Friday Five: 1/16/15

Hi Beauties!

Happy Friday! Hope you all had a terrific week! Since December was dedicated to letting you know what my favorite products were from 2014, I haven't done one of my typical Friday Five posts since November! So here is my first Friday Five since then! This week I have been loving: 

1. Rouge Volupte Lipstick in #3 Beige Ultimate by YSL
     I posted on my Instagram earlier this week that I had picked up this lipstick. I was so excited to finally get a YSL lipstick. I have never owned one and have been wanting to pick one up for a very long time but I always seem to find something else I would rather spend $35 on! But I knew January would be the perfect time to get one because in Europe, January is their huge sale season. I mean EVERYTHING is on sale! Sephora rarely runs sales in the States but here, you can find SO MANY things on sale! I knew they would have luxury products included in the sale so I specifically went to Sephora to finally get my coveted YSL lipstick. Luckily, they had a shade that I liked - a beautiful rosy-mauve color :) It feels AMAZING on the lips! I even let out a little "OOH wow!" when I first applied it. It is SO hydrating and creamy. It ended up being 22.75 Euros which is around $27. Although its not the biggest savings, who doesn't like saving a little money on makeup?! I am hoping to pick up a few more treasures as January goes on and the prices drop even lower :)

Rouge Volupte Lipstick by YSL

Rouge Volupte Lipstick in #3 Beige Ultimate by YSL

2. Hydration Lock by Chapstick
     My lips have been way too dry lately! Darn you winter! I asked my mom to pick this up for me to throw in the package she mailed out for Christmas. I saw Shannon from shaaanxo use this on YouTube. I figured since I needed some new Chapstick anyways, I would try this new product out. I was intrigued by the dual ended Chapstick and these lips needed some major help so I figured this would be a good thing to try out. I absolutely love it! It feels even more moisturizing and hydrating than regular Chapstick. It has a Moisturizing end which claims to "smooth and reduce fine lines" and a Renewing end which claims to "condition and instantly soften lips". I am not sure if you are supposed to use a specific end first, but I just use which ever end I take the cap off first! It all ends up getting mixed together anyway! This is exactly what my lips need this winter and makes my lips super hydrated.

Hydration Lock by Chapstick

3. Sonic System Purifying Cleansing Brush by Clinique
     I did a review on this cleansing brush on my last post. Click here to read my thoughts on it and you will see why it made it into my Friday Five! :)

Sonic System Purifying Cleansing Brush by Clinique

4. Everything Nice Palette by Too Faced
     If you didn't already know, I am a Too Faced Junkie! I love their holiday palettes that they come out with every year. I wished I could have gotten all of the holiday items they released this season but I had to be reasonable and just choose one. I decided on the Everything Nice palette because it had exactly everything I wanted. I loved that it had a couple of blushes, one of my favorite bronzers (Chocolate Soliel), a highlighter and mascara. Not to mention the beautiful shadows. The main reason I got this was because of the last row of shadows. I don't own any bold, bright shadows. This palette has gorgeous neutral shadows and so when I saw that there was also a row of really bold shadows, it couldn't have gotten any more perfect! These are some of the prettiest shadows I have in my collection. I am just totally in love with this palette!

Everything Nice Palette by Too Faced

Everything Nice Palette by Too Faced

5. TIME tank by Time Los Angeles
     I had been wanting to pick up something from Time Los Angeles for a while. It is a clothing line for makeup addicts - how perfect!! I asked for this tank top as a Christmas present and it was sent out to me from our family in our Christmas care packages. I absolutely love it! They have the CUTEST stuff and it is all makeup related! It is also super affordable! I need more clothing from this line! I posted the picture below on Instagram and Time Los Angeles featured me on their Instagram! If you love makeup, you need to head on over to their website now!

Have a fabulous weekend!

xoxo Kayla

Find the products I mentioned here:

Rouge Volupte Lipstick by YSL

Hydration Lock by Chapstick

Sonic System Purifying Cleansing Brush by Clinque

Everything Nice Palette by Too Faced - No longer available

TIME tank by Time Los Angeles

Clinique Sonic System Purifying Cleansing Brush

Happy Wednesday, pretties!

