The Best Lip Balm .EVER.

If there is one product I hate searching for, it's lip products. Lip balm, lip stain, lip crayon, lipstick, lip gloss, lip shimmer, blah blah blah. There are so many beautiful colors in adorable packaging and far too many choices.

However, that's not the main reason I don't like looking for lips products. You probably know by now that my skin is very sensitive. My lips are no exception. Just about every lip product I've ever tried gives me those annoying blemishes on the edge of the lip line that stay for weeks. When I get one of those suckers, no amount of spot treatment will help. I just have to wait it out.

Then, I found Elemental Herbs All Good Lips. It was completely random. I was in a tiny market with my mom and there was a small basket full of these lip balms. I needed a new one and liked that this was natural and organic, so I decided to chance it.

And boy, am I glad I did. Not one single breakout from this stuff. I'm in love. It moisturizes deeply, lasts a long time, and though it does have peppermint in it, it's not overwhelming (I'm not a fan of the tingle that menthol lip products give). 

Elemental Herbs also has several tinted lip balms. I've seen swatches and they actually contain a lot of color, so I'm going to try those next because I have zero lipsticks I can use at the moment that won't break me out. 

If you're looking for a new lip balm, definitely try this one! 

Update: Skincare Regimen

I haven't written anything on here for months! Absolutely crazy.

Last time I gave a skin update, the oil cleansing method had wreaked havoc on my face. Well, that only got worse. From April-June I had the worst breakout of my entire life; I couldn't even sleep very well because if I turned in my sleep and my chin touched the pillow, I would wake up from the pain of the cystic acne. It was that. bad. During that time I tried multiple (probably too many) things, including the Burt's Bees Sensitive Facial cleanser (which I don't recommend). Finally, after adding some new vitamins, using a serum by Burt's Bees, and switching from liquid foundation to powder, things starting clearing a bit. I'm still struggling with some breakouts on my chin/neck occasionally, but for the most part I can keep it under control.

So anyways. The summer madness left me with horrible hyper pigmentation (thankfully, I don't think I earned any really bad scarring). So my next step is to find a product that will help to heal and lighten that. However, for now, this is what my current skin care routine looks like:

Pacifica Sea Foam Complete Face Wash

This was in a local natural store and I just had to pick it up. It claims to remove makeup, cleanse, and tone, contains coconut water sea algae complex, antioxidants, and is sulfate and paraben free. 

Thankfully, since I stopped the coconut oil, this stuff does remove foundation quite well. I use it on my eyes sometimes, and while it doesn't cause irritation, it doesn't quite get rid of all my eye makeup.

My face feels CLEAN without being totally stripped after using this wash, which comes out as a clear gel and lathers as it's rubbed into the skin. I haven't noticed much of an improvement with my acne, but it hasn't made things worse, either. I've also only been using it for a couple weeks.

The cleanser says it is good for all skin types, but I would recommend it for oily and combination. As the colder weather comes here in New England, I know it's going to be too much for the winter months when my skin gets wicked dry. 

Burt's Bees Brightening Tonic

I've had this since August. I use it right after my cleanser as a toner to help with hyper pigmentation. This is another one of those "conflicting" products. When I first started using it, I broke out and so stopped for a few days until things cleared up. When I went back to it, it seemed to work fine, but then I had another episode of breaking out/waiting until it cleared up. I have a feeling there are exfoliating elements in this toner,  so what I do is put at bit on a cotton ball and then DAB it all over my face. That seemed to really help. Have I noticed it lightening my hyper pigmentation? No. So I'll probably use this up and then go to something else. 

Burt's Bees Brightening Dark Spot Corrector

This was the miracle product when I was going through my horrible breakout this summer. A week after using this, my acne had cleared up about 75%. That horrible, cystic acne that had been there for two months straight was healed within about two weeks. After using 1-2 pumps of this morning and night for about three months (I'm on my second bottle), my hyper pigmentation is definitely lighter but not drastically. So if you want a fast-acting spot lightener, this isn't it, but something in here is magical for acne. 

