New Lush Goodies

Happy New Years Everyone! I hope 2015 is a great year for all of you :) 

Over the holiday season, I was lucky enough to get gifted some LUSH goodies from one of my aunts. I am super excited to give these a try because I have actually never tried any of these before. She gave me the Winter Garden gift set from LUSH which comes with 5 little goodies. 

Ro's Argan Body Conditioner: I am probably most excited about this product. This is a body conditioner that is to be used in the shower after a shower gel. It is suppose to leave your "velvety-soft" and the best part is you don't need to apply body lotion afterwards! This can be a total time saver as you are pretty much applying your lotion in the shower and this way you're not stuck in your bathroom all cold and wet applying lotion. 

Vanilla Puff: This is definitely the most unique product in this gist set. This is a dusting powder which is suppose to be used by sprinkling it all over your body before getting dressed for silky soft skin. This smells amazing like vanilla frosting. I am curious to see if I actually feel a difference on my skin when using this. 

Snowcake Soap: This is one of LUSH's limited edition holiday time products. I have heard great stuff about this and I am super excited that I get to try this because I know all the limited edition products are going away soon.  I have loved all the over body soaps I have used from LUSH so I expected this one to be just as good! 

Rose Jam: Let's start of by saying this smells so good! The perfect rose scent with hints of vanilla and lemon that is perfectly sweet but not overpowering. This is a shower gel and LUSH does amazing shower gels so I look forward to this. The packaging says that this is limited edition but I don't think this is part of their holiday time limited edition products. 

Ultrabalm: Last but not least, is this multi purpose balm called Ultrabalm. This comes in a cute little tin that is perfect for throwing into your purse. This is all purpose balm that could be used on any dry bits like your lips or hands. This is also made with a bunch of oils so it is super moisturizing. 

What LUSH bits have you been loving lately? 

Lots of Love, 

Rena 

January Favorites

Hello Everyone! 
It is already time for the first favorites post of 2014. Personally, I think it is nuts. The last week or so have been really nuts with the start of a new semester but I am really excited for February since it is my birthday month ( cough February 10th couch cough). I don't have too many favorites this month but the  ones I do have, I have really enjoyed and they have been working really well for me. My first favorite is the Garnier Fructis Damage Eraser Strength Reconstructing Butter. I have been spending a lot of time in the pool lately because of work and it has been making my hair really dry. I started using this on days I've been in the pool and oh my god, my hair feels so much softer and strong! My next favorites are two masks from Lush: Cupcake Mask and Catastrophic Cosmetic Mask. My skin has been really weird this month. It  has been feeling greasy for which I use the Cupcake Mask and I have been breaking out which I use the Catastrophic Mask for. They both work really well and smell amazing. My favorite smell this month has been Love Spell by Victoria's Secret. It is such a flirty fresh smell and I love it so much that I have the body mist and the eau de toilette. I have also discovered an amazing mascara this month: Covergirl Lash Blast Volume. It reminds me a lot of Benefit's They're Real! It is amazing for length and volume AND is wallet friendly. Lastly, I have been loving the Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer in very fair/ light. It is great for the under eye. It does a great job covering up circles and highlighting. 
What have you been loving? Lots of Love, 

Empties #1

Hi Guys!  Today I'm going to do my first empties post! I've been trying to do one of these for a while now but I always ended up forgetting and throwing empty products out. This month I've had a lot of empties and I managed to remember to keep them! I'm going to explain what the product claims to do, whether or not I thought it accomplished it/liked it and if I'm going to repurchase it. I hope you guys enjoy!

Clean & Clear Morning Burst Fruit Infusions Cleanser

Claims: This Cleanser claims to cleanse to purify pores with real fruit extracts. I got this in a set around March. It came with two washes and oil blotting clothes.
Reaction: I don't think this was anything special about this cleanser. It left my skin feeling clean but that's about it. It does smell good though.
Repurchase:  I am definitely going to finish the other wash in this set however, I will not be repurchases it after because it is an okay cleanser but there are better ones out there.

Neutrogena Oil Free Cleansing Wipes

Claim: These wipes claim to sweep away pore clogging dirt and oils in one simple step with the use of 100% naturally derived pink grapefruit extract. Claims to have no greasy residue, so no need to rinse your face after.
Reaction: Oh my gosh, these smell amazing! Anything grapefruit flavored or scented draws me in. These actually work really well at removing dirt however, they do leave a residue. It isn't a greasy one; it is more of a sticky heavy feeling. I always wash my face after or use a toner.
Repurchase: I will not be repurchasing these. I like my other wipes much better ( Simple make up wipes and Pacifica Coconut Water wipes) and they are cheaper as well.

