Darphynia's Diary

It's nearly time for summer vacation, and what better way to protect yourself than with the Sun Safety Kit from Sephora?  The 16 pieces of SPF fun are encased in a hot pink and clear train case, perfect for traveling.  Find your new favorite SPF product with the deluxe samples in the kit.  Because of their size, each product fits perfectly in any bag, whether you are driving or flying.  The best part is that $20.00 of the purchase price has gone to benefit The Skin Cancer Foundation !  One of my all-time favorites products is in the kit-- fresh  sugar lip treatment, because your lips need protection, too!  Questions?  Leave them in the comments below, or shoot me an e-mail .    How to Enter: 1.  Like the blog page. And that's it!  An easy step for one great gift, and of course, shipping is included.  The winner will be chosen at random and announced on June 22nd.  Good luck! Side 1. Image courtesy of seph...

The older I get, the more my skin changes.  I went from never breaking out to breaking out (I guess my skin is making up for lost time), and I HATE it.  Nature's Chemist provides high-quality, organic, 100% pure essential oils to combat skin concerns.  Dr.  Lori Culberson, founder of Nature's Chemist, received her PhD in chemistry, and knows exactly what works.  She took the time to research the combinations and quantities of oils to create the most effective skincare.   Image courtesy of Nature's Chemist I must admit that I am fairly new to face oils.  I always thought that it would just leave my skin feeling like an oil slick...boy, was I wrong!  Not only have the breakouts all but stopped, I also don't have the dry patches that I did before, and the oils are very lightweight.  Prior to my absence, I was in the mountains, which completely dried out my skin (have you noticed that?).  These oils saved my face.  They als...

Foreo Luna Mini.  Image courtesy of foreo.com No, you're not seeing double.  I did a short review that wasn't really a review, of the Luna mini , awhile back.  I had not yet purchased the Luna Mini, but did shortly after.  During CES 2013, I happened upon the Foreo booth.  My first thought was that it was some kind of pleasure object.  It was around other booths that fit that genre, the items are made from silicone, and they vibrate.  As I was talking to one of their representatives, I was informed that it was a new way to clean your face.  I am an avid Clarisonic user, and have said so from the beginning, but I thought I would give this a try.  I like that it is made of silicone, and that it has a non-porous surface.  Sorry the photo quality isn't the greatest.  Under the device is the USB cable & Authenticity card. The package comes with the Luna Mini, USB cable, User Guide, and Authenticity Card.  It is impo...

Ceramic Slip.  Image courtesy of sundayriley.com Normally I don't purchase items after just one to two uses.  I had purchased some items on Sephora's website , and one of the free samples to choose from was Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip Cleanser .  I was happily surprised that after the first use my skin felt so clean and smooth.  Since the results were so wonderful, I ended up purchasing two bottles at once!  Within a week, my skin felt like, well, ceramic.  My pores were less visible, and while they cannot in actuality be changed permanently (thank you, genetics *note sarcasm*), my skin as a whole looked better.  You have to shake the bottle first, then just one pump on my Clarisonic is all it takes.  If you do not have a Clarisonic, no worries.  Whatever you use will work. The cleanser does foam but not excessively.  It contains green clay, Vitamin C, black pepper, and other stimulating ingredients.  The scent is very unique....

Whether you wear makeup daily or not, your skin definitely takes a beating.  Great looks begin with good skin; CellEssence has a great line of anti-aging skincare.  CellEssence sent me samples of two of their products: NUVACELL Wrinkle Repair Serum and Anti-Aging Skin Cream , to test out.  So much science has gone into their products, and they go beyond just superficial skincare.   Image courtesy of buycellessence.com Within a couple of days, I noticed a difference in my skin as a whole.  The eye cream made me look far less fatigued, and has decreased the look of dark circles.  For those of you who do not know, I have not been sleeping (or resting as I should) well for about a year.  Wish I had a before photo, because the dark circles under my eyes looked like mascara and eyeliner had run under them…needless to say it was not flattering.  The eye serum has also evened out my skin tone and reduced the look of the few lines I was be...