Category: beauty

beauty · luxury

Beauty Review: Sephora Mud Mask Purifying and Mattifying

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It’s been AGES since I did a mud mask on my face. I used to use clay- and mud-based masks regularly for my oily skin, but as my life got busier, I just didn’t have as much time to wait for a mask to dry, then all of the extra time needed to rinse it off was more than I wanted to commit to . . . So I let mud masks go.

This past week, though, I had a little extra time. AND, I had a trial size of Sephora Mud Mask Purifying and Mattifying in one of the Sephora Play boxes that I ordered. So I decided to give it a whirl. My skin isn’t as oily as it used to be when I was younger, but I figured this would still be a fun treat for my combination complexion.

So shiny, so silver: it looked more like an eyeshadow than a beauty treatment

The product is described as being made with ” with zinc, copper, and white clay”, and it’s supposed to “cleanses and purifies pores, absorbs excess sebum, and reduces the appearance of blemishes without overdrying. Skin is left clean, matte, and soft after each use.” I figured that, with all of those promises, I should give it a try.

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When first applied, it’s a dark grey hue

I applied a thin layer after washing and drying my face. The consistency of the mask was smooth overall but there were a few lumps (I’m not sure if it was just my sample or if that’s how it usually looks). The smell isn’t too strong, but definitely noticeable. I let it dry for about 15 minutes.  I then rinsed off the mask: it came off easily and quickly. In fact, this is the only mask I’ve ever used that rinsed totally clean without needing a washcloth to assist in removing the product in stubborn areas.

When dry, it’s chalky white (left to right: partially dry and fully dry)

My skin felt very clean and more matte but not stripped. My skin felt very soft but balanced. I skipped my hydrogen peroxide toner and followed the remaining steps of my skin routine.

This mask retails for $20 and I would definitely purchase it and use it again. It’s difficult to find a mask that rinses clean and doesn’t strip all of the moisture out of my skin. I also liked the smell: I couldn’t pinpoint it, but it had a very clean essence that is familiar and (fortunately) not cloying. This one gets a thumbs up from me!

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Beauty Review: L’Oreal Revitalift Miracle Blur Instant Skin Smoother

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Once upon a time, I was a huge fan of L’Oreal’s Revitalift Triple Power Intensive  Overnight Mask (actually, I’m still a fan, I just need to restock for the upcoming cold months). One time, when I purchased a jar of it, I got a free sample of L’Oreal’s Revitalift Miracle Blur Instant Skin Smoother. The product – a combination of a primer and “finisher” – claims to minimize skin imperfections and leave the face smooth and velvety.

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With those claims, you know I had to try it.

So I’ve been using this for over a year, but I hadn’t done a review until now. Let me tell you that I still reach for this, after all this time, because it WORKS. Now, I’m not going to claim that it will fill every line, wrinkle or pore to perfection, but it does a great job of “smoothing” the face a bit. I’ve worn it as a finisher (with no makeup on top of it) and as a primer (as a base for my foundation), and I’ve been impressed in both instances. Particularly, I like how my foundation lasts all day when I apply it as a primer.

My face after applying this primer: a soft finish but not shine-proof

Now, here’s a warning: I didn’t find that this product kept my face matte all day when used as a primer. In fact, I am invariably blotting throughout the day when I wear it under my foundation. For full disclosure, I generally don’t wear a powder over my foundation. But, since this is supposed to be a primer that leaves your skin matte, I thought that would translated into a non-shiny face after a couple of hours. I guess my skin’s oils are just too strong. On the other hand, when I wear it as a finisher, I don’t look especially shiny.

This primer is $25 on Ulta’s website. A little product goes a long way, so it may be a good value for you. However, if you’re an oily girl, you ma want to try a product that delivers more on its mattifying promises, since this one falls short. Would I use it again? Sure, but only if I got it on sale.

Enjoy your Saturday, friends! I’ll chat with you all tomorrow.

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Skin Care Updates

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Hi everyone! I’ve been eager to do this update because it’s been a few months since I started my Glass Skin routine and I wanted to let you all know about a few changes I’ve made that have made my skin even better than before.

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So I ran out of toner and I was at a loss for what I should use on my face. Picking up Caudalie would have required a 30 minute drive and I couldn’t have even gotten to Sephora until the next day, anyway. So I used the only thing I had available: hydrogen peroxide. I used it in the evening and the following morning and I was so impressed with the look and feel of my skin that I decided to keep it in the rotation until further notice.

