ok this time im back for real

Work is literally taking over my life. I hardly have time to sleep and see friends let alone blog, but alas I have made time for you mes amour :)

I have a dilemma. For the past year or so my skin has looked amazing, I mean I had the occasional breakout but for the most part and I was clear and smooth...enter March 2010. I have landed myself in breakout central, every morning I wake up and find a new little nemesis on my face.

Finally after about a month of my acne battle, I surrendered and hauled my but to the derm to get some troops to be rid of acne for good. Enter Clindamyacin Gel and RetinAMicro. While I cant say yet if its working, I can say this. Its making my skin peel like none other. Typically my skin is combination so I have some peeling in the winter but never to this extent. So...the reason im telling you lovelies about this is I need suggestions, anyone use these two products before? How did you keep the dryness at bay? did they work for you?

Id love to hear from you!

bisous,

love from your college beauty addict

Finally Back with New Reviews.....

Pardon my long absence....I have been dealing with life after graduation, travelling, finding a job and the like which I'm sure you know is a full time job in itself. Anyways, while I've been on my hiatus, I've discovered tons of new products that I absolutely HAVE to share with you, the first and perhaps my absolute favorite is Clairol's Shine Happy. I had my hair highlighted recently and I was far from pleased with the results. The technician did not apply the color close enough to my roots leaving my hair looking like I already had a month's worth of growth that and the fact that my hair grows fast in the first place did not give for happy results. In an effort to save money and not return to the salon 3 weeks after my previous appointment, I purchased Clairol's Shine Happy in hopes of giving my hair a boost. This product promises to deliver extreme shine in only ten minutes. So I slathered it on and bubbled bathed it up for about 10-15 minutes then rinsed the product out and conditioned it with the tube included in the kit. On a whim I decided to blow dry my hair in hopes of seeing some serious shine. I was STUNNED. I mean seriously, i rarely say that about a product but this one blew me away. My hair, normally a frizzy mess after a blow out was perfectly smooth and straight with no fly aways. In addition it has some serious shine action going on as well as some serious softness. It also seemed to bring out my highlights and make them look less "grown out." I would highly recommend this product to anyone searching for a deep conditioning treatment with great shine, absolutely worth the $9. I will be repurchasing this kit in about 6 weeks, which is how long each treatment should last.

Dermalogica Clean Start

Every time I come back home from school my skin rebels.  It must be something about the change in water or that fact that I am finally catching up on sleep, but whatever it is, its not pleasant. My skin has been in a full fledged revolt for the past three weeks and finally, I decided to take charge.  Now Im not the kind of person that breaks out everywhere on my face but I have intense concentrations of acne around my mouth and nose, this drives me crazy as I am typically acne free, baring the usual monthly breakout.  Anyways after having no luck with Proactiv (something I've used on and off for year), I decided to kick it up a notch.  After reading a review about Dermalogica's anti aging skin care system, I decided to give Clean Start, a system directed towards teens, a try.  At first I was skeptical as, in the past, nothing has worked when my skin revolts, however, after only one use my skin looks better.  The first day I used both the Wash Off cleanser and the Ready, Set, Scrub, both of which made my skin feel soft, fresh and not dried out.  Typically my skin is super sensitive to all acne treatment systems but this one gave me no problems! Also, all of the products smell great! There is no medicinal, clinic smell here, only fresh fruits and herbs. My only complaint is the price. At $35 for a small travel kit, I felt it was a little steep, however if it continues to treat my acne, its well worth the price!  Overall I am in love after only two days, however, we all know how quickly things can change so I will be sure to keep everyone updated.

4 out of 5 stars (Only because the price is so steep!)

Would I repurchase? Heck YES!

