Neutrogena SkinClearing Liquid Makeup, $12

I've never been much of a foundation kind of girl, but lately I noticed that it really can create a nice, clean palette--as a start--and can also help my blush go on more evenly and stay longer. And it's all about that sweet glow, amirite? Of course, being new to the game, I wanted one that wasn't too expensive and also wouldn't clog my pores. What's the point of foundation if it makes your skin worse? I decided to try Neutrogena's SkinClearing Liquid Makeup, which contains salicylic acid to help treat breakouts. At $12, I knew I wouldn't be too upset if it didn't work out; plus, if I did love it, it would be affordable enough to buy regularly.


I chose Natural Ivory for my pale-ish skin. The first thing I noticed was how easy it was to blend. It's smooth and creamy--not sticky or pasty--and matches my tone perfectly. Once it's on, it doesn't feel like I'm wearing heavy makeup, which is super important for me. I need my skin to breathe!

So, does it really clear your skin? Well, I'm not sure if it will actively get rid of a pimple, but it definitely will not make things worse. It does a nice job of covering blemishes while still looking natural (as long as you don't pile on too much) and keeps my oily skin in check (which is a task in itself!). That being said, if you have skin that's on the drier side, this may not be the best product for you. I've found that any dryness is highlighted with this makeup--a light moisturizer underneath certainly helps it go on more evenly. So, it's really made for normal to oily skin.

Final verdict
Cost: $12, and readily available in many stores. Not bad!
Coverage: Medium. Still looks natural, but just more even-toned. I wouldn't suggest putting on too much, though--it can start to look fake.
Texture/feel: It's creamy and easy to blend. Once on, it feels light and smooth. I like to use a light moisturizer underneath just to get a nice, even base.
Skin-clearing?: Well, it controls my oily skin and lets it breathe, but I'm not counting on it to get rid of my blemishes. It certainly is better than heavy, cakey makeup that suffocates your skin. I think it's best for people with normal to oily skin.
Repeat offender: So far, this has been my favorite foundation. It's affordable, super easy to put on when I'm half-asleep in the morning, and helps me feel more confident about my on-the-problematic-side skin. I'm on my second bottle now, so I'd say yes!

Bare Escentuals RareMinerals Blemish Therapy, $28

I originally bought the Blemish Therapy powder as a cheaper alternative to the $60 Skin Revival Treatment. The Skin Revival definitely worked for me somewhat, but not enough to spend $60. Plus, this is powder you can see, instead of guessing how much is left in the container!

It is basically a mix of mineral powders that is supposed to treat blemishes, shrink pores, reduce blackheads, and even-out skin tone. It comes with the little brush seen here. The main ingredient is sulfur (used to treat acne), which is backed up with other natural ingredients like their "soil mineral concentrate" (to exfoliate and reduce pores), white willow bark (pores), tea tree oil (cleanse), clay, farnesol, algae, and aloe vera. It's absolutely chocked-full of pure and natural ingredients, which is great because I feel better putting less chemicals on my skin.

That being said, it doesn't, um, smell that good. Like, at all. It smells pretty bad, actually, kind of like moldy, muddy tea tree oil. But since it's a powder the smell doesn't last too long (if it were a lotion it'd be awful), and I've actually gotten used to it in a pretty short time.

I've used the powder for about a month now. When I apply it after I wash my face at night, it doesn't feel like anything--it's very gentle. I think the powder form helps with its gentleness. It's easy to put on with the brush they provide (even over larger areas), and you don't need to use too much. The color slightly hides the blemish and definitely conceals redness, but my skin happens to match the powder so I'm not sure if it would blend in the same for every skin tone (though they claim it will).

I have seen a big improvement in the areas of redness and inflammation--it calms my skin down significantly. After I pluck my eyebrows, for example, I've swept the powder across them to reduce inflammation and prevent the little zits that pop up afterward. When I do get zits, they're much smaller and heal faster (especially if I don't touch them, such a bad habit!). These two things, to me, make this product totally worth it. My pores can get huge and irritated, my skin can be an oily mess, and this totally takes care of it. I do feel like I'm getting less blemishes as well. It didn't do too much for my blackheads--I don't see an improvement in that area at all. But, the other benefits outweigh this slight downfall.

Final verdict
Cost: $28 is a little pricey, but not as bad as their $60 treatment. The powder seems to last a long time. It's worth it, in my experience.
Natural, gentle: I love this because it's all natural. It does smell all natural, though! It's very gentle--great for sensitive skin like mine.
Effectiveness: I've seen a great improvement in skin tone, pore size, blemishes, and overall oil control. I didn't see much change in my blackheads.
Repeat offender: I will definitely buy this again. I'm happy with the results, even if my blackheads are still here! I would recommend this to anyone with problematic skin, especially if other chemical-rich products irritate you.

