Review: Freeman Charcoal & Black Sugar Facial Polishing Mask

Hi there! Hope you're having a relaxing weekend.

For anyone looking to have a lazy Sunday... boy, do I have a recommendation for you.

I tried out another Freeman product: Charcoal & Black Sugar Facial Polishing Mask ($3.99). It was 2 for $7 at CVS.

WOW. WOWOWOW. When I rinsed this off with warm water, my skin felt BABY SOFT. No lie!

My face hasn't felt this nice from a beauty purchase in... forever? I don't even know.

I wanted to initially try the Michael Todd True Organics Jojoba Charcoal Scrub because of the great benefits of charcoal, but it's $18.50 and sold only online. Freeman just seemed like the better/most convenient choice; plus it has great reviews, too.

Well let me tell ya... based on my first try, this stuff is AMAZING! I seriously can't stop using ALL CAPS to describe this mask.

HOW IT WORKS

This is a very interesting product. It's a mask and scrub in one. It feels like a normal sugar scrub but it's BLACK, which makes it unlike any other I've tried. (I know it looks pretty gross in the photo.)

Freeman claims that this mask "works double time to detox skin."

I used my fingers to apply the mask all over my clean face. Heads up: Watch for some product falling off your face since it's not the easiest to apply.

I waited 5 minutes from the time I started putting on the mask. You can feel the mask warming up from the charcoal, which is supposed to absorb oil and impurities.

Then I gently (ever so gently) massaged the mask all over my face, of course avoiding my eyes and mouth. I didn't put pressure on my skin at all. I just moved the product around for 2 minutes.

The black sugar (yes, it's a thing!) helps exfoliate and didn't feel too harsh on my very sensitive skin. Plus this mask has a nice clean scent.

Then I rinsed it off with warm water, and my skin felt very hydrated and amazing! I quickly cleansed my face again with a very mild cleanser to make sure everything came off.

THE RESULTS

Applying toner and moisturizer after all of this felt like a dream!

Just like when I use the Freeman Clay Mask Mint & Lemon, my skin looked calm -- no redness. And there was a glow.

The next day, my foundation applied really well, and my skin felt/looked hydrated and fresh.

For just $4, you seriously cannot go wrong with this. This is good for ALL skin types!

So now I plan to use this scrub/mask toward the end of the week and the Mint & Lemon mask on "Mask Mondays" :) I love Freeman! Great quality and so inexpensive!

Hope you can give it a go if you haven't already. Let me know if you'd try it. Have a great day!

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Review + swatch: China Glaze First Mate - Fall 2013 nail polish pick #4

Hello lovelies! I finally have Round 4 of my Fall 2013 Nail Polish Picks on this beautiful Sunday. (I'll link my other picks at the bottom.)

First Mate from China Glaze is a gorgeous mid-toned navy with gray undertones. I've been looking for this kind of polish for a while, and I ended up getting it at Sally's Beauty Supply for $6.99 (slightly better deal than ULTA's $7.50).

This polish is actually from the China Glaze Anchors Away Collection, which I believe was for Spring 2011. But to me, navy is a great pick for the colder months. And none of the China Glaze Fall 2013 Collection stood out to me.

I think First Mate is a very sophisticated way to rock dark polish in the fall.

It also shot up toward the top of my list of favorite polishes because of the way it applied!

It's a cream, no sparkle and opaque in just ONE coat! Yes, just one. Not streaky at all -- just perfection.

I then topped it off with my newly restored Seche Vite. (I posted about using nail polish thinner in my Saturday blog, if you want to check that out.)

After giving it 5 out of 5 stars, I highly recommend First Mate!

What polish are you rocking right now? Let me know in the comments :) Hope you enjoy your day!

Fall pick #1 | Fall pick #2 | Fall pick #3

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Review + swatches: Urban Decay Vice 2 eyeshadow palette

Happy weekend!! Hope you all had a great week.

