess oil from your skin will inevitably end up in the rest of the formula. 

It's basically like back wash. 

So there's a slight risk of contaminating the rest of your face, but I haven't had a problem with it so far.

I'd say this is a nice thing to have as a part of a more rigorous zit / acne routine but not as a be all end all. But if prevention is our main concern this is great for that in addition to being super cheap and portable.    

Because this product, for me at least, does live up to most of Elf's claims (idk about pore minimizing) and because I think this is a great prevention step I'm  gonna say this is a 

HIT! 

In addition here's a link to a guide on zits with some rather interesting videos from the inter-webs. 

Different types of Zits Yumm...

Don't Just Wear Makeup, 

Rock it. 

GOLD MIDAS TEARS CREATIVE MAKE-UP TUTORIAL

Just browsing the youtube, as you do, and stumbled onto this tutorial by Samantha Chapman and I had no choice but to share it! If you want more tutorials like t his one subscribe to Pixiwoo on Youtube.

Midas Tears Tutorial

And subscribe to the Pixiwoos

Essential Moisturizing Product

If you have dry skin, this is the shit, and it's cheap!

This product gives the skin added moisture. I found it especially helpful during the height of winter when my skin was drier and flakier than normal. I  would apply this under my normal moisturizer. Now that the transition to spring is under way I can just use this alone. This is a good product for retaining moisture to our skin after cleansing without the oily and greasy texture of some other moisturizers. 

Boots Expert and Boots No. 7 make some fantastic products. 

This was about $6 - $7 at Target. 

Don't Just Wear Makeup, 

Rock It

Boots Expert Instant Matte

Looks interesting. I wonder if it works.

 I used the tester, but I wasn't oily so it didn't really do anything to affect my skin texture. That being said, it did not dry my skin out. Does that mean it doesn't work? Or that it only absorbs excess oil without completely drying out the skin? Je ne sais pas. 

If you've tried this leave a comment below about your experience.  

 About $4-$5 at Target.

Don't just Wear Makeup,

Rock It

Flower Beauty Skincognito Stick Foundation

Drew Barrymore recently released her Flower Beauty Makeup line in Walmart stores and there is no doubt that you've seen other reviews on the line's beautifully pigmented eyeshadows and luxuriously packaged lip products. I've been using the Skincogneto stick foundation for about two weeks now and it is currently my favorite foundation. It even works better for me than Revlon ColorStay!

 

The product itself is reminiscent of Bobbi Brown's stick foundations, however Skincognito is even creamier and more workable. The difference in price is also significant. 

Bobbi Brown Foundation Stick retails for around $42 while Flower Beauty's version retails for around $9. 

Cream products are good if you're looking for fuller coverage with minimum product. 

They don't have to be heavy or cakey looking either, which is true for this product. Unlike many of the liquids I've tried this product stays very true to color and does not oxidize throughout the day into something with a ghastly orange or red cast. They're easier to blend into the skin so it doesn't look like you're wearing a mask. 

 My favorite thing about this foundation is it's ease of application:

1) Take the stick and run it all over the face, starting form the center and moving outwards. 

2) Take either a damp sponge/ beauty blender or a damp buffing brush to work product into skin.

3) Repeat process in areas where more coverage is needed. 

*Dampness in this process is important for making the foundation look more like skin, as is a setting spray as a finishing step. 

You don't even have to get your hands dirty! 

For me the application works better with a minimal application of moisturizer and a silicone based primer. 

My shade is SF5 which is more or  less in the middle of the range of eight shades. The two darkest have a reddish undertone, while the others seem to have either a slightly yellow or neutral undertone. Weird story:  I also bought SF2, which is significantly lighter than my skin, intending to use it as a matte cream highlight.  After applying it to the  center of the nose, my cheek bones etc. etc. I  blended it  in and it disappeared into my own skin! So even though there are only 8 shades I feel like they are all very versatile and a lot of people have the potential to find a suitable color either on its own or m mixing two shades. 

The only down side to this product is the packaging. I'm happy that Drew was kind enough to reintroduce me to stick foundations, but in comparison to the rest of the line the packaging is very underwhelming and not very sturdy at all which leads me to be concerned for its integrity in while in my purse! But that's just me being super nit picky. 

I'm just come out and say Drew Barrymore did a much better job with Flower Beauty than the Kardashians could have ever hoped for with Khroma because it was actually really well thought out and executed. Good for you Drew. Good for you. 

Remember: 

Don't Just Wear Makeup, 

Rock It.