Tag: Korres

Updated Skin Care Routine 2020

.Reading time 8 minutes.

Hey hey, it’s MJ,

            So last year I wrote a blog that talked about my skincare routine and a lot has changed since then and I mean a lot. I have been using different products and my current routine even with my recent add-ins has actually been really clear and my break outs are down so much. Usually that is my main concern and so that is the thing that I really monitor when I change anything in my skin care routine.

            There are no products that have carried over from my last routine from last year. That’s actually really crazy for me because I have had such a turnover of products and that means that I wasn’t a huge fan of them in the first place. I do also feel like my skin care routine is cyclical and so a lot of things change until I can find something that really works. As someone who used the same products for years and then branched out I guess I’m just trying to find that combination that really and truly works 

            My routines for morning and night are pretty much the same except for the lotion I use at night but other than that most everything is the same so let’s run through it. 

            Face Wash: I am currently using Tula Probiotic Skincare Purifying Face Cleanser and I actually really like it, it’s a rather thick cleanser but it does work and I really like it. Before that I was using the Paris Hilton Beauty face wash and that was actually pretty good too. I have been finding some pretty good facial cleansers after I finished off the Peter Thomas Roth cleanser late last year. The Tula cleanser smells like skin care should smell, I have no way else to describe it.

            Toner: This is really new, like I have only used it a handful of times and it has amazed me so far. I am currently using the Sunday Riley Martian Mattifying Melting Water-Gel Toner. It is a calming formula and it hasn’t been really adverse to my skin so I was really excited to even have a product that is kind of like that. I got this so recently, actually in my April ipsy Glam Bag Plus (spoiler alert that post comes out next week) but I have been using it since then. 

            Serum: I have been using The Better Skin Co, Epik C Serum, I got that in my spring fabfitfun box this year and I have been using it since. It is a pretty thick serum and it is probably the best I have tried so far and I am a huge fan of it. I have tried other serums and I have liked them but they broke me out more than I would like.

            Eye Cream: Sunday Riley Auto Correct Brightening and Depuffing Eye Contour Cream, this is just a sample size but I actually would purchase the full size of this product, my only issue with samples is they are just too small to actually get a good wear test out of them. However after my Mary Kay one went from being great to leaking out of the bottle like crazy. 

            Facial Moisturizer: 

            Day: Tatcha The Water Cream, this was for sure a sample as well and I got it last month and I have been using it since and I would consider buying a full sized version of this as well even though it is really expensive but so far it is completely worth it to spend money on good skin care. 

            Night: Korres Wild Rose Vitamin C Brightening Sleeping Facial, I have been using this for a while and I really like it and it smells amazing; this is another product that I would purchase again. I went through a lot of moisturizers that just made my skin retain its redness but with all of the changes in my routine I’m not as red as I used to be.

            Masks: I use Ahava’s Hydration Cream Mask about once a week or so and I leave it on all night instead of washing it off after a few minutes. I love it.

            I also still use sheet masks about once a week so I can get some extra skin care time in. 

            Overall there has been a bunch of changes and it’s a really great feeling to know that my new combination of skin care products is actually working for my skin and keeping all of my problems at bay. 

            I’ll see you all in another few days with another post, stay happy stay healthy.

            -MJ

MJ’s Top Beauty Products of 2019

.Reading time 9 minutes.

Hey hey it’s MJ, 

            Welcome to 2020 all, I can’t believe that the 2010’s are over I did so much growing up during that decade, graduated high school at the beginning, two Bachelor’s degrees by the middle and a Masters closer to the end. It’s been a crazy decade of ups and downs and moments that I can’t forget while some I would like to. One thing that I really got into in the 2010’s was beauty, skin care, makeup, and the lot. I did a top beauty of 2018 so I figured I would continue the trend again this year. 

            I made a promise to myself to be more accountable with content this year but some days it is harder than others to come up with content when your brain is pulled into 37 different directions but I’m trying, I really am.

            Disclaimer: If the photos look familiar, I took them from my other posts if they have been in posts previously! 

