Hi there! I hope you're having a safe and festive holiday season. Happy New Year to everyone! I've been busy lately so I haven't written in a long while, I know. I apologize. As always, I hope to share with you some great news. I know I haven't posted as often as I should so here goes.Cargo brand has released a fairly new line of eco-friendly products packaged in compostable plastic called "PlantLOve". Their marketing mantra is, "Red Lips. Green Conscience." One of the most promising items is the collection of fashionable shades of lipstick. It is great to know you can be green but not have to stick to only very natural shades, but can wear all the season's best colors too. Cargo is, self-proclaimed, the only prestige line to make a lipstick with a botanical blend without:- Parabens- Sulfates- Synthetic Fragrance- Synthetic Dye- Petro-Chemicals- PhthalatesNow, unlike most of the other products I've mentioned here, I havent actually used this one. This is a product mention not a review. I wanted to clarify it. I will always let you know which products I have used and am relating to you firsthand. [But it does sound great doesn't it? I'm buying it soon. It's available at Sephora.]
Also as a BONUS, I'm going to do a double product mention- and this one IS a review.[To make up for my recent neglect. :(] This product I have used. It's called "More Body Hair Thickener by Giovanni Organic Hair Care". This product really lives up to its name. The first day I tried using it after I bought it, someone immediately told me my hair looked different! The product has less hold than I would have liked, but its main purpose is volumizing and adding body, which it does well. This it does even in dry hair with no blowdrying. However, add it to damp hair as directed and blowdry, and you will get great results. The smell is pleasant, like upscale hair care products. It is organic and available at most Whole Foods stores!sincerely yours,rOsE
I haven't written an entry in a long time. My next planned post was for eyelash extensions but I've been having a problem with the pictures, so hopefully that one will come soon. For now I'll mention the fact that I've started a new skincare routine. So as I've stated earlier, I'm on a new kick all about trying to incorporate more natural and organic type products into my regimen. So for starters, I've always believed all the hype about how SOAP is so harsh for your skin and how non-SOAP cleansers are better. Well knowing that I'm often allergic to many substances that touch my skin, I was wondering if I could reduce my skin problems if I'd only find the right product.
So in the past, Proactiv has worked for me for a period, but I hated how my skin would go berserk the moment I used a different product or skipped a washing with their line. The 3-step process was sometimes tedious, especially if you're low on time or tired. Add moisturizer to the process and its 4-step. If you have the time and can stick with it, give it a try. However, it isn't natural, but I'll get to my natural recommendations in a bit. (It does contain botanicals though.) I also tried Obagi, hoping it would purge my skin and reduce my blemishes. Purge it did, but it never actually improved my skin and in some ways made it worse because I was so self conscious of all the blemishes that popped up. Obagi claims to purge impurities and renew the skin but I didn't observe any vast improvement for my own. My girlfriend used it and really liked her results. I guess it just wasn't for me. Obagi is also not natural but does contain botanicals. It is also pricey, but it must be sold with some professional supervision, as it is only sold through doctors and aestheticians. So there is a degree of professional oversight, because you will consult with them while you use the at-home treatments. It's a product I would recommend for some skin types and not others. Try researching the brand and decide for yourself.
Back to the soap thing, I ended up doing a little bit of online research. What I found out opened my eyes. It turns out soap can be very drying and harsh to your skin IF you use brands from the national chains (which contain chemicals). They often remove certain ingredients in their soaps to use in other products, or replace certain ingredients, using chemicals instead. Many of the naturally moisturizing ingredients in natural soaps, such as glycerin, are absent. Many of the chemicals in these soaps are not truly necessary for them to be effective in cleansing also. For instance, the soap may contain things to increase its sudsiness, which means its bubble action, but bubbles don't preclude more effective cleansing. Also, some chemicals may be for color, fragrance, shelf life, etc. I don't mind fragrant or colored soaps but the sheer amount of chemicals frightens me. I don't want to go too in depth here, but just look at your ingredient list on your bar soap and plug in some of the names in your browser. You may also be surprised what you find out.
