Obagi Professional-C Serum 20% & What I did last week!

It's the policy of Beautylogic to wait six weeks to test a skin care product before giving a review. With this product-Obagi Professional-C Serum 20%,  I've only waited five. Why? Well the results are pretty impressive. As I've told you gal before, Vitamin C is one of the effective  antioxidants you can use on your face. But not just any Vitamin C. It has to be a stable form of vitamin c because not all vitamin c's work topically. The Obagi Professional C-Serum 20% comes in a dropper, and contains 20% Vitamin C. There are less percentages available as well, just in case your skin is super sensitive. Vitamin C is responsible for collagen synthesis. Collagen is what keeps your face plump and wrinkle free. I apply about five to six drops on my face every morning and evening before bed.  The smell of this is very light, almost citrusy but not quite. This leaves your skin with such a beautiful glow.  I really can't describe it. My skin looks luminous! Lately, since my hyperpigmentation and acne are almost gone (I'm doing my follow up post either this week or next week on how I got rid of it.) I've been more comfortable without foundation. So I use this serum, wait about 5 minutes for it to absorb, and then apply my moisturizer with spf of course. I've gotten so many compliments on my skin, and how healthy it has been looking lately. This is truly a winning product!
If you're trying to anti-age (which you better be) or are trying to even out your skin tone, I highly recommend this product.

How was your weekend/or last week loves?

I hope it was highly productive and you are making all your dreams come true. 

Mine was pretty sweet.

Cassie is back in town so we got to hang out.

We were totally not trying to match.
We had no idea we would both be wearing checkered dresses.
If you're wondering, my shoes are from Zara.
I'm all about color this season.

Here's something really cool.
My hubby was hosting a huge event at Times Square
and he was all over the Times Square jumbatron

Cassie and I both read a really great book which we recommend to all single women. Stay tuned for the review this week.

Over the weekend Cassie, and I got together and went to a street fair.

New York has the best street fairs.

Hope you had an amazing weekend and if you're a mom, an AMAZING MOTHERS DAY.

Oh by the way winner of Lorac giveaway is Tralonda.
Tralonda you have two days to get back to me or we will have to give this to someone
else.

Hugs,

Milly

Obagi provided by pr for review.

It's a 10 Miracle Leave-in Plus Keratin

You girls know how much I love It's a 10 Miracle Leave In Product.
I reviewed it here before.
Click here for that review.
I loved how silky, and gorgeous it left Linette. (Linette is the name I gave my hair, don't judge me!)
Now, It's a 10 has just released their "It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In Plus Keratin."
It's the same formulation but with nourishing Keratin included. 
This stuff is the BUSINESS.
It leaves Linette so unbelievably soft.
I used it before I got my hair done.
Left my hair feeling like silk and incredibly shiny.

Each and every It’s a 10 product is formulated to deliver a combination of 10 benefits.

1.      Maintenance of keratin straightening treatments

2.     Increase styling and manageability

3.     Perfect for all hair types

4.     Replaces lost protein

5.     Protects the natural keratin in hair

6.     Protects against heat

7.     Restores hydration balance

8.     Detangles, defrizzes and adds shine

9.     Strengthens hair structure

10.   Seals cuticles for extra silky hair

Linette and I highly approve.

Product provided by pr for review.

Hugs,

Milly

Yager Esthetics, YSPA and Win a Facial Valued At $200

One of my all time favorite neighborhoods in NYC is Washington Heights. It's a beautiful neighborhood, which many of my people (Dominicans) call home. The neighborhood is filled with fantastic restaurants where you can get delicious Dominican cuisine for incredible prices, beautiful parks, friendly people, and wonderful salons where you can get your hair done and look like you spent a fortune when in fact you probably spent no more than $20 bucks. Washington Heights also contains a hidden gem that I recently discovered. It's called Yaeger Esthetics &Spa or YSpa. It's a med spa which means it can offer prescription strength remedies, and skin care  that many day spas cannot offer. All of the treatment providers are estheticians and everyone there is bilingual. I was recently invited by the spa to review their services, and all I got to say is Wooh mama!

First off the spa itself is gorgeous, and it contains advanced treatments that a spa connoisseur like myself (jk) have never heard of!The spa was started by Dr. Jeffrey Yager, whom I interviewed before the service. I liked him right away. The Doctor is American(fully bilingual) and realized that there were no spas that catered specifically to women of color so he set out to make it happen.

When I first walked in, I was invited to try their Visia system. It's this futuristic contraption that allows the Doctor to see what condition your skin is in now, and even what you could look like in the future as you age. It was so interesting. It also provided me with things I needed to work on when it came to my skin care regime. I loved it.

