Kiss My Honey Organic Lip Balm: REVIEW

For the past five to six years, I was rotating between lip balm brands, such as Burt's Bees, Nivea, and Maybelline. From consistent use, I found that Nivea Chap Sticks and Lip Butters and Maybelline Baby Lips had worked well for me and I continued to use these throughout high school and into college. 

I first heard about Kiss My Honey Organic Lip Balm in March 2015 when founder and now friend, Kellie Duran, emailed me about sending me lip balm samples to try the product for myself. Two weeks later, I received one Chocolate and one Mint lip balm and started testing them right away.

Price: $4.99 for one, $17.99 for pack of 4

Availability: kissmyhoney.com, amazon.com, Local retailers in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Product Breakdown:

• I LOVE that this is an ORGANIC lip balm! So many cosmetic products, including the lip balms I used in the past, contain chemicals and artificial ingredients. With this lip balm, you know that what you are wearing is safe and has natural ingredients, such as organic coconut oil, beeswax, and shea butter.

• Unlike other lip balms, these Kiss My Honey ones did not dry out my lips or leave them feeling uncomfortable with wax residue.

• These leave my lips feeling super soft and smooth! I actually notice a difference in the texture of my lips when I do not wear these.

• Say goodbye to constant reapplication! I do not find myself having to reapply this lip balm over and over again throughout the day. I usually like to reapply 2 - 3 times a day. My lips feel so great afterwards!

• Both the Chocolate and Mint lip balms smell good but do not have a strong scent.

The Final Verdict:

Overall, I am soooooo glad that Kellie contacted me and sent me pair of samples because I am loving these lip balms and they have been promoted to being my favorites! After discussing with Kellie about what inspired her to start her business venture in creating organic products, I have been more wary about what ingredients are in my cosmetics. Even though I still wear cosmetics that do not have natural ingredients, at least I know my lip balms are organic. I highly recommend these and I will be using more in the future!

For more updates and information, follow me on Instagram, @shesadaydream

xoxo, Rachel

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blushes & Stila Convertible Color: REVIEW & SWATCHES

I have no shame in admitting that I am ADDICTED to blushes (well, I am pretty much addicted to beauty products in general). I am totally well aware that I have too many blushes for my own good.

With the several years of makeup hoarding and experience, I have fallen in love with the Tarte Amazonian Clay Blushes and the Stila Convertible Color (Blushes), which are my favorite powder blushes and cream bases respectively.

Top to Bottom: Buff, Adored, Fearless, Empowered, Hibiscus, Peach Blossom

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blushes

Price: $28 (Formerly, $26)

Availability: tartecosmetics.com, Sephora, Ulta, QVC

Buff

I love Tarte blushes in general. They are sooooo soft and pigmented. Buff is a nude-brown shade that gives a nice hint of color to the cheeks, while still looking natural. I have also been contemplating of using this as a warm toned bronzer, but I have not done so.

Adored

This shade is a cool (blue) toned pink with flecks of shimmer which are pretty obvious in the pan. Thankfully it does not make your face look like disco ball when you apply it, but instead it gives a pretty pink flush to your cheeks.

Fearless

Unlike Adored, Fearless is a warm toned pink blush. Although I love both, I like Fearless better because I think it looks better on my skin tone and it does not have shimmer in it which makes it better for every day use for school or work (even though I do love shimmer).

Empowered

This shade is a warm toned peachy-pink color with shimmer. Since it is lighter than Adored and Fearless, this shade would also be good for every day use and those who are iffy about brighter colors will fall in love with this color.

Stila Convertible Color 

Price: $20

Availability: stilacosmetics.com, Sephora, Ulta

Hibiscus

I bought this along with Peach Blossom (below) a few months ago and I was surprised with how much I really liked them! They are creamy, smooth, easy and not messy to apply.I like them better than other cream blushes I own (Nyx Stick Blushes and E.l.f. HD Blush). Although I do prefer cream blushes over powder ones since they are easier to blend and last longer, however I use powder ones more because they are faster to apply and touch up with. Hibiscus is a peachy-pink color perfect for spring and summer months. I have not worn this too many times before but I intend to when the weather gets warmer.