The myth I'd like to dispel, however, is that all bar soaps are drying. Another myth is that people with acne or problem skin cannot use soap with oil in it. Or any products with oil for that matter. So I've always believed the hype and bought oil-free products, which inevitably replace the oil with chemicals that behave like the oils. More exposure to chemicals for my already sensitive skin. After reading about all the beneficial properties of many botanical oils, I decided to try some natural soaps that contained them, and see what happened. I tried tea tree oil soap called Cleansing Bar Tea Tree Therapy by Desert Essence. I also started using an alcohol free witch hazel toner called Lavender Witch Hazel with aloe vera by Thayers. I've also alternated (or used in combination) the tea tree oil bar with an aloe vera bar called Aloe Vera Soap by Nature's Plus. This soap also contains Vitamins A, D, & E. I use a facial brush which I dampen and run across either one or both bars then apply to my face in a circular motion, rinsing with warm water. Then I use a cotton pad (which I find superior to cotton balls) saturated with the toner, and stroke it over my face after cleansing. The soaps and toner leave my skin feeling refreshed and never tight and dry. I don't even usually feel the need to use moisturizer immediately the way I do with face washes. Those leave my skin tight. Not to mention both the soaps and the toner smell so pleasant! The tea tree oil soap has that herbally smell of tea tree oil. The aloe vera soap is lemon scented. The lavender toner is obviously lavender scented. What I've learned is oil is bad for your skin when manufacturers use oils in the forms of petroleum based oils like petrolatum and mineral oil. Those from a natural source like coconut, tea tree, jojoba, shea, etc. are beneficial to your skin. Test for yourself and see if what worked for me works for you! So far it seems to help my skin. I'll let you know if it turned out to be a bad idea. I've been doing this for a couple weeks now and so far I'm liking my results!
sincerely yours,
rOsE
Well, it's a fairly nice warm day today, not as humid as the past few. I did a little bit of shopping today, mainly to find a birthday present for a friend. Thinking of shopping reminded me, I hadn't yet posted an entry on Sephora.Oh, SEPHORA! I love that place. [Honestly, I could live there. No joke. hehe.] It's like all your favorite department store beauty product counters plus fragrance counters all rolled into one. Okay so they don't REALLY have every brand, but they do carry most of the most popular/in demand brands, pretty much what is in most department stores, and even hard to find brands. (For instance, if you saw it in a women's magazine and want to try it, look for it at Sephora and you will often find they are carrying it.) It is a one stop shop and I find myself spending hours there just to pick up one item. I always end up browsing all the other things even when I've made well intentioned plans to just pick up what I'm out of and leave. I also love that they aren't everywhere. There isn't one in my city but it is in a local city and isnt very far from my home, maybe 1-3 miles at most. I really DETEST when corporations saturate the market-like Starbucks and McDonalds. UGH. One on every street corner is extremely excessive.You can find a wide array of fragrances that you would have to stop at several different counters to peruse if you were in a traditional department store-with each counter's sales rep trying to get you to purchase from their brand before you walk away. At Sephora, they are not vested in a particular brand, so you can peruse to your heart's content. As for cosmetics, I purchase brands like Fresh, Philosophy, Bare Minerals, Boscia, Shiseido, and Urban Decay there. Some of the brands at Sephora are not department store brands and are brands that often operate stand alone stores, so that is another plus that you don't need to go to their own store if it's only one item you need and not several from their collections. I've found the sales women are very helpful and I've used their help on more than one occasion to narrow down my choices between several brands I was on the hedge about. I've asked them to apply Bare Minerals on me before I purchased it the first time, I've asked them to recommend a non-heavy eye treatment and gone home with a Boscia one I love, and I was turned onto Fresh's lip gloss when I asked them to pull non-sticky lip glosses for me to try on.Check out the store for yourself if you're in the vicinity! (They are also online at : Sephora.com.)Tata for now!sincerely yours,rOsE
Good afternoon, hope you're doing well. :) As previously promised, this post is going to be about one of my favorite foot creams, Burt's Bees Coconut Foot Creme with vitamin E. I purchased one of Burt's Bees introductory trial sized sets and this is one of the products that stood out to me, so I currently own a nearly empty trial-size and a (25% used up) full-size tube. This foot cream made from coconut oil is very rich and has a wonderful coconut/minty smell. Be careful when using it not to touch any surfaces because, although it is called a cream, it is really more of an oil. This oil is solid at room temperature but will melt when it contacts skin. Don't worry though, it absorbs into skin very well, so it won't leave a greasy heavy film- but it is a good idea to use cotton spandex blend moisture socks. However, I'm pretty sure it will leave that film on your hard and soft surfaces. I've used other foot creams also but I prefer this one because of its natural content. I also think it seems to absorb and moisturize rather quickly!
