Influenster Summer 2012 Beauty VoxBox

I received the Influenster Summer 2012 Beauty VoxBox for free in exchange for my honest opinion of the products included. You can click on the video below to see my review on YouTube and get a preview of the products I reviewed.

Below is a list of the products I received, a brief description, and whether or not I would purchase again....

Hawaiian Tropics Silky Hydration in SPF 30
$8.99 for 6oz
Comes in SPF 12, 30, or 50
Overall I'm always happy with Hawaiian Tropics products. It's a tie for my favorite sunscreen, the other one I really like I mention in my blog about my skincare routine. It's the only "non-natural" lines of sunscreen that doesn't bother my skin & actually keeps me from burning every time I use it. This is a product I will definitely keep in stock!

Tampax & Always Radiant Collection of pads & tampons
Price varies per box
It came with a pouch to put the products in to take on the go. It's a really good idea if you're going out for the night or just a couple of errands so you don't have to bring a big purse to "hide" all your stuff in. They've redesigned to packaging to try and make it look nicer, but if you pull it out of your purse it still looks like a pad/tampon. Changing up the look of the product doesn't change what it is.

I usually keep some panty liners on hand, but I've started going to more natural lines because they don't have chlorine in them. YES most commercial brands use chlorine in their pads/tampons. Kinda gross. Plus due to the birth control I use, I almost never have my period so I don't keep a lot on hand.

Quaker Soft Baked Bar in Banana Nut Bread
$3.29 per box
It was super yummy! A plus is you can eat it out of the box or heat it up...super cool. I honestly probably wouldn't buy again. It claims to have high protein with vitamins and minerals but upon inspection of the ingredients it also has quite a bit of sugar. Having a son with ADHD I don't normally keep a lot of this kind of food in the house. It tends to feed his negative behaviors so I have to be careful what I feed him.

If you don't have any issues, they are definitely delicious and I would highly recommend but in moderation. Whole food is always better for you than processed!

Sally Hansen Magnetic Nail Polish in Ionic Indigo
$9.99 per bottle
This type of nail polish is super cool & becoming super popular. You an create patterns in your nail polish using the magnet included without having to use a separate nail polish!

Sally Hansen Nail & Cuticle Cream
$5.99 for full size
I LOVE THIS STUFF!! I will definitely buy again. It lasts through at least one hand washing which is great. Don't you hate when you put lotion on & not long after have to wash your hands off only to wash off the lotion?! This products works pretty good at not washing off. Plus I love the fresh citrusy scent!

Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy
Nourishing Shampoo & Conditioner
$4.99- $5.99
This is suppose to treat your scalp first to give you healthier hair. They claim the secret to great looking hair is a healthy scalp. It seems to work like any other shampoo & conditioner. They claim after 7 days you'll have less breakage & healthier hair. I gave it the 7 day challenge & did not notice any remarkable difference in my hair. I also didn't particularly love fragrance, kind of a generic shampoo smell. It is a great value & would probably purchase the trial sizes I've seen at Target ($1.99 each) to take with me on trips so I don't have to pack my regular shampoo & conditioner. My only real gripe that would keep me from being a regular customer is that the shampoo has sulfates in it. I find that no matter the formula, if it has sulfates it dries out my hair more than sulfate free shampoos.

So that's it! If you want, check out the video below to see the actual products I've listed above. Have a great day out there!!

My Cruelty-Free Skin Care Routine

I've recently posted about my dismay with beauty lines still using animal testing. Since starting my research on this matter, I've recently overhauled my skin care routine so I'm only using lines that are cruelty free. So far I've been very happy with the products I've chosen and thought I would share them.

I'd like to note that my skin goes from painfully dry during winter to somewhat dry during summer and I've chosen products according to my skin care needs. My routine is also not as complete as I'd like it. The eye cream I'm using is okay and have not found an anti-aging serum I'm in love with yet. Yes my skin has gotten to the age that anti-aging products need to be part of my regular routine.

With that said I start with Sephora's Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover. This stuff is amazing, it really gets off all my eye makeup without having to wipe and tug at the delicate skin around my eyes.

Next I remove the rest of my makeup with Lierac Paris Demaquillant Purete (Purifying Cleanser). I found this at CVS Pharmacy. It's on the wall with the more expensive lines of skin care. It's $24, but I only use it when I'm wearing makeup and I only use 1 1/2 pumps to take my makeup off. I do want to note that I have not found anything definitive that states this company does or does not engage in animal testing so I'm comfortable using it. This cleanser is suppose to be for more oily skin but since it's sulfate free I find I can use it on my skin and it doesn't dry me out.

To clean my skin, I use Derma E Glycolic Facial Cleanser with Marine Plant Extracts. This is a natural body care line that I also found at CVS Pharmacy. I love this line because it's free of anything that is really bad for your skin. So much crap goes into skin care lines nowadays that doesn't need to be there. Your skin has no use for fillers and preservatives. I love this product because it's so creamy, kinda the consistency of Cetaphil so it's not drying even though it's designed for oily skin. It has gentle exfoliation because of the glycolic acid without being irritating and my skin can be extremely sensitive.

 So my eye cream works well at keeping the skin around my eyes hydrated but I don't feel it has enough anti-aging power to counteract some of the signs of aging that I have going on. However, it is a very nice eye cream for someone who has dry sensitive skin around their eyes. I'm currently using TimeBalm Cranberry Invigorating Eye Cream by TheBalm. It's a rather large container so it's a great bargain for the amount you get. Once I've finished it, if I can last that long, I want to try one from the Sephora line and will do a review on that.

Lastly my moisturizer I use is by a company called ACURE. I found it at Whole Foods and is an organic skin care line. I use the Day Cream for Dry Skin. This isn't the cheapest, at $18.99 for 1oz it does hurt a little but my skin LOVES this stuff. I want to add in the night cream to my routine also.

On a side note, my favorite sun protection comes from Jason Naturals skin care. It's SPF 45 and I never burn using it! Plus the scent is amazing and exactly what sun screen should smell like!! I usually find this at either Whole Foods or Safeway (Vons if your SoCal).

July & Sigma Keeps Getting Better

As if 10% off for the entire month of July isn't fun enough, Sigma just announced it's July free gift with $30 purchase!! You'll receive three samples of eye shadows from their Dare, Bare, and Flare shadow palettes! Just check them out below.....

These hues are absolutely gorgeous and will be so fun to incorporate for summer! Remember to use code AP2012 during the month of July to receive your 10% off. Also remember that in order to receive your free gift with purchase your cart total must be $30 before shipping/tax & 10% off discount.

To start shopping click http://www.sigmabeauty.com/?Click=266519 or the Sigma ad on the sidebar!