Photo Credit: http://cleanstart.dermalogica.com/us/#/home

Earth Science Azulene Eye Cream

I have extremely fair skin and along with that comes the inevitable and dreaded dark circles. In addition, I tend to develop extremely noticeable bags under my eyes no matter how much sleep I get. That being said, I am constantly trying out new products in hopes of ending this chronic problem. My newest love is Earth Science Azulene Eye Treatment. While I was searching the aisles of Whole Foods for a miracle zit cream, I stumbled across the tester for this delightful little product, whose vibrant blue hue immediately caught my attention. Now I have only been using it for a few days but already I have noticed the delicate skin under my eyes looks firmer and fresher, definitely a plus from before. While I can't give this a thumbs up yet, things are looking great for this little guy.

Photo Credit: Earth Science.com

After a long hiatus....

I know, I know. Its been entirely too long since my last post, however I have a good excuse; college. Between my two seminars and enjoying my last few months, posting slipped my mind, thats not to say that I haven't been keeping products in mind. I have some excellent new product reviews coming up as well as a few new tutorials so get excited, it's summer and time to get beautiful!

So for my first review of this new season...

Burt's Bees Radiance Night Cream
One night while pulling an all nighter at my sorority house, my skin was feeling super dry from lack of sleep and dehydration, so one of my sisters handed me this little miracle jar. At first I was skeptical as I have tried several BB products in the past and have not had much success, however, this cream was love at first touch. It smells delighful and slicks on easily. My only complaint is the slightly sticky texture, however that proves not to be a problem after several minutes as it absorbs quickly. When I wake up in the morning I find my skin looking refreshed and radiant, it must have something to do with the "Royal Jelly" ingredient, but my skin LOVES it!

4 out of 5 stars
Would I repurchase? YES!

photo credit: Burtsbees.com

Clinique Long and Pretty Mascara

During my two week trip to Egypt, I somehow, misplaced my mascara and had to rely on my roommate to darken my fair lashes.  Luckily my roommate had great taste in mascara and introduced me to my new favorite, Clinique Long, Pretty lashes. Not only does this mascara not clump, it lasts all day and delivers volume, curl and length!!! Also one of my biggest pet-peeves is mascaras that flakes, none here! I replaced my beloved Chanel Inimitable as this one has a much better price tag and provides the same results.  If you are looking for a fabulous moderately priced mascara than this is the one for you! 

5 out of 5 stars

Would I repurchase? YES!

Photo Credit: Clinique

Review: Eva Yoghurt and Cucumber Cream

I think I am in love.  During my travels throughout Egypt, I ran out of my beloved Olay moisturizer and had to brave an Egyptian pharmacy to replace it.  After an hour of exploring the enormous skin care aisle (Egyptian women have AMAZING skin!) I settled on this little gem of a product.  This daily cream is marketed for oily skin, which is a big problem for me.  It contains all natural ingredients, including Cucumber and Yogurt, which sounded extra nice in the hot Egyptian weather.  Not only does this moisturizer give my skin the perfect amount of moisture, it also mattifies, making if perfect for under makeup.  I have also noticed, after using it for almost 3 weeks, that my skin looks more radiant, clear and smooth, which is always a plus.  Eva does have two other products, when marketed for dry skin and the other for normal skin.  I am so upset that I didn't have time to go back and purchase these as well. Luckily they have a website where the products can be ordered, on the downside, the price of shipping is rather steep. Oh! I almost forgot the best part! The 170g jar I bought only cost about $1.50! What a steal for such a great product!

Photo Credit: Eva

Product Website: Eva Skin Care

and I returned from Egypt alive!

It seems like I've been gone forever! I got back from Egypt about two weeks ago and was thrown directly into classes, thus my posts have been neglected.  No worries, however, as I have tons of new reviews coming up, including a few Egyptian products. Here goes,

Review: Neutrogena Deep Clean Relaxing Night Scrub

On my first Walmart trip after Egypt, I was perusing the skin care aisle when this lovely lavender bottle caught my eye.  The words, relaxing and deep clean caught my attention, being the stressed college student that I am, so I decided to give it a try.  Later that night, I hopped into a nice, steamy shower and gave the scrub a whirl.  First let me just say that the scent is amazing!!!! A combination of lavender and lilac, its light but intoxicating none the less.  As for the scrub itself, once again Neutrogena has gone above and beyond.  The cleanser leaves skin exfoliated and yet amazingly moisturized.  Honestly I was so obsessed with it, I didn't want to stop washing my face! Definitely a keeper!

