Archives for June 2016

F. Steen Men’s Watch

June 19, 2016 · Leave a Comment

I’ve always liked large-faced watches as it provides a nice contrast to my tiny girl wrist. So on occasion, I find myself shopping in the men’s watch section to find a watch with a face that covers the entire top of my wrist.

I really like this one from F. Steen. The face is simple, minimalistic, and gorgeous. I paired it with a fitted Ralph Lauren blazer, and it looked fantastic. The leather band is butter soft. I had to put another notch in it to make it small enough for my wrist, which was easy to do.

The packaging is lovely: a sleek blue box with elegant styling and the watch itself is packed incredibly well on a soft cushion to keep it from getting scratched. Excellent presentation!

This watch would make a great graduation present for anyone – great for everyday and looks sharp enough for special occasions. It is a great look at a reasonable price point.

Find it at Amazon.com.

F. Steen Men’s Watch

I received this item for testing and unbiased review purposes

Mediderm Glow Renewal Enzyme Blackhead Peel Off Mask

June 15, 2016 · 1 Comment

Mediderm Glow Renewal Enzyme Blackhead Peel Off Mask

I am newly obsessed with Mediderm Glow Renewal Enzyme Blackhead Peel Off Mask.

I have stubborn blackheads and a few whiteheads that don’t respond to scrubbing or exfoliating, especially on the curve of my nostrils. These types of blackheads are noticeable, especially against my pale skin. I have used nose strips with limited success because they only remove parts of the sebum plug of a blackhead. So I was excited to try Mediderm Blackhead Remover to dissolve and peel away my blackheads, especially on my nose and chin.

The Mediderm Laboratories Glow Renewal Enzyme Blackhead Peel Off Mask is a thick, honey-like consistency that glides on smoothly and dries down to a thin film. It smells a bit like warm bread. After 5-30 minutes you peel it off, and dead and flaky skin, blackheads, and stubborn whiteheads come off with it. Upon removal, it feels like peeling off thin saran wrap, like the overwrap on vegetables from the supermarket. It removes cleanly in large pieces without residue but some little bits needed to be washed off in the crevices of the skin. You can see blackhead sebum and oil buildup removed instantly. The peel removed some deep blackheads and whiteheads and unclogged some congested skin on my cheeks. My pores appeared smaller once the skin congestion was removed by the peel.

I was primarily interested in blackhead and whitehead removal, but the peel is also a fading cream that helps pigmentation problems by lightening the appearance of freckles, acne, scars and age spots. My age spots faded in color, and my skin was left glowing. There was no irritation.

TIP: I found this worked even better the second time by washing my face and then holding a hot washcloth or compress on my problem areas such as my nose first to open the pores.

CONCLUSION: I am very excited about this product, it removes stubborn blackheads and dead skin without causing irritation. It is fun to peel off and leaves skin smooth. I am excited to use it again to lighten dark spots on my face and to keep my nostrils blackhead-free.

Mediderm Glow Renewal Enzyme Blackhead Peel Off Mask

Majestic Pure Clear Body SPF 30+ Sunscreen

June 14, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Sunscreen is a fundamental component in any beauty arsenal to both protect the skin from burning but to also reduce premature aging and the production of sunspots and the eroding of collagen, which gives the face an older, duller look. Despite the importance of sunscreen for younger looking skin, many women don’t consistently use sunscreen because it leaves the skin too greasy feeling to apply makeup, and some prefer not to use the kinds of chemicals found in many sunscreens especially on the delicate facial skin. There are various reports about sunscreen chemicals can seep into the skin and absorb into the body. Some parents want to use only natural sunscreens on their children. For these reasons, I was excited to try Majestic Pure 30+ SPF Sunscreen, a 100% natural broad spectrum water resistant sunscreen for face and body.

I was intrigued by the concept of an all-natural sunscreen, not knowing that some oils were in fact, natural sunscreens. Some of these ingredients are Grape Seed Oil, Sunflower Oil, Organic Honey, and Coconut, all of which have natural sunscreen properties and the Palm Oil and Sea Salt support and enhance these properties

Grape Seed Oil is a non-greasy oil that serves as a natural sunscreen and has outstanding nourishing, anti-aging and moisturizing properties. Grape Seed Oil contains proanthocyanidins which are potent antioxidants that diminish the sun’s damaging effects and lessen the free radical damage. Grape Seed Oil in a sunscreen is also beneficial for reducing age spots, sunburn, and wrinkles.

