A 15-Second Face Mask?

August 04, 2016 in Skincare

If you're lazy like me but still like a good old pamper sesh, then listen up. I'm pretty much a skincare fiend at this point - I love trying anything I can get my hands on. I recently read up on the Blithe Energy Yellow Citrus & Honey Splash Mask on Barely There Beauty, and I knew it was something I had to try. It's called a "patting water mask," so essentially it's a very thin fluid that you can pat on and get the effects of a face mask in just 15 seconds. Are you sold yet?

This comes in three varieties - the yellow one is supposed to be brightening, the green one (green tea) is for soothing more oily skins, and the purple one (berry) is for rejuvenating the skin. As you can see, I went for the yellow one. You may remember from my Summer Skincare Essentials post that I'll try anything if it claims to be brightening. I was totally fascinated by the concept of these. I didn't understand how something like this could possibly give any results, but I'm drinking the KoolAid now. There are a few ways you can use this, but the way I like to do it is by pouring half a capful into my hands in the shower, facing the stream of water, and patting it into my skin while the water is hitting my face. I really feel an instant change in my skin - it feels more plump and smooth, and my skin doesn't feel tight when I get out of the shower (it usually does if I don't use this).

These are quite potent (this one smells like straight up lemon juice), so if you've got sensitive skin I'd be careful. My skin is a little sensitive though, and I haven't had a problem. I just make sure the liquid is mixing with plenty of water from the shower when it's being applied to my skin. It's quite an awkward experience at first and you're going to feel like you're doing it all wrong, but I promise you'll get it. I use this a few times a week and really look forward to my showers on those days. I'm a nighttime shower-er, but I could see these, this yellow one in particular, being quite energizing in the morning. The radiance this gives my skin is really noticeable after a shower, to me at least. I love that I can just do this as part of my shower routine and not have to sit around waiting for a traditional face mask to dry, so I can give myself a little pamper no matter how busy I am.

TL;DR if you take a shower at my house I'm going to force you to use this because it's really great and quite amazing that something so watery can make the skin feel so nice.

Have you ever tried any of these "Splash Masks?" I really want to try the purple one next, and I want to convince my mom to try the green one!

Soft Pink Makeup with Jouer

August 02, 2016 in Makeup

A couple weeks ago I got one of the most amazing packages from Jouer (thank you so, so much again to them!). They're a brand I've always wanted to try more from, being a huge fan of their liquid lipsticks, so I was so so excited to get the chance to test out some more products. I was inspired by the products I received to create a soft pink makeup look with glowing skin and shimmery eyes.

I started off the look by priming my skin with the Jouer Anti-Aging Moisture Primer.* It really did hydrate my skin but felt incredibly lightweight and non-greasy. It reminds me of the Too Faced Hangover Primer without the coconut smell. After that I went in with the Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint* - this is one of the products I've been dying to try, and I haven't been disappointed. It adds a lovely veil of coverage to the skin and imparts such a lovely dewy glow. To cover up a few blemishes and my dark circles, I turned to my trusty Glossier Stretch Concealer - this is pretty much my ride or die at this point. I bronzed up my skin a little by using a bit of the NARS Laguna Liquid Bronzer. This stuff is like liquid gold, seriously. It gives the skin such a fresh finish, and it makes my super pale self look a lot healthier. For blush I went for a neutral pink (are you surprised?) with the Milk Makeup Blush Oil in Ripe. This is quickly becoming my favorite blush as it leaves such a dewy sheen on the skin. To highlight my cheekbones and brow bones I started with a base of the Jouer Highlighter* in Camellia. This is one of the loveliest highlighters I've tried - it's super creamy and blendable, and the shade is a beautiful pearl. To add a bit more pink to the look, I dusted the shade Pink Heart from the Anastasia Beverly Hills Moonchild Glow Kit on over the cream highlight.

On my brows I used a bit of the Glossier Boy Brow in Brown - I'm still totally obsessed. For my eyeshadows I used a couple shades of the Jouer Creme Eyeshadow Crayons* - I used Serene, a shimmering pink shade, all over the lid, and Baroque, a slightly plummy bronze, on the outer corner and softly blended into the crease. These are so creamy and blendable - they apply so easily right from the stick, and then they're super easy to blend with just fingers - I didn't use any brushes for this eye look! I also applied the eyeshadow sticks to my lower lashline - Baroque on the outer corner and Serene from the outer corner to the center. To finish the eyes I smudged a bit of the Colourpop Creme Gel Liner in Brew-Haha (I'm still bitter they don't have this shade anymore) on my top lashline and applied a healthy coat of the Too Cool For School Dinoplatz Escalator Mascara.

For my lips, I used the Jouer Long-Wear Lip Creme Liquid Lipstick in Lychee (my absolute favorite lipstick, hands-down) as a base and then went in and topped it with the Jouer Moisturizing Lip Gloss* in Sorbet. It's such a good topper for Lychee, as it's a lovely nude-pink shade with soft gold shimmer. Just the sight of it reminds me of spring and summer. The formula is perfect as well - I'm not much of a gloss gal, but I've been reaching for these over and over. They're not sticky and they really do nourish the lips a bit.

Have you tried anything from Jouer? What are your favorite soft pink products?

*Some products mentioned have been sent to me for consideration, but all opinions are my own. Please see my disclaimer for more information.

July Favorites

July 30, 2016

Surprise, I've actually got a few affordable favorites this month! I got stuck in a bit of a makeup rut this month, but it was totally fine by me - I was able to perfect my routine and get it done in record time in the mornings. I'm starting to branch out again and use different products from day to day, but this month allowed me to find some real winners.

I've been trying lots of new base products lately, but this month I've been wowed by the L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Glow Foundation (review). It gives such good coverage and a beautiful dewy glow, but it feels weightless on the skin and lasts ages. For most of the month I've been wearing the Covergirl Clump Crusher Water Resistant Mascara (review) because I've discovered it really doesn't smudge underneath my eyes throughout the day. It's a great everyday mascara as it's not super dramatic - it just beautifully fans out and defines the lashes.

For lips I've been wearing the Covergirl Oh Sugar Lip Balm in Candy a lot lately. I mentioned this in my Summer Lip Picks because it's a super lovely tinted lip balm. The Candy shade adds the perfect pink flush to the lips, and it's really quite moisturizing as well. I've said this before, but it reminds me of the Fresh Sugar lip balms once it's on. Another lip favorite this month has been the Ofra Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick in Pasadena (review) - this is a rediscovered favorite. I happened to throw it on one day while playing around with my makeup and remembered how nice it is. The Ofra Liquid Lipsticks have my favorite liquid lipstick formula (tied with Jouer), and the Pasadena shade is such a lovely brown-y nude.

I mentioned the Aromatica 95% Damask Rose Soothing Gel in my Peach and Lily Haul last month, and it's definitely been a life saver in this heat wave we've been having. It feels so cooling and soothing on the skin. I've been using it both on my face and my body, and it takes out a lot of irritation and redness from the heat right away. Another skincare bit I've been loving is the Better Skin Co. Mirakle Cream.* It's just a nice and gentle cream that I've been loving to use at night as the last step of my skincare routine. It's more of a rich cream, but it doesn't feel heavy at all - it hasn't been too much in the hot weather. If this tub makes it until the winter I can definitely see myself using it as a day cream then, too.

Lastly, I've found a nail treatment that makes my nails literally grow like weeds. I got sent the Perfect Formula Pink Gel Coat* at the end of last month, and I've been using it pretty much every other week. It's got a sheer pink tint to it, so it makes the nails look healthy and glowy. It immediately strengthens my nails, and it helps them grow much longer without flaking or breaking. Having nail polish on definitely keeps me from biting my nails, too, so I'm sure that's helping with the length.

What were your favorites this month?

*Some products mentioned have been sent to me for consideration, but all opinions are my own. Please see my disclaimer for more information.