ok this time im back for real

Work is literally taking over my life. I hardly have time to sleep and see friends let alone blog, but alas I have made time for you mes amour :)

I have a dilemma. For the past year or so my skin has looked amazing, I mean I had the occasional breakout but for the most part and I was clear and smooth...enter March 2010. I have landed myself in breakout central, every morning I wake up and find a new little nemesis on my face.

Finally after about a month of my acne battle, I surrendered and hauled my but to the derm to get some troops to be rid of acne for good. Enter Clindamyacin Gel and RetinAMicro. While I cant say yet if its working, I can say this. Its making my skin peel like none other. Typically my skin is combination so I have some peeling in the winter but never to this extent. So...the reason im telling you lovelies about this is I need suggestions, anyone use these two products before? How did you keep the dryness at bay? did they work for you?

Id love to hear from you!

bisous,

love from your college beauty addict

Finally Back with New Reviews.....

Pardon my long absence....I have been dealing with life after graduation, travelling, finding a job and the like which I'm sure you know is a full time job in itself. Anyways, while I've been on my hiatus, I've discovered tons of new products that I absolutely HAVE to share with you, the first and perhaps my absolute favorite is Clairol's Shine Happy. I had my hair highlighted recently and I was far from pleased with the results. The technician did not apply the color close enough to my roots leaving my hair looking like I already had a month's worth of growth that and the fact that my hair grows fast in the first place did not give for happy results. In an effort to save money and not return to the salon 3 weeks after my previous appointment, I purchased Clairol's Shine Happy in hopes of giving my hair a boost. This product promises to deliver extreme shine in only ten minutes. So I slathered it on and bubbled bathed it up for about 10-15 minutes then rinsed the product out and conditioned it with the tube included in the kit. On a whim I decided to blow dry my hair in hopes of seeing some serious shine. I was STUNNED. I mean seriously, i rarely say that about a product but this one blew me away. My hair, normally a frizzy mess after a blow out was perfectly smooth and straight with no fly aways. In addition it has some serious shine action going on as well as some serious softness. It also seemed to bring out my highlights and make them look less "grown out." I would highly recommend this product to anyone searching for a deep conditioning treatment with great shine, absolutely worth the $9. I will be repurchasing this kit in about 6 weeks, which is how long each treatment should last.

Dermalogica Clean Start

Every time I come back home from school my skin rebels.  It must be something about the change in water or that fact that I am finally catching up on sleep, but whatever it is, its not pleasant. My skin has been in a full fledged revolt for the past three weeks and finally, I decided to take charge.  Now Im not the kind of person that breaks out everywhere on my face but I have intense concentrations of acne around my mouth and nose, this drives me crazy as I am typically acne free, baring the usual monthly breakout.  Anyways after having no luck with Proactiv (something I've used on and off for year), I decided to kick it up a notch.  After reading a review about Dermalogica's anti aging skin care system, I decided to give Clean Start, a system directed towards teens, a try.  At first I was skeptical as, in the past, nothing has worked when my skin revolts, however, after only one use my skin looks better.  The first day I used both the Wash Off cleanser and the Ready, Set, Scrub, both of which made my skin feel soft, fresh and not dried out.  Typically my skin is super sensitive to all acne treatment systems but this one gave me no problems! Also, all of the products smell great! There is no medicinal, clinic smell here, only fresh fruits and herbs. My only complaint is the price. At $35 for a small travel kit, I felt it was a little steep, however if it continues to treat my acne, its well worth the price!  Overall I am in love after only two days, however, we all know how quickly things can change so I will be sure to keep everyone updated.

4 out of 5 stars (Only because the price is so steep!)

Would I repurchase? Heck YES!

Photo Credit: http://cleanstart.dermalogica.com/us/#/home

Earth Science Azulene Eye Cream

I have extremely fair skin and along with that comes the inevitable and dreaded dark circles. In addition, I tend to develop extremely noticeable bags under my eyes no matter how much sleep I get. That being said, I am constantly trying out new products in hopes of ending this chronic problem. My newest love is Earth Science Azulene Eye Treatment. While I was searching the aisles of Whole Foods for a miracle zit cream, I stumbled across the tester for this delightful little product, whose vibrant blue hue immediately caught my attention. Now I have only been using it for a few days but already I have noticed the delicate skin under my eyes looks firmer and fresher, definitely a plus from before. While I can't give this a thumbs up yet, things are looking great for this little guy.

Photo Credit: Earth Science.com

After a long hiatus....

I know, I know. Its been entirely too long since my last post, however I have a good excuse; college. Between my two seminars and enjoying my last few months, posting slipped my mind, thats not to say that I haven't been keeping products in mind. I have some excellent new product reviews coming up as well as a few new tutorials so get excited, it's summer and time to get beautiful!

So for my first review of this new season...

Burt's Bees Radiance Night Cream
One night while pulling an all nighter at my sorority house, my skin was feeling super dry from lack of sleep and dehydration, so one of my sisters handed me this little miracle jar. At first I was skeptical as I have tried several BB products in the past and have not had much success, however, this cream was love at first touch. It smells delighful and slicks on easily. My only complaint is the slightly sticky texture, however that proves not to be a problem after several minutes as it absorbs quickly. When I wake up in the morning I find my skin looking refreshed and radiant, it must have something to do with the "Royal Jelly" ingredient, but my skin LOVES it!

4 out of 5 stars
Would I repurchase? YES!

photo credit: Burtsbees.com

Clinique Long and Pretty Mascara

During my two week trip to Egypt, I somehow, misplaced my mascara and had to rely on my roommate to darken my fair lashes.  Luckily my roommate had great taste in mascara and introduced me to my new favorite, Clinique Long, Pretty lashes. Not only does this mascara not clump, it lasts all day and delivers volume, curl and length!!! Also one of my biggest pet-peeves is mascaras that flakes, none here! I replaced my beloved Chanel Inimitable as this one has a much better price tag and provides the same results.  If you are looking for a fabulous moderately priced mascara than this is the one for you! 

5 out of 5 stars

Would I repurchase? YES!

Photo Credit: Clinique

Review: Eva Yoghurt and Cucumber Cream

I think I am in love.  During my travels throughout Egypt, I ran out of my beloved Olay moisturizer and had to brave an Egyptian pharmacy to replace it.  After an hour of exploring the enormous skin care aisle (Egyptian women have AMAZING skin!) I settled on this little gem of a product.  This daily cream is marketed for oily skin, which is a big problem for me.  It contains all natural ingredients, including Cucumber and Yogurt, which sounded extra nice in the hot Egyptian weather.  Not only does this moisturizer give my skin the perfect amount of moisture, it also mattifies, making if perfect for under makeup.  I have also noticed, after using it for almost 3 weeks, that my skin looks more radiant, clear and smooth, which is always a plus.  Eva does have two other products, when marketed for dry skin and the other for normal skin.  I am so upset that I didn't have time to go back and purchase these as well. Luckily they have a website where the products can be ordered, on the downside, the price of shipping is rather steep. Oh! I almost forgot the best part! The 170g jar I bought only cost about $1.50! What a steal for such a great product!

Photo Credit: Eva

Product Website: Eva Skin Care