Fountain of Truth Beauty Review

Hey everyone! How was your weekend? Yesterday we ran some errands and treated ourselves to all you can eat sushi (our favorite). Today I'm definitely planning on doing some Halloween nails and maybe getting some baking in.

Today I'm sharing my Fountain of Truth Voxbox that I recently received from Influenster. I'm always down to try some new skincare products as we head into colder weather so I was really excited to try these out. Influenster is an online community of consumers who give reviews on products and experiences. If you are active on the site, Influenster may invite you to participate in their VoxBox programs, where members receive complimentary products to review.

I had never heard of Fountain of Truth, so I did a little research into the brand and found out it was founded by Giuliana Rancic. It is a clean, anti-aging beauty line that is safe, effective, and luxurious. They have also made it a part of their mission to partner with FAB-U-WISH and The Pink Agenda in the fight against breast cancer. So far this brand sounds pretty awesome!

In my box I received the following products:

The Truth Insta Face-Lift Elixir

A light-weight treatment that can help your skin fight the visible signs of aging. Developed to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, this product claims to create a look of plumpness and volume. With continued use, skin's appearance will improve and take on more bounce and radiance.

How to use: Apply one pump over entire face and neck in both the morning & night.

The verdict: Love the twist up of the bottle cap - very cool and fun to use! The fragrance on this one was also a little strong for me. Kind of had a minty scent, which I'm not a big fan of. I haven't seen any immediate change in my skin, but will have to keep using to see if I notice anything.

Dream Cream Overnight Repair Mask

An overnight, transformative sleep cream that replenishes moisture and the appearance of fuller looking skin. Helps wake up your skin, making it appear smoother and brighter with a dreamy glow.

How to use: Massage a generous layer onto the face and neck. Leave overnight.

The verdict: Firstly, this stuff is THICK. It's difficult to blend into the skin because of how heavy it is. I honestly wouldn't recommend sleeping with it on because it will stick to everything. Maybe try it more as a wash of mask? I hate fragrances, so the herbal scent in this product was just a little much for me. I may give it another go in my dry areas during the winter.

Honey Glow Mask

This mask enhances and hydrates skin for a dewy, youthful appearance. The creamy, soft texture warms when massaged and will nourish and revitalize, for a glowing, smoother and softer appearance.

How to use: Apply a thick layer over the entire face. Massage for one to two minutes while it warms. Leave for 15-30 minutes. Rinse thoroughly with warm water.

The verdict: It's no secret that I have sensitive skin, so when a product is "warming," it makes me a little nervous. For that reason, I made sure not to leave this on for the full 30 minutes. The texture is pretty thick upon application and has a pleasant, sweet honey scent. It smoothed out once I put it on and it was a little warming, but nothing irritating. My skin was super soft when I washed of the mask and felt hydrated. I plan on continuing to use this once a week.

Overall my favorite product was the Honey Glow Mask. The fragrance in the other two were just a tad bit strong for me. The packaging on all of the products is beautiful and looks great sitting out in the bathroom. I'm going to continue using these products and see how they perform in the winter when my skin needs the most help.

Have a great week!

xoxo,

   Brooke

Disclosure: I received these products complimentary for testing purposes from Influenster.

Essie Fall for NYC

Hey everyone! How was your week? I came down with a cold so I'm actually home sick today trying to kick this thing.

I was able to get my hands on Essie Fall for NYC, part of their fall 2018 collection. I never thought I'd want a mustard yellow creme, but when I saw it on Instagram I knew I needed it. I have to say the new wider brushes on Essie polishes are great! The formula on this one was also super easy to work with and I reached opacity in two coats.

I used nail stencils for the leaves with Essie Say It Ain't Soho. The glitter accent is Julep Autumn.

Have a great weekend!

xoxo,
   Brooke

Leaves Nails

Hi everyone! I feel like I haven't posted in forever. Things have felt kind of overwhelming with school and, even though I've been painting my nails, I just haven't had time to take photos/write about them! Since we have a 3 day weekend I promised myself I would make time.

