Fashion

I am approaching this review for Sabon Organic Day Cream as a total experience. Rather than perusing the isles of Target or Sephora, ready to toss any old cream in my basket, I was pleasantly surprised to find a small package delivered right to my door. Granted, if you live in one of the cities where Sabon has a shop, your experience will be different. Alas, there is no such shop in Cleveland, so it must be ordered from their website, www.sabonnyc.com. I usually rip open my deliveries and toss aside the packaging, but Sabon was so careful and clever with their “dressing” of the cream, it made me feel pampered before I even opened the box. The cream came in a box, wrapped in brown organza, and tied with a golden ribbon. It looked like a party favor! Sabon also enclosed two pamphlets; one about their history, and one abut their products.

Sabon grew from a mom-and-pop soap-making venture in Israel. Today, their line has expanded, and is available online and in Europe, America, and Israel. They carry soap, skin, and body care. The day cream is from their new organic line, which is held to the French ECOCERT® standards. The stringent guidelines for this certification are followed in all the products from the new line.

According to the pamphlet, the day cream has 97% organic ingredients and has a base of macadamia nut oil. It also has shea butter, aloe vera, olive oil, and jojoba oil. The heavy glass jar is elegant and the cream itself has a rich texture and a nutty/herbal smell. 1.75fl oz. retails for $39.00USD, however only a tiny dab is needed, so it will last a while.

As for the actual wearing of the cream, it was luxurious. Since it is summer, I used a small dollop and warmed it in my hands. I find warming it up emulsifies all the oils and makes it easy to spread. I patted it on my face and WOW. It sunk right in and I continued to receive compliments all night on how I looked “radiant”, “fresh”, “glowing”, and my favorite, “clean.” I find that even though it is laden with oils, because they are natural your skin seems to “know” what to do with them. No greasies, no clogs, and my face felt comfortable. I even resorted to wearing it at night even though it is called Organic Day Cream. I am especially excited to use it in the winter, when chapped cheeks become a daily occurrence.

Sabon has stores in New York, New Jersey, Illinois, and Massachusetts. They are also online at www.sabonnyc.com. Their website is easy to navigate and aesthetically lovely. I highly recommend giving them a try for a little affordable luxury. You will feel pampered from the moment you open your delivery!

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Written by Sarah Sterling  |  Leave A Comment >>

While waiting in line at my local Target I spied this little gem between the candy and batteries on an impulse display. I thought, “Boy, I DO hate shaving” and into my cart it went. Smooth Away Hair Removal Set works by buffing down your stubble so it is no longer as visible.

The kit comes with a small holder and a large holder, along with several sticky-backed buffing sheets. I have seen the concept for Smooth Away before, but this time looked a lot more appealing, given the addition of the mini-buffer and an actual ‘handle’ instead of just a piece of glorified sandpaper. I say sandpaper because that is exactly what it is. The sheets of “buffing crystals” are even made by 3M (who make sandpaper!!).

I started my trial on my leg with about two days worth of growth. I placed the Smooth Away in my palm and began to go in slow, circular motions. With my other hand I checked the results. Not too shabby! Granted, it was not as smooth as you would get with a razor, and there was there was a dusting of dead skin (think sanding a table- EW!), but it was a lot easier and faster than shaving.

After doing both legs, I think this would be ideal for wintertime, when my legs are not on display. For summer I feel it does not get my legs as smooth as I would like, however, it would definitely be acceptable if you don’t have time to shave. So I moved on to my arm. Some people do not remove their arm hair, but I do. It’s not even aesthetic, I just like a smooth arm. The Smooth Away is great for arm hair removal. I have decided I will use Smooth Away once a week to keep my arms hairless.

I saved the scariest part for last; facial hair. For the face, I used the mini-buffer that fits over your finger. I positioned myself so that I had plenty of light and began to very lightly remove my mustache. EXCELLENT! I did not even have to rub very hard, which I was worried about. It buffed away my mustache with no redness, swelling, or pain. Definitely an impulse buy I do not regret!

I paid $9.99 for my Smooth Away Hair Removal Set, which came with the 2 sizes of handle, and several refills. I have seen them at Target, Sally’s and Wal-Mart for the same price.

You can also check out their website at www.getsmoothaway.com

Purchase Smooth Away online at Drugstore.com and Amazon.com

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Living in the Midwest, I usually try to embrace my paleness. However, around April I have cultivated such a pasty glow, I literally become reflective in the daylight. With all of the warnings of the skin damage and premature aging, baking in a tanning bed is beginning to be a taboo in society. Yet, the desire for a Giselle-like bronze goddess look is stronger than ever. Add to that my personal tanning philosophy “tan fat is prettier than pale fat” and I was forced to investigate UVA/UVB-free tanning.

Since a professionally done airbrush tan is not available where I live, I decided to try out this fancy thing called Mystic Tan.

