LUSH Oatfix Mask Review

LUSH Oatfix Mask

LUSH says: I can't find this mask on the LUSH website for some reason so unfortunately, I can't give the exact description from there. On the tub of the mask though, it states:

"A delicious blend of bananas, vanilla and oats to cleanse, soften and moisturize dry and sensitive skin. Apply to clean skin avoiding the eye area. Leave 5-10 minutes and rinse away with warm water. Keep refrigerated."

Skin type: Normal, but definitely on the more dry side. Quite clear, but with a few light spots left over from old acne spots. Not too sensitive, but when it doesn't like something, it definitely reacts quite quickly.

Cost: $5 for a 2.1 oz tub

Consistency: The consistency of this was odd. It was thick and quite "lumpy", for lack of better word. It had a lot of oatmeal in it, hence the nam, which caused it to have this odd consistency. It also was quite thick, but not particularly hard to blend.

Effectiveness: I thought this was a great mask, but was definitely not a miracle or a necessary mask. It was a nice treat and definitely moisturized my skin for the rest of the day but did not do anything to even out my complexion or reduce scarring, although the mask doesn't state it would. When I washed it off it left a sort of "film" on my face, but it wasn't a sticky or uncomfortable film, more like a soft film? I feel uncomfortable using the word film because I associate it with sticky, heavy, greasy, etc. and this wasn't any of those things. For what it said it would do (moisturize) it did, and it also left my skin glowy.

Scent: Oh my goodness, YUM! It smells like banana bread, so delicious :)

Application: I applied this all over my face and let it sit for 15 minutes. This was definitely not like the typical mask in terms of the feel when it dries. I am used to knowing when a mask is dry due to it feeling tight on my face, as well as dry. This mask was neither of those. It was neither dry nor wet after the 15 minutes. It was definitely dry compared to when I first applied it, but without comparing it to how it was in the beginning, it felt a bit damp. You need quite a bit when you apply and I did not go with the "less is more" theory. I applied this on liberally and barely made a dent. It was kind of difficult to have it go on smooth, but not hard to apply by any means, just a bit more time consuming. To remove, I wet my hands with warm water and then rubbed my face which helped remove the mask, as well as exfoliate lightly due to the oatmeal pieces. That removed about 40%-50% of the mask and then I use a warm washcloth to wipe of the remainder of the mask.

Shelf Life: This mask is said to last three weeks. I still had some after that amount of time and finally finished it about a month after I purchased it (so about a week after the 'expiration date') and the consistency was the exact same and still smelled delicious, but I wouldn't keep it much longer past that. The lady at lush told me the tub I purchased held about six applications worth. I got about 10 or 11 uses out of it and I applied it quite liberally.

Have you ever tried any Lush skin care? Which? Also, what are your favorite masks?

Valentines Day FOTD using NAKED Palette:)

Hi girls- my boy and I went to a nice dinner last night so I got all dressed up and spent time doing my makeup all nice:) I also used my NAKED Palette which I absolutely adore and will be doing a review on soon.

Face:

-Monistat Anti-Chaffing as primer

-Nars Sheer Glow in Stromboli

-MSFN Medium

-Wet N' Wild Shimmery Bronzer

-NYC Sunny

-MAC Hush CCB

-Wet N' Wild Acapulco

Eyes:

-UDPP

-UD Sidecar

-UD Buck

-UD Sin

-MAC Beauty Marked

- LM Topaz

-Milani Liquif'eye

-L'oreal Collagen Mascara

Lips:

nothing! :( I later put on some MAC 3N

Hope you guys had a great Valentines Day! xxx

Let me know if youd like a tutorial for this look!

new HG exfoliator for less than $5:) s

Hi girls! I have a lot of great upcoming posts for you but I decided I need to write this one right now :)
As you know, I am obsessed with soft touchable skin and have a slew of exfoliators, body lotions, etc and a post on it as well...well lately the one I've been reaching for constantly is Tree Hut Shea Sugar Body Scrub in Brazilian Nut.

COST- $4 at Walmart
SCENT- My favorite part :) This smells like a rich toffee with notes of caramel and coffee as well. It has a pretty strong scent-not overwhelming, but it is definitely rich. The scent lingers on the skin for maybe 15 minutes but that's about it which I like as it doesn't interfere with my perfumes. On the other hand, my shower will smell like it for a few hours which I like.
EFFECTIVENESS- I adore this scrub because of how well it exfoliates! It has a very thick consistency and spreads on evenly and easily. I do recommend using this before you get wet (i.e. right when you step in the shower) because I find it does a deeper exfoliation due to how it is a sugar scrub and sugar dissolves quite quickly in the water. But I do like it either way, it just depends what mood I'm in, the condition of my skin, etc.

