Tag Archives: product review

Giveaway: 10 Lucky Readers Will Win Asap Super B Complex!!!

Product Review: ASAP Super B Complex, $89 at SkinStore.com.

For the past few weeks I’ve been using Asap Super B Complex, a hydrating serum containing a high concentration of Niacinamide and other B Vitamins known to boost hydration, give you a more even-toned complexion, reduce redness and even strengthen your skin’s outer protective barrier. It’s great for everyone but ideal if you have dry, sensitive or rosacea prone skin like I do. I’ve been applying one pump of this silky smooth serum twice a day–in the morning on bare, cleansed skin and in the evening with my retinol product (for extra anti-aging benefits). My complexion is softer, smoother and more moisturized with a healthy and radiant glow. You’ll love it!

Get Lucky & Win it!

Asap Skin Products is giving away their Super B Complex to 10 lucky thebeautywall.com readers. Don’t miss out!

To enter:

  1. You must be a subscriber to this blog, thebeautywall.com to win. If you’re not already one, simply enter your e-mail address on the home page and click the aqua subscribe button.
  2. Leave a comment for this story with your name and e-mail address so I can contact you for details if you win. ***Earn an additional entry by forwarding this post to a friend or sharing it on your facebook wall. Let me know you’ve done that in your comment.
  3. Ten (10) winners will be randomly selected by end of day Sunday, 8/11/13 and notified via e-mail.

GOOD LUCK! xoxoNancy

 

 

Eye Cream Extraordinaire

Product Review: Replere by Dr. Debbie Palmer Renew & Firm Eye Serum, $98 at www.replere.com.

The good thing about being a beauty writer is I get to test a lot of products. Unfortunately, that’s also the bad thing about being a beauty writer because when I love a product I’m not so eager to move on in my search for the next great thing. That’s what happened to me with Replere by Dr. Debbie Palmer Renew & Firm Eye Serum.

A few weeks ago Replere’s publicist asked me to give Renew & Firm a try. I’ve been using it religiously for over a month now and it totally exceeded my expectations! My dark circles have really faded and  my under eye area actually appears tighter and brighter. I’m not so quick to put on my under-eye concealer in the morning.

Dr. Debbie Palmer’s entire skincare line is antioxidant focused and free of parabens (chemical preservatives), fragrances and dyes, making it ideal for sensitive skin. Renew & Firm contains hyaluronic acid and olive oil to hydrate plus super-powerful antioxidants including vitamins A, C & E, the berry of the coffee plant, green tea, goji and acai berries and grapeseed and works best when layered under a hydrating eye cream. The $98 cost might seem high but a little goes a long way–it lasts you 3 months.

(photography courtesy of Chadwick)

The Bar Scene

Product Review: Lather Vanilla Bean & Shea Soap, $8, available at lather.com.

My name is Nancy and I’m an addict…addicted to soap that is. I’ve yet to meet a bar that didn’t make me want to put it right up to my nose and sniff it. Or immediately rush home, rip off my clothes and step into the shower with it. Over the years, I’m sure I’ve had well over a thousand bars of soap in my stash, some used to freshen drawers and closets, some used as party favors, and of course the majority used to shower and bathe. I just can’t help myself and really, do I need to?

Lately I’d been eyeing one sitting near the top of the pile. Lather Vanilla Bean & Shea Soap is said to work well for all skin types, but is ideal for normal to dry skin thanks to an olive oil base with added shea butter to soothe and soften.  It also contains organic vanilla bean powder to gently exfoliate skin as well as vanilla and lemon essential oils for a warm, happy scent.

Lather Vanilla Bean & Shea Soap  is even better than I expected! After wetting it under the warm spray, it lathered nicely and smelled delicious, but what really got my attention was the vanilla bean powder which you could actually feel–it was grainy to the touch. I rubbed it all over my body, being gentle on the more sensitive areas and using a more vigorous approach on others.

This soap smells amazing and my skin feels fresh, clean, soft, smooth and moisturized. I highly recommend it! Treat yourself, help the world! For every olive oil soap sold, LATHER with donate the equivalent of five bars of soap to Clean The World, a non-profit organization that recycles and distributes soap around the world to people in need.

 

 

Something to Blush About…

Product Review: Smashbox Halo Long Wear Blush in In Bloom, $24 at www.sephora.com.

I love that extra boost of energy I feel after a good workout. It gets my blood pumping and brings a healthy-looking glow to my complexion that lasts for hours!

