Anti-Wrinkle

Now that I WFH, I have been taking the time to try out different skin care routines. One of my goals was to try different anti-aging products. Even though I am in my thirties, wrinkles aren’t a major issue but they are starting to form. So when ApexDrop offered me a chance to try DermaE’s anti-aging line I immediately said yes.

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I have been using DermaE products over the years so I wasn’t new to the brand, but this was the first time trying the anti-aging products. The line consists of the following:

  • Anti-Wrinkle Cleanser: a sulfate free cleanser that helps reduce fine lines & wrinkles

  • Anti-Wrinkle Scrub: deep clean to remove impurities

  • Anti-Aging Regenerative Serum: a serum that gently exfoliates to diminish the appearance of fine lines

  • Anti-Aging Regenerative Day Cream: lightweight yet deeply moisturizing cream that minimizes the appearance of visible signs of aging.

  • Anti-Aging Regenerative Night Cream: Vitamin A night cream to refine skin’s performance while you sleep

I have been using the products at night just to see how they worked with my skin and so far no complaints. Since I don’t have major wrinkles these products are more of a preventive measure to minimize the visible signs of aging. I start with the cleanser, then I follow up with the serum, night cream, and I top it all off with DermaE’s Anti-Wrinkle Oil (not pictured). Every couple of days I will use the scrub after I cleanse to exfoliate and remove dead skin cells.

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My skin overall is nice and smooth. I will say that my skin is brighter which is due to the Vitamin A & Glycolic Acid. If you are in the market for a new line to try, I suggest DermaE. They have so many products and all of them are natural with no gmo’s and vegan. Thanks again DermaE & Apex Drop for gifting me these products to try.

That Highlight Tho

It's in every makeup bag. You double, even triple up on them. What is it? Highlighters. In all its glowy goodness. I have become a junkie for a good highlighter, I just love seeing that glow when the light hits it oh so right. When I first started wearing them, I kept it on the safe side and went with golds, coppers, or rose gold. Now that I have tried all the metallic highlighters out there, I wanted to expand on my highlighter game, and try different shades. So in the pursuit of trying new things, I have two new highlighters in my collection that I am excited to share. 

BECCA SHIMMERING SKIN PERFECTOR PRESSED in Prismatic Amethyst

Becca is known for their highlighters, so when this one came out I wanted to give it a try. I was at first concerned if the color would even show up on my skin, but when I swatched it at Sephora I was impressed. It's a cool color that plays well when I wear purple or navy. If you like experimenting and looking for something that gives the unicorn desired look without the concern of it looking ashy, give this one a try. 

MAC IRISDESCENT POWDER Justine Skye 

When new products launch, I will go to to store and see how it looks on my skin. Most think that with my shade, I can wear anything. I wish. Like all women of color, I test and test. When the Justine Skye highlighter came out I was intrigued. She is known for her love of purple, so I was expecting something along the lines of the Becca. To my surprise it was more of a purple pink. Definitely something I can wear with my bright pinks. It gives my skin a nice flush that there are times I wear it as a blush as well. 

When it comes to makeup, I have learned to just try it and see. There are shades that I thought I could never wear, and I was right, but then there are some that look soo good I would have missed out. Experimenting with my lip color has been the gateway for me to try different colors on the rest of my face. I am definitely not telling anyone to go from all neutrals to nothing but color, but if you are intrigued by a new lip color, eyeshadow, go and try it. You may end up with a new goodie. 

 

 

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Luv Scrub

When I come across a product that I love so much, I just have to share. While on Essence's website, there is a segment called Dope Stuff on My Desk. The video's feature cool products that the Digital Fashion & Beauty Director Julee Wilson is  digging for the week. One of the products that caught my attention was Luv Scrub. Luv Scrub is an exfoliating wash cloth that leaves your skin oh so smooth. 

Luv Scrub was founded and created by Caroline Owusu-Ansah and is based out of Brooklyn, NY. The Luv Scrub is based on the wash cloths that have been used in West Africa for generations to gently exfoliate the skin. What makes Luv Scrub unique is the texture of the the mesh. What I love about this product: it's fairly large so that you can easily exfoliate your entire body. With just a loofah it's hard to reach your back, but this baby has you covered. Another bonus- I have been using the product for a week and my skin just feels more amazing each and every day. I use this in conjunction with my favorite body scrub and the results have exceeded my expectations. 

