Get in Summer Mode with KBShimmer's Candy Land Inspired Items for the May Polish Pickup

Wednesday, April 22, 2020

Nudestix Daydreamer Collection for Earth Day

Greetings, dear readers, and happy hump day! I'm so glad that we're already over the halfway mark of the week! Trying to wrangle the kids to keep them from fighting and doing some online learning all while still getting over being sick is exhausting! I'm currently taking advantage of the kids being distracted so I can get a post up quickly.

I purchased the Nudestix Daydreamer kit made in collaboration with Hillary Duff when it was released, but I realized it had not made an appearance here on my blog. I opted to wear a little more makeup today, and since I wanted something easy with a pop of green for Earth Day, this set came to mind.

The Nudestix Daydreamer kit consists of three Magnetic Luminous Eye Color sticks in the shades Prism, Bright Eyes, and Night Dweller; Nudies Matte All Over Blush Color in the shade Body Language; Nudies Glow All Over Highlight in the shade Half Moon, and a Gel Color Lip + Cheek Balm in Secret Keeper. These items are then packaged into makeup tins with a mirror in the lids and then enclosed inside this Daydreamer zipped pouch. There is also a sharpener included for when you need to sharpen your eye colors or lip balm.

I used all the products in the kit for today's look. Let's check it out!

I'm currently dealing with breakouts from a product that isn't working for me and need to clean up my stray eyebrow hairs more. Wearing makeup and posting today was an impromptu decision and I don't have a lot of free time at the moment!

I used Night Dweller along my lash line and blended it out for a softer finish. I applied Bright Eyes to my lids and put on a second layer of Night Dweller. I tapped Prism into my inner corners to brighten up my eyes.

I buffed on a light layer of Body Language onto my cheeks and dabbed Half Moon on my upper cheekbones and just above the outer third of my eyebrows. After a quick coat of Secret Keeper on my lips, my makeup was done in no time!

I feel more put together today than I have in a month now! In spite of that, I'm not particularly fond of this look or of a few of these products. I was so excited about the green shade, Night Dweller, when I first saw this collection, but it does not blend out nicely for me. I've been able to make it work with very quick application and layering, but I'm still not able to work with it the way I want. While I have used similar shades, Bright Eyes isn't winning me over for some reason either. I'm about 80% sure you're going to see these again soon in my April destash post. I'm going to hold on to the rest of the items, at least for the time being. My favorite items from this kit are the Nudies Matte All Over Blush Color in Body Language and the Magnetic Luminous Eye Color pencil in Prism. I don't exactly "need" them as part of my collection, but I'm going to keep using them since I already spent the money to purchase them.

How is your Earth Day going? Have you done anything special to celebrate? I had been holding onto assorted odds and ends rather than discarding them for a couple weeks now, and I am so glad the kids have put them to good use by making recycled art projects today!

Until next time, dear readers, have a wonderful day! I hope you continue to stay healthy and safe!

XO!

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Calendula Facial Cleansing Tissues | Moira Beauty

Monday, April 20, 2020

Use It or Lose It March: Pan and Purge Project 2020

Greetings dear readers! I had hoped to get this post up last week, but it was a particularly stressful one around here. I have been in and out of the Urgent Care and Emergency Room, and at this point, I am arguably more mentally spent than I am physically. I still wanted to get this post up, so I've been plugging away at it over the weekend to get it up. We're already two thirds of the way through April, but I have been determined to get the March edition of my Pan and Purge Project here on the blog.

This year, I decided to set a goal of 175 products that need to be either emptied or purged from my stash. While it may sound like a lofty goal, I have a rather large collection of items that just don't get used. It's not always been easy, but it feels good to empty another container or just let go of something I didn't love but still held onto for some crazy reason. Let's get a look at what has left my stash for the month of March!

Use It: The Empties

As the subtitle suggests, these are the items I have finished up this month.

Skincare

Essentials Foaming Facial Cleanser for Sensitive Skin | Clean & Clear

This has been a favorite go-to facial cleanser for me for several years now, and I keep going back to it. It is gentle enough for my skin and leaves it feeling clean without feeling overly stripped or raw. I really like the affordable price point, especially since the hubby has decided he likes using it too, and we have another one in use now!

