My Top 5 Masks for Oily & Blackhead Prone Skin

If you're a regular reader of the blog, you know I typically have very oily skin that is prone to blackheads. My skin changes a bit when cooler weather comes along to a little more dry, yet the blackheads are there no matter what. I have a few of my favorite masks to share with you that help to keep oil and blackheads under control, and I hope they can help you as well!

I'm not putting these in any order, because I love them all equally, but if you want some serious oil and blackhead control, the Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay is seriously amazing! It's just this powder that you can add either water or apple cider vinegar to, and make a mask out of it. I tend to use apple cider vinegar, and it does leave my skin a bit red for a while, so if you have sensitive skin, use water instead. I get this from Amazon, and it's super inexpensive, and will last ages.

Another favorite, though expensive, is the Glamglow Supermud Clearing Treatment. I much prefer this mask to their Youthmud mask, since it makes my skin feel so incredibly soft and look nearly poreless. This is a deluxe sample, but the 1.7 ounce is $59. They now have a 3.5 ounce for $79 as well. 

A mask that I've loved for years is the Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask. Charcoal is amazing at clearing out pores, and feels less harsh to me than other ingredients used to fight acne and oil. 

Paula's Choice is a brand I absolutely adored way before it became popular. Their Skin Balancing Oil Absorbing Mask is incredible at making my skin feel super clean, pores are minimized, and it doesn't irritate my skin like other purifying masks can. 

The last mask that is great for my skin is the Caudalie Instant Detox Mask. I don't know what it is about this mask, but my skin just loves it. It's got Lactic Acid, which was great when I was pregnant, and it cleared up my skin and made it really soft. It does leave some redness, but it goes away after about an hour. 

Do you have any favorite masks?

My Top 15 Favorite Beauty Products of 2015

*Post contains affiliate links*

Hey everyone! I know this post is probably a bit late for most of you, but I still wanted to share with you all my 15 favorite beauty products of 2015. They're in no kind of order and I loved everything pretty much equally. 

First, I have to talk about eyeshadows. My favorite palette of 2015 has got to be the Kat Von D Shade + Light Eye Palette. Every color is amazing, and you get warm, cool and neutral toned matte shadows in one palette. It's a hooded eyed person's dream, and even though I'm more of a neutral/cool lover, I do appreciate the warm shades as well. I did a review of this here if you wanted to check it out! I had to also give some love to Make Up Geek Eyeshadow singles. For just $6 each, these shadows are such amazing quality, and they may be all you really need if you're just getting started in makeup. All of the ones I have are shown in the picture, but I definitely need to add more to my collection. They're pigmented, buttery smooth, and blend onto the eyes nicely. 

Next up is the Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay. I did a review here, and I have to say, this mask is probably my favorite mask that makes my pores look invisible. You can mix it with either water or apple cider vinegar (it works better with ACV for me personally), and you leave it on for up to 20 minutes depending on how sensitive your skin is. I do get redness from this mask, but since I use it at night, it doesn't bother me. This is a miracle worker if I feel like my pores are super clogged and nothing else is helping them. You need this if you have pores that clog easily, and it's super cheap as well. 

Oh Batiste Dry Shampoo, how I love thee! Honestly guys, I will never buy another brand of dry shampoo as long as I live. I've gotten others in the past that don't work nearly as well as Batiste does, and everytime I've strayed, I've been disappointed. Batiste is my one true love in keeping my hair feeling and looking clean, even if I've gone about 4 days without washing it. I also did a review of this here quite a long time ago.  

Who can live without a Beauty Blender? I can't! I honestly don't know where I was or what I did before this little pink egg-shaped sponge came into my life. This has changed my foundation/concealer routine in so many positive ways that when I I try to use a brush or even my fingers, it just doesn't work! There is something truly special about this sponge, and completely worth the $20 price tag. Any dupes out there are not the same, including the Real Techniques sponge. I used to like that, but they've changed the texture of it and it's awful. 

