recent skincare favorites

Although I'll never admit to having this whole skincare thing figured out, I do love sharing personal favorite products that work wonders for my combination, breakout-prone and all-around unpredictable skin.

Eau Roma Water by Lush | I purchased this toner on a whim one day when I was shopping in Lush and realized that there is something oh-so-cool and spa-like about spray-on facial toners (am I the only one?!). Let me tell you how happy I am about this impulse buy... I absolutely love spritzing this on in the morning, evening and anytime in between. The rose and lavender provide calmness to the skin, along with a lovely, light scent and a hint of moisture. I've turned into a loyal buyer for life.

Simple Replenishing Rich Moisturizer | To those with oily skin, do not be turned off by this "rich" moisturizer. I find the formula to be super lightweight but incredibly hydrating in a barely there way. I also love that it doesn't contain harsh chemicals, perfumes or dyes.

Tea Tree Oil by The Body Shop | I must admit, I was a skeptic about this product at first. However, over the past few months, I've noticed the cleansing tea tree oil has helped fade my acne scars and quickly heal any breakouts. Bonus: this teeny bottle has lasted me around 6 months with everyday use. #worthit.

Catastrophe Cosmetic fresh face mask by Lush | This mask was a recommendation from a reader [thanks Nicole!] and needless to say, I already purchased my second pot of it. The blueberry and chamomile in this product calms redness, moisturizes, is super gentle, and smells divine. Check, check, check check.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, I'm still loyal to the Camomile Cleansing Oil from The Body Shop as well!

What are your recent skincare favorites? Please share!

my [last] january ipsy review

bag | Once again, I am feeling "meh" about the bag. It isn't as awful as last month's, but surely didn't blow my socks off. One side is white, one side is a royal blue, which are two colors I like, however the size and the fabric make this something that I won't use often.

Liquid eyeliner by Coastal Scents | Aside from the fact that I can't do a winged liner look to save my life, this product seems it be a good one. It has a sturdy felt tip brush and is jet black [two things I would probably look for if I could maneuver liquid liner]. Plus, the full size is very affordable at a mere $2.95!

Take it off! exfoliating honey peel off mask by Hey Honey | Is it just me, or is there something weirdly satisfying about a peel off mask? I'm not exactly sure where the "exfoliating" part of this product comes in, due to it's gooey texture, but I know that it removed the grime from my skin. This may be TMI, but I could actually see the dirt on the mask pieces I pulled off.

Be Good. Good Day. Day Moisturizer. by La Fresh Eco-Beauty | First of all, the name of this product is questionable. "Be good. Good day. Day Moisturizer." They could have stopped at day moisturizer and gotten the point across. Anyway, I digress. I'm starting to love this day time moisturizer. It is definitely not heavy enough to use at night, but it sits well under makeup during the day due to its lightweight formula and fresh cucumber scent.

Natural mineral coconut eye shadow by Pacifica in Ethereal | I need another nude eye shadow like I need another pair of shoes [I don't], but this product is lovely! The formula is very buttery and smooth, and it doesn't hurt that it's 100% vegan. This brand is available at Target, and I've also heard wonderful things about their blood orange lotion.

Velvet rose lipgloss by Velvet 59 in noisette | I was pleasantly surprised when I tried this gloss and loved it, seeing as I'm not a huge lip gloss gal. Lately I am super into rosy mauve colors, and this product has just the right amount of tint to it. Did I mention that I adore the chic clear packaging, silver handle, and faint rose scent? I've been layering this gloss over Revlon's Sassy Mauve, and it works like a dream.

I'm sure you've noticed a trend of me not being super excited with my Ipsy bags the past few months, which is why I have decided to cancel my subscription and receive the Sample Society box by Allure [only $15 a month!]. For only $10 a month, I still think Ipsy is a good deal for beauty lovers, but, I felt like a lot of the products weren't useful to me. I think Ipsy tries to avoid this by making subscribers take a beauty quiz, allowing you to choose the items and brands that you use most, but I still wasn't receiving the type of items I requested.

After spending far too much time researching past Sample Society boxes with my best friend via phone, I concluded that the $5 extra a month is worth it to receive samples of higher end brands that I might not normally buy. According to the site, the Allure beauty editor's choose their favorite beauty products for the month, and each subscriber gets the same box [although the colors of items may differ]. Keep a look out for my February Sample Society review next month! I can't wait to share it with you.

xoxo,
G

november ipsy

It's mid-November, so you know what that means... Ipsy glam bag review time!

makeup bag | by Forever 21 for Ipsy. Not the best, not the worst. I think I had this same makeup bag when I was in my LTD2 days. I will probably give this away to someone.

SeaRx Birchsap Moisturizing Lotion | I'm all for a good face moisturizer, so I was excited to test this one out. The sample is pretty small, but I have enjoyed using it. The lotion has a strong citrus smell to it, almost like clementines, which I love. The formula is very lightweight, and absorbs quickly. Is it a life changer? No. Is it nice to use? Yes.

Marc Anthony Oil of Morocco Argan Oil Hairspray | This product was one of the items that made this bag totally worth it. Argan oil seems to be very popular in haircare lately, and I've been dying to try something containing it. This hairspray is not sticky at all, and provides great volume and shine to my flat and dull hair. It also smells great, and doesn't tangle my hair like other hairsprays do. Win-win-win.

J.Cat Wonder Lip Paint | To be honest, this product confuses me. It claims to be a "lip paint," which I assumed meant it would perform like a lip stain. However, the formula of this lip product is very runny, more so than a gloss (swatched below). The liquidity of the product makes it difficult to apply straight from the tube, so I would recommend using a q-tip. It is very pigmented and does stain your lips, but wears like a gloss. I'm not the biggest fan, but I know I won't love everything each month. It was still fun to try this!

Starlooks Eyeliner pencil in ultra olive | As I told you in my first Ipsy review, I'm not a huge eyeliner gal. I don't wear it on a day-to-day basis because I think it makes my eyes look way smaller than they already are. However, I might give this one a try on a special occasion. I think this product might be nice because I can blend it up from my lash line and use it like a cream eyeshadow, rather than simply drawing a straight line across my lid. The color is beautiful (swatched below), and I think will complement my green eyes.

IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Undereye Concealer | I saved the best for last! This under eye concealer is highly coveted in the beauty world, so I was quite happy to receive a sample. It really does what it says - conceals under eye bags, moisturizes, and even covers discoloration and acne. It is very thick, but I apply it with a Beauty Blender and it blends into my skin just fine. A little bit does go a long way. Also, this sample size will be nice to have in a bag for traveling.

[Top: Starlooks eyeliner.
Bottom: J.Cat lip paint]

This Ipsy glam bag was not too shabby! I loved that it had an array of different product types - hair, skin, and makeup. I have been using almost all of the products daily (except for the eyeliner and lip paint). Although some of the samples were smaller in November, I always feel like I get my money's worth each month. If you're interested in signing up for Ipsy, click here to get on the waitlist!

What beauty products have you been loving lately? I have a few more to report on in the upcoming weeks. Stay tuned!

xoxo,
G