Skin Care

For the most part I can say I have been fortunate that my skin usually doesn't give me much troubles.. When I was younger I had a little patch of eczema that would not seem to go away until one day it magically disappeared and since then it's been relatively smooth sailing.

Even though my skincare routine is subsequently very low maintenance, I have been trying to develop some sort of skincare regimen to at least maintain its youthful elasticity for as long as I can. The biggest struggle I have with my skin is that it is dry, I dare not wash my face without applying some sort of moisturizer or I'm left with this very uncomfortable tight feeling that I loathe. 

Over the past few months I have been trying out various skincare products in an effort to find what's right for my skin type ..dry and I've complied a list of a few items. 

First up is Shea Moisture's

Raw Shea Butter Soap and Raw Shea Chamomile and Argan Oil Baby Ezcema Bar Soap. The Raw Shea Butter soap was a bit disappointing , the smell was wonderful (as it is with most Shea products) but it still left my skin with that awful tight feeling after I used it. The Baby Ezcema bar soap was the opposite. To date this soap has been one of the very few soaps that I've used to wash my face that doesn't send me running to the closest bottle of lotion I can find. This soap leaves my skin feeling so soft and after using it I need to use little to no moisturizer on my face ( wish is a miracle for me) . This soap and most Shea Moisture soaps , retails for $4.29 at Target stores and online. Ever so often Walgreens and CVS also has BOGO 50% off on Shea products. 

Equate Blackhead Clearing Srub. It's very rare that I get a blackhead and most times (if ever) has it been on my face, but I've always liked how this exfoliant makes my face feel. It also doesn't dry out my skin too much which again is a problem I have with most products,  and I also use it on my back, which tends to be the area most susceptible to blackheads for me. 

Trader Joe's Natural Face Cleansing Pads One of my favorite youtubers mentioned that she had been trying out Trader Joe's Beauty Products and loving them, and to be honest I didn't even know Trader Joe's even had their own brand of beauty products, but I had been wanting to invest in some cleansing pads so I opted for these. I love that it contains Tea Tree Oil as again I'm always on the lookout for some sort of moisturizing for my skin. This product does its job but the smell is very overpowering. It's not a bad smell in any sense of the word I just think that it is too strong of a scent for a product that  you are using directly on your face. It also requires that you rinse your face in cool water after using. I'm not a big user of astringents/ facial cleansing pads so I'm not sure if that's an extra step not usually required but I would before something I could use to cleanse my face and just go. All in a all I give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars. If I'm not mistaken it costs around $3.99. I'm not sure if I would repurchase this product. 

Island Paradise Exfoliatig Sugar Scrub in Pineapple Mango

First and foremost the scent is everything. It's so yummy. I purchased this on whim at a Marshall's for $5.99z I generally only exfoliate when it's a part of my shower gel but I wanted to try just an exfoliant. The consistency is very thick and a little goes a long way. What I love most about this product is not only does it exfoliate but it moisturizes so wonderfully . I was really surprised that after I had used it and washed it off not only did my skin feel smooth, but I also did not need to apply any body creams. It might be a while until I need to replace this but it will definitely be repurchased. 

I hate that Aveeno products are so pricey in comparison to other lotions etc.. But every time I use their products it justifies the price. I love their daily moisturizing lotion because it is so light but lasts the whole day without me needing to reapply, and I love that I can use it on my face without feeling like a put a glob of lotion on. The moisturizing lotion with spf is really good to use for the summer months especially but I do hate how hard it is rub it in, I feel like it's 70% sunscreen 30% lotion, which I guess should be expected from an spf 30 lotion. The Aveeno Smart Essentials products pictures are actually a recent pick up. Pictured is the Daily Detoxifying Scrub ( smells divine) and the daily nourishing moisturizer. The scrub does unfortunately leave my skin feeling a bit tight, not as bad as most scrubs do, but still it is a bit significant, and the moisturizer also takes a while to rub in as result of the spf but it is not as hard to rub in as with the regular lotion. Overall I am pleased. 

Last but definitely not least is European Wax Center's Slow it Body Lotion, Body Wash and Ingrown Hair Serum. The skin in my nether regions is very sensitive and easily irritated by anything. For me waxing is not an option but a must because any other method of hair removal leaves my skin extremely irritated. The wax technicians at European Wax Center always apply the Ingrown Serum after every session and I try to use it at least twice a day to stave off any irritation and it works! The slow it body wash is also a good exfoliator and so I try to use it at least twice a week. The Slow it Body Lotion I really don't use that much, As it says it is supposed to be a hair minimizing treatment, but I'm really not a hairy person so I don't find much use for it, I only ended up getting it because there was a deal on getting the set. So if you are someone that's looking for something to treat ingrown hairs this serum/ set is definitely recommended.

Fragrance Frenzy

Recently I've gone on a slight fragrance frenzy and decided to make a repurchase of a previously owned perfume and also make a new purchase. There is just something about a good scent that has the power to either remind me of a wonderful memory, or make me feel super confident, or super sexy.

The first purchase I made was a repurchase of my Versace Bright Crystal Perfume

I tend to gravitate towards floral based scents and this perfume gave me everything I've wanted plus a bit more. Versace Bright Crystal is a wonderful blend of peony, lotus flower, magnolia and other ingredients such as pomegranate. What I love the most about it, is that even though it is girly and discrete as how I like most of my perfumes, it also has a little pleasant kick to it, and is very lasting. I've actually purchased this scent on three separate occasions, First as a gift for a friend, then for myself and this third time in a scent. I usually don't purchase sets as I am not a fan of using perfumed lotions and shower gels on a day to day basis, but the price point difference between the biggest bottle and the set was so insignificant that it seemed silly not to just invest in the set. I purchased my set from www.macys.com  for $95 with free shipping Just for a point of reference this set comes with a 3 0z bottle of perfume, and a 3.4 oz bottle of lotion and shower gel as well as a travel roller ball. The 3 0z bottle alone retails for $90, so it only made sense to me to spend the extra $5 and get the set. What I have found is that even though I will not necessarily use the lotion and shower gel on a daily basis, they make perfect travel items and they are just at the limit you are allowed to carry on a plane. So instead of having to buy travel sizes of lotions and shower gels or buying travel sized containers to transfer items into it's super easy to just grab these and go. 

The second purchase and my favorite one thus far is Michael Kors " Glam Jasmine" 

I initially told myself that the Versace Perfume set was my birthday treat to myself, and that was it, but when Macy's sent me the Versace set, they also sent a bunch of samples ( clearly a set up, which of course I fell for)  which included a sample of the Glam Jasmine. As soon as I smelled this scent. I knew I had to have it. Again, I love most floral scents and this was no different.  However this scent is super feminine without being too girly. If you are looking for something light but not too 13 year old ish...This is the scent.  I actually feel like this might be the most " grown up" scent I've ever liked. While the Versace leaves you with a nice little kick, this scent lingers on the tip of your nose and brings me to a happy place. I also purchased this from www.macys.com  for $105 with free shipping and the set includes a  3.4 oz bottle and a 0.24 oz minature version (not pictured because I gave it to my mom) and also 3.4 oz body creme. Whenever I wear this scent I always feel so fresh. Weirdly every time I wear this I want to also wear white, which might explain my latest purchase of a white buttoned down,.. but that's for another post. 

Another sample I was sent that I really liked was " Viva La Juicy Noir" 

I've always loved Viva La Juicy but I've never actually been moved enough to purchase it, I think because it was just a little bit too strong or my liking... However, I love love love the " Viva La Juicy Noir" my next big bottle purchase will be this one, It's a great everyday scent and I love that it's girly but not too juvenile.

They also sent me a sample of Kate Spade's " Live Color Fully" and even though I am a big fan of Kate Spade otherwise, none of their scents for me have ever been to die for, or a must have. My bf likes this scent, so i'll probably end up using it until the end, but I don't think I will be purchasing it. It's not a bad scent, I think it's just a bit too strong for my liking, if they had just toned it down a notch, I may have liked it a bit more. However if any of  you guys prefer a more distinct smell then by all means give it a try!

Another all time favorite of mine is Dolce and Gabbana's "Light Blue" I've actually been wearing this scent for a few years now. The bottle pictured above is actually empty *tear tear* I got it as Christmas gift from my bf's wonderful nieces last Christmas. This scent will always be repurchase, the only reason I have not repurchased another larger version as yet is because I am a poor college student on a budget and I can't justify the purchase just yet.  Anyways, the scent is so crisp and clean but still so so sexy. Even though I do think it could be worn as an everyday perfume, I definitely prefer to reserve it for a night out on the town or a date night. This scent always makes me feel super sensual and confident. 

Last but not least is Banana Republic's "Wild Bloom Rouge" I actually ended up purchasing this perfume in a desperate attempt to replace their "Wild Bloom" scent.  The Wild Bloom scent was actually one of the first gifts my dbf ever gave to me on our first valentine's day and the scent was amazing and lasting, unfortunately a few months after that it was finished and I've been trying to replace it since, I'm not sure if it's just discontinued, but I've been to Banana Republic on numerous occasions to no avail. So I settled for this. The scent is described "floral and woody" so it has that floral element i'm constantly looking for but then you also get that clean, fresh, outdoorsy smell.  It's a really nice on the go scent especially if you're just going to run errands or something lowkey.

What are some of your favorite scents?