I received a deluxe sample of the Skin Illuminating Cleanser with my Clarisonic Mia Fit. Instant obsession. The smell is so refreshing - a kind of citrus meets a subtle floral scent. Oh, and I LOVE soapsuds (hair, face, body - I need bubbles)! This milky cleanser gets super sudsy, so I'd recommend using a tiny amount. The first time I used this Skin Illuminating Cleanser, I put a big dollop on the brush, and had suds running all down my face and décolletage.

After a few weeks, my skin was visibly brighter and more vibrant. This cleanser contains licorice root extract - which lightens skin, peppermint leaf extract to sooth the skin and Gingko Biloba leaf extract to increase circulation.

Clarisonic's Skin Illuminating Cleanser is meant to be used in the AM, but I use it at night. There's nothing better than removing all your makeup with a super refreshing cleanser that leaves your skin soft and hydrated. I'm a fan and will definitely repurchase.

I should mention that I use cleansing oil in the AM. If you cleanse your face thoroughly in the evening, there's no need to use your Clarisonic in the morning. I also exfoliate regularly and use my Clarisonic every night, so a little oil nourishment in my beauty routine is necessary.

I just received my online order from KOH Cosmetics and love this KOH color card. There are 227 colored stickers for you to try on and determine which ones you like. What a fantastic idea! Attention ALL nail polish brands - we want color cards!

I'm a huge KOH Cosmetics fan and am a little bummed that the store has closed in Amsterdam (insert sad face). kohcosmetics.com seems to be the only way to shop this amazing nail care brand these days. My favorite KOH Cosmetics products are the Hand Nourisher, Nourishing Cuticle Brush, Anti-Aging Base Coat (it's the perfect pink color), Essential Nail Serum, Crystal Nail File To Go, Gentle Cuticle Stick, and the Natural, Glossy Nail Buffer Set. I'm branding KOH Cosmetics a 'premiere designer' of nail care and encourage you to shop this elite brand.

Dramatically change your look AND simplify your beauty routine with Benefit Gimme Brow volumizing fiber gel, Buxom Lash Mascara and Too Faced Lip Injection Extreme. The 'easy' fresh-faced, summer look is my favorite and I'm a self-proclaimed pro at this 'no makeup, makeup' look. Gimme Brow, Buxom mascara and Extreme lip plumper are my 'I can't live without' makeup products for this simple look. 

If you follow my blog, you know I'm no stranger to lip injections! Unfortunately, filler diminishes and you can only inject so much in a period of time. When your accustom to full lips and awaiting your next visit to the dermatologist, Too Faced Lip Injection Extreme will give you the ultimate pouty lip. The non-sticky gloss will give you an 'extreme' tingly feeling (love that) and your lips will appear much fuller within minutes. I have tried too many lip plumpers to mention and Too Faced Lip Injection Extreme still reigns supreme. 

Of course, when a new 'revolutionary' mascara hits the beauty scene, I'm the first to buy it, but I always go back to Buxom Lash Mascara. This mascara goes on light and builds nicely, without clumping. There's never too much product on the brush and the little bristles do a great job separating your lashes evenly. The brush is big, so getting into the corner can be an issue - Bobbi Brown Intensifying Long Wear Mascara is perfect for the outer corner. I know artists say to let the first coat dry and the aptly the next, but I disagree. Continuously applying Buxom Lash mascara will create longer, voluminous lashes with no mess.

Benefit Gimme Brow volumizing fiber gel is a fairly new product in my makeup routine. Despite its newbie status, this little tube takes priority. I can do without mascara, but not brow gel. Gimme Brow has a thick, creamy texture that allows you to layer the product and build up your eyebrow hairs. Tip: let the first coat dry before applying the next. The short wand and little tapered brush (it's all about the brush) allow for precise application. Using little pressure and short strokes you can transform your brows in little time. The product does claim to adhere to skin allowing you to create artificial hairs. I prefer to keep it natural and avoid 'overdoing' my brows. Penciled-in brows look great in pics, but not so nice up close. Benefit Gimme brow gel is a 'MUST-HAVE'.

I purchased Bobbi's Skincare On The Fly set in the Sephora 'Check-out trap'. You know, where they sell mini versions of all our favorite cosmetics at exorbitant prices - I love that section! I always find great little products and kits while waiting for my turn in the line. What starts out as 'I made it under budget' quickly becomes 'oh shit! How did that happen?' 

