Exploring Beauty with Lindsay

Greasy to Glam

2010-03-29T12:20:00.000-07:00

I have a lot going on Saturdays, and my days start early. Ideally, I’d like to get up late, take a long, hot shower, let my hair dry in the sun as I read a book and sip endless cups of coffee. This is not how my day starts. I get up at 6. I am out of the house by 7:15. I come home mid-afternoon, sometimes later.

And to be perfectly honest, I don’t always feel like staying up later on Friday night or getting up earlier on Saturday morning to wash my hair. This Saturday was one of those days. In fact, I didn’t get out of bed until nearly 6:30, and by that time I needed to rush out the door. The problem was that my hair was a greasy mess.

That’s when I sprayed in a good dose of Bumble & Bumble’s Hair Powder. Hair powder absorbs your hair’s natural oils, leaving you looking like you had a fresh wash. I went from greasy to glam in a matter of minutes.

I know life comes at everyone too quickly sometimes. We all have late nights and early mornings, and these are the days that are just right for hair powder.

Lashes to Dye For

2010-03-09T14:37:00.000-08:00

As a pale-lashed beauty blogger, I should have known about lash tinting a long time ago. As it happens, I didn’t decide to get my lashes tinted until two months ago, after my brow waxing wonder woman started telling me about the miracle of lash tinting. She promised it would make my lashes long and dark. I was headed to Hawaii for two weeks, and the prospect of dark lashes without mascara streaming down my face after swimming sounded heavenly.

Lash tinting takes about twenty minutes. The first step is to apply a petroleum-based product and a protective sheet around the eye area. Although you are supposed to keep your eyes closed throughout the whole process, these preventative measures stop you from having black-rimmed eyes if your eyes do happen to fly open during the process.

Carefully (or one would hope), the aesthetician will apply the lash dye. Then, take a deep, calming breath, relax into the bed, and wait. One may experience occasionally stinging, but on the beauty-is-pain scale, the stinging is minimal.

After twenty minutes or so, the aesthetician will remove the lash dye, leaving you with dark, stunning lashes that will sustain ocean water with ease. And there really is nothing better than waking up in the morning and seeing yourself with the look of a full coat of mascara without the raccoon rings under your eyes from, sigh, sleeping in your make-up yet again.

Last tinting should cost you around $30, and it will last you 4-6 weeks.

Clear Skin...Finally!

2010-02-01T10:45:00.000-08:00

Long time readers of this blog know that I've struggled for years with acne. The battle started when I moved cross-country, and I've tried just about everything to clear my skin up.

Last summer, I was needlessly referred out-of-network to have a dermatologist look at a vein in my leg (don't worry - nothing wrong!), but the meeting with this dermatologist turned out to be fate. I asked him about my relentless acne, and he suggested Clenzinderm. The nurse swore it had cleared her face in about a week.

I told her I had nothing to lose by trying something new, but I wasn't going to bank on anything. I had tried everything from Clearasil to every product in Sephora to nutritional supplements to prayers, and so far, nothing had given me clear skin. She again promised Clenziderm would be the answer to my prayers.

She was right. I've waited some time to write this post because I wanted to confirm that Clenziderm was more than a short-term solution. I've been using it since July, and I can now fairly say that it works. I can count the number of pimples I've had since using the product on one hand (that's less than on a month).

Clenziderm has fielded a number of my typical acne triggers with grace and ease. Travel usually triggers my skin to panic. It doesn't know how to adjust to long airplane rides in recycled air, new climates, or new food. Yet, since using Clenziderm, I've visited muggy Minnesota in August (and then again in icy January), the desert, and the ocean. My skin didn't even seem to notice.

This is such a huge shift for me. I visited Minnesota in August of 2008, and a girlfriend of mine posted photos on Facebook in which I look broken out with the chicken pox. Literally. And while visiting the desert several years ago, my skin was so upset that I had to use three hydrating masks a day just to keep my skin from feeling tight and itchy. I can't believe the ease with which I've been able to jetset around the globe.

Stress is another trigger for my skin, and between the holidays, travel, and trying to find time to do everything in the midst of holidays and travel, I've definitely been feeling a bit stressed. Again, my skin hasn't taken the brunt of the stress with a major breakout (leading, of course, to new stress).

How does Clenziderm work differently from other acne medications? Benzoyl peroxide is usually the active ingredient in acne solutions, and Clenziderm has a solubilized (basically, a liquid) form of benzoyl peroxide that can penetrate your skin more deeply. Where something like Clearasil uses benzoyl peroxide on the surface of your skin, Clenziderm penetrates to deeper layers of skin, killing acne before it shows up as unsightly zits.

Clenziderm is only available via your dermatologist (or, yes, you can get it on Amazon). If you have suffered from chronic acne and are looking for a final solution, Clenziderm might just be the trick you need.

Gel Eyeliner (yet again)

2009-11-12T14:06:00.001-08:00

About one hundred years ago, we were having a discussion on this blog about gel eyeliners. I promised to try out my new MAC gel eyeliner and get back to you ASAP. I didn't follow through on the ASAP part, but I did try the gel eyeliner, and I'm here now to report that it's wonderful. It's right on par with the Bobbi Brown gel eyeliner I originally recommended.

I used a deep plum eyeliner (I actually used it with my non-Halloween look in the previous post). It dried quickly and stayed in place the rest of the day. It's easy to apply as thick or thin a line as you want.

MAC's gel eyeliner is $15, and Bobbi Brown's is $21, so MAC is definitely the better deal and they have a wider variety of colors. I still haven't tried the Clinique liner that Erin recommended, but that's my next step when I am next at the Clinique counter.

Halloween Is Over

2009-11-09T11:05:00.000-08:00

Did anyone else buy make-up especially for Halloween? I was an 80s pop star for Halloween, and, of course, I couldn't be an 80s anything without blue eyeshadow. I popped into MAC for some blue eyeshadow, where Kristen (my stunning MAC-anista) played with a dark blue and smoky black eye to go with my Halloween costume.

The color was impeccable, and I wish I could share with you the looks I received when I popped into White House Black Market next. I was definitely the brightest thing in there.

The blue eyeshadow was perfect for Halloween, but the next morning I still woke up with a full pot of blue eyeshadow, one I didn't want to waste now that Halloween was over. I mulled over how to wear it stylishly, finally deciding on a day when I felt bright eyeshadow would compliment my outfit.

I started with a soft, muted purple from The Body Shop over my whole lid. I took a darker purple in the crease of my eye, and I ended the look by applying the blue in the outer corners of my eye.

I liked the look. The blue added to the pallate without becoming overpowering. I hope to use it often and find other ways to wear it before next Halloween.

Does anyone else have Halloween make-up they aren't sure how to use? Let's help each other find ways to use these seemingly-useless looks.

Phenomenal

2009-11-06T11:24:00.000-08:00

After a girlfriend told me she loved Givenchy's new Phenomen'eyes mascara, I decided it was worth a shot. I sort-of liked the look of the wand, and I wondered how it would work on my eyes.

My girlfriend was right. This is a great mascara. The small ball at the end of the wand is especially great for those hard-to-snag lower lashes and the lashes on the inner corner of my eyes. I'm surprised no one has come up with something like this sooner, and I would definitely recommend it to friends and blog readers. It's still not my favorite mascara, but it isn't one I regret buying, and as I become more adept at the wand, I may like it even more. At $28 this would make a great stocking stuffer.

Reader Question: Shu Uemura Painting Liner

2009-09-16T12:01:00.001-07:00

I had someone write to ask if I knew anything about Shu Uemura Painting Liners. At the time I didn't, but they sounded fun, so I decided to investigate. I ordered the product online in gold, and I wanted to give it a fair shake by using it a couple times before writing a review (hence the delay - sorry, Julie!).

The first time I used the eye liner was to attend a friend's wedding. The liner comes in a pot, and in order to use it properly, you need an eye liner brush. I have Bobbi Brown's Ultra Thin Eye Liner brush that I purchased along with a pot of Bobbi Brown eye liner. I was having an off-night and applying make-up as if it were my first day of junior high school. So when the liner traveled onto my lashes in the evening (even my husband pointed it out, so you know it was a lot of liner on my lashes), I figured it could be user error.

I tried again several days later. I used my ultra thin eye liner brush, but the line I created didn't turn out ultra thin. It was smudgy, and I had eye liner in a lot of places I didn't want it by the time I was finished. Fortunately, by the time I left the bathroom, it had dispersed so evenly all around my entire eye area, that I didn't have to worry about a smudgy line. I just had sparkly gold eyes. I wasn't impressed.

This morning I gave one final go at it. I think I've found a way to make it work. I applied it before my eye shadow (with my liner brush again, and then swept the eye shadow over it, hoping it would keep it in place. In fact, I do have a nice sparkly line around the rims of my eyes, although some of it has traveled to other parts of my general eye area. That isn't a bad thing since I purchased a sparkly gold color, but it would be a bad thing if I had purchased black or brown.

Overall, I don't think it's a terrible product. I just don't think it's a great product. I've been very happy with my Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner. With my thin eyeliner brush, I can create a very tiny, straight line. Bobbi Brown does not have the colorful pallette that Shu Uemura has, and her products are not going to be sparkly either. If you are looking for a neutral color, however, I believe that's the way to go. For those of you who want to be a little more daring with your eye liner, I am planning to explore the gel eyeliner option MAC has next week.

Stay posted. And if you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me at explorefashion@gmail.com

September: Fashion's January

2009-09-03T12:14:00.001-07:00

I have started a new project, and I hope you will join me in it. I have always loved fashion, and a while back I had a blog in which I wrote about the fashion in places where I traveled. However, I haven't been traveling as often, but I am still passionate about fashion, and I'd still like to write about it. So, I started a new blog about fashion, and if you are a fan of the beauty blog (or just a fan of me - hi, mom!) I hope you will check it out and let me know what you think.

The blog is: http://ineedfashionrehab.blogspot.com/

And you can let me know your thoughts at: explorefashion@gmail.com. Or you can comment on this post.

Vegas Baby

2009-08-31T13:54:00.000-07:00

In a post I wrote long, long ago, I extolled the virtues of body oil for skin. For a long time, I have been using Neutrogena Body Oil with vicious enthusiasm, going through bottles quicker than Target can stock them (almost). I decided to try Johnson Baby Oil Gel because gel seemed a little cleaner than oil.

The baby oil is stocked in the baby section, at least in my local Target, and since every Target I've ever been in looks identical to my local Target, I'd guess that's where it's stocked in your local Target. They have two types: Aloe Vera & Vitamin E and Shea & Cocoa Butter. I opted for the Shea & Cocoa Butter because it smells divine.

The directions tell "you," which I think means people who are old enough to read the directions as opposed to babies, to use the gel while still in the shower, but after you have shut the shower off. More or less, when your skin is still wet. Unlike my body oil, which just runs off my body with the same ease as water, the gel adhered to my skin. I felt like I was getting more for my money because half the product wasn't dripping down the shower drain. There was no greasy after-feel, and I patted myself dry, as the directions instructed and applied lotion over the gel.

I don't know if this will lock in moisture better than my body oil, but I don't think it will do any worse. And it's cheaper, cleaner, and smells better. It actually smells exactly like Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas (sans the cigarettes and stale sweat). And I happen to have just read an article about how Vegas hotels pay a fortune to pipe in their smells. Imagine: you could smell like that for just a few dollars. I don't know too many mothers who want their babes to smell like Las Vegas, but for us adult babes, it's a-okay.

