I remember thinking when I was a teenager with horrible acne, “I wish I was older so I could grow out of this.” WELL, my situation did get a lot better but it certainly did not disappear completely. I also used to think if I took really good care of my skin (I do) that I would never get any acne or pimples. Wrong. It certainly helps and is necessary to take care of your skin, but pimples still happen. I’m writing this post because my skin decided to freak out this week for no apparent reason. These are the products that work best for me, so I wanted to share with you all.


Neutrogena Rapid Clear Stubborn Acne Cleanser
This stuff is no joke. I had a pretty bad break out this week, and after using this cleanser for 2 days (only at night) it made a noticeable difference. I also like it because it doesn't feel harsh. The creamy formula is actually quite nice, and it doesn't feel or smell medicinal. My only warning - because of the Benzoyl Peroxide, this bleached some of my bathroom towels! After learning this the hard way, I keep a paper towel handy to blot my face dry with. For $9.50, I think it's completely worth it. It lasts a long time for me since (thankfully) I don't have to use it all the time.

Link here: Neutrogena Rapid Clear Stubborn Acne Cleanser



Clinique Acne Solutions Clarifying Lotion
Same as above, this lasts me a LONG time. Not only is it a large size, but I don't have to use it much and only need a little each time. After washing my face with the Neutrogena cleanser, I use this toner just where I need it. Certain toners can be drying, so I don't like using it all over the face. I use a flat cotton round and dab the product where needed. It doesn't smell or feel harsh, and helps to dry out pimples quickly. It's $16.

Link here: Clinique Acne Solutions Clarifying Lotion


Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask or more recently, Ihave started using Yes to Tomatoes Clear Skin Activated Charcoal Mud Mask
When I get a break out, it's war on all fronts. I love treating my skin to one of these charcoal masks. Charcoal is fantastic - it pulls all of the gross stuff from your skin - bacteria, chemicals, dirt, and so forth. And of course, it's a great aid in fighting acne. After applying liberally to my face, I leave it on for about 10 minutes and wash my face with warm water. They both make my skin feel really clean! See below for links.

Links:
Yes to Tomatoes 
Origins Charcoal Mask


Ole Henriksen Truth Serum® Vitamin C Collagen Booster
After doing the first 3 steps (cleanse, tone and mask) I like to add some vitamin C to the mix. This serum is a luxury for me! It's a little on the expensive side $72 for a 1.7oz), but was a gift from my husband for Christmas and I LOVE it. The serum itself is very thin and has a watery like texture. During bouts of breakouts, I don't like anything heavy feeling on my skin (like creams). This is the perfect consistency and it smells divine. Vitamin C is a fantastic ingredient when it comes to skincare. Vitamin C helps to produce collagen. I like using this when my skin needs a boost of brightness and firmness. Highly recommended!

Link here: Ole Henriksen Truth Serum


Neutrogena 2-In-1 Fight and Fade Gel Rapid Clear
This last step might be the most important. This small but mighty tube doesn't mess around. I pretty much don't go on vacation or away for the weekend without throwing it in my bag. Simply dab the gel where needed and it will help to kick those pimples' asses. Upon first application, I could tell a different the next morning. I'm not saying that it will 100% clear breakouts over night, but it absolutely reduces them in size and helps your skin heal. It may make your skin flake and dry out a bit, but i've never used an acne gel that hasn't done that. I only use this at night - it's tough letting this dry all the way before applying my sunscreen and makeup before work. I really think once a day is enough but everyone's skin is different. Great product!



Link here:  Neutrogena 2-In-1 Fight and Fade Gel Rapid Clear

Thanks for reading guys! Hope one or more of these help you <3 p=""> </3>

Happy Thursday, everyone! I’m writing today about Cremorlab’s Aqua Tank Hydro Plus Water-Full Mask. I got this mask from a K Beauty event I attended a few weeks ago, and finally got to use it.

The basics: it’s a two piece sheet mask and you leave it on for 20-30min.
 The non-basics: Why I love it.



