Simon Said Beauty Feature

You most certainly have shopped at a Simon mall before at some point without even realizing it! My local mall is a Simon Mall, & thats why I was so honored to be able to write a feature for their Beauty section on Simon SAID about some nifty, beauty devices that are taking over the skincare game.

You can read the results of my hi-tech skincare routines here

What are some of your favorite beauty devices that you guys use in your routines? Let me know in the comments!

j.beaute blog is moving!

You read that title right, I'm up and moving to bigger and better things! j.beauté will be finally and officially a .com site with a proper e-mail to match. I know, I'm proud of me growing up a bit too, it's been long time coming. I had some downtime recently to really try and work on it (it's still a work in process though while I work out a few tweaks); its going to have the same content, and all my posts from here are  already moved to the new site. As of yet, I don't have any plans of deactivating this blog though, at least not for a long while, just in case anyone happened to miss the memo.

My new, official site is here , and I hope you all continue to join me on my beauty adventures!

Marie d'Argan: Argan Oil, Macadamia Oil, & Body Lotion Reviews

Argan Oil, if you don't know by now, is one of my favorite multi-purpose oils; its great for face, hair, and body and helps deeply nourish and protect the skin from lack of moisture. Whether in cold or hot climates, this oil is great for all seasons and skin types for any and all skin concerns, like sensitivity. The French skincare brand Marie d'Argan is all about the importance and use of Argan Oil in its products, which I obviously love! 

The Choosy Chick, Natural & Organic Skincare Promo

I've happily teamed up with the natural & organic online beauty shop The Choosy Chick to give my followers a special little promo that is on now!!

You can get 10% off your entire order (any brand(s), any product(s)) with using my code " JBEAUTE " at checkout. I have an affiliate link with them that you can shop through * here; shopping through my affiliate link helps this blog continue to grow, transform, and be able to provide greater content on this blog for you guys (though no hard feelings if you choose not to use my affiliate link to shop. you'll still get the 10% off if you choose not to) !

**The Choosy Chick sells some of my favorite brands, new and old, like *MUN, *Kari Gran, *Josh Rosebrook, *Nudus, *Max Alchemy, *100% Pure, & more! They hand select brands that take great thought and care of what they put into their products, while keeping our planet and consumers in mind. Oh, and did I mention they ship internationally, too?!! I'll link a few of the products that they sell that I've already reviewed here on the blog at the end of this post.

My promo has already started and will end June 22nd, happy shopping, beauté's!!! 

My Reviews:

- MUN: reviews for both the No. 1 Aknari Brightening Youth Serum & No. 11 Anarose Rejuvenating Rose Toner are in one post here.

- Josh Rosebrook: Cacao Antioxidant Mask review here.

- Kari Gran: Cleansing Starter Kit review here.

** Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links (*). Some products mentioned in this post were gifted to me by The Choosy Chick and/or brand(s), unless stated otherwise,  for reviewing purposes. All reviews, comments, and/or opinions are all of my own from my own personal use and experience with the products/brands.

Kari Gran Cleansing System Starter Kit

I love when brands create kits for first time users to trial the range out of their best and well-known products, it gives us the consumers the chance to try products that we are interested in without breaking the bank right away! Kari Gran does it right with their Cleansing System Starter Kit, which includes their Cleansing Oil, Hydrating Tonic, and Essential Serum; the perfect starter kit with your main skincare essentials.

Review: Cacao Antioxidant Mask by Josh Rosebrook

A face mask that smells like dark chocolate?? Sign me up! 

What's New at Ulta

Ulta, like Sephora, is the mecca for beauty shopping at its finest! And for me, Ulta is closer than Sephora from where I live, so I go there more often than the latter. I want to try and showcase what new products/brands are popping up there every so often that I'm excited about, so no one misses out! I will try to do at least my top 5 picks of the week/month/however often I get around to doing this, on brands/products I'm most excited about or to try. See my top 5 after the jump!

glo-therapeutics Toning Mist & Light Moisture face cream

From the sleek packaging to my experience with the products themselves, trying the glo-therapuetics brand for the first time has been a treat! I was sent to try and review the *Light Moisture face moisturizer & *Toning Mist; very simple, extremely hydrating and comfortable products to wear. Before writing this post, I was trying to decide when was the better time of day to use these products within skincare routines, but I think these both would really work out splendid day or night, depending on your skin types.

Cane and Austin: Face & Body Retexture Scrub & Miracle Pads + 30% Glycolic Treatment

Glycolic Acid is at the heart of Cane and Austin, and they do it well! I had a few run-ins in the past starting my skincare journey with Glycolic Acid, before indulging into acids, and it was not nice to my skin. Once I had started incorporating Biologique Recherche's P50 1970 Lotion, my skin eventually became better and less sensitive to strong acids and in time, my skin has been all the better for it. Reviews after the jump...

What's New: Les Voyages by diptque

photo credit of diptyque.com

Diptyque has just launched Les Voyages, a travel collection that features some of the best products from their skincare, body care, candles, and fragrance ranges in ready-to-adventure travel sizes. I want all the diptyque minis, please! Read more about this new collection after the jump!

