Skincare Haul...

I have previously announced that I have been planning on buying more skincare, or focusing on skincare more, and spending less money on makeup. I have to say, I have done well so far. Let's just hope it stays that way! I recently purchased and repurchased a few new items and old favorites! I thought I should share them...

(1) First up is my favorite toner, of pretty much all time. I always go back to Clinique toners I just feel like they get the job done. I use the #3 toner for combination to oily skin. I like how this toner is able to keep my oiliness at bay without completely drying out my skin! It is perfect for this time of year and is a repurchased item for me!

(2) Of course I couldn't forget my favorite Chanel eye makeup remover!! This stuff is Holy Grail, when I have the extra money. It is more expensive but worth every penny in my eyes, or should I say for my eyes? haha

(3) Next up is my current favorite day time moisturizer. This is my second repurchase and I am completely please with how this works on my skin. It keeps me matte as well as hydrated! I can speak much for the sun protection benefits because I typically don't burn in the winter. However, this summer I will put it till the test. I would reccomend this Murad Moisturizer to anyone who is looking for a day time moisturizer to mattify oily skin!!

(4) I was so impressed with my Murad moisturizer that I decided to giver their Post-Acne Spot Lightening Gel a try. I always pick at my acne, and of course that is a big "no,no", but needless to say I have to scaring and  hyper-pigmentation issues. So far I am not impressed with this. However, I must say that it is only because I think it is breaking my skin out. If you have tried this product or any similar I would love to know your thoughts!! I want to keep my skin looking good and get rid of acne scars, but at the same time I don't want to cause more!! HELLPP!!

(5) Last up, I wanted to try a new acne treatment so I picked up Eradikate in the check out line. It is the same concept as my Mario Badescu one I haven't recently used up. I must say so far I am not impressed with the either. I feel that this is also irritating my skin? I am wanting to go back to my Clinique Spot gel! Any thoughts?

I hope that you enjoyed this quick little haul/info session on my new and repurchased products! If you have tried any of these I would love to know your thoughts!

Have your tried any great skincare lately?

-Morgan

Sephora VIB Sale Haul!

Like any VIB member, or Beauty Insider, I could not resist attending the VIB Sale! & of course I did not leave empty handed... However my every day skincare necessities as well as foundation seemed to be empty all at one time! So most of my purchases were skincare items. 

Dior Addict Lip Glow $31

I had recently purchased the Dior Glow blush which I have completely fallen head over heals for! So I decided to give this baby a try and have so far been amazingly shocked at it's ability to give me the perfect lip shade! 

My lips BEFORE, very dry an nasty! ( Please excuse my scar!)

My lips AFTER! I could not get a before picture with a flash (angry face here). But you can see a difference. My lips are now obviously more moisturized as well as have a more pink cranberry color to them! & I am not lying when I say my lips match the inside of my mouth when wear this! It's true and kind of freaky!

Clinique All About Eyes $30

My Origins eye cream is a little heavy for day time at the moment, so I decided to give this Clinique one a try! I have heard many good reviews on it and it seems light wearing which is good for me during the daytime.

Makeup Forever Mat Velvet + Foundation $36

I was out of my most current favorite foundation and was is desperate need of picking up a new one! I decided to go a shade light to #15. I am interest to see if I like this for colder months as much as I do the Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation.

Clinique Acne Solutions Clearing Concealer #01 $17

If I am correct this product used to be in a stick for and/or they had a similar concept product that may have been discontinued. My first ever concealer was a concealer stick from Clinique that had acne fighting ingredients just like this one! This blemish hiding and fighting concealer contains salicylic acid to diminish blemishes while its color pigmentation hides them! I am hoping to be very pleased with this product.

Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Milk $2

My Makeup Forever foundation is SO long wearing it is almost nearly impossible to remove. I use the Chanel Eye makeup remover and decided to give this cleansing milk a go in hopes that it will remove my makeup with out breaking me out! Also, it will hopefully make the nightly skincare routine go a little smoother!

Clinique Wash-Away Gel Cleanser $19.50

Since I was going with the whole "Clinique" themed skincare haul I picked up a new cleanser! This one looked acne friendly and I really like the blue color! To me, it just screams CLEAN!

Ole Henriksen Sheer Transformation $45

This is my first ever purchase from Ole Henriksen and I am very curious as to how I will like it! I was looking for an oil free night time moisturizer (SPF free) and the sales associate at Sephora recommended this one to me! She informed me that it was oil free and should help with acne, or any kind of, scaring.

Swatch of the Makeup Forever Mat Velvet + Shade #15

Swatch of the Clinique Acne Solutions Clearing Concealer in shade #01

A comparison of the skincare items consistencies! 

I decided to pick up this 500 point reward. I don't know why but recently I have been so obsessed with Dior!

The set came with a small size of the Dior Addict Eau de Toilette.

As well as a bracelet/necklace 

and a

small sized Dior Addict Lipstick in #578 which is pictured above!

Check out all of the Beauty Insider rewards at Sephora.com

I hope that you found this post helpful in some way! Please feel free to let me know if you would like a further in depth review of any of these products or if you have any questions!!

Thank you so much for stopping by!

xoxo,

Morgan

What did you get at the Sephora VIB Sale?

** No links are affiliate. I purchased all items with my own money!** 

Kate Somerville Skincare Review

As you may know, throughout the past month or so, I have been on a mission to find the best skincare out there. Ok, maybe that's a little to much to ask for... Or maybe not? I just want my skin to look flawless. At this point, it's not quite there, but it seems to be getting closer and closer. My newest obsession other than taking better care of my skin and getting a good skincare regimen has been Kate Somerville skincare. After talking about it on my youtube channel a few times I received many request about doing a review on my products. While I could have put it into a video, I thought that I would first write a blogpost on the items I have!

Kate Somerville Oil Free Moisturizer $65

The Oil Free Moisturizer was my first purchase from the Kate Somerville skincare line. After only a few uses I could already tell that I wanted to try more things from this line. This non greasy formula soaks into the skin quickly leaving the skin very hydrated. My favorite part about this moisturizer is the it is oil free. Sometimes oil free formulas are often greasy or have a funky smell which can both be a turn off. This moisturizer however has no funky smell and is hydrating yet not too heavy or thick. I use this during both daytime and at night. It does not have SPF so it can be used at night also, however I do recommend that you pair it with SPF for daytime! After the application of this product, my skin is left feeling refreshed, balanced and velvety soft!

Kate Somerville Gentle Daily Wash $32

While browsing Sephora for more Kate Somerville products, I was assisted by literally the best sale associate ever! She was so nice and very helpful! I informed her that I was looking for a cleanser from Kate Somerville and I described to her my skin type. She directed me to the Kate Somerville Gentle Daily Wash cleanser. I was confused at first because I thought for sure that I needed the acne or oil free wash. But after using this one, I am so glad she pointed me to this one. This sulfate free cleanser is so gentle on my skin! Even though it is not "oil free," it leaves my skin feeling refreshed and free of bacteria and makeup. I use this cleanser twice daily and love it! Since it is sulfate free it does not get very sudsy but it does clean my skin very well. It is also not very thick and has a nice consistency. This product has a yellowish tint and an herbal smell.

Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Acne treatment $65

The last item and probably my favorite by far is the Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Acne treatment. I have heard so much hype about the original ExfoliKate that I had to give this one a go. I must say, if the original is anything close to this one that it definitely deserves all of the hype! I fell in love with this product after my first use! This is an acne haters best friend. I was quite hesitant on purchasing this product due to the cost. I thought it was a bit steep for such a small amount. But after using it, I realize that you only need a little product for each use. A little really goes a long way. I like this exfoliant because it is not rough on my skin like many exfoliants are. They can sometimes be more harm than help. This one is much different than those. It uses small beads ( you many not be able to see in the picture above) to gently exfoliate the skin. I rub circular motions all over my face for about a minute or so, then let it sit on my face for another minute. Now is when my favorite part comes in! When you allow this to sit on your face the herbal/minty scent really tingles your face leaving the skin feeling cool, refreshed, renewed and replenished! I follow up with my moisturizer and my skin feels brand new! This treatment contains 0.5% Salicylic Acid which isn't nearly as harsh as the St. Ives Scrub I have that has 2%! I think that over time this treatment helps to even out the skin and leave it looking fresh and glowing!

I hope that you found this post helpful in deciding on the Kate Somerville Skincare line. Although I have not tried every product, I can say without hesitation that I have not been the least bit disappointed in the items I have purchased! I think that the products are gentle and effective which is exactly what I am looking for!

What are your favorite Kate Somerville Skincare products?! Please let me know in a comment so I can try more!


xoxo,

Morgan

My Favorite: All Time go-to Cleanser, Cetaphil

Happy Hump Day! I hope you are all having a good week so far. I am so glad that the sun has finally came out where I live. I has been so cloudy and rainy, and that is just down right depressing. Today I am going to be talking about my second “My Favorite” products and we are going to be discussing skincare. 

So let’s get to talking...

My obsession with the cleanser started back when I first started getting bad acne. I went to see a dermatologist and they told me to try using the Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser. So I did. I never really thought too much about it, I was just like O.K. they want me to use it, so I will. That’s what I did. Finally after my like tenth bottle, I realized that I must actually like it. There are many things about this cleanser that I like, but my overall favorite thing is it’s simplicity.

I use the cleanser for normal to oily skin. I would say that my skin is probably less oily than it used to be, because I take acne medicine now, but I still have my fair share of grease. Ewww. It’s not fun to have pools of oil sitting on your face, it just makes you feel oily. But honestly, I think this cleanser can work for everyone. I believe they have a version for normal to dry skin, which is probably awesome too! 

The bottle claims that it “Removes excess oil without drying” which I agree with. It is able to clean your skin and remove dirt without causing irritation or drying. I am kind of odd, maybe not, when it comes to a facial cleanser. It must be because I have always had really oily skin, but when I wash my face I want it to feel CLEAN. I like it to feel tingly, sparkly, clean. This was the first cleanser that I found that didn’t feel like it stripped my skin of essential oils, but still gave em the satisfaction of sparkly clean. It doesn’t have a strong scent, although the little bit it has I don’t care for. It is a clear gel/soap that cleans my skin perfectly.

When I first saw a dermatologist they gave me this creme that made my skin burn and peel, it was awful. When I would wash my face, it had become so sensitive I couldn’t even use a wash cloth to rinse of the cleanser. It hurt so bad I would cry and cry. But it’s crazy because the cleanser didn’t burn at all.

I have owned many bottles of this cleanser and will continue to buy it. I love how gentle it is but that it is still effective. You only need a little bit and it will last forever, plus it’s cheap! I have friends who claim that only Cetaphil lotions and cremes will solve their dry skin.

I apologize for rambling so much, but I felt that I was important to share all of my experience with this cleanser with you to give a full review.

Overall this cleanser IS:

Gentle 
Effective for removing oil
Inexpensive
Non-comedogenic
Non-irritating
Dermatologist reccomended
My all time go-to cleanser!

I hope that you were able to stick through this long post! I also hope that you found this helpful. If so, please be sure to share it with someone! Thank you all for stopping by!

Be sure to check out my first post in this series here on my favorite mascara.

XOXO,

Morgan

First (Lush) Haul of 2013 :)

This past Friday I went to my NEW Lush Store for the first time! I have never been to an actual store before and I must say, I was very overwhelmed! The store was actually quite small and there were tons of people in products there also. I wanted to show you all what I purchased. They are all new "to me", meaning I haven't tried any of these products before. If you have tried them, I would LOVE to know your opinion and review on the products!! Also for a first impression and more info be sure to check out my youtube video linked below!
(video will be up later today!)

 #1 Honey I Washed the Kids (soap)

(price varies according to amount purchased!)

#2 Sunny Side (bubble bar) $7.25

#3 Dragon's Egg (bath bomb) $6.25

#4 Bubblegum (lip scrub) $9.95

#5 Cupcake (fresh face mask) $6.95

That was all I purchased I am super excited to try everything! I believe I forgot to mention in the video that the Cupcake face mask does expire, it is made of "fresh" ingredients.

What are your favorite Lush products? I would love to know!

Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo, 

Morgan

Chanel Collection♥ What I would and would not repurchase!

I realized after watching my September Favorites Video, that I have recently collected quite a few Chanel cosmetic products. I thought it would be a good idea to do a review of each product and share whether I would repurchase each product or not. Be Sure to check out my video to get the full review of each product!

Skincare:

Lotion Purete
Fresh Mattifying Toner

Lait Confort
Creamy Cleansing Milk

Gel Purete
Rinse-off Foaming Gel Cleanser

Hydra Beauty Gel Creme

Swatches

Double Perfection Natural Matte Powder Makeup
90 Creme Beige

Left: Ombres Contraste Duo #37 Sable - Emouvant
Right: Ombre Essentielle #88 Vert Khaki

Swatches

Immitable Intense Mascara
#10 Black

Liquid Eyeliner (black)

Rouge Allure Extrait De Gloss
#56 Imaginaire

Chance Eau De Toilette

Be sure to check you my Chanel Collection Video where I give a review of each product I own.

Leave me a comment of your favorite Chanel products below:)

Thanks!

xoxo

Morgan