Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Airbrush Foundation - Review

Hey everyone! 

Have you missed me? I sure have missed blogging. It's just my life has become a lot more busy than before and I just don't find time to do this. I try my best and now I am back with a new review for you all.

Today's post is on this powder foundation by Tarte. It comes in a jar sort of packaging and the powder is loose and how it's supposed to be used is to use the brush they recommend with it. I slowly push the brush into that cushion thing in the middle then swirl it in the area around it to get the powder evenly throughout the brush, then use it on my skin. When I got this product, I didn't get the brush because first of all, I have so many brushes, I didn't think I would need it and also, because of my large collection of brushes, I thought I would probably have something similar to it that would work perfectly. Long story short, I used my own brushes and they were fine, they just weren't perfect. So I finally gave up and got the brush that's recommended with this product and I am really happy I did.

The bristles of the brush are pretty short so the brush doesn't move around much and that is really important in my opinion. It also makes it a unique brush because I truly have nothing like it and I have tons of brushes. The brush grabs the powder and keeps it all together without blowing it everywhere. It's also made to use with the powder foundation so it fits the packaging perfectly and that is also another important key with using this powder.

Back to the powder, it's a really finely milled powder. Feels smooth and silky. It has light to medium coverage for me, and I like using this on top of my foundation. I usually go with a light coverage foundation and add this on top. I have a sort of mixed skin type, so it's pretty much dry over all, and a bit shiny in the t-zone. I haven't used this as the powder foundation it claims it to be because that would just enhance my dry patches. This shade I have is a little dark for me so that's another reason why I don't use it as my foundation as well. I use a lighter colour foundation and the darker shade of this sort of balances it out for me. The brush and this powder work really well together. It took me a long time to actually try this out when I bought it. I had it for months when I finally gave it a shot. The packaging is pretty thought it and works really good, but I would still prefer my powders in compact form instead of loose powder. It's just my preference and I feel like the brush gets a better, even amount of product on it when it's in a compact. Loose powders can also get messy if you're not careful.

Now would  I repurchase this particular product? probably not because of the loose powder format and what I said above about it all. Don't get me wrong, it's a really good product and works great, it's just a little too much work for it I guess. I will definitely use this and finish it specially during summer when I get more tan and the colour would match me better. I am happy I got to try it out because I am obsessed with Tarte and would like to try out any products they release. 

Have you tried this Tarte Airbrush Foundation? What are your thoughts on it? Share them below in the comments section.

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
♥

Freeman Feeling Beautiful Golden Grain Facial Brightening Mask - Review

I have noticed that the blog posts I write about Freeman products gets a good amount of views and +1 from you guys so I decided to review another mask I have from them. If not not wrong, there's one more left in my collection of masks from them that I haven't talked about. 

This Golden Grain mask from Freeman is really interesting. As always, it comes in a long time form of packaging and you squeeze the product out. The mask itself is a clear gel like consistency with gold flecks mixed within in. It's a really pretty mask to be honest. I always dampen my face then apply masks and this goes on my face very easily when I do that before applying it. It sort of looks clear but the light reflection shows that there is product on your skin. I leave this on for five to ten minutes and by the time I go in to rinse it off, it looks like it has sort of dried but it also feels like it absorbed into the skin but when I start to take it off, actual mask comes off so it's not a leave on mask. I also have noticed that removing this with a tissue or towel is much easier that just rinsing it with water. This leaves my skin very soft and smooth and I really enjoy the results. It might not be a crazy change but my skin feels refreshed and soft which I like.

These lines of masks from Freeman are pretty inexpensive to be honest and you get a lot of product in the tube. For someone who doesn't want to spend so much money on a mask, these Freeman masks could be a good option. This line also has packet sized masks of the big ones that are one forth of the price and those also contain a lot of product and it's good to get those to try out first, then if it's to your liking, you can purchase the bigger size. I usually find these in the drugstores, specially Walmart.

Have you tried this mask? What are your thoughts on it? Share them below in the comments section.

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
♥

Empties #2 | Products I've Used Up + Would I Repurchase?

So I'm doing my second empties blog post. I actually enjoyed writing this type of blog post last time and I hope you enjoyed it as well, because I plan on doing it whenever I have a few empties that I have actually kept and not thrown out. It happened before, I meant to keep empties, but sometimes I just forget and throw it in trash. I don't remember what I throw out or if I did throw out anything at all, but I kept these three and decided to do a post on them anyway. It might not be much, but I would rather do a quick post with a few empty products, rather that do a lengthy post with a huge pile of empties. So here it is, let's get into it!

