Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration - my new HG sunscreen!

A few weeks ago I was sent a VoxBox by Influenster to review.  The first product to catch my eye was the Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration sunscreen in SPF 30!  I had been in the market for a new body sunscreen, since my old favorite was discontinued.

Lets see what  Hawaiian Tropic has to say about Silk Hydration:

"With its ultra-luxurious hydrating silk ribbons, Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration™ lotion sunscreen nourishes and pampers skin while providing broad spectrum UVA and UVB protection, and 12-hour moisturization when out in the sun." (from the Hawaiian Tropic Influenster  page)

 and

"Introducing our new sunscreen lotion, the only sunscreen with hydrating ribbons for continuous in-sun moisture. With its ultra-luxurious hydrating silk ribbons, Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration™ lotion sunscreen nourishes and pampers skin while providing broad spectrum UVA and UVB protection and 12-hour moisturization when out in the sun." (from the Hawaiian Tropic website)

The website also listed these as features and benefits of Silk Hydration:
• Lightweight, luxurious hydrating ribbons infused with silk protein pamper
  and protect skin when in the sun, providing 12-hour moisturization
• Safe and effective broad spectrum UVA and UVB protection
• Nourishing antioxidants
• Exotic botanicals
• Warm tropical fragrance
• Lightweight feel


Before I begin, its time for some history about me and sunscreens.   Since age 14 I've had to have 7 minor surgeries on my skin to remove areas that were pre-cancerous.  My skin doesn't produce enough of its natural protectant, melonin, and sunscreen is must 24/7. 

There is an ingredient common to a lot of sunscreens, Retinyl Palmitate, that can speed up the growth of these pre-cancerous legions.  This is my first criteria for a good sunscreen.  And yes!  Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration is Retinyl Palmitate free!

The second thing that impressed me about Silk Hydration is the look of it. The bottle is curvy, with a bottom opening that allows for both continuous flow when you squeeze and an easy way to stand up the bottle on a counter or table.  The swirls that you can see in the packaging are actually within the product itself.  It's demonstrating the face this sunscreen is both a moisturizer and a sunscreen.  I find this bottle very easy to squeeze.  The cap is also really secure, so I don't worry about throwing it in the car or in my bag. 

Along with my skin being sensitive to the sun, it's also very very dry and sensitive.  This sunscreen claims to moisturize your skin for 12 hrs and I definitely feel some semblance of that.  Because my skin is so dry, I don't think I could 12 hrs without dousing myself in a thick lotion again, but the fact it moisturizes at all impressed me.  Most sunscreens can actually be quite drying on the skin. Since it had a lotion in it, this sunscreen also soaked into the skin really easily.  It also didn't leave a freaky white cast, even when I applied the SPF 50 version. 

The smell is fantastic!  It smells to me like a tropical drink.  Lightly fruity with a hint of coconut.  I definitely doesn't smell like a sunscreen.

It's also decently priced, about about $10 average.  Suggested retail is $8.99 on the site, however, around me the prices are a little higher in the drugstores.  I was able to get 2 bottles of the SPF 50 for $10.49 each at Walmart. 

Overall, I think this sunscreen is the perfect package.  Even though it doesn't give as much moisture to the skin as the description would lead you to believe, I do prefer it to any other body sunscreen at the moment.  I would definitely recommend this to everyone this summer!


*I recieved this product for review from Hawaiian Tropic, through the Influenster website and VoxBox program.  This review is based upon my genuine thoughts and experience with this product*

EMPTIES (march2012) *repost*

This past month I've acquired quite a few empties from a recent Project 10 pan I had started March 15th.  I found the Project 10 really motivated me to finish up products that had been sitting around.  Which also helps you to decide if you really liked or disliked a product, and whether or not you'd repurchase.  So without further ado, here are the products I used up in March :)

Ro's Argan Body Conditioner from LUSH Cosmetics
This little guy was only 45g worth of product because I got it with my staff box a few months ago (I used to work for LUSH).  The full size retails for $29.99 at 240g.  I like the idea of a body conditioner (essentially identical in application and concept as hair conditioner) but the smell of this one really rubs me the wrong way. It's the same scent as the Rose Jam Bubbleroon which has seemed to be really polarizing.  I'm on the dislike end of the spectrum, unfortunately.  It does make your skin feel nice if you can stomach the sweet scent, though.  I won't be repurchasing.

