Hello all!

So sorry for being late on this post, and I know you were expecting something different if you follow us on Twitter and I truly apologize for that! However, I will have that video as promised for you sometime this week. For now, I'm going to stick with the theme of lateness and post an empties video that should have gone up a while ago. So enjoy! Let me know what products you've used up recently below and what you thought of them!


xx
Tessa

Hello there!

So I've been trying to save some products that I've used up in the past few months to show you guys and give you a mini-review/overview of my opinion. This is definitely not everything I've used up, just things I've remembered to save! There's no method to my madness here, I'm just going for it.

Banana Boat Summer Color Self-Tanning Mist
So I'm pretty sure we've all talked about this enough that I don't really need to go into how much I love this stuff. I've gone through several cans this summer and I tend to go through them pretty quickly, which can get expensive even though it has a lower price tag. Lately, I've gotten lazy and haven't been applying it so I'm back to my normal pasty self. But this is the only drugstore self tanner that I've found that doesn't streak with me and allows me to get a deep tan without going orange. So obviously, 10/10 would recommend. 5 gold stars. Thank you, Banana Boat. 

Tresemmé Platinum Strength Renewing Complex Deep Conditioning Treatment
This conditioner I picked up on one of my many Target runs in my college town (they happened a lot because I was always avoiding studying or something). I enjoyed this product, though I probably won't repurchase. It claimed to repair 2 years of damage in 5 treatments. I used this once or twice a week for about 3 months and definitely did not notice that big of a difference in my hair. I recently picked up Aussie's 3 Minute Miracle and can tell you in one use of that I've noticed a difference, and especially between the two products. For the price point it's not a bad product, but I think you can find better for about the same. 

Suave Kids Detangling Spray
I can not live without this. It's a constant staple in my hair care routine. I have really fine hair, and a lot of it, so it knots up really easily. I can't ever get a comb through it after I shower if I don't have this. Yes, I realize it's a kid's product. But why would I spend $5 on a detangler from another line when I can get this gem for less than $2? Also it smells like green apples. So that doesn't hurt.

Herbal Essences Long Term Relationship Shampoo for Long Hair
It took me a really long time to use up this shampoo because it sat in my shower at home forever while I was away at school and since I got back I finally got around to using it up. I love Herbal Essences products (clearly, I have three of them on here). The Long Term Relationship line from them is one of my favorites because not only does it smell fantastic, but it's one of the lines that I actually can see a difference in my hair when I'm using it. It's smoother and shinier and feels healthier. I'm not 100% that their products are actually the best for your hair, but I do enjoy using them and they're at a good price point. 

Herbal Essences Body Envy Volumizing Conditioner
This is one product from Herbal Essences I wasn't very impressed with. Maybe it's because I didn't use the shampoo and conditioner from the line together but I wasn't very happy with this conditioner. It didn't give my hair any body which is something I definitely strive for since my hair usually lays flat. In the summer I don't ever blow dry it so I really look for products that I can use to add volume that don't need a blow dryer (I have serums and such that I use in the colder months when I do blow dry my hair) and this did not fit the bill. 

Herbal Essences Honey, I'm Strong Strengthening Serum
I know I just said how much I love Herbal Essences, but this is another disappointing product to me. I bought it on a whim because I do color my hair on a semi-regular basis and in the winter months I do use a lot of heat on it (blow drying almost daily, curling irons, etc.) and this product claimed to help strengthen your hair against styling damage, but again, I didn't notice a big difference between days when I used this product and days when I didn't. The honey and apricot smell was quite nice, but I think I would rather invest a little more money in protecting my hair from damage. 

Bath & Body Works Vanilla-Tini Shower Gel
Nothing very exciting to report here, just some body wash. I constantly go back to Bath & Body Works shower gel after using other brands because I find nothing lathers quite as nicely as their line does and their range of scents is to die for. I believe this was a limited edition during the holidays but I think they bring it back around every year. I can't even describe to you how good this smells but according to the back of the bottle it's fresh vanilla, coconut and lemon zest. Yum. 

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser
I'm almost positive you're sick of hearing me talk about this. I think I'm even sick of hearing me talk about this. But yes, I have used up another bottle of Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish. I'll save you my usually endless rant and just say that if you're on the fence about this product for whatever reason, give it a shot. The standard 3.3 fl oz bottle lasts me around 3 months, so in all reality the higher price tag isn't all that bad, and especially for what you get. 

xx
Tessa

     So if you follow me on twitter, you were probably expecting a "5 products I can't live without post." Well, I started writing that, and it turns out I can't stop raving about how much I love my skin care products. So enjoy my skin care routine instead!




