Beauty Product Reviews

Like Micellar Water For Your Hair

I’ve been using a cleansing cream from a other line along with the Sachajuan Curling Conditioner so I was SO excited when I saw Beautylish started carrying this.

I do think because this is a newer product to the market that there might be a slight learning curve. While it’s called a cleansing cream, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s for only for dry or damaged hair and it won’t weigh your hair down. It simply means that it isn’t a traditional shampoo that uses soaps or stripping agents to cleanse the hair. Instead it dissolves the impurities much like micellar water (bioderma) does when removing makeup.

I love that it comes with the pump on the bottle too since when using it, you want to target the scalp area mostly and using the tip of the pump makes it super easy. Fully massage it into the scalp and let it sit for a few minutes. You can wash it through the ends too but I usually just the excess product run through naturally (I have shoulder length hair). Once you rinse, it will feel soft and supple but super duper clean.

The biggest thing for me is that I’ve been able to grow my hair for the first time. I don’t have dead ends so I don’t have to cut off 3 inches every time I get my hair cut and I’m also able to go 3 days in between shampoos instead of 2. Sometimes I need some dry shampoo in my bangs but otherwise I find that using this definitely has “reset” my scalp and my hair is softer and healthier than ever.

It 100% works…if you use it correctly.

First off, let me start by saying that I feel like I’ve been doing all the “right” skincare things since I was about 19 years old. I use all the right serums, moisturizers and eye creams and get Botox occasionally. But there’s still the things I don’t do right…lack of sleep, stress, a few too many glasses of wine on a few too many occasions, and well, the inability to stop the clock. And that’s where this bad boy works it’s literal magic.

I think that’s the first thing to keep in mind about this product. That it’s not an eye treatment per-say…in fact you need to apply it to clean, dry skin which means no serums, moisturizers or eye creams underneath. I like to consider it like wearing a bra under my eyes.

Also, it’s important to use a synthetic brush when applying it. I tried using my fingers and it dried to a weird powder finish and made any puffiness disappear but made any crows feet look crepey. A little definitely goes a long way.

As for applying makeup over it, some people have said it’s impossible but I’ve found no trouble with it. I haven’t tried it with too many formulas but with my IT Cosmetics CC cream, I just apply it right over in a dabbing motion with a beauty blender making sure not to “wipe” it away and let it set and it looks great.

I think other people have noticed, too. When at the store the other day, the cashier asked for my birth year to which I responded with “1986.” He repeated back “1996” while typing it in and I was about to correct him but chose to take the compliment with the excuse to enjoy said bottle of alcohol purchased with full confidence the bags the next day would be deceptively hidden with my Firmx Eye.

You need this. It’s $5. Just buy it.

This may come as a surprise to some of you youngins out there but as appalling as it sounds, there was once a time, long ago, when Beautyblenders didn’t exist. One had the choice of buying an industrial sized bag of single-use makeup sponges or using their fingers when applying foundation.

Then the beautyblender came into our lives and the beds of our nails, once caked with foundation could not be more thankful. But like most game-changing products, it came with a bit of sticker shock. $20 for a makeup sponge did seem a bit much but you get what you pay for, right? I was willing to accept it.

So, when my beautyblender was in need of a good washing, and I was filling my cart with a few other things from Beautylish, I thought to myself how $5 isn’t going to break the bank if this sponge is crap and if it’s decent, then it pays for itself in the time saved washing my beautyblender.

Did it live up to the standards of the $20 beautyblender? I’d say so. And I like the flat tip on one side for the nooks and corners, too.

There is no excuse to not use a decent sponge for makeup application anymore. It’s $5. Just buy it now and thank me later.

I was skeptical at first...

How many jokes have we heard about Moon Juice (and just LA holistic health culture in general)? I guess it made me all the more curious to see what the hype is all about, so I gave the Super You tablets a try for a couple of weeks. The result? I’ll get into the details but let’s just say I bought another bottle which arrived yesterday (always super fast shipping with Beautylish!)

I’m pretty skeptical when it comes to supplements, especially with such broad, promising results. But, pandemic life has been leaving me feeling a bit restless and the Covid 15 is no joke. If a supplement can actually manage cortisol levels, sign me up.

