Beauty Blog

This week, I tried two new products and am very happy to say that they are both exceeding my expectations!

The first is the Nivea Kiss of Moisture lip balm: $2.54. I love it because it moisturizes well and lasts, I don’t have to reapply over and over again. It’s also a little short and chubby little stick, which means it’s easier for me to find in my purse. There is no taste and no scent and it doesn’t feel greasy. It’s great!

Next up is the Neutrogena Anti-Oxidant Age Reverse Night Cream: $18.90. Of course I don’t really NEED anti-aging products (yeah right!). I love this because it’s light, which is unexpected for a night cream. I hate the feeling of laying in bed, trying to fall asleep, with what feels like a gallon of grease on my face from traditional heavy night creams. I don’t know if it’s reversed my age yet (I wish…) but my skin does feel really nice when I get up.

Shop for more night cream and lip balm at Smarter.com.

The Sephora blog blew my mind today: “Finnair is now offering cosmetic surgery procedures that can be bought with miles earned on the airline’s flights. The rewards available include hair replacement surgeries; “multi-layer facials;” eye lifts; and—wait for it—boob jobs. Less invasive experiences, like spa days, may also be purchased rewarded.”

Do you really want to undergo a spa treatment in a place with no fresh air and airsick passengers around you? No way!

Instead, how about some in-flight beauty tips?

1. Tie your hair in a scarf to combat bad hair at the end of a long flight — make it a Hermes to add extra glamour.

2. Hair powder, like a dry shampoo, helps combat oily scalp or limp hair.

3. Leave your house with a leave-in conditioner in your hair. Wrap it in a scarf, and you’ll get a deep-conditioning treatment while you earn the miles — excellent for combating the overly dry air on board

4. As always, carry a great hairbrush. They like the junior Maison & Pearson.

5. Don’t forget hair shine paper. It helps eliminate static and reduce dullness.

6. Cucumber eye pads. Pre-moistened pads soothe and refresh tired and puffy eyes. These can also be refrigerated prior to travel to further refresh eyes during flight.

7. Pre-moistened makeup remover cloths remove makeup or just clean the skin mid- or post-travel. Neutrogena or Mac brands are good. (Note: These pre-moistened towelettes must be placed in your one-quart bag of liquids.)

8. Makeup corrector sticks help correct little smudges, blotches or “I-can’t sleep-because-I’m-stuck-in-the-center-aisle” circles under the eyes.

9. Cake mascara is a great alternative when liquids are not allowed. This is the classic Hollywood way to darken and define the eyelashes. It comes in a pressed, cake form and can be mixed with water then applied with a firm brush. They recommend curling the lashes first — Paula Dorf or Longcils Boncza brands are favorites.

10. Solid cocoa butter and cotton gloves for a hand treatment (also place in one quart travel bag).

I am fair skinned, have allergies, and don’t get as much sleep as I should. The dark circles under my eyes are a huge problem. I have spent hundreds of dollars on various creams with no results. Concealer works to a point, but if you aren’t very careful you can end up with bright white circles around your eyes. If money is no object, you can get Restylane injections under your eyes, but because the skin there is so thin, the chance of weird side effects is great–some women get lumps and bumps around their eyes that can last for a YEAR! Eek! So what can we do? Is there any hope?

For people who aren’t sure why they have dark circles, he recommends topical products that contain a plumping agent or alphahydroxy acids, which can thicken the skin, or vitamins C and K, which can inflame skin and add volume.

But considering the glut of products on the market with a variety of active ingredients, Dr. Persing said, “If there are that many of them available, that usually means they’re not terribly successful.” (read more)

image: bloggerbase

As early as ancient Egyptian Civilizations bathing has been an essential element of one’s health, appearance, and peace of mind.  Bathing is one of the most accessible, exotic and rewarding beauty rituals that you can perform.  Showering will get you clean, but fully immersing your body in water is true bathing.  For me it is a perfect end or beginning of my day.  After a bath filled with lavender and chamomile I feel beautiful, healthy and renewed.  Loving and caring for the body is an obligation and bathing was one of the first ways people began to respond to caring for the body.

Bathing will help you reap the following benefits:

• relaxes tense muscles
• opens clogged pores
• removes dirt, bacteria, and environmental toxins from the skin
• gives strength to your body
• restores moisture to your skin and tissues
• adds a healing dimension to your day
• reconnects you to your body, mind, and spirit

To get the most from your bath time, first of all, prepare your bathroom.  Your bathroom should be clean, fresh, and soothing.  Lighting a candle or incense and playing some soft music may help to set the mood.  Make sure your slippers, towels, and robe are close by.

Next, prepare your tub.  Draw water that is very warm but not hot.  Water that is too hot will actually do harm to the skin. Add natural ingredients to your water such as pure essential oils, salts, herbs, and plant oils like jojoba, avocado, almond, and apricot.  It is important that you use live natural ingredients as they help to keep your skin healthy and alive.  Natural soaps, herbs, sea salts, and clays are also helpful.

