Winter Skin Hacks with Dermalogica

Alise Carter January 24, 2018

Hello again! I'm back again with another overly detailed/probably too long product review. I'm working on doing more and more of these, it's just so hard to sit down and write a blog! Especially when I'm absolutely terrible at writing, ha!

A few weeks ago, Dermalogica sent me two of the new products from their UltraCalming line. This line is meant for sensitive and dry skin. While my skin isn't near as sensitive as it was when I was younger, I do experience random "flare ups" and redness. I am, however, very dry. I think I'm quite possible part lizard (hopefully Silurian.)

Dermalogica's UltraCalming™ line contains UltraCalming Complex, which is their "exclusive complex clinically proven to control neurogenic and immunogenic inflammatory pathways that lead to skin sensitivity."

The two products I was sent are the Barrier Defense Booster and Calm Water Gel. Both of these products are vegan and Dermalogica is cruelty free!

Let's start with the Barrier Defense Booster. This item may seem a bit pricey, but I think it's worth trying out. Like I said in my last Dermalogica blog, I feel like they are a "mid-range" priced company. They develop high quality products at a good price. Not cheap enough to make you worry about quality (or if it actually works), but not expensive enough that you feel like you have to go without other things because you found a "holy grail" skincare item that costs a small fortune.

The Barrier Defense Booster is a concentrated oil booster that is meant to soothe, nourish, and moisturize the skin. The benefits it boasts are:

Reinforces the skin’s naturally-protective barrier against environmental assault.
Nourishes and soothes irritated skin.
Helps prevent skin irritation before it starts.

The Barrier Defense Booster is $75.00 for a 1oz container. You do not need a lot of this product. They recommend about 6-10 drops, I've found that I use about 4-6 and I'm able to pat it over my face and neck.

This oil uses Squalane to lock in moisture and Oat oil to help soothe skin and combat sensitivity. It has a nice calming scent due to the natural oils that have been added, but no artificial fragrances and colors have been used, which I greatly appreciate.

The container the oil is in is hard, it's not a squeezable tube-- instead, the bottom is a soft "button" and you can lightly press that for the oil to dispense from the top. I like this, because it keeps me from overusing product!

I found this really helped my dry patches. It was definitely soothing and it felt nourishing to my skin.

If you have very dry skin, redness, itchiness, or patchy skin, I would highly recommend trying this out! I sometimes wake up in the morning with little dry patches or tiny red bumps on my face (I'm allergic to something, just not sure what.....it's probably the cat.) I've noticed that since I started using this a few weeks ago, I haven't had any of these random "flare ups."

On to the Calm Water Gel!

The Calm Water Gel is a weightless water-gel moisturizer that hydrates dry, sensitive skin. This gel formula transforms to a skin-quenching fluid. This texture is pretty strange. It's a super watery, cold gel but on the face it feels like a heavy moisturizer (and doesn't leave a greasy film.)

Dual Hyaluronic Acid technology works in different skin surface layers to increase and lock in moisture.
Apple Fruit extract and glycerin hydrate and soften the skin while defending it against dryness.
Cactus Pear Extract helps soothe sensitivity and imparts water-binding properties to help support healthy moisture balance.

This gel comes in a 1.7oz container and costs $48.00. It's a squeeze bottle and you need a small amount. I'd say smaller than a dime because a little goes a long way! Rub it in your hands an pat on your face. You'll feel the hydration immediately. I like that this lightweight moisturizer actually hydrates your skin on its own without adding a ton of product (not that I do any more. I just use my Dermalogica and Luminance Skin Care!)

This is really good for super wind chapped skin! Anyone that's in a dry, winter climate should definitely try this.

I use these two products together. I remove my makeup with the PreCleanse Balm and Cleansing Gel. I spritz Luminance Skin Care's Rose Water Toner on my face, apply the Calm Water Gel on my face and neck and once that soaks in I pat on the Barrier Defense Booster. Then, right before bed, I apply my Luminance Skin Care Nite Skin butter

To sum this up, I'd recommend both of these UltraCalming products if you suffer from dry skin (normally or due to weather) or sensitive skin. I haven't tried a Dermalogica product that I didn't like! I really like their ingredients, I love that they are Cruelty free, and that they have programs that help women and girls on the path to entrepreneurship by providing access to education, vocational training, small loans and leadership skills.

