PRODUCT REVIEW: SMILE BRILLIANT LED ACCELERATOR KIT

Smile Brilliant contacted me at the perfect time - I was applying for new jobs and wanted to look my absolute best for interviews. Working in the wine industry means regular wine tastings, and even though I loved it, too much red wine can dull your smile. I wanted a little extra boost before I to move on to the next challenge, so I was actually pretty gung ho when my LED Accelerator Kit arrived.

My kit included a gel pen and an LED light. The instructions are simple - apply the gel directly from the pen to my teeth, then shine the LED light on my teeth for 20-40 mins. Repeat once a day for a few days.

PROS

• It works! My teeth are back to pearly white, which couldn't have hurt when I got my new job...!
• Smile Brilliant have great customer service - everyone I spoke with was super helpful - important when you're ordering from overseas! (they're based in the USA and ship internationally)

CONS

• I wish I'd gotten a lip and cheek protector in my pack - I'm not sure I got the full benefit of the treatment without them.
• Holding the LED light for 20 mins can take some commitment. I'd love if the LED could somehow be built into a tooth tray ... (but that might interfere with how well the light could work on the teeth?)

THE BOTTOM LINE

• It's OK! Right now, I think are better/cheaper alternatives that are easier to use (Kandee Johnson's method is my fave) but the company seems really well run and I wouldn't be surprised if they made some holy grail teeth whitener down the line. One to watch...

SAY IT TO MY FACE

My skin is looking pretty good recently, but I'm not really sure why... I started using several different products at once. Anyway my good fortune is your good fortune, so herein lies a review of some products I've been using over the past two months and how I likes 'em:

OH! Before I start I must say - I stopped eating refined sugar (SOB) and started drinking 2 litres of water a day ((yay)) about six weeks ago, so my skin looking good is probably more due to those changes in behavior than anything else. Ugh my sister was right all these years...

So, here goes, in order of how I rate the product, on a possible scale of 5

Naruko Total Defence Repairing Dew:


I heard about the Naruko product line from YouTube beauty guru Fuzkittie. The line comes from Taiwan, and you can find it on sasa.com, imomoko.com and (if you can read Mandarin) naruko.tw. Gives me glowy, dewy, hydrated and clear skin.

Burts Bees Honey Lip Balm


All hail the holy grail of lip balms. I. Love. This. And how! Honey for hydration, beeswax and coconut oil to seal in moisture and protect your skin, and no crap chemicals to get in the way. Can't be without it.

La Roche Posay Effaclar K, La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo
 

I've used these together, so I figure I should rate them together. The only reason I'm taking half a check off is, it took a month for me to see any results. But my skin is clear now so all's well that ends well.

Avene Hydrating Serum:
 

Not too sure if this made a difference, but I've been using it on my decollete, and it seems to be keeping me hydrated. No adverse reactions. Pretty good.

Aloe Vera Gel with Tea Tree Oil:
 

I use aloe vera gel on and off under my moisturiser, during winter when I need some extra hydration, and during summer because it gives you a cool tingle. It's all natural, and it's one of the true universal skin products, you can use it everywhere! My favorite incarnation is this gel with tea tree oil. I use it after toning and before any serums. It doesn't make a huge difference, but it doesn't hurt either. My skin definitely feels a little dehydrated if I don't use it. 3 checks.

Aquaphor Healing Ointment:


I should have known better. A quick glance at the ingredients could have told me that this contains mostly devilish chemicals you don't want on your face: mineral oil, paraffinum liquidum... it felt like I'd smeared Vaseline on my eyes or something, because they felt greasy and dry at the same time... how is that even possible?! So disappointing, because I have heard so many good things about this product from Makeupalley, YouTube beauty gurus, etc. I even heard Beyonce used this as a night treatment - but I didn't even like it as a lip balm.

(My friend called me a beauty product junkie the other day but I really have no idea what she's talking about...)

I DIDN'T COME HERE TO EAT YOUR SANDWICHES

I think it's time to get back to basics - a good old fashioned makeup review.

I've been searching for a replacement fond de teint since my dearly departed Prescriptives went defunct. How I loved their foundation - the perfect undertone, the perfect shade, a formulation that lasted all day in a convenient pocket-sized tube, medium to full coverage that nixed the need for concealer, and all in a formula gentle enough for sensitive skin. You people don't understand - I was literally devastated when I realised I'd purchased my last tube (even though, knowing me, I didn't realise it was my last tube until I tried to buy some more and couldn't find it anywhere so ... I wasn't that sad).

But life goes on. I ran into the arms of Bobbi Brown Foundation Stick (meh), Nars Sheer Glow (too watery), Mac (don't get me started), Iman (... just OK). And then I discovered a few Laura Mercier foundations that were actually worthy of a blog post. So here goes...