I wanted to let you lovely ladies know my thoughts on the Clinique Sonic System Purifying Cleansing Brush. I got this brush as a Christmas present and after using it for the past three weeks, I have to share with you my opinion on it!

I actually didn't even ask for this brush as a gift nor had I been considering purchasing a cleansing brush. My mother is the one who gave it to me. She really loves Clinique's skincare line and has had this brush for several months now. When she first got it, she told me how amazed she was by it and how much she loved it. She was telling me how smooth her skin was and how her makeup applied and looked so much better. She told me that I should get one but I was honestly not that interested. I was a little skeptical because I had heard mixed reviews about using cleansing brushes with acne-prone/sensitive skin. Although the brushes are supposed to improve your skin, I had heard girls saying that it irritated their skin and caused more breakouts. I was still dealing with some pretty bad acne when my mom first mentioned I should try one and after hearing that it can irritate your skin, I didn't even want to mess with that and cause more acne and irritation!

I have had pretty clear skin for a solid couple of months now so when I opened this gift, I was willing to give it a try. If it started to irritate my skin, I would just discontinue using it. But I can honestly say after just one use, I was completely sold on it! I was BLOWN AWAY at how soft my skin felt after just one use! My skin looked fresher and brighter and it has gradually gotten even better each day after these past few weeks! My makeup is applying better and my skin just looks more healthy and rejuvenated. I have had no irritation or breakouts whatsoever. If the results are this great after just a few weeks, I can't wait to see how great my skin will look in the coming months!

Do I wish I would have tried it out months ago when my mom suggested it? Yes and no. In a way, I wish I could have seen if this would have helped my acne if I added it to my skincare routine then. But then again, if it had irritated and broke out my skin even more, I would not have been happy!

If you are in the same boat I was in and considering buying a cleansing brush but are worried about it irritating your skin, you are just going to have to make a judgement call on if you want to try it out or not. I honestly have no idea how my skin would have reacted to it when I had active acne. But I can tell you that this brush is SO gentle. The brush is so soft and not harsh on the skin. On top of acne-prone skin, my skin is also sensitive. Like I said, since using this my skin has not gotten irritated or had any acne breakouts. The directions suggest that you should start using it for 30 seconds and work up to 1 minute. When you push the button to turn it on, it will turn off automatically after 30 seconds. The very first time I used it, I felt like 30 seconds was not long enough so I did it for the full minute. I have been doing it for one minute since the very start and my skin has handled it just fine.

I can't compare this to the Clarisonic because I have never used it. But I think that Clinique's brush is a winner. I don't feel the urge to compare it because I am completely satisfied with the Clinique brush. It is also cheaper than Clarisonic's brushes. Clinique's is $89 and depending on which Clarisonic brush you get, they range anywhere from $99-$249. Clinique recommends replacing the brush head every three months and the replacements are $26. Clarisonic's are similar and are $27-$30 for the replacement heads. Although I am sure Clarisonic's brushes work great, I would highly recommend looking into the Clinique brush!

I am extremely happy with this brush and it has earned a permanent spot in my skincare routine. I am loving how great my skin is looking after just a short amount of time. I will be sure to keep you updated as time goes on! I am thankful my mom just decided to buy me one even though I had been skeptical about it. I guess it's true... Your mother really does know best :)

xoxo Kayla

Friday Five: 11/21/14

Happy Friday, loves! 

Here are the faves from this week:


1. Bioderma Cleansing Water
     You might have seen me post on my Instagram that I grabbed this a few weeks ago. I was so excited to get it because I had heard so many positive things about it. And now that I have given it a fair enough amount of time to test it out, I can say that I absolutely love it! It is definitely worth the hype! This stuff removes any and all makeup! It is perfect for stubborn eye makeup as it removes EVERYTHING. It is even helpful to remove swatches easily, quickly and cleanly when I am taking pictures for my blog. I love how lightweight it feels and doesn't have an oily feel to it. It really does just feel like water on your face! It is paraben-free, fragrance-free, hypoallergenic and perfect for sensitive skin. This stuff is amazing!

