Self-tanner Overview

I have been self-tanning since middle school (early 2000's). I have tried countless products since then, and they have gotten exponentially better. These are a few of the most recent ones I have tried and/or have loved.

Colgate SlimSoft (Voxbox)

I got this toothbrush courtesy of Influenster a few weeks ago, and put it aside and forgot about it for a few days. I finally remembered it and decided to use it one morning. The way that the super slim bristles were advertised, I was kind of expecting really sharp and hard bristles that would cut up my gums- probably a reason that I put it aside in the first place. 

A Few Current Favorites

Ibuki Refining Moisturizer - I got this in the Ibuki Ready for Anything Skin set from Sephora about a month ago, and I can't get enough of it. It smells clean (it is fragranced so if you are sensitive you may want to test it out in store if possible) and a little goes a long way. If you apply it really heavy-handed it can get a little sticky for daytime use, but otherwise it sinks in quickly. I think it has really been helping to calm my skin from the weird summer breakout situation I've been experiencing. I plan to do a more in depth post on the Ibuki line from Shiseido soon.

Ellis Faas Creamy Eyes E105 Photos and Swatch

I heard about this from a Youtuber, and so far I am liking it! Full review will come after I have used it a few more times.

Lorac Touch-up To Go

Since I am getting close to running out of my Estée Lauder Double Wear Concealer, I took the opportunity to try out a new under eye concealer. After looking for a while, I decided to try the Lorac Touch-up concealer/foundation pen. I chose the color CF2 Light since I would be using it under the eyes and I like it to be a little lighter than my foundation.

Marc Jacobs Magic Marc'er Precision Pen Liner

This eyeliner from Marc Jacobs has converted me to pen liners. I always preferred the dip in brush for my liquid liner, because I assumed that any pen liner would dry out or not be fluid enough to get the line I wanted. The Magic Marc'er has erased my fears and left me perfectly lined for hours.

AmorePacific Treatment Enzyme Peel

A few months ago, I received a deluxe sample (0.2 oz) of this in an order from Sephora. I put it aside for a while, afraid to use it because of the word peel. I am not into peels, or anything harsh on the skin. When I realized that it uses natural papaya enzymes to exfoliate, I was a little more willing to give it a try. I finally got the courage to use it one day, and I ended up using too much water and it didn't work at all. The next day I tried again, knowing not to use more than a few drops of water, and voila! It foamed up and felt just like a gentle face wash. When I felt my skin after it felt so smooth and soft, no dry patches or dead skin cells left. This is a gentle exfoliant, but I wouldn't use it too frequently as it can irritate the skin. I use it a few times a week and have had no issues.

Bite Beauty Whipped Cherry Lip Scrub

I love that Bite Beauty uses natural and safe ingredients in their products, because like their motto says - we end up ingesting most of what we put on our lips. I had been looking for a lip scrub to replace the DIY honey sugar scrub that I was using. I wanted to give this one a try since it has nice ingredients, and something about the simple packaging lured me in. 

Anastasia She Wears It Well Eye shadow Palette

This palette comes with 9 shadows- 3 matte and 6 shimmer. They are pigmented and smooth, although the color Almond needed a primer underneath to show up on my skin. I didn't notice any fall out, and even without primer these last all day. 

Sephora Favorites Draw The Line

A set of liquid and pencil liners available from the Sephora Favorites line at Sephora for $30 (USD).

Dr. Dennis Gross CC Cream

This CC cream is the newest thing from Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare. It is a daily anti-aging treatment that is supposed to provide flawless coverage, hydration and SPF protection. It goes on flawlessly and is very lightweight, it feels like you're applying a moisturizer. It definitely feels hydrating, and it lasted through the humid Texas heat while out and about and walking the dogs! The coverage is very light but buildable to medium without becoming cakey. It doesn't cover everything, but add a little concealer and you're good to go. 

Nivea Lip Butter

I've heard many good things about Nivea's Lip Butters, so when I spotted them at Target I decided to try it out. I mostly use the Maybelline Baby Lips and more recently the Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment and I love them both. I found nothing spectacular about this product, and the slight moisturization it initially provides wears off pretty quickly. I don't particularly like that it is in a tin, I find that very unsanitary when I am out and about and need to apply more. I guess I am just spoiled from the long lasting moisture provided by the Baby Lips and Sugar Lip Treatment, because this product was a miss for me. For the price it is alright, but then again the Baby Lips are at the same price point and I prefer them greatly to the Nivea Lip Butter. 

Caudalie Grape Water

I have recently been on the hunt for a moisturizing toner that I can just spray on and go. For a long time I was debating on whether or not I should pick up the Evian mist, which is just pure water. Water can make your skin feel like it is moisturized, but that feeling fades when the water dries. Nice for a pick me up, but not really the purpose I needed it for. I had pretty much given up until recently I was in Sephora and came across the Caudalie section. I remembered seeing the Grape Water Mist a few times before and never really being that interested. I decided to grab it on a whim, not really sold on the claims but willing to try it out. 

Marc Jacobs Beauty Private Invitation Sale at Sephora

Out of the five available products Sephora was offering, I chose only three. I picked up the Magic Marc'er precision pen eyeliner, Lust For Laquer lip vinyl, and the Style Eye-Con No. 3 eyeshadow palette. There was also a lip balm and a seven shadow palette, but none of the shadow colors piqued my interest. 