     I've been fairly blessed since turning 16 that my skin hasn't given me too much trouble, as I've gotten older my breakouts have gotten smaller and less frequent, so that left me changing up my skin care routine quite a lot in the last few years. Recently, however, I've settled into a routine that I quite like and will probably keep around for quite sometime.


FACE WASH
Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish — $21.50, Liz Earle

     After watching Zoe (YouTube & Twitter) and Louise (Twitter & YouTube) rave about this on YouTube, I finally bit the bullet and ordered my first cleanse & polish bottle in August right after returning to my college town and I haven't looked back since. It initially made me want to cry, spending around $30 total after shipping and handeling just for a face wash, but I'm sure glad I did. Not only does this remove all of your make-up (one less step in your routine, yay!) but it also smells quite nice and feels really nice on the skin. I only use this at night, when I have worn make up during the day, so it lasts me quite a while. It also doesn't hurt that the lovely Liz Earle team sends you a nice hand written note and a free travel size gift every time you order!

Origins Checks & Balances — $20, Sephora

     After I found that my previous morning face wash was becoming too harsh for my skin since I was no longer having breakouts as frequently, I was on the hunt for a new morning/daily face wash. Having combination skin, it's never an easy feat to find a good one, it will either take care of your oily areas and leaving your already dry areas drier than the desert, or it won't take care of the oil at all. I discovered Checks and Balances through some online research and debated buying it for about a month before I finally did. Being a poor college student, $20 is a lot to spend on a face wash, but I figured since I already spend that and then some on my Liz Earle, it was worth a try. This face wash is extremely frothy, meaning you barely need any product at all to wash your whole face. It also has a nice mint smell which is refreshing. And the best part of it all, it does exactly what it's supposed to — takes care of my dry areas as well as my oily areas. Truly the perfect combination of checks and balances. 


MOISTURIZER

Trader Joe's Enrich Moisturizing Face Lotion — $11.99 on Amazon

     This little gem is a discovery from my lovely mother. I've always needed a lighter moisturizer during the day, mostly because I layer it under my make up and I don't like anything too heavy or to make my skin feel too greasy. After years of searching, my mom picked this up for me at our local Trader Joe's and I haven't used anything as a day time moisturizer since. It's very light on the skin, has an SPF of 15 (which Lord knows my poor, pale skin desperately needs), and is fragrance free. With the dry patches that I have on my skin, it's an absolute must for me to have at all times and use everyday. Unfortunately, Trader Joe's does not have an online website, and I'm not sure how much it retails for in stores, it may be the same or less than the link to Amazon. 

Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturizer in Normal/Combination — $31, Liz Earle

     Remember how lovely I said Liz Earle is with their travel sized gift with every order? That's what I have to thank for discovering this. During the winter, I experienced the worst dry skin I've ever had and decided it was time I find a night time moisturizer. I had recently reordered my Cleanse & Polish after running out (this is something that causes a breakdown, because I'm not sure how I would survive without it) and I got a travel sized version of this and decided to try it out. It was wonderful. It does have a slight fragrance to it, but I don't mind it. Though it's not a super heavy moisturizer, it's heavier than my Trader Joe's, and it's not so light that I would put it on in the day and layer my make up over it. The best part is that it took care of all my dry patches on my face, except for my under eye area (which I'm still working on finding a good cream, if you have any suggestions please let me know in the comments below!) 


SPOT TREATMENT

Nature's Cure Vanishing Cream — $8.97, Walmart

     This spot treatment was the answer to my prayers in my early teen years, and I was beyond upset when they stopped selling it in stores. Luckily, I had enough tubes stocked up that I haven't had to reorder any (yet). This cream doesn't seem like it could do much, it has a rather watery consistency compared to other spot treatments I've used, but it works wonders. I don't use this as often as I used to, but it's still a miracle worker. Put a little bit of this on any spot you have, and it will be dried up and gone. I don't know what it is that they put in this that makes it work so wonderfully, but with any spot I've ever had, it reduced the redness and dried it up within just a couple of treatments. That being said, it is a very drying product, so moisturize, moisturize, moisturize if you decide to try this product for yourself, and be very careful when applying it, because it will give you dry, flaky skin if it gets anywhere that there isn't a spot. 

     You may have noticed that I don't have a section for toner, that's because I don't use one. I have in the past, and though I like the way they feel on the skin, I've found that they never really do much for me. 

If you have any questions or comments feel free to leave them below! 

xx 
Tessa


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