Reviews and Other Stuff

FASHION & BEAUTY

Farmacy The Mighties Kit Review

Hi There! You’ve probably heard about Farmacy skincare before, and you’ve probably seen their products at some aisles at Sephora. Well, if you’re looking for some real and natural farm to face skincare products, look no further and take a closer look at the products offered by this particular brand. A good way to get yourself acquainted with their products is to try their bestsellers in a mini version, like in this Farmacy The Mighties Kit ($45).

 

Farmacy Honey Potion Renewing Antioxidant Hydration Mask with Echinacea GreenEnvy

 

I’m no stranger to Farmacy products anymore since I’ve tried some of their stuff before, and my experience has been totally positive. There’s not a lot of “green” skincare products nowadays that truly deliver quality results, while not compromising on clean, safe, non-irritating, and cruelty-free ingredients and standards. I believe Farmacy is one of those skincare brands that you can rely on if you’re into nature-inspired skincare. Being said that, most of their products are either made with honey or with Echinacea GreenEnvy – a different kind of Echinacea breed that has potent healing powers and contains more antioxidants than the regular Echinacea plant.

 

The Mighties Kit contains two Farmacy products that I’ve tried before as samples: The Honey Potion Mask and the Honey Drop Moisturizer. I was gonna purchase them in their regular sizes but I wanted to see if there might be some other Farmacy products I might like and should try. This Mighties Kit (got this on sale during Sephora’s VIB event several weeks ago) seems like a really good kit to try some other Farmacy bestsellers. The other three products that are Included in this kit which I’ve never tried before are the following: a green makeup remover, a night balm infused with Echinacea GreenEnvy, and a sample of their Dew It All Eye Cream. Hmm, these products seem really intriguing…

 

Farmacy Honey Drop Lightweight Moisturizer with Echinacea GreenEnvy

 

Green Clean Makeup Meltaway Cleansing Balm with Echinacea GreenEnvy (3.2 oz: $34) – This smells like something green, slightly herb-like and totally fresh like a slight blend of lime and a hint of bergamot. This Allure 2017 Best of Beauty Winner looks waxy on the outside but once you scoop it out, it’ll melt into the skin and remove all kinds of makeup without any problem. Kinda like Clinique’s Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm, but with a much better scent. You’re probably gonna need a spatula whenever you use this, and a small pea-size amount is enough to get rid of all the makeup on your face.

 

Honey Drop Lightweight Moisturizer with Echinacea GreenEnvy (1.7 oz: $45) – This moisturizer smells like honey and it feels really light on the skin. I’ve had several samples of this before as well and I really like the way my skin feels after using this. It’s softening and for my skin type or even for those with combo skin, this is a perfect consistency as an everyday moisturizer. However, if you have dry skin, this may not be enough for you, and if you put a lot of this, it may pill. So that’s something to consider, and for some, they don’t really like the scent of this moisturizer since it’s kind of boring and odd. I definitely think that this product can be a hit or a miss for some, depending on a lot of factors like your skin type, the area where you live, and your scent preferences among other things.

 

Farmacy Sleep Tight Firming Night Balm with Echinacea GreenEnvy

 

Sleep Tight Firming Night Balm with Echinacea GreenEnvy (1.7 oz: $48) – This balm turns into a jelly-oil consistency once applied on the skin. It has this light green scent that is mixed with several nourishing oils which makes for an aromatic experience. The feeling of applying this is weird because the balm really does feel like an oil on my hands and on my face, but it isn’t really that oily. It has that sort of dry oil effect, and even though it took a while for this product to be absorbed by my skin, it didn’t really stain my bed sheets and pillowcases. As someone with an oily skin type, I was afraid that this might cause my face to get even more oily and will cause some breakouts, but so far, I haven’t really noticed any untoward reactions. Even though I didn’t notice the firming effect, what I did notice is that this balm had moisturized some dry patches on my skin overnight.

 

Honey Potion Renewing Antioxidant Hydration Mask with Echinacea GreenEnvy (4.1 oz: $56) – This is one of my most favorite Farmacy products ever. I’ve had several samples of this before and I will buy this in its large packaging soon. This is surely one of the best face masks I’ve ever tried and it feels so good the moment you apply it on the face. It has this ginger-honey scent that feels like a really thick jelly to the touch, and it spreads on the skin smoothly while it warms. You could feel your skin feeling revitalized by it. I like to massage this mask all over my face for about 15 minutes and right after washing it off, my face feels so soft, so smooth, and so renewed. It looks plumped, well-hydrated, glowy, almost like having glassy skin. I could even squeeze my whiteheads and blackheads off easily, it’s amazing.