Elf Zit Zapper

Not the most…elegant name, but hey, at least it's to the point. I use this every day…sometimes several times a day. It has salicylic acid, tea tree oil, witch hazel, and camphor. It keeps things at bay fairly well. It's not an overnight wonder, but it might help a really deep spot from forming any further or swelling to be gone within a day or two. My only major complaint is the design. Hardly any product comes out, so I have to roll this stuff over and over again, which doesn't help irritation.

Raw Skin Ceuticals Spot Treatment

This stuff is actually amazing. I don't use it very often because a) it's expensive, and b) if I use it too often I'll have a breakout I can't deal with. Let me explain that last point: this stuff brings everything to the surface. Everything. Within ONE day. If I apply this stuff in the morning to a really deep, painful spot, by the afternoon/evening that spot, which normally would take several days to come to the surface, will be a whitehead. I know, gross, right? But if you want something that will help get rid of a spot quickly or before a big event, this is worth investing in. 

Burt's Bees Sensitive Daily Moisturizing Cream

I use this as my daily moisturizer. Honestly, I'm not too thrilled. I'm going to use it up, but I have to apply quite a bit for it to be moisturizing and it often leaves a heated, almost burning sensation on my face for a few minutes (I haven't decided if that's irritation or just normal blood circulation after applying it). I think it would be a great moisturizer for oily/combination skin types. I also LOVE the pump design. Very hygienic :) 

There you have it! I am going to be adding some different products soon/when I run out of certain things, but for now this is keeping everything manageable. After this summer, that's all I care about!

Have you used any of these products? Let me know what you think in the comments! 

Product Review: Wet n Wild MegaImpact Mascara

I've been looking around for a good, paraben-free mascara for several months now. I've tried Physician's Formula, which smudged, felt heavy, and irritated my eyes, and Maybelline Falsies (which I will review soon). Neither worked for me. I finally picked up Wet n Wild MegaImpact Mascara, one because it was cheap, and two because I love the Wet n Wild makeup line so figured why not. 

This mascara claims to add both volume and length, both of which are needed desperately for my lashes. So does it?

I have to admit, I was surprised that it did. I would describe this mascara as one that enhances your natural lashes. I noticed a definite improvement in both the look of length and volume after applying this mascara, however, it wasn't a drastic change. My lashes look very natural, and I have to say I really love it. It doesn't flake, I don't feel like I'm wearing anything, it doesn't seem to irritate my eyes, and it comes off easily with a makeup removing towelette! Win, win, win, and win! 

Plus…the packaging is easy to hold and apply, and it's super cute ;)

Oil Cleansing: This Is the End

I'm back on the hunt for another facial cleanser. After using a solution of grapeseed oil, pumpkin seed oil, and tea tree oil for over a month, I've decided that such highly concentrated oils are just too much for my skin to handle. Overall, I feel like the oil cleansing made my skin worse. Obviously this method of cleansing works wonders for quite a few people, but for me it just didn't work. 

PROS of Oil Cleansing:

---  Feels AMAZING. It's like having a mini facial every night. 

--- I'll admit I had days my acne was better than ever, but that was also around the time I was drinking my skin detox tea as well. The only high point is that my dry skin is so much better, and I can often forego moisturizer at night. 

--- A little goes a long way.

--- Non-irritating

--- Don't need a makeup remover, however, I found I'd have to cleanse my face twice to remove all of the makeup.

CONS of Oil Cleansing:

--- I hardly ever felt like I got all of the oils off my face and often found myself reaching for a cleansing towelette to get the excess off. 

--- A bit messy

--- Made my skin worse (those bumps all over my once-clear forehead I talked about last time? They are still there. I started getting acne - painful acne - in places that had been clear for a long time, and I now have more blackheads, something I rarely use to get.) 

Again, this is what didn't work for me, but it may work for you. Other people swear by the oil cleansing method. Don't be afraid to try something new if your current skin care regimen isn't working, but do try to stick to one thing at a time and not flip flop between lots of different products (including makeup products, ect.), or you'll confuse your skin (unless you severely react to a product, that is). 