Hello again! Welcome back to my blog. Today, I would like to discuss a few of my favorite lip balms. There are certainly a lot of lip balms on the market. My criteria include organic content, beneficial additives, scent, feel, and petrolatum content. My top three favorites in no particular order are Natural Beeswax Lip Balm by Burt's Bees, Passion Fruit Nectar Lip Balm by Alba Botanica, and Raspberry Softlips Lip Balm by The Mentholatum Co.Two of the three are made with a high "natural" content while the Softlips contains white petrolatum. I like that the Alba Botanica and Burt's Bees versions do not contain petrolatum. The Softlips version does, however it also has an spf 20 rating plus added green tea extracts. Green tea is high in antioxidants and the raspberry scent is also pleasant. The Passion Fruit definitely has my favorite scent-an intoxicating tropical fruit scent-and is made with 100% Vegetarian ingredients. The Beeswax version has a touch of peppermint so it is minty in smell and tingly cool when applied. I love how, except for the Beeswax, they feel non-sticky and sheer, unwaxy. The Beeswax is a tad waxy of course but unsticky (because it also includes plant based emollient oils) and I love that it has 95.29% natural ingredients. I don't prefer Chapstick brand because it is very waxy and made with petrolatum. Some say petrolatum is carcinogenic but the information is not conclusive. (So stick to the non petrolatum if this bothers you.) I hate sticky lip products and all three feel great on when applied! So try them and banish those dry lips in favor of supple softness! (Also try Terratints tinted lip balm! Also made by Alba Botanica)
The latest and greatest, "Only Seen on TV!" product is the Ped Egg Professional Foot File. I must say I do own one. I had been contemplating purchasing one for a while, after having seen it in a drugstore and recognizing it from its tv ads. (A great way to try tv products is to buy them from your local drugstore because many of them carry these products now, so no need to pay shipping!) I was wary to try it, but I came across an article about the product and some people who appeared in its ads. Many online news outlets now allow comments below articles. Below the article I read, I found a surprising number of women commenting on how much they loved the product. So that convinced me. I bought it at CVS pharmacy and even used a store savings coupon. So the $9.99 price plus tax with $1.00 off left me paying less than $10.00.Compared to pumice stones, which can be relatively effective if you have only slightly rough feet, it was worlds apart. Pumice stones are effective to some degree if used often but for severely dry chapped feet and calluses, it doesn't really show much visible results and skin soon appears as dry as before. The micro plane file of the Ped Egg - which resembles newer type micro plane food zester/graters- is quite sharp but safe if used correctly, giving phenomenal results like you have never seen with other similar products on the market targeting the same uses. I say "same uses" because in terms of saying similar product, there isn't a similar product like the Ped Egg right now, widely available to the public. Follow instructions carefully, as misuse can cause pain by overly thinning the skin. Moisturize well. As embarrassing as this is to admit, I have severe dry rough cracked heels because I rarely wear socks or closed shoes. (Detest them.) Although the men I've dated say I have very soft skin, I have always been embarrassed about having my feet seen, knowing that its hard for me to prevent dry heels when I wear flip flops so often. Now I've finally found the solution. Sure, I've tried the moisture socks w/ the foot creams, rich lotions, ointments etc. The Ped Egg can give you improved feet in as little as two weeks! (From personal use, I can tell you that the removal/exfoliation of all that dead skin isn't safe to do more often than once every 1/2 to one week. If you aren't careful you can shave your skin raw. You won't though with proper use, so best results will be seen after 2-4 uses on severe cases.) Be sure to use the buffing side too, to smooth it further. Look for it in drugstores like CVS or discount stores like Target. Also look for it in those "As Seen On TV" stores springing up in malls. By the way, its ergonomic shape really is comfortable too! I also recommend using one of my favorite foot creams afterwards, Burt's Bees Coconut Foot Creme. [to be reviewed in a future post.]