 

Dew It All Total Eye Cream with Echinacea GreenEnvy

 

Dew It All Total Eye Cream with Echinacea GreenEnvy (0.5 oz: $38) – This eye cream is a surprise love for me. I’ve never tried this before and when I did, I was so amazed by how soft and smooth this cream feels. It isn’t thick and sticky, it’s just a rich smooth creamy blend that my undereye skin soaked up immediately. It had kept it hydrated for hours and hours and it goes well under concealer or any tinted undereye moisturizers. While there’s no way of knowing if this eye cream had reduced my dark circles, given that I only got a free small sachet of a sample inside the kit, I do love its nice clean scent and its hydrating effect on my undereyes.

 

Farmacy Honey Drop Lightweight Moisturizer with Echinacea GreenEnvy

 

Bottom line. If you’re new to Farmacy products, I suggest that you try this Mighties Kit. There’s a lot to love in this kit and you will discover and like some other Farmacy products that you might normally pass by at any beauty and skincare counters. Personally, I love all of the stuff in this kit, and I’m not surprised why they’re considered bestsellers, because they really are. However, I have a special liking to the Green Clean Makeup Meltaway Cleansing Balm, the Dew It All Total Eye Cream, and the Honey Potion Renewing Antioxidant Mask.

 

This Farmacy The Mighties Kit is currently available at Sephora.ย You can also purchase individual regular-sized Farmacy products at JCPenney.

 

the mighties kit by farmacy

 

Have you tried any Farmacy products before?

 

Becca Gradient Sunlit Bronzer Review + Swatches

becca gradient sunlit bronzers

 

Hey you guys, this season is definitely going to be a bronzer season for me. That’s because there’s been a couple of really gorgeous beautiful bronzers being released out there lately and I just can’t help but feel like I wanna try each one of them. So expect to see more bronzer stuff on my Insta and in my next future posts. A few weeks ago, I talked about the amazing La Mer The Bronzing Powder (seen HERE) and how it’s the perfect sheer bronzer for everyday use. Now, we’ll talk about a more pigmented bronzer that not only looks beautiful on the outside but also applies beautifully on the face. The Becca Gradient Sunlit Bronzer (0.25 oz: $38) is a love at first sight for me from the moment it was released. It was something I’ve been waiting from Becca Cosmetics even though they’ve already released their single-shade bronzers in the past, called Sunlit Bronzers (0.25 oz: $38). I’ve been wanting those bronzers for a long time but I just couldn’t make up my mind as to what shades I should get. I felt like there were too many beautiful shades to choose from and I ended up not being entirely sure as to which shade matches my skin tone. I thought “If only they’d make a combination of this stuff then I would be more inclined to buy them.” So finally, these Sunrise and Sunset Waves Gradient Sunlit Bronzers are just the perfect bronzers to have this summer especially if you’re looking for one that truly delivers in terms of pigment, lasting power, and natural effect.

 

These two bronzing compacts are limited-editions and each of them come in four different shades – combining one of Becca’s Shimmering Skin Perfector plus the three shades of their Sunlit Bronzers. Isn’t that amazing and convenient? You not only get one of Becca’s cult favorite iconic highlighters, you’re also getting three tones of their popular bronzers all in one single compact. Speaking of compact, the packaging comes in a signature Becca compact which looks well-made and is simply gorgeous. It comes in a rounded mirror and that pattern of gradient columns of bronzers surrounded by such flattering highlighters is very stare-worthy. You can’t help but think that you’ve made the right splurge.

 

becca sunrise waves bronzer

becca sunrise waves bronzer swatches

 

Sunrise Waves – Has three Sunlit Bronzers:

Bali Sands (soft golden-beige)

Capri Coast (warm golden brown)

Bronzed Bondi (medium amber)

 

One Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter:

Opal (golden opal pearl)

 

becca gradient sunset waves bronzer

 

becca sunset waves bronzer swatch

 

Sunset Waves – Has three Sunlit Bronzers:

Maui Nights (sienna-kissed bronze)

Ipanema Sun (medium auburn-brown)

Bronzed Bondi (medium amber)

 

One Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter

Rose Gold (soft gold infused with rose tones)

