January 2013 Favorites!

It's time for another favorites post, and another very small one at that. This past month I didn't have too many things that stood out to me, and with my 3 month no-buy in progress, I can't buy and test out new products. (Only 63 more days until my no-buy is over!) Anyways, I did have a few things that I really enjoyed, and two of the products are repeat favorites!

The first product I loved this past month is the Dr. Jart Water Fuse Beauty Balm SPF 25++ (not sure what the ++ is but it's in the name and I wanted to write the whole name). There were a few days where my skin was kinda going crazy and wanted a little more coverage and this did the trick. It only comes in one shade but it actually works well with my fair skin when I blend it in properly. It also feels very light on my skin too which is nice because I hate feeling like I'm wearing a mask. 

The next product is a repeat favorite from my December favorites post, and it's the Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder. Again, this stuff is amazing! it's the best setting powder I have tried and it definitely keeps my skin matte longer than I'm used to. It doesn't keep it matte all day long, but at least 4 or 5 hours which for me is pretty darn amazing since my skin can be an oil slick. I get the translucent color because I'm whiter than Casper.

Next up is another repeat from my October favorites and it's the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Treatment Concealer and mine is the color Fair. This stuff is basically a miracle for my dark under-eye circles. I get my dark circles from my dad (thanks dad!) and I wanna cover them up as best as I can and this does a pretty darn good job. I look so much more awake and less zombie-like when I have this on.

My next favorite is the Real Techniques Stippling Brush. This brush is amazing for putting on blush. I had bought this originally for putting on B.B. cream and tinted moisturizer but I didn't like how this brush applied them so I decided to try it for blush and I'm super impressed with how it applies and blends any blush I've tried.

My last favorite is Urban Decay's Vice Palette! I mentioned in another post that my dad got this for me as a surprise gift, and I'll definitely be doing a full review on it once I test it out some more. I used this a few times this past month and I'm totally in love! But I love anything Urban Decay puts out. Anyways, I had been lusting after this since the day it came out and I'm just so excited I have this now! The colors are so beautiful and of course very pigmented and you can do so many different looks with this palette. There is some fallout with some of the more sparkly shades, but that's expected. Like I said, I'll be doing a full review on it probably sometime in the next few weeks. Many thanks to my dad for this wonderful surprise! Love you!

So there you have it! I know it wasn't alot, but these products are amazing and I felt they deserved mentioning. If you want to see a review of any product here, please let me know!

Review: The Body Shop Seaweed Ionic Clay Mask

Hi everyone! Today I'm going to be doing a review on another The Body Shop product, and it's the Seaweed Ionic Clay Mask that's for combination/oily skin. I've been using it about once a week for about a month or so now and I think it's time I give my opinion on it, so lets get into it!

I've used a few masks from The Body Shop, and this one is probably not my favorite. Here's a description from the website: "Best if you want to: Detoxify and deep cleanse your skin with a weekly mask that uses natural ionic clay action to draw out impurities and control excess oil." I will say, this does control oil very well, almost too well. The fifth ingredient is denatured alcohol, which dries out the skin. It's not the best ingredient to use on your skin, especially if you have sensitivity, which I do. I put this on and everytime without fail, it burns. It sort of feels like I put acid on my skin, but not quite that bad. That was probably a bad way to describe how it feels on my skin, but it just burns. It does, however, really clear up your skin! Seriously, I've been battling a little bit of acne lately and when I use this mask, it dries them up really fast. I wake up the next day barely seeing spots on my face. I think this mask is better suited for use in the summer, but I've had this for quite some time now and I feel like I need to use it up way before then so it doesn't go bad. 

As you can see, the mask is this medium gray color. Once it dries on your face, it's almost white, that's how much it dries. It's one of those masks where if you try to move your face in any way, it can hurt. I'm not the biggest fan of those masks, but I've used them before so I'm used to that feeling. You leave this on for 10 minutes then rinse off. I always take masks off with a washcloth first then I splash my face with lots of lukewarm water to rinse off the excess.

