Review: Royal Rose Hydrating Serum by Valentia

This past month, I've been experimenting with a new skincare routine. First off, washing my face regularly! I get super lazy at night, but I've been trying to start the routine before I'm too tired to care. Second, I got La Roche-Posay's Eau Thermale on super-sale at the local drug store. It's basically French mineral water in an aerosol can. Très chic and perhaps très silly. It feels nice, though.

Lastly, I added Royal Rose Hydrating Serum, sent c/o Valentia. I've only been using it for about 7 days, but so far I'm really happy. It's definitely good for sensitive skin, as they claim. I haven't seen any increase in redness and no rash, which is always a risk for me when I try new products. They recommend using it at night, but since it's so lightweight, I like to wear it under my make up.

Benefits:

It smells lightly of roses

It's lightweight and absorbs quickly

Soothes & calms

Contains only natural ingredients

If you have sensitive skin, I really do recommend giving this one a try!

Sponsored by Brand Backer

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Skincare: California Naturel Review

If you're a follower of the blog, you probably know I'm always going on about my sensitive skin. I'm forever on the lookout for gentle, natural brands that my skin will like. Just in time to address summer dryness, the lovely people at California Naturel offered to send me a selection of their plant & mineral based skincare products.

Like always, the packaging is what I noticed first. Colorful accents and embossing are such simple ways to make a product stand out.

A little about the company:

Based in California, duh. I really, really love that they are completely committed to making seriously all-natural skincare products. Everything is naturally scented, meaning they use plant extracts, and are free of parabens, sulfates, and synthetic chemicals. According to the site, they also pride themselves on being a socially responsible business. They also use a lot of organic ingredients. Each product has a different percentage of organic ingredients, so if you're curious, click the links below to learn more!

Here's what I got to try:

Gentle Cleansing Gel

No complaints! Pretty gentle, and at least hasn't made my dry, itchy skin any worse. Great if you wear a lot of make-up. Damascus rose, palmarosa, and ylang-ylang oils are all beneficial and make it smell lovely!

Nourishing Cream

This gentle face lotion smells very herby, which I love. It's exactly what my skin needs, too! Olive leaf and Crithmum Maritimum (fancy science name for sea fennel) are supposed to reduce inflammation and redness. It soaks in pretty quickly, which is nice when you're hurried in the mornings.

Sunscreen SPF 30

I'm not as crazy about this lotion's scent, but scent is in the nose of the beholder, so maybe you'll like it? If you're real concerned about protecting you skin, than this is the sunscreen you want! It's one of those physical sunscreens, so if you don't rub it in real well, you'll look pasty. Mixing it with the Nourishing Cream makes it a little easier to put on. The only complaint I have is that it turns yellow when it dries and I've stained a few shirts. If you plan on wearing a white collar of any kind, use a different sunscreen for the day.

Lip Balm SPF 8

I love this stuff, but I'm pretty into any and all lip products. Especially ones with SPF that taste like berries! It protects against both UVA and UVB, which is important since lips don't have their own natural protection. It goes on smooth and provides a long-lasting barrier against the elements. Great for the beach and won't make your milkshake taste like lipgloss. Well, unless you're drinking a McDonald's milkshake. I'm still bitter about the "improvements" they made to their recipe -_-

Overall Grade: 

A-

Great company & great products!

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Long Weekend: Travel Necessities

Travel must-haves by fleur-d-elise featuring special occasion shoes

It's killing me that I can't talk about the reasons for my trip! It's not for a couple weeks, but it's a huge deal, so I'm preparing far in advance. I'm only going to be gone for 3 days, but the days are going to be long and packed with activity, so prep is important! Here are a few of the necessities I'll be packing.

1. A Trapeze Dress
The one I own is actually black and from H&M, but it's still the same idea. It's relaxed, comfortable and perfect for warm weather. Mine can be dressed up with pointed flats and French-y stripes or dressed down with a sunhat and sandals.

2. A cute set of travel containers
I'm perfectly happy with all the products I use at home, so why spend more on travel size versions? I'll just be packing them in these adorbs striped containers from Target.