Bioderma

2. F-Bomb Lipstick by Urban Decay
      First of all, I need to get more of these Revolution Lipsticks from Urban Decay. After using F-Bomb this week, I was reminded how amazing the formula is! It is so creamy, hydrating and pigmented and I just love it every time I wear it! And F-Bomb is that perfect, classic red. I always tell myself I am going to purchase a couple more but I end up putting it off and I don't know why! I think for how amazing the formula is and what other higher end lines sell their lipsticks at, $22 is an awesome price for these lipsticks. I am going to add a new Revolution Lipstick to my Christmas list tonight ;)

F-Bomb by Urban Decay

Swatch of F-Bomb (natural light)

3. Bellisima blush by Kat Von D
     My Insta friend, Rachel (@rachmcph), posted that she got this blush and it reminded me that I hadn't used mine in a while! And I don't know why because I LOVE this blush! So thank you, Rachel, for reminding me to use it because it is all I have been wearing this week :) It is an absolutely GORGEOUS peachy-coral blush and it is SO pigmented! You hardly need any product on your brush! It is also probably one of the most long-lasting blushes that I own. I am going to add another Kat Von D blush to my Christmas list as well :D (Rachel also has a blog... Click here to check it out!)

Bellisima by Kat Von D

Swatch of Bellisima (natural light)

4. and. 5. Naked 3 palette by Urban Decay and Chocolate Bar Palette by Too Faced
     I am combining the two of these because I have been loving using both of them at the same time to create different eye looks. There are so many shadows that compliment one another from the two palettes. Too Faced and Urban Decay are my favorite when it comes to eye shadows so I am having fun combining the two palettes! "Salted Caramel" from the Chocolate Bar palette is my go-to transition shade and I think "Limit" from the Naked 3 is such a beautiful color! I am also loving "Creme Brulee" from the Chocolate Bar palette - the PRETTIEST bronzy-gold!

Naked 3 palette by Urban Decay

Chocolate Bar Palette by Too Faced

Have a great Thanksgiving week! Can't wait to eat more than I probably should ;)

xoxo Kayla

Find the products I mentioned here:

Bioderma Cleansing Water

F-Bomb by Urban Decay

Bellisima by Kat Von D

Naked 3 by Urban Decay

Chocolate Bar Palette by Too Faced

Kiko Cosmetics: Haul and Review

Hi Pretties!

I have been anxiously awaiting to share Kiko Cosmetics with you for quite some time now! I have refrained from keeping some Kiko products out of my Friday Five a few times because I knew I wanted to wait until I did a post on Kiko for you girls in the USA!

Like I said on my Instagram post, Kiko is an Italian makeup line that has stores located all throughout Europe. While I was living in Italy last year, I discovered it while shopping at the mall with my husband. He actually asked me one of the first times we went shopping if I wanted to stop in and look at the makeup ... and I turned it down! I was just so set on what I liked from Sephora, Ulta, MAC, the drugstore etc that this "Kiko brand" probably wouldn't compare. I was so wrong!

One day, while doing some Christmas shopping, I was like "Alright, I'll go in and see what it is all about". Kiko is super cute and their store has this purple uplighting which just creates a really fun vibe. Every single one of their products is sitting out for you to test and swatch. And even though you can probably see and understand what everything is, it is also so helpful that everything is labeled in English at Kiko. I started swatching and playing with the products and I was so impressed! Kiko has amazing products that are super cheap! Several of their products are under 5 Euros and the majority of it is under 10 Euros! I was ashamed for turning it down and purchased several products that day!

Since being back in Europe, going to Kiko has been one of the things I have been looking forward to after being away from it for 5 months! I ended up picking up some new products and some products I have already tried out previously and wanted to share them with you!

The one downside about Kiko is that everything is labeled as a number. So that makes it kind of boring! I wish they would take the extra step to name the products because they have super cute packaging and pairing them with unique names would be so much more memorable and easy to share with others! You can go on the website and look up the products and their numbers and it gives a name for the product. So I wish they would label them in the store as that! Just because I like you all, I will look up the names for the products that I got :)

Here is what I got from Kiko recently:

Lip Pencils:
#309 Precision Lip Pencil - Crimson Red €2.90
#310 Precision Lip Pencil - Coral Pink €2.90
#503 Automatic Precision Lip Pencil - Hot Pink €3.90

     The first thing on my list was to get a few new lip pencils. I have never really been into lining my lips and only own a few lip pencils. But recently, I have been really into them and trying to define my lips more! I got two regular pencils (that you have to sharpen) and one automatic. For the automatic one, I got #503. It definitely is not hot pink as it is named, but more of a dusty rose. I like that it is creamier than the normal pencils but it is also very fragile and has already broken off a couple of times on me. I will probably stick with the regular pencils from now on. #309 Crimson Red is actually more on the berry side so I thought that would be perfect for fall/winter. And #310 Coral Pink is a pink shade that I thought would be universal for any nude lip. 

Kiko Lip Pencils

Bottom: #503
Middle: #310
Top: #309

Nail Polish:
#239 Nail Laquer - Vermilion Red €3.90
#318 Nail Laquer- Light Mauve €3.90
3-in-1 Shine €4.90

     The next thing I needed was nail polish. When it came down to it while packing, I just didn't have any type of room to be worrying about bringing nail polish out to France with me. I know nail polish isn't going to make a huge difference when it comes to adding weight to luggage, but it is already an art trying to get everything you need to live the next six or seven months of your life to fit into a couple of suticases! Plus, I had already tried nail polish from Kiko and planned on getting some from there when I got here. What's great about Kiko is they let you swatch the nail polish! They provide clear masking tape and you just put a piece on your hand and you swatch the polish. GENIUS!! Of course every girl needs a classic red polish so I grabbed #239 Vermilion Red. I also grabbed #318 Light Mauve because it looked perfect for fall. It is a cool-toned, purple-mauve and I am loving it! Then I grabbed the 3-in-1 Shine because it is a fast drying, base coat and top coat all in one.

Kiko Nail Polishes
Left to Right: #239, #318, 3-in-1 Shine

Purifying Mask: 
     I tried this mask last year and I liked it so much that I decided to grab it again. It is a remineralizing purifying mask that claims to "mattify the skin and minimize skin flaws". I do agree completely that it mattifies the skin and that is why I like it so much. I use it on days where I feel like my skin may be getting a little oily and this helps tremendously. I am not sure that I agree that it helps with skin flaws (I assume they mean acne) as I have never actually used it to treat acne. But regardless if it does not treat acne, at €5.90 I am happy with just using it as a mask to mattify my skin.

Kiko Purifying Mask

Lip gloss:
#126 Super Gloss - Baby Pink €4.90

     I had never purchased a lip gloss from Kiko so I wanted to try one out. I have been wanting to get more of a sheer gloss with a little bit of sparkle to add on top of different lipsticks. This gloss is exactly what I have been wanting! Super sheer and just a TINY bit of shimmer. It looks great with a lot of nude lipsticks and I even like wearing it alone! I think that the formula is great - a tad bit sticky but just only a little bit! I am going to have to purchase more! (I did not include a swatch since it is so sheer and does not show up well on camera)

Kiko Super Gloss #126

Lipstick:
#512 Luscious Cream Lipstick  - Plum €5.00

     I already own several lipsticks from Kiko so I really didn't even need to grab anymore. But hey, it has been a while since I had shopped at Kiko so I decided one was ok to grab one :) They have several different formulas: Creamy, Matte, Sheer, Metallic, Glossy. I decided to grab a Cream lipstick since it is the formula that I like most. I grabbed #512 Plum because it is that perfect plumy-vampy color. Plus, I thought it would go perfect with the #309 lip liner that I got!

Kiko Luscious Cream Lipstick

Kiko Luscious Cream Lipstick #512

Kiko Luscious Cream Lipstick #512

Unfortunately, I do not think Kiko products are available to order online through the US yet. But I do know they have had locations in the New York and Miami areas open this past year. If you are ever near one, I highly recommend checking Kiko out! I don't know if the products will be a little more expensive in the US, but if they are, it will still be decently priced! I am hoping more will start opening throughout the US because I would love for it to be available to me when we are back in the US permanently! And if you are ever in Europe, keep your eyes out for one and definitely stop in!

I hope you enjoyed learning about new products if you have never heard of Kiko before! 

