Translate

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Do you believe in magic?

Hello beauty lovers,

I have been trying the sensational Egyptian Magic cream for the past 10 days to heal dryness all over and wanted to share my personal experience with you. 


10 days ago, my Egyptian Magic arrived in a small cardboard box filled with cute red and blue shredded paper which complimented the product packaging. Such a sweet start! 


When magic arrives in such a cute packaging, you know things will go well.

When I opened the jar, the cream almost seemed like petroleum jelly (color and consistency wise). But, I noticed the huge difference when I took a small dab. It melted with my body temperature just like extra virgin coconut oil, which showed how pure this cream is with no added stabilizers. Perfect! It is absorbed well by my normal-to-dry skin and left a nice glow. This gave me the idea to use it as highlighter to create a soft strobing effect, and yes, it worked well ;) The same glow is nice on nails and lips as well. So, this multi-functional jar of miracle will polish you up while healing all the dryness your skin got. 

I make an effort to use clean products with no added chemicals, alcohol, parabens, GMOs whenever possible. Oxidants cause cell aging and added chemicals, parabens and GMO ingredients cause oxidative stress on skin cells which creates wrinkles (boo! We don't want them). Alcohol and astringent ingredients should always be avoided because they cause free-radical damage and irritation, which hurts your skin's ability to repair itself and damages its ability to produce healthy collagen (source: Paula's Choice). I am in love with the clean formulation of Egyptian Magic and knowing that it's safe to use even on babies gives me great peace of mind.

The ingredient list is short and items are familiar to everyone. Once a wise person said "If you cannot easily pronounce/understand an ingredient in the list, there is something wrong with that product." Luckily, we all can pronounce and recognize (and also eat :P) all of the ingredients (shown in the image below). It's also PETA approved cruelty-free <3 (you can confirm here).

This image is taken from Egyptian Magic 
I had very specific problems which I hoped Egyptian Magic would help me with: 
* I had a small dry spot on my ankle (in the front, right where my foot and ankle meets) for so long. I tried so many different products from Vaseline to Neosporin to even Cortisol creams, none of them helped. I have been applying a small amount of Egyptian Magic once a day for the past 10 days, and my dry spot is almost gone, no redness anymore, yay!

* My lips are so dry, I have to exfoliate them 2-3 times a week and apply lip balm at least 5-6 times a day. I stopped exfoliating 2 days before I started using Egyptian Magic. Applying a small amount of this cream only once a day removed all my exfoliation needs and I do not have to apply balm so frequently anymore. Also, I like the nice glow it puts on my lips, sometimes I use Egyptian Magic in place of lip gloss ;)  

* I use cuticle oil on my nails regularly, but it's a bit messy. I cannot touch anything for 10 minutes after applying. I decided to stop using cuticle oil for a while and started applying this cream once a day for the past 10 days. Now, my cuticles look so good and nails look/feel much healthier. I did not experience a single nail break after Egyptian Magic, and believe me, my nails were the weak, brittle type.

* I keep placing my elbows on the table, unintentionally, while working. This makes them so dry and rough. After using Egyptian Magic on my elbows for the past 10 days only once a day, they are like a baby's bottom now you just have to touch to believe :D

* I also tried Egyptian Magic on the following areas and observed perfect results:
  • Fixing split ends on hair,
  • Reducing frizz on hair (use very little),
  • Using it as facial sleeping mask for all-over hydration (and getting rid of wrinkles),
  • Using it to heal dry-rough heels.

l have a very long flight coming up soon and am planning on keeping Egyptian Magic with me to deal with the dry cabin air, along with my sheet masks. After every flight my skin and lips get super dry, I'm sure my solution is around here somewhere ;) I will keep you updated on how it goes.

Another tip I can give you to keep a jar of this miracle in your purse during the day and when your shoes start to hurt your feet apply a bit on the pressure points. This will reduce friction, give your feet relief, and prevent painful blisters.

If you would like to strengthen your eyebrows, apply some of this cream and they will be nourished with a hint of glow.

