Alba Botanica Hawaiian Facial Wash, Deep Cleansing Coconut Milk Review | Cruelty-Free

I finally been able to get my hands on an Alba Botanica skin care product. I chose the Deep Cleansing Coconut Milk facial wash because my skin seems thrive anything coconut. I've been using this awhile and I'm excited to share my thoughts on it.

Claims:
"Your skin will worship this smoothing, miracle milk cleanser.  Creamy, rich and abundant in Mother Nature's nourishment, it gently washes away any traces of the day with deeply cleansing coconut milk and pore-refining papaya enzymes.  Revitalizing ginger and soothing aloe balance the skin for a refreshed, clean feel without tightness.  Slip into smooth."

Product Details:

• Facial Wash with Deep Cleansing Coconut Milk
• Hypo-Allergenic
• No Parabens, Phthalates or Animal Testing
• pH Balanced
• 100% Vegetarian Ingredients
• Bottle Made with 100% Recycled Material  

Ingredients:

Water, C14-22 Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice (Certified Organic Ingredient), Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Extract (Certified Organic Ingredient), Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Fruit Extract (Certified Organic Ingredient), Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Extract (Certified Organic Ingredient), Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil (Certified Organic Ingredient), Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil (Certified Organic Ingredient), Linum Usitatissimum (Linseed) Seed Oil (Certified Organic Ingredient), Rosa Canina Fruit Oil (Certified Organic Ingredient), Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil (Certified Organic Ingredient), C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Panthenol, Polysorbate 60, Potassium Hydroxide, Tocopheryl Acetate, Alcohol (Certified Organic Ingredient), Benzoic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Coumarin, Fragrance

Pros:

• Gentle to the skin
• Leaves skin feeling clean
• Leaves moisture to the skin without feeling greasy
• Doesn't strip the skin or leaves a tight, uncomfortable feeling 

Cons:

• Doesn't remove stubborn makeup

My thoughts:
This is life saver for those who deal with dry or sensitive skin due to how gentle and hydrating it is. As a person who uses makeup removing wipes (I use the Pacifica Purify Coconut Water Cleansing Wipes), I have no issue with the cleanser not removing my makeup. My skin feels bouncy and hydrated!

Would I repurchase? YES!


You can find Alba Botanica products at Walgreens or Target.

Catherine Opie at MOCA

I visited MOCA in West Hollywood on Tuesday. I got see the amazing photograph's she took of Elizabeth Taylor 's home. I absolutely adore Elizabeth Taylor! I was estatic after my visit and couldn't wait to show you all. I only narrowed it down to 5 of my favorites.

An Andy Warhol piece she had framed in her home.

Elizabeth Taylor's make up/vanity. 

Photos of her and her loved ones.

Her closet. Isn't it breathtaking?

The other side of her vanity and of course her signature perfumes displayed in the back (White Diamonds, Violet Eyes, Forever and Gardenia).

Beauty Blender vs Real Technique's Complexion Sponge

Are these sponge dupes, similar, or is one a dud?

Most of you may know about the ever so loved Beauty Blender that retails for $20. This is an amazing gizmo to blend foundation, concealer, cream products, etc. When the Real Techniques released their Complexion Sponge, which retails for $7, I had to get my hands on it. The question is; is it a dupe?

Hint: I prefer one over the other.

Does the RT sponge expand when you dampen it? 

 Yes, it expands twice it's size when it's dampened.  

Is the RT sponge soft and spongey like the Beauty Blender?

Yes. The RT is very soft and spongey. I even think is even softer than the Beauty Blender.

Does the RT sponge absorb product?

No, just like the Beauty Blender, you must dampen the sponge and product won't be absorbed into the sponge.

Do you clean the RT sponge just as you would clean the Beauty Blender?

Yes. Same concept!

Does the RT sponge stain?

No, I've had mine for 6 months or so. I have not experienced any staining.

Tip: I do clean my sponges with warm water.

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As I said before I prefer one over the other. These sponges are exactly the same but the Real Technique's sponge wins my love. What does it have that the Beauty  Blender doesn't? The flat end!

  

Well, the $13 dollar difference is a plus too.

It's perfect to press and dab product into the skin. If you want more coverage on a particular area, the end is great for that!

If you have any two products that you would love for me to do comparisons, comment down below or tag on Instagram/Twitter @nessmarg.

Daiso Haul Jan. 2016

I've abandoned my blog for a great amount of time. For those who have been awaiting a new post, I'm so sorry that I've been MIA.

On another note, I've gone a little crazy at Daiso Japan. If you haven't heard of Daiso, it's a store that sells a huge selection of imported good (mostly from Japan). A majority of the products are merely $1.50. If you love Japanese goodies, check your local Daiso.

Top; left to right

•  Moist Face Towelettes
• Pink acrylic vase (my makeup brush storage)
• Pink acrylic tray (storage for my makeup sponges)
• Peach Jelly candy
• Charcoal face mask
• Makeup remover wipes
• Exfoliater face brush (cheap alternative for Clarisonic)
• Face massager (great to tighten and plump up skin)
• Black volumizing mascara
• Brown eyebrow pencil (dupe for ABH's Brow Definer)
• Faux eyelashes (great for small eye)

Fashion Icon: Bianca Jagger

Those who have seen my last fashion post are aware that Bianca Jagger is a huge fashion muse to me. Here are some of her iconic outfits that left me in awe!


