Drugstore Gems: That Pixi Glow, Tonic & Mist Review

'Drugstore Gems' is well, it says what it means in the title: drugstore beauty products, skincare or makeup, that I find to be standout gems in the drugstore. Drugstore items tend to be more misses than hits with me, solely due to the harsher (& cheaper) ingredients used in them. Needless to say though, I have found some pretty good ones & I'd like to share them with you guys with this series. I don't know how often I'll have these up, may be every week, or every other, or once a month, who knows. I shouldn't really keep a set schedule with this blog because I am never good at keeping up with having things more 'tidy' and set; I'm a bit scatter-brained as you can notice by now, hope you don't mind. '

Anyways, onto it!

I haven't had Pixi's Glow Tonic in my skincare arsenal for a while now (only on my first bottle still) but I can say thats a product that I will end up going back to once I've run out; I am absolutely love the stuff. The hype surrounding this product is all true; an extremely gentle, hydrating, exfoliating toner that is alcohol-free. It soothes the skin with its aloe & ginseng content, plows away at removing dead skin cells for a clearer, healthier, & brighter complexion.

I am more particular of using this tonic in the morning because it's like the equivalent of splashing coffee on my face; it looks less dull, glowy, and awake! The fragrance to this is non-irritating and doesn't linger on the skin, its quite relaxing and refreshing to smell when first waking up to be honest.  Granted if you still wanted to have coffee splashed on your face at night, have at it because its just as pleasant in the evening as well, it comes down to personal preference.

The Glow Mist is just as good except I use this as a refresher throughout the day. I wouldn't compare this to the Tonic, yet it still nourishes the skin with a touch of dewiness & glow. The reason for the incomparability coincides with my con of the product: after I sprayed it to refresh my makeup, about 2 hours or so later, my face looked more oily than it normally would be if I didn't use it. I deduced that it was the argan oil, which tends to always be heavy on my skin, unless its toward the bottom of the ingredients list. This doesn't steer me away from still using the product, the composition is still quite lovely, especially during the spring and summer months, sans makeup for me. 

If you don't want to spend the $29 on the Glow Tonic (8.5 fl oz) & argan oil does you more wonders than worries, this comes at a more affordable price of $15 (2.70 fl oz); the size is also quite convenient for travel, a great little skincare treat to pack on your summer holiday.

Institut Esthederm: Active De Jour, Tinted Day Care

With a mouthful of a name, a top-notch product stands behind it. My love for Institut Esthederm is strong, as seen in a previous brand spotlight post I did sometime back. It shouldn't be any surprise than that I still try out more of their products with the success rate I've had with them, which only continues with their Tinted Day Care.

This can certainly be put in the 'tinted moisturizer' category, though with such light coverage, can also be more well suited for a CC Cream, just with more science behind it. It helps protect the skin against environmental irritants and climate changes. Though I live in a suburb, I work in a more bustling part of town where a lot of pollutants reside, and this has protected my skin more than other tinted moisturizers have. I've noticed with use that less grime and dirt comes off my face by days end, which shows on my cotton pad the effectiveness of this product.

Now, this next part is something I'm not completely sure I understand scientifically speaking, but I'll try to explain it as best I can. This doesn't have an SPF rating, though does have a UV protection agent to help protect your skin from:

Special UV cellular protection without screens or filters helps prevent photo-aging, cell damage and inflammation 

So, I'm not sure if this actually helps protect broad spectrum (UVA & UVB), but I put an spf underneath anyway since I'm not so understanding of this part of the product. Regardless, I don't see any irritations or redness from the sun with use.

There is no color range for this product, though the product itself comes out in this tan color, which at first was a bit daunting to me considering I'm more light/medium skintone. I'm happy to say that it blended into my skin beautifully, with only a subtle notice of color, but not off-putting in anyway to notice a shade difference. If anything, the shade helped reduce the appearance of my common redness and other discolorations on my skin, which in turn makes it look more toned & refreshed, a "my skin but better" look. I get away with using this as a base, little concealer, little setting powder, & a quick setting spritz & I felt confident walking out the door. With all that said, I wouldn't recommend using this in hopes to help cover blemishes, because the coverage is very, very light. 

Overall, this product happily surprised me, and I notice a difference when using this on my skin; it looks less dull, less beaten up by environment and weather pollutants throughout the day, less grime gets attracted to the face, and the overall appearance of the skin looks healthier. 

