Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice
It's FALL Y'all!
My most favorite time of the year!
My most favorite time of the year!
Yes.... my shirt says "Oh my GOURD I love fall"...And it's 100% true! (I also really love fall puns).
"Pumpkin spice and everything nice" is pretty much my lifelong motto. I am currently an active member of PSA - Pumpkin Spice Anonymous (Anonymous because I'm a little ashamed of how early in the year I begin my Pumpkin Spice coffee creamer habit...*cough cough*...August).
But as you can tell, I am obsessed with everything the fall season brings.
Cooler weather. Cozy blankets. Warm spicy drinks. Copper and burgundy colored makeup (yes...check back next Monday for the scoop on that). And last but not least...Pumpkins!
Not only do I love all things pumpkin spice flavored and scented...But I also love all things pumpkin skincare!!!
Wait...hold up...
Pumpkin Skincare you say!??
Why yes.
Yes, I did.
Why add pumpkin in your skincare routine you ask?
Well... Pumpkins have high concentrations of Vitamin C which help fight free radicals (free radicals cause wrinkles and fine lines) and zinc which help promote cell turnover and increase collagen production (all important for fighting wrinkles and every day damage). Magnesium, iron, potassium, and B vitamins are all in abundant supply which help increase circulation as well as healthy skin renewal.
So, hold on to your stems because this girl is about to blow your skincare out of the patch!
I have scoured the internet and all the local makeup and beauty
stores to round up this fun assortment of Pumpkin infused skincare
items.
I am happy to report that each one of these items are worthy to carry the name...Pumpkin.
Let's jump in and breakdown these fall skin goodies.
Why add pumpkin in your skincare routine you ask?
Well... Pumpkins have high concentrations of Vitamin C which help fight free radicals (free radicals cause wrinkles and fine lines) and zinc which help promote cell turnover and increase collagen production (all important for fighting wrinkles and every day damage). Magnesium, iron, potassium, and B vitamins are all in abundant supply which help increase circulation as well as healthy skin renewal.
So, hold on to your stems because this girl is about to blow your skincare out of the patch!
I am happy to report that each one of these items are worthy to carry the name...Pumpkin.
Let's jump in and breakdown these fall skin goodies.
Bliss Pumpkin Powerhouse Resurfacing Exfoliating Enzyme Mask
I have had my eye on a few products by Bliss lately, and when this little pumpkin baby popped up I just KNEW I had to try it. Of course, I am all about pumpkin in skincare due to its high vitamin content and skin brightening effect, but I was curious to see how well this mask truly exfoliated my skin. I didn't really know what to expect when I opened it.
Would it actually smell like pumpkin? Would it be gritty in texture? Since it's a resurfacing mask, will it burn? Will it leave my combination skin dry or more oily?
Would it actually smell like pumpkin? Would it be gritty in texture? Since it's a resurfacing mask, will it burn? Will it leave my combination skin dry or more oily?
First sniff...Heaven. Like wow. This stuff smells SO good! It has a nice pleasant pumpkin scent and a little bit of spice. Perfect.
The texture of the mask is mainly smooth with just a hint of grittiness. The grittiness pretty much dissolves as you apply this to your face. Not harsh at all or painful. I actually HATE when masks have a harsh texture in them for exfoliation. I feel that that actually damages your skin more instead of exfoliating gently and effectively.
It says on the jar that there might be a mild tingly sensation after application, but I did not experience any tingling at all. I don't mind a little tingle to let you know it's working, but I also don't want my face to feel like it has hot lava sitting on it either. I only felt a slight cooling sensation and it was nice and refreshing.
The recommended amount of time for this mask to sit on your skin is 10-15 minutes and I took it off around the 15-minute mark. I massaged it in circular motions with warm water as instructed and was pleasantly surprised at how smooth my skin felt. No redness or burning appeared as I washed it off - WIN. After I dried off my face, I inspected it a little closer and could definitely see an instant improvement in my skin's tone and texture. It felt smooth, brighter, and clean, but not dry or stripped. Sometimes I feel like my face is like the Sahara Desert after using an exfoliating face mask, but not this time.
First impressions were great and I continued to use this mask for 3 weeks (3 times per week as recommended). I am happy to report that there were no new breakouts, extra dry patches, or more oiliness than usual. Did I see dark spots vanish? No, but that was not a claim this company made about this product. What I did see was smooth, brighter skin and a replenished complexion. All okay by me!
I would recommend this mask to all skin types (sensitive skin peeps just be careful how long you leave this on as you might experience the tingle it mentions in the directions).
