Skincare Review: Context Skin

 I blush anytime a beauty brand reaches out to me to give their products a try, that just gives me more incentive to start rearranging to make room for the new products delightfully coming my way. Now, I don't say yes to every offer, and I thoroughly look into every brand's background story, ethos and products before I make a solid decision if its something that would actually help benefit my skin and and this is where Context comes in. They're not a skincare line that's wanting to help benefit my skin, but ALL skins, colors, and sexes.  

With added anti-aging benefits packed with antioxidants and oils, their products are geared to help the skin to provide a clean, healthy complexion. A brand whose products are all made in the USA, does NOT test on animals, hypoallergenic, dermatologist-tested, non-comedogenic, as well as being paraben and phthalate-free. Any fragrance you get is going to be natural, all giving you that advantage to be able to get healthy skin, and feel comfortable with not slathering on a jar full of junk all over yourself.

*The kind people over at Context sent me 4 full size products to try: Micro-Derm Regenerator Cleanser, Oil-free Daily Moisturizer w/ SPF 15, Restorative Night Cream, and the Vitamin C All Day Eye Cream. I have to say, none of the products disappointed me, though I do favor some over others, though thats also not to say that those said unfavored products weren't good, they just didn't fit my needs. 

Micro-Derm Regenerator Cleanser, $35: This cleanser is my least favorite product that I tried, but not in anyway because of the cleanser itself, I'm just personally not a huge fan of exfoliating cleansers generally, though I did try this one a few times to review. Granted, I do love that Clarins Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser, but I can't remember the last time I bought one after that. I prefer to use exfoliating treatments and/or masks, the cleansers don't do much for me. I will say though, if you're looking into getting an exfoliating cleanser for yourself to try, or you love them and want to try something new, this one is pretty stellar. It didn't irritate my skin in anyway, which a lot exfoliating cleansers that I had tried in the past have (hence why I stopped using altogether); no redness, no blotchiness, no new spots popped up either. My skin felt smooth, clean (non-stripping) and hydrated, and another plus, fragrance free (sorry Clarins). It's really everything you'd want in an exfoliating cleanser, if you enjoy using them. I may pass this one off to my mom since she enjoys using exfoliating cleansers a few times a week.

Oil-Free Daily Moisturizer, $40: I really love this moisturizer, it was the first product that I was like 'yes, I love!'. Now, if I had the choice, I'd rather have a moisturizer that wasn't oil-free, but this case was different, because it didn't dry out my skin (combo/dry) and it kept it quite hydrated throughout the day thanks to the shea butter, manuka honey, and vitamin e packed in this bad boy. Another fragrance free product, its light, with an almost-milk like consistency, but just a tad thicker. Its got SPF which protects against both UVA and UVB, and it smooths and silkens the skin, which creates a great base for makeup. Any oily bits were controlled, and my skin felt hydrated all day. Despite all the praise, I didn't see any initial benefits to my skin besides keeping it protected with SPF and hydrated, which all moisturizers SHOULD do anyway, but this one just felt super comfortable, and the fact that I could use it multiple ways just makes it more bang for your buck. Normal/Combo/Oily skin types would love this; Dry/Very Dry skin types would need to add more hydration underneath this moisturizer though.

Vitamin C All Day Eye Cream, $35: This lightweight cream-gel is a perfect morning eye cream. Its really hydrating, while keeping the delicate area around the eyes smooth and brightened. Its also quite comfortable to wear alone, or under makeup, without letting makeup fall into any fine lines. You get a great size tube as well, with a little going a long way, this .5oz tube should last you a good few months if used everyday.

Restorative Night Cream, $45: Moisturizers and creams for nighttime use have been an issue for me; never finding the right one is frustrating at best and I can't ever stay committed to just one, having finicky skin, I never usually use the same nighttime moisturizer every single day of the week, except when I started using this one. I was very hesitant, enjoying every product I had used up to that point, this was the last on my list to try, but I ended up really loving it, and dare I say, kicking myself now, I ended up using it every night.