"We have seen the power of women entrepreneurs to elevate their families, their communities and their national economies when they are given a hand-up to achieve their potential."

Amazing products and a company that supports women? I'm down.

***To maintain transparency, I want to let you know that this blog post is not sponsored. My opinions are my own and are truthful. The Dermalogica products were gifted to me for an Instagram post, but this blog is not sponsored and wasn't requested. Some of the links are affiliate through RewardStyle.

Quick Trip to the California Redwoods

Alise Carter January 22, 2018

We took a very quick trip all the way down to Northern California last week. Jonathon needed to be pretty far down in Oregon for something, so we decided to make use of that long drive and take a detour to see the Redwoods!

We (aka Jonathon since he didn't want me to drive) drove 20 hours of the 36 hours trip, so it was lots of sitting in the car and staring out the window at the beautiful scenery. We stopped a few times, but on the first day, we were trying to make it down there before it got too dark!

The weather was pretty brutal on the way down. Portland usually only has drizzling rain, but it was a pretty heavy downpour for most of the drive. The drive was gorgeous. Lots of trees, hills, fog, and coastal views.

I figured I'd upload the shots from our trip on here since they aren't what I'd call "instagram worthy" aka, they don't fit my feed. ;P None of these are "award winning" shots. Just tourist/travel shots. Many were taking from the car window. Some are phone, some are camera!

We drove through the Avenue of the Giants and stopped to hug the trees and walk around. My wide angle lens may or may not have been broken since last summer, so I only had a 35mm and a 70-105mm, and neither (obviously) were near wide enough to capture the size of these trees. We took phone panoramas, so it's a distorted view, but it's still pretty neat.

We stopped a few more times down the road to look at more trees, attempt at photos in the incredibly dark and foggy forest, and may or may not have taken a beautiful fallen piece of tree.

We drove all the way through the Avenue to the Drive Thru tree near Myers Flat. It's normally closed in the Winter months, but thankfully it was open! We tossed some dollars into the collection box and drove through (twice, once to take a pic and once to be in the car)

Once we finished the drive thought the giants, we got back on the road and headed north to go home. We passed by a massive field FULL of elk. We stopped and turned around to get a little closer. I wanted to hug them all. They were very close and didn't care at all to be near a bunch of weird humans.

Last, we stopped at a little viewing area be the beach to look at some massive waves, dark gravel-like sand and weird coloured rocks. Oh and I thought my shoe looked nice with the ground 😂 Once we got our rainy beach fix, we left and finished the drive back home!

Holiday Art Wishlist I

Alise Carter November 23, 2017

As the holidays approach, the time for constant text alerts from people asking "What do you want for Christmas??" is near. I'm pretty difficult to buy for as I never know what I want or what I want is too expensive and I refuse to let anyone know.

I finally figured out what I DO want, and that is more art for our /very empty/ apartment walls.
Most of the artists I follow I have found in my random circles of Instagram. I figured I'd share those I do enjoy, own pieces from, or want pieces from for those of you that like the same things I do!

So, here you go, a "holiday wishlist" sort of artist feature. None of these artists asked for this, in fact, only one knew about it. These are all incredibly talented people and I want those that do not know about them to see their work!

I really hope you enjoy this and find someone's work you'd never seen before! There is a part II coming along. Part I is going to be a mix of Paintings, Illustrations, and Photo. Many of these artists are multi talented, but this post will feature the previously stated things. Part II will most likely feature some of the same people if they have things in different categories. There are obviously SO many more I could post about, but these were the first ones off the top of my head. (I tried to keep this blog no more than 20 artists)

I will be including a bit of a blurb about each artist underneath the image gallery. That will most likely be copy + paste from their site, but please click through to the site if you want to see more!

1 // H enrik Aa. Uldalen, is a self-taught artist whose creative production revolves around classic figurative painting, presented in a contemporary manner. Henrik explores the dark sides of life, nihilism, existentialism, longing and loneliness, juxtaposed with fragile beauty. The atmosphere in his subject matter is often presented in a dream or limbo-like state, with elements of surrealism. His focus on atmospheres rather than narratives and realism leaves his painting open for many interpretations.

