Memebox Haul Part 2 featuring Benton, Tony Moly, and more!

Hey, lovelies! Welcome back for Part 2 of my massive Memebox haul! Just in case you missed Part 1, just click here. I got some really awesome stuff from the brand Shara Shara. In this haul, I'll cover a few products from different brands. 

From Benton, I purchased the Snail Bee High Content Essence. I am so freaking excited to try this out. I've been really interested in trying out some essences, boosters, and ampoules. I know that Anastasia over at Glamorable uses this and recommends it. So of course I needed it. If you want to know more about essences, she recently posted about them here. 

I also purchased a super cute Skin Care Trial Set from Dear by Enprani. In this set comes a 65mL Moistfull Booskin, and both the Bounce Cheese Cream, and Tone-up Cheese Cream, each 15mL. I already own the full size Bounce Cheese Cream, and I'm completely in love with it. The Booskin has rave reviews, and I just needed to try the Tone-up Cream to compare it with the Bounce Cream. 

Anyone familiar with Korean skincare has heard of the Brand Tony Moly. They have some of the sweetest looking packaging! While the packaging on their Pure Eco Snail Moisture Gel is pretty cute, I'm more concerned about what's inside. This gel is primarily made of snail mucin. 90%, to be exact! I know how incredibly hydrating snail filtrate is, and I couldn't pass up anything with this high a concentration for this big for such a low price. I only paid 5.50$ for a 12.8 oz tub! Since it's a gel, I'm probably going to hold off on using it until the weather stays consistently warm.

Imselene is a brand I'm not super familiar with, but donkey milk products have been popping up on my radar lately. Having only tried one sleeping mask, I had to get this and try it out. In case you were wondering, it's the Donkey Milk Holic Sleeping Mask Pack. With 3.52 oz of product, I'm not sure when I'll get through this. I only really use my other sleeping mask once or twice a week. 

Anyhoo, thanks for joining me today! If you have any super cool recommendations on Korean skincare products for dry/combination skin, please let me know. Until next time...

Kiss, Kiss.

-A

Winter Nighttime Skincare Routine

Alright, so a few weeks ago I covered my Winter Morning Skincare Routine. In that post, I covered my skintype and my skincare concerns. My morning routine tends to be less strenuous than my night time routine. At night, it's easier for me to pile on the heavier products and add more products in. As a disclaimer, I don't do all of these steps every night.

First Cleanse

Oil cleanser have gotten a lot of attention, as of late, and for good reason. These are great at removing makeup and impurities gently and effectively without stripping the skin. I'm finishing up my first bottle of the Julep Bare Face Cleansing Oil. It looks like they changed the name on it, but it's still the same product. Used on it's own, it's a great hydrating cleanser. It has grapeseed and olive oils which are great for getting rid of excess sebum and hydrating the skin, respectively. I like to use it to remove my makeup on the days where I wear it.

Second Cleanse

Sometimes, I put on a lot of makeup. Like a whole lot of makeup. My first cleanse doesn't get all of it off my face, like stubborn mascara, I go in with my Neutrogena Naturals Fresh Cleansing & Makeup Remover. This is my main cleanser on days where I don't wear makeup at all. I really like the fresh apple scent and how creamy it is.

Tone

Toner is super important for balancing the pH of your skin after you cleanse. It can also help to address skin concerns such as irritation and inflammation. I like to use a witch hazel based toner like Dickinson's Original Witch Hazel Pore Perfecting Toner. This is an all natural toner made with 86% witch hazel or witch hazel extract. Witch hazel is great for reducing redness and helping to repair small tears in the skin.

Mask

Masking is a very important step in my skincare routine. If I ever feel my skin is getting a bit off balance, I can use a mask as a quick push in the right direction. I use several different masks, each one addressing a different concern. As a rule, I use some type of mask at least 3 times a week. My current favorites are the Cucumber Gel and Rose Stemcell Masks from Peter Thomas Roth, and the Hydrating Bubble Mask from elf Cosmetics.

Mist

If I'm not doing a mask and I still want a little moisture boost, I use a facial mist. I'm currently using Shara Shara's Vita Aura Level Up Mist. This is a Korean skincare product that's a dual layer mist, so be sure to shake it before each use. Containing Vitamin C, it helps to brighten skin and the oil layer helps add a bit of moisture.

Serums

I use up to 2 different serums in given night. For everyday use is the elf Soothing Serum. This one I use specifically for the nutrient boost. It has Vitamin E, Jojoba, Shea, and Aloe. The second serum, I actually use first because it's thinner. This one is the IQ Naturals Argireline Serum with Hyaluronic Acid. This is one of the first anti-aging products I've incorporated into my skincare routine. Argireline is used specifically to reduce the depth of wrinkles. Hyaluronic acid is amazing for dry skin. Just one gram of this stuff can hold up to 6 liters of water! Because argireline can irritate the skin, I only use this serum 3 times a week.

