September 2012 Favorites!

I really can't believe that it's already October! I know everyone on the planet says that but really, this year is flying and it's time for another favorites blog! Lets get started!

Now my first favorite is probably no surprise to most people who know me and that is the Philosophy Melting Marshmallow Cream Flavored Lip Shine. I truly can't say anything bad about the Philosophy lip shines. They smell good, they taste good and they leave my lips feeling super soft. I'm still not sure why I was drawn to this one most in September because this is more of a Christmas flavor but I just loved it. With all the lip glosses I have, I constantly reached for this one and kept it in my bag at work too. Seriously, I haven't met a flavor I didn't like yet!

My next favorite is the Nails Inc. nail polish in the color Fenchurch Street. This came in a set of four and I bought the set around this time last year (I think) and this color just screams fall. It shows up a lot darker in the picture but in person it's this dark mustard-y color with an orange tint to it. I love the whole set of colors though. They're all very fall but this one was on my nails for most of September.

I don't think you can get my next favorite anymore because I got it in a value set from Sephora a while ago and that's an eye shadow quad from the Smashbox Ultimate Eyes- Hazel value set. I honestly don't even remember all the things that came in the set but this eye quad is fantastic! You get a very light, cream color shade that's a really good base and highlight, a shimmery taupe color, a wonderful shimmery, dark silver color and the most beautiful dark plum color ever with just the tiniest bit of shimmer. All these colors together create the most beautiful subtle smokey eye or you can go very neutral with just the cream shade all over the lid up to the brow bone as a base, the taupe color all over the lid and the dark plum as a liner. I have so many eye shadows but this palette was just so amazing I couldn't really use anything else.

Next, I have Origins Well Off eye makeup remover. I'll admit, I'm not terribly picky with eye makeup removers only because I always wash my face right after. The only thing I really look for in a makeup remover is that it doesn't sting my eyes. This one is so gentle and doesn't sting at all, which is wonderful. It also doesn't leave that greasy film all over your eyes that not many people like. I personally don't mind because like I said, I always wash my face right after and I always go over my eyes with my cleanser to make sure I got all the makeup off. 

This next favorite is actually a surprise favorite of mine because I honestly didn't think it would work and that's Urban Decay De-Slick Oil-Control Makeup Setting Spray. This really does make your makeup stay put all day and I'm not a big greasy mess by the end of the day. I still get a little oily throughout the day, but not as bad as before I started using this stuff. It's also very cooling on your skin when you first spray it on. I'm not 100% sure if I'll re-buy this, only because it's pretty darn expensive and it doesn't totally control my oil all day. With my makeup on the other hand, that really does last all day and that's surprising.

My last favorite is a Blending brush from BH Cosmetics. Holy cow, this is the best blending brush in my opinion. I love how fluffy it is and it does a really good job at blending eye shadows well. It's also one of the softest brushes I own. I've used brushes that have actually hurt my eyes because they were so scratchy but this one is soooooo soft and amazing!

So there you have it! Those were my favorites for September! What were some of your favorites this past month?

September 2012 Empties!

Today I'll be going over the few products I used up in September. I absolutely love reading these types of posts and watching the videos on Youtube. It's always a good feeling when you use something up, because then I use it as an excuse to buy some more! So lets get started!

The first thing I used up is my Neutrogena Body Clear Body Wash. I really like this stuff. It doesn't smell the best but it makes my skin so soft and it helps keep those reds bumps on the backs of my arms at bay. This took me a little while to go through because I'm using another body wash as well and I liked to switch it up sometimes, but this was the first one that was used up!

Next, I used up the Garnier Fructis Length & Strength Shampoo. I still have a ton of the conditioner left over, probably about half of the bottle. For some reason I always go through shampoo like crazy but conditioner lasts me a really long time. Anyways, I really liked this shampoo. It made my hair really soft and the smell of all the Garnier shampoos is uh-may-zing! 

I finally finished up my Neutrogena Ultra-Sheer Dry Touch Sunblock with SPF 55. I don't even know how long this took me to go through, but I've raved about this sunblock in quite a few of my blog posts, so you all know how much I love this. I actually just opened a new one of these this morning, so we'll see how long it takes me to go through. 

When I took the picture of the products I used up, I still had one day's worth left of the Garnier Nutristioniste Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel-Cream. I used the rest up this morning and today is the last day of September, so I had to include it in this post. I have mentioned this in a few other posts and I'm not a fan of it. I've said before that the smell of it is very overwhelming and I personally didn't think it was that good of a moisturizer. I'm glad it's empty now! 

Next, I used up The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil Facial Blotting Tissues. I think these are okay. They're basically your standard oil blotting tissue and there's nothing really remarkable about them. They're not terrible, they get the job one, but I don't use blotting tissues that much so they lasted me a very long time.

