InstaNatural Vitamin C Moisturizer

I've used InstaNatural in the past, the Acne Cleaser. It was amazing! It was gentle on my skin, worked perfectly and smelled of oranges. I couldn't wait to try out another product.

Unfortunately this product was a total miss for me. It comes in a nice pump bottle, but the moisturizer is so thick it makes a bit of a mess. The lotion also goes on your face very thick. It takes a long time to absorb and leaves a filmy feeling on my face hours after application. My face is left oily and tight feeling. I haven't even attempted to apply makeup over it. 

It also burns my skin. I sit here now, an hour after applying and my face still stings. I've tried this for several days to see if I could get used to not only the sting, but the very unpleasant scent of the moisturizer. Neither of these things are getting better, so I am probably just going to toss this product. 

I would only give InstaNatural Vitamin C Moisturizer 1 out of 5 stars. I'm not going to be able to use it long enough to see if there are any true benefits. The greasy feeling, the burning and the odor are all too much for me to continue using this twice a day.

I'm pretty bummed because their cleanser was fantastic. I'm going to go wash my face.

I received this product at a discount. This review is 100% honest, unbiased, and my own.

~Crystal Vicious

Keeping Up The Flame with Maybelline SuperStay 24 Lip Color

I've never really been a big fan of liquid lip color. I've always preferred a stick, a gloss or a balm. This 2-in-1 lip color comes with it's own balm, so I was willing to give it a chance and now I am hooked!

I have never had a lip color last as long as this one, especially "Keep Up The Flame". Red just doesn't like to stay on my lips. 

Application is simple and takes little time and effort, so these are easily an every day beauty staple.
Step 1. Apply liquid color to clean, bare lips. Allow two minutes to dry. 
Step 2. Apply conditioning balm to seal in moisture. Easy peasy!

I tried two colors. "Constant Toast" a pretty, shimmery nude color. I NEVER wear nudes, but I loved it and enjoyed wearing it for daytime activities. It looked nice with my pale skin and lasted all day...even while sipping coffee and eating meals. You can easily reapply the balm on top and it helps boost shine and moisturize your lips. 

"Keep Up The Flame" is perfect for night time. I love Reds and really liked how this looked on me. I've never had a red last an entire night out. Zero mirror checks needed. Just reapply the balm once or twice after eating and drinking and it looks great.

The color is a tad sticky while you wait for it to dry, so try to keep your lips parted. Once the balm is on, they will feel soft and smooth. My lips did feel a bit dry throughout the day, but reapplying the balm fixed that issue.

Maybelline suggests using oil based makeup remover, but my Micellar Water did the trick when it was time to clean up. 

I am extremely happy with this lipcolor and will be grabbing some more shades in the future! I would totally recommend!

Many thanks to Maybelline and Influenster for giving me complimentary samples of Maybelline SuperStay 24 Longwear Lip Color. All opinions expressed are 100% honest, unbiased and my own.

~Crystal Vicious

Skin2Spirit Lipstick

After trying Skin2Spirit's lipgloss, I couldn't wait to get my hands on one of their lipsticks.

Since it's Autumn I grabbed one in "Pomegranate"...

This is a matte lipstick in a medium, berry pink tone, perfect for Fall.

This lipstick came packaged like their glosses, in a cute green giftbag. 

These lipsticks are new, so the containers do not have logos yet, and the ingredients are printed on a sticker at the moment. The company says these things will be updated soon, so I will not comment on that, even though I'm not bothered by the current packaging.

What I do have a complaint about is the taste and smell of this lipstick. Skin2Spirit claims they use all natural and non-toxic ingredients, and for the pricetag, that's what I would expect. Their lipgloss was absoultely brillant, don't get me wrong, but the lipstick was gross. 

The scent and taste is exactly like the $1.00 lipsticks you would get at the Dollar Store as a pre-teen. The nostalgia it brought was not the good kind. I'm not sure what ingredient is causing this. Maybe it's something that is specific to the color I chose. There isn't even a hint of the vanilla that is advertised on the product listing. The vanilla is the BEST part of their lipgloss, so I was extrememly disappointed by this. 

I really loved the color, which bums me out more. The longevity was really good too. A bit came off on my coffee cup, but most of the color stayed throughout my morning. I retouched after lunch time. I didn't notice much moisturizing action, but it wasn't drying either. I ended up putting a layer of Skin2Spirit's lipgloss on top to cover the unpleasant taste and smell. 

I give this lipstick 3 out of 5 stars. It would be amazing if it didn't bother my senses so much. Having to mask it with a strong scented lipgloss everytime will end up being a hassle, and an extra expense for something that already has a pretty high price tag. 

I'm hoping it's just because of the shade I picked, or maybe I just recieved a bad stick. I want to love this company. I don't think I would recommend this, at least not in "Pomegranate"... or if they adjust the formula.

***Update 11/15/16: Kathi from Skin2Spirit sent me a replacement lipstick in "Berry Red". It was fabulous! No funky scent or taste. I'm thrilled. It went on smooth and lasted a long time, just like the Pomegranate. I would give this one 5 stars. Much better! Also, many thanks to the company for being awesome to work with!***

If you would like to try one, they are available here.

I received this product at a discount. This review is 100% honest, unbiased, and my own.

~Crystal Vicious

I Might Have A Coffee Mug Obsession...

I drink loads of coffee, tea & cocoa. I need an arsenal of coffee cups so I always have one on hand.

I have mugs from various vacation spots, different fandoms and I can't forget the owls! Silly novelty mugs are definitely a favorite. I fell in love with this one when I saw it.

I've never had a glass mug before, so I didn't know what to expect. I was initially worried about how hot it would get. 