3. Efficient Snack
I'm obsessed with these Luna Protein bars. They're soft and covered in delicious chocolate. Satisfying and high in hunger-curbing protein.

4. Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Eye Stuff
Another product I'm in love with. I splurged with the help of a 20% off coupon. It works great, smells great and is small enough to take with me on the plan. The matching serum is also very nice, but I am not made of money.

5. Good reads
I really wish Tina Fey would write like 25 more books, and I really enjoyed Kelly Oxford's book, Everything is Perfect When You're a Liar. Now I'm gonna try Leandra Medine's book (cuz she's a genius) and hopefully Mindy Kaling's book, if the library gets it to me on time. Obviously, I really like it when funny women write books. What's your favorite genre?

6. Comfy shoes, duh.
Have I told you about my new Birks yet? Oh, I have? Well, let me tell you again. They're soooo comfortable and they'll be so easy to remove when I'm dealing with hell of earth- I mean airport security.

Stay tuned for more!
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My Skincare Routine

skincare routine by fleur-d-elise featuring botanics skin care

The beautiful Katerina from Beauty In Insanity asked me very nicely to write a post about my skincare routine and since I like her so much, I felt I should oblige. 

I've had quite a few compliments on my rosey complexion throughout my life. Sometimes nice, sometimes along the lines of "Were you just running?" I hated my pink cheeks when I was a kid, but now they keep me looking young. That, I'm sorry to say, comes from genetics. I'm as much Dutch as I am French and that side of the family is prone to ruddy complexions. I can't guarantee these products will make your skin as rosy as mine, but they're a start!

The Routine

1. If I'm not struck by a bout of laziness, I use an Aveeno Moisturizing Bar to wash off the day's make-up.

2. In the morning, I use Obiqo Gentle Face Scrub in the shower to wake up my skin. Alternatively, I use the homemade face polish mentioned in this post.

3. If my skin is teaching me a lesson about laziness, I apply lavender essential oil to my Red Badges of Irresponsibility. 

4. Resvology Age Corrective Eye Cream actually helps with puffiness and dark circles. For real!

5. If I'm planning on wearing foundation, I use Clinique's All About Eyes Serum since it soaks in faster. Works great to reduce puffiness!

6. At night, I use Obiqo Restoring Night Cream. I don't usually need moisturizer during the day, but sometimes I use Sibu Hydrating Serum.

Bonus Skincare: Sometimes my skin needs a good, deep cleanse, so I do the 1.2.3. Facial which is basically a simple homemade oil mask, a facial steam to open pores, and a good wash. Simple as that!

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Skincare: Night & Day

I was sent some wonderful products from Obiqo to try and I must say, I am quite pleased with them! They've even encouraged me to get on a good AM/PM skincare schedule! Their products are all made with skin-restoring marine extracts and are perfect for mature skin or those trying to get a head start in the anti-aging department.

NIGHT

Skincare at night should be a little different than during the day. Your body does most of its replenishing while you sleep, and this includes your skin cells. Always make sure you wash your face before bed to remove make-up and dirt. Then apply a nice moisturizer, like Obiqo Restoring Night Cream. It's made for normal to dry skin and is great in the winter when heaters and cold weather do a number on your skin. The texture is just perfect. Light, yet rich, and without any sort of greasiness. The soft scent is also lovely.

DAY

Unless you have super oily skin and hair or have the bad habit of never washing your pillow cases (eww), then there's really no reason to wash your face both morning and night. A quick rinse with warm water or  a gentle scrub in the shower is all your skin really needs. Anything past that can strip natural oils that your skin actually needs. Obiqo Gentle Face Scrub is meant for just that. It's soap free and intended for use after your regular face wash. I use it in the mornings, though, in place of a face wash. It wakes up my skin and gently scrubs away anything I missed the night before. Sea kelp and sea lavender (actually a thing!) provide antioxidants. Sweet almond & apricot oils soothe and protect.

