Skin Care | The Gloss Menagerie

2020 Skin Care Favorites

FTC NOTES: Some products mentioned in this post were originally received in PR (which will be noted with a **).

First, a little bit about my skin! My skin is currently normal-to-oily with a tendency to be dehydrated, and not particularly prone to breaking out except when I have to wear a mask for more than a quick errand thanks to Miss Rona. My main skin concerns are redness/hyperpigmentation, hydration, and anti-aging. I am just about to turn 34 and I do have a few fine lines. These are the skincare products currently keeping my skin bright, clear, and happy.

Cleanser: Friends, I have found a true holy grail cleanser in the First Aid Beauty Pure Skin Cleanser ($21, FAB/Ulta/Sephora). This cleanser helped calm my skin down within just a few uses. It’s so very gentle. What I also appreciate about this cleanser for first-timers is they sell several sizes at varying price points, so you don’t have to dive into a huge tube you aren’t sure you will like.

Exfoliating: For my more regular exfoliating, I go for the Tarte Knockout Tingling Treatment ($39, Tarte/Ulta/Sephora). This product packs a punch at 10% acid complex with both salicylic and lactic acids. It also contains sulfur, niacinamide, and glycerin which help with stuff like fine lines, pores, and evening skin tone/redness. I use this up to 3x/week and it really helps keep my skin clear.

Another exfoliator I love and have purchased many times is Dr. Brandt PoreDermabrasion** ($58, Dr.Brandt/Sephora). I originally got this in PR, but have bought 3 more tubes since then. This is an extremely fine-grit scrub that also contains salicylic acid for that double-whammy of both physical and chemical exfoliation. 1-2x per week (on days when I’m not using the Tarte toner) I mix a glob of this into my First Aid Beauty Cleanser to cushion the scrub (not required, but the Dr. Brandt team recommends this method for sensitive skin). I use it on my whole face, neck, and decolletage.

Moisturizing: I have two favorite moisturizers and they could not be more different. First, I love the CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion ($varies, Target/Ulta/Amazon) – another very gentle product, and like the entire CeraVe line is, packed with ceramides that help calm the skin and build up its natural moisture barrier. It’s great for healing if you accidentally over-exfoliate, or have raw dry skin after a cold. If you have dry skin they also have a heavier formula.

On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, we have the Tatcha Water Cream ($68, Tatcha/Sephora). Where the CeraVe moisturizer is rather boring and utilitarian, Tatcha Water Cream is an experience. This product is pure luxury right down to the little golden spatula it comes with that slides conveniently into a slot on the lid. Tatcha Water Cream has numerous essential oils and plant extracts, so if you are sensitive to such things you’ll definitely want to avoid it, but this cream does wonders for my skin when it is dehydrated. It has a lot of hefty claims: balanced skin, more radiant/luminous skin, improved clarity & less obvious pores. I don’t know if it does all of that, but I definitely notice balanced, radiant skin.

Eye Cream: Another product I’ve been using for years is the It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Brightening Eye Cream** ($48, It Cosmetics/Sephora). Despite the name, the brightening aspect is not why I love this eye cream. I love the texture, how hydrating it is, and how it lessens puffiness. I don’t have a tremendous problem with dark under-eye circles, so I can’t really say how well it handles those. All I know is when I don’t use this and try using a different eye cream, I miss this. It also wears beautifully under concealer, so I never have to worry about a bad makeup day. My fine lines haven’t gotten any worse since I started using this either, which is a bonus. I got my first jar of this in PR, but I have repurchased it twice since.

Here are a few extras that aren’t necessarily in my everyday routine, but that I use frequently and recommend.

COSRX Acne Patches ($6, Ulta/other prices elsewhere) are little hydrocolloid patches that help draw out all of the yucky junk in a zit. Just slap one on overnight after your usual acne treatment and that sucker is usually much smaller and more manageable in the morning.

The Creme Shop Sooper Soothe Sheet Mask ($4, The Creme Shop) are my quick fix for dehydrated or mildly irritated skin (not intensely irritated or reactive situations). This mask contains rice water, green tea, and snail goop (which is actually good for your skin, who knew). It’s a lovely soothing, moisturizing treat. And to think I originally tried this to hit free shipping at some point…

Ole Henriksen Truth Serum ($50, Ole Henriksen/Sephora) is my current go-to Vitamin C serum. I’m on my third bottle of this bad boy as well. It’s very gentle, and also contains aloe, collagen, and various plant and fruit extracts claiming hydration, anti-aging, and brightening. The effects of topical collagen are still kind of debatable, but I like this serum for its hydrating and brightening effects.

