April 2016 Favorites | Current Beauty Obsessions

Hey guys! Welcome to my April Beauty Favorites. This is actually a combination of my current favorite beauty obsessions that I have been loving the past few months.

Make sure you let me know you current beauty favs in the comments section!

►Products Mentioned

Pixi Correct Concentrate http://tinyurl.com/l9t7hxv

City Color Be Matte Blushes http://tinyurl.com/jscbjfl

Morphe 34K Palette http://tinyurl.com/j3mcbc6

NYX Micro Brow Pencil http://tinyurl.com/oqpl23p

NYX Retractable Lip Pencil http://tinyurl.com/j93kfvs

ColourPop Lippie Stick https://colourpop.com/product/cookie/

Lorac Alter Ego Lipgloss http://tinyurl.com/za57gu7

Eylure No 126 Lashes http://tinyurl.com/hnucj9f

Nip+Fab Glycolic Fix Overnight Purifying Gel http://tinyurl.com/jmo7j9p

Josie Maran 100% Argan Oil http://www.sephora.com/100-percent-pure-argan-oil-P218700

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►Snapchat: nic.nackk

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►BornPrettyStore: RLL91 receive 10% off www.bornprettystore.com

►Use Code NicoleL to receive 10% off your next City Color Cosmetics order. http://citycolorcosmetics.com/

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DISCLAIMER: All thoughts and opinions are my own. All products used were purchased by me. 

Some links are affiliated.

Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix Overnight Purifying Gel Review

::Comes out of Hiding::

Happy Sunday! I know I have kind of abandoned this blog when it comes to writing content. You may have noticed I've jumped on the Youtube band wagon but I miss writing blog posts so I am going to try and fit it into my schedule moving forward! I would like to dedicate myself much more to blogging than I have in the past year or so. I will continue to post my video's on here - which I understand watching videos and reading posts are such a personal preference in the beauty community so I hope you all don't mind!

Anyway, today I am coming at you with a Skincare product review. First, let me give you an update on my skin since this past summer. My skin became sensitive to cyclopentasiloxane and cyclohexasiloxane (2 types of silicones) OUT OF NOWHERE. I used to, very graciously, be the kind of girl that could put anything on her face, and it wouldn't effect my skin at all. But this past August, I noticed an increase in my clogged pores. Clogged pores have always been my biggest skin issue/concern but they were always easily manageable no matter what ingredients were causing them.

With the sensitivity, I began to have a much harder time getting ride of these clogged pores. Usually, I'd see them go away within 2-3 days. However, as I became sensitive to these silicones, I noticed they started to linger for about a week-a week and a half. Totally unacceptable! 

The most disappointing part of it all was my once perfect skincare routine was letting me down! Que the Nip+Fab Glycolic Fix Overnight Purifying Gel. The whole reason why I found this product in the first place was thanks to Desi Perkins. I was watching her snap chat about her skin (which is damn near perfect) and she contributed her clear skin to glycolic acid (a topical exfoliant). Glycolic Acid is meant to safely remove dead skin cells allowing fresh skin cells to surface.  Glycolic Acid is great because it's an alternative to harsh facial scrubs that can actually do more damage than good. 

I headed to the drugstore to just peruse the skincare isle and was thrilled to find the Nip+Fab Glycolic Fix Overnight Purifying Gel with an affordable price tag labeled on it (around $15). 

Within a week of using this product I noticed a huge change in my skin. The pesky flesh toned bumps were finally starting to go away, and after about 3 weeks, my skin tone became more even. This product contains 4% glycolic acid as well as salicylic acid which really helps to draw out anything that is clogging my pores. This product also contains Vitimin B3 which is what helps the most with uneven skintone.

The product does have a smell to it - to me it smells like grapefruit, but not artificial grapefruit fragrance.

Overall, I would recommend this product for so many different reasons; If you struggle with acne or clogged pores, want to even your skintone, need an anti aging product, or need an exfoliant that is NOT a scrub.

I also want to quickly mention how important reading the ingredients are when choosing makeup/skincare. Even though this product is in my life, the two silicones still wreak havoc on my skin when I apply anything containing them. I highly reccomend taking an inventory of anything that you apply to your skin to see if there is a common ingredient. If you struggle with keeping your skin clear, doing this kind of research can save you so much time in the long run.

