I've followed Lauryn Bosstick for years and have always loved her beauty and wellness tips. That's why when she announced her new brand, aptly named The Skinny Confidential, I knew we were in for a treat. I couldn't trust anyone more to produce the most perfect beauty products that will enhance our lives in so many ways.

Lauryn always waxed poetic about ice rolling and how important that was to her and her beauty routine so the fact that her first product was The Hot Mess Ice Roller made perfect sense in my eyes. I purchased it the moment it was available and it truly is one of the best beauty products I've ever owned. 

I am someone who will do anything to feel better, make my life easier, or just try something new and innovative. That's why I respond so well to all the new products that the wellness industry releases. I'm big on anything minimally invasive and will help me feel my best. 

Enter The Patch Brand.

*Full disclosure, the brand sent me the entire line to try a few months ago and I've been wearing and testing them since then and wanted to wait until I tried them all, multiple times, to put together a brand buzz review. This post isn't sponsored but I received the items for free!

I've tried wellness patches before and I think they are the best, easiest, and most carefree way to add a little self-care into your life. All you do is slap the patch onto your skin and let it do its job at making you feel better.

The Patch Brand has five different wellness patches, all targeting different areas:

• Focus
• Energy
• Immunity
• Sleep
• Stress

When looking back at my brand buzz posts I was surprised to see that I have never, not once, done a round-up of Charlotte Tilbury. I was shocked because it is the beauty brand I purchase from most often and I figured that at least within the past 3-4 years I would've talked about my all-time favorite products from the brand. 

Charlotte Tilbury is my favorite beauty brand of all time and I will buy anything they put out. Charlotte Tilbury, the person, is a world-renowned makeup artist who has taken over the beauty world with her innovative, beautiful, luxurious makeup and skincare. It all started a few years ago with her cult-classic lipsticks, especially the award-winning shade, Pillow Talk which is known for being universally flattering.

Her empire has since expanded to include even more lipstick formulas, blushes, bronzers, highlighters, skincare, and everything in between. There is something about her products, about the marketing, about the way she speaks about makeup that makes me lose my mind. Charlotte Tilbury and her band of celebrity ambassadors could sell me a water bottle and I would buy it.

You might think I'm a sucker but there are very few things from the brand that I do not like. Everything I try, which is most of her products, I like and continue to repurchase. I would be lying if I said I didn't want to include them all on this list but I cut it down to only include the items that I truly love, use consistently, and have repurchased. 

Back in May, I featured this brand and its products in a Beauty in Review post but now it's time to give them all the brand love.

I've heard about Maelove for years, mostly from one of my favorite beauty influencers, Jessica Braun. She raved about their serums and oils for so long but I never took the plunge and bought their products. I have a hard time buying products that aren't featured at a major beauty retailer like Nordstrom, Sephora or Ulta. Maelove isn't available at any of those places and can really only be found at their direct-to-consumer website.

However, I was in luck because the brand reached out to me and wanted to send me (almost) their entire line of products to try. I was through the roof and the moment I opened the package, I incorporated all the products into my night routine. *Most of these items I exclusively use at night because of the nature of the ingredients. 

Before we get into the products, let's talk a bit about the brand.

I've spoken extensively over the years about my love of Drybar but I've never done a full Brand Buzz aka brand overview about them. 

Drybar has been on my radar for a while... at least 4 years because that's when I went to Drybar for the first time. However, I think my love affair with the brand had been a year or two longer than that. I've used their products for a long time and am pretty obsessed with the idea and branding of the entire brand, from the salon to the accessories to the tools and products. It's ingenious and I've learned so much about the idea behind it from listening to interviews with Alli Webb. 

I've been a little obsessed with my hair during quarantine because I feel like it's been changing and I figured that now is as good a time as any to share my favorite items from the brand.

I've mentioned Stoney Clover Lane over the past few months and I simply cannot get enough. I've admired the brand from afar over the past year or so, ever since seeing their pouches pop up on Instagram. It wasn't until September that I finally bought myself a pouch and the obsession has been in full force ever since.

