From Category: BEAUTY

Wednesday, June 1, 2022

RARE BEAUTY BY SELENA GOMEZ: HONEST REVIEW & THOUGHTS | MUTED MUSE MAG
 
My hand holding the Rare Beauty Positive Light Tinted Moisturizer, Soft Pinch Liquid Blush, and the Liquid Touch Brightening Concealer.



  I’ve been wanting to try Rare Beauty makeup by Selena Gomez for a while, but I was hesitant for two reasons. One, sometimes celebrity brands get a lot of hype simply because their name is tied to them and two, the high-end retail prices they charge for them. 

  However, after seeing so many people rave about Rare Beauty products online & seeing products like the Positive Tinted Light Moisturizer or the Soft Pinch Liquid Blushes become fan favorites, I was convinced that this isn’t just another celebrity makeup brand. 

  With that being said, I bought a couple of those fan favorites, tried them out for myself, & shared my honest thoughts in the video below. 


 
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Wednesday, July 14, 2021

The Serum That Got Rid of my Hormonal Acne & Keeps my Skin in Check | Muted Muse Mag

      Last year, I was going through it in all kinds of ways and one of those ways happened to be acne, hormonal acne to be exact. I've never dealt with my skin in this condition and for four months I often wondered when my skin would return to its normal state (you can read about it here: What I learned About my Hormonal Acne and How Reinventing my Skincare Routine Got Rid of It). 

    In that post I talk about what caused my hormonal acne and how I built the skincare routine that got rid of it. In this post, I'm going to focus on one of the products from that skincare routine that cleared my skin. If I wouldn't have incorporated this product into my regimen, I honestly don't think my skin would have improved in the way that it did. Once this product was introduced to my skincare regimen, my hormonal acne that would not go away ended up going away once and for all. So what is this serum I speak of?


An up close picture of The Ordinary's Niacinamide 10 % + Zinc 1% Serum

     I'm talking about The Ordinary's Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% serum, this serum was a gamechanger for my skin. As I was reading reviews on all kinds of products and reading the description of what those products can do for the skin, I came across this incredible serum on Ulta Beauty's website. The Niacinamide + Zinc serum helps with pore congestion and sebum activity, which is what I had been dealing with when my face was breaking out. I remember feeling so lost and almost purchasing a Curology subscription but I decided not to. I went back to the basics of skincare and decided to figure this thing out. First, I started off by purchasing good quality, affordable, products that addressed my skin concerns. I told myself that if those products didn't work after trying them for a while, then it was back to researching and trying products until I find what works. Thankfully the products that I decided to purchase ended up working effectively for my skin and I spent under $30. 

    The reason I feel that those products worked so well for me was because each of them targeted my specific skin concerns. On top of that, I only purchased what I needed and I was consistent with my skincare routine until I saw results. I believe that skincare isn't that complicated and at times we make it more complicated than it is which leads to us overwhelming ourselves and our skin. I kept it simple, bought good quality, affordable, products that targeted my skin concerns because lets be honest expensive doesn't always mean effective. When you don't know what'll work it's better to go the affordable route, it's more cost effective and you get more bang for your buck versus spending a ton of money on expensive products, them not working, you being disappointed and having to spend more money to find what works. That's just my personal preference, that's what worked for me, to each their own. 

   I struggled with my skin for four months and in ONE month it cleared up, yes ONE month. I honestly believe that this serum played a huge role in that. Being patient with my skin and consistently applying this serum as directed was also KEY.


HERE'S  HOW  I  APPLY  IT:


A picture of The Ordinary's Niacinamide 10 % + Zinc 1% Serum being applied


‣How often: 2x's a day as directed, morning and night after cleansing my skin and before moisturizing.

‣Where: Directly on my T-Zone, I also use it as an acne spot treatment and apply it to any breakouts I may have at the moment.

Disclaimer: This serum should not be used in the same routine as Vitamin C or on dry patches as it can cause irritation and redness.


      Even though my skin cleared up, I continued to use this serum. I love this serum, and it has become and remained an essential in my skincare routine. It balances my sebum production and decongests my pores which keeps my skin in check. 

    What skincare product is an essential in your skincare routine? I'd love to know.

Love,

                 Des. 

