Review, swatches: Maybelline Color Elixir Liquid Color Balms

Hello again!

I just picked up two of the new Maybelline Color Elixir Liquid Color Balms at CVS and had to blog about them ASAP.

Lately, I feel like there are so many new, intriguing drugstore products (especially lippies), so I've been good about buying only 2 shades at most (at least initially).

In this case, I picked up the shades Blush Essence (pink-nude) and Fuchsia Flourish.

There was a surprising 30% off each item (don't know why but can't complain!) and I had CVS Extra Bucks and a coupon... so I only paid $4 total for both of them!

At CVS, they usually retail for $8.99, which I think is too much for a drugstore lip product. But I recommend snagging one of these with a coupon if at all possible.

With that said, oh myyyy. This is one of the BEST lip products I've ever tried.

The scent is slightly sweet but not overpowering. I seriously can't put my finger on it, but it reminds me of something from my childhood. It's driving me crazy.

As for the formula -- WOW. It is not sticky at all. As soon as I put my lips together, I thought, "Yep. I love this."

It really does feel "cushiony soft" like Maybelline claims.

Blush Essence is a nice everyday shade. It's not evident on my lips at all, really. I wish it was a little more pink, but that's OK. I know this will still be a makeup bag staple.

Fuchsia Flourish is VERY pigmented and bright. It's stunning in person, but I don't see myself wearing this often. It may be a fun color to play up at night when going out with friends or a party.

Please don't mind my asymmetrical lips!

Anyway, both of these shades made my lips look really healthy and smooth, even if they've been a bit dry lately. They also felt hydrated and comfortable.

Overall, I'm floored. With a balm formula like this, I'd think deeper the shade, the better because you'll get way more color payoff. But I cannot wait to try other shades nonetheless.

Have you tried them? What do you think? Let me know!

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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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Sonicare HealthyWhite: Review + photos

Hello! Today, I'm blogging oral hygiene. Exciting, I know.

After using a manual toothbrush for years, I got tired of the plaque I could still feel toward the back of my teeth. And my teeth were also suffering from my love for tea.

I finally gave in and initally purchased the Philips Sonicare HealthyWhite rechargeable toothbrush at Target ($113 during a sale; usually $120) in hopes of getting them cleaner and brighter.

I saw that Costco carried a set of TWO for $109 (after an instant rebate of $40!) but it was sold out online.

Well, thankfully, a dear friend and I went to a Costco nearby after learning they carried the sets in store. Boom! A better deal right before my eyes.

So I returned the other one to Target and gave my boyfriend the second toothbrush. Such a great deal!

I have to say my teeth have never felt cleaner!

Sonicare HealthyWhite claims to make your teeth whiter in just 1 week, and I'm already starting to see change after a few days.

Without adding additional pressure, gliding this brush along my teeth makes such a big difference.

They feel polished every time, like I just went to the dentist. I know that sounds cheesy, but it's so true.

It comes in 3 modes: Clean, Sensitive, and Clean and White, which is what I like using the most so far.

It's timed, so after 2 minutes of regular brushing, there's an added 30 seconds of "White" mode to focus on your front teeth.

The package deal from Costco comes with the following:

--2 HealthyWhite handles
--2 DiamondClean brush heads
--1 UV Sanitizer (which the Target version did NOT have) with an integrated charger, cord wrap and brush head storage
--1 multi-voltage, compact travel charger
--2 travel cases

You just have to change out the brush head every 3 months or so. At Costco, they sell a pack of 6 for $50.

For the same DiamondClean brushes at Target, you'd have to pay $30 for just 2!

I haven't used the UV Sanitizer yet, so I can't complain about it if it doesn't work since this whole package is still SUCH a better deal than Target.

The product comes with a 2-year warranty, and then you can sign up for an additional 6 months online by registering your toothbrushes.

The instant rebate at Costco expires on Sept. 29, 2013, so I highly recommend grabbing this in-store deal if you're a Costco member (or if you have a friend/family member who is one)!

And even if this is long after the instant rebate, it's still a way better deal at Costco.

Do you prefer manual or rechargeable toothbrushes? Let me know! Thanks for reading.

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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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Trader Joe's Nourish All-In-One Facial Cleanser review

I have extremely oily, sensitive, acne-prone skin. It's pretty difficult to find products I love.