Fourth Ray Beauty Rainfall 2% Hyaluronic Acid Serum ($16, Colourpop/Ulta) is one of only 2 products I’ve tried and liked from the Fourth Ray line (the other one I’m still kind of testing out so it’s not a favorite yet). It is nice for extra hydration when needed, and smells like cucumbers (which I love). I’ve repurchased this once as well.

I feel kind of bad about loving the Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Ultra-Fine Mist ($28, Glow Recipe/Sephora) as much as I do. I talked so much sh*t when this was launched about how no face mist was worth $28, even if the mister is one of the best. Well, I eat my words. This mist is fantastic. I’ve purchased it not once, but twice now and I REGRET NOTHING. It’s hydrating and definitely adds a noticeable luminosity to the skin. And the mister is great.

Remember when Shiseido Facial Cottons were the must-have product for like all of YouTube? Yeah. I got sucked into paying $12 for cotton too. It’s okay. They’re great! But $12 for cotton is insane no matter how nice they are. Enter: Daiso Fresh Cotton ($1.50, Daiso). They are every bit as soft and lovely as the Shiseido Facial Cottons, but you get more and for a fraction of the price. It’s a no-brainer. If you live near a Daiso, scoop some of these up. If you do not live near a Daiso, Ulta Ultra Soft Square Cotton Pads are also a great dupe for Shiseido. Not as much of a price break, but Ulta brand stuff goes on BOGO sale a lot.

So that’s it…those are what products are keeping my skin looking as best as it can lately. What are you loving for your skin?

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Current Favorites – March 2017

I’m not very good about doing consistent monthly favorites posts like other beauty content creators out there. Um, my bad? I just don’t try that many things every single month that I’d be able to have a whole list every month. Also, the beginnings and very end of the month are always very busy for me at work, so I don’t always have time to really give it some thought.

Anywho, here’s a few things I have been loving on lately, both in February and so far in March. I got a really nasty cold at the end of February, and some of these were just lifesavers that have helped me with that, since everyone knows being sick does GREAT things for your skin, right? ;) There’s a definite theme with these favorites: hydration. Being sick had me at lizard status.

Complexion-wise, I’ve been trying a lot of different foundations lately. Or rather, re-trying. I spent a lot of time earlier this year going through my foundation stash, which resulted in me wanting to try out a lot of foundations I hadn’t worn in a while. I also tried out the It Cosmetics Confidence in a Compact serum foundation, which I will have a full review on soon. However, when I got sick, my skin around my nose and upper lip was so dry and raw from being rubbed with tissues that no foundation went on comfortably (or attractively, I might add). I found one combination that worked enough to get me through the reptilian stage…

Trusty MAC Studio Fix powder (I wear shades N3 and NW10…wearing N3 in the pic above) and Make Up For Ever Full Cover concealer (I wear shade 2, which has been discontinued 😭). I use about a grain of rice size amount of concealer to spot conceal areas I need to, and then just go over everything with a light application of the MAC powder. The powder has a lot of coverage, and it sat okay on my super dry skin without looking (t00) scaly. Then I just wear a really natural looking blush that kind of matches the redness in my nose so it looks like maybe I just have a little color vs. a bright red clown nose. My blush colors of choice are Urban Decay Afterglow blush in Video or Wet ‘n Wild Color Icon blush in Rosé Champagne for something with more of a sheen. I’m wearing Video in the pic above.

Since being sick includes a lot of breathing through your mouth (cute, huh), that means dry lips! I’ve been kind of needing a break from all of the popular matte lips lately anyway, but that whole situation forced me to avoid them. For about a week straight I think I only wore lip balm. My lip balm of choice is Epic Blend. I like their Hemp and More Moisture formulas. For products with a little more color, I’ve been wearing my Vasanti Cosmetics tinted lip balm that I have loved for years. Unfortunately they’ve completely redone the line and I can’t recommend the new ones because I haven’t tried them. I also still use my It Cosmetics lip treatment quite frequently. It’s half gone. Eep!