Despite all my praise, there are a few unfortunate downsides: it only comes in 1oz; though most foundations and the like come in this size, you get more bottle than product, kind of similar to a bag of chips! Also, its hard to find in the US, like really hard to find. I have probably found about 2 websites that actually sell this product, and one of the places (where I purchased from) was Amazon because it was the most inexpensive (though usually with these kind of hard-to-get products, they tend to be more overpriced than under, this was luckily the exception). If this product wasn't so hard to find in the US, I would have stocked myself up with a few more by now! Its just my luck to find an amazingly wonderful product like this, only to notice that it's not even readily available for purchase here, like, anywhere! Such a drag.

Institut Esthederm, if you happen to stumble upon this post, can you darlings be kind enough to hook a girl up and send some more bottles of this my way, please! Your generosity would be undoubtedly appreciated, tenfold. 

Makeup Stash: Contour & Highlight

I am not all about contouring my face every time I put on makeup; sometimes I just need a little fluffing up & out the door and can't be bothered by it. While other times, its nice to shape my more round face into...not as round? And when I do contour, I don't go in heavy-handed because for me, a little does go a long way. I'm not opposed to others doing it that way, if it works it works, you know?

Anyway, it's small, but here's my contour & highlight stash.

NARS 'Olympia': This may not have been my very first contour palette, but I consider it to be due to the fact that I've used this one for so long, so often. It's a very basic, yet well made palette. I could have probably gotten away with going a shade darker than this one but, I wanted to play it safe. Needless to say, I've loved Olympia & I'm surprised I haven't hit pan yet! I've put it to the side for the time being; I think some NARS products have been irritating my skin suddenly, & I don't know why. Until my skin decides to figure its fuss out, I won't be using this for a while.

On the other hand, its not the worst thing to have happened...

Lancome 'Le Duo Contour & Highlighter Stick' in 'Buff': Out of them all, this probably is the one where you can accidentally go in a little heavy. I don't know if its to take into consideration that its a creamy-stick formula but what have you, I still really dig this. It blends in quite nicely, with a few strokes of a brush buffing it in (fingers do the job well, too), you get a very nice, deep contour & lovely, slightly shimmery highlight. Honestly, I love the contour end more than the highlight end, thats not to say that its rotten, it just doesn't WOW me as much as I thought it would. This is a clever idea to do with contour, the size is absolutely perfect for traveling and with its very sleek black and gold packaging to add a bit of luxury and style, Lancome gets the nail on the head.

Charlotte Tilbury's 'FilmStar Bronze & Glow': 2 words, absolute perfection. If there ever was a perfect contour palette, this is it; but I wouldn't say this is perfect all across the board because it isn't too adaptable for every skintone to use. Now, if Tilbury decides to come out with more shades of this, than yes, this would be the most best contour in all the land, seriously. UPDATE: Oh happy day! Tilbury announced recently that they are coming out with a darker shade of this. I don't know when or where it will be released just yet, though keep your eyes peeled for that if this one wasn't the right match for you!

The shades and formulation in this palette are absolutely divine, they come out beautifully on the skin and are buildable, as well as blending into the skin perfectly. You can never go too heavy handed with this but even if you do, you just end up looking better & better. The highlight is SPECTACULAR, with more highlight than shimmer. This is just a great compact to own and invest in and the packaging, hold me back. Just a rose-gold beauty, as is most of Tilbury's line. I have seriously promised myself I wouldn't be purchasing anymore makeup (HA!) for a while until I am able to get more of Charlotte Tilbury's, she knows what she's doing. With every product I have tried & own, she has blown me away with how great they are. I'm CT obsessed, & can't wait to continue to get & try more of her line in the months & years to come.

Honorable Mention - Urban Decay 'Naked Illuminated Shimmering Powder for Face and Body' in 'Luminous': This is strictly a highlight, so to speak. Its very much glittery in every single way but, what I love about this is that it does highlight and accentuate where you put it noticeably well. I usually put this on my collar bones & shoulders to give off that gleam & lean kind of look/highlight. I find it too strong and glittery for my face, so I just stick to using it on the body with this one. If you're into the glitter and the shimmer in a highlight, this will not disappoint.

UK Beauty Swap w/ MakingItUp Blog

I had the honor of doing a beauty swap with fellow beauty blogger & UK resident Jess, from the lovely blog MakingItUp. We met through instagram, having in common our obsession & love with all things skincare and makeup. We instantly hit it off, got to chatting, and she asked if we should do a beauty swap not soon after, with a quick & excited YES, we got into even more chatting.