The last thing I used up is the Lash Fusion XL Mascara by Fusion Beauty(well, it really just dried up on me. Not sure if there was anything left in it). This came in one of those Sephora Lashstash boxes where you get a bunch of little mascaras to try. For me, I notice mascara doesn't really do much to my eyelashes. None of the ones I've tried have particularly lengthened or separated them. I basically look for if it doesn't flake off and that it lasts on my lashes. I have very oily eyelids and sometimes it causes my mascara to flake off and give me raccoon eyes, which isn't very attractive but this stuff really lasted for me. I would do my makeup in the morning before work and before I would take it off at night, I didn't have any smudges or flakiness so I liked it alot because of that. 

Well there you have it! I know I didn't use up that many things but I'm really going to try and go through a bunch of stuff in October so hopefully I'll have more to talk about.

What did you guys use up in September?

My Top 5 Favorite Facial Masks

I probably have said before that I love masks. Really, I'm obsessed. If I can find a mask that helps control all the oil, helps prevent breakouts and just keeps my skin looking beautiful, I'm sold 100%. Seriously, for me, finding a good mask is probably one of the best feelings in the world. None of these masks are in any particular order, they're just ones that I've used or am currently using and feel they deserve mentioning.

Okay, so I don't think I have a favorite mask of all time but the one I'm currently using, Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Carbon Mask, is pretty high up there in rank. I did a full review on it here. A quick thing I'll say about it is that it truly helps to control oil production and if I do have a little zit popping up, it's gone the day after I use this mask. Can you say amazing?

The next mask I like, but haven't used in quite a while is the Proactiv Refining Mask. I used this back when I was a teenager and had really bad acne and I absolutely loved this! It helped heal all my blemishes quickly but didn't irritate my skin, which I had and still kinda have issues with. Sometimes my skin can be so sensitive that I have to be really careful what I use. But man, this stuff did the job. It's a clay mask that has sulfur in it, which is a really good ingredient to help treat acne. I always remembered when I used it, that it made my skin so soft and my pores were a lot smaller as well.

Another really amazing mask is Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask To Clear Pores. This mask is similar to the Paula's Choice mask, but this dries a lot more and is a lot darker in color. When I use this, it feels like this mask is literally sucking out all the bad stuff from my pores. The only downside (which I guess for some people isn't really a downside) is that it dries so much, you can barely move your face or it cracks and of course someone always had to make me laugh when I had this mask on and it would crack and sometimes it hurt, but not bad. This is still an amazing mask to help clear out pores and treat acne though.

The next mask is The Body Shop Tea Tree Face Mask. I used this a lot back in my late teens to about 20 or 21. My acne wasn't terrible then, but my skin wasn't exactly clear either and this helped to smooth things out a bit and take care of breakouts. It's also pretty cool that this mask is a bright green color which I thought was so fun. For some reason, colored masks other than black or white really make me happy. Plus, the tea tree oil in it is great for treating acne.

The last mask I love is also another one from The Body Shop and it's the Seaweed Ionic Clay Mask. This is good for if you don't really suffer from breakouts, but still have oily to combo/oily skin. I've used this fairly recently withing the last couple years or so once my skin started to really clear up. The seaweed in this actually helps to balance your skin tone and helps purify and clarify the complexion (at least that's what it says on the website), and I do have to agree with that. I never really had issues with uneven skin tone or post acne marks but this definitely seemed to help make my skin more even than it was and really helped with controlling oil. 

So there you have it! Those are my top 5 favorite masks, but in no particular order. I really do think that adding a mask to your skincare routine can really help in a lot of ways. Even if you only use a mask once a week, it'll make all the difference in the world. 

What are some of your favorite masks?

HAUL! Urban Decay & Sephora

This is a collective haul. I bought the things from the Urban Decay website back in August and the stuff from the Sephora site I bought just last week. You'll notice a theme with this haul but I was so excited about the sales I got so I have to share!

My first products are from the Urban Decay website and I purchased six eyeshadows when they went on sale for $9. I'm kinda kicking myself because now they're on sale for $6, but oh well, I'm still very happy with them. (Also, sorry for not having swatches! My camera doesn't seem to pick up the color right on my skin, but hopefully these photos help a bit!)

As you can see, I bought Blunt, Sin, Sell Out, Mildew, X, and Aquarius. I'm obsessed with Sin because of the Naked Palette and for me, it's the perfect highlight color for your browbone and inner corners of the eye. I love all the other colors as well, but haven't really played around with them much. Aquarius is actually a very beautiful color with my hazel eyes. It makes them look more green than normal.