At Long Last

2009-08-27T13:20:00.000-07:00

I only decided to buy a Revlon lipstick because there was a coupon in my Lucky magazine. I turned out to be lucky, because I love it. I have two problems with lipstick:

1. The color fades from my lips as fast as reality TV show contestants fade from my memory.

2. They often crease on my lips, making me look old and weird.

My experiments with this lipstick have shown neither of these problems. I apply the lipstick, and after one Starbucks, three hours of talking, and dinner, my lipstick is only slightly faded from the wear-and-tear. I might switch from my MAC lipstick. Because Revlon is cheaper, and I have to say I think it's getting the job done better.

I love lipstick. It's my absolute favorite thing to wear (next to clothing, of course, and maybe mascara). I am excited to find a lipstick that is going to stick with me for the long-haul, and I think you will be too.

Bad Gal Lash

2009-08-06T14:20:00.000-07:00

I have a new mascara that I love, especially for the summer. It's called Bad Gal Lash by Benefit, and it makes my lashes really long without making them really thick.

The past few summers I've worn a lot of skirts, but this summer, because it has rained just about every day, I have been wearing jeans with layered tank tops. The look feels so casual (or maybe I am just lazy) that I haven't been wearing a whole lot of make-up. So when I put on Diorshow, which is a wonderful mascara, I feel like it is too much for my otherwise bare face.

Bad Gal Lash has provided me with dark, long lashes without the drama that other mascaras can provide. I give it two thumbs up and recommend you hurry to your nearest Sephora to pick up a tube.

8

2009-07-29T08:44:00.000-07:00

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.

Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion Body: Worthless

2009-07-21T15:41:00.000-07:00

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.

Mix and Match

2009-07-20T14:25:00.000-07:00

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.

A+

2009-07-17T13:59:00.000-07:00

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.

Product Review: Solar Tan

2009-07-14T12:33:00.001-07:00

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.

You Are (Not) Golden

2009-07-10T12:08:00.000-07:00

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.

Magic Wand

2009-07-08T14:42:00.000-07:00

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.

Sleepover

2008-12-16T16:24:00.000-08:00

I went to The Nutcracker ballet last Saturday night. I will spare you the gruesome details of getting ready because it was painful, but I finally made it out the door in a little black dress, a messy bun, and a smoky eye.

I returned from The Nutcracker exhausted, which is worrisome because I wasn’t actually out that late and fear I am getting old. I didn’t bother to remove my smoky eye before I went to sleep (and dreamed of re-enrolling in college, which is hardly as lovely as what Clara in The Nutcracker got to dream about).

It must have been fate that I fell asleep with that smoky eye on because this blog post wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t. When I woke up the next morning, I found myself with a smoky eye just as fresh as the night before. No creases and no dark under-eye circles. I couldn’t believe it. I literally could have just kept my eye makeup on.

The secret to my creaseless smoky eye was my new MAC Paint Pot. Kristen, my darling MAC associate, assured me the formula was better than the tubes, and she was absolutely right. This was my first sleepover with my Paint Pot, and I was extremely pleased with the results. I would absolutely recommend it to anyone.

Paint Pots come in a variety of colors to match your skin tone. You swipe it across the eye area before putting on your shadow in order to keep the shadow in place. That’s it. Additionally, MAC has colored Paint Pots. I’m tempted to try the Delft blue. They run $16.50.

Perm

2008-10-24T07:28:00.000-07:00

After my friend Colleen pointed out to me that every time I saw her I was asking her about my hair, I decided it was time for a change.
The problem was that I love having long hair, and the thought of cutting it was too sad. After some deliberation, I decided to try a perm. I’ve never had a perm in my life, but I figured I couldn’t have that much too lose. I always envied my younger sister’s naturally curly hair, and after all, a perm isn’t really permanent.
I called on a Saturday to try to make an appointment for the same day. I have a tendency to talk myself out of hair-related changes, and I wanted to go in before I could change my mind. My stylist was completely booked for the day, and she scheduled me in on Tuesday.
“The perm might not last long,” Jolene warned me. “You have such straight hair that it could wash out in just a few weeks. Are you sure you still want to do it?”
I nodded. If I hated it and it washed out in a few weeks, it would be gone before the holidays. And if I loved it, I could always come back.
The whole process took four hours, which I wasn’t anticipating. Fortunately, my very stylish friend Kristen came to encourage and keep me company for part of the process. Jolene first washed my hair (no conditioner) and then began wrapping it with orange curlers. Once my hair was wrapped and sprayed with the perm solution, we waited twenty minutes. She then rinsed my hair, put in a neutralizer, and began unraveling the curlers. She trimmed my split ends, blow-dried my hair slightly, and made me promise not to wash it for forty-eight hours.
I’m not sure if my insecurity was caused by bad dreams, but the next morning I woke up terrified about my new curls and, yes, washed my hair. When I was cohesive enough (anyone who has every lived with me knows my thinking processes when I first awake are not the best ones to act out on), I started to regret washing it. It looked fairly straight, and I wasn’t sure what to expect.
This morning I washed it again (a safe sixty hours out from the perm). I used the yummy-smelling Herbal Essences Long Term Relationship shampoo and conditioner in hopes of getting rid of the nasty perm smell. After showering, I scrunched a mixture of Bumble & Bumble Curl Conscious Defining Crème and Holding Foam into my wet hair. I then diffused it.
The curl is not completely what I had anticipated when I got the perm. I was hoping for a body wave, but I got something a bit curlier. However, it has definitely given me a different looking without having to sacrifice my long locks for it. And it has also given me the volume that I always longed for but could never get on my own.
My jury is still out on the decision, but I’d love to hear what you think. Yea or nay?

Beauty Sleep, Part II

2008-05-01T11:30:00.000-07:00

We began discussing the importance of a nightly routine in yesterday’s post, and today we are going to cover what a nightly routine should entail.

Step One: Remove your eye make-up. As we mentioned yesterday, eye make-up left on overnight can create the appearance of under-eye circles the next day and leave you with crusty, brittle lashes. To avoid this, the first step in a nightly skin care routine is to remove all your make-up.

Step Two: Wash your face. Your face is exposed all day long, fighting to protect you from the elements and look beautiful in the process. It’s got a tough job, and by the end of the day, it’s bound to have sweat and dirt accumulated on it. Washing your face is the first step in keeping it clean and healthy.

Step Three: Tone. Most people use toner in the morning, but it is actually more effective at night. It cleanses your pores and removes any residue your face wash might not have gotten.

Step Four: Moisturize. Night time is the right time to use a heavy moisturizer. Your skin has all night to absorb the nutrients found in thick lotions. If you have oily skin, a thick lotion may not be the best choice, but moisturizing at night is still important no matter your skin type. An optional additional step is a nighttime eye cream. If you are a devoted beauty queen or just terrified of wrinkles, an eye cream at night will help keep your skin smooth and supple.

Beauty Sleep

2008-04-30T15:07:00.001-07:00

I hate getting ready for bed at night. Despite being a beauty product junkie, when I want to go to bed, I just want to go to bed. Brushing my teeth and washing my face just feel like chores. However, a nightly routine can save you face, and I am here to advocate a nightly beauty ritual no matter how difficult it is for me to implement one myself.

Washing your face and using make-up remover to take off your face at night will do wonders for your face in the morning. Let’s discuss why. Leaving make-up on your face overnight can have many detrimental effects to your skin. Nighttime is when your body rejuvenates itself, and your face is no exception. That’s why heavy night creams work: your skin is working hard at night to make itself beautiful. Leaving make-up on your skin while you sleep disrupts your beauty sleep and can clog pores. Clogged pores lead to acne and uneven skin tone. Washing your face before you go to bed will assist your face in its quest for clear skin.

Eye make-up can be a particular problem. Black or brown mascara looks great on lashes during the day, but the effect isn’t quite the same in the morning. The mascara has usually made its way to underneath your eyes (where your lashes have been resting all night), and you will have lovely undereye circles to show for your carelessness the evening before. Even using eye make-up remover in the morning doesn’t seem to completely get rid of those pesky circles. And if that isn’t enough, mascara left on overnight can cause crusty, brittle lashes. Your lashes need a chance to rest too, and leaving mascara on overnight can negatively affect this process.

Clogged pores, undereye circles, and irritated skin? Skipping a nightly routine just doesn’t seem worth it to me. Tune in tomorrow as we discuss what steps should be taken in a nightly routine. It can be much simpler than you think.

Product Review: MD Skincare Intense HydraMasks

2008-02-21T09:43:00.000-08:00

As I have mentioned many times in this blog, my skin is fickle and my lifestyle doesn’t do anything to help it. I live in an incredibly dry climate, and I travel a lot. Long plane rides and constant climate hopping doesn’t do anything to assist my already easily irritable skin.

I have searched far and wide for a mask that would help me regain my skin equilibrium after long, moisture sucking plane rides, and I have finally found one I am happy to recommend.

MD Skincare’s Intense HydraMasks are easy to use, ultra hydrating masks that hydrate and refresh your skin in an easy fifteen minutes. The warming sensation of the mask is also relaxing. After fifteen minutes, removing the mask is easy (we’ve all experienced the masks that you practically have to sandpaper off your skin, thereby defeating the purpose of it in the first place it seems). The result is fresh, smooth, hydrated skin ready for another plane ride. The masks can be used around once a week (depending on your skin you may need it less or more), and cost $60 for six of them.

Product Review: Yu-Be Skin Cream

2008-02-14T21:50:00.000-08:00

Yu-Be heralds from Japan, the only place I’ve visited where women love shopping more than American women. Japanese women are meticulous about their appearance. I saw women in stilettos and mini-skirts in temples on rainy days and hiking their way up Mt. Fuji. So a lotion from Japan is sure to be worth a try.
The other selling point of Yu-Be Skin Cream? It was used by the first woman to climb Mt. Everest to combat the harsh conditions. If Yu-Be can handle Everest, it can certainly handle Colorado.
Yu-Be Skin Cream has been around for 50 years. It was created after a request from a Japanese woman who was tired of her dry, cracked skin and messy petroleum based lotions. A young pharmacist created Yu-Be, a glycerin based lotion, to meet her needs.
Yu-Be is all it’s cracked up to be. The lotion applies easily and you don’t even know you have it on after a few moments. Initially, it smells like you have applied Vicks VapoRub to your hands (one of the ingredients of the lotion is camphor), but the scent fades quickly. What lasts is a silky smooth feeling. The first time I used the lotion, I couldn’t stop feeling how soft my hands felt. Yu-Be also does wonders for lips.
2.75 ounces of Yu-Be will cost you $24.00, and 4.25 ounces will cost you $34.00. It’s costly, so if you have skin that can be cured with regular lotion, you may not want to invest in it, but if you have extremely dry skin (or are planning to climb Mt. Everest any time soon), Yu-Be will be worth your investment.

Happy Valentines Day!

2008-02-13T22:17:00.000-08:00

I want to apologize for the long hiatus since my last post. My husband and I have been busy traveling, and it has made it difficult for me to post regularly.

It’s Valentines Day, and many of you may be trying to think of a creative Valentines look. Florals are always a popular spring look, and this spring is no exception. Floral prints have already begun to grace the runways of major fashion houses, and you can be sure it won’t be long before they find their way into stores. And what better to go with a floral print than a rosy glow.
Today, we are going to go through a step by step look for a perfect Valentines Day look. Don’t worry if you don’t have a soulmate to spend the day with; this look is perfect for a night out with the girls too.

