NYX Worth the Hype Mascara Review

The last makeup product I reviewed was an eyeshadow product so I figured for the next review, it would make the most sense to review a mascara.  The mascara I purchased to review for this post is the Worth The Hype mascara by NYX. I wanted to make sure I really had a good amount of time to try out this new mascara, so I decided to review a face mask last post. I have been wearing this mascara for two straight weeks now and definitely have a good opinion on it. 

My first impression of this mascara is that the packaging is a little plain and just doesn't stand out too well. This of course is not that important when it comes to the actual product, but it looks very similar to a few other products I have in my makeup area. There were quite a few mornings before work that I almost used this in my brows instead of my clear brow gel because the size and look of the bottle are almost identical. The brush for this mascara is not exactly my favorite either. I tend to lean more towards the plastic type brushes for mascara. This mascara has the hairbrush like bristles that are less modern now. This isn't a deal breaker for me with mascaras, but I tend to lean more toward the plastic type brushes. These were, of course just my first impressions of the product and by no means have any effect on the actual performance of the mascara itself, but I wanted to mention these factors as well.

The first time I wore this mascara I will be honest, I was not all that impressed. It worked just fine but there was nothing all that special about it. I still have a similar opinion on this mascara, but I do think it wears very nice. If you are looking for crazy volume or a mascara that will lengthen or curl your lashes, this is not the right product for you. This mascara gives you a nice look, but it does not give any extreme changes to your natural lashes, it just enhances them.

I wore this mascara as I mentioned earlier for two straight weeks. I wanted to include a picture of my eyes with the mascara applied as a reference. I do really like how my lashes look in this picture. They are more defined than they are without any mascara, but no crazy effects. For everyday use, I love this mascara. I like to keep my eyeshadow fairly neutral on most days for work, and I thought this mascara complimented this very well. It is also a more affordable mascara, so I like using this for every day instead of one of my more expensive ones. This mascara was sold for $7.99 at Target when I purchased it, and it still currently listed at that same price on Ulta's website. That is pretty average for a drugstore mascara. That is also about 1/3 of the price of a more luxury brand of mascara as well.

Overall I liked this mascara, but it was not all that special. Yes it defined my lashes and looked very nice, but it also did not do anything to wow me. I have fairly long lashes to begin with, so this mascara only works to enhance that. This mascara did do that, but I do not think it would help someone that much with smaller lashes than me. The price of this product does make it worth trying in my opinion. As I said, it is great for every day use when you don't want to constantly use your much more expensive mascara. Go ahead and give it a try. Decide for yourself if it is... worth the hype!

Freeman Cucumber & Pink Salt Clay Mask Review

I have already shared my skincare routine, but there was one thing I left out of that post, masks. I love taking some time out of my week to do a nice face mask from time to time and I have so many favorites. Recently a new mask caught my eye, the Cucumber & Pink Salt Clay Mask by Freeman Feeling Beautiful.

First I want to discuss the price. I purchased this mask about two months ago at Ulta beauty and have used it a handful of times. It was very affordable. Just about $4.29 for a 6 oz tube of product. I have done just about 3 or 4 masks out of this tube already and there are still plenty of masks left in the bottle. I think this is a very low price tag on this item and if you are looking to have a little relaxing spa like treatment at home I would very much recommend this mask. This is a very affordable way to give your skin a nice treatment.  

The mask itself is very nice as well. I always apply a mask with a brush as it is much more sanitary that way and it goes on nicely. It feels cool and smooth and has a nice light cucumber scent to it. The salt in the mask does give it a bit of a gritty texture (I took a picture of the product on my had to show the texture), but it is nothing that is felt unless it is being rubbed into the skin. This mask is left on for 10 minutes and the tube says it is rejuvenating and detoxes and clears pores. The salt is very nice bonus because when washing the mask off as it give a nice gentle exfoliation. Overall this is a very nice feeling mask on the face. It dries a bit as its is left on as any clay mask does, but it never feels tight or overly dry in the 10 minutes it is left on.