I have been using Bobbi Brown makeup for years; it's practically all I use. After recently dabbling into the Bobbi Brown skincare line (the Miraculous Makeover Mask Trio), I decided I'm loving this stuff and gotta see what else there is. This Skincare On The Go kit is excellent! I was hesitant to wash my face with cleansing 'oil', but after a week of no pimples or extra oily skin, I'm hooked. The smell is refreshing, and your skin feels super soft. The Hydrating Eye Cream and Face Cream are amazing too. They have a creamy-jelly texture that absorbs quickly and leaves your skin bright and plumped. These creams are excellent under makeup. They create the perfect, nourished canvas for better makeup application and an even look. The Hydrating Face Cream quickly became my favorite. I've already purchased the full-size face cream (pictured above) and plan to buy the Cleansing Oil in the near future.

Bobbi Brown sets are a great way to try a number of products, at a fraction of the cost. If you don't like them or they disagree with your skin, you didn't invest 'too' much money. If you like the products, even better, cause now you have mini versions for travel.

Planes and hotels wreak havoc on your nails! It's only been a few days since my pre-vacation mani and they already look terrible. Of course, I packed a Formula X CLIX! nail polish set. I've posted about these mini nail polish kits many times and have only great things to say. These little sets of polish, serums and oils are perfect for travel, small in size and meet all of your on-the-go mani needs. 

I've tried three different CLIX! quads in the past and decided to pack the Hydrating Prescription for my international trip. The Hydrating Prescription CLIX! quad contains a Prime Condition base coat, Sheer Strength nail color in Wondrous, Condition Plus top coat and Quench cuticle oil. The color polish is the same as all the other kits; a sheer pink (neutral and pretty). The top coat is like any other top coat and the cuticle oil (essential when traveling) is my favorite in this set. I didn't really like the base coat - it went on heavy and because I applied the next step too soon, the base coat dragged across my nails like wet glue and made a hot mess. I tried to carry on, but after a few attempts to cover the damage decided to start again.. I get super frustrated if I have to take the polish off and re-do, so I just scraped the first step and applied the color, top coat and oil. Unfortunately, its the base coat that gives your nails extra nourishment, so I didn't get the 'hydrating' experience. The end result; nice color and an 'ok' on-the-go mani.

Another reason to shop bobbibrowncosmetics.com rather than visit the beauty counter. With every $100 order, you receive a Bobbi Brown gift with purchase. The gift usually consists of three mini (deluxe size) products and this trio changes often. Being a mini fanatic, I wait for my favorite products in mini form and then make my online purchase (I know!). 

I just received a Long-Wear Eye Pencil, a mini Eye-Opening Mascara, and a mini Instant Long-Wear makeup Remover. All my 'travel' eye makeup needs are met. Now, just weeks later, there is a new trio available. The Bronze Babe Set includes a mini lip gloss, a mini bronzing powder (love), and WAIT a mini face blender brush. I WANT!

*Remember to look at the very top of the web page for the gift with the purchase code.

One 'NOT SO FINE' day, my long time favorite wax strips left a harsh skin burn on my upper lip. I visited the Dermatologist and she claimed it was a severe skin burn, prescribed medicated cream, constant icing and to take cover from the sun for a few weeks. She also recommended that I ditch the wax and start treading my upper lip and brows. Excellent advice - I've been threading for years and will never go back to wax. Yes, it hurts! Yes, I shed a tear everytime! But it works great and with little irritation to your skin. I've never experienced harsh side effects from threading. 

Tips - Find yourself an experienced threader; they know tricks to reduce the pain. Push your tongue against the inside of your upper lip so the skin is taught while threading the sides. When threading the upper part of your lip (by your nose) pull your upper lip down so the skin is stretch and taught. Visit your threading professional frequently, cause the more regrowth you have the more it hurts. Most threading professionals like to use alcohol after, but I prefer to go bare and let my skin heal on its own. The pain stops almost immediately after the treading stops and the redness diminishes quickly. 

I really like my 'mini' Marlies Möller Essential Hair and Scalp Brush, and assumed all the styling brushes in this line would be great. So, with big expectations, I purchased three full-sized Marlies Möller hair brushes.

I was really anticipating great results from the Thermo Volume Ceramic Styling Brush and kinda feel let down. It styles ok (like most ceramic brushes) and matches my set, but the squared handle is impossible to swiftly rotate while you blow-dry. After the first use, my hand and wrist hurt. I'm fairly good with a round ceramic brush, but this handle just slows me down. 

The All Around Hair Brush (pictured center) claims to remove residue left by products and cleanse your dry hair. I have oily hair and was hoping this would aid in my mission to wash less often. The directions say to brush your hair in all directions, morning and night. Does it cleanse your hair? I don't think so! It does however feel nice on your scalp; like a 'bristle scalp massage'. I wouldn't recommend using it in the AM - it causes major static. 

The Hair & Scalp Massage Brush is the full-sized version of the 'mini' Essential Hair & Scalp brush I posted about a few months ago. The larger brush detangles easily and is an overall great paddle brush. These brushes look nice (I love the wooden handle), but there are much better hair brushes out there.