14 December 2009

CELLNIQUE SKINCARE REVIEW + GIVEAWAY

*WARNING* If you don't want to see my yucky, disgusting, hairy face I suggest you leave! :) .. also pretty long due to my acne history, but you can skip reading that if you want! ALSO, I think these products are all-natural but don't take my word on it! LOL..

Giveaway opportunity on the bottom!

Disclaimer: These products were sent to me by a PR (Selina) from Cellnique for free to try out (actually I had to pay a $20 customs fee @#$% to DHL!!!). I am not getting paid or have a biased opinion. This is my personal review and experience with these products. Please use products at your own risk!

I was ecstatic when I got an email asking if I wanted to test drive these babies!

My skin is in terrible condition because I suffered from acne since the 3rd grade!!! Let's talk about the story behind that.. so my mother & father worked 2nd shift (4pm-4am) and she would have enough time time to take me to school and pick me up. I never ate dinner with them for years until maybe during middle school. I was not supervised in anything and I could do WHATEVER I wanted! I ate what I wanted and that consisted of chips, greasy foods, pizza, and just pretty much empty-calorie foods! I guess I didn't realize that was what led to my severe acne until high school because it just never dawned on me.

But I started to break out with acne all over my forehead starting in the third grade. It was super embarrassing and a self-esteem killer to be so young and have raging acne. My forehead acne finally started to clear up when I got to middle school and even then it was still somewhat severe, just not as much. I never got rid of it until the end of my 8th grade year. Then I had kinda clear skin for about half a year then someone with cheek acne slept on my pillow! And stupid me, I didn't think nothing of it and then I started to get crazy acne all over my cheek. These were cystic acne and it hurt so much... There would be like mountains all over my cheeks and it was not cute. I finally went to the dermatologist in 10th grade and got treatment.

It was like $130 my first visit and then $70 every visit after and I had to pay for the medication they gave me! After it cleared up I just stopped going because I know we can't really afford that and insurance didn't cover it. It stayed clear but when I ran out of my ointment and medicine some started to come back. Now this isn't as bad as before at all, I would only have like 2-4 pimples at a time but there was never a clear day. I was fortunate enough not to be left with pock marks on my face but only a lot of acne scarring because my skin doesn't not heal well even if I don't mess with the pimple it still scars! (UGH!) But see, scars can be mostly covered up with makeup so I don't mind it much and they usually fade within a year or two.

So that's just a short history about my past. I still eat those crap foods a lot, but I'm not eating them to survive anymore, LOL.. I gotta get my nutrition first :P


I was sent these products to try out:
  • Skin Action Sebum Gel
  • Vital Cellular Repair Emulsion
  • Advanced Bio-Renewal Masque
  • Gentle Foaming Cleanser
  • Vital Repair Cleansing Milk
  • Amino Collagen-C Intense Set
  • Total Day Time Protection 30

All products are sealed so you know that they weren't tampered with! :) But this is a con also because it doesn't peel off all the way and the OCD in me is going crazy...

A tiny sample of the emulsion.. I love this stuff! It's amazing.

I like the sample packaging! It's great :)

Here is my testimonial.. Beware, and please do not click to enlarge this LOL.. All pictures of my face are nekkid and bare!

Before & After (my left side of my face, aka the most damaged!)

See the pimple? It flattened out overnight! OMG, I was super impressed because I have stubborn pimples on my cheek area that just stay there for a MONTH.. and it's so distracting when I talk to customers. AND I can see if from my periphery! You can definitely see there's texture on my face but after it's just smooth with some scarring because my skin doesn't heal well. I've never had skin this smooth since a long time.. :)

Before & After of the right side

This side of my face doesn't really break out anymore I guess because I don't really sleep on it? LOL.. but there is definitely a texture to it. Like when you look at my face in the sun at high noon, you can see some shadows from the little bumps that wouldn't go away. I think it looks gross and makes me feel like I have pock marks! T_T But it smoothed most of it out! I just have a little near my mouth left but I'll survive...

Before & After of my NOSE, not much difference, just the texture is a lot smoother.

I don't use pore strips at all because it just doesn't dig deep enough. I just have to wait until the time is ready for the little junk to come out of my nose. These pictures look like they're identical I know, but I just thought I would post it! What I've noticed that may have not been captured by the photos are that my pores have become smaller & tighter! Before they were kinda large and yucky.. my makeup would sometimes sink into them by the end of the day :(

Okay so the separate reviews of the items I received.. (Pictures taken from Cellnique.com)

Advanced Bio Renewal Masque
Price: $55
Size: 50g jar
BUY IT HERE
Main Functions: dull, uneven skintone, congestion, pigmentation, wrinkles, discoloration, open pores, enlarged pores, scars/marks
About the product: This unparalleled clay masque is formulated with bio-captured fresh fruit enzymes and acid complexes. Advanced Bio Renewal Masque effectively exfoliates dead skin cells, optimizing cellular renewal performance and deep pore cleansing, thus revealing a softer, fresher, and healthier skin.

