Tag Archives: skin care

Jun28

June 2022 Finishes

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June 2022 Finishes

Hello everyone!! My birth month is drawing to a close and it has been a whirlwind time indeed. Between birthday celebrations and working with new clients, I have been busy but in the best way! No matter how jam packed of a schedule I have, I always have time for my daily beauty routines and am so happy to have finished up products this past month that felt never ending. Let’s discuss:

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Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

Evoluderm Micellar Water: This micellar water is a TJMaxx find and I was thrilled to be able to buy more of it during a haul this past February. I loved it as soon as I tried it at least a year ago and *pun intended* it blows the Garnier micellar water out of the water! The Evoluderm micellar water removes makeup effortlessly and feels so nourishing to the skin. It leaves my face feeling refreshed, hydrated, and clean. It took me about a month and a half to finish one bottle.

B&BW Shower Gel: Pearberry is a retired scent from Bath & Body Works and I always have to snag more of it during their Semi-Annual Sale. I love fruity fragrances and Pearberry’s crisp scent of juicy pears mixed with tart berries was so invigorating every morning. I was very sad to finish this bottle because it was my last one and it took me close to two months to use it up.

St. Ives Scrub: I used to love me a St. Ives scrub until I learned that they are not the best for your skin lol. Unfortunately, you all know that I simply refuse to not use up a product so I finished the Pink Lemon & Mandarin Orange Scrub out of spite. Although I wouldn’t use a St. Ives scrub again once I’m done with the one I’m currently using, I will say that they would be the bomb if it didn’t use crushed walnut shell as the exfoliant. It took me about a month and a half to finish this scrub.

Provence Beauty Serum: I have been having some fun testing out new serums after I felt like I reached the limit of effectiveness with my normal Tree Of Life serums. I found the Provence Beauty Vitamin C serum to be pretty good and I would probably buy it again if I didn’t have any other options at TJMaxx. My main qualm with this product is how liquidy it is. It had the tendency to fall right out of your hand after using the dropper and it didn’t feel as nourishing as I would like. However, I did notice a difference in the brightness of my skin. It took me five weeks of twice daily use to finish it.

Hope Soap Lotion: I received this lotion from a local shop in my neck of the woods as a Christmas gift. The Gingerbread Caramel scent was divine and it smelled good enough to eat. It also did make my hands feel nice and smooth, without a doubt. Although, similarly to the Provence Beauty serum, its texture was very runny. I prefer a thicker lotion at nighttime so this was definitely a negative factor for me. It also took for freaking ever to use up and took over four months (And accidentally dropping it!) of once a day use to finish it. If I were gifted with it again, of course I would use it but I wouldn’t go out of my way to purchase it for myself.

There is nothing better than using up products that took a long time to finish and, despite some wishy washy reviews, I am still pleased with my empties this month. I can’t wait to try lots of new products out in their place this July! 😀

Which products did you use up this month? What are your thoughts on any of the above products if you have used them before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Jun26

Ilia Lip Wrap Hydrating Mask Review

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Ilia Lip Wrap Hydrating Mask Review

Hey! I had a fantastic little three dollar haul from Sephora so that I could get my Beauty Insider birthday gift. I made the most of their free shipping at the time and ordered a pack of makeup wipes and lots of freebies. For my birthday gift, I chose the Ilia makeup set and have been so pleased with everything in it. I’m obsessed with the tinted lip oil, I gave my sister the mascara, and I just started using the Lip Wrap Hydrating Mask:

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I love the idea of a lip mask but they never seem to love me. I have never been blown away by any of the ones that I have tried and always find that the chapstick that I normally put on before bed is more effective. I was expecting similar results of “fine but not impressed” by the Ilia Lip Wrap Hydrating Mask and was so happy that I was wrong! 😀

The packaging on the lip mask promises “fuller and softer lips” and it definitely delivered. Upon waking up after one use, my lips felt ultra hydrated and even looked more supple. My bottom lip is fuller than my top one and I noticed a huge difference in my top lip’s size which I was shocked by. It looked much better portioned in comparison to my bottom lip and I have never had results like that after one or several uses of a lip mask.