Overall I have nothing but positive things to say about this product. My skin always feels so smooth and fresh when I wash it off after using this product. I have never had any problem with my skin reacting in any way to this product at all either. I have had issues in the past with trying new products on my skin and having serious breakouts afterwards because of it, but I do not have this problem with this mask. My skin always has a very nice feel to it after I use this mask. I would not say it necessarily has a huge impact on my skin, but it does feel nice and smooth after I use it, so it is a nice treat to relax sometimes especially after a stressful week.

I would absolutely recommend this product. At that price tag there really is not much to lose in trying it as well. Certain brands of masks have crazy high price tags so it is nice to have some more affordable options as well. It is always nice to treat yourself and your skin sometimes too. This mask feels especially nice after a workout as well! So go on and treat yourself after a hard stressful week with a nice mask and relax for 10 minutes. You deserve it!

Wear Makeup for You

I will get back to reviewing products on this page soon, and maybe even writing out tutorials as well. Before I do that, however, I wanted to do another post about beauty that has a positive spin on it.

I remember years ago at my previous job, I overheard a couple of guys I worked with talking about not liking when women wear too much makeup. They were saying that they found a natural look a lot more attractive than a girl with a face full of makeup. My first reaction was laughing. People who do not use makeup probably have no idea just how many products that “natural no makeup makeup look” takes to achieve. Some people absolutely rock the completely naked face, but others wear more natural makeup looks.

My second reaction, which is getting into my real topic for today’s post is that I was a little annoyed that they thought women only wear makeup to please them. I mean this in an overall sense too. I know I personally love to wear makeup for me. I do it because it feels good when I pull off a new and exciting look. It really is an artform in some ways. I wear it because I like to, and I know a lot of other people that feel that way as well.

I know that this topic is pretty similar to the last post for this page, but I want to make sure this page stays with my positive mindset. I want someone reading this page and this post to realize that you should only wear makeup if you want to for you. Back on my other page, Positively Weightless I wrote a post about losing weight for you and you only. That was within the first year of starting that page. This is the same basic idea. Never wear makeup because someone tells you that you should or to impress someone. It should always be something you do for you.

Sure, getting a nice complement about how nice you look is always a good feeling. I don’t know one person that doesn’t like getting a compliment from time to time. This is of course just fine, but it should not be the driving force behind putting on makeup or really any sort of self-care. Do all of these things for you and only you. Do them because they feel good and they make you feel really good. Never put on makeup on to please someone else or because you think it will impress someone.

Live your life for you and only you. If you want to wear makeup or not, the right people will be in your life either way. Beauty can mean so many things and the most important beauty is what comes on the inside. If you choose to wear makeup because you want to that is fine, but if you choose not to because you do not like it that is okay too. As long as you are making that choice for you.

Beauty Without Makeup

I wanted to take a break from the makeup reviews on this page and write about something different for this week. I clearly love makeup. If you follow me on any of my social media you will know this since I like to share new looks on a fairly regular basis. Of course, if I didn't love makeup I wouldn't have this page either. With that being said I wanted to talk about how makeup can and should be used as something you love to do, rather than something you feel you need to do to be beautiful.

I think a big misconception about makeup is that a lot of people mistake someone that loves and wears makeup as a very self conscious and not very confident person. A lot of the time make up is thought to cover up your flaws and hide them away to feel better. I know I felt like I needed to wear it back when my acne was really bad. I just wanted to hide that away from the world because I just hated the look of it. I was also a much more self conscious person back then than I am now. I do of course still get breakouts now, and sometimes if it is a particularly bad one I will cover it up just to reduce the appearance of it, but this is a rare occasion now. I think that is just a natural instinct in us really. What is important to me is to learn to love yourself with or without makeup. What is really important is learning that you do not need makeup in order to be a beautiful person.

When I do my makeup and the look I created turns out even better than I expected I know I have an extra little boost of self confidence. There is nothing wrong with that at all. Makeup is such a fun way to boost your confidence and bring out your creativity. It really is an art form in a way (especially when people do those amazing special effects looks). Even when that happens, remember that at the end of the day the makeup is wiped away. The person underneath the makeup is what really matters. Realize that you are beautiful with our without it, and if you are not such a beautiful person on the inside, realize that no amount of makeup will cover this up. The person on the inside shows your true beauty. 