1. Clean & Clear Makeup Dissolving Facial Cleansing Wipes: I love these makeup remover wipes. I have used up a lot of them that I honestly can't come up with an exact number. These are very moist and saturated with makeup remover, the cloth is very soft and doesn't irritate my skin. It takes a long time for these to dry out if it sits around unused. and also, it removes my makeup completely with one cloth. I still wash my face after but with this wipes, I need to use one to get all of my makeup off. I totally recommend these and will definitely purchase them again and again.

2. Bath & Body Works Concentrated Room Spray in Paris Amour: I love BBW and whenever I go in their store, I never come out empty handed, even when I plan on not buying anything. I can't resist their stuff. I really like their room sprays and I have a bunch, but to be honest, this was my least favourite. It's a sweet scent and at first, I liked it that's why I bought it in the first place, but after a while of using it, it just got boring to me and it would sort of make me a little nauseous in a way. I stopped using it in my room, because it was too much, and decided to put it in my bathroom and it worked really well for that. It still is a sweet scent but it's more tolerable there and also, I don't spend a long time in the bathroom, so when I spray this before getting out, by the time I go in it again, the scent is very light and much more pleasant. I recommend BBW's room sprays and I buy them all the time, I just wont repurchase this particular one.

3. Bath & Body Works Body Lotion with Shea & Vitamin E in Endless Weekend: "Sun-kissed magnolia, summer mandarin and vanilla sandalwood" As I said, I love BBW and I specially love their body lotions. These are amazing, it goes on the skin super easy, I don't have to rub it a lot to get absorbed, it moisturizes my skin really well and the smell is heavenly every time. When ever they have a good deal, I buy a bunch of them and stock up. These also last a long time. This one I am sharing with you, I have been using it since October or November. I use a lot of moisturizer for my body, and I like how these last so long. Also, the scent of this is a really fresh, slightly sweet, fruity scent. I use them right after I shower, and the scent it light but still present so I find my self skipping any perfume and this gives me a light fresh scent which I absolutely loved. I will always repurchase their body lotions. If they had this particular scent, I would buy this again as well.

What products have you used up lately? You are more than welcome to share them with me in the comments down below.

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
♥

Freeman Feeling Beautiful Sparkling Pear Pore Cleansing Mask - Review

We are slowly reaching the end of my Freeman Masks Collection. I think there are two more that I haven't shared with you guys and that will be it. I'm not saying there aren't more in the stores, but I won't be buying any more of them until I have finished a couple of these or all of them haha

Today I'm sharing with you this Sparkling Pear Pore Cleaning Mask. Even though I'm not that much a fan of actual pear fruit, I still picked this up and it smells amazing. I think of all of the Freeman masks I have tried, this one smells the best to me. They all have nice scents but this is my favourite. As usual, this comes in a long, squeeze tube, it has light green. like a pistachio green color and the mask is the same colour as the outer packaging. It has smooth, cream like consistency and goes on super easy on slightly damp skin. I always like to dampen my face then apply face masks, because it doesn't tug on my skin and also, I get a more even application of the mask. This way I use less product as well, because since it goes on easily, less product is needed. I leave this on my face for about 10 - 15 minutes or until it's completely dry, then rinse off with warm water. It removes super easily and there's no problem there. This mask leaves my skin really soft and smooth and I really like the result I get from it.

I would definitely repurchase this when I run out of it. There's still a lot left and also I have so many masks that I am challenging my self to finish then repurchase or try new ones. I would recommend this to anyone really, because even though on the packaging it says for Oily/Combination skin, I have normal to dry skin and I don't find this drying out my face or irritating it all.

Have you tried this mask? What are your thoughts on it? Share them below in the comments section.

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
♥

O.P.I Avoplex Nail & Cuticle Oil - Review

It's still really cold here in Canada and there's nothing worse than winter for our nails and cuticles so I thought using this Nail and Cuticle Oil by OPI Avoplex would definitely help me with that.

I have two different styles of this product. One is in a nail polish form, the other one is in a squeeze tube that has a brush applicator. These are definitely the same product but as I said in two different packaging. The one that comes in a nail polish form is easier to use at home, preferably at a desk, so it can stay on the desk and not spill everywhere when applying it to the nails. The tube packaging can be used pretty much anywhere and as the name suggests "to go", can go in a purse, or a pocket if you really need it that bad all the time haha but I keep mine beside my bed table usually. The both styles of this product is easy to use in my opinion and the oil absorbs pretty quickly. It's doesn't evaporate in seconds but it won't take hours to absorbs either. (that's how it is for me at least). It has a very light scent but I honestly can't pinpoint what it smells like. It's not an oil scent if you know what I mean, some face oils does have that sort of oil smell to them, which isn't all that pleasant in my opinion. The scent of this oil is not strong at all, and I haven't had any issues with this irritating my nails and cuticles. 

