Hair care- part 2

Yesterday I discussed at length my choices for shampoo and conditioner. I also plugged Aubrey Organics, my choice for all things hair-related. I want to continue that today because I have some other great finds from the site. What good does a good conditioner do you if you hair still needs taming from styling products, right?

I am a curly-haired girl (and I refuse to straighten it- not everyone looks good with straight hair. I just end up looking like a chubby cheeked version of Cher.) So some form of hair gel is a must. But I am very picky- I don't want crunchy or crisp hair. I don't want the wet look even when my hair has long been dry. I want soft, shiny, defined curls that look healthy. And frizz must be kept to a minimum.

Tall order, right? Well two products from Aubrey Organics deliver. B5 Design Gel is a "Styling gel and conditioner in one! Herbal gums and vitamin B-5 (a natural hair thickener) offer body and hold, and Organic Rosa Mosqueta® and other herbs deep-condition and help protect hair from sun and blow dryer damage," according to the website. Mandarin Magic Ginkgo Leaf and Ginseng Root Hair Moisturizing Jelly contains "eight hair-nourishing Chinese herbals, plus hair-thickening vitamin B-5 and herbal gums add up to one superb styling product that moisturizes as it holds. Adds body and shine without weighing down the hair."

It may sound like the Moisturizing Jelly is like a true hair gel, holding the curl, but it is the other way around, in my experience. The moisturizing jelly does just that, it moisturizes and makes my hair super soft. The B5 Design Gel provides a whole lot of hold though. In fact, at the beginning when I experimented with these products for the first time, I went overboard with the B5 Design Gel and got a mild case of helmet head, where each curl was crunchy and crisp. Not cute.

So now, I have determined the perfect combination/ratio of the two (for me and my hair, anyway.) I put a quarter size-half dollar size amount of the Moisturizing Jelly in my palm, add only a dime size amount of the B5 Design Gel, and mix together before applying to my hair. I do this a total of 2 - 3 times, depending on weather conditions, humidity, and how much time I feel like spending on my hair. I also disperse it evenly by working on SECTIONS of hair (like top/front, back/sides, and then I flip my hair over and get the bottom/underneath.) It sounds time consuming, but my hair literally only takes 5 minutes in the morning, and most days I am happy enough with it.

Curly hair is tempermental regardless of how you style it, but if you take good care of it, treat it well with good, natural products, and lay off the heat styling and straightening, it tends to behave better. Another important factor is how much you touch/play with curly hair. When styling, don't run fingers through hair- it separates the hair into smaller pieces, creating more volume. (That is, if you have problems with excess volume, like me.) Once it is styled, touch the hair as little as possible- touching will break the curls up, contributing to frizz. And any curly-haired gal will tell you that frizz is the enemy.

Oh, and Aubrey Organics offers all sorts of styling aids- from hairspray to leave in conditioner to curl activator- to style any kind of hair. And you don't have to be a curly head to use the Moisturizing Jelly, it would also work (in smaller amounts) as a leave in conditioner for other types of hair as well.

Do you have curly hair? Have you been hiding it because you just can't get it to look healthy and frizz free? What do you use (whether curly, straight or somewhere in between) to style and care for your hair?

Hair care- part 1

Going natural and organic is important, but it can be so expensive. It leads you to wonder, where do I begin? I will be the first to admit, there are more inorganic/unnatural things in our cleaning regimen (for both house and body) than there are organic/natural ones. But I make it a point to try an all natural method or product if it is cheaper or comparable in price to the one I was using. I stick with it if it turns out as effective or more so than the method/product I used previously.

And that brings me to my shampoo and conditioner. There are people who buy drug store brands because price is all they care about, those that are loyal to certain brands (like Pantene, Garnier, etc) because they think they work the best, and those that only buy salon brands, convinced they are more effective. I have been all these people.

Then, sometimes those people get fed up with the poor results they are getting with all of the above. Maybe they are intrigued by claims made by people who have gone all natural. But when you get to this point, as I did, you aren't sure where to get REALLY all natural products for hair care. Oh, there are plenty of products claiming to be all natural in drugstores, but reading labels is key. Chances are, if you can't pronounce it, it isn't naturally-occurring.

Having given up on products I had tried from the store, I searched the internet. That is where I found Aubrey Organics.

I have dry, coarse, curly hair with frizzy tendencies, so I chose my shampoo and conditioner based on that. However, they do have choices for oily hair, straight hair, normal hair, etc. Every kind of hair under the sun.

I wanted the products to calm my sometimes itchy scalp, clean off any residue from styling products, moisturize and detangle, and provide daily nourishment. The ones I have tried did all that. I am a huge fan of the White Camellia line, as well as the Jojoba and Aloe Desert Herb line. Both smell clean and herbal- nothing too strong. They rinse clean but still leave my hair soft, and de-tangled. Everything on the ingredient list is recognizeable. I am also quite satisfied with the price, considering the change in results I have seen since switching my products- most of the shampoos and conditioners are $10 for an 11 oz bottle, which lasts me forever. That's another thing about all natural products- since they get the job done right, I don't have to keep masking any damage done to my hair with more conditioner, styling products, etc.

What kind of shampoo and conditioner do you use? Do you buy and use them as a matching set? Do you try to use all natural/organic products?

Give me a little daily moisture, please

I always have lotion on my desk at work. I drink so much water so I must have to use the facilities something like 10 times between 9 and 5, and all that hand washing wreaks havoc on my skin. So I make it a point to always follow up with lotion when back at my desk.

Well I was using this stuff:


Burt's Bees is awesome- they use all natural ingredients and most are organic too. But this one is pretty strong smelling and has a greasy feel. It would be fine at home at the kitchen sink, but I don't want greasy fingers all over my keyboard and on my work phone, etc.

I also wanted something with an SPF- your hands are often overlooked when it comes to sun protection. You apply SPF 15 moisturizer all over your face and body in the morning, but throughout the day you (hopefully) wash your hands a lot. And you probably don't reapply that moisturizer afterwards. Hands often show age long before anything else so sun protection is important.

A week or two ago (before the spending freeze) I was at Walmart over my lunch break picking up some produce so I figured I would get a few other things. So, I got more hand lotion for my desk and I went with this one:


Perfect! It has a light, clean, pleasant scent. It absorbs quickly and makes my skin super soft. It is gentle. And it has the required SPF 15 for me. Just one pump is all I need for my hands after washing. Oh, and it is cheap. Love!

Not at my most stylish....

Lately (the past week and a half) I have had to wear my glasses and not wear much makeup. The reason: my eye. Last week it was really sensitive to light, but the sensation came and went. Over the weekend, it got pretty bad, and the burning kept me awake. My eye is red and irritated-looking, but no, it is not pink eye or anything else contagious. I have a few theories: a blood vessel popped from stress or not getting enough sleep, or (as Chris suggested) I accidentally poked myself in the eye and scratched it.

I know, what does this have to do with style, beauty, fashion, etc, right? Well, I have had to wear my glasses, which only brings back memories from high school of feeling like a nerd. And to stop anything from possibly causing further irritation, I haven't been wearing any makeup. No foundation, as it could get in my eye. No mascara. Nothing. So I kinda feel.... naked.

Last week, I thought maybe I could use the need for glasses as a reason to dress like one of those sexy librarians. I wore a satiny frilly top with black trousers and heels. Not only did I not succeed with feeling sexy, I was also really warm and uncomfortable whenever I left the extreme air conditioning of my work environment.

Ever have days like this? How do you deal when you don't feel like the best version of yourself? The good news is that it seems to be getting better.

SPF in triple digits!

My friend and co-worker Kelly and I talk about skincare (and other things) a lot. It is no wonder, after all- she sells Avon! She does buy and use a lot of products from Avon, but she is not exclusive to them. She also complains of sensitive skin that reacts and gets irritated by facewashes and lotions easily (a problem many of us have)- so when she finds a product that she likes, she tends to highly recommend it.

She took my recommendation of Cetaphil from a previous post seriously, and she says it helped to calm her skin. Yay! In return she told me about a little find she made herself. :)

Finding a good, high SPF sunscreen or facial moisturizer can be hard when you break out easily or have a tendency to get shiny. Believe me I know. I haven't found a good one above SPF 15 because it seems that the higher the SPF, the greasier the feel.

Kelly claims this is not so with one particular product from Neutrogena. She put it to the true test when she went to the Maryland shore for the weekend. According to her findings, it was not greasy, but it was also waterproof. It didn't cause her to break out, but it didn't budge the whole time she had it on. And she didn't need to reapply. She even had to wash her face more thoroughly to ensure it all came off. Those are some pretty great user results to back up their pretty big claims!

According to the website:

"Neutrogena Ultra Sheer^® Dry-Touch Sunblock SPF 100+ with Helioplex^® offers the highest combined UVA/UVB protection. SPF measures UVB burning rays, while PFA measures skin-aging UVA rays. Now, Neutrogena Ultra Sheer^® SPF 100+ is the only sunblock proven to protect skin from over 99% of UVB sunburn damage. Plus, with an unbeatable PFA, nothing provides better UVA protection. Infused with a light, fresh scent, this elegant formulation is fast-absorbing, non-whitening, waterproof and lightweight. Neutrogena's Dry-Touch technology provides an ultra-light, non-shiny finish and leaves skin soft and smooth."

I may need to pick some up myself now- I am almost out of my higher SPF sunscreen (for when I am out in the sun for longer periods of time) anyway.

Anyone else use this one already? What do you think of it? Use something else you think works even better? Share!

Nutrition for your skin!

My friend Alberta came to visit for the weekend, all the way from Mt. Vernon in NY. Along with eating out, getting ice cream, watching the new Harry Potter movie, and playing dominoes, she and I talked skin.

Night time skin care to be exact. Alberta has great skin naturally, but she has recently changed up her night time routine. A friend recommended a few products to her, which she has been using a few weeks. She loved the results, both immediate and over time, and has thus passed the recommendation on to me.

Two nights in a row, I patted Garnier Nutritioniste Skin- Renew Daily Anti-fatigue eye cream gently around my eye. Alberta told me she noticed a difference in her eye area the first time trying the product. So did I! The dark areas were brighter and fine lines were slightly diminished. It was a very slight difference, but improvement nonetheless.

She also had me sample her Garnier Nutritioniste Skin- Renew Overnight Regenerating Cream both nights as well. I immediately noticed it sunk into my skin, instead of sitting on top of the skin and feeling greasy. This is an issue especially in the summer for me- oil, humidity and clogged pores are a recipe for disaster. If a night cream sinks into my skin instead of just leaving an oily layer on top, I am a happy camper. The next morning, my face still did not feel greasy- a feat in itself.

If you are looking for a good eye cream and/or night cream, put these two on your to-try list! Thanks for the tip Alberta!

New Nail Colors!

It was time for a new manicure and pedicure. My hands and my feet (especially my feet) look like they have had it lately. For my hands, it is because I haven't been as diligent as I usually am with lotion, especially after hand washing. For my feet- well, you know how summer and sandals can be.



Please excuse the bad paint job, especially on the toes. I painted them on my lunch break at work in my car, haha. I went with OPI's "I'm Not Really A Waitress" for my hands, and Essie's Glamour Do for my toes. The Essie one was a free gift from Glamour! It is super pretty, but super sheer. I used something like 3 coats because I was afraid it just looked clear.

Somebody at work commented that I don't match the nail polish on my toes and fingers. I don't do that because I think it looks too... staged maybe? Besides, I think the notion that you have to do that is outdated.

What do you think of these colors?

Skincare, part 2

In my first post about skincare I went over what I know to be the main types of skin. I also broke down the cleansing regimen, types of cleanser, and daytime moisturizer that I think are best for each type. In this post I want to discuss what I believe to be the best way to care for skin at night.

At nighttime, when you are sleeping specifically, your skin repairs and rejuvenates itself. (So does the rest of your body, by the way. Staring bleary eyed at your computer at 3 in the morning is not helping to repair anything- I have tested that already, haha.) So, a night time regimen is very important so that you and your skin can get the most benefit from those (hopefully) 8 hours of rest.

