bareMinerals Active Cell Renewal Night Serum--Review

Hello Lovers!

I'm back again with an awesome skincare product that I think you will love!  bareMinerals has definitely been buzzing on my radar as of late because I have fallen in love with their skincare line of products.  I had the opportunity to try their moisturizers, this serum, a facial cleanser, and a nighttime face powder....yeah, I know.  Those reviews will come in due time. :)  Here's what bareMinerals says about their product.

Every cell in your body has a "clock gene" that regulates cellular renewal, which in turn affects the appearance of your skin. And it's scientifically proven that cells are most efficient at healing during nighttime sleep.

Our intensive night serum helps restore your skin's ability to reach its ideal renewal state. Powered by our proprietary ActiveSoil Complex–combined with a unique moisture boost technology–this formula maximizes cellular renewal and hydrates skin overnight. The result? Cells that are supercharged to protect you during the day and skin that looks firmer, healthier and younger.

Source

Indeed it did just that!  After about a week of using this serum I noticed clearer skin and my dark spots were diminished.  After about a month you could barely notice my dark spots, now that's a feat in itself as I don't think I've ever had a product that can do that, then again I've never used a product with the  intent to diminish the appearance of my dark spots.  LOL  

To give you an idea of how this product works for me I think it would be informative to let you know that I have oily skin, however, my oily skin does get dry patches when the weather changes to drier more cooler temperatures like we've been experiencing in South Florida lately.  I have been using this product for 3 months now and it has just finished.  It has left my skin feeling fresher, smoother, and a lot clearer.

The consistency is of watered down oil, it is not greasy.  All you need is about a dime sized amount to get full coverage on the face, once it's dry it does feel somewhat tacky on the face but trust, it's nothing that's uncomfortable once you put your moisturizer on afterward. 

It does come with the squeeze top to fill up the baster so that you don't waste any product.  It is clear, does not have a scent, and is just an overall great product.  The price is $50 for a 1oz. bottle from their website and inside their stores.  Would I recommend this product?  Yes!  So, what are you waiting on, go and get yourself a bottle girlfriend!

Black Radiance Artisan Color Baked Blush--Toasted Almond

Hello Lovers!

I know, I know, it's been a while, but don't blame me, I'm just out here trying to make it in this cruel world, also known as graduate school.  Since I'm currently on a week long break I figured I'd squeeze in a few posts to make up for lost time.  Let's first start off with a blush, shall we?  This blush has been in my collection for about six months now and I am certainly in love.  It's a soft brick color that truly warms up the face and is the perfect completion to any look, dramatic or subdued.  Needless to say, I've been wearing it like it's going out of style!

It sort of reminds me of MAC Raizin but Raizin is alot more stronger in pigment in my opinion. This is a baked blush with a rounded dome in the pan, I don't really notice any glitter in the pan so no worries to those who stray from baked blush with the extra sheen.  It goes on matte and lasts all day, all day for me is a 9 hour day.  These blushes are reasonably priced for about $5 dollars a piece and can be found at your local drugstore.  Here are swatches for your viewing pleasure. :)

So, what do you think?  Have you tried this blush before?  Tell me in the comments!

Shea Moisture African Black Soap Facial Moisturizer--Review

Greetings!

I don't know about you but lately I have been seeing A LOT of pubbing for Shea Moisture, a product company that boasts natural ingredients, great for adults and gentle enough for children and considering that all their products are buy one, get one half off at Target I thought that I'd share a little gem from their African Black Soap line.  Introducing African Black Soap Moisturizer with tamarind and tea tree oil.

If you didn't know tamarind assists in diminishing scars that may develop as a result from acne and it can also aid in diminishing dark spots.  Tea tree oil also serves as an effective treatment to acne.  Now, thank goodness I no longer have an acne problem like I used to in my teenage years but I still do take precautions with my skin so that this problem does not flare up again, because let's be honest, every now and again we get some random bump that we can't get rid of.  I'm just trying to get ahead of that so it NEVER happens, lol. 