Although I did really like the Ilia Lip Wrap Hydrating Mask, I don’t know if I can justify its twenty-six dollar price tag from Sephora. I was also surprised by a lot of negative reviews for it, one of which being that it had a gritty texture. I noticed that too but it was overall very creamy with a little grit that I just wiped off.

If you can snag this product as a freebie, then I say go for it. I know that I will be doing the same. However, twenty-six dollars is steep for a little jar of lip mask and no matter how impressed I was by it, I would never spend that much!

What is your favorite lip product? Which birthday gift did you choose if you are a Beauty Insider? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun19

Sephora Haul

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Sephora Haul

Hello everyone!! Sephora always gives the best birthday gifts to their Beauty Insider members and, shockingly, it had all but slipped my mind until I got a reminder email. I didn’t feel like going to the mall just to pick up one thing, however, so I took care of it online. Although I have plenty of the couple of products that I purchase through Sephora, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to buy more to reach the fifty dollar free shipping mark.

Happily, I discovered that they were doing free shipping on all orders when I got on their website! Rather than get more stock pile products, I purchased one small item so that I could get all of my freebies. This haul costed me three dollars in total and it was money well spent! Check it out:

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The Haul:

  • Sephora brand cleansing wipes
  • Ilia birthday gift – FREE
  • Tatcha water cream – FREE
  • Maison Margiela Replica sample – FREE
  • Sulwhasoo renewing cream sample – FREE

Prior to shopping Sephora online, I never quite understood people’s obsession with it. When shopping in store, you miss out on so many amazing deals and while I would make in store purchases, I never felt like I was getting a lot of bang for my buck. And, at over twenty five dollars for a tube of Better Than Sex mascara (Still worth it!) I couldn’t help but feel like I was getting ripped off.

Fast forward to my first online order and I was like “Oh… I get it now”. Sephora offers some of the best online deals that I have ever seen and I always feel good about what I bought because I get so many freebies. This little haul is a shining example of that and it costed literal pocket change. You just can’t beat that!

I got a sample jar of Tatcha moisturizer with my Beauty Insider points which I am excited to use. And when you shop online with Sephora, you are allowed to pick out two free samples to complete your order. I went for the Sulwhasoo cream as well as a fragrance sample. My best friend, Lea, and I recently had a conversation about wanting to try a more long lasting perfume so I couldn’t not get a new fragrance to test out. Unfortunately, Replica wasn’t a winner but, hey, it was worth a shot.

We will unbox the Ilia birthday gift after checking out my new nails tomorrow so keep it posted for that. In the meantime, give Sephora’s website a look through and see which freebies you can snag for yourself! 😀

What is your favorite fragrance? Which store offers the best in store or online deals? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun12

TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

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TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

Hey! During my last TJMaxx outing, one of my main goals was to restock my skin care stock pile. I was currently on my last jar of moisturizer from my last skin care haul and the timing was perfect because I had lots of birthday gift cards to spend. Although they didn’t have any micellar water or eye creams that looked appealing, I did purchase the following:

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^^^ Clean Beauty and Pearlessence are both Leaping Bunny certified!

During my last skin care restock, I began using serums by Pearlessence and am a huge fan. They are effective, long lasting, and nice and light making it perfect for summer. I was happy to find the Dewy Glow serum, which I haven’t tried yet, and was also surprised to see so many moisturizers by Pearlessence too. I just had to give them a try and couldn’t believe the six dollar price for the huge jar of Big Sky Cloud Cream. The name, itself, sounds delightful and I can’t wait to try it out!

Now, take a look at each new product that I purchased and you will notice a theme: So. Much. Hyaluronic. Acid. About two years ago, I began researching the best skin care ingredients for late twenty somethings and the advice was almost unanimous – Products with Vitamin C and Hyaluronic Acid are the way to go. I haven’t strayed from these findings (Obviously!) and try to incorporate each of these ingredients in some way to my skin care routine.

