Review: Biore Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser

Hello there!

I received a sample of charcoal cleanser from Biore in a copy of Seventeen magazine and it has been sitting under my sink for ages, I finally got around to trying it and really enjoyed it.

It was hard to capture this practically clear cleanser in the picture but it does have a grey twinge to it with dark particles in it. I noticed a definite smoothness to the cleanser and to my face after washing it off. I was skeptical of the charcoal but my skin felt really clean and even now, with my skin all nice and dry, it feels ridiculously smooth. 

I ran out of Proactiv last week and my skin's started breaking out already so I cannot simply switch to this wash but I'm considering buying a full size of it and use it along with my Proactiv to get this amazing smooth feeling all of the time. I would highly recommend it, I think it would work nicely for almost any skin type and most would enjoy it.

Anyways, I loved finding such a nice new product and hope you enjoyed reading my review!

What's your favorite facial cleanser? Tell me in the comments below

Have a Wonderful Day!

Mia B <3

Review: Studio Gear CC Cream

Hello there!

Recently Studio Gear sent me some CC cream to test out. I've never used a CC cream before but I have tried just about everything else and I was pleasantly surprised at the results. 

CC creams always have so many amazing healthy skin benefits, I've been wanting to try some forever. Tinted moisturizers are my preferred base of choice and I thought this was fairly similar except for the awesome microbeads in this cream.

It did give very light coverage (only applied on left side in picture), lightening a lot of the redness but not completely erasing it. But to be fair to the cream, I have a lot of it. I really really enjoyed how light this cream was. You can always feel liquid foundation on and sometimes even tinted moisturizer. However I could not feel this on my face at all. I wore it on a lazy day and loved how natural it felt.

I love to use a lot of hydrators and moisturizers and I noticed this felt just as nicely (in the healthy skin department) as most other products do. I know some expensive products that do work a bit better but they're specifically geared towards that without any of the coverage that CC creams have so this is just an easier way to go about life...

You can find these for $34 per 1 ounce here however Studio gear is giving readers 10% off the total cart with the code: bloggercc

Anyways, hope you enjoyed my review, I've heard that reviews are general favorite posts so I'm trying to do more of them ;)

Comment below: What's your favorite type of base product?

Have a Wonderful Day!

Mia B <3

*Post sponsored by Brandbacker*

Review: John Frieda Blonde Shampoo and Conditioner

Hello there!

So I have brown to blonde ombre hair and for months I ignored the blonde and used regular shampoo and conditioner but I recently decided to start caring about my poor blonde ends and got the John Frieda everlasting blonde color preserving shampoo and conditioner and thought I would review it today

I've been washing with these (every 1-2 days) for the past 2 weeks and the first thing I noticed about these is the silky smooth feeling they both give while in the shower, I love it so much. The shampoo is clear, the conditioner white. The formula is slightly more liquid than most hair products I've used but so far I'm in love! 

I've gone 6 weeks without a trim and while I use moisturizer, my ends were starting to get pretty bad. But these were obviously made for hair with bleach damage and there's a noticeable difference in the smoothness of my ends. Nothing could bring them back completely but these definitely helped. 

I had been washing my hair with normal shampoo for a month after my last color before using these products so I don't think there was any way they could have revived my color and it was already slightly faded beforehand so I'm not sure what the effectiveness as far as color preserving is but I'm excited to find out after my next color. 

In summary, these aren't miracle workers but they definitely helped my bleached hair and were completely worth the buy!

Anyways, hope you enjoyed my review on these products. What's your experience with color treated hair? I'd love to talk in the comments below!

Have a Wonderful Day!

Mia B <3

Review: Maybelline Falsies Regular vs Flared

Hello there!

I loved the original Maybelline Falsies Mascara and got it forever ago and finally ran out but decided to take a chance on their new Falsies Flared Mascara and here's what I thought...

The Original Formula

If you've ever seen the brush for this mascara it looks quite odd. While most others have a round brush this one curves into a very slight U. I don't know if anyone really knows which side to use and almost everyone who uses it has different results. 

I use it U up and use the wiggling method, making them thicker but I think if you just run it through, the lashes get stuck together so there's about 10 with lots of gaps at the lash line. Also, this mascara dries really quickly and using a second coat will create plenty of clumps. So there are a few drawbacks, but overall I quite like it. 

