✦ ♪ ✯ ✮ Happy New Year - 2016 ✮ ✯ ♪ ✦

So this post is dedicated just for New Years. It's not midnight yet for us Canadians, but it will be in a couple of hours, so I just thought to post this now before all the partying and celebration starts. woot woot!

I wanted to wish you guys an amazing, wonderful New Year. I hope 2016 is full of joy, happiness and good health for you, your families and friends. I hope it brings you success in whichever form you wish for your selves. I just hope that we all get our wishes but most importantly, I want to wish you a healthy life. Nothing is enjoyable, if we are not healthy. I'm not going to make this a long one. Just stay safe, warm, cozy with your loved ones and I will see you in 2016 which is tomorrow for me haha so that's pretty soon.

Love you for reading and keep coming back to my little world I call DinazDiary. Thank you so, so much for your support and feedback. I appreciate all of you. I hope I can keep writing enjoyable blog posts for you in the future so this blog can keep on growing.

Lots of love,
Dina
♥

Freeman Feeling Beautiful Diamond Mineral Rinse Mask - Review

"Dazzling Diamond Dust flecks glisten as you wear this clarifying clay mask...plus, they polish away dullness to reveal multi-faceted radiance! Unique mask, with antioxidants Sparkleberry, rinses clean for a lasting, super-cool finish. Perfect for all skin types - Apply mask to damp face and neck, avoiding contact with eyes. Leave for 5 - 7 minutes. Message gently. Rinse with water. Contains up to 2 - 4 applications"

Whenever I visit a drugstore, I immediately go to the beauty section because that's the most interesting aisle. After makeup, I go to the skin care section, and since I have been a fan of these Freeman masks, I look to see if they have anything new that might interest me. This one was new this time I went there, so I immediately grabbed it. I had also heard a little about it from two different girl I watch on YouTube, so I thought I would give it a try myself.

This one is pretty new to the collection of masks they have, I am guessing. There was no full size of this product, just the small packet size. I did go to their website, they do have an actual larger size of this, I guess my store doesn't carry it yet. I personally don't like these packet forms, so when I opened it, I immediately put the whole mask in an empty skincare jar I had kept. The packet has a decent size, so I easily got multiple uses out of this. On the packaging it says two to four times, but I find that a little goes a long way in covering my skin, so I probably had about ten uses. The texture is a white creamy, with some gritty particles mixed with it. When I apply it on my skin, it feels like I'm sort of exfoliating in a way as well. The grittiness is not harsh at all, so it doesn't break the skin, or irritate it at all. It looks like there are shiny particles that I could see on my skin hence the "diamond" name to it. I tried really hard to capture it in a photo, it just wouldn't show up unfortunately. It's not glitter or anything and I had to take a close look at it to notice them, but I just thought to share it because it was interesting to me. I apply this on slightly damp skin, which says it the instructions, but I do that anyways with all of my masks, since I notice it go on so much evenly and smoother and also because of the dampness, I need to use less product. It has a tiny cooling sensation but not tingly. It dried pretty quick, and the white color sort of fades a bit, but once I go in with warm water to rinse it, it activates again. It removes super easily with warm water, and the scrubby texture, is still there. I don't mind it, it's like I'm doing mild exfoliation twice.

This leaves my skin super soft and I love it. Specially during these cold winter months, my skin can get dry and this is like a mask and an exfoliator all in one.  I haven't had any issues with breakouts or irritation. I actually used the last of what was left of this packet last night and I have to say, I look forward to get my hands on this product again. It's pretty different from their other masks I have tried and I totally love this and recommend it to anyone who loves to pamper themselves with masks.

Have you tried this mask? What are your thoughts on it?

Post your comments down below, I will be more than happy to read them and reply.

Don't forget to G+1 and follow my blog for more reviews to come. I'm always happy to have more blogging friends!

Lots of love,
Dina
♥

Tarte Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Finishing Powder : Pressed and Loose - Review

Hello everyone. I hope you all had a great Christmas celebration with friends and family. Today I am reviewing the Tarte Setting powders. For a really long time, I was debating on whether I should purchase the loose powder, but then Tarte came out with the pressed version which I was all for it. So I purchased that but after a few months had passed, I was still curious about the pressed powder. Recently about a month ago, I purchased some stuff from their website and the deluxe size of their loose powder was also added as a bonus to my cart, so I was super excited to try it out this way.

