I know Woman's Day already passed but we definitely should be appreciative of women ALL year round!! 

So speaking of such, who is the woman (women) in your life that you are appreciative of? It can be family, celebs, historical figures or even cartoons/anime. (No shame ever here!!)

My answer:
I appreciate all you hard working ladies here. The ladies who raise little ones as a stay-at-home mom. The hard working ladies and education seekers. The moms who lost little ones. The mamas who never got to be moms. The ladies who don't want kids or can't have them. The little girls in grade school with hopeful dreams and that *spark* in their eye. The ladies who aren't sure which direction to go. Trans women & sisters I hear your cry! You are worth your tears! The mothers, sisters and cousins of our past, present & future. All you ladies are respected & adored here! All you women, even you reading this post!! You are the change written in books. Be proud, be strong & never think for a second that you aren't worthy or incapable of love. You are what sank battleships. You are what they paint in art museums. You are what they chisle in stone. You are sensitivity & emotion. Love & song. You are woman! ❤

(Please no hate in the comments. If you don't agree with me, that's fine. We are all mature people who can feel what we feel & do what we want. I live by love & peace...nothing more, nothing less!) ❤

Happy Women's Month!

This isn't beauty/skincare related but I wanted to ask how everyone has been this last Valentine’s Day!? What did you do to show your loved one you care? Any cool makeup look you attempted? Anything really! This is just a quick little post to collect coins~ ❤

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Hello everyone! AR here with another topic! Since it's St. Patty's Day, I wanted to ask--What is your favorite Green product you own? It could be a skincare item, a beauty item, a Fluffy Headband. Include photos if you can!!

I'll go first--mine would have to be my April Skin "Artemisia Rice Essence Toner" The beautiful green bottle containing all that gentle liquid is my latest obsession! (I did a review on my profile, for those curious!) 

💚Happy St Patty's Day Everyone! 💚

Happy St. Patty's Day! 💚

I've been seeing a lot of people praise products on social media lately, but it has me wondering--everything can't always be 5 out of 5 stars! Do you have any products that you just don't like? Anything you've tried that wasn't working for you?

I got two: Zeroid Pimprove toner made me rash and blister. If I use it with the Zeroid Soothing Cream, it works a bit better but what if someone like me only could afford to purchase the toner alone? That would make me instantly not want to buy from Zeroid again--so, giving a chance to pair both products to make it work would be out of question. 

And Dermalogica daily microfoliant brightening powder!! It cut my skin up pretty bad even when I lightly touched fingertips to skin. I followed all the rules & directions but the micro-rice particles exposed raw, painful patches all over my face after my first initial use. AND it's supposed to be a DAILY use! Ouch!!

Any Skincare Duds?

Hello everyone! I hope you are having a great hump day! Just to get the ball rolling for everyone, I have a question. What are your opinions on Pore Strips, Pore Vacuums & Tool Extractions?

Once upon a time, I was OBSESSED with Pore Strips! I used to use them almost on a daily thinking I was doing more good than harm. Researching about it, I found that most of those things are harmful & damaging. Especially the Pore Strips! Digging deeper, I found that the reason it was so damaging was that majority of the time--people would just rip these strips off & not do much else. Exposing the sensitive, raw skin to the horrible elements.

It's not 100% safe but if you do intend to use--make sure you are replenishing the skin & bringing back the natural pH by gently incorporating moisturizers & essences back into the "damaged" skin. Emollients & barrier locking elements seem to work great after something so abrasive & raw. Just my two cents & opinion. Feel free to add your input or start a discussion! I love learning & educating myself about stuff like this! ❤

Pore Strips/Vacuums/Extractions?

I wish it wasn&#39;t so expensive, I&#39;d purchase this more often if it were cheaper!

This is my essential skin care item that I cannot live without. I have been using this serum for almost a decade by now. I started using it in my early twenties, it has helped me to maintain a healthy, young looking skin. I adore this serum so much, cannot recommend it enough. No mater what face cream or eye cream that I switch now and then, but this serum is a solid rock that I cannot stop using. It is so light weight, light scent and soaked right up into my skin.

🚫 I actually didn&#39;t find any negatives! It worked exactly as it claimed!

🌰ISNTREE Chestnut BHA 2% Clear Liquid ($21) is a mild exfoliation that tightens pores, removes dead skin cells, smoothes rough skin texture, strengthens the skin barrier, reduces sebum, balances oil&#47;water in the skin &amp; so much more! Using 3 types of Hyaluronic Acids--it generates a moisture barrier without stripping the skin! BHA cleanses the pores, while the Chestnut Shell tightens them! A powerhouse tonic that every enlarge pore victim definitely NEEDS!!

🌰My Experience:
I was selected among the few to get this surprise box full of goodies courtesy of Picky! 2 whole bottles alongside a few little sample packets of this magic elixir! 

For the sake of this review--I used my bottle for a whole week to give you good results.

The first thing I noticed was the feeling. It stung a bit on my enlarged pores, a sting that lingered for a bit before evaporating. After a few days of constant use, the skin around my large pores started to lightly shed. Which, to me, proves it worked as it claimed. (as far as being an exfoliating product.) 

Using cotton rounds, I applied mine like I would a toner. Tapping it into the skin with fingertips. No scent or artificial fragrance can be found in this product, just pure clean liquid. 

My verdict--IT WORKS! The before&#47;after shots prove that it&#39;s working to shrink my large pores! My makeup goes on so much more smooth &amp; flawless. I definitely recommend this product to all of you who struggle with enlarge pores!

🚫I do have to say that it did react with my skin slightly. The redness left after 10 minutes but it was hot to the touch until I used a calming cream on top. Also, it has a rather sticky residue that doesn&#39;t leave until the next day. And the sure cherry on top--the scent!! I usually don&#39;t mind scent but it definitely is notable. Almost medicinal to the point of being unpleasant. I&#39;m assuming my sensitive skin is reacting to some of the extracts and it caused a bit of irritation. Also, I noticed my nose was very matte compared to the usual shine--so, this cream definitely mattes the surface, which is a bit harsh for my dry skin. Be warned.

Designed with hydration in mind--this cream is layered with 3 different types of Hyaluronic Acids, all ranging in weight, to create a perfect jelly-like texture that penetrates every layer of the skin to ensure a more deeper hydrating experience. To sum it down, this cream is the all-in-one hydrating treat you&#39;ll definitely reach for time and time again. It does have Raspberry, Birch, Fennel Seed, Thyme &amp; Roobios Extracts. All targeting the strength and repair of skin. But the bottom line is that this cream will help quench tired, dry &amp; thirsty skin.

❌The only negative would be price but that&#39;s even reaching. I feel it&#39;s reasonable but I know a lot of people who wouldn&#39;t feel the same way.

Vely Vely Artemisia Balance Facial Treatment Essence ($29.99) is a refreshing nutrient-rich essence that absorbs into the skin to soothe &amp; hydrate. No artificial pigment, synthetic perfume and additives. The water-like texture helps absorption without stickiness.

🌿Ideally for:
Hydration 
Moisture
Even out skintone
Supplementing vitamins, minerals &amp; antioxidants. 
Reviving skin texture &amp; health
Minimizes pores
Conditions skin

🌿My Experience:
I have dehydrated skin with a lot of rough texture due to enlarged pores--this essence is my everything!!

Pure 100% Artemisia--it&#39;s basically a full bodied tonic that provides essential benefits directly into the skin.

I&#39;ve been using this every single day &amp; my texture has improved so much. It&#39;s glossy &amp; clear! Which is saying so much after years of my neglect! Lol 

I know my skin &amp; I&#39;ve tried a few products with Artemisia in them. I even own a toner by April Skin that isn&#39;t quite like this essence. (And I thought I found the holy grail when I stumbled onto it! Haha) but Vely Vely has a true product here that delivers just as well as they claim it does! 

My skin feels hydrated without being overly greasy or oily. My color is even, the bounce is back &amp; I haven&#39;t had any frequent sporadic inflammation fits as of yet! 

I use this day &amp; night--it&#39;s so calming &amp; gentle. It does not interfere with my cosmetics, either--in fact, it helps my foundation have a smoother surface to work on. 

I love that it&#39;s just Artemisia essence &amp; nothing else. Pure at the core &amp; safe for all skin types! I&#39;m very obsessed!!

❌What I disliked?
The balm has a slight &quot;sticky&quot; feeling to it, tolerable but worth noting. Like a light mosturizing barrier.

All in all, a product I am happy to have gotten to try and play around with!

Touch in Sol &quot;Pretty Filer Glass Skin Balm&quot; ($32) is ultra hydrating. With the texture of a rich, creamy, thick lotion. If you dab a little on your face, you can see the balm start to slightly slide around until you rub it in. The scent is very &quot;pretty&quot;...floral and sweet. A clean scent, if I had to explain it any better myself.

A little goes a long way, like most of Touch in Sol products. I was pleasantly surprised with how well and quick the &quot;glass&quot; effect was achieved with a small dallop of the cream.

💎Did you know? 
Another fun fact about this cream--the more layers you apply, the better the results. On the jar, it claims that you can use about 3 total layers to get the &quot;full effect&quot; and of course, the beauty lover&#47;reviewer in me wanted to test that concept. I am proud to announce that it is 100% correct. The added photos prove just that. 1 layer gives a subtle glow, while 3 layers gives me an almost &quot;wet&quot; appearance.

💎My Experience:
I definitely can see a difference. My face is natually dry, so seeing my skin glow like I dunked myself headfirst in a barrel of water really made my jaw drop! My cheekbones are definitely prominent in this balm, which is amazing. I usually have to resort to heavy highlighters to get my cheekbones to POP like that.

✅What I loved?
This balm is a 5 in 1 product. Hydrating cream, moist pack, primer, glow cream AND radiance booster. Since it claims a &quot;primer,&quot; I went ahead and put some foundation&#47;press powder over the glow. Definitely gave me results that were equally amazing! My pores weren&#39;t as exposed, which is always nice to see in a skincare product. I can see myself using this for so many different things. As what the name states AND as a hydrating primer!

Overall, I really loved the balm. It didn&#39;t break me out or cause any discomfort. Another important fact is that it actually wasn&#39;t &quot;heavy&quot; when worn. (which was something I was thinking it would have been!) Most balms, especially those with that word in their product name, usually always feel waxy or thick. But this was light and quite nice to apply. I didn&#39;t feel suffocated under my foundation, in fact--it gave my foundation something to sit on top of to help keep it in place without creasing or becoming dry&#47;cracked. Wash off was a breeze, too. It didn&#39;t linger or smear around. A mild soap and water was all it needed to wash off. ALSO, it didn&#39;t change effect when worn for hours. Which was very impressive. If you applied in the morning, it definitely will stay in place all day.