Hello all. Not a review today, but I wanted to talk about this website I stumbled upon called Beautypedia. I’m sure at least some of you have heard of it before or have heard of its creator, Paula Begoun (the “Cosmetics Cop”). Here is some background on her, if you are interested.

Basically, the website is a very large directory of reviews on makeup, skincare, haircare, and body products (with more emphasis on skincare it seems) that are done by Paula and her team. The reviews are based mostly around the product’s ingredients and formula. She stresses which ingredients in the product are beneficial for your skin, but more importantly, which ingredients can cause irritation or are unnecessary. She also rates each product as follows: “Paula’s Pick” (which signifies a superior product), very good, average, or poor.

Of course the first thing I did when I went on the site was to look up what I personally use. It would appear Paula pretty much hates Lush (or at least Lush’s skincare line)…brought a tear to this Lushie’s eye! lol. Every Lush product reviewed received the “poor” rating, with the exception of two that received “average” ratings. To be honest, the only Lush skincare product I still use regularly is the [amazon_link id=”B000225ZMO” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Imperialis moisturizer[/amazon_link], which I have been using for some time. Unfortunately, this received a “poor” rating because it contains fragrances as well as St. John’s Wort (which apparently can cause a phototoxic reaction when exposed to sunlight). Personally, it has worked well for me and I haven’t noticed any adverse reactions on my skin from it (or, at least, I haven’t attributed anything to this). I will continue to use Imperialis, but may try out something new when I have completed the pot. Another product I use regularly, the [amazon_link id=”B00021DUWC” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]barevitamins skin rev-er upper[/amazon_link], also received a “poor” rating. Although she said that it used to be great as a BHA exfoliator, the new formula happens to contain St. John’s Wort as well. Eek! Two products that have this that I’ve been using on my skin…I’m surprised I haven’t had a terrible reaction to the sun yet. Luckily, my sunscreen product of choice, [amazon_link id=”B000U0VEV4″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Neutrogena Healthy Glow Sheers[/amazon_link], not only got a “very good” rating, but its also one of her top picks. While my daily cleanser, Fortune Cookie Soap’s Clearly Complexion Bar, was not in the directory, Paula has a negative stance on using bar cleansers for the face, as the ingredients that make it into a bar can be drying to skin. I looked up many of the main ingredients the bar contains, and they are all great for your skin, so despite the fact that its in a bar form you could probably do a lot worse off with other bar cleansers.

With that being said, I’ve decided to invest in a new skincare routine (albeit gradually, as I continue using up what I have now). Listed below are the products that I am planning on replacing my current products with when the time comes (many which are less expensive and all have received at least a “very good” rating by Paula).

• Makeup Remover: [amazon_link id=”B004NFTGA8″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Yes to Blueberries Brightening Facial Towelettes[/amazon_link]
• Cleanser: [amazon_link id=”B00479FTD8″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Olay Foaming Face Wash For Sensitive Skin [/amazon_link] (possibly with Clarisonic)
• Toner: [amazon_link id=”B001U59SIE” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Clinique Mild Clarifying Lotion[/amazon_link]
• Exfoliant: [amazon_link id=”B00023KCPI” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]philosophy The Afterglow[/amazon_link]
• Moisturizer: [amazon_link id=”B00367LZ9Y” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Yes to Carrots Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF 15[/amazon_link] (I may use a different one at night)
• Sunscreen: [amazon_link id=”B000U0VEV4″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Neutrogena Healthy Glow Sheers[/amazon_link]

The only products which I am going to purchase very soon are the Olay Foaming Face Wash (its so cheap, and I have a $3 CVS coupon…might as well!), Yes To Blueberries Towelettes (just ran out of Ultrabland), and philosophy The Afterglow, because I just ran out of my barevitamins skin rev-er upper as well. Apparently it is very difficult to find the The Afterglow. Its not on the Sephora or Ulta websites at all, which I’m assuming means they don’t carry it in their stores, which means I’d have to get it on Philosophy’s website and pay shipping. bah! I’ll probably pop into Sephora just to make sure they don’t have it before ordering, though. As for the other products, many will not be replaced for awhile since I have so much of the product remaining (mainly the toner, eye cream, and moisturizer). I do want to invest in a Clarisonic Mia or a Clarisonic-like product (such as the Olay or Sigma versions). I’ll have to do more research on it.

Paula seemed to rate most of my makeup products as either “very good” or “average”, which is fine with me. I didn’t really look into her ratings of body care or haircare too much, as skincare is my main issue. I even disagreed with some of her reviews, mainly her review on Lush’s BB Seaweed mask. She notes that it contains ground almonds which can be damaging and abrasive to the skin, but I’ve honestly noticed no abrasion with this mask. In fact, its one of the most gentle masks I’ve ever used (especially compared to Mask of Magnaminty or their other more “exfoliating” masks), and I will probably continue to use it once a week or so.

Whether you want to view Beautypedia as a “wikipedia” of beauty or not, its worth checking out just to get a better idea of the ingredients in the products you are using. There is also a section here where Paula provides some really great skincare tips, many of which I wasn’t aware of. I am hoping that using much more gentler and fragrance-free products on my skin will show some improvement, and I will update on whether it has after I incorporate each new product.