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Sunforgettable Mineral Powder Sun Protection SPF 30 by Colorescience PRO

I bought a little sample of this orb of SPF sun protectant in a little orb shape filled with mineral powder. It was a sunscreen in the form of a powder. I was very intrigued mainly because it was different. WOW a powder form of sun protection, how cool is that! I am glad I bought this little orb mainly because it was only 3 dollars on sale at this spa that I attend. I have put up a picture of the actual size orb, the 3 dollar one I purchased is very very tiny you can put it in the palm of your hand and it will disappear, it is a travel size. This is a mineral powder with SPF 30. I tried it 2 times along with the puff it came with. It is hard to apply for the little travel size puff and I do not like the fact that it is like that old talcom powder application. you have to shake out a lot and then put it on a brush to apply, like loose powder. I always use a brush to apply even my pressed powder, not a big fan of loose powder, simply because it gets too messy. I suggest if you try this product to use your normal powder brush to apply. This is a mineral powder which means it has no preservatives, fragrances, or chemicals added in. It is like using make up from the Cleopatra days using molten rocks and such. Mineral make up also does not have much coverage, so I am not really sure what it is for. I guess it is for the more natural make up look without it entering into your pores. I think i will give this product a try after reading about mineral make up. I always thought it made me break out but since it is all natural and so pressed that it can not enter your pores and great for sensitive skin users, I should give this another try. This powder however needs to be applied every two hours, so I have a feeling the SPF factor is good only up to 2 hours. Maybe this would be a great product to use when you are laying out at the pool or beach since it does have the SPF 30 and a light coverage. I am indifferent about it because the one I got was so small and the brush that comes with it needs to be thrown out immediately. The thing is way too tiny and the brush is a bit rough, it reminded me cat fur instead of rabbit fur. Also, the actual size orb is $40 dollars and for that price, it is not worth it. However, it does lead me to wonder about mineral make up?...any good tips?

Silk Elements - Megasilk Olive Heat Protection Spray

Megasilk Olive Heat Protection Spray by Silk Elements is a spray for your hair to protect it from damage from using a blow-dryer, curling iron, or flat iron. You spray this generously in your hair while it is wet comb it through with a wide tooth comb and blow dry, curl, or flatten to your hearts content and it will not damage your hair. TIP : When your hair is wet, always use a wide tooth comb instead of a brush or thin comb because you will have less breakage and pulling, especially if your hair is long. This Megasilk product was not for me, once it dries it leaves your hair very stiff instead of the bouncy wild hair that we love. It also creates a look of dullness and takes away all volume from your hair. When you touch your hair it feels as if a pound of vaseline fell on it and you can't wash it off. I think maybe this product is for a different kind of hair, maybe it will work great with really frizzy hair. One good thing with this product however is that you will have almost no fly-aways! Mainly because your hair is so stiff. If you are though looking for that super stiff straight look I suggest using this product. I am more of a body girl myself so I like bouncy all over the place big hair! Also, if you did want to try it, Sally's sells this product and for only about 5 dollars so you aren't wasting much. I used it maybe twice and it is now part of my collection of unused products, which is for sale eventually.

MURAD - Pure Skin® Clarifying Dietary Supplement

These are pills made by Murad to prevent breakouts internally. It is suppose to reduce blemishes by 55%  within 6 weeks to encourage clear, healthy skin. The directions state to take 2 pills in the am and two pills at night a total of 4 pills. These pills are humongous, so I take one a day usually after lunch. The main ingredients are Vitamin A for cell production, Yellow Dock and Burdock which help the body to remove blemish-producing toxins, and zinc to rid of skin irritation. I usually take an all natural vitamin everyday so I thought why not I will try this one since it has all the essentials vitamins a woman needs, such as Vita A, C, E and Calcium. This bottle however costs 45 dollars and if you are on a budget it doesn’t really help skin improvements, since I have not really seen any with or without these pills. I will continue to take them and see what happens, however I have not really followed the directions because I am suppose to take 2 in the A.M and 2 at night. I am very sensitive to pills so I think 4 pills a day would be too much for me, such as the Vitamin C in the Murad pills, 2 contains 466 doses of Vita C, times two, that means I am taking a daily dose of 1000 doses of Vita C, which, I think, is too much for me, since I am allergic to too much Vita C. However, I like the idea of clearing the skin from the inside out do I think Murad has done the deed? Uh no, not really. I heard other pills are just as efficient, although I haven’t tried any other pills. Birth control pills are another option however  I don’t believe in taking oral contraceptives to clear your skin as it also has many other side effects that can be damaging in the long run. However the choice is yours, I believe in all organics entering the body can‘t be bad at all…

