I wanted to share an update on how Project Make a Dent was going but realized many of the products don't look much different from my first post since it's only been two months. The next best option was to show how I have been incorporating the chosen items into my makeup routine during this time period.
Dusty rose was a trending makeup look a while back on YouTube. I was always a little apprehensive towards one-color trends because it felt kind of tacky, like wearing head-to-toe in one color and becoming a walking crayon sans the costume. It might look chic if white, gray, or black; anything else takes someone more fashionable than me to pull off. Throw a pink shade into the mix and it could easily make my face look blotchy instead of put-together.
Somehow, one day I played around with the colors I forced upon myself this year and the monochrome theme didn't look as bad as I imagined it to be.
There hasn't been a big change in the steps of my morning routine. The biggest changes from December's "Daily Look" post is a few product removals and a bunch of color swaps.
On this particular day, I still started with a light layer of Clio Kill Cover Pro Artist Liquid Concealer in Green. I followed with a layer of just the foundation in the VDL MULE Ultimate Cover Palette in A03 that was set with a dusting of Kate Lasting High Coverage Powder Foundation in OC-C, focusing mostly on the eye area and T-zone. Afterward, I applied the bronzer shade from MAC Cosmetics Mineralize Skinfinish in Pink Power under my cheekbones and temples of my forehead. I used the Milani Minerals Blush in Sweet Rose on top of my cheeks and lightly over my eyelids. For highlight, I opted to use Urban Decay in Virgin.
I applied Urban Decay in Toasted all over the lid as well to add a bit of shimmer and textural contrast to the eyes. It is barely noticeable but I swept the Hustle shade close to the lash line on the outer corner of the lids, to give my eyes more depth...I think? Then I curled my lashes and applied Clio Hitch Eye-King Mascara in Volume, lined my eyes with L'Oreal Paris Infallible Matte-Matic Waterproof Eyeliner in Deep Brown, and filled in my brows with JUNGSAEMMOOL Refining Color-Bony Brow in Smoky Bony. The finishing touch is always a light coating of Maybelline Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick in Lover on the innermost part of the lips.
What do you think? Not bad or tacky? Should I continue this series when I change up my look for the warmer months?
There was a time when I always had a bottle of facial mist in my skincare routine. I think I stopped using them because the ones I tried didn't seem to do much or had a texture I didn't enjoy. Most of the mists I used just felt like glorified, fragranced, and expensive water.
That was then and this is now. I am starting fresh on this mist discovery journey and hoping the new products I try will change my mind towards the skincare category. Lumene's Sisu [Urban Antidotes] Defend & Replenish Antioxidant Mist made some good impressions already as the first contender.
Lumene's description:
Shield your complexion in the polluted urban environment. Infused with Pure Arctic Spring Water, mineral-rich Nordic Birch Sap and Antioxidant Vitamin B3, this ultra-fine mist helps to protect and hydrate to defend and maintain your skin’s appearance of natural luminosity.
Directions
The final step in your skincare regimen, spray all over the face, neck and décolleté to shield skin from the urban environment.
Ingredients
AQUA (WATER), PROPANEDIOL, RUBUS CHAMAEMORUS (CLOUDBERRY) FRUIT WATER, BETULA ALBA (BIRCH) JUICE, NIACINAMIDE, PEG-40 HYDROGENATED CASTOR OIL, BIOSACCHARIDE GUM-4, PHENOXYETHANOL, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, ABIES PICEA (SPRUCE) EXTRACT, CITRIC ACID, LIMONENE, LINALOOL, PARFUM (FRAGRANCE)
Mist 100 ml / 3.4 fl oz
Lumene (USA retail): USD $24.99
CVS: USD $24.99
Packaging
Opaque white mist bottle—pretty standard and nothing to really write home about. The mist the nozzle lets out is fairly fine as long as I commit to the full pump. If I only do a half-press, I get a bunch of water droplets instead of a micronized mist.
Kudos to Lumene for having each box wrapped nicely in a plastic sheet. It provides so much reassurance to know if any individual product has been tested since Lumene is typically found in CVS here in the States (for those unfamiliar people love to open and swatch things at drugstores here as we don't get designated testers).
Color, Texture, Finish, & Scent
The liquid is colorless. It feels just like water and isn't vicious or sticky in any way. My skin isn't dewy after the mist is fully absorbed either; just looks like skin. There is a sweet fruity fresh scent straight out of the bottle. But that evaporates after a bit.
How I Apply
In-between skincare steps // Especially between cleansing and toning because I tend to wait a while before toner and my skin gets tight and dry during that time
Through the day over makeup // Rehydrates my skin when I wear drier finish foundations.
On my dry chapped hands // Helps relieve tightness I get during the cold weather without the residue like with lotion.