Beauty Repurchases (Will Continuously Be Updated)

When you find products that you love because it just works (don't you LOVE those moments?!), you naturally never want to be without it, and it goes right on the repurchase list! Here's a list (that will regularly be updated as see fit) of my beauty (skincare, body care, makeup, etc) loves that have been repurchases already or will be repurchases in the future.
List after the jump.

2016 Beauty Wishlist (Skin, Hair, & Bodycare)

It is probably a little late in the year already to start a 'wishlist', but regardless, a lot of beauty brands & products have peaked my interest and been on my radar for a while, & thought I'd share just some (the list is so huge I have it in an Excel spread sheet to keep track of it all) with you all! I will separate it all by brands alphabetically to make it a bit easier.

Influenster Box: SK-II Facial Treatment Essence & Facial Treatment Mask Reviews

I'm a real sucker for the Influenster programme and have been lucky enough to have received 2 other boxes prior to this new *SK-II one (you can read my other 2 posts here & here). They send out products from really great, high-end brands from skincare to makeup to try for testing and reviewing purposes. Here are my reviews from their latest box, with SK-II's Facial Treatment Essence & Facial Treatment Sheet Mask. 

Review: Biologique Recherche Lait VIP 02 Oxygenating Cleansing Milk

I've found my new favorite cleansing milk that may just replace my sadly discontinued Sunday Riley Charisma Creme Cleanser, it's the ** Lait VIP 02 Cleansing Milk by Biologique Recherche. I've raved about another product from the brand previously, the infamous cult classic of ** P50 1970 (pictured). 

This cleansing milk is slightly thicker than SR's CC Cleanser, but not as thick in comparison to Lait U, which is another cleansing milk (more like a cream) from BR. I don't detect any scent really from this; its wonderfully gentle. Squeeze a little out of the tube, apply to dry skin (second or morning cleanse) massage gently, emulsify with water, and then rinse. It's supposed to illuminate the skin, while helping the skin protect itself from the everyday aggressors of air pollutants. It throughly cleanses, ridding the skin of left over impurities from the first cleanse or sleep, leaving no residue behind and no tightness once its rinsed away.

It's a bit of a splurge for a cleansing milk, but right below cleansing balms, milks are my next favorite type of cleanser so sometimes its worth investing in something that works for your skin and that you enjoy using. 

I have only been using this cleanser in sample sizes, so I have been trying to savor as much as I can having gone through about 2-3 of these cleanser samples; pictured above is my last full one that I will have to savor a bit as well, though I am going purchase the full size of this cleanser once I run out of my sample size.

You can shop Biologique Recherche products over at Toska's European Spa, which you can find the direct link to their website here , as well as more information on their spa and services that they provide. 

My BR P50 review and information post can be found here, as well as find more information about Toska European Spa.

** Disclaimer: The product(s) mentioned in this post were kindly gifted to me by Toska European Spa. All opinions & comments about the product(s) & spa are from my own personal use and experience with them. I am not being paid to talk about the product(s) mentioned, unless stated otherwise.

Highend vs Drugstore: The Melting Gel Cleansers

  Ah, the debate continues...to splurge or to save? This post, as the title echoes, is about which melting gel cleansers are the best from highend beauty or drugstore: Clarins Pure Melt Cleansing Gel or Yes To Coconuts Ultra Hydrating Melting Cleanser. They are both makeup removal/second cleanse contenders, and they both claim to do the same thing: hydrate, remove makeup, & leave skin feeling clean and hydrated. They both actually do all of these things and well, but they do have their slight differences that set them apart from each other...so which is better?

Let's start with highend: Clarins Pure Melt Cleansing Gel has been, like other Clarins products, a cult favorite from their range; its scent is of the regular Clarins kind, a nice splash of herbal/medicinal and gentleness. This cleanser does it what saids on the tin, and then some for me. It removes every inch of makeup during the first round, including the eye area, which it is super gentle on. As you massage the gel onto the skin, it turns into an oil with impeccable slip, and emulsifies into a light milk once hit with water, no film left afterward. The skin is removed of all impurities and makeup, leaving it soft, hydrated, and calm. I always feel I can skip the second-cleanse step when using it (& I don't, but I have been closely tempted somedays...). It's another Clarins win for me, & I hate to admit that I had not tried this sooner; its developing into a staple for the long skincare roads ahead.

Drugstore: Yes To Coconuts Ultra Hydrating Melt Cleanser also does what it claims on the tube; a gel that turns into another great oil with slip to match, removes all makeup, yet advises to avoid the eye area...bummer; this won't be suited for the simplistic because you'll need to go in with another product to remove the eye makeup. The scent for me in no way matches the Clarins one, because it's a mix of coconuts and sunscreen. If you love both of those scents, this could be a year-round winner for you, but coconut isn't really my thing. Not to say that its not a good scent, but if I want a 'food' scent I enjoy a more spicy, herbal, or citrus aroma. I'll take a coconut drink, candle maybe... And the fact that it reminded me of washing my face with sunscreen everytime? Kind of a turn off...I enjoy sunscreen itself, slather it on everyday, but I don't need that fragrance in a cleanser, even though I'm just going to wash it down the sink and it doesn't linger.  Is that a bad reason to not enjoy a cleanser, despite doing it's duty well, is to naysay it because of its scent? 

