Reviews and Other Stuff

SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion Toner

Sephora Beauty Insider Spring Bonus 2019 Wishlist + Recs

The Sephora Beauty Insider Event is still ongoing and I would like to share my wishlist and recommendations for this Spring 2019 sale. For those who are Rouge Members, you’ll get 20% OFF which already started last April 26 and will last ’till May 6th. VIB Members will get 15% OFF starting today May 2nd until May 6th. BI Members will also get 10%OFF today until the 6th of May. The sale is valid both in-store and online purchases with the code HEYROUGEย (Rouge Members), HEY VIBย (VIB), or HEYINSIDERย (Insider Members).

 

For this season’s sale, I couldn’t make up my mind completely as to which products I’m interested in. I know I have a folder for my beauty and skincare wishlist but honestly, I’ve been so busy lately that I haven’t been quite ready for this sale. Also, I feel like I still need some time to decide which products I really want. Anyhow, I eventually picked up some items from my wishlist folder and I’m sharing them with you guys today. I’m also recommending you some products that I love and have been loving lately in my recs list below. If any product/products will come to my mind before this sale is over, I will update this list and will keep you guys posted.

 

Here now are some of the items on my wishlist.ย 

 

 

sephora spring bonus sale 2019 wishlist

 

1. Lancรดme Teint Idole Ultra Long Wear Foundation (1 oz: $47) – I know I’ve used this foundation before and really loved it, but I kinda got distracted with my other foundations lately that I’ve forgotten how good this product is. So, when I got a sample of this a few weeks ago, I then realized that this is such an amazing foundation to have. However, I still don’t quite know which shade of this truly matches my skintone, so I will have to try this in-store.

 

2. Youth To The People Superfood Antioxidant Cleanser (2 oz: $10, 8 oz: $36, 16 oz: $54) – I already tried a sample of this lately and I really loved it. It’s got a nice fresh, light, earthy scent and it doesn’t irritate the skin because it’s made of clean ingredients. It also foams and cleanses well.

 

3. Ouai Treatment Masque (3.4 oz: $32) – I’ve been obsessed with Ouai haircare lately (read the review HERE) and have been curious about this product, as well as the Finishing Creme ever since loving the Ouai Air Dry Foam which really made my hair soft. I heard good things about this product which also makes the hair smooth and easy to manage. Will definitely be trying this.

 

4. Tocca Capri Candle (10 oz: $42) – I smelled this at my local Sephora and its light grapefruit melon scent registered to me. It also has a nice Mediterranean scent vibe to it which is really interesting.ย 

 

5. Urban Decay Naked Reloaded Eyeshadow Palette ($44) – I was planning to skip this palette as I’ve been feeling like most Urban Decay palettes haven’t been that pigmented lately. After already trying some other eyeshadow palettes, I felt like there were eyeshadow options out there that could give a nice color payoff to the lids compared to this UD one, especially if you invest in high-end products like the Pat McGrath Bronze Seduction eyeshadow (reviewed HERE), or the Natasha Denona Eyeshadow Palette 5 (swatched HERE). Yet after seeing this particular palette in-store, I thought the color scheme is really beautiful and perfect for this Spring and Summer season. And since I’m a sucker for beautiful neutral eyeshadows, I caved in. Let’s see whether I’ll like this or not. Will keep you posted.

 

6. Moroccanoil Dry Texture Spray (1.6 oz: $11, 5.4 oz: $28) – I have a serious obsession with texturizing hair sprays lately and I’ve heard good things about this product, especially its amazing scent. So we’ll see.

 

7. Farmacy Honey Butter Beeswax Lip Balm (0.12 oz: $10) – This is the next best thing (if not the same) to the Drunk Elephant Lippe Balm which I absolutely love but it’s too costly for its size. I love this a lot and it lasts a long time compared to the DE one. It’s also very moisturizing while being lightweight and non-sticky at the same time, and it doesn’t cost as much as the DE Lippe Balm. I just purchased several of this to stock in my vanity.

 

8. Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Triple Detox Shampoo (2 oz: $13, 5.4 oz: $28) – I’ve been looking for an alternative to my Pantene Charcoal Haircare (reviewed HERE) and this caught my eye. I’ve been wondering if this is better than the Pantene ones or not. It’s always a good practice to rid your hair of product buildup at least once a week, so a clarifying shampoo like this would definitely be a good help. I will let you guys know whether this will work for me or not.

 

9. Milk Make Hydro Grip Primer (0.33 oz: $15, 1.52 oz: $30) – This product got my curiosity, although I’m still not quite sure whether I should change my primer now or not. I do know that I am considering trying a more lightweight primer and I’m wondering if this fits the bill. We shall see.

 

The products I’m recommending below are some of the items I’ve been loving lately, although, I will be publishing a separate post soon featuring the makeup and skincare products I’ve been loving and using as of the moment, so stay tuned for that. Here now are the ones I recommend to you guys.