If I ever have issues with removing my makeup, Bioderma always comes to my rescue. Yes, this seems like just regular water in a fancy bottle, but there is magic in this water! It removes every last bit of makeup from my eyes and face without irritation. I've said this before, but no makeup remover has ever done what Bioderma does for me. It's incredible and it's surprisingly not that expensive. I purchased mine off of the Beautylish website, but you can also find it on Amazon. I did a review of this here! 

You all are probably so tired of me talking about The Body Shop Aloe Calming Toner, but this is still my all-time favorite toner, and I have yet to find something better. There are under 10 ingredients in this, feels great on my skin, and preps it well for serums and moisturizers. I always have backups of backups in my stash. 

The Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder was something I had been wanting to try for well over a year. Every beauty YouTuber raves about it, so I gave in and splurged. They must've been on to something because this is an amazing setting powder! I have oily skin and for some reason it helps keep me more matte, and it's a wonderful setting powder for under the eyes. I feel like this is just such a versatile powder that anyone can use, whether you have oily, dry or combo skin. You get a ton of product as well, so I feel it's worth the price. 

The Tangle Teezer was another product that I had heard about for quite a few years. I felt it was completely overpriced for a hair brush, but fell into the hype anyway. The first time I used it after I had washed my hair is when I knew what the hype was about. I have very fine hair that gets knotty and tangled very easily, that sometimes even combs would snag my hair. The Tangle Teezer just glides right through and gets all the tangles out without hurting. My husband was even interested after I kept telling him how amazing it was and he started using mine to brush out his beard. I ended up buying his own, and he absolutely loves it. Even though I have fine hair, I do feel like people with thick hair can use it was well.

You all know how much of a lip balm freak I am, and my all-time favorite has to be the Lip Butters from The Body Shop. You only need the tiniest amount to make your lips feel soft and moisturized, and one little jar lasts for ages. I love this Sweet Lemon scent that I'm currently using, but my favorites have to be the Shea and Coconut scents.They do leave a little bit of a white cast on your lips, but I only use these at night as my lips dry and crack the worst at that time. 

Every product I try from Bite Beauty, I fall more in love with the brand. The product pictured is the Luminous Creme Lipstick Duo in the shades Date and Fig. These duos are only around during the holiday's I believe, but they do have many single shades available. If I could've, I probably would've put every Bite Beauty product I own in this post, and I know you have things to do rather than sitting on my blog all day. The Luminous Creme formula is just incredible. It feels nice on the lips, and it's just a good quality lipstick. These duos don't cost much either, just $12 or $14. 

I have two mascaras that practically blew my mind this year. A little while ago, I was given the chance to try out the Covergirl Super Sizer Mascara. I used to really like the mascara in the orange tube, but hadn't used much from the brand in many years. Trying this mascara has changed my opinion on the Covergirl brand, and now I'm tempted to go out and buy a ton of their makeup. This mascara gives me amazing volume and length, and it looks good all day long. It's probably my current favorite drugstore mascara. I do have a review on this here. I also had to put the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara in my favorites. If you want volumized lashes that look fake, this is your mascara. I get a bit of length from this, but the volume I get is like nothing I've ever gotten from a mascara before. I used up a full sized tube around the end of 2015, so this is a deluxe size that came with the Stardust palette. For a high end mascara, this is definitely my favorite, and there is a review here!

Another lip product that was a surprising favorite is the Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks. I have a few of these now and the shade pictured above is Outlaw. I was so on the fence with wanting to try liquid lipsticks because my lips are already dry, and I always heard that liquid lipsticks were very drying. While I don't feel like this is hydrating by any means, it's not as drying as I thought it was going to be. The colors available are so gorgeous, highly pigmented, and they stay on and don't budge once they're set. I definitely see myself picking up a few more colors in this line. 