I love my makeup and do it mostly every day, but I also can leave the house without it. I have no problems leaving the house to run errands or even to meet up with some of my friends for lunch without an ounce of makeup on m face. My confidence and self worth is exactly the same during both of the situations. I know so many people that simply will not leave the house without it. I am going to leave this post  a little shorter and end it with a challenge. I want to challenge anyone reading this that may feel they need their makeup when going out to leave the house without it. I am not saying show up to work or something like that (because quite frankly I hardly ever do that myself) but go to the grocery store or something without any makeup on. Challenge yourself to realize you don't need it. Challenge yourself to see the beautiful person you are with naked skin. Live a confident life with or without makeup.

Morphe Jaclyn Hill Eyeshadow Palette Review

Last weekend I finally took a trip to Ulta. It had been quite a while since I had been in there (mainly because I tend to overspend when I go there) and I really did not go in with any specific product to purchase in mind. I did leave with the Jaclyn Hill Morphe palette I have been eyeing for quite some time. I decided why not review it for my blog?

This palette came out last summer, so it is not exactly new, but it is new to me and I figured I would share my thoughts. This palette comes with 35 shades of eyeshadow that are in a pretty decent range of colors. There are plenty of neutral shades with a handful of bold colors to really incorporate into a number of different looks. The shades swatched very well, but as many people will say a swatch of an eye shadow with a finger is going to be very different from how the shade will appear and blend on the eye. I wanted to do both for my review so I did a number of swatches. The photo on the left is just a number of random shades in the palette, while the photo on the right is most of the shimmer shades in the palette:

I personally think these shadows swatch beautifully. I was especially impressed with the darker, purple like shades as those tend to be patchy and skip a lot, but not with these. The shimmer shades really came across beautifully as well. Honestly my first impression was very good for this palette, but performance is key when it comes to makeup right?

I wore this palette on my eyes all week. It started with the day I brought it home. I honestly couldn't wait to experiment with it, so right away I went right in with a bolder look. I used a lot of the brown shades, but I really wanted to use the dark blue-purple shade called "Twerk." The picture to the left of this text shows that look and, although I did need to blend some more I think the look came out fairly well. That dark blueish purple shade was not as bold as you would first think with the initial application, but it was very easy to build it up to get the amount of color you may want. For someone who usually does not do such bold colorful looks, I found it very easy to get the look I wanted when I used these shadows. This was the very first look I tried with this palette and I was very impressed.

I wanted to really use this palette and give it a good try before I reviewed it on my page, so I used this palette all week like I mentioned before. Every morning before work I did a more subtle look from this palette and wore it all day up until I either got home from work or to the gym after work. This palette made it very easy to create looks that were suitable for work. I had no issues using this palette every day. I found the shadows blended very well and I love the shade range I had to choose from. Here are just a few examples of the looks I wore during the week:

Nothing too crazy and all very subtle looks. I know they are very similar, but that is why I included the other above look on my post here. In my opinion, that is what I want in a palette. Shadows that I can create many everyday looks with but I can also create a look for a night out with as well. I personally think this palette does this. The shadows also lasted all day on me. My eyeshadow looked pretty much the same at the end of the day before I removed it. The picture below was taken at the gym at the end of my day, just before I removed my makeup before my workout. This was the same look as the middle photo above. Sure it is fading a bit and is not as fresh as when it was first applied, but considering I had been wearing it for about 10 hours at this point, I would say it held up amazingly well!

Overall I am in love with this palette. This palette will run you $38... that is just a little more than $1 per shadow. I personally find that to be very reasonable. I was very impressed with this palette and am going to continue using it most likely daily from now on. The price is not bad, the shade range is awesome to me, they are easy to work with, and the shades last fairly long and well. This is absolutely my new go-to palette.

NYX Total Control Drop Foundation Review

Welcome to my first product review on my page. I have been wanting to try this new(ish) foundation out for a little while now, had a gift card from my birthday, and figured I would go ahead with it and write a review for my blog. So here it is. I chose to review the NYX Total Control Drop Foundation.

