Hot Drugstore Find of the Week: Lumene Day Cream with SPF 15 Revisted.

Hello Divas! 

Remember to love and take care of yourself no matter what!  No one can make you feel as beautiful as you can!

Last week, the luxe family and I were fortunate enough to spend a week in Hilton Head, S.C.  I love the Beach and sand and apparently the luxe kids do too!  Look at them working hard building sandcastles!

Anyhoo, while on the beach, I used my Lumene Day Cream with SPF 15 everyday and it worked like a charm.  There was simply no need to use additional sunscreen on my face.  This worked out great for me, because heavier sunscreen usually breaks me out.  I did not experience any sunburn and my skin just glowed all week long.  Talking about looking like a dark bronze bombshell! LOL!  I tell you Divas this Lumene Day Cream with SPF 15 is the truth.  It is lightweight, does not clog your pores, smells good and make you just glow!  It is one of the products I simply can not live without!

Lumene Day Cream with SPF 15 retails for $19.99 and you can purchase it at any CVS.

Toodles!

Hot Drugstore Find of the Week: Neutrogena Deep Clean Gentle Scrub

Hello Divas!

I hope your day is filled with happiness and peace!

Divas I have sad news.  The absolute best drugstore face exfoliating wash is no longer being sold in the U.S. Yes it is true.  Lumene's Artic Touch Clarifying Mineral Scrub is no longer offered in the U.S.  It has been my go to product when I need to get rid of guck and reveal clean and healthy beautiful skin.  So I have been desperately searching for an alternative and picked up Neutrogena's Deep Clean Gentle Scrub.  This scrub contains microbeads that gently exfoliate and Beta Hydroxy to deep clean pores.

The cleanser is definitely not Lumene, but it does a pretty decent job.  The microbeads are small enough to not cause skin irritation and large enough to exfoliate pretty nicely.  It does not give a deep cleaning exfoliation, but it is enough to remove some dead skin.  The cleanser also cleans pretty well and my skin feels very clean but not dry.  It actually feels pretty smooth and soft.  What I really love about this cleanser is that it does not cause my skin to break out.  I have to be so careful when using products on my face.  One wrong move and my face will break out something fierce.

Neutrogena's Deep Clean Gentle Scrub retails for $6.49 and you can purchase it online here or at any CVS.

Toodles!

Winner of the New Year New Beginnings Giveaway

Hello Divas!

Did you survive the extreme cold temps this weekend? I barely made it! Mucho Frio!

The Winner of the New Year New Beginnings Giveaway is: nicmac

I just loved her comment.  She did something she normally does not for the holidays.  She glammed up and received tons of compliments! Nice!  Remember Divas, we have to take care of ourselves and feel good. It just boosts our self-esteem.

Here is nicmac's comment:

"During the holidays I wanted to look like a diva. I put in a phoney pony, a sweater dress with leggings. Full make up. This is a change for me because I am a plain jane and my family was so surprised. I think I might glam up more often."

Nicmac you have 24 hours to contact me to claim your prize.  If not, I will have to give the goodies to the next runner-up.

Toodles!

New Beginning Giveaway!

Hello Hello Divas!

Happy New Year! I hope you are enjoying the New Year thus far! I know I have been absent awhile, but I needed rest. Plus a little house cleaning was in order!

Remember my 12 Days of Luxetips Before Christmas Posts? Well if you read them, you are in for a little treat! I am hosting a giveaway featuring some of the fab products mentioned in those posts! How cool is that? Here is the list!

1. Lumene Skincare. A full-sized Arctic Deep Cleansing Peat Mask and a full size of their new Sensitive Touch Day Cream! You guys know I LOVE Lumene Skincare...the best!

2. Revlon. 3 Sets of Revlon Color Allure Artificial Nails. These nails come in rich deep beautiful colors and are so easy to apply. They definitely come in handy when you are in a rush and don't have time to polish your nails. The lucky winner will receive a crimson red, deep wine, and deep purple color. HOT!

