Lush Full of Grace Has Saved Me From Dry Patches!

A few months back, Lush sent me their Full of Grace serum bar, and I was quite pumped to try it. The weather in Chicago was very cold and dry, and I was experiencing dry patches for the first time in ages. My skin just felt all over the place to me, so this seemed to be right time to give this a go.

So you may be wondering - how do you actually use this serum bar?? I know I was. Lush recommends rubbing the bar between your palms so that it melts into your hands. For those of you who have used the massage bars before, it is pretty much the same idea. I tend to dab this onto different parts of my face and rub it in from there!

This bar has a very light herbal scent, so that is good. Any stronger, and I probably would not be able to handle it! Some of you may have noticed that it was on one of my monthly favorites lists, and it is definitely a winner in my book.

When I first tried this, it seriously cleared up about 90% of my dry patches in about 2 days. To me, that is EPIC. When I arrived in California last week, I started to see the return of my dry patches because of the dry climate here, and thankfully, Lush Full of Grace fixed them right up.

Have you tried Lush Full of Grace? 

INGREDIENTS: Murumuru Butter (Astrocaryum murumuru), Calamine Powder, Cupuacu Butter (Theobroma Grandiflorum), Fresh Rose Infusion (Rosa centifolia), Organic Almond Oil (Prunus dulcis), Perfume, Fresh Portobello Mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus), Chamomile Blue Oil (Matricaria Chamomilla), Rose Oil (Rosa centifolia), Tagetes Oil (Tagetes minuta), *Eugenol, *Geraniol, *Benzyl Benzoate, *Citronellol, *Farnesol, *Limonene, *Linalool

This product was provided for review. Lush Full of Grace retails for $14.95.

Stuff I Packed: Skin, Bath & Hair

As you might know, I arrived in California about a week and a half ago and I will be here till mid-July. I packed all sorts of things, so I thought I would show you by video. This installment contains all my skincare, shower and hair stuff! All the makeup goodies will be up over the weekend! :) 

Also, as you can see, the site has a new look - please let me know what you think!

On My Nails: Essie Bachelorette Bash

A few weeks ago, while watching Antiques Roadshow, I spotted a bright magenta nail polish on one of the appraisers. I searched online for a shade that was comparable, and dug around in my nail polish drawer and realized I had this pretty polish in my stash already! While it has a bit more red in the base than the fuchsia I was looking for, I've been sporting this gorgeous shade for over a week. Essie hasn't been my favorite brand for polish, as my poor manicure skills don't mix with the formula with some shades, but this is just a great color.

Now that it is chipping, I'll need to pick my next shade, and I think that's bound to be Essie Lilacism or that perfect shade of light blue I'm hunting for...

What's on your nails right now? I'd love to know!

Have a Happy Mother's Day with Lush!

A few weeks ago, Lush sent me some happy spring themed goodies from their Mother's Day collection. I wanted to post about them sooner, as I think they are a great spring treat for any lady looking for a pamper, but the whole getting ready for a trip to Cali and then getting settled in this past week definitely got in the way of my baths.  Lush Secret Garden* is a colorful bath bomb with a light floral scent. Filled with rose and wild orange oil, this one sure smells like a garden to me. Toss this in the bath, and it will fizz around in swirls of green and pink. Once you get to the center, little flower blossoms will emerge!

I do have to warn you, clean up those flower blossoms right away, as I now have petals stuck to my tub! LOL. Lush Mumkin* is fruity floral bubble bar that reminds me a bit of the Lush Ro's Argan scent. However, it is filled with the scent of raspberry and lemon oil, so I don't know why my nose is so off?? Lol.  At first, I forgot this was a bubble bar, and threw it in the bath. When nothing happened, I realized! Bubble bars have the most success when held under running water, and this little guy (mine lost an eye! haha) can definitely give you a few uses. I recommend breaking off a chunk, rather than holding the whole thing under the faucet, as it begins to melt and get a bit messy!