To celebrate a weekend of relaxing (and playing with makeup apparently), I picked up the limited edition Urban Decay Vice 2 eyeshadow palette ($59) at ULTA.

After eyeing it for weeks, I just gave in.

Although this palette is a tad pricier than the Urban Decay Naked palettes ($52), I felt it was justified when I swatched the shadows in store! Wow. More on that in a bit.

Plus the Vice 2 comes with 20 shadows vs. 12 in the Naked palettes.

Anyway, can we just quickly mention... This. Packaging.

It's so pretty and STURDY. So basically, it's PURDY.

Purples have been screaming my name lately (must be a fall thing), so this packaging, of course, made it all the more appealing.

You push the button pictured (that says Urban Decay), and the palette slowly opens. It might as well have a light shining down on it. It's THAT beautiful.

Now onto the shadows themselves.

Ahhhhh... divine.

This palette comes with 20 exclusive shades. It does come with 8 more shadows than the Naked palettes, but they are 0.03 oz compared to the 0.05 oz of Naked.

But for now, I'm OK with that.

I swatched 10 shadows on my left arm at a time. They are buttery and some are EXTREMELY pigmented. Others not as much. But I'm LOVING them overall.

Out of all the shadows, I'd have to agree with other reviews about Lovesick NOT swatching well. As you can see in the photo below, it just doesn't look that great. Dry and patchy.

Everything else in the first 10 shadows are amazing, especially the metallics on the far right. That silver, though I don't know what to do with it yet, is SO pigmented.

As you see (or NOT see) in the 2nd half, Habit is invisible... or so it seems. It's a light nude matte, pretty much like Naked in the Naked Palette, so it just completely blended into my skin.

The shimmery shadows like Stash, Betrayal and Ambush are especially pigmented and gorgeous.

Here's a full description of each shadow based on the Urban Decay website:

First half
--Smokeout (dark taupey-black satin)
--Prank (deep navy matte with turquoise floating pearl)
--Radar (metallic brown shimmer with iridescent micro-glitter)
--Dope (warm champagne satin)
--Lovesick (black matte with iridescent micro-glitter)
--Madness (bright metallic blue shimmer with blue micro-glitter)
--Damaged (bright metallic emerald shimmer)
--Toxic (metallic copper-pink shimmer with tonal micro-glitter)
--Shellshock (bright metallic silver)
--Strike (antique gold shimmer with silver micro-glitter)

Second half
--Voodoo (metallic purple shimmer with iridescent purple micro-glitter)
--Habit (light nude matte)
--Coax (medium metallic pink with golden iridescent micro-sparkle)
--Stash (deep olive green shimmer with iridescent micro-sparkle)
--Betrayal (bright purple satin with blue shift)
--Ambush (metallic brown satin)
--X-Rated (baby pink satin)
--Poison (charcoal satin with iridescent micro-sparkle)
--Derailed (medium metallic taupey-brown shimmer)
--Rewind (medium brown matte)

The palette also comes with a dual-ended shadow brush and BIG mirror that takes up the whole top half of the case.

If you were on the fence about getting this palette, I hope this review was somewhat helpful! And if you didn't even consider it before, it may be a good investment to consider!

Seriously, I'm seeing this palette taking me far with so many different looks. Can't wait to play.

Thanks for reading!

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Review: Freeman Facial Clay Mask Mint & Lemon

Hi there! Happy Monday/almost Tuesday.

I'll be honest -- I felt quite tired today; anyone else?

Hate when that happens even after a weekend! And since I felt like doing nothing after work but put on a face mask and relax... I decided to do a little research.

I don't use masks often or a scrub, for that matter, like I used to. Just when I get facials every two months. (Boy, has this turned my skin around!)

At home, I use a Glycolic Acid moisturizer at night and figured that's more than my sensitive skin can handle.

BUT... today, I really wanted a pick-me-up.

