R+Co Trophy Shine + Texture Spray & Sail Soft Wave Spray

I’ve played with multiple items from R+Co in the past. Trophy Shine + Texture Spray is fairly new to the line. I just never happened to notice R+CO Sail Soft Wave Spray in the past. I’ve been playing with both for some time. Both products come in an aerosol can which makes for easy application.

Trophy Shine + Texture Spray Details per R+Co:

Who doesn’t like pretty shiny things? Win big with TROPHY. Add the right amount of texture, volume and shine to any hair type, leaving you feeling like a winner.

Good for Hair that looks young, shiny and lived-in.

Fragrance ROSY EYED – A spirited unpredictable scent. Bergamot, Wild Fig, Cyclamen, Lotus Flower, Cedarwood, Tonka Beans

Directions Shake well. Spray on towel dried or dry hair and style. Hair looks naturally radiant almost instantly.

Active Ingredients

*Fuller’s Earth, naturally occurring clay that removes excess oil and impurities from hair.
*Sea Kale, infuses hair with intense moisture and shine.

*Sweet Almond, a natural oil that adds shine and moisture without weighing hair down. High in vitamins A, B, D, and E, magnesium, zinc, potassium as well as healthy fats.

Sail Soft Wave Spray Details per R+Co:

Set SAIL with the most natural looking voluminous waves. This lightweight spray adds natural volume and texture to your hair while giving you the kind of soft, supple, shiny waves you’ve been dreaming of.

Good for: All hair types to get soft waves or any other naturally tousled, shiny supple look.

Fragrance: SERIOUS GAZE – A bright oriental composition. Juniper Berries, Blood Orange, Rhubarb, Leather Accord, Violet, Dark Woods

Directions Spray on dry or towel dried hair. Use fingers to scrunch hair into beachy waves, or style as usual with heat tools. Leaves your hair touchable and soft, with enough memory to style again throughout the day.

Active Ingredients

*Amla, rich source of vitamin C. Nourishes and conditions hair and scalp. Has anti-oxidant properties. Adds amazing shine and luster to hair.

*Sea Kelp, high in vitamin and mineral content. Adds shine, volume and softness to hair.

*Rose Hip, conditioning agent that leaves hair feeling soft and revitalized.

Both are extremely easy to use. Spray on damp hair. Air dry. Easy. I love texture and salt sprays, I never blow dry my hair anymore, I air dry and like a bedhead or tousled messy look.

Sail Soft Wave Spray is a standard salt spray except it’s in a pressurized can for easy dispensing. It makes my hair softer, adds waves and texture like all salt sprays. However, my hair falls flat by the end of the day and gets a little frizzy which is pretty standard for all salt texture sprays. They look really good for a few hours then the waves fall flat and you get more frizz. It’s why I’ve started to go towards a more texture spray that’s salt free like Trophy Shine + Texture Spray. This one doesn’t dry my hair out bad like some pure salt sprays.

Trophy Shine + Texture Spray is an amazing texture spray. It’s got a hint of shine with volume and waves that last all day. It’s salt free so none of that frizz. Most of these texture sprays have some kind of stickier residue, oil or polymer that helps hold the hair in place. Kind of like a liquid pomade in some aspects. They don’t dry down or go away so that’s why the hold and waves last. They can make your hair look sticky and dirty if you apply to much, so use sparingly in the front and use more on the mid level to ends than the roots. You still wants a bit in the roots to lift it and add texture. I love and use Trophy all the time. It’s become one of my go to texture sprays and a Hero Product. I love the ease of use of the aerosol can, just be careful as you can layer it on quick and overdo it. It gives me perfect messy bedhead waves that last all day. This is the one I recommend of the two.

Beauty Endeavor Tip These types of pure salt sprays are great to layer with a texture cream to help hold the waves longer, it also helps control some of that later day frizz. Oribe Matte Waves and VERB Sea Texture Cream are two good options for this. Apply them from mid level hair to the ends.

Trophy in Action–

OSKIA Get Up & Glow

I’m a huge lover of British brand OSKIA. OSKIA is a natural skincare brand with a nutritional focus. Their Renaissance Mask is my all time favorite. Next I would like to talk about the Get Up & Glow serum. Described as a Radiance & Energy Booster. Details per OSKIA:

With Vitamin E, Minerals: MSM & Zinc, Ribose, Butterbur, Swiss Apple Stem Cells, Hyaluronic Acid, Milk Peptides

Boosting your beauty battery – a deliciously lightweight energising and anti-fatigue serum that increases cell consumption and ATP cell energy to brighten & enliven skin.

Enriched with patented anti-age ingredients, health-boosting nutrients, polypeptides & floral extracts, OSKIA’s unique nutritional approach actively brightens and firms, evens skin tone, smoothes the appearance of fine lines, protects against everyday environmental, seasonal and lifestyle damage, while also improving cell health for long term benefits. This refreshing serum leaves skin looking revitalized, healthier and smoother with a youthful, radiant glow. It can be used underneath moisturiser for an unbeatable anti-ageing and health boosting effect, or patted over makeup to perk up & brighten skin.

Benefits

• Illuminates and brightens the skin through improved cell respiration.
• Helps increase the skin’s own energy bank (ATP) to energise and help improve cell efficiency.
• Provides nutrients to help rebuild cell health for long term improved skin health and function.
• Lifts and plumps up fine lines and wrinkles.
• Leaves skin feeling soothed and smooth.
• Protects skin DNA and against free radicals.
• Protects skin’s ecoststem through prebiotics.
• Water-based.

