Romy Raves

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, and on the heels of a fabulous overnight staycation this past weekend with my hubby, I’ve got love on my mind. You know how it is, like a magnet or energetic force, you are instantly drawn to someone or something without explanation, it just ‘happens’. Well I know it is a bit of a stretch, but for a life long beauty junkie like me, this energetic pull happens to me with beauty products, and every once in a while I try a product that just instantly knocks my socks off! Kinda like being hit with cupid’s arrow, but towards a product, not a person. Strange, I know, but it’s honestly how I feel. Well, lately I have come across some fabulous new products that I was instantly smitten with and now I am dying to share them with you. Hope you love them as much as I do!

Four Truffles Argan Moisturizing Balm ($26)

OMG this magnificent balm is truly “The Balm”! I literally got this product a few days ago and I am obsessed with it and can’t stop using it! This is a luxurious multi-purpose ultra hydrating balm packed with argan oil and all it’s nutrients and antioxidants that soften, hydrate, and repair your skin. It also contains a lovely Bulgarian Lavender Oil, an ancient herb that has been used for ages to relax the body and heal skin. And there’s more goodness: this product is organic, made in the USA with indigenous ingredients, its eco-centric, made by women4women and comes in a hand carved wooden jar. It smells divine, feels yummy on my dry skin, instantly moisturizes and heals like a champ. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!

Kate Somerville DermalQuench Liquid Lift ($95) will be available March 2012 www.skinhealthexperts.com

This is a ground breaking new product that brings Kate Somerville’s most sought after celeb skin transforming treatment  into your home! Liquid Lift has a unique foam dispensed delivery system that instantly infuses your skin with three powerful ingredients KS calls advanced HydraFill™ Complex which work together to increase volume, significantly smooth skin, boost radiance and dramatically reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Liquid Lift infuses your skin with a much-needed boost of oxygen to increase volume and deliver a plumping effect that dramatically diminishes the look of expression lines and furrows. I actually have had the FAB professional DermalQuench treatment at the KS Clinic in LA, and I am equally as ‘wowed’ by the similar, and much more affordable results of this at home oxygen treatment. I adore how it instantly plumps, hydrates and makes my skin look more radiant, and after just a couple of weeks of use, my skin feels more supple, moist and it looks smoother.

3LAB Perfect BB SPF 40/PA+++ ($95)

I just adore BB creams because they deliver instant results and are super easy to use, and 3LAB’s version is luxurious and FAB! This BB Cream is infused with 3LAB’s signature bio-engineered growth hormone and apple stem cell technology, which noticeably firms and lifts the skin, regenerates new skin cells, brightens, moisturizes, and protects your skin with a potent SPF.  It also contains a wonderful combination of anti-oxidants, vitamins and botanicals that help improve your skin tone and alleviate irritation. My skin just drinks this cream up, I love that it comes in three shades (I’m medium), and it instantly hides imperfections and makes my skin look smooth and flawless.

Benefit Watt’s Up ($30)

IMO Benefit is the Queen of fab, fun, kitschy, inspired makeup products that really work (like my beloved Erase Paste.) Well, Watt’s Up is my latest  addiction, it’s a great soft focus highlighter that instantly brightens and lightens your face and gives you the perfect luminous glow. It is a stick cream-to–powder champagne sheer highlighter on one side and a blending sponge on the other,and together this gives your skin a velvety glow. I am having such fun manipulating the light on my face with this product and really like how it adds the perfect instant sheen to my skin, which makes it look fresher and younger. Fab!

Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray ($39)

I have to admit, I have not been thrilled with my hair lately, it’s been dry, flat and lifeless, so I decided to cut like 5-6 inches off, much better and healthier. In light of this change, I am trying  new products to add volume and texture, and I am having alot of fun with Oribe’s Texturizing Spray. It’s a wonderful alternative to dry shampoo and it’s giving my hair fullness, movement and a sexy glam look. Basically, this is an invisible dry hair spray that offers incredible volume and a sexy texture. It contains patented polymers that absorb oil at the roots which allows you to milk that fab blowdry for days. It’s easy to use and it gives the perfect amount of va-va-voom to your hair.

Dr Dennis Gross Active Vitamin D Serum Oil ($65)

Leave it to the pioneering Dr. Dennis Gross to notice that his patients were experiencing Vitamin D deficiencies because they were being hyper-diligent about protecting their skin from the sun, so Dr. Gross set out to develop the first skincare serum-oil that would provide sufficient levels of Vitamin D to skin through topical application.  Traditionally, Vitamin D needs sun exposure to activate it, but this innovative new formulation contains an already active form of Vitamin D that does not require sunlight to work. This serum-oil replenishes hydration, boosts elasticity, smooths fine lines and wrinkles, enhances radiance and luminosity, and corrects the appearance of hyperpigmentation. I just love the idea of giving our skin it’s much needed Vitamin D, and I love how this product nourishes my dry skin and how it has added noticeable suppleness in such a short time.

