Nails of the Week: Essie Bouncer, It's Me

This polish is from Essie's Neons 2013 collection.  Bouncer, It's Me and DJ, Play That Song really stood out to me.  Ultimately, I decided to purchase Bouncer, It's Me only for the fact that I have a ton of purples and no neon blues.  The color is a gorgeous, vivid neon blue.  It's my second favorite blue (my first is Sally Hansen's Xtreme Wear in Pacific Blue). The formula is matte.  I'm not a huge fan of matte polishes because they don't really apply well on my nails (see my review and application of Ciate's Chalkboard manicure here.)  The formula isn't as horrendous as the Ciate chalkboard paint, but it wasn't the greatest either.  It is thick but wasn't too hard to apply.  It did, however, go on a bit streaky which left me unimpressed.  I used three coats to achieve the color above.  I decided to keep it matte by using E.L.F.'s Matte Top Coat.  It lasted about 5 days with the top coat on.  I would recommend using drying drops or a spray because it takes FOREVER for this polish to dry.  Even with the drying drops, it still took a good half  hour for it to completely dry.

I have yet to try the rest of the collection, but I now really want to get my hands on DJ, Play That Song!

Oh, I love the way it almost matches my Strategist Dalek! :)

Too Faced Perfect Eyes Waterproof Eyeliner in Perfect Black

I wear eyeliner a lot.  I also have eyes that tear because of allergies.  So I was excited when I found out that waterproof eyeliner existed.  I've tried two: Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil and Too Faced Perfect Eyes Eyeliner.  I really like the Too Faced eyeliner, especially in the color Perfect Black.  It's very pigmented and creamy.  It applies like a dream on my lash line, no skipping or pulling, although I tend to use this more on my waterline and tightline.  I find that after a few hours it will slightly smudge, but not horrifically.  It could be because I have oily lids but I'm not sure if my lids are to blame.  I will definitely be purchasing more colors in the future!

  

Neutrogena Naturals Purifying Facial Cleanser and Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanseraturals

When it comes to my face, I like to use products that will deep clean my pores, yet won't overdry my skin.  I also like to mix up my face wash a bit (I don't know why, but I do).  I like to use the Neutrogena Naturals Purifying Facial Cleanser as well as the Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser.  I use these products in my morning skincare routine.

Cetaphil has no acne medication in it so I like to use it when my skin has less active breakouts. It's a clear cleanser that feels very milky on the skin.  It does not become overly foamy when wet.  It deep cleans and rinses clean so it doesn't feel like I still have cleanser on my face afterwards.  And it doesn't dry my skin out at all.  This normally keeps my face clear from breakouts, but I still occasionally get a bad breakout every so often.  Usually I'll get a bad breakout if it's that time of month, or if I'm stressed out, or if I have a bad reaction to some makeup.  If this happens, I reach for the Neutrogena Naturals.  It almost feels the same as Cetaphil, but doesn't feel quite as milky.  It also doesn't rinse clean as well as the cetaphil does.  I do like that there is Willowbark instead of salicylic acid or benzoyle peroxide. This makes it slightly less drying then other acne facial cleansers.  I like to use these cleansers with my Sephora Face Complexion brush (because I'm way too poor for a Clarisonic) so I can really deep clean my pores.

Smashbox Try It Kit

This is something I decided to buy on a whim.  I've never really tried any Smashbox products so I decided it might be worth it to try it. I was half right. The kit came with samples of an eye primer, face primer, lip gloss, mascara, and eye liner.  Three of the products I really liked and the other two I actually hated.  These are the products I liked:

The Photo Finish Lid Primer is a creamy flesh colored primer.  It provides an excellent base for eyeshadows.  It enhances their colors and the shadows stay on the lids for a long time.  I noticed a little bit of creasing 6 hours into wearing it.  I also like that you can wear it by itself.  It hides the veins on the eyelids and brightens and smooths the area.  Full size price is $20

The Photo Finish Foundation Primer is a clear primer with a silicone consistency.  It smooths the skin, making it a perfect canvas for foundation.  I like this primer, but I'm not sure if I like it more than Benefit's POREfessional.  I do like that it doesn't break me out and my foundation did stay on nicely for quite a few hours.  Full size price is $36.