On MakeupAlley.com, one mask that stood out for me was the Freeman Facial Clay Mask Mint & Lemon.

RAVE reviews!

I had purchased another Freeman mask earlier this year (Facial Revealing Peel-Off Mask Pomegranate), so I felt comfortable trying out the Mint & Lemon version.

Oh my goodness, more than the peel-off mask (which I liked but was hard to peel), I think this CLAY mask is what my skin has been needing!

It makes sense -- I should've known. I have extremely oily skin that's prone to breakouts. That's exactly what this mask targets.

I love the consistency of the mask. I applied an even layer (not too much) all over my face and left it on for 20 minutes. It smells nice and not overly minty.

It dried nicely (to the point I couldn't move my face whatsoever) and I rinsed it off with warm water. I then washed my face with my usual cleanser and followed that up with a toner and moisturizer.

My skin looked GREAT! No redness and very even. My face was clean, calm and soft. I don't know how much tighter my pores really look after one use, but hopefully this mask will help over time.

So I gotta say... if this mask continues to deliver without giving me problems (who knows? Breakouts or something), this could become my holy grail mask.

The only down side is the parabens, so this isn't a perfect mask. But it otherwise delivers!

Plus it was BOGO FREE at ULTA today. This is perfect because I have a feeling I'll be using it all.

They are BIG tubes, too -- 6 fl. oz. for $4 (actually, $2 each with the sale). $4 is already a great deal, but $2?! AMAZING.

In the reviews, I also read some people use this mask as a spot treatment. I will have to try that out.

Later on, I'll try to come back and add an update to this post to see if I still like it.

If you have oily skin like me, please check this out! And let me know in the comments what masks you recommend.

I may make this a Monday ritual, so Mondays don't seem so bad. Mask Mondays! Who's with me?

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RiRi Hearts MAC review: RiRi Woo lipstick + lip pencil photos

Hi there! Today was the first day the RiRi Hearts MAC fall collection became available at all counters, so I went straight to Nordstrom after work.

I had a feeling I only wanted RiRi Woo lipstick ($16.50) because I didn't get it the first time she had it.

Plus, I wish the line was more fall-themed. They re-promoted several items, based on what I've heard, read and seen.

The eyeshadow quads also seemed quite ordinary and not worth the $44!

So back to RiRi Woo... definitely in love right now.

I haven't worn it out, so I can't say how long it wears, but the product itself is gorgeous.

One of the MAC girls convinced me to also get the RiRi Woo Pro Longwear lip pencil ($21.50) at the last minute. Such a good saleswoman...

I first lined my lips and filled them in with the lip pencil. This felt very creamy and easy to apply.

Then I put on the lipstick, right from the bullet.

This is a Retro Matte finish, which I've never tried before, but it felt just fine! Not too dry. I applied lip balm beforehand like usual.

Since I wanted to get a red lipstick from MAC anyway, why not get one in the amazing rose gold packaging, right? Such a great decision.

I highly recommend this combo.

Have you purchased anything from the RiRi Hearts MAC fall collection? Let me know in the comments!

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September Favorites 2013

Happy October - the start of my 3 favorite months of the year!

Now if we can just get past the 90-degree weather and onto the 70s in Phoenix, it would really feel like fall.

September was a pretty successful month for trying new things. I conveniently have 9 favorites for the 9th month of the year.

They cover quite a few categories, so here we go~

SKINCARE:

• Epionce Lytic Gel Cleanser ($36): I bought this from my esthetician after my bi-monthly facial. She used it on me right at the beginning, which felt so nice. It has menthol, so you get a minty feeling on your skin. I'm not usually a fan of that for my face, but this one is gentle enough. This brand's products have great online reviews; this is my first purchase. The website says the cleanser is "formulated to actively remove oils, dead skin cells and help eliminate harmful microbes, while relieving inflammation and smoothing the skin." It's ideal for oily/problem skin - right up my alley. I use this at night, and it instantly removes makeup. As soon as it hits my skin, my foundation falls right off. Love, love, love.
• Trader Joe's Nourish All-In-One Facial Cleanser ($5.99): I'm still adoring this cleanser! I blogged about it at the beginning of September, only a week into using it. Since it was early, I was hoping it would continue to impress me. So far, it has yet to let me down! I use this one in the morning. Read my blog post about it for more information.

