Sue Devitt Eye Intensifier Pencil

So many of us are looking for an easy way to create an intense and dramatic eye for night time.  Celebrity Makeup Artist (Celeb fans include Kiera Nightly, SJP and Cameron Diaz), Sue Devitt and her number one product the Eye Intensifier Pencil might be just the thing.

Water resistant, velvety in texture and coming in rich shades the Sue Devitt Eye Intensifier Pencil ($22) will glide onto your skin and allow for an almost fool-proof application. I tested the bronze shade, Tanzania. There are 13 shades to choose from with something for everyone’s eye color and style.  I found that the Tanzania was not a good color for me as it brought out the red in my already allergy prone inflamed eyes but it did go on very smooth and easy.  I had no trouble swiping a thick swash of it across my lash line and then blending it out. The blending nub at the bottom is soft and works perfectly for this task.  The eye color works nicely and comes off easy at the end of the day.  The color swatches online are pretty accurate to the color in the actual pencil too. I love that the pencil is somewhat chubby which makes it ideal for creating a dramatic, smokey or bold eye easily.

Sue Devitt’s Eye Intensifier Pencil is available online, at Birchbox and at QVC.com

 

butter LONDON Spring/Summer 2012

Fun Find- As a self-proclaimed nail addict, my mother calls it a fetish, but I’m not overly concerned, I get really excited when a new season approaches. What glossy, glittery, fantastic new colors will be rolling out?

butter LONDON has revealed an eye-popping collection of colors for Spring/Summer 2012 that has me swooning!  Neon colour is everywhere this year and butter LONDON is no exception.  Using the neon’s and balancing them with sherbet pastels and neutrals the collection is a mix of gorgeous shades in pistachio, cantaloupe, hot pink and more. With names like Bossy Boots (pale pistachio), Trout Pout (cantaloupe) and Knackered (oyster color with micro glitter) you will be making your mark.

My favorites are Disco Biscuit, a hot pink infused with tiny particles of glitter, named after the British term for Ecstasy. I also adore Slapper, meaning ‘slut’ in Brit slang, which is an intense turquoise that goes on glossy and smooth.

You can buy your own favorite at Ulta stores and online at butter LONDON.

 

 

Johnson’s Natural Baby Care

Five years ago when we decided to “go green” we knew it was going to have to be a gradual thing.  We used up cleaning products laden with chemicals instead of tossing them and we replaced them with green alternatives. We used reusable bags and figured out ways to recycle items beyond bottles and cans.  When it came to buying healthier products for my baby and ourselves it was a bit tougher.  The products I wanted and needed were not available at my local store and buying them was often costly.  I ended up making many things myself.

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Valentine’s Day- God Gave Us Love

Valentine’s Day is special to me. It is my father’s birthday and a day where I like to show my friend’s and family I love them through cards and cookies.  I don’t care for commercialization or that some people say, “if you really love someone you show them all year.”  Nope, V-day is an extra. An added excuse for me to make cards and bake things.  Which is how I show my love a lot anyway.

Each year my kids wake up to homemade Valentine’s on their doors.  They are not works of art but the girls love them.

I also gave them this book- God Gave Us Love
by Lisa Tawn Bergren

It is a delightfully sweet and touching book about how we can show our children “God-sized” love.  Through the eyes of a polar bear cub and his Grandpa your child will see how sometimes even those we think are unlikable we can show our love.  A great find for little ones any time of year.

Visit Amazon today to purchase your copy of God Gave Us Love.
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Happy Valentine’s Day!

Cures by Avance Hydrating Body Buffer

It’s winter.  Your skin is dry and in need of some renewal.  It’s time to get scrubbing and what better way to remove dead, dull skin cells and improve your skins texture and smoothness than with Cures by Avance Hydrating Body Buffer 6 fl oz.

The gentle formula made with seaweed extracts polishes your skin easily while tightening the skin too.  I applied this body buffer ($29) while showering a few times and found it to be soft and grainy but not rough.  It didn’t irritate my skin with its buffing grains like some exfoliates can do.  It was light and buffed my skin nicely.  I was surpised by the light blue color but found that the product worked well without causing redness. It rinsed off moderately well and my skin was left feeling softer.

MPR Rating: Three Stars.

Disclaimer: MPR was not paid for this post. Products received are for review purposes only. Opinions are MPR’s only.

Neosporin Eczema Essentials

I tend to dread winter in my house more than usual the past few years.  It used to be just me that would get dry patches, itchy skin and red spots on my body.  Now all three of my kids do too.  On their cheeks, backs, stomachs, arms and even legs.  No spot of skin seems safe from the dreaded eczema (“the itch that rashes”).

I have tried so many things – lotions, creams, ointments, prescriptions with steroids, you name it and we have probably tried it.  A Mary Kay rep even gave me a sample of ointment once from her purse once while at the grocery store.  My kids red, raw cheeks looked that bad.  None of the products worked.  When Mom Central asked if I wanted to test out Neosporin Essentials Eczema kit I almost screamed ‘Yes!’ out loud. A nice email reply was sufficient.