I am not really comparing the two, since they essentially are pretty similar products and do the same job if you think about it. So not comparing it that much, more like reviewing the two in one post. 

The pressed version comes in a compact form, with a plastic protector on top of the powder as well as a tiny thin brush that fit's in the compact on top of the plastic protector. The compact has a good size mirror, so if I decide to put this in my makeup bag to retouch my powder, I have the product all in one basically. The loose version, comes in a typical jar sort of packaging, with a screw off lid, and two tiny holes or sifter basically, for the powder to not get everywhere. All you have to do is put the cap on, seal it shut, turn over the jar and just tap it lightly, then open it up and some powder has come out of the sifter onto the lid or around the sifter. It might sound messy but trust me, it's really not. I haven't had any issues with it getting anywhere. Since I have a deluxe size, I find it hard to get my larger powder brushes in this product to be honest. But I have found other ways to use it, which I'll get to in a minute.

Both powders feel really silky smooth. light weight and finely mild. The both are white in powder, go on the skin "translucent", so it doesn't turn my face white, or give it a white look to it. Unfortunately, I have noticed that it can have a white cast effect with flash photography, but this is the case with a lot of translucent powders I have tried, so whether it's in pressed form or loose powder, I always get a white cast on my skin on photos I have taken with flash. It's described that the powder doesn't have any color to it but it technically does, since it is white, it just show up with flash photography. Since I use the loose powder under my eyes, I notice that the white cast shows more from the under eyes, than that other places.

These both control shine for about four to six hours for me, then I get a little shiny in my t-zone, which can be fixed with a little blotting sheet, and more powder if I want, which I usually don't reapply. It's not drying on my face, so it doesn't emphasize my dry areas or cling to any dry patches, which I tend to have around my mouth and nose, specifically. It feels light weight on the skin, and sets my foundation beautifully. It doesn't add any coverage or anything on top of foundation. It just sets it. I also does control shine in my t-zone as I said before. I love using the pressed version lightly all over my face, to set foundation so my bronzer, contour, blush and highlight go on a lot smoother. I love using the loose version to set my under eye concealer since I use a smaller brush for that and it also fits better in the deluxe size packaging I have of this product. I find that when I use these powders, I don't get any creases or foundation fading, because it sets it really good. It makes my skin smooth so anything I apply after the setting powder, goes on easily and doesn't cling to a certain area.

I am so happy I got to try the loose version, since I really loved the pressed, it was nice to try the original loose setting powder Tarte came out with. I think these both are awesome products. I don't think I need both. I think one can do the job. It's just nice to get to experiment with both versions. As I have said before, I am a Tarte Cosmetics addict and don't see that changing anytime soon and that's because they always come out with such awesome products, in my opinion.

Have you tried any of these two finishing powders? What are your thoughts on it? Also what is your favourite setting powder?

Post your comments down below, I will be more than happy to read them and reply.

Don't forget to G+1 and follow my blog for more reviews to come. I'm always happy to have more blogging friends!

Lots of love,
Dina
♥

❄ ❅ ❆✲ ✳ Merry Christmas ✲ ✳❄ ❅ ❆

This post is dedicated specifically for Christmas. Not like my regular blog posts. I just wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. Please stay safe, warm and cozy with your family, friends, loved ones, anyone you have in your life, or even if it's just your self.

Lots of love and hugs from me to you. Thanks for coming to my blog, DinazDiary, my little world and reading my posts, leaving feedback and I just want to thank you all for your support and I hope you keep staying with me throughout this journey with my blog. 

Lots of love,
Dina
♥

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush - Review & Swatches

From  the left to right clockwise : Peaceful, Glisten, Exposed

From top to bottom : Exposed, Glisten, Peaceful

From left to right : Exposed, Peaceful, Glisten

"A long-wearing, supremely soft blush infused with Amazonian clay harvested from the banks of the Amazon River and naturally baked by the sun." 