We went apple picking yesterday at Ochs Orchard in Warwick, NY. They had a huge variety of apple trees and other fun things to pick as well! I actually brought my nail polish color in my purse to take pictures of my nails in front of an apple tree. I might have looked a little weird but the photos were so worth it!

For our apple picking day I wanted to do some fun nail art. I started with Zoya Tawny, a deep rose/red copper that is packed with shimmer. For my middle and ring fingers I started with a base of OPI Tickle My France-y and then went in with a leaves design from this stamping plate from Born Pretty Store. Here's how I did it: I used a dark red polish as my stamping color and got the image onto the stamper. I quickly took Zoya Tawny on a small detail brush and painted over the leaves, giving the design a more dimensional look. I really love how it came out!

How pretty are the mums in that last photo? I just love fall! 

xoxo,

   Brooke

Essie Say It Ain't Soho

Hey everyone! How was your weekend? I loved how much cooler the weather was and enjoyed wearing some of my fall clothes (and shopping for a few more). I also picked up one color from the new Essie fall 2018 collection. The other color I want, Fall for NYC, wasn't available in the store so I'll have to keep looking for it.

The shade I grabbed is Say It Ain't Soho and I knew I wanted this color as soon as I saw it on Instagram. I would describe it as a metallic burnt orange - absolutely perfect for fall. It's so different from anything else I have and I know I'll be wearing it over and over. Did you pick up any colors from Essie's new fall collection?

Hope you have a great week!

xoxo,
   Brooke

Zoya Hera

Hey everyone! How was your weekend? We had a date night on Saturday, which included seeing Crazy Rich Asians and a delicious dinner at a new Cuban place in Jersey City. The movie was so good! I'm started reading the book last night because I loved it so much.

For my nails today I knew I wanted to use Zoya Hera, a dusty rose creme that is the perfect transition shade for summer into fall. I even painted my toes with it! For a little sparkle I went for a ruffian manicure, placing just a touch of Cirque Colors Halcyon around the base of my nails. If you're ever looking for an easy way to get chic nails, I highly suggest this kind of look. It works with pretty much any color combo.

I'm trying out some new positioning when I take my nail photos. What do you think?
Hope you have a great week!

xoxo,
   Brooke

Back to School Nails

Hey everyone! After a nice long weekend it's time to accept the end of summer :( Tomorrow we go back to school and I have a new group of 22 second graders. I'm excited and a little nervous as always, but I know it will be all good!

Every year since I started teaching I've done a back to school apple mani, and my fifth year is no different. This year I used Essie Gel Couture in the shade Flashed, which is an orange-leaning red that is super bright and glossy. You obviously use any red you have in your collection for this mani! I pulled out my sparkly Julep Stephanie for the apple and I think it came out so cute.

For all my fellow teachers I hope you have a great school year!

xoxo,

   Brooke

Sephora Color Hit Scandalous Look

Hey everyone! So sorry it's been a few weeks. As you may already know, we were away in Italy for and then I came right back into getting ready for the school year. I finally have some time this weekend to sit down and write about my nails!

While we were in Italy I had to stop in a Sephora to see if it was different from our Sephora in the states. There were definitely some products I haven't seen here and most importantly, nail polish! A few years ago Sephora here discontinued their nail polish line, but I found them in Italy and apparently these Color Hit polishes are sold in other countries as well.

There were a lot of colors to choose from, but I limited myself to three. The one I'm sharing today is a purple shade called Scandalous Look. In the sunlight this almost had a duo chrome effect, shifting a bit blue. It's super pretty! While the tiny egg shaped bottle is adorable, I did find the brush a little tricky to use. Despite this, the formula was easy to work with and I reached opacity in two coats.

I'm sure the other two colors I bought will make an appearance soon. Have a great long weekend!

xoxo,
   Brooke