Thoughts & Recommendations
I am going to refrain from commenting in-depth on the mist's ingredients because I think I spray far too little, on a day-to-day basis, to really benefit from them. That being said, I was surprised to find the ingredients list short and in addition to some trendy components like birch juice and niacinamide. The mist is formulated without parabens yet still has fragrance.
Otherwise, if I am to be completely honest, there isn't much to mist reviews. It either worked or didn't work and, equally as important, didn't irritate my skin or did. As long as I am on the better end of the receiving stick, things like texture and price are the only things that really set the products apart.
There isn't anything negative for me to say about the Lumene Sisu Mist. My skin instantly feels softer and less tight; it looks less dry and flakey as well. I don't show any bad reactions to the formulation either. I love how lightweight and watery the product is. Even though it doesn't leave me glowy and dewy, it also doesn't disrupt makeup while giving me a more hydrated look. This product seems it would fit well with all skin types.
I am not sure if it is worth the full retail price. USD $25 isn't terribly expensive but still a hefty penny for a mist. Sure it has "Arctic Spring water" and cloudberries but it could all just be for easier marketing. I haven't tried enough mists lately in any price range to compare Sisu Mist's overall value versus effectiveness. But since the Lumene brand is easily accessible via CVS, I won't hold its price against it; especially as CVS offers a ton of coupons and ExtraBucks for those with their rewards card.
A part of me wants to believe there is a more affordable option out there that will give me similar results. Until I find that perfect bottle of mist, I may consider repurchasing another Lumene Sisu Mist whenever CVS has a good sale and/or offers me irresistible coupons.
I am a super low-maintenance person when it comes to body care; give me some body wash and a pouf, I'm set! But I have recognized that while I may be clean from the day's dirt and oil, that method of cleaning was no match for dead skin or ashy patches. Even when I tried those exfoliating towels the elbow grease required to effectively scrub myself soft was, honestly, tiring and made my skin feel raw.
When I came across Wishtrend's infomercial/YouTube video for their Jungle Botanics Natural Body Glow Nutshell Scrub, I was intrigued. The promise of soft and glowy skin via a gentle AND foaming scrub fit what I thought I was looking for. While I acknowledge that the video could have been edited to best feature their product, it seemed believable enough.
Wishtrend's Description:
The “Natural Body Glow Nutshell Scrub” is a body scrub that contains finely ground walnut shell granules and various natural oils from the jungle. The round-cut granules do not irritate your skin, but gently exfoliates and purifies, leaving your skin healthy, smooth, and glowing.
Round-cut Nutshell Granules
At first glance, the nutshell granules look like ordinary grains of sand. When you take a closer look, you will see the porous surface of the granules. This aids the removal of dead skin cells and other skin impurities by attracting them, making this body scrub ideal of sensitive skin. Walnut shell granules are made from 100% walnut shells, which are biodegradable, thus lowering our ecological footprint.
Energetic Jungle 10-Oils
Cacao seed butter, which ensured the skin health of Amazonian tribes for many centuries, combined with ten different natural oils extracted from various Amazonian plants intensely moisturize your skin. This special combination of natural oils will leave your skin feeling moisturized and smelling seductively sweet.