            So what were my favorite beauty products of the last year. 

            Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions mascara: This has been my go-to mascara for the last several months, I love it so much! I can’t speak more highly of it, it sticks to the lashes and it doesn’t flake off. It has been my holy grail mascara in the latter half of this year. It’s a little on the pricy side but it is so worth it! 

            Colourpop No Filter Concealer in shade Fair 02: I have gone through so many concealers in the last few years since concealer came into my life, this one is both cost effective and absolutely amazing, I really enjoyed it throughout the year because it has pretty great coverage and lays down really well over foundation. I have already bought a new one and I just finished my other tube so I am looking forward to cracking open the new one when I am finished with my Shape Tape

            Korres Wild Rose Vitamin C Brightening Sleeping Facial: I got this in a FabfitFun box this year and I use it all the time, it smells amazing and keeps my face feeling moisturized and hydrated. I am a huge fan of it, this is for sure something I would buy again because it seems to get along really well with my skin.

            Ahava Hydration Cream Mask: I got one of these in a FabfitFun box and an ipsy box, one I sent to my best friend because I loved mine so much that I wanted to share the love. I really like Ahava and I have for years. This is one of those masks that you can either wash off after a few minutes or leave on all night, I prefer to leave it on all night for some intense overnight hydration.

No joke as I was about to take this picture I spilled my entire essential oil diffuser all over a bookcase so that was fun.

            Love Beauty and Planet Sea Salt and Bergamot Shampoo and Conditioner: I found this really late in the year and not only does it make my hair smell amazing but it also has left me feeling like my hair stays cleaner longer and I have been through so many different kinds of shampoo over the last few years. 

            Tarte Shape Tape in Fair: So this was the other concealer that I tried this year, I really like this one as well though it is of course more expensive than others I have tried in the past. It has great coverage and staying power so it is something that I use most days now that I have run out of my Colourpop concealer.

            Jeffree Star Velour Liquid Lip in ‘?’: Summer mystery box exclusive and I love the color and the formula is so great. I feel like I didn’t have a lot of cosmetics products this year but this is for sure one of those products that I love. I don’t know what else to say about it that I haven’t said in a few posts this year including its unboxing and my late summer makeup look. 

            Living Proof No Frizz Nourishing Styling Cream: I got this in my summer Fabfitfun box but it was a late year favorite as well, I have been using this and my hair feels so much better, like so much better over the last several weeks. It also smells absolutely amazing and doesn’t leave my hair feeling greasy or dirty. 

            Aveda Damage Remedy Daily Hair Repair: Again another hair product that I loved this year and received in a Fabfitfun box as well. I kind of gave my hair the year off from everything, I didn’t dye it much and I didn’t get it cut either in all of 2019. (yes I know that’s not great for my hair to not have it cut or trimmed but life got in the way.) But this is a really good product for damaged hair and I find myself reaching for it after every time I wash my hair.

            I am looking forward to new beauty products in 2020, I actually already have my list started for next year because I know there were other products I loved but I didn’t write those down so I don’t make the same mistake moving forward through 2020.

            Did you guys have any favorites of 2019? 

            I’ll see everyone next week (hopefully) with another post or two! Have a good weekend!

            Bye!

                        -MJ

August Favorites

.Reading time 5 minutes.

So I am making myself a promise that for the rest of the year I am going to stick to my gosh darn posting schedule! (Let’s see how long that lasts.)

            Also I haven’t done a favorites post in a while but I feel the need too. I had so much planned to write in August and I didn’t do any of it. Oops my bad.  

            I moved in July so most of August I spent a lot of time trying to make this new place my own and it is a slow but steady process. This is not going to be a long post just because I didn’t have a long list of absolutely new things in August.

            First of all, August was extremely hot, 90 degrees or more on most days and it did not rain much and I am a person who loves rain. It is a very calming noise for me and pairing it with calming spa music or just instrumental music can really help me focus. I know that is not true for everyone but for me personally I like to have rain and calming music when I’m working on things. Right now I am watching a YouTube video from a creator that I watch all the time but it is really distracting. A rain sound generator like Rainy Mood, Infinite Storm, and others is just a noise in the background without the distraction. 

