Juice Beauty Blemish Clearing Serum Review

Hello everyone!

I hope you all had an amazing holiday/new years! Today I want to write a short review on this serum as I’ve been putting it to the test for about 3-4 weeks and I have gathered my thoughts on it.

What set this serum aside from the others I own is that it is marketed as an organic, really “pure” formula. It is targeted towards oily/combination skin and helps to reduce breakouts (contains salicylic acid), evens skintone (Vitamin C), Smooths texture (CoQ10), and hydrates (aloe, green/white tea). It contains other organic ingredients and antioxidants which are all suppose to help you get an overall improved complexion.

The first week that I tried this out I noticed that my existing acne was healing faster than usual but on the second week I did have two breakouts and again the same thing – I noticed that it wouldn’t stick around for more than a day or two. I did notice a slight improvement in my skin as it is more smooth – less texture which I noticed while applying highlighter. My redness has also lessened quite a bit and my pores seem slightly less noticeable. It is hard to measure the effectiveness of a serum but by swapping my other serum with this I can say that I notice subtle but clear results.

Overall, I enjoy this and will definitely use it up! I also like knowing that this serum is formulated without any of the bad ingredients and my skin seems to love it so far.

Click here to purchase.

Disclaimer: I received this product from Influenster for reviewing purposes. All of my reviews are my honest opinion whether I bought the product(s) or it was sent to me.

Too Faced Natural Matte Eyeshadow Palette Review + Swatches

Welcome back!

I found this palette at Winners (TJ Maxx) for $25 CAD and was beyond excited to try it out! These mini tin palettes have been at Sephora for years and they recently repackaged and slightly reformulated the shadows so this specific product can be found at outlet stores or online.

I really like the packaging – it’s cute, compact and super sturdy. I can tell that nothing will happen to these shadows if I drop this palette. This palette has a magnetic closure which is nice because it doesn’t open easily. The shades that you get in this palette are brownish neutrals with some leaning more towards cool (pink) and some more warm toned.

These shadows are not crazy pigmented but can be built up to have decent color. They are not too soft but rather fairly pressed in so there is hardly any fallout while applying. I reach for this palette when I want a soft neutral eye look because it’s super easy and all the shades work with each other. I would also recommend this for beginners because the shades are very soft and not too pigmented so you can’t mess this up, it is also easy to blend out.

I had to build up the swatches below in order to get decent pigmentation. The lighter shades were especially hard to get pictures of.

Left to right: Heaven, Lace Teddy, and Nudie.

Left to right: Cashmere Bunny, Strapless, and Honey Butter.

Left to right: Sexspresso, Risque, and Chocolate Cookie.

What do you guys think of the Too Faced palettes?

Click here to view the new palettes.

Too Faced Primed and Peachy Cooling Matte Skin Perfecting Primer Review

Hello everyone!

These Too Faced peach scented products are addictive! If you like the scent of peach then you will understand my addiction to this line. However, this product didn’t particularly blow me out of the water.

I love the packaging; this isn’t the full size – it’s the 20ml “mini” size and it still comes with a gorgeous golden pump and a travel-friendly plastic tube. Even though I really appreciate the pump I’m not quite sure that this packaging is the best for the product. When I don’t use this for a few days and then go to pump out product I can feel a hardened bit which is dried up product. Perhaps a squeeze tube would have been better?

The product itself is thick and has a peachy tone which is suppose to brighten and I do notice subtle brightening once applying this. It is also a bit harder to apply as it is fairly thick but once you smooth it on your skin you feel the cooling effect which feels really nice on the pores! However, you must not rub this product in as it begins to pill up and it just creates a mess.

After smoothing this on my pores and t-zone it feels super tacky for a few seconds before beginning to dry down to a matte finish. I like the tackiness because it allows your foundation to really stick to it which ups the coverage of the foundation. This primer is also slightly blurring but honestly, it doesn’t make much difference once you apply foundation on top. In terms of keeping me matte, I have noticed it slightly prolonging the time I get oily but it’s inevitable and I will start to get oily after a couple hours. But I do like the smoothing effect that it gives throughout the day.

Would I repurchase? Well – probably not to be completely honest as I have other primers I like more, but I’m enjoying this mini size for now.

What do you guys think of the Peach Perfect line?

Click here to view product.

Bobbi Brown Retouching Face Pencil in Illuminate Review + Swatch

Hi everyone!

I’ve been using this product for a while now and have gathered my thoughts on it to review for you guys! I have previously tried a few Bobbi Brown products but they were mostly skincare. I’m just getting into their makeup and so far I have liked what I’ve tried.

When you think about highlighting – you think about mostly powder, liquid or even a cream consistency. This however is a creamy formula that is housed in a chubby pencil casing which makes it very travel-friendly, easy to use, and sturdy. It also comes with the sharpener which is great because you may not already have one that will fit this pencil. The stick concept is easy to use because you just draw it on your face wherever you want a nice sheen/glow. I can place this in my waterline, inner corner and brow bone in a matter of seconds. I like to warm this up on my finger before patting it on to my cheekbones, cupids bow, etc.

