Soft skin (lotions, soaps, etc!) on a budget! PIC HEAVY

Hi girls! Here, I want to show how to get soft silky skin!

My skin tends to be quite normal, except for in the winter when it becomes incredibly dry. I love soft smooth skin that looks radiant and supple and is literally soft to the touch. Because of how cold it is, I have been using trial and error to find something that would give me everything I want and have finally found what products I love that work for me that will hopefully work for you too :)

• Body Wash- Harmon Face Values Extra Moisturizing Body Wash

I purchased this body wash from Bed, Bath and Beyond for about $3 or so. For Winter, this keeps my skin so lusciously smooth that I don't even need to follow up with lotion if I don't want to. This is the generic Bed, Bath, and Beyond version of the Olay Complete Body Wash (or something like that!). I don't remember the exact name, but I chose the generic version as it was bigger than the Olay one and about a dollar or two less! It is unscented and gives a rich creamy lather that I love.

In the summer, I use Caress Whipped Souffle as it is a bit lighter than the Harmon/Olay one making it perfect for the warmer weather. The smell is definitely subjective. I first loved it, then didn't use it in forever and hated it, and now love it again. It is a very warm peach, if that makes sense. It smells like warm peaches and cream, which threw me off because I was expecting more fruity (vs. cozy). But it works amazingly so definitely smell it before you buy it! It also comes in different flavors.

• Body Scrub- LUSH Buffy
  [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Underworldfairy/lush/buffy.jpg[/IMG]
  
  
  (borrowed from the internet as my bar is used to bits:( waaaah lol)

My favorite body exfoliator and Lush product in general is Lush 'Buffy' without a doubt. It smells like vanilla coconut and does such a great job at moisturizing and exfoliating at the same time. Because it is expensive, I don't use it as often as I'd like but if you are willing to spend the money, I would definitely reccomend it! I use it after I wash my body and scrub it on. I leave it on for about a minute or two and then very gently (and quickly!) rinse it off. I don't wipe it off, just rinse. I then get out of the shower and very gently pat my body dry. I have found that this way leaves my body the most moisturized.

Because of how often I exfoliate (4-5 times a week), I end up going through product very quickly. I have another scrub in the shower that I use more often which is Freeman's Body Sugar Scrub in Pomegranate. It smells delicious, but be warned it is not moisturizing. When my mom used it, she told me she found it moisturizing, but personally, it is not enough for me at all. It's quite good at exfoliating, is dirt cheap (~$2.50 or so) and smells delicious, but I am not sure I would repurchase as I like something a bit more oily. NOTE: This works 1000x better when used on dry skin, so before getting into the shower, pop some of this on and then rinse it off when you step in :)

• Body Lotion- Olay Quench Body Lotion deep moisture with cocoa butter, jojoba and vitamin B3

I have been on a quest to find the perfect body lotion for ages. While I'm not sure this is the absolute best on its own, in conjunction with the other body products I use (and mention in this post), I will continue to re-buy as I do love it. It has a faint smell of vanilla, but it does not linger on the body. I have a big issue with body lotions because I find that most leave behind a film, sometimes sticky, that I absolutely hate. I also like my skin to feel very very soft and moisturized and I have not found many lotions that do this for me. I apply the Olay right out of the shower to my entire body and wait about a minute and then get changed. The lotion needs about that amount of time to soak into my body and then I'm good to go!

I have heard that body butters are very effective at keeping dry skin moisturized as well. Hearing this, I decided to venture to The Body Shop and picked up three. I got a large jar of the Hemp Body butter (not pictured), as well as two mini jars (one was Coconut, while the other is Shea). My entire family AND my boyfriend adore these, but for some reason it doesn't work with my skin. It leaves a greasy film on my skin and never seems to sink in :( any tips or tricks for these that you girls have? I will say that the coconut smells amazing and the shea seems to work the best out of the three. The hemp smells terrible imo, but is known to be the most moisturizing.