The shades I have : Peaceful - Soft nude-peach, Glisten - Shimmery peachy-pink, Exposed - Nude pink

I think it's pretty clear by now that I am a Tarte Cosmetics Addict. I confess, I am obsessed with this brand and own a good amount of their products. This post is all about their Amazonian Clay blushes. Of course I don't have all because, first that would be crazy and second, I don't need them nor do they all go with my skin tone or my liking in general. I have three and you might be able to tell which is the one I have the longest and which are pretty new to my collection. The newest I have had for at least a month, so not that new but pretty new.

The packaging of these blushes are the same color of the actual blush color inside. I find this very helpful because the from the packaging I can tell the color and pick whichever I want to use. These look bright and bold in the packaging but go on the skin very wearable and naturally. The texture is smooth and it's pigmented but not overly to the point of looking too much on the first application. The color can be more bold like how it is in packaging if you build it up by applying several layers if you want. These on my skin leave a "translucent blushing from within" look that is very pretty and natural looking but noticeable. What I like about these blushes is that they go on the skin very smoothly and don't look patchy or uneven. It doesn't cling to one area and it give an even application on the cheeks. The shades include a lot of matte colors which is awesome, with a few satin finishes and a few shimmers. Also the shade range seems to work for a lot of different skin tones from fair to dark so it's easy for anyone to pick a shade they like and works for them. Another huge thing I like about these blushes is that they truly are long lasting. The twelve hour is also mostly true because I have used this several times when I applied my makeup at around eight or nine in the morning and took it off at around ten at night. My blush had faded a little bit and of course it didn't look as fresh as I first applied it, but I still could see it on my cheeks. It didn't look patchy or uneven after that much amount of time had passed and I was very impressed.

Overall, I truly love these blushes and I would definitely try more shades but I am really picky with my blush shades and I don't like certain colors on my skin personally that's why I don't have more. I recommend these to anyone who loves blushes. These are pricey but a little of the product goes a long way and it's long lasting on the skin, so I say these are worth the price. But if you like to try these but don't want to pay for the full price, Tarte website often has sales or coupons for an amount of percent off order , so I would suggest to wait and order then. I always get a good deal on their products this way as well.

Have you tried any of the Tarte Amazonian Clay Blushes? What are your thoughts on it?

Post your comments down below, I will be more than happy to read them and reply.

Don't forget to G+1 and follow my blog for more reviews to come. I'm always happy to have more blogging friends!

Lots of love,
Dina
♥

CoverGirl Outlast Stay Luminous Foundation - Review

"Outlast Stay Luminous Foundation’s oil-free, non-greasy formula gives your skin a natural luminosity that lasts all day! Perfect for achieving radiant skin, this all day foundation hydrates skin while providing flawless coverage."  I have shade : 842 Medium Beige

I haven't had much or none at all luck with CG foundations. I like other products from CoverGirl, but their foundations and I don't get along too well. But then sometimes I just can't help myself, and I want to give this brands foundations another chance. So I got sucked in by the "stay luminous" claim in the name of this foundation and I bought it. I have normal to dry skin, but my t-zone can get shiny sometimes. So dry skin girl right here and when I see luminous I tend to think, yes this will be good for my dry skin. This was one the pretty rare times that I bought something without having done any research or you know getting people's opinion on it. So you might be guessing where this review going but first, let's get into the actual product.

This foundation comes in a glass bottle with a pump. The pump has a twist to it for closing and opening, and the dispenser has a good control to it so you can control how much product you want to pump out. There is a strong scent to this foundation that I think can be a big downside for a lot of people including me. It smells weird to be honest, it's like they tried to put a fragrance and it went wrong somehow? to me it smells like cooked rice? or like bread? I have heard some say it smells like almonds, but not to me... and a weird thing I noticed that the smell is really strong at times, and then I try to smell it another day and the smell is not there.. I don't know just super weird!!