2 // Cassie Meder, is a young freelance filmmaker, illustrator, and model from Portland, Oregon whose work has ranged from dark and philosophically confronting to quirky and clever. As a conqueror and crusader of many art forms for six plus years, she is now described as possessing a dark and fascinating aesthetic sense and her film direction and illustration work have been called mesmerizing and haunting. Cassie is able to provoke the melancholy and chilling aspects in art, film and fashion, as well as able to make the unnerving undeniably beautiful.

3 // Dusty Ray, A purveyor of the strange and blood. Dusty produces marginally unsettling, weird, surreal, and/or creepy art gouache and oils

4 // Rotten Fantom (Elena Snegotskaia & Vladimir Snegotskii), do the surreal, horror and mystical black and white drawing using dotwork technique. They reflect natural forces’ never ending cycle of decay and resurrection. We bridge cosmic gaps between human, beasts and plant worlds researching the borders between life and death in quest for proto-entities behind dead and living matter.

5 // Bill Crisafi, is a multidisciplinary artist living and working in Salem, Massachusetts. His work is an extension of the dark nostalgia of New England's past, focusing on themes of folklore and the occult, in addition to an ongoing exploration of Victoriana and fantasy realms. These themes are communicated through various mediums which include, but are not limited to, illustration, photography and sculpture.

6 // Alexandra Dvornikova, Illustrator and mushroom hunter from Saint Petersburg, Russia-- currently in London. She studied in Printmaking technology and Graphic Design at Saint Petersburg Stieglitz State Academy of Art and Design, finished in 2015 after 6 years of studies. Currently, Dvornikova studies art-therapy with A. Kopytin as supervisor and works as an volunteer weekly with autistic people. She hopes to work more in that direction after finishing her degree.

7 // Dylan Garrett Smith, is an artist/printmaker whose work is a product of his views regarding humanity’s relationships with - and the continually growing distance from - the natural world. Combining concepts of occultism, ecology, and memento mori, Smith stresses the importance of the cycle of birth-bloom-decay and the necessity of solitude in nature. Ashes, chalk-lead and ink on black cotton rag paper serve as the primary media to make his images, while reinforcing the natural process of life, death, and rebirth.

8 // Emilio Villalba, explores a kind of omnipresent pressure that we all live under. One that grows out of the clash between humanity —our unique mess of emotions, obsessions and urges—and society’s prescription for success. His visuals are a nod to the modern art aesthetic. Subtle shifts, repetition, (re)placement, or absence of facial features are attempts to create a feeling of dissonance and pressure in the viewer. Emilio wants someone to be drawn in by the uncanny nature of a piece and still feel safe to explore the feelings and reactions the pressure gives rise to.

9 // Hogan McLaughlin, is an American fashion designer, artist, and dancer. He began his professional career as a ballet dancer, performing with the internationally acclaimed Hubbard Street 2 and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. In 2011, he met and collaborated with artist Daphne Guinness on his first garments, which ended up on display in the windows of Barneys New York Madison Avenue, and at the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Later that year, McLaughlin launched his first collection under his name, and was subsequently profiled by The New York Times, WWD, Vogue.com, among other publications, and had the opportunity to create custom looks for a number of high profile clients including Lady Gaga. As an illustrator, he has had the pleasure of creating promotional images for HBO's Game of Thrones, Showtime's Penny Dreadful, and History Channel's Vikings.

10 // Kevin Llewellyn, is an American painter known for his dark ultra realistic life size full body or life inspired oil paintings. His art hangs in museums and prestigious collections. He attended the Ringling College of Art and Design, and since has been a permanent resident of Los Angeles, California, where he continues to paint realistic portraits, full body portraits, and dark subject matter utilizing techniques of 17th-century painting masters.

11 // Nona Limmen, is an Amsterdam based photographer and artist, born august 15th 1986 in the Netherlands. She likes to spend most of her time traveling, discovering and creating. Dreams, fantasies and memories; they are all alike in that they are beyond our grasp. It's the beauty of the unattainable, the quality of the miraculous. In a sunlit quick world where time runs like dry sand through an hourglass, Nona creates her vision of a world where dreams, fantasies and memories come together, revealing its beauty, its mysteries and its riddles.