It wasn’t until I was lining up these products to snap a pic that I realized it was a Hyaluronic Acid kind of day and I wasn’t mad about it! Pre pandemic, I loved visiting TJMaxx whenever I needed new skin care and it’s so nice to be able to do that again. It’s such fun for me to try out new products and I am eager to test out the moisturizers and serum from this haul!

What is your favorite skin care brand? Which ingredients work best for your skin? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

May31

May 2022 Finishes

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May 2022 Finishes

Hi everyone! It’s the end of May already and that means that it’s time to check out my monthly beauty finishes. While I didn’t use up too much this month, I am super happy about it because I can now finally use more products from a big TJMaxx skin care haul. There’s also nothing more satisfying to me than fully using up a product… I imagine it’s a lot like actually finishing a tube of chapstick lol! Let’s get to it:

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Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

Radiance Serum: Prior to purchasing a bunch of new serums during a TJMaxx haul, I was a faithful user of the Tree Of Life serums. Of course, I would still use those serums again but I was ready to try something different and I really liked the Pearlessence Radiance Perfecting serum. At about five dollars a bottle and a month and a half worth of twice daily use, it was a great value. I also think my skin benefited from it in the brightness department.

If you use this serum, just be careful because it is very thin in texture. You will have to cup your hand just so to prevent it from spilling and a little bit of it will go a long way.

Elf Eye Cream: The Holy Hydration! eye cream by Elf is another product that I have been using for quite some time now. Like the Tree Of Life serums, I would definitely use it again but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to try something new and I am loving the Vital Beauty eye cream that I am currently using. That’s not to say that the Holy Hydration eye cream is a bad product because it has served me well.

The Elf eye cream is an amazing value at around ten bucks a pop and at least three months of twice daily use. It sits well under makeup and helped to decrease puffiness and under eye circles. I would never turn down a jar and still highly recommend it!

Olay Moisturizer: I really liked the Double Action moisturizer by Olay and it served as both a primer and moisturizer. I was amazed at the difference of how my makeup looked when applying it after using this product – it was so much brighter and longer lasting! This moisturizer smelled amazing, was rich and creamy in texture, and absorbed quickly. It took me a little over a month to finish one jar.

After this month of finishes, it is out with the old and in with the new products! While pulling from my stock pile, I have noticed that it is dwindling so be on the lookout for a skin care haul soon. 😀

Which products did you use up this month? What are your thoughts on any of my empties if you have used them? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr30

April 2022 Finishes

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April 2022 Finishes

Hello everyone!! The end of the month means that it’s time to take a look at all of the beauty products that I have used up and my recommendations. April was a great month for empties because I finally was able to finish some of the products that I have been using for what felt like forever! Let’s get started:

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Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

Clean & Clear Face Wash: I have been using the Clean & Clear Night Relaxing face wash since mid December and I am finally finished with it. I got a pack of two Clean & Clear cleansers from Amazon for about twelve dollars and that value speaks for itself. While I don’t like the Night Relaxing as much as the Morning Burst cleanser, I would still use it again. Even though it was meant for nighttime use, I would use it every morning in the shower and I loved the deep clean feeling it gave my skin.

SkinLab Face Wash: It took me about two months to finish the SkinLab Revitalize & Hydrate face wash and it was pretty good. My skin felt insanely soft after each use, however, this cleanser smelled SO. Bad. For the “Would I Use Again” section I would have put “no” but, unfortunately, I still have one of these cleansers in my stock pile. Once that one is finished, it will be getting a big fat no from me for the scent alone.

Fresh Lip Mask: I got the Fresh Sugar lip mask as a freebie from Sephora and I wasn’t a fan. I love a lip mask as much as the next person but this one did nothing for me. It took me two weeks to finish the trial sized jar and in that time I hoped it would help ease my chapped lips. That definitely wasn’t the case, though, and the chapstick that I had been applying every night before bed worked much better.

