Monday, September 29, 2014
Witch Baby Soap Haul!
Hey ghosts and ghouls! Today I received my box of Witch Baby Soap products in the mail (after waiting with much anticipation). As some of you may know, I'm ridiculously obsessed with Halloween. So when I found out that there was a little handmade soap company selling pumpkin pie scented body butter...I was all over that.
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Sephora Haul
I don't normally do hauls but I went and picked up a bunch of stuff I'd never tried before, so I figured it would only be appropriate to let you guys know what I got! (Pardon the awful picture, I am by no means a photographer)
2 of them were things I'd had already and loved, being the Stila Stay All Day liquid liner in Intense Black, and a bottle of the Peter Thomas Roth AHA/BHA Clearing Gel that's not in the picture.
The liquid liner by Stila is by far my favorite I've ever used, it glides on really easy and the Stay All Day part is no joke. It takes an intense amount of makeup remover to get it to even budge. For some people that could be irritating, but for me, I'm super happy if I don't have to worry if my eyeliner is smudging/cracking/flaking/moving. The other thing that I love: typically eyeliner pens dry out really fast; I'd used the MAC Penultimate liner and it used to dry out in a matter off 3 or 4 months. My Stila pen usually lasts 7 or 8, and that's with daily use!
The Peter Thomas Roth clearing gel is a staple in my skincare routine; I was devastated when I ran out and I ran straight to Sephora to grab a new bottle. It's the only thing that keeps my skin clear...I've tried just about everything and this is the only one that leaves me smooth, oil-free, and feeling fresh, not dry.
NOW:
On to the products I'd never tried before...-drumroll-
I got my little birthday gift because my birthday is in October so they were giving out the "Libra" box, so it came with two Make Up For Ever products, one of their mascaras, and one of their lipsticks. I'm super excited to try these; I call myself a product junkie...I like to try everything I can get my hands on, but especially mascaras because I'm always concerned that my eyes will get irritated, so I try them like crazy trying to find my favorite. It's currently the Smashbox Full Exposure mascara, but we'll see how this one goes!
The lipstick I'm excited about because I'm always looking for something to add hydration and a pop of color...I've found that I really like Kat Von D's lipsticks, and I'm a big fan of just about anything from Bite Cosmetics. I'll let you all know how I like the Make Up For Ever one!
I picked up the Tarred/Feathered Lip Balm duo from Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics (which I will abbreviate OCC from now on) because I love to play with my natural lip color, but I would rather do it with something more natural (they're vegan!) and I'm so tired of nudes! I've never seen anything like this one before, so expect a review when I try it out!
I also picked up the Lip Tar in the shade Black Metal Dahlia. I got the idea for this one from Michelle Phan on youtube; I loved her grunge makeup look that she posted...especially the dark lip. I LOVE a dark, vampy lip for fall and winter. I think it makes your skin look bright and smooth, and it really gets me ready for nights out with crunchy leaves, (faux) leather jackets and boots, and cozy sweaters.
She used the shade Black Dahlia in her video, but when I got to Sephora they were sold out of that one, so I picked up their new formulation with a bit of metallic shine, which I'm okay with because I love a touch of glitter! I'm probably going to group a review of that one in with the review of the Tarred and Feathered duo.
Expect that one some time either this week or early next week! Until then, beauties, stay fabulous!
2 of them were things I'd had already and loved, being the Stila Stay All Day liquid liner in Intense Black, and a bottle of the Peter Thomas Roth AHA/BHA Clearing Gel that's not in the picture.
The liquid liner by Stila is by far my favorite I've ever used, it glides on really easy and the Stay All Day part is no joke. It takes an intense amount of makeup remover to get it to even budge. For some people that could be irritating, but for me, I'm super happy if I don't have to worry if my eyeliner is smudging/cracking/flaking/moving. The other thing that I love: typically eyeliner pens dry out really fast; I'd used the MAC Penultimate liner and it used to dry out in a matter off 3 or 4 months. My Stila pen usually lasts 7 or 8, and that's with daily use!
The Peter Thomas Roth clearing gel is a staple in my skincare routine; I was devastated when I ran out and I ran straight to Sephora to grab a new bottle. It's the only thing that keeps my skin clear...I've tried just about everything and this is the only one that leaves me smooth, oil-free, and feeling fresh, not dry.
NOW:
On to the products I'd never tried before...-drumroll-
I got my little birthday gift because my birthday is in October so they were giving out the "Libra" box, so it came with two Make Up For Ever products, one of their mascaras, and one of their lipsticks. I'm super excited to try these; I call myself a product junkie...I like to try everything I can get my hands on, but especially mascaras because I'm always concerned that my eyes will get irritated, so I try them like crazy trying to find my favorite. It's currently the Smashbox Full Exposure mascara, but we'll see how this one goes!
The lipstick I'm excited about because I'm always looking for something to add hydration and a pop of color...I've found that I really like Kat Von D's lipsticks, and I'm a big fan of just about anything from Bite Cosmetics. I'll let you all know how I like the Make Up For Ever one!
I picked up the Tarred/Feathered Lip Balm duo from Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics (which I will abbreviate OCC from now on) because I love to play with my natural lip color, but I would rather do it with something more natural (they're vegan!) and I'm so tired of nudes! I've never seen anything like this one before, so expect a review when I try it out!
I also picked up the Lip Tar in the shade Black Metal Dahlia. I got the idea for this one from Michelle Phan on youtube; I loved her grunge makeup look that she posted...especially the dark lip. I LOVE a dark, vampy lip for fall and winter. I think it makes your skin look bright and smooth, and it really gets me ready for nights out with crunchy leaves, (faux) leather jackets and boots, and cozy sweaters.
She used the shade Black Dahlia in her video, but when I got to Sephora they were sold out of that one, so I picked up their new formulation with a bit of metallic shine, which I'm okay with because I love a touch of glitter! I'm probably going to group a review of that one in with the review of the Tarred and Feathered duo.
Expect that one some time either this week or early next week! Until then, beauties, stay fabulous!
Thursday, September 18, 2014
First Impression: Korres Lip Butter
Don't laugh at me, I added another lip product to my collection. I know, I have a problem.
Let me just give you some back story on this one: I had a makeup trial for a mother-of-the-bride this morning. I realized last night that I was out of disposable mascara wands. Every good makeup artist knows: DON'T DOUBLE DIP YOUR MASCARA. You can give someone conjunctivitis and that would be awful...so moral of the story is always carry disposable mascara wands.