1. Laura Mercier Oil Free Foundation in Toffee Bronze

This really is oil free -- I mean REALLY oil free. It dries down so quickly that you have to work with just a tiny bit of product at a time. Great coverage, good finish, didn't break me out, but my skin just felt really dry after wearing this all day. I will say a little goes a long way, I bought this over a year ago and I still haven't repurchased it (maybe cause I bought a bunch of other stuff). I actually think I would recommend this to someone living in a warmer climate, who has an oilier skin but needs less coverage.






2. Laura Mercier Creme Smooth Foundation in Toffee Bronze £31

Really luxurious. I guess I went for it because I just couldn't take the dry oil free foundation, so I careened in the other direction. But what a nice direction! It literally felt like a face cream to me. The only problem was, it never actually set. It rubbed off on everything and was so whipped and creamy that I'd end up touching it up all the time - and big glass jars of cream don't travel well... I'd recommend it to someone with drier skin who doesn't need as much coverage, and who doesn't really need something long lasting.




3. Laura Mercier Mineral Pressed Powder SPF 15 in Warm Chestnut £31



This makeup is the TRUTH people. Pretty much all the good things I said about Prescriptives, but with an added SPF. The ONLY tiny thing is, it's a powder, so it dries my skin a tiny bit by the afternoon. I don't care though, I just put on a bunch of moisturiser and it's fine. YAY!






If you're unfamiliar with my skin type, I've got combination skin that's slightly dehydrated. My main concerns are: maintaining an even skin tone, keeping my skin clear and preventing fine lines.

[Today's title is a quote from the film The Dreamers, which stars Michael Pitt (he also starred as Kurt Cobain in Gus Van Sant's Last Days). When his character meets the French twin brother and sister, they go on a walk by the Seine and offer him a sandwich, to which he replies the above. First impressions are everything people.]

THE MOVIE WAS VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE BOOK IN THAT THERE WAS NOTHING FROM THE BOOK IN THE MOVIE

Today I'm reviewing Lancome's hero serum, which is called Genifique. Basically, it's supposed to give you younger looking skin. How? By supplying your skin with some patented protein formula. Apparently, it makes your skin replicate proteins it made when it was younger, therefore making your skin look younger.

First I'll say that it seems to work. Your skin looks smoother, softer, plumper and younger after using the serum. I'd say I saw results in around 2 weeks.

HOWEVER, it's really expensive and, correct me if I'm wrong but... I don't think the bottle was full. It's hard to say because the packaging is completely opaque, and the bottle is made of glass which is weighted on the bottom to make it seem heavier. Also, the serum is dispensed using a sort of dropper that's attached inside the cap, so you don't really have a good idea of how much product is in there....

But I swear, the bottle was only half to 3/4 full.

WE'RE NOT STUPID LANCOME! I don't think I'll repurchase, even though it works, because I've used other creams/serums that work just as well, where my money is going into my face instead of some spokesmodel's pocket (DHC, take me back I'm sorry). Anyways, 3.5 checks because the serum does get some results.



[Today's title is a quote from Bret Easton Ellis' new novel, Imperial Bedrooms. I'm only on page 17 and already there's been a movie premiere, the brutal murder of a heroin addict, a trip from NYC to LA, and several vacuous entertainment industry parties. It's good to have you back, Bret.]

NO MORE MR. NICE GUY

I am not exactly a stilettos and lace-front girl myself, but I have to say Kimora Lee Simmons has made a fantastic perfume with Baby Phat Golden Goddess. It smells sweet and warm, with notes of champagne, night orchid, blue lilies and Brazilian seringa. Not overpowering, just mellow and soft. I like it a lot... 5 checks-worth. Now that's a first here at Lola Re.

[Today's song is a classic pairing between Pharrell and Snoop - "Drop It Like It's Hot." See, you didn't think I listened to hip hop, did you? lol]

DON'T YOU PAY THEM FOLKS NO NEVER MIND

Since living in England, where the winters are colder than.... almost anything I've ever experienced, my skin has started getting dehydrated in the winter. This cream really helps solve that problem! It's cheap, you can find it at pretty much any health store, and it really melts into my skin, balancing it and leaving it soft and plump with no irritation, breakouts or oiliness halfway through the day. I'd give it 5 checks, but it smells like medicine. It's definitely a staple though.





[This post's title comes from a line in the film Malcolm X. A woman said that to him right before he was assassinated and he smiled and said "Yes Ma'am." Denzel Washington was incredible in this role - there were large periods of the film that I forgot it was him, which is hard when you're an actor as talented and famous as Denzel Washington. Definitely go see that movie if you haven't already.]