Skincare

Nighttime Creams

So you’ve cleansed your face, your wearing your favorite pajamas, and hear your bed calling your name. Well, before you sprint over to the bedroom to begin dreaming about your next makeup haul, be sure to slather some nighttime cream to help moisturize your face and keep the wrinkles at bay. Some creams I find exceptionally great to incorporate in your nighttime beauty routine include the following.

  1. CeraVe: This is my go-to cream not only because of the price (YES its only $13.99!!), but because it works wonders, is noncomedogenic and also fragrance free!  Now for those of you who have suffered from acne most of your life, like myself, finding a cream that is noncomedogenic is absolutely crucial. That’s because nighttime creams have a thicker consistency, which may aggravate sensitive skin and lead to breakouts. I’ve tried plenty of moisturizing lotions in my 35+ years, but the the CeraVe has been the best for my skin type.
  2. Chanel Le Lift Creme: If your pocketbook doesn’t mind taking a beating, then the line of Chanel’s Le Lift Creme might be perfect for you. Now I’ve never “bitten the bullet” to buy this cream because at a whopping $165 its certainly not cheap. Alright…maybe its not as expensive as the highly coveted Creme de la Mer ($310 for 2 oz….ouch!), the Chanel Le Lift certainly gives it a run for its money. Lucky for me I always get plenty of samples with a Chanel beauty purchase, but I know the day will come when my endless supply of samples will run-out. And when that days comes, I won’t think twice about purchasing it because it really does diminish fine lines. NOTE: I only use this cream to spot treat areas such as laugh lines and deep wrinkles.
  3. Bobbi Brown Hydrating Eye Cream ($58): I love this cream because it is light, hydrating, and highly effective. While it won’t eradicate all under eye wrinkles, it will smooth and reduce their appearance.

 

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Sephora Play! June 2016

Included products in this month’s Sephora Play! bag:

  1. Bumble and Bumble Don’t Blow It (Full size, $31)
  2. BareMinerals bare Skin Bronzer (Full-size, $28)
  3. Benefit Cosmetics They’re Real! Mascara(Full-size, $24)
  4. BECCA Backlight Priming Filter (Full-size, $38/1oz)
  5. Tarte Tarteguard 30 Sunscreen Lotion Broad Spectrum SPF 30 (Full-size, $32)
  6. TOCCA Beauty Florence Perfume (Full size, $68)

First Impressions:

Bumble and Bumble Don’t Blow It:  I’m a sucker for hair products, especially those that claim to give a “laid-back, air-dried style (as per The Minimalists booklet included in this month’s bag).  So for those of you who have fine hair and are looking for an airy summertime wavy look, I would recommend giving the Bumble and Bumble Don’t Blow It a try.  Just simply work the product into wet hair and then proceed to loosely braid your hair.  Once your hair is dry, take it out of the braid/braids and you’re good to go. I added some hairspray to keep the waves in a light hold since this products will not withstand in a high humidity environment.

BareMinerals bare Skin Bronzer:  Wow…just WOW!!  This bronzer is amazing.  As you all may know from a previous post, I’m a big fan of using a bronzer when looking for a summery glow.   However, I never entertained the idea of using a serum version of bronzer.  Well, I was really surprised with how natural and dewy the BareMinerals bare Skin Bronzer is.  And while at first application the serum may look really dark, it actually blends into sheer tint.

Benefit Cosmetics They’re Real! Mascara:  This mascara needs no introduction because anyone who is a makeup fanatic will have heard of this gem. In fact, I recommended the Benefit Cosmetics They’re Real! Mascara in a previous post.  So don’t think twice about it the next time you run out of mascara – run and purchase the Benefit Cosmetics They’re Real! Mascara!

BECCA Backlight Priming Filter: I use a primer on a daily basis because it allows my makeup to stay in place.  At the moment, I use Laura Mercier Foundation Primer in Radiance ($36/1.7oz) because I love the illuminating effect it gives. I’m happy to announce that the BECCA Backlight Priming Filter is a great addition to my short list of recommended primers.  The overall finish of the BECCA Backlight Priming Filter’s finish is very similar to the Laura Mercier Foundation Primer in Radiance, the only difference I found was that the BECCA product is a bit more watery compared to the thicker consistency of the Laura Mercier.  If you’re looking at the bottom line, then the Laura Mercier primer will give you more bang for your buck ($36/1.7 oz vs $38/1 oz). However, at the end of the day, it really doesn’t matter which of the two you use because they are that good.

Tarte Tarteguard 30 Sunscreen Lotion Broad Spectrum SPF 30: Of the group of products in this month’s Sephora Play! bag, the Tarte Tarteguard is the only flop of the bunch.  First off, it is extremely expensive for a sunscreen at $32 for 1.7 oz bottle.  The price alone puts this product at a severe disadvantage.  However, I was willing to put price point aside and focus on the product itself, but it didn’t get any better.  The Tarte Tarteguard is greasy in nature – like really greasy. It also has a very heavy scent that many would be turned off to. I mean, sunscreen is meant to be applied liberally. While, in theory, giving a sunscreen a pretty scent is a good idea, in reality it can be just too much and will ultimately keep consumers from using this product. Since most of us will be buying sunscreen this summer, I recommend you by pass the Tarte Tarteguard 30 Suncreen Lotion Broad Spectrum SPF 30.

Bonus Perfume

TOCCA Beauty Florence: Thank you Sephora Play! for helping me stock up on summer inspired scents.  The TOCCA Beauty Florence perfume is a lovely mix of violet petals and other scents which give a light and timeless scent.  While this is not a perfume, I would buy in full size because I tend to go for musky scents. However, the TOCCA Beauty Florence is a great addition for those days I want something completely different from the norm.

NOTE:  Every Sephora Play! bag comes with a Sephora Play! Pass which gives you 50 extra Beauty Insider Points with any purchase.

Final Verdict: MERGE

Kiss Kiss

Makeup Deconstructed Rating System:

1 Kiss = Purge: Only one of the products in the box/bag is worth keeping.

2 Kisses = Merge: Two to four products make this box/bag worth merging into your makeup collection.

3 Kisses = Splurge: All five products are amazing and worth splurging on!

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Happy Father's Day

If your wondering what gift your father would appreciate on Father’s Day, let me recommend two things.

  1. Sit and watch his favorite sports team in action.
  2. Spoil him with some of his favorite skincare products (Kiehl’s is always on top of our list 🙂 ).
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