(to show how small the mini jars are)

• Body Oil- Up, Up & Away Baby Oil

I love this body oil and think every girl should have a bottle in their bathroom. I purchased this for only $1 at Target and it is the generic/Target brand of Johnson's Baby Oil. After I wash my body, I rinse off and then slather this all over my body, focusing on my legs and anywhere else I shaved. I don't rinse or pat this off, I just get out of the shower, put on my bathrobe and brush my hair or something. I want to give it ample time to sink in, but I don't find that putting on my bathrobe takes it off or anything like that. This product leaves my skin so silky smooth and I will continue to repucharchase forever. I have heard that many people use this as an eye makeup remover as well, but I can't vouch for how well it works as I have never tried since I am satisfied with my makeup remover I use (reveal in upcoming post!). For only $1, I don't think people have anything to lose with this and should definitely give it a try!

• Hand Soap- Softsoap Elements in Milk Protein and Honey

I wash my hand so often, and because of this, my hands can be especially dry and raw. About two months ago, I switched to this hand soap and am in love! The formula is divine and so moisturizing. It also smells delicious...like honey :) It was very cheap from Target, I think maybe $2 or so? Since using this, my hands stay moisturized and soft which is big for me.

• Hand Scrub-Booth's Honey and Almond Hand Scrub

I adore this hand scrub!! I got it at Target about a year ago and haven't been able to find this since :( But if you see it, snatch it up! It is a very grainy scrub that smells of almonds. I apply this to my hands (either dry or damp depending on the amount of exfoliation I'd like) and then rub it in for about a minute or so. I then rinse them off, and apply hand soap and hand lotion. This product works miracles and makes my hands SO soft.

swap: UK and US :)

Hello lovelies! I left my camera at home but when I go there tonight, I'll make sure to upload the pics so I can do a proper post. Anyways, if anyone is interested in getting things from the US that they can't get where they are in exchange for things in the UK, feel free to message me at ecberger@cox.net, or leave your email in a comment and I will be sure to message you! Take care loves, and expect another post later tonight! xo

NOTD ft. cheap nailpolishes! forever 21 and color club polishes :) picture heavy

hi girls! im so sorry i've been MIA for the past week, i've had way too many essays and tests and such :( i promise i will be a dedicated blogger from now on!<3

As someone who used to only wear burgundy and red nail polishes, with the addition of french manicures, I have branched out in the past year or so, but especially in the past four months or so. Pastels and brights now litter my once small nail polish stash. One brand I have adored lately is Color Club. They have a huge array of colors and last very well on the nail. While they look very expensive, they are only $3 at Bed, Bath, and Beyond :)

Here, I'm wearing Color Club Electro Candy, part of the Electro Candy collection which contained a bunch of other neons that I will review if you girls are interesting. It is a gorgeous hot pink that has a light turquoise-sea foam shimmer that runs through it. It is so neon it literally GLOWS! beautiful, i love it.

the turquoise shimmer is much more noticable in real life.

you can really see the shimmer here:


A few days ago, I was at Forever 21 and was browsing through the nailpolishes. I came upon a ton of absolutely gorgeous one and remembering Natty's recent NOTD posts, I remembered how much she raved about them so I decided to pick up two (although I wanted to get a bunch more!). I chose 'light orange' which is a gorgeous peach (future post on that) and 'dark purple', a BEAUTIFUL dark purple that has blue, purple and yellow flashes and glimmers through it. The finish is amazing...like literally purple foil if that makes sense, it is so incredible. It wears beautifully and is SO shiny without a topcoat (as you'll see in the picture...I did not have a chance to put on a top coat before I took these photos). For only $2.50 a piece, I will definitely pick up more of these.
with flash:




without flash:




and for those asking about my rings, here are the ones I wore today :)


I had more on my other hand, but totally forgot to take a picture!




What are your favorite nail polish brands? What colors have you guys liked lately? Have any of you tried out F21 nail polishes or Color Club?

NYX products to achieve: Perfect Baby Milky Pink Lips :)

For awhile, I've been on the quest to find the products that would help me achieve a baby pinky nude, with no shimmer but more of a subtle milky look to it. MAC Angel, NARS Turkish Delight, MAC Underage and a variety of other similar toned lip colors; each were close, but not quite right.

This week, at Ulta, I stumbled upon two NYX lip colors: NYX lipstick in Strawberry Milk and a new NYX product:  Soft Matte Lip Cream. I got the shade Tokyo, a slightly more subtle version color-wise of the lipstick, but virtually the same shade.

Here is a picture I quickly snapped before my camera died of me...this is an accurate representation of the color my lips with no product on them.



