My Lush Adventure Part 1: Angels on Bare Skin, Eau Roma Water, Enzymion, and Grease Lightning

If you guys have been keeping up with my skincare segments, you would know that my main reason for skincare product hopping is because  I would preferably like to find products that are natural and help with my acne and the overall dullness of my skin. I discovered a Lush store in the local mall upon moving in with my fiance. Lured in by the packaging, nice smells, and promise of natural products, I started my relationship with the Lush brand.

The first cleanser I was suggested by the clerk was Angels on Bare Skin. I was really there for Herbalism, but they were all sold out. When I told her about my acne and brightness problems, she immediately reached for the container and told me she used it all the time.

My first impression of using Angels on Bare Skin is that it was kind of a pain to use. Some of Lush’s cleansers are what they call “cleansing rolls” and you have to take a small pinch of the product and roll on your hand with a couple of drops of water. You roll it until it turns into a paste then rub it into your damp skin. As you can imagine, I soon learned that this was very messy and started only using it in the shower.

I liked the smell just fine. It smelled like lavender and somewhat herbal. But after using the whole tub of this stuff, I saw no change in my acne or any improvement in the brightness of my skin. I wouldn’t buy this product again.

 

I love using toners. They are actually my favorite part of my skincare routine. After I use a cleanser, they get any part of your face you might have missed and they make the face feel so fresh. I opted for the Eau Roma Water Toner from Lush because tea tree never works for my acne. I’ve had really good luck with rosewater based toners for brightening and acne. They also smell really great.

I found that I had better luck with cheaper rosewater toners than this one. There was no change in my acne nor did it help with the dullness. Though it did smell good, I wouldn’t buy this again either.

A clerk suggested this moisturizer to me when I told her I had oily skin. Lush’s moisturizers are very expensive, so I left with a sample. I’m really glad I didn’t buy a whole container. I just can’t get past the smell. This stuff smells really funky! Not to mention, I didn’t like how it felt under make up and I could just get a cheaper moisturizer that I actually like.

I really liked this product…at first. When I bought my first bottle, it did really help keep my acne at bay. However, when I bought my second bottle I noticed that the scent was off. I actually liked this scent a lot better, however since these products are handmade I was guessing that the ingredient ratio was off. The second batch really didn’t do as good and I have since discovered that products with stronger acne fighting ingredients help my skin better anyway. So, this is another one I won’t be buying again.

Just because I didn’t like any of these products doesn’t mean I have totally given up on Lush. I actually have a lot more products from them to review and will try more. What I have learned is that a Lush facial routine isn’t for me and sometimes cheaper brands are the way to go.

Product Reviews: Heritage Store Rosewater (as a toner)

This stuff! You guys know I’ve been going on and on about rosewater as toners and that I really wanted one. I even bought one and reviewed it (Naturally Rosy Review). However, I thought the Naturally Rosy brand’s bottle was just too small for $10. So, I did a little investigating on Amazon and found the 8 oz. Heritage Store brand for a little over eight dollars!

Now, this brand doesn’t have all the fancy trimmings like green tea and honey. The pink bottle contains Vor-mag Water (water that has been vortexed and magnetized to raise the energy to a higher vibration that we believe to be more beneficial). and Rosa Damascena (Hydroessential Rose) Flower Oil. (taken from the Heritage Store website). It may not be the real thing exactly, but it IS still organic! And I found it is SO MUCH BETTER!

When I use this stuff my face looks beautiful, gorgeous! Not to mention, it smells awesome and feels great on my skin! I cannot praise this stuff enough!

Reviewers on Amazon have said that it can be used for other purposes as well. I will also be testing it out as a curly hair refresher and a make up setter as well. So, look out for those reviews!

If you’re interested in rose water as a part of your beauty routine, I highly recommend this product. Go to Amazon and do some reading on it. It’s my favorite thing in my routine so far! The bottle I purchased doesn’t have a spray cap, so I just put some in a little spray bottle if I want to use it for my hair and make up.

Job Interview #2 and the e.l.f. Mist and Set Spray Review

Today, I had another job interview and it went really well. I was told upon leaving that I was wanted for a second interview. The hiring manager said that if I didn’t hear from them in the late afternoon, then I would hear from them by morning. Well, no call today. Better keep my ringer on tonight!

