Posts Tagged ‘beauty’

Yuzen November 2012 edition

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Let’s go back in time to the fall, when I got this AMAZING smelling Yuzen box.

Yuzen is $26 per month and comes with around 5 or 6 eco-friendly beauty, skincare, food/snacks, and home products. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. Sometimes there’s a waitlist to get the subscription. They do not offer a referral program.

*Disclosure: As a super fan, I was invited to be the Yuzen Ambassador to help them spread the word about their brand. Starting with the October box, I began to receive them for free. I was not compensated otherwise and all opinions are my own, irregardless of my relation to Yuzen. I just happen to think they’re awesome (as does everyone else I’ve heard from). :)

collage of unwrapping of november 2012 yuzen box

The conversion to organza bags instead of shredded paper is official. Looks great!

Click on the pictures for the full sizes so you can enjoy all the details of each product!  You can even zoom in to read all the messaging.

collage of shea radiance kalahari melon whipped shea butter included in the november 2012 yuzen boxShea Radiance – Kalahari Melon Whipped Shea Butter: The first thing that I pulled out was this tub of very thick whipped shea butter. I liked the idea and the texture, but I am not a fan of the smell. For some reason the smell of shea butter doesn’t appeal to me, though I love the product. I can’t quick pick out the melon scent, or possibly I’m mistaking it for the shea’s natural scent. The butter is also not as soft as I expected – it’s actually pretty solid, though it is fluffy. I’m going to pass this on to someone else to use because I think it’s a good product.

collage of zents bath salts in mandarin and earth included in the november 2012 yuzen boxZents – Mandarin & Earth bath salts: As soon as I could get these out of the bag, I reached for them! They smell fabulous! I didn’t even want to use them at first because I loved getting a whiff of them just by putting them in the room. It was a great way to scent my room and promote a relaxing atmosphere. When I finally did get around to using them, I was enjoying the aroma so much I hardly even paid attention to how it made my skin feel. It was definitely a very pleasant experience to bathe with these salts and I actually liked the combination of their scents a lot so I mixed them. There’s a sweetness and earthiness that make a lovely blend.

collage of savane protective moisturizer with baobab, manketti, and yangu included in the november 2012 yuzen boxSavane Organic Skincare – Protective Moisturizer: This is a brown-colored lotion that is more runny than most I’m used to. It comes come in an elegant stainless steel bottle and incorporates exotic ingredients I haven’t heard much of, like baobab, manketti, and yangu. It has a scent I can’t quite place that is very unique. It goes on smooth and doesn’t leave any greasy residue and the small bottle and pump are great for putting on your desk, keeping in the car, or even in your bag if you are careful the pump doesn’t get pushed.

collage of keeki lip shimmer balm in ooh lala included in the november 2012 yuzen boxKeeki Pure & Simple – Ooh La La Organic Lip Shimmer Stick: What a cute little lip shimmer! It’s a fun oval shape, which I’ve never seen before and I’m a sucker for unique packaging. It reminds me a lot of the Burt’s Bees lip shimmers – almost the same color and “shimmeriness” to it. There’s even a hint of minty freshness as well. It goes on well and is very smooth. I’ve been using it a lot whenever I need a lip balm or want to spruce up my lips.

simple squares cinnamon clove whole food snack bar included in the november 2012 yuzen boxSimple Squares – Cinnamon Clove Whole Food Snack Bar: I ate this up so fast I forgot to take pictures of the actual bar! That’s a good sign for its taste. It has a chunky sort of texture so when you bit in it wasn’t just some mushy bar. I liked that, as well as the flavor. Great little snack to have whenever you need a sweet boost that won’t leave you thirsty. I would get more if I ever ran into them.

collage of gaiam tv free trial offer info card included in the november 2012 yuzen boxGaiam TV – Free Trial Offer & Info Card: Gaiam TV (.com) provides all kinds of streaming videos to promote wellness, whether it’s exercising, eating well, meditating, or taking supplements. It’s a great place to find videos to inspire, motivate, guide, and teach anyone who wants to live healthier. I actually haven’t tried this trial, but I had tried a different one previously and if I watched TV I might get it, but I just wouldn’t use this site fully.

