Belle Belle Beauty

NERD Skincare Masks

There is nothing like a whirlwind weekend of hard travel to make you appreciate a good sheet mask. No wonder sheet masks are having a moment. They are convenient, effective and still a bit of a novelty. While I will always have a soft spot for the classic SK-II Brightening Derm-Revival Mask, this trio from NERD Skincare were pretty darn amazing to use.

First a little about NERD: the products use serious science (no wonder this beauty nerd is drawn to the brand). The masks use biocellulose, a natural product used for centuries in medical treatments. The masks are hypoallergenic and send ingredients deep into skin while binding comfortably with skin – key in these pre-cut and shaped wearable skin care items.

For the fellow nerds out there, biocellulose is actual grown using acetic acid bacteria (AABs), specifically Acetobacter Xylinum – a strain no one else uses. This specific strain builds the smoothest microfibrils that work best on human skin. They make neat patterns that allow more surface area exposure to skin, allowing for maximum ingredient absorption.

Okay, back to the fun. The three masks work against specific concerns: dullness, dryness or damage with serums that focus on brightening, hydrating or repairing.

The Miraculous Brightening Mask uses antioxidants, collagen and elastin building blocks to add back a glow. The serum softens appearance of fine lines and tightens pores. I loved this mask when my skin was looking particularly dull after a late night and a bout of allergies.

Skin Repair Master Mask heals and soothes stressed skin. In my experience, this was the least nourishing mask but had the greatest effect on the appearance of my skin. I’d love to have it in my stash after a day in the sun at the lake. Antioxidants work against free radicals and skin cells are revitalized.

Super Hydrating Mask was my favorite. My dry skin adored the way this mask infused my skin with moisture after a long day of travel. Plus the serum infused a barrier to continue retaining hydration over my long weekend in NYC. My skin was left supple and full.

I left the masks on for 20 minutes. Because there was a generous amount of serum, I was able to work what was left on my face into my skin and decollatage. I also liked the way the substantial texture of the mask was easy to adjust on my face. Plus, they were long so they went to work below my chin and jawline as well.

Available at NERDSkincare.com and Amazon.

image via NERD Skincare

pr samples and affiliate links may be included in the above post

April Favorites

As I mentioned earlier this week, I am headed to a friend’s wedding this weekend. So apologies for the light postings. I am running around trying to get work/errands done for the week all before Friday! But really looking forward to getting out of town. Next week, we will be back to normal operating procedure.

For now, my shopping wish list from the past month:

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Wednesday On The Web

oops – in my effort to get organized, this published early. Hello, Tuesday! This week might be a little light on the posting as I am headed to the big apple for a friend’s wedding in a couple days. But for the meantime, enjoy a little blog update:

You might have noticed a couple changes over here at Belle Belle. They are subtle but reflect a direction I’d like to take with the blog. One thing that might stand out is the removal of ads. They started to make me feel like this place was a cluttered corner of the internet. And I decided that (for me) they were an ineffective way to generate revenue to help support the site. I still continue to use affiliate links (where I get a small commission if you purchase an item after clicking on product link on my site) to pay for things like hosting, design and domain fees. But that also might go by the wayside. I haven’t quite decided yet.

With this fresh beginning, I hope to create better content to keep my loyal readers on this (cleaned-up) corner. I am always open to feedback – or questions about blogging in general. In honor of a fresh start, I am working on a fresh faced look above. Keep an eye out for a tutorial in the next couple of days. And some finds from around the web this week:

My dream trip.

As an individual, I don’t identify with either Gen X or Millennial. This article perfectly explains the magical micro-generation born late 70s and very early 80s. If you’d like an entertainment reference to the “Catalano” generation, check this out.

Love all of Louise Roe’s beauty picks!

Jokes for nerds – needless to say, they all made me chuckle.

I am more of a dog person, but these stories of cats saving their owners’ lives is pretty awesome.

I love charts and history… no surprise I am obsessed with this.

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Natura Bissé Celebrates Beauty Lovers Day

It is difficult for me not to love Natura Bissé. The brand is about so many things I am crazy about: skin care, luxury and Barcelona. While their products are an investment, I have found then particularly well-suited to my sensitive and drier skin. And their events at the Dallas Neiman Marcus Northpark location are legendary.

