LA by Diana - Personal Style blog by Diana Marks: beauty

Showing posts with label beauty. Show all posts

June 25, 2019

Fresh. Confident. Powerful.

This post is sponsored by Summer's Eve® but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

It's been a while since I spoke about my favorite products and beauty finds, but I am back on it again as this one is worth sharing. I couldn't pass up on partnering with Summer’s Eve® - I love what the company stands for and have been using their products for quite a while. For years the brand has been talking to women as a leader of feminine hygiene products, asking questions and trying to understand how we think and feel about our bodies and helping us feel fresh.

Summer’s Eve® just launched their newest product line at Target - New! FreshCycle™ products. These pH-Balanced products are specially formulated to reduce period odor, working to gently cleanse and freshen while removing odor-causing bacteria. I love using them during "those days" as they help me feel fresh and clean, and stay as confident as I am on any other day! I use them in the morning, at night, and any time of the day I feel I need it. I can even do light workouts during those days without feeling uncomfortable after. Plus they are available at my local Target, which makes them so easy to access.

Now you can head to Target for FreshCycle™ products yourself too! They are available in a 5oz No-Rinse Cleansing Foam (at certain Target stores), a 24-count Flushable Cleansing Cloth pack, and a 14-count Individually Wrapped Cleansing Cloths, which is my favorite ;)

Self-Care with Biore

I have been talking about self care more and more on the blog, mainly because that's what this year is all about for me - taking care of my mind, body and soul without being too obsessive about it. I am humbled to keep partnering with the companies that are on the same mission as I am, and they introduce me and my audience to new helpful products. Today's blog post is about Biore - the brand, which has innovative products that really work, with superior technology, unique ingredients, and unexpected sensorial solutions that targets the root of all skin problems - the evil clogged pore.

I am not a huge mask fan, it takes too much time and is always messy for me, but Biore One Minute Self Heating Mask is the product I fell in love with immediately. First of all, it's only one minute, second - it doesn't harden, and rinses fast and clean - hence, no mess! I love the way it heats up on the face, such a cool sensation! Plus it's infused with natural charcoal, which draws out pore clogging dirt, oil and impurities in just 60 seconds, and it's 2.5x times more effective than a basic cleanser! Handy compact packaging makes it a great product to travel with. What is there not to love? :)

Style Without Stiffness with TRESemme Compressed Micro-Mist

As I get a lot of hair questions and compliments on my socials, I decided to dedicate a whole blog post to this topic and share my new favorite product with you. My hair always appears to be naturally styled, and while it is true, there are a few products that I use here and there to maintain this style. My go-to hair is styled with a flat iron and a hair spray. But I am very specific about my hairsprays, as I don't like "sticky hair" look that some might create. That's why I am using breakthrough new TRESemme Compressed Micro-Mist Hairspray Texture that helps me style my hair without stiffness for a natural, lasting hold that will move with me. I even tested this on a recent walk on the beach ;) They have 4 sprays in this collection: Texture, Smooth, Boost and Extend - and all of them are great!

This spray is perfect for both everyday style and a date night look. Your hair will look intact while maintaining life and movement. All of it is thanks to the new breakthrough Micro-mist technology, formulated without clunky particles (unlike other traditional hairsprays), and packaged in a special can for a more targeted, efficient spray for a flexible hold. Also, due to their new packaging, the hairspray is smaller in size, yet contains the same amount of product. Plus the package looks very sleek.

I also love the fact that it is available at my local Walmart, which, we all know, is a convenient place to shop. Let me know when you try it out, would love to hear your thoughts!

Winter Skincare Survival Tips

This post is sponsored by Dove Advanced Care Antiperspirant, but opinions are my own :)

Here in LA the weather has been changing like crazy lately. It was rainy, gloomy, sunny, hot and cold several times in one week only! Needless to say that the weather is taking its toll on my skin. I am particularly struggling with dryness and feel like I need a refresh. Luckily I discovered some amazing tips from Dove Dermatologist, Dr. Alicia Barbra, that help me stay on top of my winter care game.