See!? Pumpkin really is MAGIC!
At first glance you might think I'm crazy for ordering these two face masks because they seem almost identical. However, you would be sorely mistaken because this mask contains Manuka Honey AND Glycolic Acid. A skin dream team in my book.
Manuka honey is hydrating, soothing, and healing. A true miracle of foods and skincare. Add that with Glycolic Acid and you have a little time machine in a jar.
Don't be scared of the Glycolic Acid...It has SO many amazing properties for the skin (and the concentration in this mask is small (1%), so it won't be like getting a chemical peel). It also has awesome exfoliating benefits and helps cellular rejuvenation - that's where the "brightening" part of this mask comes in.
First sniff...it smells delicious. It reminds me more of an apple cider scent than pumpkin, but I'm totally fine with that.
The texture of this mask was giving me applesauce vibes. I don't know if it was because it smelled kind of like apple cider that that came to mind but again, I am totally fine with that. Definitely a thinner consistency than the Bliss mask, but that's also okay with me.
The recommended amount of time to leave this on your skin is 10-20 minutes. I left mine on the full 20 minutes since I do not have extremely sensitive skin.
At first there was a slight tingling/prickly sensation, but no burning. That dissipated quickly and turned into a cold, almost "minty" tingling sensation on my skin (think York Peppermint Patty commercial, HA!). It felt refreshing and invigorating and I really enjoyed it.
How could I not pick up this adorable little pumpkin guy smiling up at me with those eye gels on?
I have been a fan of the Too Cool For School brand for a while. They have some fun and different products out there (Their Egg Mellow Cream is amazing - HERE). Some might see them as a little gimmicky with their packaging sometimes, but I think they're innovative and adorable.
This eye gel pack was a one-time use, two step system. First you apply the moisturizing eye cream to your eye area. Then you peel the backing off of the gold eye gels and apply them to your under-eye area. The eye cream has pumpkin ferment extract to give extra hydration and the gel patches have 24k gold in them to brighten, de-puff, and firm.
Now....I'm ALL about some eye gels. There is something so spa-like and relaxing about them. But normally, the eye gels only cover your immediate under eye area.
These however, were almost big enough to reach my toes.
I kid...but...not really.
Look at how HUGE THEY ARE!!
Here's me trying to look cute in these obscenely large eye gels.
But seriously...These should be called face patches... not eye patches. They literally covered my entire cheeks and that was just crazy to me. Upon further investigation, they do describe them as being big enough to cover the "apple zone", which means your whole cheek along with the eye area (which it definitely did). But I just felt that was unnecessary. Another problem with them being so large was that they kept sliding down my face. I had to constantly readjust them and slide them back up under my eyes and I was LAYING DOWN while wearing them. I feel a smaller patch would have been more comfortable and more effective.
Did these de-puff my under eyes?
Yes.
Did they leave them moisturized?
Yes.
Was my chin also de-puffed and moisturized due to them sliding?
Yes.
Is it a bad product? No... But it could have been better. And at around $5 for this one-time use item, it was not worth it in my opinion.
Too Cool For School Pumpkin Hydra Gold Eye Gel Patch - HERE
Okay guys...Here is the last pumpkin skincare item I have for you.
Too Cool For School Pumpkin Sleeping Pack
Yes, this is another Too Cool For School product...but don't judge this pumpkin beauty by it's much larger, weirdly shaped eye gel patch sister.
This Pumpkin Sleeping Pack is a cross between a nighttime gel moisturizer, and a nighttime sleep mask. It feels like a traditional gel moisturizer, meaning it's not thick or greasy at all. It sinks in quickly and locks in the moisture that's already in your skin. The sleep mask part of this gem means that it keeps hydrating and working all throughout the night while you sleep. All the benefits of a face mask, but while you sleep!
The smell of this product is SO amazing. It smells delicious! It doesn't remind me of anything pumpkin related, but it has a nice pleasant smell. The scent doesn't stay on long either (I hate smelling lipstick or anything else on my face with a strong scent that hangs around. It drives my nose nuts).
I used this as the last step of my skincare routine as recommended per the instructions and it sinks in nicely over other serums and creams since it is not greasy or oily. I woke up in the morning with soft and more even toned skin and it felt so hydrated, but not oily. I only used this about one time per week since it is a sleeping mask and just like other masks, it's not good to use them every day. Once a week was just enough.
You MUST wash this off in the morning though because it will not pair well with makeup application. I already hope you're washing your face in the morning...but that's another post entirely.
