My new favorite skin care product

Oh my gosh, you guys! I have discovered an amazing product that I'm so excited to tell you about. As part of the gift bag given out at the Beautylish spring trend preview event, I received a box of "sheet" masks from a new Canadian skin care company called myfaceworks.

myfaceworks offers 13 different types of face masks formulated to address skin issues ranging from wrinkles to acne. I was given The Starter Kit, which costs $45 for six different sheet masks including:

• "i need to wake up" with vitamin-c for moisturizing and brightening 
• "i need to detox" with green tea, an antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties
• "i need to replenish" for hydration and wrinkle reduction
• "i need damage control" with Coenzyme Q10, for improving the skin's moisture absorption
• "i need to be firm" with collagen to reduce pore size and puffiness
• "i need to relax" with lavender for relaxation and increasing overall skin resilience. 

So far I've tried the lavender "i need to relax" and collagen "i need to be firm" masks. All I can say is that I'm totally hooked!

These masks are nothing like traditional clay or gel-based facial masks. The myfaceworks product is a moist, film-like sheet that is applied to the face and left on for 15 to 20 minutes.

In my experience, these masks are cooling, refreshing and stay moist throughout the treatment.

The lavender "i need to relax" mask helped me unwind and made my skin feel soft. I cannot say it made a drastic difference in the look of my skin, though.

The results of the collagen "i need to be firm" mask, however, were instant. After one treatment, the look of my fine lines and pores was noticeably reduced. My skin appeared more radiant. This sounds crazy, but it actually seemed like my fine lines had been filled in. I was pleasantly, pleasantly surprised. I've never seen such a drastic difference after using a product just one time.

Needless to say, I purchased a full box of the "i need to be firm" masks for my mom for mother's day. I plan to buy one for myself after I finish my starter kit.

Also, I should mention that while these masks are wonderful, they make you look very odd when you're wearing them. Case in point: when I walked out into the living room wearing one, my boyfriend was actually startled! We got a good laugh at that.

Anyway, I'm so excited to try out the other masks in my starter kit! Have you tried the myfaceworks masks? Do you love them as much as I do?

A massive beauty haul just took place!

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Review - the "Magic Mitt" makeup remover

Jane Iredale Magic Mitt - $15

I was lucky enough to receive an ingenious little product for Christmas called the Magic Mitt. It's literally a mitt that you put over your hand and is supposed to remove all traces of makeup with nothing but water. Needless to say, I was intrigued.

The mitt itself is made of specially knit micro-fibers, which are many times thinner than a human hair and able to penetrate and break down oil films, according to the product description.

"This hydro-mechanical process breaks the surface tension of the oils that bond makeup to the skin while the fibers gently exfoliate," the product description states. "The combination of warm water and micro-fibers turn the makeup into an emulsion that is easily swept away by the mitt. It will even remove mascara!"

Even better, the Magic Mitt is supposed to promote the health of skin. Since no soap is necessary, the Magic Mitt does not wash away the skin's natural acid, which acts as a barrier that protects the skin from "harmful and invasive" bacteria. 

So the real question -- does it work? After using the Magic Mitt for more than a month, I can say that yes, it does work. Check out all the makeup it has removed from my face:

I actually find the Mitt is most beneficial for removing eye makeup. With just a few passes, a wet Magic Mitt can completely remove all my eye makeup -- eyeshadow, eyeliner and mascara. It also does not have any problems removing face makeup -- foundation, concealer, bronzer, blush, etc.

To be thorough, I should mention that I tend to use regular face wash in combination with my Magic Mitt. Though the Mitt can remove makeup with just water, my face feels cleaner when washed with soap as well. I generally use a regular face cleanser first, then use my Magic Mitt to remove any eye makeup that has been left behind. Even just using it for eye makeup removal purposes it totally worth it for me, because I no longer have to worry about keeping eye makeup remover on hand.

Also, the Magic Mitt can easily be cleaned with soap and water. It comes with a cute mesh bag (shown in the first photo) that can be hung up and used to store the Magic Mitt while it dries and is not being used.

What do you think about the Magic Mitt? Have you tried this product or anything similar?

Found: A drug store face wash worth raving about

L'Oreal Skin Genesis Pore Minimizing Gel Cleanser - $7.99

Good for: Normal/combination skin.

Compatible with the Clairisonic? Not really, because it foams too much.

My thoughts: I absolutely love this facial cleanser because it is extremely gentle, suds up well and gets the face super clean. I use it on a regular basis and have repurchased it several times because it is truly the best drug store face wash I have come across.