The Lip Enhancing Gloss came in the color Illume, which is a sheer champagne color with golden shimmer. It is a beautiful color, especially for when you are doing a dramatic eye look. I like it because it doesn't feel sticky on my lips and it smells like Charleston Chews candy!   Full size price is $19.

Now onto the products I disliked:

I didn't like the Limitless Eye Liner at all.  First, you are supposed to get the color onyx in the kit.  I ended up receiving Fig, which is a brown that is discontinued so even if I did like it, I wouldn't be able to get that color.  It wasn't creamy enough and it tugged harshly on my eyelid.  It also would not apply to my waterline.  Also, the liner I received is defective because the liner is loose in the pencil.  Pretty disappointing. Full size price is $19.

I was most displeased with the Full Exposure Mascara.  It doesn't come in waterproof, which is a problem for me because my eyes tear, especially because of allergies.  I decided to wear this when I went out with friends and within an hour of hanging out, one of my friends informed me that I had big black rings under my eyes from the mascara.  It smudges horribly and flakes too! I don't see how this mascara is a "best seller."  I definitely don't recommend this product but if you do want the full size, it's $19.50

It seems to me that the face and lip products from Smashbox are pretty great and the eye products are not.  I will definitely be purchasing more Smashbox products, except for the mascara and eye liner.

LUSH Breath of Fresh Air Toner Water

LUSH's Breath of Fresh Air Toner Water is an absolute staple in my skincare routine.  I initially tried the Tea Tree Toner because I thought it would be great for my combination skin, especially for when I got a few active breakouts.  It ended up over-drying my skin so I switched to Breath of Fresh Air.  I like this toner because it's made for all skin types.  It refreshes and softens my skin as well as gets any residue from my face wash off my skin.  I like to use it when I wash my face in the morning, as well as at night.  I use it differently both times though.  In the morning, I like to spray my face directly after I wash my face and then apply my moisturizer.  At night, I like to apply it with a cotton pad to help remove any face wash residue and makeup residue that's left over.  It has a nice smell, not overpowering at all.  It's made from sea water, roses, and herbs.  I don't necessarily smell the rose but I can definitely smell the herbs, rosemary mostly.

This is definitely worth a try if you have combo skin like me.  If you have acne prone skin, try the Tea Tree Toner.  If you have dry skin, Eau Roma Water might be your best bet.

P.S. A tip I got from the S.A.: Keep the toner in the fridge, especially in the summer.  It will be even more refreshing and it will help keep you skin cool in the heat!

Love/HateYouTube Beauty Gurus Round #2: "Real" Beauty Gurus vs. "Pseudo" Beauty Gurus

The term "Beauty Guru" gets tossed around so frequently nowadays that it's hard to tell the difference between a "real" guru and a "pseudo" guru.  Let me explain myself a little better about that last sentence.  To me, a real guru posts tutorials with step by step instructions and what products they use.  They also post some helpful makeup or fashion tips and reviews as well an occasional haul or monthly favorites.  A Pseudo Guru mainly posts hauls, tags, and numerous collection videos. Every once in a you'll find a tutorial, whether it be hair or makeup.

A good example of a real Guru is Michelle Phan She does a ton of tutorials whether it be for an everyday look, an evening look, or a look from an anime or television show. She gives very clear instructions during her tutorials. The overall quality of her videos are awesome. She definitely puts in the time and effort in her videos.  I like that for her $20 makeup challenge, she filmed her haul for it and then, in another video, did the tutorial.  I also like that she is consistent with her videos.  Yes, she may only post one video a week, but the work she puts into each video makes the one video a week definitely worth it.

