Month: April 2016

April Favorites :: Makeup

~ Beauty Meow ~ Leave a comment

I have a lot of favorites this month! From make up, skin care, and even some tools! You may have read a few in other blog posts. But they all are worthy of being on this list! This post is for Makeup and later I will post my skincare favorites!

April Favorites – Makeup

 

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Guerlain  Terracotta Pause d’ete Bronzer – This is so pretty, and warm, and buttery, and wonderful. and love love GUSSSHH love! This is limited edition for summer 2016, so if you are obsessed with terra-cotta bronzers you need to check this out.

 

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Chosungah 22 Lip Tint in Cashmere– I did a review on this earlier and I stand by my thoughts on the lipgloss side. But the tint is amazing and I have been wearing it all the time. I was thinking of buying a second to keep in my other purse as well. SO GOOD. You can buy them at Sephora

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Anastasia Glow kit in Gleam– I love them both but Gleam has been the one I am reaching for the most. The pans are nice and large, and the colors are beautiful. I use crushed pearl the most but love to layer starburst and Mimosa as well.

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La Mer the Concealer in Light– OK, I know this is pricey for a concealer ($70) But hear me out. Clea de Peau’s famous concealer is just as pricey and I can promise you this is just as good if not better. I have NEVER had a concealer work as well as this one. No creasing (and thats without me baking) Goes on like a dream, and lasts all day. It’s a little drying but thats not to bad. overall this concealer is a champion and I am obsessed!

 

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IOPE Air Cushion XP #N21– This is such a nice formula. Looks very flattering on my skin and lasts all day. I love the way my skin feels when I wear this as well. I have been wearing this almost everyday.

 

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YSL ROUGE VOLUPTÉ – Silky Sensual Radiant Lipstick SPF 15 in Beige Ultimate- Love love LOVE this color, and formula. This is such a flattering neutral color it goes with everything! Feels nice and moisturizing on, and looks amazing.

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E.L.F Eye Brow Duo Kit in Medium– This has to be one of the nicest (and most inexpensive) eye brow kits. It works and blends like a dream and is so affordable ($3). I have been using this everyday!

Honorable Mentions

  • Urban Decay Matte Revolution Lipstick in 1993
  • Peripera Water Lip Tint in Mandarin Juice
  • Holika Holika Jewel light Under eye marker
  • Too Cool for School Dinoplatz UFO Multibox

New Skincare Routine for Spring/Summer

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I think I finally got the perfect routine of skincare down. I haven’t seen my skin improve so fast in such a long time. I haven’t had as much irritation lately. my pores are getting so small (areas were they were prominent are completely gone, just smooth flawless skin) and it feels so happy, healthy and hydrated! So here is an updated routine.This is my current skincare routine (with list of products).

Again,I change or try new things every few months, so I will probably be updating this blog with what I have tried and what works and what didn’t. However I am loving this routine so this may stay the same through summer.

My Skin

I have a very pale complexion, with combination sensitive skin. I also suffered from enlarged pores. I have lived in South Florida my entire life, and would wear sunscreen everyday on my arms and neck but not my face. As such I had some sun damage, and some issue with a nice texture on my skin. At 30 (I’m going to be 32 in a few months) I decided it was time to put on my big girl pants and start really taking care of myself. Diet, exercise, and SKINCARE!

I don’t like under-exxagerating how bad my skin was, because truly whats the point- I had bad skin. Breakouts, pores, flaking. All because I didn’t take proper care of it. It was MY FAULT. So when I owned up to that (rather then blame genetics) I started to see a VAST improvement.

After trying new products, and really refining my regimen  I can say that my skin hasn’t felt this healthy, or looked this good ever! I have been doing this routine for about 3 weeks now.

My Routine

Morning

  • Oil Cleanser – Clean It Zero From Banila Co. This is a great first cleanse in the morning. Sometimes I do not do a double cleanse in the morning, but if I wake up and my face is extra greasy then I do this. I can say I usually do a double cleanse in the morning. at least 5 times a week.
  • Foaming Cleanser –Secret Key Snow White Foaming Cleanser. I love this in the morning,. my complexion looks brighter and my face feels great.
  • Toner –SK-II Facial Treatment Lotion
  • Exfoliate – Cure Natural Aqua Gel (twice a week, I love this) or Freeman’s Charcoal Sugar Scrub (this one is ok, just using it up right now since I don’t like to waste product)
  • Essence – SK-II Facial Treatment Essence- Put a small amount in my hands and gently pat into my face. I let it absorb completely before moving on, BHA Blackhead Power Liquid by Cosrx – I put a fair amount on a cotton pad and dab in on my entire nose and chin. I wait for the SK-II to absorb before I move onto the other.
  • Serums –Tatcha Firming Serum, Then Red Tea Antioxidant Serum from Ole Henriksen
  • Eye Cream –SK-II Eye Cream, this one has been one of the better ones I tried. Although I am still a fan of the ETUDE House Moistfull collagen one.
  • Cream- Perricone MD Cold Plasma, this is a dream product. It smells horrible but it makes my skin look amazing.
  • Moisturizer – Indigo Soothing Triple Recovery Cream by Tatcha.
  • I also apply Nature Republics Aloe Vera Gel all over my body and chest and neck area.

