Tip of the Day #6

To prevent breakouts, wash your face every night before bed. If you have acne prone skin you should also wash your face when you wake up in the morning. Your body heals itself at night, that is why it is most important to wash your face before bed to get all the dirt and bacteria off of it.

Michael Todd True Organics Kaolin Clay Face Masque **Review**

When I purchased the Michael Todd acne regime this is the face masque they had in the set. When I first used it I absolutely hated it! It was chunky and watery and hard to work with. My husband would actually laugh and say it looked like I had smeared chunky poop on my face! So I quit using it and actually went out and bought a new face masque to use. Well about a week ago I got a package in the mail from Michael Todd saying that they had changed the formula of the masque and they sent me a new tube at no cost to me! I was immediately excited and had to try it out and it is exactly what I expected the first one to be!

Here is a picture of the two formulas next to each other. The one on the left is the old formula and the right is the new one.

This new formula is so much easier to work with and is actually a lot better than the old one all around! Now will I actually repurchase this product? Probably not. I don't think it is that much better than the other face masque I have and this one is actually pretty expensive. It is a good masque though!

Love Always,
Marlee

Michael Todd True Organics Acne Regime **Review**

So I am finally reviewing the products I bought from Michael Todd a while back. They had a sale going on and I was able to get the whole system (3-4 months supply) at around half off. Before I get into the review I will say that these are high end products. If you buy them as a set it is usually around $140 or so. I got them for $70. You can buy the products individually but it is actually more expensive that way. Also, in this post I will not be reviewing the face masque. I am saving that for a separate post because there is a story behind it. 

I'm going to be starting with the Charcoal Detox Deep Pore Gel Cleanser.

I actually really like this cleanser. It gets all of the dirt and left over makeup off my face, doesn't smell terrible, and doesn't make my skin super dry. The smell is strange at first but not bad. It just smells clean is the only way I know how to describe it. After using this cleanser, my skin feels a little dry but not super dry. I could get away with not using moisturizer but I wouldn't recommend it. I also like that this comes with a pump making it easy to get the product out. My only complaint about the pump is that you can't close it for travel and sometimes it leaks. Overall this is a very good cleanser but I'm not sure that it is worth the price.

Next I have the Jojoba Charcoal Facial Scrub.

I have raved about this scrub and will do it again. It's AMAZING! The formula is the perfect ratio of scrubbing beads to soap and its really gentle but gets the job done. Of course I have only ever used drug store scrubs before this but I would definitely repurchase this one! It isn't drying or irritating and it doesn't smell bad either!

The next product in the system is the Organic Lemon Toner.

I have used many toners before and I this is probably my favorite! It smells amazing! Just like a lemon! And it doesn't dry my skin out like a lot of toners do which is a major plus! I will say that the product itself feels a little weird. It is liquid but it almost feels dry. If you have ever used pure acetone before that is how this toner feels. It also isn't super intense. The first few times I used it, it burned really bad but after that it was fine. On top of everything it is actually helping my acne! I have never had a toner work so well at getting rid of my acne. I did test to make sure it was the toner by skipping just it a couple times and I immediately started breaking out. So this toner is definitely worth the money!

The last product I have for this part of the review is the Antiox Serum.

They say to use this serum in place of or along with a moisturizer. It takes just a very tiny bit of this to get the job done. If you use too much then your face will be super oily. This is actually a pretty good serum I guess (I have never used one before this), but I prefer a regular moisturizer. This one just seems to make my skin oily instead of moisturize it. They do offer a moisturizer for oily/acne prone skin but it didn't come in the set. After I use this up (which will take forever!) I will probably try the moisturizer.

Here is a picture of all of the products swatched on my arm.

From left to right is the cleanser, scrub, and serum.

All in all these products have definitely helped my acne. I know I will definitely repurchase the toner and probably the scrub. I am going to look around for a cheaper cleanser that is just as good and maybe try a different cheaper scrub too. I know I will definitely not be repurchasing the serum though. Not that it is bad, it just isn't right for me. It may be better for me in the winter when my skin is dryer so I'm not completely against it yet.