As a special treat for my readers, ShoppingMoa.com has offered a coupon code good for 20% off when you buy 3 or more items from the Obiqo line. Just enter 3QJ8LTV2 at checkout. (Expires at the end of the year)

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Beauty: Back to Basics

My skin has gotten more sensitive as I've gotten older. Even in the past year I've noticed a big change in the way my skin reacts, so I've decided it's time to simplify things. I've been avoiding any makeup or skincare products with perfumes and have started using unscented laundry detergent. I even have to be careful about the lip balm I use! Just in the knick of time, I received this free sample of Hydrating Serum from Lucky Magazine and Seventh Generation.

The new line of Seventh Generation's skin-boosting serums is so natural you could practically eat them! Seriously, there are 12 ingredients in the hydrating serum! It's hypoallergenic, won't clog my pores and contains absolutely no parabens, phthalates or synthetic fragrances.

I apply it after I wash my face in the evening, since it's mostly oil-based. That way it has time to soak in and I don't have to walk around all shiney faced! In the winter, I'll probably mix it in with my lotion to avoid the crazy-dry skin I get in cold weather.

Simplifying your beauty regimen doesn't have to be drastic, and if you're not having problems with rashes, like I am, it doesn't mean you have to throw away everything in your bathroom. Use up the products you have, then invest in some high-quality, earth- and skin-friendly products from Seventh Generation's new line. 

Here are some of my #AllNaturalStyleSecrets :

- Skip lip balms that contain peppermint oil. This is really irritating and can make chapped lips worse!

- Get soft skin with this gentle face scrub

- Having trouble getting smells out of your clothes? Switch to natural fabrics! Polyester and synthetics tend to stay smelly, even after several washes. Plus, they usually make you sweat, and we all know what that leads to!

- Remove heavy makeup by applying a few drops of olive or jojoba oil to your face. Let it soak in, wipe with a tissue, then wash as usual.

Frida's gettin' back to basics, too.

Beauty: Everyday Sun Protection

To start off on a depressing note, did you know Washington state had the 5th highest rate of skin cancer in the U.S. in 2008? Ugh. I'm not totally surprised, but it's still not a pleasant statistic. When it's cloudy most of the year, you kind of forget that the sun's rays are still making their way through the atmosphere. Then there's always that week in May or June where it finally hits 75 and everyone rushes outside to spend the day obvliviously soaking up the UVB. The next day we're like a city of cranky lobsters.

I've been trying to avoid both absent-minded errors by making sure all my make-up has SPF in it, as well as wearing a good lotion with added protection. My one problem I always seem to run into, though, is that most sunscreens make my skin greasy. It may be vain, but I just don't like walking around with a shiny face all day. Luckily, my partnership with SkinCareRx gave me the perfect chance to try out some higher end lotions. 

 My first choice was La Roche-Posay Rosaliac UV Fortifying Anti-Redness Moisturiser (woo, try saying that in one breath!) It's perfect for sensitive skin, soothes redness, and has a built-in sunscreen. I've been using it for a couple months now and I like it quite a bit. I don't notice a huge reduction in redness, but I have noticed that they dry, bumpy areas I attributed to a skin allergy have disappeared. It leaves a bit of a shiny residue, but that seems to soak in after 30 minutes or so.

The second lotion I tried happened to be a lucky occurrence in my first package of samples they sent for me to hand out to family and friends. It emphasizes its non-greasiness right in the name: Peter ThomasRoth Max Sheer All Day Defense Cream. It's packed with ceramides and anti-oxidants and all that jazz, on top of having a sun protection factor of 30. It's also fragrance free and suitable for all skin types. I haven't noticed any problems and neither has my mom, so I can vouch for its suitableness. It doesn't go on as sheer as I would like and takes a little longer to soak in, but it's still a great lotion

This is before I put any foundation on. See! No grease!

Now I just need to focus on my laziness when it comes to applying to the rest of my skin.

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Review: Djaouida Skincare

Let me just begin with how soft my skin is! It's incredible! Feels like velvet, but not in a fuzzy way. 