My next purchase comes from the Sephora website (yes, I love buying almost everything online!). Again, I bought more Urban Decay eyeshadows, but only because these were on sale for $6! I guess I take back the statement about kicking myself for not waiting because once I purchased these, pretty much all the colors were gone after a couple days. I also purchased a Korres Pomegranate Toner because I've been wanting to try it for a while. (Sorry again for the bad photo of the toner! I have to figure out settings on my camera)

From Sephora I bought Lounge, Last Call, Psychedelic Sister, Chopper and Smog. I have to say I can't wait to try out Lounge! It's like this duo-chrome brown shadow with a tint of green to it depending on how you hold it in the light. Smog is another color from the Naked Palette that I love to blend lightly into my crease and Chopper is my favorite color from the Naked 2 palette that I put all over my eyelid. Urban Decay never fails me when it comes to eyeshadows and I know I'm definitely going to pick up some more in the future! As for the toner, we shall see how I like it as I will probably have a review on it later on.

So that's my little haul for you guys! I have bought some more things between these things so if you want to see a haul post on them, please let me know! These were just the super exciting things I bought ;) 

I'll see everyone later!

My Nighttime Skincare Routine

Today I'm going to be going over my nighttime skincare routine. Some people may think I use a lot of products but this is how I've been doing my routine since I was a teenager so I'm used to a lot of steps. So lets get started! 

First I start off with my Juice Beauty Blemish Clearing Cleanser. I'm still on the fence with if I like it or not. It's very liquidy which I don't particularly care for, but I can get it to foam up alright. I have had this cleanser for quite a while so I don't remember if when I bought it, it was a thicker consistency or not. It's an okay cleanser though. Doesn't smell too bad and rinses off nicely. I haven't noticed if it's helped with any blemishes I've gotten and I probably won't repurchase, although I do love other Juice Beauty products. I use this when I'm in the shower, sometimes with my Clarisonic as well. 

After my cleanser, I follow up with The Body Shop Aloe Calming Toner. I absolutely love this cleanser and I have no idea how many I've repurchased over the years. This toner will be replacing my tea tree toner soon that I use in the morning because of the changing weather and this definitely keeps my skin more hydrated in the cooler months. I think I've mentioned before that there are only six ingredients in this, so in my opinion, there is no reason for this to have any kind of bad reaction on your skin. It is a very basic toner, so if you like more bells and whistles, you might not like this. Another really nice thing I found is if you stick it in the fridge, it feels amazing when you put it on a cotton pad to rub on your face, especially if you've gotten sunburned. I think this will be a staple in my skincare routine for a long time.

After I put on my toner, I use Paula's Choice 2% Beta Hydroxy Acid Lotion. This stuff is particularly good of you suffer from super clogged pores and blackheads like I do. It also comes in a gel and liquid form depending on what skin type you have. Now I know the lotion says it's for dry skin on the website, but I bought this when my skin was going through a dry spell, but I just want to use it up because I hate wasting product. I have to say, since I started using this, my skin has gotten a lot softer and my blackheads have diminished quite a bit as well. I'm always going to have blackheads no matter what I do, but as long as I can control them a bit, I'm okay with that.

Now for the next step, I actually mix these two products together. They are The Body Shop Aloe Protective Serum and Tea Tree Blemish Fade Night Lotion. I just put half a pea sized blob on my hand of each, rub my hands together and put all over my face, neck and chest. With all lotions, serums and creams I use, I always bring them down my neck and chest because you have to take care of that skin too. I am in love with the aloe serum. It's got no smell and it really helps calm down any redness I get. The blemish lotion I like, but I don't love it. I love the smell of tea tree in general, but this product has an overwhelming tea tree smell. Sometimes, I'll even skip the tea tree lotion and just use the serum. I do like that this lotion hasn't done anything bad to my skin though. It hasn't broken me out and it's not overly heavy, but it is definitely a night lotion like the name says. 

Lastly, I use The Body Shop Vitamin E Eye Cream. This is a very simple, but nice eye cream that helps hydrate my eyes when they're feeling a little dry. I definitely prefer a heavier eye cream at night to help hydrate and protect the skin around my eyes as I sleep. Even if you have oily facial or eye skin, I always say use some heavier products at night because they'll help keep your skin nice and it heals and protects your skin better than lighter products would. That is my opinion though and what I've noticed for my skin. Some people may break out from using heavier products, so just be careful.

There you have it! That's my night time skincare routine that I'm currently using. Definitely by the time it gets colder outside, my routine will change so I'll be doing an updated routine probably in a few months. Talk to you all later! :)

Review: Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Carbon Mask

Today I'm going to be talking about one of my favorite masks and that is the Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Carbon Mask. Paula's Choice products are really good especially for the price. You can find her stuff on her website and there is skincare, makeup, body care and a bunch of other stuff. She also has books out called Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me in various editions. I am totally obsessed with those books because I love hearing what she has to say about different products.

