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Tuesday, October 22, 2013

TVAL Product Review Pt. 1

Hey guys!!

So, as I mentioned before, TVAL sent me some things to review. I have given each product a fair bit of use and I will give my thoughts truthfully. Some products I LOVEEEED, some were not the greatest for me. Remember though, just because I liked or disliked something, doesn't mean it may or may not work for you. Because there is quite a few products here, I am going to do this in a 2 part review so it doesn't make this post too long. Below I have pictured all products sent to me and I will give the most detailed description of how I felt using each that I can. Come back and check out Pt.2!

                                                            Products for Review
As you can see they sent me a few ranges of products. There is skin care, makeup, lotion, and even some dry shampoo. So, with that. Lets dive in!

Colorful Lip Balm
Ok. So this is something I absolutely loved. The way this feels on my lips is absolutely amazing. There is no stickiness, just softness. It feels like my lips are just being hydrated and treated right. One thing I actually dislike about tinted lip balms, are that I tend to use lip balms when my lips are already dry and sometimes flaky. Using a lip balm that's tinted almost always ends up distributing unevenly and getting products build-up in creases and actually enhances any dry look my lips already have.Now maybe that's because deep down and burried in the ingredients of lip balms, there is actually usually a chemical that dries out your lips so you end up using more product and buying more etc. the viciuous cycle we have all heard of. So when you get a tinted balm, for me, it ends up accentuating the dryness of my lips and I may as well have put on a lip stain. This, however... This lip balm in no way does that and it has almost become a holy grail for that situation. I haven't reached for any other tinted balm since I received this. There is a slight smell (can't quite put my finger on it, but it is nice), and the color is very sheer (as you can tell from the picture). It is definitely a lip balm that just gives the smallest hint of color. My lips are pretty pigmented, but this still shows up a little and just gives a nice natural look. Again, it is just how this makes my lips feels that makes me love it the most. We'll see how it works out through the winter, as I tend to get very dry lips, but I think I'll definitely be repurchasing this one! P.S: The cute tube is definitely a bonus, seriously, how adorable is that packaging?

TVAL Skin Smoothie
Can I just point out (again) how cute this packaging is? They seriously know how to grab a gals attention with that. Ok, the first thing I want to say is kind of a disclaimer here, the scent is "Cherry Tart". I feel the need to mention here that at no fault of anyone's (except whoever made that awful cherry medicine as a kid), I actually despise the scent/flavour of cherry. No matter what it is, or who made it - it is a scent I do not like. Candles, lotion, bath salts, lip products, scratch and sniff stickers, candy, you name it and I won't like it. Therefore, I had to get a second opinion on the scent from someone else because I was just not going to like it regardless. I have been told by 3 others that they actually like this scent, so I feel comfortable saying that this probably does smell good to a normal human (unlike myself haha). Either way, it isn't the only scent this product has, so just smell whichever one you like best to choose. I do however really like it as a moisturiser, so its a shame that I won't be able to use it (although I'm sure mom will be loving this little gift). The only way I could really try this out was before bed, or to wash my hands with pumpkin soap after using it. I wanted to try it before bed and leave it on so that could tell how it worked over time (not just being washed away immediately). In the morning I awoke with my hands feeling very soft and any dry skin was no longer white (you know, the dry hands thing where the creases turn a little white because you're in desperate needs of moisture). I tried it a few times during the day, but washed it off (again, the scent). I did this so that I could gauge the initial feeling of the application.When initially applying, it also doesn't leave that annoying sticky feeling that sometimes lingers with hand creams, which is definitely a plus for me. I can't stand when I apply hand lotion and I have to wait 5 minutes before I can continue working or whatever it is I am doing. I type a lot at my job so my hands need constant attention, but I don't have time to apply hand cream, wait 5 minutes before I can put my rings back on and continue working. This stuff just doesn't require that kind of time commitment and you can rub some on and continue on with your day. I really like the feel of this, so I think I'm going to have to pick up another scent and give it a try through the winter!