This foundations and the whole packaging really reminds me of another foundation they came out with a while back, Stay Fabulous 3-in-one, with the blue pump instead of red. I didn't like that and if you want more of what I had to say about it, just click on the name of the foundation listed in the previous sentence and it will take you to that post. It was one of my very first reviews on this blog. Back to the foundation, my issue with CG foundations are usually the pink tone of the shades they put out, but this time the shade I got, matches me quite better than before. It's the foundation itself that is weird for me. It feels sort of sticky, or tacky to the touch and when applying to my skin, it dragged a big, it wasn't as smooth as when I initially dispensed it out of the bottle. It was very hard to blend this foundation for me personally. The finish is a luminous, dewy on the skin but it doesn't have shimmer or glitter.It feels tacky to the touch even after I let the foundation set for a while. I also realized that it would cling to some of the dry patches on my skin. It's a funny mix of it clinging to dry areas but at the same time the tacky feeling of it makes me think it's because of the moisture it had that it sets like that.. I don't know guys this is the hardest foundation I have ever come across. Hardest foundation as in hard to describe my experience with it. Believe me I was confused my self!

I find that the glow, or dewiness it has to it, can sort of enhance any hyperpigmentation/acne scarring or uneven texture there is to the skin. As in a matte finish foundation, would sort of hide all of that, this sort of enhances it because light catches the shine or luminosity this foundation leaves on the skin. This has light to medium coverage. The lasting power on me is for around five to six hours maybe, then my skin starts to show more dry areas, shiny in my t-zone, as if the foundation moisture is gone and my skin is left dehydrated in a way but yet sort of shiny. I would say this could work for normal to maybe combination skins. Oily skins need to powder, dry skin might have a hard time with this like me, or maybe it's just my skin not acting well with this. Maybe it will work better for you than it did for me. I am storing in the back of my memory not to try any other CG foundation, that way I can't get disappointed in something I haven't tried.

Have you tried this foundation, if you have what are your thoughts on it? & What drugstore foundations have you tried that didn't work well for you?

Post your comments down below, I will be more than happy to read them and reply.

Don't forget to G+1 and follow my blog for more reviews to come. I'm always happy to have more blogging friends!

Lots of love,
Dina
♥ 

Rimmel Lasting Finish Nude Collection Lipstick By Kate - Review + Swatches

Like a lot of makeup lovers, I like neutral lipsticks as well but sometimes, I have a harder time finding a color that looks good on me. A lot of the lighter nude shades look too chalky or just unnatural but I never gave up my search and I am happy to say I have found some that works for me. When I saw these in my local drugstore, I was very curious because I have other lipsticks by Rimmel Kate and really like them, so I was interested to try these. Out of all the shades there was, these two looked the most appealing to me.

These come in a nude color packaging with the Kate signature on the cap. I like the packaging a lot because in a glance at my lipsticks, I know that these are neutral shades and I can just pick whichever I want, also the packaging is very sleek and simple yet chic and I love it. To be honest, these sort of remind me of the Maybelline The Buffs, which I did a post about back in Summer I believe. These lipsticks have a sweet, subtle scent that doesn't linger when it's on the lips. It's not anything overwhelming, it's actually quite pleasant. Has a creamy smooth texture, and goes on the lips very easily. Very pigmented so there's no need for several applications to get the color of the lipstick. It is semi-matte finish, so no shimmer or gloss, but as you can see in the flash photo, it has a sheen to it. It's very rich in moisture as well as pigmentation. It doesn't dry out my lips but I still recommend exfoliating the lips for a smooth surface. Since there's no shimmer in this, it could have the possibility to emphasis any dryness or cracked lips. I find that I don't have to keep reapplying the lipstick throughout the day unless I eat any greasy food. So it has good staying power as well.

All in all, I love these lipsticks, and I am very happy with the shades I chose. The tone and color work perfectly on me and I recommend these to anyone who loves neutral lipsticks. These get two big thumbs up from me.

Have you tried any of these lipsticks? What are your thoughts on it? Also, what are your favourite neutral/nude lipsticks?

Post your comments down below, I will be more than happy to read them and reply.

Don't forget to G+1 and follow my blog for more reviews to come. I'm always happy to have more blogging friends!

Lots of love,
Dina
♥ 

Tarte Maracuja Lip Exfoliant - Review

"A powerful resurfacing lip scrub that exfoliates lips then provides instant hydration—quenching lips with no greasy or filmy feel."

So now that the weather has gotten cold, I start remembering about different skin care items I like to use during winter. I had put aside this lip exfoliant from Tarte, and that is because I really don't get chapped lips during warm weather, but winter is when my skin gets dry, so does my lips. So, I brought this back out and decided to review it for you all as well.

