Moisturizer Review: innisfree brightening & pore-caring cream

Today's review will be for the innisfree brightening & pore-caring cream

Availability: This retails at $33 for 50 ml (1.69 fl. oz.) is available at sephora.com, jcpenny.com, and us.innisfree.com along with  their respective physical  store locations.

Would I buy this?: No.

What is this product designed to address?

According to sephora.com:

What it is: A fresh cream, with vitamin C from Jeju tangerines, which perks up skin’s bright appearance while helping even the look of tone, texture, and pores.

Skin Type: Normal, Dry, Combination, and Oily

Skincare Concerns: Dullness and Uneven Texture, Dark Spots, and Pores

Formulation: Lightweight Cream

Ingredient Callouts: Free of sulfates SLS and SLES, parabens, formaldehydes, formaldehyde-releasing agents, phthalates, mineral oil, retinyl palmitate, oxybenzone, coal tar, hydroquinone, triclosan, and triclocarban. This product comes in recyclable packaging.

What Else You Need to Know: Feel a burst of juicy hydration as you smooth on this skin-cushioning gel-cream. It’s formulated with tangerine peels harvested on Jeju Island, South Korea, which contain four times more vitamin C than the fruit’s flesh to help encourage a bright, even complexion while it cares for pores.

Does it contain any special/beneficial ingredients?

Again, according to sephora.com:
Tangerine Peel Extract: Helps brighten and even out the complexion.

What is the texture like?

This has a soft gelatinous texture.

Is it scented?

This has a clean, citrusy scent.

My overall experience/comments on the product:

This smells nice and feels really refreshing when applied. However, I don't find that it does much in terms of adding radiance to my skin or doing anything for my pores.

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Disclaimer: This was provided as a gift with purchase.

Serum Review: innisfree brightening & pore-caring serum

innisfree brightening & pore-caring serum

Availability: This is available at sephora.com, jcpenny.com and us.innisfree.com as well as their physical store locations along with flip.shop. The retail pricing is $37 for 50 ml (1.69 oz.)

Would I buy this? No. 

What is this product? What is it supposed to do?

Product info according to sephora.com:

What it is: A double-duty serum with vitamin C from Jeju tangerine that perks up skin’s bright appearance while helping even the look of tone, texture, and pores.

Skin Type: Normal, Dry, Combination, and Oily

Skincare Concerns: Dullness and Uneven Texture, Dark Spots, and Pores

Formulation: Lightweight Serum

Ingredient Callouts: Free of sulfates SLS and SLES, parabens, formaldehydes, formaldehyde-releasing agents, phthalates, mineral oil, retinyl palmitate, oxybenzone, coal tar, hydroquinone, triclosan, and triclocarban. This product comes in recyclable packaging.

What Else You Need to Know: This refreshingly-lightweight serum is loaded with ampoule-filled capsules that release brightening ingredients as you apply it. To encourage a bright, even complexion, it’s made with tangerine peels harvested on Jeju Island, South Korea, which contain four times more vitamin C than the fruit’s flesh.

Does this contain any special/beneficial ingredients?

Again, according to sephora.com:

- Tangerine Peel Extract: Helps brighten and even out the complexion.

- Encapsulated Ampoules: Freshly infuse into the essence base with every pump to help brighten the complexion.

What is the texture like?

This has a watery gel texture.

Is this scented?

This has a clean, fresh, slightly citrusy scent. 

What has my experience with the product been like?

I really like the way this feels refreshing going on and its texture is lovely. However, I don't find that this creates a giant difference in terms of my skin's radiance nor does it really do anything for my pores.

Please let me know if you have any comments or questions.

Disclaimer: This was provided as a gift with purchase. 

Exfoliator Review: Dr. Barbara Sturm Facial Scrub

Dr. Barbara Sturm Facial Scrub

Availability: This product retails at $15 for 20 mL or $70 for 100 mL at nordstrom.com, spacenk.com, drsturm.com, bluemercury.com, and macys.com along with their respective physical store locations. You can also purchase this at netaporter.com and shop.goop.com

Would I buy this?: No

Notes: 
According to bluemercury.com:

This refining facial peel removes dry, flaky skin and activates essential skin functions. Vitamin A and purslane, a power-packed active ingredient, promote epidermal regeneration and regulate the keratinization process. The peel also promotes cell renewal, thereby reducing fine lines and improving the appearance of the skin. In addition, Horse Chestnut stimulates the microcirculation and strengthens the blood vessels, while precious silk extracts supply intensive moisture and create an incomparably smooth complexion. The skin is gently calmed, enabling the epidermis to recover with long-lasting effect. The complexion instantly looks more vital, more even and smoother.

Does it contain any special/beneficial ingredients?

Purslane: Has anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, astringent, and wound-healing properties.

Almond Peeling Particles: Have anti-oxidant properties due to the high Vitamin E content in almonds. Helps remove dead skin cells. 

Vitamin A: Promotes cell turnover which helps skin's radiance (by having the old skin cells shed) and clarity (by having dead skin cells shed, so they're not clogging the pores). 

Horse Chestnut Extract: Increases skin's hydration by preventing the breakdown of hyaluronic acid. 

Panthenol: Has antioxidant properties. 

Jojoba oil: Is hypoallergenic and has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. It's also a noncomedogenic oil. 

Shea butter: has hydrating and anti-inflammatory properties.

What is the texture like?

I'd describe the texture as being fine microgranules in a creamy base.

Is this scented?

This doesn't really have much of a scent other than a bit of what I'd describe as that kind of unscented scent that unscented products tend to have. It smells a bit like a clean hotel room or hospital.  

What has my experience with the product been like?

Overall I really like how this is both hydrating and exfoliating at the same time and that it includes ingredients that are anti-inflammatory as the process of exfoliating the skin can be somewhat disruptive and aggravating to the skin itself, causing redness and irritation. That being said though, I think this is just a super pricey creamy scrub and I'm sure I can find something similar for much less. 

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments. 

Disclaimer: This was provided for testing purposes, I am under no obligation to mention it on this blog. 

Moisturizer Review: Supergoop Everyday SPF 50 Sunscreen

Today's review will be for the Supergoop Everyday SPF 50 Sunscreen

Availability: This retails at $10 for 1 fl. oz. (30 ml), $22 for 2.4 fl. oz. (71 ml), $32 for 5.5 fl. oz. (162 ml), or $58 for 18 fl. oz. (532 ml) and can be purchased at sephora.com, nordstrom.com, birchbox.com and bluemercury.com along with their physical store locations; it is also available at dermstore.com and supergoop.com

Would I buy this?: I might.

What is this product designed to address?

According to sephora.com:

What it is: A fast-absorbing, non-greasy, water and sweat-resistant, and broad-spectrum SPF 50 lotion for face and body.

Skin Type: Normal, Dry, Combination, and Oily

Skincare Concerns: Dryness

Formulation: Lotion

Ingredient Callouts: This product is vegan, cruelty-free, reef-safe, and gluten-free.

What Else You Need to Know: This super-lightweight, ultra-moisturizing formula provides high-performance protection from UVA, UVB, and IRA rays and supports skin from photoaging and dehydration. It's also made with natural extracts of citrus, basil, and bois de rose, so you'll leave that typical sunscreen smell behind.

Clean at Sephora

Clean at Sephora is formulated without a list of over 50 ingredients, including sulfates (SLS and SLES), parabens, phthalates, and more. For the full list, check out the Ingredients tab.

Does it contain any special/beneficial ingredients?

Again, according to sephora.com:
-Sunflower Extract: Rich in beta carotene and helps protect your skin from external environmental elements.
-Rosemary Leaf Extract: Has a calming effect on the skin and is rich in antioxidants.

What is the texture like?

This has somewhat of a traditional sunscreen feel to it - it isn't as heavy but overall feels like a mid-weight, creamy moisturizer.

Is it scented?

This has a rosemary note to it, overall I'd describe the scent as being rosemary with that nutty/creamy Vitamin E scent.

My overall experience/comments on the product:

Overall, this was decent in terms of scent and texture. I like that it's a high SPF and is coral reef safe. That said, I think it's pretty pricey especially if you take into account that you're meant to reapply the product several times throughout the day.

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Disclaimer: This was provided for testing purposes - I am under no obligation, nor am I getting compensated, to post it on this blog. 

Urban Decay Naked Honey Palette Look

Hey folks, today I bring you a bright a softly smoky golden look.

Enough blabbering, tutorial time!

I  applied the blush from the Lune+Aster Desert Moon Palette as a base for Hourglass Nude Glow Blush with my Sephora Collection Pro Mini Airbrush 55.5. I also applied illuminator from the Lune+Aster Desert Moon Palette as a base for Hourglass Metallic Strobe Powder in Champagne Strobe Light using my Sephora Collection #74 PRO Small Blush and Contour brush.

As a base for my eyeshadow I applied MAC Bare Study Pro Longwear Paint Pot and blended it out with my Crown Pro C511 brush.

For the crease I applied Hive along with Sting with the Sonia Kashuk Essential Blending Crease Brush No. 273 and Crown Pro C511 Brush, respectively.

For the lid  I applied Golden wet using the innisfree nourishing mist with canola honey (haha, appropriate honey-themed spray too :P) and  my  Crown Pro C510 brush. 

To highlight the brow-bone and the inner corner of the eye I applied Flyby using my no-name gigantic paddle brush from Crown and Crown Pro C528 brush, respectively. 

For eyeliner, I went with the L'Oreal Infallible Flash Cat Eye Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner in Black. For the waterline I applied Colourpop Creme Gel Liner in Cry Baby.

For the lower lash line, I applied Queen and blended it out with Honey using my Bubbi Detail brush.

The look sans lashes. 

For lashes I used  Colourpop Falsies Faux-M-G Lashes in Bae along with the Duo Quick Set Striplash Adhesive.

For lips, I applied the One Love Organics Skin Savior Multi-Tasking Wonder Balm.

Hope that you liked this! :D It was super fun for me to put together! 

Please let me know if you have any comments or questions. 

Disclaimer: The Sephora 55.5 brush, One Love Organics, Hourglass and Lune+Aster products were provided for testing purposes.  I paid for everything else you see here myself. 

Urban Decay Naked Honey Palette Review

Behold the Naked Honey Palette

Availability: This is available at ulta.com, sephora.com, and macys.com along with their physical store locations along with urbandecay.com. It retails at $49 for 12 shadows at 0.95 oz. each.

Would I buy this?: No.

Notes: I think this is such a beautiful palette and is very versatile as well. There was a lot of speculation that since the original Naked palette is no more that this was meant to be its reincarnation or repackage... I disagree, in my opinion the original Naked palette is cooler-toned in comparison to this. 

Without further ado, swatchfest!

Flyby is a pearly off-white. 

Sweet is  a matte nude-y beige.

Swarm is a matte yellowish beige.

Amber is a rosy amber.

Keeper is a matte warm yellowish brown. 

Golden is a metallic gold. 

Honey is a metallic yellow gold.

Queen is a metallic bronze brown. 

Hive is a matte mid-tone warm brown.

Drip is  a matte mid-tone reddish brown. 

HBIC is  a soft golden copper.

Sting is a warm milk chocolate. It kind of looks like cocoa powder.

Please let me know if you have any comments or questions.

Disclaimer: I bought this myself.