During the chatty process, we were able to get a feel of what each other's skin types were, what products we were looking for (& any special requests) before we headed off to shop. The point of a beauty swap such as this is to find beauty products to send to your person that aren't available or as easily accessible in their country, & vise versa; as well as things you personally love yourself, and to share that love with someone who will (hopefully) appreciate it as much as you do.

I seriously had such an amazing experience, her & I have talked about doing another one in the future, which I can't wait for. If any of you get the chance to do a beauty swap with another beauty blogger, do it! It introduces to you a whole different world of beauty, & if you're lucky enough, you end up making a great friend in the process. :)

I will post links to where you can find Jess on all her platforms so you can follow her & read her blog (which I am obsessed with as well) at the end of this post.

*Note: Most of the products I have already given a little go; some may have little reviews, some may not because I haven't tried them yet. Full reviews for all will come later, though.

On to the UK products....

SKINCARE

Liz Earle 'Instant Radiance Collection' for Normal/Combination Skin: Liz Earle is a very popular UK-based skincare line. I have heard of them before, especially their renowned product, the 'Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser', which was one of the products that came with this set. The other products include 'Instant Boost Skin Tonic', 'Skin Repair Moisturizer', & the 'Eyebright Soothing Eye Lotion'. I have given all of these a try, and must say, 3 out of 4 products are a win for me. I fell in love with the 'Hot Cloth Cleanser' almost instantly, it has done such a noticeable improvement on my skin in the short time I've been using it (been using it once a day for almost 2 weeks now) that I have already added it to my 'skincare wishlist' once I run out. Thankfully, Liz Earle has a US website which you can purchase all of these products above, as well as Birchbox which carries a good amount from the line, also shippable to the U.S.!

My second favorite product from this set is the 'Eyebright'; have been using this every morning & its so gentle, soothing, cooling, & hydrating! Its a marvelous little concoction that has also been added to my wishlist. I have used the 'Tonic' only twice now, its very calming & hydrating, but its nothing out of the ordinary. My least favorite product was the moisturizer; I found this too light for a moisturizer, though this is based off from one use. The moment I put it on, I know I didn't like it. I may or may not go back to this to give it a better chance but, we'll see.

Masque Bar 'Brightening Sheet Mask': By reading the box, this seems to be a Korean beauty brand which I've never heard of before, which is exciting! I know the craze about Korean beauty, they always seem to be 10 steps ahead of everyone else in terms of the technology they put forth with their skincare products. I don't own any skincare thats from Korea, so I will have to wait and see how this one fairs. Sheet masks aren't usually what I grab for either, but again, they seem to be all the rage nowadays so, I can't wait to give this one a go soon!

Super Facialist Una Brennan 'Salicylic Acid Anti Blemish Pore Purifying Clay Mask': You know I love myself a good clay mask, & this is turning into a new favorite of mine! With just a few uses, I have seen any angry red spots subdued. Its not an overnight miracle worker in the sense that you wake up with blemish free skin the next day...give it about 2-3 days (at least with my frustrating skin!) for that to happen. I'm not aware of the percentage of salicylic acid thats in this, but my skin hasn't had any irritations while using this (recommended 1-2 times a week). It may or may not make the skin purge a bit; so if you're dealing with some blocked pores, you may see 1 or 2 new ones pop up & go away within a few days times, just a heads up! I like using this on weekends and/or on nights where I know I have the following day off, just in case my skin does develop any bumps.

La Roche-Posay 'Serozinc': This spray is that 'I can never live without it now that I know it exists' kind of product. A complete turnaround on my skin, which has been unbelievably frustrating this summer. After I'm done cleansing and/or an acid toner, I give this a quick spritz on the face or cotton pad & pat it on and let it dry for about minute or so before I apply my oil/serum/moisturizer. I love using this just at night so I can get the full benefits & wake up with clearer skin the next day. With just 3 ingredients: water, sodium chloride, & zinc sulfate. The ingredients benefit those with oily, blemish prone skins by targeting the pesky spots & helps rid of them, as well as help keep excess oil at bay with its mattifying properties. You can really use this any time of day but, since this isn't available for purchase ANYWHERE in the U.S., I don't have that luxury of being able to that, just yet. Looking at you, La Roche-Posay!!

