Words seem empty when our world has gotten so twisted and evil that a child cannot go to school without the fear of death at the hand of a mad man.  

There were posts I had written and planned that I just can't bring myself to post just yet.  The needless death of 28 people, 20 of them children.  Little children between the ages of 5 and 10 brutally shot and slain for what? I can't wrap my mind around this and how anyone could be so evil that he would shoot an innocent child.  

As a mother of a 10 year old and an aunt to a 5 & 2  year old, my heart just breaks for the parents and families of these murdered children.  When I heard the news of the tragedy that occurred on Friday, I had just dropped my son off at school.  My heart dropped as I watched the children being evacuated and the families sobbing in fear and heartbreak.  I can't even begin to imagine how it must feel to lose your baby so unexpectedly and in such a way.  I must confess that I called the school to make sure they were taking precautions just because I wanted to make sure my boy was okay.  When I got him home I hugged him tightly and explained to him what had happened and how much I love him. 

I feel so helpless and wish there was something that could be done to make it better, to comfort those families suffering the loss of their loved ones.  All we can do is pray for the families of all those who were murdered or injured.  I read a very beautiful prayer on another blog that I will share now.

All my love and aloha goes out to those families and all of you who are saddened by this tragic and needless loss.

Aloha,

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.whatjeanlikes.com/search/label/aloha" title="Aloha Friday Blog Hop" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1226.photobucket.com/albums/ee419/whatjeanlikes/AlohaFridayBlogHopbutton.jpg" alt="Aloha Friday Blog Hop" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

The Aloha Friday Blog Hop is more than a "Friday" hop, it's a way to share aloha and friendship to our fellow bloggers all weekend long!!  I consider this particular blog hop to be more of a weekend hop because Fridays are so hectic that a lot of people function on what we like to call "Hawaiian Time" here in Hawai'i which means they link up on Saturday or sometimes even Sunday which is just fine and dandy with me!  That's why I keep it open from Friday through Monday because I sincerely believe, the more the merrier!! 
This week we wanted to add a little something extra special to our lovely hop. It's an oh-so-easy opportunity for you lovely participants of the Aloha Friday Blog hop to get some exposure to your blogs!!  What do  you have to do to enter?  Just link up to the Aloha Friday Blog Hop Below!! It's that easy!!  No extra forms or hassle, just link up!  Each week we will pick a linker to featured at random and invite you all to say ...
Aloha Hoapili translates as Hello Close Friend. So, without further ado let me introduce you to this week's featured friend ...
Judy from Judy HJ's Thoughts - A Twinless Twin. Judy blogs all about her struggles with losing her twin as well as some creative and inspirational ideas for everyday life. Want a little taste of her blog? Check out these posts to find out what you've been missing: Yummy Peppered Steak. Delicious Jamaican Patties. Jamaica Skyscape. If you're not already a follower than you definitely should be! Now, let's link up and start spreading that Aloha shall we?

In the last several years I started actually listening to my mother's sage advice (imagine that) and I started taking better care of my skin.  It doesn't take a lot of money to do so.  A good moisturizer, age appropriate eye cream and a good SPF are pretty much all you need to maintain good looking, healthy skin.  I have acne prone combination skin and in recent years have found that using gentler products actually eliminates my acne far  more effectively than the creams marketed specifically for acne.  I prefer to use products that are gentle and made with natural ingredients without artificial colors or fragrances.  With my sensitive, acne prone skin, I need something that works well without irritating my skin causing breakouts or further damage.  The funny thing is that I swore by acne products in the past and thought that the only way to clear my skin up was to use as many of them as possible.  Acne products serve their purpose but if you use too harsh a cream or don't replenish the moisture that they strip from your skin, it not only causes irritation but also leads to dryness that can start the aging process prematurely.

I also use a multivitamin serum made by one of my favorite brands, Dermalogica.  It's a serum that I put on my skin before applying moisturizer that not only gives my skin a smoother feel and texture, but it helps to heal my skin and even out the color and texture without causing any irritation.  Though this product is marketed for aging/mature skin, it works quite well for me (remember prevention is better than correction).  It's in a slender 0.75 FL. oz / 22 ml silver tube (much like the Dermalogica Skinperfect Primer that I use) that retails for $65 (US).  All you need is a small amount (less than a pea sized drop of the serum) to spread all over your face.  Follow that with your regular moisturizer and eye cream and you're ready for the day.


Here is what Dermalogica says about the Multivitamin Power Serum:

An age-fighting serum containing micro encapsulated vitamins A, C and E to help increase skin recovery, decrease fine lines and age spots while defending against skin aging. Boost elasticity levels with a skin-strengthening protein peptide that overrides biochemical triggers that lead to skin aging. Formulated without artificial fragrances and colors. 

• It helps reduce fine lines and wrinkles
• It helps stimulate collagen synthesis
• It enhances cell turnover and cell renewal
• It provides antioxidant protection
• It helps control pigmentation
• It can be worn during the day and/or at night
• It is not suitable for use during pregnancy due to the high concentration of Vitamin A
• This product replaces MultiVitamin Power Concentrate
• It was developed to target mature or prematurely-aging skin, however the vitamins and nutrients will benefit all skin conditions.

Though this serum is not "all natural" like many of the other products I use on my skin, I gave it a chance because I love so many of the other products that Dermalogica has to offer.  I got it a couple months ago and wanted to give it a real try so I put off reviewing until now.  It was the only thing I added to my current regimen that has worked for me for quite some time.  I changed nothing else.  Over the two months, I noticed that my skin was instantly smoother and my pores appeared smaller.  In the course of one week, the redness in certain areas of  my face was reduced and the dry spots around my nose and mouth were more supple and the dry areas were gone.  After about a month and a half, my skin tone was more even and the dark spots I had from previous sun damage and acne scarring were lighter and less noticeable.

So down to the point.  It's $65 for 0.75FL oz (22 ml) of product.  It's expensive for the amount of product you're buying.  At first glance, one might be instantly turned off by the price and I totally understand that.  I wish it were cheaper.  If you try the product, however, you'll realize it's worth every penny.  I've tried EVERY single other skin tone correcting cream and this is by far the best I've used, plus it has vitamins and helps to prevent and correct premature aging.  Do you have to be a certain age to use it? No.  Remember, prevention is better than correction.  It will work as well on younger skin as it will on aging skin.  I'd say anyone over the age of 25 would benefit from this product.  I don't think people younger than that would really need it although it does help with skin evenness and texture so it's worth trying if you have problems in that department.

• Instantly improves the look and feel of skin.  
• Creates smoother skin texture and evens skin tone. 
• Lightens acne scarring. 
• Helps prevent premature aging, fine lines and wrinkles. 
• Helps makeup apply more evenly because your skin is smoother. 

• At $65 for 0.75 FL oz, it's kind of pricey. 
• Availability limited to specific salons which makes it more difficult to find than other products. 

Disclosure: This review contains a sample product sent for consideration by the brand or its PR firm.  Our priority is to you, and we honor that commitment by being honest! We don't do paid reviews or guarantee reviews. We're going to give you the truth and nothing but! For more information, please read our disclosures & policies page.  This specific product was sent by the brand for me to try and review on their website.  I really like this product so I decided to do an additional review of it on my website as well.