Another great box that provided a diverse selection of products! I love how everything had a warm feeling and really set the mood for the fall.

In the mail: a trade, a Kickstarter backing, a bonus gift, and more!

laelene Posted in general blog,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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You know, I love mail (mostly when it’s packages, but free samples are good too) and I think there are a lot of people who love getting mail too, right? And I don’t know if you’d care to see what I’ve been receiving, but that seems like a fun way to share some of the random things that don’t make it into blog posts. I’ll skip some things I’ve already mentioned so it’s not too repetitive. Everything here arrived within the past month or so!

trade items including juice beauty lip gloss, juice beauty hydrating mist, zoya nail polish, la fresh oil-free face cleanser sample wipe, benefit the porefessional sample, and urban decay moondust eyeshadow sample with sephora baggieI got some items in my May Ipsy bag that I mentioned I wanted to trade and I was able to complete my very first successful trade recently! I sent the Pacifica perfume roller that I had not intended on trading, but since the girl wanted it and she had other things I wanted, I happily parted ways with it. The other item I sent her was the Mirabella lipstick that I knew I would get out of my hands one way or another! Lipstick is just not my thing. In exchange, I got the Juice Beauty lip gloss in Fig, Juice Beauty Hydrating Mist, and Zoya nail polish in Neely (mint greenish). She even added a few bonus samples! There was a La Fresh Oil-Free Face Cleanser wipe, a small sample of Benefit’s “the POREfessional” balm, and an Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow sample. Oh, and a cute little plastic Sephora baggie. 🙂 I’ve already got trade #2 underway with another girl! If you’re interested, maybe we can trade too.

kate funk the world's most super amazing 100% awesome cat calendar and cards from kickstarter backingI don’t quite remember how I stumbled across this Kickstarter for The World’s Most Super-Amazing 100% Awesome Cat Calendar, but I’m sure glad I did. As a major cat fan, I couldn’t help myself. The scenes and costumes created for the photo shoots are really amazing and I had to support Kate Funk as an artist and businesswoman and AC as a hard-working, ever-patient model. I mean, my cat would never sit so nicely! I chose to get the calendar and 5-card combo. I let my cousin choose a design she liked, which happened to be one I had chosen for myself so that’s why one of the designs is hidden here – it’s just a repeat. I love how much care everything was created, packaged, and sent in. This is quality stuff that I will really enjoy using!

welch's purple nalgene bottleWelch’s is offering these cute 12-oz Nalgene water bottles for free if you bought three of their Refrigerated Juice Cocktails (59 oz size in any flavor). You have to buy them between March 18-July 31 of this year and send in your receipts for the purchases to redeem. Then you just print and fill out this form and mail it in by August 30. A few weeks later, you’ll get a bottle like mine! Totally adorable, very high quality, and a great size for kids or those who want a smaller bottle to keep around. If you’re interested, hurry up before the offer ends! You’ve got less than two months now, which should be ample time to drink three cartons of juice, don’t you think?

brand new google nexus 7 in box with exterior boxWhen I decided to bundle our home internet and phone into one while adding on TV service for a total package from AT&T Uverse, they were offering a bonus product. I got to choose between a Nexus 7, an Xbox, and some other electronic product. As you can see, I opted for the Nexus 7. I figure it’d be perfect since my mom’s the only one who doesn’t have a tablet. It’ll be good for her to learn and have something portable to use on the go! I think it would be cool to use both it and my iPad, but that’s completely unnecessary. Besides, Panda has a Nexus 7 so whenever I move in with him I can just use his as I please. 😉

Have you gotten anything cool in the mail recently? Do share!

