Reviews and Other Stuff

tarte drink of h20

Latest Moisturizers, Cleanser & Eye Creams

The weather is slowly warming up and there’s a bunch of new summer-ready moisturizers, eye creams, and cleansers in town. I’ve been testing a few them via some samples and some that I’ve actually purchased in regular size as I feel like they’re so good that they’re worth keeping as part of my skincare routine.

 

latest summer moisturizers

 

If you’re into gel or water-like moisturizers like Tatcha’s The Water Cream (reviewed HERE) or Belif’s The True Cream Aqua Bomb, then you’re gonna find this review very helpful since you will find several options to choose from apart from these two creams mentioned. Also, if your skin is in the normal to oily, sensitive, or slightly dry range, these lightweight creams and gels are the ideal choice if you’re gonna be out and about in this coming warm and humid season.

 

Moisturizers & Cleanser:

 

Peter Thomas Roth Hungarian Thermal Water Mineral-Rich Moisturizer

 

Peter Thomas Roth Hungarian Thermal Water Mineral-Rich Moisturizer (1.7 oz: $58) – This is a lightweight cream that goes into the skin easily, and it has a slightly earthy scent to it. It isn’t sticky and it makes the skin feel supple right upon application. It’s a great cream if you have a normal to oily skin, it’s also the perfect cream if your face tends to get slightly dry during the day, but this isn’t the most moisturizing if you’re super dry. I’ve used this for several weeks now and I have not noticed any skin irritations, which is great.

 

Murad Nutrient-Charged Water Gel (1.7 oz: $60) – A must-have for oily skin type, the texture of this is very similar to Belif The True Cream Aqua Bomb. It’s is a lightweight, cushiony, water-gel that hydrates the skin very well and it’s also non-sticky. There is a mild floral scent to it, and it’s a great all day moisturizer and to layer under makeup. I like this a lot and it feels like nothing on my face once applied. This isn’t for the ones with really dry skin, but if you have dry patches or if you have normal to sensitive skin, then this is a great moisturizer to try.

 

Glamglow Waterburst Hydrated Glow Moisturizer

 

Glamglow Waterburst Hydrated Glow Moisturizer (1.7 oz: $49) – OMG! I LOVE This Cream SO much. It smells like Oreo cream filling and it feels like Tatcha The Water Cream. It’s a very light cream-gel that turns into water, and it hydrates the skin for the whole day. It’s so good and it works for any skin type, just not for the super dry ones though, but this is definitely worth taking a shot. For me, this is one of the best scented lightweight moisturizers that actually works to moisturize the skin and keeps it hydrated for a long time without feeling heavy or greasy. A must-have and a holy grail. Oh, and I love that it comes in a decent-sized packaging and the price is not over-the-top.

 

Glow Recipe Blueberry Bounce Gentle Cleanser

 

Glow Recipe Blueberry Bounce Gentle Cleanser (3.38 oz: $34) – A blueberry-scented mild cleanser with actual blueberry bits and skin suspended in it. This cleanser not only cleanses the face, it also removes makeup. I’d say that this is a great everyday mild cleanser for normal, sensitive, or dry skin. If you’re the oily type, you may need something stronger or something that foams better than this, because this doesn’t seem to foam that much, and if you have too much makeup on, it’s gonna take some rubbing to completely take it all off.

 

Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask (1 oz: $22, 2.7 oz: $45) – This cooling moisturizer/mask has a true fresh watermelon scent that is extremely refreshing to the senses. This is a very light gel texture-wise, and you can use it as a wash-off mask or as an overnight one. Since this gel is very light, it goes into the skin easily and it keeps it moisturized. However, I feel like this is great as a 10-minute wash-off mask only, as for its overnight moisturizing ability, well, I find this to be quite weak, especially if you tend to have dry skin or has some dry patches. I wouldn’t suggest this as an overnight mask even during the dry winter season either. A regular thick moisturizer would probably do a much better job.

