Shark Sauce is a handmade serum created by an indie skincare company called Holy Snails and has a bit of a cult following. Contrary to its name, is does not contain shark or have anything to do with sharks (minus the adorable shark on its packaging!). This serum contains 5% niacinimide, hyaluronic acid, licorice root, green tea extract, and N-Acetylglucosamine. Several of its ingredients are used for skin brightening, fading of dark spots/hyperpigmantation, and calming redness. The texture is very nice – a clear gel that spreads easily onto the skin. The packaging leaves something to be desired (its a bit cheap and the cap broke on mine), but I totally understand that its a small company that puts all its efforts into the product itself, so that’s totally fine by me. I also to like how I can see exactly how much is left. Oh what I would give for a pump though!

When I started using this, I wasn’t really expecting it to do much more for me than my previous Peach & Lily serum had. However, after a couple weeks of use I’m noticing that some acne scaring I’ve had for several months now has drastically improved! Its so light now that I don’t even put concealer on it anymore. While both serums contain niacinimide, which is beneficial for dark spots, something else in this serum must really add some additional oomph to really help even out the skin tone and fade hyper pigmentation. I also love that this serum is cheaper than the Peach & Lily one by $10!

This serum is for sure one that I’ll repurchase and keep in my routine! I should mention they also sell a variety of other “flavors” of Shark Sauce which they call “Sauce du mois” which look really fun. If my skin weren’t so sensitive I would try a bunch of Holy Snail’s other products because they seem like a great company!

I have a condition called seborrheic dermatitis (mainly on my scalp and stomach but also a little on my face) and its been particularly bad this season for some reason (it worsens in the warmer months). Because of that I’ve dropped a lot of the products I was using…temporarily maybe, I’m not sure. I’ve also completely stopped using foundation for the most part, which is kind of nuts since I’ve been wearing some form of foundation daily since high school. Every time I would put it on (didn’t matter if it was a BB Cream or foundation), my troublesome areas under and over my mouth and around my nose would turn into a flaky disaster by noon. It still flakes a little but without foundation I can at least reapply moisturizer and its not quite as gross looking.

My skin barrier is kinda shot in those aforementioned places where the seb derm flairs up, so I’m working on repairing that and just being very very gentle with the products I use, but here’s what made the cut! If you have very sensitive skin, these products should work well for you too as they’re all pretty mild.

Cleanser

I use either the Vanicream Gentle Skin Cleanser or PURITO Defence Barrier Ph Cleanser in the evenings (one is in the shower and the other on the sink so I alternate). Both are extremely gentle. In addition, I’ll use an oil cleaner or balm to remove eye makeup/concealer (right now its the Clinique Take the Day Off balm). In the morning, I’ve just been splashing with water or, if I have to, I’ll use the PURITO cleanser which is a little more gentle than the Vanicream.

Hydrating Serum

In the evenings after cleansing, I use the Peach & Lily Glass Skin Refining Serum. Its one of the non-basic skincare products I’ve kept in my routine since its very gentle and I haven’t had any adverse reactions to it. Its from a Korean beauty brand and contains peptides, niacinimide, and hyaluronic acid. Its a thin clear gel that goes on smoothly. Speaking of the consistently, its a general skincare “rule” to apply products in order of thin to thick (as the thinner products penerate easier)…so more watery serums are usually first, followed by heavier creams.

Moisturizers

I use a couple different moisturizers. Both morning and evening I use the HADA LABO Skin Plumping Gel Cream (after serum in the evening, and just right after cleansing in the morning). This is a lightweight gel that contains humectant ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin which pulls moisture from the skin to hydrate, which is why it needs to be applied to wet skin. If my skin has dried out a bit too much I’ll spray the Avene Thermal Spring Water to re-wet it (which is also very refreshing to use after a workout or just in general throughout the summer!). I’ll follow this up with the CeraVe Moisturizing Cream in the evening, as its important to “seal in” lighter humectant products like this with a more moisturizing layer to prevent evaporation. In the morning I usually don’t use the CeraVe cream since I put on SPF overtop and it just feels like too many layers.

