Clinque's Moisture Surge Tinted Moisurizer with SPF 15

I have been on a quest to find the perfect day time cream foundation. Since I have super sensitive and dry skin, I am limited to the products I can choose from. Which I guess is good and bad. After testing what seemed like every product on the market, I have finally found salvation in Clinque's Moisture Surge Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 15. To be honest, I have not used clinique since my early teens. Mainly because the shades don't really work for me and at times, it's just marketed towards someone older or with less acne.

After seeing an ad for the moisture surge tinted moisturizer, I decided it was time to give clinque a second chance. Boy did I get a happy surprise. Not only did it go on smoothly, it's practically invisible. The coverage is light but it's perfect for someone who just needs to even out skin tone or hid redness. It doesn't feel like you have anything on your skin. This is great since the humid summers in NYC can literally melt the makeup off you (think Wicked Witch from Wizard of Oz "i'm melting...").

My one request was that any foundation I bought does not show my dry patches. And even with my exfoliating and masks, the dry patches just didn't go away. So I have come to accept this and just wanted to work around it. This tinted moisturizer didn't show any of my dry patches. Thank god!

This is definitely an option for those who do not like the laura mercier or mac tinted moisturizers. This is a lot lighter and absorbs better into your skin. I highly recommend this to those who suffer from dry/ sensitive skin

Elemis Spa At Home Cellutox Active Body Oil

Last month I started using the Elemis Cellutox Active Body Oil, which is a body oil designed to detox your entire body.  I stumbled upon it while looking for another Elemis body oil, but this just looked really interesting to me.  I'm all about holistic treatments or alternative approaches to healthcare, so when I saw the description and that the oil is designed to detoxify your body, due to the buildup of toxins from stress, etc., i was curious to try it and see what it could do for me. 

The Elemis Spa At Home Cellutox Active Body Oil contains seabuckthorn, sea fennel, lemon and juniper to do a list of good things for your body, including detoxifying the body, helping smooth the appearance of cellulite, helping boost energy, and also helping with constipation when rubbing into the belly and lower back.  It has a citrusy lemony smell, which according to my aromatherapy research, is supposed to help relax you.  According to the website the ingredients list did not contain any mineral oil, which we all know I try to avoid. 

I've been using this for about a month now, applying it to my "problem areas" including my belly, thighs and legs, and my upper arms and shoulders, right after a shower when your body is warm.  To be honest I'm not sure how to tell if its providing detox, but what I can tell you is that I feel very hydrated from this body oil and it leaves a really nice sheen on the shoulders and legs, especially nice if I'm wearing a dress.  I use a couple of drops for each part of my body (about a dime size amount for each part) on top of aloe vera gel, under a regular body moisturizer (Nivea). 

I should tell you that I had recently returned from my vacation and my skin was pretty burnt, not red and flaking, but my skin was significantly drier (especially at the shoulders), significantly! After about a week's use of this body oil, (along with the aloe vera gel) I felt like I had my soft skin back (whew). 

I also received a deluxe sample of the Elemis Spa At Home Frangipani Monoi Body Oil, which I had been reading about everywhere, but I only used it once because I wasn't particularly fond of the scent.  It had a muskier scent which I'm not a fan of, so if you're looking to try a body oil, I think the Cellutox version is the way to go.  Who doesn't like the smell of lemons?

Shu Uemura Tasai Cream

Last month I cheated on my hair stylist at a new salon.  I wasn't unhappy with my stylist at all, but I've been going to him for eight years now, and even though I think he does a fabulous job, I always wondered if someone else could possibly make my hair better than it already is.  After some research I ended up at Michael Angelo's Wonderland, and had my hair consultation, cut, and style with Annastasia, who recommended the Shu Uemura Tasai Cream.

According to the Shu Uemura website, the Tasai Cream is a moisturizing styling cream that offers texture, definition, and shine.  To apply, I use about two pumps to each side of my damp hair, before blow drying.  It's pretty liquidy, I wouldn't say the texture of the hair cream is very creamy, so it's rather easy to apply and spread throughout.  The product does exactly what it says it will do, which is, it texturizes my hair and gives it an extra bit of "movement" to it.  For reference, I have straight hair, and I don't have a ton of it, so I'm always looking for volumizing products, which don't ever seem to work out for me.  However this was the first product that has helped increase the volume, in the sense that it makes it seem like I have more hair than I actually do.  The cream also has a great scent, very light and pleasant. 