Banana Honey Face Mask
I used this once a week (so manybe 3-4 times now) and I also enjoyed this as a face cream. It is just your typical face cream that makes you feel like you got that deep clean yet didn't strip my skin of any moisture (which is essential around this time of year). It says to keep it in the fridge, which I actually ended up loving' applying this stuff cold felt soooooo nice. After a few uses I didn't find that I broke out and my skin just felt nice and soft. I've also been on a bit of a kick lately where I want to watch what kinds of things I'm washing my skin with, especially my face, so I really like that this is all natural ingredients that just help enhance my skin, not strip away its natural oils. The only downfall I found for this product was again, the scent. The banana scent is very strong and after the 10 minutes or so on my face it was almost overpowering to me. This could again just be me. I'm very scent crazy, so if you smell this out of the jar and like it, you will be fine. I just kept thinking of banana flavoured medicine (again with the medicine!). I'm going to continue to use this as I like the way it feels, but once its gone I may have to try a different mask from there and hope for the same skin benefits without the scent.

Alright. So this is all I'm going to review for Part 1 of these products. There are still 4 things left to go, and like this post, there are some I absolutely loved, and others that I am a little unsure of; but we'll get into that next time!

I just want to say again, that these products were gifted to me to try and review, but as you can see my true thoughts on everything has been said. I am in no way being paid etc. and all these views are completely my own.
Thanks again to TVAL for sending me these things as I have certainly found some gems in here (as well as from Pt.2 - coming up!)

If you are interested in any of these products and want to try them for yourself - TVAL accepts orders and ships from their website (in case you do not live near)

http://tvalskincare.com/

Thanks for reading! Love!


-J


Thursday, October 10, 2013

Night-time Skincare Routine!

Hello my lovlies!!

Soo, last week you read all about my morning skincare routine; today it's time to see my must-have products for my night-time regimen!
(yes I took this picture in the bathroom; where else would all of this be? hehe)
I'm going to just jump right into it today without very little introduction - but I will mention that I'll just write this in the order that I apply everything at night. :)

Maybelline Clean Express! Makeup remover (for waterproof makeup)
So, I discovered this stuff when a YouTuber talked about it in her beauty video (I honestly, cannot remember who, I think MakeupByAlli perhaps). Anyway, I decided to try it out and have been kind of liking it so far. There are pros and cons to this remover, but I honestly have a hard time finding one I love so I just stuck to this. First, I love that it's oil-free. The last thing I need is extra oil applied around my eyelids. I also like the gentle formula, etc. However; I do find, that although it takes off my eyeshadow and eyeliner VERY easily, I am left almost scrubbing to get the last of my mascara off. It doesn't matter which mascara it is, it just won't come off easily. Even when I use a no-waterproof formula, I find product still left on my lashes after using this. I don't like scrubbing at my eyes because it just makes them itchy and dry and red, so I'm resulted in using a ton of product on numerous cotton pads and taking wayyyy too much time trying to gently wash away my mascara. Again, I have tried many many products to take off my eye makeup and I just always have very dismal results. Boo. On that note: I would love to hear of any products you guys have tried and found worked great! I'm always on the lookout for something easier!

Ponds Cold Cream (Sensitive Skin)
So, I've talked about this before and I still love it. Every night I just put this on dry skin, rub it in, then wipe it off with a warm, wet, facecloth. I find it does wonders at removing my makeup (foundation etc.) and if I get it all in my eyes it doesn't hurt one bit. I find it very creamy and really moisturizing, which I love at night. If you want to read more about this, see my previous favourites post!











TVAL Golden Olive Face Serum
This stuff is outstanding. I don't know what to say about it except I love love love it.
Ok, I can do better than that.
This serum feels amazing on the skin and just gives such an amazing glow. I just use about 3 drops every night and smooth it all over my face and neck and it just seems to give such a moisturizing and dewy feeling. This thing has Olive Oil, Sea Buckthorn, Vitamins, Fatty Acids, the list goes on of amazing things this product has. I don't know why all of these ingredients work so well together, but they do, and my face is happy.
For those of you wil oily skin and think that this might be just too much oil for you. It really isn't. Somehow this does not feel oily on the skin at all. It is actually an unexplainable feeling how when you apply is it straight up oil, and when you're done applying it it just isn't oily. All I can say, it try it out. You won't be disappointed.


