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New Favorite: Bite Beauty Matte Creme Lip Crayon
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New Favorite: Bite Beauty Matte Creme Lip Crayon

  More and more these days I find myself looking for beauty products that are quick and easy to use. Of course I want to look my best, but I don’t really want to spend much time achieving it (a girl can dream, right?). That’s probably why I’m so drawn to beauty crayons – they’re easy to apply, pretty much fool proof, and you can throw them in your bag (or pocket) and take them with you for a quick and easy touch up. 

I really love eye crayons. Lip crayons are great in theory, but I find they tend to be drying. Which is why I was delighted to discover that Bite Beauty Matte Creme Lip Crayon is amazingly not drying. I received the crayon in shade Glace as part of my Sephora Beauty Insider birthday gift last month and I’ve been using it daily ever since. 

 

I usually apply the crayon over a thin layer of clear lip balm to tone down the color slightly.

 The creamy crayon glides on smoothly and feels silky on your lips. I was worried the color might be a little too dark or too purple for me but it turns out I was wrong – the shade is pretty and natural, adding just a bit of easy polish to my overall look. I usually apply it over a thin layer of clear lip balm, which does tone down the color a little bit. For more impact, I’d recommend applying it straight to your lips – it still feels great on and looks amazing. 

So, fellow Beauty Insiders, if your birthday is coming up and you’re on the fence about which gift to choose, I highly recommend this one. If not, you may just want to run out and buy this crayon now – it’s just too good to wait!

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Better Skin in 60 Seconds 

  Do you ever wish you could take good care of your skin without having to do much of anything? I definitely do, which is why I was intrigued when I heard that Aveeno had created a product that claims to brighten and rejuvenate skin in exactly one minute: Aveeno Active Naturals Positively Radiant 60 Second In-shower Facial. 

According to the package, the facial uses ingredients like soy, lemon peel extract and the steam from your shower to exfoliate your skin. All you have to do is get in your shower, splash a little water on your face, apply a little of the slightly gritty cream all over your face (not your eyes), massage gently for 60 seconds and you’re done. 

Is it really that easy? You bet. It did not irritate my skin at all. It has never left my skin feeling dry or tight, but after just one use my skin was exceptionally soft and smooth and after two uses it was noticeably more even. It even works on the annoying little forehead bumps I sometimes get. It also has a mild, fresh scent that makes the whole 60 seconds very pleasant. 

The only downside? It contains alpha hydroxy acid, which can increase sun sensitivity. I try to use it about once a week, preferably when it’s going to be rainy for a couple of days or when I know I won’t be spending much time in the sun. Other than that, this product is a total life win. Better skin in 60 seconds? I’ll take it!

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Summer Lip Picks

I tend to switch up my go-to beauty products alongside the changes in season, so it’s no surprise that I recently placed an epic Sephora order looking for some new summer favorites. Luckily I was rewarded with not one but two new lip products that I’m sure I’ll be wearing all season long. 

  On really hot, humid days, I’m not willing to put more than sunscreen, a tinted moisturizer and tinted lip balm on my face. These days that lip balm will definitely be Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Quench Lip Recue in Cherry. Though it looks really red in the tube, it’s more of a sheer berry on the lips, and it feels amazing. It features a light minty scent and pleasant cooling sensation, perfect for hot summer days. It’s also ultra moisturizing. I call that a summer win. Quench Lip Rescue comes in a variety of other sheer shades that you can find here. 

  On cooler days, or when I’m looking for something a bit more glam, I’ll be turning to Nars Lipstick in Orgasm. In case you haven’t heard, Nars finally turned their cult favorite peachy pink looks-good-on-everyone blush into a lipstick. While I find the lipstick to be more pink-brown than peach-pink, it’s still a lovely, flattering neutral with a bit of shimmer. For those with an aversion to gritty shimmer particles, fear not – the lipstick has a nice smooth texture. It’s long lasting and light, but it does highlight little lip imperfections, so I’d recommend applying some sort of lip primer first. You can find it online here. 

What lip colors are you wearing this summer?

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How Marula Oil Helped Me Make Peace with My Hair 

  I’ve written many times about my hair battles and woes. For the last 10+ years, I’ve had more or less the same hair cut and have tried with varying degrees of success to keep it straight without making it flat. You see, my strands are fine and like to get kinda curly when left to their own devices. It’s easy to flatten them with too much product, while not enough product (or too much heat) creates a pouffy mess. Humidity leaves my hair both limp and frizzy. The fight for a good hair day is not easily won. 

