Gifts, Discounts & Coupons
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I ‘m particularly excited about this giveaway, hosted by Melvita, the French organic skincare products company. Their products are of high quality, and the company itself is eco-friendly, uses recyclable packaging and, according to their website, favors only “the finest ingredients from organically farmed and responsibly harvested sources”.
Their product line includes pretty much everything you can think of in terms of skincare, from plant oils to various moisturizers, anti-aging remedies, body care, hair care, fragrances, floral waters and a lot more. Melvita caters to every skin type, age and taste under the sun. I tried their Cleansing Jelly ($19) and was hooked on it right away. Infused with verbena, lemon balm and orange, it takes off makeup easily, clears pores, and leaves the skin hydrated, soft and rosy.
So now all of you have a chance to win and get familiar with a product from Melvita. All you need to do is go to this post’s comments section on the bottom, and tell me in one sentence why you like (or would like to try) organic products.
The winner will be chosen at random, and will get an opportunity to pick any product from the company’s website, up to a $50 value.
The giveaway is open to the residents of the continental US.
Good luck everybody!
This kind of images (above) seem to constantly haunt me this season, and it’s not even Halloween yet. The ultra-dark lipsticks are one of the “in” makeup trends this fall, and we are all supposed to jump on this wagon.
Have you tried it yet? I did out of curiosity, because black isn’t really my go-to color for a lipstick. And it’s not only because it makes me look angry, a la Cruella De Vil, but also …why? Why black ? Why black lipstick? I know that there are certain styles that you can pull off with black lips. But there’s no place for it in the majority of work offices. The only benefit of this color I could come up with while staring at myself in the mirror – my teeth looked insanely white, almost blinding. On the other hand, it seemed like this lipstick alone added 10 more years to my face.
So here you go, ladies, the new lip colors are already in stores. Interested?
For every woman there comes the time when simple brightening and moisturizing products are not enough any more. To safe our skin from premature aging and development of early fine lines, we need products that include ingredients, compatible with all these problems. The ingredients like AHA (alpha hydroxy acid) that helps reduce signs of aging and improve acne conditions.
 AHA is a skincare product ingredient that consists of lactic acid (derived from milk), glycolic acid (from sugar cane) and citric acid (from oranges and lemons). They soften and refine skin by removing its dead cells while maintaining the healthy layer underneath, plus they suit the variety of skin types. A lot of science was involved in the development of this face cleanser.
I’ve been introduced to this product by the company’s representative (thank you, Amy) and loved it from the first splash. NeoStrata Foaming Glycolic Wash ($32) is a foaming face cleanser that is gentle, mild and non-irritating. I liked it so much, that it’s on my must-have list now. What made me want it?
Pros:
• An easy to use pump dispenser delivers the proper amount of cleanser every time I apply it.
• Super-light, foamy texture is soap-free (which to me automatically means non-drying) and has a pleasant citrus smell.
• Tightened my pores after couple of days of using it.
• My skin is clearer now, and I don’t know how a breakout looks any more.
• Very nice and gentle exfoliator, firms and freshens my skin every day.
• Easy to apply and spread all over the face with either a cleansing brush or fingertips.
• Clears off blackheads and fights dry skin patches.
• Takes off my makeup in seconds.
Cons:
None. I find it perfect.
It didn’t take me long to realize that my hands have taken a beating over the years. Cold or dry weather, not wearing sunscreen on  them, weight training, and using household chemicals contribute to premature skin aging. So now it’s a run against the clock for me, as I’m trying to correct all the mistakes I made a number of years ago.
Skin on our hands is very thin and has only a few oil glands, and as a result it gets dry very often. It also produces wrinkles quicker than skin on our faces and the rest of the body, so we have to be extra-careful with how we take care of it.
Now I try to always wear sunscreen on my hands, moisturize them after almost every washing and exfoliate with a scrub once or twice a week. I’m not a big fan of hand masks (get bored after couple of minutes), but if you are, here’s a good moisture-zapping one: combine equal parts of olive oil and honey, mix well and put on your hands for 10-15 minutes. Then rinse and apply lotion. This helps to get rid of dryness really quick.
If you feel the need to brighten the skin on your hands or get rid of some spots (not sun pigmentation), I find that rubbing my skin with half of a lemon for a few seconds helps a lot. Then I rinse my hands with warm water and enjoy the results.
I also try to use heavier and more concentrated moisturizer before bed to soften my hands by the time morning comes. Check out my earlier post ’3 Hand creams I like’ where I talk about my favorite hand potions. The one from Clarins is good for outside, because it has an SPF in it, Clinique cream is a pleasant any-time moisturizer, and La Mer is perfect as an overnight hand remedy.
 La Mer The Regenerating Serum ($250)
Yep, it works.
I reviewed this serum in my post New La Mer Serum all the way back in March. It was a new product that just hit the market at the time. So I, being in love with all things La Mer, wasn’t able to keep my wallet in my purse.
And now, after using this Regenerating Serum every day for a little less than 5 months, I decided to write a follow-up review and let you all know if this product is worth the $250 price tag.