As you can see, the packaging is very, very simple. I don't mind that because I've used a bunch of her other products and they are amazing, so simple, understated packaging is fine with me as long as the products work. Here's the description of this product that's on the back of the bottle, "Skin Balancing Carbon Mask absorbs excess oil and purifies the skin using a unique blend of clay and carbon (charcoal). This silky light, glycerin-rich formula with anti-inflammatory agents cools without any irritation, and rinses away easily. Your skin is left feeling incredibly soft and perfectly balanced." I agree with this 100%! My skin always feels amazingly soft after I use this and my pores are a lot smaller. I also notice that it helps shrink up any blemishes I might have too.

This is what the product looks like spread on the skin. It's a very dark gray, almost black color and it also smells to me, kinda like sulfur but that has to be the carbon I'm smelling. It's not a terrible smell though. You leave a thick layer all over your face and neck and leave on for 10-15 minutes to dry. I leave it on for 15 minutes to get the best effect. It says to rinse thoroughly with tepid to warm water, but I always take it off with a washcloth first then rinse with lukewarm water to get the rest off. This mask is made for normal to oily/combination skin so if you have dry skin, I wouldn't recommend using this. Paula's Choice has many different products depending on what your skin type is. This 4 ounce container costs $15. 95 but you can also buy a sample packet for 80 cents to test it out if you don't want to buy the full size. $15.95 is definitely a good price considering the container I'm using now has lasted me for a long while, and I try to use this at least once a week

After I rinse everything off and pat my skin dry, I follow-up with my toner, treatment, moisturizer and eye cream. When I wake up in the morning after using this mask, my skin is very greasy but I don't care because when I wash my face, my skin is soooooo soft! 

Paula's Choice products are definitely worth a try, especially because they're not too pricey, yet they're very effective. So check out the website and give them a try! I hope everyone has a nice day! 

My Morning Skincare Routine

Hi Everyone! The weather has been really beautiful lately which is why I haven't posted in a while but today I wanted to share with you guys my current morning skincare routine. As of right now, my skin hasn't been too finicky with what I've been using so I'm very happy with this routine! So, lets get started.

Now the first thing I do in the morning after I wake up is my skincare routine. For some reason, I just can't stand not washing my face right after I wake up. It feels so good washing off all the oil and grease that's built up overnight and the cleanser I've been using as my morning cleanser for I wanna say about a year now, is the Aveeno Ultra-Calming Foaming Cleanser. I've read that this cleanser is mainly for dry skin, which baffles me because in my opinion, it would make dry skin even drier. I just love how gentle it feels on my skin and it doesn't strip my skin either. It just makes it feel clean and soft.

Next, I use The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Toner. I know I've mentioned this in a blog post before but I wanna say again how wonderful this stuff is! It leaves my skin feeling soft and matte, which really helps control the oil on my face. I will have to retire this toner in a few weeks because of Fall approaching and I'll have to use something a bit more moisturizing as this usually makes my skin too dry during the colder months. I can't wait to bring it back into my routine when Spring arrives again though!

After toner, I use the Garnier Nutritioniste Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel-Cream. Okay, now I know I've said before that this isn't the best moisturizer and I'm gonna say it again. It's not that good in my opinion. I don't care for all the fragrance it has either. It smells too much like perfume to me. It's almost gone which I'm happy about because then I can use something I know I'll like better. I know you're probably wondering, "why use it if you don't like it?" The answer is because I hate feeling like I'm wasting product if it's just gonna sit there but it's not absolutely terrible either. It hasn't broken me out at all and it keeps my skin somewhat moisturized. Unfortunately, I do have another one of these in my closet to use up, but I won't use it again until it gets warmer outside.

Once my moisturizer has settled into my skin a bit, I put on my favorite eye cream of all time, which is The Body Shop Vitamin C Eye Reviver. If you've read my All About Eye Creams blog post, you know I raved about this stuff there. It truly is the best eye cream I've ever used and I'm very sad they decided to discontinue making it. They made another version of it but to me it just doesn't compare. Check out my eye cream post to learn a little more about it. 

Now this is the most important part of my skincare routine. I use the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch Sunblock in SPF 55. I've said before how pale I am which is why I use such high SPF and I know I've raved about this sunblock in plenty of my posts. It feels very light on my skin, has a light, fresh scent and doesn't make me greasy! Which by the way, is a total miracle for me. I absolutely love this sunblock and the only way I'll use a different one is if I totally run out of this and can't go out to buy a new one. 

There you have it. That is my current morning skincare routine. It will be changing as the seasons change because my skin is fussy like that, so I'll definitely do updated routines later on. Have an awesome day and I will talk to everyone later! :)