STAYING POWER- While the scent did go away, my skin stayed soft and moisturized for the entire day afterwards. Although, I do have to note, I used this a few times and when my legs were shaved, they hold the moisture in although when they had some stubble, the moisture barely held in :(
CONSISTENCY- The consistency (along with the scent) is one of my favorite things about this product. It is kind of goopy and very very thick. A little bit goes a very long way; a small handful was enough for my entire body and I still had a lot left over in my palm.

I would definitely reccomend this :) What are your favorite scrubs?

nars sheer glow review and fotd :) x

testing out nars sheer glow...

^my nose isnt really that big its the angle i promise lol

face:

nars sheer glow

maybelline dream pressed powder

mac hush ccb

nyc sunny

elf blush/bronzer duo (used only the bronzer)

eyes:

udpp

lm topaz

mac carbon

mac deep devotion

lumene blue magic

sephora chubby eye pencil

milani liquifeye pencil in black

loreal collegen mascara

mac shroom

REVIEW:

I am a complete idiot and completely forgot what shade I am in this foundation as I only got a sample and I dont remember the color the SA gave me/she didnt write it on the sample. Maybe this was my first problem, but I had very high expectations for this foundation as I've heard it raved about constantly, as well as the fact that I've seen it on youtube/in fotds and it looks STUNNING. on me, it looked very very cakey and accentuated every dry spot-this never ever happens. yes i exfoliated, moisturized, and used a primer.

Another thing I didn't like is the staying power. It lasted about 4 hours or so on me, even with my favorite setting powder :( Unfortunately, although you only need a little at a time and it was a perfect match shade-wise, I will not be purchasing this. I will do a review on my HG foundation within the next week.

Have you tried NARS foundations? What were your thoughts? xxx

and PLEASE do not hesistate to give me CC :)

favorite products of the week-AFFORDABLE :)

hi girls! sorry i havent blogged in the past few days, ive been with my boyfriend and didnt have access to a computer :(

anyways here are some of the things ive been reaching for CONSTANTLY the past few days :) Sorry in advance for the dirty brushes :(!

• Milani Liquif'eye Metallic Eyeliner Pencil in Black

I adore this eyeliner! I bought it about a month ago and while I used it a few times here and there, I have been using it nonstop the past week. It was about $6 at CVS :) I used to love UD zero, but it began to become a little expensive after awhile and it didnt last on my waterline. I have heard SO many raves about this whether it was on makeupalley, youtube, blogger, etc. so I decided to pick it up when I heard it was a dupe to the UD 24/7. It has lasted up to 15 hours on me and remained vivid and looks like it does when I first applied it. It is one of the richest blacks I have ever seen and while it can be smudged in the first 25 seconds, it then sets and becomes ultimately budgeproof. I completely 100% recommend it :) It also lasts FOREVER on the waterline and not many liners do on me!

• MAC quad: All That Glitters, Mythology, Woodwinked, Twinks

Top Row: ATG, Mythology; Bottom Row: Woodwinked, Twinks

L-R: ATG, Woodwinked, Mythology, Twinks

I haven't used these colors in FOREVER but I have been loving them this past week :)

-All That Glitters is a gorgeous shimmery light gold neutral color. It is incredibly pigmented and blends beautifully. I tried it awhile ago and it gave off quite an orangey sheen for some reason so I passed it on to my mom. I recently started using it again and stole it back from her! Hahah it's not orangey at all anymore, but it definitely leans warm more than neutral.

-Mythology is a color I have struggled with for a bit. When I first bought it, I would pair it all over the lid with MAC Antiqued in the crease which was just STUNNING and made my eyes look so vibrant. I then went through a phase where I would wear a brightly colored liner (UD Covet, Sephora chubby eyeliner in a slate gunmetal shade, etc.) with a taupe eyeshadow in the crease (MAC Satin Taupe) so I forgot about it. Although it is a lustre, it is still very pigmented, but I find it better to pat it on the lid and pack it on that way vs. brushing/sweeping it on. I

have been wearing this on the lid and adore it! It also looks fab wet.