Me inside the Visia System

Then I was invited to try their silk peel. It's like microdermabrasian but uses liquid alongside with it so it won't irritate the skin. Women of color have  incredibly sensitive skin, and any slight irritation can lead to hyperpigmentation (yes I experience this alot). The silk peel helps prevent this problem! I loved this treatment. And after the esthetician was done, she showed me a jar full of all the crap that she took out of my skin. It was kind of disgusting! lol (So random but the esthetician kind of reminded me of my mother.)Anyway,  when I left, my skin was GLOWING! I mean glowing. It looked so incredibly healthy.  And usually microdermabrasian will leave my skin very red, but I did not experience this with the silk peel at all. My skin looked amazing!!!

I highly recommend this spa for all women! YSPA knows we love giving away things here on beautylogic. So they are giving one Beautylogic reader a silk peel treatment valued at $200.00.

Here's what you have to do to enter. 


Tell me about your mother or anyone that has played a huge role in shaping the person you are today. 
Here's my grandmother (abuela):

My abuela died recently. This is my abuela from my mother's side. My other abuela (my dad's mom) is still alive and kicking.
Writing this right now is making me tear up. But my abuela loved me so much. She did so much for me growing up and for so many people. She was such an independent woman. She started a school in the Dominican Republic when that was unheard of. She got married at 31 when most women in the Dominican Republic were getting married at 20 or younger and starting a family. Not Abuela! She wanted to focus on her career first.  She taught me so much about beauty and taking care of yourself and making sure to love others. She was never seen without her signature purple nail polish. She had twelve kids of her own, but adopted five other kids from friends who needed help. I realized how loved she was on the day of her wake. Hundreds of people came to pay their respects. There was a line outside of people waiting to see her.  Many telling me of all the amazing things she did, things that I never knew of.   She is my hero. I miss you abuela.

Let me know something about anyone who has shaped your life. You don't have to be as descriptive as I am.
Winner will get announced Tuesday.

Yager Esthetics
130 Fort Washington Avenue
New York, NY 10032
t: 212-543-1700
F: 212-543-1707

Also remember my Lorac giveaway ends Monday.
To all mothers, Happy Mothers Day!

Hugs,

Milly

6 Additions to Your Spring Makeup Bag

Hey loves, yesterday was truly a glorious NYC day. The weather hit over 70 degrees,and I saw a lot of women with gorgeous spring sundresses and sandals. I also saw a few other things. Things that made me go hmmmm. I'm talking greasy oily skin, foundations that were fading, runny mascara all over the eyes, etc.  A lot of us go into the Spring, and use the same exact stuff in our makeup bag that we use in the Winter. That's a huge mistake which can lead to problems in the spring such as greasy faces, runny mascara, etc!  It's time to de-winterize our makeup bag and get it spring ready.

One of my makeup bags. I have 7 of them. What can I say? Makeup is an addiction!

Like I said before yesterday was a glorious spring day. However,  the fact is I noticed a lot of people whose faces could have been used  to pan fry some chicken. So many greasy faces! Now during the winter, because the air is dry,  our skin tends need more moisture so we can pack on the moisturizer and still have dry skin. However, during the summer/spring, the exact opposite happens. Because of the humidity, the sun blazing on our faces, our skin can actually become incredibly hydrated-too hydrated and that can lead to a greasy oily face (nothing says unsexy like an oily face).

So this is the perfect time of year to start investing in some oil blotting sheets.Here are some I recommend:


Oil Blotting Sheets
Boscia blotting linens-You get 100 of these for about 10 bucks, and they work.

Clean & Clear: I"m pretty sure Clean & Clear was one of the first inventors of the oil blotting sheets. These are a staple in many women and makeup artist bags.

Trick: If you're ever stuck with a greasy face, and you don't have any oil blotting sheets, go to a public bathroom. If you see toilet seat covers take one, rip a part of it off, and use it to degrease your face.

Primer:
Primers are so essential during these warm months when makeup can fade or rub off. Primers ensure that your makeup stays on, wont fade, and applies perfectly.

Laura Mercier Primer for Oily skin-is a favorite of many including famed makeup artist Sam Fine.

L'Oreal Studio Secrets Magic Perfecting Base : If you're looking for drugstore brand, I've used this one before and found it to be pretty effective.

Trick: Someone told me that Monistat is an amazing skin primer. I haven't tried it, but if you have any handy, why not give it a whirl. lol



Waterproof Mascara
I spotted a girl yesterday whose eyes were incredibly watery due to allergies which led to her eye makeup all over the place.   With allergy season, sweating, and heat, waterproof mascara during this time is SUPER ESSENTIAL!

