About the Editor

I'm a 1986 model (this is a car reference, not a statement about my looks, trust me) and have since spent about a third of my life in Europe, South and North America. One of my greatest passions is traveling, another is beauty, so I make it a point to combine them and discover new beauty everywhere I visit. This includes art, nature and beauty products (the order is irrelevant).

Now to the topic possibly most relevant to this blog...

I have VERY reactive, combo to dry sensitive and eczematic skin. In general I suffer from a slew of allergies. Those currently known are:

Nickel
Chromium
Lanolin
Dustmites
Mold
Polen (of all sorts)

Most lead to eczema except (as far as I know now) polen and mold.

After a whole life dealing with problematic, pathologically sensitive skin combined with many years of experimenting with every skincare, makeup and homemade concoction under the sun (yes, I’ve put my skin through A LOT!), I decided to share with the rest of the world the results of my extensive and still ongoing research.

My aim here is to catalog and share experiences with products that have worked for me (or not!), so that hopefully you have less testing ahead of you. Bear in mind that you might have allergies I do not and therefore you should always exercise extreme caution when trying any new products for the first time. Always do patch tests in the inner part of your wrist or on your neck below your ear and wait 24-48 hours before you slather it allover your face. Also, I will always try to post the products ingredients list so you can already check for known allergies you might have.

This blog is dedicated to helping those who want to feel beautiful even with the most sensitive of skins. Thank you for stopping by and I hope this blog can help you in some way.

If you have any questions, please go ahead and e-mail me at sensitastic@gmail.com !

Thou Shalt...

By James Cook

If you have sensitive skin and would like to avoid eczema rashes, redness, broken capillaries as well as other symptoms that plague sensitive skin while still being able to enjoy all the fun and magic that is the world of makeup. Here are your commandments:

Hiatus

I know it's been a few months since I last wrote and I wanted to apologize for my absence. I'll still be gone for a little bit but hope to get the blog up and running again this Summer!

Cheers!

MAC Studio Finish Concealer

Since my last review was concealer related, I thought I'd go ahead and start a mini Concealer Series. MAC's  Studio Finish Concealer has been a staple for me for a while and although I wouldn't call it my holy grail concealer (still looking for it...) it has some really great qualities and it's definitely worth checking out.

Make Up For Ever Full Cover Concealer in #4 Flesh

Shade #4 Flesh

I was very excited about this concealer when I first discovered it. It does have an incredible amount of coverage and for someone with eyes that are both red from allergies and dark blue from lack of sleep, a good concealer is what sets me apart from mythical creatures such as zombies ^.~

Honeybee Gardens Pressed Mineral Powder

Left to right: Montego, Malibu, Luminous, Supernatural, Geisha

The lovely people from Honeybee Gardens sent me some samples to review of their Pressed Mineral Powder so I have some opinions and swatches to share. Look here for their official info and photos. Since they sent me samples, I don't have photos of the actual full size product to share with you. First I want to start by saying that whatever I say here is my true opinion and this is in NO WAY a paid review. Alright, let's get started.

Dr. Hauschka Eye Contour Day Balm

I recently realized I left this product out of my Winter Proof Your Skin post and I really shouldn't have. Dr. Hauschka's eye balm has been a staple in my skin care routine this fall and winter and it has kept the sensitive skin around my eye soothed and protected. This is a great product for those with very dry flaky skin.

My search for the holy grail mascara continues : Zuzu Luxe Mascara review

So I've been testing out Zuzu Luxe mascara against Dr. hauschka's (read here) and I'm sad to say that much like the 100% pure mascara (here) Zuzu Luxe's doesn't stand up to Dr. Hauschka's. Maybe I just have bizarrely sensitive eyes, but since the Zuzu luxe liquid liner became my holy grail liner, I had high hopes for the mascara. 

Dr. Hauschka Mascara

This has been my staple mascara for years and though it's not life-changing (and a bit pricy in my opinion) it's been a good, faithful mascara that enhances my lashes and is really gentle on my eyes. Something that is VERY hard to find for me.

Sore Muscle Solution - Weleda Arnica Oil

It shouldn't have taken me so long to write about this product because I haven't been able to live without it for over a year! Weleda's Arnica Oil is a 100% natural oil that moisturizes your skin while soothing sore muscles.

New Favorite Toner - Thayer's Rose Petal Witch Hazel Toner

This is going to be short and sweet: A couple of months ago I discovered this product and I have to say that I couldn't be more pleased with it. This is a very gentle all-natural, alcohol-free toner that cleanses and soothes the skin with the astringent effects of witch hazel and anti-inflammatory and nourishing properties of rose water.