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KKW Fragrance X KRIS Collaboration Review | Muted Muse Mag
    A lot of times celebrities slap their name on a product and have little to no involvement in the development of the product itself. That's not the case with Kim Kardashian, she is very involved and her fragrances are personally designed by her. Considering her celebrity status, and the fact that she puts so much thought into the design and quality of her fragrance line, one can assume that her fragrances would be on the pricier side. That said, I was genuinely surprised to see that most of the fragrances including the KKW X KRIS fragrance, retail for $40. All the fragrances that are selling for $40 contain 30mL of product. Fragrances ranging from 75mL to 100mL are going for $60. 

Design:


    One look at the KKW X KRIS bottle and I was sold. I mean look at it! If it doesn’t smell good, then at least it doubles as décor. Kim Kardashian stated that the design of the bottle was inspired by the neutral color palette inside of her home; she went on to say that it'll look beautiful in any bathroom or vanity and she's absolutely right.  


A photograph of the KRIS X KKW Fragrance perfume bottle


Scent description:


   Even though the bottle alone enthralled me, it needed to pass the smell check. My favorite kinds of fragrances have a floral-woody scent with notes of vetiver and patchouli. I kept this in mind when reading the details of this fragrance on KKW's Fragrance website and I was happy to see that those notes were present. 

    The KKW X KRIS fragrance has a very familiar scent. When I was younger I use to play with my mom's loose face powder and that powder had this big, fancy, powder puff. Applying my mom's powder with that big, fancy puff, as well as the scent that the powder had, made me feel fancy. The KKW X KRIS fragrance is reminiscent of my mom's 90's loose face powder, this fragrance also reminds me of Pink Lotion. If your mom ever styled your hair with Pink Lotion growing up, when you wear this fragrance your olfactory sense will travel back in time. Aside from having a fancy, familiar scent, the fragrance has notes of freesia, jasmine, amber, and more, all which contribute to its luxurious, fresh-floral, vintage scent. 



A photograph of the KRIS X KKW Fragrance perfume bottle

Scent strength:


    Ok, so the shape of the bottle is uniquely beautiful with its etched design in the center and the scent of the fragrance passed the smell check; now lets talk strength. The strength of a fragrance comes down to how concentrated it is. Being that this fragrance is an eau de parfum, it should have a decent concentration of oils which should help the fragrance last anywhere between 4-6 hours. When I wear the fragrance I find that it is the most potent the first few hours, after a while the potency lessens but you can definitely still smell it. KKW X KRIS is one of those fragrances that can be smelled on clothing even on the following day.


    The KKW X KRIS fragrance can be purchased in store at Ulta Beauty or online at KKWFragrance.com. I've also reviewed Olive which is a part of Kendall Jenner's collaboration with KKW Fragrance (check it out here: KENDALL by KKW FRAGRANCE: Olive Scent Review). 

    If you have any KKW Fragrance favorites, send them my way. I'd love to hear about them. 

Love, 
                Des.
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KENDALL by KKW FRAGRANCE: Olive Scent Review | Muted Muse Mag

   I prefer floral-woody notes in my perfumes, and while I browsed the KKW Fragrance website, I kept my fragrance personality in mind. The two fragrances that fit my fragrance personality and caught my attention were the KKW X KRIS fragrance (you can read my review here: KKW X KRIS Review) and Olive, which is a part of Kendall Jenner's collaboration with KKW Fragrance and is inspired by Kendall's love for the outdoors.


Design:


   The appearance of a fragrance's bottle is one of its first impressions for me, and I love the design of this bottle. Just one look at the bottle's design and its shape reflects Kendall Jenner's passion for horseback riding. The acrylic cap has the initials KKW displayed on top and the saddle-shaped body with the gold pump accent is just stunning. I love how you can see the fragrance through the bottle, and how the hue of the fragrance complements the name of the scent, Olive.



Scent description:

     Olive is a unisex fragrance and it has a musky, aromatic scent. It's not too subtle or overpowering, I find it to be right in-between. When you first spray Olive, it starts off as a refreshing, dewy, and earthy scent. As the middle notes kick in you begin to get a true sense of the fragrance. Gradually as it dries down and the base notes begin to set in, the scent intensifies and you get a warm-woody, sweet, clean scent. Olive is a unique fragrance and it has become one of my favorite fragrances in my collection.

