Fresh – The Beautorialist

WANT A RADIANT COMPLEXION? THINK LEMONS

July 27, 2016 by The Beautorialist, posted in Skincare, Uncategorized

I remember one of my childhood friends used to spray a ton of lemon juice and water in her hair to get those natural looking sun-kissed highlights. If you have ever done that then you most likely know that if you spray a mixture of lemon juice in your hair, it will become lighter and brighter. The same is fortunately true when you apply lemon juice to your skin; fresh lemon juice, not the concentrate from the bottle. Lemons act as a natural exfoliant, thanks to the concentrated amounts of citric acid; while Vitamin C works to brighten. Lemon juice will lighten dark spots and freckles and reduce oiliness. The anti-fungal properties in lemons will also treat acne. You also get the added benefits of calcium and magnesium. It truly is a super fruit!

A lemon enzyme facial or a fruit acid peel are some of my favorite ways to get my skin glowing. Lemon infused facial treatments can be easily overdone, however. The trick is to use it in an occasional treatment and not as part of your everyday routine. Lemon juice is harsh. If it will strip away the enamel from your teeth, it will strip away more layers of your skin than you actually need it to. You must also never expose skin to direct sunlight if you have any sort of concentrated lemon product on your face. It will cause your skin to become sensitive or could cause a phototoxic reaction, which is true for any type of acid used in facial products. Everything in moderation is my motto!

So what type of product should you use? I have found that you will get the best balance of effective yet gentle, with a mask or peel. Then you can control the amount of time you have the product on your face. If you have sensitive skin, start out slow and then work your way up to more frequent use.

Here are my top picks for the best lemon based facial products!

Fresh Vitamin Nectar Vibrancy Boosting Face Mask $62

I love this new facial from Fresh! It works so effectively and is one of my new favorite go to facials. It is 50% concentrated crushed fruit! You can see the bits of lemon. That is a ton of natural fruit AHA! My skin just looks glowing after. The recommended usage for this product is leaving on for 10 minutes, but I would start out with 5 and see how your skin reacts. I am used to regular exfoliation treatments, so for me it is a perfect pick me up. It smells fruity too.

Ole Henriksen Lemon Strip Flash Peel $48

This is great for those of you with sensitive skin. It is a combo of glycolic, lactic, and lemon citric acid; but also contains licorice extract, which will work to soothe any skin irritation.

Neogen Dermalogy Bio_peel Gauze Peeling Lemon $27

These little pads pack a punch; they are double-sided and work amazingly! One side of the pad applies the product, and the other sloughs the dead skin cells away. This product contains lemon and several other fruit acids along with other chemical exfoliators. These are great if you are just trying fruit acids for the first time; you get a months worth of product for under $30. I love how fresh and fruity they smell too. I like that these travel well. The pads are soaked with solution, so if you wanted to take a few in a separate container you could. Then you wouldn’t have to worry about wasting product or taking the entire jar with you.

EmerginC Vitamin C+Retinol Mask $50

I have been using this product for years and it has yet to let me down. This is a sort of clay based mask. Aside from the lemon extracts, fruit acids, and retinol, there are some great antioxidants in this formula including green tea extract. This mask works so well to brighten and retexturize at the same time. It is quite powerful, so those with sensitive skin, I caution again to start out slow. I love this mask in the Winter too as it helps to combat flaky skin.

If you haven’t tried a lemon facial product before, you can’t go wrong with any of these. My face adores them! Just a fair warning: All of that lemony scented product may cause you to develop an unhealthy lemon meringue pie fetish!

BRAND SPOTLIGHT: HERBIVORE SKINCARE

November 3, 2015November 3, 2015 by The Beautorialist, posted in Skincare

If you are anything like me, then you cannot resist trying most of the latest products that hit the shelves. I say “most of” because for the past six years or so, I have become very particular about what I put on my face, hair, and body etc. I will not buy something just because it is the latest obsession according to beauty gurus everywhere. The product had better work and the ingredient list must be stellar. After all, some of those products are very pricey, and some not worth the hefty price tag.

Browsing through Sephora, I came across Hebivore’s line of skincare. This brand does not do animal testing, which is also a requirement of the products I buy. Their ingredients are natural with no artificial colours, fragrances, or preservatives. Pretty ideal!

: Herbivore Lapis Oil Balancing Facial Oil $72

This is supposed to be ideal for those who have combination skin. This oil is formulated with Blue Tansy! If you love Sunday Riley Luna Oil, which I have been a faithful user for the past 9 months, then you know all about Blue Tansy and its calming and anti-aging benefits.

: Herbivore Phoenix Cell Regenerating Facial Oil $88

Rosehip seed oil is so good for your skin, and is the main oil in this product. This does contain jojoba oil, which is technically a wax, so it is going to be a heavier oil. Those with skin that tends to breakout may want to skip this one. It would be great for Winter though.

: Herbivore Orchid Youth Preserving Facial Oil $64

Orchid extracts are becoming very popular in skincare lately. I have yet to try an Orchid based product, but the ones I have seen have gotten some pretty good reviews.

: Herbivore Coco Rose Coconut Oil Lip Conditioner $22

This is one of those dreamy edible lip butters. Anything coconut oil is always luscious!

: Herbivore Coco Rose Coconut Oil Lip Polish $18

Of course you need the lip polish to go with the lip balm. It will be hard for me to cheat on my Fresh Sugar Lip Polish, but I might have to just this once.

: Herbivore Coco Rose Coconut Oil Body Polish $38

They had to make one for your entire body! I could see becoming quickly addicted to this stuff. The grains have a finer texture than most scrubs, which means it works better.