The Flared Formula

I like the flared formula far more. The brush has one straighter side and one outwardly curved side and I tend to use the straighter side up. I can get more length out of it and the same great volume without any noticeable clumping, my lashes are separated and they still have the "falsies effect". Using the wiggling method I get a dark, thick lash line almost to the effect of thin eyeliner. They have a slight flared effect, not to the full butterfly effect but still in a subtle and very nice way. 

In summary, the regular mascara is nice but I much prefer the flared solution

(Btw neither mascaras I reviewed are the waterproof formulas)

Anyways, hope you enjoyed this review. Have you ever tried this mascara? What did you think of it? What's your favorite mascara? Tell me in the comments below!

Have a Wonderful Day!

Mia B <3

Review: Make Up Remover Wipes

Hello there,

So I was rushing (like usual) and grabbed the first make up removing wipes I could find and made a mistake.

These wipes make me feel like I'm scratching my skin off and it legitimately hurts to try and remove my eye makeup. They were dripping with whatever liquid is used to keep the wipes wet and I could feel the dried liquid on my face hours after like I was wearing really thick makeup. They cost about half as much as my usual wipes, the Neutrogena ones, but I ended up throwing these away, going back and spending the money for good ones. 

There isn't all that much to say about these except that I DO NOT RECOMMEND THEM. But it's all trial and error

Have a Wonderful Day!

Mia B <3

Review: Proactiv+

Hello there!

A few weeks ago I saw Proactiv's new face wash line and decided to give it a try. The original Proactiv worked pretty well for someone who has had unstoppable acne for about 2 years, though it didn't completely solve the problem.

This new line has 3 steps as well. 

Step 1: Skin Smoothing Exfoliator
Smooth away excess oil, dirt, and other impurities with your daily cleanser

It works quite well, I usually use it in the shower on damp skin and it has the little pieces like a scrub does. I know some don't like the harsh feeling but it surprisingly doesn't aggravate my sensitive skin and I have noticed smoother skin so it lives up to it's name. 

Step 2: Pore Targeting Treatment
Kill acne bacteria deep in the pore with your daily treatment

This is a much thinner liquid like substance but thick enough to retain shape. This step is more about acne medication and my acne has definitely reduced. I always like to do something brushing my teeth after this step to let it dry before the next step. 

Step 3: Complexion Perfection Hydrator 
Soothe irritation, brighten tone and visibly reduce post-acne marks without clogging pores with your daily hydrator

This is a clear gel type product that definitely hydrates skin but it doesn't feel like most moisturizers I've used. I've continued to use my moisturizer only because I prefer tinted moisturizer in the place of foundation but I feel like after using this product it isn't necessary at all.

Results: I've had terrible acne for the past 2 years and spent countless amounts on new acne treatments and so much time worrying about covering it all up. But last week for the first time I felt like I had a clear face, this finally got ride of most of my acne. 

I still have a bunch of acne scars but those will take much longer to heal and are slowly fading. But it felt amazing to finally feel like I didn't have any acne. My skin feels amazingly smooth and healthy and after the products dry I cannot tell if I've even put them on or not, they are completely weightless. 

(However I did have a break out, it wasn't half as bad as my old ones and after a few days of diligent face washing, it completely cleared but still slightly annoying)

So overall, I'm very happy with this face wash system

Free gifts

Toner: This was one of the main steps in the old solution however is one of 2 free gifts you can choose from 8 different options. I didn't personally order mine so I didn't get a choice but this works quite well. It is used to even out skin tone and has brightened mine and faded my acne scars noticeably but not completely so it works quite well and it comes with its own application pads.

Mask: This is a normal mask, white thick cream that makes my face feel incredibly clear and has a small effect on my acne though not as much as I'd like. What I really love about this mask is that it has a second purpose as an overnight spot treatment. Noticeably reducing large bits of acne in a matter of hours. It's not miracle cream, it doesn't rid of them but a difference large enough to keep me using it. The only downside is that overuse of this will easily dry out skin and make the problem worse. 

The other gift options are the cleansing body bar, mark correcting pads, emergency blemish relief, and eye brightening serum and I believe I get 2 free with every new order. 

Anyways, that was my experience with this overall wonderful system, have you tried it? What is your choice face wash? Tell me in the comments below! I'd love to read

Have a Wonderful Day!

Mia B <3

Review: Nars Tinted Moisturizer

Hello there!

