Vichy Aqualia Thermal Rehydrating Gel Cream Review

Well, well, well, look who's back from the dead. I mean, from a long, unexpected hiatus. It's been about half a year since my last blog post, the longest hiatus I've had from the blog. Let's just say, it's been a very uneventful 6 months. I just made a few changes in my life, and had a lot of other things going on, and blogging was just in the background for me at the time. I'm happy to say though, that I am back, and hopefully I won't be gone for such a long time again! 

I'm always happy when I get the opportunity to review products through Influenster Voxboxes, especially skin care stuff! As I get older, I understand the importance of properly taking care of your skin, because you know, I plan to look like I'm 18 forever :) 

If you're new here, or maybe just haven't read any of my other Influenster posts, let me fill you in. Influenster is an amazing community where you can read reviews from people just like you, about products you like. Not only that, they send out free products to members to try and test out. Free products in exchange for your honest opinions? Sign me up! Or, sign you up maybe? Check out my previous Influenster posts, where I got things like Bite Beauty Lip Pencils, L'oreal Skincare, and even a Keurig!! Yeah you heard that right, a FREE Keurig. I also go into more detail of what Influenster is in that post, so be sure to check it out! 

Now, more about the product. The Vichy Aqualia Thermal Rehydrating Water Gel Cream is suppose to provide 48 hours of hydration to combination/oily skin. Straight from the website; it recharges dry and dehydrated skin using natural derived ingredients such as Hyaluronic Acid, fortifying Vichy mineralizing water, and plant sugar mannose. These ingredients work together to provide you with fresh, dewy looking skin. It's also paraben-free, silicone free and oil free! 

The cream itself was like a gel consistency, and absorbed very quickly into the skin. It does have a scent, but it wasn't overpowering and didn't linger once it dried. 

I've been using this as my daily moisturizer for many a little over 2 weeks now? I've got to say, it's a good cream, but not the best. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it, but it's not so amazing that I would repurchase it. It did its job and it did keep my skin hydrated, but I mean, that was about it. I have very oily skin, with occasional dry patches. Using this product daily has vastly decreased the dry patches, and my skin was hydrated, but the oil produced on my face wasn't minimized. Of course the product itself doesn't say it minimizes an oily complexion, but I would've hoped it would help with the overproduction of oil. 

It definitely provides dewy looking skin when worn on its own, but as a person with super oily skin, I don't really need/want that dewy look at all! I'll still continue to use the product because it does keep my face well moisturized, but I probably won't be repurchasing it, as it doesn't meet my personal skincare needs!

Interested in the opportunity to receive and review free products?

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I received this product for free, complimentary from Influenster.

All opinions are my own.

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The Face Shop Face Masks Review

I went through this huge phase of loving Korean skin care and beauty products last year. It still effects me to this day in some cases. (I talk about it like it's an addiction or disease haha) One of the skincare products that I feel Koreans really are stars at making, have to be their face/sheet masks. 

I featured The Face Shop in one of my blog posts a while ago where I had a huge Asian Beauty Products Haul. I think I used maybe 90% of the products, and thoroughly enjoyed them. I'm happy to see that The Face Shop has expanded to shopping malls close to me so I don't have to trek all the way to Pacific Mall to pick up sheet masks and other products.

Today I will be reviewing 2 of the 3 sheet masks I received from The Face Shop. I received these products to test out, and I had a lot of fun wearing face masks with my boyfriend haha. He was actually more excited to try them than I was surprisingly. 

Awesome coincidence that I would receive three masks that I have yet to try! 

Hydro Vita C Blood Orange Mask Sheet

This mask claims to bring in vitamins into the skin, along with clearing the skin. My boyfriend tried this one.

It was a lot different than the masks I've tried in the past. This one was more thicker, almost gel like, and was a bit harder to put on. It was in two pieces and you had to remove the clear plastic from the sheets. 

It looks like he's wearing a hockey mask haha. What a good sport. The blood orange smell was very light and not overpowering at all. This mask was a lot more slimy than the sheet masks I've tried in the past. 

Real Nature Mask Sheet Kelp

I've tried the mango sheet mask and another one from Real Nature before and loved them. The kelp extract in this mask helps purify your face. 

