Happy New Year!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!

So it's a new year, and I've finally made the decision to actually put more effort into blogging, and vlogging. I know that I stopped making videos for a very long time and kept telling myself (and you all) that I would start again—but my work and personal life just gets the best of me and I end up having no time to make videos or blog posts. So one of my resolutions (that I really hope to keep), is to make a video and blog post at least once every week to two weeks. I know that's not a lot, but for me, it's a very good start (or restart). I'm looking forward to writing great reviews, filming great tutorials, and meeting lots of beauty junkies in the process :)

Sincerely,

Kelsey

Hope in a Jar, or Funk in a Jar?—An Initial Reaction Review

Hey Critiquers, So recently, I purchased the infamous Hope in a Jar, from QVC. It was included in a set I got for the Clarisonic cleanser. Upon first inspection, it seemed like a very smooth moisturizer packed with potential to become my everyday face lotion. Now, I haven't been using this long enough to give you a credible review on it's results, but I can give you a review on other factors, such as, consistency, smell, initial application, and my initial thoughts. This little treasure (or so it's thought to be called) is priced at a whoping $38 for a 2oz. jar. Its comes in a very sophisticated and clean packaging (which you probably don't care to know, but hey I'm a designer, I live for wonderful packaging), and has a very faint smell to it. Upon initial smelling it seems like it carries a soft, fresh, smell, but after application, that smell changes as fast as teenage boy's hormones. The consistency is very light, and smooth, and I get a cooling sensation when applied, but after about 1 minute of it sinking into your pores, WOW! The smell is simply indescribable. I'm sorry, but it is. I haven't smelled anything like to before, but it is not pleasant at all. Well wait, it kind of reminds me of the smell of a bad car engine, or the exhaust, if you can imagine what that smells like.

So after thinking that maybe QVC sent me an expired jar, I went online and started reading reviews from other Funk in a Jar users to see if anyone has had the same experience. Now let me tell you, I was completely suprised to see that 99% of the reviews I read were filled with women talking about having a love/hate relationship with this product. Here are a few funny ones I read....

 

and then there was this weirdo who must be used to smelling like funk, lol...

 

In addition to the review above, I also read reviews from women who stuck through the smell and actually experienced great results from this moisturizer—and since mine came with a set, and I can't send back just the jar, I'm stuck with it. Also, I recently ran out of my Olay moisturizer, so I guess I will continue to use it. I will continue to post updates on how this stuff works for me, and just some background information on my skin—I have an extremely oily t-zone and I break out alot right in the center of my forehead. So if you have skin similar to mine, it might help to stay tuned for my future updates :)

 

Sincerely yours,
Kelsey

 

Finding Inspiration in All Places

Some people have trouble finding inspiration for anything you can think of. Whether you're looking to produce a new piece for your design portfolio, or simply looking for inspiration for an eyeshadow look (like me). One thing that always stumps me is trying to find a new color palette. Colors are very versatile elements of everyday life, and while it's easy it overlook the beauty of color, it's even easier to just shake your mind clean and see things for what they really are. All it takes is a little concentration.

For example, lets take this photo and try and pull a beautiful color palette from it. Scan the image closely, and select colors that stand out to you.

Here's what I came up with:

Now let's try a picture that's filled with more attractive colors:

The next time you're looking for a bit of color inspiration, and you find yourself struggling to find it....STOP, empty your thoughts, stare at your surroundings (or a picture) with virgin eyes, appreciate, and pull from what you see. Doing this often will make you appreciate your surroundings and the world you live in a lot more. It's inspiring when you can truly see something for its real beauty... Stay tuned for a lot more of these color palette pulls in the future. I might do them weekly, so that you have somewhere to look for inspiration :)

Update & Rambling about my weird face

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and continues to have a Happy Holidays!
I took a bit of a break from updating my blog and posting tutorials on YouTube because I've been super busy with school. I'm in my last year of college so things are getting a bit hetic :-\
But since I'm on my winter break from classes I decided to give you all an update (if you even care..lol).