I suppose I should explain things a little better. Today I had the pleasure of meeting Djaouida, a tall, charming esthetician with huge brown eyes and, you guessed it, perfect skin. I also had the pleasure of getting my very first facial. I wasn't totally sure my skin could handle all that cleansing and scrubbing and masking, but Djaouida knows what she's doing! I'm hooked! My skin looks and feels amazing and it was one of the most relaxing 75 minutes I've had in a long time. The facial also included an arm and hand massage, which was the clincher for me. Honestly, include some sort of massage and I'll do just about anything. (Dental fillings with a free neck massage? I'm there!) 

Lately, I've been having some minor problems with my skin. It just seems more reactive and I see rashes more frequently. I was a little worried about this, so I scheduled a European facial, which was listed on the site as suitable for sensitive skin. Turns out I made the right choice, as the European is perfect for customizing. All the other facials come with predetermined lotions, masks, etc., but the European can be tweaked for any skin type. The fact that Djaouida uses all natural products also helped dispel any worries about reacting to perfumes or harsh chemicals.

How gorgeous does my skin look now??

Along with the European Facial, Djaouida also offers more decadent facials. I had to keep reminding myself when I was choosing a facial that "Catie, you don't get to eat these. They're just facials."

Click for more info!

Moroccan: Featuring pomegranate, yogurt & honey

Pumpkin: Detoxify & renew with pumpkin & clay

Hawaiian: Featuring coconut & tropical fruits

Goddess: All I have to say is CHOCOLATE

Definitely worth the drive out to West Seattle!

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Clarisonic: Is it worth it?

(Image Source: Seventeen)

It's seems like in the world of cosmetics, the more money you spend the better the product and the better your skin will look. This seems to make sense, but is it always true? I've never tried La Mer, but it's such a huge seller, and at $275 per 2 oz pot, I imagine it's doing something!

I figured the same must be true for the Clarisonic Care System (which sells like hotcakes despite costing $119), but have never given it a serious thought until SkinCareRX approached me to do a partnership. They wanted me to *gasp* review the Clarisonic. I thought "I can't afford that, what am I gonna do??" but Jillian at SkinCareRX reassured me I wouldn't be required to purchase a system and encouraged me to be creative. I'm not at a point in my life where I can really afford to try it out for myself, but this seemed like a good opportunity to do some "research" and gather opinions from friends who actually own the system. Below, I've compiled a list of Pros and Cons, as well as whether the system was actually "worth it" in the end.

Pros: 

Holds a charge for a long time

Can be charged while wet

Great for removing heavy make-up

Clears up black heads

Exfoliates and works well on acne-prone skin

Comes in several colors

Can be used twice a day

Cons:

Price ($119 to $235)

Replacement heads are expensive and have to be replaced every couple months

Can increase the redness of dry and/or sensitive skin

The PLUS has only one button, which makes it tricky to change the settings

Takes 4 hours to charge

As for whether it was really worth it, the consensus was split pretty evenly. One friend loved it and raved about how much it had improved her acne-prone skin. Another friend was rather ambivalent and said "I like it, but I don't need  it." Of course, she has naturally great skin, so she doesn't really need anything. The third friend said, had she not gotten her's for free, she probably wouldn't have been happy with her investment, since it made her dry skin more inflamed. It did, however, improve the texture and reduce the appearance of black heads.

After taking this all into consideration, I think, if I had the funds, I would definitely give the Clarisonic a try, but I can imagine it would go unused once I ran out of replacement heads. I'm cheap, haha.

What about you? Do you own one or would you buy one? I want to know!

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DIY Beauty

Skincare doesn't have to be a science and I've learned, the simpler the better. Here are two of my favorite recipes. 

 This first recipe is from a magazine, maybe Bazaar, but now I can't remember. Anyway, it's not my original idea and I'm not claiming it as such.

I got the recipe for this great facial scrub from my lovely sister. It's soothing and softening, and has a gentle cleansing effect. It's perfect for all skin types.

Recipe:

1 tsp honey

1 tsp baking soda

1-2 drops lavender oil

2 drops warm water

Mix ingredients together in a small bowl. Massage gently into skin in a circular motion. Rinse with warm water.

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