Feeling Good Review: Caudalie's Draining Organic Herbal Tea

Before anyone slaps my hand, I know 'beauty' drinks, supplements, firming and contouring creams and the like are more times than not a bit, how do I say, out of touch with reality? Ok, maybe a bit steep but, it's sort of true, and people buy into the hype; whether it actually works and does what it saids on the tin, is a whole other story (more times no than yes).

I also want to clarify, I've been drinking this Draining Organic Herbal Tea from Caudalie for about 2 years now, and I absolutely love it! More for the taste than anything else, but it also makes me feel good every single time I down 2 cups + of the stuff...so, does it really work?

Well, yea!

Infused with 100% organic ingredients: Red Vine, Blueberry, Cinnamon, Black Currant, and Sweet Orange Zest; this caffeine-free tea is supposed to help with the elimination of water and toxins for an immediate sensation of well-being ...in less fancy terms, it will make you pee a ton and feel less bloated, essentially; which I feel is particularly great for my ladies who are on their menstrual cycles, because I don't know about you, but when that time rolls around, I feel that awful bloated feeling for almost 2 weeks, before and during! Its horrendous, I feel like I'm going to pop at any second and/or float away if a strong gust of wind comes around. 

It does make me feel better every single time I drink it, and it tastes very light and sweet without feeling heavy, and since it's caffeine-free, you can drink it anytime of day, which for me I usually like to drink this at night because the taste and aroma is very smooth and comforting. 

And even when it's not that time for me, I still enjoy drinking it, and was especially well suited after the holiday festivities subside...I always have these in stock at home.

You can pick up a box for yourself on Caudalie's website here, you get 20 tea sachets for $14.00, which for a fancy beauty-tea ain't too bad! 

Review: The Jewel In The Jar, Pommade Divine Nature's Remedy Balm

If any of you have ever used Elizabeth Arden's infamous 8-Hour Cream Skin Protectant, than you will probably love this more than the cult-classic. Though Pommade Divine Nature's Remedy Balm would also be considered a cult classic in the UK, where it originated from, in 1800. Not many of us in the States are aware of this jewel in a jar because it's widely unavailable to purchase through U.S retailers because it's not so widely known, like ANYWHERE.

The scents of both are oddly similar, yet PM is much more calming and riddled with nature's finest ingredients; very medicinal/nature-esque, which is right the hell up my alley! If you love the wonderfully intoxicating medicinal scent of skincare products, this one belongs in your wardrobe but I warn you, your nose will be stuck in this jar once you get it and you'll never want to take it out...I know from first-hand experience, I literally had to talk myself out of the jar a few times!! 

 I honestly can't remember exactly how I stumbled upon this little fancy miracle worker, I just knew I  wanted a change from EA for a while, though it had been beneficial to me, I just wanted something more out of a treatment balm, and I happily, by chance, found it in Pommade Divine. 

Ingredients: Lanolin, Olus Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Acacia Decurrens/Jojoba/Sunflower Seed Wax/Polyglyceryl-3 Esters, Styrax Benzoin Resin Extract, Liquidambar Orientalis Resin Extract, Myristica Fragrans (Nutmeg) Oil, Eugenia Caryophyllus (Clove) Bud Oil, Eugenol, Cinnamomum Zeylanicum (Cinnamon) Leaf Oil, Cinnamomum Zeylanicum (Cinnamon) Bark Oil, Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool, Benzyl Benzoate, Parfum (Fragrance)

This balm is supposed to help assist with:

- healing dry, cracked, and/or & irritated skin

- antibacterial, antimicrobial, anti fungal & antiseptic

- helps heal cuts, insect bites, & bruises

- cleans, brightens, and helps alleviate acne skins

With little scrapes or cuts, I apply the balm on the wound and than apply a bandage to wear overnight, repeat as often as needed, with little to no scaring after a few days, the same has worked for me with pesky bug bites! I've even read that people also use it on babies for diaper rash; or for severely dry skins, use it as a nighttime moisturizer for the face. I have yet to try it on my face, though I am curious to see how it works on some blemishes I've been acquiring as of late...may have to test that one out later this evening. Also, I had some red, inflamed, irritated patch of skin on my neck the other day (sometimes those develop while I'm highly under stress), and I applied this right before bed to help soothe it; all annoyance and redness almost completely subsided, and by the afternoon I couldn't even tell anything was there in the first place, bless this balm! 