Here are some of the most popular uses of Egyptian Magic from their website:
• Face moisturizer 
• Makeup primer 
• Hydrating face mask 
• Lip Balm 
• Eye cream 
• Makeup remover 
• After-sun 
• Scars 
• Itching, rashes, minor burns relief 
• Soothing and treating skin irritations 
• Eczema and Psoriasis 
• After-shave 
• Hair Treatment 
• Hand and cuticle cream 
• Body cream 
• Cracked heels and elbows 
• Vaginal moisturizer and lubricant 
• Massage balm 
• Tattoo aftercare 
• Pregnancy: stretch marks, cracked nipples 
• Baby cream, nappy rash

For those of you who are not familiar with Egyptian Magic yet, I would like to share the first paragraph of the 2007 New York Times article on how it all started:
"The Story of Egyptian Magic begins in 1986 at a Chicago Diner when an elderly man approached Westley Howard (The name Mr. ImHotepAmonRa was then known as), who was passing through as a water filter salesman at that time. The elderly man said to Westley, “Brother, the Spirit has moved me to reveal something to you.”. In that moment, Mr.ImHotepAmonRa said, ” It didn’t seem too weird to me. I’m a Spiritual person, so these things happen to me all the time.
"

Now, if I grabbed your attention, please go here to read the full New York Times article :)

Egyptian Magic is the sweetheart of celebrities, fashion industry, and dermatologists. I know many doctors would recommend using this cream to heal burns and skin problems faster. What is better than being able to heal without using all the nasty chemicals?
You can see all endorsements here.

If you would like to purchase it in store you can locate the closest retailer to you using this page. Or if you prefer ordering it online, you can do it so using this link

Egyptian Magic has two sizes available:
* 2 oz jar retails for $26
* 4 oz jar retails for $39

I also noticed that Costco has a bundle that lets you get 4 oz and 2 oz jars together for only $39.99+free shipping (+$2 non member surcharge if you are not a member), you can find the product page here.

I hope this review will be helpful to you and you will love Egyptian Magic as much as I do. Thanks for reading.


Disclaimer: Egyptian Magic kindly sent this product to me for review purposes. But, all opinions in this review and all of the other reviews in this blog are 100% my own.

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

My October 2015 Birchbox

Hello beauty lovers,

My October 2015 Birchbox just arrived and I love it. I received the following samples:
Avène Soothing Moisture Mask = 5 ml tube (value = $2.6),
Dear Clark, Thickening Balm = 1 oz tube (value = $6.5),
ORIGINS Modern Friction™ Nature's gentle dermabrasion =  15 ml tube (value = $4.74),
Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo = 0.75 oz can (value = $3.11),
Eyeko Black Magic Mascara (my PYS) = 4 ml tube (value = $10.76).


After my September box, this one didn't seem to have such great value but I am happy with them all because I haven't tried any of these before. Also, there is nothing I won't use in here, so, good job Birchbox :)

I picked the Eyeko Black Magic mascara during sample choice period last month. I haven't used any Eyeko products before and heard such good things about this mascara. I am glad I picked this one, it is the highest value item in the box. I was planning on going with the Stila mascara but changed my mind when I saw this one as one of the options. However, I was unusually lucky this month and Stila appeared in my second box even though I subscribed on October 3rd to use the $5 box code before it expired. 

As I mentioned, all of these products are new to me and I am very excited to discover new skincare.

Avène Soothing Moisture Mask is such a small sample, barely enough for 1-2 uses. But still, I like Avene products and this one also did not disappoint. I used it right after cleansing my face with Suki exfoliating cleanser (wonderful cleanser btw, get it immediately if you haven't done so already). After 15 minutes, I wiped it off with a cotton pad as directed and my skin looked and felt well moisturized and supple. This mask will be good for dry  winter months. 

Dear Clark, Thickening Balm is a nice sized product I will be able to take with me while traveling. It smells fresh and feels light on my fine-flat hair. I used it only once (on damp hair), so I do not see long term results yet. But it made my hair look a bit more voluminous after air-dried. 

ORIGINS Modern Friction™ Nature's gentle dermabrasion is another tiny sample, but at least this is dermabrasion cream, so a little will go a long way. It is gentle, yet still exfoliates well.

Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo looks and smells so good! It doesn't leave any residue and is very effective in refreshing the roots. I like this small purse addition, it will definitely come in handy for some mid-day hair pick me ups ;)

Eyeko Black Magic Mascara sample size is great for purse and travel. It has a curved brush and creates a subtle look which is ideal for day time. I had to apply several coats to get some curling and lengthening, but I don't mind that. It is enriched with Keratin and Shea Butter which makes me feel better about applying mascara ;) It was also easy to take it off using Lancome Bi-Facil (after activating) and did not leave any residue. So far, I love it!

Overall, I like every single item in this box and am glad I picked the Eyeko mascara as my PYS.

If you think of subscribing or resubscribing please use the code: 
"SUBSCRIBENOW50" to get $5 to spend in the shop or 
"BBJETBLUE10" to get $10 to spend in the shop. 
There is also "BCABOX" code which gives power pose curated box as your first box. Another code which will expire on October 16 is "2FOR1BOX", which sends the customer favorites box along with your first box, which is great! 
It is even better if you use a referral link to make another person happy too (referring person will get $5 in BB shop if you subscribe through their link). So, please ask your BB subscriber friend for a referral link. If you don't know anyone who subscribes you can also ask me to send you a referral, if you wish ;)

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 for US or here for Canada.

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.

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

My September 2015 Birchbox

Hello beauty lovers,

My September 2015 Birchbox just arrived and I love it. I received the following samples:
Malin+Goetz cleanser = 15 ml tube (value = $2),
Malin+Goetz face moisturizer = 3 ml foil (value = $1.15),
Davines Love shampoo = 75 ml bottle (value = $7.4),
Davines Love conditioner = 12 ml foil (value = $1.4),
Acure cleansing gel = 30 ml tube (value = $2.5),
100% Pure eye cream = 8 ml tube (value = $7.5),
Japonesque eye shadow duo = 1.6 g (value = $12).


I seem to have the best boxes during September each year. Last year's September box was also a great 7-item one.

I picked the Davines Love shampoo and conditioner during the sample choice period last month. I haven't used Davines before and was dying to try something from them. I am glad I picked this one, I got to review for 20 total points instead of 10 and the shampoo size is really good. 

Actually, all of these products are new to me and I am very excited to discover new skincare. Also, special thanks to Birchbox for sending me this beautiful full size Japonesque eye shadow duo which came in my favorite neutral shades (Shade 8). Its case looks beautiful and the size is just perfect to carry around in my purse. The shadows are very pigmented and buildable. These two tones of brown work great together for a soft smoky-eye look. 

Malin+Goetz cleanser feels nice on my skin and cleans well. I like the refreshing grapefruit scent. 

Malin+Goetz moisturizer also feels soft and light on my skin. Although the sample size was a bit small, I still was able to get one use out of it. It is absorbed well and does not leave any residue.

Davines Love/Shampoo smells so good and feels great on my hair. Lather amount is nice, overall it is lovely indeed.

Davines Love/Conditioner also smells great and makes my hair so soft. I like how nourishing it is. I like how this pair works so well together. These were my first Davines products to try and now I know why the Brand is a sensation.

Acure Organics face cleanser is really gentle on my skin, yet cleans really well. I like that all the products of Acure are fair trade, natural, and certified organic; They are also very easy to find in places like Whole Foods and Target.

100% Pure coffee bean caffeine eye cream is a gentle eye cream. It is absorbed well and does not leave any residue. Brand website describes their products as 100% free of artificial colors, artificial fragrances, synthetic chemical preservatives and all other toxins. This is an approach I like very much as it gives plenty of cosmetics&skin care options to people with fragrance, etc allergies. 

I don't know if you noticed too, but over the past year I noticed a strong effort by Birchbox to include more organic and cruelty free brands in their boxes. I appreciate it very much that they are putting an effort for better without increasing the costs.      

Overall, I like every single item in this box and am glad I picked the Davines samples as my PYS.

If you think of subscribing or resubscribing please use the code "5BOX" to get your first box at $5. It is even better if you use a referral link to make another person happy too (referring person will get $5 in BB shop if you subscribe through their link). So, please ask your BB subscriber friend for a referral link. If you don't know anyone who subscribes you can also ask me to send you a referral, if you wish ;)

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 for US or here for Canada.

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.