Skincare-wise I have spent a lot of time slathering myself in moisturizer lately. I’ve been using a combo of Caudalie Vinosource S.O.S. Thirst Quenching Serum topped with It Cosmetics Confidence in a Cream. The rich cream combined with the extra hydrating serum have made it just a little easier to turn my lizard skin nose back into a regular person nose. 🐽

Other than that, I’ve really been spending a lot of time just shopping through my stash and trying out a lot of various things, so no other true favorites to report at the moment. But I’m always curious to know what you guys have been loving, so let me know!

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Updated Morning Skincare Routine – February 2017

I like to change up my skincare routine pretty often to suit my skin’s needs. I’ve found my skin changes every so often, especially because here in SoCal we’ve had some really varied weather lately. We’ll have days where it’s sunny and low 70s and then the next day be cold and pouring rain. What the hell? I adapt. Here is what has been working for me lately. You’ll see a lot of “or this”, because I don’t use the same things every day.

WAKEY WAKEY…LET’S DO THIS!

I start my morning cleansing with either Murad Essential-C Cleanser* or Foaming Pumpkin Cleanser* by Alana Mitchell. Both cleansers smell amazing (Murad smells like citrus, and the pumpkin cleanser smells like a pumpkin spice latte even though it has no added fragrance, which is incredible), which really helps me wake up. Both cleansers are formulated to brighten and even out the complexion, though they have very different ingredients. They’re both gentle and pleasant to use. In the mornings I often use my Foreo Luna* cleansing device. I have the version for normal to sensitive skin, which provides very gentle sonic cleansing. To be quite honest, I have been slacking on the Luna lately. But that’s just pure laziness. ;)

Depending on if I’ve done my cleansing in the shower that morning (I sometimes shower at night vs. in the morning), I may opt for an extra step. When I shower, my skin gets really sensitive to the heat and sometimes ends up looking red and blotchy. If this is the case, I give myself a good dousing with Mario Badescu’s Aloe Rosewater facial spray*. It calms my skin right down and smells so elegant. The facial spray has a chance to soak in and do its magic while I brush my teeth and towel off, etc. so by the time I’m ready to do the rest of my skincare I’m looking much less blotchy. Pro Tip: That facial spray is also FANTASTIC if you have a sunburn on an area that is otherwise prohibitive to treat, like your scalp.

Next up, toner. I have raved previously about the Pixi Glow Tonic, which is an extremely gentle (but potent at 5%) glycolic toner jam packed full of other delicious ingredients like aloe and ginseng. Since I’m very fair, I love anything that is formulated for evening out my skin tone. I feel like every little mark or blemish is that much more noticeable when you’re casper white like me.

After my acid toning step comes serum. I jumped on the Drunk Elephant bandwagon and splurged on their C-Firma vitamin C serum, and you know what? I am not in love with it. I know vitamin C serums aren’t supposed to smell good, but guys it smells baaaaaad. Like really bad. I’m doing my best to work through it, but it’s the type of product that you only need to use every few days. On the days I’m not using the C-Firma, I’ve been really enjoying the It Cosmetics Bye Bye Lines serum*. I turned 30 last August and gosh darnit those smile lines actually starting to bug me, so it’s time to do something about them. I’ve been using the It Cosmetics serum for about a month as a preventative measure. So far, so good. It’s very hydrating and seems to plump the area up at least.

Sometime around this time is when I put on my eye cream. I have a few that I love, but lately I’ve been really liking the It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye* eye cream. This claims to smooth, brighten, and depuff. It definitely hydrates and depuffs my eye area. I have been using it about a month and have barely made a dent in it because a little goes a long way. As far as brightening goes, I don’t have a ton of darkness around my eyes so I haven’t noticed a big difference or anything at this point. But I do know the cream doesn’t break me out or anything, and it seems good so far.

At this point it’s time to get my moisturizer on so I can start the fun part (makeup!!!!). I’ve been working from a deluxe sample of Ole Henriksen Sheer Transformation Perfecting Moisturizer lately, and really liking it. It’s a pretty expensive product, so I am glad to have a sample to try. So far I like it a lot. It sinks in quickly and I’ve noticed slightly less redness. Other moisturizers I’ve used in the morning and enjoyed recently are the Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet, Proactiv Green Tea Moisturizer*, and Garnier SkinActive Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel-Cream (for Dry Skin).

