My Everyday AM Skincare Routine

I have dealt with bad skin since I was in middle school. I remember the first day of 6th grade not wanting to go to school because I had such bad breakouts. I blame that on never wanting to wash my face or take proper care of my skin. It has been a long process of figuring out what works and doesn’t work for my skin. Even now in my 20s I struggle with skin issues and I am still learning! I seem to have a pretty good routine going but I am still looking for some things to make my skin the best it can be! I am going to share the products I use, the order I use them and why I have chosen to use these specific products. Let me know if you have any suggestions for me, I’m always looking for ways to improve 🙂

• My first step in the morning is to wash my face. I hate to admit that I just became good about washing my face in the morning within the past year. I can’t believe I never did this in the past! I use the Pacific Auru Botanicals Gelly Gelly AHA Gel Cleanser (which I see is unfortunately out of stock on their website) or the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Medicated Acne Fash wash when I have pesky breakouts or I feel like my skin is extra oily.
  • Pacific Auru Botanicals is a skincare company that I found through Instagram. It is a cruelty free, clean beauty brand that is committed to protecting the ocean. The Gelly Gelly face wash is a pH balanced cleanser that not only cleans your face but helps with anti-aging and uneven skin tone. One thing I want to point out about this product is it does have a fairly strong orange scent (it says grapefruit on the website, but I smell orange), so if you are sensitive to smells that is something to keep in mind. $38 for 4 oz, $18 for 1 oz, or $3 for a sample size.
  • The Effaclar face wash I purchased from Target and I have actually repurchased this 3 times. This can be very drying so I make sure to only use it when I feel like my skin can really benefit from it such as when I have some bad breakouts or my skin is super oily. This face wash is fragrance free which I enjoy. I see a lot of positive feedback from this brand and their products are very well priced! $14.99 for 200ml.

• The second step in my AM skincare routine is The Ordinary’s Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%.
  • I have been using this consistently for about 4 months now after I read many people saying it helped clear up their acne and lighten up their dark spots. The Ordinary recommends using this AM and PM so that’s what I’ve been doing but I wonder if I should be using a Vitamin C in the morning (Niacinamide and Vitamin C should not be used at the same time). I do pat this into my skin, when I have rubbed it in, it becomes kind of foamy and a soapy consistency but I do not have that problem when I pat it on my face. $10.60 for 60ml or $5.90 for 30ml–such great prices and the product lasts a long time!

• My third step in my morning routine is moisturizer.
  • I am not very consistent on which moisturizer I use, but lately I am using the Murad Hydro-Dynamic Ultimate Moisture that I received in my Ipsy bag in September. This is a very thick and creamy moisturizer that says it provides 24-hour hydration, I would go that far but I will say it does a good job adding some moisture into my skin and helps my makeup look smoother upon application. I know this is a highly recommended brand so I was excited to receive it and I find myself reaching for it most often. This is on the more expensive side so I would recommend trying a sample of it first to see if it works for your skin. $75 for 1.7 fl oz or $24 for 0.5 fl oz.

• My fourth and final step in my AM routine is sunscreen!
  • If you have not been living under a rock for the past year or so you know sunscreen is been the talk of the skincare community. I obviously want to protect my skin from the sun and have been really improving on wearing sunscreen on my face almost everyday. I will admit somedays I still forget but I’m doing my best! I wear Drunk Elephant Umbra Tinte SPF 30. I received this in The Littles bag that is a great investment if you want to try Drunk Elephant products without buying them all for full price since they are a pretty expensive skincare company, but well worth it! Umbra Tinte is a tinted sunscreen made without any chemicals. I love how this does not leave my skin looking or feeling greasy and it has not made me breakout. This is definitely a product I will buy full size once I run out of the mini size. $36 for 2 fl oz.

