Product Reviews Galore! Hair + Makeup + Skincare

I haven't done a massive product review post in quite some time (I know, I know I have been slacking) but there are several products that I've purchased that I have not yet reviewed and a few favorites that have made a major comeback in my routine that I want to sing the praises of, yet again. Please note that all of these products were purchased with my own money, with the exception of one product, the Nelson j hair mask which I was sent by the company to test out. This is not a sponsored post.

Bumble & Bumble Dryspun Finish 
I wanted to love this. I really did. At $29 a bottle, I was hoping it would deliver a fantastic texture to my hair while also doubling as a dry shampoo. I didn't think the results were worth the money on this one, to be honest, and it also kind of felt like hairspray when applied. It does add soem texture and lifts the hair a bit---but I think for just a little more (and a much large bottle) you're better off going with Oribe's Dry Texturizing spray.  It's worth noting that I didn't love it at first, but it grew on me and became a very loved product for me. I haven't repurchased recently, but I would. 

Bumble & Bumble Surf Foam Wash Shampoo
This shampoo is okay. It smells nice (very fresh and oceanic)...but for the price, it's nothing magical. It does clean hair well and I suppose it gives good volume, but I guess I expected a little more for how much it cost. My favorite shampoo for the last year has been Ojon's damage reverse restorative shampoo. It is unreal good. Makes my hair feel clean but also so smooth and with great movement. It is definitely at holy grail status for me.

Nelson j Beverly Hills-- Argan Oil 7 Moisture Healing Mask
This product was sent to me to test out and I picked out the rosemary mint scent, which is awesome. I love rosemary mint scented shampoos and conditioners because they make hair smell really fresh and clean. Retailing for $20, I feel it's a fair price point for a deep conditioning mask that contains NO sulfates, parabens, or artificial fragrances. I apply this from the nape of my neck down to the ends of my hair and leave it on for 1-2 minutes while I wash my body. You can also use it longer as a deep conditiong treatment. So far, so good. I like the way it makes my hair feels and my blowouts have been looking good. Macadamia hair mask is still my absolute hoy grail conditioing product, but they are both good and I like that the Nelson j contains argan oil.

John Freida Luxurious Volume Fine to Full Blow Out Spray
This is a good volume spray---and it's cheaper than my holy grail blowout mousse, Redken Guts 10 (though it's a much smaller bottle). However, I do think this leaves kind of one of those "residues" on your roots that some volumizing products do that make it feel a little sticky, which you don't get with the Redken mousse. I always prefer a mousse volumizer to a spray. So, while this is not a bad product, it would not be my first choice.

Wen
Admitedly, I did not use this product "as directed," so I can't speak to the results I would have had if I had "co-washed," however, I didn't use it on my scalp after reading some reviews on makeupalley about hair loss, buildup, etc. I already only wash my hair twice a week so co-washing is kind of pointless for me since I need a good wash after not washing for 3-4 days. I would skip this one because it just doesn't really seem to do much for my hair, even as a conditioner. And forget about using it, as they suggest, on clean wet hair as a leave-in-conditioner. It feels weird to me that something that is a cleansing conditioner can also be a leave-in. I was sucked in by the commercials, but I am not sure the hype is real.

Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum
This is an oldie but a goody. My beloved Kerastase Elixir Ultime was running low and one day while digging through my storage shelf under my sink, I discovered a half used bottle of this serum. "Why did I stop using this?" I asked myself. So I used it for my next blowout and all of those old feelings came rushing back. My hair was smoother than usual and still had great bounce to it. I love this stuff, Will repurchase when my old bottle runs out.

DiorShow waterproof mascara
This is another "why did I stop using this?" product.  DiorShow was my holy grail mascara for awhile and then I kind of had a phase of trying (and loving) several other mascaras. One day on a whim, I decided to pick up another tube and the waterproof version is simply THE BEST mascara. It makes lashes long and lush and it stays on beautifully. Highly recommend it and it's worth the price tag, too.

Kiehl's Self Tanner
HOLY GRAIL ALERT! This self tanner is unreal. It is constatly sold out and when I started to use it, I knew why. Ladies, this is the PERFECT self tanner. Like of all of the things in this post, if you are going to buy one of them, this is it. It is a lotion that doesn't smell bad---and the texture is more of a watery lotion---so VERY easy to spread. It gives the most beautiful color and is pretty foolproof to apply. I even use this on my face, neck and chest every week to give myself a glow in this cold weather and I swear you don't need to wear as much skin makeup when you use this. It makes your facial skin look incredible and does not break you out at all. If I could give this 11 out of 10 stars, I would.

