Simple Sugars recently sent over a package of goodies for me to try, and boy am I glad they did! I received the Rose Body Scrub and the Green Tea Facial Scrub – both smell amazing!

It was hard to choose a favorite, but I really enjoyed the Rose Body Scrub the most. It smells like sweet roses and is the prettiest shade of blush. Simple Sugar products contain natural sugar and oils that help smooth rough skin. This scrub left my skin baby soft after my shower.

The Green Tea Facial scrub was also very nice. It smells so fresh – just like a shot of wheatgrass juice! Since it’s oil based, I would only recommend it for those with dry skin. It was too oily for my face so I used it as a body scrub and it worked perfectly.

I’m so happy I got to try Simple Sugars; the company’s creator and founder, Lani Lazzari was featured on ABC’s Shark Tank and since then Simple Sugars has increased it’s retail presence and will (hopefully) soon be offered in more stores across the country.

Rose Body Scrub  5 oz. $11.95 & 8 oz. $16.95
Green Tea Facial Scrub 5 oz. $16.95

*Photo Courtesy of Simple Sugars

I absolutely love, love, love Clinique’s Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel! It’s definitely one of my all-time cult favorites, but there is nothing more that I love than trying new things.

Estée Lauder Advanced Time Zone Age Reversing Line/Wrinkle Hydrating Gel is the latest oil-free hydrating gel to hit the market. It’s very similar to Clinique’s moisturizing gel, but with a few added extras. It has anti-aging benefits such as their new Tri-HA Cell Signaling Complex. It’s their latest breakthrough in the hunt for the fountain of youth. Basically what it does is helps your cells communicate with each other to help boost the natural production of hyaluronic acid in your skin. Okay so enough of the fancy scientific stuff – I love the lightweight oi-free texture, it’s lightly scented and cool to the touch. The only added ingredient I wished it had was SPF, but it works as a perfect nigh time moisturizer for oil-skinned girls!

Estée Lauder Advanced Time Zone Age Reversing Line/Wrinkle Hydrating Gel 1.7 oz. $65

(Photo courtesy of Estée Lauder)

Pump Up Your Moisturizer

Once the temps start falling, you should choose moisturizers that are thicker than your daily body lotion or face cream. Swap your lotion for a body butter and swap your moisturizer for a creamier one. Look for added ingredients like alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) and urea – both are humectants that pull moisture from the air into your skin.

Don’t stop your summertime habits

Water intake and sunscreen use decreases during the winter for most. Drinking plenty of water helps your skin stay hydrated and wearing sunscreen year round helps protect you from the sun. The UV rays that bounce off of snow are just as damaging as summer rays.

Go easy on the hand sanitizer

Using hand sanitizers too often can strip the moisture from your hands. Instead of using the communal hand sanitizer at the office, you should bring your own.  Look for one that doesn’t contain alcohol and always apply hand cream afterwards.

Get a humidifier

Home heating systems can really dry out your skin. Humidifiers are great because they add moisture to the air. They’re fairly inexpensive and since humidifiers help decongest your sinuses; it can also help reduce under eye puffiness.

Always carry a lip balm

The cold wind is one of lip’s biggest enemies. It dries out lips and habits like licking your lips only makes matters worse. Use a lip balm made with beeswax to create a barrier to protect your lips from the harsh weather. You can also apply some on dry cuticles and chapped noses.

(Photo courtesy of Niderlander | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos)

Give the gift of beauty to your loved ones this holiday season. Whether they’re into beauty or not, I’m sure these gift ideas will win them over. Some of these also make great stocking stuffers – Happy Holidays!

Sephora Fragrance Sampler for Her $50

Whoever came up with this idea is a genius! I love giving these as a gift because it never disappoints. This set comes filled with 12 sample sized fragrances from various designers like Juicy Couture,  Versace, Givenchy, and Prada. After sampling each one, they can choose their favorite and redeem a full size bottle at the store. Sephora also sells a sample set for men too.

James Bond 007 Fragrance Gift Set $30

I got this for my boyfriend for his birthday and he loved it and so did I. This cologne is a blend of bergamot, lavender and crisp apple for a fresh and powerful experience.  Set includes a 1.0 oz. cologne spray & 1.7oz. shower gel.

Lorac Eye Candy Full Face Collection $59

This ultimate beauty kit comes dressed up as a box of fancy chocolates. This limited edition holiday collection features six palettes for eyes, lips, and cheeks. Just like a box of chocolates, this set is filled with rich shades of browns and shimmering nudes. HSN also has a similar set with four palettes for $40.

