The first thing you’ll notice about this serum is that it smells AMAZING! Seriously it is so delicious, but don’t eat it 😉 I usually interchange this product with the Moroccan Argan Oil but find that this works best for battling frizzies. It’s also supposed to prevent breakage and help strengthen hair. Who doesn’t like the sound of that? I just apply it to my damp tresses and let the blow dryer get to work.

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As I’ve mentioned before I’m not one of those lucky ladies who can blow dry and go. I have to straighten or curl my hair after I blow dry it. Yes that means even more hot tools on my hair. This is where the Flat Iron Spray comes in.

Once again the smell is heavenly and I love how it lingers on my hair afterwards. I just spray it through my layers and get to work straightening or curling.

They have a few other products in the Brazilian Keratin Therapy line are the Shimmering Keratin Oil and the Hydrating Keratin Masque.

Have you tried any of the Organix products?

Have a great week.

~Christi

As many of you lovely ladies have probably noticed primer has taken the makeup world by storm. Once a product only found in more expensive/high end makeup, you can now buy primer in most drugstore brands. Today I will review 3 primers I’ve tried. I know there are SO many more out there so if you use a different kind (that is reasonably priced!) please comment below and help a girl out 🙂

First off, if you haven’t heard of primer or don’t use it here is a little synopsis: primer goes on after the lotion and before your foundation (or mineral powder or what have you). Like priming a wall for painting, primer creates a smooth, even surface and extends the life of your makeup. If you haven’t used it give it a try and I bet you won’t go back!

When I went out to find primer I was looking for something that was inexpensive but worked. I read good things about Rimmel’s primer so decided to give it a shot.

Rimmel Fix & Perfect Foundation Primer is relatively low-priced (sorry I can’t remember what I paid for it!) and you can find it at most drugstores (target, walmart, etc). This primer comes in one shade called apricot. Evidently it isn’t supposed to matter what your skin tone or complexion is; it’s supposed to work for everyone. It looks a little orange coming out of the tube but it doesn’t go on orange and blends well. I liked the fact that evened out my skin tone (something clear primer doesn’t do) and created a smooth palette for my makeup application. Cons: I didn’t feel like very much came in a tube. I’ve used other primers since and I seemed to go through this one much faster than any other. I also felt it was a little heavy. Primers I’ve used since this kind were lighter and didn’t feel as thick.

The second primer I tried was ridiculously expensive:

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Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer. I was lucky to have it in a smaller size as part of a Sephora promotion. There is no way I would use it otherwise! It retails for $48 a pop – EEK! Sephora users give it rave reviews and say it is the best primer out there. I was hoping with the name of it that it would help minimize shine. Although I liked the application (smooth, light and fast absorption) I missed the tint that came with Rimmel’s primer. The tint of Rimmel’s enabled me to use the product not only as a primer but as something quick to throw on my face if I was running out to the store. This primer is “colorless” so aside from that downside I did enjoy how fast it absorbed into my skin. I didn’t feel like it helped control shine though and I felt like I went through the bottle rather quickly. So for this price I wouldn’t buy it again. One last note: I hear it is comparable to Sephora’s primer.

Most recently I took a chance and purchased E.L.F.’s Mineral Primer.

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The primer is $6 (actually pretty spendy for an E.L.F. product!) and so far I’m happy with how long the product has lasted. One pump covers my entire face where I would sometimes have to 2 pumps of Smashbox primer. The application is somewhat in between the first two. It is thicker than the Smashbox primer but much lighter than Rimmel primer. Again it doesn’t have the color so I’m missing the tinting aspect. I haven’t noticed it’s helped control any shine but I would say it works very well for creating a smooth, even base for makeup application. I will probably stick with this one until (or unless) I find a reasonably priced alternative that controls shine and has a tint.

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So do any of you use primer? If so, what is your favorite kind? I still don’t feel like I’ve found my favorite so I’d love to find one to add to my regular routine. I’ve been think about trying Physician’s Formula primer. And I’ve never ventured to green primer (to correct redness) – have any of you? I’d love to hear your feedback!

Have a great week 🙂

~Christi

If I had to pick the most important beauty item I could NEVER go without I know exactly what I would say: concealer! Unfortunately I am not one of those ladies who can throw on foundation or powder and leave the house. I inherited horrible, unattractive dark circles… ugh (thanks, Dad!)

Okay they may not be this bad but seriously that’s what I would feel like if I left the house without concealer under my eyes. Yuck!

And of course the other wonderful thing about concealer is how much it comes in handy when you have a blemish. Yes, suffice to say concealer is my best friend. Over the years I have tried many, many different types of concealer. So much of it is thin and has the consistency of foundation. Basically it helped a little bit but it didn’t truly cover those dark circles or blemishes.

Covergirl Fresh Complexion Concealer
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This was my favorite kind of concealer in high school because it was cheap. But really, it didn’t work well for my dark circles… actually it didn’t really cover the blemishes well either 🙁

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During college I moved onto Neutrogena 3-in-1 Concealer for eyes. This seemed to work a tad better than Covergirl but I still wasn’t satisfied. This cost anywhere from $7-$10 a pop and I would go through it very quickly. They just didn’t put that much in the little tube and I remember feeling like for the quality of the product I was spending way too much money and constantly running out.

Attempt #3 – The MIRACLE WORKER ((angels singing))

Enter that fateful day when I happened upon MAC Studio Finish Concealer. We were in Florida for my bestie’s wedding and her childhood friend (who’s makeup always looks AMAZING) was using it under her eyes. I was very curious and asked her about the concealer. She was happy to let me try it and needless to say I was instantly hooked! I think I asked her about 20 times what color it was so I could be certain to order the right color off the website when I returned home (we don’t have a MAC store in SD). This stuff is fantastic! It has just the right consistency so it really covers the dark circles and blemishes and stays put. The cost is a bit higher than what I used to pay – it’s $16.50 – but don’t get sticker shock because you wouldn’t believe how much makeup they pack into that little container! I usually buy one shade for the winter (NW 20) and one for the summer (NW 25) and they typically last me a whole year! When I think about how quickly I would go through this little tubes of sub-par Neutrogena concealer I can easily see I’m getting a better quality, more cost-effective product. I will never go back!

One last note, in order to stop this product from settling into lines under my eyes I make sure to use primer under my eyes. I will still get a few faint lines but they appear within 5 minutes and I usually just take my finger and quickly swipe over them and right before I walk out the door.

So do you have a beauty product you couldn’t live without? What is it? Do you have a concealer that you think takes the cake? I’d love to hear your suggestions.

Have a fabulous Sunday… xoxo