Glorificus

I have to admit that what first interested me in Soap & Glory products was the packaging. I'm a sucker for anything retro looking, and whenever I'd see S&G in Sephora, I'd think "Shit, that stuff looks so cool, it must be really good, I have to try it one day." So finally I did, and I'm really pleased about it.

I've had A Great Kisser for a while and it's one of the best lip balms I've ever tried. It's really moisturizing, but not sticky at all, so when I kiss my boyfriend I don't feel like I have to wipe it off (or wipe it off him). It stays for a really long time without drying out, which is awesome. Mine is peach scented, but I hear it also comes in peppermint or vanilla (which I think is the one I'll try next, when this runs out).

Both The Greatest Scrub Of All and Flake Away Body Polish are very gentle exfoliators, for face and body respectively. Last post I talked about the Fresh face and body exfoliators that I have, and in comparison, these are very much lighter and creamier. My skin is very dry so sometimes I feel like I need a really great scrub, but these are good for every day/every other day or if your skin is sensitive. The exfoliating beads are very gentle, and the smell is very subtle and pleasant.

Clarity 3-In-1 Daily-Detox Vitamin C Facial Wash feels much more gel-like in comparison to the Fresh cleanser, and also has little exfoliator beads for a gentle massaging effect. It's cooling and minty which leaves my face feeling very refreshed, which is great after a workout or a long day out when I feel particularly dirty and worn down.

There are a lot of other Soap and Glory products I want to try, particularly their hand and foot creams since everything else I have by them is so moisturizing. But all in all, the products are very gentle and smell great!

x
Christina

Back to Black

I do love dying my hair, and I do this colour a lot. I think it's my signature. Actually it's gotten to the point where I hate my natural colour, and feel so relieved when I'm back to black. I use L'Oreal Feria in "Bright Black"  which, I know, okay, box dye is bad for your hair. But I'm lazy and impulsive with colour and the last time a salon did my colour, it came out all on the top and none on the bottom and looked weird. So I did it myself, and y'all can just deal with it. I think Feria doesn't make the Blue Black that I used to do, but this works just as well, and the blueyness doesn't wash out.

What I don't like about the Feria is that the conditioner that comes with smells gross. Fortunately, a spontaneous mall trip resulted in my ending up with two samples of Color Protecting Caviar Shampoo and conditioner from celebrity colourist Kelly Van Gogh (I mean, totally randomly some salesgirl came up to me and asked if I coloured my hair, and I was about to do it that night. What luck!). Both the shampoo and conditioner were really gentle on my hair, left me feeling soft and silky without stripping any of the colour out. And they had a very light, clean smell which was nice, so my hair didn't smell like the dye or like a shit ton of flowers trying to cover up said dye.

Fortunately, my every day Serge Normant Meta Silk shampoo and Meta Velour Conditioner are also sulfate-free and colour safe, and have worked wonders for my hair. My hair naturally is very thick and frizzy, but the Serge products make it so soft and just UGH, like I'm touching my hair constantly and making other people touch it too to see how good it feels. It's such a huge difference and I'm so happy to have the chance to use these products. The conditioner is good and thick too so I've been working it through my hair, then running a comb through in the shower just to detangle. It's really really great stuff. And my Bright Black is still bright!

-Christina

VIB status achieved!

So the other day I leveled up at Sephora and became a VIB! I'm actually really stoked about this, because the package not only came with 10% off my next purchase and Free shipping, but also a card for a 45-minute makeover, which I am totally going to cash in for my birthday next month. Playing at Sephora is one of my favourite things to do when I have the time, and I've had pretty good luck with the recommendations they've given me, even at my local store.

I went in there to look into skin exfoliants, especially a sugar body scrub, after reading this article from Huffington Post about SW Basics of Brooklyn (which I still fully intend on trying, because the article was hilarious and convincing). I picked up Fresh's Brown Sugar Body Polish and Sugar Lip Polish, as well as samples of their Umbrian Clay facial exfoliant and Soy Moisturizing Cream. I'm loving pretty much all of it, especially the Sugar Body Polish and the exfoliant, which works much better than the Grand Central Beauty S.M.A.R.T. Skin Perfecting Polisher. That left my skin feeling dry and tight, and Fresh's product doesn't at all. There are lots of little microbeads in there that make me feel like I'm getting a good scrub, and I can feel my skin getting softer already and I've only used it twice. So next time I go back to Sephora I'm going to pick up full sizes of those, for sure, though I'm tempted to try the Facial sugar scrub too! Sugar scrubs all around!

