Clarisonic Update 1+ Month Later

I have now had my Clarisonic for over a month and I have to say I haven't seen my skin this clear in forever. I currently have no active breakouts anywhere on my face. It's all just previous cysts, acne spots healing over and being red/dry. I switched to using the Fresh Soy Cleanser on it which I think works really well and I find it doesn't make my skin feel tight after like other types do. Now that my skin is all cleared I'm cutting back on the amount of times a week I use the Clarisonic. I'm trying to do 1-2 times as a deep cleaning method rather than every night. I will probably always do a deep cleansing mask on the night I use my Clarisonic so that I know I'm getting the best results possibly when I do it. My skins overall appearance looks so great, I'm not as red anymore in my cheeks and my acne scarring is improving. The scarring improving is probably attributed to this exfoliation as well as consistent daily use of my Kiehl's dark spot correcting serum (awesome stuff). My makeup sits better now that I'm using this and I just feel like my skin doesn't feel as congested. I highly recommend everyone who has issues with blackheads and breakouts go spend the money on this... Better investment to spend on the tool than to spend even more money trying out various different acne regimens that don't end up even working.

Have you tried the Clarisonic? What are the best products you have ever used with it?

The Body Shop Haul

The Body Shop can be deadly sometimes because they always have deals going on. I did the buy 2 get 2 free deal, but they have it for 3 products as well. I wanted the tea tree mask but they were out so I was recommended the blue corn deep cleansing mask that's also exfoliating which cost $17. I bought a backup of my tea tree toner because I love it so much and that cost 11$ but it was one of the products I got free. I also wanted to try out the elderflower eye gel because I heard it's really nice and cooling for puffy eyes. I saved $21 because the eye gel was worth $10. I could not figure out what other product I wanted because I didn't want to go too much past the $11 I was spending on the toner so I decided to pick out the face wash for my boyfriend and it came out to $12.  I'm extremely excited to try the 2 new products I bought out and if you would like any reviews once I've tried them leave me a comment down below

Budge Proof Lipstick

I learned a new lipstick trick from a friend and I wanted to test it out with my Illamasqua lipstick to see if it could last a night of drinking beer and eating greasy fries. I love my Illamasqua lipstick, it lasted through eating a burger with only some fading in the past but I know with drinking, talking and eating consistently for hours it usually fades in the middle. I did one layer, blotted it off, powdered it with some translucent powder and a brush, and then put a new layer of lipstick. By the end of the night it was still there and looked like I had just put it on. The entire night I thought it had come off because of all the eating and drinking, my lips did not feel like lipstick was there.
I am planning on trying this trick out with some other lipstick formulas, drugstore and high end because lipstick fading whe you go out is definitely not cute. If you're in the market for a long wearing lipstick you don't need to do this with or use a lip liner and it will still last ages I highly recommend the Illamasqua line.

Have any of you tried this trick? What other tricks do you have for long wearing makeup?

John Frieda Sheer Blonde Shampoo

It's been almost a month since I've coloured my hair blonder and I've noticed that it's beginning to get pretty brassy. I wanted to pick up a purple shampoo from my hairdresser back in December but he was out and told me that most purple shampoos at the drugstore work similarly anyways. I decided after reading multiple views online that the John Frieda Sheer Blonde Color Renew Tone Correcting Shampoo looked promising and wasn't crazy expensive as compared to some others. I didn't buy it with the conditioner because I have so many various hair products in my shower I really don't need it. I've used it once so far because I do not wash my hair everyday and even though it says it takes a few uses I have noticed that my hair isn't AS brassy as before. It's not a miracle product that changes it in one use but I've noticed in my bangs that my hair looks a bit brighter overall. It says to use it three times a week but I'll probably use it a few times until it gets to the blondeness I want and then I'll switch back to using my Kevin Murphy or Aveda shampoo. It's a shampoo you can just add into your regimen when you notice brassiness and then stop when you get rid of that. I've never used a purple shampoo before so I can't really compare it to any other brands but I enjoy the product and for the price it's really good, especially because its not a product you have to consistently use so it will last a long time.

Have any of you tried a purple shampoo that you really enjoy?

