Too Faced Primer & Luminizing Primer Inspired by Carmindy

Too Faced Primed & Poreless Skin Smoothing Face Primer: You will see instant gratification from this primer. Pore perfecting, smoothing, and longer lasting makeup are just a few of the perks. Mulberry extract is added for a boost of brightening. This also contains vitamins A & C plus a small dose of retinol to refine the skin over time. Always make sure to wear sunscreen whenever using a retinol product, no matter how small the concentration. The texture feels like that of a typical primer-. It does contain dimethecone and I have not yet broken out from it. To me, it doesn’t feel like I put anything on my skin and I like it a lot. I have been using it for over a month now and I don’t notice a huge difference in the texture or my pore size when I am not wearing this. All in all, I feel like it’s a decent primer and I might be inclined to buy this again. $30 for a 1 oz tube at Sephora.

Carmindy for Sally Hansen Luminizing Primer:  This pretty primer features subtle luminzing particles to give a radiant glow to the complexion. It helps to subtly brighten the skin while smoothing over fine lines, wrinkles, uneven texture, and pores. Like the Too Faced primer, it feels soft, slightly slick, and smooth. I don’t really notice much of an added glow after I apply a fuller coverage foundation. When I am wearing this under a sheer tinted moisturizer my skin looks slightly more radiant. I tried this on my mother who happens to have dry skin, noticeable pores, a little redness, and minimal signs of aging (mostly around the eye area) and it seemed to suit her skin type much better then mine. If you are curious, I would recommend trying it, just take caution if, like me, you are on the more oily side. For where to buy near you, check http://www.sallyhansennaturalbeauty.com/where-to-buy/

Dior Creme Abricot Fortifying Cream For Nails

This nail and cuticle treatment has been around for a very long time and has a cult following. It hydrates, strengthens, and encourages nail growth. A small amount is all that’s needed to be effective and can be used before or after using polish. It’s $23 and you get plenty of product in one little pot.

I know a lot of people really dig this product but I did not like having to physically dig into the pot to get any out. I’d much rather invest in products with user friendly packaging. It is hard to close a screw top pot after one has goo residue on his or her fingers from hydrating the cuticles.

I tested this product in store and did not buy, so I can’t report on if it actually helps with nail growth. Like other Dior products, it is fragranced. That’s fine and dandy, however, the fragrance they used for this product is less than satisfactory to my nose. Very grandma-like (though not my grandma, she’s hip and smells lovely).

 

Fresh Sugar Rose Tinted Lip Treatment & Brown Sugar Body Polish Turns 10!

I love Fresh bunches and I also love their original Sugar Lip treatment. It contains sugar, a natural humectant, to help keep your lips hydrated. It also feels smooth and makes my lips look and feel healthy. It also contains a ton of ingredients to keep your pucker in top condition. Plus, it features SPF 15 to prevent sun damage and burns.

The “new” Rose tinted treatment has all of the same benefits of the original, now with a little hint of tint. The color is sheer, buildable, and is a very soft rose color. I liked it at first because it was great when I wanted a little color and hydration. Then, I left it in the heat and it melted everywhere. So no more Sugar Rose for me. Oh well, I think I prefer the original better since I can wear it to bed without turning my pillow pink.

At $22.50 for both the original and roseversion, it is a bit steep. Keep in mind, though, that this is more of a treatment then a lip balm. A little goes a long way and you just want to use a little dab instead of slathering it all over your lips, especially with the rose version. Either is a great treat for yourself or a gift for someone else.

Celebrate Fresh Brown Sugar Body Polish’s 10th birthday! Fresh Stores will be hosting events every Thursday from 5pm til closing during the rest of September. There are two events remaining, check the website for details: http://www.fresh.com/content/TenYears

If you have not tried this body scrub, it will knock your socks off. It’s a very luxurious body polish that softens and hydrates with essential oils. It’s almost like having a pricy spa body exfoliation treatment in your own tub at home.

50% Off In Store: BBW True Blue Morocco

For the past month, I’ve been wondering what Bath and Body Work’s True Blue Morocco line was like. The scent and texture of everything sounded promising so I was more then happy to drive my mom to the nearest BBW store when she asked to go. I love that BBW has testers availble because I dislike buying anything unsniffed.

I ended up falling in love with the Sweet Fig and Argan body lotion. It doesn’t feel greasy and smells fab! It’s simi-spicy while still being light and creamy. I also love the pump bottle and at the same time wish it isn’t glass (I’m klutzy and am afraid of breaking it). This smooth body treat is packed with green tea, shea butter, and my liquid gold (argan oil). Mmmmmmm, hello, hydration!

