bailey bee

beauty, home and lifestyle blog

Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant Is the Real Deal

Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant
Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant

Yep. This is one of those. Guys, my skin was SO. BAD. this summer. A new job plus that job being seriously one of the more stressful times I’ve ever lived through… My skin was hopeless all of July and August. I’m on the tail-end of things now and am just recovering some dark spots and small bumps on my forehead. I’ve been so desperate to get my skin back to “normal” that I was consistently found on Friday nights in my bathroom Googling “make small bumps on forehead go away.” Everything led me to Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant.

I am/was so desperate that I bought a travel-sized bottle on a whim to see what happened. Be advised, don’t get this stuff off of Amazon. The product sold on Amazon seems to be a rip-off. I rarely buy anything beauty-related outside of Sephora, Ulta or Nordstrom but I think something like this is best to get straight from the source.

I slathered this stuff on my face early in the evening and let it stay on all night as guided by the countless online reviews I read through. It does feel and appear oily so I would never, ever imagine wearing this during the day. Once the morning comes, you’ll wash the residual product off along with any pesky texture that you had on your facial skin before. My skin looked and felt so incredible after just the first application.

As with any exfoliating product, be wary of sun exposure (in general, but especially when using this!) I was so self conscious of the bumps on my forehead and I’m going to hype this stuff up as a miracle product because of how good it made me feel after using it. I got really excited and tried using it every day or two but my skin reacted poorly so I’ve been limiting myself to just once or twice per week.

The closest product to this that I have tried would be Pixi’s Glow Tonic. It gave me the same slough after the first application but seemed to fall off after that. Am I late to the liquid exfoliant game? If so, please let me know which products I have missed out on! I’m also curious to know which Paula’s Choice products everyone recommends for me to try out next. It seems I’ve been living in the dark!

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My Target Anniversary Collection Picks

My Target Anniversary Collection Picks

If you can even believe it, Target has only been around for 20 years. To think there was a time where people furnished their homes (and themselves!) without the option of Target makes me sad. I know we all have a soft spot for our fave red store and most of you likely remember the days when Target collaborated with top designers to create exclusive lines at the store. Target still does this today but not nearly as consistently as they did when they partnered with the likes of Isaac Mizrahi, Missoni and Philip Lim. Although there are a decent amount of throwbacks, they are even paying homage up into the early 2010’s with Lily Pulitzer and the recent Marimekko collab.

Target is celebrating their 20th birthday with a release of limited edition styles from some of their most iconic fashion and home partnerships over the years. Everything is labeled limited quantity and set to drop on September 14th. Today I wanted to share with you the things I am eyeing to pick up from the look book released on their site.

A. Women’s Snap Detail Short Sleeve V-Neck Shift Mini Dress – Zac Posen for Target Navy – $60

B. 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target Mini Satchel Handbag – 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target Black – $35

C. Women’s Lace Long Sleeve Ribbon Detail Shift Mini Dress – Anna Sui for Target Ivory – $60

D. Women’s Sleeveless Metallic Boucle V-Neck Shift Mini Dress – Anna Sui for Target Silver – $60

E. Women’s Long Sleeve Tulle Bow Blouse, V-Neck Lace Cami and Mid-Rise Lace Tulle Mini Skirt – Rodarte for Target Magenta – $25, $20 and $30

F. 7.1oz Colored Zig Zag Glass Jar Candle Tuscan Sunrise – Missoni for Target – $12

G. 72″x40″ Beach Towel White/Black – Marimekko for Target – $25

Which items are you most excited to pick up? I know 100% I am going to try to get that Philip Lim bag over everything else but fingers crossed it doesn’t fly off the (virtual) shelves before we’re able to grab all that we want.

Feel free to shop this post below on September 14th:

My Favorite Shampoos for Leaving Hair Smelling Great

one of my three shampoos that smell great - Briogeo's Scalp Revival
via Briogeo

My hair doesn’t hold onto scents. It just doesn’t. I figured everyone else was in the same boat until my sister one day boasted she was on day six of no-washing and her hair STILL smelled like her shampoo. I couldn’t believe it! It is because of that convo that I wanted to write this post for all of you. This is not for me because, as previously stated, my hair doesn’t hold onto scents. This is my list of scented shampoos for those of you whose hair does!

First up is Briogeo’s Scalp Revival. It markets charcoal and coconut oil as the main two ingredients but this stuff actually smells like MINT! It’s so refreshing and really fun to apply. It’s a bit gritty in order to clear away build up on the scalp. Aside from just the scent, I really like this shampoo in general.