3. Lux Salon Gift Certificate. A gift certificate from Lux Salon for a Sebastian Colourshines by Cellophanes ($40 value) treatment. This treat provides incredible shine, condition, manageability, fullness and vibrancy to all hair types.

4.TJ MAXX. Gift Certificate from T.J. MAXX to purchase some of the cute clothing, booties, and accessories mentioned in the posts!

5. Lancome. A tube of Lancome Waterproof Hypnose Mascara. I have it and it gives mucho length and volume! Love Lancome!

Simple leave a comment on this post and tell me how did you get luxe and gorgeous for the holidays. Contest starts today and will end Sunday January, 10 at midnight!

Good luck and Toodles!

12 Days of Luxetips Before Christmas! Day One: Radiant Skin!

Hello Divas!

I hope you had a fabulous weekend!

I love Christmas! I love decorating, baking cookies with my kids, and Christmas shopping! I love the holidays!

Many bloggers are doing 12 days of Christmas posts and many of my beauty blogging friends are doing 12 days of beauty. Well I thought it would be fun to do 12 days of Luxetips (before Christmas) posts! My theme? Get luxe and fab for Christmas Day!

On Day 1, I recommend achieving radiant and beautiful skin so you can glow, glow, glow on the big day! Here are my luxetips for radiant skin:


1. Give yourself a mini-facial starting this week and next week. My girl, Mischo Beauty, hipped me to weekly mini-facials last summer. I mostly use Lumene products for my weekly mini-facials. My routine is as follows: I use a mild cleanser, toner, Lumene's ARCTIC TOUCH Clarifying Mineral Peeling (makes my skin as smooth as a baby's!), and Lumene's ARCTIC TOUCH Deep Cleansing Peat Mask.

2. I also recommend using a nightly intensive skin cream to reverse aging, clear blemishes, and achieve radiant skin. I have been hearing rave reviews about Avon's ANEW ULTIMATE Night Gold Emulsion cream. Women swear that after only 2 weeks of using this product, their skin is plumper, blemish free, and radiant. I have a jar and I am going to start using it tonight! I can't wait to share the results!

So Divas work on radiant skin for Christmas! We all need to look gorgeous in those Christmas pics!

Toodles!

Fun Fridays! Lumene BOGO, NARS 15th Anniversary Set and more....

Hello Divas!

I hope your day is as gorgeous as you are!

One of my absolutely favorite drugstore skin care lines,Lumene, is having a buy one get one free sale starting next week! You guys know how much I love their products. The day cream with Vitamin C and SPF 15 is one of my favorite products! It prevents aging, moisturizes, and protects your skin from the sun! Fab! Visit any CVS to take advantage of this offer and make sure you bring your CVS extra care card.

NARS Cosmetis is celebrating 15 years of color innovation with the release of two gorgeous palettes! Palette Everlasting Love contains make-up to create a bold eye and a nude lip. The Wild at Heart Palette contains colors to create a bold lip with a more subdued eye. These palettes contain: 4 eyeshadows, a blush and a multiple for cheeks, and 4 lip colors. Nice!

Sephora has introduced their Holiday Gift Sets for the Holidays! You can purchase gifts featuring Tarte Cosmetics, Philosophy, Smashbox, Lorac, Clinique, L'Occitane, and more! If you are on a budget, there are tons of sets $25 and under!

Toodles!

Hot Drugstore Find of the Week: Lumene Time Freeze Serum

Hello Divas!

I hope your life is simply beautiful!

As you Divas know, I filmed an interview with Lisa Price of Carol's Daughter last Friday. However, I am having major problems getting the video off of my VADO mini-cam. For one it is not MAC compatible, so I have to use a PC. Unfortunately, I am having issues downloading the video using the PC also! Ugh! So please be patient and stay tuned. The interview is great and I can't wait to share!

