beauty review: TATCHA Aburatorigami Beauty Papers

to keep shine at bay, blotting papers are fabulous for absorbing excess oil without disrupting makeup. TATCHA Aburatorigami Beauty Papers are quite luxurious and a great option for all skin types!

i think glowy, dewy skin is pretty, but when you have oily skin, there is a line when shine gets a bit out of hand. i'm getting older more fabulous, so i find this issue to be less frequent. that, of course, doesn't mean i never need anything to help. i use other blotting papers but these soft sheets stand apart thanks to having that little something extra…

made with all-natural 100% abaca leaf {strongest among natural fibers and used for many things in the paper industry} and gold flake, these fragrance and powder-free sheets work beautifully to keep my skin looking fresh. the slim packaging makes them purse-friendly and great for travel.

i highly recommend you treat yourself and check these out! visit tatcha.com for more info.

product featured sent to me for review consideration; pics taken by me :)

natural beauty: Korres Pomegranate Mattifying Primer

Korres Pomegranate Mattifying Primer was put on my radar recently, and because i like and use their products regularly {and have featured their products in past posts, too}, i find myself both curious and excited about it.

i do have to offer full discloser, though…

i've been obsessing over primers lately {Mary Kay, e.l.f., Smashbox, Laura Mercier, and L'Oreal are among a few many in my rotation}. it's kind of strange, since i'm a huge proponent for primers and have always used them, i can't help but find myself being drawn to buying more and more these days…

but i digress…  

i have yet to try Mattifying Primer for myself {i hope to soon}, but from the info i've been given about it, i knew i couldn't keep it to myself. Korres already has a fabulous reputation for their range of healthy beauty goodies, so it's no surprise to learn that their primer boasts a 94% natural, water-based, antioxidant-rich formula {to improve tone, balance and appearance of the skin}, includes ingredients like pomegranate, willow bark and witch hazel water, and is perfect for every skin type {yes, even sensitive and blemish-prone}. it's non-comedogenic and free of parabens, sulfates, synthetic dyes, petrochemicals, GMOs or tricosan.

clinically proven, the universally-flattering nude Pomegranate Mattifying Primer promises to blend to an invisible matte finish; rice starch aids in absorbing excess surface oil and its light texture allows skin to breath while helping to keep your gorgeous makeup in place.

sounds fabulous, right? have you tried it? 

find out more by visiting korresusa.com {outside the states? click here}, your local Sephora or sephora.com.

info and image provided to me by featured brand's PR company

beauty must-have: Skindinavia Makeup Setting Sprays

how do you keep your makeup in place? do you use a primer, a setting spray, both, neither??

for me, i'm all about the prep and the finish. being a busy mom and wife, i don't have time for numerous touch-ups throughout the day {yikes, did that sound super commercially? LOL!}

anyway...

Skindinavia produces a fabulous makeup setting spray that i used to use in the past {i was introduced to it via Beautyfix a couple of years ago}, so when the brand reached out to give me the opportunity to use it again, with the addition of a another finisher they've created for oily skin types, No More Shine Makeup Setting Spray, i was more than happy to give it go. i love the original and had high hopes for the new product -- i love multi-taskers!

No More Shine is amazing, beauties!

i've been spraying it on my skin just before applying my primer and foundation. then, after all my makeup is applied, before dressing my lashes with mascara, i spray my face once again, but with the Makeup Setting spray.

it's been remarkable, loves! my makeup doesn't budge and the oil stays under control.

another fun trick i discovered for making my eyeshadow last is to spritz the shadow brush with the setting spray, then swipe it over my shadow du jour before applying. not only do i get a more intense shade of color because the shadow has been applied wet, but it allows for more staying power!

obviously, these are two products i'm happy to have in my beauty arsenal. i mean, what gal doesn't want her makeup to last all day? :)

visit skindinavia.com for more info.

products featured sent to me for review consideration; pic taken by me :)

Summer Beauty: Shine-Control Products

with summer comes skin that has a nice glow...

oh, who am i kidding? it's crazy shine! combination and oily (sometimes even dry) skin types can act, um, differently in the summer (i like to call them oil fits). i know i'm especially prone to glowing more-- can you relate? to control this, mattifying or shine-control products applied before applying tinted moisturizer, foundation or powder is critical for keeping your (and my) oily skin in check.

here are some to consider:




MAC Shine Control Lotion is a light, oil-free formula designed to keep skin in balance. it contains antioxidants to give skin a treat, and it absorbs beautifully into skin. for the rest of the day it keeps skin balanced, preventing oil production from going into overdrive.

Dermelect Cosmeceuticals Pore Revolution & T-Zone Mattifier (pictured at top) is a powdery cream that works to control shine, reduce the appearance of large, clogged pores, and also contains salicylic acid and watercress extract to keep skin clear.




Philosophy Never Let Them See You Shine Primer works best when patted onto skin. the soothing product helps control shine during the day and can even be applied over makeup.



Smashbox Anti-Shine offers skin to a cool, refreshing, water-based option. this gel-to-powder formula gives skin a natural, matte finish that lasts through a 6-8 hour day.



CoverFX Clearprep FX Matte Foundation Primer and Anti-Acne Treatment uses its dermaveil-matte technology to control shine and treats problem skin with willowbark extract (a beta-hydroxyacid), salicylic acid, and natural fruit alpha-hydroxy acids. smooths skin to prep for makeup, but can be used alone.



tell me: what is your favorite shine-control product?

xo

review: YBF Skincare Defend

YBF Defend is an oil controlling gel that is designed to protect skin from daytime agers, improve your look with spin trap (the cutting-edge antioxidant) and keep pores under control.

sound too good to be true?

well, it's not!

if you are a regular reader, you know i have a soft spot in my heart for oil-control products that actually work, and last year i found some great ones. i have had Defend since last fall, but didn't start using it until the end of the year, so i had no idea that i was missing out on a fabulous product.

seriously, this was one of those products that made me say, why didn't i start using this sooner? ugh...

well, no use complaining about it because now i use it everyday, and my skin loves it. the gel is light and fast absorbing, and since it does such an amazing job of keeping the moisture level in my skin from getting too low-- which, if you have oily skin you should know, causes an over-production of oil secretion from the pores-- my skin stays looking fresh and well-balanced all day.

Defend not only defends against oil, but free-radicals and wrinkles as well. it, like Restore, is formulated with Spin Trap, a powerful antioxidant, vitamin E, which is a great for moisturizer and fighting off free radicals and hyaluronic acid, an ingredient that literally helps draw moisture into your skin as well as helps with the delivery of other ingredients so you get their full benefit.

i love this product-- it's definitely on my highly recommended list of products.


visit ybf-skincare.com to find out more about Defend


xo

review: Bioelements Oil Control Sleepwear

finding products that control oil are always on my radar. you may already know that the one thing i use to gage how well a product works for me at night is seeing how oily my skin is (or isn't) the following morning (and if you didn't, now you do).

much to my surprise, i discovered that one of my favorite skincare brands, Bioelements, makes a night cream that not only moisturizes and treats skin with great ingredients, but also controls oil!

Oil Control Sleepwear is a unique anti-aging cream that combines calcium, time-released retinol, protein peptides and vitamin E. it somehow knows to moisturize while controlling oil production, so all i wake up with is beautiful, healthy-looking skin!

i love this stuff! it's incredible, really.

the first time i used it, i admit, i was skeptical, but clearly it proved me wrong. this formula is lightweight, smells wonderful and is so refreshing once it's on. there's no greasy or heavy feeling whatsoever, which is so important to me when it comes to facial creams, and i don't wake up oily!

find Bioelements Oil Control Sleepwear at dermstore.com

xo

review: Cosmedicine Medi-Matte

i never thought i would find an oil-control product that i liked better than MAC Oil Control Lotion , but much to my surprise, i have!

drumroll please...

it's Cosmedicine Medi-Matte Oil Control Lotion, and...i think it is an HG product!

wow...i don't think i've ever said that about anything.

and while i still love MAC Oil Control Lotion- i do- i have been blown away by this product just a little bit more...

formulated with fabulous antioxidants (like pomegranate and vitamin c) and an spf 20 (protection against both uva and uvb rays), this creamy, matte-upon-application lotion gives me superior shine control all day! i can't believe i said superior...but honestly, i find it amazing to have found something that is better than what i was already using and loving for some time now!

Medi-Matte Oil Control Lotion is phenomenal, fabulous and i love it! that's all i can say really, i love it, and if you have oily skin, this might be a product to check out!

find Medi-Matte at Sephora.com

xo

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photo: sephora.com