Have a great day!

xoxo Kayla

Friday Five: 10/24/14

Hi ladies! Another Friday which means another Friday Five! I hope you enjoy reading about five different products each Friday to give you an idea for a new purchase... or if you already own them, just hear about how awesome they are again :)

This week it has been all about getting my skin back to normal. Traveling and being in that plane with all that stale, recycled air for so long really does a number on my skin. It is either one extreme of the specrtrum to another of either getting extremely oily or extremely dry. I sometimes get slightly shiny/oily in my T-zone from time to time, but never have to worry about being over-oily and likewise with never having to worry about dry skin. The only time I am effected by it is when I am traveling internationally. Last season when traveling to Italy, my skin got SO OILY for about a week. And this year when traveling to France, my skin got SO DRY for about a week. Apparently my skin just freaks out when I travel! So here is what I have been loving this week to get my skin back in shape!

1. Intense Hydration Day Lotion by Burt's Bees
     I got this little sample in a Birchbox months and months ago. I tried it out a couple of times but essentially, it was forgotten about. Then when I was packing that little baggy you can bring on your carry on with 3oz products or less, I saw this in my drawer and thought "I'll throw this in there since it is the perfect size and maybe I might need a little moisturizing on the go". I am SO HAPPY I decided to bring this along. It has made my dry skin disappear! Like it is named, it is an INTENSE hydration. It is a really thick moisturizer and my skin felt like it was taking a drink of water after applying it! It has a very light, fresh scent and a little bit goes a long way. It has anti-aging properties as well, which is a nice little bonus. After only a couple of days of using this, my skin was significantly better and then completely normal by the end of the week. This would be perfect for girls who have dry skin or get dry skin in the winter months!

Intense Hydration Day Lotion by Burt's Bees

2. Foundation Primer - Protect by Laura Mercier
     To give a little extra moisture to my skin, I have been using this primer this week on the days that I am wearing makeup. It is super hydrating and feels exactly like a moisturizer when applying it. It is has definitely been the most moisturizing primer I have tried. It has been perfect for my dry skin and it is also a very long lasting primer! My makeup looked and stayed great! I also got this as a sample, but it is an amazing sample size! To put it into perspective, Baby Face primer by Maybelline is .67oz and this is .50oz. So almost the same size! I know that Laura Mercier is a little on the pricier side so I am happy I got such an awesome sample size. I also would recommend this to girls who have dry skin!

Foundation Primer - Protect by Laura Mericer

3. Mint Julips Lip Scrub by Lush
     I absolutely love this lip scrub. It gets rid of all the gross, dead skin on my lips and makes my lips so smooth and plump after using it! My lips have also been dry and chapped from traveling, so this has been wonderful for my lips. It smells like mint chocolate and gets the job done so fast. I just take a pea-sized amount of the product and scrub my lips for about 20-30 seconds and my lips are left feeling amazing! If you are looking for a good lip scrub at an affordable price, I highly recommend the Lush lip scrubs! They offer it in different flavors (Popcorn, Bubblegum or Santa - which is cola flavored) and are made of natural ingredients!

Mint Julips Lip Scrub by Lush

4. Mongongo Nutrient Dense Anti-Aging Lip Conditioner by Jersey Shore Sun
       To follow up the lip scrub, I have been using this lip conditioner. I got it in my Ipsy bag a couple of months ago. At first I wasn't all that crazy about it. The smell isn't terrible by any means but it just isn't my favorite. The scent is "Mandarin Green Orange Ginger" and I just would prefer something more minty, vanilla or berry (They do offer a coconut vanilla, which I would definitely like). But the scent isn't a deal breaker and this is exactly what my lips have been needing. It is SUPER hydrating and moisturizing and it lasts for a very long time on the lips. I absolutely love how it makes my lips feel! I also like that it is organic and has anti-aging properties. The lip scrub and this lip conditioner have tremendously helped my dry, chapped lips this week!

Mongongo Nutrient Dense Anti-Aging Lip Conditioner by Jersey Shore Sun

5. Therapeutic Sulfur/Acne Treatment Masque by Peter Thomas Roth
     Since I have acne-prone skin, I was really worried that I would break out from traveling. The day of my flight, I used this as a masque to really give my skin a deep cleanse just so I knew I was taking that extra step to make sure I was starting out my travel on a good note. After I was done traveling, I immediately showered when I got to our new home and used this masque again to deep clean all that yucky stuff that accumulated on my face from traveling. I think by doing this really helped my skin. I did end up getting only a few blemishes in the next couple of days, but I just used this as a spot treatment and it helped to clear them right up! I absolutely love this masque and it does wonders for my skin!