Compared to the hydro gel mask, the sheet masks are a lot wetter and contain a lot of extra liquid. With both masks, you have the option to rub in the serum after 10 minutes, or wash it off. 

Hydro Vita B Starfruit Extract Mask Sheet

This one is similar to the blood orange one, but I have yet to try it on myself.

I've always been a fan of The Face Shop sheet masks. They leave your face feeling moisturized and fresh. My boyfriend didn't mind wearing it either. No complaints at all haha. We look like weirdos. 

Do you treat yourself to "spa days" or use sheet masks?

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Most Common Skincare Mistakes You're Making (Guest Post)

The market is full to the brim with various skincare products. Sometimes, we are so overwhelmed by the number of different choices we do not know which one to use. However, choosing a right product is not an end to our problems. We are not aware of many other skincare routines we do wrong, but which can damage our skin. The article consists of 5 most common skincare mistakes you may catch yourself making.

Not Drinking Enough Water

You have certainly read articles about beneficial effects of water on your skin complexion. Some beauty and health magazines even suggest that just by increasing water intake, you will get rid of wrinkles and other signs of aging once and for all. There is no scientific evidence to prove this.

However, what experts advise is to drink 8 glasses of water every day. The skin is an organ, just like our heart and brain. In order to function properly, organs need water. The 30% of water in our skin plays a key role in maintaining plumpness, elasticity and resiliency. Dehydration leaves us with dry, tight skin and dry skin leaves us with more wrinkles. In other words, increasing water intake may not combat wrinkles, but it can certainly prevent them for the time being.

Not Enough Sleep

No anti-aging treatment can help you if you have the habit of pulling all-nighters. Beauty sleep has become reality. It is free. Why don’t you start reaping the benefits of sleep on your skin right now?

While you sleep, cells in your body start renewing. Sleep is a repair mode when old cells die and new ones grow. Furthermore, sleep loss causes your body to release a stress hormone, cortisol more than usual. Too much cortisol breaks down collagen, a protein which gives the skin its firmness and elasticity. Not getting enough sleep can also affect the release of a human growth hormone, whose main function is tissue repair. Finally, a study confirmed that poor sleepers have increased signs of aging.

Not Wearing Sunscreen

According to experts, a sunscreen should be applied in both summer and winter. Sunscreens protect us from UVA and UVB radiation. UVA rays are less intense than UVB rays, but they penetrate deeper into the skin than their counterparts. UVA rays are present during all day. Too much exposure to UVA rays can lead to skin aging and wrinkling and even cancer. Even though UVB rays penetrate only into the first epidermal layers resulting in sunburn and redness, they can also cause skin cancer and photoaging. The Skin Cancer Foundation argues that a sunscreen with SPFs of 15 and higher can give us adequate protection.

Going to Bed With Make-up On

No matter how tired you are after a night out, always clean your face before you go to bed. First of all, make-up on your face during sleep clogs and stretches pores. As you age and the amount of skin collagen is decreasing, pores will not return to their normal size that easily. Additionally, if you skip on removing make-up before bed, free radicals can be produced, which can result in collagen damage. Less collagen, more wrinkles.

The advice we can give you is to leave make-up removers and pads on the night table to remind yourself of this important beauty routine.

Exfoliating and Moisturizing Too Much

Although exfoliating and moisturizing are one of the basic skincare routines, doing this too often can damage your skin. Over-exfoliating causes redness, dry skin and it can lead to damage of the barrier function of the skin. On the other hand, applying too much of a moisturizer can result in breakouts and it can be more difficult to apply make-up.

Apply an exfoliant one or two times a week. A dab of it is enough for your face. When it comes to a moisturizer, you can use it two times a day. A nickel-sized amount for your whole face is recommended. For example, ASAP skin care line has great cleansing and soothing gels appropriate for any skin type.

Have you made some of these mistakes during your skin care routines? Are there any other recommendations you can give us?

About the Author

Amy Mia Goldsmith is a literature graduate from Melbourne who loves to write short stories and reviews. Amy is a regular contributor at High Style Life. Her passion is beauty and makeup and she loves to spend her free time travelling and of course – make up shopping! You can contact Amy on her Facebook page.