My next post will be a review of the masque that comes with the set so look for that!

Love Always,

Marlee

Tip of the Day #3

The key to keeping wrinkles at bay is to start preventing them before they appear. Start using eye creams early on to prevent wrinkles around them.

Target HAUL!

Hey guys! It feels like it has been forever since I have had the chance to sit down and really write a post on here. Most of this week I have been posting from my phone and that just isn't fun because I can't really write to the extent that I want to. While running errands yesterday my husband and I stopped at target to pick up a few things. I tend to have a problem with buying a lot of things I don't need but I can say I honestly needing most of these things to some degree. So here we go!

The first thing I got is this Bumble and Bumble Creme de Coco shampoo. I have always heard a lot of great things about Bumble and Bumble products but have never had the chance to try any of them because none of the stores close to me carry it. I posted a more in depth review of this product here so go check that out!

The next thing I got is this Paul Mitchell Extra-Body Finishing Spray. The past few years I haven't really had to use hairspray because I had a perm and my hair would hold a curl really well. Now that my perm is almost grown out I have found that my hair has gone back to not holding a curl very easily. I had been using a Treseme hair spray in the past and that is what I used yesterday (and a lot of it) but it still didn't hold my curls hardly at all! So I picked this up and hopefully it will work a little better. I will let you know how it goes and post a link to a review after I use it!

When I ordered my E.L.F. products online I debated on whether or not to get this High Definition Powder. I have a powder that I have been using and I don't love or hate it but I was afraid that this one would give me a white cast. After I decided against it and it was too late to go back and order more I saw a bunch of people recommending it and regretted not getting it. I was browsing the makeup section and saw the E.L.F. products and decided to grab this while I was there. I tested it on the back of my hand when I got home and it didn't give off a white cast which gives me high hopes for this powder! I will review it soon also after I have used it.

The last thing I got is this Tea Tree Oil. I have heard people rave about how good this is for acne and other skin problems/infections. I have had an infection on my legs for years and it just won't go away. The best thing I have found to help is laying in the tanning bed because the radiation kills the bacteria. I heard someone recommend putting a few drops of tea tree oil in a bath to help with body skin problems so I figured I would give it a shot!

That is everything I got from Target. Nothing too exciting but I will be posting reviews on everything after I have had a chance to use them all and decide how I feel about them! I hope you have a great day!

Love always,

Marlee

**Weekly Update**

I'm sorry for my absence this past week. I was getting up early to help with Vacation Bible School at church in the mornings and I got called into work every evening. Saturday my husband and I went to his company picnic and that lasted all day and then I worked Sunday. Today we have been running errands all day and tomorrow I work all day. I will try to get a post up tomorrow so that I don't leave you guys hanging again and my E.L.F. Shipment should come in by this Saturday so I will get that haul up soon! I so sorry about last week though and promise this week will be better. I will also get days 7 and 8 up of the 50 day challenge tonight or tomorrow. This week I plan to do a post on my everyday makeup routine and a review of my Michael Todd skin care system. As always leave any requests in the comments or you can email me at lovemissbeautyblog.gmail.com I hope you guys have had a great day!

Love always,

Marlee

Tip of the Day #2

No matter how tired you are or how little time you have, even if you don't wash your face with a regular cleanser you should always always ALWAYS take off your makeup before bed to avoid breakouts.

Giveaway?!

I'm really busy today and probably won't have time for a proper post :( I'm really sorry I have been helping out at church in the mornings this week and working In the evenings. Next week should be better and if I don't get a post up today I will try for tomorrow. 

Now onto what you guys really want to hear about! I am considering doing a giveaway here on my blog. It would be small and full of drug store products but I'm not sure what yet. If I do this giveaway what are some products you guys would be interested in? Some of the products I'm thinkin of are foundation blending sponges, mascara, small eyeshadow palette(2-6 colors), blush, nail polish, and maybe a cute travel case to put it all in. 

