january empties

In my ongoing efforts to use up the products I own instead of shelving them half-used, today I'm sharing some of my trash empty products from last month! 

Neutrogena Naturals fresh cleansing + makeup remover 
Love this cleanser. I use it with my Clarisonic to get all of my makeup off when I'm in the shower. It's gentle and does a good job at removing makeup. 

Sonia Kashuk eye makeup remover
This is the only eye makeup remover I can use that doesn't burn my eyes and removes every spec of eye makeup. It's around $10 at Target, depending on the size you get. 

Clinique acne solutons clarifying lotion (toner)
After completely using my trial size acne solutions toner, I decided to purchase this full size. I liked it, but even for my oily skin it felt overly dry when used every night. I would suggest using it every other night instead. I do like it (and the whole acne solutions line), but I'm not re-purchasing for now. 

Soap & Glory Hand Food 
I use this every night before going to sleep. You can find this at Sephora. More on this lotion here! 

Mary Kay Timewise moisturizer
My holy grail moisturizer. You can can see more of my thoughts on this product here. 

Aussie 3 Minute Miracle
A great deep conditioner for only $3.00. I use this roughly twice a week in the shower. Having such long hair, it's important to keep my ends moisturized to prevent breakage. I've re-purchased multiple times and don't think I'll ever not have this in my shower!

Dickinson's Witch Hazel
I love witch hazel. One of my first posts explained the benefits and uses of witch hazel. You can read all about those here! 

It feels good to use up products. What have you recently used up?
xo, Mal

12 beauty favorites of 2012

Looking back, 2012 was a great year for discovering new products. I have a lot of favorite products form the year, but only a few that I will re-purchase over and over again. It's hard to even pick an absolute number one makeup product or tool. 

So, here are my "top 12 of 2012." 

Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette

A lot of people ask if both palettes are necessary. I personally love the Naked 2 better than the original. I use them both, but I reach for Naked 2 more because it has cooler colors that are perfect for everyday subtle looks. 

Maybelline Color Tattoos

I can't say enough about these. The longevity, pigmentation and price. Amazing. More on these cream shadows here.

Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream

Ah, it was the year of the BB creams. Smashbox got it right. It evens out my skin tone, provides light coverage, and lasts all day. Perfect for days in the sun or traveling. 
My post dedicated to this BB cream is here. 

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder

This powder is a savior for girls with oily skin. Apply it in the morning over your foundation and you're good to go for the rest of the day. For $6.00 at the drugstore, you can't beat it! 

Maybelline MasterDrama Eyeliner 

This year I finally found the only eyeliner that does not smudge throughout the day. This has better staying power than Urban Decay 24/7 glide on pencils, and you don't have to sharpen these.

Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer

This is a creamy concealer that really brightens the under the eyes. I like it better than the YSL Touch Eclat concealer (which is $45). See my blog post on this amazing concealer!

Soap & Glory Hand Food Lotion

This is amazing stuff. This is the only lotion that doesn't leave a greasy feeling after applying.  Use before bed and your hands feel so silky and soft in the morning. 

Mary Kay Timewise Moisturizer

I've been using this since late 2011, but I never realized how much I loved this moisturizer until this year. I tried to stray, but I can't find anything like it. Hey, if it isn't broke, don't fix it. More on this moisturizer here. 

Maybelline Babylips in Quenched

The most moisturizing lip balm at the drugstore. They’ve since come out with some new colors that I’m dying to try. Read my post on Babylips here.

Clarisonic Mia

The Clarisonic has kinda changed my life. I’m not really sure how I ever washed my face before. I use it with a gentle Neutrogena cleanser and it gets every spec of makeup off. If you don’t have one, and have been on the fence about getting one, I say do it. It’s definitely well worth the money! 

Revlon ColorStay Whipped Creme Foundation

I know I've mentioned it before, but the Revlon ColorStay whipped foundation has ousted the liquid version as my holy grail foundation. I'm on jar number 3 in just 6 months because I use it so much. It's the longest-lasting foundation with the most natural finish.
More on this foundation here. 

