oh-so-fresh-and-clean

If you follow my blog at all, you know I have a slight love-affair with Lumene.  For those of you who are unaware of the wonders of Lumene, let me enlighten you:

Lumene is a Finnish brand that sells its products exclusively at department stores in Scandinavia, but in the states you can pick it up at CVS and most recently, Target.  Their products are comprised of natural Arctic ingredients like cloudberry, lingonberry and blueberry, harvested only once a year by hand.  To boot, their products are free of fragrance, alcohol, colorants, parabens, silicones, and paraffin oil.

Lumene Sensitive Touch Cleansing Wipes With soothing arctic Linen Seed.  Maybe you've just spent the day at the beach, maybe you're just looking to refresh your skin... whatever the case this travel sized package of cleansing wipes will leaving you feeling oh-so-fresh-and-clean.

I mentioned this product in a previous post, where I listed it as a must-have this Spring/Summer.  However, I love this product so much, I decided it merited its own.

In a nutshell, these cleansing cloths are awesome.  I discovered this little gem purely by accident; I was in serious need of a cleansing cloth (the wrong foundation was wreaking havoc on my sensitive skin) and I picked it up because it was purse-size and the price point was right at $2.99.  The cloths are just the right size and are very soft, yet durable.  The light, fresh scent is unobtrusive.  With little effort they effectively remove a days worth of crud without stripping my skin of its moisture or leaving me feeling itchy.  My skin feels soft, clean, and hydrated - perfectly comfortable.  Such a perfect product to throw in your purse or gym bag for a quick, on the go, cleansing.

When good brows go bad...

I have one completely dysfunctional eyebrow.  My left eyebrow is beautiful... full, a good shape without much effort.  The right, on the other hand, drives me bananas.  It starts all right and then tapers off into a peculiar little forest of sparse hairs that is nearly impossible to "clean up" without stripping my brow almost bare to a pin-thin arch.  It really is obnoxious.

That's where Revlon Brow Fantasy Combo comes in.

This dark blonde pencil is the perfect shade for light brows, not too light and not too dark.  It blends almost seamlessly with my natural brow to give me the illusion of full, neat brows...I fill in the crappy brow's negative area with short strokes in the direction of the brow and it actually does a pretty phenomenal job of convincing the world I have a pretty nice set of brows.  This nifty tool is double-sided, equipped with not just a pencil, but color-coordinated gel-wax that you apply via a mascara type wand.  It sets your brows right into place and helps to hide imperfections.



Okay... maybe a bit much, but you get the point



I've been reading that some people think that the pencil is soft and wears down too quickly, but I really haven't had a problem with that.  I find that eyebrow pencils are kind of soft as it is, that's just the way of things... they aren't eyeliners, after all.  Don't go crazy with the pencil and you should be fine.*

She is NOT impressed!

*It's easy to over do it with the brow pencil! Dark, obviously drawn on eyebrows make you look mean and angry.  Stop yourself from committing this beauty faux-pas by filling in your brows with a color that’s one shade lighter than your natural eyebrow hair and use light, quick strokes in the direction of your hair growth.



Audrey Hepburn was known for her
gorgeous full brows!

 Since I've been using this product, I've been getting so many compliments on my brows.  I've tried so many products, pencils, powders and gels, but this one is probably my favorite and SUPER affordable (6-8 bucks, usually).Beautiful brows really pulls together a look and make you look totally polished. 

I will continue to buy this again and again! Love <3

Petra Strand, color me impressed.

After seeing a magazine ad featuring a particularly radiant natural-looking beauty sporting Pixi cosmetics, I made a trip over to Target hoping to pick up the featured eyeshadow: Pixi Fairy Light Solo in Champagne Glow.  I left with the Pixi Essentials Makeup Kit that came with an adorable little gold bag... along with a full size Champagne Glow eyeshadow, it contained trial sizes of the Pixi Flawless and Poreless Primer, Pixi Eyebright Primer, and Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pen. At 27 bucks it seemed like a great way to get a taste of the Pixi line, without breaking the bank.  (Cuz holy smokes was I surprised by the price points!)

Pixi Flawless and Poreless Primer
A mattifying primer for smoothing out fine lines and large pores while creating a matte finish and keeping your foundation long lasting.
Initially I was in love with this primer.  It's fairly transparant with just the hint of flesh tone.  It goes on like a dream, blends nicely and doesn't feel uncomfortable on your skin - it just absorbs right in.  It brightens your complexion instantly and makes dullness seem to disappear.  Sadly, overtime this made my face look kind of greasy...particularly around my nose and forehead.  With that being said, I don't think this primer did a very good job of locking my make up into place.  A full size bottle of this retails at a whopping 28 bucks, save your money ladies.


