Sunday Sampler December
Hi ladies. I'm back after a mini Thanksgiving/Birthday Hiatus. Ugh... another year older where I'm a little more wrinkled... and a lot more tired! Thank goodness beauty products exist out there to ease the blows of aging... some I am reviewing in this very post. Ok, so I am super pumped to share my recent sample reviews, I can hardly contain my fingertips punching the keyboard right now. I hope you all enjoy my take on the products below, and keep your wallet within reach because these babies are "charge it! charge it! charge it!" worthy. I figure by this point in the holiday season, I've already spent stupid amounts of money... why stop now? (Sorry, Mike.)
- FARMACY Honey Potion: By now, you've probably heard about all of the life-changing things bee pollen can do for us, and FARMACY has just upped it's game with this key ingredient. It's new honey potion mask contains honey, propolis (a natural antiseptic found in beehives), royal jelly, and a potent dose of echinacea which is a kick-ass antioxidant. When I first began massaging in this thick, greasy-in-a-good-way mask, it melted onto my skin in the most luxurious way.... and then it BURNED, badly... like my face was a bonafide disco inferno. I panicked and began obsessively googling every minute detail on this product. Here's what I found: it is a "warming" mask so when it starts burning there is no need for alarm. After taking some yogic lions breaths, I continued to massage my face in little circles. As promised, the burning subsided and I was in serenity-spa heaven. After about 15 minutes, I rinsed off this mask thoroughly and honest-to-God my face revealed a younger, abundantly hydrated, more radiant me. I'm very, truly, earnestly giving this one a big HELL YES! Side note: oddly (or maybe not such a surprise if you're familiar with bee pollen) this product smells just like pig fat... licking your face is optional.
Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum: So, I snagged this serum by way of my birthday rewards from Sephora (ok, I guess this is a plus in the "getting one year older" category). What is so awesome about this serum is that it's oil-free and is really great on sensitive skin. Too many serums are super heavy... sure, they may leave you with dewier skin but at the cost of majorly clogged pores. Caudalie's Vinoperfect is subtly scented and feels light on my skin. It promised to "reveal brighter, more even skin and reduce the appearance of dark spots such as acne marks, scars, and sun spots with this satiny serum." Caudalie uses an ingredient from "grape vine sap" that is clinically proven to be 62 times more effective than vitamin C. Now that is something to brag about people. I was just so blown away by this serum's silk-like, non-greasy texture and it's pleasant scent. After two weeks of use, my pores remain clean and my skin looks fresh. Vinoperfect is also a great complement under make-up. For all you sensitive skinners among us, this one is a no-brainer. It's pure loveliness in a bottle! Side note: the dropper wasn't the best and I felt like I had to use quite a bit of product to sufficiently cover my entire face.
- SK-II Facial Treatment Essence: Ok, I've been hearing about this stuff for a while but I remained somewhat disenchanted... mostly because seriously girl, how the heck do you pronounce SK-II? When Sephora offered large samples, I snagged a few to see what all the hype was about. SK-II facial essence is a Korean skin technology that has been around for decades. SK-II's essence contains Pitera™— "a bio-ingredient rich in vitamins, organic acids, minerals, and amino acids that work together to support natural skin cell renewal with powerful anti-aging and hydrating properties." I began using this every morning and night after my skin was cleansed and toned and before I applied serum and/or moisturizer. I would drench a cotton ball and heavy-handedly press into my skin and... holy crap, miracles do happen because this seemingly benign-looking product transformed my skin. After a few weeks, it just sort of evened out my skin tone and made it feel noticeably firmer. I am in awe of this essence. I think we all need to take a seat on the Korean skin care train... they're ahead of the game when it comes to all things beauty. Side note: SK-II Facial Essence comes with a HEFTY price tag... buy only in emergency cases of retail therapy.
Welp happy shopping everyone! In the meantime, I will leave you with a very merry quote from my all-time favorite Christmas movie:
Ellen: Clark, I think it'd be best if everyone went home... before things get worse.
Clark: WORSE? How could things get any worse? Take a look around here, Ellen. We're at the threshold of hell.
Stay sane my friends... MUAH!!!
