Trader Joe's All-In-One Cleanser

UGH I love this cleanser. Like, a lot. I haven't been to Lush in awhile, and I wasn't planning on getting out there until a little closer to Christmas so I'd actually buy things for other people, instead of spending $500 on myself, as usual. However, not going to Lush meant I was out of cleanser...and moisturizer...and everything that matters in life. To sum it up,  world war 3 was taking place on my face, and I was losing BADLY. I have somewhat sensitive skin with an oily/ breakout prone t-zone. My forehead was looking terrible, so terrible that even my best Tarte and Benefit concealers couldn't hide the disaster happening beneath them. Enter Trader Joe's/ the gorgeous Beauty Bloggers that raved about the All-In-One cleanser. I had nothing to lose so I picked it up...for $4.99!

What It Does:

Cleanses skin from makeup, dirt, and oil.

How To Use It:

Put two or three pumps of the product into your hand and lather it onto your face. Massage from a couple minutes then rinse and dry with a clean towel.

Tips & Tricks:

I like to apply this to dry skin after I've removed my makeup with coconut oil. The bottle says you can apply to dry or wet skin, but I prefer to work it into dry skin at first, then add small amounts of water slowly to increase the lather. This lathers up really nice as you'll see in the picture below, and my skin feels very refreshed after use. Lately my skin has been breaking out a lot, and this product really helps. It completely stopped my face from breaking out more than it already had, and reduced redness and size of the current blemishes on my face. I really love it and highly recommend it!

All Pictures in this post are my personal photos/ some are from my Instagram account. Ig name: @_jessakay

Smith's Rosebud Salve Review

So I'd honestly never heard of this stuff until I was reading a "steal vs. splurge" entry on a well-known beauty and fashion blog. Even after I read it I wasn't really planning on buying it, but I was at Sephora today and I saw it in the "grab and go section" so I grabbed it. So glad I did! My lips look glossy and hydrated with a pink tint, but they aren't sticky at all. This products looks like a gloss but wears like a chapstick, the consistency is comparable to vaseline and the scent is awesome. This product is made with petrolatum, cotton seed oil, and a rose perfume- as always with my product choices its cruelty free. Its formulated by a physician, and was created in 1892! I'm in love, and for $7 I'll definitely be re-purchasing again and again.

What It Does:

Hydrates and soothes chapped, dry lips while giving them a pretty pink tint and glossy shine.

How To Use It:

Twist open the pot and apply with your finger.

Tips & Tricks:

I don't really have any, only that I sally avoid lip products that involve a finger for application because the pot inevitably gets gross. I recommend using sanitizer on your hands before dipping your finger into the pot. I really love this stuff, I had to take some pictures of how pretty it made my lips look!

     

All Pictures in this post are my personal photos/ some are from my Instagram account. Ig name: @_jessakay

Trader Joe's Pomegranate Body Butter Review

If you read my last post you know I've finally come to know the wonder world of TJ's, and had to pick up a few of their skincare/hair products to review after reading so many blogger's posts raving about them. My first review is on the Pomegranate Body Butter I picked up for only $3.99! Usually when I buy any beauty product for this price, especially body butter, I expect it to be a few baby steps above awful. So is the Pom Body Butter awful? Hellllll no.

This body butter is made with Argan Oil, Jojoba Oil, Pomegranate Seed Oil, Shea butter, and Palm Butter. Yes, I said Argan oil- and yes, it's really $3.99 (in my area at least). These days anything with Argan Oil has the price outrageously jacked up, but not at TJ's! The Pom Oil is so potent, I could smell it before I even opened the pot! Also, when I buy a body butter I want it to be the consistency of soft butter, duh. Usually I'm disappointed with how thin the body butters I purchase are, but this stuff really delivers. It's thick, exactly how a body butter should be.

What It Does:

Smooths and soothes dry skin, leaving you moisturized and soft.

How To Use It:

Open it up & rub it on!

Tips & Tricks:

The only tip I have is that a little goes a long way, and it smells so great I've been skipping using my body spray because you can literally smell this stuff through my clothes. It obviously doesn't have the  scent longevity of perfume, but when I'm just going to work or running errands this stuff does the trick for me.  Lastly, and unfortunately- This is a SEASONAL product (BOO!), so if you try it and love it- stock up! Go buy a dozen of them, after all- they cost less than a freaking Starbucks latte!

