Review: Akar Skin Balance Toning Mist

May 21, 2020May 17, 2020Leave a comment

What It Is: Toner

What It Does: Helps tone and balance skin.

Active Ingredients: Rose, Neroli, Saffron, and White Willow Bark

Verdict: If you’re one of those people who has always avoided toners because you’re afraid of alcohol stripping you away of essential skin oils, then throw away all your fears with this toner! This toner isn’t alcohol-based, but rather it uses soothing floral waters to hydrate AND keeps oily skin under control. I’m a bit picky when it comes to toners, they need to feel as though they’re getting rid of any dirt or grime there might be, but at the same time, I don’t wish my skin to feel like it’s dangerous to be near a match cause of the high alcohol content. I recommend this toner if you’ve got normal to combination skin. The only downside to this toner? Its hefty price. If you can splurge, the toner is worth it. If you can’t, then Pixi has more economical options.

Price: $55

Where To Buy It: www.akarskin.com

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Review: Glossier Mega Greens Galaxy Pack

May 7, 2020May 6, 2020Leave a comment

What It Is: A deeply cleansing and detoxifying mask to help manage excess oil.

What It Does: Detoxifies oily skin.

Why It’s Special:

-Creamy, White Kaolin Clay gently cleanses, while vitamin-rich leafy greens and superfruit antioxidants nourish the skin.

-Minimizes the appearance of pores, so skin looks balanced with a velvety, clean matte finish.

-Draws out excess oil and impurities, particularly good for oily or combination skin types.

Good To Know: Allergy tested, dermatologist tested, appropriate for all skin types, appropriate for sensitive skin, fragrance-free, paraben-free, cruelty-free, and vegan.

Verdict: Glossier are best known for their skincare products, since their company motto is: Skin first, makeup second, and because of that I may have expected much more by their face mask. I don’t think the face mask is bad per se, but since it’s supposed to be clarifying, I was hoping that the clay at some point would’ve hardened more than it did and extracted some gunk as past clarifying masks have done (notably the Tony Moly one). I suppose since I have highly oily skin, I wanted a face mask that could temporarily dry out the oil. However, this face mask seems to be designed to clarify and moisturize. What that means is that when the clay dries down, it never makes your skin feel tight and when you wash it off, your skin feels silky smooth. So for that respect, the face mask works well, especially if you have sensitive skin. However, since my skin is very oily I was hoping for something that would leave my skin feeling a little dried out and clean. I recommend this if you have sensitive skin but need a clarifying mask. If like me, you’re on the oilier side, I’d recommend you invest in a charcoal face mask instead, as that will do the trick.

Price: $22

Where To Buy It: www.glossier.com

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Review: Dr. Botanicals Lemon Superfood All-In-One Rescue Butter

April 21, 2020April 18, 2020Leave a comment

What It Is: Balm cream

What It Does: Hydrates

Active Ingredients: Vitamin A, Coconut Oil, Lemongrass Oil, and antioxidants

Verdict: Since we’re living during a pandemic, I’ve had to up the number of times I wash my hands (let’s just say that I now understand why OCD people feel so anxious). But all this handwashing has caused me to get hand eczema (a very unsightly and painful issue). This butter is meant to be used all over the body, and under normal conditions, I probably would’ve considered using it as a face moisturizer. But these are unprecedented times, so I decided to use this all-in-one rescue butter for my hands (because of its Vitamin A qualities). Let’s just say that this butter has been a lifesaver. In a matter of TWO DAYS, my hand eczema disappeared and I was left with beautiful pre-pandemic hands. This butter is so rich that a dime-size is all you really need for hours of hydration (or up until you have to wash your hands, yet again). Apart from this butter being a miracle-worker, it also serves as a mini-aromatherapy session as it has a light lemon scent that helps ease any feelings of anxiety you might be feeling (and honestly who isn’t anxious right about now?). I love this product SO MUCH that I’m willing to purchase it when I run out (I received this in an Allure Beauty Box). I completely recommend this butter for all of your skincare needs, you won’t be disappointed.

Price: $14.90

Where To Buy It: https://us.drbotanicals.com/

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Review: Wander Beauty After Hours Highlighter

February 25, 2020February 23, 2020Leave a comment

Although I don’t use highlighters often, I do love a good highlighter. It really can change the look of your skin and create the most amazing glow. That’s why having a good highlighter can really make you look alive.

What It Is: Powder Highlighter

What It Does: Creates a subtle, dewy glow

Verdict: Out of all the highlighters out there, (liquid, powder, gel) I prefer powders as they’re the most subtle, forgiving, and easiest to use. I love how this powder feels, very silky and soft. You can use this on your cheeks, temples, and inner corners of the eyes. The shade of this highlighter is very pearly silver, but it’s more on the warmer side than cold, so it’ll suit most skintones. This highlighter will have you looking awake in no time. Even on days when you’ve repeatedly hit the snooze button and are dragging yourself out of bed. You can either use a brush or your fingers, it works both ways.

Price: $30

Where To Buy It: wanderbeauty.com

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Review: Curology The Cleanser

December 12, 2019December 7, 2019Leave a comment

What It Is: A lightweight cleanser

What It Does: Cleanses skin without stripping it of its essential oils

Verdict: I’ve seen this brand being advertised both on Facebook and Instagram. They promise to take your skin concerns and tailor them into a skin routine that is made to target and solve your problems. I received this in a current Allure Beauty Box, and since they know what skin type I have (combination, oily) I figure that they probably sent me a cleanser that would target my skin issues.

As far as cleanser goes, I love that it doesn’t have any strange scents. It’s actually scentless, which I prefer. It also is a lightweight gel consistency, which is also one of my favourite textures for cleansers. I’m not a huge fan of the foam ones or ones that are too thick or runny.

I love that it gets rid of oiliness or residual makeup without drying out your skin. In fact, it leaves your skin feeling hydrated and soft. As a cleanser, I am happy with the way this one made my skin feel and may look into purchasing their custom skincare in the future.

Price: $19.95 and up for a set that includes the cleanser, a custom treatment cream, and moisturizer

Where To Buy It: curology.com/allure

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Review: Kneipp Mineral Bath Salt in Dream Away

November 7, 2019November 3, 2019Leave a comment

I always prefer a bath over a shower. However, being always on the run in the mornings I can’t really indulge in a luxurious bath. So, I often make it a staple for my Sunday nights. I love using bath salts cause they smell amazing, make my skin feel exfoliated and soft, and they just really relax me. When Allure’s Beauty Box for October included these bath salts from Kneipp, I was intrigued.

What It Is: Bath Salts

Active Ingredients: Valerian & Hops, Essential Oils

A little bit about the product: The high content of pure and natural thermal spring salt is obtained from pure natural brine in Europe’s only remaining open pan salt works, the Saline Luisenhall. The brine is free of chemical additives and environmental influences and contains natural trace elements.

Verdict: I wasn’t expecting the water to become an electric blue once I popped these salts in, however, the child in me kinda really loved that added perk. I liked to sit back and imagine that I was a mermaid chilling in some extra blue waters. The salts felt extra soothing, and the scent was also relaxing. Valerian root is known to aid with sleep, so I can see why this was used as a means to coax you into a night of better sleep. Luckily, I took a bath at night, so that I wasn’t expected to be uber perky after basking in this pond of chill for twenty minutes. I recommend these bath salts if you’re looking for a way to relax and also feel very glam about it too.

Price: $20

Where To Buy It: www.kneipp.com

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Review: Drunk Elephant Beste No. 9 Jelly Cleanser

September 3, 2019September 1, 2019Leave a comment

Not all cleansers are created equal, and just like with moisturizers, you need to find one that best suits your skin needs. I have oily to combination skin, so I often find myself using cleansers more in the morning as I try to was off al the oil that has accumulated on my face while sleeping. And although for many, just water suffices, I often find that using only water doesn’t really combat my oiliness issue, so I often use cleansers as a way to start out with a truly clean canvas.

What It Is: Cleanser that purifies and dissolves makeup & impurities.

Active Ingredients: Cantaloupe and Glycerin

Verdict: I usually opt for cleansers that are not too foamy, but that can still cut through oil but leave skin feeling hydrated and not completely stripped and dry. I can’t recall if I was gifted this cleanser from Sephora or if I found this one of the many Allure Beauty Boxes I have, either way, I was in need of a cleanser and noticed that I had this in my stash and decided that there was no better time than the present to try ti out.

First things first, I absolutely love the packaging! Not because it looks both sleek and cute, but because you don’t have to deal with removing the cap completely to get to the cleanser (which is nice when you’re half asleep first thing in the morning and don’t have to worry about losing the cap somewhere in the bathroom).

Secondly, what I liked about this product is that it wasn’t too foamy, but it did offer a slight lather. Plus, it was so gentle that even if you mistakingly get it in your eye (hey, I’m zombie shuffling in the AM, don’t judge), it doesn’t burn your eyes like some crazy jalapeno.

Overall, this cleanser does a good job of making my skin feel cleansed and it’s so gentle that it still leaves it feeling hydrated too. I would def purchases this if I’m in need of a cleanser in the future.

Price: $32

Where To Buy: https://www.drunkelephant.com

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Review: Beauty Bakerie Lip Whips

July 23, 2019July 20, 2019Leave a comment

With the cutest packaging in the beauty industry (I mean really, all of their products look delicious and cute!) that someone like Marie Antoinette would adore (it’s no coincidence that one of their Lip Whips is named Versailles). I’ve been dying to try this brand for a while now.

So when they had their 4^th of July sale, I decided to bite the bullet and order me some summer lippie shades.

The first shade I tried out was Take Me For Pomegranate. I did love how the colour looked on me, but upon my first application, I wasn’t crazy how drying it felt on my lips. As the day wore on, the liquid lipstick started to crack, which meant I had to reapply. By the time I went on a date with my fiance that same night, the lipstick was ultra grainy-like on my lips and migrating to the top of my gums (not cute, especially when your guy thinks your gums are bleeding).

So if I’m going to wear this shade again, it’d only be for a few hours and won’t attempt to wear it the whole day as I often do with my liquid lipsticks.