Sympathy for the Skin Body Moisturizer by LUSH Cosmetics ($25.95 for 240g)
This one I started using as a moisturizer but quickly realized it works great a shave cream.  For someone with really dry and sensitive skin shaving can be incredibly irritating.  This formed a buffer from my razor while moisturizing.  Super plus that it's (mostly) natural.  It works well as a moisturizer but for me, it was a bit thin.  I'm on the fence about repurchasing. Probably going to dry some other moisturizers as shave creams first.

The Body Shop Strawberry Body Polish (on sale at Marshalls for $6.95, regular $18)
I picked this one up mainly for the scent and decent price.  I love The Body Shop products but I can't justify spending so much for essentially a scent.  This really disappointed me as a scrub.  The "strawberry seeds" were quite large and didn't feel like they did anything.  There was minimal, if any, change from my skin before and my skin after.  Granted, it is a "daily" scrub so it should be more gentle.  But, I also had to use ALOT to cover my whole body, which would get expensive for daily use.  Not worth even the sale price.  Definitely will not be repurchasing.

Snow Fairy Shower Gel (500ml) by LUSH Cosmetics
This is a favorite scent of mine from LUSH.  It's so sweet and feminine, and if you can see at the bottom, has a nice blue glitter throughout :) This particular shower gel is limited edition during Christmas time.  I got the 500ml bottle in 2010 during the half off sale.  The 500ml gels retail for $27.95, meaning I got it for about $13.  $27.95 can seem hefty but it's definitely worth it.  These all lather so well and you need just a tiny bit.  This lasted me about a year and a half of regular use! I love this scent so much and will more than likely repurchase it when it comes back in stock.

The Olive Branch Shower Gel by LUSH Cosmetics ($17.95 for 250 ml)
LOVE THIS.  This was my first bottle that I received from training.  It is incredibly thin but works well with any sort of poof or cloth because it really gets in there.  The actual gel comes separated into orange (the gel) and yellowish (the olive oil).  Shake it and they mix up to make a super moisturizing wash :) it also smells incredible, like fresh mandarin oranges. This is wickedly popular with both men and women.  I have already repurchased (and a 500ml at that lol).  Definitely 100% recommend this to anyone.

Batiste Dry Shampoo in Fresh ($7.99 for 6.73 fl oz from Dermstore.com)
This is my holy grail dry shampoo.  Simply amazing.  Smells spectacular too.  Usually at Ulta and anywhere local they sell the smaller size for $7.99.  If you're ok with paying shipping I definitely recommend buying it from Dermstore.com because you get 33% more for the same price. Comes in loads of scents but Fresh is definitely my favorite.  I already have 2 backups :)

Coppertone Oil Free Fragrance Free SPF 50
This is my favorite body sunscreen.  I'm highly sensitive to the sun (have had to have over 5 spots removed despite my indoor lifestyle -_-)  and I've tried a million products.  This works best for a daily application.  It's non-scented and blends in really quickly and with a dry finish.  I don't have to wait eons before dressing.  It lasted me quite a while (half a summer and into the winter/spring). BUT the bad news is that it's incredibly hard to find in stores any more :( I don't know if it's been discontinued at this factor (SPF 15 and 30 are still available from this line) but I can only find it online and at higher prices than usual.  The link above is to it on Amazon, although I got it last year at Target for about $8. I found a backup at Target not too long ago and will continue to search.  I can't imagine my summer without this...</3

Sonia Kashuk Brush and Sponge Cleaner (Target $6.69)
I found this in a set with the SK makeup sponge for about $3 a while back at Target and thought, why not?  Welllll this cleaner was actually a pain to use and completely understandable to be in clearance.  It is super "conditioning" which ended up translating to "makes-your-brushes-feel-greasy".  It didn't really pull anything out of my hard to clean Sigma Synthetics and lets not even go into the awkward spray top.  Even though that's easier for spot cleaning, I already have a spot cleaner that works better.  Absolutely will not repurchase and don't recommend it to anyone with a serious brush collection.  It works ok with eye brushes if you don't mind the bristles being weighed down a bit.  I will stick with my staple MAC cleaner and I suggest that to anyone else as well.

