I just downloaded a new application to my iPhone called 8. It's the closest thing to a game I will ever download to my iPhone. There are eight glasses of water sitting on a kitchen table, and the goal is drink all eight of them before the end of the day. You don't actually drink the virtual glasses, of course, you just tap on one each time you drink a glass of real water and the virtual glass empties. I am pretty good about drinking water, but this is a great way for me to keep track of how much I am drinking and make sure I am drinking enough.
The reason I am bringing this up is because how you treat your skin from the inside out is more important than what products you put on it. Drinking enough water is going to do more for your skin than La Mer, and it's going to be a lot cheaper too.
So grab a glass of water and start sipping. Your skin will thank you for it.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion Body: Worthless
27 Dresses on DVD: $12.99
One Large Dominoes Pizza: $11
Loofah: $1
Dove Soap: $2.49
Dr. Brandt's Microdermabrasion Body: Worthless
A while back L'Oreal used to make a neck and chest microdermabrasion product that I could only buy at Walgreens. I loved it, and I don't know why they don't make it anymore, but they don't. In my search for a replacement, I came across Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion Body, which was the biggest waste of $45 I have spent on beauty products in a while.
I cannot find anything good to say about this product. It was really expensive. It didn't work as well as my (much cheaper) Body Shop scrub. I had to rub it in to my skin forever for less results than (again) my Body Shop scrub. It didn't smell fun (although it didn't smell bad either). It only lasted me five scrubs (which equals $9 per scrub). Did I mention it was expensive? Unless you have not exfoliated your skin since your junior prom, you probably will not notice a difference between this product and your 75-cent loofah.
I have to watch out for the beautiful people who read this (all 1 of you): do not buy this product.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Mix and Match
I have a new favorite beauty trick. I have a lot of mascara because I like the lightweight daytime look one gives me, the thick, black nighttime look another gives me, or the long, spidery lashes another gives me. So, I collect mascaras and choose which one to wear based on the events of my day.
About a week ago, I decided I didn't know why I had to choose between the lengthening properties of one mascara and the thickening properties of another. Why don't I just start combining them? So that's exactly what I've done. One coat of this, another coat of that, and - voila! - long, dark lashes that I couldn't ask just one mascara to provide.
My favorite combination is Benefit Bad Gal Lash (because it makes my lashes so, so long) and MAC Fibre Rich Lash (because it makes them so thick). Try it with any combination of mascaras you have and come back to report to us what your favorite combos are.
About a week ago, I decided I didn't know why I had to choose between the lengthening properties of one mascara and the thickening properties of another. Why don't I just start combining them? So that's exactly what I've done. One coat of this, another coat of that, and - voila! - long, dark lashes that I couldn't ask just one mascara to provide.
My favorite combination is Benefit Bad Gal Lash (because it makes my lashes so, so long) and MAC Fibre Rich Lash (because it makes them so thick). Try it with any combination of mascaras you have and come back to report to us what your favorite combos are.
Friday, July 17, 2009
A+
Vitamin A, more commonly known as retinol, has become an increasinly popular way for people to control fine lines and wrinkles. Today we are going to discuss retinol, and the benefits it can have to your skin.
As I said, retinol (also known as Retin-A and Renova) is Vitamin A. Retinol is the natural form, while both Retin-A and Renova are synthetic versions only available by prescription. Retinol is a great way to diminish fine lines and wrinkles and even your skin tone. Because of retinol's healing and antioxidant properties, you don't have to wait until you have fine lines and wrinkles to use it.
Retinol products should be used at night because they increase your sensitivity to the sun. Additionally, sleep also provides a rest for the skin, and therefore provides an ideal time for concentrated products like retinol to work well. Begin by using retinol every other night until you feel your skin has adjusted to the concentration. Because retinol is potent, it can cause flaking at first. This should clear up, but if it is really bothering you, switch to every third night.
If you already have fine lines and wrinkles, you may notice a difference when using retinol products after just a few days. Acne sufferers may also notice that some of their acne is clearing up. If you are still young, you may not notice a difference in your skin until forty years from now when people are still carding your for margaritas.
There are two retinol products I would recommend. Philosophy's Booster Caps are easy to use. Just pop open a cap and mix in the product with your nighttime moisturizer. They are fairly gentle, so if you have sensitive skin, you shouldn't experience problems with this. The second product I like is DermaDoctor's Poetry in Lotion. The product rubs on smooth, and it seems to be a bit more aggressive if you have specific skin concerns you want to tackle. I haven't used Poetry in Lotion long enough to determine how long the bottle lasts, but I can tell you that you will need to use one Booster Cap every night (or every other night, depending on how you use it), which means you are looking at about $1 per cap. All in all, retinol is not a cheap product, but the results are said to be worth it.
