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Beauty

Face Serums VS. Moisturizers : What You Need To Know

I come from a family of physicians, so when it comes to products that I use – especially on my face – I have to understand some of the science behind it.  My husband doesn’t show any empathy when I don’t think something is working AND when I don’t know anything about it.  That being said, I am a lifelong Eucerin user when it comes to moisturizer on my face , but lately I have been trying out face serums.  Naturally, I wanted to know what the heck they even are so I looked it up!

*Please note, the hydration body cream is NOT to be used on the face.  Please use an alternate face moisturizer to layer over the face serum.*

Active Hydration Face Serum | Hydrating Body Cream | Micro-dermabrasion Paste| Lash Boost

What’s The Difference?

According to WebMD, moisturizers have ingredients like petroleum and mineral oil to give it more density and in many cases creaminess.  With face serums, they have stripped out all the fluffing ingredients.  In doing that, serums are left with high impact, active ingredients like antioxidants, peptides (proteins such as collagen), and in the case of this active hydrating serum, hyaluronic acid (aka the fountain of youth).

What is Hyaluronic Acid?

Aside from being skin care’s biggest star of the moment, it is something that we naturally make in our bodies (babies have a ton of it which is why they have the best skin).  As we age we make less, which is why we use products infused with this molecule to help improve firmness and elasticity on our face.  The science is clear, check out this study which observed women who used hyaluronic acid for 8 weeks.

I have received several face serums lately, but in looking at the ingredients they are NOT all the same and so understanding what is in these products is important.  I was first introduced to Rodan and Fields a few years ago and have been a loyal Lash Boost user for years.  I also have had a great experience with their Bright Eye Complex product in the past (see my before and after photos here).  When I have had a good experience with a brand, I am more likely to consider other products in the collection.  That being said, I recently had the opportunity to test out and use their new Active Hydration  line of products and wanted to share with you why they are different, and in this case better!

The Science

By nature, human skin is ‘hydrophobic’ which means that our skin actually repels water which is why we don’t swell up when we go swimming.  With the Active Hydration Face Serum, they have paired up the hyaluronic acid with glycerin to help penetrate the skin and allow for the hyaluronic acid molecule to bind to it and sit on top of the skin providing a seal for hydration.  The science, down to the molecular level, is honestly downright amazing!

The Takeaway

I have used both the Active Hydration face serum and body cream religiously for two weeks and have loved my results so far.  I still have some uneven skin coloration so I may be headed for their Reverse collection next.

I hope that this review was helpful in understanding things that separate products from others.  If you have any questions, feel free to leave them below.  Want 10% off…email Neela Metgud at [email protected].

Your Chick,

Rina

This post has been sponsored by an independent consultant for Rodan + Fields, but the opinions are all our own.

Beauty

I Finally Got My Eyebrows Microbladed and Here Are My Thoughts

When one of my favorite beauty bloggers Irene Sarah got microblading I felt like that was my sign to just go for it.  Microblading has been on my radar for almost 2 years, and I have been coloring in my brows since 1999 – seriously! After watching hours of YouTube videos, I looked up some reviews and came across Havy Tran of Chicago Microblading located in Schaumburg, IL.  Truthfully, my goal was simple, just make my daily make up routine a little easier by having my eyebrows ready to go every day.

Havy has the best and most patient personality especially for someone like me that came in with images of Irene, Huda, and of course Priyanka.  She knew the look I was going for, bigger, thicker, fuller brows – period.  We talked through some options and looked at dozens of photos and agreed on a combination strategy that would involve drawing in hair lines as well as shading.  We carefully mapped out the lines on my face and then got to work.

**Please note: I got a chemical peel 4 days before microblading so some of the scabbing on my face is from the peel.  I wanted the pictures to be as unaltered as possible so I am using the originals so that you can see the true result.**

Before And After

Microblading involves injecting pigment into the top seven layers of skin and therefore does not go deep enough to cause bleeding or even scarring (unless you have sensitive skin).  It should last about 18 months and save you hours of time and product!

The first ten minutes on a scale from one to ten were a seven on my pain scale.  After that Havy numbed me up and finished up in about 25 minutes.  The immediate results are dramatic, but after about a week the excess ink and slight scabbing went away to show the real result.  In my case the result was a very natural and closely mimicked my daily drawing in of brows.

