The Battle of the BB Creams: Juice Beauty vs. Marie Veronique

Like many green beauty bloggers, Juice Beauty Stem Cellular CC Cream is a vital part of my makeup routine. I was turned on to this product after I read about it on one of my favorite blogs, No More Dirty Looks. I'll let you in on a little secret -- on an average day, I wear only this CC cream, some mascara, and a bit of tinted lip balm. I'm lazy like that.

But everyone finds their eyes wandering... right? Well, at least to another BB cream. Specifically, Marie Veronique Organics Everyday Coverage. Both No More Dirty Looks and kimberlyloc have given glowing reviews of this product and I couldn't help being curious.  Given the similar natures of these two products, I decided that this would be the perfect opportunity to compare the two!

The Mask-ed Crusader aka Sadie Reviews All the Masks!

Today we're having a Very Special Episode on the blog! That's right, three product reviews for the price of one! Just three low monthly payments of zero dollars!

Anyway, in my recent FreshFaced haul, I received three separate masks, all of which are specifically targeted towards drawing out impurities, especially blackheads (my biggest problem) and blemishes (which I also occasionally get). However, beyond their end goals, the masks I got are all very different.

So, without further ado, here are the three masks I'm reviewing: Kahina Giving Beauty's Antioxidant Mask, Stark Skincare's Green Tea Detox Clay Mask, and May Lindstrom Skin's The Problem Solver!

Product Review: Tata Harper Regenerating Cleanser + thoughts on the brand

Hellooo rent money

After a somewhat underwhelming experience with Tata Harper's Resurfacing Mask, I was honestly not expecting much from this cleanser. Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised. This product is a lot of what I look for in a cleanser - non-drying, soap-free, packed with powerful botanical ingredients, and designed to help clear up skin congestion and reduce the appearance of pores.

It's a fluffy, lightly pink cream cleanser with a subtle grittiness from apricot seed powder. I'm a big fan of exfoliation, but it's easy to go overboard in that category. This cleanser provides a gentler form of exfoliation that I feel is more beneficial to the skin. It removed my makeup well and buffed away the bit of flaky dryness that I have right now thanks to wintry winds. It also has a light fruity sort of scent, probably thanks to the neroli water and other various fruit-based ingredients. Like the Resurfacing Mask, a little bit of this goes a long way, as well. A tablespoon-sized sample got me a good 3-4 uses. All in all, I have no real complaints about this cleanser. If I saw it on a shelf at the grocery store, I'd snap it up in a heartbeat.

Product Review: Bunny Butt Apothecary Complexion Zen

I'm taking a little break from reviewing my FreshFaced samples to chat about a product that I've been using quite a while now, but completely forgot to review!

Picture from their website

I first came across Bunny Butt Apothecary on Etsy and was intrigued by their Complexion Zen cream. When I visited their booth at the Austin Renegade Craft Fair, I couldn't help but snap up a jar of the stuff.

Product Review: Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask

As mentioned before, I have quite oily skin. This means I'm usually protected from things like dryness. Alas, this cold winter weather is breaking through even my thick layer of protective juices (did I just write that line?). This, paired with the fact that I was sick for two weeks over the holidays and therefore neglected my usual skincare regimen, means that my skin has been in need of some serious assistance. Luckily, it hasn't been terribly broken out, but there's definitely something to be desired. It's been dull, congested, lacking a certain vitality, and peppered with strange flaky dry spots. Ew.

I've been wanting to try Tata Harper for a while, specifically this mask, so it was the perfect time to break out one of my FreshFaced samples! I'm trying to do this whole product trial thing right for a change, i.e., only trying out one new product at once rather than all of them at the same time like some kind of crazy junkie. This means that I took the time to try this mask twice (with several agonizingly boring days in between) before making the final call. And what is that final call? Success! But... not overwhelmingly so. Let's discuss.

Product Review + SWATCHES!: ILIA Beauty Lip Conditioner in Bang Bang

My first product review of the new year! How exciting! This review is thanks to a sample I received from FreshFaced. (Received as in I bought it and then received it in the mail, not as in received for free. For free would be much preferred. Please send me free things.)

FreshFaced sample haul!

After months of waiting, a shiny little package arrived at my doorstep yesterday! You know who it was from? FreshFaced! I cannot tell you how excited about this I am, and not just because my first order got lost in the mail, hence the months of waiting. Luckily, they sent me a replacement that did not get lost.

FreshFaced is a lovely little online shop that supplies a number of great brands, leaning more towards the luxe end of the price scale. They're headquartered in the Great White North of Canada, so Canadian beauty lovers rejoice! Now you can get fancy brands like Tata Harper and Marie Veronique without having to pay for shipping from California or whatever. I don't really know.

You may be asking yourself, why would an American order from a Canadian website? Blasphemy! There are plenty of shops in the good ol' U S of A to order from! Well, I can sum it up in one word...

Samples.