Laura Mercier Face Illuminator in Spellbound - Photos and Swatches

Sephora Microsmooth Luminizers

This luminizer from Sephora is an ethereal, shimmery highlight that comes in two shades. Light Beam is a pinky shimmer while Star Dust is a slightly more full-on golden shimmer. It blends nicely into the skin to create a subtle highlight and sheen on the face. I am more of a fan of liquid and cream luminizers, but when I just want a quick and easy highlight I dust one of these on the high points of my face and go!

Miracle Skin Transformer Face

A few months ago in an order from Sephora, I received a sample of the Miracle Skin Transformer. I wasn't all that interested in it and I definitely did not expect to love it. I set it to the side and came across it a few weeks later so I gave it a try. At this point I hadn't read too much about it so I really had no expectations for what it could do, and swatching it on my hand wasn't all that encouraging. However, as soon as I put it on my face I was hooked. It is pretty undetectable on the skin, but it just evened my skin tone and blurred imperfections so nicely. This is marketed as a complexion enhancer, not a foundation. If you have no blemishes or dark spots to cover, you could get away with just this. You could also get away with only this if you are just running errands and don't feel like getting all made up, but want to look refreshed and pulled together.

Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment

Color-treated hair needs all the help it can get. Since I do dye my hair blonde, I really have to take time to take care of it. I flat-iron it anywhere from three to five times a week, so when I can I try to let it air-dry rather than blow-dry. The less heat you are using on it the better. You can always use a heat protectant before any heat styling, but I have never found one that doesn't leave my hair sticky or crunchy. I was never one to use any oil on my hair, mainly because my roots get oily pretty quickly and because I thought that it would weigh down my hair too much. 

Koh Gen Do Cleansing Water

A few weeks ago, I decided to pick up the 3.38 oz travel size of this cleansing water from Sephora. I am all about trying new cleansers, and had been looking for a new makeup remover. I have no idea what made me want to try it, but I did and I loved it. I put a few drops on my Shiseido Facial Cotton and work it all over my face like I would a toner. For eye makeup I place it over my eye for a few seconds and then gently wipe. All of my makeup, including mascara comes off in a breeze! I seriously can't go without this stuff. 

Essie Ladylike

This polish is an oldie but a goodie. Ladylike is a soft neutral mauve from Essie's Brand New Bag collection from 2011. It's a color that will look good on anyone, and the formula is amazing. It dries fast, two coats and it looks perfect.

Illamasqua Cream Blush in Rude

When Spring and Summer roll around I prefer a lighter, dewier look to my makeup. Powder blush can look a little cakey, and in the Spring/Summer I just want a fresh glowing face. Cream blush is a good way to combat the powdered face look, and this one from Illamasqua is perfect. It is extremely pigmented and blends out like a dream. You have to use a light hand, or you can end up looking like a clown. It stays all day, unlike some that I have encountered that are gone within an hour, and with the small amount that you need this is going to last you a while. 

Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask

Often times cleansing your face isn't enough to remove all of the dirt clogging your pores, and that's why it is a good idea to do something extra once or twice a week to help keep them clear. Exfoliating will help clean away the dead layer of skin cells, so that our facial cleansers can do their job and remove daily makeup and grime. Masks are another great skincare item that can keep our skin clear and bright. This mask is supposed to pull out all of the dirt and toxins that are deep within your pores using activated charcoal and White China clay. With any pore-clearing product, you might expect it to help reduce the size and visibility of the pores. One of the reasons we can have enlarged pores is because we have dirt trapped within, when the pore is clean it shrinks in size because it is not full of debris.

Urban Decay Naked Basics

The Naked Basics palette is a mostly matte, travel-friendly neutrals palette from Urban Decay. I say mostly matte because the first color in the palette, Venus, is actually quite shimmery. It is basically a white version of Bootycall from the Naked 2.

My Favorite Morning/Evening Moisturizers

Clinique Dramatically Different- I use this as my day moisturizer because it is quite thin, but still ensures that I don't have any dry or flaky skin for my foundation to cling to. It is for very dry to dry combination skin but I don't find it to be greasy or thick on my face and it also hasn't caused me to break out.

Urban Decay De-Slick Setting Spray

During the warmer months my face tends to become a greasy disaster a few hours after applying my makeup. I always use primer and set with a powder, but that is no match for my oily t-zone that basically dissolves my foundation. Blotting helps, but it does remove at least some of my makeup. When I first learned about setting sprays, I was hesitant to spend money on something that I wasn't even sure would do anything to help. I finally did, and I'm so happy I did because it really does make a difference. It's not a miracle in a bottle, but it definitely adds some time to the life of my makeup.

Ole Henriksen Truth To Go Wipes

       

      

           Something I've been really liking these days are the Ole Henriksen Truth To Go Vitamin C wipes. They are cleansing wipes that have Vitamin C and micro algae and they smell like an Orange Creamsicle. These really take off any face makeup and even eye makeup. You have to be careful not to get the wipe directly on your eyeball or it will sting, but just wiping it over the eyes hasn't caused me any trouble. I usually use coconut oil to remove eye makeup but when I am too lazy to be bothered with that, I can just use these babies. I still wash my face after using these, but for nights when I am too tired this is much better than just sleeping in makeup. I feel that these clean better than regular drugstore wipes and they are huge, you can cut them in half and still have enough to get your face and neck.

Sephora Perfecting Tinted Moisturizer

          

   

          This product claims to provide moisture and reduce excess oil while SPF 20 protects your skin from the sun. I have combination skin, while oily in my T-zone the rest of my skin is pretty dry- so I was curious to see how this would wear on me.