So far I am loving this product, I have been using it every day since the day I got it, and on the days that I don't use it I definitely notice a difference.  I would recommend this to people who have hair just like me, straightish and more sparse (not necessarily thinner hair, but it may help), not really sure how it would react with other types of hair.  Annastasia also recommended using dry shampoo, even on freshly washed hair, for even more volume.  What I do is section my hair into six parts, spray these sections, and also spray once in the back under the top of the underside of my hair, and work it into my scalp.  (For reference I'm using the Tresemme Fresh Start Dry Shampoo, which has a complementary scent to the Shu Uemura Tasai Cream). 


I highly recommend the Tasai Cream if you haven't tried it already, and I also recommend going to Annastasia if you're looking to try a new stylist!

NewBeauty Magazine

I discovered NewBeauty magazine randomly some time ago, and have been reading their online versions when available.  NewBeauty is a very unique magazine, in that it focuses on the science behind beauty, which is what I love about skincare and makeup.  I love reading about products, but I'm always focused on the essential ingredients and what they're supposed to do for my skin or hair, etc.  The magazine also features brands and products that are not necessarily what I consider "mainstream", brands that are commonly found at Sephora, Ulta or the department stores, rather the magazine features brands that are somewhat less known or new, brands that are used in spas, and brands that are more commonly found internationally, etc.  Alot of these products are very high end and alot of the products are also natural.  The magazine also provides information about plastic surgery, which, if it's something you're interested in, can be very helpful.  I'm not thinking about plastic surgery at this point in my life, but it's something that I'd like to be educated about. 

Recently they removed online access to the magazine, so I started subscribing to their Test Tube Program.  NewBeauty offers subscriptions to the magazines alone (four issues per year) or you can subscribe through their Test Tube Program, where you get the magazine and a variety of deluxe samples, and it comes with a booklet that gives more information about each of the samples.  Included in the tube is also a $20 gift card to spalook.com. 

My package arrived in a pink box, with the magazine, an issue of SpaFinder, which is a supplement that features different spas throughout the world, and a ton of samples.  Some of the samples that came with this issue include:

• Ahava Essential Day Moisturizer
• Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray
• Dr Brandt Microdermabrasion Body
• Kerstin Florian Correcting Oil-Free Daily Defense SPF 50
• LashFood Natural Eyebrow Conditioner
• Lumene Vitamin C Radiant Day Cream & Radiant Beauty Drops

I'm loving the idea of the Test Tube Program, since I'm constantly buying and testing new products anyway, this makes it just a bit easier.  Throughout the next couple of months I plan to review some of the products that I'm liking.  I'm really excited about some of these, especially the eyebrow conditioner!

Physicians Formula Organic Wear Jumbo Mascara

My all time favorite mascara is L’Oreal’s Voluminous Mascara. After trying over hundred of mascara's (great lash, falsies, dior show, lash blast and etc), voluminous is definitely the best bang for the buck. I thought I would never EVER cheat on Voluminous until recently when I tried Physicians Formula Organic Wear Jumbo Mascara. The packaging is a tad whimsical, looks like a leaf. But I was pleasantly surprised by the job of this mascara. I have horrible allergies so I decided it was time to find a mascara that is more natural, since I tear so much and ½ of it goes into my eyes. Why make my eyes go through more agitation then necessary.

This product is Hypoallergenic, Fragrance free and Opthamologist approved. I have no idea what mascara is made of but if I can, I rather use something more natural. I feel like the best thing about L’Oreal’s Voluminous mascara is the brush. The brush totally makes the mascara. This brush is a tad different but works well. There are no clumps and it doesn't smudge. Most importantly, this is a mascara that can be used every day. It thickens a little and lengthens just a tad. If you are looking into more natural products and you need a mascara, I would highly recommend this product. Don't expect anything like results of Dior Show, but you will get a great everyday look mascara

·         -100% of the Total Ingredients are from Natural Origin.

·         -47% of the Total Ingredients are from Organic Farming.

·         -100% Dramatic Volume & Glamour.

