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Skin: Morganna’s Bellatox for Dry Dehydrated Skin

August 29, 2016 · Leave a Comment

My skin became seriously dry this week. Despite wearing adequate amount of sunscreen, the high UV index took a toll, and I have been so busy that I haven’t been properly hydrating. On top of that, I emptied out the last of my La Mer, which is usually what I use to save my face when it gets this dry.

So I am thrilled that I have Morganna’s Bellatox to use on my skin. As we all know, Parisian Girls do skincare right. Easy but effective. And that is precisely what Bellatox is.

Morganna’s Bellatox for Dry Dehydrated Skin

Despite the name, Bellatox doesn’t have botox, or any toxin, for that matter. It has natural ingredients that hydrate the skin and plump wrinkles, so they are far less visible.

Bellatox is unique because of four primary ingredients. These are Hydrolized Vegetable Protein, Spilanthol, Imperata Cylindrica, and Hyaluron. These four ingredients provide the following specific beauty benefits:

SMOOTHING & LIGHT DEFLECTING:

Hydrolized Vegetable Protein is what gives the skin an appearance of instant smoothness, especially on wrinkles and imperfections. It has a light deflecting property that makes light bounce off the surface of the wrinkle or imperfection, so the eye sees a smooth surface. It covers a multitude of beauty “sins” including enlarged pores, discoloration, wrinkles, crows feet and the tiny lines around the mouth; all these items seem less obvious upon application.

REDUCTION IN FUTURE WRINKLES AND CRINKLES:

Spilanthol is a safe, pre-emptive way to combat wrinkles. It does this with a topical anesthetic that relaxes the tension muscles that have the contractions that result in wrinkles. This is different from Botox injections that stop natural muscle movement. Spilanthol only impacts involuntary contraction muscle reactions, which is what causes wrinkling around the eyes, the “eleven lines” between the eyebrows, and frown lines.

DEEP MOISTURIZATION FOR 4 HOURS:

Imperata Cylindrica is a common weed in some areas of the world. In the beauty world, it is known for the ability to deliver deep moisture to the skin extendedly for four hours. This is part of why the skin appears so very dewy upon Bellatox application, but it is not greasy or sticky like some moisturizers.

PLUMPING, MOISTURIZING, AND ASSISTING ACTIVE INGREDIENT ABSORPTION: HYALURON

. Hyaluron is better known to many as Hyaluronic Acid, which is naturally occurring in the body but diminishes as we age. Hyaluron is an instant plumper: it plumps up wrinkles to that they appear smaller or non-existent. It also plumps the lips, giving a youthful, pouty, wrinkle-free look. Hyaluron plumps the skin by drawing moisture and holding it there: which makes it a perfect pairing for the moisture laden Imperata Cylindrica. Hyaluron can hold up to 50 times its’ weight in water, making your skin about as dewy as you can get. It is one of my favorite go-to ingredients in skincare. Hyaluron has another beauty benefit for long-term results that being the ability to draw active ingredients deeper into the skin, via the water molecules, than the ingredients could reach on their own. That means the moisture reaches a deeper layer of the skin, as well as the Spilanthol can pre-empt deeper appearing wrinkles.

RESULTS

After the first day I used it, my skin had a vibrant, dewy glow, like it was lit from within. Several people complimented me on how good my skin looked during the day. It has a serum consistency, and it isn’t sticky under sunscreen, Vitamin C serums, or makeup. I loved how evenly and smoothly my concealer, powder, blush and foundation applied over the velvety surface. Although after a few uses, when I wear the Bellatox, my skin does not need complete foundation coverage, so I often opt to skip foundation entirely except for on a few areas such as my dark undereye circles and an occasional blemish. I allow about 5 minutes before applying my makeup, but you could apply your makeup as soon as your sunscreen dries down over Bellatox.

Find this fantastic product at Morganna’s Alchemy.

I received this product in exchange for my unbiased review and received compensation for my time and effort. However, my experience with the product and the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine.

10% Glycolic AHA-Alpha Hydroxy Acid Serum for Chemical Peel-Pro Grade

May 22, 2016 · Leave a Comment

10% Glycolic (AHA-Alpha Hydroxy) Acid Serum for Chemical Peel-Pro Grade

This Serum is a 10% Pro-Grade AHA Glycolic Acid. I started using Glycolic Acid in my late twenties because I preferred to use peels to remove my dead skin instead of exfoliating it, my skin was just a smooth and more even in tone and texture without having to irritate it with grains and scrubbing. I read skin over 30 and sensitive skin respond better to peels than scrubs, and I found this to be true.