 

Key Actives

 

• Riboxil™, known as The Beauty Sugar, energizes, revitalizes and brightens by boosting oxygen intake to recharge cell energy to benefit all cell processes. Reduces wrinkle area by 30.1%.
• Natural light reflecting pigments add lustre to tired skin.
• Galactoarabinan, a vegetable alternative to collagen, reduces fine lines and wrinkles.
• MPC Milk Peptides™ immediately lift, firm and tone the skin leaving a natural sheen and radiance by increasing the thickness of the epidermis, stimulating collagen synthesis by 40%, increasing cell-to-cell communication, boosting key elements of the Dermo-Epidermal junction making nutrients more available to the skin, increasing Hyaluronic Acid production by 1900% and reduces wrinkle depth by 35%.
• Soothing Butterbur reduces redness and irritation.
• OSKIA’s MSM complex aids collagen production and keeps skin strong, supple and porous.
• Phyto Cell Tec Mallus™ (Swiss Apple Stem Cell culture) help renew and prolong the life of healthy skin cells, protect DNA, reduces wrinkles and fine line depth by 15% (after 4 weeks) and stimulate cell proliferation by 80%.
• O3 Stressed Yeast Lysate™, a live yeast cell derivative,  increases cell respiration to promote wound healing and strongly protects fragile cellular DNA, RNA and skin lipids after sun exposure.
• Our elite grade Hyaluronic acid and biosaccharides provide long lasting hydration, plump up the skin, stimulate the production of Glycosaminoglycans(GAGs), making skin appear plumper and smoother.
• Prebiotic Oligosaccharide protects and stimulates the skin’s defence barrier by preventing colonization by harmful flora.
• Powerful antioxidant Inula Viscosa, Vitamin E and prebiotics protect against free radicals, harmful bacteria and UV damage.

Official Directions for Use Pump into a clean palm and apply gently to entire face and neck underneath your moisturizer. Ensure that the serum is fully massaged in before applying other products. Use as often as required alone or after moisturizer. Can be used as a replacement to daily moisturizer or on top of makeup for an extra radiance boost when out and about, in which case pat the serum onto the skin rather than rub.

This serum has a stunning pink glow to it that will wake up & illuminate any complexion. Perfect for a morning pick me up. The slippery hydrating texture plays well with others and has no layering issues. The scent is light with the standard OSKIA rose-lychee perfume which is a fresh light scent that I find so pleasant in OSKIA products. This serum is packed full of skin nutrients like vitamin E, MSM, milk peptides (lift, firm, tone), yeast lysate (yeast cell derivative to promote healthy cell function),  prebiotics, oligasaccharides & biosaccharides, sodium hyaluronate, riboxil (sugar to energize and revitalize), butterbur (reduce redness and irritation), swiss apple stem cells & galactorabinan (vegetable alternative to collagen). Whew. That’s a lot of skin loving ingredients. This is a soothing, hydrating and energizing serum. It’s like a multi-vitamin for your face.

MSM is a sulfur compound found naturally in our bodies and some plants. You can take MSM as a supplement for joint health and it touts other uses and claims. It’s also been talked about as the beauty mineral to help with anti-aging and skin health. It does this by supporting collagen production and health, as well as being anti-inflammatory. Read more HERE and HERE about MSM benefits.

This serum comes packaged in a clear glass bottle with dropper style for dispensing. The dropper is not my favorite package if you know me. This was my second bottle of this serum and the first bottle I had came in a glass pump style package which I much preferred to this one. I don’t know why they changed to a dropper. However, the serum inside is well worth the trouble of a dropper. This serum may not be some big retinol anti-aging powerhouse or an antioxidant cocktail, but it feeds your face tons of skin loving ingredients that give my skin this happy healthy glow. That’s what I noticed the most when I got to the end of this bottle–My face just looked so hydrated and healthy. I would absolutely repurchase. You can grab it here–Get Up & Glow

Ingredients

 AQUA (WATER), DIMETHYL SULFONE (MSM), GLYCERIN, SODIUM HYALURONATE, BENZYL ALCOHOL, WHEY PROTEIN, ZINC GLYCINE, RIBOSE, MALUS DOMESTICA FRUIT CELL CULTURE, SACCHAROMYCES FERMENT FILTRATE LYSATE, GALACTOARABINAN, PANTHENOL, BIOSACCHARIDE GUM-1, INULIN, ALPHA-GLUCAN OLIGOSACCHARIDE, PETASITES JAPONICUS (BUTTERBUR) ROOT EXTRACT, PARFUM (NATURAL FRAGRANCE), CITRONELLOL, GERANIOL, LINALOOL, CHONDRUS CRISPUS (CARRAGEENAN), LECITHIN, XANTHAN GUM, TOCOPHEROL, DEHYDROACETIC ACID, PHENOXYETHANOL, LACTIC ACID, POTASSIUM SORBATE, [ /- MAY CONTAIN:
CARAMEL, MICA, CI 77891 (TITANIUM DIOXIDE), CI 77491 (IRON OXIDE), SILICA].

Current Favorites & Product Obsessions

IGK has quickly become one of my fastest hair brand obsessions. Everything I’ve tried styling wise has been great. I use dry shampoo quite a bit. I tend to shower every other day. The IGK Jet Lag Invisible Dry Shampoo is my newest acquisition by the line. It’s a little pricey for what it is, but it works. Well. No white residue and I like that as a dry shampoo it’s not intense and really drying or over powdery like some dry shampoos. More to come.

Zelens Z Matrix is this lovely pink gel that hydrates immensely well. I buy a jar in the winter to use in place of hydrating serums. It would work as a moisturizer for oily or combo skins during the summer if you live in a hot or humid climate. Otherwise I like to layer it. Review HERE.

I used to use Omorovicza Nourishing Hand Treatment all the day. It replaced La Mer for me. I was testing a bunch of hand creams for a while and stopped using it. I pulled a tube out again and it was love at first reuse again. Light enough and hydrating. Review HERE. This is easily one of my favorite hand creams and though pricey a tube does last a while.

January Labs Revitalizing Day Cream is this new discovery for me. It’s got an almost oil meets liquid lotion texture. Very fluid and light yet really really hydrating. More to come.  The Wayne Goss Air Brush should be in every one of these posts because it’s phenomenal. Now it comes in Rose Gold. Review HERE.

