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Testing New Beauty – Skincare Reviews

November 27, 2018

This post was sponsored in part by Neutrogena, Key West Aloe, Ecru New York, DP Hue, and NeoStrata, and contains affiliate links.. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

So many new skincare products, so little time! I’ve been trying out lots of exciting beauty items, especially in the skincare realm, that I can’t wait to share with you all. I truly enjoy testing out new products and sharing how they worked for me, and I hope you all are getting some useful information from them! I know that everyone’s skin is different, and these products may work differently for you and yours. My skin is normal, with occasional dryness around the nose, and a breakout every now and then, just for reference. My main skin concerns are dullness, wrinkle prevention, and staving off those occasional breakouts.

Now for the good stuff!

Hair mask c/o DP Hue // Shampoo & Conditioner c/u Ecru New York

I was for sure in a hair product funk, and was really excited to test out a new shampoo and conditioner. I experience that product burnout with my locks sometimes, and it feels like it’s not clean or silky, even if I just washed it a couple hours prior, and volume is non-existent. The Sea Clean Shampoo from Ecru New York seemed to clean my hair without stripping it, and takes off that extra layer of junk that products can create. It smells delightful, like you’re showering in an Air BnB within walking distance to the ocean. A little bit of that salty sea air, that does stay with you. The Protective Silk Conditioner was kind of a toss up for me at first.. It’s one of those conditioners that seems like it’s not doing much at all when in the shower, not overly silky or slick, but when I rinsed it out, I could feel a noticeable shift in softness. I also noticed a lot more volume then in previous weeks. The only negative I’ve found is with the conditioner’s container.. I wish the cap was on the bottom, so the product came out easier, as it’s a little stubborn once you get down into it. Not a deal-breaker though! Both of these products, I would buy again and recommend.
I’ve been alternating using just the Ecru conditioner, and the DP HUE ACV conditioner from mid-to-end, (and Ecru from root-to-mid). When I use the DP Hue conditioner, I do notice that my hair feels silkier, bouncier, and less damaged. I also feel like there is a monstrous amount of product in the container, and overall is a great value. I’d buy this one again as well!

Cleanser c/o NeoStrata // Salt Scrub c/o Key West Aloe

I was sent four of the items from the NeoStrata Ultra Brightening line, and the Cleanser is one of my favorites. I use about a nickel-sized amount in the shower, to make sure it all gets removed, and truly have seen a change in the radiance of my complexion over the past couple weeks of continuous use. One thing to note is the scent.. The best I can break it down is peeling an orange in a tire shop. Weird, I know, and it goes away quickly, but thought I’d mention it. Will be purchasing again, if the good results continue! I also recommend the rest of the line (serum, moisturizer with SPF, and pigment controller) for evening and brightening.
Next up, from Key West Aloe, their Coconut Salt Scrub. I’m always looking for a good scrub, (and mask, and eye cream…), to slough off that dry skin, but this one honestly wasn’t my fave. The base is very oily, and definitely does leave a residue on the tub floor for the next couple showers if not cleaned right after. Also, the ratio of salt to oil is way off. It’s about 50/50, and there should be lots more salt so you actually get the benefit from the exfoliants. The redeeming quality was the smell, because I’m a sucker for anything tropically coconut. Their coconut lotion is a fave of mine, as is the mango, it’s SOOOO good. But at $30 for the scrub, it’s a pass from me.

I neglected to take a solo shot of the Neutrogena shower gel, but I definitely have some thoughts to share on that product as well. When I saw the bottle, my initial thought was “Please don’t let it smell like T-Gel.” Which, if you’ve smelled T-Gel, it’s quite a thing, and lingers until you wash again, although is completely effective. This bath & shower gel had just a touch of that herbal aroma, but it was not medicinal at all, and actually quite pleasant. It has a very high end spa-like scent, and I love that it comes in a pump container. My skin didn’t feel tight, but I do feel that I need more moisture during the winter, so I’ll probably be storing this until next year in warmer months. I still recommend it, especially if you’re in a place that doesn’t get that cold or your skin is fine with just after-shower lotion.

That’s a wrap, babes!

