Product Pick of the Week from our Beauty Expert
My product pick of the week is the new Smashbox High Definition concealer ($18). This amazing cover-up blends naturally into skin, yet covers flaws amazingly well. It’s creamy texture is great for the under eye area, as is the tiny pit of crushed pearl that provides some light reflection for brightness. When I put this on, I can’t even tell I’m wearing concealer and yet, as if by magic, my dark circles are gone! The only downside: it only comes in six shades, and the darkest isn’t nearly dark enough.
Pulse Points from our Beauty Expert
We all want to get the most out of our favorite fragrances, so here’s a tip to make your special smell linger longer—spritz your scent on your pulse points instead of your clothes. Not only does this practice help the fragrance stick to your skin better, but also the scent reacts with your body chemistry to make the fragrance unique and individual. Plus, some fragrances can stain fabrics. Pulse points include your wrists, inside of your elbows, behind your knees, your collarbones and the back of your neck.
Good Bronzer from our Beauty Expert
June 25, 2009 by Cari Cozy
Filed under Beauty, Going Green
Need a good bronzer for the summer? Why not invest in one that’s healthy for your skin? Korres, a natural Greek skincare and cosmetic company, makes a Monoi Oil Bronzer ($28) that is naturally hydrating and healthy, and gives a beautiful glowing color to your complexion. While it only comes in two shades, Sunglow Light and Sunglow Warm, the bronzers are made with no parabens, sulfates, mineral oil, petroleum byproducts, propylene glycol, ethanolamine or synthetic dyes, which make them much better for the skin than most. Plus, the monoi oil is noncomedogenic, so it won’t break you out, (trust me, I break out from everything!). Bonus for my fair-skinned femme’s, who are scared of looking fake: the Sunglow Light is the perfect, natural glow that’s never too dark, no matter how much you put on!
Beach-Bound from Our Beauty Expert
Bonjour, my beach-bound bunnies! Cari Cozy here; I want to talk to you today about the sun and tanning: how to protect your skin, how to fake that gorgeous glow, and what to do if (eek!) you do get burned. Our skin is the largest organ on our body and the first one to shows signs of aging, so if we want to look younger, longer, we need to protect it and take care of it.
First things first: protecting your skin from the sun. I’m sure we’ve all heard of SPF and how necessary it is to keep from burning, but to help you to get the most from your sunscreen, let’s go over the details. SPF means sun protection factor, which describes the amount of time you can stay in the sun without burning. The way this is calculated is by taking the amount of time it would take for your skin to start burning when unprotected, (for fair-skinned girls, like me, its about 10 minutes), and multiply it by the SPF number. So, a sunscreen with SPF 25 will protect my skin for 250 minutes, or about 4 hours. Now, say I applied my SPF 25 right before I got to the beach and then I lay out in the sun for 4 haging ours; I would then need to reapply my SPF 25 all over to maintain that sun protection. The same goes for if I went swimming—I have to reapply after I get out of the water to continue protecting my skin. Keep in mind, also, that sunscreen is not buildable; you cannot wear an SPF 10 and an SPF 15 and expect to be protected as you would be by SPF 25; only the SPF 15 will be effective.
So what exactly is this SPF protecting you from? Well, there are three types of UV rays that can damage the skin: UVA, UVB, and UVC. UVC rays can’t really make it through the ozone layer, so while they are very dangerous, they aren’t an immediate threat. However, UVA rays, or ‘aging rays’, are. They penetrate the most deeply into the skin and cause damage on two levels; first, they break down collagen and elastin which leads to premature aging and second, they can cause melanoma, one of the most dangerous types of skin cancer. UVB rays are often called burning rays, since they are responsible for the sunburn on the surface of the skin, as well as causing cancer. Because both types of UV rays are incredibly dangerous to the skin, it’s important that your sunscreen provide broad-spectrum protection from both UVA and UVB radiation.