Previously, I wrote a post about how much I love Lumene's Time Freeze Serum. Usually I use it once a week when I do my mini-facial. Well since I ran out of my Lumene Day Cream with SPF 15 and my Lumene ExCellnet daily serum, I have been using the Time Freeze Serum as a daily and nightly moisturizer. LOL! I just used what I had! Well I am glad I did because my skin is like pure silk. It is glowing and the texture of my skin has improved 100%! I am in love with this Serum. I guess the twice daily application of highly concentrated vitamins and minerals is renewing my skin in a major way. This just proves that with a little experimentation, you can discover a new way to use a product that will generate amazing results!

Lumene's Time Freeze Serum retails for $19.99 and you can purchase it from CVS or Target.

Toodles!

Winners of the Lumene Excellent Deep Repairing Cream and Serum!

Hello Divas!

I hope you have a wonderful Monday! I am going to relax today. I have been working non-stop!

We have 5 winners of the Lumene Excellent Deep Repairing Cream and Serum. They are:

Natty

Kim @ A Life of Style

Haley

liliput74@hotmail.com

Emma

Winners please contact me via email at latoicha007 at gmail dot com within 24 hours. If I do not hear from you, I will choose another winner. Ladies you are going to love these products! Congratulations and enjoy!

Toodles!

Giveaway! Lumene Excellent Future Deep Repairing Cream and Serum.

Hello Divas!

I hope your Thursday is fabulous! It is the 4th of July weekend! Whoohoo! Time for cookouts and frozen treats!

As you beautiful Divas know, I LOVE Lumene Skincare. Lumene products are my primary skincare products of choice! Their products are luxe brand quality but with drugstore prices. Recently, I was given the opportunity to preview Lumene's new Excellent Future Deep Repairing Cream and Serum. These products will not hit stores until July 6, but I can give you the scoop now. LOL! I have been using the serum and moisturizer for a week and a half and thus far I am pretty impressed with the results I have received. My favorite product in this line, hands down, is the serum. It is fantastic! I use it every night and morning and my skin is firmer and smoother. Also after applying the serum at night and waking up in the morning, my face looks well rested and relaxed. I apply the serum alone at night and I apply it under the Lumene Vitamin C Day Cream with SPF 15 (SPF 15 is a must!) in the morning. The serum quickly absorbs into my skin and I only need a few drops to cover my face and neck. What I love most about Lumene products and especially this serum is that it does not break out my skin. I have super sensitive skin and I try many products and 50% of them will break me out. I can TRULY say that Lumene products have never caused one blemish on my skin. (Knock on wood) In my book this is huge!

The Excellnet Future Deep Repairing Cream is very thick, so you only need a small amount to moisturize your face. I only use it sparingly and not every night. The Day Cream with SPF 15 works better for me.

The technology of this new line is amazing. These products contain a combination of apple stem cell extract and Arctic White Peat (a key ingredient in Lumene products) that claim to repair and delay the signs of aging. Sounds impressive? If you would like to try these new innovative products, Lumene is graciously giving away the Excellent Future Deep Repairing Cream and Serum to five (5) lucky Luxetips readers. Simply live a comment telling me why you want to try these products. Winners will be selected at random and must agree to share their experience with these products on this blog after one week of use. Contest ends Sunday, July 5 at midnight.

Toodles!

I Need This in My Life: Patricia Wexler MMPi.20™Skin Regenerating Serum

Hello Divas!

I hope your Thursday is Fantabulous!

As you can see the Wednesday "Hot Drugstore of the Week" post was done on Tuesday and the Tuesday "I Need This in My Life" post is today. I switched things around a bit because I had to report on the Lumene Instant Eye Cooling Stick. It is a great product and it is on sale. I don't want you Divas to miss a bargain. LOL!

Well the next item that I need in my life is Patricia Wexler MMPi.20™ Skin Regenerating Serum. I have known about this product for over a year but have not wanted to cough up the $150 to try it. Can you say steep? But I have heard from many women that this is truly a miracle serum. This product contains patented MMPi.20™ anti-aging technology. As stated on their website, MMPi.20 "blocks the damaging effect of all 20 known MMPs (skin destroying enzymes that break down production of collagen and cause skin to sink, sag, and wrinkle) and prevents the production of new MMPs, correcting the signs of aging you see today and preventing future damage."

