GRAM Skincare launch in NYC

Last week, I joined fellow bloggers in the NYC area to celebrate the launch of GRAM Skincare. I met Dr. Gram himself who told me about the story behind his skincare products and more about the product line. Using his Nutra-Vît Complex™ technology (aka antioxidants, moisturizers, etc.) in his products, GRAM Skincare is also free of parabens!

During the night, attendees were able to get their REVEAL photo taken to see what really lies behind your skin. I haven't received my results yet though, which I should receive in the next several weeks. I'll have Dr. Gram look at it and he will give his product recommendations to take better care of my skin.

At the end of the evening, they gifted us with product samples of their Daily Scrub, Daily Cleanser and Clarifying Cleanser. :) Looking forward to using them and reviewing them!

I've noticed that I have been trying a lot more skincare products recently. I definitely think that it's important to find a good skincare routine that fits your skin type and needs, especially during the changing weather. A consistent and effective routine will help prevent breakouts- so your natural, beautiful skin will shine through and you won't have to wear as much face makeup. Hence, a little bit of concealer is all you need and you can wear your bright lipsticks and/or play up your eyes.

Great skin also comes from a healthy diet, at least for me it does. Keep drinking water and stay hydrated this HOT summer!


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Sephora Sundays #5: Skincare Challenge Begins!

Sephora launched its Skincare Challenge this weekend! In addition to getting a personalized skincare consultation at Sephora stores, you also receive a free 10-piece sample bag with various skincare products, including Boscia, Murad, and L'Occitane. They are also introducing a "Buy 4- Get 1 Free" rewards program. Every skincare product valued at $20 or more will help you earn 1 credit. When you have purchased, you get 1 free from participating brands! This program is only for Beauty Insiders only- so join now, if you're not in the program already!

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Yes to Carrots Facial Starter Kits

In a recent newsletter by Yes to Carrots, they introduced their Facial Starter Kits. Having had the trouble of finding these products available in the past, I am super excited to see these value kits available with trio products in each set. They're only $20 and considering each product can cost about $10-15 each, this is a bargain!

These make great gifts and you can definitely try all three or share with a friend. Having a combo/oily skin, I will, of course, reach out and look for the Yes to Tomatoes kit. This particular kit will contain full-sizes of Facial Wash, Hydrating Lotion, and Facial Mask. I am a fan of their Hydrating Lotion, now that I have added moisturizer to my daily skin care routine to reduce acne scars.

I haven't seen these at a local drugstore yet and I realized why. They are only available at select Meijer, Target, Walgreens and Drugstore.com!

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Yes to Carrots Summer House Parties

This summer, Yes to Carrots, had another round of "House Parties" for their customers. I signed up to participate to introduce the wonderful products Yes to Carrots had to offer. Some of the items I have tried include:
* Yes to Carrots Lip Glosses and Lip Tints
* Yes to Cucumbers Soothing Eye Gel
* Yes to Carrots Night Moisturizing Cream.



In preparation for these house parties, I learned how to crochet amigurumi carrot dolls for decoration and favors. Thanks to the pattern I found at Joann.com, I was able to make these in a cinch! (I made about ~20 carrots, each varying in size and shape.. haha) For more details, check out my Crafty and All That blog.


The Party- To keep my guests' tummies happy and healthy, I served baby carrots and celery sticks with home-made hummus and Trader Joe's Salsa, as well as tortilla chips and Snack Mix. We also watched Kung-Fu Panda while chatting, catching up and sharing beauty tips.


At-home manicure spa- Yes to Carrots gave us a Feel the C Pampering Spa Manicure jar, C through the Dry Spell Body Butter, Eye and Face Makeup Remover, and C the Difference Mud Masks to try. The manicure spa was a hit! We each had a teaspoon of the product, which we massaged into our hands and cuticles. After we were done, our hands felt softer than ever! Everyone also enjoyed the creamy Body Butter afterwards.

To check out the goodie bags,




Sample Goodie Bags- Yes to Carrots was generous to give each of my guests party favors as well. Each bag had samples of favorites include Yes to Tomatoes Facial Wash, Yes to Cucumbers Hand Cream, and Yes to Carrots Body Butter and Night Moisturizing Cream. There was a Lip Butter, my favorite YTC product, and a headband to keep your hair out of your face while you put on the Exfoliating Mud Mask.





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Natural Skincare Products with Grape Seed Oil and Cocoa Butter

Can you believe July is here and almost over? We're in the second half of our summer and I thought I would share some products that I have gotten so far this summer. They are not products that just launched but things I have picked up and decided to try. Plus, they are all affordable especially for a beauty recessionista!

	Queen Helene Grape Seed Extract Peel Off Masque This can be found at your local drugstore, such as Rite-Aid near the other facial products such as St. Ives. It costs around $4 for a 6 .oz container. On the label, it claims to cleans clogged pres, softens facial lines and soothes and tones skin. I've heard Grape Seed is a wonderful antioxidant and can help restore/repair skin. It is especially great for combo/oily skin. I've used this several times already and although i wish it would clean my pores better, my skin feels smooth and refreshed after each time. It also smells grape-y and pleasant. Note: It is important to have the mask dry completely before you try to take it off, otherwise it won't work as well.
	Queen Helene 100% Cocoa Butter stick Another Queen Helene product, the cocoa butter stick I purchased was pure luck. I went into a CVS drugstore the day I went to the Women's Health Are You Game event and was browsing. I had read that cocoa butter was an excellent natural moisturizer for your skin and can reduce stretch marks and discoloration of blemishes. I knew that Palmers carried a skin care line with Cocoa Butter and I was looking for something that didn't have any other chemicals as well. So I was lucky to find the Queen Helene 100% pure cocoa butter stick right next to the other one. It was also a bargain for about $1!
	Grapeseed Oil To continue my natural skin care kick, I also got a bottle of grapeseed oil, which contains grapeseed oil and vitamin E. You can use this oil for aromatherapy bath, massaging or just plain moisturizing. So far I have incorporated this product after cleansing my face and moisturizing my face. It feels, of course, oily so I have to be careful to use very little of it for my face. A 4 .oz bottle costed me about $5.

All in all, I got 3 great natural skin care products for $10! What a bargain!

To see what other Queen Helene products I am interested in...
1) Mint Julep Masque- supposed to be great for removing blackheads and shrink enlarged pores
2) *New Pomegranate and Raspberry Facial Scrub- great for oily skin
3) *New Avocado and Grapefruit Masque- great for normal skin
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