Devita Skin Care Review

Devita is a natural cosmeceutical skin care company based out of Arizona. They make all-natural, vegan, paraben-free and PETA certified products for face and body. From my experience, it's hard to find a natural line of skin care that is also effective. Devita, being a cosmeceutical brand, has found the perfect balance between efficacy and remaining natural! They use cutting edge peptide technology and combine it with well-researched vitamins, minerals and botanical extracts for powerful results.

The DeVita product line uses organic Aloe Vera as a natural and dynamic delivery system - allowing their active Vitamins, Botanicals and Peptides to penetrate and get to work within the skin. You'll find Aloe Vera as the first or second ingredient in almost every one of their products. What you won't find in any products are preservatives. I asked DeVita how this was possible, and here's what they said:

Blotting Papers - Summer Makeup Bag Must-Haves

During the warmer, more humid months of summer, it's inevitable that oil and shine will increase. While a dewy glow is pretty, looking like a grease slick is not! That's where blotting tissues come in - by absorbing excess oil and shine without disturbing makeup, they bring your skin back to matte. Blotting papers are also much better for acne-prone skin than caking on the powder to reduce shine. Adding powder to an oily face makes for an unattractive, cakey

breeding ground for sweat and bacteria - gross! Instead, try these picks for blotting papers:

Clean & Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets

These oil absorbing "sheets" from Clean and Clear are some of my favorites for a few reasons - affordability and effectiveness. At just under $6 for 50 sheets, they're a more affordable option than some others on the market that sell for up to $20! Yikes! These are also really effective - one sheet can take care of sheen on the whole face, completely absorbing oil and keeping makeup in place. The only thing I don't love about these is that they are not made of natural fibers, so aren't biodegradable. But you'll be using a lot less than with blotting papers, so there will be less waste in the end. These are also really easy to find - pick them up at any local drugstore or superstore, or at www.dermstore.com.

Palladio Rice Paper Blotting Tissues

These oil absorbing tissues are great two-in-one products - they combine oil absorbing rice paper and mattifying powder in one easy product. I always have these in my kit and my purse to keep my skin looking fresh. One side is just paper, and should be used first to absorb excess oil. The other side has translucent powder or colored powder (I prefer the translucent - it works on all skin colors) that helps to set and refresh makeup. These are also great because they are thick, strong rice paper, so they are very absorbent and sturdy.

They can be found at Sally's and Ulta locations, and online.

If you're in a pinch and don't have blotting papers on hand, you can use toilet seat covers or event toilet paper. Just press and roll off the skin to absorb excess oil.

What are you tricks for fresh summer skin?

My Favorite New Summer Fragrances

Summer always makes me want light, fresh, floral fragrances. I usually have trouble finding new scents or summer releases that I really love, but this year, these two scents had me at the first whiff:

Philosophy Summer Grace

I was at my local Nordstrom store, waiting for a sales specialist to grab a couple of products for me, when I saw this and decided to take a whiff. OMG, I fell in love immediately. I mean, I couldn't even put the bottle down. I had to have it right then and there. Normally when I'm fragrance shopping, I like to wear the scent around for a couple of hours before deciding if I love it or not. That was not the case here! I loved the scent so much that it was not an option for it not to smell good on me (thankfully, it smells great on my skin!).

Philosophy describes the fragrance as: "... a warm, bright floral fragrance that makes a woman feel lighthearted, happy and carefree as if she is wearing a beautifully light sundress on a sunny summer day." I couldn't agree more! This scent makes me want to turn into a cheesy fragrance commercial, frolicking around in a flower field in slow motion.

Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh

I was already a fan of the original Daisy fragrance, so when I saw the bright summery packaging of the new Eau So Fresh scent, I had to go in for a sniff. And, again, it was immediate. I knew I loved this scent! It's much softer and more floral than the original Daisy, which I found to have a slightly "warmer" feel.

Described as having notes of natural raspberry, grapefruit, pear, wild violet, apple blossom, musks, cedarwood and plum, this scent is fresh, playful and bubbly. I like that it's got the musk and cedarwood to ground the otherwise-too-sweet floral and fruity blend.

Have you found any new summer fragrances that you absolutely love?