So there you have it, my simple yet effective morning skincare routine! It might not seem like a lot but my skin is very sensitive so I have learned the less I put on my face, the better. Please let me know if you have any questions or recommendations for me! I love learning about what other’s put on their face 🙂

Allure Beauty Box- October 2019 Unboxing

The October 2019 Allure Beauty Box features 6 products from the brands ModelCo, Sunday Riley, m-61, Sol de Janerio, Kneipp, and Lumify. These products come in a sturdy box, as shown above. This box really had a variety of products and a good mix of skincare and makeup. Here are a description of each product and my thoughts regarding them, also the price if you were to buy the product full price.

• Sunday Riley Ice Ceramide Moisturizing Cream– I have loved the other Sunday Riley products I have tried in the past, (both from Allure!), so I am super excited to try out this moisturizer. It is a very small sample, but you still get a decent amount of product and it would be enough to see if you like it and would want to spend $65 for a full size. I have not used it yet but it looks very thick and does not have an overpowering scent which I love! I’m almost hoping this product is a miss for me because $65 for a moisturizer is a little pricey, but I’m looking forward to trying it out!

• m-61 Powerglow Peel– These are a simple one step exfoliating glow peel. They are said to provide deep exfoliation and help firm the skin. You use one pre-soaked towelette after cleansing and drying your face. They come individually packaged which is nice but also wasteful. I did try one out last night after washing and drying my face. It was a nicely sized towelette and seemed to have a good amount of product- I wiped all over my face and on my neck. It did have a strong floral scent to it which kind of took me for surprise. My face also tingled for about 1 minute after I was done wiping over my face. I did feel like it made my skin feel much smoother but I did not notice any other differences to my complexion. Maybe if I used them on a more regular basis. I just have so many other peel pads that I would prefer using up before spending $30 for 10 treatments, $66 for 30 treatments, or $116 for 60 treatments.

• ModelCo Metallic Eyeshadow Trio in St. Tropez- I love eyeshadow so I was very excited about this product. Plus they are 3 colors that I would wear either alone or together on a daily basis so this will get a lot of use! It is a perfect size for travel as well. I swatched the colors and I will post the pictures below with and without flash. These are very creamy and shimmery but they went on very smooth. I have not applied to my eyelid yet but I am hoping they transfer just as beautifully. I am not sure if I received the full size item in my Allure box because I cannot find the weight on ModelCo’s website but this does go for $18 full price.

Without flash

With flash

• ModelCo Eyelites in Granite- This is a liquid metallic eyeshadow in a very dark grey, almost blackish color. I don’t wear bold colors so unfortunately I don’t know if I will get a lot of use out of this. I want to try to experiment more and get out of my comfort zone so maybe one day! I did swatch this and I love how smoothly it goes on and how quickly it dried. This product goes for $12 on their website.

Without flash

With flash

• SOL de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream– I’m sure by now everyone has either tried this or at least heard about this body cream! I have used this prior to receiving it this month from Allure. It is super hydrating and does not leave my skin feeling greasy. Plus it smells amazing! This body cream is extremely thick and moisturizing. I highly recommend it if you have dry skin, especially during the dry months of Winter. This can be purchased from SOL de Janeiro’s website in three different sizes, 25ML for $10, 75ML for $20 and the full size 240ML for $45. This does last a long time so even the small size should last you a while!

• Lumify redness reliever eye drops- These eye drops are said to be used to relieve the redness of eyes due to minor eye irritations. I have never been a big user of eye drops, plus I wear contacts so I don’t these these are a product for me. Lumify claims one drop will last between 6-8 hours and it is not recommended you use these more than 4 time per day. You cannot buy these directly from their website but they can be purchased at most drugstores or major retailers such as Amazon, Target, CVS, or Costco. They come in two sizes, 2.5mL and 7.5mL ranging from a price of $11 up to $30.

• Kneipp Mineral Bath Salt in Dream Away- These bath salts are said to be used for calming purposes or to be used if you are having trouble sleeping. The full size on their website runs for $20 and says it delivers 8-10 baths. I do not take baths so unfortunately this is another product I will not use. This does seem like a good product for someone who enjoys baths and wants to chill out and be calm.

Overall I am satisfied with this box. I think this month they offered some great products and I am super excited about the ModelCo eyeshadow trio and the Sunday Riley moisturizer. Please let me know if you have any other questions about the Allure Beauty Box and if you liked this unboxing post!

Unboxing- Ipsy October 2019

This month’s Ipsy bag was Betty Boop. In all honesty I do not like this bag and will not use it. Just like every month, I received 5 beauty related items in my bag:

• Betty Boop X Ipsy- Eyeshadow Brush
  • I am excited about this because in my opinion you can never have enough makeup brushes! I used it to apply eyeshadow all over my lid and it worked well so I will continue using this!

• Jumiso Have a Good Cream- Moisturizer
  • This is said to be a non-greasy, lightweight, moisturizer. This is cruelty-free which is a plus. I have not used used this but it had a nice subtle smell to it.

• Seraphine Botanicals Camelina + Strobe Luminizing Primer
  • This is a primer said to hydrate your skin and make it feel skily-smooth. This product is 100% vegan and gluten-free. I tested this on my hand and it does have a shimmer effect to it that probably wouldn’t show through makeup but would be fairly noticeable if you wear it alone. This primer would be $18 for the full size.

• Space Case Cosmetics- Highlighter in shade Seen From Space 1E
  • This seems like a decent highligher, I swatched it on my wrist and it’s very light which will be good when my skin isn’t as tan. I believe the one I received is just a little smaller than the full size that goes for $9 on their website. I’m not too picky about highlighers so I will more than likely use this but I’m not sure if it will be one I reach for consistently.

• Benefit Cosmetics – They’re Real! Mascara in Jet Black
  • I love having new mascara to try out. This one works well but unfortunately it is a little flakey throughout the day. It looks nice on my lashes but the flaking is not a good luck at the end of the day. This mascara retails for $25 full size. To me it is not worth that price tag. This is one of those times I’m thankful for Ipsy and getting to try a product without having to pay full price for it!

Overall I am fairly satisfied with this month’s Ipsy products. I am disappointed in the makeup bag but that’s okay! I will donate it and someone will get good use out of it! Let me know if you receive an Ipsy bag and if you liked yours!

My First Blog Post- Subscription Boxes

This is the first post on my new blog! I’m just getting this new gig going, so stay tuned for more and please be patient with me as I navigate through this new world! Also, feel free to subscribe below to get notified when I post new updates.

For my first post I want to share about the subscription boxes that I receive and explain a little more about them. I love subscription boxes because I get so many different products that I maybe wouldn’t buy myself. They are usually much cheaper than going out and buying the products from store. I love the variety of skincare and makeup that I receive as well. Keeps my cabinets very full! I will admit I have more products than I will probably ever get through but it’s fun having choices 🙂 So below is the list of subscription services that I receive on a monthly basis:

• BoxyCharm
• IPSY
• Allure Beauty Box
• FabFitFun (Seasonal, 4 boxes a year)
• Stitch Fix (Not a beauty box but I love getting a box filled with new clothes every month.)

BoxyCharm– This box just recently increased from $21 to $25 a month for the basic subscription. Still can’t complain about the price because this box comes with 4-5 FULL sized products. I have received so many awesome beauty products from brands such as Tarte, Becca, TooFaced, Dose of Color, Elemis, Luxie, Wander Beauty, Moda, Iconic London, and many more. BoxyCharm also just started “Choice” where each month you can choose one item you want in your box. In October it was Iconic London shimmery priming and setting mist OR Touch in Sol glassy skin balm. I choose the mist hoping it would be a good setting spray but it is very, very glittery so I’m not sure how often I will end up using it. Overall I think this is the best priced subscription box that I have came across just because you get full sized products every month.

