Complex Beauty Ocean Potion Mask Review

Face masks are one of those really great skincare products that can take your skincare to the next level. There’s a mask for every need, that addresses every concern, and you can do other things while you’re letting one sit and work its magic. One brand I’ve mentioned on my Instagram is Complex Beauty, which is cruelty free, and vegan! I’ve been focusing a lot more on hydrating, soothing masks lately, since my skin is dehydrated and a lot more sensitive than I thought. So, I decided to test the Complex Beauty Ocean Potion mask to see how a replenishing mineral mask could help my skin.

complex beauty ocean potion mineral mask, replenishing, hydrating and soothing


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Hydrating Versus Moisturizing in Skincare

The skincare industry has managed to start getting people on the moisturizer bandwagon, even the stubborn people with oily skin who blanched at the idea of somehow adding moisture to their skin (yes hello, talking about me). But now, another nebulous and frankly nearly identical sounding word has cropped up: hydrating. They seem to mean the same thing, and often moisturizers are described as hydrating. But there is a difference in hydrating vs moisturizing in skincare.

And it’s actually kind of a big difference.



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ELF Beauty Shield Recharging Magnetic Mask Review

ELF has really been stepping up their skincare game lately, coming out with full lines that are also vegan. It can be hard to pick where to start sometimes, so I usually go for the type of products that I don’t already have in my collection. In this case, it was their Beauty Shield Recharging Magnetic Mask.

I have a few face masks, but none quite like this.

elf beauty shield collection

Some Background

ELF describes their Recharging Magnetic Mask as purifying, brightening, and pore minimizing. Including ingredients such as antioxidants, carrot seed oil, sunflower seed oil, vitamins C and E, and argan oil, this mask is all about replenishing and purifying your skin. The color is due to the iron powder, which is what makes this mask magnetic (duh).

I have a number of masks that are all about acne fighting and clarifying, but I haven’t been focusing so much on giving back to my skin through nourishing masks. So, I set out to test this mask on how well it maintained the health of my skin, and maybe if it would help heal the breakouts that I am so prone to.

Testing

For two weeks, I used this mask once every 2-3 days, leaving it on for 10 minutes. ELF recommends using the scoop side of the wand to apply the product, leaving it on for 5-10 minutes, and then using the magnetic head of the wand to remove it by lightly ‘gliding’ the head over the mask. No muss, no fuss, they even include covers to put over the wand so you can simply pull off the cover and leave the magnet head clean. They don’t recommend washing your skin off after use.

Full disclosure, taking this mask off is probably the most satisfying thing I’ve done, skincare-wise. Still doesn’t beat peeling the plastic off electronics though, but it is close.

Results

Overall, I’m fairly happy with the results. I did notice that my complexion was brighter, and more hydrated. Using it was easy, cleanup was an absolute breeze, and it felt incredibly comfortable while I had it on. This is probably one of the least messy and most fun masks I’ve used. As far as performance goes, I’m pretty satisfied.

I originally got the kit which came with a jar and the wand, but on ELF’s site you can get just the mask refill, which also comes with 20 replacement covers for the wand head.

elf magnetic mask results

Final Thoughts

I have a couple pieces of input though.

First, this mask has dimethicone in it, which can be pore clogging, particularly for those with sensitive skin. It’s the ingredient in so many pore filling primers. I would describe the Recharging Magnetic Mask more as pore blurring for that reason, rather than pore minimizing. Niacinamide is one of the few ingredients that has actually been credited with ‘minimizing’ pores, but this mask does not contain that. Since they do not recommend washing your face off afterwards, this acts more like a pore filling primer, in my opinion.

Second, this product ran out quickly. I was out within two weeks. This may have been due to me overusing product, so I may try this again and use it more sparingly. At $24 for the kit, I had hoped it would last a bit longer, and that the jar would have been full- mine was not. The ‘refill’ is only $14 in comparison, which gives me the feeling you’re paying $10 extra for the wand.

Finally, the covers. They’re single use plastic covers, and likely cannot be recycled, especially once they’ve been used. Frankly, I consider them unnecessary, and are included more for convenience than out of need. I think that it would be better that these be optional, rather than included in every refill. I would rather just wash off the wand, which is what I did. If you really want to use something to cover the wand, just use a tissue or something like that.

