Each morning and evening after cleansing, my skincare routine follows a three-step process: eye cream, serum and moisturizer. During the day I top it off with sunscreen, but more on that in a future post. Summer is a great time to change up your products and experiment with lighter ingredients. I’ve recently finished my latest choices and wanted to share reviews of which products I’ll be re-buying!

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream
I originally purchased this moisturizer last fall after some old makeup from a Halloween costume left me with an allergic reaction the next day.

Pros: Upon first use, I immediately loved this product. Soothing and hydrating, the itchy red bumps on my face were completely gone within 48 hours. Formulated without parabens, harsh chemicals or fragrance, its main ingredient is oatmeal. You can technically use it all over your body for things like eczema, rashes and even poison ivy! The lightweight whipped consistency absorbs quickly to soothe distressed skin.

No Cons: This is definitely a product I recommend keeping on hand year round – in dry winter months, and for summer when you need to hit the reset button on your skincare routine. The best part is its only $12.

Re-purchase? Yes!
Kerstin Florian Brightening Facial Treatment
I received this product in a designer gift bag and was very eager to use it. I have hyperpigmentation spots on my face that have been stubborn to treat so any new product that touts brightening properties has me intrigued.

Pros: Brightening serums tend to be harsh but this one is gentle and did not make my skin freak out. I definitely noticed a difference in overall tone. I tend to be sallow, but this gave me a radiant glow and really smoothed the texture of my skin. The effect was like a mini facial in a bottle.

Cons: While I did achieve overall brightness, this did not help reduce the appearance of my existing hyperpigmentation. I was hoping for some lightening of my spots, but unfortunately this didn’t do the trick.

Re-purchase? No

Revision Skin Care D.E.J. Skin Cream
Another product from the designer gift bag, Revision D.E.J. skin cream has a proprietary blend of ceramide, herbal extracts and peptides to target fine lines and wrinkles.

Pros: With a faint scent of green apple, I truly enjoyed applying this product day and night. It left my skin feeling cool and energized. While I am blessed to not have many wrinkles, the fine lines around my mouth definitely became less visible. Most products that target aging can make your skin feel tight, but this gave my face a “squishy” feeling – supple, hydrated and glowing.

Cons: The only con of this product is the fact that you can’t easily purchase it. It’s only available online, at day spas or the dermatologist. For $67 it falls in the mid-range price point, and it’s worth it.

Re-purchase? Yes

Algenist Complete Eye Renewal Balm
Eye creams are so tough. I’ve been through dozens of them and have yet to find one that I can immediately feel and tell a difference from. Algenist is a company out of San Francisco that creates some truly amazing products, so I had high hopes for their eye cream.

Pros: With active ingredients like vitamin C, caffeine and alguronic acid, it has the goods to brighten and reduce the appearance of fine lines. After six weeks of use, I did notice a slight difference in the delicate skin around my eyes. Its balmy consistency feels luxurious and hydrating.

Cons: It took a while for the product to absorb, which slowed me down in the morning. I also wasn’t a fan of the way it smelled – too medicinal – and didn’t notice a big enough difference to justify spending $65 for another jar.

Re-purchase? No

What skincare products have you tried lately?

There’s nothing I love more than summer weather. Feeling the warm sun and salty ocean air at my back invigorates my senses in the best way. But wearing makeup in the summertime comes with its challenges. There’s nothing worse than feeling like you’re melting when you’re trying to look polished.

To help keep my makeup in place during these warmer months, I wanted something to set my foundation without feeling weighed down by yet another product.

I found my answer in Cinema Secrets Ultralucent Setting Powder.

Simply put, this is one of the best makeup products I’ve purchased in the last five years. After applying my foundation and concealer, I dust this powder all over my face and it keeps everything in place. No smudges or streaking (even if I sweat!).

I have normal/combination skin – dry cheeks, moderately oily T-zone – and this absorbs the oils on my face without over-drying. Think of it as a blotting wipe, but instead of taking your makeup off, as blotting sheets tend to do, it keeps my makeup in place for over 12 hours.

If you have really oily skin, it’s recommended that you apply this powder before your foundation. I know how crazy that sounds (a powder before a liquid?!) but I’m told it works wonders for ladies who tend to be really oily. If you have any doubts, the formula is super lightweight – you seriously can’t even feel it – leaving no cakey feeling or product build-up.

My only concern before using the product was whether or not it was going to dull my makeup down. While I love a matte finish, I didn’t want to look like a statue in a wax museum. Because this product is so finely milled, it retains the pigment in whatever you’re wearing underneath it – foundation, blush or bronzer.

Best of all, it’s paraben and cruelty-free, certified USDA organic, vegan and formulated without gluten.

If you’re looking for something to combat the summer heat, I highly recommend checking out this product. Well worth the $22!