With that said, I have been LOVING Trader Joe's Nourish All-In-One Facial Cleanser! It's been only a week, so it may be too early to know for sure, but so far... so good!

Before this, I've been using the Clean & Clear Essentials Foaming Facial Cleanser for Sensitive Skin for the last year or so. I still like it and just repurchased it again because it's so inexpensive (about $3.50 at Target) and does the job.

It totally removes my foundation or BB cream and doesn't leave a residue. (I remove eye makeup with Neutrogena's Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover first.)

But I couldn't quite call it my Holy Grail face wash because it didn't really do MORE for my skin. It didn't have antioxidants and vitamins to really make my skin look even better.

So when I was looking up face washes online and came across the Trader Joe's face wash, I got really excited! (Check out the ingredients at the end of this post.)

I've been shopping at Trader Joe's a lot more in the last few months, so it just made sense for me to try this. Many reviews raved about this product and said they were surprised to find an HG product at Trader Joe's.

It costs $5.99, which is a great deal for 8.45 fl oz.

On the bottle, it says it's dermatologist formulated. I read in some online reviews that this dermatologist is very well-known and sells a similar product for a lot more money under his name. Not so sure about this part, but sounds intriguing!

As for the product itself, there's barely any fragrance, which is how I like it, and you can easily get a lather going.

I first go over my face with this gel, barely lathering it up, and just massage it into my skin to remove makeup.

Then when it looks like my makeup is off, I lather up a bit more of this cleanser and just cleanse my face. I rinse quite a lot to make sure I don't have any product left.

Then I go over my face with a cotton pad and Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Toner.

My face feels instantly smooth, clean and NOT tight at all. Then I put on my moisturizer.

If you have similar skin to mine, I highly recommend this cleanser. If it continues to work this well for me, I will be calling this my HG cleanser.

INGREDIENTS: Water, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Disodium PEG-12 Dimethicone Sulfosuccinate, Sodium Lauroyl Oat Amino Acids, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, PEG-10 Sorbitan Laurate, Panthenol (Vitamin B5), Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A), Cholecalciferol (Vitamin D), Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Ascorbyl Palmitate (Vitamin C), Phytonadione (Vitamin K), Alpha Lipoic Acid, Coenzyme Q10, Green Tea Extract, Copper Peptide, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbic Acid

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Best makeup brushes: Real Techniques review

After trying them out for just over two months, I can wholeheartedly say I LOVE Real Techniques brushes!

Samantha Chapman's line of makeup brushes is fantastic, affordable and high quality.

I don't have all the brushes... I think I just have 8 of them, but I think that's a pretty good number to rate them.

Here's my Top 4:

--Expert face brush ($9): This one is my absolute must-have. I use this brush to apply my foundation or BB cream (which is the only thing I've been wearing lately!) and I dab my under-eye concealer in with this as well. It's sturdy, dense and very easy to wash. I used to use a Clinique foundation brush that got really gross, even after washing it. This one is a third of the price and so much better. It's amazing when you're looking for more coverage and it doesn't leave my makeup streaky. If you're going to try one Real Techniques brush, I recommend this one.

--Powder brush ($10): Love, love, love this brush. It's a really big, super soft brush that I could sweep across my face all day. It's that soft. I use this to set my makeup with a powder. I, again, used to use a Clinique brush for this, and the Real Techniques brush is a lot bigger and softer. And so much more affordable.

--Blush brush ($9): I use this one for two things - applying blush and blending away any harsh lines on my face. At first, I didn't like this one for blush (I thought it was too large), but I've been using it this way for the last couple weeks. It picks up just the right amount of product and allows me to build the color. Otherwise, I love using this one to blend my bronzer and blush into my skin, so you can't tell where the product is starting or ending. The worst thing is going out and then realizing that my bronzer is very harsh, too obvious and just odd. I prefer the subtle look! For a flawless face, BLEND BLEND BLEND!

--Contour brush (only available in the Core Collection kit for $18): This is the perfect size brush for applying highlighter just at the top of my cheekbones. I don't use it to contour. I've been loving the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Bronze for this.

As you can see in one of the photos, I also like my MAC brushes. But for much less money, I highly recommend Real Techniques brushes, especially my Top 4 picks!

I linked the above descriptions to Real Technique's website, but I bought them in person at Ulta. I recommend slowly building your brush collection with Ulta's amazing $3.50 off $10 coupons! Best deal around.

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