 Therapeutic Sulfur/Acne Treatment Masque by Peter Thomas Roth

Have a fabulous weekend, lovelies!

xoxo Kayla

Find the products I mentioned here:

Intense Hydration Day Lotion by Burt's Bees

Foundation Primer - Protect by Laura Mercier 

Mint Julips Lip Scrub by Lush

Mongongo Nutrient Dense Anti-Aging Lip Conditioner by Jersey Shore Sun

Therapeutic Sulfur/Acne Treatment Masque by Peter Thomas Roth

Skincare For My Acne-Prone Skin

Hi Beauties!

I wanted to do a skincare post and share what my must-have, essential products are for my acne-prone skin. It is more of a personal post as I share about my acne struggle so it might get a little long! I will start by saying that just as I have stated about how one makeup product might work for one person and not for another, I believe that ten times more when it comes to skincare. Everyone's skin is different and everyone has their own requirements for what their skin needs. This is just what I have found to work for me and wanted to share it with you!

Just for a little background... for about a year now I have been struggling with adult acne. It has been a frustrating and embarrassing year. Ever since high school, I was blessed with only dealing with typical, minimal acne. I never had more than a pimple or two, here and there, and it was never something I worried about. Then last fall, I started getting terrible acne on my back. It literally covered my entire back and it was this dry, itchy acne that just seemed to get worse and worse. Then this past spring, I started getting it on my face. I could at least tolerate the back acne since no one would see it, but then it went to my face and I was devastated. It started on my chin and then just went all over my face, especially impacting my chin and cheeks. It is such a defeating feeling to know that you are trying so hard to take good care of your skin and nothing is working to make it better. But finally, I have found a skincare routine that works for me and I am so thankful. My back acne has completely cleared up (have only minimal scarring left) and my face is finally clearing up (I still get a few blemishes and have some scarring still). I have tried sooo many different skincare products over the past year and constantly looking on YouTube/blogs to see what other girls have used to help their acne. I have finally found some products that are really, truly working for me and I wanted to share what those products are. My routine does not match anyone's I have seen through YouTube/blogs but maybe one or two of the products that I use might work for you as well! (As a side note - I have been visiting a doctor about my acne and I do take an antibiotic that has helped my skin tremendously as well.)

These are six skincare products that I use daily and don't know what I would do without them!:

Paula's Choice Clear Pore Normalizing Cleanser
     I absolutely love Paula's Choice. Amazing skincare line. Everything is fragrance free with no added dyes. I love using this cleanser as my makeup remover (I usually only use this at night). It is a great cleanser targeted for blemish-prone skin to remove dirt, oil and makeup. It doesn't cause dryness and it reduces the redness of my post-acne marks and active acne that I have. It also helps to minimize the appearance of my pores which is really why I love it so much. I can really tell a difference in the look of my pores after using this cleanser. It is just a great cleanser to get rid of all the dirt, makeup and gross stuff from the day! My skin already feels so much better after just this first step at night.

Paula's Choice Clear Pore Normalizing Cleanser

Murad Clarifying Cleanser
    This is the cleanser I use to treat my acne and I use it morning and night. My skin reacts really well to salicylic acid and this cleanser has 1.5%. I must say though, when I first started trying it, I didn't think I was going to like it. It smells exactly like a lime margarita and I didn't really want my facial cleanser to smell like that! I have gotten past the scent though and don't even notice it anymore. I am glad I decided to continue to use it because it is an amazing cleanser. It is a gel cleanser that is clinically proven to reduce 99.9% of surface bacteria in less than a minute. It also claims that it "treats and prevents acne breakouts with time-released medication that remains active for hours, even after rinsing". It has Green Tea Extract to provide anti-redness and Menthol to provide cooling and soothing. It feels so refreshing. My skin has never become dry or irritated while using this cleanser. This cleanser helped my back acne dramatically. After a couple of weeks of use, my back was starting to clear up rapidly and after a couple of months, it was completely gone! My face has taken a little longer than my back to clear up, but I truly believe that this cleanser has helped my face as well. It continues to get better and better and I wouldn't want to use a different cleanser!

