Review: Masqueology Revitalizing Eye Gel.

     Wow, 2013 has made it's way in and got started!! I feel like these first few weeks have just flew by!! There are so many exciting things going/on and coming up! I wanted to do a little review on one of the products I received in a Birchbox 2 or so months ago; Masqueology's Revitalizing Eye Gel with Pearl Powder.
     These are little gel masks that you place under your eyes to reduce puffiness and help brighten and refresh the eye area. Although this product is marketed out of Los Angeles (or so I inferred from packaging), it was actually researched and developed by Korean dermatologists. I have heard so many great things about Korean cosmetics, and what I have tried I have liked, so I was eager to try out these under eye masks.
     When you open the package there are two little gel strips (think Biore pore strip size), with a curved shape to fit the under eye area more precise (I had taken a picture, but it was accidentally deleted, oops!). The little masks themselves are sticky, almost to the point they were messy if you over-handled them. There are of course a list of ingredients that make up the mask's formula, but key ingredients featured are hydrolized collagen, caviar, pearl powder, algae and adenosine. They are also supposed to have a cooling sensation while you have them on your face; the recommended time to leave them on is about 20 minutes. I did feel this cool sensation but after about the first 10 minutes it almost felt like a slightly irritated feeling, like when you use a really bad facial toner.
     After removing the masks, I felt like my under eye area did appear a little bit brighter. I thought at first this was just because the gel was being reflective since it was still a little bit moist. After the area(s) has completely dried the under eye area still looked brighter than before mask application, not luminous like I had hoped for, but brighter none the less. My eye area felt refreshed for a minute or so afterwards but then my skin began to feel tight, or "stretched", once again like when using certain toners. I can't really speak on whether or not there was a reduction in puffiness because my eye area was not puffy to start with, but I saw no change in the before and after.
     You can purchase 3 of these masque treatments for $24, and they can be used as a part of your regular skin care routine. How do I, personally, feel about the gel masks...honestly, I could take them or leave them. I already have so many products I trust to brighten the eye area, that I couldn't really see myself going out of my way to purchase these. They are one time use products, so $24 for 3 could start getting pricey and  it seems like you would need to make them a part of your skin care routine on a regular basis in order to achieve and maintain optimal results. Plus, I wasn't all that fond of the "cooling sensation" or tight skin feel I was feeling afterward.
     Masqueology has tons of other products of course, and I have a few more by them I will try out. You can visit their website at www.masqueology.com.
     Have you tried this product or others by Masqueology?? Do you have a favorite under-eye brightening product?? Comment below.
XO,
J.

12-12-12 and Birchbox: Give.

I will not be so cliche as to remind everyone via facebook, twitter and blog of what today's date is, but it does hold a specialness for me since my nephew was born at 8:39am!! He was the first baby to be born at the hospital today, on this date which everyone is aware of, so he is even getting a little bit of media attention!! So, as I sit here, under the weather and waiting for my husband to get out of the shower so I can go see the new addition (no worries, not contagious), I thought, let me just blog it up. I totally lost last month's Birchbox, or so I thought (I found it a little bit ago, tucked away), so that's why I never did my typical review. So, yeah, no review or rundown from November's box, and December's box should be here anyday.
There were a few cool things in the November box, from brands such as Stila, Masqueology and MCMC, so the products can all be seen and purchased from birchbox.com. I layed out one of the Masqueology under eye masques to hopefully try out a little bit later.
Quick Makeupartist confession: I know you're supposed to wash your face before bed every night, and take your makeup off, and all that jazz, but I don't do it everynight, charge me as guilty, I cannot lie. So, masques and skin repair serums are only helpful buddies, especially when I'm feeling as blahh as I do right now.
I am not a big holiday enthusiast, as the past 2 years have made me so. It's always kind of a kick in the ass for the new year to roll in, which is because we lost my dad on 1-1-11. So, as much as the I believe in the message of the holidays, my spirit is a tad lackluster, which I pray can endure a change. Maybe I do need some holiday cheer sent my way. Hey, I'm no scrooge, I did not fight the putting-up-of-the-tree this year, and there are wreaths on every window.
But that's just a little update from the corner of my world. I heard the tell-tale click of the bathroom door that signals my husband will soon be ready to venture out. More to come...Be safe all!!
XO,
J <3.