            So my next item is a makeup product and that was the Jeffree Star Cosmetics Velour Liquid Lipstick in ‘?’ which was an exclusive in the summer box and I have been raving about it since then. I know that it was exclusive but in an overarching sense I love the formula, it’s not super drying and it wears beautifully. 

            Next is the Korres Wild Rose Vitamin C Brightening Sleeping Facial, so I got this in my spring fabfitfun box and I have found that it keeps my skin really hydrated overnight, I don’t use it every night but I have been loving it so much in the last month or so. 

            This is another face product that I got in my Winter fabfitfun box and again in my August Glam Bag Plus so now I have two and it was the Ahava Hydration Cream Mask, this can be washed off after a few minutes or left on all night; I leave it on overnight because it gives me good all night hydration. 

            Last but not least, a late month favorite was Taylor Swift’s new album Lover, it’s still in my car and I am still listening to it on and off even almost a month after release. I for sure played the album on repeat for almost a week in my car and I have yet to regret it, favorite tracks include Paper Rings, The Man, Cruel Summer, You Need to Calm Down, and Afterglow. Let’s be real the whole album is great but those are the ones that I listen to on repeat. 

            Like I said I didn’t have a lot of new favorites last month just because there was unpacking to do and a whole host of other things that really kept me from branching out last month. I think this month is trending the same way and there is nothing wrong with that. 

            Did you have any favorites last month that rocked your world? 

I hope that everyone has a great rest of the week and I will be back on Sunday (I promise) with another post! 

-MJ

Spring 2019 FabFitFun Unboxing

.Reading time 14 minutes.

I feel like I have been waiting for this box since December when I got my winter box because this subscription box is probably my favorite ever, I love the other boxes I get but nothing can beat full sized items and the brand named items in the box are always really great quality. By the time you are all reading this I have had the box for at least a week, I have been a little busy and I had some posts scheduled ahead of time so this is a little later than I wanted it to be. 

            Seriously, this box was amazing, like usual I am not going to tell you how much the total of my box was because that’s just a little odd for me, the box is $50 four times a year or $180 once a year to be a select member, I will probably upgrade to that at some point because it allows for more customization options and early access to the edit sales and customization as well as an earlier ship date. I feel like in my past unboxings I have kind of glossed over this portion of the subscription service. 

            Like I said this box is $50 a quarter and this box was valued between $226.99 and $314 dependent on the customizations and the options that were available to potentially be in this box. Really, this box is worth over four times what you pay and that is such a good return on your investment. The only thing I am going to say about the value of mine was it was in the upper mid-range of those prices. If you really want to you can do the research and look up the prices of the items to see an exact figure.

            Per usual all of these opinions are mine, as they always are. 

            Okay, enough exposition, now onto the real stuff; what did I get? I am going to start out with the items that I had the ability to customize and I will tell you the other options that I opted not to get, what I didn’t get may be something that you love but what I chose I wanted more. 

            Deux Lux Demi Backpack: I am a sucker for backpacks because I screwed my shoulders up when I was in high school carrying heavy one shoulder bags to class so I have carried a backpack since late 2015 and I have not looked back. This is a smaller and more versatile than the faux leather backpack that I carry usually. It is pretty light weight and it is canvas and vegan leather, (according to the care instructions) it seems like it would be great for anything really, dates, music festivals, hanging out with friends, going to the park with your dog. It is a really great backpack and it comes in a protective sleeve so it will be stored in there for now. The other two options were a Show Me Your Mumu Brie Robe, I didn’t choose this one because I am not a robe person. The other option was the Unplug Meditation Aromatherapy Diffuser, this would be a great thing to use the Way of Will Essential Oils from the Winter Box, but I already have a diffuser so I didn’t want to get a second one. 