This comes in a metal tin, purple with gold design on the lid. The product looks like a lip balm at first, when it's new, but when you start to sort of dig into the product and start using it, you realize it's like a balm with sugar particles mixed in. It smells minty, but not in a burning your nose when you smell it minty. It's minty with a little sweetness to it. It's a very refreshing smell and I like that it doesn't smell straight up sweet or sugary. The sugar particles in this is very scrub-y and gritty but not harsh or irritating. It really does scrub the lips and while it does that, the balm keeps the lips moisturized. A little goes a long way, so I take a tiny amount and rub it in circles on my top and bottom lip. I don't really time it, but you can feel the sugary bits start to sort of melt with the balm and the warmth of your finger, that's how it feels to me. When I feel like I have exfoliated my lips for a good amount of time, I take a tissue, dampen it a little and remove the sugar or whatever is left gently. I guess you could lick it off, but I don't like doing that. It does have a nice sweet taste to it, so in case you do get it inside your mouth, it doesn't taste gross. It does leave a little moisture or balm on my lips, but I still apply a good amount of any lip balm I'm using at the moment. 

This stuff works really great for my lips, and I feel like when I do a good exfoliation and lip balm after, I don't have to repeat it that often. I usually do it one a week or once every two weeks. It does keep my lips soft and I like that I don't have to exfoliate them that often. I know a lot of you would say, why not just make an at home lip exfoliant, but I just don't do that personally. I don't know, it's easier to buy something I guess. But you do what you like best. No pressure haha. I realize that this isn't the cheapest lip exfoliant product, but it's not the most expensive either. I haven't come upon a more inexpensive product yet, so I will keep using this until then. I genuinely love Tarte products and they often have sales or coupons for an amount of percent off order, so I usually get better deals that way as well.

Do you use any lip exfoliates? what are your favourites? Share them with me in the comments section down bellow.

Don't forget to G+1 and follow my blog for more reviews to come. I'm always happy to have more blogging friends!

Lots of love,
Dina
♥ 

Physicians Formula Touch of Glow Foundation - Review

"Weightless fluid foundation dresses skin in an illuminating veil of radiance delivering just the right amount of coverage, while remaining virtually undetectable on the skin. Nude Perfection. Luminous Glow. Hypoallergenic, Fragrance-Free, Paraben-free, Gluten Free, Dermatologist Approved, Non-Comedogenic"

I originally picked this up because I really enjoyed Youthful Wear Spotless Foundation, I thought to give this one a try. But another reason was the cute packaging. You can't deny that rose-gold frosted glass bottle with that bow on the cap is not adorable. yes it is, yes it is the most adorable foundation packaging I have ever seen!

Glass bottle packaging, comes with a pump, always appreciated when buying drugstore foundation. Comes in two shades only, light and light-medium. Light-medium looked dark enough to work for me, I usually pick up medium if it's in this sort of color format. It comes with a small brush that I can't seem to find where I have put it... and the reason for that is I don't like the brush, so I perhaps tossed it somewhere with all the other applicators that come with makeup products.. The pump applicator is very control-able and doesn't squirt the foundation in different directions. The foundation it self is pretty liquid-y. Inside the bottle, there are like metal balls by the sound of it, to shake and mix the foundation. It has a very faint smell, even though it claims to be fragrance-free, I can't put my finger on what is exactly smells like, several things come to my mind, I want to say nail polish alcohol with a floral twist to it? jeez don't quote me on that because it might smell different for others. 

The color is very orange when I first put a pump on the back of my hand, I was scared to put in on my face, but I still did, it blended very easily. The color sort of changed from orange coming from the bottle to pink when it was set on my face. It's very dewy on the skin at first, to the point of too dewy on the verge of oily/shiny looking. It can be very good for dry skin, like me. but I don't have dry skin on my t-zone, so I powdered that area. I have to be honest, it doesn't look luminous but it does look dewy, like when you first spray a setting spray, that's how my skin looked like. Once it was set, the dewiness had calmed down a bit, but not much. I think this might work really well for dry to very dry skin. Combination skins would prefer to use powder on top, and oily skins, I'm not sure would like this very much, just my personally opinion. The coverage is light to medium. It stayed on pretty good but not as good as some other. It started to get shiny on my t-zone a little and I really couldn't come to terms with how pink it was compared to my neck and the rest of my body. Even though I had applied a yellow toned powder to tone down the pink, it still showed and I didn't like that.

