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Adovia Moisturizing Day Cream

 

It is an absolute requirement that I use moisturizer on a daily basis, two times a day because of my eczema and the fact that it flares up the worst when my skin is dry.  Because of this, I’m always on the hunt for one that will not only provide me with great moisturizing capabilities, but is fragrance free or has a light scent and soaks into the skin quickly and nicely so my face doesn’t feel like an oil slick.  I have tried many and I have my favorites, but recently I have had the opportunity to try out one from Adovia.  I have used Adovia products before in the past and while some worked well for me, others I have to use in moderation because of my sensitive skin – but overall, I’ve always been impressed.

adovia moisturizing day cream

The Adovia Day Moisturizing Cream (on sale for $25.95 1.7 fl.oz / 50ml – normally $46.00) is a quick absorbing and non-greasy daytime formula.  It is infused with Dead Sea minerals and aloe vera.  I actually like using this cream at night since it is thicker and perfect for evening moisturizing.  This cream is Hypoallergenic, dermatologist tested and offers deep hydration for your skin to bring out its natural radiance.  One application provides all-day moisture without clogging pores.  Adovia moisturizing cream contains an active complex of Dead Sea minerals for natural moisture balance that is easier for skin to retain and this cream makes an ideal makeup base.

Ingredients
Demineralised Water & Dead Sea Water, Stearic Acid, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Bergamot (Citrus Aurantium Bergamia) Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Grape (Vitis Vinifera) Seed Oil, Caprilyc/Capric Triglyceride, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Carbomer, Propylene Glycol & Chamomile (Anthemis Noblis) Extract & Algae Extract & Papaya (Carica Papaya) Extract & Aloe Vera Barbadensis Gel, Urea, Lactic Acid, Dimethicone, Benzoic Acid, Chlorphenesin, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzalkoinium Chloride, Retinyl Palmitate, Dead Sea Salt, Benzophenone-3.

adovia moisturizing day cream

Like I mentioned previously, this is a thick moisturizer and while it worked okay for me during the day – I really rather use it at night.  I felt like it was just too heavy for me to use during the day and while I didn’t feel greasy or oily, I felt like I was wearing foundation and it didn’t soak into my skin very quickly.  When I used it at night, it soaks into my skin much quicker and I wake up in the morning with my skin feeling very soft and moisturized.  This product has a light fragrance, almost like a lotion but it is not easily detected unless you literally smell the product.  I love that it has that “almost body butter” texture to it because it smooths on so nicely and luxuriously.

adovia moisturizing day cream

I have been enjoying how easy it is to apply – I simply use circular motions with my finger tips to apply to my face.  Also – since I have very sensitive skin, I was a bit leery to try a new moisturizer but have been liking this product overall.  If I do use this product in the morning for the day – I always make sure to apply the moisturizer at least 30 minutes to an hour before leaving the house, that way I can really take the time to work the product into my skin and let it sit a bit before I head on out into the humid weather.  While it can give me the feeling of foundation on my face when used during the day (as I mentioned previously), if I give it some time to soak in well, it really does offer great moisture through the day.  If I am in a rush, I don’t normally pull for this particular product.

Overall I do like this moisturizer and the fact that it keeps my skin hydrated and soft.  I would definitely recommend this product, especially since the price is pretty darn affordable.

Signature Honey

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.


petunia skincare hyaluronic acid serum

 PRESS SAMPLE

Skin care products are very important in my skin care regimen and that goes for serums.  I never personally paid much attention to my skin growing up – mainly because the beach and surfing was so important to me, I really didn’t have many break outs or issues with my skin – even through puberty.  After graduating from high school, I realized my skin started to freak out… but the adult life had taken over my hobbies and I wasn’t spending as much time in the ocean as I would have liked.  Of course, makeup and lack of taking care of my skin definitely took its toll until I started experiencing with different skin care products which of course, included serums.

petunia skincare hyaluronic acid serum

 

Hyaluronic Acid Serums are essential in my skin care regimen and I use it two times a day.  Since I have severe eczema flare ups, I’m always in need of a product that works well in combination with my moisturizers to keep my skin supple and hydrated.  If my skin becomes too dry, I have a flare up which can take days to a month to clear up once it begins.  I have tried over 10 different brands of Hyaluronic Serum and while all of them have worked well for me, I am proud to say I found a favorite.