Sooo I'm going to talk about my wierd face! lol and when I say that I mean the changes my skin makes throughout the year. In the summer, I barely wear makeup on my face because my skin is really oily and the summer heat creates face sweat (ewww). When that face sweat mixes with my foundation, it doesn't make for a good combination. It creates a helluvalot of acne and pisses me off. Acne has always been a big issue for me (as some of you may already know from my previous posts). Not only does it create focal points on my face for people to stare at, but it also lowers my self-esteem. Sometimes I dont want to go out, or I just feel like dragging myself through the day. I get a lot of comments on YouTube (especially on my Dream Liquid Mousse video) from people saying I have flawless skin and I wonder what they're smoking when watching my videos! LOL There's no way I have flawless skin. Sometimes the camera I use to record my videos doesn't capture the real texture of my face, but there are scars and pimples :(

So now that its winter, I'm happier because my face CAN handle all of the crap that's in makeup! lol I still get acne here and there, but not as much as I would get in the winter.

I'm constantly changing my foundation so now I'm using Rimmel's Stay Matte Liquid Foundation. Its super thin, but it hasn't broken me out yet! Hopefully it will continue to work for me.

Until then, check my YT channel, I posted a new tutorial.....Sexy Smokey Eyes....

XOXO,
Kelsey

Review: Revlon ColorStay Brow Enhancer

Ok, so how many of you have very dull, boring, or sparse eyebrows that need some filling in?! I think I saw about 50% of ladies hands go up. I mean c'mon! Let's face it, some of us have beautifully crafted brows that require no work but tweezing or waxing..while others -- like myself -- need to use something to give them a little UMPH!

While paroozing through Target on my lunch break (yes, my lunch break! lol) I ran into this little baby again. I say again because I picked it up in CVS before, but didnt want to pay $10 for it because at the time I was thinking about getting the Anastasia pencil after reading IndianMakeUpDiva's review on it.

But anyway, Target has it for ~$7, so I got it, tried it &&&&&&&&&&& Results?!

I have mixed feelings about this....now, its not a PENCIL its actually tinted wax. So for those of you who have a heavy hand and tend to press color on to your brows so much that you look like Scruff McGruff, then no worries -- this stuff goes on very sheer but it's buildable. The reason I have mixed feelings is because this will fill in your brows to the extent that they look very full && volumptuous, BUT I myself have been trying to master the airbrushy eyebrow look...& I can achieve that better with a brown eyeshadow and a brow brush. Just my personal opinion :\

Like I always say: Try it -- dont like it?! Return it!

But anyway, the brow enhancer also comes with a highlight color to place right under your brows to give them super UMPH! lol I tried it & honestly, I dont like the pinkish color that comes with the medium brown -- at least not for highlight, but I will use it as a base for my eyeshadows, its really creamy. && if it lives up to the ColorStay promise of lasting many hours, then I'll definitely repurchase! Hope this helps!

XOXO,

Kelsey

Initial Reaction: AcneFree vs. ProActiv Solution

Alright Acne Sufferers!
I've been an avid user of ProActiv Solution for the past 2 years. As soon as I used ProActiv, I saw results -- there was no denying that. But I learned the hard way that ProActiv isn't a permanent fix. Once I saw a decrease in the number of pimples on my face, I stopped using ProActiv -- big mistake! About 4 months after I discontinued using the system, I had acne flare ups all over again.

