pretty please

Hope in a Jar Update

You may recall that I first tried and reviewed Philosophy's famous product "Hope in a Jar" several weeks ago.  I initially was not impressed with the packaging but found that after just one use, my skin was more even and smooth.  Now, after nearly a month of once-daily use I can report that my skin continues to be nearly completely clear and smooth.  The only downside has been the smell - Chris recently told me that I seemed to have the aroma of...dog food.  Since I've been fairly consistent about every other product I use, I must conclude that it was the new lotion that was causing the stench.  However, it may be dissipating - today Chris told me that I smell more like a baby.  I'm choosing to take that as an improvement.  Nevertheless, I am sticking with "Hope in a Jar" because of the dramatic and consistent results and will be upping my use of body spray.  Geez.

A New Self-Tanner Fave - L'Oreal Sublime Glow Daily Moisturizer

In my on-going quest for a healthy tan, I've discovered a new favorite - L'Oreal Sublime Glow Daily Moisturizer.  Now, I'm already totally committed to the spray version of this gradual tanner but I really prefer a lotion for my legs since they need all the moisture they can get and it makes my thighs feel appreciated (read Anne Lamott's books if you have no idea what I'm talking about).  In the past I've used Jergen's Natural Glow but I don't like the smell, the consistency of the lotion, or the yellow-ish hue the tanner has.  After many recommendations I finally tried L'Oreal's version and I'm loving it.  Now it does have a bit of a shimmer to it, but it's discreet and pretty.  The lotion is actually a lotion- a little thinner so it goes on easier and soaks in faster and actually keeps my legs soft and moisturized.  The tan looks a lot more natural and generally evens out my leg tone as well.  This is a product I will stick with as the summer wears on and I keep my commitment to stay out of the sun!

All I Want is a Nice Tan

My fake tans have been the subject of quite the debate around our home recently.  After our wedding, I swore I'd never abuse my skin again by tanning (in tanning beds or the old-fashioned way).  Chris thinks I should stop faking it and just embrace my pale skin, but I refuse to give up on a bronzed glow.  (But who can blame the guy?  Our bathroom now has a strange orange hue from all the spray tan).  Thus, I've been in search of the perfect fake tan and have tried everything from spray tan booths to gradual tans and then, yesterday, to body makeup.  Yes, it's as gross as it sounds.  Before I launch into my review of LORAC TANtalizer Body Bronzing Luminizer let me say that I am still very committed to L'Oreal Sublime Glow Spray Tan, but I just got LORAC's Hollywood Heat Set and it included this bronzing stuff...so I gave it a try.

Basically, this is a tan you rub on everyday and it washes right off.  No need to deal with weird build-up or streaks or fading - just do it all again the next day.  Let me begin by saying that this stuff looks way freaky when you first start rubbing it in.  We're talking chocolate brown and then orange.  And shimmery.  I hung in there and just kept rubbing until it started looking normal-ish. When blended the tan looks fairly natural with a hint of shimmer but not a whole lot of color.  I don't even know if I would call it a tan at all, actually - the color is so barely there.  However, this could be great for evening out your leg color for an event - kind of a pantyhose replacement if I owned a pair of pantyhose.  I've used it twice on my legs (too scared to try it anywhere else) and have to say that I love how easily I can fix mistakes and that it doesn't smell too gross.  I doubt I'd shell out the $30 for the normal size, but I'm glad it came with the Hollywood Heat set (which I'll review in it's entirety soon!

Hope in a Jar?

I love Philosophy's product names.  Those folks are certainly not concerned with setting expectations too high.  I've been curious for a long time about Philosophy's skin cream, "Hope in a Jar."  The "philosophy" subtitle on the jar is "where there is hope there can be faith, where there is faith miracles can occur."  Wow.  That's pretty profound for a skin cream, isn't it?  According to the promo material, this product was created for the "medical market" and has been recommended by plastic surgeons for younger, healthier skin.  There has been a lot of hype about this stuff but then I've also heard of some reviewers who aren't too impressed.

My skin's been a little funky lately, particularly because of some dry, flakey patches on my cheeks and exfoliating and moisturizing has not been doing the trick.  The time was right to try Hope in a Jar.  I ordered the smallest jar from Sephora (I don't want a big pot of something I hate, and this stuff is pricey.  $15 for .5 oz??  Are you kidding me?).  First impressions?  The jar is cheap-o plastic.  I hope that means the company put all their money into the product rather than the packaging, but either way I'm not super impressed at the outset.  The texture is a little weird - more of a thin lotion than a cream and the smell is very medicinal and soapy.  Not great.  I smoothed the cream all over my face last night, concentrating on my dry spots and was pleased that it was absorbed quickly so I wasn't sticking to my pillow case.  And...when I woke up?  Weird dry patches were almost gone!  I used it again this morning and those spots are now almost totally even with the rest of my skin.  Could this be the answer?  This product contains lactic acid to help with skin turnover - so maybe that's the answer.  So for now, despite some cons, I'm pretty pro Hope in a Jar.  I'll keep using it and let you know if my mind changes.  Hopefully this jar will last a good long time!

Skin Rev-er Upper - Bare Minerals Favorite

While I'm not thrilled with the rest of the Bare Minerals makeup line, I must include that I love the "Skin Rev-er Upper" by Bare Minerals Face.  I have never actually purchased this, it comes as a free gift every once in a while with my foundation - but I wear it almost everyday.  For me it functions as a moisturizer that absorbs quickly and also takes care of the dry patches and I can sometimes get.  It contains a daily multi-vitamin supplement, with the added benefits of glycolic and salicylic acids to help my skin be smooth for the foundation.  I put it on right after I wash my face in the morning and it's absorbed by the time I get around to make-up.  I love that it doesn't leave my skin oily and it's just the right amount of moisture for me.  If you had to buy it, according to Sephora is $21 which I think is pretty expensive.  If I wasn't getting this for free, I'd probably stick to a Neutrogena light moisturizer and Smashbox primer.