Shiseido Urban Environment Oil-Free Sunscreen

If you are not new to the blog, then you know I have sensitive, acne prone skin (and if you didn’t before now you do!). Sunscreens are one of the most difficult items to find for my skin, because most either smell too much of sunscreen, leave my face looking greasy, sting my eyes, or they break me out. Up until this point my go to face sunscreen was the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch, but that one did sting my eyes. I have had good luck with the few Shiseido items I have bought in the past, so when I saw this at TJ Maxx I snapped it up.

This stuff is truly awesome. It has not only replaced my go to sunscreen, but it is now my holy grail sunscreen. It has a thin, liquid consistency that makes it easy to spread over my face and neck. Inside the bottle is a ball, so make sure you shake this up before applying. It dries quick and doesn’t leave my skin looking greasy. It doesn’t sting my eyes at all! I can wear this on hot days or when exercising outdoors, and I don’t have to worry about it making its way into my eyes and burning them.

This is in a convenient package, with a sanitary squeeze tip. I really like the package for this. It isn’t messy, and I can easily get out just as much as I want. This is water resistant, but despite that it has not broken me out at all! I have worn it swimming, and it has done a fantastic job of protecting my skin from the sun. And no sunscreen smell at all!

Shiseido Urban Environment Oil-Free Sunscreen retails for $30 and is available wherever Shiseido is sold.

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Congratulations!

She won by tweeting about the giveaway. You have 72 hours to email me at leticia@cosmeticsaficionado.com with your name and address (please format your address as it will show on an address label) from the email address associated with your Rafflecopter entry so that I know it is you. If you have not responded within that time frame a new winner will be chosen.

Keep your eyes open for more giveaways! I have a couple of blushes and a brush set waiting for a giveaway. :)

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Egyptian Magic

Yes, I finally bought this stuff. I have heard a lot about it (mostly good), but the price tag kept me away. I finally decided to try it when I spotted it in Costco.

This comes in a plastic pot (2 oz., 4 oz. and 8 oz. sizes) with a plastic lid. I know this comes in a pot instead of a pump bottle (my preferred packaging) because of the formula, but I don’t like pots. You need to use a scoop to keep germs out of the pot.

This has a thickish consistency resembling a salve, though it thins out a bit when you rub it between your hands. It still feels a tad grippy to me though. This is super moisturizing, so you don’t need much. I found the best way to apply this was to rub it between my hands first and then gently massage it onto damp skin (to help spread it evenly and to help avoid gripping your skin). I have oily skin, and felt this was best used at night time only.

I didn’t notice any significant changes in my skin, though it quickly softened the really dry patch right under my bottom lip that seems to plague me. It works wonders on dry elbows, cuticles, etc. However, over time I had to quit using it on my face.

After several days I began noticing tiny red bumps on my forehead and cheeks. When I quit using the Egyptian Magic it cleared up. I think the issue is the bee pollen in it. I have tried one other skincare item with that ingredient, and I got the same tiny bumps on my skin. I am no skincare expert, but I believe it was a reaction to that ingredient and not because the product is acne causing for me. That is my best guess.

Would I buy it again? Probably not. I was wanting to use it on my face and I can’t. I will use it up before it’s gone though. I still love it for body care.

Egyptian Magic retails for around $25 and can be found at Costco and Amazon.com.

Ingredients: Olive oil, beeswax, honey, bee pollen, royal jelly, and propolis extract.

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Moisture Rush Mask

I bought this mask when I bought the L’Oreal Damage Erasing Balm I reviewed yesterday, and while that mask didn’t work for me I actually really like this one.

This mask claims to give you 10x more moisture, and while I don’t know if that is actually true I do know that after using this the first time my hair felt a lot more moisturized, silkier, bouncier, and was shinier. And who wouldn’t love that, right?

I tried this for the recommended 3 to 5 minutes the first time, but found I get the best results leaving this on for 20 minutes. This smooths into my hair and easily detangles it, and it has a pleasant smell that does not linger. I don’t mind that, as I prefer to not smell perfumed anyway.