Facial Spray with Aloe, Cucumber and Green Tea | Mario Badescu

I've gone through a couple bottles of this Mario Badescu facial spray! It is the perfect pick-me-up for my skin, especially living in a drier climate. I also like to use a light spritz when applying some of my skin care products like when using my hyaluronic acid. I've got another bottle already open and in use of this baby as well!

Glow Glycolic Boost Brightening Infusion Sheet Mask | PIXI

A friend of mine gifted me this (and a couple other) masks, although I have only tried this single one. I do enjoy PIXI skincare products and this mask was no exception. I don't foresee myself picking up more than the others i already have as I stopped buying these types of masks, but it is a nice product.

Repairing Neck and Decollatage Treatment | Restorsea

I have spent so much time focusing on my face and not enough time on my decollaté. Thankfully this treatment from Restorsea did wonders to help smooth out my skin and turn back the clock thanks to an enzyme in the fish hatching industry. For those who must be wondering, no, this does not smell like fish. I really could use some more, but I have to look into the details of shipping as these enzymes are temperature sensitive and it's in the 90's this week here.

Hyaluronic Acid PURE | Timeless Skin Care

I've used products that contains hyaluronic acid before, but this was a first for me that was about as pure as you could get- HLA suspended in an alcohol solution. Because it has to be suspended in alcohol (otherwise you would have a powdered product), it can be drying to the skin if you do not take the added precautions of applying to slightly damp skin. I like to not fully dry my face after washing, apply this to the skin until rubbed in, and then follow up with my Mario Badescu spritz. I currently have other Hyaluronic acid products in rotation, but I'm planning to pick up another one of these when I'm needing more.

C-Tango Multivitamin Eye Cream | Drunk Elephant

I got this eye cream after reading a positive review, but to be honest, I wasn't that impressed with it. Yes, my eye area looked fine, but this eye cream didn't seem to do anything special that other, far cheaper versions already do for me. The packaging is cool, but I don't love not knowing exactly how much is left and trying to guess when I will need a replacement bottle. I'm glad I tried it, but I will not be repurchasing it.

Nutrilogie 2 | Vichy Laboratoires

If you followed along on my Instagram stories in February, you likely would have seen this moisturizer. After having what appeared to be a chemical burn from an unrelated product, I picked up this moisturizer as it didn't have any potentially irritating products on my extremely fragile and sensitive skin. While this moisturizer is richer than my skin would normally prefer, it is exactly what my skin needed at the time! I’m likely to pick up another for night use when winter rolls around again. As for now, my skin is healed and it is just too much for it this time of year.

Beauty Sleep Water | Harmony Proteins

After trying out some other Harmony Proteins collagen supplement flavors, I picked this one up when I spotted it at my Walmart. While I'm still not entirely convinced ingested collagen helps the appearance of skin, I do believe it can help your joints. Not to mention, the added flavor can help encourage drinking more water! I’m not really sure this helped with my sleep, and the flavor sadly was just not my favorite. I'm going to stick with their watermelon flavor for the time being.

Mint Juleps Lip Scrub | LUSH

I'm a big fan of lip scrubs, and I always seem to have one from LUSH in my drawer! As the name would suggest, this particular one is minty, but I did enjoy it. I wouldn't say it is my favorite option, but I didn't care for the other flavor options when I purchased this one so Mint Juleps it was! Now that my trip to New Orleans this week has been cancelled, I kind of wish I hadn't finished it off yet so I could pretend to have more of the experience at home....

Starry Eyes Indulgent Self-Warming Eye Mask | Popmask

I got a few of these from a friend and was really eager to try one out. The masks stsart to warm immediately after unfolding and fit comfortably on the eyes and stay secured with elastic bands. It was a nice luxury experience from the comfort of my home, and I even fell asleep wearing it. The heating sensation lasts for about 20 masks and the masks are not reusable, at least if you want the heat aspect. It is a nice treat and I am looking forward to using the others I have on hand. I’m still on the fence as to whether or not I would purchase more.

