The "Last Hurrah" Beauty Haul

January 11, 2017 in Makeup

I wrote at the end of last year that I wanted to work towards doing away with haul posts this year - I'm hoping to curb my spending and therefore eliminate the ability to write haul posts. As one last hurrah though, I picked up a bunch of beauty things with Sephora giftcards and other Christmas money and I've been having such a great time trying it all. I think I got a nice mix of things, from new releases to old favorites, and from face to lip products.

THE PRIMERS | I used to never wear a primer until I tried the Marc Jacobs Under(cover) Perfecting Coconut Primer, and now I'm kind of hooked. I've been super intrigued by Cover FX lately after trying one of their new powder highlighters, so I ended up grabbing their Calming Primer. This is an incredibly soothing primer with skincare ingredients to reduce redness and calm the skin. And it really, really works. Any redness is instantly knocked out of my skin, so I'm really impressed. Amelia has a great rundown of all of Cover FX's primers, too, if you're interested. I also ended up ordering the Milk Makeup Blur Stick last week when a few people had their own early access links, though it is out for everyone now. I typically can't use smoothing primers because they break me out, so seeing that this one is silicone- and oil-free made me unable to resist. I really like it so far - I'm going to have a more detailed review with before and afters up sometime in the next week or two, but so far it is really doing what it says, and despite being mattifying, it doesn't leave my skin looking dry or cakey.

THE FOUNDATION | I've wanted the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation for the longest time, so I figured it was now or never while I had some giftcards to spend. This is such a beautiful foundation and really deserves all the hype it gets, in my opinion. I've started thinking about what makeup I'm going to wear when I get married next year, and I'm sure this will be my foundation of choice. It looks so skin-like and luminous and stays looking perfect on me all day without getting greasy or cakey.

THE BLUSH | I've been so in love with the Marc Jacobs Air Blush Soft Glow Duo since trying it last year, and given my love of neutral blushes I'm surprised it took me so long to get my hands on Flesh & Fantasy. This is just the perfect bronze-y blush with just a hint of sheen, so it really adds a healthy glow to the face. The formula of these blushes is unreal, too.

THE LIP BALMS | When I saw that Bite Beauty were releasing an Agave Lip Balm to go with their Agave Lip Mask (which is my holy grail lip balm - I can't go a night without it!), I knew I needed it. I love that it comes in a stick so I don't have to use my fingers to apply it when I'm out and about. It's of course not as hydrating as the original mask, but it is still so nicely nourishing throughout the day. It's a super smooth formula that doesn't feel sticky, too. For a tinted option, I finally got my hands on the Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Honey. I had such a moment with the Petal shade last year, so I wanted to try this more brown-y nude shade. So far, it's all love.

THE LIPSTICKS | I've also been having a moment with more dramatic lipsticks, wearing a different one every weekend. I finally decided to bite the bullet and get the NARS Lipstick in Scarlet Empress. It's a beautiful berry red shade with a satin finish. It's not the most pigmented lipstick I've ever tried, but I love the soft flushed stain it brings to the lips. It isn't patchy at all, and it builds up to an opaque finish super nicely. I'm in love. I also had to get one of the new shades of the Sephora Cream Lip Stains, seeing as they're still one of my favorite liquid lipstick formulas. I went for the shade Vintage Rosewood (41), which actually upon swatching I realized was sort of similar to the Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick in Allison. It's just a nice deep rosy brown shade. I also had to get my hands on one of the new Marc Jacobs Le Marc Liquid Lip Cremes in the shade Shush, Blush (456). I'm surprised I didn't go for Slow Burn, the dusty pink shade, but again, I've been into a slightly bolder lip. This is a lovely deep pink shade that looks a bit coral-y on me - normally warm shades look odd, but I love this one. The formula is beautiful and comfortable as well - it doesn't fully set, but it still lasts quite well.

Did you pick up any beauty products after the holidays?

Introducing Glossier Priming Moisturizer Rich

January 10, 2017 in Skincare

Brace yourselves, there's a rave coming on. Glossier's newest product, the Priming Moisturizer Rich,* launches today! I've gone on and on about how much I love the original Priming Moisturizer, so when I heard they were making a richer version I was psyched. I've been testing it for about a week now, and I honestly think it's my favorite Glossier product yet.

The Priming Moisturizer Rich comes in a weighty jar that feels super luxe - I know some people don't like jar packaging, but I don't mind it. There aren't any actives that will be rendered useless in this packaging, and as long as you wash your hands before applying you won't be spreading bacteria. It's naturally a little thicker than the original - I'd say it's a similar consistency to the Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream. It's not so thick that it's almost a balm, but it is thicker than your typical lotion.

The cream is chock full of nourishing ingredients, like ceramides, fatty acids, and Red Algae Complex, which acts as a reservoir to store water and deliver hydration over time. It also contains the same priming ingredients as the original moisturizer, their Anti-Redness Complex and Oxygenating Agent, which plump and calm the skin, creating a perfect base for makeup. The cream also contains Murumuru and shea butters for a luxurious, nourishing feeling.

I love that I can use this night or day - it perfectly seals in all my serums and other skincare at night, and it beautifully preps my skin for makeup in the morning. Despite the rich texture, it sinks in and leaves the skin feeling like literal velvet - it doesn't feel heavy at all. It leaves the skin with the most beautiful dewy glow, much like the original, without being greasy. The scent is beautiful as well - it has that lavender-y smell similar to the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate, so that makes it nice to use at night as well.

You can shop this new release through my rep page at glossier.com/reps/kelsey to get 10% off your first order and free shipping on orders $30+. The Priming Moisturizer Rich should be easy to find in my Top Picks section on my page as well. It is $35 for 1.7 fl oz (50 mL), and it feels so much more expensive than that - I'll be hopping online to order myself a backup or two for sure.

Let me know if you order the Priming Moisturizer Rich today, and let me know your thoughts as well!

New Year, New Skincare Routine

January 06, 2017 in Skincare

In shocking news, I've actually been able to stick to a relatively concrete skincare routine for the past few weeks now. Even more surprising, I've actually been using mostly the same products in the morning and at night. My skin has been responding extremely well to a more predictable and simplified routine - I still am getting my usual hormonal breakouts, but at least I know for sure that's what they are. This year I'm setting myself the goal to simplify my collection and routines in general. I love having lots of choices, but as I run out of room to store things, I'm realizing that maybe I don't really need all the choices of products that I have.

Morning and night, I'm still using my favorite cleanser of all time, the Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser, as the first step of my routine. It's usually enough to take off my makeup at night, but if I'm wearing lots of eyeliner or waterproof products I'll use a cleansing balm instead. At night I like to do a second cleanse, and for that I've been using the Su:m 37 Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick. I mentioned this in my Korean Beauty Haul last week and it's quickly become a favorite. It leaves the skin feeling super clean but not stripped or squeaky whatsoever. It's got a low pH, so it won't disrupt the skin's acid mantle.

Once my skin is cleansed, I pat in a few drops of the Klairs Supple Preparation Facial Toner.* It's got a slightly viscous texture, but it sinks in immediately and really helps kick up hydration levels a notch. After the toner, I splash on the Missha Time Revolution First Treatment Essence - I'm utterly obsessed with this stuff. I'm not sure I see a visible difference in my skin since using it morning and night, but I can definitely feel that something's different. My skin feels smoother and more plump, and I think it's making my pores look smaller slowly but surely. There will definitely be a repurchase on the cards.

Serum is where I mix it up a little depending on how my skin is feeling. Most nights I use the Klairs Rich Moist Soothing Serum, as my skin can always do with a little hydrating and a little soothing. It's just a clear gel that sinks in quite quickly and really does make my skin feel a lot calmer. If I've got any spots, I concentrate a bit of the Glossier Super Pure Serum* on them to really kickstart the healing process. My go-to serum cocktail in the morning is mixing a few drops of Glossier's Super Glow and Super Bounce Serums.* The duo energizes, brightens, and hydrates my skin to get me ready for the day (and makeup application).

I usually forget about eye cream, but when I do remember I go for my trusty Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado morning and night. My dark circles seem to be caused by dehydration, because this really seems to help. If I wake up with puffy or sore eyes I'll use the Pixi 24K Eye Elixir* because the metal rollerball is super cooling and helps diffuse the situation.

For moisturizer, I just can't stop using my Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped Cream. It's so moisturizing and rich, but since it's whipped, it doesn't feel too heavy on the skin. This is pricey, but I think it's definitely worth it. It keeps my skin from drying out during the day, which is no easy feat in the humidity-controlled lab I work in. At night, to seal everything in while I sleep, I like applying a few drops of the Drunk Elephant Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil. The oil and cream are just a match made in heaven, and I always wake up with the most nourished skin.

What skincare products have earned a place in your routines?

You can get 20% off your first Glossier order here - please note that I do make a commission on orders through my page, so even if it's not your first time ordering, it's still helping me out! If that makes you uncomfortable, no worries - just shop through Glossier's regular website.

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