Makeup and Beauty Blog: Makeup Reviews, Beauty Tips and Drugstore Beauty Finds

Product: MAC Green Gel Cleanser
Use: Facial cleanser
Price: $19.00 for 5 oz
Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B - Update as of 3/1/07 - I’m changing this rating to a C because I accidentally got some cleanser in my eyes and it hurt like hell! Not ideal for sensitive eyes.

This morning I tried one of the samples I received from the Barbie Loves MAC seminar last week – MAC’s Green Gel Cleanser.

The website describes it as a foaming, soap-free, hydrating cleanser with extracts of cucumber and algae.

This cleanser smells good – light and fresh, like cut grass in the summer. The texture is nice too, thin without being too sticky.

I did feel like I had to use a lot of it to get a foamy consistency. And after I dried my face, my skin felt a little tight, but that could be also due to the fact that it’s been very cold and windy so my skin is drier than usual. I think my oily skin would like this cleanser during the warmer summer months though.

Green Gel Cleanser reminds me of Dermalogica’s Special Cleansing Gel, so if you are a fan of that cleanser, you might like this too.

One tip I learned from attending a recent Barbie Loves MAC seminar:

When choosing a concealer, pick one with pink tones, even if your skin is yellow or neutral toned. The MAC instructor at the seminar informed my class that 99% of the population should wear a NW color for their undereye concealer. She said that even if you normally wear NC foundation, you should choose a NW concealer because layering yellow-toned concealers over dark circles can create a grayish color.

MAC’s system of labeling is different than most makeup lines. They base their system on the color wheel, so what you may normally think of as cool tones (pinks) and warm tones (yellows) are labeled differently in their foundation, concealer and powder lines.

MAC foundations, concealers and powders with the label “NC” stand for “neutral cool” and are for girls — or boys — with yellow undertones in their skin. Products labeled “NW” are “neutral warm” for those with pink tones.

I have some serious dark circles so I never leave the house without concealer on. I like to rotate between several brands including MAC’s Select Cover-Up concealer. It’s a liquid concealer that comes in a nice tube. Because I have oily skin, I don’t like cream or stick concealers - they feel heavy and tend to just slide off. I mix Select Cover-Up with MAC’s Fast Response Eye Cream before applying it underneath and in the inner corners of my eyes with the 217 Blending Brush. This Friday (my day off, woo hoo!) I’m going to stop by the counter and pick up a NW concealer color. I’ll report afterwards if it makes my dreaded undereye circles less grey.

Before I was a freelance writer, I worked as a legal secretary for five years. While not the most stimulating job in the world, it paid well. For beauty product junkies, more disposable money often equals expensive beauty habits. I went to spas to get facials, used only high-end brands like Dermalogica and was a total drugstore snob.

But in my late 20s I started breaking out like crazy, and nothing, not even Retin A or Differin, seemed stop the zits. I bought ProActiv out of desperation and lucky for me, it actually worked.

When I quit my job last year to write full time, I had to find ways to save money. Spending $50 on ProActiv was no longer an option, so I looked for similar, cheaper products with the active ingredients in ProActiv’s cleanser, toner and repairing lotion.

After experimenting with different products for a few months, I found what worked best for me: washing with a gentle cleanser, using a toner with glycolic acid, waiting for 10-15 minutes and then following up with a benzoyl peroxide pad. I like to call this process “Poor Woman’s ProActiv.” Using drugstore products can deliver similar ProActiv results and save you up to 30 dollars!

The products I use are:

1. Clean and Clear Foaming Facial Cleanser for Sensitive Skin. I never liked the harshness of ProActiv’s benzoyl peroxide cleanser, so I use this gentle wash. It removes makeup and cleans without leaving my skin feeling tight.

2. Neutrogena’s Pore Refining Toner. The first ingredient is alcohol, so it may not be suitable for really sensitive faces. My skin is pretty oily so I can tolerate it. After I apply the toner with a cotton ball I wait for 10-15 minutes to let my skin dry.

3. Stridex Power Pads. These 2.5% benzoyl peroxide pads are big, so I cut them in half and use one half in the morning and the other at night. This saves you even more money!

I can’t guarantee that what worked for me will work for you, so you may have to try different combinations to find your skin’s own version of Poor Woman’s Proactiv. Purchase your products from stores with a good return policy and keep your receipts in case they don’t work for you. And lastly, be patient. It may take a while before you find the right combination.

Here are a few pictures of the Barbie Loves MAC loot I picked up this weekend.

From left to right:
Fab Blush (Frost)
Pearl Sunshine Beauty Powder
Pearl Blossom Beauty Powder
Fashion Pack Lipglass
Style It Up Lipstick (Frost)

Within the last two years I’ve developed a serious blush addiction, so I wanted to get the pink blush, Don’t Be Shy, but they ran out. I recently got Dollymix and I’ve been using that as my go-to pink blush for the past two months so I wasn’t too disappointed.

Fab looks a bit dark in person, but I’ve found that it’s kind of sheer on my skin so it takes a while for the color to build and I have to add a few layers. The MAC website describes Fab as a “mid-tone plum with gold pearl,” but on me it looks like a reddish brown with gold flecks. I use a 129 Blush Brush with it and gently bounce the brush on the apples of my cheeks to get a soft brown cheek.

Both Beauty Powders are to die for – I’m seriously thinking about purchasing backups. I’ve been looking for a highlighter without disco-ball glitter and the Beauty Powders deliver a subtle, tasteful shimmer. You can use Pearl Sunshine as an all-over highlighter and as a brow highlighter. Pearl Blossom is also a great highlighter and can also be used to brighten up your inner eye. Use a small, fluffy eye brush like MAC’s 217 blending brush and tap the powder gently over your concealer to instantly get a bright-eyed look.

I purchased Style It Up Lipglass and Fashion Pack Lipstick because I’m currently on the hunt for my holy grail neutral lip. I was first a little scared by the “Frost” in Style it Up but when applied found that the frost is very subtle, not scary like the Wet & Wild frost lipsticks from the 80s. I line my lips first with Subculture lipliner, and use the 316 Lip Brush to first add Style it Up. I then blot and then dab Fashion Pack on with the same brush. Love it!

I tried to order the Barbie Loves MAC T-shirt online but it’s on backorder for the next two weeks, boo hoo! The makeup artists at the MAC counter were wearing them this weekend and the shirts are really cute in person. If I do end up getting it I’ll take a pic and post it.