Olay Fresh Effects Long Live Moisture Lotion
Again, this is something I have talked about as a favourite before. I apply this immediately after the TVAL serum and sort of let them mix in together and help each other out. When you pump out some product (one small pump is the perfect amount for the face and neck), the lotion looks white with a pinky/pearly cast to it. I feel like somehow this also helps get such a glowy look to the skin. In the night-time I love to feel hopped up on moisture and glowy; I'm not wearing makeup so I want to feel like my skin is recovering from the day and still actually looks good. I've probably said this before, but this moisturizer is great without being over the top. It inst thick and heavy (which I don't want on my face or I feel like I'm just clogging all my pores and asking for a breakout). It is just a thin texture that mixes well with the serum I use and creates a perfect combination of moisture without being thick and lingering.





Bioelements: Sleepwear for eyes
Ok. So this is a product I don't think I've seen anyone talk about, but I absolutely love it and I have for a long time. I remember a few years ago I went Online and began searching for an eye cream that people swore by. The reviews of everything I found were always mixed (as they usually are), until I found this. The jar is small (although, normal size for an eye cream), and lasts forever. Seriously, the amount of product you use is so small it actually never seems to get used up. Ever. I just put a little on my finger and then slowly dab it around my eye, then gently rub it in all over the surrounding eye area (upper lids and all). This is an intense moisturizer for the eye area and its suppose to take care of dry skin, wrinkles, dark circles and bags. This actually works overnight. I know that sounds mental, but every night I remember to use it (I actually forget this more than I should), I wake up with less minor wrinkles around my eyes and the area just feels intensely moisturized (seriously, the word of the night here). The only downfall that I have found to using this is that if I accidentally apply too much, I wake up with more eye sleepys than usual, which really isn't that big of a deal. I still can't believe that at 25 I'm using anti-wrinkle eye creams, but I guess at this point it's more for prevention and those pesky little crows feet that I'm pretty sure anyone who laughs as much as I do would have :)
I would not consider buying any other eye cream at this point - Highly highly recommend.
P.S: I order this online - and it's usually only around $50-$60!

Vaseline
Weird, huh? Vaseline on a night-time regimen post!
I have actually been using this on my lips, every night, since high school. I remember sitting in the halls and seeing a friend of mine haul out a huge jar from her bookbag and apply it on her lips. I thought it was the oddest and most disgusting thing I've ever seen (after all - don't mothers use this on their babys bums?).
She swore by it so much I caved and tried it at night and after just one night, just one - I was hooked. I apply a small amount and any dryness on my lips that I might have had is gone by morning. It is actually a holy grail for my lips (cue Jay-Z).





So there you have my current night-time skincare routine. This has been the same for about 6 months now and has done wonders for my skin. I've had to dry spots or breakouts since I started using these and the previously mentioned morning products.

It is here that I will also mention, however, that I am about to begin trying some new products that might creep into either my daytime or night-time routine - I haven't decided which as I have to evaluate the style of the products to determine when I want to use them. These new products I am trying are all TVAL products that were sent to me for review - but I will give my honest opinion about every one of them.
Aside from some skincare products, they also sent me some eyeshadow, lip balm, and dry shampoo to try out (I've never tried these types of products from there before). I'll probably do a first impressions/mini review of these in the next few days, but the skincare products will have to be tested for a little while before I can review those as it takes time for your skin to adjust and show the true success or failure of the product.
Just wanted to give a heads up on all of what's to come!

Thanks for reading! Love!

-J

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Morning Skincare Routine!


Hey Everyone! 
Look what I'm going to talk about today! 4 products that I am obsessed with!




Finally, I've decided to step away from the make-up and talk about something super important. Skincare. In order to have your make-up sitting right, you gotta have your skincare game tight.
Yeah I just did a lame rhyme - I do that sometimes.

Anyway, Today I'll be doing my morning skincare routine and soon to follow will be my night-time routine!

To begin - I'll give you a little insight to my skin before finding this combination of products.
I would have an oily T-Zone that caused me to get MINOR breakouts once a month (we all know when, ick).

On top of that, I would experience some blackheads on my nose and chin, as well as a bit of dry skin around my eyes and cheeks.
In the last few years, I've been seemingly developing a sensitivity to certain products and began to notice small patches of eczema, so I've started paying attention to ingredients in products I use to wash and moisturise my skin and pay close attention to any products that cause undesirable changes.


