Skincare Review: Tarte Deep Dive Cleansing Gel, Rainforest of the Sea Radiance Drops, and Baba Bomb

I have also subscribed to the belief that only oily skincare products should only be all or one of these things – lightweight, watery, or gel-like. That products for my skin type should never be creamy. However, since I’m older (and, hopefully, wiser) I have found the truth – my oily skin can use creamy, heavier than usual products. It just all depends on the situation.

The Deep Dive Cleansing Gel, for example, is not the usual cleansing gel I would go for. In fact, it’s unlike anything I’ve ever tried. As per all cleansers, this promises to remove excess oil, impurities, and even waterproof makeup using a blend of algae and marine flower extracts along with allantoin, provitamin b5, indian gooseberry extract, and lavender oil. What sets it apart is its glue-like texture and consistency. Like the kind of glue you play with when you were a kid – sticky and dense. It removes makeup the way I’ve never seen before – lifting them up instead of melting the makeup. It’s very evident as I rinse. All the makeup products I used rose above the water. It’s fascinating. It removes face products but needs a little more massaging when it comes to lip products and eyeliners.

A whipped moisturizer best for cold days if you have oily skin, the Baba Bomb ($39) aims to hydrate, nourish, and moisturize the skin using babassu, avocado, green tea, and plant collagen. This moisturizes and soothes my skin on days when it’s feeling dry and parched. I don’t use this every day, only when my skin is reacting to the drop in temperature. Since this moisturizer is on the heavy side of the spectrum, I only use this on really cold nights.

Promising to be more than just a face oil, the Rainforest of the Sea Radiance Drops ($32) uses algae, marine flower extracts, jojoba oil, maracuja oil, coconut oil, vitamin e, and squalene to hydrate and nourish the skin. It can be used as a highlighting primer, a lip oil, or it can be mixed with the foundation for a radiant finish. It’s a lightweight and runny oil that, for me, works best when mixed with my foundation for natural-looking dewiness that doesn’t look greasy. I like that it doesn’t feel sticky and it sinks in the skin. I have been into because of its runny and lightweight texture, this gives my oily skin a healthy glow even on warm days.

The Tarte Deep Dive Cleansing Gel, Rainforest of the Sea Radiance Drops, and Baba Bomb were provided by @tartecosmetics. Available at tartecosmetics.com

Skincare Review: Tarte Frxxxtion Stick 3-in-1 Exfoliating Cleanser, Rainforest of the Sea Deep Sea Collagen Super Serum, Mermaid Skin Hyaluronic H2O Serum, Drink of H2O Hydrating Boost Moisturizer

A few months back, Tarte sent over some of their skincare products and these are the ones that suit my oily skin.

A solid cleanser that’s great for travel, the Frxxxtion Stick 3-in-1 Exfoliating Cleanser ($22) contains diatomaceous earth microexfoliants (fossilized sea algae) to remove surface oil, reduce shine, and purify pores. As expected, this cleanser has some exfoliating bits to it. For an on-the-go cleanser, this thoroughly cleanses my skin. It removes all the dirt and excess oil on my skin. Personally, this is a bit stripping for everyday use. However, I like using this after spending a lot of time outdoors or when my skin is feeling clogged.

The Rainforest of the Sea Deep Sea Collagen Super Serum ($39) contains a bi-phase cocktail of marine-based collagen, marine plant extracts, and oils to plump and brighten the skin. I love how light and watery this is. It works in the morning because it sinks in so quickly. It doesn’t completely dry matte but it leaves a satin-like texture that suits my hydrating foundation. It also feels hydrating and nourishing to the skin.

Formulated to hydrate and protect the skin, the Mermaid Skin Hyaluronic H2O Serum ($42) contains hyaluronic acid, vitamin B5, and marine plant extracts. This is a lightweight serum that feels nourishing and hydrating to the skin. I use this when my skincare routine focuses on hydration. It helps control oil in the morning, making my makeup stay longer.

The Drink of H2O Hydrating Boost Moisturizer ($39) uses hyaluronic acid, sea salts, and plant extracts to soothe, hydrate, and refresh the skin. Admittedly, this feels like the hydrating gel K-Beauty moisturizers. It looks and feels like them too with its light gel consistency that sinks in quickly into the skin. It feels refreshing and hydrating to the skin.

Overall, these products work in hydrating my oily skin. If you’re a fan of Tarte and/or looking for vegan skincare products, they are worth checking out.

The Tarte Frxxxtion Stick 3-in-1 Exfoliating Cleanser, Rainforest of the Sea Deep Sea Collagen Super Serum, Mermaid Skin Hyaluronic H2O Serum, Drink of H2O Hydrating Boost Moisturizer were provided by @tarte. Available at tartecosmetics.com

Skincare Review: BareMinerals Little Gems Mini Metallic Mask Set

I had fun using the masks from the Little Gems: Mini Metallic Mask Set of BareMinerals. Infused with natural gemstones, the mask has a metallic shine to them. There are also easy to apply and are just so fun to use and look at.