Murad Clarifying Cleanser

Clean and Clear Deep Cleaning Toner
     For quite a while I was not using a toner. I found that whenever I tried one out, they would really dry out my skin and have a burning sensation. I decided to give this toner a try because it is a formula for sensitive skin. It is so gentle. I use it morning and night and it has never dried out my skin. I love it because it is an extra step after cleansing that gets any extra dirt/oil that may be left in my pores. I also like it because it has a little bit of salicylic acid (0.5%) so it is also treating my acne as well. It just feels so deep-cleaning and refreshing. I really recommend trying this affordable toner out if you have sensitive, acne-prone skin.

Clean and Clear Deep Cleaning Toner

     

Clean and Clear Dual Action Moisturizer
     I actually got the Clean and Clear moisturizer and toner because my doctor had recommended this moisturizer. She said it would be good for my skin because of that small amount of 0.5% salicylic acid in it. I had been using more higher end moisturizers and just wasn't really impressed with any of them so I decided to give this one a try since it did have the acne treatment in it. I have been using it morning and night and been loving it. The formula is great. It is neither greasy nor drying. It just sinks right into the skin. Like the toner, it is not harsh on my skin whatsoever. I like that even after cleansing, I am still treating my acne with my toner and moisturizer, but it isn't an overwhelming amount of the salicylic acid. I was skeptical about using drugstore acne treatment but I really like these two products from Clean and Clear and they have worked for me.

Clean and Clear Dual Action Moisturizer

BareMinerals Biolucent Mineral Brightening Treatment
     This product has truly saved my skin. One day in July, I didn't have any makeup on and I had to go run a quick errand. When I was in the car, I looked at myself in the rear view mirror and I was shocked at what I saw. I saw how my skin truly looked like in bright, natural light and it was so much worse than I thought it was. It wasn't the acne that I was shocked about, it was all the post-acne scars I had. I knew I had these marks but I truly was able to see how bad they were in the natural light. My face was just covered in red/purple marks. I was so upset and it was probably one of the lowest points for me in this whole acne struggle. Then shortly after, I saw one of my favorite YouTubers, Kayleigh Noelle, talk about this product on her channel. She has been dealing with acne for years and she said this product made her post-acne scars disappear. I knew I had to do something about my post-acne scarring and decided I would see if this would work for me too. And I am so happy that it has. The Biolucent Mineral Brightening Treatment diminishes the appearance of dark spots/discoloration while brightening the skin. I just use one pump of it in the morning and one pump of it at night. I either put it on before moisturizing or mix it in with my moisturizer.. just whatever I am feeling! And the results are amazing! It did take about 4 weeks to start noticing a change and after about 6 weeks, I was amazed! (I have been using it for about 2.5 months now) It just keeps getting better and better as I continue to use it. It has cleared up my skin tremendously and just has made the overall appearance of my complexion look so much brighter and healthier. My makeup goes on so much better and I am not using so much because I am not trying to cover up the scars. I only have some scarring left from recent acne and know that it will be cleared up because of this. I don't even want to know what my face would look like if I had never started using this. I wish I had before and after photos to share with you but check out Kayleigh's video here to see her results and her opinion on it too!

BareMinerals Boilucent Mineral Brightening Treatment

Peter Thomas Roth Therapeutic Sulfur/Acne Treatment Masque
     This is another product that has been a lifesaver. I only started using it about a month ago and it has truly blown me away and I only regret I hadn't discovered it sooner! My friend Katie, who I mentioned in my last post, introduced me to this product. She knows about my struggle with acne and said that I must try this out, that it would really help with my acne and that I was going to love it. And um, yes.. I love it!!! I can't live without it now! Like salicylic acid, my skin reacts really well to sulfur. And this masque has 10%!! (No wonder it works so awesome! I was previously using a sulfur mask that only had 6%) This masque is just incredible. You apply it for 5-10 minutes 2-3 times a week and my skin looks so amazing and healthy after using it. It is deep cleaning, oil absorbing, soothing, and literally CLEARS acne! I love using it as a masque, but I love it even more for spot-treatment. If I have a pimple, I will just put some of this on the blemish at night before bed and the next morning it is gone! I know that sounds way too good to be true but it is really that amazing and really does work! I have used GlamGlow and I would, without a doubt, choose this over GlamGlow any day. GlamGlow never worked as a spot treatment for me and this masque gives me much more of a deeper cleaning. If you couldn't already guess, I highly, highly, HIGHLY recommend this masque! :)

