Product Review -- The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution

I don't usually review skin care products on the blog, though that's not because I'm not just as obsessed with them as I am with makeup.

It's mainly because I feel like it's much harder to recommend skin care products than it is with makeup because everyone's skin is so different.

But over the past year, I realize that my skin looks better now than it did 10 years ago, and I figured that even it probably wouldn't hurt to review some of the skin care products I'm trying every now and again.

Now, at this point, 70% of my skin care routine is products from The Ordinary, a line that features really good ingredients and formulas at budget-friendly prices, so I figured it only made sense to start with one of my favorite products from the brand.

I've tried a lot of at-home "peel" products over the years, and I've been disappointed with almost all of them because I never really noticed any results.

I've got dull skin, dark spots, texture issues, fine lines, and some congested pores so I can definitely benefit from an exfoliating product that really does its job.

What attracted me to The Ordinary's AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution is that it includes both AHA (alpha hydroxy acid) and BHA (beta hydroxy acid). AHAs are usually used in these types of exfoliating, but the BHA is a nice addition because it exfoliates inside the pore, which makes it ideal for treating clogged pores or blemishes.

Product 411: ColourPop Element of Surprise and You Had Me At Hello Shadow Palettes

Note: So I've fallen embarrassingly behind on products that I've been meaning to review, and instead of just skipping over them entirely, I thought I might do the occasional round-up where I do mini-reviews for multiple products -- sometimes from the same brand, something from the same product category -- in one post. 

That way, I can still share my thoughts on noteworthy items without needing until next Christmas to get caught up. ;)

At this point, I should probably just admit that I'm a dedicated collector of ColourPop's pressed eyeshadow palettes.

I'm pretty sure that I have everyone they've done at this point.

But I can't really feel guilty about it because the quality is always outstanding and the prices can't be beat.

I mean, 12 shadows for $16 (in most cases anyway) -- how can you beat that?

Like all of the the other ColourPop palettes that I've tried, the two that I'm going to talk about in this post feature a pretty great formula. The shadows are all extremely pigmented -- and they're smooth and creamy too.

Product Review -- The Balm Bonnie-Lou Manizer

Like a lot of people, the Mary-Lou Manizer from The Balm was probably my first really serious highlighting product.

It is a lovely champagne shade that can look super intense on the skin or blended out for a more subtle effect, making it a pretty versatile highlighter -- and to this day, it's one that I come back to again and again.

I also own the Betty-Lou Manizer, which is a bronze-y highlight shade, and Cindy-Lou Manizer, which is a peachy-pink highlight shade, and I like them both quite a bit too, though I don't get quite as much use out of them as I do with Mary-Lou.

So when I heard that The Balm was adding another highlighter to the line, I knew that I had to give it a try.

Product Review -- The Balm Foiled Again... Foil Eyeshadow Palette

I  am a huge fan of The Balm.

That's pretty well documented on this blog at this point.

Whenever they put a new palette out, I buy first, ask questions later.

(The only palette I haven't purchased is the Highlite 'N Con Tour Palette, just because I already have so many contour palettes and the shades don't look like they'd work for me. Though I'll probably cave and buy it if it every turns up on HauteLook or I can get a good deal on it somewhere else.)

Like so many other brands this holiday season, The Balm recently came out with a metallic  eyeshadow palette, the Foiled Again... Foil Eyeshadow Palette, and I was really excited to try this one out because I love me some metallic shadows.