Greetings Beautiful! I wanted to start the year off right and share some gorgeous new products that I am loving and that are making my skin absolutely radiant, so I figured that I would let you in on my little secret. Perhaps you’ve heard of Jan Marini, skincare icon and the pioneer of medically validated skin care preparations? Well, if not I am delighted to introduce you to this fabulous line full of active products that really work and transform your skin. At the beginning of the Fall/Winter season, Jan Marini kindly sent me two amazing anti-aging skincare products to try and I have totally fallen in love with them! Today, I am excited to tell you all about them and give FOUR of them away!

Limited Edition Jan Marini Holiday Exfoliator 

OK, admittedly my timing is a little off season with this product review, but this product is so yummy and transformative, that I will continue to use it throughout the year. The Marini Holiday Exfoliator is a clinical-strength resurfacer that immediately refines your skin’s texture and follicle size and gives your face a gorgeous radiant, polished glow. This innovative product contains antioxidants, unique spherical dissolving beads (non-abrasive), papaya enzymes, and glycolic acid, all designed to gently and safely scrub and resurface your skin.

What do I love about this product? I absolutely adore the almost edible sweet and spicy gingerbread scent. I love how it thoroughly and effectively smooths and softens my skin and how refreshed it looks after I use it. This is one of those scrubs that you can feel working and your skin looks noticeably different immediately afterwards. And did I mention, it smells like a slice of the holidays?! Deelish! However, this is a Limited Edition product and when it’s gone, it’s gone!  But lucky you, I am giving TWO away and you can also buy it HERE.

Jan Marini Age Intervention Retinol PLUS

This isn’t your ordinary retinol product, it’s a ground breaking new concept in retinol technology. Retinol PLUS delivers the most aggressive levels of stabilized retinol combined with advanced topical agents to maximize efficacy while simultaneously decreasing irritation, sensitivity, dryness and redness-all very common side effects with retinol usage. And not only is it formulated with a potent and well tolerated retinol formulation, but it also contains anti-aging and collagen boosting peptides, antioxidants, hydrators and skin soothing ingredients that deliver unparalleled skin rejuvenation benefits.

What do I love about this product? The results are totally noticeable and amazing! I have noticed a nice softening of my fine lines and wrinkles, a much softer and smoother skin texture, radiance and luminosity and an overall vibrancy to my skin. Since I have been using it, people continually comment on how gorgeous my skin looks, and I credit Retinol Plus for that. And I am truly impressed with the lack of sensitivity and irritation that I have not gotten with this product. Typically, when I use retinol, my skin gets a little red and irritated (but the results are worth it), but that didn’t happen at all with this product. Love that! Oh yeah, and the reasonable price of $65 for a potent anti-aging product is very appealing too (not peeling )

But perhaps the best news of all, is that I am giving away TWO Jan Marini Holiday Exfoliators & TWO Retinol PLUS products to 4 lucky readers!

Contest Details 

-How to Enter: All that you need to do to enter this FREE giveaway is use the Rafflecopter Widget Below, enter your name and email or sign in through Facebook, then click “DO IT” to do each task that you choose to and once you have completed the task click the “ENTER” button to confirm your DONE entry. Make sure to enter your name and email for each selection, so your entries will be counted.
-Options for Entering: There are (3) choices for daily entries, and (4) choices for one-time only entries and three of them are mandatory for entry.
-Prizes:  TWO (2) Jan Marini Limited Edition Holiday Exfoliators (Retail Value of $80 each) and TWO (2) Jan Marini Age Intervention Retinol PLUS Products (Retail Value of $65 each) – 4 Winners in TOTAL
-Contest Dates: 1/20/12 to 2/4/12 at 12:01 am EST

Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

New Year’s Greetings My Beauties! I have been MIA on my blog for the last couple of weeks because I took a much needed vacation with the fam, hit Palm Springs, San Fran, ate deelish food, drank gorgeous wine and just relaxed. It was very nice, but now I am back and have lots of fabulous products, events, services and treatments to share with you! First up, is this fabulous new spray-on foundation from Classified Cosmetics called Aero Minerale. It is launching at Ulta stores nationwide this week.

What do I love about this product? It is awesome, easy to use and it gives you that flawless airbrushed look without having to carry around a heavy machine or needing a professional technique to apply it. The best part? It’s affordable at under $15 bucks! Most products of this caliber cost way more! Not only does it give your skin a beautiful even finish and offer lightweight buildable coverage (it makes your skin look like it was in the hands of a pro), but it also contains your daily dose of vitamins and botanicals too.

And here’s further proof of just how fab this product is: The lead makeup artist from Twilight Breaking Dawn ordered 1,000 cans of Aero Minerale to use on the entire cast of the movie. A thousand cans people! That’s a a lot of product! So this stuff really works!

So what are you waiting for? Head to your local Ulta and pick up a bottle or two for yourself, your face will love it and so will you!

On Tuesday, I was invited to a top secret location as one of a small group of hand picked bloggers to be among the first to learn the identity of the newest Proactiv Spokesmodel. All that I was told was that I would be “Glee-ful” about the choice and that I would have some up close and personal time with this celebrity. Well as you know, I am a huge fan of Glee, so I jumped at the chance to be part of this fun opportunity.