 

sephora spring bonus 2019 sale product recommendations list

 

1. Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Lips Liquid Lipstick (0.24 oz: $34) – If you want your lips to look full and your lip lines filled, then you’ve got to try this mattifying liquid lipstick (some swatches HERE). I love this product a lot even nowadays and I’m planning to get another shade soon called “Too Bad I’m Bad”. So this is not just a rec item, it’s also part of my wishlist.

 

2. Natasha Denona Eyeshadow Palette 5 (5 x 0.08 oz: $48) – Love this for the lasting pigment and the versatility of the shades. Try the #2 palette for an everyday warm rosy neutral look. Some other shades were reviewed and swatched HERE

 

3. SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion Toner (5.4 oz: $76) – Summer’s almost here and there’s a trend to look lit-from-within. This always gives a nice natural radiant glow, and it’s very gentle and very nourishing to the skin. The effect of this toner might take a while, but once it does, you’ll definitely love the skin you’re in.

 

4. Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Body Builder (2.8 oz: $15, 7.3 oz: $29) – Love this for that mega volume effect on the hair. It works for just about any hair type, and it definitely works for my fine hair. I don’t know what else is in this product but it works wonders and it adds customizable drama to the hair, you just have to twist the nozzle accordingly to your volume preference.

 

5. Giorgio Armani Neo Nude Fusion Powder (0.12 oz: $58) – This is an absolutely wonderful radiant setting powder, and it sets any type of foundation especially the matte ones so they won’t look so cakey and dry. This gives a nice subtle glow to the skin and can be worn alone or as a setting powder. Read the detailed review HERE.

 

6. Pat McGrath Labs FetishEyes Mascara (0.27 oz: $28) – This literally gave me a love at first application experience. It truly lengthens and volumizes every lash strand even if you don’t have a lot of lashes to begin with. It gives your eye makeup some drama, definition, and it won’t smudge. This will be featured in my loving right now products soon. So, stay tuned for it.

 

7. Ouai Air Dry Foam (4 oz: $28) – I raved about this in my previous Ouai Haircare review, seen HERE. This is my most beloved Ouai Haircare product so far, and I love how this softens my hair whenever I air dry it. The scent is light and it really conditions and manages my hair beautifully.

 

8. Viktor&Rolf Magic Liquid Diamonds (0.30 oz: $34, 2.5 oz: $145) – I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to get over the wonderful dreamy scent of this. Some folks say this smells like Clean Fresh Laundry, but I think this is way better than Clean Fresh Laundry, and if this smells like fresh laundry, then this is the best fresh laundry scent I’ve ever sniffed and tried. This has several fresh floral notes that take its scent to a whole different level. Read more about this fragrance HERE.

 

9. Kate Somerville Anti Bac Clearing Lotion (1.7 oz: $42) – This is still my go-to for acne treatment and prevention, especially when my pimples threaten to wreak havoc on my skin. This has 5% Benzoyl Peroxide which really works to prevent and treat zits, and it doesn’t dry the skin, unlike some other Benzoyl Peroxide creams I’ve tried before. Also, this sets onto the skin immediately and it leaves no sticky residue.

 

Are you shopping the Sephora Spring Bonus Beauty Insider Event? What’s on your list? Any products you want to recommend?

 

 

 

Favorite Facial Toners

best face toners

Facial Toners are probably the skincare product I used to skip a lot. I don’t remember exactly what had gotten me to start using them diligently, it must be that I just really took my skincare rituals seriously since I’m tired of seeing zits and blemishes on my face. I’ve been hooked into Facial Toners for a couple of years now and since then, I noticed a big improvement in my skin.ย  We may not realize it, but toners do play an important role in skincare. I have probably experimented on a lot of Toners in the past, and still, I feel like there’s not really a lot of good Face Toners out there. However, I did find a few that seems to work for my skin. So here now are my favorite Facial Toners, a few of them have been a constant favorite for years, and also, there are some that are current favorites or new discoveries and are definitely holy grail-worthy.

 

Son & Park Beauty Water

 

One of the first and my most favorite Facial Toner of all time is the SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion Toner (5.4 oz: $76). This toner is gentle and calming to use. It doesn’t leave any residue on the skin and it’s non-drying. There’s almost no scent and it gives a refreshing feel. Its main ingredients are AHA and Pitera – which is rich in amino acids. With that being said, this toner gives a youthful glow over time, and it pretty much balances my skin tone and it also improves and evens my skin texture. My skin used to look dull and tired-looking, but after using this toner for more than 2 years now, my skin has been looking radiant. It also seemed to control my hormonal breakouts, and it brightens and heals whatever zits I have, which is amazing because it usually takes a while for my blemishes to go away. I usually use this Toner right after washing my face, and I soak a cotton pad full of it and just dab it deeply into my open pores and it preps my skin for any serum or moisturizer. It usually takes a while to see this Toner’s effect, but with time, you’ll notice the difference. As with almost all of my reviews talking about SK-II products, I definitely feel like my good skin days always happen whenever I use SK-II. My face overall just looks smooth, glowy, and my oily T-zone seems less likely so. Because of that, I also use their Facial Treatment Essence, which is also great at making my skin look its best. The only drawback with this Toner and as with most SK-II products are the prices. This is definitely a pricey toner even though its packaging is large enough to last me about 2 months. I do try to use it conservatively though as much as I can. But yeah, by now, you know that I really love SK-II products and I highly recommend them.

