Review - Chanel Mousse Confort Rich Foaming Cream Cleanser

                              

Hey lovely reader :)

I thought I'd do a review of the Mousse Confort cleanser by Chanel today. This is my daily night time cleanser and it has been for about two years now. Needless to say, I love it!

                               

My skin:

Now before I go into detail about the cleanser, just a little bit about my skin super quick because I know whenever I'm reading reviews I find myself wondering about the reviewers skin type so I can figure out if the product would have similar results for me you know? I'll be quick about that I promise, just as soon as I stop blabbing. So yeah um my skin - two words - desert dry. My skin is typically very dry, sometimes it gets dry to the point of flaking around my jawline but most of the time it's not flaky just very dry. If I wash my face (with or without cleanser it doesn't matter) I absolutely have to moisturize right away or else my skin starts feeling tight. At the same time though, it's ridiculously sensitive, so it breaks out pretty easily. Thankfully, I've never had severe acne problems (my younger acne suffering self begs to differ though- back then it felt like every breakout was a crisis of mammoth proportions) and now whatever I had has cleared up considerably. I also can't use anything with yellow 5 in it, I try to avoid all synthetic dyes but that one in particular my skin cannot stand, it breaks me out really badly. This makes it difficult to find products to use, because so many have yellow 5 in them, even facial cleansers.

Mousse Confort Rich Foaming Cream Cleanser:

Now let's move on to the cleanser! The name fits this cleanser quite well, it's definitely very rich and creamy, I love how luxurious it feels. The creaminess also makes it feel very gentle on the skin which is great for my sensitive skin. Despite being creamy, this cleanser foams up really REALLY well and I like that because it just makes my face feel squeaky clean. Usually a cleanser will either feel luxurious or it'll give you that squeaky clean feeling but this is the only cleanser I've used that gives me both. What more can a girl ask for? From a cleanser anyway...

                                 

Speaking of makeup, it does a really good job of removing it but it may not remove everything if you're wearing some heavy duty makeup and don't use a makeup remover. I like to use a makeup remover before washing even with light makeup so this isn't much of a problem for me. Sometimes I have skipped makeup remover but on those days I just wash twice and follow up with toner to remove any last traces and that seems to work fine. It doesn't strip my skin like other cleansers have, once I wash my face with it I don't have to rush to my moisturizer (I can make my way towards it at a slow and leisurely pace- which is a huge deal I tell you!) 

Another thing I love is that this cleanser seriously lasts forEVER. You only need to use the tiniest amount and it lathers up like crazy so it can last for months and months. I use mine as a daily night time cleanser, I used to use it morning and night and that worked fine but for some reason I'm always switching up my morning routine. Using it only at night, this thing lasts me more than nine months. Nine months!! Every time I say that to someone I can't help but think wow, that's an entire pregnancy term, a baby could go from a tiny nugget to being born and my cleanser still wouldn't have run out. I'm weird, I know.

      

The associate at the Chanel counter gave me an awesome tip a while back. She said to cut the top off with scissors when you feel like you've finished it and scoop some out like that. I tried it out and was shocked at how much was still left in there so it lasts me even longer now. Yay! Thank you Susan. The price is kind of up there- it retails for $45- but hey it's Chanel and considering how long it lasts it's definitely worth it, for me. All in all, it's an awesome buy, in my opinion. So to sum up, in case you scrolled through all my jabber and just want the main points-


Pros:

• Rich and creamy, feels very luxurious 
• Gentle and effective at the same time 
• Does a pretty good job of removing makeup 
• Not drying, doesn't strip skin
• Lasts for a very long time 

Cons:

• The price may be a con depending on your budget but as I said, it does last quite a long time so it may be worth it 
• For those who don't like using a makeup remover before washing up, this might not fully remove heavy makeup 

My Rating: 5/5 

Available at Nordstrom (that's where I buy it because of the points!), Macys, Chanel.com etc. 

Beautiful Quote

“In essence, if we want to direct our lives, we must take control of our consistent actions. It’s not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives, but what we do consistently.” - Tony Robbins

I really love this quote and it sort of emphasizes the fact that our habits, our actions define who we are. So many people live life with no awareness of how they can shape and mold their lives to their liking. They move through life thinking they have no control over anything. It's true we don't have control over the future, over what might happen to us in the next five seconds but I believe our control lies in how we handle whatever happens. Even just watching and controlling your thoughts can make a big difference because it will eventually bring about a change in your actions. In order to have a good life, our own thoughts and actions need to be good and positive. Besides doesn't it just feel better to be more positive then negative? What do you think? :)

Image Credit: Photogen.com

 

Review - My First Asos Purchase

So I had been eying the Asos website for quite some time without ever making a purchase. They have some really nice clothes for pretty decent prices. Some of the clothes are up there in terms of prices but most of them are relatively reasonable in my opinion.

