Bits & Pieces

Just sharing with you guys bits and pieces of goods I collected in the last few weeks.

First up, we have this Sonia Kashuk eye make-up remover...I have been using my H2O & olive oil mixture as my eye makeup remover for a long time. Since I have just run out of my mixture, I thought I would try an actual product just for the sake of trying something new. I have no clue how it will perform as this is my first time using a non-makeup Sonia Kashuk product. (I do love her eye shadows though!) Hopefully it'll be a great alternative to that of Neutrogena because I simply despise the oily residue it leaves on my eyes.

I had been wanting to get a Clarisonic cleansing system for a long time! I just recently caved and picked it up. I haven't been using it long enough to tell you how I am liking it so far but I will do a separate and more detailed review on it when the time comes.

 I was in dire need of new brushes for bronzer and MSF application. I was previously using a really old (in fact so old using it to this day should be illegal!) The Body Shop brush for applying my MSF and a not-so-old-but-not-that-great-and-now-a-little-too-scratchy-for-my-face Avon brush for bronzer. Simply put, these new brushes were a total need and not a want at all. Besides my little elf concealer brush, this will be my first time using a "real" elf brush.

The complexion brush feels soooo soft, I love it! I feel like this is just made better than the bronzing brush (perhaps because it's from the "Studio" line?) and it will not shed, or at least not as much as the bronzing one. Bronzing brush is soft too but not as much the complexion brush and right now I feel like it'll shed so much that it won't have any hairs left. We'll see!

I actually vowed that I will be staying away from Bella Bamba because...I mean another pink blush, really?! But I just couldn't help it. It's just very pretty and girly, smells like flowers and/or candy, I love the new and improved box with its little mirror inside.

Nothing big here, just my 123958th container of my favorite facial scrub. After I run out of my last tube, I always say to myself that I want to try a new scrub and I just always find myself going back for more of this green tea scrub, I don't know what it is! It seems to work for me, I love the smell, the feeling on my face afterward.

Rose D'oro is only one of the 9 colors in Milani's baked blush/bronzer range. It's gorgeous and looks like it will be perfect for achieving a sun-kissed look.

Topless and Barefoot is part of Essie's new Spring collection called "A French Affair". I had just received my quarterly Ulta certificate and chose to get a free nail polish with it. I was originally planning to get a nail polish from OPI's Texas collection but absolutely nothing grabbed my attention, at all! So I decided to go with Topless & Barefoot. It's a pastel nude in creme finish.

 Since receiving a Bath & Body Works mailer the other day, I had been dying to try out their new scent Carried Away. Finally yesterday I had the chance to check it out! I tested it on my hand and walked around int the store a good 15 minutes sniffing...everything! The scent was still there, going pretty strong. I decided to buy it because I just loved its sweet, flirty, summery scent. I came home an hour later, washed hands with soap, the scent still lingered on. On my skin, its staying power is just amazing. Quick glance on the back of the tube; ... "a whimsical blend of lush raspberries, white jasmine and whipped vanilla inspired by the way love sweeps you off your feet". Oh yeah, it's definitely comparable to love tee heee!

 I just ran out of my beloved Neutrogena hand cream and when I saw these on a shelf at my local Walgreens I knew I had to try it! I love EOS lip balms so I thought I'll probably and hopefully love their hand creams as well. First impression...it smells delish (if you like the cucumber scent that is), very moisturizing, creamy texture.

What have you all been hauling lately? Did you buy any of these products?

How I Keep It Clean!

Hey loves!

I have done my first and last ever skincare routine back in February, I think it's about time I re-do one since a few of my skincare products have changed. Some say it's not good to change products and stick with what already works for you and some say you should change the products otherwise your skin will get used to them and they won't do anything for you. I prefer to change products because I feel like there is always something better out there. So far I have come across only one product which was a total disappointment. Besides that everything I use seems to work! :) FYI: I have normal/combination skin with oilier T-zone. Of course, as we all know, skincare is serious business. While there are only few types of skins, every one of our skins and needs can be different. These products are what works for me and even though we may have the same type of skin they may not work for you.

Face Wash 
Origins Checks & Balances
I'm really happy with this facewash because it gives my skin a squeaky cleaning feeling. This facewash is lasting me a VERY long time. I really need a dime-size amount for it to foam up. Even though it costs a little bit more than I would like to pay for a facewash, I am happy with how it performs. It cleans my face and leaves my skin super soft. I also love that it's paraben free.

