Allergies!!!

I am back in Oakville, Ontario for three weeks and my allergies have gone haywire! I have had a couple of spring/summer seasons where my days were spent trying to make my eyes less red and puffy, and using all my willpower not to rub my eyes into mascara-smeared racoon eyes. I tried to avoid using allergy meds as much as possible, but after talking to my Doctor, it is worth it to make sure to take those over the counter antihistamines as soon as you feel any symptoms in conjunction with an eye drop specifically for allergies. I like the Clear Eyes allergy drops and for an antihistamine, I stick with the Life Brand from shoppers since it's the same stuff as the brand name. Now all won't work for everyone. For example, Claratin and Reactine are two totally different medications, so try one and if it doesn't work for you, try the other. Loratadine (generic name) works best for me. So why am I posting about this on a beauty blog? There is nothing worse than itchy, watery eyes, a red nose and a puffy face when all you want to do is feel spring pretty!! Keep those allergies at bay and during the really bad days, focus your makeup around your lips and keep your eyes neutral with minimal liner and definitely use waterproof mascara so that you don't end up a runny mess.

Homemade Skin Care: Honey Scrub

I LOVE honey. I eat it with apples, peanut butter, on bread with butter, and the list goes on. But I have another use for honey! A lot of people have heard of using mixing honey with oatmeal or yogurt to make a face mask, but what I do is when the honey in my pantry has started to crystalize, I put it aside and let it fully turn to crystals. Then I put the container in my shower and use the crystalized honey as an all over body scrub after I have cleansed. It leaves my skin feeling soft, and because it is a humectant, it holds in the moisture from the shower helping to keep your skin hydrated all day. Of course, it smells fantastic too!

Product Review: Dermatix

Over the years, I have had the need to use this gel for various reasons. Surgery incisions, acne scars and most recently, a not-so-successful attempt at waxing (lesson learned: don't ever waxas soon as you step out of a hot bath - the skin is way too soft and prone to peeling off with the wax and hair!).

This stuff is pricey (about $45 CDN for a small 15g tube), but a little bit goes a very long way. It is a thick silicone gel that acts like a barrier, protecting the skin and allowing it to heal at the optimal rate for scar prevention. It can also work to reduce the look of scars that are already there. The newer the scar, the more effective it is.

When used consistently, it does an incredible job of preventing scars and reducing the appearance of existing scars. I have asked my GP, orthopedic surgeon and my dermatologist what to use for scars, and all three suggested Dermatix. I highly recommend this product to everyone. Even if you don't need it now, it's great to have in the medicine cabinet just in case! I could not buy this off the shelf, but they do sell it over the counter at the pharmacy.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!!!

Product Review: Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Cleanser

From Paula's Website:

• A perfect combination of cleansing and soothing ingredients to bring your skin into balance
• Gentle enough for use around the eyes
• Quickly removes makeup—even mascara
• Reduces the look of large pores
• Softly foaming and rinses without a hint of residue—all you see and feel is clean, soft skin
• 100% fragrance-free and contains no dyes or coloring agents

I have been using Paula's Choice products for about two years now and I can't say enough about most of the sin care I have tried from her line. This cleanser is no exception.

The cleanser truly is soothing. My skin is often dry and irritated and this cleanser leaves it feeling soft with no tight, dry feeling after washing. It is definitely gentle enough around the eyes and will take off most eyemakeup as long as it's not waterproof or smudgeproof. I still rely on my Biotherm eyemakeup remover for that. I also love that it foams up. I really don't like the feeling of cream cleansers. I never really feel like it's done the job of taking off all of my makeup. As for reducing the look of large pores. Other than a physical pore filler, nothing has ever done anything to reduce the look of my pores unfortunately!

As a cleanser, this is at the TOP of my list and I will definitely buy it again as well as recommend it to anyone with any skin type, especially combination.

A new day - A new life - Some beauty on a budget!

Well, it has been a crazy year and a half for me. I have moved from Ontario, Canada to California, USA (near San Francisco). I am now on a strict beauty budget and don't even have all of my makeup / skincare with me here. But somehow, I have managed with only the basics!

So today, I'd like to hear what your budget beauty tips are. Mine is a must have for everyone - Moisturizer. I do love a good, expensive, luxurious cream, but that isn't always an option. So when I am trying to save, I always reach for the Cetaphil lotion. It is lightweight, but moisturizing enough for my very dry skin. I am also acne prone, and it never causes me to break out. Also, for any of you who get irritated skin in the winter (eczema, redness, itchiness), this cream is actually very soothing and calming. There is just something about it that when my skin starts to get angry at the weather, Cetaphil will calm it right down!

I have really missed being part of the beauty blogging community! I hope to be around much more often again!

Product Review: Anew Clinical Derma-Full X3 Facial Filling Serum

From Avon's website:

3X the level of dermatologist grade hyaluronic acid for filling and plumping, use after PM cleansing before moisturizing.

In just 3 days: Begins to fill in wrinkles for a smoother, younger look.

In just 2 weeks: 82% of women saw more youthful-looking fullness in cheek area

In 4 weeks: Dramatically reduces the look of deep facial folds and hollowness

I have been using this serum for over a month now, and I absolutely LOVE it. As for the anti-aging claims, I really can't say it's done anything for any of my lines and wrinkles, but here is what it does do for me:

• For a serum, it is quite moisturizing. If you have oily skin, you could probably skip moisturizer all together
• I can feel it tingling, but not in an irritating way. Since I have been using this, my flaky patches have disappeared (yay!). This makes the texture of my skin so smooth for foundation.
• I also feel like my skin is brighter, no more dullness.

It can be pricey at full retail $60, however Avon often has it on sale, and I know right now it's availble for $29, which in my opinion is a steal for this product.

Product Review: Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Sun-Damage Lotion for Face and Eyes

I have been very lucky to receive some free things in the mail by being a BzzAgent . About a month ago I received a full size bottle of Garnier's Skin Renew Anti-Sun-Damage Lotion for Face and for Eyes. Here is some info from Garnier's website:

"New Skin Renew Anti-Sun-Damage is clinically proven to reverse the signs of sun damage, including fine lines, discolourations and dullness, in four weeks."

I have been using both lotions for a month now, every day before I put on my makeup. The lotion for face is SPF28 which I love because most moisturizers have only SPF15. The lotion for eyes is SPF15. These are very rich lotions and I would highly recommend them for anyone with very dry skin. Since I have been using them, I have not once needed to apply cream to my face during the day, which I normally do. That being said, I don't find it greasy or heavy feeling and it absorbs into the skin nicely. It gives amazing sun protection and after several days of long sun exposure, I didn't get any redness on my face. Usually my nose and forehead will burn.

As for the claims of reversing the signs of aging.. well, I really didn't see any difference in fine lines. They are all still there in their fine and fabulous glory! However, my skintone does seem more even, but that could be to the fact that even though I didn't burn, after being the sun all day I still did get some colour which naturally evens things out. So, the verdict is out on that one. As for dullness, well considering how moisturizing it was and my dry skin is lo longer dry, then yes, the dullness disappeared with that!

All in all, I love these lotions and would definitely buy them again.