{Hits and Misses} Summer 2013

Ahh, I'm so sorry this is so late! It was supposed to be up Friday but I kept pushing it back because I was too lazy to take all the photos and whatnot. But I finally finished it~

Ho~ly crap; summer is almost over. Where did it go?! Wasn't it July 4th like a week ago?!
ヽ(#ﾟДﾟ)ﾉ┌┛Oh well, that just means it's time for sweaters and my docs, so all is okay. But, before I get to start making autumn inspired posts, a summer favorites is in order. I haven't done a favorites post since my first one in April on my tumblr, so it's been a while. I decided that instead of doing just my favorites, I'm including the products I didn't like, as well as those that I only sorta kinda liked! There are quite a few items to get through and I'll start with the misses/mehs under the cut~

Misses/Not Impressed

I'll start with what I believe is the first product I bought with the intention of summer in mind: the Olay Fresh Effects BB Cream

Not the best photo, but none of the photos I took (of any of the products) came out that well T_T I'm sorry!

I'll keep the descriptions as short as possible for everything so; I bought this because I wanted to buy a lighter alt. to foundation for the warmer months, and although I knew, I knew, that buying a western BB cream was going to give disappointing results, I bought it anyway.This is a 'meh' product because although I won't be buying it again, it works nice with powder (later in the post) and was refreshing for a while. But I definitely will not be repurchasing (especially for what, $12-15? no thanks).

Rimmel Stay Matte in 011 'Creamy Natural'

I bought this because I saw so many other people all over the beauty-sphere who were raving about it and I just had to try it! Long story short: it doesn't keep me matte. I was using the Neutragena matte powder for about a year, but I decided to switch it up and see if this worked as well or even better. It's supposed to last up to five hours but after about two I'm shiny all over my T-zone and that is just a 'no thank you'. Not impressed, won't buy again, heck I might not even continue using this one! I don't even really need it with my other powder...

Look who's baaaaaaaaack~

Ah, so the Fit Me stick foundation returns. Surprisingly, or at least to me, it's not a miss! It's more of a "I can use you for other purposes than the one you're actually supposed to be used for" kinda product. It doesn't keep be shine free if I use it as an all-over foundation, but it does provide extra coverage as a spot concealer/foundation, and works really well to conceal around my lips to get the gradient lip look. So I will be using this until the very end, but at this point I won't be buying it again either.

Oh frizz products, how you never fail to disappoint. 

I bought this on vacation because I was in need of some frizz control somethingorother, and stumbled across this while looking for the Pantene BB hair creme (which walmart was out of, dang it) and went for it! Needless to say it does no~thing. At all. Nada. Which, for me, isn't surprising. Nothing really tames the frizz, it's just a part of my hair.

Curls mean frizz (although you can't see it here...)

So I'm giving it to my sister and if she repurchases it, well that's her business. (she has straight/wavy hair :P)


Last but not least for the misses are:

Crown Brush eye brushes

I got these on sale with the neutral eye palette (which is kind of a miss but I use it a lot so it's not included here), from the thing grav3yardgirl had before July 4th, and they suck. She was saying that she really liked the ones she got from IMATS so that's why she picked them, but if these are good... >.> Maybe it's just the one's I got? I dunno, they're hard bristles (except the middle one, that one's soft), and they're hard to blend with or even just put eyeshadow on to begin with. Sadly though, I have to suffer with them until I can buy different brushes (maybe I'll just go e.l.f crazy!) but they're definitely not liked!

That's the end of the misses/mehs, so if you've made it this far, thank you! There are a lot of products that I liked though, so the post continues~!

Hits

Start with face products: 

Clean & Clear toner

0.5% Salicylic Acid 

This is a very recent purchase; beginning of August probably, but I really, really like it! I use it every morning and night and I have noticed a small difference! My skin feels smoother and more refreshed after using this and some of my small trouble spots have gone away or have gotten less noticeable, so a definitely a hit! Will be repurchasing when this runs out! 

Mah face wash~

1% salicylic acid

My nightly face wash~ I was in Target looking for a new face wash when I stumbled upon this bad boy and decided to give it a go. Best decision ever, I swear. I only use this nightly (I did use it both morning and night when I first got it but it really dried out my skin to the point where I had to wait a week before I could even just use it at night again) but it does make a difference! All of my face products are Salicylic Acid rather than Benzoyl Peroxide because BP dries out and irritates my skin soooo bad. This is really gentle, even with the little microbeads that make it a scrub, and it contains menthol so it cools on your skin!  I'm absolutely IN LOVE with this face wash, and although I still have quite a few areas that are being a pain, it's helping! It's almost gone but I will be buying this again for sure~ (might even be a HG product...)