-Woodwinked is the next color in this palette. It can take on a very orangey tone on some people but it doesnt really do that to me fortunately. This color is so metallic and pigmented and is just gorgeous. I love wearing it on the lid with a dark brown or black on the outer lid :) It also looks great with bronze/blacks/blues/greens/purples...it is so incredibly versatile.

-Twinks is a stunning plum colored shadow. Like the others, it is very very pigmented and blends wonderfully. I've heard its the plum version of sable; I can kind of see this but Sable made me look tired where as this looks fantastic. It makes my eyes look very green. I wear this as a liner, on the lid, in the crease, or in the outer corner. It honestly looks great ANYWHERE on the lid.

When I want to use all the colors together, I apply ATG as a wash up to my brow bone and then pack it on in the inner corner and inner half of the lid. I put woodwinked on the other half of the lid and then on the very outer part of the lid, I use mythology and sweep some into the crease as well. I then put Twinks in the outer corner of the eye. On the lower lid, I apply ATG, Woodwinked, Mythology, and Twinks in that order.

• MAC eyeshadow in Beauty Marked

Top left.

swatched dry, wet, over NYX Milk (a white base)

I love love love this eyeshadow!! I bought it when I first started getting into MAC around 5 years ago. When I first bought it, I thought it would turn out how it looks in the pan and unfortunately, it doesnt unless I put a red base underneath it and it further brings out the colors if I use it wet. When I use it dry, I love it just as much! It is a sheer soft black with red sparkles which don't show up too well, but catch the light/out in the sun. It can definitely be built up to be a dark rich black. It is also very easy to blend which is why I love and is less than I can say for MAC Carbon which I have and dislike immensely. I also love how it morphs to the colors I use with it...when I use it with a blue on the lid and layer Beauty Marked on top, it becomes a dark shimmery black blue, when I put it over purple, it turns dark purple/maroon. It literally changes to whatever color you use it with, I love it :)

• MAC 219 Pencil Brush

I bought this brush a few years ago and hated it simply because I didnt know what to do with it! I though it was a waste of $19. I've started using this again and I love it! It's great for smudging colors out, defined crease work, outer v, highlighting inner corner, smudging liner, applying color to the lower lash line, etc etc! It's fantastic :) Not sure I'd spend $19 on it if I had to do it again as there are cheaper dupes, but now that I have it its fab :)

• Sonia Kashuk Highlighting Brush

Without a doubt my favorite face brush and definitely one of my top 3 favorite brushes of all time (as well as the MAC 217 and the Chanel eye blender brush). It literally makes my face appear flawless. It was $13 at Target and definitely up to par in terms of quality with my MAC, Chanel, Laura Mercier, etc. brushes. I'm sorry it is so disgustingly dirty, the bristles are usually white I really need to wash it:( I have two-one to apply my bronzer and one to apply my foundation. It really spreads around my foundation so beautifully and buffs it into my skin leaving it looking flawless. I use it to apply my contour and it really does all the work for me. It is so fantastic, I'm completely love it :) I would recommend this brush without a doubt.

• MAC Cream Color Base in Hush

I cannot express how much I love this product. It is a gorgeous peachy color and leaves just the most beautiful sheen. It can look natural or more pronounced depending on how much you put on. I apply this either under foundation or on top of it depending on the look I'm going for. The MA at MAC told me that the Victoria Secret models use this on the runways and in photoshoots (I read this on makeupalley as well in one of the reviews as well as from my MA so I think it might be correct) and I can definitely see how it is true. It is the most perfect stunning highlighter ever! The consistency is just great, its not tacky at all, just light and flawless. I apply this on my cheekbones, done my nose, on the tip of my nose, on my cupids bow...everywhere! I use it a lot and there is still a ton of product left because you really dont need to use that much. Love love love ♥

What are some of your recent favorites? Have you tried any of these? Do you like them?

xxxxxx

how I maintain my long hair :) And question for my non-US ladies!

Hi lovelies!

My hair is something I take a lot of pride in due to the fact that it's quite long (about 1/2 an inch above my bellybutton), but not stringy, mangy, or full of split ends. It's taken me a while to find the perfect combination of products and I think I finally have found them :)

Hopefully this helps some of you xxxx

My Hair Type: My hair is fine, but I have a ton of it. It is virgin hair (in other words, its never been colored) and while it isn't oily, I generally need to wash it every day, but I can get away with other day sometimes if I'm lucky. The ends of my hair can be quite dry as well. It is also straight.