Consistency-wise this product is creamy but not too creamy where it ends up looking greasy and gets everywhere. Instead, this is a nice creamy formula that goes on easily and stays put for hours. You can build it to look more dramatic or with just one swipe you get a subtle sheen. There are very fine micro shimmers in there but the eye doesn’t pick that up, instead it looks very fresh and has a sophisticated glow rather than tacky and chunky.

The color is gorgeous and I can see how this shade would work for a variety of different skin tones. It pulls pink with a subtle silver frost but it also pulls champagne with a very light gold depending on how the light hits it.

I really am impressed with this product and this is definitely my gateway into trying out more Bobbi Brown makeup products.

What is your favourite Bobbi Brown product? Let me know in the comment section!

Click here to view on the Bobbi Brown website. (currently 25% off)

Physicians Formula Rose All Day Oil-Free Serum Review + Swatch

Hello everyone!

This serum isn’t like any other, it’s a skincare-makeup item because it has the benefits of a serum but it also gives a gorgeous pink-champagne glow to the skin! I’ve been using this for a while now and thought I would share my review on it today.

The packaging is simple but sweet, it contains a dropper which I don’t mind for serums (my favourite is with a pump). The packaging has a weight to it which makes it slightly more luxurious but maybe not the best for travelling.

This product has a prominent rose scent but it is a natural rose scent – not an artificial one which makes me feel like I’m putting on an expensive product. This is described as an oil-free pearluminous formula which helps to tighten and brighten. It contains rose water, Goji and Kakadu Plum which are Vitamin C and antioxidant rich. But let’s be real – – I bought this for the glow and maybe not so much for the skincare part but I do appreciate that it is beneficial for the skin.

This product absorbs/dries down within seconds which I love because I don’t like adding on thick layers to my skin as I’m oily and that results in my makeup not lasting very long. This looks really pretty under sheer/matte finishes because the glow is toned down and makes the finish of the foundation more skin-like and not flat. I also like how this has a pretty reflect that flashes slightly pink as it color corrects and brightens. It’s a little difficult to see the pink reflect in the swatch below but trust me it is noticeable in person.

Physicians Formula Rose All Day Oil-Free Serum.

In conclusion, if you are looking for a skincare-makeup hybrid that is good for your skin (hypoallergenic, paraben-free, gluten-free, cruelty-free, clinically tested and dermatologist tested) while wanting a pretty fresh pink/pearl glow then you will enjoy this.

I’m super curious to try out the 24 karat serum but can’t find it anywhere in stores! Have you tried these serums from Physicians Formula?

Click here to view product.

Kat Von D Lock-It Color Correcting Eyeshadow Primer Review + Swatch

Welcome back everyone!

I have tried this primer out a few times and thought I would quickly put a review out there since this primer is only $4 CAD at Winners (or $18 at Sephora) at the moment so if your interested I would grab one quick.

First off I like how this primer comes in a stick form because it doesn’t require dipping your finger in a jar (and getting product under your nail). You just glide this on your eye and tap it in with your finger – and I recommend that you do one eye at a time and move quickly because this product literally dries down in less than 5 seconds which is a bit nerve-wrecking. However, once it’s on there it isn’t going anywhere and your eyeshadow will literally last the entire day without question.

Another thing that’s good to know with this shadow primer is that it’s a bit of a dry formula so it works best on oily eyelids – my eyelids aren’t oily (shocker, I know because everywhere else is) so I have to load up on a good eye cream before using this. Would I recommend this? Yes – if you find it for $4 I would definitely recommend that you try it out because if it does work for you, it’s a nice product. For U.S. residents I believe the Winners equivalent is TJ Maxx and/or Marshalls if I’m not mistaken.

Kat Von D Lock-It Color Correcting Eyeshadow Primer in “Light”. It has a strong peachy undertone.

What do you guys think? Have you tried this – will you try this?

Click here to purchase on Sephora.

MAC Pro Longwear Lip Pencil Review + Swatches (Lip Pencil vs Pro Longwear Lip Pencil)

Welcome back everyone!

Today I have a few MAC lip liners to review for you guys. Three of them being the Pro Longwear formula and the third one down is the regular Lip Pencil. I got the three Pro Longwears in a set a while back and bought the regular lip pencil a couple weeks ago because I wanted to compare formulas.

I usually stick with neutral shades when it comes to lip liners because I can make them work with a variety of lipstick shades. The bright pink shade (Good Timing) came in the pack of three and I don’t think I will be using this much/at all but I bought it anyway because I love the two other shades (Morning Coffee & Absolutely It).