The Jumpsuit

Bianca Jagger turned heads when she would rock her signature look which were jumpsuits. Jumpsuits were extremely popular during the seventies but the way Bianca styled them was very unique. This is probably my favorite fashion look from her! From the turban to the gloves.


The Floppy Hat

Bianca's wedding outfit is probably her top iconic outfit. Many celebrities today such as Kim Kardashian and Amal Clooney have recreated this look. She wore this on her wedding day with Mick Jagger. It is definitely not like the common wedding dress which made it to be iconic.

The Pants Suit

Some may think the pants suit is not quite flattering but I think it's lovely. If you think a pants suit is too masculine, try to add a bit of sexiness or feminine.  Bianca  would add a low cut blouse or a dress blouse. Both are lovely. I still love seeing women in pants suits today!

Current Drugstore Favorites

As promised, here are my current drugstore favorites!

 

Real Techniques Brushes

 I have been currently using Real Techniques brushes religiously. The bristles are extremely soft and blends product effortlessly. These brushes are amazing quality and are only under 10 bucks each or for a set 20 bucks. As most of you may know that brushes can be extremely expensive. A big thanks to Sam and Nic who created these brushes! 

NYX Twin Cake Powder

I always have expectations when I comes to pressed powders because I like to have a powder that set my makeup and also touch up without looking cakey. This sets my makeup very well and you only need a little dusting throughout the day.

NYX Soft Lip Cream in Cannes 

I absolutely love lip cream and liquid lipsticks but they can get a little pricey. Luckily, NYX has an amazing selection of lip cream that are only $5.99. As of lately, I've been wearing the color Cannes and it is a great everyday lip color. This drys to a complete matte finish without the intense drying of the lips. Every lip cream that I tried from this line has be pigmented and great!

e.l.f. Baked Blush (Highlight) in Pinktastic

This is probably one of the best drugstore cheek highlighter that I have ever used. Most highlights that I had purchased at the drugstore are always glittery. As for this one, it gives a luminous shimmer. I was told that this is actually a dupe to M.A.C's Soft and Gentle which is $32.00. As for the e.l.f. blush, it is only 3 bucks! A mega-steal!

Hard Candy Glamoflauge Foundation 
If you have tried the concealer of this, you know how thick it is. The foundation happens to feel very thin and light, but the pigmentation is phenomenal. The texture feels very similar to bb cream but has coverage like a foundation. I think this is very similar to M.A.C. Pro Longwear, but if you read my last post I'm allergic to it. This is next best thing and it's only 7 bucks!

Have any favorite drugstore products? Tag @nessmarg on Twitter or Instagram and let me know!

Current Favorite 'Luxurious' Products

I have not been consistent with my blog, so I thought I would gather my current favorite beauty products that make me feel a bit fancy-schmancy. I will be doing a drugstore/high-street products post as well later this week. Keep an eye out for that!

 

Butter London Nail Lacquer in Ladybird
These nail varnishes are not like any regular nail varnishes that I have tried. This applies almost like a gel nail polish which leaves a lovely shine. I only had to apply two coats. The polish is opaque and vivid, so I did not to stress about the application! The color is a lovely bright, tomato red which is great for summer. The polish lasted about 8-10 days which I believe is phenomenal.

Daisy by Marc Jacobs
This is my signature scent and my absolute favorite fragrance EVER! This is a fresh, crisp scent that is perfect for spring and summer but it's crisp enough to wear into fall and winter. I'm usually more into muskier scents such as Gucci's Guilty but I seem to never stop wearing Daisy!

Too Faced Soul Mates Blushing Bronzer Duo in Ross & Rachel
I think it may be a tad obvious that I love the name of this product! But the product itself is amazing. Bronzer is very important for a pale gal like myself. It's not too dark for fair complexions and it isn't too light for dark complexions. I use this for bronzing and adding "life" to my pale, ghoulish skin. The little blush in this product is awesome! It's highly pigmented and has a radiant sheen to it which gives a healthy glow. I  know that I am going to use the heck out of this thing during summer.

Jo Malone Vitamin E Lip Conditioner 
 As a person who struggles with dehydrated lips, this stuff is gold. This targets all the dryness on my lips and it leaves my lips smooth. After a week or two of using this, I began to notice my lips being less chapped. I learned that the vitamin E protects the lips from the damaging effects of the environment such heat and wind . This is one of the best lip conditioners I had ever put on my lips!

Nars Blush in Sin
I have been using this as both a blush and an eyeshadow. I'm in love with the healthy, radiant afterglow that it gives to my face. The gold undertones look lovely with a bronzed face which has been my go-to look as of lately. The color is a berry color with gold shimmers in it which is great for fall as well! Nars blushes are probably my favorite from the other brands because of how pigmented and radiant they are.

If you have any luxurious products that you believe are worth the splurge, please let me know by commenting on this post or tagging @nessmarg on Instagram or Twitter!

HAPPY MONDAY! XOXO