Archives for August 2016

Skincare: Serum Ceuticals Glycolic AHA 50% Acid Serum Peel

August 25, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Serum Ceuticals Glycolic AHA 50% Acid Serum Peel

Serum Ceuticals AHA 50% is a medical-grade Alpha Hydroxy Acid peel that improves the rate of cell renewal and whisks away old dead skin cells that both clog pores and causes the look of dull, older, uneven skin. Very useful for stubborn acne scars, enlarge pores, deeper wrinkles and brown age spots that have proven resistant to lower strength peels.

ABOUT SERUM CEUTICALS AHA
Serum Ceuticals products do not contain water, so it an especially concentrated serum. As a 50% grade AHA, this is too potent to apply directly, it must be diluted. Serum Ceuticals recommends using it in tandem with their Beta Glucan cream. If you don’t have the Beta Glucan cream, the AHA can be diluted for use by mixing it with an oil such as Jojoba Oil or Safflower Oil. Although I highly recommend the Beta Glucan for use post-peel or whenever skin could use an intensive moisturizing treat, and I found it particularly useful with this AHA peel. I applied some AHA to my hands, and in one spot, I accidentally had the peel product on with no cream, and I could feel the AHA sting. This is strong stuff! But when mixed with the cream, I don’t feel it sting at all, even on sensitive skin areas such as my throat, cheeks, or decolletage. The one issue with mixing it with the cream, though, is I can’t figure out what the ratio of cream to AHA serum is, I added about 6-7 drops to two black scoopers full of cream.

If diluting the AHA with oil, a 1 to 4 drop ratio may be best to start, and a 1 to 3 or 1 to 2 ratio for future treatments is a good balance. With the Beta Glucan cream, I was able to leave the AHA for the full 30 minutes, when I tried it with the oils, I could do about 20 without my skin becoming red.

USE & RESULTS
I have a patch of acne scarring from when I was a teen; it left now-faded brown marks that other AHA products have been unable to lighten. So I was pretty excited to try this AHA on that darkened patch, as well as some brown age spots that are very stubborn. The AHA did not remove them in one use, but the area looks much better. I like the results on my hands and throat as well. While I always wear sunscreen on my face, over time I neglected my throat and hands, so aging shows more in these areas, so I am glad to have a more potent AHA in my beauty arsenal.

I really liked how my throat looked – the horizontal wrinkles in the middle of my throat became much softer, and my skin tone is more even. The small wrinkles on my forehead and hands diminished from one use, although it requires regular use of the AHA to keep them that way.

The AHA does not sting when mixed well, and while it says it can be used daily, I am inclined to do it twice a week to start and reduce to once a week over time.

ABOUT SERUM CEUTICAL
If you are not familiar with the Serum Ceutical line, it is a good one. They do not use artificial chemicals or preservatives, so there are no additives that can contribute towards irritating the skin. Rather, Serum Ceuticals uses an innovative Vitamin charge to keep it fresh. When opening the bottle, you will notice a frizz the first time, similar to opening a carbonated drink. A similar process is used to Keep the bottle out of direct sunlight and keep the cap on tight when not in use.

CONCLUSION:
A powerful AHA to use on brown spots, scars, wrinkles, and dry skin. Must be combined with a cream or oil, but once it is, it does not burn or sting the skin, and skin is not raw or red after use. Since just a few drops are used at a time, this is a very cost effective way to do AHA peels at home.

Find this great peel at Amazon.

Espere Purple Zirconia Tear-Drop Dangle Drop Earrings

August 25, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Espere Purple Zirconia Tear-Drop Dangle Drop Earrings

I like these earrings because they give a more expensive look than I expected. The white gold gives a modern take on a classic drop style design. They come in a colorful patterned gift box, and the earrings are on a padded cushion.

Copper plated white gold; these earrings have a beautiful shine to them. Some white gold plate looks like chrome, but these do not. The cut of the stones gives multi-facet reflections and a high-shine that appears more expensive. They are a nice size, not too small, not too large and dangly. I like that they command some attention without being obnoxiously obvious, they are more ladylike but aren’t sedate. They are heavier than many earrings; I would not wear them on a daily basis and consider them more suitable for special occasion use.

These would be suitable for bridesmaid gifts, proms, or for general wear with more polished outfits for going to museums, brunch, or dinner to add a bit of sparkle around the face without being over the top. While this type of drop earring style has been around for a while, the sleek look of the smooth white gold gives a modern, current look. This makes them suitable for a graduation gift while not seeming like “Grandma jewelry” to a teen.

PURPLE ZIRCONIA VERSES AMETHYST: SIDE-BY-SIDE COMPARISON

Espere Purple Zirconia Tear-Drop Dangle Drop Earrings vs an appraised Amethyst Ring

Espere Purple Zirconia Tear-Drop Dangle Drop Earrings compared to an appraised Amethyst Ring

The purple zirconia looks like a particularly clear-cut amethyst natural stone. I held my actual better quality amethyst stone ring next to the earrings, and the purple zirconia is a pretty good dupe for amethyst, just slightly brighter than a real amethyst. But I didn’t notice that it was a more saturated, bright purple until holding the real amethyst up to the purple zirconia. You won’t fool a mineralogist, jeweler or most collectors into thinking these are a pair of $800 amethyst drop earrings, but the purple zirconia looks pretty good, and I would believe that they cost much more than they did. And sometimes, even if you have an $800 pair of earrings, you might be reluctant to wear them in the event you lost an earring. Realistically, many formal events – such as a prom, or wedding venue, or dinner at a nicer restaurant – have dim lighting where it would be difficult to tell the difference between the A+++ grade purple zirconia and amethyst.

