Good things against eye-wrinkles

All of us are being bombarded every day with all kinds of commercials for skincare products, which are said to contain this or that ingredient, but, as probably most people, I don't always know what is a specific ingredient supposed to be doing for me. I don't mean the complicate chemical ingredients listed on the boxes of the skincare products, but to the more simple ones that appear even on the front label of the package and that are also mentioned in the commercials: "the X cream with the Q10 coenzyme" or "Omega 6 and essential fatty acids" and stuff like that.
So I looked some of these ingredients up, for myself, and I thought I would share with you:

 1. The Q10 Coenzyme. It is a powerful antioxydant, which increases the oxygene amount inside of the cells, destroys the free radicals and prevents the ageing of the skin. (What are the "free radicals"?? Not "free square roots" like in Maths, no. It's all Chemistry here! A free radical is any atom or molecule that has a single unpaired electron in an outer shell. While a few free radicals such as melanin are not chemically reactive, most biologically-relevant free radicals are highly reactive.For most biological structures, free radical damage is closely associated with oxidative damage. - wikipedia)

2. Hyaluronic Acid.  It is a natural protein which can increase its own volume in water 1000 times, therefore it can fill the wrinkles on the eye area...or any area for that matter. 
  

3. Ester-C. It is a combination of minerals and Vitamin C, which stimulates the collagen production. 

4. Essential Fatty Acids. The skin needs them to maintain its integrity, to stay moist and to be able to counterract the negative effects of the sun. Omega 6 is a hero when it comes to fighting against wrinkles. 

5. Vitamin E. It heals the redness, protects the skin from the UV rays and stops the dry skin from peeling.

6. Green Tea. It is rich in antioxydants and has got anti-inflammatory properties. Also, it helps the skin maintain its elasticity.

7. Peptides from Proteins. They are essential proteins that stimulate the collagen and elastin production, for a more firm skin.
(the pics are only informative, I don't promote any brand)
Oh and one more IMPORTANT thing: NEVER use the face creams in the eye area, because their ingredients will cause, in time, more damages than benefits! Always use a cream formulated especially for the eye area!
To prevent the irritations of this sensitive area, the dermatologists recommend using creams with the same PH as the PH of the tears and with a lower amount of active ingredients. Unlike the face creams, the eye creams don't have any scent and they are more emolient.
 
Hope this helped!

Thanks for reading me, stay pretty!

oxox
Roxana

Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream for Combination to Oily skin

It's been a long time since I bought this and I have been using it A LOT...so how come I didn't make a review yet? Anyways, better later than never, so here it comes!
This, ladies and gents, is the product (insert drums)!

 I know is not the best pic, but should be no biggy, you probably all know how it looks like! I have it in the "medium" shade, even if I am a bit whiter than that, but I hate having a white face, so I try to make it look a bit more tan, of course, being very careful to cover all of my neck and earlobes and all the places that could give me away :) The best fit for my skintone would be a mix of the Light and Medium shade, I think, but is spring now so I am hoping for a tan a.s.a.p.!
Now, a bit more about this product. When taken out of the tube, it looks like this:

The consistency is more like a lotion than a cream, it is quite runny and very light, which I like, especially in summertime. It almost doesn't have a smell, maybe a faint fresh one, and I can aslo smell alcohool in it, which I happen not to like (they say alcohool on skin is no-goody!) but alas, I love the fact that it sets greatly on the skin, it kind of sinks in and blends amazingly, not streaky at all (like its sister, the Anti-Ageing BB cream - review on that later!). I noticed though, that if I spread it on my eyelids too, which I tend to do with all base products, it irritates my eyes, I think it's because of the alcohool in it, which sucks. But oh well, I can just avoid the eye area and use only concealer there, even if it is better when I can use the base to even all out.
Other than that, it looks amazing, stays on pretty well, and what's best is that if it gets rubbed off in certain areas of the face (which happens when you have a cuddly toddler around) you can always apply more without it becoming patchy like it would happen with a foundation, or showin any difference between areas. 
It matifies the face, doesn't set in the pores, but if your face has got dry areas too, like combination skin usually does, you have to remember to moisturise the dry areas before applying this or they will become quite dry after a while.  
Throughout the day my face still becomes oily in the problem areas (T-zone) but I just use a tissue to absorb the oil and it's all good, I don't use powder on top of it, but I guess it can be used, if that's what you prefer. I just freak out at the thought of putting too much on my skin cause I feel my pores are gonna die suffocated.
One more downside would be that I am getting slightly more blackheads when using it, but I am not very sure wether it is because of it, or because of the fact that it is not protecting my face like a foundation would, and as I am living in a very polluted area, the dirt in the air might get into my pores and produce the blackheads. Anyways, if I remember to use my Manuka Honey purifying mask every 2 days is all good :)
The coverage is great, I don't know about the "Light" version of it, but with this one I barely need any concealer on my acne scars (and I have plenty). In my oppinion this one has the best coverage among all the BB creams from Garnier.
I don't know what more can I say about this. Bottom line, I love it, I would bathe in it!! LOL But I kind of love all the BB creams, because I love the concept, the fact that they are lighter than a foundation, and they also are said to be treating the imperfections of the skin (BB in this case comes from "blemish balm"). I remember I used to love the tinted moisturizers before these came out, but I couldn't wear those too often because my problematic skin needs way more coverage than a tinted moisturizer could give me, so I had to keep using annoying foundations that don't match my lifestyle. Except for the Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation, none could keep up with me and with my combination skin :( After a few hours my face was inevitably looking all patchy and uneven. But the Estee Lauder Doublewear is expensive and smells like burnt rubber so I definitely prefer BB creams to it as well! :))
I decided I wanna give up foundations for good (or only keep them for specials occasions), in the favor of BB creams so now I am trying my best to make my face look its best and get rid of the acne scars, with masks and scrubs and all that stuff. If anyone knows a way of getting rid of acne scars without whitening your face to death or without burning it with harsh treatments, please tell me in a comment!
Thank you for reading me!
oxoxox
Roxana

Nivea's Hydra IQ - guilty for breakouts?

A while ago I bought the new Nivea "Aqua Effect" (with Hydra IQ) moisturizing face cream, because I always liked the Nivea products and because I saw the commercial and thought that would be an interesting concept, "moisturizing the skin from within", as they say... So I picked this one:

(Sorry for the blurry pic, my camera just won't cooperate at times)

It is quite a thick product, consistency-wise, but once you put it on the skin it's lighter than the classic Nivea creme, and it absorbs quite well into the skin. I also like the smell too. I must say that my skin is combination, with a high tendency for breakouts, so I am usually very cautious when buying face creams, but as I have always been using the Nivea Soft without any problem, and because I noticed that the more hydrated my skin is, the less likely it is to breakout, I thought this Aqua Effect would be worth a try.
Buuuuut! After 3 days I realised it was definitely a mistake because my face broke out badly ... at first I didnt know for sure wether the new moisturizer was the problem, so I stopped using it and went back to my La Roche Posay Effaclar, to get rid of the pimples. Then I tried it again, after a few days, to see if it really was the cause of my breakout. And it was :( I broke out again. So, I downgraded is to the "hand cream" status :)
So far so good, I thought "oh well, maybe this cream was too fatty and too rich for my oily face..."
But since a few weeks ago I noticed that I was kind of breakin out on my back too, which never ever happened to me, and it was beyond annoying, I had no idea what to do for that one. And then it "hit me" LOL. The shower cream that I have been using was also Nivea, with Hydra IQ! These ones!

As you can see, I was not happy with just one, I had to have 2 of them! Because I really enjoy them, the smell is great and they are really quite moisturising. I love using them as bath foam.
But heck, they were the cause of my back breakout :( I stopped using them and in 3 days there were no more spots on my back! Whew! I am kind of boomed tho, 'cause I really liked these :(
Back to my Dove soap bars for face and body, they clear acne like nobody's business, even if they are not meant for that ...I think precisely because they are not meant for that! lol I love these new ones, cause they are pink and they smell soooo nice!!

 

(again, sorry for the pic quality in this post but as there was no detail needed I didn't bother to try and fix the camera, that usually is a very annoying and frustrating process...) 

