30 DAYS TO CLEAR SKIN CHALLENGE

Hey Blossoms,

We all know that no amount of makeup could ever replace plain ol' "good skin". Our skin is the largest organ on our body and our FIRST line of defense against germs and other unmentionable invading somethingorothers floating through the air. We should be viligant in our skin care regimes BUT we tend to forget the fight is BEST fought from the INSIDE out.

What do I mean???

DRINK WATER!!!

Our bodies are made up of approximately 60% water. We need water to live and our skin needs water to thrive.

Forget what you THOUGHT you knew about the benefits of water to the skin. I'm going to give you only 8 shattering truths but trust me there are many more. So, sit closer to your screen and pay attention! Your skin depends on it!

1. Many of you walk around in a state of perpetual dehydration because you do not drink enough water.
2. Water carries nutrients throughout your body and flushes out toxins via urination and prespiration.
3. If your not frequenting the restroom odds are you are NOT drinking enough water!
4. Water aids in maintaining the body's PH balance, pivotal in healing & recovery after sickness.
5. Your skin regulates its body tempersture by prespiring when you become overheated. If you don't replenish the lost fluids quickly then you will become dehydrated. Dehydration is a PRIMARY factor of dry skin!
6. Dehydrated skin can look like the surface of a prune aka WRINKLES(yes, not all wrinkles are "natural" some may be prevented/treated).
7. Without proper hydration, capillary (blood vessels just beneath the skin) circulation is reduced and your skin can lose it's color (think: you'll look tired/sick)
8. Keeping hydrated is imperative for skin repair. Lack of water intake can slow your skin's ability to repair itself resulting in deep wrinkles on mature skin and looking older than you actually are for other women.

Need I go on???

So here's the challenge.

I am committing this month to drinking 1.5-2 liters of water a day. That's 8-9 glasses of water a day.

AND I WANT YOU TO JOIN ME!!!

 For me it's easier to just have my entire day's supply of water in a 2 litter bottle so that I know I'm getting the proper amount and psychologically it's much easier to do. I bought a 2 liter bottle of Sprite..POURED IT OUT and then filled it with water!  I used to love Sprite... so this makes me feel like I'm laughing this challenge right in its face...

For those that may have difficulty with just drinking water for the remainder of the month of August  ...milk and 100% juice does count as well.

EVERY SINGLE DAY until September 3 I will drink ONLY WATER (no exceptions) I am planning on making this a permanent part of my skin care regime and overall quest to health consciousness.

If you cheat and grab an alcoholic drink (which REMOVES water from your body and can dehydrate you RAPIDLY) or drink soda (it does have some water in it but its quite insignificant and won't count towards your daily intake) it's okay. Dust your self off, back away from it and grab a glass of water. Do NOT think you can't continue the challenge because you most surely CAN!

Also, do your best to drink your daily amount throughout the day if you drink any water at least 2 hours before you go to bed you may wake up with puffiness!

Water in conjunction with using my daily skin care products and I'll have clearer skin in no time!

Here's a photo of  the products I use for my updated skin care regime/anti-acne/breakout regime (View my video of how I care for my skin here) I will do reviews of each individual product soon...

Here are candid photos of my skin sans makeup...I'm on a quest to CLEAR SKIN!....BRACE for it please (and you all thought I was kidding when I told you my eyebrows are SPARSE lol)

AHHHHH I must love you all to show you these photos!!

The white cast is actually my acne medication that I place on nightly...

MY PROBLEM AREAS:

Hyper-pigmentation of old acne scars : a few spots on the forehead, both cheeks and chin

I had terrible acne as a teenager into early adult hood and the hyper-pigmentation used to be FAR WORSE. I remember when my skin first began to clear. It was during the summer and I declared to give up soda (ohh how I used to LOVE Sprite) and drink lots of water daily. By the time the fall arrived. My skin had improved 10 fold. Well time for history to repeat itself...


We will support each other and encourage each other to stay on track via my FACEBOOK PAGE! So SEND ME A FRIEND REQUEST! 

So who's joining the challenge??!!

