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How to Get Pretty Summer Toes

May 21, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Get your feet back in tip-top shape just in time for sandal season.

Products for perfect feet and pretty toes

Products for perfect feet and pretty toes

Your poor little piggies haven’t seen the light of day in months. Before they make their warm weather debut, we’ll reveal the products needed to slough, hydrate and polish ‘em into sandal-strutting shape.

Sheswai Nail – Stoked 

Spice it up with this pretty turquoise shade that looks great with tanned toes. The super glossy, pigment-rich formula is free of formaldehyde, toluene and dbp’s, making it much less toxic than the average lacquer. And, to top it off, the caps are custom made from sustainably harvested wood grown on family-owned tree farms.

 

Kahina Organics Argan Oil

Rich in antioxidants and essential fatty acids, this lightweight, non-greasy formula absorbs easily, providing instant hydration. It packs twice as much antioxidant all-star Vitamin E as other oils, meaning it’s able to neutralize the effects of damaging free radicals—the particles that attack and prematurely age all tissues.

 

Beecology Hand & Body Cream

This all-natural hand and body cream provides intense hydration that will pump the life back into dry skin. It hydrates with organic honey, olive oil and shea butter, and locks in moisture with beeswax and bee-derived propolis.

 

Bayberry Naturals Turmeric & Citrus Clarifying Body Scrub 

This formula is both exfoliates and moisturizes. Sea salt gently scrubs away dead skin and dull buildup and Grapefruit Essential Oil, Neem and Turmeric work their naturally antibacterial and detoxifying magic. The result? Feet that are soft and refreshed.

 

Filed Under: Beauty Products, Nails, Style Trends Tagged With: , , , , ,

Spring essentials: What you need in your beauty bag…RIGHT NOW!

May 2, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Essential Spring Beauty Products

Ladies, we’ve done a major beauty bag overhaul! Taking on the “less is more” mantra, we decluttered our cosmetics carousel to include only the things that really work — not those that waste time with extra steps.

To put it simply, this is our spring essentials list. These makuep must-haves are so good, they’re have you looking haute in any season.

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Do You Really Know How To Wash Your Face?

May 2, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Are you washing your face correctly?

Washing your face seems pretty basic, but use the wrong products or technique and you’re setting yourself up for breakouts, dryness and other no-fun skin issues. Here’s how to avoid the most common cleansing mistakes.

Take your makeup off first.
If you’re using toner on a cotton pad to remove makeup traces after you cleanse, you’re doing it backwards. Instead, use a facial oil or non-greasy makeup remover to take off foundation, concealer and sunscreen before you lather up. (Toners aren’t meant to take off makeup, but to constrict pores and balance skin’s pH — but you might not even need one.) Try Sephora Supreme Cleansing Oil ($14, sephora.com) or Koh Gen Do Cleansing Spa Water ($39, barneys.com).

Choose the right cleanser.
“The ‘correct’ way to wash your face really all depends on your skin type,” says board certified dermatologist Dr. Ariel Ostad. “People with normal to oily skin (or acne-prone skin) can use a cleanser with salicylic acid or alpha hydroxyl or a Clarisonic brush to remove dead skin cells.” If you have sensitive, dry or redness-prone skin, use a mild cleanser such as Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser ($11.49, drugstore.com). Unless you’re really oily, you don’t need a cleanser that foams — that squeaky clean feeling means you’re stripping your skin’s moisture (and you already removed your makeup, remember?). Plus, according to Dr. Ostad, “In winter seasons, one should use less cleanser as it dries skin further.”

Don’t scrub!
Are you using your wash cloth wrong? “A wash cloth is a good idea for use as long as they are not too abrasive,” says Dr. Ostad. “The mistake people make here is that they rub their face for too long or are not gentle enough, which can lead to more redness in patients with sensitive skin.”

Take your time.
Just like brushing your teeth, if washing your face takes less than a minute, you’re not being thorough enough. Most people with normal, dry or sensitive skin only need to cleanse once a day in the evening; just rinse with water or a moisturizing toner, such as Mario Badescu Chamomile Cleansing Lotion ($15, mariobadescu.com), to start the day. If your skin is oily when you wake up, cleanse in the morning, too.

What’s the best cleanser you’ve tried?

Related Articles: Why You Need A Morning And Nighttime Skin Care Routine

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Makeover your cosmetic bag: 5 Inexpensive beauty swaps

May 1, 2013 By Leave a Comment

There’s no denying that the price of beauty can really add up. The next time your favorite lipstick runs low or your foundation cakes up, try saving some cash by replacing it with one of these high-quality, low-cost beauty swaps.