Right now I am thinking of doing this giveaway when I reach 25 followers and would probably have multiple winners. Would anyone be interested?

May 2013 Favorites!

Today is the last day of May. As beauty gurus do, I am going to show you my favorite products from this month! Most of these products you have already seen in recent posts so I will post links instead of going super in depth here.

My first favorite from this month is my Michael Todd True Organics Jojoba Charcoal face scrub. I talked about it in my Colors of the Rainbow post. It is by far the best scrub I have used. It is gentle so it doesn't irritate my skin but it gets the job done.

Next I have my Covergirl BB Cream in the shade 805 Fair to Light. Now this BB cream does not do everything it claims. In reality it makes my oily skin worse BUT it does do a good job as a sunscreen. It provides a very sheer coverage without  producing a white cast on my face like sunscreen does. I got this to wear on a daily basis because the Michael Todd system made my skin very sensitive to sunlight and so far it has done what I wanted it to.

This is my Covergirl Clean Pressed Powder. This has been my best friend this month! Using the BB cream made my skin way oilier than normal so I used this over it to absorb some of the oil.

Here is my Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 foundation. It is a medium to full coverage foundation, SPF 20 sunscreen, and a primer in one. I am in love with this foundation! It provides coverage without feeling heavy or looking cakey. It is also buildable so you may not need to add concealer. And it lasts all day! With my oily skin I have trouble getting foundation to stay on all day without just sliding off. I have not had that problem with this even with the extra oil from the BB cream.

This is my new favorite mascara! It is the Maybelline The Rocket Volum' Express in Black. It is a little clumpy and acts better as a lengthening mascara than a volume mascara but I pair it with the Mega Plush from Maybelline and it is the perfect combo!

Lastly is my Beautiful Day body splash from Bath & Body Works. I also talked about it in my Colors of the Rainbow post. So go learn more about it there!

Those are all my favorites from this month! I hope you enjoyed this post. What are some of your favorites from this month? Tell me in the comments!

Love Always,
Marlee

HAUL #1

This is my first haul since starting my blog! I went to Walmart (where I get most of my stuff because I'm broke lol!) to get a different shade of foundation for summer, a cleansing astringent for in the mornings, and a face masque... I think I need to learn how to stick to a list! Everything you see here I got from Walmart except for the face masque. Walmart didn't have any I liked so I went to Sally's Beauty Supply. I will start with the stuff I was planning to buy and then go into all the extras!

This is the masque I got from Sally's. It is supposed to be purifying and revitalizing. It is a bright green color and smells very clean and refreshing. The bottle says "An energizing treat, this unique, gel-clay formula gently lifts away impurities. Smoothing Avocado and anti-oxidant rich Grapefruit extracts nourish and revitalize tired-looking skin." I got this because I have been needing a new face masque. I have one that came with my Michael Todd set but I don't really like it that much. I haven't tried this one out yet but I will review it whenever I do.

The face wash I have been using lately is a gel wash which means I have to actually use water and a wash cloth to wash my face. Even with a head band on I have so many baby hairs that get in the way and get soaked when I do this along with the whole vanity getting wet. This is fine at night because I have more time and I don't have to worry about messing my hair up if I straightened it. In the morning however, I don't have as much time and I do have to worry about my hair. I got this astringent for sensitive skin to use instead of my gel wash in these cases. It claims to remove "oil, dirt and makeup that soap and water leave behind." All you do is put this on a cotton ball or cotton pad and wipe it over your face like you would a toner and it doesn't have to be washed of. I will let you know how this works out for me!

The third thing I went to get is this Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 foundation. I have been using it for a few weeks now in their lightest shade Ivory 805. Now that summer is just around the corner and I have been laying in the tanning bed my skin is obviously darker. So I went back to get the foundation in a darker shade and ended up with Medium Beige 842. It is a lot darker than the Ivory which is fine but I'm worried it might be a little too dark. If this is the case I will use my lighter face powder over the top to lighten it up.

