Happy Friday everyone!
I’ve heard and seen many people post about using lemon juice in DIY skincare treatments due to its vitamin C properties. While lemons do have a high concentration of vitamin C, they have a very low pH which can actually burn your skin. Carefully formulated vitamin C formulas might be a better option to get your topical dose of vitamin C and if you have sensitive skin, look into magnesium ascorbyl phosphate.
Have a great weekend!
Stephanie
Happy Thursday everyone! Subscription box week continues with April’s PopSugar box! This monthly box includes items that range from fashion, beauty, home, fitness and food, making it a well rounded subscription box. All items are full size and valued at over $100. This box is$39.95 per month while the new PopSugar mini box is $18.95.
Take a look at what’s inside!
Chrissy Tiegen’s Cravings: Recipes For All the Food You Want to Eat, $29.99
A cookbook from supermodel Chrissy Teigen that features craveable concoctions including some of John Legend’s top picks. I’ve flipped through the pages and this cookbook does not disappoint with recipes including Sweet Chili & Mustard Glazed Salmon and John’s Crispy Roasted Potatoes. Yum!
Canvas Home Tinware Salt & Pepper Shakers, $12
These vintage-looking hand glazed salt and pepper shakers are from the Canvas Home’s bestselling Tinware collection. They are super cute and antique looking.
Noon Design Shop “Lemons” Flour Sack Tea Towel, $18
A handmade supersoft towel that is made in the US and gets better with every wash. A dish towel is always welcome and will come handy.
Next By Nature Dark Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans, $3.99
“These dark chocolate espresso bites are a natural alternative to your favorite candy-free of gluten, corn syrup, and preservatives, they are a healthier way to satisfy your sweet tooth.” I ‘ll take dark chocolate covered espresso beans any time and these ones are delish! I can satisfy my cravings without indulging in The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf’s Black Forest drink.
Royal Apothic Field Poppy Conservatories Hand Creme, $24
Inspired by recipes from an antique apothecaries manual, this rich hand cream has notes of fig, tea, jasmine, lily, moss and leaf. I found this hand creme to smell a bit more on the masculine side, sort of like Giorgio Armani’s Acqua di Gio. I do like the scent but I’m not sure I’d want it for a hand cream.
Bloom That $20 Gift Card
A special extra, this gift card can be used to treat yourself or a loved one to beautiful floral arrangements. It feel this will come in handy as Mother’s Day is just around the corner.
Farmacy Sleep Tight Firming Night Balm, $48
Applying this lightweight balm before going to sleep will transform into a gentle oil gel to replenish and nourish skin overnight. I have yet to try this item but it seems interesting.
I’m happy with this month’s box, especially the cookbook. Can’t wait to try out the recipes. 🙂
What did you think of this month’s box?
Stephanie
Happy Tuesday everyone! April’s Birchbox is in and I have to say that this month’s box design is gorgeous. Very spring and elegant. 🙂
Scroll on down to see what’s inside!
amika Silken Up Dry Conditioner
This dry conditioner detangles and softens strands to “make them manageable and lustrous.” I was very happy to see that my box included an amika product. This product smells so good. Hard to describe but it says Sea Buckthorn Berry so I’m guessing it smells like that. When I use it on straight hair it tames the frizz a bit but I didn’t notice any added shine. On curly hair, it didn’t make much of a difference except make my hair smell nice.
Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask
An ultrahydrating mask with avocado, sweet almond and argan oils to condition and strengthen hair. It also has a blend of vitamins B5, D, A, E and biotin to repair damaged hair. This was the sample I choose for this month’s box since I am looking for a good deep conditioner now that my hair is lighter. I’ve only used this once but I was very impressed with how smooth and soft my hair felt. If this works out, I wouldn’t mind purchasing the full-size.
rms beauty The Ultimate Makeup Remover Wipes
These makeup remover wipes are made with, “pure, naturally antibacterial coconut oil, which melts away even the most stubborn makeup.” The coconut scent on these is very prevalent and reminds me a a coconut popsicle. Unfortunately, the scent is the only thing I liked about these. The wipes felt a little dry and hardly removed my mascara. Since they were a bit dry, they felt abrasive and rough. I’ve heard great things about rms beauty but this just didn’t work for me.
The Beauty Crop PBJ Smoothie Stick- Guava Nice Day
A lip crayon offers a tint of color that “features hydrating, good-for-you ingredients,” like sweet almond oil. Another great smelling product that features a nice spring summer lip color. The lasting power on this is decent though I like to put on a little bit of lip balm underneath so that it applies smoothly; otherwise, it will cling to dry patches.
A swatch of PBJ Smoothie Stick in Guava Nice Day
Whish Shave Crave Shaving Cream- Lavender
A shea butter, green tea, coconut oil and jojoba seed oil shaving cream that is infused with a lavender scent. The lavender scent on this is not really my favorite as it smells kind of artificial. It spreads evenly though, has a smoother glide due to the oils and does leave skin a bit hydrated, which is great for summer time.
Overall, I was happy with this month’s box. They also included a discount coupon for Rifle Paper Co and I’ll definitely be checking that out as the designs are pretty.
What was your favorite item in this month’s box?
