Best of August Roundup - Lush, Pacifica, Aveda

Hello, We had just a few warm days to speak of this summer, such is life in the Bay Area!  I was in search of the sun, so I went to Southern California twice in this summer.  And I found ample sun to no end, love So Cal! 

Let's get started with some of my August favorite products:

Skincare - Lush Eau Roma Water

I am a BIG fan of Lush products, the company completely deserves their large cult following.  The Lush's concept and products draw me in from the beginning.  I remember making my very first Lush purchase when I was traveling in London.  I have fallen back in love with Lush again, especially with their brilliant new color line, Emotional Brilliance.  When I get a chance to try out the two products I got, I will do a write up on them.  I love them so far!

Lush Eau Roma Water was an essential item in my bag this past month.  The name is lovely, isn't it?  It is a toner, but I use it more as a pick-me-up facial mist and it gets used throughout the day.  The scent is a gorgeous blend of rose and lavender, the rose is definitely more prominent.  It is a great product for setting makeup.  It is not particularly moisturizing, but it is not drying either.  It is very soothing and refreshing.  Good to use in any season.

Makeup - Pacifica Color Quench Natural Moisture Lip Tint

I haven't loved a lip tint this much since I used up my Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balms.  I bought a set of three Pacifica Color Quench Natural Moisture Lip Tints from Sephora a good few months ago.  I did not get to photograph the first color I used up, Blood Orange, my favorite of the three colors.

According to Sephora's website:

What it does:
It's the ultimate lip product, the Pacifica way. This lip tint provides major moisture, adds sheer, universally gorgeous color, and imparts a hint of sophisticated flavor. It thoroughly soothes and satisfies lips with avocado and coconut oils, both superfoods rich in amazing essential fatty acids. Nourishing and natural, this fool-proof product goes anywhere for touch-ups anytime, no mirror needed. 

Coconut Nectar - Pale shimmer champagne color.  This is the least pigmented out of the three colors and it is too pale for me to wear on its own.  This color looks pretty over a darker or vibrant lip color. 

Guava Berry - Berry shimmer color.  The shimmer is very subtle in all the colors.  I often wore this alone without lipstick because the color payoff is quite good. 

Overall, I love these and I will definitely re-purchase.  These lip tints are natural and very hydrating, but you do need to re-apply throughout the day as with any other lip treatment products.  The scent or taste of the lip tint goes according to the name of the color.  They are now on sale at Sephora.com, grab them while they last.  I highly recommend these for anyone who wants a quality natural lip balm with a wash of color. 

Hair Care - Aveda Beautifying Composition

In the July Roundup post, I mentioned that I have been using an oil treatment for my hair and this is it, Aveda Beautifying Composition.  This is a re-purchase for me as I have using this oil on an off for years.  It is a rich blend of jojoba oil with rosemary and bergamot, for hair, scalp, and body.

I keep my bottle in the shower because I like using it as a scalp and hair treatment.  On wet hair, I massage in about ten drops focusing on my scalp and the ends of my hair and leave on for at least five minutes.  As I mentioned, it is a very rich oil.  So for the body, I would massage it on my skin in the shower and rinse off.  It leaves a protective barrier on my skin after the rinse and  I can even skip lotion or dry oil if I use this product in the shower.  The aroma is the signature Aveda scent, it smells like a concoction of floral and ylang ylang.

I am always interested in oil treatment for face, hair, and body, so I would love to know what works for you.

Have a wonderful Labor Day Weekend!  Until next post......

Things That I Have Been Loving This Summer

Hello, An image diary of things that I have been trying and loving this summer...  

Skincare 

Andalou Naturals Apricot Probiotic Cleansing Milk is all natural and works like a dream for dry skin.  Not to mention, it smells delicious!

SK-II is not new to me, but I have not used anything from the line in a few years.  This SK-II Pitera Essence Set (similar set sold in link) was gifted to me from my relative.  It was purchased in Asia.

I bought the SK-II Cellumination Mask-in Lotion to go with the set.  It offers mask like benefits and keeps my skin moist throughout the day.  This is the perfect toner/treatment when you do not have time to do facial masks.  Love!

Thanks to Rowena at rolala loves for telling me about La Roche-Posay Anthelios 60 Melt-In Sunscreen Milk.  This is the best drugstore sunscreen!

