Month: March 2021

I am a total makeup geek. I am willing (and honestly, wishing) to try every eyeshadow, blush, cream, you name it, regardless of how many products I already have in my collection. I am that girl. So when the chance to try the JUNO & Co. Moonshine Miracle Cream came about, I was geeking out. Here’s what I thought:

Let’s Take a Look at the Product

According to the JUNO & Co. website, the Moonshine Miracle Cream is “a luxurious, super hydrating, creamy makeup primer that nourishes skin and diminishes imperfections for the perfect canvas before makeup.” I’ve heard this kind of claim from tons of products, so I needed more convincing that this product was worth the $35 price tag (ya girl has bills to pay).

The company also claims that this product is special because of the ingredients used in the formulation. It is “infused with JUNO’s patented sodium hyaluronate and avocado extract which provides 12-hours of moisture for a dewier complexion. It helps to maintain moisture levels to help visibly smooth and plump skin with ultimate hydration. Evens surface so foundation effortlessly glides on and stays put for longer-lasting makeup wear.”

Sodium Hyaluronate

Since I’ve started working at FutureDerm and one of my jobs is to literally read the FD blog, I have been way more interested in the ingredients and products I put on my face and body. I’m not necessarily skeptical or wary enough to turn a product away, (as I’ve said before, I will try all the makeup) but just more interested. So, in true FutureDerm fashion, I wanted to take a closer look at the patented ingredient used that makes this product special.

So, we know that as people, we’re mostly water. This is also true for our skin, and as we age, our skin begins to lose its moisture, causing loss of flexibility and resilience. Sodium hyaluronate is the key molecule involved with skin moisture, and according to the Derm Review, “the most dramatic histochemical change observed in aging skin is the marked disappearance of sodium hyaluronate in the epidermis (the top layer of skin).” By adding this ingredient to skincare it will help to attract moisture to the skin, resulting in a smoother, softer complexion. Pretty cool, but does it work in the Moonshine Miracle Cream?

Personal Use & Opinion

The very first thing I noticed was that the packaging was gorgeous, and I am a sucker for packaging. The jar itself looks like it’s speckled with stars on a dark purple background, and it’s a little heavier, making it feel expensive. The cream itself is thick and luxurious feeling. It’s lightly scented and feels like a really nice moisturizer when you put it on; it reminded me of a mix between E.L.F.’s Poreless Putty Primer and cold cream texture-wise.

When I received this product, I was just getting ready to head out to my vacation at the Grand Canyon, and it was a lifesaver! My poor Pittsburgh skin was not happy about the change from rainy/snowy and cold to dry and cold. I used this alone without makeup the first few times just because my skin was drinking it up in the desert. With makeup, I did feel a difference in how my foundation wore — it went on smoother and didn’t settle in my fine lines as much compared to other primers I’ve tried before. Overall, I was really happy with the product and ecstatic it saved my skin from drying out on my vacation. Timing is everything.

Bottom Line

I love the JUNO & Co. Moonshine Miracle Cream! It’s a luxurious feeling cream that can be used alone as a beautiful moisturizer, or as a primer under any foundation for a smoother look. And it includes proven ingredients like sodium hyaluronate working to retain your skin’s natural moisture to reduce the signs of aging. If you’re in the market for a new primer, this one is definitely worth a try.

The post COMMUNITY REVIEW: JUNO & Co. Moonshine Miracle Cream appeared first on FutureDerm.

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Turning 50 a year and a half ago was a big milestone for me because it’s the halfway point to age 100. As long as I focus on living a healthy life, I might just make it to 100+ like my grandmother did—she even danced at her last birthday party as you can see in this video!

There is much awareness now about the healthy habits that research shows can help increase one’s longevity, and this is a topic I’ve always been really interested in. In this post, I’ll share what I’ve learned as well as what I’m currently doing for my health and wellness, my happiness, and to feel my very best. 

I got really inspired by this longevity research…

that I saw years ago on TV and can be viewed here. What was studied were the lifestyle habits that made people live to 90 and beyond, and it was eye-opening. I have incorporated some of those findings into my own life and will be referencing some of the habits I have adopted here in this post. 

1. The vitamins I take daily are…

• Vitamin C with bioflavonoids for healthy, strong capillaries and blood vessels
• Vitamin D because I’m a bit deficient
• Vitamin B12 for energy

Even though that research in that video revealed that taking basic vitamins didn’t have an effect on making someone live longer, I still feel like they are good ones to take. Can’t hurt, that’s for sure. 

2. I make an effort to drink alcohol daily…

because the research showed that it was a healthy daily habit for longevity. It was interesting that their findings showed that it didn’t matter what type of alcohol you drank, but just something daily in moderation. I don’t drink every day, but I certainly don’t feel guilty when I do since it seems like the key to a long life! I really do believe that indulging in things you enjoy, as long as it’s in moderation, is important to living a happy, fun life.