Phew, that was much longer of a post than I expected it to be! But I hope you found this post helpful :)


What products have you found that have been life changing?

August 2014 Favorites

Hey everyone! I hope you are all enjoying the weekend. Today I am sharing with you my August Favorites. I don't know about anyone else but I am so ready for Fall! I'm not the biggest fan of summer because I get super cranky in the heat but give me my blankets and a cup of hot chocolate and I am a happy camper! A lot of these products are rediscovered products since I have been on a low buy for some time but these are still really great products to try out if you haven't already!

On my nails this month I have ben loving Zoya's Lola.I've worn this a few times this month and it's a really pretty bright cool toned pink with blue/purple duochrome shimmer. Perfect for summer!

On my cheeks I have been wearing a rediscovered product a ton and that is TheBalm's Hot Mama Blush. It's a peach pink with gold shimmer. This blush is so so shimmery!!! but not in a chunky way. I had this on and I caught a glipse of myself in the mirror and literally had to think back to recall if I had put highlighter on my cheekbones because there was such a strong presence of the gold shimmer on my cheek. I would even say skip the highlighter when you use this blush. If you like peachy pinks I definitely recommend this one especially over Nars Orgasm just because i think it's a smoother application and less expensive!

 

My highlight fav. of the month is Benefit's Watt's Up. I'm just jumping on the bandwagon with this one and only becuase I received a sample of it but I do really enjoy this as a highlight - it's a cream to powder champagne highlight. I have a post about it here.

For my hair I have been loving using this styling wand by Remmington (I use the 1/2" to 1") I'll start by saying that this isn't even mine but my sisters! 

It has 3 levels of heat - I always use the highest level. I tried this one day after I got home from work on a Friday and didn't feel like washing my hair and it worked SO well on my 3rd day hair! the only negative about this is that for me, it ONLY works on my really dirty hair. I find the curls created with the wand hold up better than when I use my straightener to make waves - idk if that has anything to do with the product itself or not. I love using the wand a lot better than a curling iron or a straightener becuase I can keep the ends of my hair straight - I just really like that look and I can accomplish it really easily with the wand - I definitely want to try one with a thicker barrell - I know the NuMe wand is big right now on YouTube and they are giving tons of beauty channels codes for our use.

 

I have been loving a couple of lip products this month.  Love Love Love the Rimmel Show Off Liquid Lip Lacquer  in Celestial. Color payoff is amazing and it feels really comfortable on the lips! I got about 2-3 hours wear out of this. o\One down side is that it does leave your lips feeling a bit dry so I have been using a soft lips balm underneath this product.

 

The other lipstick i have been enjoying is the Revlon Pink About It Matte Lipstick– So I contemplating selling this in a blog sale but decided to give it one more go and ended up really liking it. Unfortunately, I jut looked it up online and saw that it's been discontinued! Pink About it Is a medium bright pink shade. On some it may even look a bit coral and pull more pink with orange undertone. The formula is not too drying for a matte finish - probably the most comfortable matte I own to wear.

My favorite skin care product this month is an AHA which is a collection of compounds such as glycolic acid, lactic acid, citric acid, etc. The AHA I have been using is a drugstore brand called Alpha Hydrox with 10% Glycolic AHA. I use this as an exfoliant, instead of a harsh scrub and it has made my skin so much smoother and very soft. 

Top to Bottom: Hot Mama, Celestial, Pink About It

What products have you been loving this month!?

Fall Essentials: Skin Care (Boots, Origins, & Clinique)

Happy Hump Day! As promised, I am bringing you my favorite skin care products I use during the fall (and winter) seasons. For the record, my skin is normal to dry during this time of year. I am clog prone but have found a couple of amazing products to get rid of my pesky clogged pores (cellnique skin action sebum gel and one that will be mentioned in this post)! My skin care routine doesn't really change in the winter but there are a few products I add to assist with making my skin look healthy and hydrated. 

