Tag Archives: La Roche-Posay

April Favorites

09 Friday May 2014

Posted by in Reviews

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Everyone has been saying it, where has this year gone?? Maybe it has something to do with the missing season. If you, like me, live on the East Coast we did not really get a Spring. Because of the everlasting winter, we jumped straight into Summer!

Anyways, on to my favorites for the month. Most of them are skincare basics that I have fallen or re-fallen in love with. This month’s makeup favorites have actually kicked my Holy-Grail items out of first place! Yes, you read that correctly! That is how much I love them.

 

Neutrogena’s Norwegian Formula Fast Absorbing Hand Cream

(USD ~$5.50 for 3oz) –> found at drugstores

I never realized how fragrant my hand creams were until I used them at the clinic. I love Aveeno as an all-purpose lotion but it does not last very long over multiple hand-washings. I remember years ago when the Neutrogena’s Norwegian Formula was all the rage. The original formula was dense and long-lasting. The small tube fit perfectly in scrub pockets. Unfortunately, it was too greasy and did not absorb quickly enough for work…but as I was scanning my local CVS I noticed the fast-absorbing formula and I had to try it!

This lotion has no fragrance so it does not offend in a medical setting. It is light, absorbs quickly and lasts through multiple hand-washings. The tube is a little bigger than I like but it is light and does not weigh down my scrubs. Win-Win-Win-Win! This cream is perfect for humid spring/summer months.

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Coppertone’s UltraGuard SPF 50 Broad Spectrum Sunscreen Lotion

(USD ~$9.50 for 8oz) –> found at drugstores

After trying multiple Neutrogena sunscreens and not loving any of them I went on the hunt for a new sunscreen.

The Coppertone UltraGuard sunscreen is thick but spreads easily over the skin. It does not absorb quickly but it does absorb well. It does not leave a chalky or overtly greasy residue. I continue to use it because it covers evenly and does not completely disappear when wet. The sunscreen smell is barely noticeable so I like wearing it at work!

 

La Roche-Posay’s Anthelios Mineral SPF 50 Ultralight Sunscreen Fluid

(USD $33.50 for 1.7oz) –> found at CVS Pharmacies

I am a fan of the Melt-In Sunscreen Milk from the same line but it is too greasy for my face. I assumed the face products would be just as greasy until I saw the “Mineral Ultralight” fluid. I hoped it would be on the chalkier side. During the summer I am incredibly acne-prone so I’ll take chalky and ashy over greasy and shiny any day! I was not expecting this product to be so wonderful, though. It is greasy in that sunscreen sort of way but it does not leave a white cast! It does not absorb particularly quickly, due to the physical SPF ingredients, but it does not change the consistency or color of foundation when I wear make-up. There is no fragrance.

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Caudalie’s Deep Cleansing Exfoliator

(USD $35.00 for 2oz) –> found at http://www.sephora.com

This brand has been on my radar for a while but I never really took the plunge. I was in the market for a facial exfoliator so I purchased this during the 15% off sale at Sephora and I am so glad I did. Caudalie is quickly making its way to the top of my skincare list. Dare I say it? I may like their products more than my beloved Chanel ones..Blasphemy!!

I have three steps to exfoliating. One: I remove my makeup, two: I cleanse my face, three: I exfoliate. This cleanser/exfoliator hybrid is so powerful I can eliminate step two altogether! I am so precise about my skincare that if I can save some time I am all over it.

The texture of this cleanser is gritty and rough but smooth. The granules do not tear at my skin but because they are so dense I do not use a lot of product or pressure.

The biggest pro is I see immediate results. My skin is clearer, cleaner and softer! When I use other physical exfoliators I see results after a day of “healing”.

The only drawback is my skin is a little red the next day. I think this is very strange given I do not usually struggle with flushing.

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Too Faced’s The Chocolate Bar Eye Palette

(USD $49.00 for 16 shadows) –> http://www.sephora.com

Most times, I do not give into such hyped-up products until the raving is long over and forgotten. However, HSN was having a wonderful sale and I managed to get my paws on the eyeshadow palette and primer for only $30! How could I say no?

I always take the hype with a grain of salt since advertising, reimbursement for good reviews and mass hysteria contribute to it. Wow. I cannot even explain how much I love this palette. First off, let’s talk smell. Yes, these eye shadows are fragranced. Like chocolate. And, the smell translates to the lids! I smell like a chocolate bar. How cool is that???

Okay, other than that…these shadows are good quality. The color payoff is amazing with one swipe of a brush. There is more fall out during application but this is not a problem since I apply face makeup after I am done with my eyes. Fallout only concerns me if it occurs during the day and guess what? There is none! The shadows do not smudge or shift, even in high humidity.

The best part of all? I use every single color. In both the Urban Decay and Lorac palette (favorites review linked here) there are a few colors I never use. And when I compare the Too Faced palette, on other counts, everything just seems better: the quality, the colors, the names, the packaging, all of it. This palette kicked my UD Naked I right out of first place!

 

Too Faced’s Shadow Insurance Anti-Crease Eye Shadow Primer

(USD $20.00 for 0.35oz) –> found at http://www.sephora.com

This came in the set with the above eye palette. I have very oily eyelids so shadow primer is nonnegotiable. I have used my Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion for as long as I have worn eye makeup. Nothing compared to it so I never used anything else.

Until now.

The texture of the Too Faced primer is so much lighter than the Urban Decay’s Original primer potion. The slip is greater and it dries less quickly so it is easier to apply evenly to the lid in one go. I realize I use more UD primer than necessary just because it dries so fast and I don’t always get a chance to apply it properly. I do not have this same problem with Shadow Insurance.

The icing on the cake is my eyeshadow does not crease even after a long, hot shower! No joke. This stuff is AH-MAZING.

 

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That’s all for this month! Have you tried any of these products? What do you think of them?

 

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

You’re Ill? Part One: Lotions

11 Sunday Aug 2013

Posted by in Skincare

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The comment I hear the most after I tell someone I have RA is “You’re ill? But you look so healthy!”. I know. If you look at me, you would never think I am fighting an autoimmune disease. I spent a year hiding the fact I had Rheumatoid Arthritis. When I started telling people. It always came as a surprise. I loved that.

When I first started all my medications, I broke out, my skin paled, dried out, oiled out, my eyes burned, my hands cracked, my hair fell out and lost its shine. I was a mess. I looked ill. I hated it. I couldn’t keep it from work, as hard as I tried, but they could tell there was a change.

I’ve always prided myself on my health, except for the occasional flu or allergy I was always healthy. So, one day when I looked in the mirror and I saw that I looked sick I knew something had to change. I embarked on a mission to look healthy and I knew it started with my skincare.

I realized that the first thing I needed to do was start wearing sunscreen. I know, I know, I should have been wearing sunscreen already. It’s never too late to start. I don’t know if there is actual science behind this but I found that within weeks of wearing sunscreen on every exposed part of my body, my skin seemed to repair itself more quickly. I like to think that it’s because when I am not wearing protection my skin has to protect and repair. With the addition of sunscreen, my skin only needs to repair. With sunscreen alone, my skin already looked healthier.

My favorites: Neutrogena Ultimate Sport, La Roche-Posay Anthelios 50 Mineral Tinted Ultra Light Sunscreen Fluid, La Roche-Posay Anthelios 60 Melt-In Sunscreen Milk.

Neutrogena and La Roche-Posay

I use La Roche-Posay only on my face when I know I will be outside for a long period of time. It is expensive so I want it to last for the entire summer months. I love Neutrogena for my body and I am a huge fan of their spray sunscreens as well. I found that the Ultimate Sport brand has a better consistency and doesn’t leave a white cast like the Ultra Sheer does. As an daily facial moisturizer I use Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer SPF 15. I have darker skin and I found that the added soy complex has evened out any subtle hyperpigmentation I had from the years of not wearing sunscreen.

Aveeno, No7, St. Ives

Depending on my shower schedule, instead of re-applying the Aveeno lotion, I may use Boots UK brand “No7” – Protect & Perfect Day Cream SPF 15. I don’t use it every day because I find it a little greasy, but I only need a little bit to cover my entire face and neck.   During the day when I am inside or before bed I slather on non-SPF lotions like it’s my second job. My favorites: c.Booth Egyptian Argan Oil Body Butter, Organix hydrating Moroccan Argan Oil Lotion, and Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion.

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Before bed, after my nightly face-washing routine, I slather on a thin layer of Nivea Soft. I absolutely love the consistency of this. It warms right down to an oil in my hands and I can pat it onto my skin. This was my splurge of the year but I absolutely adore the La Mer The Eye Concentrate. I know I can’t see the anti-aging properties of the cream right now but it is the only cream that doesn’t break me out around the eyes. That’s right, my skin is so oily that I sometimes break out right under my eyes. I slather on Dior Crème de Rose Smoothing Plumping Lip Balm with Aquaphor right on top. Aquaphor is one of those amazing miracle products that everyone talks about. I know why. It really works.

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I eliminate this one step during the summer because my skin is so oily, but during the colder months of the year I will gently apply Vaseline (after my nightly moisturizer) under my eyes, around the corners of my nose, across my forehead and on the smile lines around my lips.

Within weeks of starting this routine, which I have spent months perfecting, I noticed a huge change in the condition of my skin. Even when during a flare, I could hide it better because I looked healthy. My skin was glowing and had gotten most of its color and smoothness back. Nobody would guess that my immune system was trying to attack itself.

Hi, I’m Monica and I have RA.