Revlon Lip Butters!

From left to right: Red Velvet, Pink Truffle, Berry Smoothie, Sugar Plum, Raspberry Pie, Candy Apple


I finally found the Revlon Lip Butters!!!!! I was sooooo dying to get my hands on these babies.  I've seen so much type on YouTube about these lip butters that I have been waiting to find these in stores.  I found mine at RiteAid at about $8 a pop.  I am a lip product junkie, so I kinda went a little overboard with getting six of them. :)  I just couldn't resist.  And after trying the formula, I do not for one second regret my purchase!  A part of me kinda wants to get rid of all the other lip products that I have and only stock up on these because I love the formula so much.  This is the perfect lip product for me and I am excited to share my thoughts with you!
I find these to be a SUPER moisturizing lipstick.  This is a product that I and I'm sure other lip junkies have been waiting for.  What turns most people off about lipstick is the fact that they suck out any moisture that you naturally have in your lips and create unattractive cracks in your lips.  Even putting lipbalm or lipgloss on top of the lipstick is kinda too much work for me in my opinion sometimes.  Anyways, these butters are easy to use.  They just glide on so smoothe and you don't have to run these over your lips multiple times in order to get the great color payoff.  The picture of the swatches on my lips you can see in my YouTube video, but the color you see is after 2 or 3 times running it over my hand.  Easy!  Again, I love how much color variation that there is to the collection of this product.  There is a color for every woman's taste that will work well with their skin tone!  I just wish there was more product in the tube, but I guess we can't expect a ton of product in a drugstore item all the time.

So, if you are interested in a little color to spice up your makeup routine, I highly recommend the Revlon Lip Butters!  And if you are feeling hesitant about purchasing these because you're unsure if you will like them, don't be!  CVS, RiteAid and other drugstores will return the product with a receipt if you don't like it!  So there is nothing to be afraid about....but I guarantee you will fall in love just like every other girl in the world is :)

Always,

Aimee

TUMBLR!

I have decided to move over to Tumblr!  My blog address is beaimplified.tumblr.com.  Hope that you follow you me as I continue my blogging journey!


Always,
Aimee

The Oatmeal Cleanser Experiment: Day 1

Yes, you read right!  I have been inspired by two YouTubers to try this for myself, using oatmeal as a cleanser!  




This is the oatmeal I used, right out of my cupboard!

  As you may know by previously reading my blog, I recently tried the Clarisonic Mia.  Unfortunately, that product was just not for me.  A common side effect for using the Clarisonic is skin purging.  Skin purging is basically your skin getting rid of the excess "junk" and sebum that you have in your pores which = BREAKOUTS.  Since trying out the Clarisonic, my skin has been in the purging stage for I would say close to more than 2 months now.  I am a skin care freak and my skin being THIS bad absolutely KILLS ME!!!!  This doesn't happen to my skin and its embarrassing when nothing you do to take care of your skin is working.  For the past few months, my skin has turned from combination acne proned skin to so slick and oily that I just look I've been dipped in grease.  It's not a cute look if you know what I mean.  I was catching up on some beauty videos, and I saw Saaammage (YouTuber) had posted an updated skin care routine.  She has mentioned in previous videos how she uses oatmeal as cleanser, but I didn't think too much about it.  She also mentioned that the reason why she started using oatmeal was because of BubzBeauty, another guru that I love watching their videos.  After watching both of their videos, I was ready to try this new remedy!  Now, since this is only day one, I can't give a full review on what I think about oatmeal as a cleanser.  But, I will share with you how I feel after my first try!

I personally really love oatmeal.  I love to eat it and I like the smell and texture oddly enough.  I took enough oatmeal to cover the palm of my hand.  Clenching the oats in my fist, I held my hand under warm water to saturate the oats to make them soft and create a milky cleanser.  Taking the wet oats, I gently rubbed them on my face in small, circular motions.  Again, I feel a little strange liking the smell of oatmeal, but I really didn't mind it at all.  The oats gently exfoliated my skin and I could feel that the texture of the oats was really getting my skin clean.  The obvious downside to using oatmeal as a cleanser is that you have chunky oats all over your face!  Not too sure that my sink enjoyed all those oats :)  After rinsing off the oatmeal from my face, I immediately noticed that my skin felt clean, tight, refreshed and suprisingly brighter!  After cleansing my face, I immediately follow with my moisturizer and I noticed that it felt like my moisturizer sank in to my pores much more than normal, which means that the product is working better for the skin!  Now even though again, the mess I can see would be hard for some people to look past, so far I am willing to continue with this new skincare change to see how my skin progresses over the next few weeks of using the oatmeal.  I will be checking in to give updates on how my skin has changed due to the change of using oatmeal as my new cleanser.  I hope you follow me on this journey for what I hope to be a great new skincare breakthrough for me!