The second shade I ordered was Cherry Flambe. Again, the colour is gorgeous. Now, I don’t know if there’s a difference in formula (because sometimes there are liquid lipsticks that are matte or satin), but this one wasn’t so drying. And this shade didn’t crack not did it get grainy by the end of the day. Being that it was a red shade, I was afraid that it might bleed as the day wore on. Thankfully, it didn’t. The shade did kinda fade towards the middle of my lips by the afternoon, but that’s nothing a quick reapply couldn’t fix.

Overall, for the price (they normally retail for $20 a pop), these Lip Whips don’t deliver. It really saddens me to write this, because I truly wanted to love these products (again, cute packaging and wanted to support the amazing cancer survivor and CEO, Cashmere Nicole), but as far as the Lip Whips go, I was sadly not impressed at all. Sure, they won’t smudge if you eat or drink, but cracked colour isn’t a pretty sight.

I would be curious to try out some of their other products, but as far as their Lip Whips go, I won’t be ordering any others in the future.

Price: $20

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

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Review: Medusa’s Makeup Sun Kissed Bronzer

June 11, 2019June 8, 2019Leave a comment

Summer is upon us and we all like to look more sun-kissed during these months. Unless you’re like me, who’s pasty white and usually end up having to hide under beach umbrellas or parasols. However, for the rest of you, bronzers are a godsend and truly help achieve that sun-kissed look many strive to achieve.

What It Is: Bronzer

Distinguishing Factors: Vegan

Verdict: I’ll be honest, despite having worked as a makeup artist, and used bronzers on my clients, I never quite mastered that technique on myself. I don’t know if my skintone has a lot to do with it (I could give any pasty-faced vampire a run for their money), but any bronzers that I have attempted to use in the past always end up giving me the same result; muddy skin. This is also why I don’t contour my cheeks. And that is why I end up using many bronzers and contour palettes as eyeshadows or crease colours for my eye looks.

Once I opened this bronzer, I fell in love with the colour because it did give the impression of being sunkissed. Not only that, it looked light enough for someone with a zombie complexion like myself. And honestly, even if it didn’t work as a bronzer, it’d still make for a pretty eyeshadow shade.

First of all, the blendability of this is soft and leaves a nice sun-kissed glow. Unfortunately for me, it doesn’t quite translate well on my cheeks (again, looking too orangey) but it looks very pretty on my lids. But I’m sure that other people might find this bronzer to be just as good as the iconic Hula Bronzer.

Price: $13

Where To Buy It: Medusa’s Makeup Site

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Review: Medusa’s Makeup Liquid Eyeshadow

April 9, 2019April 6, 2019Leave a comment

Hello darklings! I can’t believe it’s been so long since my last beauty review! But fret not, I’ll be sharing more beauty related stuff this month as I’ve got a lot of new products to share! My current obsession is liquid eyeshadows….how do you feel about them? A do? A don’t? Let me know in the comments below!

What It Is: Liquid Eyeshadow

Distinguishing Factors: Cruelty-free & Vegan

Review: Lately, I’ve been utterly obsessed with liquid eyeshadows. So I was appropriately excited when Medusa’s Makeup April Beauty Box came equipped with their newest cosmetics venture, their liquid eyeshadows. I was also happy to have received the silver hue (GINGER), (as they have a blue hue, but no matter what shade of blue I’ve used in the past, it has always gone horribly wrong for me). First things first: The formula is long-lasting and crease-free. I don’t know whether it’s because the shadow is actually made that way or probably because I always use eyeshadow primer (currently I’ve been using Milani’s Eyeshadow Primer, as it’s identical to Urban Decay’s Primer Potion but half the price), but once I put on the shadow at 6am (my usual wake-up call during the week) it didn’t budge nor crease all the way to 9pm (when I removed my makeup).

Secondly, the colour was utterly dreamy in an elfish-fairy way. I LOVE that it’s glittery without looking too intense (especially since I wore it for work). However, if you are looking for something a bit more pigmented then the silver shade wouldn’t be your choice, as this goes on a bit sheer (think Glossier’s Lidstars). But overall, I really liked the ethereal feel this shade had and the product itself was amazing! And last but not least….how freaking adorable is the packaging?! I love that it’s both functional and small enough to slip into a tiny bag! After all, Spring is here and less is definitely more!

Price: $13

Where To Buy It: https://medusasmakeup.com/

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The Inkblotters

A Writer's Lifestyle Blog

Tag: beautyblog

Review: Akar Skin Balance Toning Mist

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Review: Glossier Mega Greens Galaxy Pack

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Review: Dr. Botanicals Lemon Superfood All-In-One Rescue Butter

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Review: Wander Beauty After Hours Highlighter

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Review: Curology The Cleanser

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Review: Kneipp Mineral Bath Salt in Dream Away

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Review: Drunk Elephant Beste No. 9 Jelly Cleanser

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Review: Beauty Bakerie Lip Whips

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Review: Medusa’s Makeup Sun Kissed Bronzer

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Review: Medusa’s Makeup Liquid Eyeshadow

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