But I AM smiling!

Serums, Oils and Oils!

My daughter Claire and I went to a monthly craft show called PopShop this weekend. There were some really cute handmade local stuff from vendors, food trucks, plus vintage/second hand stores on each side of the parking lot. We finally had a chance to try Common Bond Bakery, a French patisserie that seems to be closed when we drive by.

 The bakery was bright, sunlit and perfect for photos, which brings me to the point of this post, which isn't about my love for pastries.

It's about my resting bitch face. 

I have the brow furrows, the labial-nasal fold, the crinkles below my mouth... the whole fabulous grump package. I used to go through my pics and remove them until I found this great Beauty Booth app which just blurs skin texture and leaves you looking radiant but still textured. I have been reviewing several skin care items lately and all rate effective in their own way but let me tell you, BUY THE VITAMIN C SERUM. NOW. I have been using the Radha Vitamin C Serum 20% for over two weeks and found it superior to my prior brand in consistent results. I wash with my Wasabi clarifying wash in the AM, then follow with the Vitamin C serum from my forehead hairline down, really working it into the eye area and my "angry 11s" between the brows, which have really softened with use. 

 I have been embarassed over my large pores and acne scarring between my nose and cheek, that wonderfully named "labial-nasal fold", and this Vitamin C serum has added a softened, hydrated effect that is so visible. Sometimes I don't even use my beauty filter! I let it sink into my skin, though I do skip my nose as it is very sensitive to anything I attempt to use. I massage the serum over my neck and onto my chest/decolletage and the softening effect has also happen on my bustline. It is not greasy, my skin drinks it in quickly and within minutes I can apply concealer and foundation over the area without any makeup sliding or oxidizing. I prefer it to a BB cream or primer, frankly.  When I get a pimple that leaves a scab or dry skin behind, the Vitamin C softens it and it peels off easily. Extractions are also much easier and my face is much less red after using my salicyclic wash. 

My daughter Claire has some blemishes but nowhere near the blackhead and acne scar issues that I have. She has started oil cleansing in the PM and adding the Vitamin C serum as well. She has no breakouts and no stinging, which can be an issue with some sensitive users. She is eighteen, I am forty four, so I have been encouraging her to care for her skin with anti-aging products NOW.

 I was given a generous sample of Radha Beauty's 100% Pure Fractionated Coconut Oil and wish I could say that I love coconut oil as much as I enjoy vitamin C serum and their 100% pure organic argan oil. I found the coconut oil too heavy for my facial skin, and its high comedogentic rating keeps me from trying it anywhere else but my feet, where it does a nice job post-shower with socks to cover. I DID make *fabulous* fried chicken with it last night, my family said it was the best I'd ever made. Super crisp batter, never smoked or had that burnt taste the last few pieces tend to get. Definitely worth a splurge for cooking, still undecided on whether I'd recommend it for oily/acne prone skin like mine. I'm preparing to bleach Claire's roots and heard it makes an effective protectant in that case, that you can bleach with the oil in the hair during processing and it still lifts but doesn't damage. Their Radha 100% Argan Oil is in a HUGE cobalt bottle with glass dropper, very low scent and wonderful on my hands, awesome for client hand massages during heat treatments.

 Lastly, Radha Beauty also gave me a sample of their Intensive Youth Eye Gel. It feels very rich, almost like a dense lotion when it comes out of the pump but it absorbs quickly and I can use it under my eye makeup without issue. I have a horrible sunken ridge under my eyes, with a yucky swollen poof over it and using this every night has really kept that puffiness down. I did get a small red spot under my eye, a sort of blemish, when I used the product for about the third time, but it resolved itself within a day or two, probably just the super hydration of the product. Definitely worth a try if you're looking to prevent eye puff and wrinkles. Let me know if you try the chicken!

  

 It's difficult to get a clear selfie of my eye but you can see the redness and bagginess. *sob* The Radha eye gel really smoothed them out as seen in the more flattering above pics.

*Sponsored by BrandBacker*

Scar & Eye Cream Gel Review

Scars happen. They don't HAVE to, though...

 I have been looking for an over the counter type product to reduce my acne scarring for some time now. My dermatologist pushes expensive prescription products that irritate my skin, or are just not effective enough to pay such a large sum for. As I am a beauty blogger, I was given the opportunity to sample InstaNatural's Scar Gel Cream in return for my honest opinion. I found the product more of a gel, as it is light, non-greasy and it absorbs very quickly. I originally used the scar gel on my upper cheeks where I have both old and active scarring from acne and from a skin peel gone terribly wrong years ago. While I did find the gel very soothing, without irritation, it had a texture that did not allow for foundation makeup to be applied over the dried product. As a cosmetologist, it is VERY important that I wear foundation to work, so I found another use for the the scar gel.

I have several dogs who occasionally scratch my arms or legs during play, sometimes these scratches abrade the skin and leave dark marks as they heal. I got two red raised marks in the soft underside of my arm three days ago after some silly play on the couch and IMMEDIATELY applied this scar gel. It did not burn or irritate and the redness of the area was soothed immediately. As per directions, I reapplied twice daily to the upper arm area where my skin is frosty white and soft. After the third application, I am convinced that this product sped the healing and kept the dark scarring from appearing as it does all up and down my arms and legs from various scratches and scrapes that I encounter at the salon or in the garden or by my dogs who really need manicures. Give this a try, it's a great product from a small company who offer excellent customer service.

Wow, I wish I had started this eye gel five years ago! I just turned 44 the other week and realized that I should have started a pro-active anti-aging skin care regime a minimum of five years back to prevent these fine lines and eye puffiness that I've noticed in the recent year. I live in a very old house with new found allergies as well, leaving me with bags under my deep set eyes that make me look like a bulldog. Beyond just vanity, I am a cosmetologist expected to project (and sell) a certain look of youth and health and glamour which needs a LOT of help these days.
 Enter InstaNatural Eye Cream, who generously provided me with a sample in return for my honest working review of the product. I had a great experience with their Scar Gel Cream reducing my inner arm scratches, and I am equally enthusiastic about this eye cream. I have a bit of creasing under the eye due to very harsh acne skin care, which I was focusing on for years instead of treating my eye area with gentle, hydrating products such as this. I apply the eye cream in the AM, fresh out of the fridge for a cooling sensation, just a small dot gently worked into my inner eye by my nose, sweeping under the eye to the full orbit by my cheek, past the outer edge onto my temple. The cream is actually more of a gel in its quick absorption and I can apply my full foundation and eye makeup within probably two minutes of application. There is no residue, nothing to interfere with make up application. In the evening, I apply the eye cream from the fridge again post-shower, before applying my nightly serum to the outer eye area. I awake to less puff, less shadowing and am seeing a bit of softening in the lines at the inner lower orbit where my poor nose/upper cheek has taken such rough drying treatment. I do not have to apply concealer under my eyes thanks to this product. I will definitely repurchase as this eye cream meets all my needs! DO NOT WAIT, start a preventive eye care regime today and give this product a chance.