The Magnetic Recharging Mask was definitely fun to use, and I did see some benefit to using it. If you have an extra $24 and a sense of whimsy, this is a great leisure buy. However, considering how quickly it ran out, the covers, and the ingredients, I think there are better alternatives that you could explore first.

Have you tried this one? What did you think of it?

Skincare Tips for Acne Prone Skin

Acne prone skin can be very difficult to deal with, particularly when so much information seems conflicting about how to handle it. Between doing your makeup, then your skincare routine, there are a lot of opportunities to make breakouts worse, not better. I’ve already pointed out some makeup tips for acne prone skin, but what about with skincare? Preventing breakouts is the best option, but often we’re stuck with breakouts that we may be irritating further. Come check out these skincare tips for acne prone skin.

Pacifica, Glossier

Don’t over-exfoliate (and try to avoid physical exfoliants).

When you’re dealing with breakouts, your skin is already stressed and prone to further breakouts or damage. While exfoliation can help lift the top layer of dead skin cells and allow treatments to penetrate, your skin needs time to recover. Not giving your skin that recovery period, about a week depending on what you use, can do more harm than good.

Also, consider not using physical exfoliants during particularly bad breakouts or with broken skin. These can cause microtears in the skin, which allows for the spread of bacteria, and cause further breakouts.

Minimize your routine.

If you have more than just a cleanser, toner/treatment, and a moisturizer, there’s a chance that you’re overwhelming your skin. When you throw so much at your skin, possibly with ingredients that counteract each other, the benefits can be lost. If you’re having an intense breakout, try and limit what goes on your skin to prevent irritation or congestion. Especially if you use multiple serums or several chemical treatments.

It can be very tempting to throw everything you have at your skin. But once it hits max capacity, it won’t be able to take on everything you put on it effectively. Using numerous, possibly contradictory, steps can make it difficult to know what may be agitating your skin, as well.

Moisturizers are your best friend.

Oily skin and acne often go hand in hand, and there’s a general concern of using moisturizers on already oily skin. However, using a moisturizer if you’re acne prone can actually help your skin heal more efficiently, and potentially limit breakouts in the future.

Providing your skin with the moisture it “knows” it isn’t getting can, over time, help reduce sebum production. Lower sebum production means less oil in pores and ultimately fewer breakouts. It’s also important as breakouts can become very dry and irritated, and the added moisture allows for the skin to heal better and absorb treatments more easily.

So is sun protection.

It’s hard to avoid the sun if you leave your home at all, and as UV rays can damage the skin, it can also irritate breakouts. That means that your skin isn’t just trying to heal from acne, but also from UV damage. Using a sunscreen will help limit that damage and allow your skin to heal better.

Going with the previous tip, finding a moisturizer and sunscreen combo is an effective option to limit two steps into one.

Avoid alcohol (the ethyl kind).

if you ever go into the drugstore and check the ingredient list on acne focused skincare, you’re probably going to find some form of alcohol higher on the list. Remember, the higher something is on the ingredient list, the higher concentration.

Alcohol dries the skin horribly, and for those with breakouts that does nothing but irritate them further. It can lead to flaking, irritation, and possibly scabbing should the breakout pop as they often do naturally. Look for gentler skincare products, without alcohol, to treat acne prone skin.

Be aware of broken skin.

I mentioned this earlier, but broken skin is any skin that has somehow lost its protective layer. You see this a lot when acne pops, generally when someone pops it themselves, or in the healing of cystic acne. The skin will scab as the body tries to repair the damage done by the bacteria.

Broken skin is the most vulnerable skin, as its a direct line from the outside of the body to the inside. Things can go septic, infections can start, there’s just a whole mess of things that can happen at this point. It’s also one way your skin develops acne scars. It’s critical that should you find any broken skin, that you focus on treating it first and foremost.

Skip the harsh treatments, don’t exfoliate, and focus on soothing and hydrating. If you continue to stress those broken areas, it will take them double the time to heal and it will not heal in the best way possible. Worse, if you continue to break the skin, bacteria will spread further.

Oils are not the enemy.

In a similar vein to moisturizers, oils seem to be one of those things that people with oily skin avoid, when it’s something they should consider using in their routine. Moisturizers are wonderful as they retain moisture for the skin, but oils are a little more high powered, and can deliver more moisturization coupled with effective soothing treatments

An excellent oil to consider is one with blue tansy, as it is very soothing and helps calm redness and irritation. The vitamins found in certain oils promote overall skin health and healing, and can be very beneficial in treating acne and excess oil production. I tend to recommend using an oil at night, as it gives the skin time to absorb it when your skin is doing most of its healing. It could be the boost your moisturizing step needs.