An example of a Pseudo Guru, for me, has to be Ingrid, better known as Missglamorazzi.  It's a shame to put her in this category because I used to like her videos.  I'm not saying the quality of her videos are bad, it's a great picture quality.  But how can you be classified as a Beauty Guru yet have maybe just a few hair tutorials and GRWM videos in the past 7 months? If you look back as far as last year, she has all these haul videos and monthly favorite videos.  Her newest video: breakfast ideas :(  I'm not expecting that from a so-called beauty guru.  I want tutorials or maybe if you do a haul video or favorites video, do a video on how you would use those products.  I'm not interested in what you eat for breakfast and I don't want to know what supplies you would bring to school especially if you aren't even in school (to be fair, Michelle is also guilty of this one).  I do enjoy her collection videos, but again, how would you wear that product?

There are many others that fit into the Real and Pseudo Guru categories, I just used these particular YouTubers as an example.

Nails of the Week: Sally Hansen Lustre Shine in Moonstone

I saw this on clearance at Walgreens for $4 a few weeks ago and figured I might as try it.  The only Lustre Shine that was left was Moonstone.  It's an opalescent pearl with a pink iridescent shimmer.  It's a thin formula and applied pretty evenly to the nail.  I used two coats and it wasn't as opaque as I would have liked it to be.  I think it would have looked nicer had I used three coats.  It lasted about 5 days with some minor tip wear (except for my left pinky, which always seems to chip the worst).  It's not my "go to" color but it is very nice.  I think next time I'll try it over a different color polish like black. I would definitely like to try some of the other colors in this collection.

Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupté Shine Lipstick #6 Pink in Devotion

This was my birthday present to myself.  I had to keep saying that to myself as I was waiting to be rung up at Sephora.  It was the only way I could justify buying this.  It's expensive for a lipstick, $34.  I kept asking myself if it was even worth it.  Let me tell you, it so is worth it.  I bought #6 Pink in Devotion which is a cool, hibiscus pink.  In the tube it looks really bright, brighter than the other pinks I usually wear.  On the lips though, it looks absolutely gorgeous.  The Rouge Volupté Shine lipsticks are supposed to be hydrating for up to 8 hours.  I find that it doesn't last that long, but it's still more hydrating than most of the lipsticks I own.  The color itself is long lasting, about 4-5 hours.  I was able to eat and drink and still have color on my lips. afterward.

There are 19 shades in the Rouge Volupté Shine collection.  I definitely want them all, but I am going to have to wait until the next holiday to justify myself getting another shade.  Which shade do you think I should try next?

Suave Professionals Dry Shampoo

I was at Target a few weeks ago to pick up a few things, one of those things being dry shampoo.  I usually use Tresemme Dry Shampoo, but I decided to give the Suave Dry Shampoo a try since it was so cheap.  I'm going back to my Tresemme because this stuff isn't as amazing as everyone claims it to be.  I have pretty short hair and it still managed to make it all knotty.  It also made it very sticky, almost like I used hairspray on it.  One good thing is that it didn't leave a white residue on my hair.  The one thing that bothered me to no end though was the smell.  It is so freaking overpowering.  I used it in my bathroom  and thought I was going to die.  Please, if you do use this, use it in a very well ventilated area.  I could have experimented with it more, but the smell was the ultimate deal breaker for me. It's a shame too because it's such a good price.

Does anyone have any suggestions on a dry shampoo I should try next?

LUSH Skin Drink

My skin has seen drier days the past few months.  It was especially dry during the winter months.  My Vanishing Cream moisturizer wasn't cutting it so I decided it would be a good time to try out another one from LUSH.  I decided to try out Skin Drink, although the SA was heavily pressuring me to buy Gorgeous (I love LUSH but I am NOT spending $90 on a moisturizer that may or may not be good for my skin).  This moisturizer is perfect for dry skin.  It's made with a nourishing blend of avocado, rose petal extract, aloe vera, and sesame oil. I like this lotion because it soaks right into your skin and it doesn't leave your face a greasy mess.