1) Lay off intense exfoliation and moisturize nightly. It's so true, I kept exfoliating in hopes to clean off dead skin cells but ended up stripping my skin of its essential oil, which lead me to breakouts. It was a long and annoying process to get my skin back to normal. Now I am trying to get my moisturizing game back on track to avoid that in the future by using overnight moisturizing masks.

2) Care for your underarms. Underarm skin is sensitive, Dr. Barba says, and clothing fabrics can irritate it (especially in winter, with layers, sweaters, etc!). Under all those layers we need a protective product that will keep the skin hydrated. Dove Advanced Care Antiperspirant is the one I use personally, it makes my skin feel so soft, fresh and smooth! I love that it also provides 48-hour odor and wetness protection. Check Dove Advanced Care out for yourself here.

3) Sunscreen for all seasons. Harmful UV rays don't take a break for cold weather. Always protect your skin regardless of the temperature outside. In winter time, consider switching to a moisturizing sunscreen to keep your skin extra hydrated.

4) Invest in a hydrating cleanser. Dry skin is more than just annoying and uncomfortable, it can lead to serious skin problems such as worsening of eczema, psoriasis and can be a major cause of winter itch. A great way to fight this is to use a hydrating cleanser and make sure to moisturize the skin after cleansing.

5) Moisturize beyond the face. I am guilty of that throughout the year, not just winter. Sometimes I neglect areas outside my face and my skin pays for it. You want to be active in treating neck, chest, hands and elsewhere at all times, Dr. Barba says.

Neu Year, Neu Daily Beauty Regime

New Year is in full swing. Can't believe we are already almost half way through January! Anyway, I am going to continue my topic of New Year's non-resolutions. What I mean by that is that I actually changed my lifestyle and approach in life instead of making new plans for every year (and let's be honest, resolutions don't work!). Along with my workout routine, I am continuously sticking to my make up routine. I actually had the same attitude towards make up for years, only changed up my products every once in a while. These days I am a fan of Neutrogena Cosmetics for their SkinClearing Cosmetics. I control my breakouts since early twenties and I am always excited to discover new products that help me with that. I try to stay away from heavy foundations during daytime and only wear them when I go out to events, but with Neutrogena SkinClearing Cosmetics I am set for nights out as well! Their SkinClearing Liquid Make Up has a wide range of foundation colors, and it was super easy to find my match, I apply it all over the face with a sponge, add SkinClearing concealer under eyes and necessary areas and finish with a light touch of SkinClearing Powder. Super easy, fast, affordable and so good for my breakout-prone skin! Neutrogena SkinClearing Cosmetics also works to improve skin while covering all the imperfections. Such a perfect solution for my nighttime looks now!

More importantly, the products are available at your local Walmart and on their site. You are welcome ;)

Wipe the night away with these affordable products

I don't change up my beauty routine too much, because if I find products that work, it's hard to convince me that there is something better out there. But every once in a while I explore new products out of necessity, like having to stay overnight at a friend's house because it's too long of a drive back home (LA problems!). On one of those nights I was forced to go to a local Walmart and find myself a whole new beauty routine at an affordable price as I only needed it for one night originally. After exploring countless options, I got myself 4 products that are now my favorites long after I needed them for one time use. Not only they are effective, they are also extremely affordable and they all smell delicious! Here are 4 top products that I hand picked from the shelves of Walmart:

1) For the glowing skin, I recommend to exfoliate 3x a week with St. Ives Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub - love the smell and the texture!

2) Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes are a skin savior wherever the day takes you, they are easy to use and super effective!

3) Start the day fresh with Noxzema Classic Clean Original Deep Cleansing Cream - love the eucalyptus smell!

4) For night time moisturizing I recommend PONDS Dry Skin Cream to lock in moisture for those who suffer from occasional dry skin.