This is a very moisturizing nail and cuticle oil and what I like about this is that, when I apply it on my nails and specially cuticles, it doesn't drip or start to get runny with the warmth of my hands and go everywhere, which is great. I really enjoy using this during winter and colder months, because that's when my cuticles specially get cracked and dry. I like to use this at night, right before I go to sleep because then it can do it's thing, without me getting in the way of it. In the ingredients, there are lots of good oils added in this which I'm sure helps a lot with softening and moisturizing cuticles. So overall, I really like this product and I do recommend it to anyone with dry nails and cuticles.

Have you tried this Nail & Cuticle Oil? What are your thoughts on it? share your comments down below.

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
♥

Origins High-Potency Night-A-Mins Mineral-Enriched Renewal Cream - Review

"Put dullness to rest. This night cream is fortified with a system of time-released resurfacers, minerals, moisture-rich replenishers, and vitamins C, E, and H to refresh and support naturally radiant morning skin. Relaxing aromas lull you to sleep and dry, dead layers slough away leaving skin looking bright and feeling refreshed."

I have had this cream for a while, the big jar is actually empty, which means I finished it all. Then I got a smaller size and decided to review it for you guys, because I had the actual cream to take pictures of and all that stuff. For a long time, I wanted to try this out and I got lucky to get to try it out with using my Sephora beauty points. It came with a couple different Origins products and this was one of them.

This Renewal Cream comes in a dark brown glass jar. It's a rich cream, feels thick and creamy yet smooth and very easy to spread out on the skin. It has a very refreshing, orange citrus scent. I absolutely love the smell. A little bit of this goes a long way and it can cover my whole face and neck. It's very moisturizing but didn't leave my skin feeling oily at all. I think dry skins like me will like this, but I'm not sure about oily skins, because this can feel a little too thick for them but it all just depends on the person. This didn't irritate my skin or anything at first. It was all great and my skin loved it. I think it was not even one third of the product left, that it started to break me out. I don't think it was because of this particular cream though. I say that because my skin became super sensitive and a lot of face moisturizers are maybe too much for it. Too much vitamins and stuff in the face moisturizers seem to break me out. It's weird, I know but anyways. I suggest getting a sample of this before actually purchasing the full size. I do that now, because I know how sensitive my skin is and also, I hate buying something and having to go though the trouble of returning it. 

Overall, my initial reaction to this was really good. My skin got a lot of moisture from this as well as felts brightened because of the Vitamin C in it. The smell is amazing and it's very refreshing but not energizing to not be appropriate to use at night. I really liked it. Now I have the smaller size but since I have very sensitive skin now, I can't use this. I started using this on my upper arms, because there's not much left of it to give it away to someone else to use, and one thing I noticed is that, I have some acne scars on my upper arms that started to lighten when I used this on them. So it's not going to waste, but I wont be purchasing this again because of my sensitive skin.

Have you tried this Renewal Cream from Origins? What are your thoughts on it?

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 Tartelette In Bloom Palette - Review & Swatches

Happy Saturday and long weekend. I'm looking forward to this long weekend to just relax and enjoy it, since I have been super busy with everything. Also Happy Valentine's Day. I hope you all show love and affection to your loved ones all the time, throughout the year, not just on one particular day. It's been freezing cold here in Canada, so I hope you all stay warm, cozy and safe with your loved ones. 

(I'm going to say love a lot in this post, so let me warn you a head of time.)

I have been dying to talk about this Tartelette In Bloom Palette, by Tarte Cosmetics. I got this back in November, I'm sure it was just a week after they had released this as their newest palette and I was all over it. It was a funny situation, because I wanted to get their first Tartelette Palette which is an all matte eyeshadow palette, and I was debating on whether to get that or not, because I am a shimmer lover, so my main lid color is shimmer. I was thinking of getting it, because I didn't have a variety of mattes in my collection, and I was hesitant about that palette, because I knew if I purchased that, I would have to bring in a shimmer lid color from some other palette and that was not sitting well with me. So when I saw they had come out with a new palette, and it included 9 mattes and 3 lusters, I didn't even hesitate. 

First of all, the packaging is absolutely stunning! I get mesmerized by it, no joke. It's colorful, springy, fun, I could go on all day and not get tired. When I got my hands on it, I knew it was going to be perfect and I am pleased to say it is more than perfect. I'm in love. I love eyeshadow palettes, but I love them even more when they're from Tarte. I love how there are so many matte shades, and only three are luster or shimmer finish. I also love that there the mattes get separated into three groups in a way. Light matte shades, medium matte, and dark matte, then there are those three gorgeous luster shades that can work anyway you please. I swear it feels like this palette was made for me because I honestly don't need anything else, when using this. I have my matte under brow highlights, matte medium crease/ transition shades, shimmer lid shades and dark mattes for liner. I have been into using dark eyeshadows as eyeliners for a very long time, so as I said I LOVE this palette, so thank you so much Tarte for making this. It couldn't have been better.