First, I use the Boots No7 Beautiful Skin Hydration Mask whenen I feel like my skin needs a boost of moisture. The product itself is a peachy pink and white thick and creamy consistency. I use 1-1.5 pumps to cover my face and then maybe add just a little more to extra dry areas. Very few things irritate my skin but this is a hypoallergenic mask so if you experience irritation, this mask is one to try. I normally don't use this every week but it can be used on a weekly basis for 10 minutes at a time to give your skin some extra moisture. When I rinse this off with warm water it literally melts off the skin and leaves my skin with a beautiful, hydrated and soft texture. 

When my pores seem to be extra clogged I use the Origins Clear Improvement Mask. This mask is really great for any time of the year but I especially like this in the winter time. I used to use Clinique's Step #2, the toner, when my skin was not cooperating but I found that to be a bit drying. This is a charcoal mask so it does get hard and a little uncomfortable as you keep it on but the mask is not drying whatsoever. It dries to a clay like consistency and attacks what ever dirt is in your pores and helps give your skin a clearer appearance. I use this 1-2 times a week OR I use it as a spot treatment if I have any pimples or breakouts.

And of course I couldn't do a fall essentials post for my dry skin without  a moisturizer. I use Clinique's Turnaround Overnight Radiance Moisturizer every night and I feel like this makes such a difference in my skin. My skin doesn't quiet glow the next morning but it looks very even, smooth and healthy. The moisturizer promotes cell turnover so I am left with fresh, new skin cells which is why I don't even feel the need to apply much foundation the next day. When applying this after washing my face at night it does feel thick in texture but ask it sinks in it gives your skin a nice smooth feeling. I always apply my moisturizer while my face or hands are still a bit damp. This helps the moisturizer sink into the skin, rather than just sitting on top of it. Before purchasing this I read many reviews with ladies of all skin types so I think this would be a great product no matter what your skin type.

What skin care products do you especially love in the fall?

Neutrogena Rapid Tone Repair Moisturizer SPF30

The term 'Holy Grail" is not a term I through around loosely. However, I have found my holy grail product to decrease the appearance of post acne scarring and other pesky spots that seem to take forever to go away or linger forever. 

I rarely break out (and I knock on wood every time I write that), but when I do it always tends to occur in the same spot - usually in between my cheekbones and the corner on my mouth - these breakouts always leaves me with a cluster of post acne marks that never go away and are tough to conceal.

I purchased Neutrogena's Rapid Tone Repair Moisturizer SPF30 (the day time version) 5 months ago (there is also a nighttime version, without the SPF). It claimed to diminish the appearance of spots and it had added bonuses of vitamin c, retinol and SPF30 - the perfect day time moisturizer in a nutshell. 

In all honesty, I had little hope that this would do wonders for my marks - but for $20, I purchased in anyway. 

I am pleased to report that after a month of use, my acne marks were barley noticeable. My skin tone is now more even. I have been skipping concealer around my problem areas completely for the past month and a half - 2 months.  I can't really report to much about what the retinol is doing for my skin, but it is a nice added ingredient. 

Onto the product itself - the packaging is nice and sturdy in the moisturizer's glass pump container. It's travel friendly as you can twist the pump shut. 

The texture is light which is somewhat of a con (for me). I do have drier skin and it does take some more product to feel my skin is adequately moisturized. This would be great for oily skin because it sinks in really nicely and doesn't leave and oily appearance. The texture also makes this product ideal to wear under makeup. The high dose of SPF also surprisingly does not leave a white cast over your face either. Below is the product almost completely rubbed in. You can see somewhat of a white shade, but once you completely let the product soak it, that disappears.

The scent is nice, a little citrusy but nothing too strong.

Overall, I do deem this my holy grail spot correcting product! My spots have diminished significantly. I love that I don't need to use a separate product with SPF in it during the daytime, and it's a 'comfortable' moisturizer to wear without it feeling heavy at all. I am definitely going to repurchase this moisturizer in the future.

Have you tried the Neutrogena Rapid Tone Repair Moisturizer?