The Products & Collaborations 

How to Customize

Where to Purchase 

The Stores

The Community

Below are some Stoney Clover items I love!

What questions do you have about Stoney Clover Lane?

I've talked many times how much I love Kylie Lip Kits and I wrote a blog post 2 years ago about my favorite colors in the lip kits. They are my favorite liquid lipsticks and the only ones I wear; I swear by the formula because they are super long lasting but I don't really think they are drying. I have tried many more drying liquid lipsticks.

While the liquid lipstick trend has since died down from the start of Kylie Cosmetics, they are still my favorite products from her.

Everyone has their opinion on Kylie Cosmetics and the Kardashian/Jenner clan and some might not enjoy Kylie Cosmetics for the sole reason that Kylie Jenner owns it. I think she is badass and so cool and the fact that she has built this cosmetics company is insane. I love the Kardashians and will forever keep up with them.

I wanted to do a Brand Buzz because I've tried so many different items from Kylie Cosmetics and I figured it was ready. I was going to wait to do this post once I tried the concealers (which is crazy that I haven't yet since concealers are my favorite beauty product) but I'll just do another post when that time comes.

I also figured it would be appropriate to do this post since Kylie's 21st birthday collection launches at 3 PM PST today! 

For now, here are my current favorites and items I would repurchase from Kylie Cosmetics.

1. Twenty Lip Kit: I'm pretty sure I mentioned this lipstick before but I cannot get enough. It was released for Kylie's 20th birthday last year and I have it in that special packaging. I'm so thankful she made it permanent because it is my all time favorite lip color. Kylie describes it as a mid-tone rose brown and that is the perfect description. It's your lips but better color and a splash deeper. Also, I feel like the formula on this is extra good. It's a little creamier and easier to apply than my other lip kit shades. I highly recommend this shade to everyone -- it's my go-to for fall and I can't wait to rock it again.

2. Kristen Lip Kit: I scored this reddish lipstick within the past few months and it's gorgeous. When you want a red lip but don't want to go overboard, Kristen is the perfect shade. It's classified as a warm, reddy brown and I love that description. It's a color you can wear all year round and I've been wearing it a lot more than any other red lipstick this season.

3. Koko Lip Kit: I don't think I mentioned this in my last Kylie post but Koko is my favorite color next to Twenty. It's the perfect pink that leans a little nude and it compliments any makeup look. If I want to rock a liquid lipstick but not feeling bold, Koko is my go to. I've repurchased it twice so far so you know it's my favorite!

4. Vacation Palette: This palette was released last summer and it was one of Kylie's first bigger palettes. I never picked it up and then it went out of stock forever and I lost my chance. At the beginning of the summer, it came back on Kylie's website and there was a promotion going on so I got this palette discounted (Kylie has been doing a lot of promos and sales recently which is great because she never used to do them at the beginning). I have fallen head over heels for this palette! The formula is great -- better than her other eyeshadow palettes and while the colors are very similar, you could really do a lot with it. When I don't know which eyeshadow palette to use, I use this. It is the perfect summer palette and does have a few deeper shades to take you through the colder seasons. I am obsessed with this palette!

5. Creme Lipstick: I was so excited when Kylie launched her Creme lipsticks and wow, they are incredible. They are probably the creamiest lipsticks I've ever used in my life, which is great because my lips are always dry. I have the shade Dulce de Leche and also the Kris Jenner shade ''Give Me a Kiss" and both are so beautiful. I'm obsessed and need the deeper shades for Fall.

*I keep referencing Fall because I am clearly excited.

A few honorable mention liquid lipsticks are Ginger, Brown Sugar, and One Wish.

I do have a Kylie wishlist so I might do that as another post so you can see what I'm eyeing!

Do you like Kylie Cosmetics? Would you try something from her?
xoxo
B

Last year I discovered a handbag company that is super unique and fun -- Danielle Nicole Handbags.

I don't know how I came across the brand but when I did, I fell in love.

Basically, it's a chic, Disney handbag company. Danielle Nicole is a real person and she started this handbag line after working and producing leather goods for Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, and other high-end retailers.

