.:: CybeleSays ::.

Now that every beauty line has a BB Cream in theirs, you just have to weed through the masses to pick out the best one for you. Up until now, this one has been it for me, but I think this is the next best one. It’s KIEHL’S BB Cream – Actively Correcting and Beautifying with SPF 50 ($37/1.35oz @ kiehls.com). Yup, SPF 50!! Love that as I don’t think you can overload on the sun protection these days.

The formula is incredibly lightweight, buildable, and while they call it a BB, it acts more like a CC. With this one you get the coverage of a BB but also the correction like a CC. Got it?

It seems that tinted moisturizers turn out to be too pinky for my tone from the addition of spf but the one I tried Fair/Medium doesn’t seem to be, phew. And like a lot of Kiehl’s products, this one comes without a lot of things: parabens, fragrance, silicone and mineral oil and is really great for those with sensitive skin as I’ve heard some of these packed-to-the-hilt super creams can be a little irritating. Available in 4 shades.

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided for review purposes.

CLINIQUE Moisture Surge CC Cream Hydrating Colour Corrector Broad Spectrum SPF 30 ($35  @ clinique.com) – when their Moisture Surge products speak, I listen. Out this month is the next letter in the alphabets do-it-all product (for a breakdown of BB, CC and soon to be DD creams, click here). In a nutshell this one is Colour Correction, Hydration and Protection. Available in 6 shades.

BLISS “Fuzz Off” ($24/.5oz @ blissworld.com) – This is a “super-fast fresh-scented facial hair remover” and as we get older, who can’t use one? I admit, I can in certain areas of my face and this one is non-messy and contains aloe, willowherb and vitamin E and it works in 3 minutes.

KIEHL’S Skin Rescuer ($40/2.5oz @ kiehls.com) – loving this latest release from Kiehl’s. It addresses all your skin’s short term and long term concerns in one bottle. It ups the hydration, improves fatigue and contains Rosa Gallica Botanical Extracts and Mannose, which they found helps with the skin’s reaction to stress and to help it bounce back.

BIOELEMENTS Oil Control Mattifier ($36/1oz @ bioelements.com) – oil ain’t sexy! Think of this cream as the blotting sheets you would have to use in a few hours should you not applied this one. And with the heat, your makeup is sure to slid off without it. If you’re a matte girl, this is your matte wish!

WHISH Hair Inhibiting Swipes in Pomegranate ($8/8pack, $20/20pack @ whishbody.com) – not sure how these work but I’ve been testing them on my left arm and I must say, they seem to be making the hair less noticeable. And this has some great ingredients in the wipes – Chaparral Extract (an anti-oxidant), hyaluronic acid, aloe and Shea Butter, among others.

So what scent has your full attention right now? I seem to be all over the map and am changing my mind daily, which is what I’m allowed to do as a woman, right? Here are some more recommendations from L to R clockwise.

ESCADA Cherry in the Air eau de toilette ($56/1.6oz, $20/.25oz @ sephora.com) – I love the smell of cherry and always seem to have at least one cherry scent in rotation this time of year. This one has notes of black cherry, raspberry, mandarin, marshmallow, gardenia, coconut, sandalwood and oakwood. Love!

KRIGLER Pleasure Garden 79 Scented Candle ($65/6.34oz @ krigler.com) – if you love gardenia, this scent will take you to heaven! This one is a blend of jasmine, vanilla, mimosa, all floating on gardenia petals.

LATHER Orange Peel Face Soap ($8/4oz @ lather.com) – for normal or combo skin and contains organically derived orange oil. Sulfate and parabens-free.

ARQUISTE Flor y Canto eau de parfum ($165/1.8oz @ barneys.com) – described as an opulent floral, this one “celebrates the feeling and smells of an Aztec festival." Notes include Mexican tuberose, magnolia, plumeria and marigold. Very unique.

MOONESSENCE Papaya & Pineapple Exfoliating Masque ($42.99/2oz @ sfrbeauty.com) – contains extracts of papaya, green papaya and pineapple, which are known for their exfoliating properties.

Disclosure: Some of these items were provided for review purposes. Some I bought.

What do you think of when it comes to the words face peel? Nothing sexy, no doubt! Exfoliator? A little better but not as violent sounding. Why O.R.G SKINCARE decided to call this next product a “peel,” I’m not exactly sure because when I think of a peel I think of Samantha Jones from Sex in the City and her red face with a peel left on to long. Great episode!

The name it goes by is Organic Mineral Peel Face and is meant to remove dead skin, like you-can-see-it-ball-up-on-your-face, dead skin. And to put this one to the ultimate test, I used a facial scrub with tiny synthetic beads to exfoliate my skin in the shower before using this one and I still got the skin balls.

So what’s inside that seems to act as a super exfoliator? The list starts with mineral water, glycerin, Centrimonium Chloride (an anticeptic), Carbomer (for consistency), and then we get to the licorice root extract, milk thistle, aloe, grape seed extract, cucumber,  among others. So I’m really not sure how this one is able to give the huge results that it does. Maybe by combining all the above ingredients? It made my skin super supple and soft, pretty much better than about 90% of the face exfoliators I’ve ever used.

It comes in a 2oz spray bottle and you simple spray some on each quad of the face (forehead, each cheek and chin area), wait about 10 seconds and then using your fingers, make circles around your face and you’ll see the skin. Rinse with water.

And I was given a tip by them to use this before applying any product that really needs to sink in or adhere like a face primer, face moisturizer or even sunscreen. $44 @ orgskincare.com.

I’m a big fan of dry products as in those that you add water to, to activate. I know freshness is always a concern when it comes to any product and those that need to have a shelf life must contain a preservative, which some people can be sensitive too.

