Skin Care

Napoleon Perdis Rebirth of Venus Skin Renewal Cleansing Oil: If It’s Good Enough for a Goddess…

May 28th, 2015 by Karen 10 Comments

This makeup removing cleansing oil has placenta in it…

At first, this really, really freaked me out. I kept thinking of that scene in The Matrix when you see all of the people being farmed in those pods, or like when old-@ss vampires seek out newborns to drain because it gives them extra strength for a clan war or something…

Anywho! Overactive imagination much?

What were we talking about? Cleansing oil??

To use Napoleon Perdis Rebirth of Venus Skin Renewal Cleansing Oil ($39 for a 4.9-oz. bottle), apply a small amount to your face while your skin is dry (don’t dampen your skin first with water — that’s the key), massage it in, and then rinse with water.

As for the whole placenta thing…the kind used here in the ingredients is called Marine Placenta.

And because knowledge is power, I did a quick search on “placenta,” specifically “marine placenta,” and apparently it’s an ingredient often used in beauty products as a humectant (used to keep things from drying out). It’s derived from salmon eggs (source and source).

Who knew?

Just a little random Thursday night food for thought if ingredients interest you…
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Soap & Glory Flake Away Body Scrub Hits the Gentle Exfoliating Spot

May 27th, 2015 by Karen 14 Comments

Alligator legs — I will not have them!

Allow me to regale you of a tale of woe surrounding one Novato woman and her dry skin…

But before we start, I feel like I should warn you. The full tale is much longer than a tabby’s, and we could be here until the freaks come out at night.

(The freaks come out at night…)

So, in the interest of expeditiousness, in the Cliff’s Notes version, I have epically dry skin.

How dry and epic?

Like Star Wars trilogy epic, especially on my lids, but using hella moisturizing body scrubs like Soap & Glory Flake Away ($15) helps keep my reptilian tendencies under wraps.

This gentle body scrub polishes and buffs away my flaky-flakes with peach seed powder, sea salt and sugar, while simultaneously moisturizing with shea butter and sweet almond oil.

It smells great! — like Soap & Glory’s The Righteous Butter body butter (incidentally, the scent also reminds me of Chanel Coco Mademoiselle and the old-school discontinued Dior Miss Cherie).

As for its exfoliating powers, I’d call them moderate. It’s not as scrubby as a scrub with bigger granules (like Fresh Sugar Body Scrub), but it totally hits the spot when I’m in the mood for something gentle. I use it in the shower, and after I step out, my legs feel noticeably smoother and softer.

The big 10.1-oz. Flake Away jar is $15 now at Soap & Glory counters, and also online exclusively at skinstore.com, beauty.com and drugstore.com.

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This Will Sink In: Aveeno Active Naturals Daily Moisturizing Sheer Hydration Lotion

March 19th, 2015 by Karen 12 Comments

Aveeno Active Naturals Daily Moisturizing Lotion Sheer Hydration — The new Aveeno Active Naturals Daily Moisturizing Sheer Hydration Lotion, $6.99 for an 18-oz. bottle

Ooh, gurl, YES! Oatmeal. And not just the kind you eat in the morning or in those Flourless Thumbprint Breakfast Cookies, which I’m totally craving right now.

Yes, Aveeno is known for their oatmeal-based lotions, and this is the latest one in their line.

The whole gist of it is this: absorption. It’s supposed to absorb within seconds and leave a powdery feeling behind.

Um…the whole “absorbs in seconds thing,” I think, is a bit of a stretch, but for me — and maybe this is just because I’m all about the lotion, and I’m not shy with it; I’m like, “put it on me!” — it takes a few minutes.

Still, that’s much better than usual for a lotion. Most of the time when I put on lotion or oil after I shower, it’ll take a good 10 minutes for it to completely sink into my skin.

I like this stuff. It’s also fragrance-free, so it doesn’t mix with any perfumes you might be wearing, and it’s pretty hydrating. Great for normal, non-alligator skin. When I use it, my skin doesn’t feel tight.

It’s also a sweet deal. $6.99 for a huge 18-ounce bottle is quite a bargain.