The last product I have pictured is an Airbrush Blending Crease Brush by it Cosmetics. Again, I'd put the whole entire brush line in this post if I could, because they're that good. I don't think I've ever felt softer brushes before. I have quite a few different it Cosmetics brushes, but this crease brush is my favorite. It applies and blends out shadows like a dream, and I find myself playing with these brushes because of how soft they are. Seriously, go to an Ulta and have a feel for yourself. I promise you won't be disappointed! 

Those were my favorites from 2015! Let me know in a comment what some of your favorites were in the last year. I'll need some inspiration when my spending ban is over ;)

March 2015 Favorites!

Hey guys! It's time for me to show what products I've been loving in March. I was so sick yesterday when I wanted to get this post up, but it's only the 2nd, so no big deal really. Anyways, lets see what products I have to share. 

The first product is the Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay, which I already did a review on here. If you already read the review, you know how much I love this stuff! It makes my skin look and feel so nice and it's probably my favorite mask I've ever used. Also, it's super inexpensive too!

Next up is the Hard Candy Glow all the Way Ombre Baked Blush in the shade Punch, which I did a review on here. That's a mouthful of a name, but it's an awesome blush! I love the shade on my fair skin, but in my review I did say it doesn't last through a full work day. I don't mind that personally, but for only $7, it's not a huge deal to me.

The Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stain in the shade India Intrigue has been my go-to colorful lip shade. It hasn't really felt like Spring yet here, so I wanted to add a bit of color to my makeup, and this is great. It's a beautiful berry-ish pink shade and I love it. I have a few of these and did a review on another shade called Barcelona Nights in September of last year.

Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper, where have you been all my life?! You guys, this makes eyeliner so stinkin' easy, and I'm still a newbie with eyeliner. I usually hate putting it on, mainly because I suck at it, but this eyeliner is amazing. I can do a wing without messing up, and that's saying something. I'm thinking of doing a review on this soon. 

The last two products have been my go-to neutral lip when I wasn't using the Revlon stain. The first product is the NYX lipstick in the color Ceto. I'm pretty sure I got this in a previous Ipsy bag and initially wasn't impressed. However, when I top it off with the Starlooks lip gloss in the shade Guilty Pleasure, it makes a beautiful combination! I also think I got the gloss in an Ipsy bag and again, wasn't too impressed. It just goes to show you can't really judge something until you try it!

What products have you been loving?

Review: Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay

Hey everyone! Today I'm going to be reviewing the Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay, which has been a part of my routine off and on for about a year. I can't believe I haven't done this review sooner, as I am a big fan!

Here is a description of the product taken from Amazon:

Indian healing clays have been used for centuries to beautify and refresh when used as a facial mask. Cleopatra used clay from the Nile River and the Arabian Desert over 1800 years ago, as part of her beauty ritual. German and roman spas have been using clay packs and treatments in the spas they built 4,000 years ago. Many of these spas still exist and use clay even today. Pliney the elder devoted an entire chapter of his "natural history" to the many uses of clay for pimples, black heads and skin tightening. Many famous naturopaths, such as kuhn, just and kneipp have contributed to the revival of the uses of clay through their natural treatments for arthritis and skin ailments. Aztec Indian healing clay- a brief history - the world’s most powerful facial and the use of clay with apple cider vinegar can be dated back to the southern French priest of the16th century, kneipp, and his natural treatments using clay packs and poultices. Throughout history, the use of clay, specifically green clay or bentonite, is well documented. To learn more about clay, look for "our earth our cure" by Raymond Dexteit, translated by Michel Abehsera in your local health food store or book store. Aztec secret Indian healing clay is bentonite clay from Death Valley, California, where it is sun- dried for up to six months in temperatures that sometimes reach 134 degrees. 

