My Favorite Facial towelettes

I'm a huge fan of facial towelettes especially when I'm traveling or on-the-go. It's a great way to de-slick the oil on my face especially during these very humid summer days...
Here are some of my go-to towelettes:

1) When I'm traveling, I use the Dickinson's Witch Hazel Towelettes. They're individually packaged in 100% witch hazel so it's a great toner to remove excess oil, sweat and dirt I've accumulated during the day. Some people may be allergic to witch hazel but even though I have really sensitive skin, this toner is surprisingly gentle on my skin. It contains all natural 100% witch hazel and control oil, refine pres, and lock in moisture. I liked this so much that I got the toner in a bottle! (~$5 for 20 towelettes, US)

My other picks?

2) When I'm removing face/eye makeup, I use the Garnier Nutritioniste Nutri-Pure Detoxifying Wet Cleansing Towelettes (whew! What a long name!). (See my previous post on the Garnier Nutrioniste skincare line) These are strong, yet gentle towelettes to remove my mascara, eye makeup, anything on my face. They smell really good- actually most of the products I have used smell good, so I'm not surprised. (~$5.99 for 25 towelettes, US)

3) When I'm at the office, I use the Yes to Cucumbers Facial Towelettes. They come in a 30-pack and they have such a great scent. They're very gentle and it's great to use when my face is feeling oily, usually by early afternoon. It's also a nice pick-me-up for the day. (~$5.99 for 30 towelettes, US) They recently came out with a travel sized pack with 10 towelettes for $2.99. I personally don't think it's worth it b/c you can get 30 for just double the price. It's not that heavy either!

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Yes To SPF by Yes To Carrots

Yes to Carrots came out with a new line of products- AGAIN! I last told you about their Yes to Baby Carrots, products developed specially for babies! :)

This time, it is Yes to SPF- skincare moisturizers with SPF for your face and body, and a lip butter with SPF in it. I cannot wait to try these out. I have super sensitive skin and I usually don't use products with SPF in them because they contain many other harsh ingredients. However, these contain zinc oxide only and are very natural! I think I will be getting the Yes to Baby Carrots 100% Natural Sunscreen SPF30 :)

Starting in April, the website will be taking online orders so you can buy from them directly! Can't wait!


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Introducing Yes to Baby Carrots!

How cute is this?!? Yes to Baby Carrots, an extension of Yes to Carrots line, carries products specific to your little loved ones. Products include: - Baby Lotion - Bubble Bath - Diaper Cream - Natural Sunscreen (available in the Spring) - Shampoo + Bodywash

All are 100% Natural and paraben-free! Even those these are for babies, I'm excited to use some of them myself- not the diaper cream of course (haha)- but the Natural Sunscreen! :)

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My Yes to Carrots' How Could I Forget Kit

For the holidays, I knew someone was flying Virgin Airlines, so I asked her to get me the Yes to Carrots "How Could I Forget" kit. Here it is! Since I first found out about it in November, see earlier post, I was excited to check this out. I have not tried their shampoo, conditioner and shower gel yet, which is why I thought this kit was perfect!

My review based on my hairtype- normal, can be oily.
Shampoo- To see how well the shampoo did on really oily hair, I waited till it was pretty slick. Unfortunately the shampoo was not able to really clean it as well as I would expect. I tried this again when I had not-as-oily hair and it was good. It left my hair soft, manageable and pretty clean. So I don't recommend this if your hair is super-oily.

Conditioner- This conditioner made my hair super sleek and smooth. It did not over-moisturize but made it feel really nice. It reminded me a lot of the Hair & Scalp Mud Mask- similar texture and results!

Shower gel- Great, moisturizing body wash. I use this with my shower poof thing to help exfoliate. Again, it doesn't lather as much but it still does a good job.

Packaging- Overall, I know that I can re-use these bottles and refill them with more Yes to Carrots products for travel. Definitely like the travel case.. so cute!

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Yes to Carrots Hair & Scalp Moisturizing Mud Mask

At the Style Fixx Girls Night Out event I went to last month, their goody bag included a full-size jar of the Yes to Carrots Hair & Scalp Moisturizing Mud Mask. I have tried several of Yes to Carrots products already and really like their product line a lot! They use paraben-free, natural and organic ingredients.. so what's not to love? :)

I haven't tried any of their hair products, mostly facial and body ones so I was excited to try this mud mask for my hair. I would say my hair is more on the oily side, so I wasn't sure what benefits a moisturizing mud mask would have on my locks. Would it get more oily? Definitely not. Instead, after using this, I immediately noticed how incredibly soft and manageable my hair felt. It felt silky smooth and the ends of my hair didn't feel coarse or dry. (They sometimes do when I don't condition the ends.)

