Reviews and Other Stuff

skincare

New Glossier Haul

Glossier Skincare favorites

 

Happy New Year friends! What a terrible previous year we had. Iโ€™m hoping and wishing for better days ahead as we start this promising new year. Speaking of new year, here are my new Glossier skincare haul.

 

Balm Dotcom โ€“ This might be my most favorite product from Glossier ever, and that is because Iโ€™m able to use the balm for different purposes. Be it as a lip balm, a sheer lip color, or as a skin salve. Each of the balm has different scents/flavors and each are so fun to use. Youโ€™ll never get bored using them.

 

Glossier Balm Dotcom Mango

 

Berry โ€“ Sheer berry tint. The strong berry scent of this is yummy and irresistible.

 

Wild Fig โ€“ Deep coral tint. This is the latest addition in Glossierโ€™s Balm Dotcoms and itโ€™s really good. Much like the Berry one, this is also irresistibly sweet in scent.

 

MangoSheer rose tint. A repeat purchase for me. The fresh sweet mango scent of this awakens you right after twisting the cap and itโ€™s so good. Words cannot describe how amazing this is.

 

Glossier Balm Dotcom Wild Fig review

 

Exfoliating Skin Perfector โ€“ Exfoliating toners are trending in the skincare world nowadays and thereโ€™s a reason why โ€“ they really help to reduce blackheads and they give you a nice glow. I have my favorites in exfoliating toners for sure and will be talking about them here in the blog soon. One of my faves is actually this Glossier Skin Perfector, which is not only convenient to use, it also works well at purifying the pores and getting rid of dead skin cells. This product has powerful Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA), Beta Hydroxy Acid (BHA), and Polyhydroxy Acid (PHA), as well as Salicylic Acid. I really love this a lot and I can use this everyday (once a day) without any issues.

 

Glossier Exfoliating Skin Perfector review

 

Zit Stick โ€“ At first glance, this blemish eraser stick spells convenience to me. However, it may not be as practical to use as you may think. Yes, itโ€™s a twist-to-release type of product, pretty much like using a pen applicator, yet itโ€™s not really as easy as it looks. For a while, I thought I got a broken product or the packaging just simply doesnโ€™t work. But as it turns out, itโ€™s going to take some serious twisting and churning at the other end of the packaging, in order to see some products coming out. For me, it works as it is expected because it has 5% Benzoyl Peroxide and Salicylic Acid to combat any raging pimples.

 

Glossier Zit Stick review

 

Bottom line, I love Glossier skincare products and I love that they try to be on trend and innovative with their stuff. I definitely recommend that you try the products above if you havenโ€™t already. I will be removing more Glossier products soon.

 

Happy New Year! Wishing for the best this 2021!

 

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Fresh Mini Loves – Fresh Faves Review.

Rose Deep Hydration Face Mask

 

Hello there! Are you a big Fresh Beauty fan? I have some Fresh Beauty skincare minis set to review in this post. These are fan-faves and my faves as well. These products can work for dry, oily, normal, or even combination skin, and they’re all sulfate-free, paraben-free, and also phthalate-free.ย 

This cute set is limited-edition and it’s perfect for trying out some of Fresh Beauty’s cult-favorite products. This set is also great as a gift for your loved one or for any skincare junkie in your life.

 

Check out what’s inside this set below.

 

fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Moisturizer

 

Soy Face Cleanser – This is one of my favorite hydrating face cleansers, especially whenever my skin gets really dry. I love using this in the Winter times, but also whenever the humidity level drops in my room. Guess what? This can remove makeup too and doesn’t feel too stripping on the skin.

 

Rose Deep Hydration Face Mask – This mask works for both oily and dry skin. For those with dry skin, this mask is definitely so hydrating. For those with oily skin like mine, the rose ingredient in this mask can rehydrate and rebalance the moisture in the skin. Thus, making it less oily in the long run.

 

fresh beauty skincare review

 

Kombucha Essence – This toner/essence is packed with wonderful ingredients like Hyaluronic acid, Mandarin Peel Extract, and Fermented Black Tea – which all aid in the anti-aging process. I love anything that says fermented or fermented yeast and my skin seems to work really well with this. I’m hoping to test this in the long run, to see if I will achieve that glow that SK-II gives me. IMO, this is giving me that “Pitera” vibe.

