Trash Talk: Moving Out Edition

I'm leaving for college in just a couple of days (well, by the time this post goes up, I'll have already moved in!) so I decided it was time to get up a Trash Talk post of products I had been hoarding for a month or two, so I wouldn't have to throw everything out without telling you all about them!

• St. Ives Oatmeal & Shea Butter Body Wash. I talked about this in my last Trash Talk post, except I had the travel size. I seriously love this body wash! However, because of the weather, I've switched over to a more clarifying body wash, but I'm definitely going to have to repurchase this come winter time. 
• St. Ives Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub. Personally, I find this stuff to be way too rough for my face. Some people swear by it, but I have heard that this scrub can actually cause wrinkles by creating a bunch of tiny little micro cuts on your face. So instead, I use this scrub on my legs and hands! It's perfect for the summer after shaving, and it's also pretty gentle. 
• MAC Fix+. This is my go to finishing spray for refreshing my makeup and keeping it from looking cakey. It isn't quite a setting spray, and it won't help your makeup last longer, but it helps get rid of any powdery look that can be caused by overpowdering. I use this stuff almost every day and it just helps me feel nice and refreshed as I walk out the door!
• Head & Shoulders Classic Clean Shampoo. While traditionally marketed as a dandruff shampoo, I love Head & Shoulders as just a simple, hydrating shampoo. Since I do have scalp psoriasis, I need something gentle and hydrating. Obviously, it's not targeted toward my problem, but I find that most psoriasis shampoos are way too harsh and dry out my skin even more. Plus it smells great, unlike most if not all psoriasis shampoos.
• Avene Eau Thermale Thermal Spring Water. This spray is amazing for hot days. I like to spray it over my face on no-makeup days to really help rehydrate my dry skin, or to just refresh my skin when I'm feeling a little gross! It makes humid summer days so much more bearable and won't dry out your skin.
• Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm with Shea Butter & Vitamin E. I'm obsessed with this lip balm. First of all, it smells like vanilla frosting! And secondly, it keeps my lips so hydrated. I haven't had any problems with chapped lips since I started using this lip balm last year, and I don't think I can ever go back!
• Dove Refresh+Care Dry Shampoo. I don't know why this dry shampoo has such horrible reviews on their website. Not only does this dry shampoo smell amazing and fresh, but it really helps to get rid of oiliness without leaving a white cast! I did hair and makeup for a musical in July and so many girls kept asking to use it, asking me where they could get it because they loved it so much. I also find that it just gives me so much volume and texture, something that my hair definitely has none of without product.

By the time this post goes up, I should be moved into my new apartment in North Carolina! Keep a lookout for a home decor post soon. Maybe if I'm lucky, my roommate will even do a guest post about her own decor! 

- D.

Trash Talk

Alright so the point of this post isn't to "trash talk" anyone, but rather talk about the bag of trash that's been piling up in my bathroom. Now, this isn't a huge number of products, but it's definitely more than I usually let build up. Why? So I can tell you all about them, of course! These are a few of the products I have finished up in the past few months, along with my thoughts on them!