As for face (and whole body) moisturizer, nothing beats this one, I think it even comes close to the effects of face serums, for me at least, as weird as it may sound, considering its low price:

I did a bit of research on the "Hydra IQ" topic to see what the heck it means, and I found this:

**** Glyceryl glucoside: = glucose + glycerin. This is an aquaporin stimulator, which basically helps to maintain hydration. A recent patent expressed the capabilities of these compounds. Aquaporins are little proteins located on a cell membrane, and they police the flow of water in & out of the cell. Aquaporin stimulators basically prod & tweak the aquaporins to let it more water. In this techology it is targeted to the aquaporins of keratinocytes, which make up a very large portion of our epidermis.
Aquaporin stimulators like glyceryl glucoside are simple sugars. Glyceryl glucoside and other monosaccharides like it have a binding affinity for water (they are hydrophilic.) In nature, it has been found that some organisms produce these types of monosaccharides to survive in extreme dry environments. This is because these monosaccharides attract water, and when produced they help keep the water inside/with the organism.
{What happens otherwise, i.e. without the aquaporin stimulators, is osmosis--which is the process of two solutions of different concentrations (like, a dry environment and a hydrated organism) by natural process, equalizing via exchange (like, the hydrated organism becomes less hydrated, and the dry environment becomes more humid from the water molecules that were osmotically transferred from the organism to the air.)}
By facilitating the aquaporins, the stimulators also help to maintain osmotic adjustment--- here, skin's hydration level vs the air/atmosphere around it. They keep the skin cell membranes receptive to water molecules, i.e. hydration!

I am surmising based on the properties of aquaporins and aquaporin stimulators, that this is the Hydra IQ technology.

Source(s):

wikipedia.org, college chemistry, http://www.cosmeticsandtoiletries.com/formulating/category/skincare/33602299.html?page=3

Yeah I put it in smaller font on purpose cuz you don't really need to read it! I read the first 3 rows and it was way too much chemistry for my brain configuration! Ugh! I don't know what to say, too much chemical stuff never sounds good to me. 

So, that was my experience with the dear new Hydra IQ. But you don't have to take my word for granted because as I said, my skin is prone to breakouts. (even if... only the skin on my face! What about my back??) Just be careful, if you have any problems with your skin too.  

Thanks for reading!

oxoxox

Roxana 

CATRICE "Color infusion" lipstain review

I've been meaning to post a review on these since a good while ago, because I've bought them a few months ago and I've been using them quite often! Right now I have just these 2 left, from the 4 that I bought (because the price was great and I love lipstains, especially for summer time), but I was really not impressed with the colors, so I gave away 2 of them. I myself like brighter colors, these are pretty neutral and quite dusty looking, if you ask me... 

 

On the lips, they look even darker, but I guess that might be because my lips are quite pigmented, maybe on some other person they would look different. The color bleeds a bit, as you can see above, but that's what happens with all lip stains, as they are a liquid, after all, comin out through the felt tip. So if you have a more mature complexion I think it would be a good idea to use a countour pencil before applying these. And of course, after they dry on the lips, use a lip balm, or maybe a clear lipgloss. My lips have a major tendency of getting all dry so I can't wear them without a lip balm on top, even if this product itself is not particularly drying. 

Before buying these I remember I tried one from Maybelline, I think, and I was pretty disappointed as it was almost completely dry, but I can't really blame the company for that, I think it was because of the way they were stored in the drugstore. I can't for the life of me understand why they are not using cold light bulbs at the cosmetics counters, in almost every store that I have been there are these super hot bulbs between the product shelves, that are completely melting some of them, especially lipsticks, but as allmost all makeup is made using some kind of oil, being so close to a source of heat can definitely ruin it. 

Anyways, these were definitely not dry, but I noticed that it is best to keep them stored on their "heads", meaning standing on the lid, tip down, because otherwise, after a while, when the liquid in the felt becomes less, it won't get to the tip anymore when you wanna use it.

I really like the quality of this product, is definitely a thumbs up, and I will be keepin' an eye on the Catrice counters and website, in the hope that they will come up with more vibrant, prettier colors! 

Oh and, you can definitely use them as cheek stain too, if you are brave enough! Actually is not a matter of bravery because they don't really "stain" your skin, they come off fairly easy with a wipe.

Stay pretty!

oxox

Roxana

PS: Could not find them on Amazon but I found others, for whoever just decided to try some! 

Organic Manuka Honey Face Mask from Dr. Organic - review

I wanted to start my comeback series with something that I absolutely love, so I picked this!