I started using this moisturizer back in December, it was included in a set along with their organic black soap, facial exfoliator and a face mask.  I decided to try this first because I'm fond of moisturizers and the benefits that they provide to the skin.  This moisturizer is no different in that my face feels fresh and moisturized right after application.   As you can probably tell from the above pictures this moisturizer is SUPER THICK, not a problem for me though.  What I did have a problem with is the scent, it smells like a horse barn, no, seriously, it does BUT the smell dissipates after a few minutes, I was willing to overlook this scent considering that I've heard many great things about the brand and wanted to see for myself.  That's my only con about the product.

After a month and a half of usage I have noticed that my face is a lot clearer and my dark spots have diminished tremendously, who knew!?  I'm totally here for that.  No, it didn't leave my face an oil slick like I've known other moisturizers to do and it did not burn my eyes, for some reason moisturizers I've tried in the past have irritated my eyes and caused my eyes to water, this one does not.

Would I recommend this product?  I sure would!  Since this was in a set that I purchased I'm guessing that this is a smaller size than one would get if purchased separately, but trust me, 1.7 ounces is enough product to last for a while.  If you're interested in getting yourself a jar check your local Target, CVS, or Walgreens but I'd go for Target since they're having a sale going on right now.

So what do you think?  Will you try this?  Have you tried this?

Black Radiance Haul

Greetings!

I hope everyone spent the holidays in great spirits with friends and family!  :)  Before the new year I had an idea to create posts that were relevant to the holiday season but since I was on vacation and too busy being lazy that didn't happen, but it's okay, I've been enjoying some of the newest additions to my collection and I want to share them with you!

I strolled up to Walgreen's today and I noticed a couple "new" shades in the blush area, now I'm not too sure if these are actually new to the line but I'll roll with the punches here, since the beauty world releases collections a season before the actual season I'll assume that this is a part of the spring collection (?).  This is probably not possible considering how dark these colors are but like I said, roll with the punches here...LOL

Enough of the talk here are the items...I decided to go with a blush and a lip gloss.  The lip gloss is in the shade Sugar Plum and the blush is in Blackberry.
 

I decided to go with these two colors because they were very necessary for my collection.  Who could resist a dark berry lip and a juxtaposition of dark purple??  Not I.

Black Radiance Artisan Blush in Blackberry

Black Radiance Artisan Blush in Blackberry

Black Radiance Artisan Blush in Blackberry

Left: Swatched, Right: Blended

Moisturizing Lip Stain in Sugar Plum

 

From what I can tell the lip gloss did not have a distinctive scent for those of you who are sensitive to scented cosmetics.  I have yet to try these products out but once I do I will be sure to report back to you with the deets.  For a lip gloss, it seems pretty opaque, great alone or for layering over your lipsticks.

As for the blush, I'm more inclined to looked at this product as a contouring shade considering how dark it is, I'm going to try to work with it as a blush but I am a bit apprehensive because it is so dark for a blush shade.  It does have some shimmer in it but not enough to make you run for the hills.  I'm excited to try this product and to see how it works out in a FOTD.

These are available at your local drugstores, I purchased mine from Walgreens.

That's it for now!  See you lovelies soon with another post! :)

Essie Shop Til I Drop--The Name is Very Fitting

Greetings!

Anyone that knows me personally knows that I am a shopper, no surprise there, so it is only appropriate that Essie provide a nail color for us to commemorate this pastime.  Insert a beautiful peach color here:

This is the type of peach color I've been on the hunt for a while now and I am finally glad that I've found it!  It is quite sheer so it does take three coats to get it to this color shown, not a huge deal since Essie polishes dry relatively quickly which minimizes the overall drying time. 

I think it's safe to say that this is more of a spring/summer color but YOLO!  So go for it, it's good to break up the monotony of dark fall/winter colors, I won't tell.

What do you think?  Tell me in the comments!