Heliotrope is a San Francisco natural skincare company.  This purifying mist is the first purchase from the brand for me, I carried it in my purse wherever I went this summer.  It has a refreshing scent.  It can be used on the face and in the home.

Makeup

I have been reaching for pink blushes a lot this summer.  Bobbi Brown Blush in 9 Pale Pink is one of my all time favorites.

I have been a big fan of the Diorsnow sunscreen for years.  I picked up Diorsnow UV Shield BB Creme when it came out earlier this year.  It does not disappoint.  It has excellent coverage, color, and skin protection.  For me, it looks best without a setting powder.   This is my current HG BB cream.

Random 

If you are in the Bay Area, you need to try Simply Mochi.  They make the best mochi outside of Japan.  Interesting flavors and always made perfectly!   Mochi goodness!

What are you loving this summer?  Thanks for stopping by and until next post......

My Nails of Summer - Essie, SpaRitual, Revlon

Hello, My day job has kept me very busy lately, but it has not stopped me from enjoying my regular manicure and pedicure this summer.  I discovered some pretty nail colors to share with you, here are some of my favorites...


Essie Penny Talk - Pink gold metallic.  I typically do not go for metallic polishes, but I could not pass this up when I saw it from the "Mirror Metallics" collection at Walgreens.  The metallic is not over the top.  It is actually office friendly and quite a fun shade to wear.  My Mom saw my nails and mentioned she loved the color too, so I gifted her the bottle I bought. 



Via Essie.com



SpaRitual Hunk of Burning Love - Warm red creme.  This was my first SpaRitual nail lacquer experience from a nail salon.  I absolutely love this brand after I tried this polish.  The color is so shiny and my finger nails were chip-free for about a week.  I learned more about this brand from the Sephora website:

SpaRitual® products are crafted for the enlightened consumer, using naturally formulated, vegan, certified-organic, and fair-trade ingredients. The brand approaches beauty as a holistic connection to oneself and to the environment, bringing eco-awareness not only to their line of body and hand products, but also in their efforts towards sustainable packaging and sourcing methods. All of SpaRitual’s natural formulas are free of synthetic dyes and parabens, as well as toluene, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, and DBP.

Via Sephora.com

This particular color was also mentioned in The Zoe Report this month.


Revlon Runway Pearl - Sheer white with pink opalescence.  This may be a limited edition color.  I used two coats and got a pretty sheer and clean look.  I think three coats would look more even and better.  Revlon makes fabulous nail polishes at drugstore prices and their Quick Dry Top Coat is pretty amazing too.  Big fan here!

Please excuse the cuticles, this pic was taken a few months ago when it was freezing cold. 

Bloggers are saying this is a dupe for Chanel Nail Lacquer in Pearl Drop, see swatches from Temptalia's post here.  What do you think?  I think not exactly, Chanel's color seems to be more opaque and whiter from the pictures.


What nail polishes are you loving this summer?  


Thanks for stopping by.  Until next post......

Best of June Roundup - Chanel, Burberry, Oribe

Hello, Happy 4th of July!!  It is that time again, let's jump right into my June favorite products:  

Skin Care - Chanel Le Blanc Skincare

When I visited the Chanel counter at Nordstrom a few months back, I received some samples of Chanel Le Blanc Skincare that had just launched at that time.  It is a line specifically for brightening.  I received the cleanser, brightening moisture lotion, brightening concentrate (serum), and brightening moisturizing cream.  I waited and took the samples with me on my recent trip to Los Angeles and tried everything for about one week.  

I did take a risk in sampling new products on a trip, but everything turned out fine.  In fact, my skin loved this line.  My skin felt moisturized enough, but not overly moisturized.  The line also helped keep my face clear at the same time.  

The cleanser is the foaming type, it lathers and cleanses quite well.  Next, I especially love the moisture lotion which is a toner, it exfoliates the skin and preps it for the serum and moisturizer.  The texture of the brightening concentrate and moisturizing cream are similar, they both have a light gel cream texture to them.   You can use the concentrate and moisturizing cream around the eye area too.  Multi-functional products are a big plus for me.  In fact, there are not too many brightening products out there that you can use both on the face and eye area.  The products have a light floral scent, not heavy.