Anyway, I had to run to Sephora late last night because the beauty supply store near me was closed. I know, great idea, Taylor, realize you need your disposables at 7:30 pm. But my mall was open until 9, so I jumped in the car and ran over there to grab the last package of disposables they had.
But me being me...you can't leave Sephora with just one thing! Especially when the Korres island is right in the middle of the store! Next to the brushes where my disposables were! So of course I went over.
I've been looking at the lip butters for quite some time now, but I told myself I would finish my collection before I bought one. I think we all knew that wouldn't happen. So I grabbed Guava, which is just the clear color.
I bought it for the sake of figuring out if I liked the texture, so I didn't want to grab a color that I could potentially become partial to but dislike the texture. It says "ideal for chapped lips" on the packaging though, so let's see how it goes!
So my actual first impression?
I put it on my lips about 5 minutes ago for the first time. Personally I'm not a huge fan of the packaging, it's a little chunky for my taste. I feel like there's way more plastic than there is product. However, it's very buttery. Not sticky at all, which is nice. I adore my A Great Kisser from Soap and Glory, but I tend to feel super sticky. It's smooth and luxurious, definitely, and the scent is gorgeous. It's almost peachy, but a little bit more melon-y...all in all, I like it! I'll do an update soon when I determine how I feel about it overnight.
Until next time, beauties!
Let me just give you some back story on this one: I had a makeup trial for a mother-of-the-bride this morning. I realized last night that I was out of disposable mascara wands. Every good makeup artist knows: DON'T DOUBLE DIP YOUR MASCARA. You can give someone conjunctivitis and that would be awful...so moral of the story is always carry disposable mascara wands.
Anyway, I had to run to Sephora late last night because the beauty supply store near me was closed. I know, great idea, Taylor, realize you need your disposables at 7:30 pm. But my mall was open until 9, so I jumped in the car and ran over there to grab the last package of disposables they had.
But me being me...you can't leave Sephora with just one thing! Especially when the Korres island is right in the middle of the store! Next to the brushes where my disposables were! So of course I went over.
I've been looking at the lip butters for quite some time now, but I told myself I would finish my collection before I bought one. I think we all knew that wouldn't happen. So I grabbed Guava, which is just the clear color.
So my actual first impression?
I put it on my lips about 5 minutes ago for the first time. Personally I'm not a huge fan of the packaging, it's a little chunky for my taste. I feel like there's way more plastic than there is product. However, it's very buttery. Not sticky at all, which is nice. I adore my A Great Kisser from Soap and Glory, but I tend to feel super sticky. It's smooth and luxurious, definitely, and the scent is gorgeous. It's almost peachy, but a little bit more melon-y...all in all, I like it! I'll do an update soon when I determine how I feel about it overnight.
Until next time, beauties!
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Updated Fall Skincare Routine
Hi beauties!
So I know that this is one of my favorite things to see; I figured I would post mine for all of you...my fall skincare routine! As the weather gets colder my skin gets crankier, being that my dry spots get drier and my oily spots break out. Lately, the updated products I've been using have been keeping my skin feeling smooth and looking happy and healthy.
Some of these products are old favorites, but the rest are brand new and I'm absolutley loving them.
Morning:
1) Cleanse! I've been using the Caudalie Instant Foaming Cleanser. I take 2 pumps of this and smooth it all over my face and neck, then I use my Clarisonic to give myself a really deep clean. This stuff doesn't have any soap content to it, which is great for my sensitive skin and keeping it from drying out, but the foaminess gives you that squeaky clean feeling. It foams when you pump it out of the bottle, so you don't have to work it into a lather, potentially irritating your skin. Basically, this stuff is magic and it's fabulous and I recommend it to anyone with combination skin like myself.
2) Treat! I've been using the Peter Thomas Roth Gentle Complexion Correcting pads for about 8-9 months now...I feel like they get rid of any bacteria stuck in my pores. They have one exfolating side and one smooth side; the smooth side is meant to cleanse while the exfoliating side is made to tighten pores and loosen up debris. They smell like peaches (yum!) but have a 1/2% Salicylic Acid and 10% Glycolic Acid to keep acne away and fight signs of aging.
3) Tone! I've been using LUSH's toner waters for about 2 years now. I've tried all 3 in my skincare routine, but my personal favorite by far is Eau Roma water. It's basically just rose water and lavender water, so it's an astringent (super effective in keeping pores nice and tight) but it's very soothing. I suffer from lots of redness in my skin, so this stuff keeps it from being blotchy, too. I keep the big size around because I like to use it to refresh my face during the day as well!
3) Moisturize! I've been loving the Mario Badescu Aloe Moisturizer with SPF 15. It's oil-free to keep me from breaking out, and my skin loves aloe to keep it healthy. This stuff leaves me feeling hydrated but never greasy, and it has SPF which is necessary all year, so my skin is protected against the elements.
Night:
1) Remove makeup! I use LUSH's 9 to 5 cleansing lotion religiously to take off makeup forever now. It's dove orchid and almond oil, so it's super light and antioxidizing. It's great for all skin types, so while I use this as a "precleanse" so to speak, it won't clog my pores in the meantime. I just take a little bit of this on dry hands and rub it onto anywhere I want to remove my makeup. It's gentle in the eye area, too!
2) Cleanse! I switched back to an old favorite, LUSH's Herbalism. I had strayed away for a long time and went through a long, long search for an amazing cleanser that I could fall in love with, and I decided nothing worked the way this one did. It's got rice vinegar to mop up oil and rosemary to antibacterialize. It also has ground almonds for a very gentle exfoliation that you can do every day. It keeps my skin from flaring up, I've found that my skin tone is more even, smoother, softer...I don't have enough good things to say. It kind of smells like teriyaki sauce...but hey, you win some, you lose some.
3) Treat! I use the Peter Thomas Roth AHA/BHA Acne Clearing Gel. It's a lot like the complexion pads I use in the morning- it's said to have the same effects, it's just focused more on clearing up blackheads, whiteheads, and clogged pores. I use it at night because it feels much stronger than the complexion pads...it has a 2% Salicylic Acid so it's a little bit more potent than the pads I use in the morning. I swear by this stuff. My pores look so much better every time I use it.