Next, I received Gloss Moderne Clean Luxury as a sample from Sephora a few months back and I still think about it from time-to-time. It was such a pleasant cleansing experience! It has a fairly heavy vanilla scent that will be a dream come true for the right vanilla-loving person. It’s also just a really fancy, high quality shampoo in general.

Last is the previously-reviewed The One shampoo by Kristin Ess. This shampoo has such a strong floral scent that I almost thought I wasn’t going to be able to use it when I first tried it. To be fair, I’m pretty sensitive to scents and live my life pretty scent-free. I think my nose simply wasn’t used to it. I eventually did get used to it and ended up really enjoyed this stuff. This is the shampoo that has lingered post-shower the longest of all shampoos that I have tried literally in all of my life.

Let me know your favorite scented ‘poos below! I’m curious to see if any can unseat Kristin Ess’ in linger–ability. I’m always game to try out new brands of hair cleansers and conditioners.

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The VERB Ghost Haircare Line

The VERB ghost haircare line

Before we get chatty over all things hair products, I wanted to mention that I received these items courtesy of VERB over the past few months. Although they did send them to me, I chose to receive these items specifically and as always, the below opinions are my own.

I’ve been a fan of VERB hair care since my college years. The low price point sucked me in but my love for the brand has only grown through the years. My go-to lines are typically the hydrating and sea salt ones but it’s no secret that the Ghost line is by-far their most popular. I’ve gotten a chance to try most of the Ghost line, minus their most popular within– Ghost Oil. The products I am reviewing today are their Ghost shampoo and conditioner, Ghost Prep, Ghost Hair Mask and Ghost Dry Oil.

If we categorized hair the same way we do skin, I would be “normal” (not dry, oily or combo.) I don’t have any particular hair needs so I have not needed intense hydration before but figured it couldn’t hurt. Now that I have tried the Ghost shampoo and conditioner, I’ve now tried all three lines of cleansers by VERB. My favorite is still the regular ole hydrating line. I don’t feel that I get any crazy differences using the Ghost line. As for the Ghost Hair Mask, the same applies. I don’t feel like my hair has been masked when I wash this product out. If it were to come down to deciding whether to purchase or not, I’d say pass. Unfortunately, I’m not super impressed with the in-shower side of this line however…

future Bailey edit: since trying out the Ghost shampoo and conditioner, I moved
onto the Amika Normcore shampoo and conditioner because it is what my hairdresser
uses and I've never minded it with her. I'm not even halfway through the bottle
and I've already found myself going back to the Ghost line! My hair feels so
much more refreshed and bouncy with the Ghost cleansers-- looks like I needed to
try something else in comparison to truly appreciate it.

I love the styling products! The Ghost Prep is my favorite product for holding down my wild, wild hair after I sleep in it overnight. I have a bad habit of sleeping in completely soaking wet hair… it’s pretty wild looking when I wake up. Plus, my baby hairs randomly thinned out a couple of months ago and I have been working to grow them back out ever since. I love using this stuff to slick everything back in a tight, chic bun. And when I want to wear my hair down and curled? The Ghost Dry Oil is great for sprucing up some old, overgrown hair and giving it the sheen it needs. It also keeps things sleek while allowing curled hair to maintain bounce.

To recommend some prods out of this line would be to recommend the styling prods. They’re definitely my favorite of the bunch and the ones I think you all should try as well. With the current Sephora sale happening this week, why not? VERB is nice and affordable but have the quality ingredients and chic marketing that can keep up with the fanciest of brands.

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Sacrificing One Dream for Another

Hey, hey, hey.. today I’m doing a deep-dive into what’s been happening in my life so far in 2019. If you didn’t know, me and my fiancé moved to Raleigh, North Carolina from the DC area at the end of 2018. We are both from the Virginia suburbs up there and wanted to make a change. One of the biggest motivating factors for me was being able to afford the life I have always envisoned for myself (and now us as a family). The Washington metro area is notoroiusly expensive and full of high-earners. Although I had a job and career path that truly fulfilled me, I didn’t see an opportunity to own a home where I wanted to live and potentially be able to be as hands-on of a mom that I want to be down the road.

By moving to Raleigh I was essentially giving up my career path in the Federal contracting field that I was completely passionate about. I had a perfect sightline into my future and knew exactly what I could expect for myself. I was making good money but not good enough for the area. In Raleigh, I started out unemployed as I tried to make my way into a new industry: digital marketing. I’m equally as excited about this new field but, as a period of unemployment will do to you, I am nervous that I’m making the wrong decision. Most recently I even considered moving back north but after a deep discussion remembered that we moved here for a reason and I had to find a way to push through.

