Repurchase: Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Dark-Circle Eye Roller

While going through my every day face routine, I reached for my trusty Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Dark-Circle Eye Roller to find that mine was on its last leg. Knowing that I'm leaving for vacation soon, I knew I had to go and repurchase it before I left.

95% of women in the beauty community say that they suffer from horrible under-eye circles from lack of sleep. Well, ladies, try having genetically dark circles in combination with lack of sleep. Awful right? Welcome to my world! Add in the fact that my under-eye area is very dry and you can imagine how hard it is for me to find an under-eye concealer that works for me. 

One of my favorite YouTube beauty gurus, Amarixe, had mentioned a version of this in one of her monthly favorites videos a while back (I can't remember if she used a tinted one or just the eye serum one). I'm pretty much on the same page with the products Allison likes, so I figured I'd give it a shot. I hate using anything too thick or dry under my eyes, opting instead for a light/creamy/liquid-y concealer that feels light and has good coverage. 

This product comes with a roll-on applicator that's cooling and dispenses product evenly. The cap tends to get quite messy (at least it did on my first one!) but other than that I love the packaging. The concealer is mixed with an anti-dark-circle/redness/puffiness serum made with caffeine, lemon essence, and mineral pigments, so it corrects as well as conceals. The caffeinated gel in combination with the rollerball energizes and stimulates the area, the lemon essence brightens, and the mineral pigments corrects the circles. They recommend putting this product in the fridge for a satisfying, cooling effect, but I think it works fine as is!

This product is more on the sheer side and is definitely very light compared to other concealers on the market. Though most people don't prefer light concealers, it's perfect for under the eyes as it doesn't cake and is less prone to causing wrinkles! It blends in effortlessly and although I thought the color was going to be too light for me, it really seems to work nicely and blends in when my skin color fluctuates in the summer. 

I highly, highly recommend this! You can pick this up wherever Garnier products are sold and you'll find it with their skincare line. It retails for $12-15, which is pretty hefty for a drugstore product but definitely worth it in my eyes (it also lasted me well over a year!) as you're getting a great concealer and dark circle/redness/puffiness serum as well. It comes in a Sheer-Light tint (which is what I have) and then a Medium-Dark tint which I haven't tried. They also sell one that is just the serum and gives off no color, which I also haven't tried (but I'm dying to!) which comes in a green packaging. 

What is your favorite under-eye concealer?

xoxo

Alyssa

COVERGIRL Natureluxe Gloss Balm in Pinot: Review and Swatches!

A couple months back, a relative of mine gave me a huge bag with unopened makeup she had never used. I was thrilled. Not only was it super nice of her to give me a lot of money worth of product, but it was makeup I probably wouldn't pick out myself. One of the things was this COVERGIRL Naturelux Gloss Balm in Pinot, which I had honestly never seen before.

This remind me of a hybrid of the Revlon Lip Butters and the Maybelline Baby Lips. If the two products had a baby, it would be the COVERGIRL Naturelux Gloss Balms. This is more moisturizing than the lip butters and more pigmented than the Baby Lips, though it is marketed as a glossy, tinted lip balm rather than a moisturizing lipstick. The packaging is a cross between a standard chap stick (think Soft Lips) and a lipstick bullet with the standard Naturelux design. Perfect for the handbag!

I would describe the color as a darker, rose-toned berry with silver shimmer that doesn't come off at all when swatched/on the lips. Instead of shimmery, it looks nice and glossy. I really think this product is perfect for a no-mirror lip color to keep for on the go purposes.

If you were someone who thought the Revlon Lip Butters were not moisturizing enough and that the Maybelline Baby Lips were too sheer, I think this line is definitely worth a look! The color range seems to be pretty well rounded. You can pick these up wherever COVERGIRL products are sold for roughly $7-8.

What's your favorite moisturizing lip color?

xoxo

Alyssa

Exfoliating Cotton Pads?

In recent months, I've heard about Target selling Exfoliating Cotton Pads that are supposedly incredible at removing dirt and makeup from the skin. I had wanted to try them for a while, but it always seemed to slip my mind whenever I was in store (and believe me, that's pretty often). So when I was grabbing a new package of makeup remover wipes and saw them on display, they were immediately in my basket.

(Excuse the photo, I couldn't use flash without the packaging reflecting the light)

I never thought I would be doing a post on something as simplistic as cotton pads, but these are just different, I knew I had to share my thoughts. One side is the normal, every day cotton pad that we all have sitting in our bathroom somewhere. The other side is rougher. Not rough like a pumice stone or even a shower loofah, but just rough enough to remove more dirt than a typical cotton pad.