Cosmetics

It's U Setting Spray | Sistar Cosmetics

I've not been wearing a lot of makeup lately as I've been slowly recovering from being sick, but setting spray is a product I use a lot. My usage hasn't been too bad, but as the days heat up, I find I have to start applying setting spray multiple times as I apply layers of makeup on my face. While this one from Sistar Cosmetics isn't quite as fine as I would like- I really like very thin mists- it was perfectly functional for me. I would use my blender to soften any areas in my face that felt particularly damp, but that's par for the course with other setting sprays I use. I didn't get to try this in the high heart of summer here, and because it is so affordable, I'm thinking of picking up another one and see how it holds up in our 110ºF+ days.

Nails

Hand Lotion | eos

There was a time I loves eos products, and to be frank, I'm not sure what I was thinking. I got this as part of a set, and I just wasn't crazy about it. I know I've been washing my hands A LOT more than usual and using alcohol sprays to wipe down things entering (and leaving) my home, so I know I am asking a lot from a hand lotion right now. That being said, this would leave my hands feeling moisturized immediately after use, but an hour or so later my hands would just feel dry. I have another one from the set I am currently using in rotation with others, but I'm ready to say farewell to the brand.

French 75 Cuticle Oil | Northern Star Polish

All this hand washing also has me using cuticle oils more frequently, and this one was part of a set that was exclusive to the Polish Pickup. Northern Star Polish cuticle oils always work really well for me, so I have numerous scents open and in rotation at any given point. The downside about this being exclusive is I will not be able to get this particular scent again unless it is offered during the flashbacks in July, but I love so many of the other scent offerings that I admittedly have forgotten what it smelled like by now.

Body

Hand & Body Lotion | Smartly

I first picked up this product (but not this exact bottle) on a whim while at Target one day when I saw it was unscented and affordable without fancy packaging, and I am so glad I did! It's a nice daily use moisturizer on its own, but I often use this to cut my scented moisturizers. I am particularly sensitive to smells, and while I may enjoy the scent of a product, it tends to be too strong when used as a lotion applied over my body. I have a couple bottles of these Smartly lotions in my house as my kids like using it too, and I don't have to worry about fragrances irritated my oldest's eczema-prone skin.

After The Rain Sugar Scrub | KBShimmer
Lime Margarita Sugar Scrub | KBShimmer

I know you've seen me say it before, but in case you forgot, I really LOVE KBShimmer sugar scrubs! Both these scents were exclusive to the Polish/Indie Pickup and I've been slowly using them because I know I cannot replace them. Between these two scent options, After The Rain was more to my taste as it was a lighter scent in general and could be used in the shower. While Lime Margarita smells delicious (and has quite a fan following from what I could see), the scent was too strong for me to use on my body and was delegated to hand scrub use only. At least that allowed me to enjoy the scent more often! Again, these were exclusives and no longer available, but KBShimmer does have a new Spun Sugar scent coming up in about two weeks at the next Polish Pickup opening.

Hair

Melon-tini Invisible Dry Shampoo | Garnier Fructis

I have my dry shampoos that I love and tend to stick with, but when I spotted this one at Target, I opted to get one to try. I'm used to having to brush out the white cast many dry shampoos initially leave in my hair, and I was pretty impressed that I didn't have to really do that with this dry shampoo. While the scent isn't quite what I was hoping for, it still wasn't bad, not that I can really smell my short hair much, particularly at the roots where this would be applied. I did feel like this dry shampoo would really only buy me a day of not having to wash my hair again without reapplication unlike some of the others I use that get me two days. I wouldn't place this dry shampoo in my list of favorites, but I wouldn't mind using it in a pinch if my favorites weren't available.

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Lose It: Purged Products

These are the items that are not empty but I have decided to let go.

Skincare

Facial wipes aren't really my jam- I don't think they remove makeup particularly well and I'm not a fan of the waste. That being said, I usually like to have small packs on hand for when I attend assorted beauty shows so I can easily swatch products in my hand and/or arm and remove without having to make a mess. I had hoped these would work for me, but they were so irritating to my skin and did not work well to remove easy, non stubborn makeup. This makes these a definite no-go, even for the little I use this type of product.