 

Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream

 

Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream (1.69 oz: $68) – Meet my other holy grail moisturizer. This lightweight cream may seem plain and boring at first, but it’s not, and it’s the reason why I’m starting to believe in Drunk Elephant’s skin care products. Know why? this cream is very unassuming but it packs a punch. Its texture is not too thick and not too thin, which makes it ideal for almost all skin types. It doesn’t even have any captivating scent to it, and if it does, it’s just so plain, but the ingredients and its packaging are so worth it. It has peptides and amino acids which made a difference in my skin’s appearance and elasticity. I noticed a more radiant and renewed glow on my face like I’ve got baby smooth skin on. I never had any irritations with this cream so far, and it also works as an overnight moisturizer for me as well. On top of that, I really love the easy-to-dispense packaging since it’s so easy to release the right amount of product without having to dip your fingers in the tub, which makes it very hygienic.

 

Eye Creams:

 

OleHenriksen Banana Bright Eye Crรจme

 

OleHenriksen Banana Bright Eye Crรจme (0.5 oz: $38) – This eye cream can be tricky to find nowadays because it’s almost always sold out at least at my local Sephora and also online. There’s a reason for it, and it’s because this is probably one of the best eye creams you can buy. It smells great, it performs great, and the ingredients are also great. Though I’m not entirely sure if there’s banana into it, but this eye cream is inspired by the banana powder that some makeup artists used in order to brighten the under eyes. What I did notice is the nice sweet orange scent that is both captivating and invigorating the moment you apply this on the skin, and its scent stays on even after a couple of hours. Because of its orange scent, expect Vitamin C as one of its main ingredients, which is awesome as I’ve always wanted to incorporate this skin brightening ingredient to the dark areas of my face, like my undereye circles which have not seen the light of day for ages. The cream itself is creamy, kind of mid-weight type of creamy, it’s not so crazy thick that it’s sticky, but it’s not very thin either. I haven’t seen the brightening effect on my undereye yet, but this has a slight almost-invisible sheen on the skin once applied, however, the slight sheen goes away immediately but this cream keeps the area around the areas super hydrated even throughout the next day. This also goes well under concealers and foundations, and there’s ample product inside its bright orange packaging. This eye cream is definitely a must.

 

Chanel Blue Serum Eye Revitalizing Serum (0.5 oz: $70) – The latest eye serum released by Chanel and it’s worth giving a try. It’s a lightweight creamy serum with a barely noticeable clean scent. It goes into the skin easily and it makes it supple, smooth, and hydrated. It has green coffee and olives as some of its ingredients. Since I’ve started testing this, I feel like my eyes look well-rested, and a little depuffed. I definitely prefer this over the Le Lift Eye Cream.

 

Summer is fast-approaching so expect more lightweight creams and gel moisturizers to be released soon apart from the ones mentioned above. Bottom line, I still love and recommend Tatcha’s The Water Cream, Belif’s The True Cream Aqua Bomb and Tarte’s Drink of H20. However, I also suggest that you give some of those products above a try. You may wanna start with Glamglow Waterburst Moisturizer, Murad Nutrient-Charged Water Gel, or DE’s Protini Polypeptide Cream. For the eyes, the Banana Bright Eye Cream by OleHenriksen is worth a shot.

 

 

Tatcha The Water Cream Review

Hi there skincare junkies! The Tatcha Water Cream (1.7 oz for $68) is one of those perfect moisturizers that screams drenching raindrops, misty summers and cooling sea breeze. Ever since this anti-aging and oil-free cream came out, I knew I couldn’t let this pass me by. The packaging is really one of a kind and it’s simply breathtakingly gorgeous.

 

Tatcha The Water Cream Review

 

If it’s pretty on the outside, it’s even more beautiful on the inside. This cream has a complex, interesting, and irresistible scent. It’s kind of a light floral, sweet, and citrusy-green tea, which reminds me a lot of a tart Soursop. It’s so good, it’s hard not to keep sniffing. On the other hand, this Water Cream is lightweight and my skin absorbs it easily. This has a bit of a cooling effect and thus feels quite refreshing. While it feels like a luxurious creamy water, this moisturizer doesn’t need to be applied a lot in order for it to work. Just a scoop of the cute (provided) spatula will give enough hydration to the face.

 

Tatcha Water Cream Review

 

In my experience, this Tatcha The Water Cream is truly hydrating and very balancing on my oily-prone skin. I felt a plumping effect and my skin didn’t breakout at all. It also tightened my pores and it’s a great moisturizer under any makeup. In addition to that, I think this cream is also great if you have any dry patches on the face or even if you have a normal to sensitive skin type.