The shadows are soft, and smooth. The pigmentation is awesome, each row can be it's own quad of eyeshadows and make different eye looks, or you can mix and match whichever one and make a unique look with it. These blend seamlessly, and effortlessly. I have had no issues with fall outs what so ever, as well as powder kick up, since I am so careful with my palettes. I have to mention that I love that this is just neutral shades but they're not boring whatsoever. I swear when I see a neutral eyeshadow palette, I get bored so fast, but with this, those three lusters catch the light and my eyes, that I don't even think about getting bored. Also, I love that Tarte didn't throw in a pop of color like some neutral eyeshadow palettes tend to do. This is strictly neutral and I am so thankful for that. If I wanted a pop of color, I would just grab another palette I have which is just full of fun, bold pop of colors and add that to my look. I'm sure there will be people out there that won't be attracted to this palette and that's fine, but honestly, for me personally, I have never seen a more exciting neutral palette in a while... and It smells sweet you guys, when I open the palette, there's a light sweet scent which is just the icing on the cake. 

I see nothing wrong with this palette which I'm so happy and thankful for, because I didn't research this, or read reviews or anything, before I just decided to order it, just because I am obsessed with this brand. I am beyond ecstatic to get to play more with this palette. I know all I said was love this and love that but I'm just expressing how I truly feel and that's that. I hope you guys enjoyed my super hyper, excited post about this palette and didn't get too annoyed with me. Until next time. xoxo

What are your thoughts on this palette? and if you own it, let me know your thoughts and opinion down below in the comments section, I'll be more than happy to read them and respond.

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
♥

Freeman Feeling Beautiful Sweet Tea & Lemon Peel-Away Clay Mask - Review

Hello to you all. Today I am reviewing yet another Freeman mask.

Like any other masks they have, this comes in a squeeze tube. The consistency is a runny cream and it's sticky. Any peel-away mask I have tried from Freeman is sticky which is understandable because it sticks to the face easier. This takes a while to dry for me, but that might be because I apply a thicker layer but it's hard to put on a thin layer with this particular mask. If I try to just get a little bit, it will stick to a part of my face and not spread as easily as expected, so I go with a thicker layer, which results in taking longer to dry. I would say it took a good 15 - 20 minutes to dry and then I was able to peel it off. The peeling off process didn't hurt at all which was great. I'm always a little scared when using a peel-off mask for the first time.

After I peeled it off, my skin was left soft and wasn't irritated at all. One annoying thing really was the time it took to dry, I didn't have the patience and tried to peel it off, but of course it didn't work because it was still wet and it just doesn't work that way, and I even tried to wash it away with water, which didn't work out great either, so my first experience was sort of a mess, to be honest. After that first time, it wasn't such a mess, obviously because I was more patient and let the mask dry first. I would have to say, this is a good mask, I have nothing bad to say about it, but what I have realized with Freeman Peel-Away masks is that, I'm just not patient enough for them. That might also be because this wasn't anything spectacular. Don't get me wrong, it's a good mask, but nothing too amazing that if someone asked about my favourite masks, this would come to mind, because it wouldn't and that's just me being honest about this product. I have tried a lot of Freeman face masks, and I have a few more I haven't reviewed for you guys, but from the ones I have reviewed, I can say I like their Clay masks. those dry quick and wash off with warm water are more my style. I don't think I would try another peel-away mask from them, not because their bad or anything, but because out of all the mask I have, I wouldn't reach for them that often.

Check out my other reviews on Freeman Masks, just click the name and it will take you to my post:
Freeman Banana-Oat Instant Smoothing Mask
Freeman Diamond Mineral Rinse Mask
Freeman Avocado & Oatmeal Facial Clay Mask
Freeman Mint & Lemon Facial Clay Mask
Freeman Anti-Stress Dead Sea Minerals Facial Mask
Freeman Cucumber Facial Peel-Off Mask 
Freeman Blue Agave Hydrating + Rose Brightening Facial Paper Mask
Freeman Honeydew & Chamomile Sleeping Mask

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 Amazonian Clay Volumizing Brow Powder - Review

"The secret weapon of girls with great brows, tarte’s revolutionary volumizing brow and hair powder creates a naturally defined arch while seamlessly filling in sparse areas on the brows and scalp." 

