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Poppy Austin Vitamin C Serum with Hyaluronic Acid

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There are a plethora of products available for anti-aging and one of my favorite products to use is Vitamin C serums with Hyaluronic Acid.  Because I use these serums two times a day, I’m always on the hunt for serums that offer the same quality, results and benefits of my high end and expensive brands but with an affordable price tag.  I have tried many many different brands and recently I have had the opportunity to try one from Poppy Austin.

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Poppy Austin Vitamin C Serum

Poppy Austin is a brand sold on Amazon and they offer a few other products besides their Vitamin C Serum with Hyaluronic Acid which I’m discussing today.  The Vitamin C serum retails for $85.95 but is currently on sale for $29.95 – an awesome steal!  What’s so awesome is that this particular serum is twice the size of other Vitamin C Serums on the market – you get 60ml / 2 fl oz which will last twice as long as other serums that are normally about about 1 fl oz in size.  With daily use you get up to 6 months of use.

COMPANY CLAIMS:

  • Made in USA
  • THE PRODUCT: #1 purest grade Vitamin C Serum on Amazon. A delicately refined infusion of naturally derived and organic ingredients. Highly concentrated with pure vegan Hyaluronic Acid and deeply moisturizing JoJoba Oil.
  • THE RESULTS: Directly tackles fine lines, wrinkles, age spots and dark under-eye circles, providing instant hydration on application. A natural way to firm and smooth aged skin by stimulating collagen AND neutralizing free radicals.
  • THE PRODUCTION: Carefully produced in small batches and made fresh to order each day at our women owned and operated (FDA certified) facility in the USA. We test all of our products on ourselves, never (ever) on animals.
  • THE COMPANY: The Poppy Austin® philosophy is simple. To prevent the signs of aging by using only the finest, most ethically sourced ingredients to create cosmetic products that are as close to their natural state as possible.
  • THE GUARANTEE: Our Vitamin C Serum is naturally free from paragons, fillers, alcohol, artificial colors and fragrances. We also provide a ★ 100% MONEY BACK GUARANTEE ★ for a full 12 MONTHS after purchase for your complete peace of mind. Thousands of women are already enjoying the powerful anti-aging effects of this lightweight natural serum, as evidenced by the 5 star customer reviews on this page. With that being said, if you’re not completely satisfied with the results from using Poppy Austin® Vitamin C Serum on your face, simply contact us at any time and we’ll process a FULL refund within 5 minutes, no questions asked. We’ll even let you keep the bottle, just so there’s no hard feelings. So why not try our Vitamin C Serum (risk free) today? We GUARANTEE you won’t be disappointed.

Poppy Austin Vitamin C Serum

As mentioned before, I have used many different vitamin c serums with hyaluronic acid.  This particular serum is clear and has a soft scent – one that is hard to figure out what it reminds me of.  Application of the product is easy and I love that the bottle comes with a dropper to make using the product a breeze.  I put approximately 5 drops into the palm of my hand then rub my two hands together and pat and apply the product directly to my face, neck and decollete.  This product is a little thinner in consistency than others I have used in the past – but it also allows me to use a little less when applying the product.

Overall – I’m quite pleased with the results of this product.  It works well with my current skin care regimen and I didn’t have any sensitive skin reactions.  This particular Vitamin C Serum soaks into the skin really nicely and quickly so if you are applying additional serums or your moisturizer after applying this product, you don’t have to wait for it to soak in or set/dry as I have had to with other products.  I really like that part of the process because I use 4-7 products in my skin care routine and I’m always on the run – so this product allows me to complete my regimen without waiting for it to dry.  I also love that this is not sticky at all which is a benefit for me – I love something that will apply smoothly and quickly.  While the original price point ($85.95) is a pretty steep price point for my pockets, I love that the product is currently on sale and that Poppy Austin offers reasonable pricing via their Amazon store.  This will definitely be a product I’ll continue to use in the future because this serum addict enjoys it.

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.

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Pure and Essential Minerals Morocco Argan Oil Restorative Hair Treatment Mask

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Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

I would be lying if I didn’t say that I’m pretty brutal on my hair… I brush it when I’m not supposed to, color it often and since it’s naturally curly I shouldn’t yank and pull on it, but I always do.  I’m pretty lucky that my hair didn’t decide to grow some legs and walk off my head in horror yet, but thankful that with all of the damage I’ve done to it – it still hangs around.  Since finally realizing that I need to take better care of my hair, I have been using a variety of masks to increase the strength of my hair as well as give my locks some new life.  In the last month I have been using the Pure & Essential Minerals Morocco Argan Oil Restorative Hair Treatment Mask as a part of my hair care regimen and wanted to share my thoughts with you.

