Did you say stretch marks???

Here’s the thing: if you are a woman, you will get stretch marks sooner or later…whether you have kids or not. That’s my personal opinion because I haven’t met one woman without tiny lil stretch marks… I recently discovered that stretch marks are not caused by gaining weight; rather they are caused by HORMONES. The weight gain affects the hormones in your body, so weight gain is a factor insofar as its changing hormones, but it isn’t ‘stretching’ the skin. The hormonal changes that occur as a function of gaining weight are the cause. Check http://www.stretchmarks.org/if you wanna learn more about this “phenomenon”. So to make a long story short, I want to share with you a product that has been considerably helping me “get rid of” lessen my stretch marks. I have been using it daily for over 2 months now and already emptied 2 tubes after a friend recommended it…and MIRACLE: it is actually working! (It’s time for me to get money from all this publicity to all these luxury brands don’t you think??!!??) But hey, anyway…so the product is CLARINS STRETCH MARK CONTROL.

Now I cannot tell you if it is better than the so famous Stri-Vectin since I haven’t tried that one…but at least it is way cheaper ($49 vs. $135). However, I still think that the price is a lil bit pricey given that the tube is small…but hey… A “MASTER CARD” commercial would say: “Price of a clarins tube $49, price of stri vectin $135 and … getting rid of your stretch marks: PRICELESS…” Is that corny?? Lol… Yes indeed that was…  I better go to bed now and avoid writing posts when I am that uninspired…I just really wanted to share this product with you divas as I just got the last drop of my tube…

XoXo eVaDiVa

Did you say “charcoal”???

So my mom came back from a very long trip (yes I was counting the days … :o) She showed me a few products that she got… mostly clinique and L’oreal (eVaDiVa’s recommendation…) and I saw a few ORIGINS skincare products…

I always liked ORIGINS products although I never bought any…I tried most of them as I was given free samples at the mall and from a friend who used to work there. My mom bought each and every kind of face cream they have (that’s what she does when experimenting…no wonder where I got it from…lol). Among all the products she got, the CLEAR IMPROVEMENT charcoal mask was the one that really caught my eyes as the product is really dark like charcoal…so I tried it and I have to say that I am just IN LOOOOOVE with it!!! I still love CLINIQUE emergency mask but I have to tell you that this one will give your skin a very soft a clean appearance. Use it once a week after your weekly mini-facial and you will see the results right away if your skin has large pores (oily).

Here is what Origins says about this life saver: Active Charcoal mask to clear pores. Activated charcoal acts like a magnet to draw out deep pore-clogging impurities while White China Clay absorbs environmental toxins to give skin a deep-down cleansing.

Retail Price: $17.50

XoXo

eVaDiVa

 

My new stress reliever…Tranquil Mint Body Scrub

I woke up on this saturday morning feeling not that good…the stress of life is starting to get to me. I decided to finally get out of the bed and jump in the shower and there it was…my Tranquil Mint Body Scrub from Bath and Body Works that I had not opened since I bought it last weekend. I have never been crazy about body scrubs but this one is just INCREDIBLE!!! It’s a sugar scrub that will leave your skin feeling soft like a baby (and believe me mine is far from being soft…I’m one of these women with leg hair that grows so fast that by the time you are done shaving, it is already growing back!). So, I took the time to shave them (with my favorite hair removal cream VEET ) and then used the sugar scrub. The result is just amazing and just like magic, I do not feel that stressed and depressed anymore…but that maybe because I am about to go shopping…lol…so Divas, if you are looking for a good body scrub, this is the one! Make sure you use the mint shower gel after…

PS: I was listening to this joke while writing this post and wanted to share it with you, it’s hilarious!!! http://a1135.g.akamai.net/f/1135/18227/1h/cchannel.download.akamai.com/18227/podcast/PHOENIX-AZ/KZZP-FM/snake-dontusethemouth.mp3 

boo boo zap…my life saver!!!

Did you ever wake up with a big zit on your forehead right when you were ready to go on a date with futur Mr. Perfect? or when you finally had that job interview and all you were worried about is the crater on your forehead instead of your resume…humm…I know it happened to me more than once…until I met my life saver: “Boo Boo zap” from Benefit.

This product is the perfect blend of salicylic acid and camphor to sabotage boo boos with lightning speed. You can use it trhoughout the day under or on top of makeup or at night…It works like a miracle!

Available at Sephora for $20

Fix +…Myth or reality???

This one is to answer Miss F. question about using a “fixer” on your face. The Fix + is supposed to give your makeup a long lasting look, it is basically like applying a top coat to your nailpolish to make it last longer…

I strongly believe that it works but personally and honestly, I never use one! I do not use it because I always feel the need to touch up my makeup with some pressed powder or blot powder…

So to answer your question darling, you can use it but it is really not a must have for me!!!

Clean it up!!! –> Combination skin

Here are my favorite products for Combination skin (read skincare 101 to find your skin type)

Cleanser:

• 1st Choice: CLARINS Gentle Foaming Cleanser All Skin Types . I highly recommend this product because one of the active ingredient is Shea Butter which will nourish, soften and soothe your skin.
• 2nd Choice: MURAD Refreshing Skin Cleanser- I like it because it is non drying and leave the skin feeling very fresh.

 Toner:

• CLARINS Toning Lotion With Camomile- This is the only toner I recommend for combination skin because of the camomile and vitamins A and E that will help your skin maintain its healthy look.

 Moisturizer:

• 1st choice: CLINIQUE Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion. I am totally in love with this yellow moisturizer!!! Make sure you get the lotion and not the gel if you have combination skin.

  

• 2nd choice: L’OREAL Dermo Expertise Futur-e. The pure vitamin E again!!!

 Exfoliator and Mask:

• CLINIQUE exfoliating scrub
• LANCOME Pure Empreinte Masque: THIS IS THE BEST MASK OF ALL TIME!!!

  

Aromatherapy shower in the AM!!!

This has become the only good reason why I can wake-up in the morning now without hitting my snooz button on the alarm! This gel smells so good it will make your whole bathroom feel like a Mandarin Oriental Spa! The mint has this scent that will make you want to stay forever in the shower…My sis and I rush to Bath&body works and empty the shelves everytime they go on sale…

Skincare 101- Skin Types

So, I want this to be my first post because before even talking about makeup, you need to make sure you have good skin! I strongly believe that everybody can have good skin if they know how to take care of it. For some of us, good skin= good genes but for other good skin= dream that can never become true…

I will break it down for you and recommend the best skincare on the market for each skin type.

Here are the different skin types: * courtesy of http://beauty.about.com

Type 1: Oily Oily skin tends to shiny with enlarged pores, and is prone to blackheads and blemishes. You might experience some tightness.

Type 2: Combination/normal This skin type has medium pores, a smooth and even texture, good circulation, healthy color, may tend toward dryness on the cheeks while being oily in the t-zone.

Type 3: Sensitive Sensitive skin tends to be thin, delicate with fine pores. It flushes easily, is prone to broken capillaries, is frequently allergic and can be rashy.

Type 4: Dry Dry skin feels tight, especially after cleansing. You have a tendency towards fine wrinkles, flaking and red patches. In women of color, skin may appear ashy or dull from dead skin buildup.

Type 5: Aging or sun-damaged This skin also feels tight with visible wrinkles, slack skin tone — especially around the cheeks and jawline — with leathery texture and broken capillaries.

Clean it up!!!—>Oily Skin

Now that you know what skin type you have, you need to have the right product to take care of it. For cleansers, make sure you use them twice a day and massage your face and throat. Use your moisturizer everytime you rinse your face.

Oily Skin: This is my skintype and I used to hate it until I realized that we are the lucky ones!!! It’s true, oily skin will not age as quick as other skin types because of the sebum under the skin cells…So my daily skincare regiments is:

1. Cleanser
   • 1st choice: CLINIQUE liquid facial soap oily skin (just the best on my skin!!!)
   • 2nd choice: CLARINS purifying cleansing gel (this cleanser has yucca extract which is very gentle for the skin)
2. Toner (I personally never use mine but that’s because I am lazy…but I strongly recommend you do if you have very oily skin)
   • 1st choice: CLARINS Toning lotion with Iris- green bottle ( I like it better then the Clinique because it does not feel as dry on the skin.)
   • 2nd choice: CLINIQUE Step II for oily skin
3.  Moisturizer
   • 1st choice: CLINIQUE Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel (use this if you feel your skin is less oily during the winter)
   • 2nd choice: CLARINS Ultra-Matte Rebalancing Lotion (perfect in very hot climate; I use it whenever I go to Senegal…)
4.  Night moisturizer
   • The only night product that I recommend and that is very good is the CLARINS Normalizing night gel. It will balance the amount of oil your skin is producing while you sleep and you will wake-up every morning feeling like you have the best skin!
5.  Exfoliator
   • CLINIQUE Exfoliating scrub. It will de-flake, refine and soften tiny lines. Use it twice a week.

 To be continued…