It's been a while since I've been meaning to try more of the Dr. Organic products, because last summer I had a bust firming cream from them, and I was very pleased with the results (I will make a review on that too, but I finished it and I can't show it to you anymore, maybe I will just use the pic from the promo). I love the fact that they are natural, not tested on animals, organic, with no parabens, no harsh preservatives and no artificial perfumes (that are highly irritating for sensitive skin). Lately I have been more and more into products that are not tested on animals, thanks to a friend of mine that made me cry a few times posting on facebook pictures of the horrible things they do to animals during the testing of different products :( I swear I had no idea it could be so bad :(
Anyways, this product contains this Manuka honey, that I didn't know what would be... some honey ok, but... what's Manuka? So I googled and this is what I found:


Mānuka honey is a monofloral honey produced in New Zealand and Australia from the nectar of the mānuka tree. It has in vitro antibacterial properties, but there is not conclusive evidence of benefit in medical use. It has been classified as a Therapeutic Good in Australia, and has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration in 2007.
Manuka honey has a strong flavour, which has been characterized as, "earthy, oily, herbaceous", and "florid, rich and complex". Other qualificatives used by the New Zealand honey industry are, a "damp earth, heather, aromatic" aroma and a "mineral, slightly bitter" flavour.
A 2002 review found that although the antibacterial activity of honeys (including mānuka honey) had been demonstrated in vitro, the number of clinical case studies was small. The review concluded that there was a potential for its use in "the management of a large number of wound types". (Source: Wikipedia)


<sup>Sounds  good! I have acne and acne scars on my face so this should be of help!
It's said to be useful for ages 30+, which would be me, and they say it's "oil absorbing, cell rejuvenating and detoxifying. 
It contains Manuka honey, Aloe Vera, white clay, shea butter, Coco butter, Zinc Oxyde (great against pimples), Vitamin E, Sunflower seed and Glycerin. It's advised to be used twice a week, for 10 minutes, and then removed with warm water or a damp flanel. 

This is how mine looks:</sup>

<sup>The consistency is pretty thick, but it's easy to smooth all over the face, is not chalky at all like clay products are, sometimes. I left it for longer than 10 minutes, I actually put it on and took a bath, and I guess it's been like 30 mins untill I washed it off, and it had become very dry and was pulling at my skin a bit. I love its smell, it's really strong, and you can definitely smell honey and clay, some might not like it but I appreciate a smell that is clearly natural, for cosmetics. After I cleaned my face I was like... OMG WOW! There were practically NO MORE blackheads on my forehead, and that morning I had just spent a while bitching in front of the mirror, because I had seen a bunch of blackheads on my forehead, nose and chin! After the mask, they vanished, really! I am talking about the ones with really black heads not the white ones, if that makes any sence. I think this product actually draws out all the dirt and oil outta pores but they have to be open for that, and with the white heads there is a problem! They are not open. Anyways, my skin was soooo smooth and so velvety, I mean, I know honey is great for the skin, I was usually using the honey-olive oil-brown sugar scrub or just honey mask, but with this thing is much better. It's totally worth the price! (I know I have readers from all over the world so guess is better for you to google it and see what it is in your own currency, but for a reference, it's around 10 euros) I don't think my face was ever so clean after a face mask, and trust me, I have been trying many! It cleaned my face of all the dead skin cells and stimulated the circulation, my face even looked more healthy and even as color! 
I will definitely definitely use this regularly and will buy more!!
Thanks for reading, have a fab day!

oxox
Roxana</sup>

PS: I am not affiliated with Dr. Organic, I just love this!!

I looked this mask up on Amazon, for you, but unfortunately they don't sell it there, yet (I think it's a pretty new range and product), but I found something very similar that should work just as good, for now:

I am back!

 Hello everyone! I just wanted to let you know that I am back to posting here, my life has been crazy in the last year, still is, but hell, what if it will stay like this for good? I will have to addapt, and how else to start if not with doing more of the things I like, regardless of the aversities? lol

I wanna send you all a big kiss and wish you a wonderful and beautiful spring, and hopefully I will be with you very often with new beauty advices, product reviews (I have a bunch to review for you!) and other tips and ideas!

Hugs!

oxox

Roxana