Strawberry Milk, part of the NYX round label lipstick line, is a cool toned baby pink creamy and unbelievably opaque lipstick. The texture is incredibly smooth and moisturizing. 95% of lipsticks I wore show the cracks on my lips, regardless of whether or not I exfoliate them first and rid them of the dead skin.  Without exfoliating and just applying this from the tube, I get a gorgeous creamy consistency that completely covers my lips, yet doesn't show any cracks or dead skin. Straight from the tube, it is VERY opaque so I like to apply it with a lip brush or use my finger to smooth out the color over my lips which lifts some of the colors. This retails for around $3.













Tokyo is supposed to be a lipstick-gloss hybrid. The baby pink gloss comes in a tube with a black rubberized cap, boasting a design very similar to the NARS lipglosses. The color is a more toned down version of Strawberry milk and has an incredibly creamy texture. The color is very opaque and gives a creamy finish to the lips. Wears incredibly well, retails for around $4.






Have you girls tried NYX lip colors? And what are your favorite baby pinks in general?

Hot Trend for Spring: Bright blushes (Review and swatches)

Hello my loves! Hope you're all doing well today :)


As seen on many runways, fashion shows depicted future spring makeup trends included bright lips and bright blush. Blush is something I have never really been into for a number of reasons. Ok...that's a lie. I have WANTED blush to work for me and have lusted over it for ages. I would tend to overblend it into my bronzer leaving my face orange. it was not a good look; i ended up wearing just bronzer and highlighter for a long time which is a look I still love and do often. After much trial and error, practicing, and CC I realized that although I still love the just bronzer look, I adore/need the pop of color that blush brings to my face. In an upcoming post, I will show a few blushes I have come to fall in love with, but the one that everyone needs to try and get a hold of is Pout's Apricot Totty.








The color is a gorgeous bright vivid peach coral with a hint of pink, but definitely on the coral side (vs. pink-coral). It brightens up my face and makes me look healthy, tan, etc. It is such a gorgeous and complex color that I apply with a blush brush (I just use one from Lancome, but it's an ordinary blush brush, not duo fibre stippling blush). It is quite fragile and as you can see, I dropped mine and repressed it (and did an absolutely horrendous job at it LOL) :( I've had this blush for about a year and a half (!) and just started using it now. It lasts all day,as well! :) Although I do not use a skunk (duo-fibre) brush to apply it, I still use a quite light hand with my blush brush and build up the color using that as I can always add more.








Swatches on my NC25-30 skin:

What are some of your guys favorite bright blushes?

REVIEW: New Clearasil Ultra Acne+Marks Wash and Mask vs. Clearasil Ultra Face Wash

Hi hunnies! I have a ton of great posts coming up, but thought I would start with this review.




I was running low on my Clearasil Ultra Face Wash last week, so I ran to Target. Me, being in a rush as always, didn't realize I grabbed the wrong one until I got home! Instead of the usual face wash, I grabbed the Acne+Marks Wash and Mask. I was very intrigued as I love multi tasking products and am OBSESSED with the original face wash so I thought I'd try it out :)
*Review for that one here*


I searched for reviews on this new product, but could only find one on makeupalley and only a couple on other blogs so I thought I'd let you girls know my thoughts on this. This is supposed to be use once a night as a wash (you could use 2x/day as well, but I found that too drying) and twice a week as a mask. To "active" it in mask form, you're supposed to leave it on for one minute longer. That's it. I was a bit skeptical because I already leave my face wash on for about 30 seconds, but decided to leave this on for about two or three minutes.


WARNING: The face wash will not dry like a normal mask-it will feel slightly tacky. I thought it would be kind of hard or even dried up and crumbly in some areas, but that was not the case.


After using this for the past week (and using it as a mask every other day), I can gladly say this has replaced my usual HG Clearasil Ultra Face Wash. After comparing the two though, I found they are the exact same product! Same ingredients, word for word, and in the exact same order. I am not sure if this one will replace the other because they are the same thing.


Leaving it on as a mask has made it even more HG worthy than normal...I have some acne scarring on my cheeks but this seems to have made them fade almost 80% in the last WEEK! I love this product and would definitely reccomend. If you have the other face wash, don't bother picking this up, just use your current one as a mask; but if youre running low on the other or haven't tried either, I would definitely reccomend this.



What skin care have you guys loved lately?