Tousle Me Softly

I hadn't used Herbal Essences since junior high, so torn between nervousness and excitement when their new Tousle Me Softly collection arrived in the mail. Nervous because do I really want to return to something I used when I was 13? My hair was awful then! Excited because the cheery purple bottles promised my hair would be scented with a "tousled fusion of wild violet & pomegranate." The main thing I noticed in this collection is that it's fairly heavy and weighs the hair down, which I love, but is not for everyone.

Shampoo and Conditioner for a Tousled Look: I am extremely picky about the shampoo I use, but I found that this one worked well, especially when used with the conditioner. I've always felt that the instructions to use products from the same brand was a marketing ploy, but these really complemented each other and left my hair smooth and soft.

Tousle Me Softly Mousse: My favorite product in the collection! Smelled amazing, held my waves, and really cut down on frizz.

Tousling Spray Gel: I liked it as a 'freshener' later in the day for my hair, but thought it was too crunchy when used on wet hair.

Flexible Hold Hair Spray: I know it's bad for the environment, but I believe that aerosol hairspray is an essential. My beliefs have only been made stronger with use of the Tousle Me Softly hairspray. It comes out in more of a stream than a fine mist, and left my hair looking like it was coated in a glaze.

Finishing Touch Cream: I feel like this product is almost misplaced in this line. It would be better packaged as a smoother/defrizzer than a curl enhancer. Either way, this product is great and adds tons of shine. Just make sure to learn from my mistakes--a little goes a LONG way!

One Word: Yum

The Product: Caress Evenly Gorgeous Exfoliating Body Wash, Burnt Brown Sugar and Karite Butter

The Claim: New Caress Evenly Gorgeous Exfoliating Body Wash and Beauty Bar have burnt brown sugar and karite butter that gently exfoliate and lusciously moisturize, revealing sensually smooth skin that’s even toned and polished to perfection.

The Results: I don't know if you're familiar with the Warm Vanilla Sugar scent from Bath and Body Works (which I love), but this smells extremely similar. I can't use the Bath and Body Works products because all the fragrance make me break out, but this is a perfect alternative. It's more of a winter scent, but it is just so delicious that I haven't been able to resist using it all summer! Aside from the amazing scent, the body wash has little exfoliating beads in it that gently slough off dead skin. It's really gentle, so it's perfect for every day use. I occassionaly get small bumps on the back of my arms in the summer, but this has completely gotten rid of them. The karite butter also kept my skin nicely moisturized, so I didn't need to use any lotion after. I tried the Beauty Bar as well, but wasn't a huge fan. First, I'm not a huge bath bar fan anyway. And second, it didn't have the same exfoliating and moisturizing benefits as the gel. Bottom line--buy the gel, not the bath bar, and enjoy the heavenly scent.

Breakout Central

About six weeks ago my normally oily skin decided to completely break out. I went from an occasional breakout to a 'beard' of acne--terrible cyst-like pimples on my chin and around my mouth. Having a bad hair day or an embarrassing sunburn is nothing compared to the distress I've felt at my face; it has completely destroyed my self confidence. On top of the acne, my lips are terribly chapped and peeling. I'm truly at a loss on how to handle this. I've tried a lot of products, but this acne seems to be more of an internal issue that my body won't let me get rid of. I haven't even wanted to leave the house, let alone post comments on beauty products. It took me almost a week to motivate myself to write this post.
If you've never had bad acne I'm sure this will seem very dramatic; I've always had pretty good skin and before this I would have scoffed at anyone that wouldn't want to leave the house because of their skin. It would have seemed ridiculous. But now I know better. I'll keep you updated on skin situation, but for the near future there won't be many posts on skincare products.
I have tried some great hair products lately, so stay tuned for those reviews!

Marc and Lola Love Affair

Exclusively at Bloomingdale's, Marc Jacobs latest scent, Lola, smells as fun and whimsical as it looks. The eau de toilette has notes that feature pink peppercorn, pear d’anjou, ruby red grapefruit, fuchsia peony, rose, geranium, vanilla, tonka bean and creamy musk. Described as "a modern free spirit with an irresistible attitude. Lola is an intoxicating swirl of rich layers, wrapping the skin in sensuous florals blooming with a signature note of fuchsia peony. Playfully alluring and irresistibly tempting." It smells very young to me, like something you would buy a teenager--trendy and funky, with a hint of maturity.

Today's Deals and Steals

The fabulous Gilt Groupe is having a great sale on Tarte Cosmetics. Sale starts right now, so sign in and check it out.

Sephora has started a program that rewards their 'big spenders' by sending offers for promotions and freebies. If you're not a VIB (Very Important Beauty Insider) you can still take advantage of their latest special by entering code VIBKVD at checkout. This code will send you a free early access to test samples of Kat Von D's fragrance set, Saint and Sinner.