Giovanni purifying facial mask

Giovanni purifying facial mask
D:tox system

Hey! Long time no talk. Sorry I've been gone for some time. I just started college classes, picking up more shifts at work and other life odds and bits. I hope you had a fantastic end to 2013 and an even more wonderful start to 2014! How are you doing on those resolutions? ;)

So today I wanted to talk about Giovanni purifying facial mask (if that wasn't obvious, haha). What a great one to talk about for my first post of the new year? The word purifying, it makes me think of refreshing, clean and new. And it should make me think of that. Everyone (or almost everyone) starts the new year with intention of a clean slate, starting over and change. For some it's little things like, smile more and for some it's huge things like, over coming a fear. For me one of my resolutions is to love and take care of myself. I don't take a lot of time for myself, I don't know why. But in the past few months I've been learning how to "listen" to my body. Sounds a bit...hippy, right? Well whether it is or isn't shouldn't really matter. It's good to learn how to "listen" to your body. Learn what foods work for you, what make up and facial cleansers work, etc. For me I've learned many things my body does NOT appreciate. Many things I have been eating, drinking or using for many years but that is a topic for another day and another blog post. So onto what THIS post is about.

So if you have read any of my older posts you may know that I have sensitive skin. And it's beyond picky. What I mean is, I can't use many popular face washes (which I don't mind because many test on animals) I can't use liquid foundation or I will break out. And other things. So I am very weary of a lot of products. Also I like to use organic or close to natural as possible. And it has to be cruelty free.Well I have heard many wonderful things about Giovanni from bloggers and The Leaping Bunny. The thing that caught my eye was that they are cruelty free, that right there got all my attention. So for a few months I had been looking at reviews and posts about them, going on their website and such. I came to the conclusion that I wanted to try some of their products and lo and behold I couldn't find any of their things. That's not the companies fault, I could order online, but I'm far too impatient for that :) Anyways the stores I had gone to didn't have their things or if they carried it didn't have it in stock, which I have a few issues with stores not caring adequate amounts of cruelty free products. But I'm not upset by that, I understand. So a few days ago I went to TJMaxx (If you haven't been to TJMaxx before I suggest you go, it's also called TKMaxx in other countries, right?) Anyways I went to their hair and body section and they had many brands that I can't ever seem to find and I saw the Giovanni face mask and I thought: "well well well...I'm going to try this! It's here and I better get it before it's gone." So this was a few days ago. I love face mask, but my luck with them has been so so. It's my skin. Face masks will make my skin feel soft and smooth and clean and then I break out the next day. I don't know why. It's happened with LUSH face masks. So I thought I can't make a blog post the day after trying this to give a real review I need to wait a few days to see how my skin reacts. And the outcome was...

I did not break out! Not one bump and red spot, nothing, nada, zip! I think we can say that this product was blessed by the face gods. It's been 3 days since I used it and not a single zit. It's grey in color and there are no beads on scrubiness to it. I am indifferent on the smell, it's not bad but not amazing. It's the typical face mask smell. My favorite thing about it is that it contains acai and goji berry both very powerful antioxidant superfoods. It's a mask you put on for 20 minutes and gently wash off. When I washed it off my skin felt smooth but it did make it feel dry, I don't know if it was the product that caused it or just the fact that I live in Arizona. This product is certified by Leaping Bunny.

Oh just me looking like an alien with the mask on.

I hope you enjoyed this review! Leave a comment below if you have tried any Giovanni's other products, I would love to hear what you think! Bye! 

Hydroxatone BB cream review

Hydroxatone BB cream

Hello! So recently I had put in an order with Ulta. I had ordered a few things and they were doing a promotion of sorts. The promotion was: spend 'x' amount of money and get a free make up bag full of sample goodies! The samples ranged from make up to moisturizer to shampoo and so on. So it was definitely a deal I could not pass up. One of the sample was Hydroxatone BB cream. (as seen above)

I've never really tried BB cream before. 1) It's a bit on the expensive side 2) I try really hard not to put on layers of make up. My skin will break out if I do. And who wants that? So I thought you know what? It's a free sample I'll try it and see how my skin takes to it. So far no break outs! Hallelujah! It's very light on the skin and hardly noticeable once blended.

Please excuse my vainy hand! This is what the product looks like on my skin (top)
This is what the product looks like once blended (bottom)

It is in medium. I didn't get to pick the color for the products. It definitely suits my skin tone even though I'm never in the "medium" area.
On the back it says it is a multi-benefit formula. The benefits include:
1) Advance anti-aging technology
2) Protection
3) Immediate perfecting coverage

I can not say whether or not the first one is true. I mean I've only been using it for a week. And you know, aging is something that is noticeable over a few years...so.
Also, it has SPF 40 in it. Which is a big deal to me. I'm really into SPF and think more people need to become aware of how beneficial it is. Even if you live in a place that rains more than 365 days a year. You should still put on some SPF.

All in all, I love this product. It's definitely something I would recommend to someone with sensitive skin (or not) and to anyone who just wants coverage!