Here is what I have in my arsenal- all the treatments, serums and creams I use on my face AFTER CLEANSING. This stuff is useless and will probably just clog your pores if you do not cleanse and remove all makeup first. I do not use every single product every single night- that would make my skin erupt in flames. It hasn't happened yet, but I am making an educated guess.




And here's the explanation:
I wash my face- it's usually Noxzema at night, like I said in the first post. Once or twice a week I use Olay Regenerist Microdermabrasion Peel- it leaves my skin super soft and any treatments I use after are more readily accepted by my skin. Creams and serums seem to soak in better.

Once or twice a week (not the same night) I use a mask. The ones above are all good, but I have tried a lot. The Mint Julep one is good for tightening pores, drying up any acne, oil etc. The grapeseed one is good for softening fine lines and overall firming, and the avocado and grapefruit one is good for light exfoliation and moisturization.

If I have acne of any kind- blackheads, blemishes or full-on pimples- I use the two Murad products. The Exfoliating Acne Treatment Gel is good for larger areas and less serious acne. It contains salicylic acid which sloughs away dead skin, which is a big part of what causes acne. The dead skin gets in the pores and mixes with oil and dirt to clog them up and make them look big. The Acne Spot Treatment is for just that- spots. I dab it on actual pimples and rub it in. Both products are pretty strong (for me) so I don't use them everyday, just when I think I need them. I used to use pimple creams with Benzoyl Peroxide. It would definitely dry up the pimple, but it also made my whole face dry, itchy and red. So if you have the same experience, these two Murad products may be good for you.

If there are no acne problems to deal with (yay!) I use my other serums. I try to use the Avon Anew Clearly C as much as possible. Vitamin C is a natural antioxidant- it fights the free radicals that do damage to your skin all day long. It has improved clarity and tone and it is supposed to fight signs of aging. Plus, this serum is super moisturizing- sometimes in the hot weather, I don't follow up with any other cream. I did my research on this one too- it has 10% Vitamin C, more than the more expensive Mario Badescu version, which I believe has 7%. Good deal!

Sometimes I use my Neutrogena Ageless Intensives Deep Wrinkle Serum in lieu of the Vitamin C serum, but for the most part I use the Neutrogena one during the day. However, if using it during the day, you have to be careful. It contains Retinol which can make you sensitive to the sun. I always follow up with a good sunscreen or my Benetint You Rebel Tinted Moisturizer with SPF. Also, since many people are sensitive to Retinol, it is recommended you start slow with this product- use it every other day or every third day for a week or two before increasing to daily use. Retinol is another exfoliator- so obviously I wouldn't use it after I had exfoliated with my Olay Regenerist Microdermabrasion Peel, or at the same time as the Murad Acne Gel. It would definitely result in sensitivity.

Every night, regardless of the other treatments I use, I also use an eye cream. The one above from Avon's Anew Force Extra Line is thick and creamy, and is the one I use currently. In the past I have also used this one from Avon's Anew Clinical Line.

This one is also great- it has a cream part to fade dark circles under your eyes as well as a cooling gel to calm puffiness on your eyelid up to your browbone.

At Sephora, I got this one as a free gift, and it is next in the lineup of products to try:


I will let you know how that one works!

Finally, I usually round out my nighttime regimen with this Avon Solutions Dramatic Firming Cream. It gives me the feeling of tightening my skin- although that could all be in my head, who knows. It is thick enough for the winter, which is a must for me. Sometimes, depending on what else I have used, I forgo it in the summer months.

I probably sound obsessed with antiaging products and promises, but I figure it is never too late to start preserving your skin.

What is your routine like? Is mine a little... overkill? Have you used any of these products? Do you have something you have tried, tested and now swear by?

Skincare, part 1

A reader recently emailed me, asking me to discuss skincare in a future post. (Thanks Billie Jean!) Well, there is a lot to the subject, so there could be several posts about it. Let's start with the face- cleansing and moisturizing during the day.