Miller Harris is a niche UK perfumery that I just adore. I haven’t used some of my heavier scents in a while and I’ve been pulling out L’air De Rien for a while. I’ve forgotten how much I loved it. It used to be available in the US as a brand but then they pulled out so you have to search around for it. This scent is musty and feminine without being overtly so. It’s completely unique and hard to describe. Musty, like an old book, warm with vanilla and amber, not overpowering. It’s really really good.

Iconic singer and actress Jane Birkin’s perfume, L’Air de Rien is a uniquely intimate and nostalgic fragrance. Seeking to capture all of Jane’s favourite scents and chic sensuality, L’Air de Rien captures the comfort of a lovers embrace, watching dust dance in the light as you lay entwined. An intimate blend of musk and amber, softened by the suggestion of old books through earthy moss and dry vanilla. Alluring and profound, with an unspoken intimacy and closeness.

Top: Neroli Tunisia. Heart: Neroli. Tunisia Base: Oak moss, Patchouli Indonesia, Vanilla Reunion, Amber, White musk.

Herbovore Botanicals released a new Coconut Ultra Hydration Body Oil an exclusive to Nordstrom. This smells like a light coconut nothing too sweet or overpowering. It’s the perfect natural coconut scent. The oil is not too heavy but hydrating. Love the glass pump package. It’s formulated with coconut oil and Co2 extract to deeply hydrate the skin. Its scent whisks you away to a tropical vacation with each application.

With it being colder I’ve been pulling out SUQQU’s Frame Fix Foundation Lightness. This is the newest liquid foundation out last year I believe. Still very hard to find as only Harrod’s & Ichibankao has it. Selfridges doesn’t carry it online. I love the coverage and hydrating nature. Yet it’s lightweight. I’ve been playing with shades 003 and 203. More to come soon.

Original Human was a chance discovery for me. I grabbed the Kalahari Melon Facial Serum which is perfect for my combo skin. I’m obsessed with all watermelon skincare products for one, two this is lightweight and perfect for day use. I also love raspberry oil so this was a win win for me.

Calms inflammation, restructures and brings balance, for acne-prone or combination skin. Grounded in a base of Kalahari Melon oil, this serum works to balance the skin and sebum production with essential fatty acids and lipids to restore and maintain the skin’s barrier function. High concentrations of Vitamin C and other antioxidants like carotenoids work to protect and calm the skin and promote healing. 

Ingredients Citrullus Lanatus (Watermelon) Seed Oil, Passiflora Edulis (Passion Fruit) Seed Oil, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Seed Oil, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Petroselinum Sativum (Parsley) Seed Oil, Helichrysum Splendidum Oil

I love the Chanel Ombre Premiere Cream Eyeshadow in general. Silver Pink & Memory are staples for a fast look. Silver Screen is the newest edition to the family. Limited edition this sparkling pewter shade is perfect for holidays. This is a bit more sparkling than the permanent shades. Same great formula. Review HERE.

NARS Christopher Kane Holographic Lipstick in Chroma Chrome caught my eye when I saw it on Instagram. A holographic nude pink, yes please. It was a UK exclusive as far as & I know I got mine of Selfridges. It’s a sheer shimmering very light nude with a pink shift.

Shock the runway with an electrifying collection of holographic sheens and metallic glitter tones inspired by Christopher Kane’s signature aesthetic. This imited-edition soft nude Lipstick in Chroma Chrome from NARS creates a subtle, holographic sheen for a universally flattering highlight effect. The long-wearing formula provides ultra-comfortable wear and silky colour that lasts.

Top Chanel Silver Screen, Bottom NARS Chroma Chrome:

Top to Bottom–Omorovica Nourishing Hand Treatment, Zelens Z Matrix, January Labs Revitalizing Day Cream, SUQQU Frame Fix Foundation Lightness 003, Chanel Silver Screen, NARS Chroma Chrome:

By Terry Preciosity Flash Light Elixir

I grabbed a both highlighters from By Terry’s Preciosity holiday collection. I will say I opened the powder version and while the inside was absolutely stunning with it’s pattern, I could not like the case at all. It was so cheap. It was a hollow lightweight plastic that squeaked and had a paper label on the top. Not a silk screen print as would be expected. A paper label which if it got wet at all would fall apart. Not what I expect for a luxury brand, it was odd for By Terry as her packaging is normally good. So I returned it unused, which is why I don’t have pictures, I couldn’t justify the price with such terrible packaging.

Now onto the By Terry Preciosity Light Elixir which comes in a small slim matte metallic dropper style bottle with the design printed on–Yay! Details per By Terry:

Achieve the ultimate festive glow with this dazzling serum for winter. The highlighting elixir serum releases your complexion’s natural glow, immersing the skin in a smoothing “D-Flawless” halo of light. Highly concentrated in multi-reflecting “D-Light” mineral pigments and premium ultra-perfecting prisms, the product’s luxurious formula blends into all skin tones without caking or leaving an oily residue, resulting in a beautifully radiant complexion. 

Formula Highly concentrated in multi-reflecting “D-Light” mineral pigments and premium ultra-perfecting prisms.

Application Tips 

– Just one to two drops provide an instantly luminous natural result. A few more drops create a fresh, festive, ultra-radiant complexion.
– Apply it as a corrective base on its own or mixed with a foundation, or as a top coat on facial features (forehead, nose, chin, cheekbones, eyebrow arch).
-Effortlessly blends with fingertips, a brush or a sponge. Shake well before use.

This is fluid highlighter. It has the signature stronger By Terry rose scent.  I want to love By Terry but it’s always very heavily fragranced like roses. I have a hard time with it. Luckily this isn’t skincare it’s a highlighter so it’s tolerable. The package is a small (15ml) slim frosted metallic bottle with a dropper style dispenser. A dropper is never my favorite packaging I always prefer a pump like the Cellularose CC Serums.

