The Foaming Cleanser I'm Not Terrified Of

June 11, 2015 in Skincare

I’m not one to write many single product reviews, but it’s not every day you find a product that takes everything you thought you knew about beauty and flips it on its head. Recently I was very generously sent some products from Peach and Lily to try, but there was one product in the bunch I wasn’t sure I’d get on with - the Cremorlab T.E.N Cremor Gentle Foaming Cleanser*. You see, ever since I started taking better care of my skin, I’ve avoided anything “foaming” like the plague, fearing the worst for my easily-dehydrated skin. But I was pleasantly surprised upon keeping an open mind and giving it a try, and I’ve actually been using it every day. Here’s why...

In my previous experience, any foaming/soapy product (mainly random acne face washes I didn’t need to be using) had majorly stripped my skin and left it feeling dry, raw, and tight. But this cleanser is formulated using mineral water and packed with vitamins and minerals, so not once has my skin felt anything short of nourished and refreshed, even through continuous use. It has a watery consistency in the bottle (making it super difficult to photograph - sorry about today’s picture, guys), but just one pump brings out a mound of frothy, foamy goodness that’s enough for the whole face. Being a fan of foaming hand washes, it reminded me a bit of those. However, this foam is different - it has more of a “creamy” feeling as you rub it onto the skin. “A creamy foam? Crazy!” you must be saying. But hear me out, this definitely does not feel like a typical foaming hand soap (thankfully) on the skin. Instead it feels incredibly gentle yet effective at cleansing the remnants of the day or night off the skin. The result is a very refreshing clean feeling, albeit not a squeaky one.

As terrified as I was, I can’t believe how much I love washing my face with this. The bubbles feel quite energizing for the skin, like a breath of fresh air and a drink of water all in one. I love using this face wash as a morning cleanse and also as a second cleanse at night to make sure all my makeup has been removed. It really feels like it’s ridding my skin of all the bad without compromising the good. My skin is left soothed, soft, and ready to absorb the next products in my skincare routine with no tightness or discomfort whatsoever. I'm so glad I got past my prejudice against anything labeled "foaming" and tried this out. As with all things in life, it pays to keep an open mind.

Are you totally against foams, or are you willing to give something like this a try?

ColourPop Haul + First Impressions

June 09, 2015 in Makeup

A couple weeks ago I finally gave in to the hype surrounding ColourPop Cosmetics. After hearing rave reviews talking about the strange yet wonderful consistency of the products and seeing how affordable they were, I took the plunge.

My first stop was to pick up a few of their Super Shock Shadows. I picked out Bill, a muted plum matte, Hanky Panky, a taupe matte, La La, a brilliant rose gold in a metallic finish, and Plunge, a shimmery gold champagne in a pearlized finish. After reading about people describing the consistency I thought I knew what to expect, but it’s on a whole other level - incredibly creamy and almost spongy, and yet it’s a powder. They feel exceptionally light despite packing a punch of pigment - it’s almost as if they become one with the skin. I’ve only used these with a primer, but they last all day without creasing that way (and pretty much everything creases on me). I’ve been reaching for Hanky Panky quite often because it makes the most perfect crease shade. My favorite look so far has been to blend a little of Hanky Panky in the crease and then patting Plunge all over the lid for a light, summery look, but I'm really excited to use the other two shades some more.

Next, I picked up a highlighter. I mean, I had to - highlighters are kind of my thang and a newer addition to ColourPop’s site. I decided to get Smoke N Whistles because of its subtle pink tone and silver shimmer - since my skin is really cool-toned, I figured it would look more natural than a golden highlight. And oh my gosh, I am obsessed. If you thought the strange texture worked beautifully for eyeshadows, it’s even better suited to the cheeks. It blends seamlessly and leaves the most believable sheen-y glow. It’s a tiny bit more shimmery than most of my highlighters, but it’s still a welcome addition. I may have to pick up a couple more, and I’m definitely going to have to try some of their blushes and bronzers now.

