CECI BEAUTY THERAPY

🌞 me their limited edition UNSEEN SUNSCREEN JUMBO Size (2.5 oz). Can we just make this the official sunscreen of summer? This SPF is a miracle product worth all the hype it gets. It's colorless, gel-based, scentless and primes skin for makeup. What's your favorite SPF?

My only hesitation in the past was that it is a 100% chemical sunscreen which means it absorbs UVA/UBA rays instead of blocking it like mineral/"physical" sunscreens. I was pregnant/breastfeeding at the time and it's been recommended to use physical sunscreens instead of chemical ones. Now that I've been done with breastfeeding, I can use all the chemical sunscreens I want! Chemical sunscreens are easier to formulate with non-whitecast effect and can feel less "greasy".

SPF 40 is a decent SPF level. You should always aim to get AT LEAST a product with SPF of 30. It contains these active ingredients: Avobenzone, 3%, Homosalate 8%, Octisalate 5%, and Octocrylene 4%. It also had Red Algae which protects against blue light damage from our computers and phones. There's also a meadowfoam seed ingredient to impart hydration back into your skin. My favorite part was the incredibly silky priming effects - it smoothed my skin prepping it for my makeup routine. This is my new favorite sunscreen!

is at for $44! It's also !

Ever wondered about a shampoo that got away? Story about this gifted , I was chosen as a reviewer last year for their premium shampoo (lime green bottle) but the package got lost in the mail. I went through support and they told me to keep waiting for it to come. Well I waited and waited and it never came. Then I forgot about it. My account with 0.8liter got suspended and I didn't revisit my account until a year later. I got my suspension removed and lo and behold, I see the TS Shampoo up for applications again (albeit in a different version). I guess it's destiny because I was chosen as a reviewer again and I have to say that the hype is real.

💁‍♀️The orange bottle is their line and it's also packed with Vitamin E, Niacinamide and 9 essential oils. My hair (whatever I have left from post partum hair loss) felt so smooth like it had new life again. Keratin is a fundamental protein in your hair, skin and nails - no wonder this instantly changed my hair! One bottle at 500ml can cost around $27 to $30 on Amazon which is more of a bargain than other keratin shampoos if you consider the price per ml. Don't let this one get away! I'm Day 4 after washing and it still feels sleek and smooth! 😍

their Cream Skin Toner & Moisturizer which is the product that started the popular trend last year. This is one of the most unique toners on the market because it uses "Cream Blending Technology" to infuse an entire jar of moisturizer into a bottle of toner!

uses white tea leaves as its main ingredient because it has more amino acids than the average green tea leaf. Amino acids have a plethora of benefits other than just plumping up your skin. They can soothe, fight off cell damage, firm and fill in wrinkles. There was a lot to get me excited about this product due to its innovation.

The product is very much runny and watery like a toner, enough that it can leaks through your fingers so I would dispense a small puddle in my palm and use my other hand to dab the product on. The other way to is to decant the toner into your favorite spray bottle so it's easier to get the toner on your face (my favorite way of applying toner, period). The toner INSTANTLY absorbed and the supple hydration was immediate. Other reviews have said that the toner is "sticky" or "greasy". To me it feels more tacky as if it was meant for foundation or another serum to grab onto. There is definitely a dragging feeling if you run your finger across your skin. This is marketed as a 2-1 toner and moisturizer but I wouldn't just end my skincare routine with just this. It's a very light moisturizer but it still needs something to seal it in and neutralize the tacky (to others, sticky) feeling.

Not all products play nicely with its creaminess - a serum I used created almost a sudsy residue when I tried patting it. You will also have to experiment with what moisturizer stops the tackiness, I'm still trying to figure out what works best. As for makeup, I found that it was a beautiful layer for my foundation. It took away any patchiness and made my foundation look dewy. depending on your foundation, it can neutralize the tackiness or it can add to it. I think a matte foundation can help make it feel less sticky. (Continued in comments.)

is available at Sephora online and in-store and on https://www.octoly.com/c/heexd/r/hb49p