 Lancome Definicils Waterproof -One of my all time favorite mascaras.

Maybelline Falsies Waterproof-This is currently my favorite drugstore brand mascara. This gives you serious length, volume, everything you could ask for. I actually have been asked if I'm wearing fake lashes when I have these on.

Tinted Moisturizer
During the warmer months, foundations may look a little heavy on the skin. This might be a really good time to invest in a good tinted moisturizer with SPF.

Josie Maran Tinted Moisturizer-This is slightly heavier than a normal tinted moisturizer, but not as heavy as a full coverage foundation. Plus I love that it contains so many nourishing ingredients for the skin:

  Neutrogena Healthy Skin Tinted Moisturizer

Setting Spray-Urban Decay All Night Setting Spray

I'm kind of obsessed with Urban Decay's all night setting spray. This works really well. I applied this while away two weeks ago, and  my makeup lasted all night, even though I was at a club dancing some serious reggae. However, my cousin tried it, and she wasn't a fan at all. To me, it's a very effective product. I would try the trial size first. You can get it at Sephora for $10.00

Bright Makeup
This spring it's all about bright bright bright. So let's do something fun. Let's get rid of our boring black eyeliners, and replace them with some greens, blues, colors that really make the eyes pop. The same with blushes, go for bright corals and peaches, and for eye shadows. Let's go wild with metallics, bright pops of purples, and greens. My favorite trend this season: Bright Lips.  Get rid of those dark colors, and replace them with bright oranges, pinks, and fiery reds. Colors that really make your lips stand out! I'm actually doing a post solely on the bright spring makeup trend soon so stay tuned.

When it's spring time, what do you add to your makeup bag?

Also, have you entered my Lorac giveaway?

It ends next Monday.

Tomorow I'll be reviewing Yager Spa and doing a giveaway for a facial worth $200.00 for mother's day so stay tuned.


Hugs,

Milly

Tria Sweepstakes with Kim Kardashian

You don't have to be a celebrity like Kim Kardashian to afford professional-grade laser hair removal! Visit http://www.triabeauty.com/starletsweeps for your chance to win TRIA Beauty's brand new hair removal laser and a star quality shopping spree.

 

Grand Prize: TRIA Hair Removal Laser signed by Kim Kardashian and $1,000 shopping spree

 

First Prize: TRIA Hair Removal Laser and $250 shopping spree

 

Second Prize: TRIA Hair Removal Laser

 

 

Winner of Can You get Hooked on Lipbalm & $50 Giftcard

Sorry I'm so late with this. My lil guy wears me out! Winner of this giveaway picked by random.org is Green shushi.

For all of those who didn't win, no worries. I'm having a Lorac giveaway for two winners coming up next!

Can You Get Hooked On Lip Balm? and Win a $50 Gift Certificate From Sephora

As I’ve mentioned before, besides blogging, and makeup, my absolute favorite thing on earth is reading any books related to beauty. It’s a bit of an obsession. I was recently sent the book Can You Get Hooked on Lip Balm? and this book is a def must-read if you’re a beauty junkie like me.  The book is written by the creators of www.thebeautybrains.com. This is a website that is written by a team of  scientist who answer beauty questions and try to debunk many  beauty myths. The book is divided into Hair questions, Makeup questions, Skin questions, and then the Beauty Industry. It’s such an easy read and  I learned so much and agreed with them on so many things. Plus they answered a few questions that I always wondered about, but I was way  too embarrassed to ask.

1)    They agree with me and say that coconut oil and olive oil are highly effective oils for the  hair.

2)    They don’t think that that Wen conditioner is anything special too. (Just like I thought.)

3)    They talk about spending way too much money on hair conditioners and how it’s really not needed. Most $5 to  $10 dollar conditioners are just as good as $30 dollar ones.

4)    They talk about the popular Ojon treatment, and basically say you can get the same thing with a  product containing coconut oil which will probably be way cheaper.

All in all, this book is LOADED with amazing information and I highly recommend it. Anyway, the nice folks at The Beauty Brains are not only giving us a copy of the book to give away, but a $50. Sephora gift certificate as well. 

Just leave any comment here. Tell me something interesting about yourself.

Here’s something interesting. I find after having lil man now that I’m incredibly organized and I can't stand clutter but before I had lil man I was the most disorganized  person you could ever meet. It’s kind of funny. Anyway, for extra chances to win, please follow me on twitter and leave me a comment letting me know you are following me. 