PRICE: $6.99 for an 18-oz. bottle
AVAILABILITY: Available now at drugstores, Walgreens, Walmart, Target and online at target.com
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Squeeze Every Last Drop Out of Those Free Makeup and Skin Care Sample Packets With This Little Tip

March 12th, 2015 by Karen 11 Comments

Just a really quick tip to eke out every last drop from those free cream and liquid sample packets you get from beauty counters.

I wish I’d discovered this sooner, but better late than never.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. So…I played a little hooky today. Sort of. I just had to get out of the office because Tabs was driving me absolutely crazy, so I went to the mall, had a late lunch at The Cheesecake Factory, got a pair of shoes, watched some dogs and people…and ran into a friend who was also playing hooky. 🙂 (What’s up, Bernadette!?)

What’s Your Current Face Makeup Routine? (Here’s Mine)

March 12th, 2015 by Karen 40 Comments

MAC Julia Petit Lipstick in Boca — Wearing my current face makeup routine…

Do you have 2 hours?

No! Just kidding. It doesn’t take me 2 hours, but it is a process. I mean, one thing I’ve learned along the way is that you can’t just slap a sh*t-ton of product on your face and expect it to look “natural.”

There’s definitely an art to getting the skin to look smooth and not so fussy, and I’m always tweaking my steps and products, but here are the broad strokes for my current routine…

For me, the first part has to be primer. I’m a big believer in primer. Bobbi Brown’s Extra Illuminating Moisture Balm and Smashbox Photo Finish Oil Free Foundation Primer Pore Minimizing — those are the two I’ve been keeping in my bag and using daily.

After primer I go in with some combination of lightweight medium to full-coverage foundations, which I mix because it’s difficult for me to find one color that matches my skin. Plus, you know, your skin is always changing (Bobbi Brown’s videos emphasize this). I may have gotten a little more sun yesterday, so I might have less noticeable yellow tones in my skin today and more pink or red. Or maybe I didn’t get enough sleep last night (happens often), so I look super tired.

Lately I’ve been mixing two or more (usually two) of these three together: NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation, L’Oreal True Match Lumi, or the new Diorskin Nude Air Serum SPF 20.

MAC Bao Bao Wan Lipstick in Forbidden Sunrise — Another look with a similar foundation/concealer routine

And I don’t go heavy with this combo. I use as little foundation as I can — just the faintest amount — because it’s the next step that really helps get that more “flawless” look, or as close to it as I ever get. I take a small amount of that same foundation mix and add a full-coverage concealer, which I then use on my cheeks, around my mouth and around my nose.

Under-eye circles are a totally different story, though, and I’ll get to that in a minute.

I set the foundation combo with a powder, and one I’ve been loving lately is MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural. But I don’t just slap it on there willy-nilly. I take time to blend and buff it in so it doesn’t look like it’s sitting on top.

And that’s basically it for foundation.

I handle my under-eye situation separately, and I know it sounds involved, but I try to use as little of each product as possible to keep the area from looking cakey.

This time again, I start with a primer, and I’ve been using one called Smashbox Photo Finish Hydrating Under Eye Primer.

It’s bomb!
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Bobbi Brown Extra Illuminating Moisture Balm: Like 10 Hours of Sleep Followed by a Trip to a Day Spa (You Know, Sort Of)

February 17th, 2015 by Karen 15 Comments

Well, this new product by Bobbi Brown is aptly named, ’cause what you see is what you get: an illuminating (yup!), moisturizing (check!) balm.

Technically, this should not be exciting…

But it may be if your skin is dry like mine.

Yeah, I know. Another moisturizer sounds about as interesting as clearing out the leftover pieces of popcorn from your bra after getting home from the movies, but before you step away from the computer to go hug your plus-size tabby cat, you should know that this moisturizer is significantly more interesting than it appears.

Picture this: 10 hours of sleep followed by a trip to a day spa. 🙂

Yeah, that’s right. Rested, radiant skin. Like MAC Strobe Cream, Bobbi Brown Extra Illuminating Moisture Balm ($63) has a rich formula with opalescent particles to make skin look more alive, perkier and basically less dull.

It’s a new addition to Bobbi Brown’s Extra line for extremely thirsty skin, and it’s available right meow.

You’ll probably want to sniff it first before slathering it all over your face, because it’s also scented. I think it smells kind of, I dunno, herbal? — like I spent the morning squeezing lemons and chopping basil with Giada or something. But I like it. It’s refreshing, but it’s probably worth noting because the fragrance is rather strong, although it does seem to fade quickly.