Peach Blossom

This coral-red color is super pigmented and would look perfect in the summer time. The swatch may look daunting for those who are not into color but it blends well, leaving your face with a hint of warmth.

For more updates and information, follow me on Instagram, @shesadaydream

xoxo, Rachel

GlamGlow ThirstyMud, SuperMud, and YouthMud: REVIEW

Over the summer, a Sephora associate recommended an array of GlamGlow masks to help me cope with my variety of skin issues (specifically the SuperMud to help get rid of my blackheads). Before then, I've never even heard of the brand but tons of other beauty lovers seemed to be loving their products. After I read the myriad of positive reviews, I decided to give into the band wagon and try them. The only thing that was stopping me was the scary price - $69 for one full sized jar (1.7 oz, which is not a lot for the price).

This year, GlamGlow released Gift Sexy, a limited, online-only value set at Sephora, which included one full sized ThirstyMud mask, 1 oz. of SuperMud, and 1 oz. of YouthMud for $69 (which is the same price of one full sized mask). Even though the price is out of range for me and most beauty lovers, I bought this set during the Sephora VIB 20% off sale and why not get more for the same price?

From left to right: YouthMud, ThirstyMud, and SuperMud

ThirstyMud

What It's Supposed To Do: To provide deep instant, extreme hydration for long, medium, and short term results

How To Use: DAY USE - leave on for 10-20 minutes, then wash off, massage remaining product into skin

NIGHT USE - leave on overnight for intense hydration

Currently, I've been using this mask for about a week now at night. Before now, I've never used an overnight mask, so I wasn't sure of what to expect. The product itself is beige colored with small 'beads' (think exfoliating beads) and has a very creamy, lightweight consistency. 

From many reviews from the Sephora and GlamGlow website and from what those on Instagram have told me, I've been expecting my skin to be beautifully soft skin after using ThristyMud after some time. 

I've "experimented" with this mask by using it with slightly different night time routines. The first few times I've used this, I first apply Neutrogena Alcohol Free Toner, wait for it to dry, and THEN apply an even layer of ThristyMud all over my face and neck. Afterwards, I apply my usual other night time products - eye cream (TheBalm Cranberry Invigorating Eye Cream) and acne medication (Aczone and Tazorac). I leave this concoction of skin care products on my face and head off to bed. When I woke up, I didn't notice a huge difference with my skin; it didn't feel more hydrated than compared to when I used my less expensive counterpart moisturizers.

The next fews I've used ThirstyMud, I changed up my routine. Instead of applying my acne medications, which are notorious for drying out skin, I only applied toner, ThristyMud, and eye cream. After using this slightly different routine, I noticed that my skin is smoother and appears brighter, but I'm upset that I'm not in love with this product after reading so many wonderful reviews.

I'm going to continue to use this mask until I finish it and I would buy it again if it were on sale. Even though I'm not in love with ThirstyMud, it DOES make my skin look and feel better, but I won't be in a rush to drop $69 for another mask just yet.

SuperMud

What It's Supposed To Do: To improve skin clarity, unclog pores, treat common skin problems

How To Use: Apply to clean skin, leave on for 5-10 to dry, wash off with water, can be used on full face or for spot treatment

SuperMud was the GlamGlow mask that I initially wanted to buy because I desperately want to get rid of my blackheads. Before, I've been using Origins Clear Improvement Charcoal Mask and Boscia Pore Strips to help my blackhead issues but I've read that SuperMud was AMAZING and will really clear my skin. I specifically waited for Sephora's VIB 20% off sale to get a full sized GlamGlow mask but I decided to go with the Gift Sexy value set. 