That's the good thing about her company: she has actual, really pretty leather goods in addition to the fun Disney items.

Danielle Nicole has a licensing agreement with Disney to produce these handbags and accessories with our favorite Disney characters, so everything is legit and realistic.

Now, you're probably thinking where you would wear a Tinkerbell crossbody and yes, sometimes I have that thought too but at the same time, fashion is all about expressing yourself and being fun so if you want to show your Disney pride, go right ahead.

Not to be judgemental but there are plenty of people out there who wear what they want without a second guess so why can't you? Why can't I?

I am obsessed with Disney; it is such a big part of my life and makes me so happy so to have something so beautiful that represents Disney and is my favorite character is awesome. To know there is a company that loves Disney as much as I do is pretty cool.



I got my first piece of Danielle Nicole last year before I went to Disney on a work trip. I knew I wanted a fun Disney piece to take with me, but I also wanted something practical. That's why I went with the Mila backpack.

It's this adorable, white leather mini bag that came with Beauty and the Beast patches to stick on and add some Disney flair.

The great thing about the tote was that if you want to change the patches, you could really add whatever you wanted to the bag. You could also just leave it blank and not have any patches.

It was the perfect, small size to carry everything I needed around the park and also was comfortable to wear on my back.




When I came home I had the Disney itch so I bought a Sleeping Beauty PVC (which is now very in style) clutch. The outside doesn't have any Disney and the inside has the Sleeping Beauty design so once again, it's practical to use whether you want Disney or not.

Everything is really good quality and she even has jewelry exclusive to the Disney store. And like I said if Disney isn't your thing you could get a regular leather good from her.

Over the past year, Danielle Nicole expanded into Rugrats, Looney Toones, and Harry Potter items and they're all pretty awesome. I haven't bought anything from these collections yet but I do want too.

I have an obsession with this company and I love that it's created by a woman -- I love a good woman created company.

Below are a few other pieces I have my eye on!


*You can find Danielle Nicole on her website, HSN, and the Disney Store!

Have you tried anything from Danielle Nicole? Would you rock a Disney bag in a place other than Disneyworld?

xoxo
B

I first heard of Alex and Ani when I was in college. The company popped up all over campus, mostly amongst my sorority sisters because of the brand's adorable charm bracelets which included sorority letters.

By the end of my Senior Year,  I had a hefty collection of Alex and Ani bracelets and had noticed that the brand was taking a step back from the traditional bangle jewelry that had put them on the map. They started releasing regular jewelry, including rings and necklaces, which mimicked the look of the bangles.

After graduating, I took a step away from Alex and Ani. My bracelets became tarnished, the brand started to bore me, and I didn't like wearing the bracelets to work because they seemed too cumbersome.

It wasn't until a few months ago that I got back into the Alex and Ani game and my entire view of the brand has changed.

I can confidently say that this brand is one of my favorite brands ever... top 5 for sure.

I feel like Alex and Ani have found its voice. One look at their website, brand blog, and social media and you'll see that they are a brand that has spiritual ties. I don't mean religious ties, I mean spirt such as healing, astrology, ancient wisdom, and so much more. The brand is empowering, has a wellness edge and is just simply calming.

I think what I also like about them is that they aren't just selling you their products; there are different aspects of the brand and that can be seen in their app and their blog. They're informative and focused on giving customers something else to believe in. It's a really informative brand and gives you the story behind their products.

Every piece has a story, a few descriptive words to tell you what you're buying. For example, the Compass bangle comes with a card that says "Objective, Direction, Transition"... it makes you feel like you have something other than just a bangle.

Alex and Ani also have a huge charity story where they create collections based on certain charities and even have sales on their items to donate to organizations.

The brand is a good brand; it has good intentions, great products, and a really wonderful story.

Since I've gotten back on the Alex and Ani bandwagon, I've made so many purchases (they also have amazing sales) and I feel so good about my collection.