 

Lotus Youth Preserve Moisturizer – This moisturizer is ideal for those with dry skin, but it’s also going to work for those with oily skin, provided that you don’t put too much. I really like how lightweight and non-sticky this is. In fact, this is one of those “super moisturizing” anti-aging moisturizers that work for my oily skin.

 

fresh Rose Deep Hydration Face Mask

 

Sugar Lip Treatment Advanced Therapy – If you like Fresh Beauty’s products, you know you’re going to love their yummy lip treatments. They come in different tinted shades and different flavors. This classic one is meant to hydrate dry lips. I love using this at night and as a lipstick primer.

 

fresh Rose Deep Hydration Face Mask

 

*Big thanks to Fresh Beauty for providing these minis. All opinions/reviews are mine (the editor).

 

What are your Fresh faves?

 

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New Skincare and Beauty Minis Review

Sol de Janeiro Coco Cabana Body Cream

 

Hi everybody! There’s been a lot of skincare goodies released recently by several different brands. Most of them are really exciting and really promising. A couple of them have been popping out of Insta, and from what I’ve seen, there’s a lot of raves and buzz about the latest products from Milk Makeup, Laniege, Sulwhasoo, and Supergoop, among other things. Luckily, I got a hold of these latest goodies in mini sizes, and I also got a few beauty minis to review in this post. Do take note though, that since these are in mini sizes, I can only provide a review of my first impression of these products. It’d be interesting to find out how good these beauties will work on my skin with time, and that would mean testing them in full regular sizes. You will know in this review which product warrants a full-size. So, keep on reading.

 

Givenchy Mini Magic Lip Duo Set in Perfect Pink & Noir Rรฉvรฉlateur

 

Givenchy Mini Magic Lip Duo Set (2x: 18 USD) – This mini set is so cute and inside there are two mini moisturizing lipsticks in shades Perfect Pink & Noir Rรฉvรฉlateur. Perfect Pink in natural sheer pink and is perfect for those with fair to light skin tone. Noir Rรฉvรฉlateur is a sheer to deep berry that is perfect for those with light/medium to medium/deep skin tones. These lipsticks adapt to the lips’ pH level, so, they sort of complement and enhance your lip’s natural color. They are definitely both on the sheer side and they are very hydrating like a lip balm. They’re somewhat similar to the Dior Lip Glow.

 

Milk Makeup Sephora Beauty Insider Birthday Gift Set

 

Got this little set from Sephora during my birthday, and I really find this set to be very useful because this contains three of my top picks from Milk Makeup.

 

Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer

 

Hydro Grip Primer (mini/0.33 oz – 1.52 oz: 15 – 30 USD) – This face primer is really one of the best out there. The feel of this is gripping, lightweight, and this really makes the foundation adhere to the skin. I do have this primer in full-size and I really really like that this doesn’t have that silicone feel.

Kush High Volume Mascara (mini/0.13 oz – 0.34 oz: 12 – 24 USD) – I love the shape and look of this mascara because this has dense heart-shaped bristles that are meant for delivering high impact dramatic lashes. This also has hemp-derived cannabis seed oil that moisturizes the lashes for long wear. The color of this is very black and this really fans out and curls the lashes even without using a lash curler. I find that this sets on the lashes easily and this hasn’t clumped nor smudged on me even during these highly humid temps.

Lip + Cheek in Werk (mini/0.21 oz – 1 oz: 15 – 28 USD) – This creamy lip and blush color reminded me of Nars The Multiple or the Bite Beauty Multistick. This is a multitasking product that can work to add color not only on the lips and cheeks but on the lids as well, to achieve that beautiful monochromatic look. I find this to be so easy to blend, and this feels creamy and hydrating. The overall finish of this is satin and the shade dusty rose seems a little too sheer on my light-medium skin tone, but the deeper tones work really well on my skin.

 

Skincare/Primers/SPF

 

Laneige Hypoallergenic Cica Sleeping Mask

 

Kiehl’s Avocado Nourishing Hydration Mask (3.4 oz: 45 USD) – There is no question that this mask is full of very good hydrating and nourishing ingredients, however, I do not like the feel of this at all. This clumps and breaks upon application, making this very hard to adhere to the skin, and this makes me look weird after managing to coat this on my face. This turns my skin into something of a yellow-green or yellow-red-orange-green tone (lol), which really makes me look like a half-banana half-avocado hybrid, or better yet, a yellowing cactus, ha! So, definitely not a fan of this mask.

