Happy Shopping Day!

I hope everyone survived Thanksgiving (all that food) and Black Friday (all those sales)!  I spent most of the day scouring the Internet for deals and I came across some great ones! Money is a little tight on my end so I had to really be careful and choose what I really wanted to spend today.  I think Amazon.com and 6pm.com had some really super deals (movies and shoes-can't beat that)!

What great deals did you grab today?

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

100 % Pure Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream

Product Description: Eye cream in a pump tube

What it does: For dark circles and puffiness, 100% natural and 100% vegan

Here is a list of the ingredients from 100% Pure's website:

Organic Aloe Juice*, Organic Rose Hydrosol*, Organic Rosehip Oil*, Organic Green Coffee*, Vitamin E (tocopherol), Vitamin C (Sodium Ascorbate), Extracts of: Coffee Cherry, Rosemary, Oregano, Thyme, Goldenseal, Vanilla Absolute, Candelilla Wax * Certified Organic

Does it work?:  I've been using this product for the past couple of months and I really like it; however, I did not see any improvement on the dark circles and puffiness on the days I had them.

What it does do well is moisturize and the scent is AmAzinG!  It is a rather thick cream so I use it at night when my skin is dry and sometimes on my hands too.  I really like the product and am excited try some of their other products in the future.

One more thing: it product says it is cruelty free but I noticed it did not have the Leaping Bunny Logo on the products or the web site; however I checked www.leapingbunny.org and the company is listed.

Here's a link to their website for more information and products:
http://www.100percentpure.com/ 

And here's the website for Leaping Bunny if you would like to check out cruelty free products:
http://www.leapingbunny.org 

Facial Toner to the Extremes

This picture represents the extremes in facial toners.  On the left is witch hazel and on the right is rubbing alcohol at 91%.  Witch hazel has been around for a very long time, it can be found at most drugstores and retail stores, it is relatively cheap, and is actually good for your skin because it retains moisture.

Rubbing alcohol, and all of the different types of cosmetic alcohol, has also been around for a very long time.  Due to the quick evaporation once it is applied to the skin, it can be irritating, cause redness, breakouts, and other skin problems.

Nearly all other facial toners will fall in-between the two which is why it is very important to pay attention to the alcohol content which is usually listed with the ingredients.  Many toners out on the market today are alcohol free and there is a wide variety to choose from and they range from inexpensive to very expensive.

I have one more toner I am currently sampling which is an alcohol free soothing toner and then I promise I'll move on to a different topic.  :)

Neutrogena Pore Refining Toner

I have combination skin.  It can be oiler in the summer and dryer in the winter and vise versa.  This can make it difficult to choose a toner that is a good fit season after season.  I have been using Neutrogena Pore Refining Toner for about six months now - that would be summer, fall, and although its not "officially" winter it has been darn cold lately - and it has not dried out my skin or caused any irritation.

That's nearly a miracle when you have skin with a mind of its own!  It wasn't until recently when the weather became really, really cold that I noticed I had not needed to get another toner because my skin was still happy.

On some weekends, I will use this product several times a day depending on what I'm doing (cleaning house, yard work etc) and it does a great job of removing oil and dirt without overdrying.  That in itself if a wonderful thing.  The bottle states "visibly reduces the appearance of pores and refines skin".  I don't know what any of that means except it doesn't reduce my pores and I don't know what "refines skin" is referring to.

This is what I can tell you - its a good toner that cleanses the skin without (for the most part) over drying and does a great job of removing oil and dirt.  This toner contains 35% alcohol which indicates it isn't a STRONG toner but the ingredients also list Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Extract and Peppermint Leaf Extract which may irritate skin types that lean to the sensitive skin category.  Eucalyptus and Peppermint can leave the skin feeling a bit "cold" which may be considered "refreshing".  Have you ever taken a shower with an Eucalyptus or Peppermint body soap?  Whew that will wake you up in the morning! (did that once...never again!)

The saving grace is that since these ingredients are listed near the end of the list, there is a slight chance it could cause irritation so if it does (or any product for that matter) quit using it immediately!

TONER 101 - What is it and do I need it?

There seems to be an on going war between those who believe you should always use a toner and those who say no one should ever use toner.  How do you determine if you need toner?  What type of toner? How often should you use it?  There is a LOT of information out there and it can become very confusing.  Let's start with the very basics.

What is a cosmetic toner?  A liquid used to cleanse skin. (simple right?)

How do you determine if you need a toner?  This is an individual personal choice.  If your skin feels clean and refreshed after using a toner and before you use a moisturizer then it is probably a good choice.  If you skin becomes irritated, red, itchy or feels uncomfortably tight then it might be a good idea to stop using a toner or try to find the mildest toner on the market. 