This stuff literally looks like dirt, but it's magical dirt! All you have to do is mix equal parts of the clay with apple cider vinegar, spread it on your face, let it dry for 5-10 minutes if you have sensitive skin, or 15-20 minutes for normal skin. I have sensitive skin and can leave it on for 10 minutes. You can also mix this with water, but it gets pretty clumpy and doesn't spread as easily. When I have this on my face, I can feel it tighten alot, but in a good way! It can get pretty tingly too because of the vinegar, and the smell can be pretty pungent. I personally don't mind it as it really helps clean out my pores and controls oil. It's pretty darn messy too, so what I do is put some of the clay and vinegar in a small bowl and mix it that way. I then use a small foundation brush to wipe it over my skin.

My face after it's been on for about 5 minutes

After time is up, I recommend cleaning it off with a warm washcloth and then rinsing any excess off with warm water. I also should say that this can have the potential to clog pipes, so once it's completely rinsed off, put your water faucet all the way on hot and let it run down the drain for a little bit. That seems to do the trick for me. Anyways, once this is all rinsed off and my face is dried, I have pretty red skin for about an hour after using this. If you have sensitive skin like I do, only use this mask at night for that reason. I either then follow up with a hydrating mask, or just a ton of serum/moisturizer. Anything I use on my face after using this mask sinks right into my skin. When I wake up in the morning, my face looks so pretty! My pores look so much smaller, my skin looks calmer, and if I have any breakouts, they're completely gone. 

This product is seriously a miracle worker in my opinion! I'm a mask junkie, and I've used a bunch of different ones. I can safely say this is probably my favorite mask I've ever used to help clear out my pores. It's also super inexpensive too. This whole 1 pound container only costs $9.42, and it's also the #5 product in Beauty on Amazon. If that doesn't tell you it's good, I don't know what does!

Would you try, or have you tried this mask?

October 2014 Favorites!

Hello everyone! October is officially over, which means it's time to talk about the products I was loving last month. I have to say, I'm very happy with the products I've been trying out lately, so lets get into it!

Now I know mouthwash may seem like an odd favorite to some, but this stuff is seriously amazing! The Crest Pro-Health Multi-Protection mouthwash is great. It's alcohol free which for me is the best because other mouthwashes burn the heck outta my mouth. This makes my mouth feel so clean and fresh after I use it and I probably won't go to anything else. This is by far the best mouthwash I've ever used. Hubby likes it too :)

Next up is the Suave Keratin Infusion Color Care Shampoo and Conditioner. Since coloring my hair a burgundy/auburn color, I really wanted to make sure I'm taking care of it properly and not having the color fade like crazy. I have had some fading in my hair, but it's not bad to where it looks horribly faded, it's more of a natural looking fade, if that makes sense. Anyway, I love how this combo makes my hair feel and look. Plus, it smells amazing and it's super inexpensive at Walmart.

Now for some skincare. I've had this Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay for quite a while now and have only used it a small handful of times. When I tell you this stuff is intense, I mean it! You take equal parts clay and add either water or apple cider vinegar, mix it up and apply to the skin. You can use it on your face or body, which is pretty neat! I've been loving this for my face because it really helps with breakouts and large pores, and it just smooths everything out wonderfully. I follow this mask up with the GlamGlow Hydrating mask and it's a match made in mask heaven. My skin looks gorgeous after them!

Now we have a new toner I've been trying out and it's the Peter Thomas Roth Aloe Tonic Mist. You all know how much I love The Body Shop's Aloe Calming Toner, but I had this in my stash and wanted to use it first before I bust open one of those. I have to say, I'm impressed with this! I actually spray a bunch onto a cotton pad and apply it that way. I notice if it gets near my eyes, they tend to sting a little for some reason, so applying it with the cotton pad gives me more control. Otherwise, this toner feels great on the skin and preps it well for serums and moisturizers. 

This wouldn't be a favorites if I didn't include something from The Body Shop! Their Aloe Protective Serum is amazeballs! I'm pretty sure I've included this in a favorites post before, but I love mixing some of this into my morning moisturizer for extra hydration. My skin can tell that it's getting cooler, therefore it's starting to dry out. This gives me the extra hydration I need without feeling too heavy or too light. I have so many backups of this, so I'm stocked for a while.

