Summer Must Haves

It is officially summer. This year, I have been spending a lot of time outside and keeping my makeup a little more natural. Instead of contouring, I have just been using bronzer. The Physician Formula Butter Bronzer smells like the beach and gives a natural bronze and glow.

Instead of a traditional primer, I have been using a tinted sunscreen under my foundation. The EltaMD UV Physical Broad Spectrum SPF 41 Tinted Sunscreen does not leave a sticky layer but gives my foundation and concealer something to stick to.

 

I love setting mists. One that I have been using pretty consistently as an additional primer, setting spray, and skin refresher is the MAC Prep + Prime Fix+. I haven’t tried the new scented versions yet but the Rose scent seems interesting. This helps all my powder products melt into my skin and does help a little with lasting power but to be honest, I am so oily, unless I blot and powder religiously, my makeup only last for 6 hours-tops, no matter the combination of products I use.

 

Along with more natural makeup, I like hairspray but I hate the sticky feeling some hairsprays leave. This Nexxus Comb Thru Natural Hold Finishing Mist provides decent hold for my new fringe and loose curls.

My mom had a small can of the Coppertone Clearly Sheer Sunscreen Spray. It is a very fine mist that does not have to be rubbed in after spraying. I use this every time I go outside. I burn really easily and this sunscreen has protected me from burns but I still can get a little color.

As oily as my face gets, the sun really dries out the rest of my skin and during a random trip to Bath and Body Works, I found this light weight Coco Shea Cucumber Body Butter than is creamier than aloe and sinks into the skin quickly. The light cucumber smell is fresh and I will definitely repurchase this lotion.

 

Tatcha Skin Care

I continue my quest to solve my skin issues. I have acne, acne scaring, discoloration, dark circles, large pores, and attempt to fight oily skin as well as deal with dry patches. It seemed for a while the Bare Minerals products were providing me with moisture while simultaneously reducing acne breakouts. However, over time it seemed my skin built up a tolerance. I was not sure if the Blemish Remedy Acne Clearing Treatment Serum was actually making a difference so I may revisit that product but between my current routine and the Bare Minerals routine, I tried the Sunday Riley Space Race Fight Acne, Oil + Pores at Warp Speed Kit which, after experiencing an intense purge and horrible aftermath, I determined these products to be way too harsh for my skin.

As someone who does not like to waste money, I make a point to use up all my products before purchasing anything new. However, in the case of the Sunday Riley products, the only product I finished was the Martian Mattifying Melting Water-Gel Toner because the The U.F.O. (ultra-clarifying face oil) and the sulfur treatment seemed to irritate and in the case of the sulfur mask, burn my skin. I finished up the Bare Minerals Oil Obsessed Total Cleansing Oil (as a makeup remover). I ordered the Tatcha Pore-Perfecting Moisturizer and Cleanser which included mini sizes of The Deep Cleanse and The Water Cream. I used up the mini of The Water Cream and purchased the full size. So my routine for the past two weeks has included:

1. Makeup Removal
   Burt’s Bees Sensitive Facial Cleaning Towelettes and Shiseido Instant Eye and Lip Makeup Remover (purchased for $16 at TJ Maxx or Marshalls)
2. Cleansing
   Tatcha The Deep Cleanse or Bare Minerals Clay Chameleon Face Wash
3. Anti-Aging
   Skinlongevity Anti-Aging Serum
4. Moisturize
   Skinlongevity Eye Gel Cream and Tatcha The Water Cream
5. Acne Treatment
   Origins Super Spot Remover Blemish Treatment Gel

So let’s talk about Tatcha. Tatcha was inspired by the cleansing methods of Japanese Geisha. A cruelty-free brand, using natural ingredients, Tatcha provides people with a multitude of products for all skin types. Read more about Tatcha here. The packaging appears so luxurious and the texture and smell of the actual products seem just as lux.