These are the new items I bought recently:

Cosmic Balance Bangle
Peace Wrap Ring
Birthstone Ring
Let it Snow Bangle (similar)
What Is For You Bangle

I don't think I have a favorite item, but I really love the Peace Wrap Ring. I wear it on my middle finger, it fits perfectly and is so comfortable. I need more wrap rings ASAP because they're just so cool.

I've gotten rid of a few bangles over the years because they were so tarnished, they were seemingly unwearable -- and this was before I discovered the Alex and Ani cleansing cloth that I blogged about last week (LIFE CHANGING, I PROMISE YOU!)



Here are the bangles (and one ring) that I had in my collection from years ago; some of them are no longer available or have been revamped.



Evil Eye (I have the older version, here is the new one)
New Beginnings Bangle
Path of Life Spoon Ring
November Birth Stone Bangle
Stellar Love Bangle
Niece Bangle (no longer available)
Graudation Cap Bangle (2014 verison)
Phi Sigma Sigma Bangle (no longer available)

I'm forever lusting over new Alex and Ani pieces so below is my wishlist for the time being!

Becca is a newer brand on the beauty scene.. if 2001 is newer to you, but it really flourished back in 2014/2015 if I do say so myself.

It was a brand that was known for their highlighters, most noteworthy Opal. They've since branched out with other products but in their heart of hearts, I think they always stay true to their heritage as a highlight brand. They are always releasing new highlighters in limited edition colors and designs, and combining different highlighter colors to make a new one.

What I'm saying is that Becca Cosmetics has a lot of highlighters and pretty much have something for everyone, but they do have other great non highlighter products too.

I've been using Becca since 2015 and have used a lot of their products so I figured it was time for a Brand Buzz and time to give you my favorite products.



1. Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Champagne Pop: Opal is no longer the most famous highlighter in the universe; it was overtaken when Jaclyn Hill teamed up with Becca and released this gorgeous golden Champagne highlighter. It is by far my favorite highlighter and I have it in 4 separate forms (the original compact, the Jaclyn Hill Face Palette, the poured version, and the Slimlight. It is a gorgeous champagne gold that looks good on everyone. The formula is creamy and smooth but applies really nicely. It's just a great shade and I recommend everyone buying it.

2. Shimmering Skin Perfector Poured in Champagne Pop: I love cream products so when my favorite Becca shade was released in their cream formula, I jumped on it. It's the best cream highlighter formula I've ever tried because it's not too powerful in pigment but still packs a punch. It's also very easy to apply whether with a duo-fiber brush or your fingers. I love, love, LOVE this shade in the cream highlighter version.

3. Mineral Blush in Wild Honey: I love nothing more than a warm, neutral blush and Wild Honey is THAT perfect color. The formula is super soft, pigmented but not too pigmented so it doesn't get messy. It applies perfectly and smoothly on the skin and blends out really well too. This is a blush that I go with whenever I don't know which blush to wear and it always comes through.

4. Aqua Luminous Foundation: This is the only foundation I've ever really finished and I was just reminded at how much I loved it when I sat down to write this post. It's a very watery, liquid based foundation so it feels so good and light on the skin. From what I remember it's a medium coverage and blended out really well with a beautyblender. I also liked that it was a luminous foundation because my dry skin responded very well to it.

5. First Light Priming Filter: I don't know if I've ever loved a primer this much. I used it a lot when I first got it but then like most of us, I got bored but rediscovered it recently. I've been religiously using it for the past month and my goodness, I forgot why I loved it so much. It is one of the few primers that makes my makeup look really good all day long. Everything blends out really smoothly and evenly over it and I just LOVE IT. I highly recommend getting this over the original primer and Sephora has it in a mini size.




Honorable Mention: I LOVE my Jaclyn Hill face palette & eyeshadow palette (I was one of the few that had a good batch of shadow palettes and opted to keep it) but you can't get either of them anymore but I wanted to mention!




Also, I've been loving the Apres Ski Glow palette they just released for the holidays! I highly recommend getting this palette this season.

Below are the items on my Becca wishlist!