While this was a great moisturizer for me during the past 6 months, it's not so great for me during the midsummer months.  Because it has been so hot and humid in the Northeast, the combination of sweat and this moisturizer has broken my forehead out quite a bit so I  had to switch back to the Vanishing Cream moisturizer.  I'd recommend this for someone with dry to very dry skin.  If you know you only have dry skin during the winter, I would get it for those months but I would invest in a different one for the summer time.  I know I'm definitely looking forward to using this one again once it gets cooler out!

Skin Drink

Nails of the Week (Actually less than 24 hours!): Ciate Chalkboard Manicure

I was so excited when I got the Ciate Chalkboard Manicure set.  Seriously, I got a little too giddy for a 31 year old.  So I was ultimately shocked at how disappointed I was once I actually tried it.  Let me tell you about it...

The set contains the chalkboard nail polish, 4 chalk pens, and a matte top coat. I knew from the moment I put on the first coat of the chalkboard nail polish that I wouldn't be happy with it.  To say that it is streaky is an understatement. It applied horribly.  It was gooey, streaky, bumpy, uneven, etc.  The chalk pens were horrible to work with as well.  The pen point is waaaay too thick to draw anything neatly on my small fingernails. The only colors that worked well for me was the blue and the white.  The pink one was too watery to make a decent anything and the yellow didn't want to cooperate as well.  The matte top coat didn't do a good job from keeping my nails from chipping.  They chipped badly less than 24 hours after I painted them!  I also had to paint them a second time because they came out horrendously the first time.

Less than 24 hours after painting

The concept is great, it was just really poorly executed.  I wish I had never bought this set.  Really, if you are thinking of getting this set, don't.  It's a waste of money for something that performs worse than a shitty drugstore brand.

Almay Smart Shade CC Cream

Besides working as a musician, I also work at a bakery.  I work at the ungodly hour of 5:30AM, and I'm definitely not in the mood at 5AM to put on foundation let alone a full face of makeup.  I started using Almay Smart Shade CC Cream in Light/Medium to hide some of my redness.  It's perfect for my early mornings.  I just smooth is onto my face with my hands and head out the door.  The color is slightly lighter than my natural skintone, but it's not very noticeable.  I think had I gotten the medium color it would have been to dark.  As for breakouts, I feel like I did get a few small breakouts on my forehead, but I'm not sure if it's from the CC Cream or just because of the hot weather.  I do have to use a setting powder or a mattifying powder because I end up looking pretty shiny around my T-Zone.

It's a pretty good product, but I might not repurchase it again.  I think I might have to keep searching for a better CC Cream, if one even exists.  Does anyone have a favorite CC cream that they use?  What about a good BB cream?

LUSH I Love Juicy Shampoo

I have the worst hair ever.  My scalp gets extremely oily.  It gets so oily to the point where I'll take my shower in the morning, wash my hair, and by the end of the day my hair looks dirty again.  No shampoo was able to deep clean my hair...until I started using LUSH's hair products.  My particular favorite is I Love Juicy.  It was made for people like me.  It's a clarifying shampoo so it really deep cleans your hair and scalp.  It is made with mango, papaya, kiwi, and pineapple juices.  The enzymes in these juices help to break down the oiliness.  It also gives the shampoo a lovely smell.  The SA described it to me as a "fruit salad in a bottle."  And she was absolutely right!  I also love the play on words.  The name of the shampoo is a play on the show I Love Lucy, but I'm sure you already figured that out.  This is not recommended for people with normal to dry hair or even people with a slightly oily scalp.  It will dry your hair out, which is something only a person with an excessively oily scalp would want.  A little goes a long way!  I bought the largest bottle about 6 months ago and I'm just getting through half of it, but then again I have very short hair so maybe that's why.

Smashbox Be Legendary Lipstick in Primrose

I just want to get this out there now, I DID NOT pick this color up because the name reminded me of the Hunger Games.  I don't like the Hunger Games.  I picked this shade out because I actually like the color.  It's a gorgeous, neutral dusty pink.  It's like a "my lips but better" shade.  It's neutral enough to wear during the day, yet it's bright enough that it could be worn out at night.  It's smooth and creamy and has vitamins C and E added to it.  The color lasted a good while with some lip primer underneath it.  And I love that it didn't dry out my lips.  I'm definitely looking forward to purchasing more shades from Smashbox!