The particular mask I have is in a 4.9 ounce tub, but on the website, it looks like it only comes in a 4.2 ounce tub now. Like I said before, I've had this mask for a while and I honestly can't remember when I bought it, so they must've changed the size since then. The price is of this is $22, which isn't terrible for a mask. You don't need alot of product since it spreads out nicely so it should last a while if you only use it once a week. Overall, I like this mask, but I don't love it, only because of the burning sensation I get when using this. I do like that my skin clears up after only one use and how it controls oil. I love masks in general, so I'm not sure if I'd repurchase this or not. I'm leaning more towards not :/

Has anyone tried this mask before? If you have, did you like it? If not, does it look like something you'd consider trying?

January 2013 Ipsy Bag

Hey everyone! Today's post will be about what I received in my Ipsy Bag for January. So sorry this post is so late too. Better late than never though, right? I gotta admit, before I got it in the mail, I read that other people were getting their bags but the nail polish broke or the body butter split, so the products basically ruined the bag. I was so nervous my bag was going to be destroyed or I was going to get the colors I didn't want, but now that I have my bag, I'm happier than I thought I'd be, but not overjoyed.

I am in love with how the actual bag looks. I know it looks a little funny in the picture but it's this pretty slate gray with a bit of a blue tinge to it. Inside, the bag is a dark blue color with white dots and stars. It's super cute and to me, this is a perfect bag to carry makeup in. 

Onto the products. First up is the Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange Body Butter. I'm actually pretty excited to use this. My skin is so dry lately and I'm desperately trying to find something moisturizing enough. Plus I love the smell of anything orange, so to me, this smells amazing!

Next, I got the Big Sexy Hair Spray & Play Volumizing Hair Spray. I gotta be honest, I hate hair sprays or gels of any kind, so I'm not sure what I'm going to do with this. Seriously, I was never a fan of putting anything in my hair aside from leave-in conditioner, so this stuff doesn't really appeal to me.

Next, I got the Nailtini Nail Lacquer in the color Frappe. Ipsy subscribers got either this color or Bloody Mary, which to me looked like a bright red. I have some reds in my nail polish collection, so I was really hoping for this Frappe color and I'm glad I got it.

Then I got the Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil. I've never used this before and I actually do have another little jar of this, but I've heard so many good things so I may try this on my face to help hydrate my skin a little more.

Lastly, I got the Soho Crease Brush. Again, subscribers either got this, a concealer brush, or eyeliner brush. I'm happy I got the crease brush, because I don't use concealer brushes and I have enough eyeliner brushes.

Overall, I'm fairly happy with what I received. For a $10 a month beauty subscription bag, it's not terrible, but I wish they had a bag with some more skincare items. I can't remember which bag it was, but I think I got it in the summer, there were like three skincare items in the bag, which I really loved. Don't get me wrong, I love makeup, but I think Ipsy needs to change it up a bit. And enough with the nail polish already! Sheesh! I'm thinking about giving Ipsy one more shot, and if I'm not happy with my next bag, I might cancel and try another beauty subscription service that's not terribly expensive.

Does anyone subscribe to Ipsy? Did you like the products you received?

Skincare For Men

Hi everyone! This post is actually a request from my dad (hi dad!) and I thought it was a good idea to give a few tips about skincare for men. Men definitely have to take care of their skin like we women do, but most men want less fuss so here are some tips and ideas for men with their skincare!

I know guys want the simplest of routines regarding skincare, so other than shaving men should at the very least, wash and moisturize their skin. Skin on men is much more thicker than women's skin, so they especially need moisturizer to help hydrate and protect skin, especially after shaving.