I’m certainly no stranger to sheet masks, but all sheet masks are not created equal. I’ve tried $2 – +$12 sheet masks, ones from Korea, ones from the US, crappy ones, ones for only the eye area, you get the idea. A good sheet mask to me is a few things – it feels great while it’s on, has a lasting impact after you take it off. If it feels just meh while on and/or doesn’t seem to make a difference when I take it off/wake up the next morning – I move onto the next. There are probably thousands of sheet masks out there at this point – my advice is not to waste your time on shitty ones that aren’t good.

ANYWAY, this mask does not fall into the shitty category whatsoever. I liked that it came in two parts – one for the upper face (around eyes and nose) and one for the lower face (think Santa Claus beard). I’ve always had trouble applying sheet masks that are one piece – they’re lumpy, have air pockets, don’t fit right. It was pretty remarkable how well this two piece mask fit. You could really adjust it according to your face shape, and I really liked that. Aside from the fit, the experience while wearing it was truly a delight. It had a gentle cooling sensation – I felt like I could FEEL my skin being moisturized (if that’s even possible). The mask was on the thicker side, and was almost a gel-like texture vs. a thin sheet mask. This felt more luxurious and added to the pleasant experience for me. I left it on for about 25 minutes then removed it. It was drenched in product, so I was surprised when I removed the mask that there wasn’t much excess to rub in. I’m not sure if this means my skin absorbed the mask more than usual but I am hoping that’s the case ha! My skin looked very awake and refreshed afterward. I went to a wedding last weekend and let’s just say my skincare routine was way out of whack for a few days (aka non-existent). My skin really needed a serious pick me up and this did a nice job.

The only downside is that it’s $12 for a single use mask. I know sometimes you get what you pay for, but $12 is a bit steep. I will probably repurchase when I have another wedding or industry even to go to. You can get it here from Peach and Lily, here’s the link: Cremorlab Aqua Tank Hydro Plus Water-Full Mask.

Thanks for reading!

Hi guys! So -  I’m in love with this product. I can’t even hide it. I love it for so many reasons. Let’s begin…

I picked up this product after seeing it on a top 10 list somewhere (who knows where at this point). After browsing the beautiful shades, I decided on India. I don’t really have a color exactly like it, and am trying to break my stupid habit of buying the same types of shades in different brands. Branching out a bit!

Upon my first application, I knew I was going to love this formula. It glides on and is creamy, thick and lush. This is not your typical thin, gone-in-five-minutes gloss. It has some serious lasting power. After a few hours (and many, MANY coffees later) the product fades gracefully into a beautiful stain. Not the type of stain that shows every single crack and imperfection in your lips, but a nice even stain that still looks great. So aside from the awesome formula and lasting power, my favorite part of this lip product is the SHINE. Guys!!! The shine is ridiculous. It has a serious mirror effect. Don’t confuse this was cheap, glittery/shimmery glosses from middle school. It’s an adult, classy shine that is anything but cheap looking. As stated in the name, it does have a moisturizing effect. Most stains cling to lips and end up drying them out – the worst possible scenario for lip color. This is such a creamy, moisturizing formula and makes your lips feel great – even after you take it off. I should also mention that it doesn’t have a trace of sticky or tacky in the formula. It goes on wet, and dries down to a non-sticky finish.

I love wearing this on lazy days – I’ll throw minimal other makeup on and have this gloss be the star. You really don’t need much else. It might be an illusion, but it’s almost as if it makes me look more awake. I’m really happy with the shade I chose, and would definitely be open to trying out other shades in the line (not something I usually do).

Have you guys tried this? Do you love it? Thanks for reading!



This photo is in no way altered. I took it with my phone. It really IS that shiny and awesome!

Hi guys! It’s almost Friday, woot!

I got this interesting booster pack from the CEW Product Demo. It looks a little threatening, but it’s pretty easy to use. There are 3 steps – a cleanser, a peel and a moisturizer. For 3 days, only use this. No other skincare. Easy enough, right? I’ll give you my thoughts on each step, then overall what I thought of the results!

