Fall is officially here. At least in my neck of the woods it is. The weather has turned cooler and the once green leaves on the trees outside my window are turning gorgeous shades of red and gold. Alas, I have traded in my blue jean shorts, tank tops, and flip flops for long sleeved shirts, jeggings, and knee high riding boots.
As much as I love wearing cozy sweaters and boots I'm sad to see summer end. I always get a nostalgic feeling. It takes me back to my childhood and for a moment I'm 10 again. When summer ends its like turning off a light switch, all of a sudden there is a difference in the air....there is a slight chill in the air there wasn't there before.
The things I will miss most are the warm starry nights when the full moon shown it's light all the way from space to create a spotlight on the water in the lake. I will miss the tiny fireflies dancing in the honeysuckle scented breeze and the cicada's singing their nightly song like a bedtime lullaby.
Summer is a magical time. Everything is alive and colorful and simply beautiful.
Saturday, October 11, 2014
Monday, August 25, 2014
Essie No Chips Ahead....The Best Top Coat?
I have been a long time fan of Seche Vite top coat. It dries quickly and makes your manicure last for days. The only problem is once you get about halfway done with the bottle the consistency changes. It becomes thick and stringy and just too messy to work with.
About 2 months ago I visited my local Ulta and they were having a special on Essie nail polish. If you bought 2 polishes you got a free top coat. I couldn't resist so I decided to try Essie's No Chips Ahead top coat.
I must say I was pleasantly surprised by this top coat. It keeps my polish from chipping for almost a week and I'm pretty rough on my nails. To help my polish last longer I apply the top coat right after I get done with my manicure then I do another coat of the top coat polish the next day and finally about 3 or 4 days in I will do another coat of the top coat polish.
If you are looking for a new top coat polish you should give this one a try and if you do let me know how you like it.
Have a great week!
About 2 months ago I visited my local Ulta and they were having a special on Essie nail polish. If you bought 2 polishes you got a free top coat. I couldn't resist so I decided to try Essie's No Chips Ahead top coat.
I must say I was pleasantly surprised by this top coat. It keeps my polish from chipping for almost a week and I'm pretty rough on my nails. To help my polish last longer I apply the top coat right after I get done with my manicure then I do another coat of the top coat polish the next day and finally about 3 or 4 days in I will do another coat of the top coat polish.
If you are looking for a new top coat polish you should give this one a try and if you do let me know how you like it.
Have a great week!
Sunday, August 10, 2014
Clarisonic Mia 2 and Acne Update
It's been a minute since my first post about the Clarisonic Mia 2 so let's refresh.
I have oily, acne prone skin. Occasionally in the winter I will get dry areas, usually on my forehead and nose. I have used every type of acne face wash, cream, and toner out there. I even went to the dermatologist and nothing they prescribed worked. I was told that my acne was hormonal and no matter how many times I washed my face it wouldn't matter. I still wasn't about to give up.
Long story short I finally gave Proactiv a try in 2010. It worked better than anything I had ever tried before. My breakouts didn't go away entirely but it did reduce the number and frequency. After using Proactiv for about a year or so I noticed that it seemed like it wasn't working as good as it used to. I had heard about people reaching a plateau and I knew I had reached mine. I continued using Proactiv because I was too scared to try another face wash. I was afraid that my acne would not only come back but come back worse than before.
Fast forward to August 2013.
I was watching QVC and they were selling the Clarisonic Mia 2 with some face products for a good deal. I had read a little bit about the Clarisonic and I watched a few reviews on Youtube by some of my favorite beauty vloggers. With QVC you have 30 days to return items so I really had nothing to lose by trying it.
Buying the Clarisonic was the best decision I ever made regarding my acne. My face felt cleaner and softer after the first use. I did a short review after using it for a few weeks but now that I've been using it for a year I wanted to update you all on how I've gotten along with it.
I started out using the Clarisonic twice a day for the first 4 or 5 months and then I started using it just once a day. If I feel like my skin is extra oily one day then I will still use it twice a day. It never irritated my skin I just felt it wasn't necessary to exfoliate twice a day every day.
The sensitive skin brush came with it and I really liked it so I continued to buy the sensitive brush replacements. In July, for my birthday, my mom got me the deep pore cleansing brush replacement. I have been using it for about 2 weeks now and I like it better than the one for sensitive skin.
I could not be happier with the results from using the Clarisonic. My breakouts are completely gone, except for every now and then around visiting time. Using the Clarisonic makes my blemishes go away much faster when I do get the occasional breakout and my skin is less oily. I only wish I would have gotten it sooner. If you are on the fence about getting one, just jump. It's expensive but worth every penny and then some.
I also wanted to update you on the Peter Roth gel moisturizer and face wash. In my first review I didn't like them so I put them in the cabinet. I ended up running out of my Proactiv one day and so I tried them again. This time I liked them. I believe I have the Clarisonic to thank for that. The moisturizer worked really well and it helped my makeup to glide on and the face wash doesn't make my face feel tight anymore, it just feels nice and clean. It wasn't the products that were horrible, it was just my skin.
I hope you found this helpful and if you want to read my initial review of the Clarisonic Mia 2 you can read it here.
I hope you all have a wonderful week!
*This blog post is entirely my opinion and is not sponsored in any way
I have oily, acne prone skin. Occasionally in the winter I will get dry areas, usually on my forehead and nose. I have used every type of acne face wash, cream, and toner out there. I even went to the dermatologist and nothing they prescribed worked. I was told that my acne was hormonal and no matter how many times I washed my face it wouldn't matter. I still wasn't about to give up.