Women claim to achieve even skin tone; improved skin elasticity; faded acne and blemishes; and wrinkle reduction in as little as ONE WEEK! ONE WEEK! And good news ladies, Bath and Body Works is currently selling this serum for only $65!!!! Now I can justify this purchase! That price is 60% off the original price! Click here for purchase information!

Has anyone tried this product? If so, please share your experience.

Toodles!

Lumene Time Freeze Instant Cooling Eye Stick

Hello Divas!

I hope your Tuesday is simply fabulous! As you know, when I joined Lumene Skincare's Facebook Page, I won some Lumene goodies! In my opinion, Lumene is the best drugstore brand skincare line on the market. I wish I had discovered them sooner. Included in this package was Lumene's Time Freeze Instant Cooling Eye Stick. This product claims to minimize puffiness and dark circles in the eye contour. I used this product for the first time yesterday because I had an extremely late night and woke up to puffy eyes. Usually, I apply a cold compress or spoon, or tea bags to get rid of the puffiness. But I grabbed this stick instead.

What I absolutely love about this stick is that as soon as you apply it to your eye area, it immediately has a cooling effect. My skin immediately begin to tingle. It is very refreshing. Also the stick is moisturizing and lightweight. The stick immediately absorbs into your skin. But the most fascinating thing about this stick is that it actually works! Now the name is a little misleading. It does not instantly reduce puffiness. Ten minutes after application the puffiness was significantly reduced. After 30 minutes, the puffiness was completely gone! That was good enough for me! LOL! I am not sure if the eye stick reduces dark circles, but I am pretty pleased with its effect on puffiness. Of course, the eye stick contains ingredients that have anti-aging benefits. Specifically, as stated on Lumene's website, "Natural arctic heather together with the plant sterols extracted from arctic white peat provide long-term wrinkle reducing benefits and protect skin against future signs of aging." Lumene's Time Freeze Instant Cooling Eye Stick retails for $21.99. However it is currently on sale at CVS for $15!

Toodles!

Hot Drugstore Find of the Week: Lumene Facebook Fan Page

Hello Divas!

I hope all is well! My absolute favorite drugstore brand skincare line, Lumene, has a fan page on Facebook. My favorite Lumene product right now is the Artic Touch Deep Cleansing Peat Mask. It is doing wonders for my skin! If you are a member of this fan page, you can win free Lumene products! Currently, they are having an awesome giveaway. The first 15 people who become fans and give their Lumene skincare testimonials, will receive a $50 worth of Lumene products! Wow! Fifty dollars is a lot of money because the products are super affordable. Click this link and join today! I have already given my testimonial!

Toodles!

Fun Fridays! Sales and Events

Hello Divas!

Rain Rain go away. Come back another day. lol! My siblings and I sang this song when it rained and we wanted to go out! We do need the rain in Georgia, but it is so blah out! But nothing make me happier than a great sale! CVS is having an awesome sale on some of my favorite beauty products. Check it out:

Covergirl Lash Blast Mascara is on sale for $6.99. Fantastic Fantastic Mascara.

Lumene Sincare is buy one get one free. I am a Lumene Fan! They have department store quality skincare products for very affordable prices. Divas you must try their products! Buy one get one free is an excellent time to test this line out!


Funkidivagirl informed me that Lloyd Boston, the style guru and Jones New York style guy, will host a meet and greet at Macy's, Lenox Mall, this Saturday from 2-4. Lloyd will give a presentation on how to add a few key spring pieces to your wardrobe to spruce it up! He will also give attendees a free mini personal style consultation! Wowza! Click here for more details!

Hot Drugstore Find of the Week: Lumene Time Freeze Instant Lift Serum

Hello Divas!