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CVS Hydrogen Peroxide

After doing some research, I learned that hydrogen peroxide is great for skin, especially if you’re acne prone, like me. So I’ve been using it and my skin has been loving it! It’s very inexpensive – around $1USD per bottle – and can easily be purchased at any drugstore. It’s been a great addition to my routine!

I also made a few other small modifications:

  • I don’t use an oil-based makeup remover: I use makeup remover towelettes on most days. I sometimes use coconut oil to remove stubborn eye makeup but I don’t apply it all over my face unless I have on a TON of makeup (which is rare).
  • I only use my Dr. Gross exfoliating pads a few times a week. I find that I’ve been able to stay glowing and even-toned without using them daily. The moment I notice any dullness or unevenness in my complexion, I’ll go back to using them every day.
  • Instead of the “Buffet” serum by The Ordinary, I’ve been using the Argireline solution. It’s thinner and seems to absorb really easily into my skin. I’ve been liking the results so far.

Other than those changes, my skin routine is pretty much the same! I can get everything done in less than 15 minutes at night, and my skin has been looking wonderful! I’m still trying to figure out the best way to reduce the appearance of my pores, but since my skin is oily, large pores are generally part of the deal. I’d rather have oily skin than dry skin, so if I have to just suffer through visible pores, then so be it.

That’s all for today! Talk to you all tomorrow. Take care!

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Review: Viktor & Rolf Magic Liquid Diamonds Perfume

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Happy Saturday! I hope you all are enjoying some warmer weather than what’s happening on the East Coast right now. Yes, I know it’s fall, and yes, I know that cooler temperatures are normal. That doesn’t mean that I’m excited about them, or that I even have to fully acknowledge them. . . Anyhoo, if you’re somewhere warmer than here, kudos to you.

In a recent Sephora order, I received a sample of the Viktor & Rolf Magic Liquid Diamonds perfume. Now you all know how I feel about a perfume . . . I love any and all things fragrant and sumptuous, so I eagerly tried this one out and decided to do a mini-review on it.

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The perfume is described on Sephora as ” an opulent balance of a delicate flower bouquet and velvety white musks”. The notes identified in this perfume include “fresh petit grain bigarade, green galbanum, and spicy pink pepper essence […] Bulgarian rose and ylang-ylang flower tinted with jasmine[…]”. This decidedly floral fragrance definitely has a bit of spice to it, and it dries down to a soft but warm fragrance.

I wore this and could smell it clearly on me for quite a few hours after. The sillage is pronounced with this one, too: my mother could smell it even after I had been gone for a few hours (she called me to tell me so!). Despite lingering for a while, I wouldn’t call this fragrance particularly “strong”, though I’d advise anyone wearing it to apply lightly to start, and don’t increase the applications until you confirm your preference level.

This fragrance is an investment at $190 per 2.5 ounce bottle. Also, there isn’t currently a smaller travel size at Sephora, so if you want to give this a try before buying, you’ll have to ask the staff to give you a sample. However, I like it and would consider purchasing it once I finish using some of my (MANY) bottles of perfume currently in my collection.

It’s Saturday, so if you’re making a trip to Sephora, you should check this one out. I think you’ll like it!

beauty · luxury

Review: Clinique Chubby Stick Lip Balm

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Happy Hump Day! We’re going to get over this week’s hump with a beauty review. I received the Clinique Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm in Woppin’ Watermelon last month. It was one of the items available in Sephora’s Play box from several months ago (I’m not subscribed to Play but I’ve purchase a couple of the excess Play boxes directly from the Sephora website).

This product is described as a “treat” that offers lips “mouthwatering moisture and a hint of soft shine”. The color – Woppin’ Watermelon – is a translucent bubblegum pink. It applied smoothly and indeed felt very moisturizing on my lips. Despite being a much brighter pink than I normally wear, the sheerness of the product meant that I could easily wear it alone or paired with a liner or lipstick.

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Swatch of Woppin’ Watermelon

I paired it with my trusty, cheap, dark brown lip liner and I loved the subtle way that the liner “toned down” the pink. However, I’ll likely wear this product alone, too. It looks soft and pretty: it looks great for work or play. This was in one of the summer Play boxes, which makes sense to me: the formula, packaging, and color all work well for the warm months and days at the beach.

