Fragrance Friday: Fancy Love

Hi beauties,

I know, I know! I have a weird fascination with celebrity fragrances, but this one is in a category all it's own. 

Fancy Love by Jessica Simpson is something that I not only wear, but my mom and sister wear it as well. It is a beautiful fragrance, and I have yet to meet someone who doesn't like the smell. It is something that is constantly getting compliments from both men and women! 

The notes in Fancy Love: (according to Macy's)

Top Notes: Peach Blossom, Bergamot, Goij Leaf, Pink Champagne
Heart Notes: Lotus, Peony, Plumeria, Jasmine, Turkish Rose
Base Notes: Amber, Blonde Woods, Musk, Patchouli 

Although it has a lot of floral notes, it isn't overpowering at all. I'm sensitive to florals, and they usually give me a headache, but this fragrance doesn't! It really lingers throughout the day, which is something that I look for in fragrances. If is very soft, so when you walk by someone, they get a hint of the fragrance. It is GORGEOUS!

I know that many people are skeptical of celebrity fragrances, but this is one that is a rare gem. I think everyone should get a sample, or have a smell in stores, because it is something that I think that EVERYONE would enjoy!

Have you tried Jessica Simpson's Fancy Love Perfume? I love hearing from you!

XOXO,
Erin

Summer Lovin': NYX CREAM BLUSHES + Swatches

Hi Beauties,

I'm starting a new series on my blog called Summer Lovin', which will be all about products that I'm loving for summer. Yes, I know that it is still technically spring, but where I live, it is basically summer because it has been in the mid to upper 80's for weeks now. It is also crazy humid, which makes everything feel swampy! 

I have heard mixed reviews on the NYX cream blushes. Some people thought they were wonderful, and some people thought they were too oily. I personally LOVE them, and wanted to share my thoughts with you along with the colors that I have! 

Every once in a while, Cherry Culture will have a 40% off NYX sale, which is when I always try out some NYX products. Last summer, they had a sale, and I purchased two NYX cream blushes. Lets just say I was NOT disappointed. 

As you can see, the colors I picked were Glow, and Boho Chic. On NYX's website, they describe Glow as a "plummy pink" and Boho Chic as a "light blue toned pink". 

I think these blushes are gorgeous, and perfect for summer when you don't want to look or feel too powdery. They are perfect year round for girls like me who have dull dry skin, because they make you look dewy and glowing. I have to disagree with those who say that these are too oily, because I don't find them oily at all (which could be due to the fact that I have dry skin). You could even use these and then set them with a powder blush to make your blush last all day if you have oily skin. 

I love to apply these with my Sonia Kashuk duo fiber stippling brush, because they blend them out so nicely, and apply them evenly. The only downside to the Sonia Kashuk brush is that it sheds like no other! So I do have to pick out some brush hair from the cream blush, which is a bit of a bummer. I've also used my fingers to apply these when I'm in a hurry, and that works great too! I'd imagine that the Real Techniques buffing brush would be great as well! These blushes are really pigmented, so a little goes a long way! 

 Another great thing about these blushes is that you get 3.5 grams, and even when full priced, they are only $6 USD. Like I mentioned, you only need the tiniest amount, so I feel like you are really getting your moneys worth with these!

See how these catch the light? They really make you look like you are glowing from within. Which is BIG for me, since I have dry skin and usually look dull! 

I would HIGHLY recommend that you check out the NYX cream blushes! I already have my eye on some other shades!

Have you tried any NYX cream blushes? If so, what did you think about them? Any shade recommendations? What is your go-to brand for cream cheek products? I love hearing from you! 

XOXO,
Erin

PS: IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!!!! I'm 23! AHHH :)

Disappointment: Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Cleansing Pads

Hi beauties,

I wanted to love these, I really did, but it just didn't happen. Unfortunately the Aveeno Positively Radiant daily cleansing pads were a huge disappointment for me.  

When I think Aveeno, I think natural, hence the name Aveeno Active Naturals. I heard so many great things about Aveeno products, and I had never tried any, so I thought the Positively Radiant cleansing pads would be a great place to start. I have dry, dull skin, so I'm immediately interested if a product promises radiance. The first thing I noticed when opening the jar, was the STRONG fragrance, and when I say strong, I mean somewhat overpowering. My skin is very sensitive to fragrances, especially on my face, so I was nervous to even start using them. I am used to natural skincare products having little to no fragrances, and if there is a fragrance, it is a natural fragrance, usually from a natural oil such as lavender or tea tree oil. This fragrance was an artificial floral fragrance, and was just off putting to me. I decided to use them anyways, since I had paid a pretty penny for these. (They aren't cheap, especially for drugstore pricing!) I used them as suggested, and after one use, I woke up with breakouts. I continued to use these for several days, because I thought that the breakout might be coincidence. It wasn't. Every time I used these, I woke up with even more breakouts. I'm almost positive that the culprit of my breakouts was the heavy fragrance of the radiance pads. I have been using these in the shower on my body, just so I can use them up, because I don't want them to waste. Needless to say, I am very disappointed and nervous to try any more Aveeno products, because I'm worried they might all be heavily fragranced.

Have you tried these? Did they break you out? Do all Aveeno products have a heavy fragrance? I'd love to hear from you!

XOXO,
Erin

Simple Moisturizing Facial Wash

 

Hi beauties,

I have really sensitive skin. I was using other drugstore facial washes, but the weren't quite gentle enough for my dry/dehydrated skin. I had heard great things about the Simple skin care line, and I knew I needed to check out the products and I was pleased to see that there was a Moisturizing facial wash in the range! I loved the 2-1-0  simple philosophy of this product having 2 vital vitamins, 1 skin loving nutrient, and 0 perfumes or dyes. I have noticed in the past that my skin really negatively reacts to both dyes and perfumes, and will become red and sore. I really have noticed a difference in my skins red dry patches, which is great. I still have to exfoliate twice a week, since there are no scrubbing beads or anything in this product. One thing that I dislike unfortunately is that the second ingredient is a sulfate. I was hoping this facial wash would have been sulfate  free, but it is not. (It isn't a deal breaker though, it is still a wonderful product!)

I would recommend this to anyone with dry sensitive skin, because it will help to reduce any redness or irritations. I'm not sure how this would be on acne prone skin, because it doesn't have any salicylic acids or anything like that.

Have you tried any Simple skin care products? Do you know of any facials washes that are paraben or sulfate free? I'd love to hear from you!!

XOXO,

Erin

Underdog Product: Johnson's Baby Creamy Oil

Hi beauties,

If you've read my blog before, you'd know that I have super dry skin! Lately it has been ridiculously itchy and dry, and my go-to moisturizers were just irritating it even more. I rediscovered the wonder that is Johnson's baby creamy oil which contains cocoa & shea butter. Like the bottle says, it is non-greasy and has a rich texture. When I first applied this, I thought that it would be one of those lotions that would take forever to sink in to my skin because of how thick it was. Needless to say- it sank in quickly and I was pleasantly surprised! It has a light ~typical~ cocoa butter scent which isn't overpowering. The scent does linger on the skin for a while after application, which I personally don't mind because I like the scent!

My skin LOVES this lotion. Although it sinks in quickly, it really has long lasting moisturizing results. It doesn't irritate my skin at all, in fact it soothes my dry skin, and stops the itching. I'd highly recommend that you all try out this lotion, because even though it is targeted for use on babies, it is amazing for adults as well! (I even prefer this over the Vaseline Cocoa butter!)

XOXO,

Erin