Product Review - Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Enhancing Serum

Sephora

If I could go back in time and stop my middle school self from destroying my eyebrows, I so would.  But no, I'm a child of the 90s and early 2000s (which is basically an extension of the 90s when you look back on it).  All the girls around me had thin brows that they either waxed or plucked, and here I was with what I thought were the most hideous, thick brows.  Too afraid to go to professional salon, I took matters into my own hands.  I bought an at-home wax kit and went to town.  I cringe now when I think about it, because they have never grown back the same.  If only I could have seen into the future.  Le sigh.  I would give anything to have those now.  Since time travel isn't real (I know Dr. Brown would have a heart attack if he read this), I have to settle with filling them in daily.


Recently, things have gotten really bad.  I'm talking practically no brow on my right side (the most victimized of the two).  I got really scared that I would have to live the rest of my life with no eyebrow, so of course I looked to Google.  I found all kinds of remedies, and in particular a product by Anastasia Beverly Hills.  I've already raved about her brow powder that I used, so I figured this would be a good place to start in my quest to hopefully regrow my arches.  The price is pretty steep, but I was able to scoop this up during a sale at Sephora.  The product itself is a serum that you are supposed to apply morning and night via a clickable pen.


As with any product that promises something like growing back over-plucked brows, I admit I was a bit skeptical, but also hopeful at the same time.  Could this be the miracle I was looking for?  Seriously, I could not go through the rest of my life with no eyebrow!  I am happy to say that this product did give me results.  I definitely do not have the brows of my youth, but there is a visible arch where there once wasn't.  I will also say that on top of applying the serum, I refrained from any plucking, even stray hairs.  So now, if there is ever a day when I don't feel like putting on a full face of makeup, I won't feel like an alien venturing out into public without "putting my eyebrows on."


With the good comes the bad though, right?  Like I said before, this was a little pricey, so if you are able to purchase it during a sale that will definitely help.  The amount of product lasted about a month for me, based on a twice a day application.  It was pretty easy to incorporate this into my routine, given how eager I was to have my eyebrows grow and hopefully see results, but I also see how it could be easy to forget this step.  I just kept the pen right on my bathroom counter next to my face wash and it was easy to remember.  When it ran out, I didn't go purchase another one because I'm trying to hold out until the next sale opportunity, and so far so good as far as the results lasting.    


Unfortunately, in my haste to get the growing going, I didn't snap any before pictures, and therefore after pictures would be pretty useless too.  Although, let's be honest, there wasn't much to see before anyway.  But I will say, the bottom line is that I would recommend this product as long as you have reasonable expectations and follow the application direction of twice a day.  If it can help my 8th grade at home wax nightmare brows grow back, surely it can help you too!  Anastasia really is the queen of brows.

xoxo,
Amanda

*This product was purchased with my own money and all opinions are my own.     

The Dirt on Dry Shampoo

Dry shampoo is a product that has really catapulted into the forefront of the beauty world recently.  It seems like every hair care brand offers one, and with so many to choose from, it can be a bit overwhelming.  The concept itself is pretty life-changing, at least in my book.  Anything that can extend the time between hair washes and save endless amounts of time is going to be a staple in my routine.  The hard part is finding one that you like and that works.  I've tried several different brands, with one in particular that I always find myself going back to.  Here's a little dirt on all of the dry shampoos I've used - pun definitely intended.

Drybar Detox Dry Shampoo
This dry shampoo does exactly what it is supposed to do with as little product as possible.  I could apply this on about day 3 and be good for another 3 days without needing to pile on more product day after day.  Being a high end brand, it's pricier than other options out there but since a little goes a long way it could be worth it if you want a hassle-free routine most mornings.  The only downside for me was the smell, which is very strong and almost perfume-y.  I am very sensitive to certain scents and anything too musky tends to irritate my throat.  If that isn't a problem for you, this is a solid choice.

Not Your Mother's Clean Freak Dry Shampoo
This brand is relatively new to me in the last year or so, and now that they sell it at Target and it's more accessible, I've been trying out more of their products.  The names are really fun and quirky, which I love.  I would actually consider this one to be my second favorite dry shampoo that I've tried.  Whereas the Drybar option is very strongly scented, I don't notice any scent whatsoever with the Clean Freak.  That can be good or bad, depending on if you want a nice scent to mask any potential dirty hair smell.  It leaves no white residue in your hair, though I do find that I need to reapply this more than once to prolong the life of my blowout.  All in all, this is an excellent affordable option.

