Stila Lip Glaze - Joy

I found this after doing Spring cleaning. I really need to go through my stash more often! I believe this was from Stila's 2014 Winter collection. The sheer bright bubble gum looks very Barbie like. I think I had mines a bit too long as the color started separating. Either way, it wasn't very sticky and while the color is sheer, it still makes a good clear  lip gloss.

Barbie like bubble gum pink

L'Occitane Shea Butter Ultra Rich Body Cream

Photo Credit - L'Occitane

The rich cream is packed with 25% concentration of shea butter with a sweet scent of Jasmine. The whipped cream is packed with extracts of linseed, mallow, sweet almond and honey along with apricot oil and Vitamin E. The body cream is thick [perfect for the winter] but still light enough for the summer. It made my skin, soft, smooth and left a soft delicate scent on my skin. I love applying this after exfoliating [with Sundari Gotu Kola and Walnut Body Exfoliator] and then going to bed and waking to super soft skin.

Koh Gen Do Oriental Plants Emollient Cream

Photo Source - Sephora

I LOVE THIS CREAM! This cream is packed with 36 botanical extracts and vitamin A. This cream combined ancient botanical formulas with advance technology to create a cream that combines the tried and true with cutting edge technology. The emollient cream left my skin feeling rich, nourished, smooth and looking absolutely radiant. I love this cream but I am really sad that this cream is so expensive and my makeup addiction is leaving me so poor.  :(

ELF Cucumber Melon Moisturizing Body Cream

I found this while going through my inventory and I decided since I no longer see on ELF’s webpage it is high time I used it up. The hand cream is packed with shea butter, aloe vera gel, hemp seed oil and vitamin b5. The creamy body cream does have a fresh crisp cucumber scent that reminds me being at the spa. It leaves my body smooth and soft but I noticed it doesn’t last through washing my hands. Overall, it was a decent  cream for the price.

Acure Cell Stimulating Body Wash Moroccan Argan Stem Cell + Argan Oil

This fresh scented body is packed with fair trade certified ingredients such  moroccan argan stem cells, CoQ10, organic argan, sea buckthorn and pumpkin seed oil. The 100% biodegradable promises to feed and restore cells. The formula is also vegan, paraben, gluten synthetic fragrance, silicone and phthalate free. The body wash gave a generous lather and left my skin feel smooth and soft. Overall, my favorite part of this product was the scent and my skin felt tingly like my cells were getting “stimulated” but that sounds so wrong.

Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Outlaw

The creamy full coverage bright brick red lipstick goes on smoothly. It leaves a nice matte finish and stains lips to give it an everlasting last.  The lipstick is fortified with vitamins A, C, and E to provide hydration to lips. I didn't notice any hydration benefit, though. I love the color but the stain didn't last very on me but the remnants of the color still looks pretty when topped with gloss.

One Bath and Body Natural Body Soap in Blast from the Past

I bought this sweet scented soap on sale at this discounted beauty market. The sweet scent immediately made me want..no..need this in my life. The soap provided a generous lather and left my skin super soft and smooth. The only thing I didn't like is that the paper that the soap came in stuck to the soap. It took a bit before I could get half of it off. Granted, this could have been an issue with the place I bought the soap from. I would definitely get this again but in a different store.

Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Cleansing Foam

The purifying cleansing foam has a creamy lather that purifies the complexion to bring out the radiance of your skin. The cleanser is formulated with multi-action brightening system that targets spots and improve clarity and luminosity in skin. I used a bit of this with my Clarisonic brush and it left my skin a bit tight at first. After following up with moisturizer my skin felt and look radiant. My skin look more bright and luminous but my dark spots didn’t completely vanish..sadly.

       

The Body Shop Coconut Body Butter

The creamy body butter is packed with nourishing beeswax, tropical virgin organic coconut oil and hydrating shea butter. Although, the body butter claims to have a tropical coconut scent; it smells more like cocoa butter to me. It also has the same consistency and melt in your skin texture. My skin felt soft and smooth but I didn’t get 24 hour hydration as promised. Overall, it’s a mediocre product. I feel like you can get the same quality from a jar of Palmer’s Cocoa butter from the drugstore without the $20 price tag.