Until next time,

Always,
Aimee


**Here are the videos mentioned in this post**

Holy Grail or Epic Fail? The Clarisonic Mia

The Clarisonic Mia has been a product that I have been drooling over for the past 2 years or so.  I have been watching YouTube beauty videos for almost 3 years now and I have seen so many gurus completely rave about this product. I am also a skincare freak so I thought this would be the perfect product for me.  The Clarisonic claims to be a deep cleaner tool to get all of the excess dirt and oil out of your pores.  It also says that it reduces your pore size, helps eliminate acne, reduces fine lines and can minimize redness.  Sounds awesome right?  Well, after reading many many reviews and seeing how literally everyone was still raving about this product, I decided to take the leap of faith and go to Sephora and get one for myself.  The first time I used the product I was in heaven!  My face was so soft and smoothe it was unreal.  I really thought that I had found my new holy grail product for my skin.  Boy was I wrong.  I have sensitive, combination skin and I have never had issues with acne or breakouts really and that is simply due to the fact that I am such a stickler about my everyday skincare routine.  The Clarisonic was the only part of my routine that changed in my life and I have never had such a problem with breakouts as I have had since using the clarisonic.  My breakouts and acne wasn't getting any better when using the Clarisonic and it was just making it worse.  Everyday it seemed like I had more and more breakouts, and they were getting almost to be cystic like, which of course made me FREAK OUT!!!! The reccomendation for using the Clarisonic is once a day and boy has it made my skin so flakey and peely. Even for just using it once a day, if that!  And all the while my face is looking like a snake shedding while making my face produce so much excess oil that I looked like a disco ball all day! And that is not a cute look for anyone.  I called my local Sephora to ask them if they had any suggestions for me because I was so convinced that this product should be so amazing, so there had to be some sort of solution (or so I thought).  I was told that the Clarisonic makes your skin get worse in order to get better.  Well that does make sense as far as skin care goes, but a month of getting worse?  I was skeptical at this point.  I got online and read some more reviews and found on Amazon that out of 161 user reviews, only 7 other people had the same experience I did.  Other reviews that had the same experiences I had gave the recommendation of returning the product because it wouldn't get any better.  So unfortunately, the Clarisonic just was not meant for my skin.  Thank goodness for high end stores that have amazing return policies, I was able to get my full money back.  (you get what you pay for).  I must have seriously looked like such a goof because the whole time all I could tell the cashier was how sad I was for having to return the Clarisonic.  All skin care products and tools are not created equal.  So just keep that in mind that just because something works for someone else, doesn't necessarily means it will work for you too! So in conclusion, while the Clarisonic didn't work for me, it's kinda one of those products that you just have to invest and take a leap of faith and try it out for yourself to see if it will work for you.  Hope my thoughts helped you in some way!

Until next time......


Always,
Aimee :D

5 Fav Lip Balms!

As a special request from my dear sissy, I am here to talk about my 5 favorite lip balms....but I'm sure you were well aware of that from the title!!!  I definitely am a girl with on OBSESSION with lip products.  I have about a million lipglosses, lipsticks, lipstains....you name it, I probably have it or have tried it!  But lip balms are great for the everyday wear and also because they are so low maintenance!  Just slap it on and you're good to go!  There isn't much need for a mirror to make sure the product is correctly in place or on your teeth :)  The main purpose of lip balms is to give your lips protection and moisture!  Your lips will thank you for thinking of them, I assure you :)  So lets get started! ( btw...these are in no particular order in case you are wondering....)