Bathing is a healing activity, so you especially want to avoid synthetic fragrances, harsh soaps and other bath additives that will strip moisture from your skin and create a toxic bath. Once you have prepared your bath, dry brush your skin to help get rid of dead skin cells, and to open the skin so that it can absorb the water, and additives in your bath. Soak for 20-30 minutes, taking deep breaths, which help rid your lungs of toxins.  Relax and appreciate the water, and the benefits of the natural ingredients in your bath.  and then use a natural sponge or cotton washcloth to clean your skin.  Massage your skin in a circular motion.  You should also use a foot file to remove old skin from your heels.

Pat your skin dry, and, starting at your feet, apply moisturizer while your skin is still damp.  One of the best moisturizers is raw, unrefined shea butter. When applied to the skin, it’s rich fatty acid and vitamin a content will help to seal moisture into your skin.  This step will help to prevent dryness and cracking and helps to keep your skin from aging.  Pure unrefined Shea butter is available at PrettyNatural-inc.com.

Your mind, body, and spirit all gain strength from bathing. Rediscover the art of bathing.

image: fairygodmotherinc.com

In her book, Passport To Beauty, Shalini Vadhera reveals beauty secrets from around the globe and shares recipes for scrubs and moisturizers that can be made simply at home. Here are some of the beauty secrets she learned during her travels all over the world including Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America, and Australia.:

• Under Eye Circles. In Spain, they apply thin slices of potato on their eyes for ten minutes to lighten the skin and fade dark circles after a night of partying.

• Reduce Puffiness. Scandinavian women banish puffiness with 15 to 20 splashes of ice-cold spring mineral water.

• Softer, More Youthful Skin. In France, they apply freshly cut and mashed grapes to make skin softer and more youthful, because grapes contain potent antioxidants and have moisturizing benefits.

• Instant Lip Conditioner and Gloss. Italian women rub olive oil on their lips to condition lips and add shine.

• Soothe Irritated Skin. Greek women massage olive oil onto their skin to soften dry, irritated skin and to treat sunburns.

• Get Rid of Stretchmarks. In Asia, women use white camellia nut oil to moisturize, condition, nourish, and soften skin. Shalini shares that she knows a few celebrities who swear by this oil for combating stretch marks while pregnant. Women also use it to promote hair growth, treat burns, and strengthen nails.

• A Cleansing Jumpstart. The women of Zimbabwe drink a cup of hot tea with lemon at the beginning of the day to cleanse the system and jumpstart the metabolism.

• Strong, Shiny Hair. In India, women massage coconut oil into their hair and scalp once a week to strengthen hair, promote growth, help with split ends, and make hair shiny.

• Dandruff Fighter. To get rid of dandruff, Australians add a few drops of eucalyptus or tea tree oil to shampoo.

Everybody loves a good deal on makeup! Drugstore.com has some SUPER deals right now:

Buy any Revlon cosmetic item and get 50% off the second equal or lesser priced item!

This is what I’m getting:

Revlon Beyond Natural Skin Matching Makeup, Light-Medium $12.99

Covers imperfections and evens skin’s appearance. Patented ingredients made with innovative micro-color beads adjust to your exact skin tone upon application.

I love this stuff! I don’t need a heavy foundation and my skin is really dry and this is like wearing nothing at all!

Revlon Matte Lipstick, In the Red $8.00 $4.00

I haven’t tried this shade yet, but for 50% off I can experiment! I love a true red like this one!

If you’re not a Revlon girl, Drugstore.com has the same great deal on Cover Girl and Maybelline cosmetics too!

And the best part: If you spend $25 (and who wouldn’t?!) you get free shipping!

Find more Drugstore.com coupons at CouponMountain.com.

Sometimes I get a little tweezer happy. I might be one of the only women who really enjoys a good eyebrow plucking. I love it! But, too much of a good thing can be bad. I’ve been known to pluck my eyebrows down to a sad and skinny little line. But no worries, make-up expert Bobbi Brown has advice for plucky gals like myself…

According to makeup experts, including Bobbi Brown in her book, “Beauty,” almost every woman needs to fill in her brows as part of her normal beauty routine. Bobbi’s claims are backed up by the editors of Allure’s “Confessions of a Beauty Editor,” who state that makeup artist Dick Page once informed them he’d never seen a model who didn’t need her brows filled in.

If, like most women, you were born with sparse brows or simply went too far with the tweezers, there is a fix to filling in your eyebrows. All it takes is a pencil, powder and an angled brush or a clean mascara brush.

Tip 1: Pick a Pencil and Powder Shade

Pencils and powders tend to stick to skin, not to hair, so if you don’t have a lot of hair you’ll want to shade in the skin where hair should grow.