: Rose Hibiscus Coconut Water Hydrating Facial Mist $32

Coconut water is so beneficial for your body with its naturally occurring electrolytes, so it is going to do the same thing for your skin. The additional rose extracts give you some anti-oxidant power.

: Herbivore Pink Clay Gentle Cleanse Clay Soap Bar $12

This is the only cleanser in their skincare lineup, but it will be a good one for all skin types. Not too drying, with gentle moisturizers.

: Herbivore Pink Clay Hyaluronic Acid Mega Moisture Cream Mask $48

This moisture mask is the real deal. Some great plant oils and plenty of hyaluronic acid. I would honestly use it as a sleeping facial instead of just a mask.

: Herbivore Blue Tansy AHA BHA Resurfacing Clarity Mask $48

This mask is going to provide some pretty potent chemical exfoliation, but with a more gentle delivery thanks to the soothing Blue Tansy.

: Herbivore Brighten Pineapple Enzyme Gemstone Instant Glow Mask $48

I love a good fruit enzyme based mask. They really do brighten with the natural fruit acids, and their exfoliating properties are surprisingly effective. I love the Peter Thomas Roth Firm-X, and this mask would be along the same lines as that.

: Herbivore Jasmine Glowing Hydration Body Oil $44

The brand has put out two body oils and I am so excited to try them! My product closet mostly consists of all things oil these days. Jasmine oil is so soothing! There are also a ton of other moisturizing oils in here to make you glowing soft skin.

: Herbivore Citrine Ultra Hydration Neroli Body Oil $44

Have you ever smelled anything with Neroli oil? It smells heavenly. This body oil is ultra moisturizing. This is going to be a Winter skin saver for me I can already tell.

That wraps it up for the latest from Herbivore! Have you tried this line yet, and if so what did you think?

MY BIRTHDAY JUBILATION

June 26, 2015 by The Beautorialist, posted in Bath and Body, Food, Hair, Handbags, Makeup, Random Musings, Skincare

Yesterday was my birthday, and a wonderful one it was at that! I started the day off doing absolutely nothing. It was my birthday after all, and I should be allowed a day of complete R&R right?

My husband got me my favourite gourmet cupcakes. There were actually more of them, but I started eating them before I took the photo.

I got to go on a bit of a shopping spree! When in doubt my husband just gets me gift cards. My mom even got me a Sephora gift card this year!

: First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream

I love this for my body on those dry Winter days, but you can actually use this on your face as well. I have started using it as a “sealer” after all of my other skincare treatments in the evening. It is just the best all-purpose cream to have around.

: Make Up Forever Mist and Fix

This is my favourite makeup setting spray. It is alcohol free and really works to make your makeup last on a hot day, which we have been getting plenty of those lately.

: L’Occitane Imortelle Divine Youth Oil

I can’t say that I have tried every facial oil out there, but I have tried a few and this one is hands down my favourite. It soaks into my skin better than any other one I have tried, and it makes my skin just glow. It does not leave a terribly greasy after feel like most facial oils tend to do. It smells great and has yet to clog my pores. I really cannot say enough about this oil.

: NUFace Collagen Booster B1

My new favourite serums are officially the ones from NUFace. They soak in quickly and I am seeing some great results so far. They are not pore clogging and are fragrance, alcohol, and paraben free. You do not get a great deal of product, but they are thin in consistency so it does not take much to spread a good amount onto your face.

: Make Up Forever Artist Shadow in D124 Crystalline White

This is the perfect shimmery white shadow. I use this for an array of highlighting purposes.

: Diorskin Forever Compact in 010 Ivory

This is fast becoming my new favourite powder. The texture is amazing with buildable light to medium coverage. The ivory shade matches my skin perfectly. It seriously does not feel heavy or look cakey at all.

: Living Proof Restore Instant Protection Spray

Living Proof recently reformulated their revitalizing spray with a heat protectant, so naturally I had to try it. I love it. It dries instantly and my air does not feel fried after using it.

: Algenist Hydrating Essence Toner

After years and years of using my trusted Clinique toner, I have decided to switch to this one. It is alcohol free like the Clinique one, which was really the deciding factor, but there are so many other benefits to this one. Namely there is no silicones! I will elaborate on that in a later post. If you are looking for a pretty perfect toner, give this one a try.

: Nars Satin Lip Pencil in Rikugien

I got a sample size of this pencil in my Sephora birthday gift, and I love it! It stays on for quite awhile, and I love the colour. It is the perfect nude rosy pink.

: Chanel Rouge Coco Ultra Hydrating Lip Colour in Cecile

This is my favourite YLBB lipstick. I do not like ultra glossy finishes, they just do not last long and I loathe when my hair sticks to my lips. This gives just enough sheer pigment for me when applied lightly.

: Fresh Sugar Lip Polish

This lip polish is currently my favourite after the Mac lip scrub was discontinued. It smells like brown sugar, vanilla, and lemon. I find myself wanting to eat it sometimes.

So, remember that post I did about the runway Rebecca Minkoff Rylan tote? I did say that I wanted it for my birthday and I believe I mentioned somewhere that I was willing to shamelessly grovel to my husband about it. Well………he surprised me! He did get the black one, and I am so glad he did. It will go with so much more than the lavender shade would have. The leather is so soft and so on par with Rebecca Minkoff quality. It is an eye-catcher for sure. The details are amazing. The fringe is well done and not messy looking.

We went to dinner at one of my favourite sushi restaurants, and they took forever serving us this time. I ate it so fast I didn’t even think about taking photos. I had so many dear friends and family members there, it was wonderful. Those amazing people are truly what made it so special. Best birthday yet!

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