The ONLY Lip Scrub and Lip Balm You Need For Moisturized Lips

I feel as though I have almost tried every drugstore lip balm on the market right now. No matter what I couldn’t get rid of the dryness that haunted my lips. Every time when I tried a new product it was another disappointment and I threw it in a bag with the rest of the rejected cosmetics that I swore myself off of thinking that there was no hope until this past Friday when I went to Lush. I’m going to be honest, I only heard about Lush only recently which was shocking to me because I’m always surfing the internet learning about what are the latest products on the market. So the fact that I didn’t recognize the name until one of my friends brought it up last year was a bit embarrassing to me. I did some shopping on Friday in the city to shop the sales that were currently going on at my favorite stores. Feeling confident after leaving with my Cookie Lyon fur vest that I bought at Zara for $39.99 (originally $99.99), I strutted down the street feeling victorious with my recent purchase and noticed that Lush was across the street. My mom deposited money for books on my debit card the day before, so of course I rationally thought that it wouldn’t hurt to spend another $60 of the money since I didn’t really plan on purchasing some of the books anyway because most of my teachers referred to them in the PowerPoint, which they posted online.

I walked into the store and it was magical. I thought the bath bubble sculptures were food for a second and almost ate them until I read the fine print. It was a heaven that I would wish upon all beauty lovers in the world. I now understood the hype. A bubbly sales associate showed me the Mint Julips Lip Scrub (that’s edible by the way) and Lip Service Lip Balm, which was one of their sellers. The lip scrub comes in a small round jar that where lip scrub is almost packed down. It feels like it’s solidified, but the castor sugar on top is very loose which isn’t a surprise considering that’s characteristic of very fine sugar. The peppermint smell instantly sold me before I even tried out the scrub. After dipping my finger into the scrub and rubbing it on lips, I found the scrub to be not super irritating or too rough that would irritate my lips. The very fine texture of the sugar was gentle enough to exfoliate my lips without stripping it too harshly. The lip balm comes in a small circular container and smells almost like skittles to me. It literally melted into my lips and felt so buttery. There is shea butter and cocoa butter in the balm, which is probably one of the reasons why my lips feels so hydrated. On a whim I said why not and bought both the scrub and balm to use in conjunction before putting on my lipstick. I have never used a lip balm that lasted for so long. Yesterday, I put the lip balm on before my lipstick at 8:45am and at 6:30pm without touching up it still felt softer than ever (there was also a blizzard outside and the temperature was 17 degrees and I was extremely impressed that it held up through that mess). Also, I only touched up my lipstick once yesterday, which is another perk that came with this amazing balm.

Overall, I am throughly impressed by the formulas of both the scrub and balm. It’s all natural meaning that there isn’t any petroleum in it which I believe what was the ingredient in the other lip balms that I used that made my lips look so dry. I never thought that I would see the day that the disappointment is over…at least for my dry lips concerns. I placed them with the rest of the products on my beauty shrine and put my lip balm filled reject bag away and pumped my fist in the air like Judd Nelson did at the end of The Breakfast Club.

via GIPHY

Major Sephora, Lush, Ulta, Zara, Forever 21, Nordstorm Rack Haul

I did a little splurging this weekend and bought some awesome clothes, hair, makeup, and skincare products this weekend. Also, I was gifted some amazing products from wet n wild, Olay, and Wella. I really wanted to search for products that would change up my look a little. I went through a little transformation over the past few months not only outwardly with dying my reddish brown hair, but also internally. I feel more daring and happier as ever and I decided that I wanted to search for items that’s a bit different than what I usually chose. I will probably do a post on my transformation later on to give it a little more context.

You can see my haul video below. I hope you enjoy!

Sick Day Makeup Tutorial

When I’m sick, there’s nothing more that I want to do than curl up in my bed makeup free with a cup of green tea while wearing sweats and watch Lifetime movies all day. Of course, I am not able to do that when I have class or I have pre-arranged meetings to go to where I like to look like a person.

I take a lot of pride in my appearance meaning that it’s very rare for anyone to see me without looking at least semi-acceptable based on the standards that I have set for myself. This applies even when I’m sick since I look noticeably a lot worse than normal. I don’t spend time caking my face in dramatic makeup when I’m feeling under the weather, but I do like to make sure that I brighten and highlight areas on my face that catches the light to make my face look less drowned out. So, I thought I would share a couple of my makeup tips when I’m sick in the video below! I hope you enjoy!