As I was walking through Nordstrom the other day I noticed samples for one of the most sought after makeup products: the Nars Tinted Moisturizer, I've never tried it and always wondered what all the hype was about so I quickly guessed my color as I was running out the door. I got it in Groenland: a light medium with a neutral pink to peach undertone. I love when skin products make separate products for color and undertone as I find matching my undertone to be difficult at times. 

After wearing it the other day I see why everyone loves this product so much. It feels very light on the skin and has a very creamy somewhat thick consistency. My color matched flawlessly and it blends easily and quickly something I greatly appreciate as it seems like I'm always on the go. 

Without any other makeup

 Just looking at my acne spots, the product covered as well as my full coverage foundation. However, it didn't cover my under-eye circles as much as I would've liked, something easily fixed with a touch of concealer but a good thing to keep in mind.

Absolutely terrible at taking selfies...

This product is definitely one of my new favorites and already on my wishlist though at the steep price of $42 per 1.9 oz, it may be awhile before I can get myself some. 

Anyways, hope you enjoyed!

Have a Wonderful Day!

Mia B <3

Review: Essie's Bikini So Teeny Nail Polish

Hello there!

I've recently fell in love with Essie and all of their beautiful polishes. I am absolutely horrible at painting my own nails so in the past I've always gone to a nail salon or not at all but I am determined to finally figure it out myself so I've gone of and bought 6 Essie polishes to start my collection and I started with Bikini So Teeny

This is a beautiful color that I've likened most to periwinkle with more blue than purple and very, very small pieces of glitter that create a subtle shine and sparkle.

Essie is probably my favorite brand because it goes on fairly easily and lasts awhile when used with good base and top coats. It did chip a few times while I had it on (which I did for a week) but it was really easy to paint over them without seeing any lines after.

I've used China Glaze and OPI before and Essie is thus far my absolute favorite!

My collection thus far

I'm excited to try all of these new colors, I LOVE ESSIE

Have a Wonderful Day!

Mia B <3

Review: Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer

Hello there!

So I have about 20 minutes to write a post before I break my month long "everyday blogging" challenge, this should be interesting. 

Today I thought I'd love to do another review as most seem to enjoy those posts the most as I know I really do and I'll be reviewing something I've heard loads about from other bloggers: the Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer which I have in the original clear shade.

This was honestly my first primer and I've loved it loads. It says it's for perfect skin so nothing specific just a nice primer and it works perfectly. I've never had any problem with it and would definitely recommend it. When first feeling it, it would seem to make my face oily or bunch up as it's very thick but it doesn't do either, blending into my face really well, I can't even tell it's only when it is alone. 

When I tried to put it over concealer, the concealer left all of the spots I had intentionally put it and blending into the rest of my face which I understand why it would do so but it wasn't very helpful so I would definitely recommend putting it on right after moisturizer. 

When I tried using my foundation without any of this beautiful product, I did notice that it faded much quicker so this very much worked up to it's long lasting promise, I use it everyday I wear makeup. 

I have a lot of red at the moment so I might consider going for the green shade that is specifically designed to counteract the red shades 

However, I don't think I'll be needing that anytime soon as the one I have ($36 for 1oz) is no where near running out which it better not be after I paid so much for so little. I use about a drop everyday and it spreads evenly over my entire face so it will last a long while, which I love, but that price will always seem high to me. 

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this short review, I might have been a bit more knowledgeable if I had ever tried another primer but having such a good one at first I never felt the need to. Also sorry about the rushed post, I have several others that I've started today but I wanted to work far more on the photography than I had the time for but they will all be here soon :)

Have A Wonderful Day!

Mia B <3

Review: Covergirl Exact Eyelights Eye-Brightening Waterproof Mascara

Hello there!

It's really late and I procrastinated and now I'm writing, it's been a crazy day and I'm really hoping what I write doesn't end up sounding crazy...

So, walking into a drugstore looking for makeup for the first time, an uneducated 15 year old girl picks up a mascara that sounds like it's the best thing in the world and finds out that it may be the worst. Yes, the Covergirl mascara was the first one I ever picked out. I thought waterproof was always necessary (wrong!) and that this eye-brightening product would make everything look amazing (also, very, very wrong). 

I now know the secrets of the best drugstore mascaras and the fact that it is always helpful to read a review or two before buying a product, this would have helped me so much as I've now read several reviews that report the same problems as I had. The mascara clumps all of your eyelashes together into about 5 solid uneven, disgusting lashes, it smudges literally everywhere and I still didn't notice a difference in any shimmer or eye-brightening effects the product may have had. I was extremely unimpressed but as a first one it was absolutely terrible as I didn't know that it looked terrible until I started paying attention to other girls who had these full yet defined, beautiful lashes. 

I definitely would not ever buy this again or recommend it to anyone else.

Although, I'm pretty sure only the people who bought it in the shade black pearl had the clumping problem. Yet 75% of people had the removal problem. I wish I could show the results I had but I've long since thrown it away. Trial and error is the only way, right? I'm now a Maybelline mascara girl all the way...

Anyways, sorry about my little rant there, I was getting quite caught up in my extreme dislike for this product... naive little me. 

What's your favorite mascara? Leave me a comment below! I'd love to read

Have a Wonderful Day!
Mia B <3

Concealer Comparison: L'Oreal vs Rimmel

Hello there!

Just spent 2.5 hours purchasing and hanging Christmas lights for my room and they are amazing! But that's not what I'm here to talk about... Today I wanted to do a review so I'm going to be doing a comparison of the 2 different drugstore concealers that I've purchased over the past year so it's like 2 reviews in one!

1. L'Oreal True Match Concealer- Light Pale

2. Rimmel Match Perfection Concealer- Light/Medium

a) Tone matching

When I try and buy a new makeup product, especially in a drugstore, I will sit there for 5-10 minutes if I have to and find which shade best matches mine. So it's not out laziness that neither of these truly matched my tone even the Rimmel one, which claims to adapt to individual skin tone. 

L'Oreal is a little too light and Rimmel is a little too dark, neither company makes too many shades, although with a little foundation or an extremely good blend, it's not noticeable at all but whenever I even try to just walk out of the door with only a touch of either of these concealers, someone notices. 

b) Consistency and Application 

These have very different consistencies, the L'Oreal has a very thick consistency that is applied with a small wand that if applied hastily can feel a bit rough. While the Rimmel has a far more liquid based consistency that applies smooth as butter, to apply you squeeze the bottle onto the 20 or so fibers on the tip of the tube which I found a lot softer but a little messier and occasionally difficult. 

c) Coverage

I had a lot of acne while using both of these products so coverage was extremely important while I was using them and I can review them with ease. For me, the Rimmel and L'Oreal both take away any redness or off-colored spots wonderfully, something I was very happy with. However the L'Oreal hid the bumps of the acne a bit better, though not completely, compared to the Rimmel which easily showed all of my acne, though they were completely skin tone. So this one definitely depends on how much coverage you need. 

d) Blendability

This has a lot to do with the consistencies of the two formulas, the Rimmel was of course easier to blend due to it's more liquid consistency but the L'Oreal isn't bad either. They were both fairly easy to blend by hand. 

e) Overall- each out of 5

L'Oreal
Tone Matching: 3
Consistency&App: 3
Coverage: 4
Blendability: 5
Total: 15/20

Rimmel 
Tone Matching: 3
Consistency&App: 5
Coverage: 3
Blendability: 5
Total: 16/20

Hope you enjoyed my review, tried to make it a bit different than normal, let me know if you enjoyed! But it's late and I'm off to bed, I had to keep up my full month of blogging everyday!

Comment below: what's your favorite concealer?

Have a Wonderful Day!
Mia B <3

Review: Proactiv

Hello there!

So I've had this terrible acne problem for months now and I've tried a ton of different face washes that would occasionally work but never fully got rid of the problem. I tried Proactiv a few years back when I had 1 little pimple and didn't like it very much. But after too many failed attempts I have finally gone back.

I've been using it for about 2 weeks now and it's worked better than anything I've tried before, but I still have about 1/3 of my original acne and a bunch of dry skin even though I've used the repairing treatment, isn't combination skin just lovely?

The cleanser, step 1, is amazing, it has the same small sand-like pieces you would normally find in a good scrub. If I'm in a rush I'll use this alone and my skin still feels nice and clean without the extra steps.
The toner, step 2, is good, I've always used toner though they weren't Proactiv and this works about the same, exfoliating and cleaning a bit deeper into pores.
The repairing treatment, step 3, hasn't done much for me, I've got a lot more dead skin than I'd like even after my normal moisturizing routine, a little disappointing.

However, though the product isn't perfect, it has worked a lot better than anything I've found before. Proactiv also just came out with a new, improved formula called Proactiv+ that supposedly works even better and is more effective than the original formula which I've just ordered today so I'm rather excited to see how the new system works.

