Product Review: Physician’s Formula Organic Wear 100% Natural Origin Mascara

Ok you guys. A long time ago I did a post on organic makeup from Physician's Formula. It's "the thing to do" these days, as people are becoming more conscious about what their beauty products are made of. So, I ran out and bought the Physician's Formula Organic Wear Origin Mascara on special at CVS Pharmacy. You would buy the mascara for $9.95 but then get a $9.95 mail in rebate. Which I have yet to fill out, but essentially it costs nothing to try, so I did. I'm sure you wanna know if this organic mascara is actually better and if it does what it says. Let's break it down:

The description on the physiciansformula.com says:

• Revolutionary 100% Natural Origin formula contains the purest ingredients and provides 5x Lash Boosting for lash length, volume & definition naturally.

• 100% Recyclable Eco-Brush defines each lash with ultra-soft plastic bristles.
• 100% Free of Harsh Chemicals, Synthetic Preservatives, Parabens, Clumping, Smudging, Flaking, Fibers & Dyes.

Ok, so as far as volume and natural definition: Check. I love the volume this mascara gives on my lashes. And that's hard for me because I'm Asian and don't have the long thick lashes like other girls. So I need all the help I can get! This mascara is great because there's no clumping no matter how many times you go over your lashes with the brush. I can also see it extend the length of my lashes without looking like I have a grip of mascara on. As far as smudging...well, when I put it on and forget about it throughout the day, I rub my eyes and notice a lot of it on my fingers. It rubs off pretty easily though. Whenever I rub my eyes, I just have to remember to wipe off the bottom of my eyes to wipe away any smudges. This happens with a lot of mascara's that I've tried. So it doesn't really bother me that much.

As far as the brush goes, I really like it. It feels more sanitary to me. It's like a rubber/plastic recycled synthetic material and I like it better than the hairy ones. In fact, I think it is one of the reasons why it goes on so smooth and doesn't clump. And it definitely feels like it keeps moist and doesn't dry up as quick.

My biggest beef with this mascara? Umm, well to put it bluntly: it smells like poop. I am so for serious. I mean, I put it on and it smells like poop all day on my face. Well, maybe not poop, but it's like an organic, grainy, granola, wheat type of smell and it's not good. So if they can come out with an unscented version, this mascara would rock. But since I am very sensitive to smell, it gets really annoying. The first time I used it, I could not figure out where the crazy smell was coming from! No ones eyes should stink and we'd like to keep it that way.

So, if you're not too sensitive to smell and you're totally into makeup that is eco-conscious, this is the product to use. I would start out going to Walgreens or CVS to see if they have the special rebate so you can try it for free (don't forget to fill out the rebate like I did). Or, I've seen it on a rare occasion on ebay for $4.50. It's worth a try. Don't pay more than $9.95 though.

Smooth Away vs Generic Version

Omg you guys, Smooth Away a generic version?? I had to buy it and test to see if Smooth Away is just regular sandpaper and could easily be knocked off. The results? Watch and find out!

Best Foundations For Oily, Flakey Skin

Foundation is probably one of the hardest things to shop for. Your face is the first thing people see, and flawed skin is highlighted by the wrong choice of foundation. I can go the day without eyeshadow, blush, whatever...but don't make me go without foundation! A little mixed with foundation is the perfect blend for days when you want to go without makeup (like weekends) but don't want to look like you've been partying all night.

Here are my favs. I do have to note that I probably have the hardest skin type to match: very oily, but flakey. How does that happen? I can't add too much powder or else it highlights the dry flakey parts. I can't use a moisturizing foundation or else you could fry an egg on my face. These ones are great for the hard-to-match skin types.

Estee Lauder Equalizer
This foundation is brilliant (if a bottle of liquid can get a PhD). Somehow it knows when you're skin is extra-greasy or when it needs some hydration. It won't clog pores either, which is a plus when you've got skin that already won't cooperate enough as it is. It's not very thick or opaque, so the end result is a fresh look without the appearance of caked-on makeup. The only downfall? It's not very long-lasting. Expect to re-apply if you're heading out after work.

Lancome Teint Idole
The only way I can describe this foundation is to say that your skin feels pillowy-soft. Whatever they have inside it works wonders for your skin's texture. It's like having your own personal airbrusher with you at all times. If you're going to be taking photos all night, this is what you want to be wearing. Teint Idole is a little thick, so use my mix-with-moisturizer trick if you need to lighten it up for summer.

