ProductWhores

The Perfect Summer Kit!

Now that we are officially welcoming in summer (and a ridiculously hot few days here in Los Angeles) I just had to post about an awesome kit that I am massively in love with.  Pop Beauty has put out the cutest kit called the Tan Popper, which contains nine Eye Shades (turquoise, pink, golden purple, true gold, peach gold, copper-bronze, sooty blue, chocolate glow, fresh lime green), three Jumbo Eye Pencils (black, deep blue, deep plum), a nude peachy-gold Face Glow, a peachy-pink Blush, a natural oversized Bronzer, and a liner and eye shade duo brush.  It also contains easy to follow instructions from Pop Beauty's international makeup artist, Carina Fornegard, so you really can't screw up the application.  I was amazed at how lovely all the eye shadow colors look on me.  Even the fresh lime green which in the case looks a bit "80s" looks fantastic on my lids (very fresh and summer-y).  The shadows also are easy to blend and you can create a few different looks because the colors are so diverse.  The bronzers work wonderfully on my pale skin and the peach face glow really makes my cheeks pop.  Basically, this kit is a lifesaver for a woman looking for a new summer look because you only have to throw down $38.00 to get it.  It's also a fabulous idea for anyone who travels because it neatly folds up into a four by four square.  Thank you, Pop Beauty, for another fantastic collection!  Because of you, I will look fabulous all summer as I sit in the shade (you won't catch this pale-skinned lady lounging in the sand).

Photo courtesy of Sephora

Get Your Blemishes Into Therapy

I'm all about the new mineral makeup craze, especially if it can help keep my skin clear.  Who doesn't want a treatment that's good for your skin AND keeps it looking good?  The RareMinerals Blemish Therapy from Bare Escentuals is my latest discovery.  It's different from any other spot treatments I've tried, but I'm finding it very effective.  It combines the gentle, exfoliating properties of the 100% pure RareMinerals concentrate with natural sulfur to treat acne, while at the same time keeping future breakouts from taking place.  Plus, it's super easy to use.  It comes with a brush and a little pot of powder that you sweep onto the troubled areas of your skin.  You can use it during the day under makeup to help conceal any skin imperfections or at night, which is what I've been doing.  (I admit, it does feel totally weird to clean my face with my entire skincare routine and then put on a powder, but since it seems to be clearing up whatever blemishes I get, I'm going with it).  According to the packaging on the box, 82% of people who used it felt like it effectively reduced blemishes, which is pretty consistent with my results.   I also like that with the amount I'm using, the pot seems like it'll last for a long time (unless my skin goes crazy haywire and then I'll have bigger problems than worrying about the size of this product).   Test it for yourself - I'd love to know what you think.

RareMinerals Blemish Therapy retails for $28.

Photo courtesy of Sephora

Crucial Moisture

Ever since I tried the Body Moisturizer by Bioelements, I have become a huge fan of their skincare line.  My most recent obsession is the perfectly named Crucial Moisture which really makes my skin feel fantastic.  Made with all sorts of incredible things like Watercress, Sage and Rosemary, this thick, yet non-greasy, facial treat is not tested on animals and contains no synthetic fragrance or artificial colorants.  So basically, I may eat tons of artificial junk, but my skin is well taken care of!  I love how this cream smells (must be all the aromatherapist oils it contains) and really can't go on enough about how smooth, well-hydrated and glowing my skin looks.  Perfect for anyone with dry or combination skin.  At under $30.00, Crucial Moisture is an extremely well-priced cream.  The one drawback is the container is glass, which looks fabulous on my bathroom countertop, but really makes traveling with it tough.  But hey, if that's the only drawback, I consider it a winner all around!

Photo courtesy of Bioelements

Magic Mushrooms

I love my Kiehl's Blue Astringent Herbal Lotion, but sometimes it just feels too harsh for the morning when my skin (in theory) shouldn't be dirty.  (It better not be after the forty-seven steps I use every night before I go to bed!)  Recently I've been using Origins' Plantidote Mega-Mushroom Treatment Lotion after I get out of the shower and it's the perfect product to get my skin ready for the day.  It's a light, almost moisturizing lotion that has Hypsizygus ulmarius, Cordyceps and Reishi mushrooms in it, along with ginger, holy basil and turmeric (no idea what half of those things are, but they sound important, right?)  It's supposed to hydrate your skin and give it a "calmer complexion," and my skin definitely seems to glow more after I smooth this on.  I like the smell of it too - it's a little medicine-like (but in a good way) and it's refreshing, so it wakes me up instead of making me want to crawl back into bed.  You can put it on with your fingers or a cotton pad, but I suggest the cotton pad - it just seems to penetrate more when I do it that way.  You'll also lose less of it to spillage, but that might just be klutzy me.  The other day I spilled some on the floor and then slipped on it, almost causing me to knock myself unconscious on the sink.  I mean, I like this lotion, I don't want to die for it...