 

becca sunrise waves sunset waves bronzer

Both compacts retain that signature Becca quality when it comes to pigments. All shades show on my skin with the darker colors being more pigmented and staining than the others. The colors’ intensity varies depending on what type of brush to use. A loose powder brush applies some light pigments on the face and the dense brush creates a more contoured defined look. Whichever brush you’d use, you will still see the colors on your face. I find the Sunrise Waves compact to be perfect for my light-medium skintone and it gives that enough healthy glow on the face. Also, each of the shade in this compact can be worn alone or combined. You can even use the incorporated Opal highlighter as a facial strobe, while you can choose any of the individual bronzer shade (some matte and some shimmery) for contouring. Once swirled, the effect is kind of a light golden-brown glow, which is really pretty, a perfect blend of highlighter and bronzer in one. On the other hand, the Sunset Waves compact is also a pretty shade and one that I couldn’t ignore, even though it’s meant for someone with a deeper complexion than mine. Each of the bronzers in this compact is super pigmented and you could see that it starts with the Bronzed Bondi shade as its lightest color, which is also present in the Sunrise Waves compact as its darkest tone. The Rose Gold Highlighter is really pretty and once swirled with all three bronzers combined, the effect is dramatic and also very beautiful. On my skin, it looks quite too saturated given its strong pigments, so I try not to put a lot of it and the effect is interesting. It gave me a nice natural flush because of the terracotta-ish Maui Nights shade, and it’s also bronzy and shimmery. I quite like the combinations. It’s like a blush-highlighter-bronzer in one.

 

becca sunrise waves and sunset waves bronzers review

 

Overall, I love the look and feel of these two compact gradient bronzers. They have that same slightly powdery and velvety feel that can only be found in Becca’s products. The pigments are their best selling-point and once applied on the skin, the colors stay put and the effect is very natural. I highly recommend these and I think they are a much better option than the Sunlit Bronzers which only comes in one single shade per compact.

 

The Becca Gradient Sunlit Bronzer is currently available at Sephora, Ulta, and Revolve

 

Best Body Lotions, Creams, And Body Butters

Hey Everyone! As far as I can remember, I’ve always been a fan of body lotions, believe it or not. I know some people tend to shy away from using them because they don’t really like the feeling of the cream on their skin. I’m the opposite, as long as the lotion is non-greasy and non-sticky, it will always find a space in my home. If I’m not hoarding lipsticks or eyeliners, you will find me hoarding body lotions. Ha! Yeah, it all started when my mom used to douse me with the good ol‘ Johnson and Johnson. From then on, some things had never really changed.

 

best body lotions, best body butters, and best body creams

 

As opposed to my oily-prone face, my skin overall tends to get really dry, especially during cold seasons. I’ve suffered from dry patches, skin bumps, and itchy dry irritated skin. That’s why I always make sure that I have body lotions and foot creams on my bedside table. Speaking of foot creams, check out this review of my favorite foot moisturizers, seen HERE. Anyway, if you’re into lotions like I do, or if you’re looking for some good body creams or body moisturizers in town, here are the body lotions that got me through every Winter and early Spring. Some of them are my holy grails, while some are my recent discoveries.

 

Nivea Cherry Blossom And Jojoba Oil Infused Lotion review

 

Nivea Cherry Blossom And Jojoba Oil Infused Lotion (16.9 fl oz: $5.49) – This is probably one of the best-scented drugstore body lotions you could find. Its floral scent smells really nice and apart from its really cheap price, it’s hefty packaging is guaranteed to last a long time. I love that it comes in a pump dispenser, which makes it really easy to use. However, this isn’t like most of the Nivea body creams and lotions that I’ve tried before which are really creamy and moisturizing. This one is infused with Jojoba oil, so the consistency of this lotion is kind of thin, yet not necessarily oily. It’ll moisture your skin well for the spring or summer but you may venture into something else for the winter because this isn’t the thick and creamy type. More like a good every affordable everyday lotion.

 

Belif Body Bomba Lotion in Lemon Verbena

 

Belif Body Bomba Lotion in Lemon Verbena (8.4 oz: $26) – From the makers of the popular Aqua Bomb moisturizer and a true K-beauty favorite, comes a really nice lotion that smells exactly like what it says, a lemon and verbena blend that is both invigorating and really replenishing. This lotion doesn’t feel sticky nor too heavy. Its scent is not overpowering and its formulation gets absorbed by the skin easily. It has a rich soft feel that moisturizes the skin all throughout the day.

