The Ravings of an Insomniac

Sephora Triple Action Cleansing Water | Coconut Oil | No7 Melting Gel Cleanser | H2O+ Marine Toner (Discontinuned) | Mary Kay Firming Eye Cream | Yes to Cucumbers Calming Night Cream | Tarte Maracuja Oil | Yes To Carrots Fragrance Free Daily Cream Cleanser. | Tarte C-Brighter Eye Treatment | Meishoku Organic Rose Moisture Cream | Coola Face SPF 30 Mineral Cucumber Matte Finish Sunscreen

Since my last post which was very simple, my skincare stash has grown significantly. I honestly don't like using so many products, but I'm trying to finish things up in a timely manner. Products sitting around not being used are just a waste of space and money.

I only use the coconut oil and cleansing water if I'm wearing foundation or eyeliner, which is about every other day. I massage coconut oil all over my face and between my lashes, then wipe off with a cotton round/swab and then go in with the cleansing water to really make sure that my skin is clean of makeup. If I'm wearing minimal makeup (concealer, brows) I'll just go ahead to the next step, which is cleansing.

I cleanse at night with the No7 Melting Gel Cleanser, which begins as a gel but melts into an oil as it's rubbed into the skin. It takes off light makeup really well, which is why I use just this when I'm wearing light makeup. After washing, I apply a toner with my hands because I feel like I get more bang for my buck and I get to smell the pleasant scent the H2O+ Marine Toner. After my skin drinks it up, I put a dab of the Mary Kay Firming Eye Cream on my orbital bone. I actually don't really like this product because it takes forever and a half to sink in, but I feel the need to use an eye cream at night and this is the only appropriate night eye cream I have. The moisturizer I'm using right now is the Yes to Cucumbers Calming Night Cream, which has a soothing scent of chamomile and cucumbers. This bad boy sinks in quickly and leaves my skin feeling soothed and hydrated. Every other day at night I take a couple drops of the Tarte Maracuja Oil and smooth it over my face, concentrating on any dry patches.

In the morning I cleanse my face with a gentle cream cleanser, the Yes To Carrots Fragrance Free Dilay Cream Cleanser being my go-to these days. I don't use a toner in the morning, but rather go straight into moisturizing. My eye cream is the shimmery Tarte C-Brighter Eye Treatment, and I follow up with the sweetly scented Meishoku Organic Rose Moisture Cream. If I'm not wearing a foundation or tint moisturizer with SPF that day I will follow up with the Coola SPF 30 Minereal Cucumber Suncreen.

That's all, folks! What skincare products have you been using?

• iPad 3 with Bamboo stylus - great tools to have for students
• Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, currently reading for class but I really enjoy it.
• Water bottle - old VOSS bottle that I scratched the label off
• Pencil case - case from Taiwan
• Calculator (TI-84 Plus)
• Wallet - from a street vendor in Taiwan. This bad boy has lasted me two years with not a single issue. 
• Cell phone - Motorola Moto G with Eagle Cell case
• Apple earphones
• Domo bag with tampons (hey, don't judge)
• Lancôme makeup bag
• Mirror
• Elizabeth Arden Exceptional Lipstick in Breathless (discontinued)
• Boots Botanics Tinted Lip Balm in Sheer Pomegrante
• Bath and Body Works Fresh Picked Passionfruit Lip Butter
• Folding hairbrush
• Bath and Body Works Japanese Cherry Blossom Hand Sanitizer
• True Religion Love Hope Denim Perfume

Today I'm writing a post about some recent purchases. I've been sneakily shopping over the past month and a half and putting reviews and posts up, but these are the other products that I've added to my pile of things to use and haven't mentioned yet that I want to talk about. Read on!

I don't think makeup starters really need a lot of tools. For the first year or so of me applying makeup, I used my fingers and a sponge. However, brushes are great tools to have as they make application cleaner (using hands of course means dirty hands) and can result in beautiful, airbrushed finishes. Read on to see my recommendations for starters.