BODYCARE

Sanctuary Spa '2 Day Moisture Shower Oil': Could this be a dupe for L'Occitane's 'Almond Shower Oil'? Not completely, but it can definitely be a more inexpensive substitute. Like L'Occitane's shower oil, this one smells absolutely divine (when not in use, I like to take a quick sniff from the bottle because its so relaxing. don't pass judgements unless you smelled it first!). I have only used this once so far, but it is very hydrating on the skin & your bathroom smells like a luxe-spa palace after. Its so wonderful to use after a long day to relax or everyday if your heart desires, like mine does (though trying to savor the product since its not sold here)! I can't wait to be able to give this one a full review soon.

Soap & Glory 'The Scrub of Your Life Smoothing Body Scrub': First things first, the smell is absolutely phenomenal. I've only tried one other S&G product before, and that also smelled just as fine  This one has a floral, yet citrus aroma without being overpowering; I can't put my finger on the other scents I'm getting from this, but its lush and wonderful. I'm actually super glad Jess scooped me up a body scrub since I am almost out of my fave Clarins 'Exfoliating Body Scrub' (going to have to be cutting open that bottle to get the last remnants out). With one use of this, I was in love; it felt like my skin has never felt smoother, hating to admit that this might be better than my beloved Clarins but, only time will tell with more use.

MAKEUP

Collection 'Lasting Perfection Ultimate Wear Concealer' shade 'cool medium 2': As you can see, most of the label has rubbed away already, thats how often I've been reaching for this concealer. Every single day I've done my makeup, this has been going on along with it. This is probably, hands down the best concealer I've used to help conceal redness, blemishes, & darks pots without feeling heavy or cake on the skin; as well as being exceptionally blendable. I'm going to have to ask Jess to stock me up on a few more of these next swap around!

Bourjois 'Cream Blush' in 'Nude Velvet': Haven't tried it yet, though the color looks right up my blush alley.

Soap & Glory 'Solar Powder': Have yet to try it, only because I've been currently obsessing over my Charlotte Tilbury's 'Filmstar'. I'll have to start putting that down so I can give this one a try. I have swatched it already on my hands a few times, the colors look subtle, yet smooth and buildable, very exciting.

Where you can find 'MakingitUp' beauty blogger, Jess!

BLOG

INSTAGRAM

TWITTER

Makeup Stash: Foundations

The main makeup product that I'm most picky about are foundations. Either I can never find one exactly my shade, it oxidizes too much, its too oily, matte, heavy...I seem to find more cons than pros with foundations & I don't know if its because I'm too damn picky or what but, foundation is kind of a big deal when it comes to makeup (& mascara, but thats for another post, another day) & so I think for me, that justifies me being so picky about them. I do heavy research before I go out & commit to buying any one foundation, because 1. they are expensive, usually & 2. for reasons stated above. The research I do means reading reviews, watch YouTube videos, the like.

Its also rare that I ever finish one up completely; the last one I did was Dior's 'Diorskin Nude BB Creme', which since I have repurchased but, I've also noticed that it oxidizes awfully pink on my skin now, & I don't know why. I've come to put that on the back shelf, sadly. I will tell you why I loved it though: it never felt heavy, it gave light coverage (BB creme after all) but it didn't separate, never irritated, & lasted for a good part of the day (with work thrown in between). Its sad that I can't use it anymore, I may try again during the fall/winter months, but thats a debate I need to take on myself.

Another BB Creme, which was a bit of a surprise to me on how much I ended up loving it, is the Physicians Formula 'Argan Wear Renew BB Cream'. Its this thick, hydrating & softening foundation that just sits on my combo skin lovely. Even though its a bit thicker in consistency than I'd normally like, in no way does it feel that way. There is a bit of a fragrance to this, but it fades away. Like Dior, I've never run into any issues on this one, & the fact that its super affordable, it will be a constant repurchase again & again & again...

Moving away from BB Cream's now...

The next 2 may not surprise many and I won't make this too lengthy due to the fact that you can find so many reviews & videos on these products. Chanel's 'Vitalumière Aqua Foundation' & Giorgio Armani's 'Luminous Silk Foundation': Both are standout foundations. If you want more of a medium-to buildable-full coverage, Chanel's your best bet out of the two. They both settle on the skin very smooth. Armani is less watery of the two; you really got to shake up the Chanel one before use or it will get slippery. I do notice that Armani clings to dry parts of my face at times, just a note for more drier skins. Also, these two give a more 'dewy' look to the skin so, if you're on the oily side, these probably shouldn't be your top picks but, maybe a matte primer or moisturizer before applying may help subdue that part. I will say that I do love the Armani one just a bit more, only because I was able to find practically my exact skin color in a bottle, which is like HOW WOW FANTASTIC THANK YOU. A lot of positive feelings here.

