What's YOUR Holy Grail Beauty Product?

Hello lovelies! I know that I haven't been blogging a long time but you'd be amazed by how many of my favorite products have been replaced! From skincare to eyeliners, it seems that almost everything has changed from my first "holy grail" post and even my "40 Beauty Questions" post. It's almost exhausting searching for the gems of the beauty world but I definitely have fun rising to the challenge. It takes a lot of epic fails to find that one product but at the end, it's worth it. Here are my new and improved (with a few old loves) holy grail products:


1. Ulta Precision Liquid Eyeliner (Carbon Black): 
I've gone from gel to to liquid now and I can't see myself moving again. I have shaky hands and because of this eyeliners short length, I can easily hold it and make clean, bold lines.

2. Philosophy Miracle Worker Anti-Aging Serum & Moisturizer:
I LOVE both of these products. They are lightweight and leave no dreaded oily residue.

3. Organix Extra-Strength Moroccan-Argan Oil: 
This hair oil is absolutely perfect for my extremely dry hair. It softens my hair and gives it a nice glossy, healthy sheen. I use a quarter size amount on both damp and dry hair daily.

4/5. NYX Pore Filler & Shine Killer: 
These two are amazing. The pore filler is tinted and so I actually use it as a foundation. A little goes a long way with both of these and I use these two separately as well as combined for special occasions. The pore filler has a light, airy, fluffy texture and has a nude skin tone tint to it. The shine killer is a clear silicone gel similar to Smashbox Photofinish and Palladio's Foundation Primer. I've used both of those in the past and I can without a doubt say that in my opinion the NYX crushes both of them.

6. Too Faced Shadow Insurance: 
My absolutely favorite eyeshadow primer. It holds my shadows on all day and they don't even think about budging even with my oily lids.

7. Earth Therapeutics Complexion Brush:
I use this daily to cleanse and gently exfoliate my face and it works like a dream.

8. DDF Brightening Cleanser:
A new found holy grail thanks to Birchbox! I received this in my October Goop box and I couldn't be any happier. My dark spots and acne scarring have already started to fade and my skin is brighter, glowing and more healthy looking.

9. ELF Eyebrow Kit (Medium):
A forever holy grail for me. In the past i've tried everything from pencil to shadow to mascara and I could never get the natural eyebrow look until I started using this.

10/11. Paladio Herbal Tinted Lip Balm (Rosey) & Essence of Beauty Lip Butter: 
I love both of these and depending on what look i'm going for, I use one or the other. Since the Palladio is tinted I use it both alone and sometimes over my Scarlet Ibis lipstick for a stunning color. I use the Essence Lip Butter mainly at bed time or after I take off my makeup. Both of these balms are extremely moisturizing and keep my lips soft for hours.

12. Aroma workshop Shea Butter Body Cream: 
Best body butter I've found. This product is super thick but non greasy and keeps my skin nourished.

Let me know what your holy grail beauty products are below! If you have any questions or would like me to do a separate review on any of these products, check out my contact page!

Much love xo

Revlon Kissable Lip Balm Stains- A Review

Smitten LEFT. Romantic RIGHT

Hello lovelies :) I'm bringing you a review today of the Revlon Kissables. I purchased a couple of them about two weeks ago. Overall, I think they are a nice product but I don't feel that they are any more unique than other pigmented lip balms. They are advertised as a stain, a more moisturizing version of the Just Bitten lip stains but I don't feel that they really leave anything to brag about. Because of the glossy, moisturizing texture, it's almost impossible for this product to actually sink into the lips and leave anything noticeable behind, I also experienced quite a bit of feathering with these, I find myself wiping around my lips every few minutes and that's a big no no with me. I want a lip product that requires little to no maintenance, no one wants to worry about product being all over their face and teeth!

