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? :)
Thursday, August 21, 2014
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.
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