Two photographs of the Kendall by KKW Fragrance perfume bottles in the scent Olive


Scent strength:

    As far as strength, there seems to be mixed reviews about the strength of the fragrance, with some people stating that it lasts all day, while others say the opposite. In my experience the scent is most intense when first applied. As I wear it throughout the day, it starts to calm down leaning more on the subtle side but it doesn't disappear completely. In fact, the fragrance is still very much present on my clothing the following day. Fresh, light and delicate, with a subtle, long lasting scent is actually what Kendall Jenner stated she had envisioned for her collection. In my experience, the fragrance lived up to that expectation because it is exactly that.

    

   Olive retails for $40 and can be purchased in store at Ulta Beauty or online at KKWFragrance.com. What's your favorite KKW Fragrance(s)?  I would love to hear about them. 

Love, 

              Des.

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Thursday, June 24, 2021

What I learned About my Hormonal Acne and How I Got Rid of It | Muted Muse Mag

     Last year during the nationwide lockdown my skin took a turn for the worst. In all my years, I've never dealt with any type of acne apart from the occasional blemish that would emerge and eventually disappear in about 1 to 2 weeks. This time in particular the breakouts were not going away and I'll be honest, sometimes I pick at my face with my blackhead extractor tool to remove blackheads. Yes, I'm well aware that picking at my face causes breakouts. However, at this point in time I did absolutely nothing to bring this acne upon myself. I even told myself, "just don't touch your face and the breakouts will go away", only they didn't.

    What I ended up learning was that stress affects our body in many ways. I think we can all agree that 2020 was a hectic and stressful year and for four months that stress was displayed on my face. During those four months I often wondered how long until my skin would return to its original state. So I idly stood by waiting for the day that my chin acne would just disappear, just kidding. I turned to good ol' google to get answers on what was happening with my skin and why. Here's what I found, the acne that had presented itself on my skin was hormonal. Hormonal acne can be triggered by stress and when we're stressed our adrenal glands release cortisol. Cortisol is a helpful hormone that plays an essential role in a number of bodily functions including the body's stress management. Basically, when we become stressed our cortisol levels rise thus altering our hormones. In my case, the stress I was undergoing caused a spike in my skin's sebum production. This higher than normal sebum production caused many of my pores to become clogged leading me to experience many blackheads, whiteheads, pimples, and cysts like never before. My breakouts went from making an occasional appearance on skin to a consistent appearance and I had to do something about it.

    Being that I was lost and didn't know how to handle what was happening to my skin, I almost purchased a Curology subscription. However, I decided not to go through with it because I didn't want to subscribe to something that I wasn't sure was going to work let alone pay monthly. I prefer to just walk into a store and get what I need when I need it and call it a day which is something a subscription can't offer me. That's just my personal preference, no shade to Curology or any skin care subscription at all.

    So what did I do?

Went back to the basics of skin care and the basics are:

1. Cleanse
  2. Exfoliate
3. Serums
     4. Moisturize

  After going back to the basics and understanding that I only need a cleanser, exfoliator, serums, and moisturizer, I did my research, read and watched many reviews, and reinvented my skin care routine. (If  your interested in knowing which products I incorporated into my routine see the video below.)




Cleanse:

    When I took a look at my current skin care routine I realized that the cleanser I was using didn't have salicylic acid (a BHA that penetrates deeper into the skin and dissolves the dirt, oil, and dead skin cells that clog your pores). Salicylic acid not only targets pimples, but blackheads and whiteheads which do not come to a head at the surface of the skin like pimples do. Being that my pores were more susceptible to being clogged with this increase in sebum production due to stress, I felt it was necessary to include a salicylic acid cleanser to my skincare regimen. Now blackheads I was use to, but whiteheads not so much and I was getting them like never before. Whiteheads unlike blackheads, are closed comedones which is a fancy word for acne that resulted from a clogged pore, and they're difficult to extract. A blackhead remains open and can be extracted a lot easier, a whitehead is closed within the pore and can grow in size. I had many of these and they looked like pimples but with no pustule to squeeze. See, with this type of acne you have to use products that target that buildup within the pore which is why I introduced salicylic acid into my routine. You then have to extract these whiteheads otherwise they'll appear to be going away, only to fill back up and I definitely recommend a blackhead extractor tool for that. I also learned long ago that what you do or don't do after the extraction of a blemish is what determines whether that now exposed pore becomes a pimple or not. For this reason I usually extract blackheads or whiteheads right before I cleanse my skin. My current daily cleanser does not have salicylic acid in it, but I do have a salicylic acid cleanser that I use when I breakout.