What are some ways you help your skin when you’re having breakouts?

The Layers of Cruelty Free

With so many companies honestly- and not so honestly- claiming to be cruelty free, I thought it would be helpful to talk about what cruelty free actually means. Or, rather, how people determine what a company’s cruelty free status is realistically. There are a lot of different ways that people define what cruelty free is, as “We do not test on animals” is often not a complete answer.

Many points exist along the line of the production and manufacturing process at which animals can be harmed. There are also a lot of points after the process that animals can come to harm as well. I wish, really and truly wish, that the phrase was more effectively regulated but it simply isn’t. And, frankly, a lot of brands use that to their advantage. So let’s talk about what makes up “cruelty free” status.

cruelty free

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Wet n Wild PhotoFocus Foundation and Powder Review

*As of May 2019, Wet n Wild is no longer considered cruelty free. For a full explanation of the situation, please see this post on Logical Harmony.*

Foundation tends to be one of the more important products in your makeup routine. It’s the most visible part, and helps create the canvas for the rest of your look. It also happens to be one of the hardest to find a great match. For a long time, general consensus was that you got what you paid for, and great foundations wouldn’t be found in the drugstore.

But lately, options have been booming, though cruelty free options are still somewhat sparse at the drugstore level. So, when I found the Wet n Wild PhotoFocus Foundation and Powder, I was really excited! Some have called it a dupe for the Estee Lauder Double Wear, which I have used and loved in the past, but had to eschew due to their animal testing policy. After testing it out for a few weeks, how did it hold up?

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7 Makeup Tips for Acne Prone Skin

When thinking of skincare, our makeup products don’t usually land on the radar. It’s so easy to forget that the makeup we wear affects our skin very directly. And when you have acne or certain skin conditions, it’s best to be extra careful of what makeup you use and how you use it. Sometimes, your routine can make such conditions worse, especially when you wear makeup to cover it. And it doesn’t help when most makeup tips for acne prone skin only make the situation worse.

However, there are actually quite a few things you can do to make an acne focused makeup routine more effective. Most are quite easy, and a couple require just a little tweaking to your individual needs. Here are 7 makeup tips for acne prone skin.

makeup for acne, how to cover acne, how to cover acne with makeup, makeup for acne prone skin, makeup tips for acne prone skin

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September 2018 Beauty Favorites

This is the first time all year that I’ve really been consistent in using skincare and makeup. It’s definitely been that kind of year, gotta love it. And honestly, it’s been so fun really kind of pampering myself. It’s also given me the chance to break out some oldies but goodies, and try out some new things that I’d been sitting on. In the process, I’ve definitely (re)discovered a few favorites along the way.

It’s been a long month, for a lot of people. There’ve been a lot of high energy astrological events, the Brett Kavanaugh hearings, and personally I had a lot going on. Work was very tough this last week, and I’m grateful that I had this past weekend to relax a bit- and sleep in until 1 on Saturday. I’m also grateful, and proud, that I’ve been more consistent with content, even if only mostly on Instagram. Without further ado, let’s get into my beauty favorites for September.

Tarte, tartelette palette, wet n wild, NYX, NYX cosmetics, tarabusi creek, bite beauty, soul Sunday, essential oils, essential oil rollerball, bite beauty

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Pixi Beauty Peel & Polish Review

It’s taken me way too long to try Pixi Beauty products. I am way behind, I know. But! I bought the Peel & Polish a while ago, since this year I’m working more on incorporating chemical exfoliants. There are so many different options, but I’ve heard amazing things about Pixi and I wanted to try something I hadn’t heard about from them. (Don’t worry, the famous Glow Tonic is still on my list to try.)

For the past two weeks I’ve been testing this out, so that I gave it enough time to work and give you the best try that I could. Want to see the final verdict? Let’s go.

Pixi beauty peel & polish

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The Month of Masks

After a few months off blogging, I wanted to jump back in with a challenge for myself. I’m off classes until late August, and there are a few things I’m trying to work on during this summer break. Skincare being a big one. I’m also a bit of a mask hoarder. So for the month of July, I decided to challenge myself to use a face mask a day , and blog about it. Could be great, could be a disaster. Let’s get into the details of the Month of Masks!

