SOCIAL MEDIA

Thursday, January 29, 2015

Ole Henriksen's Power Peel Review

I rarely do peels, but last August my boyfriend got me a facial as a gift. I loved how my skin felt (soft, and I was all glowy) so I decided to try out Ole Henriksen's Power Peel for the same feeling at home. The Power Peel is 3 steps. Here are my reviews on the steps:

Step One:
I felt my skin get tight, but not uncomfortable. The almond polish was scrubby but not abrasive. I did feel, however, that the goop did not have the ability to spread really well. It kind of clumped to itself more than I would have liked.

Step Two:
Smells like lemon and NOT the artificial dish soap kind. Always a pro. This gel was also tightening and it burned a bit on my forehead. Nothing too uncomfortable or irritating but enough for me to sense that I did have something on my face.

Step Three:
As far as scents go, this was my favorite step. It smelt like Eastern temple incense which is a very comforting feeling for me as it reminds me of my grandmother. This goop was creamy and easy to spread so covering the skin surface was easy to accomplish.

Final results:
My skin felt baby soft immediately afterwards. My skin was also somewhat glowly and brighter than before the mask. However, the glow is no where near as good as if you got a professional facial done at the spa (slightly disappointing).  It reduced my dark spots dramatically. Overall, I feel like this is a nice product to have on hand to pamper yourself with or if you want to get your face ready for a big event (wedding, family event, etc). Just remember that if you do decide to use it before a big event and it is your first time using the product, try doing the peel a few days before the event in case you are allergic or have a reaction to the product.
Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Product Empties #3: Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer, Victoria's Secret Eyeshadow Primer, Rose Jam Shower Gel, and More...


Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer
What I Think: This product did the job (primed my eyes). A bit overpriced compared to my Victoria's Secret primer so I'll stick to that one.
Repurchase: No. My Victoria's Secret one is cheaper.
Victoria's Secret Eye Primer $10
What I Think: This product primes my oily eyelids and lasts all day (8-10 hour wear). I usually buy this product when I get a free $10 voucher from Victoria's Secret for some other purchase I've made.
Repurchase: Yes, it's the most budget friendly primer I've found so far that works.


Bamboo Kendi Dry Oil
What I Think: This product was good for when my hair was really dry and I needed to infuse some oil into my hair. However, my hair quickly became an oily mess after using this product for a few hours. I hate looking like I haven't showered in weeks. Also, I didn't really see any huge changes to my hair quality and the product didn't particularly have any wow factors (a good scent, etc.). Not worth it for the price.
Repurchase: Definitely not.


Rose Jam Shower Gel from Lush
What I Think: I hated the bath bomb with the same name when I tried it and wished I could get something with the same scent. Apparently, the Lush gods listened because last Christmas, Lush rolled out with this new product. It smells exactly like the bomb: sweet and delicious. It is a limited edition holiday release so I really can't repurchase this if I wanted to. Lucky for me, I managed to snag a couple of bottles this year.
Repurchase: Definitely. 


Marc Jacob's Dot Perfume
What I Think: I love this scent. It's sweet and floral which is completely me. The packaging is super sweet and cute. The product screams luxury like most perfumes. I mostly purchased this because it smelled nice and was cheaper than Marc Jacob's Daisy (my real love).
Repurchase: No, because there are so many perfumes in the world to try. Burberry Sheer is actually my signature scent. And I really want Daisy...


Calvin Klein CK One Mascara
What I Think: I received this as my Ulta birthday gift last year. I like this product. It is nothing when compared to my all time favorite mascaras (Benefit's They're Real and MAC's Zoom Lash). However, it did have a nice formulation and made my lashes look really long and fake. I would always get questions from strangers and friends about whether I was wearing fake lashes. Not quite as black as They're Real nor quite as lash lengthening as MAC's Zoom Lash.
Repurchase: No, because there are so many mascaras to try and so little time. And it doesn't hold a candle to my mascara favorites. 
Sunday, January 25, 2015

Product Empties #2: Delaney Eye Cream, Argan Oil Body Butter, Happy Hippy, HealthySexyHair Leave-in Coditioner, and More

Round two of products I used up. I apologize for the stock photos, I accidentally toss products and forget to a take a picture of them for you guys. Unfortunately, I don't have room in my tiny apartment to stockpile all my empties.