1. Start with your usual foundation and powder base.
2. Eyes: V-Day is a festive day to play with shimmery eye shadows. A good eyelid base will help keep on any shimmery eye shadow. Don’t go with glittery eye shadow unless you are a teen and have the skin elasticity and youth to accompany it. I recommend Stila’s eye shadow in Kitten for a subtle and long lasting shimmer. This is an easy eye shadow to swipe over your entire eye area. You can put it nearly all the way up to your eyebrow since the eye shadow is fairly subtle. Revlon’s Diamond Lust shadows have even less shimmer than Stila, but keep in mind that they also won’t last as long.
Before or after you put on your shadow, you can use an eyeliner. I recommend a gold eyeliner. It enhances and widens the eyes while remaining subtle. MAC has an excellent gold eyeliner.
Use a highlighting product just below your brows for an extra wide awake look.
Apply mascara.
3. Lips: Have fun with your lips on Valentines Day. Bright reds and pinks aren’t going to look as out of place as they may on other days. It’s a fun day to enjoy an array of colors you may not normally experiment with. You can first pencil in your lips with a neutral lip pencil to keep the color on longer or you can pencil in a color that matches your lipstick.
4. Blush: Valentines Day is the perfect day to try a cheek stain if you haven’t yet. Cheek stains create the perfect blushing date look for Valentines Day. My favorite cheek stain is created by Tarte. Simply rub the cheek stain on the apples of your cheeks for a natural glow.

Most of all, have fun with your V-Day look. You can experiment with lilac or pink eyeshadow (although remember colorful eyeshadow goes best with neutral lips so you don’t end up looking clownish).

Product Review: L’Occitane Ultra Rich Face Cream

2008-01-25T12:58:00.000-08:00

Although it’s easy to hop into bed at night without giving a second thought to your skin care, paying attention to your nighttime skin care can be incredibly beneficial to your skin. Your body rejuvenates itself while you sleep, and your skin isn’t an exception. Lotions and creams that would be too heavy for daytime are perfect for nighttime when your skin has time to absorb and use the heavy ingredients.

A wonderful moisturizer for nighttime is L’Occitane Ultra Rich Face Cream. The thick cream packed with shea butter is ultra-hydrating. I started using this product when I suddenly discovered scaly, dry patches on the apples of my cheeks. I wasn’t sure what caused them, but I knew I wanted to get rid of them. I had been given a sample of this face cream, and decided there was no better time to try it than when I had scaly cheeks. I put it on immediately before going to bed, and the next morning my cheeks didn’t feel dry at all. The scaly, dry feeling hasn’t returned since.

The best part about this moisturizer is that it doesn’t feel as heavy as it is. Many nighttime moisturizers feel like you have just slathered a pound of Vaseline on your face. Ultra Rich Face Cream doesn’t have this effect at all. The lightweight moisturizer feels like it could also be used for daytime (although it doesn’t contain an SPF).

L’Occitane Ultra Rich Face Cream costs $36.00 for 1.7 oz and can be found at L’Occitane stores and select Sephora stores.

Ah, the Spa, Part III

2008-01-24T10:16:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned yesterday, today I am going to be discussing IPL’s other use: hair removal. IPL has been praised for its fairly painless and effective permanent hair removal. Unlike the temporary solutions waxing and shaving provide, IPL can permanently remove unwanted hair.

It does so by sending light pulses targeted at the melanin in the hair shaft. The pulses then heat and destroy the hair follicle. Since the follicles are damaged or destroyed, they will not grow back hair. IPL can work on any area of the body including the back, arms, legs, bikini area, underarms, and more.

IPL hair removal is performed in a series of treatments because the hair has to be in its growing phase in order for the treatment to work. How many treatments you need is based on several factors. These same factors will also determine if you are a good candidate for IPL.

The best candidates for IPL are people with fair skin and dark hair. The light pulses used in the treatment are attracted to the melanin, or pigment, in the hair follicle. If you have fair skin and dark hair, the light pulses will be easily attracted to the pigment in the hair since your skin doesn’t contain as much pigment. Redheads with fair skin are also great candidates for hair removal. People with dark skin and dark hair are fairly good candidates for IPL because they still have a lot of melanin in their skin and hair. Poor candidates for IPL are people who have fair skin and fair hair. Since your hair doesn’t contain much pigment, the IPL cannot be attracted as easily to your hair.

I consulted my aesthetician about permanent hair removal on my legs, and she said not to even bother. I have fair skin and blonde hair. The IPL would never work, although here’s to hoping advancing technologies make it a possibility for me some day.

If you don’t fall into a category of prime candidate, that doesn’t mean you cannot get IPL done. It may just take more treatments. Some people can have immediate results, and others can have less noticeable but still good results. Even if IPL doesn’t completely get rid of your unwanted hair, it can definitely make it grow in lighter and finer.

The two questions that come to one’s mind when discussing a new treatment like this are usually: how much does it hurt, and how much does it cost. IPL can be painful. I have had the treatment performed, and even with numbing cream I felt awfully sensitive to the zap. My aesthetician has since discovered that icing down the area to be treated helps tremendously with the pain, so suggest that to whomever you choose to have do your treatment.

As with IPL facials, IPL hair removal can run you around $1000 for a series of treatments. If you are a religious waxer or shaver, you may be able to eventually offset your costs by not having to pay for waxing or shaving anymore. Or avoiding the hassle of shaving at home may be worth it for you too. No matter your reason, IPL can be a beneficial and rewarding experience for many.

Ah, the Spa, Part III

2008-01-23T06:46:00.000-08:00

Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) is a new and exciting breakthrough in rejuvenating skin treatments. We have already discussed chemical peels, and IPL provides many of the same benefits without the painful and unsightly side effects.

We discussed that chemical peels can be used to reduce acne and remove scarring and age spots, in addition to improving the general appearance of skin. We also discussed how chemical peels can be painful and cause initial redness in the treated areas. IPL has the same benefits of chemical peels, but it is virtually painless and only brings a little pinkness to the cheeks shortly after an intense treatment.

IPL is FDA approved and effectively removes or reduces age spots, acne scarring, and other blemishes. It does so by treating the damaged top layer of skin and delivering thermal energy to the deeper tissue. The heat from the laser promotes the collagen beneath the skin’s surface, replacing the damaged skin and giving the skin an immediate plump glow.

IPL treatments are usually performed in series of 4 – 6, with 3 weeks in between each treatment. This allows the skin to gradually heal. IPL treatments take around twenty minutes. The can cost around $1000 for a set of treatments; the reason they are so expensive is because of the cost of laser equipment.

I have had IPL done to reduce my acne scarring, and I have been very happy with the results. The treatment is highly effective, and I have noticed a glow to my face, especially the first few days after receiving a treatment. If you are considering something to reduce blemishes, IPL is definitely your best option, albeit your most expensive.

Tune in tomorrow when we discuss IPL’s hair removal benefits. Please direct all questions or comments to explorefashion@gmail.com.

Product Review: Neosporin

2008-01-18T07:07:00.000-08:00

On a beauty website, you may find it odd to have a product review on Neosporin. After all, it’s for cuts, right? Yes, Neosporin is excellent for cuts, but it can also an excellent and inexpensive heavy duty lip treatment.

I have mentioned many times before that I have problems with dry skin. In the winter, this includes incredibly dry lips that crack. I normally have to use an intensive moisturizer on my lips, but come winter and even my 100% pure shea butter doesn’t do its job. That’s when Neosporin comes in.

Applying it on my lips like I would any other lip moisturizer provides relief from the dry cracking feeling within days. I thought applying Neosporin to my lips would by greasy and thick, but it actually glides on easily and leaves a glossy sheen. For anyone who has seriously dry lips, I would recommend Neosporin over any expensive lip treatment. For a great price, it does a great job.

Ah, the Spa, Part II

2008-01-16T06:51:00.001-08:00

One of the most common treatments you hear of people getting done at a medical spa or dermatologist’s office is Botox. Some swear by the wrinkle-reducing results, and others joke about how it freezes any facial expressions. Let’s break down how Botox works and if it can truly freeze your face.

Botox is short for botulinum toxin A. That’s right, botulinum like botulism and toxin. Botox is indeed related to botulism, a form of food poisoning. Botulism has many serious side effects, including paralysis. And that’s where Botox comes in. Botulinum toxin A (Botox) is one of seven toxins (A through G) in botulism. Although whole-body paralysis is clearly a serious and unwanted medical problem, paralyzing face muscles can stop wrinkles. Botox prevents the signals that would tell your face muscles to contract from doing their job, effectively eliminating wrinkles.

Botox can eliminate wrinkles around the eyes, forehead, between the eyebrows, and even the arch under your eyebrow. It is also used to prevent muscle spasms, treat migraine headaches, and eliminate excessive sweating.

Of course, Botox is not permanent. Most people need injections every three to eight months. Botox is a quick, outpatient procedure. Patients can even get Botox injections over their lunch breaks.

The ease and effectiveness of Botox has made it the most popular cosmetic surgery procedure in the U.S. But what about those rumors of not being able to move your face? Be sure to choose a good doctor to perform your Botox, and you will most likely not feel side effects. If you have a good doctor performing your Botox, you should not have any problem with your face “freezing,” although you may not have the exact same range of expression you had before Botox.

For youth seekers, Botox may be the least invasive and safest way to create younger looking skin. As with any procedure, be sure you find a good doctor to perform Botox. You don’t want to be wearing your poker face all the time.

Ah, the Spa, Part I

2008-01-14T06:47:00.000-08:00

Make-up can do a lot for your appearance, but spa treatments can do even more. This series is going to discuss a lot of different aspects of the spa from facials to Botox. Although expensive and slightly frightening, some of these treatments can make a dramatic difference in your appearance. For those readers who may want to start the new year by getting rid of those acne scars leftover from her teen years of those varicose veins appearing in your middle-aged years, this next series is going to give you the lowdown all these new treatments.

We are going to begin by discussing chemical peels, a procedure I mentioned in last week’s post on acne. Chemical peels are used to help reduce acne, but there other reasons people choose them as well. Chemical peels can reduce fine lines and treat wrinkles, improve mild scarring, reduce dark patches like freckles and age spots, and improve the general appearance of skin.

Chemical peels can be performed as an outpatient procedure at a medical spa or a doctor’s office. They normally use four different chemicals: Alphahydroxy acids (AHAs), Betahdroxy acid (BHA), Trichloroacetic acid (TCA), and phenol. The formula may vary from doctor’s office to doctor’s office or patient to patient.

AHAs can control acne and improve skin texture. BHA is a bit stronger than AHA, but it focuses on the same problems. TCA can smooth some wrinkles, even out pigment, and remove some blemishes. Phenol, the harshest of the three chemicals, can remove more stubborn wrinkles and blemishes, and it is also used to remove pre-cancerous growths.

Chemical peels don’t take very long and can be very effective. Depending on why you are using a chemical peel, they will usually be applied as a gel on your face for five to ten minutes. And they hurt. Some of you may have higher pain tolerance than me, but I found chemical peels quite painful. In addition to the hot, stinging sensation, they can also itch.

Chemical peels are usually provided in a series of treatments to work on the problem you are attempting to fix. How long you go between treatments depends on the depth of your peel (an AHA peel being the least deep and a Phenol peel being the deepest). After the treatment, your skin will normally be red and blotchy and very sensitive to sunlight. Using sunscreen, while always important, is even more important while being treated with chemical peels. The blotchiness generally goes away in a few days.

Chemical peels can be very effective, but they are not necessarily for everyone. As I mentioned in my acne post, I had terrible side effects from chemical peels. Rather than making my skin better, the peels seemed to make my skin worse. Talk to a licensed dermatologist or aesthetician to determine if chemical peels are good for you.

Product Review: Boar Bristle Hairbrushes

2008-01-11T06:54:00.000-08:00

I saw boar bristle hairbrushes raved about by celebrities in magazines long before I decided to buy myself one. The $100 cost of a hairbrush caused me to hesitate purchasing one, but when I received a gift card to Sephora for my birthday, I decided it was the perfect time to invest. The only regret I have is not buying one earlier.

