Christmas Reveals

A product I have been getting a lot of use out of these cold months is my new:

Clarins Liquid Bronze Self Tanning for my face/neck. 

This is a very subtle face tanner that moisturizes your skin while leaving a soft 

touch of color. It's lightweight and has a little bit of a tan smell. I have been applying 

this at night before bed and then have a nice healthy glow when I wake up. 

If you are looking for a dark beach kind of tan this is not the product for you. You can tell a difference

and the product is build able... so the more layers you apply and if you chose to apply every 

night you are going to get more color. But, this is designed to be a natural healthy looking

color for your face! 

This retails at Sephora for $32. It's a great pick me up product when you are feeling

a little Casper like. 

What tanners do you enjoy using?

Christmas Reveals Day 3

I'm back with another post about some beauty goodies I got for Christmas. 

I was no stranger to the Ole Henriksen skincare line since I had tried their 3 little wonders

set a couple years ago. 

Sephora's description on the brand is this:

Nature, science, beauty, and wellness. These four key elements are behind every Ole Henriksen product, making it a total lifestyle line and a true depiction of the man behind the brand. Ole (pronounced "ooh-lah") Henriksen's studies in cosmetic chemistry, and hands-on experience treating some of Hollywood's most famous complexions at his Los Angeles spa, have resulted in the ultimate in at-home luxury—skincare that treats the face and body while helping to achieve overall health and wellness. What we love most? Just like his sought-after spa treatments, every Ole Henriksen product is an absolute treat for the senses—they smell delicious and feel sensational.

Two of the products that I loved from set I asked for this year for Christmas are

the Sheer Transformation, and Invigorating Night Gel. 

These retail each at Sephora for $45. A little steep for moisturizer and gel, but that's why 

I put it on my Wishlist. 

The Sheer transformation is absolutely the most silky moisturizer I've ever felt or put

on my face. It literally melts right into your skin like butter. It's amazing! My skin feels 

refreshed after I use it. No oily or greasy like other moisturizers may leave you feeling... just

very clean, fresh, and light! LOVE! 

The invigorating night gel is a really unique product in that it not only works towards vanishing

fine lines and wrinkles, but also has ingredients that work towards diminishing break outs

and dark spots. This little baby is also packed with vitamins and minerals. 

These both get great reviews as they should for the price tag, but I can tell a difference 

in my skin when I use these on a regular basis. 

For my detailed information go to Sephora.com. 

I would definitely repurchase either one of these. 

Have you tried this brand before? 

Christmas Reveals Day 2

Another beauty goodie Santa brought this year was the highly 

sought after Lorac Pro Palette. 

After hearing review after review on how pigmented, creamy, and wonderful this palette 

was on top of great everyday neutral colors and a row of matte and row of shimmer 

shadows I was pretty much convinced. 

So, without further ado I give you my newest palette love... 

If you are familiar with Nars packaging then you will probably notice that the Pro palette

is packaged much the same way. It's case is a black rubbery texture that has a smooth matte finish,

but on the down side does attract fingerprints and dirt. Other than that I like the packaging. 

It's extremely thin. Much thinner than either of the Naked palettes by Urban Decay. 

Picture above is with the flash so you can see the shimmer shades on the bottom stand out a 

little better. 

As you can see there are 16 total shades. 8 matte shades on the top and 8 shimmery shades 

on the bottom. 

Some may look at this and just think it's just another neutral palette. Nothing that special to 

it. But, I would beg to differ. I feel like there is so much that can be done with a palette

with both matte and neutral shades. Most people want to combine the two. When in a hurry and 

on the go or traveling this palette makes things easy. Everything you need for a light

natural eye or a dark smokey look is here along with a matte black eyeliner. 

Lorac Pro retails at Sephora or Ulta for $42. 

Sephora's description is:

What it is:
A professional palette featuring 16 ultra-pigmented eye shadows infused with soothing botanicals and a mini Behind The Scenes Eye Primer for stay-true color that lasts.

What it does:
Created by celebrity makeup artist Carol Shaw, this PRO artistry palette is packed with eight shimmer and eight matte eye shadows in all the shades you need to create the hottest looks straight from the red carpet. LORAC’S velvety smooth shadows are infused with soothing botanicals and are ultra-pigmented to perform wet or dry so you can shade, shadow, line, and define your eyes, just like a pro. With 16 shadows to contour, line, define, and create any look you desire, you have everything you need for your eyes and brows in one sleek palette!