Anyways, I hope this review helped someone somewhere though I know most don't have as bad of acne as I. Comment below with your favorite skin products, I'd love to read and maybe try some out!

Have a Wonderful Day!
Mia B <3

Review: Kat Von D Blushes

Hello there!

 

Today I'm doing another review of my humongous Sephora haul from forever ago which you can find here. I decided to review the 2 blushes I got from the Kat Von D collection.

 

 

 

Left: Por Vida, Right: Wish

 

Left: Wish, Right: Por Vida

 

 

 

The first one I got was in the shade Por Vida. This shade is described as a "warm pink", which I agree with, and I always find this color nicer in the colder months. The powder is very pigmented but blends nice with my warmer skin tone and looks very natural which I love. This shade has no shimmer to it which I know many love so that is up to personal preference but I would definitely recommend it.

 

The second blush I bought was in the shade Wish and this one was quite different. I was told it was a bronzer in Sephora but it's listed as a blush on the site and described as a "nude peach with subtle shimmer" which I agree with. It is almost impossible to see on the swatch even after I used several layers but when I apply it as a bronzer it does make a slight difference though I don't think I'll repurchase, probably go for a darker, more pigmented color, though the quality on these is amazing.

 

Anyways, I hope that helped someone on their blush quest. What are your favorite blushes? I'd love to know in the comments below!

 

Have a Wonderful Day!

Mia B <3

Review: Kat Von D lock-it tattoo foundation

Hello there!

Awhile back I posted about a Sephora haul I had went on and I'm finally going to get around to posting some reviews of what I bought. So I'm going to start off today with my liquid foundation which is the Kat Con D lock-it tattoo foundation in the shade Medium 52.

I was skeptical to buy such a new brand but the CMA at Sephora absolutely insisted and she was so right. This foundation has layering covering that even on my worst days makes my severe acne into short, normally colored bumps. If blended correctly, you can't tell that I'm even wearing foundation as it goes on perfectly smooth and won't leave any extra makeup clumps behind.

The material of the foundation is way thicker than I expected, the type that I can turn upside down and it will stay perfectly still, weird but has turned out to be good because there are fewer spills on my part however it can be a bit more difficult to blend in and harder to take off my makeup brush, though oddly not my face.

An added bonus, the bottle is really nice and pretty and it comes with this really convenient pump to get out exactly how much foundation you need. Although this has caused a bit of a mess in my makeup bag, I'm pretty sure it came with a cap that I may or may not have accidentally thrown away...

And one last thing, I bought this over 2 months ago and I still have about 3/4 of the bottle left, I wear makeup I would say 95% of my days and I have lots of acne to cover up so I consider this a very nice quantity even though it costs $35. They have about 17 shades to choose from with all of the different shades and undertones listed which I rather enjoyed.

Overall, I think this was worth the steep-ish price and if my dreadful acne continues, I will happily buy it again. I would gladly recommend the product for it's quality although I don't think it would be that necessary for people who don't have much to cover up.

Anyways, I hope that review was beneficial to someone out there. Have you tried the Kat Von D products, what did you think? Have any suggestions for different liquid foundations to try? I would gladly read any comments left below

Have a Wonderfully Beautiful Day!
Mia B <3

TRESemmé Review

Hello there!

So I've been buying Tresemmé Shampoos and Conditioners for a few years now and I've tried a couple of their collections and I thought it'd be nice to share with you my experience with all of them.

I'm pretty sure there's more but they're long gone and I cannot remember them

Naturals:

I loved the ingredients in these, always nice to go more natural, however my hair disagreed. It made it difficult to brush through and much frizzier than with other products although it did make it softer.

Keratin Smooth:

I did notice a reduction in frizz although this product killed my curls. It made them far more "afro/dreads" than I ever wanted them to be. EVER.

 

Split Remedy: 

This is what I'm currently using however I'm getting mixed results. Sometimes I'll get nice defined, soft, smooth curls and other times (literally now) I'll get a messy-frizz ball with absolutely no softness to them, not fun. But I have noticed a slight reduction in split ends, helpful for my heat-damaged hair, and I'm still using them after they came out about 6 months ago... I think

Touchable Softness: (conditioner only)

I'm currently using this one about twice a week and it has been working a bit though I don't think the difference is that noticeable, maybe you need the shampoo, too. Overall, nothing special but a nice, simple conditioner

 

Anyways, that's my thought on them, have you used any TRESemmé products? What did you think about them? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

 

Have a Wonderful Day!

Mia B <3