Eye brushes

To be perfectly honest, I think all one needs is a fluffy brush. Fluffy brushes are amazing because they can be used to do about a thousand different things; apply eyeshadow, blend out concealer, blend out harsh eyeshadow lines, apply highlighter, etc. A great little brush kit containing eye brushes is the Ecotools Essential Eyes Kit, which has a large and a small flat shader, a fluffy brush, an angled crease brush, and a pencil/smudger brush. The only thing I would add to this is an angled liner brush, which can be used to fill in brows and line lashlines. Of course, you gotta get a spoolie to blend out eyebrow lines.

Face brushes

To this day, I don't think everyone needs to fap around with twelve different brushes daily for the face. One great versatile brush is the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush, which can be used for all types of products (liquid, cream, and powder)! The synthetic bristles blend out like a dream and don't absorb and product. They clean easily and dry fast, so I would definitely recommend this. The last essential face tool is a sponge. There are egg shaped sponges and wedge shaped ones. Sponges purchased in pretty much any store that carries makeup. The wedges often come in huge packs and are intended to be used just a couple times. I love sponges because they give a very natural but flawless finish and can be used on all types of products, although they're best for cream an liquid.

That's all folks! What types of brushes or tools would you recommend?

This week I'm writing a series on beginning beauty! There will be two installments, a makeup post and a brushes post. Obviously, today's post is on the makeup. I think when one starts with makeup it's better to start small and then build up. Of course one can switch out products for higher coverage/lower coverage products, but these are just some basic products I think beginners (and everybody, actually) should have in their stash.

The "basic/essentials" kit:

If you have perfect wonderful skin, you don't need a lick of makeup but for those of us with a few more problem areas (blemishes, redness, dark undereyes) concealer is a must. The drugstore has plenty of amazing offerings, but one that I think is fantastic is the Sonia Kashuk Hidden Agenda Concealer Palette, which includes two concealer shades and a corrector, not to mention a nice powder for setting the makeup. For undereyes, try the Garnier Anti-Dark Circle Eye Treatment (not pictured). Unless you're blessed with full, shapely eyebrows you also don't need this but let's face it, most of us are in need of an eyebrow pencil. You can go with powder if you can't find a good color match, but I think applying it like that is a little difficult at first. A great pencil is the Sonia Kashuk Brow Definer, available in two fairly universal shades. A little defining and shaping gives your face a sharper and youthful appearance and finishes your look up. And finally, eyeliner/mascara. Eyeliner is a little hard to apply but once you get the hang of it you really do get the hang of it. Depending on the product and application, you can get a really smoked out, smudgy look or a crisp, clean line. A really great liquid liner is the Pixi Lash Line Ink and a great pencil liner is the Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pen. I'm not a big fan of mascara but I hear that Maybelline has some great ones. I don't use their products, but apparently Great Lash LOL, Cat Eyes, and The Rocket are lovely.


The "and then some" kit
Along with the products mentioned above, this kit is for those who not only want to effortlessly pretty but also put together. Something to keep an eye out for (if you want to wear it) is a base, such as foundation or tinted moisturizer. Beginners should start out with either a sheer foundation or tinted moisturizer. Even if you have bad skin, covering it up with layers of makeup is not going to do anything for it. You might as well let your skin breathe. You want to look for a product that will cancel out discoloration and redness but not cover up your skin. One product that I hear is awesome for this purpose is the Borjouis CC Cream (not pictured, as it's not available in the US). I'm not a big fan of wearing a base because I hate the hassel of removing it but a good starter TM is the Neutrogena Healthy Skin Enhancer or the matching foundation (foundation not pictured). Another put-together item is eyeshadow. I recommend you start out with a neutral duo, trio, or quad. Neutral shades are better for beginners because they're a bit more forgiving and easy to work with versus a bright blue shadow. A wonderful little trio is the Wet n' Wild Walking on Eggshells Coloricon trio. The Coloricon line has tons of amazing quality eyeshadows, including several neutral palettes and more out there palettes. These are super pigmented, buttery, and crease-resistant, not to mention dirt cheap. Lastly, to finish the and then some kit, pick out a tinted lip balm or sheer lipstick. Of course you can go with bold bright colors, but I think sheer shades are easier because you can apply them without looking. Try the Clinique Chubby Sticks (or the drugstore version, the Revlon Just Kissable Balm Stains) as they apply a sheer but lively wash of color to the lips.