Its a very thick, rich cream; its sturdy in consistency, and you don't need a large dollop to cover the whole face, less than a nickel size really. My skin soaks this up with in a matter of a few minutes, and I wake up with clearer, less dull skin. I notice that spotty redness subsides as it soothes the skin of the days aggressors. I thoroughly enjoy rich creams because my skin tends to get a bit tight and dehydrated, and this definitely has helped ease it. My only qualm is the smell; I can't actually tell you what the smell reminds me off, but its got this bit of an off putting clean smell to it...No worries though, it fades after a short period after you put it on, so its not something thats going to annoyingly linger about.

Overall, I give all of these products, including the exfoliating cleanser, 4 of out 5 stars on the rating scale. The packaging and products check off all the marks, they're products women and men can both enjoy and that can be used everyday if desired. They also have a Hydrating Toner, a Daily Facial Cleanser (which on their site is described as a 'gel-cream'), and the Intensive Daily Moisturizer w/ SPF 15 which I wasn't sent to try , though I'd love to try eventually. Also, the price points of the range are very much on the reasonable side for a more 'higher end' brand and you definitely get a good amount of product for what you spend.

Currently going on their site, you can get 15% off new orders using the promo code NEW at checkout, and there's always free shipping with every order.

*Disclaimer: The product(s) mentioned in this post were sent to me by the mentioned brand(s) for review. All opinions and comments in this post are of my own from my personal use of them. I am not being paid by any brand(s) to talk about their product(s) that are mentioned, unless otherwise stated by me.

First Impressions: Sunday Riley's 'Blue Moon Tranquility Cleansing Balm'

Raise of hands, how many of you have been coveting this beautiful, blue baby for months?! *both hands raised* It's well worth it, may I add. I picked this cleansing balm up during Sephora's yearly VIB ROUGE event, where ANYTHING and EVERYTHING is 20% off; all brands, all fragrances, no exclusions of any kind. Sephora is the Wonka Factory of highend beauty, the mecca of all beauty lovers. This year has had its fair share of great skincare and makeup releases, and with the holidays right around the corner, the best of what beauty has to offer is popping up all over the place. Its overwhelming at best, but at the same time, what a joy it is to be able to partake in the festivities.

Sunday Riley is that highly coveted, good-stuff for your skin that costs a buttload...yet, you feel and look good with it on, no matter if you look like you just rolled out of bed or just going to the world premiere of the new James Bond flick, you really can't do much wrong when using Sunday Riley products. Granted, with that being said, it may not be for everyone; not every product may be well suited for sensitive skin types (at least to use everyday) but, when it comes down to it, her products speak volumes, and the masses absolutely love what they have to offer.

I've tried two SR products prior this, but they ended up not working out because I got them surrounding their hype, not really based on my skin needs (tisk Jewels!), I just couldn't help myself though...but this cleansing balm, on the other hand, can suit almost every skin type, except maybe the extremely oil.

This balm has vanilla, tangerine, sweet orange, chamomile, and blue tansy essential oils; thrown in with organic cocoa and moringa butters (Emma Hardie fans rejoice!). And it smells almost distinctly of cocoa, but not in anyway overpowering. The blue balm itself is absolutely lovely to look at, and the consistency and formula of the balm is quite creamy without being thick, and never feeling heavy on the skin. You just need a little to do the trick, rub those palms together for a few seconds than start massaging that makeup off your face! Its a very therapeutic experience with all the aromas you get from the lush ingredients thats thrown in, and something I see myself reaching for my evening cleanse.

Out of a 5-star rating, I give it a 4, reason being: The packing and the product itself is absolutely stunning, would look grand on the vanity, floor, bookshelf, it's just so beautiful. The smell is comforting while not being strong, has a great slip, great at removing makeup and impurities; but, at the end of the day, its just a very nice, hydrating balm cleanser. Its more beautiful in appearance than anything else, and normal/dry skins would certainly love the feeling of this, especially when used as a mask. 