What type of toner?  It depends greatly on your skin type: dry, oily, normal, sensitive, or combination.  There are 3 types of toner: fresheners(mildest), tonic, and astringent(strongest).

Fresheners contain little or no alcohol, usually less than 10%, and is the mildest form of toner.  It usually contains, water, a humectant (which helps to retain moisture), and a substitute for alcohol which may be caffeine or green tea oil.  This is suitable for all skin types.

Tonics contain a little more alcohol, usually up to 20%, along with water and a humectant.  These are formulated to be very well balanced and are ideal for normal, oily and combination skin types.

Astringents are the strongest of all toners with an alcohol content up to 60%, along with water, a humectant, and antiseptic ingredients.  This is best for oily skin but be cautious because overuse can cause dryness and irritation.

How often should you use it?  When using a toner based on your skin type, it is best to follow the product's instructions, advice from your physician, your Mom or what works best for you.  Most recommend using during your morning and night time routines but if once a day or once a week works best for you then that's what you do.

Always adjust your routine as needed.  I use a toner more in the summer than winter.  In summer I use a stronger toner (due to oily skin) and a gentle toner in winter (due to drier skin).

Please note this is very basic information, for informational purposes only and to help you as a consumer to make the best choice for yourself.  More detailed information can be found on the Internet or public library.

Why is there alcohol in my cosmetics?

Besides water, alcohol is a widely used ingredient in many cosmetics including hairspray, toners, perfume, shampoo/conditioners, and skin care products.  There are actually two kinds of alcohol and they come under a variety of names.

1.      Ethyl Alcohol. Its is known as Ethanol or Alcohol and evaporates quickly.  It is also formulated to taste “bitter” so that it isn’t ingested.  Yes, this is the same type of alcohol found in beer and wine which is why it is reformulated for cosmetic purposes.  This type of alcohol can be very drying.  Check the ingredients and if alcohol is listed in the first couple of ingredients then the products will tend to be stronger than if it was listed as the last ingredient.

2.      Fatty Alcohol.  This type of alcohol is also known as cetyl alcohol, cetearyl

alcohol, stearyl or behenyl alcohol.  It is commonly used in skin care products 

because of its beneficial uses for the skin which means it should not dry out your skin.  It can also be found in hand and body lotions and hair conditioners.

Start reading those ingredient labels!  Now I nearly flunked chemistry in high school (yes there went my scientific career) but I still want to know what’s in my cosmetics. Or at least have an idea of what some of the ingredients are so as consumers we can make informed decisions about what we buy.

This information is just a tiny bit compared to the information you can find on the Internet.  So if you are curious and/or want to know more about it there is a lot of information at your fingertips: so Google away!  Now I can take my tattered chemistry book back and use it as a doorstop again.

As a reference, the web site http://www.cosmeticsinfo.org has a lot of good information and allows you to enter the name of an ingredient then provide you with the information.  This is one of several web sites I'm using for information.

November Glossybox is on its way!

I love this beauty subscription service!  This month's theme is Modern Romance and I can't wait to see what's inside.  I should have the pictures and products from the October box ready very soon!

Big News From Abercrombie....

NOW they are going to launch a Plus Size line. oh (cough) that's nice.

Personally, I don't shop there, will never shop there, and why would I want to enter a nightclub store that really doesn't want my business?  This last year has seen a lot of companies, not to mention independent start ups, embrace and cater to curvier women.  We are not all a size 0 but we don't have to be and that's OK.  Its about time everyone started to really embrace diversity (i.e. our differences) and celebrate that we are people who all long to to be loved, accepted and appreciated no matter what our size, color, or gender is.

What do you think?  Are you excited or appalled? Let me know what you think.

à tout à l'heure

Update: Getting Back in the Groove

Years ago when my father developed high blood pressure, Mom and I had to painfully dissect all of the ingredients in everything we ate.  At that time I became very curious about what the ingredients were and what did all those big scientific words really mean.  Over the years, for example, I learned there were many names and descriptions for salt and sugar.  Once you understand what is in your food you can make better decisions on what you eat.

Recently, I've started to pay more attention to the ingredients in my beauty products and wondered (again) what did all of those big scientific (scary) words mean and what exactly are they.  So I started to research the ingredients and develop an understanding of what is in the products I buy.  I believe that once you understand what the ingredients are and what they do (or don't do) you can make better decisions about your skin care, hair care, make up and other products.

What I am going to do is evaluate the products I currently own, give you the information, and let you make the best decision for yourself.  I hope you find this educational and interesting because the old saying is true...knowledge is power.

à tout à l'heure 
(see you later) :)