Thursday, July 14, 2011

Reviva Labs Alpha Lipoic Acid, Vitamin C Ester & DMAE Cream Review!!

Recently, I got the wonderful opportunity to try out a few skincare products by Reviva Labs. Reviva Labs is an all natural skincare brand that can be found in professional skin care salons and health food stores worldwide. Read Reviva Labs ABOUT US page for more details about the brand.

Throughout the week, I'll be posting reviews for all of the products I've tried, starting off with the Alpha Lipoic Acid, Vitamin C Ester & DMAE Cream - which happens to be my favorite! 


PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: Reviva Labs now offers a new answer to helping firm, tighten and "lift" skin with DMAE...as Alpha Lipoic Acid and Vitamin C Ester fight free radicals and future skin aging. As a special Reviva boost, this dramatic trio is encased in a soy liposome for deeper, time release action during the night. Allantoin and Aloe Vera are added to soothe and calm stressed skin, contributing to a healthy, vibrant glow. For supple, more youthful looking skin, it's another major advance in the battle against skin aging. Benefits: helps improve skin tone and glow as its powerful antioxidant action fights free-radical damage. As your body rests during the night, you have hours of uninterrupted replenishing nutrients that help tighten and "lift" skin to treat the effects of time as it helps fight future skin aging. (REVIVA LABS)

INGREDIENTS:
 







Pft, I'm almost offended you'd ask! (I'm completely joking) It was pretty much love at first application with this cream. I've known the benefits of Alpha Lipoic Acid and Ester C for your skin when used topically, or orally (in the form of a pill) for a couple of years now. I discovered the benefits after reading Nicholas Perricone, M.D. The Wrinkle Cure. Although it was something that really interested me, I kind of tossed the info to the side as finding products that combines both ingredients wasn't something very easy to find at the local drugstore. This cream combines both, as well as DMAE, also known as "Dimethylaminoethanol" (Yeah, you wonder why it's abbreviated) which is a popular ingredient used in anti-aging skincare for it's "lifting" properties.

Being I'm 23 years old, I don't need any "extreme" lifting, but I what I expect out of a good cream is for it to even out my skin tone as well as skin texture, keep my skin hydrated and repair any moisture loss from using any harsh cleansers or exfoliants and make my skin soft to the touch. Is that all too much to ask?!

This particular cream is best when used at night to I've your skin several hours to drink up all of the good vitamins and repair your skin. For nighttime, I prefer a product that's a bit heavier than a day cream, but isn't too greasy where it will leave my pillow an oil slick. This particular cream is really light and fluffy - it's not heavy or oily. Once applied to the skin, the texture is incredibly silky and creamy. It doesn't leave the skin shiny, greasy or tacky. It feels a little moist for about a minute and then it almost completely absorbs. My skin type is normal to combination, but at times I can have a little dryness due to harsh cleansers, exfoliants or even the weather. This cream always fixes that by the morning. I'm always excited to look at my face every morning to see how radiant my skin is. The results when using this is always consistent. I wake up with baby soft skin, an even complexion and a glow from within. With most creams, the full benefits can be seen when used after your skin has been exfoliated to soak up all of the ingredients to the fullest. I like using my Olay Pro-X at night and this cream right after. I've been using it daily for around 3-4 weeks now and my skin is in great shape.

Lately, I've found that I can get away with wearing less makeup and lighter coverage foundations. What's even cooler than that is I've received a handful of compliments on my skin in the past month - and it may not seem like a big deal, but I never really receive compliments on my skin.

I've tried several creams by several brands - Estee Lauder, Clinique, Ponds, Olay, Neutrogena, Etc and this cream is by far my favorite. Of course, with any product what may work for me, may not work for you.. So I'm not saying to go run out and purchase this cream, but it is a product I do recommend trying if you're looking for a good, hydrating cream. I don't like to go a day without using and I will purchase another one once mine has almost finished!

PROS: Lightweight, Hydrating, Fragrance Free, Doesn't clog my pores or break out my sensitive skin, gives my skin a radiant appearance. The price is $23 for two ounces, which I find very reasonable. With daily use, it should last me around three months. There is also an expiration date listed on the product.. and I love when products list expiration dates to know that the active ingredients in the product are still active.
CONS: About the actual product, I can't find any cons. The only cons may be that the packaging is a tub (many prefer a pump for sanitary reasons), but I personally don't mind. Also, the product may be a little difficult to find (most likely will have to order online).
PACKAGING: It could be improved with a pump - but it doesn't bother me at all that it's in a tub. Most creams are anyway. It comes with a little stopper lid, so I like to scoop product off of that each time rather than dipping my finger directly into the tub.
OVERALL: I think this is a fantastic cream for all skin types. Highly recommended!




Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Testing out Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation!


I got a hold of a couple sample packets of Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua a couple of weeks ago and finally decided to try it out today. When I asked for a sample, I expected they were going to pour some product directly from their counter tester bottle, but they actually had sample packets of each shade. I was a little disappointed because the packets are so small, I figured I'd need both to cover my face. With the little bottles they fill up from the testers, they can typically last me a week - sometimes more if I'm lucky.

Anyway, the Sales Associate matched me to B30 Beige Sable. My shade in the regular Vitalumiere is 40 Beige. Right away, I noticed that B30 looked a little light, but when it was applied to an area of my face, it was undetectable. I'd say it's a good MAC NC30 color match.
I've read several reviews for Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua, and the majority of the reviews stated that this particular foundation looks best when applied with the fingers. I tend to use more product when I use my fingers, and considering I only had a couple of small packets, I wasn't about to waste any product. I first moisturized my face with a little DDF Oil-Free Moisturizing Dew and then I applied the foundation like I normally would any foundation. I squeezed out a small amount and placed a dot on each cheek, nose, chin and forehead. Then, with my Sigma F80 brush, I lightly buffed it in my skin with small circular motions. I then placed a tiny bit more product on my cheeks to build the coverage and again, buffed it in with my brush.

The consistency is a bit different than any foundation I think I've tried. I figured because it's water based, it would be really thin and watery. It's incredibly light and has an airy, whipped texture. Once applied to the face, you can really tell it water based because it has that slight cooling sensation of water. The color seemed to oxidize slightly after a few minutes, but it didn't oxidize too dark, orange, etc. The color is perfect. I was a little surprised by the coverage. It evened out my skintone beautifully and even covered my blemishes pretty good. It's a light coverage and can be layered easily to medium coverage. The finish is a lovely illuminating satin. I'm wearing it right now and it still looks great after almost 7 hours, with the exception that my chin and nose has become a little shiny.

Really loving it so far - and I'm pretty confident that I'll be purchasing it for my summer foundation! I'll have a FULL review to come later!

FACE: DDF Ultra-lite Oil Free Moisturizing Dew
Hard Candy Glamoflauge Concealer in Light & Medium (mixed 50/50) applied under my eyes
Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua in B30 applied with my Sigma F80 Brush
Chanel Bronze Universel/Soleil Tan De Chanel Bronzer applied with my Coastal Scents Tapered Duo Fiber Brush

BROWS:
MAC Espresso Eyeshadow
ELF Eyebrow Treat and Tame in Medium

EYES:
Urban Decay Naked Palette ("Naked" and "Buck" blended in my crease and smoked outward, darkened my outer V with "Smog") 
Nars Coconut Grove Eyeshadow lined my upper and lower lashline
Wet n Wild Silent Treatment Trio applied the pink browbone shade to my lid
Urban Decay Midnight Cowboy Eyeshadow applied on my lid over the Wet n Wild shadow, and my inner corners
MAC Blackline Pearlglide Eyeliner on my waterline 
Covergirl Lash Perfection Mascara
Revlon Beyond Natural #91169 False Eyelashes snipped in half

LIPS:
MAKE UP FOREVER Aqua Lipliner in #4C
OCC Lip Tars - Divine and Hush mixed 50/50
Sally Hansen Lip Inflation Extreme Lipgloss (clear)


Hope you all have a wonderful night! And, if you haven't already, please check out my giveaway HERE!

Monday, July 11, 2011

NOTD: Essence Colour & Go Nail Polish in Mellow Yellow!

Three (3) coats of Essence Mellow Yellow & One coat of Seche Vite Top Coat.
Three (3) coats of Essence Mellow Yellow & One coat of Seche Vite Top Coat.
Essence Colour & Go Nail Polish in Mellow Yellow is a cream formula pale yellow. It's a perfect summer statement color that will add a bright pop of color to any outfit.

I've always liked yellow nail polishes, but every time I end up purchasing yellow, I'm never satisfied with it. One thing I've learned about yellow polishes is that the more pastel they are, the better they look on my skintone. This particular polish is almost in between pastel yellow and yellow. I was hoping it would be a little more white toned, but I like it.

The formula of this polish was streak city with the first coat, but evened out by the second. With the second coat, 95% of the streaks were gone, but I opted for three coats for full opacity. 

I'll probably wear this polish only once more before summer is over, so it's not really a bad investment for 99 cents!

The lovely Lisa Eldridge sporting yellow nails in her Quick Pick-Me-Up video

Essence can be found at ULTA stores or online at ULTA.com.

Dior Amber Diamond Shimmer Star Review with Photos & Swatches!

Dior Amber Diamond

Dior Amber Diamond Shimmer Star

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: A light-filled pressed powder enriched with Jeweled Microdust™. These five micro-shimmering tones set off sparks of brilliance, highlighting your complexion. The ultra-fine, super-blendable formula virtually fuses with your skin for a sheer, radiant luminosity. (SEPHORA)

Dior Diorskin Shimmer Star is available in two shades: Amber Diamond and Rose Diamond. They are both highlighting shades, but because Rose Diamond contains pink tones, it can also be considered a blush.

Amber Diamond contains five stripes of warm frosty shades: An ivory with golden-yellow frost, champagne, tan, bronze and golden peach. When all of the shades are swirled together, it creates a beautiful warm, champagne/tan glow.

Dior Amber Diamond

I tried comparing it to other highlighters of mine, but it's actually very different than anything I own. The only thing I could compare is the first strip of color is almost identical to Nars Albatross or MAC Vanilla Pigment. From the looks of it, it may be comparable to Physician's Formula Shimmer Strips or Bobbi Brown Shimmerbrick, but from swatches I've seen, Amber Diamond seems a little less frosty & subtle. To be honest, at first I figured this highlighter was overrated. To me, it didn't look like anything special I should go run out and buy - but after trying it, I see what all of the hype is about. It is frosty - but when applied to the cheeks, it's so subtle and it almost becomes one with your skin. It's easy to blend and gives the prettiest glow that's not overpowering. (No disco ball, here!)

Yesterday my Mom had asked me what I have on my cheeks that's so glowy, so I handed her the highlighter to test out herself and she loved it. Right after, we went grocery shopping and this woman stopped us in the middle of the aisle and was like "Is this your daughter!?" Caught completely off guard, we nodded and smiled politely, and she was like "No wonder! She has your glowing skin!" She actually went on for a couple minutes and mentioned how nice it must be to go to Wal-mart and get complimented. As we walked off, I mentioned to my Mom that it must be the Dior. It was kinda funny.