Bee Yummy Skin Food by live live & organic

Bee Yummy Skin Food is my absolute FAVORITE moisturizer of all time! This light-weight potion nourishes your skin with at least 27 minerals, 22 amino acids, 105 live enzymes & co-enzymes, hormones, antioxidants, bioflavonoids, and pigments. This product is 100% organic and has one powerful antioxidant...honey! It soaks into the skin almost instantly and it has no greasy build up in your pores 8 hours later. It is one of the best products out there and one of my faves! I can not live without bee yummy skin food and my first stop on my next trip to the Big Apple is to visit this store. The only downfall is that they only have one store and it is in New York City and I am in Los Angeles. New yorkers are so lucky to have this store near them! If your not in New York or close to the store you can buy it online or phone it in. I think Chris is the guy to talk to there, he is the nicest rep ever, not sure if he is the owner but he has a British accent and he will take care of all you questions or customer service needs. If you order this product online make sure to leave a note in the front of the door stating to the UPS driver that you accpet this product and to leave it in your door if no one is available to sign for it. They have a funky set up where they need someone's signature. I have talked this over with Chris and he was trying to change that with UPS or just get it shipped to someone you trust to be home or to your work. This stuff is worth it! Every order also comes with a little trial size sample which is great for travel or to carry around in your purse. It is a bit pricey but worth every penny, it is about 29 dollars for a 2 ounce bottle. This is about the best moisturizer for acne sufferers of all kinds and especially for those with oily skin who need a moisturizer but is scared to use one because it might produce more oil. This special bee yummy skin food, really is like food, it sucks right into the skin under the top layer and melts away into the light wrinkles you may have. Just remember the packaging is like paper, make sure not to get it wet or it will run all over the place. This is my favorite moisturizer of all time and I am so lucky to have been introduced to this product from an Australian chick named Fran Kerr, yes you may have heard of her the organic acne sufferer guru who has tutorials on youtube about organics and your skin. Bee Yummy Skin Food, if you haven't yet and you can afford it, try this product, it is amazing because it heals. I also want to try the bee yummy face mask called the Bee Yummy Face Lift, however I have yet to try it, I wish I was by a store so I can receive a sample to see if I like it. live live & organic has other products that I am sure are great, they are a bit pricey but everything is more expensive in New York! I have added a direct link for you to review and an actual picture of what it looks like, yummy!  http://www.live-live.com/

The Kindle...buy here if you are interested! What a great cute idea!

Fresh Farmacy Cleanser by LUSH

Fresh Farmacy Cleanser by LUSH is one of my favorite cleansers out of all of them out there.

I received a very generous sample of this cleanser recommended by the friendly Lush girls while I was out of town. I like this store because it is very interactive, the girls are not all judgmental as they examine your skin, this place is very lively and the staff is amazingly helpful. I tried this when I got home and I fell in love with it instantly. My skin soaked up the calamine ingredient with radiant clearness. I was really happy with it. Until, about day 4, I saw that it dried out my skin a lot and that it seems my pores were a bit clogged. So I went to the LUSH store and bought a face lotion and tea tree toner, more about that later. I like this product because it is organic and very easily to be refunded even after 1 week of use. They take it back and make you fill out a questionnaire form of the reasons for the return. Your feedback as a consumer is very much acknowledged at LUSH, which is about the first I have ever encountered. I asked why the long form I had to fill out and she explained that the corporate office takes it quite seriously and that if they find probable cause they may throw the whole batch away and or they will inspect if any contamination was entered into the product because all the soaps at LUSH are hand made. I was feeling a bit bittersweet by this news because I was wondering if there was contamination or if it was just my skin. This is not the product I returned by the way. I still have the half bars that I continue to use maybe two times a week at night to calm my skin, however everyday use, day and night is not recommended with this product for my skin type. I found it too drying and didn't feel a deep clean with this since my pores seemed a bit clogged. However, I recommend this product to be used maybe twice a week. This soap is about $8 BUCKS! for a 4 ounce bar. You can also ask them to cut it in half or say you want $4 worth and they will weigh out about that much. It is great! However, I do recommend asking them for a sample of this product and see if it works for you or not. Make sure if you do try it to rub the bar into your hands for about 10 seconds until you can see suds on your palms. I say this to make sure that all the little chunks that come out of it is all crushed down into your palms and not scratching the surface of your gentle beautiful skin.

