Product Review: Tried and True Image Skincare Favorites + Giveaway!

Several years ago, I tried my first Image Skincare product and after using it for a few weeks I became a lifelong customer. Finding the right skincare product can be trying and can follow a series of trial and error. It you have sensitive or problematic skin, it can even be emotional to try a product and not see any results or worse yet adverse results.

All my life, I’ve had pretty even skin that tends to dry out and can be sensitive at times. I never really had an issue using any product (as long as I bought the sensitive version of it), but never saw a change in my skin. Not a single product brought my skin to life, evened out the skin tone of my rosy cheeks, or worked with what I had naturally to make it better and stand out. It just did its job in the laziest way possible and I had no results one way or another. None of this is true for Image. After a few weeks, my skin brightened up, I could wear less makeup, and even with long nights nursing babies my skin never looked better.

Our Weekend + Recent Purchases

Happy Leap Day! What an exciting and fun day! I love leap years and consider them lucky. This weekend was super mellow, we stayed in Friday and I picked up some Mexican food and we just relaxed and caught up on some TV. Since moving, we haven't found a must-have, go-to spot for Mexican food yet. At our old place, we had this little shop around the corner had the best ceviche ever. This new place was just ok, but they accidentally gave us a carne asada burrito and it was so bomb. Bomb! So we'll definitely go back for that! Otherwise, we're still on the hunt for a place.

Bikini so Teeny, Fiji, Topless and Barefoot, Go Ginza, Lilacism, Ballet Slippers, Pink Parka, Blossom Dandy

Saturday morning I went for a mani and pedi with a girlfriend. We met up at Target for a little bit of shopping and then went out for our appointment. It was so nice to relax and catch up on some gossip and girl talk. I went in with my own colors, but we both ended up doing a China Glaze shade on our toes. It's funny because I've had this color on my Amazon list forever and when I saw it in person I immediately bought it.

Fingers: Lilacism // Toes: Too Yacht To Handle

On my way home, I picked up a movie for Ellie. I really wanted The Good Dinosaur, but it was out everywhere! Instead we got Hotel Transylvania 2, since she's been watching the first one. We spent the day being lazy, doing endless loads of laundry, and snuggling. It was one of very few Saturdays that we had no where to go and nothing we had to do. It was just a great day snuggling my two girls and just relaxing.

Shorts // Dress and Romper Set // Sunnies // Blue Romper
Floral Romper // Top and Short Set

I ordered some shorts for Ellie and some summer clothes for Emma a few weeks ago and have forgotten to share them. I was hoping that the Ellie's clothes would overlap more for Emma to use, but Emma's going into 9 month sizing and Ellie was that size during Christmas so almost everything of Ellie's is fleece or long sleeved. I think that's how most of the clothes are going to work. Womp womp. Ellie had so many cute clothes that she never wore or only got to wear a few times! I guess that means we'll have to have one more girl right??

Sleepsack // Jammies

On my Target run, I also picked up a Sleepsack for Emma. We've been swaddling her below her arms and needed to get a sleeveless swaddle for her. I have one like this from Ellie and I can't find it anywhere- it's driving me nuts! Especially since I just recently sorted and vacuumed sealed Ellie's previous clothes. I don't remember seeing it in the mix, but maybe I missed it? I also couldn't resist these sweet mint jammies with the mommy and baby zebras. Too cute!

Concealer // Matte Balm in Showy

Friday morning, I used the last of my Holy Grail concealer (see my HG Post to see what else I swear by) so I needed to pick one up asap. This is probably my 4th or 5th, maybe even my 6th tube of this stuff? I swear by it and wear it every single day. I've tried a lot of concealers and they don't work as well for me as this and still look natural without giving me a raccoon eye. After falling in love with Revlon's Honey, I wanted a bright shade to add and Showy is perfection!! It really stains and a swatch on my hand took forever and some makeup remover to get it all off. Another win! I posted a quick shot of it on Instagram if you'd like to see it on, but I'm sure I'll be posting about it more!

