Category Archives: Product Perks

Fair Skin vs. Tanned

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It’s April in Texas and I look like a cast member of Twightlight! I’m practically glowing! I boycott my tanning habit almost exactly a year ago when I noticed my skin aging more rapidly. Continuing to spray tan for a few months after, I then finally realized I couldn’t even remember what my “real” color was. So, I took a break from it all to get back to my true color… and that was fun, but I’m ready to come back to the light!

There is nothing I look forward to more than the return of sunshine in Spring. Call me crazy, but MOST people look better with a little color. Even though I took my “tanorexia” to the extreme in my early 20′s (aging me tremendously) I don’t think I should punish myself by being a vampire forever.

I DO believe in using SPF religiously. Additionally, spray tans, airbrush tanning, and self-tanners are the safest way to get your tan on!

Do these celebs look better bronzed? Yay or Nay?

Why do some people look better with color?

  • You look healthier
  • You look thinner
  • Your teeth look whiter
  • Masks blemishes (scars, cellulite, & red spots)

Now, don’t get me wrong with my tanning rant. While some people look good with a glow, others are just as gorgeous pale, cool and icey! Work with what you got and own it, Ladies!

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Does Dreary Weather Reek Havoc on Your Skin?

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Getting sick is almost inevitable when cool weather is in the air. You should always prioritize inner health over external beauty. It’s never fun applying makeup on dark, discolored eyes, chapped and inflamed skin, or a runny nose. I’ve found a few tips that will hopefully make it a little easier to cope. No need to hide your face when you’re feeling under the weather. These health and beauty tips should get you looking and feeling better in no time!

FOR DARK or DISCOLORED EYES

Internally:
Your body retains water when you’re sick in an effort to heal itself. Unfortunately, this retention forms puffy, dark skin around the eyes. Your body feels like it’s in a drought. It needs more water and minerals. Take a bath with Epsom salt/minerals because the salt acts as a humectant for the body. Lukewarm chamomile and black tea bags pressed over the eyes can help calm and eliminate dark circles.
 
Externally:
“Concealer is the secret of the universe” says Bobbi Brown. Apply a moisturizing full-coverage concealer underneath the eyes to camouflage and brighten circles. I like to color correct before applying concealer if there’s strong discoloration, but a full-coverage formulation usually does the trick.
 
Brit recommends: Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Kit – $33
CHAPPED SKIN
 
Internally:
Rough, dehydrated skin is a nightmare to deal with. To increase circulation and bring moisture back to skin, place two drops of peppermint or eucalyptus oil in a very warm bath. The steamy vapors will hydrate. I do this at least couple times a week!
 
Externally:
It seems like every kind of makeup cakes on chapped skin, so you have to adjust the way you take care of your complexion. For a pre-makeup moisture surge, apply soothing calendula lotion to clean skin. If your regular foundation still looks dry over the lotion, mix a drop or two of facial oil into the foundation before applying it to your skin.
 
Brit recommends: Philosophy Hope in a Jar – 2oz. $40

FOR INFLAMMED CHEEKS

Internally:
When your face feels and looks as if it’s in flames, diet can help reduce inflammation. While your body needs warming foods like hot soup when you’re sick, your skin also needs cooling vegetables to bring down the fire. Eat foods high in antioxidants and rich in vitamin K and E.
 
Externally:
Once a week, mix two or three uncoated aspirin tablets with enough water to form a paste and apply topically to combat inflammation. Let sit for a few minutes, then rinse. To cover the redness, apply mineral makeup over moisturized skin. You should let your skin fully absorb any creams before you apply the makeup, otherwise the minerals will make a paste on your face.
 
Brit recommends: PUR Minerals 4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Makeup – $26

FOR A RUNNY or FLAKY NOSE

Internally:
Perhaps the most annoying by-product of the common cold, a flaky, runny nose feels as yucky as it looks. To clear your nasal passages, calm the area down, and add moisture try using a saline spray. To slough off pesky flakes on the outer rim of your nose, gently exfoliate with a sugar scrub, then slather on a concentrated balm in and around the nose (vasaline works). It’s important not to exfoliate this area too much. You can do more harm than good.
 
Externally:
Apply a balm on nose, lips or any other severly chapped areas. This will stay better than cream-based face products that tend to dissappear or slip off with the first swipe of tissue. Layer a powder foundation over a thick face balm for coverage and durability to ensure that it stays in place.
 
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Health and Beauty: Epsom Salt

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I highly believe in taking time for yourself, pampering and using natural products whenever available and easily accessible. Epsom salt is so under-rated. I love this magical stuff! I always have bags/cartons of it on hand at my house and use it for anything and everything. Baths are my favorite use for Epsom salt!

Eases Stress and Relaxes the Body – Stress drains the body of magnesium and increases levels of adrenaline. When dissolved in warm water, Epsom salt is absorbed through the skin and replenishes your level of magnesium. The magnesium helps to produce serotonin that creates a feeling of calm and relaxation. Research shows that magnesium also increases energy and stamina. Some experts believe that Epsom salt baths at least three times a week help you to look and feel better. Magnesium ions also relax and reduce irritability by lowering adrenaline. It can also lower blood pressure, improve sleep and concentration, and help muscles and nerves to function properly.

Exfoliates dead skin – In the shower or bath, mix a handful of Epsom salt with a tablespoon of bath oil or olive oil and rub all over your wet skin to exfoliate and soften. Rinse thoroughly.

Exfoliating face cleanser – To clean your face and exfoliate skin at the same time, mix a half-teaspoon of Epsom salt with your regular cleansing cream. Gently massage into skin and rinse with cold water.

Remove splinters – Soak affected skin area in an Epsom salt bath to draw out the splinter.

