Products I Will Be Repurchasing

I know I've done some of these before, and I will continue to do them! I think some of these products were even on my past posts on things I would repurchase, because I did and will continue to repurchase them!

1. Mario Badescu Rose Hips Nourishing Oil- I used to mainly use this in the winter time because my face would dry out so badly, but I use it in the summer as well because it just adds a little extra moisture in spots that are needed. For some reason my skin gets very dry and flakey around my eyebrow area, so I use it before I put on my moisturizer and the flakes are gone! I also have a Benefit Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow that hadn't been used in a while and had dried out. I put a drop of this in the shadow, mixed it up with a toothpick, and it was good as new! It didn't look as smooth and pretty in the container as it did when I first got it, but still looked the same when applied to eyes. I'm not use exactly how safe it is to use around the eye area, but I have been and haven't had any problems so far! A little bit of this stuff goes a LONG way too!

2. Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion- I freaking love this stuff! I've gotten some samples of other eye primers (e.l.f., Lorac, and some others I can't recall right now) and this one takes the cake. Not that the others were bad, the Primer Potion just makes my shadow stay on alllll damn day. Sometimes I'm bad and fall asleep in my makeup, and when I wake up it's still there! Not as perfect as the day before, but it definitely works. Lorac is a close second, and the e.l.f. one isn't bad for the price, I just prefer the Urban Decay Primer Potion.

3. Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs & Rosewater- I really, really like Mario Badescu products in case you haven't noticed. It's absolutely perfect to keep in your purse and spray it on your face throughout the day. Since I tend to have dehydrated skin, this acts as a little pick me up so that I don't get too dry. I also use it as a makeup setting spray so that my setting powder doesn't dry out my face too much. I am way too in love with this stuff, I'm on my third bottle!

4. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil- Eyeliner that doesn't have good staying power drives me absolutely INSANE. I don't want coon eyes halfway through the day. These puppies have insane staying power. I use it on my upper and lower lash lines and I get no coon eyes. They also apply very smoothly, so there is no tugging on my eyes when I put it on. I've gone through 2 full sized black pencils, and I also have a purple pencil that I sometimes put over my black liner. I love love love love these things. Get them. Now.

5. MAC Face and Body Foundation- I'd heard recommendations for this back when I first started wearing foundation, but I also had problem skin that needed heavier coverage. Now that my skin is acne free, I don't need such a heavy foundation. It's VERY watery, but it sets into your skin very quickly. This is especially good for summer because it feels so light, but I usually add another layer once the first one dries just to cover up a few trouble spots. I could use concealer for this, but I feel like concealer is too heavy to cover the extra redness around my nose and cheeks. I use e.l.f. studio concealer if anyone is wondering. I've had no breakouts so far, and it stays all day! I do set it with powder, though, just to make sure.

6. Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture for Combination Skin- It doesn't make my face too oily, it doesn't break me out, and it doesn't dehydrate my skin. It's also affordable and I can get it pretty much anywhere. That's pretty much all I'm looking for in a moisturizer at the moment.



Apologies again for the repeats, I couldn't help myself. What are some products you loved that you will be repurchasing?

Do You Use Toners?

When I got my Mario Badescu samples, a toner was included called the "Special Cucumber Lotion". I hadn't used a toner really before, except a while back I did use a Clinique toner that stung like crazy! I looked over my samples, and noticed the second step after cleansing was to use this Special Cucumber Lotion. I knew it was a toner, but I had no idea what the purpose was. So, I referenced my handy little booklet they included and looked up the mystery product.

"Refreshing, disinfecting and deep cleaning astringent that is effective in drying up existing acne blemishes while preventing new eruptions. Sulfur and soothing Cucumber help to fight against oily build-up and bacteria that can cause acne."

Alright, so it cleanses my face...after I already cleansed it? I was pretty confused at this point. So I decided to skip this step my first few days of using the skincare line. Unfortunately, it was around that time of the month, which meant that minor breakouts were starting to appear around my chin. Not huge pimples, just several small whiteheads. I figured I'd give the Special Cucumber lotion a shot. I used it in the morning and at night after cleansing. The first thing I noticed after the first day of using it, my skin wasn't as oily as usual! When I woke up the next morning, my whiteheads were pretty much gone.

Then I looked at the rest of the toners and astringents listed in the booklet, and there are so many options for different skin types! So I learned, toner is not necessary in one's skincare regimen, but it's definitely something to look into if you have problem skin! It's like one of those products (like face primer for me), where you don't realize or think it's necessary until you stop using it, and then you really see what a difference it makes.