The reasoning why I'm fussing so much about this balm is because 1. it works. 2. it's AMAZING. 3. it really IS an all-in-one, gentle miracle balm for life's everyday irritants. It heals, soothes, and comforts the skin gently and effectively; doesn't feel sticky, tacky, or heavy, not messy in the least bit,  uses extremely effective ingredients... It may look and feel more like ointment than a balm, but it's really so much more. 

I haven't even had it for that long, yet I'm already halfway through the tiny, 50ml jar! I'll need to start filling up my cabinets soon with stock of this stuff, ASAP.

If you're curious to find out more about Pommade Divine Nature's Remedy Balm, you can visit their official website here

The jar ranges for $35, which isn't bad at all for something that you'll only need a little of every time, unless you use it like myself, by the scoops...oops. Down below, you'll see all links to where you can purchase exclusively here in the U.S., and where I purchased mine from (a UK beauty shoppe that ships to the U.S.):

Net-A-Porter

Ayla Beauty

Shen Beauty

Bath & Unwind

 

Real Love for Real Techniques

                               

Real Techniques has made makeup, for me at least, a hassle, stress-free process with their fantastic and amazingly affordable brushes. They are sturdy, a dream to clean, and seems to make the application process a breeze; thats all we really looking for when it comes to our beauty tools, performance and quality.

When I first starting purchasing my first Real Techniques brushes, it made me feel like 'I'm-a-makeup-artist-now' (though really not)...They've given me confidence in how I go about my makeup, which brushes to use for what,  and the fact that they just make it so easy and versatile and accessible to the masses makes me appreciate and respect the brand more. These brushes were created by makeup artists for goodness sakes, I'd like to think I'm getting a standout product and something that they'd use on themselves and/or clients and not some cheap straw on a plastic handle!

The point I'm trying to get at and what this post is about is that majority of my makeup brushes that I use everyday (that I wear makeup) is from this brand, solely, and it has absolutely nothing to do with affordability; I own other brushes by MAC, Chanel, & Urban Decay to name a few...and out of all of them, I keep reaching for my RT brushes time and again because they are reliable. I love their sturdy handles that make it easy to control, and all of their brushes are so soft and fluffy!

I own and use most of their main range of face brushes, which include the: Powder Brush, Expert Face Brush, Sculpting Brush, Stippling Brush, and Blush Brush, all are $10 and under and all I have had and used for a substantial amount of time (2 years for a few). They've been repeatedly rinsed, used, abused, and with barely any signs of age. You get more than your money's worth with these because you get highend results for drugstore prices, and you can't say that about a lot of the highend brands.

If you're just getting started into makeup or need to update your makeup brush wardrobe, go check out Real Techniques if you can; currently running in the States, Ulta is having an AH-MAZING deal on RT brushes right now that's good through January 23rd: when you buy 1, you get the 2nd one FREE; you can purchase them online here or at your local Ulta store.

Product Review: Omorovicza's Queen of Hungary Mist

Its a facial mist, a $90 facial mist!!! What on earth...I know, it sounds ludicrous, even as I type this, knowing I spent that much, seems absolutely insane for a spray. The moment I sprayed it on my face though, I felt like I was in an Omorovicza's Hungarian Spa Palace: crisp, white marble everywhere, a huge porcelain bath tub...just have me soak in this stuff and I'll be happy as a clam for all my days...Ok where was I going with this, ah yes, I love this spray, just like the next person that has ever tried it.  The mist is so fine, and spreads so evenly on the skin, so delicately...I sometimes overdue it, than I remember to contain myself, because  $90! *faints* You do get a hefty size in a beautiful frosted glass bottle, at 3.4fl oz/100ml; they also have a special edition size and bottle, thats priced at $50 for 1.7fl oz (which is good if you're slightly in a panic about the full size cost). 