I purchased a Frederic Fekkai hairbrush on the recommendation of the saleswoman, and looked forward to seeing if it really had all the benefits my magazines claimed it had.

It did.

The hairbrush instantly smoothed and shined my hair. I went from slightly greasy ponytail hair to supermodel hair (okay, it didn’t straighten the ponytail kinks) in a matter of strokes. I even found myself needing to wash my hair less often. Somehow, the brush redistributed the oils in my hair to look, well, not oily.

The only downside I have found to the brush is that, after having it now for about six months, it doesn’t seem to give me the same luster that it gave me when I first bought it. I still wouldn’t it trade it for a regular hairbrush, but I also don’t find it gives me quite the same dramatic change I got when I first started using it.

Overall, I don’t regret the $100 I dropped on the hairbrush. However, if you are on a tight budget, a good conditioner will do wonders too (and prevent split ends while at it).

Reader Question: Acne, Part II

2008-01-09T07:07:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Day 2 of our study on acne. Loryn asked me how she could combat her acne. On Monday, we discovered some of the reasons people get acne, and today we are going to talk about how to fight it.

No matter what is causing your acne, you can often combat it with good skin care.
Good skin care is the first line of defense against acne. If you aren’t consistent about washing your face, your skin care can get awfully confused about how it is going to combat the daily battles it fights on our behalf. Be sure that you are diligent and regular with whatever routine you choose to have with your skin. Falling into bed one Friday night without paying attention to your skin isn’t going to bother it much, but regular inconsistency will.

But how do you find which products work best for you? If you have sensitive skin like me, you will want gentle products. Harsh astringents and face scrubs are just going to bother your skin. Stick with gentle formulas like Cetaphil. Oiler or less sensitive skin types will benefit from more aggressive formulas. Finding the best products is a matter of just trying products and figuring out which ones work for your skin. Products at the store specifically designed to combat acne are often going to be more aggressive formulas. Clinique offers product lines that provide a whole skin care package based on what type of skin you have. The Body Shop offers a lot of natural and reasonably priced products.

Their Vitamin E line is good for sensitive skin, and their Tea Tree Oil line is good for acne-prone skin. Other make-up counters or stores will help you choose products based on what you tell them. Visiting an aesthetician will also help you figure out what is causing your acne, and she can recommend and provide products you can’t find in the store. No matter what you choose to do, you want to get a good face wash and a good moisturizer. Many people don’t need anything more than that.

I mentioned earlier there were also supplements that can assist your acne. Here is a list compiled for me by my aesthetician:

-Zinc balanced with copper
-B complex, especially extra B5
-Saw Palmento
-Raspberry, Red Clover, and Licorice herbs
-Essential Fatty Acids (aka Omega 3 and Omega 6)

Do you have a beauty question you want answered? I would love to hear from you. Please include your first name and town along with your question. Please e-mail me at explorefashion@gmail.com. I would also love any feedback on the blog or ways to improve it.

I have to give a special thanks to my aesthetician and friend Erin at Colorado Women’s Care for her tireless work with my skin and her boundless information that helped me write this post.

Reader Question: Acne, Part I

2008-01-07T08:38:00.000-08:00

Today, I am going to be answering another reader question. Loryn from Erie, Colorado has the same problem many of us seem to encounter, including me. Loryn is a mentor to high school students, and she feels she should be advising them on how to rid themselves of acne rather than having to battle it herself. I can relate. I made it through junior high and high school with hardly a zit, but now that I am an adult I find myself in a never-ending battle with the little pink demons. Loryn wants to know how to combat her acne, and I am sure many of us find ourselves in the same battle.

I want to share my personal unusual battle with acne as an example for the different reasons acne can occur. As I already mentioned, I went through my entire adolescence with very little acne. When I moved from a humid climate to an incredible dry climate a few years ago, my formerly tame skin began to break out constantly, and nothing I did seemed to help. It was so bad my boyfriend bought me Proactiv as a “gift.” Yet, no product on the market seemed to calm my aggravated skin. I attributed the acne to the drastic change in climate; the dry weather just wasn’t doing my skin any favors. Yet I couldn’t live my whole life with acne now that I had moved.

After a long, losing battle with my skin, I decided to visit an aesthetician, Erin, about the problem. Erin started with the most obvious treatment for my acne: chemical peels. These harsh (and painful) treatments are supposed to rid the face of the impurities that cause acne. They worked wonders for my slightly acne prone husband, but they just made my skin worse. I was embarrassed to be in public because my skin was so blotchy and red.

Erin realized chemical peels were only going to continue to make my skin worse, and she decided to give me the mildest facial she could, a soothing mask. She also put me on a regimen of mild, gentle Sanitas products. To my amazement, the acne began to disappear quickly. My old zits weren’t being replaced by new zits. My skin was just clearing up.

After my skin began to clear up, I ditched the heavy MAC Studio Tech foundation and powder I was using to attempt to hide those zits. More gentle make-up cleared my skin up even further.

Regular treatments with Erin several years later, mild products, and gentle make-up products keep my acne under control. I still get occasional zits (especially during the extremely dry winters), but the problem is mainly manageable.

Figuring out what is causing acne is the trickiest part of finding a skin care regime to combat it. Acne can be caused by a number of different things. Let’s go through them one by one. Loryn and others who want to figure out what is causing their acne may want to note which of these seem to fit into their lifestyle.

Stress – Stress can cause a number of health problems, and it can also contribute to acne. When you are stressed, your body just doesn’t behave how it’s supposed to behave, and the effects can show up on your skin as well.

Diet – Contrary to popular belief, chocolate does not cause acne (everyone can breathe a sigh of relief now), but excess dairy products can. Not everyone will be affected by dairy, but some people will notice a difference in their skin due to dairy. Conversely, there are some supplements that can help your skin. We’ll cover that later in this article.

Hormones – The reason acne starts occurring in teenagers is because their hormones kick in. It’s also the reason birth control pills can be prescribed to combat acne. Since hormones cause acne, different points in a woman’s menstrual cycle can cause breakouts.

Climate – Some people may be sensitive to dry climates, and other may react to humid climates, but skin can be sensitive to the climate around it. Note how dry your skin can get in the winter. If you have moved from one climate to another, your skin may be adjusting.

Travel – If you have a lifestyle that requires you to travel significantly, it can cause your skin to react negatively. Airplane air is awful for skin (note how many flight attendants seem to have drawn, tight skin), and constantly switching climates can take a toll on your skin.

Inappropriate Skin Care/ Products – If you want to truly combat acne, you must be diligent about your skin. Good skin care products (they don’t necessarily have to be expensive) and good skin care can help your face. Bad products can aggravate your skin no matter how hard you try. Too many products can do the same thing. Don’t use every product you find to combat acne; you will just confuse and frustrate your skin (and consequently yourself). Heavy make-up can also cause clogged pores and therefore acne.

Did you say yes to any of these? You may be closer to finding the problem causing your acne. Tomorrow we are going to cover some of the solutions to acne. There are lots of ways to combat it if your acne just isn’t going to go away on its own. Be sure to check back.

Do you have a beauty question you want answered? I would love to hear from you. Please include your first name and town along with your question. Please e-mail me at explorefashion@gmail.com. I would also love any feedback on the blog or ways to improve it.

Product Review: Biolage Conditioning Balm

2008-01-04T07:19:00.000-08:00

I am forever in debt to a very good friend of mine for introducing this product to me. A good deep conditioner can be hard to find, and I had yet to find one that gave me results I really loved. I have fine hair, and conditioners tend to weight my hair down easily. Deep conditioners intensify the greasy-even-though-I-swear-I-just washed-my-hair look even further. So when my friend introduced me to Biolage Conditioning Balm, I was skeptical. If she wasn’t notoriously correct about her beauty tips, I wouldn’t have even tried it, but she is. And she was right again.
This thick conditioner hydrates and silkens like no conditioner I have tried. And it washes out weightlessly, completely avoiding my conditioner worries. Not many people have hair quite as fine as mine, and want a thick conditioner to contend with their thick hair. Biolage’s website recommends this product for people with coarse hair, and so I imagine the formula would have similar hydrating results to what I experience on my fine hair.
Biolage Conditioning Balm costs between $12.50 - $36.95, depending on what size you purchase. The thick formula doesn’t require a lot, and my $36.95 tub of conditioner lasts me close to a year (I use it as a deep conditioner 1-2 times a week.). I think your hair will thank you for it.

Shedding Off the Old

2008-01-02T07:14:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, readers! I hope you all brought in the new year in style. I am celebrating the New Year in Mexico, and in light of spending too many hours on the beach along with a bout of sickness before we left, I don’t feel I have sufficiently researched the topics we will be covering in our Ah, the Spa series, and I am going to postpone it until I have enough information to be able to fully inform you of the subjects.

Today we are going to be discussing the benefits of exfoliation and different ways to do it. We’ve all heard of it, but do we really know what we are doing and how to do it? Believe me; it’s not as complicated as you think.

Basically, exfoliation involves scrubbing off dead skin in order to bring a new layer of skin to the surface. The new layer of skin will often feel better, and it will glow like, well, new skin. Skin naturally strips itself, but exfoliation can help your body out and take off skin that just isn’t coming off quickly enough on its own. As you age, your body doesn’t exfoliate as quickly as it used to on its own, and exfoliating can help the body produce new skin cells as well as increase blood and lymph circulation. Exfoliation on your face can also prevent acne and blackheads that are caused by clogged pores.

You can buy a variety of exfoliants at the store, including sugar and salt scrubs. Salt scrubs are usually the harshest exfoliant you can find, and I wouldn’t recommend them for those of you who aren’t so adept with a razor. Salt scrubs can be very painful if you have even the tiniest cut on your body. Think of it as rubbing salt in a wound because essentially that’s what you are doing. For that reason alone, I avoid salt scrubs. Sugar scrubs are milder and more wound-friendly. I couldn’t list the many different names of and ingredients found in exfoliants. There are a wide range of them; the most important thing is just to know that they slough off your dead skin and bring out a new layer of skin. My favorite exfoliant is The Body Shop’s Cocoa Butter Body Scrub ($16). Besides smelling delicious, the formula is moisturizing and gentle on my sensitive skin. Yet it still contains enough oomph to exfoliate well.

The exfoliant you use on your face should not be the same exfoliant you use on your body. The skin on your face is much more sensitive than the skin on your body, and your body’s exfoliant could really tick your face off. Many companies offer gentle face scrubs that will exfoliate your face daily. You can also use these face scrubs as you would use your body scrubs.

Most experts recommend exfoliating between once and twice a week. Exfoliating any more than that could begin to irritate your skin. However, some people don’t find any negative side effects to exfoliating every day, and it isn’t going to hurt your skin.

If you are low maintenance or busy, exfoliating can seem like just another step to add to your routine. Here’s some comfort to you: Shaving and using a loofah are also considered exfoliation. Both the razor and the loofah get rid of the dead top layer of skin. So if you don’t feel like doing an extra exfoliation step each week, just rely on your trusty razor to get rid of that dead skin.

Nail Lingo

2007-12-28T07:21:00.000-08:00

When you enter a nail salon, do you find the list of nail services as foreign as reading Japanese? Me too. I have the best nail technician on the planet, and she thankfully knows exactly what I want even though I only ask for a manicure (which she interprets as a gel rebase, exactly what I was looking for). For the sake of myself and all my readers, I decided to figure out what all those terms really mean. And although I hope you all find a nail technician as magnificent as mine, this will arm you with the proper terms even if you don’t.