5 out of 5 stars

Would I repurchase? Yes

Metropolis Cordless Flat Iron

I think I may be in love.  Let's backtrack for a second.  Two years ago when I went to London on vacation, I brought my beloved Chi straightener only to have it melted to an unrecognizable heap a day later.  Instead of repurchasing my pink chi, I decided to invest in the Metropolis straightener.  You can imagine my surprise when I stumbled across this cordless version on Sephora's website.  Sadly, I did not find this until the day before I leave for Egypt, this would have been a great tool to bring to Egypt, in order to prevent a reoccurrence of the Chi incident. Alas, I did not find it in time, this will have to be a post Egypt purchase.

Photo Credit: Sephora

Review: Makeup Forever Smoky Lash

After misplacing my beloved Chanel Inimitable mascara, I decided to step out of the box and try something new.  Enter Makeup Forever Smoky Lash.  After reading several reviews on the product, I decided that this volumizing and curling mascara was the one for me.  Another plus is the fact that its ultra pigmented, providing for smoldering lashes.  The only downside I have noticed thus far (I've been using it for about a week) is that it flakes and clumps.  The clumping is easily solved with an eyelash brush but the flaking is rather annoying.  On the plus side, I love the color and the volume.

3 out of 5 stars

Would I repurchase? Maybe

Photo Credit: Sephora

Review: Loreal EverPure Shampoo

Yesterday as I was running last minute errands before I jet off to egypt, I stumbled upon a new sulfate shampoo by Loreal called EverPure.  This color protect shampoo is comparable to Pureology, it even smells similar.  There are two formulas, smoothing and moisturizing, the one that I chose, both smell faintly of Rosemary and Juniper.  Yesterday I used the shampoo and the deep conditioning mask and I was amazed.  I blow dried and straightened and to my amazement I had absolutely NO flyaways, frizz or dryness.  I have to say that I am usually one that does not use shampoos that don't come from a salon, however, I am replacing my beloved kerastase shampoo in my suitcase with EverPure.  We will see how well EverPure hold up in the Egyptian heat, more to come on that.

5 out of 5 stars

Would I repurchase? YES

Photo Credit: Loreal

Review: Chanel Inimitable Mascara

Sorry for the lack of posts lately, its been crazy with the finals and the holidays. Despite the craziness of the last few weeks, I managed to test out a few great products and will have them up soon.  First up: Chanel Inimitable Mascara.  Not too long ago I posted about Chanel Exceptionnel mascara, which I love, however I think it has been replaced.  The Inimitable mascara literally makes my lashes look fake! I have never had a mascara make my lashes look so long.  The brush is almost rubbery with tons of small bristles that coat each lash.  The formula is fairly thin which allows for multiple coats and it literally does not budge.

4 out of 5 stars

Would I repurchase? YES!

Photo Credit: Chanel.com

Review: Pureology PureVolume Conditioner

I have literally never been out of shampoo and conditioner but between finals and all of the papers I have been writing lately, I completely forgot to replace it while I was at home over Thanksgiving.  Luckily I have the best mom in the world and she sent me some, I told her to get me whatever she wanted and I got Pureology PureVolume Conditioner.  I am in love! Its a really thick creamy conditioner, but it packs serious volume! It has an acquired smell, sort of almondy-earthy but I like it.  It doesn't linger too long which is nice.  In addition to the volume, this conditioner is highly moisturizing and protects color.  All around its a great conditioner!

9 out of 10 stars

Would I repurchase? YES!

Review: Olay Total Effects Anti-Aging Anti-Blemish Daily Cleanser

 Ladies, winter is upon us and thus so is dry skin.  I finally ditched my daily exfoliating cleanser for a new, creamier version.  Voila Olay Total Effects Anti-Aging Anti- Blemish Cleanser. This creamy, blemish reducing cleanser is the answer to my skin whoas! Seriously! The cleanser moisturizes perfectly and helped clear up my t-zone zits in a matter of days. Also the light, flowery smell is delicious! While it may seem absurd that I, a 22 year old would use an anti-aging cleanser, my motto is that you can never start too soon! 