Stephanie
When you hear the word chemical peel, usually what springs to mind are horrifying images of red blotchy, blistered, maybe even bloody, skin. However, not all peels are created equal. Enzyme peels can offer a more gentle form of exfoliation while a TCA peel can penetrate into the deeper layers of skin.
Here’s an overview on what you need to know about chemical peels.
Chemical Peels Defined
A chemical peel is an accelerated form of exfoliation that involves an injury of a specific skin-depth. It involves a process of removing excess accumulations of dead skin cells from the skin through acids, retinoids or enzymes.
Types of Chemical Peels
Benefits of Chemical Peels
Contraindications for a Chemical Peel
Although a chemical peel is a great treatment, not everyone is a candidate for them. Being honest with your esthetician or medical professional will significantly reduce adverse reactions. The following list details some reasons that can contraindicate a chemical peel treatment:
Post Chemical Peel Care
Once your procedure is completed, follow your esthetician’s or medical professional’s advice on how to care for your skin. Key points to remember are:
Before you opt to receive a chemical peel, consult with your esthetician or medical professional to discuss your goals and concerns see what options are right for you. Also, be mindful of the fact that it may take more than one treatment to see results so make sure that you are financially prepared.
I hope this post was helpful and if you have any other questions, let me know!
Have you ever received a chemical peel? What was your experience like?
Stephanie
Brush up on your knowledge on what your skin does for you in this post!
Happy Friday everyone!
While you’re busy doing your spring cleaning, don’t forget to do the same for your skincare items. Toss out any items that have expired-you might be surprised at what you find! Also, remember that with the change of seasons, your skin might also experience changes so pay attention to what doesn’t seem to be working for you anymore and find an alternative. Always feel free to contact me with any questions. 🙂
Have a great weekend everyone!
Stephanie
Hi everyone! The annual Sephora 15% VIB event is upon us and I’ll be sharing my wish list with you guys today. Let’s go!
Tarte Tartelette Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Celebrated
I’ve been lusting over this blush for close to a year now and I will definitely be picking this up. It seems like the perfect blush shade to wear for any occasion.
Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick
Aside from the shade Outlaw, I’m really liking these liquid lipsticks as they come in gorgeous shades and have lasting power. I’m aiming for the shade Double Dare but Berlin, Bow N Arrow and Beloved are on my list to check out too.
Josie Maran Argan Infinity Lip and Cheek Creamy Oil Duo
Lately I’ve been interested in lip oil products and since the new Lancome Juicy Lip Shakers are still not sold in stores, I may try these out. A coral and neutral shade are perfect for summer.
Tom Ford Cream Cheek Color in Pieno Sole
I had to do a double, maybe even triple take, when I saw that Sephora was carrying Tom Ford. Of course, this product is purely a wish and most likely I will not purchase it but it’s oh so gorgeous looking.
Urban Decay Naked Skin Color Correcting Fluid
I’ve seen these around and since I have a bit of discoloration underneath my eyes due to a prominent vein, I want to give these a whirl. I may try this lavender shade or the pink to see how it works.
So far, this is it for my list. I know it’s pretty short but I have my eye on other makeup releases so I kind of want to save up for those. Who knows, maybe once I get to the store, I’ll add more. 😉 I’ll make sure to do a haul of what I bought later this month with mini reviews.
What’s on your Sephora list?
Stephanie
Happy Tuesday everyone! I’m bringing you another review on a cult classic product within the makeup and beauty blogger/vlogger community: Ben Nye Luxury Banana Powder! This powder generated a mass following after it was discovered that Kim Kardashian’s makeup artist used this on her. Does this powder live up to the hype? Take a look!
Ben Nye Luxury Powder in Banana
Described as, a ” silky-fine, mattifying translucent setting powder. The versatile Banana shade suits a range of skin tones as it softly and subtly color corrects surface redness and pink undertones, as well as neutralizes blue under eye circles. Each one is specially formulated to absorb excess oil and soften the appearance of pores and texture.”
Pros
Multiple sizes available
Sifter included with 3oz (avoids cross contamination)
Nixes shine
Finely milled and soft
Subtly smooths skin’s appearance
Fragrance free
All sizes will last you a long time
Cons
A tad costly but you receive a lot of product for the cost
Accentuates dry areas
Contains talc
You need a container/tissue to pour the contents onto first
Settled around eye area
A bit messy
Overall: I like this product however it is not my holy grail must have. I have a bit of discoloration under my eyes and I didn’t notice the neutralizing effects but rather the powder accentuated dryness. If you can’t tolerate talc, definitely stay away from this product. As for this product being used as a highlighter, it could work for darker skin tones. I prefer my face makeup to look as natural as possible so I skipped the ‘baking’ trend commonly used with this powder. I appreciate the fact that this powder is soft and finely milled so it doesn’t feel heavy and it does a nice job of providing a soft focus look to my skin. I have combination skin so this nixed the shine in my T-Zone area, though after a few hours, the shine peeked through. Not sure I would purchase again as it didn’t do anything special that my Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Powder however it’s a good product to try to see how it will work out for you. Oh, and thankfully, this does not smell like bananas, haha.
Do you love the Ben Nye Banana Powder? Comment below!
Stephanie
Happy Friday everyone!
We’re into spring and for some of us, that means allergies. When your eyes feel red, puffy and irritated, place a cold compress or cooling eye packs over them for 5 to 10 minutes to help alleviate them.
Have a great weekend,
Stephanie