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My Skincare Routine!

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If you have combination or oily skin like me, then this routine will best suit those who have a similar skin type as myself. Many of the products I use are intended for combination to oily skin, so they won’t be necessarily helpful to those that have dry skin.

My skincare routine is pretty simple, but I’ve decided to break it down into two sections: Morning and Night.

Morning

Having oily skin means that I absolutely CANNOT skip washing my face in the morning, as I often wake up with an oil slick all over my face. I know most people prefer to use cold water in the morning to wake themselves up, however, I actually need to use hot water in the mornings to wash my face in order to break down the oils. Another thing that I absolutely cannot do without is facial cleansers!

Here are some of my faves:

Purity by Philosophy

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Burt’s Bees Radiance Facial Cleanser

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Clean & Clear Morning Energy Cleanser

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After washing my face I apply Smashbox’s Photofinish Primer under my eyes to keep that area hydrated throughout the day. I also apply a thin layer of Perfectly Posh’s My Hero sunscreen before applying makeup. And that’s it. No moisturizers, or any other creams or serums, as my skin is too oily and any sort of cream will either increase my oiliness levels or break me out.

Night

I always – always – remove my makeup before hitting the sack. It doesn’t matter how tired I am, or how late I return home, I JUST DO IT. Falling asleep in your makeup is one of the worst things you can do to your skin! Not only will it clog your pores and be the breeding ground for breakouts, but it’ll also cause pre-mature wrinkles! So ladies, if you value your skin, REMOVE THE MAKEUP before bed.

My go-to makeup remover for the past fifteen years or so has been Olay’s Daily Deeply Clean 4-in-1 Water Activated Cleansing Face Cloths (33-ct. $14.19 on amazon.com). Now, there may be some better removers out there, but I’ve been happy with these for so long that I’m not really itching to change it up. But if you have any suggestions, leave them to me in the comments!

Now, once I’m done removing my makeup I use a toner. My currents faves are:

Thayer’s Alcohol-free Rose Petal Witch Hazel with Aloe Vera Toner ($7.99 on amazon.com)

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Everyone Face For Every Day Tone ($4.79 on amazon.com)

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Tip: When choosing a toner, opt for alcohol-free, as any of the toners that contain a high alcohol content or smell like rubbing alcohol will dry out your skin.

After toner I apply an anti-acne cream (my favourite for years has been Neutrogena Rapid Clear Stubborn Acne Spot Cream).

Once I’m done applying a thin later of that, I’ll use top it off with a thin layer of either Clinique’s Even Better Spot Serum (I love this because it moisturizers without being greasy AND it helps eliminate any past acne scars or dark spots) or a thin layer of Isabis Formulae Vitamin C with Vitamin A & E Serum (available on amazon.com for $25.97). I’ll usually use the Vitamin C serum more often when my skin looks like it’s about to breakout, or during moments when I know it’s more prone to breakout (like when I’m getting closer to my period) as this serum is a MIRACLEWORKER when it comes to keeping your skin not only incredibly smooth and soft, but pimple-free!

Last, but not least, I use an eye cream. I’m always changing these up (you can check out some of my favourite eye creams here). At the moment I’m currently using Honest Beauty The Younger Eye Cream ($28 at Target) and so far I’m satisfied with how it leaves my undereye feeling incredibly hydrated and smooth.

This pretty much sums up my skincare routine. It’s nothing too complex but works for me.

What are some of your skincare rituals?

By: Azzurra Nox

Review: KISS Polish Pop

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Remember when a few years ago when Sally Hansen came out with their Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips? Well, these are essentially more or less the same thing. At the time, I LOVED the Sally Hansen Strips cause they truly lasted a very long time (for me about a month) and there was no wait time (I can’t tell you how much I detest having to wait the 30 minutes to dry my nails!). I don’t know if the Sally Hansen Strips have been discontinued, but I haven’t seen them around so when I saw these at the shop the other day I knew I needed to try these out.

What It Is: Nail Polish Strips

Verdict: The design is gorgeous, and the application was simple, HOWEVER, I applied the strips around 3PM by 7PM I had one strip literally jump off of my nail, and by the end of the night 3 had fallen off. Also, each packet comes with only 8 strips, meaning that you need to buy 2 packs in order to complete both hands. I guess the plus side of purchasing two packs was that I had extras to apply on the fingers where the strips had fallen off. I applied these on Saturday and today’s Monday, and since the new strips there haven’t been any other strips coming loose, so we’ll see how it goes. Would I repurchase? I can’t state this now, but for me to actually consider to repurchase these they should be able to last about two weeks (that’s the length I’m capable of keeping nail varnish on whenever I put it on for) seeing that the price of two packs was almost the price of a whole nail varnish bottle.