The highlighter has a dry oil texture almost. It dries down and sets and doesn’t stay wet. It has a slip to it that feels more like a dry oil than a slippery serum style liquid highlighter. This is a pigmented liquid highlighter. You only need a touch so start light and build up. This is very buildable. The shade is a shimmering white base with pink an gold pearls. No glitter here, just adult appropriate intense pearly shimmer. This formula blends in with ease, if you start light it looks very natural. You can make it very intense as well if you build it up. This lasts all day I had no longevity issues. You can either mix some in foundation for an all over radiance or apply to specific regions of your face for targeted shimmer.

Top to Bottom–By Terry Preciosity Sheer than Heavy, Topshop Polished Glow, Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Lightwand, Cover FX Blossom:

This was a nice high quality liquid highlighter. The texture and luminosity are perfect for the holidays and well done. It’s a little pricey you get a smaller 15ml bottle for $68. The packaging, while much better than the pressed version, does have a few flaws. The dropper itself comes loose from the cap, I find myself having to push it back in now and then. Now that I’ve had this for about 4 weeks or so I’ve noticed the cap and top neck of the bottle is building up dried product very quickly. You always expect a little. The fifth or sixth time I opened this a bunch of dried product actually fell onto my bathroom counter and the rim was well built up with a powdery dry crust. Not ideal for the price, this should have come in a pump or a better bottle. The By Terry holiday collection has stunning high quality products inside of bad packaging.

Sonage Natural Glow Pretty Pack

Sonage is a new to me brand. A “non-toxic” and cruelty free natural skincare brand. A little about  Sonage:

Our successful 20+ years as a spa-grade brand is rooted in European skincare tradition with a focus on premium, luxury natural ingredients. Working with top scientists in Europe and Los Angeles, we balance the best in modern skincare science with the amazing healing powers of Mother Nature. We manufacture in small batches every ninety days so we can quickly incorporate new research and best practices into our products. With over two decades experience, we’ve perfected our revolutionary formulas using botanicals, active plant enzymes and pure essential oils (instead of harsh chemicals) to deliver beautiful, healthy and radiant results.

I will admit I had never heard of them before them contacting me. I went to their website and looked around at their products. They seemed good and like they had some items I would ultimately be interested in. I was sent the Natural Glow Pretty Pack to play with. Details per Sonage:

This holiday season we invite you to infuse your skin with this luxurious treatment for that pre-soirée glow and night-after-pamper. This deeply hydrating kit evens skin tone while minimizing the appearance of any fine lines or wrinkles.

The Pack includes:

Glow to Go Glycolic Acid Peel Pads–30 Pads $30

Glycolic acid peel pads gently exfoliate to remove dead surface skin cells, control acne, oil secretion, hyperpigmentation and even skin tone. These convenient on the go peel pads are crafted with natural Beet Sugar and soothing Lavender Oil to clarify and strengthen the skin

Glycolic Acid Polymer Promotes mitosis, softens, removes dead cells, treats acne, improves skin texture

Lavender Oil Astringent, soothing, hydrating, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory

Glucosamine Hydrating, strengthens connective tissue, antioxidant, treats hyperpigmentation

Fructooligosaccharides Beet sugar promotes probiotic bacteria, supports skin immunity

Amino-Guanidine Rejuvenates skin, inhibitor of protein glycation, maintains supple skin

Patagonia Berry Stem Cell Mask—30ml $48

Antioxidant-rich cream mask contains extracts from Maqui Berry, Marble Berry and Passionflower to repair damage, visibly reduce fine lines and hydrate — resulting in younger, healthier skin.

Maqui Berry, Marbleberry Contains vitamin C, calcium, iron and potassium, and is an abundant source of polyphenols including anti-aging anthocyanins, and anti-inflammatory compounds, protect your body from the toxic effects of free radicals, give its iridescent color

Squalane Derived from olives, moisturizing, enhances skin’s natural barrier function, protective, and boosts skin’s ability to retain moisture

Black Rice Bran Extract High antioxidant content, anti-inflammatory properties, keeps skin looking smooth and clear 

Passionflower Extract Skin conditioning, calming, soothing properties 

Spin Trap Nitrogen complex synchronizes the movement of free radicals transforms them into useful oxygen, and then transports them back into the respiratory cycle 

Ergothioneine Natural antioxidant and amino acid, aids skin’s natural ability to repair damage caused by UV radiation, recycles vitamin C, assures efficient energy production, inhibits tyrosinase

Vitality Nourishing Facial Oil–15 ml $34

Couture blend of 10 essential dry oils—including Argan and Marula—for intense hydration and illumination, without the greasy feel.

Argan Oil Healing, soothing, moisturizing

Marula Oil Moisturizing, non-comedogenic

Lavender Oil Antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, calming, healing

Cypress Oil Antiseptic, healing, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial

Geranium Oil Anti-aging, promotes cell growth, anti-inflammatory

Rosemary Oil Stimulates cell renewal, anti-bacterial, circulatory stimulant

Willow Leaf Extract Anti-aging, reduces fine lines and wrinkles, antioxidant

Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Antioxidant, improves circulation, antibacterial 

Sunflower Oil Moisturizing, rich in nutrients and antioxidants, essential fatty acids maintain skin barrier

The Glycolic Peel Pads are round pads with a waffle pattern on them. I find the texture a bit rough for my skin. I prefer a smoother pad in general. The pads tingle a bit as with a lot of glycolic acid solutions. There’s only natural ingredients in the pads and no alcohol, which is always hard to find in pads, so that’s a bonus. I tend to prefer a glycolic/lactic/salicylic or mix of acids in a pad. I’m not using straight glycolic acid myself as much as I used to be. IT used to be my go to for smooth skin. I think they’re an effective glycolic acid pad, I just tend to prefer a mixed acid formulation and a smoother pad. Otherwise they are alcohol free and a good glycolic pad in general.