The thing holding me back was that it's online so I wouldn't know EXACTLY what the clothes would be like until I got them and then if I didn't like them I would have to send them back and I'm ridiculously lazy when it comes to all that hoopla so I end up keeping so many things that I should've returned just because I procrastinated too much *hangs head in shame*

I also don't like paying the extra cost of shipping which is sometimes ridiculous and while there are sites that offer free shipping it's only if you spend a certain amount. Grrr.

Asos offered free shipping without any minimum amount AND free returns. Sweet! Point Asos. (Update- Unfortunately Asos did away with their free shipping and made a $25 minimum for free shipping. It's sad the no minimum is gone but $25 is still way better than a lot of sites I see to be honest. Like free shipping if I spend $100. What?! No, just no!)

They also offer 10% off to students and not just as a one time thing but with every order. You just have to verify your University with them (mine took 24 hours if I recall correctly) and that's it! I was really warming up to Asos by this point.

Another thing I found really cool was their little runway feature. When you view a dress or top you can see the normal images from front, back, sides you know the usual but you can also click the runway button and see a model walking down the runway in it. I really liked this because it makes it easier to gauge whether or not a dress would work for me and how it would flow. You can also save items you like but don't want to buy just then and Asos will keep it in your saved items list for 60 days, like wishlists on other sites. Over that period you can go into your 'saved items' and they tell you if they're running low in stock on a particular item you've saved so then you can order that one first if you like. Another point Asos. Ok on to my purchase!

So after a lot of staring at the pieces I wanted and deliberating and staring again I finally decided to go for it. They had some really cute crop tops and I wanted one or two to pair with a sleeveless skater dress. By the way how cute are skater dresses?! I'm obsessed they're just so adorable and you can dress them up or down but we'll talk about that later, back to the crop tops! As I said Asos had a really nice selection so I ended up ordering two.

The first one I got was this basic black one:

I ended up ordering this in a size 1 without even glancing at the size guide. Go figure. When I looked at the size guide and figured out I'm a size 4 I'm thinking oh great first thing I buy and I'll have to return it. When I got it and opened it, it also looked pretty tiny but I couldn't bear to part with it without trying it on and what on EARTH it just seemed to magically fit me, it wasn't tight or small or anything! The material seemed stretchy but not THAT stretchy. It was absolutely perfect. A million points Asos!

The second crop top was this really gorgeous Aztec print one:

I fell in love with this from the moment I saw it and I haaaad to have it! This one I bought after the first one (when I say after I mean a few hours after the first one, I decided one wasn't enough lol) and this time around I ordered the right size and it fit perfectly too. It's not loose in the slightest, there's absolutely no flaw that I can pick up. The Aztec print is just as pretty in real life as it looks in the picture and I wore it with a long purple tank top/dress. I also plan on pairing this with a simple black or cobalt blue skater dress although the print could go with any solid color. I think it would look a little weird with a printed dress though, that would be too much for me.

I ordered both items on March 3rd and my expected delivery date was March 11th but I actually got them on the 9th. Yay!

All in all, I was very happy with my first Asos purchase and I think it was the beginning of something beautiful. (Not so beautiful for my wallet but hey a girls gotta shop!)

Pros: 

• Free Shipping (Update- now with minimum purchase of $25) 
• Free returns
• 10% off for students
• Shipping is relatively fast
• Very nice selection 
• A variety of different brands (I could honestly spend hours on there just browsing away)
• Good quality clothes
• 'Runway' feature on site
• Decent prices

Cons: Honestly, so far I can't think of any. *knocks on wood*

I read some reviews and a lot of people were complaining that the sizes are off but one person suggested that the size guide be followed for Asos brand clothes and for other brands you check the brands own site. I've only ordered from the Asos brand so far so the size guide on the site was accurate for me but I do like some things from other brands (this one river island jersey dress is beautiful in my opinion, I'm thinking of doing an Asos wishlist post and I'll add a picture there) so for those I'll probably go check the brands own size guide.

I already ordered two more items which are currently on the way. Another crop top and (of course) a skater dress :

I can't wait to get them, I love the skater dress and think it would go great with the black crop top I already got and black tights. This last crop top I really got to wear under dresses that are a bit low cut to make it a modest, daytime look but I'm thinking it might also look good over a long sleeve dress too..hmm. What do you think? :)

The opinions expressed in this review were my own and I bought all the items with my own money. I was not paid or sponsored to do this review. I hope this review can help those of you who might be debating over trying Asos. Happy shopping! :)

Website: ASOS

All images from Asos.com. Used with permission.

 

I Was Here

This song seriously gives me chills and I just had to share it! The lyrics, the meaning behind them and not to mention Beyonce's voice...it all just comes together perfectly in my opinion and it just makes me want to get up and go do something, to help someone, to get out there and live! ok enough dramatics lol here's the song :)

(I do not own the video/music. No copyright infringement intended)

Turning Page - So Beautiful!

