Summer Travel Essentials w/ Travalo, Tocca & Tata Harper Skincare

There's about 5 more weeks left of summer (before Labor Day) and I've already been on a few trips to LA, Chicago & D.C. Traveling during the summer makes me feel like a kid again and packing my essentials now have become harder. There is no one to lug my baggage for me! So, I have learned to make sure I bring items that necessary, multi-purpose and I plan my outfits better so I don't bring too many clothes that I don't end up wearing. I'm also discovering new beauty products that I can take with me that are TSA-friendly and/or small enough to store in my carry-on!

Essentials for your travel...

Scents- If you can't bear to live without your favorite perfume and you only have the full size version, may I introduce to you Travalo. It's a refillable mini perfume bottle atomizer spray that will literally take a sample of your own perfume into this mini bottle. Always bummed that I couldn't bring my full-size fragrance, Promise Me, I always had to look for mini samples to wear it instead. No longer do I have to do this b/c this no-spill solution helps me take along my scents. Note: To clean between scents, fill a spray bottle with water. Pump the water into your Travalo and spray out. Repeat if necessary, especially if your prior scent is too strong. Personally, I would make sure the next scent is in the same note family. Don't mix! :)

SPF- Tocca Suncreen Towelettes are an alternative to apply your sunscreen w/o the bottle. I choose the face stick routine, but I've also discovered these towelettes to use for the rest of my body (arms, legs, feet, you name it!) They are natural- meaning they only contain Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide, which is good, b/c I am allergic to the chemical sunscreen ingredients. This pack of 10 towelettes in a resealable package is great to toss in your travel bag- beach, bike ride, hiking, even a walk in the park! Note: These aren't like moist towelettes! The sunscreen is a bit thick on the towelette and you still have to use your hands for an even application.

(above: TATA HARPER Starter Kit)

Skincare- Go Natural with TATA HARPER Skincare line. At the iFABBO NYC blogger meet up, attendees got 3 samples from her line, including the Refreshing Cleanser, Restorative Eye Creme and Hydrating Floral Essence. These mini samples are great to store in your travel case to help cleanse your face, depuff your circles under your eyes and to hydrate your skin after a plane ride. I especially love the Refreshing Cleanser b/c it smells absolutely amazing, a light grapefruit scent, that does not overdry and leaves your skin feeling its best. It also looks like pink yoghurt, but is really made of French Pink Clay to deep cleanse your pores. Note: Love the natural ingredients but is also very pricey.. $50 for 1.7 fl. oz. Keep saving for great skincare!


(Disclaimer: I received this product from the company's PR agency/gift bag to test, try and share my thoughts with my readers.)

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RMS Beauty Haul from The Makeup Show

At this year's The Makeup Show I had the pleasure of meeting Rose Marie Swift from RMS Beauty. I have heard of her products, known for its organic cosmetic color. Their philosophy is based on using organic, food-grade ingredients for their products that will also nourish your skin. So its natural ingredients are not processed so you only get things that are good and health for your skin. They believe in natural beauty as well as good health! How can you not love this brand? :)

I knew I had to own some of their products so I was excited they were selling it at a discount. Their collection contains makeup essentials such as Lip2Cheek colors, concealers, eye shadows, raw Coconut Cream (which has turned to oil since it is so hot now), and more!

The goodies I picked up for myself are: (Prices range from $15-25 for each- can't remember)
1) Lip2Cheek in Modest- a pretty pink shade, I love how it can be used for both your cheeks AND your lips. You will get a natural flush and since it is so creamy, you can blend to get more color if you want. For your lips, you will get a cute pink pout.

2) Cream Eye Shadow in Seduce- This creamy shadow is so easy to use and its formula literally glides onto your eyelids. Since it is so creamy and easy to blend, a little goes a long way. If you want more color, you can simply pat on more for more coverage. Great to use everyday for a nice neutral look. Definitely recommend this!

3) Raw Coconut Cream- This Coconut Cream is a natural makeup remover, so you can dip a cotton ball to swipe away your makeup. It was a solid cream when I first got it but after a few days, it completely turned into a tub of oil. You can easily turn it back into solid by leaving in the fridge, but it's all the same.


Learn more about RMS Beauty here> http://www.rmsbeauty.com/

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How-to: Reduce Stress and Look Younger!

