Review: Clean & Clear Deep Cleansing Lotion

I'm certain I've said this a million times already on both my blog and my channel but I'll say it again, my skin is seriously freaking out. I have bumps along my forehead and have been breaking out in my T-zone. I'm not sure what caused my skin to go haywire but I've slowly been trying to fix it and get it back to being smooth and blemish-free.
I started off by using Lush's Ultrabland Facial Cleanser to reset my skin and now here I am with a brand new skincare routine that will hopefully solve all my problems. This Clean & Clear Deep Cleansing Lotion (£2.99) was the first new product I incorporated into my routine. I had done some research and found that I should incorporate Salicylic Acid into my routine. One of the first active ingredients listed on the back of this bottle was Salicylic Acid so I thought why not give it a try?
I like to use this product after I've removed my makeup and washed my face. I pour a little bit onto a cotton pad and gently wipe it across my face and neck. It works to remove any remaining traces of makeup and I can feel my pores tightening. However, I can't seem to get over the strong chemical smell of the product. I know that most toners do have an intense alcohol scent but this one was just overwhelming.
I've almost used up the entire bottle by now in a little under a month and I can say with certainty that while I didn't notice any more bumps or breakouts, it didn't do much in fixing the problem areas I already had. I will not be repurchasing this in the future because in my opinion I could probably find a better product for around the same price. I'm thinking of trying the Boots Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Toner (£3.59) or the Neutrogena Visibly Clear Spot Stress Control 3-in-1 Daily Cleansing Lotion (£3.99). If any of you have used these products before, I'd love to know what you'd think of them or if you have any other products to recommend!
♥
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Review: Boots Essentials Cleansing Wipes

I first mentioned this product in my Boots & Superdrug Haul not too long ago and if you watched it then you'll know what I'm going to say next. This Boots Essentials Cleansing Wipes (£1.50) is absolute rubbish. I only bough them because I was jet lagged wandering around Boots trying to pick up whatever I desperately needed in as little time as possible and it happened to be on a 3 for £3 sale.
While I got the product for only £1, in essence you are paying £1.50 for 25 wipes. I believe this is the standard amount of wipes you would typically get in one of these packets but I feel like I use them up so quickly because sometimes I'll need two to effectively rid my face of all my makeup. This is because the wipes are so dry. When you take them out of the packet you feel almost no moisture and even when I got down to the bottom of my last pack the sheets were still not damp.
I feel like I'm rubbing my face with a paper towel when I'm using this product. I'm the type of person who likes wipes that are heavily saturated so clearly this product gets a big thumbs down from me. I believe the only up side to these wipes are that they are not heavily scented and I haven't had any problems with irritation from the formula.
I ended up buying two of these Boots Essentials Cleansing Wipes and one Boots Essentials Eye Make-Up Remover Gel for a total of £3. While it certainly was a bargain, I would have much rather paid more money for products that actually work. If you read my review on the Boots Essentials Eye Make-Up Remover Gel then you'll know that it sounded exactly like this one. After my experience with these two products from the Boots Essentials line, I can decidedly say that I am never buying a product from this line again.
♥
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Review: Soap & Glory Hand Food

Come the colder months I tend to develop an obsession with keeping my hands moisturized as I can't stand to see them dry and flaky. Thus, I have tried numerous hand creams from high-end to drugstore. Some were good and others were bad, but this Soap & Glory Hand Food Hydrating Hand Cream ($5.00 for 1.7 oz) has made it to the top of my list.

June Favorites 2013 (MAC, Urban Decay, Revlon + More!)

Hey everyone! It's hump day aka Wednesday and to get you over that hump I bring to you my very first video on my new YouTube channel! I deliberately waited until the end of the month to release the first video on my new channel because I wanted it to be a monthly favorites. Monthly favorites and hauls are my favorite videos to watch so I wanted to start off with one of those. Hope you enjoy~

Review: Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream SPF 35

Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of BB creams but the ones here in America typically can't cut it. When compared to Asian brands like Skin79 and Lioele, what we call BB creams here are really just tinted moisturizers. So it only makes sense that I was super skeptical when I purchased the Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream SPF 35 ($39) in the shade Light/Medium.

Review: Soap & Glory Flake Away Body Polish

I've been in the market for a good body scrub for a long time. I used to use Lush's Ocean Salt ($21.95) but it was much too abrasive and way too expensive for my liking. So when Sephora sent me a 15% off VIB coupon code, I jumped at the chance to get this Soap & Glory Flake Away Body Polish ($20). I had always looked at it in stores and everything from the texture to the smell really drew me in.

As with all Soap & Glory products, this body polish comes in the most adorable and girly pink container. There's just something in the way they design the labels on their packaging that never fails to entice me into buying or at least checking out their products. You get 10.1 fl oz. of product in this giant pink tub, which is quite a lot more than 4.2 oz. of Ocean Salt you get for $21.95.

According to the packaging, the product is a "shea butter, sugar and peach seed powder spa body polish with skin smoothing sea salt, grapeseed and almond oils." It may sound like a load of mumbo jumbo but basically it's a sugar based body scrub that smells so delicious you'd want to eat it.