All Pictures in this post are my personal photos/ some are from my Instagram account. Ig name: @_jessakay

Trader Joe's Mini Haul

Trader Joe's is the almighty mecca that so many people are completely obsessed with/ rave about. I however, have never stepped foot inside of one-until yesterday. I'm not sure how it happened, but I stumbled upon a beauty product review site with some excellent reviews on TJ's beauty products. I honestly couldn't believe the prices, and I'm kind of a product snob going on the notion that "the more expensive it is, the better the quality". That being said,  I've spent crazy amounts of money on various high-end products from labels everyone is familiar with, some have been good and some have completely sucked. After reading the reviews on the following products, I had to seek out the ONLY Trader Joe's in my area and see what they had to offer.  I'm going to do separate reviews for each product, but in this post I'll just list what I bought, the prices, and my personal rating (so far)- either Average, Good, or Great.

(In order left to right, top to bottom)

1. Nourish Oil-Free Antioxidant Facial Moisturizer $4.99  - Great

2. Nourish Antioxidant Facial Serum $9.99 - Average

3. Nourish All-In-One Facial Cleanser $4.99 - Great

4. Nourish Spa Balanced Moisturizing Conditioner $2.99 -Great

5. Nourish Spa Balanced Moisturizing Shampoo $2.99 - Good

5. Pomegranate Body Butter $3.99 -Great

As you can see, the prices are RIDICULOUS, in a very good way. So not only are they cheap, they're packed with ingredients you would find in higher end skincare. For details on each product check my posts on each! If you don't have time for all of that I'll just suffice it to say Trader Joe's is definitely worth checking out, and if you end up purchasing then hating any of these products for whatever reason, at least you didn't waste a lot of money giving them a try!

Lush Shine So Bright Review

I picked up Shine So Bright a LONG time ago, it's been in my makeup bag since then and I literally just realized I never did a review on it. It comes in a cute little tin which makes it super easy to just throw in your purse for on-the-go use. Shine So Bright is a hair balm used for the purpose of mending split ends. I've always had a problem with split ends and breakage, so when I saw this I immediately wanted to give it a try. What also caught my attention was the ingredients- olive oil, coconut oil, shea butter and free range eggs, all notorious hair and skin healers. I'm a huge believer in coconut oil for just about anything, so the presence of coconut oil totally sold me. Aside from the main ingredients the product also contains rosewood, grapefruit, neroli, and orange flower to produce a pleasant smell. The consistency is comparable to Lush's solid perfumes. The tin is small, but I've literally had this stuff forEVER, so it has some longevity if you're concerned about the price in conjunction with how many uses you'll get.

What It Does:
Conditions dry hair & mends split ends

How To Use It:
Rub your index finger in the tin until the of the solid oil warms and liquifies on your finger, then rub your index finger and thumb together. Once your finger and your thumb have some oil on them, place the damaged hair in between & rub on!

Tips & Tricks:
This product is more for your ends, I don't even want to imagine the greasy mess you'd have for roots if you tried to use it up top. If I'm planning on using this on a lot of my ends I'll usually open the tin and hold it under a heat source ( blow dryer, electric heater, etc) for a few seconds- it liquifies quick but if you're using a lot relying on your fingers to warm it feels like it takes forever. This may go without saying, but just incase- if you're using a heat source please don't liquify the whole pot. I like to use this in the winter months, or when I've been using my flat iron (abusing my hair) more than usual. LASTLY, after you put this on your ends brush them- preferably with a boar bristle/ nylon bristle combo brush (Mason Pearson, anyone?), your hair will look shiny & healthy :) I wasnt really into this stuff at first, and I wouldn't consider it a "holy grail" hair item, but lately I've kinda been falling in love with it.