BVLGARI OMNIA CRYSTALLINE By Bvlgari For Women

My coworker absolutely loves this fragrance so this blog is for her. She claims that everybody stops her and asks what she is wearing. I like it somewhat, but what I like better is the bottle. It is a beautiful bottle by BVLGARI and she states that you can get this bottle at Marshalls and pay at least 20 dollars less than if you were to get it at Macy's or Sephora. Remember the best time to spray perfume is after you take a shower when your pours are still open. Just one spritz on the right side of the neck and one spritz on the left is all you need. Also hold the bottle at an angle in the air with your hand raised to a half way position. When you blow dry your hair the scent will get into your hair and you can smell it all day, every time you move that sexy hair of yours and it will bring a smile to your face. One of life's simple pleasures is the scent of your favorite perfume. I have yet to find mine. I was a huge fan of Issay Miyake, not so much anymore. If you have any suggestions for good perfumes, share!

Epicuren - Citrus Herbal Cleanser

Epicuren Citrus Herbal Cleanser is a foaming cleanser using fresh citrus such as apricots and vitamin E as the herbal part of the cleanser. This is not very good combination for people with sensitive skin. Too much citrus can make you break out from an allergic reaction and to much Vitamin E which is an oil can clog your pores which causes more break outs. This was recommended to me by a gal at the gym claiming this was the absolute best facial cleanser on earth, she told me everyone at the gym used it and they loved it. So naturally I tried it, I had a reaction to it almost over night. My face had an allergy to it right away and my face formed little allergic bumps only after 2 uses. YIKES! I think this little bottle of citrus herbs just was not for me. Save your money on this product because it is about $32 for a 2 ounce bottle.

I just learned that the inventor of Epicuren is from Laguna Niguel in Orange County, CA is a scientist. The whole line has a lot of enzymes that he chemically engineered. He was intrigued from saliva and the inside of your mouth. How it never scars, it never wrinkles, and how it is always healthy, how it repairs itself so easily. He was so intrigued by saliva that he chemically engineered it so to produce in products. Does that mean Epicuren has saliva in it? uh, no I am sure it doesn't, however it does have almost the same enzymes as saliva does. He then produced it to help burn victims that had severe scarring and they used it to heal them. They say that the bottle of epicuren as soon as it is bottled it is out in stores within a month because of the enzymes. I always love the story behind the product and it is very interesting to find the history of this brand by a very special girl named, Natalie who is a facialist at the Total Woman Gym and Spa in Brea, CA. If you ever get a chance to meet this girl she is good at what she does and if you ever get a chance to visit this spa in Brea, CA, make sure to ask for Natalie for one of the best 50 minute European facials. Thanks Natalie for the interesting story behind the line!

Epicuren - Aloe Vera Gel

The Aloe Vera Gel by Epicuren can be used as a moisturizer if you have sensitive skin. This is a great gel to put on after a day in the sun or if you are sun burnt. It is made from a real Aloe Vera plant and then engineered by oxygen to make it light weight and not as gooey as real Aloe Vera. This was recommended to me by a day spa facialist after I told her I was allergic to most everything. The best thing about this product is that it only costs about 13 dollars and you feel like this is fresh aloe vera you are spreading so generously over your face. However that is a bad idea, I do not recommend it if you have moderate to severe acne. It has aloe but it is also a gel and the gel can stay in your pores which leads to clogging. The best thing about this product is that it has no extra preservatives added into it, it is about as organic as you can get. TIP- Do not buy products from a facialist who has touched your skin one time, since that person does not know it quite yet. Always warn your facialist what you are allergic to. Do not assume that because she is a facialist she will know your skin right away. Give it about a week to see if she did a good job or if she is a right match for you. You will easily be able to tell. Also going to a new facialist for the first time, always tell them that you want a mild extraction aka popping pimples in European Facials. The wrong facialist for you can lead to severe skin scarring and you will not know right away if this person is the right facialist for you. I have yet to find a good match for mine. Get to know your facialist and go about as many times before you feel safe to let her extract to her heart's content...

Almay Oil Free Eye Makeup Remover Liquid, Oil-free

Almay Oil Free Eye Makeup Remover in Liquid form is my favorite eye make up remover. Just use a flat cotton pad with no lining on it but a smooth surface should be used. Never use a cotton pad that has lines or prints on it as it can wrinkle your sensitive eye area, always use a flat surface cotton pad, if you want to splurge, Shiseido cotton pads are a great gift for someone, because not everyone would spend 10 dollars on cotton pads, (well except for me when I didn't have to pay rent). One swipe from left to right is enough to remove all eye make up, use again on your lower lid. This product is great because it is oil free, it nourishes your skin as it removes all eye make up because it is infused with aloe, cucumber and green tea which is perfect for the skin, especially the sensitive eye area and the only place that I will not break out~! yay! Forget the expensive brands of Lancome, Clinique or Dior for an oil-free eye make up remover. Save your money, this product is about 6 dollars and one bottle lasts months.