Buffy Body Butter

I have the driest skin on the planet.  I'll put lotion on, it'll soak in but about an hour later my skin will feel dry once again.  My legs are worst of all.  My mom tells me I have "gator skin".  It gets frustrating.  I decided to get  Buffy (formerly Buffy the Backside Slayer) because it's exfoliating as well as moisturizing.  While the exfoliating is great on the lower half of my body, it's not as great on my upper half.  I feel it's a little too harsh.  The first time I used it I had scratches all over my arms, stomach, and chest.  I was pretty gentle around those areas too.  I'm going to continue using it on my lower half, but I may try Aqua Mirablis on my upper half since I heard that it's less abrasive.  Another thing to watch for is a greasy feeling after you use it.  Personally I don't mind it, but it may be off-putting to some.

To use Buffy, you want to wet the bar in the bath or in the shower and rub onto the skin in a circular motion.  Make sure to keep the bar out of the water when not in use because it will melt!  Store in a cool place.

If you have very dry skin, this is a must have product.  If not, the best product to try would probably be Aqua Mirabilis or You Snap The Whip.

Buffy Body Butter

Nails of the Week: OPI Don't Talk Bach To Me

Don't Talk Bach To Me is a favorite of mine, not only because the name is a play on the Bach name (I'm pretty sure they had Johann Sebastian in mind when they made this since he is the better known of the Bach family.  His five sons were also composers).  I also like the color.  It's a really nice light mustard color with green undertones and a fine shimmer.  It's reminiscent of Fiercely Fiona from the Shrek Collection but definitely more muted. I needed 3 coats to get a nice opaque look.  2 coats didn't cut it, it looked streaky and you could still see the nail in some parts.  Dry time took a little longer because of the extra coat.  As with all OPI nail polishes, I LOVE the brush. I have small nails, but the brush is just big enough that I can almost coat the nail in one stroke without making a huge mess.

Don't Talk Bach To Me is part of the Germany Collection and is a must to check out!

L'Oreal Voluminous False Fiber Lashes

I

I usually don't care for L'Oreal waterproof mascara. It is incredibly hard to take off your lashes.  I mean, you could be stuck with it on for days. Unfortunately, because my eyes tear because of my allergies, regular mascara is not an option or I would try it (I can only get away with wearing a regular formula by Benefit). I heard some good things about L'Oreal's Voluminous False Fiber Lashes and thought, what the hell? Might as well try it.

I was surprised by the formula. It wasn't as dry as some of the other waterproof mascaras.  The bristles are thick and pretty stiff.  The tip of the wand is small and is good to get the inside corner lashes.  There are also an abundance of nylon and rayon fibers inside the formula. This is the same material that is used to make actual false lashes.

It's not my favorite mascara but I don't hate it either.  I did see a difference in the way my lashes looked.  They were definitely longer.  I also liked that it doesn't clump, well, on me at least.  The biggest upside is that it wasn't as hard to remove as some of the previous L'Oreal mascaras that I've tried.

Maintaining Ultra Soft Lips

 

Soft, kissable lips is on every woman's wish list (I know it's on mine!).  Getting these soft lips has never been easier. There are a number of exfoliators and balm that help to achieve this.  Let me show you what I use:

There are a number of different ways that you can exfoliate your lips.  You can use a wet washcloth or toothbrush and brush away the dry skin.  You can also make your own sugar scrub.  You can either mix olive oil and sugar or honey and sugar.  You can even mix all 3!  Since I don't have a ton of time to concoct my own scrub, I've been using a few lip scrubs by LUSH: Mint Julips and Popcorn.

Mint Julips is my absolute favorite scrub.  I mean, I've been using it for years.  It tastes like mint chocolate ice cream.  I love the way the mint makes my lips feel afterwards.