Ocean Salt Face and Body Scrub

Claim: This scrubs claims to leave your skin feeling smooth, soft and refreshed. You can use this on the body or the face however, I only use it on my face.
Reaction: This is my favorite scrub at the moment. My skin feels baby soft after using this and it does a great job cleaning out my pores. My full review on it can be found HERE .
Repurchase: YES! I am in love with this and I'm going to buy the big bottle of this next time I am in LUSH.

Fair Trade Honey Shampoo

Claim: This shampoo claims to give lustre, volume and moisturize using full of the power of flowers and honey.
Reaction: I love the smell if this, I find honey smells so yummy! This also made my hair really soft and shiny which I love and it weighted my hair down a good amount which is what I want because my hair gets huge. I also think it is great that this bottle is made from recycled plastic.
Repurchase: Yes, I will be repurchasing it but just not right now. I have a few other shampoos I want to try out but I know I will go back to it because it has become one of my all time favorite shampoos.

Rapid Action Pads

Claim: This claims to visibly reduce pimple size and redness in as little as 4 hours.
Reaction: These pads completely dried out my skin. They are super harsh and an extremely strong medicine smell to them that just wasn't pleasant to use. They might work better with someone who has oily skin or a lot of redness but for me, it was just very drying.
Repurchase: No, I will not be buying these again.

Dry Shampoo

Claim: This claims to instantly refresh your hair by getting rid of oily roots, boost volume and leave your hair feeling clean.
Reaction: I really like this product but not for what it is actually suppose to do. I have really curly hair so wearing my hair second day down doesn't really happen. I use this to dirty up my roots a little bit to make it easier to wear half up and half down in second day hair. It is also really good at getting rid of extra shininess that hairspray can give my hair.
Repurchase: Yes, I will be buying this again. I have this right now in a travel size but I will be getting it in a full bottle soon.

Touch of Sparkle Body Wash

Claim: This body wash claims to  gently cleanse skin while leaving it moisturized after the shower.  Reaction: I thought this was a great wash. It left my skin feels nice and it smells lovely. It did the job it is meant to do really well and was only like 3 dollars. Repurchase: Yes, Ive actually already rebought it! 

What have you finished lately? Lots of Love,

The Skincare Tag

Hi Guys!   I hope you all have been having a good week! In exactly a week, I am going to California for Vidcon and I am so excited. I can't wait to share pictures, outfits and make up looks with you from there! Today, I was lucky enough to be tagged in the Skincare Tag by the lovely Sophie from That's What Sophie Said. Be sure to check out her blog she has amazing posts and beautiful pictures. Here are the questions!
1. Describe your skincare routine in five words.   Perfect for a lazy girl 
2.What's your skin type? My skin is pretty normal expect in the summer the area around my nose and chin get oily over night so I have to make sure to really wash my face at night and in the morning or else I end up with acne in those area.
3.What's your favorite skincare product? Over the last few months, I have really been enjoying the LUSH Ocean Salt Scrub. It is meant for face and body but I only use it on my face. My skin feels so soft after and it does an amazing job cleaning out all of my pores. I did a full review on it HERE

Ocean Salt Scrub

4. Top blemish zapper? I love Benefit's Boo Boo Zap. It is great for those little spots that sneak up on you. It immediately reduces the redness and size of a pimple. Also it doesn't leave any weird smell or residue so it is great for on the go! I keep it in my purse so it is always by me if I need it. 
5. Face wipes...yay or nay?  I know a lot of people who don't use make up wipes because they aren't really good for your skin and aren't as affective as cleansing waters however, I am extremely lazy and when I come home from being out spending 20 minutes removing my make up is not something I like to do so using a make up wipe is my savor. I really like the Simple make up wipes and Pacifica coconut water wipes. Both of these are really gentle on the skin and remove all my make up. The Pacifica ones also smell really good and are all natural. 
6.Toner...yay or nay? Toner is a heck yay for me! I adore my LUSH  Eau Roma Water. I apply it after I wash my face or use a make up wipe. I spray it on and wipe it with a cotton ball or pad after. It makes sure that all of my make up is completely off and it leaves my skin feeling so refreshed and hydrated. Also it has rose and lavender in it that are a really comforting smell. 
7. High end skincare or High end make up? I'm going to have to say high end make up just because I own so much more of it. I think because I have pretty normal skin ( knock on wood), I am able to get away with drugstore skincare and LUSH. Also I go through skincare so fast that spending large amount of money seems like a waste. 
8. You're in a French pharmacy and can only buy one item, what would it be? It would 150% percent be Bioderma. The only way to get Bioderma in the states is online which is so frustrating because maybe if I used Bioderma, I would stop using my make up wipes as much. So many  people talk about how amazing it is, I wish I could try it out.
9. Top skincare tip? I have friends who always buy different face washes when they run out of the one they are currently using. My top advice is to find a good face wash and stick with it. When it comes to face wash, it is all about consistency. Changing which one you use every three weeks isn't going to help your skin get better. It is so important to keep using the same products because they work better the longer you use them. I know its frustrating if you don't see results right away but I would give it at least two bottle before switching it. I love the Neutrogena GrapeFruit Wash. It smells amazing and really helped my skin. 