Kiehl’s Ultimate Man Refueling Set $58

I’m always trying to find ways to get my boyfriend to start a skincare routine. If your guy likes to pamper himself – then this is the gift for him! It’s filled with all the essentials he needs like shave cream, face wash and moisturizer – plus a few extra items.

Philosophy Think Beautiful Thoughts Skin Care Gift Set $39

This year give the gift of gorgeous skin. This gift set features a 3 oz. purity made simple facial cleanser, one microdelivery triple-acid brightening peel pad, a 0.5 oz hope in a jar moisturizer for all skin types, a 0.375 oz when hope is not enough facial firming serum and a 0.25 oz eye hope multitasking eye cream.

Braun Series 5-550cc Men’s Shaving System Gift Set – Includes Bonus Fusion Pro Glide Styler $149.99

This is a great shaver that’s designed to leave your man’s face nice and smooth. The best part is that after the shave, the Braun Clean & Renew System automatically cleans, charges, and lubricates the shaver at the touch of a button! This set also includes a bonus Fusion Pro Glide Styler – you know the one that features Adrien Brody and Andre 3000 in the commercials. It’s a 3-in-1 facial hair styling tool that trims evenly, shaves closely and edges accurately.

(Photos courtesy of Sephora, James Bond, Lorac, Kiehl’s, Philosophy and Braun)

Welcome to the 5th peel of The Skin Regime: Boot Camp for Beautiful Skin! It’s been a few weeks since my 4th peel, but I was brave and decided to use the 50% glycolic acid.

I washed my face and made sure to remove any dirt and makeup from my skin. I then moistened a cotton round with rubbing alcohol and swiped it all over my face. Once my face was dry, I used the medicated spray to numb my skin. I think I finally figured out the most effective way to use it. I sprayed a large amount on my hand first; and then wiped it all over my face. Next I applied the 50% glycolic acid to a cotton round and swiped it all over my face and neck area.

I set the timer for six minutes. While the clock was still ticking, I dipped a cotton swab into the 70% glycolic acid solution and applied it to the top of my cheeks (where I have the most sun spots) and over the freckles on my nose. Once time was up; I rinsed and washed my face, then applied CeraVe Facial Moisturizing Lotion PM.

Again, I was surprised it did not burn nor sting. So either I grew tough skin (but it feels softer) or the medicated spray really does help.  I didn’t experience much redness or dryness, so I’m curious to see what my face will look like in the morning. I’ll update this post if I notice extra peeling or irritation tomorrow. In the past I’ve noticed that my skin only really starts to shed on the second or third day after the peel, so I have a feeling this might also be the case this time.

For more information on The Skin Regime: Boot Camp to Beautiful Skin and on products I used please visit TheSkinRegime.com – there you can order the book and get product recommendations.

Click here to read the first 30 pages of The Skin Regime for free!

Scented Lavender Vanilla Moisturizing Bath Salts $16 This stuff smells amazing. This is by far my favorite scent in the collection. The Lavender Vanilla fragrance is soothing and relaxing. This transformed my normal boring bath into amazing aromatherapy oasis. These bath salts are all-natural and sulfate-free. It’s made up of six skin nourishing ingredients – Dead Sea salts, sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, glycerin, fragrance oils, and vitamin E. The icing on top are the added vanilla beans that linger as you soak.

Scented Peppermint Cafe Body Polish $18  I used this while enjoying my much needed bath. This added to my spa like experience. This all natural sugar scrub contains skin saviors like shea butter (one of my fav ingredients!) and coconut oil. The peppermint cafe scent reminds me of a peppermint patty. The scent is invigorating and energizing. The body polish actually contains bits of coffee in it – amazing! It did wonders for my legs. This time of year my skin always gets drier, this scrub really helped slough of my dead skin cells and left my legs and arms smoother and hydrated.

Coconut Lime Verbana Body Crème $18 After my luxurious bath, I applied this body creme for an extra kick of hydration. The scent is a well balanced combo of both creamy coconut and refreshing lime. It’s a very thick cream, it’ feels more like a body butter. I loved it It’s also contains shea butter, coconut oil, and coconut butter.

Enter below for your chance to win a Scented Bath & Body Gift Basket!