All of these products are available at your local Walmart with great saving deals. SHOP HERE!

Dove Hair #SkipAWash Challenge

You might know that I don't like spending tons of time on my beauty / make up routine, and today I am partnering with Dove Hair to bring you guys another life hack that has been a great time saver in the recent days for me.

My life is always hectic (from meetings to events, admin, errands, shoots, and so much more!), but I always have to look presentable and picture ready. The part of my hair routine, that I drag the most, is washing my hair, as drying and styling it takes a while, and I lose productive daytime doing it. When I heard of Dove #SkipAWash challenge, I immediately got interested, because who wouldn't mind skipping a wash (or two!) and save those extra hours while maintaining fresh looking hair? ;)

I do play around with different dry shampoos every once in a while, and I am always happy to try new ones as I haven't found my go-to quite yet. But the Dove Refresh+Care Detox & Purify Dry Shampoo might just be the one! It's quite big (so lasts longer), immediately refreshes my hair and controls hair oil while allowing to skip a regular wash. Super easy to use too! Just shake, spray on lifted sections of dry hair, 8-12 inches from roots, massage through roots and brush through! Voila - a perfect fresh look for an extra day! It's been a real time-saver for me. Try it out and let me know your thoughts!

The Perfect Products to Give to or Steal from Your Man

I have to admit, I am not a huge beauty geek. I tend to stick to the same routine and switch it up only once in a while, whereas I know a lot of girls who explore new brands compulsively. Most of the products I use are quite predictable, but I have a few secrets here and there, that are not so typical to others.

For example, sometimes I like to use mens grooming and skincare products on myself. My particular favorites are shaving creams, shower gels and deodorants. For some reason I like masculine woody scents of these products much more appealing and alluring then female versions, plus I find that the overall quality is better.

I am now particularly obsessed with the new brand I discovered - Baxter of California. After spending some time on their sleek website browsing through a curated lineup of hair, skin, body and lifestyle products, I found quite a few products for myself and men in my life. Check out the site and discover great content of videos, inspiration looks and obviously great products. Also get a 15% off and free US shipping with the code BAXTERFAVES.

Valentine's Day with Olay

This post is promoted by Olay

The most important day in February is finally behind us and here is a little beauty/fashion recap of my experience. My look was planned out well in advance, so I didn't have any stress on that matter. I am totally happy with the outfit I chose, as the weather turned out to be nice and that romper color is a great way to start introducing a spring theme into my closet.

As for my beauty preparation, I teamed up with Olay, and had been using their products for about two weeks prior to Valentine's Day and I definitely saw lots of improvements in my skin. I was using Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Eye Swirl day and night and my skin definitely felt smoother and more hydrated around the eye area (even after only a few weeks use!). I complimented my routine with Micro-Sculpting Cream for overall moisturizing with Hyaluronic Acid, Amino-Peptides and Vitamin B3, and was definitely happy with my skin condition on Valentine's Day. It was plump, hydrated and felt renewed. Olay products definitely helped me feel confident and enjoy myself on Valentine's Day ;)

Getting Ready with Olay

For this post, I teamed up with Olay

We all have important events in our life, whether it’s birthday parties, nights out, or simply dates with someone very special. And even though we know it’s not beneficial, yet we still put a lot of pressure on ourselves to be at our best for these big occasions. Don’t get me wrong, an appropriate amount of pressure and self-critique is always a good thing, but unfortunately we go way too far most of the time.

I am partnering with Olay to change up my beauty routine using their Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Eye Swirl and Cream, a product that helps to take some of the pressure off ourselves because it allows us to take comfort in knowing that we are treating our skin to the best products possible. As with many ladies out there, I am getting ready for a big night on Valentine's day, and Olay is definitely helping me with that. I particularly like Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Eye Swirl, which I have been using day and night along with Micro-Sculpting Cream, and I am definitely seeing some improvement in the lines around my eyes and in the firmness of my under-eye area. Most importantly, my skin also feels more hydrated. I love complimenting my routine with Micro-Sculpting Cream for overall moisturizing with Hyaluronic Acid, Amino-Peptides and Vitamin B3 - definitely lifting and hydrating!