The Plantidote Mega-Mushroom Treatment Lotion retails for $30 and can be found at any Origins store or online at Origins.com.

Photo courtesy of Origins

Ultra Hydration for a Dry Face

I am completely new to the DermaQuest Skin Therapy line of products, but as soon as I read about them, I was anxious to give them a try.  (Wow, shocker, me excited to try more products!)  DermaQuest's Daily Enzyme Cleanser and Revive Rich Moisturizing Cream are a fantastic superhero duo for anyone with dry skin.  The Cleanser smells of delicious tropical fruits and not only removes makeup without drying the skin, but also gently exfoliates with papaya and pineapple extracts.  The Revive Rich Moisturizing Cream is incredibly thick and doesn't really have a strong scent to it, which I like in a facial cream.  At first I thought I would hate that the moisturizer came in a tube, but I quickly was converted when I realized I didn't have to dip my nasty finger into a pot.   (Okay, my finger isn't nasty so to speak, but you see where I'm going with this).  While the cream is incredibly thick and somewhat hard to rub in because of the consistency, the results have truly blown me away.  My skin looks radiant.  Aside from having fabulous skin, I love that DermaQuest products are paraben-free and the company doesn't test on animals.  But (don't you hate when there's a "but") the one catch to DermaQuest is that the line has to be purchased at a dermatologist's office so you'll have to consult DermaQuestinc.com to find locations near you.  Having to take a little drive to get some great products isn't such a bad thing.

The Daily Enzyme Cleanser retails for $28.00 and the Revive Rich Moisturizing Cream retails for $68.00.  UPDATE:  Many wonderful people wrote in to share that DermaQuest can be purchased online at the following retailers (hooray!) SkinTerra.com, GoodBeauty.com, and SkinCareRX.com.

Photos courtesy of DermaQuest

Glow 'Til Infinity

In general, I don't love palettes.  Sure, there have been some that I used until everything was gone, but for the most part, when I get a palette there's always a few colors that I like and a few that I can't ever imagine putting on my face.  (Plus, a lot of them are so bulky I can't really throw them in my purse.  Well, I could, but since it already weighs like 15 pounds, I try to avoid adding anything big if I don't have to).  Tarte's Infinite Glow palette is one of the exceptions I've found to my rule.  It contains three of their bestselling products - a Mineral Powder Bronzer in Park Avenue Princess, a Cheek Stain in Tipsy and a 24/7 Lip Sheer in May Flowers.  It's small, and they're all natural, wearable colors (no losers in the bunch!) so I don't feel guilty adding it to my bag.  The bronzer gives me a natural color (although you will have to bring a brush along with you to use it) and I like having a portable cheek stain with me since blush seems to disappear quicker than I'd like a lot of the time.  (I consider the Lip Sheer a bonus since I always have about twenty-seven lipsticks on me at any given time, but it's a light pink shade that will flatter almost everyone).  I'm especially looking forward to using it when I travel back east in a few weeks since (as much as I love my full-size cheek stains) they're kind of bulky.  This is the perfect size to take on the plane with me so I can look good when I fly, just in case the guy sitting next to me is the man of my dreams.  (Yeah, I know he's more likely to be a dude with B.O. who hogs the armrest, but a girl can dream, right?)

The Infinite Glow palette retails for $30 and is available at TarteCosmetics.com and Sephora.com.

Photo courtesy of Sephora

Fabulously Affordable Face Powder

I have raved and raved about DHC (hmm, I wonder if I sound like a broken record) and this post will be no different.  I have been using their Q10 Face Powder which is wonderful.  I am currently using the Pink one on a daily basis and am thrilled with the results.  It has a slight shimmer to it (not stripper glittery, but subtle and sophisticated) and really helps my make-up to stay put throughout the day (and looks fabulous at night on my decolletage).  I did some research (wow, I use fancy words like "decolletage" AND do research) and Q10 has been known to have excellent antioxidant properties effectively conteracting free radical damage and preventing wrinkles.  Hey, that's not so bad to have in a face powder!  It comes in four shades (three are shimmer, Transparent 00 is matte) but all are reasonably priced at only $15.00 and come with a cute puff for application.  My only complaint is that I wish they had a thinner compact so I could tote the stuff around in my purse for daily touch-ups.  Geez, I'm so demanding about my products.