I started a new job at a fantastic company but in a role that I feel I am overqualified for and am being underpaid for. This is a lesson in humility that I partially expected but not as intensely as it has been served to me. I feel nobody sees my value and that the incredible experience I built in DC over the past three years means nothing. The only thing I have to rely on is my dream down the road of owning a home, starting a family and living a more balanced life away from the craziness back ‘home’.

It is going to be a rocky road for a bit as I won’t be able to save for a home on my new salary and will be digging myself out of the debt that I have accumulated whilst being out of work but I am sincerely hoping that in a few years I will look back on my present situation and feel grateful that I didn’t give up. The sacrifice of giving up on my dream career in order to live out my other dreams in life has been a prickly pain in my heart this year– I guess I can’t go anywhere but up at this point.

I am thankful for the friends we have made in Raleigh in such a short amount of time and I am so, so excited to celebrate our marriage down here next year. When we moved I told everybody, myself included, that I was embracing Carolina as home. I never questioned it until a few weeks ago when the going got really, really tough. I believe all I need to do to get by is to get back to that mindset that this is home now. Once I embrace it again I think everything will get a little bit easier every day.

I used to love that quote “if your dreams don’t scare you, they aren’t big enough” but now I have a bit of disdain for it because I am terrified right now and hearing that doesn’t make me feel better. But again– I think in hindsight, this era of my life will shine much brigher than it currently is.

That’s what has been happening with me. I hope to one day be able to take Bailey Bee full-time and THAT is my true dream in my new life. Until then, you can catch me plugging away at my new 8-to-5.

June 2019 Home, Beauty + Fashion Lust List

June 2019 lust list of things I want to buy
A. Tai Gold Alphabet Necklace / B. Ripple Gold Hammered Champagne Bucket / C. Huda Beauty Neon Obsessions Palette in ‘Neon Green’ / D. Bungalow Cat Eye Sunglasses / E. Daphne Cami / F. Confetti Candles / G. Fringed Zora Journal in Taupe

I’m a shopaholic but I’m trying to be much better with my product consumption and my spending so whenever I see something that I want, I add it as a bookmark into my ‘want’ folder in my browser. Every so often I’ll rifle through that folder to see what has gone on sale and to see if I even want half of it anymore. It’s a really solid way to shop smarter without feeling like you’re missing out on cool and/or exciting things.

This month’s lust list involves some goodies that I have had my eye on over the past few weeks. From a cute summer cami to one of the hottest beauty releases so far this season, these are some of the first things I’d nab if I were to win a few hundred bucks on a scratcher this week! Haha

I definitely don’t “need” a champagne bucket but wouldn’t that be the greatest showstopper at the next event you host? Also, that fringed journal is just screaming to become my new wedding notebook. I’m waiting for it to go on sale and then it’ll be all mine!

As for that B necklace and the candles? My birthday is next month and I want to treat myself to the cute necklace before throwing those candles onto whatever flavored birthday cake I decide to make for myself.

Lastly, those tortoise sunnies. I am a SUCKER for creamy/beige tortoise and I have been patiently, so patiently waiting for these to be available on a 30% off or higher deal so I can grab ’em.

Normally this is where I’d ask y’all to let ME know what you’re lusting over but honestly, I can’t handle it. I want so much. Heaven help me! Instead, I’m curious how you guys make yourselves shop smarter. I can use all the help I can get. Have a great weekend!

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NABLA Cosmetics Secret Palette Review + Swatches

It has been a VERY long time since I have been excited about an eyeshadow palette release AND actually purchased upon debut. The Italian makeup brand NABLA is fairly well-received and once I saw the swatches for this palette I had myself creating a calendar reminder to buy it ASAP. The Secret palette is full of color and allows you to utilize different color stories for endless amounts of looks. This assortment of shades paired with the solid formulas NABLA is known for has made this palette a surefire winner in my book.

Just look at those shades! Each horizontal row complements itself well but I really like the funky combos that the vertical columns make, too.

Let’s get into the most important aspect of this palette— the formula and wearability of each shade.

All shades swatched well on the arm except for Hypersensual and Nablack. To be honest, I’m not sure why Hypersensual performed so lackluster-ly. It’s a seemingly easy shade to make. As for Nablack, I bet we all have better black eyeshadows that we’re loyal to anyway so it’s not a huge deal to me. It still performed just fine on the lashline to create a smokey vibe.

