Boscia One Step Wonders (Holiday 2012) review

          Boscia has launched their first ever holiday collection! The centerpiece of their Holiday 2012 collection is the Boscia One Step Wonders collection. The collection has a festive Japanese-inspired wave-print packaging. Inside, there is a full-size Boscia B.B. Cream SPF 27++ (1.75oz.), a sample size Boscia MakeUp-BreakUp Cleansing Oil (1.7 oz.), and a sample size Boscia Super-Cool De-Puffing Eye Balm (0.14 oz).

          I was delighted to try the set, as it's a great introduction to the Boscia line. I had been hoping to try the Boscia B.B. cream for some time. It's one of very few B.B. creams that do not contain chemical SPF (which I'm allergic to). Thankfully, it does not have micro-glitter either, as some B.B. creams do. The formula is said to be 'self-adjusting' to one's skin tone. It looked a bit dark when squeezed out, however I found that it was a reasonably good match for my light skin. Like a tinted moisturizer, this B.B. cream should match a broad range of light skin tones. The consistency of the Boscia B.B. cream is thought to be drier than others. I found that application over a moisturizer worked well. I also found that distributing it on my palms and patting it on gave good results too. The coverage was light to medium, depending on how much was layered on. The Boscia MakeUp-BreakUp Cleansing Oil does a good job dissolving foundation and I found that it was able to break down some stubborn eye makeup too. It has a refreshing mint scent that I enjoy. The oil is very fluid and easy to work on the face.  The oil washed off nicely, which I prefer to cleansing oils that leave a residue. The Boscia Super-Cool Depuffing Eye Balm is a solid twist-up gel stick meant to hydrate and depuff eyes. I don't have heavy circles, so I can't attest to its depuffing functionality. That said, I did enjoy this eye balm a lot. One swipe under each eye gives a cooling and refreshing sensation.

           Boscia One Step Wonders is a great starter set for the botanical beauty lover, as well as a practical set for a seasoned Boscia fan. It was nice to receive a full size B.B. cream; full-size items certainly improve a set's appeal. I was pleasantly surprised by the cleansing oil and depuffing eye balm. Overall, I'm very pleased with the set and plan on rotating the items into my routine. The Boscia One Step Wonders set is exclusive to Sephora and Boscia online. Thanks for reading! Have you tried Boscia B.B. cream or skincare? What are your favorite items from the line? What are your favorite B.B. creams and cleansing oils?

Love, Dovey.
Disclosure: This post contains product(s) sent to Cute and Mundane for consideration by PR. The ideas and opinions in this post are genuine and my own.

Nude Skincare review: Perfect Cleansing Oil, Purify Cleansing Wash, and Miracle Mask

           Beauty and skincare aficionados may have noticed the recent launch and promotion of Nude Skincare at Sephora. My interest was  certainly piqued. Today I have the scoop on Nude Skincare, as well as reviews of a few items from their line. Nude skincare focuses on feeding your skin with omega oils and their trademark n-probiotic cell nutrient*. The line focuses on creating healthy skin with ingredient lists free of gluten, parabens, sulfates, silicones, mineral oil, sulfates, synthetic color, and synthetic fragrance. All three products shown today are vegan.

Even the boxes are pretty!

            Nude Skincare's products are packaged in mod lavender packaging with purple writing. It complements their logo quite well. I think the simple modern packaging is going to going to appeal to a lot of beauty lovers. (My mom loves this color and I can already see her calling me after this review). The plastic is matte, if you know what I mean. It's not the slippery shiny variety. Some of the moisturizers and other products in the Nude Skincare line are packaged in dark purple glass bottles with silver lids. It's also worth noting that the products I received were made in France.

          The Nude Perfect Cleansing Oil has a pretty jasmine scent, which I love. Cleansing oils are great for removing makeup and dissolving away other oil-soluble impurities. Typically they're applied to the face dry, however I like to dampen my face slightly before using the Nude Perfect Cleansing Oil. The consistency is a little thicker than other oils, so this helps. Warm the oil between your hands before use helps increase fluidity. The cleansing oil does a good job of removing all my makeup. After rinsing off with warm water, a protective layer of oil does remain. It's quite a bit actually. This would work well for those with dry skin, especially in the wintertime. Since I have combination skin, I use a heavy cleanser to remove all residue after use.

