Buxom Full-On Lip Creams and Polishes

I am a lip gloss person. I'm not sure if that is from gloss being so huge when I was in high school in the late 90s or what the deal is, but it is my preferred lip formula a majority of the time. One of my favorite brands for lip gloss is Buxom. I really like the formula for so many reasons. Buxom has two different types of gloss - one is called Full-On Lip Polish and the other is Full-On Lip Cream. The main difference between the two is shimmer. The Polishes have it and the Creams do not.



Both the Polishes and Creams have a tingly feel that is supposed to give slight plumping effect. I don't really get a huge plumping boost, but I do like the feel of these. They are moisturizing and not overly sticky. They have a great staying power for how shiny they are - I can usually get 3-4 hours out of these depending on how much I eat/drink. The color payoff on these nice - slightly jelly and sheer, but the color is definitely noticeable.  I also love that they do not settle into lip lines. This is especially important for me for the lighter colors, like White Russian. White Russian is what I wish Nars Turkish Delight could have been, as TD settles horribly on me.

I have three of each to show you of my favorites. First will be the creams:




The Lip Polishes are:



Swatches below in full sunlight:



Swatches below in shade:



I honestly cannot say enough great things about these. I wear both the cream and polish formulations all the time. I also love that Buxom puts out sampler sets - many of the ones pictured above have come from various sample sets that I have gotten from them. It is a great way to try the formula and get a multitude of colors. Right now Sephora has a set of the polishes which contains some really cute brights - you get 6 mini polishes for $32. The full size versions are $20 each and retail at Sephora, Ulta, Buxom, etc. What are your favorite glosses?

tarte tartelette tease palette

The tarte tartlette tease palette was an impulse buy for me in the checkout line. It is super cute and compact and I thought it would be useful to take with me on an upcoming trip. The palette has six colors inside, a mirror, and the pans are decent size.



I really like the neutral color scheme of the palette and the mix of shimmer and matte shades. The two lighter shades on the left perform really well as eyeshadow bases. My main issue with the palette are the shimmer shades in the middle. I had a lot of fallout with those. If you are someone who does eye makeup first, this may not be an issue for you. For me, I like to do eyes after foundation and had to do a ton of cleanup from the shimmer going everywhere. I did note that reviews of this palette have been pretty mixed and I think a lot of that is dependent upon when you do your shadow - before or after foundation. The mattes perform well and have good color saturation. The shadows lasted about 8 hours on me before they started to migrate (keep in mind I used primer).

Below swatches in direct sun:



Swatches in shade:




Overall, the palette did not work for me, as one third of it (the shimmers) will not be useful for me at all. I do not like shadows with a lot of fallout and the shimmers have way too much for me. The lighter shades are a nice base, but the issues with the shimmer shades and the mattes being just average makes this something that I am disappointed in. I really love a lot of tarte's other products, the Amazonian lip butters especially, so I was sad to see that the palette was not really up to standard.

The palette retails for $21 and is available at Sephora, tarte, and Ulta. Have you tried this palette? If so, what are your thoughts?

Current Mask Favorites from Dr. Jart, Boscia, and Kate Somerville

Today I thought I would talk about a few of my current favorite skincare masks. My skin type is combination/sensitive and I am definitely prone to breakouts. I use masks for a variety of functions, depending on the season and what is going on with my skin. Below are some masks that I am currently enjoying.

I recently had to go to an even drier climate than Colorado for a conference and both during the trip and after coming back, I found that my skin has been more dry than usual. As dryness leads to excessive oil production in the t-zone, I am trying to rehydrate my skin so that oil production stays more normal.

The Boscia Tsubaki Oil Deep Hydration Hydrogel Mask is a sheet mask that is single use.  I like that this mask is actually two pieces, as most sheet masks are one. I feel that the two pieces allow for more control over where you put the mask and how it fits. The formula contains tsubaki (also called camellia) oil, glycerin, and Vitamin E. I find it to be very hydrating and it has not caused any breakouts for me, which is always a concern.

The Dr. Jart Dermask Water Jet Hydra Solution is also a sheet mask. This may be my favorite sheet mask of all time, at this point. I love that it  hydrates skin, but also contains ingredients that are anti-inflammatory and antiseptic. This is wonderful if you have problematic skin, as many masks that are designed to control breakouts are not very hydrating. Personally, I find that breakouts are diminished using this and that it calms any redness from breakouts that I have.

The Nuxe Masque Creme Fraiche de Beaute is cream formulation that comes in a tube. A little definitely goes a long way with this one, as I have had the tube for quite some time and still have a lot left. This mask can be used a couple of ways. You can put it on and remove or you can massage it into skin. It can also be used on  the eye area, which is nice. I tend to use this on my eyes and also on the cheeks. I am too oily in the t-zone to use elsewhere, but I find that using this on my cheeks really helps calm the dryness that I sometimes have there. This also has a beautiful floral smell from the various floral extracts in the ingredients.

As I mentioned, acne is a skin care concern of mine. I find that exfoliation and also treatments help deal with breakouts and the flaky skin they often leave behind. I like sheet masks a lot because they are single use and also very portable for traveling.  The Dr. Jart Dermask Micro Jet Clearing Solution is great for helping to control breakouts and clear out pores. I do find it to be more gentle than most detoxifying treatments, which usually just leave my skin parched. I also like that it contains ingredients meant to help fade current scars that you may have, which is a common problem for acne sufferers.

The Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment is a great choice for me for exfoliation. I like that you initially massage it on and let it sit for a couple minutes so that it draws impurities from the skin. It gives a gentle exfoliation and tingles when it is sitting on your face. I am one of those people that loves the tingly feeling because to me that signals it is working, but I know it is not for everyone. There is also a gentle version of this available if your skin is very sensitive to physical exfoliants.

I hope this is helpful to you in deciding on some masks or discovering something new that will help your skin. I know that I am always on the lookout for new skincare products. What are some of your favorites?