All posts in: Review

05 May 2019

Beauty For Breakfast Pt. 37

When traveling, it doesn’t always make the most sense to bring along your entire skincare regimen. I wanted to be effective, but also bring the least amount of items with me. There wasn’t going to be time for me to mask every night, but at the very least, I could wash off my makeup, right? I was at Target getting some last minute items when I stumbled across Neutrogena’s new makeup remover cleansing towelettes. Normally, you would recognize these in it’s own square packaging with about 25 wipes. Since that seemed a bit too bulky for my suitcase and I was only gone for a week, I decided to buy this instead. I knew I wouldn’t have to take it all with me and opted for just 7 – the amount of days I’d be gone.

I’m a fan. Each towelette comes individually wrapped for single use. As opposed to having the other package, sometimes I worry that I close it incorrectly causing it to dry out by accident. Maybe I should go on to say that I’m a fan of daily anything. I even use daily contacts because it’s more hygienic and I feel the same way about these wipes. You can purchase them at any drugstore or Target, but can find more information [here]. I’m excited now that I can take these on trips with me, but also pop them into my purse or work bag for any quick cleanses!

25 Jul 2018

Beauty for Breakfast Pt. 36

When we were younger, there really wasn’t such a thing as an evening skincare routine. In fact, my routine consisted of taking out my contacts and brushing my teeth. It wasn’t until the end of high school that I discovered Neutrogena cleansing wipes, but even I saw that as a chore in itself. Fast forward to 2018 and taking off your makeup for the day can take anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour. Aside from just washing your face, you have to use a cleanser, a mask, and toner. Well, let me tell you, I’ve got the lazy girl’s guide to an evening routine down, but it’s not one that I would advise for everyone. When bareMinerals sent me their Skinlongevity Vital Power Infusion, I was thrilled to try it out. After making a purchase at their store a month before, I actually got to take home a sample. I had never tried anything quite like this. It was the perfect finish after cleansing and exfoliating my face in the evenings and went on so easily. All it requires are two little pumps to cover your face and you’re good to go! Don’t forget to also make sure you get your neck as that’s a part I generally end up missing. Vital Power Infusion feels like it locks in my moisturizer after a cleanse and doesn’t feel heavy at all after application. It’s exactly the kind of product you want when your skin can feel dry and tight after a wash. For your own Skinlongevity, click here.

01 Apr 2018

Beauty for Breakfast Pt. 34

Earlier this year, I discovered a drugstore product that I wish I had found years and years prior. Pimples and acne are the worst, but as we all know, they come in a variety. Sometimes it’s right on the surface, beneath the surface, or come in as a blackhead with skin grown over, etc. I’m prone to getting the type of pimples that grow beneath the surface and take forever rising to the top. The result is that they end up being a bump on your face that you don’t want to pop because it will likely make it even worse or start to scar.

I had been reading a few articles about this to see how I could get rid of them safely. Most highlighted a warm compress as being the #1 option, but who has the time for that? Then I read about these acne stickers. They were pretty inexpensive at just $6.50 a pop so I thought I would try and find it at my local drugstore. Unable to find them, I relied on a source I knew would have them – Amazon.

This product in particular comes with 36 stickers, but only two sizes – regular and large. They say that you can put them on during the day and cover it with makeup, but I didn’t do a good job of hiding it so I stick to wearing it only in the evenings and overnight. The sticker is meant to be put over your affected spot and acts as a non-drying way to clean up clogged pores. In the morning your sticker should appear white because it has pulled out all of the oils and pus. It’s half disgusting, but half satisfying. It allows your blemish to not be picked at during this time and removes all of the bad stuff without making it worse. Whenever, I feel a new “beneath the surface” blemish coming through, this is my first act of defense.

 

26 Jun 2017

Beauty for Breakfast Pt. 33

When I received my Alison Brod Marketing + Communications package with this Clinique Gelato Cream in it, I thought it would be like any other body cream or lotion. I wrote it off because I had owned so many products like it before. Then one morning, I decided that I couldn’t avoid the adorable millennial pink packaging any more. The texture was smooth, creamy, and I honestly couldn’t get enough of it. The jar itself was so big and the cream was filled to the very top that I knew it would last me forever. Even after I took one swipe of it, it felt like I had barely used any and by then I had used it on both my legs and my arms. The scent is also incredibly yummy. I’ve never had anything quite like it and now I’m obsessed. I feel like all of my girlfriends need this at home. Buy your own here!

03 Jun 2017

Beauty for Breakfast Pt. 32

This is a little bit overdue, but I didn’t want to miss out on an opportunity to talk about one of my favorite beauty brands – Benefit. For the past two years, Mandi and I have been so lucky to have our holiday parties fall on the same evening in December. We’ve turned this into a little bit of a tradition by getting together in the afternoon, having our hair done at Dry Bar and then getting our makeup done. Last year, we went to Bare Minerals and this year, Benefit. Now, every makeup counter is different and while they all have similar products, the outcome can sometimes be hit or miss. I think Mandi ended up choosing Benefit because of convenience ie) close to our Dry Bar and also so that we could have our appointments done at almost the same time as each other.

The only product I’ve ever used from Benefit was the foundation in the center – Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow! liquid foundation and I’ve probably been on it for what feels like a year and a half or close to two years. The reason why I started using it was because before that I was using Chanel and that felt a bit expensive to me and a little too thick for my taste. This foundation, however, is exactly what it promises though – it’s light, hydrating, brightening, and lasts a very long time! And as if I couldn’t boast about it even more, it has SPF 25.

Since I bought this lipstick on the left, I have been obsessed. Every time I’m going out for a special occasion or for a night when I want to elevate my look a bit, I swipe this on. The packaging is adorable, but the color glides on well and lasts. I usually well do a quick glide of my vaseline and then 15 minutes later, put this lipstick on. I have this in Air Kiss – which is a sheer bubblegum.

The only downside about getting your makeup done at Benefit is that they make you buy three products. I’ve been to other makeup counters where you can choose to buy products if you like and I usually buy two out of courtesy, but three was a bit much for me because I really only needed two. I intended to buy the lipstick so I could re-apply the night of the holiday party and the foundation because it’s what I already use and I figured I would run low soon. So the product that I bought that I was the least excited about was the Hervana blush on the right. It was a great piece to complete my look, but it wasn’t something that I needed so I ended up giving this to my mom for Christmas. 🙂 The packaging for this is awesome though and it’s actually a great blush so I would still recommend it.

I would definitely consider going back to Benefit again to get my makeup done just because out of all the places I’ve ever had my makeup done, they did the best job. I don’t necessarily agree with the buy three products thing, but maybe that will change in the next year once I get more used to their products and use them more consistently.

14 May 2017

Beauty for Breakfast Pt. 31

Alison Brod M+C weren’t aware how much they were going to be changing my life when they sent me these Caudalie products. I had just started getting into masks and after a fall travel season of flying back and forth from the west coast to the east coast and back again, I could feel my skin taking a toll. These are just a couple of the Caudalie products that I received and together, they go well hand-in-hand. I’m obsessed with this peeling mask that I use once a week for about 10 minutes before washing it off. It’s a very cooling cream that goes on smoothly and afterwards, my skin feels hydrated and a little bit brighter in the week when using it. I’m not known for using any toners, serums, or oils after a mask, but I do use this Caudalie lotion after the facial mask as a second step. I’ve never used a lotion quite like this and I love the way it smells and feels when I wear it to bed, but more importantly, how my skin feels when I wake up with it after it has been on the whole night. I now can’t imagine my life without these two products and even if I’m traveling, I’ll make sure to throw it into my carry-on so I can mask and lotion up wherever I’m at.

23 Apr 2017

Beauty for Breakfast Pt. 30

Right time. Right place. This was a product that fell into my lap when I needed it the most. As part of the package in which Ashley had asked me to be one of her bridesmaids, she included this berry smelling hand lotion from Castabel Porto. This brand was new to me, but we’re a sucker for berry anything. Since I moved to the Bay Area, my hands often started feeling more dry around the late fall / winter season so after trying this out one morning, I started making this a part of my routine. After doing my makeup, before heading out the door to work, I would squeeze a little bit of this onto my hands and jet off. The berry scent is delicious and so good you’ll become obsessed with it. Also, how cute is the geometric packaging?! If I know Ashley, then it’s likely this came from Nordstrom, but otherwise I’m not sure where I’ll be getting my refill down the line!

22 Apr 2017

Beauty for Breakfast Pt. 29

When I included my new Clinique moisturizing lotion in my Instagram story, it didn’t take long for some of my friends to raise their hand to tell me they were using the same product. I think most can agree that the facial lotion you use on a day to day basis is a product that is near and dear to your heart. You’re often not shopping for a different product to use in place of it because once you’ve found the one, there’s just no reason to test drive any others. I had been using Olay since high school, but when I had the opportunity to try out Clinique’s, I had to take my chance on it. It felt so easy to use this product. It kept my skin moisturized all day and it felt like it really took ahold of my makeup and foundation making it the best primer. Note: we don’t use primer. My one tip is that you should use just what you need. For me, that’s two little pumps. I have found that using this in excess can sometimes be a little bit annoying and leaves you more greasy than moisturized so it’s best to test it out a few times on yourself to see what works best!

16 Jan 2017

Beauty for Breakfast pt. 28

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When I received my package from Alison Brod Marketing + Communications a couple of months back, this June Jacobs lip renewal was the first item I made a beeline towards. If I had to pick one beauty/skincare product to use for the rest of my life, it would have to be some sort of a lip protectant. I’ve been suffering from chapped lips since I was a kid so I never leave my house without protection. For years, I’ve been relying on vaseline (tube form) and because I go through so many of them or lose them often, I typically have to buy three at a time to stock up and have back-ups. Whichever skincare product is your immediate go-to, you know that you don’t want to live without it as your body will ‘suffer’ if you can’t use it daily, whether it be a lip protectant like me or cbd body butters to calm your sensitive skin, you’ve got to find ways to get it whenever you can, or at least find a dupe that works.

I love the packaging of this tube, but the product itself, even more. First off, it’s SPF 50, which is higher than the vaseline I use and any other lip product I have ever owned. You won’t ever have to worry about being in the sun when you have this on you. With the lip renewal, you can feel your lips being rejuvenated almost instantly after you apply because of it’s moisturizing effect. It also leaves behind a minty fresh feel as well, which is always a plus! Over the last couple of years, there was a trend with lip balms that you had to apply with using your finger and those never sat well with me. I definitely prefer using a tube (like this one!) when possible because it’s easier for on-the-go situations, is cleaner, and overall just more hygienic. My one tip when using this lip renewal though is that it’s quite powerful. That’s not a bad thing; it means it is doing its job. It lasted me three hours without having to re-apply, but during this time, I could feel my lips sort of trying to rid itself of the chapped skin it didn’t need. This irritated my lips a little bit and I found myself touching my lips more. If this happens to you, one thing I would advise is to put on vaseline or another lip moisturizer before applying this lip renewal on top. Together, they make a pretty perfect combination!

Interested in learning more? Visit June Jacobs.

 

12 Jun 2016

What We’re Listening to This Weekend:

spotify:album:4Yww2EYetseL1eL2YuvLna

It feels like we’ve been waiting months for Nick Jonas’s new album to come out. If you want to see just how much of a crazed fan we are, you can just peep my twitter. I’m not sure if this is the one year where I just happen to be a bigger fan or what, but this album is much better than the last. Deemed his most “personal” album yet, (I mean there’s only been like 3) the lyrics are definitely more raw than we’ve ever seen! Seriously, I’m not just saying this because of my feels for Nick Jonas, but I catch myself blushing more often times than not.

We’re going to let you listen to the whole album here, but the songs that you should give your attention to first are:

  • Close
  • Chainsaw
  • Bacon
  • Good Girls
  • Don’t Make Me Choose
  • Under You (get a wet towel for this one)
  • Comfortable