TVAL Deep Cleansing Oil with Mandarin and Cedar


This is the first thing I do in the morning. Every morning. I know it sounds odd using an "oil" as a cleanser - but I swear this stuff is ridiculous. It has a faint cedar smell (which is nice and not overpowering like some cleansing products) and actually does feel like a thick oil. I just put a little on my fingers and apply it to dry skin and just rub it all in. After about 30 seconds, I just wipe it off with a warm, wet, facecloth until it feels clean. Your skin MAY feel a little "oily" at first, but I kind of like the moisturised feeling; yet that does fade go away after the next step.
Just to add; every second day or so, I wet my Clarisonic brush and use that after I've already rubbed in the cleanser. This just makes me feel like I got a really good deep clean and scrubbed all the dirt off. I then continue to wash it all off with a warm, wet, facecloth.








Michael Todd Jojoba Charcoal Facial Scrub


This product was in my June or July (I can't remember which) Ipsy bag. I have actually come to love this and will definitely be purchasing a new one when this runs out. I only use this about 2-3 times a week (usually the days I don't use my Clarisonic), but I love it. It is a black scrub with tiny gentle beads in it. I usually go for harsher scrubs that make me feel like I've actually ex-foliated my skin; however, this is very gentle and still leaves me with the same feeling as those harsher scrubs. There is no scent to this product at all and I've been hearing a lot about charcoal facial products lately, so I'm officially jumping on this trend.








TVAL Cucumber Aloe Toner


Another TVAL product. I actually disowned all toners for a while. They made my skin tingle and feel very tight and dry - which I thought was just a clean feeling. Turns out it was a drying feeling and I began hating it. I was an avid lover of the Body Shop Tea Tree Toner for such a long time because I also thought the ingredients weren't supposed to be so bad for my skin. After watching a Vlog by Hollyannaree (I'll link her below), I realized it actually has some harshness to it and I then gave that one up too.
After a while I started missing using a toner, I'm not really sure why, but I did. So, when I came across this, I had to give it a shot.
Amazing again.
This actually makes me feel like my skin is super clean, and not dry at all. There is no drying, tingly feeling.
I just apply it to a cotton pad and run it all over my skin. Seriously just feels nice on the skin.




L'oreal Youth Code BB Cream


So, oddly enough, my daytime moisturiser is actually a BB cream I picked up at Wal-Mart. I'm not a big fan of BB creams - yes I've tried a lot. I find they give an odd color to the skin, or no coverage, etc. This is the first one I've come across that I actually like. I have it in the shade "light", and although it is slightly lighter than my actual skin, it isn't a terrible match. This also offers decent sheer coverage that I enjoy on the days I don't want to use any foundation (sometimes my skin needs to breathe).
I also find that this does well as a daily moisturiser. I haven't experienced any dry patches since using this (although, as you'll soon see, night-time is all about moisture).
Overall, I really enjoy this to top off my morning skin care!








After finding this combination of products (as well as my night-time products you will soon see), and consistently been using them for about 3-4 months now my skin has drastically changed.
I have zero blackheads - anywhere.
I have gotten 1 (ONE!) pimple in 4 months. (I'm attributing that to my trip to Toronto as I find travelling really affects my skin, no matter where I go).
My T-zone can still get a little oily near the end of the day depending on the foundation I use.
Finally, the area around my eyes and cheeks no longer feel dry.

On a side note: TVAL has been mentioned here (and will be again for my night-time routine) and some of you probably don't know what it is. It's a local skincare shop that offers all-natural products for the face and body (I'll link their site below as well). They do let you purchase and ship products online. I have only tried a few things from them so far, yet so far I have liked them and hope to try many more in the future. (I like supporting local if I can :)). Also, just putting this out there- as much as I LOVEEEE the products I have from TVAL, they are purchased solely by me and are my own views (as is everything there). I don't want anyone thinking I have been paid or given free things in return for a good review - they simply are just products that I have been raving about because they work for me.



Links I promised :)

TVAL skincare
http://tvalskincare.com/


Hollyannaree YouTube Channel
http://www.youtube.com/user/hollyannaeree/


Thanks for reading! Love!


-J