Until Next Time,

Later Blossoms

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BLOSSOMING REVIEWS: L'oreal Revitalift Eye Cream & Day Cream

It's finally that time!!! Blossoming reviews of products I've used! As a makeup artist and a beauty blogger its imperative to try many different products and find what works best for yourself, your clients and just in general. I actually love reviews because it helps people to formulate an idea of what they may or may not want to buy. Whats better than someone buying what you may have been having your eye on for weeks and revealing to you that hey that item is a dud saving you time or hey this item is fantastic and propelling you into your nearest store to buy your own! I just love reviews hopefully you do too!!

Today's reviews will be on 2 products from the same line. LOREAL's: Revitalift Face & Neck Day Cream
& Revitalift Complete Eye Cream.

Lets start with the Eye Cream:
This product claims to accelerate skin renewal, protect the skin's elastin fibers, and reduce the appearance of puffiness and dark circles.


Does it work??!!!: ABSOLUTELY!

Here's why it works:
This product contains Pro-retinal A and an Elastin Complex. Its an anti-wrinkle and firming moisturizer for your eye area all wrapped in one!

My Story:
I started using this product on myself after noticing more than usual puffiness and dark circles under my eyes. No amount of water or sleep was fixing it and I was tired of slathering on concealer. I walked into a local Duane Reade, Rite Aid or CVS (sorry I'm not sure which one but they all sell it.) and ran immediately to the skin care aisle. There were soo many products claiming to do so many things ranging in prices from $5.00 to $50.00 from name brands to generic store brands. I really didn't have a method as to how I picked this product but the packaging and the fact that it gave it's results from research on the side of the box helped! This product claims its immediate results will make the skin around the eyes look revitalized, in 2 weeks 77% of women saw that their skin was firmer and dark circles visibly reduced and in 4 weeks wrinkles are visibly reduced. So I took the mini walk to the checkout counter and purchased it.
As the box stated when I first applied the cream in my under eye area I felt as if I looked more "awake" and my eye area didn't look dehydrated or dry. Within 2 weeks I noticed my under eye area did seem firmer and the dark circles had almost DISAPPEARED! Within 4 weeks I felt as if my my under eye area was renewed! I seemed to have a brightness to my face that had been lost due to lack of sleep and some days i didnt even bother with concealer the under eye circles were literally gone! This is an absolute great product and I would recommend it to others. I do use it for my clients as well when they need a little hydration to their under eye area. Just a dab on your ring finger and patting it underneath the eye until the product is absorbed into the skin is more than enough.

Essentials:
Dermatologist tested
Ophthalmologist tested
Non-greasy cream texture(absorbs quickly leaving skin feeling smooth)
Safe for contact lens wearers
Fragrance Free(but it still "smells" good)

Retails: $18-$20 for a 0.5 oz(14g) jar

Now for the Day Cream:
This product claims to accelerate skin renewal, protect the skins elastin fibers, provide 24 hrs hydration and soothe dryness.

Does it work??!!!: ABSOLUTELY!!

Here's how it works:
This product contains Pro-retinal A and Elastin Complex. An anti-wrinkle and firming moisturizer for your face all wrapped in one! This product also had its research results on the side of the box. in 2 weeks, 88% of women saw that their skin was firmer and in 4 weeks 90% of women saw that their skin was younger looking! fantastic the fountain of youth in a jar! (maybe not that drastically but it does help keep a youthful toned, tighten and moisturized look. I also use this product on the dry spots of a clients face. I have combination skin: oily in the T zones at times and dry on the lower portion of my cheeks and sometimes chin. This product doesn't produce excess shine or oiliness its a nice smooth finish for your skin. The same results you get for your face you get for your neck.

My Story:
The story of how I came into contact with this product is the same as above. I purchased these products at the same time. I figured I cant just treat my under eye area I need to treat my entire face AND neck(whats always forgotten about but remember ladies it ages too!) My skin always feels so smooth and healthy after i apply my day cream. I do feel like my face looks well rested, visibly smooth and bright. No more dull sleepy look for me!

Essentials:
Dermatologist tested
Non-greasy cream texture
Non-comedogenic (wont clog pores!)

Retails: $18-$20 for 1.7 oz(48g)

So all in all these are 2 great products: Sherry Blossom approved. If you have stubborn dark circles and puffiness in your under eye area or you want your skin to look, feel and seem firmer and more youthful looking this may be the key for you. Keep in mind that results may vary person to person. Have fun and i hope this review has helped. If I left anything out PLEASE don't hesitate to leave a message, comment or question below or even email me. Thanks for reading. Later Blossoms!

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