Popcorn is another favorite of mine.  It used to be available only during the holiday season, but due to popular demand, it is now available year round.  I like that this tastes sweet, yet salty like kettle corn tastes. Another reason I love these lip scrubs is because they are completely edible!  You clean it off your lips by licking off the excess.

Nails of the Week: Wet n Wild Megalast in I Need a Refresh-Mint

I love this nail polish!  Even my friend who doesn't wear nail polish likes this color. It's a beautiful greenish blue color with a jelly like finish.  I don't know if it was the batch I got, but it seems bluer than a lot of the swatches that I've seen online, seems like robin's egg blue.  I really like the brush. It's a wide "manicurve pro brush."  It does get every single inch of the nail which is nice. It took two coats to get a nice opaque color. Definitely let the first coat dry completely before you put the second coat on.  I was in a rush the first time and didn't let the first coat dry and the second coat went on weird.  It almost felt as if it were taking off the first coat with each stroke.

From what I've seen from other swatches, it looks like this may be a dupe for China Glaze's For Audrey with some very slight differences.  I don't own For Audrey so I can't really confirm that.  What do you guys think? 

E.L.F. Essential Lipsticks

Eyes Lips Face has a nice line of lipsticks that are only $1.  They are very pigmented for the price.  They are also pretty moisturizing.  There are 12 lipsticks in the collection.  You can't even get one high end lipstick for $12, meanwhile you can get the whole collection for $12.  The one huge problem I have with the collection though is that all the colors (except for Captivating) are all in the same color family so they all look very similar to one another.  Because of this, I only got three colors.  I tried to get three colors that weren't too similar to each other.  I ended up getting Voodoo, Gypsy, and Nostalgia.

Voodoo is a reddish brown shade

Gypsy is a raspberry pink

Nostalgic is a pale, pinky nude

These are pretty good lipsticks, especially for the price.  I just really wish they would come out with more colors that are not so pinkish.  Maybe a nice mauve or even a coral would be lovely.

LUSH Ocean Salt

Ocean Salt is my Holy Grail face scrub.  I absolutely LOVE the way my face feels after using this.  I love the smell also.  It smells like a delicious margarita! The main ingredients in this scrub are avocado, coconut oil, lime infused vodka, and sea salt.  It is great for oily/combination skin, but I would not recommend this for people with dry skin.  I do have to warn you that it's pretty abrasive, so if you don't like or aren't used to that type of scrub, it's not for you.  It's really important to stir the scrub before you first use it so that you can mix in the larger grains of sea salt.  It's a bit expensive, but I find it a big staple in my skincare regimine as it keeps my skin nice and clear.  I like to use it in the shower after I wash with my Cetaphil.  I highly recommend this product!

Nails of the Week: Sinful Colors Let's Meet

I never thought I would ever wear a shade like this, but to be honest I love it.  It's the perfect summertime shade.  I's a nice bright sunshine yellow with golden shimmer.  The wear is not bad with a top coat.  It took 3 coats to get a nice opaque look.  It has lasted a full week so far with minor chipping.  Sinful Color polishes are hit or miss with me. Some shades are great and do last on the nails. Other shades chip, even after a few hours (even with a good top coat on). This is definitely one of their better shades. Great for the beach or a nice night out!

My Inglot Eyeshadow Palette (Still in Progress)

I've heard so much about Inglot Cosmetics and its Freedom System from many beauty bloggers and vloggers that I just had to try it for myself.  Basically, the Freedom System is where you buy the empty palette and fill it with different pans.  It can be done with eyeshadow, eyebrows, lip and face products.  As far as eyeshadow goes, you can get either round pans or square pans.  The round shadow palettes come in 3, 5, and 10.  The square pan palettes come in 2, 4, 5, and 10.  I chose to get the square eyeshadows because it seemed like there was more product per pan.