After further research, I learned that toners are supposed to get rid of any residue the cleanser may have left behind, so that moisturizer will be more effective. If you get dehydrated skin like me, you may want to look into a good toner (with no alcohol! Don't want to add to the problem).

Toners can also help balance the pH of the skin after you cleanse it, so if you get oily skin throughout the day, a toner could help you out.

My toner isn't going to be one of those products that I HAVE to repurchase as soon as I run out, but I definitely notice it benefits the overall condition of my skin.

*Arielle commented and wanted to know if there was a difference between a toner and astringent. From what I've gathered, an astringent is much more harsh and generally contains more alcohol than a toner, and can dry or irritate skin more. Toners are more for everyday use and astringents are for a few days out of the week. That was kind of a grey area so please comment and let me know if this is wrong :)

Do you use a toner? Do you feel it is necessary? What toner do you use?

What I'm Loving: July

It's about that time again! Time for what I've been loving during the month of July. Woohoo!

click on the picture for product information

1. Revlon lipstick in Primrose- Being the beauty junkie that I am, I find it surprising that I don't like lipstick. Yeah, I said it, I don't like lipstick. It just feels so thick and heavy, and most of the time highlights the driest parts of your lips (which I happen to have a lot of). Plus my lips have a nice color to them on their own, so I never really found the need. I've been trying to get into lipstick though, and my favorite so far is Revlon's Primrose. It's a nice pink color with a bit of mauve in it. It's so great for everyday wear!

2. Philosophy Fresh Peaches with Cream Shampoo, Shower Gel, & Bubble Bath- As mentioned in my Summer 2011 Wishlist, I did end up getting this little gem. My boyfriend bought it for me when we went to Ulta (hehe) and I absolutely love it. It is the PERFECT summer shower gel. I use it every time I shower, and it's a huge bottle so it will last a long time. I haven't used it as a shampoo or a bubble bath yet though, so I'm not so sure how well it works for those purposes. If you like the smell of peaches, this may be your new best friend.

3. Mario Badescu Facial Spray- I'm not writing out that long ass name, haha. But it's the only facial spray as of right now that Mario Badescu has. I LOVE this stuff. My skin tends to get dehydrated, and I've run out of my SkinCeuticals Hydrating B5 gel sample, and I refuse to pay $70 for the full size. This has done a great job at keeping my skin hydrated, and its only $7! I spray it on at night sometimes before and sometimes after moisturizing. I also spray it on my face after I apply my setting powder to get rid of that powdery look I'm often left with. If they ever discontinue this stuff, I'm buying like 100 bottles of it.

4. Honey Bunches of Oats cereal- I used to think I didn't like this cereal (before I even tried it) because I like my super sweet cereals. Yeah, I still eat Lucky Charms. But I stayed at my boyfriend's house for a couple of weeks while we were waiting for our new place to be ready, and his mom buys a lot of healthy foods and this was the only cereal they had at the time. I was surprised that I actually really liked it! It's also way healthier than those sugary things that really shouldn't be sold as breakfast, haha. I also tried the one with cinnamon bunches which was good, but I like the original better.

5. Garnier Fructis Anti Dark Circle Eye Roller and MAC Pro Longwear Concealer- I used to just use these by themselves, but I had some serious dark circles one morning and the Garnier Fructis eye roller alone just wasn't gonna cut it! So I added some MAC Pro Longwear concealer over it and those puppies were GONE. The only thing I don't like is that Pro Longwear concealer dispenses waaay more product than I need, so I end up wasting it. I haven't gotten around to MAC to ask for some sample containers to put it in yet.

6. Dunkin Donuts- 99 cents for any size sweet tea? Uhh yes! They also combined my 2 favorite doughnuts and made them into one- the Captain America doughnut! Vanilla frosted + jelly filled = YUMMY! I'm so sad it's only going to be there for a limited time though! If you haven't tried the Captain American doughnut yet, get your butt to DD right now!

7. Urban Decay 15th Anniversary Palette- Did I really need to spend $60 on this? No, but of course I just happened to be online when they released them on Ulta.com and I freaked out and bought it. The colors are gorgeous though, and are all new limited edition colors (even if some are similar to ones I already have). I'm kind of a palette addict, I prefer buying palettes over individual colors unless there is a specific individual color I want. The packaging is pretty but it kind of bothers me. The top gets fingerprints alllll over it, and the plastic surrounding the eyeshadows is purple and mirrored, which also kind of annoys me for some reason. It might just be me, but it makes it harder for me to see the true color of the shadow. Overall I do love the palette and I've used it pretty much everyday since I got it.

Well that's about it for this month! Don't forget to enter my Emma Kisstina MAC lipstick print giveaway! Do you love any of these? What are your favorites this month?