The "I don't know what to call this" kit
This kit is more advanced. Of course, it includes products mentioned in the other two kits (if you want to use them!) but there are also some other products to really beautify your lovely face. A product that not everybody needs but most people use is powder. Powder sets makeup, eliminates oil, and also makes makeup longer lasting. Dry skin types do not need to use powder. There are different powders for different purposes, like mattifying, brightening, and just plain setting. Here I have the Sonia Kashuk Brightning Powder, which is a finely milled powder with shimmer particles to brighten the skin. I think it's probably best for starts to use pressed powders, because it's easier to use and there's less of a mess. And finally, the last product of the start makeup kits, is blush. I'm actually not the biggest blush lover as my cheeks are naturally flushed, but blush can make a world of difference to a foundationed face. It brings life and color back to those cute little cheeks of yours. Pictured is the Sonia Kashuk Creme Blush in Blossom. Although of course a starter can go for powder, I prefer cream because it can be applied with fingers, with a brush, or with a sponge.

Thanks for reading! What makeup products would you recommend for starters?

One of my biggest beauty blunders is not wearing SPF. I know, I know. It's terrible. SPF keeps you from the sun's harmful UVA and UVB rays, which can not only help prevent wrinkles but can also greatly lower your risk of skin damage, including skin cancer. The sun is not your friend. Keep away. A product that I'd been lusting over for almost a year is the Coola Face SPF 30 Cucumber Matte Finish Mineral Sunscreen (that's a mouthful) and I finally snagged it up recently. Read on to see my review!

What it is: a natural sunscreen

Where it is: Ulta and online

Price: $36

This product is cruelty free, vegan friendly, gluten free, and a whole bunch of other friendlys!

Coola says to "naturally shield and nourish skin everyday with this antioxidant-infused, mineral matte SPF 30 sunscreen. Offering broad-spectrum UVA/UVB plus environmental protection, this light, natural cucumber scented formula gives skin an immediate line-smoothing finish. Made with organic Rose Hip Oil, rich in free radical fighting Vitamin C; and organic calming Evening Primrose and Flax Seed Oils, delivering abundant Omega-3 and Gamma-Linolenic Acid to improve elasticity and help skin retain moisture. Organic Shea Butter smoothes and hydrates while the phyto-protector Plankton Extract rejuvenates skin." This sunscreen is ideal for all skin types, including sensitive and acne-prone types. It's preservative free and made with certified organic ingredients. It contains 1.7 fl oz, which is the same size as a regular moisturizer. Coola said something about this sunscreen being unable to develop bacteria because there's no water in it; I don't know the science because I'm the exact opposite of the scientific type but I think that's pretty cool! Or should I say it's pretty Coola... yeah I'm not the funny type either.

The packaging is pretty nice, nothing too flashy. It's packaged in a simple blue pump, although the tube itself is flexible and squishy. An entire pump is a pretty good amount for your entire face and décolletage. I use about half a pump and dot over the face. The only problem I have with it is that the packaging is opaque, which I suppose protects the product from getting altered by the sun, but it prevents you from seeing how much is left. This product was pretty pricey so I'm trying to preserve it, and this opaque tube is a huge nuisance in that process.

When first pumped out, the product is stark white and you think "oh my lord how is that going to blend into my face and not make me look like a ghost?" Not to fret, my friends. This product easily blends completely into the skin, leaving no trace that it was ever there. It claims to have a matte finish. Now, I have dry skin that doesn't produce a lot of oil, but my forehead is a little shiny and while this sunscreen doesn't mattify the shine, it doesn't make it worse or oily, like other sunscreens. It makes the skin feel so silky and soft, and how a pleasant, soft scent. I haven't had any sort of negative reaction to the product, and I can't really see it bothering many skintypes, as a lot of ingredients are antibacterial and gentle on the skin. The SPF 30 requires reapplication, but that's the case with any sunscreen for a prolonged period of time.

I really freaking love this product. The matte finish is so nice and lovely, not to mention the pleasant scent and gentleness of the product. If you can afford it, definitely go pick it up.

I've not done a favorites post since January, and I've been enjoying a bunch of things lately, from makeup to skincare to haircare to fashion and to random. Read on!

