Affiliate Links

Biotin and Blemishes

by

biotin gummies

First things first: Remember, I’m not a doctor or a medical professional. I’m not qualified to dispense medical advice. My experiences are not gospel, and you should always do your homework and consult a doctor about supplements and whatnot.

Last Summer

I started taking these yummy Biotin gummy supplements to help get some excessive shedding in check before I took the plunge on haircolor. I mentioned those gummies in my August 2016 Favorites post.

After three weeks of use, I started to see desirable results. My shedding slowed back to a normal rate. and over the next month my hair seemed to be in overall better shape. Beyond the hair on my head, my eyebrows have actually fleshed out pretty well – that wasn’t my original goal with the supplement, but a welcomed effect nonetheless, as it means I can spend less time and product on my brows.

It has been nearly eight months, and my hair is happy!

Biotin and Your Skin

My skin, however, is not. In that favorites post, I mentioned that I had read that acne-prone individuals experienced an increase in breakouts. I wouldn’t describe myself as acne-prone, but I didn’t get away scot-free. Just as I thought my skin had stabilized, I started to experience blemishes unlike my usual ones about eight weeks in.

Read more

January 2017 Favorites

by
January 2017 FavoritesJanuary 2017 Favorites
CeraVe Foaming Cleanser, $9 / Sally Hansen Apricot Cuticle Cream, $5 /
Sure Aerosol Antiperspirant, $3 / Tree Hut Sugar Scrub, $7 / Vaseline Spray Moisturizer, $6

Yeah – I completely screwed up and forgot to write about my January 2017 Favorites. Oops. It’s a drugstore kind of month, in fact. Details after the jump.

Read more

Worth it? Color Switch by Vera Mona

by

I picked up the Color Switch by Vera Mona during the most recent BI sale. I find myself using the same few brushes again and again, even in the same look. Wiping brushes off on a tissue doesn’t do much, and although I love Cinema Secrets, I don’t want to use it in my brushes every day I wear makeup.

Okay, but what is it?

The $18 Color Switch is a tin filled with a disc-shaped, rough mesh sponge not unlike the material used in a bun ring . As bristles are drawn across the surface, product is jostled away and falls down into the cells of the sponge.

There is a slightly smaller $14 one as well.

Does it Work?

Read more

NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation

by

This is a legacy post that I’ve given a facelift because who doesn’t want to be warned about shockingly bad foundation? Opinions are the same, but is formatted and edited for easier reading and flow.

I wore Nars Sheer Matte on my wedding day, and while it photographed beautifully, it was heavy. I felt it all evening. NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation came out earlier this year (2015) and, as it often happens, the blogger and vlogger world was abuzz. I saw a lot of positive feedback about the product (go figure).

I didn’t put any stock in it because it seems when a notable brand comes out with something new, everyone is hyped over it. Oh, and unlike its sisters Sheer Glow and Sheer Matte it has a damn pump – so that’s nice. I hadn’t seen amazing results on other people, though, so I ignored it.

NARS All Day Luminous Weightless FoundationNARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation

Skeptical Match

Fast forward to June, I had a wedding to attend to and a faux tan thanks to self-tanning…and no foundation that matched. I ventured to Sephora, did the silly ColorIQ thing and spent a lot of time with the ladies there trying to sort out my shade. I told them I prefer MUFE HD and UD, but could do NARS Sheer Matte. Instead, they matched me to NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation because I didn’t have a shade in the others. She assured me that it was fine for oily skin, can be applied with a brush or sponge without issue, photographs well, etc.

Application

I applied the product with a Sigma F80 flat-top kabuki on top of Benefit Porefessional; fairly standard procedure for special event makeup. I noticed that although it did not have the consistency of the Sheer Matte, NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation was on the heavier side. It also required significant effort to blend…and like the Sheer Matte, I had to bust out a beautyblender to help me do so. I set with translucent powder (Rimmel Stay Matte, what I always use) and Urban Decay All-Nighter – again, standard procedure for me for makeup that needs to last.

Wear

The ceremony was outdoors at 5PM (about 15 minutes after I finished painting my face), and brief; the weather was pleasant, not raining or even stiflingly humid. My husband and I headed in for the cocktail hour and he noticed that the foundation was:

  • Breaking up at my jawline
  • Beaking up between my eyes and
  • that it was making a dry patch (that I usually have NO ISSUE with) near my nose awkwardly visible.

I checked it out, and it wasn’t looking good – all the things my husband noticed were definitely the case, and more; it had settled into my smile lines and the lines on my forehead. I tried to blot it, thinking, “Maybe I’m just a bit on the oily side today,” nope – I’m wasn’t, a ton of foundation smeared and lifted when I blotted. I remained blotchy. What the hell?!

Read more

Hot Tools Digital Iron with Titanium Plates

by

Hot Tools Digital Flat Iron with Titanium Plates

Hot Tools Digital Iron with Titanium Plates

In winter 2015/2016, I bought a new flat iron – a Hot Tools Digital Iron with Titanium plates (they have a few other digital models, so the distinction is important). I don’t heat style my hair all the time because:

  1. I am lazy and
  2. It’s just better for your hair not to.

The idea of taking 20+ minutes to fully dry my hair and then style it with an iron is pretty far from my idea of a good time. That means I need an iron that can kick ass and take names on blow-dried and air-dried hair alike.

Heat Up

Powering on isn’t casually tapping the power button. This iron is looking for a long press to confirm that you indeed intend to power it on. The Hot Tools Digital Iron is speedy, going from off to 400 degrees in under one minute. Its temperature range is up to 450, but I do not need that. I probably don’t need 400, but…did I mention that I am lazy?

In reality, the adjustable thermostat is a huge plus. A super-popular brand that makes irons with all sorts of whimsical and fun designs doesn’t offer adjustable heat – which is crazy to me, for how much they cost!

Ergonomics & Design

There isn’t much to talk about on this front – it’s a fairly standard flat iron. Reasonably comfortable to hold and use. The exterior has a soft-touch, velvety plastic coating that feels nice in the hands and enables a better grip.

Swivel cords are commonly considered a ‘luxury’ featured in styling tools, but in my view they’re a no-brainer. The cord moves with you so you don’t have to extricate your arm when you switch sides.

Read more

2016 Favorites

by

I’m sticking to last year’s annual favorites format because it worked well.

2016 Favorites - Garnier & Simple Micellar Water

Garnier Micellar Water, $7; Simple Micellar Water, $8

If I had to pick a single type of product to name as a favorite in 2016, I’d have to say micellar water is it. I like both of these and purchase whichever is a better value at the time. I’ve totally given up makeup wipes in favor of using this with cotton pads or a reusable makeup removing cloth.

Pantene Pro-V Stylers Mousse, $6

This mousse is my, “daily driver.” Out of the (average) 135 days per year I blow-dry my hair, this product is in my hair at least 95 of them. (The remaining ~40 is either hyper-lazy, product-free, or calls for the big guns.) It is accessible, inexpensive, and reliable – and it works well on my hair.

Gimme Brow

Read more