As it were, these cleansers are both unique, yet the same, and both get the job done very well. The winner for me is the Clarins Pure Melt cleanser, because  I enjoy every single thing about it, and it can go all over the face, which isn't said for the Yes To Coconuts one. Yet, Coconuts still isn't a bad choice to pick either, especially if you love coconuts.

Respectfully, you can find Clarins Pure Melt Cleansing Gel for $37 to purchase here & Yes To Coconuts Ultra Hydrating Cleanser for $9.99 here

Review: Darphin Orange Blossom Oil

Why has this magical oil never been in my routines until a few months ago?? Oils are taking over the skincare game in all the right ways, and next to Clarins & Sunday Riley, Darphin is another great brand to look into if you're seeking out facial oils for your routines.  They have 7 different types of oil elixirs for every skin concern and need; the one I'm reviewing in this post is the Orange Blossom Aromatic Care for Normal Skin. 

It's claims to help brighten, smooth and purify the skin, which it does exactly that, and then some. I don't know what's in this that makes it do the magic that it does, but it also helps calm down redness from blemishes and essentially, help get rid of them almost over night. Again, I really don't know if its even supposed to do that, but it does, and I'm not complaining!

The citrus-orange scent is just so calming and comforting when massaging into the skin; great after a long, winded day. Whenever I'm struggling with spots, I use this alone as my nighttime moisturizer after my Biologique Recherche P50 1970; its super hydrating and just settles into the skin beautifully; my skin never feels tight and upon morning, its soothed, clear, and bright, all from this little bottle.

I do wish the bottle had some sort of pump or dropper, because at $80, having to pour a little out in my hand each time can cause you to accidentally over indulge a little bit and use more than you need; other than that, this has become one of my new favorite oils to use during the evening, alongside my MUN No. 1 Aknari Brightening Youth Serum. 

You can read up on more of Darphin's oils and purchase them here 

#PerfectPores Campaign & Kit with Peach & Lilly!

The Korean Skincare Specialists over at Peach & Lilly have started a campaign against pores! Some of us are blessed with tiny, beautiful, clean pores while others, including myself, deal with big pores that can get congested quite easily; anything and everything just wants to sink right into them! And while you can't erase pores from your face permanently, no matter what anyone tells you, you can help clean out the gunk and disguise them down to where you have perfectly clean, almost-poreless skin! Thats where the #PerfectPores campaign comes in.

To get those unnoticeable , pristine clean pores, Peach & Lilly, along with the Korean beauty brand Caolion, teamed up to create a set that is supposed to do just that: Freshly Chitosan Foam Cleanser, Blackhead Bubble Pore Pack, Pore Original Pack, and the Pore Tightening Memory Sleeping Mask.

Now, according to their product page and PR e-mails I exchanged, you're supposed to use all of these products right after the other, in the order I stated them above and below; you will find my reviews of each product of from the * Perfect Pore Kit:

Freshly Chitosan Foam Cleanser: The bottle looks cool, the cleanser stripped the hell out of my skin, which is why I don't use foam cleansers in the first place; they are very drying and strip the skin of its natural oils. Now, while I don't recommend using foam cleansers in general, if you have oily skin, this may actually work for you. I'm not really getting any kind of scent to this, so if you have oily skin with sensitivities, this may actually work in your favor.

Blackhead Bubble Pore Pack: What an unusual product, definitely have never used a product like this in my routines before! It literally does what it saids: it bubbles...but the bubbles, oh wow, it feels so weird. I had a bit of anxiety at first when I felt my whole face start to bubble up with this pack on but upon washing it off, came great relief and joy for my skin. The skin was left soft and clean, not stripped-clean, like all-the gunk-came-out-of-my-face-right-there clean! It was refreshing.

Pore Original Pack: I don't know what the heck I did wrong or where this product went wrong, but about a minute after I put it on, my face was burning, badly. The directions say to keep it on for 10-15 minutes, I don't think I lasted 3! It smells straight-up of clay and menthol (which I'm assuming was the burning-face culprit) and it looks like a clay mask; but never again is that going on my face. After I had taken it off from the 3 trying minutes, my face was red and sore...I was cringing to try the last step...

Pore Tightening Memory Sleeping Mask: What a relief! Now this smells of straight up menthol, not my favorite, very strong and the smell doesn't really go away. The upside, this gave my red face much relief, almost instantly, and cooled everything down. It's a bouncy-sleeping mask: meaning it reverts back to its originally form moments after you scoop some out to apply it to your face...not going to lie, definitely played around sicking the little spatula in and out just to see the magic work! A little goes a long way with this one.

Alright so, 2 out of 4 isn't so bad; yes, I would probably have enjoyed this more if all the products worked, but I still see results with just using 2 of the 4. I can do without the Foaming Cleanser and definitely do without the Pore Original Pack; but the Blackhead Bubble Pore Pack and the Pore Tightening Memory Sleeping Mask were fun and honestly, worked really well on my skin. I have continued to use those 2 products together in my nightly routines, and notice that my pores have developed less blackheads and appear more clean and have appeared to be less 'large-and-in-charge' and more 'imma keep to myself'. 