ClarityRX

So, Hyluronic Acid is a huge skincare trend right now, I first heard about it from Meg (I know you're all shocked, since most of my beauty products come from her reviews), and then I started seeing it everywhere! ClarityRX sent me this sample and after using it for just a few days, I could see such a huge difference I ordered more immediately! From their site, "This hydrator serum, made with a water-soluble formula, erases dull and dry skin, leaving you with a supple complexion." My skin is so soft, it's no wonder at all why all the beauty and skin gurus are swearing by this stuff!

We ended the weekend like we usually do, more laundry, some good food, and more snuggles. It was another nice weekend for us together. I was able to relax and get a lot done around the house. Now I'm all ready to take the week head on! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend, thank you for stopping by and reading!

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water Review

If you’re a long time follower, you already know that I’m a beauty junkie! I love to try new products and trends and when I saw this Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water I had to get it and give it a go. According to the bottle, it’s an all in one product that takes all of your makeup off without harsh rubbing and also cleanses your skin without having to rinse. It’s supposed to lift dirt, oil, and makeup like magnet without drying your skin or having to use additional cleansing products. As a lover of multi-tasking, I was super excited to try this baby out.

For the past few weeks, I’ve used the water daily to cleanse my skin. I’ve gone back and forth for using it first to remove makeup and using it second after a face wash/makeup remover. My skin looks and feels great, really smooth and soft and I’m really happy about it. I thought I would experience some drying since my skin tends to be a bit sensitive and prone to drying out, especially in the winter, but my skin is smooth and moisturized.

Before I delve into my thoughts about the product, I want to say a few things about my makeup that will help in understanding how the product works for me. I don’t wear waterproof makeup, I sometimes wear a face primer, and almost always wear an eye primer, and use 1-2 coats of mascara. I don’t feel that I wear a lot of makeup, but would say I wear a lot of products. That might sound contradicting, but I mean that I don’t wear heavy makeup. It’s not caked or packed on, I use a light hand when applying my makeup.

With that being said, here are my thoughts about this new cleansing water:
- Has virtually no smell at all
- Lots of product for the size/cost
- It takes off all my face makeup
- Takes off eye makeup
- Is not oily and leaves no residue
- No need to rinse face after use
- Leaves skin feeling soft and clean
- Great to spot remove makeup errors

Overall, I really like this cleanser a lot and I think it will be a repeat buy for me. I do have to put in some elbow grease to get all of my mascara and liner off, but I expected that. I have heard that the waterproof version of the cleanser is better for that whether you wear waterproof mascara or not. So I will be buying that bottle next. I typically shower at night (to save time in the mornings) and wash my makeup off in the shower and then will use this cleanser after to remove any remaining makeup/dirt and to cleanse my skin. If I don’t need to shower at night, I’ll use this to clean my makeup off. It takes me three cotton rounds front and back to get all of it off and thoroughly cleanse my face. It’s quick to do and I don’t have to do harsh rubbing, but definitely some work on my eyes. I wouldn’t suggest this product solely as an eye makeup remover, but definitely recommend the water as a cleanser.

What products do you like to use for removing makeup? I also really like Neutrogena’s Natural Cleanser and their wipes for on the go.

Recent Beauty Purchases

As I was taking pics for this post I had to keep taking more pics because I would forget about stuff I've bought and haven't used yet, but wanted to include in the post. I've bought a thing here, an item there, several things have seemed to just jump into my cart at Target. That happens to you too, right? You go to Target for five, maybe six things, and you leave with a full cart. Then you're unpacking and putting things away and realize that you have two eyeliners, a mascara, mousse (which I did forget to include in this post, it's L'Oreal ), a top, and some home decor. It never fails!

On Sunday, I cleaned out a spare makeup drawer and threw out a few items so I don't feel quite as bad about my totally unnecessary purchases. I really need to toss out so much more. I try a lot of new products and brands it really starts to take up a ton of space. It's not as bad as it used to be when Nordstrom, Ulta, and Sephora were all just around the corner from me. Now Ulta or Sephora is a 20-30 minute drive and the closest Nordstrom is a solid 45 minutes away. For some reason, I don't really buy makeup/hair products online, so my beauty hauls have slowed down. Plus, taking a toddler anywhere that has beauty samples is a nightmare!!! Maybe I should just order online...