What's next? Probably either Burt's Bees Sensitive Skin Facial Cleanser or Yes to Carrots Fragrance Free Facial Cleanser. :)

Oil Cleansing: Rant

So it's only been three days since I gave my 3 week update on oil cleansing, but I just have to rant a little because I'm feeling rather frustrated, and I guess y'all should know the bad and ugly as well.

Three days ago my skin was looking great and starting to clear of blemishes. I thought I was reaching the turning point. The next day…I woke up to a horrendous breakout. Now, to be fair, this could be tied to hormonal acne, I'll admit it. However, I suddenly broke out with FIVE cystic acne spots, from my cheekbones to my chin. Throughout today, I've broken out in about three tiny whiteheads — most of them were a pretty quick fix with some treatment, but one doesn't seem to want to be going away. 

My face kills. It's inflamed. It's bumpy. I started thinking and paying attention to how my skin looked before I started this treatment compared to now, and really, my skin is so much worse. I really don't think the oils are for me. I think they are just too heavy and not suited for my sensitive skin. I just feel like if I was going to see much improvement, I would've seen it by now. 

I'm sticking with it for the full four weeks, so I will give another update at the end of the week. But I have a feeling it's going to be on to the next thing…. 

BAH! :P So there you go. A bad skin day. Sometimes you've just gotta let off some steam… 

Product Review: Pond's Evening Soothe Towelettes

I've been on the hunt for the perfect drugstore makeup removing towelette. I still love Olay Fresh Effects S'wipe Out, however the package contains only 20 (though is usually priced a little cheaper than other towelettes) and I've been wanting to find one with at last 30 to last me a whole month.

I picked up Pond's Evening Soothe Wet Cleansing Towelettes after reading numerous good reviews online (and my mom tried and likes them as well). 

The wipes are soft and ridged, good for cleansing, however…they are a bit soapy. I have this thing about soapy cleansing wipes — I don't. like. them. :P Don't ask me why, but it's just a personal thing, and I don't like the feel of them.

As far as removing makeup - so so. I use one whole side to remove foundation, the other side to remove eye makeup, and if there is any clean section left I'll run it over my face again. More often than not, there's at least a little bit of residue left. I can also never fully remove my eyeliner and mascara is pretty stubborn. 

The smell of these is a bit odd, but I do agree that they are soothing. Now that I'm oil cleansing, I'll only occasionally use them at night to remove eye makeup, but I usually use them in the morning. But they do give you a "deep breath" moment.

For sensitive skin - maybe not. I have sensitive skin and I find my skin is a little red for a while after using them. However, these do not dry my skin out.

Overall: Good for a quick cleanse in the morning, not amazing at removing heavy makeup, maybe not suitable for very sensitive skin.

Would I recommend to a friend? : Not based on personal experience, but I would mention them as others seem to love these.

Oil Cleansing: Week 3

Earlier today I posted a very late "first impression" of oil cleansing. Today is exactly three weeks since I started this routine, so I'll go into some detail of how I cleanse with oil and what I think of it so far. 

I've now created a blend of grapeseed oil (3/4) , pumpkin seed oil (1/4), and tea tree oil (I believe I put in two or three drops. I didn't make a very big solution since I'm just testing it out). I also bought two 100% polyester towels from Walmart; they're very soft and non-irritating to the skin, unlike most regular wash cloths. (I use one towel per wash, so I don't use them every time.)

I pore a liberal amount of the solution in my hands and rub it all over my face (I don't have to mix it with water in my palms or on my face first). After gently rubbing it all over in a massage-fashion for at least a minute, I'll rinse my towel in medium-warm water and lay it over my face to help open my pores. (**I first started rinsing the towel in water as hot as I could manage, but my skin reacts much better to slightly-warmer-than lukewarm water.) After that, I'll wipe off the oils. This first step is to remove my makeup. As my last step, I'll rub another small amount of the solution onto my face and flip the towel over, use the same temperature of water, and do my best to completely wipe all of the oils off. This second step may not be necessary, but I have a thing about removing my makeup before cleansing. It just doesn't make sense to me to say I can thoroughly cleanse my face while makeup residue is still present on my skin. Finally, I'll use my hands and rinse the skin a few times until my skin feels smooth instead of just oily (it's a subtle difference, but it's there). You really want to make sure the excess oil is completely rinsed off. 

First off, the process feels AMAZING. It's like having a mini facial each night, and it's so simple. I love not having to use 4 different products each night. The only extra step I include occasionally is, if I'm having a bad breakout, I'll take a q-tip and put a drop of tea tree oil on it and dab that on the trouble spots. 

Unless I use the tea tree spot treatment, I usually don't have to moisturize my skin at night. I still could without it feeling oily, but the oils are doing a pretty good job helping my dry skin.

I'm only oil cleansing at night. I've done it occasionally in the morning, but usually I don't have enough time before work to go through this process. I use a facial towelette instead (right now I'm using Pond's Evening Soothe Towelettes, but I'm not a huge fan). 

As far as ACNE goes: Your skin has to go through a detoxifying period when oil cleansing. At first I didn't break out - in fact, my skin looked great. However, within about the last week and a half, I started experiences major breakouts. I was in a lot of discomfort, but I stuck with it. Within the last few days the acne has calmed down a bit, and I would say the worst is on my forehead and jawline. With makeup and from a distance, my forehead doesn't look bad, but I have lots of tiny bumps (not exactly whiteheads) and blackheads. I'm trying to decide if it's just the icky stuff trying to release from pores or if I'm reacting to one of the oils. I'm going to give it another week and if it doesn't start to clear up, I'll eliminate one of the oils.

(I do want to quickly mention that yes, my skin has been clearing up in the past few days, but I also started drinking Yogi's Skin Detox tea and I think that has been contributing to it.)

I hope to post again next week at the one-month mark and let you know how it's going. 

Again, this is what I'm using for MY skin. I did a lot of research, as I mentioned in my "Day One" post. If you're wanting to try oil cleansing, make sure to research your skin and different oils. 

Oil Cleansing: Day One

** I wrote this 3 weeks ago, but I'm still posting it as "day one" because I wanted to give my first impressions. I'll be posting an update in just a little bit. Sorry - things came up and I wasn't able to post it immediately. **

More than likely you've heard about oil cleansing. If not, then well, it's cleansing your face with oils.

The first I heard about oil cleansing was on youtube, I believe. I began watching as many videos as I could,  from tutorials to personal reviews to information about different kinds of oils, and pinterest proved to be very valuable as well. I did a lot of research on varying skin types and how the right oils can greatly benefit your skin and the wrong oils make it worse than ever. I was rather nervous to try this method, but on the other side I knew, if everything good I was reading was true, there was a possibility of my skin becoming better than ever.

After doing all this research, I decided to order grape seed oil and pumpkin seed oil. Grape seed oil is a very light oil that absorbs into the skin quickly, fights against acne (it's high in linoleic acid which helps if you struggle with acne, as opposed to oleic acid) prevents aging, tightens skin, and contains vitamins C and E. Grape seed oil is gentle and mostly recommended for oily skin because of its light properties, however it's good  for all skin types (I myself have sensitive dry/combination skin).

Pumpkin seed oil is also higher in linoleic acid, omega fatty acids, minerals, and antioxidants. It has a balanced pH of 4.64 (the healthy pH of skin is about 5.5), contains vitamins A, C, and zinc (all great for clearing up acne), and heals hyper-pigmentation.

I just received my grape seed oil from Plant Therapy
and decided to start using just that. I figured if I started using both at the same time and it didn't work, I wouldn't know which oil wasn't the right one.

So, I dampened my face just a little and spread that oily mess over my skin. It was a little tough spreading it all over actually, which I assume is because it's such a light oil. One thing I noticed is that though it felt good against my skin, my whole face turned rather red, though again I didn't experience any other irritation. I then laid a hot cloth over my face and let it set, wiped off the oil, re-rinsed the cloth and laid it over my face again before giving my skin a final swipe, just to make sure all the oil was rinsed off.

