Tuesday, January 10, 2012

In Need of Some Direction...

What should I review next? Any products from Sephora that you have been dying to buy but not sure are worth the investment? Let me know and I'll review it for you darlings :)
Any other topics of interest? Share your thoughts! Pretty please? 
Are there any dental products out there that I should know about? I would love to know.
Leave your suggestions as comments <3 <3 <3
Also feel free to leave any thoughts on what you think of my reviews so far!

REVIEW: "dr.dennis gross" Active Vitamin D Serum-Oil

Hello All! Back with another beauty/health related review.
This one is also of a product purchased from Sephora, that claims it is "the first & only concentrated active vitamin D skincare treatment". Because I frequently have cases of sun-induced happiness I am obsessed with the sun and it is when our body is exposed to the sun that it begins to make Vitamin-D. It is recommended that about 15 minutes in the sun each day is enough for maximum benefits. However I live in NYC and find myself behind an office desk for the better part of the day- so I rarely have the time to bask in the sun for a good 15 min!

The dropper delivers the perfect dose.

That is why this product seemed like such a god-send for me!
Application: I have found that the best way to apply this product is to drop the recommended 3 drops onto the tip of your fingers, rub it with your other hand and begin DABBING the oil onto your skin. I felt like this allowed the oil to be absorbed into my skin better than just rubbing or smearing it along my face. I dab first on my cheeks up to my temples, then on my forehead, and apply any extra on my chin and nose.

Pros:
-I like the smell of this product because it is so simple. It is marketed as something medicinal so I thought it would have a harsh pharmaceutical smell, but the smell is actually non-invasive. 
-Texture. It is not so oily that my skin looks greasy after use. VERY LIGHT.
-It works great as a pore minimizer, and seems to have the same effect on my skin as SmashBox PHOTO FINISH! So it could be a great replacement for that product with additional Vitamin D benefits :)
-My skin GLOWS after this! I think it also works well for fine lines (I have some on my forehead that it practically erased).
-As advertised, it is perfect for everyday use! I've been using it everyday in the morning before applying my Laura Mercier Tinted moisturizer with SPF. They work well together.
-Seriously, take a look at the ingredients list! Squalane, Sweet Almond Oil, Lavender Oil, Avocado Oil, Willow, Soybean, and retinol. Quite an impressive list.

Cons:
-I've had this for 3 weeks now and just recently had a minor breakout. I'm not sure if it can be attributed to this or not but it is one of the only things to my routine that I have changed.
- Price. It's $65 dollars so it is definitely a high-end product.

Judgement:
Everything about this serum worked well for me. Is it worth the hefty price tag though? I think it depends how it works for your skin. For me, it made a noticeable difference, I really did feel my skin was more radiant after use. Since it's a great addition to my morning makeup routine I think it was worth it! For others I would suggest asking for a small sample from Sephora before purchase. If you fall in love with it, as I'm sure you will, then buy it with no regrets :)

Sunday, January 8, 2012

My Shiny Teeth That Sparkle, Addin' Beauty To My Face...

This song might definitely be the reason why I am so obsessed with shiny, white teeth! Can't get it out of my head when I brush my teeth now. Makes me nostalgic too, "The Fairly Odd Parents" had so many catchy tunes and it was certainly this one that reinforced my love of bright smiles :)

REVIEW: GLO Brilliant Personal Teeth Whitening Device

I've had the GLO whitening system (purchased from Sephora) for about a month now. I thought since this product has an almost $300 price tag it would be useful to review it's quality after a months use!
First off-It definitely does work! I've heard claims of little or no effect from GLO but I've found it to have a visible affect on my teeth after only 3 days of use.

Still I have used other whitening products with much better results than this- namely GoSmile (which is no longer being sold at my local Sephora on the UWS).
I really can't say I'm THAT impressed. It did brighten up my teeth (by maybe 2 shades),  but I expected so much more! It's almost the price of a professional ZOOM treatment at a dental office! Another negative: I was a little turned off by the warmness of the device in my mouth, maybe I was just being paranoid but I felt like my teeth were becoming sensitized. 
The dreaded mouthpiece :(
Very similar to an iPod! Cute, but it still lacks in practicality.
Here's A Quick Summary of my general thoughts:

Pros: 
-It DOES have an effect (though my teeth have been whiter).
-Cool design. Very atheistically pleasing, looks like a small iPod.
-There is a minty lip gloss that comes with it (kind of a pro but not really because it's so oily and greasy-I would never use it outside of the house). 

  
Cons:
-It warms up! So uncomfortable in my already moist mouth :(
-This product is advertised so that you can "whiten anywhere" but realistically there is no other place that you can use it other than your bathroom! I would be way to embarrassed to have my friends see me in this (with the mouthpiece in your mouth you look like a high school football player-no wonder the product is only advertised with a girl holding the device near her mouth not acutally in it-SO unattractive!)

Judgement: 
For me the Cons way out the Pros. There is a visible whitening effect, but it does not make up for the fact that this product is so uncomfortable to use! I almost feel like this product needs different sizes: small, medium, and large, maybe that would solve the problem of the mouthpiece being a little too big for me. I will be going back to GoSmile (ironically enough created by the same Dentist!) as soon as I can find a Sephora that stocks it. Honestly, if you want to spend almost $300 for teeth whitening go make an appointment for ZOOM! You'll get more "bang for your buck" for sure!

More Beauty Reviews Coming Soon!