Rating: 10 out of 10

Repurchase? YES!!!!!

Photo Credit: Olay.com

Review: Pixi Engery Blush Duo

Also during my Target trip, I stumbled upon this little gem of a blush! Pixi by Petra, another high end line of cosmetics for Target, offers nice cosmetics in adorable packaging. I needed a new blush and decided to try the line's Energy Blush in "Pick Me Up" a great pinkish shade with a lighter pink highlighter, mixed together, the two create the perfect flush. The Energy Blushes each come with two shades, one color, the other highlighter, both are perfectly matched, so that when mixed they create the perfect combination of color and glow. Again the downfall is the price, at $21, it is a little steep for a product from Target.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Would I repurchase? Maybe

Wish List: Philosophy Senorita Margarita Body Scrub

While I love snowy winters, I love summer more, thus I am constantly looking for products that remind me of summer to use during the long winter. Enter Philosophy's Senorita Margarita Hot Salt Body Scrub! This delicious salt scrub gets rid of my dry skin and give me that summer scent that I crave! The perfect stocking stuffer, definitely adding this one to my list!

Photo Credit: Sephora

Review: Jemma Kidd Mannequin Complexion Skin Enhancer

I have glanced at the new cosmetics offerings at Target several times and was less than impressed, however when I was shopping yesterday, I decided to give it one more try. Behold, Jemma Kidd Mannequin Complexion Skin Enhancer. This light, shimmery primer gives skin a much needed moisture boost as well as a summery glow, perfect for dull, winter skin.  The primer is meant to be applied under foundation but today I was running late for class and I rubbed some on before running out the door, only to be asked several times if I went somewhere warm for break because my skin was "glowing." The only downfall to the product is its $24 price tag. Its so hard to plunk down that much for a product that comes from Target, but trust me once you buy it you'll be happy you did, especially in the winter months to come! Overall this is a great 1 step product!

Rating: 10 out of 10

Would I buy again? Yes, but I wish the price was a little bit lower

Photo Credit: Target

Wish List: Bobbi Brown Night Sky Long Wear Eye Palette

I think I may have just found my new signature eye look! Ok so I haven't even tried it yet, but from the pictures, Im convinced! Bobbi Brown's Night Sky Palette is not only long wearing but includes some of the most gorgeous shades I have ever seen! The navy/black look is so chic right now and this palette seems to include all of the right colors to recreate it!

The Palette Includes:

Rockstar Long-Wear Cream Shadow

Ocean Storm Long-Wear Cream Shadow

Black Ink Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner

Thuder Storm Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner

Photo Credit: Bobbi Brown

Wish List: Bobbi Brown Basic Eye Palette

As a beauty addict I have tons of shadow palettes, however, throughout the years I have noticed that I continually come back to Bobbi Brown's.  Thus I am including her new Basic Eye Palette on my wish list.  The palette includes Navajo Eye Shadow, Cement Eye Shadow, Heather Mauve Shimmer Wash Shadow and Mahogany Eye Shadow.  These colors are perfect to create a subtle day time look or a smoky evening look.  Overall the perfect palette to keep in your purse for those "I need to look hot in under 5 minutes" emergencies! 

Photo Credit: Bobbi Brown

Wish List: Jack Black Lip Balm Trio

In rare cases, products for women need to take notes on products for men, case in point? Jack Black Lip Balm.  There are a few products that all women steal from the men in their lives, mine is Jack Black lip balm.  This silky balm soothes my lips like none other, especially in the cold of winter.  I have only tried the original scents but I am so excited to test out the new ones including Natural Mint and Shea Butter, Lemon and Chamomile and Acai Berry and Vanilla.  This gift set will be the perfect holiday pick me up for anyone!

Photo Credit: Sephora