Getting Into The Christmas Spirit

Happy Saint Nicholas Day! In case you didn't know, today is the feast day of St. Nicholas, a 4th-century Christian bishop with a reputation for secret gift-giving such as slipping coins into the boots of the poor. Growing up in Poland, I used to put my winter booties out for Saint Mikolaj on the night of December 5th, hoping to find toys in them the next morning (and yes, I would still get my bigger presents on Christmas Eve - it's a win win, am I right?). So I guess this little coincidence now allows me to shamelessly talk about the holidays with you and share what's been on my mind lately.

Christmas is my favorite holiday, like it is for probably 98% of Christians. I have a special fondness for things associated with it, and I'm not really apologetic about it - there's so much hate and sadness in our world that I can't help but feel grateful for those little joys Christmas usually brings me. Twinkling lights. The smell of cold and winter in the air. Baking shortbread star cookies. The feel of fir and spruce branches in my hands. Even the gaudy decorations and glittery baubles. It's fun!

But this year, I'm not really feeling it *shrugs*. I believe it's a whole combination of feelings I've been experiencing lately, and I wish that maybe by naming, stripping them bare and sending them out in the world like itinerant snowflakes, I can get rid of some of my Holiday blues. Shall we try?

Regardless of those superficial moments of festive joy I've mentioned above, Christmas is the happiest time of the year for me because of my family. As some of you may know, me and my husband emigrated to North America over 6 years ago, and all of our family and most of our friends live in Poland. We go home for the holidays every year, and due to my husband's limited time off work and the cost of airfare it's the only time of the year we travel to Poland (although most years, we also see our immediate family when they visit us here in the US during summer months).

At any rate - I don't know about you guys, but my family is pretty high on my life's priority list. This combined with how rarely we get to see them makes Christmas extra special for me. And I'm not saying this year I'm not excited and looking forward to being with our loved ones - but I guess this year more than in the past I feel that our time together is just so limited. Unfortunately, parting doesn't get easier with practice, and every year when time comes to say goodbye for another six months or more, I'm simply heartbroken. I can't seem to be able to shake that feeling this past couple of weeks, and I don't want to think about our Christmas trip's end before it's even begun, but that's precisely what I'm doing.

Another big factor that's been adding to my Christmas ennui is, well... excess. You've surely noticed I've been talking quite a bit about minimalism on the blog this year, not because it's trendy but because many of its ideas are really resonating with me. For someone wishing to simplify their life, the Holiday season seems to be all about things that you must have and that you must do. Shopping for gifts, and shopping holiday sales. Buying the tree and tree trinkets, decorating the house. Christmas party obligations and associated stresses - hair, outfit, hostess gifts. Cooking and baking up a storm. That's a lot of things we may feel forced to do, without reflecting on their value in our lives.

I would say that compared to a standard American family (if such a mythical beast even exists), me and my husband have always been pretty minimalist when it comes to celebrating the season - partly because we can easily simplify as we're spending the holiday overseas. We don't put up a Christmas tree; it'd be a shame to have it go to waste when we're not home for two weeks. I don't decorate our home much, because we live in a small apartment and don't have the space for all the extra stuff. We usually go to one semi-formal holiday party, and we don't keep a large circle of friends we would feel obligated to entertain. I don't even send out holiday cards. I'm the beauty blogger who stole Christmas, am I not?

Yet even the small number of Christmas preparations give me very ambivalent feels. On one hand, I feel incredibly grateful to have the means to purchase nice gifts for everyone in my family. But on the other... I kinda wish we would skip the whole gift exchange. There's 12 people on my list, no kids. It has somehow transpired over the years that I always buy more than one gift for each person - more like two or three. That's at least 30 (?!) different things I'm having to carefully plan and research, purchase in advance, transport in my check-in luggage to Poland, wrap and place under the tree. It takes a lot of time, effort and energy - and money, of course. But what worries me the most is that in the end, I'm really not sure how useful or enjoyable these presents will be for my recipients. As for me, when it comes to surprise gifts, I've come to feel more apprehensive than excited when it's time to open the boxes under the tree, because I HATE receiving unwanted things and feeling ungrateful and wasteful as a result. And for the things that I've requested from my wishlist... I could just as well purchase them myself, couldn't I? It's really starting to feel like the whole gift thing isn't really worth it - for me.

Before you judge me as a bit extreme, I should tell you that I do believe it's okay to live a little during the holiday season. I think we should be feeling thrilled about Christmas indulgences, precisely because they're not strictly necessary. It's so much fun to experience things that are over and beyond - that's what makes them extra special, and we're all very priviledged to have that. Maybe it doesn't sound very minimalist to say that anticipating excess can make us happier, but, well, it's true - and I think that as long as we don't make ourselves feel completely overwhelmed and stressed out, it's all good.