Overall, this was a nice final step to pamper myself with this fall season and I enjoyed it.
(Side note: I actually found this mini, 1oz size at my local TJ Maxx store for super cheap)!
Too Cool For School Pumpkin Sleeping Pack - HERE
The texture of the mask is mainly smooth with just a hint of grittiness. The grittiness pretty much dissolves as you apply this to your face. Not harsh at all or painful. I actually HATE when masks have a harsh texture in them for exfoliation. I feel that that actually damages your skin more instead of exfoliating gently and effectively.
It says on the jar that there might be a mild tingly sensation after application, but I did not experience any tingling at all. I don't mind a little tingle to let you know it's working, but I also don't want my face to feel like it has hot lava sitting on it either. I only felt a slight cooling sensation and it was nice and refreshing.
The recommended amount of time for this mask to sit on your skin is 10-15 minutes and I took it off around the 15-minute mark. I massaged it in circular motions with warm water as instructed and was pleasantly surprised at how smooth my skin felt. No redness or burning appeared as I washed it off - WIN. After I dried off my face, I inspected it a little closer and could definitely see an instant improvement in my skin's tone and texture. It felt smooth, brighter, and clean, but not dry or stripped. Sometimes I feel like my face is like the Sahara Desert after using an exfoliating face mask, but not this time.
First impressions were great and I continued to use this mask for 3 weeks (3 times per week as recommended). I am happy to report that there were no new breakouts, extra dry patches, or more oiliness than usual. Did I see dark spots vanish? No, but that was not a claim this company made about this product. What I did see was smooth, brighter skin and a replenished complexion. All okay by me!
I would recommend this mask to all skin types (sensitive skin peeps just be careful how long you leave this on as you might experience the tingle it mentions in the directions).
See!? Pumpkin really is MAGIC!
Bliss Pumpkin Powerhouse Mask - HERE
My second pumpkin skincare item is also another face mask. However this mask specifically states that it is a brightening mask.
Manuka honey is hydrating, soothing, and healing. A true miracle of foods and skincare. Add that with Glycolic Acid and you have a little time machine in a jar.
Don't be scared of the Glycolic Acid...It has SO many amazing properties for the skin (and the concentration in this mask is small (1%), so it won't be like getting a chemical peel). It also has awesome exfoliating benefits and helps cellular rejuvenation - that's where the "brightening" part of this mask comes in.
The texture of this mask was giving me applesauce vibes. I don't know if it was because it smelled kind of like apple cider that that came to mind but again, I am totally fine with that. Definitely a thinner consistency than the Bliss mask, but that's also okay with me.
The recommended amount of time to leave this on your skin is 10-20 minutes. I left mine on the full 20 minutes since I do not have extremely sensitive skin.
At first there was a slight tingling/prickly sensation, but no burning. That dissipated quickly and turned into a cold, almost "minty" tingling sensation on my skin (think York Peppermint Patty commercial, HA!). It felt refreshing and invigorating and I really enjoyed it.
This mask took about three uses (in one week) to see true brightening results. It is a little drying on my skin, but I also expected that due to the Glycolic Acid in it. It wasn't like Sahara Desert drying...I just felt like I needed to follow up quickly with a moisturizer (which is what I normally do after using any face mask).
After repeated use, I do love the results. My skin is more even toned and brighter as it claimed. Two dark spots on my cheeks are slightly lighter (SCORE)! I also love that this mask is all natural and it works as described. I will definitely be repurchasing and trying other products from this natural skincare brand (they have a cocoa mask that I MUST try).
Andalou Naturals Pumpkin Honey Glycolic Mask - HERE
Next up to the pumpkin plate is Pumpkin Seed Oil. Did you guys even know there was such a thing? Because I sure didn't.
I have long been a nighttime face oil gal. I just love how soft and hydrated my skin feels in the morning. There's nothing like it. I usually have two or three different face oils that I rotate in my nighttime skincare routine and I said, "what's one more"...and started trying out this little pumpkin baby.
This oil is rich in fatty acids and antioxidants and is recommended for scalp, hair, and body...so basically anything that needs some serious hydrating. (I wonder if it works for people with a dry sense of humor?)
I'm not a huge fan of putting oils on my scalp and hair because I already have oily hair on it's own and I like to make my hair washing last for a few days (let's face it sometimes I try to make it last a week because washing and drying your hair is exhausting, right?). So yeah, I'm pretty much 30% Coffee and 70% Dry Shampoo most days. That's why I decided just to try this out on my face for the extra moisturizing benefits and not my hair.
