Korres Watermelon Lightweight Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30 ($28.00 for 1 oz.) is a lightweight, tinted moisturizer. (I think the name of the product does a pretty good job of describing the product, yeah?) It’s a sheer, barely-dewy foundation that is an easy, on-the-go product. I typically use brushes/sponges to apply my foundation, but with tinted moisturizers, I tend to use my hands, as it’s the easiest method. Korres’ tinted moisturizer is incredibly thin, and it applies easily, but I find I need to apply quickly or else it dries down before I’m done.
I really liked the way the foundation makes my skin look, and I’m actually impressed that a tinted moisturizer could actually provide as much coverage as this one does. I do have post acne marks and the like, so I do have a few things I like to minimize/conceal, and Korres’ tinted moisturizer gives me a pretty even skin tone with no fuss. The product is designed to give you a medium coverage, and it definitely does so, but it feels extremely light. It feels lighter than a moisturizer, actually.
My only complaint about the tinted moisturizer is that it isn’t very moisturizing. It isn’t drying, but it doesn’t pack enough in the hydration department. I prefer to use my regular moisturizer first, let it dry, and then apply the tinted moisturizer. I have normal/combo skin, so I’m not usually super dry and rarely do I start off the day oily, so perhaps those with really oily skin would find this a great lightweight moisturizer, too.
Korres’ Watermelon Lightweight Tinted Moisturizer has the benefits of SPF30 (octinoxate, avobenzone), sheer to medium coverage, quick application, quick drying time, and it feels like you’re wearing nothing at all. It is also water-resistant with a “sweat-proof tint.” I’d say it’s pretty resistant, as it does almost feel like a tinted primer sometimes. I can’t say I’ve gone swimming in this yet, but it does wear well all day for me under regular conditions. For those concerned about ingredients, Korres doesn’t use parabens, sulfates, mineral oil, petro-chemicals, propylene glycols, ethanoomines, GMOs, or synthetic dyes.
Availability: Sephora.com
, Korres.com
Has anyone else tried this?
Photos of the foundation on… Continue reading →
Golden Apricot
Laura Geller’s Blush-N-Brighten Blushes ($29.50 each) are AMAZING. These are baked, marbleized pigments swirled together. They’re placed into terracotta pans, baked 24 hours, and the result is a soft, shimmery powder. If you love MAC’s Mineralize Skinfinishes, I think you’ll love these. Possibly even more. Why more? With the two I’ve tried, they give me a lot more color than many of the ones from MAC. I’ve always ended up using MAC’s MSFs as highlighters or complements to other blushes, rather than as a straight up blush. Besides, some of the real gems from MAC’s MSF releases are discontinued/were limited edition, so these provide you with an opportunity not to get sucked in by insane eBay prices, too!
The range currently includes six shades:
- Berry Pink, berry, cream, gold
- Golden Apricot Bronze, gold, rose
- Honey Dipped Bronze, gold, copper
- Pink Grapefruit Beige, mauve, pink shmmer
- Roseberry Rose, copper, pink
- Sunswept Bronze, coral, rose
The first shade I tried was Golden Apricot, which is a swirl/composition of coppery-peachy-orange, raspberry pink, apricot pink, and paler peach/apricot shades. It’s really pretty, has micro-fine shimmer, and the color goes on well. So despite the pretty look the blush has, it will kind of all swirl together and end up in one final shade — which is very much true to the name — golden apricot. You might call it a peachy-apricot, perhaps a peachy coral in a sense. It’s definitely a blush color that’s right up my alley, though. It would most definitely be a flattering shade on warmer skin tones, but I don’t think it is so warm as to make it difficult for cooler skin tones to wear it well.
The second shade I tried was Roseberry, which is a swirl/composition of rosy pink, a touch of raspberry, and a coppery-toned raspberry shimmer. This one looks less interesting at first glance, but it swatches beautifully. It’s a soft, rosy pink that’s not cool at all. It’s neutral-to-slightly-warm. It’s not overly intense, nor is it sheer. I find that the Blush-N-Brighten blushes are buildable in color/intensity. The shimmer is almost a soft gold sheen, but it doesn’t feel chunky at all.
Overall, I’m pretty impressed by Laura Geller’s Blush-N-Brighten blushes. The shimmer is extremely fine and soft–no chunky glitter here–and the color pigmentation is perfect. The ones I tried out included Laura Geller’s retractable brush for application, too ($35.00 each instead of $29.50), but the included brush is worth the extra $5.50. It’s ridiculously soft and dense. You won’t find one of those tossed in brushes that you’ll never use in these. Kudos to Laura Geller for that! (I’d say pick up one blush with the brush, and then you can just buy the blushes alone, since one is probably enough!)
See an image of Roseberry Blush-N-Brighten and swatches! Continue reading →
Lavanila The Healthy Body Butter ($25.00 for 8 oz.) is fast becoming a staple body lotion in my household. I love the Vanilla Lavender scent best, because it works well for both daytime and night time. I think I might have a slight preference towards night time, because the lavender scent is soothing and relaxing–perfect for getting relaxed and into sleep-mode.
Although the majority of my body isn’t dry, my legs tend to get dry quickly–if I don’t moisturize them every day, they get to scaly within a week flat. I’m not the best at remembering (or bothering, because let’s face it, I can be lazy!) to put moisturize on every day, so I tend to prefer moisturizers that are richer and more hydrating, so I can get away with missing a few days here and there without suffering the lizardy consequences. The Healthy Body Butter is an extremely thick and rich body butter in a squeeze-tube form, which is definitely a huge plus. I prefer squeeze tubes for lotions, because I feel like I get more control out of it. (A lot of body butters tend to come in jars/tubs.)
