Review: Hope in Jar Moisturizer by Philosophy

As a make-up/skincare junkie, I have heard so much about the Hope in a Jar Moisturizer from YouTube make-up gurus and blogs. Mostly they are rave reviews, and if it didn't cost so much I would have tried it out much earlier. Luckily I received a generous sample size (0.4 ounces, said to be a $12 value) with a recent Sephora purchase and have been putting it to the test. It claims to be suitable for all skin types, 99.99% oil free, and to smooth the complexion by reducing the appearance of wrinkles and discoloration. It also claims it will exfoliate the skin and contains antioxidants.

(This what my cute 0.4 ounce sample tube looks like).

Pros:

• Lightweight
• Hydrates the skin
• Makes skin look smoother
• Sulfate/GMOs/Triclosan free

Cons:

• Smells AWFUL, like plastic (and the smell lingers forever)
• Stings eyes (not getting in them, just getting CLOSE them!)
• Price: $38 for 2 ounces at Sephora; may be cheaper other places

The bottom line for me is that while it does indeed hydrate my skin, it smells so bad and is way too expensive. I'll stick to my old faithful Clinique Dramatically Different gel. 

Thanks so much for reading! Any thoughts on this moisturizer?

As always, found it cheaper on Amazon.com!

My Spray Tan Experience: FAR from looking like an Oompa Loompa!

This is kind of a follow-up to my previous post about the dangers of UV exposure. I live in the Knoxville area and Sun Tan City Tanning Salons offered a special free VersaSpa spray tan with your $5 to a local children's charity. I had never had a spray tan before so I thought this was the perfect opportunity to try it.

It was very quick and simple. Just strip down, step in, push the green start button, and get sprayed. I chose the clear mist that takes 4-6 hours to develop over the instant color because it was recommended by the sales associate and was guaranteed not to get on my clothing. I Googled "Spray Tan Prep" before I went, which recommended exfoliating, shaving, and not using deodorant or anything containing oils on your skin prior to going, as both create a barrier that the spray tan solution cannot penetrate. I followed all of these tips and what resulted was a beautiful, natural golden tan that is perfect. In between my fingers is lighter than my hand, but that is what always happens with any self-tanner and with natural tans to some degree. My friend Stasia, also a first time spray tanner, went and said she had some speckling on her knuckles. Otherwise, we both agreed that we love it!

The outside of the spray tan booth

The inside of the booth

The booth is similar to a shower stall. After applying the supplied lotion to your finger nails, toe nails, and hands, and you put on a shower cap on your hair, leaving about a 1/2 inch of hairline exposed so you don't have an unsightly tan line.  You step in and put your feet on the (faded) red line and push the green start button and an automated voice instructs you to stand in position 1, then a machine starts at your head and sprays a light, clear mist all the way to your toes.. There are 4 positions total, which the salon associate demonstrates and which are really simple. After you have been sprayed, you are dried off by a machine that blows warm air and it's over. It takes about sixty seconds max. Then you can put your clothes back on and carry on with your day.

Overall, I am highly satisfied with my spray and recommend it to anybody who wants a golden tan without the risk of UV exposure. Spray tans get a bad rap for looking orange or like an Oompa Loompa, but they have really come a long way and look very natural.The downside is that it's about $40 per tan, but they have monthly packages that are a better value. 

                                 AFTER Spray Tan                      BEFORE Spray Tan

I would say it made me 2-3 shades darker. It should last about 2 weeks. (Pictures taken outside with no flash.) Have you ever had a spray tan? What was your experience like?

As always, thanks for reading! 

Current Summer Read: 

One person dies from melanoma every hour.

I recently saw a status in my Facebook news feed that went something like this:
"I love going to the tanning bed, it's so relaxing!" It received a lot of "likes" and agreement. I often see check-ins at the tanning bed, or individuals boasting about laying out all day and getting burned. I see pictures of my friends, lobster-red, pointing to a tan line and proudly proclaiming "All in one day!"
I even had a friend who had battled cancer previously in her life ask if anyone knew any good, cheap places to tan. She was going to be a bridesmaid and needed to look good.


This post is for you guys.