Lush No Drought Dry Shampoo 
I will be completely honest, I wasn't really a fan of this product.  I didn't like the application process, having to carefully sprinkle the dry shampoo onto your roots and hope that a huge cloud of powder didn't bust out of the bottle.  It also didn't really seem to do much for absorbing oil and making my hair look refreshed.  It was pretty pricey, though you do receive a very generous amount of product.  As all Lush products, there is an expiration date to compete with, and it almost seemed like you got too much dry shampoo to be able to realistically use in the allotted time.  I typically love Lush products and their handmade philosophy, but this one just didn't do the trick.

Dove Refresh + Care Invigorating Dry Shampoo 
If I had to pick my favorite dry shampoo, this would be it.  It's at an affordable price point, smells nice without being overbearing, the results last, and it doesn't look powdery.  Basically, if you rolled all of the things I like about the others into one and cut out the things I don't, this is what you get.  I wouldn't give it holy grail status just yet, since I'm still trying new dry shampoos here and there, but I will say that I always find myself coming back to Dove.

Batiste Hint of Color Dry Shampoo
I really like and appreciate what Batiste was trying to do here, which is create a dry shampoo that matches your hair color to eliminate the possibility of that Marie Antoinette powdery look.  Unfortunately it doesn't really work for me since I like to get as many days out of one wash as possible.  I'm talking brown residue all over your pillow case - not very pretty.  I have a bad habit of touching my hair around my face, especially when my bangs are longer and I have to constantly push them out of the way, and this would always end up all over my hands at the most inconvenient times.  If you're someone who isn't quite as extreme with the amount of time between washes and would only be using this on your last hair day, then this could potentially work fine.  It just doesn't work for my lifestyle.

Now that you have a little dirt on these dry shampoos, I hope you'll be able to find one that you love!  And I'd love to know if there are any others that are your favorites that I haven't tried.  You can never have too much dry shampoo.

xoxo,
Amanda   

Product Review: Tarte Amazonian Clay Airbrush Foundation

In my quest to make life on the weekends (and work days when I'm running late) a little bit easier and simpler makeup-wise, I set out to find a nice powder/mineral foundation that would be quick to apply and speed up my foundation routine.  Enter Tarte's Amazonian Clay Airbrush Foundation.  I also picked up the accompanying Airbuki Bamboo Powder Foundation Brush since I didn't already own a dense brush like it (I really haven't tried many mineral or powder foundations).  After trying it out both last weekend and a couple of days this week, I can truly say that I love this product.

Pros:
First off, the packaging is very sleek and travel friendly.  The mesh cover over the product and built-in stopper on the lid prevents the foundation from spilling out and getting everywhere if this were to be tumbling around in your bag.  You don't have to worry about opening this and being covered in a cloud of powder.  The mesh lining also works well at controlling the amount of product that is dispensed.  You just have to press the brush onto the mesh and it picks up the powder. 

As far as the application, I found this very easy to blend and build the coverage to your liking.  You'll still need to use concealer on blemishes and imperfections, but overall I thought this gave great, natural coverage.  It is especially great if you are running errands and just want to even things out, but not necessarily put on a full face of makeup.  The wide shade selection will help you achieve the results you want, too.

I found that this foundation really lasted on my skin and stayed in place all day, even during the work week when I have my makeup on for a good 15 hours or more.  If anything, my concealer broke down a bit but the foundation itself looked great on the places where I had only applied that.  I did use my Urban Decay De-Slick Setting Spray for work, but even without it this foundation still looked nice at the end of the day.

Cons:
The only downside I can really see, and it's more about the brush itself, is that if you have dry skin the brush can be a bit abrasive if you blend a lot and cause your skin to flake.  I've got combo skin, with dry areas on my chin and forehead, and I did see this happen in those areas.  Perhaps this could be remedied with a less-dense brush, but then you might be losing blend-ability.  Overall, it wouldn't prevent me from using this product.

Final Thoughts:
I think I can safely say that this will have a place on my vanity for a long time.  It will be my go-to for feeling put together on lazy weekends and mornings when I hit the snooze one to many times.  Plus, for travel it's one less liquid you have to squeeze into that teeny-tiny quart size bag.

If you've tried this foundation, what are your thoughts on it?  And if not, what's your go-to foundation for when you're in a pinch?


xoxo,
Amanda   

Product Review: Dry Bar Detox Dry Shampoo

 

I picked up the VIP pack from Dry Bar recently at Sephora, and the Detox Dry Shampoo was included in the set.  After hearing about how great it was from Chelcey, I couldn't wait to check it out! 

I will say, my relationship with dry shampoo hasn't always been sunshine and roses.  The first kind I ever tried was TRESemme, and that stuff was absolutely positively awful!  It made my hair even more oily than it was before and it looked matted and gross.  Disgusting.  No thank you. 