Opening the package after it arrived, I noticed the products were packed carefully and included a handwritten note. The packaging is beautiful and also inspired by Japanese traditions. With each order you can choose three samples and the website seemed to constantly have active coupon codes for free products and free shipping. If you subscribe to the email list, you will receive the Polished Rice Enzyme Powder with your first purchase. I have enjoyed the cleanser and moisturizer so far. I do not believe these products are impacting my skin in a negative way. I look forward to trying more. Keep in mind that this is not the most expensive skin care brand but it is definitely considered high end.

Once I have used up the Bare Minerals Clay Chameleon Face Wash, and Skinlongevity Eye Gel Cream, I may purchase a full size of another Tatcha cleanser and an eye cream. I also may repurchase the Bare Minerals Blemish Remedy Acne Clearing Treatment Serum. I do not think that the Shiseido Eye and Lip Makeup Remover and the Origins Super Spot Remover Blemish Treatment Gel are remarkable products by any means.  Once again, I have not seen any wrinkle reduction that I can directly attribute to the Bare Minerals Skinlongevity Anti-Aging Serum but I also do not have major lines. However I have been using the product for seven months so I may explore other anti-aging serums.

Sunday Riley Acne Products Review

As mentioned in my New Skin Care August post, I discussed my extremely oily, acne prone skin and that I suffer from dark circles and dryness under my eyes. I started using the Bare Minerals skincare line along with the Clean & Clear Persa Gel Acne Medication on acne spots. For awhile I noticed a difference and less breakouts. But then, I started breaking out again. I repurchased the True Oasis Oil-Free Replenishing Gel Cream and the Skinlongevity Vital Power Infusion Serum three times, but I decided to try a couple of other face washes (Oil Obsessed Total Cleansing Oil and Clay Chameleon Face Wash), the Skinlongevity Eye Gel Cream, and when I ran out of the Blemish Remedy Acne Clearing Treatment Serum I did not repurchase it to see if it was really making any difference.

 

The Skinlongevity eye cream works just as well as the Brilliant Future Age Defense and Renew Eye Cream, so along with the Skinlongevity eye cream, Clay Chameleon, Oil Obsessed, True Oasis, and Skinlongevity anti-aging serum, I decided to give the Sunday Riley acne clearing products a try. You can get this Space Race Fight Acne, Oil + Pores at Warp Speed Kit from Sephora. I have heard lots of good things about Sunday Riley and I also liked the outer space theme and the pretty green packaging.

 

However, these products are not messing around. My skin quickly went into purge mode. The U.F.O. (ultra-clarifying face oil) was pulling out the bad and the sulfur treatment was burning my skin. The sulfer treatment can be used as a mask and a spot treatment. My skin was so red, dry, and tender after using it as a mask. On more than one occasion I woke up with red dots on my face where I had applied the sulfur treatment as a spot treatment the night before. I have used it very sparingly since the last “red dot” incident. I decided that this line all at once is too much for my skin. I suggest maybe adding one product in and seeing what it does before adding the next. I have oily skin, but this dried my skin out. Right now I am in the process of finishing up the Bare Minerals Clay Chameleon Face Wash, Oil Obsessed Total Cleansing Oil (as a makeup remover), and the Sunday Riley Martian Mattifying Melting Water-Gel Toner.

 

I ordered the Tatcha Pore-Perfecting Moisturizer and Cleanser which includes The Deep Cleanse and The Water Cream as well as the Origins Super Spot Remover Blemish Treatment Gel. Right now I am still breaking out and dealing with redness but since quitting the U.F.O. my skin has calmed down a bit. I’m interested to see if the combination of the Tatcha cleanser and moisturizer, the Origins spot treatment, and the Bare Minerals Skinlongevity anti-aging serum and eye cream work together.

 

Featured Image Photo Copyright © Today Show

New Beauty Favorites

This is like the matte version of the It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream. This foundation provides the same amount of coverage as the It Cosmetics one but stays in place better. It does seem to “run dark.” I mix the shades Porcelain and Nude together. I make sure that I moisturize well and use a primer and this stays in place better than most other foundations.

When I bought the Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Eye Shadow Palette, I was hooked and used it every single day. I eventually got a little bored and started debating between the Lorac Unzipped Palette and the Tarte Tartlette In Bloom Palette. I went with the Tarte palette and it has been a great every day staple. I am by no means a makeup artist but I have gotten a range of eye looks and intensities with these eye shadows.