·         -OrganiSoy® Moisturizes and helps nourish lashes.

·         -Eco-Olive(r) a natural antioxidant, shields lashes from harsh environmental aggressors.

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch Sunblock

The one thing I love about going to the dermatologist is getting free samples of anything and everything. There has been many times when I was tempted to purchase a product, cause of great review, only to get a sample and realized it didn't work for me. Yes these are drug store brands and they not expensive but I hate buying something only to never use it again, and in some cases force my boyfriend to finish the product (muahahaha). So imagine my surprise when I got a sample of Neutrogena sunscreen and fell head over heels for it. 

I have always been an avid user of sunscreen and for a while I was using moisturizers with spf. After developing eczema, I became more cautious of the products I used. I started to use a moisturizer and sunscreen separately. I have tried many sunscreens, the most recent being the elemis sunscreen. I have to admit, other than scent and maybe a slight texture difference, I wouldn't be able to tell one brand from another. That is why I liked the Neutrogena sunscreen so much. First it is super light and not greasy. Once you put it on, it dries right away and you can't feel it at all on your skin. The scent is ok, nothing bad nothing good, I just love how it feels on my face, right away I can put on my makeup primer (with the other sunscreen I had to wait for it to dry) and get on with my day. So if you are in the market for sunscreen, I highly recommend you try this out.

Upcoming Sephora VIB Sale

Sephora is having a VIB 15% off sale this weekend starting Thurs.  There are a few items I have been holding out for in anticipation for this sale:

1. Josie Maran Argan Cleansing Oil

As much as I love the Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil (the pink version for combo skin), I don't like that it's primarily composed of mineral oil.  The Josie Maran cleansing oil looks like it doesn't contain mineral oil, rather it is made up of argan, grape seed, and grapefruit oils.  I have heard some great reviews about this brand, but I haven't had a chance to try any of the products because I am scared to use oils on my skin (other than an oil-cleanser because I do a double cleanse with something that will take off excess oil).  I don't look for products that are oil-free, but the thought of using an oil deliberately on my skin makes me think of the potential break-outs that might happen.  I am looking forward to using this cleanser.

2. REN  Keep Young and Beautiful SH2C Serum

In a magazine article that was published a few months (I feel it might have been Allure, honestly can't remember), the article talked about the different signs of ageing that appear based on a person's ethnicity.  The article indicated that Asian skin doesn't tend to wrinkle, rather it loses elasticity and volume.  Since I am approaching my mid to late twenties soon, I am starting to use more anti-aging skin care products that are targeted towards my preventative needs.  Based on my research, I have been looking for products that stimulate collagen growth.  I've been researching serums that also contain Vitamin C, which helps with brightening the skin and treating dark spots.  This REN serum also contains peptides, which boosts collagen production, so this seems like the perfect serum for me right now. 

This year I plan to test alot of anti-oxidant serums and vitamin C serums, so I will keep posting my thoughts on good finds. 

3. Yves Saint Laurent Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils

My number one mascara of all time is the L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara, but lately I feel like it's been smudging under my eyes alot more, and it's given me a reason to try other mascaras out there.  The brush on the YSL Faux Cils is very similar to the L'Oreal Voluminous, which is very dense and seems like it would cover alot of lash surface area.  I've tried the Radical Noir version of the YSL Faux Cils, which is a super super black version, but this one did smudge quite a bit.  Based on some research (mostly reading other reviews), the regular black version of this mascara doesn't have this problem.

4. Dior Addict Lipstick

So many of the beauty blogs have put up reviews for the relaunch of the Dior Lipstick, but I have yet to purchase any, simply because I am overwhelmed by the selection of colors (somewhere around 56 shades).  To make it even more difficult, the colors of the plastic testers are not good indicators of the actual color, so I spent quite some time at Sephora trying to determine which shade was which name, remembering which ones I liked based on the name or number, so I gave up.  But I did find one color that I really like, Paris.  It's a bright cool pink, very pretty for spring.  I'll probably also pick up a nude as well (I would love to hear if anyone has any suggestions!). 

For VIB members, the code for the 15% off, valid April 14 - 21 is "CHICWEEK".  If you attend the opening party (Thurs from 6pm-9pm) the invitation indicates there will be a goody bag!