My first Influenster VoxBox!

 

SO EXCITING! If you haven't heard of this thing called Influenster;
you aren't alone. I hadn't either until I watched Bailey Van Der Veen on youtube. After that, I signed up, answered a few questions and waited.

Quite a while. 

HOWEVER, much to my surprise, I GOT THIS BOX! Inside were 5 products (4 full sized!) and two sets of coupons, one to get a products for free and 3 for $3.00 off a purchase. WOW!! 

Sinful Colors nail polish, Dickensen's face wipes, Vaseline Aloe spray on lotion, Blue Diamond Almonds snack pack and an Infusium 23 hair treatment; ALL FOR FREE!! I haven't tried any of them yet, but I'm looking forward to it! 

You can click on the link above, or the gadget on the right to sign up! I'll be reviewing the products soon, but until then, enjoy!

 

Nighttime BB Cream? What?

Being a Birchbox subscriber, I love trying all the new product samples they send me!
I'd heard fantastic things about the brand Dr Jart+ and was eager to try one of their BB creams. So when the option to choose my sample came up, I chose the Dr Jart+ for my May Birchbox because they offered a product called Dr Jart+ BB Night Beauty Balm.

photo from Birchbox.com

I like the concept of this: a nighttime BB cream that's light, especially during hot summer nights where even the thought of using a nighttime moisturizer causes my skin to slick up faster than a paper towel blotting a piece of pizza.

But this has color/tint. That was a mistake.

If I'm supposed to sleep in it, I don't want to wake up and see a smeared version of my face on my pillowcase. It's just a disturbing thought.

And let's talk about that tint: it made my face a completely different color than my neck and the rest of me. As in, I looked like I'd tried to self tan my face. In order to actually wear this product, I would have to use powder or tinted moisturizer to color correct it, defeating the purpose of being a "sleep time" product. Granted, I'm on the cusp of "ghostly fair" skinned; so most self-adjusting products end up all kinds of wrong on me. But still, I wouldn't touch this unless you are warmer/yellow toned and tan easily; because if you are pale? The potential of the dreaded mask look; it's pretty much guaranteed.

I will say that I did like the texture, it was very light and almost felt like a serum. If there was a colorless option, I would probably have purchased it for when the temperature's climb.

Hydration Happiness

Heavy moisturizers. They come in jars and I've avoided them for most of my life. They have such a negative reputation. The greasy, heavy feeling, no thanks!

However I was looking for a moisturizer with a little more oomph and I came across Abyssine Cream Plus by Kiehls. On the pricey side, at $48 US, however this little sucker is fantastic!!

Photo straight from Kiehls.com, here's their deets:

•Anti-wrinkle defense cream to help reduce the signs of aging and protect skin from external damage.
•Abyssine, a survival molecule which thrives under the extreme conditions in hydrothermal ocean vents, helps soothe and protect skin. 
•Helps minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles while defending skin from free radical damage.
•Dermatologist-tested and suitable for sensitive skin.

Super. But what does it mean??

What it means is a small amount works itself effortlessly into the skin with no greasy afterfeel!! Skin feels hydrated and soft without the weight associated with most "creams". I didn't have to wait for it to absorb to begin my makeup. The texture is dense but whipped. Which doesn't make sense but when you feel it for yourself, you'll see how quickly it spreads and absorbs into your skin. It smells terrific too!  Not flowery, but light and fresh.

Have I noticed any difference in fine lines or wrinkles? No, but I wasn't looking for them in the first place really. I wanted something that felt good and had value. I found it. A little dip with a Q-Tip and away I go! *Little known fact, you never want to touch your jarred creams, like eye cream. The oils from your hands can break down the product when it's left in the jar.*

If you're starting to look at your moisturizer and think, "What have you done for me lately??"; do yourself a favor and get yourself some Abyssine Cream Plus by Kiehl's. It's perfect for day or night or both! The beauty of Kiehl's is if you can get into a store (A Kiehl's Store or department store like Nordstroms) , they will almost always let you have a sample to take home. If they don't have any samples, you can open the tester and touch the product yourself which I always recommend. 

So there's the little gem that's been making my face feel amazing for a little over a year (one jar lasted me about 6 months!). I couldn't be happier with it!