HAIRCARE: 

• Batiste Dry Shampoo ($7.99): "YouTube made me buy it," is basically all I can say. So many YouTubers rave about this, and I finally gave in and picked it up at ULTA. I love it!! Well, obviously, since it's in my monthly favorites. I've been using the Oscar Blandi powder formula dry shampoo, which I still like using, but Batiste definitely gives me the volume I want. Dry shampoo has been my savior. I wash my hair every other day, and my Day 2 hair looks and feels amazing, if I do say so myself.

MAKEUP: 

• DiorSkin Forever Fluid Flawless Perfection Fusion Wear Makeup SPF 25 ($47): What a name! So could it be? Did I find my holy grail foundation? This stuff doesn't cover EVERYthing (medium coverage), but I've been loving it as a lightweight go-to foundation for everyday wear. A lot lighter than Estee Lauder Double Wear but a bit more coverage than the Garnier BB cream that I've been loving. It also smells really good. I'm not used to that, but I'll take it. I buff this in with my Real Techniques Buffing Brush, and it blends so well into my skin. I use shade 20, Light Beige. The packaging is also beautiful, which always helps :)
• Physician's Formula Mineral Wear Bronzer ($12.79): This is an awesome bronzer for contouring. Ever since I bought it, I've been using it every time I wear makeup. It never turns orange on my skin. By the way, I believe the shade I use is called "Bronzer" so that made things confusing for blogging. It's a bit pricey for a drugstore bronzer, but I think it's worth the money. I've been using it daily, yet you can't even tell in the photo!
• Milani Baked Blush in Rose D'Oro ($8.99): Can't believe it took me so long to discover this one! I purchased 4 baked blushes from Milani a few months ago, and I was more drawn to the other 3 shades: Luminoso, Dolce Pink and Corallina. For some reason, it took me a while to get to Rose D'Oro, but I think the saying goes... I saved the best for last! Seriously! I've been extremely drawn to rose gold ANYTHING recently, so this works out wonderfully. This is a beautiful rose gold blush that is very pigmented. Gahhh! Can't say enough good things.

RANDOM:

• Furla Glasses ($150-ish?): For the first time EVER, I now wear prescription glasses. I'm slightly near-sighted and need them for driving, watching TV, etc. I went to Costco for an eye exam because I've been having issues with extremely red eyes. Turns out they are super dried out and scratched up ***reaches for eye drops*** so I was told to get Refresh eye drops at the drugstore and... yeah, I also need glasses. Oh, OK! I was actually pretty excited because since I was little, I thought wearing glasses was so cool. I luckily found the perfect frames that fit my face just right AND were adorable. Pink bows on the side? So me! I get compliments quite often from strangers, which I really appreciate. It's not even like they're complimenting me because they're actually new and I've never worn glasses before. Strangers don't know that! So I know these were sure winners :)

• Soy-Blend Large Jar Candle in Heritage Pumpkin at Target ($10): I think I just converted. If you love pumpkin, this candle may be your new best friend. If the other candles in this line are THIS good, I'm no longer buying candles from Bath and Body Works. And that's saying a lot! It's currently burning near me as I type, and it just smells SO YUMMY. Since I loved this so much, my boyfriend and I picked up several others at Target, including one called Red Velvet. A Target.com review on the Red Velvet candle pretty much sums it up: "Love it, I want to smash it into my mouth is smells so good." That's a good sign! I haven't burned the others yet, so I cannot wait. Go, go, go. Pick this up right now. Heritage Pumpkin is limited edition.