My shade : medium brown

Happy Saturday! Today I'm sharing with you all of my thoughts on the Tarte Amazonian Clay Volumizing Brow & Hair Powder. As you might have noticed, I have used this products for a while, hence the dent in the powder in the picture I have inserted. I usually like to take good new pictures of the products I have got, when they're new and untouched, then use them for a while and after that do a through review on it. Well, I forgot to do that with this product so, it's used but who really cares right? So let's get started with the review.

As you all know already, and if you don't, I am a huge Tarte Cosmetics fan and I say this in every review I do on their products. So naturally, when I was looking to purchase an eyebrow powder, I looked at their line first. This brow powder comes in a compact packaging, with a good size mirror and a lot of products as you can see. It reminds me of a single eyeshadow packaging as well. There are five different shades and the one I chose is Medium Brown. What really attracted me to this product is how the shade is more on the cool side than the warm. The powder I was using before this was a warm medium brown color and I was never happy with how my brows looked. Then this product joined my makeup collection and I am the happiest I have ever been with my eyebrows. The shade has a slight warmth to it, but it is very cool nonetheless, and I find that this looks very natural on my brows. By natural I mean it is harder to tell if I have done anything to my brows, compared to the last product I was using, which was very obvious on my brows. I haven't had any problems with this fading away or not lasting on me at all. The same time I purchased this brow powder, I also got the Tarte Double Ended Bamboo Brow Brush as well and I love these two product together. They work amazing with each other and I haven't made one complaint about  either of these two.

I'm pretty sure that this brow powder will probably last me forever (maybe not forever, but a very long time haha), since it doesn't take much product to get the results I want. So even though this is on the more expensive side of makeup products, I know I will get to use it for a very long time! That is really exciting to me since I truly love this product and I don't want to ever run out of it. So I said all this to say, I can justify the price. I haven't used a brow powder and like it as much as I love this. We will see though, I might find something just as amazing but less expensive in the future, but until then I will keep holding on to it and love it.

Have you tried this brow powder by Tarte Cosmetics? What are your thoughts on it?Share your comments down below, I will for sure read them. 

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
♥

Avalon Organics Vitamin C Renewal Facial Moisturizer & Serum - Review

Hey guys, long time no blog post right? I know, I know, I have been super busy with well LIFE let's say, so I haven't been able to keep up my Monday, Wednesday, Friday routine this week. I'm not sure if I will be going back to that schedule anytime soon, because that is just too much for me right now, so I hope you don't miss me too much. haha I'll try to post once a week on Saturdays hopefully, so if that doesn't change, expect a blog post from me on weekends.

Today, I am talking about the Avalon Organics Vitamin C Renewal Facial Moisturizer & Serum. I have been really into using skincare with Vitamin C in them for a long time, so when I saw these at my drugstore, I was super excited to give them a try.

Moisturizer : the moisturizer comes in a plastic jar packaging. It smells strongly of oranges, but in a very pleasant way. I love the scent, very refreshing and it makes me happy when I smell this. The consistency of this moisturizer is on the thicker side. It's not too thick that it feels uncomfortable when rubbing it onto the skin. It melts right into the skin, very moisturizing. This can be a bit much for warmer weather, so during summer this might be too thick and too moisturizing for me. This is perfect for colder months though, so during winter my skin loves this. My skin gets really dry during winter, and this moisturizer is really helpful for the dryness and well as hydrates. I wouldn't reach for this during summer because I will just sweat it all off so there's no point in using such a thick, moisturizing product to begin with.

Serum : the serum comes in a plastic bottle, with a pump applicator. This smells like oranges as well, but it's a little fake and not really close to the scent of the moisturizer and I don't like it as much. It's consistency is of a thicker liquid, so not as runny like face oils. I think this is okay. I don't hate it, but I don't love it either. It's an okay product for me. It sometimes breaks me out but not all the time, so I'm not sure what the deal is. I stopped using it for a while, then started using it again, and I didn't see much of a difference between when I was using it and when I wasn't.

Unfortunately, I have thrown away the boxes these come in , and the ingredients list is not on the actual product packaging, so I wasn't able to insert a picture of the ingredients list on here.

So overall, I like the moisturizer, the serum not that much. If I had to repurchase one it would be the moisturizer. The serum didn't do anything for me other than make me breakouts some of the time. The moisturizer, I really like and love the scent!

Have you tried any of these products from Avalon Organics? What are your thoughts on it? Share your comments down below, I will for sure read them. 

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 Colored Clay Tinted Brow Gel - Review

"Looking for a subtle brow boost? This easy-to-use tinted brow gel infused with colored clay lets you enhance, define and shape your brows like a pro for a perfectly groomed arch every time!"