Clarins' 'Skin Illusion Natural Radiance Foundation': Its about medium, buildable coverage & consistency, probably almost or just as thick as the PF's 'Argan Wear'. Like the 'Argan Wear', the bit of thickness doesn't feel heavy on the skin. I found that a light moisturizer/primer works best underneath this foundation for best longevity & less of a chance of it breaking apart on. I noticed the first few times using it, it had the tendency to do this, mostly in my more oily areas & cling to drier patches, but hasn't since I started incorporating a lighter moisturizer (currently like to use Diptyque's 'Protective Moisturizing Lotion' underneath). I also like applying this with a particular makeup brush, Lancome's 'Foundation brush #2'; this flatter type of brush really helps this foundation disperse evenly and smoothly onto the skin for a marvelous application and look.

A little side-note, like most Clarins products, this does have a fragrance to it. Its not overly strong and  doesn't stay on the skin for very long...yet, if you are very sensitive to fragrances, I may read the ingrediegents list first and/or stay a way from this one, just to be safe. With that said though, I do really love using this and I have been picking this up more lately because it's been outstanding in Florida's summer heat and humidity. It gives such a nice, subtle, radiant look. Its not overly dewy or luminous (which can look more oily than luminous for those prone to oiliness). I'm rarely ever disappointed with Clarins, & this is no exception.

New App & How-To: Stash Beauty

If you follow my instagram, you will have seen a little post talking about this brand new beauty app that launched called Stash Beauty. This is for all beauty lovers living in the 21st century, where you can shop your favorite beauty bloggers instagrams right at your fingertips, literally. Its something I never thought would exist in our technology-based society.

If you're anything like me, I sometimes have to hunt down and heavily google certain products from my favorite beauty bloggers instagrams to either get on that product train or to simply look into a certain product more, this app lets you do all that & than some.  Let me get into the main concept for this amazingly-genius beauty app...

Firstly, your followers have to have the app already (& you too!) in order to get all the perks. The app pretty much looks like the instagram layout; you can endlessly scroll through pictures of your favorite beauty bloggers posts in your feed, like them, and if accessible, shop the products in said photo(s)! How do you do that? I'll explain with visuals below...

Once you get your account all set up, you can start posting! You post in StashBeauty's app first before you post to instagram, which I will explain below w/visuals. Here we go!

Ok so, to make a post you will go to the 'Home' page at the bottom of the screen if you're not there already, it will look like this (I'm using an example post for you guys on the app):

Next, at the very top right corner, click on the icon that comes before the little shopping cart to start your post.

After you've done that, this screen will pop up:

To add a picture, click on the little 'camera' icon at the bottom of your screen; you can either take one within the app or pull it from your photos already on your phone (it will give you these options) choose whichever one, select photo, & your post-in-progress will look like the photo above, with your selected photo shown at the bottom.

Its important to add hashtags of the all the products within the photo; Stash takes care of most of it for you when you tag your products (explained later). This makes it easy for your followers to shop your products when they search through the app as well when you share it to IG. In order to use hashtags, click on the little 'cosmetic bottle icon' at the bottom of the screen, next to the camera.

Once you've clicked that, a search bar will pop up and you will be able to search for your exact, specific product that Stash has in their system; for my example post, I searched for my Diptyque fragrance & a MAC lipstick. Here's the Diptyque one for example:

Once you find your item, click on it and it will be automatically added to your post, to the right of your photo.

If you need to remove a tag for whatever reason, click on the most recently tagged photo (in this example it would be the MAC lipstick) & this screen will pop up: 

Just click the 'X' to remove any unwanted tags!

Before you post to stash, make sure you type in a caption of your choosing (if desired). To post your photo, just press 'SEND' and it will bring you back to your Stash feed, & your post will show:

The two little photos at the bottom of the post is where users can click to shop the products tagged in the post you just made! Its quite simple once you get the hang of it, honest! If you want to share it on instagram, just click the 3 little dots icon '...' at the bottom of your post and click share, it will give you the option to share to your desired platform(s):

The next part is where it gets fun! Next to 'Home' at the bottom of the screen is 'Shop'. You can type any product in the search and shop thousands of products the app has. For this example, again, I'm going to use the Diptyque fragrance.

Once your item pops up and you click on it, you come to the screen below. This screen gives you prices, descriptions, reviews, and similar product options when you scroll through it. Right below the product itself you will see these 3 big icons:

The 'heart' icon works like it would on instagram, and the app saves your liked products & posts to your profile (will show visuals later). If you already have the item, you can click on the 'HAVE' icon, and it will go to your 'stash' (visuals later) and/or you can click the 'BUY' icon to purchase the product! When you click this icon, the product will go straight to your shopping cart on the app (top right) and you can continue on your happy little shopping way! :)

When you click on the icon 'ME' on the bottom right of your screen, it will take you to your personal profile. Like instagram, its set up the same in terms of showing you how many posts, followers, and users you follow:

You will see the little 'heart icon' again, this is where you will find all of your liked products & posts.

The 'My Stash' section is all the products you 'HAVE'. This is probably my most favorite part of this app; click on 'My Stash' & it will take you to this page:

On this page, you can determine how much of each product that you have, has left! It will notify you over time when its getting low, when you need to repurchase, and/or when the product goes on sale! This is such a great tool to use and have, it saves you time & money.

The last section on the profile screen is 'POINTS', if this app wasn't already fun, then you guys are going to love this part! Whenever you comment or like a post on your stash feed, you accumulate points. Overtime, you can use those points towards your purchase(s) on the app! For example, if you accumulate 250 points, that equals to $5 that you can use toward a purchase. I don't know at this time if there is a maximum number of points you can reach and/or use at a time, this app is relatively new but, I'll update this post again when new info comes in!

You can find & download the app for FREE under 'Stash Beauty' in the app store. Once you do that, follow me or leave your username below in the comments of this post so I can follow you guys back! Happy stashing! :)

To follow me or shop my stash, click here

Pick Your Preference: Makeup Removers

Taking off your makeup, spf, and/or the grime of the day every night is essential and the most important step at maintaining a healthy skincare routine. Sleeping in makeup or spf is a no-no; because overnight it will do more damage and overtime, your skin will only progress in showing your naughty habits. 

There are so many different ways you can remove your makeup completely before getting into the rest of your routine: balms, oils, gels, lotions, waters...SO MANY to choose, you have no excuses to be lazy and not take care of your skin properly. I wanted to talk about some of my favorites, with a few notable mentions (these are w/out photos because: I have run out of product and/or mindlessly forgot to snap a photo whilst posting this)

I'll start with the notable mentions first:

Clinique 'Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm': A favorite amongst all of us beauty bloggers & obsessives, this no-fragrance balm is absolutely a stand-out amongst other cleansing balms out there that do the same thing (still enjoy using my Emma Hardie one though from time to time). This gets off every last bit of makeup and is very gentle for the eye area. It's a very simple, plain formula but it does exactly what it saids on the tin with no fuss. And the price point doesn't break the bank, either.

Clarins 'Extra-Comfort Cleansing Cream': I quietly weep at my keyboard as I type this...because this product has been discontinued by the brand. Well, let me correct myself, the version I have, the one that comes in the big jar, has been discontinued, and since Clarins revamped the formulation by adding 'Anti-Pollution' in the title. I've read more disappointing reviews on the new one, which is why I will not go & try it once I run out of this one. I'm going to try and savior this one till the very last drop. Ok, onto why I love it so much.

It's a very thick cream, you scoop a bit from the jar, rub your hands together for a moment to warm it up to melt it, then gently press the product onto your face & lift, continue to do this about 4-6 times, & the cream lifts all the makeup & grime from the day right off the face; wipe off with a damp, hot cloth & it reveals soft, clean skin. It is such a wonderful product, its a shame Clarins thought the need to change it; whats that saying...why fix something if it ain't broke?

L'Oreal 'Clean Artiste Eye Makeup Remover': I'll start by saying that there are 2 versions of this eye-remover, one is oil-free (blue bottle) & one is not (green bottle pictured at the top of this post). Before purchase, I read reviews of both & the non-oil free version had the best reviews; the oil-free came in with so-so reviews, with people saying that the oil-free one was not best for sensitive eyes because it would irritate/sting the area. I can't personally say that it does because I haven't tried that one but, I'd rather be safe than sorry. The version I do have does not irritate my eyes at all though, it does leave behind a bit of an oily residue so, oily lids beware. 