Occlusive

In the areas under/above my mouth and around my nose, which are the most damaged areas prone to flakiness, I’ll add a bit of a more occlusive moisturizer. I loveee the CeraVe Healing Ointment and have a travel size one at work to reapply it throughout the day. Its basically just petroleum with some added ceremides and hyaluronic acid. Despite it being very thick it has never caused a breakout. I wouldn’t recommend applying this all over your face as it is extremely thick, but it works great for problem areas and also as a lip balm since its basically just petroleum. I imagine this would feel really nice on sunburn or chapped skin as well.

Sunscreen

I use the EltaMD UV Clear SPF 46 every day as the last step in the AM. Its a mix of mineral and chemical sunscreen and also contains niacinimide. Its very blend-able and not thick and goopy, though it does go on a bit greasy/shiny but nothing a little powder can’t fix! I reapply this a little bit on my upper lip if I’m going to head out in the sun later in the day because I’ve been getting laser hair removal there so its very susceptible to sun damage. If I’m running outside or going to be in direct sun for awhile, like on the beach, I’ll wear the EltaMD SPF 50 UV Sport which is water resistant and also a hat of some sort.

So that’s it! It looks like a lot I guess, but I’ve dropped my morning Vitamin C Serum (Mad Hippie), Toner (Indie Lee CoQ10 Toner), Exfoliant (Stratia Soft Touch AHA), and any kind of supplemental face mask. I’d love to reincorporate some of those again (especially the toner and exfoliant which are favs of mine), but I’m giving me skin some time to heal. For makeup, I basically just use all the same stuff minus foundation…concealer (under my eyes and on my nose), blush, mascara, and eyebrow pencil.

I’ve used both of these top-rated concealers recently (NARS a bit longer than Tarte) and they’re constantly being compared to one another. I figured I’d share my thoughts on both and which one I like more!

Shade Range

The clear winner here is obviously Tarte, with 30 shades vs NARS’s 22. I also have a better match with Tarte’s “22N Light Neutral” than I do with NARS. I’ve tried 2 shades so far with NARS: “Vanilla” and “Crème Brulee”. Vanilla was too light for me, although the tone was probably better. And while Crème Brulee was better as far as being a little darker, its SO pink. Cannelle, which I’ll probably try next, seems like it might be slightly darker than I’d like, but the tone looks less pink. Here is a good comparison between those 3 colors. There is another shade called “Café Con Leche” but it looks extremely yellow/golden. So basically, if you’re a neutral tone like me, finding a correct shade is going to be tricky with NARS…they tend to lean pink overall. Tarte looks to have a good variety of pinks, yellows, and neutrals.

Price/Volume

Another area where Tarte is the winner. A tube of Shape Tape costs $27 USD for .33 oz, whereas NARS RCC costs $30 for .22 oz. You definitely get a better “bang for your buck” with the Tarte. 

Tubes and Application

And now for the #1 thing I haaaate about the Tarte Shape Tape (and one of the reasons I may not repurchase it). But first…NARS, who wins this round. You get a normal-sized doe-foot applicator, and the tube dispenses exactly the amount you need (maybe sometimes a bit less than you need, but nothing a second dip into it wouldn’t fix). The product stays on the brush and not anywhere else. Onto the Tarte. I don’t hate the giant doe-foot applicator. Its unnecessary, but not terrible. What I hate is the product that just gets everywhere. There is entirely too much product on the applicator. I’m constantly having to scrape the excess off the top of the tube (which of course just causes a mess) and even then I still end up applying way too much to my undereyes. When I put the applicator back in the tube, I can just hear that goopy sound like the product is making a mess. The NARS seems to have some kind of mechanism at the top of the tube that scrapes the excess product off when taking it out. Much cleaner! 

Formula and Coverage

As far as formula, I’d consider both the NARS and Tarte pretty creamy and very similar. I would say Tarte is maybe slightly thicker and slightly more full coverage, so it might scrape by as the winner here, but they both really are wonderful formulas. For a couple days, I put Tarte under one eye and NARS under the other, and honestly I could barely tell a difference as far as coverage and how well they blended. 