For some background, I bought this foundation from Ulta online. It is currently $13.99 for 0.43 fl oz of product. Just strictly speaking on the price for this foundation before I get into my review, I find this to be fairly reasonable. You do not need to use a whole lot of the product because of the consistency of it (which I will go into in a bit) so a bottle should last a while. When I purchased it online, of course I was taking a risk on getting the proper shade. I went with shade Vanilla 06. This shade ended up being too fair for me, so I also purchased a bottle of shade True Beige 08 to mix in so it would be closer to my shade. I am still working to get the ratio correct. You will probably notice it is a bit darker in the pictures than I need it to be, but I am continuing to work on getting the correct amount of each shade for my skin tone. I also feel I should note that I wore this foundation every day for a week to test it out. Now that all of that is said, lets get into the review.

Not the most flattering picture, but this is just

the foundation with concealer and set with

powder before applying any other makeup.

I applied this foundation right to my face using the dropper, then blended with a sponge. The consistency of this foundation is very loose and watery. This is not a bad thing at all. I would drop one or two drops to the four main areas of my face (both cheeks, chin, and forehead) and then use my sponge to blend the product into my face and down my neck. This foundation was very easy to work with and despite the loose consistency, I didn't feel like my sponge was soaking it all up. I had no problems blending this foundation at all, nor did I have trouble blending in my concealer or setting it with powder. Just for reference, I used Tarte Shape Tape concealer and Coty AirSpun Loose Face Powder to set. The rest of my makeup always went on as normal as well. I had no issues with eyeshadow, contour etc. Overall I was pretty impressed with the application of this product. 

Unfortunately, I was not super impressed with the wear of this foundation throughout the day. The first few hours it held up great. Yes, I have very oily skin so I honestly am pretty easy on judging a foundation because of this, but this foundation seemed to break up around my nose way faster than usual for me with other foundations. This picture was taken around lunch time at work, so about 5 hours after the initial application and, although my makeup is holding up pretty nicely, around my nose you can see where the foundation is starting to break up. At this point of the day it wasn't as bad as it would later get, but it was already showing signs. Now, the first picture was taken in my bathroom at home, while this one was taken at work. Clearly there is different lighting. I just figured I should note that.

That brings us to the end of the day. When I got to the gym, before removing my makeup for my workout, I snapped one more picture to show how it was holding out. You can clearly see the shade difference picture here, but you also can see the oils that have come through on my face as well. I have had foundations that have preformed much worse, but I have also have had foundations that have held up better as well. At the end of the day my skin did look pretty oily and the breaking up around my nose had gotten worse. The time this photo was taken, the foundation had been on for about 10 hours. The rest of my makeup had started to move around too at this point, but with all fairness most makeup does at this point of the day.

Overall I think there are certainly some pros and cons for this product. The coverage ranges from light to medium coverage. I wanted to try this foundation especially because my skin has cleared up so much that I want a foundation that is less full coverage. In that regard, this foundation is a great option. If you are looking for something more full coverage this isn't for you. The price is reasonable and the shade range is pretty good for a drug store priced option. I believe there are 30 shades available at this point in time which is not bad at all. If you have oily skin like I do you may not love this product either. I plan on continuing to use it, I will just need to make sure on the days I do to bring some powder to touch up with during the day. It is not completely horrible for those of us with oily skin, but there are far better just as affordable options out there. 

If you have dry to combo skin and are looking for a foundation with light to medium coverage, then this is a great affordable option for you. 

My Skincare Routine

With my very first post after my introduction on this page I really debated back and forth for a while when deciding what to choose. After some thinking, I realized that the perfect first post should be about skincare. Skincare is so important especially when applying makeup. If you are not taking care of your skin, you are not applying your makeup to a very good canvas. If you take care of your skin first, then the rest of the work is a little easier.

A few years ago I struggled with acne. To me it was a pretty horrible case of it and it wrecked havoc on my confidence, but I know mine was probably considered mild compared to others. If you are at all curious about that, I wrote a post on my other page, My Acne Struggle. For this post, however, I wanted to go through my skincare routine and mention the products I use. I know it is a lot, but it works for my skin. If you want to, use my routine as a guide and find what products work best for your skin.