So how am I attempting to fight the blues and get into that Christmas spirit? Well, now that I'm 95% done with buying gifts, I did decide to go ahead and purchase a few new clothing items for myself during Cyber Monday sales (I've never shopped Black Friday in store, but I did work retail on Black Friday one year, and it wasn't pretty). Some pieces will replace somewhat worn out staples (a few warm long-sleeved tops, a set of pjs), some are just for fun (a casual jersey dress) - and I'm looking forward to wearing them during the Holidays.

I'd also been contemplating the best way to inject a little bit of Christmas decor into our place, and I was inspired partly by my mom, partly by my fall-themed pumpkin centerpiece shown here, to put together this little arrangement for our living room window sill - it's my version of decorating the mantelpiece when you don't own a fireplace. I decorate our window with fairy lights every December, but this year I shopped around and purchased a bunch of these fir? or spruce? branches for a whopping sum of $2 at a nearby florist. Greenpoint, I tell you - and speaking Polish to Polish shopkeepers doesn't hurt either :) The branches smell absolutely incredible, and since they're just, well, branches, they can be easily composted at the end of the season without having to store another thing in the closet. I laid them out on our sill, added some baubles I had in my stash from that one year we did put up a tree, and voila! A touch of minimalist Holiday cheer.

Other things on my list include baking festive cookies, listening to Ella Fitzgerald's holiday album (well, okay, I'm also partial to some Buble), typing out emails to friends all over the world I usually have trouble keeping in touch with, gorging on tangerines and maybe even watching a seasonal movie or two (please leave your favorites in the comments below!). I also borrowed an easy Christmassy read from my local library - they always set up seasonal displays for kids, but I guess this time they were nice enough to put together a little corner for adults too. Christmas-time mystery seems to be a thing, and I like it. So... are you guys feeling the Christmas spirit already, or are you trying to fight the blues like me? What are you looking forward to the most during the season? I'd love to hear from you!

Make-up Investment Piece: Surratt Artistique Cheek Brush Review

I did it - I bought one thing and one thing only from the latest Sephora VIB sale, and it's this Surratt Artistique Cheek Brush ($115 each). When I first laid my grubby little fingers on Surratt's brushes last year at their launch (read my initial thoughts here), I was the most impressed with the large Powder brush and it's smaller companion, the Cheek Brush. I have a thing for blush brushes, and Surratt's version with its silky soft bristles and cute pom-pom shape beckoned to me from the counter. BUT! But. This beauty comes at a price.

It's easy to see the reason behind investing in quality versus quantity when it comes to your possessions, but I find it's another thing entirely to actually act upon it. In the past, I would have never dreamt of spending over a hundred bucks for any make-up product or tool; I'd be thinking, 'how life-changing would it have to be to justify the price tag?'. Truth is, very few things in life are game-changers, and I personally wouldn't classify anything make-up related among them. However, I do see the value in supporting genuine craftsmanship, something that's becoming rarer and rarer these days - so I bought this beautiful handmade Japanese brush, and it gives me joy to use it every day. Was it necessary? No. If you'd hate to part with your hard-earned money for just this one little object and later nit-pick why the brush isn't the most perfect tool in all of creation, don't do it. It's not worth it.

As soon as you hold the box with your precious Surratt brush, you can see and feel where your money has gone: there's minute attention to detail and luxurious elegance in the presentation of this brush. I know some of you would probably rather pay a lower price and just get the brush, but that's never an option with high-end make-up, is it? In the past, after a few months of procrastinating the painful decision, I tossed the box that my Medium Smokey Eye Brush (review) came in, but now I kinda regret it - I could have used it for jewelry (the length would be perfect for bracelets or necklaces), or to organize make-up in my narrow drawers, like I did with this box. You can also see I've reused some boxes from my TATCHA skincare; they too are too pretty to discard.

But, back to the Cheek Brush. Do I even need to comment on how amazingly soft Surratt's brushes are to the touch? I believe the bristles are grey squirrel, and like most Japanese-made brushes, they haven't been cut to create the brush's shape but hand-selected instead, so the hairs taper down and feel even softer on the skin. If you've never seen Surratt's brushes in person, the handles are a bit on the shorter side, which I like for applying make-up on myself. The glittering ombre detail at the end of the handle has stood the test of time on my other Surratt brush through a year of use and brush laundry.

Another important fact you need to know about this brush is that's it's SMALL.  I have included a photo of it resting in my hand for size reference - I hope that you can see that it's without a doubt rather diminutive for a blush brush. If you're a fan of something like Real Techniques Blush Brush, the Surratt is not for you. If, however, your face and features are on the small side and you like to be able to carefully control your blush placement, this is a fantastic specimen.