What do you love from Becca Cosmetics? 
xoxo
B

This post was sponsored by Her Campus Media, UNiDAYS, and REN Skincare

When I was in college, I knew that student discounts existed but it was not something that I took advantage of. Every time I went into a store, my first priority was not to ask if they offered a student discount but you'd be surprised at how many places do!

As a college student, money is tight and you need to cut corners however you can and there is a website that makes it so much easier...

UNiDAYS is a free service that gives you all the best student discounts and savings in one place. They have partnered with hundreds of retailers to help save college students money, and honestly, what is better than that?

Using this student savings service will help making back to school season easier... you can buy all your home items as well as a new Fall wardrobe.

Aside from the discounts (from brands like Apple, Urban Outfitters, Bed Bath and Beyond) they also offer weekly giveaways and a blog that is filled with career, social, and shopping advice. It really is your all in one college website, which to me, is always super helpful during the best four years of your life.



Now... onto another exciting part... I was able to get a few REN Skincare products from UNiDAYS since REN is a brand that offers a discount through the website.

I've had a handful of other REN products but I've been wanting to try more. The two products I chose have been a wonderful addition to my skincare routine and I'm so happy I was able to get them.

The Flash Hydro Boost is a moisturizer and a plumping emulsion to make your skin look fresh and beautiful. The interesting part of this product is that you apply it on dry skin and then massage a bit of water into your face to have it really absorb and supercharge the skin.



I've been using this for a few weeks (not regularly because sometimes I'm lazy) and I like the way it makes my skin feel. It is a bit awkward at first, wetting your face after applying moisturizer but it works out nicely.

The second product I chose was the V-Cense Revitalising Night Cream. I needed a new night cream desperately and this looked promising. It's really thick and emollient, locking in all the moisture your skin needs to heal and repair over night. This is going to be wonderful once the temperature drops and it gets freezing!

All in all, my experience with REN Skincare and UNiDAYS was super positive and I'm so happy that there is a resource like this out there for young college students.



UNiDAYS is a company that I wish I knew about when I was in college because we all know how much I love online shopping and I would've saved so much money (or spent more money because I was saving so much!)

Whenever a trend or a new company comes on the scene, the blogosphere is buzzing. The blog and this entire world is how I've discovered a lot of my favorite companies and products, but isn't that the point right now?

Social media, bloggers, and influencers are how we find out about everything now and it's only normal that a lot of companies are dubbed "social media companies" because that's how the word is being spread and how they're gaining customers.

Sorry for the social media rant, I've been on this knowledge kick because of my job and just researching more about the industry.

Anyways... by the title of this post you know that I'm talking about Bow and Drape; a company that lets you customize fun & punny sweatshirts, t-shirts, jackets, makeup bags, and even clothes for your dog.

They got their start a few years ago and have since made a huge splash with their high quality sweatshirts & sparkly appliqués. They do come with a hefty price tag -- around $65 for a customized sweatshirt but there is nothing more adorable than a sparkly, punny sweatshirt.

If you've never been on the website, I highly recommend heading over there now and playing around with some customization. From taxi cabs to hearts to pizza, and gold or black sparkly letters, the possibilities are truly endless.

I have 4 pieces from Bow and Drape; my first was an oatmeal colored sweatshirt that says Namaste in Bed; I can't tell you how many compliments I've gotten on it when I'm running errands or with my friends.



The thing about Bow and Drape is that their products are not meant to put into the washing machine or dry cleaned; just soak the item in your sink with some gentle detergent and viola -- it's clean! Because of this, it's stayed in great shape and is well worth the money.

For my 2nd sweatshirt I got a charcoal grey that says "I Can't Adult Today"; I like this one better than the Namaste because it's darker and is just slightly more comfortable but that could just be me and how I wear my sweatshirts.

I just bought my 3rd and 4th pieces this year; one from the NY Post Collection (the Sensational Sweatshirt) and a t-shirt that says "What Would Carrie Do?" as a homage to my idol Carrie Bradshaw.




As for sizing, the sweatshirts are true to size, maybe slightly smaller than normal but the t-shirts are VERY SMALL. Size up basically as much as you can -- that's my opinion.