On My Mind, episode 6

laelene Posted in on my mind,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Linking up with Ramblings of a Suburban Mom for “Thursday Thoughts” aka On My Mind.

a~ I can’t believe this is my 6th one already! Where did the time go? I’ve been bumming around lately because I’m hoping my first choice in future employment pans out and I’m not that motivated to apply for other jobs just yet, plus I haven’t watched my shows since early February so I’m catching up now that all the seasons seem to be ending. I’m slowly transitioning back to working more and resting less.

b~ On the box front, I have a lot going on! I got into the Influenster Spring Voxbox (yay!) and hopefully I qualify for the summer one as well. I sprang for the May Ipsy bag and while I liked the overall value and items in the bag, I’m looking to trade two items. I’m going to cancel the subscription and wait for June spoilers before deciding if I want to get it again. I got that free Bulu box that I mentioned and I’ve suspended my subscription for now. I liked the box but I didn’t love it, so I’m reluctant to spend money on it when they’re more on the healthy scale than I’m interested in. I also received my first Conscious Box and it was packed full of goodness! Gonna take me some time to get through everything. And finally, I got Panda to get me a Treatsie box subscription because I’m a sucker for treats. Call it a very early birthday present.

c~ Every now and then I get my contacts out of place in my eye and it hurts for a bit, but then I get it back in place. Awhile back, my contact kept creating discomfort in my eye so I took it out and put it back in after washing it down with solution. Still, it didn’t feel right and the next time I took it out I discovered this:

torn/ripped contact lens

Torn contact lens. Ouch!

d~ It has been many long months since I heard from BzzAgent and I was pretty sad they weren’t including me in campaigns even though my BzzScore is pretty high. Then FINALLY I got an email from them and I am IN for the Dr. Scholl’s massaging gel insoles! Pretty excited about that since I’ve always wanted to try them but kind of never got around to figuring out which one I should get. I’m going to put them to the test on my next vacation, where I expect a whole lot of walking. My feet always hurt after standing all day and a massaging gel sounds amazing.

small brown stone owl sculpture and owl face watch

Some of the owl things I’ve gotten.


e~ Is it just me or are owls cute on/as almost any product? I mean, I love them as jewelry and decorations and sculptures and designs and even oil warmers. Something about their round, pudgy bodies and those giant eyes melt my heart. If I could find an owl bag, owl blanket, or gosh even an owl metronome, I’d probably get it. I was pretty tempted to get a felt iPad case made to look like an owl, but I don’t use cases for my iPad so I resisted. I’m that much more likely to get something if there’s an owl involved! I feel similarly about pandas and cats.

f~ I’ve made it a habit of keeping a lot of my skincare and beauty products upside-down lately. Everything from toners to shampoo to nail polish. A lot of these products tend to settle and I don’t like having to shake them up each time, so by keeping them on their heads, I don’t usually have to shake them. And for very thick things like lotion, I don’t have to struggle (as much) to get it to come out. I wonder if they have some sort of adjustable rack that I can use for this purpose?

g~ I’m obsessed with marinated mushrooms!! It was about 10 years ago that Costco stopped carrying the ones they had in their stores and I’ve been checking the pickled goods aisle ever since. In the years since, I managed to find them in the salad bar at Ralph’s a couple times, but it is very expensive to buy them by the salad bar’s weight pricing! Then I happened upon a new brand at Costco out east when I was visiting Panda a few months ago and I was joyous. I took home two jars that day and devoured them. We got some more jars and I happy ate them until I had to come back to SoCal. Unfortunately my local Costco does not carry it. I then had Panda bring me more when he came to visit. A few weeks ago he reported that there were only two more boxes of it left in the store, so I had him help me buy an entire box (8 jars). Gotta stock up in case Costco stops selling them! Yes, I am that in love with these suckers.

h~ When I got a bar of Mrs. Meyers soap in my Yuzen box many months ago, I was pretty excited to try this brand I’d been curious about. Once I started using the soap I found that the smell was too clean for my taste. I was sad and put it aside while trying to figure out what to do with it. Then I had to do some cleaning and I decided to use that soap since it was handy and seemed to cut through grease really well. I’m glad I did! For some reason, using it to clean with is perfectly fine, but using it to wash myself with feels weird. Maybe it’s a psychological thing? I associate that refreshing smell with cleaning but what I use on my body I want to feel more like I’m beautifying. Totally random, but just goes to show that you may not like something for certain reasons at first, but those very reasons can make it great for something else.

