Ruby Woo
I admit that I am a bit skeptical whenever I hear how amazing a product is, how it works for everyone and that you will never find another alternative. I felt like MAC’s Ruby Woo lipstick was one such product that always popped up whenever I went on my mission to find the perfect red lipstick. It felt like every beauty blog, makeup professional and magazine was raving about this color, but I thought there had to be some comparable alternative, right?
Well, after trying many other brands and variations of red, I started to realize that maybe I should give Ruby Woo a chance. The other reds were always lacking in some way–the finish was too shiny or the red was too vibrant or wasn’t vibrant enough. I just couldn’t find one that worked for me. And so after years of avoiding the MAC store like it was a disease (my dermatologist convinced me that MAC makeup was the cause of all of my skin woes), I bought a tube of Ruby Woo.
Now this has become my favorite lipstick. I love the richness of the red, the matte finish and how it stays on no matter what. It was everything that I was looking for. While i don’t wear it everyday, Ruby Woo has definitely become the quintessential “pick me up”.
Do you have a favorite red? Or favorite lip color in general?
Birchbox
This is the little box that was waiting for me last Friday when I visited my parent’s house (I always have my orders sent to them since they’re home). I decided to subscribe to Birchbox after a friend convinced me to try it out for a few months.
For those who might not know, Birchbox is a deluxe beauty sample subscription service that sends a box full of samples to your home. Once you subscribe, you fill out a beauty profile about your shopping habits, your likes, skin and hair type, etc. Once you are done, you receive a box full of deluxe samples once a month. The cost? $10 per month.
Not bad, huh? I didn’t think so, which is why I decided to join. So the samples that I received this month? Although I admit that I wish there were more makeup samples than beauty samples, I’m going to wait until next month’s Birchbox before I form a full opinion. The samples that I am most excited to try out are the Laura Geller Spackle in Bronze and the Juno Transformative Lipid Serum.
I’m so-so on the Ouidad Moisture Lock Leave-In since I’ve had mediocre results with those products, but I’ll definitely give them a try. The Ahava products are sweet, too.
Are you signed up with Birchbox? What do you think? Worth it?
The Skincare Check
- My Current Product Rotation
Late last year, I began experiencing a series of acne breakouts like never before. And believe me, that is not the business when you are in your late 20′s. My skin is very oily and it can be quite sensitive to product, so trying to find So I ramped up my beauty product even while ramping up the product junkyism, I had to be careful about ingredients. I tried special potions that were specifically tailored by an esthetician to the super affordable Neutrogena brand. I tailored my diet and upped my water intake (which helped alot) and took vitamins such as Zinc and Fish oil.
My skin has finally cleared up somewhat in the past couple of months. I credit most of this to the vitamins and it’s also in its best form when my diet is completely clean. After much trial and error with products, I think I’ve finally found an arsenal that helps to keep my oily skin in check. Here are the skincare products that I use daily (or semi-daily):
Bioderma Sebium Purifying Foaming Gel
Ole Henriksen Grease Relief Face Tonic
Uriage Hyseac Masque Gommant Doux Gentle Exfoliating Mask for Combination/Oily Skin
Mario Badescu Oil-Free Moisturizer SPF 17
Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20–Oil Free
My routine with these products is as follows:
- Morning: Wash my face with Bioderma Sebium Purifying Foaming Gel and wipe my face with the Ole Henrickson Tonic using a cotton ball. I then follow up with the Mario Badescu Oil Free Moisturizer.
- Evening: Wash my face with BiodermaBioderma Sebium Purifying Foaming Gel and then using the Ole Henriksen Tonic. Then I applythe Ole Henriksen Vitamin Plus Moisturizer.
- Twice a Week: I apply the Uriage Hyseac Masque and let it sit for 2 minutes. It’s a great exfoliator as well as a mask, but I prefer to use it as a mask.
Individual Product Assessment: the products I feel are the “most important” to my current beauty routine are as follows:
Bioderma Sebium Gel Moussant Purifiant: I teetered between ordering this and Bioderma’s other cleanser, the Crealine H20 Ultra-mind Non-rinse Face and Eyes Cleanser. I’ve heard that the latter is super gentle on oily/sensitive skin and cleans really well. However, I’m still skeptical of any facial cleansers that you don’t have to wash off, so I went with the Sebium Gel Moussant Purifiant. After using this cleanser for two weeks, I can’t say that I’ve seen a remarkable difference. Unless you count not having any new breakouts as a success? I’m going to continue using the cleanser until I finish the bottle and perhaps I’ll move on to the non-rinse cleanser to see if I like that better.