A difference that you can see right away is that the regular Lip Pencil formula is a bit stiffer and not as creamy. It’s a wooden pencil which requires sharpening but you don’t need to sharpen as much as the Pro Longwear formula because it doesn’t dull as easily due to it being stiffer. The Pro Longwear is much more pigmented and creamy but doesn’t build the best; if you try to deepen the shade the formula starts to look and feel heavy and dry. Also, this formula can dry up slightly after time because the product is loose in the plastic pencil (it can break and fall right out of the pencil). So they both have their pros and cons; the most important one that I have to mention is that the Pro Longwear stays on much longer and can survive a greasy meal without completely rubbing off.

Swatched top to bottom: Stripdown (Lip Pencil), Morning Coffee, Absolutely It and Good Timing (all Pro Longwear Lip Pencils).

After rubbing on hand consecutively for 2 minutes straight.

As you can probably tell by looking at the photo above that the regular formula was almost completely rubbed off while the Pro Longwear has stayed on well with a bit of fading.

So which one is my favourite you ask? Honestly, I like both, but I may lean towards the Pro Longwear because of it’s longevity.

Which one is your favourite?

Click here to view product.

Milk Makeup Charcoal Cleanser (with sea water?) Review

Hi everyone!

This is the first product that I’ve tried from Milk Makeup, mainly because they aren’t really talked about and have never grabbed my attention. Until this product; as someone with extremely oily skin I love anything with charcoal in it. Charcoal is meant to help with oil control as it absorbs oil and other toxins in the skin.

The packaging is pretty simple but cool. I like the see-through plastic with white lettering and the product itself is black so it’s a nice contrast. It comes with a squeeze bottle which I don’t mind because the cap pops off and doesn’t twist off. I absolutely hate twist off caps for cleansers because I have to grab the bottle with wet hands and try to twist it open & close – it’s the worst!

The product itself has a pleasant scent; almost shampoo-like and it foams up slightly while remaining a bit creamy at the same time. I definitely feel like it does a good job with removing oils and left over makeup but it doesn’t strip my skin afterwards – I don’t get the skin pulling sensation which drying face washes give.

This cleanser includes interesting ingredients such as Vitamin E and marine water – like actual sea water is listed in the ingredients (not exactly sure what that’s good for, comment below if you do please!). Also, I don’t recall seeing Vitamin E in a cleanser either but I guess that’s why I don’t feel like this cleanser sucks the life out of my skin afterwards. Overall, I’m enjoying this cleanser and have already bought a back up since I’m actually rather picky with cleansers and this gets the job done!

What do you recommend from Milk Makeup?

Click here to view product.

MAC Extra Dimension SkinFinish Double Gleam Review + Swatch

Hello again!

I’m so excited for this review because I think I’ve found the perfect highlighter for very fair skin tones! Before using this I was obsessed with the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Champagne Pop – click here to see my review on it. But I started to think that it might be too deep for me and maybe I need to try something lighter and brighter. In that post you can see that the second swatch is super peachy compared to my pale skin tone.

I really wanted to try a highlighter from MAC since I’ve heard good things and when I saw this shade (Double Gleam) I thought it would compliment my skin tone really well. The packaging is very simple and it contains 9g of product which is slightly more than a standard highlighter.

Online this product is described as a liquid-powder highlighter that is long-wearing (up to 10 hours to be exact). This shade in particular is described as a beige that breaks silver. Honestly, I’m not sure why the word “liquid” is mentioned as this powder may be silky and smooth but isn’t a liquid to powder consistency. I agree that it’s super long wearing; it really does last the whole day on my cheeks. Lastly, the color is gorgeous! It’s a pretty beige, almost rose gold shade and when the light hits it, it turns to a bright reflective silver.

MAC Extra Dimension SkinFinish Double Gleam Swatched.

I’ve found my current favourite highlighter! Great formula, long lasting, and the shade is perfect for me. What do you guys think?

Click here to purchase.

Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer Review + Swatches

Hi everyone!

I’ve been enjoying a bunch of Too Faced products lately. Not only are they good quality products but each time I use them it’s an experience of it’s own.

I found this product at Winners (Tj Maxx in the U.S.). Too Faced recently changed their packaging and I got this product for more than half off! I actually really like this packaging; it’s gorgeous with the gold and the raised design on the front. It feels very sturdy and has a great mirror on the inside.

This is where the experience begins: as soon as you open it up you get this amazingly rich cocoa scent that makes you think you just opened a box of chocolates. The powder is very silky and pigmented but not too pigmented where it would make it difficult to apply to fair skin tones. It blends really nicely on the skin and I always start with a tiny amount and then build from there.

Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer swatched once.

Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer built up from first swatch.

The tone of this bronzer is more cool toned than I’m use to but I ended up really liking this shade on my skin tone. It creates more of a shadow and really slims down the face. The lasting powder is quite decent as well – it doesn’t fade away as quickly as most other bronzers, which is important for me because I have such oily skin and powders seem to melt off.

Overall, I really like this bronzer and I’m so glad I got this for such a good price! More Too Faced reviews coming up as I mentioned, I’m really enjoying their products recently!

What is your favourite Too Faced product?

Click here to view on Sephora (new packaging).