The most important part of skincare and really the basic idea behind it is removing your makeup. Please do NOT sleep in your makeup. It is absolutely horrible for you skin. Without removing all the products on your face you are leaving all of it to remain in your pores and they are not breathing. When I go to the gym, I always remove my makeup with just a wipe. I really don't have a favorite brand of these at all. I just find it better to remove my makeup before I workout. On the nights that I don't I remove my makeup with the Simple Micellar Facial Gel Wash. This wash is so gentle and honestly works far better than any cleanser for removing makeup I have ever used. It leaves my face feeling moisturized and clean.

I personally always do a double cleanse of my skin. Because my skin is so problematic, I always go in with a second cleanser and my Clarisonic. For years I have heard all the beauty influencers rave about the Clarisonic and I completely understand why. It is such a gentle brush for your face but it really does clean it so much deeper. It usually has visible makeup on it after my second cleanse that the first just didn't get. I have the basic Mia 1 version and it honestly works so well for me. 

As for my second cleanser, what I use may surprise you. I actually make my own cleanser with liquid castile soap, jojoba oil, distilled water, and Young Living essential oils. I use lavender, tea tree, rosemary, and frankincense. I found the recipe for this cleanser on Pinterest and will post a link to the recipe at the bottom to give the site credit. This cleanser is a foaming cleanser and it supports my skin so well! As soon as I started using it I saw a noticeable difference in my skin.

Once my skin is cleansed and dry I go in with a toner. I actually also make this toner. I use witch hazel, distilled water, and the same essential oils to make this toner. I found this recipe on Pinterest as well and will also provide the link to that. I just take a cotton pad with some of the toner on it and swipe it all over my face.

After my toner I go in with a serum. I just recently started using this  Derma-E Vitamin C Concentrated Serum. My skin has some scaring and such from my acne battle, so I use this just to boost the healing of those. This serum has a nice light fruity scent. I honestly feel like it smells like Froot Loops.

I give my skin a couple of hours to soak in the serum before I go in with a moisturizer. Yes, even though I have oily skin I still use a moisturizer. Oily skin is simply overcompensating for a lack of moisture, so the best way to combat it is by moisturizing your skin. I have been using the Garnier SkinActive Balancing 3 in 1 Moisturizer. I also have been using the Soothing version of this moisturizer. Quite honestly I am not that fond of the soothing version. I only use that one when my skin feels like it needs a little extra TLC as it is much thicker. I love the balancing moisturizer. That is my go to moisturizer at night.

Lastly I go in with an eye cream. I know many people do not think that is a necessary step for someone that is only in their 20s but I personally think it is never too soon to start adding something like this into your skincare routine. I find it better to get into the habit early rather than late. I have been using the Mario Badescu Skin Care Ceramide Herbal Eye Cream and I love this as well. It really is just a basic moisturizer for your eyes and I feel it gives my eyes just the boost it needs.

In the morning I usually just go in with my toner and then apply my makeup. I know everyone is very different in their morning skincare routines. I feel this is all I need. 

If you got through all those steps I applaud you! I know there is a lot there but honestly my skin has never looked better. Sure I still get breakouts from time to time but that is going to happen. Take care of your skin and you are sure to be glowing for many years to come. I know I already said it but I cannot stress enough how important it is to remove your makeup before bed. This is my routine every night. You do not need to go this extensive but at the very least use a makeup wipe and remove that makeup! Also make sure you are drinking enough water. I always find my skin starts to lack when I am not making sure I get enough water.

There is my skin completely naked. Not an ounce of makeup on and that picture was taken shortly after I had showered. I never would have shared a picture like this a few years ago when my skin was at its worst. Consistency is key and finding what works for you is so important. I hope this post inspired you to maybe tweak your skincare routine to what is right for you!

Links:

(Where the recipes call for lemon oil, I substituted with Rosemary and Frankincense.)

Foaming Face Wash (when I went back to this article the page was up for review, but I still wanted to include it. Message me if you would like the recipe.) 

DIY Acne Toner