Last year, I went to the beach and soaked up the rays, and got a beautiful bronzy tan. Previous to the beach, I laid in the tanning bed in the winter to keep up my tan, and did so after the beach. I wanted that summertime glow and healthy look that being tan helps you achieve. Yes, I got burned a few times in the process, but I felt like burning layers of my skin off was worth looking tan.

A much tanner me...the flash whites out my face, but look at how tan my chest is. That was from hours and hours of laying out with no sunscreen. 

Now, as a 21 year old, I have sun-damaged skin and hyper-pigmentation spots on my face from tanning. It is pretty? NO. Is it healthy looking? Absolutely NOT. The spots look similar to something an old lady would have. I have spent a lot of money on treatments and serums intended to diminish these spots, but in the end I feel like they're stuck there for life. I have single-handedly ruined my skin for the sake of vanity...pretty ironic.

Sun damage

Close up. You can tell it's not a freckle...it's blotchy and unevenly pigmented

Not only does tanning in the sun or in a tanning bed without sunscreen---or in my case, sometimes even with tanning accelerators--- harm your skin in the short term, as I am dealing with, it increases your likelihood of developing skin cancer later on. Check out these statistics from The Skin Cancer Foundation:

• Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. More than 3.5 million skin cancers in over two million people are diagnosed annually.
  
• Each year there are more new cases of skin cancer than the combined incidence of cancers of the breast, prostate, lung and colon.
  
• One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime.

• Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common form of skin cancer; an estimated 2.8 million are diagnosed annually in the US. BCCs are rarely fatal, but can be highly disfiguring if allowed to grow.
  
• Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the second most common form of skin cancer. An estimated 700,000 cases are diagnosed each year in the US, resulting in approximately 2,500 deaths.

• About 90 percent of nonmelanoma skin cancers are associated with exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun.

• One person dies of melanoma every hour (every 62 minutes).

• Melanoma is the most common form of cancer for young adults 25-29 years old and the second most common form of cancer for young people 15-29 years old.

• The vast majority of mutations found in melanoma are caused by ultraviolet radiation.

• Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is a proven human carcinogen. Currently tanning beds are regulated by the FDA as Class I medical devices, the same designation given elastic bandages and tongue depressors.
  
• The International Agency for Research on Cancer, an affiliate of the World Health Organization, includes ultraviolet (UV) tanning devices in its Group 1, a list of the most dangerous cancer-causing substances.Group 1 also includes agents such as plutonium, cigarettes, and solar UV radiation.
  

Source: http://www.skincancer.org/Skin-Cancer-Facts/

This is serious stuff. Tanning is a carcinogen, and it has the capability to kill you. Even if you don't see short-term effects like I did, which I speculate is due to benzoyl peroxide acne creams I use that intensify sun sensitivity, you ARE harming your skin and deliberately exposing yourself to a cancer-causing agent. I had heard all of this information before I went tanning, but I felt like I was young and that was something that affected old people, and that I tan well and didn't ever peel really, so I would be fine. I think a lot of individuals my age that tan feel like I did, or maybe they don't even care because the possibility of developing skin cancer seems like something that they can't be affected by. The desire to look tan, and by society's standards "healthy," trumps any serious medical threats.

I urge you to use sunscreen if you are going to be in the sun.  Use something with SPF on your face and hands daily, summer or winter, to protect your skin. Just apply it 30 minutes before sun exposure. In the summer when your arms/legs/the rest of your body may be exposed, get a bottle of at least SPF 30 and slather it on. The spray-mist bottles are really convenient because you can spay yourself in no time and you're good to go. You will be so thankful ten years down the road when your skin is healthy, has less wrinkles, minimal sun damage, and are far less likely to develop skin cancer, while those who worshiped the sun and tanning bed look leathery and old. 