Lush The Mum* smells almost exactly like mums, and the boy quite liked swishing it around. On the other hand, Madame Butterfly* smells of rose and raspberry. I managed to forget to bring these two on my trip with me, but I had the boy test them out and he quite enjoyed the bubbles! They didn't heavily fragrance the bath, which is probably a good thing for those who find Lush fragrances to strong! He couldn't discern any scent in the bath, and he even said he liked the scent of the Mum better! 

All in all, these were some fun additions to the spring Lush line-up. Have you tried anything from the Lush Mother's Day collection? What are your picks for a spring bath? :)

These products were provided for review. They are currently still available on Lush's US site. 

An Everyday Look

The other day, I thought I'd make a video of a general everyday look. While I don't manage to do all of this on a normal day, it is what I would do if I had enough time. Take a peek at the video, and my beauty ramblings and all that. I'll be traveling to California today for work (for 2.5 months!) so I may not be as chatty as usual until I get there and get situated!

Spring Pink with Jouer Moisturizing Lip Gloss in Malibu

A few months back, Jouer sent me this lip gloss in this gorgeous bright pink. This shade immediately caught my eye because of how bright and happy it is, and the idea of moisturizing gloss was really appealing.  While this is bright in the tube and looks a whole lot like Burberry Lip Glow in Pink Sweet Pea, this doesn't have the bright, opaque color that the Burberry Lip Glow has. This does provide a nice pop of pink, and is scent free. Filled with Vitamin A, C &E, shea butter, jojoba oil, and pomegranate seed oil, this lip gloss is quite moisturizing. It keeps my lips relatively moisturized and protected from the weather, which is always a plus!

You'll notice too that this particular gloss fits into the interlocking structure of other Jouer compacts, which makes it quite easy to make a "on the go" palette! (If you haven't seen it before, check out my Jouer essentials that I clicked together a while back.)

Though I was hoping for more opaque color, I'm a big fan of these glosses. Moisturizing, scent free, and super easy to apply on the go - YAY!  What do you think of this lip gloss? Have you tried this or any other product from Jouer? 

This product was provided for review. Jouer Moisturizing Lip Gloss retails for $20 and can be purchased from Jouer, Birchbox, Beautybar and Nordstrom. (affiliate link) 

2013 Empties: March & April

Empties! This is always an exciting time, as it feels like I finish nothing, ever. LOL! Check out the video to see what I thought about all these products I finished. I've listed the products below, whether or not I'll repurchase, and linked the reviews too!

Not pictured, but I did also toss out a Diorshow Maximizer and Fairydrops Scandal Queen Mascara (Review). They weren't quite finished, but had just about reached the 5-6 month mark where I really shouldn't keep them any longer... Both of these are products I repurchase over and over again!

Bath & Body Works Carried Away Shower Gel This is something that I have repurchased, but won't in the future because the Softsoap body washes are a very similar formula and make just as many bubbles for a fraction of the price! Plus I'm loving Lush scents for my everyday shower gels.

Lush Happy Hippy Shower Gel* - REVIEW I love this scent, and would totally buy this after I've used up some of the stuff I have. One of my favorite Lush shower products, for sure!

Lush Whoosh Shower Jelly - REVIEW I've purchased this one after Lush sent me a jar. I love this fun product, and will definitely buy it again once I finish up more shower stuff!

Living Proof Prime Style Extender (Sample Size) I was loving this product in February and March and I am happy to have a few deluxe samples of it. I would definitely consider purchasing it once I've used up all the samples!

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Concentrate - REVIEW This is a nice and creamy product that is great on dry skin, but I prefer the texture of the Ultra Repair Cream. Won't be repurchasing this but I was glad to try it!

Origins Make a Difference+ Moisturizer - REVIEW I would definitely repurchase this in the future, once I've finished up more stuff. I love how light in texture this is, and it definitely was hydrating in fall and the early bits of winter.

Lush Twilight Bath Bomb* - REVIEW I was quite surprised how much I liked this one, and will definitely purchase it in the future when I'm in need of a non-citrus bath bomb!

Neutrogena Oil Free Pink Grapefruit Wipes This was my least favorite product because of the scent! It was so artificial, and somehow so strong that I barely wanted to use these. Sad!