I always like to experiment with different brow gels, or in this case, a tinted one. This was the first brow gel product I had used that wasn't clear, and had an actual color to it. 

This Tarte Tinted Brow gel comes in a thin tube, with a tiny brush. I have the shade Rich Brown, and there are five different shades to this product. The formula is not wet but not dry either, so I don't get a wet feeling on my brows, and it's not hard to get the product on since it's not too dry. It's really easy to apply and get a tint on the brows. You have to keep in mind that, this does not work like an eye brow powder, pencil or pomades. This does give a tint of color, but it's very subtle. I say subtle because it's not obvious in a way that someone can point at it and say, yes you filled in your brows. No it's very natural yet it gives enough color that I can be satisfied with just using this one product. I like the tiny brush, because it can fit the thinnest brown and of course, thicker brows will have no problem as well. Also, I feel like the thin brush can pick up the tiniest brow hairs and give them color and also add them to other bunch and make it fuller.

I have different brow products I like to use, so I would place this in the go to, easy fast eyebrow application. That is because I don't have to be too careful with this, in case I am in a hurry, I can't ever mess up my brows with this, because it is pigmented, but doesn't go everywhere or make a mess just by itself. I have used this just by itself, I have also used this after I have filled in my brows with brow powder, then topped it off with this. It all just depends on what you are looking for you brow product to do. I have to state that, this might not be the strongest holding brow gel, if you are interested in this for that reason. It does have a little hold, but not that much. I haven't honestly had any issues with my brow hairs not staying in place when using this brow gel.

Overall, I am really pleased with how this product performs for me and for what I am looking for in a brow gel product. I just have to keep in mind to go a shade darker, when the time to purchasing this again comes. I feel like the shade I have can be a little lights, and I wouldn't mind going a shade darker. I would recommend this to anyone who likes to use tinted brow gels. I wouldn't recommend this to someone who is looking for a strong hold, full on heavy color application in a brow gel, because this is in the more natural, subtle category of brow gels, in my opinion. I have naturally full eyebrows, thank god and knock of wood, haha, so I don't have that much filling to do for my eyebrows, so this works for me perfectly. But, I have to be honest, I wouldn't know how this would be good for someone with really sparse eye brows. It might not give enough definition you might be looking for.

Have you tried this Tarte Tinted Brow Gel? What are your thoughts on it? Also, what is your favourite brow products?

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
♥

Freeman Feeling Beautiful Banana-Oat Instant Smoothing Mask - Review

      

"Alpha Hydroxy Acids rapidly exfoliate dull skin cells. - Exfoliating smoothie for radiant skin - Apply to cleansed face. Avoid eye, mouth, nostrils. Leave up to 7 minutes or rinse as soon as skin feels sensitivity. - Slight tingling, mild itching or some temporary skin redness are normal reactions due to a highly-active exfoliant."

I'm all about masks, and that might be obvious due to all of the mask reviews I have done. I particularly find myself wanting to try all of the Freeman masks. It's inexpensive, can be found in my drugstore, and I haven't been disappointed by the masks I have tried so far.

This, like all the other full sized Freeman masks I have reviewed, comes in a squeeze tube. It is basically clear, with a very faint yellowish tint to it sort of. It smells like straight up bananas. I am not a fan of bananas to be honest, so the scent can get to me sometimes, and make me nauseous but not to the point of sickness. Let's just say I would be happier if it had a different smell, so not a fan of that. A little of this goes a long way as you can see in the picture. A lot wants to come out, so I have to be careful not to get too much. So as instructed on the bottle, I cleanse, apply this, leave for about 5- 10 minutes being maximum, then rinse off. It rinses easily with warm water. After it is off, I notice that the area that I put this on is visibly red, compared to the area that this wasn't applied on it. It says it's normal, and it does go away after a while. At first I was super concerned, but I didn't feel irritated or anything on my face, so I applied moisturizer, looked at my face after a little time had passed, and my skin was back to normal, no more redness.

I have to be honest, I didn't notice anything with using this. My skin didn't feel super smooth or anything, like some other Freeman masks do, but it didn't irritate or break me out or do anything bad either. I don't know, I just don't think this does anything for my skin. I also don't really find myself reaching for this, because of that fact. I'm like why use something when it does nothing. Not good, but not bad either. So I'm "cold turkey" towards this mask, Use it, don't use it, doesn't matter so whatever. Hahah I am always honest, and say it like how it is basically, so that's all I have got to say about this product. Would I recommend this? mehh, I wouldn't warn you away from it, but I wouldn't recommend it either so you make your own mind about this product based on what I described, if you haven't already tried this out.

What do you think about this face mask? have you ever tried anything and feel the same way as I do with this mask? Share your thoughts down below, I will for sure read them. 

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Lots of love,
Dina
♥

Empties #1 | Products I've Used Up + Would I Repurchase?

So this is officially my first empties post. I have seen a few of these types of topics on YouTube, and since I don't do videos, I thought why not share them here with you, on my blog. I'm not calling these monthly empties because these are not from one particular month. I hate trash, who doesn't, and I can't for the life of me, understand how people can keep a bag full of empty beauty products just to share them in a video or in my case, blog post. So yes I tried, and I kept those I remembered to actually keep. One funny thing is that, the videos I have seen on this topic, is like monthly empties and there are so much products, so I am like, how many things do you go through in a month? I don't know maybe it's just me, but I don't go through products that fast, even the ones I use on a daily basis.

1. Clean & Clear Persa-Gel 5 & 10 : This is an acne medication with Benzoyl Peroxide. I would use a dot of it on wherever I have a breakout, or even feel one coming on. This stuff used to work really well for me, it would dry out any breakout, but after a while, I guess my skin either got used to it, or it wasn't enough, because after a while I just didn't see results anymore. So I stopped using it and it took so long that it has expired. It's going into the trash and I'm not repurchasing it.

2. Clean & Clear Invisible Blemish Treatment : This is another acne treatment but with Salicylic Acid. This never really did anything for me. After a while I realized Salicylic Acid does nothing for my breakouts. That's why I tried the cream I mentioned above with Benzoyl Peroxide. I have nothing to say about this really. It didn't work for me, so I stopped using it. Now I'm getting rid of it, because it has been sitting in my drawer for too long for it to be any good.

3. Freeman Feeling Beautiful Diamond Mineral Risk Mask : I used this mask during the month of December mostly, a little into January. I have a full post on this which I will link here. I loved using this, It makes my skin super smooth afterwards and I loved how calming and non-irritating it was. It did a little exfoliation as well because of the small "diamond" particles. I really liked it, and I hope my store starts carrying the full size of this, because I will definitely buy it again.

4. Selsun Blue Anti-Dandruff Shampoo : I have very mild, "dandruff" if you could even call it that. I used to use the Head & Shoulder, but it didn't really work, so I somehow found this shampoo in my drugstore. This works, but I find that it can get a little harsh if used frequently. If I use it frequently, I find that it takes all the moisture from my hair and scalp specially, leaves it a little tight if conditioner isn't used, which then results in my hair produce excessive oil to make it not as dry. So I would say, I use it once, maybe twice in a week, then definitely follow with conditioner, and I get the best results. I will definitely repurchase this, but I don't need to do it that often, since I use very small amount of it each time.

5. Mario Badescu Drying Lotion : I did a full post on this a while back which I will link right here. This is pretty famous for acne treatment. It's a spot treatment, and has been the most effective product I have used out of all the acne treatments you can get from different brands (excluding medication dermatologists prescribe). This stuff works wonders. I truly love it. I would use it at night and leave it on during my sleep, take it off in the morning. It wouldn't fully make my acne disappear, but it would speed up the process. So for example, if it would take a week for a breakout to go away (minus scarring), this would make it a day or two. I would repurchase it if the shipping wasn't so expensive. The cost of this product would be less than the shipping sometimes, I wonder why, since a lot of companies have free shipping nowadays. Not this one for where I live apparently. Also, I don't know any store that carry this either. So yes, I would repurchase this, but I haven't since I finished this bottle and it sort of dried out on me at the end of it.

6. Lancome Youth Activating Concentrate : I was gifted a couple of different Lancome products from my friend, and this little deluxe sample was one of them. It's basically a serum that brings out the youthfulness on the skin. It was a nice serum and it didn't irritate my skin at all. It made it smooth. It was a good, okay serum, but didn't see that much of huge difference to be honest. I still was grateful to have had the chance to try it out. This stuff is pretty expensive, so I don't know about purchasing a full bottle, but I wouldn't mind using another deluxe sample! haha

7. NUDE ProGenius Treatment Oil : I got this at the Sephora checkout, but I didn't use any of my points on it, they just put it in my bag. It's a decent size for sample. This is a face oil. It doesn't have any particular fragrance to it, it smells like oil I guess. I guess this was a little too much vitamins or something for my face. The skin of my face wasn't too fond of this, it got irritated and tiny whiteheads appeared, but I didn't want to get rid of it completely, so I used it on the back of my hands and it works just like any beauty oil I guess. My hands love this though, and it made the skin super moisturized and smooth. This is another expensive skin care item that I wouldn't mind using if I got it as a sample, but I wouldn't purchase a full bottle of it.

8. Nivea Hydro Care Lip Balm : I love this lip balm with all my heart. It's hydrating and moisturizing at the same time. I never have dry lips when I use this stuff after exfoliating or just by itself. I love how thin it is, because I hate thick lip balms for during the day, I love to use thicker lip balms for night time when I'm sleep so my lips can bathe in them. During the day, I love to use this. It's not super thin that it doesn't last long or fades or anything. It's just comfortable on the lips and lasts a for quite some time. I use this even under any lipstick, and it works as an awesome lip primer. It has a very faint sweet scent but nothing too overwhelming, and it's not vanilla or sugar smell, I don't know. I just know that it smells good, works more than great and I will definitely repurchase this again. In fact I have a new one waiting to be opened by me.

So that's it guys for this empties post. I'm really proud of myself to have kept all these to do a post about it. It just irks me to keep empty products, when I can just get rid of them and not occupy any space for them. I will still try my best to keep my empty, used beauty products and share them with you in a future post.

What products have you used up lately? You are more than welcome to share them with me in the comments down below.

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
♥

Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette - Review & Swatches

Natural Light 

With Flash

I finally gave into the temptation, and purchased my first Naked Palette by Urban Decay Cosmetics. I know this isn't new or anything, but it was to me. For a long time, I was debating on which one to purchase and I finally bought this one, because the shade range was something I didn't particularly have in my collection, and also, I feel like rosy, pink, purple eyeshadows look good on me or my skin tone and eye color. I also liked how there wasn't much dark eyeshadows in this, except a few, so I could see myself get a lot of use out of this, specially for day time makeup.

The packaging is a metal tin, with gorgeous rose gold design. Comes with a sample card, with four different samples of their eyeshadow primers. Inside the palette, it includes a double sided eye brush. The eyeshadows are smooth and super pigmented. A little goes a long way, so I don't really find the need to keep reapplying for it to show up. The eyeshadows last long, and at the end of the day, it had barely faded on me. I absolutely love the consistency, the shade and staying power of the eyeshadows. The palette itself is compact and you do get 12 eyeshadows. Unfortunately, out of the 12 eyeshadows in here, only 3 are matte finishes. So not many matte options to work with, but I am a shimmer lover for eyeshadows, so I wont complain that much. But yes, it would be nice if there was maybe two more matte shades, but whatever. 

My biggest and most important issue with this palette was that, after not even a week of having this, the eyeshadow pans fell out. I opened it and two of the shadows fell on the floor. I was horrified... Luckily, it didn't shatter or anything, THANK GOD. So I put if back inside where it fell out, thought about what to do, found some glue, tried and put it back together. The next day, I tipped the palette upside down to see if they were dry, some other shades fell out, so I basically glues them all. A week passed and I sort of forgot about it to be honest. Then one day opened it and yes, they fell out again. At that point I had had it with this palette. I was SO disappointed and just sad. So after sulking for a while, I decided that this packaging sucks. I also thought to myself, I shouldn't even be fixing a $50 + eyeshadow palette. It shouldn't break apart in the first place. So I immediately went to Sephora, where I initially purchased it, and returned it. The girl at the cashier looked at me funny when I said I wanted to return this. I know this line of palettes are very loved but the packaging is just a big fat NO, even though I have no issues with the actual eyeshadows. I told her the eyeshadow pans fell out. She opened it and saw for herself. She was shocked as well, so were a couple other cashiers around who happened to be looking. So anyways, I returned it, got my money back and end of story. A day or two after I had returned this, I realized and wished I had took a photo of the situation, where the pans had fell out, so I could include it in this post. I really wish I had. Unfortunately, at the time I wasn't even thinking about doing a post on what happened, so that's a bummer. I did initially think about just exchanging it for another one, that maybe it was just mine that had that issue, but then I just got so turned off by this whole situation that I didn't even want to deal with it a second time. 

Overall, I saw the huge hype over the Naked Palettes over the years. First the Naked Palette original, then the second, third, smoky, lets not forget the basic one and two. Who knows what will be next, but I will probably stay away. I don't know you guys, after I returned this, I thought about purchasing the Gwen Stefani Palette from Urban Decay, but now I have the fear of the eyeshadow pans falling out with this brand. It might be stupid of me, but I have had way less expensive palettes or even ones from the drugstore that didn't do this, so I guess I'm just going to be more cautious with palettes from UD. Sorry if this review wasn't what you expected, but that was my experience.

Have you tried any of the Naked Palettes from UD? What are your thoughts on it? Also let me know if you had the same experience as I did with any palettes you have tried.

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
♥