The packaging of the product is the same jar as their body butter. It has a flat top so convenient for me to place other shampoos right on top of it for storage purposes. It's also easy for me to just scoop it out of the tub.

Overall, I have felt my hair much softer. It hasn't weighed my hair down which is good because some products can do that. It's a great treatment once a week or once every two weeks, depending on your preference.



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Holiday Series #6: Travel Essentials with Yes to Carrots & Virgin Airlines

Source: YTC Facebook page

After checking our Yes to Carrot's facebook page, I found out that they are teaming up with Virgin Airlines to provide an exclusive travel amenity kit. Called the "How Could I Forget?" Kit, this package makes me want to forget my essentials just so I have a reason to purchase this!

This adorable sampler pack for only $10 includes generous sample size items of:
* Yes to Carrots Shampoo
* Yes to Carrots Conditioner
* Yes to Carrots Night Cream
* Yes to Carrots Body Butter Lotion in a tube
* Yes to Carrots Shower Gel
* Lip Balm (rando flavor, I think)
* Breath Mints
* And a zip-lock bag to get back through security fast (I guess this is useful on your way home, since you will purchasing this on your destination flight.)

If you haven't tried these products before, this is a great way to sample the variety of Yes to Carrots products. If you're looking for other value kits to try the Yes to Cucumbers or Yes to Tomatoes brand because you have more sensitive (Cucumber) or oily/combination (try Tomatoes) skin, check out their new Yes to Carrots new Facial Starter Kits.

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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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Skin Care Updates- Tips to Reduce Acne Scars

The week after my review on the SensiClear Acne Treatment kit, my skin has been cooperating and acne-free, for the most part. All I have left are battle scars. I thought this day would never come especially since I've had this for a few months. I still cannot figure out the cause- I have not changed any of my eating, sleeping, etc. habits. I have not tried new products on that area of my face that would have caused this. It was probably stress, but it's over! YAY!

So back to the battle scars.. I decided to change my routine just a bit this week. I am only concentrating the use of SensiClear on problem areas and skipping a few steps ^_^ (mostly toner). In lieu of toner, after cleansing I am using a moisturizer! My skin feels a bit dry and tight especially since it is getting colder so using a moisturizer this past week before putting on any acne treatment, has helped tremendously.

Yes to Carrots (YTC) Facial Hydrating Lotion- Given a sample of this product from Yes to Carrots earlier this year in April, (see YTC product sampling here), I did not fully appreciate this lotion until now. I thought since my skin is so oily/combo I wouldn't need moisture but that is actually false. After cleansing can be too drying for your skin, so your skin will actually produce more oil to compensate. So I'm still using the other sample and it's been great!! Will be picking up one of these when I can find it at a drugstore..

To learn about my all-natural remedy..
Honey- It's not a brand, it's just plain old honey you may have in your fridge. I've been using this since October actually to see if it helps. I have seen a slight improvement in the fading process, I think. If not, at least it's all natural so it doesn't hurt to have the yummy goodness of honey on your face anyway. Caution- It's sticky so tie your back and do not eat this off of your face afterwards! (Can you say ew?)

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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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Product Review: Facial Cleansers

I am on the lookout for a new facial cleanser right now. I have been using the Mario Badescu Enzyme Gel for about 4-5 years now, if not longer. I have enjoyed using it in the first couple of years but now I don't think that is really cleaning my face as well because I still feel a tad oily after cleaning. So I am on my quest to find a new and good cleanser for my oily/combination skin.

Here are my Total Beauty reviews on them, in no particular order:

1) Mario Badescu Botanical Gel Cleanser - I have been using this facial gel for the past two weeks, and I think it alright. I suggest you use if you have combo skin because it can be gentle on areas where it is normal and also remove some of the oil on your oily skin. When it is very humid outside, which will make your skin feel even more oily, I find that this gel just does not remove all the oil on my face. It feels nice right after I wash it but then I still feel like I have a residue, which means my face hasn't been thoroughly cleaned. The alpha hydroxy formula does not really work to prevent blackheads and acne since I do not see much of a difference. I would say this is better than the Enzyme Cleansing Gel especially for the summer.