Night Cream

This is a night cream that I used to use and then stopped using it to try out a different product. I picked it back up again because, a) I had finished my previous night cream and, b) I wanted to use it before it expired. The Proactiv Clarifying Night Cream has salicylic acid in it which helps to get rid of any dark marks and refine the texture of the skin. 

Oil

I've started using facial oils, and it really does help make the skin really supple. I'm currently using the Now Solutions Apricot Oil. It doesn't have much of a smell, but it feels really nice on the skin. It soaks in quickly and doesn't leave an greasy residue. A few drops covers the entire face. 

Moisturizer

This moisturizer is my very favorite product in my skincare routine. I mentioned it in my morning routine, as well. It's the Dear by Enprani Bounce Cheese Cream. Enprani is a Korean brand, and their Dear by line is fantastic. I've sample about 4 products from it and I love them all. This moisturizer is stringy, like cheese, and just a little bit goes a really long way. I will absolutely be repurchasing this when it looks like I'm going to run out. 

Sleeping Mask

In place of my moisturizer a couple times a week, I use a sleeping mask. This is also a new thing to Western skincare. Sleeping masks are designed to give the skin an extra boost. You apply it at the end of your routine, let it sink in, and rinse it off in the morning. My very first sleeping mask, and my current sleeping mask, is the Ladykin Emalju Mangchee Lifting Mask. It comes with a tiny little spatula, that you don't think will be enough product but is! The texture is really thin yet silky. It smells light and sweet. 

So that's it! That's how my nights usually look. Like I said up top, I don't use all of these products at the same time. For example, on a night I wear makeup, I would use both cleansers, toner, mask, serums (only using the argireline serum on MWF), night cream, oil, then moisturizer. That's pretty typical for me. If I want to do a short routine, I would use the second cleanser, tone, and moisturize. That's it. The products that I use depend on my skin's needs and my energy levels. So I hope that was informative for you all! See you next time. 

Kiss, Kiss.

-A

Amazing Skin Benefits featuring Foxbrim Certified Organic Castor Oil

I wanted to branch out into the world of oils since my sister told me how much she's really been loving them. My mom has always used castor oil, and I just never got into it, but recently the rise in the oil trend has gotten me interested in trying some out. I got the opportunity to try out the Foxbrim Certified Organic Castor Oil for a discounted price thanks to HonestFew. 

The product has very basic packaging. It comes in a thick, brown glass bottle with a twist off cap. My only complaint about the bottle, is that you can't control how much product comes when you pour it. As far as the consistency of the oil goes, it's very thick. I new castor oil was a thicker oil, but for some reason I didn't expect it to be as thick as it was. Even though it is thick, it does absorb quickly and completely into the skin. With that being said, I feel like it takes at least 2 layers to get the desired moisture that I need. The oil has no discernible scent. 

I purchased this oil to use on my skin. I had intended to use it on my face. Castor is great for cleansing the skin. Whether it be to take off makeup or strictly as an oil cleanser, it works great. It's great to rub into the skin and then apply a hot towel to steam out blackheads. Just make sure the towel isn't too hot. Wouldn't want to burn yourself. 

It's also really good to lighten or help prevent stretch marks. I have stretch marks from my first pregnancy. I haven't gotten any new ones with my current pregnancy (knock on wood!), but the prospect of making my old ones less visible sounds amazing. All I have to do is rub castor oil on my zebra stripes and wrap myself in plastic wrap to let it soak in. That will have to wait until after I give birth, though. Castor oil can cause uterine contractions, and little man has a bit longer to cook. It also works on scars!

The last thing I want to point out for castor oil use for the skin is that it's a natural way to get rid of cystic acne. All you have to do is wash your face or steam it with warm water to open your pores before you go to bed. Rub some of the castor oil onto the areas you want to clear up. When you wake in the morning, rinse it off. You should notice that the size of the blemishes has decreased over night. So what's the catch? You can't do it everyday. 

I hope this was helpful for you all! Thanks for stopping by!

Kiss, Kiss.

-A

February 2016 Ipsy Glam Bag Unboxing

Welcome back guys! I have some bad news for you: this is going to be my last Ipsy bag for a while, because I finally decided to unsubscribe. I've been contemplating this for a while. Last month's and December's bags didn't convince me to stay, so this will be my last review unless I decide to subscribe again in the future. I've been a subscriber since April 2013, so it's been a good run.

February's theme is Pretty in #IpsyPink. Of course the theme had to be cute and girly for Valentine's Day month.The bag reflects the theme too. The front is a textured with a black background and white envelope with a heart in the center. The back is plain hot pink. I'm not a fan of this bag at all. It's definitely getting passed along. 