12 // Adrienne Rozzi (Poison Apple Printshop), creates otherworldly artwork and accoutrements for all manner of strange folk. Rozzi's interest in historical witchcraft and magick reflects in the immersive, old-world nostalgia of her original illustrations which draw you into an enchanting realm of arcane knowledge and dark wonderment. As informative as they are bewitching, these drawings adorn the Printshop's creations, imbuing them with unique meaning and a magical sacredness.

13 // Sverre Malling, is a Norwegian visual artist. His work, notable for its precision and intricacy, entwine references to classical art, botany, the occult, psychedelia, folk art and children’s illustrations.

14 // Abbey Watkins (Tobacco & Leather), is an artist whose work is based heavily on illustration, mainly pencil with digital colouring. Her inspiration can come from anywhere, as she find beauty in most things. A lot of her work is generated from fashion imagery, butte does love to create my own ideas from other areas of interest such as music, film, the natural world, past fashions, dreams and utopian worlds.

15 // Courtney Brooke (Light Witch), is a photographer and conceptual artist. She explores the ties of the feminine to nature and spirituality through the lens of nostalgia. Moments are depicted that only exist to punctuate human drama and clarify our cosmic existence, while finding the poetic meaning in everyday life. Her works sometimes read as cold or bleak, but always with disconcerting beauty. The inherent seductive quality of the work, along with the conciseness of her exhibitions, add to the manifold layers of meaning. By referencing romanticism, feminism and various forms of symbolism, she investigates the dynamics of landscape, the manipulation of its effects and the limits of its spectacle based on our assumptions of what landscape is.

15 // Dylan Pickering, is a self-taught artist from Vancouver, Canada. Over the past 10 years he has accumulated a set of skills, in which he displays in his modern work. Focusing on minimal composition, Dylan creates abstract art using resin and a variety of mediums. Colour & Shape are the basis of inspiration for all of his work. He is highly influenced by Outer Space, The Ocean & Beautiful Landscapes.

16 // Mikey Carrasco, In the Gothic Subculture, there is a preference for dark colours and sentiments.Mystic, morbid, and romantic motifs range from erotic artwork to romantic images of death. Carrasco has been creating art since he was a child, but it wasn't until he found tattooing that his talents began to flourish. He began painting oils in 2012 and two years later decided to strive for higher merit in the arts. For Carrasco, fine art is a symbolic rebellion from the confines of traditional tattoo art, although tattooing still permitted and influences his fine art practice. He currently tattoos at Kat Von D's studio, High Voltage Tattoo.

17 // Christopher Lovell, is a UK based artist who specialises primarily in illustration for clothing companies and band merchandise. Christopher is self-taught and his influences started very early on in his childhood where he developed a deep interest in fantasy and sci-fi. He was captivated by toys, cartoons and films which helped to fuel his imagination and which still inspire him to this day.

18 // Aaron Horkey, is an illustrator from the Rural Midwest. He has created concert posters for bands such as Boris, Converge, Isis, and The Melvins. First Showing described him as "one of Mondo's most popular and respected artists." Key personality traits include debilitating social ineptitude and a perverse attention to detail. Enjoys desolation, megafauna and transplanting sumacs. Currently ensconced in a bucolic whistlestop just west of the Mississippi, he whiles away the hours staring at his chore list and cultivating ulcers. Fully prepared for and welcoming a long languishing into obscurity, Aaron is the sole survivor of the Black Osprey Dead Arts Society and founding member of the Cottonwood County Druids Skateboard Gang.

19 // Fay Nowitz (Nyxturna), is a Queer artist, designer, and ((femme))nist witch based in Chicago. She is inspired by magick and visions of darkness. Fay has beautiful and magickal photography and handmakes talismans, armor, & jewels infused with queer magick.

20 //Jas Helena, is an illustrator from California, currently residing in Savannah, GA. She focuses focus on light and dark themes, geometry, ornate detail, nature, life, and death, Jas Helena illustrates artwork exclusively in black, no matter what her medium.

