Ban Cellulite — iQ Derma Firmaceuticals Firming Body Gel

Thursday, July 24th, 2008 | Product Reviews | 5 Comments

There seems to be a common occurrence between when I am dieting and when I am not. When I drink loads of water and ban excess carbs from my life, my thighs look thinner, more toned, and dimple-free. When I am lax about my diet and chose even diet soda over water and am snacking left and right, sure enough, the dimples return and I’ve got a nasty case of cellulite thighs. That’s right, cellulite is a lot diet-related… and I am a repeat offender.

Fortunately I’ve found a spot treatment to lose cellulite. iQ Derma Firming Body Gel is a cellulite solution gel that smoothes and firms the appearance of dimpled skin due to cellulite. I apply it twice a day after showering and I can definitely see results. I first heard about this stuff while in LA back in May, lying on the beach with a friend as we were dishing about our favorite beauty products. She considers iQ Derma Firming Body Gel to be a holy grail of sorts, and now, so do I!

NARS Sunset Strip Lip Gloss Review & More

Sunday, July 20th, 2008 | Product Reviews | 3 Comments

I was playing around with my webcam last Friday and did a little product review video of both NARS Sunset Strip lip gloss and Philosophy Mimosa Flavored Lip Shine. A couple things I forgot to add about NARS Gloss is that it is long-lasting, doesn’t have an overpowering taste, and isn’t too drying. These are lovely qualities about any lip gloss, and NARS delivers for a sexy lip look!

Aha.

Also on my wish list is NARS Body Glow shimmering body oil. Omigah. It smells so chocolately? delicious on the skin and the shimmery glow is fantastic. It’s perfect for shoulders, arms, legs, and any place else you want a decadent glow. I tested it out in Sephora and fell in love. If you get the chance to buy this before I do, I just want you to know that I am jealous! But, I will undoubtedly get my hands on it again soon.

Love.

RAW Minerals Loose Powder Mineral Makeup

Sunday, July 20th, 2008 | Product Reviews | 7 Comments

Well into the mineral makeup craze, I am just now really playing around with the stuff. After purchasing Maybelline Mineral Powder liquid foundation and being generally satisfied with the results, I wanted to try mineral makeup in a powder form as most other fanatics are using it. Rummaging through a pile of makeup I’ve been meaning to try, I found a sample of RAW Minerals loose powder mineral makeup in just my shade. I was pretty eager to test it out.

RAW Minerals mineral makeup is now my favorite, favorite foundation! I make sure to prep my face with a good moisturizer and makeup base so that the formula goes on smooth and even, and use a kabuki brush to apply in swirling motions around my face. RAW Minerals is so lightweight, my skin can breathe in summer heat, yet the coverage is awesome, and I really think it makes me glow! I am such a fanatic about this stuff. I don’t think I’ll go back to regular, non-mineral makeup in a long, long time.

Lucky for you, you can try RAW Minerals free for 30 days. If and when you do, come back and let me know what you think!

DentaBurst Teeth Cleaners For Fresh Breath

Friday, July 18th, 2008 | Product Reviews | 7 Comments

Let’s be honest: When it comes to really, really freshening your breath on the go, cinna-mints just don’t cut it. Especially if you have a love-love relationship with all foods Italiano and other similarly breath-disastrous foods.

Enter… DentaBurst Teeth Cleaners. These DentaBurst “finger gloves” remove plaque from teeth that rinsing with warm water does not. Also, the minty powder found on these gloves (made of mannitol and other “artificial flavors”) leaves your mouth feeling and tasting like a scene of minty (or cinnamon, your choice) flavored fireworks. Literally, a fresh and flavorful explosion in your mouth. They’re quite impressive! DentaBurst Teeth Cleaners boost my confidence in daily conversations after eating whatever I want.

Trust me, DentaBurst “finger glove” Teeth Cleaners will not embarrass you in public. I find my friends are quite jealous that I’ve got such a nifty “secret weapon” against bad breath. They insist on stealing a glove from my stash. Plus, my boyfriend surely appreciates them

You can find DentaBurst Teeth Cleaners at your local drugstore. Breathe fresh!

Have a Mimosa and Wear It, Too — Philosophy Mimosa Flavored Lip Shine

Monday, July 14th, 2008 | Product Reviews | 3 Comments

Philosophy has six delicious flavors of Lip Shine, available online or at Sephora and other retailers. Known for their smell-too-good-to-be-true lines of delicious body goodies, the Lip Shines are available in the following tasty flavors: Powdered Sugar Cookie, Raspberry Sorbet, Vanilla Birthday Cake, Melon Daiquiri, Frozen Lemon Custard, and my personal favorite: Mimosa.

Not only does Philosophy Mimosa flavored Lip Shine remind me of my favorite citrus and champagne drink by smelling and tasting just like it, but the gloss factor is blinding. Even on a lowkey mascara-and-lip-gloss-only day, Philosophy Lip Shines make your mouth look like a million bucks.

At only $12 a pop, I am tempted to go back and buy another sweet Lip Shine — or two, or three. Yum!

L’Oreal Skin Genesis Serum & Oil-Free Moisturizer Review

Friday, July 11th, 2008 | Product Reviews | 1 Comment

Finally, effective anti-aging skincare for less than $25!

When I began using L’Oreal Skin Genesis Serum ($20) and L’Oreal Skin Genesis Oil-Free Moisturizer ($25), I had few expectations. I had never even touched anti-aging skin care that did not retail in department stores — I figured you had to pay the big bucks to get any kind of decent wrinkle-preventing skin potion. I suppose I was wrong! L’Oreal Skin Genesis Serum and Moisturizer are now sitting pretty in their respective silver and pink bottles on my bathroom sink, nearly empty.

I love the serum and moisturizer combo! L’Oreal Skin Genesis Serum leaves my skin silky-smooth, but not just emollient-silky — the skin on my face is visibly resurfaced and feels baby-smooth to the touch, and it has actually replaced my former favorite skin brightening serum for now (I use Skin Genesis in the morning). Skin Genesis Oil-Free Moisturizer is a great companion to the serum and does not leave my face feeling greasy whatsoever. I am usually wary about applying moisturizer to my combo/oily skin but I love this one.

These products use L’Oreal’s patented “Pro-Xylane” technology to create an ideal environment for the skin to maintain it’s healthy, strong, and youthful look. Hyaluronic acid is also reintroduced back into your skin for healthy cell performance.

Keep in mind that the Oil-Free Moisturizer does not contain SPF. I don’t believe it was intended to, as SPFs tend to leave a greasier film.

If you are looking for affordable anti-aging skincare, the L’Oreal Skin Genesis line is absolutely lovely and delivers results. I’m loving that I’m finding so many “recession obsessions” these days!

MAC New View Summer Collection — July 10

Tuesday, July 8th, 2008 | Product Reviews, Trend Watch | 5 Comments

For those of you craving a non-flashy, more natural MAC makeup look, MAC New View Summer Makeup Collection will debut alongside Electroflash later this week, July 10. Get your bronze on with these new baked mineral shades!

Eyeshadow

MAC MINERALIZE EYESHADOW DUO ($17.50)

Light Medium Pale - golden beige/Warm yellow beige
Medium Soft - creamy beige/Light peachy pink
Medium Dark - Caramel/Light tan
Dark Deep - caramel/Mid-tone yellow gold
Deep Dark Rich - golden bronze/Deep copper bronze

I am eyeing the Dark Deep Mineralize duo. Can’t wait!