Here are a few pictures, please ignore how frizzy it was! I had the humidifier on in my room and tried to smooth it out with my hands making it worse lol just focus on the length ! x

• Shampoo-V05 Moisture Milks in Strawberries & Cream

I absolutely adore this shampoo! I used to use quite high end shampoos in the past (TiGi, Nexxus, etc) and found that they were getting a bit pricey as I go through shampoo rather quick. As I was browsing my local CVS, I found this and decided I'd try it because of how cheap it was (It was on sale for 69 cents! Although when it's not on sale, its still only 99 cents :)) It smells of strawberries and vanilla cake, it's absolutely delicious and it lathers so well and leaves my hair very moisturized. I love it and find that it does as well as a job as my previous higher end shampoos.

(its not this gross of a green in person, promise lol)

Once a week, I like to use a bit of a clarifying shampoo just so I can get a real deep clean and thoroughly remove all the products from my hair. I have found that I need to keep my hair quite moisturized to have it look nice this long (and not stringy!) so I try to avoid shampoos that are very clarifying. The shampoo I like to use is another V05 one and is called the Tea Therapy Smoothing Shampoo in Healthful Green Tea. I love this shampoo as it doesn't strip the moisture out of my hair at all (something I find most clarifying/deep cleaning shampoos do). This was also 69/99 cents :) Something to note is that this doesn't smell like green tea! It actually smells like fresh granny smith apples :)

• Conditioner-Dove Damage Therapy Daily Moisture Conditioner

I recently started using this conditioner about a month and a half ago and I love it. I am VERY picky with conditioners as I expect it to moisturize, detangle and smooth, yet not weigh my hair down (quite a tall order lol). This shampoo is about $6 and worth every single penny. I would honestly spend loads of money on this conditioner, it is that good. There is a very faint scent that I can't quite put my finger on, but it just smells nice and clean. I was scared that this would be too heavy to use every day, but it's not at all. My hair can be weighed down very easily and this leaves it very bouncy, yet moisturized. My mom's hair is thick, curly and colored, and she loves this too!

TIP: My hair used to be quite damaged from a number of things. My hair dresser told me that conditioner needs to be on hair for about 10 minutes before it can really soak in/your hair can get the proper benefits. I thought that seemed a bit excessive at first, but it's truly changed my hair for the better. I suggest you try it :)

• Protein Treatment-GVP Reconstructing Conditioner/Joico K-Pak.

I adore this protein treatment!! It is the GVP (Generic Value Products) GVP Reconstructing Conditioner which is the generic version of the Joico K-Pak. They are the exact same products (same ingredients, same everything)...as you can tell, I'm a huge fan of buying generic things. I feel it is quite a waste to spend money on packaging, etc if you don't need to. I got this for about $6 while the Joico version costs around $20. My hair is very long and can get quite brittle on the ends. After shampooing and conditioning my hair, I apply this to the bottom half of my hair and leave it in for about five minutes or less. (sorry the letters all rubbed off! They do rub off quite easily when it gets wet, but that's not something I care about too much).

It is VITAL to follow with a conditioner after this...if you don't your hair will be left very crunchy and dry. I use another Sally's GVP Product called GVP Conditioning Balm which is the generic Sally's version of the Matrix Biolage Conditioning Balm. I adore this because it instantly makes my hair feel so silky. After I rinse out the reconstructing conditioner, I apply this to the area where I put on the area where I put on the reoncstructing conditioner. I leave it on for about 5-7 minutes and then rinse it out. It smells SO good like bananas or something lol so so so delicious!

• Deep Conditioner-Neutrogena Triple Moisture Deep Recovery Hair Mask

I like this mask, but I'm not sure I love it. It does a good job of keeping my hair nice, but I'm not sure I love it. It's about $8 and I need quite a bit to cover all my hair and it ends up running out quickly. If you hunnies know any great deep conditioners, please comment below as I'd love to try out a new one! :) For what it is, it's good and combined with my amazing conditioner, it's not terrible :) I use this about once or twice a week and use the protein/balm about once every other week or once every three weeks.