What are your random thoughts these days?

Yuzen Summer 2013 edition (May – July)

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Ok, changing it up a bit this time. All my previous posts have been way after the fact so in an effort to be more timely, I will first post up what came in the box and then update as I try the items. The summer box had the most items yet and was just as fantastic as you could imagine.

Yuzen is $26 per quarter (with boxes sent Feb, May, Aug, and Nov) and comes with around 7 or 8 eco-friendly beauty, skincare, food/snacks, and home products. Boxes are sent quarterly with no option to skip, but you can get one-time gift boxes too. Sometimes there’s a waitlist to get the subscription. They do not offer a referral program.

*Disclosure: As a super fan, I was invited to be the Yuzen Ambassador to help them spread the word about their brand. Starting with the October box, I began to receive them for free. I was not compensated otherwise and all opinions are my own, irregardless of my relation to Yuzen. I just happen to think they’re awesome (as does everyone else I’ve heard from). :)

collage of unwrapping of summer 2013 may through july yuzen box

Click on the pictures for the full sizes so you can enjoy all the details of each product!  You can even zoom in to read all the messaging.

collage of sukicolor mineral cream makeup included in the summer 2013 yuzen boxSukiColorLuscious Lips Berry Cream Trio Fresh Finish Mineral Cream Makeup: What a cute little palette! I’ve never had this kind of cream that you brush on your lips and cheeks so I’m pretty excited to try it. Might I add that there’s a nice citrus sort of scent coming from at least one of them (I can’t tell if it’s just one or all). I kind of want to lick them! Is that weird? Well, I’ll probably end up doing that once they’re on my lips anyway. 😉

collage of cocomels sea salt caramels included in the summer 2013 yuzen boxJJ’s Sweets Cocomels – Sea Salt Coconut Milk Caramels: Yum! I love caramels and the concept of making them with coconut milk is pretty cool. I didn’t use to like coconut much but it’s definitely growing on me and these are quite the tasty treat. My taste buds didn’t know what to do with the sweet coconut flavor with a hint of saltiness. So unique!

image of phyt's lait hydro nettoyant included in the summer 2013 yuzen boxPHYT’S – Lait Hydro Nettoyant: Wow, this must have come straight from France – they didn’t even translate the product name into English. I actually took French in middle & high school and I know lait is milk and nettoyant is cleanser/washer. So I could tell this would be a face wash. It cleans off makeup too! It looks super soothing and gentle. I have a lot of face washes/cleansers at the moment so I don’t want to open it just yet. I imagine it to be creamy, maybe even silky and either clear or white-ish. We’ll see if I’m right!

collage of level shower bombs included in the summer 2013 yuzen boxLevel Naturals – Shower Bombs: I got these in a different box awhile back and I actually decided to sell them at that time, but this time around I’m going to try them out! The smell is so invigorating and clears up my sinuses in a snap so I’m sure it’ll be very refreshing in the shower. I might have to keep one intact just to sniff because it is super effective at invigorating and soothing me at the same time. When I get back into the workforce I could definitely use these to help wake me up in the mornings since I am not a morning person. In fact, I often doze off a little while showering and getting ready for work (oops).

collage of acure marula oil and argan oil included in the summer 2013 yuzen boxAcure – Marula Oil & Moroccan Argan Oil: I’ve never heard of marula oil, so I’m totally curious about it. It’s supposed to be good for scars, redness, fine lines, and dry skin and if it lives up to all that I will be very impressed. I scar easily so anything to help prevent that would be amazing. I’m familiar with argan oil for your hair but I’ve never tried it on my face or cuticles so I’m going to use this bottle towards that.

collage of sparitual nail polish and top coat included in the summer 2013 yuzen boxSpaRitual – Emerald City Lacquer & Multitasker Base & Topcoat: Love this brand! We got a bold red in the December Yuzen box and now it’s a beautiful green for the summer. I love that they rolled the base coat and top coat into one so you don’t have to get both separately. These are super cute and I like smaller sizes since I never use much nail polish and I’d rather have small ones of a ton of colors so I can change it up all the time. They also apply really well/easily!