What do you think about the Lorac Pro Palette? Would you purchase this?

Christmas Reveals Day 1

I'm back... for a quick post on some beauty goodies I got over Christmas. 

I'm going to try to blog on Christmas items over the next few days, but bare with me as I 

am starting a new job tomorrow and things are going to get crazy busy. 

Today's item is a skincare product by Fresh that I had requested. 

The Soy Face Cleanser is a product I had been familiar with since my mom used this

wash some last year. I tried it a few times and was impressed by how gentle it was and left my skin

feeling so soft and moisturized and super clean. 

After hearing one of my favorite Youtube Beauty Guru's do a skincare routine video and this 

wash was apart of her daily routine I added it to my Beauty Christmas Wishlist. 

I have been using it since Christmas and absolutely love! A small dab goes a long way. It lathers

well and again leaves my skin feeling wonderful after finishing. 

This is the number one cleanser sold at Sephora and retails there for $38 in the 5.1 oz 

bottle that I have. 

Sephora's description of this wash:

What it is:
A multitasking gel that gently removes impurities and makeup.

What it is formulated to do:
The Soy Face Cleanser from Fresh instantly whisks away everyday impurities and makeup—even mascara—without stripping the skin of essential moisture. Rich in amino acids, soy proteins promote moisture retention, elasticity, and firmness. Rosewater balances and tones the skin. Fragrance-free and soap-free, calming cucumber extract and nourishing borage seed oil enriches its formula. 

There are few washes that I try and just instantly love and can tell a big difference in. Most washes

do about the same thing for your skin. However, this cleaner is different. It is one that stands out

and my skin thanks me for after using. Love this and it will definitely be a repurchase. 

Have you tried the Fresh line?! 

Christmas Reveals (Day 5)

So, I have been so horrible at blogging lately, right? My mind has just not

been into it lately. I try to do better, but I fail. I need a good boost of motivation.

I'm not going to say much about this post because I talked more in detail about this in

my Dear Santa posts. The Skinsonic is basically the same concept as the

Clarisonic that Sephora sells.

It is a cleaning system for your face. It is great for your pores, deep cleaning and removing

all the make-up and dirt off your face, as well as moisturizing and exfoliating.

So, as you can see the Skinsonic comes with 5 heads!!! The blue head is for cleaning

sensitive skin, the black is for a deeper cleaning, the two in the middle with soft

heads are for getting your moisturizer into your skin and exfoliating and the

one on the end is a massage head.

The Skinsonic is such a great value. You get the 5 heads, the device, and the

holding case.

The Clairisonic sold at Sephora is $150 plus... sheesh. I've never used it so I can't

really compare how this one performs to it, but I really love it. I've been using it

every night (when I'm not too tired and lazy) and I can really tell a difference in my

skin. It looks cleaner and shinier and just more smooth.

For more information or purchasing one of your own click here.

Sirius Beauty also has some options for acne and anti-aging that you may

be interested in looking at. Click here for more info.

Have a SIRIUSLY awesome weekend!

Christmas Reveals (Day 3)

So, something I had not anticipated or asked for is this Clean Body Veil by

the brand Clean.

My mother has this and apparently really likes it. This is more of a body powder...

I don't think it is for face use. I actually used it on my hair when I was home one

weekend b/c I didn't pack my dry shampoo. So, this was a great alternative for drying

up the part in my hair where it was oily. It smells great and super clean.

I'm not sure how much I will actually use this, but it is a nice gift to have for those

days when you feel like you need a fresh little pick me up.

VIEW ALL PRODUCTS BY CLEAN Clean Body Veil What it is: A moisture-absorbing body powder, scented with the Original CLEAN fragrance, in a time-released format. What it does: CLEAN Moisture Absorbent Fresh Body Veil is not your grandmother's powder! This fresh-keeping essential harnesses Cotton Vantage, a new technology that blends cotton seeds, cotton extracts, and cotton proteins to help absorb excess moisture. The time-release scent keeps skin smelling CLEAN all day long, while it helps keep you dry and protects delicate, moisture-sensitive fabrics. What it is formulated WITHOUT: - Parabens - Sulfates - Synthetic Dyes - Triclosan What else you need to know: This product is not animal tested and does not contain propylene glycol, mineral oil, animal ingredients, or talc.

Have a wonderful day!

