Sunday, September 29, 2013

Review: Garnier Skin Renew BB Cream (Combo/Oily skin)

BB creams are a lazy girl's little gift from beauty heaven. They are an amazing go-to for moisture, coverage, and SPF all-in-one. Plus, they are super quick and easy to apply. It's gorgeous looking skin in a few seconds, what's not to love? As a somewhat lazy girl myself, BB creams are my number one choice for everyday coverage. I love my Smashbox Camera Ready BB cream (review here), but I have been hunting for a good drugstore alternative. I had read some really great reviews on this Garnier BB cream so I had to pick it up and give it a try!

Product Rundown  

Price: $11.99 USD (2.0 fl oz)

This BB cream is marketed as a "miracle skin perfector" that is supposed to even tone, hydrate, renew, protect, and brighten. It has SPF 20 and comes in only 2 shades. This one is formulated for combination and oily skin types and is oil free. There is not much of a scent but it does have a slight "chemical" odor to it.


My Thoughts

This Garnier BB cream gives pretty amazing converage for a BB cream; it does a great job of creating an even skin tone and it has a really nice demi matte finish. I love that it has SPF 20 because I am very adamant about protecting my skin (no skin cancer for this girl!). The price is also a huge bonus considering how much product you get. I'm a little disappointed that this only comes in 2 shades because I know there are girls out there that won't even be able to use this product for that reason. I do not have oily skin, but purchased this formula since it was oil-free and I prefer that. I could tell that this would be great for those with oily skin because of the finish and how it seemed to completely absorb any sort of oil that was on my face. The BB cream also made my skin feel so baby soft which I, of course, love!

As much as I love everything about this BB cream and the way it looks, I ran into a huge problem with this product. It made me break out! *curses the beauty gods* After a week or two of using this, I noticed lots of small breakouts all over my cheeks and once I stopped using it, they went away. I am little heartbroken over the whole ordeal because if it had not been for that, this very well could have been my holy grail BB cream!  Another little issue I had with this product is that it is very liquidy and when you open the tube a WHOLE lot of product comes out. The product also starts to collect in the cap and it can get pretty messy. 

I have read reviews on this product and it has worked for other people, and has not caused breakouts for them. So this is a product that you would definitely have to try on your own skin to see how you react. Except for the breakouts, this is really an amazing BB cream, one of the best I've tried. So try at your own risk!

Thanks so much for reading and I hope you have an AH-mazing day!

xoxo,
Paige

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Mini Sephora Haul + First Impressions!

Hellooo everyone! I just wanted to chuck in a quick disclaimer here before I jump into the post. I AM SO SORRY for my lack of posts these last few weeks! I moved into a new apartment and have had some major internet issues. Luckily, my internet is now up and blazing so lots of new posts will be coming your way! Woohoo *raises the roof*. Now, on to the Sephora Haul....

Sephora is my shopping kryptonite. I can't resist the lure of all that amazing makeup. Cue some dramatically sad music for the suffering of my wallet. But hey, I do run a beauty blog, so it's totally justifiable, right? Right. I popped into Sephora a couple of weeks ago and didn't do too much damage, so I thought I'd give you a peek into my purchases plus give a quick first impression on some things. Let's get to it....


1. YSL Volume Effet Faux Cils Babydoll Mascara
Can we take a moment here to appreciate how gorgeous this packaging is? *angels sing in distance* I don't think it gets much more glamorous than this. I saw some amazing reviews on this mascara and just had to splurge on it. Mascara, after all, is pretty much my favorite beauty product. My first impression of this so far is HOLY CRAP this is amazing mascara. It's lengthening, seperating, and volumizing. It manages to make my lashes look amazing but it's not "heavy" if that makes sense. It's really light and doesn't weigh the lashes down or make them look spidery. I freakin' love it so far, but will continue to test it out. I will have a full review of this in the coming weeks!

2. Bobbi Brown Under Eye Corrector


I have wanted to try this product for like eons now (okay, that's a little dramatic) but if you have been reading my blog, you know I struggle with some pretty gnarly dark under eye circles. This Bobbi Brown corrector is salmon colored, which is supposed to cancel out that deep purple color of dark under eye circles. I have tried it out a few times, and so far I am pretty impressed. This product has been hyped up quite a bit, so I was a little leery, BUT it seems to work as well as everyone has been saying. It totally cancels out any darkness. The shade I chose is "Light to Medium Bisque". I have had this crease on me a tad, so I'm still working out just how I should apply it. I will also review this fully very soon!

3. Dior Creme de Rose Smoothing Plumping Lip Balm


Again, I just have to appreciate some pretty packaging. I have read tons of amazing things about this lip balm so it has been on my makeup wish list for a little while now. The price can be a little shocking, but if you can justify it, this is an amazing lip balm. I have never tried a lip balm that makes my lips so smooth and so amazing looking. The claims that this is a plumping lip balm are completely accurate. I smear a little of this on and it's like "HELLOOO luscious lips". I can't get enough of this right now!

4. Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer

Okay, I may be a little obsessed with buying under eye concealers! What can I say, I'm just trying to find the best of the best. I bought this concealer with the intent on using it under the eyes so I got it in a lighter shade than my skin for brightening purposes. I picked up the lightest shade "Chantilly" but be warned it is VERY light. I can make it work, but it's definitely paler than I expected it to be. This concealer can also be used for blemishes and over cover-up purposes as well if you were to purchase it in your skin shade. I think I am most impressed with how much coverage this concealer gives, yet it's not cakey. I haven't tried it out too much yet, so I will definitely update with a full review. But so far, I like it!

5. GLAMGLOW YOUTHMUD mask/treatment


I was so happy to find a small jar of this at Sephora for a cheaper price because I have been dying to try this! I've yet to try it out but have heard amazing things. I will definitely review this once I use it up!

Not a crazy amount of products, but all things I've been dying to try. I will have reviews on all these products in the coming weeks, so keep your eyes out! Thanks so much for reading and I hope you have an AH-mazing day!

xoxo,
Paige