Glam and Uncensored

Used as a skin cleanser and makeup remover, including waterproof makeup, micellar water is a must have for skincare.  But with all of the brand name micellar waters in drugstores, which do you choose?  Personally, I have not only one, but three brands of micellar cleansing waters I enjoy using. So in no particular order, here they are:

1.)  SIMPLE WATER BOOST MICELLAR CLEANSING WATER – this cleansing water is fairly new to the market.  It is devoted to reducing the early signs of dehydration: dryness, roughness, tight feeling, dullness and dry dehydration lines. It leaves your skin revitalized and re-hydrated without irritation.  The Simple Water Boost Micellar Cleansing Water is infused with skin-loving minerals and plant-extras, with no color, dyes nor harsh chemicals nor artificial perfumes.  In fact, it works like a magnet, picking up dirt and makeup and leaving your skin revitalized and dewy fresh.

The Simple Water Boost Micellar Water is priced at $6.77 for 13.5 ounces.

2)  L’OREAL MICELLAR CLEANSING MICELWATER – one of the better things that I can say about this micellar water is that not only does it clean your face from dirt and makeup, it intensely purifies.  Even waterproof eye makeup comes off without any oily residue, and comes off in one sweep.  If you suffer dry skin, like I do, this product is very hydrating. More so, the L’Oreal Micellar Cleansing Water provides no irritation, making it great for those with sensitive skin. Being soothing, gentle and effective is why I am attracted to the product, and recommend you try it too.

The L’Oreal Micellar Cleansing Water sells in a 13.5 ounce package at the cost of $9.99.

3)  GARNIER SKINACTIVE MICELLAR CLEANSING WATER – almost everyone has heard of this brand.  It is the most popular micellar water brand on the market today.  This particular micellar water is paraben-free, fragrance-free, sulfate-free and silicone-free.  The Garnier Skinactive Micellar Cleansing Water washes off impurities from your skin without the tightening and drying effect that is very common with ordinary cleansers. Whenever I use this micellar water to rid the tough, long lasting makeup, it also removes the makeup residue left behind without any vigorous rubbing.  Once I am finished removing the makeup and grime, my skin feels refreshed and revitalized.

But be warned, while the Garnier Skinactive Micellar Water is very tough on grime, this micellar water may cause your skin to be irritated and cause breakouts. And unfortunately, the Garnier Skinactive Micellar Cleanser Water does not have a money back guarantee.

The Garnier Skinactive Micellar Water retails for $8.99 for a 13.5 ounce package.

All three Micellar waters remove makeup and grime without harsh rubbing. They even removes water-resistant and long-lasting makeup with just a swipe.  I definitely recommend these drugstore micellar waters.  Anyone will do a  good job and meet your needs.

Everyone knows how quickly makeup brushes get dirty. And if you do not clean your makeup brushes on a regular basis, there is an increase in bacteria on your skin. Thus, making it difficult for proper makeup application. I have been guilty of this. And I quickly found out just how sloppy my makeup looks. Now I make it a habit of cleaning my brushes so that my makeup looks great. So here are a few ways to clean your brushes, and avoid looking like you applied your makeup with crayons.

1. Soap & Water – Wet the bristles of your brushes, but be careful not to soak the area where your bristles meet the handle of your brush. Moisture in this can cause the water to loosen the grip the handle has on the bristles, and ruin your brush. Once you wet the bristles, place a dollop of liquid handsoap on to a plate and swirl the brush around the soap. Finally, take a dish towel and squeeze the excess water out, and sit the brushes with the bristles hanging over the counter. Let them dry overnight.

2. Olive Oil & Antibacterial Dish Soap- Mix two parts dish soap to one part extra virgin olive oil on to a clean plate (do not use a paper plate as the paper will soak up the olive oil). Slightly wet the makeup brush. Then dip the brush in the soap mixture and coat it well. Swirl the brush around the palm of your hand making sure you rid the brush of all the makeup. Then rinse the brush underneath the faucet until there is no more soap on your brush. Finally, take a dish towel and squeeze the excess water out, and sit the brushes with the bristles hanging over the counter. Let them dry overnight.

3. Baby Shampoo & Water – For this easy and effective method of cleaning your makeup brushes, you will need one tablespoon of baby shampoo and one cup of warm water. Place both ingredients in a bowl and gently mix. Take a brush and swirl the tips of the brush into the baby shampoo mixture. Finally, take a dish towel and squeeze the excess water out, and sit the brushes with the bristles hanging over the counter. Let them dry overnight.

These are just a few effective ways to thoroughly clean your makeup brushes. As I said before, if you clean your brushes on a routine basis it will cut down on the amount of bacteria and lead to fewer breakouts.

How do you like to clean your makeup brushes?

Winter is here. No doubt about it. But when winter comes, so does dry and flaky skin. One of the better ways to attack this problem is with exfoliation and moisturizing. I have come across a large selection of handmade soap containing shea butter, mango butter and a loofah sponge at the Toadstool Shop on Etsy (go to Toadstool Soaps). The soapmaker, Cheryl and her husband have been making these soaps for a little over 15 years. The bases for these wonderful soaps DO NOT contain detergent soap, and they are batched made from weighing the oils, hand stirring, cutting and curing.

Cheryl has a variety of 27 soaps. Each soap has a unique scent and a beautiful color. I am currently using my fifth bar of soap named Dragon’s Blood. The scent is not an easy one to describe. It is exotic, has hints of amber incense and a touch of patchouli. According to Cheryl, if you like myrrh and sandalwood, you will like this particular soap.

Another soap I used was called Amazement. This soap is made of shea butter, mango butter and contains a loofah. It gave natural exfoliation to those rough spots, such as heels and elbows. The smell of the soap can be described as a sparkling, fresh, floral-white musk which blends into an aroma that cannot be missed.

Then there are the other 25 homemade soaps with shea butter, mango butter, other oils and loofahs. Scents include Nag Champa, Dozen Roses, Vanilla Mint, Cherry Blossoms, just to name a few. And should you suffer from dry, flaky skin as I do, these soaps are truly wonderful. I highly recommend this product.

The loofah, shea butter soaps retail for $8.00/.50 lbs. They may be purchased here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/toadstoolsoaps.

As we know glitter eyeshadow is very fasionable right now. Especially when you are going out for the night. The glitter gives just the right amount of beauty and pizazz. So how does the Ulta Beauty Flashing Lights Glitter Eyeshadow palette compare to other glitter eyeshadow palettes?

Without a doubt, this glitter eyeshadow palette is very pretty. And with nine eyeshadow colors the number of looks you can create are ginormous. But unfortunately, this Ulta glitter eyeshadow palette did not exactly meet my expectations. The colors appear fantastic, but when I applied the eyeshadow I thought that the pigmentation was faint, and the glitter had tremendous fallout.

Even when the eyeshadow is applied wet, I found it did not help with the application of the product. And the sustainability of the Ulta glitter eyeshadow was extremely poor. My eyeshadow barely made it to the four hour mark.

Basically, the Ulta Beauty Flashing Lights Glitter Eyeshadow palette pales in comparison to that of its beauty competitors. I genuinely wish I could recommend this glitter eyeshadow palette, but unfortunately I cannot at this time.