Better Skin Lava Magik Cleanser Scrub Mask | The Better Skin Co

I believe this was part of a recent FabFitFun box I had purchased, and I knew immediately I likely would not be a fan of this product. I do not like harsh scrubs when it comes to my face, and given the pumice content on this baby, I quickly realized my assumption was correct. I still attempted to use this a handful of times as a very diluted face wash and a mask, but it was still horribly abrasive. I am keeping the little scoop that came with it though to use with other jar products.

Cosmetics

Orange Cream Blush | NYX Cosmetics

Y'all, I am so sad to let this go, I'm really feeling orange blush right now but I've had this one for a few years now and it is just time to let it go. It smells fine and din't get much use as orange wasn't my thing when I was gifted it, but I just don't trust cream products after a certain period of time. I have been enjoying cream blushes a lot in particular recently so if you have a good orange suggestion, even if it is a powder, please let me know!

Frozen Cream Pigment | Hikari Cosmetics

Like the previous product, this one also hurts a little to let go. Again, this is a cream product I have had for a few years, and I just don't feel comfortable putting it on my eyes any longer. The colour is a beautiful silver, a shade that I generally wear very infrequently, so I'm mostly ok with saying goodbye to it. Even now it swatches with smooth pigmentation on the skin so I may end up picking up a few other Hikari Cream Pigments in shades I would wear frequently so I can at least get more use before I have to let them go.

Naturally Neutral Airspun Loose Face Powder | Coty

I know some people love this loose face powder to set their makeup, and they affordable price is a great perk, but I just cannot get over the smell. It is just too perfumey for me, and as someone that has a very sensitive nose, I found myself still smelling it long after applying it to my skin. This particular shade is also a touch too light for my skin tone, but with the smell issue, I have no desire to pick up a translucent or darker shade.

Rotating Makeup Brush (Foundation brush head) | blendSMART

I stumbled across this product at Cosmoprof North America a few years ago and was really excited about it at the time. It was a cool concept and a great way to apply foundation to the skin. Since that time, my techniques and preferences have changed, and this brush just doesn't suit my needs like it did then. In an effort to attempt to declutter my brush collection, it's sadly just time for me to let this one go. It was fun for awhile, but since I never grab for it any more (and got irritated with it when I did recently while debating on whether or not to keep it), it's gotta go.

Rosè Face Perfecting 4 piece brush set | MōDA Brushes

I've been wearing makeup a long time, and while I do enjoy trying new things and my techniques are constantly evolving, I had never tried this style of brushes until now. After reaching them in a mystery box, I was actually pretty excited to try them out. Unfortunately, I was really unhappy with these brushes. I found the bristles to be so densely packed that I never felt like I could get a particularly even application. In comparison to the brush heads, the handles just felt flimsy and these brushes were poorly balanced between the hand weight and the brush head weight. I don't know if this means paddle-style brushes in general are not for me or if this set just doesn't cut it. Those that have used paddle brushes, please chime in and let me know what you think!

Brush Essentials 6 piece Travel brush set | Royal & Langnickel

This was another item in a mystery box, and I was particularly interested in trying out this set. I like to travel light, and I have been on the hunt for my perfect mini brush set to save me some space. Sadly, this set was just not it. While they weren't particularly harsh on my hand, the eye brushes were so uncomfortably scratchy when applying product. Attempting to then blend became painful fast! The foundation and blush brushes in this set weren't bad and performed reasonably well for me, but when all is said and done, I'm not happy with the overall performance of the set. Using this set was, I believe, the final straw in my attempt at finding a good compact travel set and made me accept that I should just take my full size brushes that I love. It's not like I have to take my full brush collection anyway, and these mini sets really aren't saving me that much space.

Monthly Stats

Empties: 17

Purged: 16

Total: 33

Yearly Stats

Empties: 42

Purged: 45

Total: 87

For March not feeling like a productive month for me- I was sick for part of it and not as focused on testing as I wanted for other times- looking at the stash I put in my discard bin, and writing this all up, I feel rather accomplished! April is unfortunately nowhere near as productive, but I've been sick all month so I'm giving myself a pass. Besides, I've already hit half my goal in the first 3 months of the year. It's not always easy to be really honest with myself when it comes to products I just don't use, but in the end, I've not found myself missing anything I have let go.