I followed with an apple cider vinegar and green tea toner, and I have to say my skin feels very soft; after about twenty minutes, my skin started feeling a little tight, but not near as bad as usual and only a need for a light moisturizer. My mom did comment on my red cheeks and nose, however that could be because the cloth I was using was warm and not as soft as it should've been (that area of my face has been red lately anyways, so I think that might just be a new thing for me).

Anyways, we'll see how it goes! I've read it takes 2-4 weeks to start noticing a difference and by then I should determine if the oil is working for me. I expect my skin to get worse as the oil draws the impurities from the pores, but I'm hoping in the long run this method will work. It's so simple and my skin really feels great. I'll keep you updated once in a while on how the process is going!

Have You Had Any Experience With Oil Cleansing?

Oscars 2014: Best Dressed

I have to say, the dresses at the red carpet last night were kept pretty classic for the most part! Here's my list of best dressed.

Naomi Watts

Amy Adams 

(can anyone tell me why this gorgeous, classic look was on FoxNews' Worst Dressed?)

Sarah Paulson 

(in Elie Saab, who is one of my favorite designers)

Jennifer Lawrence

(I love the sleek simplicity of her look this year)

Cate Blanchett

(I'll admit, her dress wasn't one of my favorites at first, but she just looked so radiant I had to list her as a favorite. Cate can do no wrong.)

Two of my favorites actresses together. Love this picture!

 Maria Menounos

(One of my absolutely favorite looks of the night)

Beautiful Hair and Makeup: Emma Watson

(I love looser styles on Emma Watson

Best Dress Baby Bump: Olivia Wilde

Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis 

 Zooey Deschanel

(Slightly over the top with the massive curls and ruffles, but it's completely Zooey. There's something about this look I still love)

Alison Brie

(I love Alison's sweet, simple spring look)

FAVORITE LOOK OF THE NIGHT:

 Ellie Kemper

(Ellie in Elie Saab, I believe. This dress is perfectly balanced with the unique, fun detailed top and classic, smooth lines of the skirt.)

Zooey and Ellie:

Benedict Cumberbatch PhotoBombs U2. 

(Okay, so this doesn't fall under the best dressed category, but it should win for best picture. ;) )

What were your favorite looks from the night?

Fabulous February Favorites

February has come and gone! Although it wasn't a very fabulous month for me personally, there were still some highlights. Here were some of my favorites for the month:

Yogi Detox Tea

I had read great reviews about how Yogi Skin Detox tea helped clear up cystic acne, however I made a mistake and purchased the regular detox tea instead of the skin detox. However, I stuck with it and drank the tea for 2 weeks, curious to see if it would still help. Turns out, my skin did clear up a little and a my complexion evened out. The only thing was that the tea made my stomach a little upset right after drinking it (NOT a guzzling tea!) and the taste is funky, but I quickly got use to it. I'm going to be purchasing the Skin Detox tea soon, so we'll see how that goes!

Multivites Gummies

I had tried taking a multivitamin a few years ago, but it didn't last long as it caused nausea. However, I wanted to try again and figured the gummies might be a bit easier on my system. After taking them for about a week and a half, I wasn't sure I was seeing much of a difference and backed off for a couple days. Turns out, my acne started to flare up a little and when I went right back to taking them, my acne cleared. I'm now convinced they do help and have already purchased my second bottle.

Party-Tizers Veggie Dippin' Chips with Kale, Carrot, Spinach

Um, talk about YUMMY! These are gluten free and a bit healthier than regular chips, and with a wee bit of hummus, talk about a delicious way to satisfy your night-time munchies!

Alba Botanica Coconut Cream Lip Balm

When I first bought this, I thought I'd hate it; the balm was really rough and didn't glide over my lips at all. After using it for about a week, however, the balm smoothed out, but I still wasn't sure I loved it. I went back to using my EOS lip balm and soon realized I missed this Alba Botanica one. It's really very moisturizing, not to mention tastes and smells heavenly. Definitely buying more of these!

Wet n Wild Bronzer

I bought this in the shade Reserve Your Cabana, and turns out that particular color, though advertised as a bronzer, is actually a highlighter (unless you literally are Snow White). I was a bit disappointed at first, but then came to discover how invaluable a highlighter actually is. It's amazing how much an improvement this one product makes the entire outcome look so much better. Can't go a day without it!