I hope you guys enjoyed this! For this, I tag:  Kallie from But First, Coffee Zoe from The Caribbean Flower  Megan from Maybe Its Megan Leigh Andrea from RosyChicc
Lot of Love,

Lush: Ocean Salt Face and Body Scrub Review

Hi Guys! 
Slowly but surely, another Lush product is becoming a Holy Grail product of mine. First the lip scrub then the honey shampoo and now the Ocean Salt Face and Body Scrub. I only use it a face scrub but I'm sure it would be awesome as a body scrub too. It is available in two sizes and I have the smaller of the two but I'm positive I will get the bigger one next time. This scrub contains coarse and fine sea salt, lime juice, avocado butter and vodka. Yes, you read correctly, I did just say vodka. Some how these ingredients mixed together make up the best face scrub I've ever used. It is able at Lush for $21.95 for the smaller size. 

This is definitely a very coarse scrub. If you have super sensitive skin, I would recommend getting a sample and trying out first. I use it about three times a week on days that my skin just feels really greasy or on days I've been in the pool and in the sun all day. I wouldn't use it on an everyday use just because it is a very strong scrub and might dry your skin out a bit if used everyday. I swear my skin feels like heaven after I use it! It cleans out all my pores and takes off the dead layer of skin and leaves me with a fresh smooth new layer of skin. Also It smells just like the beach. Think of the beach right now and how it smells and that's exactly how this scrub smells. It is bright blue and very coarse however, the longer you have it the lighter blue it gets. That's why mine isn't bright blue anymore. Only down side is that you need to be careful to avoid your mouth because it has a salty taste to it.
Overall, this is a great scrub and I would highly recommend it to anyone! Especially in the summer if you want to really exfoliate your skin. 
What's your favorite Lush product? 
Lots of love, 

A little bit of a mall haul

Hi Guys! So yesterday was payday! Payday is always my favorite because I can treat myself to a little bit of new stuff after putting a large sum into savings. I headed to the mall with one of my friends and this is what I ended up with! 

From Lush: I got myself the biggest bottle of Fair Trade Honey Shampoo. I actually bought the smallest size last month to try it and I love it! I ran out of it on Monday and I just had to get more. It is $29.95 which is a little pricey but it is worth it. It has the absolutely best smell ever, honey (I think the name might give it away). It also weighs down my hair which is something I really need!

From Sephora: I am addicted to Sephora, the amount of reward points I have is a little bit embarrassing! This time I went for the Tarte counter. I haven't tried any Tarte products before but I have heard good things about it and all their products are completely natural! That's a total plus. I settled for a Tarte clay liner in plum for $24.00 and a Tarte Beaty box in secret garden for $22.00. I am super excited to review both of them! I am actually wearing the clay liner right now :)

From Blue Sky: I got this really cute top for $34.00.  It's teal and lacy which is two of my most favorite things for clothing to be! It is going to make the perfect going out shirt for the summer! I think I'm going to wear it with either high waisted shorts or jeans and heels. I will be sure to do an OOTD when i wear it.  Have you guys bought anything lately?!  Lots of Love

April Favorites

Hi Guys! Here are my favorite products from this month! I tried to limit myself to only a few things or else this would be an extremely long post! These are my top seven products. Let me know if you have used any of them and what you think of them.

