There are a few little known products by Reviva Labs that kind of fly under the radar. As someone who is always on the hunt for a skincare product that will improve the texture and look of my skin, I got curious about these Ampules by Reviva Labs. There are three types of Ampules, there are Collagen, Elastin and Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Ampules.

They are ampules that would be added to a luxury skincare treatment done by a professional. I started on (Jan-25th 2012 used it till Feb 1st 2012) Used them for a week as it is directed on the packaging. There is nothing wrong with that, who doesn’t love a spa treatment? But what if you wanted the same thing only doing it yourself at home?
(image on their website is old)

General Background for Ampules: Reviva’s Lyophilized Ampules are highly concentrated and have a higher potency than day or night creams. Lyophilized means that the ingredient is freeze-dried to retain its potency and is in concentrate form when blended into the liquid contents of a glass ampule (with the ingredients necessary for absorption). Then the ampule is hermetically sealed to retain its force. Thus ampules provide the highest potency for their individual type of product. And because skin can build resistance to this level of potency after extended usage of the same type of ampule, they are recommended for just one week per month. They act as a catalyst to promote deeper penetration and absorption of the ingredients. Ampules maintain freshness for about one week if refrigerated. For the specific ampule (Collagen, for example), we recommend one week per month usage. The Elastin Ampule, one week per month, which could be the subsequent month. Some individuals get three applications from a single ampule; others use more and get just two days (probably when they apply on the throat as well as the face). After one use, it would be best to refrigerate for additional uses but, frankly, most salons don’t do that and get satisfactory results.

In fact I asked how they are used at salon/spas. And this is the answer I got:

They don’t use the spa’s ampules. If the salon/spa does retail the ampules they sell a separate box. But most use it as part of professional treatment because it helps show better immediate results—particularly when they use galvanic current over it for deeper penetration.

The first one I tested out was Collagen Ampules. We know as we get older we start losing collagen in our face making fine lines appear. It is one of those facts of life issues we all have to deal with.
So out of the three it was the one I picked first. It recommends that you do use the Light Skin Peel before using it the first time.
I think it needs better directions for sure. Don’t drop them being they are glass they break very easy, I know I dropped my first one.

I would like to know why you use them for only a week. Why a week? How is that going to do any long lasting results? (there is) What about the rest in the box? So as you can see I had lots of questions!!

Before Photo as you can see I have a zit on that cheek.
Before I applied it the first time I used Glycolic Acid Cleanser, Light Skin Peel (best product ever!) , Glycolic Acid Toner, Skin Energizing Gel and then the ampule. (Here is my review for Glycolic Acid Products) Now I have used oil based serums before and they have left a oily feeling to my skin. Not this one! It feels like the Stem Cell Booster Serum,(my review) goes on creamy/oil and dries leaving your face feeling a bit tight. Which was a easy fix, I used a Peptides & More Anti Wrinkle Cream and the InterCell Night Gel w/Hyaluronic Acid.

After photo, you can see its the same cheek.. And here is another photo

Its there the different and you can see it, but even better you can feel it!

Would I use the ampules again? You bet I would! I only used three in one week. You get 10.. That is just over 4 weeks worth for only $32.00!
(Now I will admit to do this I tested the ampules using only other Reviva Labs products that I happen to have one hand.) You don’t have to do that, I just happen to be in between skincare product reviewing..
Items in the post can be found at http://revivalabs.com and http://overallbeauty.com

I have to really thank Mr. Strassler for taking the time out to answer all my questions about this amazing product! He Rocks!!

Have you ever used a product like this before? Do Please Leave a comment!!

Disclosure: These products were sent for reviewing in hopes I would do a review so I did not pay for these items talked about in this review. I also offer them on my website so there for I will be compensated when you purchase a product or service through links featured in this blog post. That doesn’t stop me or make me say anything that I do not believe to be true and honest.
Any claims of specific results are based on atypical best case scenarios and not the norm or average.

I have never been a big fan of monthly plans.. I always seem to forget to tell them in time to stop my order and I ended up getting a package for the month I canceled.
I remember from years ago a company that you sign up for a dollar (in all the cheap magazines) the first month and the next month it was like 17.98 to 29.98. I used to get it a very long time ago. (Cosmetique) Does anyone else remember doing the $1.00 for the first month? ( The company I remembered and after searching I found them. http://www.clubcosmetique.com/ They started in 1974..)
Now on to my review for the Julep Maven box..