Thanks to a little blush, that glow is easy to mimic. The perfect shade for you is the color your cheeks naturally turn when you’re blushing or exercising. To do, smile and apply blush to the apples with a fluffy brush if it’s powder or dotted on if it’s cream or gel. Gently blend up into the hairline and down and out for instant and natural-looking radiance!

I tried Smashbox Halo Long Wear Blush and was more than pleasantly surprised. In Bloom is a pink shade that adds just the right amount of color to my skin. It actually looks a lot brighter in the packaging but is absolutely perfect when applied. With its cool, built-in grinder a little twist gives you freshly ground, mess-free color–the perfect amount every time.

(photo courtesy of Orange County Bride Magazine)

Sephora Artist Color Box

Quality and quantity coexist in this latest collection from Sephora: 24 waterproof eye shadows, 6 lipglosses, 5 eye pencils, in colors you’ll actually want to wear and all for only $34 ($145 value).

Sephora Collection Artist Color Box Makeup Palette, $34, available at www.sephora.com.

The Best Body Scrub!

My best body scrub experience ever was at Grand Lido Sans Souci Hotel in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. I was led down a winding, flower-filled path to a private cabana on the cliffs where an expert therapist was waiting. It was sense overload in the best way possible. I could hear the sound of the ocean below, smell the tropical blooms and feel the gentle breeze on my skin…all while being massaged and scrubbed from head to toe. Perfection!

Since a flight to Jamaica isn’t on my schedule anytime soon, it looks like I’ll have to do the dirty work myself. After being covered up for most of fall and winter I have extra dry elbows, knees, heels and even my shins look like they could use a good scrubbing. Obviously, I haven’t been exfoliating as religiously as I should be (2-3 times per week is recommended) and I’ve paid the price. But, softer, more radiant skin is just a scrub away. Here, some of my favorite picks:

  1. My absolute favorite is Lamas Botanicals Pumpkin Spice Polish, $17.99. I discovered it over 10 years ago and never plan on switching. I keep it in the shower and use it on my face but it’s great on the body, too.There’s just something so special about the delicious scent and the texture of the grainy buffing beads.
  2. Origins Incredible Spreadable Smoothing Ginger Body Scrub, $28, has an irresistible ginger fragrance that lingers.
  3. Bliss Lemon+Sage Body Scrub, $36, is a spa-strength scrub that smoothes even the roughest elbows and knees.

*Always follow with a rich body cream.

Something to Hide…

I need to give a shout-out to my favorite beauty product of all time! Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage can’t be beat–it completely covers dark circles, blemishes, neutralizes redness and lasts all day. Two shades per compact lets you customize your color for a perfect match every time.

Even when I’m having a “makeup-free” day, I use this to even out my skin-tone–a little under the eyes (always layered on top of eye cream) and around the nose area (where I’m prone to a bit of redness) and I can face the day. When wearing foundation, apply the concealer afterwards to see where you really need it. A little goes a long way and one compact will last you a very long time. Mine lasts 6 – 9 months and I wear it every day!

Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage, $30 at www.lauramericer.com.

Lemon Love!

Product Review: Korres Basil Lemon Showergel and Body Butter

I’ve always had a thing for lemons! It might have started when I was little and given the big responsibility of being allowed to dust with lemon fresh Pledge. As a tween, when my friends were all over Love’s Baby Soft I was taken with Love’s Fresh Lemon fragrance, which morphed into Annick Goutal’s Eau de Hadrien as I got older. But, without a doubt, my lemon-love was cemented on my honeymoon when my husband and I traveled throughout Italy. While on the island of Capri we discovered Ristorante Paolino (www.paolinocapri.com) where we got drunk on limoncello and dined under a thick canopy of lemon trees, the air filled with their citrusy scent. Pure magic!

Fast forward to this week when I received a package of products to review. Inside was Korres Shower Gel in Basil Lemon along with its’ complementary Basil Lemon Body Butter. Chances were high that the scent alone would have me at hello, but these products proved to be so much more than that! Both the shower gel and the body butter contain healing aloe vera, protective shea butter and anti-inflammatory quince extract, along with other natural ingredients.

In the shower I was enveloped in a fresh, lemony scent and my skin felt silky soft after toweling off. It was hydrated enough that I didn’t need to use a body cream afterwards but because I love the light, fresh scent so much I did use the butter on my extra-dry areas, knees, elbows, heels and hands.

True, it’s not Italy…but if I close my eyes and breathe deeply, it could be!

Korres Basil Lemon Showergel, $19.50

Korres Basil Lemon Body Butter, $29.00

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