The Vitality Nourishing Oil is a thin textured facial oil. It absorbs quickly and has a dry oil feel. Argan and Marula are the main base oils then you have the essential oils. I will say I love the lightweight texture. However, this is very heavily scented in essential oils. More than I prefer. Now that’s in a green essential oil way, meaning it’s a not sweet but more green or almost medicinal scent. I don’t know if it’s the cypress or the rosemary but it has an almost mint like green scent. I actually really like it to relax. I apply it on my arms and neck and breathe deep for a relaxing effect. Whether or not you can use this one your face depends how sensitive you are to heavily scented essential oils products.

The mask is made with Maqui berries which are a powerful antioxidant, think Skin Owls new stuff. It’s a creamy mask that dries down to a comfortable finish. It does have this fun pearl like finish as well and obviously it smells like berries. This gives a firming and hydrating effect to the skin. This was my favorite item out of the set and it seems it’s one of Sonage’s best sellers. With good reason. From what I understand the Sonage Natural Glow Pretty Pack is limited edition for the holidays and you can get it HERE.

While not every item worked for me in this pack I’m sure they will give glowing skin to a number of people. I’m happy I discovered Sonage as they have some other natural skincare products I have my eye on for the future.

October Samples & Empties

Time for the October Samples & Empties Post. Quick thoughts about each starting above.

Herbivore Botanicals Coco Rose Body Polish: You probably get tired of seeing this as it’s in every monthly samples & empties post. However, I do go through a jar every month. Love it to death. Hero product. Review HERE.

Erborian Cleansing Water: I liked the ability of this to remove my eye makeup gently. It was a bit more fragranced florally than I normally like. I still prefer Bioderma.

Blithe Vital Treatment 9 Essential Seeds: This was a nice hydrating slippery thicker essence. Slight citrus scent. I don’t know that this was all that brightening.

Zelens Youth Concentrate: Love this. This was my second bottle. One of my all time favorite retinol night serums. It also combines so many other high tech and natural ingredients with the retinol. I would buy again no question. Review HERE.

Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Kiss: Loved this buttery lip balm. Very hydrating.

Sunday Riley C.E.O. Rapid Flash Brightening Serum: I liked this. It’s good for a non L-Ascorbic Acid lover. Review HERE.

The Ordinary Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate Solution 20% in Vitamin F: This is a thin dry oil base with vitamin C. It was OK. I’m not a big fan of the oil base.

Paula’s Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment: I wanted to like this. The retinol was non-irritating and nice. It’s the base texture. It’s a very hydrating lotion. So if you don’t want to mix this with heavier things it’s perfect for you. If you like thinner textured retinols this isn’t for you.

Oribe Soft Dry Conditioning Spray: I love Oribe and wanted to love this. The idea of a dry hydrating spray seemed interesting. It’s got some alcohol in it which dries my hair out a bit. It does hydrate some with oils. It just wasn’t my favorite type of product. It took my three plus years to use it up as I never reached for it. I had to force myself to use it up.

Amika: Nourishing Mask: I got this free from Influenster. It’s hydrating but heavily fragranced. It was OK.

Nivea In-Shower Lotion Cocoa Butter: Love this stuff. Affordable. Easy in-shower hydration to save me time. Review HERE.

Sephora Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover: Eh, it’s OK. Stings my eyes a bit. I didn’t even finish it.

Living Proof Full Dry Volume Blast: This is intense. Very powdery. Lots of volume. If you like that kind of thing. It wasn’t for me.

JUARA Candlenut Hydrating Shower Gel: This was a nice gel body wash. Pleasant light warm scent.

Molton Brown London Body Wash Eucalyptus: This was OK. I prefer the Pink Pepper one. This one was very minty.

OUAI Wave Spray: I love this stuff. It’s a tacky wave spray. But it works well if you apply it right. Review HERE.

Kat Burki Ph + Enzyme Essence: This stuff is divine. A gel essence with a light cucumber smell. More to come.

Skin Owl Beauty Whip: This is a lovely hydrating light cream mask. Review HERE.

African Botanics Nutritive Molecule Serum: Love this. So many active ingredients. Just so incredibly expensive. Stay tuned for the final thoughts after the large bottle

Kat Burki Hand Therapy: This is a really nice hydrating hand cream. Heavy but not too heavy. Intoxicating Kat Burki scent.

Ormonde Jayne Ambre Royal: One of my favorite British brands, niche perfumer. The scent is warm and amber but not too sweet. Normally amber scents are too sweet for me. I bought  big one.

EVE LOM Rescue Mask: One use and I hated it. Way too minty and the clay dries down. No thanks. I’ll stick with my Omorovicza.

Zelens 3t Complex: This stuff is sooooo good. Light yet super hydrating. This is easily my favorite night cream.

Rodin Luxury Face Oil: I always wanted to try this. Moderately hydrating oil. Too perfumed for me.

Furterer Intense Nourishing Mask: This was a nice hydrating hair mask. Nothing stand out, nothing bad.

Bioderma Matricium: This watery textured serum is amazing. Great for repairing the skin. I like it. More to come.

Lancome Monsieur Big Mascara: This was OK. Bigger brush style wand is nice.

Sephora Brow Freeze Light: I love this. Like a tinted brow wax in a stick. It’s only lightly coloring but it’s good for a quick fix.

Youth To The People Kale + Green Tea Spinach Age Prevention Cleanser: This was OK. Basic gel cleanser. Nothing special but nothing bad either.

Blithe Energy Yellow Citrus & Honey: This is interesting. Watery in shower splashing mask. Has a citrus scent. Not my favorite style of mask, but I’ll use samples if I have them.

LEE JHAM Vita-Propolis Ampoule: Slippery serum with propolis. It’s on my wishlist for a big one.

OUAI Repair Shampoo & Conditioner: Hydrating. I liked it. I have big bottles I’ll pull out of the closet soon.

R+CO Dallas Thickening Shampoo & Conditioner: This was OK. I like R+Co.

Charlotte Tilbury Light Wonder 7 Medium: A bit too golden for me. I’ll stick with number 6. Love love this light dewy finish foundation. Review of Light Wonder HERE.

La Mer The Treatment Lotion: Slippery hydrating toner. It’s nice just pricey.

Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkleresist24 Pure Retinol Express Smoothing Eye Mask: This is OK. It’s not my favorite eye mask because it’s not a hydrating gel type.

Blithe Soothing & Healing Green Tea: Same as above. Liked it and would use a sample. Probably wouldn’t buy a big one because it’s not my favorite formula for a mask.

Rita Hazan True Color Shampoo & Conditioner: Loved this. The scent is amazing, light and not overpowering like a lot of hair care can be. I’ll be getting big one some day.

Tata Harper Regenerating Cleanser: I’ve used a big bottle of this as well. It a creamy cleanser. I like it. It’s not on my list to get another big bottle just because I like other things better.

November Beauty DNA Subscription Box

BeautyDNA is a subscription box I used to be really into. I stopped my service when I moved to Texas almost three years ago. I decided I wanted to start it up again for a little while. There’s the most information about all the subscription boxes I’ve tried under the Bookmarks Tab in the header of the blog, then go to Subscription Box Info. You get one full size item valued for at least $50 for $25 a month. You fill out a very lengthy survey about what you like and don’t like. So it’s very personalized and you should get stuff matched to your preferences. My first box actually has a full size Drunk Elephant serum. It’s how I learned to love Drunk Elephant before they got really popular.

My November box Skin Report has a GM Collin Sensiderm Cream. Ideal for sensitive skin, this light cream instantly soothes, desensitizes and reduces irritation, providing comfort to skin.

The retail value is $51 and it’s a 50 ml tube. I’ve never heard of this brand but that’s the purpose of doing these kind of boxes. They always include a card describing why they picked it for you. All the bold words on the card are ingredients I rated as yes or no in my profile.

The cream is light, like a light lotion. It’s fragrance free and non-greasy. This should suit any skin type especially sensitive. It’s hydrating without being heavy. It’s a nice lotion.

Here’s the ingredients from the box. The only negative aspect I have to add to this month is that my tube expires in January 2018 according to the box. While I don’t pay attention to expiration dates if the product is unopened, you can get away with at least another 6 months in my opinion, it’s nonetheless annoying to get an item at the end of November that expires in January. We’ll have to see if this is a theme. I always feel like subscription boxes get that stock from the company that they want to get rid of for reasons like this. So I will be throwing this on my neck in the daytime until it’s gone. Stay tuned for next month.

November Beauty Heroes Subscription Box

I finally caved and decided to subscribe to the Beauty Heroes Subscription Box. I was staying away from subscription boxes for a while because many years ago I subscribed to them all and just ended up with so much extra stuff that I didn’t use. Beauty Heroes has looked interesting as a green beauty subscription box so I’m trying a 3 month subscription which is $115 or $38.33/month. Their Mission–Beauty Heroes is your destination for healthy beauty. Shop our curated online Beauty Store or join our monthly discovery service and receive one full-size, healthy and high-performance Hero Product, plus deluxe Sidekicks, from clean beauty brands you love. So expect to get one full size item and a mini or two.

The November box peaked my interest and is what made me decide to try it. This month features AYUNA and the box is valued at $205. Not bad for $38.33. Check the box out HERE.

The full size item is AYUNA Essence Cream-In-Oil Peel. Details per Beauty Heroes:

Essence High Protien Cream-in-Oil Peel by Ayuna does its job in three beautiful phases. First, it gives the skin a luxuriously smooth feel, while an abundance of protein bestows a restorative look. Second, it gives skin a revitalized and glowing appearance. Finally, the luscious feeling formula offers an oleo-essence finish, leaving skin feeling irresistibly silky soft.

Directions Use this product one to two times a week. First, apply an even, thick layer to the face, neck, and chest. Leave for several minutes, and then roll product away with hands, rinse, and dry.

Ingredients

Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Water*, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil*, Cellulose, Oleyl Erucate, Glutamic Acid, Propanediol, Behenyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate Aqua (Water), Aspartic Acid, Lactobacillus Ferment**, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Gluconolactone, Squalane, Glycerin, Lactobacillus**, Sodium Levulinate, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Parfum (Fragrance)***, Sodium Anistate**, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Fruit Extract**, Tocopherol, Bete-sitosterol, Squalene. *52 percent of Organic ingredients **Natural and Probiotic Preservatives ***Natural Essential Oil-based Fragrance comprised of: Gurjum Balsam, Holywood, Myrrh, Chamomile, Rosemary, Bucchu)

One sidekick is a mini AYUNA Rejuvenating Cream II-Rich. Details per Beauty Heroes:

Ayuna’s Natural Rejuvenating Treatment Cream II – Rich is a scientifically advanced, botanical formula that boasts an array of high-performance natural ingredients. Phyto-peptides and plasmas, rich in botanical cell factors from green carrot, arabian cotton, pomegranate and phyto-peptidic fractions from turmeric root and centella, help skin maintain a feeling of regeneration. While rich in nutrients, its light application makes skin feel soft and moisturized, while leaving behind a supple, revitalized appearance. 

Ingredients

Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Water*, Oleyl Erucate, Caprylyl Caprylate/Caprate, Aqua (Water), Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil*, Glycerin, Propanediol, Sucrose Stearate, Squalane, Butyrospermum Parkil (Shea) Butter, Stearyl Heptanoate, Lactobacillus Ferment**, Polyglyceryl-6-distearate, Stearyl Caprylate, Gluconolactone, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil*, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Maltodextrin, Sodium Levulinate**, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Callus Conditioned Media, Centella Asiatica Callus Conditioned Media, Hectorite Lactobacillus, Jojoba Esters, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Gossypium Herbaceum (Cotton) Callus Culture, Parfum (Fragrance)***, Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Seed Cell Culture Lysate, Sodium Anisate**, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hydroxide, Cetyl Alcohol, Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax, Cellulose Gum, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Fruit Extract**, Tocopherol, Citric Acid, Beta-Sitosterol, Caramel, Squalene, Sodium Benzoate*. *40 percent of Organic ingredients **Natural and Probiotic Preservatives ***Natural Essential Oil-based Fragrance comprised of: Gurjum Balsam, Holywood, Myrrh, Chamomile, Rosemary, Bucchu)

The other sidekick is a Nourishing Artisan Soap mini. Details per Beauty Heroes:

Ayuna’s Nourishing Artisan Soap is an upgrade on the traditional cleansing bar. Crafted with borage, olive, and coconut oil, this luxurious face soap leaves all skin types feeling lavishly softened and purified. Botanical activated carbon cleanses the skin of impurities, excess sebum, and environmental pollutants, giving skin a beautifully deep detoxified appearance. Skin is left feeling clean and soft, with a radiant look.