Luv Scrub is made from 100% nylon so you will not have to worry about germs and it is cruelty free. The product comes in two colors, teal (the one I own), and azul. The biggest question- Is this worth the $18 price tag. It most definitely is. I spend about $4 on a good loofah from Bath & Body Works. I replace them every other month, so in a years time I have used 6 loofah's. Luv Scrub lasts 18 months! Yes...18 months! So for 18 months worth of loofah's, I would have spent $32. Luv Scrub has saved me $16 and on top of that my skin looks great. That is a win that must be shared. Besides, who doesn't want smooth great looking skin? If you are all about exfoliating, get this product. Even if you have no clue about the importance of exfoliating, get this and you will see the difference in your skin.

Do you have a new product that you are in love with? Sharing is caring, so let me know in the comments!

Some TLC

When we look to give our body some TLC, do you ever think about all that we do to our nails? We make sure we moisturize and exfoliate, and use sunscreen, but when it comes to our nails, as long as you squeeze in a manicure here and there, it's all good. Essie has taken self care to a whole new level by creating these super cute polishes designed to strengthen your nails while still giving you a little color. 

The TLC collection (which is short for Treat, Love & Color) is Essie's first ever nail treatment and color combo. Claims are that after a week of use, nails strength will increase due to 35% less breakage and 60% less peeling. I suffer from breakage and peeling as soon as I remove a nail color, so I was definitely interested in giving these a go. I did notice an improvement with my nails. I did not have the polish on for a full week, it was about 3-4 days, but they did look brighter and less stressed. 

From left to right- Laven Dearly, Treat Me Bright, and Sheers to You

The collection comes in three sheer colors. The first color is Laven-Dearly. This one is my favorite out of the three. It's a sheer pearly grey purple and it looks amazing against the melanin. I am completely kicking myself for not taking pictures of my mani, but I will be wearing this shade again very soon and I will make sure I post it on Instagram. For those that love a good white mani, there is Treat Me Bright. White polish looks amazing on everyone, and this is great for my white mani lovers. The last in the collection is Sheers to You, and its your classic light pink. It's as if Ballet Slippers got mutant super healing powers. For $10, these treatment polishes are definitely worth adding to your collection. We all want great looking, healthy nails, and you can strengthen your nails while having a cute mani. I feel that is a win-win. All three are available online at Essie.com and where Essie polish is sold. Muah!!

MoMoUP

I am always about anything that can make my life easier especially when it comes to makeup removal. During the week, my makeup routine is very minimal- a nice lippie and mascara and/or eyeliner. When I get home, there are times I beeline to my bed, but I never have to worry about falling asleep in my makeup since I have MoMoUP makeup removal wipes at my bedside.

These ingenious wipes fit over your finger, and all you have to do is swipe and throw away. They smell wonderful, and come in great packaging so you can just leave them at your night stand for a quick removal before bed. Also since these come individually packaged,  they are perfect for travel. I am still learning to travel with less stuff, but at least I do not have to worry about sacrificing the essentials. 

In regards to removal, they were able to take off the mascara and eyeshadow with no problem. For lipstick, I had to rub a bit to get all of the pigment off my lips, but that is expected since I have been wearing a lot of vampy matte lipsticks. Overall, I am very happy with the product, and for a box of 25 packets (2 in each packet for a total of 50 wipes) for $6.99 they are quite affordable. The product is available at Amazon and they also have a bundle with their Blotting Papers for $15.99. If you travel a lot, or like me and at times end up in your bed before taking off your makeup, definitely give these a try!

Until next time lovers!!!! 

 

Essie Winter Collection

Essie is one of my favorite nail polish brands. I believe I own close to 100 bottles over the course of a decade of wearing their polish. Each collection always brings something new to the table, and their Winter Collection is no different. What I love about this collection is that the colors have a shimmer to them, so it gives it a bit of a twist for the holidays. 

From left to right- Go With The Flowy, Getting Groovy, Party on a Platform, Ready To Boa, Oh Behave!, and Satin Sister. 

The Winter 2016 collection was inspired by 60's London, so the names of the polish are kitschy. With it being officially winter now, I decided to make a pretty winter scene with the collection (getting my flat lay skills a go this season). Definitely need to thank my elementary school teachers for all those years of diorama's...creating a mini scene comes in handy as a blogger. 