1.  EOS Lipbalms

Left to right: Strawberry Sorbet, Sweet Mint, Medicated Tangerine, Honeysuckle Honeydew,  Summer Fruit ,  Lemon Drop SPF 15

Aren't these things the cutest?  I absolutely love the packaging and yes, they do look like little Easter eggs!  They are so fun and I am obsessed with these suckers!  I actually have every flavor except for the Strawberry Sorbet. I have found all of my lip spheres from Rite Aid and CVS, not too sure where else they have them.  These lipbalms all go on smooth and clear and that's what I love about them.  These are perfect if you want to wear your lips bare or if you want to prime your lips for a lipstick or if you want to give your lips some moisture after using a lipstain as well.  These lipbalms also are gluten free, paraben free, petrolatum free and phthalate free and are 95% organic and 100% all natural.   So in other words, its healthy for your lippies!  These are also very inexpensive, they are around $2.99 and whats great about them is that they have a lot of product in the sphere!  So well worth the $3!

2. LipSmacker in Dr.Pepper

Now this product has to be one of my favorites of all time! I have been a faithful user of this product since my junior high days and let me tell you, that has been a LONG TIME AGO!!!!!  This product as well is super super cheap, like a buck and some change.  It is easily accessible, you can find it at any drugstore out there.  But what I love most about this product is that it gives the perfect slight tint to your lips.  It is seriously the perfect shade!  The balm is hydrating as well and the reason why I find myself reapplying the product over and over is simply because I love it and the smell, not necessarily because I need more on my lips!  

3. Burt's Bees Replenishing Lip Balm with Pomegranate Oil

This product is very similar to the Dr.Pepper Lipsmackers, but it is on the pricier side.  Some people are just really in to the whole organic and all natural thing and so that's where you have a product like Burt's Bees.  I love this product because it gives a nice slight tint to my lips.  But the main difference that I see between this product and Dr.Pepper is that it doesn't give off that glossy effect.  Now if you're someone that's looking for something a little more matte without as much shine then this is the product for you.   It smells great and keeps my lips well hydrated!  Burt's Bees products have been making their way around drugstores a lot more.  I would say that Wal Mart is going to be the place to find their products the cheapest.  

4. Maybelline Pop Stick in Fruit Punch

I have all 4 of the colors but I love the Fruit Punch flavor the best.  I am writing about this one simply because I love it so much, but unfortunately, it is a limited edition product.  So if you can get your hands on one, I recommend this flavor!  I found mine at CVS.  I know that Wal Mart for sure doesn't have them but I think Walgreens does.  These are a little more expensive, they were $5.99 at CVS which is on the pricier side for sure.  But this is why I love these things.  You know how your lips look right after you eat a popcicle?  That is the kind of tint these babies give you and they are super moisturizing.  I love the packaging how it looks like a lipstick, but it reminds me of jello too because its clear!  Also, the hot pink casing is just as cute.  

5. Blistex Silk and Shine

This is a great lipbalm and have been using this for years now.  One of my favorite ways to wear this is to wear a lip liner close to the shade of my natural lip color, blend out the edges and put this on top!  It really is silky and it gives your lips a great shine!  It also has spf 15 which is a great plus for everyday wear and you can pretty much do anything with this product.  You can find this anywhere you go pretty much and it will cost you around $2 at drugstores, but sometimes if you look closely, they have great sales on these!

Here are swatches of the products that I mentioned (except EOS woops)....

Left to right: Burts Bees, Blistex, Dr.Pepper and Fruit Punch

This is just to give you an idea as far as tint goes, they all kinda look similarly just as shiny, but I think they all look different on the lips!

Hope this was helpful!

Until next time.........

Always,

Aimee :)

                 

Dr. Feelgood

I think I have discovered my new holy grail!  I have been so excited about this product that I decided to share! Who knows, maybe this product will be a new must have for you too.