As I said, retinol (also known as Retin-A and Renova) is Vitamin A. Retinol is the natural form, while both Retin-A and Renova are synthetic versions only available by prescription. Retinol is a great way to diminish fine lines and wrinkles and even your skin tone. Because of retinol's healing and antioxidant properties, you don't have to wait until you have fine lines and wrinkles to use it.
Retinol products should be used at night because they increase your sensitivity to the sun. Additionally, sleep also provides a rest for the skin, and therefore provides an ideal time for concentrated products like retinol to work well. Begin by using retinol every other night until you feel your skin has adjusted to the concentration. Because retinol is potent, it can cause flaking at first. This should clear up, but if it is really bothering you, switch to every third night.
If you already have fine lines and wrinkles, you may notice a difference when using retinol products after just a few days. Acne sufferers may also notice that some of their acne is clearing up. If you are still young, you may not notice a difference in your skin until forty years from now when people are still carding your for margaritas.
There are two retinol products I would recommend. Philosophy's Booster Caps are easy to use. Just pop open a cap and mix in the product with your nighttime moisturizer. They are fairly gentle, so if you have sensitive skin, you shouldn't experience problems with this. The second product I like is DermaDoctor's Poetry in Lotion. The product rubs on smooth, and it seems to be a bit more aggressive if you have specific skin concerns you want to tackle. I haven't used Poetry in Lotion long enough to determine how long the bottle lasts, but I can tell you that you will need to use one Booster Cap every night (or every other night, depending on how you use it), which means you are looking at about $1 per cap. All in all, retinol is not a cheap product, but the results are said to be worth it.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Product Review: Solar Tan
I hate to diss Hourglass because as I’ve stated before, I love their products. And they just started to carry them at Sephora, and I want them to continue to do so, therefore I want people to buy their products. But when a company comes out with a product I can’t stand behind, I must tell you.
Hourglass has created a facial self-tanner called Solar Tan. It’s clear, it doesn’t smell bad, and it doesn’t break out my skin (and if something doesn’t break out my skin, I can almost guarantee it won’t break out yours). It has a lot of things going for it, to be honest with you. Here is the problem: it dyed my eyebrows orange. To be fair to Hourglass Cosmetics, my eyebrows are so blonde they are nearly white. So if you had raven-colored eyebrows, you may not experience the same problem. But for you fair-haired maidens, I strongly advise against this otherwise-splendid product. I quit using Solar Tan on June 27 when I realized it was creating small, perfectly-arched carrots above my eyes. On July 6 I was asked what in the world was going on with my eyebrows. And on July 13 I could finally say they were back to their normal color. My skin was not a glowing golden either. I would call it more of a brassy yellow, and I’d rather be white than yellow and orange, so do not spend $60 on this product (unless as I said, you have dark hair and then maybe (just maybe) it may be worth your well-earned money.
Hourglass has created a facial self-tanner called Solar Tan. It’s clear, it doesn’t smell bad, and it doesn’t break out my skin (and if something doesn’t break out my skin, I can almost guarantee it won’t break out yours). It has a lot of things going for it, to be honest with you. Here is the problem: it dyed my eyebrows orange. To be fair to Hourglass Cosmetics, my eyebrows are so blonde they are nearly white. So if you had raven-colored eyebrows, you may not experience the same problem. But for you fair-haired maidens, I strongly advise against this otherwise-splendid product. I quit using Solar Tan on June 27 when I realized it was creating small, perfectly-arched carrots above my eyes. On July 6 I was asked what in the world was going on with my eyebrows. And on July 13 I could finally say they were back to their normal color. My skin was not a glowing golden either. I would call it more of a brassy yellow, and I’d rather be white than yellow and orange, so do not spend $60 on this product (unless as I said, you have dark hair and then maybe (just maybe) it may be worth your well-earned money.
Friday, July 10, 2009
You Are (Not) Golden
It feels like it went from spring to summer overnight here. I live in what is technically classified as a desert, and we’ve had rain nearly every day for two months. And several days ago, the clouds parted. It’s been ninety degrees and sunny ever since, and I’m expecting several more months of that before the temperature starts to descend. However, even the winters here are sunny. In fact, despite Florida’s claim as the sunniest state, I live in a state that boasts 300 days of sunshine a year.
So I figured now would be the perfect time to review the rules of sunscreen. First rule: you must wear it. I know you don’t want to wear it. I know you want a sun-kissed J-Lo glow. You want to look good in white, especially if you are getting married this summer. You want to look good in pale pink if you are a bridesmaid this summer. You want to look like you just breezed into work from your yacht in the Grand Caymans, and let’s face it: even the best self-tanners give an orange glow and, to boot, smell bad. I get it. I am so white that some cosmetic companies don’t make foundations light enough for my skin. I’d like to look like Penelope Cruz as much as the next woman, but here’s the truth: I don’t. Neither do you. And even if you are as dark as Iman, wear sunscreen. Your skin will thank you for it when you are older. And that cheerful, bleach-blonde, dark-as-night lifeguard at your community pool will be envying your wrinkle-free face and freckle-free shoulders in twenty years when she peers out at you from her Botoxed face.
