Happy New Year!

Beauty Shopping: Last Year Holiday Season Limited Edition Lip Gloss by Guerlain

You won’t believe it but I came across a 50% off sale and saw this gorgeous GOLDEN Guerlain lip gloss from last year’s holiday collection! I love golden sparkle so I couldn’t pass up such an opportunity to add another jewel to my golden makeup collection… Hmmm, here is a thought, or should I say a “golden” thought! Maybe I should really start to collect makeup in golden shades and with golden accents, sparkles etc…

The Gloss is called Gold Princess and it looks gorgeous! The packaging is absolutely beautiful!

Merry Christmas

Beauty Shopping: John Frieda Sheer Blonde Collection

Inspired by what Sheer Blonde: Blonde Hair Repair Mask by John Frieda did to my damaged blonde hair I decided to get more products from the same line. So I got a Enhancing Shampoo and Conditioner. It says on the package that they are "Highlight activating... with Light Enhancers". These are made for darker and lighter blonde shades. I got the lighter one "platinum and champaigne". You can choose from various I also received an anti-frizz hair oil for free.I am really wondering how much better can my hair look if I use these products alltogether. Check out the complete Sheer Blonde collection here.

In addition to the products I mentioned I got some eye masks by Talika and Shiseido. (as you can see from the photo) Both of them are so good for undereye area... one solves the issue of puffiness and the other lights up circles!!!

Beauty Tip: Eat Water

We all know how important it is to drink “8 glasses of water “ a day to keep the skin beautiful and hydrated. However according to the recent book by Dr.Howard Murad, the trick is to “eat water” not drink it. It appears if we just drink water by glasses it is quite easy for it “to escape” or get “wasted” and then we just run to the bathroom or get puffy eyes and ankles. However when we eat foods rich in water because this way the moisture will get directly into the cells and connective tissues making cells function at their highest capacity. Try eating watermelon and cucumbers that are 97% water or tomatoes and zucchini which contain 95% of water. Dr Murad promises that “you’ll feel more energized in 10 days, see plumper, brighter skin in 4 weeks, and have a leaner more hydrated body after 10 weeks.


Photo by Hypergurl

Source: Bazaar magazine, August 2010

Beauty Review: Flirty Dermastase Soap, Ageless Ultimate Anti-Aging Bar Soap, Eau Flirt Body Wash Liquid Loofah

As soon as I opened the new soaps and put them into my bathroom a heavenly smell filled the whole room and every time I would pass by, if the door was open, I would pause and take a sniff… and go Yum! It was amazing! And this intense scent lasted for a couple weeks!

So here is what I think about Harvey Prince’s new scented soaps and washing gel. First of all the soaps are just as the Harvey Prince site describes them - luxurious. The scent is just like from a bottle of perfume and it lingers on the skin. Both bars Flirty Dermastase Soap and Ageless Ultimate Anti-Aging Bar Soap have exfoliating natural particles such as Pumpkin and berry seeds which provide soft exfoliating effect. Both of them boast having moisturizing, rejuvenating and anti-aging ingredients with a special “revolutionary” Delivery System. This system takes soap bars to a completely new level as a skin care product. Now soaps not only cleanse but treat skin as well. Some of the ingredients mentioned on the company website include tri peptides, Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs), Green tea, olive oil, Mowrah Butter. The soap give nice creamy leather and are a pleasure to use.

My only criticism would be that the bars are huge and I think if they came as the same volume of product but in smaller bars separately packaged they would feel nicer in the hand and the scent would last even longer!!


Eau Flirt Body Wash Liquid Loofah is very foamy and smooth. Creates nice leather, you can even use it to shave… It doesn’t dry out your skin and I love the scent. Actually I like Eau Flirt scent in this washing gel better than in the original perfume because it is not as concentrated.

In addition to the above mentioned new releases check out Harvey Prince’s body lotions with the scents of Ageless and Eau Flirt! I think a genius idea would be to develop a candle with the same scents. How cool would that be!!!??? Looking forward to Harvey Prince’s new creations!


