Josie Maran Bestselling Argan Skincare Ritual Review

The set is 24 USD at Sephora, and it contains the Josie Maran Argan Cleansing Oil, Argan Oil, and Argan Daily Moisturizer. 

In the set you get a 1.5 fl. oz. (55 ml) bottle of Josie Maran Argan Cleansing Oil. The packaging says that it is "self-heating" and that it removes makeup without drying out the skin. The user is directed to massage it into dry skin, then massage with warm water, and rinse it off. 

The cleanser itself is pretty thick for a cleansing oil, much more like a gel than any cleansing oil product I have ever used. It has a soft, citrus scent, but the scent does not linger on the skin. Once applied to the skin, there is a warming sensation, but it only lasts for a few seconds. 

The cleanser does remove face makeup well, but I have found that with mascara it makes my lashes stick together, and it does not remove the mascara at all. I have to use a separate eye makeup remover with this one. 

I feel like this cleanser removes my face makeup well, but my skin does not really feel clean after using it. I always feel like I need to use a separate cleanser when I finish with this one. 

I do not think this is anything anyone should rush to try, and I will not be purchasing the full size. It is far too expensive for how poorly it performs. 

The famous Josie Maran Argan Oil! This set comes with  a .5 fl. oz (15 ml) dropper bottle of the pure, organic, argan oil.  The packaging says this is lightweight, and it heals and conditions the skin as well as reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. 

I have to say that I really, really enjoy using this as a facial moisturizer both day and night. I have fairly dry skin, but I never get dry patches or anything. Because this oil is in a dropper bottle, I place a drop on three fingers and pat it into my skin. It is a little time consuming, but the end result is well moisturized skin. It absorbs fairly quickly into the skin, and my face never looks oily. I use this in the mornings under another moisturizer as well, and I have no had any issues with makeup application, looking oily, or makeup breakdown. 

I do not have wrinkles or any noticeable lines on my face, so I cannot speak to the oils performance as pertains to those claims. 

While I do like the oil, I think it is overpriced. It is not difficult to find organic argan oil for much cheaper than what Josie Maran charges, and it all comes from the same place anyway. 

My only complaint about this product is the packaging. The dropper bottle is not the most efficient way to use the product. I would consider purchasing the full size if I could not find another argan oil that feels as nice on the skin as this one. 

The set includes a .5 fl. oz. (15 ml) bottle of the Argan Daily Moisturizer with SPF 40. The moisturizer contains 9.5% titanium dioxide and 6.0% zinc oxide as sunscreen, which I appreciate as I cannot use chemical sunscreens on my face. The claims for this one are the same for all facial moisturizers containing sunscreen: non-greasy, protection from UVA/UVB, and naturally scented. It is in a glass bottle with a pump, which is appreciated. 

As far as the scent goes, it is weird. It reminds me of topical decongestants, like Vicks VapoRub or something. The scent does not linger on the skin, but it is not what I want something I put on my face to smell like. The moisturizer also tingles a bit when applied. I do not like that. 

On its own, this does not moisturize my face well, but I would guess that it would work fine for some with normal to oily skin. As I said, I do have rather dry skin. It works just fine over the argan oil. It does, however, feel like it is peeling off of my face. 

Because of the scent, the lack of moisturization, the tingling, and the weird peeling I would not ever purchase the full size of this moisturizer. It is very expensive for what it is. 

All of the products in this kit are paraben, cruelty, gluten, and synthetic fragrance free, and they are vegan. They are made with organic argan oil and all natural ingredients. Josie Maran is an excellent company, so I do not have a problem paying the higher prices for the products that actually work well. Two out of the three in this set are not for me, and I would not recommend them to others. 

Simple Hydrating Light Moisturizer Review

I bought this product at CVS for 11 USD with a 1 USD off coupon. It normally retails for about 12 USD in most drugstores, but I have seen it priced around 10 USD at Wal Mart and Target. The bottle contains 4.2 fluid ounces/125 milliliters of product, but I have found that a very little bit of this goes a very long way. I was unsure of how well this product would work for my skin as I have very dry skin, but while it's light, it really is very hydrating. It makes my skin feel soft, smooth, and well-moisturized. I also have very sensitive skin, so this product's lack of potentially irritating ingredients works well for me. I use this day and night, with a mineral sunblock underneath during the day. I find that it's not absolutely necessary for me to use a primer under my makeup with this moisturizer as it makes my skin feel so incredibly smooth. Makeup applies over it seamlessly and always looks great. I would definitely repurchase this product and recommend it to others, no matter what skin type. 5 out of 5.