This neroli-rose scented concoction was inspired by the first perfume ever recorded in history by Queen Elisabeth of Hungary, and is now delightfully used today as a little pick-me-up or a toning mist after cleansing morning or night: it purifies, tones, and hydrates the skin, also added in with Omorovicza's famous Hungarian Thermal Water, which is incorporated in every single one of their products. 

I switch it up, but mostly save this for the evening after a long day, when I need the time to take the care to pamper myself properly. If you were going to splurge on a skincare product this year, this would be a good one to start; it also will be incredibly refreshing and lovely once summertime comes around and you need a nice misty action from that blazing fireball in the sky!

If you happen to purchase from Omorovicza's online shoppe, you'll be able to earn rewards points from their very own loyalty program, which overtime, you can save up as much as you like and use those reward points on any of their products, which is an absolute standout idea considering this is a highend skincare brand (you won't get that kind of loyalty from Chanel.. :D). Again, its a splendid product, really it is, so put this on your beauty wishlists if you have one, it's a good one to have in the arsenal.

The 100 ml full size available for purchase on Omorovicza's website here

Brand Review: Confident Skincare Subscription Box

Confident Skincare is a company that provides specific products for your own personal skin concerns; you take their little skin test, and they pick out 3 full size of their products for you based on said test, plus they throw in 2 freebies, then send it out to you every month for $27; so in simple terms, its a skincare subscription box service thats made in the US.

Subscription boxes are a clever and unique idea that has taken the beauty world by storm. Some will just send you sample or deluxe sizes, full sizes, or a mixture of both of new products for you to give a test run with. I like the idea of Confident Skincare, but for me, not every product I was sent *** worked out as well as I liked, and with that being said, I wouldn't want to get all the same products again the next month... I'd much rather buy each product individually that suited my own needs.

Confident Skincare is in the works of updating their website though, so instead of them picking out the products for you, you'll be able to pick them out for yourself. Currently thats TBA, but I'll try to remember to update this post again once I'm aware of that happening. They do have good promise as a skincare company regardless...

Let's start with the products that I did enjoy:

photo credit www.confidentskincare.com

1. Daily Purifying Cleanser: This is a very typical morning/second cleanse that happens to be organic. It lathered into a nice, almost-foam consistency (kind of reminiscent of a shower gel?) without drying the skin and has a very light, fresh scent to it which goes away. I really enjoyed using this cleanser so much that I ended up finishing the whole tube! It cleansed the skin really well, helped remove impurities and any leftover makeup from the first cleanse. Overall, this was a really nice, yet basic, simple, and gentle cleanser.

photo credit www.confidentskincare.com

2. Brightening Cleansing Scrub: I say this probably in every post that features a cleansing scrub but, I'll say it again in case anyone missed those past posts: I strongly dislike cleansing scrubs...More times than not, they are always way to abrasive for the skin (except for that orange one from Clarins or the one I talked about here from Context Skin), which in turn can severely damage it over time with continued use; it can also irritate acne and extremely sensitive skin types. This cleansing scrub has granuals that are gentle on the skin, yet this smells of straight up soap...weird. This one didn't irritate or dry out my skin, again though, cleansing scrubs aren't for me no matter where you slice it, and more than likely I'll be passing this on to a friend or family member since I have only used this probably twice.

photo credit www.confidentskincare.com

3. Perfecting Moisturizer: This one was created for acne-skin types (hey I'm an acne-suffer!), and which I surprisingly saw subtle results with continued use. This is not an overnight miracle, but it is supposed to help fight excess oil and bacteria that causes acne. I noticed with continued use, my acne was less apparent, and any new outbreaks were minimal at best. I'd recommend this more for light/light-moderate acne skin types thats combo-oily. Again, this won't clear your face overnight, but it will help in the long term with minimizing new breakouts. Like the purifying cleanser, I managed to finish this one up as well because I enjoyed it, based off the results I saw.

