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A few years ago, Activated Charcoal became a very popular product for anything beauty-related. I've heard many amazing things about its properties as a whitening agent for the teeth, so when Influenster sent me a Voxbox with this toothpaste in it a few months back, I knew I had to try it out.



What is Activated Charcoal?


If you didn't know, activated charcoal is a really mild, black powder that can come from different natural sources, such as wood, coconut shells, sawdust, or peats.  This "carbon" gets activated because it is processed under very high temperatures.  The thing about activated charcoal is that since the human body doesn't really process this carbon, it can stick to toxins and other agents to help the body get rid of anything unwanted. 

This black powder can have really a lot of benefits for the skin, teeth, and overall health. Some people like to use it as a mask to remove any toxins or impurities that may be laying on the skin, other people like to make soaps with it to help the body remove all of the bad things, but it's a very popular ingredient for teeth whitening. 

Hello Products


Hello Products are a very small, independent company made in the USA that offers a wide range of products directed to oral health. The great thing about this company is that is cruelty-free and despite the fact that the toothpaste comes in a plastic tube, the box is made with recycled and sustainable bamboo and stevia materials. They are a thoughtful brand, with responsibly sourced ingredients and materials which is something very important to me. 

This post is in no way sponsored (I wish!) but I just wanted to be clear on who they are and what they do before I start with the review of their toothpaste. 


THE REVIEW


I was very intrigued over how this Hello Activated Charcoal With Fresh Mint + Coconut Oil toothpaste was actually going to work because I've never tried anything like it. Retails for 6$ and it has 4.0OZ (113gr) of product. 

The first impression that I had when I first opened was that their box was very pretty and their packaging even tho it was plastic (I assume that it is recycled plastic) it was very sleek and black in color which to me was very interesting. If I see this product on a shelf in a store, it would instantly draw my attention to it because black is not a common color you see in oral health products.

The first time I tried, I noticed that it has a very different taste to an average toothpaste. Stevia has a very particular flavor and if you're not used to it you can distinguish it right away. It's not unpleasant, is actually a normal flavor but yes, it's different from what I tried in the past. My 2-year-old boy didn't like the flavor at all, just to you know.

The toothpaste itself is black, which makes it very weird when you're brushing your teeth because you'll see all of your mouth black, even your teeth and when you spit it out, everything is black. It's easily removable tho, but the black stains on the sink are really annoying. It's best to remove them as soon as they get there because if not, they will make your sink look veeeeery dirty. 

Talking about the results, I started seeing results after a month of use. It definitely made my teeth wither but not like in a very big way. They were one or two shades whiter after I finished the toothpaste, which tells me that with its constant use, you will definitely have whiter teeth over time. 



Even tho is quite messy, I really liked this toothpaste and it did actually work, which is what we really want, right? It's not expensive at all and the idea of supporting a small and sustainable company is something that I always aim to. The staining part was really annoying but I think it's still worth it. 

Have you ever tried anything with activated charcoal? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!













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Las toallitas desmaquillantes pueden ser súper útiles y prácticas si estás en un apuro. Aunque si eres fan del Skincare, probablemente sabrás que quitarte el maquillaje solamente con una toallita desmaquillante (sin ningún otro paso) es casi como un pecado capital.

Yo soy floja, ni si quiera me voy a molestar en negar eso. Y aunque últimamente me he tomado mi rutina de skincare más en serio, soy fan de ser práctica cuando estoy muy cansada y sin ganas de hacer una rutina completa de cuidado del rostro, ahí es cuando estas bebés caen como anillo al dedo.

He probado diferentes toallitas desmaquillantes de diferentes marcas, y por eso sé que los dos elementos que hacen a una toallita desmaquillante buena son: La suavidad de la toallita y la efectividad para remover el maquillaje de la fórmula. Con estas toallitas desmaquillantes de Neutrogena, me encontré con un aporte extra: Lo práctico del empaque.

La gente de Home Tester Club me enviaron este paquetito y me dijeron que eran unas toallitas desmaquillantes de Neutrogena, pero no me dijeron más. Cuando recibí el paquete, yo me esperaba recibir las toallitas desmaquillantes en el clásico empaque cuadrado de plástico, lo  normal. Pero cuando las abrí, me di cuenta que venían 20 toallitas individuales empaquetadas dentro de una bolsa grande, también de plástico.