I hope you are having a fabulous day! Believe it or not, it is 15 degrees in Atlanta. Wow! As you know, I have been using Lumene products for 6 weeks now and I love them! As part of my weekly mini-facial routine, I use Lumene's Time Freeze Instant Lift Serum for an intense facial treatment. As described by Lumene, this Serum is like a face lift in a bottle. It temporarily decreases wrinkles, plumps your skin and gives your face a healthy glow. Does it live up to the hype? In my opinion yes! The Serum is very light weight, so it does not clog my pores. It does give my face a nice healthy glow. In addition, my frown lines do seem less pronounced. Now this Serum is not a cure all to wrinkles or sagging skin. But if you are going to a ball or any event where you will be photographed, this Serum will do the trick...for that evening. lol! Lumene Time Freeze Instant Lift Serum retails for $21.99 and you can purchase it at any CVS.

Toodles!

Hot Drugstore Find of the Week! Lumene Age-Defying Day Cream with Vitamin C and SPF 15

Hello Divas!

How are you? I am happy and coooold! But thank goodness I can stay inside and stay cozy. Divas, it has been a month since I purchased my Lumene Day Cream and I am happy to report that it is a GREAT moisturizer. First I love the smell. Unlike most moisturizers that contain SPF, it smells like a fresh orange, not sunscreen. The moisturizer does contain SPF but it is very light! I have been using it for 4 weeks and it does not clog my pores. Also, it gives my face a nice sheen that I love! As an added plus, this moisturizer contains antioxidants Arctic cloudberry seed oil and Vitamin-C. These antioxidants work together to prevent the signs of aging! I am very pleased with this product. You can purchase this moisturizer from CVS and it retails for only $19.99!

Toodles!

Your Questions: My Mini-Facial Routine

Hello Divas!

I hope your day is wonderful! Because you Divas want to know, today I am going to share my mini-facial routine. However, I am just following the fabulous suggestion of Mischo Beauty. I have incorporated a weekly mini-facial into my skincare routine, and I am very pleased. My skin is definitely firmer, smoother, and my skin tone is more even. Now I am using Lumene skincare, but you can use your choice of skincare products. So here goes:

First I fill my bathroom sink with steaming hot water. I place my face over the sink so my face can soak up the steam.

Next, I cleanse my face with Lumene Matt Touch Balancing cleansing gel. I rinse my face with cold water.

Next, I use Lumene Artic Touch Clarifying Facial Scrub. I use the product for 2-3 minutes. I love this! I rinse my face and then I gently pat it dry.

I then apply Lumene Artic Touch Deep Cleansing Peat Mask. I let this mask sit on my face for 10 minutes. I rinse this mask off with a warm water and I gently pat my face dry.

I then use Clean and Clear Astringent for sensitive skin. This removes any excess mask from my face.

Lastly, I apply Lumene Time Freeze Instant Lift Serum. This Serum is great! It does make my skin more radiant.

After giving myself this mini-facial, my skin looks and feels awesome!

Ladies if you have a weekly intensive skin care regime, please share!

Toodles!

My Daily Skin Care Routine

Hello Divas!

I hope you had a fabulous weekend! I relaxed and chilled inside. Some of you have emailed me wondering what is my daily skin care routine. My skin is oily and prone to breakouts, i.e., blackheads and whiteheads. In addition, I have found that I have to switch products because my skin can become immune to a set regimen. For example, at the beginning of last year I was using Rx For Brown Skin's Bright and Even Collection. It was fabulous. However after the birth of my daughter my skin started to break out. I then started using Oil of Olay's Anti-Aging Anti-Blemish collection. The Oil of Olay regime did clear up the breakouts but it left my skin extremely dry. So I modified my skincare regimen once again and started using RoC cleansing pads and RoC Retinol Cream underneath pure Olive Oil. The RoC products removed dead skin and begin to repair blemishes. The Olive Oil was a perfect moisturizer to combat dry skin that can occur when using Retinol. Also Olive Oil is a fantastic anti-aging beauty product. Read my review of Olive Oil here.

