Recent Beauty Purchases

Recently, there hasn't been a lot of things tickling my interests in the beauty world.

I'm not a collector so I don't just pick up all the new products just to test them out. I do my research, I swatch things for months, I buy travel sizes or get sample perks before buying. If it doesn't peak my interest or have something to offer me that what I already have doesn't, it's not going in my vanity. But that being said, I have picked up a few things I've been in need of for a bit.

First, at my local hobby store I picked up a 4 inch square mirror to use as a mixing palette for my foundation so that I can stop having to use the backs of my hands to hold product. Before this I was using a Ball jar lid for a week or so, but it just isn't quite big enough

I also picked up some baby wipes and face cloths for removing my face makeup before showering, and to refresh my face after sweating when I don't have makeup on. I prefer baby wipes because they're cheap, multipurpose, and work very well on my fragrance and alcohol sensitive skin. I got a travel size pack of face cloths simply to avoid carrying liquid makeup remover, or a 40 pack of baby wipes around with me for vacation.

Next, I also picked up some travel sized brush cleaning wipes for my vacation as well so that I don't have to carry my brush spray on vacation either. I'm all about finding things that are convenient for travel, especially when it involves an airplane.

On a walk through Walmart, I came across a display of the new Garnier Whole Blends shampoos and conditioners, and remembered one of my favorite YouTubers raving about the Honey Treasures repairing shampoo and conditioner. For less than 4 dollars a bottle I just couldn't pass it up. Since growing out my hair and going back to dying and straightening it I know I will need something to help keep the damage at bay, though I will never stop using my Head and Shoulders shampoo.

At DollarTree, months ago, I grabbed a bottle of nail strengthener from LA Colors, but sadly I was unimpressed because it does little to nothing to stop my nails from peeling apart and breaking off at my finger tips. But more recently I found a few more similar products at a different DollarTree from a brand called Dr. Marvey which I will be testing out to see if they work better. For a dollar a piece if either of them work I will be quick to pick up a bunch, and if they're horrible then at least I didn't break the bank.

Reviews of these products and more are to come! I'll also be doing a post talking about what I pack and how I pack my beauty items for a vacation, and how I get everything prepared for airport security.

Stay Beautiful!
BNB

Argan Oil Primer: Love or Hate?

I've been using the Physicians Formula Arganwear Argan oil primer with coconut water. It comes in the gold and white ombre glass bottle with the sprayer.
I enjoy the product formula itself, but the way the bottle sprays I often find that the products is badly distributed and I end up having to rub it into my skin to get it to actually melt in. My dry skin loves the coconut water and it does make my skin feel hydrated and prepared for makeup application. It's very easy to overdo this if you're not careful and end up oily. I'm not crazy about the smell, but it goes away shortly after spraying once the product settles.
It gives me a smoother application by removing the dryness from my skin, however I use this more as a skincare product than as a primer since I need a primer that really holds onto my makeup much harder. I definitely more prefer a silicone primer, but this may work as a primer on its own for someone else.
All in all not a fail, but I'm not completely in love with the application for this product. I'm also a bit annoyed with the biphase product because it seems to be hard to get it evenly mixed for long enough to apply it without having to shake it almost every spray. I've purchased the regular argan oil from them as well to see if I prefer that to the spray bottle version. We will see!

As always, Stay Beautiful
BNB

Sun Safety

Now, we all know it's important to wear sunscreen when we're outside in order to prevent cancer and early aging skin. But it's almost impossible to find one that's good for your skin and goes well under makeup. I think I finally solved this problem for myself, but it took all kinds of trial and error. No one sunscreen is right for everyone, and I needed one that had high SPF, no greasy feeling, and wouldn't leave my skin shiny and oily over time. With my sensitive, dry skin, it's important that my sunscreen isn't harsh while still working effectively to protect me from sun damage and sun burn.

On a whim I tried IPKN NewYork's Pore Apple Sun Cream sunscreen makeup primer. It has SPF 40+, is gentle on the skin, and  helps to control oily t-zones. It has a slight silicone feel, which is good for holding makeup on the skin. It claims to be moisturizing, which from my experience is true. It didn't leave my skin feeling tight, dry or tired after wearing it for the day at a festival. It's very lightweight and doesn't break down over time or become greasy out in the heat. It didn't melt and it doesn't have the horrible chemical smell that most sunscreens have.

I would recommend anyone try this product. I picked it up off of Amazon, and it cost only about $26. It's a little expensive for a sunscreen I'll admit, but for how little product you use at a time I find it to be worth it.

of course I haven't tried reapplication over top of makeup, but it worked well with my normal stick sunscreen that I carry for reapplication on the go.

Always remember to care for your skin, and Stay Beautiful.

BNB

Holy Grail Products for 2015

Perfume: Outspoken by Fergie, sold by Avon

Lotion:
Face: NYX Tea Tree Balance Elixir
Hands: Vitabath Shea Butter Hand Cream in Spring Green
Body: Skin So Soft Lotion, Sold by Avon
Feet: FootWorks Healthy Intensive Deep Moisture Cream, sold by Avon

Primer:

Eyelid: NYX Eye Primer in Nude (for neutral looks) and White (for bright looks and bold colors)
Under Eye: Wet N' Wild color corrector wheel (yellow)
Lip: NYX Lip Primer in Nude
Face: ELF Face Primer in Clear

Lip Exfoliator: ELF Lip Exfoliator

Foundation: Maybelline Fit Me Foundation Dewy and Smooth in 115 Ivory

Concealer: Kat Von D Tattoo Concealer in Sand

Blush: NYC Blushable Creme Stick in 649U Berry New Yorker
Contour: Covergirl Powder in Rosewood (No Longer Available)
Bronzer: Covergirl Powder in Copper Pennyfrost (No Longer Available)