The standout shades in terms of formula were Giulietta, Fantasize and Ghibli. You barely have to even touch these shades to get them to provide pigment and all blend out effortlessly.

As for my sleeper pick, I Promise ended up being REALLY pretty on the lid. It wasn’t a strong swatcher but is a very dimensional shade that works well paired with a crease color blended out as well as on its own across the lid.

Just serving a warning– Rosemary is a stainer. I’m not really that surprised as that has been my experience with pigmented teal shades in the past and it’s not necessarily even a negative thing. But still a thing to mention.

Again, I have not been this excited over a palette release in freaking years. I’m so excited to dive deeper with these shades and get so much more use out of them! If you’re wary of purchasing from an international seller (if you’re from the US, of course) then fret not. NABLA is the real deal and they shipped this palette to me within a week! If you’re as into this as I was then there is absolutely no reason not to pick it up. Enjoy!

If you wanna see some other palettes I have reviewed, check ’em out here.

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My Dermaplaning Experience

A couple of weeks ago I experienced getting dermaplaned for the first time with my sister. Our mom previously had it done and liked it so much that she got us gift cards so we could go ourselves! I wanted to share my experience and show a couple before and after shots I got while I was there.

Firstly, let’s get into what dermaplaning is. If you did not know, dermaplaning is essentially shaving your face with a very high quality, medical-grade scalpel to remove vellus hairs(read: peach fuzz) and built-up dead skin. This procedure is supposed to benefit you in two ways: it heightens the ability for your skin to absorb skincare products better and also allows makeup to apply smoother across the face. I was intrigued but unlikely to ever pay to have it done professionally. I’ve used those eyebrow shaver sticks in the past to shave my upper lip and almost every single time I’ve used them, I’ve broken out. I was certain that if I got my entire face dermaplaned that I would break out EVERYWHERE. That was not entirely true.. read on.

The session started with a quick cleanse of my skin with a bit of alcohol. After that, the esthetician began shaving away in the direction of my hair growth; first starting at my cheeks and then moving to my forehead and nose/upper lip region. I felt and heard little to no sensation while I was getting everything done. I had expected some sort of scratching noise but found nothing audible really occurred. The process was fairly relaxing, actually!

After everything had been ‘planed, there was a round of witch hazel swept across my face. This was to further cleanse my now wide-open facial pores. My worries about breaking out were eased a bit because witch hazel is a strong astringent that is known for clearing and preventing breakouts. After the witch hazel was applied, a cooling rod was drawn over my entire face to close the pores. Process complete!

I had a handful of pimples pop up in the week following my dermaplaning procedure but they weren’t anything I couldn’t handle nor were they very painful. I assume they were a byproduct of the procedure and my skins way of removing toxins that were now closer to the surface of my face. The weirdest thing that happened was that over the following week, I noticed that my face was always clammy. Regardless of how many times I washed my face, it felt sticky (I guess) because there were no longer hairs left to make it soft to the touch. I didn’t love that.

Another weird sensation I experienced post-procedure were the super heightened feelings on my skin. I was suddenly hyper-aware of whenever I was touching my face or if a stray hair brushed against the skin. It wasn’t a positive nor a negative– just a strange sensation that I had noticed. *insert shrugging emoji here*

As for the claim of a smoother makeup application, I absolutely can speak to that. Both liquid and powder products applied in a noticeably different manner. It took some time to be able to differentiate between the product ACTUALLY applying in a different way and my face just being extra aware of my makeup brushes touching my face. The most notable feeling was with my bronzer on the sides of my face– this is an area that I never focused hair removal on in the past and was seemingly the most obvious difference for me in terms of the weird “feeling” sensation. Below you will see my cheek/bronzer region before and after I got dermaplaned:

dermaplaning before and after

With the pros and cons considered, I’m fairly confident enough to say that I likely won’t get dermaplaned again. It was definitely a cool thing to have done but I didn’t love having breakouts afterward. I know that even happens after something like a facial but that and the clamminess were too much for me. It was fun, though, and I’m glad I finally got to test out and learn about dermaplaning. I suggest trying it at least once to see how you like it!

If you have been dermaplaned before, let me know what happened! I’m curious if the clamminess was just something I dealt with– my sister said she didn’t have the same issue. I find it interesting that we all have such different reactions to the same things in life and I’m curious to hear. Hit up the comments below ↓↓↓

To read up on some of my skincare posts, click here!