Thursday, September 10, 2015

My September 2015 Beautyfix

Hello beauty lovers,

My September 2015 Beautyfix just arrived and I love it. I received the following samples:
* Dr. Brandt BB Cream (full size - $39.00)
* SkinMedica TNS Eye Repair – 2 g (Value $13.80)
* Sanitas Lemon Cream Scrub – 60 ml (Value $9.60)
* Nick Chavez Starlet Shine Spray – 3.5 oz (full size - $19.00)
* SkinCeuticals PHLORETIN CF – 1 ml? (Value $5.40)
* Avene Retrinal 0.1 intensive cream – 3 ml (Value $6)
* Jane Iredale Just Kissed Lip and Cheek Stain Mini in forever peach
* L’Occitane Shea Butter Soap Verbena – 50 g (Value $3.50)
* NIA24 SPF Lotion SPF 30 – 1 oz (Value $19.60)
* Raw Spirit Summer Rain perfume sample




The box was so empty, they had to fill it with air pillows. To better illustrate, I was able to put my filled Birchbox box in and close the Beautyfix box :/ I still like the curation of this box.

I am especially excited for Dr. Brandt, Sanitas (smells great), and Nia24. The rest will be used or swapped away. All in all, I think this box is worth $24.99+tax or $34.99+tax since the Dr Brandt alone is $39+tax in Sephora (and Nick Chavez is $19+tax), but it is an even better deal for %50 off. So, if you are not subscribed yet but considering, I would say go for it.

Dermstore seems to send great boxes every other month now, so I hope the October box will be even better.

For those of you who are not familiar with Beautyfix yet: It is a monthly cosmetics&skin care subscription service that costs $24.99/month (including shipping) if you subscribe or $34.99 (including shipping) if you purchase a single box by Dermstore. If you subscribe nowadays, you can get the first month 50% off at $12.48. They usually send 10 full size products and deluxe samples of high end and usually dermocosmetics brands. You can find almost all of the products/brands in Dermstore. 
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 August 2015 Birchbox

Hello beauty lovers,

I received the following lovely samples in my August 2015 Birchbox:
* Rene Furterer LISSEA Leave-In Smoothing Fluid
* OPI Venice Collection My Gondola or Yours? (black)
* Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion Skin Exfoliant
* St. Tropez Gradual Tan In Shower Lotion
* LAQA & Co. lip & cheek tint crayon in Humble Brag (blush pink) shade.




I picked the Candidly Nicole curated box during the sample choice period last month. I was excited to get especially Dr. Brandt and LAQA & Co. samples in this box, also none of the other options caught my eye. I haven't tried 3 out of 5 items in this box: St. Tropez, LAQA & Co., and Rene Furterer. I regularly use and love OPI nail polishes and Dr. Brandt microdermabrasion cream, so it was the best option for me. 

Rene Furterer LISSEA Leave-In Smoothing Fluid smells nice and leaves my hair soft. This fluid works well on tips to protect from heat, also reduces frizz nicely.

OPI Venice Collection My Gondola or Yours? (black) was not exactly the shade I was hoping to receive, I'd rather receive the Amore at the Grand Canal (red) shade that was originally listed under my box. I used to use a lot of black and indigo nail polishes during my teens and twenties, but in thirties I tend to go for more classic shades like red or nude. In general, OPI polishes apply evenly and give rich color, but they tend to chip so it's better to use a top coat with them.  

Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion Skin Exfoliant is one of my skincare staples. I was happy to receive this sample size to keep in my travel kit. I like how gentle it is even on sensitive skin, but exfoliates so well. This cream also smells so good and a little goes a long way. I definitely recommend this exfoliator.

St. Tropez Gradual Tan In Shower Lotion is completely new to me. I tried it once but found the application a bit bothersome. It requires applying evenly on wet skin after rinsing the shower gel out and waiting in the shower with no water running for a minimum 3 minutes which gets boring. The time I tried I applied some hair mask at the same time to utilize the waiting time better, but still I can't see myself using this in shower tanner on regular basis. 

LAQA & Co. lip & cheek tint crayon is a nice matte lip and cheek tint. It applies evenly and gives out a good amount of color. I found it a bit difficult to blend the color on cheeks, so I mainly use it as a lip color. This color looks natural, it is especially good for gym (yes, I wear colored lip balm or natural lipstick shades at the gym :) ).

Overall, I like every single item in this box and am glad I picked this one.