Unclog blackheads – Add a teaspoon of Epsom salt and 3 drops iodine into a half cup of boiling water. Apply this mixture to the blackheads with a cotton ball.

Remove foot odor – Mix a half cup of Epsom salt in warm water and soak your feet for 10 minutes to remove bad odor, soothe achy feet, and soften rough skin.

Remove hairspray – Combine 1 gallon of water, 1 cup of lemon juice, and 1 cup Epsom salt. Cover the mixture and let set for 24 hours. The next day, pour the mixture into your dry hair and leave on for 20 minutes before shampooing as normal.

Hair volumizer – Combine equal parts deep conditioner and Epsom salt and warm in a pan. Work the warm mixture through your hair and leave on for 20 minutes. Rinse thoroughly.

Athlete’s Foot – Soak feet in an Epsom salt bath to help relieve the symptoms of Athlete’s Foot.

Treat toenail fungus – Soak your affected toes in hot water mixed with a handful of Epsom salt three times a day.

Soothe sprains and bruises – Add 2 cups Epsom salt to a warm bath and soak to reduce the pain and swelling of sprains and bruises.

Now, go pick up a some of these magic crystals at your local drug store and keep it on hand. You never know when you might need some Epsom salt to solve your health or beauty issues!

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Hair Tie to Die For

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Ponytails are possibly the easiest hair fix ever and excuse for many women to keep shoulder length hair. Pulling hair up and out of the way regardless of an overdue hair appointment or workout is a small luxury to some women. I love the feeling of getting the hair off my neck after a long day.

I spotted this trend a few years ago on Oprah. Emi-Jay ponytail holders probably got their biggest boost on Oprah’s list. Now, all the celebs are wearing them and making them even more popular. They are just a band of elastic fabric tied in a knot! I thought they were cool though.

A couple years went by and I never bought them. What jogged my memory was my fall Sephora catalog, when I saw they were selling their own version of ribbon hair ties. I didn’t pass my chance up this time. I bought some! I’ve done some investigating since and found that there are quite a few brands making these.

Since I don’t wash my hair every day, I’m usually pulling it up after day three or so. My normal hair ties tend to be something from Goody or Scunci, but I usually end up with a headache by the end of the day and major hair dents. These elastic hair ties advertise that they won’t leave dents, stretch out or cause headaches. So, I wore one all day and no headache and no dent! It even looks fashionable on my wrist.

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Masks: Moisturizing your Mane

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Cold weather and hair trends play a big role in causing frizzy, brittle strands to cry out and be tamed by moisture! The easy solution is to hide the problem under a hat, but upon removal your hair will be suffering from a serious case of hat head. Ugh! Deep-conditioning masks can make your hair smooth, manageable, and shiny. Lucky for us, sometimes all it takes is a five minute session with a hair mask to take our hair from limp to luxurious giving us no real excuse to be walking around with head full of frizz. Below are some of the best masks for your mane.

DAILY MASKS

Some hair masks such as It’s a 10 Miracle Hair Mask are mild enough to be used like regular conditioner. Thick treatments like the Fekkai Shea Butter Mask work well as a leave-in conditioner for fine and/or thin hair. Massage a pea sized amount into ends before blow-drying.

 

QUENCH THE THIRST

Hair needs moisture just like your body needs water and your skin needs lotion to stay hydrated. The main point of a hair mask is to give your mop a much needed boost of moisture. There are many different kinds of masks. Some are creamy and lotion-like, while others are oil-based. Cream masks such as Organix Macadamia Oil Intensive Moisture Mask can add body and nutrients to flat hair while products such as Moroccan Oil Dry-No-More Scalp Treatment, formulated with argan oil will yield high-shine results. No matter which you choose, you can rest assured you’ll be giving your strands a conditioning drink.

ZERO IN ON DAMAGE

There is a difference in dry hair and damaged hair. Damage is over processed, overly color/heat treated, split ends, breakage, and nodules. Applying your mask from roots to tips is the go-to method, but you can also use it to zero in on especially damaged areas. If you tend to heat style the ends of your hair, try painting a mask onto the tips once a week to reduce split ends. Alternately, if you just touched up your roots, massaging a mask into your scalp might cut down on breakage and itching.

KEEP YOUR CURLS

Fight the frizz and keep your natural texture. Wavy, curly, and ethnic hair is especially prone to dryness in the winter, causing shrinkage and tangling. Go for a heavier mask and products with a buttery or balmy base to penetrate deep. Try a curly haired favorite Carol’s Daughter Monoi Repairing Hair Mask to put a stop to breakage. Work through gently with your fingertips. Make sure to rinse well to prevent buildup!

BRIGHTEN UP

Color treated hair loves moisture, and there are a wide variety of masks on the market specially formulated to beef up your dye job. Try one of my faves Phytocitrus Restructuring Mask by Phyto to keep your vibrant dye from feeling dull.

HOMEMADE MASK

If your hair is thirsty but your pockets are empty, don’t let it starve! Feed it from your kitchen. Many cupboard staples work wonders on dry and brittle hair. Olive oil is one of my favorite at-home beauty products for almost anything. Smash a ripe avocado with two tablespoons of olive oil and massaging into your hair for 15 minutes after you shower. An easy DIY hair recipe right from your pantry!

BEAUTY IS TIME

Certain masks can take up to 30 minutes to work while others need only three. Different ingredients need various time intervals to be absorbed by hair, but that doesn’t mean that a five minute treatment can’t be worn for an hour or even overnight. Try relaxing with a hair mask by wrapping treated hair in a warm towel to open the follicles. If you get caught up in a phone call or a movie, fear not your hair knows when it’s time to stop drinking.

*Brit Tips: Combing with a wide toothed comb helps distribute product evenly. Rinsing with cold water helps lock in moisture, adds shine and cuts down on tangles! Also, try letting it air dry.

 

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