4) Tone! I use the Eau Roma Water again. Holy grail. Love forever. Ugh <3
5) Moisturize! I had a love/hate relationship with the Ole Henriksen Nurture Me moisturizer for a while. I thought that was what was causing my awful breakouts on my forehead and sometimes cheeks, which had never happened to me before, but I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt and continue using it for 2 weeks (that's how long it's recommended you use a skincare product to determine if it really works for you) and my skin is feeling fabulous. It's cushiony soft because it's more like a gel than a cream, so it absorbs really easily. It's awesome on my sensitive skin; it keeps it feeling hydrated but never, ever greasy because of the gel consistency. The only thing I don't like is the smell- it smells incredibly artificial...like a creamsicle. Don't get me wrong, it smells good...but I could see the scent in a body wash, not a facial moisturizer. Regardless, it feels great, so I'll probably repurchase it.
6) Eye Cream! I've been using the Tarte Maracuja C-Brighter Eye Treatment for a year now and I love it. It doesn't make my eyes burn, it's velvety, it's smooth, and my skin around my eyes feels stronger and more hydrated. I suffer from very delicate, dry skin around my eye area, and this stuff has been beautiful. I'm sure there are other eye creams out there that are great, but I trust this one!
7) Lip Balm! I'm a lip balm junkie. It's a sick, sick obsession I have to find the perfect lip balm. So far, I have found 2. The Bite Agave Lip Mask, which I put on at night and leave it overnight OR before lipstick (then I blot with a tissue)...but my tried and true is always my Rosebud Salve. This is my go-to whenever I have a doubt in my mind about how my lips are handling the weather changes.
I also love the Soap and Glory A Great Kisser lip balms, but they're very sticky. I have to make sure I wear them when my boyfriend isn't around.
Thanks for reading, beauties! Let me know about your skincare routines, I'm a product junkie as you can all tell, so I love to try new things! Until next time!
So I know that this is one of my favorite things to see; I figured I would post mine for all of you...my fall skincare routine! As the weather gets colder my skin gets crankier, being that my dry spots get drier and my oily spots break out. Lately, the updated products I've been using have been keeping my skin feeling smooth and looking happy and healthy.
Some of these products are old favorites, but the rest are brand new and I'm absolutley loving them.
Morning:
1) Cleanse! I've been using the Caudalie Instant Foaming Cleanser. I take 2 pumps of this and smooth it all over my face and neck, then I use my Clarisonic to give myself a really deep clean. This stuff doesn't have any soap content to it, which is great for my sensitive skin and keeping it from drying out, but the foaminess gives you that squeaky clean feeling. It foams when you pump it out of the bottle, so you don't have to work it into a lather, potentially irritating your skin. Basically, this stuff is magic and it's fabulous and I recommend it to anyone with combination skin like myself.
3) Tone! I've been using LUSH's toner waters for about 2 years now. I've tried all 3 in my skincare routine, but my personal favorite by far is Eau Roma water. It's basically just rose water and lavender water, so it's an astringent (super effective in keeping pores nice and tight) but it's very soothing. I suffer from lots of redness in my skin, so this stuff keeps it from being blotchy, too. I keep the big size around because I like to use it to refresh my face during the day as well!
1) Remove makeup! I use LUSH's 9 to 5 cleansing lotion religiously to take off makeup forever now. It's dove orchid and almond oil, so it's super light and antioxidizing. It's great for all skin types, so while I use this as a "precleanse" so to speak, it won't clog my pores in the meantime. I just take a little bit of this on dry hands and rub it onto anywhere I want to remove my makeup. It's gentle in the eye area, too!
5) Moisturize! I had a love/hate relationship with the Ole Henriksen Nurture Me moisturizer for a while. I thought that was what was causing my awful breakouts on my forehead and sometimes cheeks, which had never happened to me before, but I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt and continue using it for 2 weeks (that's how long it's recommended you use a skincare product to determine if it really works for you) and my skin is feeling fabulous. It's cushiony soft because it's more like a gel than a cream, so it absorbs really easily. It's awesome on my sensitive skin; it keeps it feeling hydrated but never, ever greasy because of the gel consistency. The only thing I don't like is the smell- it smells incredibly artificial...like a creamsicle. Don't get me wrong, it smells good...but I could see the scent in a body wash, not a facial moisturizer. Regardless, it feels great, so I'll probably repurchase it.
I also love the Soap and Glory A Great Kisser lip balms, but they're very sticky. I have to make sure I wear them when my boyfriend isn't around.
Thanks for reading, beauties! Let me know about your skincare routines, I'm a product junkie as you can all tell, so I love to try new things! Until next time!
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Caudalie Instant Foaming Cleanser: First Impression
I'm always on the hunt for good skincare products, but the one thing I've found is that I'm a total cleanser junkie. I've always found myself switching out my cleanser if I don't like something in my skincare routine because I absolutely love cleansing my face...is that just me?
So let's cut to the chase here. I recently ran out of my Boscia Detoxifying Black Cleanser (which I loved for the warming feeling and how clean and soft it left my skin), so naturally I went into my local Sephora to check out what they had that was good.
Well, that's not exactly true. It started out as a routine trip during my lunch break at work, which turned into me swatching 900 different eyeshadows, followed by a Sephora employee asking if I need help because I'm covered in colors. This time, I told her "oh no, thanks, I'm okay". She turned to walk away and I found myself yelling "WAIT! I think I do need help...how good are you with cleansers?"
She perked right up. We discussed my skin for a little while; I told her that I'm addicted to cleansing oils and she showed me the Boscia Makeup Breakup cleansing gel. She then asked how into skincare I was and I laughed. She knew that meant I'm just a little obsessed, so she asked if I was into trying something different, and of course I said yes.
So she brought me to Caudalie. I'd heard of them before, Elle Fowler uses their Beauty Elixir so immediately I thought "oh hey, luxurious". She tried the foaming cleanser on the back of my hand dry (which I have come to find out is the wrong way to use it, it's supposed to be used on damp skin) and it still removed most of the swatches I had made with the exception of some hardcore pencil liners. So I said why not!
I tried it for the first time in the shower this morning, and so far it's made my skin so incredibly soft and smooth and radiant. I'm currently experiencing a breakout (ugh PMS) so we'll see how it goes...but if any of you have tried it please feel free to let me know! I'm excited to see how it works- I'm always in the market for the perfect skincare routine. I'll keep you all posted as I use it some more...maybe I'll do an empty bottle review when it's finished? :)
So let's cut to the chase here. I recently ran out of my Boscia Detoxifying Black Cleanser (which I loved for the warming feeling and how clean and soft it left my skin), so naturally I went into my local Sephora to check out what they had that was good.