New Skincare Review

October 2, 2018

This post contains affiliate links. Purchasing items through them may provide me with a small commission. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Happy Tuesday, loves!
I hope everyone is having a great start to their week. With this new chapter of my life starting after moving to Chicago, I decided it was the perfect time to give my skincare routine an overhaul as well! I was sent all of these products to test out and wanted to share my thoughts on them after using them for several weeks. Side note, I’ve linked the least expensive version of the products I could find online! Keep scrolling to read my new skincare review! 😀

1) From Neostrata, I received three products to test out, and I’ll start with the Skin Active Retinol + NAG Complex. Quite a name and quite the price tag to match. At $78, it is definitely a higher end product, but I don’t mind paying that much when the product WORKS. I’ll admit, I have skipped a couple of nights using this product (you know those nights when you’re so tired that just getting your makeup off feels like the most you can do), but even with skipping a bit, I still have been able to notice a difference. I think continued use will yield even more reduced lines and wrinkles, because I’m already noticing them lessened on my face. I will caution though, because of the retinol ingredient, make sure you up the sunscreen use during the day.
2) Next up is their Oil Control Gel. This product is also on the more “luxurious” side price-wise at $42, but again, this stuff is saving my skin from looking dewy by noon. The Chicago humidity is more than I anticipated, and when I layer this product over my moisturizer and under my foundation, I notice my skin staying nice and matte until at least dinnertime. I took it with me to NYFW and I think it worked well in a pinch as a primer since I forgot mine at home!
3) On the moisturizer side of things, I was sent several of the items from the new Hydro Boost collection from Neutrogena, and haven’t found a bad one in the bunch. I wanted to especially highlight the Water Gel with Hyaluronic Acid ($20), which I truly look forward to applying every morning. I think it gives my combo skin the right amount of moisture and doesn’t feel heavy or tacky. I can’t stand those types of creams, especially when it’s warm or humid out. My trick with this type of tub is to shake the product with the lid on, so that some product distributes on to the lid when you open it, saving you from dipping a finger into the bulk of the product and getting it under your nails or contaminating it.

4) From a brand called D’OR 24K Cosmetics, I tested out their Regenerating Facial Cleanser, and I unfortunately don’t have the most favorable things to say about it. The scent is the first thing that struck me, like a very fake strawberry aroma. It gives me a little headache and seems very cheap. The cleanser is OK to use in the shower, but every time I used it with just rinsing off over the sink, I’d manage to discover the little pink beads near my hairline, ear or chin. I also didn’t feel the beads did much in terms of exfoliating, or regenerating as the name would suggest. Can we also talk about how underwhelming the packaging is… Their website was not in operation when I was writing this post, so I’m not sure exactly how much this retails for, but regardless of price, I’d pass!
5) Another gem from Neostrata (how had I not used this brand before?!), their Sheer Physical Protection SPF 50 ($37). I’ve actually switched to using this product as my face base instead of foundation on days when my skin is blemish-free. I love that it’s two steps in one.. A VERY sheer layer of coverage, along with a high number SPF. I actually wasn’t expecting the tint for some reason, but I do think it would work on 90% of skin tones. I think on very dark skin, it might leave a little ashy cast, but from very fair to medium-dark, it should just give a very faint evening of tone. I’m quite fair and this wasn’t yellow or orange on me. Definitely great to use when you’re in a time crunch to get ready, and this will definitely be my go-to product come next summer for the beach, pool, camping, etc.
6) In the mask realm, I’ve been testing out the Farmacy Bright On Massage-Activiated Vitamin C Mask. I’ll admit, the color-changing bit did seem slightly gimmicky, but the more I thought about it, I realized it’s actually helpful so you know you’ve massaged in the product enough. I leave it on for 10 minutes (recommended is 5-10). After each use, I’ve felt my skin tighten and there was a visible brightness to my skin’s tone. I think I need to up the frequency though, because I’ve been trying it once a week and I feel that the brightness/glow doesn’t last that long between uses. I also wouldn’t recommend this one for dry skin, because of the tightening element; I think it’s best for combo or oily skin. It’s $38, so not the cheapest, not the most expensive out there for this type of product.