Once the moisturizer sinks in it’s time to paint my face and gooooo! :)

Note: Products marked with were sent for promotional consideration. I was under no obligation to mention these products, but I happen to quite like them!*

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My New Skincare Routine featuring Mario Badescu

Last weekend I visited my favorite event of all– The Makeup Show LA! I adore The Makeup Show, and was really excited that for the first time ever Mario Badescu would be there! I got a chance to meet with them and get a whole new skin care routine picked out based on my skin type and its needs. I’ve only been using the products for a little less than a week, so this isn’t a review, but more of a first impressions and info about the products I’m trying out.

To understand why the products were picked, here’s some info about my skin type. I have dry skin with some sensitivity. I have redness around my nose and mouth, and only the occasional breakout. I also work in a heavily air-conditioned environment, which is sometimes really tough on dry skin! We just moved in to our building too, so it’s also a little dusty. Gotta love it. With that in mind, here’s what they recommended.

Cleansing

The cleanser I’ve been using is their Keratoplast Cream Soap. My first question was “wtf is keratoplast?”. Keratoplast is an ingredient found in plants that helps with redness. It’s a very gentle, creamy cleanser with a pleasant scent. There’s no added fragrance, but the cleanser still smells pretty nice. Since it’s very gentle it can only remove very light makeup. To remove my makeup, I have been using the Cleansing Milk with Carnation & Rice Oil. The cleansing milk is one of those cleansers you can tissue off, which I love because a.) water shortage! hi! and b.) less work to do if I don’t have to rinse. It does leave some “residue” but I use the soap cleanser after so it’s not a big deal.

Toner

There’s all kinds of debate about the necessity of toners, but I’ve really been enjoying Mario Badescu Aloe Vera Toner. It’s literally just water, aloe juice gel, and a preservative. It feels amazing, as you would expect since aloe is so soothing.

Moisturizer

Both the day and night moisturizers I use are actually categorized as night creams, but hell if that’s what works, I don’t care. At night before bed I use the Protein Night Cream. It’s a very thick, rich cream that acts almost like a sleep mask. It also contains collagen (hooray!) and Vitamin A. It’s labeled “intense” and it is. Love it. During the day, I’m using Peptide Renewal Cream. It’s lightweight for a night cream (so probably a good night cream if you have combo skin) chock full of hyaluronic acid, peptides, nori and willow bark extracts. It does play nicely under my makeup, but I have to let it sink in first for a few minutes or my makeup feels slightly tacky.

Eye Care

During the day I either skip eye cream or use a lightweight one, but at night I have been trying out Mario Badescu Hyaluronic Eye Cream. It’s rich without being greasy and the skin around my eyes feels soft and hydrated. What more do you really need in an eye cream?

So far this routine is working for me in that it feels great, and I’ve noticed no negative effects. After such a short time, it’s hard to really say how it’s actually improved my skin, but these are just my first impressions. ;) I do notice an especially dry area between my brows is much less so after only a few days using these moisturizers, though! That’s a very good sign. :)

Have you tried any Mario Badescu products? In addition to these products I’m using now, I’ve used their Enzyme Cleansing Gel many times (I’ve used about half a bottle and will probably still use it from time to time even with this new routine). I’ve also tried samples of various others. The Ceramide Herbal Eye Cream in particular is nice. I was also given their Rose Hips Nourishing Oil for when I need a little extra boost. I haven’t needed any extra moisture on my face lately, but I’m thinking of trying it out on my cuticles because they are looking pretty haggard lately.

What I like about the line in general is the lack of “fuss”. The products are all in plain packaging, which keeps them affordable. I’d rather know my money is going toward quality ingredients than fancy packaging. There also isn’t a whole bunch of totally unnecessary fragrance– something that drives me crazy in skin care of all things because it’s generally so irritating to the skin.

I’ll keep you all updated on how things go with this new routine!

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Top 10 MAC Products You Should Try (At Least Once!)

Often I am asked questions like “what’s good from _insert brand here_?” or “is _brand name_ the best?”. I always tell them there’s good and bad products from every brand. But then the follow-up question is what are the good things to try? With those questions in mind, here are my top 10 MAC products you should try.

1. Cremesheen Lipstick in Modesty

Modesty is one of those super easy to wear, never fail colors. It’s a my lips but better nude (MAC says “muted neutral pink”). Great for job interviews or to pair with a smoky eye.

2. Brush #217

The #217 brush is a white goat filbert brush and absolutely one of my most-used makeup brushes. It’s just the perfect size and shape for sweeping color over the lids. I love it so much I have 2. It is a total bitch to keep clean, though!