What Julep say about their boxes and plans:

Being a Maven, gives you exclusive access to COLOR! You get it first, and YOU decide how often you want to receive your beauty editor Sneak Peek Box
For just $19.99 a month, you’ll receive over $40 worth of trendsetting polish colors and cutting-edge treatment products each month customized in a gift-able Sneak Peek Box.
Each Sneak Peek Box features new, never before released colors and treatments FIRST to you, before anyone else
Your box also includes hits and cult favorites – the products we like to keep on the top of editors’ minds

20% off all julep.com purchases
FREE shipping on ALL your purchases
Each box also comes with a surprise and delight element- something to look forward to!
Receive additional membership perks throughout the year.

$19.00 a month to be a Julep Maven.

What I got in my box:
When I got my bag they were kind enough to add their green polish for me to play with.
I got three bottles of polish, two samples and a full bottle of a product I would of never thought of buying for myself. I think the hand lotion full size would of been a better choice than a hand exfoliate.

Shania a really light silver that doesn’t look good on my nails. (Most silvers don’t) and they added Emilie which is a nice green.

Or so I thought..

Overall they have a nice idea. And think it would a even better idea if they worked out deals with companies in their area to add more for your money to their bags. Again that’s just my idea. I think that if they offered more than just their brand of stuff it would be a better idea for me, and I might give it a try. But one company products only? Just doesn’t work for me..
You can find out more information for the nail polish colors, become a Julep Maven or anything thing else they offer by going here: http://www.julep.com/

***This product in this review was provided to the reviewer for the purpose of writing a review. This in no way affects the quality of the review provided. No monetary exchange occurred in exchange for the writing of the review. The views expressed in this review are strictly that of the reviewer. All reviews provided here are the work of the reviewer and remain completely unbiased. ***

Here is a quote from one of many emails that I receive almost daily on the subject of men wearing nail polish. I thought I would share with you the messages we been doing back and forth because I think its an important enough subject to do so.
I do hope you will leave your comments, I would love to hear what you think as well!

To answer your question I’m a straight 30 year old man with a girlfriend.
I’ve been wearing nail polish for about 2 & half years now.
I pretty much wear nail polish on my toes all the time, but I’m not confident enough to show my toes in public
I wear nail polish on my fingers on & off mainly at weekends due to work:-(
I’m not 100% confident wearing polish on my fingers I do try & hide it unless I feel confident in the situation
My girlfriend is supportive but I just feel to nervous. Any advice???? ~ M

Now I had to really think about this question, some guys have no problem what so ever going out in public wearing nail polish in all kinds of crazy colors. With so many colors to pick from I’m not surprised at all. BUT most of these guys are wearing nail polish on their toes, not their fingernails and that is where the problem lies. You can hide your toes in a pair of shoes, you can’t hide your fingernails.

So what if you really really want to wear nail polish in public on your fingernails, where do you start? Well it always helps to have a partner who is supportive of the idea.

If she is open to the idea of you wearing nail polish in colors on your nails, then here is what I would do..
I would get a manicure done, a really nice one, with wax, massage the works! Then I would start with a basic nude color.. something that is barely there. No glitter (glitter on a guy just don’t seem to work for me) Once you become used to a nude color, I would start with something maybe sheer with color.. something that is a guys color.. like Widow Maker or John Smith with the idea of wearing a color that doesn’t jump out at you. Then work your nerve up to Coal Miner and really rock out your nails with Adam

***Now in M’s case I think he needs to get used to the idea of wearing nail polish on his toes before he starts with his fingernails. Sometimes we feel like everyone is looking at us, when really they are not. ***

If you are going to wear nail polish guys, here are a few points for you:

But if you are going to wear polish on your fingernails or toenails there are a few things I say you got to do. If you got hairy toes, then shave them. Keep your toes clean, and get pedicures done.

Your fingernails? Keep your nails looking nice, the worse thing to see if a guy with bitten off nails, hard cuticles, dry hands. Like ladies your hands are just as noticed. CEO’s of companies get manicures done because it adds to their professional look overall. They wear clear or just get their nails buffed to a nice shine.

Wearing nail polish is just another way to show off your sense of style. The fact I sell nail polish has nothing to do with how I think or feel about the idea. I see nothing wrong with it.
I would rather see a nice looking pair of fingernails with a color on them over all that markings you can put into your skin. You can change your polish, removing a tat? Well good luck..

