Dream Team

          Skincare was always a touchy subject for me, and it wasn't until I worked at Candy-land (aka Sephora) that I really began to  understand my skins needs. I knew beforehand that I was oily, sometimes excessively oily, but I had no idea how to manage it. I assumed (incorrectly) that it didn't need moisturizer or anything like that because well, I produced enough oil for you to set up an oil rig. What I quickly learned was that my skin was overproducing oil because it was trying to find a balance for itself, and the cleanser I was using at the time wasn't doing anything to aid in the process. I also naively thought that I didn't need a night time cream. Wrong, I was so very wrong. And clearly not doing my skin any favors. It took nearly thirty years to learn these lessons. For years I felt extremely uncomfortable in my own skin. I was a full face make up kinda gal to cover what I was insecure about. That changed once I began understanding what my skin needed to be healthy and radiant.


     Once I got pregnant (for the second time) my skin needs changed slightly. I was still oily but now I felt like my skin was dull. Where's that pregnancy glow I was promised? I found myself having to fine tune my skincare needs once again. Two products that really became my life saver Dream Team are Glam Glow ThirstyMud Hydrating Treatment and the Korres Wild Rose + Vitamin C Sleeping Facial.

Let's talk about Glam Glow for a minute, the name alone is brilliant right? The first product they introduced was the SuperMud - which girlfriend if you haven't tried you must. It vacuums out your pores like nobodies business. When they came out with the ThirstyMud I was skeptical, first of all it doesn't look anything like a mud mask. As I started to read more about the product, I figured I would give it a try. It smells like Hawaii in a jar: tropical coconut paradise. There are three ways to use it:

•   Traditional Mask - apply onto clean dry skin. Leave on for 10-20 minutes then towel off.
•   Sleeping Mask - apply onto clean dry skin, and leave over night. In place of your night cream.
•   In Flight - apply onto skin before travel.

My absolute favorite way to use this product is overnight. My skin feels as soft as a babies bottom, and I finally have that freaking glow! I bought the 0.5 oz jar for $19, because as much as I love the product I just CAN NOT pay $69 for it. And yes, I'm sure over the course of my life, I will buy this product over and over again. But paying that initial $69 just seems ridiculous to me. There I said it, it's just too much.

On days I'm not using Glam Glow, I turn to the Korres Wild Rose + Vitamin C Advanced Brightening Sleeping Facial. (For the love of all that is holy, couldn't they shorten the name?!) Which sits at $48 a jar. It took me two samples to love this fella. The shock! The horror! Yes, I sampled something twice. I wanted to be sure that when it says it's gonna brighten, its gonna brighten! And brighten it did. My face was suffering from dullness and redness, and it definitely helped solve the problem for me. However it wasn't an overnight success (hence the two samples), it took about a month for me to really notice the difference. Which when it comes to skincare products is about average. Also the rose scent is subtle and disappears after a while. 

Another common faux pas that I too was guilty of doing, was not washing my face in the mornings. The best way it was explained to me is that, at night while our bodies are resting our skin is working. That is when our skin is purging all the "crud" that gets into our pores. And by not washing our faces in the morning, we are just packing our pores with more crud. Your make up will apply better with a clean and moisturized face. More importantly, your skin will thank you. 

What's your night time routine? Is there something you love that I should try? Please leave it in the comment section below. I'm always on the hunt to try something new.

XOXO

Jessica 

Colour Pop Lippie Stix

I first heard of Colour Pop Cosmetics from my dear friend Katie. Katie is a lover of all things bright, fun and glittery but with an added dark side that you don't see coming. Therefore naturally, I love and adore Katie. She had been going on...and on...and on about the amazing brand, Colour Pop. But I hate online shopping. I am basically Veruca Salt; if you don't know who that is or the orgininal Willy Wonka please leave...just kidding...When it comes to online shopping, I want it now. *insert tantrum* Which is probably the leading reason I waited until now to order something from Colour Pop. Their online store is also bright and fun, and very user friendly. But more importantly, the most expensive item is only $8 (their blushes). Their eye shadows, lippie stix and lip pencils are only $5. Ammmmazing, right?! Also, when you purchase $30, which is easy to do, you get free shipping. I mean really, its a win win. I went the conservative route and only purchased two lippie stix.

I ordered Lumiere which is a really pretty mauve color. It's flattering on all skin tones and can easily be darkened by using a dark lip liner under it. Lumiere is very neutral and can go from day to night. Colour Pop worked with YouTube Vlogger KathleenLights to come up with the shade. Here's a photo that I took below, unedited and in daylight. 

The second lippie stix I purchased was Leather, its a fun true purple. I made the mistake of not purchasing the matching lip pencils for either color. I would definitely recommend getting the lip liner, especially for the dark colors. I struggled getting the color on without getting it all over my face.  Here's a swatch of Leather below also in natural light and unedited: 

Both colors were very pigmented and have great staying power, very similar to MAC lipsticks but with an $11 savings. I tend to go towards matte lip colors, but they have five other finishes. Their lippie stix come in cream, glossy, hyper-glossy, pearlized and satin. I definitely plan on purchasing a few more colors, and venturing into other finishes  . 

What lipsticks do you gravitate towards? Are you a neutral lip lover or a bold gal? Post your comments or questions below! 

XOXO,

Jessica 

Fresh Lotus Kit

Recently I've been on the hunt for the perfect moisturizer. Perfect for my skin being one that hydrates, doesn't make my already oily skin any oilier and it has to absorb well. I'm picky, surprised? So is my skin, especially since becoming pregnant. Yay...

 Roughly a month ago, I bought a kit from Sephora that includes the Lotus Youth Preserve moisturizer, Soy Face Cleanser and Lotus Eye Gel (be in the lookout for this review); the kit was $45. Which frankly, I felt was a bargain considering I needed two of the three items and I'm always looking for a new daily cleanser. 

This moisturizer promises to add radiance and to hydrate the skin, I've been using it for about a month now. Which is ideal when trying new skincare products to give it a good month to see any changes. 

I will say, it does hydrate and absorbs into my skin nicely. I like to wait a good 15-20 minutes to really let it sink in before before starting my make up. But I wouldn't really say I've seen any added "radiance." I like it enough to finish using the product, but I don't foresee myself buying it again. Especially at $42 for a 1.7 oz jar. And so the hunt continues....

What moisturizer are you using and loving? Any I should just outright avoid? Leave your thoughts in the comments. 

XOXO,

Jessica