I'd like to share a song real quick that I came across recently and I've been listening to it again and again for the past few days. It's performed by the band Sleeping At Last and it's part of the soundtrack for the Twilight movie Breaking Dawn (say what you will about the movies but the soundtrack has been decent throughout all the movies in my opinion)

Something about this song just moves me to tears every time I listen to it, which is why I stop myself from listening to it too much lol. It's just so touching and beautiful and it's like the music just plays on my heart strings. I hope you like it :)

(I do not own the video/music in any way)

Review: Nyx Tinted Lip Spa (Must Read If You Have Sensitive Skin)

From left: Silk, Vintage, Sake, Pinky Winky

Oh Nyx, my first ever product from the Nyx line and unfortunately it didn't work out like I had hoped. I used this product for about a week and a half after which I was forced to stop but more on that later.

I came across the Nyx Tinted Lip Spa in one of the countless YouTube beauty videos I watch lol and it just looked so nice on the beauty guru that I had to try it. So, when HauteLook had their Nyx sale I snatched these up. The only color I wanted was Sake but it was a set of four on sale for $13 so I figured, why not? 

Now, for some reason I don't see these on the Nyx website but they are available on Cherry Culture where the description for them says: "Lip conditioner with just a hint of color! Tinted lip spa is full of moisturizing and nourishing benefits to give your lips the ultimate spa treatment they deserve."

I'd say it is a pretty decent lip conditioner and it has more than just a hint of color, it wasn't too sheer, which I considered a plus. It was also good on it's claim of being moisturizing, my lips can get very dry and they didn't feel dry at all over the period of time I used this lip spa. The consistency is quite soft and buttery and it glides on very easily. As I said, I really wanted Sake but the color I ended up loving was Vintage. It's just this beautiful peachy coral color and it's the kind of color that I feel would be flattering on everyone.

The scent was quite minty, it reminded me of the Wrigley's 5 gum only stronger. However, it disappeared after a while so it was something I could live with. The staying power was not great, about 3 or 4 hours for me but it's the kind of cute little thing that you could throw in your purse and pull out and reapply whenever, wherever. All in all, I was satisfied with the product itself and honestly, if I could I would have continued to use them. So why did I have to stop using them and sadly put them away?

Vintage (above) Silk, Sake, Pinky Winky (below from left to right)

About two days after using these (I mostly used Vintage, occasionally Sake) I noticed one side of my face near my lips was breaking out a little. I've always had acne prone skin so I didn't think too much of it and used the Clinique Acne Spot Corrector hoping it would go away. 

Not only did it not go away over the next few days it had also appeared on the other side of my face. I was getting a little worried because it looked more than just the normal breakout but I couldn't think of what it could possibly be since I hadn't made major changes to my skincare routine. I decided maybe it was my pillowcase so I changed it and thought that might help. I also pinned it down to not  drinking a lot of water so I started being more conscious about that. Over the next few days it had spread up my cheeks, there were multiple red bumps all over and some of them were painful,  I was in agony over my skin. I couldn't figure out what was going on and the idea entered my mind that it might be these lip spas but I dismissed it because I had never experienced an allergic reaction to a lip product before, ever, and I didn't know why it would be all over my cheeks. 

It has more FD&C than just this one, I simply highlighted this one

However, I noticed that when I didn't use them for two days the breakouts did not get better but they did not get worse, I didn't see any new bumps. Stupidly enough, I canNOT explain to myself why I would do it lol but I used Vintage again one more time and you guessed it, the next day I noticed more bumps on my cheeks. It still seemed far fetched to me that a lip product was making me break out so bad but I did some research and found that beauty products that have artificial coloring can sometimes irritate skin. TotalBeauty's website said to look out for products that had FD&C in the ingredient list because it meant the product had artificial coloring. So I looked at the ingredients and sure enough, these lip spas have FD&C. Well...that was the end of that. It's been one week now since I stopped using the lip spas and I have not noticed any new breakouts and my skin has slowly started to get better and return to normal. 

Makeup Alley Rating: 4.2/5

Personal Rating: I'm not going to rate this product, I just wouldn't know what to rate it given my experience with it. 

It's unfortunate, really, because I loved the Vintage lip spa and it was pretty perfect...you know, if you ignore the massive breakout all over the cheeks lol. I'd just like to say though that I have nothing against Nyx, I just wanted to share my experience so that others with sensitive skin can take it into consideration when buying something that might have artificial coloring. My allergic reaction to them aside, I thought this was a great product and if you do not have super sensitive skin you might find these to be a great buy.

Update: I ended up giving these to a friend of mine and she absolutely loves them, no reaction whatsoever lucky her grr

The opinions expressed in the above review are my own and I was not paid for this review, I bought the product myself.