The Scar Question

Scars. We all have them, and I think we are all trying to get rid of them. There are so many products on the market, that I am just overwhelmed. What do I get to treat my old scars from injuries?? I suppose some combination of the above products has to do something right? What about those pesky acne scars? The above products seem hardly appropriate for acne scars on the face! There's all manner of high priced exfoliants and creams for that, and I have even fewer thoughts as to what might work in that department...

So, dear readers, what works for you?? How have you treated your acne scars and scars from injuries? I'd love to know what was successful for you!

April Favorites

This month really snuck up on me, but thankfully I kept a list of products that I really loved. There were a few that I wanted to add to the list, but I haven't used them enough yet to really put them in my monthly favorites! So here's a very condensed look at my 4 favorites for April. Have you tried out any of these goodies? What have you been loving this month?? I'd love to know!

Throw Lush Twilight Into Your Bath Tonight!

  Earlier this spring, Lush sent me the Twilight bath bomb to try out. I'm not sure why I hadn't ever tried it, but I just love the fun purpley pink shade and the stars and moons imprinted on it. Scented with lavender and sweet tonka absolue, this calming bath bomb is the perfect companion to a relaxing evening at home. Toss it in your bath, and you get a frothy pale pink bath that turns lavender as the blue center emerges.

As I'm not a huge fan of lavender, I didn't know what I would think of this bath bomb. But the scent was super calming and not overly strong either, especially in comparison to some of the other scents in Lush's lineup.  Anyway, this bath was so soothing and relaxing! Woohoo!

What do you think of Lush Twilight Bath Bomb?? Do you have a favorite bath bomb that I must try?? 

This product was provided for review by Lush. Lush Twilight retails for $6.25 and is available at Lush retail stores and LUSH Cosmetics online (affiliate link).

Hit or Miss: Guerlain Terracotta Skin Healthy Glow Foundation

A few months back, I purchased Guerlain Terracotta Skin Healthy Glow Foundation (affiliate link) in Brunettes. It was a bit of an impulse buy, at least for me, as I tend to research products for multiple days for the majority of my purchases.This "foundation" originally came in 2 shades, 01 Blondes and 02 Brunettes. Recently, Guerlain relaunched this line with the shade 00 Nude. I purchased Brunettes, and it turns out that it isn't quite the right shade for me. As you can see from the swatch photo above, this shade is a bit dark and has some peachy/pink undertones to it. While I do get an even, bronze glow, it does have more pink undertones than I would prefer for any base product on my face.

To me, this product is more of a primer than a foundation. Coverage is light - nearly non-existent, actually. While the bronzing effect does help to even out the skin tone and does look quite nice for bronze lovers, it does not really do anything to change the appearance of redness or blemishes or even anything to improve the visible texture of my skin. The texture of this is quite silcone-y too, so that may be a negative for those of you who dislike or are irritated by silicone. I also really like that the scent is subtle, yet luxurious - for those of you familiar with Guerlain base products, it is really a very light version of the foundation scent.

I tried this on a few occasions as a primer, and didn't find that it provided any remarkable impact to my skin or the wear of my foundation. I do not experience issues with foundation wear in general, so those with more oily skin types may see more of a difference here. My skin did feel smoother, but sometimes all I could think about was all the silicone. LOL! Anyway, I love the idea of a bronzing base product to give my face nice color in the summers, but this one is just not the shade for me. If I do find that one of the other shades works, I would definitely try this again.

If you love the tanned look and don't have any issue with silicone, I think this is a worthwhile product to try. I recommend trying the shades in person, or at the very least purchasing from somewhere that has a great return policy if you do decide to take the plunge. :) Since this has minimal coverage, if you are looking for a foundation I would definitely skip this unless you have very good skin. In all honesty, I am even a bit confused as to why Guerlain even markets it as a foundation! Bronzing primer, or liquid bronzer, perhaps, but definitely not foundation!

