Updated Skin Care Routine!

It’s all about updates for now.

I’ve been using quite a bit of new skin and hair products, so I thought I’d share them with you. Today, I’m just going to focus on skin.

 

 

Skinfood Black Sugar Perfect Scrub Foam

Easily my new favorite facial scrub. This product is pretty cool because you can choose the level of exfoliation by the amount of water you add before you apply it. You can apply it straight to your face for more exfoliation or add water to just use it as a foam cleanser. It leaves my skin feeling super clean, not dry and smells really nice!

 

 

Skinfood Freshmade Coconut Mask

This product actually surprised me. What do you think of when a product is a mask? I thought this was going to be a thicker formulation, something that stays on your face for 10-15 minutes before you wash it off (think SheaMoisture clay masks), but that’s not at all what you get here. This ‘mask’ is a super lightweight, jelly-like consistency. It’s described as ‘bursting moisture droplets’, which is pretty accurate. When you apply it, you can feel it almost melting right into the skin. It absorbs super quickly, leaves no residue and instantly hydrates.

 

SheaMoisture Coconut Oil Coffee Scrub

The only new non-facial product on my list. I needed a new body scrub, I’m trying to get the KP on the legs back under control after mostly ignoring it in winter and spring. I decided to try this one because it is supposed to soften and restore, and it’s a coffee scrub… my favorite kind. This scrub is actually coffee grinds… straight up, no liquid in there, nothing binding the grinds together, just coffee grinds. I’m assuming the coconut oil is infused somewhere. It actually makes your shower smell like freshly brewed coffee, which is great for any morning shower people! I’m loving this scrub. Not only does it smell great when you use it, it really does leave your skin amazingly soft.

Those are all my new skin care products at the moment. What are some of your faves for summer?

IT Cosmetics New Year, New Confidence in Your Skin 5-Piece Collection! – January 2018 QVC Today’s Special Value!

Press Sample

Happy New Year, everyone! I know it’s been a hot minute (my bad). But, today I’ve got something good!

Even though it’s the time of year  for resolutions and probably not sticking with them, if your resolution has anything to do with skin care, IT Cosmetics has got your back!

In this set we have 4 products and a brush:

– Confidence in an Eye Cream

This is a transforming moisturizing eye cream that can be your AM and PM go to, with its anti-aging technology.

I LOVE Confidence in an Eye Cream. I’ve been using it since I first tried it and it’s great. It has a slight tint to it to help with dark circles in additional to all that anti-aging good stuff.

– Confidence in a Cream

Again, this formula contains anti-aging properties and can be your AM and PM moisturizer.

This is one of my mom’s favorites, any time she’s close to running out she asks if I have any more.

– Confidence in a Cleanser

This product cleanses and moisturizes with leaving skin feeling soft and refreshed. It’s a soap and sulfate free cleanser that contains ceramides, hydrolyzed collagen, peptides, hyaluronic acid and colloidal oatmeal. Bonus: it removes makeup!

Again, another favorite of mine, I’ve been using it since I first tried it and always go back to it! It leaves skin feeling super clean, but not at all dried out.

– Heavenly Skin Skin-Smoothing Complexion Brush

This custon cut brush head hugs the natural contours of your features for effortless coverage.

As always, IT Cosmetics does not disappoint with brushes. I love every brush I try without fail, and this is no exception.

– Confidence in a Compact with SPF 50+

This is IT Cosmetics first ever anti-aging solid serum foundation. It is infused with pure color pigments and SPF 50+ broad-spectrum sun protection. The solid serum technology is combined with ceramides, hydrolyzed collagen, hyaluronic acid and squalane to help give your skin a flawless look.

An another one. The last time I used this product, I used all of it…literally. That’s a big thing for me because I hardly ever finish foundations, but this one is a keeper.

And that’s that! If you’re looking for some new skin care this year, or if these are some of your favorites, it’s the time to grab them!

This set is available for presale today, Thursday, January 11th 2018, and is the official Today Special Value on QVC on Saturday, January 13th 2018 and is available for that day only! So get on it!

IT Cosmetics Miracle Water and Secret Sauce Review!

Press Sample

Always love new skincare from IT Cosmetics! And let me tell you… this is good stuff.

First up, we have the Miracle Water 3-in-1 Glow Tonic. From It Cosmetics:

“Developed with plastic surgeons, Miracle Water™ 3-in-1 Glow Tonic instantly transforms your skin and maximizes the benefits of your skincare routine! This lightweight no-rinse product combines your Skin-Brightening Radiance Booster to help purify, balance and brighten the look of your skin, your potent Anti-Aging Treatment Essence to diffuse the look of lines and wrinkles, and your Skin-Softening Micellar Cleanser to gently attract, trap and remove dirt, oil, impurities and makeup—all in one simple step.

