Exfoliance Confort comforting exfoliating cream (Lancome)

Hello beauty lovers,

In this post, I am reviewing Lancome's Exfoliance Confort comforting exfoliating cream. This cleanser is very lightweight and gentle on skin. It has creamy texture with micro-spheres which gently exfoliate dry skin while cleansing. It is easy to smooth this product on the face and a little massage is more than enough to exfoliate. It cleans very well and does not leave my skin feeling tight or dry which is very important for me. Small amount of this product on your finger tips will be enough for the entire face area. I have been using this cleanser with the Exfoliance Confort toner and they are the perfect duo. 

I highly recommend this cleanser to people with dry or sensitive skin. It works flawlessly alone but if you pair it with the toner it's even better.

You can find Lancome Exfoliance Confort comforting exfoliating cream in high end retail stores (like Nordstrom, Macy's, etc.) and cosmetics stores (like Sephora) as well as www.lancome.com for MSRP $25.00

For more information you can check the official product page here.

Disclaimer: I am not paid for this review. All opinions in this review and all of the other reviews in this blog are my own.

Bienfait Multi-vital sunscreen lotion broad spectrum SPF 30 (Lancome)

Hello beauty lovers,

In this post, I am reviewing Lancome's Bienfait Multi-vital sunscreen lotion broad spectrum SPF 30. This moisturizer is very lightweight and non-greasy. It hydrates my skin all day long while providing a very good amount of protection from UVA and UVB rays. It is enriched with vitamins and antioxidants, which is always a good thing ;) Small amount of this product on your finger tips will be enough for the entire face and neck area. This product moisturizes my dry skin very well. I never have flaking or dry patches when I use this product. It also has a nice, light scent that I like.

I highly recommend this sunscreen lotion to everybody, it will be good for all skin types and for both men and women.

You can find Lancome Bienfait Multi-vital sunscreen lotion broad spectrum SPF 30 in high end retail stores (like Nordstrom, Macy's, etc.) and cosmetics stores (like Sephora) as well as www.lancome.com for MSRP $39.00

For more information you can check the official product page here.

Disclaimer: I am not paid for this review. All opinions in this review and all of the other reviews in this blog are my own.

Tonique Confort comforting rehydrating toner (Lancome)

Hello beauty lovers,

Today, I am reviewing Lancome's Tonique Confort comforting rehydrating toner. This toner is very gentle and soothing, yet it refreshes the skin instantly.  Small amount of this product on a cotton pad is enough for the entire face and neck area. I have dry skin and gentleness of this toner is perfect for me. I do not feel any itch or tightness after toning my skin. This product became a staple in my AM and PM facial care routine as a step 2, right after cleansing.

I highly recommend this toner to people with dry or sensitive skin for both summer and winter time.

You can find Lancome Tonique Confort comforting rehydrating toner in high end retails stores (like Nordstrom, Macy's, etc.) and cosmetics stores (like Sephora) as well as www.lancome.com for MSRP $25.00

For more information you can check the official product page here.

Disclaimer: I am not paid for this review. All opinions in this review and all of the other reviews in this blog are my own.

My August 2014 Birchbox

Hello beauty lovers,

My August Birchbox is shipped out on August 6 and arrived on August 12. 

I received samples of:
* Benefit Total Moisture Facial Cream
* Dr. Jart+ Dis-A-Pore Beauty Balm
* Neil George Shampoo
* Neil George Conditioner
* LAQA & Co. Lip Lube

I am extremely disappointed by my August 2014 box. I received 2 foil samples, one lip balm sample in a shade that I can never use, a really bad BB cream, and two samples of shampoo and conditioner (which I especially told in my profile that I do not want to receive). This box definitely does not worth the 10 bucks I paid :/

Benefit Total Moisture cream sample was 2 small pouches, each one is good for one day (two uses). This is a very small sample size in my opinion, especially if you consider this is a paid service and samples have to be deluxe size or full size products. The cream is good in general. It has a nice scent and good consistency. It is absorbed well by my dry skin. Maybe a bit thick for summer time thou, but definitely perfect for fall and winter.

Dr. Jart+ BB is the worst pore concealing BB cream I have ever tried, and believe me I tried a lot of them. It has a herby scent very similar to Dr Brandt's Pores No More pore refiner. I used it on my nose and cheeks near my nose where my pores are the most visible. The product immediately settled into my pores and created this dotted image (product in my pores look tad lighter than the rest of my skin). It looked horrible! I will never use it.