Romantic LEFT. Smitten RIGHT

I have two shades, the first being "Romantic", which is a very pretty, bright red. I also have "Smitten" which is a bright, cool toned hot pink. They are both very glossy, sheer, and wear about 2-3 hours. The biggest con I have with these lip balms is their smell, I don't find the mint/menthol to be very appealing and upon opening them I actually turned up my nose because the smell is so strong. It's not necessarily bad but it is definitely something that I personally do not like. I've never been a fan of scented lip products because I find that they are often very hit or miss and usually smell extremely artificial. Another con is the amount of product that you receive (2.7g/0.095oz) which is a normal amount but because the product is so sheer, you have to really pack it on to get the true color and that results in extremely quick product wear down.

Smitten BOTTOM. Romantic TOP

Overall, these are nice balms, I really like the texture and the way they feel on my lips and I love the colors but, I don't experience any real staining effect with these even after applying multiple layers so because of that, I definitely wouldn't go out of my way to get them, especially if they were not on sale. I like Revlon lip products but it seems to me that they take the same things and repackage them as slightly different. In terms of similar products, I would choose the lip butters over these because they don't have the mint smell and they seem to last longer on the lips. I'm glad that I tried them but I definitely do not see myself repurchasing these once I use them up, they just aren't unique enough for me to specifically pick them over any other pigmented balm, my favorites being the Paladio tinted balms and Revlon's lip butters.

Much love xo

DDF Brightening Cleanser- A review

Sweet holy cannoli !! I have now found my favorite new face cleanser. I received this in my October Birchbox and I officially couldn't be any happier.

I was initially very excited to try this because I have acne scarring and dark spots on the sides of my face but upon looking at a few reviews online I became a little hesitant. It seems the product is one of those things that you either despise or you can't live without it (i'm happy to say that i'm the latter) The product itself is a clear liquid with an almost gel type consistency and has a light, pleasant smell. I can't seem to pick up the licorice smell that the product claims to have. A little goes a long way with this, I use about a nickel to quarter size amount and it lathers just enough. This bottle is definitely going to last a long time.

Ingredients list

I truly love this cleanser for multiple reasons, even after the first use my skin was significantly brighter and more fresh and awake looking, because of this I especially love to use this in the morning. After about a week of using this product daily, my acne scarring definitely looks better and has started to fade just a bit. I AM THRILLED! Another pro to this cleanser is that for me, it controls the oil on my T-zone, as i've stated before I have combination skin but a severely oily T-zone which I absolutely hate because I love a matte face. After washing my face with this product it keeps my face matte throughout the entire day, I can even go so far as to say that I haven't seen any oil on my T-zone since using this cleanser. I have also seen less pimples/spots and a more even skintone since using this.

This product contains both salicylic and glycolic acid (AHA) which can increase your skin's sensitivity to the sun so use with caution and protect your skin! As with anything, if you notice any irritation then immediately discontinue use.

I wasn't sure if this cleanser could be used all over the body so I did a bit of research and it can! The DDF website states: "Excellent for face and body as part of an overall hypigmentation program" For this I am especially grateful because like any other plus size girl, I experience chub rub, so this will be a great way to keep those areas from turning dark.

Brush is by Earth Therapeutics ($2.99)

How I use this product: personally I have always washed my face with cold water (the world lets out a collective GASP!) I know that a lot of people are strictly against using cold water as well as water that is too warm but I have found that this works for me and I have experienced no ill side effects as of yet. My routine is very simple, I start by wetting my complexion brush and squeezing a small amount of cleanser directly onto it, I splash a bit of water onto my face and then clean and exfoliate for 3-5 minutes before rinsing off. The brush is gentle enough to use daily. Depending on your skintype, this cleanser can be drying so be sure to use a moisturizer afterwards.

In short, I honestly can't thank birchbox enough for sending me this. I've always been curious about lightening creams/cleansers because of my acne scarring but was too afraid to try anything but i'm glad that I have now! I encourage anyone with similar skin troubles to atleast give this a try! The full size retails for $38.00.

