Beauty – Page 53 – Forty, Flirty & Fabulous

Try a New Scent With Nuts Cream Perfume

I love discovering new products that are a little bit different. The Cream Perfume Company is the creator of Nuts, cream perfume that concentrates the fragrance oils in a combination of beeswax and sweet almond oil instead of in alcohol. This is much better for the skin and lasts a long time.

The cream perfumes ($19.95 USD for .35 oz) are very environmentally friendly. They use 100% natural ingredients and some of the perfumes are 100% organic. They also come in a cute little container (that resembles an acorn, hence the name Nuts) made out of residual wood from small mills.

My two favorite scents (so far) are:

Mango Poudre: “Truly seductive scents of mango and cassis balanced with timeless jasmin and candy sugar accord. A tropical favorite with sandalwood, musk and vanilla.” This scent starts out sweet, but when you breath it in you get the depth of the sandalwood and musk. I love this now, but think it will be even nicer when it gets hot this summer.

Ylang Ylang d’amore” “Enjoy exhilarating scents of ylang ylang, mandarin and jasmine in this classic perfume. Trailed by notes of apricot, cedarwood, orange flower, patchouli and musk.” I love this powdery, spicy fragrance. It is very exotic, but soft enough to wear day or night time.

You can purchase these fun, purse-sized fragrances at www.kaponga.com, or look for them at Sephora. Go ahead, try something new!

CoverGirl Simply Ageless Foundation

I love the new influx of anti-aging foundations that have recently been introduced. It’s like an added insurance from those pesky wrinkles that are starting to appear.

CoverGirl has partnered with Olay, by infusing their Simply Ageless Foundation ($15.99 USD), with Olay Regenerist Serum for a double skin treat. This cream foundation comes in 15 shades to choose from, for all skin tones.

The CoverGirl website claims, “This breakthrough formula with Olay Regenerist Serum and SPF 22 stays suspended over fine lines and wrinkles, unlike the leading anti-aging department store foundation that can gather in wrinkles and make skin look older. Clinically shown to provide significant improvement in skin condition in just four weeks.”

This foundation is very creamy and gives great coverage. It is definitely not a sheer foundation. It also drys fairly quickly, giving an flawless matte finish. I also love the SPF 22 because you can never have enough sun protection!

www.covergirl.com is a great place to purchase products or find the location of a retailer near you. It also has a really cool tool called the CG Makeup Mirror where you can upload a photo of yourself and try on CoverGirl products. Have Fun!

Hey All! Enter my 100th Blog Post Giveaways! I will be giving away products from It Cosmetics, Yes to Carrots and EcoTools! To enter, just leave a comment on ANY of my posts between 4/26 – 5/2. I will draw 3 names on Sunday 5/3/09 and notify the winners! To see exactly what I am giving away, check out my post http://tinyurl.com/dgnxda. Good Luck!

Need a Little Luxury? Try La Mer The Body Refiner

: La Mer The Body Refiner

When I first opened my sample of La Mer The Body Refiner (200 ml, $110.00 USD ), I was in my car waiting for my daughter’s bus. I wasn’t sure what it was, so I took it, and rubbed it on my hand. When I looked at my hand, it was sparkling — a lot! So I read the ingredients…diamond dust? How cool is that.

And what an effective body buffer. I rub it on my skin until the particles smooth away and then rinse it off. I have been using this a couple times a week for three weeks. My skin is now so soft!

The Body Refiner incorporates fermented acidic sea muds harvested from a natural marine source. They have low pH levels, and thus work well on sensitive skin. Pure diamond powder and polished sea quartz are the exfoliants and they are infused in a cream base, so it is very gentle on the skin.

This luxury treatment releases in April. Visit the website at www.cremedelamer.com to purchase it or other wonderful skincare products. Enjoy!

Want Flawless Skin? Try Belle De Jour from Kenzo

Belle De Jour (1.7 oz $105.00 USD) is a luxurious cream from Kenzo. “White lotus water is the heart of its secret formula. This natural and potent ingredient has proven relaxing and anti-free radical effects and helps restore skin to its natural balance.” The interesting thing about this cream is that the lotus flower counteracts the stress hormone cortisol’s levels in your skin and relaxes it. This make the skin clearer and smoother.

And it really works. After using it for just a week my skin looked good, and now a few weeks later, my skin is very smooth and glowing. Ladies, I look younger!

My 13 year old daughter has eczema and it gets pretty severe on her face during cold weather. She had red patches under her eyes that were so bad she didn’t want to go to school. So I offered my Belle De Jour, and her face cleared up in a couple of days, and it is now very soft and smooth.

I put the cream on before bed and in the morning after cleansing. It isn’t greasy, but it is creamy so it needs a few minutes to soak in before makeup application. It smells fantastic, too. Two thumbs way up from me.

You can purchase this cream, as well as other fabulous Kenzo skincare and fragrance items at www.kenzousa.com.

