Mom's Tree House

Archive for the ‘Beauty’ Category

I am a lip balm person and always look for the best lip balms out there to keep my lips smooth and protected.  I hate lip balms that crack at the corners of your lips or feel waxy so when I tell you that  Carmex Lip Balms are truly the best, I mean it! Carmex lip balms have become my favorite lip balms and now, I will not use any other brand out there.

Carmex lip balms goes on smooth, protects, and moisturizes all day. Unlike other lip balms, your lips will not feel thick, sticky or waxy and you will never see those little specks of residue other lip balms leave on your lips. Now, Carmex has two new flavors which upon applying, felt and smelled so good on my lips.   

About Carmex Lime Twist & Vanilla Click Sticks

These little lip balms do some serious moisturizing.  The new Carmex Lime Twist and Vanilla clicks sticks goes on so smooth and you automatically feel the balms working on your lips. My lips felt refreshed and tingly, which I loved. The Carmex Lime Twist has a noticeable lime scent that is fresh and citrusy while the Vanilla has a more soft, subtle scent.

These lip balms are simply the best! The moisturizers really work and ideal for the winter in keeping your lips chapped-free. Carmex  lip balms never felt thick, oily or waxy and this is what I exactly look for. This is what high-quality lip balm product is supposed to do and that is why I stick with Carmex.

Check out the new Carmex Lime Twist and Vanilla click sticks at your local Walgreens, Walmart, and CVS. You can also go to the Carmex Facebook page to download a coupon for $0.50 off the new sticks! In addition to our giveaway below, you have another chance to win by entering the Carmex Lip Balm Twitter giveaway!

The Giveaway

One Mom’s Tree House reader will win a Carmex kit which includes the new Carmex Lime Twist and Carmex Vanilla click sticks, Carmex Moisture Plus lip balm, as well as a very cool picnic blanket.

Now you guys know how much I love my makeup, so when I received an opportunity to review L’OREAL Double Extend Eye Illuminator mascara and the One Sweep Eye Shadow from BzzAgent to review, I couldn’t pass it up. In opening my package, I recieved the Black/Noir Quartz mascara and the Playful for Brown Eyes One Sweep Eye Shadow. The colors were perfect! Now, as to my review.

I always look for mascara that will thicken and lengthen my eyelashes without leaving clumps or sticky residue. This mascara was able to do that, it left no flaking, clumps or smudging.  The first step, you apply the black mascara which went on nicely but, worked like any other regular black mascara, nothing extraordinary. The second step, you then apply the the glittery mascara which I liked but wish for more glitter as so it can be noticed more. The brown glitter left my eyelashes with a pretty hint of sparkly brown, giving my eyelashes a  glimmery highlight effect. I love this concept, but I like my eyes to pop, so I would prefer more glitter as so I can wear in the evening. If you prefer a small shimmer effects, then this mascara would be ideal.

Now, for the One Sweep eye shadow, I was not to impressed. The colors are pretty but do not have no staying power, so by the end of the day, my eyes had no shadow. One factor that  I liked, is that it takes the guess work out of how to apply eye shadow which, makes it perfect for a beginner.  The colors are layed out for you, so you will know which color goes first on your eyelid, in the middle and on top under your brow. The applicator itself is big and kind of mixes the colors, so I found myself using my own applicator as I like color definition. In all, I would recommend this eye shadow to a young girl learning about makeup or anyone that is after a soft, day time look.

Both of these products went okay with me as they both executed some small effects. Will I use them again? Yes, I will just use my own applicators for the eye shadow and use a brown pencil on top of my eye lid to make the shimmer in the mascara more noticeable.

Disclosure: I received the L’OREAL Double Extend Illuminator Mascara & the One Sweep Eye Shadow from BzzAgent for the purpose of this review.   No other compensation was received.  All opinions are 100% my own and may differ from others.

