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!