Photo from Sephora website

 There are lots of brands that have products specifically geared towards men, and one that particularly sticks out is Jack Black that can be found at Sephora. Their packaging is blue and black, so it's not as "girly" as other skincare products can look. And I gotta admit first, their lip balms are incredible! I use them myself, but guys would love them because they're hydrating but they don't leave lips shiny like some other balms can. Anyways, starting off with a cleanser, a good one is the Pure Clean Daily Facial Cleanser. It's got a rich lather that's still hydrating which is a great prep before shaving. Men should always clean their face before they shave with warm water because it helps to open the pores and makes beard hair softer. After you wash your face, shave like normal, then pat skin dry and moisturize right away to seal in hydration. A good moisturizer for daytime from Jack Black is the Double Duty Face Moisturizer SPF 20. I've said it in many posts before, but sunblock is super important for everybody, so you absolutely have to use one. 

Photo from Sephora website

 I couldn't find a good nighttime moisturizer from Jack Black, then I remembered the brand Anthony Logistics For Men. They have a really good range of skincare products for men, so a good moisturizer to use at night would be the All Purpose Facial Moisturizer. This is formulated with vitamins and alpha hydroxy acids which help to improve skin's elasticity and texture. 

Or you can do what my dad does. Use Dove Men+Care Body and Face Wash. Seriously, he loves that stuff. It is pretty multifunctional and quick to use for saving time. Plus it does hydrate his skin nicely, but the bugger always has soft skin (-_-). Yeah, I'm jealous with my dry, cracked alligator skin. 

So there you have it. I know this probably isn't the best post but like I said, my dad requested it, so I had to write it. Oh, and have I said that he's the best dad ever? No? Well he is! He got something for me that I've been dying to get since the day it came out. He got me Urban Decay's Vice Palette! Exciting right?! I can't wait to try this little baby out and do a review for you guys!

Review: The Body Shop Aloe Skincare Line

Hey everyone! I feel like such a bad blogger lately because I know I haven't posted much. I've been having a rough last week and a half or so with personal stuff but I do wanna get back in the swing of things because this is basically my outlet. Anyways, a little while ago I had a request to do a review of the Aloe skincare line from The Body Shop. I've tried everything in the line except for three products, which I will mention but not give a review on. So lets get into it!

The picture above is of the products I have on hand but there are a few more I will mention that I've used before, I just don't have them in my stash.

I'll start off by talking about the cleansers. The one pictured is the Aloe Gentle Facial Wash. This cleanser is my personal favorite. It's a liquid in the container, but once you pump it out, it's all foamy which I really love with my oily skin. Like the name says, it's super gentle and has no fragrance, just like all the other aloe products, and that is really important if you have sensitive skin, which I also have. One pump of cleanser is plenty but if you like foam, then you'd probably prefer two pumps. The one gripe I have is that it doesn't do that good of a job removing makeup. Now if you use a Clarisonic in conjunction with your cleanser, you won't have this problem. There are just times when I feel lazy and don't want to bother using it, and this cleanser always left some makeup behind. I also don't go overboard with face makeup either, so if you use a full coverage foundation, I'd recommend the Aloe Calming Facial Cleanser instead because it's thicker and creamier. It's more of a cleansing lotion, but it'll be way better at removing makeup than the Facial Wash. Even if you have oily skin, you can get both cleansers, but use the Facial Cleanser at night and the Facial Wash in the morning. Dry skin, on the other hand, should only stick with the Facial Cleanser. The Facial Wash will be far too drying. I don't even use the Facial Wash in the winter because it does tend to make my skin feel tight after I use it, but in the summer I'm fine. Now I haven't used the Facial Cleanser in a while, only because I felt it was too creamy for my skin, but I used it quite a few years ago and my skin's different now, so I may try it again and see if I like it.

I don't think I should talk to much about the Aloe Calming Toner, only because I've mentioned it in most of my other blog posts, but you all know this is basically my favorite toner of all time. I'm currently using it morning and night because of the weather, but in the warmer months, I only use it at night. I've used this toner for years and I have literally like 8 back-up bottles, that's how much I love it. It's only got 6 ingredients in it, so there's really no chance you'll get any kind of irritation using this. It's amazing after you use your cleanser because it feels so refreshing on your skin, and in the summer, I recommend putting it in the refrigerator, especially if you got sunburned on your face. Boy, does that feel good!