 

Tocca Stella Crema Da Corpo Body Lotion (9 oz: $20) – A lot of people mentioned that this particular lotion does not smell like the popular Tocca Stella Eau de Parfum. While I haven’t really sniffed the Stella Perfume to be able to compare both products, I can tell you that there’s a lot to like about this body lotion. First, it comes in a really nice vintage-looking, easy to open, unique packaging, which makes it for a great item on your vanity table or tray. Second, it has this kind of a Mediterranean scent, which will make you feel nostalgic about your previous sojourn to places like Italy or Spain. Just imagine smelling a blend of roses and mix with blood orange or mandarin while strolling under the nice warm Mediterranean sun. This lotion will set you in the mood for that. Third, this doesn’t feel too thick nor too thin, and it’s non-greasy. I believe this is a nice everyday lotion with a slightly fruity and very floral scent that will grow on you as you keep using it.

Sol de Janeiro Aรงaรญ Body Power Cream review

Sol de Janeiro Aรงaรญ Body Power Cream (2.5 oz: $20, 8.1 oz: $45) – I’m a big fan of Sol de Janeiro body creams. I’ve repurchased the Bum Bum Cream several times that right now I’m kind of taking a break from it. So I’m currently enjoying their Aรงai Body Power cream which is pretty much similar to the Bum Bum Cream in terms of texture and consistency. Both comes in cute packaging and both also have fine shimmers to them. The Bum Bum Cream has golden shimmers while this Aรงai Body Power Cream has a peachy glow. What I love about this is its fresh floral scent and its shimmers have a very summery vibe. On the other hand, the Bum Bum Cream’s scent can be too heady for some, but this Aรงai Body Power is just a delight to use every day. Overall, I do recommend both creams whichever scent you may prefer, because you won’t only get lasting skin hydration from them, you’ll also get that shimmering skin effect.

 

Peter Thomas Roth Mega-Rich Body Lotion

 

Clarins Moisture-Rich Body Lotion (6.5 oz: $43) – This lotion has a really nice clean non-irritating scent. A scent that is reminiscent of a lot of high-end creams, which are light and luxurious. It has a very soft and very lightweight feel but very moisturizing nonetheless. It’s the kind of lotion that you know you’re going to love the moment you apply it on the skin, and it doesn’t interfere with any perfumes or colognes. Also, it doesn’t feel greasy at all and it’ll melt into your skin easily. Moisturizing even to the driest part of your body. Overall, this makes for a great everyday lightweight body moisturizer.

 

Aesop Rind Concentrate Body Balm (4.1 oz: $35.00, 17 oz: $97.00) – I love love love this body cream. It’s so good and you just can’t get enough of it. It’s like you just ate a thousand fresh oranges and the scent of its skin lingers on your hands, fingers, and all over the body. It moisturizes the skin well and it leaves rough dry areas supple. It isn’t greasy and it isn’t sticky. Your skin will absorb this easily and it will smell so refreshing and invigorating. It’s so good yet it’s so pricey, but it’s well worth it. P. S. I also use this as a hand cream because I love that it has a nice not too light and not too thick texture.

 

Peter Thomas Roth Mega-Rich Body Lotion (8 oz: $18) –ย  This is another great lightweight lotion that has a nice crisp slightly lemon scent. It a great unisex body moisturizer with a scent that disappears over time rather easily, which makes it ideal for everyday use, even to those who couldn’t stand any kind of fragrances in their skincare products. It’s quite similar to the Clarins Moisture-Rich Body Lotion above, but this kind of feels even lighter and it’s perfect as a Summer body hydrator.

Philosophy Amazing Grace Whipped Body Crรจme review

Philosophy Amazing Grace Whipped Body Crรจme (8 oz: $35) – This body cream is not only cute with its millennial pink packaging, it also hydrates the skin well like no other. It has a whipped consistency and has a very thick rich texture that softens dark rough areas of the body. It’s so moisturizing and it’s great for calluses or any other dry irritated skin. It’s lightly scented with the popular Philosophy Amazing Grace fragrance, which is fresh, clean, and light, and it comes in a hefty tub container that you can use all throughout the Winter season and beyond. Speaking of Winter, this is a great lotion to use during the dry cold months, and you don’t really need to apply a lot of it in order to get its moisturizing effect. Just a little bit goes a long way.

 

Fresh

 

Fresh Hesperides Grapefruit Body Lotion

 

Seaberry Restorative Body Cream (6.8 oz: $27) – True to its name, this body lotion is really soothing and calming to the skin. This has a bit of a curative effect, that is because this literally calmed my skin bumps at least all throughout the day of using this. Its texture is also not too thin and not too thick and it’s very hydrating. I don’t particularly like its strong lavender scent but it’s a lotion that not only keeps the skin smooth and soft, it actually softens and hydrates the dry rough areas.