Well, that's not exactly true. It started out as a routine trip during my lunch break at work, which turned into me swatching 900 different eyeshadows, followed by a Sephora employee asking if I need help because I'm covered in colors. This time, I told her "oh no, thanks, I'm okay". She turned to walk away and I found myself yelling "WAIT! I think I do need help...how good are you with cleansers?"
She perked right up. We discussed my skin for a little while; I told her that I'm addicted to cleansing oils and she showed me the Boscia Makeup Breakup cleansing gel. She then asked how into skincare I was and I laughed. She knew that meant I'm just a little obsessed, so she asked if I was into trying something different, and of course I said yes.
So she brought me to Caudalie. I'd heard of them before, Elle Fowler uses their Beauty Elixir so immediately I thought "oh hey, luxurious". She tried the foaming cleanser on the back of my hand dry (which I have come to find out is the wrong way to use it, it's supposed to be used on damp skin) and it still removed most of the swatches I had made with the exception of some hardcore pencil liners. So I said why not!
I tried it for the first time in the shower this morning, and so far it's made my skin so incredibly soft and smooth and radiant. I'm currently experiencing a breakout (ugh PMS) so we'll see how it goes...but if any of you have tried it please feel free to let me know! I'm excited to see how it works- I'm always in the market for the perfect skincare routine. I'll keep you all posted as I use it some more...maybe I'll do an empty bottle review when it's finished? :)
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Ingredient Spotlight: Oats
I don't know how I could have forgotten this one in my Ingredient Spotlight series! For those of you with red, irritated, flaky, dry, oily......okay basically oats are incredible for all types of skin, they're beautiful for the body, they're milky in the bathtub...seriously just try them.
Here's the deal:
Here's the deal:
Monday, August 11, 2014
Fall Trend 2014
I know, I know, it's only August right now. BUT it's important to look to the future! I know we're all being told to live in the now, and while I agree with that...I believe we should be living with our brains focused on upcoming beauty trends!
Wait...maybe I'm giving bad advice...
The colder weather is coming, which means we'll be drawing inspiration from our surroundings. Reds, golds, and browns are always popular in the fall months, and that is no different for this year!
I'm always a big fan of metallics moving into the colder months; it reminds me of the beauty of the snow and the magic that is Halloween and Thanksgiving. Hence why so many runways were seen using metallics, from Rodarte to Armani to Issey Miyake.
This trend can be done many different ways- my personal favorite is a subtle pop of metal in the inner corners of the eyes to brighten them up. Try doing this with a shimmery gold or silver, like Stila's Magnificent Metals Foil Finish eyeshadows in Metallic Dusty Rose or Comex Platinum.
Metallic Dusty Rose is a pinkish (just like it sounds, a muted rose color) and Comex Platinum is a beautiful opalescent white.
Dusty Rose is on top and Comex Platinum is on bottom. These photos were from Google (don't wanna take credit for what isn't mine)
Pop these on the inner corner of your eyes or just beneath the lower lash line and they'll pop beautifully! Pink and opalescent colors are flattering on just about everybody.
Also, I constantly recommend Stila products because I absolutely adore their quality. If you have never tried their Kitten products (their signature color), I promise you, try it once and it will forever change your life.
Happy glittering, beauties!
Wait...maybe I'm giving bad advice...
The colder weather is coming, which means we'll be drawing inspiration from our surroundings. Reds, golds, and browns are always popular in the fall months, and that is no different for this year!
I'm always a big fan of metallics moving into the colder months; it reminds me of the beauty of the snow and the magic that is Halloween and Thanksgiving. Hence why so many runways were seen using metallics, from Rodarte to Armani to Issey Miyake.
This trend can be done many different ways- my personal favorite is a subtle pop of metal in the inner corners of the eyes to brighten them up. Try doing this with a shimmery gold or silver, like Stila's Magnificent Metals Foil Finish eyeshadows in Metallic Dusty Rose or Comex Platinum.
Metallic Dusty Rose is a pinkish (just like it sounds, a muted rose color) and Comex Platinum is a beautiful opalescent white.
Dusty Rose is on top and Comex Platinum is on bottom. These photos were from Google (don't wanna take credit for what isn't mine)
Pop these on the inner corner of your eyes or just beneath the lower lash line and they'll pop beautifully! Pink and opalescent colors are flattering on just about everybody.
Also, I constantly recommend Stila products because I absolutely adore their quality. If you have never tried their Kitten products (their signature color), I promise you, try it once and it will forever change your life.
Happy glittering, beauties!
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
The Beauty Blogger Tag: Get to Know Me!
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
So Here's the Deal:
For my beautifully loyal followers who just keep on keeping on when it comes to reading my posts, I thank you for sticking around for such an excruciating time. But, I've got some super exciting news!!
I'm officially a licensed esthetician and a trained makeup artist! (Now, when I say licensed, I mean I just finished school a few days ago and am now waiting for my temporary license in the mail...next step is state boards -gulp-)
I'm super excited to have taken such a huge step in my life, my passion for skincare was much too loud to muffle it or quiet it anymore, so here I am! Can you believe it?!
I would love to write more posts based on what you all want to see. It's hard for me to come up with content constantly (although the world of skin and makeup is always changing) without a little bit of feedback, so I would appreciate some suggestions as to what you would like me to post.
Now, I don't expect you all to come up with EVERY post, but it will keep it more consistent if I have a flow of suggestions coming in.
What questions do you have? Skincare? Makeup? Both?! Please, comment on this post, or any other post, and I'll gladly write about whatever floats your boat, beautiful people!
As far as posting schedule, I'm not 100% sure on that one yet. I don't want to say it's going to be specific days and times, just because I'm in the process of finding an apartment with my boyfriend, trying to balance 2 jobs (one at a spa and the other is still as a keyholder at LUSH), getting my license, studying for state boards...life is crazy...but in the best way!
As I said before, thank you all for sticking with me. Hopefully I'll have some new content up soon! <3
I'm officially a licensed esthetician and a trained makeup artist! (Now, when I say licensed, I mean I just finished school a few days ago and am now waiting for my temporary license in the mail...next step is state boards -gulp-)
I'm super excited to have taken such a huge step in my life, my passion for skincare was much too loud to muffle it or quiet it anymore, so here I am! Can you believe it?!
I would love to write more posts based on what you all want to see. It's hard for me to come up with content constantly (although the world of skin and makeup is always changing) without a little bit of feedback, so I would appreciate some suggestions as to what you would like me to post.
Now, I don't expect you all to come up with EVERY post, but it will keep it more consistent if I have a flow of suggestions coming in.
