Things I'm Loving

Hey everyone,

I'm slowly trying to get back to blogging. I've had several of you ask where I've been and I really appreciate you saying you've missed my blog posts. Not sure if anyone is still out there, but here goes!

*Let me preface this post by saying ALL products that I review or recommend are items I have purchased with my own money. I feel that readers cannot get a truly honest product review when items are gifted to reviewing bloggers. I have never and will never accept items from companies to "review". This is a personal opinion.

Let's get to the trivial stuff, shall we?

I had never used Rimmel brand until recently. I saw some of the products used in makeup demonstrations on Youtube, and thought I'd give it a whirl. I have to say, I'm really impressed with the quality and wearability of all the Rimmel products I've tried so far.

I am on my second tube of Glam'Eyes and 3rd Exaggerate pencil.

Yeah, that's how much I love these two products. 

I use both the black and brown in the eye liner pencil. 

It is waterproof, and really does stay all day.

The Glam'Eyes mascara gives you very dramatic, separated lashes. 

So many mascaras clump up and make your lashes look like 

spiders are fighting on your eyes. 

And gurlfrand, don't get me started on all the flaking that happens with clumpy mascara.

I've had no problems with flaking with Glam'Eyes. 

Curl your lashes, apply, then wait for people 

to ask if you are using Latisse or have eyelash extensions.

Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 hour Foundation in Soft Beige-200

I am in LOVE with this foundation! It truly lasts all day, and the finish is lovely. 

If you're looking for a long-wearing matte finish,
this would be the perfect foundation for you.

 I don't wear this every day, 

but love it when I'm going out
or will be working all day and don't have time for touch-ups.

For everyday use, I've been wearing Revlon PhotoReady Makeup in 004 Nude. It's dewy with a bit of shimmer in it, so if you prefer a matte finish you would need to set it with a powder.
I use Make Up For Ever HD High Definition Powder and really like the flawless finish I get by using both  products together. 

Maybelline Expert Wear shadow in "Tastefully Taupe" has been 

my "go to" cheap shadow for the past few years.

It has a nice pearl finish without looking like a disco ball had a baby with Ecstasy. 

I picked up this NYX Eyeshadow combo in "Rock and Roll" at Ulta the other day. LOVE it.

If you haven't tried the NYX brand, I highly recommend it. I really love the quality of their shadows.

These are Rimmel Lasting Finish lipsticks. 

I like vibrant lipsticks and think both of these colors would look good on most everyone.

Have you used any of these products? Do you have something that you're just DYING to share? 

Things I'm Loving Right Now

I'd love to share with you a few items I've discovered in the last month. 

Philosophy "Amazing Grace" Body Butter

I bought this at Sephora. It smells so clean and even though it's extremely moisturizing, it doesn't feel greasy.

These are individual pads (think Stridex acne pads) that contain alpha, beta, and gamma acids along with peptides and vitamins.   You wash your face, and swipe the pad all over your face and neck. After a minute or ten (I have resilient skin), you simply rinse. 

This isn't a miracle product, but I love how convenient and quick these are. I noticed that my pores are cleaner & my overall skin texture is smoother.

 &

John Masters Organics Shampoo and Conditioner

I have been experiencing hair loss pretty badly the past five years. So much so, that I'm now regularly using a Rogaine/Latisse combination daily. I also take biotin and multivitamins along with silica and other supplements.

Hair loss, especially for women, is utterly devastating. It's not supposed to happen to us! In addition to the mentioned treatments, I've been doing a lot of reading on hair loss, its causes, and ways to prevent it.

One of the interesting things I recently read is how a hairdresser noticed the amount of hair loss she had been seeing in women in the past 10 years. After doing years of research with medical professionals and scientists, she saw a direct correlation between sulfates in shampoo and hair loss. Here's the article. Check out that website. It's very informative. 

Not all sulfate-free shampoos are created equal though. I utterly HATE  Pureology shampoo. I know a lot of you love it, but for my hair, the pH is off. That's why my hair looks like a wad of straw when I use it. Then I have to use 2 gallons of conditioner to get it to detangle. Then it's flat. Major fail.

The thing I love about John Masters' brand is that he's done extensive testing on the pH of all his hair products. After washing/conditioning my hair with the above products, my hair feels clean, strong, & silky.

I've also noticed that I'm not getting GOBS of hair in my hands when I wash it. 

Do any of you use sulfate-free shampoo? Are you using it to protect your color or highlights or for other reasons? Just curious.

What new products are you loving?