Lastly, we have makeup! First up is the much talked about Lorac Mega Pro Palette. I did haul it here, and a Fall look here featuring this palette. I think this is so beautiful and has so many amazing colors. I wasn't going to get this at first, but I got sucked in and had to have it. I'm so glad I bought it because I know I'll get so much use out of it! My one and only gripe is that it's fallout central and kicks up alot of powder as you dip your brush in.

Lastly, we have two of the Too Faced Melted lipsticks that came in the Melted Kisses set from the Sephora Friends & family haul I did here. I remember saying in that post that I wanted to try some of these but didn't want to spend the money on a full sized one. I saw the set online and figured it would be a great way to try 4 different colors. I have not tried the other two yet, but the ones pictured above, Melted Nude and Melted Peony are fantastic! The color payoff is great and they last a long time on the lips for me. I am tempted to buy some full sized ones, but I doubt I will because there is enough product in these for me to like them and not get tired of them. 

What were you loving in October?

Beauty Haul! Featuring BH Cosmetics, Rite Aid, Ulta & More!

Hey everyone! Taking pictures of this haul make me realize I got alot more than I thought! Since I did pick up quite a few things here over the past couple months, I think it's time for a spending ban. I'm giving myself til August 1st, which is just under 3 months. Anyways, lets see what damage I did! ;)

First up is BH Cosmetics! I haven't purchased anything from BH since September of 2012, so I decided it was time for me to buy a few things. The first product I really had my eye on was the Galaxy Chic Baked Eyeshadow Palette. I saw all the prettiness that was inside this palette when it first came out and knew it had to be mine one day! Also, I didn't take any pictures of inside the palettes I bought, so if you'd like to see a full review on anything please let me know!

The next product I purchased is the It's Judy Time Limited Edition Eyeshadow Palette. When I heard that Judy from It's Judy Time on YouTube was making her own palette, I was a bit skeptical honestly. I didn't think it was going to be that special, but when she featured it in one of her videos, I oohed and ahhed throughout the whole video! I'm super excited that I was able to get my hands on this since it is supposedly limited edition. 

I had been thinking about getting some new brushes for my collection and saw this 11 piece Pink-A-Dot Brush set and thought it was adorable! I haven't used these yet, I even still have to wash them, but they seem incredibly soft and good quality. 

BH had this promotion where if you spent $15, you had your choice of one of the three California Palettes for only $4.50! I decided on the San Francisco Palette, as it seemed to be the most neutral. The other two were just not my style. I even did a little searching online and found  10% off code to use on this purchase and saved an extra almost $6! So, basically I got this little palette for free! Plus, I also use Ebates, so I got some cash back as well. Can't beat that! Ebates is awesome! If you do alot of online shopping like I do, you link your PayPal account to your Ebates account, and everytime you shop online, you click the Ebates button and you automatically get a certain percentage of cash back, which really comes in handy!

Next up, I have one item I purchased from Amazon. This is the Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay. I had gotten an email from Amazon recommending some products to try and this was one of them. I have incredibly large pores that get super clogged really easily so I'm hoping this does something for me. It was also pretty inexpensive as well.

I was at Walmart with my husband and mother-in-law one day and while they were getting what they wanted, I pretty much stayed in the beauty area. Maybelline is probably my favorite drugstore brand, and they had a $2 off coupon if you bought two products so I picked up their newest mascara, Pumped Up Colossal in the Glam Black color and a Master Hi-Light Blush in the color Pink Rose. I've been hearing good things about these blushes so I'm excited to try it. Haven't heard much yet about the mascara, but I do have high hopes as they are my favorite brand for mascaras, usually.

Next up is Rite Aid! I was able to get to a Rite Aid when a few of the brands there were 40% off so I kinda went a little crazy! I ended up getting two of the Maybelline limited edition Eyestudio quads in Taupe Tease and Take It Off. If I'm not mistaken, these quads are part of their Spring nude line, but don't quote me on that. Love these quads and I want them all!