It is winter which means everything is so dry here. This lip mask feels so luxurious and effective. I use it obviously before bed but also throughout the day. It has an artificial strawberry smell, which I don’t mind.

This EOS lip balm is great as preparation for applying lipstick. It isn’t goopy or too sticky and the menthol smells great.

I found this at TJMaxx for $19.99. It is the perfect collection of pressed powders for contour, bronzing, and setting. I really only use the light skin tone powder and two lightest brown powders. It is definitely worth twenty dollars if you can find it at Marshalls, TJMaxx, or Ross.

Whatever you do, do not drop this or any Becca Cosmetics pressed powder. I just got this and dropped it. Thankfully I was able to salvage it. It is a very pretty highlighter than can look “natural” but can also be built up for an intense glow. I have light skin and this shows up well. I use it to highlight my inner corners, cupid’s bow, lower lip, cheekbones, and the tip of my nose.

I received this nude blush (Paarty) in the Sephora Birthday Gift 2017. Tarte blushes are so subtle but can be easily built up. As someone with a heavy hand, I appreciate this because it keeps me from looking like a clown. I recently used my Sephora points for a Tarte sampler and am excited to try the blush in Concept which is a warm coral with a satin finish.

New Skin Care

First, a little skin background. I have extremely oily, acne prone skin. I also have dark circles and dryness under my eyes. In the past few years I have had horrible experiences with dermatologists. They typically brush off my skin issues and offer little to no options. I was wandering around one of those beauty stores a couple of months ago and a Bare Minerals representative approached me. We started chatting about my horrible skin, my fear of moisturizer, all the anti-aging serums that broke me out, and all the eye creams that dried out my under eye area. At the time I was using the Glytone Mild Gel Cleanser, the Neutrogena Oil-Free Combination Moisturizer, an eye cream from CVS, and the Clean & Clear Advantage Acne Spot Treatment. The reason I was using those products was because one dermatologist recommended and sold the Glytone cleanser, the oil-free moisturizer did not seem to break me out, and the CVS eye cream was the only cream that did not dry out my under eye area.

 

The Bare Minerals representative took me through the skin care products that worked for my oily skin. My face had not felt that plush and hydrated since I was in 5th grade. So, of all the items he demonstrated, I purchased the Skinlongevity, an anti-aging serum made from the long life herb, Chomeiso, found in Okinawa, Japan that is a “super superfood shown to have a higher vitamin and mineral content than spinach and kale. In addition to being loaded with antioxidants, the plant has high amounts of calcium, magnesium and potassium and is incredibly high in polyphenols. Legend has it that eating just one bunch of Long Life Herb will extend life by one day.” Skinlongevity has been clinically proven to improve the overall appearance of skin. You can read more about Skinlongevity here.

I also purchased the True Oasis Oil-Free Replenishing Gel Cream (moisturizer) and the Blemish Remedy Acne Clearing Treatment Serum. The gel cream feels very light but provides enough moisture that my skin feels hydrated. The acne serum is a preventative step that I use along with the Clean and Clear acne spot treatment because sometimes those breakouts show up regardless.

After using these products for about a month I purchased the Brilliant Future Age Defense and Renew Eye Cream and the Pure Plush Gentle Deep Cleansing Foam. The eye cream does not dry out my under eye area which is miraculous because every eye cream I’ve tried (with the exception of the CVS cream) dries them out. However, unlike the CVS cream, the Bare Minerals eye cream actually keeps my under eye area hydrated and helps to prevent creasing under my eyes after I apply makeup. The cleanser definitely provides a “squeaky” clean so I do not recommend this cleanser to anyone with dry skin.

So, do these products work? Well, based my experience, I think they do. My skin is actually less oily now because I stopped completely depleting it of moisture, so it doesn’t feel like it has to overproduce oil. My eye area is still dark but that probably can only be remedied by filler because I suffer from volume loss in that area, but my under eye area is not dry and my makeup does not crease. My skin feels overall healthier and plumper. I am using the Skinlongevity as a preventative, so I can’t really tell you that I look younger and I still get hormonal breakouts but I still like using the acne serum.