Sultra Bombshell Curling Wand (1 ¼”)

I can honestly say that this curling wand has changed my hair life. I prefer a curling wand over a curling iron because the curls last… for days..and days. If only I was one of those girls that could go a week without washing my hair. But, by day 3 I need a wash and I’m always sad to see the wavy curls go. I highly recommend using a curling wand over a curling iron now. There are some great inexpensive ones at Ulta and Target. You can find the Sultra Bombshell at Sephora.

What were your favorite products of 2012?

xo, Mal

moisturizing at night

If I was stranded on a deserted island and could only bring three items, one of those would include moisturizer. I cannot live without it. Okay, maybe I could live, but I wouldn't be very happy without it! 

Moisturizing your face at night is SO important. Even if you have oily skin like me. Moisturizer helps your skin to not over-produce oils during your sleep. It also helps prevent wrinkles.... kind of a big deal! My night time skincare routine always includes moisturizer. 

I like the Mary Kay Timewise moisturizer. It's very lightweight and is specifically targeted to prevent aging. It's never too early to start preventing those wrinkles! 

Two other areas I make sure to moisturize are my lips and hands. The Smith's Rosebud Salve is amazing for the lips. It does  have a somewhat strong rose scent. It took me a while to get used to, but now I don't even notice it. It's one of the most moisturizing lip balms I've ever used. For hands, I like the Soap & Glory Hand Food. It's moisturizing and has a nice scent. You can find these at Sephora. 

I keep my lip balm and hand lotion in my night stand for easy access. If you aren't already including moisturizer in your night time skincare routine, I highly recommend it! 

What is your favorite moisturizer? 

Do you use lip balm and hand cream at night, too? 

summer skin care

I’ve finally gotten into a skincare routine for the summertime. One thing I put on my new year’s resolution list (yes, I made one) was to be better about taking my makeup off every single night. If I’ve failed at everything else on that list, removing my makeup and sticking to a routine hasn’t been one of them. Whew! Hopefully, I don’t fall out of the routine. My products switch up from time to time, but I tend to stick to the stuff I really love.
And, here they are…

Pond’s Cold Cream: I really like this for removing eye makeup. It’s super affordable, and even the small container feels like it could last forever. Classic affordable makeup remover that you can find anywhere.  

Neutrogena Naturals Makeup Remover Face Wash: This is my new favorite face wash specifically for removing makeup when I’m in the shower. I even prefer this one over the high end Philosophy Purity face wash, which is very similar. This one truly removes every trace of makeup that other removers may leave behind.

Neutrogena Daily Scrub: I switch up the scrubs I use, but it’s usually a Neutrogena or St. Ive’s product. They’re gentle scrubs that exfoliate really well. I exfoliate almost everyday because it’s important to get the dead skin off of your face at the end of the day. Gentle daily scrubs are the way to go!

Clinique Acne Solutions Clarifying Lotion: Toners are important to use to restore the pH balance on your skin after you wash it. This one is part of the Clinique 3-step acne solutions system. Love this and highly recommend it.

Juice Beauty Blemish Clearing Serum: I discovered this product in a Birchbox a few months ago, and it’s the only “blemish clearing serum” that’s worked for me. I dab this on any pimples I have and they are usually gone within 1-2 days.

Mario Badescu Facial Spray: I just started using this spray, but can already tell I’ll repurchase this many times. I was on the hunt for a facial spray with rosewater and am so glad I settled on this one. It contains rosewater, aloe, and herbs, which are all really good for your skin. It’s $7 at Ulta for the 4 oz. (aka a steal!)

Mary Kay Timewise Anti-Aging Moisturizer: Oh moisturizer. If I could only bring 3 things on a deserted island, moisturizer would be it. No matter if you have dry, combination, or oily skin, moisturizer is the single most important step in skincare (after washing, of course). Your skin needs a moisturizer to help balance the oils it produces. I use this one twice a day (morning and night). I’ve repurchased this many times and have yet to find another that comes close to this one. 


And, that's it! Hope you found this helpful. Do you use any of the same products? What are your favorites?