I’ve spent some time cycling through several shampoos and hair serums, trying to find the right formula to make my hair do what I want it to. But every combination left me frustrated. My hair either felt heavy and greasy or looked dry and frizzy. Then one morning, desperate for a change, my eyes landed on a little vial of Marula Oil I had purchased on a whim several months ago at my hair salon. 

According to its website, Marula Oil contains antioxidants and oleic acids that hydrate, tame frizz and add shine, “completely transforming hair.” I’m generally weary of beauty oils – a little usually goes a very long way – so I dabbed 4 or 5 tiny drops into my palm before rubbing my hands together and then working the treatment through my damp hair. The oil had a very light, clean scent that reminded me of the salon. It wasn’t greasy and made my hair very easy to detangle. I flipped my hair upside down to blow it dry and hoped for the best. 

After drying and styling my hair, I instantly noticed how healthy it looked. It was shiny, frizz-free, and felt weightless. Most notably, though, it wasn’t as straight as I’d expected, but in a good way. My sometimes unruly curls had been transformed into soft, pretty waves. And I actually liked it. 

Not long after discovering this new-found appreciation for my natural texture, I concluded that my tried and true long-layers hairstyle was no longer doing it for me. I decided to jazz things up a little with some side bangs and a lot more layering. The result is a flattering cut and a mane that’s much easier to manage. The additional layers give my hair some body and let more of my natural curl show through. The oil keeps my strands sleek and soft, so that even when humidity makes my hair extra wavy, it still looks healthy and pretty and not like a hot frizzy mess. 

It feels good to make peace with my hair, especially after so many years of fighting with it. Who knew a few drops of oil could do so much?

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Sensational Shaving: EOS Shave Cream

 Don’t you just love it when a cheap little impulse buy becomes your new favorite thing? That’s precisely what happened to me a couple of weeks ago when I grabbed this hot pink tube of EOS Pomegranate Raspberry Shave Cream while waiting to check out at Ulta. 

My sister had already told me that she loved it, but I’ve never been all that into shaving creams – run of the mill conditioner works just fine and is fairly inexpensive. But I loved everything about this pretty little tube, including its $1.99 price tag. So into my shopping bag it went!

I’ve been using it for the past couple weeks and I am absolutely in love with it. It’s packed with skin-softening shea butter and helps prevent nicks and razor burn. The scent is mild and the cream lathers lightly. My legs haven’t looked or felt this smooth in ages!

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What Happens When You #ReverseYourRoutine

voxbox-blogimageI like big hair. Not over-the-top, teased up, Aqua Net big hair. Bouncy, voluminous hair that lifts away from the scalp and flatteringly frames the face. It feels youthful and care free and, at least on me, is much more attractive than flat hair that clings like Saran Wrap to my face.  

 That’s why I was so intrigued when Influenster sent me TRESemme’s Beauty-Full Volume Reverse System, which consists of a specially formulated pre-wash conditioner and volumizing shampoo. The idea is that by shampooing after you condition your hair, you wash away the residue traditional conditioners can leave behind, leaving your hair extra clean, weightless and bouncing. 

I tested the hair care duo several times and have to say that washing with the products is an extremely pleasant experience; the conditioner smooths, the shampoo lathers up nicely, and they share a salon-fresh scent that I enjoyed long after each shower was over. Every time I reverse-washed my hair I styled it in a different way – I tried air drying, blow drying and a variety of hair creams and serums to see how my hair reacted. Here’s what I found:

The TRESemme Reverse System left my hair feeling extremely clean and light. Freshly styled, my hair looked great every time – it had nice body and looked healthy and smooth. 

 

Some nice volume, right after washing and styling.

 
It didn’t take long, though, before the naturally curly nature of my hair – fueled a couple of times by some crazy humidity – overpowered any good my styling efforts had accomplished. Within 15 minutes my hair started to curl, frizz and puff up:

 

15 minutes later, my hair has started a frizzy rebellion.

 
By the end of the day my hair was huge, in a decidedly unflattering way. It didn’t matter what tools and techniques I tried. Once I reverse-washed it, there was nothing to be done. 

