I've had oily skin my whole life. Every day by 3 p.m. my nose is a shiny mess. I'm not complaining (too much) because I've heard that the natural oil on your face is usually good for your skin. But sometimes it can be annoying, especially if I have to go on camera at work. So, instead of using oil-blotting papers every hour, I decided to try something new: Kiehl's Men's Oil Eliminator Deep Cleansing Exfoliating Face Wash.
Because the wash has a light exfoliator, I use it only about every other day. The trick for me has been to use it at night instead of in the morning. I also use it on its own, so after I wash my face, I don't apply a toner or moisturizer. I just go to sleep and let it work.
I've been using this face wash for about four months now, and while I haven't noticed an extreme decrease in my face's oil production, I have seen that by 3 p.m. each day I'm not having to grab for the oil-blotting sheets as frequently as I used to. My skin is definitely less oily, but not oil-free — which I don't want anyway — so it works and helps my face feel refreshed.
I know that the $22 price tag is somewhat steep, but like I always say, a little bit goes a long way. I've had this for four months and still have about half of the bottle left. When it comes to getting more bang for your buck, this Kiehl's product definitely delivers. —Kevin Smith
I don't wear too much makeup up on a day-to-day basis, ESPECIALLY during the summer since I always end up sweating my face off. Why bother, right? But I have a friend whose makeup always looks flawless, even in 100-degree weather. I asked her about her secret to always looking like she was wearing a Snapchat filter IRL, and she told me about Aqua Seal. It's a little magic potion that turns powder formulas and pencils into waterproof, long-lasting makeup.
I figured I would use it on the one part of my face I'm always babysitting: my eyebrows. I have weird bald spots and unruly hairs that even makeup can't help with after a long day of sweating.
I decided to do one eyebrow with Aqua Seal and the other without, just to see if I noticed a difference. Overall they looked similar, but Aqua Seal intensified the color of the brow powder, and made it look darker. Also, once you apply it, you have to let it dry for a few minutes without touching it or you'll make a mess.
Once it dried, I put it to the test. I got a wet paper towel and wiped my eyebrows off, and... IT WORKED! One eyebrow semi-disappeared, while the other remained intact.
I tried it with a few other things (from left to right: lipstick, liquid eyeliner, highlighter, and eyeshadow) and it definitely worked. In my opinion, Aqua Seal works best on powder formulas, but you can use it on anything you'd like. The trickiest part is not making a mess while you wait for it to dry.
Though this product isn't cheap, I think it's worth the investment. The bottle is tiny but you only need a drop or two for its magic to work, so it will definitely last long. —Daniela Cadena
Three gray hairs, purplish under-eye circles from too many boozy nights, a few tiny fine lines, and acne: If you're in your mid-twenties, you probably relate. I don't need the crazy concealer and color correction that I did in my teens, but a few dabs of this baby here and there make a big difference in my daily life.
I start with a clean face, apply my foundation, then dab the concealer on the back of my hand so I'm not touching the wand directly to the bacteria-laden acne. From there, I use the tip of my finger to swab it wherever it's needed most that morning. I wait a couple of minutes before blending it in, because it slightly changes color after sitting on my skin for a minute. Then I blend and top it off with a translucent powder. It lasts the day — even through sweat — as long as I don't absent-mindedly touch my face too much at work! —Natalie Brown
Why are blackheads so hard to get rid of? I'll never know. But I'll tell you what I do know — these pore cleansing strips help. It's hard to get deep into your nose pores while washing your face which is why I LOVE using these strips in the interim. Even when I think I have barely any gunk in my pores, I'll use one of these strips and it'll show me that I was wrong.
These are so easy to use. You just splash some water on your nose, press the strip onto your nose, then 10–15 minutes later you pull it off. And there is nothing more satisfying than pulling a pore strip off your nose and seeing the bacteria that came out with it. GOD, IT'S SO GREAT. It's almost better than popping a pimple. Almost. If you have 10–15 minutes to spare and some blackheads on your nose, you should try these out. If nothing else, it'll be fun as hell to pull it off your face. —Lara Parker
