Romy Raves

I have been traveling a lot this summer and my skin has been acting a little persnickety because of all the different climates that I have been in. My face has been more shiny and oily than usual from all the summer heat and humidity on the East Coast, and it just feels dirtier and has been breaking out more than usual. For all these reasons, I have been gravitating towards more refreshing, deep cleaning, and minty type face cleansers in order to combat the annoying summer stickiness that I have been feeling on my skin. Following are the cleansers that I have been especially enjoying this summer:

Tammy Fender Purifying Cleansing Gel Spearmint & Afalfa  This is a clarifying, oxygenating and energizing cleanser that contains Moroccan Rosemary and Tangerine essential oils that gently and effectively remove impurities, oxygenate the skin and support cell nourishment. The cleanser also contains licorice which helps brighten the skin; alfalfa which is high in chlorophyll, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous and potassium which help to promote healing; and peppermint to detoxify, energize, and increase lymph circulation.

I fell in love with this beautifully made cleanser the first time I tried it because you can really feel the high quality, acitve and good for your ingredients. I really like its honey-like texture (but not sticky), how it coats the skin in minty coolness, gently cleanses and removes the gunk of the day and it leaves my skin refreshed, cool and supple.  A new fav!

Osea Ocean Cleansing Mudd This is a marine-based daily cleanser that removes impurities while clearing up blemishes and controlling excess oil production. It contains red algae, laminaria and green algae, all highly concentrated in vitamins and minerals which help exfoliate, purify clogged pores and leaves the skin smooth and invigorated. It also contains tea tree oil which helps promote a healthy pH balance and improves the skins appearance. This is a more intense, minty feeling mud cleanser that really gets rid of dirt and oil and wakes up the skin. I have been using this fabulous new cleanser after my long SoCal summer hikes where my skin gets coated with dirt and dust, and it really does the job. I probably wouldn’t use this cleanser if you have sensitive skin or in the dry winter months, but for me it’s the perfect summertime deep cleanse.

Origins Zero Oil Deep Pore Cleanser This is a strong yet gentle foaming cleanser that contains skin clearing Saw Palmetto, cooling mint, and salicylic acid which helps clear pores, eliminates excess oil and reduces shine. Kudos to Origins for making this wonderful new cleanser that leaves skin tingly and refreshed! I also really like the Origins Zero Oil-Free Moisture Lotion in this line because it contains the same key ingredients as the cleanser and it also creates a refreshing smooth matte finish. It’s a refreshing summer product duo!

Dermelect Detoxifying Oxygen Facial Commission Cleanser This innovative cleanser is three products in one: a non-stripping foaming cleanser, an oxygenating facial masque and a deep cleaning toner. This cleanser re-energizes, revitalizes,  brightens, and hydrates your skin all at once. I dig how you activate this cleanser with water and then it turns turns into a wonderfully bubbly foam that releases oxygen molecules and purifiers that instantly detoxify and invigorate your skin.  I love how fresh, hydrated and rejuvenated my skin looks and feels after using this product. It’s a keeper for sure!

Garnier Moisture Rescue Fresh Cleansing Foam This is a refreshing cleanser that cleans, detoxifies, eliminates impurities, and hydrates the skin. I am not typically a mass product girl, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this cleanser and how fresh and clean it made my skin feel. If you want great budget friendly cleanser that smells fresh, effectively eliminates impurities and leaves your skin feeling hydrated afterward, this is a must try! I am also loving the combination of this cleanser with another unexpectedly appealing product in the line Garnier Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel-Cream. This is a wonderfully lightweight oil-free gel that locks in moisture, blocks out dryness and delivers long-lasting hydration. I like its sea fresh smell, how it instantly absorbs yet it keeps my skin hydrated all day, and that it’s the perfect weight and texture for my sticky congested summer skin.

I don’t know about you, but as the easy, breezy days of summer come to a close, I find myself feeling sort of melancholy. I really love the freedom and playfulness of summer, and as Fall rapidly approaches, its back to business, school, routine and structure. However, a trio of tropically inspired products might be able to ease my transition just a bit, and remind me of the sweetness and lazy days of summer.Â

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Let me introduce you to Ligne Tropicale, a wonderfully yummy anti-aging body care line from Pevonia Botanica which consists of three amazing anti-aging body products: a De-Aging Saltmousse, a De-Aging Mist and a De-Aging Body Balm. These products come in two divine tropical smelling scents: Papaya-Pineapple which rejuvenates and Mango-Passion Fruit which brightens. Not only do these products smell insanely good, but they really hydrate and nurture the skin.

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First, I use the Tropicale De-Aging Saltmousse which has a wonderfully light whipped texture that exfoliates, nourishes and hydrates the skin all at the same time. I really like the emollient creamy texture of this scrub because it foams up nicely and at the same time does a thorough job of exfoliating the skin. And I noticed that after using this scrub, my skin looked smoother and fresher.Â

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Next, is the Tropicale De-Aging Mist, which is refreshing, cooling and super hydrating. This yummy mist contains a blend of tropical fruits including Pomegranate, Papaya, and Pineapple (which easily puts me in a ‘summer’ state of mind) combined with Hyaluronic Acid, Aloe, and Chamomile. The Hyaluronic Acid is a potent hydrator, bonds moisture to the skin and it provides a nice base for the final product in the trio.Â

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Last, but not least is my personal favorite product in this tropical trio, the Tropicale De-Aging Body Balm. I love this product because it smells good enough to eat, has a silky texture that I adore because it absorbs really quickly, and probably my favorite feature of this product is that it has awesome staying power that keeps my skin moist and supple throughout the whole day (in fact, when I shower the next day I can STILL feel the silky moisture on my skin). This balm is formulated with tropical fruit extracts, shea butter, retinol, marine collagen and elastin polypeptides that smooth the look of wrinkles on the body, repair skin damage, and brighten overall skin tone. I can’t resist all these wonderful anti-aging ingredients (in a body treament!), so I keep this wonderous little balm next to my bed as a special night time hand treatment too!

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Doesn’t it all sound so yummy and enticing, especially with the added bonus of anti-aging ingredients for the body? You can buy this wonderful tropical trio in a lovely gift set here. What are your tricks for keeping a ‘summer state of mind’ alive even when the temperature drops?? Please post and share!

I am absolutely in love with these rockin’ pastel hued nail polishes by Lili Beauty. The colors are inspired opaque pastel shades that are perfect for summer (love the cute unusual shaped bottle too) and their colors are so different, fun and fresh that everyone keeps stopping me and asking what color and brand I am wearing on my nails (I am currently digging Pistachio–a light minty white green, pictured left).

However, what I think is most impressive about this polish is that it is very high quality and extremely long lasting. You won’t believe the staying power of this polish (they call that ‘excellent inter-coat adhesion’  in nail lacquer parlance.) It lasted a good week before it ever began to chip and it only had minimal chips through the second week, and this is very impressive endurance for a nail polish in my opinion. I think the staying power is further enhanced by Lili’s All in One a base coat, top coat and nail strengthener all wrapped up in one rockin’ multi-use product (recessionista’s will love that!)

In addition to all the impressive benefits mentioned above, the eco-conscious crowd will love that all of Lili’s polishes are toluene, formaldehyde and DBP free. And these high quality polishes are competitively priced at about six dollars each. You can buy Lili polishes online or look for them at local LA based beauty supplies. They have over seventy shades of colors in their palette and stay tuned for rich fall shades too.