I also liked loved the Cedarwood and Spice warming body scrub. I used it in the shower tonight and it was like heaven. It is the perfect mix of scrubby, creamy and warm. The scent is comforting and features a bit of sandalwood and amber, two of my faves. I think I must stock up while this product is still around.

 Also, noteworthy was the Honey & Date body yoghurt. The texture was nice and I liked the scent but I ended up passing on this one as I liked the body lotion better. Other items I passed on in the line were the shower gels as I have too many as it is and they are huge bottles. If I had purchased one, it probably would have been Moroccan Tea and Cucumber.

FYI: this line is on its way to being discontinued and is in the “Fond Farewell” section of BBW’s website, where it is full price. In store, it is currently 50% off.

And the fall stuff is out! I picked up some wallflowers (they are buy one, get one free right now) in leaves and pumpkin patch. I tried leaves today and it’s soft and warm and wonderful! The scent is hard to describe but it totally reminds me of fall.

Update: More reviews Coming Soon

Life has been crazy and I am exhausted. I would like to give you a sneek peak of products I’ve been trying out. Some of the products I have been using long enough to give them a fair review, while with others I’ll need a little more time to use.

• Dior Creme Abricot Fortifying Cream For Nails
• Lancome HYPNOSE DRAMA Instant Full Body Volume Mascara
• Carmindy for Sally Hansen Luminizing Primer
• Too Faced Primed & Poreless Skin Smoothing Face Primer
• Makeup Forever HD Invisible Cover Concealer
• Fresh Sugar Rose Tinted Lip Treatment SPF 15
• Ole Henriksen Aloe Vera Deep Cleanser
• Bliss Fat Girl Slim
• Philosophy Eye Hope Advanced Anti-Aging Eye Cream
• Bath and Body Works SLEEP Lavender Vanilla Scrub
• Korres Pomegranate Mask
• Clinique All About Eyes Rich Eye Cream
• Lush Bath Bombs (3), Bubble Bars (2), and Figs & Leaves Soap

Stay tuned! I also have a rant about “travel” products that will be coming up soon.

SF: Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs

The de Young Museum in San Francisco currently has an exhibition showing various items from King Tut’s tomb. It features artifacts from King Tut’s tomb as well as his ancestors (Note: there seem to be more of his ancestors items then of his on display). The museum advises that the self guided tour takes about 90 minutes. My mom and I finished in 45. There is an audio tour for $7 that you can follow, although we did just fine reading the signage for free.

General admission on weekdays for adults is $27.50 and $32.50 on weekends. For what it was, I felt the tickets were a little steep but you also get to view the rest of the museum. One of the most impressive pieces Tjuya’s gilded coffin (thought to be Tut’s grandmother). It was huge! And gold! There was also a fairly large head from a broken statue of Akhenaton (Tut’s father). The rest of the items were smaller, everyday objects like jars for ungents and oils (I was excited to see these after studying about the role of fragrance in ancient Egypt for my Fragrance Foundation certification). I was blown away by the amount of gold used, but then again, you wouldn’t expect anything less for a king and royal family.

I wouldn’t recommend going to the city just  for the exhibit. Plan a day around the city to make the most of your time. By purchasing a ticket, you will receive a Pharaoh’s Gold Card, which offers discounts and perks for various businesses around the city. There are quite a few restaurants that offer 10% off or a complimentary dessert with purchase of entree. There’s also tons to do in SF, and if you don’t want to venture too far from the museum, there are several things to do and see within the park: Conservatory of Flowers, Japanese Tea Garden, Arboretum, and California Academy of Sciences, to name a few. Sutro Heights, the beach, and the zoo are also close to the park.

Read on below for information about handicap access at the museum and the exhibit.

The Faux Tan Files #2

What: Bliss’ A Tan for All Seasons, $36. It sprays out purple to neutralize orange (genius) and gives a hint of tint instantly so you can see where you put it. The nozzle sprays 360 degrees so you’ll never miss a spot.

Rating: 5! I like this better then VS Bare Bronze. It dries super quickly (somewhere between instantly and 3 minutes) and doesn’t feel like anything once it’s rubbed. It’s also very easy to use.

The smell: Not bad at all. There wasn’t really a scent right off the bat. Once it had been on my skin for a few hours I started to smell a little self tanner scent but it was faint.

The color: No orange! It’s a natural looking shade on my fair skin. I actually have color that doesn’t scream, “My tan is from a can!”

Verdict: I love it. If you check Sephora.com the ratings are all very good, too.