photo credit www.confidentskincare.com

4. Blemish Correcting Day Cream: The hydration lacked for me with this one; its supposed to be suited for acne-sensitive skin types and help with redness caused by acne, as well as to help brighten the skin. I didn't use this one long enough to see any kind of results due to the fact that it lacked the hydration my skin needed, so I put that off to the side after about a week's use.

photo credit www.confidentskincare.com

5. Firming Eye Cream: Again, lacked in the hydration department for me. I have dry, sensitive eye contours and I usually need a very heavy-duty eye treatment (see post here) to help soothe and calm dryness and sensitivity. This one also stung a little bit when I applied it after my nighttime moisturizer; when used during the daytime, it would make any makeup that went on top cake up and emphasize any and all dryness in and around that area. Normal, non-sensitive eyes would 

enjoy this.

photo credit www.confidentskincare.com

6. Soothing Recovery Mask: This mask claims to help draw out impurities, dirt and clean up the excess sebum...This lasted no longer than maybe 2 minutes on my face instead of the recommended 20 because my face was burning so bad after I finished applying it!  After I furiously washed it off, my skin was beat red and sore...I can't say it does what it says on the tube because I have not returned back for burning face round 2. This and the eye cream were the two free 'bonus' products you get with each subscription...

Overall, this wasn't a huge disappoint. Program and products together, I'd give it 3 1/2 out of 5 stars. For $27 though, you get almost a full routine of everyday products, which isn't at all bad price-conscious wise. 

Their online skin survey is great to take though and worth a check out. You can learn more about Confident Skincare & their skincare subscription box program on their website, and for full details and in-depth descriptions of all their products, including the ones I mentioned above, here .

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

Mini Review/First Impressions: Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara

Mascara's are my jam! I'm picky with them, and usually do thorough research and check out reviews on tons of mascaras before I purchase, especially if any that interest me are high end, because if I'm going to be paying $30 for a mascara that I got to toss in 4 months, I'm going to research hard!

I don't own very many things from Marc Jacobs Beauty, but the few that I do own or have tried, I love, such as: Highliner Gel Eye Crayon Eyeliner, Magic Marc'er Precision Pen Waterproof Liquid Liner, & the O!Mega Lash Volumizing Mascara. All have been absolute hits with me, so I was beyond thrilled when I joined Influenster**, that I was chosen almost immediately to partake in their VoxBox for MJ's new mascara, Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara for reviewing purposes...excitement would be an understatement. 

oh hey, there my lashes are!

Ok, so now whats the consensus? I love it, naturally, and wasn't too surprised either since I've had so much luck with his other eye products so far; I had high hopes, and they were exceeded. I get the intense color, the popping volume, no clumps, no mascara-dust falling on my cheeks...

Did MJB need to come out with another volumizing mascara? Probably not, but the performance and packaging are amazing compared to O!Mega, so maybe he was looking to update that a bit to create something better, and he did. Does it give my lashes a velvet-look? No...and what the hell would that look like anyway?! I'd love to know! 

This mascara is worth a try, especially if you love that long, wide-eye-volume lash look. Sephora also just added a deluxe sample size of this to their VIB Beauty Rewards Boutique as a 100 point perk (while supplies last, naturally), so if you're still on the fence, you can still try it out for a bit without having to pay the whopping $26.

**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.

Beauty Blogging: Comforting My Depression

photo credit: google search, Kate Moss by Patrick Demarchelier

I don't ever go into my personal life too often, if at all on here or on my other social media accounts...I'm a relatively private person, and I usually prefer it that way, I always have (cheers to the introverts!). But I wanted to write about something that's personal, but also still beauty related.

Hello: my name is Julie, I'm from Florida, 27 years old, and I have dealt with depression for most of my teens and adult life! 

Depression sits like a heavy brick on your whole being, and not even the world's strongest man can lift it off of you. It's not easy to brush aside and call it a day, but it can, for some, become manageable as you get older. It's been an on-going struggle for me because I've always been quite hard on myself: school, work, and all my relationships with people; I've never felt good or strong enough in those areas, even if I was, I was always looking a way to "improve". I put stress on myself that I can be and do better, and even when I was doing better, I never felt that was enough...it's a constant carousel ride. 

