Make Up For Ever HD Blush No 8

Pros:

• Its a very buildable colour
• Decent staying power upto 8 hours
• its a nice shade of nude rosy pink.
• A little goes a long way.
• Good value at $26

Cons:

• Have to be quick in blending else you might end up looking like a clown.
• it made my skin look dull and uneven.

Tips:
I bought it at Sephora and the lovely lady there said that the best way to apply it is to mix it with your foundation and use a foundation brush to blend it. It was a great tip for applying it.

I wanted to love this blush but it just wasn't right for my skin. This went back.

Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge

Pros:

• Creamiest blush I have used.
• Its gorgeous colour for olive skin
• It gives a very beautiful natural dewy glow
• its multipurpose can you be used both on lips and cheeks
• Great colour for the summer, looks very natural
• Great value for money at $25/26

Cons:

• It doesn't have very good staying power, last upto 5 hours
• Its not so moisturizing on lips, they feel a bit dry after.

Shoe Obsession part 2

 

Love these Cole Haan flats, they are so comfy and I love the way the fit. Can wear them all day long. Got these at the Cole Haan outlet in Jersey Garden Mall for a bargain price of $56. They also come in red, but they didn't have them in my size. And Black is always the new black so can't go wrong with that.

My new shoe obsession

I know I don't normally write about stuff other than make-up and skincare, I decided to add some spice write about these shoes. Aren't they just gorgeous! The are comfy and even though I am not one who can wear high heels much (born with flat feet) and am very wobbly in high heels this seem to be comfy. ¾" platform, 3¼" cork heel, still fairly high by standards, I am more a kitten heel person (no more then an inch and a half). But I just couldn't help but buy them, I first got them in white and decided to return them as I felt I won't get much wear out of it coz of the heel. But then I saw them in this nude shade and I couldn't help but fall in love. I dont wear them often I have them at work under my desk and wear them on days I wear trainers to work.

I love the fact that instead of an elastic at the back which with time become too lose and you can't wear the shoes these have adjustable straps making them longer lasting.

I have received so many compliments for these shoes and for a price of $49.50 at DSW they were a bargin. Love them!

They are called Nine West Karoo Platform Sandal.

Sunscreen Search

Trying to find a good sunscreen is no easy task. Its like finding a needle in the haystack, as there are hundreds of them out there. Most of last year I used Kiehl's Vital Sun Protection Lotion SPF 40. Though good, it causes our eyes to burn and water. So I was on the market for a better sunscreen that doesn't make us cry, gives us good coverage and is safe.

There's been all this talk about how ingredients in sunscreen are not safe, we should avoid using certain chemicals that cause this that and the other. I just wanted to find something that I can put on my kid without worrying about the ingredients and its side effects.

So this year, before the summer kicks in I did some research about sunscreens and what is good/safe and what's not so much. So this is what i found.

Safe ingridents:
Non nano Zinc Oxide
Non nano Titanium Dioxide


Unsafe chemical ingridents:
Retinyl Palmitate - converts readily to retinoids, associated with a risk of birth defects in people
Oxybenzone - interfere with hormones in the body.
nanoscale zinc and titanium oxides have been linked to potential reproductive and developmental effects

Tips when picking up a sunscreen:

• SPF 15-30 is good. More SPF doesn't necessarily mean better coverage. Studies show that sunscreen with SPF 15 can block about 93% of all incoming UVB rays. SPF 30 blocks 97%. SPF 50 blocks 98%.
• Make sure labels list UVA and UVB (or broad/wide spectrum protection);
• Slather it on  and re-apply it every couple of hours, as the ingredients breakdown with exposure to sun, water, sweat. So re-appling is the key and do so generously.

Good Sunscreens:

• Badger Sunscreen
• California Baby

Both of these use either zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. Badger is deemed to be one of the safer ones by the consumer report and is one of the few sunscreen's approved by the FDA. And it has the non-nano type and is very reasonably priced. That is my sunscreen of choice and that is what I am going to use this year to keep the family sun safe. There many other sunscreens out there which are just as safe, just make sure to check the ingredients.

Smith's Minted Rose Lip Balm

Totally love this lip balm, it is that good.

I bought it at the beginning of winters and i have hardly made a dent in the tin.

Pros:

• Smells delicious
• Has a nice rosy colour.
• Give a lovely shine and keeps your lips hydrated.
• Comes in a beautiful tin
• Its fairly long lasting
• Not waxy
• Multipurpose

Cons:

• Cant think of any.

Tips:
Use on dry hands/elbows/knees. Relives dryness with a couple of uses .

Home made Vitamin C serum

I have really been slacking, but its been a busy few months. Can't believe it March 2013 and my little angel is going to be 2 end of the month.

There is something I had to share. I have been using this for the past 3-4 months and there is a noticeable difference in my skin since I started using this serum.

1/4 teaspoon of l ascorbic acid.

 1 teaspoon of rose water

3/4 teaspoon glycerine


1/4 Vitamin E oil


1 Amber glass bottle to store in


Take a clean container add 1/4 teaspoon l ascorbic acid to 1 teaspoon rose water, mix it well. You'll need to leave it around for 45min to an hour, and when you come back it should have dissovled.

To this add 3/4 teaspoon glycerine and 1/4 teaspoon Vitamin E oil. Again mix well, they all are very different type of consistency/density so they dont mix that easily. The Vitmain E oil will always seem to be floating on top. Just let it be, be sure to mix the bottle you store the serum in before you apply.

Apply 2-3 drops of serum once or twice a day. This supply will last you 10 days to two weeks.

Store it in your refrigerator if possible (prevents it from oxidizing too quickly)
if the solution changes colour discard (as that means the vitamin c is oxidized and will not be beneficial to you. )
Try this amount of Vitamin C on your skin, if it irritates your skin reduce the amound of l ascorbic acid that you use. This formula gets it to about 10% in the serum.
If don't wish to use Vitamin E oil just use 1 full teaspoon of glycerine and the consistency of the serum will seem a lot better.

The total investment is between $35 but it is enough ingrident to make you a serum for the rest of the year. I have been making this for the last 3-4 months and I am no where near making a dent in the supplies.

Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do.