image of pritte moisturizing body lotion included in the summer 2013 yuzen boxPritte – Moisturizing Body Lotion: I like the slender tube and push dispenser they use. It makes their brand seem classier than most and it reminds me of some high-end product lines. I tried a bit and it’s a wonderful citrus sort of scent that I enjoy. It absorbs well and hydrates very effectively. I’m going to have to use this on my feet since they tend to get the worst beating. Got a chance to check out more of their products online and I am really loving their packaging! Maybe it’s the use of gold on the labels? I just want to try more of their products, haha.

collage of action wipes large full body wet wipes included in the summer 2013 yuzen boxAction Wipes – Full-Body Wet Wipes: I can see myself using these after a workout or after being outside in the sun. They seem very refreshing and a great way to rejuvenate your body without having to take a shower. I mean, sometimes it’s just not convenient to have to wash up so I’d totally wipe down instead! I can’t wait to try these out. I’d use them on myself and my yoga mat after a class and I’m sure Panda could make good use of these after his workouts. I’ve been trying to get him to cut down on his water usage and if he can save a rinse with these I think that’d be pretty great.

image of juil discount code card included in the summer 2013 yuzen boxJuil – $40 off discount code: Ok, I have to admit I’m not a huge fan of their style of shoes but I love the concept! I had the same problem with Crocs until they started making more designs so I bet the same would happen with Juil. These shoes are pretty pricey so a $40 discount helps out a lot! (Most of the women’s shoes are $85 and the men’s are $95.) I’d be really curious to try these so I can see what grounding shoes feel like but at the moment this sort of thing is not within my budget.

What a fabulous box! Everything is very fitting for the summer months, helping you soothe, relax, refresh, cool down, calm down, and so much more. There is so much to try and I can’t wait to field test everything!

What do you think of the Summer Yuzen box? Did you receive it too? If this looks like something you (or someone you know) would love, but sure to sign up for the fall box! Currently there’s a waitlist so don’t delay any longer! Also, you can get in line for the summer favorites box, which will include items from previous boxes. Gift it to someone special or claim it for yourself, especially if you missed out on previous boxes.

365great Day 66: nail polish

laelene Posted in 365great,Tags: , , , , , ,
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Learn more about 365great here.

365great challenge day 66: nail polishRecently I’ve really gotten back into painting my nails. For many years, I didn’t bother, but I’m finding it to be quite fun to play around with. I like being able to change the color of my nails as frequently as I wish and using it as a way of expressing myself. Sometimes I go for bold, wacky colors and other times I just use a neutral shade that you may not notice. Some colors are happy and bright while others are somber and dark. I also enjoy changing it up with the color combinations I use, sometimes painting all nails a different color while other times using an accent nail. It’s a simple way to try out creativity! And I swear, one day I am finally going to use up one of my bottles of nail polish… I may need to paint the nails of everyone around me, but I will do it! I’m sure it’ll be great fun.

Ipsy May 2013: Spring Fling

laelene Posted in reviews,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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I got my very first Ipsy glam bag because I looked for spoilers and found that 1) there would be a full size Zoya polish, 2) there would be a lip gloss or lipstick (I was really hoping for the lip gloss since I indicated in my preferences that I never wear lipstick), 3) there would be concealer and not eye shadow (whew, I never use eye shadow and it’d be a total waste for me), 4) there would be 2 other products so the value of the bag would be pretty awesome, and 5) the bag design was appealing. So I took the plunge and this is what I got:

ipsy may 2013 bag items including zoya gie gie nail polish, yaby honey concealer, mirabella daydream lipstick, anastasia clear eyebrow gel, and pacifiica island vanilla perfume roller

So my initial thoughts were that the bag is ok, but kind of cheap-feeling. Not a huge deal but I would have preferred better quality (then again for $10 a bag with those products I can’t complain). I don’t wear perfume, so I wasn’t excited about the Pacifica perfume roller, but it does smell nice in Island Vanilla so maybe I’ll use it. I wasn’t sure what the Anastasia brow gel was at first, but now that I think of it, I can get into that. I’m super sad I got the Mirabella lipstick and not the Juice Beauty lip gloss since I clearly stated I do not use lipstick but I like lip gloss. The Yaby concealer seems to be a good shade for my skin tone so I’m looking forward to trying it. And Zoya… oh, my polish. Of the 5 colors they offered this month, this was the only one I didn’t like. I’m just not into pink!

ipsy may 2013 bag items with boxes including zoya gie gie nail polish, yaby honey concealer, mirabella daydream lipstick, anastasia clear eyebrow gel, and pacifiica island vanilla perfume roller

Products with packaging.