The last thing for anything breakout-related I promise! 

Ignore all the stickers, I got bored. 

I am one of those people that gets bacne (which is so gross and annoying, just ugh), and washing regularly alone just doesn't cut it. I was on Sephora when I came across this, and I knew of Murad (from all the commercials) so I figured I give it a go! And I like it! It's not a 'meh' product, but it's also kind of not a hit, but I'll keep it here anyway. It's just a salicylic acid spray for your body, and it does what it's supposed to. It does have a very strong smell though, like those wipes nurses use before they give you a shot... but it goes away. The spray works at any angle you hold it which is awesome, and it continuous as well. I will most likely repurchase this as well, just so the grossness stays away.

Smells SO GOOD~~~~~~~

Basically I'm addicted to this scent, Dove deodorant works for me, and I have the body wash as well. WIll repurchase, the end.

New hair HG? Probably. 

Da pump.

I bought this because I finally ran out of my second liter of my Bumble & Bumble Curl Conscious Creme, and wanted to try to find a cheaper alt. (Compared to practically $100 for the liter and $30 for the 8oz. B&B, this stuff was $12 for 8oz and will be cheaper in the long run.) It's very different than the B&B, whereas this is thinner, the creme was just that and was super thick. This works practically the same though (but better with dead ends cut off >.>)  and I'm in love~ So worth a repurchase, I mean, did you see my hair? LOL

*ba dum tss*

I needed a conditioner, because as much as I love the Clear one, I needed a thinner actual conditioner that I could use right after the shower. And this was the answer! I saw it in one of Shameless Maya's videos on YT and figured I'd find it and try it out for myself. It's thin but potent, leaves my hair knot free, and doesn't smell, yay! I can buy it at Target too so double yay~! Repurchasing, probably really soon, because this seems to go quite fast, but I like it ^_^

Six things left... you're not dead yet right? 

It's so dirty, omg, I'm sorry!

Been using it under my concealer all summer and I have to say I like it! It makes it easier to blend the concealer out and creates a nice finish. It's a clear, silicone primer, and one pump is enough for my whole face; and at $3 a pop I'll be buying it in the future. 

I've hit pan~~~!!!!!

Mah Shade 

Bought this at the very beginning of summer and have been loving it ever since! It blends super well, matches super nicely, and has really great coverage. This is what I'd use over my BB cream early in the summer, and now it's what I use after concealer, and honestly with just two products I feel ready to go! I might not repurchase it anytime soon, I like liquid foundations for autumn/winter, but it's definitely on the list for next year!

Powder brush and foundation brush (that I use for concealer instead)

It came out really nice~

The two face brushes that I've been using all summer! I got my mom to buy me the travel set (I was in dire need of a powder brush and we were heading out to Disney) and I've literally been using them since the day I got them. The buffing brush is dense but soooo soft and woks really well with my powder, and the foundation brush works amazingly to blend out my concealer evenly and without me having to use my fingers haha. Definitely my staple brushes as of rn. 

And last but not least, the lip products: 

no. 20

no. 62

swatchy~ swatchy~
L -> R: BL, 65, 20

 Okay, ending with my favorite lip products, all Maybelline, and all fabulous. I had a previous Baby Lips (the clear one) which I still use and is awesome, but I really wanted to try one of the colored ones, so I went with the cherry one! (it also smells like cherry, like whoa) It's super hydrating, not sticky, and stays on for quite a while. If I ever finish this one I'll be sure to buy another (or another color). The color whispers are also really nice too. They're both creamy, and although they're not hydrating they don't leave the lips dry either, and they're really nicely pigmented. I like the pink one a little bit better but that's just because I'm pink-lipped biased LOL The nude one is a 'my lips but better' color, so it's nice for the days were I don't want to wear color but I want to wear lipstick! Will repurchase color whispers again in the future, and hopefully add more to my collection!

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Wow, so holy crap that was a lot! I didn't mean for it to get that long, but what's done is done LOL 

Let me know if you've tried any of the products mentioned and how they worked for you! (Especially if you've had luck with my misses!) Hope to have another post up before next Wednesday but we'll see. Lot's of love~