Get UNready with me: Night Time Skincare

Hello ladies. Today I wanted to share with you my nighttime routine before I wind down at night. Before I get into it I'll explain a little bit about my skin type and concerns. Currently, I have normal to dry skin and am clog prone. I only get minor breakouts if I become terrible at taking off my makeup before falling asleep at night. I'm not perfect and this definitely happens more often than it should! I do tend to get clogged pores which I am happy to say I have found a product that really helps with this issue. I also have concerns of discoloration from acne marks but have yet to find anything that truly helps with this situation.

I have a mixture of drugstore products to high end. Somethings I just believe are worth the price tag for my skin.

I start by using Mac's Cleanse Off Oil. The one I have right now is their tranquil version, they also have an original formula. They both do a really good job at breaking down my makeup and remove it really gently. The tranquil oil has added ingredients like sea grass, peach leaf, chamomile-derived bisabolol grape seed oil, olive leaf, sunflower and lavender.
I use two pumps and gently massage it around my DRY face (this does not work well wet). If I need I'll add another pump and concentrate around my eyes if I wear a lot of eye makeup.  

Even though the Cleanse Off Oil acts as a cleanser as well, I still continue to use a separate product to really cleanse my face. For the past few months I have been using the Neutrogena Naturals Purifying Facial Cleanser. I have purchased this twice, and will probably need to get a third bottle very soon. This is a gentle cleanser that contains   natural salicylic acid which I believe t be one of the main reasons my skin has been staying spot free. It's main purpose is to remove dirt oil and buildup that get into pores. This does leave my skin a bit dry because of the salicylic acid so I did have to purchase a stronger moisturizer. One negative aspect of this cleanser is the strong scent it has which makes me question how 'natural it rally is.' 

To exfoliate I have discovered this Queen Helene Oatmeal and Honey Natural Facial Scrub. I purchased this on a whim with out having heard anything about it. Depending on your skin sensitivity this may or may not be for everyday use. The tiny grains are not too abrasive. This leaves my skin feeling really soft and smooth after a couple of uses each week. The best part about this scrub is that the exfoliants DON'T dissolve so you aren't 

rushing to scrub this around your face before they disappear!  

After I cleanse and exfoliate I use my Holy Grail skin care product that has helped my skin tremendously. Yes, I said it, Hole Grail. The Cellnique Skin Action Sebum Gel is my skin savior. As mentioned before I am really clog prone so I get these annoying little bumps around my face. This is my third bottle of this stuff and every time I run out and go a week without it I notice a huge increase of clogged pores.  This is also great at calming down spots and preventing them as well. I notice fewer breakouts when I use the gel as well. This may also even out skin tone. The website does not say anything about reducing scars or marks but personally, I have seen my scars fade. 

Finally, the moisturizer I have been using is the Origins A Perfect World Anti Aging moisturizer. I have been using this since November. This is made with white tea which makes it smell absolutely amazing. It moisturizers really well and claims to provide a whole bunch of antioxidant benefits. The moisturizer is meant to neutralize free radicals before they deface skin. A Perfect World also contains Vitamin C to help brighten skin tone. It's obviously really hard to see proof of this moisturizer defending my skin against pollutants and such but as far as moisturizing goes, its really nice and it smells great. 

What are some of your favorite night time skin care items?
xxx

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February Favorites 2013

March is here and we are one step closer to spring :) I am surprised I got this post done in time considering there were only 28 days to February! Allow me to get started

Eyes and Cheeks:

Wet n' Wild Brule: This is the my lids but better eyeshadow I have been looking for! It has been sold out pretty much every time I go to search for it in any drugstore. I finally found it at a CVS and I am already regretting not purchasing a bunch of backups. It is a creamy nude tone color that matches my skin tone perfectly. I have been using this as a wash of color all of my lid and then something like Soft Brown  or Wedge by Mac in the crease for a simple everyday - work look.

Mac Blush Cantaloupe - This is one of Macs Pro shades that I received in a swap. It does not look like much in the pan by any means but on my NC20 skintone it gives a really nice neutral flush.

L'Oreal Colour Caresse Shine Stains - I am going to do a proper review on this product very soon but I had to share this today because I have but I have been wearing this all month! These are especially good for going out at night when I don't have room in my wristlet for any sort of lip product. I swipe some on before I head out at it lasts a good portion on the night! After the gloss fades it leaves a nice color stain on your lips. I have the shade Rose On and On - a wearable pink shade.