Onto the Aloe Protective Serum. This was in my December empties post, and I really, really like this. This is, again, a product I've used for years now. I've heard some reviews that people don't like the smell of it, but in all honesty, it's fragrance free! Of course it's gonna smell like nothing! I personally don't care about that, because this has been really nice lately when I mix it with my moisturizer in the morning. I do use an oil control moisturizer, but when the weather got colder, I had to mix this in to help with putting back a little extra hydration into my skin. I wouldn't say this product is absolutely necessary in your routine, but like I said, I've been using it for years and I'm so used to having it in my routine now.

Next up is the Aloe Eye Defense eye cream. This eye cream, to me, is just a simple, basic eye cream that's a gel/cream formula. I especially like gel/cream formulas because my eyes can be a tad bit oily sometimes, and this helps to minimize that, whereas using a cream formula would just be too much. I always use this product in the morning because of that. At night, I do use a more heavy eye cream because I want that hydration before I go to sleep.

Now this next product I only use in the winter, occasionally, and it's the Aloe Soothing Day Cream. They do also have a Night Cream, but I tried both, and honestly, I couldn't really tell the difference between the two. The Night Cream does have shea butter in it which is extra hydrating, but I like the price of the Day Cream better. The Day Cream is almost $4 cheaper and I use the Day Cream at night for extra hydration when I need it.

They also have the Aloe Gentle Exfoliator, which I didn't particularly like. It comes in a super creamy base, which is better for dry skin, but I didn't notice it do much exfoliation, probably because of the super fine beads, and with my oily skin, it did make it pretty greasy. I'd say this is an ok exfoliator if you're just starting up a skincare routine and if you have dry, sensitive skin. There's nothing special about it.

The next product I'm going to mention is the Aloe Lip Treatment. I'm honestly not sure if they still sell it, because it's always out of stock on the website and my store never has it in stock when I go. Anyways, I haven't used this in a few years, but I remember not really liking it. It did moisturize, but mine had the strongest smell of glycerin, which to me smells like grease (if that makes sense) and I didn't like that.

Products I haven't tried

- Aloe Body Butter
- Aloe Protective Restoring Mask
- Aloe Soothing Moisture Lotion SPF 15

Prices of all products

- Aloe Gentle Facial Wash- $16
- Aloe Calming Facial Cleanser- $14.50
- Aloe Calming Toner- $12.50 (I remember buying this when it was $10!)
- Aloe Protective Serum- $21 (I also remember buying this when it was $18 lol)
- Aloe Eye Defense- $18
- Aloe Soothing Day Cream- $16.50
- Aloe Soothing Night Cream- $20
- Aloe Gentle Exfoliator- $15
- Aloe Lip Treatment- $9.50
- Aloe Body Butter- $19
- Aloe Protective Restoring Mask- $22
- Aloe Soothing Moisture Lotion SPF 15- $18.50

You can find these products in The Body Shop stores, their website and Amazon.

Well that's everything! Sorry this post is so long. If you made it to the end, You. Are. Awesome. Really, I know I talk alot, but I had alot to say. This line is actually very good. Looking at some of the prices, I don't think some products are worth is, like the SPF lotion because it's such a small bottle, but I've never tried it so I can't say if it's good or not. Anyways, I hope you all liked this post, and please leave a comment below if you have any requests!

I'm Starting a Blog Sale!

Hello all of my lovey readers! I just wanted to do a quick post telling everyone that I started a blog sale and you can find more information by clicking here! I'm starting a blog sale because I'm a broke girl and gotta come up with some extra money so help a girl out! Here's a preview of what I'm selling:

That's all you're getting for now! Check out my Blog Sale page and read all the rules and whatnot :)

Liebster Award! I was Nominated Again :)

 

Hi everyone! I'm so excited to be nominated again for the Liebster Award! This time, I was nominated by Jenny over at IBDFM. Thanks Jenny! She's another beauty blogger like me, so definitely check out her page!