• Vanity Girl Hollywood Broadway Vanity Mirror ($399): Ahhh, yes. My beautiful new vanity mirror. This was such a great online shopping experience! I bought this on the website and it showed up at my apartment less than a week later, I believe. It was VERY stressful figuring out which table to put this on and then actually assembling that (cough, IKEA, cough), but otherwise, this vanity mirror has been fantastic. I know the price seems very steep for a mirror, BUT this is top notch and makes my life so much more convenient. Stress-free living is priceless at times. I wanted a place where I can put on makeup with good lighting and have all my products right next to me. My boyfriend was amazing with helping me rearrange things, and now my setup is looking pretty good! I wanted to blog about this, so this worked out well.

This concludes my September Favorites post. Rather long, but I wanted to explain each thing well. More to come!

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Sunday Pinks: Lipstick photos + swatches

Baby pink lipsticks are a staple in my makeup bag.

They're quick, easy and flattering on almost anyone, if not everyone.

Since Sunday is a perfect day to kick back, have brunch and feel pretty... thought I'd swatch three of my favorite baby pink lippies of the moment.

And even if you're working today, these are perfect for the workplace.

They're subtle pinks that won't look garish. And you can definitely pair these with a natural makeup look, as well as a dramatic smokey eye. Gotta love versatile products!

I picked out (from left to right) MAC's Creme Cup, Revlon's Primrose and Rimmel's Pink Blush for this Sunday.

Why I love...

• MAC Cremesheen in Creme Cup ($15): I mentioned this in my August Favorites blog post because I reach for it quite often. This is the nude-pink out of the three, very similar to MAC's Angel but warmer and (obviously) creamier, in the way it feels and looks. It has a nice sheen to it. It doesn't accentuate dry parts of my lips, which I appreciate a TON because my lips are constantly dry. I wear a clear lip balm underneath, as I do with all my lipsticks. It lasts about three hours on my lips, I'd say, before reapplying. It's not great, but it's not that bad for me either. I never mind reapplying lip products. 

• Revlon Super Lustrous in Primrose ($5): This is probably one of my absolute favorite lipsticks of all time. I fell in love with it a couple years ago, and I've been raving about it since. Primrose is unique in the sense that it's a baby pink, but (maybe because of its blue-ish undertones) it really POPS. It just brightens up my look and makes me feel glam, but in a pretty/classy way. For a glossy look, I like pairing this with Revlon Colorburst Lip Gloss in Crystal Lilac. (Note: I'm NW20)

• Rimmel Lasting Finish in Pink Blush ($5): For sure, this is one that doesn't get nearly enough love from me but I still love it so much. This blog post is inspiring me to wear it today, actually. It's a beautiful lippie that goes on creamy, feels creamy and doesn't accentuate dryness on my lips. It looks pretty bright in the photo above, but I don't find it to be that way on my lips. I think it definitely brightens up my look but NOT in an overbearing way. I'd say it was more of a bubblegum pink than the other two lipsticks, yet subtle enough for everyday wear.

For more beauty and lifestyle posts, please subscribe or "follow by email" on the top right hand corner of the page. I'm also on Instagram @erisaxo. Happy Sunday!

August Favorites 2013

Two posts in a day is definitely unheard of for me, but I'm glad I got to stay in on Labor Day and catch up.

I thought I'd start posting my favorite products of the month. And since we're already a couple days into September, figured I should hurry.

To ease into this, I don't have many products. But these are all items I highly recommend, so I want to explain them a bit. Mini reviews, basically. So the post may end up rather long.

There are some other products (mainly for my skin) that I've been loving, but I want to wait a little longer so I know I truly adore them. Sometimes, my skin doesn't show signs of breakouts or clogging until a few weeks in, so if these products continue to be great, they will most likely show up in my September Favorites.