My Experience: This left my skin feeling unbelievably soft but I was really turned off by how messy it is! It's a clay mask so I mean I should've expected that but I'm not sure if the mess is worth it for me. I may have to suck it up and use it more often if I really want to get rid of my acne scarring. My skin after using it did feel softer, fresher, and healthier as it claimed so it did its job. This smells like dried bananas to me (but I may be retarded) not pineapply like it says! But its okay, I love bananas so no problem in the scent department. This is something I would recommend unless you're just clumsy like me because I ended up with some of this gunk in my hair!


Vital Repair Cleansing Milk
Price:
$39
Size: 200ml
BUY IT HERE
Main Functions:
Remove facial makeup and pollutants
About the product: A hydrophilic cleansing milk that removes make-up and pollutants, leaving skin feeling silky soft and moist after cleansing. It contains natural antioxidants and micellar vitamins to counter the assault of free radicals.

My Experience:
Okay so it doesn't do it's function. I wear foundation on a daily basis to even out my skintone and whatever the heck is in it helps keep my skin clear! (I went without foundation for a week and I started to break out so that's where my verdict comes from and it went away when I wore it again.) I thought it took off all of my makeup but I was wrong when I went to dry my face on my white towel *cries, poor towel*.. It didn't take off the makeup that was sunk deep in my pores but heck, it made my skin feel sooooo soft and smooth! (This was the first product I slapped on my face from Cellnique) I couldn't stop touching my face after I washed it because it was so soft which I haven't experienced in a while! ^_^ I'd say skip it if you're wanting something that will take off your makeup, but if you don't wear much face makeup then it will probably work better for you than it did for me and you'll have super soft skin!


Gentle Foaming Cleanser
Price:
$38
Size: 200ml
BUY IT HERE
Main Functions:
removing dead skin cells and excess oil
About the product: A gentle cleanser, containing alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) and tomato extract, designed for all skin types to remove dead skin cells, impurities and excess oil. Contains no sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS).

My Experience:
I tried this on the second day in place of the cleansing milk to see if it would take off all my face makeup. Another failure, but then again this doesn't claim that. This doesn't contain anything beady in it so I'm not sure how it's suppose to remove skin cells but I guess the acid is suppose to eat it up. I'm also sure that if I washed my face my excess oil would dissipate because I just washed my face?! LOL, I'm neutral on this product because I'm not really sure if it does anything for my skin. I would just skip on this one.


Amino Collagen-C Intense Set
Price:
$85 introductory price, I guess $105 originally
Size: 10ml each bottle
BUY IT HERE
Main Functions:
open pores, enlarged pores, visible pores, scars/marks, wrinkles, sagging, pre-mature, mature, anti-aging
About the product: The Amino-Collagen C Intense Set consists of two bottles of oil-free serum. This highly rejuvenating combination refines pores, increases skin elasticity, and repairs damaged cells, while firming up skin for a radiant complexion. INTENSE I: This high-potency vitamin C serum helps improve skin resilience and refine open pores. INTENSE II: This oil-free serum contains a proven low-density hyaluronic acid, a natural moisturizer that is able to attract 1000 times its own weight in water. Rich in soy and silk protein, INTENSE II repairs damaged cells and instantly delivers a silky smooth texture after application.

My Experience: This product has kinda an unpleasant smell but I'd expect that from a serum. It took me a few days of using it separately to figure it out LOL.. I think this is what made my skin smooth overnight but at the price it's going for, it better! At first the "intense I" gave me a slight burning sensation on my face but after I applied "intense II" it went away. I think this product may be for the more mature skin but it saddens me because they recommended it for me :( lol! My skin is old I guess, but it's really a great product aside from the smell. I also noticed that one night I didn't wash my hands after applying and this product turned my hands yellow! (the serum is clear) I guess this has to do with the natural properties of this product but I wonder if it made my face more yellow? :T I didn't notice anything though but I guess my face is too yellow to begin with LOL..


Vital Cellular Repair Emulsion Price: $88
Size: 30g
BUY IT HERE
Main Functions: dehydration, post peel, post acne, sensitive, scars/marks
About the product: Vital Cellular Repair Emulsion is an innovative formulation, consisting of reparatory ingredients, specifically designed to repair damaged cells and promote the healing process.

My Experience: I love this stuff, but unfortunately I only received a sample! :( I've still got a little chunk left and I try to use it on my bad skin days because it's so amazing. It's kinda thick but the thing I love about it is that it absorbs amazing quick and doesn't have any greasy feel to it! I wish this was a little more cheaper.. like the $50 range otherwise there would be nothing keeping me from purchasing the full-size in a heart beat! It doesn't have a scent to it which is great for me because I don't wanna smell my face throughout the day. I would highly recommend this product to anyone that can afford it!


Total Daytime Protection 30 Price: $55
Size: 50g
BUY IT HERE
Main Functions: 2-in-1 UV defender and daytime moisturizer
About the product: Total Daytime Protection 30 is a highly acclaimed daytime formulation with a dual function: it is an ultra-light, skin-friendly water-based daytime moisturizer as well as providing maximum protection against harmful UVA and UVB rays of the sun (SPF30). This non-greasy, non-comedogenic formulation contains French grape seeds and Japanese green tea extract, both powerful free radical scavengers, leaving skin silky smooth to the touch.