Sonia Kashuk Liquid Light Concealers

I just put up a review of this (here), so I'll keep this short and sweet. Although these are not the most full coverage concealers, they're very light (as the name implies) and look so natural. It's only available in two shades, but they're pretty versatile for medium to light skin tones.

Sonia Kashuk Longwear Pearlescence Creme Shadow in Moonstone

I put up a review of this recently, check it out here. I really like this because not only is the color gorgeous, the formula is also great. It can be built up or sheered out, blends easily and quickly, and doesn't crease. It's the perfect everyday shadow for the gals on the hurry who still like to look nice.

Clinique Chubby Stick in Super Strawberry

I stopped using this for a bit during the winter, but now that the weather is warming up I've been incorporating it into my daily routine. This has a great lightweight formula that gives what I think is the perfect amount of color to the lips. Super Strawberry is a great dark berryish pink shade that goes great as a light wash of color, and it's a wonderful everyday shade.

No7 Lash & Brow Perfector

After being seperated for this for a few months, I finally got around to getting another tube. I really like this stuff, as it provides a nice hold without crunchiness. 

Yes to Carrots Fragrance Free Daily Cream Facial Cleanser

I got this back in March or February, and I've been enjoying it since then. This cream spreads nicely over your face and feels quite calming and nice. There's a scent, but it smells like nonoffensive fragrance free stuff. If you've ever used a fragrance free body lotion, that's what this one smells like. 

Yes to Cucumbers Calming Night Cream

I didn't quite realize how much I enjoyed this until lately. It's made a few cameos on the blog so far, but no formal mentions. I use this day and night, but to be honest that's partially because I'm too lazy to get a seperate day and night cream. This is a pretty thick cream, and it's a little difficult to spread over the skin, but it absorbs quickly and leaves skin feeling plump and hydrated.

Tarte Maracuja Oil + C-Brighter Eye Treatment
I wrote a review on both of these products here. I really like them! I use the eye cream purely in the day because it has shimmery particles, but it's rich and moisturizing and sits really well under makeup. I love the oil for added nighttime moisture and it makes my skin feel very plump and hydrated. It's also really good on the hair. I'll probably be purchasing this exact duo (if I still see it) when I run out of the product. I did some quick math and it turns out these are actually a deal for their size, plus the tiny size allows me to travel with them.

Coola SPF 30 Mineral Face Cucumber Matte Finish
I'll have a review of this up shortly, so I'm not going to go too in depth about this. Basically, this is a great natural sunscreen with a great finish and scent. It's gentle yet effective.

C.O. Bigelow My Favorite Night Balm
This stuff is incredible! It's a very thick cream that sinks into the lips slowly overnight. Although it's sunken in by morning, you can still feel the hydrating effects of this balm when you wake. It's a great fix for lips that won't un-chap.

ZiZi Girl Fleet booties

These are the cutest shoes ever. Cute but not girly, these super versatile booties are my favorite shoes. They're comfy and go with everything and god I just love them so much.

Head massger

I cut about six or seven inches of my beautiful hair off, and I hate the length so I'm trying to grow it out as quickly as possible. One little tool that I've been using to try to promote hair growth is this head massager, which looks like a torture instrument, but basically the little balls on the ends of the arms massage your scalp, improving circulation and leaving you feeling all tingly and cold. I've yet to see any major changes, but I love the way it feels and it can't hurt to keep massaging away.

Lemon water

I adore water. I drink around 2 to 3 huge bottles during the day and countless glasses at night. Yes, I have to pee a lot, but water is great for your body in every way imaginable. Some people say water gets tiring and tasteless, so to them, I say flavor it. Slice up some fruit and pop them in a water bottle and not only do you look super cool with fruit floating around your bottle, you have a delicious flavored drink to enjoy with minimal effort.

Tear Down The House - The Avett Brothers
The Clearness Is Gone - The Avett Brothers
Live and Die - The Avett Brothers

Bob's Burgers
Orphan Black

I hate going shopping in person. I hate sales associates who try to sell me things and push me around. I know it's their job, but please don't bother me. I want to get things done on my own sweet time. And so what if I look at a product for fifteen minutes and decide not to buy it? That's where online shopping comes in handy. Of course, there are plenty of downsides to online shopping but I feel that the benefits outweigh the negatives tenfold. So without further ado, here are some pretty cool websites.