What questions do you have? Skincare? Makeup? Both?! Please, comment on this post, or any other post, and I'll gladly write about whatever floats your boat, beautiful people!
As far as posting schedule, I'm not 100% sure on that one yet. I don't want to say it's going to be specific days and times, just because I'm in the process of finding an apartment with my boyfriend, trying to balance 2 jobs (one at a spa and the other is still as a keyholder at LUSH), getting my license, studying for state boards...life is crazy...but in the best way!
As I said before, thank you all for sticking with me. Hopefully I'll have some new content up soon! <3
Friday, May 2, 2014
Microdermabrasion: What's the Deal?
I have to say, going to school for esthetics is pretty awesome. This week, we had a guest teacher come in and teach us all about microdermabrasion; I had a chance to have it done to myself, and I got to practice on my classmates. I now have my certification in microderm, and it was so fun getting there!
So what is microdermabrasion?
It's a deep exfoliation that essentially buffs away the dead, dull layer of your skin sitting at the top. It doesn't exfoliate down to the dermis like a chemical peel or anything like that, it's non-invasive, and doesn't require any downtime (unless you're really bothered by some redness). The great thing about microderm is that it will help product penetrate better, so that means any treatment serums and moisturizers that you're using to treat skin "issues" will penetrate the top layer of your skin more effectively, and will help your skin hydrate better!
There are two methods, but the method that I learned was crystal, where there are thousands on thousands of crystals being released onto your face through a vacuum-like machine, and that's what exfoliates!
Things microdermabrasion treats:
Acne scars, blackheads (it loosens up all the gross stuff stuck in your pores), fine lines and small wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, and sun damage. It also is a great way to exfoliate if you prefer not to at home regularly.
Contraindications (things that would make it so that you cannot receive microderm):
Broken capillaries (they can be buffed but not treated as intensely as the rest of the skin), psoraisis, excema, excessive redness, sunburn, cold sores, open wounds on the area being treated, rosacea, etc.
My experience:
I have 4 tattoos, one of them being on the top of my foot, which I was in excruciating pain from for about a week. I have a high pain tolerance, so looking at a pen that has almost like sandpaper flying out onto your face seemed like no big deal to me. Well, to be honest, I hardly felt anything at all. I know that it worked because when I put my hand up to my face there were crystals there, but it was so light, it felt like someone really gently rubbing sand paper on my skin. I would recommend this treatment to anyone; it truly does not hurt or make you uncomfortable unless your technician uses a very heavy hand, which they shouldn't.
I had a lot of redness (but my skin is naturally very red to begin with) and they told me that was to be expected. The only "abnormal" thing that happened was tracking, which basically means that the skin was not held taut enough during treatment and there was a little too much suction, leaving a small red line after the rest of the skin has healed. It just looks like tan lines. Mine went away in about 24 hours, and they were incredibly subtle to begin with.
I have noticed that my skin is visibly brighter, smoother, more even, and my blackheads have come to the surface and are now SO easy to extract. (Sorry, TMI...) and that was only after one treatment! They normally suggest doing microderm in sets of about 6, but you could talk to your esthetician about what they believe is the correct number of treatments for your skin.
So I say try it! It's fun, it's quick, it feels pretty good...there's no downtime, I just suggest lots of SPF on the treated area (but that's always a given!)
Leave a comment if you've ever had microderm and tell me all about your experience!
So what is microdermabrasion?
It's a deep exfoliation that essentially buffs away the dead, dull layer of your skin sitting at the top. It doesn't exfoliate down to the dermis like a chemical peel or anything like that, it's non-invasive, and doesn't require any downtime (unless you're really bothered by some redness). The great thing about microderm is that it will help product penetrate better, so that means any treatment serums and moisturizers that you're using to treat skin "issues" will penetrate the top layer of your skin more effectively, and will help your skin hydrate better!
There are two methods, but the method that I learned was crystal, where there are thousands on thousands of crystals being released onto your face through a vacuum-like machine, and that's what exfoliates!
Things microdermabrasion treats:
Acne scars, blackheads (it loosens up all the gross stuff stuck in your pores), fine lines and small wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, and sun damage. It also is a great way to exfoliate if you prefer not to at home regularly.
Contraindications (things that would make it so that you cannot receive microderm):
Broken capillaries (they can be buffed but not treated as intensely as the rest of the skin), psoraisis, excema, excessive redness, sunburn, cold sores, open wounds on the area being treated, rosacea, etc.
My experience:
I have 4 tattoos, one of them being on the top of my foot, which I was in excruciating pain from for about a week. I have a high pain tolerance, so looking at a pen that has almost like sandpaper flying out onto your face seemed like no big deal to me. Well, to be honest, I hardly felt anything at all. I know that it worked because when I put my hand up to my face there were crystals there, but it was so light, it felt like someone really gently rubbing sand paper on my skin. I would recommend this treatment to anyone; it truly does not hurt or make you uncomfortable unless your technician uses a very heavy hand, which they shouldn't.
I had a lot of redness (but my skin is naturally very red to begin with) and they told me that was to be expected. The only "abnormal" thing that happened was tracking, which basically means that the skin was not held taut enough during treatment and there was a little too much suction, leaving a small red line after the rest of the skin has healed. It just looks like tan lines. Mine went away in about 24 hours, and they were incredibly subtle to begin with.
I have noticed that my skin is visibly brighter, smoother, more even, and my blackheads have come to the surface and are now SO easy to extract. (Sorry, TMI...) and that was only after one treatment! They normally suggest doing microderm in sets of about 6, but you could talk to your esthetician about what they believe is the correct number of treatments for your skin.
So I say try it! It's fun, it's quick, it feels pretty good...there's no downtime, I just suggest lots of SPF on the treated area (but that's always a given!)
Leave a comment if you've ever had microderm and tell me all about your experience!
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Tarte Maracuja C-Brighter Eye Treatment Review
I have a review for you today, beauties- it's a product I've been using religiously for about 3 months now. To be honest, I was certain I'd done a review on it, but looking back I don't have one!
This post is all about the Tarte Maracuja C-Brighter Eye Treatment...AKA the best thing to ever grace my eye area.
They have since changed the packaging (now the little "wooden" top is a little larger than the bottom) but the picture shown above is the original packaging I got the treatment in.
This stuff, I'm not going to lie, is beautiful. I'm really skeptical about eye products because my eyes are incredibly sensitive. They turn red if I use anything except the Smashbox Eye Brightening Mascara, they get irritated if I use the wrong eyeliner too close to my waterline...it's a struggle.