My verdict for these items:
Pacifica Island Vanilla Perfume Roll-On – keep. I’m willing to dab it on here and there if only so I can smell it.
Anastasia Clear Brow Gel – keep. This could be something good for me to use on my brows.
Mirabella lipstick in Daydream – sell/trade. I would never use this so I’ll try to swap it for the Juice Beauty lip gloss with someone, or just sell it.
Yaby concealer in Honey – keep. My skin could use some concealer and I don’t have any I’m using now. Definitely worth trying!
Zoya nail polish in Gie Gie – trade. I would like to have one of the other shades (preferably purple) so I’m going to try finding someone to trade with me. Let me know if you’re interested!

Ipsy is $10 per glam bag and comes with 5 or so beauty/skincare products. Bags are sent monthly with no option to skip. There’s usually a waitlist to get the subscription. They offer a referral program that earns you points towards free products.

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this bag and wanted to share what I got!]

Naturopathica skincare regimen

laelene Posted in reviews,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Awhile ago, I mentioned the Naturopathica skincare set that I had won. I got the products for normal to oily skin, since I’ve been dealing with breakouts for quite awhile. It includes the Oat Facial Polish, Rosemary Oil-Reducing Moisturizer, Aloe Cleansing Gel, and Plant Stem Cell Serum. The first two you use in the mornings and the last two you use at night. All of these products are really soothing and gentle on your skin. I haven’t been following the regimen strictly, but nonetheless I’ve seen impressive results!

naturopathica holistic health skin care regimen kit for normal to oil skin

naturopathica oat facial polish, rosemary oil-reducing moisturizer, aloe cleansing gel, and plant stem cell serum

First is the Oat Facial Polish, which I actually got a deluxe sample of in my Yuzen Spring box. It is smooth and creamy, with bits of oat and jojoba beads to gently exfoliate your skin. It feels very moisturizing and I swear I can feel it seeping into my skin to hydrate it. After washing my face with it, my skin feels so soft and supple. It’s quite refreshing!

naturopathica rosemary oil-reducing moisturizer swatch on fingerThen there’s the Rosemary Oil-Reducing Moisturizer that is a nice light formula. It also absorbs well into the skin and feels rather healing. It’s apparently an astringent blend, but it doesn’t sting at all! I never knew astringent and gentle could coexist in one product, so this is great. I love the light feeling and how it’s not oily at all – perfect for my combination skin. I use this to prevent my face from overproducing oil and it definitely calms things down.

naturopathica aloe cleansing gel swatch on fingerMy absolute favorite product of the set is the Aloe Cleansing Gel. At first, I didn’t really pay attention to it. It was just a soothing face wash that was calming and gentle on my skin. But then I noticed that I was about to break out one day and after washing with the gel, nothing happened. I have NEVER found a face wash that does that. Amazing! Since then, I’ve been washing my face with it exclusively, since I always seem to have a new breakout about to happen. Now I can actually prevent breakouts with a sulfate-free cleanser. It’s my new holy grail.

naturopathica plant stem cell serum swatch on fingerRounding it all up is the Plant Stem Cell Serum, which is a bit richer and thicker than the moisturizer. It’s organic and meant to slow down the signs of aging. At this point I don’t exactly have wrinkles, age spots, or other signs of aging, so I can’t tell if it’s working. All I know is that it, like all the other Naturopathica products, is smooth and gentle on my skin. It absorbs well and feels great! I feel confident that I’m giving my face some great preventative care when I apply it.