Pixi Eye Bright Primer

Here's said products in action.  I completed the
the look with Clinique's Chubby Stick in
Woppin' Watermelon

Long-lasting, line filling eye primer base; primer is designed to work like a magnet and hold eye shadow on all day; Neutralizes oily lids

As much as I was disappointed by the primer breakdown, the eye bright primer was a total a win.  This "nude" primer is fragrance free, paraben free and contains no talc or wax.  I was kind of surprised by the powder-y-ness of the formula, but it blended like a dream and really evened out and brightened the area around my eyes.  It made a nice base for my eye make up and didn't crease or wear down; it held my shadow in place all day.  Finding a eye primer this good can be a bit trying - so I plan on biting the $18 bullet and picking up a full size of it.  Absolutely worth the investment.

Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pen
First thing's first: it's a pencil, not a pen.  With that being said, what a totally killer product.  It's so refreshing to find a high quality liner like this.  The application was so smooth and easy... dare I say, silky?  To boot, it lasted all day, no smudging, no smearing.  It's super-duper water proof too (I'd suggest a good remover).  It didn't even budge the slightest with watery, allergy eyes.  The only downside I would see would be that since it is a softer liner, the point does tend to dull quickly, sooooo you may run through it a little faster.  It comes in 6 different colors, all retailing at 14 bucks.  Thumbs up, Pixi.

Pixi Fairy Light Solo in Champagne Glow

This shadow gives just a hint of natural color to the lid that I'm really am wild about it.  It goes on super silky and just instantly brightens your eyes.  It kind of adds a little bit of effortless beauty to your routine.  I'm not wild about the fact that it is $14, although you do get a decent amount of shadow in the pan so I bet it will last forever.  Worth picking up if you're looking for a natural-looking shadow with just a hint of sheen.  Pricing aside, it really does look pretty on.

Overall, I'm pretty impressed with Pixi.  If you're not too sure about what you want to try, I'd suggest you do what I did and try out a "kit".  Target offers a few different variations, and you can also pick up the same kit I did with a different shade of eyeshadow if "champagne glow" doesn't do it for you.

Here comes the sun...

The temperature finally hit a the upper 50's today and I couldn't help but feel a bit of Spring fever!  That being said, here's a few gems that I love and will totally be in my adorable Roxy bag this Spring/early summer.



John Frieda Luxurious Volume Anytime Volume Refresher That cute summer fedora got your hair down? Give your locks new life with this killer dry shampoo!  Absorbs oils for a fresh look.

Burt's Bees Aloe & Linden Flower After Sun Soother After a long day in the sun, your skin needs some extra lovin'.  Give it the attention it needs with this fast absorbing, crazily hydrating face and body lotion.  Loaded with aloe vera and linden extract, it soothes and revives your skin, when the inevitable "too-much-sun" happens.

CoverGirl Natureluxe Gloss Balm Sheer color with a hint of shine, perfect for those "low maintenance" days!

SunBum SPF30+ Banana Lip Balm I am b-a-n-a-n-a-s about this lip balm! Tasty chapstick with SPF 30, aloe and vitamins A, C, and E.  Protects your kisser all day! http://www.trustthebum.com/

Coach Poppy Perfume Purse Spray Perfect mix of floral and fruity. <3

Clinique Chubby Stick Woppin' Watermelon A twist up glossy lip crayon packed with mango and shea butter with just a hint of color.

John Frieda Full Repair Touch up Flyaway Tamer Nifty mascara-type wand puts pesky flyaways in there place, perfect for on the go touch ups!

Cristophe Professional Travel Size Shaping Spray Humidity's a bitch.  Flexible hold for all hair types with UV protectors to protect hair against sun damage and color fade!

Dove Go fresh Energizing Citrus Gotta be fresh!  This smells nice and summery.

Lumene Sensitive Touch Cleansing Wipes With soothing arctic Linen Seed.  Maybe you've just spent the day at the beach, maybe you're just looking to refresh your skin... whatever the case this travel sized package of cleansing wipes will leaving you feeling oh-so-fresh-and-clean.

And just for good measure, I'm tossing in my Sun Bum Lucky Bum Keychain...rub his belly for good sun and surf.

Now get out there and catch some rays!  ...even if it's not exactly beach weather yet.  ;) 

A bottom lash mascara? What will they think of next.

What a stupidly pointless product... but I totally love it.

Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara
A mascara with a brush specifically designed for coating the bottom lashes.

As a lash

enthusiast, I was all over this product.  This micro-mini brush boasts being one of the smallest on the market, meant to capture all those little puny lashes on the bottom lash line and adding length and volume.  Clinique claims that this little mascara has some sort of "thermal active" formula, allowing for 24 hour wear without smudging, smearing or flaking.  I can't personally attest to the 24 hour claim, but I will certainly say that it lasts through my long work days a 3 hour trip to the gym!  It's a cinch to remove, simply splash with warm water and gently wipe it off.  Bonus: The small size makes it super easy to go for those pesky inner and outter lashes as well.

Trust your intuition? Mine is to put this product in the trash.

No no no and no again.
This is a truely horrible razor.

Schick Intuition: lathers, shaves, and moisturizes in one easy step so there is no need for shave gel, soap or body wash.  Now with 4 blades, it will leave your skin noticeable softer.  It is simple to use so Trust your Intuition and try it!

I know you have all seen those commercials where the women all struggle hopelessly to shave their legs, dropping soap, falling over, and just generally not able to multi-task.  Well... honestly I've never had so much difficulty shaving my legs, so this product never really appealed to me.  This isn't exactly a new product, but I got a coupon for a free one so I figured I've give it a gander, who can say no to free?

This is a truly horrible razor.  There are many things wrong with it that I really couldn't stand using it.  (I used it for a week straight to give it a fair evaluation.)

First of all: It's just an awkward item, very bulky, it's just so weird to use.  The head doesn't move at all, which makes it difficult to get into creases or tackle knee stubble.  I gave myself one hell of a cut on my ankle bone trying to be thorough.

Secondly:  It did an AWFUL job giving me the close shave I've come to expect from my Gillette Venus.  I felt like it took me twice as long to shave my legs because I kept trying to go over them to make them smooth.  Even though the stubble wasn't too visible, I was NOT touchably smooth.   

Lastly:  The shave bars are theoretically a good idea, but in practice fell painfully short.  The bar was so slimey and gross after use and it was a pain in the ass to get the stubble off the bar.  After only 3 uses, it melted mostly into nothingness and what was left dried out and cracked.  This was no good for someone like me who shaves every day.

Overall, I was super disappointed by this product.  It was a great idea to simplify shaving, but the execution fell short.  I will not re-purchase this product, and frankly I probably won't even use the replacement head that came in the package.  Totally do not recommend.  Thumbs down. :(

simple, natural and refreshing...gotta love Burt's Bees!

Over the years, I have tried A LOT of facial cleansers, but I always go back to this one: Burts Bees Soap Bark and Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream.  Nothing seems to hold a candle to this killer cleanser!

This is natural, rich cream cleanser. Natural Soap Bark deeply penetrates and cleanses, removing dirt, makeup, and excess oil for clean healthy skin. Chamomile and Aloe gently soothe and soften skin. Rosemary and Echinacea extracts reduce inflammation, tighten pores, and increase cell renewal. You'll get a deep clean for naturally soft, fresh, healthy skin.

 97% natural, paraben free, SLS free and not tested on animals... Recycled Container

Honestly, I was in love with this cleanser since I first put it on my face.  It's probably one of my fav Burt's Bees products, which is saying a lot because there's SO many good Burt's products out there.  This cream cleanser is simple, natural and refreshing; totally free of all junk chemicals.  My skin can be a bit tempermental, but it has never irritated my skin.  It has a really great, clean smell and the slight tingle really makes you feel like you are getting a deep clean.  When you wash it off, your skin is super refreshed, moisturized and glowing.  It does wonders getting rid of blackheads, clearing blemishes, and calming redness.  Gentle AND effective, you can't go wrong.

Just f.y.i though... don't get it in your eyes!  That same ingredient creating that awesome tingle is super unpleasant in your eyes. 

Another plus is that it's a great value.  A bottle retails for around 7 bucks and lasts forever; a little bit of this cleanser goes a long way.

TIP: For an extra deep clean put it on your face and let it soak in for a bit.  The steam from the shower will open up your pores and you'll get a great deep clean.  Plus, the smell and tingling is super relaxing, you'll really feel like your pampering yourself.  Your skin will be gorgeous and glowing when you get out!  Nothing makes for a better base for your make up than a clean face!

I seriously love this product.