FTC Product Review Disclaimer: The author of this blog received a sample product for this review.

Beauty Shopping: John Frieda Blonde Hair Repair

In desperate need of some magical treatment for my mistreated blond-dyed hair I first asked my friends to give me as a present for birthday something nutritious and conditioning and got Yves Roche Nutrition Nourishing Conditioner. I was not very happy about the results… So I started looking into other options. Here is something I just bought to try out. Sheer Blonde: Blonde Hair Repair by John Frieda. What do you think?

Beauty Review: Nourishment by Beauty From Flowers

Recently I had a chance to try out an anti-aging moisturizer Nourishment by Beauty From Flowers. Here is my review.

Promise:
...especially beneficial for sun damaged skin. Softens lines and slows aging

Product Profile in Short:
Penetrates deeply, repairs signs of aging, active ingredients prevent moisture loss, soy and papaya extracts provide deep nourishment and healing, concentrated - only a few drops needed

Close-up on Active Ingredients:
organic grapeseed oil, evening primrose oil, organic extracts of soy, and papaya, vitamins D and E, carrot seed essential oil

I like the choice of oils to combine in this product. Grapeseed oil is known as a mighty free radical scavenger! Evening primrose oil is very beneficial for the skin, it not only calms it and reduces inflammation, it’s also an anti-oxidant and fights premature aging. Extract of soy is super good for the skin: it has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, and some research showed that it can stimulate the production of collagen and hyaluronic acid. Papaya extract helps to exfoliate the skin and get rid of dead cells. This way it helps to speed up cells turnover, fight lines and improve skin elasticity. I love to make fresh papaya masks – your skin looks incredible after one of those!


Experience:
I used to avoid essential oils on my skin. I have a mixed skin type and am always afraid of breakouts... but finally I realized that it really depends on the type of oil and the quality of the product if your skin breaks out from it or not. This product consists of several oils and is very concentrated but I had no problem using it on my mixed skin.
This face oil has a very light flowery fragrance. I applied 3 drops to my face but it didn’t feel like it was enough so next time I did 5 drops. The skin feels soft and moisturized and it does provide the moisture you need even at this stressful time of colds and dry air. I did notice that a line on the side of my mouth seem to become softer. However every time I would apply it my skin would become slightly itchy. I did not have redness or irritation it just felt “ticklish”. So I guess I am sensitive to one of the oils.

Price Tag:

35$

Bottom Line:
Nourishment by Beauty From Flowers is a good product based on oils and suits even for those with mixed skin. However if you have a history of allergies or sensitivities, you may have a reaction like I did.


FTC Product Review Disclaimer: The author of this blog received a sample product for this review.

TGIF: Have The Time Of Your Life!

Beauty Review: Nightshift by Harvey Prince

Close your eyes and imagine: the sun is down… it’s a warm summer night and you are in the garden with cicadas chirping, fool moon glistening high above, light warm breeze stroking your hair, dancing with leaves and flowers… the wind brings the seductive scent of Jasmine … and then you feel the sweet honey, almond and vanilla of the Night Phlox caressing your senses… intoxicated, you feel another scent, sweet and soft of the Evening Primrose… Nightshift is another amazing perfume by Harvey Prince! I could really appreciate it because I could associate with my personal experience. The fact is we have a summer house with a garden. We always have flowers in our garden that open up and blossom only in the evening or at night. It is as if our garden at night has a life of its own, the mysterious life full of intoxicating flower scents, quiet but at the same time rich and intense…. I thought it was a brilliant idea to make a perfume combining scents of night flowers. The scent is sweet, warm but at the same time very fresh and charged with energy and mystery. Perfect for a night out. Be it a candlelight dinner or a wild night out at a club



FTC Product Review Disclaimer: The author of this blog received a sample product for this review.