Much love xo

Philosophy Miracle Worker

With the arrival of the cold weather, my skincare routine is one of the first things that I change along with my clothing and makeup. My skin is naturally on the drier side and the frigid weather only makes it worse. This year, for the first time I tried out Philosophy's Miracle Worker Anti-Aging Kit (trial size) which retails for $40 and includes the moisturizer, serum and a two week supply of retinoid pads. I must say that I am in love! My favorites are the moisturizer and the serum. I like the retinoid pads but I doubt that I will repurchase. Not because they aren't good but more so because I don't think I need them. The kit sizes are as follows: the serum is 7.5ml/0.25 oz, the moisturizer is 14g/0.5 oz and 15 retinol pads.

I have dry/combination skin and I am always hesitant to try new moisturizers because they always seem to be too heavy for my liking or they leave behind an oily residue which I absolutely hate. I was looking for a great moisturizer, preferably with vitamins and/or antioxidants that sunk into my skin and did not leave anything behind. Thankfully, I have now without a doubt found my new true love! My skin happily drank up all of the products up and they left my skin feeling soft, smooth and looking radiant. I have a few tiny smile lines and I could definitely already see the difference after just a few uses. This is definitely a holy grail product and now a permanent staple in my routine.  

The retinol pads arrive dry with the solution in a separate bottle to mix once purchased. I will admit that I was at first a bit confused on whether I was supposed to pour the entire bottle onto the pads or put a small amount of solution onto a pad once I was ready to use it. After some quick research, you are to pour the entire contents of the bottle onto the pads. The pads are to be used first, after you cleanse your face you take a pad and wipe it all over your face and the back of your hands. I do like these pads because they don't leave an oily residue but I don't think I will repurchase.

The serum is to be used next. I really LOVE this product. My skin drank it up immediately and like all three of these products, did not leave a residue. The serum is clear.

The moisturizer is used last, this is my absolute favorite of the trio. It's very light and kept my skin soft and hydrated. I used a pea size amount with both this and the serum, a little goes a long way!

Much love xo

October Birchbox (Goop Edition)

Hello lovelies! This month Birchbox partnered up with Goop and offered a special collaboration box. I opted in for the goop box and to be quite honest, I like the box I received but i'm still pretty on the fence about it. There is nothing wrong with the products per say outside of the fact that 3 out of my 5 samples are just about too small to even use properly. I would have really loved to receive the Essie polish or the BeautyBlender I've been dying to try but, you win some and you lose some. The items I received are:

1. DDF Brightening Cleanser, i'm really excited to try this because I have some dark spots and acne scarring on the sides of my face. I really hope this works because if it does I will definitely be buying the larger size. The sample is a very good size at 4.5 fl oz (133ml). The full size retails for $38 USD

2. Orofluido Hair oil 0.17oz. I already use argan and olive oil on my hair so I really have no use for this but I will definitely try it. Who knows, I could really love it! The sample is good for a few uses but not many. The oil itself has a very odd, sweet scent that i'm not in love with. Full size is $29.99

3. Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum 0.06 oz. The sample is entirely too small to get enough uses out of. Like the hair oil above, this product does not have a very pleasant scent. Full size is $79

4. Perfekt Beauty Lip Perfection Gel in color "Melrose" The sample is a RIDICULOUS 0.002 fl oz (0.05ml) I have personally gotten this very same sample for FREE. It honestly angers me that this would be considered one of my "deluxe" beauty samples. It's things like this that seriously make me reconsider my subscription.

My lifestyle extra was a 3 variety pack of Mighty Leaf teas. I'm excited to try these because tea is my favorite drink. The teas are very fragrant and they smell wonderful, the tea bags themselves are well made little cloth bags versus the usual paper tea bag material.

Overall, this was a good box. The cleanser alone is worth the box price so everything else is just a bonus to me. Although i'm a little cheesed over the ironically named Perfekt sample, it will nonetheless be put to use.  I'm especially looking forward to using the teas and the DDF cleanser and will be trying these out immediately. My only gripe this month is that even though the box is supposed to be a Goop collaboration box containing products special Goop picks, I have the feeling that these items are really just leftover Birchbox stock because every last one of these items have been featured in past months, it's a little too coincidental for my liking.

You can use my referral code to sign up for your birchbox here: https://www.birchbox.com?raf=afsw7

Happy birchboxing lovelies! Much love xoxo