                                                            Sick Day Makeup Tutorial

Steps:

1. I used Estée Lauder Double Wear Foundation in Truffle and applied it with a buffing brush from Real Techniques to make my skin more even. I prefer using this buffing brush when I’m applying liquid foundation because I am also able to stipple in the foundation to create a more a full coverage look. 

2. I applied NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Amande under my eyes with a small foundation brush by Real Techniques to provide more coverage. This concealer is super creamy and doesn’t crease, which makes it excellent for days when you are out all day.

3. I applied a loose powder in translucent honey from CoverGirl with my Beauty Blender to bake the concealer. 

4. I decided that I wanted to brighten up my eyes a little bit more so I decided to go for my Naked3 palette and used my e.l.f eyeshadow brush and applied the color Mugshot on my eyelid. 

5. I then used Trick from my Naked3 palette and lined my lash line with a Real Techniques detailer brush instead of using an eyeliner to really make my eyes appear bigger.

6. I then took a large powder brush from Tarte to brush off the excess loose powder.

7. If there’s one thing you can take away from this video is the importance of making sure your eyebrows are on point. They frame your face and can really bring your whole look together. I applied Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Brow Mousse in Rich Brown with my Tarte double sided brow brush to fill in the sparse areas in my eyebrows.

8. I used the The Benefit High Beam Liquid Face Highlighter on my cheekbones, nose, forehead, cupids bow, and chin to brighten up my face. This highlighter is absolutely amazing and gave me such an amazing glow. NOTE: After making this video I found that the highlighter blends in a bit better when you use it after you apply your foundation. Once your foundation sets, it’s a lot harder to blend in especially if you have dark skin like I do which can make your face appear ashy. 

9. I used the Benefit They’re Real! Lengthening & Volumizing Mascara on my top lashes only because it probably would have smudged throughout the day if I applied it on my bottom lashes giving me dark circles that I already covered up with the concealer. 

10. I then took my Maybelline New York Baby Lips Moisturizer Lip Balm in Quenched to prep my lips for my lipstick.

11. OPTIONAL STEP: While the lip balm is working its’ magic I decided to play up my eyes a little bit and do a cat eye. So, I placed two pieces of tape on the outer corner of my eye and used this Precision Liquid Liner by e.l.f to create the look. I am in love with this liner’s brush. You have so much control over the strokes you make whether you want to create a more cuddle look using thinner strokes or you want to create a more dramatic look using larger strokes.

12. I decided that I wanted to go for a bright color, so with Estée Lauder Pure Color Envy Liquid Lip Potion in True Liar which is this really beautiful and highly pigmented purple shade.

13. To set the look, I used Clinique Stay Matte Sheer Pressed Powder in Stay Brandy.

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Product Review: Simple Micellar Cleansing Water

I don’t know about you all, but I am all for finding a great buy when it comes to drugstore cosmetic brands. I mean who wouldn’t want to find an effective, moderately priced serum or moisturizer? One night, after getting one of my food cravings for a belVita breakfast bar, I decided to drive to my local CVS to go see if I can buy a box.

Now if anyone knows me, you know that I can't enter the store without being sucked into skincare aisle. It’s like a magnetic pull that I just can’t seem to avoid like seeing a shirtless picture of Drake, I need to go check it out.

(You can see what I mean).

As I was scanning through the familiar brands, my eye immediately landed on the new Simple Micellar Water that I have seen beauty gurus rave about on Instagram. If you aren’t already familiar with this product, it is essentially a liquid solution that is able to remove dirt and makeup from your face so well that you don't even have to wash your face after. Being that it was so well received, I decided to buy it to see if it lived up to my expectations.

I wear a full coverage foundation for my uneven skintone and hyperpigmentation as well as under eye concealer for dark circles. I was hoping that this would remove my makeup a little bit better than my Neutrogena face wipes as my foundation is so thick.

The cleansing water did have a refreshing feeling, but it took about four cotton pads for me to remove my makeup. After it looked like I wiped off a good amount of it, I used my Clairsonic to see how well it actually did and this was the result:

So, it’s clear that this product is not ideal for those who wear full coverage makeup. It is probably more suitable for lighter foundations, tinted moisturizers, or those who simply do not wear makeup on a daily basis. Although this product claims to be a good substitute to washing your face, I think that it's still important to use a cleanser after to make sure you remove all the dirt and makeup to prevent clogged pores.