I've returned this one as it is pricy for it to not be a "wow" product in performance and shade, and plan to explore some of the other bronzing base options I own. I suspect that this could be a great liquid bronzer, so I urge you to try it that way if you own it or have been curious about this. As you might suspect, I have a few liquid and cream products I can play with that can serve the same purpose, so I'll be reporting on those in the upcoming months.

Have you tried Guerlain Terracotta Skin Healthy Glow Foundation? What did you think of it?? I'd love to know, especially if you've experienced the other shades!

This post contains affiliate links. This product retails for $51 and was purchased by me from Sephora. It is also available at Guerlain department store counters. 

I Can't Live Without Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation!

Back in February, I purchased the Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation along with a few other products from their line. I had put it off for quite some time, as the brand just seemed too pricy, but gosh, I am SO glad I finally took the plunge and splurged on the few products I chose. While I love the Moisture Foundation, I seriously am obsessed with the Aqua Foundation and am so happy to have it.

It is seriously the most even, beautiful coverage and finish, and it just lasts all day. It never accentuates any dry spots or any areas with poor texture, and I just love it!

As I mentioned in my video, the shade range is pretty limited. I am wearing OC-2 as shown in the video, and it is one of the darkest shades available. 

As I mentioned in my video, the shade range is pretty limited. I am wearing OC-2 as shown in the video, and it is one of the darkest shades available. 

For those of you who have ingredient concerns, here are the ingredients as listed on Koh Gen Do's website. 

As always, watch the video to see this foundation in action! :) What do you think of Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation?? Have you tried anything from the brand before?? 

New In: Beauty, Books, & More

Did a little shopping the last week or two, and thought I would show you guys by video. :) As you know, the Sephora VIB sale is going on too, and I ended up grabbing some basic "essential" type items. I had some gift cards/exchange credits and got myself a few fun things as well. Don't worry, I didn't break the rules of my makeup no buy!

Watch the video, and let me know what you think! (More details in Youtube!) Did you grab anything from the Sephora sale? Have you bought anything fun lately, beauty or otherwise?

PRODUCTS MENTIONED (some affiliate links)

• iPad Mini Mophie Juicepack Case for iPhone 5
• Branded Beauty: How Marketing Changed the Way We Look by Mark Tungate 
• Fashion 2.0: Blogging Your Way to the Front Row by Yuli Ziv
• Shiseido Facial Cottons Koh Gen Do Cleansing Spa Water (travel size)
• Living Proof Amp2 Instant Hair Texturizer
• Dior Diorshow Maximizer 
• Fairydrops Scandal Queen Mascara
• Lancome Bienfait UV SPF 50
• Ole Henriksen Pure Truth Youth Activating Oil
• Stila After Glow Lip Color in Electric Pink (for gift)
• Nars Satin Lip Pencil in Luxembourg
• Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Color in Khaki
• Laura Mercier Bonne Mine Healthy Glow for Face & Cheeks
• Laura Mercier Luxe Color Portfolio 
• Koh Gen Do Moisture Concealer
• Wet n Wild Eyeshadow Trios in Silent Treatment and Walking on Eggshells
• Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeliner in Deep Blue & Black 
• Rimmel Scandaleyes Shadow Stick in Guilty Grey
• Bobbi Brown Deluxe Travel Kit

What I Wore, #14

Hope you guys are having a great weekend so far! I have the whole weekend off for the first time in a while, so I'm happy to relax and have time to work on more posts and things! Here's what I managed to wear this week!

Products I Loved I haven't worn my Burberry eyeshadows for a while, and every time, it is love. <3 The Nars Satin Lip Pencil is gorgeous, and the Rimmel Scandaleyes liner seems to be the only waterproof liner that doesn't irritate my eyes! Wohoo!

Product Disappointments Everything I used this week is GREAT! haha, YAY!

Wishlist The newest additions to the wishlist are Lush Sea Spray (which I may go and buy today!) and the eyeshadow stick thingies in the Chanel summer collection.

What did you love, hate or add to your wishlist this week? I would love to know!

