Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Most loved brands of 2014

Which brands were my favorites during the year of 2014? Find out in this post! Now I just want to say, just becuase a brand isn't on here, that does NOT mean that brands is not good. There are a lot of brands a adore but I just didn't have a favorite from them that beat my usual holy grail product. For example, Revlon makes amazing lipstick but I chose Maybelline''s becuase of their creamy mattes. I also loves products from Wet Wild but they didn't have any of my award winning products. However, their eyeshadow quads and lipsticks are the bomb. There are many brands that could have been on my list if I chose more than one product. I probably would have included Bite beauty, Hourglass, Physicians Formula, LA Girl, The Bomb, Bare Minerals, ect. Pretty much every brand has outstanding products and it can be hard to choose which is the best. So please don't judge a brand just becuase their not on the list. They could have your hidden gem. I can't think of a brand I don't even like. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this post! 



I came up with a point system based from my Beauty Awards of 2014. Each product awarded gives that brand a point. It's pretty simple. Check out the most loved brands of 2014 below! 


Winning brand with 7 points 

E.l.f               

                        
 
Brand with 4 points 

Maybelline                            



Brands with 3 points 

Stila                                       
Lorac.                                    
Nyx.                                      
Urban Decay.                        


Brands with 2 points 

Becca                                    
Loreal                                   
Mac                                       
Rimmel.                                
Benefit.                                 
Bh Cosmetics.                      
Too Faced.                            
Anastasia Beverly Hills.       
Sigma
Glamglow 
Clean N Clear                                   


Brands with 1 point

Skin 79                                  
Dermablend                           
Hard candy.                           
Tarte                                                 
Nars                                        
Milani.                                    
Makeup geek                          
Mally                                     
Essence.                                 
Nyc 
Pixi 
Gerard   
It Cosmetics 
Revlon 
Burt bees 
Sonia kashuk 
Real techniques 


What were your most loved brands of 2014? 
What were your favorites beauty products of 2014? 
Let me know in the comments below! 



Monday, January 19, 2015

GlamGlow Supermud Clearing Treatment mask review for acne prone skin

PR Sample 

Hello!
Five? Ten? Twenty? Or even one hundred? How many skincare products have you bought to treat your acne? Too many to count? Trust me I'm on the same boat. Fortunately, for me, I have finally found the perfect product for my bumpy skin. Glamglows Supermud Clearing Treatment Mask. You can find it at Sephora or Glamglows website for $69. It comes housed in a white jar with 1.2 ounces of miracle liquid in it (oops did hat ruin the review?). 



First, I need to let you know Glamglow did send this to me. However, I would NOT lie to you about the performance of a product. I even have before and after pictures to show you. So there you go, you have your proof.




Product description 

The World's most Scientifically Advanced Clearing Treatment. Clinically Developed by GLAMGLOW Dermatological Chemist to help fight all common skin concerns. Designed For Men & Women of All Ages & All Skin Types. SUPERMUD for Super Clear Super Poreless Skin.
TEAOXI® EUCALYPTUS LEAF
Groundbreaking TEAOXI® is GLAMGLOW’s proprietary continuous time-release technology, delivering daily fresh natural eucalyptol, natural linalool oil & powerful flavonoids direct into our formula from real pieces of Eucalyptus Leaf contained in our magical healing SUPERMUD®.
ACNECIDIC-6™
ACNECIDIC-6 4.4%. The World’s first Clearing Treatment with a proprietary 6 acid blend. AHA & BHA acids are perfectly PH balanced for mind-blowing faster results.
·         Glycolic – Helps Restore Photo Damaged Skin & Improves Skin Texture.
·         Salicylic – Helps De-clog to Minimize Pores & New Skin Rejuvenation.
·         Lactic – Helps Pigmentation, Moisture, Stimulation & Skin Collagen.
·         Mandelic – Helps Fine Lines, Wrinkles, Aging Skin & Skin Elasticity.
·         Pyruvic – Helps the Effects of Scaring & Clearer Skin.
·         Azelaic – Helps Fight Follicle Bacteria & Breakouts.
PORE-MATRIX™
PORE-MATRIX Our Activated-X Charcoal is an Xtreme absorption carbon, attracting toxic substances into its mass up to 500 times its volume from all skin types, within the deepest & toughest areas. Our new proprietary K17-Clay™ will better extract & encapsulate excess sebum oils, bacteria & toxins in a controlled stasis state, revealing a Pore-Matrix™ of extraction dots & areas, ready to be washed away for seemingly poreless skin.
BIO-LIFE-CELL-SCIENCE™
Uses the complex natural occurring skincare benefits of green life, for Advanced Scientific Skincare.
·         EUCALYPTUS LEAF - Helps Fight Toxic Skin Complications.
·         LICORICE ROOT - Helps Regulate & Alleviate Problem Skin.
·         PEPPERMINT PLANT - Helps Control Bacteria & Irritations.
·         CHAMOMILE - Helps Inflammation & Regeneration.
·         MARIGOLD - Helps Fight Viral & Microbial Issues.
·         COMFREY HERB - Helps Analgesic Recovery.
·         ALOE VERA – Helps Healing & Rejuvenation.
·         IVY – Helps Relieve Itching & Tightens Skin.
·         CUCUMBER - Helps Soothe & Calm Skin.