Whenever you want to talk about wearing polish, as you see I am here for you.
Think of me as your friend who just happens to sell nail polish.
Thanks for your question M, you made my day!
Kim Snyder
PS: I thought this way about nail polish even before I started selling nail polish for men.

The best Brands for men that are totally awesome are BB Couture for men and here’s a shout out to another awesome brand ManGlaze..

Can what you eat improve your looks? The answer is yes and here are some reasons why.

Finding skincare products that give us more value for our money can be hard at times. Not only do we want a good price but we want products that do more than one thing. Example makeup primer, we want one that hides our imperfections and yet help our foundation stay put longer. Who doesn’t want Lots of value added features in everything, not just skincare?

So what are we looking for, in a beauty-food connection?
For starters hair benefits like looking better, management, growth, even volume can all be improved by what we eat.
Nails like our hair the key benefit we want is strengthening. Who hasn’t had to fight with weak, breaking nails? I know I sure have!
So what the foods we can eat that better how we look?
It has been long known that biotin can help your hair and nails. Biotin can be found naturally in eggs, peanut butter, oats and liver. (no you can’t make me eat liver either) If you have a biotin deficiency it can cause your hair to become dry and brittle as well as your nails.

Having dry skin I have always wondered if what I’m eating or not eating affects how my skin looks and feels overall. Did you know that you may get dry skin relief from eating foods like walnuts, flaxseed and salmon?
What they do is add hydration from within. That’s why if your skin looks dry or feels dry it could be your amount of water you are drinking isn’t enough. Let’s not forget what stress, smoking and the lack of sleep can do either.

Fighting fine lines? Did you know that fine lines may be reduced by eating cucumbers and other high water content foods? What they do is pretty cool. What they do is get into your skin cells better than just water can. They strengthen the cell walls which in turns plumps your skin cells and that can help reduce fine wrinkles. Just from eating cucumbers!
Next time you eat a salad, remember to load up on your cucumbers! They are helping your skin from the inside out!

It’s interesting to read up on what’s good for our overall look on the outside can be improved by what we eat.
So as you look at skincare products and you see all those fruits as ingredients that’s because the beauty product creators have found that they do work some on the outside as well.

You really are what you eat; don’t depend on just your skincare products to improve how you look on their own. Dry dull skin, hair and nails can all be linked back to what maybe lacking in your diet. Eat more natural, more fruits and veggs the better, you will feel better, means less trips to the doctors. And don’t forget to drink your water too!!

Copyright 2012 by Kim Snyder owner of Overallbeauty.com
Looking for some great books to find out more information about helping your skin with food? Check out these:
Solve Your Skin Problems (Optimum Nutrition Handbook)
Or
Skintervention: The Personalized Solution for Healthier, Younger, and Flawless-Looking Skin
I have a copy of this book
Simple Skin Beauty: Every Woman’s Guide to a Lifetime of Healthy, Gorgeous Skin

You may of heard of Hyaluronic Acid as a skin booster. Its happens to be one of the major ingredient found in some of the best Dermal fillers. But do you know what it really is? Or why its so important as a skincare product ingredient?
Did you know? Hyaluronic Acid is naturally found in your body’s connective tissues, and its used as a moisturizing agent in many cosmetics. As you get older your skin starts to lose its reserve of Hyaluronic Acid which helps you skin hold its water and its what helps give your skin its volume.
Its a question that is asked often of Mr. Strassler president and founder of Reviva Labs. In fact we are going to start having a monthly post about really great important information about skincare products and ingredients that you may of never heard of or wonder why its so important as part of your skincare. We all want to look younger longer right? But there is a lot of misleading information out there.. So we are going to start having a monthly post to help you understand better, why some ingredients work better and why others don’t.

How Hyaluronic Acid Works

So now let’s explain why HA is one of the most important ingredients in skin care. HA is the intercellular gel that acts like a molecular sponge. It absorbs and stores water from the liquids we drink and feeds moisture to skin cells via osmosis.

But as we age, sun and pollution’s free radicals damage and diminish HA and skin’s ability to retain sufficient water. With HA loss and the intercellular matrix inability to hold adequate water, skin becomes dry and rough and can eventually lead to wrinkles. Feeding skin topical HA in our creams and serums helps “bind” and add moisture to skin’s top layers. Most moisturizers feel good upon application but wear off in minutes; they don’t bind moisture. And HA moisture retention happens in any kind of weather – because it doesn’t depend on moisture in the atmosphere. It holds intercellular water from the liquids we drink. (We should drink 6-8 glasses of liquids a day.) For skin moisture, there is no ingredient more powerful than Hyaluronic Acid! When treating moisture-dry skin, skin care pros (aestheticians) look to Hyaluronic Acid.