Freeman Feeling Beautiful Chocolate and Strawberry Facial Mask

Now that I've started oil cleansing (posts to come soon), I've been holding off on this mask for about a week, but before that I was using it up to 2-3 times a week. I've fallen in love with this mask, which claims to tone and moisturize. I was using it every Sunday and Wednesday, or on nights where my skin felt extra dry. It's perfect for sensitive skin and doesn't dry out my skin like most facial masks do. Plus, it's only about $4 at the drugstore!

Rue 21 MMXIV for Her Limited Edition 

So I have never owned actual perfume before, so lemme jus' tell ya right now, I was excited to get this 

stuff ;P It took forever to decide which Rue 21 fragrance I wanted because my nose was bombarded with seven different fragrances, but this one seemed to be the least aggravating to my sensitivities, and the scent, though deep, is very light. I've been wearing this every single day and love it. It isn't very strong, which in one sense is good because I don't have to worry about giving a headache, but in another sense I don't really smell it throughout the day (maybe I get desensitized and others can, I dunno). It has mandarin, berries, honeysuckle, sandalwood, and vanilla. The first three notes kind of surprised me when I found out what they were because I'm not usually into those scents, but I love the last two scents and those are rather strong, so I think it evens out very well. 

WHAT WERE YOUR FEBRUARY FAVORITES?

Venus Embrace Sensitive VoxBox

This review is long overdue, but better late than never.

A little while ago, I became a member of Influenster, a community where people can join and review different products, social sites, etc. etc., earn badges, and eventually build up to receiving a "VoxBox" and review free items.

I received a VoxBox containing a new product from Gillette, the Venus Embrace Sensitive Razor. I've only ever used the Gillette Daisy classic razor, which is probably the cheapest razor you can purchase. I have to admit, I was excited to try this razor infused with aloe and made especially for people with sensitive skin like me.

I absolutely love this razor, and I really don't see myself ever going back to the Daisy. I've had no irritation, bumps, or dry skin since using this product, which has been a problem for me for years, and I also haven't had a single cut since using it. The only downfall is that I seem to have a slightly hard time getting a closer shave on my underarm area, though it is sweater-weather and I'm not as concerned about that at the moment :~)  (Are we on the verge of TMI here?)

Overall rating: 4.5/5 

Would I buy/recommend this product?: Definitely

***I RECEIVED THIS PRODUCT COMPLIMENTARY FROM INFLUENSTER FOR TESTING PURPOSES***

January 2014 Favorites

HAIR

Aveeno Active Naturals Pure Renewal Shampoo

I was sick for most of this month, and it I could even see it in my hair. I was losing shine, smoothness, and the color turned dull and lifeless. I took a break from my John Frieda Luxurious Volume Touchably Full shampoo (nothing against this shampoo, I still like it) and pulled out an old bottle of Aveeno Active Naturals Pure Renewal Shampoo that I had lying around in the bathroom. This stuff completely restored my hair and it's back to it's usual healthy self. Bonus: it's paraben and SLS/SLES free. 

(I wouldn't recommend continuous daily use for everyone, but if your hair needs cleansing and "balancing," try this for a few days and then interchanging it occasionally with your regular shampoo.)

Dove Extra Hold Strength and Shine Flexible Hold Hairspray

I was sure about this hairspray when I first bought it mainly because of the smell; it's like spraying on cologne, which doesn't smell bad but just very strong. However, the smell doesn't last forever and isn't outweighed by the good of this hair spray. I can spray this closely and directly onto my hair and it doesn't get stiff or greasy looking. Because of this, when I first starting using it I thought the hold wouldn't be strong, but I was completely wrong. My hair is stubborn and doesn't like to hold bobby pins and such for very long, but with this hair spray I can go out and never have to worry about my hairstyle falling out. It's perfect if you have medium-shorter hair that wants to curl in on one side and flip out on the other. I used a flat iron to curl my ends in and then hair-sprayed the ends while curling them with my fingers - it worked!