1SWISSPERS COSMETIC COTTON APPLICATORS

Makeup brushes are great, but if you’re the kind of woman who forgets to clean your brushes regularly, replacing your old brushes with new ones may not be worth the cost. You see, brushes that are left un-cleaned can lead to clogged pores and breakouts. To avoid this problem altogether, consider picking up Swisspers Cosmetic Cotton Applicators. For less than $4.00 you get 80 disposable applicators that enable easy application of eyeshadow and lipstick, as well as easy blending of liners. You can also purchase Swisspers Cosmetic Application Wedges to apply foundation, blush, bronzer and highlighter. A package of 32 costs roughly $2.50.

 Swisspers Cosmetic Cotton Applicators

 

2REVLON COLORSTAY 12 HOUR EYESHADOW QUAD

When it comes to eyeshadow, you want variety, versatility and quality. The best products will go on smooth and won’t fade or crease as the day progresses. Josephine Fusco, a New York City-based freelance makeup artist suggests the Revlon Colorstay 12 Hour EyeShadow Quad because you get four colors with each purchase and you can choose from 18 different palettes. Also, there’s no smudging or creasing. You can pick up a quad for roughly $6.99 from local supermarkets and drugstores.

 Revlon Colorstay 12 Hour EyeShadow Quad

 

3WET N WILD LINERS

Wet n Wild may be the brand you purchase when buying your daughter’s first lip gloss, but the inexpensive lip and eye liners are a favorite of makeup artists and beauty experts. Fusco says “They offer great color and durability and keep your lipstick from bleeding outside your lips.” Constance Dunn, author of the style book Practical Glamour also loves Wet n Wild liners, “It’s good to have a white eyeliner on hand to brighten the look of your eyes and enhance your eye makeup shades. When it comes to pure white, there’s not a lot of differentiation among makers, and the Wet n Wild Kohl Kajal Eyeliner Pencil works great. It pencils on easily and lasts all day.” Wet n Wild cosmetics are available at most drugstores and liners cost roughly $1.00 to $2.00 each.

 Wet n Wild Liners

 

4L’OREAL VOLUMINOUS MASCARA

For a mascara that makes your eyelashes look longer and thicker without clumping, check out L’Oreal Voluminous Mascara for roughly $7.50. Dale Janee Steliga, an image consultant, fashion stylist and founder of popular blog SavvySpice.net says, “My lashes are on the shorter side, so after using my curler I always apply this mascara and find it’s the best to thicken and lengthen my lashes.”

 L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara

 

5RIMMEL FIX & PERFECT FOUNDATION PRIMER

If you want your morning makeup application to last all day, you need to apply a primer first. Steliga recommends Rimmel Foundation Primer because “It sets my foundation for the day. Also it goes on smooth and doesn’t clog pores, which is extremely important to me.” She goes on to note that, “I have tested many different primers and I like this one as much as higher-end primers like Smashbox.” Pick up Rimmel Foundation Primer for less than $7.00 from your local drugstore.

Rimmel Fix & Perfect Foundation Primer
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Why You Need A Morning And Nighttime Skin Care Routine

April 30, 2013 By Leave a Comment

We all have skin care routines that we’ve grown comfortable with (even as a beauty editor, I find it hard to switch up products), but did you know that you should actually have a different routine at night than the one you have in the morning?

It turns out everyone needs a morning and a nighttime skin care routine because your skin had very different needs at different times of day. We recruited skin care expert Dr. Murad to explain what easy changes we should be making to our beauty routines, so that even those stuck in a routine will be willing to give something new a try.

What is your skin care routine?

Morning
SPF should always be a component in your morning routine because of exposure to UVA and UVB rays. Apply a light sunscreen under makeup, such as Jan Marini Antioxidant Daily Face Protectant SPF 33 ($48,janmarini.com), or use a facial moisturizer with broad spectrum SPF. Dr. Murad recommends adding antioxidants in the morning as well — either through veggies and fruit for breakfast or in your skin care products — “so your skin is ready to face the day and the potential environmental damage we all face.” Dr. Murad Perfecting Day Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 30 ($49, murad.com) includes antioxidants that protect against free radicals and fatty acids that increase the skin’s elasticity.

Nighttime
“At night, you should focus on products that help nourish your skin and also repair it.” He recommends applying a thicker, more highly-concentrated moisturizer just before bed. “The body’s cells are replenished with nutrients and are being regenerated at night, so this is the time to optimize the delivery of the raw materials your skin needs.”

There’s truth to the phrase “beauty sleep”: “During your sleep cycle, your body repairs each of its systems,” says Dr. Murad, “including your skin — the body’s largest organ and the one that displays the most dramatic signs of sleep deprivation and aging.” There are even night creams that optimize the skin’s sleep cycle! Look for products with “Melatonin and GABA, an amino acid that has a calming effect on cells and encourages muscle relaxation to maximize the body’s ability to repair and regenerate during the night.” Goldfaden MD Sleep Renewal Night Cream With Melatonin ($70, amazon.com) does just that, providing antioxidant protection and enhancing relaxation to help ensure restful sleep.


Read more: BB Cream, which is best for you?

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