Tip: When scrubbing or removing excess self tanner from hands or body, always apply scrub or soap to the area before adding water. Using water first will lock in the self tanner. I wish this tip was of my own genius, but it’s from a super smart Bliss employee.

Tip #2: Before using self tanner be sure to exfoliate! I like Bliss scrubs, like the Lemon and Sage scrub featured above. It also helps to remove tanner from your hands post faux tan session.

PS: I got Bliss’ Fat Girl Slim anti-cellulite treatment today. I will report my results on a later date as this is a product that needs to be used consistently and as directed. Using one time would not make for an accurate review. Also, to anyone thinking of using this product, a little goes a long way. You don’t want to use it like a regular body moisturizer.

The Faux Tan Files #1

What: Victoria’s Secret Bare Bronze Collection, $32 (free for me thanks to a bday gift card). This set features a full size 5.3 oz bronzing spray for instant color over the course of a few hours, 3.2 oz gradual tan firming body lotion for tanning maintenance, and a 3.4 oz sand and surf body polish to buff away dead skin and provide a smooth surface for self tanner application.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars. I completely adore the sand and surf body polish. It feels luxurious and is one of the best body scrubs I’ve tried. The bronzing spray was fairly decent. The first time I used it, I was very light handed and didn’t get much color. The second time I it gave me more of a glow and enhanced my skin tone by about 4-5 shades. The gradual firming body lotion was nice but not memorable.

The smell: VS described the scent as “a sweet, creamy Brazil nut scent,” and I would agree. It’s pleasant at first, then the self tanner scent settles in and is covered by the Brazil nut scent. The scent wasn’t as offensive as most self tanners on the market and it also wasn’t the best, either.

The color: Surprisingly not orange. It was a very subtle golden shade. I’m pretty fair so for a self tanner to not instantly turn orange on me was a nice surprise. It did look slightly yellow around my elbow and more exfoliation followed by a bit of regular body lotion would have fixed that issue.

Verdict: Not bad at all. If you are looking for more color, do add more product. I’m always conservative with the amount of products I use because I believe that it’s best to start with less and build up gradually from there. It’s easier to add product then to remove excess.

Tip: So I don’t get tell-tale self tanner hands and help to avoid streaks, I blend with a kabuki brush instead of my hands. The kit is a good way to try the products. I probably would not have purchased the scrub because I have so many, but this one is pretty nice and is possibly worth a repurchase.

Smashbox Halo

Have you ever heard of a powder that’s hydrating, ANTI-AGING, makes skin look radiant, contains peptides and gold, starts out as a pressed powder then transforms to a loose powder, isn’t messy, comes with its own brush, and can actually make the under eye area look fabulous and younger?

Neither had I, until Smashbox Halo powder. The product starts out as a pressed powder and is transformed to a loose powder by turning the shaver. Be careful, since a little goes a long way. A quarter or half turn will probably be just enough to work with. The coverage is build-able so it can potentially be used as either a foundation or a powder. If you desire more coverage, pair it with a tinted moisturizer or layer of Smashbox HD foundation.

Smashbox promises up to a 33% reduction in the appearance of wrinkles, which I don’t yet have, so I can’t personally vouch for the credit of that statistic. There are only four shades so make sure you get matched for color and check it in natural lighting. I have  fair, which turned out to be a tad too light, while the light shade was too dark and too yellow for me. If you’re curious about the product, head to your Smashbox source (Nordies, Sephora, etc.), try a bit on, and wear it around for the day.

At almost $60 a pop, it’s pricey for what it is. I can see how this can be great on other skin types, it just didn’t work for me. It felt fine on, I just felt like perhaps the hydrating factor was a bit much for my super oily skin. This product is not dimethicone free and (miracle!) it didn’t break me out. I’ll probably use this occasionally as a setting powder. All in all, it’s a pretty good product, especially if most powders tend to make your skin look dry or you are concerned about anti-aging.

VS Vanilla & Sandalwood

 

 

 

I made a small Victoria Secret order recently thanks to birthday gift cards and VS coupon codes. I got one of the new Biofit 7-Way bra (OMG amazing), a self tanner kit (reviews coming when I try it), and a lotion from their new Naturally Victoria’s Secret line.

The scent is Vanilla Sandalwood, which sounded like my cup of tea since I like both vanilla and sandalwood. Have you ever been at a Catholic mass and incense was burned during the service? That’s exactly what this lotion smells like. It is not for me at all and will be sent back. It also doesn’t feel very hydrating. Perhaps other scents within the line are better and this experience reminds me to never buy scented items online without sniffing them in person first.