Beauty Product Reviews

Favorite Travel Palette Right Now

I'll admit it; after seeing so many reviews on this palette and hearing all the hype around it, I convinced myself that I needed this palette in my collection. I received this as an early Christmas gift from my mom and I have been in love ever since. This is my go-to palette for on the go right now because I can create so many looks with it. My most used colors from this palette are Sable and Espresso for my brows. As much as I like the Lorac Pro Palette, if you have similar colors, you don't need this palette. I don't have many neutral or shimmery palettes so it's a good fit for my small collection. If you have a bigger makeup collection, you can probably leave this palette out all together.

Amazing Color

I am in complete love with this color and it has only been a day since I purchased it. This color, in my opinion, is the perfect dark purple shade for fall. I was looking for dupes for the MAC Yung Rapunxel lipstick and I ran across this shade. I've strayed away from Revlon lipsticks for the past few years now, because the ones I've had in the past always dried my lips out. This lipstick didn't do that. Not only was it moisturizing on my lips, but the pigmentation is incredible. I found that this lipstick is a little stain prone so if you don't like that, try using a lip liner as a barrier between your lips and lipstick and you should be okay. This lipstick really complements my skin tone and is so perfect for the fall lip trends right now. Not only that, it's super affordable (I got mine for about $5 at Target). Beautiful color, applies like a dream for me, and moisturizing; you can't get any better than that ♥

Very Gentle

I love this for when I'm toning my face. I find that I use this more when my skin is free of any pimples or irritation and it works better for my skin. Because this is so gentle on the skin and does not contain any burning and drying alcohol, I find that I can use this any time my face feels grimy and needs a quick cleansing. I use this day and night, applying either coconut oil or sweet almond oil to my face right after. This combination seems to work well in keeping my skin soft and nice looking.

For the price I found it for, I recommend it for everyone to try out, unless you hate the smell of roses. This product is coupled with two natural astringents (witch hazel and rose water), which shouldn't irritate the skin. The smell can be a different issue though. I like the smell of it, but we're not all built the same. I switch this out with my Clean & Clear toner for when my skin is breaking out in "monthlies" or stressful times, but I always return to this after those bumps are gone. This is definitely a staple in my skincare regimen.

Former Staple, Forever Has a Place in my Heart

When I first started my hair growth journey, I searched the hair boards for whatever products other relaxed women were using on their hair. HR Long Term Relationship seemed to be the favorite between relaxed women, so I urgently bought it to try it out. The first few times I tried it, I loved it. Not only did it have a nice smell, but it made my hair feel pretty good. I typically used this to moisturize/seal my hair at night, daily, and sometimes it was my leave-in after I washed my hair. My addiction to the smell and what I did to my hair led me to buy two-three bottles of it whenever I was in Target just so I never ran out of what I deemed to be my "holy grail" product.

Well, as the months went by, I started to use other products on my hair (yes, I'm a product junkie and I'm proud of it!) to see what they would do for my hair. I would try to go back to this product, but something had changed. It got to the point that when I used this on freshly shampooed or co-washed hair, that it didn't give me the same benefits as before. It made my hair a little harder to de-tangle and I found myself having to use more and more just to get the comb to glide through my hair. If you've been using the product in the last year or so, you'd know that this product has gone through some cosmetic changes. Not only did they change the packaging twice, but the price had gotten higher. And for me, it felt like the formula had changed somehow, though the ingredients remained the same.

I have since moved onto the Aussie Split-End Protector, which leaves my hair amazing soft and bouncy, especially when I've used it after my co-washes. The Long Term Relationship will forever have a place in my heart as my staple product when I first started my hair journey. I say give it a try; if you like it, you like it. If not, just remember you didn't spend that much money on it.

Perfect for Jelly Manicures

Barre My Soul from the NYC Ballet collection was my very first O.P.I. nail polish. I have seen so many reviews on O.P.I. as a whole, so I had a high expectation for this nail polish before even trying it. Though this nail polish is sheer, I find it to be a great neutral color for work, school, and when you just want a clean looking manicure. My brush had no flaws in it and was pretty much defect free.

Now, my favorite way to use this polish: jelly manicures. I love to use this as my base color and "topping" color for my jelly manicures. How I use this color is to first apply two coats of this color, letting the polish dry in-between. Next, I apply two coats of whatever glitter I'm using (I've used Wet n Wild's Party of Five glitter and China Glaze's Party Heart), also letting those dry. Finally, I do one more coat of Barre My Soul, let it dry for a few minutes, and top it off with my fast drying top coat. The result is a muted glitter that is a perfect way of wearing glitter subtly. This is my favorite O.P.I polish (mainly because it was my first one) and I would definitely recommend this to anyone who wants a nice, sheer polish for jelly manicures or for a glossy shine to their nails.

Amazing

I love using this on my hair as a light protein leave-in after my shampoo days. Not only does it leave my hair soft, it makes my strands feel stronger and I have less breakage when I use this. The tub last a LONG time because you do not need a lot of product on your hair. If you have thick hair, I would suggest moisturizing in sections, then sealing in with your favorite natural oil. I use this along with my moisturizing spritz to keep a nice moisture/protein balance in my hair and my hair loves the combination of the two. This is definitely a staple in my hair regime and I will repurchase this as soon as my tub has completely run out.

Great for protective styling

I love to use these for my buns when I am protective styling. Protecting my ends is critical for me to retain my length so my hair can grow longer and remain healthy. I find that using too many bobby pins can take out my hair when the little bulb on the ends snags in my hair. These are perfect for me and I would highly recommend them to anyone on a hair journey that uses buns as a protective style, or anyone who likes up-dos, but does not like using a lot of bobby pins.

Favorite Vibrant Palette

I love this palette so much. I had been eyeing it on Coastal Scents since it debuted, but I never convinced myself to buy it. Finally, I broke down and bought it during a sale and I couldn't be happier. This palette makes it easy for me to do bright look with the very pigmented hotpots. With a few of the colors (like the yellows and oranges) you really have to pack them on your eyes to get a really vibrant color payoff, but it is no biggie. I suggest using these color with a white base to really make the colors pop. If you've been looking at this palette, get it! Don't be afraid like I was at first. Also, if you don't like some of the colors in your palette, you can always purchase the hotpots (which are SUPER cheap) and replace the colors you don't like with the ones you do like. The hotpots are not glued down, making for easy removal. Try it out! You may love it! Definitely a 5-star product in my book!

Such a Nice Scent

I first received this scent a few years ago as a Christmas present from my mom and I've been in love with this scent ever since. Back when I had it, I would wear it everyday on my wrists and neck and the scent would last all day on me. Those around me also liked the scent and since I've run out, I need this back in my life once more. It was my summer scent three years ago and I'm sure it will be my summer scent for 2012 as well.

Summery Bronzy Colors = ♥

Last summer, I missed out of the pigment stack that came out with the Surf Baby Collection. When I found out that the pigments stacks were coming out again, I instantly scooped up the Aloha stack, my favorite out of the three for 2012. Honestly, I'm SO happy with my choice. The colors are GORGEOUS and perfect for a summer bronze look, but can also transition well in the fall. My favorite color out of the stack has to be Campfire. I've paired Campfire with a matte dark brown in the crease and it came out beautifully. Now I will admit that the colors are very frosty, so if you don't like that, you wouldn't like these. I love them and I plan on using them a lot more during the summertime. The pigmentation is great and as you swipe on the color, the color seems to intensify. A great product from MAC.