When it comes to the beauty products I use everyday - like facial moisturizer, cleansers and deodorant - I try to pick items that are as natural and chemical-free as possible. One natural brand I'm already a fan of is Yes To, and recently I was sent a travel-size pack of their Yes To Blueberries Age Refresh Cleansing Facial Towelettes and a travel-size pack of their Yes To Cucumbers Soothing Hypoallergenic Facial Towelettes to try out. Here's how it went...

I'm not someone who typically wears lip color on a daily basis - more of a lip balm or gloss kind of girl - but recently I've been stepping out of my comfort zone and punching things up with brighter colors for spring. The product that's convinced me color is key for a fresh spring beauty look? Sonia Kashuk's new Moisture Luxe Tinted Lip Balm in Hint of Coral. Recently I received a complimentary sample to review and here's what I thought:

This April, P&G wants to share the love with consumers by highlighting some of their "Most Loved" products. I received a complimentary P&G Best of Beauty box courtesy of the brand and Style Coalition, which included CoverGirl Outlast Double Lipshine, Olay Regenerist Anti-Aging Eye Roller, Pantene Hairspray Flexible Hold, Venus Embrace Razor, Gillette Fusion ProGlide Power Razor and Tide To Go.

Keep reading for my reviews of three of my favorite P&G products!





1. Tide To Go Stain Eraser: This stain remover is about the size of a marker and works like one, too, removing stains with a combination of cleaning solution and a micro-fiber pad that lifts and absorbs them. I tested it out on a week-old chocolate stain which my guy was responsible for (ahem) on a throw pillow and it totally worked. I was so relieved because the pillow cover isn't removable so I wasn't sure how I was going to salvage the pillow, but with a little rubbing with the Tide To Go Stain Eraser, the chocolate was gone. I'm a believer, and I'll definitely keep this handy for those little "stain" emergencies.

2. Gillette Fusion ProGlide Power Razor: My razor of choice has been the Gillette Mach3 for as long as I can remember, so I was excited to test the Fusion ProGlide Power Razor. As far as I'm concerned, men's razors are the best so I'll continue to "borrow from the boys." The ProGlide gives you a nice, smooth, close shave (I sound like a commercial haha) without nicks or cuts. I'm not sure how long the blade will last but I imagine it's comparable to my Mach3. A must have for summer.

3. CoverGirl Outlast Double Lipshine in Coral Shimmer: I wore this for Easter weekend and it lasted nearly 2 days. That's right, this stuff is like a tattoo of color for your lips. If you're not familiar with these types of lip colors, basically you apply the color to your lips and let it completely dry (no smacking your lips together). Then you use the clear lipgloss to add shine throughout the day. I have a couple similar products from other brands and this one performs just as well if not better. I really like the color I received because it has a hint of coral and a subtle shine. My lipshine didn't start to wear off until I reapplied the color and ate some super creamy coleslaw. Yum. At that point it started to wear off on my inner lips. But it had done its job. Here's an extreme closeup of the product on my hand after I took a shower - see?! Doesn't even smudge!




For more information on some of America's "Most Loved" brands, follow this link.

So, what are some of your "most loved" P&G products? Let me know in the comments, plus join the convo on twitter with hashtag #PGmostloved.

This post is sponsored by P&G and Style Coalition.

For centuries, olive oil has been used in countless ways for its health benefits both as a food and as a beauty product. Now one modern-day company called Olivita Artisans is spreading the olive-oil-goodness with their line of hand-crafted skin and haircare products made from 100% virgin olive oil and natural essential oils for scent. I got try out two of their products, the Blissful Green Apple soap and the Virgin Olive Oil Pure Aegean Bath and Body Gel. Here's how it went...

What they say: Virgin Olive Oil Beauty Bar with Blissful Green Apple essence ($5.99): While cleaning your skin, Olivita artisan soaps will enrich it with olive oil antioxidants vitamin E, Beta Carotene, nurturing a healthy and glowing look. Olivita artisan soaps are hand crafted in small batches by a seasoned soap artist, in our studios in the historical Ephesus region, using a simple ancient recipe. From the evergreen olive trees of Mediterranean, finest quality virgin olive oil is combined with delicate natural essences for your ultimate indulgence.

Virgin Olive Oil Pure Aegean Bath & Body Gel ($14.99): A delicate and natural blend to improve your skin’s natural oil balance, Olivita Bath & Shower Gel made with virgin olive oil and spring water to help improve your skin’s natural balance, leaving it with smooth and hydrate finish. Olivita Bath & Shower Gel made in small batches in our studios in Ephesus region of Mediterranean, few miles away from where ancient poet Homer referred olive oil as “liquid gold”.





What I thought: The first thing that struck me about Olivita is the beautiful packaging - all soaps are wrapped and packed by women in the Ephesus region of the Mediterranean, where the soaps are made. Income earned by the women helps them pursue their education in evening schools, per the press materials. So right there, I'm a fan.