Again...excuse the pictures. These were hard to photograph against a white background!
Exfoliating side 

Regular side

I wouldn't say that they are exfoliating. The rough edges just help remove the next layer of dirt/makeup that would take a bit of extra time with a regular cotton pad. I like using these with my toner, but I go for the regular option when it comes to makeup remover. Although the normal ones might not do as good as a job, I let the exfoliating ones pick up the slack later. 

I think these are good, but not something I would go out of my way to buy if I ran out. The only place I've seen these has been Target and they retail for $3.79 for a package of 100. While I'll use them up and enjoy them, I don't think they are something I'll buy all the time (is it just me or is $4 a pretty hefty price for cotton pads? The ones I buy are just over a dollar and come in a package of 80). 

Have you tried them?

xoxo

Alyssa

Fab Find: Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream

I stumbled across this little guy while searching in the clearance section of the beauty isle in my local grocery store. On sale for $2.99, I decided to give it a try since it reminded me a bit of Lush's Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter, which was a product on my radar the next time I found myself in a Lush store.

"Give your cuticles some TLC. Specially formulated, this buttery cream taps Sweet Almond Oil and Cocoa Seed Butter to moisturize and soften your cuticles while Vitamin E and Sunflower Oil nourish brittle nails. Feel pampered and polished from tips to toes."

The formulation of this isn't at all a thin cream, but more of a thick, balmy skin salve. It comes off easily on your finger and melts into the skin when you rub it into your cuticles. It comes off a little oily when first applied, but that feeling is swept away in a minute or two after it absorbs into your cuticles. 

In the pan, the product looks like a light, pastel yellow, but on the skin it's completely translucent. The packaging itself is nice: a small, round, tin container with a removable lid that slides firmly over the product. No worries about it falling off! I keep this on my desk, but it's perfect handbag size. 

The scent of this is lovely. It's light, fresh, and just very pleasant. Often lemon scents can smell artificial, but this one is just right. Lemon Oil is known for cutting through oils and dirt, leaving the skin softer and smoother than before.

If you're in the market for a cuticle cream, I highly recommend this! Despite finding this on clearance in my grocery store, after doing a bit of research I found that it is still available wherever Burt's Bees is sold (my grocery store had just cut down their beauty department) and retails for $6. If you can't find it in store, it's available online on the Burt's Bees website.

Have you tried any skincare from Burt's Bees?
xoxo
Alyssa

NYX Eye Shadow in Golden Amber: Review and Swatches!

While browsing the NYX department of my local Ulta, I realized I had never tried their line of single eye shadows that have received a lot of love throughout the beauty community. I decided to pick one up, choosing this one in Golden Amber.

First off, the formulation of this is beautiful. It's very pigmented, buttery, and doesn't crumble. It's very reminiscent of the MAC formulation. However, this is NOT a "golden amber" color at all. NYX has been known to veer off track while naming some of their products (their lip gloss in Beige is NOT beige). But getting past the misleading name, the color isn't really anything special. It's a pretty, warm medium brown color with a slight gold glitter to it. I chose it because it would be versatile. It could go on the lid, in the crease, or smudged on the upper and lower lash line for subtle definition. While it's a pretty color, it isn't anything particularly unique and definitely not something worth running out  and searching for. 

The compact of this product is ideal for me: small, durable, and not a ton of excess packaging. Great for traveling! I also like that it as a clear top so you can see the actual product--very useful if you have a few of these in your makeup bag! Aside from casing, the pyramid design of the powder also really sucks me in. Little details like that make me really happy for some reason. 

And now for swatches!

If you're just starting to build up your eye shadow collection, I think this is a pretty, stable color. But if you have a ton of eye shadows, skip it! There are definitely a million dupes for it out there. These eye shadows are available wherever NYX Cosmetics is sold (check out your Ulta!) and retail for roughtly $5 each. 

Have you tried the NYX single shadows?

xoxo

Alyssa

The Body Shop Body Butter Duo: Review!

From the first time I saw The Body Shop's body butters in my local Ulta, I was smitten. I lusted after the strawberry and mango scents, giving them a nice big whiff every time I passed them on my way to check out the nail polish.

