Hello my loves! I guess I’ve been on a weird mineral-infused, vitamin-y kick lately, but today I’ll be reviewing e.l.f.’s Mineral Infused Face Primer. This was another case of me just wanting to try something new. Since I had run out of the other e.l.f. primer I was using, I took a trip to CVS and found that e.l.f. has sooooo many different types of primers! I don’t have a ton of skin problems, so I don’t need anything super special. So I figured this mineral-infused one would be my best bet.

I don’t have a ton to say about this one other than that it did the job! I didn’t really see a difference between this one and the one I was using before. I didn’t really see any change from the minerals in the formula. Maybe they’re supposed to do work on the inside of your face? I’ll do some research and let you guys know.

Overall though, I would definitely recommend this primer! I’ve reviewed a few primers on The Clunkster, so feel free to take a look around for which one is right for you. If you’re interested in going cruelty-free, check out PETA’s Searchable Database and Cruelty-Free Kitty’s alphabetized list of cruelty-free brands. If you have any cruelty-free recommendations, please comment them below!

frank body coconut coffee scrub

May 21, 2018Beauty, Beauty Review, Cruelty-Free, SponsoredKristenComment

Hello hello! I have an interesting review for you all today. This is the last of what Influenster sent me in their Prep VoxBox, which sucks because I've loved trying out these awesome products and sharing them with you all! Today, I'll be reviewing Frank Body's Coconut Coffee Scrub.

Pros

It's Cruelty-Free!

You all know how much I love cruelty-free beauty. Frank Body's packaging boasts that all their products are "only tested on babes."

Their Brand

I was so excited to use this body scrub just based on the packaging! The directions and brand as a whole are super fun and cheeky. Frank Body seems to be all about pampering yourself and having a ton of fun doing it.

The Ingredients

Nut-free and vegan! Hell yeah! This scrub includes coffee beans, which are good for dry skin and collagen production, grapeseed oil, which contains a ton of vitamins and good stuff that keeps your skin tight, coconut oil, which is full of moisture, and jojoba beads, which also help dry skin and make you more radiant than you already are.

The Smell

So great!!! An earthy mix of coconut and coffee. Yummmm!

It Works!

I love body scrubs because I feel like I'm literally washing away my dry skin, which is exactly how I felt when I used this scrub. My skin feels all tingly and nice!

Cons

The Packaging

This was sooooooo hard to open in the shower. My hands and the packaging were wet, which really complicated things. It took me a ton of strength and an embarrassing amount of time to get this open. As soon as I opened it, the scrub kind of exploded out of it, so I definitely wouldn't have been able to open it before I got in. I prefer scrubs in jars.

The Instructions

Like I mentioned before, this is a shower body scrub. The directions say to get wet, scrub your body, leave it for three minutes, then rinse. But since I was in the shower, it was kind of impossible for me to leave the scrub on for a full three minutes without it washing off. I don't even think it lasted a minute, to be honest, so I'm unsure if I received the full effect.

The Coffee

Guys, I literally felt like I was making coffee in my shower. As it washed off, the water mixed with the grounds, and I was standing in literal coffee. It kind of clogged my hair-catching drain blocker (new term??? okay).

The Cleanup

This is probably the biggest con, but this scrub made an absolute mess of my shower. After I got out, I had to take everything out of my shower and wipe it down. It got on the walls, under my shampoo bottles, even on my shower door. I'm not sure how, since I just put it on my body. But it was really hard to clean up, and I'm still picking little bits of coffee out of my shower.

The Verdict

I probably would not recommend this scrub, or use it again. I love using body scrubs because they relax me, but since I had to literally tear the package open then spend a half hour cleaning up the mess, it just wasn't worth it. It honestly wasn't relaxing at all, just really frustrating. I truly admire Frank Body's message, branding, and product itself, but it needs to change a lot if I'm going to use it again.

I don't mean to sound harsh, but Influenster sent me this product to review honestly. I write honest reviews for you all because I understand that people want as much information as possible before trying out a product, and I definitely think you all needed to know this information! If you don't mind the cleanup, definitely try this scrub. But if you're like me, I'd stick to the scrub you enjoy.

If you’re interested in going cruelty-free, check out PETA’s Searchable Database and Cruelty-Free Kitty’s alphabetized list of cruelty-free brands. If you have any cruelty-free recommendations, please comment them below!

shea moisture's 100% virgin coconut oil daily hydration glow priming moisturizer

May 16, 2018Cruelty-Free, Beauty, Beauty Review, SponsoredKristenComment

Hey angels! I’m so excited to share Shea Moisture’s 100% Virgin Coconut Oil Daily Hydration Glow Priming Moisturizer with you all! Influenster sent some to me in my Prep VoxBox to honestly review. And it's even cruelty-free!

At first, I was really afraid to use it because my skin usually reacts horribly to coconut oil. I've written about it before, I think it’s a little too hydrating for my skin, because every time I over-moisturize, I have the same reaction: big, painful pimples and irritated skin. I love coconut oil for cooking, and I fully understand the benefits of using it, but it just doesn’t work for me.