Go With The Flowy- white based grey shimmer

Getting Groovy- a gold shimmer

Party On A Platform- red shimmer

Ready To Boa- bronzed brownish shimmer

Oh Behave!- rose gold shimmer

Satin Sister- teal shimmer

Sidebar: My trick for getting my mani to last an entire 7 days - Use acetone to clean the surface of the nail, follow with a base coat, two coats of Essie polish, then end with Gel Setter. On a week when I am doing a lot of cleaning or dishwashing, I will do another coat mid week of Gel Setter just to give it a mid week bump of shine and protection. So far this has work tremendously well. 

To be honest, I love all of the shades in the collection. Ready To Boa looked amazing against my skintone, and I loved Go With The Flowy because it's grey, but from a distance it looks as if its white.  I want to try Oh Behave! since I have been obsessed with rose gold these days. Satin Sister is going to be great as well for my melanin sisters, and Getting Groovy will be a fun color to wear on my toes. Party On A Platform is the ultimate party red so I would suggest that for NYE party. Definitely make sure you are following me on Instagram to see what color I decide to try next. What do you think of the collection? Are there any colors that you would love to try.? Sound off in the comments.  

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, it may result in compensation. 

Boss Lady

Remember a month ago when I attended Rock the Block from Ashley Stewart? Well for those that did not catch that post, check it out. It was at this event, I found out about a nail polish brand called Ginger + Liz. This Black owned nail polish was created by two besties that could not find any polish that did not contain the chemicals they were allergic to. After hearing about how they took a problem and turned it into a business (they were a part of the Entrepreneur panel), I visited their booth to check them out. 

I am a nail polish addict- so when I am checking out new brands, the first thing that has to grab me is the color. Their shades run the gamut from nude to glittertastic. I have been wanting some new glitter nail polishes, so I was immediately drawn to The Icing on the Cake, Happy Wife, Happy Life, and Brain Storm. Now after I coveted all glitter polishes, I came across the shade Boss Lady. Now the name alone is sassy and fun, so I just had to give this reddish-orange shade a try. After the color catches my attention, now here is the test- how long can the polish last. I am not a gel gal- I like to switch up my color weekly, so a brand that I can wear for a week straight is a winner in my book. 

 

I got my nails done this past Saturday, and they are still going strong a full week later. The three products that I used on my nails was OPI Bond Aid as a base coat, two coats of Boss Lady, and one coat of Essie's gel setter top coat. Now most will say, it's probably the top coat, and it helps, but I have worn other brands with the top coat, and have only lasted 4-5 days, not 7. Whether or not if you are allergic to chemicals in nail polish, this is a great brand to support. Long lasting amazing color- I'm sold. Can't wait to try out all my glitter polishes. Make sure you are following me on Instagram, to see all of my mani's.

Bioderma

With all my new makeup purchases as of late, a great cleanser is needed at the end of the day to not only take all of your makeup off, but to really clean your face. Makeup removers in the past would either not be strong enough to get all of the makeup off, or it left my skin so greasy that I would have to wash my face again. Then came micellar water. 

Bioderma is a French Skincare Brand, that is know for their effective results even for those with the most sensitive skin. I have combination/oily skin so I need a cleanser that can do the job without drying out my skin. This product is amazing! It removed my waterproof mascara, matte lipstick, and foundation with ease. I used two cotton rounds to remove all my makeup and there was not a trace left. I definitely recommend this if you are looking for a gentle cleanser (for my sensitive skin lovers). I even used Bioderma to clean my face sans makeup during the week. I love that I can use it everyday as a part of my nightly routine to refresh my face, or as my makeup remover. The price for 250 mL is $12, but I think it's worth it. You can find the product at Beautylish and it comes in three sizes. If you are new to micellar water, and not really ready to invest in a big bottle there is a smaller version (100mL) for less than $10. Have you tried Bioderma products or micellar water? Let me know your thoughts. 

Essie Frock & Roll

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Hello Lovers!!! I am excited to announce that Style Over Size will now be featuring beauty products. Outside of clothes, I do purchase a good deal of beauty products. Figured I should let my lovers in and let them know what I am trying out. 

Today's post is about my new polish from Essie. This lovely shade is called Frock & Roll from Essie's Fall 2015 collection. Frock & Roll is a deep espresso color with metallic flecks. I love how the color looks against my skin. Most shimmering polishes chip fairly quickly, but this in addition to Essie's Gel Like Top Coat lasted well over a week, which is great when you are always washing your hands like myself. I definitely recommend this shade if you are interested in trying a dark shade, but not something opaque, or if you are like me and just love something sparkly. All of the fall colors from this year's collection all have some shimmer to them, so there is definitely something for everyone to try.