I didn’t notice anything right away but after a few days of consistent use, I did start to feel better. I wasn’t craving fatty comfort foods anymore and I was sleeping much better.

Sure, it’s a bit pricey to take daily but if you do the math, it’s way less than spending the $ on new jeans you can’t fit into anymore or Botox when your lack of sleep makes your crows feet look like they’re ready for landing.

TOP SHELF

Dry shampoo is one of those things that simply had never mattered that much to me. I have naturally thin hair but a ton of it so the only reason I've used dry shampoo in the past was to extend the time between washing. As a result, in the back of my mind I see it as some generic product to just "get the job done."

With all the hype, I had to give this product a try. Because I had never spent over $15 for a dry shampoo or well, $30 if you consider Bumble and Bumble Dry Spun part of that category, I justified the price in the scent which is the perfect blend of clean, floral, and musky yet feminine smell. I would compare it to Georgio Armani Code.

To my amazement this product is simply wonderful. My typical go-to hairstyle had always been an attempt at Bridget Bardot meets Jane Birkin meets Zooey Deschanel meets Alexa Chung and with this I can achieve just that and more. In fact, I recently went shorter for summer and still it works magic in keeping my now wavy "lob" texturized instead of it's natural way of falling to it's natural form of Friar Tuck meets Debbie Harry meets awkward 10 year old.

This is seriously the top shelf, Don Perignon of dry shampoos. That's not to say that my former "Pssst" brand dry shampoo has not served it's purpose but it's more like Andre's Cold Duck...just to be used on those days where you know you have just *one more day* before washing if there is nothing else. However, one's palate (or palette...ehh...get it?) once refined is destined only to fall in love with the finer things in life and it will be hard to ever look back at the days before Oribe.

Move over, Jefree Star!

Just kidding - I am HUGE on matte liquid lipsticks right now and like everyone else, have been obsessing over Jeffree's coveted line. Second to his lipsticks of course are Kat Von D and Stila but sadly, if I wear any of them for too long my lips become terribly dry. Nude shades will just not work on me as it makes the dryness even more apparent.

I do know this is just my unfortunate nature of having dry lips year round, though, so I work around it and make sure to scrub and moisturize which does help a ton. I mean, I've been addicted to Burt's Bees since grade school and relate way too much to the scene in Napoleon Dynamite (you know which one - "well then can you bring me my chapstick?") so the struggle is real but if there's a will there's a way to rock a matte lip.

I am beyond impressed with this formula - when it says in the product copy that it is "flexible and comfortable" this is not an exaggeration. The formula literally bonds to your lips and dries to a silky finish rather than a taught feeling. You forget it's on even once it dries.

If you have dry lips or lips with a lot of lines, rest assured this formula actually almost creates it's own form over the lips blurring any of these imperfections. It's like a built in Instagram filter.

The wear time is amazing - it can easily last even after eating, although I do recommend a little touchup to avoid that "ring" that can happen with these formulas (it's inevitable) and instead of the "stucco effect" that happens if you apply another layer of liquid lipstick over an already dry layer, this lipstick actually goes on smooth and fresh. No need to sand off the top layer of your lip after lunch.

All the shades are slowly making their way to the top of my makeup bag starting with Beige Rose which is the absolute perfect nude for fair skin, Rouge Feu which is the perfect blue based red that literally ever person needs and Vermillion which is a beautiful tangerine-red that is bright enough for the perfect "pop" while still remaining subtle enough for everyday wear.

matte does not equal dull

I associate matte foundations, and well, makeup in general as being classic, clean, timeless, however, it is all too often that matte just equates to dull. It can look too powdery, hang onto dry areas of the skin or just look "blegh."

This is not the case with Makeup Atelier. I apply it with a wet beauty blender and it spreads seamlessly. I'm somewhat of a perfectionist when it comes to foundation application and with some formulas, it can take me up to 15 minutes, various tools and windows in my apartment to get a visual of every angle in natural light. The coverage is fantastic - medium at first but super easy easily build if you prefer a fuller coverage. It looks like real, clean skin. Plain and simple.