Wear and Longevity

Another area where both of these are super similar. Both of these formulas creased on me and settled into my fine lines a bit, unfortunately, but literally ever concealer I’ve used does. The amount of creasing in both was pretty much identical, as was the wear time for both. I should mention that I applied powder (BareMinerals pressed powder) over top of both. I checked my under-eyes when I came home from work and they looked identical to one another, which is to say that both wore well and lasted a pretty long time. I can’t really pick a winner here…its a tie!

Winner?

If you can get past the tube, I would suggest Tarte as its the better price and you get more product (and I feel like a slightly better shade selection). Unfortunately, Tarte Shape Tape is only available at ULTA so if you don’t have one in your area you may need to purchase online. For me, personally, I will most likely try repurchase the NARS when I’m done with this tube of Tarte (in a new shade to try and find a better match). I just can’t with the Tarte packaging! If you’re someone who conceals a lot (or uses it for contouring), you will probably love the Tarte, but it just dispenses too much product for me. 

I was excited to find out that they were reformulating their tinted moisturizer (Bye Bye Foundation) to be more full coverage. I ordered from QVC and it came with a free brush which was a pretty good deal! I was searching online for comparisons between the CC Cream and this new “foundation” but couldn’t find many, so I thought this would be helpful! The folks at IT Cosmetics didn’t seem to be doing a great job at explaining the differences when people asked on Instagram or Facebook (just a lot of marketing mumbo jumbo).

This seems to be the main differences and similarities I’ve come up with just based on their marketing and ingredient lists:

BBF seems to be much more heavy on the moisturizing aspect of the product, since it technically is supposed to be a moisturizer. It also contains a lot more extracts in the ingredient list (24 vs the 16 that are in the CC Cream). The CC Cream seems to be more focused on the aspect of color correcting (hence why its a “CC” cream).

Now onto my thoughts!

When I first used the Bye Bye Foundation, I honestly wasn’t as blown away as I thought I’d be. It felt exactly like the CC Cream as far as texture (creamy), and the tube was slightly more annoying to deal with (for some reason I have to keep it upright or the product is difficult to pump out). I will say that the “Light” shade slightly differs between the 2 products. I feel the “Light” in the BBF matches me a little better than the CC. The BBF seems just a tad lighter than the CC which is more golden in color. Both match me, but the BBF is a little better fit. Here’s side by side swatches (sorry for the lighting). CC on top, BBF on the bottom:

TOP: Your Skin But Better CC Cream in “Light” BOTTOM: Bye Bye Foundation in “Light”

Coverage was pretty good, but neither is “full coverage” as claimed. I would say Light, but build-able to a Medium. The BBF did feel much more moisturizing than the CC Cream, which is more of a natural finish. I have combination-dry skin, but I still had to use a good amount of setting powder which was fine. If you have oily skin, though, you might be an oil slick at the end of the day (use a good setting powder and maybe a mattifying setting spray).

Here is a side by side of the 2 products. Both of these were applied with the IT Cosmetics Heavenly Luxe Bye Bye Foundation Brush and set with CoverFX Setting Powder and Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray. I also used NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer under my eyes. They were taken around the same time in the morning (after a mile long walk to work with similar weather conditions) in roughly the same location. Feel free to click to enlarge:

LEFT: Bye Bye Foundation
RIGHT: Your Skin But Better CC Cream

As you can see, no huge differences, only very slight ones. Looking at the side by side, I definitely like how the BBF looks compared to the CC Cream. If you look closely, you can see that the BBF is more smooth around my smile lines (even taking into account my smiling slightly more in the right side picture) whereas the CC Cream creases a little bit in those areas. This is probably that “3D Skin Flex Technology” at work. Being that my skin is drier around my mouth in general, this is definitely a plus for me. I also feel the CC Cream looks a little more “patchy” than the BBF, especially as the day wears on.

Usually more moisturizing formulas do not have great wear time and neither of these are any exception (which I expected). They are definitely still on my face at the end of the day, but fade quite a bit. I will say I feel like the BBF lasted longer on my skin and looked a little better at the end of the day, although I was definitely much more oily on my T-zone/forehead area, but not quite as textured around my nose and mouth areas. One downside to the BBF that I will mention is that I feel like it may have broken me out a little. I developed 3 pimples after starting it, and I usually don’t have much acne. I haven’t fully determined if its the BBF at fault (or the setting spray which I starting using around the same time), so I’m going to continue using it, perhaps with less moisturizer underneath since it is so moisturizing.