The .official Gummy sheet masks really stand out as being a "sticker" on your face. I bought these as singles to try since I've seen them around on the 'gram and I can def see why they are loved so much. The microfiber material actually stretches to give you a seamless, gap-less fit. Seriously swipe right to how a normal person can sport such a perfect fitting mask. They call this a "sticker" for a reason.⠀
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I bought these masks in a hurry and had not realized these were both for damaged skin and troubled skin which isn't what my skin needs so I cannot speak to their calming and soothing effects but I will describe the essence and my experience. Package contains a generous 27ml of essence and says to leave on for 10 - 20 minutes although I left it on for 45 minutes easily and then wrapped the mask around my neck as I'm starting to get deep neck lines!⠀
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🍃 Madeca Sticker: To help soothe damaged skin. Smelled herbally as it has madecassoside, pennywort, and portulaca extracts to help to repair and soothe damaged skin. It also has chamomile extract and squalane to moisturize and hydrate the skin. It leaves an "oily"-like finish on skin, there definitely a slip on the surface so I recommend putting a serum and/or face cream with a finish you like to combat that.⠀
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💖 Heartleaf Sticker: For emergency calming care. This essence has rounded mushroom, sea buckthorn, and peony root extracts which are great for treating eczema and dermatitis. They are also very calming for acne-prone skin and for blemishes. This one did not smell as herbally nor offensive. I did wake up with noticeably very soft skin in the morning and it lasted through the evening! Wow, the essence absorbed well with one.⠀
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They have a Milk 🥛 and Aqua💧 Sticker type which are for nourishing and hydration. These are more for my skin type and I should pick these up next time!

How is everyone relaxing this Sunday? My fam and I probably went out to eat for the last time before NYC freezes over this winter. It got SO COLD last night! I'm wondering if most restaurants are going to start rolling out heat lamps in order to continue serving outdoors (if phased reopening still doesn't allow for indoor dining). I'm spending my slapping on a sheet mask and planning out what I need to swap out for the new season. But first! I'm appreciating this bundle that was gifted to me earlier in the year. I'm already using their AMAZING Overnight Star Sleeping Pack and can't wait to review it separately. I also LOVE their vegan leather cosmetic case and tetris-ing all the products was very zen. There's a removable, padded divider, side slip pockets, makeup brush holder and a plastic proctector so it doesn't dirty your bottles/interior.⠀
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In the cutie cosmetic case:⠀
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🍑 K-Beauty Rescue Balm. A balm is thicker than a cream so this might be a winter skin-saver!⠀
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🍑 Super Reboot Resurfacing Mask (mini). It's a deep marine-teal blue color packed with 10% AHA, 0.5% BHA, and blue agave to unglue dead skin cells.⠀
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🍑 Wild Dew Treatment Essence (mini). Contains "antioxidant-rich lotus extract, brightening niacinamide, age-defying yeast ferment, firming adenosine, protective bamboo extract and nourishing radish leaf extract, this will restore your skin to dewy goodness."⠀
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🍑 Glass Skin Refining Serum. Already using it, I love how smooth it makes my skin feel. Truly like a pane of glass.⠀
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🍑 Peach Slices Peach Pudding Makeup Cleanser. This is a cleansing balm.⠀
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🍑 Pore Perfect Perfecting Clay Mask. Pretty in pink! The staff recommended this mask that won't strip moisture away from my normal to dry skin.⠀
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🍑 Overnight Star ⭐ Sleeping Mask. Thick and spreadable, I love how this mask sinks in and seals in my skincare layers.

It's my first 💕🍵 ( # by )! I'm finally coordinated enough to have the right post on the right day and not posting it at 11:59pm LOL 😂. Today's post is a gifted Green Tangerine🍊 set from .official. I had mentioned that this set provides light to medium hydration more suitable for spring/summer so I started using this again in March. Tons of items are on sale RIGHT NOW on sooaenewyork.com w/ free shipping after $25! Certain items are also on sale during 's Epic Beauty Event at 💥50% off💥! ⠀
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A little bit about the main ingredient, Fresh Tangerine 🍊, also known as young tangerine as it is picked when it's very young and still has a green colored peel. It's more rich in bioflavonoids (an antioxidant) and vitamin C. The vitamin C in this line helps stimulate the production of collagen (however the exact percentage amount is undisclosed).⠀
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Mini Reviews on each item below to help you decide starting with my favorites from top to bottom:⠀
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🍊 Face Cream (jar). This face cream's texture is divine. It's watery and gel based. Ultra silky and hydrating. This is the gem out of this entire line! I wake up to very moist and happy skin.⠀
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🍊 Face Mist. I was surprised how much I liked this mist! It leaves a slight oil-like finish that absorbs into skin. Pop into the frig for a cool mid-day refresher.⠀
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🍊 Emulsion (bottle). A lighter lotion I used for daytime. a simple non-greasy formula.⠀
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🍊 Serum. Gel-like and dispenses kinda thick. Provides light hydration which absorbs better with the help of the emulsion or face cream.⠀
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🍊 Eye Cream. Thicker than the Emulsion which is what the eye area needs to stay plump. I don't notice any MORE hydration over the face cream though.⠀
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🍊 Foam Cleanser (not pictured). This is your typical foam cleanser. My skin did not feel stripped or dry but it just wasn't exciting to use.⠀