Grade: C+

Skin Care Routine

I can’t stress enough how important it is to have a set skincare routine that you would be able to follow everyday. I know that sometimes it can be difficult to follow such a strict routine because we may get tired or we may not have the time to follow all the steps because we are in a rush. However, it is important that you can establish a routine that is manageable for you and fulfills your needs. Here is a step-by-step routine that should be manageable even for the busiest of people:

DAY:

Cleanser (With hands, Clarisonic or Foreo Luna)

Toner

Treatment (Optional)

Moisturizer

Sunscreen

NIGHT:

Cleanser (With hands, Clarisonic or Foreo Luna)

Toner

Mask (Optional)

Treatment (Optional)

Moisturizer

•       Cleanser: I love using cleansers with my favorite facial cleansing brushes. Although they are not necessary to use, it has been proven that these brushes are excellent at exfoliating dead skin cells, removing makeup, and improving the absorption of your skincare products.
•        Toner: A toner is definitely a must to remove any dirt or cleanser residue that may still lurk on your face after cleansing.
•        Treatment: Depending on your skincare needs, you are going to need to use different skincare serum treatments to address your skin concerns. I would not use more than two skincare treatments at a time as a beginner and make sure that both serums aren’t addressing the same skincare concerns. It is also important to make sure that you understand which treatments are better suited for the night. For example, Vitamin C serums and powders are great during the daytime since it protects your skin from harmful environmental pollutants that can age the skin. Products that have retinoids and hydroquinone in them to treat hyperpigmentation or uneven skin should be used at night since your skin becomes ultrasensitive to sunlight once you put the product on.
•        Mask: There is nothing I love more than pampering myself with a nice mask at the end of the night. I prefer putting on a mask at night rather than the day because I believe that you will definitely see enhanced results since your skin rejuvenates itself overnight.
•        Moisturizer: It is important to restore hydration into your skin after cleansing especially during the fall and winter seasons when it gets colder. Different skin types calls for different moisturizers. If you have dry or normal you should use cream moisturizers. If you have combination or oily skin, gel moisturizers to prevent buildup on your skin that can make your skin look even oilier.
•        Sunscreen: Many people underestimate the value of sunscreen. I have an Aunt who wears sunscreen everyday who is in her late 40s, but looks like she is in her mid 30s. It is the best product that protects your skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays that can cause aging.

Cleansers For Your Skin Type

Cleansing the makeup and buildup of the day is one of the most important things you can do for your skin before you go to bed. I know we all get lazy at times and reach for those cleansing wipes to clean our face when we don’t feel like walking to the bathroom. I am telling you to not do it! I have come up with some recommendations of cleansers for your skin type that will make your skin the most radiant. 

NORMAL SKIN

For my normal skin girls, I recommend that you should use a cleanser that both exfoliates and moisturize the skin. You should try Philosophy The Microdelivery Exfoliating Wash ($28.00) or Clean & Clear Essentials Foaming Cleanser ($4.29).

DRY SKIN

For those with dry skin, you have skin that is dry and flaky so will need a cleanser that will have a lot of moisture. I would look for cleansers that have oils and hydrating ingredients so your face does not get too dehydrated. You should try Philosophy Purity Made Simple ($11.00-$44.00) or CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser ($9.49).

COMBINATION SKIN

If you have combination skin that means your T-zone is oily while the rest of your face is dry. I would look for cleansers that moisturize you skin while purifying your skin. You should try First Aid Beauty Skin Rescue Deep Cleanser With Red Clay ($24.00) or Simple Moisturizing Facial Wash ($5.99).

OILY SKIN

If you have oily skin like me then chances are your face producers far more oil than any girl can handle. I would definitely look for cleansers that are gel-based since creamy cleansers will add the kind of moisture that your skin doesn’t need more of. You should try Bosica Purifying Cleansing Gel ($26.00) or Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash ($4.99).

SENSITIVE SKIN

If you have sensitive skin, then your skin is pretty much sensitive to many harsh ingredients. You should try to look for ingredients that do not have a fragrance or an alcohol that could further irritate your skin. I would try First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser ($5.50-$20.00) or Cetaphil ($8.45).