Left – no liner; Right – with liner

Now, here’s the thing: this chubby stick retails for $18.50. My Sephora Play box was only $10, so I got a great value with my purchase. But, I can’t comfortably state that the product is worth the price. The product has barely any color and I feel that the moisturizing properties could easily be found in drugstore products that will deposit equally sheer color. If you can get this during any sales, then go for it. If not, I recommend that you pass.

That’s my brief review of the Clinique Chubby Stick Lip Balm. Have you all tried it? If so, what did you think? Let me know in the comments below!

 

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Beauty Review: Urban Decay Go Naked Perfume Oil

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***Disclaimer – this one may be hard to find, since it’s currently sold out on Sephora and Urban Decay’s websites***

I purchased the Go Naked Perfume Oil earlier this summer, as it was clearance priced on Sephora’s website. The description (as written on Urban Decay’s website) lured me in:

You don’t just look better Naked, but you even smell better Naked too. Get it on in new places with Go Naked, a limited-edition perfume oil that tucks into your purse and makes you think of sun-warmed skin and salt air on a private beach.

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Well, when you put it like that, who wouldn’t want to give this a try?

So I tried it. This immediately made me think of Maison Margiela’s Beach Walk, a perfume that I adore during the warm months. Go Naked has the same sunny, crisp notes that can be found on MM’s Beach Walk, except Go Naked is a concentrated perfume oil with (presumably) more staying power. I mean, I don’t know if I could tell the two apart if blindfolded. I’m sure there are some differences, but these are essentially the same fragrance.

I’m used to perfumes that occasionally smell similar to a scent that I’ve worn previously, but I’ve never had the scent equivalent of doppelganger quite like this one

I hope that Urban Decay brings this one back, because I really liked the smell and value of this oil. However, if I’m itching to wear a similar scent, I’ll just reach for Beach Walk.

beauty · luxury

New Fenty Beauty Products – Worth a Sephora Trip

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Happy Monday, friends! I’m planning a trip to Sephora but I decided to look on their website to get an idea of what goodies I need to check out in person. I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw the Fenty Beauty Diamond Bomb All Over Diamond Veil and the Diamond Milk Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer.

The products are GORGEOUS and I already know that I want them. However, I need to see them in person because super-shimmers aren’t always kind on my complexion. But I’m hopeful: keep your fingers crossed for me, because these are so pretty and I would hate to pass them up because they don’t flatter me.

Of course, I’ll be checking out some of the other Fenty Beauty products that I haven’t seen in person yet, like the Moroccan Spice Eyeshadow Palette. Let’s face it – Fenty Beauty can get all of my coins! Here’s a review of the Diamond Bomb and Diamond Milk products from one of favorite Youtubers, MsRoshPosh. I’m also including a review from Scarce Beauty, who I recently discovered on YouTube and I’m enjoying her reviews.

beauty · luxury

Beauty Review: BITE Champagne Discovery Set

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Happy Thursday, darlings! I’m relaxing before a hectic week and I figured I’d tell you about a product that I’ve been reaching for – consistently – over the past few days. I purchased the BITE Champagne Discovery Set a few weeks ago. I’d sampled the BITE Multistick in Cashew a while ago, so I knew that I loved the shade. However, this set seemed like a good way to get a lot of bang for my buck.

The set contains, as mentioned before, the Multistick in Cashew but also has a Lip Pencil in shade 036 and a lip gloss in Champagne. The Multistick and lip pencil are both listed as being “matte rose taupe”, while the gloss is a “metallic champagne with nude and gold”.

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Lip gloss, lip liner, and multistick

Swatch (from top to bottom: Champagne Pearl lip gloss, Multistick in Cashew, 036 lip liner), with and without flash

I tried different combinations of the multistick, gloss, and liner on my lips, but I had to add my trusted dark brown liner because, to be frank, I looked like a caricature without it. There’s something about lighter-toned lipsticks that just isn’t flattering on me. However, when blended with a deep-colored liner, the colors immediately become more wearable.

Lips filled with BITE’s 036 lip liner (no other product)

Multistick in Cashew layered over 036 liner

Multistick, lip liner, and a generous application of dark brown liner blended in (from local beauty supply store)

Same as above, but Champagne Pearl gloss in the center of the lips

Anyway, back to the products. The multistick isn’t exclusively for lips: it can be used as eyeshadow or blush. So, I applied it from lash to brow, blended lightly, threw on some gel eyeliner and mascara, and took a pic. I like it better as an eyeshadow, though it’s a nice nude (when paired with a lip liner).

