A Review: Micheal Todd Cleanser, Exfoliator and Toner (Part 1)

A few months ago it seemed the entire population was hit by a Micheal Todd storm; it was the headlines of hundreds of blogs, and it'd be hard to find a beauty vlogger that hadn't mentioned it. When I was introduced to the line, I was skeptical yet intrigued. With such high reviews, I was curious to see how they would work for me, and unfortunately, they didn't. 

While I was scowering the Micheal Todd website, I was looking for products that would suit my dry, sensitive skin. When looking for skincare, I draw towards moisturizing cleansers, slightly grittier scrubs, and a toner that really will clean the skin leaving it refreshed. 

1. Honey and Oat Gentle Deep Pore Cleanser ($22)

This is the cleanser formulated for dryer and sensitive skin. However, I disagree. It's a gel cleanser that works into a beautiful lather with a soft but great scent.  After 3 months of using this cleanser, I found my face very tight and dry and unhappy. It did not do what I was hoping it would do for my skin: it stripped the oil from my face, was not gentle, and has caused breakouts. It just wasn't quite what my skin needed.  However, for oily skin, this would be okay. It would remove access oil, but that's about it. Overall, this product didn't do what I expected it to, and I wouldn't recommend this for dry skin types.


2. Tropical Fruit Enzyme Exfoliant Scrub ($18)

Out of all the products I purchased from Micheal Todd- this one is my favourite. It's an excellent exfoliator. It is quite gritty, yet works into a gentle lather which prevents it from being too rough and tearing up the skin. It smells like a delicious fruity smoothie and really works to slough off dead skin. It leaves the face feeling fresh, smooth, and glowing without drying it. If you are itching to try a Micheal Todd product, this would be the one! I highly reccomend it for all skin types for a soft and smooth complextion. When I run out, you best bet that I'll be re-purchasing, I'll even go as far to say that this is one of my favourite scrubs that I've tried.





3. Cranberry Antiox Hydrating Anti-Aging Toner (18)

I love a good toner, they're really the finishing touch in making sure your skin is makeup-free and clean.  Personally, I prefer a toner that is refreshing with that tingleing feeling left on your skin. This toner is definitely not drying, but not necessarily moisturizing- or anything else. I didn't notice any difference in my skin when using this product, and after two months of use, I stopped using it and felt an improvement in my skin's texture. My pores became smaller, and I definitly noticed less breakouts. This as well, was just not the right product for me.  

Packaging:

I love the packaging of all these products, they're sleek and look nice sitting upon your counter. The pump on the cleanser is perfect, the scrub is very accessible as is the toner. However, I did have two of the lids break on my products with only slight pressure applied.

Sadly, these products didn't work out for me. They did not help my dry and sensitive skin, and were quite drying and created discomfort in my skin. I was upset to see that these didn't live up the the hype, but I'm looking forward to trying new skincare that's better suited for me!


*Disclaimer: This is my experience with these products, all skin types are different and will react differently to these products and this was the outcomes for me! Be sure to do lots of research before purchasing to see that these will fit your need.*

- Madi

A Review: Benefit Highbeam & Swatches

Now that we've moved into the dead of winter our skin can being to look, quite- dead. Months since we've seen the sun, dry, pasty skin haunts us all. Most go for dewy, glowing skin to compliment their tan summer colours; however I'm in love with embracing that pasty white winter skin by giving it some life again. Our 'angel' of a product today- Benefit High Beam. 

This product is a light pink liquid illuminzer that can be used to make your cheek bones pop, down the bridge of your nose, at the top of your cupids bow, under the eyes- the list goes on. The light pinky colour makes for a natural 'glow' to your skin. It retails for $32.00 (yikes) with 0.45 oz in the bottle. Just like most Benefit products, this one is nothing shy of fabulous. 

Although the packaging looks identical to a bottle of nail polish, I assure you it is not. The way this is packaged with the nail polish-esque brush can be messy around the spout of the bottle, but the fine brush makes for easy application.

The light pink colour looks very luminous and 'glowy' on the skin. My favourite way to wear this product is dotted along the cheek bones and gently blended in with the finger. It gives luminosity and definition to your cheek bones; that being said, theres about 101 different ways to utilize this product. Down the bridge of your nose, above your cupids bow, to highlight the brow bone, under the eyes for extra brightness. Mix it in with your foundation or moisturizer for an all over glow, or run it along your collar and shoulder bones for a night out. 

Pro's: It can be worn in all seasons; it looks just as beautiful on pale skin as it does on sun-kissed skin. It highlights the face in a natural way and brings a youthfulness and liveliness to the complexion.

Con's: Every rose has its thorn, and unfortunately so does this product. It is very expensive, the packaging can be a bit messy, and if not blended right after application, it can get tacky and become harder to blend.

This is an overall beautiful product that will make your complexion come back to life. Although it is a luxury product and not indispensable to a makeup collection, it is a fun and stunning addition. Benefits Highbeam will liven any skin tone giving it a fresh, luminous glow; just the thing to restore your skin in the dead of winter. 

- Madi