That’s it for now, babes! I actually have a new crop of makeup to review as well, so I’ll be working on that post soon. Hope everyone has a great rest of the week!
xoxo

Beauty Mist Review

September 8, 2017

Hey, babes!
I knew I wanted to do a review of some of the beauty mists/waters/face sprays that I owned, but it wasn’t until I gathered them all in to one place that I realized how many I’d amassed over the past six months! These types of products have become so trendy recently, and I really do enjoy keeping one in my purse on a daily basis, but because there are so many different options, I wanted to put together a thorough review so you all didn’t have to test ’em out yourselves!
Some are just for refreshing the skin, others for setting your makeup, but there are a lot of multi-taskers out there too. I’m covering portability, packaging, makeup-setting ability, scent, and how well it refreshes the skin. I said thorough, right?! 😀
Hope you enjoy!

Mer Sea Coconut & Seawater Hydrating Water Mist, $32.
I purchased this as a FabFitFun add-on, but let me say I would never spend $32 on a facial mist, no matter how good it is. This spray has a lovely light scent, and was very refreshing when applied halfway through the day, however, it did very little to set my makeup. The bottle is gorgeous, but since it’s glass, it’s not very portable at all. All things considered, I rate this 3 out of 5.

Colleen Rothschild Beauty Water (c/o), $28.
Also, on the pricier end of the spectrum, this one has great ingredients like hyaluronic acid to help provide skin with moisture, which this absolutely does. Pros are the ingredients, the airy fragrance, and how refreshing it is. Cons are the packaging, (this did leak on me), and the spray is sometimes more like a squirt instead of a fine, even mist. Rating this 4 of 5.

Urban Decay All-Nighter Makeup-Setting Spray, $32
As far as I can tell, the packaging on this product changed, but the ingredients did not, so I still feel comfortable reviewing it. I got this on sale at Ulta, I’m assuming because they were changing the aesthetic of the bottle. I paid $19, a more reasonable price as opposed to full retail. The spray does not come out evenly, and at 4 oz., its not very portable. It does do one hell of a job at setting makeup, but would be too heavy to re-apply throughout the day for a refresher. Rating this one 3 of 5.

Juice Beauty Hydrating Mist, $24
Fantastic at setting makeup, surprisingly, and it also has some stellar ingredients, like rosehip and grapeseed oil. This one felt lovely as a perk-me-up mist after a full day of work, but the smell is a little off-putting. It starts off very rose-heavy, but dries down to have an unappealing “green” scent. At 6.75 oz., it’s not the most portable bottle, but I do like the overall packaging. Rating 4 of 5.

Feel Refreshed Hydrating Floral Mist, (c/o) $32
Obsessed with this bright and cheery packaging. This mist helped my eye makeup set, but not really my face makeup, which was weird. My blush was non-existent, but my eyeliner was on point! The scent is really nice, like a soft herbal aroma. It feels great to spray on and has such a fine mist to really cover your face in just a couple sprays. Overall 5 of 5.

Cinema Secrets Super Sealer, $24
This is actually the first mist I ever started using a couple years back, primarily because it is the SHIT at setting your makeup. Seriously, I’ve never used any other product that just locked makeup in place all day like the super sealer, it totally lives up to it’s name! Every makeup artist should have this in their back pocket. No smell, I don’t mind the packaging, and it does spray evenly. Low marks are for the mid-day refresh, because this mist is quite heavy on the face to be re-applying. I have it in a couple of smaller bottles for travel, too. If based on makeup-setting alone, it would be a 5 of 5, but for an all-around beauty mist, I have to rate it a 3 of 5.

MAC Prep and Prime Fix+, $25
I’ve mostly used this to mix with eyeshadows, and you can tell I’ve used it a LOT, plus this is my second bottle. As a makeup-setting spray, it’s pretty good but not great. I love the packaging, because you can twist the lid so that there’s no change of rogue spritzing, and it does have a pleasant smell, but the pump actually stopped working as I was writing this post. No bueno. Partially because of that, I’m giving it a 2 of 5, because you kind of need the product to spray 😉

e.l.f. Makeup Mist and Set, $3
Let’s be honest, the packaging on this one is the least appealing of the bunch. It’s quite portable at the 2 oz. size, but has a quite unappealing scent, kind of like expired chemicals? It has a really nice even spray, but also did nothing in terms of setting my makeup. I generously will give it a 2 out of 5.

