Skincare Favorites

When the colder weather changes my face likes to throw a tantrum. It gets weirdly dry in spots and it breaks out a little more. However, I have been using some amazing skincare items lately and I thought I'd share them with you!

Cleansers

I have been using two different cleansers one by Kiehls and one by Korres. Why two you ask? Well, a while ago I had bought a small set at a Kiehls counter that had some favorites like a body scrub, body lotion, face lotion, and cleanser. I really love this cleanser it is a gel consistency and it really cleans off everything well. I have used it while still wearing make-up and it gets it all off. 

Once I was finished with that, I had a set I bought from Sephora waiting to be used. It is the Wild Rose Regimen Kit by Korres. Korres is an all-natural brand from Greece and I love their make-up and skincare. I'll do a more in depth review on Korres maybe in another post, like a guide to the brand. The set comes with a Green Tea Cleanser and it is great. It smells incredible and it is so nice on the skin, I recommend the Green Tea cleanser 100%.

Toners/Serums

I think I've mentioned this before but I am in love with the Eau Roma Water by Lush. It is a spray on toner and it smells just like roses and it leaves my skin feeling so refreshed. It is for more dry skin and it is a great spray for when you're done putting make-up on. I certainly think it keeps my make-up on longer. 

Also from the Wild Rose Regimen Kit from Korres is the Wild Rose Serum, which the kit says you can use alone or under your moisturizer. It almost has a minor oily texture to it, which is great for anyone with dry patches. I always get really flaky between my eyebrows (weird, I know) and now it is totally gone. 

Finally, I adore the Caudalie Vinosource S.O.S Thirst Quenching Serum. It might be more the smell than anything else, because I still find the Wild Rose Serum more moisturizing. However, it smells incredible and I felt like it really brightened my skin up which is a welcome treat in the winter time. 

Eye Creams

I received a sample of this in a Sephora order but I am certain this is a holy grail item for me. It is the Clinique Even Better Eyes Dark Circle Corrector. I always have dark circle, and I am pretty sure mine are more hereditary and this works miracles on them. It almost looks like a correcting concealer because of it's color but it is pretty liquid like. I am buying the full size when I can find a spare $40 somewhere. I think it is well worth the money though. 

Also in the Wild Rose Regimen kit is the Evening Primrose Eye Cream. I can't say too too much yet, because I've only been using it for a little but I love the creamy feel to it and it feels like it plumps the skin around my eyes pretty well. 

Moisturizers

Okay so very quickly, I have three moisturizers to speak of. In the Kiels gift set I bought there was the Ultra Facial Cream and I honestly think this may be one of my holy grail products. It is so moisturizing without being greasy and I have been trying not to use all of it up yet! 

Then with the Korres kit, there is the Wild Rose Moisturizer which is very similar to the Ultra Face Cream except it is a little less moisturizing in my opinion. Also, it smells like roses...but I love that. 

And lastly, for something I've been using for a while on and off is the Korres Wild Rose + Vitamin C Advanced Brightening Sleeping Facial. It is meant to be used at night  cream and I love this stuff. It is a tad bit more on the greasy side but I think that is okay for a nighttime cream. 

So there you go! My recent skincare favorites! What have yours been? 

10.12.12 Haul!

Happy Friday everyone! Someone went shopping today and I thought I'd kick off the weekend with a haul post! 

First up, are these flats from Old Navy - yeah, you read that right. I was a little shocked too that something this cute existed but I'm only just rediscovering a like for Old Navy again. These are tortoise colored pointed flats. The only downfall to these is I'm a 6.5 and they only had a 6 or a 7. Also, they are a little flimsy feeling but honestly I don't wear "nice shoes" all that often so they'll last me a while.

 

Also at Old Navy, I picked up some new socks! I literally have no socks so I figured with the cold weather it might be a good idea. I picked up two packs, one that is all light grey colored and one that has a polka dotted pair, a black pair and an argyle patterned pair. 

I also got a plain white vintage tee because that is just a classic staple to have in your closet and then I got a black beanie! I really love the beanie look and I haven't found any good ones for a while so I picked this one up right away. 

I stopped in at Aldo because I had seen this pair of oxfords and I immediately had to have them. I knew that I loved the style and that I would wear them a lot. The problem is a lot of brands are making their oxfords very flashy or with multiple colors. There are some that do the classic style but then put a neon stripe around the sole...not what I wanted. 

At $40 these were amazing - only problem..they didn't have my size and I had to order them so I have to wait before I can wear them. 

The light makes me look way too yellow, I need to take a picture outside and put that one up.