MI EXPERIENCIA


En términos de suavidad, es una de las toallas más suaves que he probado, nada rasposa y es muy delicada con la piel. Tiene un aroma pero no es nada exagerado que a mi me agrada; es de esas esencias "frescas" que usualmente se encuentran en los productos de Neutrogena. 

La fórmula me encantó. Me sorprendí mucho cuando la utilicé la primera vez y me di cuenta que quitaba toda la máscara de pestañas, ¡incluso la waterproof! No es fácil encontrar unas toallas desmaquillantes que hagan ésto, así que definitivamente éso es un plus. Hablando dentro de lo que es lo práctico, me parece que son geniales para tener en la cartera o en el bolso si vas al gym o si te vas a quedar en casa de alguien porque puedes meter un paquetito en tu bolso y no te tienes que preocupar por desmaquillarte.

Voy a acotar algo acá que a mí me parece importante al momento de comprar productos y es que dentro del tema sustentable, es un desperdicio de espacio y de plástico que cada una de las toallitas tenga un empaque plástico. Esto es importante, porque abriendo cada toallita creas muchísimo más desperdicio que comprando el paquete normal. Por un lado, esto es algo importante a tomar en cuenta si te interesa el tema de la sustentabilidad como a mí.


Como veredicto, yo las compraría pero no compraría en esta presentación porque no me parecen nada "ecoamigables" y en realidad generan basura innecesaria, pero con el clásico paquete normal creo que en definitiva las volvería a comprar, de hecho me gustaron mucho para desmaquillar a mis clientes antes de realizarl el maquillaje, así que definitivamente las seguiré comprando.








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At this point in my life, I think that it's safe to say that I do have a pretty big brush collection. Over the past six years I've been buying, trying and collecting makeup brushes just for the sake of doing my makeup, however, being the "budget girl" that I am, I have to admit that I have yet to splurge on makeup brushes, why? well, because you can always find a cheaper option online that is an acceptable quality to play with and sometimes you can find some REALLY good quality for a cheaper price, seems crazy but it is true. Saying that there is always the chance that what you get might not be what you'd expect, but for under 4$ is worth the try, right?




Where do I find the majority of these brushes? eBay is the answer. I'm not really sure why makeup brushes on eBay are SO cheap, but I'll take it. The downside about it is that they do take between two to a month to arrive, or even more. These past six years I've come across some really amazing makeup brushes and I wanted to share with you the brushes that I recommend and the ones that I'd skip if I had to buy them again.






1. Wool Rattan Blush/Bronzer Brush (NARS Yachiyo brush dupe): 2.07$


I gotta say that this brush makes me feel angry. I'm gonna be straight-up honest here guys and tell you that the only reason why I bought this brush was that I saw someone recommend the original Yahiyo brush and I was like "I definitely need that shape of a brush in my life". Hint: I didn't. I have an average small face and this is a quite big brush. The hairs are not soft at all and every time I wash this, the water comes straight up black which makes me feel very unsure about the materials that this is made from, and on top of that, this brush sheds a lot. As this is a rip-off, it doesn't have the same finish as the original brush, so definitely looks cheaper and weird. This is NOT a brush that everybody needs on their collection, at least not the chinese cheaper version of it.


2. Double-Ended Bamboo Eyebrow brush: 0.81$


I'm someone who is very practical, so I was looking for a double-sided brush to save a little bit of space in my makeup bag. I have one problem with this brush and it is that the angled side brush is too bulky, it's dense enough, tho. I need a fine brush that will allow me to do the most "natural" hair strokes, and this is not the brush for that. However, I do use the angled brush to blend the concealer around my eyebrows ... But definitely wouldn't recommend it for filling your actual eyebrows. The spoolie is good, but nothing overwhelming.


3. Double-Sided Bamboo Foundation Contouring Brush: 2.06$


Again, I like double-sided brushes because in my mind I'm saving space. This brush is good. Hasn't shed at all and after many washes still holds its shape. The kabuki side is angled, which I like, and it's dense enough to blend foundation nicely. The other side of the brush is my absolute favorite brush for applying cream contour. Blends everything really nicely and allows you to apply the product exactly where you want it. The downside of it is that with mine, the handles came broken so I had to glue them again, and I'm having a really hard time removing the foundation from the flat brush, which now I realize that it might be made with natural bristles and it is not intended to use with cream products... Therefore, that is why it's a nightmare to remove the foundation from it. I should have seen that coming.