P.S. Happy Earth Day! In celebration of the day, I urge you to check out some environmentally friendly products, and Lush is the first brand that comes to mind! Recycled plastic, a fun recycling option for their packaging, and tons of friendly ingredients for all of your beauty needs. Feel free to check my many reviews on the brand!

Added to the Wishlist: Le Labo

A few weeks ago, I sniffed a few scents at the Le Labo counter at Barney's downtown. At that point, I had to run, but I fell for the Chicago exclusive scent, Baie Rose 26. A pretty blend of rose, pepper over musks, this scent is somehow so pleasant and deeply familiar to me - I quite like it! I've carried around the little stick of paper I sprayed it on for days now... I remember sniffing Le Labo briefly in my college days, but back then I was far too poor and a bit too weird about fragrances. Still, the prices are a bit steep for me - $220 for a 3.4 oz bottle, or $145 for 1.7 oz. There are perfume balms, a variety of travel options, and all manner of candles, shower gels, and the like. Even a collaboration with The Laundress for a handful of key scents!

I am quite set on purchasing samples from Le Labo's site (or the Discovery Set - $58 for three 5ml sprays!) I want Rose, Fleur D'Oranger, and Neroli... And then, I'm sure I'll be desperate to purchase everything I can get my hands on. I'll be happy, but my wallet sure won't be!

Have you tried Le Labo? Do you have any favorites from the brand? Do share! :)

This post contains affiliate links 

Sampling Masks

Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque I grabbed a sample of this from Nordstrom one day, and was really curious to try this clay mask. This mask isn't very drying for a clay mask, and hardens slightly after application. I did only use it once since I just had a sample pot that then hardened, but it did minimize pores somewhat. I thought the mask was ok, but nothing amazing enough to make me really want to buy it!

Fresh Black Tea Instant Perfecting Mask I got a sample of this from Sephora and thought it would be interesting to try out. I hadn't really looked at it before, but it had a really interesting texture. It was velvety, almost like Vaseline, but not oily or heavy. It has a nice light scent - to me like cucumber and tea - and my boyfriend thought the scent was pleasant as well. It definitely tingled while wearing it, and even felt tingly afterwards for quite some time, which actually kind of freaked me out. It didn't bother my boyfriend, and he thought it was nice. It is quite pricey, so I don't know that I would buy it, however.

Ole Henriksen Blue/Black Berry Enzyme Mask This was a sample I picked up for my boyfriend, as he is a big fan of Ole Henriksen. :) He thought it felt moisturizing and creamy on, which he thought was nice, but he didn't find that his skin was any different afterwards. I know I have limited experience with enzyme/acid masks, and I think he doesn't quite understand them either!

Chantecaille Fruit & Flower Acids Mask I picked up a sample of this at Neiman Marcus when I was actually looking for a sample of their Detox Clay Mask. (Such a sample does not seem to exist!) Anyway, this mask has a nice subtle sweet scent and a nice creamy texture. It feels slightly tingly on, and my skin felt nice afterwards. But this is another one that seems too pricey to purchase!

So in the end, I didn't purchase any of these masks. I think I prefer more clay type masks (Koh Gen Do Brightening Spa Moisture Mask is awesome!) and their immediate effects. I suppose I need to try more acid type masks to see more long term impact! Either way, if I were to dive into that, I would grab either the Ole Henriksen or the Ren Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask that gets so many positive reviews!

What are your favorite masks? Do you prefer clay masks or acid ones? What should I be trying?? :)

This post contains affiliate links. 

The Eucerin Skin Calming Range Is Perfect For My Dry Skin!

At the end of March, I received a handful of products from Eucerin.I filled out their "Skindicator" quiz on their Facebook page, and was matched to the Skin Calming range based on my concerns. Over the last 2 weeks, I've been using these products in my routine, and am quite happy to report that my skin is quite liking them. My boyfriend is liking them too!

Eucerin Skin Calming Dry Skin Body Wash* To start off the routine, I've been using the Dry Skin Body Wash most days. Almost like a cleansing oil, this body wash doesn't strip my body of moisture like some soapy shower gels can. It is subtly scented, though my boyfriend finds the scent a bit strange. It also doesn't lather into bubbles like conventional shower gels do, but it sure keeps my skin moisturized!