Of course, I had to make myself all pretty and apply make up. I really hate the foundation I use now, which is funny because I use to love it. But ever since I noticed the redness in one side of my face, it just doesn’t cover well. I also miss powder foundations. I switched from Bare Minerals to e.l.f.’s flawless liquid foundation (what I’m currently using) because I heard from a make up artist friend of mine that it (Bare Minerals) wasn’t good for your skin.

But the powders made my face look so good! I had tried other powder foundations after that, but the coverage was always horrible. Luckily, I ordered some powder foundation samples from a vegan cosmetics maker on Etsy. I can’t wait to review them!

Until then, I have to use up my e.l.f flawless liquid foundation and I also had the chance to properly use my new e.l.f. Mist and Set Spray. This time I sprayed it with the proper distance from my face and it kept my make up fairly fresh. The biggest problem is with my eye make up. It never wants to stay on my face! I ordered a vegan eye shadow primer from the same Etsy store as the foundation, so hopefully that will make my eye shadow stay. But I’ll still have the eye liner to deal with. It didn’t hold up well today. Anyone have any tips?

As for the Mist and Set, it does a good enough job. My only concern with it is that it’s a small bottle. However, the price is right at $3. However, I did mention in another post that I bought another bottle of rose water that can serve multiple purposes. When I run out of Mist and Set, I am going to try it out as a make up setter. It’s already going to get a rave review on being a toner alone! That stuff is razor!

Aside from all that, after the interview the fiance and I went out to eat. We were all giggly in the parking lot and flirty with each other. It felt so great. Which was good because the food was lousy. I felt so bad because I suggested the restaurant! But all was well because we came home and watched Daria and flirted with each other until he had to go to work.

I think that’s what we need to do. Try as hard as we can to make time for each other alone. We go out friends a lot and it can be difficult. We need the time to talk seriously, flirt, and just be goofy. I think I’ll ask him if he wants to watch the Last Unicorn tonight.

Product Review: Papaya Toner

As you guys know, I absolutely love the Etsy shop, FacenEarth. So far, the silver colloidal face wash is the only wash that keeps my acne and rosacea at bay. I didn’t really care for its matching toner though so, I bought a rosewater toner from another Etsy shop. I loved the toner, but I just didn’t love paying $10 for such a small bottle. I decided to cruise FacenEarth’s Etsy site for a toner and purchased the papaya toner for its brightening properties. I thought it could give my bio oil some help. Besides, my skin is in major need of a glow boost.

The owner of the shop was nice enough to send me a small bottle of the matching cleanser to go with the toner. Well, papaya apparently does nothing for my skin. I’m having a break out right now (that time again) and switching to use the little sample is not helping, but I’m going to use them up because I paid for them and I don’t like to waste. I know for sure now that I have to stick with the silver cleanser, the little papaya cleanser does not keep my rosacea away. I have that annoying little red rash on my cheek. I can’t wait to use all of the little bottle up.

The cleanser actually smells pretty good, but for some reason I’m not digging the smell of the toner. Not to mention, the main reason I bought it (size issues) seemed to be a waste because the bottle isn’t much bigger from the rosewater toner.

I ended up purchasing another rosewater toner off of Amazon. I just really want to use a rosewater toner after seeing what it did for my skin and this one had rave reviews. This one is very reasonably priced at $8 for 8 ounces! Not to mention, it has multiple uses. I’m also going to test it out as a make up setter and a spray for my curly hair. I think I’ll write multiple reviews for each purpose.

I won’t be testing that toner until I use up the papaya toner. If I don’t like the new rosewater toner, I’ll just go back to the old Etsy one. Since it apparently has multiple uses (Amazon rosewater toner), if it doesn’t work for my skin I could possibly use it for something else.

But just because the papaya toner didn’t work for me, doesn’t mean it won’t work for you. If you think your skin might benefit from it, give it a try! FacenEarth has amazing products!

Job Interview #1

Yay! Things are finally happening! I had my first real job interview today and I think it went well by my standards. Usually my social anxiety takes over and I can’t make eye contact and I stutter, but I gave myself an internal pep talk before the interviewer called me in. I managed to keep my eyes on the interviewers when I spoke and if I did stutter it was only once or twice. I honestly don’t remember stuttering though.