Sunflower Oil Its nutritious composition makes it one of the healthiest oils for consumption as well as application on the skin and the hair. The main component of sunflower oil is linoleic acid. Its other components include oleic acid and palmitic acid. In addition to these, it contains lecithin, carotenoids, tocopherols and appreciable quantities of vitamins

Sea Salt can help mitigate the effect of sunburn and soothe skin and for the body is a natural deodorant.

Coconut Oil has an SPF value which is magnified by the other oils.

APPLICATION AND RESULTS

The consistency is creamy; I imagine this is what a thickened version of Clinique Dramatically Different Lotion would feel like on the skin. The scent is very mild, a light aroma of Palm Oil and a tiny bit of Coconut, but it is not sweet smelling. It applies smoothly upon contact with the skin and goes on evenly. It is very emollient and seems like a hand cream but melts quickly and does not feel sticky or thick on the skin. There is a very light sheen to the skin so that it could be worn without makeup and the skin would have a nice light deflection glow. I like the subtle glow it leaves on my arms and legs, my skin looks soft, dewy and toned.

Makeup did apply evenly over the sunscreen, but it was necessary to allow a good 15 minutes for the sunscreen to sink in before foundation application to not have my foundation melt away too quickly. On the body, I only wait a few minutes before putting on my clothes because it does dry down well.

I found I did not need to re-apply during the day, and while it is water resistant, the bottle recommends reapplying it after various outdoor activities such as swimming or towel drying.

CONCLUSION: Nice texture and scent, not greasy, soothing to the skin with no irritation. It is nice to have peace of mind that I can protect my skin and not be exposed to excessive chemicals.

Majestic Pure Clear Body SPF 30+ Sunscreen

Beauty Food: WonderEsque Tri-Blade Compact Spiralizer

June 12, 2016 · Leave a Comment

WonderEsque Tri-Blade Compact Spiralizer

You can have the best skin and hair care products in the world, but if your skin and hair aren’t healthy, it’s pretty hard to compensate, no matter how talented you are. So Style Chicks is going to be starting a feature called “Beauty Food” where we discuss foods and ways of cooking that lead to a healthier inside and a more vibrant outside.

Vegetable Noodles, more frequently referred to as “Zoodles”, are becoming quite popular, and with good reason. Vegetable noodles are a healthy alternative to carb laden pasta. Not only are making a low-cal swap-out, but you are adding valuable nutrients to your diet!

I’ve been interested in spiralized vegetables for awhile now, but the ones I looked seemed to require a little more elbow grease than I am willing to put in. So I was thrilled to find the WonderEsque Tri-Blade Compact Spiralizer: it looked easy to use, easy to clean up, versatile, and the price point is great. Plus the handle is a fun shade of pink!

This spiralizer comes with three blades: a Thick Spiral Blade, a Thin Spiral Blade, and a Ribbon Blade. A major plus for me is the de-coring feature; it automatically and cleanly keeps the core out of your spiralized vegetables.

Another big perk is the ease of use. The pictures I took were my first try using the Spiralizer. I’m no master chef, and nearly any kitchen gadget I use requires a test run before I get it right. With this spiralizer, I was able to get perfect, beautiful spirals the first time after reading through the easy to understand directions.

If you need inspiration for recipes, you will find endless mouth-watering ideas on the Internet, and don’t forget to check out Pinterest as well. Amazon also has many Kindle books with excellent recipes too.

I am currently enjoying sweet potato chips that I spiralized with the thin ribbon blade and then toasted. They are absolutely amazing, and so much more flavorful than what you find in the store (and sweet potatoes are fantastic for your skin!) My next projects are Zoodle Lo Mein and making decorative (and edible!) roses out of apples.

I am so happy with this spiralizer and can’t wait to keep using it!

WonderEsque Tri-Blade Compact Spiralizer