sincerely yours,rOsE
Welcome back, if you have blessed me with returning to read my blog once again! Sorry I've taken so long to post again. I wanted to do a bit of research in regards to copyright infringement & copyrights regarding blogging and product reviews. Better to be safe. :) So read on for my first product review!First off, I'd like to tell a little bit more about myself. I LOVE to wear makeup. It is extremely fun and can give you such a large range of looks. Makeup can be adjusted to fit your mood or your look for the day. Makeup can be natural or dramatic. The problem with makeup though is that when improperly applied or when using the wrong products, results may vary, or disappoint. Many women aren't aware of how to properly apply their makeup and use a heavy hand, while some don't apply enough. [This is where I come in.] When I say wrong product, I'm referring to one that does not suit you. This may be the wrong shade or the wrong product for your skin or hair condition. I enjoy trying new products and I am also very informed on makeup application techniques. It comes from being a bookworm and being a makeup addict! Hey, nerds can be hot! (If no one ever told you, I'm telling you.) Due to my race, foundation shades have always been a problem. Many contain too much red and orange tones for my yellow-orange toned skin or are too light for my oft tan complexion, because I tan extremely easily. I'm left with either pinkish or strangely pale skin. Neither is very appealing, let me tell you. Add to this the fact that my genes gave me acne prone combination skin from my father (and my stress levels don't help) and sensitive delicate skin from my mother, you can see I have more complications in my quest for great skin than most! Haha. I have to be aware of products containing irritants due to my sensitivity and products that are oil-free or non-comedogenic for the acne. I've resolved to use mainly natural and/or organic products whenever possible. I'm not committing to only these types of products as sometimes chemicals are necessary for the proper results -such as unruly hair- but will mainly focus on these elements: organic, high percentage of natural content, eco-conscious brands, and hypo-allergenic brands.
Bare Minerals is a product I have personally tried with great success! I purchase mine at my local Sephora store. [More about Sephora in a future post.] I can even quote one of my friends, who had this to say in an email,"nice! ur 1st blog should be on bare minerals. i'll back u up on that one!" As promised in their advertisements, the crushed mineral powder really is silky soft in texture and extremely blendable. It is easily blended into the skin for a natural appearing coverage whether you prefer it sheer or full. When I have a breakout, I apply the foundation as concealer and it provides me the full coverage I need. When my skin is clear, I also have the option of wearing a light naturally sheer coverage. It is also easily blended together between shades, a joy for all my fellow women who cannot find their shade for the life of them. I buy several similar shades, blending two of them in the cover before applying, during different seasons of the year.Compared to other brands, such as Sheer Cover, Bare Minerals makeup products (foundation, eyeshadows, etc.) do not contain oils, talcs, and preservatives -excluding the skincare such as moisturizers, etc. which may. Sheer Cover has a concealer that does. In trying to stay true to its statement of a natural product, Bare Minerals product line previously did not include a concealer. They have recently created sulfur based treatment concealers though and I believe they do now make another type of concealer, but it is still in powder form, which is different than some of it's competitors' creamy concealers such as Sheer Cover. However, I have not personally used Sheer Cover and am not stating it is a bad product, but it does not fit my criteria for a preferred product, so I do not recommend it for problem skin. I am basing my statement on having read the content label on the Sheer Cover concealer package.Another plus is, if you purchase the introductory package, Bare Minerals includes a demo for its product. Wonderful because it isn't applied like most foundations. My oily skin also tends to make my makeup melt when it is hot and humid, but this product absorbs oil and stays put better than most. Eventually even Bare Minerals starts to lose the battle on