Since this is made from pumpkin seeds and not the actual orange pumpkin part, it has a slightly weird, grassy scent to it, but it quickly disappears once you've massaged it in. This is a pretty thick, heavy oil, but it easily blends and glides over the skin and absorbs rather quickly. I only used one pump of it at the end of my nighttime skincare routine and it provided ample hydration. I would recommend rotating this oil to every other night (or more) due to
its thickness and potency. However, if you have dry skin, then you can most
likely use this every night. Or you can add a drop to your favorite nighttime face cream to thin it out. You can also use this oil to spot treat any super dry areas on your face or body.
Overall, I have enjoyed adding this to my skincare routine and I would say if you are new to the face oil game, this is a wonderful one to try. Definitely worth it! The benefits of pumpkin products are really rocking my world.
Shea Moisture Pumpkin Seed Oil - HERE
I have been a fan of the Too Cool For School brand for a while. They have some fun and different products out there (Their Egg Mellow Cream is amazing - HERE). Some might see them as a little gimmicky with their packaging sometimes, but I think they're innovative and adorable.
This eye gel pack was a one-time use, two step system. First you apply the moisturizing eye cream to your eye area. Then you peel the backing off of the gold eye gels and apply them to your under-eye area. The eye cream has pumpkin ferment extract to give extra hydration and the gel patches have 24k gold in them to brighten, de-puff, and firm.
Now....I'm ALL about some eye gels. There is something so spa-like and relaxing about them. But normally, the eye gels only cover your immediate under eye area.
These however, were almost big enough to reach my toes.
I kid...but...not really.
Look at how HUGE THEY ARE!!
Here's me trying to look cute in these obscenely large eye gels.
Did these de-puff my under eyes?
Yes.
Did they leave them moisturized?
Yes.
Was my chin also de-puffed and moisturized due to them sliding?
Yes.
Is it a bad product? No... But it could have been better. And at around $5 for this one-time use item, it was not worth it in my opinion.
Too Cool For School Pumpkin Hydra Gold Eye Gel Patch - HERE
Okay guys...Here is the last pumpkin skincare item I have for you.
Too Cool For School Pumpkin Sleeping Pack
This Pumpkin Sleeping Pack is a cross between a nighttime gel moisturizer, and a nighttime sleep mask. It feels like a traditional gel moisturizer, meaning it's not thick or greasy at all. It sinks in quickly and locks in the moisture that's already in your skin. The sleep mask part of this gem means that it keeps hydrating and working all throughout the night while you sleep. All the benefits of a face mask, but while you sleep!
The smell of this product is SO amazing. It smells delicious! It doesn't remind me of anything pumpkin related, but it has a nice pleasant smell. The scent doesn't stay on long either (I hate smelling lipstick or anything else on my face with a strong scent that hangs around. It drives my nose nuts).
I used this as the last step of my skincare routine as recommended per the instructions and it sinks in nicely over other serums and creams since it is not greasy or oily. I woke up in the morning with soft and more even toned skin and it felt so hydrated, but not oily. I only used this about one time per week since it is a sleeping mask and just like other masks, it's not good to use them every day. Once a week was just enough.
You MUST wash this off in the morning though because it will not pair well with makeup application. I already hope you're washing your face in the morning...but that's another post entirely.
Overall, this was a nice final step to pamper myself with this fall season and I enjoyed it.
(Side note: I actually found this mini, 1oz size at my local TJ Maxx store for super cheap)!
Too Cool For School Pumpkin Sleeping Pack - HERE
Can I get a FALL-elujah for all the new pumpkin skincare you didn't know you needed!? Who knew there were so many choices out there to utilize the power of pumpkin for your skin!? I hope you all enjoyed this post, because I had a fun time incorporating all of these products in my autumn skincare routine.
If you have anything specific you would like to see here on the blog, please comment below or follow me on my social media pages and interact with me there.
Thank you for stopping by! Make sure to check back every Monday at 10AM EST for a new post. (And P.S. - There will be a BONUS post up THIS Friday at 10AM as well)!
Love you all!
If you have anything specific you would like to see here on the blog, please comment below or follow me on my social media pages and interact with me there.
Thank you for stopping by! Make sure to check back every Monday at 10AM EST for a new post. (And P.S. - There will be a BONUS post up THIS Friday at 10AM as well)!
Love you all!
* Some links used are affiliate links to Amazon. By purchasing through my links, you're supporting this blog. Thank you!
Ok, never knew that there was pumpkin skin care!
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, you look cute even with those obscenely large eye patches! Love you!