Infused with Secret Sauce™ Fermented Complex, a clinically advanced combination of 7 penetration-enhancing fermented ingredients, Miracle Water™ helps to increase absorbency and improve the efficacy of your moisturizers and serums. With anti-aging peptides, hydrolyzed collagen, rose, aloe, rice, chamomile, green tea water, licorice root and vitamin C—plus illuminating Drops of Light Technology™ Concentrate and diamond powder—it also gives you a youthful, lit-from-within glow! Use it after cleansing or in place of your cleanser for powerful results immediately and over time.”

I’ve been using this every morning after washing my face. I’ve tried some other toners before, but haven’t liked any of them. I really like this one. You only need a small amount on a cotton round for your entire face, and it absorbs pretty quickly and it doesn’t leave any noticeable residue after application. Also, the scent is just a clean smell, nothing fruity or flowery.

Now, Secret Sauce. From It Cosmetics:

“Developed with plastic surgeons, Secret Sauce™ immediately hydrates and transforms your skin! The skin-loving, powerfully potent secret lies in the Secret Sauce™ Fermented Complex: 7 clinically advanced, penetration-enhancing fermented ingredients that help to increase absorbency and maximize the ultra-hydrating, anti-aging benefits of Secret Sauce™.

Also featuring anti-aging peptides, hydrolyzed collagen, hyaluronic acid, vitamin C and licorice root, Secret Sauce™ is perfect for all skin types and reduces the look of discoloration, lines and wrinkles. Combined with proprietary Drops of Light Technology™ Concentrate and diamond powder, this luxurious innovation gives you a youthful, lit-from-within glow—and is your secret to beautiful skin! Instantly reveal younger-looking skin and experience more miraculous results over time”

I’ve been using these two products in tandem, so after Miracle Water, I apply Secret Sauce! It is white in color, but that disappears as you rub it into your skin. It absorbs pretty quickly as well, but it does leave your skin a little tacky. I think it actually helps with my makeup application, so I don’t mind it. The scent is again, a clean smell, almost similar to a very light soap scent.

On a side note, I’m in love with the holographic/opalescent packaging!

I love trying new skin care products, but I am always a little weary because my skin can be a bit picky. I’m happy to report that not only have I had no bad reactions, but I think using both these products has actually helped clear my skin! I had a few blemishes and breakouts when I started testing, which started to clear up within a couple of days of use.

Overall, so happy with these two new products! They’ve become my morning go-to skin care routine. Both of these are available on the It Cosmetics website, so check them out!

IT Cosmetics Fall 2017 New Product Preview!

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Is anyone ready for fall yet? If you aren’t you might be after you see all the awesome new products from IT Cosmetics!

Any skin conern that you have, IT Cosmetics has got you covered. Worried about lines? Redness? Blemishes? They have everything.

There are a ton of new products, so I want to highlight some of my favorites today.

Superhero Liner

I have been waiting for this! I love Superhero Mascara, everyone who tries it loves it, so I was so excited to try the liner! This is a liquid eye liner with a brush tip (my favorite!) in the color super black. It actually contains lash-enhancing peptides, collegan, biotin and kertain! It retails for $24.

Confidence in a Cleanser

Super excited that IT has come out with a cleanser! I’ve had hits and misses with the Confidence line, this it turning into a major hit! It is sulfate free, soap free, and contains Anti-Aging Armour Rejuvenating Concentrate to help skin look rejuvenated and restored. Collagen and hyaluronic acid plump the appearance of lines and wrinkles. This retails for $24.

Bye Bye Redness Neutralizing Correcting Cream

I’ve been having some redness issues, especially after a minor sunburn I got. I decided that this was the perfect time to try out the correcting cream! And I have to say, I am super impressed! This correcting cream has amazing coverage and a little bit goes a long way. I haven’t had any creasing or cracking and it completely covers any redness. You can wear this alone or under makeup, and it contains colloidal oatmeal, aloe, tumeric, collagen and peptides. This retails for $32.

Bye Bye Lines Foundation

This. I love this foundation. It feels super light on the skin, blends in really nicely and has buildable full coverage. One of the best parts about it is the pump! Some pumps give you way too much product, that’s not the case with this one. It has a little more resistance, so you can control how much you get with each pump and don’t end up wasting a lot of product. I’ve had issues with other liquid foundations looking dry or settling into my skin, but I haven’t had any of those issues with this foundation at all, it’s amazing! It contains anti-aging hydrolyzed collagen, peptides, caviar extract, argan oil and vitamins. This foundation retails for $38.

