Mor Cosmetics Haul & Review

I first stumbled upon Mor Cosmetics while aimlessly flipping through a magazine. One of the features had a collage of items that every woman should have in their purse, and Mor Lip Macarons was pictured. 

Now, for those of you who don't know, I'm a complete sucker for packaging. I'm also a complete sucker for macarons and beauty products. Needless to say my curiosity was piqued to put it mildly, and I instantly went to their website to take a look at what else they offered. It was love at first sight. Everything matched my aesthetic perfectly and I had to try some of their products out for myself. I know, I shouldn't put so much stock in packaging, but everything was just so pretty!

The Belladonna Hand Cream was the purchase I was most apprehensive about. Scented lotions are tricky for me because if it's too heavily perfumed I get a headache and never ever want to use it ever again. As much as I love LUSH, I've stopped buying their body and hand creams for just that reason. 

I was pleasantly surprised by the subtlety of this scent. I didn't find it to be the least bit overpowering, in fact it's a very delicate fragrance -- sort of like a floral baby powder, which doesn't really sound quite a appealing as it is.

 The cream itself is rich and moisturizing, it actually keeps my hands feeling soft longer than my medicated Eucerin cream. I love that it has the added effect of making me feel like I'm pampering myself by using it, even though it's actually really good for me. 

I got a little tin of soap as well, called Little Luxuries Marshmallow Soapette which sounds freakin' adorable. I haven't had a chance to actually use the soap yet... I almost don't want to because I don't want to ruin it. I'd rather keep it in tact as decorative soap for when I finally have an apartment with a decent sized bathroom. 

I can tell you that it doesn't really smell like marshmallow, which is fine with me because I mostly selected this one because I liked the shade of pink (I know, I know I'm terrible.) Right now tin and soap are decorating the top of my dresser. I like them better there. 

And of course, the reason I ventured to Mor Cosmetics in the first place -- the lip macaron. I'm sad to say, I was initially disappointed. It was much tinier than I was expecting, and for some reason I was expecting (through no basis in reality) for there to be a tint of color to the formula, but it's just clear. The tin itself also feels a lot cheaper than I was expecting. The tray of the product moves around a little bit in the container, and you can see below what the inside looks like.

 $10 felt like an excessive amount of money to pay for basically a peach-scented tin of Chapstick. My opinion changed when I tried it, however. It's remarkably moisturizing, even decadent feeling. I am an absolute Chapstick addict but I only need to use my lip macaron once for every maybe 5 reapplications of Chapstick that I'd have to do otherwise. The soft feeling lingers for a long time, and tastes delicious too. That said, buying another one seems unnecessary for the price tag so I'm perfectly content with just having one in my collection. 

Overall, I'm completely pleased with my order and I can't wait to purchase from Mor Cosmetics again. I'm especially interested in trying their scented candles and gorgeous perfume, which I think I may be getting in the near future!

Top 5 Favorite LUSH Products

In my previous post How To Get Perfect Skin, I talked about some of the products I use in my skin care routine. Many of my favorite products are from LUSH Cosmetics, a company that specializes in organic beauty and bath products.

I've tried a variety of  products from LUSH since I discovered the shop tucked away at the Macy's in Mayfair Mall about three years ago. While some of the cosmetics I bought I certainly could live without, a few others became absolute essentials which I wanted to share!

1. "It's Raining Men" Shower Gel 

($9.95-$27.95)

This was allegedly a limited edition product the first time I bought it, but seems to have been added to the permanent line. With good reason, because this is the single best smelling body wash I have ever used ever. It smells like honey and flowers and candy and rainbows, and the scent lingers ever so subtly even after I'm out of the shower. I have the 16.9 oz. bottle and it's lasted me well over a year. The "best if used by" date has already passed, but I haven't noticed any difference in the smell or quality yet. 

2. "Breath of Fresh Air" Toner

($8.95-$19.95)

The concept of toners seemed sort of gimmicky to me at first, but being the adventurous gal that I am I decided to take the plunge one day and get a small bottle just to try it. I love the way it makes my face feel, especially during the Summer or after a shower. It's a nice, tight, clean feeling which makes my skin noticeably more supple. LUSH toners also come in little tabs, but I've only ever tried the bottled variety because I'm lazy. 

3. Gorilla Solid Perfumes 

($10.95)

I have a few of these, so it's difficult to pick just one to showcase. I use Lust the most though, it's a rich and musky scent; very sexy. I love these because of how convenient they are. I keep one or two in my purse at all times in case I need a quick dab of something delicious smelling while at work or out and about. You only really need one quick little dab too, the scent is extremely concentrated so one tube will last you an eternity. I also suggest Vanillery and Karma. 