I didn't have any other blush brushes similar in size or shape to compare, because the Surratt Cheek Brush is in fact closer in size to my highlighter/ contour brushes - a little larger and denser, but still. You can see here that the domed shape is comparable to the Real Techniques Contour Brush, but the Surratt has longer bristles (= more flexibility) and doesn't fluff out as much. It does become a bit rounder as you use it (it's freshly washed in my photos) but definitely not enough to try to 'stipple' your powders on. Compared to the Zoeva 105 Luxe Highlight, there's no taper to Surratt's bristles, and there's definitely a lot more bristles packed in the ferrule.

I've been using this brush for close to two weeks now and I do enjoy how it applies my blush. The density of the Cheek Brush allows it to pick up quite a bit of pigment from the pan, but it's flexible enough to blend everything out seamlessly. I usually use one side to place the powder on my cheeks, and then I swirl it around using the head to diffuse it around the edges. The first time I used it I was surprised to see two hairs stuck to my cheek, but I believe it must have been just some loose hairs left over from the manufacturing process as I haven't noticed any shedding since - also, no shedding on my Smokey Eye Brush.

L-R: Surratt Cheek Brush (squirrel), Zoeva 105 Luxe Highlight (goat), Real Techniques Contour Brush (synthetic)

I'm very happy with this brush, and I'm glad I decided to splurge on it during the VIB sale (I'm also glad to see Surratt sold at Sephora, although Kar Yi (here's a link to her review of Surratt's angled Sculpting Brush) told me it's difficult to get any sense of his brushes' feel in Sephora store displays - much easier to play with the fluffies at Barney's). I can see this blush becoming a daily staple, be it for blush, highlighter or more precise setting powder placement. What have you picked up during recent sale events? What is your favorite brush to use for powder blushes?

Multi-tasking Base: Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream SPF42

Missha was one of the first Korean brands to arrive on our beauty scene, and their Perfect Cover BB Cream SPF 42 PA +++ ($22 for 50ml but frequently on sale: entire Missha website is 40% off plus free shipping until midnight today) was one of the first products from the brand to win the hearts of many a beauty blogger. I purchased this smaller 20ml trial size in-store last year (don't you think all brands should offer smaller sizes of foundations for less? Such a great idea!) and I've only just dug it out from my back-up stash to try now.

Missha's BB Cream comes in a simple cardboard box with a full list of ingredients (although surprisingly, the sunscreen content is not listed separately as an active ingredient, which I believe is required by law here in the US), and the product itself is packaged in a slim squeeze tube, which I always appreciate. The claims for this BB Cream are 'natural-looking coverage while providing sun protection, treating dark spots, and preventing wrinkles', and it can be used either as a primer or alone as a foundation.

The texture of this product is a slightly thicker lotion that spreads and blends out easily on the skin. It does have quite a strong fragrance - it smells like a cross between old-school Nivea and sunscreen to me, kinda nostalgic - and it can linger, so I would advise against purchasing this BB if you're sensitive to scents. The Perfect Cover BB definitely has a more emollient, moisturizing feel as it contains mineral oil as well as natural plant oils, glycerine and hyaluronic acid, but I wouldn't say it feels heavy or tacky once blended in. The coverage is light (a bit surprising given the product's name, but in line with the brand's claims) and it has a natural, glowy finish on the skin. This BB Cream doesn't pool into my fine lines or pores, but due to the dewy effect, it doesn't disguise them either.

Compared to the L'Occitane Immortelle Precious BB Cream that I reviewed not too long ago, on my combination skin, I definitely prefer the Missha Perfect Cover because of its better longevity and more lightweight feel (I didn't include the L'Occitane BB in the swatches as I've already passed it on to a drier-skinned friend). I'm not surprised that Perfect Cover is one of Missha's best-sellers - it would be a fantastic multi-purpose product for someone looking for just a little bit of coverage to even things out but with the added conveniance of not having to layer a separate SPF or even moisturizer under one's foundation in the morning. One thing to keep in mind is that this product has a tendency to leave a bit of an ashy cast on the skin (probably due to high zinc oxide content); the shade I chose, Light Beige no. 21, can look a bit grey on my skin if applied more generously.

L-R: Missha Perfect Cover BB in no. 21 Light Beige, Revlon Colorstay in Ivory, Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation in PK-1

All in all, I'm quite happy with Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream. Most days, the coverage is a bit too light for me, but I've also been mixing it in with a more longlasting and opaque foundation, and I like the effect. I also really enjoy wearing Missha's BB when my skin is particularly dry and dehydrated (hello, winter season!), although it doesn't have any miraculous properties like erasing flaky skin - it just feels more comfortable than a mattifying base. What foundation do you usually reach for once the weather cools down? Do you prefer to layer SPF with foundation, or do you rely on sunscreen in your base products?