That matcha latte🍵 I made for this post was terrible, yuck 😖. It was a powdered mix and I'll never buy it again. I was tryin' to quarantine clean and drink some random packets I have. Anyone else regrets quarantine cleaning?😝 The cream puff from .nyc 🍩 on the other hand was so good! Anyway! I wanted to feature the Skin Elixir since it's been apart of my due to its unique 3-in-1 formula. It's a toner, serum and oil housed in a tinted glass bottle with a spray nozzle. This is perfect for someone who doesn't have a lot of time to go through a full routine. I'm a new mom of 3 months so you can imagine how I might not even remember to brush my teeth on occasional mornings 🤭 (but what are "mornings" anymore in my world)?! Can all moms holler back at me? 🤣
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The Skin Elixir uses traditional Korean herbs (also known as ) which can bring antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial benefits to prevent aging.⠀
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Some the star ingredients include dried tangerine peels🍊, ginger and nutmeg. The oil layer is argan oil which protects the skin from free radical cell damage. You can't tell from the bottle but it's actually a bi-phase product, oil and water layers need to be mixed by shaking the bottle.⠀

There is also my favorite ingredient, ceramides! Ceramides are natural fats that help retain moisture and fortifies the skin barrier.⠀

What I love most is that the bottle already comes with a spray pump so it's even easier to get through your routine! The spray is very fine and powerful! I spray 3x on my face and once on my neck then pat it all in. There is a slight oily slickness on top because of the argan oil which helped keep moisture in.

The overall result is pretty good for a 3-in-1 product but you must still layer a cream and/or sleeping pack to get the full benefits. You need it to really seal it all in and let the elixir absorb because by itself, the plump and hydrated feeling is just ok. With the right layering, my skin is very happy and smooth. It almost feels like I don't have to put anything else on in the "mornings"!⠀
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*PR gifted. Retails for $58

If you follow then you'll know that they're dropping a NEW ✨ product this Thursday. They released their first Glass Skin Serum 2 years ago and since then created a whole new skincare trend chasing after lit-from-within, glowing, clear skin like a pane of glass. I incorporated the Glass Skin Serum recently into my and I have to say that I LOVE the smooth and bouncy results. I've tested this serum by itself, without essence, cream or sleeping pack just to see what it can do on its own and it can really sink in and no joke, give a smooth glass-like finish. There's no tackiness and no scent.⠀
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With my normal product layers, the serum works even better and skin is more hydrated thanks to other products allowing the serum to soak in deeper and sealing it in. They only other serum that probably does a better job is their Shangpree S-Energy Long Lasting Concentrated Serum but this serum is $120 and the P&L is only $39.⠀
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When Alicia talked about this serum at their holiday brunch event, she said that they spent an incredible amount of time to source the best costs for their high-quality ingredients, packaging, everything down to the ink printed on their boxes in order to pass the savings to their customers. Even at a reasonable retail price of $39, Alicia still wanted to do better for us! ⠀
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The serum is suitable for all skin types and packs so much power into their formula. A summary from their website:⠀
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1️⃣ Peach Extract🍑: a powerhouse chock full of vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids known to help keep skin firm, radiant and resilient.⠀
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2️⃣ Niacinamide💡: quells inflammation, provide antioxidative benefits and help brighten skin.⠀
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3️⃣ East Asian mountain yam extract🍠: helps to create more supple skin and reduce flakiness.⠀
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4️⃣ Madecassoside🌱: curbs inflammation and soothe skin while stimulating collagen production.⠀
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5️⃣ Hyaluronic acid complex💧: a proprietary blend of short-chain, medium-chain and long-chain hyaluronic acid molecules helps provide hydration at every level of skin.⠀
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6️⃣ Peptide complex🧪: a proprietary blend of peptides to signal collagen production and help fill in wrinkles.

I'm sure during most of us probably tried our hand at homemade smoothies or made steps to eat cleaner but have any of you switched to ? .beauty sent me their pack to try and here's what stands out about their company philosophy:
🥦Clean & Organic Ingredients: They use only clean, ethically sourced and sustainable ingredients. They carefully curate ingredients from suppliers with organic certifications
🙅‍♀️Ingredient blacklist: They will NOT use Parabens, Phthalates, PEGs, Ethanolamines, Synthetic Fragrances, Formaldehydes, BHT, BHA, Alcohol, DEA, Sulfate Detergents, Silicones, Synthetic Dyes, Aluminum Powder, and Animal Derived Products
🐇Vegan & Cruelty-Free: They do not use animal or animal-derived ingredients and do not test on animals. They are also leaping bunny & PETA certified
♻️ Eco-Friendly: Their cupra mask fabric is biodegradable and our LDPE mask pouch is recyclable. From their site "Cupra is a sustainable fabric made from cotton linter, which is known for its soft texture and serum absorption. Cotton linter was previously discarded as a waste material during cotton processing. Now, we are reusing this biodegradable and vegan material in our masks."
Review: I tried The Pink Dream mask and the sheet mask material was very lightweight, yet it didn't tear when I adjusted the fit. Each pouch contains 25 ml of essence and the cupra material was saturated in it. There was a little extra in the pouch so you can pat it on top of skin again or apply on other parts of your body. The essence didn't drip and the mask didn't slide off. The suggested duration of wear is 15 - 20 minutes but I wore it longer for 45 mins until the nose and cheeks started to dry out. It had very good absorption and the bouncy effect lasted into the next morning
I liked how the upper lip of the mask is WIDE because it withstood being stretched out from talking or drinking water through a straw. The nose is also small enough for a small nose bridge like mine (I hate long ones that can cover my nostrils and temporarily suffocate me)! It's a great overall fit.
Retails $6 for 1 or $30 for a 5 pack @ New York, New York