How long have I been trying it?
I used GlamGlow for about 12 weeks. I started out using it as a face mask two times a week and as a daily spot treatment. After a couple weeks my acne started to die down, so I decided to use it as a spot treatment only. 

Acne results?

Here is a picture of my skin before I started using Glamglows Super Mud Clearing Tretment mask..


As you can see I had moderate to severe acne. I mostly had large painful acne around my jawline and lips. On my cheeks they were smaller but still painful. No matter what kind of pimple, I would always have a mark left behind that wouldn't go away for months. I tend to get a little oily in my t-zone but dry around my acne. By the way, in the picture above that's not oil on my face, it's a moisturizer. After a few weeks my face looked like this..

At this point my acne was less severe but I still broke out like I usually do. Fortunately, my acne wasn't as flared and painful. Which resulted in less scars. I was really happy and I actually felt like I had a chance at clearing my skin for good. I guess it gave me a sense of hope. Then a couple weeks later my skin looked like this...


As you can see in the picture a lot of my acne vanished. Of course, I still had a few pimples here and there. But overall the results were miraculous. Even my marks were improving. Not to mention the texture of my skin was a lot smoother, which also helped the performance of my makeup. 

If you have acne, then this mask is a must have. It's not a pernamnet solution but it will help out your skin while your prone to breakouts. After I ran out I started to breakout again. So it's obvious that acne will come back if you don't continue to use it. Keep in mind though, Glamglow never did claim to cure our acne forever. The claim is to treat it, which it did! It's the only thing that has helped my acne this much. So in my eyes it's a miracle in a beautiful little jar. Yeah, it's expensive but it's totally worth it. If you can afford it, buy it.

Warning
There is one draw back(kind of) from this product. The first time you use this face mask, it might break you out. Keep in mind that all the impurities are deep down in your pores and  Glamglows face mask goes all the way to the bottom of your pore. So naturally, it's going to bring everything up to the surface. The majority of the impurities will be washed away but some might be stuck at the surface. If you breakout, don't freak out. Give it another week and your skin will be a lot healthier,  as well as a lot clearer. Good things take time. 

Does it work on blackheads? 
Surprisingly, I don't suffer from blackheads that much. I have a few but not enough to show remarkable before and after photos. However, I can say that it does remove them. When the job was needed, Glamglows supermud clearing treatment mask was my best bet. It removed every single one and left behind nice smooth skin. 

Using the face mask
When I first tried this mask I was blown away by the smell. It was so strong and I couldn't believe I would have to rub this all over my face twice a week. Oddly enough, I actually grew to love the smell. It kind of reminds me of black licorice but with a twist. If you're sensitive to scents you my not like it but it would be a tragedy if the scent got in the way. It's too good to be passed on just because of the scent. Maybe it will grow on you like it did me? 
Applying the face mask was really easy. It glided on my face with little to no effort and stayed put without dripping down onto my shirt. It's a rather creamy but thin formula. To me, it's just right. 
The mask definitely had a tingly feeling but it wasn't severe. It actually felt rather nice. It was probably just the acne treatment doing what it does best. Fighting my breakouts. 
After a few minutes it starts to dry. My skin would feel tight in some areas but there were still some wet spots that took longer to dry. I didn't turn to stone all at once. The highest parts of my face usually dried before the deeper parts. So I didn't have to sit like a statue during the whole purifying process. Towards the end is when my skin felt really tight and clean. During a typical use, I would wear it for 15-20 minutes. 
When it was time to rinse off the mask, it mostly rinsed off with ease. The only places where the mask was hard to remove was around the acne a currently had. Sometimes I had to lightly scrub with a damp washcloth. No worries, it didn't irritate my skin. 
When the mask was completely smooth I had a moment like no other. My skin could breath. I don't mean the feeling that we get after we wash our face and we're like"Ah, that feels nice". No, my skin could actually breath for the first time. I really wish I could go back to the moment. It felt better than mastering winged eyeliner for the first time. 