You can purchase the Perfect Pores Kit in its entirety on Peach & Lilly's site here, and it retails for $84 for the all products. (at the time of this posting, the Perfect Pores Kit is currently sold out, though you can sign up using your e-mail to get notified once its back in stock). 

* Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post were kindly sent to me by Peach & Lilly and Caolion for their #PerfectPores campaign & reviewing purposes. All opinions & comments about the product(s) are from my own personal use and experience with them. I am not being paid to talk about the product(s) mentioned, unless stated otherwise.

Review: Briogeo Don't Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask

photo credit: sephora.com

I have thick, damaged (hats off to my younger self who thought boxed hair dye was a swell idea), wavy hair that suffers from dryness, breakage, and Florida's disgusting humidity...so weekly hair masks and treatments are a must!

* Briogeo's Don't Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask smells and feels like a product you'd get from your salon; its rich without being perfumey, almost a slight musk-nutty (argan oil) scent. It has the consistency of almost a creamy, greek-yogurt and just smooths onto damp hair evenly; I brush it through after I apply it like I do with every hair mask/treatment, let it sit for the allotted time, which is 3-5 minutes (I find the longer the better) I'll rinse it out, than maybe add a little more argan oil at my tips then let my hair air-dry over night. 

Overall, I think this a really good hair mask, not the best I tried, but not the worst. I definitely noticed after a few uses that my hair was more soft and shiny and has continued to have less breakage; so if you have slightly oily roots and dry ends, I feel like this mask won't be too heavy for you, and will work well giving you the hydrated balance to your locks. For those with severely dry hair, I'd still recommend it, but maybe go in with your other treatment(s) that you would normally use after you wash this out. 

If you're looking for a new hair mask and deal with the hair types I mentioned above, you can find Briogeo's Deep Conditioning Mask over at your local Sephora.

At the time of this posting, Sephora's website is currently out of stock, but you can order it online at Briogeo's site here, retails for $26.

* Disclaimer: The product mentioned in this post was kindly sent to me by Be Social PR & Briogeo for reviewing purposes. All opinions & comments about the product(s) are from my own personal use and experience with them. I am not being paid to talk about the product(s) mentioned, unless stated otherwise.

The Body Oil You Need To Try: Mun No. 7 Ayour Body Toning Serum

Another review from MUN that has for me, been a big part of improving my skin dramatically for the better for the last 2 months, which you can read up on my reviews of their Rose Toner and Brightening Serum here. I was lucky enough recently to be able to try for review their newest launch,  ** No.7 Ayour Body Toning Serum.

I never had a body care product make my skin feel so delicately-soft, almost on the cusp of angelic-like...a bit dramatic, but I can write some damn poetry about this body serum. I didn't care what other magical wonders this serum was packed with when I first put it on, the fact that something could make my skin feel that way, so gently and naturally, its one of the best bodycare concoctions anyone has ever come up with.

Being consistent with an ingredient thats proved beneficial on my face from the No. 1 Aknari Serum, the Prickly Pear Seed Oil, makes another grand appearance in this body serum: it gives my body a natural light, without being greasy feeling or looking; its comfortable and nourishing and the fragrance is wholesome and deliriously natural. The delirious-bit, by that I mean its aromatherapeutic, so it creates this sense of calm and comfort around you, easing your senses and relaxing you, thanks to the mixture of Frankincense, Lavender, and Neroli oils (which also happen to be some of my favorite oils).

The best time to apply is right after the shower, while the skin is slightly damp; that way the oil has a better slip to it. You can use it on dry skin if dry patches pop up: knees, elbows, feet, hands, etc. What a treat!

MUN is the kind of brand that, if you've never tried oil-serums & toners on your face or body oils, they will convert you, guaranteed.

You can purchase the No.7 Ayour Body Toning Serum on MUN's website here , retails for $74.

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

Master post Review: Sunday Riley

photo credit: sundayriley.com

This is my Sunday Riley Reviews Masterpost. Here you will find all of the SR products I've tried up to present, with exception of their newest release, Tidal Brightening Enzyme Water Cream, which will be up in a separate post shortly (you can read my review of it here).

Flora Hydroactive Cellular Face Oil: The smell isn't off putting but, if you're sensitive to scents and not a fan of roses, it may not be the top pick for you; it's literally as if someone grabbed all the roses from every garden on the block and just shoved them right in your nose, with some green notes thrown in between. Personally, I love almost any kind of rose scent so, this doesn't bother me in the slightest. 

Ingredients: Russian, Bulgarian, & Turkish red roses; Rose Geranium, Palma Rosa, Pomegranate, Wild Carrot, Chia Seed, Rosehip, and Tomato Seed Oil.

This is a dry oil, so for me, it never felt like it really sinked into my skin properly. I wouldn't personally use this oil just on its own if you have more dehydrated skin, because it just happens to linger on top of the skin's surface opposed to sinking in...no matter how much I wanted to love this, I just wasn't getting the full effects of this oil as I would have liked. With drier skins, I would recommend putting another oil or a cream of your choice underneath; combo skins may benefit more and not need to add much to it. This could be better off for more mature skins though, as the bottle states, so I will pass this off to my mother, perhaps.

photo credit: sephora.com

Luna Sleeping Night Oil: What a controversial little blue liquid! Does it work? Does it not work? For me, it didn't work, and by that I mean it was too strong for my skin! The smell was definitely off-putting at first, but the moment I was massaging it into the skin, the smell was actually quite therapeutic, I just wanted to keep massaging more into my skin.