Eucerin Skin Calming Daily Moisturizing Creme* This daily cream is a nicely rich lotion that has been great on my skin. If I had better habits with using lotion, I would totally use this on a daily basis. Nothing out of the ordinary to say about this, except that it comforts my skin!

Eucerin Skin Calming Itch Relief Treatment* I love this treatment - it has a nice light texture that absorbs quickly, which is always one of the qualities I look for  in moisturizers. This particular one is quite cooling, and immediately relieves my itchy legs. There were a few days that I didn't have time to put this on in the morning,  and my legs were quite itchy! Sad. But, my skin seems to be mostly on the mend, and it is all due to this Eucerin line up!

I think my boyfriend and I have managed to use up half of the bottle at this point... and it has only been 17 days. I think he secretly slathers himself in it multiple times a day. LOL! It is definitely our favorite in the line up, and I'm happy to have tried it!

All in all, I love these products for dry skin. And for under $10 each, who can beat that?? Have you tried this or any other products from Eucerin? Do you have a favorite product that I need to try?? :) 

The Eucerin Skin Calming line was provided to me for review. This post also contains some affiliate links. 

Jouer Matte Moisture Tint Will Be The Perfect Summer Staple!

I've been a bit obsessed with finding the perfect base lately, so I was pretty excited when Jouer sent me their Matte Moisture Tint. After reading so many great reviews, I was very happy to be able to try it myself! I have to say that Jouer Matte Moisture Tint is a great option in the tinted moisturizer category.

I have the shade Chamomile, which is the 4th darkest out of the 5 shades available. I fear that deeper skintones may not find a match here, but I do think the available shades for lighter skin tones will fit a number of skin tones.

I don't know if this will work for extremely dry skin types, as I occasionally can see this very slightly accentuating my dry patches. However, it is very slight, and my skin is being strange right now, so I'm not too worried about it. I do still want to try this out with the Laura Mercier Radiance Primer, as well as Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector. I suspect that they could be really great combinations, so I need to get around to trying them out!

Anyway, watch the video to see application and all my chatter about the details. 

All in all, I love Jouer Matte Moisture Tint almost as much as I love my HG Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer. Have you tried Jouer Matte Moisture Tint or any other products from Jouer? I'd love to know! 

This product was provided for review, and this post contains affiliate links. Jouer Matte Moisture Tint retails for $38 and can be purchased from Jouer, BeautyBar, Birchbox, and Nordstrom. 

Added To The Wishlist: Laura Mercier

The other day, I was wandering around Sephora and fell for two Laura Mercier palettes that I now want desperately.

There's the Luxe Portfolio, with a gorgeous combination of eyeshadows, cake liners, and blushes. Then there's the pretty Bonne Mine Cheek Palette, which has 2 blushes, a bronzer, and 2 highlighters. All very pretty and wearable!

Have you tried any of these products or tried either of these palettes? I'd love to know! :)

What I Wore, #13

This past week or so, I actually managed to come to some conclusions about my makeup and my daily routine! Woo! Products I Loved Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation was a big hit for me this week, and I also am quite excited by Marcelle BB Cream and Laura Mercier Radiance Primer. Rimmel Scandaleyes liners are also a happy success so far!

Product Disappointments Stila Smudge Stick made my eyes itch too, which has seriously now made me conclude that I have some allergy to an ingredient in waterproof eye pencils (aside from the Rimmel ones). Groan! At least now that I'm feeling happy about the Rimmel liners, the disappointment of the beautiful and amazing Armani Waterproof Smooth Silk Pencil is not as bad.

Wishlist My wishlist is always rather large, but this week I've uncovered a deep desire for Le Labo fragrances. I also really want a pale pink Rebecca Minkoff pouch with the words "hard earned, easily spent" printed on it. At $75, it is more reasonable than a Le Labo perfume. Just barely. Oh and Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray, which almost feels too indulgent to be a hair product that I desperately want!

What have you loved, lusted after and shed tears over this week? I'd love to know!