Have you set any goals on panning or purging products this year? How has your progress been towards that goal? I know times are particularly stressful right now, but I know you can do it!

Until next time, dear readers, have a wonderful day!

XO!

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Monday, April 13, 2020

March Product Favorites from My Stash

Greetings, dear readers! It's been a few weeks since posting to my blog, but I am going to attempt to get things going back to business as usual. That's so much easier said than done given everything that is currently going on in the world and being personally affected, but my blog is my outlet and my distraction; I need it more now than ever at this time. It's funny that I had finally got my routine worked out where I could post on a regular schedule, but life sometimes just have to throw a curveball your way! I'm not really sure how my schedule is going to work out now that I've got my kids at home with me to teach, but I will do the best I can to keep posting here on my blog. I'm hoping having beauty content can be a distraction for you as well while it feels like the world is falling apart! Initially, I didn't feel "right" posting beauty content as it seemed so frivolous given the severity of life right now, but I have come to realize that this is exactly what some of us need, myself included, to help get through these trying times. With that, let's get into today's post!

I'm coming at you a little later than I would have liked, but today's post is about the products I loved throughout the month of March. It was a bit of an odd month for me beauty-wise as I found I didn't really wear much makeup and my hair became my main focus. That said, I still had a couple non-hair items I enjoyed a lot as well. Let's get a closer look at my picks for the month of March!

March was a rather wet and rainy month for us, and for me, that means the return of curly hair! My hair normally is slightly wavy, but add some humidity and it is ready to rock some crazy curls when left to its own devices. I used to hate it, but over the past few years, I have really embraced and learned to love my curls when my locks get a wild hair.

Hask Beauty Shea Butter & Hibiscus Oil Anti-Frizz Shampoo and Conditioner

I happened to pick up this shampoo and conditioner set on a whim on a fairly recent trip to Ulta, and I am so glad I did! I've not exactly been the best about purchasing the best quality shampoo for my hair, and while the cheap stuff technically works, I know I should step it up and do more for my hair. I've been wanting to step away from sulfates and parabens in my haircare routine, all while keeping at a relatively affordable price, and the Hask brand in particular was one of the suggestions in one of my Facebook beauty groups.

Why I love it:

When faced with the selection of Hask Beauty products at my local Ulta store, I settled for this one quickly because of the smell. Obviously this isn't the most important aspect of a shampoo and conditioner, but I'm not going to use the best shampoo ever if it smells terrible! The Shea Butter & Hibiscus Oil duo fragrance is a delicious marriage of warmth and spice with a kiss of light florals. I'm generally not fond of overly floral scents, but this one is fantastic! Little did I know what I bought it that I would really get to test out the anti-frizz claims! I normally wash my hair every 3 days, and I was rather impressed with how smooth this made my hair! Yes, I still did have a little wave when left to air dry, and yes, I did still end up with curls on the humid days, but I was really impressed with how controlled my waves and curls looked after using this duo. There were definitely days when using any additional hair products did not happen, particularly when my hair was freshly washed, and my curls held up like a champ! I'm a little nervous about the current lack of availability on Ulta's website, but here's hoping that is temporary and I'll be able to purchase more when these run out!

So Cozy Curl Gel-Cream

The So Cozy brand may technically be designed for kids, but that won't stop me from trying out some of their products. I've actually used this particular hair product in the past, both on myself and on my now 7-year old. He was born with a head-full of hair that grew into the most beautiful curls! While I originally got my first tube of this to try on his hair, I started using it myself and loved it. I admittedly forgot about it after finishing up the first bottle thanks to my ever-growing hair product collection, but I was reintroduced when I stopped at Target for pull-ups for my youngest. I remembered loving it a few years ago and had to pick up another bottle!