3. Fix+

Fix+ is a product beloved by the masses and misunderstood by about as many. It’s a mist charged up with caffeine, glycerin, cucumber, and other skin-friendly ingredients. It works well to refresh your skin throughout the day. I also like to use it to “super charge” my moisturizer – spritz it on and massage the moisturizer in on top of it while your skin is still wet for an extra boost. It can also be used to spray down powder to make it meld with the skin better and faster.

4. Mineralize Blush in Warm Soul

The combination of the semi-translucent mineralize blush formula and its buildable nature with the perfectly toned beige of this blush make for the perfect nude cheek. It has a warm gold pearl that goes on soft and pretty– not garish or overly shiny! I’ve yet to see this blush fail anyone.

5. Pigments

Pigments are just that – loose concentrated pigments. They have a ton of different uses. Vanilla makes a great highlight (for eyes, cheeks, anywhere really). There are tons of great eye color shades. Others can be mixed with lip colors for really cool effects, too. Melon looks great on the cheeks, eyes, or lips. Tan or Naked pigment can even be mixed in with a body lotion for a gleaming, glowy effect on your skin.

6. Cleanse-Off Oil

Don’t be scurred to put this oil on your face; it’s one of the good guys! Start with dry skin and hands, and massage a couple pumps of this oil cleanser into your skin. The cleansing oil will dissolve the makeup and melt it off as you watch. Then rinse with water to let it emulsify and rinse clean. It’s 100% free of any mineral oil. There’s no residue, either. Yay! Bonus: there’s also Cleanse-Off Oil Tranquil for especially dry or sensitive skin. I want to try that one when I finish my bottle.

7. Mineralize Volcanic Ash Exfoliator

I swear the first time I used the first release of volcanic ash exfoliator, a choir of angels sang at me in the shower. Okay maybe not, but I friggin love this scrub. If you’re having a breakout anywhere on your face or body, it does a great job of scrubbing away while drying up any over zealous oil production and nipping that nasty zit in the bud. But not just for acne sufferers, I use the VAE even when I’m not having skin problems. It’s just a darn good exfoliator too. It gets any yuck outta your pores and leaves your skin baby-butt smooth.

8. 209 Eyeliner Brush

If you want to draw an uber-fine line with a teensy brush that not only has a fine tip, but holds its shape, you’ll fall in love with the 209. It’s SUPER tiny, but doesn’t splay out or fatten up after you use it. It stays sleek and teensy tiny. If you have smaller eyes and/or just want to be able to do a very thin line, you’ll fall in love.

9. Fast Response Eye Cream

If you need to de-puff and wake up your eye area in a hurry, Fast Response lives up to its name. It has caffeine for an extra perk-up. If you need an extra boost of moisture to your lips, try Fast Response to plump up lines and moisten lips, too.

10. Eyeshadow in Patina

I hear more buzz about colors like All That Glitters, or Naked Lunch, or a plethora of other colors. But trust me, the one everyone needs to try is Patina. MAC describes Patina as “taupe brown with gold pearl”. TAUPE. PEARL. Duh. You need to try it at least once.

Have you tried any of these MAC products? What’s on your “must-try” list?

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The Best Drugstore Skin Care Products

Welcome to cheap thrills – drugstore edition! While I’m an advocate of splurging whenever you can on skin care – because you DO get what you pay for when it comes to skin care, that doesn’t mean nothing in the drugstore is worth trying. Au contraire! There are also quite a few inexpensive gems to be found there.

#1 – Fruit of the Earth 100% Pure Aloe Vera Gel

I ALWAYS have this on hand. Aloe is a soothing, cooling moisturizer that won’t upset your skin. It’s great for those of you who are prone to redness as well. My only caution is keep it away from your eyes. It tends to make my eyes sting/water if I get it anywhere near my eyes at all. Available in a mini size bottle for $1 at most drugstores.

#2 – Freeman Face Masks & Scrubs

Hi, jr high called, and said to remind you THAT CHEAPASS DRUGSTORE MASK WAS THE SHIT! And you know what, they still make it! And tons more! Freeman masks are the TRUTH. I haven’t met one yet that I didn’t love! The cucumber peel-off mask is delightfully gross (if you are the kind of person that enjoys peeling dried elmers glue off of yourself, you’ll love this…), and have you even imagined anything more decadent than a chocolate strawberry detox mask? These suckers are available at Ulta, drugstores, and online (for the whole huge selection, go there!) at freemanbeauty.com from $1.99 to $3.99 each.