Long story short I finally gave Proactiv a try in 2010. It worked better than anything I had ever tried before. My breakouts didn't go away entirely but it did reduce the number and frequency. After using Proactiv for about a year or so I noticed that it seemed like it wasn't working as good as it used to. I had heard about people reaching a plateau and I knew I had reached mine. I continued using Proactiv because I was too scared to try another face wash. I was afraid that my acne would not only come back but come back worse than before.
Fast forward to August 2013.
I was watching QVC and they were selling the Clarisonic Mia 2 with some face products for a good deal. I had read a little bit about the Clarisonic and I watched a few reviews on Youtube by some of my favorite beauty vloggers. With QVC you have 30 days to return items so I really had nothing to lose by trying it.
Buying the Clarisonic was the best decision I ever made regarding my acne. My face felt cleaner and softer after the first use. I did a short review after using it for a few weeks but now that I've been using it for a year I wanted to update you all on how I've gotten along with it.
I started out using the Clarisonic twice a day for the first 4 or 5 months and then I started using it just once a day. If I feel like my skin is extra oily one day then I will still use it twice a day. It never irritated my skin I just felt it wasn't necessary to exfoliate twice a day every day.
The sensitive skin brush came with it and I really liked it so I continued to buy the sensitive brush replacements. In July, for my birthday, my mom got me the deep pore cleansing brush replacement. I have been using it for about 2 weeks now and I like it better than the one for sensitive skin.
I could not be happier with the results from using the Clarisonic. My breakouts are completely gone, except for every now and then around visiting time. Using the Clarisonic makes my blemishes go away much faster when I do get the occasional breakout and my skin is less oily. I only wish I would have gotten it sooner. If you are on the fence about getting one, just jump. It's expensive but worth every penny and then some.
I also wanted to update you on the Peter Roth gel moisturizer and face wash. In my first review I didn't like them so I put them in the cabinet. I ended up running out of my Proactiv one day and so I tried them again. This time I liked them. I believe I have the Clarisonic to thank for that. The moisturizer worked really well and it helped my makeup to glide on and the face wash doesn't make my face feel tight anymore, it just feels nice and clean. It wasn't the products that were horrible, it was just my skin.
I hope you found this helpful and if you want to read my initial review of the Clarisonic Mia 2 you can read it here.
I hope you all have a wonderful week!
*This blog post is entirely my opinion and is not sponsored in any way
Thursday, August 7, 2014
The Long Absence and Face Cream
First off let me start off by apologizing for being away from my blog for so long. I won't bore you with the details, but I will make a promise to never neglect my blog again.
With that being said let's jump right in.
If you have read my blog then you probably know that I suffer from oily skin and acne. Due to my oily skin I never used moisturizer. I thought that using a moisturizer with my oily skin would only make my skin more oily and make my acne worse. That my friends is a myth.
I did some research and discovered that sometimes oily skin is caused by dry skin. No matter the reason for oily skin, using a moisturizer is still a good idea.
I knew that I wanted to try a light moisturizer that wouldn't make my skin feel greasy and wouldn't upset my sensitive skin and cause my breakouts to get worse. I went to my local Sephora and picked up this wonderful concoction in a tub.
This heavenly moisturizer Ultra Repair Cream by First Aid Beauty is amazing. It's very light but powerful. It sinks into my skin pretty quickly and doesn't leave my face feeling greasy at all. And what is the best part about this moisturizer you ask? It didn't cause my skin to break out. That's always a winner in my book. I've been using this moisturizer for about 7 months and I've used about 1/3 of the product. You don't have to use a lot of product to get the job done and I only use it on my face and neck. You can use this all over your body, however there are much cheaper options for body lotions. This 6.8oz tub will set you back about $28.
This is the only product I have tried from the First Aid Beauty line but I am looking forward to trying some of their other products since I have enjoyed this one so much.
If you have a favorite moisturizer let me know what it is and why you love it.
Much Love!
With that being said let's jump right in.
If you have read my blog then you probably know that I suffer from oily skin and acne. Due to my oily skin I never used moisturizer. I thought that using a moisturizer with my oily skin would only make my skin more oily and make my acne worse. That my friends is a myth.
I did some research and discovered that sometimes oily skin is caused by dry skin. No matter the reason for oily skin, using a moisturizer is still a good idea.
I knew that I wanted to try a light moisturizer that wouldn't make my skin feel greasy and wouldn't upset my sensitive skin and cause my breakouts to get worse. I went to my local Sephora and picked up this wonderful concoction in a tub.
This heavenly moisturizer Ultra Repair Cream by First Aid Beauty is amazing. It's very light but powerful. It sinks into my skin pretty quickly and doesn't leave my face feeling greasy at all. And what is the best part about this moisturizer you ask? It didn't cause my skin to break out. That's always a winner in my book. I've been using this moisturizer for about 7 months and I've used about 1/3 of the product. You don't have to use a lot of product to get the job done and I only use it on my face and neck. You can use this all over your body, however there are much cheaper options for body lotions. This 6.8oz tub will set you back about $28.
This is the only product I have tried from the First Aid Beauty line but I am looking forward to trying some of their other products since I have enjoyed this one so much.
If you have a favorite moisturizer let me know what it is and why you love it.
Much Love!
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