Wet N' Wild was not on sale, but I had a $1 off coupon on any of their products so I picked up one of their limited edition 8-pan palettes in Flirting at the After Party. I was so torn on either this one or the other neutral one they have but decided on this since I have so many neutrals in my collection. I've already used this once and I do like it, but I'm not in love with it. 

L'Oreal was also 40% off so I picked up their Voluminous Butterfly Mascara in the Blackest Black shade and a Colour Riche Eyeshadow quad in Cupa Joe. I always hear that there are MAC dupes in this palette, but I'm not a MAC girl so I can't say for sure. I'm super excited to try the mascara because I've heard some pretty good things about it!

Some time after Rite Aid's 40% off sale, Ulta had a 40% off sale on certain brands. Physician's Formula is rarely on a good sale and I really wanted to try their Eye Booster 2-in-1 Lash Boosting Eyeliner + Serum. Anything that claims it can boost my lashes instantly, I'm all over. I've been very curious to try this and I'm excited to see if it lives up to that claim. 

Of course I had to get me some more Maybelline! Since they were also 40% off, I picked up another one of the Instant Age Rewind Dark Circles Eraser, but this time I got the Brightener shade. I typically use the fair shade, but this one is a tad bit lighter therefore it makes my undereyes seem brighter. I now have quite a few backups of this stuff so I'm set for a while. 

I also wanted to try out their Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer in the Ivory shade. They were sold out of the one I actually wanted, but this seems light enough to have a brightening effect on my pale skin. 

I also wanted to pick up another Elixir Gloss and I got the color Signature Scarlet. I already have tried this and it's really pretty! It's not orange at all and is almost the perfect red for me. I have a hard time finding a red that suits me because I'm so pale and my skin is already pretty red, but this one is nice! I definitely want to pick up more of these babies!

These last products I purchased where I work! I've realized that I mentioned me working in retail but I never said specifically where. Not sure why, I guess maybe I thought I wasn't allowed to say where I work, but it's not like I'm giving the specific store I work in. Anyways, I actually work at Macys! Twice a year, Macys has their Friends & Family event. During that time, they have employee appreciation where instead of receiving our regular discount, we get 30 or 40% off of cosmetics and fragrances depending on the brand. This is really the only time I'll buy skincare or makeup there because hey, a girl likes a good deal! 

Now I have two separate pictures because I made two separate purchases within that Friends & Family period. My first purchase was the Origins GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream. I have quite a few samples of this and just love it, but I thought I remembered having a full size already, yet I can't find it to save my life. I decided to just buy another one since with all my discounts, I only paid about $13. This product costs $30 without tax, so I think that's a good deal! I love the girl who works at the Origins counter and she said since I was buying skincare, I got some deluxe samples of the Checks and Balances face wash, Make a Difference Plus Treatment and a GinZing Eye Cream! I love samples, so I was thrilled. 

Hence the reason for me making another purchase! I had read alot about the GinZing Energy- Boosting Moisturizer, but was afraid to try it because I thought maybe it would be too thick for my oily skin. I tried it out first, and am actually happy to report it's a gel like consistency that isn't very thick at all, but still feels nice on the skin! For my samples, I picked A Perfect World Antioxidant Cleanser, and another Make A Difference Plus and GinZing Eye Cream. With all my discounts, I only spent a little under $9 for a product that's normally $26.50.

Since I was on an eye cream kick, I decided to buy one of my favorite night time eye creams, and that's Clinque's All About Eyes. I purchased the larger size that typically retails for $50, but they do have a smaller one that's half the size for $30. The larger size to me is a better deal, plus you don't need to use alot at all. With all my discounts, I ended up paying about $16. Not bad! I usually don't buy this much during the employee appreciation, but I wanted to stock up on things I wanted so I won't have to later on. 

I hope you all enjoyed this haul! It'll probably be my last one for a while unless I run out of things I need, which I don't really expect to happen anytime soon lol

Have you purchased any beauty products lately?