Multistick as eyeshadow

The lip liner is a nice mid-toned neutral, and, to its credit, it’s a cool nude, which can be difficult to find. I love the texture and how perfectly it matches the multistick. The liner would be great for “lightening up” some of my deeper toned lip looks and making them more suitable for day wear.

The Champagne Pearl gloss smells minty and has a nice taste. The shade is very close to Extraordinary Smile, a liquid lippie that I purchased from Glow by Melodye a while back. You can see the review on Extraordinary Smile here, but I took a side-by-side pic. Champagne Pearl is a tad lighter, and has a smoother texture than Extraordinary Smile, but the lighter hue means that it will need (you guessed it) a dark liner to be more wearable. Even then, it’s giving me early 2000s vibes, so it’s a bit dated for my taste, though kind of cute in its own way. This gloss is very golden – like, really, really golden – and very shiny. This is definitely one that is more suited to evenings out on the town.

Champagne Pearl with dark brown lip liner

For comparison: Champagne Pearl by BITE on top, Extraordinary Smile by Glow by Melodye on the bottom (with flash and without flash)

So, all in all, this was a pretty versatile set. With a couple more products thrown into the mix, the colors are all extremely wearable and can easily go from day to night. I don’t think I’d purchase the set again, but I look forward to using these products and trying some more from BITE Beauty in the future.

beauty · luxury

Beauty Review: Fenty Beauty Lil Mattemoiselles Lipstick

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Happy Hump Day, beloveds! It’s time to review some beauty products because, let’s face it, we’re overdue!

Today, I’m reviewing the Fenty Beauty Lil Mattemoiselles Lipsticks. Now, I’ve reviewed Fenty Beauty twice before: first when reviewed the Killawatt Highlighter, then when I reviewed the Lil Match Stix Duo.

I’ve enjoyed all of the Fenty Beauty products that I’ve tried so far, so I was excited to give the Mattemoiselle lipsticks a try. I didn’t want to commit to the full-sized lippie (since I already have far too many lipsticks in my collection) so I got the Mini Mattemoiselles.

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The set includes two mini lipsticks, in the shades Spanked and Griselda. When Fenty Beauty first launched the lipstick line, I was immediately drawn to the intense eggplant-hued Griselda, while I wasn’t as excited about Spanked, described as a “dusty rose” on the Fenty Beauty website.

(L to R) Spanked and Griselda, with flash and without

Swatches – Griselda on top, Spanked on bottom (with flash and without)

However, being a curious soul, I wanted to give both lipsticks a chance. I was impressed with the pigment and the texture: these are matte but not drying. I loved how they glided on and how they didn’t leave my lips feeling dehydrated. My thoughts on the lipsticks are as follows:

  • Spanked is a great everyday shade, but it doesn’t flatter my complexion unless I wear a dark liner with it (blended well, of course). The color is a bit too warm for my taste, but it’s a very classy, elegant shade that works well for the office or casual looks.

Spanked with dark brown liner

  • Griselda is bold and attention grabbing: my kind of lippie! It’s also more neutral (equal amounts of warmth and coolness) so it flatters my complexion more. It can come across a bit harsh during the daytime, so I’d save this one for the evening.

Griselda – no liner needed

I hit pay dirt when I combined the lipsticks. I applied Griselda and blotted off most of the color in the center of my lip, leaving the heaviest concentration of product on the outer edge of my mouth. Then, I liberally applied Spanked in the center of my lips and blended outward, until Spanked faded into Griselda. It created a simply gorgeous, dimensional pout that works from day to night. Score!

Griselda and Spanked combined – my favorite!

All in all, I love these colors and I can’t wait to try more! Fenty Beauty has yet another hit. They always get it right the first time!

Have you all tried any Fenty Beauty products? Let me know in the comments below!

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More Beauty Reviews Coming!

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Happy Monday friends! It’s been a less-than-productive weekend (aside from working on my writing) because I had some beautiful distractions cross my path. Having my focus elsewhere was great for adding some variety to my daily routine.

But now that things are back to normal, I can get back into what matters – beauty reviews! I purchased a boatload of products that I’m dying to try out, and some overdue reviews from a while back. Yeah, I’ve been slacking a bit, but you have to forgive me: between my birthday and those previously mentioned distractions, I didn’t have much time!

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If you want to get sneak previews of some of the products I’ll be trying, be sure to follow my Instagram and see some of the goodies that will eventually make their way over to the blog. Here’s a sneak preview of the last product shipment I got:

I have some more fun posts coming this week, so stay tuned. Talk to you all tomorrow!