They seemed impressed by some of the work I’ve done in graduate school. So, I have that going for me. The only thing that bothered me was I felt very differently dressed from the other candidates. Granted, most of the other applicants were men, so of course they would be dressed differently. I just felt my look was more “the cute professional” rather than just “professional.”

I wore a dress style top that’s black, but has black and grey plaid on the top of the blouse. I had the the matching tights and some cute black ankle boots. It kind of screams “cute librarian” (especially with my black frame glasses). That’s my thing. I like to look professional, but I still want to wear what I like. I just seemed more cutesy, than the few other ladies. Do you think it was a mistake?

There was a lot of people applying for this position, so the competition is fierce! I will get a call by Thursday if they want me back for a second interview. I also have a pre-interview lined up on Thursday afternoon. That will take place online and from there I will be able to schedule a face to face interview! This is all so exciting!

Now, I’ve been having to tell myself that if none of this works out I can’t just wallow in despair. I just have to keep going. I went for months with no luck and now doors are opening! I probably will get down again, but I’ll find something. I also have a back up gig that might start in August.

I also wanted to say something about my natural skincare series. I know I said I liked the Naturally Rosy toner, but it’s just too little for $10. I wanted something a little more cost effective, so I ordered two more toners. The first is the papaya toner from FacenEarth. Turns out, it’s still pretty small for the price, but I’m still going to review it. The other one is the one I’m really excited about. Rose water has done amazing things for my skin, so I ordered one from Amazon that’s a whopping 8 ounces for $8!

I’ll be testing those out soon, so watch out for the reviews. I’m still trying to navigate through the moisturizers. But we’ll get to the end! I also have some natural make up samples coming in. Very excited about that!

Furthermore, I haven’t stopped doing book reviews. I’m just reading a VERY large book.

Hang in there kids! Lots of exciting things will be happening here at Ruined In All The Right Ways!

Product Reviews: “Naturally Rosy” Rosewater Toner

I’ve found it, guys. I’ve finally found the holy grail of toners for me. Gosh, I’ve been searching for years. I’ve heard that rosewater can do wonders for your skin and really brighten it up. I was always very eager to try it out. I just had to get rid of other toners I bought first. I noticed a different in my skin’s tone after the first use!

Here are the benefits of rosewater that is listed on the toner’s Etsy page:

Rose water prevents and or reduces eye puffiness. Rosewater helps to maintain your skin’s pH balance.
It helps fight acne, dermatitis and eczema. Rose water helps to hydrate, revitalize, moisturize, and smooth out the skin. It also helps to heal scars, cuts and wounds. Rose water calms the skin to help ease any stress and anxiety. It helps tone the skin, while offering anti-bacterial properties. The antioxidant properties of rose water help to strengthen skin cells along with regenerating skin tissues. It also helps to revitalize aging skin while keeping fine lines and wrinkle at bay.

Another good thing about this toner is that the other ingredients besides rosewater are not only natural, but they also are very good for your skin. The other ingredients include aloe vera, chamomile, green tea, and raw honey.

The only downside I found is that it’s $10 for a 4 oz. bottle, but you must factor in that you are paying for quality ingredients. I just replaced the normal cap with a cap that squirts, so I can control how much I use. Also, the owner is very accommodating. I asked them if I could pay extra for a bigger bottle, but they don’t have one. However, they said they could keep a look out for a recyclable glass bottle. It never hurts to ask! You can find this toner at the Etsy shop NaturallyRosyRiley and here is a direct link to the toner: https://www.etsy.com/listing/227467494/rosewater-toner?ref=shop_home_active_1

Now, let me catch you up to speed on my natural skincare series. Here’s the parts of the routine we have found.

• Cleanser:Colloidal Silver Acne Face Wash
• Toner:Rosewater Toner
• Acne Medicine: AcneFree Terminator 10 (you can find this at Walmart or just look it up online)
• Body Shop Facial brush for night time washing: http://www.thebodyshop-usa.com/skin-care/skin-care-accessories/rounded-handle-facial-brush.aspx
• Moisturizer: Still testing

Extras:

• Bio Oil for Post Acne Marks: You can purchase this at Walmart or look it up online.