The Neosporin Essentials trial pack included a body wash, daily lotion and an anti-itch cream.  The latter works really well on those chapped, red cheeks.  The kit claims that using the products will give you better results within in three days.  You know what? It totally does.  My youngest girl had dry spots on her thighs and back.  Bathing her in the thick (must rinse a lot) body wash begins the soothing process while the daily cream goes on smooth and protects the skin.  I like how none of the products are greasy and they don’t seem to wear off.  They absorb well into the skin and don’t contain any steroids. Containing lipid, humectant, emollient and botanical blend you can use it on the whole family. It also received Seal of Acceptance from the National Eczema Association.   The anti-itch cream has done wonders for my oldest daughter and myself.  My eczema acts up in my ears.  I put that stuff on after my shower and I’m good for the rest of the day and a few days after that.  The same goes for her legs which get so dry and scaly she is constantly scratching them.  The combination of all three products from the trial pack eased the symptoms on all the kids in just one day and after three the eczema had resided or gone away.

I was really pleased with Neosporin Essentials. It worked well, didn’t irritate or carry a heavy fragrance.  Combined the products work magic on our wintry, eczema riddled skin.

MPR Rating: Four Stars.

 

Disclaimer:  Products received were through Mom Central.  “I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Neosporin Essentials and received a product sample to facilitate my review, and a promotional item to thank me for participating.” Opinions are MPR’s only. 

Limited Edition LAVANILA Passion Fruit Perfume

Just in time for Valentines day comes Lavanila’s newest Healthy Fragrance, Passion Fruit.  I received a rollerball version ($19) of the perfume and love it.

Infused with passion fruit, guava and peach nectar this perfume has a warm base derived from sandalwood and Madagascar vanilla.  Loaded with aphrodisiacs it is a sweeter perfume than I would typically wear but it is one that plays lightly on your skin all day long and it cheers me each time I smell it. I love using a product that has no parabens, sulfates, synthetic perfumes or dyes or contains any mineral oil.

There is an entire Limited Edition Passion Fruit line which features all the classic products from a Healthy Fragrance set including the 2-in-1 wash/shave, body butter, large fragrance and body butter/fragrance set ($60).  The rollerball perfume or any of the Passion Fruit items makes a great Valentines Day gift this year.

Lavanila products can be purchased online, at Sephora, Sephora at JCPenny, QVC and Beauty.com.

L’Occitane Limited Edition Cherry Princess Hand Cream

Perfect for Valentine’s Day and when you want to invoke the upcoming spring grab a tube of L’Occitane’s Limited Edition Cherry Princess hand cream ($10). Part of the Cherry Princess collection, which includes perfume, silky body gel and more.

The 1 ounce tube fits nicely on my dresser top, in a purse or even my car.  It smells divine and the scent lasts for hours.  I have used it for more than a hand cream too.  Some days I apply it to my inner arms and neck to use as a perfume and find that in the evening the fragrance is still there.  It’s fantastic! It’s also pretty to look at as is the entire line.

Read more about the Limited Edition Cherry Princess set here.  It’s getting rave reviews!

Yes to Blueberries & Cucumbers

I haven’t tried a lot of the Yes to Carrots products or other items from this company.  I was excited to try out the Yes to Blueberries Brightening Eye Rollerball ($19.99), Yes to Blueberries Eye Firming Treatment ($19.99) and Yes to Cucumber Soothing Eye Gel ($14.99).  The week I tested all these eye products could not have been more perfect as I was up late all week, woken up by small children multiple times a night.  I look haggard, puffy-eyed and loaded with dark circles each day.

The Yes to Blueberries Brightening Eye Rollerball was by far my favorite.  The results were quick to reveal and I loved applying this cold metal rollerball under my eyes when I woke up each morning.  My eyes felt soothed and relieved right away and within about thirty minutes I looked more awake.  Typically, that doesn’t happen until after I shower.  This product is my new best friend.  (Four Stars)

Yes to Blueberries Eye Firming Treatment received mixed reviews on the trusted website, Make-up Alley, but I liked the product.  I loved that it was in pump form as it keeps things clean and sanitary.  So many eye products come in jars and you get too much product and end up germing up the jar.  Yuck!  I liked that it is paraben free, 99% natural and it can be used morning and night.  My eyes felt refreshed when I used this product and smooth.  Beeswax makes your skin soft while the paracress flower helps to remove fine lines and wrinkles.  I saw a tiny difference over a week and will continue to use it to see if the results are more dramatic.  (Four Stars)

Finally the Yes to Cucumber Soothing Eye Gel.  Again, I like the pump bottle and how my under-eye skin felt calmed.  I have bad allergies and my eyes are affected the most. Many products make the itchiness I feel worse but not this one.  It calmed the area and cooled it. I need that when my peepers feel red, dry and itchy.  However, I found that the product rolled off my skin later.  Why do some eye gels and creams do that?  I was disappointed and it made me not want to use the product again despite loving the calm, soothing feeling. (Three Stars)

MPR Rating:  Four & Three Stars

Disclaimer:  MPR was not paid for this post. Products received are for review purposes only.  Opinions are MPR’s only.