Moisturizer

Origins A Perfect World SPF25

Unlike some people, this is my day and night moisturizer :) It leaves my skin very hydrated and soft. It has a herbal-y scent and a very creamy consistency. It's formulated without many of the harsh chemicals, and has SPF. I really love this moisturizer!

Facial Scrub

St. Ives Green Tea Scrub

Since I discovered this scrub several months ago I have not been using anything else. I did make the mistake of trying L'oreal 365 scrub which left my forehead super dry and flaky but I learned my lesson and went right back to St. Ives. I am in my second container which will be replaced with the 3rd one soon. I think this scrub is gentle enough to be used daily. I use it about 3-4 times a week. It does leave my face a bit too squeaky clean, in other words, a bit dry. However, for me, that is expected since it cannot clear breakouts (like it claims on the container) without drying them. I follow up with my moisturizer anyway, so dryness doesn't bother me.

Facial Mask

Queen Helene Mint Julep Mask

You either love or hate this mask. I haven't heard of anyone calling it so-so. For me, this mask gets the job done. I try to use this mask once a week and I also use it when I have an occasional zit as spot treatment. One downside of this product is that, it seems to take away skin's natural oiliness. I feel as though my face has been stretched after washing this mask off. That's why I follow with my moisturizer right away. I am sure the reason I feel like my face is stretched is due to the fact that it opens my pores, still it's a weird feeling. I do like it a lot for drying up unwanted zits.

Toner

Kiehl's Acai Damage-Protecting Toning Mist

Takes off any remaining make-up, balances skin's pH level. I love that it leaves my skin very refreshed. I actually like to spritz this on my face every now and then to freshen up!

Eye-cream
Kiehl's Eye Cream with Avocado
I purchased this avocado eye cream during a time when I was experiencing dryness and a bit of redness around my eye area. I knew for a fact it was because of the eye make-up remover I was using at the time. Since I stopped using the eye make-up remover and started using this eye cream, the dryness and redness both vanished. I do love this eye cream but it doesn't do much in terms of aging. In fact I am certain it doesn't do anything for aging. It's more for providing moisturize in eye area. I will most likely not repurchase this product but will continue to enjoy using it while it lasts. This little container sure is packed an incredible amount of moisture!

My eye make-up remover is just a mixture of extra virgin olive oil and water. I have not seen any disadvantages of using this as my remover, in fact I believe it to be much safer and healthier than store-bought eye make-up removers. Not to mention a lot cheaper! I think this mixture does an amazing job dissolving the most stubborn eyeliner and mascara!

I'm planning to keep my products the same with the exception of my eye-cream and now you know the reason. I will be searching for a real eye cream with anti-aging benefits pretty soon as I'm getting close to finishing up my little tub of avocado cream. Please feel free to recommend some eye creams I should be checking out. If you know of any formulated without parabens and phthalates I would love it even more! :)

Do you keep your facial skin care products the same or change them up once in a while?

St. Ives Naturally Clean Green Tea Scrub

Hey girls!!!

Okay so I just ran out of my Burt's Bees Peach and Willowbark scrub which I love dearly! Now it was time to get a new one BUT as I was wandering through the aisles of my local CVS looking for something else, this St. Ives scrub caught my eye and I picked it up and "studied" the back side of it. I was very surprised to find out that it's formulated without parabens and phthalates! I'm seriously very happy to see more drugstore brands making products without these.

 My first impression of the scent was, "wow smells just like DKNY Be Delicious, yummyyy" and I still think it smells something like it, obviously a more toned-down version of it. Another thing that caught my attention was that on it besides that it has green tea (loves it!)  it says "clears breakouts & reduces redness". Well this kind of ties into the reason why I didn't have any FOTDs lately because I actually used another face scrub (read my 'negative' review on it here) which totally made me breakout, me no likey! I've been using this scrub for several days now and I just love it. I love the texture of it, it has these micro beads that are so gentle on skin. As you work this scrub on your face, it sort of lathers up, nothing too foamy though. After rinsing, my face felt kind of cool, I'm sure it was because it opened my pores and my skin was able to breathe again. But the best feeling of all was post-drying, it makes your skin incredibly soft!! I have normal combination skin and have not experienced any dryness using this scrub however I feel like if you have dry skin this may not be suitable for you because it doesn't have that moisturizing element in it like my Burt's Bees Peach scrub does. So far I'm very happy with this scrub, it really exceeded my expectations. I can see some reduction of the breakout already! I purchased this for about $6, it comes in a 4.5oz container. There are also Green Tea and Olive cleansers in this collection if you're interested.