Beyond being a socially conscious company, Olivita makes an amazing product. Both the bar soap and the gel are mild, moisturizing and luxurious. Olivita soaps are simply saponified olive oil. They have the most subtle scents, too. Normally you'd expect a soap with "green apple" fragrance to smell like a Jolly Rancher, but not so with Olivita. In fact you won't even detect the smell unless you really get your nose close to the lather. Personally, I love this! And the fragrance doesn't linger, either. For some reason, the soaps remind me of Spain - another place whose history is arguably intertwined with olive oil - and the types of soaps you'd find at quaint B&Bs and hotels, especially in the south. Anything that transports me to the south of Spain is a winner in my book.

Another reason I love this soap? My husband likes it too! The packaging makes it "gender neutral" if you will, so everyone can use it. I also recommended this soap to my mom because she has sensitive skin and normal soaps can dry it out. I'm thinking Olivita would make a wonderful Mother's Day gift. The soaps are also gentle enough for a baby's skin, too, so I'm going to ration them until my baby arrives!

The bottom line: Olivita soaps have everything going for them - they're affordable, socially conscious, natural, vegan, contain no chemical preservatives and are 100% cruelty-free. And above all, they make a great soap. This is something I could see Oprah including in her "Favorite Things" round up. The brand carries a range of other products and scents, so definitely give them a look.

I was late to the BB Cream party but have been searching for the perfect one for about two years. I mean, who doesn't want to find the perfect BB Cream? As you've probably heard, BB Creams, also knowns as Blemish Balms, have been widely used in Asia for their all-in-one skin perfecting benefits - it's a moisturizer, it's a tint, it helps soothe or even prevent blemishes, it's a sunscreen, it's everything! So naturally, when I was approached to try new Aveeno Clear Complexion BB CREAM, I jumped on the opportunity. Could it be the miracle product I've been searching for?

What they say: Aveeno Clear Complexion BB CREAM ($14.99-$16.99 2.5 fl. oz) contains ACTIVE NATURALS® Total Soy Complex to help even tone and fade marks, revealing more flawless, naturally beautiful skin. This multi-benefit BB Cream provides treatment to past, present and future skin imperfections:

• Past—helps blend away imperfections from breakouts and fades the look of marks from past breakouts
  


• Present— instantly evens, brightens, moisturizes and nourishes complexion with lightweight coverage
  


• Future—broad spectrum SPF 30 protects skin from sun’s harmful rays and helps to prevent further damage
  


• Oil-free, hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic

What I thought: I was so excited to try this product and I really wanted it to work, so I tested it multiple times because I couldn't make up my mind. I love the packaging and I love all the wonderful claims. But ultimately it fell short.

Beauty is such a personal thing, so I should start by saying this was just my experience, and you might totally disagree. But my first problem is the scent - this product has a noticeable, lingering, makeup-y almost-floral fragrance. This bothers me.

Second, I'm pretty certain I'm allergic to this product - if I'm wearing it and sitting at my desk, my eyes start to water and my nose gets a little runny shortly after application. It could just be the fragrance but for whatever reason, my body's reaction to this product is unpleasant. If I'm running around, the product seems to irritate me less, probably because the bothersome particles are more dispersed or something than if I'm just sitting still in one place. Just my theory!

Thirdly, this product provides so little coverage, it's almost imperceptible. I tried to take before and after pics but you couldn't even see the difference. If I'm going to slather something on my skin, I want to look better. I mean, it does give my skin the slightest glow and sort of evens the tone, but the effect is almost negligible.

On the plus side, unlike other BB Creams I've tried which made my skin really oily and shiny, Aveeno Clear Complexion BB CREAM keeps my skin matte all day. If anything, it's a bit too drying. I reapplied after wearing it for a few hours and that seemed to help.

At the end of the day, my pores were noticeably "clogged" although not as bad as some products I've used. I still had to remove the product from my skin completely - it's not something you want to sleep in.

I don't want to single out Aveeno, but in general, it seems like BB Creams are just slightly reworked concoctions of existing products that a beauty company already makes with a new name and new packaging. It's probably just based on market research - what do women want? Oh, an all-in-one magic product that does everything? We can "make" that! And so on.

I will, however, single out Aveeno for using words like "Active Naturals" - what's that supposed to mean? I'm no beauty saint, I use plenty of chemicals and I love modern science, but don't try to label something as natural followed by a "registered trademark."

The bottom line: This wasn't my miracle product or even a "good enough" BB Cream, so my quest continues. However, if you're prone to breakouts and generally not too sensitive to fragrances and such, you may have an entirely different experience and end up loving this cream.

Shown above: What you see is the product blended on my skin as well as a thicker dollop of the product to show you the consistency.

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Aveeno Clear Complexion BB Cream SPF 30 - Fair To Light