Let's go through the products from least exciting to most exciting starting with Paula Dorf Baby Eyes Enhancer. This eye pencil is teeny tiny, coming in at a whopping .5 g. It's a nude shade to brighten the waterline. I have probably used nude or white in my waterline twice, so this won't be getting a lot of use from me. 

The other item I have zero interest in is the Passionate Pink Lip Pencil from Chella. It's a deep pink, almost red, color, and those just don't suite me. I would have been happier with another of their brow products. 

From Jersey Shore Spa is the Anti Aging Lip & Hand Polish in the scent Vanilla Bean. I thought this was a moisturizer at first, but I'm pleasantly surprised to see that it's actually a scrub. The first ingredient is brown sugar, which is promising. It shouldn't be very abrasive.

I am always up for a new brush. I got another brush from Luxie this month, but this time it was the 221 Flat Definer. Like all their other brushes I've tried, the bristles are super soft. I have high hopes for this in using it to smudge out the lower lash line.

Smashbox recently released their new Photo Finish Primer Oil, and I got a sample of it in my bag this month. I'm pretty interested in this oil. Looking at the ingredients list I see a ton of different oils and extracts that went into this for added skin benefits, so the claim that it will reduce fine lines and help skin retain more moisture after 4 weeks of use is definitely believable. 

My last product of the month is a bonus item. I redeemed 1000 points for the Pur~Lisse Pur~Moist Hydra Balance Moisturizer. I'd gotten a sample of this from one of subscriptions in the past, and I really like Pur~Lisse products in general. 

Price Summary - 

Paula Dorf Pencil: 9.09

Chella Pencil: 9.00?

Jersey Shore Spa Polish (FULL SIZE): 25.00

Luxie Brush (FULL SIZE): 12.00

Smashbox Primer: 5.46

Pur~Lisse Moisturizer (FULL SIZE): 55.00

Total - 60.55$ USD

I may resubscribe in the future, but I think it's time to move on and try out some different subscription services. If you wanna check out the very first Ipsy Glam Bag I ever posted, just click here. Until next time...

Kiss, Kiss.
-A

Memebox Haul Part 1 feat the Shara Shara Box

Since I got back into skincare, Korean skincare has been at the forefront of my mind when it comes to what's best and the most innovative. I was looking at the Memebox app recently and saw that the Shara Shara Box was back in stock. I flipped out! I've been wanting to try one of their All-in-One Ampoules since I first heard of them. I wanted to purchase this box the first time it was on the site, but just didn't have the funds then. I immediately added it to my cart since it came with either the Honey Bomb or Berry Bomb Ampoules and proceeded to see if there was anything else on the site that caught my eye. The purchase price on this box was 32$. All these together retail for a total of 80$! Just the price of the Ampoule covered the cost of the box. 

Let me tell you about this stuff. I ended up getting the Honey Bomb All-in-One Ampoule. I wanted the Berry. Oh well. Anyway, this is supposed to combine the benefits of a toner, serum, and moisturizer. If you don't like having a really extensive skincare routine like I do, or you just happen to be running late one day, this could shorten your routine by a lot. 

If you wanted sole purpose moisturizer, this box has the Water Girl's Ice Cream, which is a gel/cream formula for rapid absorbtion. I feel like this would be great for me in the warmer months when my skin doesn't need as much moisture or as heavy a moisturizer as I would use in the winter. The packaging is way too cute! Just look at that polar bear!

The Kissing Sugar Lip Scrub has an adorable little lady on the tin. Made with brown sugar, avocado oil, walnut seed powder, and shea butter, this scrub has great ingredients inside. The tin isn't super sanitary, but it's portable and easy to use.

A newly added item is the Vita Aura Level Up Mist. The original Shara Shara Box didn't include this product. This great smelling mist has two phases, so be sure to shake it before each use. It's supposed to be applied like a makeup primer, but it has added skin benefits from its various plant and fruit extracts. 

The last included product was the Black Source Eye Sunglass. This little guy is an eye mask that's supposed to help add hydration, reduce the appearance of wrinkles, and brighten the eye area. It's a one time use mask, but it's really cute. 

Also included in the box was a Tosowoong Pure Aloe Mask sheet mask. Memebox is great about including extras in each order. I've never tried any products from Tosowoong, so I'm excited to see how their sheet masks stack up. 

Aside from the box, my mom wanted a few things. She's wanted to try our a foot peel for the longest time, so I had her look at the couple that were on memebox.com. She ended up choosing Kocostar Foot Therapy. And I got one for myself. So far, this is the only thing from this haul that I've tried out. So far so good! Be on the look out for a full review of this. 