One thing I absolutely hate about ProActiv (& I'm sure many will agree) is the fact that if you want the system for a cheaper price, you have to be a part of their Clear Skin Club. If not, you're going to pay a lot more $$$ buying it elsewhere (like eBay). Soooo with that said, I opted for the longest delivery time of "every 13 weeks" & yet, I still had enough product left over from previous orders. Paying $40-$50 every 13 weeks for a system I couldnt use because I still had a lot left, was really kickin my butt because I'm a broke college student! lol and they always managed to charge my card during my most brokest weeks! lol

So I ended up canceling my membership. After going to CVS and finding AcneFree's Terminator 10 spot treatment (which I wrote a review on), I fell in love with the product. So recently, I went & purchased AcneFree's Severe System -- they advertise this product as working a bazillion times better than ProActiv (due to the 10% benzoyl peroxide). So I took a chance, and I used this stuff everyday for about 1 week. Opinions?
UGH! I abso-freakin-lutely hate this!!! Ok, maybe I'm exaggerating - so I'll break it down.
AcneFree has 4 parts to their system, but Im going to compare the first 3 steps to ProActiv.

1. AcneFree vs ProActiv Renewing Cleanser: AcneFree's cleanser has about 3 microbeads in the entire bottle, while ProActiv's is FILLED with them. Therefore, the AcneFree cleanser offers no kind of "exfoliation".

2. AcneFree vs. ProActiv Toner: I think everyone who has used ProActiv knows that this stuff BURNS THE CRAP OUT OF YOUR FACE! lol, fortunately, AcneFree toner doesnt burn at all. But if you're wierd like me & think that the burning sensation is a good thing & means "its working" then AcneFree wont do a dang thing for you.

3. AcneFree vs. ProActiv Repair Lotion: Ok, so this is where the real diappoinment comes into play. I abosolutely LOVE the feeling of ProActiv's repairing lotion. After burning off my pigmentation in my face with their toner (lol), it feels very cooling to put their lotion on right after. Its very smooth & silky like :) -- But AcneFree on the other hand?? Makeup wearers & sensitive facers BEWARE! I think AcneFree took all the microbeads out their cleanser & put them in their repair lotion. I say this because their lotion HURTS! Its kind of a sand-like texture & I felt like it was ripping my face apart. Not only that, but I think this stuff is like body-heat activated because as soon as I rubbed it in, my face began sweating uncontrollably. I mean my forehead, bridge, nose, and top lip were DRIPPING SWEAT! It was so gross - & there was no way I was going to be able to put on my beloved Everyday Minerals foundation over top of that gunk. So I immediately washed my face off, & AcneFree will be going back to Target :\

Soooo whats the lesson here folks? Well, for me the lesson was "stick with ProActiv" -- but on a plus side...I still recommend you try AcneFree Terminator 10. Put it on at night & that stuff works miracles!

Anyway, hope this helped. Leave a comment if u have questions!

XOXO,
Kelsey

Blistex Takes Lips to a New Level!!!

How many of us are in LOVE with Blistex products?
I remember when I was a little girl my mom would make sure she smeared Blistex all over my lips before I went out to play in the snow - just to be sure my lips stayed nice and moisturized. And ooohhhh that good ole' menthol tingling feeling :)

Well, even though Blistex still produces the #1 lip protectant, they've decided to kick it up a notch like Emeril lol......

Introducing....Blistex Lip Massage!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's still the lip protectant we all know know and love, just with a little UMPHHHHHHH!!!!!

The application tip of the little tube now has a rigged but smooth surface to help "massage" your precious soup coolers! When I saw this is the store, I knew I had to try it. As soon as I purchased it, I cracked open the packaging and rolled it on my lips - HEAVEN! It really does have a "STIMULATING MASSAGE TIP"....I find myself applying this every 10 mins, not because it doesn't last, but because it feels soooooo good gliding on my lips!

For about $2 you can try it too...this product is extremely NEW, seeing as how it isnt even listed on the Blistex website, or any other sites like Drugstore.com, CVS.com, etc. etc. As a matter of fact, I had to do a google search with quotation marks just to find a picture of this product!!! So I hope you'll be able to find it in your local drugstore!

PS: It also has SPF 15!

XOXO,
Kelsey