Kerastase Hair Products Helps Hair Look Younger

Kerastase is a luxury hair care company that is known to create products to target specific hair needs. I have tried two items from different lines; the Bain Age Recharge from the Resistance Age Recharge Collection, a lipo-replenishing Shampoo for dry, tight scalps and hair losing vitality and the Lotion Densitive GL from the Specifique Thinning Hair Collection, a texturizing and thickening after-shampoo spray.

Bain Age Recharge (250 ml $32.00 USD) – This is a oil-based shampoo that you message into your scalp and hair. The active ingredients include, Vita-Refil Complex, morphofill and glycerol. It leaves my hair soft and shiny and doesn’t strip down the color. It is supposed to bring back the youth to your hair, and my hair does look a lot bouncier and more vital since I have been using it.

Lotion Densitive GL (125 ml $45.00 USD) – I apply this spray to damp hair by starting at my roots and working my way down to the ends. It contains Complexe Gluco Impulsion, which includes vitamin PP, mineral molecules and a cooling agent.The website claims that it, “helps soothe and calm the scalp. Texturizes the fiber. Creates a volume effect.” It does give my hair more body, but my hair gets a little greasy so I only use a few sprays.

These products are a nice treat for my hair! You can check out Kerastase’s other lines such as Nutritive and Reflection at their website www.kerastase-usa.com. The products will give your hair a boost!

Unruly Brows? Try Anastasia Beverly Hills’ Fabulous Products

Anastasia The Essential 6 Piece Brow Kit

For years, brow expert Anastasia Soare has shaped the brows of Hollywood’s biggest stars. She has created many specialized products that are geared to acheive perfect brows to frame the face. The Anastasia Essential 6 Piece Brow Kit ($75.00 USD) includes:
– Tweezers
– Brow Powder Duo
– Four Brow Stencils
– Duo Angle/Spooley Brush
– Brow Gel
– Eye Lights highlighting pencil

Here are Anastasia’s tips on how to use the kit (also if you purchase a kit, follow the short video — VERY helpful):

First, position the stencil over your brow after choosing the one that fits your brow shape the best.
Fill in the arch with the angled brush dipped in brow powder on your brows inside the stencil. Remove the stencil and blend the powder with spool end of the brush.
Using the tweezers, remove hair outside the stenciled area.
Apply the brow gel using the using the brush on the applicator, brush upward to condition and hold the shape of the brow all day.
The highlighter is applied underneath the eyebrow, along the brow bone and blended in to lighten the skin.

These steps only took a few minutes and really transformed my eyebrows. The tweezers are exceptional. They are very sharp and precise. The kit comes in three palettes of brow powder; Ash Blonde, Medium Ash and Brunette. I have the Medium Ash which works on me even though my brows are very dark. I use the darker color in the palette. Also wonderful is the highlighting pencil which gives a nice glow to my brow bone.

Visit Anastasia’s website at www.anastasia.net to purchase the products or find a retailer who carries them.

Jane Iredale Lip Plumpers — No Pain, Lots of Gain!

Jane Iredale is a line known for mineral makeup. I have been able to try some of their great lip products that have natural ingredients used to moisturize and plump lips.

Just Kissed Lip Plumper ($24.00 USD) – Is a cool mint and ginger lip plumper that also contains shea butter, sunflower oil and aloe vera to soften and hydrate the skin. It also includes time-released peptides that, “have been shown to increase hydration and stimulate collagen synthesis”. It comes in 5 colors, with my favorite being Tokyo, a peachy-pink color which will be very pretty for spring. I really love this products because it is like using a balm with color added. When I apply it, it tingles a bit, but is not painful and is very shimmery on. It keeps the lips soft all day, which is great for any lip product, let alone a plumper!

PureGloss for Lips ($19.00 USD) – This product is also a plumper with mint and ginger, but this is a shiny, full color gloss. It hydrates the lips like the Just Kissed with a glossy finish. It is made of a base of organic vegetable oils with added botanicals including extracts of green tea, grape seed and pomegranate. This gloss comes in 19 colors! I really like Apricot. It is a pretty neutral that makes my lips look full and sexy!

Sugar & Butter Lip Exfoliator/Plumper ($24.00 USD) – This is my favorite of the three. One side has a brown sugar exfoliator that you rub gently on your lips, then can lick the sugar right off! Then, apply the tinted lip plumper with shea butter and peptides that moisten and plump. The color of the plumper is a sheer pink. It is a lot like the Just Kissed plumpers, but gives your lips a soft glow without a lot of color.

I really like the idea that you can plump and moisturize your lips at the same time. I think these products are great for women of all ages, but the 40+ ladies will really love the way they smooth the lines out and leave lips soft. Visit the website at www.janeiredale.com to learn more.

Avon liiv botanicals

Avon has been around a very long time and is continuously coming out with fun new products that are accessible to almost everyone.