At the end of the night when I removed it, it felt like this sort of irritated my skin a little. I didn't get any break outs or anything from wearing this, but my skin felt irritated if you know what I mean. I felt like my hyperpigmentation looked a little darker, I had more redness and that for me is the sign of irritation. I used it a couple times more just to test it out more and still the same issue. I mixed it with a yellow based foundation to neutralize the color, it mixed very nicely and the color matched me better, but still the irritation was there. Overall, if you have dry skin and pink undertones and not a sensitive skin like me, this might work for you. But if you are like me, and have yellow/ golden undertones and are very sensitive, this might now be that great. It was a disappointment for me, but it's not not new for me to not like a drugstore foundations, so it's okay. I'll just keep it for the adorable packaging. haha

Have you tried this foundation? What are your thoughts on it? Also, what is your favourite drugstore foundation?

Post your comments down below, I will be more than happy to read them and reply.

Don't forget to G+1 and follow my blog for more reviews to come. I'm always happy to have more blogging friends!

Lots of love,
Dina
♥ 

Wet n Wild Coloricon Bronzer in Reserve Your Cabana - Review + Swatches

Today I am talking about this "bronzer" from Wet n Wild which is pretty popular if I'm not mistaken. I also a lot of videos I watched from Jessica Braun | JAMbeauty89 , she kept raving about how much she loved this and I was okay you convinced me so I purchased it like a good girl haha no...

First of all, let me say that I don't know what Wet n Wild is thinking naming this product bronzer.. I can't imagine this working as "bronzer" for anyone really! so whatever.. highlighter is what they meant to say I'm sure. This is a soft beige, golden shade with a slight sheen, luminosity to it. The powder feels smooth and silky, but not as similar to like my Hourglass Ambient Powders, that I hear compared to this a lot. The texture is definitely smooth and not chalky or dry. It has a fine glowy sheen, not shimmery, frosty or glittery at all. It looks very beautiful yet natural on the skin. It can be a barely there highlight for me. So what I'm trying to say is that, it's not BAM in the face highlighter. It's very natural looking and not too noticeable if you will. It definitely gives my skin a natural sheen that I know I have this on, but to someone else, might look like my skin is just glowing. I feel like it can't be over applied really. I tried building it but I still got the same look, Good thing is, it didn't make me look powdery or chalky for over applying it. I also like to use this as a blush topper. So I just take any matte blush I have, apply it then add this highlighter on top very lightly and it gives it a beautiful effect, so I just turned my blush from matte to like a satin, luminous finish. I love using this method for my matte blushes, it gives me a lot more options. 

I have heard a lot of people compare this to the Hourglass Ambient Lighting powders, and I have both and I don't really think they're dupes for each other, in my opinion. I don't know, I swatched them side by side, and they weren't identical, so I don't think I agree with others, but that's just my personal opinion. I think this is a beautiful product and I really enjoy using it. This is perfect for my natural makeup days, because it doesn't look too obvious like some other highlighters are. If you are looking for an affordable very natural highlighter, I recommend this. I feel like with the amount of product you get and the price, you can't really go wrong with it. 

Have you tried this highlighter? What are your thoughts on it? Also, what is your favourite highlighter?

Post your comments down below, I will be more than happy to read them and reply.

Don't forget to G+1 and follow my blog for more reviews to come. I'm always happy to have more blogging friends!

Lots of love,
Dina
♥ 

Moroccanoil Hair Treatment - Review

"A unique formula rich in antioxidant argan oil that instantly absorbs into hair to immediately enhance manageability, shine and deliver long term conditioning without leaving residue."

Winter weather equals dryness, on every level for me. So I brought back out this Moroccan oil treatment to give my hair some pampering, if you will.