Directions
1. Squeeze moderate amount of product onto wet skin and massage in circular motion. Rinse thoroughly with water.
2. Recommended use: 2-3 times a week
Ingredients
WATER, JUGLANS REGIA (WALNUT) SHELL POWDER, SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE, GLYCERIN, TEA-LAURYL SULFATE, PROPYLENE GLYCOL LAURATE, COCAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE, FRAGRANCE, PEG-40 HYDROGENATED CASTOR OIL, OLEYL ALCOHOL, SODIUM CHLORIDE, COCAMIDE DEA, TRIETHANOLAMINE, PEG-7 GLYCERYL COCOATE, CARBOMER, CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE, ZEA MAYS (CORN) STARCH, SUCROSE, MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE, MANNITOL, THEOBROMA CACAO (COCOA) SEED BUTTER, PENTACLETHRA MACROLOBA SEED OIL, GARCINIA INDICA SEED BUTTER, BERTHOLLETIA EXCELSA SEED OIL, ASTROCARYUM MURUMURU SEED BUTTER, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, TITANIUM DIOXIDE, MICA, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, ORIGANUM VULGARE LEAF EXTRACT, OCIMUM BASILICUM (BASIL) EXTRACT, MORINGA OLEIFERA LEAF EXTRACT, MALPIGHIA EMARGINATA (ACEROLA) FRUIT EXTRACT, GAULTHERIA PROCUMBENS (WINTERGREEN) LEAF EXTRACT, EUTERPE OLERACEA FRUIT EXTRACT, EUCALYPTUS GLOBULUS LEAF EXTRACT, CROCUS SATIVUS FLOWER EXTRACT, COCOS NUCIFERA (COCONUT) FRUIT EXTRACT, CITRUS AURANTIUM AMARA (BITTER ORANGE) FLOWER EXTRACT, ACHILLEA MILLEFOLIUM FLOWER EXTRACT, 1,2-HEXANEDIOL, VITIS VINIFERA (GRAPE) SEED OIL, PRUNUS PERSICA (PEACH) KERNEL OIL, PERSEA GRATISSIMA (AVOCADO) OIL, MACADAMIA INTEGRIFOLIA SEED OIL, HIPPOPHAE RHAMNOIDES OIL, HELIANTHUS ANNUUS (SUNFLOWER) SEED OIL, GOSSYPIUM HERBACEUM (COTTON) SEED OIL, EUTERPE OLERACEA FRUIT OIL, CAMELLIA JAPONICA SEED OIL, ARGANIA SPINOSA KERNEL OIL, PSEUDOZYMA EPICOLA/SOYBEAN FLOUR/ARGANIA SPINOSA KERNEL OIL FERMENT FILTRATE, TIN OXIDE, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, PHENOXYETHANOL, SODIUM BENZOATE, CI 77491
Scrub 250 ml / 8.4 fl oz
Wishtrend (250ml): USD $23.90
*They often have sales and deals.
Amazon - Sold by Wishtrend: ranges from USD $18-25 (price varies)
Packaging
The scrub comes in a standard squeeze tube with a flip-top cap. The opening is sealed with foil to ensure freshness. The tube itself is opaque and therefore cannot see through to precisely know how much product remains.
Since the bottle tapers down toward the cap, if left sitting in the shower, water will tend to collect inside overtime. If left for too long, obviously, mildew will form.
Color, Texture, & Scent
Caramel colored scrub that feels, looks, and smells like a sugar scrub, but it is not one. The ingredients list does not show to have any sweet sugar particles; it only has walnut shell, a lot of oils, and plant/fruit extracts. The scent does linger well after washing but isn't overpower.
The scrub spreads easily and walnut shell powder is incredibly fine; Wishtrend says the walnut shell granules are round-cut and ideal for sensitive skin. When rubbed with no water it can feel very sandy. When rubbed with water it creates a light bubbly lather.
How I Apply
Direct application // Work in sections. Squeeze the scrub directly onto skin. Gently rub with wet hands to help activate the foaming agents. Nutshell bits like to congregate together more.
With body pouf // Apply like I do if scrubbing with bare hands. Just instead of my hands, I work the nutshell scrub with a wet pouf instead. Disperses and dilutes the particles a lot.
With pumice stone or paddle // Squeeze the nutshell scrub onto the pumice and scrub away at the heels.
Thoughts & Recommendations
Since this is the first body scrub I have tried, I don't have much to compare the experience to. There are some aspects of the product that I have come to like and others I didn't.
I appreciate that the scrub is packed full of the walnut shell particles. It isn't just a tiny amount which is then padded with cleansing agents. However, this also means that actually scrubbing it around on every inch of my body typically leave my hands feeling sore and tingly. (Not abrasive or scratchy by any means but discomfort nonetheless.) Using some kind of buffer like a towel or pouf helps; yet at the same time disperses the granules too much, rendering the scrub less effective.
For those looking to cut SLS out of their lives, the Jungle Botanics scrub is not for them. I don't mind it because I like it when my cleansers and body washes bubble and foam. The lather made it easier to spread and rub the scrub around. As with using a towel or pouf to buff the particles, once the product starts to foam up that also becomes a barrier of sorts.
Applying lotion on my body is also a habit I have yet to form. Even still, my skin never feels dry or tight after using the nutshell scrub. Instead my legs and arms feel noticeably softer. I emphasize feel because it definitely doesn't look softer or glowy—I suspect my legs are too dry for that. It doesn't seem to do much for my ashy patches either even with semi-consistent use.
The soft feeling doesn't last very long, maybe a day or two at max? This seems to make sense since Wishtrend recommends using the scrub 2-3 times a week (which in reality is about every other day or every two days). I cannot comment on how long one tube would last since I took fairly long breaks while using the tube of scrub. But I can say it takes quite a bit of product to cover the entire body.
Softer feeling skin isn't enough to make this scrub a staple product for me. Had it worked wonders for my scaly ashiness, my opinions may be completely different. Had the effects lasted longer, I might reconsider. If anyone's skin isn't as extreme as mine, I don't think Jungle Botanic's Natural Body Glow Nutshell Scrub is a bad product. It is also fairly affordable and easily accessible via the manufacture's Amazon.
