Category: Beauty

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Two of my favorite MAC primers

macprimers

Primer is used to create a flawless/smooth base for your make up. It is used underneath foundation to hold your make-up last longer and they blot away any excess oil on the skin. 

MAC PREP + PRIME Face Protect SPF 50

The reason I bought this product is, it has the highest SPF that I have found for the face on the market. And it also works as a good make-up base. This is my go to primer for the day and I have been using it every single day for over 2 years now. Few years ago, I had quite a few brown spots caused by the sun and infact I haven’t developed any since I started using this and my skin looks much clearer.

It  may feel a bit greasy at first but I think it soon sinks in, and is definitely worth it. Only use a little bit at once as it does take a lot of rubbing on to the skin, as it comes out very white. Only downfall in my opinion is, it can be quite wasteful. The tube is very hard to squeeze and I’m sure there will be lots of product left inside the tube when I think it’s all gone.

MAC PREP + PRIME SKIN BASE VISAGE

It  is very silky and feels light. I only use a tiny pea sized amount to cover my whole face. You cannot tell that the product is on your skin when it is rubbed in well.  After doing so, I apply my foundation which goes on smoothly and appears extremely flawless. The primer has small light reflecting particles in it which makes your skin look very radiant and healthy. 

 So there you go girls, if you have used or currently using above primers or any other primers, leave us your comments.

Dona Lawlor

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Kerastase Elixir Ultime vs Elvive Extraordinary Oil

OILSThe perfect nourishing serum/oil for dry/dull locks, Kerastase Elixir Ultime is a wonderfully lightweight blend of four wonder oils: argan, maize, camellia and pracaxi. The only downside is,  it’s not so lightweight on the wallet. I first bought Kerastase Elixir Ultime on recommendation from a friend two years ago. I use it on my thick long/frizzy/uncontrollable hair and it was amazing, no more dull frizzy hair, but lovely shiny tresses instead.

L’Oreal produces Kerastase products, so if you’re after an alternative cheaper version , try its Elvive Extraordinary Oil, a fusion of six botanical lipids that works in much the same way as the Elixir. I bought Elvive Extraordinary Oil few months ago and loving it. A fantastic serum to help unruly hair, that give the same effect as Kerastase Elixir Ultime. As the price is affordable, I use this on my hair as a mask once a week. I use a generous amount, massage on to my hair and leave it for about 20 minutes before shampooing.

In my opinion you get the same end result from both products; both keep the hair shiny and frizz free all day long, condition and smooth away all the little fly-aways, without weighing down. Though they are oils, they are not greasy and all you need is a tiny amount.  No more hair frizzing in hot/humid weather! You can use on wet or dry hair. Also they smell lovely. Both serums leave my hair soft, untangled with a beautiful sheen. No residue, hair feels light and bouncy.

 Dona Lawlor

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Red, Red Wine… Apivita will quench your skin’s thirst

Throughout my adult life, I have been spending a lot on face, eye and body creams from expensive brands, even if knowing that the miracle results that they’d promise wouldn’t be all that “miraculous”. Unfortunately there exists this perception that the higher you will be paying for a product and the nicer the packaging is, the more value you will be getting for your money. We all fall for it, and we all know that this is not necessarily true.

Sure, a lot of factors play out when we choose a brand or a product and alluring marketing has a lot to do with our choice. But I insist and always urge my friends and clients before they buy anything to first check the reviews online and try it on them before spending a little fortune on that latest buzz. High-end brands always offer samples which you can get from any beauty shop to have a first hand experience on their latest products.  To ask for one before you buy the whole jar is common sense and wise spending. How many times did the $$$ beauty “serum” ended up collecting dust on the bathroom shelf simply because it’s just not what you wished for?

What would always puzzle me though, both in high-end and supermarket shelf brands, are all these ingredients written in fine lines, and my worry lies with the fact that even if I can (or better try to as they have these long names) read them, I don’t know what their effects are on my skin and overall health (if you want to know what chemicals your product contains visit http://www.cosmetic-ingredients.net/ who’s done an excellent database on many brands). Hazardous chemical substances have been traced in lipsticks and creams and chemicals found in cosmetics have been accused for various conditions.

Anyways, I have the tendency to a more holistic approach in life and same way I am checking every food item I intend to bring home and feed my children, I now choose cosmetics after I have done a little “homework” on their ingredients… Besides you might have heard of the saying “you should never put on your face what you wouldn’t put in your mouth”.

This is how I ended up trying APIVITA a Greek company since 1979 that produces natural and highly effective beauty products. I have been buying their kids’ line and am quite happy, so during my last visit in Greece I did my usual shopping raid at the pharmacy to be supplied with all the products I can’t find in Bahrain and bumped on to their latest face cream: Wine Elixir.

I was curious. I surely love a glass of red wine once in a while for its relaxing properties but put some on my face? That’s interesting. I was given some samples the same day of the SPF15 day cream and went straight home to try it. Very light in texture and smell,  giving a cooling sensation on the face, it was absorbed in seconds. Upon application, my skin literally gulped the wine elixir and felt moisturized without being oily or even shiny.

Needless to say after 4-5 days the samples were running out so I went to the pharmacy and bought the night cream and eye and lips cream of the same line. The night cream although slightly thicker in texture than the day cream gives the same feeling of fresh and nourishment without being oily or heavy on the face. It also contains salicylic acid which does a gentle exfoliation and which we have seen in other high-end brands’ expensive serums. It is absorbed really quickly and you can immediately see the difference in the skin’s elasticity and tone. Skin feels totally moisturized and looks amazing. The claims of this product from the company’s website:

93% natural ingredients
  • Rejuvenates the skin at night while reducing even the deepest wrinkles
  • Red wine helps increase quality collagen and elastin to firm the skin
  • Salicylic acid gently exfoliates the skin and leaves it with a natural glow
  • Beeswax moisturizes and smoothes skin
  • Neroli, patchouli, clary sage and geranium essential oils tone the skin and provide a sense of well-being

Exclusive innovation: APIVITA replaces water in the wine elixir range with a green tea infusion to enhance the antioxidant action of the products

Same with the eye and lips cream: it gives the same cooling sensation making any fatigue signs disappear from my eyes, any fine lines around them less visible, and my lips highly kissable!

I don’t have any serious deep lines to confirm their first claim, but surely my skin feels and looks perfect for the couple of weeks I have been using the cream and I got addicted to my night skin routine I once used to skip, because of them.

But most important: their products are Free of: Parabens, Silicone, Propylene Glycol, Mineral Oil, Ethanolamine and Phthalates.

You may also check their online Beauty Advisor for a personal evaluation.

So, are you having a glass of APIVITA wine elixir with me? Maybe on my next visit I could bring you some! If interested, email me at idol@mail.com

Cheers !

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