...Until! This moisturizer came into my life! I waited until after my sorority’s formal so I wouldn’t get any zits, and first tried it on a hot day to test how good this primer does its job. Sweat is the ultimate test!

Applying this moisturizer/primer is super relaxing. The smell is absolutely divine, and the texture is amazing! The package says to massage it onto your face in circles, which is a really relaxing way to start my morning. I feel like I’m babying my face :’) And a little goes a long way. I’m not even halfway done through the smaller sample package Influenster sent me, and I’ve used it four or five times. The formula carries wonderfully.

And the best part? It actually works! My makeup stayed on my face for the whole day, barely even smudging. I always say that I can never tell a significant difference in my skin with products like this, but this actually made a noticeable difference. I didn’t react to the coconut oil at all, which really surprised me, especially since this product is super moisturizing! No zits or irritation or anything. This morning I was looking in the mirror and noticed how great my skin looked. I really was glowing!

I’m seriously, very pleasantly surprised with this primer/moisturizer. I definitely plan on buying myself a jar when I’m done with my sample. As you can see in the photo up there, this moisturizer is also free of parabens, phthalates, propylene glycol, mineral oil, and sulfates. I’d recommend this to anyone, even if you have sensitive skin!

not your mother's all eyes on me 10-in-1 hair perfector

April 26, 2018Cruelty-Free, Beauty, Beauty Review, SponsoredKristenComment

Hello hello hello! It’s Thursday and I am so tired from finals and all the other ~fabulous~ things life has thrown at me, but I’m also so excited to share this product with you all! Influenster just sent me a bunch of cool stuff to try in exchange for reviews, and this first one is definitely one of my favorites.

You all know how much I love my hair, but I don’t think I’ve ever talked about just how difficult it is to keep up with sometimes. My hair is Rapunzel-long, which I love! But it’s also very thick and tangles very easily. Sometimes just running a brush through my hair is a workout.

Enter Not Your Mother’s All Eyes on Me 10-in-1 Hair Perfector. That’s certainly a mouthful, and definitely sounds too good to be true. This spray claims to add body, strengthen, detangle, moisturize, add shine, control frizz, repair dry hair, act as a heat protectant, mend split ends, and seal cuticles. How can a spray do all of these things?!

I don’t know, but it does! This thing is a legitimate miracle product. You just spritz it in your hair when you get out of the shower and comb it through. It started working almost immediately. I went to my boyfriend’s after I got out of the shower, and he couldn’t stop touching my hair.

I’ve noticed such a difference in my hair since I’ve started using it regularly. Usually when I come out of the shower I just towel dry my hair and let it exist in unbrushed waves for a while, which I still do, but my hair looks less of a ~grungy~ unbrushed mess and more of just cute, beachy waves. And you guys, my hair is literally the softest it’s ever been.

I very highly recommend this product, not just because of how well it works, but also because it’s cruelty-free! I’m so lucky to have received this product, and I can’t wait for you all to try it. Let me know if you love it as much as I do in the comments!

cruelty-free beauty! e.l.f. beautifully bare foundation serum

April 14, 2018Beauty, Beauty Review, Cruelty-FreeKristenComment

Happy weekend! Every now and then when I run out of things, I grab something new for fun, or because I can’t find what I wanted. This instance was a bit of both! While I was looking for the e.l.f. foundation I usually use, I came across e.l.f.’s Beautifully Bare Foundation Serum, which looked pretty cool. Based on the packaging, I figured it was just a mineral-based foundation that was also SPF 25. I had never used a serum before!

This was definitely different than what I thought it was. I don’t know exactly how to explain it, to be honest. It’s thinner and runnier than a BB or CC cream, which was a surprise! I guess you could compare it to a tinted moisturizer or something, but don’t take my word on that because I’ve never used one of those either (I have a lot to explore hehe). I tried using my Milk Dab and Blend Applicator and it literally slid right off, which disappointed me a bit because I freakin’ love using that thing. I’ve found that the best way to apply this serum is to just use your fingers.

Even though this formula is super thin, this serum actually does a great job of acting as a foundation. It blends really well, and keeps my face looking natural and glowy. I can’t use it on my lips because it absorbs really quickly, but in general the coverage is great.

Unfortunately, I can’t really tell if the mineral/serum part is kicking in. My face has been a bit dry because of the harsh northeastern winter, and I’ve been breaking out a bit near my temples. It could be the serum, the fact that I’m applying it with my fingers, or something completely different.

Overall though, I recommend using this serum if that’s the sort of thing you’re looking for. Take a look through the reviews on the product’s page, which I linked above. Some people love it, and some people hate it! I say give it a try. I’d definitely use this for a lowkey event or a ten-minute makeup look, but maybe not every day. If you’re interested in going cruelty-free, check out PETA’s Searchable Database and Cruelty-Free Kitty’s alphabetized list of cruelty-free brands. If you have any cruelty-free recommendations, please comment them below!