A Pillow For Your Under Eyes: Laneige Cushion Concealer SPF30 in Light*

With the increasing popularity of cushion foundations (read my review of Laneige's BB Cushion here), many brands have decided to go all out on the cushion technology, introducing cushion blushers, gel eyeliners, eyeshadows and more. Laneige is definitely on top of that trend with their Cushion Concealer Broad Spectrum SPF 30* ($20 for 2.5 ml at Target), available in Light (which I have here to show you) and Medium.

First off, I have to say that Laneige's Cushion Concealer doesn't actually have a cushion - the applicator is in fact a soft fluffy... ehm, ball, I guess. Or round doe foot. It looks pretty adorable when brand new with its baby pink color. The delivery method of this concealer is a clickety pen, and I absolutely love, love that there's a window on the side of the packaging so you can easily see how much product you have remaining. The concealer with the most similar packaging on the US market right now is the newly released Burberry Cashmere Concealer, while the Maybelline Age Rewind is a similar concept, but it features a sponge on the end and the size of the applicator is much larger. Laneige's doe foot fits perfectly into the curves around your eyes or nose.

The Cushion Concealer boasts SPF 30+ (combination of physical and chemical sunscreen ingredients), which is a rarity, as well as skincare benefits on top of its concealing action: it's supposed to have a hydrating and brightening effect. I was actually expecting the texture of this product to be much thinner, but in fact, it's quite creamy (only slightly thinner than my NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer), and blends easily into the skin. The tone of the Light shade is definitely quite yellow on me, which surprisingly works well not only on areas of redness but also under my eyes (I have a lot of purple tones there, but if your eye area is more olive, this may look too ashy).

I would say the coverage of this concealer is medium, so for me personally it's not really suited for pin-point blemish concealing. It's sufficiently opaque though to disguise the darkness under my eyes or redness around the nose. When blended in, the finish of this concealer is a natural satin, but unfortunately on me, it sometimes exacerbates texture under my eyes, and I find it a bit difficult to layer over my eye cream - it blends out unevenly, especially towards the outer corners. It looks alright when I pat it in with a finger versus blending out with a brush, but I'm not sure if the results warrant babying this product so much; judge for yourselves in my uncomfortable eye close-up.

L-R: Laneige Cushion Concealer in Light, Bobbi Brown Corrector in Porcelain Bisque, NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Chantilly

No concealer on the left under eye area, Laneige Cushion Concealer applied on the right.

Overall, I think it's an average concealer - it's just a bit too much effort for me to coax it into behaving the way I would like it to. Looking at the photos of my under eyes with and without concealer, I actually think the two sides don't look all that different, and maybe I'm just not the best judge when it comes to under eye concealers because I don't have huge issues to conceal in that area. If you've been thinking about purchasing Laneige's Cushion Concealer, keep in mind the two major downsides of this product: very limited shade range and the price per ounce - 2.5 ml of product isn't a whole lot (in comparison, NARS Creamy Concealer contains around 6.5 ml, while the Maybelline Age Rewind contains 6ml for $7-8). Have you tried any of the spin-off cushion products? What is your current favorite concealer?

Disclaimer: Item marked with an asterix (*) is a press sample I received from the brand's PR for review consideration. All links are non-affiliate. All opinions are 100% honest and unbiased, no matter if the products featured were purchased with my own monies or provided as free press samples. Thank you for reading!

Minimalist Monday: 3 Years Into My Low Buy and Plans for 2016

I've wanted to discuss something that's recently been on my mind a lot, namely my experiences with doing a make-up low-buy for three years now and my plans for 2016. Before we dive in, there's one thing I'd like to clarify: I'm not trying to advocate any minimalist agenda or forcefully attempt to convince you to change your habits in any way. If you're happy with your stash and your purchases, GREAT - I envy you, and you do you. The reason I'm stating the obvious (to me at least) is that I've recently come across this sentiment that some minimalism-leaning bloggers can come across as a bit militant in their opinions. I have no such intention - this is just a personal blog and I'm coming here to share MY feelings and struggles, and if it inspires someone to change something they've been uncomfortable with anyway, then that makes me really happy; but if not, that's okay too.

Alright, enough of boring disclaimers, let's get to it. Above is the main reason for this post - the contents of my back-up skincare drawer. That's right, it's all back-ups, meaning it's not even all of my skincare; the stuff I'm currently using is in my bathroom cabinet, which I'll show you an update on some other time. In my defense, very few products inside this bin are what I've purchased myself; probably 90% is gifts, gifts with purchase and press samples. But you see the problem, yes? YES?! It's freaking 15 pounds worth of skincare I'm not using, it's just sitting around, waiting for its prime. I don't need or want all that... so what to do?