So if you haven't guessed, I did in fact stop in Sephora and I probably took six laps around that place. It is truly a dangerous store for me :) I was good though and only bought two things. The first is a new foundation, and I am only just getting on the bandwagon now. The Make Up Forever HD Foundation has been out for ages but I never really thought it'd do anything different. 

I've only tried it once but I do really enjoy this. It is a little watery but so moisturizing, which was what I was looking for. In the cold weather my skin gets much drier and things look too powdery and dry on my face. This has been great so far. I am the color N 125 for anyone wanting to compare. 

 Then I picked up the regimen set by Korres called the Wild Rose Brightening Skincare Set. It is made for Normal and Dry Skin which is both categories I tend to fall into. I've used the 24-hour Moisturizing and Brightening Cream and I love it. So hopefully, I've found my new cleanser and moisturizer!

My final purchase for the day happened by accident. My main goal for going to the mall was to buy those oxfords and find boots. I knew exactly the kind I wanted too, black, with a little slouch to them and with no heel. Essentially, I wanted motorcycle styled boots but they were no where to be found. Apparently, the style right now is riding boots or high heeled boots.

So as I walked through JCPenny to leave I gave a look at the show section and I found these boots, and they did have black but I actually liked the deep brown better. 

Hope you enjoyed! Have a good weekend!

Fall Make-up Wishlist

I know what you are thinking..."how can her make-up wish list be smaller than her fall fashion wish list"?

Trust me, this is probably just the tip of the iceberg but right now these items above are my to die for wants. Especially the make-up brush sets because I really just need more brushes. However, I honestly have fallen in love with everything here, in particular, the Jouer Matte Moisture Tint. I got a sample in my September Birchbox and I LOVE IT! I am certainly going to buy the full size. 

Can we just take a sec to adore the Urban Decay Vice Palette though? I mean those are killer colors right there, and I am a color aficionado so I would love that in my collection. I have always heard such amazing things about the Nyx Jumbo Eye Pencils and they are selling on Hautelook every so often so hopefully I can get them soon for a steal.

I am a sucker for Bobbi Brown and I love BB creams when they don't cause allergic reactions. Then I have the Lace and Lingerie Palette from Laura Mercier and she is now selling this exclusive artist palette. Her eyeshadows are amazing quality, and I recommend them 100 %.

Finally, I am going to have to go out and get a new face wash soon, and I have wanted to try First Aid Beauty for forever, so I might pop by Sephora and check it out in the very near future.

Do I sense an unexpected haul post soon?

September Birchbox!

Ready for another Birchbox? I sure am, it feels like I'd been waiting forever for this next one. The box is a sort of welcome to fall/fashion week so I think it is pretty appropriate especially because the weather has been cooling off quite a bit. 

It came with this cute booklet or their version of the fall fashion mags haha

First item is the La Fresh Nail Polish Remover Acetone-Free pad. I've seen these around on YouTube so I'm excited I will get to try this out. I haven't been doing my nails lately (I don't have enough time to let them dry!) but I just painted my nails tonight so when I switch colors I'll give it a go!

I am super excited about these teas by Mighty Leaf. I love tea and when it is cooler out it is the perfect drink. The three flavors are Vanilla Bean (yum), Green Tea Tropical, and Chamomile Citrus. 

This is an enzymatic face rejuvenator by Vasanti, not a brand I have ever heard of, but I am always willing to give new stuff a chance. Plus my skin has been pretty decent lately, so I can afford to branch out a little. 

This is what I was most excited about, however I think the sample could have been a lot bigger than .07 ounces. At least give us a full ounce! This is the matte moisture tint by Jouer. I put it on and I am in love! It has amazing coverage! Like this is truly closer to a foundation. It is amazing and it isn't too matte which is nice because this is when my skin starts getting really dry. 

This is Twirl by Kate Spade, and I have smelled this before and love it so I was so happy to see this in the box. I feel like I enjoy it enough to buy it, but I don't know if it is really a fall/winter scent. However, knowing me I'll probably buy this and a few others because I think I've loved all but one or two samples so far.

This is the big loser for me in the box. I watched the video for the month preview by Birchbox and they introduced the line of nail polishes by Color Club dedicated to social networking. This is the one color (Tweet Me) I did NOT want to get. It is described as a creamy Chartreuse and honestly, this picture makes the bottle look too yellow and not enough green. However, when it is on the nail it is streaky as hell and the color is puke green/yellow. I would have preferred any of the other three to this one. 

Finally, I was amazed to see this because I LOVE Madewell and J. Crew. Since I need more cold weather clothing I will be using this up right away. Thanks Birchbox!

July Birchbox!

Holy cow! Can I just say this might be the best Birchbox I have gotten yet?!? It is incredible! Birchbox teamed up with Glamour magazine to do a box all about the senses: smell it, touch it, taste it, hear it, and see it.