Evening/nighttime

  • Oil Cleanser – Tatcha Camellia Cleansing Oil. This leaves my face clean, and takes off all my makeup and gunk from the day.
  • Foaming Cleanser –USUALLY Jeju Clay Pore Cleanser from Innisfree, which is my holy grail cleanser. But If I wore a very heavy face of makeup I use La Mers The Cleansing Gel, which is amazing, and during hormonal breakouts I use Tatcha’s Rice Enzyme Cleanser. I found a big difference when I catered my cleansers to certain times of the month, and different instances as well.
  • Toner –Benton BHA Aloe Vera Toner
  • Exfoliate – Cure Natural Aqua Gel (twice a week, I love this) or Freeman’s Charcoal Sugar Scrub (this one is ok, just using it up right now since I don’t like to waste product) I used to just exfoliate at night but I was still getting clogged pores. Now that I do it twice I have seen a huge difference in the amount of blackheads I get
  • Mask– Either a foaming mask, clay mask or sheet mask
  • If I am using a sheet mask I skip this step/ If its a wash off, peeling or clay after I rinse it off then I will wipe my face off with the Green Tea cleansing water from Innisfree
  • Tone Again- SK-II Facial Treatment Lotion
  • Essence – SK-II Facial Treatment Essence- Put a small amount in my hands and gently pat into my face.
  • Serums –Tatcha Firming Serum, Then Red Tea Antioxidant Serum from Ole Henriksen
  • Eye Cream –SK-II Eye Cream
  • Cream– Perricone MD Cold Plasma, this is a dream product. It smells horrible but it makes my skin look amazing.
  • Moisturizer – If my skin is irritated at all I will use Tatchas Indigo Soothing Triple recovery Cream. If my skin isn’t irritated I use Creme de La Mer from La Mer
  • I also apply Nature Republics Aloe Vera Gel all over my body and chest and neck area.

 

I CAN SAY THIS. I used to dread cleaning my face a few years ago and now its one of the favorite parts of my day. And I get to do it twice!! I really look forward to it.

Again I have seen the biggest improvement in my skins overall health and appearance since I have switched up my routine. I do know a few of these items are very pricey. So if I had to only recommend one or two to add I would definitely say add the Sk-II essence and lotion, or just the essence. I think essences are one of the most important things in any solid skin care routine.

❤

Favorite Cleansers

~ Beauty Meow ~ 1 Comment

I have a variety of different cleansers I use depending on what my skin needs. What I use in the morning, what I use at night, what I use when I wear a lot of makeup, and what I use when I am having a hormonal breakout, or a lot of skin irritation. Here is a list of my favorites.

Oil/Balm Cleansers – First Cleanse

I do a double cleanse every morning and night. I use a different one for the morning, and different for the evening.

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Banila Co Clean it Zero- I Love this one from Banila Co. It is definitely a cult favorite for people who are obsessed with Korean skincare. I love how clean it makes my face feel. I use this one on the morning.

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Holika Holika Pig Nose Deep Cleansing oil/balm- I used this one before I used Banila Cos Balm. I really liked it, and it gave me a really nice clean. I don’t usually buy it because I have moved on to the Clean it Zero, but it does clean very well and if you have wanted to try it out I would recommend it.

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Tatcha One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil- I love this oil. I use it at night to help remove all my make up, and any gunk that’s been accumulating on my face the whole day. Its’ gentle, leaves my skin feeling healthy and fresh, and super squeaky clean.

Foaming Cleansers- Second Cleanse

Just like the first cleanse, I use a different foaming cleanser at night then I do during my morning routine. It all usually depends on the amount of makeup I have worn that day, stress, and if I am having any hormonal breakouts.

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Secret Key Snow White Cleansing Foam-  This has become my favorite morning cleanser. It creates a great lather, cleans very well, and leaves my complexion glowing.

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Innisfree Jeju Volcanic Pore Cleansing Foam– THIS IS MY HOLY GRAIL CLEANSER. I don’t know what I did before I tried this, and I hope I never have to be without it. It is such an amazing cleanser. It cleanse so deep down into my pores, leaves my face feeling nice and fresh, and doesn’t irritate my sensitive skin. I use this at night, and sometimes in the morning when I am planning on wearing little to no makeup.