If you follow me on Instagram you know I’ve been hinting at bringing makeup and beauty reviews to the blog. Like many women, I’m always on the lookout for new, game changing products and enjoy experimenting with up-and-coming lines, so why not share the love!

My first challenge was to find a new body lotion. After years of using Lubriderm and never bothering to look at the label, I found out it contains parabens. I had recently read about a paraben-free body oil that Helena Christensen used while pregnant. If a supermodel sweared by it, I knew it had to be good.

Rudolph Skin Care is a line out of Denmark committed to creating luxury beauty products free of toxins and harmful chemicals. Similar to Jessica Alba starting The Honest Company, Andrea Elisabeth Rudolph created the line while pregnant after recognizing a void in the market for safe, effective products.

Rudolph Açai Body Oil

The Details
Made with pure vitamin E, açai, almond, jojoba and olive oils, its primary aim is to strengthen your skin’s elasticity and prevent the signs of aging. It won the Danish Beauty Award in 2011 for “Body Care Product of the Year”.

While I originally searched for a lotion, I am now a total body oil convert. I apply this right after showering and unlike lotion (which is super easy to overuse) a little goes a long way. I use about 6 pumps for my legs and 4 for my arms, chest and stomach. With a faint smell of berries, it’s warm to the touch and I immediately feel like I’m covering myself in velvet.

Oil vs. Lotion
At first I was concerned an oil wouldn’t absorb quickly and I’d be left waiting 20 minutes before I could get dressed. Not at all the case here. The product absorbs quickly and deeply so I’m able to get dressed right away. If you’ve ever had a HydraFacial, you know what it feels like to get moisturize to the deepest layers of your skin. It’s akin to moisturizing from the inside out – this leaves my skin feeling supple and quenched. I have never felt this level of hydration from lotion or body butter.

Cost and Shipping
Rudolph Açai Body Oil is only available on their website. I’ll admit I wasn’t sure how much I was spending on this until I did the conversation rate. A product of Denmark, you can pay in Danish krone or euros and it comes to about $60 plus $15 for shipping (mine arrived in 3 days!). Definitely a higher price point, but I strongly believe it’s worth it. Our skin is our largest organ and as my mother used to say “you only get one body, so take care of it”.

Final Verdict – Highly Recommend
– Great for women who are trying to prevent the signs of aging, pregnant women, or total skin freaks     like me
– Free of parabens, synthetic colors, synthetic perfumes and essential oils
– Faint berry smell is not overpowering
– Warm to the touch (I can’t wait to use it in winter)
– Absorbs quickly
– Results in exceptionally supple, deeply hydrated skin
– Higher price point
– Limited availability but fast shipping
– Glass bottle is beautiful, but not practical for travel

I hope you find this review helpful. Please let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Styling my hair has always been a challenge. It’s stick straight, fine and not color treated, which makes it difficult to manipulate beyond flat and lifeless. At the end of the day we all want what we can’t have, and for me, those two things are volume and texture.

Over the years, I’ve wasted so much money on “best selling hair products” hoping to find something that works, but have always come up short. Now that I have shorter hair, it’s more important than ever to have go-to products I can rely on. Gone are the days of the wash-n-go easiness of long hair.

Here are the Top 3 Hair Products that I can’t live without. They work every time and all serve different purposes.

1) Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray ($42)
To use: Shake well. Spray anywhere you want volume.
Best Feature: Dual purpose dry shampoo and texturizer

Over the past year I’ve trained my hair to go several days without washing. Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray is the perfect reviver. It smells like a tropical vacation and gives me a subtle, sexy lift and tons of texture. Unlike most products that advise application to the roots only, you can spray this anywhere without weighing down your hair. There is no powdery residue and it works equally well on freshly washed hair to add life to squeaky-clean locks. It’s a little pricey, but worth every penny.

2) Kevin Murphy Anti Gravity Spray ($28)
To use: Spray onto wet hair before blow-drying
Best Feature: Pliability and “stickiness”

This non-aerosol spray by Kevin Murphy is probably the most revolutionary product I’ve come across. It gives my hair two opposing effects that somehow work together. My roots feel thicker and almost gritty, but are still completely soft and brushable. It makes my hair pliable for sculpting, but also holds it shape. It’s basically Brigitte Bardot’s hair in a can. Formulated without silicon or any harsh chemicals, it smells like soothing lavender and amber oil and can be sprayed onto roots or ends. Apply as much or as little as you like. You can’t go overboard.

3) Framesi By Be You Bodifying Mousse ($27)
To use: Shake well. Apply 1-2 walnut sized dollops onto wet hair.
Best Feature: Weightless volume and thickness

For me, mousse is synonymous to the 1980s (do people actually still use mousse?) so I was a little reluctant to give this one a try, but am so glad I did. If I’m going to be heat styling my hair or putting it up, this product is a must. Think of it as the hair product equivalent of a soufflé – it expands the hair shaft and lifts the follicle up for incredible weightless volume that lasts.