This hair treatment comes in a pump like glass bottle. It's rich and oily in texture. It smells amazing, I absolutely love the smell. They should come out with a perfume if they haven't already haha. I like to apply this to my hair right when I get out of the shower, so my hair is wet and I like to keep it towards the end rather than the roots to keep my hair from getting oily. I recommend using it on wet hair because it distributes so much easier, rather that on dry hair. A little of this goes a long way and I don't even use a full pump, maybe not even half a pump for my length of hair. This makes my hair smell amazing, it tames frizz if it gets humid outside, which it rarely happens in winter, and tames the flyaways. My hair tends to get sort of staticky sometimes during the colder months, so I find that this oil treatment helps a lot to prevent that from happening. I'm pretty sure this can work as a detangler as well. I personally don't have tangles in my hair, so I don't have that issue but I imagine it would work great for that.

Since I mostly reach for this during winter, and when I do, I use a little amount, this oil treatment has lasted me quite a while. I totally love this and I recommend it to anyone who likes to use hair oils.

Do you use any treatments like this on your hair? What are your favourite hair products?

Post your comments down below, I will be more than happy to read them and reply.

Don't forget to G+1 and follow my blog for more reviews to come. I'm always happy to have more blogging friends!

Lots of love,
Dina
♥ 

Mario Badescu Cucumber Cleansing Lotion - Review

"T-Zone Shine Control. Your skin will be refreshed and deep cleansed with our 4% alcohol and soothing Cucumber Extract astringent. Removes pore clogging residue and disinfects skin’s surface for thoroughly clean skin to prevent future acne problems."

Same as the cleanser I reviewed a few days ago, I got a sample of this with an order I had placed from Mario Badescu. Used the sample and ordered a full size. I have to be honest, the first time I tried it, I really thought it was a lotion. Cucumber lotion, but then I poured it on my hand to apply, and liquid came out. I know, I didn't read the instructions. After reading the back of it and the website and how to use and all, I realized this is just like any other toner basically. The name has lotion is in, but it's not really a lotion. As you might be able to tell, in the picture, there was actual cucumber pieces in the bottle which I thought was super cool and it has a fresh cucumber smell to it! It's instructed to use after face is cleansed, pour it onto a round cotton pad and swipe the face. I find that I actually didn't like using it that way. I sort of just poured a little onto my palm and applied it to my face, sort of as you would a moisturizer. I feel like round cotton pads can soak up too much product and waste it, it also irritates my skin. So I liked using it my way much better and also the product would definitely last a lot longer. 

I had a love hate relationship with this product. It would work for me for a month, then it wouldn't for a week or two and it kept repeating. I liked the refreshing, cooling sensation it gave to my skin. I also felt like my moisturizer went on a lot smoother and would absorb better. Those times it wouldn't work it made my skin a little irritated, tight and dry. I couldn't figure out if it was my skin reacting to it differently or if the product was doing to my skin, whatever it was, I would love it then hate it and it would go on and on as that. It's like my skin would approve of it at times, and other times, it would reject it strongly. As I mentioned on my last post about the cleanser, this is the same price as that and I feel like it is overpriced and plus the shipping cost, it's just too expensive. 

Overall, I sort of liked this sort of and then didn't so because of that I wouldn't repurchase really. Also the fact that the price and shipping cost makes it expensive, I would rather try something else I can actually buy at a store, than have to order it online every few months, when I run out of it. Also, I would like to find something that agrees to my skin all the time.

Do you use toner? What is your favorite? Share them with me in the comments section down bellow.

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Lots of love,
Dina
♥ 

Mario Badescu Acne Facial Cleanser - Review

"Prevent and heal existing acne with our exfoliating and deep cleansing wash formulated with acne-fighting Salicylic Acid. Contains Aloe Vera and Chamomile, two natural ingredients that calm and soothe acne inflamed skin"

First time I tried this, I got it as a sample with an order I had placed with Mario Badescu. I used the sample and decided to order a full size. Since using the sample, I have bought two full sizes, right now I am on my second bottle. This cleanser comes in a bottle, very simple packaging. It is clear, has smooth but sort of thick and sort of like a gel consistency. It doesn't foam up or anything when removing with water. It gets a bit more slippery as it mixes with water. It removes easily, cleanses my face well and doesn't have any smell to it, not that I have noticed anyway. It doesn't strip my face of it's moisture. It hasn't irritated my skin or break me out. So it has been gentle and also, it's not recommended to be used around the eye, so I would avoid getting it anywhere near there. A little of this can cover my whole face as in forehead, cheeks, chin and nose, while avoiding eye area. I haven't tried to use this to remove makeup, and that's because I don't like that personally. I like to use makeup remover and remove everything, then go in with this and cleanse my face. So I don't know how it would work in taking makeup off. I do like this cleanser because it has been gentle on my skin and hasn't made it react in a bad way, but I have to say it is a little on the expensive side. Well, let me correct my self, the cleanser is a little over priced, but since I have to order this online and there's no free shipping, the shipping cost makes it expensive for me. So I'm not sure after I have finished my bottle, if I would repurchase it for just that reason. If I found it in a store, it might a different story, but for now I will probably use something else. But it is still a good product in my opinion. Just wish there was an actual Mario Badescu store or maybe free shipping option! haha (I'm serious though)