Overall Thoughts
The first thing that comes to my mind is you need it in your life. Actually, your skin needs it in its life. It's expensive but WORTH EVERY SINGLE PENNY! Unfortunately, I can't afford to buy it everytime I need it but I would if I could. It helps problematic skin so well. It's the best thing I have ever tried for my skin and I have been trying new products since elementary school(I'm now 21). If you're looking for something to help your acne, try it. It's the only recommendation I truly depend on. 














Size comparison 


Almost empty jar









Have you tried Glamglows supermud clearing treatment mask?
Are you going to try it?
Let me know in the comments below!




Saturday, January 17, 2015

Review and Swatches: Lorac Royal Lip Lustre Creme Set

Hello! Today's post is a review on Lorac's Royal Lustre Creme Set. It sells for $25 at kohls and contains 6 different shades. Three of the six shades are exclusive ( Empress, Princess and Enchanted). This set was part of Lorac's holiday collection but I ended up picking it up with a Kohls gift card. I have to say I'm really glad that I did. Usually I skip over lipglosses and head straight for lipsticks. For some reason I feel greasy when I wear chap stick or lipgloss. Fortunately, I don't have that problem with these creamy lipglosses. Want to know more? Just keep reading! 





LORAC THE ROYAL LIP LUSTRE CRÈME SET

LORAC rules this season with The Royal Lip Lustre Creme Set. Give your lips the Royal treatment with our luxuriously creamy and delightfully smooth Lip Glosses that are loaded with antioxidants of Acai Berry, Pomegranate, Grape Seed and Vitamins A,C & E to help protect and soothe your luscious, regal pout. This Royal family of Lip Lustre Cremes comes complete with 6 magnificent, high-shine shades that are fit for a Queen. Own the throne with The Royal Lip Lustre Creme Set!

Shades include:

  • Empress – exclusive Pink Mauve      
  • Princess – exclusive Pink
  • Enchanted – exclusive Peach Nude
  • Reign – Berry
  • Crown Jewel – Cherry Red
  • Tiara – Nude 


Pigmentation
These glosses are what I consider true lipgloss. They have the right amount of pigmentation. They don't claim to have intense pigmentation like lipstick nor do they lack pigmentation like cheapo drugstore lipglosses.
Though, don't get me wrong each and every shade is very pigmented. Just becuase I consider them a true lipgloss does not mean they don't have color pay off. The color that you see in the tube is definitely what you get. I wasn't disappointed with any of the shades. In fact, I was surprised. Maybe I should buy more lipgloss...


Lasting power
Like every other lip product, the darker shades lasted longer. I was able to get three and half hours out of the two darkest shades (crown jewel and reign). The lighter shades started to disappear around three hours. Honestly, that's not a bad time frame. Most of my lipglosses disappear after one hour. Maybe it's true?? The lipglosses in this set are fit for a queen. 


Application/ consistency 
Ahh.. So soft and creamy. These glosses feature a small brush tip. It's great for precision and laying down intense color. For a more glossy look I I only pull the wand out once and apply it directly to my lips. When I want a more opaque coverage, I pull the wand out twice. The first layer provides just a hint of color, while the second is true to the color of the tube. They don't apply streaky. They have a slightly thicker consistency and have a very small amount of stickiness. It's only enough to make them last longer but not enough to make your hair stick to your lips. The formula also feels like a gel hybrid, which seems to help hydrate the lips. Thankfully, they are also absent of shimmer! 

Packaging 
This fabulous lip Creme comes housed in a durable glass(I think) tube. The wand features a small brush that is super easy to use. The wand doesn't bend or feel like it's going to break. The lipgloss tube feels very luxurious. It feels heavy and the gold lid makes it a stunner. 


Overall thoughts
$25 is a heck of a deal for six lipglosses. Every shade is so darn cute. They aren't sticky or splotchy. All the shades are unique and don't overlap one another. I couldn't be happier with my purchase. For now on this will probably be a holiday set I pick up every year. I'm in love with this formula! 









Left to right: Crown Jewel, Empress, Princess, Enchanted, Reign and Tiara


Crown Jewel- permanent 


Empress- exclusive 


Princess- exclusive 


Enchanted-exclusive 


Reign-permanent 


Tiara- permanent 








Have you tried Lorac Cosmetics The Royal Lip Lustre Creme Set?
Are you going to Kohls to buy it before it's gone?
Let me know in the comments below!