The verdict? I think the Beauty-Full Volume system is high quality, smells great and does exactly what it claims to do: leaves your hair weightless and voluminous. What I’ve learned from testing it, however, is that I personally need some of the weight that traditional conditioners leave behind to keep my hair from becoming an unruly mess. That said, I would absolutely recommend the system to anyone with naturally straight, fine strands, looking for a little lift. 
I received these products compliments of Influenster for testing purposes. All opinions are my own. 

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Nearly Naked Nails

  There’s just something about summer that makes me crave a nude nail. It’s such a fresh, breezy look and just feels right this time of year. 

I’ve tried several nude polishes that looked chic in the bottle and tragic with my skin tone. Luckily, Zoya Professional Lacquer in Pandora is not one of them. This pink nude is lovely, ladylike and everything I want in a nude polish. Fair warning: it chips fairly easily, but it’s so subtle and easy to reapply that I’m still a big fan. 

If you’re looking for a nude with a bit more impact, I have to suggest Essie’s Tuck it in My Tux, a gorgeous ivory polish. I’ve been dying to get my hands on it ever since I spotted it on a coworker a couple of weeks ago. 

What’s your go-to nude?

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#DoDeoBetter with Dry Spray

voxbox-blogimageI recently received Degree Motionsense Dry Spray Anti-perspirant from Influenster for testing. I had never used a dry spray and really fancied myself an old fashioned stick deodorant kind of girl. But, a beauty blogger can’t shy away from the new and different, so I decided to give it a try and spritzed away. 

  
First of all, it could not be any quicker or easier to use. Just a quick spray under each arm and you’re done. It goes on dry (hence dry spray) so you don’t have to worry about it getting on your clothes. And then you miraculously stay completely dry and odor-free all day long. I’m seriously impressed but how long lasting it is, even through marathon work days and multiple workouts. I was traveling this past weekend and brought my normal travel deodorant with me, which quickly reminded me that normal deodorants do not keep me all day fresh. 

My only complaint is the scent. I received the Fresh Energy version and while I don’t hate it, I also don’t love it. It’s a little too perfumey for me. I’ll definitely be checking out the other scents to find one I like better – I don’t think I can go back to regular stick deodorant now that I know how good it can be. It will be perfect for summer!

I received this product compliments of Influenster for testing purposes. All opinions are my own. 

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Pretty in Pink: Nails Inc Gel Effect Nail Polish in Berkeley Street

  I like the look of gel manicures and the fact that they are so durable, but as a person who prefers to do most of my beauty treatments myself, I haven’t been all that jazzed about getting a gel manicure done at the salon. That’s why I love the gel effect trend, which allows you to paint on your own sleek-looking polish in the comfort of your own home. I’ve been drooling over the Nails Inc Gel Effect line for a while now, so I finally decided to give this hot pink polish a try. I love the color and I have to say I’m impressed with the quality of the polish. One coat, with no base or top coat, gave me even, opaque color. It smoothed out some imperfections in my nails and stayed chip-free for 4 days. It stayed glossy all week and came off easily when I was ready to remove it. I’ll be trying some of the other Nails Inc shades for sure!

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January 2016 Empties

Since we’re smack dab in the middle of winter, it’s no surprise that my most recent batch of empties includes skincare standbys and some soothing hair products. Let’s take a look:

  
Dr Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Peel Original Formula: This easy to use 2-step anti-aging treatment has been a favorite for years now. It smooths without irritating my skin and helps fight winter flakiness. I was thrilled to receive this little three-pack as a freebie with my last Sephora purchase. 

Philosophy Miracle Worker Miraculous Anti-Aging Moisturizer: The only thing better for my winter complexion than the above-mentioned peel is following it up with a generous layer of my favorite moisturizer. This skin-softening, ultra-hydrating moisturizer is my winter favorite. 

Davines LOVE Shampoo & LOVE Conditioner: I didn’t love this smoothing shampoo on its own – it made my locks a little limp – but paired with the conditioner it left my hair soft and bouncy. It also kept my scalp moisturized. I’m really not a fan of its heavy floral scent, so I won’t be purchasing it again. 

Dove Advanced Care Beauty Finish Anti-perspirant Deodorant: I don’t know about the “beauty finish” part, but I loved the clean scent of this deodorant and it left me fresh all day long. A solid pick.