I hope you enjoyed this review.
Talk to you soon!
Bye

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E.L.F cosmetics haul!

Make up haul time! So I got this bundle of fun about a week ago and have finally had the time to sit down and tell you about it! I love when I actually can blog about something. Sometimes I get such a bad writers block that I just sit at my computer and cannot think of a single thing to talk about. It's a pain in the...well anyways. A few reasons why I love E.L.F is because they are cruelty free and they are super budget friendly! If you haven't heard of them I suggest you go check them out!
Let us get into it shall we?

E.L.F cosemtics

I only got four things. But they are four wondrous, marvelous things! I got:

• Mineral infused mascara
• HD mattifying cream foundation
• Under eye concealer and highlighter
• Baked eye shadow in NYC

This is the mascara. It is in black and it is the typical wand. Of course my camera didn't focus on the words so much as the dust...
This stuff is really great!

This is the cream foundation and it is in porcelain. It comes with a mirror and sponge.

Alas, the under eye concealer. I need this so badly. I have the worst under eye circles and this is a life saver! It is in fair.

This is what I was most excited for! I'm a huge eye shadow junkie. I love the colors on this palette so much! They are so pretty and I just don't want to ruin them. They are great colors for everyday wear or a night out! This is the NYC palette. 

What is your favorite E.L.F cosmetic? 

How to start becoming cruelty free part 1

The cruelty-free life

This post isn't to shove my views down your throat. This post is explaining what my life style is and what is really happening behind factory doors

Why did I choose to become cruelty free? I used to have a bunny. Her name was Snickers.

Isn't she a cutie?
She actually passed away recently. But she was one of the soul reasons why I decided to go cruelty free.
I had conscious knowledge that there was possibly testing happening. I didn't really look into it though. Plus I thought testing, probably wasn't that bad. I'm sure we all have had that same thought. Then when I was on tumblr I had seen a post (given that the source was so incorrect) it was a girl showing what it was like for animals to be tested on. Of course they weren't actually hurting her in the same way they do to animals but it is quite graphic. Then in 2012 I had discovered Lush. You know, that lovely bubble and bath place. And they told me that they were the ones who had done the campaign I had just mentioned. Lush is completely cruelty free. They don't test, parent company doesn't test or third party company doesn't test. They are the goddess...god of being cruelty free.

Why does testing happen? It happens because companies want to make sure that the chemicals they use aren't going to cause an issue to a human who will use it. Or if it does cause an issue, they can put a warning. Can we think about this for a second? It's 2013...by this point we should be developed enough as a civilization that we should know what can and cannot be put on us and we should have other methods of testing on not a living creature. Plus, if they have a need to test their products, what does that say about their ingredients?

Who is victim?

Mice, rats, rabbits, guinea pigs and many other animals. There are products (maybe not cosmetics) that are tested on dogs and monkeys. Animals we see as companions are being subject to cruel treatment. They are forced to have chemicals in their eyes, nose, ears and mouths. These animals are tested on and then carelessly tossed. 

There are many companies that claim the leaping bunny seal of approval. Therefore, research is highly required. What I mean by "they claim" is that their parent company tests or a third party tests. If the parent company or third party is testing, then the product isn't cruelty free.

There are many companies that test, many that you may purchase from currently. L'oreal, Maybelline, Covergirl, Garnier, Bobbi Brown, Smashbox, Estee Lauder and a lot more!

This website has a good list. 

What companies could possibly be cruelty free in that massive list?
The leaping bunny has a very reliable list, go check it out! There are many budget friendly brands out there that are 100% cruelty free. The website does put icons by some companies about whether or not they have a parent or third party that tests. 

Some helpful websites that you can look at are:
Leaping bunny

Peta (I personally don't use them as a resource)
Google

Apps:
Buycott 

(Though out time I will continue to add to these lists, if you know of any, leave them in a comment)

I plan on making a few more posts about cruelty free things. I plan on putting lists of budget friendly companies and high end companies.
I also plan on finding websites and resources on how to help and make a difference. 

Julep Maven October box 2013

First off, I tried to make a video of the unboxing and my computer decided it wasn't going to use any sound even with the microphone on. So I don't even know what to do with this computer sometimes.

On to the contents and goodies hidden with in the magical Julep box. October, October, October (mentally create some chant with the word October) This months box is by far my favorite. I didn't put any add-ons there are a lot of people who do. I've seen some boxes with 10+ nail polishes in their them! I'm a college kid so rent is more of a necessity. I got the standard box. Mine is Boho Glam, which is very much my personality. :)

Yes, I organized it to look pretty. First look inside the box.

"Don't ask permission" -Joan Jett

Candy corn! I know this is a huge no-no candy to except from strangers but one, it's cealed and two, is Julep Maven a stranger anymore? (it also came with a ingredients list for anyone who could be potentially allergic to anything in it. It has no high fructose corn syrup. 3 for you Julep Maven, you go Julep Maven) I also saved this from my Fiance for you guys to see.