All Pictures in this post are my personal photos / some are from my Instagram account. Ig name: @_jessakay

Lush Brazened Honey Fresh Face Mask Review

Lush Haul 7/20

I've been dying to try this one! Brazened Honey is another one of Lush's amazing "fresh face masks", made from fresh perishable ingredients. This mask includes free-range eggs, lime oil, kaolin clay, honey (of course), and ground almonds for exfoliation. Theres also a handful of spices throw in to warm the skin- sage, juniper, rosemary, parsley, turmeric, and fennel. These ingredients make for an amazing combo, and not to be completely repetitive and annoying, but this ones my new favorite! (until I find another new favorite).

What It Does:

Brazened Honey has been the best mask for my skin thus far- mainly because of its oil pulling properties. This mask literally sucks the oil out of my skin. My problem area is my T-zone, and this mask has cleared up that area after three uses. The clay in this product plays a huge part in sucking up oil, but another huge factor the the success of clearing up skin is Brazened Honey's exfoliating properties. The exfoliation I receive while massaging this mask into my skin creates a deep cleanse, leaving my skin so smooth and oil-free.

How To Use It:

Scoop your needed amount out and massage into your skin-spreading out all over your face. The consistency of this mask is not as thick as Cupcake or Cosmetic Warrior, which makes it easier to spread out/ massage in. You can create a thick layer over your face, or a very thin one. To make the mask thinner wet your face first to make it easier to spread, or mix a scoop of Brazened Honey with water in your hands before applying. I don't add water before applying ( I like my masks thick) , but if I'm spreading it out and I feel its not spreading easily enough I just splash some water in the desired area of my face and smooth out the mask. Leave on for 5-10 minutes and rinse off.

Tips & Tricks:

Massage, massage, MASSAGE. Really rub this into your skin, it will feel great and give you a deeper cleanse. I love clay masks, which was one thing that drew me to this product, but if you normally have dry or sensitive skin the clay might be too harsh for you. Don't worry- you can still do this mask if you have skin thats more on the dry or sensitive side, but I recommend applying a moisturizer on your face, like Full Of Grace, before putting on Brazened Honey. You can use this technique for any mask if you feel your skin is too dry/sensitive to handle a mask on it's own. As with all fresh face masks- REFRIGERATE! *All Face Masks are $6.95 US*

All Pictures in this post are my personal photos from my Instagram account. Ig name: @_jessakay

Lush Aqua Marina Review

7/20 Lush Haul

I decided to step out of my regular cleanser (again), mainly because they were out of Let The Good Times Roll and Ultrabland the day I went to the store. Once again, I'm sooo glad I tried something new (thanks to the girls at Lush Walden Galleria!). I know I say this all the time, but I really think this is my new favorite cleanser! Aqua Marina has been working wonders for my skin, and it's only been three days! The calamine and kaolin in this product cleanse the skin, while aloe vera moisturizes. I also really love the seaweed (irish moss gel) mixed in, it's a really unique ingredient and its packed with vitamins and minerals. There's supposedly salt thrown in to exfoliate, but I didn't feel any exfoliation while using it. I didn't know about the salt when I purchased my jar of Aqua Marina so I wasn't even expecting exfoliation to begin with. One of the girls at Lush warned me that many people do NOT like the smell of this product when it's in the jar due to the seaweed. It really doesn't bother me at all, but I do think it smells different in the jar than it does on your face. The smell of baby powder is a good comparison to Aqua Marina, especially when scrubbing it on your skin. When in the jar you can still smell the baby powder, its just not as strong due to the seaweed.

What It Does:

Cleanses skin while hydrating and restoring skin cells.

How To Use It:

Pinch off a small amount of Aqua Marina and mix with water in your hand until you've reached desired consistency. Spread the mixture on your face and massage in. Rinse off with warm water or wipe off with a warm damp washcloth. This can also be used on your body if you wish to do so.

Tips & Tricks:

I've found that I prefer to only mix a little bit of water with the product in my hand- I keep it a little thick and then smudge some on my forehead, chin, and cheeks. From there I add water and spread it evenly over my face. I also like to refrigerate this product. You don't have to, I've stated many times that I refrigerate almost everything I buy at Lush simply because I like the way the products feel on my face/body when cold. DO NOT let the seaweed scare you away! This product really does smell great and seaweed  is so good for your skin, I highly recommend you at least get a sample and try it out.

All Pictures in this post are my personal photos from my Instagram account. Ig name: @_jessakay