Lastly, I picked up two of their Lippie Stix. The name makes me cringe a little, but the product itself is heavenly. I picked up Lumiere and Bichette, which are both matte. Lumiere was created by KathleenLights, who I’ve been obsessing over since finding her YouTube channel a few weeks ago, and it’s a really lovely deep mauve-y rosey nude shade. I've heard it’s a dupe for the NARS Audacious Lipstick in Anna (my sister has the NARS offering so I'll have to investigate), and it’s the perfect color for when you want something noticeable on the lips, but don’t want a red or something vampy. It just really nicely accentuates the lips. Although I’m not a big red lip wearer, I was just completely drawn to Bichette and had to have it. It’s a deep, cool-toned red wine shade - on warmer skintones it will probably look more like a berry shade. It’s absolutely beautiful and works perfectly with my skin. I can’t wait to wear this one all the time in the fall and winter!

As you can tell from this rave, I’m completely smitten with all of my new ColourPop goodies. I’m definitely going to have to go back for more - let me know your favorite shades, products, etc in the comments!

The Face Mask Roundup

June 06, 2015 in Skincare

There’s nothing I love more than a good face mask (bold statement there). I love the feeling of luxury and pampering myself, along with the near-instant results that face masks give. I thought I’d run through my current collection and when I use them - though if I could use them all at once, I would.

The “Big Guns.” When my skin is throwing a tantrum, I look no further than the First Aid Beauty Skin Rescue Purifying Mask. I love that I can actually feel it detoxing my skin, and being able to peel it off in pieces is strangely satisfying. Because my skin tends to lean to the more dry/dehydrated side, this mask does make my skin feel a little tight, but it’s nothing my usual moisturizer can’t fix. Because it’s so effective and my skin doesn’t freak out too often (knock on wood), I really only tend to use it once a month if ya know what I mean.

The Pamper Duo. When I’m looking to really spend time pampering my skin, I time and again reach for the Glossier Mega Greens Galaxy Pack and the Moisturizing Moon Mask. I wrote a full review on the pair here, and while I’m sure they each would work wonderfully on their own, they just work so seamlessly together. These masks feel so gentle and yet are so effective at calming, purifying, and moisturizing my skin. After finishing both steps, I’m left with bright, radiant skin. With such beautiful results and such a gentle formula, it’s hard not to use these every single day - I keep it down to around once or twice a week.

The Multitasker. Want the results of the Glossier pair in one go? Then I’d suggest trying the Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Mask. As honey is naturally antibacterial, it really cleans and purifies the skin while deeply moisturizing it. This is a more recent addition to my face mask lineup, but it’s one I’ve been loving nonetheless (see it reviewed in my Current Skincare Loves post). Even though I wash this off before proceeding with my usual skincare routine, I always notice a difference in my skin when I wake up the morning after using this - it just looks totally hydrated and pleasantly plumped. I use this one around once a week as well, twice if I’m strapped for time and don’t use the Glossier pair.

The Soother. I really wish I had a Lush store closer to me for the sole purpose of always having the Catastrophe Cosmetic fresh face mask stocked in my fridge. This one is just amazing. It’s a cleansing mask, but it’s also really calming and soothing on the skin due to the calamine and chamomile blue oil. I find using this consistently dramatically improves the redness in my skin. When I’ve got a tub sitting around I’ll use it every day - it’s that gentle.

The Overnighter. Now that I’ve found other hydrating masks, I tend to overlook the Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask. It’s really a phenomenal mask though, and one I think I'm going to start keeping next to my bed to use it more. If you’ve been struggling with dehydration or dryness, just pop this on before bed and you’ll be glowing by morning. It’s also great for keeping your skin moisturized on long flights. The smell of this one is heavenly, like peaches and cream, and it makes it all the more enjoyable to use. I’m a bit more sporadic with my use of this mask - I can go from using it a couple nights in a row to not using it for a few weeks. It all depends on how my skin is feeling.

The Quick Pick-Me-Up. Now I’m not sure if you’d classify this as a mask, but one of my favorite skincare extras is the REN Flash Rinse 1 Minute Facial. It’s a water-activated exfoliant that you rinse off after only a minute, leaving you with bright, clear, radiant skin. I really like using this in the morning because of its brightening capabilities - if I wake up looking a little tired and dull, I reach for this every time. It’s gentle enough that my easily-irritated skin doesn’t resemble a tomato by the end of that minute, but it’s still so effective. I can just feel my serums and moisturizers sinking in so much better after using this. I keep my usage of this down to once or twice a week.

Are any of your favorites in this lineup? Are there any I need to add to my collection?