Here is how to layer your skin care after cleansing your face. Let each layer dry for about a minute before applying the next layer.

1. Anti-aging serum (everywhere including under eye area)
2. Acne serum (avoid eye area)
3. Moisturizer (everywhere except the eye socket area so this includes the under eye area and eyelids)
4. Eye cream (avoid eye lids)

Bare Minerals just recently released a Skinlongevity Eye Gel Cream that I am interesting in trying and the Oil Obsessed Cleansing Oil is also something I may try next. The best thing about this new line is that they have products for all skin types. Search Bare Minerals Skin Care or visit a Bare Minerals counter to try a few products for yourself.

Featured Image Photo Copyright © Today Show

Product Photos Copyright © Bare Minerals, QVC, and Ulta

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Empties

Pixie Glow Tonic

This tonic does give my skin a glow. However, I feel like it may break my face out. I have oily skin so I use it as an astringent. The smell is awful and I discussed the toxicity of this product in my Think Dirty & Skin Care Trials post.

Repurchase? NO

Peter Thomas Roth Irish Moor Mud Cleansing Gel

This was a huge waste of money ($38). Number one, it is pretty toxic according to the Think Dirty database. Number two, it is as thin as water and does nothing. It did not help prevent or treat breakouts. I didn’t even feel like my face was fully clean after using it.

Repurchase? NO

Almay oil-free makeup eraser sticks

I have had the same pack of these eraser sticks for years. They are nice to fix my eyeliner when I draw my wings unevenly or if I go a little overboard with the “flick.”

Repurchase? YES

desert essentials Tea tree shampoo

This shampoo is the only one that helps with my horrible winter hair due to not only this horribly cold weather but also our gross water. I have oily hair but during the winter my scalp gets so dry. This shampoo works to balance the scalp, however it strips your hair of color and makes your hair feel dry. My husband loves it.

Repurchase? For my husband, but not for me.

Dr. bronner’s toothpaste

No fluoride and apparently pretty safe but my teeth just don’t feel a squeaky clean after brushing versus Crest.

Repurchase? NO

benefit Roller lash

This is the only mascara that I want for my lashes ( I use Maybelline Lash Discovery for my lower lashes). I curl my lashes, apply this, allow to dry, and curl again. This mascara holds the curl and does not get clumpy. I love this stuff. However, you definelty know when it is time to throw it out. My aunt recently sent me Lancome Grandiose mascara so I will be trying it first. I am also trying IT Cosmetics Superhero mascara and I hate it as of this moment.

Repurchase? YES, eventually.

tarte cC Undereye corrector

I purchased this corrector because Ulta was out of the Tarte Shape Tape and do really like it. It is very hydrating (I have very dry undereyes) and it covered well. I used it everyday but I still feel like I used it up unusually fast.

Repurchase? YES (once I used up my Benefit Erase Paste)

Elf hd LOOSE powder

Until I finally bite the bullet and buy the Laura Mercier Loose Powder, this $6 powder will work just fine to set my undereyes and liquid highlight (Tarte Shape Tape). It is a low cost option for “baking” as well.

Repurchase? I’m already halfway through my second one.

Elf pressed translucent matifying powder

It is okay. I have really oily skin so it did not work well as a touch up powder. Eventually it broke so I used a fluffy powder brush to apply it as a setting powder and it really did not control shine or last very long.

Repurchase? NO

IT Cosmetics CC+ Full Coverage Cream

I love this cc cream. My mom uses it, my aunt uses it, and I use it. We all have different types of skin and it does a great job giving us medium coverage. Again, I am an oil slick and I have acne so it does not provide me with flawless shine-free skin but it is a nice option for people who hate the way foundation feels on their face and want more coverage than a traditional bb cream. I apply this with both a beauty blender and my fingers and it blends wells.

Repurchase? YES

NARS Turkish delight

I have had this lip gloss for years. I probably should have just thrown it away. It is a cult favorite and works well as a “topper” over a lipstick that you want to lighten.

Repurchase? NO