And as you can see in this post about my grandmother, she most definitely was a drinker and lived to 102. My drink of choice? Lately, I’ve been sipping on some mezcal.

3. I get exercise daily…

with an intense HIIT workout like doing hill sprints outside or simply a walk. I also do a workout three times a week with a trainer who uses a machine called The Neubie which uses electrical currents to keep my muscles toned and my metabolism high. It’s been a game-changer in so many ways. 

It’s no secret that movement is a key to longevity as well as living a happier and healthier life. I’ll definitely be one of those old ladies who still keep on moving. I love working out, and here are the details of my workout routine.

4. My diet includes many indulgences…

like ice cream and cookies—almost daily. While I do eat fairly healthy with a focus on high protein, veggies, and low carbohydrates, I do not deny myself to my sweet treats. I always think about both diet and exercise and what is the lesser of both evils. For me, the lesser of the two evils is to workout which allows me more food freedom than to have to skimp on delicious foods and not get in exercise. Both movement and delicious food are fuel for a good life!

5. Drinking water…

has always been important and you don’t have to twist my arm for me to get in more than enough every single day. I don’t drink soda, coffee or tea but I have just gotten in the habit of water being my go-to drink. Sure, the research doesn’t show it helps that much with your skin as I talk about in this post but it does help keep my under-eye puffiness to a minimum.

6. I recently completed a 30-day cold shower challenge…

and I loved it. I read about all its benefits in this post and decided to give it a try. I mainly did it to mentally help get me comfortable with being uncomfortable and it definitely accomplished that. The first five showers were super cold but after that, it didn’t feel as big of a deal, and I think it was that whole ‘fight or flight’ thing where my mind didn’t go as easily into panic/shock mode as I realized that there was not a true threat. I highly recommend that you try it to get your brain strong as well as some other benefits. 

7. Daily stretching…

is a must for me. For starters, I’m on the tall side and flexibility doesn’t come naturally. Plus, I know how important it is for injury prevention if my muscles aren’t too tight. I use a Rumbleroller a lot (hurts so good!) as well as taking hot baths with epsom salts, and I stretch while I’m soaking. I just feel so much better after stretching including knowing that I got a good boost of blood flow. 

8. I regularly get professional body massages…

at least twice a month, if not more. I prefer a deep tissue massage that really gets in there versus something relaxing to get in a nap. I get into the “no pain, no gain” philosophy but a good massage therapist knows just the right amount to give. I also just discovered a great Thai massage place here in Austin where I live which I have heard it referred to as the “lazy man’s yoga.” They basically stretch you and walk your legs while you lay there. Again, hurts so good!

9. I take daily power naps…

to recharge. My brain is going hard all day long and it gets tired out so around 4 pm every day, I’ll close my eyes for 20 minutes, which research shows is the perfect amount of time to sleep to give you a boost. It’s my secret weapon and no matter where I am (sometimes even pulling over in my car down a side street, if need be), I’ll get it in. Sleep is so necessary for me with all the busyness in my daily life. 

10. My life is filled with lots of hugs…

so I hug people every chance I get. (I’ll be hugging a bit harder once this pandemic is over). Hugs are known to increase the love hormone called oxytocin and decrease the secretion of cortisol, the stress hormone. Win/win! Back when I was married to my now-late husband, if we got in a fight, we would muster up the strength to break it with a hug, even when we wanted nothing more than to strangle each other. It would immediately calm us both down and put us back in a civil and loving place. When he got sick with cancer back in 2018, the tumors on his liver sent ammonia to his brain causing him to experience anger and rage. Medicine helped but when more was needed, a hug from me and his children would instantly settle him down. We called it his “hug bank” and we were constantly on a mission to keep it filled no matter how difficult of a time he was having. Hugs are miracles as far as I’m concerned and I’m all too aware of the healing power of touch through my 30 years of being an esthetician. Love on someone with a hug (even by video), will ya?

11. My work-life balance…

I have none and I don’t strive to get it. I think it’s simply that I love what I do, and making that thing happen is just so much more interesting than anything else. A lot of people feel guilty for overworking but I don’t sweat it. I just do whatever makes me feel fulfilled and happy and if that means working, so be it. (Although I certainly do take time for fun like riding my motorcycle, cliff jumping, and driving cars fast).

Speaking of happiness…

Here’s are more ways I stay happy!

I hope you enjoyed my tips and life lessons, wish me luck in my goal of living to 100!

The post Alcohol, Hugs, and Power Naps: 11 Ways Renée Leads a Balanced Life appeared first on Expert Skin Advice from Renee Rouleau.

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Between working (on work) and hustling together some exciting book launch events (which are going to kick ass and I can’t wait to tell you about them), I’m not sleeping much these days. BUT. I’ve also been working on some kick-ass blog posts about beauty oils and body care routines!  In fact, I was hoping to post them this week, but my plans were foiled. They were foiled, however, for the very best reason, and that reason is that our Korean Beauty Secrets book started shipping 3 WEEKS EARLY!