Christmas Reveals (Day 2)

So, if you read my Dear Santa posts you will remember that one of the perfumes

on my "wish list" was Flora by Gucci.

Guess what??? Santa delivered!! yay. I have been wearing this every day and it is

Oh so nice!! My friend Alison says it reminds her of a signature teacher sent

when you are a little kid. You know those teachers that always smell good and have

a scent about them you can remember. I'm not really sure how I feel about that

comment... I mean I would rather her say I smelled really sexy, or girly, or fun

than a teacher!! HA! But, regardless it smells great.

Light. Clean. Sweet. Pretty.

Or, if your Alison... a good teacher!

VIEW ALL PRODUCTS BY GUCCI Flora By Gucci Eau Fraîche Born of youthful elegance and subtle sensuality, Flora By Gucci Eau Fraiche adds a bright, citrusy element to the Gucci fragrance family. The fragrance's mandarin top notes mingle with the piquant vibrancy of kumquat and bergamot fruit. In the heart notes, a transparent floralcy glimmers against an elegant base, one that blends an edgy peppery note with a warm touch of sandalwood. Notes: Citrus Accords, Kumquat, Peony, Rose, Osmanthus, Pink Pepper, Sandalwood, Patchouli. Style: Playful. Fruity. Floral.

Christmas Reveals (Day 1)

HAPPY NEW YEAR PEEPS!!!!!

I hope your 2012 has had a great start and you are filled with renewed minds, hearts,

and spirits to be determined to make this year better than the last.

After my "Dear Santa" posts I thought I would update you with some things that

Santa did bring me with some reviews!

If you read my blog often you know that skincare has become a new priority for me and

researching the best products for my skintype.

I have heard SO many good things from friends, youtube subscriptions, and reviews about

the Philosophy line sold at Sephora. Their Purity facewash, Hope in a Jar moisturizer,

and Help Me retinal cream are all award winning products among many other

things they sale.

Last year I bought a sample size bottle of the Purity face-wash because I wanted to see what

all the hype was about. Honestly, when I tried it I was not crazy about it. The formula

is one that does not foam up and give you bubbles and all that jazz. For me that's

important b/c it makes me feel like my face is getting really clean. Their cleanser

however, does claim to be a one step process. It dissolves dirt, makeup and other

impurities in one step. No toner, scrub etc needed afterwards. Although, I don't

discourage that.

But, after talking to Rachel and her love for all their products I decided to give

everything a try together. So, the Great Skin Is In Set was added to my Wish List.

VIEW ALL PRODUCTS BY PHILOSOPHY Great Skin Is In™ - Normal to Combination ($105 Value) What it is: A set of skincare essentials for normal to combination skin types. What it is formulated to do: Great skin is always in. This routine helps you achieve the best skin of your life in three easy steps. Used together, these products promote a healthy, radiant-looking complexion while balancing skin that's dry in some places, oily in others. This set contains: - 8 oz Purity Made Simple - 1.05 oz Help Me - 2 oz Hope In A Jar Original What else you need to know: The Help Me night treatment contains retinol to soften the appearance of fine lines.

As you can see you get the cleanser, moisturizer, and retinal cream. I have been using

this combo pretty consistently through the holidays and I'm really liking it.

If you haven't heard of "Hope in a Jar" Oprah listed this product as one of her

favorite things. : ) You guys know how I am with products that get celebrity buzz.

The moisturizer has a nice clean fragrance that's really nice. My mom asked me one day

after I had applied if I put some perfume on? Ha. It took me a second to realize it

was the moisturizer, but she thought it smelled really nice. It almost has a whipped

texture to it and just melts into your skin. Super light and blendable. I will say I am a

HUGE fan of the Ole Henriksen line and LOVE their "Sheer Transformation"

moisturizer. I don't love the "Hope in a Jar" more than OH, but if that changes

I will let you know.

The retinal cream "Help Me" is an anti-again cream that is to be applied before

Hope in Jar. It is designed to keep pores clean and minimized, reduces wrinkles

and discoloration and boosts tone and firmness. WOO HOO!! Yes, Yes, please

bring that on!! Love the research results! :)

Research Results:
In an eight-week independent clinical study, clinician grading showed:
- 100% of subjects had improvement in fine lines.
- 100% had smoother skin.
- 94% had improvement in wrinkles.
- 88% had firmer skin.

So, overall I am very happy with using this line. It's easy, affordable, and promises

great results.

Thank you St. Nick for boosting my skincare process!