           The Nude Purify Cleansing Wash is a balanced foaming cleanser that cleanses the skin with the help of ingredients like cinnamon, ginger, and burnet root. The cleanser has a gentle fruity, soapy, earthy scent that I like. When squeezed it out of the tube, the cleanser comes out in a semi-solid gel like consistency. The soap is relatively concentrated so you only need a small amount to wash your face. It works on the face easily to create a gentle lather. The Nude Purify Cleansing Wash does a good job at cleansing, but it's a little shy of being deep cleanser. It leaves skin feeling comfortable, not dry after the wash. I was pleased with the Nude Purify Cleansing Wash. I think its performance runs in a nice middle ground that can please oily and dry types.

          The Nude Miracle Mask brightens and adds radiance to skin via a blend of AHAs (a natural glycolic acid) and exfoliating rice beads. The scent is reminiscent of orange marmalade. It's similar to the REN peel, for those of you who are familiar with it. The peel has a thick serum like consistency that has very small exfoliating grains. The peel should be massaged onto the face for one minute, and then left on for five minutes. The result is brightened skin. There are similar 'mask/peel' products available at similar price ranges and I think it depends on your preference. REN Radiance lacks any exfoliating grains, Philosophy Microdelivery is much more exfoliating, and Nude Skincare is in between.

          Nude Perfect Cleansing Oil ($36 for 3.4 oz.), Nude Purify Cleansing Wash ($26 for 3.4 oz.), and Nude Miracle Mask ($48 for 2.6 oz.) are available at Sephora or Nude Skincare online. I like the clean and pretty aesthetics of the packaging. I also appreciate the vegan and simple ingredient lists of these products.  Because the line's treatment philosophy involves the use of omega fatty acid containing plant oils*, I would say this that the Nude Skincare line would be best suited for normal to dry skin. Thanks for reading! Have you seen Nude Skincare in stores? Have you tried any products or samples? What are some of your cleansing oils, peels, or cleansers?

Love, Dovey

*Note: Science is a big part of Nude Skincare's marketing campaign, so I felt it was important to mention it here. Their products are based on the use of 'Omega Oils' and 'N-Probiotic.' First, I assume, but can't be sure, that 'Omega Oils' refer to oils rich in Omega Fatty acids. Second, concerning Nude Skicare's n-probiotic cell nutrient, their website specifically states "Within 24 hours your skin starts producing its own natural anti-aging ingredients*". This claim is based on "*in vitro"(i.e. cell culture) results. (Sephora omits 'in vitro' completely). Technically, 'your skin' should actually be denoted as 'skin cells'. This is an important designation, since cell culture results do not necessarily correlate with actual results on living skin. I hope the company will clarify these two things in the future.

Ingredients: Nude Perfect Cleansing Oil- Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Parfum (Fragrance), Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol. Nude Purify Cleansing Wash- Water, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Stearic Acid, Isostearyl Alcohol, Isopropyl Palmitate, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Lauryl Glucoside, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Saccharomyces Lysate Extract, Jasminum Officinale (Jasmine) Flower Extract, Sanguisorba Officinalis Root Extract, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Cinnamomum Cassia Bark Extract, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Caprylyl Glycol, Parfum (Fragrance), Butylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Tocopherol, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Extract, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Phenoxyethanol. Nude Miracle Mask- Water, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Germ Powder, Citric Acid, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Glycolic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Sclerotium Gum, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract, Saccharomyces Lysate Extract, Jasminum Officinale (Jasmine) Flower Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ruscus Aculeatus Root Extract, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Phenoxyethanol, Xanthan Gum, Alpha Glucan Oligosaccharide, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Fragrance, Pentylene Glycol, Tocopherol. 

Disclosure: This post contains product(s) sent to Cute and Mundane for consideration by PR. The ideas and opinions in this post are genuine and my own

TATCHA Normal Skincare Routine review

         
          TATCHA is a luxury skincare line that has drawn inspiration from old East Asian beauty rituals. Founder Victoria Tsai brought together a two hundred year old book detailing the beauty rituals of geisha and modern skincare scientist to formulate an East-meets-West skincare routine. The ritual is based on a trifecta of antioxidant rich red algae extract, rice bran, and green tea extracts that form TATCHA's trademark HADASEI complex. TATCHA has recently featured in Vogue magazine, as well as other printed and online press.

           TATCHA products show an attention to detail that should be expected of a luxury skincare line. The skincare products are housed in off-white thick plastic containers that are reminiscent of porcelain. The Tatcha logo is embedded with a blue and gold enamel-like finish. The new containers are taped closed with a strip of blue and white geometrically patterned tape. Upon opening the bottles, I peeled the stickers off. Even the product boxes (seen above) have a beautiful wooden print. All the products I received were made in Japan. TATCHA also sent a beautiful pamphlet detailing the history and inspirations behind the brand (seen below).

