Thayers Rose Petal Witch Hazel Toner- 10/10

Many people are uninformed about the importance of a good toner or what a toner is at all.  Before I get into the specifics of my favorite toner, let me explain how a toner is beneficial.  Amongst the many things our skin needs,  hydration is key.  You may be thinking 'well, I use a good moisturizer, doesn't that hydrate?'.  The answer is not by itself.  Hydrating the skin consists of adding water to the skin, whereas moisturizing adds oil to the skin to create a barrier to hold in hydration.  Toning and moisturizing go hand in hand in keeping skin youthful and vibrant although toning oftentimes gets overlooked. Obviously drinking your 8 glasses of water per day is always optimal, but it doesn't necessarily target the face like a toner will. 

I have tried various toners, but my absolute favorite would be Thayers Rose Petal Witch Hazel Toner. This product is not to be confused with Thayers regular Witch Hazel, as regular Witch Hazel contains alcohol which is very drying to the skin.  Witch Hazel has been used in skincare practice for many years but more or less as an astringent. 

Thayers Rose Petal Witch Hazel Toner is not only alcohol free, but it contains Vitamin E to assist with moisturizing the skin.  This toner also contains rose petal water which has anti- inflammatory properties, thus reducing redness, and has been known to assist in cleansing pores, ultimately aiding in the prevention of acne.  Not to mention, the scent of rose is super calming so I often tone just before bed. All in all, those toner is a great, inexpensive, all natural and a simple yet effective means of keeping your skin beautifully hydrated!

Ingredients:  Purified Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice (Certified Organic Filet of Aloe Vera), Glycerin (Vegetable), Fragrance (Natural Rose), Hamamelis Virginiana (Thayers Proprietary un-distilled Witch Hazel) Extract, Rosa Centifolia (Rose) Flower Water, Citric Acid, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Extract, Tocopheryl (Vitamin E) Acetate

Purchase from Drugstore.com

Purchase from Amazon

Purchase from GNC

Purchase from Puritan's Pride

Sweets for Feet- 10/10

I received a beautifully packaged sample kit of Sweets for Feet a few weeks ago and I am absolutely hooked.  The invigorating lotions arrived in a cute pink box with ribbons and mesh.  As I opened the first container, I was instantly in love with the scent and was in awe when opening each one.

Sweets for Feet has 4 different scents to choose from including Baklava, Ginger Spice Cookie, Lemonade Cake and my personal favorite Buttercream Dream.  The creams are white and light, eliminating any sort of greasy feel.  Though these organic creams can be used as a body lotion, I preferred  to apply them to my feet at night and sleep in socks.  Within minutes, I could almost feel the tingling of the lotion penetrating my dry skin.  The wonderful scent enveloped me as I drifted off to sleep.  I was impressed upon waking up the next morning to actually be able to tell a difference in the smoothness of my feet. I love that these products contain simple yet effective ingredients mostly consisting of aloe and she butter, my favorites.  I plan to continue using these creams for my feet several times per week to keep my feet nice and smooth!

http://www.sweetsforfeet.com/store/

Hard Candy Mouthing Off Sheer Lip Shine in "Scoop"- 8/10

 I am so in love with this lip gloss!  Ever since my dog Jake ate my newly purchased Lip glass from MAC, I have been on the search for something similar yet affordable in the event Jake gets into my glosses again.  After wandering around the makeup section in Wal-mart, I gladly stopped at the glitzy Hard Candy display and came across my new lip gloss crush.  As I walked to my car, I excitedly unraveled the plastic wrapping on the gloss and unscrewed the lid as the luxurious scent of vanilla cupcakes now surrounded me.  I'm sure other shoppers were confused by my state of bliss in the parking lot but I was unconcerned as I swiped the creamy substance on my lips.  I gazed in my review mirror (and every other mirror in my path in the next few hours) in awe.

This gloss not only looks exactly like the gloss I had recently purchased for much more at MAC, but it tasted and smelled better too!  Typically, the gloss wears for 3-4 hours without food or drink but towards the end begins to gather in the lipline, hence contributing to the 8 instead of a 10.  One other drawback to the gloss in the unimpressive list of ingredients.  Anyone who knows me knows that I avoid products containing mineral oil as much as possible as it has drying effects but I have managed to overlook this flaw for this gloss.  I still continue to use my Vitamin E once or twice a week for sincere moisture but do not find this gloss to be overly drying.  Hard Candy has around 15 colors to choose from in the Mouthing Off Sheer Lip Shine line, but I'm convinced that the "Scoop" flavor is the best.  This gloss looks great as a contrast to a smokey eye but as you can see in my low quality quick picture of myself below, it doesn't look half bad with a clean face look.   

Hard Candy is not sold at many locations.  Please see online options below, otherwise visit your local Wal-Mart.  

Purchase from Amazon

Purchase from Walmart- Please note that this website calls the color "Creamy Beige"

Alba Papaya Enzme Facial Mask 9/10

Aqueous Extracts of Laminaria Digitata (Kelp) and Carica Papaya (Papaya), Aloe Vera (Aloe Barbadensis) Leaf Juice, Vegetable Glycerin, Papain, Bromelian, Cucurbita Pepo (Pumpkin) Seed (Pumpkin), Zingiber Zerumbet (Awapuhi Ginger) (Awaphui), Vanilla (Vanilla Planifolia), Ananas Sativus (Pineapple) Fruit Extract (Pineapple), Panthenol (Pro-Vitamin B5), Polysorbate 20, Xanthan Gum, Benzyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexl Glycerin, Chlorophyll, Botanical Fragrance

I'm a big believer that if something can be accomplished naturally, then that is the route I'm going to take.  With all of the harsh chemicals marketed for use in skincare these days, it is refreshing to find a predominately natural product that is also affordable.  The Alba Papaya Enzyme Facial Mask has been a wonderful addition to my skincare routine.  Having sensitive skin, I have to be very cautious about the products I apply, how often I apply them, for what length of time, and how vigorous of a product it is. A few months ago, probably due to stress and lack of time to go and get a proper facial, I noticed my skin was becoming extremely congested (Congested meaning, my pores were noticeably clogged) despite my routine exfoliating so I decided to try using an enzyme mask and came across this one.

Upon reviewing the ingredient list,  I was stoked to see that Kelp and Papaya were the first two!  You may or may not know that the order in which ingredients are listed determines what the product contains most of.  Meaning, if papaya and kelp were the last ingredients listed, the product would only contain trace amounts of these.  Obviously, the product is kelp and papaya based- both excellent in skincare!  Kelp contains roughly 20 minerals that are beneficial to the human body when consumed or absorbed through the skin, aiding in circulation and nourishment of the skin.  The naturally occurring enzymes found in papaya create a mild yet effective form of exfoliation for the skin.  Enzymes are able to seep down deeper into the pores than a scrub exfoliant but aren't as harsh as using a chemical peel making it ideal for all skin types.  Those with acneic or oily skin types will especially benefit from this product but it is gentle enough for those like me with sensitive skin.  The directions say to leave on for 5 minutes and remove but I tend to leave it on longer as it is so lightweight that I become side tracked and forget I have it on.  I wouldn't say that there is any real benefit to leaving it on longer but it doesn't hurt either.  I generally use this mask once a week and still use my regular means of exfoliation as well.

Because the Alba Papaya mask is composed of primarily natural ingredients, it is best to apply with a clean spatula to avoid contamination.  Unfortunately the mask does not come with a spatula but anything clean you can find to scoop it out of the container will work.  As shown in the below picture, the mask is a green gel consistency and you will find that it has a pleasant odor as well.

I rated this mask a 9 instead of a 10, solely because it does not come with a sanitary means of removing it from the container but otherwise I am in love with this product and would highly recommend it to everyone who wants a natural and gentle means of keeping pores clean and keeping skin looking fresh.

Search Amazon

Purchase from Vitacost

Purchase directly from Alba

Precleanse by Dermalogica- 10/10

Your cleanser is nothing without Dermalogica's Precleanse.  Dermalogica  designed Precleanse as part of the double cleanse system to dissolve oil and debris before you apply your normal cleanser.  Because oil attracts oil, it is to be applied to clean dry hands and then massaged onto the face and neck.  Now that the dirt is loosened, a small amount of water should me added and massaged to create a milky texture before rinsing off with water.  At this point, your skin is primed for your cleanser to get rid of any residual debris, making  your face completely clean.  Clean skin is more responsive to vitamins, toners and moisturizers that are applied versus when applied to skin with leftover makeup and sunscreens.  Basically, this means that your after cleanser products aren't penetrating as they would if your skin is or was truly clean.  I've just started using it recently and am in love with the feeling of my new found clean face.   Precleanse results in amazingly clean skin and I will never go another day without it. 

Search Amazon.com for precleanse

Buy precleanse from the Dermalstore

Buy precleanse directly from Dermalogica

Eye Kandy Cosmetics- 10/10

I recently came across this line at the Premiere Beauty Show in Orlando and instantly fell in love!  Since I am always openly honest, I must tell you that Eye Kandy is not for everyone.  It is designed for those who have a love for glitter and glam although they do have colors that aren't quite as loud and have minimal shine!  The difference between these eye glitters and others is the specially formulated sugar water that keeps the glitter in place.  There's no more of that "glitter on your cheeks" look- the glitter stays where applied.  The kit comes with a miniature brush, your choice of colors and the amazing sugar water with a price dependent upon the amount of colors selected, though extremely affordable.  I find that these are best applied over a light similarly color eyeshadow and eyeliner.  Simply drop a few drops of the sugar water into the container's lid, wet the brush, dip in your choice of color and smooth across eyelid.  For a dramatic look, it will take a couple of wipes over each eyelid. Let dry before moving on to the next eye to avoid any clumping in the creases. Choose from numerous impeccable colors and get ready for all of the compliments on those gorgeous peepers of yours!   You can thank me later!  ;)

http://www.eyekandycosmetics.com/

 

http://www.blingmenow.com/products/Eye%20Kandy.htm 

 

E.L.F. Mineral Eyeshadows- 9/10

 At about $3.00 a color, this is an absolutely dreamy line of shadows!  The consistency is similar to that of Bare Minerals and the colors are just as bright.  The only slight difference would be that the application seems a bit messier than Bare Minerals, but again, for $3, who can complain?  Once the color is applied, it is long lasting.  Living in Florida, it is hot and humid but my eyes never cease to sparkle when wearing these shadows.

I prefer the shimmery colors solely based on my personality but they have lovely matte mineral shadows as well.  They are best applied with an eyeshadow brush and the company has no shortage of those available.  All E.L.F. products are economically priced and really do provide more bang for your buck!  E.L.F. stands for "Eyes Lips Face" for all of you still pondering over the acronym.  I have included a picture of the brush container I purchased, along with the brush cleaner (that I have not opened as you can see- lazy me!).  They offer every color imaginable; there are so many in fact, that I can't seem to choose a favorite.  Perhaps you can be the judge of that when you purchase your own!  :)



http://www.eyeslipsface.com/minerals/eyes/eyeshadow