Anyways, here's what I've bought the last couple of weeks. Some of them are repeat buys, but a lot of them have been purchases to try something new. I've tried a few of them already and have shared my first impressions about them below.

Meg tried this and liked it, so I bought it. Did I need it right now? Nope. I haven't used it yet, but Meg gives great reviews and tries a ton of stuff and when she mentioned this I snagged it so I wouldn't forget! I always really, really, want to try NYX HD Concealer which is supposedly a dupe for NARS so that will be making it's way into my makeup bag on my next Ulta trip.

I have a lipstick from this collection in Blushing Beige 915 and really like it so I wanted to try the shade darker and about Nude Lust 920. I'm super happy with them both! I don't know if I have a preference of one over the other, they both are creamy and great shades. 920 does have warmer pigmented color to it. I usually top them both off with MAC Boy Bait or Urban Decay Walk of Shame.When in doubt, wear nude I always say!

As you can tell from yesterday's mascara review post, I love mascara and wanted to give this Lash Sensational one a try. The wand's bristles look like they could really help in pushing up your lashes and giving extra length. I don't typically care for short bristles on a wand, but I think that the mix of long on one side and short on the other might me a good mix to really coat your lashes. I've heard good things, will report back.

The NYC Eyeliner is a re-purchase, it's an amazing eyeliner! I never would have tried it, but makeup artist Brittany Layne (Jason Aldean's wife) raves about it so I tried it and fell in love. It's true black that doesn't fade and lasts all day long. I've heard good things about NYX so I picked this one up too.

Typically, I like Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair conditioner, but I've been liking a lot of L'Oreal's hair products lately and thought I'd try this Damage Erasing Balm a whirl. The bottle that one use can repair up to a year of damage? That sounds like a challenge to me!

L'Oreal has some really great hair products and one thing I hate doing is blowdrying my hair. I don't know why, I just style the front and crown and flip my head over for the rest and it takes me all of 7-10 minutes to do the whole thing. Still, I loathe it. Obviously, this Quick Dry Primer Spray needed to make it's way to my bathroom. I've tried it twice and the first time I felt a difference in time, but not so much the second time. I'll keep using it to see if it was just a Jedi trick or if it really works. It smells incredible though.

Another repeat buy for me. I really dig a light leave-in conditioner for my ends. All of the bleach, styling, and heat can be killer and I need a little extra to save my tresses. I don't love this one, but it's light weight and works for now. I swear a few years ago every brand had a leave-in conditioner, but I can't find any now! It seems like they're a thing of the past. Do you use one? What do you like? What should I use instead?

So I've been using a stretched out purple scrunchie around the house and to separate my hair while styling since 1995. 1995!!! It was a Christmas gift from my dad (aka, grandma) and I only know the year because it was the first year my parents had separated. I'll hold onto the scrunchie forever probably, but I really needed some new ones that had some actual stretch. Laugh all you want about it, but these are so soft and don't pull your hair at all. These feel like heaven when your hair is pulled up in them.

My favorite moisturizers are from Image, but I've also been using Aveeno and it had just ran out so I picked this Neutrogena one up to replace it. Veronika recommended it and I really like it so far. I use my Image ones at night and have been using this one in the mornings.

What are some of your favorite beauty products? Have you tried anything new and loved it lately? Hope you're all having a fantastic day, thank you for reading!!

Skincare Routine + Image Skincare Reviews

If you’ve been reading here for a while, you already know that I sing the praises of Image Skincare products. I’m not kidding when I say that they’ve been life changing for me. Their Cell.U.Lift helped me get rid of stretch marks (check out that review with before and after pictures here), Ormedic Balancing Cleanser made my skin glow, and their tinted moisturizer is hands down the bee’s knees.

 

Here I am with Ellie wearing just their tinted moisturizer

(my brows are filled in)

 

For the last few months, I’ve been using several new products of theirs (along with my old favorites!) and I am so impressed at the change in my skin. Full disclosure, I’ve always had good skin, I can count how many break outs I’ve had, my skin tone is fairly even with some rosy cheeks, but after I gave birth and finished nursing, my skin just look blech. It didn’t glow anymore, my diet and routine hadn’t changed (besides being a milk cow), but my skin just didn’t look as good anymore. Around Halloween, I started using their products in combination and I felt almost an instant change in my skin. I’ve completely stopped wearing foundation altogether, I wear my MAC Studio Fix just in my t-zone now, and have more and more days without makeup altogether (on the weekends/days off).