All in all, I am SO glad I was able to try these products. I probably wouldn’t have thought to buy the kit for myself, but now that I’ve tested the products, I am definitely going to be a Naturopathica customer as my current products run out. I’ve got my eye on some of their other items that I’d like to try as well!

365great Day 60: the Getty

laelene Posted in 365great,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Learn more about 365great here.

365great challenge day 60: the gettyThe Getty sits perched atop a hill, overlooking a gorgeous landscape. If you know what you’re, looking for, you can see everything from downtown LA and UCLA in one direction to the ocean in the other direction. But its beauty lies not only in its view – the museum and grounds are marvelous too. The Getty is LEED certified and beautifully designed. Skylights, white stones, water fountains, and cool wood paneling all add to the serene and bright atmosphere. You get to enjoy picturesque scenes inside and outside, no matter where you wander. There are rotating exhibits that change every few months, so each visit can be a fresh look at things. The garden and lawn area is an excellent place to hang out, relax, and soak in the sunny days. Whether you’re into art, history, architecture, gardening, views, or nature, there’s something there for you. It’s worth a visit no matter what your interests! A place that caters to such a range of tastes is pretty unique and very great.

Will you BB mine?

laelene Posted in reviews,Tags: , , , , , , ,
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[Disclosure: I was provided a full size product for free in exchange for feedback as part of a BzzAgent campaign. All opinions are my own and I am not being compensated otherwise.]

I had just started to hear about BB creams and was considering buying some when I got invited to the BzzAgent campaign for Garnier’s Miracle Skin Perfector Oil-Free BB Cream! What perfect timing. I got a chance to try out this new BB cream product by Garnier and experience what the craze is all about. This is just the kind of product I need, since I have no patience for a skincare routine that requires half a dozen steps each time.

garnier oil-free bb cream sent for bzzagent campaignThe Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector Oil-Free BB Cream is meant for combination to oily skin, which is exactly what I have. It comes in three shade options: Light/Medium, Medium/Deep, and Deep. I opted for the Medium/Deep since I’m not fair-skinned but I’m not very tan or dark either. When I first tried it, it blended really well and I was happy with the results. Immediately, you could see improvement: my face no longer shiny, my skin tone was evened out, my blemishes and redness were less visible. All in all, I looked like I have a lot healthier skin.

garnier oil-free bb cream info sheet for bzzagent campaignI love that I don’t have to worry about my skin when I’m out and about during the day. With this BB Cream, my skin is hydrated, protected from the sun with SPF 20, pores are minimized, skin tone is evened out, and shine is controlled. It’s not greasy and super lightweight too, so you won’t even remember you put it on – it’s amazing how natural it feels. Once you put it on, you’ll see your skin has a nice matte finish, with all those skin problems evened out. The bottle is quite large, with a full 2 fl oz worth of product. It’ll last me a long time!

garnier oil-free bb cream bottle held in handGarnier Miracle Skin Perfector Oil-Free BB Cream contains a mineral called Perlite, which is superb at absorbing oil and water (twice its weight worth!). It’s also non-comedogenic and non-acnegenic, aka it won’t clog your pores or cause breakouts! And of course the oil-free formula is important for those of us with combination or oily skin. If you’re a dry-skinned person, then they have a different formulation for you. Either way, you’re covered! The coverage lasted well for me, even during a very active day out. I was so glad I didn’t have to think about how my skin looked as I met new people and had a bunch of pictures taken. 🙂 While you probably still want to use concealer on trouble areas, the BB cream will help even out everything else.

garnier oil-free bb cream with sample swatchThe only thing I don’t like about the product has nothing to do with its performance on my skin – rather, it’s the design of the tube. Since the cream is rather liquidy, it comes out quickly and sometimes I get too much. The hole is too small to try to get the cream back in effectively, so I either waste some or try to find more areas to slather it on. If I leave the tube on its head, I’m guaranteed to get too much when I open the cap. I think they could improve this by either making a pump top to dispense the cream in a more controlled fashion, or change the shape of the tube so you can keep the cap side facing up (which right now you can only do if you have something for the bottle to lean against).