If you're looking for a basic, does-what-it-says-on -the-tin balm, go with Clinique's Take The Day Off Balm; its a no fuss, no muss kind of cleanser, fragrance free, and does great with all skin types, especially sensitive. On the other hand, if you want a more luxurious experience, with a rich, thick, and creamy balm that will take off your makeup punched with a little something special in between, than I'd pick Emma Hardie's Moringa Cleansing Balm. If want something in between but different, with just a bit of UNF, than go the Blue Moon route. Or, if you haven't tried anything from the Sunday Riley brand before, I think this one is a good choice to try first, or one of their many oils. This isn't the BEST of the best of balm cleansers I've ever tried, if I had to pick out of the 3, I'd go with Clinique because it's simple and efficient, and sometimes I don't need all the extra goodies in a cleanser that I'm just going to end up washing off my face anyway.

Either way, I was satisfied with this cleanser and I'd repurchase on the account if I wanted to put something interesting back into my routine, if I was bored of the same old boring balm (sorry Clinique). I do think its worth a look, especially if you're a Sunday Riley fan, you certainly won't be disappointed. 

Its now available at Sephora online or in-stores (call to check for availability) and retails for $50.  

Product Review: Clarins' Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil

The most gooey, lovely oil that your lips will feel. I believe Clarins has mastered something that I have yet to come across in this big, beauty world of ours and have executed their first try spot on perfect with their Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil ($24).

From the formulation, to the cushiony dow-foot applicator, to the way it makes my lips look and feel, I fell in love with this product from the first nights use. I woke up the next morning to see my lips plump, full, as well as looking and feeling hydrated, soft, and smooth.

The texture is that of a lip gloss, though a bit more oily (duh), on the thicker side, with a slight tacky feeling after application; the intensity of the fades after sometime. For someone who loves lip gloss (not me), you will LOVE this on top of a matte lip to add that extra bit of unf, or for those who aren't much of a fan of lip gloss (over here!), this won't feel like a lip gloss at all, in fact you don't even have to wear out and about as a lip gloss, but as a nighttime treatment for your bedtime routine like I do.

I only wear/use this as a nighttime lip treatment within my skincare routine, and my lips are all the ever grateful for it. I don't own any lip glosses, I hate them rather, because of the gooey, sticky, tacky textures they leave behind...not to mention when half my head of hair gets glued to my lips, doesn't make a great look, personally.

At the end of the day, anyone that picks this up will love it! Whether you use it with your makeup look or throw into your skincare routine to pamper them lips up a bit, this is an all around winner for lips.

They come in 2 'shades'; I emphasize shades because the colors are very faint; you're not going to get a bold, glossy lip of color with these guys. I own just one of the shades, 'Honey' and the other shade from this collection is 'Raspberry' which is a nice berry-pink shade.

I'm absolutely thrilled that Clarins' decided to bring these babies back, hopefully permanently, since the praise of them are through the roof! It would be a smart move on their part I think ;)

You can find both shades still available on the Clarins US online store here!

Cleanser Review: Clarins Extra-Comfort Cleansing Cream vs Extra-Comfort Anti-Pollution Cleansing Cream

photo credit: amazon.com

When a brand discontinues your favorite product, the usual follows: crying, screaming, pulling your hair,  giving the company nasty looks through your computer screen...listen, we have all been there. I know I have, hence why I'm making this post about Clarins' Extra-Comfort Cleansing Cream. The Goddess of Skincare herself, Mrs. Caroline Hirons, got pretty much everyone on this planet in love with this jar of goo, even me. You can read her quick little review on the original here, and her thoughts about the new reformulation here.

Its a thick, rich, cleansing cream with that dynamite smell that Clarins is known for and that all fans of the brand absolutely adore. Its such an experience on the skin with using this cleanser, that I couldn't really remember loving a cleanser as much as this one prior. It makes you forget about every other cleanser that you've ever used (a bit of a stretch, maybe?) , because you never want to use anything else...except on the day that you found out it's no longer going to be sold, and that they are coming out with a reformulation of the product... whilst throwing in the verbage 'anti-pollution' in the middle of it.  ?!?!!? If you're feeling a bitch-face through your screens, its because I'm making a hard one. 