My initial thoughts are I like this line a lot.  It is good to incorporate a brightening skincare line especially in the summer.  I am currently back to using SK II because I was gifted some items from a relative and want to use up everything first.  I would consider getting the moisture lotion and the moisturizing cream from this line next.

Makeup - Burberry Sheer Eye Shadow in No. 22 Pale Barley

I have been really loving Burberry eyeshadows lately.  I currently own three Burberry brown eyeshadows and might acquire more in the future.  Today I will talk about No. 22 Pale Barley, it first launched a few months ago.  I fell in love when I swatched it for the first time, it is a beautiful pale taupe brown with gold shimmer.  It is a wearable color that looks good on many different skin tones.  The Burberry eyeshadows are creamy in texture and the formula is long lasting even if you do not use an eye base.  It has good color payoff as it is buildable.  And the packaging speaks for itself, Burberry chic.  LOVE!

Hair Care - Oribe Apres Beach Wave and Shine Spray

It is a hair texturizer and conditioning treatment in one.  I enjoy using it in the morning on my bed head.  Also, it is great for second day hair if you do not shampoo everyday.  Although I have only used it on dry hair, it can be used on dry or wet hair.  The scent is fruity floral and it is very pleasant, it actually smells like summer to me.  

I bought the travel size spray at Space NK in Bloomingdale's and it was around $19.50.

To my fellow American readers, have a safe holiday!  Until next post......

Best of May Roundup - CeraVe, Nars, RMK, Victoria's Secret

Hello,  May was definitely a transitional month slowly rolling from Spring to Summer.  I thoroughly enjoyed the sunshine throughout the month.  I find myself switching up my skincare and makeup routine a lot as I adjust to changing of the seasons.  


Skin Care - CeraVe Facial Moisturizing Lotion PM

As I mentioned in the last post, I suffered from dry patches recently.  The most challenging part was foundation application because I did not have a smooth canvas to work with.


I took the matters into my own hands, did some research, and concluded that I needed to go back to basics in my routine. CeraVe Facial Moisturizing Lotion PM is an amazing fragrance-free moisturizer made with ceramides, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid as the key ingredients.  It is intensely moisturizing, but you would not expect it because the texture is super light.  It was the first product I picked up to work on the dry patches and it literally got rid of most of them after one use overnight!  Yes, one use! 


The claims and benefits right from the box:

Ingredients:

I highly recommend this moisturizer for dry skin.  It can be found in most drugstores near you.


Makeup - NARS 'Pure Radiant' Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30 PA+++ and RMK Powder Foundation EX SPF 24 PA ++


I have been reaching for NARS 'Pure Radiant' Tinted Moisturizer in Alaska a lot in May, especially on the warmer days.  This is the BEST Nars base makeup I have ever tried so far!  Here is my earlier post on this tinted moisturizer and my thoughts have not changed.  I like it more and more with each use.  This is a must for summer!

A good companion to the tinted moisturizer is RMK Powder Foundation EX SPF 24 PA ++.  It is a sheer coverage powder foundation which I tend to use as a pressed powder over foundation or tinted moisturizer.  It works well with many different brands of base makeup.

Pouch for compact and brush

This is not a new product on the market.  I ordered this powder foundation in 102 from iMomoko.com last year, but it does not appear that they carry this item anymore.  There are other sites that sell it, you can search for them by the product name.  I am such a big fan of the RMK Liquid Foundation, so I had to try this powder foundation.  The powder comes in two textures in the compact, matte and shimmer.  The shimmer is meant to be used as a highlighter.  I like to blend the two textures together sometime when I feel like an all over radiant look.  The shimmer is very subtle and almost undetectable on the skin.  


Body Care - Victoria's Secret Gorgeous Fragrance Lotion

Via Google images

Lately, I have been obsessed with the scent of Victoria's Secret Gorgeous Fragrance Lotion.  I find most of the scents at VS to be very similar and overly sweet. Gorgeous stands out to me for being a little different from the other VS fragrances. It is a fruity and floral scent that also smells fresh.  The notes are strawberries, jasmine, and sandalwood.  I could not stop sniffing myself when I have this lotion on.  The entire line of VS Gorgeous fragrance products are currently on sale because the line is being discontinued.  I also got the fragrance mist which is perfect as a light summer scent.


What were your favorite products in May?  Until next post......