What is your favourite cleanser? Share them with me in the comments section down bellow.

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Lots of love,
Dina
♥ 

Tarte Showstopper Clay Palette - Review & Swatches

Happy December and let me tell you that I just can't get enough of Tarte! Don't even try to get me away from Tarte products or I would go insane! I'm just saying.. my obsession is that serious!! Makeup in general makes me happy but Tarte makeup is in another world of happiness for me. Oh and while I am currently writing this blog post, I am waiting for another of my Tarte orders to get shipped, so you know how truly of a Tarte fan I am. haha anyways moving on.

I bought this Tarte Showstopper Palette back in April, so I know that's a long time, but I honestly didn't actually use it until a few months ago. I just kept admiring it and daydreaming about it, then one day I was like hey you have the palette in your hands, stop daydreaming and start using and enjoy this palette like it deserves. So I got into using it, and absolutely fell in love. It might not look that used in the picture, and that's because I take great care of my makeup, specially if it is higher end, and more expensive. Even though I love Tarte, I still want to try whatever it is, before doing a post and declaring my undying love for it.. haha I'm so sarcastic today, what is going on!! The packaging is truly beautiful, in a Tarte style purple on the outer packaging, and shiny reflective gold on the inside in the form of a circle. It's very chic, beautiful, yet simple. It has a big mirror that fits the whole face and you can adjust it on a table however you like it to stand, so it doesn't just fall open, it stands by itself. There are three face products and six eyeshadows. Great choice of color for the face products. Matte bronzer/ contour shade, matte blush and a shimmery highlight. you can keep it matte with the bronzer and blush, or you can add the highlight to give your face a glow or even make the blush shimmery. The eyeshadows feel really smooth and they're pigmented. I haven't had any issues with fall out and they don't have much powder kick up or any at all. They blend easily and go well together, but not in a sense that if you use a couple of the shades together, it would go all muddy looking like some palettes tend to do. It can be used very neutral as a work appropriate makeup, or you can darken it as much as you desire. I think this is an awesome choice for travel as well, because the shades are easy to apply and very wearable. Also the palette includes anything you really need as the powders go really. Let's not forget the amazing mirror. I personally don't like to take too much makeup with me while traveling. I haven't traveled recently but I know that this palette would be great for it.

One thing I find myself doing is, bringing in the face powders into my eye look. I love using the matte bronzer/ contour shade very lightly in my crease and also the highlighter as an inner corner highlight. I think you can even use the highlight on the lid. The blush wouldn't look good on my eyes, because I know myself and I know peach can make my eyes look tired, but for those of you who love peach makeup looks, I'm sure the blush is usable in that sense as well. I also want to mention that, for using another less product on the eyes, I like taking the darkest brown in the palette and use it very thinly as an eyeliner. All I'm saying is that, you can totally get a full eye makeup and face makeup out of this palette, as powder goes. I of course excluded the setting powder and mascara and all that jazz.

Overall, I love this palette. The colors work beautifully and also go well with my skin tone. I reach for this a lot when I don't want to think about my makeup, just want a quick easy yet beautiful application and know that this can give me that. Also these are long lasting products, so another bonus. A big thumbs up from me to Tarte for this well thought out palette.

Have you tried this palette from Tarte? What are your thoughts on it? Also What is your favorite go to everyday palette?

Post your comments down below, I will be more than happy to read them and reply.

Don't forget to G+1 and follow my blog for more reviews to come. I'm always happy to have more blogging friends!

Lots of love,
Dina
♥