I have some skin issues such as sensitive skin, dryness and Eczema, so when Skin MD contacted me and offered to send me a 4oz. bottle of Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion to review,  I accepted while not expecting much of the  lotion.  Once receiving the lotion, I have been using it religiously and I have to say, that I really impressed with this product.

First, I have to say that I am constantly washing my hands and always applying hand sanitizer. Working in the health field, this is a must. So, you can imagine how dry my hands can get. I do walk around with hand lotion but always find applying it a couple times a day. Well, with Skin MD Shielding Lotion, that constant re-applying of lotion has come to a stop.

After using this lotion for a couple of weeks with no problems, I noticed a changed in my skin. I was surprised to see how this lotion was able absorb into my skin really quick, without leaving that greasy residue feeling. The consistemcy of Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion is silky instead of creamy as most lotions, and the silkiness leaves a protective layer on the skin that is absorbed into the skin in seconds.  I loved this! This lotion did not irritate my skin but instead kept my skin feeling soft and silky. At last, I found a lotion that actually works!

Skin MD Natural has humectants that are based on cutting edge chemistry that hydrates the skin six times more than glycerin. It has  recieved the highest hypo-aalergenic and safe-use rating and has demonstrated increased skin barrier formation properties. Fore more information on Skin MD Natural, go to skinmdnatural.com.

What I love about the Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion:

• You can use Skin MD on your face, body and hands
• It is silky
• No greasy residue
• It absorbs fast
• It prevents dryness
• It relieves rashes and eczema
• It has a SPF of 15
• It has no Parabens
• It is not tested on animals
• It has no petrochemicals
• It has no dyes

 You can purchase your own bottle of Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion at the Skin MD Natural website, CVS, Walgreen’s or your local pharmacy or simply win it.

The Giveaway

1. Follow Skin MD Natural on Facebook. (1 entry)
2. Follow Skin MD Natural on Twitter. (1 entry)
3. Follow me on Google Friend Connect. (1 entry)
4. Subscribe to my blog, here. (2 entries)
5. Follow me on Twitter, @johannaloporto (1 entry)
6. Like my Facebook @ Mom’s Tree House, Follow me on Facebook. (2 entries)

 Contest is open to US residents only. Contest closes on January 29,  2011 at 12 midnight (EST) 

 Disclosure: I received a  full size bottle of Skin MD Natural to test and review.   No other compensation was received.  All opinions are 100% my own and may differ from others. 

Good Luck!

Last night, my husband and I went to bed at 9:30pm. We were so tired we decided just to turn in. This morning however, it hit us. We went o bed at 9:30!!! Are we getting old? What happened to us? Thinking of my age, I head to the bathroom for my morning shower and blankly stared at the mirror, and just stared and stared some more. I looked at my hair, my skin, eyes, lips, I looked and looked for any sign of age… any sign that I may be getting older.

“Wait a minute”, I thought. Could I really be worried about my age?  I have always been that feisty, high-spirited Latina woman always happy to hang out with friends and family, living a full, vibrant life. Am I slowing down? Then I started thinking and remembering,  when was the last time I had a beer or a martini with my girlfriends?  I remembered how I used to go out and come back home in the morning, and then going to sleep. I remembered calling breakfast, dinner and  playing with my kids all day and then going out at night for some “Mommy alone or (with friends) time”. Now, I just have trouble remembering. OH MY GOD!!! I am getting old.

I have to face the reality that age is catching up with me. I mean, I did find one grey hair, which I pulled out. Then, I saw the signs.  I then saw it, in my mirror and in my memory, they were there and I didn’t even notice.

I remember waking up to MTV and now I wake to the weather channel. I wake up sometimes with his “morning-after” feeling even though I did not do anything the night before. My body aches from simple movement. If I don’t move, I then gain a pound just by looking at a cookie, and then I have to go to the gym and work out twice as hard just to loose that pound.  Happy hour is now nap time (for me, not the baby). Feeling lucky, is remembering where I parked my car at Walmart. Going out to party now means a movie and dinner. Beer has been replaced by chamomile tea.  Teenagers now call me “mam” and my co-workers look like kids. I now look forward to staying home and my idea of a good time is now watching TV or curling up with a good book.  