That said, the purple color is especially flattering to someone with green or brown eyes. The shape of the earrings looks good with long or short hairstyles. Makes for a lovely gift or as a treat for yourself.

Find these lovely earrings at Amazon.

I received this product for testing and review purposes.

Smarson Bluetooth LED Light Bulb

August 24, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Ever thought your makeup was perfectly natural looking at home, only to be shocked at how garish it looks in the bathroom mirror at the office?

Me too.

To prevent such shocks and actually know how you will look during the day, it is good to check your makeup in different kinds of lighting. Hopefully, you will be in more flattering lighting, you will likely be in worse lighting sometime during the day, but your vanity lighting is likely a more flattering light than you will encounter during the day. So an adjustable light is a great thing to have on a makeup table.

I like Smarson Bluetooth LED Light Bulb for this purpose. As the name would indicate, it is a LED Light Bulb with Bluetooth connectivity. Better yet, it can be used in any standard socket – I’m able to use it in my great-grandmother’s table lamp that is already on my vanity table.

Smarson Bluetooth LED Light Bulb

The features of the bulb are controlled by the Smarson App, which is available for both iOS and Android. It is a free download, and it is both easy to set up and highly intuitive.

I have the Phillips Hue system, but there is so much more flexibility with the Smarson Light Bulb system. Additionally, the quality of the light is much better: with the Smarson system, the colors are deep and rich, and can be subtly tweaked to whatever lighting scheme you are seeking.

First, you can pick the color from a color wheel of 16 million colors, and then change the brightness of the colors. There are pre-programmed functions like cross-fade for dynamic color shows.

Smarson Bluetooth LED Light Bulb

Second, there is a programmable timer feature. Want to fall asleep to a certain soothing color? Want to have a bright light in the house when you get home from work? You can program all of that quickly right from the app.

Third, this is an energy saving bulb. I am amazed that so many features and such powerful lighting are built into an energy efficient device!

I adore the camera feature, which allows you to take a picture of an object, and the light will match it. It is great if you are looking to coordinate your outfit, or you want to check how you will look in a particular light.

I am impressed by the amount of deeply saturated light that the one bulb produced. For events such as a wedding, consider purchasing enough of these bulbs to illuminate your venue if you can decorate the space yourself. Find a friend with a good eye to control the lights throughout the event. Since each light can be controlled individually from the app, you can create different lighting schemes for different areas, or change them all at once (the app can control five lights at a time.) You can change the lights through the night, with various colors for the meal, dancing, cake, etc. A professional lighting team would cost thousands, and you can use these bulbs yourself after the event. You can even sync the lighting to your music, which is a great feature.

Find this handy lightbulb at Amazon.

I received this product for testing and review purposes.

Wine Wednesday: Best Horn Wine Decanter By Bella Vino

August 24, 2016 · Leave a Comment

This wine decanter is an exceptionally beautiful piece for entertaining, it looks like a piece of art glass on the table and matches a variety of tablescapes. A conversation piece that adds a flourish to the table whenever serving wine.

DESIGN
It is a substantial, premium crystal glass, yet the horn shaped design makes it easy to handle, lift and pour. The horn shape is not just distinctive and attractive, but it helps the wine breathe, resulting in a better tasting, smoother wine. The spout is drip-free when pouring.

ADVANTAGE OF THIS DECANTER
The horn shape not only allows the wine to breathe but the act of pouring the wine into this type of the design and swishing it around a bit in the decanter helps blend the wine better, similar to the effect of when the tannins in the wine soften. Wine held in a decanter for two to three hours tastes better than wine directly only allowed to breathe in an uncorked bottle. When the wine has time to breathe in a horn-shaped decanter, it is better integrated and has a better aroma.

USE
Despite the delicate appearance of the design and the glass, it is a relatively sturdy piece that can be passed around the table and used by your guests without excessive fear of chipping or damaging the decanter.

CLEANING
It is sturdy enough to put it in the dishwasher. If you prefer to wash it by hand, it cleans fairly easily, although it is necessary to allow adequate time for the inside of the horn to air-dry before putting the horn away in the cabinet after use, as drying it by hand with a dishtowel proves somewhat difficult due to the narrow spout. It cleans well without retaining stains from the red wines.

SUMMARY: I am very pleased to have this decanter, I would have loved to get this as a gift, and it makes a charming hostess gift for any wine lover. A beautiful piece to have on the table when serving wine to guests, it looks like art glass. The design aids in allowing the wine to integrate, have a smoother taste and a fuller aroma. I have no complaints. Lovely item!

Find it at Amazon.

Best Horn Wine Decanter By Bella Vino

I received this product for testing and review purposes.