It severely broke me out, terribly. I first started off using it every night, which I don't recommend if you haven't tried or your skin isn't used to retinol-based products, because your skin will most likely react.  Its best to start using this every few days, so you can see how your skin will react/become immune to it. If you are still unsure, you can always ask for a sample at your local Sephora if they carry the SR line.

Ceramic Slip: I don't know why I tried this cleanser out, I guess curiosity got the best of me, but since I don't have really oily skin, which I think its best made for (oily/combo);  this just ended up drying out my skin. If you want to try out Sunday's line but don't know which product to choose first and you have the above skin concerns, I'd grab this cleanser first before anything else, it would really make you fall right in love; shame it didn't work out for me though. 

Good Genes: Skincare products that have more natural ingredients in them aren't always going to smell like florals and fresh linen, and Good Genes proves this 100 times over! For me, it literally just smelled like baby-poo, really the best way I can describe the smell. This is a Lactic Acid treatment, probably one of the best acids out there, but again, if you aren't used to strong ingredients, I'd recommend going in with this every other day, every few days, whatever your preference until your skin gets used to it opposed to everyday. This left my skin feeling so soft and smooth though like the Luna, it broke me out...not nearly as bad, but spots were coming around until the time I took it out, than all said spots starting to heal and calm down and no others popped up...so I knew this product was the culprit. Regardless, I do feel like this lives up to its claims, I just wish my skin didn't hate it so much!

Blue Moon Tranquility Cleansing Balm: I finally got this back into my routine after being without it for some months...you can read my review on this lovely cleansing balm here.

Start Over Eye Cream: Great eye cream, horrid new packaging. I didn't get my hands on Start Over with its glass pump bottle; this new packaging is in this weird tube, with a metal roller angled at such an odd way that I never bother to use it...I just squeeze out the product and apply it with my ringer fingers. I don't know why SR thought to change the packaging on this, many more customers wanted this product to be more travel-friendly? Who knows.

The product itself though, excellent! Its a gel-cream formula, instantly cools and depuffs the under eye area, day or night, though with gel creams, I like to use them in the morning, especially if I didn't get in a proper nights' rest.

Sad to see you go...Discontinued Products:

Charisma Creme: LOVE this cleanser! But SR has seemed to discontinue this gentle, skin softening liquid for good; its hard to find ANYWHERE anymore because of it, though I was so determined to try it that I found it on Arch Chicago's online shoppe...when I went back to their site a few weeks later to repurchase 2 more backups, I was sadly informed that they were currently out of stock, though I do currently see it available on their website still, so there is still hope for a future restock of this here (you can send them an e-mail to be put on a waiting list to get notified once it does, fingers crossed!).

More milk than creme; very liquidly, like milk. I love using this cleanser as my morning cleanse, which I use about 2 full pumps to get a good slip on dry skin; or a second cleanse in the evening, using about 2-3 pumps all over face and neck. Its so gentle, hydrating, and my skin just soaks this up comfortably; it's one of the best cleansers I've used for the morning but once this runs out, I'll have to find a back-up that can match this so I've been using this sparingly for now!

Disrobe Body Lotion: Oh, what a divinely, sweet-smelling body lotion this is! My body feels so soft, supple, and non-greasy after I apply this almost everywhere; it claims to firm, detoxify, exfoliate, and hydrate the skin without feeling greasy...I can constitute that it does hydrate and exfoliate stunningly...though I haven't used it quite long enough to see if the claims of "firming and detoxifying" ring to be true...claims like that can tend to be a bit on the 'bogus' side of the beauty spectrum.

Again, and with the next product below, I hunted this down from Arch Chicago's beauty shop since it's unavailable everywhere else now; though currently at the time of this posting, Arch Chicago has taken down the products from their site, so they either could be out of stock for good *cries* If you see it floating around anywhere on the web for purchase, snatch it up, and as many as you can before others get smart and do the same!

Liquid Diet Body Treatment: Going from a creme-brûlée scent of Disrobe, to a citrus paradise with Liquid Diet, SR does a body good! This is more of an overnight worker than an instant-gratification one; regardless, I do see this help lessen the 'bloat' of water retention, or when that 'time of the month' creeps around the bend. Its a nice relief, and can be a great product if legs, ankles, or feet are a bit puffy or swollen from a long day; it helps relax, cool, and calm down and built up fluid retention.

Again, its a disappointment that this is also kicked out of SR's range. At the time of this post, there is no news on whether or not Sunday Riley will come out with any more body products in the future.

