My Introduction to Kiehl’s

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I have heard of Kiehl’s, and of course I have started to see the brand pretty much everywhere. At first I thought, “Oh great, another skincare company offering empty promises at ungodly costs,” but I was a bit wrong. I was able to sample a few things that were okay, but not favorites (my first go-to is always Mario Badescu). The products I am LOVING right now are the day and night serums, and the scalp exfoliator. My skin has some dry and oily patches, which are made worse when the weather changes.

Image courtesy of kiehls.com

I received a sample of the (new) Daily Reviving Concentrate ($46.00) and the Midnight Recovery Concentrate ($46.00+). After washing my face (I always use my Clarisonic) I patted a couple of drops of the Midnight Recovery on my skin. I followed that up with my moisturizer, and my skin hadn’t felt that great in years. When I woke up, there were no significant dry patches, and I was overly oily. I never thought that a product could help to make that kind of a transformation, but it did. After waking up, I washed my face and applied the Daily Reviving Concentrate the same way, following it with my moisturizer and sunscreen. It has been about wo days, my skin is back to the way it was. No dry, flaky patches, and no oil slicks!

Image courtesy of kiehls.com

In general, I have always had scalp issues. They tend to worsen depending on the weather, and I have been looking for an exfoliator that really works. I have tried to make my own, but have not yet found the desired consistency I want. I have also tried different exfoliating masks and scalp treatments, but none have helped. I applied this product as recommended, and LOVE it!. The Deep Micro Exfoliating Scalp Treatment is about the consistency of a shower gel, and contains ground Apricot seeds & Argan shells. The menthol is cooling, and yes, the product smells jut like it. That being said, your hair will not smell medicinal at all once you wash it out. My scalp always feels refreshed and clean, and it never leaves the roots oily. I put this on my scalp (scalp can be wet or dry), leave it on for about 4-5 minutes, and rinse. I then follow it up with shampoo and a light conditioner at the ends of my hair. It’s some kind of wonderful!

I really love Kiehl’s because you can always try something as long as they have a sample of it. They also have a 28-Day policy, so if you do not care for something you can return it, with a receipt, for a full refund. Kiehl’s also has a once-a-month recycling policy: Bring in 10 full-sized recyclables of their products (i.e. bottles, jars, etc.), and you will receive a complimentary travel-sized product (2.5oz) of your choosing. Don’t forget to sign up for their free rewards program.

Mini ULTA Haul

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So I thought I would be productive and get a head-start on Christmas shopping. Since Halloween and fall have been taking over stores since August, you know the holiday items will soon follow. I try to get most of my shopping done over summer, unless there are holiday sets I can’t pass up. ULTA had some good promotions, a couple of which may still be available, and BOOM, half my Christmas list is complete (okay, not half, but nearly). Anyway, here is what I purchased:

Sorry! The picture isn’t the greatest.

1. ULTA Brand Eyeshadow Palette: Gilded Gold

Image courtesy of ulta.com

For a store brand, ULTA has good-quality pigments. Both this and the Gilded Rose palette are great for anyone who is looking for something to travel with, or someone who is just starting to wear eyeshadow. There are several finishes (i.e matte, shimmer, etc.) and colors from across the more neutral spectrum. You can go from a fresh, no-makeup look to a more dramatic night-on-the-town look, by taking the colors from one palette.

Color List (courtesy of ulta.com)

Lustre – light golden shimmer
Gilded – medium taupe brown with golden shimmer
Flicker – medium orange with copper shimmer
Starlet – deep warm brown with golden glitter
Opal – deep pinkish brown with pink shimmer
Midnight – deep blue grey with multicolor and silver glitter
Bone – light creamy matte
Tan – medium warm tan matte
Singed – medium taupe brown matte
Scorched – deep warm brown matte
Lava – medium violet matte
Coal – deep black matte

2. ULTA Brand Eyeshadow Palette: Rose Gold

Image courtesy of ulta.com

The Rose Gold and Gilded Gold palettes may look the same, but differ quite a bit. The Rose Gold palette, for one, does not contain black in any form. Mauve, pink, brown, and other rich tones are highlighted in this palette. Similar to its counterpart are the finishes, and a variety of looks can be created using this range of colors.