Peter Thomas Roth Therapeutic Sulfur/Acne Treatment Masque

If you are struggling with acne, I feel your pain. I know what it is like to wake up in the morning and the first thing that pops in your mind is "I wonder how bad it is today?" and look in the mirror and see a face full of acne. I know it is hard to stay positive but just keep taking care of your skin and it will get better.. It probably won't happen as fast as you want it to, but just be patient. I still have my issues with it. Some days I wake up and my skin is blemish-free and other days I wake up with 4 new friends on my face. I know that it is something I will have to continue to work at but I am so much more thankful for a clear complexion, don't take for granted having clear skin and take so much better care of it. Even if these product suggestions aren't for you, I hope you were at least able to find someone to relate to!

Have a fabulous rest of your week!

xoxo Kayla

Find the products I mentioned here:

Paula's Choice Clear Pore Normalizing Cleanser

Murad Clarifying Cleanser

Clean and Clear Deep Cleaning Toner

Clean and Clear Dual Action Moisturizer

BareMinerals Biolucent Mineral Brightening Treatment

Peter Thomas Roth Therapeutic Sulfur/Acne Treatment Masque

Friday Five: 8/22/14

Is it really one of the last weekends of summer?! I can't believe how fast summer went! But then again, it always goes by so quickly! Enjoy what's left! :)

My faves this week:

1. Naked 3 Palette by Urban Decay

     I fell in love with the Naked 3 all over again this week. I have barely used it all summer and I don't even know why I have been neglecting it! I forgot how pretty it was! I am ashamed ;) I have been using it every day and having fun creating different looks each day. Using this palette has reminded me how awesome Urban Decay eyeshadows are and makes me think I need to go check out the new Naked 2 basics palette. Has anyone tried it out yet?!

2. Lovecloud blush by MAC

     In yesterday's haul post, I mentioned how I had just recently gotten this blush. I have been using it all week and it goes PERFECT with the Naked 3 palette! I just think this blush is so gorgeous and I can't get enough of it. Check out my post on the haul to see how pretty the swatch is! If you are looking into a new MAC blush, just get this one! :) It might just be my top favorite blush from MAC!

3. Biolucent Mineral Brightening Treatment by Bare Minerals

     I also posted in my haul yesterday that I had gotten this product. I have just been so happy with the results this week and even today, I feel like my skin is looking better than yesterday! I can only hope it continues! As I said, I will keep you updated on this and how it is working for me. But I think it is safe to say that I have no problem repurchasing this product again if I continue to see the results that I have! If you have any type of discoloration that you would like to correct, I think you would love this as well!

4. Clean Express Eye Makeup Remover (Waterproof) by Maybelline

     This eye makeup remover is amazing! It takes off all of my eye makeup so easily! In the past, I have used removers that just do a terrible job of removing the makeup and it either takes forever to get off or it leaves makeup behind. This definitely does the job! For a while, I was using Sephora's Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover. I really loved it but I felt like every time I went to go repurchase it, it just kept going up in price! I saw this remover by Maybelline at Target and it looked very similar to the Sephora one I was using. It has the two formulas in the bottle that you shake to mix together so I thought I would try it out. It works just as amazing! And it is only $4.99 compared to Sephora's $10.50 (it used to only be $7 when I first started using it!) I would say the Maybelline version is a dupe for the Sephora remover so save the $5.50 and check out the Maybelline Clean Express!

5. Butter Gloss in Eclair by NYX

     In my very first post, I talked about how I loved NYX butter glosses. Well, that still hasn't changed! This week I have especially been loving Eclair. Probably because it just completes the look with the Naked 3 and Lovecloud blush :) This color is so pretty. It is such a universal pink and can go with so many looks. I have been loving this gloss so much that I picked it up this week as part of a gift for my brother's fiancee's birthday so she could have this amazing gloss as well :)

Have a fabulous weekend!

xoxo Kayla