• Tresemme Fresh Start Dry Shampoo. So much "no" about this product...I have had this for a few months, and supposedly they have a new formula now, but I don't even want to try the new formula. When I first used it, it actually felt like it made my hair greasier, and it left a really apparent white cast in my hair. I tried to use it a couple times, thinking maybe it would get easier to use since it was my very first dry shampoo, but after like two uses, the nozzle clogged. It's still mostly full, but I can't get any product out, and I don't even think I would want to if I could.
• Up & Up Nourishing Nail Polish Remover. There isn't really much to say about this. I don't really know if it "nourished" my nails or cuticles at all, but it did the job. I prefer nail polish removers with acetone because I feel like they get the job done better, and this stuff is super affordable, but nothing special.
• Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Deep Conditioning Treatment. I have been obsessed with this stuff since January of last year. This is probably at least my fifth or sixth bottle of this stuff, and I recently discovered they have released a bunch of new treatments from their 3 Minute Miracle line! I recently picked up the Color Treatment, so hopefully I love that one just as much as I loved this stuff! It also smells absolutely amazing, and makes my color-treated hair feel super soft without making it greasy.
• Soap & Glory Hand Food Mini. This stuff has saved my hands so many times. I picked up this travel size quite a few months ago and it has lasted me ages! It smells amazing and does a great job, and is super easy to just toss in your bag because it takes up so little room. Soap & Glory's Original Pink fragrance is my absolute favorite, and this hand cream hydrates my hands really well without leaving a greasy film all over my skin. It absorbs quickly and gets the job done!
• Aquaphor Healing Ointment. I became obsessed with Aquaphor when I got my first tattoo done. This stuff seriously does such amazing things for dry skin. I use it in combination with a steroid cream for my psoriasis, and it helps to keep my skin hydrated and soft without irritating it! When the weather starts to get crazy and I find my lip balm can't keep up with my chapped lips, I pull out my Aquaphor at night, and my lips are healed and plump in the morning.
• Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner. This gel liner lasts ages, but that doesn't mean it doesn't eventually dry out. I have had this pot for quite some time (seriously...a really long time), and it's finally time to say goodbye. After fighting with the texture of this liner, I decided I needed to just go out and buy a new pot, because it was just starting to tug and turn a charcoal color, as opposed to the super intense black it was in it's original form. I almost began to think I didn't like this liner anymore, but then once I got a new pot, my faith in this product was revived! 
• Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm. I wear this stuff night and day. The Shea Butter & Vitamin E flavor smells like vanilla cupcakes, and it is a fantastic every day lip balm! It is without a doubt the best lip balm I have ever tried, and has an SPF of 25 to help protect the sensitive skin on your lips!
• Soap & Glory Flake Away Body Polish. It has certainly taken quite some time to get through this body scrub! It has that same Original Pink scent as the Hand Food, and I seriously wish I could describe it to you. It does a fantastic job of exfoliating, and worked wonders on my legs after I got home from Chicago back in February, after fighting against the cold winds that my skin isn't used to!
• St. Ives Oatmeal & Shea Butter Body Wash Travel Size. You may have noticed a pattern. I love moisturizing products. My skin is so dry, but oddly enough, I found that Aveeno products are too hydrating for my skin, and oftentimes just make me feel greasy. I bought this travel size when I went to Chicago, and finally finished it back in April. This tiny bottle lasted me that long! A little bit goes a long way with this stuff, and it lathers beautifully. 

Are there any products you've recently finished that you love? Let me know if there's anything you think I should try!

- D.  

REVIEW: Maybelline Color Sensational Color Elixir

Time for a quick review!

I recently saw this advertisement for the Maybelline Color Sensational Color Elixir, while watching Once Upon a Time with +Andrew, and when we saw the commercial, we could not stop laughing. Cosmetic commercials will always be hilarious to me. Regardless, I was intrigued. They described it as a "creamy lip lacquer." Personally, I love lip lacquers. I love the longevity of them, in comparison to lipsticks or glosses, and I love the pigmentation in them. So this commercial instantly made me curious to try them!

This is the model from the Maybelline website in the color "Signature Scarlet." The website reads, "Fall under the spell of the elixir effect...Hyper-saturated color, ultra cushiony feel...The new hypnotic lip sensation." 

A few days after seeing the commercial, I ran out to my local Walmart and purchased two of them -- one in "Signature Scarlet" and one in "Mauve Mystique."

There are 20 shades in the collection, ranging from nudes, to purples, to bright reds, and even a couple of orange and coral shades. I purchased "Signature Scarlet" because I'm always on the lookout for a good red, and the color in the picture was amazing. 

Today, I wore it out for the first time!

I must say, the opacity of this is phenomenal. I was absolutely shocked. It was so smooth, vibrant, and non-sticky. Sticky lipglosses are the #1 reason I don't typically wear lipgloss. I have noticed that this product doesn't swatch very well, but for some reason, it glides so beautifully on the lips. This red is a glossy, cool-toned red, and the mauve color is defined by "my lips but better." The colors do stain, so they are somewhat longwearing. In terms of full-on vibrancy, though, they last about 2 hours (if you aren't eating or drinking) before they being to fade. This is coming from someone who has an anxious habit of lip biting. 

Something I really loved about this product, though, is that when I took it off, my lips actually felt smoother. The commercial claims that it has an "addictive cushiony feel of a balm." I totally agree with that. After putting it on for the first time, I just kept rubbing my lips together and wanted to put on more and more product because it felt so nice and smooth when applied. 

Now for the negatives. This is a messy product. If you plan to wear this, bring a mirror with you to check for feathering and smears, because it will do both of those things. I am curious to see if using a lip pencil will help the feathering, but you do need to keep an eye on it if you are wearing it. 

All-in-all, I'd say this is a great product. It feels so nice when applied, and creates a beautiful, pigment-rich lip look. 

- d.