Well, several years later, dear Chelcey shared with me her amazing fairytale of only washing her hair once a week (or longer).  *Gasp.*  But how??  Her answer, as you may guess, was dry shampoo.  I was reluctant to experience that catastrophe again, but I wanted to live this magical life of only washing your hair once a week.  If you have thick hair like me, you can imagine why.  I'm going to save the details for another post all about how I get a good 7 days out of each wash, but for now I wanted to share my thoughts on the Dry Bar product specifically.

The Good:  I found that with this dry shampoo, if I first applied it on say, day 3 or 4, I wouldn't really need to reapply for a couple of days, if at all, before my next wash.  This is really amazing because it cuts down on buildup on your scalp.  Think about it, you're basically spraying white powder all over your roots and not washing your hair for a week, as in my case.  The less you have to use, the better.  This also means you don't have to repurchase it as often, which means more money in the bank.  Mo' money might mean mo' problems, but one of those problems will NOT be dirty hair!  Another thing I liked about this little guy specifically was that it was travel friendly for flying.  It fit nicely in my carry-on without taking up a lot of room.  Of course, this does come in a full size but it's nice to have the smaller one for trips.

The Bad:  This dry shampoo had a very strong, perfume-y smell which irritated my throat.  I tend to have this problem with a lot of musky fragrances, although it wasn't quite as bad as straight up perfume.  It's not that the smell was bad in general, I'm just sensitive to it.  Maybe this is an allergy I never knew I had - I should probably go get that checked out.  Also, when I went to spray this at my roots, it seemed to come out really quickly and concentrated.  I looked like I had white patches of hair all over my head until I blended it out.  Even that was a little tough to do because you could still kind of tell where the product wasn't evenly distributed.  As long you blend it well you should be fine, but definitely take the time to do it right.

In the end, I'm glad I picked this up to try.  The lasting power of this is great, and definitely makes me want to grab a full size.  I can't say that I'll choose this over my drugstore finds all the time, but it's something I want to have on hand.  

Have you tried this dry shampoo?  I'd love to hear how you liked (or disliked) it!


xoxo,
Amanda
 

Product Review: Estée Lauder Double Wear Foundation

Last Saturday, Chelcey and I headed to the mall for some shopping and girl time.  I knew going in that I wanted to find a new foundation to try, and I was really curious about the Estée Lauder Double Wear formula.  I had been having trouble with my current foundation breaking down and separating on my face by the end of the day, and that wasn't going to cut it any longer.  Lately I've been having a lot going on after work where I have to get somewhere without going home first, so I really needed a foundation that would last all day without any touch-ups.  Plus, I'm not really one for touching up my face makeup during the day anyway.

After hitting up Anthropologie and Von Maur, we meandered into Macy's and over to the Estée Lauder counter where I actually ran into a relative who works there - perfect!  Insert thumbs up emoji here.  I was always hesitant about going to makeup counters because I didn't want to feel pressured to buy a bunch of products that I didn't want or need, but I knew Hayette (my dad's cousin's wife from France - love her!) would take great care of me.  She promptly set me down in her chair and proceeded to remove my makeup and find my perfect shade match for the Double Wear foundation, all while multitasking and helping other customers who came up to the counter at the same time.  Seriously, she's awesome.

After about an hour of learning about new products, problems with my skin and how to correct them, and finding the perfect match I was all set to go (with my Lily Pulitzer tote and freebies, too).  She even threw in an extra lipstick and gave Chelcey one too because we were so patient with her.  This was hands down the best experience I have ever had at a makeup counter, so I really hoped the foundation would live up to its potential.

I wore the foundation for a full work day on Monday, plus after work errands and grocery shopping.  Basically, I had it on from 7:30 AM to 7:30 PM (the 12 hours it claims to last) when I got home and could look in a mirror up close and see how it was holding up.   I was actually very pleasantly surprised to see that aside from a bit of shininess in my t-zone, the foundation itself hadn't separated on my skin that I could see.  Also, I hadn't used any kind of primer or setting spray to help in the lasting power, because I wanted to see how it performed on its own.  I'm sure that if I had used those the products, the shininess would be at a minimum.  Not to jump the gun, but this stuff has real holy grail potential!

Some of the other things I love about this product are:

• Wide range of shades and perfect match for my complexion (I was matched to Ecru for reference)
• The consistency of the foundation is thin enough that it offers the perfect full coverage without looking thick and cakey
• A little really goes a long way
•  It is easy to blend and build the coverage to how you want it
• There is no SPF (which is good for the purpose of photography and not wanting flashback or a white cast on your face)

And the cons:

• There's no pump, which makes it tougher to control the amount of product you use.  I try and get around this by dotting the foundation all over my face and blending it out with my Beauty Blender.
• The price is a little high, but I've definitely purchased ones that were more expensive

I think this product will definitely be on my vanity from now on, because so far I absolutely love it!  If you've tried this foundation, what did you think about it?  And if not, what's your holy grail foundation?