Golden Hour with La Prairie

I am not a person who spends too much on beauty products. I love a good deal like any girl my age, but sometimes I can't help but indulge in expensive and luxury skincare products.

Today I am partnering with one of the best and most luxurious beauty brands out there - La Prairie. I am sure lots of your have heard of the world-renowned Swiss company of timeless beauty. Its innovative skincare, color and fragrance collections are widely regarded for setting the benchmark within the luxury cosmetic industry.

We'll be talking about their La Prairie Cellular Radiance Perfecting Fluide Pure Gold, which showcases a new milestone in skin revitalization.

The product is inspired by my favorite time of the day - the golden hour. There is a magic time when a fleeting light casts a spell on everything it touches. It happens the moment the sun begins to rise, and again just before it sets. Shadows lengthen, colors are enhanced, the earth is in soft focus. Warm light bathes the skin in breathtaking beauty. It is an elusive moment, revered by artists, that stirs something deep inside us, and feels unlike anything else in the world. Some call it the Golden Hour. La Prairie calls it Radiance. La Prairie Cellular Radiance Perfecting Fluide Pure Gold re-creates that magic and makes skin glow with an immediate golden luminosity, enhancing a flawless skin finish.

To help mimic the subtle luminosity the “golden hour” imparts on skin, Cellular Radiance Perfecting Fluide Pure Gold is empowered by La Prairie’s advanced gold-science platform– an exclusive combination of pure gold, golden reflecting agents and a unique anti-aging golden peptide – and our exclusive Golden Lotus Blend made with Lotus Japonicus, an extraordinary flower revered in Asia where it is considered to be a plant of renowned beauty.

Once Cellular Radiance Perfecting Fluide Pure Gold is applied, the lightweight gel-cream emulsion becomes fluid, working its magic on skin. Instantly, skin looks enhanced. Enriched by gold’s anti-redness properties, it calms skin’s appearance and imparts a fine, soft-focus finish. Over the long term, skin quality is improved from deep within, as texture is continually refined and smoothed, firmness increases.

I tried the La Prairie Cellular Radiance Fluide for a few weeks now and I can definitely see some changes on my skin. But besides obvious results, I am all about excellence in any way possible. From what's inside to the packaging this product is a pure work of art and science (costs like art for sure ;)), but definitely worth it if you are an admirer of such luxury ;)

A New Way to Stay Hydrated

Healthy levels of hydration can increase energy levels, regulate circulation and digestion, and improve overall skin complexion. I don't know anyone who doesn't know this, yet most of us are still dehydrated due to our busy lifestyles and/or frequent travels. It's especially easy to forget about hydration while on a trip. As you might know from my social media, I am in London right now and I found a great way to help me reach my hydration goals before and during my trips.

Soft Skin and Healthy Body

This week I partnered up with Flywheel and Vaseline for an exciting opportunity. I got a chance to attend the popular cycling studio Flywheel in LA yesterday. Normally, I am not that much into cycling classes, but I might reconsider my preferences after visiting Flywheel. The upbeat music, dark room and constant movement made me feel like I am in a club, only it was a healthy version of it :) I was half dancing, half cycling and definitely got my blood moving. It's a great cardio workout for people like me, who don't move much.

After the class I got a chance to try out and take home Vaseline Intensive Care Spray Moisturizer, which I used all over my body after the much needed shower. I usually don't use any body lotions because I can't stand feeling sticky or greasy after I just cleaned myself. In so many years I never found one that I could use regularly. But Vaseline definitely made a difference. It took me seconds to dry after my initial application, and the skin instantly felt smooth and moisturized. A very convenient 360 degree application made the process super fast, which is extremely important to me. I absolutely loved the experience and I will definitely be using the product for a while now. Finally a body lotion I can use regularly! Have you tried it?