So I tried this because I had been using LUSH's Full of Grace serum bar. I went into a LUSH store about 2 years ago and said "someone HELP, my eyes are burning and I'm scared to use eye cream because I'm worried they'll be irritated." Now, when I say my eyes were burning, I mean there was dry skin flaking off my eye area. Right around my eyebrows/bridge of my nose especially, and they would burn and using eye makeup remover made the dryness worse. They recommended Full of Grace and I liked it, it relieved the dryness, however it didn't do much else for me.
Fast forward to Christmastime, I'd heard about this product a little bit just from browsing the internet, and I'd been on a Tarte kick and saw that they had a hydrating eye "treatment" and said "hey, maybe that's the stuff for me. No idea what Maracuja oil is, but whatever!"
I started this stuff January 1st to really give it a good go. Clearly it went well, because I just bought myself a second pot of the stuff last week.
It has tons of antioxidants in it, fighting free radicals in the skin, such as the magical Maracuja oil which replenishes moisture and plumps up the skin (yay!), vitamin C which is awesome for the eye area because it brightens and antioxidizes, and then it has a bit of coconut which is rich in fatty acids and hydrating ingredients.
I gave it a shot and saw instant results. In a matter of minutes my (less) dry skin in my eye area was feeling cooled, soothed, and hydrated. It's definitely a thick cream, which I like because that means it'll stay in place rather than being runny and too oily. Obviously I didn't see too much crazy brightening right off the bat- I knew those results were going to come with extended use.
I haven't necessarily noticed any firming in the skin around my eyes, but I have noticed that they seem less puffy. My dark circles have also cleared up a bit, I don't have them too bad so this stuff just brightens up anything I have. But most importantly: I accidentally got it in my eye and there was no burning/itching/stinging/watering! It doesn't flare up my sensitive eyes!!! YAY!
You can also use this cream under makeup- I would obviously let it dry thoroughly or blot the excess, but it's nice and silky.
I totally give this a 5/5. Try it for yourselves, ladies and gents, it's fab stuff.
This post is all about the Tarte Maracuja C-Brighter Eye Treatment...AKA the best thing to ever grace my eye area.
This stuff, I'm not going to lie, is beautiful. I'm really skeptical about eye products because my eyes are incredibly sensitive. They turn red if I use anything except the Smashbox Eye Brightening Mascara, they get irritated if I use the wrong eyeliner too close to my waterline...it's a struggle.
So I tried this because I had been using LUSH's Full of Grace serum bar. I went into a LUSH store about 2 years ago and said "someone HELP, my eyes are burning and I'm scared to use eye cream because I'm worried they'll be irritated." Now, when I say my eyes were burning, I mean there was dry skin flaking off my eye area. Right around my eyebrows/bridge of my nose especially, and they would burn and using eye makeup remover made the dryness worse. They recommended Full of Grace and I liked it, it relieved the dryness, however it didn't do much else for me.
Fast forward to Christmastime, I'd heard about this product a little bit just from browsing the internet, and I'd been on a Tarte kick and saw that they had a hydrating eye "treatment" and said "hey, maybe that's the stuff for me. No idea what Maracuja oil is, but whatever!"
I started this stuff January 1st to really give it a good go. Clearly it went well, because I just bought myself a second pot of the stuff last week.
It has tons of antioxidants in it, fighting free radicals in the skin, such as the magical Maracuja oil which replenishes moisture and plumps up the skin (yay!), vitamin C which is awesome for the eye area because it brightens and antioxidizes, and then it has a bit of coconut which is rich in fatty acids and hydrating ingredients.
I gave it a shot and saw instant results. In a matter of minutes my (less) dry skin in my eye area was feeling cooled, soothed, and hydrated. It's definitely a thick cream, which I like because that means it'll stay in place rather than being runny and too oily. Obviously I didn't see too much crazy brightening right off the bat- I knew those results were going to come with extended use.
I haven't necessarily noticed any firming in the skin around my eyes, but I have noticed that they seem less puffy. My dark circles have also cleared up a bit, I don't have them too bad so this stuff just brightens up anything I have. But most importantly: I accidentally got it in my eye and there was no burning/itching/stinging/watering! It doesn't flare up my sensitive eyes!!! YAY!
You can also use this cream under makeup- I would obviously let it dry thoroughly or blot the excess, but it's nice and silky.
I totally give this a 5/5. Try it for yourselves, ladies and gents, it's fab stuff.
Friday, April 18, 2014
IMATS New York Haul!
This year I had the privilege to go to IMATS New York. Since I'm in school as an esthetician and I'm now a certified makeup artist, I knew it would be imperative in continuing my education to go to a huge trade show like IMATS to get the experience...okay who am I kidding? I was just so excited to go and grab some new makeup!
Here's the overview of what I got- I haven't used all of it yet but I can give you the general overview.
The first thing I picked up was my new Dinar airbrush machine- I'm addicted to airbrush after learning how to do it in school. It's so fun, easy and natural looking that I knew I had to add one to my kit. Here's a closeup of my beauty...
I wanted it in black or the opalescent white that they had, but being that I went on Sunday rather than Friday or Saturday, they were sold out of most of the colors, so I went with the hot pink! My other options were lime green and highlighter yellow and those were so not me.
So I tried this baby out for the first time yesterday- I was trained on a machine that my teacher manufactures so it felt a little bit different. The only difference, to be honest, was the compressor. There wasn't a dial to control air flow, it was all one strength so I didn't have to turn a knob like I do on the Dinair, but I'm totally fine with it. I got used to it really fast. I airbrushed my mom before she left for work and she loved it, and when she came home it was still on looking even and fabulous. Needless to say, I love it!
The next thing I bought was the concealer palette from Make Up For Ever. I didn't have a concealer palette in my makeup artist kit yet, so I grabbed the one that I'd heard the most about, and that had the most universally flattering colors. It has a purple concealer that is especially great at concealing yellowness in the skin, but it also has 4 very neutral shades that could work on almost any skin tone. It might be a little light for darker skin tones, but my next investment is a bigger concealer palette with more colors. You'd be surprised how hard it is to find one...the only one I've found is by BH Cosmetics.
The palette I got is for "Asian skintones" according to the Make Up For Ever website, but I have very pale skin with a reddish undertone, while my neck is a little yellowish, so if I want to correct I would need a more yellow concealer. I think it could work on just about anyone, I really, really dislike that that's how they describe the colors.