            Korres Wild Rose Vitamin C Brightening Sleeping Facial: Now that is a mouth full, I really like Korres I got their body lotion in my spring box last year and it is so nice. It is moisturizing and it smells amazing. I have really been getting into skin care this year so when this was one of the options I jumped on it. It smells amazing and I am really excited to try it and see how it does with my skin, it is dermatologically tested to that usually means that I can use it without any adverse effects. According to the packaging it has over 90% natural content so I should be just fine. The other options were one of two pairs of Quay Australia sunglasses, they are really cute but I wear glasses and I have prescription sunglasses so they wouldn’t work for me. The other option was the Sunnylife Lovers Picnic Set, again really cute but not something for me, I don’t think I have ever been on a picnic in my life.

            Makeupdrop Silicon Beauty Applicator: If anyone read my foundation application post you know how much I love my Ulta brand silicon applicator and I am looking forward to trying this one as well. This one was a mystery item, I kind of liked having a bit of mystery even with the customization options, sometimes it is a way to get rid of excess stock and I am totally okay with that. The other two options were a set of Giadzy measuring spoons, I have a set of measuring spoons and I am not a huge fan of plated items because that starts to come off and it gets harder to use the item. The other was a bottle of Lavido body lotion in Mandarin Orange and Bergamot, I have so much lotion that I don’t need any more no matter how much I love Bergamot. 

            These next two items were customizable to select members so I had no option on what I got here and I was not upset with what I got.

            Sip by S’well: It’s an insulated travel water bottle and I have been eyeing a S’well water bottle for years now and I was really hoping to get this option because I am a hoarder of water bottles, as I am writing this I am still mourning my Kate Spade travel tumbler that I dropped on my bathroom floor yesterday (last Thursday for you) and broke, for some reason I break my favorites that I can’t replace and I don’t know why. I really like the fact that it’s covered in triangles for reasons of my own. This is a hand wash only but most water bottles and travel tumblers are so that wasn’t too shocking. The other two options were a bar necklace from The2Bandit’s, which is also really cute or the Ciaté London setting powder, I like Ciaté so I would have been okay with any of the options that were within this category. 

            Tula Purifying Face Cleanser: Again I have been getting into skin care and I have a pretty good skin care routine going on but I am always willing to try something new. It is probiotic skincare so I am hopeful that I don’t have a reaction to it, I like the packaging it’s nice and simple so I see nothing wrong with that. I can’t really say much else because I haven’t tried it yet to see how my skin reacts to it. The other options were either the Daily Concepts detoxifying brush or the Eleven by Venus (yes, that Venus, the tennis star) jump rope. 

            These last three were in every box, so every subscriber got all of these items. 

            Ouai Leave in Conditioner: Ouai is a brand that I am familiar with because of ipsy and it’s a really nice brand. I have pretty dry ends of my hair so having a leave in conditioner is something that I need but I don’t actually have. I am excited to add this into my hair care routine. 

            Dr. Brandt Skincare Needles No More No More Baggage Eye De-Puffing Gel: Another mouth full to say, it is red so it color corrects for dark spots but I put it on my hand to see it’s consistency and once it sunk in my skin was so smooth and it was amazing. I really like Dr. Brandt so having more good skin care is for sure up my alley. I got a Dr. Brandt product in my winter box as a surprise and I can say, it’s pretty great.

            Manna Kadar Champagne Body Scrub: Champagne and Charcoal, sign me up. I am cool with body scrubs; I should use them more because I love how my skin feels like after I wash all of the grit off. I love the packaging, rose gold lid, simple label with a pink and rose gold marble detail around the bottom, it’s so nice. It is a really large jar too, it’s about 18 oz. so for a body scrub that is on the large side from what I have seen. I am excited, pre usual, to give this one a try and really see what it smells and feels like. 

            So that was my spring box and I am already waiting for the summer box and its accompanying spoilers and customization options. I’m excited for it already. 

            If you subscribe what did you get? Did you have a favorite this month? Did you not get any of the items that you wanted to get? Let me know in the comments! 

            -MJ