-T

Clinique Acne Solutions Liquid Makeup, $24.50

Clinique Acne Solutions Liquid Makeup is a lot like the Maybelline Pure Concealer Blemish Treatment Stick I reviewed earlier this year--it's infused with salicylic acid to help get rid of acne. They stopped making the stick (I don't know why, I liked it!) but I'm hoping this might fill the void.

As Mirna mentioned in her entry yesterday, it's worth it to pay a little extra for quality makeup you're going to use all over your face. I trust Clinique's reputation as a high-end makeup brand. They're great for people with sensitive skin (like me) because they don't use fragrance and they guarantee that everything is allergy tested.

The foundation has a lot of coverage. It will definitely even-out your skin tone and doesn't add any shine (so it's great for oily skin). It goes on easily and feels smooth as it dries. It doesn't feel too heavy, but it still is a little heavy for a non-foundation wearer like myself. I couldn't wear it everyday, but I'd probably use it for a special occasion (especially if I want my skin to look nice in a photograph).

It's good to know that while you're wearing it it's not clogging your pores and making your zits worse--it's actually drying them up and medicating your skin while providing coverage. That being said, you might want to wear a light moisturizer underneath, especially if your skin is on the dry side, because the salicylic acid works to dry-up excess oil.

Final verdict
Cost: $24.50--about a mid-range price.
Coverage: The color blends really easily and covers very nicely.
Texture: It feels smooth and lighter than other foundations I've tried, but still not as light as a tinted moisturizer. (Too heavy for my daily routine, but I would use it for a special occasion.)
Added benefits: If your skin is sensitive and acne-prone, this might be the one for you. Clinique is known for its allergy-tested, fragrance-free products.
Repeat offender?: Just by trying this once, I can tell it's a high-quality product, made especially for people with finicky skin like mine. I personally wouldn't buy this because I'm not into foundation in general. But, if you have acne and you want to cover everything up completely, I recommend trying this. Maybe I'd thin it out with a moisturizer and create my own tinted moisturizer, or I might try their medicated concealer.

-T

Sea Breeze Sensitive Skin Astringent, $6-$7

Sea Breeze is one of those brands that's been around forever. Their bottles are a familiar sight in the drugstore skincare aisle. I used to use the sensitive skin astringent when I was a teenager. What drew me to it was the old notion that alcohol smell + tingly feeling = clean skin! I'm not gonna lie, I kinda like that tingly, tight feeling left on your face by a clean-rinsing face wash or an astringent. So, even though my skin is much better than it used to be, I still have a ton of blackheads. I decided to try an old favorite to see how it held up.

Well, I'm going to be a Negative Nancy and give two bad reviews in a week. I didn't have luck with this. I used it right after the shower, running a soaked cotton ball over my face until it turned up clean. It kinda grosses me out that after my shower I still have dirt and oil on my face . . . anyway. It did give my skin a tight feeling, but it also felt like a film was left behind. And the alcohol scent is really strong, even though they try to mask it with a fragrance. After a few days my face didn't look any better, and actually felt worse--greasier and more inflamed.

Final verdict
Cost: $6-$7. (So at least I didn't waste too much money on it!)
Experience: Will leaving your skin feeling tight, and will permeate the room with an alcohol-y smell.
Skin clearing?: Not for me. It felt like it left a film on my face, which made my face greasier and angrier.
Repeat offender?: No, I won't buy this again. It didn't clear up my skin at all, and actually made it worse. I guess that's why I stopped using it. Maybe next week I'll have some better products, guys!

Clean & Clear Persa-Gel 10, $5.99

I totally felt 13 years old again when I reached for the Clean & Clear Persa-Gel 10 at the drugstore a few weeks ago. I had an unfortunate flashback to that portion of life we can refer to as "The Busted Years" but this time it was way less traumatic. I had one of those awful down deep in your skin zits that was the star of so many teenage dramas. I figured I could use this to dry it up, it says "Maximum Strength" so why not?

The magic acne zapper contains 10% benzoyl peroxide which is the drying agent. I'm not telling you this is going to miraculously clear your skin up and you won't see a scratch. Not at all. It dries the zit but you still have the dry zit that needs to fade away. Just make sure to moisturize. Also, don't rub this all over your face, use the smallest bit on the spot you need it. This will dry out your skin, the level varies from person to person.

Final verdict:
Cost: Around $5.99, not bad.
Does it work?: Yes it does! It zaps zits dry within a few applications. What I did was use it 3 times a day as suggested on the problem area and it definitely minimized it drastically.
Is this for everyone?: Probably not. You are going to have to take a gamble with this to see if it works for you. I feel like it may have worked so well for me because I haven't used benzoyl peroxide on my skin for years. You also need to take into account whether you have sensitive skin that is prone to excessive drying. I consider myself a person with sensitive skin but the spot drying wasn't a big deal for me.
Repeat offender?: Let's hope that I don't have anymore of these zits, but if I do I'll definitely hit up the Clean & Clear Persa-Gel 10.

-M