The Metallic Mask in Gold promises to help hydrate with hyaluronic acid. Unfortunately, this felt a bit drying than expected. The Metallic Mask in Amethyst aims to revitalize tired-looking skin and it did leave my skin radiant it has to be used more often to keep that dullness at bay. Meanwhile, Metallic Mask in Sapphire Blue works to detoxify skin and helped quicken to dry out some of my blemishes. This worked best for my oily skin. Lastly, the Metallic Mask in Pink Diamond claims to give skin a radiant, healthy look. I also enjoyed using this as it left my skin looking plump and it left a glow in my skin that last hours after application.

Overall, the metallic color of the masks made them a joy to apply. However, all the masks were a bit difficult to rinse due to their sticky consistency. The shimmers in the mask were also hard to remove, even after I have completely rinsed the mask. I enjoyed the benefits of the Pink Diamond and Sapphire Blue masks. I just hope they remove the shimmer in the formulation.

The BareMinerals Little Gems: Mini Metallic Mask Set was provided by @baremineralsuk. Available at bareminerals.com

Skincare Review: Boscia Mermaid Fire and Ice Cryosea Peel-Off Mask, Rosehip Omega Face Oil, and Indigo Eye Cream

Boscia is really one of the brands I admire. Vegan and cruelty-free, they constantly evolve and release new products catering to a plethora of skin types and concerns that are made without preservatives, artificial fragrance and color, and gluten.

The Mermaid Fire and Ice Cryosea Peel-Off Mask ($39) uses the brands cryosea blend of red algae, menthol, sea kelp extract, sodium hyaluronate, and seawater to lift, tighten, plump, and increase circulation to the skin.

True to its name, the mask had both hot and cooling effects. After about 20 minutes on the face, it leaves my skin feeling tighter, cleaner, and well-prepared for the next steps of my routine. I should also point out that it applies and peels off very easily, so it makes for a hassle-free face mask experience if you enjoy using peel-off masks

The Rosehip Omega Face Oil ($42), on the other hand, promises to hydrate, replenish, and brighten the skin using rosehip oil, rose oil, and pomegranate seed oil. It might be more effective for hydrating those with dry skin as I need a more hydrating #faceoil for my #oilyskin.

Using wild indigo, hand harvested fucus algae, and hyaluronic acid, the Indigo Eye Cream ($38) aims to hydrate, illuminate, and color-correct the under-eye area while reducing the look of puffiness.

It’s a light, lavender colored solution that applies very easily. However, it doesn’t make much of a difference in terms of disguising dark circles or any imperfections. It also works better with paler or lighter skin – the cream looks a bit too white when applying on mid to dark skin tones.

The Boscia Mermaid Fire and Ice Cryosea Peel-Off Mask, Rosehip Omega Face Oil, and Indigo Eye Cream were provided by @boscia and @purplepr. Available at boscia.com

Haircare Review: Briogeo Be Gentle, Be Kind Superfoods Banana + Coconut Hair Pack and Farewell Frizz Rosarco Milk Leave-In Conditioning Spray

Been playing with the Be Gentle, Be Kind Superfoods Banana + Coconut Hair Pack from Briogeo, which is actually so brave of me. The scents of banana and coconuts are my top 2 most hated scents.

Fragrance aside, I tried the shampoo and conditioner promise to nourish and hydrate dull, lifeless, and dry strands using banana, coconut, acai, and mango.

It took me weeks before I opened the bottle because I can only imagine how much I would hate the smell. I think the combination of the two scents screams tropical vacation.

As for the products themselves, they do a fine job of taming my hair without making my scalp oily. I have dry color-treated strands and these two helped in keeping them from looking stringy and deg. I like how they leave my hair feeling soft and smooth with just enough volume.

What I really liked though is the Farewell Frizz Rosarco Milk Leave-In Conditioning Spray. It’s a conditioning spray that contains rosehip, argan, and coconut oils to tame frizz and detangle the strands while softening, hydrating, and moisturizing the hair.

My hair is straight and fine, a perfect combination if you want your hair to be flying in opposite directions whenever you move. It stays like that too. I also have a lot of baby hair, especially around my face, making a sleek ponytail a feat to do. I usually apply a texturing spray just to ensure all the strands of my hair in place for the whole day. Just when I was for softer and gentle hair products, I came across this spray. It has a very light mist that provides enough hold during the day when I’m wearing my hair down. How I really like to use this, though, is when I’m doing a sleek ponytail or a low bun as it keeps everything in the right place without making my hair look wet or hard. I can still run my fingers through my hair without losing control. It provides a natural-looking smoothness, which I really like. I just spray a bit of this while I airdry my hair and I’m good to go.

These products are also vegan, cruelty-free, and are made without gluten, silicone, paraben, phthalates, sulfate, DEA, and artificial dyes.

The Briogeo Be Gentle, Be Kind Superfoods Banana + Coconut Hair Pack and Farewell Frizz Rosarco Milk Leave-In Conditioning Spray were provided by @briogeo and @pokepr. Available at briogeohair.com