Now onto the extras that sucked me in today!

I don't usually use a blush simply because I didn't have any good ones. I saw this Maybelline Fit Me! blush in medium coral. It is formulated for medium skin (my summer shade) and errs on the pinker side of coral. I am excited to try it out and see if I like it!

I also got this NYC Color Wheel Mosaic Face Powder in Pink Cheek Glow (723A). It is a bit brighter and more pink than the Maybelline blush and I am also excited to try it out! I will let you know how they work out for me.

Next I got this Conair Paddle Brush because I needed a bigger one and my old one is getting kind of gross from using it with dry shampoo. I plan to use this for drying and straightening my hair.

I also picked up this mirror. I have been wanting a bigger hand held mirror and when we got back from vacation I realized I left my old small one in my sisters luggage. This seemed like a good enough excuse to finally get a new one.

Last but not least I got this Remington 1 1/2" ceramic curling iron. I have a You Curl wand but right now my hair is too short to use it without burning myself. On top of that the curls I get from it are a little tighter than what I want for a casual look. I got this curling iron because it has a clip making it easier to curl short hair and it has a bigger barrel so the curls will be looser. I am really looking forward to trying it out! If I like it I may do a tutorial on how I curl my hair!

That is all I got during my haul today! After I try some of this stuff out I will make some new posts reviewing them and maybe integrate them into tutorials. I hope you enjoyed this!

Love Always,
Marlee

Pamper Evening Essentials

Being a newly wed college student and working part-time is not easy. By the end of the day I am usually super stressed out. My favorite way to relax is with a pamper evening. Most people do these once every week or two, but to be honest I usually do this about twice a week! It is the perfect way for me to relax and unwind before bed.

The first thing I do is light a candle. My current favorite is the Tiki Beach scent from Bath & Body Works. If I had some, I would also light a few unscented candles around the bathroom so that I could turn all the lights off and make it a bit more relaxing. I haven't had a chance yet to go and purchase any of their new summer scents but hopefully I can soon!

After I light my candle, I start running my bath water. My baths tend to change based on my mood, but there are two things I always put in them: baking soda and epsom salt. These two things help draw out all of the toxins in your body which make you feel better overall when you get done. Another ingredient you can add is apple cider vinegar. It also helps detoxify your body. (If I had some at the house I would add it, but I keep forgetting to buy some lol!) Now on to the fun stuff, making the bath smell good! The epsom salt that I use is Lavender scented so sometimes I don't add anything else to my bath. If I am adding other scents I usually go for B&BW Beautiful Day body wash. I would use the bubble bath but I have not seen it yet so I use the body wash and it does just as good! I also sometimes use Carried Away if I'm looking for a different scent. You could also add bath fizzies/melts/bombs or even essential oils to the water to give it a scent.

While the bath water is running I take off my make-up and wash my face. This is a very important step because the heat from the bath opens your pores the same way a shower does. If you leave make-up and dirt on your face then it will just get even deeper into your pores. After washing my face I sometimes like to put on a face mask. Depending on what type of mask you are using you may want to wait until after your bath to put it on because the heat may prevent it from hardening and may even make it melt off while you are in the bath.

Now it is time to get in the bath! As a general rule, you should soak for about 20 minutes minimum for the epsom salts and baking soda to do their job. I tend to soak for around an hour just because it's so relaxing! This is up to you though. When I am soaking I try to keep as much of my body in the water as possible in order to really allow it to detox. It is also important to keep a glass of cold water or tea near by to sip on while you soak. This will keep you from getting dehydrated while detoxing and the coldness will keep your body from over heating in the hot water. While I am in the bath I like to do a number of different things. Sometimes I read a book (I suggest reading from an actual book and not an electronic device in case you drop it) or I watch TV or a movie on my laptop. I will set my laptop on the toilet and watch it from the bath that way it doesn't get wet!

After I am done bathing, sometimes I take a shower. I have dry sensitive skin so if I add bubble bath I have to wash it off afterwards to keep it from irritating my skin. I also wash and condition my hair. Then I move on to skin care. First I take care of my face and put on my toner, eye creams, and moisturizer. I do this first because my pores are still really opened up and I feel like it helps everything work better. Then I put on body lotion. This keeps my skin from drying out because hot water draws all of the moisture from your skin. Lastly I put on some pajamas and usually grab a snack and finish a movie or show before heading to bed.

That's it! My pamper evening routine. I hope you enjoyed this and maybe even try it out yourself! Have a great day!

Love always,
Marlee

What I'm Bringing on Vacation!

For my first post I though I would show you guys what I am taking on vacation with me! This will include skin care products and makeup that I have packed. (If you would like to see the shower items I packed just let me know in the comments and I will post that.) On our vacation we will be going to the beach, an amusement park, and a water park. With this in mind, I don't have a lot of makeup packed because I have no need for it as it would just get washed or sweated off. Now lets get started!

I will start with the products in the bag on the left. It has 3 compartments. The main one, a pocket on the inside, and a pocket on the outside. I ordered this bag from a Thirty One consultant.

This is what I have packed in the main compartment. First, I have my equate makeup removing wipes. These wipes are really good at taking off all my makeup including waterproof mascara. An added bonus is that they are really cheap! This is a pack of 40 (most come in packs of 25) and I paid about $2 for them compared to the $4-$6 range of the smaller packages. I have used other makeup wipes and these are just as good and much cheaper! Next I have my deodorant. It is the ban invisible solid antiperspirant deodorant in the sent shower fresh. Then I have my favorite body spray at the moment. It is Beautiful Day from Bath and Body Works. After that is my Redken Smooth Down leave-in conditioner. This stuff is amazing! I have tried a couple other leave-in conditioners and so far this is the best! It makes my hair incredibly soft and you only have to use a tiny amount. Then I have my Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Anti-humidity smoothing milk. And last I have my Tresemme Heat Tamer spray.

This is all the makeup I am taking with me. I have it stored in the inside pocket of the bag. On top is my powder brush from ecotools. They are an eco-friendly brand and have some of the softest brushes and the handles are made of bamboo. Starting on the left I have my Neutrogena 3-in-1 concealer for eyes. I use this as my eyelid primer. It also has an SPF of 20. Then I have my Maybelline The Mega Plush Volum' Express mascara in Blackest Black and my Rocket Volum' Express waterproof formula in black also. Under that is my jordana FabuLiner. It is a liquid eye liner pen and stays on really well for all day wear. Lastly I have my Covergirl Clean pressed powder for sensitive skin in the shade 210 Classic Ivory.

In the outside pocket. Here I have all of the smaller things I am taking with me. I have q-tips, a comb, pony tail holders, a large clip, and a bag with assorted bobby pins, hair bands, and clips.


Now we can move on to the blue bag. This bag I am using for all of my emergency type products I may need while we are at the beach or amusement parks.

Along with bandaids, q-tips, and pony tail holders I am keeping these three products. First is a Dove deodorant. I like to carry deodorant with me when I'm going to be outside a lot because I know I will get sweaty. In the middle is a Neutrogena sensitive skin sunscreen with SPF 60. I am bringing this mainly for my face because I don't want it to get burned. Last I have an EOS lip balm in the mango scent/flavor. This is my favorite chap stick at the moment.

Lastly is the bag on the right. In here I have my facial skin products.

On the top I have the Michael Todd True Organic skin care system for oily/acne-prone skin. I am bringing the cleanser, scrub, toner, and serum. I will do a review on these products in another post and explain what each one is and what they do. On the bottom I have my eye products. On the left is the Garnier Ultra-Lift anti-wrinkle cream and on the right is the anti-puff eye roller.

I am also bringing along a few lotions. I will not be including them in this post but if you are interested let me know in the comments and I will make a separate post with them in it!

I hope you enjoyed this post! If you want more in-depth reviews of any of the products I mentioned just let me know and I will make separate posts for that as well. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this!

Love always,
Marlee