Photo courtesy of DHC.

You Can't Beat the All-in-One

There's nothing I like more than a multi-purpose product.  I know I'm giving away the true depths of my laziness by saying that because really, it's not like putting on sunscreen, moisturizer and foundation is the equivalent of running a marathon, but it's still kind of annoying to put on three products when one could do the job.  Enter MD Skincare and their All-in-One Tinted Moisturizer Sunscreen SPF 15.  I've never tried any of their products before, but since it's nearing the summer in Los Angeles, which is when I switch from my regular foundation to a tinted moisturizer (also known as "The Months I Sweat a lot and Never Look Good"), I figured I'd give this one a whirl.   I'm so glad that I did!  One pump comes complete with sunscreen, moisture, and a tint that adds a little color to my face without being heavy or mask-like.  It does, however, seem to cover up some of the flaws on my skin, which is a good quality to have in a tinted moisturizer, since a lot of the ones I've tried are so sheer they don't give you any coverage at all. 

A Fancy Cream with a Fancy Name Makes me Fancy

Once again I was bullied (picture kicking and screaming here) into walking into L'Occitane at the mall.  So what if my mom only stands 4 foot 11 - she can be very feisty.  While in there I was drawn to some really pretty blue glass containers (wow, I sound like a child) that sat all sweetly on a back shelf.  When I got closer the woman who worked there proceeded to convince me that I needed to try one - something about how my skin would thank me for it.  Well, I am happy to report, she was right on.  The Immortelle Precious Cream is wonderful.  I have been religiously using it for the past two weeks and my skin is softer and has an awesome glow to it.  The dry areas around my nose that usually fall victim to flaking are non-existant.  The cream is nice and thick but sinks in super fast so if you use it at night you won't have the slippery-on-the-pillow problem and during the day you'll happily be applying make-up almost immediately.  The cream smells so delightful, I wish they had a hand cream to match.  I can't quite place the scent, but it's very fresh and lightly floral even.  The glass pot looks adorable on the bathroom counter (but wow, what a mess you'd make if you drop it) and you won't use a lot so the container will last you a long time.  One of the best face creams I've used on my dry skin.  I'm a fan for life.  Now I need to try the lotion with SPF 15.  My mom must be pretty happy now, knowing her bullying has led to me writing a review.   

Photo Courtesy of L'Occitane

Face This

I used to always use a sponge to blend my foundation, but a couple of months ago I threw my last one out after reading a magazine article that suggested I was keeping them WAY too long and was probably going to die of some crazy bacterial infection if I kept using it. (Okay, I may be exaggerating, but not by much. Reading Glamour can be scary, y'all). And then I just kept forgetting to buy new sponges every time I was at the drugstore because while I spend way too much time at Long's, I never go down the aisle the sponges are on because it's a boring aisle with dental floss and stuff and even I draw the line somewhere. So I readjusted to just blending my foundation with my fingers and convinced myself that it looked the same. Then I glanced at myself in an extremely magnified, well lit mirror and realized I was completely wrong. I had streaks that I couldn't see in normal light, a few weird lighter patches that I'd missed with my fingers, and I'm kind of convinced that the circles under my eyes looked darker too, although I realize that's kind of impossible. I was planning another trip to Long's immediately to pick up more sponges, but then I had to go to the mall for something else, so I decided to get them at Sephora instead. These Sponge Wedges in A Case are a definite improvement over the Long's drugstore version. They come in an adorable little round circle that's easy to store and travel with, and for only $6, you get eight sponges. That's almost the price of the drugstore version, so it's worth it to spend a few cents extra for these better quality ones. They're also wedge shaped, which is convenient for both application purposes and for making me happy in the morning because they look like pieces of pie. And that reminds me that it's almost Thanksgiving, and Thanksgiving=pumpkin pie. (Theoretically, I know you can get pumpkin pie during the summer, but there's just something so wrong about eating it when it's 85 degrees outside. It's a fall/winter dessert. It just is). I've been using a sponge to blend my foundation again for 5 days now and I can definitely see the difference in the mirror. (But not the extremely magnified mirror because I've decided that seeing your pores that close up is damaging to your mental health). Now I kind of want to go buy one of those foundation brushes and see how that compares to the other two ways of blending. I could say it's research, but really, I'll just use any excuse to shop.