I have so many designs saved in my profile on Bow & Drape  and I just want them all.

Graphic t-shirts are definitely back on trend and I couldn't be happier about it -- Bow and Drape plays right into that. I highly recommend grabbing a sweatshirt or something from them & trying them out! You won't regret it :)

xoxo
B

This month's brand buzz is dedicated to a stationary brand that has had my heart for years on end. It was one of the first online brands I discovered when I started my blog back in 2012 and it's a brand that I've never stopped following, caring about, or using.

I've spoken about them before and they were once known as May Books, but have transitioned into May Designs since they sell more than just notebooks.

May Designs started because Mica May was obsessed with stationery and notebooks. She started designing notebooks herself, because she was a graphic designer, and people started to take notice and they wanted to buy her notebooks.

That is how May Books started, and soon changed into May Designs when they started selling notecards, calendars, and other fun stuff.

I've been a customer of May Designs since 2012 and I'm obsessed.

The entire point of May Designs is that they are hand sewn notebooks that you can personalize; everything from the cover design to the label to the inside pages -- no two May Designs are the same.

Budget Journal

Daily Planner (with no dates)

Fitness Journal

Regular Notebook with Pink Lines

Gratitude Journal

At first, I only bought regular notebooks to jot down notes or to keep for the blog or work, but now May Designs have expanded into planners, gratitude journals, budget journals, meal & fitness journals, and even wedding & baby planners.

They are really good quality and stay good quality if you take care of them. They are hand sewn/hand made so it is easy for them to get a little run down.

Currently, I have around 7 May Designs in use:

• Budget Journal
• Meal + Fitness Journal
• Gratitude Journal
• 2017 Planner (for work)
• Daily Planner (for home)
• Random Journal 
• Work Journal

I love a lot of makeup brands, but mostly they're the ones that everyone else loves. I'm not against trying new brands, and this is how I came across PUR Cosmetics.

PUR was always around, and I always saw it in stores & online. It used to be known as PUR Minerals, but has gone through a rebrand recently, and that's how PUR Cosmetics was born.

I discovered them around 1-2 years ago, because I was contacted by them, and they asked if I wanted to try one of their new products, and that was the Cameo Contour stick. Soon after, I was placed on their PR list & started to receive more goodies from them.

That's a real dream come true; being contacted by a huge brand and receiving their products for free! Since then, I've bought a lot of PUR products and haven't received a lot, but that's fine because I like the products so much, I'm 100% willingly to pay for them.

I've tried some great products, some good products, and some not so good products from the brand, and I've been wanting to tell you all about it for a while.

• HydraFluid Foundation: I've talked about this in the past, but it really is such a good foundation & something that made me really love the brand. It's has a super liquid consistency, but is medium coverage & is buildable. It's so lightweight on the skin, and makes the skin look airbrushed. The most appealing part of this is the fact that it's light weight and very easy to blend, mostly because of the water base. This is for sure one of my favorite foundations, ever. 

• HydraGel Lift: I'm obsessed with this product! I had a similar under eye cooling gel thing, but after using this one, I threw the other one out. This is super smooth without being tacky or too watery. It hydrates the under-eye and also preps the under-eye for concealer. It's a must-have in my opinion and one of the best under-eye products I own.

• 4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Powder Foundation: This was the first powder foundation I tried and it was got me hooked on the stuff! It's very smooth, gives really nice light-medium coverage, and doesn't cake up on the skin. You can wear it alone, or layer it over a liquid foundation to set it. My favorite way to wear powder foundation is to apply a BB Cream or Tinted Moisturizer and then dust this powder foundation on top. It gets an A+ in my book!

• Strobe Palette in Sunkissed: When these were released over the summer, during the height of my cream product obsession, I purchased it right from my phone. I couldn't wait to get this baby in my hands and it was worth every penny. In my eyes, it's a bronzer, blush, and highlight, but you can definitely inter-change these shades based on your skin tone. They're not too greasy, which is something you can run into with cream products. They're the perfect consistency to blend and buff into the skin with a duo-fiber brush! 