The 10 pan palette was a great investment at $16.  Each eyeshadow was $6 except the 2 Rainbow on the bottom which were $8.  The square eyeshadows hold anywhere from .08 to .11 oz. worth of product.  The Rainbow shadows are .10 oz.  The one thing I find extremely annoying is that they don't name their shadows.  They're identified by numbers and finish.  Here are the shadow I have (so far) in my palette:

152: Shine. Silvery taupe with a shimmery finish. From the Noble Collection
440: Pearl.  Cool tone  pinkish lilac
445: Pearl. Light orchid (my favorite)
71: AMC. Medium plum with shimmer
439: Pearl. Jewel-toned violet

114R is one of the Rainbow eyeshadows.  It is matte purple and has a light, medium, and dark shadow.

109 is another one of their Rainbow eyeshadows.  It is matte green and again has a light, medium, and dark shadow.

Inglot's shadows have AMAZING pigmentation!  They also apply like a dream.  Each shadow is very affordable as well as the palette itself.  It is comparable to MAC but is,  in my opinion, better.  A large MAC Pro Palette is $18.  That doesn't include the insert that you have to buy with it.  The 15 eyeshadow insert is $9.  Then each eyeshadow is $12 and it's only for .05 oz.!  If you live in the tri-state area, shipping is great but a little pricey.  I live in NY and I got my package within a few days since it ships from there warehouse in Chelsea.  I've heard that shipping is a little crazy as you ship further out.

Inglot Freedom System

Healthy Eating: Mediterranean Salmon Salad

So I've been eating healthy/clean eating as much as I can. However, I find it hard to find recipes that are quick and simple to fit my extremely busy schedule. I found  one very easy salmon recipe that only takes 10 minutes max to make. 

• 1/2 cup (2.5 oz.) boneless, skinless salmon
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons diced olives
• 1 teaspoon minced red onion
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon rinsed and chopped capers

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.  Serves 1.

You can deviate from the recipe if you want to.  I like to add a bit more capers and red onion to the mix.

Happy (healthy) eating!

Freeman Feeling Beautiful Face Masks

Freeman is a brand of super affordable face masks.  They  make all different kinds of masks.  They make: clay, peel-off, brightening and polishing masks.  My two favorite masks are the Dead Sea Minerals Anti-Stress Mask and the Pomegranate Revealing Peel-Off Mask.

The Dead Sea Minerals Anti-Stress Mask uses both Bentonite and Kaolin clay.  Clay masks are absolutely wonderful for people with extremely oily skin or combination skin (such as myself).  The mask itself is thick and creamy and is easy to spread on the face. It's also a very pretty aquamarine color.  The mask takes about 10-15 minutes to dry, depending on how much of the mask you slather on your face.  Honestly, you don not need to put a ton on your face.  A thin layer will work just as well as a thick layer, and you're really only wasting product as the excess product just sits on the face doing nothing.  Then just rinse the mask off.  Be careful though.  There have been a few times when I thought the mask stained my face blue.  IT WILL COME OFF.  I find that any staining will come off with cotton pad soaked in toner.  My face feels über refreshed after this mask.

The Pomegranate Revealing Peel-Off Mask contains acai, goji, pomegranate, mango, mangosteen, cranberry, noni, and blueberry.  These ingredients are high in antioxidants.  This mask is to help purge to pores of all the gunk that accumulates in there.  It is a thick jelly consistency that has a faint purple tint to it. I find it hard to spread on my face.  Again, the package says to leave the mask on and let dry for 10-15 minutes.  I feel this mask takes a little longer than 15 minutes to completely dry.  If you don't let it dry completely, it will not peel off correctly.  Once dried, it should be easy to peel off.  For me, this mask hurts a little to take off because it gets so stuck to my skin.  It almost feels like you're taking one big pore strip fro off your face.  But it's worth the benefits, because my skin feels very fresh and clean afterwards.

I like to use each mask once a week.  I like to use the Dead Sea Minerals Mask in the middle of the week to calm my face.  I like to use the Pomegranate Peel-Off at the end of the week to detoxify my pores.  These are great products and I'm actually looking forward to trying more Freeman Beauty Masks in the future!