 

Sol de Janeiro Coco Cabana Body Cream (mini/2.5 – 8.1 oz: 20 – 45 USD) – This makes me yearn for a tropical vacay amidst all this quarantine lifestyle going on nowadays. I love the amazing blend of coconut sugar, coconut oil, and Cupuaรงu Butter in this wonderful nostalgic cream. This really feels hydrating and not heavy on the skin, and I really love the cute packaging as well.

 

Milk Makeup Vegan Milk Moisturizer (mini/0.53 oz: 1.7 oz – 19 – 38 USD) – I’m really amazed by the texture of this moisturizer, which feels so rich and so thick yet so light on the skin. This has different kinds of vegan milk ingredients, like fig milk, oat milk, and argan milk, etc. To me, this feels non-greasy even though the feel is very rich and very milky. My skin absorbs this easily and I never had any breakout issue with this. I also think that this will work very well for those with dry skin and even for those with sensitive skin types.

 

Laneige Hypoallergenic Cica Sleeping Mask (34 USD) – If you like the Dr. Jart+ Cicapair cream, then you’re going to like this new Cica Mask from Laneige. The feel of this very somewhat gel-like yet very creamy and very cushiony. I do love the feeling of this cream/mask on my hands, and on my skin, this feels so moisturizing and so light. But what I really love about this is the fact that just like the Dr. Jart+ Cicapair, this helps to soothe the redness and irritation on the face. This has fermented forest yeast extract and is supposed to be much better than the usual Cica products. I don’t only use this as a sleeping mask, I also use this as a daily moisturizer, which works really well for my skin. I definitely recommend that you get this in full-size.

 

Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Cream (2.02 oz: 240 USD) – This very very luxurious K-beauty cream has a very strong ginseng scent. Also blended with retinol, this cream has anti-aging properties and is meant to enhance moisture. I find this to be very lightweight but has a bit of an oily feel, which really doesn’t bother my skin. This actually makes my skin look and feel smooth given the short amount of time that I’ve used the product. However, due to the price, I’m not quite sure if this is worth having in its regular size. The packaging is really really cute though.

 

Dr. Jart+ V7 Priming Moisturizer review

 

Supergoop! Glowscreen Sunscreen SPF 40 (1.7 oz: 36 USD) – Finally! I have been waiting for a glowy shimmery sunscreen like this. I’ve seen this item popping out of Instagramy lately and there’s a reason why. This sunscreen will be your ultimate Summer vibe because you can wear this alone for that natural and dewy sun-protected look, or you can use this as a primer to enhance the glow of your makeup. This has fine microshimmers and a nice SPF level enough to protect the skin and make it look healthy this warm season. Kinda like you quarantined yourself in a nice tropical island, with all that sun, and with all that glow. Hmmm, imagine that :-).

 

Dr. Jart+ V7 Priming Moisturizer (1.69 oz: 48 USD) – Not quite a fan of this primer+moisturizer hybrid. I like the idea of it, but the feel and the scent are just off. This feels like a silicone primer and the scent is too strong and too weird. Applying this is not an amazing experience. The product sits on top of the face and my skin doesn’t feel moisturized at all.

 

Smashbox Photo Finish Vitamin Glow Primer (1 oz: 39 USD) – This may be marketed as a face primer just like most of Smashbox’s popular primer products, but with added Vitamins, like Vitamins B, C, and E. However, this feels more like a moisturizer/primer hybrid than the Dr. Jart+ product above. To me, this feels really creamy and nice on the skin, and my foundation stays on with this. I also like the nice orange scent. So, I definitely recommend that you get this in full-size.

 

milk makeup Lip Cheek in Werk

 

Smashbox Photo Finish Vitamin Glow Primer

 

Long story short, I really like and recommend the Sol de Janeiro Coco Cabana Body Cream, the Milk Makeup Vegan Milk Moisturizer, the Laneige Hypoallergenic Cica Sleeping Mask, the Supergoop! Glowscreen, the Smashbox Vitamin Glow Primer, and the Milk Makeup products mentioned in this post. They are worth having in full-sizes.

 

Have you tried any of these yet?

 

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