Gift Basket contains: Moisturizing Bath Salts in Fresh Squeezed Citrus (13.5 oz); Body Polish in Raspberry Lemonade & Peppermint Cafe (7 oz); Body Creme in New York (for him) & Herbal Lavender & Lemongrass (for her) (8 oz); Kiss My Lips Lip Balm in Coconut, Lemon Lime & Peppermint; Travel Sizes (2 oz) of Body Creme in Coconut Lime Verbana, Moisturizing Bath Salts in Lavender Vanilla, Body Polish in Peppermint Cafe (retail value: $120)

Official Rules:
This giveaway will end Sunday November 4, 2012 at 11:59 pm EST. Open to residents of the Continental US who are at least 18 years of age. All entries will be verified. Winner will be chosen using Random.org. Winner will be announced on Monday November 5, 2012 both on this post and on the Facebook page and will be immediately contacted via email. Once notified, winners will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be selected.

(Photos courtesy of Scented)

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Free Sweepstakes

For a limited time, Macy’s and Clinique are offering a free gift with a minimum purchase of $23.50. The free gift is valued at $65.00 and it includes:

◙  Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel or Lotion

◙  High Impact Mascara in Black

◙  Pink or Nude Eye Shadow Duo and Blush in one go-anywhere compact + Almost Lipstick

All these free goodies come in a colorful Cosmetics Bag set.

Starting today, in stores and on-line at Macy’s while supplies last or until October 20th!

(photo courtesy of Clinique)

The list continues with some natural ingredients and some synthetic ingredients.

F.

Fish Oil helps your skin regulate oil production. This increases hydration and helps prevent acne. It also helps protect against sun damage and may help repair previous damage.

G.

Glycolic Acid comes from sugar cane and is an exfoliant that helps treat acne and is found in anti-aging treatments. It exfoliates skin and speeds up cell turn over.

H.

Humectants are a type of cream or balm that helps skin retain its moisture. It actually pulls moisture from the air into your skin.

I.

Idebenone is a synthetic antioxidant that fights wrinkles. It’s an anti-inflammatory and reduces UV cell damage and hyper pigmentation.

J.

Jojoba oil is a popular ingredient found in most natural skincare and haircare products. It is an excellent moisturizer that helps skin maintain it’s moisture levels and is not greasy. It’s also has antifungal properties.

Alivea Cream is an all natural skin soothing cream that treats sunburns and hydrates skin. It’s made from three simple but powerful ingredients; beeswax, olive oil, and water. This cream is so natural that I thought it would be appropriate to list it under the Nature’s Best category. Beeswax is a main ingredient found in many lip balms.  It locks in skin’s moisture and acts as a barrier between your skin and airborne allergies. It also heals sunburned skin and minor burns. Olive oil is also an amazing ingredient that I love. Olive oil helps hydrate and replenish skin. And water, what’s more natural than h2O! As we know water hydrates our skin as well.

Alivea Cream feels and looks like a thick, waxy balm. It has a great natural scent, it smells like beeswax. It comes complete with a small spatula to scoop the product out. At first it has a pretty solid consistency, but once you rub it in onto your warm skin, it begins to melt right in.

I was invited to a pool party over the 4th of July weekend. I am pretty sun conscious, so I didn’t burn but I did tan. But soaking all day long in the chlorine left my skin feeling a bit dry, so when I got home I applied some of this after showering. It really helped rehydrate my skin. It does take a while to get absorbed into your skin, my legs were super shiny after I applied it! My boyfriend got a mild sunburn on his neck and shoulders. When I applied some to his hot back, it literally melted right in, I just had to work in some of the specs that didn’t melt. Much to say, he enjoyed his mini back massage!

This is a great all natural product that really delivers. It’s like a store bought homemade remedy that’s ready to use. The company recommends that you store it in the fridge, since it doesn’t have preservatives and all those nasty parabens and stuff.

Alivea Cream 100ml $25

Enter below for your chance to win one Alivea all natural skin soothing cream.

How to Enter: It’s simple, just enter by using the Rafflecopter form below. Enter daily for more chances to win.
Good Luck!

Official Rules:
This giveaway will end Thursday July 19, 2012 at 11:59 pm EST. It is  open to U.S. residents who are at least 18 years or older. All entries will be verified. The winner will be chosen using Random.org. The winner will be announced on Friday July 20 ,2012 both on this post and on the Facebook page and will be immediately contacted via email. Once notified, the winner will have 72 hours to respond or a new winner will be selected.

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Bobbi Brown has finally announced the launch of their new BB cream. It’s about time BB had a BB cream, it’s so fitting! Bobbi Brown’s BB Cream SPF 35 promises to be the all in-one beauty product we’ve been waiting for. It’s designed to moisturize, control oil, even out skin tone, and even combats wrinkles. It’s loaded with antioxidants and leaves your skin looking radiant. It comes in 5 shades and is easy to use, wear it alone or under your foundation for a super polished look.

Exclusively available at Nordstrom $42 and will be available on bobbibrowncosmetics.com in August.