Winner will be announced this Monday. Also, tomorrow or Monday whenever I get around to it (lil man is being a handful), I'm reviewing and giving away some of  Lorac's new Summer Collection. This collection is so  beautiful!!! Here's a peek at some of the products

 Hugs, 

Milly

Keeping Your Hair Gorgeous During the Spring/Summer Months

The spring/summer is here. Due to the sun's rays, chlorine filled pools, beach water, these two seasons are probably the most damaging and drying to your hair.  The pic below is me enjoying time in a pool. As you can see, my hair is out .  But, my hair still stays healthy. Here's what I do to prevent damage to my hair during the spring/summer months.

At the Pool, hair out!

1) Every single time I jump in and out of the pool, I drench my hair with a conditioner containing conconut oil. The one I used while away was Essentious. Why does my conditioner have to contain coconut oil because coconut oil and Olive Oil are the ONLY two oils that naturally penetrate the hair so using them will lessen the damage  caused by chlorine.

2) When I'm walking about in the hot tropical weather, I tend to wear hats. There are so many cool sun hats you can get especially at TJ Maxx.
3) There are a lot of hair products now that contain spf. Use them if you're going to be outdoors a lot.
I blogged about this one before. 

4) During the summer/spring, I tend to shampoo my hair less often. During these months your hair tends to need more moisture. So I shampoo probably the most once a week.
5) I actually do a deep conditioning a lot more than normal especially if I'm in the water.
6) I tend not to do so much heat styling. The most I'll do is once a week. 
7) Also if I'm really crazy about my hair or feel like I've exposed it to too much chlorine, while I'm in the pool, I will wear a protective cap.
8) This is  great time to invest in some good borage oil. Borage oil is great for hydrating from inside out.

Hope this helps.



Hugs,

Milly

Getting Bikini Ready is Easy With Bare Ease

Me and my mystery man

I've missed you guys! I was kidnapped by a hot man who took me away and told me that for four days my only job was to RELAX! Don't tell my hubby. Jk, obviously it was my hubby.  He booked a trip for us last year, and didn't tell me.  I found out about the trip literally one day  before we were supposed to leave.  Thank God I found out in advance! I was totally not bikini ready. A girl had to go get waxed PRONTO!  The problem was my regular waxer Allah couldn't see me. She was booked for days. I begged, cried,pleaded, but they just couldn't squeeze me in. I am so crazy when it comes to getting waxed. Although I've been doing it forever, it still isn't painless. Allah knows me well, and she knows how sensitive my skin down there can be so she has a whole method that works for me. Anyway, I didn't know what to do. I knew there was a waxing place around me, but I had never been there before, and I was so scared . But then I remembered a product that had been sent to me called BareEase. It's supposed to take the pain out of the waxing.

It was created by a female Doctor named  Edna Ma who like all of us hated the pain of being waxed. The main ingredient in this product is Lidocine which is also the main ingredient in local anesthesia. Anyway, I followed the instructions and applied the cream all over my area, then put on the latex underwear that it came with , and then walked to the waxing place close to my house. You're supposed to wait around 30 minutes after application to get waxed. I sat down and told the woman what I wanted. She led me to the room, and began. I thought it would hurt like hell because they didn't even have the sensitive wax that I normally use. I was so nervous but OMG, this stuff works. The pain was barely there. Literally, while she was waxing, I was relaxed enough to text my mom about my surprise trip. If you are scared of getting waxed for the first time (and you should be) I would highly recommend this product.  This was incredibly effective.

Hugs,

Milly

#product sent by pr for review.

5 Tips From Kim Kardashian's Makeup Artist Joyce Bonelli

Hey guys, we're starting a weekly series called "5 Tips From!" It's where we ask a celeb makeup artist five makeup tips, especially for the spring/summer weather. We're going to start our series with friend to the blog, and the woman who is responsible for Kim Kardashian's  amazing makeup, Joyce Bonelli. If you haven't met Joyce yet, click here.  Here are Joyce's 5 Makeup Tips:

1.)  Don't be afraid to get WILD- try adding more than just ONE bright color, especially for spring!!

2.)  Jump outside the boX, and try experimenting with some individual false lashes, as oppose to a strip lash for a more natural feathery look. **Don't forget to trim the lashes as you go toward the tear duct, this gives an even more natural look. 

3.) ALWAYS line your lips with a half shade darker than the color you fill your lips in with to give a more pronounced full shape. 

4.) Although foundation can be a girls best friend, it does nothing for you without setting powder.  Try out some translucent setting powders such as HD powder from Make Up For Ever to get a photo-ready look!

5.) This spring be trendy and go with the trends! Try using more blush and less bronzer. Bronzer has always been a staple in makeup, while this spring its all about bright colorful faces, so try painting your face with bright in mind ;).

Thanks for the tips Joyce!!

Make sure you are following Joyce on twitter. Here's the link. Click here

Hugs, 

Milly