Neil George Shampoo is an average quality shampoo which did not do anything special to my hair that my current shampoo didn't (my current shampoo is L'Oréal Professionnel Mythic Oil Shampoo). It lathers well and creates a lot of bubbles but it's only because of the Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS) in the ingredients which is used to simulate skin burns in the lab environment. Although SLS is everywhere, but I try to pick products without it whenever I can. This shampoo has a big downside: the strong, masculine smell! I had to hold my breath until I washed it off completely. So, I don't think I will use this shampoo again.

Neil George Conditioner is an average quality conditioner which did not do anything special to my hair that my current conditioner didn't (my current conditioner is L'Oréal Professionnel Mythic Oil Conditioner). The strong, masculine smell is the problem here, too. I'm not going to use it. 

LAQA & Co. Lip Lube came in electric purple shade although my Birchbox profile reads "Classic". I don't know how the electric purple is considered to be a classic shade (?!). I still had to give it a chance before I judge it by its cover. It is true to color when applied and gives a matte finish. I can't say it moisturizes well, but at least it did not dry my lips either. It has a huge downside for me: the strong mint smell! I hate lip products with mint scent. I cannot keep them on. That's the very reason why I stopped using Burt's Bees lip balms years ago. I still cannot get myself to try another of them because of the memory of mint scent (it was a glittery white lip balm). The packaging is cute and the sample size is generous. I wish it was in another, more neutral or pink, shade so that I could maybe use it. But with the weird shade and the mint scent, I am definitely not going to use this product. 

So, you see, the August box is total loss for me. I am not happy at all :(( I hope I will get at least some items that I can use in my September 2014 box.

For those of you who are not familiar with Birchbox yet: It is a monthly cosmetics&skin care subscription service that costs $10/month (including shipping). They usually send 4-5 deluxe samples (and sometimes regular foil ones :/ ) of usually new and trendy brands.

For more information you can check the official page here.

Disclaimer: I am not paid for this review. All opinions in this review and all of the other review in this blog are my own. 

My very first Birchbox (July 2014)

Hello beauty lovers,

I have always wanted to try Birchbox but never got the subscription until late July. On July 24 i decided to give it a try. They shipped out my box on July 30 and it arrived on August 5.

I received samples of:
* Number 4™ Super Comb Prep & Protect
* Supergoop!® Daily Correct CC Cream ​SPF 35+
* Cynthia Rowley Beauty Eyeliner
* SmartyPants All-in-One Gummy Vitamins for Adults
* Harvey Prince Hello Body Cream

I can't say I'm impressed with my first box.

Number 4 spray smells awful. It's like molten plastic and it does not do anything for the frizz, in fact I think it makes my hair even frizzier than before using it. I won't be using it :/

Supergoop CC is okay-ish. Thou, it is a bit heavy in texture and becomes cakey on the face. Definitely not good for hot summer days. Plus, my husband was not crazy about its smell. So, I cannot use this one either :/

Cynthia Rowley eyeliner is a good product actually, but I received it in silver and that is not a color I can use. If I had blue eyes I would definitely rock it everyday, but I have brown eyes, so boohoo! :( It is a good size thou, very close to the full size. Also, the application is very smooth and smudge is minimal. If I received it in black or brown, I would be really happy.

Smarty Pants gummy is something I can never consume for one big reason: It is not Kosher/Halal or vegetarian. It has pork gelatin in it! Come on Smarty Pants, $30 for a bottle and you cannot even use a good vegetarian gelatin?! It will go to one of my non-Kosher/Halal friends.
Harvey Prince Hello cream is something I am happy about. It has sweet, citrus scent and feels very fresh on skin. The texture is a bit thin and runny but it is perfect for these hot-humid summer days. Love it! 

Plus, I received a free 1-year subscription for Women's Health magazine since this box was curated with them. There was an option to get a $9.99 refund instead of the actual magazines, so I went for this option. I filled out the form and mailed it with my subscription confirmation&July 2014 box shipment e-mail print-outs. Let's see how it turns out. I will keep you updated on this.

For those of you who are not familiar with Birchbox yet: It is a monthly cosmetics&skin care subscription service that costs $10/month (including shipping). They usually send 4-5 deluxe samples (and sometimes regular foil ones :/ ) of usually new and trendy brands.

For more information you can check the official page here.

Disclaimer: I am not paid for this review. All opinions in this review and all of the other reviews in this blog are my own.