My Experience: I don't really use sunblock and I think I will regret it later but oh well.. This is very lightweight and I think it's wearable for daytime. It had a sunblock kinda smell to it at first but then faded into this strange scent that I'm still unsure if I like or not. My main concern to put sunblock on my face (such as the neutrogena one with helioplex) is that it may clog my pores and cause me to break out. This one claims that it's non-comedogenic so it makes me feel a little easier. I didn't try it out long enough to really see if it will break me out or not but you can't go wrong with SPF 30. I don't really know what to look for in a sunblock so I don't know if I should recommend this one because I haven't had much experience with any.


Skin Action Sebum Gel
Price: $55
Size: 30ml
BUY IT HERE
Main Functions: blackheads, whiteheads, congestion, open&closed comedone, excessive sebum, control oil
About the product: A gentle formula designed for comedogenic, oily and combination skin types to reduce both blackheads and whiteheads. This daily maintenance gel also reduces oil secretion, leaving the skin clean and clear.

My Experience: I use this on a daily basis and it's made it into my routine in the morning! I really love this stuff and I guess it really does its job. The first week of using it my blackheads on my cheeks literally started to fall off.. well I guess I kinda helped pull it out but still, it got rid of most of my cheek blackheads which is great so that I don't get more cystic acne! ^_^ It has a tingling (menthol) sensation at first when I apply it but after 5 minutes or less it'll go away. I'm not sure if it really controls my oil secretion but it doesn't make it worse. This is another product I would highly recommend! :D

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So this is my review on Cellnique skincare products, overall the products are great and amazing but are a little pricey but then again, I will pay more to take care of my skin now through my experiences :)
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If anyone is interested, Cellnique is providing samples of the Skin Action Sebum Gel (3ml) to the first 50 readers that contact them! ^_^ It's simple, just email them at fbfreesample@cellnique.com with the subject "onlyxlindah.blogspot.com". They would like you to please provide your full name and mailing address and seriously don't forget that part because it's really important!

If you're interested in trying out their line and don't know which products to choose from, they offer a skin dermalysis to determine which products will treat your skin concerns :D They also do free shipping to the entire world so that is definitely a plus, but be aware that you may have to pay a customs fee like I did (or maybe because I didn't get to send DHL my information until the last minute o_O!)

<333

13 comments:

  1. nice review !
    awww ur pimple stay for a month??
    mine stay for week then come back after another one week.haha.

    ReplyDelete
  2. nice reviews! There's so many pros and cons for each products. I probably won't try it out. It's so expensive -___- Have you tried the clinique cleanser line yet? or Prestige from Macy's? I heard it's really good for acne. I don't even see any differences at your nose! lol. hmmm. It does seem to clear up and make your skin a little smoother on the sides... or is that the foundation? =O

    Well said and organized.

    ReplyDelete
  3. hey girl! props to you for showing your pimples! lol, I can't do that yet. i have pimples in the same place as you do, and they also stay for a month! gah! But I see a difference in the photos. I can tell your nose pores are smaller in the second photo! I'm working on trying iqqu acne serum out. hope it helps.

    oh, and nice detailed review!

    ReplyDelete
  4. wow I'm glad that it's working for you =) I break out once a month during that 'happy female time' -_-''

    i'm a new follower and i love reading your blog =)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Amazing review girl, I can really see the difference. I hope I can still join the 50 reader freebies yay :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. I think I got Pillow Acne too =( They just seem to keep appearing on my cheek, they don’t hurt though... Ugh Why can't they just go away forever huh?! lol

    <3

    ReplyDelete
  7. wow great stuff!!! it kinda sucks that you had to pay tax but i guess it's ok cuz u got a butt load of products to try!!

    your skin really cleared up well and your nose looks so clean, too bad some of their stuff is kinda pricey but seems like they are worth the try

    ReplyDelete
  8. wow i should really get that, my face is so uneven i want clear skin! LOL

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hey Linda! Great reviews and high five for scoring some testers to try out LOL. Wow, the cellular repair emulsion looks good. I haven't tried anything that visibly helps pimples that much overnight and I have so much redness and pimples here and there on my skin...I wish the price tag was a bit friendlier though :(

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi sweets! yay for cellnique! I love their product it really work :D your skin will get clearer and the serum is amazing it really did clear my skin and made them smooth! you will see great results if you continue using them :D

    Thank you for the sweet comment as always! putting single lashes will look more natural I love them since I feel like im not wearing anything LOL XD those one I got from sasa is really great quality too for cheap :D
    I hope you have nice holiday and take care sweets! <3

    ReplyDelete
  11. Great review. These products seem really nice, and your skin really look like its clearing up! I hope effects last long :) xx

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  12. im liking my skin sebum gel plus too!they gave me the ski actio gel plus but it seems that i may ot be able to use it most of the time cause its for acne prone skin,i paid tax from dhl as well haha,i was like are you sure??hehe.nice rev iew

    ReplyDelete


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