 

Sugar Lemon Body Lotion (10 oz: $23) – I’m a long time fan of this line of body lotions from Fresh, and this Sugar Lemon scent is my second most favorite. It’s a fresh sort of sweet refreshing scent that will last throughout the day and the next. It can be overpowering at times, but it’s not bad. The lotion itself is lightweight but it moisturizes well. It’s great to use every day whether you have sensitive skin or not, and the packaging is cute and decently sized.

 

Hesperides Grapefruit Body Lotion (10 oz: $23) – Of all the Fresh body lotions, this is by far my most favored scent. I have used this for as long as I can remember, together with another lotion below, and it is SO good. Using this is always a refreshing experience and I love that it’s lightweight, it goes into the skin easily, and it keeps it moisturized for the whole day and the next. The fresh grapefruit scent is so irresistible and also noticeable on your clothes the following day. I highly recommend that you give this one a try.

Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil Body Butter

 

Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil Body Butter in Sweet Citrus (8 oz: $35) – Here’s my other favorite body moisturizer. One that is somewhat thick, very rich, and oh so creamy. My go-to body lotion every Winter and early Spring. This is so moisturizing it literally melts on the skin like butter, and with its Sweet Citrus scent, it’s hard to find another product that could topple this. I’ve probably tried all the different scents of this particular body butter, but I always come back to the Sweet Citrus one because it’s simply irresistibly refreshing as if you’re in a spa, and it’s never boring. I get a lot of compliments about how good I smell whenever I use this. Since this body butter is infused with Argan Oil, Avocado Oil, and Shea Butter, it’s an ideal product for people dry skin, and perfect for cold dry seasons. It’s also great as a cream to heal dry cracked heels of the feet and it’s non-sticky and non-greasy

 

Korres Body Butters

 

Korres Body Butters Yoghurt

 

Yoghurt (7.95 oz:$31) – This is my latest discovery from last Winter. I got so curious about this since I’m also a fan of Korres skincare products. I find that this body moisturizer really delivers in moisturizing dry rough skin very well. It’s really thick and is very creamy, because of that, it takes a good amount of rubbing and dabbing on the skin to get the product to spread evenly. If you don’t do that, it might just sit on top of the skin. But it’s really not a big deal since this body butter not only keeps the skin smooth and soft, it’s also not sticky nor greasy. The yoghurt scent is my most favorite because it’s light, clean, and calming.

 

Guava (7.95 oz: $31) – Smells like sweet guava. This is ideal for those like tropical scents in their body lotions. This body butter is really thick that it’s a good idea not to put a lot of it on the skin due to the richness of its consistency.

 

Best Lightweight Lotions:

.Clarins Moisture-Rich Body Lotion

.Fresh Body Lotions

.Peter Thomas Roth Mega-Rich Body Lotion

 

Best Moisturizing Body Lotions (Thick & Creamy):

.Korres Body Butters

.Philosophy Amazing Grace Whipped Body Cream

.Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil Body Butter

 

Best Midweight Body Lotions:

.Sol de Janeiro Aรงai Body Power/Bum Bum Cream

.Tocca Stella Crema Da Corpo Body Lotion

.Aesop Rind Concentrate Body Balm

.Belif Body Bomba

 

Best Scents:

.Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil Body Butter

.Fresh Hesperides Body Lotion

.Aesop Rind Concentrate Body Balm

 

Best Packaging:

Simple, fast and easy to use:

.Nivea Cherry Blossom and Jojoba Oil Infused Lotion

 

Unique aesthetics. (Not necessarily practical to use):

.Tocca Stella Crema Da Corpo

.Aesop Rind Concentrate

.Sol de Janeiro Aรงai Body Power

.Philosophy Amazing Grace Whipped Body Cream

 

Personal Favorites:

.Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil Body Butter

.Fresh Hesperides Grapefruit Body Lotions

.Aesop Rind Concentrate Body Balm

.Sol de Janeiro Aรงai Body Power Cream

.Clarins Moisture-Rich Body Lotion

 

Most Affordable:

.Nivea Cherry Blossom and Jojoba Oil Infused Body Lotion

 

Best High-End Body Creams:

.Aesop Rind Concentrate Body Balm

.Clarins Moisture-Rich Body Lotion

 

Have you tried these body lotions before? If yes, which ones are your favorites?