Why I love it:

The consistency of this product is truly somewhere between a cream and a gel, and I am living for it! As much as I have enjoyed creams from other brands, I often find them to be just a little too thick and heavy, especially when I want my hair to live up to its curly potential. The So Cozy Curl Gel-Cream, on the other hand, is a little thinner, giving your hair the moisturizing and smoothing benefits of a cream without weighing it down. It also offers the better hold you would get from a gel product without that often felt stickiness. It truly is the best of both worlds! Because this was designed with kids in mind, it also doesn't have the sulfates and phthalates we should be limiting alongside other chemicals and potential allergens. Thankfully the allergen issue doesn't apply to me and my family, but I do know of a few moms that have to be mindful of their own haircare products because of the potential exposure to their kids. The fragrance is also nice: it has a light vanilla plus orange blossom fragrance with a touch of honey. While present, I don't find it to be too strong or overpowering for my sensitive nose and really don't smell it at all in my own hair.

Doubledown Cosmetics The Future Tinted Lip Balm*

* Gifted Sample

March was not a makeup month for me overall, but that didn't stop me from sporting a little pop of colour on my lips. If I don't have on some foundation, I don't like to wear a lot of pigment on my lips. Tinted lip balms are definitely the way for me to go, and I particularly enjoy this one from Doubledown Cosmetics!

Why I love it:

This lip balm is cruelty-free, paraben-free, and gluten-free, so that's already off to a great start! I really like the flattering red hue, and I am particular fond that it is buildable for more colour payout if wanted. Some lip balms are just too waxy or have too high of an oil content, making them impossible to build up, unless you want a thick, waxy mess, of course. This tinted lip balm, on the other hand, is a little drier to allow buildup without feeling to drying on your lips. It really is a fantastic formulation! It also has peppermint oil, so it has a slight plumping effect on your lips, but it is overall light and still very comfortable. While I can smell the peppermint, I only notice the slightest cooling sensation, unlike the intense cooling-to-burning feeling of other peppermint oil-infused lip products. If you want a lip balm that really plumps up your pout, this one may not be enough for you; ultimately that would depend on how sensitive you are to peppermint oil in general. If you are looking for the perfect moisturizing daily-wear lip balm, this may be just what you are looking for!

Rogue Lacquer Nailixir Killaloe Sunrise*

* Gifted Sample

I had the pleasure of taking part in an Arizona nail fan meetup at Rogue brand owner Rachel's house earlier this year and left with this brush-on cuticle oil. I had been wanting to try the Nailixir line as I have heard god things about it, but with a rather substantial cuticle oil collection already, it sadly hasn't happened until now. All this hand washing has been hard on my hands, and I have been going through lotions and cuticle oils like crazy! I still had others open and in use, I spied this baby on my dresser and opted to pop it open and give it a go.

Why I love it:

The first thing you'll notice about this cuticle oil, after the application method, is the smell, and whoa baby, am I a fan! I had to ask Rachel details on it as describing scents just isn't my forte. Inspired by Canadian beaver tails, specifically the puff pastry Killaloe sunrise, this scent is a blend of cinnamon buns and sweet lemons. I find the cinnamon to be the most present aspect of this blend, but I can tell it is cut down with something to keep it from being too intense. The result is spicy and a little sweet, and it sure if giving me comfort during these crazy days! I'm generally not a fan of smelling like baked goods, but this combination is appealing to me and makes me want to attempt to create the inspiration! As for the cuticle oil itself, I am digging the formulation. The brush applicator allows for precise application that is absorbed quickly into the skin. If I apply with a heavier hand, I can rub it in for quicker absorption. I don't have to wait long until I can move on to another activity and haven't had to worry about oils getting where I don't want them. I like that it is composed of good oils that I love for my skin: grapeseed oil, avocado oil, almond oil, and jojoba oil alongside Vitamin E. The only hard part will be deciding what fragrance I want to use next when this one runs out!

And that, dear readers, concludes my beauty product picks for the month of March! It's still early, but April so far isn't shaping up to be much of a makeup month either. At this time, I've had to both put together curriculum and teach my kids since their schools haven't given us anything to go on, but that should be changing here soon. Hopefully that means I can have a little more time for me to wear more makeup again. Putting my contacts aside in favor of glasses has stymied my creativity, but perhaps this is the month I push past it. Only time will tell, and that certainly is something I have on my hands now!

Have you tried any of these products? If so, I'd love to hear what you think of them! Also, I'd love to hear what products you have been enjoying this month!

Until next time, dear readers, have a wonderful day!

XO!

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