Manicures and pedicures are the most basic services a nail salon offers. A manicure involves trimming your nails, cleaning up your cuticles, and painting your nails if you want it done. A pedicure is the same thing on your toes. A French manicure is when you paint the tips white and leave the rest of the nails their natural color. It’s a popular way to paint your nails, but American manicures, or pink and whites, which use a softer more natural white have become more popular because they look so natural.

Acrylic nails, more commonly known as fake or artificial nails, are extensions of natural nails, and they are perfect for people who may have brittle or weak nails. Acrylic nails will not hurt your natural nails. Acrylics, if we want to get way too technical, are made up of a polymer powder and a liquid monomer (aka ethylmethacrylate, but if you say that in the nail salon, you may even confuse your technician). After fitting plastic tips to the ends of your nails, you nail technician will apply the acrylic, which will begin to harden on your nail. A rebase/fill is necessary every few weeks to keep your acrylics looking nice, but the plastic tips grow out and soon you are only left with your natural nail and the acrylic top.

Although acrylics are the most popular, there are other types of artificial nails. Gel nails are similar to acrylics, but use a polymer resin that is stronger than acrylic. Gel nails are more expensive, but they are less likely to break and crack. Fiberglass and silk wraps fit actual pieces of fiberglass or silk fabric on the surface of the nail. The material is then sealed with glue. If you are allergic to any of the chemicals used in the acrylic or gel process, fiberglass or silk is the way to go.

Paraffin wax treatments are luxurious treatments to leave your hands or feet silky smooth. Your hands are dipped in a paraffin wax (it’s really way too technical to explain what paraffin is, so just know it’s good for your skin) and wrapped in plastic or foil while the wax hardens. It seals in moisture and leaves your hands soft when the wax is removed a few minutes later.

Now that you have a basic nail vocabulary, how do you go about finding a nail technician as great as mine? There are plenty of bad nail salons out there, and don’t be afraid to be picky. Walking out is less embarrassing and painful than an infection. Be sure your nail salon has its establishment license and Board Health and Safety poster displayed in the salon. Also be sure the salon has a clean working environment and clean, disinfected instruments. Improperly cleaned tools can lead to infections, most commonly a nail fungus. Your technician should wash her hands before beginning to work on your nails. If you don’t feel comfortable, just don’t accept a service. There are plenty of other nail salons out there.

It’s that time of year, and I am signing off until January 2. Be sure to tune in then for a new series called Ah, the Spa. Happy New Year!

Eye Liner

2007-12-27T08:11:00.000-08:00

Different types of eyeliner will create different effects, and using the proper eyeliner is important for getting the look you desire. Today we are going to cover the three most common types of eyeliner: eye pencils, liquid eye liner, and eyeliner gel.

Eye pencils are the most commonly used eyeliners and for good reason. We’ve been coloring with crayons and writing with pencils since we can remember, and using eye pencils just doesn’t seem that much of a stretch. Eye pencils are also the most forgiving if you are inexperienced with using eyeliner. They create a soft, fairly thick line, and a little slip in your straight line isn’t going to be noticed. Eye pencils come in nearly every shade and are great for all level of make-up junkies for day or evening looks.

Liquid eye liner is a bit more intimidating. There more ways to mess up liquid liner than there are eyelashes, and so the task can seem daunting. It’s easy to have your hand shake while applying liquid liner, and this will cause noticeable peaks and valleys in your line because of its precision. The precision is what makes people continue to try to use liquid liner despite the frustration it may cause, and it isn’t impossible to use. Perfect for evening, liquid liner mistakes can easily be fixed so do not fear. If you notice an obvious jaggedness to your line, take a concealer brush (I wouldn’t recommend using your finger just because they are pretty big compared to your eyelid, but if you don’t have a concealer brush your pinky finger will work) and smudge the line of the liner. You won’t have a precise line, but the smudged look is also very trendy and less bold. Practice makes perfect, and if you don’t get it on the first try, don’t dismay. Liquid liner takes time to perfect.

Eye liner gel has been gaining steam in the beauty world. Popularized by Bobbi Brown, eye liner gel is more precise than a pencil and easier to apply than liquid. It creates a bold look that can be precise or thick depending how heavily you apply it. Eye liner gel needs to be applied with an eye liner brush, and it is definitely my favorite way to wear eye liner. I find it easier to put on the either of the other choices, and I also think it is the easiest to play with to create the look you want. If you haven’t tried eye liner gel, be sure to get to the store and check it out. I don’t think you will be disappointed.

Reader Question: Direct Sellers

2007-12-26T06:31:00.000-08:00

It’s easy to go to your nearest drugstore and buy the newest Cover Girl product. You don’t even have to know you want that new product. All you have to do is show up at the store to buy a bag of potato chips, and voila! You walk out with new lip gloss. However, there are lots of great products you can’t find on store shelves.

Erin from St. Paul, Minnesota recently started using Arbonne, a skin care line she wishes she had heard about a lot sooner because she loves it. Arbonne is only sold directly, and therefore isn’t available in stores. So how can Erin and others of us who may want to buy brands like Arbonne find them?

Direct selling is a way for companies to bypass the middle man. Rather than paying distributors and sellers to promote their products in store, direct sellers bring their products to you. Companies like Avon and Mary Kay are the most well-know direct sellers, and if you walk down the street for several blocks looking for a Mary Kay lady, you are sure to find one. Other brands are less known, however, and are more difficult to find out about unless you are told about them by a friend. If you want to do your own research on direct sellers to find products you wouldn’t normally find in stores, the best way to do it is through the Direct Sellers Association (DSA).

The DSA independently researches direct sellers, and if the company meets legal requirements along with the DSA’s Code of Ethics, the DSA will post their information on their website. This is the easiest way to make sure you are not getting scammed by some nut in Nigeria promising you wrinkle-free skin even at age 70. Since the DSA lists all the companies on their website, all you have to do is log on to find out about new direct sellers whose products you may want to try. To navigate their website, click on their member directory; click on company search; and then click on the category Cosmetics. This will search their directory for all companies that sell cosmetics, including Arbonne and many others. The DSA posts a general description of what the company sells and all their contact information, including a link to the direct seller’s website, and from there you can look at their products as easily as you would look at Cover Girl in the store from the comfort of your own home. The website will usually let you find a seller in your area as well.

If the DSA endorses the company, the products it is selling are reputable, but that doesn’t mean they are going to work on you. Erin loves Arbonne, but during my research for this post, I found plenty of people who didn’t. Just like Cover Girl or any other product you buy, you may love it or hate it depending on how your skin reacts to it and how it looks on you.
Buying from a direct seller is often a benefit if you do end up disliking the product because most direct sellers will take back a product you aren’t satisfied with. Direct selling often provides many benefits to its customers including lower overhead costs (equaling cheaper prices) and personal care. And believe me; no one will love you more than your local Avon lady.

Do you have a beauty question you want answered? I would love to hear from you. Please include your first name and town along with your question. Please e-mail me at explorefashion@gmail.com. I would also love any feedback on the blog or ways to improve it.

Product Review: Nail & Cuticle Cream

2007-12-21T06:47:00.000-08:00

It’s the time of year for eggnog, family, and hangnails. Just like the rest of your skin, the skin on your cuticles seems to be as dry as the Sahara Desert, causing hangnails, cuts, and irritation. I discovered a product several years ago to combat those nagging problems, and I have been nearly hangnail-free ever since.

L’Occitane Nail & Cuticle Cream comes in a small silver tube costing $18.00. The price seems steep, but it’s well worth your money. The 0.52 ounces will last you virtually forever; after all, you really don’t need much to cover your cuticle. And the benefits are tremendous.

Before discovering this product, I had some serious issues with dry, cracking skin around my cuticles. I had moved from a humid climate to practically the desert, and my whole body was agonizing over the change in climate. I found myself constantly having cuts and hangnails, and I couldn’t seem to apply enough lotion or Neosporin to create a long-term solution to the problem.

And then I met L’Occitane Nail & Cuticle Cream. The product contains 30% pure shea butter, and it began to clear up my hangnails within 24 hours. The product also provides moisture to your nails, which helps to create a natural sheen. Since I began using this product three years ago, I have gone through two tubes (or $36) and I have hardly suffered a hangnail since. In a pinch, I have also used the product on my lips and on burns my hands suffer from cooking.
L’Occitane Nail & Cuticle Cream is available at all L’Occitane stores and on their website. Next time your nails start crying for relief, be sure to give it a shot. I don’t think you will regret it.
I am signing off to celebrate Christmas, but be sure to check back on Wednesday for the newest post. If you have any comments or questions about the blog, please e-mail me at explorefashion@gmail.com. Merry Christmas, everyone!

Mineral Make-up

2007-12-20T07:00:00.001-08:00

There has been a lot of buzz in the beauty industry lately about mineral make-up. Make-up companies are boasting lots of great effects of using this new trend, but is it really better for you?

First, let’s define mineral make-up. Mineral make-up is made of pulverized minerals like mica, zinc oxide, and titanium dioxide. Because it doesn’t contain the harsh chemicals that can be found in other make-up, companies are claiming it is better for your skin. Because of ingredients like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, ingredients commonly found in sunscreen, it is also promising sun protection. Do the promises hold up? The jury still seems to be out.
Many people who use mineral make-up claim it has rejuvenated their face. People claim it has brought them a new glow, banished acne, and cleared blemishes. The make-up may do these things for some people, but not everyone notices those benefits. My past forays into mineral make-up have shown no improvement to my skin. In fact, some mineral make-up I have tried has aggravated my skin to the point where I returned the make-up to the store. Different people may experience different effects.

One downside to mineral make-up is that it doesn’t use dyes that non-mineral make-up does. This can be a good thing if you are looking for natural skin care, but no dye also means less coverage. If you really want a dramatic look, mineral make-up may not be the way to go. At least not yet. As the trend grows more popular, make-up companies are sure to find ways to make it more accessible to everyone.

More importantly, mineral make-up is not a substitute for sunscreen. Although titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are both found in most mineral make-ups, they are not found in the same amounts as you would find in your sunscreen. Some boast up to SPF 15, but I really think you will want a stronger sunscreen on your face, which is exposed to the sun all day. For more information on sunscreen, see my December 3 post, Good Morning, Sunshine!
As mineral make-up grows more popular, it is easier to find. You no longer have to drop a fortune or go on a scavenger hunt to buy it. I remember even as few as four years back only being able to find mineral make-up online or at my local day spa at high prices. Now even common brands like Loreal have mineral make-up lines. You’ll either love it or you’ll hate it, but don’t hesitate to give mineral make-up a try.

Icy Hot

2007-12-19T07:22:00.000-08:00

I promised to bring us back to the color wheel this week and discuss warm and cool colors and their relationship to your make-up and clothes. You have probably heard people refer to themselves as winters or springs, referring to a method of figuring out which colors look good on them popularized by the book Color Me Beautiful. But what does it really mean? It’s no secret that we all have different skin, hair, and eye colors, and those colors mean something for how good certain colors are going to look on a person. Some colors are going to bring out that glowing bronze skin or sparkling green eyes, and other will just make them look dull. Before you invest in good make-up, you want to make sure the make-up brings out the colors which look best on you. Let’s get started.
Take a look at our color wheel here, which I have borrowed from www.tigercolor.com. This color wheel displays which colors are cool and which are warm. Cool colors range from yellow to red-violet, and warm colors range from blue violet to yellow-green. Our chart below, copied from www.xaraxone.com, shows you in even more detail which colors fall into which categories. These charts should be your consideration when make-up shopping. But how do you determine which colors look best on you?
There are some people who will look good in anything they wear, and we call those lucky few neutral. But most of us will have a tendency to look better in either warm or cool colors. You can determine which you are by some of the tips below.
Warm Colors
¨ Your hair color is black, brown or red.
¨ Your eye color is brown, green or hazel.
¨ Your skin is golden, olive or brown and tans easily.
¨ The veins on the inside of your wrist look greenish.
Cool Colors
¨ Your hair color is blonde or light to medium brown.
¨ Your eye color is blue, gray or hazel.
¨ Your skin is naturally pale or rosy and burns easily.
¨ The veins on the inside or your wrist look bluish.
These are general guidelines to warm and cool colors to help you determine what colors you naturally are. When you look at the guidelines, you may find you fall into both categories. For instance, you may have red hair with blue eyes and fair skin. Since two of your main features fall under the cool colors guidelines, you will most likely look best in cool colors. Or say you have blonde hair with brown eyes and dark skin. You will look best in warm colors. I have included below a few celebrity photos to show you examples of warm and cool toned people. Determining which celebrity you most resemble may help you decide which category you fall under.