Whichever one works for you (either the BBF or the CC) would entirely depend on your skin and preferences! If you have very oily skin, I would suggest the CC Cream over BBF. Overall, I think I’m going to stick with the BBF as it seems to fit my needs a bit more, but honestly these are both so very similar that I could see myself switching back and forth between the two.

I recently received a sample of this foundation in my Walmart Beauty Box. I was excited to try it out since my regular foundation is the Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hour with Comfort Serum and this was in the same shade I usually use (#200 Soft Beige). I do really love the Lasting Finish foundation and I’ll definitely continue to use it (it gives such a nice dewy look), but this foundation is perfect for the hot summer months.

I tend to avoid “matte” finishes (I have some dryness around my nose and mouth that I don’t like to accentuate), but the finish of this foundation didn’t cause any kind of weird flakyness. It has a lovely kind of “souffle” texture to it and blends easily, although it is a tiny bit on the thick side. I personally love the texture more than liquid foundations because its easier to apply and much less messy. And you only need a pea size amount! Any more and it’ll look cakey. I usually apply a little with my fingers and finish it using a wet beauty blender. One of the things I like about this foundation is that its easy to apply with your fingers, and looks great with that application as well! It makes it easy to travel with since you don’t have to worry about brushes and sponges, and you also don’t really need powder since it leaves a nice, matte finish already. It also has completely full coverage.

The one downside is that this does cling a bit to fine lines, so if you’re prone to wrinkles this might not be the best choice. I try to moisturize really well beforehand which helps. I only really notice it on the creases of my nose and mouth, but I usually have to look really close in a mirror to notice that, so its not a big deal.

And best part about this foundation? Its dirt cheap. Literally $3 on Amazon right now! I have no excuse not to buy a couple and throw one in my purse or travel bag

I’m one of those people who doesn’t really wear sunscreen regularly (except for on my face) unless I’m at the beach or outside for a long period of time, etc. Probably not good! However, yesterday was extremely hot and sunny so I decided to give the Coppertone ClearlySheer that I received from BzzAgent a try!

I used the spray version (my preferred method of sunscreen application). It went on very evenly and absorbed quickly…no stickiness at all and didn’t smell overly sunscreen-y either. Was so fast to apply which is why I prefer the sprays to the creams. It felt very light and not at all heavy on the skin. Definitely not oily or greasy at all.

I haven’t yet tried the cream versions of Coppertone ClearlySheer but they are definitely going to be on hand for beach trips, pool trips, etc! The sample size is perfect for throwing in my purse and I’m sure that they share the same quick absorption and nice scent that is in the spray.

Overall, I’d definitely suggest purchasing this sunscreen!

I’m torn on whether or not I like this BB Cream. The texture is very different from the Marcelle cream I’m used to. Whereas the Marcelle is more creamy, this cream has a very matte finish and dries like a powder. This would probably be a lifesaver for people with oily skin, but not so much for me. There is the benefit of not having to apply powder afterwards, but I have to use a really heavy duty moisturizer underneath to make sure my skin doesn’t dry out too much. I find that its a bit hard to blend also. If I dot it on my face, I have to rub it in really fast before it dries and gets too streaky to blend. Once its on, it looks very nice. The coverage is pretty good compared to drugstore brands I’ve tried, and its probably on par with the Marcelle. And, unlike the Marcelle, this has SPF 30 which is great! Because of the high SPF, it kind of smells like sunscreen (which I don’t really mind).

So overall, I’m not sure I would purchase this again…not because it isn’t a great BB Cream (it is!), but because it just doesn’t seem like a great fit for my dry/combo skin.

photo from http://crownbrush.us

I was surprised at the amount of stuff in this set. There are six brushes (“pro powder”, “tapered blush” “deluxe contour”, “crease blender”, “chisel shadow”, “detail liner”), tweezers, and a mirror that is attached to the carrying case containing all of the products.