I have been using this product for the past few weeks and it has made a world of difference in how my skin looks.  I have very rollercoaster-ish skin.  Sometimes it will be patchy and dry.  Sometimes it will be super, super oily.  And then there are those in between kind of days.  Regardless of what kind of skin day I have, I most of the time get shiny throughout the day and that is not a cute look for me haha.  I have been on the search for something that would make my skin look and stay matte throughout the day.  I have tried various drugstore powders that work....that is if you want to keep piling the powder on your face throughout the day making you look like a walking piece of chalk.  So one night I was in Sephora and I saw Benefit's Dr. Feelgood.  I have heard so many good things about Benefit products all throughout YouTube and I had never tried anything from this specific brand.  But I was very intrigued.  I had seen YouTuber DulceCandy87 show this product in one of her haul videos and that is how I recognized what it actually was.  The product description is as follows: "The invisible refiner, blended with Vitamin C helps to smooth away the appearance of fine lines while leaving skin feeling and looking more silky, flawless and matte to the touch.  It's a colorless, weightless miracle worker.  How to use: Pat and smooth over makeup with its accompanying sponge.  Or, simply wear it alone".  When I first tried this product out, I patted it with the sponge over my makeup.  I noticed that my face looked matte, but I kinda had to use what seemed to me a lot of product.  Another downfall was that it made the sponge pick up the pigmentation of whatever foundation or powder that I was currently wearing on my face.  But the way that I actually use this product is more as a primer.  Now this product isn't necessarily called a primer, but I personally think that this is the way to go.  On a clean, moisturized face, simply gently press the product on your face in the key areas that get oily and shiny throughout the day.  After that, you are ready to continue on with your regular foundation/face routine.  Doing this, I have noticed that my makeup lasts longer throughout the day and also it controls the shine and oil so well!  I feel like its better to have the product directly touching your skin and having that barrier between your skin and your makeup.  I do have to say that the biggest downfall of the product is the fact that it is expensive......$30!  Now for someone who is an avid makeup wearer and someone who loves this sort of thing, I saw this as a positive investment.  That is exactly what this product is.  But I can see for someone who is maybe new to makeup or not an everyday wearer, the commitment may seem scary!  Well here are some reasons to give it a try!  You get 0.85 oz of product and while that doesn't sound like much, this product will last a long time.  It kind of reminds me of a jarred lip balm with a creamy, silky texture.  This is probably going to take me months and months to get through!  So if you think about it this way.......if you wear makeup avidly and it lasts you 6 months.....that is only $5/month to use it :)  Another plus to buying higher end products, they have great return policies!  If you buy something and it is absolutely not for you, go back and return it!  They never ask questions!  As far as customer service, you get what you pay for !!!  So essentially it is risk free to try things at department stores or places like Sephora.  Anywho, hope this may be helpful to someone out there!  Just wanted to share a current obsession of mine :)


Until next time........


Always,
Aimee :)

All you need is LOVE!

Wow, what a week it has been! I am proud to say that yesterday my beautiful sister, Nicole, finally got married!!!!!!!! I still am in utter shock right now.  But in a good way :)  She and her new hubster, Brian, had a very intimate beach wedding.  The sun was shining, there was a slight breeze and everything was the way that it was supposed to be.  Nicole's dreams came true! Love it!  These past few months since April when they got engaged, I was excited about the event but definitely not emotional in any way.  I think the reason for that was I kept thinking, " Oh, its going to be in a few months so I guess I really shouldn't think about it now".  Well boy was I an EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER!!!!!!! As soon as I saw my sister with my stepdad at the beginning of the boardwalk I completely lost it.  Thank goodness my new found friend, Liz, taught me a few nifty ways to hide some tissues because I needed them for sure!  They say pictures are worth a thousand words, and boy is that not a joke.  I wish I could describe to you the million things that raced through my mind.  And if such an emotional moment happened for me, imagine what the bride and groom were thinking!  Nicole looked so happy and so ready for their epic moment.  The way that Brian smiled and looked at her with such admiration was incredible.  I am such a hopeless romantic and I love things like this!  All the months of their hard work of making the event happen came down to those important moments and it was all worth it I am positive of that!  The dinner was amazing, the cake was stunning, dancing to 90's music was hilarious and it was just so great to see and meet all the people that have a special place in Nicole and Brian's hearts.  I will never forget this night and I am so blessed to have both of them in my lives.  I know they have nothing short of a bright future and like I said in my toast......I know what they have is real and true.  Congrats Nicole and Brian!!!!!!! I love you both with all my heart!


Until next time........


Always,
Aimee