Olay Moisturizer: I purchased the Olay Double Action moisturizer from TJMaxx and it was really nice! The double action means that it is both a primer and a moisturizer and my makeup looked amazing when I would apply it after the moisturizer sat. It also smelled great too – so rich and creamy. It took me about a month and a half to finish the jar.

Hope Soap Body Wash: The Honeysuckle & Aloe Soapy Pouch from Hope Soap was a gift and I wouldn’t go out of the way to purchase it for myself. It smelled divine, lathered well, and lasted for close to two months but the pouch shape was inconvenient at best. When the pouch was still full, it was so easy to accidentally squeeze more out than required which resulted in a lot of wasted product. Then, when the pouch was almost empty it was difficult to get the remainder out. Had this body wash been in a regular bottle, it would have been a totally different story!

Despite a couple of duds during this round of finishes, I am so happy to be able to use new products in their place. This makes April a GREAT SUCCESS for beauty empties!

Which products did you use up this month? What are your thoughts on any of the above products if you have used them? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr1

Olay Double Action Day Cream & Primer Review

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Olay Double Action Day Cream & Primer Review

Hello everyone! Today, we are going to be reviewing the Olay Double Action Day Cream & Primer that I got during one of my winter TJMaxx Hauls. After close to two years of using the Garnier SkinActive gel moisturizer, I was ready for something new and purchased the Olay moisturizer, instead. I have a very normal skin type so I don’t need anything too fancy when it comes to moisturizers and this one really did the trick:

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I had been planning on reviewing this moisturizer as soon as I started using it but other posts got in the way. And, that’s a good thing because I was hooked after trying it out just a few times! My first impression when starting this moisturizer was its lovely pale pink color and how rich and creamy it smelled. It has a baby powdery aroma but it’s not overpowering in the slightest, which is great because that scent is normally not my cup of tea.

After my first use of the Olay moisturizer, I quickly learned that a little bit of it goes a long way. The amount pictured on my hand fully covers my face and neck and even though I have been using it morning and night for a month, I still have half a jar left. It takes a hair more effort to get this moisturizer fully absorbed and it leaves my skin feeling oh so soft afterwards.

The Double Action of the Olay moisturizer means that it is a primer too and I never really realized that primers were a good thing to use until using this moisturizer. I wait for a half hour or so to apply my makeup after my skin care routine and my makeup sits so well on top of it. The makeup that I use looks bolder and brighter and every time I have painted my face, I have been getting compliments. It also helps prevent smudging and you can’t beat that!

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^^^ My makeup had been on all day in that picture and it still looked fire. 😀

I am so pleased with the Olay Double Action Day Cream & Primer and would happily use it again, so good thing I have another jar handy!

What is your favorite moisturizer? What is your skin type like? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Mar31

March 2022 Finishes

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March 2022 Finishes

Hello everyone and happy last day of March! As per ushe, we will be discussing my beauty finishes for the month and there were a lot of them. I love months like these because then I can move onto other products in my stock pile, which helps justify future skin and bath and body care hauls! Lol, let’s get started:

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Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

Hand Creams: We are not going through all of the different hand creams that I used in this post because I reviewed them all in this one. I will say that the eos Pomegranate Raspberry was definitely the best of the bunch and you can skip on the Renew and B&BW ones! The eos hand cream ruled – it smelled great and it really helped with my dry hands and the redness that comes with it.

Farmacy Night Mask: This night mask was a freebie from my last Sephora Haul and it was fine. It took me a little over a week to finish the trial sized jar and a little of it went a long way. Was it the best night mask I’ve ever used? No. Was it the worst? No. It did feel nice on my skin but I also noticed little to no difference in how it looked or felt and I wouldn’t use it again.

