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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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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