• Balancing Act Oil Control Powder: I by no means have oily skin but sometimes some oil breaks through. I have a sample of this, and one day I was out and had this in my bag. I applied it to my t-zone with a mini brush and I was in shock at how it transformed my skin. Now, this is my go-to powder and it's something I never would've thought I'd like, because like I said, I don't have oily skin. Well, we all get oily sometimes and this is a good powder for everyone, no matter the skin type. It doesn't dry me out or look cakey. It's an awesome powder.

I've talked many times about my love of Skyn Iceland, but never have done a Brand Buzz on the brand and their products.

I discovered this brand about two years ago, and I purchased their Skin Hangover Kit; I've mentioned before how much I love anything having to do with the word "hangover" and beauty. It's a weird obsession but it's ok.

Skyn Iceland is made for stressed skin, and gives you the products to keep your skin healthy



The one item I truly fell in love with was the Hydro Cooling Eye Gels. I've purchased so many packs of these, and have tried to find a less expensive version, but nothing ever measures up. These are by far my favorite eye gel patches, because they are very cooling, and do have that gel texture but don't slip and slide all over your face. They have a good hold on your skin, and leave the greatest feeling behind. If you take anything away from this post, go buy these eye gels.

As for the rest of the items.... I really love the Arctic Hydrating Balm. It's my morning moisturizer and has been for quite a few months. It's lightweight, but still super moisturizing, and doesn't leave behind any residue. It works well underneath my makeup and sometimes I don't even use a primer with it, and it still is incredible.

Speaking of primer.... the Pure Pore Minimizer works fantastic to fill in pores. Some days when I want a no makeup, makeup look, I'll throw this on my t-zone and cheeks and it gives a smooth, flawless finish. It doesn't have that much of a silicone feeling, but still gets the job done. It's one of my favorite pore filling primers.

Lastly, I love the Icelandic Relief Eye Pen. It came in the Skin Hangover Kit, and I've misplaced it somehow but it's still an awesome product from what I remember. It gives a slight cooling effect, and makes your under-eye look pretty dam good, especially when you didn't get that much sleep. It also works well under makeup, which is a good feature to have in an eye cream.

There are some things that haven't worked for me, such as the Gentle Cleansing Cloths & the Icelandic Relief Eye Cream, but that's just me.. my skin is uber sensitive so it may work for you!

Below are some items that I really want to try in the near future!

As I've stated in the past, I'm very much into skincare lately and have tried a bunch of different brands and products. There are definitely some products that haven't worked and some that truly have. I've discovered what my skin needs and what it doesn't like.

I have dry, sensitive skin and my skin needs products without fragrance and that are made for sensitive skin.

There are a few brands that cater to all my needs, and one of them is Fresh.

Fresh is definitely a higher end skincare brand, being sold in Sephora and a few other retailers. They are probably most well known for their Sugar Lip Balm Treatments, which come in a variety of colors. That's how I was introduced to the brand and I have to say, they are the best lip balms I've ever used. I've gone through a few of them over the years.

That being said, I wanted to try more of the line and was pleasantly surprised that I really like a lot of the other products.

Here's a roundup of the best products I've tried from FRESH.

• Sugar Lip Balm: I've tried a few of these, as stated before, and they are the best lip balms I've ever used. My lips are constantly soft and hydrated whenever I use this. I've tried the original, Rose, Honey, and Nude scents, the Honey & Nude being my favorite. They smell delicious and feel light on your lips. If you're in the market for a new lip balm, I highly recommend these.

• Soy Cleanser: This is by far the best cleanser I've ever used. It's super light weight, can be used at day or night, and smells like cucumber. I mainly use this with my Clarisonic and it's a match made in heaven. My skin is so clean and fresh afterwards, it's the best feeling. My skin doesn't react badly to it because it's so gentle but it definitely gets the job done.

• Rose Hydrating Facial Serum: I've tried a few different serums but this is my favorite so far. I only have a deluxe size sample but it's more than enough for me to realize how much I love this. It's a very light weight serum that really seeps into your skin. I don't feel greasy or like I want to immediately wash my face after applying this. My skin feels hydrated and smooth in the morning and when I run out, I'm sure I'm going to be purchasing the full size.

