Finally, Drugstore SkinCare Products that work !!

I tend to be OK with paying a lot more for higher end department store skincare treatments or products because I know I'm paying for better formulation of ingredients, higher quality ingredients and the science behind the product. Even though I adore my higher end skincare products, I still jumped at the chance to test out the L'Oréal Revitalift Bright Reveal™ treatments for 6 weeks when Influenster offered them to me. I thought to myself, can I truly find products that can deter the signs of aging, brighten, hydrate my skin and not break the bank? 

Read on to find out!

Influenster sent me the Bright Reveal™ scrub cleanser,daily lotion, dual overnight moisturizer, and daily peel pads (not pictured).

The timing of receiving this package was impeccable as I had just 

written a post on the importance of adding new products to your 

skincare routine at the turn of every season! As I truly wanted to provide a thorough review I dedicated 6 weeks to only using these products day and night. 

The Bright Reveal ™scrub cleanser provides gentle exfoliation to reveal new skin. This is done by the micro-pearls in the scrub that contain Glycolic acid. Glycolic acid is a powerful compound that penetrates deep into the skin to address any concerns such as blackheads and wrinkles. L'Oréal recommends you use the cleanser scrub once in the morning and once at the end of the night.

 I 'm usually not a fan of the micro-beads found in scrubs or exfoliators as I find they are too abrasive on my skin. I don't have sensitive skin, but my skin just doesn't react well to them.  Fortunately, I didn't experience any abrasions with this cleanser scrub. The micro-pearls are so fine that my skin wasn't irritated. Even though I found this cleanser scrub gentle enough to use everyday, I decided to use it three times a week in the morning.

The Bright Reveal ™ peel pads are pre-soaked with powerful amounts of gylcolic acid to help smooth out fine lines and wrinkles , brighten complexion, rejuvenate dull skin and exfoliate, at a higher concentration than the cleanser scrub, dead skin cells. I used the peel pads every night before applying the overnight moisturizer. I definitely saw a more even toned complexion in the morning after using it consistently for one week straight. After raving about this product for two weeks my sister snatched it from me before I could snap a photo of it for this post. I'm not mad at her though,  sharing really is caring :)

Bright Reveal™ Brightening daily lotion with SPF 30 can be used every morning after cleansing the skin with the scrub or pads. This lotion is very lightweight and definitely has become my favourite daytime lotion. Since it has SPF it's also become my only protection against the sun's harmful rays. The lotion is great under makeup and it doesn't give off a white cast due to SPF ingredients. I like to wear Estée Lauder double wear foundation during the day and this day lotion is the perfect base for it. Anytime I wear it I see my face has a glow to it regardless of what makeup I apply on top!

Bright Reveal ™ Dual Overnight Moisturizer can be used after the reveal pads or the cleanser scrub. This overnight moisturizer is a brightening + anti-wrinkle night treatment. This treatment contains a powerful combo of Glycolic acid + Vitamin C + Retinol to combat wrinkles and uneven skin tone while you sleep.I'm exceptionally surprised by the high level of Retinol contained in this overnight moisturizer. Usually drugstore products do not have high concentrations of retinol and therefore are not as effective on the skin. This is not the case with the this moisturizer! 

 Do I love these products?

 Yes, I sure do! I especially love the brightening peel pads and day lotion! I think they are the stars of the set! I am on my second bottle of day lotion already and I love how it feels on my skin and under my makeup. It gives my skin a surge of moisture and brightens up my complexion instantly. The brightening peel pads are doing wonders at shedding away dead skin. After using them every night I can see that they are more concentrated than the scrub but still gently enough to use everyday. The overnight moisturizer feels great when I apply it after cleansing my face. It's a light and silky lotion that doesn't have a fragrance. I have very small fine lines on my forehead and I wanted to see if after 6 weeks of continuous use they would be less visible , as per L'Oréal claims with this product. Unfortunately, I can't say the claims about reducing fine lines are true, at least for me they were not. I didn't notice any change with the fine lines. I may need to use the product longer, which I am doing anyway because I did notice that the little sun spot on my right cheek was diminishing slightly! Yeah no more sun spots, boo, still have fine forehead lines! 

I will continue to use the L'Oréal Revitalift Bright Reveal ™ products as a set for the the simple fact that I have seen a change in the overall tone of my skin. My sunspots are diminishing and hopefully with extended use they will disappear, but the #1 reason I will continue to use these products is because I have noticed that my skin is more radiant than ever before. 

As I am always open and honest on this blog (and life in general) I want to finish off this post by stating that if Influenster didn't send me these products to test out, I probably wouldn't have picked them up on my own. Why? Because I had the mind set that any product under $25 was not powerful and concentrated enough to make a difference on my skin. You see, I am that girl that spends atrocious amounts of money on makeup products so if I can find a drugstore dupe for some of the higher end makeup that I fancy then I go for it and buy the $8 mascara that will give me voluminous lashes like Lancome Hypnose can. I need to start applying the same way of thinking to drugstore skincare products as well. Just because it's sold at Walmart or Shoppers doesn't mean it's not as effective as the product sold at Nordstrom or The Bay. I'm not saying that all drugstore skincare products will do as they claim on the packaging but I won't dismiss them as quickly as I used too.

XO, MAHA 

Disclaimer: I was sent these products for review by Influenster, but I was not asked for a positive review on my blog. All the  opinions expressed are my own.

ESSENTIAL DAY+ NIGHT LIP CARE

 

(Source Google Image)

We have a hair care routine, feet care routine, and skin care routine (day+night) but how many of us have a lip care routine? In the Winter months your lips will take a lot of abuse because they lack natural protection. Your lips don't have any oils for sweat glands needed for protection from the cold and wind.They can become chapped, blistered, and sometimes even bleed from wind burn, Ouch! Let's show our lips some TLC this winter by following this routine. 

Start off by exfoliating your lips to get rid of all the dry skin that builds up over time. As you know I'm a DIY beauty concoction enthusiast( does that even make sense?) so of course I have a basic but effective lip scrub recipe to share with you:

LIP EXFOLIATING SCRUB

2 TBS Brown or White Sugar
1 TBS Organic Coconut or Almond Oil (I prefer Coconut)
1 TBS Organic Honey or Maple Syrup

Mix the sugar and coconut oil in a small bowl. Ensure they are mixed well as this will become the base of the scrub.Combine the honey or maple syrup to the bowl and mix well. Transfer the scrub into a small jar( a baby food jar will do). The lip scrub can be used 2-3 times a week and should be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

After all the dead skin cells have been scrubbed off, you need to add some hydration back to your lips as they may feel a bit "parched". In the daytime you should use a lip balm that has at least SPF 20. I recently started to use Jack Black intense therapy lip balm with SPF 25 and I really like it. Maybelline Baby lips SPF 20 is also a really good product to use. 

In the night time I HIGHLY recommend using a product that will help your lips heal from the day's stress. I just started to incorporate a lip balm into my night time routine (by now my night time routine ends as the sun is rising...beauty is work!). On a recommendation from a dermatologist I started using Sally Hansen overnight lip recovery balm. The company states that " this product will revitalise and repair your lips as you sleep". It helps combat night time water loss so your lips stay super hydrated and plumped in the morning. I have to say I'm really happy with the Sally Hansen lip balm. It has surpassed my expectations as my lips in the morning not only feel super hydrated and smooth, but I noticed my lips are a brighter pink than usual. This may be because they are really hydrated. I love it and I'll definitely continue to add this balm into my routine.

If you wear lipstick during the day, you can still ensure your lips stay hydrated and smooth by using a moisturizing lipstick. A drugstore brand I really like is Rimmel London Moisture renew  is Estèe Lauder long lasting lipstick.

I hope you take my advice and add a day+night lip care routine, your lips will thank you in the morning :)

Maha 

xoxo

Part 3: Summer Essentials - Hair

Hello!

I'm back with part 3 of my 3 part Summer essentials post. I hope you've enjoyed my posts so far. This time we're talking hair :)  Now, I'm not a hairdresser or hair guru by any means,  but I do know what I like for my hair. Here are 4 of my hair essentials that I always use and can't do without for the Summer months! Enjoy!

Hair Products

1. Bumble and bumble Surf Spray!

Hot summer days call for surfer babe waves! Ooh that's catchy  :)  Forget about the flat iron and blow outs this summer.  Think Giselle Bundchen beach wave look for Summer 2015!  Surf Spray is a salt infused styling spray which can be applied to dry or damp hair (I prefer damp) to give you the wavy beach look. It  adds volume and texture to your hair without weighing it down and its super easy to use. Apply the spray evenly to damp hair from root to ends,  then use a diffuser or hair dryer to dry your hair at the root.  You can leave your hair at this point or further enhance the waves by using a 1" curling iron. Once hair is lightly curled, run your fingers through your hair several times to loosen the curls completely, You can apply the Surf Spray again if you wish.

2. Rare Blend Oil Total Hair Therapy

If you have frizzy, damaged, coloured or chemically processed hair then you're in need of some Oil hair treatment. Ojon is a company that no one in my circle of friends knew about until I started to rave about their products. I discovered this brand while watching the shopping network at 2 am. The company states that  " this oil will help nourish, repair and transform dull and damaged hair and give you  glossy healthy shine with only 1 drop". I have to admit, one drop doesn't do it for me. 2 drops is more then adequate for medium to long hair.  You will most definitely see a transformation from dull hair to healthy shine hair with 2 applications of Rare Blend Oil. These oils were cultivated from Tahiti to the Kalahari Desert. I use Rare Blend religiously after I wash my hair and before styling. Add 2 drops in your palm and apply it all over your hair. Style as usual. It makes my hair feel  soft and glossy without weighing it down. I like the fact that this Oil treatment doesn't have to be heated up or washed out of the hair.  Rare Belnd Oil and other Ojon products can be bought at Sephora and Ulta.

3. L'Oreal Hair Expertise EverPure Color UV Protect Spray


The kids and I are always outside in the hot Summer days, so I was looking for something ( besides a hat) to protect my hair from sun damage. Now why should I care about sun protection for my hair you ask? Good question ! According to Good Housekeeping Magazine  "The sun affects hair just like it affects skin.The sun dehydrates hair, leaving it brittle and prone to split ends. It can also fade your hair, which is what makes your colour turn brassy". Ain't nobody got time for brassy hair!!." The L'Oreal EverPure UV protect spray provides SPF 25 protection. You can apply it to damp or dry hair. It's inexpensive and easy to use. This EverPure line also carries shampoo and conditioner with SPF protection as well.

4. Aveda Sun Care

Along with the L'Oreal Color UV protect spray, the Aveda sun care masque is another must have product if you are out in the sun too long . In my case,  I use this hair masque after I've been in chlorine water. Chlorine is very damaging to my curly coarse hair.  I apply the masque in the shower , leave it on for 2-3 minutes and then rinse it off. I notice my hair after every use just feels healthy, soft and shiny. The Sun Care masque is very creamy and smells divine!! It's infused with 100% certified organic essences of neroli, ylang ylang and cistus.  Just love it!

Thank you Beauties !!

I love hearing from my readers so please do post a comment or question. ! I love reading them and responding.

P.S.  I wanted to ensure that all my readers understood that I am in NO WAY paid for these reviews. I spend my own money to purchase these items and I choose to write an honest review. These are not sponsored posts.