What changed since March: first of all, my complexion is noticeably brighter. Even when I wake up in the morning, my skin looks radiant, which wasn’t the case before. Also, the texture of my skin became smoother, softer and more refined. My neck feels plumper and better-hydrated now, and I noticed a significant improvement in the appearance of little fine lines around my eyes. But the most dramatic change is that my skin tone evened out and obtained a fresh glow that I was missing for quite some time.
To sum up, the serum delivers all the results that the manufacturer promises, but is still quite expensive. It’s probably more suitable for people over 30, because of it’s regenerating qualities and ability to boost the production of collagen and elastin.
This was my latest impulse buy at the cosmetics counter. I usually try to restrain myself from buying things on the spur of the moment, but wasn’t able to resist the rose. And now it is one of my favorite things in the makeup bag, so I have no regrets about this purchase.
Lancome ‘La Rose Deco’ Powder ($40) can be used as an allover powder or blush, in case you are not too much into highlighting. To use it  as a blush, swipe a blush brush all over the compact to combine the colors together, then apply on the apples of your cheeks. You can also use a bit of the lightest pink to highlight cheekbones. It looks very pretty.
To use it as an allover face sculpting powder, you need a bigger powder brush. You can apply the darkest pink shade to contour your face, and then use the lighter pink to highlight your bone structure: couple of swipes on the cheekbones, brow bones and corners of your eyes, just make sure not to overdo it.
Aside from having a great look, this product has a very fine quality to it. The powder is practically weightless and contains very light shimmery particles that give your face a beautiful glow without being sparkly. The application is smooth and even, and you end up with natural-looking, fresh and luminous skin.
‘La Rose Deco’ looks great with or without a tan, so you don’t have to give up a bronzer or a spray tan to be able to wear this powder. It also stays put on my skin for the whole day, I’ve never had a need to reapply it, even in a steamy hundred degrees weather.
The price may seem a little steep, but you really get 2 products in one compact – blush and face powder/highlighter. Plus, you need just a slight dusting on your skin for the color to be perfect, so this compact is likely to last you for a very long time.
It seems that every cosmetics brand has a number of makeup palettes now, and I totally see their reasoning behind it: palettes are versatile, compact enough to carry in a smallest purse and have plenty products inside to make up the whole face.
 Dior ‘Ready-to-Wear’ Palette ($54) hit Nordstrom stores exclusively, so if you don’t have one where you leave, but love the palette, your only option is ordering it through their website (or mine).
The compact includes one blush, one 3-tone bronzer, 4 eye shadows, 2 lip glosses and mini brush applicators. The beautiful neutral colors will take you from the end of summer well into fall and winter, and then some.
Rosy-pink blush flatters the majority of skin tones, has very fine and light texture that freshens up any complexion. Three-tone bronzer was a good idea, because you can adjust the color to your skin making it either lighter or darker.
Eye shadows produce soft and shimmery finish that looks very pretty when applied either all over the eyelids for the smokey eyes effect, or being used as an eyeliner (the darkest shade). To make the lining more dramatic, wet a thin liner brush and draw the line along upper lashes. You can add the off-white shadow to the inner corners of your eyes to make them look awake, then swipe either pink or sand color on your eyelids all the way up to the crease. Blend all the shades together, then finish with either one of the glosses ( you can also combine both colors on you lips). You get great, natural, glowing look suitable for any occasion.
Courtesy of Dolce & Gabbana fall runway, this makeup is a fresh update to classic red lip that is known and loved by many makeup artists. What’s attractive about it is it’s versatility, anybody can wear  makeup like this and experiment with different shades of bright lipstick when get bored with red. This fall look isn’t hard to copy, just make sure to follow skin prepping steps first, like cleansing or exfoliating, and then moisturizing.
I would definitely recommend to start with a primer, it makes foundation glide on smoothly and evenly. Try applying foundation with your fingertips, so that it melts and disappears into skin, leaving it looking flawless. Don’t cover your whole face with it though, use it on and around the nose, a little bit on your chin and forehead. Take time to blend.
Concealer is a must for this look too. Start at the inner corners of the eyes and go all the way to the middle. It’s important to stop at this point to avoid unnatural effect. Swipe a bit of loose powder on your face, skipping areas that show fine lines and wrinkles.
If you like matte skin look (on photo), then don’t use any highlighter or luminizer. Swipe a bit of rosy powder blush on the apples of your cheeks or use light cream version, blend well. You are going for natural effect here, so blush has to give you some color without being obvious.
You can either line your upper lids with black pencil or eyeliner, or leave it out and move straight to applying 2 coats of black mascara. It’s that simple. Then brush your brows with a dollop of gel to make them keep their shape, and you’re done.
Now to the best part of this makeup: you can completely change your look with just a color of lipstick. If you choose nude lips, you have an understated, go-to look. When you change the color into bright pink, rose, purple or fuchsia, you get yourself a more dramatic makeup that can be worn both at work and at the party. And, of course, the classic red lip that is appropriate for any occasion.
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