 

Son & Park Beauty Water Review

 

Probably the closest dupe to the SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion is the Son & Park Beauty Water (11.49 oz: $30). It comes in a really large plastic square bottle and you could find it right now at Sephora. It is a K-beauty favorite and has really good reviews online. I’ve also heard about the popular K-beauty brand Missha as having a similar ingredient/toner to the SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion, it’s called Time Revolution Toner, but I haven’t tried it yet. Anyway, back to this Beauty Water by Son & Park. I usually purchased this Toner whenever I don’t have a budget for the SK-II one. It’s not exactly alike, but it’s similar enough. It’s also a very mild Toner with faint fruity ginger scent, kinda like the scent of the Belif True Cream Aqua Bomb. All throughout my use of this, I noticed that it’s good at removing some remaining makeup residues and it doesn’t dry my skin. It made my skintone look more even and it also feels very calming and so refreshing. I even use this as a face mist and it leaves my skin supple.

Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Facial Toner Review

This Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Facial Toner (8.4 oz: $44) is an Allure Best of Beauty Winner 2017 and I was surprised to have fallen in love with this at first try. I thought this would be too harsh for my skin, but it’s not. This is actually so refreshing and so calming that I literally zone out every time I use this. LOL. Also, this toner’s packaging is too cute to use and is simply pretty to look at. Although I’ve heard some people say that it looks like one of those jars in their chemistry labs filled with some experimental stuff, LOL again. But anyway, this toner is definitely gentle and I can attest to this since this is pretty much alcohol-free, non-drying and this seems to moisturize a bit. For me, this has all the bells and whistles of a perfect Face Toner like removing debris and purifying the pores, as well as removing extra makeup residue left. But what I love about this is how it really helps soothe my face during breakouts. I just love using this Toner whenever I get those raging hormonal zits and it seems to calm it down, leaving my breakouts reduced in size and almost cured the next day. So, for me, this toner has a therapeutic effect which helped my skin a lot. The packaging is pretty large too, so you can use this for some time.

 

 

Next thing is the Dr. Andrew Weil For Origins Mega-Mushroom Relief & Resilience Soothing Treatment Lotion (6.7 oz: $34), which is a Toner that got the clean skincare seal from Sephora and is fairly new to me. I’ve only been testing this for a couple of weeks now and who knew mushroom skincare can be so good for the skin? This is literally a very gentle toner even though the scent may not be so gentle, but it’s not bad. It has an aromatic herb-like scent which is soothing of course at least for me, but for some, it may be too much (but I doubt it). I haven’t noticed any dramatic results or improvement of this Toner on my skin yet, but what I do notice is that it never broke me out, I mean, it’s expected because it’s made of clean ingredients like reishi mushroom (anti-inflammatory) and probiotics among other things. It also seems very calming on the skin and it pretty much relieved my skin’s redness.

Dr. Andrew Weil For Origins Mega-Mushroom Relief & Resilience Soothing Treatment LotionLast but not the least is the Caudalie Beauty Elixir (1-3.4 oz: $18-49). This is also a new discovery for me, but from the moment I tried this, I literally was like “Where have this toner been all my life?” Apparently, this product has a cult following and I wasn’t a follower of it? Hmmm… I don’t know what kind of sorcery is in here but I was really impressed the moment I sprayed this on my face. It literally made my face smooth and soft and my pores didn’t feel so rough at all. It actually kinda tightened it and my skin looks glowy. Furthermore, it feels soothing with its rosemary, mint, and rose scent. It also has some orange flower water. I usually use this prior to applying a serum or moisturizer during the day and also as a face mist to refresh my face during the afternoon and evening. It’s also great as a setting spray for makeup and it really evens it out, reducing any chances of cakiness. This is definitely on my holy grail list now and it’s definitely worthy of being called a beauty elixir.

 

best facial toners

Bottom line, it’s good to use Face Toners regardless of what brand you’re using or planning to use. I personally think that you shouldn’t skip on this skincare ritual since it’s very important to prep the skin after washing the face. Also, Facial Toners remove extra residues of makeup and dirt that may not have been removed by usual face cleaning, even after double cleansing. On top of that, Facial Toners are very beneficial in purifying the pores. The only downside about Toners is that they get used up a lot, so it’s always a good idea to purchase them in the largest packaging possible, even though most of them are already housed in large containers. So yeah, there goes my favorite Toners of all time, I hope it helps you in finding a favorite one as well.

 

Wishing you good skin days all of the time. Muah!

 

xx.

L.