6 Stress Busters That'll Make You Look Younger

There's nothing like feeling crazed to make you look, well, old. Here's how to avoid that nasty side effect to stress

This is a TotalBeauty.com women and stress article As if the job, bills, family demands, and everything else that gets us feeling frazzled to begin with weren't enough, stress also manifests in our skin and health. That's why these 6 stress busters are so essential. They'll help calm your anxiety and make you look years younger. We swear. De-stress now

Influenster's Beauty Voxbox- More reviews!

Since I received my Influenster.com June Beauty Voxbox, I've been using all the products to a tee- just to try it out and some I've been liking more and more as I use them! In addition to the Meaningful Beauty by Cindy Crawford samples, I received:
1) Pure Silk Shave Cream in Raspberry Mist- This shaving cream is one of my favorite products in the box. It's a shaving cream that smells fantastic.. and leaves my skin feeling silky soft. The mousse-y textured shaving cream is quite thick but feels very light as well. If you can find this in your local store, you should try this out. There's no residue feeling after washing too, so it cleans right off your skin.

2) Softsoap in PamperedHands Foaming Soap in Plum- This foaming soap is good if you're a fan of foam soap. (My roomies love this so I happily shared this with them!) I find foam soap a bit overdrying sometimes. The scent also was a bit strong for me too, so although I did not find this my top pick personally, I keep hearing my roomies raving about this soap and scent. I prefer either bar soaps or gel liquid soaps.

3) Diamancel Diamond foot file - It's the summer so it is complete sandals & flipflop mode for my feet. The worst thing to have are cracked heels showing, so the foot file is designed to remove calluses. If you're lucky and your heels are already smooth, skip this! This thin, silver paddle has tiny ridges that look like diamonds to help smooth away your hard skin. Instructions tell me to use this on dry feet only, so slough, slough away!

4) Green Tea Peel Off masque by Montagne Jeunesse - this peel off masque had a lemon-y scent that was fun to use for travel. The packaging is best for travel and if you have an empty jar, you can even save its contents. Read my full review here.

5) Garden Botanika's Anti-aging lip treatment - This clear formulated lip treatment left my lips feeling smooth and acts as a good clear base before applying lipsticks. It's a treatment to help with fine lines/wrinkles on your lips that you get as you age, so although I haven't seen any significant difference yet, I like the way it feels and will keep using this! It's got a lot of product in the jar, so it's great! Definitely handy to carry in my bag and the jar is reusable too! :)




(Disclaimer: I received this product from Influenster to test, try and share my thoughts with my readers.)

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July BIRCHBOX: My first one!!

After hearing so many raves & reviews on Birchbox, I finally drank the juice and bought my very first one in July! What is Birchbox?

The Cynthia Rowley designed and themed box contains her personal picks which includes some of her favorites! I was hoping to see a bit more makeup picks, but her philosophy is minimal makeup (read article here) so now I understand why.

The July box contains 4 products & an EXTRA bonus- the KIND fruit & nut bar which is already in my belly. For $10, you get 5 mini samples that you may have or have not tried before. (Shipping IS included.) The surprise & gift in your mail element is probably the main thing that would make me continue to subscribe and get more Birchboxes. The products overall are good but some are hit & miss. For example, I'm a not a huge fan of hair styling products, but I do love the Korres Showergel.

What's also great about Birchbox is that there are also multiples- so some may not have gotten the Korres showergel but received a parfum, or pressed powder instead.

See all of Cynthia Rowley's picks here.

The Korres Showergel in Guava smells delicious and is a really great showergel to use in the summer. It's light scent makes your skin feel refreshing! I also like the Zoya mini nailpolish in Pandora. The nude color is great for a sophisticated look and it's got some glimmers too. The Philosophy Purity cleanser is one I have not tried yet but can't wait. It's got great reviews and this creamy formula looks like it will clean well w/o overdrying.. will let you know how that works. I haven't tried the Redken Shine Flash glistening mist yet, as I normally don't use a lot of hair styling products. I'd have to try it though and see how shiny my hair can be! :)

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Sephora Beauty Insiders: Josie Maran 500 Point Gift

This weekend, I snagged the new Sephora Beauty Insiders 500 Point kit with Josie Maran products. I had a Sephora GC & 500 points in my Sephora "bank" so I needed to get this asap! A huge fan of Josie Maran products, I knew this was the right gift for me to redeem my points for. How could I resist? (See more reviews here..)