Recently, Avon has launched a new line of skincare products called liiv botanicals. This line boasts “Plant Essence Technology which captures active plant extracts to deliver rejuvenating benefits directly to the skin.” These products are fragrance-free, preservative-free and dye-free. This makes them ideal for sensitive skin (like mine).

liiv botanicals Vital Day Cream with SPF 20 ($15.00 1.7 fl. oz). The claim is that this, “nourishing formula with natural plant extracts protects skin from harmful UV rays, stress and the environment. After 1 day of use, skin is noticeably fresher and smoother. In just 3 days, skin reveals a healthier clarity and improved texture and tone.”

In the morning and night, I slather this cream all over my face and it absorbs quickly, leaving my skin very soft. I have noticed that since I have been using it, my skin does look more even and has a nice glow to it. Another plus is that since it does absorb so quickly, you can apply makeup just a few minutes after rubbing in the cream. And, I can’t say enough about the importance of SPF in your day cream!

liiv botanicals Vitalizing Eye Cream with SPF 15 ($12.00 5 fl. oz). Claims that in just 2 weeks the appearance of fine lines & wrinkles will diminish, and it will minimize bags and tighten the under eye area. In 4 weeks it claims to reduce under eye circles and firm up skin.

I have been using these products for about 3 weeks now and my under eye area does look smoother. My dark circles are a bit lighter and my bags are gone! This also has an SPF. I don’t know if it is as vital to have SPF with your eye cream, but it is nice.

All in all, I think this is a very nice line for the price. It is affordable for almost all budgets and the natural ingredients are great for the skin. Check out this line and others at www.avon.com or talk to that awesome Avon Lady that you know…

Smooth Shaving Part 2 — Gillette Venus Spa Breeze and Embrace Razors

Gillette Venus razors are one of the most popular brands for women, and with good reason. They are always introducing new, extremely effective products. When you buy a Venus razor, you know it’s going to give you a close, smooth shave.

I’ve been lucky enough to try some of the new and revamped razors from Venus:

Gillette Venus Embrace — $9.99 — $11.99 USD for the refillable razor, two cartridges, and a shower pod to hold the razor in the shower and $13.49 – $14.99 USD for a four-pack cartridge refills. This razor now comes with a new purple and turquoise handle and has five, yes FIVE, blades for an perfectly smooth and close shave. I love this razor! The head swivels and hugs every curve. This would be perfect for the summer when we wear way less clothes!

Gillette Venus Spa Breeze System — $9.99 USD for the refillable razor, two shave gel bar cartrideges and a shower compact and $11.49 USD for a four-pack of refill cartridges.

Gillette Venus Spa Breeze Disposables — $6.49 – $8.49 USD for a two pack.

What makes the Spa Breeze different than most razors is that it has shave-gel bars on the head of the razor above and below the blades. The shave gel bars are scented with white tea and you do not need separate shaving lotion or soap when shaving.

Both the Spa Breeze Refillable and the Disposables are practically the same. The handle on the refillable is a little bigger and more ornate. The only real difference is if the user enjoys a refillable razor or prefers disposables.

I gave my 13 year old daughter Hannah the refillable and I tried the disposable (the Embrace is all mine!). Hannah reports that the Spa Breeze’s scent is fantastic and it makes her legs smooth, but she had to go over some areas twice. I agree with her. It is such a cool idea to have built in shave gel and would be great to take on trips this summer. But the shave bars do kind of get in the way of the blades, making it necessary to shave twice to make sure you get all of the hair.

My recommendation is for the Venus Embrace — don’t let five blades scare you. They are awesome. If you love great scents and don’t want to buy a separate shaving lotion, try the Venus Spa Breeze. Visit their website at www.gillettevenus.com/en_US to learn more about the products and find a retailer near you.

Smooth Shaving Part 1 — Whish All Natural Shaving Products

I have been known to just use soap or shower gel to shave my legs. So it was a really nice change to use the luxurious Whish shaving products. This line uses natural and mostly organic ingredients. Without the harsh chemicals, my skin is even smoother after shaving than usual!

The Whish Pomegranate Shave Crave Pump Shave Cream ($24.00 USD), is a very moisturizing, thick cream. It has a wonderful pomegranate scent that is tart and sweet all at once! The ingredients includes organic shea butter, organic green tea and organic jojoba seed oil, and they leave your skin soft and smooth. Unlike many store brands of shaving cream, the Whish Shave Crave doesn’t dry the skin or leave it sticky. It’s kind of like a shower gel and body butter all in one.

After shaving, I use the Whish Flawless Ingrown Hair Serum ($22.50 USD) on the little red bumps on my legs. I’ve noticed that even after the first use, the bumps were less noticeable. After a couple weeks of use they seem to almost vanish. Their formula includes wheat germ extract to soothe, yeast extract to regenerate and willow bark extract to fight inflammation. It has a very mild scent and feels cool when you apply it.

The Whish products are “made in the USA with Earth friendly packaging and ingredients. Tested on us, not animals™.” These are a nice splurge, especially with warmer weather (hopefully) in the near future. You can purchase this products along with shower gels, body butters and much more at www.whishbody.com. Enjoy!