Burt's Bees Spearmint & Lime Body Wash

The spearmint and lime infused wash is a gentle all - in - one formula. The gentle cleanser is made with coconut  and sunflower oils to create a rich lather. I love the fresh and crisp scent. It is perfect for size and scent to pack in my gym bag.

Iroha Nature Intensive Facial Cloth Mask Q10

This paraben free paper mask is packed with hyaluronic acid, Q10, collagen, and soy. Soybeans are known to prevent premature aging of the skin and retaining moisture. It is also known for its antioxidant properties such as fighting free radicals and promoting the growth of collagen. My face felt firm, supple, smooth and soft after I put the mask for the instructed 15 minutes. I did like after I finished remove the mask there was some excess serum left over and  I massaged into my neck so it can reap in some of the benefits too! I sometimes wonder how come they don’t make a mask that covers a the neck as well. Because I know some people who take really good care of the face but neglect their necks and the neck is actually makes people look older.

Lucky August 2014

The Perfect Glow-

Microfine pigments are responsible for the incredibly natural shades in  summer’s newest bronzers. To leave skin sun-kissed and healthy-looking with a powder, trace a backwards 3 shape with a fluffy brush, moving from the sides of your forehead to your cheekbones by lightly dusting down the bridge of your nose and chin. You can also use powders for your body - a little bronzer along your collarbone, under your triceps and down the front of your legs create a slimming effect. Liquids also work for both face and body: Dab a bit with your fingers or a foundation brush onto spots that the sun might hit, like cheekbones, then blend outward.

Self August 2014

Easy Beauty Fixes - Gorgeous Hair

Add Volume -  a thickening mousse that fights hair flattening heat and humidity. New formulations are lightweight and contain ingredients that expand the diameter of each strand. B vitamins, panthenol, polyquaternium-4 and hyaluronic acid are a few to look for on the label.  Rub a plum sized amount between your hands first, then run fingers through your hair from roots to tips. Use a wide toothed comb to spread it out completely.

Strengthen your hair -  a deep conditioning mask that contains amino acids, keratin or ceramides - all proteins and lipids naturally found in hair - will make strands stronger. The speediest way to use a mask is to sub it in for  your conditioner whenever you wash your hair. Squeeze the water out of your hair before applying, so it doesn’t dilute it. Rinse after a few minutes. If  hair is very damaged, try this at least once a week: smooth the mask on dry hair right when you wake up, ten minutes to an hour later, shower and rinse it out, then shampoo and condition as usual.

Soften Strands - Natural oils - argan, sesame, avocado - soak deep into the hair shaft. Before bed, distribute a tablespoon or two through dry hair.  Shampoo clean in the morning, repeat the process each time you wash until hair feels softer.  If hair is extra dry, try a leave-in conditioning spray with dimethicone in addition to the oil. It locks in hair’s natural moisture.

Boost shine - an at home gloss. Glosses deposit clear or sheer pigments and silicone that makes the cuticle layer lie flat again. Apply one to damp hair for 10 minutes, then rinse. To play it safe, use a  gloss only every few months. Some contain a small amount of peroxide which can be damaging if overused.

Easy Beauty Fixes - Luminous Skin

Bring out your natural glow - spotlight features with a highlighter or luminizer. The shimmery liquid, cream or powder reflects light, making any area you apply it to stand out. Use the same highlighter to show off defined muscles. Swipe it  on shoulders and down the fronts of arms and legs.

Hydrated your complexion -  a hydrating tone or essence. Old school toners used alcohol to dissolve oil and left skin dry. Today’s versions still control oil, but most are alcohol-free and deliver light humectants, such as hyaluronic acid, that draw moisture to the skin. If you are very dry, layer on a light moisturizer too. The toner primes skin to better absorb any hydrator you put on next.

Get smoother looking legs -  massage a cellulite treatment that contains caffeine into thighs for five minutes. Vigorous rubbing breaks up fibrous bands, so fat distributes more smoothly under the skin. And caffeine dehydrates fat cells, shrinking them so they look temporarily look less bumpy.

Woman’s Day August 2014

Two Clever Uses for Balloons

1. Serve Dessert - Dip small, inflated balloons halfway into a bowl of melted chocolate, then place on a wax covered baking sheet and refrigerate until chocolate hardens. With a pin or scissors, pop and peel away the balloons so you’re left with edible bowls.