Petunia Skincare is becoming one of my favorite skin care brands offering products for my skin regimen that are gentle and easy to use.  You get 1 fl oz (30ml) bottle for about $23.00 and the packaging is easy to use.

petunia skincare hyaluronic acid serum

 

I’m not fond of sticky serums or those that are so thick or liquidy that it can take a while for the product to soak into my skin.  Since I use several serums both morning and night, I need a product that will allow me to apply the rest of my products quickly so I’m ready to go and can be on my way.  Petunia’s Hyaluronic acid comes in a pump style bottle that allows you to use one to two pumps to cover your whole face.  It smooths into the skin quickly and is not sticky at all.  The serum has a light citrus scent – very light and is clear.  While it has a gel like appearance and texture, it is not thick but feels more like a liquid which I like.

Overall – I’m impressed with this product, the amount you receive and the price tag.  I have used a few products from Petunia and I’m very impressed with the skin care line altogether.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

I love monthly subscription boxes and while I’ve had my fair share of them, I think the Popsugar Must Have box is definitely one that you must try out at least once.  This awesome subscription delivers a plethora of treats from beauty and skin care to food, fashion and more and for just $39.95 a month, shipping included.  I love receiving this box because I know that everything included is full size so I’m definitely getting my money’s worth with just a couple of items.  This month there was a range of surprises and treats that I couldn’t wait to dig into.  Check out my video embedded below to see the unboxing, or click here to watch it directly on YouTube.  Scroll down to see all the delectable treats and fine goods I got in my August box.

popsugar must-have august box

PRESS SAMPLE / AFFILIATE LINKS

As you can see – the box was filled with a bunch of awesome goodies.

Paddywax Candle

The Paddywax Ocean Tide + Sea Salt Mini Jar Candle ($10) smells like a beautiful sea breeze in a jar.  Fragrance notes of sea salt and the ocean tide, this soy-wax candle brings the beach directly to you.  I love the scent… it is subtle but you still get an awesome fragrance from it.  The packaging is awesome and reminds me of sea glass. When I use up the candle, I will be saving the jar for little knick-knacks or to make my own little candle DIY.  www.paddywax.com

thinkThin brownie crunch high protein bar

The thinkThin Brownie Crunch High Protein Bar didn’t last long.  After snapping the photo, I ate it in a quick jiffy.  This was a special extra in the box this month and I really did enjoy it.  It has a nice chocolate taste and is 20g of Protein, 0g of Sugar and great for on the go or after a work out for a quick snack.

Kendra Scott Elisa necklace

Next in the box was the Kendra Scott Elisa Necklace in Black Cat’s Eye ($50).  I was very excited to get this necklace because those that know me, know I’m big on natural minerals and stones, crystals and such and this will be a great addition to my growing jewelry collection.  It’s set in 14k gold over brass, and I love Gold jewelry and it has a gorgeous black oval stone that is classic and timeless. This is the first and only piece I own from Kendra Scott so I’m very proud to have this in this month’s box.  This piece alone pays for the entire box and then some… so the rest of the goodies included are actually extra goodies. www.kendrascott.com

Goodbyn Purple Meal and Dipper Set

The Goodbyn Purple Meal & Dipper Set ($8.00) Now – this next item is awesome for me and I’m super excited to get it.  First off… it’s purple, yes… praise the purple loving Gods… it’s purple.  Then it is an awesome way to keep track of meal portions and is a great portable way for me to travel with a meal when I’m on the go.  I’m so busy sometimes, I skip out on a meal because I just don’t have the time, but this will really give me the option to pack something to eat ahead of time and be on my way.   www.goodbyn.com

Mason Jar Cookie Company

The Mason Jar Cookie Company Celebrate! Cookie Mix ($12) Being a mommy of boys, goodies are essential and I’m always looking to add new treats to our foodie line-up.  We haven’t had the chance to bake these up yet, but know that I will post all about it once I do.  This treat is festive and ready to go – just add butter and an egg and bake it up for a delectable treat.  www.masonjarprovisions.com

Lollia At Last Perfumed Shower Gel

Lollia At Last Perfumed Shower Gel ($22).  I was pretty excited to see this in my box, because I have heard of the brand but have never tried the products before.  It smells really nice, but sadly – my box was a complete mess when it arrived due to the fact that this shower gel leaked everywhere.  It seems like the cap was not tight on the bottle and even after cleaning it up and tightening the cap, it continues to leak.  This shower gel is infused with shea butter and jojoba oil so I’m excited to give it a whirl with what I have left in the bottle.

Bite Beauty Lush Fruit Lip

Ooh La La – the Bite Beauty Lush Fruit Lip in Popsugar was a surprise to me but I was so excited to get it. ($22.00).  I’m a huge fan of the brand and this will be the first lip gloss that I have been able to try.  To celebrate Popsugar’s Must Have’s second birthday, Bite Beauty created this new shade for the occasion and it’s so sweet.  Strawberry, Coconut and avocado oils leave my lips yummy and pink.  www.sephora.com/bite-beauty

Bite Beauty Popsugar

The shade of Popsugar is a tad sheer, but it’s a gorgeous shade nonetheless and I love how it feels on the lips.  A little sticky but not so much that it’s irritating to use.  Definitely a gorgeous color.

Overall – I’m quite impressed with this month’s Popsugar box.  Overall I received a total of $124+ worth of products and all of them in full size.  Each month the Must Have box is $39.95 and includes full size goodies for you to test out.  I love the goodies Popsugar sends out because this particular box is much more lifestyle based, then beauty – so you get a variety of goodies that you can use on yourself or with your family in mind.  Have you tried the Popsugar Must Have box?  If not – is this something you may be interested in?  If you have, what are your thoughts?  Popsugar is a great way to try out some new things, click here to learn more about it.

Due to where I live – I apologize that it took me a while to get my unboxing up and live.  But I do have a discount code for anyone interested:

Get $10 off of a 3-month subscription by using CODE: AUG14SELECT Code is live and expires on 9/10/14.

Signature Honey

DISCLAIMER: POPSUGAR provided me with a complimentary POPSUGAR Must Have box. The opinions I have shared about the box are my own and POPSUGAR did not tell me what to say or how to say it.

Lip Monthly

PRESS SAMPLE | AFFILIATE LINK 

I am an OG Monthly Subscription box/bag person… having been one of the first subscribers to Birchbox, Ipsy (then My Glam) and even one of the first for Glossy Box in the US, so I’m always stoked and excited to try out new Monthly Subscription services, especially if they are beauty related and offer Full Size goodies.  This month I had the opportunity to get a new Monthly Box in my mail and I was definitely excited since we all know I’m a lip product junkie.

Lip Monthly is a $10 a month beauty subscription.  You can select to have your Lip Monthly membership be monthly, every 4 months or yearly.  You will receive approximately 3-4 Full Sized Lip Products or Beauty Products and 1-2 Sample Sized products.  This box includes primarily lip products, but they are looking to include at least one bonus item that may not be a lip product in future bags.  Keep in mind, this subscription is just a couple of months old and still working out all the processes so at their early stage, we can expect a couple of small hiccups.

 

This month’s theme is Lips 101 – focused on getting ready to go back to school and enjoying the lovely summer weather.  There were a total of five products in the August Lip Monthly Bag… however, I did receive an extra product as an additional Press Sample to show you other products that you can get in your bag.  Check out my Open Box Video embedded below (and the excitement as I see each product) or click here to watch directly on YouTube.

Every month LipMonthly’s experts travel across the country to find the best products in retail stores, so you don’t have to. We will bring you the best deals on the market, in our beautifully designed packaged boxes. All that’s left for you to do is try them on!


Lip Monthly August 2014
I was super excited to see that Lip Monthly had City Color Cosmetics – since I am not able to easily get my hands on this brand.  This is the City Color Cosmetics Be Matte Lipstick in Phoebe and retails for $3.99.  This product is a full sized item.

Lip Monthly August 2014

The next item I received was the City Color Glossy Kiss Lip Gloss.  I could not find the name of the product or the actual product or cost on City Color Cosmetics website.  This was a bonus item sent to me, so not everyone who got a Lip Monthly bag would have received this.  The lip gloss is really nice, has a nice color to it and I love that it smells like Jolly Ranchers.  I’m not sure if this product is new to City Color Cosmetics or not yet released or a discontinued item.  But, I’ll be sure to update once I know more.

Lip Monthly August 2014

The next goodie I got in my bag is the City Color Cosmetics Lip Balm in Ultra Pink.  This lip balm retails on the site for 2.99 and is a moisturizing lip balm with a lipstick-like texture.  It also has a lot of pigment and offers a bold color on the lips.

Lip Monthly August 2014

The City Color Magic Balm was an interesting find in this August bag.  It retails for $3.99 and is not available on CCC website just yet.  I have been told this is a new product not yet released.  It is a moisturizing balm and at first I thought that it just offered a sheer wash of color on the lips but after using it on my lips and waiting a minute, I looked at my lips to find that the color pigment actually increased and became a deeper shade.  I guess that is where they got the “magic” part from.

Lip Monthly August 2014

I also got a Jesse’s Girl product in my bag this month.  This Jesse’s Girl Lip Gloss Lip Lock retails for $4.99 and is a sheer pink with light shimmer.  It’s a gorgeous gloss but a little on the sticky side (definitely not a fan of sticky), but overall – it’s a fun shade that I can definitely make use of or pass on to my sissy for her fun.  This lip gloss is in the shade Lickity  Split.

Lip Monthly August 2014

Last but not least is the Monthly Mix Up item.  It is a Pixi by Petra Lid Last Shadow Pen in Gentle Gold and retails for $18.00.  The shade is one I know I’ll get some use out of I love the high price point.

Overall, I think this bag is pretty cool – so much so I actually subscribed and signed up.  I love that it offers you a collection of lip goodies, which is great.  This will make it much more favorable for me knowing that there shouldn’t be much of an issue with shipping as other Monthly Subscriptions have had in the past due to items that include Hasmat items that cannot be shipped air to me in Hawaii.  I have heard from a few people that they had issues with Lip Monthly the first few months, but as I mentioned in the beginning, like any subscription service, you can expect to be a few kinks as they work everything out to be much smoothly.  When I first started with Ipsy (then My Glam), shipping and products were an issue back then and it took some time to really get things running smoothly.

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I love that Lip Monthly has a little card that lists the products in the bag as well as the price point so you know the value of your bag.  I also like that they sent a little cosmetic bag as a part of this month’s bag… because I have seen that others have gotten little boxes to hold their products in previous months.  While it does remind me of Ipsy a bit, I do like the personal touch and appreciate it.  Since you can cancel this box at any time, I think it would be worth it to try it out at least a month or two and see if this is something you’d be interested in.

Signature Honey


Every time a new product comes out that claims to offer awesome results, I swear I think I have seen it all… but I was once again amused and interested in a new product that I have never seen before in the U.S. Market.  Exfolimate Face and Body Exfoliation Tool Set is a gentle exfoliation tool with micro-groove technology and is Australian designed.  At first glance, it looks like a tool I would use to clean my glass stove top, so I’ll honestly say that I shook my head at the thought that this product would even work.  Come on now, it looks like something a painter would use to scrape paint… there is no way this thing could possible exfoliate my skin and body.

PRESS SAMPLE

Exfolimate

 

Retailing for about $38 dollars US ($39.99 AU), this product claims that it is

your own personal exfoliating mate, designed with innovative micro grooves and smooth edge technology to instantly glide along the skin with gentle fingertip control and pressure.  Use Exfolimate for perfect precision exfoliation and noticeable results.  By using your Exfolimate daily, you will naturally cleanse your pores and remove dulling surface debris to achieve naturally clearer skin that is smooth to the touch with a radiant glow.  Just add water.”

The Exfolimate comes in two sizes – one for your Face and one for your body.  It’s simple to use but at first glance, I’m not gonna lie… it looks a bit scary.  Using the products are easy… while showering or in a bath (your skin must be wet and supple), gently glide the Exfolimate with slight pressure at a 90-degree angle along the contours of your skin.  Cleaning is also simple in that you only need to run the stainless steel edge under warm running water to remove any remaining debris from under the skin smoothing edge and hang to dry using the chords that are included.

Exfolimate Body

I have been using the Body Exfolimate on areas that tend to get dry and have the most dead skin, like my knees, ankles and heels of my feet.  I also love to use this particular one on my elbows.  I use it all over my body and it’s easy to maneuver and use.  I’ve been using the Exfolimate Face for my entire face but especially places I know gets the driest skin like my nose.  It’s easy to use and definitely a great tool to have.

Exfolimate Face

When using this product, avoid excessive pressure and do not use on broken or infected skin.  Do not use for 7 to 10 days after laser or chemical peel treatments and do not use if your skin is not thoroughly wet.  I usually will wash my hair first before I use these tools to ensure that my skin is soft and supple before using.  Of course, you want to make sure to avoid the eye area at all times.  If irritation occurs, discontinue use of the product immediate and apply a suitable moisturizer or sunscreen if you’re going outside.  Do not clean with corrosive kitchen or bathroom cleaning products and do not boil or wash in dishwasher.  Simply rinse with warm water and hang up to dry.  Since the blade is made of stainless steel, it stored away nicely in my shower without rusting or any damage.  Use your finger tip control to press down on your Exfolimate lightly at 90 degrees to the skin and gently glide in a slow smooth motion in either direction.  Maximum of 4 to 6 glides, always ensuring the skin is wet and supple.  Towel dry the skin when done.  I have used this product before my shaving and it has made a huge difference in the closeness of my shave.  I have pretty much used this on all parts of my body and it has definitely made a difference in how my skin feels.

Exfolimate

So – what are my final thoughts on this product… Honestly, it is a little costly in my opinion, or it was before I first tried it.  While I’m still not sure I would pay the cost of it without knowing how it would work, I do think that this product is quite genius and has worked fairly well with my very sensitive skin.  After using the Exfolimate the first time, my skin was very dry after toweling off… and so I moisturized using my heavy body butter and moisturizer for my face.  I didn’t have any reactions to the products, no eczema flare ups and over all I do enjoy the experience.  I use this product each time I shower and have been doing so the last month.  It’s easier to clean than an exfoliating sponge or loofah and very easy to use.  I do however suggest, if you have sensitive or dry skin, test the product first on an area that is not as sensitive to see how your skin reacts.  My skin gets very dry after using the product, so I normally will do so only when I’m showering at night so I can use a heavy duty moisturizer to keep from my eczema flaring up.  If you have severely dry skin – I definitely suggest talking to your doctor prior to use.  I love that this product removes the dead skin on my body and face and leaves my skin soft (after moisturized of course).  It’s easy to use, easy to clean and easy to store.  Overall – I think the product itself is pretty cool and it doesn’t cause me any pain, which is definitely a plus considering how it looks. lol

Would you try something like this or have you seen something similar on the market? What are your thoughts?

Signature Honey

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.