Uriage Hyseac Masque Gommant Doux: I bought this mask from the same online store as the Bioderma cleanser and decided to give it a shot since I was in the market for a new mask. This mask is really gentle and has tiny exfoliating beads, so you can use it everyday as an exfoliator or twice a week as a mask. As a mask, you only need to keep it on for 2 minutes and then wash it off. The result is smooth, glowing skin that you want to run your hand over again and again (but you don’t). Also, for those in the oily-skin club, I’ve found that the skin is mattified nicely after using this mask. Now, I’ve only used it twice, so only time will tell how well this product really works.
Mario Badescu Oil Free Moisturizer: Mario Badescu. The old standby. For months, I’d been trying to find a decent oil-free moisturizer with an SPF above 5, and came up with nothing. I was happy with Mario Badescu, but I guess I wanted to see if there was anything better out there. I’ve written about Mario Badescu before, and how I love his products because they are affordable and effective. The consistency of this moisturizer is thick, but it somehow feels lightweight when you put it on your face. Add in the fact that it’s SPF 17, and I say it is a winner.
Any skincare products that you swear by?
My Review: Kiehls Overnight Biological Peel
Image via Kiehls
Lately, it seems that I’m in some losing battle between myself and skincare products. When it comes to my skincare regimen, I’ve decided that I’m a pretty simple girl. I like my cleanser, toner, moisturizer, eye cream and the weekly facial mask. That’s it.
However, I’ve noticed that some problems arise where this regimen will not be able to address them thoroughly. My skin doesn’t keep the “dewy glow” that I have after a facial.
After milling about in the Kiehls store late last week, I came across the overnight biological peel. The selling points? Supposedly, it is good for those who experience hyper-pigmentation (check), has sensitive skin to chemical treatments (check) and free-radical and photo damage (probably yes). The formula contains HEPES (Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid) mixed with Sodium Hyaluronate and works to deliver softer, hydrated and vibrant skin.
After receiving positive feedback from staff, I bought the product and took it home. What I’ve realized? Overnight creams/peels/anything is just not for me with the way I sleep.
Example:
Image via We Heart It
Although the sales guy assured me that none of the cream would smear on to my pillow if I happened to sleep face down, and he was right–there were no traces on my pillow. There were no traces on my face, either.
I did notice my skin felt soft and looked a bit more fresh when I washed whatever residual formula was left off my face. I didn’t expect to have dramatic results after the first use as the description promised, but I do wonder if my inability to sleep in a “dainty” manner affected the performance of this product?
And so I do feel like this review isn’t tell you anything new and I did want to wait after using it for a few weeks, but I feel I failed at using this product to its full potential because of the way I sleep. With the minimal usage of the product? Yes, I do feel that I’ve seen some good results.
Now let me just work on my sleeping positions.
Giveaway Winner: Perricone MD Advanced Face Firming Activator
First, I want to say THANK YOU to everyone who entered into my very first giveaway! I really appreciate the response and it makes me feel much more confident for more giveaways in the future! So to you all, a very heartfelt thank you for entering.!
As for the winner of this giveaway, I simply used Random.org to pick a random number and that was my winner. So the winner of the Perricone MD Advanced Face Firming Activator is Vanessa! Congratulations and I hope that you enjoy this product!
Another big THANK YOU to everyone who entered as well!
Clandestine Giveaway: Perricone MD Advanced Face Firming Activator
I’m really excited all, because this is my FIRST giveaway on Clandestine Chic! I hope it is something that you will all enter!
The product is Perricone’s Advanced Face Firming Activator.  If you are like me, and you tend to skip your nightly routines when it comes to your face, then this is definitely for you.  The activator is paraben-free and and contains Alpha Lipoic Acid (a great antioxidant for the skin) and DMAE (an antioxidant membrane stabilizer) which work together to give you a healthy, glowing appearance. So if you worry about your the size of your pores, fine lines and the texture of your skin, then this is a great giveaway! Enter now for a chance to win!
Here is how to enter:
Leave a comment and tell me why you would like to try this product. Please be sure to leave your email address in the comments section so that I may be able to contact you if you win.
And that’s it! Easy enough, yes? The contest will last until Monday, January 25th, and I will announce a winner on Wednesday, January 27th. Also, unfortunately, the contest is only for US residents.
True Red
With Fall increasingly approaching and marking its territory, I’ve been switching out my wardrobe and packing away the Spring/Summer items until next year. For my beauty palette, I’ve been switching out the lighter, summery colors for the darker colors.
And during this time, I had what Oprah calls (yes, collective eyeroll) an “Aha” moment.
I always wear darker colors during the Fall and Winter months when I do wear makeup. For my lipsticks and glosses, I tend to go with colors such as mauve or almost like a deep brown. I even wear a light purple-ish tint as well. One color that I have stayed away from–year round–has been red.
Once, a well-meaning lady at the Nars makeup counter was trying new looks on meand pulled out a red lipstick tube I held up my hand and told her, “Oh thanks, but uh, I don’t do red.”
She looked at me quite stunned and said, “Oh honey, everyone does red You’re just not ready right now.” I shrugged off her comment and let her finish her makeover and walked out with an almost nude lip color.