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Tatcha Polished Classic Rice Enzyme Powder (I also like the Indigo version as well)- I love this cleanser. It is a little fickle, but once you get the hang of it it leaves the most remarkably clean skin. I use this around the time I get hormonal breakouts, it does a good job of not aggravating my skin and keeping those pesky buggers at bay.

New to the List

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La Mer The Cleansing Gel- I had heard so many amazing things about this I just had to try it out. I have been using it for a short time and I can honestly say it is worth the hype. It is on the expensive side, so I use it on days I wear a full face of makeup, or I feel like I need a ridiculously squeaky clean. If you wanted to splurge on a nice cleanser I would recommend this one. So good!

Lastly are my 2 favorite cleansing tools.

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I’m Dual Pore Brush– I picked this up from Memebox on a whim. Its such a special little brush. It cleans my face and pores very well, and is very gently for my sensitive skin. I use this in the morning.

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Kashoen Cleansing Brush– Oh baby do I love this! Seriously, this is the best facial cleansing tool I have. It cleans my face so well, feels so nice, helps with circulation, and overall is such a pleasure to use. I use this at night, and it is really helpful to create a lather with the Rice Cleanser from Tatcha. ❤

 

Those are my favorite cleansers, and I use a few others but these are my die hard ones I go to.

Haul :: Random Items From Memebox.com

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I wanted to buy a few different things from Memebox.com and wanted to add a few extras to bump it up to get free shipping.

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The Goods

  • Innisfree Jeju Volcanic 3 in 1 Nose Pack
  • Innisfree Eco Beauty Tool Ribbon Hair Band *not pictured
  • Innisfree Eco Safety Perfect Sunblock SPF50+ PA+++ 50ml *repurchase
  • I’m Meme I’m Rubycell Puff pack 5
  • Darkness Eyelashes K.Ma5
  • Darkness Eyelashes VN
  • Berrisom Oops My Lip Tint Pack Lovely Peach
  • Nooni Root Energy Cleansing Water Mini (for travel)
  • ETUDE House Tear Drop Liner #01
  • Tosowoong Platinum Miracle Skin Pore Tightening Pack

I had reviewed the pore pack recently and I fell in love, so I wanted to buy a full size! Its so amazing!

That’s my little haul. I love all the things! ❤

Subscription Box Haul :: Beauteque April Box

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Beauteque boxes are great of you want to try out some Korean beauty items. I love what came in my April box.

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The Goods

  • Toyoepin 2 in 1 Permanent Crazy Mini Natural False Lash
  • Seatree Air Moisture Mist
  • Baviphat Urban Dollikiss Mango Magic Brightening Mask
  • Somoon Dog Nose Pore strip pack
  • Dr. Morita Moisturizing Essence Eye Mask
  • The Saem Saemmul Easy Eyeliner

A lot of fun stuff.

The eye liner is super pigmented and glides on smooth.

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also super long lasting!

Fun fun stuff!

Review :: Acure Pore Minimizing Facial Scrub

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This is a product I received in a subscription box. I was reading about it and got pretty excited to try. I love clay masks, and facial scrubs!

First Impressions

This is thick and also watery, when I applied it I noticed it didn’t have much exfoliating particles in it. I wanted to leave it on for a few minutes, but the directions say just to scrub. So I started scrubbing…… then it happened.

The Fragrance…. UGH

The fragrance of this is so stinkingly sweet. It smells like rotten mangos. I could barely wash it off fast enough. YUCK! Like I normally do not mind things with fragrance, but this smelled rancid almost.

Overal Impressions

After I washed it off my face did feel very smooth, and it also felt very clean. I can honestly say that the fragrance is unbearable for me though. I normally do not mind fragrances,. but this hit me on a smell level I didn’t know I had. The package says that it is synthetic fragrance free, but that smell is just awful.

To give it a fair review I will make a pros and cons list.

Pros-

  • Does an excellent job at cleaning face
  • Its Vegan, if that is important to you then you should definitely give this product and brand a try
  • Has a lot of really nice ingredients

Cons-

  • Fragrance. Smells like rotting fruit
  • not a lot of exfoliating particles
  • a little watery

Ok, for me this is an F product purely because of the fragrance. But it did a good job at cleansing (not so much at exfoliating though) so I will give it a better grade based on how it performed.

Grade- B-

Mini Haul :: Random Trip to the Mall

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I went to the mall to exchange a product at Sephora. I got the Benefit POREfessional primer which I love, but I have to many primers, so I wanted to exchange for something I needed. Another Cleansing oil! I also ran into Neiman Marcus and picked up 2 fun products too!

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The Goods

  • Tatcha Cleansing Oil
  • La Mer Cleansing Gel
  • Guerlain Terracotta Pause d’ete Bronzer

Ok, I wanted to try out La Mers cleanser forever and since I just ran of my cleanser and figured I would give it a go! Also I wasn’t planning on getting this bronzer but I walked past it when I was paying for the cleanser and I was like what is that!!?