Today marks one of those days and it pains me not to be there. I happened to do my little at-home version last night. But I know it isn’t quite the same. Beauty Lovers Day marks the launch of Natura Bissé’s limited edition Diamond Absolute Damask Rose Body Oil. Noticing a trend here on Belle Belle? I am really starting to fall hard for Rose.

National Beauty Lovers Day started last year to mark the brand’s commitment to beauty and skincare. In Barcelona – the brand’s hometown – the city celebrates April 23rd with a celebration of love, roses, books and culture. The launch of the dry oil will be referenced by counters all over the world being covered in roses.

If you can’t make it to a counter to check out the launch, I can tell you a little more about it here – I have had the chance to test out the Absolute Diamond Damask Rose Body Oil for about a week. The dry oil has a scent of fresh cut roses that manages to be refreshing and not stuffy. The oil is nourishing but dries down so that my skin isn’t greasy. The rose oil leaves skin smoothed – just in time for bathing suit season – and works against free radicals and aging stresses.

The body oil doubles as a parfume thanks to the blend of Moroccan Damask rose absolute, grape seed oil, rose hip oil and nutri-veil oil. Available today only in selected spas, beauty centers and Neiman Marcus.

pr samples and affiliate links may be included in the above post

Wednesday On The Web

Hope you guys enjoyed yesterday’s post about my skin care routine. I try to throw those in there every once in a while so you know exactly how I use products together. I can’t say it always has perfect results but usually my skin is fairly happy. However, last week I had a really deep pimple on my chin. I hustled over to my derm and he was able to treat me. He had some interesting thoughts to share – those deep spots of acne are generally more about hormones and stress and less about topical treatments in his opinion. So I am working on yoga more days a week and watching the foods I put into my body. And I encourage all of you to reach out to your derm if you find yourself in the same situation – and always for a yearly mole check!

Some finds from around the web this week:

I wish I could eat like this every day – and I continue to try and do so.

I’m so in the groove of FOGO.

This is about the sweetest thing you ever did see. If you love dogs, you’ll agree.

My new favorite Instagram account.

I broke down and rejoined Shapchat. You can follow me at bellebellebeau. Still figuring it all out, but I need to give it the ole college try!

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Skin Care Update

It has been a while since I shared my routine, so I thought I would fill you guys in with the products I use nightly. But first a side note: I’ve started washing my hair and showering at night and it has transformed my routine. No overheating while I rush to blow dry my hair in the morning. My skin soaks in all those lovely body oils and I wake up with hydrated skin. And the warm showers lull me to sleepiness in a hot minute (just as I’d imagine sleeping in this dream bedroom above at Tulum’s Coqui Coqui Spa & Residence Resort.

As a result, in the AM I just splash with Thayer Which Hazel and apply SkinCeuticals Metacell Renewal B3 which works against photo-aging. I finish with a current beauty-blogger hit, Murad’s Invisiblur Perfecting Shield Broad Spectrum SPF 30 – so great for sun protection and as a makeup primer.

In the evening, I remove makeup with Bioderma Créaline H2O Micelle Solution. In the shower I wash with Neutrogena Healthy Skin Boosters Facial Cleanser which foams but it still gentle and non-drying. I love my new luxury brush heads from Clarisonic on my Mia – they are suited for daily washing because they are hydrating and slightly less active in their sonic action. After the shower, I apply one of my permanent skin care steps: SK-II Facial Treatment Essence – I splash onto my face and use what’s left to apply to my chest and the back of my hands.

I finish with two new obsessions the Fresh. The Black Tea collection has been rocking my world – the texture is super luxe but the price tag isn’t quite as painful as other super-luxury lines. The Fresh Black Tea Age-Delay Eye Concentrate contains noni juice that firms and illuminates my under eye area. The Black Tea Age Delay Cream soaks into my skin immediately and helps with next-day radiance. My dry, sensitive-prone skin loves this collection.

I know this is a brief summary of loads of products. I plan on doing in depth review of most (if not all) of these in the near future!

AM Products:

PM Products:

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pr samples and affiliate links may be included in the above post. Fresh samples generously provided by Neiman Marcus as part of the Beauty Ambassador Program. I consult for Neiman Marcus which is affiliated with the Neiman Marcus Group, but as always, opinions are my own.