Exfoliate:

    Another important factor that my skincare regimen had been lacking was a good exfoliator. I had a decent physical exfoliator but I wanted something a little more intense. I wanted something that could exfoliate my entire face and dissolve any and all of my dead skin cells that were causing uneven texture and congested pores. Exfoliation allows you to get a deeper cleanse when cleansing your skin because that layer of dead, dry skin is removed and the pores are now unclogged. Now when you apply your skincare products they can be better absorbed into the skin and work more effectively. Knowing this, I searched the web, read, and watched many reviews and decided to go with a chemical exfoliator.

Serum:

    Before my skin had this stressed related flare-up, I didn't know much about serums let alone used them. Boy did that change, in the same way we apply primer before foundation, serum is applied before moisturizer. The purpose of a serum is to target specific skin concerns and they're formulated to address those concerns. While I was scouring the internet for products to include into my reinvented skincare routine, I stumbled across a serum that is meant to decongest pores and regulate sebum production which was perfect because that's exactly what I was dealing with. When I tell you I can't imagine not having this serum in  my routine, I really can't imagine because this serum alone made my skin go back to normal.

Moisturize:

     Have you ever ran out of moisturizer and used lotion on your face instead? I have, and lotion is not non-comedogenic. I quickly noticed this when I applied lotion onto my face on a hot day. I could FEEL the lotion just sitting on my skin waiting to clog my pores. Needless to say I don't apply lotion to my face any longer and I use a moisturizer with SPF to protect my skin from the sun. I learned the importance of moisturizer back in 2010 thanks to YouTube for existing and Michelle Phan for uploading videos where she talked about the importance of a good moisturizer, especially one with SPF. Continual sun exposure and sun damage ages the skin, causing a lack of moisture which makes the skin look dull and dry. There are moisturizers out there that don't contain SPF and I prefer to use those at night because who wants to smell like they're going to the beach when they're really going to bed. However, during the day I like to use a moisturizer that has SPF so that my skin is both hydrated and protected. That's a win win  because it's a 2 -in -1, you don't have to apply your moisturizer and wait for it to dry and then afterwards apply your sunscreen. I've tried many moisturizers since 2010 and I haven't found one that I absolutely love. I'm still looking, but you better believe ya girl ain't skipping moisturizer and she definitely ain't using  lotion on her face.

    Going back to the basics and finding products to address my skin care concerns was so necessary. I truly believe that if I hadn't done this I would have struggled with my skin for longer than necessary. I also feel that if I would've went with skincare subscription before trying anything else, I would've been convinced that I needed that subscription in order for my skin to stay clear. I'm so glad that I decided to do my research and take a chance on the products I purchased. I spent less than $30, learned so much, and my skin cleared up in a month. Yes you read that correctly, a MONTH. Before I introduced these products to my skincare routine, I had been dealing with hormonal acne for three months and on the fourth month my skin was able to heal and clear thanks to these products (watch the video below to see the products). Since then I haven't had any issues with my skin other than the normal, occasional, blemishes that come and go. 

    If you find yourself in the same boat, there's hope. Do your research and find products that address your skin concerns, keep your routine simple, be consistent with it, and wait it out until you see results. 

Love,

                   Des.




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Saturday, June 16, 2018

How I do my eyebrows at home: An in depth tutorial | Muted Muse Mag
 
     Don't get me wrong my eyebrow lady is amazing, but to be honest I haven't been seeing her as often as I used too. For a while now, I've been focusing on saving both time and money when it comes to my brows. Of course there are days when I want to treat myself and so I let my eyebrow lady do all the work, but I've found an at home method that works for me. This simple method allows me to easily do my brows myself. Watch this video to see how.
 Love,
            Des.



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