Warm Toned Celebrities:

Cool Toned Celebrities:

There are other tests to determine which colors you look best in. Do you look better in gold or silver jewelry? Warm toned people tend to look better in gold jewelry, and cool toned people tend to look better in silver jewelry. How does a plain white shirt look on you? Cool toned people tend to look good in white, whereas warm toned people will look washed out and would be better off in off-white or ivory.
You may be asking why all this matters. Have you ever, on a perfectly normal day, been asked by your husband/friend/co-worker/barista if you are feeling alright? Been told you look tired, upset or just not yourself when you are really feeling fine? That’s why it matters. The wrong color can make you look pale or tired and bring out under eye circles and blemishes. So next time you are purchasing make-up, be sure to take your color wheel along with you.

A Lipstick By Any Other Name…

2007-12-18T05:55:00.000-08:00

Tinting lips used to be as easy as picking up a tube of lipstick. For better or worse, those days are gone. Stop at any make-up counter these days, and you are sure to find an array of choices to get that perfect shade. Lipsticks, lip glosses, lip tints, lip stains…the choices go on and on. So how does a girl pick? Like job titles, the name of a product can tell you very little about the product itself. So ignore all the fancy names and hone in on what the product does; there are really only three different ways to tint your lips.
The sheerest, and probably easiest, way to give your lips a little added something is with a lip gloss. Lip glosses can be clear or have the slightest hint of color to them, and they will make your lips incredibly shiny. Lip glosses often go by names like Lip Slicks, lip glass, and lip shine. They can be worn alone or over lipstick for a darker color.
The next step in color is lipstick. Lipstick is more permanent than lip glosses, and it has more pigment too. It will color your lips more noticeably than lip gloss. Lipstick comes in a variety of colors and it is usually sold in tubes. You can buy shiny or matte lipsticks depending on what look you want. Of course, lipsticks don’t always stay on as long as you would like, and who wants to take a break every few hours to reapply lipstick?
Lip stains and lip tints are the most likely candidates to pass the staying power test. They are virtually the same thing, and they are the most permanent color you can get for your lips. Lip stains adhere to your lips, and they will last you a very long time. The only downside to lip stains is they can dry your lips because they contain ingredients like alcohol. If your lips are already feeling dry, a lip stain may just collect into the dry spots.
Rubbing the color on the inside or your thumb will often give you an idea of what it will look like on your lips. In the end, how it looks on you will determine what you want more than what it’s called. Next time you are in the make-up aisle, sampling the product will give you a better idea of what you want than looking for a product with a particular name.

Reader Question: Costly Mistakes

2007-12-17T07:54:00.000-08:00

In a new feature, I am asking my readers to ask me any questions they may have about beatuy. Our first question comes from Janet in Owatonna, Minnesota. Janet is concerned about making a costly mistake when she is shopping for new make-up. For instance, she would like to try Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer, the award winning and costly make-up primer. But she certainly doesn’t want to spend the $36 on it if she ends up not liking it. I’m sure we can all relate. Who doesn’t have a whole drawer full of make-up she wishes she had never even bothered with? So how do Janet, you, and I avoid these costly errors?
The best way I have found to get a sample of a product is to go to the make-up counter and ask for one. Most make-up counters are willing to give you a sample of anything you want, assuming they have one.
But if they don’t have one, they will generally take your purchase back, even if it’s been used, as long as you return it in a reasonable amount of time. Just be sure you save the original packaging and receipt. This won’t work at Target or Wal-Mart, but if you are buying directly from, say, a Clinique counter, their first priority is your happiness. Unless you end up with a horribly stingy salesperson (which I never have), you won’t have any problem returning high-end make-up bought directly at the counter even if it is opened.
Getting on a company’s mailing list will also give you the opportunity to get free samples. Some companies, such as Aveda, will send you mailers offering you a free sample if you stop into the store.
Many companies will offer you free samples when they send you a purchase. Sephora, for instance, will give you three free samples of products of your choice when you buy a purchase online from them. And if join Sephora’s free Beauty Insider program, you will receive a free sample in store when you accumulate enough points. They often have choices for you to pick from, and the samples are quite good. I have gotten Tarte mascara, Sephora body wash, and more from the free-with-purchase samples.
There are also some online companies which will link you up with lots of great freebies. Check out the ones below, but before you do so, I want to let you know I have not tried to get samples from any of these websites, so I cannot speak for their reputability. If you try out one of these sites, please e-mail me to let me know if you have found their services work.

www.herbeautysamples.com
www.freemania.com
www.bestfreestuffonline.com
www.freakyfreddies.com

Discounts on make-up can also come in handy. Of course, some of the ideas we have already suggested will hook you up with discounts, but there are other ways to come across them as well.
For instance, Lucky Magazine has a feature at the back of each issue that lets you know about discounts and promotions you can get by using their discount codes. EBay also has lots of sellers who are selling samples of different products. You will have to pay a little bit for their samples, but it’s definitely cheaper than buying a full size product you don’t want. Just go to eBay and type in “beauty samples.”
Christmas is also a great time to get discounts on products you are interested in buying. Nearly everyone has gift sets that you can purchase, and they will nearly always give you a better deal than if you had to purchase the full product.
Make-up counters don’t just offer gift sets at Christmas, however. There are also gift sets throughout the year that you can get with a purchase. These sets will often give you a good sampling of different products that brand has to offer.
Now back to Janet’s question. There are two ways for you to get your hands on that Smashbox primer without spending $36 on it. If you go to Smashbox’ website and order a free catalog, your catalog will come with a free sample of the primer. If you are pretty certain you are going to love it, check out Sephora’s website for a great holiday deal. Currently, Sephora is offering a Smashbox Flawless Finish Perfectors Set, which includes a full size and travel size Photo Finish Foundation Primer along with a full size Photo Op Eye Brightener. This set will cost you $49, a bit more than the $36 for just the full size set, but certainly a better deal overall. And if you order it from Sephora.com, you can get your three samples of any other products you have been considering as well.
Do you have a beauty question you want answered? I would love to hear from you. Please include your first name and town along with your question. Please e-mail me at explorefashion@gmail.com. I would also love any feedback on the blog or ways to improve it.

Product Review: Viva Glam

2007-12-14T07:10:00.000-08:00

Normally I would use this section to cover a product which has proven its excellence, but in the spirit of the holidays, I thought I would encourage all my lovely readers to get into the season by giving something back. After all, it’s what the season is all about.
When you are shopping for the Christmas red lipstick you want to wear for the holiday season, consider checking out MAC’s Viva Glam line. The line has six lipstick shades ranging from a bright red to a subtle plum, and two of the lipsticks have corresponding Lip Glass lip glosses. The photo for our Red Lips –December 11 post shows our model wearing Viva Glam lipstick. The lipsticks retail at $14, and every single cent of that goes to non-profit organizations that help bring awareness and relief to those affected with AIDS.
I would never recommend a product to you that I couldn’t get behind, and I can honestly say that you won’t go wrong with MAC lipsticks. They won’t fade quickly, and they will last you forever. I bought my Viva Glam lipstick two years ago, and although I don’t use it every day, I still have a good portion of the tube left.
Another way to give back this holiday season is to buy products which aren’t tested on animals. Companies such as Urban Decay, Avon, Nordstrom Cosmetics, Clinique, Estee Lauder, Aveda, and The Body Shop don’t test on animals. For a full list of cruelty-free companies, check here.
So be gorgeous and good this holiday season, and consider giving back with your holiday beauty purchases.

Holiday Looks: False Eyelashes

2007-12-13T06:43:00.000-08:00

False eyelashes used to be miles long and less than subtle. But a whole new world has opened up in false eyelashes, and using them sparingly can add an extra level of fun to any look. False lashes grace the red carpet on nearly every celebrity, but they serve a lot of other purposes too. Please keep reading; I promise you can even wear false eyelashes to your next executive board meeting – they are really that subtle.
The most important step in wearing false eyelashes is to get good ones. And they come at very reasonable prices. Sonia Kashuk creates a line for Target that includes several different choices of false lashes. For the most subtle look, pick up her individual lash kit. It comes with small clusters of false lashes and lash glue.
Applying false eyelashes does take a little bit of practice, but you will get the hang of it soon enough if you are persistent with it. In addition to your lashes and lash glue, you will need a pair of tweezers.
If you are applying a full set of lashes, you can take the tip of a small make-up brush and run the lash glue along the lashes. You can also take the glue tube and run it along the lashes, but you risk a messier process that way. If you are applying individual or small clusters of lashes, you can just put the tip of the lashes against the glue tube.
You will want to keep your lashes as close to the lash line as possible when you apply them. I don’t think I need to explain how awkward it would be if your false eyelashes were in the middle of your eyelid rather than along your lash line.
You don’t have to use your lashes exactly as they come in the box. Customize them to fit your desires. If you bought a full set of false lashes, you can trim them to make them shorter or even just trim some of them to make them uneven. After all, real lashes are not all the same length. Put individual lashes on sporadically to create a natural effect. Or just apply a cluster of lashes to the corners of each eye to create a little lift at the corner.
Have fun with your false lashes. After all, that’s all they are: a fun way to add a little something to your appearance.
The traditional wisdom is to place your false lashes on before you apply mascara, but I believe the more logical way to do things is to put lashes on after you have applied your mascara. You can better see your overall look, which makes it easier to apply the false lashes where you want them.
At the end of the night, false eyelashes will come off more easily than that stubborn waterproof mascara. Just rub the lashes with your eye make-up remover and they will easily come off your eyelids easily.

Holiday Looks: Shimmer

2007-12-12T06:50:00.000-08:00

The holidays are your time to shine. And it sometimes seems the only time it is appropriate to glam up with high shine. A look that would be too noticeable at the office or a summer barbeque adds life and excitement to a holiday party.
Shimmer must be used carefully and appropriately. The older you are, the more wrinkles you will have on your face (Botox aside). And the more wrinkles you have, the more places that shimmer can get caught. Some make-up has a lot of shimmer, but some has a more subtle shimmer. Decide how much you want to shine, and choose your products from there.
If you decide you want your eyes to shine, MAC has a more subtle shine to their eye shadows, and Stila has great high-shimmer shadows. Revlon's Diamond Lust line also have some great shimmery eye shadows. An all over shimmer on your lid is a fun and easy look, but you can deepen and intensify the look by rubbing a darker shimmer on the inside of your lid. Worried about your make-up creasing? Try MAC Paints. They come in a variety of skin tones and last virtually forever. The formula is designed to go across your eyelid and create a base for the shadow to stick to. It’s not foolproof, but it can help.
Lips can also shine with a high-gloss formula. For a show-stopping lip, put a shiny lip gloss on top of your lipstick.
If you want a more subtle shimmer, a face highlighter may be all you need to glow. My favorites are MAC Glimmershimmer and Origins Halo Effect. You can use these products in a variety of places on your face. For an all-over shimmer, use the product to highlight your cheekbones and eyes. You won’t need a lot of product; a little of these go a long way. Highlight your cheekbones by dabbing some of the product along the tops of your cheeks beginning at the apples of your cheeks and ending at your temple. Rubbed in enough, this will just create a bit of extra glow to your cheekbones. Running your finger along the bottom of your eyebrow and tapping it on the inside corner of your eye will also create a perfect shimmer and an instant lift to your eyes.
Armed with these handy tips, you are sure to shine at any holiday party.

