Over the past few months I have started becoming a bit of a makeup and skincare junkie. The more blogs and YouTube channels I visit, the most intrigued I become. Shelbey Ashburn (aka Love Shelbey) is my favorite YouTube channel to watch. I stumbled onto her channel via Pinterest when I was looking for bareMinerals tutorials. She has so many great tutorials on bareMinerals as well as other makeup lines. I love watching her videos; they are so well edited and her makeup is always flawless. BM is my go-to makeup brand. I love how it is so gentle on my skin. This makeup never makes me breakout or irritates my eyes. I have tried some other lines, but I think my makeup always looks best with BM. When in doubt, I always “go Bare!”

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Beginning your makeup routine with a primer is so important. A good primer will help you apply makeup more smoothly and will prevent it from wearing off. I have tried three bareMinerals PrimeTime Foundation Primers; Original, BB (in light) and Oil Control. The Original and BB formulas are easy to apply and have a velvety texture. I have nothing bad to say about the original formula. It is my go-to primer and I recommend it to everyone. I am currently using the BB primer and cannot wait to finish up this bottle. Even though the BB and original primers have the same texture once applied, I find them to be a bit different. I would have to agree with many of the comments on the bareMinerals website because the pump on this bottle stinks! This formula is a bit thicker than the original and clogs the pump. Sometimes I find myself having to use more product to cover my face. Also, I do not think the tint makes all that much of a difference when it comes to coverage. I tried the Oil Control formula last summer to combat that good ol’ summer shine. Sadly, I returned it after about a week. I did not like that this formula left my skin feeling dry and not velvety.

After applying primer, my go-to powder foundation is the bareMinerals Original Power Foundation. Most of the year I wear fairly-light and in the summer I can wear medium-beige. To apply this foundation I literally, “Swirl, Tap and Buff!” using a small amount of product at a time. I apply this foundation in four sections (right cheek, left cheek, chin and forehead) and spend a good five or so minutes buffing it in. I have learned the more you buff, the better the foundation blends. I usually opt for light-medium coverage which I achieve by applying the foundation in layers. To apply this foundation I alternate between the BM Flawless Face Brush and the Real Techniques Powder Brush. The Real Techniques Power Brush gives achieves a fuller coverage, so this is my go to brush for parties and special events. I have also tried the matte formula which is great in the summer months!

As I have mentioned in some of my previous posts, my under eye area can get very dry. I was a little hesitant to try a powder concealer for an area of my face that typically gets dry, but I am SO happy I did.  The bareMinerals Well-Rested Eye Brightener Concealer is one of my holy grail products. I love this concealer! It gives me great coverage with minimal cracking throughout the day. Since my skin is pretty fair, I can also use this as an all over face concealer. I apply this concealer with the Real Techniques Setting Brush.

Using a setting powder will complete your look and help your makeup to stay in place. It is also a great way to prevent shine. I use the bareMinerals Original Mineral Veil everyday. A little goes a long way, so this jar will last a long time. Using the Real Techniques Powder Brush I apply the Mineral Veil all over my face, but focus on the areas that get most shiny especially when only wearing a CC cream. Once this jar is used up I am planning on trying BM’s hydrating mineral veil.

xo Miss Alyss

In the past year I have tried several different gentle cleansers. Some have been great and others not so much. When picking a cleanser I am generally looking for a product that will remove my makeup, not irritate my eyes and leave my skin feeling clean, but not totally stripped of moisture. It also cannot have any added fragrance. I will never understand why anyone would want perfume on their face! I generally rinse my face with water in the morning and use a cleanser at night. Below are my reviews for some of the cleaners I have used along with my current favorite.

Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser

This has been by far my most used cleanser. I started using Cetaphil over 10 years ago when it was recommended by my dermatologist at the time. From that point on, every dermatologist I have been to  has recommended it. Overall, this is a great basic cleanser and it is very gentle for sensitive skin. About a year ago I decided to stop using this cleanser because I felt that it did not do a great job of removing my makeup and it also contains parabens (which I have been trying to shy away from). I have not decided if switching off of this cleanser was the right choice, so this could be one I put back into my rotation. Cetaphil is affordable and available just about everywhere you can buy skincare products. It is definitely a cleanser I recommend.

Neutrogena Naturals Purifying Facial Cleanser

I tried this cleanser after deciding I was not fully happy with Cetaphil. The Neutrogena Naturals Purifying Facial Cleanser is pretty gentle and did not irritate my skin. I did not love or hate this product, but it did not do a good job of removing my makeup, so I decided to not repurchase. If you do not wear much makeup and are just looking for a basic cleanser, this one might be a good choice.

Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Hydrating Cleanser (Creamy forumla)

As I have mentioned in my previous posts, my skin became very dry this past winter. In my search for a new cleanser I was turned on to this Neutrogena Ulta Gentle cleanser by a Pinterest post. I purchased this cleanser because it not only has just 11 ingredients, but it is also fragrance-free, soap-free, dye-free, paraben-free, SLS-free, non-comedogenic and hypoallergenic! The creamy formula is also great for drier skin types. It is super affordable too! The only reason I decided to not repurchase this product was because it did not do a great job of removing makeup. I see myself purchasing this cleanser again and definitely recommend it to others!

Neutrogena Facial Cleansing Bar (Original)

The Neutorgena Facial Cleansing Bar is my mom’s go-to face wash. I personally do not like how it smells and it makes my skin feel a bit tight after washing. This product is super affordable, but not the most practical if you have dry skin. I could see this product working well with oilier skin types. Overall, I was not impressed by this cleansing bar.

Clinique Liquid Facial Soap Extra Mild (Type 1)

I recently went to Ulta with the intension of buying the BareMinerals cleanser below, but when I told an Ulta consultant the type of product I was looking for and my skin concerns, she recommended Clinique. I own a few other Clinique skincare and makeup prodcuts, so I figured I would give it a try. Unfortunately, this cleanser was a huge dissapoinment and went back to Ulta within a week. This product irritated the skin around my eyes so much that I felt a slight burning when I applied my moisturizers. A few months ago I had a similar reaction to Clinique Naturally Gentle Eye Makeup remover. Even though I am a fan of Clinique, I do not think I will be trying any Clinique cleansers in the future.

BareMinerals Purifying Facial  Cleanser

After returning the Clinique cleanser reviewed above at Ulta I picked up the BareMinerals Purifying Facial Cleanser. I have been using it for about 2 weeks and so far I am happy with the results. It does not irritate my skin or sting my eyes, does a decent job at removing makeup and leaves my skin feeling clean yet moisturized. This cleanser is gentle, non- irritating and has very light scent. I definitely recommend this product to others and see this as becoming a new favorite of mine!

What are you favorite cleansers? Let me know in the comments below!

xo Miss Alyss

This past winter I changed up my skin  routine a bit due to the harsh weather. As I mentioned  in my previous  post, the dry winter weather caused my skin to breakout. I decided to try the new Proactiv+ because nothing else seemed to be working. The first time I used the original Proactiv was in middle school and did not have good results, but decided to give the new formula a try. I saw great improvements in the first few weeks, but around week 4 or 5 my skin hit rock bottom. My skin was the most dry it had ever been in my whole life and I was breaking out more. I could have tried the “sensitive” Proactiv/Proactiv+ line,  but I was just completely turned off by the product.  I know Proactiv/Proactiv+ has helped a lot of people; it was just not the right choice for me.  I have mild, sporadic acne with  combination oily skin. The Proactiv+  treatment was too harsh for me especially during the drying winter months. If you think Proactiv/Proactiv+ is a line you may want to dry I would recommend trying out the sensitive line if you do not have moderate to severe acne.

Although Proactive  did not work out for me, I was impressed with two products on their own. The Skin Purifying Mask is a product I have continually purchased for over 10 years. It works great at clearing up those random pimples that pop up out of no where. For the best results, dot some on as soon as you feel a pimple coming and sleep with it on over night. This product can also be used as a full face mask. I dampen my face, apply the mask all over and let sit for 10 minutes before rinsing with warm water. I think it is safe to say this is a product I will continue to keep on stand by for random breakouts! As a spot treatment I try not to use more than 2 or 3 days in a row and as a mask not more than once a week. Using this product too often may cause dryness.

During my Proactiv+ trial this winter I was also impressed by the Revitalizing Toner. I am pretty sure this is the first toner I have ever used and loved how it exfoliated my skin without scrubbing. Although I did not repurchase this product it enticed me to try another toner. I ended up deciding on the Clinque Clarifying Lotion #3 (aka toner). I will post a review on this toner in a separate post!

Battling breakouts, whether it be full blown acne or a random pimple, is a struggle. Finding the right skincare line or combination of products may require a lot of trial and error. Please share your favorite products in the comment section!

Has anyone tried Proactiv or Proactiv+?

xo Miss Alyss