• Black Tea Age Delay Eye Concentrate: This is one of the best eye creams ever. It's thick but not so thick it feels greasy. It has a high price tag, but I had a deluxe sample and it worked wonders. My eyes were hydrated and didn't feel dry at all (I have very dry under eyes). If you want to spend a pretty penny, this is the eye cream you need.

• Rose Face Mask: UGH this mask is life. I've been really into sheet masks but this regular mask is one of my favorites. It's perfect for when you just want to give your skin a boost and get some hydration back into it. My skin feels great afterwards and it isn't too harsh of a mask.

I haven't done a Brand Buzz in a hot minute and after making a recent purchase, I decided it was time to  write another one.

Benefit was one of the first high end makeup brands I ever purchased from. Those purchases will be mentioned in this post because they are some of the best products I've ever used.

I didn't think I had tried a lot of Benefit products but after looking things up, I realized I definitely did have a good understanding of the brand.

Benefit is fun, funny, chic, and witty. The packaging is adorable and the products are a little kitchy. That's what makes them, them. The branding is on point: pink, feathers, cute images -- it doesn't get much better than Benefit packaging.

Although I've tried a lot of Benefit products, I haven't tried all of them. I've been wanting to try their blushes, foundation, and Hoola Bronzer forever but just have never got my hands on them.

While this list is going to get a little hefty, I have definitely tried some products from Benefit that haven't been my favorite: such as the liquid highlighters and the They're Real Push Up Liner.

For now, here are my favorite, most beloved products from Benefit Cosmetics.





1. Erase Paste: This is the first concealer I've ever tried and it's a miracle worker. It's more of a corrector than a concealer because it has a thicker, paste like consistency. It blends really well and covers all your dark circles. I haven't repurchased since but I definitely need too.

2. Boing: Another concealer that I've tried and really enjoyed. I bought the Boing/Eye Bright compact from Ulta and fell in love. Eye Bright confuses me a bit but Boing is a great all around concealer. It's stiffer than Erase Paste but still works great to cover dark circles and is also really good for blemishes.

3. Gimme Brow: I've tried a lot of brow products, but Benefit is the king of all brows. I've never tried anything like this. I've tried tinted brow gels before but this is different. The wand is very small but is easy to control. The product is evenly distributed throughout your brows without being too much or too little. It's the easiest brow product I've ever used and I need to repurchase ASAP.

4. Oo La Lift: This is one of those kitschy products that actually kind of works. This is another first makeup product I bought years ago and just repurchased last week. It's an under eye brightener that is supposed to create the illusion of light & lift your under eye area to make it brighter. I definitely do notice a different and I just love the idea of this product. It's not a necessary step but for a beauty junkie like me it's awesome.

5. High Brow: Another awesome brow product that is a little kitschy. Before I knew what highlighting was, especially highlighting the brow bone, this little thing was my savior. It's supposed to lift your brow bone while also bringing the illusion of light to the area. I swear, it actually does lift the brow, better than any highlighter I've ever used in the area.

6. RollerLash Mascara: I won't get too much into this because I've raved about it before. I received a sample of this last year before it was released & before I even knew who the brand was. Well, this has quickly become my favorite every day mascara. It isn't a heavy formula and doesn't give me overly done lashes. It coats each lash perfectly without being overpowering. I get long, separated lashes every single time.

7. They're Real Mascara: This is probably Benefit's most popular product and what most people think of when they think of Benefit. It's a cult classic, cult favorite mascara and with good reason. I didn't like this mascara when I first tried it but it has grown on me. After using this for the first time, I'd go back and use different mascaras but I found myself missing this one. It gives more volume than Rollerlash and creates a more intense look, still without being overpowering. I get really good length with this as well, making it a good mascara for everyday or special.

Without making this post too long, take a look at some other Benefit favorites of mine!


Do you have a favorite product by Benefit Cosmetics?