In my first couple years of beauty obsessing and documenting it on the blog, I had set a loose monthly budget for myself in the amount of $50. It was supposed to include all 'fun' expenditures such as clothing and accessories as well as make-up, skincare, nail polish, you name it. It seemed reasonable at the time, and the amount was something I was comfortable with spending for non-essentials. Looking back on it now, I can honestly say that a beauty budget did NOT work for me. I wasn't very dilligent in tracking my expenses, meaning that I very often went over the $50, but the main problem is that it resulted in a proliferation of cheap thrills in my wardrobe and beauty stash. I'm not saying cheap to be offensive - I'm all for affordable things if they're good quality. Unfortunately, most of what I bought wasn't, and on top of that, I was soon overwhelmed with the amount of clothes and products in my possession.

Enter phase two, which was my beauty low-buy, introduced at the beginning of 2013 as a 'No Back-Ups Challenge' (read the original post here). I decided to give myself an allowance of two make-up products per month, without setting any budget goals, and work hard on using up all my extra products across several categories, mostly skincare. I'm not going to lie - it was VERY difficult at first. For someone used to popping into a drugstore 'just to see what's new', and usually leaving with a couple make-up toys in tow, having to thoroughly think through all my purchases, plan ahead and only get two out of the large pool of everything I fancied was hard. So I did stumble here and there, and definitely at the end of 2013 I had accumulated more than just 24 new make-up products, but I did make a large dent in my back-up stash, and it was a start (here are my thoughts at the end of the year). So I just stuck to the same low buy again in 2014, and added in another stash-reducing challenge via Project Make A Dent and various declutters. This time it went even better than the previous year; I was able to stick to my resolution more, and developped some strategies to help fight lemmings and urges to shop while learning to appreciate what I already had (final post for 2014 can be found here).

Now this year, I do think that my low-buy has really taken hold and taught me a valuable lesson. In 2015, I've been able not only to limit my purchases, but actually change my behavior and thought patterns when it comes to beauty shopping. I think I'll discuss my experience and strategies in more detail in a separate post next month, but I wanted to share my back story with you mostly to show you that in my case, it has truly been a slow evolution towards the ultimate goal of an edited capsule collection that makes me happy and grateful instead of causing anxiety and stress. It's definitely a loosely defined goal, and as such, the particulars of it keeping changing, namely towards even smaller and simpler stash.

But let's get back on track - if I've been such a pro at reducing and editing my stash, why that skincare back-up explosion, I hear you ask? Well, first off, it was actually worse than that in the past *gulp*. On top of that drawer, I had another drawer, and then a lot of products under the bathroom sink. In fact, I even had a hanging organizer on the bathroom door at one point because I had so much extra stuff. The organizer is now gone, and my bathroom cabinet currently houses just haircare and travel items, so this drawer plus what I've dubbed my 'soap box', pictured above, is all that I have left - and it would be much less than that if not for generous friends and PRs. But still, for me, the contents of those two containers are way more than I would like to keep on hand at any given time. Which is why for 2016, I decided to do go full throttle and introduce a complete SKINCARE (for the face AND body) NO BUY. It's like the ultimate challenge for a beauty junkie, am I right?

I think that this time, the challenge won't be so much in fighting lemmings because I feel that I've gotten pretty good at keeping myself in check. However, I may struggle a bit with not purchasing products that are more convenient to use than what I already have on hand for that purpose. For example, I'm not really loving bar soaps as much anymore - I got used to fancy shower gels now, and it's nicer to indulge in a scented body lotion than slather your limbs in a natural plant oil. I realize that in this scenario, many of you would just get rid of the surplus bar soaps & oils and happily purchase your favorites in their stead, but to me it feels wasteful and unnecessary. My other reason for attempting to use and use up these particular products is that they're more eco-friendly and sustainable, as well as less irritating for my sensitive skin. The second issue I'm foreseeing here is that like a true hoarder, I'm slightly worried about not having enough face cleansers or toners to last me an entire year. But you know what, I'm determined to make it work - I could just as well DIY a cleansing oil like Gummy, or try the Oil Cleansing Method again. I'll make do; as long as my skin is happy. If for any reason any of my back-up products turn out to harm my skin, I will pass them along and ultimately purchase a replacement if no more back-ups remain in my queue. Simple as that.

I will definitely document my progress with photos in a year's time, or sooner, if that turns out to be the case (ha! I wish). I would also like to point out that my no buy does not mean I won't be accepting press samples or gifts. While the influx of products for review consideration may seem to hinder my progress, this is a beauty blog after all, and I enjoy trying and reviewing products for you. I also very frequently pass things along to family and friends, and it makes me happy that I can give back and share great products in this way. But enough about me - do you guys have any stash-reducing plans for 2016? Have you ever attempted a beauty no buy? If so, what was your experience like?

