March 2019 - Reviews and Other Stuff

Month: March 2019

Mario Badescu Facial Spray Review

March 27, 2019 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Curious about Mario Badescu Facial Sprays? I am and had been for some time. Actually, I was on the lookout for some good facial sprays and this brand caught my eye. There seem to be a lot of raves about their Green Tea, Lavender and especially their Rosewater face mists. So, I couldn’t help but try them for myself. For starters, I kinda like the ingredients of these facial sprays and they seem to be light on the skin. Since I’m actually not a fan of thick, heavy, and oil-based face sprays because they’ll just emphasize the shine on my skin, I felt like these Mario Badescu mists seem like the perfect fit.

There are a couple of things I noticed about these facial sprays. First, they’re really quite versatile to use. They’re not just simple facial sprays, they can also be used as a toner or as a complement to your favorite moisturizer since these sprays add extra moisture to the skin and soften the dry patches of the face. So, in general, these mists are perfect for layering under makeup. Second thing is that these are perfect for spraying on our favorite facial sponge of the world – the beautyblender. Speaking of that, oh my, I do that quite a lot. I like the convenience of having a facial spray nearby so I could moisten my beautyblender with it on the spot. I tend to get lazy in wetting my beautyblender especially when I may not have access to the nearest faucet and I have to apply my makeup fast. I actually like the feel of my beautyblender that way as opposed to wetting it with water, because it sorta retains a firm texture which makes it easier for me to control my makeup application. Moistening it all over could make the sponge too soft. I love to smack that beautyblender on my face so I could have a more even, natural, and less cakey foundation on the skin. Lastly, as a facial spray, these really add moisture to dry skin, and they’re great as a finishing spray since they make the foundation look less harsh and more even. Also, these provide for a nice facial refresher during the day.

Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs, and Rosewater (4 oz: $7, 8 oz: $12) – This face mist is great for all skin types, but actually all Mario Badescu Face Sprays are. This one, in particular, has a nice rose scent and it’s meant to rehydrate, clarify, even the complexion, and add a glow to the skin. For me, I didn’t notice the glow part at all, but I guess because my skin is already glowing in oil anyway, LOL. This facial spray actually did quite the opposite. It did kinda control the excess oiliness of my skin even though the effect is very subtle. This spray also moisturizes the skin and it feels light, non-sticky, and it didn’t give me any breakouts. So this is really nice for those with oily-prone or with problematic acne skin. Also, there are no harsh ingredients in this, like Sulfates, SLES, Parabens, etc.

Facial Spray with Aloe, Cucumber, and Green Tea (4 oz: $7, 8 oz: $12) – Smells fresh just like Cucumber and Green Tea, I like leaving this face mist inside my refrigerator, and I use this to hydrate my skin throughout the day. Try it, you’ll love it. This spray is also great for all skin types and I believe, apart from delivering extra moisture to the skin, this pretty much adds an invigorating effect, the type that wakes up the senses.

Facial Spray with Aloe, Chamomile, and Lavender (4 oz: $7, 8 oz: $12) – Talking about relaxing and soothing face mists, well, this is the one. Just like the calming effect of Lavender, I love using this spray at night especially before going to bed. My face tends to get dry at night so this spray helps a lot. I find this to be quite comforting and surprisingly very hydrating, probably even more hydrating than the Rosewater one above. This is also great for all skin types and free of any harsh ingredients.

In general, though the effects of these face sprays are very subtle and there’s really not that much difference among them, the important thing is we hydrate our skin and these deliver. So I highly recommend these facial mists. I like that they help to invigorate our senses, they’re mild on the skin, and that they’re pretty much affordable. The bottles are large enough for daily use and they could last for some time. The spray nozzles could use some improvement, but I’m cool with that.

The Mario Badescu Facial Sprays are currently available at Sephora, Ulta, Anthropologie, Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s, Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack, Saks Fifth Avenue, Saks Off Fifth, Urban Outfitters and Amazon

Are you a fan of these? What’s your favorite Face Mist?

Klorane Dry Shampoo Review

March 26, 2019 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Happy Tuesday to each and every one. I hope your week is off to a good start. A few weeks ago, I did a roundup of my favorite dry shampoos which you can check out HERE. In that post, I promised to tell you more about my favorite Klorane Dry Shampoos which I also love and use even to these days. In fact, it’s Klorane that made me like and explore dry shampoos even more. So, without further ado, here’s my take of this brand’s dry shampoos and read what I like about each of them.

Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk (mini/1 oz: $10, 3.2 oz: $20) – This is the first Klorane Dry Shampoo I’ve tried and I fell in love with this immediately right after the first spray. It contains corn and rice starch with organic oat milk which really works wonders on the hair and it’s gentle on the scalp and strands. The scent has green notes but it’s not crazy overpowering like most dry shampoos out there. What I love the most about this original Klorane Dry Shampoo is that it really makes the hair look clean, volumized, and refreshed. It’s not meant for super oily hair but it eliminates excess oil off my hair which already has a tendency to get oily pretty easily. Also, this Allure Best of Beauty winner is perfect for color-treated hair and for any hair types. It does not contain any Parabens, SLES, Sulfates, and even Formaldehydes. Additionally, I find that this product doesn’t really leave any visible whitish or chalky residue on my jet black hair which is a huge plus for me because sometimes dealing with these residues can take some time.

Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk Natural Tint (mini/1 oz: $10, 3.2 oz: $20) – This has the same ingredients and scent as the original Klorane Oat Milk Dry Shampoo above, only except this version contains beige powder (instead of white) and it’s meant to blend naturally with dark hair. To be honest, the natural beige tint of this dry shampoo is a nice bonus, but as what I’ve said before, the original Klorane Dry Shampoo above, with its whitish powder, doesn’t really leave any visible chalky residue on the hair. So, if you already have the original Klorane dry shampoo above, then you can pretty much skip this tinted one or vice versa. But if you’re like me and you wanna be safe, you can buy a mini size of this dry shampoo and keep it in your purse for emergencies.

Klorane Dry Shampoo with Nettle Oil Control (mini/1 oz: $10, 3.2 oz: $20) – I got this out of curiosity just to see if this really works as promised. Also, I wanted to test if this could actually deal with my tendency-to-get-really-greasy hair. 🙂 With ingredients like the two Klorane Dry Shampoos above plus Nettle Extract which promotes hair growth and hair health, I do believe this works like a charm in controlling excess hair oil even after two days of having an unwashed hair, and it does add volume as well. I would have loved this a lot, but this does leave some whitish residue on the hair right after spraying. However, the chalky residue goes away pretty easily, you just gotta let it settle on your hair for a few seconds and then massage lightly onto scalp, then blend and brush your hair. Lately, I noticed that there’s a newer version of this dry shampoo and it’s meant for dark hair, you can see it HERE. So, when I’m done with this, I’m definitely getting that version for sure. Just like with the two Klorane Dry Shampoos above, this Nettle Oil Control Dry Shampoo is also great for color-treated hair and it’s free of Sulfates, SLES, Parabens, Formaldehyde, etc.

Bottom line, I really like using these Klorane Dry Shampoos not only because they truly make the hair look clean and renewed, but also because they just feel light in terms of their scent and the way they feel on my hair. I just wish their bottles could get a little bit bigger so I could get more use out of them.

What are your favorite dry shampoos? Are you a fan of Klorane?

The Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk (Tinted/Untinted) and the Klorane Dry Shampoo Nettle Oil Control can be found at Sephora, Ulta, Revolve, and Amazon

* Hair Dryer is from Harry Josh, available HERE

* Straw Hat can be found HERE

Giveaway: The Voyage Travel Makeup Case

March 22, 2019 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Hello Friends. A few weeks ago I did a review of this very functional travel makeup case called ” The Voyage” from Case-Up Miami. You can read more about this case HERE. I really love how versatile and sleek this makeup case is, and it’s so easy to store. It can hold different sizes of beauty products and cleaning it is a breeze. Now for the good part, one of you will get to have this wonderful makeup case. Read the terms below.

One winner will receive one Voyage Travel Makeup Case in navy blue from Case-Up Miami. Open internationally but you must be at least 18 years old or older. Note that the first two entries for this giveaway are mandatory, therefore, they must be completed. The other options are for bonus entries in order to improve your chance of winning. This giveaway is running through 3/28. A winner will be picked the next day and will be announced through this widget. You will also be emailed by me. You must respond to my email within 24 hours or another winner will be selected in your place.

(Disclosure: This giveaway is sponsored by Case-Up Miami)

To enter for a chance to win, enter through the widget below by completing at least the first two steps.

a Rafflecopter giveaway