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 for US or here for Canada.


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.

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

My July 2015 Birchbox

Hello beauty lovers,

My July Birchbox arrived earlier than usual this month (Hurray!).
I received the samples of:
Stila look at me liquid lipstick in Venezia (Coral)
Amika Un.Done Texture Spray
Macadamia Professional™ Weightless Moisture Leave-In Conditioning Mist
COOLA® SPF 30 Organic Makeup Setting Spray
theBalm® cosmetics Balm Desert® Bronzer/Blush

I am quite happy with my July 2015 box. Luckily, I did not receive any foil samples this month. Sizes of my samples were pretty generous, especially the Macadamia hair mist is huge and I love their products :)





I picked the color Venezia for my Stila stay all day lipcolor during the sample choice period last month. This seemed like the least bright color among the three (others were bright pink Bell and bright red Beso). I can't work Barbie pink and I already have so many red lip colors, so having a coral-red warm color is nice. This lip color really does stay all day. I put this on around 3pm on our anniversary before we went out and it stayed on all day through the end of a cheese and chocolate fondue dinner :O I heard others complain about how difficult it is to remove it, but I find it quite easy to remove it using some Vichy Purete Thermale micellar water on a cotton pad.

Amika un.done texture spray is my first Amika product, so I am happy to try them. I like their packaging. I didn't expect the spray to make my hair crunchy or mattify it, but this is exactly what it did :/ I like volume on my thin, straight hair but I also like the shine and softness to come with it. Sadly, Amika was a no go for me.

I like Macadamia Professional products and this weightless moisture leave-in conditioning mist was also a winner for me. I like the way it smells and feels. Plus the size is so generous, I will be able to use it for long time. It's also TSA friendly, so yay! for a new addition to my travel toiletries.

I like Coola products, too. Although I do not use make up setting sprays, this organic makeup setting spray was intriguing because of the SPF in it. I like the idea of having a facial mist with high SPF. Sometimes I forget to put SPF on before powder and blush and it's either "go out without SPF" or "remove and redo", such a hassle, I hate it. I will definitely order the full size of this spray.  

The Balm has the cutest packaging, but their samples are so tiny. The surface area of this Balm Desert bronzer/blush sample is as big as a dime and I didn't want to bother trying to apply it with a shadow brush. So, this went into the swap pile.

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.

Monday, June 8, 2015

Influenster Bella VoxBox

Hello Beauty Lovers,

My Bella VoxBox from Influenster was full of goodies! This is my first multiple item VoxBox and I am so happy to get a chance to try each one of them.


My box included the following items:

Sally Hansen - Airbrush Legs: This is the first time I tried the medium shade of this cream. I always thought it would be too dark for my skin tone but the result was a nice tan shade. Cream put an instant veil on my legs and the flawless finish did not go away all night long. All in all I am happy with the performance of this product. 

Rimmel London - Scandal Eyes Mascara by Kate Moss: I like how this mascara creates a full-lengthened look on my lashes. There is no smudging, flaking or clumping. That is more than enough for me to classify a mascara as winner ;)

Rimmel London - Lasting Finish Lipstick by Kate Moss: This semi-matte lipstick glides on so smoothly, is highly pigmented, stays on long even with drinking and eating, and also does not smudge/bleed even without a lip pencil. I love it!


Not Your Mother's - Déjà Vu 'Do Style Extender: This lightweight cream smells delicious. I just apply a small amount on my towel dried hair and style as usual. It really does extend the time my style stays put. I like it.


Dove - Whole blueberries chocolate: This box has everything to make a girl happy, including these delicious chocolate goodness! They are basically whole blueberries inside a layer of dark chocolate, double antioxidants from berries and cocoa. Totally healthy and delicious! These are so good, I totally recommend them ;)

Ecotools - Mattifying finish powder brush: This is my first Ecotools brush and I am totally in love! Hair is so soft and there is no shedding. The brush arm is comfortable to grip and the pattern looks chic. I tried it with both loose and compact powder and it performed perfectly with both. Application is even and there is no falling/residue. I can't wait to try the other brushes by Ecotools.

You can find more information on how Influenster works by visiting their website at www.influenster.com

Disclaimer: This product was given to me by Influenster, free of charge, for testing purposes.