The product is a dark gray color and dries into a lighter gray color. You can see tiny spots where the dirt gets "sucked" up out of your pores. It's pretty cool and lets you know that the product is actually doing something!

Since SuperMud came in a 1 oz. deluxe sample instead of a full sized product, I've been using it as a spot treatment. I apply a thick layer on my nose and the area around my nose (think of a nose pore strip). As I wait for it to harden, I feel mask get tingly. When I wash off the mask, my skin feels very refreshed and my pores look smaller. 

However, I've been using this mask for a week and I'm almost out of product, but I have not seen any huge difference. My blackheads are smaller, yet still very visible. My nose will be smooth and soft after using the mask, but the next day, I can feel the bumps and clogged pores again! I know it's quite impossible to get rid of blackheads COMPLETELY, since our pores will still produce oils and still collect dirt and bacteria. I'm not too upset that SuperMud is not working wonders for what I wanted it to do, but overall, the appearance of my nose looks better than before I started using it. 

Compared to ThirstyMud, I would buy SuperMud first even at the $69 price tag. Due to being a college student on a (somewhat) tight budget (I love cosmetics shopping; it's bad), I'm not going to buy this again right away, but the full sized product is definitely on my shopping list! I believe that if I use this product extremely often (it will probably have to be every day) I will actually start to see a noticeable difference in the amount and severity of my blackheads - but since I can't shell out that kind of money, I guess the blackheads will have to reign and my skin will have to wait.

YouthMud

What It's Supposed To Do: To exfoliate leaving skin softer and more radiant
How To Use:  Apply to clean skin, leave on for 10 to dry, wash off with water

YouthMud is a black mask with tiny micro beads that are used for exfoliation, which also came in a 1 oz sized sample. I don't use this mask as often as SuperMud and ThristyMud since I'm already so attached to my Holy Grail exfoliator, the Mac Volcanic Ash Exfoliator. I've been using YouthMud over a period of time and I'm almost done with the sample size amount from the Gift Sexy set. I'm surprised I actually haven't really seen anything different with my skin - it actually looks and feels the same.

I regularly moisturize, exfoliator once a week or less, and rarely use microdermabrasion and I haven't quite seen my skin look brighter or smoother BECAUSE of the actual YouthMud product. I think I might have to try using this mask by itself for about a week and see what happens, so I'm not quite disappointed but I'm not really loving this either. 

I'm not going to buy YouthMud in its full size, however, Sephora sells this in a sample size for $19.95 and I might snag that instead. If I do choose to use this next time, I hope that I will see a difference in my complexion.

Even with all the rage, I'm disappointed that I'm not absolutely loving what I got with this set. Many others in the beauty community swear by GlamGlow, however, I'm just not one of them. Different weather conditions and changes in schedule and behavior can affect how one's skin is doing and how skincare products, such as face masks with active ingredients work. This just may not be the 'time' for GlamGlow to give my skin amazing results and if the opportunity strikes, I will try again in the future (especially at a lower price!). 

For more updates and information, follow me on Instagram, @shesadaydream

xoxo, Rachel

My Sassy Stash:REVIEW

Sassy Stash sent me one of their products to test and review and I'm here to report back my opinions!

Price: $34.95

Availability: www.mysassystash.com

If you didn't already know, a Sassy Stash is a beautiful, lace garter that has five pockets which are ideal for holding items such as, your cell phone, money, ID, and lipstick. The adjustable Velcro garter is ideally worn for going clubbing - instead of holding your important belongings in your purse, you can have them safe in your Sassy Stash! The fabric is soft and comfortable and the garter has detailed designed grips on the inside to prevent it from falling down. I received my Sassy sample in Sienna in Black.

I've already worn my Sassy Stash a few times and it's awesome! Even though I decided not to store my phone in my stash (the iPhone 6 may be a bit too big for the pockets without stretching the fabric), I'm able to keep my lipstick and ID safely and comfortably. I've worn my Sassy Stash underneath a skirt and a dress and it also fits over stockings.

