Clearer Skin with MD Complete

This post is sponsored by MD Complete, with the opportunity through BrandBacker, but as always my views and opinions are my own.

I've touched on my issues with acne a bit before, and while I know my skin isn't terrible, it does bother me that now being into my thirties I still breakout regularly. As I'm always open to new products that might help to banish breakouts, when I saw the opportunity to give the MD Complete system a try I jumped at it. I've now been using the four part system for one month.



Changes I've noticed
I think the biggest difference has been with my whiteheads. Normally they show up and stick around for days and days, then leave annoying scars in their wake. After two weeks of using MD Complete I noticed that the size of the whiteheads which appeared were much smaller, and were gone in a couple days, leaving a much less noticeable trace of their existence.

How it's different from what I've been using

Exfoliating: The Clarifying Cleanser contains 2% Salicylic Acid as the active ingredient. While I've used face washes with Salicylic Acid in the past, I haven't for at least the last two years. Instead I've been using a lighter everyday wash and a more powerful chemical exfoliate once or twice a week. I like this facewash as it has a silky smooth feel and a little goes a long way.

Treating: Benzoyl Peroxide has been a mainstay in my acne regime since day one, so seeing it as part of MD Complete's treatment was no surprise. While I've used various concentrations over the years, lately I've been opting for the lowest I can find. MD Complete's Breakout Treatment contains 4.5%, roughly double what I've been using. I found it too drying so I've only been applying every other day in just the evenings.

Repairing: The Citrus-C Healthy Complexion is the first product I've ever used with Retinol. Like the breakout treatment I started with every other day usage, slowly increased to everyday. This is vastly different than the essential oil blend that I've been using. I've got a few dark marks I've been keeping my eye on and I'm hoping for some noticeable fading.

Probiotics: The Healthy Skin Probiotic is the first probiotic I've taken. There were five included and the first one I accidentally dumped out because the instructions on how to properly open them were online and not included in my box (oops). The supplement is meant to reduce stress, which is a big cause of acne. While my constant anxiety likely plays a roll in my breakouts, I didn't notice much of a difference after taking the probiotics. Likely they would need to be taken regularly for a more extended period of time for results.

The Results
Overall I'm happy with the results, mainly getting fewer whiteheads is the biggest improvement. While I'm hoping more of my scars will fade with continued use of the Citrus-C, there has not been a huge difference yet.

Before Starting Treatment with MD Complete

After Four Weeks of Treatment with MD Complete

Evian Mineral Water Spray Review

When it comes to makeup, I love natural, clean looks. I also hate spending a ton of time and having a myriad of products, so when I was given the opportunity to try out Evian's facial spray, I jumped at it.

The natural mineral water spray is nothing but natural mineral water from the French Alps, sealed at the source to prevent contamination, and nitrogen. The canister creates a fine mist which can be used to hydrate skin, intensify makeup, set makeup, and revive it throughout the day.

One use of the spray is to intensify makeup, which is done by spraying the brush and then charging it with eyeshadow to create a more pigmented, less chalky look. I loved the initial look, but I must note that the spray did not prevent the eye shadows from shifting into the crease of my eyelids after a few hours.

The aspect of the spray that I was most invested in was the ability to set makeup. I really hate when my makeup transfers to my white collars and necklines of my sweaters, button downs, and blazers. It looks terrible and is a pain to remove, so for the true test, I put on my new white striped sweater. By the end of the day my collar was makeup free!

Because I have oily skin, I did not feel the spray worked especially well for reviving my makeup unless I first used a blotting paper or two, but I was not expecting the spray to eliminate the oil from my face. It is however, quite refreshing and I enjoyed using it throughout the day.

If Evian mineral water spray is something you'd like to try, this full size, 5 oz size retails for about $7. You can also enter a giveaway to win a spray - The Wilkes Group is giving away 20 full size sprays!

To see more of what Evian Facial Spray can do for your makeup routine, visit them on Facebook!

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This is a sponsored post. Evian Facial Spray was provided to me by the exclusive USA distributor, The Wilkes Group for the purpose of this post. All views and opinions are my own.

Kiss InstaWave

I was recently given the opportunity through BrandBacker to try out the Kiss InstaWave curling iron. What makes the InstaWave special is that the ceramic ionic barrel revolves in both directions, grabbing your hair and curling it all on it's own.

For us heat styling tool challenge people, this iron is easy to use, doesn't hurt your wrists, or leave a little chunk of hair bent the wrong way at the end.

The learning curve wasn't too large, after a few tries I had it down, and the process is pretty quick. I just sectioned off my hair like normal and worked from back to front, to make sure I didn't miss any pieces.

At no point did the InstaWave get tangled in my hair (obviously my biggest concern) and it does automatically turn off after 90 minutes. (Anyone who's ever had those 'Did I forget to turn off the ____?' moments will appreciate that.)

My one issue with the InstaWave is that it emits a high-pitched noise when it's plugged it, that gets louder when you turn it on. I find this to be very bothersome, and contacted Kiss about it. They assured me it's not a safety issue, however, considering how close this tool is held to my ears, I do consider it a significant problem. Maybe I just have overly sensitive ears, but they are hurting from the noise.

Overall, I love the curls I was able to achieve and the ease of the product. You can purchase it for $59.99 at Target, Ulta and Amazon.

You can also watch a little video of it in action.

This opportunity was provided to me by BrandBacker.