JULY Birchbox

This month's Birchbox was inspired by designer, Cynthia Rowley. Not only did it come in a beautiful Rowley-designed box, but it also featured some of her all-time favorite products. Here is what I received.

1. Zoya Nail Polish in Pandora: This beautiful nude/metallic shade from the Touch Collection is great for any season. (swatch below)

2. EXTRA KIND Almond & Apricot bar: This was rather tasty and bigger than most nutritional bars.

3. Nuxe Multi-usage Dry Oil: This oil is pretty neat. It goes on as oil, but rubs out into a non-oily sheen. This would be great to accentuate areas of the face to create a dewy look. It says it is also great for the hair and body.

4. Purity Made Simple Facial Cleanser: This product is definitely a staple in my beauty regimen. I've raved about it before read here. The mini bottle will be great to carry for traveling, as I have left many larger bottles behind in hotels O_o.

5. Redken Shine Flash: This glistening mist is suppose to be great for adding light sheen to the hair. It's hard to make anything come out light in an aerosol can, so I would not recommend using this on straight hair. I sprayed it on my straight hair and it weighed it down a bit. I will wait to try this with a curly do.

Overall I loved this month's Birchbox!!!

Zoya Nail Polish in Pandora

My Favorite Drugstore and Department Store Facial Products

Finding the right facial care products can be a win/lose situation. You shouldn't stick with a product that gives you mediocre results. With facial products try to find the BEST! After extensive researching and reading tons of reviews, I believe I've found the perfect products for my combination skin.


The Neutrogena line can be found at any drugstore and the Philosophy & Kiehl's lines can be found at Nordstrom, Ulta, or Sephora. Here is a list of the products that I use to keep nice glowing skin. 
Neutrogena DEEP CLEAN Invigorating Foaming Scrub: This product exfoliates, removes makeup, and deep cleans the pores. I usually use this daily to exfoliate.

Neutrogena DEEP CLEAN Long-Last Shine Control Cleanser/Mask: This product deep cleans the pores and controls shine. This can be used as a daily cleanser or as a mask. I use this as a mask on days when I plan to wear full face makeup. It really does help to control the shine.

Neutrogena On-the-Spot Acne Treatment: I don't get much acne, in fact I may get 1-2 small pimples a month. This acne cream is great for making them disappear without drying your skin.

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Philosophy Purity Made Simple Facial Wash: I simply love this wash. Its smooth and creamy mixture is great for my facial massages. And it is also good for removing makeup. I've been using this product consistently for 5 years.

Philosophy Hope in a Jar Moisturizer: This award-winning moisturizer definitely lives up to its name. This product leaves my skin feeling soft and moisturized without the greasy feel.

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Moisturizer: I use this moisturizer before I apply my makeup. It's thick mixture is great for smoothing out the dry areas. And it is also great for the winter/fall months.

Summerize your Foundation

As the seasons change so should some of your skincare routines and products. Winter skin can bare more products. With heat and sweat from the summer, the skin is more prone to irritation. So your products and applications should be much lighter. If you've ever noticed, a lot of makeup lines advertise tinted moisturizer more in the spring and summer. That is much better than wearing foundation in it's regular form. It's much lighter and healthier. I usually make my own when the hot months hit. Here is what I do:

(left to right: MAC Fix+ Spray, Revlon ColorStay in #400 Caramel, Kiehl's Ultra Facial Moisturizer)

I mix a small amount of foundation with an equal amount of facial moisturizer. The moisturizer won't change the foundation tint, it's just changing the coverage. Usually when I apply my moisturizer my face is still damp from the shower or washing it. But since I'm treating this as makeup, I wait until I have taken care of my body and dress, etc. By the time I'm ready for makeup my face is no longer damp. First I lightly spray my face with MAC's Fix+ Spray, which is a skin refresher and finisher. And then I proceed with the tinted moisturizer, and apply a finishing powder in my T-Zone. The moisturizer added will give off a beautiful summer dewy look. Be sure to travel with blot paper and/or powder if you have oily skin.  

**IMPORTANT: If you are shopping for a moisturizer or foundation during the spring/summer I suggest getting one that contains SPF.

**You can make your own facial refresher by boiling a couple of pure green tea bags, refrigerate and place in a spray bottle. Or if you insist on buying a spray, Sephora sells a much cheaper product than MAC. Evian Mineral Spray for $10 here.

The foundation (left) in it's regular form is clearly thick and will provide a heavy coverage. The tinted moisturizer (right) still provides coverage, as well as a nice glow.

May Birchbox

My 2nd Birchbox arrived yesterday. I was excited to receive their signature hot pink box. Last month they had green recycled boxes for Earth Day. Anyhoo, here are the items I received.

1. Stilla Eye Shadow in cloud (swatch below). This is a great pigmented silver neutral color. It's a color I would have chosen to purchase.

2. Tiny Print blank card that can be used for any occassion. I will save it to use as a Thank You card.

3. Archipelago Pomegranate Soap. This soap smells heavenly, however the strong perfume scent may be irritating to my hands. I have eczema on some of my fingers, so I must use mild products.

4. Bvlgari Mon Jasmin Noir perfume sample. I am not a fan of this fragrance.

5. Ahava Mineral Hand Cream. This hand cream is AMAZING. It leaves a nice moisturized look without feeling greasy.

Overall this month's Birchbox was okay. I can use 3 of the items. I will purchase the hand cream once the sample runs out.

Stilla Eyeshadow in Cloud

The Benefits of Massaging Your Face

You do not have to spend hundreds of dollars to reap beauty benefits. Although it is nice to be pampered every now and then, some methods can be done in the comfort of your own home. Ever since I was a teenager I've always been very personable with my face. I'd melt down soaps in my old Easy Bake Oven, get a face brush and give myself facials. As an adult, this is still a daily ritual. Aside from cleaning, massaging is also a great way to show yourself some TLC. Here are a few benefits to facial massages:

1. GLOW: We focus so much on having pimple-free skin that we forget some of the other assets needed to have healthy skin. Glowing skin = healthy looking skin. Your skin can be pimple-free but it may lack that glow that defines your features.

2. PUFFINESS: Sometimes our muscles, tissue, and blood settle underneath the skin in one spot causing puffiness. Massaging your face smooths and moves things around for an even surface.

3. WRINKLES: Wrinkles are formed when the muscles are constantly tightened. Massaging relaxes the muscles. Focus a great deal on your forehead and mouth area because they are the most used areas with expressions.

4. CONFIDENCE: During the time that I massage my face, I release any current tension and unnecessary thoughts to focus on ME. That is my ultimate ME time. Anything personable is a great confidence boost.

TIPS:
-Some spas or salons massage your  face with oils, which may not be a great idea for those with oily skin. My skin is both oily and dry, so I skip the oils. Instead, I massage when apply my facial wash and moisturizer. I do not recommend massaging a dry face. You are applying uneven pressure, which would cause red areas or possibly swelling.

-Only massage with your fingertips and heavy pressure isn't necessary.

Here is a link to download a Beauty Massage App for your Ipad or Iphone: http://appshopper.com/lifestyle/beauty-massage

Xmas in Spring: My BirchBox Arrived!

Today I received my first BirchBox in the mail. It was literally like receiving an anonymous gift because you don’t know what samples will be inside. I received:

-6 bags of Extra / Zhena’s Gypsy Tea. I don’t drink tea so I will use it in my face steamer.

-Suki Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser. I read a few reviews on this product. It seems like it would be a hit or miss. I haven’t used it on my whole face, but I did use it as a lip exfoliate and it worked great. The ingredients are raw sugar, rice flour, and organic lemongrass.

-A sample of LIV GRN – Natural Parfum. This perfume  is very fresh, sweet, and clean. It’s also made from biodegradable ingredients, and 10% of the sales go to Global Green.

-ZOYA Nail Polish in Dove, a nice gray color. They also put a mini ZOYA catalogue in the box. So after I test the durability of the polish, I will be ordering more colors.

-Weleda Wild Rose Smoothing Facial Lotion. I won’t be using this product. Not only am I happy with my current moisturizer, but the rose smell is highly unbearable.

Overall, I’m happy with April’s BirchBox. I will make use out of 4 of the items received.

3 Reasons Why Your Face could be DRY

Unfortunately most of us were born with dry skin. Although it may not be curable, there are many things in your daily regimen that could be making your skin worse.

-Think of your skin as a piece of tissue. If you applied a drop of moisturizer onto a piece of dry tissue, more than likely it will just sit on top. But if you applied a drop of moisturizer onto a damp piece of tissue, it will come through onto the other side as well. That’s exactly how your skin works. The moisturizer is trapping the moisture into your skin. So after washing your face, pat a little but keep it damp and then immediately put on your moisturer. If your face has dried before you could put the moisturizer back on, simply use a spray bottle of water or just splash your face.

-DO NOT put hot water on your face. I know that seems impossible while taking a hot bath or shower. When I’m taking a shower, I wash my face last to allow the steam to open up my pores and because I make the water cooler when washing my face. If your body can withstand the cooler water then wash your face at the sink. If you are taking a bath, wash your face at a sink or run cooler water into your hands to wet and rinse. Hot water is drying and it leaves the pores OPEN. Open pores are just as bad as walking around with an open wound. And open pores stretch, which causes rough areas on your face.

-You should DROP THE SOAP. Soap is not meant for the face. Soap strips away layers of natural oils that your face needs. Always remember that the skin on your body and face are different. The skin on your face is thin and delicate and requires a little more TLC. Go to your nearest drug store or department store to get a facial wash.

There are many reasons why your skin can be dry, but these simple mistakes are things that we usually don’t think would contribute to the problem. Try these steps and let me know if you see a difference.