New In From Buxom

Last week I got a super exciting package from Buxom Cosmetics - I had only tried one or two things from the brand, so I jumped at the chance to try more. I'm a sucker for any lip product, really, so I was excited to try a couple new (to me) formulas.

L to R | Peach Daiquiri, Pink Champagne, White Russian Liquid Lipstick, White Russian Bold Gel Lipstick

There are two new, limited edition shades of their Full-On Lip Creams - these are one of my favorite lip gloss formulas. They're super creamy on the lips and stick around for quite awhile without being uncomfortably sticky. Now, your hair will stick to it if the wind blows, but your lips won't feel stuck together or anything. They have that minty tingle of a plumping gloss, and I find it really smooths out the lip lines and does gently plump my lips up a little. I have quite sensitive and reactive lips, but these never give me a problem. The new shades are Peach Daiquiri, a pale peach nude, and Pink Champagne, a pale pink nude. These shades are a little sheer, so they allow your natural lip color to show through and add just a hint of peach or pink. They're really beautiful, and Pink Champagne has already earned a place in my everyday makeup bag. 

The other exciting bit is that they've expanded their cult-favorite White Russian shade (originally from the Full-On Lip Cream line) into two new formulas: the Big & Sexy Bold Gel Lipstick and Wildly Whipped Lightweight Liquid Lipstick. As you can see from the swatches, they're both different shades, but beautiful nudes nonetheless. The Bold Gel Lipstick is such a stunning formula - I had never tried it before, but now I've got a few more shades on my wishlist. It's incredibly creamy and comfortable to wear and apply, but it still has a matte finish and fades evenly. This version of White Russian is probably one of my favorite nudes in my collection now. The Whipped Liquid Lipstick is another formula I had never tried, and again, I've been loving it. There are many complaints about the longevity, but these days I don't mind reapplying a lipstick if it means it's more comfortable to wear. Also, Buxom never claims that these are longwearing. I can get a few hours before having to reapply, which is easy to do without it crumbling everywhere. The White Russian shade here is a beautiful pale nude that I like to pair with a slightly deeper lip liner to create a really pretty and subtle ombre lip.

I've been so impressed with these that I'll definitely need to look more into Buxom - what are your favorite products by them? I'm definitely going to need to pick up the original White Russian Gloss now!

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

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My Mom's Favorite Beauty Products | Guest Post

I had the idea for Mother's Day that I would have my mom pick out some of her favorite products to share on the blog, and then I forgot to bring my camera home to get a photo week after week. So, better late than never, right? Here are my mom's most favorite products.

I was honored a few weeks ago when Kelsey asked me if I would like to do a guest post about my favorite beauty products.  After the stress of leaving a job I had been with for 15 years and starting a new one (with a boss who is 20 years my junior!), I finally had so time to reflect on what I use every day, regardless of how stressed I may be!

Milk Makeup – Cooling Water

This is my favorite thing – ever!  I get up at 5:00 am every weekday to go to a Pure Barre class (side note – seriously look into trying this out if it is offered near you; I have never exercised consistently in my life, but this low impact, total body workout is really addictive).  The first thing I do is head for the refrigerator to get my Cooling Water.  I apply this under my eyes and then up to and around my brow bone.  I also use it on the sides of my mouth in my laugh lines as well as on my neck.  Another side note – don’t forget to moisturize your neck!  It’s not as talked-about as moisturizing your face, but is SO important.  The skin on your neck is so thin, so the loss of collagen as you get older is much more noticeable, so be sure to always moisturize your neck so you don’t end up with the turkey neck!  Anyway, the caffeine in Cooling Water really energizes my skin, de-puffs my eyes and makes me feel more awake and ready for class.  I use it again after I shower and as the first step in my skin-care regimen, as the seawater in it helps to soothe my skin, which tends to get red and flushed easily.

Glossier – Invisible Shield SPF 35 – Daily Sunscreen +

When I was in my teens and early 20s, I went to the beach.  A lot.  And the whole point of going to the beach was to lie in the sun and bake.  I didn’t use sunscreen, I used baby oil.  Seriously.  I can’t even remember how many times I burned so badly that I had blisters, even on my face.  I shudder when I think of that and how much I damaged my skin.  I still go the beach for a week every year, and I still lie in the sun and get a tan (I know, bad), but now I always wear sunscreen.  And it is super-important to wear sunscreen every day even if you are not at the beach, or planning on being in the sun.  UVA & UVB rays are there every day, even on cloudy days.  Even when you are sitting in your car or out biking.  And don’t forget about all of the pollution in the air that is invading your skin.  Or those harmful free radicals inside your skin just waiting to cause more damage.  Using the Invisible Shield SPF 35 Daily Sunscreen + is the solution to all of these issues!  The clear water gel formula absorbs into the skin with no greasy residue.  The sunscreen is packed with UVA/UVB filters, and the “+” neutralizes free radicals and prevents pollution from getting in, protecting your skin without feeling like anything is on your skin!  PSA – I have my nails done every few weeks, which includes having to put them under a UV light to set the gel.  This is not good for your skin!   If you get your nails done like this, don’t forget sunscreen on your hands.  The Invisible Shield SPF 35 Daily Sunscreen + is perfect for your hands, because regular sunscreen can be too thick and can impede the gel from adhering to your nails if it gets on them.