I especially like Glycolic Acid because skin doesn’t visibly peel and slough, which can sometimes be uneven and leave behind the partially peeled skin. Rather, with Glycolic Acid, dead skin just seems to melt away, and skin glows. It also helps with acne and blackheads. The reason is that Glycolic loosens the “cement” that binds dry and dead skin, so it just loosens and virtually melts dead skin, but it doesn’t alter fresher skin unless it irritates it with chemical additives.

As much as I love Glycolic Acid, it can sting and make skin red, and the chemical additives in many Glycolic Acids can irritate skin enough that it needs to be washed off fairly quickly. Ideally, if one can leave it on the skin for 10-30 minutes, it makes a huge difference on how much peeling can occur.

I like that the Serum Ceuticals AHA Glycolic has both soothing and treating ingredients in the serum. These help the skin tolerate the Glycolic remaining on the skin for longer periods of time because this can give the best short term smoothness and long term collagen regenerating result. It also does not contain any harsh chemical additives that irritate my skin, so I was able to leave the serum on my skin for a full 30 minutes, which is about 15 minutes longer than I have tolerated any other Glycolic. Like all their products, Serum Ceuticals uses a natural charge to preserve their products, which means it is more powerful with a longer shelf life than other organic/natural AHA’s and causes less irritation than AHA’s filled with chemical preservatives.

APPLICATION
Test a small dab of the serum on your earlobe 48-72 hours before use to see if you get any irritation. I did this step even though I have used AHA’s before.

There is no detectable scent, it is a watery consistency and comes in a bottle with an inverted dropper than only dispenses a drop at a time.

If you have not used AHA’s before, you might want only to leave the serum on about 10 minutes the first time. If you have used AHA’s, check the mirror frequently for redness but try for the full 30 minutes if you can tolerate it. I have sensitive skin and use Retinol but still was able to tolerate it for the full 30 minutes.

First, I slathered the serum on my forehead since that skin is less sensitive. Then I lightly applied it all over my face except the eye area, paying extra attention to some dark brown spots and wrinkles, the nasal folds, and the areas that my pores seem larger on both sides of the nose in the area of my cheek below my undereye bags. I also have some dark brown sunspots on the top of my cheekbones that I made sure had a good layer of the serum.

I didn’t feel any stinging or irritation, but at almost 30 minutes the apples of my cheeks had some redness, but it was not uncomfortable. I washed it off and applied a light moisturizer. If you have the Serum Ceuticals Ceramide, this is a great post-peel product to use to reduce any redness quickly. The redness lasted a few hours, but it was not painful and returned to normal. I did feel some skin exfoliate off my jawline, but mostly it was just smoother and even, especially my forehead. Two whiteheads that were just stuck in my skin and would not come out despite topical medicines expelled while washing the serum off my face and some clogging of blackheads around my nose and cheek disappeared. A pimple that was a just red bump for an extended period shrunk in size. My forehead wrinkle appeared shallow. My skin was very soft. I took two days off and did it again for the full thirty minutes.

I also used this on my hands for the full 30 minutes. My hands show more aging than my face does due to not applying sunscreen on my hands all these years. One treatment on my hands lightened some of the darker skin on my knuckles and cleaned up my chronically dry and uneven cuticles. The lines on my hands do not appear as deep. There was no irritation or redness.

Highly recommended for use 1-2 times a week, does not cause irritation even on my sensitive skin and I could see improvement after the first use. Will continue with the full recommended course and I will be purchasing this AHA again.

I received this item for testing and unbiased review purposes. If you have any questions about my experience with it, leave it in the comments section below and Iâ€™ll do my best to answer it!

Natural Preservative Skincare: Serum Ceuticals Vitamin C 21% Facial Serum

April 4, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Serum Ceuticals Vitamin C 21% Facial Serum is a full force, fresh 21% Vitamin C Serum but in a special natural base with NO PRESERVATIVES. If you donâ€™t want to use chemicals or preservatives in your skin care but still want a powerful Vitamin C treatment, this is the Serum for you.

But it should be noted that ANY natural Vitamin C will degrade faster than one with preservatives and may not appear as potent as chemically laden serums.

WHY USE VITAMIN C SERUM?

Vitamin C Serum is an important tool in battling the appearance of aging skin. This is because Vitamin C is a vital ingredient in the bodiesâ€™ production of collagen. Collagen, the main component of the supporting tissue that keeps skin from sagging and wrinkling, slows down production within our early thirties. The more collagen we have, the younger our skin looks. To get as much collagen as possible, you need Vitamin C available to the cells of the skin. But Vitamin C from our diet or vitamins leaves the body quickly, meaning it is only available to the skin for vital collagen production in short bursts. This is why the topical application of Vitamin C is important, even if your diet is rich in Vitamin C.

