What It Is:

Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic and Skin Repair Moisturiser (Combination/Oily)

Why This Should Be in Your Bag:

Clear skin is truly key in any beauty routine. If your base isn’t good, your makeup can only go so far. Washing your face thoroughly and targeting your skin’s problems is necessary. And quality skin care products are just as important as quality makeup! Read More »

I test out a lot of products, and rarely am I completely blown away by a brand.  And even more rarely am I completely blown away by each product I test.  Well, I’ve met my match: Suki Skin Care.  You all know how picky I am when it comes to skin care, but after using this brand for the past two weeks I am convinced that I need it in my life.

Suki aims to personalize their line for you, and you can take a quiz to find out which of their products best suits your skin’s needs.  They use 100% pure organic formulas, for example they use white willow bark for its salicylic acid in their Concentrated Balancing Toner, which I’ve been testing.  Salicylic acid is great for treating oily, acne prone skin as well as rosacea and eczema.  I’ve been using prescriptions with salicylic acid that didn’t work as well as this does.  My skin has been pretty clear for the most part, but I’ve been breaking out recently just from being out in the heat and sweating all day at work.  Well thanks to Suki, my skin returned to normal in the two weeks I’ve been using it. Read More »

What It Is:
Kahina Giving Beauty Toning Mist

Why This Should Be in Your Bag:
Luxe skincare products are always a fun way to switch up your routine. Every time I use one, I feel like I’m pampering myself! And we all know the importance of effective skincare; if you’re skin isn’t in tip-top shape, it will show, regardless of how much makeup you slather on.

Kahina Giving Beauty is a company started by Katharine Phillips L’Heureux. She was inspired by a trip to Morocco, where she discovered the benefits of Argan Oil and the hardworking women who produce it. The skincare line is small, but well thought-out and, even better, Kahina gives back 25% of the profits to the women of Morocco who produce the oils used in the products! I gave their Toning Mist a test run and felt good about myself while doing so.

How To Use It:
From the name, it’s not really clear what the purpose of this Toning Mist is. Thankfully, it comes with some suggestions for use. They suggest to “use morning and evening after cleansing and before applying either Kahina Argan Oil or Kahina Serum to aid in superior absorption. Spritz throughout the day to replenish moisture and refresh.” After a couple test runs, I settled on my routine, which included washing my skin in the evening and then applying this before my moisturizer. Read More »

[Post courtesy of out friends at StyleBakery.com. For more awesome fashion, style and beauty news, check them out!]

The dog days of summer are quickly approaching and you know what that means; muggy, steamy heat.  Whether you’re on the waterfront or completely landlocked, even those of you in the so-called “dry heat” states can’t avoid the boil of a mid-July day.  Do your best to stay cool, dry and sweat free with these products that bring on the chill.

Earth Therapeutics Clean + Cool Foot Wipes
At the end of the day when our dogs are barking, we kick off our sandals and revive our aching feet with these convenient, portable wipes.  Remove the day’s dirt and grime while tea tree oil and mint provide a pleasant cooling sensation. $7.00, drugstore.com Read More »

If you just got back from spring break and resemble a lobster, don’t  worry, while I was bitter about your tropical vacation I will not mock you.

I actually feel quite sorry for you; sunburns are the worst! They hurt, they peel, and as if the pain isn?t enough, well you also look like someone put you in a frying pan for 5 hours.  (I bet you wish you had listened to your mother and put on some SPF!)

But since that sunscreen will not help you now, here are some tips to take care of your toasted skin and cover it up (as much as possible, anyway!).

Basic Care Tips:

-Take cool showers and apply cool face cloths to your burned areas. This won’t help the healing much, but it will make you feel so. much. better.

-Don’t wear perfumes, or oily makeup/products. These will only irritate your skin more, making you even more uncomfortable.

-Keep yourself covered – loose clothing is best.

-If your burn is more serious or your skin is bubbling, you need to see a doctor to treat the burn!

The best thing for your skin now is aloe vera, a plant with sunburn healing powers.  You can find aloe in gels, toners and lotion.  Here are some aloe products that can help soothe, repair and reduce the redness of your burn. Read More »

Let’s talk about skin care. Go into any beauty retailer, find a sales person and ask them to recommend a skin care regimen. Then duck, because you are about to get hit with an avalanche of products your skin “needs.” They’re going to try to sell you a makeup remover, a cleanser, a scrub, a toner, a serum, a moisturizer, a spot treatment, an eye cream and a sunscreen. A really ambitious sales person will try to sell you two of each, a different one for day and night.

Now in a perfect world an elaborate skin care regimen can be very good for your skin, but let’s get real. When you’re coming back to the dorm at 4am and crashing, your makeup smearing off on the pillow is the closet thing you get to skin care.

It is a good idea to have a solid skin care system, especially if you have an issue like acne or dry patches that need treatment. But with so many steps, it’s all or nothing and you need a back up plan that you’ll actually use and that actually works!

So when time is tight or you are feeling lazy there are three very important steps to hit.

1. Remove makeup

2. Cleanse

3. Moisturize

Here are some products that can kill two (or three) birds with one stone. Read More »

[Make-up is wonderful, but it can also be confusing. There are so many shades and colors and sheens and reasons to wear it that a girl can get completely lost attempting to find what fits her face best. What’s the best blush color for a redhead? How do you really put on lip-liner? Is there such a thing as too much eyeshadow?

In this weekly series, actress / model and fabulous CC blogger, Jen, will be using her make-up know how to teach us all how to look flawless in class, out at a party, or grabbing coffee with that cutie from Psych 101.]

This week Jen gives us the lowdown on skincare: keeping it clean, beautiful and not-so-obvious that you were up until 4am playing Quarters with the roommates writing a paper. Grab a pen and paper – you will want to take notes.

If you have a specific make-up question, leave a message in the CC Facebook group, or email Lauren@collegecandy.com with the title “CC Make-Up Question,” and she’ll make sure Jen hears your woes and addresses them.