Listen: Clarins, next to La Roche Posay, are two brands that I hold very dear to my beauty heart, they were the first brands that I got into when I started my beauty adventure. I'm their ride or die chick so-to-speak, but sometimes you need to take a step back and literally be like, 'WTF BUT WHY?!' Even to your favorite brands.

At the same rate, I can't knock the new one till I try it, right? So, thats what I decided to do, I took the plunge once my Extra-Comfort ran (almost) dry (I left just a bit in the jar...no matter how much I got the urge to scoop it all out and slather it all over my body...just so I can compare the 2 for this post. The sacrifices that were made...). Long story short, I ended up loving the Anti-Pollution version as well, thus I deserved a swift kick in the arse for giving this one the cold, hard shoulder in the beginning. 

photo credit: clarins.co.uk

Its in no way shape or form like the original,  nothing beats it, nothing tops that luscious, glorious cream in jar. I still find it a shame that Clarins decided to do away with it, truly. But honestly, this new formulation isn't all that bad, really. YET, it fails to replace it.   

Differences: The obvious packaging change, from tub to tube. The color of the cream is also slightly different; the original was cream in color, while the reformulation has a very slight pink tone to it. And the consistency is quite different; the original being just a bit thicker and I feel a bit more easier to work with. 

With all that being said, I can't say anything negative about the reformulation itself, if anything, it gets the job done just as well as the original, and my face is just as happy with it. It still works well for dry, sensitive, normal and even combo skins types; oily and acne skins, you may need to step back from this one, it may be a bit much.

For now, I'm throughly enjoying the Anti-Pollution Cleansing Cream, regardless of all the gripe and fuss I keep making about Clarins discontinuing the original one, and will probably end up repurchasing it again once I run out. This cleanser is more on the expensive side, in most places I've checked, it ranges but usually goes up to being about $44 for the 200ml tube; though I purchased mine here for over $10 less than that; and I found another online beauty shop that has it for even less than that price, at $26, here, which seems to be the best price I've found thats available to ship to the US. 

If you tried both cleansers, how did one over the other fair for you?

Glossier: Phase 1 Set Review

"Skin Is In!" Three words have not rung truer for the beauty brand, Glossier. But, you shouldn't expect nothing else from a brand that creates skincare, right? Thats what I thought, thinking all their catchy lingo was just to gain press but, they are all bark and bite, and their products definitely bite my beauty bug!

Since this post has gone up, Glossier has just newly released their Boy Brow eyebrow product, as well as cheekily announced that there is also a face cleanser in the works for a 2016 January release (excited!!!) so, keep your eyes peeled sometime in the beginning of next year for reviews on those products. For now, I will be reviewing and talking about my favorites from the Phase 1 Set. I do also have both of the masks from the range, the Mega Greens Galaxy Pack and Moisturizing Moon Mask, but I will pair those together in a separate post after this one goes up (probably the following week).

The Phase 1 Set includes: Soothing Face Mist, Priming Moisturizer Buildable Hydrating Creme, Balm Dotcom, & the Perfecting Skin Tint (shade Light). Each product in this set is sold individually on the brands site, which is a lovely option because I had started to run very low on the mist & primer before I typed this post, so instead of repurchasing the whole set again ($80), I was able to repurchase the individual products that I needed instead of dishing out a load. The P1 Set is priced at $80; it doesn't cost you more or save you money because each product, if purchased individually, would also come out to $80, the fact that the option is given is nice nonetheless.

Phase 1 Set

Soothing Face Mist: This is your very typical rosewater facial mist. Its lovely, fresh, smells of roses, no fuss-no muss kind of mist. Its very gentle, super hydrating, and great for any time of day. I use this one in the morning always, after I cleanse, before I moisturize. It mists out beautifully, the way all bottles of that sort should; it lightly gives a nice dewy finish. This isn't anything special but, unlike most facial sprays, this, if not all Glossier products, are all: hypoallergenic, dermatologist tested, good for all skin types,  non-comedogenic, non-irritating, paraben free, alcohol free, and not tested on animals. Which gives all their product two big thumbs up from me already!