PRESS SAMPLE

Pure Morocco Argan Oil

 

Info from their Storefront:

 

  • Made in USA and Imported
  • THERE’S NOTHING WORSE THAN DRY, DAMAGED OR FRIZZY HAIR! – This Intense, Natural Hydrating Mask Will Restore, Soften and Strengthen Your Dry, Frizzy And Overworked Hair and Bring It Back To Life!
  • YOUR BASIC HAIR STRUCTURE NEEDS NOURISHMENT AND CARE – This Hydrating Mask Contains The World’s Most Renowned, Nourishing Ingredients For The Natural Restoration of Your Hair. Organic Oils Penetrate the Hair Shaft and Replenish Essential Moisture and Shine
  • HAS YOUR HAIR BEEN OVERWORKED? With Just A Few Treatments, This Mask Repairs and Renews Hair Damaged By Hot Tools, Chemical Treatments, Bleach and Environmental Stress
  • EASY APPLICATION, TAKES JUST 10 – 15 MINUTES – Safe For Color-Treated Hair. No Heat Activation Required. You Will See Instant Beneficial Results After the First Use, and Continued Revitalization With Regular Use
  • WE USE ONLY THE PUREST INGREDIENTS – Why compromise your health with products that contain chemicals? Our Hair Mask Contains Only 100% Pure, Natural and Certified Organic Ingredients – Free of Sulfates, Phosphates and Parabens. Cruelty Free, Vegan Certified

Retailing at $29.99 (currently on sale for $15.99) this mask comes with 4 oz of product – enough to last you at least one month with consistent use.  Application is easy… after shampooing, apply a generous amount of the mask all over wet hair and comb product through from roots to ends.  Let it sit for 5-15 minutes (I usually let it sit for about 15 minutes) and then rinse the product out thoroughly.  The directions state that you can use the mask daily, weekly or anytime you need an extra boost of moisture in your hair.  While I love the mask, I do notice that it causes me to break out along my hair line, so I use this mask once a week only and if my ends need a little extra moisture, I can concentrate it on my hair ends a few times a week if I feel the need.

PURE & ESSENTIAL MINERALS Morocco Argan Oil

The mask has a strong Argan Oil scent, so if you are not too fond of that fragrance, this may not be an easy product for you to work with since it will be on your hair.  Once you rinse the product off – the scent still lingers.  I had a hard time with it and I can imagine that those that are not huge on the fragrance may experience the same issues.  The consistency of the product is nice… it’s thick enough but not too thick – if that makes any sense.  It reminds me of a smoothie consistency – thick, but still a liquid like mask – not firm.

Ingredients include:  Certified Organic Argan Oil, Organic Aloe Juice, Organic Castor Oil, Pro-Vitamin B5, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Meadowfoam Oil.

Morocco Argan OilThe story…

For centuries, the Berber women of Morocco have treated their hair and skin with pure organic Argan oil.   Often called liquid gold, argan oil is a super rich antioxidant, full of essential fatty acids and more than double the vitamin E found in olive oil.

For my Vegan friends – this product is Vegan certified and Cruelty Free.  It contains zero harsh chemicals, parabens, fragrances or artificial ingredients.  This product penetrates the hair shaft to restore essential moisture and recontructs/replenishes dull, weak and damaged hair.  Since it includes organic Aloe Juice, organic Castor Oil and organic Coconut Oil, it provides essential benefits for your hair.  Pro-Vitamin B5 is used to deliver instant, long-lasting rejuvenation and life to your hair as well.  This product is a part of Fair Trade and is 100% Pure – using Moroccan Argan Oil sourced from Berber Women’s Co-Operatives in the Argan region of Morocco.  So, your purchase directly benefits these women’s cooperatives, who receive fair trade prices for their hand-crafted 100% pure Argan Oil.

My Overall Thoughts…

My hair responded well to this mask and while I didn’t enjoy the scent of the product, my ends of my hair seemed like it looked and felt healthier than before.  This product left my hair soft and smooth and it also was not as frizzy as it normally is during this time of year.  My hair definitely felt moisturized after each treatment and I also noticed that I didn’t experience as much breakage as I normally do.  Packaging is okay – the product comes in a jar that you have to dig your hands / fingers into to get the product.  It’s not my favorite form of getting product out – but it’s okay.  My only critiques is that my hair is super long and therefore I use more product on my hair than the average person.  Because of this, I clean through a jar of this product very quickly so the 4 oz Jar did not last me a month.  Of course, if you have shorter hair, it will give you a lot more use – but for me, I used up the contents of the bottle very quickly.  Like I mentioned previously, the scent of the product is stronger than I had expected.  Those that do not like the scent of Argan Oil may have a hard time with this product.  While it is not the only scent you smell (natural oils like Coconut oil and Aloe are also included), the natural fragrance may be too much for you.

Money Back Guarantee…  I love this!  Pure & Essential Minerals stands behind their product.  When you try their Natural Restorative Hair Mask for 30 days, if you are not completely satisfied – you can return it for a full refund.  The price of this product is affordable and offered me some pretty awesome results.  My hair enjoyed soaking up all the ingredients offered and I think it would definitely be worth the try since you can try this product Risk Free.

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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.

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The Beauty Butler – Organize Your Makeup Quickly and Easily

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For the most part, I’m pretty proud to say that my makeup stash is fairly organized.  But, with all the traveling I did in my past job, I would have loved something that would keep my makeup neat and easy to use.  The Beauty Butler is a genius way to do just that and it’s the perfect companion for travel or to just keep organized.  An affordable product that offers you convenience and is easy to use?  I think I found a fun winner to add to my beauty collection.  How do you organize your makeup quickly and easily?  Here is how I have been stashing mine lately.

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The Beauty Butler

Check out my Video review below as well as a demo and show and tell of how the product works.  Click here to watch the video directly on YouTube.

The Beauty Butler comes in 2 sizes –

the Diva (6″x8″) $12.99 – comes with 20 small and 8 large tabs and available in Pink and Black

and the Flirt (4″x6″) $10.99 – comes with 12 small and 4 large tabs and available in Pink and Black

You can purchase them each separately or bundle them together with the Sets they have available on the site to fit your makeup organization needs.  Some of the sets even include a makeup bag to store your Beauty Butler trays so if you are interested in those, you can find them here.

The Beauty Butler

Beauty Butler is easy to use and sturdy to keep your makeup all together for travel or storage.  Simply take your “grab tab” (velcro) and attach to the object you want to stick to the Beauty Butler.  Prior to attaching the grab tab, be sure to clean your makeup object or tool properly so that the tab will adhere and stay in place for as long as you need it to and be secure.  Once you have placed the tab in place on your makeup (i.e. a lipstick), you are good to go.  Simply place the object on the Beauty Butler tray – the grab tab will affix to your tray with ease.

The Beauty Butler

Beauty Butler is the only “hook and loop” makeup storage system that keeps makeup organized on portable makeup palettes.  Removing the Grab Tabs from your makeup is easy to do (like removing a sticker), and while the site says you will not be able to reuse the tab on another piece of makeup – I have been able to do so a few times already.  Just keep in mind that when you do so – you may lose the integrity of the grab tab and it may not stick well to the new object it is placed on.  The Beauty Butler  does include a lot of tabs for you to be able to get great use out of your butler, so keep that in mind before trying to reuse.  What I think is so cool is that the Beauty Butler will work with all shapes and sizes of makeup so long as it fits the size of the palette you have (Diva / Flirt).  Brushes, compacts, mini/small palettes, single eye shadows, lipsticks and glosses all fit nicely and allow you to organize a wide range of makeup for your needs.

The Beauty Butler

The Beauty Butler is very sturdy and strong.  As you can see in the video posted, I am able to turn the trays upside down and shake them pretty vigorously without any of my affixed makeup falling off.  Removing the makeup to use is simple and putting it back for storage takes little to no effort.  I absolutely love that these are so neat for storing on a tray in your makeup collection or placing in a makeup bag that’s large enough to hold the items affixed.  No more digging around in your makeup bag to find that lipstick that always seems to get lost in there.  Everything is always neat and nice and easy to use.  As a makeup artist, I think this could be an item that is beneficial for your use as well.  You can affix single eye shadows (still in the pot) like those from MAC and don’t have to worry about depotting them to fit in a Z Palette or Open Palette that requires magnets.  Simply attach the grab tab to your single eye shadow pot and place on the palette.  It could work for you in many ways and you may find a way to use this product that I haven’t thought of yet.  I like to open my compacts and use them directly from the Beauty Butler, easy and quick for on the go touch ups too.

The Beauty Butler

Because the Beauty Butler keeps all of your cosmetic items in place and they are not bouncing around in your makeup bag, that also helps to keep your makeup from breaking.  Those palettes that tend to have sensitive shadows that crumble and shatter could benefit from using the Beauty Butler.  It’s a handy tool for anyone and I wish I had this when I traveled in the past, because something always broke or went missing and the Beauty Butler would have helped to keep it all organized for me.

The Beauty Butler

Simply attach your favorite or needed makeup goodies to the palette, place in your makeup bag and you are good to go.  No more digging in your makeup bag to find what you need… everything is at your finger tips.  Is this something you think you could get some use out of?  Have you heard of the Beauty Butler before?  What are you thoughts on this pretty cool product?  To get your Beauty Butler or to learn a little more about it – head on over to their website: http://getbeautybutler.com/

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My Favorite Anti-Aging Serum – Uth Serum by Love Uth

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Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

Hmm… An Anti-Aging Serum that could be the Fountain of Youth in  jar?  Is it even possible that the secret to younger looking skin comes in a small blue jar?  Well, I honestly didn’t think so and those that know me, know that I am the type of person who has to “see it to believe it”.  I use a lot of skin care and anti-aging products and have my selection of favorites so I didn’t think that a product that came in a tiny little jar would provide me with the results that it claimed… until I used it.

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Love Uth Anti-aging Serum

About a month ago I received the Love Uth Anti-Aging Serum in the mail.  When I opened the package I was so excited to see what it was all about, but a little confused at how small the jar was and thought that this product couldn’t possibly last me 30 days (1/2 oz – $29.99) as it claimed.  How could a little jar (just about the size of a 10 gram Jar) offer the results as the company claims and last me a month?  I took the jar, opened it up and immediately tried it.

Product Claims:

  • Dramatically smooths fine lines in just 7 days
  • Advanced Second Generation Retinoid without irritation
  • Significantly improves skin health and tone of the skin
  • Gives the skin a youthful radiant glow

Fights aging while improves the health and beauty of the skin.  The proprietary ingredient, RETEXTRA, makes the formulation unique, safe and effective.  It is the only anti-aging product containing the miracle retinoid.  It’s not irritating, odorless, colorless and has a silky powdery application.

Love Uth Anti-aging Serum

After the first application, I was very impressed.  The product itself has a silky-powdery finish like the site/company claims.  If I had to compare the feel of it, it smooths on my face and the texture reminds me of Maybelline’s Baby Skin or Benefit’s Porefessional.

Love Uth Anti-aging Serum

The product is clear and gel like, but applies on the skin so nicely – I love love love the texture.  It is very different from any other serum I have used in the past.  This interesting little jar of serum comes in two sizes:

  • 30 Day Supply – $29.99
  • 60 Day Supple – $49.99
  • And you can also choose to get a Free Sample – you just pay shipping of $5.00.

Love Uth Anti-aging Serum

I love that Love Uth’s Anti-Aging Uth Serum is alcohol-free, preservative-free and fragrance-free which is great for my very sensitive skin.  I didn’t have any adverse or funky reactions to using the product and in fact, my skin loved it and I have enjoyed using it this past month.

I noticed a difference in how my skin felt and how my skin looked almost immediately.  The product pretty much immediately softened my pores making them look much smaller than before I applied the product.  I also noticed that over the last month my fine lines and wrinkles diminished quite a bit.  Those of you that use Face products like foundation or concealer (BB creams too) can also use this product as a primer for your makeup.  Honestly, it reminds me of some of my favorite face primers on the market.

Love Uth Anti-aging Serum

The above photo shows my before and after.  The photo on the left was taken a month ago, the day before I started the treatment.  The photo on the left was taken after using the product for a month daily, once a day.  While the images were taken in natural light, one was taken mid afternoon (before) and one taken about 3pm (after) so the lighting in the image does vary a bit.  The images are unedited with exception to color balance.  As you can see my before photo shows the smile lines pretty deep and prominent and my crow’s feet and under eye wrinkles are pretty visible.  While you can still see them in the After photo, the lines are softer and not as prominent as in the before taken a month earlier.  My pores in the After photo are also softer and not as deep set as my before image.  After a short month using the Love Uth Serum, I noticed pretty visible results.

Overall – I know this will be a product I am gonna continue in my skin care routine.  I love the way it feels on my skin and while the product jar is a lot smaller than I expected, there is definitely enough in the jar for the 30 days as it claims.  The product smooths onto the skin so nicely – that just a little of it will go a long way.  I smooth it all over my face and onto my neck and decollete area.  Not only did I notice that my wrinkles were softened and are not as bold, I also noticed that my skin has a radiance to it that I absolutely love.  I am definitely a fan of this product and it is now my Favorite Anti-Aging Serum.

Love Uth Anti-Aging Serum

Thanks to the team at Love Uth – I am having a small giveaway of a sample of this awesome product.  Be sure to check that out below.  Have you tried this product before or anything like it?  What are your thoughts?  What do you think of my results after using this product for a month?

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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.

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Milani Matte Baked Bronzers – Limited Edition

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It’s no secret that Milani is one of my all-time favorite drug store brands and has been for a couple of years now.  I have had the opportunity to try out quite a bit from the line they offer and for the most part – I’m always impressed with what they roll out.  I literally fell out of my seat a few weeks ago when I got word that Milani was rolling out Limited Edition Matte Baked Bronzers and I couldn’t have been more excited.

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Milani Limited Edition Matte Baked Bronzers

If you have ever tried or used or even seen (for that matter) one of Milani’s Baked Bronzers, then you will know that you get a lot of product for a really affordable price tag.  I have a plethora of Milani products, especially their blushes and I have been waiting patiently and asking the Makeup Gods for the day that Milani would finally come out with a baked bronzer that was matte.  Thankfully, they did.  However – these are limited edition so you want to make sure you get your hands on them… STAT.

These two new limited edition matte bronzers are available in the shades 08 Sunset (medium tan) and  07 Sienna (light golden tan).   They retail on Milani’s website for $8.99 which is the same cost as Milani’s original bronzers like 04 Glow, 05 Soleil and 06 Golden.  As I mentioned, the big difference between these new LE bronzers is that they are completely matte.

Milani Limited Edition Matte Baked Bronzers

08 – Sunset (light golden tan) is on the left and 07 – Sienna (medium tan) is on the right 

Each bronzer comes with a little bronzer brush (not my favorite to use but definitely awesome in a pinch) and a mirror that is placed in the compact below the bronzer.  The come in Milani’s signature gold packaging which gives it such a gorgeous look.   Milani definitely ranks high for me when it comes to packaging, because I always feel like I’m buying a luxury brand from the drug store.  You get a lot of product in each bronzer – Net Wt. 0.25 oz/7g and because it is a baked bronzer, you can use it dry for a sheer matte finish or wet for a more intense or dramatic look.  These bronzers are multi-purpose beauty products as they can be used for both your eyes, face and body (hello – total bonus).  They are streak free, apply easily and blend well for an effortless bronze.  Since I have both shades – I like to do a contour with Sienna (the darker shade) to define my face and then for an all over summer bronzed look, I use Sunset (the lighter brown) and apply as an all over bronzer.

Milani Matte Baked Bronzer Sienna

07 – Sienna is a warm golden bronze and is perfect for those with Medium and golden skin tones.  If you have a darker skin tone, I definitely suggest using this wet and build the color up to the shade you think will work best for you.  If you have a warmer skin tone – this bronzer will be perfect for you.  Since it is matte and baked, you can build up to the shade that you like and those who are not fond of shimmer bronzers, these are perfect.

Milani Matte Baked Bronzer Sunset

08 Sunset is a medium tan bronzer and lends for a cool toned brown.  It is perfect for those that are light to medium in skin tone and those like me who want to warm up my face without contouring, but looking for an all over bronze.  Just like with Sienna, Sunset is buildable and if you need a deeper more intense color for contour, you can definitely use it wet and build upon that color.

Milani Matte Baked Bronzer Swatches

The swatches above were done dry on my bare skin and I only used one swipe.  Considering I’m fairly darker in skin tone, both shades do show up on me and Sienna is the perfect bronze for me to contour for extra depth and dimension.  I love to use Sunset as an all over bronze if I’m looking to achieve a warmer look.  Each shade lasts all day with minor fading after 5 hours… but the wear on these bronzers are long lasting.  I love that they apply effortlessly and last, but most importantly my skin enjoys them – no break outs at all and it didn’t oxidize or start to look muddy on me after a few hours.  If you are planning to use these bronzers for a long period of time, I think they will surely work well for that purpose.

Milani Matte Baked Bronzer Try On

In the look above (tutorial for that look can be found here), I am using Sienna to contour in the hallows of my cheeks to define my cheek bones and along my nose, hairline and jawline.  I have always had a few favorite bronzers to contour and warm up my face, but after using these the last couple of weeks, I have to admit that I have neglected my other favorites.  I love these bronzers!  Their price point is great and the products are awesome.

If you want to get your hands on  one of these bronzers, check out their awesome 30% off sale for Memorial Day.  I have a long list of suggestions, but if you are looking for swatches on the new Milani Matte Baked Blushes, you can check out my review and swatches for those here.  Happy  Shopping.

Milani 30% off discount

Click here to check out the discount and details.

Have you tried these new bronzers out yet?  Our you planning to if you haven’t already?  Will you be taking advantage of this awesome sale? Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend Loves… wishing you lots of fun and sun!

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