Review: Beauty Roundup

I've tried out some great new skincare and beauty products this past month and I'm really excited to be sharing my reviews with you today! It's pretty rare that I test four new products and have fantastic experiences with all of them, so I'm pretty pumped. :) Have you tried out any of these products yet? Let me know what you think in the comments below.

Kate Somerville 'Nourish' Hydrating Toning Mist - $46. Kate Somerville was kind enough to send me a full sized bottle of their brand new Nourish facial toner which has yet to hit their website or stores! You should be able to purchase it starting in April, and I would definitely recommend giving it a try. The weightless, alcohol-free formula contains the powerful ingredient Matrixyl 3000™, which is clinically proven to lift and firm skin while reducing the appearance of lines and wrinkles. Extracts of beet root, algae, ginger and green tea combine to hydrate, nourish, tone and firm skin, while Montmorillonite Clay helps detoxify and refine pores. The toner also contains hints of lavender and orange essential oils which I love. I've been using it daily for the last 3 weeks before my regular serum and a new moisturizer you'll learn about below, and I am happy to report that it does not irritate my very sensitive skin which is prone to cystic acne! No cystic pimples here! :) It sprays on easily, absorbs into the skin quickly and has been very hydrating on my dry winter skin. I love how light and refreshing it is, and I may make the switch to this toner from the Dr. Hauschka one I've been using!

Kate Somerville 'Nourish' Hydragel Mask - $70. I also feel very lucky to have been sent this full sized mask by Kate Somerville because it is such a treat to use and is out of my budget at the moment, so I wouldn't have been able to afford it myself. Like the toner, it also contains Matrixyl™ 3000 along with ultra-fine hylaronic acid, which holds up to 1000x its weight in water and penetrates fast to deliver deep hydration and long-lasting moisturization, plus vitamin C, vitamin A and ginger root extract. The mask is a nice, thin gel that's easy to apply with a light, pleasant scent and has a slight cooling effect on the skin. I leave it on for about 10 minutes, and when I rinse it off, my face feels as smooth as a baby's bottom. Seriously. I don't think my face has EVER felt so nice and smooth! I would use this mask every day if I could, but it's recommended to use just 1-2x per week, which is probably more realistic. :) 

Rimmel London 'ScandalEyes Rockin' Curves' Mascara - $6. If I'm being honest, I've been a mascara snob since the day I discovered Diorshow mascara 10+ years ago. I've tested other mascaras, but nothing has lived up to Diorshow's ability to give me dark, thick, full, long lashes - even other expensive, designer brands. Influenester sent me Rimmel London's ScandalEyes mascara in extreme black earlier this year, but I was hesitant to try it out since I'm so loyal to Diorshow. But I have to say that I've found myself reaching for this red tube of mascara more often than my Diorshow lately!! It has a lot of the same qualities that the Diorshow has, but I actually think it makes my lashes fuller and thicker looking! The wand is pretty fat which took a little bit of getting used to, but I like the curved brush and find that it gets all of my lashes really evenly and makes them look fantastic. I do have naturally long lashes, but this mascara enhances them and makes it look like I have a lot more lashes than I really do. I've been asked multiple times while wearing the ScandalEyes if I had false lashes on. I definitely recommend trying it out - if I decide to make the permanent switch I'll be saving almost $20/month on mascara!

super extreme closeup so you can see my lashes!

Neutrogena 'Hydro Boost' Water Gel Moisturizer - $19. I'm always hesitant to try out new moisturizers since 99% of them seem to give me cystic pimples, but I've had really good luck so far with this new Hydro Boost gel moisturizer from Neutrogena! I was sent a full size sample through Influenster and have been pleasantly surprised with how much I like this for my skin. The container is a very generous size for the cost, so you're getting a fantastic value for a great product. The gel is light and smooths easily over the skin, absorbing quickly. It's very hydrating and used in conjunction with the Kate Somerville toner, I feel like my flaky winter skin has been much more hydrated the past few weeks than it was before I used either product! You can't beat the price on this moisturizer either, which is always a good thing. My one piece of advice is to be careful when opening up the jar - because the moisturizer is a gel, it's very light, so if you have the jar tilted to the side at all when opening, it can spill out all over the place. My recommendation is to set the jar down on your sink before you unscrew the cap. :)

even Oliver loves my new products!