Priming Moisturizer, Buildable Hydrating Creme: Firstly, I probably should have done a separate blog post on this primer alone, because I feel like a lot of love is going to come pouring out of me and I'm not going to know when to stop, so brace yourselves.

This primer was a huge win for me, which came to also be a huge surprise considering my general dislike for primers. As mentioned in the beginning of this post, I already repurchased this product, still shocked! I fell absolutely in love with this priming moisturizer.  My lack of lust for primers usually stems from their silicone feeling, which, if you guessed, I normally detest. Those types of primers almost always clog my pores and make me break out, and/or make my makeup melt off or break apart after some point in the day...This primer on the other hand, so hydrating, so plump, so nice!

My skin feels healthy, plump, fully hydrated, and foundation just sticks to it so well without clogging the pores or breaking up. It has a very light creme consistency, sinks into the skin quickly, and pumps that moisture into the skin without leaving a residue or making the skin oily. This soft, unscented primer can also be used just as a regular, everyday moisturizer, though since none of this brands' range have SPF in them, its best to remember to add that into the mix as well before stepping out the door.

At $22, this is a considerably reasonable price for such a wonderful angelic creme in a cute tube. Its worth every penny in my opinion, & a little goes a long way so you'll get a good use time out of it. Everything negative that I've ever said about primers...well, still stands, though this Glossier one is the exception. This will be a continuous repurchase until they stop making (which if thats ever the case, I hope there's a heads up ahead of time so I can stock pile the hell up!).

Balm Dotcom, Universal Skin Salve: You can say that this is almost (but not entirely) like a $12 tube of vaseline with pretty packaging. I find this to be less tacky than vaseline, and though not as thick, its still just as moisturizing and very comfortable on the skin. I've only used this on my lips, but it saids you can also use this on pretty much any little dry bits you may have, even scratches. Its helped my lips stay hydrated all day long, even if I were to wear a matte lip product; they look full, plump, and healthy. This little wonder tube will come in handy during the winter season, especially if your prone to drier lips, and with its cute size at only .68oz (20ml), its purse and pocket friendly.

Perfecting Skin Tint: This is NOT a tinted moisturizer, foundation, BB Cream, CC Cream, etc...this is an extremely light veil of color that adds just that little extra UNF to the skin, but just a little. Its your skin, but slightly better. A very light, watery, thin formula that comes in a 30ml dropper bottle helps: slightly even out skin discolorations, while smoothing out the skin, whilst giving it a subtle, dewy finish (especially so when paired with the mist & primer beforehand). This will not help cover blemished prone skin, scarring, dark and/or sun spots.

This shouldn't throw you off with not being a full coverage makeup base, this is supposed to help enlighten the skin a bit, your real skin, not mask it, which is really what Glossier is trying to achieve with their range, and they do so, so well.

I got mine in the shade light, though I probably could have gotten away with the medium shade as well. This is great for:

- the 'makeup-no makeup' look lovers

- running-late-this-morning-but-need-something-on-my-face people

- non-makeup wearers that want to change things up a bit

- people that love their skin

At $26, again, a little goes a long way but, as previously stated, you will need to put an spf underneath or on top of this. That is the only gripe I can honestly say about all of these products, especially the moisturizer and the tint, is that none carry SPF in them.

The absolutely beautiful white and pink packaging, the type, the products themselves...everything about these products was instant love as first sight/use for me. I think this set would make a great gift for any skin and beauty lover, or a nice little treat for yourself this holiday season, or really anytime of year! 

Glossier wants you to love your skin, appreciate it, embrace it, but most of all, take care of it. The brand makes skincare fun, with its adorable and vanity-worthy packaging, they also always throw in a fun sticker sheet with every order, so you can decorate your products or stick them anywhere you like. They focus on their audience while stepping out of the box, while sticking to their mantra: 'Skin Is In'!

You can purchase the Phase 1 Set, or any of these products individually over at Glossier here