Product Review: Sibu Skin Care

I was recently sent Sibu Beauty's daytime facial cream to try out. Reading up on their products, I was impressed with their commitment to natural and eco-friendly ingredients and packaging. The primary ingredient they use is the Sea Buckthorn, found in the Tibetan Himalayas. The berry contains powerful nutrients that are ideal for reaching the optimum in skin care.

After using the product for a week now, I really do appreciate how well it hydrates without leaving my skin feeling greasy, and also how firm my skin feels afterwards. The natural fragrance it has is very refreshing as well. For one ounce, the bottle is priced at around $20, which is not bad for a quality, and 100% natural day cream.

Sibu Beauty offers other products such as juice drinks and vitamin supplements along with a full skin care line that all contain the Sea Buckthorn. If you are interested in sustainable and natural products, this brand is definitely worth checking out!

The best beauty product out there...

is water. Seriously.

My Mom always insisted that I drink 8 glasses of water a day to keep my skin clear during puberty, and she was right. I never had pimples or zits growing up. Unfortunately, once I got out on my own, I stopped drinking water as much and sure enough, I discovered what it was like to have pimples or face blemishes.

Recently, in an attempt to get more healthy and lose some weight, I have been charting my calories and water intake on Livestrong.com. At the beginning of my tracking, I realized that I was only drinking about 5 to 6 glasses of water a day. Now that I've been drinking 8 glasses or more of water a day for an entire week I am achieving some pretty good results.

Not only is my face blemish free, but the color in my complexion is more even. My lips don't need chapstick and my hands are so much softer.
This pic isn't clear enough to show you my skin (I wanted the pic to focus on the beautiful lilacs that have just started to bloom in my backyard), but I posted the pic just to prove that I have been avoiding make-up these days because I feel so confident in my new dewy (or waterlogged) skin.

In addition to drinking more water, I have also started to use Clinique Self Sun Daily Moisturizer on my face. I use Clinique glow powder and the self sun product came as a free gift with my purchase of the powder. I LOVE this stuff! My husband has even commented on the nice glow it gives my face.


It's that time of year to make sure your face isn't pasty white as the sun is starting to shine - what products do you use to fake a glow? Or do you still opt for the good old fashioned route of laying out in the sun?

Drink water!

I have been reading a lot lately about what is good to drink and eat for both your health and beauty. One of the biggest things that we all know and all hear is "Drink lots of water". But drinking water, frankly, is boring. And it can be a pain. Just thinking about all the many trips to the bathroom I'll make in a day makes me want to stop drinking water all together (well, not really, but anyway). So, I found the solution to drinking lots of water and enjoying it is...drinking "pretty" water. So I've started buying bottled Fiji water. The packaging is pretty and the taste really is amazing. It's not cheap, but I think it's worth it.

So far I don't have the amazing "Dewy" skin that I'm going for (from the picture in the magazine I found)...in fact, I'm the opposite with what seems like a million break outs. But I know if I keep drinking my water and keep eating healthy foods my skin will clear up again and I'll look great. Well, I'll hope I look great:)

Now you see it, now you don't.

Every since my post on "Three steps to better skin" I have found that my skin really has been super amazing. I rarely break out, my skin feels clean and fresh. I even think it feels softer. lol, maybe that is just in my head though.

At any rate, a month or two ago, however, I did get a few tiny breakouts around my mouth and so I went back to the mall to talk with my favorite Clinique consultant. She had lots of options to clear up my tiny trouble spots but I opted to just get the Acne solutions concealing stick. It is like any other make-up concealing product with one extra special step. It medicates while it covers!

Now I find I use it all the time (or whenever I get a break out). You put it on at the first sign of a break out and "poof" like that, it's gone. At least, that has been my experience.

This morning, I found a teeny, tiny, red spot on my top lip and only a few hours later I swear it's already disappearing. lol. Perhaps it's also the make-up cover, but even still.

So here is to the best $13.50 I've ever spent on a skin care product. If anyone else is a lover of the clinique brand go online now for free shipping with orders $35 or more through July 31st, or make a fun trip to your local mall!

Three steps to better skin

I have fairly good skin. Not to oily, not to dry. I rarely break out, just have a few redder spots on my face that I don't care to much for...and therefore try to cover with makeup. But overall...I have good skin. This being the case, you'd think I wouldn't have any trouble finding a light foundation to compliment my complexion and allow my make-up to last longer then two hours.
Yet, with each new foundation product that I try, NOTHING seems to work right. Mostly, my issue has been odd discoloration the foundation has done to my skin. Splotchy skin, after applying foundation, should NOT be happening.

So last week (or was it the week before) I decided to talk with a Clinique rep about my foundation issues. The gal was so sweet and so helpful. She sat me down to give me a full make over starting with "cleaning your skin". She said that the key to a good foundation, is to first have good skin underneath. Even though my skin my look nice and healthy (and clean) there is a lot happening there that my naked eye can't see.

1. Wash your face. Use a mild soap (you don't have to buy the fabulous facial soap that Clinique sells for $14.50...though I did, and I LOVE it). After you wash and rinse, make sure your skin really is clean by wiping your face with a damp cotton ball...if the cotton ball comes off clean...move on to step 2.

2. Exfoliate. Exfoliate with a clarifying lotion. Clinique's sells for $11.00 and your whole face kind of tingles after you apply this. Making you feel like you really are cleaning and exfoliating your skin.

3. Moisturize. I always have moisturized, I love putting on face lotion and feeling how soft my skin is. I just never realized that the moisturizer can't really do it's job if you have lots of grim on your skin to begin with . You can of course spend the $23.00 to buy Clinique's "Dramatically different moisturizing lotion or gel" (which, of course, I did)...but I'm sure you could find something just as effective for a LOT cheaper.

At any rate, I'm sure I'm one of the last girls on the planet to try Clinique's fabulous three steps to better skin plan, but for the very few of you who haven't...you really should start up this very simple, very easy, skin care plan. Everyone wants healthier skin right? I for one sure do and I'm loving how my face feels and how fabulous my foundation goes on (yes, I did buy their foundation as well...SO nice...oh, and a foundation brush...marvelous!).

Happy skin day!

"...Oh the weather outside is frightful..."

Looking for something to keep your skin from drying out this winter? Look no further.

I just purchased this salve from More Than Alive. It really is what it says - it's a Miracle! Not only has it cleared up my one-year old son's severe eczema, but it also works for his diaper rashes, my chapped lips, my cuticles, and provides immediate relief for burns, and fast healing on cuts or scrapes.

The ingredients are incredible--ranging from coconut oil and beeswax, to organic plaintain leaf and comfrey root. The perfect combination of healing and moisturizing properties for keeping your skin looking and feeling moisturized.

For healthy eyes, skin, and bones...

For the past several months I have been taking a dietary supplement of cod liver oil, which is known to promote healthy eyes, skin, and bones (as prescribed by my mother).
I have not really noticed any benefit to taking it until yesterday after I had stopped taking it for two days. Unfortunately, yesterday, I ended up with a zit on my face. Something I have not had to deal with since taking cod liver oil. Needless to say, I have resumed taking it today, but thought I'd recommend it to everyone else out there who doesn't have time for a fancy skin care regime. Just swallow a few cod liver oil tablets every morning and healthier skin should start to develop!

For more on the benefits of cod liver oil, check out what Wikipedia has to say.