My Skincare Routine (for Oily Skin)

Hello! Today I wanted share my skincare routine with you. I've never struggled with acne, but my skin never seems to be completely clear either. I have been trying products to find the "perfect" skincare routine. I wouldn't say that it's perfect yet, but my skin is has been more clear, so it seems to be working well. I try to keep it fairly simple, so I don't use too many products. I have oily skin, so these products may be too drying for those with dry skin. These are the products that work well for me, but they may not work for everyone.

 

Daytime:
Every morning I wash my face with The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Facial Wash. I apply The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil to any blemishes, then I use Simple Hydrating Light Moisturizer. This moisturizer is great for oily skin because it is light weight and oil free. These are the only products I use before applying foundation.

Nighttime: 

At night I use a few of the same products. I start by removing my eye makeup with coconut oil. I take a small amount of coconut oil and warm it up with my fingers. Then I gently rub the oil over my eyes in a circular motion. It looks kind of like scary raccoon eyes afterwards, but it removes mascara and eyeliner well. I use the Tea Tree Skin Clearing Facial Wash by The Body Shop to remove the coconut oil and any face makeup. I then use the Tea Tree Facial Wash again, but with my Clarisonic Mia 2. I love using the Clarisonic. I have noticed a huge difference in the condition of my face since using it. It does tend to dry skin out, so I use Clinique Moisture Surge Intense Skin Fortifying Hydrator afterwards. I just have a sample size of this product, but I may get a full size once this is done. You really only need a small amount so this has lasted a while. I finish with applying Tea Tree Oil to any blemishes and then I use C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve on my lips. 

What are your favorite skincare products?
Thanks for visiting!

China Glaze: Neons

Hello! Spring and Summer are the perfect time to wear bright, neon colors. China Glaze has quite a few options. I have only tried two polishes from this collection. Both of them have a nice matte finish. I assume the rest are matte finishes also. 

Kiwi Cool-ada, Pool Party, Sun Worshiper, Towel Boy Toy, Flip Flop Fantasy 

This color is definitely not what I expected. I purchased it online, and in the pictures this polished looked more neon pink. It is kind of hard to see in the pictures, but in person it had more of an orange tint to it. My husband said it was the perfect color to wear if I were to ever go hunting with him. haha! I don't think was that orange, but I am not a huge fan of the color. I do plan on trying this again with a matte top coat to see how it looks. In my opinion it is a better color for the summer and it might look nice with a little bit of a tan. If all else fails I would probably wear it on my toes. I am still looking for a nice neon pink color that is more of a hot pink. If you know of any please let me know! 

The other color that I have is Flip Flop Fantasy. This is a nice orange/ slightly coral color. I didn't put a top coat on this time because I wanted to keep the matte finish. I also only used one coat of the nail polish. I put a white base underneath first. This seemed to help keep the color more true to the bottle. The polish is a little bit brighter in person than it is in the picture. 

What nail polishes have you been liking for the spring?
Thanks for visiting! 

Empties #2

Hello! I've been collecting these empties for a while- so this post was long over-due. Some of these products were hits, while I wouldn't repurchase others.

Bath and Body Works Shower Gel in Cashmere Glow- Bath and Body Works describes the scent as The warmth of vanilla & golden peach layered with luxurious cashmere musk. Vanilla is one of my favorite scents and this shower gel has a subtle hint of vanilla. It smells great! I would repurchase this.

Yes to Cucumber Soothing Facial Towlettes- I wouldn't say that my skin is super sensitive, but these burned. They were great at taking eye and face makeup off, but I always washed my face right afterwards to prevent irritation. I will not be repurchasing these.

Loreal Total Repair 5- Damage Erasing Balm- I used this as a deep conditioner about once a week. I washed my hair, then left this sitting for about 5 minutes. This product claims to repair up to 1 year of damage in 1 use. I liked it, but I don't think it erased much damage. I may repurchase it, but I didn't find that it made a huge difference. It smells nice though.

Pur Minerals 4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Makeup- I bought this in hopes of using this as a foundation. It didn't have much coverage at all though so I ended up using it as a setting powder. It worked fine to set, but I probably won't purchase it.

Maybelline Fit Me Shine-free Foundation- I wasn't sure about this foundation at first, but after using it a little while I really like it. The stick is convenient to apply and the foundation is easily blended with my fingers. It is a nice matte finish which I like because my skin is so oily. I would repurchase this.

Wonderstruck by Taylor Swift- This perfume smells nice. It is a charming and sparkling surprise of vibrant fruits, kissed by a bouquet of soft petals and a touch of sweet indulgence.