Select a soft pencil (hard pencils tend to be too waxy) which is a shade lighter than your brows and a powder which matches the color of brows. If brows are super fair, choose a pencil that’s a shade darker than brows. (read more)

image:ehow

The holiday season is sneaking up on us and with it comes lots of parties and lots of reasons to look gorgeous! Check out the beautiful GloMinerals Holiday Glam Kit. It has it all!

gloMinerals introduces gloMinerals BEST multi-faceted collection ever. Express yourself with classic glo shades along with 3 new, distinctive eye shadow trios. This visual treasure has everything you need for exhilarating looks with high style.

gloInspiration holiday glam kit includes: (starting at the right and going in order from top to bottom)

• gloShimmer - brick gleam
• gloBronze - sunlight
• gloBlush - hibiscus, innocent, lilac silk
• gloConcealer - natural light, golden dark
• gloCream eye liner - espresso, eggplant
• gloGloss - coconut, nude, lilac luster, plum glaze

*New gloEye shadow trios mojave, sahara, amazon

All for only $70!

Find deals on makeup kits at Smarter.com.

Where I live, it’s getting pretty cold and dry outside. I went to the drugstore in search of a good moisturizer because the spaces between my fingers were dry and cracked. I was browsing and debating between several $15 lotions when I came across that old familiar green can–Bag Balm. The cow on the lid of the can proves that yes, this stuff really IS for cows. The “bags” they are referring to are the udders:

“For use on cows, thoroughly wash treated teats and udder with separate towels before each milking. To avoid contamination after each milking, bath the udder with plenty of hot water, strip milk out and dry skin. Apply BAG BALM freely and massage gently with this proven ointment twice daily. This product contains no alcohol.”

She looks good!

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to slather something on that is meant to sooth udders but I bought the $3 can and brought it home. That night, I slathered it on my hands and feet and I can tell you now: This stuff is GREAT. It’s super thick and greasy, so beware, but it moisturizes like nothing I have ever used before. It’s like a thicker and more moisturizing version of Vaseline. The smell is definitely not pretty, but it’s not offensive either.

I wouldn’t use it on my face, but for the hands, feet, elbows and knees it is AWESOME and the price can’t be beat!

Shop for more moisturizers at Smarter.com.

Raw Apple Cider Vinegar should be a part of your healthy hair routine.  A healthy scalp is the first step towards growing and maintaining a healthy head of hair. Relaxers, perms, hair colors, bleaches, commercial shampoos and other styling products are mainly of an alkaline pH, whereas a healthy scalp must be a slightly acidic pH.  As a result of using alkaline and chemical based products the scalp’s natural acid mantle breaks down.  This naturally acidic mantle on your scalp and skin is how harmful bacteria are kept at bay.  Once the mantle is broken down your scalp becomes vulnerable and weak, this is when hair loss can start.  When your skin begins to breakdown, you will notice itching which progresses to burning and sensitivity, then shedding and balding.  Additionally, you may notice excessive oil pockets and pimples on the scalp.

Preventing the cycle is key to maintaining a healthy scalp. Avoiding chemical based styling products is a good place to start. Using a well formulated Raw Apple Cider Vinegar rinse on a regular basis will help to maintain a healthy scalp.

There are probably quite a few good vinegar rinses out there. If you are the adventurous type you could even try and make your own. I found Pretty Natural’s Healthy Roots Final Rinse and Scalp Toner to be just the right mix of ingredients to balance the scalp, remove debris and residue and help your hair to shine beautifully. With regular or weekly use of Healthy Roots Final Rinse and Scalp Toner, the enzymes and acidity of the combination of vinegar, aloe, witch hazel and essential oils in this formulation will help to:

• Balance the pH of your scalp, helping it to maintain it’s slightly acidic mantle.
• Dissolve minerals and heavy metals that attach to your hair from the tap water you use when washing.
• Dissolve buildup left behind from styling products, relaxers and color.
• Improve the appearance and feel of your hair.  As buildup, dirt and grime are removed, your hair will appear shinier with a healthy glow. 
• Strengthen your scalp’s natural acidic defenses to destroy unwanted bacteria that can cause thinning and hair loss.
• Keep your hair and scalp clean, a first step in restoring hair loss.  

  Pretty Natural’s Healthy Roots Final Rinse and Toner’s ingredients include:      

• Raw Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
  
• Organic Aloe Vera Juice
  
• Lavender and Witch Hazel Hydrosols                     
• Grapefruit Seed Extract
• Rosemary Oleoresin Extract
• Proprietary blend of Essential Oils that includes Rosemary and Sage.
  

Directions for use:  If you are experiencing an itchy scalp and thinning, add 1/4 cup to 8 ounces of distilled or spring water, massage into scalp and leave on for 20 minutes before washing hair.  Follow up with Pretty Natural’s Healthy Roots Shampoo and Healthy Roots Leave in Conditioner.  For regular use, shampoo hair first and add 1/4 cup to 8 ounces distilled or spring water.  Massage into scalp and leave for 5 minutes and rinse thoroughly.  For best results, use once weekly. 

To order go to Pretty Natural’s website at:  http://www.prettynatural-inc.com