It uses 100% pure shea and cocoa butters along with goji berry and kakadu plum (antioxidants). Like the rest of Lavanila’s products, it doesn’t contain parabens, sulfates, synthetic dyes/fragrances, petro-chemicals, phthalates, or triclosan. The body butter applies easily, because you can slide and blend it even on dry skin. It dries down within five minutes, and my skin feels hydrated all day long. No greasy feeling, no sticky aftermath. Just smooth, moisturized skin that thanks me over and over again for not neglecting it.
I recommend this product for…
Anyone with a propensity towards dry skin
Anyone who loves vanilla-themed scents
Anyone who is sensitive to chemicals
Anyone who is looking for natural alternatives
All ages, skin tones, and skin types
Availability: Sephora.com
Bobbi Brown’s Nautical Collection recently debuted, and it featured products ideal for the summer months. It consisted of six limited edition Sheer Color Cheek Tints ($22.00 each) and four shades of Sheer Color Lip Gloss ($20.00 each).
I tried three of the six shades of the Sheer Color Cheek Tints — Sheer Coral, Sheer Pink, and Sheer Raspberry. Sheer Coral is a lightly frosted pink-coral shade with a little bit of shimmer. It’s a warmer pink as well. Sheer Pink is a cooler medium pop of pink with less frost and more sheen. Sheer Raspberry is a sheer, pink with just a touch of raspberry to it that has a nice low sheen. All three are great to use on cheeks to give a sheer, natural pop of color, but they can also be worn underneath powder blushes. You can use these to layer cheek products, so you are able to increase the wear-time of your colors during the hotter months ahead.
The Sheer Color Lip Glosses are all sheer, translucent shades of color with no shimmer nor stickiness. They’re fairly thick, but they go on smoothly and provide a natural glossiness to lips. I really want to emphasize how sheer these are (they are called “Sheer Color” for a reason), because I’d hate for you to think they were opaque and be disappointed. Sailor is a deep red in the tube, but it goes on as more of a “just bitten” kind of color–really quite wearable. Marina Pink is a wine-red in the tube, but it goes on similar to Sailor. Popsicle Pink is hue of medium pink with a little bit of raspberry in it, and it is the most “pigmented” of the four. Cabana Corla is a pink with coral/peach tones in it to warm it up.
Recommended for…
Anyone who loves sheer glosses
Anyone who loves non-sticky glosses
Anyone who likes more natural, everyday makeup
Anyone who likes cream blushes/cheek stains
Availability: Nordstrom.com
See more product photos and swatches! Continue reading →
Lavanila just recently launched The Healthy Deodorant ($18.00). It is touted as 100% natural, 100% healthy, and 100% effective. It is free of aluminum, parabens, propylene glycol, talc, phthalates, and triclosan. It uses a beta-glucan technology with antioxidants, active botanicals, and essential oils to fight against odor in addition to keeping skin smooth.
It’s available in four scents:
- Pure Vanilla
- Vanilla Coconut
- Vanilla Lavender
- Vanilla Grapefruit
I tested out the Vanilla Lavender scent, and I really put it to work, as it was about 85 degrees here, and I was running around playing with the dog for a bit. The Healthy Deodorant met the challenge, and I was surprised at how longwearing it is. In my experience, deodorants that are more organic or “natural” tend to just not work quite as well as other deodorants.
The Healthy Deodorant keeps me dry all day long, and it has a nice scent, too. I find most deodorants smell quite powdery (no matter the scent), kind of as an after-scent, but Vanilla Lavender smelled like a slightly sweet lavender scent. It’s dome-shaped, which actually makes it easier to use than deodorants I’ve tried in the past. It glides on easily and doesn’t leave a slew of white film behind either. I’ll definitely be checking out the other scents, too, when I run out of this one!
Availability: Sephora.com
Philosophy Unconditional Love Firming Body Emulsion (16 oz. for $34) is a ridiculously well-hydrating moisturizer for your body with the same, blackberry ‘n vanilla sweetness as Unconditional Love Eau de Toilette I wrote about earlier. Again, despite being a rather sweet and fruity scent (with a good dose of warm vanilla), it’s not cloying or overly sweet. It also doesn’t turn once it’s applied to skin.
The Firming Body Emulsion has a “synergistic blend of vitamins E and C provides antioxidant protection and firming properties to help tone the skin.” That’s fancy talk for ingredients that are supposed to help your skin look better. I don’t really buy into firming body products–they take a long time to work, you really have to work it in (a lot of the “firming” effect comes from all your hard work!), and apply it at least twice a day. It’d be nice if it did anything, but I really just like it and use it for the likeable scent and how moisturizing it is.
I also like to use this to layer with the fragrance to help bring out the scent a bit more, since both are lightly scented. One bottle will definitely last me several months of everyday usage — I’d say I use two pumps per leg, and then another three pumps for the rest of me. Each “pump” of product isn’t very much, either.
I will say that the vitamin E inclusion is nice, because vitamin E can help reduce some skin concerns, though. It’s the olive and macadamia nut oils and shea butter that I care about, since those three together are one whopper of a hydrator!