This means that we almost to the end of the natural skincare series. It makes me a little sad, but honestly I’m glad I’m finding the right routine for me. Of course, it will never actually really be the end because I’ll always be trying new products. I’ll actually be searching for organic make-up once I get rid of the stuff I already have.

I Feel My Inner Grunge Goddess

I’m sure you guys have noticed from my blog that I absolutely love the 90s decade and in particular the grunge and alternative scene. Well, I finally got my hands on something razor to go with my babydoll dresses and band shirts. But I’ll save that for the end of this entry.

I told you guys that the lady from FacenEarth was sending me a couple of free sample face scrubs. Well, that’s what I thought. But I actually got a whole box full of samples! Thank you! I gave a few to family, but I tried out the Grapefruit cleanser and it smells great! Unfortunately, it doesn’t keep my rosacea at bay like my normal cleanser does. I also tried out the rosehip moisturizer and my skin was absolutely glowing! So, this moisturizer may be a contender! I’ll see how it goes. I thought the smell was a little too strong, but my fiance loved it so much that he took a big wiff of my face. Which was weird.

Today, I went shopping and I bought the bio oil, so that review will be coming soon. I also bought a new bookshelf for my books. I also stocked up on fruits and healthy snacks, as I am trying to drop the weight. It’s hard to do that when my in-laws love their sugary snacks. So, I decided to combat the temptation with snacks of my own. I’ve already kicked soda out and I drink water with the occasional bit of lemon juice.

I know some of you have been looking forward to the rosewater toner review. It will take a bit longer because a sample toner was in the box and I am trying to use it up. But it won’t take long.

And…as I am listening to 90s alternative on Pandora, I’ll show you guys what I got.

Black Floral Doc Martens!

Doc Martens usually run for $200 these days, but Journeys was having a sale and I got them for $50. These will be perfect for all my clothes and the fiance and I are discussing a possible grunge wedding theme. My grandma will love that. HA! I’m sorry the quality isn’t so good. I’ll take some more pictures soon.

Product Reviews: Shea Moisture’s African Black Soap Problem Skin Moisturizer

I finally got around to using the last bit of a moisturizer I wasn’t too fond of and started using the moisturizer that came with the African Black Soap Kit. The results were kind of mixed.

What I Liked: This moisturizer uses the same ingredients that are in the African Black Soap toner. I really liked that toner and the only reason I decided to switch to a rosewater based one is because I heard it could brighten up skin tone and help with post acne marks. The ingredients include tamarind and tea tree oil. I didn’t know what a tamarind was, so I looked it up. Turns out that it is a tree that grows a date-like fruit.

The moisturizer does not feel light and feels a little heavier than most moisturizers advertise. Most might not find this endearing, but I found that the more a moisturizer is advertised as “light,” the greasier it is. Which is funny because light is also advertised with non-greasy. It also gave my face a nice, bright dewy look.

The moisturizer also comes in a very nice sized pot.

What I Didn’t Like: Pew! This stuff stinks! It smells exactly like the facial scrub I told you guys I hated.

Conclusion: Honestly, if I don’t like the white tea moisturizer I bought, I could see myself keeping this one around. It has more pros than cons and the smell fades throughout the day.

What’s Next For the Skin Care Adventure: 

• Rosewater Toner
• Sample Face Scrubs from FacenEarth
• White Tea Moisturizer
• Bio Oil (for acne marks)

Product Review: Body Shop Facial Brush

When I finally got this brush in the mail last week, I think I was most surprised by how small it was. Many users actually said that it was really small in the reviews, but I didn’t expect to fit in the palm of my hand! Of course, the size of the brush has both pros and cons.

The pros is that this brush is great for traveling and it doesn’t take much to wash it out. However, it can be somewhat frustrating to use because of its size. I find myself dropping it a lot, but I have a serious case of the butterfingers. Another thing I liked about the brush is that it comes with a lid. When you are not using it, you don’t have to worry about it getting dusty or dirty from your counter or where ever else you would keep it. But of course, the most important question is how does it perform?

I use mine every night before bed. I think you should probably use it once a day because too much friction could lead to irritated skin. That’s another reason why I chose a manual brush over one of the more fancy spinning ones. I think it’s more cost effective and better for your skin.

Every morning I wake up with brighter, softer skin,  so I definitely think it was worth it. The only thing I am worried about is that some of the bristles tend to stick out, so I’m wondering if I’ll have to buy one once a year or something. It’s only three dollars though, not bad at all.

If you don’t want to spend the money on an expensive facial brush, I would suggest this brush!

What’s next on my natural skin care adventure: I’m almost out of the moisturizer I’m trying to use up. Then once that is gone, I’ll have two to test out to finally find out I like enough to stick with. My rosewater toner also came in, so once I use all of the African Black Soap toner, I can try it. I’ve also been using lemon juice to get rid of dark marks, but I’ve heard good things about bio oil. I would like to do an entry comparing the two. Also, the lady that makes my homemade cleanser was so happy about my review of it that she has decided to send me some free samples of facial scrubs!

Product Reviews: My New Favorite “Magic in a Bottle” Face Wash

Okay, before we begin I have to point out that this facial cleanser is not really called “magic in a bottle.” That’s just the nickname I have given it. If we backtrack to the previous installment of my little natural skincare adventure, you’ll remember that I wasn’t too impressed with Shea Moisture’s African Black Soap Kit, but I in fact found a much better cleanser.

Now, if you’ve been following my skincare posts from the very beginning you would know that I’ve actually been searching Etsy for facial products that work for me for well over a year! Now, we’re finally going to talk about a keeper!

This nifty cleanser doesn’t really have a name but instead is listed on Etsy as “Colloidal Silver Anti Bacterial Cleanser with Green Tea, Chamomile & Lavender.” It also promises to help with acne and rosacea. You guys already know that I get the occasional pesky PCOS related acne break out, but I’ve quite recently also noticed that my cheeks sometimes sport a splotchy red rash. I suspect a mild form of rosacea.

I’m sure we’ve all heard of the familiar facial soothing ingredients green tea, chamomile, and lavender. I can even say I’ve tried them all, though not all together. But I’ve never heard of using colloidal silver in all of my acne research. According to the Etsy shop, FacenEarth, colloidal silver has powerful antiseptic, disinfectant and germicidal properties. It has also been shown to promote wound healing. Research on the broad spectrum antimicrobial effect of Colloidal silver has exploded in recent years. Ionic silver is also believed to possess cell renewing properties, which may contribute to its effectiveness against many cases of acne. Colloidal silver has reportedly cleared up other inflammatory skin conditions like rosacea, eczema, dermatitis and a variety of rashes. Colloidal silver works against these conditions whether they are caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi and appears to speed the repair of damaged tissues. Silver is a powerful antimicrobial and kills bacteria on contact.

The cleanser had an ingredient I hadn’t tried, but I actually had been bypassing it for a while due to the price. It is a bit pricey at $15. But after trying the African Black Soap and seeing the acne at bay, but a red, splotchy skin tone, I was totally up for trying it. I would later learn that it was worth every single penny.

I have been using this cleanser for two weeks now and my skin has regained a glow it hasn’t had in a while. I once believed that the glow could now only be achieved with make-up. I also have one single zit that grows smaller and smaller with each passing day.

Other pros of this cleanser include a pleasant herbal scent that I enjoy (but this could be a question of taste). It lathers really well. This is something that the African Black Soap did NOT do. For the price, it actually goes a long way as in a little goes a long way. And of course, you are washing your face with nice, organic ingredients!

So, I have made this cleanser my permanent cleanser. If the lovely owner ever goes out of business she’ll have to teach me how to make it because I’m convinced I can’t live without it. You can check out her Etsy shop at; https://www.etsy.com/people/facenearth

What’s next on my natural skincare adventure? Recently I saw another fellow WordPress blogger write about a facial brush that she likes from the Body Shop. It promises to restore your face’s glow, exfoliate, and make your complexion better. I’m all for that. I actually used to own a Proactiv facial brush and hated it. A Clarisonic is waaay too expensive and I actually think a spinning facial brush may ruin skin. So, after reading her review I hopped onto the Internet and ordered it on overnight shipping! It just arrived! Expect a review on it soon.

Check out her review on the Body Shop Brush here: https://withtinu.wordpress.com/2015/06/16/product-praise-ft-the-body-shop-facial-brush-with-lid/

I have also ordered a rosewater toner and still have moisturizers to try. Once my skin routine is complete I’ll post picture results! Thank you for going on this journey with me.