The Peach and Lily Haul

June 28, 2016

You may have seen me mention last week that I made a pretty gigantic Peach and Lily order (that spending ban is going really well, as you can see). I've been really happy with my skincare routine lately, but I just found myself getting a bit bored and wanted the thrill that comes with trying something new. When I started breaking out out of nowhere, it pretty much sealed the deal for this order.

The whole reason I was wanting to make an order was to get the Shangpree Gold Black Pearl Hydrogel Eye Masks. I saw these in a Jenn Im video last year and have wanted them ever since. They had recently come back in stock on the site, so I took the plunge. I've used them a couple times already and they make a really lovely addition to a pamper night. My eyes have been feeling really tired and dry lately, and these masks have really been working to perk them right up. I even saw a small difference after just one use.

I just had to pick up a couple of the Cremorlab Herb Tea Blemish Minus Calming Masks. They're my absolute favorite sheet masks. Despite receiving a box of 100 sheet masks from When that I'm still working my way through, I felt like I still needed the "Pink Mask" back in my life.

I was also super intrigued by the new line 24/7 that's on Peach and Lily now - they say it's skincare-meets-makeup, which is always my kind of thing. I went for the Touch Up Skin-Perfecting Cream because it promised that K-Beauty dewy skin. I absolutely love this so far. It comes in a small tube with a slanted tip (like a lip balm), so I like to apply a small amount to the high points of my face and blend with my fingers. The result is a super dewy look that doesn't have any shimmer - I don't know how they do it. Be warned though that this does have a bit of a strong floral fragrance that lingers a bit after application.

I'd been eyeing the Banila Co. Clean It Zero for the longest time, and seeing as it was on sale and I was already making an order, I decided to add it to my basket. I recently ran out of my old cleansing balm, and this has been taking its place nicely. It melts off all of my makeup without stinging my eyes or making my skin feel tight, and I love that it comes with a little spatula to scoop the product out.

I also decided to grab the Mizon Enjoy Fresh On Time Sweet Honey Mask - I love a good honey mask, and it was only $13. This literally feels like you're putting pure honey on your face - it's sticky at first, but the layer becomes thinner and thinner as your skin soaks up the moisture. This leaves my skin feeling nourished and glowing, and I've been loving using it at the same time as the Shangpree eye masks.

I added the last two things to my order after watching Estee Lalonde's Korean beauty haul - I've been better at resisting products that my favorite YouTubers recommend, but I still can't resist something that Estee mentions. I got the Mizon Intensive Skin Barrier Toner, and I've been using it every morning and night. It's been really helping my skin stay hydrated and glowing throughout the day, and I love that it has a bit of a thicker, almost syrup-y texture - it makes it easy to spread over the skin.

The last thing I got was the Aromatica 95% Damask Rose Soothing Gel. This just sounded like the best thing. I love anything rose-scented or containing roses, and my skin just drinks it up. So far I've only used this on my shoulders where I had a sunburn, and it really helped relieve that quickly. I can also see myself using it on my face as a super lightweight moisturizer when the weather is super hot, so I'll report back on that.

I know this was a bit of an extravagant haul, but I was really so excited for everything to arrive, and my skin has been looking better and better each day. Have you tried any new skincare lately?

The Super Dewy (maybe kinda sweaty) Highlighters

June 25, 2016

I've noticed with the market so saturated with highlighters lately, it seems there are a few different categories - the ones that will give a subtle, lit-from-within glow (think Laura Mercier Matte Radiance), the ones that pack an almost reflective sheen (Anastasia Glow Kits), and then the ones that make you look like you drank your eight glasses of water and got your eight hours of beauty sleep. They're not necessarily shimmery, but they just do that whole "wet" look so well that it actually look like your skin is shining on its own. The key here is to either find a slightly oily/wet formula, or find a product without noticeable shimmer in a color close to your skintone - we want it to look like your own skin is glistening, rather than having a stripe of a shimmery color on top.