And of course, the nail polishes! I adore both of these! At first when I saw the one on the right online I thought it was more gold than yellow. I'm not a huge fan of gold, but in person it is definitely more yellow! I have some serious nail art "halloween inspired" plans with these colors so stay tuned through out the month :) My nails are bare in the previous photo because I plan on doing them today.

And my favoritest thing of all. A duo eyeliner pencil with sharpener. It's like the Julep god's heard my silent prayers of wanting a good eyeliner pencil. One side is black (good for up lid) to help tighten upper water line to get a more flawless, fuller lash line. And the other half is brown great for bottom water line. I don't wear much on my bottom water line because it makes my eyes look dark and my dark circles under my eyes even darker. (I have so horrid dark circles. Comment if you know of any really effective undereye concealer)

That is it for the October box! I loved everything and it was such a nice surprise yesterday when it showed up. (I've been crazy stressed because my bunny, Snickers, has pneumonia.) If anyone get's any other Julep box or even Boho Glam tell me what you thought of this months box!

See you later!

How I take care of my hair

There are many ways people take care of their hair. There is no perfect way to do it and there's no wrong...no there are wrong ways to take care of your haha. I dyed my hair 5 times in 6 months and took horrible care of it. It stopped growing after a certain length due to being damaged and dead. So about a month ago (give or take a week) I chopped inches off my hair to give it a fresh start. Upon cutting it I decided to make a conscious effort to take proper care of my hair, and here's what I do:

I only wash my hair 2 times a week. This does not mean I don't shower everyday. I don't have poor hygiene. But I typically wash my hair Mondays and Thursdays and on Mondays I shampoo and condition with Joico. After that I use macadamia natural oil deep repair masque and run that through my hair paying close attention to my roots and let that sit in my hair for 50-60 minutes. I only use the deep repair masque once a week (you can use it up to two times a week) but once works well for my hair. While I'm waiting I'm not just hanging out in the shower for an hour letting water run. I get out wrap it up, I use a plastic grocery bag. That's college kid budget for you. But honestly, you don't need a $20-$100 hair holder thing. Use what you already hair and it helps the environment. I usually watch tv or YouTube videos during this time or even do chores. Just don't go out in direct sunlight. It doesn't specify that on the bottle you shouldn't go outside but the masque is intense and so is the sun and could potentially hurt your hair further. Then I wash it out. I part my hair and let it air dry most days. Once it is mainly dry I use the macadamia oil on my ends. If you are going to use a heat tool run the oil through out all of your hair. Dot use too much it'll look oily and gross. A good amount is a dime size. Then style as pleased. The second time I wash my hair is on Thursday nights. I just shampoo and condition, dry my hair, run macadamia oil in the ends and typically put my hair in braids. So what do I do when my hair is getting oily on days I don't wash my hair? Dry shampoo. Get to know it, it'll be your best friend. I use Batiste because they are budget friendly and cruelty free. I know there are people who like the product and people who don't. I personally do. But it's all trial and error with hair products. Find what works with your hair don't buy something and pretend you like because someone said they liked it. Anyways, I spray this in my roots, give it time to sit (about a minute) and brush your hair. Use as much as you desire, again it's all trial and error. Your hair will not only be non greasy but the volume will be insane! Also, I spray in part conditioner part water into my hair for a little extra softness sometimes. I hope this post helped and maybe will lead anyone with questions about hair care in a good direction! :)

Macadamia Natural Oil review

Hello! I wanted to start this post off with a big ol' sorry! For many reasons. First, I've been gone for a few days, today's post is short, no pictures or links. My computer decided it was going to over heat and kill the video card. Sad times.The video card is a major piece to make the laptop run effectively and just run in general. So I'm using Skyler's (my fiance) mom's computer and this poor thing has seen better days. So I can't right click or highlight anything...so I'm sorry if my post become very boring and horrible. Please bare with me :) I'm hoping to be up and running with a fixed computer soon!


I've had Macadamia products for quite some time now. I absolutely adore their products! I have the Deep Repair Masque and Healing Oil Treatment and both have worked wonders on my hair. I only use the deep repair masque once a week (it says you can use it twice a week but one time works well for me) I leave it in my hair for about 50-60 minutes to really let it get down to the roots. After that I wash it out and dry my hair and this treatment leaves my hair so soft and healthy looking! Once my hair is mostly dry I run the healing oil treatment through my hair (don't use too much in one area it will make your hair look greasy) it's a great heat protectant for anyone who is looking for a natural one that isn't full of chemicals, and could potentially create product build up in your hair. Most days I just run it through and don't use any heat, it just really helps your hair stay healthy. Both I have made these two last for close to 6 months, then again I don't like over loading my hair with products. Macadamia Natural Oil is cruelty free (how awesome!). Honestly it's definitely a product that is worth trying. I have heard that there are people who are not fond of the smell, but I actually really like it. So if you are curious about the product go check it out! I got mine at Ulta. If you have tried these products leave a comment down below and tell me what you think.