Sunday Riley Luna Review

Beating the Hangover Part 2

I've never been a big drinker. To be honest, I only like beer and red wine and hate the taste of anything strong or anything "burning". However, I will have water most of the time when I go out.

Last week, my boyfriend's best friend came to visit and I had a little too much to drink. I had never, ever gone to bed with my makeup on. I woke up at 4am, saw myself in the mirror, cringed (and took off all my makeup) and then was unable to sleep for the rest of the night. I truly felt like shit. Add to that the following cherry on the top: I got my period later that day resulting in excruciating cramps. It was bad. 

That's why I came up with the idea to either a) write a post or b) make a video on "Beating the Hangover". I went with "a".

Tip #1: Stay hydrated.

When you drink alcohol, your body gets dehydrated. It's most likely you'll be feeling nauseous and dizzy the next day. Drink plenty of water. More than usual. 

Tip #2: Cleanse deeply.

I love oil-based cleansers. Oil acts like a magnet trapping dirt, makeup and excess oil. If you went to bed with your makeup on, remove it as soon as you can. I love using the Tatcha Camellia Cleansing Oil because it doesn't irritate my sensitive eyes (I wear contacts), it doesn't leave an oily film, breaks down all my waterproof makeup and doesn't dry out my skin. I'm already on my fourth bottle. 

 Tip #3: Exfoliate and use your favorite face mask.

Spoil yourself. Exfoliate your skin before using a face mask. The Nude Detox Brightening Fizzy Powder Wash is a treat for the skin. Mix a little bit with water and apply it to your skin using circular motions. It has stabilized vitamin C, so it will instantly brighten the skin, but it's also loaded with hydrating agents and you can actually feel the oils as you're rinsing your skin.

I followed up with the Arcona Tea Tree Mask. I've raved about this mask so much and I still think it's an underrated product. You never hear anyone talking about this yet it's so damn good; so good I'm about to repurchase it for the fifth time very soon. It is minty, refreshing, cooling and a total spa-like product that instantly delivers results. But use a mask that you love. Your skin needs the extra TLC during a horrible hangover!

Tip #4: Add extra weightless moisture to the skin - both eye, face and neck area.

I have been using eye serums since last year and love them. They add extra moisture under the eyes - the area that shows how tired you really are. I have been using the HydraFacial MD ETX Age-Refining Eye Gel and find it moisturizing and tightening. I like to wait a couple of minutes before proceeding to my eye cream, and my go-to for tired times is Sunday Riley Start Over. Some people claim it burns their eyes. Luckily, I don't get this reaction and I love I can apply it on heavily so it acts as an eye mask. This eye cream instantly firms and awakens my eyes.

My skin was so dehydrated that day. I had dry patches on many areas and my skin just felt blah. In the morning I used Tatcha Deep Hydrating Firming Serum because it contains 23-karat gold adds a soft, glowy, undetectable glow to the skin while plumping it. I then sprayed Tatcha Dewy Mist which leads me to...

Tip #5: Don't wear any makeup and let your skin breathe. 

 I find the Tatcha Deep Hydration Serum + Dewy Mist to be the perfect combination for someone with good skin who doesn't like wearing much makeup and just wants the skin to look juicy and healthy. The Dewy Mist has been a favorite for years because it truly gives you "dewy" skin. 

And I don't know about you, but my lips were super dry that day. I suffer from extremely dry, chapped lips in general and my go-to lip balm is the Tatcha Camellia Moisturizing Lip Balm. I actually find it much more effective than Nuxe Reve de Miel.

At night I followed the same routine for my eyes but changed things for the rest of my face. I used HydraFacial MD Antiox-6 which is an antioxidant enriched serum with hyaluronic acid. This product is like water for my skin. It instantly gets rid of dryness and is completely weightless on the skin. I like to use a pump for my face and another one for my neck. I then followed up with the Fresh Seaberry Oil and set it with Caudalie Moisture Recovery Cream. All of these are great for normal to dry skin. 

Tip #6: Get plenty of sleep.

 Go to bed earlier than usual. The sooner you go to bed and the more you sleep, the better you'll feel the day after. 