BODY

Burt's Bees Natural Nourishing Milk and Honey Body Lotion for normal to dry skin

I don't use this as an all-over body lotion but as a hand cream. It has coconut and grapeseed oils and vitamin E in it, and I have to say I really love this stuff. The most annoying thing is that it takes a bit to rub it in (*some people may not find that annoying, I'm overly sensitive with creams and lotions), but once it does there is no greasy residue on my hands. It isn't a cure-all; my hands still get dry after a while, so I might need something stronger, but I'm satisfied with it for now. I will say I'm going to try a Yes To brand hand lotion next, but I have no doubt I'll be repurchasing this Burt's Bees product again.

MAKEUP

Wet n Wild Megaslicks Balm Stain

(I have the 2 in the middle)

I get these at Rite Aid for $2.99 (and many of them have had an immediate $1.00 off coupon!). I've wanted to try a lip crayon for a really long time, and seeing as I love the wet n wild line I figured I'd try these, and they've become my favorite product from my lip bag. You know how so many lip products claim both color and moisture and you end up with horribly dry lips? These actually ARE moisturizing!  I have one in color "Mauve," which is a gorgeous reddish pink (and much brighter than the packaging) and one in color "Nudist Colony" (don't you love the names of some products?), which contains a slight hint of shimmer and I like to pair it with a subtle pink color underneath. The color last longer than anything I've ever tried and lasts through any food or beverage you consume (I will say I've found the Mauve last long longer than Nudist Colony).

HEALTH

Vitamin C

I've started taking 1,000 mg of Vitamin C daily and I can't believe how much it has helped my complexion. My skin tone is more even and radiant, and I think it might help with breakouts just a little bit. My acne scars are healing much faster and fading away quickly. 

Lavender Diffuser 

My mom has been getting into essential oils recently, and I have to say there is at least one thing I love about them - the diffusers. I've started diffusing lavender essential oil every night, and it's really helped with my insomnia, and I usually don't wake up in the middle of every night like I use to. 

(I use a diffuser very similar to this one the most. I like how it has an optional changing lamp light, which you can set to constantly change colors, set on one color, or not at all. Kinda  fun ;) )

LEAST FAVORITE

Physician's Formula Organic Wear Jumbo Lash Macara

I'm horribly late in reviewing this (as well as others in my Beauty Haul), but better late than never. I wouldn't recommend this mascara to anyone, which is disappointing because it's free of so many icky things like parabens, sulfates, harsh chemicals, and is cruelty-free). Not only did it make my eyes burn a little when I first started using it, I have to apply at least 3 layers for my lashes to start to look long and full  - one layer only provides a bit of color and separates the lashes so they look thin. By the end of the day, my eyes feel heavy, and I constantly have to check for smudges and flecks (and there are always some present). My best friend also purchased this mascara and had the exact same problems. Don't buy this!

Golden Globes 2014: Best Looks

I'll admit, it wasn't my favorite year for fashion at the Golden Globes. Very few looks had me awed, and I feel like several of the dresses seen have been worn before somewhere else. However, here's my small list of looks I think deserve all the praise they can get. 

Best Dressed:

Top Favorite: Michelle Dockery 

The dress is flattering and stunning, and I'm in love with her simple makeup and wispy but slightly vintage-inspired hair. Her gorgeous earrings bring out the amber in her eyes. 

Lupita Nyongo

I went back and forth on this dress for a while before decided I really did love it. The look is wisely under-accessorized, letting the bold color and built-in cape speak for itself. 

Sarah Hyland

I love this dress, and the color is just enough away from bubblegum not to be gag-worthy ;) The silhouette is beautiful, and the whole look is modest and feminine. 

Best Hair/Makeup

Emma Roberts:

I don't often like Emma's choices in fashion, but her makeup is always stunning. A dramatic smoky eye and nude lip is my favorite look, and her blue earrings make sure no color is lacking.

Olivia Wilde

She certainly has the Mommy-glow. How gorgeous is her hair?

Reese Witherspoon

Reese never fails. From her shimmering gold eyeshadow to her adorable asymmetrical haircut, she's yet again a favorite look.