2. Anchor a tablecloth - prevent a gust of wind from pulling your table cloth up, by attaching it to homemade weights. Use a funnel to pour sand or rice into four uninflated balloons, knot them, then safety pin one to each of the tablecloth’s inside corners so they stay hidden while holding the fabric down.

Stress Less Mornings

1. Spend 5 minutes on the porch [or if you live in NYC by a window ---hopefully you don’t get an eyeful of your neighbor] Exposure to sunlight improves your energy thanks for the vitamin D, while increasing melatonin for better sleep at night.

2. Eat blueberries at breakfast. The berries are associated with a mood hormone that can help you cheer up when you’re feeling sad. They’re also packed with healthy antioxidants that may prevent cancer.

3. Have another cup of coffee. People who drink three or more cups of coffee a day may have a 37% lower risk of type 2 diabetes compared with those who sip less than a cup. Researchers believe a compound in the brew improves how your body processes sugar.

Better Homes and Garden August 2014

Fast Fixes for your Foyers

1. Start here - if your entry is a mess, don’t get overwhelmed thinking it needs a major makeover. Hanging a couple of hooks and putting out a big basket for shoes can make a huge difference.

2. Coat check - consider offloading some of those parkas to bedroom closets or underbed storage during the off season.

3. Hide Away - a dresser is pretty brilliant in an entry. Line the drawers with shelf paper or cookie sheets for shoes, and add a tray to turn the top into a drop zone for mail and keys.

4. Grab and go - keep a cute tote bag hanging near the back door. Use it as a collection spot for whatever needs to leave the house next trip.

How to buy Summer’s Bounty Veggies-

Corn -Buy - look for corn with golden to brown silks and healthy green husks. Store - keep corn in its husk until ready to use, or remove kernels from the cob and freeze.

Green Beans - Look for slender, unbruised beans that snap easily. Thinner beans are sweetest. Store - place unwashed beans in a resealable bag. Refrigerate up to a week.

Squash - look for firm, smooth, unblemished squash. For yellow squash, choose smaller ones - the large ones have a lot more seeds. Place unwashed squash in an airtight container and refrigerate up to a week.

Shea Moisture Organic African Black Soap

The floral scented body bar soap is packed with organic Shea Butter, Oats, tamarind extract, tar, Vitamin E, Plantain Extract, Palm Ash, Rosemary Extract, and Aloe. The moisturizing soap cleans, moisturizes and protects against irritated skin while absorbing excess oil. It also helps relieves symptoms of eczema and psoriasis while keeping skin clear of blemishes. The soap lathers well and left my skin feeling soft and smooth. The plantain extract provided a gentle exfoliation and left my skin soft and smooth. The only thing I don’t like is that the bar doesn’t last very long.

Instyle August 2014

Strong, Healthy Hair

Fried, Broken Ends

1.  Get a small trim. Every four weeks, get the ends dusted, so split ends can't move up the shaft and compromise even more of your length.

2.  A preshampoo layer of conditioner with vegetable oil and elastic can protect strands while helping to restore their bounce. Leave on for a few minutes, then rinse and follow with a gentle, detergent free wash.

3. Natural oils like shea, jojoba, and almond work in two ways: they soak into hair shaft to fortify it against future breakage, and they slick down pesky flyways. A dose of biotin rich rebuilder on dry strands can also temporarily seal frayed ends.

Dull, Frizzy Strands

1. Start in the shower by using an oil-based shampoo and conditioner duo. And if you are blow-drying afterward, you must commit to going at until strands are completely dry.

2.  Use a silicone free leave in spray to protect against sweat, humidity, and rain.

3.  Look for a sheer mist with a lightweight blend of botanical oils. Frizz prone hair soaks it up and behaves but still has some body.

BBW Sleep Lavender Chamomile Body Lotion

We all have those days where we have one too many things on the checklist to be done and not enough hours in the day. And, if our lives weren’t demanding enough, sometimes it’s quite difficult to get a full restful night of sleep. This BBW Sleep lotion promises to help enhance sleep naturally without the help of pills. It is formulated with lavender and chamomile essential oils to soothe and calm the body and mind into a peaceful slumber. The creamy lotion goes on smoothly and leaves my skin delicately soft. While, I am not entirely sure this lotion makes me sleep better but it does make might nightly routine more peaceful and calm.