Gentle Prep Cleanser

• Gently Cleanses
• Removes Makeup
• Preps Skin for Peel

My thoughts: I thought the cleanser was pretty nice. The texture is more on the gel side which I liked. I did cheat a little bit on the “no other skincare rule” though – I used makeup removing wipes for my eye makeup. I’m not sure if that counts or not HA. My eyes are really sensitive, and I don’t like using my cleanser to scrub off my makeup. Overall I thought the cleanser did was it was supposed to do – cleaned the skin and prepared it for the peel.

Non-Irritating Pro Peel

• Refines Tone and Texture
• Brightens Complexion
• Boosts Treatment Results

My thoughts: Non-irritating my ass! There was absolutely a reaction when I spread this on my skin. After a minute it calmed down, but I wasn’t expecting a slight burning. You leave this on for 5 minutes then wash it off with just water. The next 2 nights I didn’t feel the slight burning sensation, maybe my skin was used to it from the night before. It says you can use all steps under the eye area, but I would be careful how close you put the peel. Of course this is just one person’s opinion and everyone’s skin reacts differently to products. After washing the peel off, my skin did feel a bit tighter and thankfully I did not have any redness.

Radiance Renewing Deep Moisturizer

• Intensely Hydrates
• Smoothes and Redefines Texture
• Brightens and Evens Skintone

My thoughts: After the not so wonderful peel experience, my skin welcomed this moisturizer with open arms. The formula itself is nice – a thin, white cream that smoothes on seamlessly. It felt nice and rich, but sinked into skin fairly quickly.

After 3 days: I have to report that my skin did appear overall smoother and tighter. Not sure about the brightness part so much. I could tell when I was putting on my foundation that the peel seemed to even out my skintone. I was happy with the results. I was also happy that 3 days of doing a peel didn’t dry out my skin. I’m assuming this is due to the nice moisturizer included. I have to say though – I did miss my regular skincare routine! My pretty face oils, cleansers, serums, etc. I would say that this booster pack is effective – but definitely more on the medical/clinical side vs. luxury skincare side (it WAS developed by a doctor, afterall!) I think this would be ideal to do before an event – a wedding, somewhere photos will be taken. Makeup looks 100 times better if you take care of your skin underneath, it’s just a fact!

Here’s the website if you want to read more about it: http://mdcompleteskincare.com/


Thanks for reading, friends!

Happy Friday, friends! Today I’m writing about Nip + Fab’s Dragon’s Blood Fix Plumping Serum. I originally wanted to try this out because Kylie Jenner says she loves it. Lame, but true. Even though she is the spokesperson for the brand, I was curious to see what Nip + Fab was all about. I’ve seen it at CVS, but didn’t know what a good introductory product would be. I bit the bullet and excitedly took home my serum.




First impression – I adore the packaging. It’s kinda crazy how easily marketing works on me HA! I have a ridiculous amount of serums (and skincare in general) but the Dragon’s Blood serum stands out in my bathroom. The color is bright, modern and cheery which makes me always want to reach for it. The chubby bottle fits nicely in the hand for application.

Now onto the good stuff – the serum itself. I was expecting the serum to have some type of color – maybe because of the packaging? But it’s actually quite colorless. It’s kind of a cloudy, white color. Not super pretty but not offensive either. The consistency is on the thicker side for a serum which I don’t mind. I used 3 pumps and massaged it over my face and neck. The scent is beautiful, I have to admit. It’s not candy-sweet or cheesy – it smells sophisticated and almost a little tart. In terms of dry down, this serum really sinks into the skin fairly quickly. I layer my skincare products, and truly appreciate when I don’t have to wait a long time to apply the next product. The serum contains Hyaluronic acid which I always look for – it’s a key ingredient for moisturizing the skin.

Overall, I really like this serum! I was pleasantly surprised by it, and it’s a great price - $17. I would definitely be open to trying other products from the brand! Affordable, cute and good quality!

Have a great weekend, all!