Here are my favorites for the last month:

--Aveeno Positively Nourishing Antioxidant Infused Body Wash with White Peach and Ginger ($6.99): Wow, what a mouthful. This body wash smells so good! I've been on a huge "peach" kick for a long time now, so I'm a sucker for anything that smells like it. My usual go-to body wash is also Aveeno, so this isn't much of a surprise, but I think this is a great spring and summer product. For winter, I'll probably switch back to my usual Aveeno Skin Relief Body Wash, which is great for those of you with sensitive skin like mine!

--L'Occitane Aromachologie Soothing Shampoo ($30): This one should actually have a blog post of its own because it's that good, but I guess I'll just have to deal with putting it in my monthly favorites :) I've been looking for something to help my sensitive scalp. I never thought about my scalp too much, but it had been getting itchy lately. And it makes sense that my scalp would be sensitive since my face and the rest of my body is definitely that way. Before this shampoo, my HG product was TIGI Bed Head Urban Antidotes Level 2. That stuff makes my hair feel AMAZING. And it's still great, but lately, my scalp needed some extra lovin'. So this shampoo, with five essential oils, has been what my scalp needed! And it's treating my hair very well, too. Since I have extremely oily skin, I've always avoided oils of any kind in my products, but now I'm learning that some essential oils are ESSENTIAL for a reason. This is my new HG shampoo. It's pricey, for sure, but so worth it. And I still use the Bed Head conditioner!

--Victoria's Secret Pure Seduction Fragrance Mist ($12 but on sale often): Smells so good! What more can I say? My boyfriend loves it as well. Plus, I just found a Bath and Body Works Wallflower that smells just like it: Heirloom Pear.

--Too Faced Pretty Rebel Beauty Eye Shadow Palette ($46): These shadows are buttery! I don't have to worry about any fallout with this palette, and the shadows have great pigmentation. This is my first Too Faced purchase, and I'm excited to try more. This is a limited edition palette, I believe, so get it while you can. I may end up swatching the shadows in a future post.

--MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in Creme Cup ($15): My favorite MAC baby pink lipstick for years has been Angel, but Creme Cup has taken over. This is a beautiful, everyday shade for me. My lips are very pigmented, so I tend to lean more toward these sort of shades to mute the color of my lips a bit. And I love the Cremesheen line.

--Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bold Gold ($5.94 at Target): I love Color Tattoos. I have them in Barely Branded, Bad to the Bronze, Inked in Pink and my current love... Bold Gold. This one goes well as a primer for me, under shadows like Urban Decay's Half Baked. It just brightens up my eyes really well and it's not too glittery.

--Milani Coming Up Roses Blush in Romantic Rose (about $8 at CVS): This Coming Up Roses line is limited edition, so I don't know if they're still in stores, but I was able to snag all four shades at the end of July. The packaging is just stunning. Surprisingly, my favorite one ended up being the one I almost didn't get because I thought it looked too dark for me. It's very pigmented and matte. I couldn't find a good website to link to, so it must be hard to find these at this point.

--Milani Baked Blush in Dolce Pink ($7.99): This is a Milani blush that's NOT limited edition, so I highly recommend these! I have them in four shades: Luminoso, Rose D'oro, Corallina and Dolce Pink. They're all amazing, but I've been loving Dolce Pink lately. It's such a pretty, girly pink. These are very shimmery, so a little goes a long way. They double up as a highlight that way, so I avoid additional highlighting products when wearing this blush.

--Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Caramel ($21): Wow wow wow. Love this! After hearing Holly Ann-AeRee talk about this in her YouTube videos, I decided to try it out. I've been having love/hate relationships with brow products lately, so I needed something new. I'm so glad I got this and went with the Caramel shade, which is what Holly uses. I realized that I've been using brow products that are too dark for me. Since my hair is naturally black/very dark brown, I figured I'd go with similar colored brow products, but now I know to go with lighter shades like Caramel and it makes a huge difference. Plus, the Brow Wiz pencil is so easy to use. It looks so much more natural than powder, in my opinion. I never would've thought!