4. Flat Foundation Brush: 1.19$


I was really skeptical about this brush, but since I tried it, I haven't used any other brush for applying my foundation. Is dense enough to buff the foundation and leaves a very nice finish on the skin. This has not shed after I washed it which surprised me a lot. Easy to wash and very easy to work with. The bristles are soft but the brush is dense enough to buff the foundation nicely. Definitely will try other types of brushes from this line.


5. Blush/Bronzer Brush: 0.99$


When I first purchased this brush, my original idea was that this brush was going to be supposedly good for applying powder highlight. My surprise when it came was that it was not as small as I thought it was in the pictures... So, instead of a highlight brush, I have a blush brush. From all of the brushes that I've purchased, this is the only one that has a plastic handle, which makes it feel very cheap (the price that it was, tbh). I already used it, but was not impressed.  Didn't shed after I washed it and overall is an OK brush but since it was not what I was looking for, definitely will not repurchase it again, although it will look very pretty in pictures.


Small Eye Brush Set :; 3.25$



Honestly, when I brought these brushes I had no idea that they were going to be so useful to me. They have small handles, which I don't mind because I have small hands anyways. They don't shed, and work wonderfully with creams and powder products. This set contains both synthetic and natural fibers brushes. I can't find the listing, anymore, but if you spot them, definitely buy them because these are SO GOOD when you're starting to do makeup. They are so good quality that it's insane that they are so cheap.







These are my eBay Finds in their brush version. Have you ever bought a brush from there? Do you have any recommendations? Leave me your opinions in the comments below!
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Hello guys!! Hope you all are having a wonderful day. Today I wanted to talk to you about these two products from Clinique that I've been trying for a while. It's their Liquid Facial Soap Mild and their Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion for normal to dry skin.

Let's start with my thoughts on the soap, shall we? This Liquid Facial Soap Mild is part of a three steps for a clean skin. This is the step one. It says that is clinically formulated and allergy tested and has 0 fragrance. 

 "Gentle, effective cleansing developed by Clinique's dermatologists for the needs of skin dry in the cheeks, comfortable to oily on the T-Zone. Non-drying. Use twice daily."


The first thing I want to mention is that I don't use this soap twice a day. This is very strong, so in the mornings I like to use something softer for my skin. Initially, this soap didn't dry me out at all which had me so excited about, but more recently, after I use this, my skin feels SO DRY that I have to put a heavy moisturizer to feel better. On the other side, its really a soap that will remove EVERYTHING that you have on your face. Usually I use it as a second cleanse after my first "oil cleanse". I use this to remove all of the excess oil on my face and works wonders. A pea size of this liquid soap is enough to clean all my face, which means that this product will last you a fair amount of time.

To be really honest with you guys, those nights that I feel almost too lazy to remove my makeup, I use this soap as a makeup remover. Works really good too! I don't use it in the eyes, for the burning fear haha, but I guess that if its "fragance free" it shouldn't burn at all. I've been trying a travel size and this has lasted me more than a month, so the full size will last you ages. 

Overall, this is a good product for you, specially if you use very high coverage makeup, because it will leave your skin feeling squicky clean afterwards. If you don't really use too much makeup, I will recommend you to skip this liquid soap and go to a more light soap, because this can be a little bit too harsh on the skin.  

 




Now, let's talk about the daily lotion. 

Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion is the third step from a "3-Step Skin Care" formukated by Clinique. 


This lotion is for 'Very Dry to Dry Combination Skin'. Again, this product is 'dermatologist-developed. Allergy tested and 100% fragrance free'. It says: 

"Use after cleansing and clarifying. Apply to areas of the face where needed".
I really like this lotion for everyday use. Feels very nice on the skin, it has a liquidy texture which makes it very easy for the skin to absorb it super quickly. I really hate moisturizers that are so thick that takes ages for the skin to absorb it.  Recently I've been using this lotion to make my own BB Cream and I love it!! When I use this lotion under my makeup, it doesn't feel heavy or greasy at all and makes my makeup last all day while giving me a healthy hydrated skin. Definitely a good cream to have on hand.