Color List (courtesy of ulta.com)

Champagne – light golden tan shimmer
Pink – light pink shimmer
Hopeless Romantic – medium mauve the silver shimmer
Chandelier – medium brown with golden shimmer
Luxe – deep reddish brown with pink shimmer
Dahlia – deep plum with pink glitter
Prosecco – light cream matte
Bubbles – light pink matte
Breathless – medium mauve matte
Dessert – deep cool brown matte
Sweetheart – deep rich reddish brown matte
Orchid – deep violet matte

3. ULTA Brand Raincoat Waterproof Mascara Topcoat

This clear coat is supposed to lock in your mascara, so no matter what you’re doing, your mascara won’t make you look like a hot mess. I, literally, just put it on, and it does dry clear. It’s a bit opaque; similar to the color of the PTR peeling gel. In the description, it also says that the product is great as an eyebrow gel, so I put some on my brows. Most of the time, clear brow gel will start to flake and (of course) look white. Anyway, I was interested because I have been looking for a mascara setting product. I used two different mascaras, one from tarte and a duo from Urban Decay. I will update you on how well it worked.

Short Update: So, I thought I would test it out by watching something that would make me cry to test the product…alone of course… ’cause everyone knows I HATE crying in front of others. So far, the mascara has stayed put. My lashes also don’t feel dry and crunchy. Thus far, it has been a great product. I will head to the gym later for further testing.

4. Hask Coconut Monoi Oil Vial

Image courtesy of ulta.com

These oils were buy two get one free, and I am really on a hair oil kick. I also love the smell of monoi oil. It reminds me of summer nights on the balcony overlooking Waikiki Beach. I am quite excited to try this out. My plan? Treat my hair, scrub my face, and apply a face mask. Then, relax with some tea and a hot bubble bath. It’ll be like a mini tropical vacation.

5. Hask Keratin Protein Oil Vial

Image courtesy of ulta.com

The Keratin oil smells like a light fruit salad. it is supposed to smooth and strengthen the hair, so once I try it, I will update you on my results.

6. Hask Macadamia Oil Vial

Image courtesy of ulta.com

The scent of this oil reminds me of a light vanilla-musk. I just applied some to my hair to use as a treatment. You can use it as part of your styling routine as well. It is definitely lightweight. This formula is supposed to revitalize my hair, so I guess we will find out. I like that a little goes a long way. I applied about a dime-sized amount to dry hair. Next time, I will apply it on wet hair, to see if there is a difference.

I have yet to put these oils to the test. I do like the scents, and I like that they come in a convenient travel vial. Each vial has a cap that snaps on, so no need to worry about the vials leaking.

Gift With Purchase Items (Note: Each bag came with a $5 off $15+ ULTA brand purchase.):

1. ULTA Fall Amethyst Bag Set


Image courtesy of ulta.com

This bag is more of a chocolate brown with a purple tone, and is great for holding a small mount of makeup. It is long enough to fit full-sized brushes and smaller palettes and skincare. This set in particular came with the following:

– Three Shadow Quads
– Two Brushes + One Sponge Tip
– One Highlighter/Blush Duo
– One Shadow Topcoat
– Mini Nail Polish
– Mini Ligloss
– Double-Ended Eye Pencil
– Brow Tint
– One Full-Sized Mascara
– One Full-Sized Lipstick
2. ULTA Beauty Bag

This bag is not that attractive, but holds so much. I am using it as my gym toiletry bag. The products you see below (sorry for the poor quality!) took up less than half the available bag space! The packet samples are a nice way to try something new, but sometimes they are not large enough to really see if you will like the product. The Urban Decay and tarte samples a
re single-use, but if you play your cards right, you will get a couple of uses out of the samples.