2) Boscia Cleansing Gel ($24 at Sephora)- This is a wonderful cleansing gel that really cleans my face without overdrying my skin. I have oily and sensitive skin, and with the heat in the summer, it is feeling more oily. The cleanser is gentle and has a nice soft scent. It creates a nice lather when using it so I do not even need to use more than a tiny amount. What I like most about this is that it does not leave any residue on my face and really cleans any face makeup that I have. It is important to use this gel with a cellulose sponge so I can exfoliate my face while cleansing.

Upcoming: Yes to Tomatoes cleanser and Burt's Bees Acne Solutions gel cleanser.

To read more of my reviews..

Go to: BeautyAndAllThat's Reviews page on Total Beauty

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Yes to Carrots at Your Local Drugstores with Pictures

I am happy to see that my local Target and drugstore are now carrying new Yes to Carrots products! I happily took some pictures while I was there to document and show you how their displays look like, for your convenience to spot them the next time you go.

I first raved about my Yes to Carrots experience late last year. Read about my favorite YTC product, lip butters, here. I also sampled other goodies from Shecky's Girls Night Out, as they were one of the sponsors, and even more goodies from their Yes to Cucumbers brand which they had generously sent me.

	At my drugstore- They finally sell the new Lip Tints and Lip Glosses! Love the display trays for these. Read my review here.
	This is a bargain at your local Target. For only $4.99 you get three lip butters or lip tints! As you can see above, each lip butter/tint can cost about $4-5 dollars each. You can share with your other friends and introduce them to Yes to Carrots!
	Target is also selling the shower set for only $4.99. It contains their shampoo, conditioner and something else..

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Reminder: Walgreens SaturDate with Yes to Carrots tomorrow!

Tomorrow, May 16, from 12-5pm is Walgreen's SaturDate event. Be there to learn more about Yes to Carrots products.

More info:
http://igknowidea.blogspot.com/2009/05/walgreens-saturdate-with-yes-to-carrots.html

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Walgreen's SaturDate with Yes to Carrots on May 16

Have a SaturDate at your local Walgreens' Beauty department to try Yes To Carrots products, including their wonderful Yes to Cucumbers Soothing Eye Gel. (see my review here)


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Yes to Carrots New Lip Gloss and Tints

In case you haven't heard... Yes to Carrots is coming out with new C Me Shine lip glosses and C Me Blush lip tints! I am a huge fan of their lip butters, read review here, so I was so excited to try out their new lip products. As a VIC (Very Important Carrot) to Yes To Carrots, I was given the opportunity to test these out before they hit the stores...




They sent me a generous package (again!) for me to try. I would honestly have to say that from all 6 lip colors that they offer, I would probably use all 6 colors if I could. They range from a Playful Nude color, a gorgeous almost light brown color with a hint of neutral to Red Hot, a deep red with very light shimmer. The glosses and tints have corresponding color shades but just with different names.

It was hard to pick the first one I would choose, but I decided to try the Carrot kiss, an almost coral/pinkish shade, for the lip gloss and the Natural Smile for the lip tint. They're both easy to carry, especially the lip tints because they're the size of a finger. Their lip glosses are indeed very shiny but doesn't feel sticky or gloopy like many other lip glosses out there. Their lip tints are more matte and you don't need to put on any lip balm beforehand because they already moisturize. I sometimes do put on the Yes to Carrots lip butter in Citrus first just because I like the smell. If only these glosses/tints had a citrus scent...



These lip glosses and tints moisturize well and make your lips feel tingly- they contain peppermint oil. Best of all they contain all-natural ingredients and 95% organic ingredients! So no parabens and other harsh chemicals will be on your lips, and why would anyone want that?

Find Yes to Carrots products at your local drugstore, including Target and Walgreens, and online!

(Disclaimer: I received this product from the company to test, try and share my thoughts with my readers.)


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Yes to Carrots products

After my review on the Yes to Carrots lip butter, I was contacted by a company rep who offered to send me product samples to try. Of course, I was happy to take the offer since I wanted to try their other products as well. So I finally received my package this month and I am so happy they sent me such generous sized samples and products in my care package. Thank you!!

Note: The Yes to Carrots company also carries Yes to Tomatoes (for Oily to Combination skin) and Yes to Cucumbers (for Normal to Sensitive skin).