Sunday Riley Good Genes and Start Over Review

I'm beyond excited to share with you my thoughts on these two skincare gems by Sunday Riley. I had a couple of samples of them last year and so did mom. Good Genes blew our minds away. I'm in my mid-twenties and mom's in her early 60's and we both fell in love for different reasons. I loved the immediate glow it gave me and mom loved how it instantly plumped her fine and deeper wrinkles. It was like magic in a bottle. 

Start Over was another treat; immediately firming and brightening. 

So they were on my wishlist for quite a while and then I decided to dip my toes in the water again, tried a couple more samples this year and purchased them full size last week.

Good Genes is a serum that can also be used as a 20-minute mask. Sunday Riley describes it as:

"An immediate complexion booster. Brightens and deeply exfoliates the skin, while plumping fine lines, balancing skin, and evening hyperpigmentation. Circulation is stimulated and oxygen is brought t the skin for instant vibrance and radiance." 

I'd say yes to all of them. My mom, who suffers from hyperpigmentation and is very self-conscious of it, loved how by only using two samples, her skin looked much more radiant. I might have to get this for her for Christmas!

So how does it do all this? Good Genes is lactic acid-based and Sunday Riley actually uses a pharmaceutical grade and this is going to exfoliate, stimulate skin renewal, plump fine lines and increase epidermal firmness and thickness. So basically it's going to resurface the skin and make it feel and look smoother. It's also going to help products you add on top penetrate easier. It also contains Licorice, a fabulous skincare ingredient because it helps brighten the skin, therefore fighting hyperpigmentation and it also reduces inflammation. Its soothing anti-inflammatory properties also come from Arnica. Lemongrass is a circulation stimlulant and antioxidant.

This is a must prior to going to a big event or say, a first date. Just whenever you want your skin to look ah-mazing. In fact, Sunday Riley products are always seen in fashion shows to prep models' skin prior to make up application. I do want to point out that this product does tingle a bit. I advise those with extreme sensitivity to ask for a sample instead of purchasing the full size right away just to see how your skin reacts to it. Remember, what works for some may not work for others.

The texture is like a light lotion. One pump is sufficient to cover my entire face. You can also use it as a mask (just use an extra 3 pumps) for more visible results (glowy, plumper skin).

Start Over is a very well-formulated eye cream and hello you get 1 fl oz.! Sunday Riley claims:

"Lifting, brightening eye cream that radically reduces puffiness. Vitamin C and licorice erase dark circles and build collagen. Anti-pollution protection with algae, lutein, and alpha lopoic acid."

I had read some reviews, though they were the minority, that this eye cream made their eyes watery or itchy. I never experienced any discomfort or irritation, but it's just something to keep in mind. As I said before, getting a sample is the best way to see if your skin will react to a product or not. 

But on to why this eye cream is so amazing: 

Vitamin C helps rebuild collagen on the area and is going to help brighten. Licorice will also help brighten as well as reduce puffiness around the area. Algae, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Astaxanthin and Pomegranate Seed Oil are great, powerful antioxidants which protect against free radicals. Start Over also contains Lutein which in conjunction with Astaxanthin, helps prevent and repair DNA damage. And to top it off, Sunday Riley added NV-5 Ageless Complex which is a detoxifying blend of blue agave, aloe, prickly pear, cactus and a lady's slipper orchid to rejuvenate damaged skin and reduce inflammation. 

Yes, I know. It's amazing. I use it both in the AM and PM. It has a beautiful silky, light gel texture which instantly absorbs into the skin leaving no sticky residue. I love adding a bit more throughout the day to refreshen and re-hydrate the area. Sometimes if I had a little too much salt the night before or a late night, I'll add a thicker layer and use it as a an eye-mask. 

Overall, these are two outstanding products and I am beyond happy to have them in my skincare collection. Whether you're in your 20's or 30's and looking for prevention, or 40's and above to help fight wrinkles, darkness and dullness, Sunday Riley is for you.

And just a reminder, I'm not sponsored. I purchased these two myself and I am in LOVE!

Are you a fan of Sunday Riley? If so, which are your favorite products from her line?