The Bag

Makeup: Urban Decay, smashbox, ULTA,
Laura Geller, tarte, benefit

Hair: John Frieda, Hask, Kenra, phtyo

Skin: The Body Shop, Algenist,
Mario Badescu, philosopy

Perfume: Juicy Couture, Gucci

3. Variety Sampler

With every ULTA purchase, you can choose to have samples added, free of charge. There are three mystery samplers: Fragrance, Skincare, and Variety. In the past, I have not found the samples to be anything significant, this time was no different. Last time I opted for the Variety, and they sent me three hair packets from L’oreal. This time, I opted for Skincare, and was provided the POREfessional single-use packet and the smashbox Photo Finish Primer packet (not pictured). Free is always nice, but I prefer Sephora’s selection.

Friday Feature: Urban Raven Shop

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Shiran, the creator of the Urban Raven, transforms seemingly useless junk into wearable works of art.

Image courtesy of Shiran Tal @ Urban Raven

Business establishment:

I live in Zichron Yaakov, Israel and founded Urban Raven in 2013

While studying industrial design at HIT College, I became interested in jewelry design and began learning it on my own. It became a true passion, so I ended my studies in industrial design and am currently a goldsmith student. Ever since I was a child, I always loved design and working with my hands, but I never thought I would be doing it for a living.

I was introduced to the world of upcycling after I had already begun experimenting with jewelry making and it was a god sent! It led me to creative searches through the flea market in Yafo (Jaffa) where I looked for items I could reinvent and sell to pay off my student loans. Unfortunately, even at the flea market, the items were too pricey for me and I just couldn’t see a way to make a living off of them. However, it was there that a broken beer bottle happened to catch my eye and fill me with inspiration about creating beautiful pieces out of discarded objects. I began experimenting with glass, smashing a few bottles at home, and worked with the random shards that naturally broke off. What resulted from those first experiments was beautiful and produced an excited reaction from friends and family. That’s when I truly realized that I had found a way to enjoy design, challenge myself and create unique pieces that would be environmentally friendly (very important) and still quite beautiful.

A few months later I came across my brother’s old stamp collection. It was so distinctive and wonderful that I decided to try and incorporate the stamps into my jewelry. I even got a few stamp donations from friends and acquaintances. The end product was a collection of nostalgic, historical, one-of-a-kind pieces.

Target audience:

Up until now I was reaching my customers mostly online, people who liked something new and make a statement, both getting the beauty out of everyday items but also eco chic and transforming discarded items into jewelry.

In one word – Upcyclers!

Now a days I’m making my first steps into placing my products in fitting jewelry retailers shop, which is very challenging to do and keep a friendly price on my creations.

Staff:

It’s only me!

Fun Fact:

When I started to branch out and look for anything and everything that I could turn into jewelry. My mother works in the world of high-tech and suggested that I might use castoff computer chips to create something. The computer chips turned out to be great material to work with because they are so intricate and lovely just as they are. All I needed to do was bring out their inner potential in terms of design.

Also a lot of the glasses work came from nights of drinking with friends, so they have built-in good vibes!

I sale only online currently – Etsy | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter & also on tictail urbanraven.tictail.com🙂

I attend outdoor events but only in Israel so far!

Threading Made Easy with Helix

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This post is long overdue, so I apologize. I received a Helix ThreadEase to try out (a huge “thank you” to the company!) a few months ago. It is a wonderful threading device, so your eyebrows will always look their best. Do you ever have those days when you feel like your eyebrows are taking over your face? I do, especially if it has been some time since going to my eyebrow lady. For years, I have gone to the same person. Unfortunately the cost of brow upkeep is increasing, so I only go about once a month. I am trying to save up for a trip to Japan, so cutting out things here and there are helping with my saving. I digress….

