www.asbeautifulas.com

Hello everyone! I'm sorry to have been away for so long, but I'm back. Now 'As beautiful as...' has it's own website:

www.asbeautifulas.com

Get ready for some new posts! I would love for all of you to continue to follow and there are many ways to do so, check out the right-hand column! Thank you for being patient and I can't wait to get back to posting consistently!

Ole Henriksen Truth Revealed Super Creme Review

When I first received Ole Henriksen's Truth Revealed Super Creme SPF 15, I was unsure of what to expect since generally anti-aging seems to mean extra moisturizing. Super moisturizing isn't necessarily a bad thing, but my skin in summer doesn't need a whooping amount of heavy moisturizer. Right after opening, the scent seemed relatively familiar and I would describe it as "citrus-infused Nivea cream". I personally adore it!

The cream itself has a thick texture and requires some effort to blend into the skin, but it really is outstanding. I find that it is not at all greasy and leaves my skin soft and refreshed. My skin doesn't get shiny! I also love that it has SPF 15 especially since my other day moisturizer of choice (Liz Earle) doesn't contain any. I can't vouch for any "anti-aging" results, but after hearing very positive reviews of the Truth Revealed Collagen Booster, I can only guess that the two working together would reveal some marvelous results.

Have you tried any Ole Henriksen products? What anti-aging skincare do you swear by?

Holy Grail Mascara Fail: Benefit They're Real Mascara Review

Upon the anxiously anticipated arrival of the hyped-up mascara, I fell for it and hoped to have found my holy grail.


The brush is big and has lots of plastic bristles to pump up the volume. The mascara doesn't clump easily, therefore two coats still have a clean appearance. The color is a rich, deep black which is essentially perfect. Somehow I did find that this was a bit difficult to apply to my bottom lashes.

So what's wrong with it?

After only about an hour of wear, I had mascara under my eyebrows which believe me wasn't there when They're Real was applied. This has never happened with any other mascara. I don't know if my eyelashes have grown to be abnormally long and curly, but having upside-down raccoon eyes is definitely not cute. Being persistent I have worn this everyday for the past week and unfortunately upside-down raccoon eyes was not a one time deal.

If it wasn't for this pesky issue, I would be completely smitten with Benefit's They're Real.

Have you tried They're Real? Anyone ever have upside-down raccoon eyes?

Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic Review

I don't usually have backups of products waiting in my bathroom closet. I'm generally too adventurous with my skincare and once a product is finished (and sometimes even before that) I move on to something better. If you had asked me six months ago whether a toner was necessary or even did anything, I probably would have laughed and told you that it was there to make your face burn and sting.

Liz Earle's Instant Boost Skin Tonic has completely changed my opinion of traditional toners. I even had a backup waiting when I finished my first bottle yesterday.

This all natural toning liquid is pure bliss. When I purchased the range from Liz Earle, I was skeptical of using the toner. My combination skin would probably get too oily or maybe even break out, right? Wrong. Oh so very wrong...

After cleansing, I drizzle a generous amount onto a cotton pad and let my skin soak it up. Although not everyone might enjoy the smell, I find it calming and extremely pleasant. My moisturizer absorbs easily and my skin is perfectly balanced.

If you've ever had your face stripped and stung by "traditional toners", I honestly cannot recommend this skin tonic enough. Although it might seem like a superfluous step in your skincare routine, do not forgo the opportunity to make your skin even healthier. At $21 for a 200 ml (6.7 oz) bottle, the price isn't too steep and the bottle seems everlasting. It took me over 5 months to finish my first bottle and believe me I have a heavy hand!

Have you had any horrible experiences with traditional toners? Is toning a necessary step in your skincare routine?

July Cynthia Rowley Birchbox

Again I'm sorry for not having posted in such a long time. There's been lots going on and many huge changes about to happen to my blog. Stay tuned...I promise to do a July favorites at the end of this month and have lots of reviews lined up. I've really been loving some new products recently!

Yesterday I got my July Birchbox. I was surprised by the weight of it and excited when I saw the Cynthia Rowley cover...

What's inside my box this month?


1. Korres Showergel in Japanese Rose

I'm a huge sucker for Korres packaging. I don't know what it is about their products, but the look definitely pulls me in. After a sniff, the gel has a floral scent but doesn't seem overwhelming or heavy. I can't wait to try it!

2. Philosophy Purity Made Simple Facial Cleanser

I actually own a full size of this cleanser, but it hasn't been used in a while. I feel that it is a perfectly good cleanser, but doesn't do much beyond simply cleaning and it certainly works very well with my Clarisonic Plus. I have recently gotten some amazing cleansers that not only cleanse well but have other amazing skincare perks...reviews coming soon!

3. Pur Minerals 4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Makeup

I haven't used mineral makeup in about a year. Apparently I smile way too much and the powder, no matter how lightly applied will settle into my "smile-lines" (let's not call them laugh-lines since they aren't wrinkles...yet). Not so cute. I have heard many good things about Pur Minerals so I'll be giving this a try. The color is certainly perfect for my skin-tone so way to go Birchbox!

4. Redken Shine Flash

I don't use hairspray...ever. Somehow I've never witnessed curly hair and hairspray mixing in any good way. Redken is definitely a luxurious brand, so I'm sure my sister wouldn't mind testing this out.

Extra: KIND Almond & Apricot Bar

I held off on eating this until this morning and I have to admit it was definitely a piece of heaven. I pretty much love anything with almonds and when you throw apricots in the mix...well I'm hooked. The all natural ingredients make for a truly filling and healthy snack. I'm definitely going to be exploring more KIND bars in the future.

What did you get in this month's Birchbox?
What reviews would you want to read on my blog?
Any and all suggestions welcome!

A Great Day for Mail: Influenster's Beauty VoxBox and June's Birchbox!

Today after a long day at work, I got home to some mail....two packages, a magazine, and a letter!

The magazine that came was Redbook which I don't know why I'm getting since I never ordered it, but I do enjoy it so I'm not complaining :)

The first package was from influenster, my first beauty voxbox!

Inside...

Diamancel Diamond Hand & Foot File, Softsoap Pampered Hands Foaming Soap in Pamper Me Plum, Garden Botanika Anti-Aging Lip Treatment, Montagne Jeunesse Green Tea Peel Off Mask, Pure Silk Raspberry Mist Shaving Cream, and Cindy Crawford's Meaningful Beauty Complete Skincare Kit. I'm so excited to try everything, but I'm especially looking forward to testing the skincare kit. Let's just say I was watching infomercials this weekend and Meaningful Beauty pulled me in. Plus, Cote de Pablo was on it and since I might have a little obsession with NCIS...I was hooked!

Next, package #2....June's Birchbox!

I have to say I am even more impressed with this month's box than I was last month. I haven't tried any of the products yet, but I have to admit that everything in my Birchbox is something that I would have bought myself. All of the products match my skin and hair type which just shows how good of a job Birchbox is doing by matching their customers with worthwhile, high quality samples.

I'm so excited to give full reviews on all of these products. Keep an eye out for them the next couple of weeks!

And finally, my mail contained a letter from my boyfriend, which no matter how much I love beauty products beats out everything else that came today!

How often do you get mail that you're excited about? Have you become an Influenster yet? What was in your Birchbox this month?