Natural Energy for all you New Mama's!

Sleepless nights then up at 8am for work, check! How do we new mamas do it? Well, Arbonne was wondering the same thing apparently and created these awesome energy fizz sticks, grab and go individual packet style :)

I literally have 2 of these minimum in my purse at all times. The great thing is that when I am at work  and when water gets boring, just pop one of these in my water bottle and instant pomegranate and citrus yumminess! All natural and powered with green tea and B-vitamins. I am so hooked on these! Try some for yourself ...

Revlon Colorstay Longwear Nail Enamel

I was super excited when I discovered that Revlon created a gel formula which requires no lamps or anything other than the basic 3 steps: base coat, color, and top coat! And even more intrigued when I found my favorite Revlon shade from their regular formula (Vixen) available in their gel formula. This classic burgundy stain was renamed Velvet Rope for the Colorstay line, but is practically identical in color. 

So in order to "properly" use Revlon's new color stay formula, the color stay gel-smooth base coat and gel-shine top coat are required (pic above). They are sold separately and the price is just a little bit more that what you would pay for their regular formulas, which I think is great because I've noticed that some companies that sell regular and gel formulas tend to practically double the price of their gel products.  

                                                       (Revlon Colorstay in Velvet Rope)


Some pros and cons I noticed about Revlon Colorstay...

Pros:

• Nice array of color selections
• Affordable
• No lamp required
• Easy to apply
• Gel-shine top coat adds a nice shine
• Base coat dries rather quickly

Cons:

• The color formula is viscous and needs time to dry between coats
• Dries to the touch in 20 minutes but takes 2 hours to completely cure
• It is a "3 free" formula but has a strong smell

My overall recommendation for Revlon Colorstay is that it is a great alternative to those who love the classic Revlon nail color shades but want a longer lasting formula. It does however take a really long time to cure. Even after two hours, if you aren't careful you could put a ding in the polish. Which for me means that they aren't technically "gels" since the aspect of gel polish I love the most is that once they are dry you can practically do anything. 

Revlon and I are back together...

Let's see how long this lasts... :) Revlon has been improving their formulas and so I figured why not give them a second chance. They have also added a couple of new formulas I am excited to test out; one being Brilliant Strength (see below), and the other which I will try next is Revlon Colorstay, their gel formula (no UV required). So I recently got gels at a salon, and they lasted for a week and chipped (boo). As many gel-aholics are aware, gels are supposed to last 2 weeks at the very least! So double boo for my $40 manicure. Which prompted me to get back on the nail bandwagon to continue my quest for the perfect nail formula. 

 In the interim, I picked up Revlon's Brilliant Strength in Tempt (a pretty gunmetal with a hint of green) to strengthen my nails since removing the gels at home. 

If you enlarge the photo enough I think you can see the ingredients. I'll let you know how long this formula lasts, but since I'm only using it between gels, I won't do time lapse photos. 

For next time...Revlon Colorstay Longwear Nail Enamel

Ice Ice Baby - Skyn Iceland

Recent Favorites - 2013

I've put together my favorite beauty buys as of 2013. I can't believe the year is already halfway over! So I decided to mention the products I really like that I have purchased this year up until now.


1. L'Occitane Almond Supple Skin Oil 3.4 oz $40
I have really been getting into almond oil lately. On their website, L'occitane is intending this to be used for stretch marks during and after pregnancy, but I love it for my skin, hair and nails. It is hard to find a good oil for the skin that isn’t greasy.  This oil smells wonderful and is so light and absorbs really well into the skin. I use it on my nails, hands, elbows, and rub a dime size into the scalp once a week before washing my hair. Almond oil is great to stimulate the hair folice. All around a great all in one oil for hair, skin, and nails!
usa.loccitane.com

2. Smashbox Halo Long Wear Blush $24
I am already a fan of their Halo Hydrating Perfecting Powder, it lasts forever and I love the way they designed the compact so you can control how much product you want to use. So was very excited to try the new Halo blush and think that this product is genius. All of the Halo products are mineral based, talc free, and paraben free. Jackpot! I purchased the shade Passion for blush and am using the shade Bronze as a bronzer. 
smashbox.com, sephora.com

3. Jane Iredale PureLash Extender and Conditioner $16.50
I try to always use a conditioner before mascara, since mascara alone can be irritating and can dry your lashes and make them brittle over time. This lash conditioner is great to use before applying mascara, and also alone as a conditioner before bedtime.  I can literally see my lashes soaking up this product as I apply it. When I used regularly, I notice my lashes are longer and much healthier.
www.janeiredale.com

4.  LaVanila Healthy Deodorant Vanilla Lavender 2 oz. $14
This is the only natural deodorant I have ever liked, and it works just as good as regular mainstream brands. It smells wonderful, they carry other scents but Vanilla Lavender is my favorite. I have been using this as my daily deodarant now. Unless you plan to run a marathon or bake out in the sun, this deodarant will do the trick and it is 100% natural so don’t have to worry about any harsh chemicals being absorbed into your skin!
Sephora.com 

Honorable mention: Burt's Bees deep cleansing cream

Ok...so I left out this cleanser because it was in the shower and I forgot I even had it for a quick second.  This is my only favorite creamy thick cleanser. It feels so refreshing, and removes all makeup - but is especially great at removing eye makeup as far as cleansers go. Even though it is a creamy cleanser it does not clog pores and is great for all skin types, esp. combination skin. 
burtsbees.com

The skin you live in...favorite facial cleansers

Lucky for you, and maybe not for me, I have combination skin. This means my cleansers range to accommodate oily to dry skin. These are my favorite 6 cleansers, yes 6 :) but they work all year round and depending on my skin or the weather, I have all my bases covered. 

1. Boscia 
Out of the brands mentioned, I am newly getting acquainted with Boscia, thanks to a Sephora sample of Detoxifying Black Cleanser that I adored. It warms to your skin, is non-irritating yet left my skin feeling clean and refreshed. I went ahead and purchased another cleanser, their Purifying Cleansing Gel, and am equally if not more impressed. The purifyng gel works great with my Clarasonic brush. Both cleansers work for all skin types but are especially great for combination skin. 

2. Burt's Bees Acne Solutions Gel Cleanser
I have tried a few Burt's Bees cleansers, but this one is my favorite. It's a super light, foaming cleanser that is great for oily skin because it contains salicylic acid. This also works great with the Clarasonic brush.

3. Jurlique Soothing Foaming Cleanser
This is an amazing creamy foaming cleanser for sensitive skin. I have the hardest time finding a sensitive skin cleanser because most of them tend to be very thick and leave a filmy residue. Jurlique made an amazing formula for this sensitive cleanser that rinses clean, my favorite among favorites. 

4. Neutrogena
Neutrogena is an old time favorite brand of mine, I don't think any girl hasn't tried their classic orange foaming cleanser and I was super excited when they introduced a natural skin line. My favorite of the line is definitely the Purifying Pore Scrub. It is super gentle and has a sudsing quality so it's a great dual purpose cleanser/exfoliating scrub. I use this 2-3 times per week on its own. I also really like the Cleansing + Makeup Remover, it's great to have to remove makeup and (hint hint) works super well if used w/Clarasonic brush.