#3 – Neutrogena Acne Stress Control Line

There are 6 products in Neutrogena’s Acne Stress Control line and they’re all pretty fan-effing-tastic. They’re formulated with salicylic acid (chemical exfoliant and known acne zapper) as well as soothing cucumber. Zaps zits effectively, and cheaply. If you have dry skin you’ll want to either use lots of extra moisturizer, or only use this every other day. Each product in the line is $6-$7 at drugstores.

#4 – Epielle Facial Cleansing Tissues

These face wipes are the bomb dot com. They come in several varieties in addition to the “original” cleansing wipe, including Aloe, Cucumber, Citrus, and Green Tea! Green Tea are my personal favorite, but they’re all amazing. Not sure where to find these? Big Lots is a sure bet. A pack of 24-30 will run you a whopping dollar.

#5 – Garnier Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel-Cream

Duh, this product made my favorites! And I gave it a good review! So you know it’s going on my best of drugstore skin care list. Lazy person version of my review: it’s surprisingly great, more gel than cream, and is as refreshing as advertised! It’s about $8 or $9 at the drug store.

#6 – Yes To Blueberries Age Refresh Intensive Skin Repair Serum

Lest you think you can’t get skin care that goes beyond basic cleansing at the drugstore – voila! Yes To Blueberries has this nifty little serum for a mere $20. This serum is chock full of antioxidants, essential fatty acids, and more goodness to help prevent signs of aging. It also smells good, so if you’re not into the science-y part of skin care, there’s that.

There are countless other products I could get into from the drugstore that are equally fab if not moreso than their high end counterparts. Have you tried any of the six products I mentioned above? Which are your fav cheap thrills in skin care?

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April Favorites

Sure it’s a week in to May already, but I’m telling you my April favorites dammit. And you’re gonna like it. Maybe. Or something?

Not a ton of color things this month because I’ve been all about skin care recently! As you may or may not have read, I’m obsessed with Urban Decay’s B6 Spray (see my review here). That’s definitely been a favorite. I use it every single day before I apply my makeup, and sometimes in between as a little boost, or afterwards to calm my skin down even more. ($33, Urban Decay)

I’ve also been really enjoying the Garnier Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel-Cream. I still feel weird calling it a cream, because it’s totally not. But it’s still a great moisturizer even if you have sensitive skin like mine. I like the refreshing scent too. It’s very “spa” to me. In case you missed it, my review is here. (~$10, Drugstores)

If you’re in the market for a fan-friggin-tastic spot treatment, do check out Murad’s Acne Spot Treatment. The active ingredient is sulphur, which I find way more effective than salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide. It’s also much more gentle on my skin than spot treatments made with those ingredients. It works beautifully, even though it smells kinda funky. A little goes a long way, so the tube will last you a while. Just keep in mind the expiration date (usually about a year is par for the course for these types of products). ($17, Ulta)

Two other secret weapons I’ve been relying on for the past month are Proactiv’s Refining Mask and Origins’ Clear Improvement charcoal mask. I’ve been tag-teaming my skin with these two masks to try and keep my pores as clear as possible. Both masks also make my skin soft and smooth. The charcoal mask from Origins is better for dry skin, gently removing impurities from pores. The ProActiv mask has an active ingredient of 6% sulphur and contains kaolin clay to absorb oil. (Origins Clear Improvement mask is $24 from Sephora, Proactiv Refining Mask is available from proactiv.com and Proactiv boutique kiosques).

I’ve been using and enjoying Urban Decay’s Naked Skin Beauty Balm, too! It functions as a primer with a bit of coverage too. It’s weird, even though it only gives you a little coverage, the “optical blurring” effects truly make it look like you have more coverage than you actually do. Does that make sense? I don’t know. But it’s pretty magical. See my full review here. ($34, Urban Decay) Whether I’m just wearing the UD BB cream or doing a full face, I have been setting my makeup with Urban Decay’s Naked Skin Ultra Definition Loose Finishing Powder. The first time I felt this powder I literally said “holy shit” out loud. It’s sooooo silky smooth. Just a little bitty bit is needed to set your makeup and give it a smooth finish. ($34, Urban Decay)

Color-wise, my Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey has been a constant staple in my purse. How many favorites posts have I mentioned it in?? I wear it a few times a week. I can’t stress enough how much I love this lip. Mine doesn’t even have any lettering on the pencil anymore because I’ve used it so many times the lettering has worn off! These are so comfortable to wear, and the colors last forever. The particular shade Honey goes with a ton of different looks. If you like colors like MAC’s Viva Glam V, you should definitely check this chubby pencil out. You won’t be sorry. Plus, it’s super cheap. ($8, Drugstores)

A few days ago, I finished up my second Senna Sketch-a-Brow pencil. I’m sad because it’s gone, but happy because it happened. Does that sound like an InstaQuote? I’ve tried a lot of brow pencils that I like and enjoy, but I’ve never used up two of any one kind except Senna’s. On the one hand, I want to go out and buy more immediately. On the other, I’m hesitant because I apparently go through brow pencils super fast. I mean I just bought that thing the first week of March! It’s hard to decide. Bloggers have such weird problems. ;) ($18, Senna Cosmetics)

After finishing my last tube of my beloved Maybelline The Rocket mascara, I received a sample of Rimmel ScandalEyes Retro Glam to try. Great news – I really like this mascara! It agrees with my eyes well (certain mascaras irritate the crap out of my eyes). It’s buildable, it’s really black, it doesn’t clump. Every once and a while if it’s really hot conditions it will smudge slightly, but it’s over all really solid. I would definitely purchase it again sometime. ($7, Drugstores)

And there you go! Those were my favorites during the month of April. What were you loving on in April?

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You Need This: Urban Decay B6 Complexion Prep Spray

I’m guessing many of you, like me, have heard a lot about various sprays. There’s lots of them out there. They range from literally just a can of water to highly beneficial skin care at the touch of a spray nozzle. When Urban Decay launched its b6 Vitamin-Infused Complexion Prep Spray, I’ll admit I didn’t give it much thought. Oh, water with some vitamins in it, blah blah blah. That’s all I thought it was.

I must not be alone. The Urban Decay website pretty much speaks to that exact reaction. The product description reads: “It’s one of those products you didn’t even know you needed. (But once you try it, you’ll wonder how you ever survived without it!)”.

They aren’t wrong. I am SO hooked on this spray! After switching off my birth control rx, my skin understandably went a little wonky. Along with some other things (which I will be reviewing as well!), adding the b6 spray to my skin care routine has helped calm everybody down. The redness reducing claim of this spray really rings true. Other claims it makes are that it hydrates (check!), reduces pore size (I guess?), and absorbs excess oil/reduces shine. I don’t have a huge shine issue or pore size issue so I’m not sure how much it does that…but it doesn’t hurt anything. And it doesn’t dry me out in its attempt to absorb excess oil. It just hydrates and makes my skin feel so much more CALM. There’s a bunch of natural salicylic acid in there too, to help in cell turnover (hi, exfoliation – that thing everyone says is super good for you!).

Go. Do. Buy. Use. LOVE. I’m not even kidding. Get some, and thank me.

Urban Decay B6 Vitamin-Infused Complexion Prep Spray is available at Urban Decay (and all other places UD is sold) for $33.

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Urban Decay Naked Skin Beauty Balm Review

I know I’m kind of late to the game reviewing Urban Decay Naked Skin Beauty Balm, but you know…better late than pregnant. Anywho, late or not, I have recently been wearing the UD BB after a suggestion from Bren of OMG Bren. My skin has been super dry lately, and she suggested I wear a good BB cream under my foundation. Since my foundation of choice is UD Naked Skin, this seemed a logical choice!

It claims to:

– hydrate instantly
– improve hydration over time
– make makeup go on nicely
– make makeup last longer
– protect with SPF 20 (broad spectrum)
– instantly even out skin tone
– instantly minimize pores, lines, wrinkles, and redness
– treats skin to firm, improve elasticity, and provide “measurable anti-aging benefits”

Urban Decay Naked Skin Beauty Balm contains some new to me ingredients. Pepha®-Protect helps protect your skin cells against daily stress. Uh hi? I need that. Vitasource® and dGlyage® firm the skin, improve elasticity, and fight wrinkles. Not huge issues for me NOW, but hey better to prevent than to try and fix later!

At first I wasn’t all that excited about trying this because it only came in one shade. That shade has been renamed Naked Medium, and a lighter shade and darker shade (Naked Light and Naked Dark) have been added to the range. Hooray! Not surprisingly, I’m wearing Naked Light.

Urban Decay Naked Skin Beauty Balm is not what I expected, formula-wise. I was expecting something thicker. UD’s BB is pretty runny actually. It applies very smoothly and sort of glides over the skin. Unlike other BB creams I’ve tried, I actually don’t recommend applying this like you would any other skin care. If you rub it in circles or rub too much, I find it just balls up. If you just smooth it gently in one direction, it will blend and apply beautifully. That could be because of the skin care I use beforehand, but if you’re having similar issues try that. Apply it almost like you would a face mask type product.

After applying I definitely feel the silicone-y primer-y feeling, but it’s not as much as when I just whack on a bit of primer. Flaws are definitely blurred. As far as coverage goes, it’s not so much covering problem areas as just making them less noticeable. Red areas look less red, spots are still spots but not as glaring. It’s like a soft focus effect more than a tinted moisturizer effect of providing light coverage – which is what a lot of other BB products provide. I find that I need way less foundation/concealer when wearing this. Whereas before I had foundation and loads of concealer, today I only put on a little concealer over the beauty balm and I was good to go.

If you aren’t looking for coverage, this beauty balm will appeal to you. If you need additional actual coverage, it does make a sublime canvas for applying additional foundation/concealer. Foundation and concealer apply so nicely over the beauty balm! If you don’t wear more base over this, blush and highlighter etc. still applied really well.

I haven’t been using it long enough to know if the long term benefits are really coming through, but wearing less concealer and foundation couldn’t ever be a bad thing. I can definitely feel a difference in hydration overall. And also, sun screen! :) This sun screen doesn’t bother my skin at all. Many of them do.

Overall, I’m quite pleased with this and have incorporated it into my everyday beauty routine! Urban Decay Naked Skin Beauty Balm is available at Sephora, Ulta, UD’s site…you know the drill, for $34.

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Garnier Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel-Creme Review

I was holding off on this review because I was expecting some other of the newer Garnier skin care products in the mail and was going to review them all together, but I don’t know what happened to them – they seem to have vanished! So perhaps I will review the scrub and the cleansing oil some other time. For now, I have a review of the Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel-Cream for Normal/Combo skin.

I don’t even know where to begin with my skin right now. Previously, “normal” for me was dry, but clear skin. Now it’s still normal-to-dry, but breaking out like crazy. It’s still not severe acne by any means, or probably not even moderate depending on who you ask, but going from not even really having clogged pores to having 3-4 deep under the skin zits and a handful of smaller surface pimples = PANIC at my disco. I know it was caused by a combination of hormones and a great deal of stress. This past weekend I moved house, which as you know is insanity no matter what. Anyway. Moisturizer.

I was intrigued by the idea of a “gel-creme”. It sounded like some new exotic thing. The reality is this is a gel. Not even a thick gel actually. It’s pretty darn liquidy in texture. I was kind of skeptical about it being able to moisturize well when I felt the texture. I was pleasantly surprised though. It does a decent job! A little bit goes a long way, because it’s so liquid (it spreads over your face quite easily). For me, it absorbs very quickly and leaves my skin feeling moisturized and refreshed, but not in any way greasy.

It does have a scent! The fragrance is floral-fruity and pleasant, typical of most Garnier products – if you’ve ever used any, you know this smell. I happen to love it. You may not. If you’re sensitive to fragrances, save your receipt! It dissipates though and I think it adds to the refreshment I feel when I use it.

There is also a dry skin formula that is allegedly a ‘dupe’ for Clinique Moisture Surge. I would like to try that sometime as I’ve tried samples of Clinique’s and I liked it. Also I do anticipate that once I get the hormones and the stress in check my skin will probably go back to being more dry as usual, so it’ll be good to know if I can make a switch. ;)

The price runs about $8.50 for a 1.7 oz jar, available at most drugstores. I believe I got mine from Target!

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2020 Skin Care Favorites

Current Favorites – March 2017

Updated Morning Skincare Routine – February 2017

Note: Products marked with were sent for promotional consideration. I was under no obligation to mention these products, but I happen to quite like them!*

My New Skincare Routine featuring Mario Badescu

Top 10 MAC Products You Should Try (At Least Once!)

The Best Drugstore Skin Care Products

April Favorites

You Need This: Urban Decay B6 Complexion Prep Spray

Urban Decay Naked Skin Beauty Balm Review

Garnier Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel-Creme Review

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Note: Products marked with * were sent for promotional consideration. I was under no obligation to mention these products, but I happen to quite like them!

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Note: Products marked with were sent for promotional consideration. I was under no obligation to mention these products, but I happen to quite like them!*