Pacifica sheet mask

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Essential Makeup Brushes

Something that most makeup enthusiasts, particularly those just starting out, either overlook or get overwhelmed by are makeup brushes.  There are so many different kinds of out there that it makes it hard to figure out which are the essential makeup brushes. Especially when beauty gurus on YouTube use a dozen brushes for eyes alone. Thing is, those aren’t the essential makeup brushes, not really. You don’t need a million brushes to make a really nice makeup look, you just don’t. But you do need to be strategic with which ones you use to get the best application.

Here’s a short list of the essential makeup brushes that, in my experience, you really benefit from having. Everything else is just gravy.

essential makeup brushes

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My Current Favorite Face Masks

Everyone has those products that they just have a bunch of, sometimes it’s stationery (guilty), books (also guilty), or skincare (again, guilty). But something I’ve really been learning to appreciate are face masks. They give my skincare routine an extra boost of cleansing, resurfacing, and treatment. My skin can be problematic, so having a mask that can sit on my skin and get to work can really make all the difference.

Want to know my current favorites face masks for my combination skin? Let’s get into it.

favorite face masks, best face masks, freeman beauty, muddy body, alba botanica, mizon, mario badescu

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What to Do With Unwanted Makeup

If you have a makeup collection, the following scenario is probably going to sound pretty familiar.

You’re going through your makeup, probably doing your makeup for the day or just playing around. Everything is everywhere. And then it hits you: “Holy shit I have too much makeup.” So, you set aside some time one day to go through your collection, and you pick out what you want to keep and what you don’t. But once you have your pile of unwanted makeup, there’s a new problem. What do you do with it?

unwanted makeup, old makeup, what to do with makeup, how to donate makeup

And it turns out, there’s a lot you can do. Sweet, right?

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What to Do When a Product Isn’t Working For You

You can read every review on the planet, every product summary and every bit of information available on a product. But there’s always a chance that a product won’t work for you. And I get it, it’s absolutely frustrating, especially when it’s a really expensive skincare or makeup product. I’ve been there, combing reviews and making sure that it would be worth my time and money. Sometimes though, the stars just don’t align. And there’s a lot that could cause that! I touched on a couple skincare mistakes in this post, which you might want to check out. Because today is all about makeup.

It can be discouraging to realize a product isn’t working, and to imagine the money going down the toilet. Believe you me, I wouldn’t want to just trash a $40 foundation or a $60 eyeshadow palette, even if it did suck on the first try. So, pop a squat and let’s figure out what may not be working, and how we can try and fix it before we decide to trash it (which, admittedly, can be tempting). These are all really easy things to try, but they’re so easy to forget when a product is frustrating you.

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What’s In My Everyday Makeup Bag

Something everyone who wears makeup asks at some point is, “What do I need in my everyday makeup bag?” There’s a lot of answers to that, and everyone’s got different needs. And a lot of videos and blog posts about it show extensive everyday bags. Which is absolutely fine, people can and should do what they want and what they’re most comfortable with. But a lot of people, myself included, don’t go all out everyday and it’s nice to share that side of things as well. There’s an idea I see seeping through the cracks that if you love makeup, you have to go all out all day everyday. That’s just not true, nor is it practical.

Everyday makeup bag

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My Evening Skincare Routine

Disclaimer: this came out waaaaaaay more involved than I intended, but I may have underestimated how extensive my evening skincare routine is. If you make it all the way to the end, you’re my favorite person.

When someone hears “skincare routine”, especially evening skincare routine,  there’s probably some ire or excitement. You either love having a routine, or it’s a chore. Or you’ve probably heard off the infamous 10 step skincare popularized by K-Beauty and your head starts spinning. I used to be in the camp of feeling that it’s a chore, and that the idea of a routine that’s longer than three steps made me nauseated.

Evening skincare routine

 

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Easy Guide to Color Correcting with Concealer


Color correcting is one of those trends in the makeup community that likely confuses most people. And by most people I mean anyone who isn’t a hard core makeup enthusiast. And I get it. It looks freaking weird and frankly it’s confusing. Where’s the logic in sticking a crazy color on top of another color to make it go away? Seriously how is sticking a random purple shade on your face possibly going to make anything better? And why do makeup gurus always use so much?