I know what you’re thinking—“But I want to be tan! That’s what summer is for!” Of course, that’s what summer is for! That’s why everyone desiring that golden, glowing skin needs to invest in a good self-tanner. It’s the safest way to be bronzed long-term. (Don’t even get me started on how damaging tanning beds are; I don’t care how new and different it is. It’s still exposing your skin to high levels of close-range UV radiation. Don’t be stupid). Self-tanners, whether they come in a lotion, gel, or spray form, use the chemical DHA, or dihydroxyacetone, a sugar-derivative that oxidizing on the skin, creating a beautiful golden tan. Exfoliation is key with any of these products, as the DHA will adhere more to thick or dead skin, keeping you from getting an even glow. You tan should last anywhere from 5 to 10 days before you need to reapply.
Last, but not least, let’s say you failed to heed my words of wisdom and got a sunburn. What to do, what to do? First of all, cupcake, take some Ibuprofen or another anti-inflammatory to reduce swelling and keep the pain down. Secondly, kick yourself for not wearing sunscreen—just kidding! Stay out of the sun, and keep your skin cool and hydrated to help prevent peeling. Aloe Vera gel is a great after-burn remedy and can help with keeping the burn clean and preventing peeling, but I recently found a product that helps with the heat of the burn, too. Korres Yoghurt Cooling Gel not only cools the skin where it’s burnt and helps relieve stinging, but is also a natural product, with no parabens, phthalates, petrochemicals, etc. It smells wonderful and feels so good on the skin. However if your skin starts to blister and peel, don’t put any lotions or gels on that area aside from an antibacterial such as Neosporin.
One more thing I want to add, before I sign off: many of you lovely ladies with darker skin seem to think that this doesn’t apply to you since you don’t burn as easily. Let me tell you this, and I hope you listen to me—skin is skin, and even if you don’t see the effects of the sun immediately, UV radiation is still causing long term damage that will materialize in the form of wrinkles, age spots, hyper- and hypo-pigmentation, and cancerous cells. Protect yourself, my darlings, please! You’re all too beautiful not to!
Stay safe and enjoy the sun!
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What skin type are you? From our Beauty Expert
Ever wonder what your skin type is? Are you oily, dry, or normal? Wash your face with a gentle, non-abrasive cleanser and wait 10 minutes before applying treatment or moisturizer. How does your skin feel? Tight and shiny? If so, then you’re dry babe. If your skin is already feeling a little too moist, then you’re an oily girl like me. Feeling pretty normal? Congratulations, pumpkin. You’re the goldilocks of skin—just right.
Celeb look of the week: Gwen Stefani from our Beauty Expert
Celeb look of the week: Gwen Stefani. This funky female has always been an inspiration to me, with her classic red lips and sultry eyes. To copy her look, start with a pressed powder to matte out the skin; then apply liquid liner in an upward sweep on the eyes to get that glamorous cat eye. Swipe on a couple of generous coats of your favorite mascara, (we want lots of lashes here), and give the cheeks a faint dusting of a neutral pink blush. Lips come next, with a vibrant red lipstick, liner, and gloss. Lastly, make sure your brows are pristinely plucked and penciled—precision is key. Product picks: Sephora Brand Mattifying Compact Foundation ($20), Lorac blush in Peach ($19), Sephora Brand liquid liner in Black ($8), Cargo TexasLash mascara ($20), Nars lipstick in Red Lizard ($24), Nars lip liner in Amazon ($20), Nars lip lacquer in Diablo ($24), Anastasia Brown Pencil ($22).
Origins Friends and Family! Today Only!
Loving Origins, esp now that they’re on their whole going green streak.. I tried out some of their white tea products, and everyone said my skin looked so clear!
Definitely stopping in today for their Friends and Family offer!
Click this link to shop online – Offer Code FF
Free Dove Intense Damage Therapy
I hate the winter! Don’t get me wrong.. I love watching snow fall.. And who doesn’t lovee hot chocolate and a movie on chilly winter nights??
But I hate what the cold of winter does to my skin and hair.. My hands are all dry.. and the ends of my hair is dead.. Spring, please hurry up and get here! Soon!
Until then, I’m trying out Dove Intense Damage Therapy for my hair..
Let me know what you think of your free sample..