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Brand Spotlight: Beauty Origin Lab

Now this is something a little different than you usually see on my blog. I haven't written a brand spotlight post in a year maybe? Crazy. Been so caught up with beauty reviews, I've been neglecting other aspects of my blog! 

If you're new here, welcome! A brand spotlight post is a blog post where I focus on one particular brand, go into a little detail about the products they have, and review a range of their products as well. It's a great way to learn a little more about beauty brands out there, and what they have to offer. 

Today, I will be introducing you to Beauty Origin Lab. I've personally never heard of the brand itself, until they contacted me about a week ago. They were kind enough to send me a few of their products to review, and I shall be sharing my thoughts with you as always.

Background:

Beauty Origin Lab is a skin care company located in Toronto, Ontario (hey girl, heyyy). They produce a nice sized range of skin care products such as: 

• natural lip balms
• french clay masks
• silky natural body butters
• gentle body and face exfoliants
• and purifying cleansers with shea butter.

All their products are 100% natural and made with organic ingredients. 

This is probably one of the first times I've used all natural or organic products, and I was pretty worried how my skin would react to it. I have pretty sensitive skin that easily breaks out if I put something on it doesn't like (yes, my skin has a mind of its own). I mentioned my skin concerns to them in an email, and they were kind enough to send me products that wouldn't irritate sensitive skin. How wonderful of them! 

Geranium Body Cleanser ($31)

Surprisingly enough, I really love the scent of this cleanser. I'm usually not a huge fan of floral scents, but this cleanser actually smells wonderful. The smell is rather strong as first, but once you use it in the shower, the smell isn't overbearing, and almost soothing. 

This body cleanser doesn't produce much foam, so I ditched the loofa with this product. It's definitely more watery than your usual body gel/liquid soap, almost similar in density as a cleansing milk. It leaves your skin feeling clean and silky smooth once you hop out of the shower. 

They also have a rosemary body cleanser, a lavender face cleanser, and a chamomile face cleanser.

Chamomile Floral Water ($20)

This was suppose to be the product I was most excited for when I received the email on what products I would receive. Unfortunately it wasn't a favourite of mine. To my knowledge now, I'm not the biggest fan of the chamomile scent, but that's the only thing I really disliked about it. I used this product at the end of the day after removing my make-up. You're suppose to keep it refrigerated since there are no preservatives in there. I guess it could be a little of an annoyance to have to go down to your kitchen every time you wanted to use this product, but at the same time, why wouldn't you want to spritz a nice cooling liquid on your face on a hot summers evening? Besides the smell, I enjoyed using this product.

Along with chamomile, they have witch hazel, rose water, and lavender water as well.

Strawberry Natural Lip Balm ($4.50)

This was probably my most favourite product I got. I absolutely adore this lip balm. Its SUPER moisturizing (a little on the greasy feeling/glossy look if you're not into that, but I don't mind), and it's my favourite to use before I go to bed. I wake up and my lips feel amazing!! It also comes in vanilla, blueberry, cherry, raspberry, and coffee.

Revitalizing Mask with French Yellow Clay ($27)

I was recommended to try out this clay mask because I have sensitive skin. It's their mildest clay mask in their line of masks, and works great with sensitive skin. It cleans, detoxifies, draws out impurities and helps with the circulation of blood in your face. It has a very strong herbal scent, which I don't mind because it reminds me of a clay mask my mom would try on me when I was a child, and she would occasionally do facials for me for fun. Smells like nostalgia. 

I applied it all over my face and waited for it to dry. I tried to apply a thin-ish layer, which kind of worked out, and as it dried, it felt like my face was tightening up with it. 

Gross look at my pores on my nose. This is a pic of it almost dried.

I imagine seeing my pores so easily means that it really drew out the impurities in my deep pores. It was fairly easy to remove than most other clay masks I've tried in the past (the formula felt a lot lighter so it came off way easier), and my face didn't feel dried out at all. I didn't even feel like I had to moisturize after! My face felt fresh, supple and super clean.

If you're interested in purchasing any Beauty Origin Lab products, you can purchase it online on their website at: www.beautyoriginlab.ca 

They are currently only shipping to addresses in Canada. 

These products were sent to me for reviewing and testing purposes only.

All opinions are my own.

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