November Favorites

My favorite hand cream

I've always been a huge fan of L'occitane's Shea Butter Hand Cream ($10 for 1 oz - travel size), but a good friend of mine introduced me to this Herbacin hand cream a few months ago.  She discovered this product while she was shopping at Whole Foods and generously bought me a tube as well.  I love my friends <3.

Pros:  

*absorbs very quickly 

*leaves hands silky smooth

*extremely moisturizing

*nice, clean scent

*reasonable price

Although this lotion is available in most drugstores, Amazon has the cheapest price (at least that I could find =P) - $5.23 for 3.3 oz .  Click here to purchase.  If you're eligible for free shipping there, I suggest you give it a try! =)

Aussie Leave-In Conditioner

I bought this product a few weeks ago because I was in desperate need of a hair detangler (my mane's getting obnoxiously long, therefore, substantially harder to take care of).  I love how this product smells, and the price ($4.29) is a total plus.  This conditioner contains tons of vitamins and minerals, including Australian tea tree oil.  Click here to purchase.

I bought this online at Ulta while it was on sale a few weeks ago.  Unfortunately, the sale's now over, but there are other deals/coupons available:

1.  $5 off any purchase of $15 or more.  Valid until Dec. 24th.  Code:  83254.
2.  $3.50 off any purchase of $10 or more.  Valid until Nov. 30th.  Code:  72477.
3.  $10 off any purchase of $60 or more.  Valid until Dec. 21st.  Code:  80351.
4.  Free holiday shipping over $25 dollars.  Code:  HOLIDAY2012

*You can only use one code per order.  Coupons exclude the more expensive brands (ie. Smashbox, Urban Decay).

Forget chapstick, ladies! Use Babylips =P

I'm totally loving Babylips by Maybelline.  I have three of the available shades: Cherry Me, Pink Punch, and Peach Kiss.  My favorite is Peach Kiss.  The shade is very subtle, enhancing the natural color of my lips. 

Pros:

*super moisturizing

*contains SPF 20

*lasts for hours

*smells/tastes delicious

*even application

*subtle shade

*affordable (3.99)

Ulta has a promotion going on right now:  Buy 1 get 1 50% off.  You could also use the coupon codes above to get an even bigger discount ;).  Click here to purchase.   

My current favorite mask:  Formula 10.0.6 Deep Down Detox Ultra Cleansing Mud Mask

I've been having some issues with my skin as of late, and this mask has really helped clear my skin up!  You leave the product on your face for about 15 minutes then rinse with warm water.  The directions say to use the mask 1-3 times per week, but I'd definitely stick to using it once a week because the product could dry out one's skin. However, I really do believe this mask successfully detoxes my complexion.

Pros:

*helps with break-outs

*extremely affordable (5.99)

*pores feel tight

*face feels substantially smoother

Click here to buy!

*photos are not mine*

PM Skincare Routine

These are the products I'll be reviewing today.

Hey everyone! For today's post, I'll be sharing my PM skincare routine with you all.  My regimen consists of four crucial steps:

1.  Apply a mask (once a week)
2.  Pat on toner (daily)
3.  Apply lotion (daily)
4.  Apply a face cream (daily)

It's tough to maintain this regimen especially throughout the school year.  If I feel overwhelmed with work, I just pat on toner and apply face cream.  Personally, that's all I really need to maintain my skin, however, when I really want to relax and pamper myself, I follow all four steps.

A closer look at the products above: 

1.  Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover ***** 

It's so important to wash your face at night.  Never sleep with your make-up on, you'll seriously ruin your skin.  With that said, it's really difficult to get all your eye make-up off even if you wash your face thoroughly.  I've been using this product for years; in my opinion, it's the BEST make-up remover out there.  

2.  Yes to Cucumbers Calm Care Soothing Facial Mask ****
I did a review of this product in a previous post.  Clicky here to read.

3.  Estee Lauder Soft Clean Silky Hydrating Lotion ****
4.  Estee Lauder Swiss Performing Extract **

I bought both of these products at the Cosmetics Company Outlet.  I would never pay full price, being a bargainista and all =P  Anywho, the toner is quite nice. The product really moisturizes and soothes my skin. In addition to the aforementioned perks, the toner smells really good.  

On the other hand, I'm not crazy about the Swiss Performing Extract - it didn't really do much to improve my skin. Also, I wasn't a fan of the consistency... it's super watery. I was disappointed that this product didn't live up to the rave online reviews.  I'm glad I'm almost out.  

5.  Olay Regenerist Micro-scultping Cream *****

I'm totally obsessed with this face cream.  It's so rich and moisturizing.  I apply it at night and wake up with baby soft skin in the morning.  This product really DOES work just as well as a $500 night cream.  I definitely recommend it.  I used to buy this product in bulk at Costco, but it seems to no longer be available there.  I hope they re-stock soon *crosses fingers*

6.  Yes to Blueberries Overnight Hydrating Cream ***

I get bored using the same products every night, so I switch it up =)  Read my review on this cream by clicking here.

Product Review - Skincare

Here are the three beauty products I'll be reviewing today.

The Trifix Acne Clearing Lotion from the Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Line is amazing to say the least.  I've been using this product to zap zits for the last two years.  Although many people use this lotion all over their face, I tend to use it just for spots; this product's pretty strong and my skin tends to peel if I apply it all over.  Warning: if you're super sensitive to smells, this product may not be right for you - the lotion has a distinctive smell due to its active ingredient, 3% Colloidal Sulfur. It doesn't bother me though.  I apply a thin layer to affected areas overnight and by the next morning, I see a big difference in redness and size.  Clicky here to purchase this product!

I recently started experimenting with Yes to... products.  I use this hydrating creme after applying toner and lotion or simply slather it on when I'm feeling lazy.  This creme really hydrates your skin, but it takes a long time for it to absorb. Try it out if you don't mind looking like a ghost for an hour or so.  With that being said, I do like this product, although it's not my favorite hydrating creme. It costs about 20 dollars, but places like Ulta usually have promotions like "buy one get one half off". Clicky here to buy! 

I've been on a mission to find good face masks.  I was hesitant to buy this product at first though.  There were wayyy too many bad reviews.  A lot of people claimed that this product irritated their skin, leaving it bright red.  Since I have sensitive skin, I was terrified that this mask would make me look like a tomato, but I decided to take a chance.  I'm SO glad that I did.  I LOVE this product.  It purifies my skin without drying it out. Think Queen Helene's Mint Julep Masque (about $3) but WAYYYY better.  Although the Yes to Cucumbers Calming Facial Mask is a bit more expensive ($14.99), it's definitely worth it!  You only need to keep it on for about 5 minutes for it to work, so it's quick as well. Clicky here to buy!