But here’s the thing: color correcting is easy as pie. It’s an incredibly simple theory that anyone can use with great results. If you’ve never played around with color correcting before, here is everything you need to know to get started.

Color correcting makeup

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Instagram Made Me Buy It

Ok here’s the thing, I spend a lot of time on social media. Like more than I would care to admit. So part of that is I get exposed to a lot of advertising, both directly from companies and from influencers. This is both good and bad, because there’s some disingenuous advertising, but sometimes you find really cool stuff. Instagram is where I spend most of my browsing time, so I see a bunch of interesting products. And sometimes, I decide to give things a try. Here’s what I bought after seeing an Instagram ad.

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Glossier Haul | Phase 1 and Phase 2

If you’re at all involved in the beauty and skincare communities on social media, you will see Glossier mentioned at some point. Their IG feed is gorgeous and their Milk Jelly cleanser is quickly approaching cult status. After hearing about them nonstop, you get a little curious about their products. At least, I did, and after waffling for a while I bit the bullet. I was simply too curious about all the great things I’ve seen.

glossier phase 1 glossier phase 2

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Looxi Beauty Eyeshadow Haul and First Impressions

There are so many amazing companies you can find through social media these days, and one that’s growing on Instagram is Looxi Beauty! I’m in a bit of a rut lately with my makeup collection, usually buying the same kind of shades and feeling a little uninspired. When Looxi had a flash sale of 50% I decided to pick up a few new shadows! I’m such a matte shadow junkie, and I wanted more multidimensional finishes for a change.

looxi beauty eyeshadows

Row 1: Laced, Blondie, Latte, Blow, Nova, Obsessed
Row 2: Foxy Lady, Starboy, Copper Popper, Genesis, Noir, Duperstar

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Deciem ‘The Ordinary’ Haul & First Impressions

Today I have a very exciting post for you! I finally placed my first order through Deciem, the cult hit skincare company that has a brand for anything and everything. One of their most notable sub-brands is The Ordinary, which has remarkably affordable prices with laboratory grade ingredients. Seriously, they had me at all the scientific jargon. (Don’t worry, I won’t torture y’all with that. Today.) I’ve been using them for a couple weeks, so it’s still a bit too early to give a full review. But I did want to share my thoughts on them, so let’s get into it!

Deciem The Ordinary Haul

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Beauty Favorites July 2017

Hey everybody! I have a monthly series I’m starting, beauty favorites! I love these kind of posts, since it’s fun to see what people are loving at the moment. My list is a little short this month, since I’ve been playing more with skincare than with makeup. But I have made a couple makeup purchases recently, so there’ll be tons of makeup posts coming soon!

July 2017 makeup favorites

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Makeup Must-Haves for College

It’s about that time of year again where high school grads are leaving for their first semester of college! This is a fun, if incredibly stressful, process and part of the craziness is trying to figure out what to pack. Thankfully when I left for college, my mom kept me from going nuts and taking everything possible. But one of the things I had the hardest time with was figuring out what makeup to pack, as I’d been collecting makeup for a few years at that point. (A collection I purged at one point and built back up, but that’s a post for another time).

college makeup essentials

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5 Skincare Mistakes You’re Making (and How to Fix Them)

Skincare is definitely being talked about more and more these days, especially with the boom in K Beauty popularity. We’re drowning in products and recommendations, and as with anything there’s a learning curve! There’s so much to learn, so it can be hard to figure out what to do and what not to do (example: coconut oil, yes or no).

While trying to wade through the sea of serums, essences, creams, treatments, masks, and who knows what else, I’ve found that for every thing I’ve tried that has worked for me, there’s ten more that haven’t. And, after doing some searching and asking, it turns out that there are some common mistakes a lot of us have made, intentionally or not. And if you’re like me, where skin is either an insecurity, priority, or both, it’s important to know what’s going wrong in order to get it right.

Processed with VSCO with a6 preset

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Easy Ways to Improve Your Makeup


To kick off the rebirth of my blog, I wanted to discuss something I’ve really been thinking a lot about lately as I try and redefine my approach to blogging and makeup.

In the makeup-sphere on social media, there’s this truth that people seem to dodge around. And while we all “know it” no one talks about it, and I feel that some people completely forget it all together. Namely, there’s always room for improvement! Even people with hundreds of thousands of followers can still learn something new and can somehow improve their work, even if only they know what they can improve upon.

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