pre-COVID times. 🛩 What travel moments do you think back on? I was really fortunate to have traveled as much as I did last year because I ain't goin' anywhere anytime soon in 2020. Even though at the time I had some doubts about spending too much money, being away for too long from my husband and escaping away from reality too often, I knew that my life was going to slow down significantly due to my new, beautiful son and new priorities. But what other time would've been good? I look back at my and I'm glad lived in the now (responsibly) because the future is always uncertain. Even during these hard times, I try to find the bright spots and still take time to "smell the roses." 🌹
Location: Internarional Rose Test Garden in 🦌

Lusting after my Retinol & Jasmine vanity kit 💕. I love Retinol for its anti-aging benefits. It's truly a classic and proven skincare ingredient that speed up cell turnover and stimulate collagen production. created a whole line of Retinol products infused with Jasmine Flower Extract in pretty lavender and packaged it in this functional and gorgeous vanity case. It's also personalized with my name! 💜
However I'll have to save and use this line later because I still have to stay away from Retinol products due to breastfeeding. I saw this line last fall and knew I wanted to try Pixi's popular tonics (toners). The Retinol Jasmine Tonic has really high reviews. Included in the kit are:
💜 Retinol Tonic. There are a lot of different types of retinoid and this toner uses a "time release" Retinol ingredient which means it takes longer to activate compared to the immediate effects of Retinoic Acid, a much stronger form. Since this Tonic uses a milder form, you won't experience the peeling or skin-flaking from Retinoic Acid.
💜 Retinol Night Oil. This is mainly comprised of sweet almond oil which will feel really rich on skin. Pixi doesn't state the percentage of Retinol in the oil so it's hard to know if this is really effective as a Retinol product meant for anti-aging. However there are peptides and ceramides to help with long and short term anti-aging.
💜 Retinol Eye Cream. Contains Retinol, Peptides and Caffeine to smooth lines and depuff.
💜 Retinol Lotion. Contains peptides, ceramides, Jasmine Oil and Retinyl Palmitate which is a pretty weak form of Retinoid. It needs to convert 3x to be active and when it does convert, it's not that powerful. However I'm a fan of the other skin smoothing ingredients.
💜 Jasmine Oil Blend. A facial Oil blended with Jasmine extract, almond oil, and other nourishing oils, it claims to give healing and calming effects. Retinol is the form used but the percentage is not disclosed online.
💜 Retinol Jasmine cleanser. Retinyl Palmitate is the retinoid so it's relatively weak but I wouldn't imagine having retinoids in a cleanser be effective since it gets rinsed away.🤷‍♀️

🧖‍♀️Sheet masks are a new staple in my new because I need products to be quick, effective and, well make it on my face before the next breastfeeding session. Since it's been humid AF, I've been sitting in the nursery with the AC blasting all day and it's been drying out my skin (and eyeballs). Lately, I've been switching between facial mists, wash-off masks and sheet masks throughout the day to keep my skin moist because there's no way I'm ripping myself away from the AC🎚🌬. Shopping my stash also gives me some form of 🧴 since tending to a newborn schedule 🐣 is really rough and I need some even if it's only 5 mins in the bathroom!
These gifted stayed perfectly adhered on my face while wrestling my son to breastfeed! He can feed up to an hour too🍼! The bio-cellulose is made from coconuts🥥, it's bio-degradable ♻️ and holds a ton of essence 💧 which kept my face moist for 45 minutes with it on. After taking it off, skin was very supple and felt softened throughout the rest of the day. I used the 10PM mask which is meant for dull skin (and I definitely needed a pick-me-up from this wonderful new sleep deprivation!) I really did need this immediate fix as the AC really was wrecking havoc on my skin. Now if I can only get eye drops for these dried sponges that used to be my eyeballs.
💡PRO-TIP: Apply the rest of the mask serum from the packet and normal face cream over the mask serum to really seal it in. I put the packet in the frig so it stayed cool and ready until I wanted to use the rest of it.
Retail: $7 single; $28 box of 4

@ New York, New York