Clarisonic Mia 2 Update - 2.5 weeks

I've now been using my Clarisonic nightly for 2.5 weeks. I wanted to update you on the current condition of my skin - keeping in mind that everyone's skin is different. I maintained the same skin routine with my Clarisonic which is: Kate Somerville DTX Cleanser, The Body Shop Tea Tree Toner, Kiehl's Dark Spot Corrector, Clinique acne spot treatment, and my Korres Pomegranate gel moisturizer. I also always do a weekly mask which is usually my Origins Charcoal one. I did not want to switch up my skincare until I got it under control with the Clarisonic just so I would get the most consistent results. I am going to be switching to the Kate Somerville oil free moisturizer once I run out of my Korres because I got a small size in my 500 pt perk from Sephora.I broke out pretty bad all over my chin over a week ago and it's all starting to heal now. I got 3 cystic acne spots and I haven't suffered from this since early Summer before I went on an oral acne prescription from my dermatologist for 3 months. I noticed that my cheeks looked way better - I am not as red and I can see my blackheads and whiteheads surfacing but my chin went crazy. It's probably the worst my chins been in a long time but I knew I had to just push through after reading many reviews of people suffering the first few weeks after starting to use the Clarisonic.I knew it was just bringing up all the dirt that was deep in my pores so it was purging.  I am happy to say that now 2.5 weeks later all my cystic acne spots surfaced and are now just tiny spots that are healing. I have not had any new spots surface in the past 3-4 days other than seeing more of my blackheads and whiteheads coming to the top. Once my skin gets under control completely I will start trying to decrease my use of the clarisonic to 1-2 times a week in order to prevent too much exfoliation even though it is gentle enough for everyday use, you can never be too careful with your skin. I have noticed a huge difference in my skin and I'm extremely happy. Plus with all the makeup my clarisonic gets off after I wash my makeup off is amazing and I can't believe all that was still deep in my pores. I'll put another update in maybe 1-2 weeks to let you know how my skin is handling it for a longer period!

Best Concealer on the Market

I don't even remember why I stopped using the MAC Pro Longwear Concealer. I loved it, it has fabulous coverage, lasts all day and doesn't cake up. Maybe I was trying to save money or experiment but I spent all of 2013 without it and was trying the Mineralize one by MAC instead. That was a good concealer, it worked better under my eyes than on any of my spots because it's not as good coverage wise as pro longwear and it definitely does not last as long. My boyfriend took me shopping one day and I picked up a few things including my MAC skinfinish natural powder in light plus (yes apparently I can wear the deeper one of the light shades). The second I put this concealer on my scarring, current spots and under my eyes I was questioning myself why I ever tried to find a better concealer because I really don't think there is. A tiny bit covers under my eyes and all over the spots on my face. It costs around $23 CAD but I swear it lasts me a year or longer depending on how much I wear makeup over the year. I found I went through the Mineralize one really fast - it's been 4 months and I'm practically out. I think that's because I need to use more to cover since the coverage isn't as great. My skintone is a NW15 so for concealer I just get that because since I am so pale I can't really highlight under my eyes using a lighter shade. I've been using up my light skinfinish natural under my eyes and the light plus on my face so I can do some highlighting but to be completely honest I'm so fair highlighting under my eyes doesn't work. I know a lot of people use this as an eye primer but as I've mentioned before in various posts, my eyelids are so oily even on days where I don't wear makeup I'll have oil buildup in my crease (I also have hooded eyes so that doesn't help....). I feel like my makeup application in 2014 is going to be so much better because I have this in my makeup bag now.

What's your holy grail concealer and have you been able to find really good drugstore full coverage non cakey concealers?

Cold Weather Cure for Dry Skin

So where I live has been hit by the worst weather and today it's supposed to feel like -38 degrees outside. Even though I have oily skin this weather is still causing me dry patches on the areas that I'm not as oily in. I found the best treatment at night to help my skin heal - The Body Shop Aloe Protective Restoring Mask.

The Website has this little blurb on what the product actually does:

BEST IF YOU WANT TO: Strengthen your skin’s natural barrier with an intensive, creamy leave-on mask that softens and instantly cools.

BEST FOR: sensitive skin

How it works:

• Use once a week to provide a soothing blanket of protection to sensitive skin.
• Community Trade sesame oil helps to soften skin and create a protective shield that prevents water loss and restores suppleness

So I can't say that this product actually strengthens my natural barrier but I think it's an awesome overnight leave on moisturizer when you're feeling dry or tight. It's for sensitive skin so it doesn't irritate me or break me out. It instantly hydrates and the morning  when I wake up I feel hydrated. I only used it as the leave on mask overnight so that I can wash my face in the morning to get rid of any excess oil it may have caused me to produce because I am very oily. Using it during the day would probably cause me to get shiny really fast but at night it's perfect to sleep in because your skin heals overnight. It comes in a jar so it's not the most sanitary mask ever but if you're hands are clean than you won't be spreading bacteria inside it. It comes with a lot of product and it costs $22 CAD but The Body Shop always has deals online or in store so most of my products I never pay full price.

I love all of the masks by The Body Shop  that I have tried. Have you tried any of them?

Lancome La Base Primer

I got a sample of this Sephora and I really wanted to love it. My skin looked flawless when I first put this on. I let it sink in for 10 minutes and used it with my MAC studio fix fluid. My skin looked so healthy and after using power I looked natural but matte. After about an hour I could feel my skin getting so greasy I was afraid to look in the mirror. I definitely do not think this primer  is made for us with oily skin. I think it'd be perfect on someone dry to normal, even maybe combo if you powder your t zone. It can really make your skin look photo perfect and so gorgeous but it does not hold up well against oily skin.

Have you tried this primer before? What do you think?