reviews


Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Concentrate Matrix review

estee lauder advanced night repair eye concentrate matrix review

pictured: (product c/o Estee Lauder)  Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Concentrate Matrix

As you know, I am a huge Estee Lauder fan. So, when they contacted me to see if I would like to check out the new Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Concentrate Matrix, I jumped at the chance for a sample!

I have been blinking, squinting, laughing, crying, and narrowing my eyes as I throw some shade for the past four decades. With all of these different eye expressions, come movements which cause the skin around my eyes to crinkle, wrinkle, and move. Also, the more expressions we make with our eyes, the more chances we have of getting fine lines and wrinkles. This is what we call aging. Ho-hum. I thought I would never age???

In order to combat the fine lines, stress, and puffiness our eyes encounter on a daily basis, the new Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Concentrate Matrix is here to save the day. This product claims to repair visible signs of eye aging which includes fine lines, wrinkles, under eye puffiness, and uneven skin tone. It also claims to fortify the thin skin around the eye area which will help to increase density. Lastly, the new Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Concentrate Matrix claims to hydrate with deep, lasting moisture which lasts for a full twenty-four hours.

Let’s chat about how the new Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Concentrate Matrix worked on me! I tested it out for three weeks. I figured this would be enough time to see if it works. Although the instructions say to use it above the eyelid, as well as below the eye; I only used it below my eye. I have a deep seeded fear of applying anything other then powder eye shadow or mascara anywhere near my eyelid.

I implemented it into my nighttime skin care routine. So, I used it once per day, at night. Right away on day one I noticed improved moisture around my eye area. This was a good sign!! One day two, I noticed it was helping with my puffy under-eyes. I don’t get puffy eyes everyday, but when the weather is hot or I am not getting enough sleep, I get puffy under-eyes. The new Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Concentrate Matrix helped to combat that, and keep my under-eyes puff-free. Love that!

It took about two weeks for me notice my fine lines were more difficult to detect. They were not gone, but less visible. That is always a plus! As for uneven skin tone, I don’t have very much, so I couldn’t really be a tester for that claim. I don’t have wrinkles around my eyes yet, just fine lines. So this has been a great product for combating those fine lines; which helps to keep them from turning into full blown wrinkles. Love!

The new Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Concentrate Matrix is now a must-have for my evening skin care routine. I love how it combats the puffiness I sometimes experience, and I also love how my fine lines are less visible. I recommend adding this to your routine too!

You can find the new Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Concentrate Matrix online here. Check out my review of Estee Lauder’s other night repair products here.


YSL fall 2017 nail polish Studio 54 review

YSL fall 2017 nail polish collection Studio 54 review

The YSL fall 2017 nail polish collection is here! The YSL Studio 54 nail polish collection for the fall 2017 season is sparkling, dazzling, and so much fun! Love!

Yves Saint Laurent has introduced two sparkling nail polish hues for the upcoming cool weather season. “Bronze Fever” which is a sparkling bronze polish, and “Studio Silver” which is a dazzling white-silver glitter polish, are both glittering nail polishes which sparkle, shine, and make you want to dance the night away!

Metallics are still a hot trend as we move into the fall 2017 season. They graced the fall runways, and they are still hot on the street. Store buyers are also diving into the metallic trend and we will see metallic touches on apparel for the fall season as well as full blown metallic handbags, shoes, and accessories. This means rocking some sparkles on our nails is an easy way to wear the metallic trend everyday, without needing to think about it. Plus, who doesn’t want a party on their nails! Love it!

Here is my review of both nail polish colors from the YSL Studio 54 fall 2017 nail polish collection!

YSL fall 2017 nail polish: Bronze Fever

YSL bronze fever nail polish fall 2017 review

YSL Bronze Fever is my favorite of the two Studio 54 nail polish colors from Yves Saint Laurent for fall 2017. This is a beautiful sparkling bronze hue which is easy to wear during the day. Of course, the sparkles make it extremely festive for evening occasions as well!

I tested out YSL Bronze Fever with one base coat, and two coats of color. I did not use a top coat. The glitter in the polish helps make it really strong, so this nail polish does not chip! It is always nice to have polish on which is worry-free; it makes life a bit easier!

The bronze hue is a great neutral for the autumn season. It can easily be worn with any fall color palette; and it sparkles, so what’s not to love!!

YSL fall 2017 nail polish: Studio Silver

ysl nail polish studio silver fall 2017 review

YSL Studio Silver is a pale, sparkling glitter polish which really kicks up the glitz under lights or direct sun. This is a fun nail polish which I prefer to think of  as perfect for special occasions, or nighttime activities. Of course, it can also be worn during the day, I just prefer it for actual events.

I tested out Studio Silver by YSL with one base coat, and two coats of color. The Studio Silver glitter is a bit courser then the Bronze Fever glitter, so I found without a top coat, it has a bit too much texture; which is on the scratchy side. After one day, I applied a top coat and the texture/scratchy issue disappeared. I highly recommend using a top coat with this one!

With two coats, Studio Silver is a fabulous stand-alone nail polish color. I found with one coat, it could double as a glittering topper for black or vampy nail polish colors. Of course, even with one coat, you would need to apply a top coat to keep it from being scratchy.

Studio Silver is a color I plan to use more as the holiday season approaches. I like it for parties, or as a way to glitz up very dark nail polish. For everyday wear during the fall season, I plan to wear Bronze Fever. In fact, for this transitional period between summer and fall, Bronze Fever is my go-to polish! Love it!

The fall 2017 Studio 54 beauty collection is limited edition, so if you want to add some fun to your fall wardrobe, grab it now!

What do you think of the two nail polish colors from the YSL fall 2017 nail polish collection? Which color is your favorite?


Lumene Valo Collection review

lumene valo skin care review blogger

from left: all products c/o Lumene: Lumene Valo Glow Boost / Lumene Valo Glow Reveal Mousturizer / Lumene Valo Glow Refresh / Lumene Valo Arctic Berry Cocktail / Lumene Valo day Mouturizer spf 15

I was so thrilled a few weeks ago when Lumene reached out to me and offered to send some more products to test out! I was first introduced to Lumene last spring, and posted about their products on Instagram. I had not been using them long enough to warrant a full blog; but now that I have been using their products for a few months, and really enjoy them, I decided to share with you what I love!

All five of the products from the Lumene Valo Collection are fabulous. They blend natural goodness of rare Arctic Cloudberry; a wild super-fruit that is packed with vitamins C, A and E. (sounds like something I want to eat!) It is also packed with fatty acids which helps to create a powerful hydrating Nordic-C complex. This collection of skin care products by Lumene help to enhance radiance, and improve overall complexion evenness. Love that! It is what I need, and I think we all need, during the summer months!!

Vitamin C is more then just something we should eat. It is a fabulous, powerful antioxidant which helps fight free-radical damage, lighten pigmentation (hello uneven skin color from sun burns!), and combat acne. (which I suffer from!). Vitamin C is amazing for all skin types!!

While I love all of these products, there are three I cannot live without.

lumene valo review

This is the Lumene Valo Arctic Berry Cocktail. It is SO AMAZING! During the summer months I am all about brightening my skin. Despite my heavy usage of sunscreen, I still end up with uneven skin tones. This cocktail does wonders for my skin; evening out the dark skin above my lip, and on my nose. Plus, this has a yummy smell. I want to eat these berries! Of course, this goes on skin, not in the tummy. Please don’t try to eat it 😉 haha

lumene valo collection review

I use a brightening moisturizer at night, and during the day I have been using this day moisturizer with spf 15 from the Lumene Valo collection. My skin has been really smooth and my acne problem has calmed down quite a bit. I alternate between different skin creams depending upon the season, and the weather. This is a fabulous face cream for right now. It keeps my dry, summer skin moisturized. Love that!

lumene skin care review

Seriously, cannot live without this in the summer months. This hydrating mist is a lifesaver after a day in the sun, at the beach, outside; basically after a fun summer day. Although it is meant for the face, I have sprayed it on my shoulders too, and it feel SO GOOD! It is a great mid-day refresher if I don’t have time to wash my face in the middle of the day, and it needs it. I spray it on a cotton square and then pat onto my skin.

Lumene is offering a fabulous 20% off discount on their products now through August 31, 2017. You can save 20% off your Lumene purchase with coupon code LUMENE20 at Ulta.com. Would love to hear what you get!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy

*thank you Lumene for partnering on this post. all thoughts and opinions are my own