Yes to Blueberries Cleansing Facial Wipes ($7.99 for 40 at Target. Normally has 30)
I tried these out because I LOVE Yes to Cucumbers wipes and there was an extra 10 for free for the same price.  Occasionally they do a deal with these, either the "33% more" or including a free lip balm with it.  Right now the have a lip balm strapped to it.  The price for these is about mid range.  It's intended for aging skin, but having problems with sun spots I figured I'd give it a shot....It was incredibly difficult to will myself to use these up.  They made my skin feel so gross and weighed down, not to mention they cleaned NOWHERE near as good as their sister, the Yes to Cucumber Wipes.  They also smelled a little funky (blueberry meets cotton).  I will not be repurchasing these, no matter the little gimmicks they try.  Highly recommend the Cucumber wipes though.

Shiseido Tsubaki Head Spa Deep Cleansing Shampoo
I got this at my local Super H mart for about $13.  The site above sells it for $12.60, plus shipping.  It's a super deep cleansing shampoo with amino acids from camellia flowers that nourishes while it cleans.  This is a great deep cleanser for damaged hair as it doesn't leave it too dry or mangled.  I use so many pieces from the Shiseido Tsubaki line and definitely recommend checking it out. The whole line smells fantastic and works great for dry or dull hair.  I may or may not be repurchasing, considering I don't have much of a need for a deep cleanser.

Shiseido Tsubaki Damage Care Mask
I also bought this from Super H mart.  It was around $20.  I got maybe 5 uses out of it.  I already used and loved the thinner Damage Care Treatment (which I've bought 3 times) and wanted to try this.  It was really moisturizing and detangling, but for a significant price more and for less uses, I'd rather go with the Treatment.  Actually, I could tell very little between the two when I used them.  I'll only repurchase this if I find it for cheaper.

Ocean Salt Face and Body Scrub by LUSH Cosmetics ($19.95 for 4.2 oz, $34.95 for 8.8 oz)
This is probably our most consistent best seller and for a good reason.  I could go all LUSH sales person on you, but essentially, this sea salt and avocado butter scrub deeply cleanses while moisturizing and smelling fantastic (like a margarita for your face, we say).  I got the small size because I only uses it for my face and armpits before I epilate.  It's good for just about any face type and, used twice a week, really improves your skins glow and dries up any blemishes/enlarged pores.  DEFINITELY will repurchase when I go back to working for LUSH in the fall/winter.  I'm honestly kind of suffering without it lol.

AHAVA Mineral Hand Cream
I bought this for $10 from Birchbox with a coupon code and free shipping, but it usually sells for $21.  This soaks in the quickest and with the best finish of any hand lotion I've ever used.  It dries almost...satin?  It also lasted a really long time and I have received many sample sizes from Birchbox for my purse.  HOWEVER there are two reasons why I don't recommend it.  One, it smells kinda funky.  Very grandma-esque with it's soft floral and powdery tones.  It also is quite expensive.  Unless, like me, you can get it at a discount, I wouldn't recommend.  I have a back-up from Birchbox (also $10) but don't plan to repurchase after that because I'm sick of the scent.
 

Neutrogena Visibly Even Daily Moisturizer SPF 30
You can get this for around $10 with free shipping from Amazon.  I tried it because it claims to repair sun damage while protecting the skin.  I didn't notice any changes in my skin but you probably have to use several bottles of this, and extremely consistently.  I just used it as a sunscreen on minimally bright days.  It was ok.  The finish was fine and it absorbed quickly but smelled obnoxiously like mushrooms.  Which I loathe.  I won't be repurchasing.

Korres Milk Protein Facial Cleansing Wipes (Sephora.com $12.00)
I bought these before my Project 10 Pan because I use wipes every night and was almost out.  These were recommended by Elle Fowler for sensitive skin.  They do remove makeup well but I won't repurchase for several reasons.  1) the smell heinous like milky yogurt..kinda sour too. 2) the clothes rip and wear out really quickly and I mean, my face isn't rough or anything. 3) they are expensive compared to other wipes that work just as well and they actually contain less then a lot of drugstore wipes. And 4) the package wouldn't stay sealed. I also didn't find that they left my skin feeling fresh.  Rather, there was a weird film on top.  Don't recommend unless you have frivolous money to spend and don't care about it competing with other wipes out there.

Anastasia Beverly Hill Clear Brow Gel (Sephora, $21)
Seems really expensive, but this gel lasted me 3 years with daily use.  Some people don't like their brows to feel crispy and prefer wax, but my hairs are quite wiley and require more control.  The applicator is really easy to use and it's flexibility allows you to scrape the sides when it's used up.  Love this stuff.  100% will repurchase after I used up the deluxe sample size I got as a 100 pt perk. I found a dupe for this from e.l.f cosmetics for $1 but it definitely doesn't compare.
And with that we come to the end!! I had an unusually large amount from the Project 10 Pan but hope to continue to use up products like a fiend in the coming months.  What have you used up recently?

Sephora VIB event Haul!

On November 10th, Sephora hosted its annual VIB holiday party (term "party" taken loosely).  The event included a 20% shopping pass for me and a friend, as well as free chocolates, makeovers and an exclusive Sephora tote. 

I went armed with a $32 giftcard and comfy shoes, only to surprise myself and spend less than the amount of my giftcard, and completely not on what I thought it would be lol.

I went in with a huge shopping list and came out with...

My free Sephora tote, chocolates, a Pure DKNY perfume mini rollerball and the NARS eyeshadow duo in Underworld!

I'd always wanted to try out NARS shadows and I couldn't beat the $26 (normally $33) price tag, especially considering I didn't pay anything out of pocket for it :3 Sephora giftcards are awesome!!  I chose this particular duo because I've been obsessing over smokey neutrals lately and the pigmentation of these is amazing.  Well worth the money.  The only thing negative I can say is that the packaging gets extremely dirty even after only one use and becomes quite unsightly.  I prefer to shameless display my makeup splurges, not hide them away in a drawer cause they're sloppy.

Ironically enough, out of the 3 different mini perfume rollerballs they could have given me with my purchase, the dude grabbed the Pure DKNY.  This was actually one of the items on my list to pick up, but they had been out of stock of the gift set.  This perfume smells so clean and fresh.  Perfect everyday, daytime scent.

I totally anticipated bringing home more loot, but hey, no buyers remorse here!! I do wish I had picked up a bottle of the Taylor Swift Wonderstruck while I was there, instead of having to wait to unwrap it on Christmas.  It's my new scent obsession <3

I hope you got the chance to enjoy the VIB event! If not, no sweat, it's basically just an overhyped friends and family sale (which I had already cashed in on earlier, posted here)

Bye for now!

xoxo,

JessieBear

November Birchbox! (first impression, pictures)

Man was I surprised to see my November Birchbox on my doorstep when I only got the shipping notification just last night!  Usually I have to wait a little under a week for my box to get to me.  I have since eagerly ripped into it and taken a peek.  Here's what I saw!

First item was the Oscar Blandi Protein Mist for Restyling Hair.  This is a rather large sample, with a wopping 60ml inside.  You can use this either on dry hair before heat styling or on damp hair to detangle and "fortify."  I was going to apply this to my damp hair right out of the box but a quick sniff quickly deterred me.  MAN does this stuff stink.  Maybe I'm super sensitive or something but I can't imagine being able to tolerate this scent in my hair for a minute.  The full 250ml retails for $18. 

This is the LaROCCA Skincare Champagne and Shimmer Acai Body Polish.  This is a rather small pot for a body polish.  There's about enough in it to effectively scrub one limb. 

It smells quite nice, not too champagne and not too acai, but actually quite lemony.  This basically appears to be your average scrub with both micro grit and visible granules you manual scrub your body with.  6.76 oz of this retails for $35.

Next is the Klorane Soothing Eye Makeup Remover with Cornflower.

This bottle is the typical "cornflower blue" color I remember from my Crayon days.  It is one solid remover (not bi-face or anything) and smells VERY strongly of florals (the cornflower perhaps?).  I'm not the biggest fan of florals.  This bottle is .8 oz, and the regular is 3.4 oz for $9.  This is one of the cheapest items I've gotten from Birchbox to date (besides nail polishes and hair tyes).

Last official beauty product is another Zoya sample.  I've received two Zoya polishes from Birchbox and have loved those.  But move over other samples, this one is literally perfect for me. 

This is Zoya's Noel.  It's mostly blue with some silver and gold shimmer.  It reminds me of my beloved Absolutely Alice polish from OPI, except the shimmer in this is quite fine, while the OPI was definitely a coarser glitter.  I swatched this over the current blue glitter polishes I had on (which was mostly chipped away).  This polish is pigmented enough you can get away with just two coats, but not so terribly opaque that people like me who prefer jelly consistencies won't be put off. (the picture below truly doesn't do this one any justice because the light catches it at different angles and makes this literally shine :D)

Last two things in my box were more of the "treat" variety.  The first treat is the last true sample in my box.

The Choco Pod that I received is Dark Chocolate with Chipotle, Salt and Popping Candy flavored.  It's shaped like a leaf.  When I first bit it the only thing I really noticed were the Pop Rocks.  They were fizzing away in my mouth as I tried to actually taste the chocolate.  I couldn't taste much salt and very little, if any chipotle flavor.  Until I swallowed.  THIS CHOCOLATE IS SO SPICY!!! It was quite the interesting combo.  If you don't like spicy stuff, stay away.  Otherwise this was somewhat of an interesting treat.  Definitely not something you could or would want to eat frequently.

The last thing in my box is deemed an "unlocked prize" from any referrals, reviews, or purchases I made.  I'm not quite sure if this is something they gave to everyone and deemed a prize as a gimmick or they genuinely went through everyone and gave these to those who participated, but hey.  It's pretty cute.

This is a Bauble Bar bracelet.  I've never heard of them before, but a little $10 off your first purchase card was inserted inside the bag with the bracelet.

Now to some sad news.  Early this month I entered into a new "budget" in which I'd extremely limit my spending with the hopes of moving out in the spring.  With this new budget, I told myself if I wasn't in love with the next Birchbox I received, I would cancel my subscription.  Seeing as I know I will not repurchase any of the products from my November box, I'm canceling.  For those of you totally have the $10 to spend on this interesting and fun service, it's awesome.  But I can't justify spending money on a box that I may either not like, or love so much I will then go and spend money on new products I more than likely don't need.  Birchbox is a gateway spending product lol.  If you don't want to put the money in to the risk of a bad box, or don't want to be suckered into buying expensive products you probably wouldn't have bought anyway, this probably isn't for you.

I will say though, Birchbox did introduce me to my all time favorite hair mask, Carol's Daughter Monoi Repairing Hair Mask ($29). 

Maybe in the future I will resubscribe when I have the free funds.  But for now, it's been a fun ride, Birchbox, but here is where I let you off.

Sephora Friends and Family Sale 2011 Haul

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October Birchbox review!

So if you read my most recent Birchbox post you would know I was quite upset and ultimately canceled my subscription with them.  Wellll after watching everyone else open up their September 1st anniversary Birchbox (with the SUPER adorable friendship bracelet inside) I decided to reopen my subscription with them.  I'm ashamed to say I actually went through Birchbox withdrawals over the 2 months between my cancellation and the October box.

What better way to quench my Birchbox thirst than with the mother of all boxes (so far).  Feast thine eyes on the October box!

The theme for this month is "Prep & Finish"which honestly did seem to structure the contents all that much (or as far as I can tell).

loose contents

wrapped up samples

The first thing I saw caught me by surprise.  Literally the night before I received my box I was thinking about checking out this product.  And there is sat in my box!! Crazy! I couldn't have been happier with my Blinc tube mascara sample :)

 It comes in a little maroonish tube made of what I assume is aluminum.  The sample is .141 oz.  The full size contains .21 oz and retails for $24. 

the inside tube of mascara

 If you're not sure what a tube mascara is, it's not just a mascara that comes in a tube - it's a mascara that uses polymers to coat each lash in a "tube" that removes only with a combo of warm water and pressure.  I've been using this mascara for about 10 days now and haven't experienced any running, flaking or smudging. 

The reason why I wanted to try this product so badly is because of the ease of removal.  I HATE removing tedious eye makeup at the end of the night.  What you see in the photo above are the little spindly tubes that came off of my lashes.  Some people don't like tubing mascara because it looks like your actually lashes come off, but no worries.  You can definitely tell the differences between fallen lashes and these rubbery tubes.  This mascara is farrr more lengthening than volumizing.  Because I tend to prefer volumizing mascaras, I don't envision myself repurchasing this.  It's really novel and fun to be able to just slide off my mascara but it's rather pricey for a "natural" looking mascara.

Next product in the box was the Pangea Organics Japanese Matcha Tea mask with acai and goji berry.  I've used this twice since I've gotten it and LOVE it.  I'm a hugeeee green tea fan and this mask is really gentle, cleansing, exfoliating, and minorly brightening.  My skin feels so good after using this.  I have the full size in my online Sephora cart waiting as I type.

 The sample is 1fl oz.  The full size is 4 fl oz and retails for $40.  It smells very herbal.  I honestly didn't pick up on the acai which I normal don't like, which is a plus.

Here's what it looks like on!  I know, not very flattering, but trust me.  This mask is sooo nice.  The little bits of grit you can see really help slough off an dead skin and add to skin's natural glow.

Next sample is actually a full size tin of the Minteas Resist Lime Mojito mints.  Again, this is made with organic matcha green tea.  It has definite lime flavors going on which I'm normally not a fan of but these are actually really tasty.

  It comes in a cute little leaf tin!  I wish that the lid was hinged or something because it doesn't feel secure enough to just toss in a bag but I do have a mini zip up pocket in my school bag and that's where this is living currently :)

The mints have little green dots in them which I'm assuming are the spots of matcha tea in them.  The mints too are little leaves!  So cute!! And they are sooooo yummy.  One of the reasons why I might not repurchase these are that they're currently selling on Birchbox for 2 for $10, which to me is a bit steep for some mints (90 in each container).  They do keep my breath fresh for a longer than say an Ice Breakers mint or something but that too me is achievable with gums that are so much cheaper.  We'll see.  If I can find these somewhere cheaper I may consider repurchasing.

Inside the little wrapped up satchel were two more products.  The first thing is this BeFine Lip Serum.  I have to say I was scared for a second when I saw the big beet on the outside.  Gross! But you really can't smell or taste it in this product and MAN this is moisturizing.  It also gives my lips the nicest sheen.  And unlike some balms, after repeated application my lips don't start peeling which is a huge plus.

light sheen from the product

The sample is a 10ml tube .  The full size comes in a set of this plus the lip exfoliator for $25, each holding 15 ml of product.  I already repurchased this!! I had $10 off from accumulated Birchbox points and it had free shipping so I couldn't resist.  Best lip conditioning product I've used so far.

The last product was the least exciting for me.  Orofluido is a hair oil, named "liquid gold" in spanish.  It's a thick golden oil scented like vanilla and amber.  The scent is rather pleasant and breaks outside of the box as hair as normal hair oil goes (can everyone stop scenting their things like argan oil please?).  It was so so on my hair.  It moisturized it...temporarily.  My ends felt like they needed more after just half an hour.  I wasn't expecting that from a product like this.  I guess Macadamia Oil has spoiled me.

  This sample is .17 oz and the full size is 3.4 for $29.99.  I won't be repurchasing from the sheer standpoint that I have things like this that work so much better, and for cheaper.


So that's it!! I'm SOOOO glad I rejoined Birchbox.  I really missed the opportunity to test out new products each month and for only $10 a month, you make your money back with the volume of each product and the occasional full size. 

If you haven't joined out you should check it out!

xoxo,

JessieBear