{Favorites} June 2011

Hi! I hope all of you had an awesome 4th of July! I went to a poolside BBQ and saw some fireworks later! I had a great Fourth and hope all of you were happy and safe as well! And here are June favorites, as promised!

1. Skin Care


The Body Shop Peppermint Intensive Foot Rescue
I've really been liking this foot moisturizer for the past month. With all of the pretty flip flops and open toed shoes I love to wear in the summer, it is really important to keep feet looking nice, and this does the job. And it smells absolutely divine!

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Liquid SPF 70 Sunblock
Another summer staple is sunblock. I've been wearing this for a couple of months now and it really is almost undetectable under makeup, which for someone with oily skin is very very important! At a price of $12 I again highly recommend this sunblock! I wore it yesterday by the pool for hours on end and my skin did not tan in the slightest. And don't forget to reapply!

Clarins Eye Revive Beauty Flash
This has been my go to eye cream since January of this year. My mom actually picked it up for me because I mentioned I was close to running out of my No 7 Protect and Perfect eye cream, and she's a big fan of Clarins so she got me something of theirs to try out. It's a light eye cream that really moisturizes my eyes so well. I know, I'm a bit young to be using eye creams, but ever since I started wearing contacts my eyes and the skin around them are really really dry, irritated and red. This keeps my eyes happy! And although it is expensive, you get a 0.7 oz, a bit more than the 0.5 oz that are standard for eye creams.

The Body Shop Tea Tree Spot Treatment
This stuff isn't a miracle product, but for those looking to get away from very harsh products containing salicylic acid or benzol peroxide then this may just be for you! I like how it is liquid because I don't have to use a lot as it spreads easily. It takes about as long as any other treatment I've tried, but I find that it doesn't dry out my skin as much as the other treatments I've tried do.

2. Nails


Sinful Colors Hot Pink
I've been loving this obnoxious over the top color for my toes!!! Especially in the sun, it is blinding! I've never been crazy about such bright colors but lately that's all I've been wearing. For some reason these neon polishes tend to dry to an almost matte finish, with almost no shine what so ever, so you definitely need a top coat with this one.

OPI A Good Man-Darin Is Hard To Find
This bright orange cream came out with the Hong Kong collection. I bought it a while later half off but wasn't really into the color that much. I took it out about a month ago and really like it for toes. It's not as attention catching as Hot Pink, but it makes my feet look really nice!

Sinful Colors Base Coat
I bought this one with the accompanying top coat, but I don't really like the top coat. This base coat, however, is great! Somehow it just grabs onto the color! My lighter cream formula polishes go on less streaky and all of them last much longer. Plus, my nails don't get stained any more! I've got a full review of both the base and top coat coming soon!

3. Makeup


Jemma Kidd Eyeshadow in In Season
It's a lot like Vintage from Jemma Kidd, but it has a more olive tone to it. I don't really have any olive shades because honestly they tend to make my skin look really yellow, but this shade has enough brown in it that that hasn't been a problem. I've been reaching for it almost every day.

Stila Convertible Color in Petunia
I love love love this! I've only had it for about two weeks, so it's not exactly a month, but it's the only blush I own that I've worn on a daily basis since I got it! I like Camellia as well, but I feel like this uber bright color is better suited for summer.

Rubens Remedies Rose Water Lip Balm
Ok, so this is one of the best rose salves I've ever used, but is is impossible to find anywhere. I'm not kidding. I got this at TJMaxx for less than a buck and I'm about half way though, but I can't find any place that sells it, in store or online. It's similar to other rose salves (like the C.O Bigelow or Smith ones), but it's nicer. It's a bit harder, but still melts down into a thin salve. while the other two I've tried tend to be soft to begin with. I also like the scent of this one a bit better than the other two. It's less fake. If you can find it anywhere, snatch it up!

Thanks for reading!!! Empties will be up tomorrow!

{Review} Smith's Rose Bud Salve

I've always liked rose flavored balms. The first I ever tried was some no name brand one I got in some little shop when I was on Brighton Beach in NY. Since then I've tried quite a few, the last being C.O. Bigelow's Rose Salve (review here). I really liked it and it lasted forever. This time I decided to try Smith's Rose Bud salve. For all intents and purposes, it's almost the exact same product from formula to packaging to scent.

I love the vintage looking packaging of this balm. While the C.O. Bigelow one also has the oversize tin, this one seems to have a bit more character. I feel like I found it at some vintage shop :)

I also like how simple the ingredients list is. For some reason the fewer ingredients in a product the more I trust that it's not harmful or too chemically, etc. It is petroleum based (like the Vaseline stuff), so if you really don't want to shell out the money, Vaseline's a pretty good dupe without the rose scent.

Like the C.O. Bigelow balm, it looks pink in the pan, but applies completely clear. And you get a HUGE amount.

A swatch:

As you can see, it's a completely clear balm that has a slightly glossy finish. I like how it has a glossy finish and is a bit thinner than some balms because it makes my lips feel and look more hydrated. I really dislike very waxy balms that look matte. This one looks very natural but with a slight sheen which makes my lips look very healthy.

If you like rose scented products you will love this balm. I do admit that every now and then if I have a headache or something the scent can be a bit cloying, but I am prone to headaches and scents do trigger me. It doesn't smell old lady like or anything like that. I feel like rose scents are sometimes categorized as grandma-ish. This one is light and is gone after a few minutes of wear.

Another thing I like about this balm is how multipurpose it is. You can use it on dry patches, minor burns, cuticles, etc. You need to be hyegenic about it of course and make sure your hands are clean when you dip into the pot.

The only other negatives I can think of with this product are that it's a bit hard to open sometimes and since the balm is so soft you can't leave it in your car or take it to the beach, etc. I left my C.O. Bigelow one in the cup holder sideways and the balm had melted and then set sideways in the container, haha! Other than that it is a good buy and I highly recommend!

Pros:

-Cute vintage/old fashioned packaging.

-Very moisturizing.

-Multipurpose.

-Smells good!

-Glossy finish.

-HUGE amount for cheap price!

Cons:

-Hard to open sometimes.

-Balm is soft so may melt if you leave in the car, etc.

-Packaging unhygenic if you use it on your body and lips or without clean fingers.

Info:

Price: $6

Ingredients: Ingredients Pertolatum, Lanolin Alcohol, Synthetic Wax, Natural Flavor, Artificial Flavor.

Disclosure: The product featured in this post was purchased by me for the purpose of my personal use. If you have any further questions about disclosure, don't hesitate to ask in comments!

{Haul} Collective Mostly Skincare Haul

So if you've been reading this blog for a while now, you know I try not to buy too much makeup. Well, in the past month I've really been hauling quite a bit, most of it skin care related. Here's what I got!

1. Sephora:

Sephora Jumbo Pencil in White

Sephora Single Eyeshaodw in Choco Excess

Smith's Rosebud Slave

I had to get that eyeshadow. It is just so shimmery, glittery, and pretty!!! And I finally finished my C.O. Bigelow rose salve a while ago and just now decided to try out another rose salve.

2. Marshall's:

Nature's Gate C For Yourself Serum

Caswell-Massey Revitalizing Cool Cucumber Eye Pads

I got the eye pads for only $0.79 cause I think they thought that someone had tampered with them. It looks like there are only a few in the package but they are very thin and I counted and all 24 were there. I've also really been getting into serums. My ski's been so dull lately that I've really been trying out products designed to smooth and brighten.

3. Ocean State Job Lot:

Nivea Visage Natural Beauty Beautifying Daily Peeling

I was interested in this daily exfoliator because I've been wanting to try Nivea Visage products for a while now but just haven't seen them in any of the stores I usually shop in. There was also an illuminating moisturizer and eye cream, but I didn't get those.

L'Oreal Skin Genesis Deep Purifying Exfoliating Foaming Cleanser

I'm not a huge fan of L'Oreal skin care but the concept of adding clay into a foaming cleanser hooked me. The actual product feels heavier than a normal cleanser of that size. I was definitely interested.

4. Mary Kay:

Oil Free Liquid Makeup Remover

This one I bought from a friend of mine who sells Mary Kay. I finished my Almay Moisturizing Makeup Remover and really wanted to try something different. It's like Lancom's Bi-Facil remover in that it's got the double layer.

5. Target:

Revlon PhotoReady Translucent Finisher in Translucent

While I love my NYC Smooth Skin Loose Powder in Translucent, I do need something a bit more portable, so I picked this one up. I'll be doing a full review later because I was a bit surprised by this powder.

Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture for combo skin

A friend of mine told me that this moisturizer is really close to Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel so I had to give it a try. At 4 oz you get a ton of product too.

Reviews on many of these products coming soon! If you've tried any of them let me know what you thought!