And Dermatologists are injecting HA under the trade name “Restylane” to replace lost moisture and plump up skin tissue to fill in age lines, even scars … and give skin a softer, smoother texture.

Now Hyaluronic Acid is also one of the main ingredients found in Juvederm which is a Dermal filler and what it does is helps fill in the skin that are causing your skin wrinkles. Its not cheap and it doesn’t stay.

Now what you may not know is Reviva labs has three amazing products that have Hyaluronic acid in them, and if fact one is a serum that is just amazing!
Check out InterCell Hyaluronic Acid Day Cream & InterCell Night Gel With Hyaluronic Acid as well as Hyaluronic Acid Serum.
In fact Reviva Labs has a higher-potency Hyaluronic Acid Serum and Hyaluronic Acid Ampules (review coming soon) not only produce faster results but are ideal “layering” supplements under other types of anti-aging creams.

We would like to thank Mr. Strassler of Reviva Labs for his help in giving us a better understanding of what Hyaluronic Acid is and why its so important as part of our anti-aging skincare.
If you could ask Mr. Strassler any question about natural skincare products or ingredients? Leave a comment! It might be the topic of next month’s helpful post with help from a pro in the natural skincare business!

When I first started using Naturali face cream it took me back to the days of watching my mom apply her Ponds brand cold cream at night before going to bed. (the way it looks) I can’t even remember how old I was either. I learn my skincare basics from watching my mom take care of her skin. I remember with some brands of skincare back then you had to use a lot. I also remember thinking back that my mom’s problem was she tend to use too much and she would go to bed with almost a white clown face.
Flash forward a few years and now it’s my turn to apply a face cream only I’m using a far better face cream for sure!

Naturali face cream comes in very simple packaging, your white jar with a simple logo and the name of the product.
Naturali is a power packed face cream that a small amount is all you need. It’s imported by Monika Spruch and she has been using the product herself for years. She found out it and took the steps to bring here. “ her words”

On my recent trip to Europe, I got in touch with headquarters and manufacturers of Naturalis products in Europe, a long established and well known European company “Produkty Naturalne S.C.”, they’ve been around for over 20 years. I particularly was interested in very popular skincare line “Naturalis”, which contains Aronia Berry. Recently proven to be the new “superfruit” containing the highest concentration of antioxidants.

This age-defying cream restores radiance and youth to your face. Packed with natural ingredients one of which is betulin – derived from the bark of white birch trees to stimulate synthesis of collagen and elastin effectively delaying aging process. It aids in regenerating skin, shielding it from free radicals. Strong antioxidant. Vitamin E known as a “youth vitamin” slows down hormonal skin aging caused by low estrogen levels and diminishes fine lines and wrinkles. It intensely moisturizes and nourishes, improving the firmness of the skin and of the face contour. It is an innovative care cream for the mature complexion with lowered level of elasticity. You will benefit from using Birch cream with Betulin because it: moisturizes continuously to stimulate the skin cell regeneration. Firmer, more supple skin. Protects moisture loss, preserves youthful appearance and reduces face swelling, improves skin flexibility.

What is Betuli? It’s a extract from the bark of white birch trees. Stimulates collagen and elastin synthesis. Regulates the levels of water and lipids in the skin, restoring its balance. Protects against the factors which accelerate aging of the skin.
For your winter dry skin woes this face cream might be what you have been looking for. I found it to be too heavy for daytime use and it doesn’t have SPF In it so I had to double up on my face cream making my face look and feel greasy. So you need to be careful not to use too much. It’s a great cream for all ages! The brand itself only has a few items which is ok.
The major ingredient is Betulin which is from birch trees which is how it got its name. I personally like the light scent it has, not too heavy feel, ease of application, prefect for this time of year.
I use a serum, and eye cream by a different brand but I have noticed a little plumping to my skin after I apply Naturali face cream. Which I thought was really neat!!
Price: $35.95
You can get it here:
http://www.naturalisusa.com/

I’m still working my way through my jar so I can say for a fact it’s totally worth the money.

***This product in this review was provided to the reviewer for the purpose of writing a review. This in no way affects the quality of the review provided. No monetary exchange occurred in exchange for the writing of the review. The views expressed in this review are strictly that of the reviewer. All reviews provided here are the work of the reviewer and remain completely unbiased. ***