First Impressions: Sunday Riley's 'Tidal: Brightening Enzyme Water Cream

When Sunday Riley comes out with a new product, you bet your bottom that the beauty community within the skincare realm is eager to get their hands on it, come the launch of **Tidal, their newest baby. It's a facial water cream that claims to brighten, smooth, intensely hydrate, and exfoliate the skin; it will help relieve the skin of discolorations from hyperpigmentation, and promises to hydrate for up to 24 hours so your skin never feels tight, dry, or uncomfortable, just nourished, glowing and plump.  

I've been using this strictly as my nighttime moisturizer, with no other oils or serums underneath or on top for the last week to be able to really see the powerhouse that this cream claims to be; even though this does claim to exfoliate, I still use my Biologique Recherche P50 1970 Lotion before because it's the only acid tone that really allows any product I put on top of it to work its magic (for me, this doesn't cause any irritations such as burning or stinging). 

A few extra sidetones about Tidal:

- Its oil-free, noncomedogenic, cruelty-free, vegan, hypoallergenic, and gluten-free. Is good for all skin types, including sensitive skins. My skin can become reactive to products, but this cream did not negatively effect my skin in any way (no redness, stinging, burning, or breakouts). 

- It has a not-so-mild powdery, cucumber-esque fragrance; Cucumber Extract is an ingredient, however its quite overpowering for an ingredient thats placement in this product is to the lower-middle end of the IG list. Regardless, it's not the worse smelling product that's in SR's line, and its not bothersome to me or my skin.

- A little goes a long way with this cream. Its a thick, almost gel-cream, yet it feels incredibly light on the skin, not the least bit heavy.

All of their claims, for the most part, have proved to be in SR's favor. It goes on light, cooling, and comfortable on the skin; it sinks into it like a dream, leaving it smooth, soft, & hydrated while looking nice and plump. Upon morning my skin still feels the same! Maybe a little less plump, but definitely still incredibly hydrated and soft, no skin tightness, nothing. I can't say how much its helped with hyperpigmentation that I suffer from post-acne scaring after only a week, but again, I also use BR's P50 1970 in conjunction, so I'm sure once some time has passed, that claim will soon to prove right by Sunday as well.

It's been a few months since I've incorporated a cream into my nighttime routine, and come to my delightful surprise, I have rarely put this down since the day it arrived at my doorstep. Good on ya, Sunday. 

You can purchase Sunday Riley's Tidal Brightening Enzyme Water Cream at Sephora, in-stores and/or online, here. 

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

Review: Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser

All of Glossier's products have rotated in and out of my makeup and skincare drawers for the last year, and they finally announced their newest release, the Milky Jelly Cleanser. Fan girls of Glossier rejoiced whilst putting this cutesy bottle of a cleanser in their shopping carts with its debut, and the crowd's have gone wild for it.  Their packaging makes me wish I started my own skincare line sooner, because I totally would have opted for this clean, simplistic, 21st century girl look; all the boxes are ticked off in terms of their presentation, packaging, and advertisements for their products; by giving back 100% to their customers, they listen to them and produce products that they know won't disappoint their groupies, which keeps us coming back for more! 

This is a good gel-cream cleanser, though the Moisturizing Moon Mask is my favorite product from their entire range, this comes in second place...As a morning cleanse, it softens the skin and gently clears it of impurities, though my favorite time to use this is for makeup removal: I use about one full pump and a half for the entire face, including eye area. Its SUPER gentle on the eye area by the way, and it's really good at removing mascara, eyeliner, the works in one full sweep.

The scent can be best described as a faint, powdery-rose, considering that Rose Damascena Flower Water is the second ingredient, you have been warned Rose-haters!  The Rose-fragrance was a bit much for a friend of mine, but I found it not bothersome. If you have skin sensitivities to fragrance: proceed with caution would be my best advice; know what works for your skin folks! 

Normal, combo, and slightly-dry skins will love this, and I think will suit best; its a non-stripping, softening, and nicely hydrating cleanse.

Note to the minimalist skincare lovers: If you are using this for makeup removal, you'll need to double cleanse again because it doesn't remove 100% of everything in one go, more so if you're having a heavy-makeup day; I would say a good 80% of makeup is removed during the first cleansing round.

I've been happily surprised with each product Glossier produces, and I can't wait to see what they'll come out with next. You can snatch up the Milky Jelly Cleanser for $18 on their website here & you can save 20% off your first purchase of Glossier through my affiliate link here

Biologique Recherche's P50 Balancing Exfoilators: Why you need this one product in your skincare routine

Get ready for a lengthy post!

I stand by the title for this post: Any skincare lover, addict, enthusiast, & blogger needs to get their hands on this one product...why? Because it will completely change the way you look at skincare and go about your routines. Of course, incorporating any kind of acids into your routines are strictly up to you, but if I had to recommend one range of product(s) that are just a MUST to try/own, this is at the top of the list. Yes, I have other products that I deem 'holy grails' of my skincare routines, but those products may not work for every one's skin type/concern, thats where P50 is different...

Biologique Recherche's P50 range of Balancing Exfoliators contain a few different formulas, all purposed for different skin types & concerns.

What is P50 supposed to do for the skin though? Exfoliate, hydrate, maintain the empdermis' acid pH, and help regulate sebum production. Over time, the appearance of your skin will become: brighter, smoother, toned, hydrated, balanced, clear, and most of all, happy. Incorporating the P50 step in your routine helps any product you put on top of it, a serum, oil, and/or cream, absorb into the skin more efficiently and effectively, so that you're enjoying the full benefits of your products. 