I can’t say that I’ve tried all the brushes, because I honestly don’t think I have a lot of use for most of them (I don’t use eye makeup very often, which most are for), but I use the large powder brush daily and absolutely love it! It’s larger than the previous powder brush I was using and is super soft. I much prefer synthetic brushes because of the softness and have used Crown brushes in the past. I have also used the blush brush which I loved as well although I wish it were just slightly bigger. All the brushes are great quality, and I will definitely use the chisel shadow brush whenever I decide to use eye makeup. In fact, I will probably just toss all of my other brushes because this kit really does have everything I need! These brushes are also easy to clean as well!

I have also used the tweezers, which are much appreciated since I always seem to forget to bring them on travels (I only have one pair). They worked well and did what they’re supposed to do…no complaints!

I will say that I kind of wish I had gotten another kit color other than white, because I’m finding the white case is getting dirty very quickly with other makeup products. Not a huge deal though.

The HD Brush Set is currently $27.95 on Crown’s website (which is a steal for what you receive!)

photo from HYDformen’s Facebook page

• Shave Cream Shawn liked the shave cream, though he did say it was just “okay” and nothing special than what he usually uses. I’m assuming it got the job done. Its also fairly less expensive than the usual shave cream he uses, so it being on par with it is a most likely good thing.
• Buffer Stick Now this is the product that he loved! He said the buffer stick left his skin feeling very energized and refreshed because of the exfoliation. He used it after shaving, and it was also very easy to use. Maybe I have to steal this to try for myself?
• Razor Shield This seems like a really good idea, but unfortunately neither of us has remembered to try it out yet. I’ve been meaning to use it on my disposable Venus razor that I keep in the shower, although I’m not sure if the water would alter the effectiveness. I am definitely going to try this out when I get a chance.

For more information about HYDformen and where to purchase, please visit the HYD For Men.com!

• Sarabeth’s Legendary Spreadable Fruit: I received two mini jars of this spreadable fruit in “Peach Apricot” and “Strawberry Raspberry”. I’m honestly not a huge preserves/jam person, but I did try out the Peach Apricot and it was pretty good. The jars are quite small though…I would say one would last for maybe a 2-3 slices of toast, but maybe I just put on too much =p
• Gift Republic Grow Me: Mini Herb and Vegetable Growing Kits: This was one of the main reasons I decided to pick up this box! I tried growing basil last year, and although I ended up with some it wasn’t too successful. I used this little kit over the weekend and its currently sitting on my window. Its verrrry small but should still hopefully work. I wish the instructions were a little more detailed though for those of us with black thumbs haha.
• BAGGU® Market Shopping Bag: Living in the city without a car, I’m always using these little reusable bags! They especially come in handy for grocery shopping. The design I got kinda looks like its from a 90’s sitcom, but it still gets the job done. lol
• Birchbox Shopping List: This is a cute shopping list and I love that it has lines, unlike post notepads I have. I really wish it came with magnets so I could put it on the fridge though. I might buy some and add it to the back.
• Core Bamboo Radish Print Utility Knife: This is an adorable little knife! (I never though I’d use “adorable” and “knife” in the same sentence but there ya go). I used it to peel some ginger the other day, and it was very easy because of the small size and sharpness of the knife.
• TOCCA Crema da Mano Luxe: This cream was a huge surprise, because I was expecting a tiny little sample size hand cream. Instead, this cream is FULL size and the packaging is so gorgeous! The scent I received was “Cleopatra” (grapefruit & cucumber), which is light and refreshing. The cream itself works well enough. Its not super moisturizing, but it gets the job done.
• LAFCO Little Luxuries Candle Tin: The scent I got was “Mint”, which is awesome since I’m totally on a mint kick. The tin is really pretty and has that apothecary look to it. It has a little indentation on the top, which happens to fit the matches that also came in the box perfectly (guessing its supposed to). I don’t use matches, though…always seem to light one then freak out that my fingers are going to burn off so I blow it out. haha. The scent fills small areas very nicely but isn’t too overpowering.
• L’OCCITANE La Collection de Grasse: I love the scent I got (“Jasmine & Bergamote”) since I’m a huge jasmine fan and most of my perfumes include jasmine. However, I’m super disappointed that this isn’t a spray top, especially since its huge a large sample size. *sigh*

I hope they keep releasing these limited edition Home boxes because I’m loving them!