Beauty haul review! Skincare products, haircare products, and makeup

A few months ago, I received/bought some beauty products that I wanted to review. It took me a lot longer than I thought, though, to review everything, so here we are.

Clarisonic Plus

When I moved back home to go to grad school, my skin started breaking out like crazy, and the pimples never seemed to go away. I finally broke down and bought the Clarisonic because I was so tired of all the blemishes and clogged pores. I bought mine on QVC, and it came with a bunch of other products -- I'd definitely recommend buying it that way.

(Source: Clarisonic)

I started using it once a day, and saw awesome results, though I was pretty wary. (A colleague had told me her sister got a staph infection from using a handheld face brush.) Still, I could see all the dirt that regular washing left on my face -- the Clarisonic got mostly everything.

*gross-out warning*

Then, the honeymoon was over: I started getting these huge individual pimples that were full of pus, like whiteheads. The rest of my skin was clear, but these giant pimples scared me, since I'd never had anything like that. I stopped using the Clarisonic until they all cleared up. Now, I only use the Clarisonic every now and then, and I am extrememly gentle with my face otherwise. My skin is pretty clear, with only the occasional flare-up. Overall, I'd say I am pleased with the Clarisonic. Just make sure that when you use it, you don't overdo it. At the first sign of irritation, I would say either stop use completely, or at the very least, by 50%.

Bliss products

 (Source: Bliss Spa)

Like I said, my Clarisonic came with a bunch of products. I got the Bliss Paraben-free Lemon + Sage Body Butter, the Lemon + Sage Soapy Suds Body Wash, and the Fabulous Foaming Face Wash. I still haven't used the face wash (I'm currently using a glycolic acid wash from my dermatologist, and Murad) or the body wash more than once, but I have used the body butter, and let me tell you...

It sucks.

(Source: Bliss Spa)

This has to be one of the least moisturizing lotions/creams I have ever used. From the moment I squeezed it into my hand, I knew it wasn't going to be the one for me. It's a little watery, and I felt like it just evaporated off my skin after I applied it. I had to reapply lotion a few minutes later. If you like the smell of lemon, you might be able to use it just for that... Since I don't like wasting things, I will probably mix it with some other lotions or baby oil gel to get a more moisturizing effect.

Murad Clarifying Acne Wash

(source: Murad)

The tea tree scent definitely makes my eyes water and my face tingle a little bit, but overall, the product isn't irritating and it isn't drying. I will probably continue using this.

Ojon Hair Oil

(Source: Money After Graduation)

Hated it. Ugh, I don't even want to go on. I don't think this product is made for relaxed black hair (and maybe not even naturally textured black hair either). The smell was gross too.

Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner

(Source: Sephora)

This eyeliner took some getting used to because it's not as liquidy as I expected. However, it gives you a lot of control, and thusly, good results. Unfortunately, my eyeliner pen broke, and I had to throw the whole thing away. :(

Embryolisse Lait Creme Concentre

(Source: Embryolisse)

You might think this is just a moisturizing cream, but actually, it's also a primer and make-up remover! That's pretty cool, because it isn't particularly cheap. So yeah, I liked this product, but it seemed like it was making my forehead peel a lot when I used it on a daily basis. I think it's supposed to promote cell turnover, and my forehead peels easily to begin with, so maybe that would explain the results I got. Honestly, I really liked this product, and if it weren't for the peeling, I would say this is a must-have.

Overall, I would recommend the Clarisonic and the Murad face wash. The Embryolisse is okay, so you can try it if you really want to, and finally, I would NOT recommend the Bliss products.