The last item in this haul is actually hair care and also my mom's. She was running out of her current hair growth oil and wanted to try something new. In the "New" section I found the La'dor Scalp Helper Hair Tonic. It has so many great ingredients in it to promote a healthy scalp and hair growth. 

Kiss, Kiss.

-A

New Ready Meals from Prego and Pace!

I don't normally do food reviews on my blog, but I had to talk about these new Ready Meals from Pace and Prego. Just a bit of background info before we start: I'm a BzzAgent. That means I sometimes get chosen to review product for free. That's the case with these Ready Meals. If you'd like to sign up to review everything from pasta and juice to razors and mascara, BzzAgent is free to sign up. 

Prego and Pace are owned by the same parent company, so it makes sense that both would have a Ready Meals line. The Prego Ready Meals are more Italian style, whereas the Pace version is more TexMex. When I was selected for this BzzCampaign, I was given the choice between 3 Prego meals, 3 Pace meals, or 2 different combinations of both. I chose the option with 2 Prego Ready Meals and 1 Pace. I knew I needed to try one from each, but my heart already knew that when I purchased these myself, it would only be Prego.

Just to get it out of the way, I want to start with the singular Pace Ready Meal of the bunch. I ended up with the flavor Cheesy Chicken Quesadilla. I was surprised with how much I liked this one. I thought it would be my least favorite. The rice was cooked well, and the sausage wasn't rubbery. I really enjoyed this. The good thing is that this particular meal only has 290 calories, but it will definitely fill you up.

Marinara & Italian Sausage Rotini was the only Ready Meal I didn't eat. It just didn't appeal to me as far as looks and ingredients go. I'm sure if I wasn't pregnant, I would have eaten it, but the baby said that didn't look good, so I didn't eat it lol. I gave it to my mom to take with her to work. This one has 390 calories, which is still great for a single serving meal for those on a low cal diet. 

My very favorite of the bunch was the Creamy Three Cheese Alfredo Rotini. You had me at cream sauce. I just couldn't help myself. This was the very first one I ate, and then I immediately regretted it. I wanted another. There was more than enough sauce, which is amazing since I feel like most microwavable meals sacrifice on sauce to save calories. This badboy had a ton of sauce for only 390 calories. Take notes, other companies!

You can find Prego and Pace Ready Meals at your local Walmart and Target stores. Pros of this product are the short prep time, flavor variety, and low calorie count. Cons: it doesn't come with a fork. #FirstWorldProblems

Kiss, Kiss.

-A

Maybelline Dream Matte Velvet Foundation Review

I love Maybelline! Maybelline has been one of my very favorite drugstore brands since I got into makeup about 4.5 years ago. They make my very favorite lipstick formula (ColorSensational), and most of my drugstore foundations are from Maynelline, as well. In fact, the very first liquid foundation I ever tried was the original Maybelline Fit Me Foundation. Since then, I've purchased so many of their foundations, including both the Dream Fresh and Dream Pure BB Creams, Fit Me Matte & Poreless, Instant Age Rewind, Dream Matte Mousse, and Dream Liquid Mousse. So when the new Dream Matte Velvet Foundation dropped, I bought it within days of it's release. 

This foundation comes in a squeeze tube that contains 1.0 oz of product, which is standard size for a foundation. There are 12 shades in the range, but only 2 that are suited for darker skin. I have the second deepest shade, 92 Caramel. I found that the color match was slightly off. It was a bit more olive than yellow toned, but once it set and after highlighting and bronzing, it wasn't even noticeable. 

You can buy this product in stores at your local CVS, Walgreens, Target, Walmart, Ulta, etc, or online at places like drugstore.com. I, personally found mine a few weeks ago on the very first end cap at my local Walmart. Pricing ranges from 9.89 - 10.99$ USD. 

It has light-medium buildable coverage. I usually go for foundations with this type of coverage because I don't have a lot of imperfections to cover, but this one I have to use at least 2 layers to get the desired effect. In the photos, I show you the difference between each consecutive application, as well as my bare face. I applied 2. I generally only apply makeup if I'm going to work or "wearing real clothes" (ie not sweats or jammies). On this day, I was just out and about. I wore the foundation for 4-5 hours before removing it. I have yet to find a foundation that doesn't let my oils come through, but this one does break up around my nose which is the oiliest part of my face. 

Overall, I would give this foundation a 7/10. The price is great, the coverage is good for my needs, but with the undertones being slightly off and the fact that it doesn't hold up to my oils when my skin is at its driest is what kept it from being closer to a 10. I would recommend this for people who have dry to normal skin and want to try a matte foundation. If you have combination skin, this could also work for you, but people with very oily skin should probably stay away unless you usually touch up your foundation through out the day. 

Kiss, Kiss.

-A