Delaney Grape Seed Rejuvenating Eye Cream
What I Think: I got this as a sample from Beauty Bar and absolutely loved it. It is the only eye product that worked on my dark circles and it worked MIRACLES! It was so good, I passed it on to my mother to try as well since we both suffer from genetic dark circles.  The eye cream is pretty pricey. A tiny bottle costs around $100, but I think it is worth it for how well it works on my eyes.
Repurchase: Yes


The Body Shop Argan Oil Body Butter $20
What I Think: After struggling with horrible dry skin this winter, I went on a hunt to find some relief. This body butter worked wonders to turn my dry skin around and make it soft and supple. The smell is indescribable. I would open this tub during the day sometimes just to get a whiff of the scent which lasts at least a few hours on the body.
Repurchase: Definitely!



The Happy Hippy Shower Gel from Lush
What I Think: I loved every time I took a shower with this shower gel. It smells of grapefruit and I specifically bought it at the time because I wanted a shower gel that smelled of grapefruit. This was also the first product that introduced me to Lush Cosmetics.
Repurchase: Yes, but I actually won't be buying more since there are so many other shower gels I want to try.



HealthySexyHair's Leave in Conditioner
What I Think: This was a huge favorite of mine when I tried it. I don't really try fancy hair products on my hair. My hair is in great shape (those Desi genes) and usually fancy hair care products don't really do anything to my hair that a drugstore product can do. With that being said, this increased the shine and overall health of my hair during a period when I was subjecting my hair to a lot of heat styling.
Repurchase: Yes. The new bottle is already a staple in my bathroom.



Victoria Secret's Mango Temptation Body Scrub
What I Think: I loved this scent and bought every product in this line when the scent first came out. I was bored with all of my other VS staple scents at the time. Like all VS scrubs, it gets the all-over-body-scrub/exfoliation job done. However, these days I actually like a deeper scrub so this product doesn't cut it. Also I hate the way VS packages their scrub products. I like tubs of product so i can scoop out the product. The squeeze nozzle on these bottles sometimes gets clogged with dry crusty scrub particles making it harder to get product as time goes on.
Repurchase: No.



Mini Travel Version of Mary Kay Velocity Facial Cleanser
What I Think: I used this as a teen when I first got into makeup and having a daily cleansing routine. The screwable cap on the mini version leaks during air travel so you lose a lot of product there. Also it tends to get soapy cleanser all over your other makeup products that are packed in the same bag when it leaks. The last think I want to do while traveling is clean spills.
Repurchase: No due to design and there are so many better cleansers on the market.
Friday, January 23, 2015

Nail Polish Let Down: Essie Marshmellow


I've been adding a lot of new polishes to my collection over the holidays. Word is getting around to my family and friends that I am a polish junkie. I also happened to pick up a few new polishes for myself as a holiday/birthday treat. One of these polishes was Essie Marshmellow, a supposedly white cream. I've posted a stock photo above as I have had to return that polish bottle. I NEVER return polish. I can get even the most difficult polish to work. However, this polish was different. Application was streaky and uneven.  Also, after three coats, the polish still looked very sheer on my nails almost as if it were a jelly instead of a cream. I was terribly disappointed as this is a raved about polish by some people (Young Wild and Polished and Instagram's @essiebuff come to mind). Maybe I got a bad bottle? Either way I will stick to my NYC Color white for now.




Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Winter Blues: Navy Nail Polish Suggestions

It seems blue nail polish is everywhere these days in two shades; navy and royal blue. Here is how you can try this chic winter look that is a great alternative after a holiday season filled with brights, glitter, and reds:

Butter London: Royal Navy $14


Monday, January 19, 2015

Makeup Mondays: Too Faced Semi Sweet Chocolate Bar Palette Look


I used Peanut Butter and Truffled in the crease, Caramel on the lid, and Hot Fudge on the outer corner of the lid. Foundation: MAC Fluid Fix in NC45 

Friday, January 16, 2015

Deserted Island List: YSL Nail Polish

Some people collect stamps. It's no secret I collect polish. However, if I was to be stranded on a deserted island there is one polish that would make the list (nevermind, how weird it would be that I have polish while alone on an island): YSL's Number 8 Fuchsia Cubiste.



It is the perfect red color. In certain lights it looks berry colored, in others, a classic tomato red. Just this color can get you from December to February from holiday parties to date nights. It might seem a bit spoiled of me to recommend this polish as The Only Polish You'll Ever Need, but hear me out. YSL is a classic brand, the  very definition of elegance. The color selection in the brand provides enough variety and on trend colors while still containing timeless classics such as this one. If you are the type of girl that only has few classic colors, it is worth investing in some YSL nail polishes. They are not cheap at $27 a bottle. But if you are a DIY manicurist, I can promise that the well spent $27 is less than the cost of a single good manicure at a salon (and the bottle will last you a lifetime of manicures). The best part of this polish: the wide brush. It covers almost your entire nail with polish in one stroke.