Clarisonic - "Meet Your Match"

The Clarisonic Skin Care Brush System. At Sephora it is about 200 dollars, however I found it on the internet for about 120 with a coupon code that I found. I was going to buy it after a friend told me it is better than a facial. It came with 1 gel cleanser, 1 toner, and 1 moisturizer. They are all sample size. The brush also came with a charger and a cap to keep it clean, as it can collect dust sitting there. For the price I paid, I give it a 3 out of 5 stars. I can actually live without this product. Number 1 it is really bulky. It takes a lot of space because of the clarisonic electronic system inside of the handle and brush, it is bigger than your average size men's shaver and even heavier. Good luck using it in the tub because it is so bulky. The battery also needs to be constantly charged, however if you are like me and never keep anything charged until it is fully green, you will need to plug it in more often than not. The cleanser and moisturizer that came with the brush can be thrown out as it does not help clear your skin at all. I gave mine away to the lady at the spa. FYI-GRAND SPA for an asian body buff and oil/milk massage is closer to heaven that I have ever felt. More about that later...As for the Clarisonic Brush, I believe the facial sponge for sensitive, acne prone skin is much better, more gentle and about 115 dollars less than the Clarisonic system.
TIP - always remember when using a sponge for your face to not have any chemical dye in it, always use white, or the natural fibers of the brush or sponge, so you do not rub that dye into your skin, especially if you are sensitive.
As for the Clarisonic System, save your money if you have acne prone sensitive skin, as I do not see any improvement from using this system, except a really tight dry sensation afterwards and a bit of redness. I want to actually sell mine, so if anyone wants to buy let me know! Also, the brush seems a bit too rough for my thin skin. I have not "met my match" with this system. Although, I do want to give the OPAL a try, but for 250! I think not...but I may do it on an impulse buy, if I do, I will let you know!

NOTE: I also love the Buf Puf brand sensitive skin sponge, however most places do not sell it anymore. They used to sell it at Wal-Mart, CVS, and Target. However, all three places I have checked and do not sell this brand of sponge any longer, if you ever see this brand, let us know! They do have a lot of brands that copy this sponge, however it is not the same as the Buf Puf brand, since I have tried using then instead, it is not the same. The Buf Puf sponge is about 5 dollars and the copycats are about 2 dollars. A dermatologist actually recommended this sponge to me along with a soap they sell at the pharmacy, Sulfur Soap. This was a great combo in my teens. I simply rubbed the sulfur soap into the sponge front and back and gently scrubbed my face with it concentrating on my t-zone and VERY VERY lightly or ignoring around the jawline, near my eyes, and lower cheeks, since this part of the face is more dry and the skin is thinner in these areas.

Consumerism

According to the Urban Dictionary consumerism is...

1. The practice of conspicuously buying flashy, expensive items and expecting them to fill the voids in one's life.

2. A pejorative used to malign people who enjoy material luxuries, implying that it's impossible for a person do so without having an unhealthy fixation on them. Usually used as a sour grapes excuse to hate people who can afford more luxuries than one's self.

"Tiffany keeps spending all of her money on expensive designer clothing. When will she realize that it's personality, not consumerism, that wins friends?"

"Ugh, did you see Ted's new BMW with heated leather seats, a GPS navigation system, and a 6-disk CD changer? Anyone who would buy luxuries is obviously a disgusingly shallow and materialistic consumerist."

We buy and we buy and we buy. we work and we buy, we work and we buy, it is the vicious cycle of life, however if you are a girl, a woman, or a diva you work and you BUY!!! if you are like me, there is instant gratification everytime you swipe, count, or dish out almost all of your savings for that perfect cleansers, anti-aging creams, nail polish, make-up, skirts, bras, lotions and potions. UGH! what to choose? what to choose?

I have tried everything and spend nearly all of my income on products, that is my speciality. I will first tell you a little bit about me from head to toe. My hair is on the dry side and long. My skin tans easily however normally I am pale, I do not burn easily. I have naturally tight skin, however on the dry side. My complexion changes and varies depending on the season, the time of the month, and whatever my hormones feel like. I have ultra sensitive skin on my face and am allergic to nearly everything. I have acne prone skin but it is strange because it is on the dry side. If I try the wrong products I will break out. Ever since I turned 30 this is especially the case, I can't just pick up some cetaphil at the drug store and not break out. I have to take care of it, maintain it, and keep it as clear as possible.