Have you tried it?
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This past month I received complimentary from Influenster this box that had me so excited I couldn't even hide it. I have been a follower from Kat Von D since Miami Ink days, and when she had her own makeup brand I was so excited, not only because I knew who she was and what she was like, but that her brand is ethical and vegan is just too good! So definitely this box was a highlight for myself.

The #StuddedKissCreme lipsticks are basically a new relaunch from their old Studded Kiss formula, the only difference is that they improved this formula to be more soft and long lasting, like their liquid lipsticks but in "crème" form. Basically the best from both worlds: The softness from the cream lipstick and the long lasting power from their liquid lipsticks.



I also NEED to talk about the shade range, before giving you my thoughts on this. The shade range is amazing, to be honest. You can find a really good color for you, and the white one seems good for anything! That's one of my favorite things from her brand: they don't stand that lipstick only needs to be used as a lipstick, for example, but that you can use it as an eyeliner, or whatever use you can come up with. Anyways, as I was saying. there are 40 colors in this range, from white to a deep green. You can absolutely find a shade that will suit you, for sure.

THE REVIEW


This lipstick claims to be "The 1st Vegan, high-pigment matte lipstick with crazy-comfortable longwear". To be honest, it took me a little while to figure out what was the "new" thing about this lipstick. Basically is a new formula from their old studded kiss lipsticks AAAND it kind of turns "from satin to matte".


Honestly, it is very comfortable to wear, because it's not drying at all, but you can actually feel that you have lipstick on your lips. Also, after a while it does goes from satin to matte, but actually takes A LOT of time. In the most times I've worn  this, it fades before turning "matte and longlasting". Usually after I eat something this lipstick is gone. 

Talking about Longlasting Power, the L'oreal Infallible Pro Matte Liquid Lipsticks are the winners in staying on the lips after eating ANYTHING, therefore, in my opinion, these Kat Von D's #StuddedKissCreme Lipsticks are not longlasting at all. 

Overall I really enjoy the formula, the texture, the smell (vanilla) and I've been using this lipstick daily because it's great, but I do disagree with their claim to be long lasting.Other than that, this lipstick has honestly became an staple in my makeup bag.






Have you tried it?

*I received this product complimentary for testing purposes from Influenster, but all my opinions are my own.
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To be really honest, mostly of my makeup brushes I brough either on eBay or amazon, excepting for my Real Techniques and Ecotools brushes, mostly all of my brush kit comes from Amazon.
That being said, I don't really like buying fake makeup products, not only for the ethical part and that I really appreciate the author rights being a photographer myself, but also because you don't really know how the products were manufactured... but I accidentally brought these brushes.

I say accidentally because when I brought them, I didn't know they were a rip off from Zoeva. The seller didn't have any specification of these... I only brought it because it was a nice set with brushes I needed to start become a little more pro at makeup, so I brought it and when I received them, my surprise was that they have "Zoeva" graved at the end of each brush with the name and number of each one.
Leaving aside the fact that these are a rip off version, these brushes have been THE BEST MAKEUP BRUSHES I'VE EVER TRIED. No jokes. I never play it safe with eBay or amazon brushes, because the other ones I have are no this good.


THE REVIEW

These brushes are soft, they haven't shade not even once and I wash them regularly. The handles are quite small, I'm not sure if the originals are this short, but I actually love them to be short because I have really small hands, so they are perfect for me.

These brushes pick up color like crazy!! I never knew I had so many pigmented eyeshadows until I tried using them with these brushes. They pick up color really nice and blend like a dream, the shader brush and the blending brushes are my favourites for eye makeup.

 The powder brush looks like a travel size brush, but I actually love it like that because I can throw it on my makeup bag without occupying too much space. The blush and contour brush are like nothing I had on my makeup kit. They pack color really well and are are extremely soft, making it really easy to work with.
Overall I wouldn't recommend a rip off or a fake product, but these brushes are SO GOOD that sorry, I have to recommend them to you if you are in a budget and looking for some nice brushes.

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Gaby Bueno

Hola! Soy Gaby Bueno— Fotógrafa de productos, Asistente Virtual y en mis tiempos libres escribo reseñas de productos de maquillaje. En este blog me encanta compartir tips de maquillaje, experiencias personales e inspiración!

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