Polished Perfectly

June 9, 2014

Review: Maybelline Baby Skin

Maybelline Baby Skin ($6.99 for 1.0 oz.) is a primer that claims to instantly erase pores and smooth skin to give you a baby skin appearance. Maybelline's other primer, the Instant Age Rewind is one of my all-time favorites and I never got around to trying out this one until recently.

While it doesn't even out my complexion when it comes to redness, acne scarring, veins, etc., I think it does what it claims to do and almost airbrush your skin and leave it feeling baby soft. I probably won't re-purchase it because it doesn't do a good job of evening out my skin tone, but if you're looking for an easy everyday primer, this could be a good match for you.

June 8, 2014

Beauty Sales: Week of June 8th

Gilt:

Mario Badescu (Sale begins Noon ET 6/12)

HauteLook:

Faces Beautiful Cosmetics, Vivant Skin Care (Sales begin 8am PT 6/8)
Donna Bella Argan Haircare, #ManiMonday: gelliebeansGel Nails, Rae Cosmetics (Sales begin 8am PT 6/9)
NYX Cosmetics, RapidLash (Sales begin 8am PT 6/10)
Jose Eber Hair Tools, Summer Scents, Travalo Atomizers & Rollerballs (Sales begin 8am PT 6/11)
MyChelle Skincare, Swissco (Sales begin 8am PT 6/12)
Erno Laszlo, Ready to Wear Cosmetics, Somme Institute, TanTowel (Sales begin 8am PT 6/13)
Belletto Studio Airbrush Makeup, Derm Mens Skincare (Sales begin 8am PT 6/14)

MYHABIT:

Gotta Have It: Luxe Fragrances (Sale begins 9am PT 6/8)
De-Stress & Relax: Body & Bath Products (Sale begins 9am PT 6/10)
Stunning Skin: Face & Body Care (Sale begins 9am PT 6/12)

Rue La La:

Brilliance New York (Sale begins 11am ET 6/11)
dr. brandt skincare (Sale begins 11am ET 6/13)
Summer Beauty Must-Haves: Makeup, Skincare, & More (Sale begins 11am ET 6/14)

June 7, 2014

Link Love: June 1-7

My Current Skin Care Basket [herlatenightcravings]

5 Surefire Ways to Wreck Your Social Media Network [Entrepreneur]

A Brief History of Men Wearing Makeup [Refinery 29]

Lemon Thyme Cake [Spoon Fork Bacon]

UO x Converse: Herald Square [Urban Outfitters Blog]

'You Did Not Eat That' Shames Skinny Women For Instagramming Food [HuffPost Women]

June 6, 2014

Products I've Used Up #4

Lush Snow Fairy Shower Gel: I received a $20 gift card to Lush around the holidays and knew that I had to pick up two medium bottles of this during their after Christmas sale. I couldn't resist using one up, but I'll be saving the other one for a while longer.

Nature's Bounty Fish Oil: Kind of random to include, but these are a part of my everyday routine because I've been taking fish oil for a few years now.

Clarisonic Acne Brush Head: I didn't feel like this specifically did anything to fight or prevent my acne so I'm currently trying the Deep Pore Brush Head to see how it compares.

DDF Acne Control Treatment: I purchased this from Myhabit last summer and to my disappointment when I received it, it had expired. I used it for a brief period before realizing it really wasn't doing anything for me because it had expired already.

Viva La Juicy Perfume: This was one of my favorites but it was pretty old and didn't smell like itself anymore so I purchased a mini version to use for now before possibly repurchasing this.

Sephora Smoothing Body Scrub: I wasn't too impressed with this, most likely because it didn't live up to my favorite scrub.

TRESemmé 7 Day Keratin Smooth Conditioner: I really enjoyed using this sample conditioner! It definitely smoothed out my hair and lasted more then 7 washes even with my thick hair.

Mario Badescu Whitening Mask: I've had this for quite some time and it was finally time to throw it out because it was getting a little too dry. I haven't used it much recently but when I used it in the past, it definitely worked.

Broadway Nails imPRESS Manicure 'It Girl': I really like these imPRESS Nails because I find that they do stay on for a couple of days before getting a little too loose on your nails.

Betamethasone Lotion: This is my post-shampoo treatment and I hate it but it's something I've got to use.

TRESemmé 7 Day Keratin Heat Activated Treatment: I really enjoyed this product! Just like the shampoo (see above) it lasted more than 7 uses and I got almost 3 weeks of use out of that tiny tube. It smelled great and really smoothed my hair.

Clean & Clear Morning Burst Hydrating Gel Moisturizer: I bought this to compare to the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel, but it just didn't live up to it. I don't think this is something I'll be repurchasing again.

Neutrogena Makeup Remover Wipes: After not using these for a little bit, I found that when I returned to using them, I'm not a huge fan of the scent. Unfortunately, I think I have one extra pack that I need to use up before trying something else out.

MAC Stud Eyebrow Pencil: Like I've mentioned before, this is my staple makeup product and one of the first steps I do when doing my makeup.

Gillette Satin Care with a Touch of Olay Shave Gel: There's not much to say about this because for me it was just another shave gel.

Catwalk by TIGI Session Series Transforming Dry Shampoo: This is up there with the best dry shampoos I've ever used. It smells amazing and I always get complimented on my hair scent when using this, and best of all it actually works at slacking up the oil.

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Primer: I really enjoyed using this primer, but I'm going to head to the drugstore to pick up something new that I can compare it to.

White Barn Eucalyptus Mint Candle: This smelled pretty good and had a good scent throw for such a small candle. I like these little ones because I can get sick of a scent pretty easily and these pretty much get rid of that!

Secret Outlast Unscented Deodorant: This is one of my favorite deodorants and one I can see myself repurchasing once I finish up the new ones I'm testing out now.

Dove Toning Visible Care Body Wash: This is probably my all time favorite body wash and when I use up the regular Dove body washes I currently have, I'll definitely be getting this again.

eyeko Skinny Mini Liquid Eyeliner: Personally, I'm not a fan of gel or liquid liners because they're not as easy to correct if I make a mistake like pencil or powder which can be more easily smudged. This felt dry from the start and quickly got drier and drier until it was unusable.

Olay Fresh Effects {Everything Off!} Makeup Remover Wipes: These are definitely a new favorite makeup remover wipe and I'll be repurchasing them again soon.

June 4, 2014

Review: HUM Nutrition

Hum Nutrition is a new dietary supplement line that can now be purchased at Sephora. With everything from a high-powered fish oil to a dual-action skin and hair booster, their 24 supplement line includes something for you. All of their products are gluten free, contains no GMOs, sustainably sourced, recommended by leading nutritionists, and have fun names and bright packaging. In addition, they are all fully vegan/vegetarian, and contains no artificial ingredients. HUM recommends taking their supplements for at least 3 months to see the products full effects and I've been taking them for just 2 weeks so while I know full results have not been achieved yet, I hope this is helpful in letting you know what I think so far.

Here Comes the Sun ($20) boosts sun-craving skin. It is packed with the leading ingredient D3, which is essential for calcium absorption, skin protection, and healthy bones and teeth. Its formula is free of parabens, sulfates, or phthalates. Each bottle contains 120 softgels, meant to be taken once daily with food.

I feel like of the two I am trying, this will be the more difficult of the two to see if its benefits are actually working for me. I don't typically get a lot of sun since I work indoors and when I am not at work (which is rare over the summer) I am indoors doing blog work, so it's nice to know that I am getting my Vitamin D for the day.

Killer Nails ($20) works to support longer and stronger hair and nails. Each bottle contains 60 capsules, meant to be taken once daily with food. Its key ingredient is biotin is a water soluble B-complex vitamin necessary for cell growth and the production and metabolism of fat into amino acids. It has been specially formulated for HUM in a high potency vegan formula without parabens, sulfates, or phthalates.

So far so good with this one as well. While I think it is still a little early to tell how well this is working so far, I have noticed that my nails are growing faster than before which is saying a lot considering at work they usually break pretty quickly but they are definitely withstanding more than before I began taking the supplement.

I was sent these for consideration from HUM Nutrition but am not being influenced by any opinions but my own.

June 2, 2014

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things: May 2014

Olay Fresh Effects {Everything Off!} Make-Up Removal Cloths // Clinique Acne Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel // Dove Advanced Care Deodorants in Nourished Beauty & Pink Rosa // Maybelline Color Elixir 'Blush Essence' // Whish Shave Savour Hair Inhibiting Gel // Body Shop Chocomania Body Scrub // Dole Banana Dippers

Olay Fresh Effects {Everything Off!} Make-Up Removal Cloths: I hadn't tried anything else out from this line so when I saw these on sale at CVS recently I decided to pick them up. While I'm not a huge fan of the scent, the wipes themselves are gentle and remove your makeup without irritation.

Clinique Acne Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel: I recently picked this up during the Sephora VIB Sale last month, and it's working wonders for my skin. It gets rid of spots quickly without over drying my skin.

Dove Advanced Care Deodorants in Nourished Beauty & Pink Rosa (℅): I've been testing these out since early May and I'm really enjoying both formulas I have so far. They moisturize underarms to provide softer and smoother underarms in 3 days and I have definitely seen a difference in the softness and darkness of my underarms since using these and I'm excited to see how they continue to change. Overall, I'd definitely give these a try if you're looking to try a new deodorant for the summer. They provide 48-hour odor and wetness protection in a variety of scents. Check out my full review here.

Maybelline Color Elixir 'Blush Essence': Creamy and luxurious, these combo gloss-balm-lipstick's provide non-sticky pigmented color. I got them in two colors at BeautyCon (expect a full review coming soon) and I love them!

Whish Shave Savour Hair Inhibiting Gel (℅): I've been so obsessed with this lately! That's all I'll say here, check out this full review I did last week.

Body Shop Chocomania Body Scrub: This smells amazing and although it's a little heavy for the upcoming summer months, I've been enjoying it nonetheless.

Dole Banana Dippers: These are the perfect satisfying snack at the end of the day. One pack of dippers is really all you need to satisfy a late-night sweet-tooth craving.

I participated in an Influencer Program on behalf of Mom Central for Dove. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for participating.

June 1, 2014

Beauty Sales: Week of June 1st