Listed below are the different versions of P50
(most of the formulas will have links attached to the titles that will direct you to their product pages):

 1. **P50 1970, Original Formula (with phenol): Known to be the most effective, and the very first version of the P50 range; not recommended for very sensitive skin types. This is currently the version I use and love, so I will be a bit more detailed with this one. Not everyone will like this because it tingles and numbs; majority of beauty-obsessives love this part, some don't, so its a to-each-their-own kind of product.

Coming straight off my bottle, the ingredients of this formulation are:

Water
Glycerin

Phenol: antiseptic; also causes the 'numbing' sensation.

Niacinamide: known also as Vitamin B3; assists in reduction of hyperpigmentation and acne; you can read more about this lovely ingredient here

 Vinegar: used more as a preservative.

Ethoxydiglycol: solvent

Magnesium Chloride

Lactic Acid: gentle AHA that exfoliates, hydrates, and can help reduce signs of aging and hyper pigmentation.

 Arctium Lappa Root Extract (Burdock Root): antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, & antiseptic; a little bit more on this can be read here

Salicylic Acid: BHA, most popular acne treatment ingredient; you can read more information for my acne-ridden folks,  here

Sodium Benzoate: preservative.

Sulfur: exfoliates and has anti-bacterial properties; another good ingredient for acne-suffers.


The Other P50 Formulas:

2. P50 1970, New Formula (without phenol): The most recommended version because of its availability. The reason for its vast availability compared to the Original is because Phenol is a banned ingredient throughout the EU.

3. P50 V: A gentle version of the original, contains no phenol, and recommended for dull, devitalized skin.

4. P50 V "1970": Recommended for sensitive skins.

5. P50 W: A gentlier version of the original; no phenol, recommended for extremely sensitive/reactive skin types.

6. P50 W "1970": Recommended for drier, mature skins.

This isn't a cheap product by any means, its a skincare investment: the fullest size costs $95 (8.5 fl oz), the smallest, which is a 'travel friendly' version, is $27, (1.7 oz) and the size that I own, which is a 5.1 oz, is at the $62 mark. The bottles will last you a good amount of time because you only need a little to go a long way, and the packaging doesn't let you waste any of the precious product.

To figure out which P50 Lotion would be best suited for your skin type/concerns, it's best to talk to a skincare specialist that carries the range for better assistance. I personally chatted with and recommend contacting Toska European Spa. I have had an absolutely wonderful, hands-on skincare chat with Toska herself; she takes the time out to listen to all my skin concerns and recommended me products that would best suit its current state. We both reside in different states, yet I still feel that personal, one-on-one, attentive care in my on-going experience with her Spa; her recommendations have been incredibly beneficial to the health and happiness of my skin.

  Below will be listed all of the ways that you can best reach Toska European Spa and/or Toska herself, with your skin inquiries, questions, concerns, etc:

- Send an e-mail to: toska@toskaspa.com 

- Contact them through phone, which their number is listed here 

- Facebook and/or Instagram: which are linked here and here ; you can send a private, Direct Message on either one of those platforms.

Again, it is highly recommended to talk to a Toska skincare specialist before purchasing your P50. They are readily available to you, for you, and more than happy to assist with helping pick the best P50 lotion for you. You will need to create an online account on their website in order to shop the Biologique Recherche range. It's a special product and an investment, you want to get the absolute best product(s) for your skin; Toska also has a gloriously large range of products from Biologique Recherche thats worth a check out!

** Disclaimer: The product mentioned in this post was kindly gifted to me by the mentioned spa/brand. All opinions & comments about the product & spa are from my own personal use and experience with them. I am not being paid to talk about the product(s) mentioned, unless stated otherwise.

Review: The 'Priceless' Expense of La Mer's 'The Powder'

Spending $65 on a face powder is a bit extreme, not going to lie here. I've always wanted to immerse myself into La Mer's skincare line, but realistically, it's never been an affordable budget option for me to spend on skincare, and when you see a beauty brand charging over $2,000 for a jar of face cream, it makes you take a step back a bit and reevaluate your beauty budget options a bit...

I decided to take the 'inexpensive' route of La Mer, (if thats even possible) and picked up their makeup face powder product, funnily enough named The Powder; thats a bit bold, calling your product THE powder...

Even though this is a full-on review of the product, this is definitely something you do not need in your makeup routines, this is more of a indulgent purchase for when you're feeling a bit on the spendy side and want to treat yourself with something nice; I won't go and tell you to run out and buy this now because its the best damn face powder on the planet, but, it is very nice and it is very luxurious, and with that, you'll subconsciously feel like a million bucks with this powder on your mug.

It so definitely is the most luxurious makeup product that I own. With its beautiful packaging, in a clear, almost-frosted like jar, with La Mer's white label plastered across this huge, .88oz plastic container, its a beautiful piece to display on your vanity or countertop, to just sit and stare in ah of its holier-than-thou aura; La Mer, for skincare, is luxury, no matter how you slice it. 