Yes to Carrots Nourishing Rich Moisture Day Cream

I bought this on clearance at Walgreens for about 3 USD, which is good because I'm not a huge fan. It normally retails for about 14 USD, but don't quote me on that. I love the scent of all the Yes to Carrots products, but I've found that most of their moisturizers (I like the lotion, though) have an odd, chunky texture. When I tried to use this as intended (on my face), it kept balling up and rubbing off. To use it up, I have begun using it on my feet, and it's definitely not enough moisture. It never hydrated my facial skin very well either. I appreciate that it's 98% natural and paraben-free, but because of the texture I would never recommend paying full price for this one. You get 1.7 ounces or 48 grams in a jar. For those who use their daily moisturizer for sun protection, this product is not for you. It contains no SPF. That aspect of the product is not an issue for me because I use a separate sunblock anyway. Despite the natural ingredients, lack of parabens, and antioxidants in this cream, I can only give it a 2 out of 5 because I cannot use it as intended. I don't recommend bothering to try this product in any capacity, but for now I'll finish the jar by massaging it into my feet, and I will definitely never repurchase.

Today, today.

Today is the day of the party for my sister's birthday, which was Thursday. She's so old now!
I also might go to a friend's party tonight, but I am not so sure how I'll feel about that later.

I think I might start taking chlorophyll. I hear it's very good for the body, and since I do not eat a lot of green, leafy vegetables it might do me some good.

Something made my face break out really, really bad. I have been using this method to clear it up, and it works quite well. I have also been using salicylic acid products. This does make my skin feel dry, and it makes it a lot more sensitive to the sun, but this is what I always must do to clear my skin up. Because I get cystic acne, I find that I almost have to poison my skin to repair it. I have been trying to only put the medicated things on the problem areas, though, since my skin has been insanely sensitive of late.

I believe my skin has become more sensitive because I have been using a glycolic acid toner. I was using it every night and never in the mornings, but since my skin has become so sensitive I have switched to using it every other night. I have also been using my pineapple enzyme mask once a week instead of twice to limit my exfoliation and help my skin heal while still keeping it healthy.

The measures I have taken thus far to help my skin have been very effective. I also switched my night moisturizer (because I am pretty sure that's what broke me out) to CeraVe moisturizing cream instead of my Eucerin Sensitive Skin CoQ10 cream. The CeraVe feels much less heavy on my face, absorbs more quickly, and moisturizes just as well (if not better than) as the Eucerin. It's also quite a bit less expensive. I get a 16 oz. tub for fourteen dollars while the Eucerin was about ten dollars for a lot less than 16 ounces. So there!

In other news, Lola has grown to be a gigantic beast! She is still as precious as always, though. I love my precious puppeh!

I have been considerably less social of late than I would like. It seems that when I am in a social mood, others are busy. When others are in a social mood, I am not in a social mood. I am not entirely sure how to handle that. I just hate making myself go out when I don't feel like it. I always end up doing something I wish I hadn't.

I have been trying to watch the movie The Red Shoes for the past two days, and I simply cannot finish it. I have found it quite boring thus far.

I watched 2001: A Space Odyssey for the second time in my life a few weeks ago. It is as mind-numbing and awful as I remember it.

I also watched Poltergeist for the first time since I was a child, and I found it to be quite helpful because I will no longer have nightmares about it. It's not as scary to me now as it was when I was a child.

I watched Salò or 120 Days of Sodom last night. People say it is traumatizing and difficult to watch. It is supposed to be one of the most messed up movies ever made. I will not lie and say it's not really screwed up, but I did not find it especially difficult to watch. I will say I found a few scenes made me quite uncomfortable, and I'm not about to recommend anyone watch it.

I watched Dario Argento's Opera also. I love that movie. I love Dario Argento.

September Favorites

1. Boots Expert Sensitive Hydrating Serum
2. Earth Therapeutics Complexion Brush
3. NYX lipstick "Thalia"
4. NYX MegaShine gloss "Gold" (over Thalia)
5. Rimmel Lasting Finish lipstick in "Heavenly"
6. Revlon Beyond Natural Protective LipTint "Nude"
7. Revlon Super Lustrous lip gloss "Lilac Pastelle" (over "Heavenly")
8. WetnWild ColorIcon eyeshadows "Penny"
9. "" "Nutty"
10. WetnWild ColorIcon blush "Pearlescent Pink"
11. Aussie Sydney Smooth Anti-Humidity Hair Spray
12. OPI "Yoga-Ta Get This Blue!"
13. Sally Hansen "Hidden Treasure" (over "Yoga-Ta Get This Blue!")

makeup stuff and why I haven't said anything about books in a really long time

Makeup: 

I bought this new foundation that feels really thick on my skin, but it gives amazing coverage, and it makes me look gorgeous without covering my freckles. It is Maybelline Instant Age Rewind cream foundation. It applies best with fingers, even though I really don't like to put it on with my fingers, and it works perfectly on my skin with my Stila convertible color in gerbera, which is my love love love of all blushes. This foundations does good things for my skin, but if I accidentally put too much (usually if I use a brush) it will actually make me look like I have wrinkles, like where my forehead creases and such. It is not cute, and it makes me furious. If I can apply it lightly (with my fingers or a damp sponge), it's perfect, and I love it. 