Holiday Looks: Red Lips

2007-12-11T06:51:00.000-08:00

Red lips are a daring move. Red, the color of stop lights and police sirens, is sure to draw the attention of those around you. Red lips evoke old Hollywood glamour and classic beauty. If you are brave enough, it’s easy to dive in. However, wearing red isn’t often the fear; finding the perfect red can also be intimidating.
The best way to discover a red that looks good on you is to experiment. Stores have sample tubes you can test, and this is going to be the best way to find out which color looks good on you. A color can look great in the tube (just as a shirt can look great on the mannequin), but you can get it home only to find that the color just doesn’t look great on you.
Even the most detailed guidelines aren’t going to give you a foolproof red without experimentation, but there are several suggestions you can follow. Pale skin colors usually look good in reds with a blue undertone, and dark skin colors usually look good in reds with an orange undertone. It’s a bit confusing because it can sometimes be hard to tell what the undertone is if you have an untrained eye. Helpful salespeople or a good friend are sure to direct you to reds that look right. Another way to look at it is to pay attention to the colors in your face. If you have pink blemishes in your face, pinky-reds are going to draw attention to the pink in your face. Cool colors will compliment cool skin tones, and warm colors will compliment warm skin tones. If you aren’t sure what I mean by that, I promise to cover it next week. For now, hop on over to your nearest beauty counter and experiment.
Let’s touch on how to wear red lips once you have found the perfect color. As we already mentioned, red lips are a bold move. They can be stunning, but if your lipstick ventures from your lips, your appearance totally changes. Lipstick on your teeth is never an attractive look, and lipstick that bleeds off your lips (especially in bright red) risks you looking like a murder victim in a B-list horror movie.
When wearing red lipstick, always use lip liner. This will give your lipstick a barrier, and it will be less likely to bleed outside your lip line. It’s not as difficult to apply as you may think, but if you are concerned about it, don’t feel the need to use a lip liner the same color as your lipstick. A nude lip liner will also work to define your lips. It will also give you a more definite line to color inside of once you begin to apply your red lipstick. Don’t use a lip liner that is darker than your lips because you will most likely end up with only a bright red line outlining your lips after dinner, and let’s face it: that’s never attractive.
Carefully apply your lipstick after you have finished with your lip liner. I apply lipstick directly from the tube, but the smaller head of a lipstick brush definitely gives you more control.
I recommend keeping red lips matte. Glossy red lips can be too much, but if you want a bit of shine, a dab of gloss in the center of each lip is enough to add a little extra something.
To keep the color on all night, press your lips together with a tissue in between after you apply it. Apply another coat of lipstick, and then press your lips into the tissue again. This gives you a long lasting finish. And in order to avoid presenting your friends with a “should I tell her she has lipstick on her teeth” moment, stick your index finger in your mouth and purse your lips around it. Then pull your finger out of your mouth. This will remove all the excess lipstick that would risk getting on your teeth.
Yesterday we explained that you should keep the rest of your face neutral when wearing smoky eyes because your eyes are so dramatic. The same rule applies with red lips. Red lips are such a dramatic look that the rest of your face should be kept fairly subtle. Red lips, pink cheeks, and dark eyes are just too much for one face. After all, we want to look beautiful not Bozo. Compliment your red lips with a swipe of shimmery neutral eyeshadow and a soft pink blush on the apples of your cheeks, and you’ll bring holiday cheer to any occasion.

Holiday Looks: Smoky Eyes

2007-12-10T06:49:00.000-08:00

The most desired evening look seems to be a smoldering smoky eye. This sexy look evokes glamour and intrigue, but no matter how many times you see it on others, the perfect smoky eye can seem to allude you. Not anymore. I am going to first explain how to create a perfect, and perfectly easy, smoky eye, but there’s one-step trick we will also touch on at the end of the article.
Smoky eyes can be created with any color you want, but the most common colors to create a smoky eye with are gray or brown. Choose whichever color you prefer, but today I will be explaining how to create a brown smoky eye. You will need a medium brown, a dark brown, a nearly sheer, shimmery color, and a dark brown or black eyeliner. The products I will be using in today’s post are: Bobbi Brown’s Shimmer Wash Eye Shadow in Bronze and Black Plum, MAC’s Naked Lunch eye shadow, Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in Espresso Ink, and Dior’s Diorshow Waterproof Mascara. Let’s get started.
Step 1: Cover your entire lid from the lashline to above the crease (your crease is the part of your eye where the skin folds into when you open your eyes) with the medium brown shadow (BB’s Bronze).
Step 2: From where you end the medium brown color up to your eyebrow, fill in with your sheer eyeshadow (MAC’s Naked Lunch).
Step 3: Step 3 is our most complicated step. There are several ways to create the contour needed for a smoky eye. You can take a small eyeshadow brush and rub your dark brown eye shadow (BB’s Dark Plum) into your crease or you can run it along your lash line. Either way is fine; it just depends on your preference. And if you are more advanced in your make-up techniques, you can create a “tail” to your dark shadow by swooping it down from your crease to your lashline (or vice-versa – up from your lashline to your crease) in a backwards C motion.
Step 4: I choose to use a gel eyeliner like Bobbi Brown for a smoky eye because the thicker gel naturally smudges itself creating the smoky effect you are intending. Take an eyeliner pencil, and run the eyeliner from the inside corner to the outside corner of both your top and bottom lashes. The eyeliner may naturally smudge itself, but you can also smudge it with the eyeliner pencil.
Step 5: To soften up the look a little more, take an angle brush and run your medium brown shadow along the bottom of your eye along the line of your eyeliner. This will soften up the sometimes harsh appearance of eyeliner.
Step 6: Apply mascara.
I know some of you skipped right to the bottom of all these instructions to get our quick and dirty tip for a smoky eye. Too many brushes and colors or just too much work! If so, you can create a smoky eye by taking a dark shadow like Nars Night Breed and running it along your upper lash line. From there, work the color out onto your eyelid. The darkest color will be concentrated on the lashline, getting lighter as it goes upward. It is an easy and quick way to create an evening look.
Accent your smoky eye with pale blush and nude lipstick. Bright lipstick is just a bit too much too look at. If bright lipstick is more your thing, we will be covering holiday red lips tomorrow. Be sure to come back.

Product Review

2007-12-07T07:20:00.001-08:00

I recently got Lasik eye surgery, a real blessing as I no longer have to struggle with my contacts each morning and night. After Lasik, you are instructed not to touch your eye area and use eye drops multiple times a day. This combination led me to have a crusty film over my lashes, and a week after the surgery, when I was finally allowed to touch my eyes again, attempting to rub the crustiness from my eyes also removed many of my lashes, which had died in their crusty cocoons. So when I went to try to find a remedy for my now half-bald lashes, my eyelashes were in critical condition.
I picked up Talika Eyelash Lipocils ($38 at Sephora) with the hopes of restoring my lashes to their former thickness. What I got was even better. This product comes in a mascara tube, and you are instructed to use it twice a day, morning and night.
I followed the instructions – mostly, I will admit sometimes I forgot – and have ended up with far more lashes than I’ve bargained for several weeks later. I was happy with my lashes before, but using this product brought out a length and fullness that I didn’t have. They now have a full and healthy look to them, like hair that’s been washed with a really good volumizing shampoo.
If you are unhappy with your lashes, Talika is a great product for you. If you are hesitant about the $38 price tag, a great mascara (see my Wand Wars post for the best products) may just do the trick for you.
Be sure to check back next week as we are devoting the whole week to how to create great holiday party looks.

We've Got You Covered

2007-12-06T06:36:00.001-08:00

Foundation can cover up some skin discolorations or blemishes, but not all skin woes can be covered up with even the heaviest formula. I decided to write this because I woke up this morning with a problem my foundation certainly wouldn’t fix. A zit as red and round as Rudolph’s nose had popped up unexpectedly (and most certainly unwelcome) on my right cheek. Time for concealer.
Concealer is most easily applied with a concealer brush by dotting the concealer over whatever blemish you want to hide. Your finger or a sponge will also work. I have heard two schools of thought about what step in your make-up routine is best to use concealer. I have heard that it is best to use concealer as your first step, but some people believe you should use it after foundation. This second school is suggesting that you can put the minimal amount of product on your face and blend the concealer in better if you know exactly how much of the blemish your foundation will hide. Both ideas make sense to me, so it is really up to your personal preference which method you prefer. When you apply concealer may also depend on which color of concealer you are using and what type of blemish you are trying to cover. Putting a green concealer on after you put on your foundation may look a bit funny.
Concealers no longer just come in the same shades as the make-up you purchase. Green, purple, and yellow concealers have also invaded the market, making shopping for concealer a difficult and confusing process.
I want to break it down for you to make it a little easier. Remember the color wheel? We all learned it at some point. This will be your key to shopping for concealer. The theory is that the color you want to cover will be most easily covered by its opposite on the color wheel. For instance, the Rudolph-nose-zit on my face this morning was red. Bright red. Looking at the color wheel, I would see that I need to neutralize the color by topping it with green. Therefore, green concealers are designed to hide any red or pink blemishes that your foundation will not cover.
Purple concealers, if you we again turn to our color wheel, are designed to cover yellow imperfections. Sallow skin or yellowing bruises (although I truly hope none of my readers have bruised faces) would be corrected by a purple concealer.
On the flip side, yellow concealers will hide purple imperfections. This would again include bruises or the more common under eye circles.
Arm yourself with your color wheel next time you go to the store, and you are sure to be able to hide even the most noticeable imperfections. Even Rudolph-nose-zits.

Snow Glow

2007-12-05T06:52:00.001-08:00

Building a snowman isn’t exactly my thing. Really, the only benefit I find to being out in the blistering cold is the rosy blush that glows on my cheeks after being outside. It’s time to put those snow boots away! Now there are some fantastic ways to duplicate that glow without actually stepping foot outside.
Welcome to the wonderful world of cream blush. Like lip stains, cream blushes are long lasting and create a rosy glow that powdered blushes could never quite master. The best cream blush on the market right now is created by Tarte (www.tartecosmetics.com), but another great formula is created by Nars. Tarte’s product, Tarte Cheek Stain, comes in a stick that can be swiped across your face, and Nars comes in the same rectangular black case as their powder blushes.
If you are new to cream blush, you will feel the urge to double back at the store when you see the vibrant shades of pink these formulas come in. But have no fear, the final product will not be the clownish circle you are envisioning. Although bright in the packaging, the color will look much more subtle when on your face. Tarte’s cheek stain is particularly difficult to mess up. Go for a bold color like Nars Cactus Flower or Orgasm. You won’t be sorry.
Once you get the product home, you can apply it easily. When I use my Tarte stick, I just dab it onto my face until I feel I have a sufficient glow. With Nars (or a product that may come in a similar packaging), I take two fingers and tap them gently in the cream. With a big smile, I start by dabbing the product gently onto the apples of my cheeks (the big round spot that displays so prominently under your eyes with a big grin). Sometimes I work my way out from there, tapping along my cheekbone, but other times I will swipe a gentle bronze over it for a natural multi-tonal glow. Nars Zen powdered blush is a very light brown formula that works well in the winter, even on my porcelain skin.
If it is taking a bit of time for you to get the hang of the perfect amount to use, you can always layer a too-pink attempt with another swipe of your powder.
So get out of the snow and into your nearest beauty store for that perfect rosy glow.