The Tale Of Two Sunscreens - La Roche-Posay and Ipsa

Hello, I have a tendency to try new sunscreens.  I have been trying two new sunscreens since February and experienced very different reactions.  They are La Roche-Posay Athelios 50 Mineral Ultra Light Sunscreen Fluid and Ipsa Sun Protector.  Before I get to them, here are some basics I look for in a new sunscreen:


1) Must be broad spectrum (UVA/UVB) with minimum SPF30


2) Can be physical, chemical, or combination of both.  I prefer physical sunscreens, but I also use chemical sunscreens.  In case you are interested, below is a list of FDA approved sunscreens found on the Skin Cancer Foundation's website:

FDA-Approved Sunscreens
Active Ingredient/UV Filter Name	Range Covered
	UVA1: 340-400 nm
	UVA2: 320-340 nm
	UVB: 290-320 nm
Chemical Absorbers:
Aminobenzoic acid (PABA)	UVB
Avobenzone	UVA1
Cinoxate	UVB
Dioxybenzone	UVB, UVA2
Ecamsule (Mexoryl SX)	UVA2
Ensulizole (Phenylbenzimiazole Sulfonic Acid)	UVB
Homosalate	UVB
Meradimate (Menthyl Anthranilate)	UVA2
Octocrylene	UVB
Octinoxate (Octyl Methoxycinnamate)	UVB
Octisalate ( Octyl Salicylate)	UVB
Oxybenzone	UVB, UVA2
Padimate O	UVB
Sulisobenzone	UVB, UVA2
Trolamine Salicylate	UVB
Physical Filters:
Titanium Dioxide	UVB, UVA2
Zinc Oxide	UVB,UVA2, UVA1

3) Must be good for sensitive and dry skin

La Roche-Posay Athelios 50 Mineral Ultra Light Sunscreen Fluid

There have been a lot of positive write ups on this sunscreen around the web.  In February, I read this is Charlize Theron's go to sunscreen, so I thought it must be a good one and I had high hopes for it to work for me.  


It is a physical sunscreen with SPF 50 for the face.  I like that it is water-resistant and fragrance and paraben free.  It has a runny milky consistency and it needs to be shaken up in the bottle before use.  You can get a white cast from it if you apply too much, so a little goes a long way.  It can be found in most drugstores that carry La Roche-Posay. 


During the first week of use, my skin had no problems and tolerated well.  I continued to use it everyday for weeks and I began to notice dry patches developing on my cheeks.  Given the weather was still cold and dry and I was constantly exposed to indoor heating, I thought the environment was the culprit for the dry patches.  But I never had dry patches in the past, so I was not entirely sure what caused them.  This sunscreen provides a matte finish, so I figured it must contain oil control ingredients.  I finally decided to stop using it and the dry patches began to dissipate.  I exfoliated and used a drugstore and some high end moisturizing products to combat the dry patches for good.  I will discuss these products in another post because they really work on dry patches.  Now I am back on with my regular skincare and have no problems since.  


My conclusion on this sunscreen is that it is more suitable for oily skin or if you live in a humid environment and need a sunscreen with oil control.  I really wanted to like this product, but unfortunately I will no longer be using it on my face.  I will however try to finish it by using it on the body instead.


Ipsa Sun Protector SPF 30 PA+++

In my early days of wearing sunscreen, my go to sunscreens were always Japanese brands such as Shiseido.  I have always trusted Japanese brands in skincare and I have tried numerous brands over the years.  Some friends of my mine swear by Japanese skincare and they have flawless and perfect skin to show for.


I picked up Ipsa Sun Protector SPF 30 PA+++ during my last trip to Hong Kong.  I have read good reviews on their makeup, but I did not know anything about this sunscreen.  This particular sunscreen was recommended to me by the SA because it is good for dry skin.  I have been using it for over one month and I must say it is fantastic.  It is a chemical sunscreen and it feels almost like a light moisturizer.  It has a light fragrance to it.  The weather has been warming up and it is the perfect opportunity to test it out.  So far, I have not been getting darker while using this.  I feel well protected with this sunscreen.  


Overall, this one is a winner for me.  The only downside is that it is rather hard to find in the US, as IPSA is sold exclusively in Asia.  There are some Asian cosmetics websites that sell it, but it is more expensive compared to the price I paid overseas.  I plan to repurchase this the next time I head to Asia.


What is your go to sunscreen these days?  Until next post......