So that's the end of my August Favorites. More posts soon!

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Garnier BB Cream for combination to oily: Review + photos

The day has finally come: I tried BB cream.

Yes, it seriously took me this long. I didn't feel like I needed it, and quite honestly, I still don't. (Do we all really *need* BB cream?) Anyway, I just really wanted to try it.

I used to use Aveeno tinted moisturizer on days I didn't want full coverage, and I liked it a lot. However, once I ran out this last time a few months ago... I didn't feel the urge to repurchase it. Although I had repurchased it twice before.
Instead, I've been combining my Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation with a little moisturizer to lighten it up.

Then I thought... there has to be something more convenient but with a bit more coverage than the Aveeno tinted moisturizer.

So after reading that the Garnier BB cream for combination to oily skin is MUCH better than the original formula, I figured I should finally try it. It was $11.99 at Walmart.

I have to say... success! At least so far. I did the usual deed with a dusting of powder, some bronzer and blush on top. And my skin looked like it had just as much coverage as when I use my Double Wear foundation mixed with some moisturizer (which is still pretty much medium coverage). It looked great!

When applying, it is extremely watery (heads up: I'm storing the tube upside down in my basket of products to prevent it from building up in the cap). I quickly got some on my hand, dotted it around my face, and then blended it in with the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. It felt really light on the skin but with very good coverage. The light/medium shade matched me perfectly.

And overall, I have very oily skin. As in, I blot every couple hours. But with this BB cream... it felt like I didn't need to as much. Noooo way.

That never happens. Seriously.

I've had "holy grail" success with Garnier before, when they had a detoxifying gel facial cleanser that was discontinued several years ago, so I had some faith. Glad I went for it!

Going forward, I'm hoping it continues to be fantastic: no breakouts, no clogged pores, etc.

For now, things are looking up.

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Revlon Lip Butters Juicy Papaya + Wild Watermelon: Review + Photos

I got them!

After reviewing the Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters line last week, I picked up 2 out of the 4 newest additions over the weekend: Juicy Papaya and Wild Watermelon.

I got Wild Watermelon first at Target and really liked it. It really does give my lips that "I just ate a cherry popsicle" look that many vloggers have raved about.

Since I'm not really used to having bold lips, I dab it on and go - just like with Sweet Tart.

Then after reading some rave reviews about Juicy Papaya, I got it yesterday at Target. I think we have a WINNER!

Juicy Papaya definitely lives up to the "juicy" name. I use my go-to Carmex Moisture Plus clear lip balm underneath and the Lip Butter goes on REAL smooth. It then has an extremely juicy look. I also don't have to just dab it on. I can swipe and reapply all I want.

No lip gloss necessary, for sure... even more than the other Lip Butters, in my opinion.

If you want an idea of what it looks like on me, check out the photo in my Target Sunglasses post from yesterday.

The orange in the tube can look intimidating for someone who doesn't typically wear oranges, but it's so sheer and natural. Get this if you were considering it!

I may need another tube just as a back-up.

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Revlon Lip Butter review: It still wins

I love getting around... when it comes to lip products, that is.

From Revlon to MAC to Lancome, I'll try all kinds of lip products. And this only started in the last year! Before then, I wasn't too concerned about my lips. I had my set products (MAC's Angel was a big hit for me) and didn't do much exploring.

Then I started noticing my lips looking washed out in photos when I consistently went with just a clear lip balm - and I could be doing a lot better than that!

So to change things up and feel girly without doing much else, I've been accumulating an assortment of lip products.

With the rest of my face, I stay pretty consistent. I use the same foundation, blush, and eyeshadows each day. Then the fun begins with the lips!

Which lip product I'm loving right now

The thing is, even after purchasing various brands and different lines, I still reach for Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters the most.

This product first came out in 2011 and was all the rage. There were tons of blogs, vlogs, and swatches for them. "It's a lip balm! It's a lipstick! It's something in between!"