To me, the best thing about this cleanser is that it can easily remove all traces of heavy eye makeup without making the eyes sting or burn. I have very sensitive eyes and have never had a problem when massaging this product around the eye area -- not something that can be said for most cleansers, drug store brand or not.

Also, the pump makes it easy to use, and the smell is very fresh and pleasant. Plus, the pink color is just lovely. And, the price really can't be beat.

I honestly can't say whether this product has diminished the look of my pores. If it made any difference it wasn't major.

Have you used this product or anything else from L'Oreal's Skin Genesis line? Which drug store face wash is your favorite?

First Impressions of Lush "Ocean Salt" face and body scrub

"We believe in long candlelit baths, sharing showers, massage, filling the world with perfume and in the right to make mistakes, lose everything and start again." - Lush 

If you've never heard of Lush it's a Canadian cosmetic company that sells products made by hand from fresh, organic fruits and vegetables, essential oils and safe synthetics. The company uses only vegetarian ingredients and does not test on animals. 

I've heard about this brand from other beauty bloggers, and frequently passed the Lush store on East 14th Street in Manhattan but never went in until today. The company sells a variety of bath, shower, skincare, perfume and hair products but I picked up the 4.2 oz. "Ocean Salt" face and body scrub - $19.95. 

In general, facial scrubs help slough off dull, dead skin cells, making the face feel smoother and look brighter. However, when using this or any facial scrub, do so in moderation. It is important not to over-exfoliate, which could irritate your skin and cause rashes.

Made of lime, sea salt and vodka, this scrub is like a vacation in a jar. The smell transports me to a tropical beach where I'm sitting under a cabana with a margarita in hand!

The gritty sea salt is used to buff away dead skin cells while the antibacterial properties in the lime and vodka are supposed to help clear blocked pores, blackheads and blemishes. The scrub also contains avocado and coconut to moisturize the skin.

Doesn't it just look yummy? This is actually one of my favorite colors ever. But besides being pretty and smelling good, this scrub made my skin feel so soft! 

One negative aspect I encountered is that when scrubbing my face with this product it started to burn slightly where I have a dry patch. Fortunately, the burning stopped immediately after I rinsed the product off my face. When I dried off my face my skin felt incredibly smooth and clean. I was actually very pleasantly surprised. 

After using this scrub just once I really like it. I am not worried about the burning as it did not persist after rinsing off the product. I plan to use this scrub once a week and will report back if I have any other observations after I have thoroughly tested it. 

Do you use facial scrubs? If so, which ones do you like? Have you tried Lush before? Click here to shop their site. 

Getting to know... Meli of Style by Meli

Today's featured beauty blogger is Meli, a talented makeup artists who I actually know from high school. Her blog is called Style by Meli, and it's packed with tons of advice about makeup and style. I find her blog so informative and fun to read - she's always reviewing products and giving me new ideas! I highly recommend checking it out! 

I caught up with Meli recently to ask her a few questions about, what else -- makeup! Keep reading for our full interview.

How many lipsticks do you own? Honestly, I have never counted. If I had to estimate, about 100! Sounds crazy but I'm a total lip junkie!

And she has a ton of glosses too. Check out her amazing lipgloss bar!

Here she is! 

Current favorite type of mascara: I'm actually one of the few people you'll ever meet that is not a huge mascara person. However, when I wear mascara, I always prep the lashes with MAC's Prep + Prime lash for extra volume and length. There is a dramatic difference and it's totally worth the extra step!

Most essential makeup product and why: BLUSH! I cannot live without it and my heart seriously drops when someone tells me they never wear it. Besides giving life to the face, it just makes the face look soft and pretty!

No. 1 beauty item on you’re currently lusting after: Josie Maran Argan Oil. I have been dying to try this! I'm obsessed with face oils and believe they are the secret to beautiful, ageless skin.

Biggest regret purchase: Anything with sodium laureth sulfate. I had read that it is harmful to the skin, hair, and body and try to avoid it at all costs. I ended up having to throw out a handful of products that contained it, even brands that are classified as "all natural."

First makeup memory: I started to dabble with makeup on an everyday basis around age 14. My everyday look at that time was a black shimmery shadow on the whole lid. I remember thinking, "Wow, this makes me look so pretty!" I obviously had no idea what I was doing and going through a very experimental stage of my life.

Thanks so much to Meli for participating! I have never tried a face oil but now I feel like It's a must! Also, thanks for letting us know about the danger of sodium laureth sulfate.

Have you tried any of the products Meli mentioned? Do you also avoid sodium laureth sulfate?