Winter Proof Your Skin!

A while back lovely Orange Rabbit requested a winter skin routine and since we’re officially in winter in the northerm hemisphere, I figured it was the time to do it!

New Favorite Lipstick : Anna Sui Rouge G #303

I recently became aware of the existence of the Anna Sui boutique in Soho. Not quite sure how I missed it in so many years. I remember when sephora used to carry Anna Sui and what a shame it was that they stopped carrying it. Ever since then I lusted over Anna Sui boutiques abroad and was completely clueless of the presence of one actually AT home. In any case, needless to say I was quite excited and had to take home one of their scrumptious rose-scented Rouge G - Glossy lipsticks.

Apology and New posts coming up!

Hello Everyone,

If anyone is still reading this blog, I want to really apologize to you (and everyone else who's ever stopped by) for my not having written in so long. I know this is the second time I say this, but I'm going through a lot of important life changes at the moment which will make my blogging a bit less frequent. I thought I could keep this up amidst all the crazyness happening around me in the past couple of months, but I really can't. That said, I'll make the strongest effort to keep writing as often as I possibly can. Tomorrow I'll be posting a long overdue review of my new favorite lipstick (which I shamefully bought 2 months ago and hadn't reviewed yet >.< ). Also, following that, I will be doing a long piece I've been working on which was requested by a lovely reader. It will be about skin care for the cold and dry winter months coming ahead for some of us.

Cheers!

Paul and Joe Fall Collection - Inseparables Blush

I really wanted to post this soon as it is a limited edition product for the fall. Paul and Joe makes some of the cutest makeup out there and because of that I have misjudged them thinking the quality wouldn't be so good (in a way their stuff reminds me of fake makeup that would come with a princess doll, am I making sense?). In reality, the quality is FANTASTIC! And I think their products are totally under-hyped!

This blush is no exception! It's smooth as butter and has beautiful color pay off that is LONG lasting.

Sandy Hiatus

Hello everyone, just wanted to post a quick update. Just when I thought that my life might start going back to normal, a hurricane (literally!!) came and messed it up :( 

Just wanted to say that I'll be writing again as soon as I get my life back together :-/

Be safe everyone!

Beauty for Breast Cancer: Jane Iredale Roses and Lollipops Lip Duo

October is breast cancer month and it's when many brands come out with pretty in pink limited edition products dedicated to the cause of fighting breast cancer. Most brands only dedicate part of the proceeds to breast cancer foundations so I was very happy to find out that Jane Iredale will donate 100% of the proceeds from this beautiful keychain locket to the cause.  

A sad truth - 100% Pure Mascara

I wanted to like this sooo much! For many reasons, first (and I know this isn't a good enough reason to buy a mascara but...) this is the most adorable mascara packaging I've ever seen!! Second, and now a very good reason to buy this: it's 100% natural. I was really looking forward to liking this because my favorite mascara is Dr. Hauschka's Mascara (review to come, I accidentally threw out my last one before photographing it, sorry! I'm just waiting for the next one to come in the mail) which is pricier than this. I can't complain much about my lashes, they're quite long and full just not very dark. I can complain all I want about how sensitive my eyes are but thankfully I don't usually need much from a mascara other than being gentle on my eyes. You would think if you only need one thing, that would be easy to find, but not really. Mascaras that don't make my eyes itch and burn are very hard to find. That's why I've been so faithful to Dr. Hauschka's Mascara, it's just so gentle on my eyes. However, like everything Dr. Hauschka, the mascara is pricy and I was looking forward to finding a more affordable option. Sadly, the 100% PURE FRUIT PIGMENTED ULTRA-LENGTHENING MASCARA wasn't it.

Hiatus and Sephora Friends and Family!

Hello everyone, I wanted to apologize for being on hiatus for 2 weeks. I didn't intend to at all, it's just that sometimes life sneaks up on you and things become very chaotic. A lot has happened in my life recently (good and unfortunately bad) and it's taken me a while to adjust. I'll do my best to not disappear like this again and look forward to providing you guys with many more exciting reviews in the near future!
In fact, I should have lots to review soon! For those who don't already know, Sephora is suppose to have their annual Friends and Family 20% off discount later this week. The event will run from Oct. 18th to 31st. I'm starting my wishlist! Any suggestions? Hope you're all having a great week! Cheers!

Best Fall Blush Set!! Sleek Blush By 3 - Part 2 (SUGAR)

The next Sleek blush palette I bring you is SUGAR. This has the greatest combination of autumny colors. I really like sugar, maybe because fall is my favorite season. But now, especially since autumn has officially arrived in NYC, this is probably the palette I'll get the most use of in the next few months.