Still, overall I do love my BB cream for giving me the confidence to go out in the world without thinking about how my skin looks. It makes skincare so easy that even I can do it!

Yuzen October 2012 edition

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Alright, it’s time to continue this game of catch-up and go through the treats that came in the Yuzen box for October.  🙂

Yuzen is $26 per month and comes with around 5 or 6 eco-friendly beauty, skincare, food/snacks, and home products. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. Sometimes there’s a waitlist to get the subscription. They do not offer a referral program.

*Disclosure: As a super fan, I was invited to be the Yuzen Ambassador to help them spread the word about their brand. Starting with this box, I began to receive them for free. I was not compensated otherwise and all opinions are my own, irregardless of my relation to Yuzen. I just happen to think they’re awesome (as does everyone else I’ve heard from). 🙂

collage of products included in the october 2012 yuzen box

collage of products included in the october 2012 yuzen box

They actually sent me two boxes since they were trying out a new packaging method and wanted my feedback.

Click on the pictures for the full sizes so you can enjoy all the details of each product!  You can even zoom in to read all the messaging.

collage of eco-armour shave with benefits bergamot & grapefruit luxurious botanical shave foam included in the october 2012 yuzen boxEco-Armour Shave with BenefitsBergamot & Pink Grapefruit Luxurious Botanical Shave Foam: There are a lot of things I love about this product! It smells great and feels so smooth on your skin. It works really well and makes shaving such a breeze! Plus, it’s got an awesome foaming dispenser (and I love a foaming product), which also means that you can bring it with you on the plane! And did you know that you can actually put it on your razor blades to extend their life?! HOW AWESOME!

collage of nova monda cacao & chocolate purple label cacao indio jar chocolate included in the october 2012 yuzen boxNova Monda Cacao & Chocolate – Cacao Indio Jar Chocolate: Chocolate in a jar? Wow, the possibilities! You can eat it straight up, melt it to use as ganache or fondue or even pour over ice cream for a fantastically yummy shell. This is such a fun way to present chocolate for consumption. Definitely gets your creativity going and encourages new ways of enjoying a classic treat. Plus, it’s all ethically sourced so you can really enjoy this treat guilt-free.

collage of red flower plum blossom silk cream & yuzu mimosa sea algae wash included in the october 2012 yuzen boxred flowerplum blossom silk cream & yuzu mimosa sea algae wash: These products feel really luxurious. The lotion truly is silky and rubs on so well. It’s got a sweet, flowery scent that is lovely. The body wash is pretty silky too and it has a nice mildly citrusy smell. I really love the use of various botanical elements to create these products!

collage of matt's munchies mango fruit snacks included in the october 2012 yuzen boxMatt’s MunchiesMango Premium Fruit Snack: Ok, I actually don’t eat mangoes, so I did not try this snack, but my mom gobbled it right up so that’s got to be a good sign! And hey, even my cat gave it a sniff of approval… 😉 I was expecting more of a dried mango snack, so it was interesting opening the package to find cute little fruit leather squares. Definitely a nice treat to bring along anywhere and you don’t have to worry about getting your hands messy trying to rip off a piece.

collage of jamu organic spa rituals island fruits massage, body, & hair oil included in the october 2012 yuzen boxJAMU Spa Organics – Island Fruits Massage, Body & Hair Oil: I’ve discovered a love for massage oils. I don’t think I ever used a massage oil before this, but the hydrating feeling in the dry winter weather was just amazing. I loved the subtle sweet scent of the oil, which wafted up here and there when applying. The one thing is that the bottle starts to get a little oily on the outside after awhile, you should be careful where you put it (and wipe it down after use).

collage of hollybeth organics rose geranium face moisturizer included in the october 2012 yuzen boxHollyBeth Organics Luxury Skincare – Rose Geranium Face Moisturizer: This is the thickest face moisturizer I’ve ever used. Kind of waxy, almost. It felt weird at first putting something so dense on my face, but it hydrated well and kept my skin from drying out. Excellent for colder months, but I’d switch to a lighter cream for the summer months.

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