Prescriptives Flawless Skin
Ask anyone: this is a tried-and-true favorite. It's the little black dress of foundations. It's not sheer, so don't expect your freckles to be shining through, but it still looks like you have no makeup on at all. Prescriptives is known for their wide range of color options. Still can't find your color? They've got a fancy-shmancy Colorprint system if you still can't find your shade so there's no excuse to walk around with a mismatched face/neck combo.

Prescriptives Virtual Skin
This is my all-time favorite of them all. With sheer-to-medium coverage, your skin still looks natural while giving it a healthy glow. Absolutely perfect for summer. Since it's so lightweight, depending on the oiliness of your skin, you may need to re-apply later in the day.

Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder
Before you start questioning my judgment on "foundation", hear me out. The purpose of foundation is to make your face look flawless while looking as natural as possible, right? Then this powder hits the mark. You don't even need liquid foundation when using this fantastic powder. It applies easily (use a kabuki brush for the best application), provides great coverage, and imparts a healthy glow to your skin. In a nutshell: just trust me. Really.

Honorable Mention: Stila Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer
Not quite foundation, not quite moisturizer, this lightweight liquid can be applied when you just want your skin to look refreshed without putting on foundation. My favorite trick is to apply it after foundation; your skin still gets the coverage it needs with a hint of shimmer to make people wonder how you look so luminous at 8am on a Monday morning.

What You Need To Know About Laser Hair Removal

Isn't having to shave so annoying? With me, I would shave and as soon as I got a cold chill or even like 3 hours later, I would be prickly again. My fiance used to tease me to clean the bathroom with my brillo pad legs. He's sweet, I know. So I decided to get laser hair removal and I recently got my first treatment done.  Let me just say...it hurt like a mother! I have a pretty high tolerance for pain, but this was like none other I had experienced. It was like needle pricks over and over again at my legs -- some spots was definitely more painful than other spots. Not everyone experiences this crazy pain, but my hair is very coarse. And the coarser the hair, the more you feel it when they zap it out.

The machine she used was not like the machine I was used with the gel and the bulky laser gun. This laser gun had high pressure cold air coming out, with the laser beam streaming at quite a noticeable distance. After the technician zapped me, the smell of burnt hair immediately filled the air. I tried not to look and pretend and the smell was of my cooking, and sometimes, it worked. Next time, I'm totally going to bring an ipod, take two tylenols prior and numb my parts with some lydocaine.

Laser hair removal takes about 3-6 treatments (it varies on your hair type)to be fully effective. Your hair grows in cycles. There are hairs that are active and hairs that are dormant under the skin. So when that hair "wakes up", I go in for the next treatment. I decided to do a full bikini, lower leg and underarms. The underarms and upper bikini area weren't that bad, but the legs hurt like madness since my hair is thick. When she got closer to the middle of my 'hoo ha' I said, "Ok, we need to stop, I'm going to need a drink if this is going to go down." So I will slowly ease myself to doing the full full bikini. And maybe this is TMI, but a full bikini also means the backside as well. Meaning, your anal area (don't think that's a medical term at all). I haven't been brave enough to expose this area to the laser gun, but I hear it's more painful than child birth. So I said to myself, "You know...I'm not an adult film star or anything even close, is this really necessary??" and then I twitched myself out of the laser center and got myself some ice cream.

I will keep you posted after I'm done with my full treatment. I can't believe I'm paying these people to electrocute me, but I hear it is the most freeing thing and so worth it. If I never had to worry about my hairs again, I am willing to be zapped. If it isn't necessary for you to consider this, try other removal techniques that are less painful. I leave you with a more medical explanation of the process that doesn't involve the words "hoo ha".

A specialized laser beams rapidly pulses for only a fraction of a second, harmlessly passing through the targeted area’s skin. When the laser encounters the pigment (melanin) located inside the hair follicle, the pigment absorbs the laser’s energy. The absorption of the laser’s energy disables the hair follicle and impairs future hair growth.

About 3 to 10 days after treatment, hairs will begin to surface on the treated area. This is not new hair growth. The hair follicles are purging the hairs the laser destroyed. Over a six-month treatment period, laser hair removal eliminates 60 to 95 percent of the targeted hair. This is the longest-lasting hair removal treatment available today.

Generally, multiple treatments are necessary because our hair grows in three stages: anagen, catagen and telegen. During the anagen stage, hair has the highest level of pigment or melanin. Laser hair removal works most effectively with hair follicles that are in the anagen stage, because the hair pigment is strongest and best absorbed by the laser.

Individual treatments are given every 4 to 6 weeks or when new hair growth is evident. Because each hair follicle grows at different stages, most people require 3 to 6 treatments to remove hair during its anagen stage. However, the number of treatments depends upon a person’s hair coloring, skin tone and the coarseness of the hair. (www.alluredmc.com)