It was insane, actually, as we had absolutely no idea that was going to happen!  We found out about it when people started messaging us on Sunday to tell us their book had just arrived from Amazon. First we did a lot of squealing, and after that we panicked. The original release date was supposed be November 3rd. Coco and I have been working on a companion website, the URL of which is actually in the back of the book. But that website isn’t ready yet because we thought we had a couple more weeks to work on it! So I’ve been in a frenzy since this past Sunday, frantically trying to get the book website ready for prime time. I haven’t showered in a couple of days, I’ve been subsisting on cereal and black cherry seltzer, and sleeping for 8 hours in a row is my new life goal.  This is how the hot dogs are made, you guys!

But the good news is: books are shipping! And I finally got a couple of copies of it today, and they look really, really good! Not only is the content great, the actual production is amazing. The binding, the weight, the print quality are all absolutely gorgeous; better than we ever imagined it would be. I’m so proud of this book that I have to restrain myself from shoving it in people’s faces and saying, “Have you seen this? I wrote it. Look at it. I SAID LOOK AT IT!”

Book-Related Instagram Giveaways

We’ve got a couple of pretty exciting Instagram giveaways surrounding this book going on right now! Here are the details for both:

Giveaway #1

Club Clio USA Book Launch Countdown Instagram Giveaway Event

Club Clio has been awesomely supportive of this book launch. They are doing a whole series of giveaways leading up to November 3rd (the original book launch date), with different bloggers getting to choose the giveaway prize. Today marks the start of my Clio giveaway, and the prize I’m choosing to bestow the winner is: Goodal Repair Plus Essential Oil! This is a moisturizing oil blend with fermented rice yeast, so it combines a few of my favorite things: fermentation, beauty oils, and Goodal. It’s rich but light, and perfect now that cooler, fall weather is setting in.

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents. Entry is easy! Just complete the following 3 steps:

Step 1: Post or regram the giveaway post from my Instagram account (@skinandtonics), with hashtags #beautywolfxclubcliousa #kerryxcoco #koreanbeautysecretsbook #clubcliousa #clio10dayskbeauty
Step 2:  Follow us on Instagram: Coco is @thebeautywolf, I’m @skinandtonics, and Club Clio USA is @clubcliousa
Step 3: Tag three friends you think might enjoy this giveaway

You can enter once a day, just tag three different friends each day!

Giveaway #2

Kerry & Coco’s “Show us Your Book” Mega-Hardcore-Balls-Out K-Beauty Giveaway

Okay, you got me, I actually just made the name up for this giveaway just now. It could be a little tighter! We thought we had a couple more weeks to think of a name! Luckily, we already had the prize all ready to go. Hold on to your hats:

One lucky winner will get an insane prize package that includes the following full size products:

• Acwell Bubble Free pH Balancing Cleanser (a recent favorite, review forthcoming)
• S:um37 Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick
• Leejiham (LJH) Cosmetics Tea Tree 90 Essence
• Leejiham (LJH) Cosmetics Vita Propolis Ampoule
• Graymelin Hyaluronic Acid 100% (Serum)
• Illi Total Aging Care Body Oil (This oil changed my life)
• I’m Lip Liquid by XO Memebox in color OR601
• I’m Lip Liquid by XO Memebox in color VL600

and the follow deluxe sample/travel-size products:

• Illi Total Aging Care Body Oil
• Illi Total Aging Care Body Lotion
• Goodal Moisture Barrier Cream
• Whamisa Organic Flowers Deep Rich Essence Toner
• Whamisa Organic Flowers Cleansing Oil

This prize is serious. We did not want to mess around, and we hope you’re as excited about it as we are!

How to Enter:

It’s super easy! All you have to do is post a picture on your Instagram of an in-person copy (preferably your personal copy) of Korean Beauty Secrets: A Practical Guide to Cutting-Edge Skincare & Makeup. You can style the photo however you want, but it has to be a picture of the physical book or e-book (as opposed to a picture you found on the internet). For e-books, just show us a shot of the book on your e-reader! Then follow and tag @kerryandcoco, @thebeautywolf, and @skinandtonics, and add hashtag #showusyourbook.

Once you’ve done that, voila! You’re entered! We’ll be choosing a winner at random on November 15, 2015 and announcing on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. This giveaway is open internationally!

If you haven’t ordered your copy yet, now is a great time to do it. It looks like it’s only ~$14 on Amazon right now, which is a fantastic deal. It will also be available from a huge number of other retailers in the U.S. and internationally on November 3rd; Amazon just happens to be the only one I know is already shipping right now.

It’s an amazing book; we’re really proud of it, and we can’t wait for all of you to read it and tell us what you think!

The post Lots of Updates, Featuring Some (Surprise!) Book News & Giveaways Galore appeared first on Skin & Tonics : Skincare Guides & Product Reviews.

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