Overall, LOVE this hair mask and will continue to purchase it. I have thick, curly hair that soaks up moisture and it loves this conditioner.

L’Oreal Power Moisture Moisture Rush Mask retails for $6.99 and can be purchased at most drugstores and most mass retailers.

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Damage Erasing Balm

If you are not new to this blog then you know I have naturally curly hair. To maintain hair health I regularly use deep conditioners to keep damage at bay and quench my thirsty curls. I have found it trickier to find masks I love than finding an everyday conditioner, so when I spotted this (as well as another mask I will be reviewing) at Rite Aid I bought it immediately. I find the price quite reasonable for a hair mask. It claims to “repairs up to one year of damage in 1 use.” That I don’t really believe, and after one use I certainly didn’t experience that with my hair.

The directions state that you are to leave this in for 3 to 5 minutes, which I did try the first time. I didn’t notice any damage repair, and in fact it seemed less moisturized than when I use my regular conditioner. I have tried it several times since then leaving it in for various amounts of time, but I get no noticeable benefit from this product.

I will say that it has a nice smell, smooths into my hair easily, and rinses out without creating buildup in my hair. It just didn’t offer the benefits I was hoping for, and might be better suited to someone with thin hair that doesn’t require as much moisture. I have thick, curly hair that soaks up moisture like a sponge.

L’Oreal Total Repair 5 Damage Erasing Balm retails for $6.99 and can be found at most drugstores and mass retailers.

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Natural Light

Natural Light

Milani Cosmetics

So, I am trying to do more face of the days, and I hope that is something you want to see. I want to give you better insight into how I use my makeup, to see that I actually DO use the makeup that I am reviewing, and maybe even create some empties (which of course means more reasons to buy makeup).

I really wanted to try a smoky eye using almost all of the Milani Naturally Chic Shadow Eyez pencils I own, but while the colors are fantastic for a smoky eye I wasn’t too thrilled with the result I got trying to use them alone. I think they set too quick for me to blend them as much as I wanted, and are more suited as as a base for standard shadows. It was worth a shot!

Products Used:

Face

• Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation (review coming soon)
• Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer (currently evaluating)
• Sephora Collection Microsmooth Foundation (review coming soon)
• Pur Mineral Mineral Blush in Roselite (currently evaluating)

Lips

• Milani Colorstatement lipstick in Nude Creme

Eyes

• Milani Eye Primer
• Milani Naturally Chic Shadow Eyez in Almond Cream (tear duct, brow bone), Cafe Au Lait (lid to just in the crease), Black Ink (waterline and outer V)
• Urban Decay Naked Basics eyeshadow in Venus (tear duct, brow bone) and Crave (outer V)
• MAC eyeshadows in Soft Brown (crease) and Swiss Chocolate (crease) (currently evaluating both)
• Billion Dollar Brows Universal Brow Pencil
• Estee Lauder Lash Primer and Sumptuous Mascara (currently evaluating)

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Yes, I was on the computer ordering multiple MAC RiRi Woo lipsticks. I am giving one away on Instagram that ends soon, but today begins the blog giveaway I promised. This is open internationally, so get those entries in!

What you need to know:

• Open internationally!
  Note: I am not responsible for items lost, damaged, or stolen in transit. If the prize is lost I will not be sending a replacement, nor will I provide money for the value of the prize.
• Must be a legal adult or have permission from your parent or legal guardian.
• Mandatory entry is a blog comment telling me what item(s) you like to splurge on. It doesn’t have to be makeup. My splurge items are handbags.
• All other entries (following, pinning, tweeting) are optional. You may tweet once per day about the giveaway for an extra entry per tweet.
• Giveaway begins May 22, 2013 and ends on June 5, 2013 at12 pm PST.
• The winner will be chosen at random from all valid entries and announced on the blog within 72 hours of the giveaway ending. If you are the winner, you will need to contact me via email using the email address associated with your Rafflecopter entry within 72 hours of the blog announcement. If not, a new winner will be chosen. Winner will not be notified by email, so it is important that you check back on the blog. People have missed out on prizes by not contacting me after an announcement. :(
• Giveaway is not sponsored by anyone.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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