I’ve been waiting to blog about several things and refuse to get rid of them before they’re totally done and accounted for on this blog.  If you knew what a neat freak my husband was you’d understand the depth of my commitment on this!  The point is if you’re looking for moisturizer you’ll want to keep a tab on www.steepingbeauty.com in the coming days as I settle up my accounting so to speak.  Anyway… let’s get to the product shall we?

The Youth - as we know it - is billed as “an extraordinary anti-aging concentrate” and it truly is just that.  It’s light – no greasy icky feeling.  Smells fresh, just like a fresh squeezed citrus fruit.  AND comes in a 1 fl oz pump bottle (I LOVE that it is non-contaminating!).  I generally use The Youth by night or days when I will not be out as there is no SPF added but everyone has their own thoughts on that.

If you’d like to buy or get more info on the entire The Youth line by bliss visit  www.blissworld.com

I gratefully received this product for review.

http://steepingbeauty.com

If you’re not familiar with Dr. Obagi’s products, let me tell you for starters they are in the prettiest plastic tubing in the beauty world in my opinion.  Elegant white with blue and silver trim with an interesting ‘zo’ logo (for Zo Skin Health).

As for the product, Oraser makes me wonder if liquid silk is possible.  Use on hands, wrists and cuticles for the best effect.  If you don’t already, treat yourself to a cuticle massage every day.  If you’re a nail biter, like me, it really helps curb the tempation when your hands look good and taste like lotion!

I received this as a free media sample but the opinion is all mine!

http://steepingbeauty.com

I’ve been missing a good exfoliant in my routine for some time now.  I went through a period of trying lots of different exfoliating products and paying the price afterwards… you know red, irritated skin an that horrible raw feeling.  It’s really bad and I guess I subconsciously retreated and stuck with foam cleansers which are very good but I personally need the extra push to get dead skin cells off every so often.

I really like Lancome’s Exfoliance Confort (Comforting Exfoliating Cream), it’s gentle, creamy and effective.  My skin feels s-o-f-t and smooth every time I use it (which is really my end goal in life!) 

My suggestions for best exfoliator use would be:

1. don’t use any exfoliating products too often… I like to use an exfoliant one, two or three times a week, no more
2. don’t exfoliate before a beauty deadline… nighttime, before bed would be best, just in case you won’t have to look all blotchy
3. give your skin some time on it’s own after exfoliating to see the effect on your skin, if your skin is way too dry after exfoliating you may have used too much product
4. Don’t over do it!  it’s not a scrubbing contest, take care not to agitate your skin too much.  You’ll know for next time, practice makes perfect!

I received this as a free media sample and the opinion is all mine. If you’d like to find out more, check out Lancome’s website. 

On a side note…

It appears I’ve created the word exfoliantaccording to spell check so I want to clarify… Exfoliant is used in this post to mean a product that exfoliates or exfoliating product.

http://steepingbeauty.com

Jurlique’s offering a summer gift set valued at $185 for $138 until September 23, 2009 or while supplies last. 

“A portion of the proceeds” will be donated to the Fashion Targets Summer Fridays Campaign.  Included in the set:

• Jurlique Purely Age-Defying Day Cream SPF 15 40 ml.
• Jurlique Citrus Hand Cream 125 ml.
• Jurlique Sun Lotion SPF 30+ 100 ml.
• Jurlique Citrus Purifying Mist 100 ml.
• Jurlique Citrus Silk Finishing Powder 10 g.

http://steepingbeauty.com

Jewelery lovers and those who use dice as a gambling medium will be familiar with the black obsidian stone. 

Black obsidians are known for their sleek, shiny appearance and now serve as inspiration to Giorgio Armani’slastest skincare offering, Crema Nera OMC³.

In search of its powerful vital energy, researchers studied the composition of obsidian and created the Obsidian Mineral Complex, a patented blend of four minerals – Iron, Silicon, Sodium and Potassium – naturally present in obsidian. When combined, these three ingredients form a powerful dermal restructuring system – a new-generation anti-aging technology to restore the very substance of the skin.

Sounds good to me!  Camilla Belle, Sophia Bush, Michelle Tractenberg, and America Ferrera are reportedly fans of the line. 

Crema Nera OMC³ has a suggested retail price of $185 so I’ll have to see lots of good things about this to bite.  Available September 2009.

http://steepingbeauty.com

A sweet little recipe to refill your spritzer or atomizer courtesy of Josie Maran, true “luxury with a conscience”.   Argan Oil is precious, and expensive making this a great way to s-t-r-e-t-c-h it out.

If you don’t have the fresh ingredients you can always buy the essence or oil from your local health food store. Easy and useful project.

http://steepingbeauty.com

I’ve had ups and downs but I currently do a night time skin routine right after dinner clean up.  The kids are generally content and involved with eachother and I can catch some stolen moments sink side.  This avoids the inevitable cycle –>kids in bed –> procure snacks –> jump on my bed –> engage laptop –> research, read and write –> fall asleep many hours later.

Staying up late makes you value every single extra second in bed in the morning that much more.  It’s a much calmer day when I’ve properly prepped before bed.  My skin looks better, feels softer, and it’s very comforting to know that while I slept my skin was resting and breathing with great products before another hectic day.

 A while back I received a sample of DERMELECT Self-Esteem Beauty Sleep Serum.  I had high hopes for this product because of the claim that it would reduce visible pore size (which is my biggest skin concern).  The result was ok, of course it was temporary but my skin looked even, lines and pores did look smaller.  It comes in an ultra cool twist bottle.  The formula is very liquidy which caught me buy surprise.  Generally, serums with this consistency come with a dropper versus the pump.  I kind of prefer this pump and there’s nothing to lose and there’s no chance for contamination.

http://steepingbeauty.com

CLARINS’ Eclat Minute or Instant Light Complexion Perfector is a light, discrete way to polish your skin without heavy makeup.  I really like the itty bit of luminosity and the way it evens out my skintone. 

I’m constantly battling enlarged pores and Instant Light is helpful on those days were a full makeup is out of the question but I still want to be presentable just in case.

As you can see in the pic, it comes in a tube but when you take the cap off, the surprise is that it’s a pump which I prefer.  No contamination of the product and combined with the cap it is protected from the elements.   The only shade I’m aware of is 00 Rose shimmer which is light but still ok for my warm olive skin.  If you have a darker skin shade or tan just mix in some foundation to darken it up.  It will still be lighter than a full foundation and you won’t waste any product.

Instant Light and other CLARINS products are available at www.clarins.com

http://steepingbeauty.com

ATTENTION:  gardeners and those who love them

Crabtree & Evelyn’s Gardeners Hand Recovery comes to the rescue.  Those of you who toil away in your garden know how dry and chapped hands can get.  Gardeners Hand Recovery comes in a tube, easy to squeeze out and won’t contaminate your entire supply of product.

It’s best to use on dry hands without water.  After a minute or two of massaging, rinse off.  Your hands will be soft and smooth for hours.  I’ve been using it right before bed with a moisturizer!  The treatment’s effects show up right away, skin is moisturized, soft and scented.

This would make a great hostess gift or little surprise for someone you love!

The rain and gloomy days haven’t inspired much gardening this year, just some trustworthy perennials!  How’s your gardening been this year?

http://steepingbeauty.com

Olay is getting the word out on FREE skin cancer screenings.  There’s some great information over there, a little scary but very real and informative.

Olay, the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS), and Kim Raver have joined together to invite you and your girlfriends to get a free skin cancer screening.

Visit Olay to locate a dermatologist near you some time soon.

http://steepingbeauty.com