Vitamin C also helps with reducing the appearance of sun damage, acne scars, wrinkles, and brown spots.

WHAT’S SO SPECIAL ABOUT SERUM CEUTICALS VITAMIN C?

A good, powerful topical Vitamin C Serum is an elusive find for those who avoid chemical preservatives in skincare. Vitamin C requires preservatives and chemicals to keep it from quickly degrading. A Vitamin C without lots of chemicals and preservatives does not last long and is generally not very powerful by the time the consumer uses it.

Vitamin C is water soluble and normally requires all kinds of chemicals and preservatives to sustain it for topical use. Serum Ceuticals suspends the Vitamin C in a serum WITHOUT any nasty chemicals â€“ they use glutathione acid, ferulic acid, and the Vitamin C itself is charged with argon and nitrogen gases and kept in a tightly sealed bottle. When the cap is removed the first time, the bottle releases a sort of fizz, almost like a carbonated beverage, because of the partial release of this charge upon opening the bottle. All of this means the production of a fresh and potent Vitamin C in a natural base, which is an accomplishment.

Serum Ceuticals has No Chemical Preservatives, only a Natural Preservative. Amazing!

But the test is if it works: The Vitamin C serum is potent but not an irritant as there are several good ingredients to balance the Vitamin C and soothe skin including hyaluronic acid and polysorbate-20. Hyaluronic acid retains moisture, helping the Vitamin C to absorb and for skin to remain smooth. It also prevents the serum from feeling sticky once it is dry. I really like this combo in a Vitamin C serum. My skin looked very dewy, which I like for a daytime serum. The vitamin Bâ€™s used to â€œchargeâ€ the Vitamin C are also very good for the skin. It did take a little longer to dry than some other serums, so I just apply after I shower and while I dry my hair before I apply my makeup. My acne was drying out but my skin stayed supple and does not become irritated. I was very pleased!

It has a very light neutral scent that would not be noticeable to others, a just slightly longer dry-down and it leaves a dewy but not sticky finish.

I would recommend this serum, especially for those conscious of the chemicals and additives they use on their face, and would buy it again. If you are someone who doesnâ€™t mind preservatives in skin care products, you may find other serums that are stronger than this one. Using a natural Vitamin B charge to keep the Vitamin C fresh is a very innovate idea for natural, organic skincare regimens.

Find it at Amazon.com.

Serum Ceuticals Vitamin C Serum

I received this item in exchange for my unbiased review.

Stay clear of puffy allergy eyes with Liz Earle Eyebright Soothing Eye Lotion

October 13, 2010 · Leave a Comment

The weather report says the pollen count is low in my area. My itchy, puffy eyes say otherwise.

As the leaves turn colors and start falling off the trees, allergy season is going to hit in full force, all too soon. And there are plenty of other reasons for puffy eyes – a late night, catching a cold, or too much sodium can all make you puffy and tired looking. I had pretty much given up on reducing puffiness, since a lot of products in this catagory tended to just make my undereye bags look and feel worse – it’s incredibly delicate skin, and many ingredients that work fast also irritate the skin. M.A.C. Cosmetics Fast Response Eye Cream works well for me, but I can’t use it days running since the caffeine deflates the puffiness – and then irritates my skin if I use it for more than one day (of note – that’s just me – I know someone who can use it everyday with amazing results).

So when I was sent Liz Earle Eyebright Soothing Eye Lotion, I was guardedly hopeful – the word “Soothing” caught my eye. When your eyes are itchy and your skin is puffy and raw, isn’t soothing what you want? The ingredient list looked great as well, since it contained Aloe Vera, and sometimes when the skin around my eyes is really, really raw I’d clip a stem from my trusty Aloe Vera plant and tapÂ the pulp and juice on the skin.

So, has the product made it into my daily fix it kit? Definitely.Â Put a little on a cotton pad in the morning, lay back for a few minutes (it actually works pretty fast, but it’s nice to have a reason to lay back down for a few in the morning…), and your orbital area will be perky and bright, and ready for makeup. The formula is actually more liquid than lotion, andÂ the generous 5oz size will last you a good long time.

Find Liz Earle Eyebright Soothing Eye Lotion on the Liz Earle website.

Liz Earle Eyebright Soothing Eye Lotion for perky peepers!