The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly

Hi, all! Yesterday I flew back from Los Angeles, and after catching some quality Zs I’m feeling much more rested this morning. You might say I got my beauty sleep?

Speaking of beauty, I have tried a number of new beauty products lately for various reasons and I thought I’d share my experiences with you, should you be interested.

Elizabeth Arden Hydrating Mask

I’ve actually had this mask for a while; I bought it from a Marshall’s on super sale. I absolutely love face masks and own a lot of them, so I hadn’t gotten to trying this one much… until recently. It isn’t like most where you get that “tight face” feeling (am I the only one who actually likes that?), but it does something equally as satisfying. It dries but stays moisturizing, and after you wash it off, your skin feels like it’s just absorbed a really high-quality lotion.

Verdict: RECOMMEND

Try it yourself

 

Jolly Bod Body Calming Salt Scrub

As an editor of a magazine—even though we focus on home design, architecture, and some lifestyle content—companies send us products to review and write about all the time. Our editor in chief received a bunch of fun body products from Jolly Bod and let me take this one home. I wasn’t expecting to fall in love with it (and Nick did, too!). When you use this salt scrub on your body, you might expect to exfoliate some dead skill cells and then be on your merry way. What you don’t expect is the hydration factor. This stuff has got some serious oil quality, in all the right ways. When you live in dry, arid Colorado, you cling to products that make your skin feel supple and smooth. I just polished off this beauty and will be ordering more.

Verdict: HIGHLY RECOMMEND

Try it yourself

 

Crest 3D Whitestrips, Glamorous White

I did some serious research on the best whitening strips out there after I noticed my teeth had been highly influenced by all the coffee and wine I drink on a daily basis. 🙂 I finally settled on these bad boys (the Glamorous White was up there on the list and definitely costly but not the most expensive of all the Crest 3D Whitestrip varieties). I’m almost done with my 14-day treatment, but I can already notice a difference. I am thinking about doing a whole blog post on the results, but we’ll see. My teeth are whiter but it isn’t a life-changing difference, if you know what I mean. It feels more like maintenance, shedding some of that off-white layer and restoring my teeth to their natural color. When compared to other, cheaper whitening options out there, it scores quite high.

Verdict: RECOMMEND

Try it yourself

 

Essie Nail Polish in “Marshmallow”

This sheer white nail polish caught my eye while perusing Target (like ya do), and I thought I’d give it a try. I love the look of white on nails, and it’s gotten pretty trendy lately. But when I went to paint my nails, I found that the “sheer” factor was a little too high. It took three coats before it didn’t look see-through, and even then, it was hard to look even and nice (I usually do a pretty good job!). From far away it looked good, but up close? Meh. To contrast, though, Essie nail polish is of a really good quality for the price… I just don’t have the nail-painting chops to conquer this shade’s sheerness. Sorry, folks!

Verdict: NOT THIS SHADE

Try it yourself 

 

DiorShow Mascara

I was introduced this mascara back in college by my beautiful friend, and roommate at the time, Erin. As a singer and performer, good mascara is something you have to have on hand… on top of being a girl who likes her eyes to pop. I’ve tried hundreds of different types of mascara in the past, what, 20 years? And I can confidently, honestly, 100 percent say that this is the best mascara of all time. The brush is big and luscious. The mascara goes on smoothly and gets distributed evenly. Just, yes. I hadn’t gotten myself a tube of this stuff in a while, and I didn’t realize just how much I missed it! And it’s not even that expensive: Just under $30. It’s so worth it. [On the contrary, though, the waterproof version is a NO GO.]

Verdict: HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMEND

Try it yourself

***Side note: My lashes are INSANE lately, you guys. I caved and finally tried Rodan+Fields Lash Boost because of all these crazy before and after photos people reporting to social media (and people I know). After 8 weeks, my lashes are so much longer and there’s still more to go (I have a 90-day supply). I’ll do a whole post about it when I’m done so you can see!***

 

Sephora’s Vessel Canister Brush Set

Confession: I’ve had the same Bare Minerals brushes since… I got my first “starter set” back in 2007. GROSS, you guys. And I didn’t wash them. Just, you’re going to judge me and I don’t even care. You’re right to judge. I should be dead somehow.

Anyway, I decided to order some new brushes because 10 years is a little long to go with the same old disgusting ones. With a recommendation for the Sephora brushes in tow, I ordered this vessel set. I love the canister it comes in and the gold-bedecked handles. The bristles are soft on my skin and distribute powder and foundation well. I haven’t been disappointed… but I still need to get a new buffing brush.

Verdict: RECOMMEND

Try it yourself

 

Drunk Elephant TLC Sukari Babyfacial

When I ordered my Diorshow mascara and new brush set from Sephora.com, I found a coupon code that included this little baby facial for free. I figured, heck yes, why not try something new? The cleanser isn’t too abrasive and, actually, you just leave it on for 20 minutes and then wash it off. While I’m happy with the experience I’ve had with it, I don’t think I’d ever purchase this myself. It was nice but not something I have to have.

Verdict: MEH

Try it yourself

What are your favorite beauty products?