The glass is very thick. I haven't held the body of the mug right after pouring my beverage in, but the handle stays cool. After a few minutes, I'm able to hold the whole thing without discomfort. 

The handle is thick and sturdy. There is a seam down the middle of it. I'm assuming it's from a mold. It's only bothersome on days my hands are hurting me. Damn you, Neuropathy! I don't know if this is something that would irritate someone with normal nerves. That's not a dealbreaker for me though.

Even though I have a ton of mugs, this one has been my go-to since I recieved it. At 13 ounces, it holds plenty of hot beverage. It has held up to lots of washes. The print is bold, clear and great quality. 

As a photographer, who constantly says and writes "Today I shot a baby, a family, my sister, etc.", this mug was just too perfect! I think the quality is great and it is quite durable, even in my clumsy hands. I give it 5 out of 5 stars and would totally recommend it. I would even check out Make Em Laugh's Amazon shop for more silly drinkware.

Grab one here.

I received this product at a discount. This review is 100% honest, unbiased, and my own.

~Crystal Vicious

Poison Candle Video Review

It's the most wonderful time of the year! 

Autumn! 

Chilly weather means it is time to light a ton of candles. 

I got an amazing Halloween candle from 

Sugar Creek Candle Company.

Check out the video review here.

Grab a Poison Candle here...

or check out Sugar Creek Candle Company

This candle gets 5 out of 5 stars. It's a great quality candle with a great scent that throws well, lit or not. Plus the label is adorable! I love it and would recommend!

I received this product at a discount. This review is 100% honest, unbiased, and my own.

~Crystal Vicious

Super Markers

U.S. Art Supply always has the coolest stuff, so I was super excited to try out their Super Markers Set! 

The set comes with 100 different colored markers. They are twin tipped, which means each color has a 3.0mm tip and a tiny 0.7mm fine liner tip.

The set comes packaged in a box with a neat idea for storage. However, it only has a flap, so the two sides are still open. Another downside; almost every time I pull out a marker, the cap stays stuck in the bottom of the box. The box keeps all the markers color coded and easy to find, but it's a pain to slowly lower each marker back into the slot in order to get the cap back on.

I tried to solve one of these issues by removing the outer part of the box, and lowering the slotted section into a box I already had that came with a lid. It's a neat storage idea, but the caps are still getting stuck. I don't know how long I'll keep it like this. I think I'll eventually just dump them into a box. It's a bummer because they look so nice organized.

I sketched out something to color on a nice piece of drawing paper. I colored most of it, but then the flesh tone marker instantly tore a hole right through my paper... 
This is paper I use for painting, pencils, pastels...but the marker ate through it and destroyed my piece. 

I tried the markers on three other types of paper. The markers collected a lot of buildup. What a pain it was to have to wipe the tip off every few seconds or it would ruin my lines. This happened on all types of paper I used, so I think it's a problem with the markers and not all of my paper. 

There was also a problem with a few of the markers arriving broken. The fineliner tips where pushed in, and the bigger tips pushed out with no way to keep them in place.

I had better luck filling in with the fineliners than the bigger tips. The markers seemed to dry out so fast. Even using them for the first time, the coverage was pretty rough. The pieces I colored were much smaller than any coloring page. The ink flowed much better from the tiny tips.

Available on Amazon.

The variety of colors are great, but that is pretty much the only thing I like about these markers. 

I give them 3 out of 5 stars. I think they would be alright for adult coloring books and children, but I would not recommend these for artists. 

I received this product at a discount. This review is 100% honest, unbiased, and my own.

~Crystal Vicious

I Got A New Tea Kettle!

By now you must realize I am a tea enthusiast. There is almost always a cup of tea in my hand, all day, every day!

Sadly in NH, the water is full of minerals that quickly ruin tea kettles. My kettle was looking pretty sad. It was time to find a new one. 
Enter this beautiful kettle from Chefs Limited. 

It's stainless stain with a black enamel coating on the outside only. It is a much larger kettle than the last few I have used at 2.75 quarts! That's plenty of hot water for everyone!

The handle is made with silicone. It does get very warm. It's fine if I heat my water up on low and remove it quickly. If it's on there a long while, I would recommend an oven mitt, because it can be uncomfortable. The lid is stainless steel as well. The knob is not stainless steel, but something coated in plastic and held on with a screw. It seems pretty cheap and gets extremely hot! I would not recommend removing the lid until the kettle cools. With that being said, the company does recommend that you leave it open to air dry when not in use to prevent rust. Every time I boil water, I dump the excess, and leave the lid open. I haven't had any rust formation yet.

The spout cover/whistle is removable. The ring is cool to the touch for easy removal. I JUST turned the burner off and was able to hold onto the ring. The whistle doesn't work if you are heating the kettle on low, but if you turn up the heat it has a nice, chill whistle. I dig it.

There is one thing I should point out. The handle is held on by nuts and bolts that are attached on the INSIDE of the pot. You WILL cut your hand on them when you hand wash this unless you are CAREFUL! I was not expecting sharp things inside and I jacked up my hand pretty good. 

For the most part I love this kettle. It looks cute in my kitchen. It's easy enough to rinse it out and air dry it. I doubt I will need to clean it heavily that often, so the exposed bolts thing is more of a general warning than a con. The whistle is perfect! Removing it is easier then holding it open like other kettles. The handle is better than some I have owned, and I don't mind whipping out an oven mitt. Waiting for the lid to cool before removing it is a bit of an inconvenience but not awful. I give this tea kettle 4 out of 5 stars.

 Grab one on Amazon.

I received this product at a discount. This review is 100% honest, unbiased, and my own.

 ~Crystal Vicious