Thanksgiving and Black Friday

Can you guys believe its almost Thanksgiving?! I certainly can't! I'm especially excited because this year I am actually going to go shopping on Black Friday. I usually stay indoors on Black Friday (when I wasn't working when I had retail jobs) but this year I am going to brave the crowds. I was thinking of live blogging the experience, if you guys want. What do you think?

What do you do for Thanksgiving? Leave me a comment!

-AmieeJoy<3

Goodness!

Hey guys! Long time no see. I've been quite busy this summer and just felt I needed a break from blogging for a little bit. However, I have missed it and think I will be posting more now. I've got a few things lined up to review but as always, I welcome your suggestions as well. I've missed you guys and I'm glad to be back!

<3AmieeJoy

@Maybelline LE Color Tattoo Eyeshadows!

That's right! Maybelline has released 4 LE Color Tattoo eyeshadows! I picked up 2 of the colors, Mossy Green and Barely Beige. There's also Gold Shimmer and Rich Mahogany which I may have to go back for (more for the Mahogany than the Shimmer). Barely Beige is a great neutral shade that's like a champagne color and Mossy Green is, well, mossy green. They also have two colors from their permanent line on the display, Bad to the Bronze and Audacious Asphalt so make sure you check the names before buying!

Now I'm going to get a little bit Harvey Dent on you.

Excuse how messy I applied them but it goes to show you-a little goes a LONG way! If you pick up to much on your finger, it won't be easy to apply. The color is buildable so start with a little and build it up to where you want it. I use my finger but a brush may work. I really like these colors. I love that they now have a light neutral color and the green color will look great in the fall!

Will you be trying these? Have you tried any of the Maybelline Color Tattoo shadows?

-AmieeJoy<3

Things I've been testing!

Hey guys! Long time no see. I've been really busy using new products and work has been draining my energy so I've been MIA for awhile. But, I now have a list of products that I want to tell you guys about, So here we go!

LUSH Mask of Magnaminty:

"Mask of Magnaminty isn’t technically a daily ‘facial wash’; it’s actually a deep cleansing face and back mask. China clay and fresh peppermint reach deep down to pull the debris from your pores, giving you that delightful tingly-clean sensation. We add loads of aduki beans to exfoliate flaky or dry skin, vanilla absolute to calm redness and honey to soothe. Our inventors created Mask of Magnaminty to be the ‘ultimate face mask’, intense but not harsh or abrasive on the skin. We recommend using Mask of Magnaminty weekly to keep the skin in good condition." 

This mask is your typical green mint mask but it has exfoliating beads in it and since it's from LUSH, it's a natural product. It works really well at calming my skin and helping my breakouts. Since it;s not one of their fresh face masks, that have to be refrigerated, it also lasts longer.

Philosophy Miracle Worker Retinoid Pads and Dark Spot Corrector Serum

I have been using these two products every night to help fade my acne marks. I have been using them for about a month now and I am noticing a difference! My marks are fading and my skin seems more even toned. It is expensive ($80 for the set) but I waited until they had their 30% off sale and got it for $56. You may really only need to use this once though, and then once the product is used up, your skin may be good enough where you can use drugstore products to help continue the fading (I've been looking into Lumene Vitamin C drops and the Nuance by Selma Hayek serum both available at CVS).

Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream

This product is an ok product for me. I initially didn't like it because it applies pretty sheer but since my Philosophy products are fading my acne marks that isn't as big of an issue. As far as Western BB creams go, this is a good one. The SPF is 30 which is higher than some US brand BB creams I've seen. It applies nicely, isn't to greasy (though oily skinned gals will probably still need a powder) and doesn't oxidize and turn weird colors. I like it, but not as much as my Asian BB cream.