After arriving at the top secret shoot in West LA and signing the necessary NDA’s, we were escorted to a small stuido set-up and awaited the announcement. I was thrilled to learn that Naya Rivera aka Santana on Glee, was chosen as the newest celebrity spokeswoman for the Proactiv Acne Skincare line, and that she would be joining the star-studded lineup of current Proactiv celebrity customers-turned-spokespeople, including Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Avril Lavigne and Julianne Hough. Naya will appear in several new Proactiv television spots, debuting in spring 2012.

It was such a treat to being one of six bloggers who were granted up close and personal access to Naya and that we could ask pretty much anything we wanted!

First of all, IRL Naya is svelte, gorgeous, sexy and has really beautiful luminous skin. We quickly learned that she has struggled with acne on and off throughout her life, and that being on set and wearing a lot of makeup has caused her to suffer from adult acne. She sought out Proactiv to help her skin and was more than pleased with the results. While she really likes all of the products, her current fav (and a fav on the Glee set) is the Proactiv Makeup Remover Cloths because they quickly and easily remove makeup and refresh the skin.

Naya shared her feelings about becoming the newest Brand Ambassador, “I am excited to be a part of a show that encourages teens and young adults to embrace their differences and be proud of who they are as an individual, which is exactly why I am honored to represent Proactiv. Working with Proactiv will allow me to take that self confidence message a step further by helping individuals tackle their acne and literally put their best face forward.”

I found Naya lovely, genuine, honest and down to earth. Some other fun facts that I learned about Naya, and contrary to popular belief, were that she is a low maintenance girl and prefers staying in, ordering gourmet takeout, and wearing comfy sweats over being out on the town. Of course, I wanted to know her favorite beauty products/what’s in her bag and she is surprisingly simple and said she doesn’t have much in her bag and prefers chapstick over lipstick.

Being a Gleek, of course I also got some inside scoop about the Glee cast and set happenings: Lea Michelle is a product junkie and is always turning Naya on to great hair treatments; Amber Riley is the Santa Claus of the bunch, she brought a big bag of gifts to pass out to the cast and crew this season; she thinks the newest Glee cast member, Damian McGinty is a total cutie; she would pick Kevin McHale as the cast member she would choose to kiss on NYE at midnight; Gloria Estefan will be playing her mother on the show and she is excited to work with her; and out of all the musical numbers throughout Glee’s tenure, the one’s that she is most proud of are the Adele mash-ups.

In the month of December, just in time for the holidays, I am planning to share great new products and brands that will make wonderful gifts for the special people in your life. First up is Melvita, a delightful French Organic line that has earned ECOCERT certification, which means it must follow the strictest guidelines to be classified as organic. Melvita products use the finest ingredients from organically farmed and responsibly harvested sources, the brand does not test on animals, and all packaging materials are completely recyclable. Melvita takes organics very seriously and it is committed to sustainable development and environmental beauty, and they make every effort to promote ethical, humane, and fair-trade partnerships. With all these high standards and ethics, I was very intrigued by this beautiful green line.

Following are a couple of Melvita products that impressed me and caught my eye for gifting this holiday season:

La Petite Ruche Gift Set - $18 (Limited Edition)

This is an adorable limited edition gift set with a trio of fabulous organic products (BTW La Petite Ruche means “the little beehive” in French, tres chic!) I love the little house box packaging) I think this set will make the perfect stocking stuffer, secret Santa gift or a treat for you! This affordable gift set contains :

• Apicosma Extra Rich Hand Cream: Formulated with three honeys which nourish and sooth dry and  damaged  skin. It also contains Royal Jelly to help regenerate and Shea and Cocoa butters to nourish and repair dry hands. This lovely organic cream will leave your hands feeling soft, supple and comfortable immediately after application.
• Apicosma Skin Softening Body Milk: This is a soft and velvety body lotion that also contains the Melvita patented trio of three honeys and has a delicious fruity scent. It also contains nourishing Macadamia oil, revitalizing Chestnut extract, and fortifying flower pollen to protect your skin. It absorbs quickly and leaves your skin feeling soft and supple.
• Apicosma Lip Balm: This is an ultra-nourishing, repairing lip balm that restores your dry parched lips. It contains Shea  butter, Argan oil and Beeswax, all fabulous ingredients that help repair and protect your pout.

APICOSMA Body Balm - $28

This is a fabulously rich, creamy, deliciously-scented body balm which is also formulated with the Melvita three honey trio and it provides intense moisture for very dry skin. It combines the amazing regenerating properties of Royal Jelly (the exclusive food of the Queen Bee) with nourishing Cocoa Butter and moisturizing Stevia leaf extract, to leave skin feeling incredibly soft  and comfortable. This is a luscious, rich yummy treat that is perfect for the dry winter months and your skin will drink it up. It will make the perfect gift for that special greenista in your life.