Price: 3.82 per pack

Where To Buy It: https://www.walmart.com

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Left Hand

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Right Hand

By: Azzurra Nox

Review: Dior Diorshow Mascara

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I was very excited when I received this product in Allure’s December Beauty Box! I’ve always wanted to try out Dior mascaras, since many people rave about how amazing they are and how much better your lashes will look. But I also never was willing to shell-out the money needed because, what if it was just all hype ya know?

What It Is: Lenghtening/Voluminizing Mascara

Distinguishing Factors: It was specifically designed to grab the right amount of mascara product from the tube and position it on the bristles in a way that each and every lash gets coated with the same amount of product. Absolutely no clumping!

Verdict: This mascara DOES deliver, there’s no doubt about it. And I can see why many celebrities and beauty gurus swear by it. However, as much as I do love it, for the price, I don’t think it’s that amazing. The mascara does lengthen lashes and give them volume (always a bonus!). And the brush itself is the shangri-la of mascara brushes (no clumps and perfect product distribution throughout the lashes). But I don’t know if the mascara itself (meaning the actual black goop) is that revolutionary or radically different from a drugstore brand. All in all though, I would recommend this product and am enjoying it very much.

Price: 28.50

Where To Buy It: Dior.com

By: Azzurra Nox

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Review: Burberry’s My Burberry Blush Fragrance

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Burberry is as much British as high tea and the Queen, just take a look at their signature tartan packaging. Based in London, before the brand was known for their fragrances, it was originally known for its iconic trench coat as far back as 1856! This new fragrance is a homage to the iconic coat and the women of that era, that were both feminine but progressive.

Size: 1.6-oz./50-ml.

Price: $90

Fragrance Family: Floral

Top Notes: Pomegranate and Lemon

Middle Notes: Geranium, Crisp Apple, and Rose Petal

Base Notes: Jasmine and Wisteria

Time of Day: Daytime/Early Evening

What’s It Smell Like: A romantic stroll in a London park.

Verdict: I have to admit I haven’t always been a fan of Burberry’s fragrances in the past, but ever since they’ve released Body and My Burberry a couple of years ago, I’ve totally been onboard with the new fragrances. This one is exceptionally feminine, but in no way is it safe. It’s a bit flirty without being too obnoxious, and simply smells divine. If you ever wanted to smell like a sweet British garden with a hint of posh (think Baby Spice meets Posh Spice), then this fragrance is right for you!

Where To Buy It: https://www.sephora.com

By: Azzurra Nox

Review: Sugar Pill Liquid Lip Color in Trinket

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What It Is: A long-lasting liquid lipstick

Perks: Cruelty-free and made in California

Verdict: I’ve tried out several liquid lipstick brands since they’ve gotten popular over the past year or so. I was looking forward to trying out Sugar Pill cause I’ve always been a fan of the brand, plus I’ve been trying to find the perfect rose gold shade with subtle glimmer. The colour I got, Trinket is simply gorgeous! The awesome thing about this specific liquid lipstick is that when applied, the colour is a rose shade, but once you press your lips together, the gold shimmer is activated. So, the more you smack your lips together, the more gold shimmer will be visible. It’s a very flattering metallic shade, and it can be worn both casually or for an evening night, especially now with the holidays, the gold glimmer will give you that much needed holiday vibe without going too overboard. As for the formula, it is lightweight, but long-lasting (and when I say long-lasting I truly mean it! I can apply this lipstick at 7a.m. and not need to reapply even once and it stays put till I remove it around 9p.m.). Another plus is that the formula doesn’t dry out your lips, your lips actually feel uber hydrated throughout the day (a much-needed bonus during the harsh winter temperatures!). So give this shade a try, and liberate your inner sugarplum fairy!

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Price: $18

Where To Buy It: I got mine at the Dolls Kill site (https://www.dollskill.com/) or https://sugarpill.com

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By: Azzurra Nox

Review: Origins Clear Improvement

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Masks have always been my so-called beauty crack (meaning that I could never have too many stashed away!). Although face masks are all the rage lately, I still prefer clay masks overall (mostly because apparently I am extremely impatient and can’t seem to wait 10-15 minutes without doing nothing at all). At least with clay masks I can still do other beauty regimens (like painting my nails!). I’m all about multi-tasking. I may also love clay masks more because I have naturally oily skin, and always feel like this sort of mask truly combats in soaking up some of my natural oils without drying out my skin.

