Early Summer 2014 - New Products

Through spring and early summer, I've been trying multiple new products.  A quick review of just a few:

Lush Shampoo Bar

My sister bought me one of these for my birthday, and I was really pleasantly surprised!  Lush's Shampoo Bars are preservative-free and environmentally friendly, with no harmful packaging (mine was a travel size so it came in the tin), and are made to last as long as three bottles of liquid shampoo.  They come in different formulas, but this "Squeaky Green" is made to deep cleanse scalp and hair.  It smells like tea tree oil and rosemary - very nice.  I'd definitely try the other versions of this - they make them for softening, oily hair, volume/shine, de-tangling, dandruff, thinning hair, etc.  $12

 Lancome's Rouge in Love Lipsticks

I don't wear many lipsticks - they generally feel too heavy on my lips. However, these new lip colors from Lancome are definitely cool.  They come in the very in-style bold shades, but they are a VERY lightweight matte finish, so they wear a bit more like a lip stain - and they are 6-hour wear! A light sweep of color gives me a good base shade for long wear, and I can pop a little gloss over it if I want more shine. They've been very popular at Macy's so far. $28.50

 Guerlain Lingerie De Peau - Invisible Skin Fusion Foundation

In my search for a light-weight foundation with a lovely finish, I found this on Sephora's website, with extremely high ratings. It has SPF 20, and is a light to medium coverage formula.  Goes on really smoothly.  The color is not a perfect match for me, but since I like the feel, I've been blending it with just a little foundation in another shade to add a bit of pink undertone.  Goes on well with a blending brush or a blending sponge.  At $61, it runs higher in price than some counter brands, but it's a little nicer, too.

Dirty Works Supreme Cream Body Butter

You all know about my love affair with body butters. I grabbed this one on the cheap at TJ Maxx - the brand is sold mostly overseas, but at $7, it seemed like a good buy.  It's more whipped-feeling than other body butters - more like a light cream.  It smells great (shea butter and sweet almond oil) and leaves the skin silky.  It's not a product I can grab at my local store, but I'd buy it again.  Plus...the retro packaging is a bit fun.

Murad T-Zone Pore Refining Serum

I've had this product for a couple of months and have been putting off blogging about it, because I simply can't tell if it's working or not.  I bought it at the recommendation of an aesthetician who gave me a facial.  I rarely break out, but occasionally get some trapped oil in the larger pores on my cheeks, or near my nose.  Even if they don't turn into actual breakouts, they annoy me. This serum is supposed to tighten pores, dissolve oil, and prevent excess oil production.  It doesn't smell bad, but doesn't smell good like some of my other serums.  I don't use it every night - maybe twice a week?  I will say I seem to have less trapped oil in pores, but I'm not sure if it's due to this serum.  It runs $42, and doesn't seem to hurt anything, but I'm just not certain what I can attribute to its use.

What about you, ladies?  Tried any new products this spring/summer?

Sweet Skin: C. Booth Honey & Almond Body Products

I have been a long-time lover of C. Booth's hand cream, so I am not surprised that I really love their body butter!  At $8, it's totally cheap.  Thick, smooth, creamy...but it absorbs beautifully and leaves the skin feeling terrific.  The smell is light, clean, slightly sweet, and not overpowering at all.  I'm definitely looking forward to trying their other scented body butters.  I want them now!

While the body butter is great, I wasn't so impressed with the Honey Almond Nourishing Body Wash.  Price and scent are both attractive, but the lather is weak and I didn't feel incredibly clean or moisturized after using it.

Finally, the Honey Almond Nourishing Dry Oil Mist was decent. Same low price and pleasant scent.  I love a good dry oil, but I felt like I had to use this one on top of a lotion instead of alone.  That's not a terrible thing, but I seem to only use this for an extra bit of shine instead of real nourishment.

Looking forward to trying some other C. Booth products - always a plus to find a budget-friendly brand that still gives a luxurious experience...

Body Moisturizers on Parade

I readily admit that I am a body lotion/cream/butter/oil fanatic. I simply don't feel remotely OK with tight or slightly dry skin. I must feel SUPPLE, people!

I blogged last year about Tree Hut's Body Butters, which I still really like, especially the Brazilian Nut scent. http://productsforrealgirls.blogspot.com/2012/08/body-butters-yum.html

Since then, I've tried several other products - thoughts here:

1. L'Occitane Ultra Rich Body Cream with Shea Butter

This doesn't feel as thick and moisturizing as other body butters.  Plus, I don't love the scent; it's not bad, but it's not pleasant, either. The moisture quality is fine, and lasts a good while, but I wasn't wowed by this, especially for $42 a tub. http://www.sephora.com/ultra-rich-body-cream-rich-in-shea-butter-P238001


2. First Aid Beauty, Ultra Repair Cream

The price point is more reasonable for this product; Sephora carries two sizes for $28 and $39.  Still, not cheap.  Again, I don't love the smell.  It's a bit menthol-y and fresh. It's also not super thick - it's more whipped and light.  I don't feel like it soaks into my skin much.  It seems to create a soft, moisturized layer on top of my skin instead of really absorbing. The benefit of this one seems to be that it can be used for all types of skin allergies and irritations/disorders, and it can be used on the body AND the face. 

http://www.sephora.com/ultra-repair-cream-P248407

3. The Body Shop, Shea Body Butter

Here, I stumbled on my new favorite body butter! It's made with Fair Trade ingredients, and comes in a myriad of scents. The shea happens to be my favorite, as it's a yummy scent that's not overpowering.  This is much thicker than other body butters, but soaks in beautifully and leaves me feeling moisturized for hours. It even makes freshly-shaven legs feels amazing, which can be tricky.  Best of all?  The price is great.  The JUMBO is on sale for $15, typically $25.  That's a lot more product than other brands.  http://www.thebodyshop-usa.com/shop-by-line/shea/jumbo-body-butter-shea.aspx

In some instances, I recommend spending more for beauty products, but this is one instance where higher dollars doesn't seem to always mean a better experience.  After buying this body butter, I decided to grab a few other Body Shop products that are highly rated, and will be blogging about those soon...

Body Butter(s): Yum

I think I am possibly addicted to feeling moisturized.  Recently, I've tried various lotions, body oils, shower gels, etc.  

My favorite find has most definitely been Tree Hut Body Butter - I stumbled on ONE at Publix, but they're all available online and are very affordable ($7-ish per jar).   The one I tried is the Brazilian Nut scent - info on the product here:

"Natural Brazil nut oil hydrates and repairs, damaged and neglected skin, with vitamins A, C and E, helping it to regain its healthy sheen. This extra thick body butter, infused with certified organic Shea butter, Cocoa butter, Brazil nut oil and Safflower Seed oil, was designed to seal in moisture for those problem areas, leaving you with repaired, renewed skin."

From trying the whole jar first-hand, I have to say - the website doesn't lie.  It's a thick cream, but it rubs/soaks into the skin beautifully, leaving skin ultra soft and actually feeling firmer.  The scent and moisture last all day.  

I love this product, and now that I've located their various scents, I will likely have to purchase them all...you know, just to be thorough!  This may also become a gift of choice for my lady friends - fair warning!