My next purchase was of course an IMATS hoodie because I know I'm going to wear it everywhere. If there's one thing I can't live without, it's a good hoodie.
And then my favorite and final purchase of the day: the Naked Cosmetics pigments. Goodness gracious, I did not expect to absolutely fall in love with a brand or a product the way I did with Naked. They explained to me that they're some of the most pure pigments imaginable, the color has no additives to dull the color or shine or the payoff of the shade. I bought two sets (the pigments come in stacks, as you can see in the top picture) and you can only buy them that way- no single color purchases. At least not at IMATS.
What I found coolest about all of these pigments was they offered multiple mixing mediums and bases. They offered a clear nail polish so you could turn your pigment into a polish, a base to turn it into a shadow, and then they showed me using them wet with just some water to make a beautiful cream shadow or liner.
The pictures I'm posting of the colors I bought are off the Naked Cosmetics website, I'm not very good at giving the colors the justice they deserve like the website did.
I picked up the Desert Sunset collection:
And the Twilight collection:
Clearly I bought a warm and a cool. Both are so highly pigmented and stunning- I had the girl at the counter test all of the colors on my hand and I so wish that I had kept swatches to show all of you. Maybe I'll do a separate review some time in the near future!
If I had to pick a favorite color it's in the Twilight collection- see that third color in the top row? Looks unsuspecting, right? It's PINK when you put it on. It's a muted grey with a PINK GLITTER. Stunning. Just so stunning.
I would love to buy some more of these, but they run $60 a collection. They were running an amazing deal at the show, though, 2 collections and the base were $60. We'll see, I'm probably going to end up ordering more because I love them so much.
I hope you enjoyed my haul, guys! If you went to IMATS, let me know what you picked up! Until next time, beauties.
The first thing I picked up was my new Dinar airbrush machine- I'm addicted to airbrush after learning how to do it in school. It's so fun, easy and natural looking that I knew I had to add one to my kit. Here's a closeup of my beauty...
So I tried this baby out for the first time yesterday- I was trained on a machine that my teacher manufactures so it felt a little bit different. The only difference, to be honest, was the compressor. There wasn't a dial to control air flow, it was all one strength so I didn't have to turn a knob like I do on the Dinair, but I'm totally fine with it. I got used to it really fast. I airbrushed my mom before she left for work and she loved it, and when she came home it was still on looking even and fabulous. Needless to say, I love it!
The next thing I bought was the concealer palette from Make Up For Ever. I didn't have a concealer palette in my makeup artist kit yet, so I grabbed the one that I'd heard the most about, and that had the most universally flattering colors. It has a purple concealer that is especially great at concealing yellowness in the skin, but it also has 4 very neutral shades that could work on almost any skin tone. It might be a little light for darker skin tones, but my next investment is a bigger concealer palette with more colors. You'd be surprised how hard it is to find one...the only one I've found is by BH Cosmetics.
The palette I got is for "Asian skintones" according to the Make Up For Ever website, but I have very pale skin with a reddish undertone, while my neck is a little yellowish, so if I want to correct I would need a more yellow concealer. I think it could work on just about anyone, I really, really dislike that that's how they describe the colors.
My next purchase was of course an IMATS hoodie because I know I'm going to wear it everywhere. If there's one thing I can't live without, it's a good hoodie.
And then my favorite and final purchase of the day: the Naked Cosmetics pigments. Goodness gracious, I did not expect to absolutely fall in love with a brand or a product the way I did with Naked. They explained to me that they're some of the most pure pigments imaginable, the color has no additives to dull the color or shine or the payoff of the shade. I bought two sets (the pigments come in stacks, as you can see in the top picture) and you can only buy them that way- no single color purchases. At least not at IMATS.
What I found coolest about all of these pigments was they offered multiple mixing mediums and bases. They offered a clear nail polish so you could turn your pigment into a polish, a base to turn it into a shadow, and then they showed me using them wet with just some water to make a beautiful cream shadow or liner.
The pictures I'm posting of the colors I bought are off the Naked Cosmetics website, I'm not very good at giving the colors the justice they deserve like the website did.
I picked up the Desert Sunset collection:
If I had to pick a favorite color it's in the Twilight collection- see that third color in the top row? Looks unsuspecting, right? It's PINK when you put it on. It's a muted grey with a PINK GLITTER. Stunning. Just so stunning.
I would love to buy some more of these, but they run $60 a collection. They were running an amazing deal at the show, though, 2 collections and the base were $60. We'll see, I'm probably going to end up ordering more because I love them so much.
I hope you enjoyed my haul, guys! If you went to IMATS, let me know what you picked up! Until next time, beauties.
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Update: Where have I been?!
Hey there beauties!
So as always here I am to apologize for going MIA for a while again. I'm in school for esthetics and actually just got my certification as a makeup artist, so I'm really working towards the dream I've always had.
I go to school full time, so it's 5 days a week, and on top of that I'm still working at LUSH 4 days a week. I've been freelancing with makeup on occasion; I just worked on set for my friend's student film and then had a mother-daughter makeup gig for the daughter's bat mitzvah.
Needless to say it's been a very busy time for me.
So here's the deal:
I want to get back into blogging. Badly. I can't really make a schedule, however I can promise one post a week rather than two like I was doing before. Also, I'm going to be doing a lot more reviewing. I wasn't getting much feedback on my series posts that I was doing (such as ingredient spotlight), so I'm going to stick with what I really love to do, being trying new product! I just went to IMATS NY on Sunday so I'm going to be doing a little haul on that later in the week.
For those of you that have stuck with me this whole time, I appreciate your patience and I'm so, so glad to be back!
So as always here I am to apologize for going MIA for a while again. I'm in school for esthetics and actually just got my certification as a makeup artist, so I'm really working towards the dream I've always had.
I go to school full time, so it's 5 days a week, and on top of that I'm still working at LUSH 4 days a week. I've been freelancing with makeup on occasion; I just worked on set for my friend's student film and then had a mother-daughter makeup gig for the daughter's bat mitzvah.
Needless to say it's been a very busy time for me.
So here's the deal:
I want to get back into blogging. Badly. I can't really make a schedule, however I can promise one post a week rather than two like I was doing before. Also, I'm going to be doing a lot more reviewing. I wasn't getting much feedback on my series posts that I was doing (such as ingredient spotlight), so I'm going to stick with what I really love to do, being trying new product! I just went to IMATS NY on Sunday so I'm going to be doing a little haul on that later in the week.
For those of you that have stuck with me this whole time, I appreciate your patience and I'm so, so glad to be back!