Lip Combo Alert - NYX Pumpkin Pie + Laura Mercier Lip Glace Bare Naked: A nude combo I have been loving. Bothe of these products are amazing enough on their own but together they look so nice. They can be seen work together here


Nyx Jumbo Pencil in Milk - This was a product I rediscovered this month. I really disliked this product when I first bought it. I wore it as a base but it creased terribly on me. This month I have been only wearing this in my inner corner to brighten my eyes up and I find it works really well for this purpose!

Queen Helene Scrub I was looking for a new exfoliator and I came across this in the drugstore - Honey and Oats Scrub by Queen Helene. It's such a successful scrub because unlike most other scrubs I have used, the ingredient that is actually meant to scrub does not dissolve!! Your not working quickly to scrub each part of your face before the exfoliators disappear on you. I only really use then when I find I have dry patches of skin that I need to scrub away.

My favorite nail polish this month was definitely L'Oreal's Now You Sea Me. I rarely wear the same polish more that 2x in a year let a long in one month! I have a full post on this polish here

January 2013 Favorites

It is my favorite time of the month! Favorites posts & videos. This month I have been focusing on my skin and have not been doing much makeup, mostly because I am too lazy in the morning at 7:30AM to do a complete face. Since this is also my first favorites I thought I would show you essential products that are ALWAYS in my makeup/beauty routine 

• BareMinerals The Shinging Moment Limunizer: review here
• Revlon Colorstay Whipped Foundation review here. 
• Mac Careblend Powder This is my first compact but it is quite a nice powder. It's very smooth and gives nice coverage. Prior to this I used the Mac MSFN but I broke mine, unfortunately.  find this has a little bit more coverage than the MSFN.
• L'Oreal Liner Intense felt tip liner I have been using this for years now. It's the only liner I will use on my upper lash line.  It allows you to draw such precise lines and it lasts ALL DAY.
• Nars Luster: Nars blushes are hands down my favorite. I purchased this because this seems to be in everyone's top three Nars blushes. It is a nice apricot shade with gold shimmers. It's a great everyday blush, going out blush, I wanna be lazy and wear minimal makeup blush lol - seriously, it's great with any kind of look. I find Nars blushes to be very long lasting as well. 
• Elizabeth Arden body lotion + Perfume. I found this while cleaning out my bathroom cabinets. I'm assuming I received it in a gift set and just never used it. I am so glad I found it because the scent is a lovely fresh burst of green tea. It lingers quiet nicely also. I also found a sample size of this in it's perfume form - lovely as well! I would suggest being careful if you have sensitive skin. I did read a lot of negative reviews saying the body lotion gave them a rash. 
• Origins A Perfect World Antioxidant Moisturizer with white tea +  A Perfect World White Tea skin guardian. During Cyber Monday I was browsing the Origins site and found The Perfect World set that contained these two products plus a face wash and toner. The brand states that this line has all of these wonderful anti-aging benefits which was what I was looking for. These two items really stood out to me. My skin has been drier than usual this winter and I find this is the only moisturizer in my small collection that really moisturizes my skin enough. I apply this morning and night as soon as I wash my face. There have been complaints that this doesn't sink into the skin right away but I always apply my moisturizer when my skin and hands are damp to help it absorb into my skin quicker. I love the scent of this! The white tea gives it a very soothing and relaxing feeling. The skin guardian has been my go to 'primer.' While this is not it's purpose it does have silicone (which does not effect my skin negatively) so it does a good job at filling in pores and fine lines. It makes your skin feel like silk! The main purpose of this is to protect your skin from pollutants in the air. I really like it as a barrier for my skin.I have not been using these products enough to see anti aging benefits but they are lovely products nonetheless. 
• C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve - for my lips I have not been sticking to one specific color but I always  put this on my lips - it is basically glorified vaseline but it smells much nicer (it also comes in mint and strawberry I believe). This stuff is also great if you have try patches of skin or problem cuticles

What are some of your monthly favorites?