I am writing this post because I learned the hard way. I ignored all the warnings in return for looking tan, and will forever have the reminder on my face, every time I look in the mirror (no make-up can hide it). Now I use sunscreen on my face daily and use SPF 30 if I am going to be in the sun. Sunless tanners are great for faking it, and now there is a wide variety of affordable sunless tanners you can pick up at Wal-mart. They have come a long way and look natural and non-orangey now. Or you could use that 30 bucks a month you invest in the tanning bed and pick up a high end self-tanner that is guaranteed to look awesome, or get a spray tan.  Here's a few sunscreens and self-tanners that I have used, or have heard a lot of good things about:

Clinique Super City Block Oil-Free Daily Face Protector, $18.00. Sheer and oil-free, the perfect daily sunscreen.

Aveeno Continuous Protection Sunblock for face, SPF 30, about $10

Nuetrogena Wet Skin Sunblock SPF 30, about $12

Jergens Natural Glow products, $7-15 dollars depending on what you buy. A really nice gradual tanning system. The face tanner contains SPF 20.

Lancome Flash Bronzer, $35. No SPF but gives a natural, rich brown color in about 30 minutes. A great alternative to tanning.


St. Tropez Self Tan Bronzing Mousse, $30. This one I have not tried myself but everybody raves about how great it is, and a lot of make-up artists swear by it. Going to try this out next time I have the money!


Thanks so much for reading, and please think twice before laying out all day next time :)What are your thoughts about tanning? Do you have any self-tanner/sunscreen recommendations?

Victoria's Secret Haul

My mom has an Angels Reward card, basically Victoria's Secret store credit card, and for every so much you put on it you receive an Angel Reward. This time it was $20, it's usually $10 but we have spent more recently on bathing suits and stuff. I was really excited to to use it and I wanted to share what I purchased:

Knot-front Babydoll Dress in Shoreline Blue, on clearance for $29.99

http://www.victoriassecret.com/ss/Satellite?ProductID=1265482198722&c=Page&cid=1304338689731&pagename=vsdWrapper

Cross Front V-neck in Black, on sale for $24.50

http://www.victoriassecret.com/ss/Satellite?ProductID=1265481728281&c=Page&cid=1304338691633&pagename=vsdWrapper

Stone-embellished Halter in White, on sale for $29.50

http://www.victoriassecret.com/ss/Satellite?
ProductID=1265490586643&c=Page&cid=1304338691633&pagename=vsdWrapper

Double Scoopneck Stretch Cotton Tank in Yellow Topaz, on clearance for $6.99

http://www.victoriassecret.com/ss/Satellite?ProductID=1265481648686&c=Page&cid=1265488486308&pagename=vsdWrapper&search=true
The model is wearing twinkle blue, but the yellow I got is so vibrant. I love neon yellow for summer :)

I have had a very stressful past couple of days, I was in a hit and run yesterday, locked myself out of my house and was late for my summer class today, among other things...this was some much needed retail therapy :-)

THINGS THAT ANNOY ME.

I have been in an awful, down right pissy mood lately, and though I'd share some things that really, really annoy me and add to my already crappy mood.

WTF? It was like this after I got it home from Forever 21 straight out of the bag! How is that even possible?? Are there little tiny necklace elves that wreak havoc on unsuspecting necklaces?? I just don't know.

Ugh whyyy??

Under wire fail! And that bra was expensive!

Poked me all day! #$%^&*(!!!

Dangit to heck!

NOOOOOOOOO! I. Just. Got. Them!!!

Unfixable :(

Hope your day was a little better than mine. What are some of your pet peeves?

Recommended Reading for this type of JUNK:

Memorial Day Cupcake Mishmash

I spent Memorial Day by the lake with friends, we had a blast :) The night before I baked some cupcakes. This how my first batch turned out:

FAIL!! The cupcake liners were too big for my pan, so there were "humps" everywhere and I put less batter than I thought I needed.

I tried to salvage them....bless its heart!

Some of them were pretty decent though.

For round two, I took a different approach: tie dye!

And decorated them!

Those were the final creations! What did you do for memorial day?

My three day weekend read:

OOTD---Photo shoot with my man!

I had photos taken by the very talented Sarah Seaton Myers (check out her photography site here, and her blog here) and I wanted to share what I wore with you.

Triple Strand Turquoise Necklace, from Belk a while back

Black & Cork Wedges from Payless

 Really cute flower detail!

Black Eyelet Strapless Dress from Forever 21 last year

Here's some of the pictures!: