Ciate Serendipity: Holiday Manicure

Serendipity is a limited edition color that came out in last year's mini mani set. This is actually the first time I've tried it, as I've been waiting for the holidays to come back around before breaking it out. It's a pink glitter polish with surprising staying power, though it took me about 3 coats to get it to the above opaque level.

While I'm not usually a huge fan of glitter (a bit ostentatious for most daily wear) I'm really liking this, which feels festive without being overbearing. This is probably because it's a darker shade of pink, which glitters subtly in most lighting. I've caught myself staring at my nails multiple times even when I'm just typing. 

What are some of your favorite holiday polishes?

My Rising Distrust of Beauty Bloggers and Youtubers

I'm someone who easily follows the herd on the hot trends in makeup, skincare and fashion. A lot of it is because I usually feel overwhelmed or unsure of where to look for solid products. A lot is also because I'm honestly quite insecure, and having an outwardly gorgeous girl recommend a product is something that is almost sickeningly effective for people like me. I've recently sensed a general discontent on the internet with the sheer volume of sponsorships that these full-time bloggers and Youtubers are receiving, as well as a seeming lack of transparency around disclosure. Someone wrote that these people are essentially preying on the insecure, pushing them to purchase expensive and often ineffective products purely to gain goodwill and continued sponsorship with the big brands.

It's led me to introspect on my own buying and viewing behavior, and I'm almost taken aback by how impacted I am by these people, and often not for the right reason. Seriously guys, almost ALL of the products I've purchased and reviewed have been the direct result of seeing someone on Youtube use it. Take for example the following post on Michael Todd's eye cream. I purchased it during the MT craze on Youtube a year or so back, and while all the bloggers were raving to no end about the brand, I was left majorly disappointed. That was about $50, wasted as I can't even use the cream without getting a reaction. Then there's Lush, my recent review on Emma Hardie, the Rimmel Show Off Lip Laquers, even the Victoria's Secret body mists. Pretty much everything I own in my skincare, cosmetic, and even fashion items have been spurred on by the recommendations of these almost-celebrity like, highly successful individuals. Either I'm just super unoriginal, or product placement is truly a frighteningly effective marketing tool.

I generally consider myself a cost-conscious, reasonable person, but then I go out and spend hundreds on products that frankly don't at all deserve the hype. This really makes me wonder at the validity of the argument that sponsorship of these individuals is fine, that ultimately you're deciding whether or not to buy. Because are you really in control? When we see someone who embodies what we want, when we are subjected to repeated messages and rousing support of brands and items, how much of your choice is truly driven by rationality and how much of it is instead emotional, spurred by a very human desire to emulate and become more like the one you admire?

Certainly I've made some purchases that I'm very happy with as a result of these recommendations. But I've also frankly been very financially irresponsible, and made many more buys that I regret. The clear winners here are the brands and the blogger, who walk away with the cash given to them by the consumer. The consumer might be happy with their new purchase for a while, but only until the next item is put forward as the new "must-have." What are they ultimately left with? A stash of barely-used make-up, rejected skincare, copy-cat fashions, and a major hole in their wallet.

When you compound this essential "preying" behavior with the failure to disclose or almost sheer deception inherent in sponsored posts, that's a majorly problematic issue. I've only ever run a small blog, but the few occasions where I have been contacted to put on an affiliate link or to support a product (even without being paid) have been enormously flattering. It makes it hard to say no, and it makes it even harder to be truthful about what you really think. That's another basic human issue, that when the incentives are muddy, people tend to act in ways that reflect that. I can only imagine what it must be like to be paid thousands for a video or a post, but I'd imagine that it'd be terribly hard to express any negativity both out of a sense of owing that person / company and for fear of rupturing the future opportunities to work together.

Will I stop reading blogs / watching videos? Probably not, and the inner psychology for that likely warrants a whole other post. There's something horribly compelling about these gilded videos and posts, like seeing that popular girl in school and trying to determine her secret. But what I will do is be aware of my buying behavior, and next time a product is shown and I feel that itch to immediately buy, I will reign it in, knowing who the true stakeholders are of the underlying business partnership. And of course, I will continue this blog and make it a place where my true opinions can be shared, such that other potential buyers can hopefully be fully informed before they submit to the PPL allure.

P.S.: In case you're curious about the upper image, that's a photo of the packaging for the Bite Beauty Lip Mask, which, you guessed it, is another product I purchased through influence. The product is solid, but why have none of the initial recommenders pointed out the horrendous flaky packaging?

Emma Hardie Amazing Face Moringa Cleansing Balm

Back in February, I ordered a bottle of the very-hyped Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm from feelunique.com. The product has me mixed, and the shipping was honestly horrible - it took over a month for this to get to me, and for some reason my box didn't come with a muslin cloth. Not sure if this is some cheaper packaging or whatever, but disappointing.

I've been using the product regularly, and while there are some aspects I find very pleasant about it, there's other qualities I don't like, and overall I don't think I'll be repurchasing considering the high price tag and difficult accessibility.



The aspects I do like are the scent, which is a nice and light herbal, the all-natural ingredients, and the nourishing, non-drying nature of the balm. This is far, far better than the only other cleansing balm I've tried, The Body Shop Camomile one. It leaves my skin feeling moisturized and gently cleansed.

However, what I don't like is that it's frankly horrible at removing make-up, leaving obvious patches of foundation and smears of eyeliner on if you use this alone. I've also decided that I'm not a fan of the cleansing balm texture. Personally, I find it potentially damaging in the long-term to have to massage and pull at your face so much when you wash it, which is unfortunately necessary with this product. You have to work it in, and similarly have to go at it to get it off. My philosophy is that such repeated aggressive action will destroy elasticity and loosen up the skin, which is definitely not what I want.

For now, I'll be sticking with my Kiehl's Calendula face wash.

Jo Malone Nectarine Blossom & Honey Cologne Review

This was very much a splurge for me, and one I had wanted for literally years. Even with a 10% discount from Neiman Marcus this was still $54 for a one-ounce bottle, which is pretty excessive considering I'd previously never spent more than about $15 for a perfume. Jo Malone is just one of those brands that everyone touts, and I had sampled it in-store a couple times.

Unfortunately, I can't say I would repurchase this, as for some reason this scent doesn't smell nearly as good as I remembered it being when I first tried it. I recall it being heavenly sweet and fruity, but when I spray mine, there's this weird "fresh" undertone that I don't remember being there before, not to mention it isn't nearly as sweet as I recall. I do find it wearable, but I'm not in love with it, and part of me regrets not picking up the Red Roses scent instead.

My lesson learned here is that unfortunately few products are able to withstand personal expectations, even when you've tried them on a couple times. Maybe this bottle got shaken around too much, and I'll have to compare next time I'm in the store, but I think I'd rather just stock up on Victoria's Secret body mists for a fraction of the price.

Healthy Eating: Quick Breakfast for School & Work

I admit that breakfast is hardly usually my first priority, especially on busy school/work mornings, which generally involve me grabbing a granola bar or opting out entirely for a coffee with soy milk. But I am trying to improve on that, and today wanted to show a fairly easy, relatively healthy breakfast I've been enjoying.

It's a simple stack of pre-made waffles with half a banana and pure maple syrup. I'm enjoying the Van's gluten-free waffles, which are already lightly sweetened with fruit juice. However, the texture is a bit dry and crumbly at points, which I suppose goes with the gluten-free aspect. At any rate, this is filling and enjoyable even as a dessert (which I confess to doing more often than not).

Still on the hunt for good breakfast ideas, so feel free to share!

Goldfaden MD Sun Visor SPF 30: Review

As mentioned, I'm normally a drugstore sunblock fan due to the much more attractive price point, but I decided to splurge on the Goldfaden MD Sun Visor after watching a tutorial that purportedly showed how easy it was to spray and go with this product. To be honest, even after months of use, I have no idea how that particular person was able to use it so easily. It beats regular sunblock, but it still is far from an effort-free product, and brings other concerns that keep me at bay.

My first major concern with this product is its use of microionized titanium dioxide, which has been cited as a potential risk upon inhalation. Spraying it directly on the face not only heightens the risk of directly breathing it in, but in my experience also often led to some of the product going into the eye (even with your eyes closed). I had white particles accumulate around my eye shortly after I used this.

However, it isn't gloopy like most sunscreens. This is good and bad, because good news is it spreads easily - I usually spray a bit into my hand and then massage it into my face. I do find it doesn't seem to stay as well on my skin, as it starts running off immediately when I spray a bit of water on. I also don't think it's as effective as my traditional formula sunscreens.

I purchased from the SkinStore, and got the below samples with my order. I think the price was about $35/bottle with discount, so still a fairly pricey bottle. At this point I won't be repurchasing, because I think there's better alternatives.

Kiehl's Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash

I've mentioned before that I've been on the hunt for a one-stop makeup remover that will easily and quickly get off all my makeup at night. Unfortunately, my Emma Hardie balm just hasn't been cutting it (requires far too much rubbing to remove eye makeup), so I swung into Kiehl's after seeing the signs for their new face wash.

Although I have dry skin, the sales associate assured me that this product would work. I like that it's simple to use, you literally just pump out some of the clear fluid and lather it up on your face. 

The product itself is clear and with a very light herbal fragrance, and works up into a light lather that isn't drying (though you will need to moisturize well afterwards). I've been using it now all summer, and I will say it's by far the most effective product I've tried yet. Unfortunately, it still requires a bit of work to remove eyeliner, but for non-waterproof mascara and eyeshadow it does wonders - a few smears and it comes off.

Overall I'm very pleased with the product, and as a bonus the Kiehl's associate was super sweet and threw in samples for their creamy avocado eye cream and midnight recovery oil. I recommend this if you're also on the hunt for an effective, all-in-one makeup remover.