Bye Bye Under Eye Concealing Pot

Another awesome concealer from IT. I have some dark circles, and this product takes care of them with no problem. I’ve used other dark circle concealers that crease, no creasing with this guy! This concealer also contains anti-aging hydrolyzed collagen, peptides, hyaluronic acid and antioxidants. It retails for $28.

I’m actually using all these products everyday and they have quickly grown to become my go-tos. I’m super excited to try all the other products and I’ll be reporting back with full reviews!

My Favorite Charcoal Products!

Epic fail. I haven’t blogged in forever, but I’ve wanted to write this post for a while now… so here goes! I’ve been loving various charcoal products lately, and here are my favorites!

Basin Charcoal Shampoo Bar

Have you heard of Basin? If you’ve been to Disney Springs (Downtown Disney), you’ve probably seen the store. I’ve seen it so many times, gone in a handful of times but never really paid attention to what they had. A couple years ago, we decided to actually look around and we picked up some shampoo bars to try. I Instantly fell in love with the charcoal bar (peppermint is second). It is amazing. If you’ve never used a shampoo bar.. it’s just like soap, you wet the bar and lather it up. It lathers really nicely, leaves your hair literally squeaky clean and washes out without a problem. It’s great it you use a lot of product or dry shampoo (like me), it gets your hair super clean.

Boscia Charcoal Deep-Pore Cleansing Stick

I did a separate post on this products already, but it definitely deserves another mention. I’m super glad I got this when the charcoal mask was out of stock. I use it every day, and it keeps my face amazingly clean and clear. Any breakouts I may have, this helps get rid of them super quickly.

First Aid Beauty Cleansing Body Polish with Active Charcoal

I’m always looking for new products to deal with KP (keratosis pilaris) or ‘chicken skin’, which are those little bumps you can get on your arms and legs. I have a lotion that I use that controls it very well, but when I saw this product, I had to try it. These are some of the key benefits:

• Chemical and physical exfoliators buff away dry patches of skin and even the bumpy “chicken skin” associated with keratosis pilaris
• Active charcoal sloughs away dirt and impurities
• The paste-like texture transforms into a foam when mixed with water
• Perfectly preps skin for a flawless self-tanning application
• Argan oil and vitamin E hydrate and calm skin

So far, I really like it. The only downside, for me, is the scent. It smells almost seaweedy… I hate seaweed lol, but I can deal with the scent.

So there you have it! Those are my top 3 charcoal products at the moment. I’m definitely looking to dry more, like a charcoal peel off mask. Do you have any favorite charcoal products?

 

Boscia Charcoal Deep-Pore Cleansing Stick Treatment Review!

A month or so ago I went to Sephora looking for the Boscia Luminizing Black Mask, and of course, they did not have it. Not one was in stock. I guess everyone had the same idea as me that weekend. So, one of the girls working there suggested that I try the charcoal stick treatment, and I’m so glad she did!

This is literally a stick, like deodorant or a chapstick, you roll it up from the bottom. I had never used a solid cleanser before, but I have used charcoal cleansers and really liked them before.

So, basically, you wet your face, roll up a bit of the cleanser and apply in circular motions all over your face. It will lather up slightly, and you’ll feel the fine charcoal particles exfoliate. Then work it in a bit more with your fingers, if you like (I do), and rinse. It rinses easily and leaves my face super clean and not at all dry.

I love this stuff! I am so glad that someone pointed this out to me, otherwise I probably would not have even looked at it. I use this a few times a week, and it definitely helps to clear up my skin if I’m having any issues. Honestly, this might be a new holy grail cleanser for me, I really do love it that much.

Have you every used this before? What about any other solid cleansers?

New IT Cosmetics Confidence in an Eye Cream Review!

Press Sample

Still haven’t gotten used to the time change? Well, IT Cosmetics has something new for you!

This is the new Confidence in an Eye Cream! It’s formulated with Anti-Aging Armour Rejuvenating Concentrate and Ceramides to restore, Chrysin to help reduce inflammaton, Peptides and Collagen to smooth the look of lines, Avocado to nourish, Hyaluronic acid and Squalane for hydration, Licorice for brightening and Caffeine to reduce puffiness

It also features Drops of Light Technology and an exclusive apricot tint for color correction and brightening!

I have been using it every day, in the morning after I wash my face. I do have dark circles and puffiness, so I need a product like this in my life. I just take a small amount and massage it onto my under eye area, and I instantly see a difference. Now, it does take a little while for my bags to completely de-puff, but I definitely see an instant brightening when I use this product.

It has no scent, which is great for the eye area.