Beauty Find: Skin Care Line By Francesco Clark

I came across information about a new skin care line called Clark’s Botanicals in July’s issue of Harper’s Bazar. Clark’s Botanicals skin care line was created by a son and a father and was, in fact, born out of tragedy. Francesco Clark, a wheelchair user, was the inspirational force behind it, his father, a doctor trained in homeopathic therapy, did everything to help his son treat his own skin and bring an idea of a skin care line to life. It was amazing to read the success story of this family run business which started as an at-home created remedy for a son and ended up at Saks Fifth Avenue.

The line uses essential oils and extracts including Algae, Calendula, Lavender, Jasmine Absolute etc. It includes cleansers, moisturizers, lip tints and serums. There is one product I am particularly interested to try Clark's Botanicals Anti-Puff Eye Cream! Check it out here http://www.clarksbotanicals.com/

TGIF: Relax, Take it Easy

I am listening to Mika a lot these days.. So, common let's relax and take it easy... Going to a hens party today! wow!

Beauty Review: Submariner by Harvey Prince

Submariner is the first fragrance by Harvey Prince for men. Unlike his previous creations for women backed by clinical trials and developed not only to make a woman smell deliciously but also to attract the opposite sex, Submariner does not have the scientific side to it. But Submariner does promise to attract women with intoxicating, fresh and spicy aroma. Submariner combines “punchy” Caribbean island spices with a touch of soft vanilla and almonds and flavorful, mouth watering cinnamon.

I personally liked it as I find that often male fragrances are way tooooo heavy and earthy. This one has enough adrenaline and excitement to it with a touch of sweetness which brings a promise of a soft, sensual and deep side to him :-). What girl doesn’t like this?!

As for my husband, he is not the type to wear a perfume daily but for special occasions he does like his fragrance quite strong… or should I say intense… well, as he puts it “it has to hit me on the face”… even though in my view Submariner is not so intense, it did appeal to him… and, what’s even more important, I liked it! That’s the best combination :-)




FTC Product Review Disclaimer: The author of this blog received a sample product for this review.

TGIF: The Only Girl in The World

Enjoy Rihanna's Only Girl (In The World)!

Beauty Shopping: Clarins Renew-PlusBody Serum

Look what I got onsale! (50% damn percent off! - sorry for that!) I am very excited to try this Renew-Plus body serum by Clarins. Clarins describes this product as Intensive Renewing Beauty Treatment. It combines Water Lily extract with Pre-Retinol to "eliminate dead skin cells, enhance cellular renewal and tone skin" I mean the description is sooo good, I wonder what it will deliver :-)

Beauty Find: Annmarie Organic Skin Care

Recently I had a chance to learn and even test a new completely organic and 100% chemical-free skin care line from the sunny California. This line has been just recently launched in the US and is not yet available in Europe. It is named after its creator Annmarie. The idea behind Annmarie Skin Care is to offer completely natural skin care products that do not have synthetic preservatives or any other synthetic ingredients. Annmarie’s goal is also to offer effective products that do show results. Her motto is: Organic. Natural. Wild-Crafted!


I had a chance to try out some products from the line:

I liked Aloe herb cleanser which provided a nice cleanse without any feeling of tightness. I was very impressed with Annmarie’s ayurvedic facial scrub. First of all, I have never tried anything like this. It comes in form of a “herbal powder”. You add some cleanser to it and rub it on your face. After I washed the green mass off, my skin felt sooo soft and smooth and sort of lighter! My pores looked smaller! Very impressing! Another product I tested was a coconut honey mask. It smelled delicious and according to Annmarie it is so natural you could eat it. However, I am not sure it’s suitable for my slightly oily skin. It felt very rich and left oily residue on the skin. I liked the Neroli toning mist which feels very refreshing and moisturizing, it smells divine and calms not only skin but soothes senses as well.

I personally am not an expert on 100% natural products but out of what I've tried before this line definately stands out as a quality one. So check it out!

FTC Product Review Disclaimer: The author of this blog received a sample product for this review.