The MAX Stem Cell Facial Cleanser

Every day I wash my face with their cleanser using an electronic facial brush. I love the smell and it makes my skin so soft. It's acid, sulfate, and paraben free and helps protect skin from environmental pollutants.

Intense Lightening Serum

After my shower at night and first thing in the morning, I massage a few drops of this serum all over my face and into my neck. It’s oil-free and very lightweight, soaking into my skin quickly. The serum help skin discolorations and redness (which I tend to have a lot of in my cheeks) to help achieve a fresh-looking complexion.

Ageless Total Eye Lift Crème

Every night after my shower, I use this eye crème after the serum. It’s formula is a high concentrated blend of retinol (every woman’s favorite) and polypeptides to repair skin. I love the density of this crème, I’ve tried other under eye crèmes, but always felt that they were too thick or too thin and didn’t feel that they really worked. This has helped me looked refreshed in the mornings, even when I’ve been up with a fussy toddler all night.

Iluma Intense Brightening Crème

Each night before bed, I use the crème all over my face and neck. It’s their new brightening crème that’s focused on fading age spots and hyperpigmentation. It helps to even out skin discolorations and helps create a radiant complexion.

Prevention + Daily Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30

This is my must-have item, I use it daily as it’s a mattifying moisturizer. It’s perfectly tinted, gives great even coverage without being heavy or too thin. It soaks in quickly and I layer my makeup over it without issue. It has a built in broad spectrum UVA/UVB high sun protection and gives a great oil-free complexion to start my day. I often use this alone with powder and nothing else.

Ormedic Balancing Lip Enhancement Complex

This has been a saving grace for me several times this winter. My skin easily gets very dry, my lips especially. I’m know to bite and peel my lips (such a bad habit) and this has come to my rescue more times than I can count. Even when they’ve been to the point of cracked and bleeding. The formula is so moisturizing and feels so nice on my lips, plus it has an added benefit of a gorgeous shine. It’s specifically designed to enhance the appearance and volume of your lips and with repeated use will add up to 40% moisture volume to your lips.

With all of their products, it’s a deeply, loving relationship I have for them. They really have helped me feel my best and get my skin to where I want it to be. I recommend them all the time to friends and family when asked for certain products for their skin problems. All of the products mentioned here are parabin free and are mostly for all skin types. When my skin was in the dumps, I could see results almost immediately. I can’t imagine the state my skin would be in without these gems.

FTC: All products were provided to me, all opinions are my own.

Product Review: Image Skincare Cell.U.Lift and Tinted Moisturizer

As some of you may remember, I’ve been using Image Skincare products for several months, I reviewed their Ormedic line here. I can’t rave enough about the skincare line, it has moved mountains for me in terms of how my skin looks. I’ve started using two more of their products that I just HAVE to share with you guys as well. For one, I’m just that girl who needs to spill every great sale, product, and new trend with everyone. Then for two, I’m a blogger and this is the forum in which I shout it from the rooftops. Then for three, I’ve already talked about one of the products a bit in my weekly Bumpdates. So now, here is the review I’ve been promising you guys!

 Body Spa Cell.U.Lift Firming Body Lotion

Image Skincare was sweet enough to send me their Body Spa Cell.U.Lift Firming Body Lotion after reading my Bumpdate about my Stretch Mark Gate and I’m so thankful they did! I started using the product right away and took a few pictures along the way to document. The marks aren’t completely gone as you can tell in the picture below, but are hardly visible. I’m going to continue to use the product post-baby in the hopes that I don’t get any marks on my belly that may not have been visible beforehand, to prevent any additional marks appearing on the underside of my chest, and to further decrease the visibility of the ones I have now.

The Body Spa Cell.U.Lift Firming Body Lotion smells so yummy, a nice mint scent and the first couple of times of use gives your skin a nice little tingle. It has a soft beige tint to it, absorbs easily into the skin without any residue, and I used the lotion once a day, either at night or in the mornings after my shower, and it never left any type of product on my clothes. I could lather up, get dressed, and be on my way! I love that it rubbed in so quickly and left my skin so soft and without marks.

From their website, the lotion has an EPP complex that’s exclusive to Image to strengthen collagen fibers and reduce the volume of lipid cells and underlying tissue. The lotion isn’t just for expectant mothers, like a belly butter, but is for anyone who has stretch marks or cellulite. The product reduces the appearance of cellulite, increases circulation, and improves skin quality. 

Picture 1: The day I saw the stretch marks

Picture 2: One week of using the Body Spa Cell.U.Lift Firming Body Lotion

Picture 3: 10 Weeks after Picture 2

I focused the product mostly on my chest and belly for stretch marks due to the pregnancy, and saw a significant difference in the reduction of my stretch marks and truly feel that the lotion kept my skin from getting more. This lotion is amazing, just the confidence it’s given to me with the results I’ve had I consider it a holy grail product, it’s incredible and a product I’ll continue to use. This would be a perfect gift for any mother, either just expecting or post-baby to help them prevent or reduce the look of stretch marks and help tighten their skin post-partum.

Prevention+ Daily Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30

The Prevention+ Daily Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30, from their site, "This next generation pure physical broad spectrum UVA/UVB moisturizer provides an even skin tone and healthy glow while protecting against the damaging effects of the sun." You can use it alone or combined with your makeup. I've used it both ways,it's perfect for a day without makeup when you're running errands. There's one shade available and it seems a bit dark, but blended right in perfectly with my skin. It was like magic! You couldn't tell that I had anything on at all, but my skin was evened out and had a little glow to it. It was nice to be able to not wear any makeup, but feel confident in going out with just a bit of coverage that's lightweight and protects against the harsh sun rays.

The moisturizer is good for all skin types, especially those with uneven skin color and tone. It's water resistant so it's perfect for a day at the pool or beach! If you have problem skin, the lotion is oil-free so it shouldn't bother your skin, but still give you a gorgeous tint. I know that there's a lot of hubbub about using more safe products, and this one is Paraben free and chemical free high sun protection. I really love this lotion, it's been wonderful in my daily routine.

Have you had the opportunity to use their line? If you're interested in trying these out, and I highly recommend that you do, call 1-800-796-SKIN to find a location near you that carries the line. Image Skincare has a variety of lines of products that focus on different skin care needs, Prevention, Ageless, Vitamin C, the Ormedic line I reviewed before, etc. If you have any questions about the products I tried, feel free to comment below or send me an email!

FTC disclaimer: Image Skincare provided the products for an honest review, I was not compensated for this post and the opinions above are completely of my own, based on my own experience. 

InstaLately Link Up 20

Best.Mail.Day.Ever. I LOVE Image Skincare products (see my reviews here) and am so happy to try their Body Spa Cell.U.Lift Firming Body Lotion and Prevention+ Daily Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30. Image Skincare has the most amazing products and I can't wait to review these two for you guys!

I posted this for Throwback Thursday #tbt of some of my best girlfriends on a Vegas trip a few years back. Oh how I miss my blond hair and extensions!

The hubs loves SPAM, but I just can't get on bored. I just don't trust canned meats and he made me try it- my verdict: it's ok. I would never want it again or buy it, but he picked some more up when he went to the grocery store -__-

The hubs and I go to the stores the day after every holiday to pick up our favorite sweets, this is the last of our Reese's PB Eggs and they were delicious. The holiday shapes have such a better taste than regular cups, they have a better PB to chocolate ratio I think.

I saw this beauty blender at Target and had to share. So many beauty gurus swear by these sponges and you can find it for a great price now! I didn't buy it myself because I use a brush for my foundation. Have you try this sponge before?

My sister found the perfect pink from Sally Hansen! It's Sweet Talker and for the life of me I haven't be able to find it anywhere. I'll just use hers until I see her next, he he he. This is three coats- the first coat is pretty sheer, but it builds to a pretty shade.

My new F21 top from this post, my lollysheep chain necklace, and day 2 hair/curls. 