Uncommon Goods is a beautiful beautiful website. It sells unique but sleek and chic things. Furniture, decor, accessories, etc; this site has pretty much all the cool things you could find. The items are more on the expensive side, but they're quite cool. 

ThinkGeek is one for the nerds. This site sells fandom stuff, and it is incredible. It's like Hot Topic (which also has fandom stuff, but a limited selection) except expanded. It doesn't just sell fandom stuff though, there are also some pretty rad decor pieces and outdoorsy things. Definitely one to bookmark if you're a fandom person.

Rodale's is a website I discovered very recently but am now obsessed with. This is a website that sells stuff for healthy living, such as organic and natural products, clothes made from organic cotton, cool handcrafted jewelry, etc. This is one to check out if you're a big naturals lover. Plus when I ordered something they sent me an email saying "you're wonderful" (*＾▽＾)／

Kikkerland is a brand that sells nifty and cool gadgets. The brands website doesn't have many things up on it, so you're better off looking it up on Amazon but they are such cool little toys. Really great for stocking stuffers or cute little gifts.

What it is: liquid highlighter

Where it is: Ulta and Target, plus online

Price: $7.50

NYX is cruelty free!

Now that summer is nearing, people are ditching matte products in order to achieve a dewy, healthy glow. This product is one of the contenders out there. NYX says to "Capture that sexy glow with our lightweight, multi-functional illuminator. Use as a foundation base or over cheekbones, décolletage, or cupids bow for that refreshing luminosity that'll have everyone talking." This product supposedly contains .6 fl oz and is available in two shades, Sunbeam (a more pinky shade) and Gleam (a more peachy shade), which is what I'll be reviewing.

The packaging is pretty basic but functional. It comes in a small squeeze tube that corresponds to the shade inside. The black cap screws on tightly and securely, so I have no fear that it'll come undone and ruin its surroundings.

Thanks for reading! What are your favorite highlighting products?

What it is: liquid concealer

Where: Target stores + Target website

Price: $8.99

Sonia Kashuk does not test on animals!

So since the spring SK line launched, I've had this product in the back of my mind. I stopped wearing concealer under my eyes for a little bit because I ran out of my usual under eye stuff and I can't bear to use cream around my eyes, so I just let the dark circles shine through. I don't really mind them, but when they are concealed my face looks ten times brighter so I figured I'd pick these up and give them a try. 

Sonia Kashuk says that "The moisture infused formula contains a hydrating complex with hyaluronic acid and black tea extract to enhance skins texture, radiance and color to impart a healthy glow. The perfecting fluid offers buildable coverage and seamlessly blends into a second-skin finish that softens the signs of fatigue and aging." This product contains 0.117 oz. There are only two shades available (09 Halo, and 10 Aura) and I have them both. 

 In my mind, SK is associated with great products in great packaging. While this packaging is a little unhygienic, it's pretty much the typical liquid concealer doe-foot packaging. I'm not sure what makes this look any different, but I keep thinking that the plastic with the concealer is glass. The handle is a matte black handle, which is nice and sleek. If you're grossed out by the doe-foot packaging, you can always apply the product to the back of your hand and then dab on with a brush or fingers. In the tubes, the two shades look pretty similar although they are rather different shades.

Like mentioned earlier, the two shades look quite similar in the packaing, but when applied you can see that they aren't close at all. Aura, the darker shade, is a pinkish toned medium tone. I think this shade would be really good for dark-medium to light-medium shades. Those of you with a darker medium skintone could use these under the eyes and those of you with a lighter medium skintone could use this on other spots of the face. The lighter shade, Halo, is a brightening shade that could suit a range of light medium to light skintones. I use Aura on my scars and around my nose and Halo under my eyes.

These have a really nice formulation. As the name implies, the formula is very light and creamy. They're so easy to blend and don't crease. This concealer doesn't have a lot of coverage, but both shades are brightening and reflect light away from problem areas. I like to set it, but that's unnecessary. Application is super easy; apply to problem areas and use pretty much anything to blend out. I love using a fluffy brush to blend it out as it looks so airbrushed and pretty.

What it is: cream eyeshadow

Where it is: Target stores + Target website

Price: $8.99

Sonia Kashuk is cruelty free!