My skin has significantly calmed down now. Currently, I am using Lumene skincare. I know I have talked about Lumene Products for the past week, but they are really good! Here is what I am using now:

Morning

Facial Cleanser: Lumene Matt Touch Balancing Gel Cleanser
Toner: Clean and Clear Sensitive Skin Deep Cleaning Astringent
Moisturizer: Lumene Age-Defying Day Cream with Vitamin C and SPF 15. SPF 15 is a must if using Retinol.

Night

Facial Cleanser: Lumene Matt Touch Balancing Gel Gleanser
Toner: Clean and Clear Sensitive Skin Deep Cleaning Astringent
RoC: Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream.

I am getting tons of compliments on my skin. It definitely looks better and has a little glow to it. But I am sure my weekly mini-facials are also helping!

Please leave me a comment and let me know what is your daily morning and night skincare routine. Also please share what products you use. I am always looking to try something new!

Hot Drugstore Find of the Week: Lumene Arctic Touch Peat-Facial Mask

Hello Divas!

I hope all is well! It is still raining in Atlanta. On the one hand I am thrilled that we are getting rain considering we had a serious drought. On the other hand the gloomy weather is NOT cool. However, I love to focus on the sunny side of life and I am happy to share my hot drugstore find of the week. As you know I purchased a bunch of Lumene products at 50% off from CVS. The Purifying Peat-Facial Mask was one of the products I purchased and I think it is fabo! This mask is specially forumulated for normal to oily skin. I have oily skin so it is perfect for me! As advertised by Lumene, "it obsorbs excess oil and impurities from the skin and tightens pores." So does this mask live up to the hype? Absolutely! The mask is clay based and it contains arctic peat, kaolin and rosemary. This mask is so rich and creamy. It easily smoothes over my face. Also the rosemary gives it a nice aroma and a cool tingly sensation. I love that this mask set and tightens the skin but not too much. It is very comfortable on my face. I apply the mask for 10 minutes and then I rinse it off and use a toner to clean my face. After using this mask, my skin is physically firmer and tighter. In addition, my pores seem smaller and my skin feels so soft. I HIGHLY recommend this mask. I use this mask once a week as part of my mini-facial routine as suggest by MischoBeauty. This mask retails for $10 and you can purchase it at any CVS.

Divas I must say I am really loving Lumene skincare! So far so good. Stay tuned for more Lumene Reviews coming up in a few weeks!

Toodles!

Lumene Arctic Touch Clarifying Mineral Scrub

Hello Divas!

I hope your first full week of 2009 starts of with a bang! I am working on my goals today. Yes! Well over the holiday break, I popped into CVS to purchase some household items and I noticed that all Lumene skincare and cosmetics were 50% off! Now I had never tried their products, but you guys know I am: 1. a sucker for a sale and 2. a product junkie. So I picked up a facial cleanser, mineral scrub, peat mask, moisturizer with SPF 15, and an instant lift serum. I know I went a little crazy. lol! But I am happy to report that I am really enjoying the products. Lumene is a Finnish Beauty Company that produces products that are made from Arctic plants and minerals. The products focus on anti-aging and restoration of damaged skin.

I have only been using the products for 1 week, so I can't tell you if they are living up to the hype just yet. But I can rave, rave, rave about the Arctic Touch Clarifying Mineral Scrub. Can I just say fantabulous? I am in LOVE with this Scrub. First this Scrub contains Arctic minerals and jojoba beads that stimulate skin renewal and remove dead skin. When I use this scrub I feel that it is working. The jojoba beads provide great exfoliation but they are also gentle. It is the perfect balance. Also the minerals in this scrub actually give your face a very cool but tingly sensation. It really feels like a blast of cold air on your face...very refreshing. After I use this scrub, my skin is so smooth. I know that the scrub has done its job and removed dead skin. Plus my skin is unbelievably soft. The scrub does not dry out your skin or cause rough patches. I have used this product twice in one week and my skin looks refreshed, smoother, and even. Ladies and gents I promise this scrub is a MUST have! This scrub retails for $12 and you can purchase it here online or at any CVS.

Toodles!