No Fuss Skincare Routine: Paula's Choice Hydralight Range Review*

This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Pretty In My Pocket. The products featured were provided free of charge by Paula's Choice for review consideration.

I was beyond excited when Pretty In My Pocket presented me with the opportunity to test out a custom skincare routine from Paula's Choice. Long-time readers of the blog will know that Paula's Choice is a brand that I trust when it comes to effective cruelty, fragrance and dye-free products suitable for sensitive skin and acne, which I've been struggling with most of my life. Paula's Choice also kindly offered me a personal email consultation with one of their skincare experts, but the great thing about their website is that this perk isn't just reserved for bloggers or VIPs - it's free and available for anyone who desires to find the best Paula's products to suit their skin's needs - just call 1-800-831-4088. Paula's Choice also offers 100% Money Back guarantee within 60 days if you're not completely satisfied with any of their products.

During my email exchange with Holly, their fabulous specialist, I was asked about my skin type (normal, dry, oily, combination/dry or combination/oily) and skin concerns (acne, dehydration, hyperpigmentation, fine lines, eczema etc.). I diagnosed myself as combination sensitive, and told Holly I've had problems with some acne spots and clogged pores as well as sun spots and post-acne hyperpigmentation. Taking my feedback into consideration, Holly chose for me the Hydralight Advanced Kit for Normal, Combination and Oily Sensitive Skin ($99 for 5 products), and added in another exfoliator to help with my pores, the RESIST Smoothing Treatment with 5% AHA, as well as their C15 Super Booster to fight my hyperpigmentation. I promptly received all these products on October 20th (yes, exactly a month ago!), emptied my bathroom cabinet of all other skincare bits, and started following my custom routine as shown below. Here's are my thoughts:

1. Hydralight One Step Face Cleanser ($25 for 16 oz): The Hydralight Cleanser is a non-foaming gel geared towards sensitive as well as combination and oily skin types. The two main ingredients are moisturizing glycerin and sodium laureth sulfate, a cleansing agent, as well as repairing niacinamide, soothing allantoin and hydrating sodium hyaluronate. I used this cleanser by applying it onto a damp face, massaging it around in circular motions, and rinsing off or removing with a warm washcloth. Mind you, I did not use it to remove heavy make-up - I always use a separate cleansing oil for that - but I tried it on light make-up one day (just concealer and blush) and it got it off without any trouble. I found the gel texture the most similar to Dermalogica Ultracalming cleanser, if you've ever tried that; but basically, it does feel a little bit like washing your face with just glycerin, which I quite like :)

According to Beautypedia, the second ingredient in this cleanser, sodium laureth sulfate, is a gentle detergent that's suitable even for the most sensitive skins, while sodium lauryl sulfate is the extra harsh, irritating ingtedient we should aim to avoid in our skincare (read more about sulfates on Beautypedia here). I can't verify that - but in the past three years, I've taken to avoiding both ingredients, as well as any foaming face washes just to be on the safe side and try to protect my skin's acid mantle as much as I can. So I'm not entirely sure if I've now become allergic to sodium laureth sulfate or if it was something else in this cleanser, but unfortunately, during the three weeks I've used it day and night, my skin freaked out. It became dry, tight and red, and I developed a lot (and I mean a lot) of clogged pores on my forehead. In the last week of testing the Hydralight routine, I replaced the One Step Cleanser with the Andalou Apricot Probiotic Cleansing Cream, and I've now pretty much got the situation under control. So unfortunately, while I quite enjoyed the Paula's Choice Cleanser to begin with, it turned out not to work for my skin - but your experience may of course vary.

2. Hydralight Toner ($20 for 6.4 oz): The Hydralight Toner is a lightweight liquid meant to normalize combination skin and calm down redness. It contains a lot of botanical antioxidants like green tea extract and grape seed extract, as well as willow herb and allantoin to soothe and sodium hyaluronate and glycerin to hydrate. I've found it to be a very nice refreshing toner, and it became especially important in my routine after the misshap with the cleanser; it made my skin feel a lot more comfortable and soft right away. If I could change one thing about it though, I would repackage it into a spray bottle (well, I actually did that for my own use by decanting a little bit into a travel spray bottle); but that's my preference for all hydrating toners as I dislike rubbing my face with too many cotton pads. I do very much enjoy this toner and will continue to use it in my every day routine.