My Secrets Spilled

As you know, I have partnered with Skinny Cow this month for an exciting "What's My Secret" Campaign. Skinny Cow encouraged me to share my secrets of a good and easy life and I have quite a few. Today I want to talk about taking time for yourself.
In the 21st century we are always on-the-go, always connected and always working (not to mention motherhood, which is a 24/7 lifetime commitment that I admire, but am yet to experience) , we have less and less time for ourselves, and some of us don't even know when and how to put ourselves first any more. My secret is just about that. No matter how busy I am, or what's going on in my life, I try to squeeze in a short walk (even 20 minutes a day and even if it means that I have to cancel something in my schedule) to relax, unwind and recharge. I put on my stylish workout clothes and go for a walk around my neighborhood. I try to choose different routes depending on the day. Sometimes, I choose the park if I am looking for peace and relaxation, other times I wander through the residential area of my neighborhood exploring beautiful houses for distraction and creativity. And one of my favorite routes is the Golden Triangle of Beverly Hills, which is a grid of small commercial streets filled with shops and restaurants. At the center of it is the famous, always sunny and clean, Rodeo drive, which I absolutely love to explore for inspiration and motivation. I love doing window shopping and watching stylish locals mixed with tourists from all over the world and their beautiful cars passing by. I also like taking some light treats with me for an extra boost of endorphins. Luckily, Skinny Cow, offers a great choice for such occasions. They have a wide variety of ice creams, iced coffees and candies. My favorite is the Iced Coffee (love the Mocha flavor!) - it's easy to carry and is a great mid-afternoon pick-me-up! Share your secret tips on Twitter with the hashtag #SkinnyCowSecret. Direct your message to @TheSkinnyCow for a chance to receive a sweet treat (coupon). More details HERE.

How to Eat Less Sugar

Spring is only a few days away and while I am still recovering from the terrible cold I had for the past week, a month of over-eating beforehand due to my parents month-long visit (best time of my life!) and finally that very long holiday season full of treats and indulgences, I find myself a few pounds heavier and a little bit (or moderately!) out of shape. Admitting the fact is already hard enough, but then comes this really unpleasant feeling when your clothes just don't fit right anymore.

Obviously I started browsing the internet and found hundreds of articles on how to lose weight fast, but I quickly realized that as much as I desperately want to lose weight, my main concern is still health.

So I turned to my good old (or new?) friends - books (which is by far the only New Year's resolution that I keep sticking with!). I have just finished "The Body Book" by Cameron Diaz and I can't recommend it enough! It is very easy to read and, most importantly, very easy to implement. Cameron doesn't just talk about food, she touches every aspect of wellbeing in a very "21st century" way. The book is very informative, but as soon as I read the small article about sugar, I immediately bookmarked it and decided to share with you guys!

My Fresh Face Tips and Tricks

I teamed up with Olay to bring you my latest tips and tricks of staying "forever young". Not that I am at an age where I have to do much, but I definitely reached the stage where I have to seriously reconsider my skincare routine to avoid big problems in the future. The earlier you start the better it will be for you. So here it is! To achieve beautiful, youthful and fresh skin I created a bunch of habits that I try to stick to on a daily basis.

Anti-Aging Cacao Smoothie

I know I got you all excited for a cooking post, but I forgot to mention, I don't cook :) I am terrible at determining if the food is ready so I either burn or undercook food, so I am forced to come up with easy solutions for myself. For example, I absolutely love making delicious smoothies, because they are super fast and easy to make (just throw everything in a blender!), delicious and so good for you! My first smoothies recipe that I'd like to share with you is this cacao based anti-aging smoothie!

Summer Beauty Essentials

I decided to make a post about my current beauty favorites and, who knows, maybe it will become regular content for my blog ;) Here are the beauty products that I can't go without these days.

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