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Peter Thomas Roth Acne System
Hey beauties it's been a while! Sorry I've been gone, it's been a super busy holiday season filled with lots of family time, cooking, and a lot of makeup!
I'm doing a review today of the Peter Thomas Roth acne system today, because I have never in my life been so pleased with the results I got from any product. I actually looked in the mirror about 2 days into using it and started crying because of how incredible the results were.
Now, let me tell you: my skin is sensitive, normal to dry, but very, very acne prone. Lately I've been getting severe breakouts all over my forehead and next to my mouth (they say it's hormones and stress, but this has never been an issue for me. ) Up until lately I've been so lucky with how my skin behaved, but it freaked out on me this year and I was not happy about it.
I wish I would have taken before and after pictures, but it's a little late now. I've been using the kit every day for the last week, and I have to say I'm so impressed.
The picture above shows what comes in the kit, I'm religiously using 3 of the 5 products, and I also bought myself the Gentle Complexion Correcting pads.
How I'm using it all:
The Beta Hydroxy Acid Wash is my go-to morning and night to wash with. It's been working wonders and leaves my skin baby-smooth. It smells kind of nice too!
I use the correcting pads in the morning. My skin has had a lot of scarring and discoloration lately...every time I broke out it would leave behind these ugly purplish marks. I got the recommendation from a girl at the Ulta I go to, she said they did wonders on her acne-prone skin. I gave them a shot and I like how they work, they smell like peaches so that's a plus. I've noticed a significant difference in the tone of my skin- everything is starting to even out and I'm noticing a lot of the scarring going away.
On top of the wash and pad in the morning, I use my LUSH Eau Roma toner water and Gorgeous moisturizer. I adore both too much to let them go. I add my Tarte BB Cream in Fair also because it says that with the acids in these products you will most likely have a heightened risk of sunburn, so my BB cream has an SPF 20. (ALWAYS wear sunscreen! I learned the hard way with my scarring and sad skin!!)
Then at night I use the wash again! Yay!
I add the AHA/BHA clearing gel on top of that once my skin is all patted dry. It smells kind of like rubbing alcohol which I really don't like, but the results are worth it. It makes my skin feel tight but not dry, almost like it's helping to firm up my skin.
Then I do my toner and moisturizer again, and then I use the spot treatment that came in the kit as needed.
The yellow buffing beads I've been using on my body more than my face because it's too harsh to use on my face, but I do get the occasional breakout on my chest and back. Ick.
I haven't used the mattifying moisturizer because I adore the moisturizer I have, but hey, maybe one day I'll get the urge to try it and I'll let you guys know.
So my overall review: my skin has never been so soft and bright before. I know it seems intimidating because the products have pretty crazy, severe ingredients, but it worked beautifully on my sensitive skin. I had serious cystic acne around my mouth that would hurt and turn into infected whiteheads, and I was getting constant bumpiness on my forehead that no matter what would lead to blackheads, occasional whiteheads, and overall just a look I would not settle for. I noticed a difference the next day after using this system, and with extended use of about a week my skin has done a complete 180. 90% of the bumpiness is gone, whiteheads and blackheads are clearing up at rapid speed.
I completely recommend this kit to anyone and everyone that has suffered from any kind of acne. I'm such a huge fan, I'll probably never turn back. I am so, so, so overjoyed that I can finally look at my skin and say "I feel like me again"!!
I'm doing a review today of the Peter Thomas Roth acne system today, because I have never in my life been so pleased with the results I got from any product. I actually looked in the mirror about 2 days into using it and started crying because of how incredible the results were.
Now, let me tell you: my skin is sensitive, normal to dry, but very, very acne prone. Lately I've been getting severe breakouts all over my forehead and next to my mouth (they say it's hormones and stress, but this has never been an issue for me. ) Up until lately I've been so lucky with how my skin behaved, but it freaked out on me this year and I was not happy about it.
I wish I would have taken before and after pictures, but it's a little late now. I've been using the kit every day for the last week, and I have to say I'm so impressed.
The picture above shows what comes in the kit, I'm religiously using 3 of the 5 products, and I also bought myself the Gentle Complexion Correcting pads.
How I'm using it all:
The Beta Hydroxy Acid Wash is my go-to morning and night to wash with. It's been working wonders and leaves my skin baby-smooth. It smells kind of nice too!
I use the correcting pads in the morning. My skin has had a lot of scarring and discoloration lately...every time I broke out it would leave behind these ugly purplish marks. I got the recommendation from a girl at the Ulta I go to, she said they did wonders on her acne-prone skin. I gave them a shot and I like how they work, they smell like peaches so that's a plus. I've noticed a significant difference in the tone of my skin- everything is starting to even out and I'm noticing a lot of the scarring going away.
On top of the wash and pad in the morning, I use my LUSH Eau Roma toner water and Gorgeous moisturizer. I adore both too much to let them go. I add my Tarte BB Cream in Fair also because it says that with the acids in these products you will most likely have a heightened risk of sunburn, so my BB cream has an SPF 20. (ALWAYS wear sunscreen! I learned the hard way with my scarring and sad skin!!)
Then at night I use the wash again! Yay!
I add the AHA/BHA clearing gel on top of that once my skin is all patted dry. It smells kind of like rubbing alcohol which I really don't like, but the results are worth it. It makes my skin feel tight but not dry, almost like it's helping to firm up my skin.
Then I do my toner and moisturizer again, and then I use the spot treatment that came in the kit as needed.
The yellow buffing beads I've been using on my body more than my face because it's too harsh to use on my face, but I do get the occasional breakout on my chest and back. Ick.
I haven't used the mattifying moisturizer because I adore the moisturizer I have, but hey, maybe one day I'll get the urge to try it and I'll let you guys know.
So my overall review: my skin has never been so soft and bright before. I know it seems intimidating because the products have pretty crazy, severe ingredients, but it worked beautifully on my sensitive skin. I had serious cystic acne around my mouth that would hurt and turn into infected whiteheads, and I was getting constant bumpiness on my forehead that no matter what would lead to blackheads, occasional whiteheads, and overall just a look I would not settle for. I noticed a difference the next day after using this system, and with extended use of about a week my skin has done a complete 180. 90% of the bumpiness is gone, whiteheads and blackheads are clearing up at rapid speed.
I completely recommend this kit to anyone and everyone that has suffered from any kind of acne. I'm such a huge fan, I'll probably never turn back. I am so, so, so overjoyed that I can finally look at my skin and say "I feel like me again"!!
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