I also picked up a small size of Urban Decay's Naked Skin BB cream to try. I'm a big fan of Urban Decay and have been using their products for a long time, and recently switched over to their Naked Skin foundation. My friend Michaela of A Mane of Her Own uses a BB cream and loves it, so I wanted to give it a go. It gave me a really nice glow and was nice and thin, very light and easy to wear. However, I didn't feel like I got enough coverage without a proper foundation. I think a BB cream like this is great for weekends or lazy days when I don't want to wear a lot of makeup or just need a little SPF, though. Definitely great for the no-makeup makeup look.

Instagram update

"A pop of pink with "Something New" by MAC!"

This is one of my favourite lip colours that I got as a gift. It's a bright, shocking pink and lasts forever. I only ever by lipstick from MAC because I love those highly pigmented and long-wear colours. I don't think this particular one is on the market yet, but Girl About Town is also a favourite and a must-have!


"Missy, Ciara, and Kendra in my Rebel for It Girl Julep Maven box!"

At the beginning of this blog I signed up for three monthly boxes - Glossybox, Birchbox, and Julep Maven. Julep sends me nail varnish every month and I LOVE IT. I love getting new colours and the Julep shades are really unique. I love the iridescent green of Kendra, and it's on my nails right now. Perfect for fall!

"Gifts from Serge Normant! Loving the Meta Luxe hair spray and dry oil!"

I got the Serge Normant Meta Luxe hairspray in my Birchbox last month and loved it - it keeps my curls in place without being sticky or crunchy, even on day 2. I got gifts of the whole collection, and so far I'm also loving the dry oil, which made my hair super soft and shiny and frizz-free when it was straight. Highly reccommended!

Review: Embelleze Novex Keratin cream

Okay. I am officially swearing by this shit.

My hair is nuts. It's frizzy and thick and hard to manage, and I've never really gotten the hang of styling it without it still looking like I've stuck my finger in a socket. I've used quite a few different shampoos over the years and some get my hair softer than others, but I've had a really hard time learning to control frizz and get it to style the way that I want it to.

This. Shit. Works.

It was one of the first things I wanted to try out of my Glossybox, for sure. So the directions tell me to "apply to slightly dry hair", wait three minutes, then wash out. I have no idea what "slightly dry" is so basically I dipped my head in the sink and wet it a little and then put this in like any other cream. I probably waited a little longer than three minutes (I have no idea if this makes a difference or not) and then washed it out in the shower without using shampoo or anything else. Probably I should have shampooed first, I don't know, that isn't in the directions. I blew it out straight and did a little flat ironing to fix it up.

BUT ANYWAY. My hair was so silky smooth and soft and easy to work with, I was making everyone touch it when I was at work. It really is kind of a miracle. I mean, my hair naturally is basically a big poof ball on top of my head, but I've used this twice since I got it, and my hair still feels really great, even after washes and everything. So, I'm really down with this. Will definitely keep using.

xx
C

First Glossybox delivery!

In anticipation of blogging,  I signed up for three separate beauty box services - Glossybox (reccomended by I Covet Thee ), Julep's monthly box, and Birchbox.

Glossybox was the first to arrive and I AM SO EXCITED! The best thing is getting product testers that I wouldn't know about or have thought to try. I'm especially excited about the Keratin hair treatment cream (which is in my hair as we speak), the lip color from Jelly Pong Pong (a brand that I know of because they work with Nicola Roberts from Girls Aloud, who I LOVE), and the facial spray. I'm not really sure how to use it yet, but that's part of the fun of trying it out!

Anatomicals Spray Misty For Me facial spritz / Novex Brazilian Keratin Hair Treatment Cream / Jelly Pong Pong Lip Blush / ModelCo Eyeshadow Duo in bronzed goddess / Sue Devitt Triple C-Weed Pressed Powder

First Sephora Haul

Since I'm just starting out on this journey of trying new products, I decided to pick up a bunch of tester sizes and boxes to get a feel for everything without spending big money. I need a new mascara since mine flakes a little, and I regularly use Urban Decay foundation, but it's hard to find in stores anymore since I think they're phasing it out in favor of the Naked line. I'm also really excited to try some facey glowy things and the dry shampoo (which was as per the Sephora lady's recommendation). So we'll see how this goes!

From top left:  Benefit Goodtime Gals: Posietint lip & cheek stain, Girl Meets Pearl face brightener, That Gal brightening face primer / Smashbox Photofinish Foundation Primer with SPF 20 / Benefit Ooh La La Lift under eye brightener / Buxom Lash Mascara / Too Faced Beauty Blogger Darlings: Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer, Primed & Poreless face primer, Better Than Sex mascara, Shadow Insurance eye shadow primer / Oscar Blandi dry shampoo / Bumble and bumble straight blow dry / TokyoMilk Dark eau de parfum Destiny #79 / Urban Decay Naked Skin Liquid Makeup / Soap & Glory A Great Kisser lip balm