1. LUSH Lip Scrub in sweet lips

2. Sephora eyeshadow in Marie 14

3. Scottish Fine Soaps body butter

4. Maybelline Lip Whisper in 25 Lush for Blush

5. LUSH Toner Water in Eau Roma Water 

6. Victoria's Secret Dream Angels in Heavenly 

7. Sunglasses from Forever 21

Scottish Fine Soaps Body Butter:
I got this at TJ Maxx for $5.99. I've never used anything Scottish Fine Soaps before but that's why I love TJ Maxx; you can always new brand and products there. The body butter has a very clean light smell (if that makes any sense).  It's a little bit like vanilla and honey. Also it is not overwhemlingly thick or creamy. I hate when body butters leave you feeling dirty and heavy. It's a very nice formula and super moisturizing. I've also had it for about a whole month now and it goes a long way! You don't need too much of it to feel moisturized. I find it best right after the shower.

Sunglasses from Forever 21:
I got these babies because I lost or broke all mine from last year. They are such a cute little pattern and protect me from the sun pretty well. Also they were only 5 dollars! I hate spending a lot of money on sunglasses because I always lose them so when i saw them for 5 dollars I couldn't say no! Only anything thing is that they get stuck in my hair but let's be real... every pair of sunglasses get stuck is my curly knots.

LUSH Toner Water in Eau Roma Water: 

Absolutely love love love this toner water! I got it at the LUSH store for $9.95 I use it after i shower or after I wash my face but before I put my face lotion on. It is just calming and smoothing. Also it smells of jasmine and roses which is just such a pretty combination. I spray it on my pillows because jasmine and rose are both soothing and it helps me fall asleep. To be honest, I would use this is a room spray if I wasn't too afraid of wasting it!

Victoria's Secret Dream Angels in Heavenly: 

I got this is a gift for my birthday ( February 10th!) however, I didn't start using it until April because I thought it had too springy of a smell for the winter. It smells like roses and lavender. I like flower smelling things and like nature smelling things like honey over fruity, chocolaty and really sweet smelling things. This lasts me all day. I spray it in the morning all over and it makes me smell nice all day. 

 Maybelline Lip Whisper in 25 Lush for Blush:  I have bought about four lip whispers this month. I love how moisturizing they are and how they last so long! I got this one at CVS for $7.49. I actually think they are cheaper at Walmart so I think I'm going to get my next ones from there. This is my favorite color out of all the ones I got it. It is that perfect everyday pinky but not too bright color. I love having it in my purse just in case I need a little color or even a little moisture throughout the day!
Sephora eyeshadow in Marie 14:  If you have read any of my FOTD/ OOTD posts, you will notice I used this color in both of them. Marie 14 is a perfect base color. It is so easy to built off of it because basically all colors look amazing on it. Honestly it is even amazing alone! It is a coffee color but the coffee color after you added cream or milk. It has a nice shimmer to it and has such good pigment. I got this for $5 at Sephora along with two other ones on sale. So glad I grabbed it!
LUSH Lip Scrub in sweet lips:  I did a whole review on it HERE. This is my absolute favorite product this month! It tastes amazing, it smells amazing, it makes my lips feel amazing. Overall the only word I have to describe it is... Amazing!! 
So what is your favorite products this month? Have you tried any of my favorites?! Let me know and I hope you have an amazing day! :)  lots of love, 

Lush Lip Scrub Review

Hi Guys! I hope you all had a good monday! It was so rainy in Jersey; I wish I could've stayed in bed all day but good thing its sunny now! Today, I decided to review LUSH Lip Scrub in sweet lips. This lip scrub is actually taking over the blogging world and after trying it, I understand why! I have had it for about a week now and I could feel the different in my lips the first time I tried it. It comes in a cute little jar and retails for $9.95 at LUSH stores and on their website.

Texture: 

The base ingredient is sugar so it had a coarse grainy feel to it. I think thats what makes it work so well! The sugar just scrubs all of the dead skin off your lips.

Taste:  I could eat the scrub out of the jar but I won't since that would just be a waste! I am a huge lover of mint chocolate chip ice cream. It is my absolute favorite and the lip scrub tastes exactly like it! After I apply it and rub it into my lips, I can't help and lick it off, it's just so good!

Usage:  I put a little bit on my finger and then rubbing into my lips. I found it best to do it over a sink since  some of the sugar grains tend to fall but it's not a big deal. I use it at night before I got to bed and in the morning after I wash my face. I apply a lip balm or a lipstick after. I found that I like it better than lip balm underneath my lipsticks. It just makes my lips feel and look  smooth.

It honestly leaves my lips soft for hours and only takes about two seconds! I'm planning on trying the bubble gum one next :). I am hoping it lasts me a while since ten dollars in a bit much for a lip scrub; I've read people saying it has lasted them up to six months so I am hopeful! 

Thank you Jamie for making this for me :) Have any of you tried?! If so, in what flavors and what did you think? Lots of Love,