Its a transluscent finishing powder, that does, wait for it, have shimmer in it?! Um, what? Yeah, I was surprised myself upon trying this for the first time, no where does it mention in La Mer's description of the product that it shimmers; but don't run away from this powder just yet, because the shimmer is barely even noticeable on the skin. Honestly, it gives the skin this light, ethereal glow to it, so if you're having one of those 'no-makeup makeup' days, this can opt as your setting powder and slight highlight because of the subtle luminosity that it gives the skin.

You don't look like you just got bombed by a ballon full of glitter, it all looks natural, which may be why its called, The Powder. It's light, doesn't settle into fine lines, doesn't cake up or break apart by midday, its a powder with a conscious, it wants you to look 'flawless' from the moment you dust it on to before you wash the $65 of powder away at nights end. 

Again, its a luxury product, I can't stress this enough, but if you're in that mindset to spoil yourself rotten, and you're a lover of makeup or just beauty all around, treat yourself to this if you can't figure out whats worth to spend those extra pennies. You will feel more confident and beautiful, from the product itself or the brand that this product stems from; regardless, that can make an item like this seem more priceless than an overindulgent expense.

The Powder can be purchased on La Mer's online shoppe here, or any department store that sells the range.

Dermstore BeautyFix Subscription Box: February 2016

Dermstore is one of my favorite beauty online shoppes to browse; they have a glorious array of different brands to choose from on their site, and always have great deals and sales going on weekly.  They carry some of my favorite brands like Sunday Riley, Avene, Darphin, La Roche-Posay, & Embryolisse to name a few...

They just launched a new subscription box service **, where they send you no less than 6 items (could be more!) that are a mixture of: full size, travel size, deluxe sample size, and regular sample size. All the brands and products in the box are available on DermStore's website for purchase (I'll make sure to link each product mentioned in this post below)! 

This post is a look inside and reviews of the products from the February BeautyFix Box 

Hair Care: I got 2 travel-size hair products which I didn't end up using because of a few reasons; the conditioner by Revita.Cor is for people who suffer from hair loss, which is something I don't personally deal with, nor does anyone in my family. The second hair product was from Nick Chavez,  Advanced Columnizing Hairspray; I'm currently going through a hair transformation at the moment, so I'm not really putting too much extra product in my hair, though I will save this once I do start styling up my hair again.

They're THREE full size products in this box! In a lot of subscription boxes, you're lucky if you manage to get one full size product in there, but DermStore hooks it up:

 Glominerals Suede Matte Stick in 'Port': Beautiful bold, blue-red with a hint of brown undertones to it, so it doesn't come off as being bright,  but very subtle, very everyday. I absolutely LOVE this shade. I definitely can and do wear this for a casual day look or a night out. Since its a 'suede' matte, its not drying on the lips, and the application goes on smooth and bold without being patchy. I want stock up on a few these!

Purlisse Blue Lotus 4-in-1 Eye Adore Serum: Never heard of this brand until now (kind of point of these subscription boxes, ain't it?) but I do adore this eye serum, which is a cream-gel thats very cooling and hydrating for the under eye area; also will admit that I have noticed a bit of brightening of my dark circles! I'll continue to use until the bottle is done.

 Danielle Creations Gold-Plated Eyelash Curler: I didn't really like this eyelash curler; my eyelashes are not long and fluttery on their own, so I use eyelash curlers to help push them up a little bit, I barely got a curl with this one; I'd go back to my Tarte or Chanel ones, and then try this one again...nada. Pass.

The last 2 items in the box were sample sizes, the size that you'd get from Sephora or Ulta samples.

 Skinceuticals A.G.E. Eye Complex: Looooooovvveedd this! I loved this cream so much that I cut open the damn sample size tube...and you know how small that is?! Worth every dang drop. It feels so comforting, nourishing, and relaxing going on; my eyes feel so good! I enjoyed using this at night, and my eyes looked and felt less puffy and tight come morning. I would like a few jars of this please and thank you!

 Lashfood Eyelash Enhancer: Going back my lack luster lashes, I was intrigued by the concept of this; did I buy into it completely? No... Sort of; I've noticed a possible difference using this every night. Its supposed to help grow and straighten the lashes but, with just a sample size tube, it's kind of hard to give a good review about this product if I can only use it for a few weeks, and not a long period of time. I don't think though I'll end up purchasing the full size of this once it runs out.

All in all, I ended up trying out 5 of the 7 products in this box; used/will continue to use 5 out of the 7 products...I think thats a pretty good first round if I don't say so myself! I definitely want to see more of these boxes from DermStore throughout the months, excited to see what they'll put in the next one!

If you're interested in the Beautyfix February box, its available for purchase here, without subscribing to the service, for $34.95 

If you want to keep up with the subscription box, it's $24.95 every month, and you can subscribe to it here and choose the 'Monthly Subscription' option. 

Yes, it may cost a bit more than some other box services, but you get a variety of top prestige beauty brands and sizes to try, and you never get less than 6 products in a box, which always range for $100 & up. 

** Disclaimer: The product(s) mentioned in this post were sent to me by the mentioned brand(s) &/or DermStore for reviewing purposes.  All opinions & comments about product(s) are from my own 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.