Massage it on bare skin for a little extra lift and glow, or wear it under foundation or BB cream for upgraded opalescence, and if you want a slightly more intense effect, pat it on top of your foundation with your fingers or a flat foundation brush.

You could probably also mix it with your foundation, too, if you were feeling creative, although I haven’t tried that yet.

It doesn’t make a big Broadway-caliber dramatic difference, really. You may not even be able to tell at first, because it’s very chill, but you’ll see it up close — more luminous, energized skin.
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Getting to Know the Phase 1 Skin Care Set by Glossier

February 11th, 2015 by Karen 16 Comments

Oh, Super Emily, I had a feeling good things were in the works for you.

The new Glossier skin care line is the brainchild of Into the Gloss founder Emily Weiss, aka the gal from The Hills who will always and forever be etched into my memory as “Super Emily,” or just “SuperEm,” because remember that episode at the Teen Vogue dinner when scary Lisa Love says that there are too many flower arrangements on the table??

Anywho…Glossier, SuperEm’s latest venture, is a streamlined skin care brand with a minimalist chic aesthetic. They launched late last year with a handful of products and the belief that skin should be celebrated, not covered up.

The $80 four-piece Phase 1 Set contains the basics for low-key, casual skin — a hydrating mist, a face moisturizer that doubles as a makeup primer, a rich salve for your lips (and/or any other dry bits) and a tinted moisturizer with a satin finish.

I like to start by misting all over my face with the Soothing Face Mist Rosewater Spray, followed by the Priming Moisturizer on my face and neck. Then I’ll dab Balm Dotcom on my lips, and finish by blending the Perfecting Skin Tint in Medium all over my face (I’ll use about a dozen drops).

Glossier Soothing Face Mist — Soothing Face Mist from the Glossier Phase 1 Set

Glossier Priming Moisturizer — Priming Moisturizer

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Spray, Spray the Easy Way With Kiss My Face Air Kiss 2 in 1 Light Moisturizing Lotion

September 24th, 2014 by Karen 10 Comments

Kiss My Face Air Kiss 2 in 1 Light Moisturizing Lotion in Aah... Lavender Shea ($9.99) — The new Kiss My Face Air Kiss 2 in 1 Light Moisturizing Lotion in “aah…” Lavender Shea ($9.99)

If I skip using moisturizer on my body for one day — just one day — my arms, legs and feet take on the rich patina of a fake crocodile handbag.

In other words, they get bad.

Not fire and brimstones bad, but pretty gnarly, nonetheless.

Big sigh…

There’s never enough time to do everything you need to do, you know? That’s why efficiency is so important, as are products that help you save time, even products I kinda sorta already have, like body lotions.

El Hub would probably disagree with this statement: I really do need another body lotion on my bathroom shelf.

Too bad for El Hub. 🙂

New cruelty-free Kiss My Face Air Kiss 2 in 1 Light Moisturizing Lotion in “aah…” Lavender Shea ($9.99) is unlike any of the other moisturizing lotions in my stash.

Kiss My Face Air Kiss 2 in 1 Light Moisturizing Lotion in my paw for scale — In my paw for scale

It’s a lightweight, continuous spray body lotion that shoots out in a fine mist, almost like an aerosol hairspray.

Kiss My Face Air Kiss 2 in 1 Light Moisturizing Lotion Ingredients — What’s in it?

Moisturizing sunflower seed oil, glycerin, shea butter and aloe vera are near the top of the ingredient list, which is free of parabens and phthalates, and like all of the Kiss My Face brand’s products, Air Kiss isn’t tested on animals. It’s also eco-friendly, as the spray is powered by compressed air. Not chemical propellants.

Kiss My Face Air Kiss 2 in 1 Light Moisturizing Lotion — Here’s how to use it…

Hold the bottle about four inches from your skin, and give it a few good spritzes (the bottle even works upside down!). Then rub the fast-absorbing lotion into your arms, legs, bootie, boobies, etc.

Unlike most oil-based body spray moisturizers (which are also pretty quick to use), Air Kiss doesn’t leave a greasy or sticky residue.

This stuff is lightning fast, and I can literally be done moisturizing in less than 30 seconds. By far, it’s the quickest body moisturizer in my bathroom right now.

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