Brows:
Pencil: I don't use one

Gel: ELF Wet Gloss Lash and Brow in Clear

Eyeshadow:

Nicka K Perfect 10 Palette AP021
NYX The Natural Shadow Palette TNS01
Sleek Makeup i-divine Ultra Mattes V1 Brights 

EyeLiner:
Cream: Essence Liner in Midnight in Paris 01
Liquid: NYC Liquid Eyeliner in Black 887
Pencil: WarPaint Beauty Wing Tip Liner Pencil in Black or Milani Eye Pencil in True Black and Dark Brown

Lashes:
Mascara: CoverGirl Lash Blast Volume Mascara in Black (Waterproof)
False Lashes: Ardell Fashion Lashes in Natural 110
Lash Glue: Duo Lash Glue in Dark

Lips:
Lipbalm: Burt's Bees Original Lip Balm
Lipliner: Avon Glimmerslicks Lipliner in Clear
Lipstick: Hard Candy Plumping Serum Lipstick in 866 Anonymous
Liquid Lipstick: Covergirl Outlast All-Day Wear Lipcolor in 661 Cinnamon Stick
Lip Gloss: Hard Candy Fierce Effects Daring Lip Gloss in 968 Adrenaline

Cleansers:
Face: St. Ives Naturally Clear Green Tea Scrub (light abrasion), St. Ives Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub in Invigorating (heavy abrasion)
Body: Bath and Body Works 2 in 1 Superfruit Body Scrub and Wash in Pure Passion (back, chest, shoulders and arms), Summer's Eve Cleansing Wash in Simply Sensitive

Makeup Remover: 

Wipes: Huggies

Liquid: Simple Micellar Water

Longwear spray: Elf Makeup Mist and Set

Brush Cleaner: The Brush Guard Set

Brush Set: Crazycity Professional Cosmetic Makeup Brush Set with Bag, Sold by Amazon (Imported from China)
ELF Contour brush
HOSL Flat Contour Brush (Sold on Amazon)

Nailcare: 
Nail Polish: Milani Color Statement Nail Lacquer in 03 Lady-Like Sheer
Nail cream: Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream

Low Tide on the Arbonne Ocean

This is one of those products that I tried so hard to love, but I just couldn't. I tried it for months, on and off, hoping that maybe this time I would fall in love with it. I was kind of shocked, because I do love Arbonne so much when I am given products from one of my friends who is a representative, but I just couldn't get into this one. The Aromassentials Awaken Sea Salt Scrub just kind of fell flat for me. It cleanses amazingly, and I love the idea of using salt instead of the sand-like grit that a lot of scrubs use. But I couldn't get past the fact that the soap itself in the product leaves my skin feeling like it's coated in an oily film when I wash it off. I already have some struggles with oily skin and acne, and using this scrub makes me worry it will only make my acne issues worse. I thought maybe I hadn't washed all of the soap off and that's what caused it to feel slick and filmy on my face, so the next time I gave it a try I spent more time rinsing and rubbing it off. But the oily feeling persisted. I love how it makes my skin feel so clean, but it's not worth the risk of breakouts for me to keep using it. I'm sorry to say I will not be repurchasing this product.

I love so many things about Arbonne, but this product is sadly not one of them, not for lack of trying.

The Body Shop Sample Review

Back when I bought my haul from Ulta, one of the product samples they sent me was from The Body Shop. I was really excited to try this sample, since I hardly buy luxury beauty products regardless of the fantastic reviews I hear about them. I was sent The Body Shop's Tea Tree Flawless BB Cream. Sadly, this one disappointed me... I wanted so badly to fall in love with it, but I just couldn't.
And here's why!

I had several really big compliments to give this product:

• The formula was gorgeously light and pigmented.
• The company doesn't use tons of chemicals in their products.
• The products are not tested on animals.

However, I had two huge problems with this product when I tried it:

• The smell of this product was extremely overpowering (and it didn't go away after it set on my skin) Even though the company doesn't use harsh chemicals in their products the smell was extremely chemical-like.
• It seemed very fluid, and kind of streaked down my face when I applied it and I had to keep buffing it in until it was set on my skin.

Winter Skin Repair

One of the samples I requested in my Package from Ulta a while back has become a nightly staple for me during the cold days of winter this year. I have absolutely fallen in love with Vitabath hand cream. It makes my dry hands feel absolutely silky soft, moisturized and rejuvenated after a long day out in the cold. The cream is nice and thick, quick drying, but doesn't leave behind a greasy film behind after application. The scent is salty but in a pleasant way. The scent is called Spring Green. It reminds me of the ocean, which is a wonderful thing to think about in the winter because it reminds me that the warmer days of summer are coming soon.

I use this lotion every night as part of my bed time routine. It helps to remove they dryness from being out in the cold all day.

Product of the Day 1

I love this stuff. I have been using it every other day for almost a year now.

I find that it is pretty tingly and somewhat uncomfortable if you use a very abrasive face wash with the exfoliating grit in it right beforehand, but it is able to be gotten past without too much trouble. I recommend using it on problem spots (like cheeks, chins and noses) that get covered in oil and black heads. I might also recommend that you use this product when you have slight irritation due to things like eyebrow plucking (one of  my favorite times to use this product as I frequently get acne and irritation after fixing my brows up), though using it over cuts or severly irritated skin is not recommended, and it will burn upon application.

This may be a drugstore brand, but you can not judge this book by its cover. This product is worth every dollar you pay, and it is a pretty small price to pay as it is.