So yes, it took me a long time to finally buy one. In order to catch up several months ago, I bought 6.

I'm totally late to the party, but I'm still hanging around. Love the formula, love the colors, love the price tag (about $6 at Target).

I currently have (from left to right in the photo) Sweet Tart, Cupcake, Gumdrop, Lollipop, Pink Truffle, and Creme Brulee.

My favorite right now is Sweet Tart. It's a bright bubblegum pink that I learned could look clownish if over-applied. I use it to dab my lips and I'm good to go. It gives my lips a nice flush.

They're easy to apply, moisturizing, and brighten up my face. I still wear my clear lip balm (Carmex Moisture Plus) underneath, but I think they're still hassle-free. They also have the newer shades (Wild Watermelon, Juicy Papaya, Sorbet, and Pink Lemonade) I haven't considered yet. Not sure if I'm interested in them.

What's your go-to lip product? Have you tried the newest shades? Let me know what I should try next!

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Back to Day 1: Shampoo, conditioner for ombre hair

After initially starting a blog with the same title in 2008, I decided to give it another go 5 years later.

The reasons for discontinuing the original blog was graduating from college and getting my first real job, which sent me to another state.

But lately I've just wanted a new place to jot down my thoughts that aren't necessarily associated with my work... and won't clog my friends' newsfeeds on Facebook.

So I'll try to update this regularly with whatever I'm loving "right now" hence the title.

To start off (again), I want to talk about my "holy grail" shampoo and conditioner, especially now that I have ombre hair. I know the ombre rage started years ago, but I finally tried it out (after months of considering it).

One of my biggest concerns was how my typically healthy hair would turn out after bleaching. "What if it starts falling out after finally growing out?" But once I found my new shampoo/conditioner obsession, I knew I'd be in the clear. More on that shortly.

I finally ombre'd myself

So for my birthday in early April, I went to my usual salon and asked for a very natural-looking ombre.

When I say natural, I mean just a few shades lighter than my dark Asian black hair, just on the bottom half... sort of a caramel tone. Like I've been out in the sun a lot (which I don't do anymore). The image to the right is the end result (though not in natural sunlight so not as obvious). And I'm loving it!

I'm writing about it right now because I'm falling more and more in love with the look (and the products I'm using) each day. That's how it should be, right? The color really brightens up my look for spring/summer, and I personally wanted a change without going too far.

My favorite celebrity who consistently rocks this look is Victoria's Secret Angel Lily Aldridge. So stunning. Hers is more blonde and obvious than mine, but she was my inspiration for this look.

Which hair products I'm loving right now

Now this is where my favorite shampoo/conditioner duo comes into play. I've been a huge fan of Bed Head Urban Antidotes Level 1 shampoo/conditioner (green bottles) for a few years now thanks to my hairstylist. It's the perfect amount of oomph my hair needs without weighing it down.

I stopped using it for a bit, thinking I can save money by using something cheaper at the drugstore but then realized how much better my hair feels when I use the Level 1 Urban Antidotes products.

THEN... I discovered the Level 2 (blue bottles) which give colored hair more love. Holy Grail! My hair feels the softest, healthiest when I use these bottles. Guaranteed. Now I break up the routine maybe once every 5 to 7 days by using the green bottles but then go back to using the blue ones. And they both smell DIVINE.

There's a 3rd level (red bottles) that are for the extremely damaged hair, for anyone who would need that extra help.

For a great deal, I purchased them at Nordstrom Rack. The 25.36 oz bottles are typically around $25 each (pricey!), but at Nordstrom Rack, I got them as a package deal Shampoo + Conditioner for $25! Amazing deal!

I can't recommend these bottles enough. I don't do much else with my hair - blow, curl and go.

More to come this week!

For more beauty and lifestyle posts, please subscribe or "follow by email" on the top right hand corner of the page. I'm also on Instagram @erisaxo.