3. Hydralight Moisture-Infusing Lotion ($28 for 2 oz): The Hydralight Lotion is a light moisturizer meant to soothe sensitive and combination & oily skin, and it's suitable for use around the eyes. The ingredients include emollients such as caprylic/ capric triglycerine, squalane and glycerin, soothing oat kernel extract and a whole skew of antixodiants such as Vitamin E & C as well as superoxide dismutase. I'm always slightly skeptical when trying out new moisturizers as most of them leave me very greasy, but I was pleasantly surprised after using the Hydralight Lotion - it absorbs very quickly and leaves no shine behind, just plump, moisturized, happy skin. Even though I was advised to use this mostly at night, when my skin was feeling particularly dry I would sneak this into my morning routine as well, as I found the Lotion to be more moisturizing and soothing on my skin than the Mineral Complex; it almost has a cooling effect when you massage it into your skin. I give it two thumbs up!

4. Hydralight Shine-Free Daily Mineral Complex SPF 30 ($28 for 2 oz): The Hydralight Mineral Complex is a moisturizing mineral sunscreen (zinc oxide 6%, titanium dioxide 2.32 %) for the daytime, enriched with anti-irritants such as licorice root extract and allantoin. It's a white lotion with a siliconey texture that should be familiar to all physical sunscreen users; mind you, the Mineral Complex is thicker than Japanese/ Korean- inspired liquid sunscreens in shake-up bottles and more like your traditional 'Western' sunscreen. I was very impressed with the blendability of this sunscreen and the matte finish it left on the skin, which lasted through most of the day even on my very oily nose. I do find that it leaves a bit of a white cast especially when you first apply it, like most mineral sunscreens tend to do, but on my fair skin it wasn't very noticeable and didn't interfere with my make-up. Compared to the Paula's Choice RESIST sunscreen I've been using this summer, I think the Hydralight Mineral Complex is marginally heavier in texture, but I'd say I like them both about the same, and find them very effective in terms of UV protection.

5. Skin Perfecting 1% BHA Lotion ($26 for 3.3 oz): My Paula's Choice consultant advised me to use the BHA Lotion in the mornings, or alternating it with the RESIST 5% AHA, discussed below. In the past, I've tried both the BHA Gel and the BHA Liquid in the 2% strength. The 1% BHA Lotion is aimed at more sensitive skin, hence its inclusion in the Hydralight Kit, and claims to unclog pores and mild bumps for normal and slightly dry skin types. I was a bit hesitant to try it as my skin certainly isn't dry, but I found the Lotion to be very lightweight and fast absorbing - on me, it's actually significantly lighter in feel than the viscous BHA Liquid. The Lotion helps to keep my pores clear and even out my skintone, but at the moment, I need to pair it with a slightly heavier moisturizer to help with seasonal dryness.

6. RESIST Daily Smoothing Treatment with 5% AHA ($32 for 1.7 oz): Compared to the 1% BHA Lotion, the RESIST AHA Treatment is a significantly higher price point, but that's because it contains more anti-aging ingredients such as peptides, curcuminoids (antixoidants derived from turmeric) and ceramides. It's recommended for dry skin types, and I did find it to be more comfortable and nourishing on my skin than the 1% BHA Lotion. The Daily Smoothing Treatment is a pale yellow lotion with a silky texture that absorbs nicely into the skin. On the days I had more irritation/ active spots on my forehead, I experienced a little bit of stinging upon application, but that would go away quickly and I haven't noticed any extra redness in my skin because of that. In terms of effectiveness on my face, I think the AHA Treatment and the BHA Lotion were pretty close, but I do marginally prefer the Treatment for now - I'd have to test them both more extensively for a longer period of time to really compare the results though. All in all, I'm quite impressed with the unclogging, brightening and plumping effects of the Daily Smoothing Treatment, and I will continue to reach for it in my everyday routine.

7. RESIST C15 Super Booster ($48 for 0.67 oz): All of the Paula's Choice RESIST Super Boosters are packaged in little glass bottles with a dropper and are meant to be used as add-ons to your regular routine to target specific concerns: the Hyaluronic Acid Booster for dehydration, the Renewal Oil for moisture, the new Retinol one to firm and prevent fine lines, and lastly my C15 to fight hyperpigmentation and dark spots as well as brighten the skin. You can either use them alone, like a serum, or mix them into your moisturizer or lotion. The C15 Super Booster contains 15% of ascorbic acid (according to Beautypedia, the most effective but difficult to stabilize form of Vitamin C) as well as Vitamin E, ferulic acid and octapeptide.