My brows 10 days after microblading, no more filling in!

All in all the procedure costs $650 and includes a touch up 3-4 weeks after your initial visit.  I would not recommend ‘shading’ only the drawing in of hairs.  As you can see in my photos, the shading has a tattoo like effect that seems unnatural.  Another thing I noticed, is that I got is that the ink Havy used may have been one shade darker than something that is natural looking on me.

Despite the feedback, I love being make up ready when I wake up, it’s just one of those things that drove me crazy.  I will do a follow up in about six months on how the ink is holding up, but for now:

I hope you found this review helpful or interesting.  Would you get your eyebrows microbladed?

Your Chick,

Rina

Chick Picks for Perfect Eyebrows:

 

Beauty, Lifestyle

Mimosas and Makeup with Ricardo Costales

**Sale Alert: Friends And Family is happening NOW!! Use code: FRIENDS and stock up!**

When celebrity make up artist Ricardo Costales comes to your town, you find time to get there for the latest tips in skin care and make up.  In my town in middle Georgia we don’t get opportunities like this often so I knew I had to make the best of it.

I rounded up my friends for this annual event at our Lancome counter located in our local Belk store and started off our day with mimosas and makeovers! There were nine make up artists that had come in from Atlanta to glam us all up! The team was as glamorous as the event space that they had carved out from the store.

Shop My Outfit:

I am already a Lancome customer, but there were some new products that I wanted to share with you that I scooped up.

My Lancome Faves:

If you have not tried micellar water as a makeup remover yet,  you must! This water based product has the oils in it separated at the molecular level to attracts makeup and dirt to get it off your face. Its incredible! With very little scrubbing Bi Facil gets the job done – even my favorite waterproof mascara!

They have an amazing line of foundation sticks, but I went really dark on the color and use the foundation stick as a contour stick (the color I use is 555-Suede linked here) because its so silky smooth and easy to blend.  I blend for ALL evening events that I attend – it makes my make up more ‘fierce.’

Lastly, speaking of foundations, if you use a liquid foundation consider using this foundation brush when you can’t grab for the beauty blender(or don’t have water to make it damp). This brush is so soft and spreads beautifully to get you the coverage you need.

Thank you so much to all my friends who came out to attend this event and a major shout out to the team at Belk for hosting events like this in communities all over the country!

Your Chick,

Rina Puri

Chick Picks:
Beauty, Fashion

Keep it simple this Summer with Sneakers, Bodysuits, and SPF!

Living in the South, the sun is strong and HOT!  As someone who loves the outdoors and spending time doing stuff with my kids means getting a whole lot of fresh air.   There was time where I would wear wedges to the zoo, but thankfully, sneakers are trending with dresses, skirts, and shorts.  Now  it’s so much easier to be trendy and cute with a cute pair of white kicks.  I do wear different sneakers for the gym and for family outings so I am going to focus on the later.  I personally have about four pairs ranging from Adidas to  Gucci, it just depends on the occasion, but a zoo outing for example is perfect for my Adidas Rose Gold sneakers.

As a denim junkie, I almost always wear high waisted jeans – I need the pockets and love the way this pair make me feel!  But cami’s that are bodysuits (like the one I am wearing here) are going to be my best friends this summer.  There are so many designs that have merged the comfort of a loose cami with the stay power of a bodysuit.  With young children I love being able to bend over and pick them up without showing too much in the front and back (if you know what I mean!).  Here are a few of my picks for this summer like the one I am wearing here.

Bodysuit Picks:

Now that I have got my #OOTD together, my next thought goes to skin care.  Neutrogena’s line of Healthy Skin Make Up has SPF 55 in it!  It’s a great drugstore find that takes all skin colors into consideration and the fact that you plan to enjoy the sun.  The liquid foundation has SPF 20 ( I am wearing color 100 Natural Tan) in and the pressed foundation has SPF 55 in it ( I use color 60 Natural Beige) !! It’s perfect for a family outing to the zoo!  I almost always lather up with Neutrogena’s water resistant sunscreen lotion before applying makeup on days that I will be in the sun all day. 

Plan on seeing variations of this look over and over again this summer, check out more beauty and fashion from the chicks here!

The countdown to summer starts now!

Your Chick,

Rina