My reflection, indicates maturity. I feel well-put together and confident. Yet, my body and appearance begins to betray me. What the Hell? This totally sucks! That twinkle in my eye is now a wrinkle.   My hair is beginning to grey. My face now requires constant  tweezing and not just for eyebrows. My skin requires Aquaphor and not just Victoria Secret lotions. Gravity has a whole new different meaning and no longer thought of as scientific term.  Yes, age is catching up with me.

How do I deal with this? Visions of beautiful women everywhere you look, TVs, magazines, media etc. How will I compare? Do I need to invest in ant-wrinkle creams? Plastic surgery? What? and then it hit me! Do I really care? or maybe I’m too old to care. Who knows?  I will learn to accept this thing, “age”! I will learn to age gracefully. Like really, what else could do?

Now, most of you know how much I love wearing make-up and with wearing make-up, you know we also have to care for our skin.  A couple of weeks ago, I tried some sample products of AcquaEssentials facial products and simply fell in love. I was then given the opportunity to review Mondariz Hydro-Woman Cream and as I suspected, I loved it.

Mondariz Hydro-Woman Cream is formulated with Thermal Water from Mondariz Hot Spring, Galicia, Spain. Now I am very particular when it comes to facial products but upon trying Mondariz Hydro-Woman Cream, I knew immediately that it was a high-quality, functional cream. I was very happy to find that the cream was light, soft, non-greasy or oily. This facial cream left my skin soft and feeling re-freshed.  My face did not feel caked-up or flaky. Totally, loved it. I was also happy to find that this cream did not irritate my skin as I do have sensitive skin and eczema.  I now wear this cream as my moisturizer underneath my make-up which also makes my make-up appear smoother and fresher. Mondariz Hydro-Woman Cream is the best facial cream I have tried in a very long time and has now become a favorite. 

AcquaEssentials have a large array of beauty and skin products for both men and women which are found in distinctive spas in Europe and Latin America. They provide different types of creams, toners, cleansers, lotions, gels, anti-aging serums and more, and all to fit your specific need.   Their three product lines, Caviahue, Mondariz and Exel, consist of luxurious products designed to help skin feel smoother, healthier, and more radiant. Their products are thermal water based and include essential nutrients, active ingredients, and trace minerals.

Thanks to my good friend at AcquaEssentials, I was also provided with Caviahue Thermal Mud Facial Mask  valued at $74.90 for a giveaway.

Enter to win AcquaEssentials Thermal Mud Facial Mask 

One (1) lucky Mom’s Tree House reader will win a AcquaEssentials Thermal Mud Facial Mask. The winner will be selected via Random.org.  and will have 48 hours to respond to my email as to claim their product.  After 48 hours and the winner has not responded back, another winner will be selected.

Mandatory Entry

Visit  AcquaEssentials.com and tell me in a comment what other product you would like to try. 

Additional Entries (Post in a separate comment for each additional entry)

1. Like AcquaEssentials on Facebook and follow Acquaessentials on Twitter. (2 entries)
2. Follow me on Google Friend Connect. (1 entry)
3. Vote for me on Top Mommy Blogs and on the Picket Fence. (2 entries) 
4. Follow me on Twitter, @johannaloporto (1 entry)
5. Like my Facebook @ Mom’s Tree House, Follow me on Facebook. (2 entries)
6. Tweet about this giveaway by tweeting the following: “Enter to win AcquaEssentials Thermal Mud Mask at at  http://www.momstreehouse.com/.” (2 entries)

 Contest is open to US residents only. Contest closes on December 12, 2010 at 12 midnight (EST)

 Disclosure: I received a full size product of AcquaEssentials, Mondariz Hydro-Woman Cream to review and keep.  No other compensation was received.  All opinions are 100% my own and may differ from others.  Any factual information was obtained from the company website.

Good Luck!