Ipsy– This was my very first subscription services that I signed up for. I have been getting Ipsy for a little over a year now. Ipsy also just recently increased their price for the basic glam bag subscription from $10 to $12. With Ipsy you have a beauty profile that you fill out to try to help Ipsy best personalize a bag for you. They don’t get it right every month but I feel like some months are very personalized. In the glam bag you receive 5 sample, deluxe or full sized products in a fun little bag that has a new design or look each month. Most of the products are the sample or deluxe size. You are not guaranteed a full sized product in any of your glam bags. Through Ipsy I have received products from brands such as Benefit, Smashbox, Makeup Forever, Pixi, Purlisse, Tarte, OFRA, and Youth to the People. Ipsy has a lot of other cool features including customization and add ons. They also have a very good point system where you can use the points to receive extra products. I enjoy Ipsy just because sometimes it’s nice to try a sample size of a product to see if you would really enjoy it. Even with the price increased to $12 I am still happy with this subscription box.

Allure Beauty Box– The Allure Beauty box has a value of $50-$90 for only $15 a month, with your first box being $10. These are deluxe or full sized products selected by Allure experts. I have received products from Sunday Riley, Wander Beauty, Huda Beauty, Benefit, Ouai, Juvia’s Place, and and NYX. Allure just recently started having different variations of some month’s boxes, so not all boxes are the same between customers. Allure does not offer any kind of customization for their boxes.

FabFitFun– I absolutely love FFF boxes. Each season you receive a large box filled with a variety of items for only $49.99! Items I have received are: Quay sunglasses, S’ip by S’well water bottle, TULA face cleanser, Dr. Brandt eye gel, 111Skin face masks, Grace & Stella facial spray, Vince Camuto tote, Farmacy eye cream, a Beauty Blender and many, many more. I love FFF because you don’t receive only makeup products or only skincare, they send you a variety of lifestyle items that are useful in your everyday life. FFF also offer something called Add-ons which are available prior to shipment of that seasons’ box. Add-ons are additional items you can purchase at a very discounted rate and they ship with your box. They offer so many products during this sale and there are options for everyone! FFF also offer customizations for each box. Regular members get to choose at least one product they would like in their box and Select members get to choose more. I love this option because you know you will enjoy at least one item in your box each season. Last box I choose a cute pink Amika hair straightener that I love!

Stitch Fix– This is an online styling service that delivers a personalized box filled with clothes, shoes, or accessories, once a month, every couple of weeks or how often you would like. What I love about this box is you only pay for what you keep. I love the style profile they have you fill out, it is a fun way for you to tell them what you would like to see in your box and and ideally how much money you would like each item to cost. Each time you want to receive a box you pay a $20 styling fee, but that $20 goes towards an item in your box you decide to keep! Once you receive your box you have 3 days to try on each item to see if you want to keep it, buy what you want and return the rest in the prepaid envelope. It’s a super easy process! You can also request a few more days if you need more time to return your items. They also have you review the items to help them curate future boxes for you. Let me know what you liked and didn’t like and get specific, that will only help you enjoy future boxes more. I have a hard time finding jeans that fit me and Stitch Fix has done a great job sending me jeans that I love! It makes it so much easier than having to go to multiple stores to find a pair that fit me correctly. They also offer petite sizes which is lifesaving for me!

I will start sharing unboxings of each of these boxes that I receive so you all can get a better idea of what products come in each of these boxes and what I like or dislike each month! I will share pictures and first impressions and how much each box is worth!

Welcome & About Me

Hi! Welcome again 🙂 I’m starting this blog in hopes to share my love for beauty and skincare products. I’m also hoping this helps me improve my writing skills. Who knows if I’m even doing any of this right but this blog will hopefully continue to grow and I will learn all the ins and outs of blogging, so bare with me as this is definitely and work in progress 🙂 Anyways, thanks for being here and I hope you enjoy!

A little about me:

• I am 25 years old and I live in Minnesota. Yes, it gets very cold here.
• I got my degree in Special Education, taught for 2 years and decided it wasn’t the career for me. So I am currently subbing and trying to figure out which path I want to take. All and any suggestions are welcome!
• Like I have said before, I have a love for any and all beauty products. I want to share what I love and hate, how and why I use them, but I also want to continue to learn more and find new products to use!

I am not certain where this blog will go! I’m starting this just for fun and honestly to keep myself busy and I want to stick with it, I will do my best!