Wonderstruck Enchanted by Taylor Swift- This is my favorite perfume. I already repurchased it. It is light and has a sweeter scent than the original Wonderstruck.

Covergirl and Olay Simply Ageless Concealer- I loved this concealer, especially for under the eye area. Unfortunately, I think it was discontinued because I haven't been able to find it again.

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel- This is one of my favorite face moisturizer. The gel is great for oily skin. I have also tried the lotion for normal-dry skin and like it during the dry, winter months. It is kind of pricey, but I would repurchase.

Desert Essence Blemish Touch Stick- I liked this product to help clear break-outs faster. A lot of other spot treatments I have tried have been very drying, but this one isn't. If you want to see a full review of this product click here. I would repurchase.

Covergirl Lashblast Volume Mascara- This is my all time favorite mascara. It doesn't give much length, but it gives a ton of volume. I would repurchase this.

I hope you guys like this post.
Thanks for visiting!

Is the Beauty Blender Worth it?

Hello! I am late on the Beautyblender bandwagon, but I still wanted to write a review on it. I picked it up a couple of weeks ago and absolutely love it. It gives foundation a natural, airbrush look. I have been using the Sonia Kashuk Blending Sponge before getting the Beautyblender, so I will do a comparison of them.

 The pink sponge is the Beauty Blender, and the blue sponge is from Sonia Kashuk. They are about the same size when they are dry, but when wet, the Beauty Blender is about 60% bigger. I get them both wet before using them to apply foundation.

Price: Sonia Kashuk- $10.49, Beautyblender- $20
Shape: Sonia Kashuk Sponge has rounded sides and comes to a point on the other side. The Beautyblender is egg shaped. The bottoms make it easy to apply foundation to your face, with the tips are great to apply foundation or concealer around your eyes and nose.
Blending: Both sponges blend foundation well. Because the Beautyblender is softer, I find that it blends better and quicker.  The Sonia Kashuk Sponge is firmer and takes a little bit longer to blend evenly. I feel like I have to press a lot harder to fully blend. I also find that I have to smudge the foundation on first with Sonia Kashuk's, instead of just dabbing it like the Beautyblender.

Final Verdict: I like the Beautyblender  more than the Sonia Kashuk Sponge. I find that it is a lot easier to get a flawless look. It is more gentle than Sonia Kashuk's. I think that it worth spending more on.  If you want to go for a cheaper option I have heard good things about Real Techniques Makeup Sponges. I'm not sure of the price on those though.

These are the only 2 makeup sponges I have tried. Let me know if you have had any luck with a different brand. If you want to see how I use and clean my makeup sponges click here. I show how using the Sonia Kashuk sponge, but I do the exact same thing for the Beautyblender.
Thanks for visiting! and don't forget to follow me on twitter or google+ to stay up to date on new posts :)

The Liebster Award (2)

Hello! I have already done a Liebster Award post, but I thought I would do it again to answer the questions. If you want to see my last Liebster Award post click here.

 I was nominated by Tammy From Chic and Alluring. If you haven't checked out her blog, you should! She has some awesome posts!

The award is given to blogs with fewer than 1000 followers, and if there are bloggers that you would like to nominate, the "rules" are listed below.

  

These are the questions Tammy asked:

1) What is your most prized possession?
My family and my faith. Material items can be replaced, but those cannot.
2) What is your favorite quality in yourself?
I'm a good listener. I like to be there for my friends and like to be that person they can come to when they need someone to talk to.
3) Your top 3 beauty products?
3-in-1 foundation by Covergirl
Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain by Revlon
Studio Gear Hidden Agenda Concealer
 4) Bath or shower?
Shower! I hardly ever take baths.
5) What makes you happy?
Again, I have to say my family. They are my biggest supporters. My husband (I might be a little biased) is the best. I can't forget to mention my boys. They can brighten any bad day and make any good day better.

 6) What is your most favorite word?
Hmm. I don't know that I have a favorite word.
7) Do you have any phobia? If so, what is it?
I don't know if I would call it a phobia ,but I really don't like bugs. Spiders in particular.
8) What's a book that you can read over and over again?
I honestly don't have time to read very often. When I do, I always read something new. There are too many good books to read the same one!
9) Where would you like to travel to?
I would love to go on a cruise to the Caribbean.
10) When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I have always wanted to be a teacher. I remember always wanted to "play school" with my cousins. Of course they were always the students. I am 8 months away from graduating with an elementary education degree.
11) Where do you see yourself five years from now?
To go off of the last question, I see myself teaching. Whether that be in Michigan or moving to another state. I also see myself with a baby or maybe two :)

Questions from me:
1. What is your favorite thing about blogging?
2. What is your favorite movie?
3. Do you have any hobbies?
4. What is your best makeup trick?
5. What is your holy grail product?
6. What is your favorite blog to read?
7. What is your favorite hair care product?
8. If you could travel on a vacation where would you go and why? 
9. Are you currently reading any books?
10.What is your favorite song?
11. What is your favorite nail polish color?