I love that it has the apricot tint to help with the dark circles, and the Drop of Light doesn’t have any visible sparkle or shimmer, just a nice brightening effect.

The packaging is great, just like the Confidence in a Cream, except smaller. It has the same high-end skin care looking jar and label. And it is a glass jar so it’s nice and heavy.

I’m loving the new Confidence in a.. products from IT. The Confidence in a Compact is great, I use it everyday, and I’m so excited to add the Confidence in an Eye Cream to my everyday routine!

This product goes live on itcosmetics.com today, 3/21/2017! It will also be available at Ulta and ulta.com in April!

Zim’s Max Crack Creme Creamy Daytime Formula Review!

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In my last post I reviewed Zim’s Crack Creme Original Liquid Formula... today I have the Creamy Daytime Formula!

From the website:

“Zim’s CRACK Creme Creamy Daytime Formula is an herbal formula that softens and moisturizes dry, cracked skin. Developed by a pharmacist. Recommended for daytime use, complimenting nighttime use of the Original Liquid Formula . Use on Hands, Feet, Elbows, Cuticles & More.”

Starting with scent again… it is similar to the original formula but it’s not as strong. It also has aloe in it, so you get a bit of that in the scent.

The formula itself is a thicker lotion, which I like. It’s similar to Aveeno daily moisturizing lotion. I’ve been mostly using it on my hands, especially after I shower or wash my hands, as we have pretty hard water. The water mixed with the weather means I need extra moisture.

It absorbs super quickly, and instantly makes your hands (or whatever else) feel super duper soft. This is probably the softest my hands have been from using any kind of lotion. It does leave my finger tips a bit greasy, but it’s slight and with how soft my hands are… I can totally deal with it.

Overall, a great moisturizer. I would definitely recommend it! You can find it online at a variety of stores, or on Zim’s website

Zim’s Crack Creme Original Liquid Formula Review!

Press Sample

From the website:

“Zim’s Max CRACK Creme Original Liquid Formula 2 oz is an All-Natural multi-use liquid herbal formula that softens and moisturizes dry, cracked skin. Recommended for nighttime use but can be used throughout the day as well. Use on Hands, Feet, Elbows, Cuticles & More. It was developed by a pharmacist over 60 years ago when cement workers came to him complaining of dry, cracked skin on their hands and feet. This oil formula features Arnica Flower Extract and Myrcia Oil.”

So, the scent is… strong. It’s very herbal/medicinal and super strong. At first, I wasn’t a fan, but I’ve gotten used to it. It’s not my favorite scent, but it doesn’t bother me.

The formula is a liquid, so you just squeeze a bit out and you’re good to go. A little does go a long way, you don’t have to go crazy with it. I did find that it does have a bit of a residue after you rub it in, almost waxy. It gets absorbed into the skin quickly, but you are left with a bit of a waxy feel.. I have to wipe my finger tips after using this.

I’ve mainly been using this product for my cuticles. The winter is tough on them and they need extra moisture. It definitely does help, but it’s like any other cuticle cream, I need to apply it often to keep them moisturized.

I’ve also used it on extra dry areas, I have this spot on my pointer finger that is just always dry, and this actually really helped. I’ve tried other moisturizers, but nothing has worked as well as Zim’s. The dry spot is actually gone!

I would definitely recommend this product for anyone who has chronic dry patches, like elbows or knuckles. I wouldn’t use this on very large parts of the body because of the scent and residue, but it does work really well on smaller spots for me.

You can find Zim’s online at a variety of stores, or on their website.

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream Review!

I don’t even want to tell you guys how obnoxiously dry my skin was at the start of winter, I decided it was definitely time for a skin care upgrade.

 

I asked a blogger group that I’m part of for suggestions, and a bunch of people said to try out First Aid Beauty.

I went to Sephora that weekend, tested a bunch of stuff and ultimately decided on the Ultra Repair Cream.

I’ve been using it every day since I bought it, and I have to say that it actually made a huge difference right away. My skin is noticeably more moisturized, not one patch of dryness. My makeup is looking so much better after I use this in the morning. It’s so good that I use it in the morning under my makeup and at night before I go to bed. The texture of it is a bit different, it feels almost whipped. It’s super soft, non-greasy and absorbs super quickly. The only thing that’s lacking for me is the scent, it’s just very lotion-y, and it look me a little while to get used to it. It’s not unpleasant, just kind of meh. I can definitely overlook the scent with these results, though.

Overall, amazing. I’m kind of obsessed with this cream, it is awesome. I actually want to go back and get the serum as well. First Aid Beauty will definitely be one of my skin care go-tos from now on.