The highlighter that introduced me to this look (and immediately got me hooked) was the rms beauty Living Luminizer. It uses nothing but some skin-nourishing oils and some mica to bring light to the skin in the most natural way. Dabbing a bit on with the ring finger leaves the skin glistening. A new addition that's pretty similar but easier to apply is the Glossier Haloscope highlighter (review) in Quartz. Since it's in stick form you can just sweep it on directly and gently blend the edges with a finger. This has a solid oil core with a surrounding ring of rose quartz extracts. This adds a radiant shine to the skin like nothing else - it catches the light and gives you that cool, almost sweaty look (that I'm 100% into). The Milk Makeup Highlighter in Lit is also quite similar, but the shade "Lit" is slightly more of a rose golden tone - it would suit people with more medium to deep skintones beautifully.

Some slightly more intense stick highlights come in the form of the Pat McGrath Skin Fetish 003 (review) and the Marc Jacobs Glow Stick Glistening Illuminator* (review). It seems like the Skin Fetish may be gone for good, but if you were lucky to get your hands on it you'll know what a thing of beauty it is. McGrath is known for how she manages to light up the skin, and this stick definitely gets you on your way. The Marc Jacobs stick is really easy to tailor to your taste - you can dab it on with fingers for a subtle glow not unlike the rms beauty, or you can stripe it on from the stick for something more intense, but that still gives that wet look. The different tones in this make it blend with any skintone and look like a believable highlight, rather than a streak of silver or gold on the skin. More intense still is the Colourpop Highlighter in Smoke N Whistles. This has to be dabbed on lightly to get that wet-look effect, as it's so pigmented, and a little certainly goes a long way. When patted into the skin over a more subtle cream highlight, it's simply stunning.

If it's a liquid you're after, look no further than the BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfectors - they come in a range of colors for different skintones, so you can easily find a believable glow for you. I have the shade Moonstone and it perfectly lights up my skin when dabbed on over the top of makeup. This one is very versatile as well - I like mixing it in with foundation for an all-over glow.

Lastly, if you're wanting something with no shimmer whatsoever, then certainly try using a clear balm instead. The Glossier Balm Dotcom is perfect for this. It's quite thick and definitely sheen-y, so it'll give you that editorial glossy effect in no time. This is one to be a little careful with, as it can get sticky on long, hot days. You could also dab on a bit of the balm side of the stick from the Skin Fetish - it gives a similar look to the Glossier Balm, and it has the added bonus of smelling really nice, too.

Are you into the super dewy look? I'm embracing my natural oils for summer and even amping them up - I need all the glow!

Marc Jacobs Glow Stick Glistening Illuminator

June 23, 2016

I usually avoid posting more than one single-product review in the same week, but since it's Highlighter Week I just had to fill you in on another cream highlighter I've been obsessing over lately. I was bouncing up and down when I found out I was being sent the Marc Jacobs Glow Stick Glistening Illuminator* from Influenster, so I've really been putting it to the test since receiving it.

The Marc Jacobs Glow Stick is super compact and perfect for traveling, but it still contains almost 14 grams of product. The packaging is super sleek and minimal, like all Marc Jacobs products, and it fits perfectly in the palm of the hand. It kind of reminds me of a mini stick of deodorant, but a really chic mini deodorant. The product itself comes in one shade, Spotlight, which is described as a "universal glow." It's got both gold and silver pigments in it, so it can flatter both warm and cool skintones. I think this is definitely true - on my skin, the silver tones pop more, but I've seen it look more gold on someone with warmer skin. Usually when a product only comes in one shade it's a problem, but here I genuinely think this will suit anyone.

The formula itself is a super blendable cream. When I want a more intense glow, I apply it straight from the stick and blend out the edges, but on a day to day basis, dabbing it on with fingers leaves the most beautiful radiance to the skin. As you can see from the swatch above, you can't actually see any shimmer particles, but it manages to leave a wet-looking sheen. It's definitely a perfect summertime product. The cream isn't greasy at all and you really can't feel it on your skin once it's applied. I think people with oily skin would definitely be able to use this despite it being a cream. Because of its texture, it lasts all day on me. It's really a perfect product to fake a nice, healthy glow, but you can definitely make a more intense statement too. If you're not a highlighter hoarder like me, you could definitely get away with only having this one highlighter and never needing another one since it's so versatile. This is tied with the Glossier Haloscope Highlighter (that I just reviewed on Tuesday) for my favorite highlight at the moment.

Have you tried the Marc Jacobs Glow Stick? What's your favorite highlighter?

*This product was kindly sent to me by Influenster, but all opinions are my own. Please see my disclaimer for more information.