          There are four steps to the TATCHA skincare routine: PURE, POLISHED, RADIANT, and SUPPLE. The first step,'Pure,' refers to the One-Step Camellia Cleansing Oil. It is followed by 'Polished', an exfoliant Rice Enzyme powder. 'Radiant' is the Tatcha Deep Brightening Serum. Finally, skin is moisturized with 'Supple', the Moisture Rich Silk Cream

         The TATCHA One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil contains a blend of camellia oil, rice bran oil, red algae, and green tea. It's a gentle cleanser that is meant to wash away makeup and other impurities. The scent is beautiful; it smells like sweet rice water with some floral hints. The Camellia cleansing oil is meant to be applied directly to a dry face for best effect, which is typical of cleansing oils. I found that it also works well when applied to a slightly damp face. One to two pumps is enough per use. The Cleansing oil has a watery non-oily texture that is easy to work over the face. It dissolves away makeup (except for stubborn waterproof mascara) and washes off easily with warm water. Only a slight oil residue is left on the face. Those with dry skin could stop here, however I like to use a cleanser afterwards since I have combination/clog prone skin.

          The TATCHA Rice Enzyme Powder  is the second step in the routine. This polishing step exfoliates and smooths the skin using a blend of rice and papaya enzymes, plus Tatcha's HADASEI-3 complex. Rice enzyme has long been used in East Asian cultures for beautifying skin. The TATCHA Rice Enzyme powder comes in three different blends (Gentle, Classic, and Deep) to account for different types of skin. I have the Classic version, which contains added pearl for skin conditioning. The TATCHA Rice Enzyme Polishing Powder was unique from other skin treatments I've tried. Half a teaspoon of powder is poured into wet hands. By mixing the powder with water, the treatment is activated and becomes a luxuriously creamy paste that can be massage onto the face. The texture is mostly milky, however I could feel a few larger particles and some micro-particles working on my skin. Again, there was a sweet rice scent. After washing the TATCHA Rice Enzyme Powder off, I did notice my skin was smoother and brighter.

          The TATCHA Deep Brightening Serum contains licorice, scutellaria, jujube, and TATCHA's HADASEI-3  Complex to add luminosity to the skin. Silk and Squalene aid in moisturization. Recently, brightening and lightening serums that have been used by Asian consumers for some time have become more popular in the U.S . The TATCHA Brightening serum has the same beautiful scent as the other TATCHA products. It goes on smoothly and sinks in quickly. A smooth residue is left at the surface. This product has received a lot of love from other beauty bloggers for its ability to even skin tone, however it wasn't a good fit for my sensitive skin. There was no obvious bad reaction. I noticed mild signs that my skin wasn't happy and stopped using this part of the routine. I have plans to test this on Mr. Lovey though; he has a lot of freckles and sun damage that could use erasing. I will update if I see results.

          Finally, the TATCHA Moisture Rich Silk Cream is a cream made with silk protein designed to form a barrier that protects the skin. Rice bran oil, red algae, and green tea works to prevent aging. Wild thyme, ginseng root, and royal jelly promote moisturization and balance. The cream certainly had a luxurious feel. It was silky to the touch and had a plush feeling when worn. It was moisturizing, without feeling oily. While the moisturizer does sink in, you will notice a moisturizing film if you touch your face, even hours later. I does a good job of protecting your face and locking in moisture. The cute fabric knot and golden spoon were delightful details on the packaging too.

          Overall, I enjoyed my Tatcha experience. The packaging was beautiful and the products were of appropriate quality. The light floral and sweet rice fragrance was a plus as well. My favorites were the TATCHA One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil for its light feel and the TATCHA Rice Enzyme Powder which was a unique and effective experience. TATCHA One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil ($48 for 5.1oz.), Classic Rice Enzyme Powder ($65 for 2.1oz.), Deep Brightening Serum ($150 for 1.0 oz.) and Moisture Rich Silk Cream ($150 for 1.7oz.) are available through Barney's or TATCHA's online shop. Thanks for reading! Have you tried the TATCHA products or passed by a counter? What do you think of the packaging? Do you use any Asian inspired skincare routines or product lines?

Love, Dovey.

Disclosure: This post contains product(s) sent to Cute and Mundane for consideration by PR. The ideas and opinions in this post are genuine and my own.