My Beautiful Presents

At the beginning of this month I had a birthday! And just now I got around to bragging to you about my presents :-) Yep, among the maaaany presents I got were the following beauty related presents:

Nourishing Shampoo (dry Hair)
Nutrition Nourishing Conditioner (Dry Hair)
Arnica Night Repair Balm
Arnica Hands and Nail Smoothing Fortifying Cream

All of the above is by Yves Rocher. I actually requested cream and balm for hands as my friend gave those to me as a present a couple years ago and they were VERY good! I don’t know why but it is usually hard for me to find a good hair product. I either get allergic to it or it doesn’t work so well. (Dove’s conditioners I tested recently were good though!) So I am a bit skeptical but at the same time am looking forward to trying Nourishing Shampoo and Nutrition Nourishing Conditioner on my dull dull blonde locks :-)

Another interesting beauty present I got was Light Apricot Cleanser Apri-Cleanse by Nature’s Sunshine. I do not use peelings with irregular pieces like crushed apricot or almond kernel because I have sensitive skin and I get breakouts after using such cleansers or peelings. But I was told that in this particular product the particles don’t have sharp edges and the peeling is very soft. We will see!

Beauty Review: Eau Fling Perfume by Harvey Prince

I had a wonderful opportunity to test one more genius creation by Harvey Prince- Eau Fling. Backed by science, this fragrance makes you irresistible, fills him with passion and makes him crazy about you :-)

So what is in this magic potion? In fact Eau Fling is a sweeter and lighter version of Harvey Prince’s previous creation Eau Flirt. The same notes of pumpkin pie and lavender used in Eau Flirt are featured in Eau Fling as well. If you are wondering, why , on earth, pumpkin pie?!!! The answer lies in science! Surprisingly Clinical studies conducted by Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation have proven that pumpkin pie and lavender evoke sexual response in men. Well, maybe it’s not such a big surprise after all… :-D Those seductive notes of nutmeg and cinnamon (classic aromas of pumpkin pie) lie at the heart of the new fragrance. Other middle notes include flowery fragrances of jasmine and ylang. Top notes are berries and fruits: black currant, plum, raspberry, apple, and black licorice. And at the bottom Eau Fling has musk and rare precious woods.


Here are my impressions about Eau Fling. It’s sweet and flowery but not overwhelming headachy type of sweet. The sweetness is warm and soft but then there is a little fresh “kick”. The sweet notes are balanced out by the fresh notes of orange and Pink Grapefruit. The fragrance feels fresh and exciting. It seems to me more versatile than Eau Flirt because you can wear it easily as a day perfume and at night. I really like it!!



FTC Product Review Disclaimer: The author of this blog received a sample product for this review.

TGIF: Sunshine!

Rap is not really my thing but this video by Rye-Rye has a nice sunny energy :-) Enjoy and have a nice weekend!

Beauty Tip: Brighten Up Dull Locks

I think yellow hue or brassiness is the beauty headache of almost every dyed blonde. Recently I came across this interesting beauty tip in Marie Clare which promises to help fix this problem. It sounds a bit extreme though… Would you do the following to your hair to make it brighter blonde??

Mix 1 cup baby shampoo with 2 tablespoons of baking soda, comb through hair, cover with a shower cap, sit in the sun for 10 minutes, then rinse.

What do you think?

Beauty Preview: Harvey Prince – Beauty Products With a Concept

I love beauty products with a concept. I do appreciate a product with a cool idea behind it! I also love multi-tasking products. Won’t you agree with me - multi-tasking is the style of life nowadays. Today living at the speed of light, we need products that help us to achieve several goals at a time! And Harvey Prince is the company that offers both: a cool concept and multi-tasking products. Harvey Prince develops perfumes and perfume based beauty products that not only make you smell nice but help you to appear younger and sexier. Their concept is to combine beauty with science and psychology. Isn't that amazing!? They definitely take beauty products to another level! That is why I was so excited to try out new products recently released by Harvey Prince and to share my impressions with you. So reviews on the following products are coming up very soon:

Flirty Dermastase Soap
Soap perfumed with the Flirty scent or as described at harveyprince.com a "moisturizing body bar"
Ageless Ultimate Anti Aging Bar Soap
"anti-aging body bar"

Eau Fling Perfume
Promises to help you to “evoke a sexual response in males”
Submariner Perfume
Perfume for men that expresses not only masculinity but also promises to help attract the opposite sex
Nightshift Perfume
Is composed of night flowers scents and promises to keep you sexy and energized through out a wild night out.

Eau Flirt Body Wash Liquid Loofah
Not only hydrates and washes but stimulates the senses with “intoxicating” and “love-evoking” scent

Beauty Shopping: Mani-Pedi Essentials

I usually go for a mani-pedi to a local beauty salon. However recently I have been wondering how much I would be able to save if I started doing at-home mani-pedi from time to time... So I decided I needed to get some essentials. I am not completely mani-pedi oblivious, of course. I do take care of my feet and hands and I do have certain tools like nail files, scissors, cuticle softener and callus remover file/razor, creams… even a foot mask and soak! But of course this is not enough. I need some more tools and products. So here is what I got:

* Cuticle and Nail Plier (manufactured in Germany, Dont know why but in this part of the world they think German mani-pedi tools are the best!)

* Cuticle Scissors by Solingen, Germany (I have a couple of those but very old and not so good)

* Exfoliating Cuticle Treatment by OPI (why did I buy it! I still have some cuticle cream by Mavala left
* Nail Polish Corrector

* China Glaze (Octa Gone Wild) Nail Polish (I got obsessed with purple this summer and am still attracted to the lavender-purple shade!)

Beauty Fact: Hairy Legs Are OK in Brazil

I was surprised to learn this (culturally shocking for many of us) fact on J.Simpson’s show “Price of Beauty”. It appears that in Brazil some women do not shave but bleach hair on their legs. They consider it sexy! After some surfing online I did find several discussions on this topic and apparently it is true and is mostly done by those very tanned beauties with beach bodies.

This interesting fact made me wonder once again: when did it all begin? When and why did the body hair become inappropriate? How did women end up shaving, depilating and eradicating hairs on their bodies? I’ll share what I’ll find out in my next “beauty fact” post.

Beauty Shopping: Clinique SPF 40 Face Cream and Garnier After Sun Ambre Solaire Spray

We are finally going on holiday!!! Yes I know everyone has already had their fix of swimming, lounging and cocktailing… aaand we just got around to finally treating ourselves to a nice relaxing holiday. What can I say? We travel off season… weather is still good, it’s not so crowded and prices are better…
Anyway, I am so excited to finally go to Greece! We are going to Crete to an all inclusive resort! How cool is that?
So, of course, I have been shopping for some stuff for the trip!

I am going to use sun protection creams I have since last year. One is by L’Oreal and the other, developed specially for kids, by Eucerin.(I think) What I don’t like is to put sun protection developed for the body on the face. Because usually it feels very oily. So I thought I should get something else for the face. Without any prior research, just based on the fact that Clinique’s SPF 40 face cream has no fragrance and is allergy and photoallergy tested , I bought this cream today.

I also wanted something soothing and hydrating for the skin for after the sun. So I bought Garnier Ambre Solaire After Sun with cactus extract.
...in Greece, Rhodes about 2 years ago... gonna pack this dress! ;-)

Beauty Review: Baggage Lost Puff Reducing Eye Gel

Promise:
“instantly targets the appearance of puffiness under the eye area”
Product Profile in Short:
invisible and lightweight gel that helps target and reduce the appearance of puffiness under the eye area. It “helps provide an overall youthful-looking appearance.”
Close-up on Active Ingredients:
Water (Aqua), Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond Seed Extract), Sodium Hyaluronate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Carbomere, Wheat Protein Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Caffeine, Yeast Extract, Grape Seed Extract, Triethanolamine, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Ethylparaben, Butylparaben
This is one of the best ingredients lists I’ve ever seen. Yes, ok, there are parabens at the end but look at all these extracts at the beginning. Those are precious! All of them are very beneficial for the skin around the eye as they help to moisturize, protects against free radicals, drain excess water build up, stimulate collagen…

Experience:
Texture: light gel
Fragrance: free of perfume

The good news is that Baggage Lost Puff Reducing Eye Gel works. However it still does not completely solve the problem for me. Yes the eye area looks more lifted and less puffy after application but the puffiness does not completely disappear… I would say improvement is about 30-50%... I can also appreciate that Baggage Lost Puff Reducing Eye Gel fights eye puffiness on several levels. It physically lifts up eye bags because I can feel skin tightening when it dries up. It also provides drainage plus stimulation with caffeine and soothes with Sweet Almond Seed Extract and Aloe. It moisturizes and provides anti-aging plus anti-oxidant effects with Cucumber, Wheat Protein Extract, Grape Seed Extract.
There is one thing to watch out for. If you apply powder over the Baggage Lost gel, it tends to crumble. Not good, I agree... However I noticed that if you use cream under-eye-concealer over Baggage Lost, it works very well...

Price Tag:
$ 23

Bottom Line:
It’s definitely a high quality product. Very well thought through, great ingredient list. But I am not getting the effect I need. Be it the fault of the product or the age or whatever other reason… I don’t think Baggage Lost Puff Reducing Eye Gel will be on my regular skin care list but I would recommend to try it out if you just are starting to get the cursed eye puffiness problem. Because, trust me, there are not so many products out there to help you deal with it :-(

FTC Product Review Disclaimer: The author of this blog received a sample product for this review.

Beauty Shopping: Diorshow Iconic High Definition Mascara

Guess what I finally got??? I made up my mind and got Diorshow mascara! Yay!!! It took me looong... The problem was tooo big choice and since mascara is now my daily quick make-up essential, I had to make a good choice!
When I was looking for the best mascara out there I asked on twitter for advice. Several people said they really liked Diorshow Mascara. However, one person said she would sometimes get raccoon eyes from Diorshow but she anyway liked it most of all. I decided to try out a couple other brands before getting it. But since I am not so much out shopping these days and because I am always in a hurry, I just couldn’t really completely focus on making the right mascara decision. So once I dropped by a store together with my Mom and painted my eye lashes with 4 different mascaras. Which do you think she thought was the best? Diorshow! You are right!
So last week I went shopping determined to finally get it! And I even got a present with it – an adorable miniature eyeshadow palette with 5 shades for creating a classic “iconic” look!


Diorshow Iconic Look (Mascara + Mini 5-color-eyeshadow)
O90 Noir-Black High DefinitionLash Curler Mascara

My present!!!

Quick Fix: Toothpaste Helps to Get Rid of Orangey Palms!

I cam across this tip in Cosmo and thought you may like it as much as I did. You know how pals get all orange after you apply self-tanner. It appears whitening toothpaste can fix this problem! I would have never thought of this! It should contain peroxide and silica. The peroxide helps to lighten the tint and silica exfoliates the top layer of skin. Just put a small amount on your palms rub together a little and then wash it off! That’s smart!

Beauty Review: Dr Denese’s Advanced Firming Facial Pads

Dr Denese’s Advanced Firming Facial Pads are now one of my favorite skin care products! I'm very impressed with what this product does to my skin so read on to find out the details!

Promise:
"...delivers a profound firming effect over time. Each pad delivers the prefect dose of exfoliation, improves radiance, even out skin tone and clarity. It dramatically reduces the look of lines, wrinkles and it drastically shrinks the look of pores."

Product Profile in Short:
"...professional-grade glycolic peel delivers the perfect dose of daily exfoliation and firming effect. Each pad is infused with innovative ingredients such as peptides, high percentage glycolic acid and alpha lipoic acid to address lines and wrinkles, uneven skin tone, large pores, and lack of radiance to the skin."


Close-up on Active Ingredients:
Water (aqua), Glycolic Acid (+10%), Propylene Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Polysorbate 20, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Avena Sativa (Oat) Protein, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Tetrapeptide-7 Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Carbomer, Yeast Extract, Zea Mays, Ascorbic Acid, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopherol Acetate, Thioctic Acid, Triethanolamine, Diisopropyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Diiostearyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Orzanol, Ubiquinone, Sodium PCA, Trisodium EDTA, Potasium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol
The key ingredient of these pads is glycolic acid. What glycolic acid does is exfoliate stratum corneum (higher layer) of your skin and helps your skin to get rid of the dead old cells and expose the new live cells this way effectively helping to improve skin's appearance and texture. Glycolic acid is used by skin care professionals to help reduce wrinkles, acne scarring, hyperpigmentation etc. In addition to glycolic acid Advanced Firming Facial Pads
contain other peeling ingredients such as Ascorbic Acid and Retinyl Palmitate for example. Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) has strong anti-oxidant properties, it stimulates collagen synthesis and has also been proven to improve condition of photoaged skin and reverse some of the sun damage. Retinyl Palmitate is a form of Vitamin A. When absorbed into the skin it gets converted to retinol which, as most of us know, helps to renew and rejuvenate skin.
I also see several peptides on the ingredient list which boost collagen production as well.
There are some plants extracts among the ingredients. For example, Aloe leaf juice is an effective anti-oxidant and has strong anti-inflammatory properties.

Experience:
Texture: premoistened cotton pads, soft, really soaked in the product
Fragrance: i see no fragrance on the list but it definitely has some artificial fragrance added
I was very afraid to try this product. I have somewhat sensitive skin and I was sure I will just react badly and will be burning red.
According to the directions on the package, those with normal and oily skin can use Advanced firming pads daily. You should start slowly and build up the rubbing time to 30-60 seconds. Following recommendations provided, I rubbed a cotton moistened pad on my skin at night after cleansing my skin. The first time I was so worried I did it for several seconds and then in 10 seconds I was already washing my face scared that the stining was too strong... To my greatest surprise I did not get any irritation. So I continued using the Advanced Firming Pads every evening. In a couple days I built up some courage and did not wash my face afterwards. Results were very impressing and almost immediate! In a matter of days I would wake up to a fresher smoother complexion, looking better with every day! Actually immediately after application my skin felt so soft and smooth to touch it was amazing… I love this product. Skin exfoliation becomes a key to a fresh smooth complexion when you hit mid-twenties because your skin just doesnt renew itself so fast anymore... so all the dead cells just build up on its surface and it starts to look dull and tired and rough. Finding the right product to exfoliate your skin is crucial. It cannot be irritating and it has to be strong enough to be effective. Dr Denese’s Advanced Firming Facial Pads work miracles for me!

Price Tag:
$35 for a jar with 60 pads

Bottom Line:
It's a great product! I would make this product a regular in my routine. However maybe to keep on the safe side I would avoid using it in the summer and reserve it for autumn and spring.


FTC Product Review Disclaimer: The author of this blog received a sample product for this review.

Beauty Digest: Jessica Simpson’s Beauty Show on MTV

Have you seen Simpson’s beauty show on MTV and vh1? It's called The Price of Beauty . I love the idea! Together with her two friends CaCee Cobb, Jess' ex-assistant, and Ken Paves, hair stylist, she is traveling the globe and discovering what’s considered beautiful in different countries. At the same time Jess is learning about various beauty secrets and tricks and sharing her discoveries with viewers. I’ve always been curious about differences in beauty perceptions and beauty values between different cultures. In some places it’s hair or thin ankles that are key attractive features in a woman, in others being thin is beautiful in others the same virtue is considered a sign of sickness. It’s also interesting to find out what the roots of those differences are. And even more captivating is to learn about beauty secrets and measures women take around the world to achieve perfection and to fight skin aging. For example, I know that Japanese women believe in consuming collagen infused foods/drinks to help them fight aging, in Slavic cultures they have hundreds of herb and fruit based recepies to help achieve or retain skin beauty and youth. Unfortunately I don’t have time to watch each and every episode of Jessica’s wonderful show but a couple series I saw were lots of fun and very informative.

Beauty Preview: Dr. Denese Skin Care Products

This is what I love about beauty blogging… You get to discover amazing brands, products and lines that probably you would have never tried… I was contacted by Dr Denese promotional team and asked if I would like to test one of their products… I looked at the website and saw among many other interesting products the Baggage Lost Puff Reducing Eye Gel
You can imagine how curious I got… I mean, any brand that has a special product for under eye bags and eye puffiness is on my must-try list! I definitely think this problem is overlooked by skin care brands. There should be more special products developed to help deal with it.

Here is a bit of background on Dr Denese. Born in Hungary, Dr Denese started creating skin care products as early as 9 ears of age. She has been involved in skin care and anti-aging research all her life. Currently, having world class medical education and extensive experience, Dr Denese develops a variety of products for a wide range of skin care and skin aging issues. Dr Denese says what makes her products different from others is that she uses high concentrations of advanced active ingredients clinically proven to work.

Coming up are 3 reviews of the three products I’ve tried:

the Baggage Lost Puff Reducing Eye Gel

Advanced Firming Facial Pads


Wrinkle Rx - Deep Wrinkle Environmental Shield Serum

Beauty Radar: Poof! Fighting Eye Puffiness!

Here are a couple eye care products I came across recently that attracted my attention. They all target the problem of eye puffiness! I think they look very interesting and would like to try them out:

Kiehl’s Facial Fuel Eye De-Puffer - Contains caffeine and hibiscus and promises to revive tired eyes.

Clinique All About Eyes Serum comes in a tube with a roller ball. Promises to increase blood circulation and reduce puffiness.

The Baggage Lost Puff Reducing Eye Gel by Dr.Denese. It contains almond, aloe, grapeseed extracts as well as the de-puffing caffeine. I actually had a chance to test this one. I’ll post about it next.

Let me know if you have tried any of these and what you think!

Beauty Find: Reusable Revolution - Eco-Friendly Cosmetic Solutions

Recently we had relatives visiting with us for a week and that was not only fun but very educational! I learnt a lot about healthy vegetarian diet, meditation and what it really means to be eco-friendly… One of the new concepts I learnt is the "reusable" approach to things you use in your daily life. Not only can you apply it to your shopping bag but you can take one step further and start using reusable face cotton rounds and wiping tissues! Do you ever think how many of those makeup cotton rounds we use daily, weekly… monthly… I personally don’t even pay attention to how many I go through. But it appears there are reusable cotton rounds to remove makeup from your eyes and face available. They are made from high-quality ecological cotton and are soooo super-soft and smooth. Here, I got a link for you http://betterforgrownups.com/ However, am not sure about the shipping policy and if they are available in Europe…

Beauty Shopping: Dior All-In-One Artistry Palette 008 Smoky Design

Recently I have been drawn like a magnet to Dior makeup. Just about a month ago I invested into a limited edition gold eye shadow. And now I got a palette of 5 shadows. I have been eyeing this palette for a long long time. I wanted a good palette for doing a smoky gray-silver-black eye. What I was looking for is a combination of shades that would allow me to vary intensity of the smoky eye makeup. Dior All-In-One Artistry Palette 008 Smoky Design has 5 shades from white to dark (liner dark black).

Before making the final decision I made sure I consider all of my options and asked the sales assistant to put next to each other various smoky eye palettes to see which I like most. Between Chanel, Lancome, Estee Lauder and Dior, the latter came out the winner.

Promise a review soon!