Thursday, August 14, 2014

Preteen Skincare


A friend recently asked me for some beginning skin care suggestions for her preteen. I've come up with some suggestions that I think are a great start to taking care of your skin, yet don't contain harsh anti-aging ingredients that a young girl doesn't need.

Cetaphil has long been a favorite line, and I think that's a great place to start. Their Daily Facial Cleanser (1) is unscented and won't strip your skin. The standout product in their line has to be the DermaControl Moisturizer SPF 30 (2). I've been using it for at least 6 months and love how it gives me sun protection without clogging my pores and leaving me greasy.

My friend mentioned that her daughter is self-conscious about under-eye puffiness (which I have never noticed on her!) so I looked for a product that could help with that while still being gentle. I think the Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Puff Eye Roller (3) would be a good product to try.

Although I think items 1-3 would make a great skin care set, if a girl is interested in using the same line for all her skin care, Simple Skincare has a great line. Their Moisturizing Facial Wash (4) is a great basic product. I'd then recommend trying their Protecting Light Moisturizer SPF 15 (5), although I'd really prefer a higher SPF. As a last step, I'd suggest their Revitalizing Eye Roll-On (6).

If you've got some great preteen skin care recommendations, please let us know in the comments!

Disclosure: This post contains NO referral links.


Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Review: July GlossyBox

 
A few months ago, after doing quite a bit of research on beauty subscription boxes, I decided to give GLOSSYBOX a try. In the past, I have subscribed to both Birchbox and Ipsy, but discontinued those because I seemed to get products that I never used.
 
GLOSSYBOX is more expensive ($21 versus both Birchbox and Ipsy's $10), but the quality is so much better- these are high end brands! I also LOVE the beautiful, high quality boxes they send each month. They are great for drawer organizing or keeping craft products in.
 
Here's a run-down on what I received in my July box, along with the value of each product.
 
Mitchell and Peach Body Cream: (value: $14 for 1.4 fl oz) Sadly, I did not care for the scent of this product. In fact, I had to wash my hands after using it to get the lingering smell off. I'll be passing this on to someone else. It did leave my hands feeling nice and moisturized.
 
GLAMGLOW® YOUTHMUD® TINGLEXFOLIATE TREATMENT: (value: $20 for .5 fl oz) I am a big GLAMGLOW fan! Their masks are amazing and make my skin feel fabulous! If your skin is very sensitive, this might not be for you, but to me this 10 minute mud mask feels great and my skin feels so clean and refreshed after using it.           
 
Malin+Goetz Mojito Lip Balm:  (value: $7 for .2 oz)  I am a big Jack Black lip balm fan and not sure any lip balm could ever replace that for me, but this is a nice product that I will definitely use. Since it doesn't appear to have any sunscreen in it, I will most likely only use it at night. The Mojito scent is nice and not at all over-powering.
 
Skin Inc, Skin Supplement Bar Custom-Blended Anti-Aging Serum: (full-sized product value: $45 for .34 fl oz) Love love love that they sent a full-sized product! This serum is nice and light and absorbed into my skin very quickly. It did not leave my skin sticky at all. It does not have a noticeable scent.
 
Philip B. pH Restorative Detangling Toning Mist: (value: $11 for 2 fl oz) My daughter's hair is just like mine, fine with a slight naturally wave, and since I don't typically blow dry her hair, it has a tendency to get pretty frizzy. I found that this spray works great to help smooth it out. It does have a slight vinegar smell, but that dissipates quickly and you can't smell it at all.
 
VERDICT: This box has a value of $97, and I am impressed! The only product I won't be using is the hand cream, but I am sure I can pass it on to someone with a less sensitive nose than mine.
 
GLOSSYBOX also has a great point program- if you answer their survey questions on each product after you receive it, you will receive 100 points. After you have collected 1000 points, your next box is free. So after 10 months, I will have a free box.
 
They also have a referral program and if you use my link to sign up, I'll receive 200 points, getting me closer to my free box! You can do the same with your friends after you sign up. Right now if you sign up and use the code MAGIC, you can also get a free EYEKO Mascara!
 
Here's a sneak peek of items included in upcoming boxes:
 
 
 
#afflink