Winter Woes

2007-12-04T07:07:00.000-08:00

The holiday season is festive and fun. Christmas shopping, hearty meals, twinkling lights, and merry parties are a few signs of the cheerful season. The holidays also mark the onset of winter. And with winter comes new skin woes, most notably dry skin. My terribly sensitive skin has been screaming for mercy as winter has set in and sapped all the moisture from it. No amount of water (or gingerbread lattes) has restored my skin to its former dewy self. Just as your provide your body with extra layers of clothing to keep yourself warm, your skin will also be thanking you if you provide an extra barrier between you and the moisture-sucking cold weather.
Drench your body in lotion as many times as you can throughout the day. The intensity of your lotion depends on just how dry your skin feels. I demand an intense hydrator, but others of you will fare will with a lighter formula. To further increase the intensity of your lotion, you can mix a bit of body oil into a few pumps of lotion.
Body oil is my best friend all year, but it is particularly useful in the dry winter months. In addition to being able to mix it in with your lotion, body oil can serve other hydrating purposes on its own. You can use it as a barrier between your skin and hot water when you shower by rubbing it into your skin before you hop in the shower. You can also rub it on after you use the shower, although for all practical purposes you will have to pat some of it off as you towel dry. If you have the time, however, rub it in after a shower, throw on your robe, and relax while it soaks into your skin. It’s an ultra-hydrating experience your skin will thank you for. My favorite body oil for its price and quality is Neutrogena Body Oil (found at any drugstore). More expensive ones do exist, but I find this one works quite well.
Another important step in protecting your skin is exfoliation. Although dry skin may feel irritated during exfoliation, the exfoliant works to get rid of all that dull, dry skin and reveal a fresh new layer of skin underneath. My favorite exfoliant is The Body Shop’s Cocoa Butter Body Scrub ($16) for its delicious smell and soft feel. I find some exfoliants to be too aggressive, irritating even the most minor shaving nick, but The Body Shop’s formula is gentler on skin. Only use exfoliants approximately twice a week so you don’t aggravate your skin.
Of course, the products you use to hydrate your body won’t work well to hydrate your face. Dry facial skin can lead to acne, blotchiness or irritability. If your face is responding negatively to the cold weather, you must increase the moisture to your face as well. One way to do this is to use a weekly hydrating face mask. The most professional results at home can be found with MD Skincare Intense Hydra Mask. The $60 kit comes with six applications, effectively making each mask cost $10 (that’s two venti lattes ladies). The gentle formula hydrates for a week, and it effectively got rid of the irritability that was causing mini-breakouts around my face due to the chilly weather. Even after one application, I had a decidedly anti-fashion friend comment on how good my skin looked.
And since your skin absorbs most of its moisture at night, be sure to be using an uber-rich moisturizer each and every night like Origins Night-A-Mins. Your skin will thank you for it.
Other areas of your body that seem especially prone to dryness in the winter months include hands and lips. Your hands can be easily addressed throughout the day with a travel bottle of lotion in your purse or at your desk. For more intense hydration, buy an intense moisturizer (like Eucerin). After applying it, toss on some spa gloves and spend the night with them on. If, like me, you end up pulling the gloves off in the middle of the night or you just don’t want to wear gloves all night, this trick can work to some degree if used for a shorter amount of time. I toss mine on while I catch up on reality TV. Putting lotion on before you toss on your mittens for your morning commute is also an effective way to trap more moisture.
Cuticles and lips can be addressed with one tiny pot of pure shea butter found at L’Occitane. I will swear by this stuff, and L’Occitane also carries a fantastic product called Nail and Cuticle Cream which cures hangnails more quickly than any product I have ever seen.
Armed with these tips, you are certain to survive the winter months with skin glowing brightly.

Good Morning Sunshine!

2007-12-03T07:18:00.000-08:00

Tropical islands evoke fantastic images of sandy beaches, calming waves, and lazy days, a break from our 9-5 routines to bask in the glorious, warming sunshine. Ahh…
Wait. Sunshine? I used to be a sun worshipper, not only because I like a glowing tan as much as the next girl, but also because I grew up in Minnesota where the sun only graces us with its presence occasionally. Sunshine was euphoria for me, and I am sure many of you can agree.
And then came the dark side of the sun. Cancer, wrinkles, age spots…hmm, suddenly that sunny tropical island doesn’t seem so appealing any more. Of course, sunscreen is the easiest way to avoid many of the negative effects caused by the sun. But where to start?
And I know what you are thinking. Yes, it is the first week of December. Like you, I am bundled head to toe to keep warm in the short, bleak winter days. Even for those of you who are not planning your next vacation to Cancun and don’t live in Florida, sunscreen is just as important in the winter as it is in the summer. Unless you plan to draw the shades and stay in your house all day, I implore you, for the sake of that gorgeous skin of yours, to use sunscreen each and every day.
There are two types of rays which emit from the sun: UVB and UVA rays. UVB rays are the rays that will burn your skin, and UVA rays are the rays that cause aging and leathering. A simple way to remember this is UVB (remember the B) rays Burn, and UVA (remember the A) rays Age. They’re both bad, and so when looking for a sunscreen pay attention to whether the sunscreen is broad spectrum. A broad spectrum sunscreen is one which protects from both UVA and UVB rays. This is just as important, and many argue more important, than the SPF of the sunscreen.
SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor. There are minute differences in how well SPF 15 works in comparison with SPF 50. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, SPF 15 blocks 93 percent of UVB rays; SPF 30 blocks 97 percent; and SPF 50 blocks 99 percent. Minor differences really, but depending on how sensitive your skin is to the sun, they are well worth noting. As you may have also noticed, the SPF in sunscreen can only tell you what percentage of the UVB (B for Burn) rays you are deflecting. If you don’t have a broad spectrum sunscreen, you may not be burning, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t wrinkling like a raisin as you sunbathe.
Sunscreen should be applied every 2-4 hours, especially when you are outside. If you are working in a lightless cubicle all day, slather it on before you go to work and about thirty minutes before you clock out. But if you have a sunny corner office, be sure to be putting it on throughout the day. Most UVA (A for Aging) rays are not blocked by windows. As we mentioned earlier, don’t judge your sunscreen use by the weather. An estimated 40 percent of the sun’s harmful rays reach the earth even when the sun isn’t showing its shining face.
The very best face sunscreen I have found is Cellex-C Sun Care SPF 30+. This broad spectrum sunscreen doubles as a moisturizer for those of you who like to get up and go, and its ultra-light formula is non-greasy and completely safe for even the most sensitive skin types. Find it at www.skinstore.com.
MD Skincare (www.mdskincare.com) offers an on-the-go alternative called Powerful Sun Protection SPF 30 Sunscreen Packettes. These single-use packets are perfect for tossing in your purse. Clinique offers a broad spectrum balm called Sun-Care Lip/Eye SPF 30 that is also easy to use on the go.
For even further protection, Clinique also offers Advanced Stop Signs Eye Cream with SPF 15. In addition to offering further sun protection for the delicate eye area, this eye cream is especially illuminating.
Whether your next trip is to a fantasy tropical island or the nearest grocery store, never forget to wear your sunscreen.

Wand Wars

2007-06-12T09:30:00.001-07:00

I swear by mascara. It’s the one beauty product that catches the attention of even my husband. More than once, he’s commented on the dramatic difference a swipe of mascara can do. Yet choosing a mascara has become a daunting task. Each beauty brand seems to have more mascara choices that Ben and Jerry’s has flavors. Lengthening? Strengthening? Natural? Dramatic? Non-clumping? The choices are virtually endless. So today, we are going to discuss several mascaras to help you make the best choice the next time you find yourself at the makeup counter.
Different people want different things when it comes to makeup. Some gals are just looking for a simple, natural, everyday mascara. Let’s face it, that’s all of us some days. It’s a rare breed who wants to have their Saturday morning coffee in dramatic makeup. I have several recommendations for lazy days or girls who just don’t want (or need) dramatic lashes.
The first is Bobbi Brown’s No Smudge Mascara. Those of you familiar with the Bobbi Brown line know simple is her motto. This clean, clumpless mascara is sure to please anyone looking for a simple, natural look. Of course, Bobbi Brown’s $20 price tag may not be what everyone is looking for. If not, I have two other recommendations.
Environmentally friendly divas may want to instead look into The Body Shop’s Super Volume Mascara. The Body Shop is committed to not testing their beauty products on animals, and this animal friendly mascara also provides clean coverage for $12.
Last, Neutrogena’s Weightless Volume mascara provides a smooth, clump-free look by not using wax found in other mascaras. It can be purchased at any drugstore for $8.
However, a natural mascara may not be what some fashionistas are looking for. A daytime mascara will hardly cut it with a smoky eye. For occasions when a more dramatic lash is needed, there are lots of great choices. Following are my top picks.
The reigning queen of drama in the makeup world today is, of course, MAC. MAC’s ProLash offers a heavy, dramatic look ideal for an evening out. Yet, their Fibre Rich Lash, although not quite as heavy, offers long, dark lashes as well. Both are available for $11.
I have also been satisfied with Christian Dior’s Diorshow Waterproof mascara ($23) as an alternative to the heavy MAC brands. A less expensive choice would be MaxFactor’s 2000 Calorie mascara ($6).
Want to keep it simple? Above all, I adore Clinique’s High Impact mascara. Day or night, I feel you cannot go wrong with this clean yet dramatic look. In fact, I only purchased this mascara after asking a Clinique counter worker with exceptional lashes what she used. I haven’t looked back. And at $13.50 for a tube, you can’t go wrong. If you are only going to have one mascara in your makeup bag, this would be the one I recommend.

First Things First

2007-05-27T16:50:00.000-07:00

The perfect face begins with the perfect foundation. Over the years, I have gone through a variety of different foundations pursuing the perfect blend of lightweight coverage. I wanted something between MAC’s heavy StudioTech and Bare Escentuals barely there formulas.
My quest ended a year ago at Barney’s in Beverly Hills. I had valet parked my car at Barney’s. The cost of valet parking was $5 unless you had purchased something at the store. I was hoping to find my perfect summer handbag at the store, but was disappointed at the selection. Yet, when all else fails there is always make-up.
I perused the shiny, decorated counters until I was pulled in by a soft-spoken saleswoman who offered to give me a makeover with her brand, Hourglass. This was the beginning of a love affair that has now lasted a year, a record amount of time for me to use any product.
I have sensitive, acne prone skin, and I am hesitant to let any new product near my face. Yet, the sales person guaranteed me that I wouldn’t regret it. The Hourglass formula is gentle on your skin and still provides adequate coverage. I was impressed with how well the foundation blended into my fair skin and decided to take a risk on this new line. I purchased the foundation, powder, and concealer. And I haven’t looked back since.
A month after using the products regularly, my aesthetician noticed a drastic improvement in my skin. I had noticed it too. My skin had cleared up virtually completely. For once, the salesperson wasn’t just trying to make a sale.
The products are expensive, but I promise they are worth every dime. In addition to being exceptional products, they last forever. A year later, I am on my second bottle of foundation and my second powder compact. I still have the original concealer. Surprisingly, Hourglass is difficult to find. I have yet to find it anywhere other than the Barney’s Beverly Hills. Even Barney’s New York doesn’t carry it. Thank God for the internet. Check out www.hourglasscosmetics.com for the entire collection.
Oh, and did I mention I got my valet parking ticket validated?