What It Is: Active charcoal mask to clear pores.

What It Does: Unclogs and clears pores.

Active Ingredient: China clay and Charcoal

Verdict: As I mentioned above, I simply love clay masks because they always leave my skin ultra-clean and refreshed. I’ve always been a fan of Origins products, so was very psyched to receive this product in my Sephora Play monthly subscription for November. This mask is simply A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! It will make your skin feel brighter and smoother in less than ten minutes! This mask is especially effective for those who like me have oily to combination skin, but it’s gentle enough for even sensitive or dry skins to use as well as this mask (unlike some other clay masks) doesn’t leave my skin ultra-dried out but rather it leaves it feeling supple, hydrated, but not oily. In other words, it’s the equivalent of drinking a tall glass of crisp cucumber-lime water. A more effective way of using this product is to first use a warm, wet towel pressed against your skin to help open up the pores and then to apply a thin layer of the mask all over your face, concentrating mostly on your T-zone. This mask is gentle enough to use twice a week or you can use it on trouble spots more times throughout the week.

Price: $27

Where To Buy It: https://www.origins.com

By: Azzurra Nox

Colourpop Haul & Review!

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For months I’ve been hearing such amazing things from this brand. From beauty gurus on youtube to Allure magazine, everyone has been raving about this brand. So of course I decided to take the plunge and try it out myself to see what the hype is all about.

I received 12 items in all, plus an eyeliner add-on because of the delay in shipping. I thought that was really nice of them, so kudos Colour Pop!

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No Filter Concealer in Fair 5

I was truly hoping for a miracle with this concealer because everyone raved (especially Allure) how amazing it is at masking undereye circles and blemishes. Maybe my hopes were too high for this, but I didn’t think this was an absolutely amazing concealer. The colour match was perfect, I’ll admit that, but the consistency of the product made for a somewhat stranger and cakey effect that I only managed to fix by applying another concealer (the Wet N’ Wild one) on top and blending the excess away with a beauty blender. Maybe paired with another concealer this does its job, but alone it’s not that great. Although, I must admit that the results on camera look amazing (but in person up-close you can see where it creases).

Peachy Keen Super Shock Shadows in Crimper, Kennedy, Cornelious, and Bandit

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Palette Pressed Powder in Outta Luck, Say I Do, Issues, and The News

Again, I’ve heard amazing things about their shadows and have been on the lookout for the best peach toned shadows, alas, while these shadows DO pack a lot of colour, both the Super Shock Shadows and Pressed Powder shadows wouldn’t really glide on the lid how I wish they would making for a somewhat patchy application. The consistency of these products felt somewhat chalky and I don’t know if that’s the reason why they didn’t apply as well as they should. However, they seemed to work better if I “packed on” the colour instead (which was more time-consuming for someone who’s always running late in the mornings!).

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Super Shock Shadow in Party of Five, Super Shock Cheek in High Five, Eyeshadow Brush in #11, and Creme Gel Liner in DTLA

I really love the feel of this flat, eyeshadow brush. It truly picks up lots of colour so that you can apply your shadow in one quick swoop! The blush was a gift, and whilst it wasn’t a fit for me colour-wise, it was very pigmented and blended beautifully. Now, anyone who knows me knows that I’m a eyeliner affectionado. The Creme Gel Liner glides on amazingly well, and does set like a normal gel liner. Since it was a free item, they sent me DTLA which is a dark navy shade (I would’ve preferred either brown or black) but it’s a dark enough shade that it could almost pass off as black AND it was a gift so I’m not complaining!

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Ultra Matte Lip in Take Five and Alyssa

For the past year I’ve mostly been using Jeffree Star’s Liquid Velour Lipsticks every single day. I was a bit reluctant to try a liquid lipstick from any other brand just because I really, really love his a lot. BUT…I must say that I’m truly impressed! I picked the shade Alyssa which is a pinky-nude collab that Colour Pop did with youtuber Kathleen Lights, and it’s a very flattering shade for pale or fair skin! Take Five was sent to me for free, and it’s more of a pink shade but haven’t had a chance to try it yet. Overall, I truly love how the lipstick lays on my lips. It’s not cakey, nor drying. It’s actually very hydrating for being a liquid lipstick!

This was one massive haul and I hope you enjoyed it! Let me know if you’ve tried any other products from Colour Pop or which ones are your faves! Would I re-purchase items from this brand? I’ll probably pass on the eyeshadows, but I’m going to definitely check out more of the liquid lipsticks and eyeliners!

By: Azzurra Nox