• Detangler-Suave Kids Detangling Spray in double dutch Apple

Ah I LOVE this detangler! While my conditioner does a fab job of detangling my hair, because of how fine my hair is and how much it is, my hair tangles SO easily. And even after I comb out all the tangles, it gets knotty after literally five minutes. Most frustrating thing ever LOL. This detangler was about $1.99 at Target and smells so yummy! It smells like apple jolly ranchers I love love love it! And it works amazingly :) It doesn't clash with my perfume, yet the smell lingers if someone gets very close to my hair (theyre giving me a hug, etc). So cheap and works amazingly. I apply this on either wet or dry hair, and it's effective either way.

• Heat Protector-Chi Silk Infusion

I love this heat protector! I got mine for only $10 or so at Costco, but it usually retails for much more (I think $20 or so?). I use it every day: when my hair is damp before I blow dry, again when it's dry before I curl my hair (if I bother to that day). If I'm just running out the door and can't be bothered to do my hair, I'll still apply this on either my damp or dry hair and it makes it SO soft and silky and smooth!! Be warned it smells like men's cologne, but it goes away after like 15 minutes if you don't use too much. I use about a nickel or a quarters size of product for my long hair which is more than enough. Remember less really is more with this product as too much can leave hair looking greasy.

I hope this helped some of you!!

What are your guys favorite hair products? And recs for a good volumizer? I have none and would love to get one :)

Also...

QUESTION FOR MY NON-US followers:

I'm going to have a giveaway soon and was wondering do you guys have access to Queen Helene where you are? Or to v05 or Plus White? I'm not sure what I want to give away yet, but I think some of my essentials (v05 Shampoos, Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque ♥ , Plus White 5 minute whitening my HG! details soon...)

xxxxx

Tag: 15 Random Facts about Me :)

I was tagged by the lovely Laura at Liparazzi for this tag :) If you haven't checked her out yet, please do. She's one of my favorite bloggers, and gorgeous to boot.

With the acceptance of the award, you must follow these rules:

1 - Thank and link back to the person that awarded you this award
2 - Share 7 things about yourself
3 - Award/Tag other great bloggers
4 - Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award


15 RANDOM FACTS ABOUT ME...

1) I have incredibly low pain tolerance. I have both my ears pierced, as well as my tragus and my bellybutton, and each piercing was incredibly painful to me. I also find shots to hurt really bad :( I wish I had a higher tolerance as I feel a bit like a baby haha x

2) The beach is my favorite place in the entire world. I think it's just so stunning and relaxing. I spend my whole summer there, tanning and going in the water :) My dream is to live on the beach

3) I would love to help kids with cancer relearn their social skills as my career. I fear I'm a bit too sensitive for that though :( I do cry very easily when I see someone else upset or anything like that, so if I wouldn't be able to do that, I'd love to write for a major beauty magazine.

4) I am unbelievably superstitious. My parents, friends, and boyfriend tease me for it CONSTANTLY. I can't help it though lol

5) I love trashy TV. I could spend ages watching Jersey Shore, the Real Housewives, Jerseyliscious, etc.

6) I want to go to Australia within the next year or so.

7) I'm a quarter Persian :)

8) I get attached to people very easily.

9) I don't celebrate Christmas as I'm Jewish, but it's still my favorite time of the year :)

10) I have a bright cherry red Toyota Corolla that I absolutely adore :)

11) I've never dyed my hair, but I've been considering dying it chocolate brown! But we shall see...

12) I wore braces for five years.

13) I could watch Mean Girls a billion times, it is my absolute favorite movie ever

14) I'm not a great swimmer whatsoever :( I wouldn't drown or anything like that, but my form is completely off

15) I have literally the WORST sense of direction ever

And on to the questions...

1. Favorite Color?

Mint green or lavender :)

2. Favorite place to shop?

Forever 21

3. Favorite ever holiday?

Israel :) But I love London as well

4. Favorite Food?

Persian or Thai!

5. Why blog?

Although I'm not great at it, I absolutely love writing and I love beauty, cosmetics, makeup, et al so why not

combine the two :)

6. Favorite Animal?

Butterflies! So gorgeous

7. Favorite Film?

Mean Girls!

8. What colour is your room?

We just moved so theyre white right now

9. Whats a great memory?

Probably my past birthday! My family and I went to La Jolla (which is near San Diego) for the day.

It was stunning, I love it there

10. Whats your favorite MAC item?

Satin Taupe eyeshadow :)

I now tag:

Cheryl

Natty

Emma

:)

SOME OF MY FAVORITE LIP COLORS

EYE COLORS

CHEEK COLORS

REVIEWS