I nominate:  
(I didn't nominate anyone in particular last time, so I thought I would nominate a few of my favorite blogs :) )
 NaturelBelleFemme
 GrumpyWomanLovesBeauty
Soundskindachic
Letslivehappy 
beautybyjacquelinemarie 
beautyboxchic
The rules of the game:

1. thank the person who nominated you, and post a link to their blog on your blog.

2. display the award on your blog.

3. answer 11 questions about yourself, which will be provided to you by the person who nominated you.

4. nominate 11 blogs that you feel deserve the award, who have a less than 1000 followers.

5. create a new list of questions for the blogger to answer.

6. list these rules in your post (You can copy and paste from here.) Once you have written and published it, you then have to:

7. Inform the people/blogs that you nominated that they have been nominated for the Liebster award and provide a link for them to your post so that they can learn about it (they might not have ever heard of it!)

A Pop of Pastel

Hello! Happy Friday! Pastels just scream Spring. I have wanted to do this post for  a few weeks but haven't had the time to. I finally had some time to sit down today and write it. I hope you guys like my pick!

 

1. Mint Green Shirt- American Eagle
2. Statement Necklace- Forever 21
3. Essie- Pink about it
4. Essie- Nice is nice
5. Skinny Jeans- Love Culture
6. Bracelet- Francesca's 
7. Shorts- American Eagle  
8. Vera Wang Scarf- Kohls

What colors are you loving this Spring? 
Thanks for visiting! 

 

ELF Pink Passion and St. Lucia Blush Review and Swatches

Hello! I hope everyone is having a fantastic week. A couple of weeks ago I was browsing the makeup section at our local drugstore and noticed they just started carrying E.L.F. products. I have only tried a few things and since these products are so inexpensive I thought I would try a couple more out. The single blush is called Pink Passion and the duo is in St. Lucia.

Pink Passion is a nice, bright pink blush. I love that it is matte. It looks kind of scary in the packaging, but it goes on nicely and the color is buildable.
St. Lucia is a blush and bronzer duo. The blush is a soft, rosy pink with shimmer in it. I am impressed by this blush and the color looks really nice on. I don't normally like a lot of shimmer in my blushes, but this one is not bad. The bronzer doesn't work for my skin tone at all. I am very fair and this bronzer is way too dark. It looks very muddy and I don't like the shimmer in it.

Pink Passion, St. Lucia Blush, St. Lucia Bronzer

Packaging: The packaging isn't bad for these products. It comes in a black packaging and they both have mirrors. They don't come with mini brushes, so if you plan on carrying this in your makeup bag you will need a separate blush brush.
Application: Both of the blushes go on nicely and are easily blended. The colors are pigmented and buildable. 
Long-lasting: The only thing that I don't like about the blushes is they don't last long. I find that after a few hours they wear off and I have to reapply. 
Price: Each of these products are $3. 

I would give these blushes a 3.5 out of 5. I really like the colors and how easy the application is. I'm not sure if I will purchase anymore just because they don't wear very long. For $3 I would say they are a good product for the price. So if are looking for an inexpensive blush, I would suggest these. 

Thanks for visiting! 

NOTD NYC Nolita's Lavender

Hello! I hope everyone is having a great weekend. It has been way to long since I have blogged. As the semester is coming to an end there has been a lot of big projects I have had to work on. I wanted to get a quick post up, so I though I would share this nail polish with you. I don't normally go for drugstore nail polishes because I have the worst luck with them chipping the same day I paint them. I decided to give this one a try because I loved the color. It is by NYC and the color is called Nolita's Lavender. It is hard to describe, but it is a nice lavender color with a hint of grey. The picture isn't completely true to the color and makes it look more blue than it actually is. I've had them painted for a couple of days now with very little chipping. I would definitely buy more from this brand. It is a quick dry formula so by the time I had painted my second hand, I was able to do a second coat. It was opaque with the second coat.

I hope you guys like this color. I plan on doing more blogging this week. I am also planning on changing a few things on my blog with a possible name change in the upcoming future. I have an idea for a new name, but if you have any suggestions please let me know. :)
Thanks for visiting!