I also bought Boots No7 Colour Calming makeup base. It's green. I bought it because my face has been this undesirable red color lately, and it's horrendous, but this stuff is like green water. I didn't notice any difference except that I had to put more foundation over it to cover the green, which made me feel like I was wearing a clay mask all day. I might have used too much, so I'm not going to rule it out just yet. I'll try it tomorrow! 

I also finally bought the travel/mineral brush set from Eco-Tools, and I love them. I really like every single brush, except the kabuki brush. The bristles are too long to behave as a kabuki brush should, so it's more like a compact powder brush. Since I don't use or like kabuki brushes (I prefer flat top brushes), it works perfectly for me. I really like the little bamboo pouch. It fits the perfect amount of essentials for a night out (for touch ups). For school days, 12 hours, I need a larger bag. 

That might be all I've gotten in the way of new makeup lately. I don't know if I mentioned my Coastal Scents stuff or not, but I love the 26 eyeshadow/blush palette. I hate the peach bellini gel eyeliner. It's bright ass pink. It does not work as a base. It is NOT peach. I use it as on my bottom lash line occasionally to brighten up an otherwise neutral look. I just noticed there is a superficial break in the glass of my jar though, and it's too late for me to contact Coastal Scents about it, but I am furious. I did not pay seven dollars for a broken jar. I really love the turquoise gel liner. It is beautiful and sparkly and works perfectly as a base or as a shadow color on its own. It's gorgeous. 

I am planning to head to my CCO soon to see if I can find a couple of MAC pigments at a discounted price. I love saving money! And I only need one or two. And a brush, maybe. There are a couple of other things as well, but it's mostly for the pigments. I can't decide if I want to buy more of the lip conditioner in the tube, in the twist-up thing, or the jar. Maybe I'll just buy all three since I like it so much. 

Skincare:

I bought a tub of Jason Natural aloe vera cream moisturizer, and it's so amazing. I use it on my whole body (and my face at night --I alternate it with my firming cream), and it moisturizes so well, and a little bit goes a very long way. For a seven dollar tub of cream, it's working wonders for my skin, and it's going to last me quite a while. And the smell. The smell is pure deliciousness (if you're a nature nut like me). 

I'm considering a new skin care regimen from The Body Shop. I don't want any sulfates in my cleansers, and that's the only place I can find a cleanser I like that does what I want that does not contain sulfates. So. It's obviously a bit more expensive than what I use now, but in the long run, I think it's worth it. And I love The Body Shop's policies. I love their scents, their lotions, everything. I might buy some bath stuff as well, since that's also difficult to find without sulfates. 

Haircare:

Speaking of sulfates, I'm switching my shampoo. I have been using my Dr. Bronner's pure castile soap in lavendar, but I'm starting to be disturbed by the texture, so I am going to try Kiss My Face Whenever shampoo, or maybe the volumizing one. The point is I do not want sulfates in my shampoo. My conditioner is fine. I've only been washing my hair twice a week at most, since I'm considering growing it out. I'm trying to make sure it's as healthy as possible in the event that I don't have it all chopped off again soon, since I can't make up my mind. I am also trying to use as little heat as possible, which is working well since my hair is now at a length where it can stand on its own without much heat styling. And it air dries pretty quickly, which is a good sign. 

Why I Haven't Been Discussing Any Books:

I haven't been reading anything. I read "Hero and Leander" by Christopher Marlowe for school, and it's absolutely beautiful and should be read by all, but other than that I have either been on the internet doing research or trying to sleep or just fucking around. My mind cannot concentrate on a book right now. 

My friend sent me a promotional copy of his book, and I am expected to read it and get back to him with a review. I received the book a few weeks ago. I have not read a single page. I just cannot focus. I do not know how I managed to focus on all four Twilight books at all. I suppose since the writing is rather juvenile, it was easier, and it requires much less attention. 

I have also been working on all these movies S sent me. He sent me a ton of movies, and I feel so pressured into watching all of them and letting him know how I feel about them. Blarg. I shall get it all done. I am super Jew! 

Miscellaneous:

I haven't had any desire to buy shoes in a while. Good thing? Bad thing? I don't know.