Leave it to JOSIE MARAN to come out with a facial exfoliator that is not only in the powder form, but also has some seriously nourishing ingredients to boot. It’s called Argan Exfoliating Powder and is formulated with rice powder and argan nuts.

If you are not familiar, Ms. Maran has built her line on the power of Argan Oil, which is known for its rich anti-oxidants and its non-irritation with most skin types.

To activate, just add a little water and smooth it onto the face. It doesn’t feel grainy at all, just like a very fine powder buffing away skin cells. And they recommend adding this to their Argan Cleansing Oil. Nice.

$40/1.76oz @ qvc.com.

How easy is life now that we have tinted moisturizers?! Just make sure that the one you choose does double or triple duty because most of them do these days. Take the newish REVIVE Tinted Moisturizer. This lightweight moisturizer has a lot going for it:

• SPF 15
• Major anti-aging ingredients (vitamin E and Hyaluronic Acid) and Marine Extracts
• RES Technology - bioengineered ingredients to help the skin mimic the performance of youthful skin to restore and repair.

And it comes in 3 different shades: Light, Medium and Deep.

Are you into these tinted moisturizers?

$85/1.7oz @ reviveskincare.com.

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided for review purposes.

When was the last time you went through your makeup to throw out old items? Hair care products? What about skin care? Lately I’ve become a little sketchy about a face product if it comes in a pot and I have to put my finger in it to grab some. I usually try and use one of those small spatulas that come with some of them but most of the time I don’t have one handy. It gets me wondering how much I contaminate my own product over and over every time I use it.

One that I know I am safe with in more ways than one is with this TATCHA Polished Classic Rice Enzyme Powder. First, it comes as a powder that activates when you apply water so it won’t spoil over time and secondly it has a small dispenser that you slide open and tap-tap about 1 teaspoon's worth into the palm of your hand, so no sticking any fingers anywhere inside of it.

Now about the formula itself – it’s composed of rice brand, papaya and their own HADASEI-3 Bioactive Complex to help gently exfoliate, as well as finely crushed seawater pearls that help brighten the skin. $65/2.1oz @ tatcha.com.

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided for review purposes.

What do you need to make sure you have on hand this summer to look great at all times? Here are some suggestions. From L to R clockwise:

A Quick Way to Clean Your Skin - SIMPLE Soothing Facial Toner - $6.99/6.7oz @ simpleskincare.com – Witch Hazel, Pro-Vitamin B5 and chamomile help calm and rebalance the skin.

An Anti-Aging Sunscreen – AMWAY Artistry Time Defiance Day Protect Lotion SPF 15 - $64.10/1.7oz @ amway.com -  protects skin with their own Artistry Defense Complex 4 anti-aging ingredients while protecting from  UVA and UVB rays.

A Summery Scent To Tie It All Together – ESCADA Especially Escada EDP Spray - $62/2.5oz @ sephora.com – a fruity flowery mix of pear, rose, Ambrette Seeds, Ylang Ylang and musk.

A Bronzer to Boost My “It’s Summertime!” Look – PHYSICIANS FORMULA Bronze Booster - $14.95 @ physiciansformula.com – a little here and a little there help brighten and accentuate the face.

A Won’t Budge Eye Shadow Primer - MAKE UP FOR EVER Eye Prime - $19 @ sephora.com – I used this one to test out yesterday’s shadows and it really made a difference.

To Keep the Eye Area Hydrated – BASQ Cucumber Tea Soothing Eye Gel - $24/.5oz @ basqnyc.com – cucumber and green tea soothe the area around eyes.

I think of the TALIKA brand as the eye gurus as in they know what kinds of products work for the eye area. I mean, they’ve delved into other areas but it all comes back to the eyes. They just came out with a new product called Skin Retouch Eye Contour ($31 @ talika.com), and was inspired by photo retouching techniques, funny enough, like using the blur technique or light diffusion. It’s a serum for those times when you didn’t get enough sleep the night before, have bags or just want to try and conquer any aging in that area.

It comes with 7 single-use applicators (why so few??) and inside each Q-tippy is an exclusive polymer that infuses Siberian ginseng to smooth out the area and plump it up a tad in just seconds. And seeing is believing! And the effects will last up to 8 hours. Are you in the market for some new eye products?  

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided for review purposes.

For some reason my skin has been freaking out lately with blemishes and I have not been able to pinpoint what it is that’s causing it. Diet? Using my Clarisonic too much? Anyway, I was waiting to it to calm for a minute so I could try this SOMME INSTITUTE Boost Gentle Warming Mask but hey, why wait? This one could actually help, duh! This is one of those warming masks, which sometimes give me the creeps but it doesn’t get too warm like some I have tried in the past. Like all of their products, this one is infused with their patented MDT5 (Molecular Dispersion Technology), which is a complex of 5 highly engineered vitamins (A, B3, B5, C and E) and proteins to really smooth out skin. And I love that it also contains natural pumpkin enzymes, to help clear out dead skin on the surface. And I read in their materials that the warming is due to the Zeolite, which is a natural mineral the opens the pores enabling the Kaolin to absorb oil, dirt etc and free radicals can’t survive it. So it’s like a skin crime fighter!

The verdict? I’ve used it 3 times now and while I’m not usually big on using face masks, I really do like this one not only because you only leave it on for 5 minutes but also for what it leaves behind afterward, which seems to be calm skin and a feeling of a neutral pH, not dry and tight. And the fact that it has major anti-aging ingredients? Major double, or rather, triple duty benefits. Big recommendation. $40/3oz @ sommeinstitute.com.

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided for review purposes.