Trader Joe’s – Nourish Shea Butter Hand Cream

I wash my hands more often than I probably need to (thanks to my OCD).  While I love how clean they feel, I do not like how dry and tight they feel.  So I use a lot of hand lotion.  But I can’t stand when the palms of my hands feels all greasy after rubbing lotions in.   My daughter Taylor got the Shea Butter Hand Cream as part of a gift basket once and gave it to me and it was the solution to my problem!  It has shea butter, cocoa butter and almond oil as moisturizing agents, but is non-greasy and quick-absorbing.  It also contains Vitamin E which is a powerful antioxidant.  This comes in a 2 ounce, squeezable tube, so it is easy to throw in your bag and take anywhere with you.  I do wish they also packaged it in a larger size, because I go through so much of it that I have to buy 10 at a time when I go to Trader Joe’s!

By Terry – Baume de Rose Crystalline Bottle

I am a sucker for anything rose-scented.  It reminds me of my grandmother, who was my first best friend.  She took care of me when I was little, and she was always my rock during a difficult childhood. Anyway, I love this lip balm.  Kelsey gave this to me as a gift and I loved it because of the scent, but was blown away by how moisturizing this is.  I usually do not like a lip product in a tube with a wand applicator because the formula always seems so thick and sticky, but this one is not like that at all.  It also contains anti-aging biotechnological ceramides which is an added bonus.  

Water

Perhaps the most important.  I drink so much water during the day and I think that is why my skin does not look as bad as it should, considering I didn’t really start taking care of it until a few years ago.  Water not only keeps you hydrated, but flushes out toxins in your body that could otherwise cause damage.  I find that if I don’t drink enough water during the day, I am more apt to get a headache and to overeat.  I am lucky that the city I live in was voted as having the best-tasting drinking water in the nation at the National Rural Water Association Rally in Washington, DC.  The city’s water is so pure that it was entered into the competition without any treatment.

Thank you for putting up with my first attempt at writing.  I hope that  you might have found some of this helpful and perhaps you can look ahead to when you are older to see what you can be doing now to keep your skin looking its best later!

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Glow Recipe Skincare | First Impressions

Glow Recipe has been one of my favorite websites to shop for K-Beauty for quite awhile, so when I saw they were releasing two of their own skincare products, I knew I just had to jump on board. Every brand on the website seems to have been carefully curated, so I was confident that the same amount of care and passion would be put into creating their own products. They began with a cleanser and an overnight mask - what they're calling "The Ultimate Recipe for Bouncy, Glowy Skin." Consider me hooked.

The first product in this collection is the Blueberry Bounce Gentle Cleanser (Glow Recipe | Sephora). It's a clear, cushion-y gel that gently lathers as it comes in contact with water. It claims to remove makeup, but I have only been using this in the morning and as my second cleanser at night - I prefer to use an oil/balm to take my makeup off first. The consistency is so lovely that I wouldn't want to waste it on makeup removal. This leaves the skin quite smooth and soft post-cleanse, but it doesn't feel stripping whatsoever. This is already up there as a favorite with my Glossier Milky Jelly. It's full of antioxidants from the blueberry extract, and it gently lifts away dead skin with AHAs. Although it foams up slightly, it's still pH-balanced - Glow Recipe reports that it has a pH of 5.5. Another plus - it smells just like blueberries, too.

The runaway hit of this collection, though, has been the Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask (Glow Recipe | Sephora). This is a jelly-like mask that's lightweight and quickly sinks into the skin, leaving it plump and hydrated. It definitely isn't a formula that's going to get all over your pillow as you sleep. This mask helps to soothe and hydrate the skin with watermelon extract and hyaluronic acid, as well as exfoliate and brighten the skin as you sleep with AHAs. I've been using this a few times per week since I got it, and it's helping to keep my skin ultra-smooth and clear. My pores have been smaller, and makeup goes on much more easily in the mornings. Like the cleanser, this smells amazing too - just like real watermelon. I was initially just drawn to this for the packaging (millennial pink forever), but it's now one of my favorite skincare products in my routine. It's great for general skin maintenance, and it's definitely one I'll continue using consistently. One note, though - my skin is quite dry, so I find that I need to layer a heavier cream on top of this once it sinks in before I go to bed. But if you have oily skin, this will be hydrating enough on its own. It's currently out of stock on both Glow Recipe and Sephora, but keep an eye out for a restock - it's definitely worth the wait!

Did you get your hands on these products from Glow Recipe when they launched?

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