Ingredients

Sodium Olivate, Sodium Cocoate, Water (Aqua), Glycerin, Parfum (fragrance), Charcoal Powder, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate. *Natural Essential Oil-based Fragrance comprised of: Gurjum Balsam, Frankincense, Myrrh, Chamomile, Rosemary, Bucchu

The soap is cute for pictures and valued at $5. I’m sure it’s a great bar soap but I never use bar soap so I’ll keep it for pictures. The Cream Rich mini is 0.5 oz in size and valued at $55. That stunned me as it’s such a small pot though a full size jar is $198 for 1.6 oz. It’s a hydrating cream without being too heavy. It has a really nice texture. It has a faint floral scent-nothing too overpowering. It hydrates so well with no heavy or greasy feel. It feels really nice on the skin. No breakouts or any adverse reactions noted. I really want to try the Cream Light now. This is one of those creams that ranks up there with La Mer for luxury price. This is a green beauty and luxury brand for sure. This is not going to be for every pocket book.

Check out the Story of AYUNA HERE.

The best beauty routine is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away. We are committed to simplify beauty – to nourishing the skin with precision by providing only the fundamental and basic ingredients needed to achieve maximum performance.
AYUNA · Less is Beauty reduces skincare to the essential. Through a discrete range of formulas – produced with care, attention and intelligence – we offer the skin “more” with “less”.

I love the packaging of AYUNA. It comes in an off white rounded jar with a simple logo and the cardboard outer packaging is nice as well. The Essence Cream-In-Oil-Peel is divine. It has a whipped texture with a light cream scent. Nothing to irritate anyone there. There’s this slight dry or granular feel to the texture of the mask. You apply a thick layer, let it sit for twenty minutes or so than rub off with your hands. So you end up buffing a tab when you rub it off but nothing abrasive by any means. When you buff or rub it off this turns into this creamy, dry, matte texture that pills or rolls off the face. It’s messy so do this over the sink. Splash your face with some water to rinse and all done. You’re left with a glowing, hydrated, soft and renewed complexion. It was really quite good. It leaves behind a slight bit of oils which makes this hydrating as well.

I never would have thought to try this brand or this product without this subscription box as a full size jar is $145 for 2.7 oz. I’m so glad I decided to subscribe to this box and I’ll be extra sad when I use this all up. I think I found a new green luxury brand obsession.

Current Product Obsessions & Favorites

Now that the artificial heat has turned on, with the exception of today, it means time for a switch in skincare and other things. I’ll start with Ormonde Jayne Tolu. I adore this warmer scent by UK niche perfumery Ormonde Jayne–one of my all time favorite brands.Tolu Eau de Parfum is created with pure Peruvian Tolu resin and is laced with golden frankincense and amber. A heady mix of orange blossom and clary sage is consolidated with intense citrus notes, taking the wearer on a sensual Oriental journey. Top: Juniper Berry, Orange Blossom and Clary Sage. Heart: Orchid, Moroccan Rose and Muguet. Base: Tolu, Tonka Bean, Golden Frankincense and Amber. It’s warm unique and unlike any other scent I’ve tried. While it’s similar to amber scents it’s not nearly as sweet as amber which is why I love it. I highly recommend checking it out.

Surratt Surreal Skin Foundation is not new to me. I reviewed it HERE. I tend to reach for it more in the fall-spring months and now that it’s cooler I’m happy to use it again. I find myself using shade 6 now. Originally I thought this shade was too cool for me, but it works best in general. I could use a tad more yellow in it but it’s close enough. I love the great coverage with a satin skin like finish.

I knew Cle De Peau Beaute Radiant Fluid Foundation would be perfect for cooler weather. It has dry oils & this weightless feel combined with enough hydration for fall and winter. I wear shade O30 and review is HERE. I love that it has a buildable light finish.

Perricone MD Hyalo Plasma is this amazing gel hydrator combing multiple forms of hyaluronic acid. It’s amazing to layer in the colder months for a great boost of weightless yet intense hydration. It replaces my hydrating serums in the fall and winter months. I talked about it HERE.

Paula’s Choice killed it when they made the RESIST Omega+ Complex. It’s a super hydrating creamy serum to light lotion. It can be used as a lotion for some skin types. It’s not quite enough for me alone, I need to layer it. It’s perfect for a hydrating winter boost of creamy hydration. More coming.

Votary London Super Seed Facial Oil. This is amazing. I took forever to finally splurge and grab it. It so lush and hydrating yet not heavy. Quickly this became one of my favorite facial oils. More to come.

Tom Ford Lip Color in Devore. I grabbed this on my recent trip to the Houston Galleria mall. I tried it on in the store, took it home and went “what did I do?” thinking this was too deep and brown for me. It’s oddly sheer for the Tom Ford Lip Color formula (usually more pigmented) and more of a pinky brown than brown like it looks in the tube. I quite like it. Don’t be scared of how it looks in the tube. More to come.

I was so in love with OSKIA Renaissance Cleansing Gelfor years. I took a break from it to explore other options for a while. This oil based cleansing balm gel removes all makeup and emulsifies to rinse clean away. It has the best light scent as well. Review HEREand HERE. It’s just amazing.

