Skin Care Goodies- From Acne to Wrinkles!

As I've talked about many times before, I'm a Sephora addict. I went in the other day to get an express make-over on my eyes, and I came out with a gorgeous new eye pallet by Urban Decay (called Naked... the best colors ever, and it comes with eye liner and lid primer), and some other goodies!

I got talking with the girl, and I mentioned how I wanted to find a product that gave the same results as a chemical peel, but that I could do at home. I normally get chem peels about 4 times/year and I've always loved them, but they get expensive and it's so hard to get an appointment (my doctor is booked until the end of September)! She recommended this "Peeling Groovy Facial Serum" by Bliss. It's $65 for this little bottle ( I know, that's a lot)... but, the product supposedly evens out your overall skin tone, minimizes pores, and clears up skin, all while you wear it overnight and underneath your normal moisturizer. I've only used it one night, but I can't wait to keep using it and let everyone know of the results! The product reviews on sephora.com are all AMAZING. There are a few negative reviews stating that the product hurt when applied. It sure didn't hurt my skin, and helllloo, pain is beauty ;)

"I NEVER EVER thought my skin could look this good. Just finished my first bottle, moving onto my next :)"

This other product that she recommended, but that I did not buy yet, is this microdermabrasion exfoliate from Dr. Brandt. I felt it in the store, and the crystals are so fine and it feels like a great quality product. I used to get microdermabrasion in the doctors office, and for $75 you can get this small jar of it to use 1-2 times a week that is supposed to last 6 months! Although it's expensive, the benefits and the ease seem worth the money. Again, the reviews on sephora are amazing.

'Hands down.. the absolute best product on the market. Fine grained granules gently clean & don't irritate. Excellent!'

'After used Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion exfoliating cream skin becomes lively, it has natural color breathing again. Nice massaging removes all dirt, stains and pimples from skin ... the best product I've ever used'

So hopefully I've found some truly wonderful products. I'm really excited about the peeling groovy, and I'm hoping to get the Dr. Brandt product soon! I will let everyone know when I do and how it all works.

P.S. I'm a week and a half into using my Nivea "goodbye cellulite" lotion. So far I haven't noticed anything dramatic, but the results are supposed to take at least 2 weeks with full results in 4, so I will keep everyone in the know!

Julie
Madison,WI

"Beauty Must Haves"

Hi Friends! In the past, bloggers have told about their must have beauty products. I am a total beauty junkie. If I could live in Sephora. . . I would. I'm proudly/regretfully a "V.I.B" (very important beauty insider) at Sephora, spending way more than I should each month both online and in the store.

Enough about my Sephora obsession. I want to share my most recent favorite product (it changes weekly!). Right now, it 's definitely Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer. According to sephora.com, "For those of us who are lucky enough to get away with minimal coverage, this sheer, tinted moisturizer leaves you with a fresh, dewy, no-makeup look. What's more, it protects from the damaging rays of the sun with SPF 20." As I do totally agree with the amazing benefits that this moisturizer has, I do have to say that I would recommend it to those who need more than minimal coverage as well. I'm a religious foundation and cover up user, but I do still feel "covered" when I have this moisturizer on. It is NOT a cover up- you will still see flaws if there are flaws to be seen- but of all the tinted moisturizers I've used, this is the most covering yet natural and light feeling.

To sum it up, I'd wear this product with a few sweeps of bronzer (another obsession, Nars bronzing powder in Laguna) to go to the grocery store, mall, out for the day, etc but I wouldn't wear it when I'm going out at night (I'd opt for something heavier.) So it's great for daytime wear or nighttime wear for those who don't need a lot of coverage! AND it's truly moisturizing! I'd recommend going into the store to find your color moisturizer. The colors are extremely bendable and they have great undertones (no yellow or red).

I'd love to hear others favorite beauty products! I read the Sephora ratings and reviews daily... so I'm happy to hear what you friends love and/or hate!

Charlotte
Chicago, IL

My New Sephora Obsession!!!

OK I admit, I'm a Sephora junkie. I have something for everything, and I have to try all their new products. Sephora made this huge deal over this revolutionary No Frizz line. I just assumed it was good advertising, but picked up the travel size during my weekly visit to the store. I went up to the cashier and asked her if they still had the sample available online, and she said she'd make me up a sample in the store so I could try it before I buy it. I swear, the service at Sephora is so incredible! They know their products are so great that once you try it, you can't live without it!

I used my sample today after I showered (you apply the cream to towel dried hair.) Right away I noticed less frizz... I thought I was just seeing what I wanted to see. After I blow dried by hair, my roommate heard cheers from the bathroom. She's tempted to buy ear plugs now, because I have been RAVING about this product since I blow dried my hair an hour ago!! It's FANTASTIC! I have used SO many different de-frizz products from different brands (Redken, Jonathan, Tigi, Fekkai, Ojon, omg the list goes on and on and on!!), but I have officialy found "it." I'm obsessed! My hair is much less frizzy, and it looks and feels so healthy. I'm not the only one obsessed... there are 647 (and counting) reviews on the website, with about 640 of them raving like I am!

Please do yourself the favor and go into your local Sephora store to try a sample! Check out the website to make sure you get the right product for your hair type (there are some for medium/thick strands, some for coarse hair, etc).

-Julie