The consistency of the product is very gooey and it feels like a paste with little scrubby beads when you apply it to your skin. A little goes a long way and you don't need to scrub too hard to reveal softer and smoother looking skin. I use this product about once a week and in just three uses, I've already noticed a decrease in in-grown hairs, bumps and dry patches on my skin. The best part is right after you use it, if you touch your skin it feels baby smooth even without lotion.
I'm completely in love with this body polish and it's definitely the best body polish I've ever tried. It's not too abrasive and not too gentle, it smells delicious and works wonders on my skin. I'll definitely be repurchasing this once I use it all up but I don't see that happening for a long time since you get such a generous amount of product! ♥
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December Wish List!

Alright, so my wish list is late too but in my defense I've been working my butt off for finals week. My first final is this coming Friday and I'll try to keep posting as much as I can but if you don't hear much from me in the next two weeks don't be alarmed! Now without further ado, let's get on to my December Wish List!

December Wish List by lipstickndlace

1. Soap & Glory Flake Away Body Polish ($18) - I've been meaning to get a body scrub for like...ever! Yet somehow this has always managed to escape making it onto my monthly wish lists. This body polish from Soap & Glory is supposed to smell deliciously beautiful and I'm dying to try it.

2. Aussie Aussome Volume Mousse ($2.50) - Another thing I've been meaning to get since forever: volumizer. My hair is very straight and limp and I've been on the hunt for a good volumizer, or just one in general! I've never used one before and I'm hoping it'll give me good results. Any recommendations?

3. Lush Hottie Massage Bar ($9.95) - My muscles have been so sore lately and I think it's because I
haven't stretched in months. Once this semester is over I'm determined to start stretching again and maybe signing up for a gym membership. But until then, I think this massage bar and my wonderful loving boyfriend will have to tackle my sore muscle problems.

4. Sigma Performance Eyes Kit ($61) - My eyes are tiny and I have monolids so most eye brushes don't work for me. I will admit that the ones I've been using for the past year are somewhat too big and I think that's why I'm not as daring with my eye looks. This brush set is made for precision, which is just what I need for my Asian eyes.

5. Lush Sunny Side Bubble Bar ($7.25) - I'm Lush obsessed and you probably already knew that, but I've never tried any of their bubble bars/bath bombs! I want to buy some and bring them along with me to Florida in January during my vacation with my boyfriend so I can relax and indulge in them in our hotel bathroom. This bubble bar supposedly sparkles as well as making bubbles when you drop it in. Any other bubble bar/bath bomb suggestions?

6. Mac Cosmetics Making Pretty Lipstick in 3N ($28) - I haven't bought anything from MAC in a seriously long time and I think it's because their latest collections haven't been too appealing, until now. I'm not too sure about the shade of this lipstick, but I am quite the sucker for what looks to me to be a rose gold + textured packaging. I'll have to see it in person at a MAC store before I buy it, but if I like, I will buy!

What's on your wish lists this month? Leave a link below if you have a wish list post, I'm always looking for new wish list ideas!

August Beauty Wish List!

August is here, and while that means Summer is coming to a close, it also means that Fall is right around the corner. Today also happens to be my Mom's birthday so, Happy Birthday Mommy!

Anyways, since it's the beginning of the month that means it's time for my monthly beauty wish list. I like to make monthly wish lists in order to keep in mind what I want to get in that month. This way I don't spend money on impulse buys for which I'm highly susceptible to.

August Wish List:

1. EOS Organic Lip Balm Sphere ($2.99+) - I know, I know. I'm really late to the game on this one. But honestly, I didn't want to spend money on a lip balm when I already had one. And while I still have one, I keep passing by these cute little egg shaped lip balms every time I go to the drugstore and I keep wanting to buy one! So I think I'm just going to give in and finally get one. I specifically want the Strawberry Sorbet one because it's pink and pink is my favorite color and I love strawberry.

2. NYX Cosmetics Soft Matte Lip Cream ($6.00) - I've been dying to try out these soft matte lip creams from NYX cosmetics. Sam from Beauty Crush wears them all the time in her videos and every color she wears looks absolutely gorgeous! They're supposed to be like lip gloss lip stick hybrids, going on like a lip gloss but setting to a matte lipstick like finish.

3. Tarte Amazonian 12-Hour Clay Blush ($25) - A lot of beauty gurus on YouTube rave about these blushes and I think it's about time I try one out. I don't own a lot of blushes so I'm really looking to expand my collection. I'm thinking about trying out the shade Exposed because Jen from From Head to Toe raves about it all the time and it's unlike any blush color I have.

4. The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Toner ($11) - I've never gotten into using toners because a lot that I've tried have ended up just drying me out. However, my skin has been acting really strange and breaking out so I figured maybe adding a toner into the mix for balancing would help. I really want to try this tea tree toner because I've heard it isn't overly drying but it still keeps breakouts from occurring.

So this is what's on my beauty wish list for August. I'm hoping to purchase most if not all of these products by the end of the month so I can get a chance to write a review on each for all of you.

What are on all of your beauty wish lists for the month? And do you have any suggestions for products I should try out?