Becca Light Chaser Highlighters are my favorite from the brand. I adore Opal flashes Jade. Review HERE. It’s this beige that flashes a teal green. Unique and fun.

Votary London Clarifying Cleansing Oil is a lovely lightweight oil cleanser. The cloth flannel it comes with is superb as well. I use this even though I don’t have blemish prone skin. I love the lightweight feel compared to heavier oil cleansers. No real scent either. More to come.

Cuvee Beauty reached out to me and asked if I wanted to try a few things. The brands hair care is based on Champagne and since I love Champagne that was an easy yes. Out of the three items I played with the Champagne Spray is my absolute favorite from the bunch. It’s even earned a spot in my favorite of all time hair texture/sea salt sprays. It gives me perfectly textured hair with no crunchy or sticky heavy feel. My hair feels soft, weightless and perfectly textured and wavy. Love it.

Top to Bottom–Paula’s Choice Omega+ Complex, Perricone Hyalo Plasma, OSKIA Renaissance Cleansing Gel, Surratt Surreal Skin Foundation 6, Cle de Peau Radiant Fluid Foundation O30, Tom Ford Lip Color Devore, Becca Light Chaser Highlighter Opal X Jade:

Holiday Highlighters: Dior, La Mer & Becca

There is always a massive release of highlighters during the holiday season. I grabbed a few of the new ones so I thought I would put them all together for you in a post. I grabbed La Mer The Illuminating Powder, Dior Nude Air Luminizer in Precious Rocks & Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Gradient Glow.

Dior Diorskin Nude Air Luminizer Precious Rocks. Details per Nordstrom:

What it is: A limited-edition reinterpretation of the iconic Diorskin Nude Air Luminizer that features a motif created exclusively for the Precious Rocks collection.

What it does: It is a powder as light as a breeze, featuring a formula highly concentrated with illuminating pigments. Applied in gentle touches, it highlights areas of the face to catch and reflect the light. It comes with a brush and leaves behind a virtually imperceptible texture, revealing glowing skin for a radiantly luminous complexion.

This one is stunning. I just stared at it for a while. The gemstone cut design is quite nice. I didn’t want to use this one and wreck the design. However, I did mess it up eventually. This is a large compact you get 0.35 oz of product for $57. This has the same formula, size, set up (blue velvet pouch and mini kabuki brush) and quilted silver case as the permanent ones. This is just a limited edition shade. The texture is finely milled, light as air. It’s weightless seriously. I reviewed the original formula HERE.

The color is similar to shade 002 but this one is more nude, less pink. It’s a bit darker as well. This Precious Rocks is a pearly, frosty light nude champagne with some hints of peach and pink. You might also call it a light rose gold champagne nude. It has a few hints is very very fine micro glitter in it, which is not present in the original shades. You can barely tell but it is there. I hate micro glitter but this one is fine for me. It’s very frosty and pigmented. Apply this with a light hand and build up. I prefer to use the Wayne Goss Air Brush for this one which always gives me a light application.

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Gradient Glow. Details per Ulta.

Swirl, glow & go! A celebration of highlight, BECCA’s Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter Gradient Glow includes 5 best-selling shades all in one place! Features Bronzed Amber, Moonstone, Opal, Rose Gold and Topaz Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter. Each shade can be used alone or swirled together to create a custom glow for the highlight of your life! Everyone has a favorite feature, shine a light on yours.

Like a spotlight for the skin, Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter lights up your favorite features. Inspired by the dazzling light of the midday sun, this iconic formula is enriched with ultrafine luminescent pearls that absorb, reflect and refract light to amplify your natural radiance. The multi-toned pigment pearls adjust to your skin’s natural undertones. And unlike traditional pressed powders, this one-of-a-kind formula blends pigments with liquids, to create an unparalleled, creamy feel that applies like seamless silk and never cakes.

I love the Becca pressed highlighters. They are a buttery and creamy powder formula, never dry or powdery. I usually only like Opal as all the others are normally too pale, warm or deep for my tastes. I do love their duo chrome ones recently released. Becca Shimmering Skin Perfectors can get very frosty and are heavy duty highlighters. These are not for those who love a light glow. Start light and build up.

The shades are too small to use separately unless you use an eyeshadow brush. Swirled together they are an intense shimmering warm bronzed rose gold. This is not a pale shade so it will be hard for pale skin tones to pull this off. I even found it a bit too deep and warm for my light medium warmer skin tone. Out of the three shades I purchased this was my least favorite. Fabulous formula, just not the right shade for me. I like using the Wayne Goss Air Brush on this one too.

La Mer The Illuminating Powder. Details per Nordstrom:

What it is: A lightweight, shimmering pressed powder.

What it does: It’s infused with illuminating gemstones, brilliant pearls and color-true pigments that provide all complexions with a healthy-looking, luminous glow.

This beauty comes housed in a weighty brown metal compact with a floral design on the front. This compact is so heavy and luxe, very very pretty. This is pricey at $130, it’s not a large compact either you only get 0.28 oz of product. I didn’t expect to love it, but it’s really nice. This is so finely milled and lightweight. Not that drier lightweight powder like Dior but just a nice lightweight powder. It’s not powdery at all.

This has three lightly shimmering shades in the compact–A light pink, light creamy gold & pale peach. The silver splash is overspray and comes off after a few uses. The compact being small makes it hard to use these colors separately, so while I did swatch them separately the swirled combination is what you’re really going to get. Together they are a lightly shimmering light champagne with hints of peach and pink in the tone. It’s just enough pink and peach to keep it from being a standard pale champagne. This just gives me the most amazing completely natural glow. It’ a truly divine formula and the case is quite spectacular. You could use a goat highlighter brush to apply this one to get a deeper pigment or heavier application. You won’t overdo it with this one.

Top to Bottom–Dior Precious Rocks Sheered Out than Heavy, Dior Nude Air 002:

Becca Gradient Glow–Top to Bottom in Palette than Mixed:

La Mer The Illuminating Powder–Colors Separate (Pink, Cream, Peach) than Mixed: