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Too Faced So Sexy Berry La Creme Color Drenched Lipstick Review

Posted on March 1, 2016 by Adie

Did I need another Too Faced La Creme Color Drenched Lipstick? Yes, I did (see others here). So Sexy Berry is a serious pow of a color that can be meticulously applied with a brush for a dramatic, lip-centric look or patted on gently and spread with a fingertip to create a pretty, natural berry-tinged stain. I’ve worn both looks and love them equally! Because it’s a versatile shade, I keep it in the makeup bag I carry in my purse so I can add quick twist of sophistication for a lunchtime meeting or give myself a fresh pop of color on even the dreariest of February days. It’s definitely a winter reprieve that delivers a little bit of springtime early.

Posted in Beauty | Tagged beauty, makeup, product review, Too Faced | Leave a comment

Tazorac Results + Elaborated Skincare Routine

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Adie

It’s now been a little over a year since I started using Tazorac, and I am happy to report that it has also been close to a year since the end of my adult acne flare! Since my success with Tazorac in early 2015 (read: here), I’ve changed up my entire skincare routine, both products and treatments. As a result, I’ve been able to greatly improve the tone, texture and appearance of my skin without lasers, (micro) dermabrasion, strong peels or other professionally-performed procedures. So, I thought I would share my elaborated skincare routine since starting Tazorac.

To be clear, my acne flareup was moderate but the overall texture and tone of my skin was greatly affected. I am glad that I reached out to my doctor; we decided that I should try Tazorac 0.1% gel. Thankfully, Tazorac not only wiped out my acne within six months, with each month getting progressively better, it was a great first step in getting my skin back into order overall.

So, onto the evolution of my elaborated skincare routine:

January 2015: I start administering Tazorac 0.1% gel every other night after washing my face with Purpose Cleanser (Holy Grail Status for acne flares!) and applying CeraVe PM after my eye cream. Because Tazorac is so drying and due to the incredibly massive peeling it caused within the first week, I apply either fresh’s seabuckthorn oil or Josie Maran’s Pure Argan Oil after the Tazorac settled and absorbed.

In the morning, to protect my skin from the increased sensitivity to photo damage that comes with Tazorac use, I began to apply CeraVe AM with SPF 30 after applying my eye cream. I also started using the Rhonda Allison Milk Plus Cleanser which is supposed to help with inflammation among other things, and made sure to keep my lips covered in balm for the times when I applied Tazorac a little too close to my mouth.

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Posted in Beauty | Tagged beauty, grooming, product review, skincare, tazorac | Leave a comment

Winter Makeup Bag: 2016

Posted on February 1, 2016 by Adie

I got the above bag from a Sephora offer– it came with 25 samples that I thought would be a good idea. Unfortunately, very few of the samples worked out for me but I do love the bag! Now, scroll down to see what I’ve been keeping inside of it this winter.

I found this MAC quad, Leopard Luxe, while going my makeup storage cabinet looking for beauty swap items. Leopard Luxe came out quite a while ago and I am a little shocked to see how little I used it back when it was released. The colors are great and blend easily, and it has been fun playing around with different eyes looks with something I completely forgot that I own.

This is my first PIXI product, and was an impulse buy at Target. I love plum eyeliners and thought I would give this one a try as it’s a pencil that is supposed to mimic a gel pen– I think! Of course, as soon as I got home, I started looking at reviews before I even tried it and then regretted picking it up. After finally trying it out myself, I found that I really like it. The application is very easy, the pencil glides on the same as a gel pen would and I haven’t experienced any smudging. Plus, it lasts all day.

This is another find in my makeup storage cabinet. MAC’s Dazzlelight eyeshadow is a great brightener for the tear duct area that is more subtle and wearable for daytime than an eyeshadow like Nylon. It has a bit of a sheen to it and since it is noticeably less frosty than other highlight colors, it easy to wear on the lid, too.

I picked this up last November and I’ve been wearing it a lot this winter. It’s bright without being too reddish pink, which is great as I’ve been wearing a lot of nude lipsticks, and I’ve really come to love Clinique’s Cheek Pop formula and how easy they are to blend. The best part for me is that the color stays fresh throughout the day.

I have no idea where I picked up this Stila All Over Shimmer Face Luminizer but I am seriously glad to have it in my life. While I tend to stay away from highlighting the tops of my cheeks, I do like to brush a little down the bridge of my nose, my cupid’s bow and under the arches of my eyebrows. It’s a wonderful champagne color that sits really well on the skin and isn’t overly shimmery despite its name.