Lioele Water Drop BB Cream

This is the only Asian BB cream I have tried so far (gotta get me some Skin79!) but I love it. I was a little wary at first since the BB has water built in to make it more hydrating and that word is like kryptonite to an oily skinned girl! But Ingrid on youtube (missglamorazzi) loves it as well and she has oily skin so I decided to purchase it. It feels nice going on and it does hydrate enough to where I don't need a separate moisturizer. This BB only comes in one shade, as many Asian BB creams do, so darker skinned girls may not be able to use it. I am a fair skin tone and Ingrid is a light/medium skin tone. However, if you have light-medium skin I definitely recommend you try this! I got it off Amazon, just be sure you are dealing with a respected seller to make sure you don't get a fake :)

Origins Zero Oil Instant Matte Finish

This is probably my Holy Grail product for this summer.

"When everyday hassles like heat, humidity, or stress send already overzealous oil glands into overdrive, skin faces a surplus of shine, looks dingy, feels totally tacky. Breakouts are apt to blossom. Nature's master-mattifiers, including oil-foiling Silicates, astringent Winterbloom, plus calming Chinese Camphor, instantly zero in skin-spoiling oil and blot up greasy shine without overdrying. Creates a smooth, invisible finish that stays matte all day. There are no streaks on cheeks. And forehead, chin and nose show positively no glow."

I apply this over my BB cream and it makes my face matte but not to matte. I still have some dewiness but my face doesn't look greasy throughout the day. I don't even need to use a powder when I use this product. Love!

Josie Maran 100% Argan Oil

I picked this up in the checkout line at Sephora (darn you checkout line!) so this is the 1oz size I believe and it was $12 or $14. I've been using it as my nighttime moisturizer and it seems to be balancing out my skin and I wake up with skin that is not as oily. I also don't need to use a lot so I think the bottle will last a long time.

So those are some new products I've been using recently. Have you used any of these products? What have you been loving recently? Let me know in a comment!

-AmieeJoy<3

Philosophy Sale!

Hey guys! Philosophy is having a 30% sale now thru Saturday! So hurry on over to the website or one of their flagship stores to partake! On the website, enter code philosophy12 at checkout.

I got the Miracle Worker Dark Spot Correcter Set.

What did you get? Or, what would you get if you could? 

Happy shopping!

-AmieeJoy<3

No 'poo?!

My friend over at Almost Britain (check out her blog, its a good read) has been doing the no 'poo method of washing hair for about 8 months now and seems to have had success with it. Which got me thinking about trying it. 

What is no 'poo, you ask? It is an alternative to using shampoos and conditioners to cleanse your hair. Shampoos and conditioners are loaded with chemicals. Even ones that claim to be natural can have some chemicals in it. And since you are applying them to your scalp, those chemicals can be absorbed into your body. Basically, if you wouldn't put it in your mouth, you shouldn't put it on your skin. No 'poo usually uses baking soda diluted in water as a shampoo and either apple cider vinegar or cranberry juice or olive oil or lemon juice as a conditioner. That's it. 

Sounds scary, right? Believe me, I am horrified to try this and am still deciding if I want to or not. My hair is extremely oily and I wash it everyday because I hate the feeling of oily hair. Most no 'pooers (haha) can get away with washing their hair TWICE a WEEK! That's kind of unheard of to me. The transition period can be a bummer as well. For up to a month, you can expect greasiness, frizz and an itchy scalp while your scalp normalizes itself and the oil production. YIKES!

I might try this. I'm not sure. Although I probably wouldn't use baking soda because I color my hair and that can strip the color. I've heard that dried nettles are a good alternative and they are good for getting rid of excess sebum. Sounds good to me!

Have you gone no 'poo? Would you? Leave me a comment and let me know!

To check out Almost Britain's experience as she went no 'poo, click here.

Want to learn more about going no 'poo? Click here.

<3AmieeJoy

It's going to be a BB summer

No, I'm not talking about BB guns.

With summer around the corner, I am now on the lookout for a good BB cream to get me through. With the accessibility that Sephora, Ulta and now even drugstores are affording us, BB creams are becoming easier to get our hands on. Maybelline and L'Oreal are both coming out with their versions of BB cream this summer, which I am excited to try. I also want to try some higher end US brands and the Asian versions as well, until I find the perfect one. 

Have you guys tried any good BB creams? Are there some you want to try but haven't pulled the trigger (excuse the pun) on buying them yet? Let me know in the comments below! I will be trying and reviewing as many as I can over the summer!

-AmieeJoy<3