Makeup Removal made easy with Dermalogica

Alise Carter October 25, 2017

I love makeup. I feel like that's fairly obvious with what 90% of my posts are, haha. There's something so pleasing about being able to dress your face up into something different every day. My favourite thing to do is cover my entire face with different colors and glitters, but I always hate the removal process. I end up wasting expensive liquid remover or using an entire cup of Cold Cream (and about a dozen tissues.) You end up needing way too much product to accomplish a simple task. It's annoying even with simple looks, but when your entire face, neck, and shoulders are covered...it's just frustrating.

I was approached recently to do an Instagram ad with Dermalogica to show how their new PreCleanse balm works with Halloween makeup, and since 1. everyday is Halloween, and 2. I already love Dermalogica, I was really excited to do the IG ad!
I decided to do a full face/neck look and test out the product! I'd already been using the preclense for about a week to see how it worked for my "normal" makeup, and I was really impressed. The pre cleanse is a "deep cleansing balm-to-oil that melts away impurities and make-up from skin" and it worked so well for my makeup. I felt like it did a better job removing makeup than my previous cleanser and exfoliated my skin while doing so.

The balm + exfoliating mitt! The mitt comes in the box for both sizes (0.5 and 3.0oz)

For my makeup removal, I squeeze either an almond or nickel sized amount onto the cleansing mitt that comes in the box and gently massage (in circles) my dry skin. Once I feel like I've gotten what I need, I add water to emulsify, and then rinse. Super easy. The cleansing mitt is amazing. I have really dry skin and this adds a little bit of extra exfoliation I need.

About how much product I use for my entire face (and a little bit of neck)

On the site, this is what it states the benefits are:

Removes excess sebum (oil), sunscreen, make-up and pollutants.
Dissolves buildup without compromising the skin barrier or clogging pores.
Smoothes, calms and nourishes the skin.

The precleanse balm is recommended for sensitive or dry skin, and I fall in the very dry category. It doesn't dry my skin out and I feel like I'm removing my makeup a lot more effectively with it than my previous remover.

I was also gifted their Special Cleansing Gel, which is a soap-free foaming gel. You need the tiniest amount of product because a little goes a long way. The information on the site states:

Refreshing lather thoroughly removes impurities without disturbing the skin's natural moisture balance. Calming Balm Mint and Lavender extracts soothe the skin, while natural Quillaja Saponaria gently foams away toxins and debris. Formulated without artificial fragrances and colors.

It has a strong smell at first, sort of medicinal/alcohol-y but other than that, I have nothing but positive things to say about it. I use this after my pre cleanse, and then follow with my favourite toner and moisturizer after.

Dermalogica is what I would consider a "Mid Range" brand with their pricing. Not drugstore prices but not high end. Their pre cleanse in the 3.0 oz size will run you about $45, which is a bit steep for a makeup remover, but you also have to take in account how little product you need plus the high quality ingredients that make this product. I've been using the pre cleanse for about three weeks and I have hardly made a dent. (And I do a lot of full face looks) I will definitely be repurchasing these when I do run out.

A little bit about the brand:

Dermalogica makes all of their products in Southern California. Their site stays that having the manufacturer close to headquarters allows them to maintain a superior quality standard and oversight while supporting local economy.

Their back story is very interesting and I would recommend checking out their FAQ to read more about it. They began in 1983 when skin therapist Jane Wurwand founded The International Dermal Institute and since has more than 37 training centers an trains more than 75,000 skin therapists a year. "Dermalogica products shun the industry norm of using cheap chemicals like Mineral Oil, Lanolin, S.D. Alcohol, artificial fragrances and colors"

Dermalogica is also certified Cruelty Free. They do not engage in animal testing or use animal derived ingredients in their formulas.

I would definitely recommend trying the pre cleanse balm if you have dry or sensitive skin or the pre cleanse if you have normal to oily skin. They do sell smaller sizes if you don't want to commit to the price before knowing you like it. I first tried Dermalogica with one of Sephora's online samples, and I was hooked ever since!

***To maintain transparency, I want to let you know that this blog post is not sponsored. My opinions are my own and are truthful. The Dermalogica products were gifted to me for an Instagram ad, but this blog is not sponsored and wasn't requested. The Dermalogica link is not affiliate, just a tracking link from the brand. <3