I definitely like to keep an easy to use lip balm in my bag and this winter I have been using the EOS twist up balm in Vanilla. As I said above, I’ve been wearing a nude lip a lot this season and have found that Clinique’s chubby stick in heaping hazelnut is possibly the easiest nude color I’ve ever worn. For nights out or more dramatic daytime looks, I’ve gone with roundest raspberry quite a bit. And just to note– it’s hilarious for me to see the differing pressure I use with these sticks depending the intensity/effect that I want during application.

So, that’s my makeup bag this season. I’ve absolutely enjoyed rediscovering makeup in my collection that I had forgotten about and finding new favorites, too. Can’t lie, though– I am eager to see what new trends will come out this spring!

Posted in Beauty | Tagged beauty, makeup, product review | Leave a comment

Black Friday: eschewing the shops, let’s go for a walk

Posted on November 27, 2015 by Adie

Like most people, I struggle the most with my fitness around the winter months. It was during a Halloween party this year that I hit an all-time low when I spent 15 straight minutes listening to someone explain how they dressed their German Shepard in a surprisingly comfortable lobster costume while emptying a massive amount of candy down my gullet. When I looked down and saw the generous pile of candy wrappers next to my drink, I laughed. Every party should have such charming storytellers for guests. What a hoot. Look at all of this candy that I ate!

My laughter ended an hour later when my stomach began to protest and my hands started shaking a bit. The next day at lunch, a fellow partygoer sent a quinoa salad to my office. I ate the salad while searching for fitness apps on my phone.

I found this app under my purchase history and promptly re-installed it. It’s been a while since I did a HIIT workout but when that was a regular part of my fitness regimen, this was my go to app. Inspired by this post on popsugar.com regarding sprint/walk interval training, I set up my interval timer accordingly because, frankly, I am tired of working out indoors all of the time.

My first attempt at this workout went pretty well. Though I am not a natural distance runner, these sprints really did the trick and got my heart rate up right away. Sixty seconds of sprinting between two minutes of walking is far more doable for me than going out with the goal of running miles. The best thing about it was that during my sprints, I knew they would end soon and thus pushed myself to hit the fastest speed I could every time. Being outdoors was also amazing. I spend a lot of my workout time indoors, usually at a Yoga studio, and while I love the energy of group classes– there is something invigorating about hitting a trail on a crisp autumn day and just taking an hour to be by myself.

I enjoyed it so much that I decided to skip the stores and the sales today to do this workout, and then spend some time leisurely exploring trails. No matter what you do today, I hope it’s wonderful and that you find at least a few minutes for yourself.

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Autumn 2015 Favorites

Posted on November 23, 2015 by Adie

Indoor Gardening

The gardening bug bit me early this spring and I spent a lot of time working on my outdoor plants through the season. By the end of the summer, I was rushing to develop an indoor garden to keep me in good spirits through the winter. I shamelessly jumped on the succulent bandwagon and by October, I was already having to repot two fast-growing aloes. I just finished my second repot project this weekend, letting a few of the succulents, that were starting to get overrun, have their own space.

For some reason, I worry a lot more about my succulents than my other plants– probably because I see them every time I go into the kitchen. After reading a study about how human presence can positively affect plant growth, I admit to talking to and gently patting my plants every day because of science. It sounds weird but I think it’s working.

Food

I think, like most people, I go through periods of eating really well and then other periods of putting meals together from the gas station. I’ve done pretty well so far this year and have managed to keep myself from relying too much on convenience foods. Right now, the last of the summer grapes are still available at my farmers market and I am sadly savoring these little fruit-ish candies.

I am also upping my protein intake via hard-boiled eggs because getting cramps in your legs while working out with the same group of people five nights a week is embarrassing.

Skincare and Body

I think I’ve already mentioned on the blog that I’ve been using an at-home peel once a week. The peel I’ve been using is the Dr Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Peel, Extra Strength Formula. This peel deserves a full review instead of just a few lines, which I plan to write in December.

I also picked up Lavanilla’s new Healthy Deodorant scent Vanilla Snowberry (product review: here). I’ve been using this everyday.

Organization and Planning

I recently bought a new planner and notebook from Target. Like a lot of people, “to do” lists are what help me get stuff done, and I respond better to a paper planner than to the planning apps on my phone. I also respond well to shiny stuff.

If you have autumn favorites to share, please leave them in the comments. Thanks for reading!

Posted in Beauty, Farmer's Market, Organization, Outings | Tagged farmer's market, Favorites, grooming, Lifestyle, skincare | Leave a comment