Summer is a time for enjoying the outdoors, vacationing and spending long days seaside or at the pool. I must admit that summer is my favorite season by far. I live for the long days where the sun doesn’t set until 8pm and the weekdays are filled with happy thoughts of the weekend to come at the beach. I can spend days at Fire Island sipping something cold and watching the waves crash against the shore. Yes, for me summer is my favorite season and being near the ocean is one of my favorite places to be. The scent of summer is the smell of the ocean and the sand and that just what On Holiday Moisturizing Body Spray by Votre Vu gives us.

This was my very first time trying a product by French owned company Votre Vu and I was enticed by not only the scent but the ingredients. On Holiday contains grape seed oil, sweet almond oil, apricot kernel oil, jojoba oil and wheat germ. Had I tried this product sooner, it would have surely made the cut in my Just another day at the beach! post. This spray is PERFECT for your dry skin needs, just spray on right after you step out of the shower (no need to towel off!) and be instantly transported to your happy place.

I love that this oil comes in a spray bottle so it’s easy to use without all of the mess. The oil absorbed into my skin quickly and the scent left behind was intoxicating, I couldn’t stop smelling it! I would say easily that this is one of the nicest smelling body sprays that I’ve tried and since it reminds me of one of my favorite summer activities it’s on my must have list.

Disclaimer: The product mentioned in this review was provided by the company for consideration.

As a part of my beauty routine, I always apply moisturizer to keep my skin supple and also as a smooth base for my makeup application. Even though I have oily skin moisturizer is still an essential part of my routine otherwise my skin would be even oilier! Another problem that I have are breakouts so it’s always a balancing act of making sure that I use all of the right products that work for my skin while keeping my pores clear and making sure that I’m doing all of the right things. So when I received Avon’s Reversalist Day Renewal Cream I was anxious to try it out because it helps to reverse the signs of aging while providing SPF 25 – score!

Avon claims that this formula can visibly reverses wrinkles with Activinol Technology and here is what they have to say about what their product can do:

What is Activinol Technology?
Activinol Technology is shown to increase the production of Activin to help boost skin’s ability to repair itself and recreate fresher, newer looking skin. Avon is the first to use this complex consisting of two exclusive Phytochemicals:
• Amorphophallus: Stimulates Activin production to help trigger skin’s surface repair process.
• Sesbania: To help deliver firmer, less wrinkled looking skin

I’ll admit that I was a bit hesitant because I thought that this cream would be a too heavy and therefore would clog my pores but on the first application my fears were alleviated. The cream was very light and not at all oily. This cream does have a perfume scent to it although it’s not too strong it’s definitely noticeable.

I used this product for approximately two weeks before reviewing it, just to make sure that it did not cause any breakouts and that it showed some improvement in the condition of my skin. On my initial trial of the product my skin was well moisturized but not oily. Over the weeks that I used the product I noticed that my face had a much smoother appearance.  I don’t have a huge problem with wrinkles but I do have some parentheses (aka laugh lines) on my face that are starting to show up. These little laugh lines appeared a bit plumped up, yay! If I keep this up I might just look 21 again!

I love that this formula also has sunscreen, which is great because we all know how important it is to protect our skin from the sun. Avon’s Reversalist Day Renewal Cream also states that it helps to reverse discoloration and although I do not have much of a problem in that area I will continue to use it to hopefully see an improvement in a light scar that I have on my cheek ~ I’ll keep you posted. Overall did this product do what it says it could do, I’d have to say yes. It’s a great moisturizer with SPF 25 and it helps give your skin a more youthful appearance so I will certainly continue to use this product.

Avon Reversalist Day Renewal Cream is available at Avon.com – 1.7oz retails for $27

Disclaimer: The product mentioned in this review was provided by a PR Agency for editorial consideration.

I recently purchased a beauty kit that included an Amarté skincare product. I was not at all familiar with the brand so with a little research I learned that Amarté creates products based on ancient Korean medicinal principles. Amarté prides iteself on helping people achieve healthy and beautiful skin. The brand is also well known and respected in South Korea so why not give it a try? In addition to that my dermatologist recommended that I use serums as part of my skin care regime which I have incorporated into my routine with great results. This specific hydrating serum is a humectant which basically means that it attracts water and keeps it in and this is very important not only for dry skin but also for oily skin (and I have sensitive/combination skin).

Although there are several ingredients listed on the front of the box, the most noticeable is the cucumber scent that you immediately smell when you open the tube. The scent is extremely light and not at all overwhelming – in fact it’s very pleasant. The serum is water based and feels amazingly cool upon application. I truly loved how it felt on my skin, it’s light, refreshing and left my skin soft and not sticky. This product is meant to use under a moisturizer and it’s certainly light enough to do that. I often hesitate to layer products because I don’t want to clog my pores but with this formula being as light as it is I was not at all concerned.

Amarté Aqua Veil retails for $44 for 2.2 fl. oz and can be purchased on the company website or Amazon. Is it worth the price? I would say absolutely.

The Socializer from Elizabeth Grant is an amazing duo of AM & PM eye treatments in one swank package!  The Bright Lights eye pen (AM) helps to reduce under eye puffiness and dark circles for those mornings where you may have partied a little too hard. I tried this sample immediately because I tend to get bags when I don’t get quite enough sleep. What I liked about this product was that it was gentle and didn’t sting my eyes PLUS I noticed that my eye appeared brighter and less tired looking, yes!

I tried to take a pic but unfortunately I wasn’t able to quite capture the effect. My right eye was treated with the AM formula and the left eye was untreated, you can still see that there is some noticeable darkness in the corner of the left eye.

The other part of this dynamic duo is the Late Nights pen, this formula is meant to be applied right before bedtime to help moisturize, depuff and keep your eyes wrinkle free. These formulas use Ulva Lactuca which is an algae that helps to improve skin’s elasticity, Matrixyl which increases collagen synthesis, and Chamomile which soothes and calms the skin.

I was very impressed that the illuminator worked quickly and quite well. Dark circles are not a pretty look and unfortunately they can be part of life (for some of us unlucky gals)! Luckily there is a solution that can help you look refreshed, it’s no wonder that celebrities such as Blake Lively, Kristen Bell and Jessica Szohr and throwing this little goodie in their Rebecca Minkoff bags! You too can purchase this fab little secret for $40 at http://www.elizabethgrant.com/

Disclosure: The product mentioned in this review was provided for editorial consideration

When you have oily, shiny skin you need to get creative with your beauty routine to prevent your face from looking like an oil slick. So when I saw a product from La Roche-Posy that claimed to neutralize the shine I said why not give it a try? I purchased  La Roche-Posay Emulsion Hydratante Matite Active and I gave it a shot. The moisturizer can be applied morning and night and claimed to minimize large pores, neutralize shine and clear sebum clogged pores. I applied the very lightweight moisturizer right after I washed my face.

I was impressed by how the fluid was absorbed quickly and the immediate disappearance of my shiny face, yay! My skin felt very smooth to the touch and not at all sticky or tacky. My sensitive skin was not irritated (it’s oil free, fragrance free) ~ La Roche skincare products are hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic so they are great for skin that is acne prone and easily irritated. My face remained shine free for about 5 hours and I was very happy with the results. This product will be great in the summer when I don’t feel like wearing foundation or pressed pressed powder.

This moisturizer is dermatologist recommended and very popular in Europe but can be found online on various websites. It retails for about $24 and is well worth the investment. It’s the little luxuries in life ya know!