4. "Buffy" Body Butter

($11.95-$22.95)

A body exfoliant and moisturizer all in one, Buffy is tons of fun to use and leaves your skin feeling silky soft. After I'm done washing in the shower, I rub this all over and then massage the crushed up nuts and beans into my arms and legs to scrub away dead skin cells. I've found that one of the 3.3 oz bars will last approximately 10 uses, and using it two or three times a week will suffice. It's especially effective for smoothing out freshly shaved legs and preventing itching. I've also tried King of Skin, but I prefer Buffy. 

5. "Dark Angels" Facial Cleanser 

($26.95)

Dark Angels is the holy grail of skin care for me. It was unavailable for a few months about two years ago because they were changing the formula around a bit, and I literally checked back every week to see if it was in stock. In the mean time I had used Herbalism instead, but it just wasn't the same. The nice thing about LUSH's cleansers is that there are different varieties to suit different skin types, so while Dark Angels is perfect for me, another might be better suited to your needs. I like Dark Angels because of the sugar scrub (can you tell I'm all about exfoliation?) and because of how well it cleans out difficult blemishes like black heads. In stores it's possible to purchase whatever size or dollar amount you want, I usually get about $15 worth at a time and it lasts me several months. 

Have you ever tried any LUSH products? What did you try and what did you think? Tell me in the comments!

How to Get Perfect Skin

A few weeks ago, someone commented on one of my Facebook photos and said I had "gorgeous skin." Of course I was flattered, but it came as a shock to me to be complimented on my complexion. Through my tween's and early teenage years I had a horrible, terrible war with severe acne. There were times when my entire forehead was virtually one gigantic zit, with little colonies of pimples scattered elsewhere on my face. And being a melodramatic teenager, this of course meant that no one would ever love me and I would die alone.

The only remaining evidence I have of this dark period in my life is a picture that someone tagged me in on Facebook, which I will post for your amusement.

This is actually pretty mild for how bad my skin used to break out. But alas, this is me about six or seven years ago with frizzy hair, an ill fitting bra and what appears to be a pimple mustache.

I eventually went to see a dermatologist, who prescribed me a topical cream and some anti-inflammatory medication. Also, he squeezed a lot of my blackheads out, which I couldn't believe people actually did for a living.

My skin slowly got better through High School, and now finishing up my second year of college I'm actually very happy with my complexion. Part of it was definitely finishing puberty, but I think a large portion of my skin success story was finding the right skin care products and routine.

Here's what my skin looks like now.

Obviously I have makeup on, but this photo isn't airbrushed at all. If you look closely you can still see some scarring on my chin from popping zits (don't pop them! I know it's strangely satisfying, but don't do it) other than some left over scarring though, I generally have smooth and even skin and rarely ever break out anymore. So, fret not my friends. It is well within your power to fix any skin problems you may have.


 Here are the best tips for taking care of your skin that I've learned from my experiences: 

1. Find Your Perfect Facial Cleanser

I highly suggest Lush's cleansers. I've used Dark Angels for years and I can't imagine life without it. There are different cleansers available for different skin types so there's something to suit everyone. I love their skin care products because they're all natural, you're not putting any icky chemicals on your face and believe me when I say you can tell the difference between natural products and the drug store bottled variety. It looks pricey, but in stores you can request a certain size or dollar amount to be weighed out for you. I usually get about $15 worth at a time, but it lasts me months. 

2. Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize!

Seriously, moisturize constantly. At least twice a day, and especially before putting on makeup. It might take some experimenting to find the right moisturizer for you. I use Lacura which is super duper cheap, but I've had great results with it. 

3. Always Take Off Your Makeup at Night

One of the cardinal sins of skin care is forgetting to take your makeup off before bed. DON'T. DO. THIS. Makeup clogs up your pores and interferes with your skin's natural rejuvenation process. Give your skin time to breath. I use Neutrogena cleansing towlettes. Wipes make taking your makeup off super easy, you can do it in front of the computer or TV. No excuses!

4. Try a Toner

I wouldn't say it's a necessity, but if you're really trying to take good care of your skin a toner can be very helpful. Again, I like to use Lush products for this. I'm currently using Breath of Fresh Air but when it runs out I think I'm going to try Tea Tree Water. Toner took a while to grow on me as a part of my routine, but I love getting out of the shower and spraying some on my face. It's nice and refreshing and make your skin feel nice and tight. 

5. Use a Primer Under Foundation

Using a primer not only creates a smooth base for your foundation, it also creates a barrier between potentially pore-clogging makeup and your skin so you're less likely to break out. I suggest Smashbox Photon Finish Light or Too Faced Primed and Poreless. 

6. See a Dermatologist 

If you have a severe skin issue, see a dermatologist. Seeing one when I was younger didn't magically resolve my skin issues, but it definitely helped me reset some of the damage and give me another chance at having a good complexion.

Discovering what skin care products work for you can take some time, but once you develop your own routine it's entirely possible to get great skin.

Have you had any skin care success stories? Tell me in the comments!