Personally, I stay out only for a few hours with my friends instead of clubbing all night. During the times I've worn my Sassy Stash, it has shifted a bit but it's too be expected when moving around. However, my things have stayed in place throughout the night, which is what I expected it to do.

However, one issue I've had is that I've accidentally put the Velcro unevenly over the rest of the garter (be careful when putting this on) and had accidentally frayed the lace a bit...but other than that I haven't had problems with my Sassy Stash.

Overall, I think that this is a great, ingenious product that is perfect for girls who love going out on the town. I absolutely love the idea of being hands free and not being lugged down holding onto my stuff, which makes my nights out so much more fun. 

For more updates and information, follow me on Instagram, @shesadaydream

xoxo, Rachel

Wet N Wild Comfort Zone Palette: REVIEW & SWATCHES

If you ask any beauty junkie about the Wet N Wild Comfort Zone Palette, they would tell you that it's one of the best palettes you can ever pick up. Despite being a drugstore brand, Wet N Wild is known for their quality products at affordable prices. In the past, I've bought a multitude of Wet N Wild products, especially their eye shadows, whether I was a beauty novice or just expanding my makeup collection. Out of all of the Wet N Wild singles, trios, and palettes I have, I can say that the Comfort Zone palette is my hands down favorite.

Price: $4.99 (can vary)

Availability: Permanent, Drugstores

This palette has 8 warmed toned eye shadows which are labeled as guidelines (brow bone, eyelid, crease, definer) but, of course, you don't have to follow them. On the left side, the palette has golden-toned colored, and on the right, the palette has slightly darker, earthy shades. This palette has shades that range from shimmery, satin, and metallic finishes. 

Since the shadows don't have specific names, I'll describe each side of the palette and the shades from top to bottom. All of these swatches were applied dry and without any primer or base. 

Left Side:

Brow bone is a pale, yellow-peach shade, which is ideal for highlighting or blending the brow bone or inner eye corner. This shade is a bit chalky compared to the others in the palette, but since it doesn't bother me personally because it's supposed to be a light, 'barely there' color.

Eyelid is a metallic orange shade, which I personally like to use as a transitioning color in the middle towards the outer part of my crease. This shade would also work well alone all over the eyelid. 

Crease is a metallic gold-brown shade that can be used as either a transitioning shade or for the outer crease for daytime use. 

Definer is a satin chocolate brown shade that is also great for the outer eye crease. Even though this shade is darker than the crease shade, it's also quite wearable for everyday use and would also be perfect for a brown smokey eye.

I like using this side of the palette more than the right side because the colors are easier to work with for a simple, everyday look. The right side, none the less, is still pretty awesome as well.

Right Side:

Brow bone is light, shimmery, champagne shade that can be used for highlighting or as an all over color. This shade is less chalky than the brow bone shade on the left side of the palette.

Eye lid is a light, shimmery yellow-green shade. This may not be everyone's go to color, but this shade provides a nice pop of color without looking strange or gaudy.

Crease is a satin, dark brown shade with flecks of gold shimmer. At first glance, this color may be intimidating because it looks too shimmery in the pan. However, when swatched, the shimmery is not very noticeable and looks more wearable.

Definer is a duo-chrome, dark green-blue shade with flecks of blue shimmer. Personally, I think is the most unique shade in the whole palette. Similar to the other crease and definer shades, this color would be ideal for transitioning or on the outer crease.  

Overall, these shadows, just like the rest of the Wet N Wild line, are amazingly soft and pigmented. Some of the shades have slight fallout, however these eye shadows are smooth, blendable, and generally easy to work with. What makes this palette a winner is the quality, range of wearable, universally flattering colors, and of course, the inexpensive price. I highly recommend this palette and it's a product that I would buy again. 

For more updates and information, follow me on Instagram, @shesadaydream

xoxo, Rachel