 

Tatcha Water Cream Review

 

This cream is so great as a daily moisturizer and it deserves to be on the front row of your shelves. I believe this is a great all around cream for everyone and it feels really luxurious that you would want to layer this all over your face any chance you’d get. It’s like you’ve been drenched from an early morning misty rain, it’s so good and so refreshing. Like having a spa at home.

 

Tatcha The Water Cream

 

Overall, this Tatcha Water Cream is truly magical and unique. I couldn’t say anything negative about this cream, it’s perfect, and that packaging, oh my, Tatcha always has the prettiest skincare packaging I’ve ever seen. So, if you’re looking for a reliable, all-rounder, irresistibly-scented, non-irritating, and luxe cream with a gorgeous packaging, well, you know what to buy next.

 

Tatcha The Water Cream is available at Barneys NY, QVC, ย & Sephora

 

Happy Thursday!

 

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Tarte Rainforest of The Sea Color Splash Lipstick Review + Swatches

Hey there! I’ve been really impressed with the Tarte Rainforest of The Sea Color Splash Lipstick (0.12 oz for $21) from the moment it was released, and I have a bunch of reasons why. This lipstick is almost perfection. From its packaging, down to its finish and shades.

 

Tarte Color Splash Lipstick

 

Ever since this lipstick came out, I had a feeling that I’m gonna love it. The swatches seem to be all wearable and there are different variations of warm nudes and mauves. Perfect for any skintone. Just my kind of lipstick.

 

Tarte Rainforest of The Sea Color Splash Lipstick review

 

If you’re the type that’s kind of bored with matte liquid lipsticks and you’d want something hydrating but not too glossy, then I truly recommend this. Just like most of Tarte’s Rainforest of The Sea products, this Color Splash Lipstick is probably one of the best lipsticks I’ve ever tried. The formulation and the finish are just about right. It is moisturizing and hydrating without feeling heavy on the lips. It’s not overly shiny nor shimmery. It has a semi-matte finish without drying the lips, a bit like Urban Decay Vice Lipstick in Matte Finish but way creamier. It doesn’t have a distinctive flavor nor scent, but perhaps slightly buttery.

Tarte Color Splash Lipstick review

There are several shades from this line and they’re all pretty. I really had a hard time picking out the best that I like the most. It seems like every shade I swatched were all gorgeous. The lipstick is also well-pigmented and I love that there are different variations of nudes and mauves in this line. There are coral-ish nudes, rosy nudes, brown mauves, rosy mauves, etc. Apart from the beautiful array of shades, I find this lipstick to be a good value for the money. It’s long-wearing that even after 2 meals (without reapplying), I could still see the shade on my lips. Such is the staying power of this lipstick.

 

Tarte Rainforest of The Sea Color Splash Lipstick swatches

 

Island LifeRosy Mauve. A muted mauve rose that’s perfect whether you live on the island, in the city, or in the jungle. This is one of my fave shade in this line.

 

Set SailDark Nude. Gorgeous perfect nude shade for light to medium complexions.

 

SiestaBrown Nude. I’d say this is a true neutral nude shade that could work for any skin tone, especially to those who are in the range of fair to light.ย 

 

Surf’s UpMauve. This doesn’t look mauve at all, at least not on my lips. The shade itself is warm nude mixed with a muted orange/coral/terracotta hue. It’s very unique and very beautiful.

 

VacayDark Cool Rose. Gorgeous. Just the right blend of slightly dark rose and mauve. A warmer version of Island Life. This is a great pop of color on the lips be it day or night. Also, great for the upcoming Fall.

 

5 o’clockDark Mauve. Looks more like a mauve brown to me, but more on the mid-brown side. Very wearable like a darker version of Siesta.

 

Tarte Rainforest of The Sea Color Splash Lipstick swatch

 

The packaging of this lipstick has a whole Summer vibe that is totally unique and cute. I love the blue marble-style tubes with golden accents. The Tarte Rainforest of The Sea Color Splash lipstick is a comfortable, creamy, and hydrating lipstick with an incredible range of shades. Its lasting power and very good pigments are really good and something I highly recommend.

 

Tarte Rainforest of The Sea Color Splash Lipsticks

 

 

Have you tried these already?ย 

Tarte Rainforest of The Sea Color Splash Lipstick review swatches

 

The Tarte Rainforest of The Sea Color Splash Lipstick is available at Sephora

 

See ya later,

 

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