LOOK AT THAT!

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here is a swatch

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it has such a lovely warmth and shimmer to it.

So excited to use this! UGH I love Guerlain!

 

Small Haul ::Unboxing La Mer

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Ok, so I haven’t used any La Mer products other then their amazing powder in a very long time. I wanted to try out their concealer (I heard it rivals my favorite Cleau de Peau) and I decided to also try out their famous Creme de La Mer.

I ordered online, because they gave me a $75 dollar off coupon for a first time online shopper (HUZZAH), and I also got to choose 2 deluxe samples to try as well. When I got the box in the mail (they offer free shipping which is really nice) I was surprised to see it was all gift wrapped. I am not sure if I choose to say this was gift by accident, or if they do it with any order. ANYWAYS it was fun to open this like a very nice present!

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really beautiful wrapping

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The Creme de La Mer and their concealer

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their boxes are so nice. I am a sucker for packaging

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I got the concealer in shade light, it comes with this nice package that fits into this little leather sleeve. It also comes with a brush.

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And the Creme de La Mer and its little spatula. The jar is a nice heavy ceramic, and I also love the box it came in.

I decided to get the original version of the creme rather then the gel or soft creme. I like a heavier moisturizer at night. Also I have used the concealer 2 and OMG its amazing. I think it might be better then my Clea de Peau. Its alittle drier then my CdP concealer but I didn’t need to bake it, and I had NO creases all day! So love love LOVE!!!!

I have only used the creme the last 2 nevening so I don’t want to say anything until I have used it for a few weeks to get a good feel for the product, so expect a review soon!

I hoped you enjoyed this unboxing. If you have any questions or if you have any experiences with these products let me know! ❤

Review :: My Serum Treatment Empties

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I just finished up 3 different serums, so I wanted to share with you my thoughts, results, and if I would buy again.

Shiseido ULTIMUNE Power Infusing Concentrate

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This is supposed to have anti-aging and regenerative properties. You are also supposed to use this first to help your other serums work better.

I got 2 deluxe samples of this and just finished my second bottle. Overall it lasted me a month. I can definitely say that my skin felt smoother and felt healthier, but I didn’t see any difference when I used this. I am going to buy the 1 ounce bottle since I believe that would last me 2-3 months to really see how well this product works. I also really like the fresh light fragrance of it.

Grade – B

Ole Henriksen Truth Serum® Vitamin C Collagen Booster

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Brightening serum rich in vitamin c. Supposed to help with fine lines, wrinkles, brighten your skin and boost collagen.

Ok, I have a love hate relationship with this product. I see almost instant results. (especially the next morning because I only use this at night) My skin feels firmer, healthier, and my fine lines started to disappear. PROBLEM is, like most Vitamin C products it really irritates my face. When I apply it my face gets beet red and can feel a little burny. But the results are so dang good! So I only use this at night. I already bought a replacement, because well, the stuff works. But if you have sensitive skin to be careful. This stuff may aggravate it.

Grade – B+

RADICAL Skincare Advanced Peptide Antioxidant Serum

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This is an anti aging, and high in antioxidant serum.

I got this as a deluxe sample, and was able to use it for over a month. I can honestly say I saw absolutely no change. No bad reactions, no results of any kind. This formula did nothing for my skin. I will not be purchasing this. I am not saying if this is good or bad it just did nothing or me.

Grade – C

 

Those are my empties this go around!

Top 3 Essential Beauty Tools

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I always talk about makeup and skincare must haves, but sometimes skip the tools. Here are 3 tools that I can’t live without. These are tools I love and swear by!

Mason Pearson Hairbrush

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Nothing works for my hair like these Mason Pearson Hairbrushes. The mixture of boar bristles and nylon make this brush preform spectacularly. It makes my hair look nice and healthy, detangles without much resistance, and if you have frizzy hair just brush your hair with this to reduce frizz (great for when it is super humid where I am at). I have been using these almost all my life, and although they are expensive, they are well worth the splurge! They are an investment!

Beauty Blender

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I think if you have never used a real beauty blender before you may wonder what all the hype is. I mean it is just a sponge. But I don’t know what it is about this little sponge but it is a miracle worker. I use it everyday! Make my foundation flawless, and blends my contour and concealer beautifully.

Nice Large Fluffy Powder Brush

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I think when it comes to makeup brushes you can never have enough. I have dozens of brushes, some are higher end, others are budget. When it comes to brushes I recommend getting a nice large fluffy powder brush that is the nicest quality you can get. I get so much use out of my giant fluffy powder brush. Favorites are Sigma F30 (pictured), and  MAC 134. Must have in my opinion. I use mine for bronzer, finishing powder, and sometimes blush.