Sonia Kashuk says that "these luxe, longwearing cream metallic shadows deliver a gilded look and brighter, more youthful-looking eyes. Light diffusing properties in the pigments impart a smoother finish while sesame, neem and Indian senna seed oils offer restoring, anti-inflammatory and moisturizing properties. The weightless formula glides evenly with a wand applicator and lasts for up to 14 hours." There are four shades available, and I have Diamond and Moonstone.

The packaging is pretty basic for a cream eyeshadow, despite being a little unhygenic it's perfectly functional and SK's matte black packaging always looks so nice and luxurious. It comes in a doe-foot applicator that you can either apply straight onto the eyes or dab off on the back of your hand and then apply it like that. I don't mind applying it straight from the tube, but I always apply it onto clean skin.

Let's talk formula before we get onto the shade descriptions. This is incredible. Honestly, I wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I do. Nothing against Sonia Kashuk - we all know how much I love the products - but I was just expecting it to crease and a fade a bit. But I was so so so so soooo wrong. These cream shadows, despite being super creamy, lightweight, and easy to blend, don't crease, smudge, fade, run, smear, or anything else you'd expect it to do. They're so easy to blend but once they set, they ain't going anywhere. Speaking of so easy to blend, I absolutely love how easy this is to use. Apply colors where desired and either pat in with finger or blend out edges with a fluffy brush and you get a beautiful, effortless shimmery eye look that will last you all day and all night! You can either blend out the color a lot if you think it's a little much, or really build it up for max color payoff. Incredible.

So this shadow is available in four shades: Diamond, Moonstone, Quartz, and Tiger's Eye. As you can see, all of them are very shimmery, but there's absolutely no glitter. They have quite a metallic, almost wet finish, but I don't mind it - I actually kind of love it!

Diamond is a lovely creamy champagne shade. It's so pretty popped in the inner corner and browbone. Moonstone is a pretty cool light brown that borders on being taupe. It's a great everyday shade.The two make a really nice everyday look; pop Moonstone on the outer corners and Diamond on the inner corner and blend away.

Thanks for reading! What's your favorite cream shadow?

Sonia Kashuk Brow Definer | Sonia Kashuk Hidden Agenda Concealer Palette | Sonia Kashuk Pearlesence Longwear Creme Shadow in Moonstone | Sonia Kashuk Chic Luminosity Highlighting Stick | Sonia Kashuk Creme Blush in Blososm | Sonia Kashuk Eye on Neutral 02 Palette | Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pen in Black Cocoa | Pixi Lash Line Ink

I swear that I'm not sponsored by SK. I just love her makeup.

What it is: a cream eyeshadow

Where it is: Target, Ulta, select Sears, and online

For how much: $5

NYX is cruelty free!

I've had this product in the back of my mind for quite some time now. I'm not sure why; to be truthful, it doesn't look exciting, and it seems like a pretty basic product. I suppose it could be the colors, they're quite beautiful. 

Anyways, NYX says that these shadows are "bursting with intense shimmering pigments in assorted hues. These exceptional shadows come in a variety of shades that have a velvety texture, dries promptly after application and lasts all day. Wearable for every season and occasion." There are twenty shades available, from a bright electric blue to pretty neutral shades.

The packaging is pretty basic and a little unhygenic. These come in round doe-foot applicator tubes. I don't really mind the applicator, but some people dislike them. The handle is a little too short for comfort, but that's not a big deal at all.

As you can see, this shadow has phenonomal color payoff - but a bit of an issue with blending. The top swatch is blended out immediately, and the bottom swatch is blended out after a few seconds, perhaps around 8 or 10. This shadow does not want to blend after it sets, it sort of pills up and just rubs away. Don't take the time to apply this to both eyes before blending, apply, blend as fast as you can, and then do the other eye. That being said, it does set while you blend and you can feel it too, but the product just doesn't want to blend with a brush. You gotta work fast. This might be an issue for some people. It bothers me, but I can make it work. The problem is that this creases so badly on me. I have fairly oily eyelids, but even applying this after a base doesn't do much. If you have dry eyelids and don't mind blending immediately after applying, this could be a great product for me, but I really wouldn't recommend it to anyone else.

Thanks for reading! What are your favorite cream shadows?