The one teensy factor that kept me from putting one in my shopping cart? The price tag. These babies are priced at a whopping $19, which to some of you probably isn't a lot, but for someone who generally sticks to drugstore options for body products, it's enough to make me put it down and walk away. I've heard that they go on major sales in actual The Body Shop stores, but unfortunately none of those are close by! So, obviously, you can imagine my excitement when I saw this little guy sitting in the beauty department of TJ Maxx.

Although it's not the regular strawberry or mango ones that I had been eyeing, it was discounted to $5.99 and that was enough for me to bring it to the cash register. I was excited to not only try the regular body butter that everyone raves about, but also get to try the dry skin area version. Not to mention that vanilla is probably my all time favorite scent. It was practically meant to be. 

Top: Dry Skin
Button: Regular 

I love how this product is set up in ying and yang fashion, with a plastic divider separating the two products. It's really useful because the different creams don't mix together. The rest of the packaging is just a round, plastic container with a screw on/off lid. I really like it! It's durable and convenient, and doesn't take up too much space. 

In terms of actual product, I really like both sides of this duo, although it's not the best body cream I've ever used. The regular side is thin and creamy, but feels good and seems to do a pretty decent job at moisturizing my skin. The dry area side is much thicker, but I wouldn't say it does anything much different than the normal side. I'll use both sides up, but I won't be particular with which side I'm using. 

Top: Dry Area
Bottom: Regular

The one thing I'm not a fan of, surprisingly is the smell. I absolutely adore the smell of vanilla, and at quick whiff this product smells delicious. But when you inhale deeply, it gives off a smell reminiscent of baby wipes. Because of this, I kind of get turned off of using this as an all over body moisturizer, opting instead for using it as a quick hand cream while sitting at my desk doing homework. I do like it, it's just not the best product in my beauty stash. 

These body butters retail anywhere from $16-20 and are available wherever The Body Shop is sold (Ulta and freestanding stores are probably the best bet). These are also frequently at TJ Maxx for roughly $6 if you find them. If you're in the market for a new body moisturizer and love one of the scents The Body Shop offers, I recommend these! If you're just looking for a super-moisturizing body product, there are definitely better options with better price tags from the drugstore. 

Which scent from The Body Shop is your favorite?

xoxo

Alyssa

Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes Eyeliner: Review and Swatches!

Happy July everyone! I mentioned this eyeliner in my "everyday summer makeup look" post, and because I just love it so much, I figured it deserved some serious spotlight time. Last year, I made an order on Sephora.com and there was a code for Beauty Insiders for a free Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes Eyeliner in 0L Matte Black. A Make Up For Ever product for free? I was all for it.

 I've never been a big eyeliner person. I never understood why it was the soul product some of my friends would wear. Plain black eyeliner over something exciting, like blush or lip gloss or even mascara? For a long time, I just skipped eyeliner all together. Eventually, I started smudging a dark eye shadow into my upper lash line, but I couldn't even stick with that for an every day look.

As you can see by the cap, this product is pretty well loved. When I got it with my Sephora order, I just threw it in my drawer after a quick test swatch. It was nice, but I knew I wouldn't get much use out of it because it was an eyeliner and I just didn't use them often. One day while going for a more dramatic look, I took it out and used it and was amazed at what I found.

It's creamy, pigmented, and just glides on effortlessly.  The swatch above is a quick one to show how easy application is. It's also easy to control, which is a major pro in my book. Because I went so long without wearing eyeliner at all, now that I do I prefer a really thin, natural line that is mainly for definition. This pencil makes it so easy to control the line thickness on the upper lash line and is also fantastic for the waterline. I also love that it's a pencil that needs to be sharpened. I like twist up pencils for lips or shadow bases, but for eyeliner I find a sharpened tip works the best for definition/precision.

The one thing about this is that it's supposed to be 100% waterproof. I have pretty normal-to-dry eyelids and creasing/smudging of eye makeup isn't really a problem for me, so the liner stays put all day long. From trying to wash the swatches off of my hand, I would say that this product is water resistant, but not waterproof. The difference is that while it does smudge a bit in a lot of water, it does put up more of a fight than a non-waterproof product. While I wouldn't go swimming with this on, I think it's safe to wear in terms of rain or perspiration.

If you're in the market for a new eyeliner pencil and want to look into something a bit more high end, I highly recommend this one! This line is available in a million different colors (well, not a million but you get the picture) including a really pretty nude that I'm lusting after (my Rimmel one will have to do for now though...sigh). These pencils retail for $19 each and are available wherever Make Up For Ever is sold.

What's your favorite eyeliner?
xoxo
Alyssa