Beauty Loon

Bath & Body

The Body Shop Spa Wisdom Japan

By Erin on September 3, 2013

The Body Shop Spa Wisdom bathing salts, body milk, and washing grains — The Body Shop Spa Wisdom Japan bathing salts, body milk, and washing grains

Earlier this summer, I was breezing through stores looking for more bath products and landed in The Body Shop. Due to muscle aches, I take hot baths nearly every night before I go to bed. It’s pretty rough on my skin, so I’m always on the hunt for products that will help keep my skin hydrated and soft. The Body Shop was running a pretty good sale on selected items and when I spoke with the sales associate and indicated that I was looking for moisturizing bath products, she pointed me towards three Spa Japan products that were included in the sale. I walked away with the yuzu & green tea bathing salts, yuzu & rice body milk, and the adzuki bean & rice washing grains.

http://beautyloon.com/2013/09/03/the-body-shop-spa-wisdom-japan/

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Makeup

Smashbox Liquid Halo HD Foundation SPF 15

By Erin on

Smashbox’s new foundation, Liquid Halo HD SPF 15, was one that I received a sample of when I was checked for my Sephora +Pantone Color IQ (you can read about my experience here). This foundation was recommended to me after I answered a few questions about my foundation preferences: I have combination skin, I need a foundation that I don’t have to touch up during the day, I’m generally looking for medium coverage, and I like having SPF included. I had previously tried out Smashbox’s HD Healthy FX SPF 15 foundation and had really enjoyed the look it gave me, but it unfortunately faded away way too early in the day to be of much use to me. So, I was definitely interested to see if this one might perform better.

http://beautyloon.com/2013/09/03/smashbox-liquid-halo-hd-foundation-spf-15/

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Makeup

How does Rimmel ScandalEyes Show Off compare to Benefit They’re Real! mascara?

By Erin on September 2, 2013

Rimmel ScandalEyes Show Off Mascara ($6.99 at Ulta) — Rimmel ScandalEyes Show Off Mascara ($6.99)

The other day, I was walking through the drugstore cosmetics and something caught my eye: a promotional display of some new Rimmel mascaras, one of which was boasting an image of a wand that looks pretty similar to Benefit’s They’re Real! mascara wand. They’re Real! is one of my favorites, and it would definitely be nice to find a comparable product for a drugstore price. I even have a They’re Real! mini tube on hand to compare it to, so I brought the Rimmel home with me to see how it stacks up.

http://beautyloon.com/2013/09/02/how-does-rimmel-scandaleyes-show-off-compare-to-benefit-theyre-real-mascara/

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Makeup

Wet n Wild Pop Art Craze eye trio in Your 15 Minutes Aren’t Up!

By Erin on August 31, 2013

This is the second palette from Wet n Wild’s Pop Art Craze collection that I’ve had the opportunity to try. Compared to Hard Being the It Girl (review), I expected this one to even brighter, but it’s actually well suited for a softer look. The colors themselves are very pretty, but none of them can live up to that vibrant blue in Hard Being the It Girl in pigmentation and intensity.

http://beautyloon.com/2013/08/31/wet-n-wild-pop-art-craze-eye-trio-in-your-15-minutes-arent-up/

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Skincare

Très Pure Face Tonic

By Erin on

Just a quick review of a product I’ve been using for the past two weeks, the Très Pure Face Tonic. I’ve been working through a 0.33 fl. oz. sample of this from my July Sample Society subscription box, and a 4 fl. oz. bottle costs $65. Actually, I had been using this for almost a week before I took a look at the product online and the price really surprised me. I hadn’t realized this was such a high-end item. This is a really interesting formula with just three ingredients: Daucus Carota (Carrot) Seed Distillate, Citrus Aurantium (Neroli) Distillate, Helichrysum Italicum (Immortelle) Oil.

http://beautyloon.com/2013/08/31/tres-pure-face-tonic/

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Makeup

L’Oreal Magic Perfecting Base Face Primer

By Erin on August 30, 2013

This past spring as the weather started to get warmer, I noticed that my skin was starting to get a little oilier and I decided that I needed to make a change in my makeup routine to keep my foundation lasting throughout the day. In addition to experimenting with moisturizers, I tried a small handful of primers to see if one of them might help me out: Neutrogena Shine Control Primer, Bare Minerals Prime Time, and Benefit’s The POREfessional. Unfortunately, they weren’t making a difference for me and I was starting to feel like I was getting ripped off. Closer to the beginning of summer, I decided to try L’Oreal’s Magic Perfecting Base when my local drugstore was offering 25% off L’Oreal cosmetics. This primer stands above the others that I’ve tried, and I’ve continued to use it daily all summer long.

http://beautyloon.com/2013/08/30/loreal-magic-perfecting-base-face-primer/

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Makeup

LORAC Uptown Allure Warm Eye Shadow Palette

By Erin on August 29, 2013

I recently found this cute little LORAC eye shadow palette at Nordstrom Rack, which has become one of my favorite places to snag beauty products. I believe these palettes are exclusive to Nordstrom Rack, and there are two varieties available: the cool-toned Downtown Drama, and the warm-toned Uptown Allure. I think both are lovely options for autumn looks, and at $12, they’re very reasonably priced.

http://beautyloon.com/2013/08/29/lorac-uptown-allure-warm-eye-shadow-palette/

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Skincare

Murad Hydro-Dynamic Ultimate Moisture for Eyes

By Erin on

I received a little jar of Murad’s Hydro-Dynamic Ultimate Moisture for Eyes earlier this summer in my June Sample Society subscription box. The jar itself looked teeny weeny, but I was able to use it twice a day for an entire month! It’s a really lightweight and fast absorbing gel-cream that promises to lock in hydration for 8 hours. I love how straight forward the claim and marketing message is. And you know what? The product is as effective as the message is direct.

http://beautyloon.com/2013/08/29/murad-hydro-dynamic-ultimate-moisture-for-eyes/

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Bath & Body

L’Occitane Almond Shower Oil

By Erin on August 28, 2013

I have an issue with muscle aches, and hot baths are one of the most simple and effective ways to deal with the pain so that I can get some sleep. Because I bathe nearly every night before I go to bed (and shower every morning, too), I’m constantly fighting dry skin. Rather than slathering myself in body butter twice a day, I find that the best way to deal with the dryness is to try and make the bathing process itself as hydrating as possible. I decided to try out L’Occitane’s Almond Shower Oil when I saw the big bottle, 16.9 fl oz, on sale at their outlet store for $30.

http://beautyloon.com/2013/08/28/loccitane-almond-shower-oil/

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Hair Care

Red Flower Ocean Cleansing Hair Wash

By Erin on August 26, 2013

I was introduced to Red Flower’s Ocean Cleansing Hair Wash through my July Sample Society subscription box, which included a very generous sample bottle. Red Flower is based in New York and is self-described as environmentally and socially responsible as well as cruelty-free. Their product lines range from perfume and aromatherapy to bath and skincare, and feature an impressive list of enticing ingredients and scents.

http://beautyloon.com/2013/08/26/red-flower-ocean-cleansing-hair-wash/

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