I received samples in their Face Care line including the:
* Yes to Cucumbers Soothing Eye Gel
* Yes to Tomatoes Facial Wash
* Yes to Tomatoes Facial Hydrating Lotion
* Yes to Carrots Night Moisturizing Cream

So far, I have tried the Soothing Eye Gel and Night Moisturizing Cream. The Soothing Eye Gel is definitely soothing on my eyes. It feels like I have a cold compress on my eyes, which is great if you have puffy eyes. I felt the cooling effects immediately after application with this Eye Gel- which I love most about this eye gel. It's made of organic cucumbers, green tea, camomile and dead sea minerals. This product reminded me of the St. Ives Cucumber Eye & Stress Gel, which I believe is discontinued now.

The Night Moisturizing Cream is made for people with normal to dry skin. Since I have oily and combination, I wasn't sure how well this would work for me. But I was amazed in how moisturizing this light cream made my skin feel. It felt so much smoother the whole day afterward. Since my face is a bit on the oily side, I don't have to use a lot. :)

I also received 2 full-sized products:
*Lip Butter in Citrus (I'm already using the Citrus and Melon.) I'll have to wait to finish these to try the others, like Berry and Carrot!


*Yes to Carrots Body Butter, called C Through the Dry Spell.


I am also using the Yes to Carrots Body Scrub which I received from the Shecky's Girls Night Out event (read post here)

They have new products coming out, Lip Glosses and Lip Tints- which I am super excited about, especially if they will be anything like their lip butters! (I'll be posting a sneak peek review on them very soon. Read here!)

Thank you Yes to Carrots for your generous package!!!!!!

(Disclaimer: I received this product from the company to test, try and share my thoughts with my readers.)


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Shecky's Goodie Bag 2009

This year's Girl's Night Out goodie bag was noticeably different from last years! (Read about the last one here) I even overheard one lady calling this the "recession" bag.. haha I still enjoyed this year's goodies as I like having and trying new and different products. According to the site, there were 25 product sponsors and each bag, different in contents, contained samples from about 15 companies.

My goodie bag contained the following products (in order of favorites, which is determined by a variety of things, including but not limited to usefulness, aesthetics, size, etc):
1) Yes to Carrots- Carrot Rich Moisturizing Body Scrub - LOVE this!
2) Pop Chips- BBQ Flavor- delicious! I even bought the Sea Salt and Vinegar
3) Sexy Jobs In The City book - fun and easy book to read
4) Goody -Stay Put Hold hair ties and Colour Collection hair ties
5) Colgate Wisp- travel-sized, disposable toothbrushes
6) Herbal Essences hairspray- in Set Me Up
7) Dial - Antioxident Body wash
8) Dr. Miracles Deep Conditioner Treatment
9) Black Radiance lip gloss - pretty colour!
10) My Boys DVD- with one episode
11) o.b. tampon cases- I saw someone put her flash drive in here! Good use!
12) eBoost
13) Instant Krazy Glue - is it me or does this not belong?
14) Maxim tampons/pad sampler

So you can that the products in here are a great sampler/goodie bag for the price of $20 (I ordered my tickets early) To compare this year's bag to last year's goodie bag:

2009

2008

Although the products look like they were zapped by the machine in "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" this year, I still had a great time at the event, toting my bag:



Quick Review on products I already tried from the bag:
1) Yes to Carrots- Carrot Rich Moisturizing Body Scrub
By far one of my favorite scrubs that I have used thus far. It contains carrot juice and Dead Sea Mud, which has detoxifying properties to cleanse, detoxify and mineralize the skin naturally. I was hoping it would be orange, but it turns out the scrub was white in color. It has a pleasant scent and my skin feels really smooth from the almond, olive, jojoba, and avocado oils fused in this body scrub!

2) PopChips
Yummy delicious snack. They don't fry or bake their potatoes so its all natural. I even checked out their site and saw they had other flavors, including salt and pepper, sea salt and vinegar, and regular. Hope they have other flavors soon but in the mean time, I'll be buying some more of these!

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Yes to Carrots

Source: http://www.yes-to-carrots.com

I've been using the Yes to Carrots Lip Butter in Citrus flavor and it's the best. It smells wonderful, like a citrus candy but unfortunately doesn't taste it, and it is paraben-free. Since I've allergies to SPF-anything on my lips, I have to be very careful with using new lip products. So I would recommend using this All-natural, 95% organic lip product. (Read more reviews on their other products here)

I checked out their website and they have an offer to join their Carrot Club. Or if you're already a member, log-in to get a Buy one Get one Free coupon! Offer valid per account and while it lasts! They have some interesting advertising images...to see what I am talking about


I'm not quite sure if that image makes me really want to join the club, but the coupon offer sure did. :)