PTR Moisturizer: I used my Beauty Insider points during my Sephora Haul for the PeterThomasRoth Water Drench moisturizer and I wasn’t overly impressed by it. I always thought that a gel moisturizer was as light in texture as moisturizers go but this one proved me wrong. It was insanely light, applied easily, and my skin did feel water drenched as per its namesake lol.

It took me about four days of morning and nighttime use to finish the tester bottle and even though I kind of liked it, I wouldn’t seek it out again. I think that this moisturizer would be great for people who really suffer from dry skin. However, my skin type is normal and it felt like it was too much for what my skin needs.

Although there were a lot more “wouldn’t use agains” than usual for my March Finishes, I am okay with it because I was happy to use them up. In this case, I am A-okay with a fifty percent success rate!

Which products did you use up this month? What are your thoughts on any of the above products if you have used them before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Mar23

fresh Sugar Recovery Lip Mask Review

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fresh Sugar Recovery Lip Mask Review

Howdy everyone! Today, we are going to be reviewing the Sugar Recovery Lip Mask by fresh. This was a freebie during my last Sephora Haul and I was excited to try it because my lips always feel like they are in a permanent state of chapped. I love me a lip mask and I think that I talked this one up so much in my head that I ended up disappointed in the results. Let’s discuss:

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One of the last lip masks that I used was by LANEIGE and I absolutely loved it. The berry scent was delightful and I was amazed by how soft and plump my lips were the next morning. The fresh mask was unscented, which is fine, and it applied so nicely. Its texture was rich and creamy and a little of it went a long way. After putting it on, I felt confident that I would see and feel excellent results the next morning.

Sadly, that wasn’t the case. Upon awakening and examining my lips in the mirror, I saw no difference whatsoever. In fact, they felt dryer than they had before using it! Prior to trying this lip mask out, I have been using a plain old chapstick that Johnny’s mom gave me before I go to bed. It is literally the best chapstick that I have ever used so I was expecting similar results from a high end brand of product. This just goes to show you that plain old drugstore skin care can work as well, if not better, than a more expensive brand.

While I plan on finishing this trial sized jar of lip mask, it is one that I won’t be getting again. It is also a product that you all can skip on. So bummed that I spent my Sephora Beauty Insider points on it!

What is your go to brand for skin care? What is your favorite chapstick? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar21

Face Mask Festivities: Farmacy Vitamin B Night Mask Edition

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Face Mask Festivities: Farmacy Vitamin B Night Mask Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a new edition of Face Mask Festivities! Today, we are going to be discussing the Vitamin B Night Mask by Farmacy, which I got as a freebie during my last Sephora Haul. Shopping online with Sephora provides lots of options for free product and I always try to make the most out of my purchase with trial size face masks and moisturizers.

This new face mask was free with a twenty-five dollar purchase and it was a no brainer because I love me a night time mask. While I enjoy pre-shower clay or exfoliating face masks, night time ones are a no muss no fuss option and it makes me feel pampered even while I’m catching Z’s. Let’s get to it:

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When first opening the Farmacy Vitamin B mask jar, I was obsessed with the pale blue color and I also liked that it was scent free. I don’t mind skin care with a bit of scent to it but no one wants an especially potent product, especially before bed! I used about three dollops with a Q-tip to cover my face and neck and it felt so nice on my skin. The gel like texture was cooling and it was much needed because I had spent the evening at the park with my niece. We were running around the entire time and as soon as I got home, I got ready for bed lol.

In the thirty or so minutes before nodding off, a majority of this mask absorbed and I knew that the remainder would continue to work its magic throughout the night. When I woke up, my skin felt really smooth and it also looked way less tired than I felt because my legs were like jelly!

While I liked this mask, it probably isn’t one that I would go out of my way to use again. My all time favorite night masks are The Body Shop’s Vitamin E and Drops Of Youth Bouncy Sleep Masks and I can’t help but compare every mask I use at bedtime to them. As a freebie, the Farmacy mask was great but it doesn’t hold a candle to my tried and true faves.

What is your favorite face mask? What is your bedtime beauty routine like? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah