All posts filed under: Reviews

To the Rescue?

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I purchased the bareMinerals Complexion Rescue because I was picking up something for my sister, and I needed a lightweight base that had SPF. My favored Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint is pretty much perfect for me for daily use, except for its lack of SPF. The bareMinerals Complexion Rescue is a “tinted hydrating gel cream” with non-chemical Broad Spectrum SPF 30. It is also formulated without oil, silicone, parabens or fragrance. I got the shade “Natural 05,” which I guesstimated from a shade finder they had on the bareMinerals website. Natural 05 is “for medium skin with neutral tones” and according to Shelbey, is similar to “Medium Beige” in the Original foundation, which is what I wear. As you can probably see from the photo, “gel cream” is a pretty accurate descriptor for the texture. It’s not really my favorite, because it still feels heavy when I apply it, even if the coverage isn’t necessarily so. bareMinerals claims that this is “the best of a BB, a CC, and a tinted moisturizer” and provides a …

A(nother) Bunch of ColourPop Stuff

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I think this is my last ColourPop update for now. I don’t really know what possessed me to try the blush and highlighters from the range… but here we are. I also picked up a stray eyeshadow and lipstick, which I figured I could just fit on over here instead of making a whole other separate post. I guess I’ll start with the Lippie Stix and the Super Shock Shadow, since they’re both items that I’ve previously tried in a different shade. Lippie Stix in Tootsi Tootsi is a “cool-toned grey beige (“greige”) in a matte finish” and is pretty similar to one of the the Ultra Matte Lips I bought called Trap. I don’t really know what to say about this—I like the matte lipsticks by ColourPop, though I maintain that they are not “true” mattes. In any case, I’ve been having fun with this shade, true matte or no. Super Shock Shadow in Central Perk I believe Central Perk was part of their fall collection. It’s a “dirty maroon in a matte finish,” …

Give Me Lip: A Melt Cosmetics Lipstick Review

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I’d been looking at Melt Cosmetics for a while now, especially after they released their eyeshadow stacks, a very celebrated product that I felt like I currently had no room for, considering my already overgrown makeup collection. Melt Cosmetics’ lipsticks, however, were always some of the favored mattes by true blue makeup fans. Around Black Friday, Melt Cosmetics had a 30% off sale, and I snagged a code from someone I followed on Tumblr, who was kind enough to share tips re: application and who also let me know which shades he favored. Luckily, I had picked 3 of his 4 favorites! Swatched, L-R: Laced, Catsuit, Space Cake Laced Laced is part of Melt Cosmetics’ Nood Collection, and is a greige-y type of color. It’s often compared to Lime Crime’s Cashmere, which I love the look of but refuse to buy. After looking at swatches, I don’t think they’re all that similar, but I do think Laced is a beautiful color regardless. Unfortunately, my tube of Laced arrived damaged. Melt Cosmetics has a decent return …

Sulfate-Free Shampoo

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I know it’s not the most exciting topic, but I think I’ve spoken about scalp problems before, and to be honest, the only thing that really helped me get rid of them were sulfate-free shampoos. I used to not really pay much attention to hair products, as long as I liked how they smelled, but when I started getting really itchy build-up with worrisome patches of dry, flaky skin, I started to take notice. My first step was to ditch conditioner, just to eliminate the number of products (and therefore, lessen the build-up) I used in my hair. My hair suffered a little, but my main concern was really to get rid of my scalp issues. My next step was to go more natural and pay attention to ingredients. I chose to eliminate SLS or sodium lauryl sulfate, as it’s a common ingredient that has been known to cause some problems for a lot of people. As it turns out, seeking out sulfate-free shampoos was the right step for me. Although I still have occasional …

Coming Out of the Woodwork (plus, a giveaway)

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Before I discovered rings and lapel pins, my main accessories of choice were necklaces and some kind of wristwatch. I love how watches look, especially if they’re either a touch masculine or somewhat minimal. I’ve mainly been wearing a simple watch with a white face, tortoiseshell frame and leather strap from AÃRK Collective for the past few months, but I received a cute watch from JORD a few months ago. JORD creates unique wood watches, with sustainability, efficiency, and experiential living in mind. Their website is pretty cool, too, where they share a lot of information about their watches, in case you’d like to get into the nitty gritty of the types of wood, movements, and glass they use to craft their watches. I currently have the JORD Ely in Green Sandalwood and Maple* which was named after a bunch of historic brick buildings in St. Louis called the Ely Walker Warehouse. I love the sort of patina-toned stain on my wood watch, although of course it’s not a stain, but a natural coloring. It’s …

Scrub the Day Away

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I don’t remember the last time I’ve exclusively used bath soap, favoring shower gels and meshy bath sponges in the last couple of years. As such, I have an extensive array of shower gels (another story for another day). Washing away grime doesn’t feel quite complete without a little bit of exfoliation, either. I received the Keekai Charcoal Sponge* in the mail a few weeks ago. I thought it would replace my regular mesh bath sponge, but it doesn’t give the same kind of cleansing grit that I like, so I use it after my normal/regular cleansing. If you don’t like too-rough exfoliation, this might be perfect for you. The charcoal sponge can be used alone or with your cleanser, as it’s a little hard to completely rinse away the cleanser from the sponge. It’s gentle enough to use for the face, too (though I haven’t used it back on my face after using it on my body). The charcoal sponge is great to massage the skin to stimulate blood flow. (Activated) charcoal is also …

Gone Forever: ColourPop Fetch, Please!

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As you have probably surmised from the number of items on this post, I’ve failed my 12-item purchase limit for 2015. Now, I pretty much cut it down to 80% of what I probably would’ve bought had I not imposed my limit, so I’m not too bothered by it. Anyway, the title of this series is “Gone Forever” which basically means that I’ve decided to be an asshat and post about items that are… gone forever. The item in question for this post is ColourPop Fetch, Please! which is one of their earliest collections, a collaboration with actress Isabelle Fuhrman. It’s nowhere to be found on their website, but here’s an interview about the collection. Fetch, Please! is comprised of 6 items: 2 split-pan pots (one’s pressed pigments, the other’s regular eyeshadow), a Super Shock Shadow, and 3 matte Lippie Stix (this name needs to die). To be honest, I bought this set just because it was on sale and I was buying a thing—more on this later—and wanted to save on shipping. I’ve already …