Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream

Oh hi. A friend asked me a question about my Clarisonic today and it inspired me to post in here again... so I'm gonna post about a moisturizer I've been using consistently for the past 7 months.


To be honest, when I first purchased this moisturizer I wasn't even sure if it was supposed to be for your body or your face (I eventually found out it's suitable for both). I was in Lake Tahoe last December and forgot to bring a face moisturizer - I ALWAYS seem to forget to bring some very important step of my skincare routine. Anyway, we made a run to the grocery store and I decided to pick up this big TUB of Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream. The air is super thin and dry up in Tahoe so I wanted something fairly heavy. It definitely did the trick and I've been using it ever since... even into the summer months.

Somehow, it's moisturizing enough for night time and light enough to use under my makeup during the day. And it's scent-free so it's great for sensitive skin - a lot of moisturizers contain perfumes/artificial fragrances that actually irritate your skin.


If you want/need even more moisture/hydration (at night) use a serum beforehand. Or, sometimes I take some argan oil and mix it up with some moisturizer in my hand before applying.


Be aware there's no SPF though so be sure to apply some SPF moisturizer along with it, or hopefully there's some SPF in your foundation. You should go for a minimum of SPF 30.

The word moisture now looks really weird to me. Til next time!

The truth about bobby pins.

I've been wearing bobby pins wrong my entire life - link here via some friends on Facebook - I can't believe it!

Flowerbomb

Launched in 2004, but I never tried it until this year. I love it!

Flowerbomb by Viktor & Rolf

• Top Notes
• Bergamot, Tea 
• 
  
  Middle Notes
• Jasmine, Freesia, Orchid 
• 
  
  Base Notes
• Centiflora Rose, Patchouli

If you're curious to try it, ask for a sample. It will last you a good week or two so you'll see if you really like it and be sure you don't have any bad reactions to it.

Benefit Benetint

I use this rose-scented lip and cheek stain just on my lips, and it's the perfect hint of pink over a lip balm. It's subtle and natural, easy to apply, and truly long lasting. I only recently read over the ingredients, and I kind of wish I hadn't. Check it out:

Ingredients: water, rosewater, glycerin, quarternium 15, carmine

Now, from Wikipedia:

Carmine (pronounced /ˈkɑrmɪn/ or /ˈkɑrmaɪn/), also called Crimson Lake, Cochineal, Natural Red #40[citation needed], C.I. 75470, or E120, is a pigment of a bright red color obtained from the aluminum salt of carminic acid, which is produced by some scale insects, such as the cochineal and the Polish cochineal, and is used as a general term for a particularly deep red color of the same name. Carmine is used in the manufacture of artificial flowers, paints, crimson ink, rouge, and other cosmetics, and is routinely added to food products such as yogurt and certain brands of juice, most notably those of the ruby-red variety.

This is a cochineal insect:

This is what it looks like smashed:

Ok, I get that it's "natural", and used to dye many things, but I'd rather not have it on my lips. Or in my yogurt, or [from http://www.vegparadise.com/news13.html]...

According to the FDA, carmine is used in foods like ice cream, strawberry milk, fake crab and lobster, maraschino cherries, port wine cheese, lumpfish eggs, and liqueurs like Compari. Carmine is also used in lipstick, makeup base, eye shadow, eyeliners, nail polishes, and baby products. Cochineal extract is present in fruit drinks, candy, yogurt, and some processed foods.

Good thing I don't eat most of the foods on that list - I became aware of carmine in foods a bit ago and am pretty careful. I wonder if it's in any of my nail polishes though. Yikes.

Sunday Funday Nail Polish Shopping

So when I heard OPI's Katy Perry collection came back in stock and I was SO EXCITED! I didn't get anything from the collection the first time around..but when it sold out, that's when I wanted it. Typical. So happy I got my hands on the Black Shatter and Teenage Dream. I was thinking about getting the blue glittery one too but the guy there pulled up swatches on his iPad and I saw that it wasn't very blue at all, so I decided to pass on that.

top row: OPI Teenage Dream, OPI Black Shatter, OPI Red Hot Ayers Rock (although I'm not sure why I used that picture...it looks a lot more pinky/orangey in person)

bottom row: Essie Luxedo (really pretty purple/black, I'm so excited to try this one), Zoya Amanda, Zoya Laney

Right now I'm using Zoya Laney underneath OPI Black Shatter, except on my ring fingers I have Teenage Dream underneath Black Shatter.