Friday Five
1. It is no surprise that I have a serious love for candles and it is even less of a surprise that PF Candle Co happens to be one of my favorite candle companies. They were kind enough to send me their latest scent Piñon last month to test out prior to their launch on August 15th. It really amazes me how they top their previous scents every time. You think, there's no way they can make another scent as good as their current collection but yes, yes they could... & they did. Personally, I love warm, some-what masculine scents that are still fresh and not over-bearing and that is exactly what this candle smells like. It has the perfect hint of both warmth and freshness, I cannot stop burning it. I've only had it for a couple of weeks and am already almost half way. Really recommend this brand if you're looking for candles and definitely be on the lookout for their launch on Tuesday the 15th.
2. This week I received a lovely package from Saturday Skin. They were kind enough to send me their balancing act skin smoothing lotion, which I use during the day, their feather weight daily moisturizer, which I use at night and their hydrating masks, which are probably the best hydrating sheet masks I've every tried. I've only tried them for a couple of days but so far my dry skin is LOVING everything.
3. If you guys follow me on IG you have probably already seen this little beauty from Hieleven. So in love, I really appreciate bags that remain small and compact but still have some kind of compartmentalization. It helps me keep everything organized. I also can't get over the design, I've been really into circular designs lately and I love how simple the ring on this is, yet it still makes a statement. It reminds me of Chloe bags, which I love, but can't justify purchasing at the moment.
4. Say hello to my new favorite powder! I've only had this powder for a couple of days but it doesn't take very long for me to determine if a powder works for me or not. I use this all over my face and underneath my eyes and it works perfectly, despite the fact that I have dry skin. It does not crease or look cakey. It just melts into the skin and helps your makeup last all day. Stay tuned for an upcoming video of this little guy in action.Get 20% off your first glossier order by shopping with me here. 5. Not sure if you guys noticed but I changed my blog this week. Not only did I change the theme but I actually moved on over to the wonderful world of Wordpress. I started my blogspot many, many moons ago and it worked well for all of these years but I needed more control & customization and I feel as though Wordpress delivers that. Pretty excited to expand my horizons.See you all next week! xx
Mask Monday
I mentioned the T.L.C Sukari Babyfacial a couple of weeks ago after using it once. Now I've used it several times and can truly attest to how great it is. After using it for almost a month now, once a week, I have noticed a significant difference in my texture, hyper-pigmentation, the even-ness of my skin tone and just overall appearance of my skin.
I always have some kind of AHA/BHA in my skincare routine. Even though physical exfoliants are perfect for removing that layer of dead skin, usually, chemical exfoliants (AHA & BHAs) offer more benefits than just the removal of dead skin. At least in my experience, nothing has helped keep my texture at bay more efficiently than AHA/BHAs.
Prior to using this I used the Drunk Elephant Glycolic Night Serum, which contains a much smaller concentration of AHA. Hence, why it can be used overnight. I also used the Sunday Riley Good Genes, which I actually liked a tiny bit more that the drunk elephant glycolic serum, but after using this mask I think I'll just stick to this one. This mask is only meant to be used for 20 minutes and then rinsed off because, as mentioned previously, it has a much higher concentration of AHA.
In my opinion it makes more sense to buy this mask, which is actually 10 bucks cheaper than the glycolic night serum, because since this is only meant to be used once a week it'll last much longer while still giving you the same benefits. Plus, personally, I feel better about using strong chemicals on my face less times a week.
Of course everything depends on your skin and what works for you but I have sensitive skin and despite how concentrated this is it doesn't irritate my skin.
Definitely recommend.
Summer Lip Products I'm Loving
Here are the ONLY lip products I've been using and loving this summer. I just opened up my vanity and went through my summer bags and grabbed everything that I've been using and loving lately.
1. Nyx Soft Matte Lip Cream in Abu Dhabi: Probably one of my favorite lipsticks of all time. It is just the most perfect brownish-nude with a slight hint of burnt orange, I just gravitate toward this color. It is my favorite kind of nude. Aside from the color, NYX soft matte lip creams are one of my favorite formulas because they appear matte on the lips but they do not leave your lips dry at all.
2. Glossier lipgloss: I've mentioned this little guy so much already despite the short period of time that I've actually owned it. It is seriously my favorite lipgloss at the moment. I kid you not, this stuff makes your lips look like glass, so beautiful. It doesn't have any color to it at all but it is probably the most flattering lip product that I own.
3. Nars Lipgloss in Striptease: Oldie but a goodie, I pull this out every single spring and summer. This is the perfect peachy nude color with the most stunning hint of gold shimmer. It looks so beautiful on the lips.
4. Glossier generation G in cake: This is very similar in color to Abu Dhabi but it lasts a lot longer and is a bit more pigmented on the lips than the NYX lip cream. Again, that same brownish-nude with a hint of burnt orange, kind of looks like you've been eating spaghetti but in the prettiest way lol. In love with this color and the formula.
5. Nivea smoothness spf 15 chapstick: Surprisingly, I never really talk about this chapstick but it has always been my go-to. A lot of people mention the importance of spf on your face and body but more often than not everyone forgets to mention how important it is for your lips as well. I have about 5 of these at all times, one is in my vanity, one in almost all of my purses, in my bathroom, somewhere in my miscellaneous kitchen drawer... EVERYWHERE. I have dry lips and this is my savior. It is not a thick formula at all so you might have to re-apply is often but I just love the way this feels on the lips and it works great underneath lipsticks or lipliner.
6. Fresh sugar lip treatment spf 15: This is my go-to for whenever I am going to the beach or the pool. It stays in my beach bag and it is another long time love of mine. This stuff is EXTREMELY moisturizing. I don't use it as much as my Nivea chapstick because it is pretty expensive but I always end up repurchasing it when I run out because it just leaves my lips feeling so nourished.
Don't forget you can receive 20% off your first glossier order by shopping with me glossier.com/reps/gemary
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Mask Monday
I just want to express my love for Banish's Pumpkin Enzyme Mask
I know. I get it. How many times is she going to talk about it?!
The answer is: when I feel like I've talked about it enough... & right now I do not feel like this little guy has received enough love.
This week my skin was not looking its best, I had some kind of allergy to something and the right side of my face (cheek & jaw area) always flares up and turns red and blotchy. The right side of my jaw is the first thing that immediately gets irritated whenever I put something on my face or eat something that my body doesn't like.
Aside from the allergy I had, I did my eyebrows on Friday and the area that was waxed got extremely red, bumpy & inflamed, this never happens because my eyebrow lady uses a hypoallergenic wax and immediately follows the waxing with aloe gel. This simply happened because my skin was having an off-week, which is fine... but enough is enough.
I have mentioned this mask in a favorites video, in my skincare video and it was also in my Mask 101 post but I have never really talked about it in depth and how it helps me.
When you have very sensitive skin there are times where even your holy-grails won't bring you back from a skin irritation but I kid you not, I put this mask on for 5 minutes and then wash off the residue with my aveeno calming foaming face wash and 90% of my irritation went away immediately. It is my savior.
The bumps on my eyebrows along with the inflammation and redness vanished less than an hour after using it. It is seriously magical. Every time I use it I am more and more impressed. So much so that I was compelled to open my laptop and write this.
Here are Some notes about this mask which I notice on my skin seriously moments after use. This mask delivers everything it claims to deliver.
- Contains Vitamin A (fights acne) , Vitamin C and Beta-Carotene (plumps, reverses damage & reduces fine line)
- Contains AHA which is a chemical exfoliant (removes dead skin, brightens, doesn't dry out your skin)
- Vegan and cruelty free
- All organic (actually made fresh to order)
- No parabens or sulfates
Sure, it feels like I'm putting baby food on my face, it tingles a little & it's kind of annoying to rinse off but when I tell you it is worth it... I truly believe it is worth it. It is so incredibly underrated but so good.
My face the next day after using this looks so healthy, plump and even. It is packed with so many amazing beneficial ingredients at such a reasonable price point, I cannot get over this mask.