Cinema Secrets Moisture Spray, $22 (larger size, different packaging)
A lovely fine mist sprays from this little bottle, and it does feel refreshing, but didn’t save my face through even half of the workday, and also has a not-so-great scent. Giving it 2 of 5 as well.

Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Cucumber and Green Tea, $7
Really enjoyed this spray and how it made my makeup look even more vivid somehow, and kept it set for hours upon hours. My skin felt less tight after a mid-day mist, and the slightly “green” scent is really uplifting. 5 out of 5 for sure!

Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs and Rosewater, $7
Love the slightly medicinal-looking packaging, and it smells faintly of roses, but that’s where the good things end. This made my face feel really greasy, and my makeup didn’t look set at all, it actually looked more like it was sitting on top of my skin. It also leaked constantly when I was spraying it, not cool! 2 out of 5 stars here.

Overall, the top picks are the Feel Refreshed Spray and the Mario Badescu Green Spray. All things considered, and price is always one of them, if you’re looking for one spray to pick up, I would go with the Mario Badecu Green. It comes in a larger size as well, but I dig the more purse-friendly 4 oz.

I hope this beauty mist review was helpful!
What do you all think of them? Hype or worth the grab? I’d love to hear!

Clean Head to Toe with Soapbox

August 17, 2017

Hello, loves!
Today, I’m happy to be reviewing the newly redesigned Soapbox line of products, including their hand soap, body wash, shampoo and conditioner. The old packaging, I must say, was quite lackluster and nothing that I would reach for in the store. They’ve completely redone it, to have a chicer and more inviting vibe, while still being offered at very budget-friendly prices, which I’m never mad at. One thing that definitely stood out to me about that brand, before I even cracked open one of the bottles, was that Soapbox is truly a company that gives back. To date, they’ve provided more than 2.6 million bars of soap to people in need, both in and outside of the U.S.! You can even type in the code found on each bottle to find which project your purchase is contributing to! Such a phenomenal idea. Now.. On to the good stuff!
I’ll start with my favorites. The Citrus & Peach Rose hand soap is seriously one of the best smelling things I’ve ever used. It’s the perfect blend of fruity and floral and the ideal soap to display proudly in my guest bathroom. I love that the scent lingers for a little while on hands, not overwhelmingly so, but mildly present.
When I saw that the body wash was coconut and sandalwood, I was a little iffy, because I’m kind of over the sunscreen-scented bath products that have been inundating the market lately. This one, thankfully, has a great balance of the sweetness and nuttiness of coconut, along with the subtle musk of sandalwood, making it the perfect unisex wash. It also leaves my skin nice and smooth and has a lovely lather.
Moving on to the shampoo and conditioner, I didn’t find the conditioner quite as favorably. I think that my long, color-treated (re: damaged), hair requires a bit more moisture than the conditioner provides. I didn’t feel the softness and lushness that I do with some other brands. The shampoo did it’s job of making my hair feel clean, like I was actually ridding it of all of the dry shampoo and various products I throw in my ‘do, but without stripping it of the natural oils, so that I will give positive marks for. The scents of the hair products are also on the more neutral side, and would be great for leaving in the guest bath as well, because everyone could use them. I’m actually planning on cutting my hair very soon, so I’m going to try out the conditioner again and see if maybe the condition of my locks had something to do with my less-than-stellar experience with it.
All in all, the standouts are the hand soap and body wash. I would absolutely purchase these again, and am already thinking of next ordering the Pomegranate & Plum hand soap for fall. Soapbox is offering my followers 20% off with code Kristinsoapbox and all of these products are available as of today! I hope you enjoyed reading my “honest-as-always” review on how to get clean head to toe with Soapbox!
😀

All products from Soapbox.

Shot by Holli Z Photography.

This post was sponsored by Soapbox. Items in this post were sent to me for reviewing purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.