Bare Escentuals Stroke of Light
I used to be obessed with Maybelline's undereye brightener (and I still love it) but I think this product is somehow even better and now I use this.  It is a pink-tinted creamy/liquidy product that you apply under your eye area and it makes you look bright and awake (even when you're not!) I think most women would benetfit from using an undereye product with a pink tint versus a regular concealer. It just does something for that area that a felsh toned product can't. I almost insist you try this if you haven't already. If you have medium to fair skin, make sure you get the pink one---this is key, as it comes in several shades.

Target Up & Up Moisturizing Body Wash
I just love this stuff. Rich, creamy and smells great. Costs less than the name brand stuff. I also like the simple packaging. I have been using this for years and I hoard bottles of it under my sink. I had a clog in my drain that my husband got out this weekend and he removed FIVE of these massive bottles from under my sink...I guess I'm good...for now...

Anastasia of Beverly Hills Perfect Brow Pencil
Filling in my brows is something I didn't do years ago, but ladies, you must. Unless you have the fullest, most lucious brows in all of the land, this is such an imporant, nee, essential step in your makeup routine. Brows frame the face so it's important that they are shaped and filled in nicely. I like her pencils because the colors are fantastic and they are easy to use and apply---and they stay on, most importantly. I also love her brow powders and use both products. If you're picking between the two, I say go with the pencil, but both are great.

Living Proof Satin Hair Serum
I was using this serum for blowouts, but I noticed if I used just a little too much that my hair would feel really weighed down and "stuck together" in some areas. However---I think this is great for smoothing hair and I will often use a tiny drop after a blowout OR on second or third day hair. I will brush out my previous day's curling iron curls and apply this serum from the nape of my neck down to the ends of my hair and it really does seem to restore shape and add a smoothness I couldn't get otherwise. I tend to enjoy products from this line and though I don't think this is the best blowout serum for me, I do think it's is worthwhile and effective for using on dry hair, so it gets a "try it out" vote from me.

I hope these reviews have been helpful! Let me know if you plan to try or have tried any of the products I mentioned! Do you agree with my reviews if you have? 

Four Month Favorites!

Kick & Piano Mat- though we didn't use this for a very long time because we found our Skip Hop mat to be more versatile, Harper loved this piano mat when she was moving her body more and kicking her legs a lot. It also has toys and a nice mirror that hang from the activity bar. Knowing what I know now I would have gotten this for her when she was even younger. We don't use it anymore, but the toys are all detachable and the piano also flips around and can be used later on when baby can sit on his or her own.

Nose Freida- when Harper started daycare, she got what we call the "perma stuffy nose." We use this day and night, when needed to suck out whatever's in there. It sounds gross, but I promise it's not and it WORKS. The bulb nasal aspirators are absolutely useless. Get one of these ASAP if you are expecting. You will thank the doctor who invented it and sing his praises every time you use it!

Boudreauxs Butt Paste- Harper has her first really bad diaper rash a few weeks into starting daycare. It has thankfully been resolved and never recurred, but for a good two weeks we were using this butt paste constantly.  It has 40% zinc and really works.

Aquaphor Baby- Oh Aquaphor. Is there a more versatile product? No. We combined this with the butt paste for Harper's diaper rash and I know it helped tremendously. My friend's nanny actually recommended it and she was right---it works wonders to help keep diaper rash away. I also have a small tube of it that I used on my lips. Best ointment ever.

Baby Einstein Musical Octoplush- this toy was highly rated on amazon. Harper likes the music and it has so many areas you can press to hear the names of colors---and in different languages too! I like hot soft it is and Harper seems to be into it too.

Sassy Books- We try to read everyday and these simple books with pictures and bold, easy words are wonderful when babies are very young. I love how the pictures are designed with younger babies in mind.

Hungry Caterpillar toy- Ever since we got this toy it has been one of Harper's favorites and she still loves it to this day. There are so many fun colorful rings on it and when it stretches out and squiggles back in, its head vibrates. You can also use it as a rattle and Harper laughs when I do this.

Bella Tunno Paci Clips- Harper is obsessed with loves her pacifier. These help keep it clipped to her so it's not always falling on the floor. Now, she can put it back in herself when she wants to. They come in cute prints and colors, though I would appreciate if they sold some in more simple colors and patterns.

What were your baby's 4 month favorites?

Pregnancy Favorites

Now that I'm just two and a half weeks away from my due date, I thought it would be a good time to share my pregnancy favorites.

I'll start with skincare because it's the first thing I changed when I got a positive pregnancy test.  My two favorite skincare products have been Belli's acne control spot treatment and Belli's eye brightening cream, both created with ingredients safe for pregnancy.

The spot treatment does seem to help keep blemishes at bay and treats existing ones. It's not as strong as formulas I used before pregnancy, but it gets the job done and I'm thrilled I found a spot treatment that was safe to use.

I've also really enjoyed Belli's eye cream. I wasn't initially head over heels with it, but over time I really did notice that it was keeping the skin under my eyes bright and well moisturized.  Plus, one tube lasted me my entire pregnancy!

Next up are stretch mark creams. Let's face it---stretch marks are totally based on genetics, but it doesn't hurt to keep you growing belly supple and moisturized.  My favorites ended up being Mustela's double action stretchmark cream and Belli's belly elasticity oil.

The Mustela cream is the absolute perfect texture and I liked its light, sort of floral scent.  It feels like a really luxurious cream and it absorbed really nicely into the skin.  I also ended up getting baby products from Mustela's line and I can't wait to use them!

Belli's elasticity oil smells heavenly and spreads super easily. I liked alternating between a cream and an oil.  Both products also last a really long time, especially when you're alternating.

For my hair, I've pretty much kept up the same routine but I've absolutely loved Keratase's Elixir Ultime and Macadamia's deep repair hair mask.  My ends have been really dry (not sure if that's pregnancy related or not) so these products have been lifesavers.

I apply the Elixir Ultime from the nape of my neck to the ends of my hair before blowdrying.  I use about 5-7 pumps and this stuff lasts forever, so don't hesitate at its steeper price.

As far as the hair mask, I continue to repurchase this product over and over because nothing else compares to it. I've tried expensive and inexpensive conditioners and I can truly say this one is the absolute best at leaving hair feeling moisturized and smooth. It also smells incredible.

I haven't been doing my nails as often during pregnancy. I might paint them every 10-14 days. But I've only been using "3 free" formulas that are free of the harmful ingredients some nail polishes contain.  Essie, OPI and Butter London are the three brands I've been using.  My favorite colors have been:

Essie- minimalistic and go ginza
OPI- sweet heart and bubble bath
Butter London- teddy girl

Pregnancy for some reason seemed to make my lashes less lush than usual, so a good mascara was essential to make the most of them.  I have love love loved DiorShow waterproof mascara and Clinique's bottom lash mascara.  They truly bring out the best in my lashes.

Now onto some style faves.  As I've mentioned before, I didn't buy any maternity clothing aside from two pairs of pants and some tank tops so I've really been able to utilize the looser pieces in my existing wardrobe. Even in the last two weeks or my pregnancy, I'm still wearing non-maternity tops that are a looser or tunic-style.  It's been wonderful to be able to maximize my existing wardrobe in this way.

First mention will go to GAP's really skinny maternity pants which I scored before they seemed to have discontinued them.  They are the perfect pants---fitted throughout and they made all of my longer/looser tops look pulled together. They look great with both flats and heels. I got these early on in my pregnancy and have been able to wear them through to the very end. Best investment ever (and they were on sale for like $25 so not really much of an investment at all!)

(these are the non-maternity version, but you get the idea)

I've also loved Lululemon's cool racerback tanks and their Wunder Under crops. Lululemon does sell the cool racerbacks in an extra-long length (limited colors), but I've found the normal ones still fit over my belly because they are stretchy and long.  My wunder unders have also been fantastic---I just roll the front down on them so it's not pressing on my belly.  They are stretchy and super comfy, perfect for weekends!

Liz Lange's long & lean maternity tanks from Target have been a Godsend because they are SO long.  I would stick with your regular size on these because the length will stretch over your belly perfectly.  They are a super soft cotton, thick and stretchy. I will continue to wear these post-pregnancy as well.

Another pair of tights I've enjoyed are these footless tights by Preggers. They are compression tights which help with swelling during pregnancy and help improve circulation. I was able to wear them under some dresses/tunics when it was cooler here in Houston and the compression really does feel nice---especially if you'll be on your feet a lot during the day.  They also have a super stretchy part over the belly that grows as you do---unlike normal pantyhose that made me feel like I was choking my belly.  

I stopped wearing heels a couple of months ago. I was just over it.  My feet started to swell this week for the first time which is an odd feeling, but with just 2.5 weeks left I can't complain.  I have been obsessed with my Tory Burch Reva flats throughout my third trimester.  They are comfortable and make walking around at work a lot easier. I've worn them more in the last few months than ever before.

The maxi dress I got from PB&J Boutique has totally saved me this pregnancy. I wear it on weekends all.the.time.  Sometimes on Saturday and Sunday (don't judge!) It's so comfy and flattering.

(obviously earlier on in my pregnancy)

I also got several great maxi dresses for my baby showers including from Forever21 and Zappos.com, so check out those sites for some great options (I linked the ones I purchased above).

One last item---GAP's racerback sports bra. Lifesavers. With the rib pain I started to have towards the end of my second trimester, I could no longer wear regular bras, even when I went up a band size. These are soft, stretchy, comfy and overall perfect for pregnancy (though if you are very well endowed, they may not provide enough support, word of warning).

Those are all of the items I can think of for now! I hope you enjoyed this post. Please feel free to share your pregnancy favorites in the comments below!

FTC disclaimer: I purchased all of these products with my own money except for the Preggers tights and PB&J maxi dress, which were sent to me for review.