I Tried It! Mario Badescu Skincare

Ever since I tried that Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs, and Rosewater (looong name!), I've been very interested in the Mario Badescu skincare line since it seem fairly affordable and I've read some good reviews on that line. (My experience with the facial spray also confirmed that it was a good brand, but a separate post on that later).

I filled out the skin care analysis on the website, and got an email asking if it was ok that they sent free samples (yes, every one of you can do this too! Just fill out the questionairre and put a valid email address). A week or so later I got my samples, which included the Enzyme Cleansing Gel, Special Cucumber Lotion, Ceramide Herbal Eye Cream, Collagen Moisturizer (spf 15), a Flower and Tonic Mask, and a Kiwi Face Scrub.

I've tried all but the Flower and Tonic Mask and the Kiwi Face Scrub, and I am so impressed! I haven't been committed to a skincare regimen for a while now, mainly because I haven't found one that totally works for me. I have dehydrated (NOT dry skin), which can be hard to work with at times. I'd been using a sample of SkinCeuticals Hydrating B5 Gel that my facialist gave me (retails for $70!) to keep my skin under control.

During the time I've been using these samples, I haven't had to use the B5 gel at all! If I can find products that are cheaper than $70 that do the same job, you best believe I'm going to invest!

The only problem I ran into was when I first started using these samples, a few whiteheads popped up around my chin. They were gone within 2 days though, and didn't turn into horrible mountainous pimples :)

With the samples, a little booklet was included that listed ALL of their products, what their purpose is, what skin types they are good for, and prices. They also send you a card that lists products they recommend for you, day and night skincare instructions for the products they sent, and how to apply each one.

I am definitely considering ordering some of these products when my samples run out. (Things like the Special Cucumber Lotion and the Ceramide Herbal Eye cream will last a LONG time, because you don't have to use a lot of them). Good products and good customer service, I'm pretty much sold. I would definitely recommend anybody to go fill out the skin care analysis online and see how you like their products.

What do you think? Do you use Mario Badescu? What is your favorite skincare line?

What the haul?

I got paid this past week, and I was good(ish), I put a portion in the bank and kept out a smaller portion for me to spend. I still have a little left over so I can pay my credit card bill, and buy some pictures for my room (more on that later!). So, this is my haul for the week!

1. Essie nail polish in Borrowed & Blue

I was at Bed Bath & Beyond looking for things to store my makeup in, but of course I got sucked into the beauty section. I saw this polish picked it up immediately. Blue polishes are my favorite to wear, and this isn't like the blues I already have. Borrowed & Blue is like a really nice light sky blue color. I haven't worn it yet since I've been working all week (boo for no nail polish at work!) but I'll post a picture when I try it out!

2. MAC's Melon Pigment

This is actually my first MAC pigment! I was at CCO looking for a blush/other face products but I ended up spending a lot of time looking at the pigments. I thought Melon was a very pretty color, especially for summer. I wore it yesterday and I LOVE it! I appied it using 2 products I got in this haul, the Stila Kitten Smudge Pot and the Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs, and Rosewater. Whew, long name! But more on that when I mention those products.

3. Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs, and Rosewater

This facial spray is very multi purpose. First of all, it smells very pleasantly of roses. I don't normally like flowery smells, but I do like this one. First, I sprayed this on my makeup brush before applying MAC's Melon pigment to my eyes, it works kind of like Fix+ from MAC I assume, though I've never tried Fix+. After I apply my powder to my face after foundation, I spray my face once with this to get rid of that powdery look it sometimes leaves me with. I didn't notice my makeup staying on any less than it would if I just used powder, and it gives you a more dewy look (not oily though!). It's also good just to "freshen up" your makeup throughout the day or just if you are hot and need a good mist! And it's only $7!

4. Stila Smudge Pot in Kitten

My obsession for cream eyeshadows continues. I was originally going to get Benefit's Creaseless Cream Shadow in either R.S.V.P or Birthday Suit, but my Ulta was out of stock of both! So, I ventured over to Stila and picked up Kitten. It's a really pretty champagne gold color. I used this as a base before I applied the Melon pigment to make it stick and last longer.

5. INM Clear Bond Base Coat

I've been out of both my base coat and my top coat for a while now, and since I don't paint my nails very often I never thought to pick one up. I bought this with the Essie nail polish, because when I do paint my nails (especially darker colors) it stains my nails pretty badly and it's a pain to get off! I haven't tried this yet either, but I might post a review when I do!

I know everybody is probably tired of hearing this, but the giveaway ends in 2 DAYS! (on Friday). So enter if you haven't already!

What did you buy this week? Have you tried any of these items? Let me know your opinions!