The colors on the box are awesome, first off. I always have loved the blues, greens, and purples.

First item is one of the lifestyle products: a LARABAR. In particular it is a Uber Roasted Nut Roll. I don't usually go for bars like this but I'm willing to try anything once. Variety pack of 16 is $27.95.

This is the sheer glo shimmer lotion by Manna Kandar. This is more of a highlighter than a lotion. You can mix it with your foundation, which is probably what I will do. Full size is $29.









Next up is the other lifestyle product! Ear buds! I'm totally excited because I was trying to find a pair in my room and they are long gone, but now I have these. They are cute in the neon color, sort of reminds me of watermelon! They were considered a Birchbox exclusive and were specifically designed for the box.

In the green wrapped part of the box I found a new nail polish by Color Club called Blue-Ming. It doesn't look like it in the bottle but it is supposed to be a green-turquoise. I tried it on my nail it the color is what it says. The only thing I was a little upset with was that it is majorly streaky. Once it dries it disappears a little but you need to be careful how you apply it. Full size is $8.

This is something I am super hyped to try because the summer and my crazy shower schedule is not being nice to my hair. This is a High Gloss Masque by Gloss Moderne. You massage it into your hair for five minutes after giving it a rinse, and then after the five minutes you rinse it out. The sample is actually huge so I will get a lot of use out of this :) Full size is $39.

This is super cool too, it is a Balancing Kit from Suki skincare! It says it is supposed to calm and purify troubled skin. What they included is: [Left] Pure facial moisture-balancing (organic blue chamomile and echinacea) which is like a skin oil. [Top left] the concentrated balancing toner (white willow salicins and vitamin c polypeptides). [Bottom left] the exfoliate foaming cleanser (lemongrass extract and natural sugar). [Top right] Balancing day lotion (white willow salicins and natural retinol). [Bottom right] Transformative cleansing clay (white willow salicins and antibacterial zinc).

Whew! The whole kit you can buy for $40 but this is a great starter set to try it out. These packets have a few days worth of tries, most people think you are supposed to use it all up in one try but it is too much product and won't work for you skin if you do!


















Last but not least is a fragrance sample by Harvey Prince. It is the Eau Flirt (or Flirt water haha). It is a scent with fresh citrus and jasmine notes over a base of lavender and pumpkin. At first pumpkin threw me, the only thing I like pumpkins for are their seeds. I was sort of right, it smells too citrusy and something else (probably the pumpkin), plus I'm not crazy about the packaging. It looks like something a 10 year old would pick up. But nice effort with the floral parts of the scent! Full size $55-$98.

So there you have it the July Birchbox! It was a great box!

April Birchbox!

My April Birchbox literally just came in the mail! I opened it up and took pictures right away because I was just looking forward to posting about it! This month's Birchbox is all about natural products and I love that. I've really been trying to start using products that have less of the chemicals and are just more healthy and natural.

First item, is the skincare sampler by Befine. I've always wanted to try their stuff and lucky me now I can. They give you 5 huge samples of the products in that box you see above. Like as big as my hand, which is incredible because usually we're stuck with some dinky little packet. There are 3 packets of the Exfoliating Cleanser with brown sugar, sweet almond, and oats. Just the name sounds so yummy and good for you! Then there are two packets of the Daily Moisturizer with SPF 15 and rosemary, pomegranate and rice.

They are both paraben free, have vegetarian proteins and have allergen free fragrance (which is great for my sensitivity to perfumes!)

Next, in the box which was considered a beauty extra was the Yes To Bluberries Brightening Facial Towelettes. I've been using face wipes for a couple of months now on and off between make-up remover. It is a lot more convenient when I stay out at night. Yes To has been another brand I've wanted to try, and while I'm not crazy about blueberries, maybe these will change my mind :)

Again, it is an amazing sample, it is a travel size and gives you 8 wipes. It is paraben-free and contains 99% natural products.

Lastly, in the nice wrapped part of the box, there were three items: Wonderstruck by Taylor Swift, Lavender + Clary Sage Hair Powder by Lulu Organics, and finally a nail polish by Zoya's TRUE Spring Collection.

I think I need to get used to the fragrance by Taylor Swift, it's a little too girlie, if that makes sense. I like more musky and deep scents. However, I think eventually I'll like it. The hair powder seems interesting, I love lavender so hopefully it works out. I do break the hair washing rule, I just cannot go without washing my hair. So we'll see! Finally, the polish looks more blue in the picture but its more of a deep blue/green. It's like teal if it were a pastel teal...with grey in it. It's gorgeous though and I don't have anything like it.

Hope you enjoyed! I'll update when I actually get to try some of it!