According to the site.. this is what the 500 point gift is:

This natural-beauty set of Josie Maran's top-sellers features their star ingredient, argan oil, for an instantly healthy glow and gorgeously conditioned skin, hair, and lashes. - Argan Hair Serum 0.169 oz - GOGO Instant Natural Volume Argan Mascara 0.11 oz - Argan Natural Volume Lip Gloss - Precious 0.128 oz - 100% Pure Organic Argan Oil 0.507 oz - Argan Cleansing Oil 0.507 oz

In addition to my BONUS gift, I also redeemed a coupon code I found via Ebates (you can also get up to 6% cashback too) to get ELEVEN more samples of hair products! :) (Not including my 3 free samples complimentary of every Sephora order! SUBSCRIBE (or follow) Beauty & All That to see what I got.. coming soon!

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Summer Perfume- What's Yours?

Your Perfect Summer Perfume

A one-stop guide to finding your perfect summer scent -- no dealing with pushy salesladies or spending hours in Sephora required

This is a TotalBeauty.com perfume article There's something about summer that makes us want to switch to a scent that's a bit lighter and fresher than what we wear in the fall and winter. But trying to find a new perfume that's right for you can be like looking for a needle in a haystack -- until now. Get your summer scent

Sally Hansen & Tracy Reese Summer Collection is here!

(From left to right, Summer Plum, Eel Skin, Delphinium, Barracuda, First Kiss & Malt)

This summer I am sporting fun shades on my nails and I am so glad to see Sally Hansen & Tracy Reese collaborate (again!) for a gorgeous nail color collection. As always, I am psyched because the colors are always perfect for the season and the quality of the formulafor Complete Salon Manicure never disappoint. Above are all the shades in the collection, except for Coral Fever. I recently saw this at my local drugstore but I am surprised that the stands do not have any mention about the collaboration.. it's a shame really, because I think more people would buy it if they knew it was a designer joint effort!

I seriously love all of these colors, but these three are nice pastel options for this summer: Delphinium, Barracuda, and First Kiss. Summer is all about fun in the sun and relaxing!

Here are swatches of First Kiss & Summer Plum. Each application lasted more than a week and they were really easy to apply with its wide brush. <3 these!


Another FABULOUS collection is the Prabal Gurung designed collaboration...

I got to try 2 colors from the collection above, Runway Red-y & Model Behavior. The color on the right is Camelia and is part of the overall new designer collection. Thoughts on all these colors?

(Disclaimer: I received this product from this company's PR agency to test, try and share my thoughts with my readers.)

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Meaningful Beauty by Cindy Crawford review from Influenster's Voxbox

From my June Beauty Voxbox from Influenster.com, I received samples from the Meaningful Beauty by Chttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifindy Crawford skincare line. (Learn more about the Influenster.com program to earn badges and qualify to receive your very own VoxBox!)

I had seen an infomercial about collection and was amazed to see Cindy Crawford look so amazing now as she had been in her twenties. Cindy partnered with Dr.Sebagh to create this line based on an anti-oxidant complex from a rare melon in Southern France. Sounds quite exotic to think of this superfruit's benefits on your skin..

The anti-aging skincare set contains the following:
1) Skin Softening Cleanser - This mild cleanser is great for keeping your skin smooth & soft for the summer. It doesn't foam much but its a nice lotion-y cleanser. Recommended if you have normal to dry skin.
2) Antioxidant Day Creme - unfortunately it has SPF chemical blockers which I am allergic to so I was not able to test this.
3) Anti-Aging Night Creme - this night cream has lots of antioxidants and vitamins to help get your skin at its best at night. This is great for aging skin, and it's never too early for prevention.. My skin hasn't changed much but I'll continue to use this since I like how my skin feels in the morning.
4) Lifting Eye Creme - This eye creme felt very light on my skin. My dark circles felt hydrated and it felt nice. I recommend using just a tiny amount because it's all you need. It can get a bit sticky if you layer it on..
5) Firming Chest and Neck Creme- I don't usually use neck or chest cremes, and especially during the summer, it is too hot for me to do so. I tried this and definitely would recommend this during the winter or when it gets a bit cooler. It left my skin feeling smooth but again, a bit sticky, so I will hold on to this for another few months.

Overall, it is important to pick and choose from a skincare line which products suit you. In the summer, I will continue to use the cleanser, night cream and the eye creme sparingly, but will wait until it's a bit cooler for the neck creme. I believe in "less is more" so it's not necessary to keep using these products all the time. It's important to use a simple cleanser and moisturizer, and of course eat right, and sleep lots! :)
(Disclaimer: I received this product from Influenster to test, try and share my thoughts with my readers.)

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Skintimate & Designer Mara Hoffman collaborate for Limited Edition shaving cream cans!

This summer is all about everything bright, bold and beautiful! New York Fashion designer Mara Hoffman teamed up with Skintimate to create these gorgeously designed cans for 4 of their shaving creams. Packaging and design is important to me, just as much as the product. It makes the product fun to use and easier in most cases! If not, at least it is pretty to look at too. These limited edition cans are very aesthetically pleasing and will brighten up any bathroom.

There are 4 different designs for the 4 flavors. From left to right:
1) Skintimate® Skin Therapy in Dry Skin is a unique moisture rich lotionized gel combined with a skin softening complex of restorative moisturizers, vitamins and anti-oxidants

2) Skintimate® Signature Scents™ in Flirty Mango™ is enriched with the succulent scent of fresh mango along with olive butter, Vitamin E and Pro-Vitamin B5

3) Skintimate® Signature Scents™ in Strawberry Tangerine Twist™ includes the luscious fragrance of summer fruits along with olive butter, Vitamin E and Pro-Vitamin B5

4) Skintimate® Signature Scents™ in Raspberry Rain® features a refreshing fragrance of fresh raspberries along with olive butter, Vitamin E and Pro-Vitamin B5.

The Raspberry Rain is the one that I tried and along with my Schick® Quattro for Women® Disposable Razors with Raspberry Rain™ scented handles, it made the experience overflowing with Raspberry overload- not that I mind one bit! It smells heavenly - just the right amount of Raspberry, and as always the Skintimate formula left my legs feeling smooth. The combination w/ the Schick razor and Skintimate cream gave me a close shave, perfect because I am literally wearing shorts, skirts & dresses everyday this month! (It's unbearably hot right now..) If you're looking for a beautifully designed and great shaving cream to use this summer, I would highly recommend snagging one of these before it's gone! They're only available until September!

(Disclaimer: I received this product from this company's PR agency to test, try and share my thoughts with my readers.)

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Summer scrub w/ Burt's Bees! Bonus- Sneak peek on new products!

This summer, it' all about short shorts, tanks, skirts- anything to show off your smooth arms and legs! To get your skin at its best, it is important to exfoliate to keep your skin at its best. Since I have been using the new Burt's Bees Mango & Orange Sugar Scrub daily, my skin has never looked summer-ready!

I already heard great things about their sugar scrub in Cranberry & Pomegranate (even won the 2010 Fitness Award) so I knew the Mango & Orange one would be just as great! I'm a huuuge fan of citrus-y scents so the mango/orange combination makes is smell so yummy that you wish you could eat it. I was not disappointed- the scrub was everything I could ask for. It's light oil and fruity scent helps slough off dead skin cells. (you don't want the sweat to still be on your skin right?) After using this, my entire body felt like it came back from a spa with completely smooth, moisturized skin (be careful, it can get a bit slippery in the tub!).

I saw at a drugstore/market that sold Burt's Bees products a preview of upcoming items! Looks like there will be new body bars, cleansing towelettes and a new line of products for sensitive skin! (Sold in your local stores in July 2011, but if you don't see them, they are selling them online!) The two new scents are the Mango & Orange and Honey & Shea.

Ingredients: sucrose, aqua (water, eau), mangifera indica (mango) seed oil, mangifera indica (mango) juice, passiflora edulis fruit juice, olea europaea (olive) fruit oil, helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, mangifera indica (mango) fruit, cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, ascorbic acid, citric acid, citrus aurantium dulcis (orange) oil, citrus aurantium dulcis (orange) peel powder, citrus aurantium dulcis (orange) peel wax, glycerin, glycine soja (soybean) oil, lactic acid, mangifera indica (mango) seed butter, vitis vinifera (grape) seed oil, parfum (fragrance), potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, tocopherol, limonene

(Disclaimer: I received this product from this company's PR agency to test, try and share my thoughts with my readers.)

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July 4 Special: Beauty Products Made in America

Fabulous Beauty Products Made in America

This 4th of July, be proud to be an American with these home-grown beauty brands

This is a TotalBeauty.com beauty products article With our economy trying desperately to make a recovery, what better time than now to support the beauty brands that proudly keep jobs in the U.S.? Show your patriotism by supporting these made-in-America companies. See brands