I've learned through the years that I need to listen, understand, and become aware of myself more and why I'm feeling this way, trying to improve the best possible way that makes me happy and comfortable. It's not that easy for everyone who battles with depression, and we all handle it in our own ways, but when I notice myself getting into that repetitive routine of self-doubt & loathing, I try my best to bounce back as hard as I can, flinging myself into a happy space, trying not to turn back to see if I left any bits behind... 

I still find it hard sometimes for it to become manageable, we all have our off days, but I love life enough to not let it burden my being, and this is where beauty comes in...I've always loved writing, always loved beauty, and when being a beauty blogger was becoming all the rage, I thought it may prove to be a great outlet for me to express myself in a different, creative light that I hadn't touched on before. 

Beauty is just that, beautiful...when you're feeling your lowest, you want to be able to surround yourself with love, happiness, and beauty. I'm extraordinarily thankful to have loving family & friends in my life who support me. They'd do almost anything and everything for me, but when you can't give back to them due to your struggles, the sadness kicks in at maximum speed. You eagerly want to return that gratitude because though they may not fully understand what you're going through, they are there, never expecting anything in return...and thats why I wanted to start a beauty blog (& because I love beauty of course, duh!). For them, for me, for all of you that take your gracious time out to read my posts and follow me on social media: I thank you, because truly without you, I doubt I would have been keeping up with this for as long as I have, which hasn't even been that long at all!

Writing about beauty, sharing my interests with others that take like to it as well, its truly a wonderful feeling. We are a community, and I've formed a lovely bond with this community because it has accepted me, with open arms. Writing about beauty is something that helps keep my depression at bay, makes it become more manageable. It gives me something to look forward to, be happy and accomplished about...just so many wonderfully beautiful things that I love feeling that I can't remember the last time I took a ride on that carousel...

I appreciate all your support and thank you for taking the time out to read this lengthy post!...and now back to your regular scheduled blogging (...which will probably be tomorrow.... or the next day...yeah probably the next day, ha!).

Product Review: OSKIA's Renaissance Cleansing Gel & Perfect Cleanser

It's a shame that Oskia hasn't crossed the pound yet over to the States...yes, you can purchase Oskia from a few online beauty retailers that ship to the US (Look Fantastic [a personal favorite & where I got both of my cleansers from] & Beauty Bay to name a few) but, this London-born skincare brand has been all the hype within the last few years, and for good reason, especially so when it comes to their cleansers, which more than likely you've heard your favorite beauty blogger write and rave about...

Renaissance Cleansing Gel

Its a beautifully light, coral-color cleansing gel-to-oil that rids away the days' impurities & grime, giving you a wonderfully nourishing, clean, and refreshing experience...no wonder its a top hit, and it definitely checks off in my book as my favorite gel cleanser I'ver ever used. Any and all gel cleaners that I have used in the past up to this point has always dried out my skin, no matter what...so needless to say I was extraordinarily hesitant when wanting to try this one, yet, all the raves from bloggers across the beauty universe  reeled me in to take the plunge, and to be honest, I'm very happy I did.

The cleansing gel is great for all skin types, so if you are like me and gel-cleaansers dry you out, don't fear this one, the hype is all there, and its good! With continued use, it can also be good for pigmentation, dark spots from acne scars, and if you're still struggling with some spots, overtime this can help since its packed with vitamins & enzymes (A, B2, C, E, Pumpkin Enzyme...). For personal use, I thoroughly enjoy using this in the mornings strictly; before I picked up their Perfect Cleanser, this gel one was a morning and/or night; though now I find this one much more pleasant and refreshing and that it lifts my skin and perks it up in the morning: its more bright, hydrated, and clean. For the first time, I can't believe I'm going to say that I actually love a gel cleanser. Hats off to you, Oskia!