I was also very impressed with the color range. While a bit confusing/overwhelming to look at online, I can assure you that there is a match for any and everyone. I am a NC15 in MAC which can sometimes appear a bit too yellow and the FLW1B is precisely my skintone - not too pink nor to yellow, not even a slight line of demarcation despite my preference for a fuller coverage. Just reach out to any of us at Beautylish and we're happy to help color match.

I will say that despite it having a matte finish, I would recommend setting it with a setting powder before going through with any blushes, bronzers, etc. I use the RCMA No Color Powder but any would work perfect with this foundation without ruining the integrity of the formula.

gentle, clean and effective

I might lose my job for saying this but I am horrible at taking my makeup off at night. Whether it be putting in long hours working, binge watching on Netflix or just plain laziness, the bed always wins over the sink.

However, since starting with Mila's regimen, washing my face at night has become like a mini late night spa experience. The fragrance is very spa-like and the texture is - just like it says - milky. I put it onto dry skin, massage it in and take a warm muslin cloth to give a quick gentle steam before using the cloth to remove it. It's quick, luxurious and makes not only my skin feel way better after a long day but an overall good feeling, knowing that it's the essential step in making every other step of my regimen work to it's fullest.

Just a note, too - both the cleansing milk and the cleansing foam are for all skin types so it's just that much more amazing to have the milk right on the counter-top for night and the foam in the shower for the am.

I don't normally wear eye shadow...but when I do...

...It better be good. If Jacqueline H., Nadia W. AND Amy Y. have all written raving reviews, I'm going to go for it.

I grabbed the palette as soon as it launched on Beautylish as I had already known they were prone to selling out super fast which is why this review is a bit delayed since it took me until a night out to really go to town on my eyes with it.

The first thing that stood out to me was HOW pigmented it really is. I was doing a classic smokey eye with the black shade in the bottom left hand corner. It was a bit intimidating I'll admit as this is the blackest black eyeshadow I've ever worked with. I can handle a little bit of fallout but who knows what could happen with something SO dark. To my surprise, there was none. The color packs on true to the shade in the pan and applies almost like a cream. Because of this same consistency, it also blends seamlessly for a perfect gradient look.

For the whole look, I used 3 shades - the off-white in the upper right hand corner for the base, the neutral tan shade underneath as a guide and the black and grey shades as the shadow. I only used three brushes; Wayne Goss' Brush 06 for packing on color, Wayne Goss' Brush 04 for blending, and Chikuhodo Z-10 for the bottom lash line and pulling the color up in the outer corners.

I also love how the palettes are distinguished by undertone. While I did find the peaches on my skin tone to pull more pink, using the darker shades again, really helped with keeping it gradient following the same tone range with no breaks.

Overall, the quality definitely speaks for itself. I was hoping by purchasing the palette that it would make me more inclined to create more creative looks but I think that's more a matter of my own motivation and not the fault of the palette. ;)

Benjamin Button your skin

I feel like I've been pretty good to my skin over the years and as a skincare professional I also know that there is no stopping the aging process and to be honest, I've always found expression lines to be charming. They show you live a happy life and are always smiling, right?

Well, then your 30s come and those expression lines become, well, just lines. I won't use the word "wrinkle" quite yet, but these lines are now a harbor for foundation to crease into and aren't so joyous or cute anymore. Every anti aging product on the market will promise to "reverse the signs of aging" but for me at least, while I'm an avid believer that skincare maintenance is key, I'm also a realist. I never had the expectation from any product that I could simply Benjamin Button my fine lines away and I was okay with that. I'd look into botox sometime down the line if it really came to it.

When first starting using the Rejuvenating Serum, it was mainly for hydration and age prevention. I knew that the molecular size of the active ingredients were so small and that simply pumping hylauronic acid into the dermal layer would keep my skin nice and hydrated and preventing, or rather slowing down at least, the aging process.

I was wrong, guys. I need to work on my skepticism. After about a month of use, one of my deepest lines that my wonderful grandmother passed down to me (we literally have the same line in the same exact place between our outer left eye and cheekbone) is near gone. Researching further, it is due to a clever ingredient called Matrixil 3000. I won't give a chemistry lesson in this review but you just have to trust me when I say that it literally can and does deliver.