Products lately.

I recently placed an order with A'del Natural Cosmetics again. About a year ago, I got loose powder from them instead of buying Bare Minerals. I liked it so much better! I'm almost out now because it lasts forever. This is what I got from them this time:

I kept going back and forth about whether I should order products from Beauty Counter or from A'del. The truth is that A'del is a Christian company started by one woman and the products are superior. They just really are. This is not drugstore make-up. It also has all the "free" labels on it and it's not terrible for you. 

Granted, Beauty Counter is also a clean option and I do like their products a lot; they're just a lot more expensive and I don't know where my money is going aside from into the MLM infrastructure. 

The selling point to A'del for me personally though, is that they give a military discount. TWENTY PERCENT. It makes such a difference. 

Here's my order from A'del:

This is what a similar product order would look like from Beauty Counter:

BC doesn't have powder foundation, which was my reason for going to A'del. The Lipid Defense Cleansing Oil is what I wanted from BC but I'm going to try the Blue Lagoon Cleanse(ing) oil instead because it's basically the same thing and I've heard good reviews. Cream blush has been on my list for awhile. ...does blush go bad? I have a powder blush I've loved from Sephora but it doesn't give the same look it used to it seems. 

Something else I went back to, speaking of MLMs, was ordering a product from Rodan + Fields.

 Hear me out: I seriously love their products. I would use them exclusively if they weren't so expensive. When I was a consultant, my products were mostly paid for by my commissions and discounts. If you don't have an actual need for the products, it's probably not something you want to spend money on just for fun. If you don't have a *need* for actual dermatological products, it's not worth it. But my skin has been bothering me again lately...flare-ups of PCOS and stress, probably. 

As I perused the new offerings on the site, I saw this geared toward acne. While I am a forever stan of Unblemish, it's not cheap. And it's a whole regimen. I don't want the sunblock (I love Supergoop Glowscreen for my face). I don't feel like I need the toner. I have no dark spots that it's meant to treat. I really like my elf toner, to be honest. All I really want is the "dual intensive acne treatment" (the peroxide/salicylic acid stuff you put on your face before bed) and a cleanser for the end of the day. 

I ended up getting Spotless instead. It fits what I want for half the price. I mean, who cares if it's for "teens" right? 

I will say that I think the formula is different than Unblemish but I'm seeing results already so I'll take it. If you have any kind of regular adult acne, I highly recommend because, short of going to the dermatologist and getting prescriptions (a route I've also taken in the past), you won't find a better OTC treatment than Rodan+Fields. 

I don't sell anything for them anymore, but my advice is that if you plan on ordering more than once a year, it's absolutely worth the $19.95 to become a PC Perks member. Free shipping and a hefty discount on all products. 

And then two very affordable and effective products to round out this post:

Gold eye masks. 

These are a game-changer if you have sinus issues and a godsend after a night up with a toddler. Keep them in the fridge. 

CeraVe eye cream

This is the best eye cream. Beauty Counter ($77 and $47), Rodan + Fields, or spend all the money you want on a product. This $13 tube is superior. Change my mind.