Now, as I’m putting together an almost black wardrobe this Fall, I’ve become a bit bored of my current lip color selection. The nude colors are too Spring/Summer and the other dark colors aren’t vibrant enough to stand a chance against the black. So I went out and bought a red tube of lipstick. I started out small. I bought a Maybelline Moisture extreme lipcolor tube in “Ruby Red” and wore new color out to dinner with a friend:
What did I think? I liked it. I liked it a lot.For some reason, I felt more vibrant, more confident. Even if I looked like complete and utter crap with my outfit and hair, it didn’t matter because my lipstick made up for it.Is this what wearing red lipstick does to you?
I know I’m late to the party on this one (as I am with most things), but I really didn’t know what I was missing out on. So my apologies to the Nars counter lady and I shall continue to wear red lipstick throughout the Fall. And if there is one thing that Gwyneth Paltrow and I agree on, it would be this:
Beauty, to me, is about being comfortable in your own skin. That, or a kick-ass red lipstick
Image Source: We Heart It
In Praise of Bobbi Brown
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to realize that my intentions the way I wear my makeup has changed. When I was in high school, I was all about the glitter with Urban Decay and Hard Candy (R.I.P) eyeshadows, eyeliners and lipsticks. I would only wear concealer, powder, and foundation on special occasions. During my college years, I slowly introduced concealer, foundation and powders with MAC cosmetics, but the colors were never quite right, the makeup would appear to be caked on, so I never looked natural.
These days, I still wear bright eyeshadow and bright lipsticks, but in a more classic sense. I have, however, changed the way that I look at foundation,concealer and powder. For the longest time, I didn’t feel like I needed these items in order to complete my look. I still don’t feel it is something that I need, but I know that my dark circles can be hidden with concealer, foundation can even out my skin tone and powder can brighten my face..
So when a nice representative approached me at Nordstrom about trying Bobbi Brown makeup, I was pretty hesitant. As a former glitter-lover, the color pallette choices didn’t do much for me. And on an even more superficial note, the packaging never jumped out at me. Well, this lady was not about to take no for an answer and persuaded me to sit down and at least try the concealer.
She was right. The concealer blended right in with my skin tone and the dark circles were drastically diminished. Before I could stop myself, I yelped out, “I’ll take it.”
A few weeks later, I was looking for a new foundation and I immediately went back to Bobbi Brown’s counter. The representative suggested Bobbi Brown’s Moisture Rich Foundation and applied it to my face. The foundation felt weightless, went on smoothly and blended in for a very natural look.
Needless to say, I’m now a Bobbi Brown convert. All of these years, the line has been in existence and I’ve walked right past the counters. I didn’t give it a chance. Or maybe I just wasn’t ready.
Source: Bobbi Brown Cosmetics
Review: Thevi Cosmetics Mineral Pressed Powder
Finding the right makeup to match my skin tone has always been something of a challenge. Sure, there are plenty of lines out there, but it has always been something of a trial and error process to find which lines work best for me and my medium brown skin tone.
So whenever I hear about a makeup line that is geared specifically towards women of color, I’m immediately intrigued. This was definitely the case for Thevi Cosmetics, which was founded in 2008 by wife, mother and entrepreneur Thevaki Thambirajah. Here is a bit of info about their inspiration:
THEVI was created in 2008 to celebrate color influenced by our ethnic lifestyles and traditions. We embrace color in all aspects of our lives. Color is empowering and sensual.
Ethnic cultures of Asian, South Asian, Hispanic, African, Middle Eastern, and Mediterranean influence the color palette of the THEVI collection. These cultures express color in all aspects of their lives – food, home, spirituality, fashion, and femininity.
Thevi Cosmetics is a simple vibrant everyday color collection for women to whom “Natural look is colorful.”
Thevi Cosmetics gave me the chance to review one of their products and try it out to see how it would work for me. I decided to try the Mineral Pressed Powder SPF 8 in Mocha since I still haven’t found a mineral powder that I’m completely in love with. I applied the powder over a bit of moisturizer and concealer before work and I wanted to see how it kept during the day. Here is my picture (note: please remember that I took this before work and I’m in no way a morning person and it’s a Wednesday morning! Plus, yes, my brows need to be touched up. Eep. ):
What I thought: Overall, this product works really well. I felt there was a lot of coverage, but it didn’t feel heavy at all. I felt the mocha worked just right for my skin tone and made my skin look more even.
Would I Buy It: Yes. For $20, and for the “just right” coverage, I think it’s a good buy, especially for the summer. The biggest sell for me is that it is Hypoallergenic, oil-free, talc-free and fragrance-free, so I don’t have to worry about how it will work with my sensitive skin.
Now, I’m anxious to delve even further into the line and try out more of their products.
Have you tried Thevi cosmetics?
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