I saw this quote on Pinterest, and it's exactly how I've been feeling about the changes about to happen in our lives.

Product Review: Ormedic Skincare Products

Many of you already know that since becoming pregnant, I've been looking for more organic products to use. I've started to really notice the amount of chemicals you use just in getting ready. It's crazy! Although, I'll never give up aerosol hairspray- I just can't do it. When the opportunity came up to review Image Skincare's organic line Ormedic, I couldn't pass it up. Especially after I read their site and what they're all about!

Here's some info, straight from their site:

"The Ormedic Product line combines the latest techniques in medical skincare with fresh, natural ingredients to create balanced, healthy skin. These organic skincare products repair and rebalance skin for a stunning, moisturized look and feel. Moreover, Ormedic products are effective for all skin types. Ormedic organic skincare products contain soothing botanicals that create the perfect accompaniment to unbalanced, sensitive and post-treatment skin."

Um, I'm sold. Especially about the products being for all skin types. I have sensitive skin that dries out easily, and prone to eczema and the pregnancy has made it more so (pretty much every belly butter gave me a horrid rash). I've used all of the below products for a few weeks and none of them have irritated my skin or caused my exczema to flare up. My skin seems to be glowing more than ever even (and not just because of the pregnancy, all I've got from that is more sensitive skin and pimples). I truly LOVE these products, they're amazing!

Ormedic Balancing Facial Cleanser

 
This cleanser smells delicious and clean, but is still pretty subtle, I really love the scent. It removes all of my makeup (including eye makeup) and leaves behind no residue.I use either my fingers or my Olay Pro-X to apply the cleanser, it foams nicely (not too much or too little). You also get a lot of bang for your buck with this product because it's 3 in 1 – cleanser, exfoliator, and toner. I've noticed my skin is a lot more even and I don't need as much coverage from my makeup. I've also stopped user my toner, I just don't have the need to after using this cleanser in the shower. This product would be perfect for all skin types, but especially those with sensitive, treated, or irritated skin.

Ormedic Balancing Soothing Gel Masque

This masque is very gentle, made from organic aloe vera and echinacea to name a few of the great ingredients. I'm always very careful about masques, what I use and how often because again, I have dry skin, my cheeks are ridiculously rosy, and I'm prone to exczema. This masque hasn't dried out or bothered my skin one bit. I use it 2-3 times a week, you just put it all over your face and neck wait 1-5 (the bottle says 5-30) minutes, and rinse with cool water.

Ormedic Balancing Anti Oxidant Serum

I had to save this for last because this stuff is legend....wait for it....dary! I'm not kidding people, this serum is life changing. Head straight to their site, sign up, and order it asap. I use it all over my face, especially under my eyes. You know my fave under eye concealer? I'm not even using it anymore!! No joke. With the pregnancy, my sleep has been chaotic, I wake up every night a few times, I'm up for about an hour, so I should have dark bags, but with the help of this gem, it doesn't even show! It has Japanese green tea and aloe vera and soaks into your skin easily without any residue. It's also for all skin types, restores moisture, and nourishes environmentally damaged skin.

I seriously can't rave enough about these products, I don't think I'll ever use anything else. Consider me a convert. I'm so happy I had the opportunity to review these, because they're simply amazing. I like the packaging too, simple, clear, and streamlined.

Image Skincare's vision is something I really love; everything is made in the USA, is available in 27 countries, paraben free, and the fragrance (they all smell great!) are 100% from essential oils and not some random chemicals you can't pronounce. Also, for your fur lovers, the products aren't tested on animals!

If you're interested in trying these out, and I highly recommend that you do, call 1-800-796-SKIN to find a location near you that carries the line. Although I only tried these three products, Oremedic has a variety of other products in the line and Image Skincare has other lines as well for your skincare needs. If you have any questions about the products I tried, feel free to comment below or send me an email!  

FTC disclaimer: Image Skincare provided the products for an honest review, I was not compensated for this post and the opinions above are completely of my own, based on my own experience.

So, which is more important to you to have done and why?

Also, I'm doing another Q and A so be sure to check out this post and comment with any questions you have for me! The post will be up next week!