MY SKIN but it is quite effective. For best results and a good hygienic habit, wash the brushes often. Often, after a long night out with my friends, I am so sleepy I fall asleep before I've remembered to remove my makeup! (Terrible habit I know! I don't do it purposely.) It is true you can sleep in it and not get breakouts but don't go all day with it on. Wash it off as soon as you wake. If you had a long night, by all means don't worry if you sleep in it but don't leave it on the next morning because you don't want to reapply. Doing this WILL cause a breakout, so let your skin breathe! Another added plus that I almost forgot to mention is that the minerals help to naturally dry blemishes, so they heal faster. All this while not drying out the dryer portions of your skin. Don't skip the finishing step of mineral veil either, it really helps to set the makeup. With it makeup is less likely to rub off and also looks more flawless. Don't ask me why, just test this step for yourself. I want to say more because I really do love this product, but this post is getting far too long, and I'll let you try it for yourself and see! Tata for now!
sincerely yours,
rOsE
Have you ever bought something based on a girlfriend's recommendation? I'm sure you have, as have I. It had occurred to me in the past that I've come across many products that I have loved, hated, or have been ambivalent about.
A few years ago, one of my girlfriends and I were having a conversation about how interesting it would be to do product reviews on another girlfriend's personal website. The site in question was just a hodgepodge of favorite music, movies, pop culture tidbits etc. meant to be mainly for fun and to offer our opinions to whomever happened to stumble across it. Recently, with the popularity of blogging though, I thought to myself, " Really, why don't I seriously consider it?"
These are my reasons for starting this blog:
1) I very much rely on my friends' personal opinions as to the quality of a beauty product. I feel that I can trust them and whether I agree with their opinions or not, I can ask and expect them to substantiate their claims with honest answers. This is more than we can say about some of the morally lacking corporations that have made headlines lately.
2) No one knows me like my best friends do, so when they recommend something, they know what I value. Have sensitive skin? Passion for eco-friendly products? Weakness for delicious scents? THEY'LL KNOW.
3) Beauty professionals may know the business, but sometimes I prefer the opinions of an average gal. Someone like me, who can't always find access to designer products in her neighborhood or have the cash on hand to spend on luxury items. What would she use? What does she think are worth the money to splurge on and what should I skip?
4) We don't all have picture perfect skin, the most desirable features, or the know how of friends in the right places. What if I have acne or sensitive skin? I'm ethnic, what brands offer foundation shades right for me? My eyes aren't large with lengthy lashes, or even entirely symmetrical like the model in the demo picture, so how do I use that new makeup technique on MY face? I don't have my own professional makeup artist on hand, but I'd sure like the know how to look like I do.
5) I love product reviews. When new products come out, they advertise like mad. However, they would say their products are great wouldn't they? I'd like someone to use it first and tell me about it. What does it smell like? Most people love beauty products with a pleasant smell, as do I. Did you like the packaging? It may be a great product, but clever packaging makes any product edgier than its equally effective -but dully packaged- counterpart, because its fun! How did it feel? Everyone has a cosmetics pet peeve, I personally hate sticky lip gloss.
My earlier comment: ". . . I've come across many products that I have loved, hated, or have been ambivalent about. " I wished I had a reliable resource to help me decide. I wished I had known whether any of my friends had used it and I wished I had more girlfriends or other female's opinions of it before I wasted my money on it. When I have bought products for the first time based on a recommendation instead of an advertisement, I've often been satisfied.
These are my five reasons for blogging, so I hope you visit soon for your BEST FRIEND's BEAUTY TIPS!
sincerely yours,
rOsE
[next post: a little bit more about me . . . ]