The texture of this product is very liquidy and feels almost like an extremely lightweight oil that sinks into my skin immediately with no residue whatsoever. A lot of Paula's Choice fans have commented on the strange smell of this product, and while I have to agree it's not very pleasant as you're applying it (to me, it smells a bit like mayo?), the scent doesn't linger and doesn't really bother me in the least. If you've been a regular reader of my blog for a while, you know that I really enjoy having a Vitamin C serum in my routine and have tried a lot of different ones in the past. I have to say that the Paula's Choice C15 is definitely in my top three; after four weeks of using it every night, I have noticed an improvement in my freckles/ sun spots, and my post-acne hyperpigmentation marks fade significantly faster. It may seem like the C15 Booster is very expensive for the small amount you're getting in the bottle, but ascorbic acid products need to be used quickly after opening (the C15 Booster has a three month shelf life, according to the packaging), otherwise they start to oxidize and may actually do more harm than good to your skin - so I decided to go ahead and also use the Booster on my hands and chest, which always get the most sun damage. I really like this Booster and would consider repurchasing next time I'm in the market for a Vitamin C product.

Whew, that was a lot of information, wasn't it? I'm sorry if you found this a little wordy, but I like to give you pros and cons about each product I'm reviewing so that it's more helpful when you're making the decision to purchase (or not). As far as my overall thoughts after following this routine exclusively for four weeks, I'm very happy that I got to try these products, because I feel that they taught me more about my own skin. What I specifically mean is that I didn't realize my skin was so prone to dehydration and dryness; I previously thought my skin was more combination/oily, but right now I would say that it's probably leaning more combination/dry. Due to the dryness I've been experiencing by following the Hydralight routine to a T, I broke down after three weeks and reintroduced a very basic hydrating serum (Hada Labo Hyaluronic Acid Lotion) to layer under my moisturizer - and I even think I could amp up the nourishment a little bit more from there by adding in a facial oil at night. By switching out my cleanser and adding in an extra hydrator, my face is already feeling a lot more comfortable, and the bumps on my forehead have started to go away.

So while not all of the products I was recommended worked out for me, I did very much enjoy clearing out my medicine cabinet of all the extraneous bottles to follow this simplified, no fuss routine for a month. I will continue to use all of these products with the exception of the One Step Cleanser, and while I currently have products from other lines to supplement what I lacked in my Paula's Choice regime, I absolutely think I could customize the Hydralight routine further with other Paula's Choice products such as the RESIST Hydrating Cleanser,  Hyaluronic Acid or Renewal Oil Boosters. Paula's Choice continues to be one of my favorite affordable skincare lines, and I'm so glad to have had the opportunity to road test more of their products. Have you ever followed a skincare routine with products from just one brand? What are your favorite Paula's Choice products? If you've been thinking about placing a PC order, don't forget to use my code PRIMPFALL20 for 20% off your purchase and free shipping - and get on that discount now, the code expires Dec 31st 2015!

PS. You can read even more reviews on Paula's Choice as well as hundreds more brands on the Pretty In My Pocket app, which you can download here: http://www.prettyinmypocket.com/download

The Quintessential Transforming Lipstick for Fall: Revlon Black Cherry

Yes, this post is pretty much a testament to my ever lasting love towards Revlon Superlustrous Lipstick in Black Cherry ($7.99 for 0.15 oz/ 4.2 g), which I've had in my stash for about three years now (see my previous review here). Every fall, I dig it out again, and marvel at its uncanny ability to transform any other of my lipsticks into that perfect mulberry shade that's eye-catching, but acceptable for everyday wear.

Obviously, on its own and at full strength, Black Cherry is a vampy shade that looks a bit intimidating, especially on my fair skintone. It's also not my absolute favorite formula to wear at full opacity as it can get a bit patchy and uneven. However, paired with another creamy lipstick, it performs very well. It increases the depth of any given shade and adds a purpley plummy tone, which I've been quite partial to lately. It also prolongs the wear of the other lipstick; it stains the lips when worked in really well, and layering lipsticks always makes them last better anyway. I usually put down a thin layer of Black Cherry first, patting it into my lips, and then top with a lighter shade - but I've tried it the other way round too and both work.

L-R: Revlon Black Cherry swatched heavily then blended out, Revlon Black Cherry layered under Inglot no. 58

The idea to write about Black Cherry again came about as a result of boredom and slight dissatisfaction with lipsticks in my Project Make A Dent and Project Pan. The only cold season-appropriate lipstick that I included in my Projects was Inglot Gel Lipstick no. 58, a pinky berry shades. For most of my lipstick-wearing life, I'd loved any and all shades of pink on myself, but lately I'm not really that into them. Enter Revlon Black Cherry, and I'm back to loving the Inglot lippie. I also like layering Black Cherry with Chanel Rouge Coco in Monte Carlo, a warm sheer red, that's also in my Project (that's the combo I'm wearing in the face shot).

If you've been scared of rocking your Revlon Black Cherry or any other deep vampy shade in your stash, I say give it a go layered with another shade of medium depth. It does take minimally more time and effort to use two lipsticks instead of one, but I do think it's worth it. Which lipstick shade have you guys been reaching for lately?