Product Focus: Olay Pro-X Cleansing System

For the most part my skin is pretty good. I don't have a lot of breakouts, I have something between dry/normal and combination skin. My biggest issue with my skin is the size of my pores, especially on my nose. It's been a constant bother to me, though I am fairly sure it's one of those things that I'm the only one who really notices it. As a result I was thinking for a long time about purchasing the Clarisonic Mia, but I just could not deal with the price point. Not just the unit itself which retails for $119 at Sephora, but also the cost of replacement brush heads which are $25 a pop. I have been wanting an airbrush system for my makeup and I can only rationalize one of those as my big makeup/beauty purchase. So I started shopping around and found the Olay Pro-X cleansing System.

I got this through ULTA for $29.99 and the replacement brushes (which I have not yet purchased) are $9.99. So I figured what the hell, I'll give it a try and if it's crap I can always reconsider the Mia down the road. Overall I am pretty happy with the Olay brush. It works well, and I've noticed a difference in the size of my pores as well as the texture and clarity of my skin as a whole. It's waterproof so I can take it in the shower (Mia is as well). It also has two speeds, which is nice although there is not a VERY significant difference between the two, you can still notice it. It also comes with a sample of the Olay Regenerist face wash, which was a nice little bonus. 

There are a few downsides... The Mia is chargeable and the Olay brush is battery powered, so make sure you have rechargeable batteries. The Mia also has a variety of different types of brush heads, whereas there is only one type with Olay and it is slightly abrasive. I have fairly sensitive skin and it does not seem to irritate my skin at all, but for somebody with even more sensitive skin it might be a little on the rough side.  

Bottom Line: Price per performance I would absolutely recommend the Olay brush to anybody who does not have very sensitive skin. Also if you tend to have dry skin, make sure you use something that has some extra moisturizing properties cause I could definitely see how this could dry out your skin further.

Product Focus: YBF Brow Pencil

YBF (Your Best Friend) Brow Pencil in Taupe

My NEW Best Friend! Hahaha. This is definitely one of my favorite products I've received from BirchBox. I have suuuuuper light eyebrows, and finding a product that works with them is difficult. I've always used powders (the lightest duo from Anastasia), but I don't have a brow gel and powder without brow gel = no staying power. Pencils are a typically a little waxier, which is great because they keep the hairs in place and the color doesn't rub off as easily. I would say that the product lasts at least 6 hours, possibly more. At first I thought it was a teeny bit darker than I liked, I think this is just because I'm not used to having really defined eyebrows. The color suits me quite well and after using it for a few months I think I’m in love... It comes with a really coarse spoolie and which makes it super portable and since the color is really light but build-able I can use it on anybody else, even on brunettes! This would be a really decent pencil for free-lance artists since you could use it on almost any client.