theBalm "Vanilla Oil Absorbing" Face Moisturizer Review

Hey Folks! Maybe you recall a few months ago I did a post about a haul from a few brands on HauteLook; one of said brands being theBalm Cosmetics. I have several rave reviews for many products I have tried from theBalm, but I haven't really ventured into their skin care line. Actually to be honest, I didn't even know they had a skin care line! Most YouTubers that I watch that use theBalm mention how wonderful their blushes and their eyeshadow palettes are, but I've never heard anything about their skin care line.

Well, today I was getting ready and I hit that dreaded point in my daily moisturizer where I have to pump to top several times just to get the tinniest bit of product to come out. "Oh No" I think, "I'm getting close to running out!" It is at that moment that I know that the product I am using is Holy Grail product. Sometimes it gets exciting getting to the end of a product, especially if you have your eye on something else or if you really didn't like the product much to begin with. I really hadn't even given my daily moisturizer much thought, until this morning when I was frazzled at the fact that I am almost going to be throwing this bottle into my "empties" collection. 

theBalm White Tea Vanilla Oil-Absorbing Face Moisturizer is honestly AMAZING and highly underrated. Also, quick point off topic, when I tweeted to the company today that I think this product is amazing, they favorited my tweet! I absolutely love when a company is actually interactive with their social media community, I find it makes me want to keep purchasing their products and communicating with them. Anyway, I have in the past used Bobbi Brown Oil Control Lotion and I found it to be nice, but never repurchased. I like the scent of it although it irritated my skin in the slightest way because of the Seaweed Extract; I think it was the scent caused my sensitive skin to turn bright red. With this Oil-Absorbing lotion from theBalm, I find that I do not need to blot or touch up my face with powder all day. My skin is combination to Oily, but can have extreme dry patches, very acne prone, and extremely sensitive. I don't find that this lotion is too drying on my skin when it is drier and I find that it has held up in even the hottest weather conditions I've been in--Reno, Anaheim, Canyon Lake, Sacramento, you name it. The scent on this is absolutely lovely. It is very natural and subtle. I hate when things are labeled "unscented" and it smells like a scent of "unscented" (does that even make sense? is it just me?). This smells like the ingredients in it without added perfumes. I also like that it isn't a "matte" formula, it makes the skin look so much more natural and radiant. It also has not caused me to break out and it is paraben free, cruelty free, phthalate free, and synthetic dye free. 

Another great thing about this product is, and I kid you not, but there are some days where I put this on with my Tarte Maracuja C-brightner eye treatment and feel totally comfortable and beautiful walking out the door without a trace of make up on. It makes the skin look so fresh, clean, and bright. 

The packaging is gorgeous glass and looks very high end if you ask me, and the pump detail is nice too. The best part? This product is only $20! Which is a steal if you ask me as you could easily go to Target and find an Aveeno moisturizer that isn't half as lovely for $15 or more dollars! 

All in all, it is easy to see that I really love this product, even if it wasn't so obvious to me before I nearly ran out, I now see that I am going to need to order this stuff in mass quantities because I never want to be with out it. If theBalm was ever to stop making this, I honestly do not know what I'd do. I find it to be a really unique product that is highly underrated. 

As I always recommend with theBalm products, keep your eye out for them on Hautelook, I think I got this moisturizer for only $10 when it came around! 

My HOLY GRAIL Break Out Product

I have suffered from acne and break outs since early-mid high school. I am now in my 4th year of college at 21 years old and still have problems with acne. It can be so frustrating getting break outs when you are essentially an adult in every other way. I've gone to dermatologists and tried just about every product on the shelfs to prevent and reduce acne. Some have done nothing while others have literally burned the very skin off my face and left me with peeling, red, bleeding skin. Trust me, there have been some nightmares, including taking prescription pills that were supposed to help but instead just caused me the sun burn so painfully that I couldn't even sit in the seats in my car. Ugh, thinking about all these horrible events is making me cringe. Acne is emotionally, socially, and physically painful. Ain't that the truth, though...

The best product, hands down, that I have ever found is the Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Stress Control Toner. You guys, I swear, I rave about this product to absolutely everyone. Anyone that says they are breaking out or have problems with acne, I literally get so excited to tell them all about this product. I use this every single night after I wash my face and on mornings when I'm dealing with a break out. It has significantly reduced the amount of break outs that I get and I have repurchased it over and over again. I'm pretty sure this is my 4th bottle. I've even got my brother and my best friend hooked on it. She even told me that she stopped using it and when she went back to it couldn't believe that she stopped using it in the first place. The active ingredient for this is salicylic acid, which seems to work better for my skin type as opposed to benzoyl peroxide. The bottle will last you a few months also, and it has never dried out my skin to the point where it is peeling. Sure, it will make your skin feel drier, but I haven't had any severe dryness since using this product. If Neutrogena ever discontinued this, I literally think I would die. I've even stopped using the acne medicated gel that I've been using for the past 4 years because this has worked so many wonders for my skin. The best part? It's under 5 dollars! Perfect for teenagers and acne strugglers on a tight budget.