I love this eye-makeup remover because no matter how heavy you you doll up your eyes, this doesn't leave a speck of eye makeup behind. I shake it up (dual-phase formula), pour some onto a cotton pad, gently press onto my eyes (closed of course) for a few seconds then swipe down. I do this a about 2-3 times max, just to make sure I got every last bit. For $6.99, & the constant deals & coupons going on at Ulta, I almost never pay for the full price of this product.

Now onto the ones I did manage to get photos of...

Vichy 'Calming Cleansing Micellar Solution': This is a great micellar water to remove lighter makeup (tinted moisturizers, bb creams, etc), & up to medium eye makeup. Super gentle & very hydrating, also the most affordable micellar water on this list at $17. It's been a past repurchase for me as well many times over. I also have an unpopular opinion but, I do think that this removes eye makeup better than everyone's beloved Bioderma. Speaking of Bioderma...

Bioderma 'Sensible Make-up Removing Micelle Solution': This has also been a past repurchase for a while. The bottle pictured I haven't opened yet because I wanted to give other micellar waters a shot (Vichy, Institute Esthederm) before returning to this beauty-cult staple. I'm not going to talk too much about this since you can find so many reviews, articles  & videos on it but, its now readily available for U.S. purchase at Beautylish. I'm tempted to try the Hydrabio H20 thats also newly available for purchase at Beautylish here ....tempting, very tempting.

Institut Esthederm 'Osmoclean Osmopure Face and Eyes Cleansing Water': The last micellar water on the list is another great one, especially for summer. It feels so cool, fresh, & hydrating on the skin and is just as spectacular as the others at removing traces of impurities & makeup, gentle on the eyes as well. This one is more higher up in price & harder to find in the U.S. but, I'll post a link here to where you can purchase.

Bobbi Brown 'Lathering Tube Soap': Kind of a weird name for a great product. I already posted about this remover here, so I will leave it at that & read at your will!

La Roche-Posay 'Physiological Cleansing Gel': This is a new cleanser I threw into my routine only for about a week now, but I thought it deserved a mention. I love the LPR brand through & through, it was the brand that got me into taking care of myself and my skin, properly. I owe La Roche-Posay a lot, so thats why you will see every few posts or so me mention them. Getting back to the product at hand...I have been using & loving this one product to remove all of makeup, including eyes. No cotton pads to waste with this one, just a damp, hot cloth & off it goes! Its so easy, gentle, & never wasteful. You get your bang for your buck with this one, & this will be saving me money on having to buy cotton pads every month. 

I did hear through the grapevine that La Roche-Posay is discontinuing this cleanser (please correct me if I'm wrong!), if thats the case, I'll need to stock up on this ASAP! Why do brands keep discontinuing the best products?! Arg, its so very frustrating!

What are your favorite makeup-removers? Let me know! 

Meet the Reds

Just a little heads up: Sorry about the weird changes going on with the blog. At the moment, I'm trying to work out a new layout & color scheme; if you see this blog changing colors like a disco ball, thats why!

What woman doesn't own a great red lipstick? Well, I have 7 of those that I rotate throughout the year, depending on the mood, occasion, etc. But a red lip is like a owning that perfect little black dress, it's that must-have necessity that everyone should/needs/has to own, even if its just one. A red lip can change an outfit & can stop a crowded room in its tracks. Its a strong symbol of not only femininity, but confidence. With a red lip, we hold our heads higher, backs straighter, and our esteem soars, ready to take on anything that comes our way. 

Nowadays though, a woman can't just have one red lipstick because there are so many different brands and shades and hues of it that we need to have; one for each of our moods, but still always have that one at arms reach when ready for battle. This post is a quick look at my red lipsticks in all its glory, I try to stay in more of the blue-reds, since those end up being the ones that I love with my light complexion. 

What are your favorite/must-have red lipstick(s)?

* Lipstick Queen: Medieval 

* Clinique: Black Honey

* MAC: Media

* Dior: DiorAddict Extreme 829 Sunset Boulevard

* Too Faced: Divine Wine

* MAC: Diva

** Dolce & Gabbana: Sicilian Jewels Collection 'Rubino 175'


*You can find these lipsticks at: Ulta, Sephora, and/or MAC counters/stores. 

** Since this lipstick was from a special edition line a while back, I believe that its no longer available for purchase (originally purchased this at Sephora sometime last year). If you really desire it though, with some thorough google search, you may get lucky! 

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