Saturday, October 26, 2013

Review: e.l.f. Beauty Book in Warm

I’m a huge fan of saving money. And if that means testing out super cheap, drugstore makeup, I’m all for it. Especially when you come across a brand like e.l.f.



I hadn’t really paid any attention to the brand until joining a makeup subreddit. Then, they all started recommending these super affordable products. I was blown away at how much these folks seemed to love this budget makeup. So one day, I took a dive and went for it. I found this beauty book of eyeshadow in the clearance section and figured that if anything was worth five bucks, it was hopefully finding a new brand affair.

Sure enough, this is some awesome shadow. The colors are nice and professional, with some hints of shimmer throughout to keep it young and fresh. The pigmentation is nice, especially over the e.l.f. primer. They are all very solid colors that work well together. And they are grouped according to what works well with what. I like that. It makes my morning routine a little easier.

Also, I love that with such a good selection, I can take this with me while I’m travelling. Then I don’t have to worry about not having a certain shade for a certain look. This covers a lot of my bases at once.

Wear time is also good. On top of primer, I got a whole day’s worth of wear without any sign of creasing or fading. They are also easy to remove, which is nice considering how often I’ve taken to wearing a color or  three from the book.

Definitely a worthwhile investment. 100%.


Thanks for reading!

Thursday, October 24, 2013

September Birchbox: Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel (And the Giveaway Winner)

First off, let me state that I have never been a huge fan of products aimed at "sensitive skin." Why, you ask? Because it either a) doesn't work as intended or b) disturbs the gentle nature of my skin in some form or fashion.

I'm also not a huge fan of peels because "sensitive" or not, they always leave me feeling dry and itchy and blotchy.

This peel, made by the brand I've come to like, doesn't cut the mustard either.



When Birchbox said this product gave a "mild tingle," I knew I was in trouble. Because honestly, calling it a tingle is putting it very, very lightly. 

Bluntly put, this stuff burns. Maybe it's the fruit-based acids or the length of time it's supposed to be on. But it left my skin raw and aching after only half of the allotted ten minutes. I rinsed it off and my skin still felt hot to the touch and really tender for a good half hour afterwards. 

And maybe it's just my skin, but the next day, I had a couple of breakouts. Nothing major, just some areas on my skin that bubbled up because of the extreme dryness that this peel left my skin with. 

Perhaps this product isn't meant for someone with just sensitive skin. Maybe it's for people who have oily skin as well. Or skin that can handle some "mild tingle." But it's definitely not for me. 

Which is a shame. As much as I enjoy Juice Beauty's products, this one just isn't a winner. 

---------------------------

And now, for what you've all been waiting for....The winner of the Montagne Jeunesse giveaway is....

Patricia F.! Congrats, Patricia. I've sent the company your contact information and they should be getting in touch with you shortly. 

Thanks, everyone, for your entries. I really loved seeing your comments and getting some love for an awesome brand. 

Thanks for reading!

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Review: Montagne Jeunesse Masks and a Giveaway!

I've been so impatient to get this post out. But I wanted to make sure I had all of my ducks in a row first. And now, they are! So, drum roll please....

Montagne Jeunesse was kind enough to send me a generous package of their face masks because there were none in my area. I know, I live in Atlanta, but the only ones I found were a slim selection that never changed. It was pitiful and heartbreaking, because I had tried one of the clay masks before and loved it.

Needless to say, I will be doing all of my ordering online in the future because I am now ADDICTED to these masks. Ho, boy. Let me start from the beginning.

I didn't get pictures of all of the masks because honestly, I was just too eager to dig into them. My apologies. They were a mess afterwards, but the insides were worth it.

This mask was tough to get through at first. It had a really strong smell. Not wholly unpleasant, just a little overwhelming at first. However, after I had the package open for a while, the smell drifted away and I was left with an awesome clay mask. 
This one left my skin super hydrated and squeaky clean. It also helped with a couple of blemishes I was battling at the time. It wasn't irritating, like some masks can be, and the aloe made my summer skin feel absolutely fantastic. Like a cool drink of water after a day spent in the pool.

This mask was a blast and a half. My mom was in town, so her and I split the pack (there's tons in these thing, so you can easily share). It was so delightfully exfoliating. It made my skin tingle, and my nose had trouble coping with the spearmint, but it was worth it. The cool sensation, the crystals clearing away a week's worth of dead skin. Even my mom said it felt like a spa facial in a little plastic packet. 
And afterwards? My skin was silky soft. All of the natural oils were a breeze to rinse away, but they left my skin softer than ever. Easily one of my favorites, Montagne Jeunesse hit the nail on the head with this combo. A one-two punch for dry, damaged skin.

This sheet mask scared my husband, but I think it felt fantastic. It was super cleansing and smelled like the woods. Seriously, it smelled like pine trees and snow. I don't know how they did it. I left this on while I watched some TV and painted my nails. I patted in the leftovers, and bam. Instantly refreshed skin. It felt nice to take a moment for myself.

Now, for some of the ones I didn't get pictures of. 

The pomegranate peel? Fantastic! I put some on my husbands nose and it pulled away some of his worst blackheads. And since was purple, I was able to find and peel off all of those bits and pieces that tend to stick around for the long haul. My skin felt undeniably clean after that mask.

I also share the hot chocolate orange with my best friend, and we both agreed that it felt amazing. It was weird that it warmed up, but once we got used to, it was great. My only complaint is that it was a pain to wash off. My sink looked like it belonged in a haunted house that had never been cleaned. And the next day, I kept noticing spots that I'd missed. I loved the mask, it made my skin ultra soft, but I will probably relegate it to shower use when I can make sure to scrub it all off. 

Overall, an extremely pleasant experience. These guys know their skincare. I wasn't disappointed in any of the masks. Not by a long shot. All of the Korean style sheet masks took a while to soak in, but after they did, my skin looked vibrant for days. 

And now, for the even better news....

Montagne Jeunesse has offered to give away a wonderful prize pack to one lucky follower of this blog. It'll be similar to mine, and it is so absolutely worth it!  Just fill out the RaffleCopter below and I'll send the results to Gladis at MJ. She'll get your pamper package off to you in a jiffy. 

Contest ends three weeks from today, on October 24th. At that point, a winner will be randomly chosen by Raffle Copter's math wizards. 

Thanks for reading, and good luck!



a Rafflecopter giveaway