For quite some time, my cousin used to wax my eyebrows or I had friends who worked in salons who would wax them. My mom’s friend was actually the one to recommend threading, and at first I was skeptical. I thought, “What the heck does that even mean?!” I went for my first threading session and loved it. In my opinion, it does not hurt nearly as much as waxing. It is also much more forgiving. For instance, if wax happens to trail across the brow, you may end up losing half your brow. Or if the wax is too hot, you could leave with blisters! You also don’t have to worry about skin breakouts/rashes since there are no chemicals involved. Threading allows for a much more precise shaping and takes hardly any time, and does not promote the sagging and wrinkling of skin. Threading is also a safe hair removal system for pregnant women.

Kit Contents

Here is how my routine is. Once a month (sometimes once every two months), my eyebrow lady threads my brows. She does a beautiful job. Then, when my brows start to grow back, I grab the Helix and proceed to clean them up. While I’m at it, I also thread my upper lip. To use the Helix, cut a piece of string (~12 inches long), make a loop, and tie the ends. Place the string on the hooks, then spin one side as shown below. You will want to spin it about 10 times or so.

String loop placed on the hooks, with one twist

In order to remove the hair for the right brow, pinch the device in you right hand and place the string in the desired area. Yes, in order for this to work, the string must touch your skin. Let your hand open up, and you will notice that the twisted part of the string moves towards the midline. The hairs will get picked up in the string, removing them. Repeat the same process, except using your left hand, for the left brow. It may take a couple of tries to get the hang of it, but once you do it’s a breeze.

The Helix may look big, but its shape allows for easy storage. It is thin and hardly takes up any room. Helix is also great to travel with, especially if you’re going on a long trip. It lays relatively flat, which means more room in your luggage. Each Helix kit includes the threading tools, a spool of thread, and carrying case. The thread itself is thin (they note that on the card), so what I love about this system is that you are not limited to the thread they offer. For coarse hair, you may want to go with a thicker thread.

Tutorial:

How to Set Up the Helix. Courtesy of helixhairthreading.com

The Helix makes a great gift for anyone. The tools come in red or black, your choice. Click here to purchase a kit. The following sets are currently available:

Deluxe Eyebrow ThreadEase System, $33.33. Image courtesy of helixhairthreading.com

Complete Eyebrow ThreadEase System, $27.99. Image courtesy of helixhairthreading.com

Complete ThreadEase System, $21.99. Image courtesy of helixhairthreading.com

What kit are you wanting to try?

Stay beautiful!

A Little Update

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I know it’s been awhile. Things with my dissertation are moving along, which is why I have been away. I promise to have more posts up asap. In the meantime, here are a couple of photos that hint to upcoming posts:

Have a wonderful weekend!

My Top 5 Lip Products, Vol. 1

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There is a plethora of lip care out in the world. Lip balms, serums, scrubs, lipsticks, colors…and the list continues. This first collection are my five favorite lip balms. Some may not be the best in terms of scent or flavor, but I take something that works over those two any day. The products mentioned are not ranked in order of favorite to least favorite. They are listed in the order in which they came into my head.

1. fresh Sugar Lip Treatment

Image courtesy of Sephora.com

My friend introduced me to fresh nearly 10 years ago. She said that I had to try their lip balm because it was the best she had ever tried. At the time it was about $20.00 (it’s $22.50/0.15oz now), and I thought paying that much was insane. But then I tried it, and I was blown away! Right away, my lips felt smoother, and the product lasted all day. It also contains SPF 15, which is great. Your lips need protection, too! If you’re looking to add a hint of color, they now come in 13 shades! This is definitely a must-have for me, and if you can, you have to try it out. It is expensive, but worth it. They also have mini-sized products that are available. They last awhile and will allow you to determine whether it’s a good fit for you.

2. Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm

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Image courtesy of Sephora.com

This lip balm has been a staple of mine for years. It goes on smooth an lasts for hours. My personal favorite is mint, but they come in four other flavors, which you can see here. Unlike many formulas, this balm is not sticky, and it provide your lips with protection from the sun. Remember, SPF is needed everywhere! The product is $7.50/0.25oz

3. eos Lip Balm Smooth Spheres

Image courtesy of eos

In case you missed it, I recently reviewed eos here. I really like the portability and quality of the eos lip balms. They are great for travel and the ingredients are very nourishing. Since these are not a liquid form, they won’t take up any room in your quart-sized bag if you travel by plane.

4. Care for Me Lip Scrub

Megan and I started a hobby, making all sorts of body, face, and lip scrubs, which will hopefully blossom into a business. But for now, it is just a hobby. We are currently experimenting with lotion bars and dry shampoo. Our lip scrubs, though, are one of my favorite things. Okay, I know what you’re thinking. Self-promoting is uncouth, and I shouldn’t list this because I’m biased. Maybe some of that is true, but when I love something, I stick to it. We use coconut oil, sugar crystals, and the highest-quality flavors we can find to provide the most effective yet tasty lip scrubs. The coconut oil is soothing and hydrating, while the sugar crystals slough skin away. Each season there is a limited edition flavor. Currently, our site is under construction, but if you’re interested in donating they are $7.00/1.2oz (plus shipping) and come in a glass pot. Questions? Click here to send an email. And yes, we can customize any order and make gift sets.

5. LUSH Cosmetics Lip Scrub

Image courtesy of lushusa.com

LUSH cosmetics has some cult favorites and the lip scrubs, especially Bubble Gum, is one of them. Personally, I don’t care for it at all because the Bubble Gum flavor tastes a bit like soap in my opinion. I like the Popcorn because it is salty and sweet. Their lip scrubs are nice to travel with, although they can be messy (but aren’t they all?). Jojoba and coconut oils soften the lips while the sugar and salt exfoliate leaving you with a beautiful pout. Each lip scrub is $9.95/0.8oz.

What are your must-have lip products?

Stay beautiful!

Makeup Monday: eos lip balm

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Image courtesy of eos

First, a HUGE “thank you” to eos for sending me the lip balms to try out. I received the Coconut Milk and Vanilla Mint varieties, and they are wonderful! The coconut balm reminds me of visiting Hawai’i and all of those summer days spent at the beach. Vanilla + mint is one of my favorite combinations and works with just about anything: lip balm, tea, scrubs; it is refreshing and warm.

Coconut Milk (left) and Vanilla Mint (right)

I am a huge fan of lip products, and love these little spheres of moisture-providing balm. I had heard rave reviews, and couldn’t be more appreciative for getting the chance to try them. Based on the look of the balm itself, I thought they would be similar to others that just feel like a film over your lips. You know the type. Smells and looks good, but you apply the balm and your lips think, “What on Earth is this?!”. That alone made me wonder if all of the people providing such positive feedback were lying. I was happily surprised to find that the balm was not remotely like that. The formula absorbs fast, and for me, delivered exactly what my lips were in need of. Vitamins, oils, and shea butter nourished my lips. I popped one in my bag before my trip, and not once were my lips dry & flaky. So far, I love the quality of eos lip balms and can’t wait to try their other product lines. These balms have lived up to the hype. Eos is travel-friendly and budget-friendly. Pair those pros with high-quality ingredients, and you have one amazing batch of skincare.

Stay tuned for an upcoming post on my top five lip products, which will feature eos lip balm spheres. If you see eos while you’re out shopping, definitely get a sphere. They come in a large variety of flavors (i.e. Lemon Drop w/SPF 15, Blueberry Acai, Sweet Mint, etc.) so there is something for everyone! Do you have a favorite? Which are you most excited to try?

Stay beautiful!

Lay’s Do Us A Flavor

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