Mystic Tan works kind of like a car wash. You step into the booth, and the sprayer sprays you with Mystic Tan solution. You can choose level one, two, or three; which correspond not to the level of DHA (the chemical that develops the tan color) but to the amount of spray that you are hosed with. Level one seemed to little, and level three sounded two much. Level two sounded “baby bear” (just right). The Mystic Tan solution contains DHA as well as a bronzer. This means that you immediately have a little bit of color after the session, and the DHA deepens the color in a few hours. Mystic Tan is available in most traditional tanning salons, and the booth is inside a regular tanning room. The night before my session I shaved and exfoliated. This helps cut down on the chances of unevenness. I also made sure I coated my hands, feet, ankles, elbows, and knees with a thin layer of Vaseline before going to bed. This is in addition to the layer of lotion I reapplied the next morning just before I went for my Mystic Tan. I was also provided a hairnet, disposable booties, nose plugs, and goggles. I opted not to wear the goggles because I didn’t want a reverse raccoon look. I also went into the booth au natural. You can wear a swimsuit if you like, but I wasn’t going to pay for tan lines!

I was told that the Mystic machine would spray for about 10 seconds, stop, and then another 10 seconds. During the brief intermission you are supposed to turn around (insert Friends episode reference here). I faced away from the nozzles first, so I wasn’t startled by the loud noise and rush of cold solution. This was a good idea. I was able to regulate my breathing before I turned around to avoid inhaling excess amounts of Mystic Tan. As soon as the machine shut off I gingerly hopped out of the booth and immediately began dabbing myself off with a towel. You must do this in order to stop any drip marks. I looked in the mirror and noticed I was significantly more bronzed than before. Once I got home, I made sure to wash my hands and feet. These two areas have a reputation for turning orange when self-tanning (Mystic Tan or otherwise). A few hours later I was quite impressed. While not the same natural color you’d get from the real sun, it was pretty close. I was no longer pasty pale; I now looked sun-kissed.

 

 

Mystic Tan lasts about three days, and starts to fade as your natural skin cells shed. You have to exfoliate after a few days because it starts to emphasize any unevenness. I purchased 10 Mystic Tan sessions for $49.99. You can do a single session for anywhere from $10-$25.

Check out their website at www.mystictan.com and you can see they have expanded their brand to include a do-it-yourself home tanning kit, as well as 2 different kinds of booths. If you’re looking for a little color with little effort, I’d say give Mystic a try.

You can also buy Mystic Tan self-tanning products on Sephora.com and Beauty.com

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The slumping economy has definitely forced many women to take a closer look at how they can get the most bang for their beauty buck.

Whilst navigating my industrial sized shopping cart through my local ALDI, my eyes locked in on a very interesting display box. Could that be lip balm? In a tell-tale European-style package? It was! I swung my cart around and made a beeline for the Lacura display. Lacura is a line exclusively developed for ALDI discount food chain. All the products are made in Germany and the brand includes skincare and makeup. Granted, the line is not extensive, but it’s got basics that range from $1.99- $6.99. You can check out the offerings by visiting www.aldi.com. I decided to venture into this new line by picking up some “pampering” products that I had recently cut from my regular skincare lineup in order to economize. I purchased the Exfoliating Peeling Gel and the Hydra Complete Mask for $2.99USD each, and 2 three-packs of lip balm for $1.99USD each. Even though these products are dirt cheap, I was pleasantly surprised. And even if they didn’t wow me, ALDI offers a refund!

The Exfoliating Peeling Gel comes in a 2.54floz squeeze tube, with a flip-top cap. This may not be a factor for some, but the packaging is great for under three bucks! The name “Exfoliating Peeling Gel” is slightly misleading, because it’s really just a gel-based scrub. However, you’d mistake it for a higher-end scrub. After cleansing, I patted my face until damp, and applied a nickel-sized dollop. It doesn’t foam unless you get really vigorous, but I could immediately feel the scrub working. The beads are so tiny, I can barely tell that they’re round. I also believe that they are the plastic kind, not crushed nutshells or pits that other scrubs may use. There’s no scratching, but you can still feel it working. Amazing. After my experience with the scrub, I moved on to the Hydra Complete Mask. This is also in a squeeze tube and 2.54floz. I slathered on a thick coat and waited 15 minutes. Then I wiped it off with a wet washcloth (you can also tissue it off). I was left with smooth, glowing skin.

The mask was definitely hydrating, without being greasy. Last, but not least, was the lip balm. I bought the Sensitive formula, and the Pearl Shine. Each contained 3 tubes for $1.99USD. What a deal! Both are extremely smooth and moisturizing, with pleasant scent and taste. The only difference is the Pearl Shine offers just a hint of glimmer. NOT glitter. My experience with this line left me feeling like my money was well spent, and my skin looked like I spent the day at a European spa. I was able to give myself a European-Style facial for less than ten bucks! Next time I’m bargain shopping for groceries at ALDI, I’ll be sure to try some more Lacura products.

Read more about Lacura >>

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Written by Sarah Sterling  |  Leave A Comment >>