Perfect Cleanser: Nutri-Active Cleansing & Nourishing Balm

I love me a good balm, let that be said first (which I probably always say when I chat about cleansing balms). If I could have a whole cabinet full of cleansing balms, I would (and most possibly will at some point, let's get real). This cleanser jumps right on the shelf as one of my favorite cleansing balms. It stands out on its own, for me, like the Sunday Riley Blue Moon Cleansing Balm does; the Perfect Cleanser is rich in Vitamins & Enzymes, like its sister - which helps clean and decongests the skin leaving you a soft, clean canvas to continue on with the rest of your routine. Once massaged onto dry skin, you add a little water to break up the rich balm, and whatever impurities are left behind, before removing it with a cloth...and you will need a cloth to remove this..I've tried just rinsing it off with warm water just for the kicks of it...what a waste of water that was, barely budged!  This cleansing balm leaves my skin superbly clean, soft, and just uh, so lovely. With this cleanser, I use it specifically at night since I prefer the heavy-dutyness of a balm cleanser in the evenings. For me, this goes into the cleansing balm hall-of-fame, right with Emma Hardie, Clinique, & Sunday Riley.

BTW: Both of these cleansers are great for all skin types: normal, dry, mature, hormonal, combo, oily, dull...Also, these cleansers are not meant for makeup-removal, these both would be considered your second and/or morning cleanser.

I purchased both of these cleansers through LookFantastic, which took almost about a month (3 1/2 weeks tops) to get to me through the postal service. I got these while they were on discount, & usually LF always has some kind of discount or sale going on, so its worth a check out if you're interested in either of these cleansers, or anything else from the Oskia range (they currently have one going on now, use the code LF15 at checkout to get 15% off your order). On top of that, you can get some cash back through Ebates at the moment when you make a purchase on LF's site, I'll have an Ebates link at the bottom of this post if any were interested in signing up; its free & you get some money back every few months for shopping online, what can be so wrong with that? (extra savings!!)

Where you can purchase products mentioned in this post: 

Renaissance Cleansing Gel, $42.50 

Perfect Cleanser, $49.50

Beauty Duel: Bioderma Sensibo vs. Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

I doubt the fad of micellar waters will ever fade away in the beauty community; its just a perfect, easy, gentle way to remove all makeup from the day with a few swipes of a soaked cotton round. Bioderma really was the brand that brought micellar waters to the forefront of beauty, and they have so many different types for different skin concerns, but their most popular one is from their Sensibio range, which is geared toward more sensitive skin types, though its really a fail-safe for all skin types (can possibly be a TAD drying for some more than others, though). 

Garnier's Micellar Cleansing Water has been a hit overseas, specifically in the UK; the US has not been graced with this drugstore gem until recently when I saw it advertised in a Sunday flyer at CVS (squeals!!). It's priced at $8.99 for a 400ml bottle, compared to Bioderma's 500 ml, which usually ranges around $19.95 (depending on where you purchase; for the US online beauty shoppe Beautylish, it goes for that price). So price wise, the Garnier version defiantly beats it. Packaging wise, its almost the same for both: cute pink caps and labels and easy to dispense.

Now, which one out of the two is better? The cult-classic or the drugstore gem?

For me, this was hard to decide, considering I've been using Bioderma for years now, I do notice from time to time that it can dry out my skin a bit compared to Garnier's, which I find to be much more hydrating and comforting. At the end of the day, both do a spot-on job at removing all face makeup, though Bioderma wins in terms of being able to take off eye makeup just a tad bit better then its competitor. That being said, I'm probably going to end up repurchasing Garnier over Bioderma, based on price and convenient availability. 

No matter which route you take, these are both stand out makeup-removing products, and you won't be disappointed in the slightest by either or.

Respectfully, you can purchase Bioderma at Beautylish here and Garnier's Micellar Cleansing Water at CVS  here

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Blogger's Edit, 01/3/16:  CVS' current Sunday ad has 25% off ALL Garnier Skincare. Also, Ulta just launched the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Waters, which you can find here & in-stores; it's also currently on-sale, & you can use coupons and rewards points for extra savings at both stores!