Now that we’ve established that no matter what you look like you need to wear sunscreen, let’s review what to look for in a sunscreen. The most important rule of sunscreen is to buy one that is broad-spectrum. Often the labels on sunscreen advertise in bright white numbers the SPF. And yes, the higher the SPF you have the better, but broad-spectrum is just as important. You want your sunscreen to have both UVA and UVB protection. The sun emits two types of rays - UVA and UVB. You want protection from both.
UVA rays are the rays that age your skin (just think Ultra Violet Aging to remind yourself what the rays to do you). Basically, UVA rays penetrate into the second layer of skin. This second layer of skin stops reproducing itself abundantly after the age of 28, so take care of it because you have limited time to enjoy it. When the UVA rays penetrate the skin, they basically dry it up and cause it shrink. Once the second layer of skin has shrunk, the first layer hangs off it causing loose skin and, yes, wrinkles.
UVB rays burn your skin (think Ultra Violet Burning to remind yourself). UVB rays cause your skin to produce more melatonin, which is what causes a tan, but it is also what causes burning and sun spots.
I recently spent some time in Ecuador where one local girl told me she used to envy the white girls she saw because they could get a rosy red glow in the sun. She tried and tried to emulate the color, but she couldn’t do it. Her skin just got darker. Don’t give naïve, young Ecuadoran girls something to envy. Just wear your sunscreen. For more info, you can read this post from several years ago.
So I figured now would be the perfect time to review the rules of sunscreen. First rule: you must wear it. I know you don’t want to wear it. I know you want a sun-kissed J-Lo glow. You want to look good in white, especially if you are getting married this summer. You want to look good in pale pink if you are a bridesmaid this summer. You want to look like you just breezed into work from your yacht in the Grand Caymans, and let’s face it: even the best self-tanners give an orange glow and, to boot, smell bad. I get it. I am so white that some cosmetic companies don’t make foundations light enough for my skin. I’d like to look like Penelope Cruz as much as the next woman, but here’s the truth: I don’t. Neither do you. And even if you are as dark as Iman, wear sunscreen. Your skin will thank you for it when you are older. And that cheerful, bleach-blonde, dark-as-night lifeguard at your community pool will be envying your wrinkle-free face and freckle-free shoulders in twenty years when she peers out at you from her Botoxed face.
Now that we’ve established that no matter what you look like you need to wear sunscreen, let’s review what to look for in a sunscreen. The most important rule of sunscreen is to buy one that is broad-spectrum. Often the labels on sunscreen advertise in bright white numbers the SPF. And yes, the higher the SPF you have the better, but broad-spectrum is just as important. You want your sunscreen to have both UVA and UVB protection. The sun emits two types of rays - UVA and UVB. You want protection from both.
UVA rays are the rays that age your skin (just think Ultra Violet Aging to remind yourself what the rays to do you). Basically, UVA rays penetrate into the second layer of skin. This second layer of skin stops reproducing itself abundantly after the age of 28, so take care of it because you have limited time to enjoy it. When the UVA rays penetrate the skin, they basically dry it up and cause it shrink. Once the second layer of skin has shrunk, the first layer hangs off it causing loose skin and, yes, wrinkles.
UVB rays burn your skin (think Ultra Violet Burning to remind yourself). UVB rays cause your skin to produce more melatonin, which is what causes a tan, but it is also what causes burning and sun spots.
I recently spent some time in Ecuador where one local girl told me she used to envy the white girls she saw because they could get a rosy red glow in the sun. She tried and tried to emulate the color, but she couldn’t do it. Her skin just got darker. Don’t give naïve, young Ecuadoran girls something to envy. Just wear your sunscreen. For more info, you can read this post from several years ago.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Magic Wand
I have a new favorite product. I kept reading about the luminescent miracles of Yves Saint Laurent's Touch Eclat Radiant Touch. All those unprounouncable French words just to say "amazing highlighter."
The product comes in a gold tube and product is dispensed like an ink pen. It's simple to use and even simpler to say "thank you" when someone comments on how well-rested you look. I have added the luminizing pen to my morning eye make-up routine, and no matter if I have gotten two or twelve hours of sleep, I look well-rested.
The product is lightweight, which is one of my favorite things about it. Often, when I put on an undereye concealer, I feel like I am creating wrinkles by working so hard to get it spread onto my skin smoothly. Because the product can be dabbed on with the pen and spread into your skin with the slightest dab of your pinky finger, you won't feel like you are wreaking havoc on your skin in order to apply product.
I'm not the only who loves it. It has 570 reviews on Sephora.com, and it gets a 4 1/2 star rating out of 5 stars. YSL's Touch Eclat Radiant Touch is available for $40. If you need another reason to spend the money on it, just think of it as an homage to the recently late, always great designer whose namesake it carries.
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