Anyways, if you don't know what the Liebster Award is, it's an award given to new and upcoming bloggers with less than 200 followers in recognition of their work. There are some rules I have to follow as well for being nominated so here they are!

1. The nominees must link back to the blogger who awarded them.
2. If you are nominated, write "11 random facts" about yourself and answer the 11 questions the awarder wrote for you.
3. Make up 11 new questions to be answered and nominate 11 other bloggers. (I'm not sure I'll do this. I have to look up who's been nominated because I don't wanna be annoying with it.)

11 Random Facts About Me!

1. I love chocolate and pretty much have to have some everyday even if it's just a little bit
2. I'm still a really messy person and I'm still trying to fix that :/
3. I hated school when I was younger, now I'm thinking about going back!
4. I can hear my fiance, David, snoring on the couch as I write this LOL (Sorry, I can't think of things to write about myself!)
5. When I first started blogging, I was actually terrified no one would read it, but I'm so excited with how much it's grown since I started back in August 
6. On my days off work, I like to be a bum even though I feel like I have so much to do still
7. I hope I can do my 3 month no buy! It's only 5 days in and I already wanna buy a new eyeshdadow or mascara!
8. I'm pretty sure I mentioned this in my other Liebster post, but I love my dogs! They're the best puppies ever, especially Emma. Molly can be a butthead, thinking she's a german shepard or something big, but she's only a mini dachshund -_-
9. I really hope this year I can do great things with my blog and expand it to maybe doing beauty videos on Youtube. This has been a secret dream of mine for a while and I honestly want it to be my job eventually.
10. I love it when I'm talking about tattoos with people I always say, "oh I definitely want another one" and people look at me like, you have a tattoo?! No way! Yes, I do have a tattoo on my shoulder blade and no one ever really sees it because it's covered 99% of the time. 
11. I hope this is the year my fiance and I can set a wedding date and get married. I've had the engagement ring for over a year and a half, but I wanna add the wedding ring soon!

Questions from Jenny

1. What's your middle name?
Lauren

2. How long have you been blogging for?
Since August 2012, so about 5 months

3. What started you blogging?
Well, I love writing and my love of makeup really blossomed about 3 years ago and I always thought about making my own blog about beauty and whatnot, but I was always scared, but then I was like, I'm gonna do it regardless of what people think, and so far I'm very happy with what I've accomplished

4. What are your resolutions for this year?
I have a few I wrote a post about, but I mainly just want to be happy and more successful in life.

5. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Ah, though question! I, hopefully, see myself married with maybe one kid and I'm doing my dream job that I've been trying to go after. It'll happen, I know it will. Just takes time and patience

6. Have you ever broken a bone?
Nope, just sprained my foot when I was in 5th grade. Thought I broke it though with how painful it was

7. What was your favorite gift you got for Christmas?
That's a tough one too, because they all mean something to me, so I can't just pick one. 

8. What would be your dream job?
Ha! I got ahead of myself a few questions back, but blogging and becoming a beauty guru on Youtube is my dream job :)

9. What is your most used beauty product?
Another tough one! I try to switch up my eyeshadow alot, I don't typically use the same blush every single day, so does my Clarisonic count?

10. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
I'd go everywhere! Seriously, I want to travel the world and go to Australia, Italy, New Zealand, just everywhere

11. What are your hobbies?
When I'm not at work, I like to come home and cook, blog a little, play on my Nintendo DS my fiance got for my birthday/Christmas. I'm pretty boring in the hobby department

Well that's it! I was looking through people I follow and so many blogs have grown and they've been awarded the Liebster Award, so if anyone reads this and hasn't been nominated, please feel free to definitely do a post, but use Jenny's questions! (Because I suck at asking questions too! Haha)