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I got inspired as most things happen these days, in the bathroom sitting down and staring at my shelves aimlessly. As I noticed that I have a tendency to line up my skincare there fairly neatly (one of the only times I'm that organized with my home), I thought it would make more a neat Instagram photo. Then I thought, "well, I need more blog content so why don't I do a sporadic bathroom shelfie series?"
Read MoreThe weather here in the Bay Area has gone from rainy and a bit cold to the ever ubiquitous sunny overnight, and as we traverse more into Spring and the air is beginning to dry more so is my face. I don't have dry skin per se, more combo leaning midway, but enough where as I've entered my 30s I've learned to appreciate the need to treat dehydrated skin more and more.
Read MoreIs there anything more vexing as trying to attain perfect, flawless skin? Okay, maybe running out of coffee. That is up there in the realm of things being "the worst." But here's the thing I feel compelled to get out of the way off the bat- perfect and flawless skin that looks literally like porcelain is more the work of Photoshop than beauty products, and it's a standard that is nigh non-existent in reality. Nothing in a bottle will actually turn back time, despite how clever or catchy marketing is.
What you can attain, however, is improving what you have to work to a more reasonable standard, ie- giving dull skin more glow, finding ways to tackle acne, improving hydration, etc.
Read MoreIs 29 by Lydia Mondavi an affordable Caudalie alternative?
Read MoreThe Ordinary, one the the skincare labels under the DECIUM umbrella, certainly has the beauty world talking over how it's disrupting the skincare market with quality ingredients at super affordable prices. A good retinol for shy of $10? Vitamin C for $5.80? Cold pressed rosehip oil at a price that doesn't press your wallet hard? Is it too good to be true?
Read MoreNuxe Paris Cleansing Milk with Rose Petals is a cleanser meant for normal to dry sensitive skin that might react poorly to harsher soaps and needs a gentler hand in getting clean without being too squeaky clean and stripping the natural oils of your face. Does everything come up roses with this cleanser?
Read MoreSeptember is coming to close, and boy is this year going fast! While doing some tidying up and throwing out a decent amount of makeup, I gathered up my empties for the month for my first Empties post.
Who doesn't love digging through someone else's trash? :D
Read MoreIn one of those "I heard it on Tumblr" sort of situations, I came across Meow Meow Tweet, a newer indie skincare brand, and originally was interested in the deodorants but decided to just go on a sample ordering spree.
I got a small size of the facial care kit, face mask, and deodorants.
How does this brand size up?
Read MoreI'm a bit of a cleansing balm addict. When you find a great one, it really feels like it can do anything: take makeup off, cleanse, treat, double duty as a mask, maybe pay off my taxes? Okay, that last one is reaching just a wee bit but hey, a girl can dream!
The Trilogy brand from New Zealand is slightly newer to the US skincare market, but every product I've tried so far I've ended up loving and gave the brand a nod in my winter skincare favorites. The Cream Cleanser, Hydrating Mist Toner, and Certified Organic Rosehip Oil Antioxidant+ are all incredibly lovely and constantly rotate their way into my routine. So when I saw they had released a cleansing balm when I was at Whole Foods recently, I had to try it.
Read MoreLast weekend in my last bit of makeup shopping for a good while, I stopped by Nordstrom's because finally, blessedly, there was a Charlotte Tilbury counter. I could finally swatch this highly coveted brand in person, pick up a few things, and see if it's really worth all the hype it's getting by everyone from pro makeup artist to the online beauty community.
Read MoreNuance by Salma Hayek at CVS is, to me, an underdog brand that doesn't get as much love as it should. Some of that is the weirdly small to non-existent marketing behind it, were I to guess. The color cosmetics line is pretty straight forward, but there's some real gems in the skin and haircare range worth grabbing.
Today, I'm talking about a pretty awesome cleansing oil that's both drugstore and less than $11. But, like all goods things such as Firefly, it's too good to be true as CVS has apparently discontinued it. You might still be able to find bottles of it, though, and I highly suggest stocking up.
Read MoreDo you like cleansers that work well, smell great or maybe don't smell much at all, and don't burn the ever loving crap out of your eyes?
Then for the love of God, skip the Shea Moisture Peace Rose Oil Complex Sensitive Skin Facial Cleansing Oil.
Read MoreDoctor Bronner's can be used as shower gel, bath soak, washing hair and face in a pinch, as laundry soap, etc. etc. It claims to have 18 uses, but as travel goes I care about it as shower gel, face wash, and laundry soap. I have tried it on my hair, without Doctor Bronner's follow up Hair Rinse, and found I didn't like it. But then again, apparently you're supposed to use the slightly acidic hair rinse to counteract the alkali in the soap. Without it, it makes the hair feel a bit dry and off.
Read MoreI've recently gotten into cleansing balms, because quite frankly I think they're amazing. A good one removes makeup gently, cleanses, and leaves the skin baby soft. When Sunday Riley launched Blue Moon Tranquility Balm, featuring the blue tansy oil popularly in their night oil Luna, I figured it was a good time to test!
Read MoreMuch belatedly, considering I was in Paris in October, here is my French pharmacy/City Pharma haul. Given than it's been over two months now, I've had time to test these products pretty thoroughly so consider this a haul and a review after months of trial.
Read MoreWith the weather outside growing cooler and already living in a dry climate, winter becomes the time for careful consideration in the skincare department. I normally have a bit of combination skin, but it does get drier in winter. I've found the best routine that works for me is cleanse-acid tone-spritz tone-serums-treatment-moisturizer. With that in mind, I've broken down my winter skincare favorites by where they sit in my routine. I prioritize gentle exfoliating to combat any flakiness, brightness, and moisturizing overall during winter as my desired results. Most of what I recommend should work for all skin types, but your skin mileage may vary and ultimately what works for you will work for you. :)
Read MoreEmma Hardie Amazing Face Moringa Cleansing Balm is a product I've seen get a lot of love by the fabulous Caroline Hirons, Tanya Burr, and many other UK beauty bloggers. While browsing through Liberty in London, I found it in one of the displays and decided to buy it and see if it lives up to the hype. And oh, does it ever. It is the hype.
Read MoreIt's always the same story, you go into Ulta for two things and walk out with seven. In my case, I happened to see a new range of eye-catching soaps called Anatomicals on the shelves and was hooked by the witty packaging and affordable price tag.
Read MoreAs I mentioned in a previous post, I was off to Dallas this past weekend for a friend's birthday/cancer remission celebration.
It also happened to be one of the hottest weekends in Dallas, going into triple digits. Yay. Luckily, this is where an accidental purchase became so very handy.
Read MoreMUJI has become quite the popular cult brand in the beauty community, notably for its organization products, travel-sized containers, and more recently it's simple and effective skincare lines.
I'm fortunate to have a small brick and mortar MUJI storefront in my town, and with Gen Con looming, it was the perfect time to pick up some travel supplies for my toiletry kit, which is also MUJI.
Read MoreA beauty, travel and lifestyle blog featuring beauty reviews, travel tips & featured places, destination guides, lifestyle posts and more. Let's explore together!