Skin type
Most people fall into one of several categories. There is oily, dry, and combination. You know you have oily skin when you develop shine on your face during the day, and you have to blot or use face powder. You may break out in acne often and/or easily. Summers are worse than any other season because of humidity. You may have greasy facial skin, but the rest of your body may be fine, or even dry. You may have the same issues on certain body parts as well, like the back- you may even have back-ne (acne on the back.) You probably have trouble finding a good moisturizer, since so many are greasy.

Dry skin tends to be a problem more so in winter than in summer, but people can and do have it all year long. There could be flaking, irritation, fine lines, dullness, etc. You may have trouble finding a moisturizer that is thick/creamy/emollient enough. If your face is dry, the rest of your body probably is too- especially the feet, elbows, knees, and hands.

Then there is combination skin, which is just that- a combination. You may get an oily T-zone (forehead and nose) but you could also have dry patches on your cheeks. You could have back-ne but really dry arms at the same time.

So, once you know what category you fall in, it is much easier to choose a good facewash and moisturizers, day cream, night cream, treatment serums, etc.

Cleansing
First off, never EVER wash your face with the bar soap you might typically use on your body. The skin on the face is much more delicate and sees a lot more of the elements than the skin on your body. Bar soap is drying and harsh for facial skin, whether you are oily or dry. Secondly, just because you may have oily skin does not mean you should get a harsh or drying facewash. Your face, being constantly dried out by the facewash, may react by overproducing oil in an attempt to balance the skin. It is much better to look for a product that will clean your pores, not necessarily strip the skin of oil. Who said that oil was bad? It is the stuff in the pores that will cause them to look big, and will clog them and lead to breakouts. So regardless of type of skin, I suggest a facewash that will do a good job of cleaning and removing makeup but that is also gentle. Here are a few I have tried that I think do a phenomenal job of that.



I use both the Cetaphil and Noxzema (the blue tub you use your fingers to scoop out of) myself everyday, and I used to use the Neutrogena Deep Clean Cream Cleanser. I use Noxzema at night mostly, because it feels like a deeper clean, and I usually need to remove makeup and the daily grime. It is also very refreshing and cooling. I have heard it is great if you have a sunburn, too. (Although, it is much better to avoid the sun damage in the first place, of course!) I use the Cetaphil in the morning, since my face should be clean from the night before. But I still wash it (so should you!) because I could have picked up dirt and oil and hair product in my sleep. None of these options suds up- they are all gentle cream cleansers. Suds are a sign that the product contains harsher ingredients, like Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, which you don't want on your face, if possible. The Cetaphil does contain SLS, but at least it is not the main ingredient, and it can't be much considering the lack of suds.

Moisturizing
It is my opinion that all skin types should use moisturizer, day and night. But this is where the type of skin you have determines the product you use. Obviously, oily skin and combination skin mean you want a non-greasy, non-comedogenic moisturizer. With dry skin, you don't necessarily want oil in the product, you just want something thick and creamy. However, oil in the product may prove helpful in cold, dry weather and gusty wind, as the oil will provide a barrier against the elements. In this case, the type of oil matters, and experimentation might be necessary to see what works for you.

During the day, SPF is also a must, no matter the season. Five minutes a day, like running to and from your car/house, is all you need to get sun damage. But sun exposure is also good because it provides Vitamin D in a way you can't get in fortified foods. So, since we can't and shouldn't avoid the sun altogether, wearing an SPF 15 minimum is best. A shotglass full is the amount necessary to cover the body sufficiently, and a dollop the size of an almond is the amount you need for the face.

Applying separate products in the morning for moisturizing and sun protection is annoying and tedious, so I recommend products that combine the two. Here are some great ones for the face.

Neutrogena^® Oil-Free Moisture SPF 15 and Neutrogena Ageless Intensives^™ Deep Wrinkle Anti-Wrinkle Moisture with Helioplex^® SPF 20




Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer SPF 30, Aveeno PR Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30, and Aveeno Ultra Calming Daily Moisturizer SPF 15

The first and second Aveeno choices are good for dry, normal or combination skin, but the second has color. It could be used in place of foundation for lighter makeup. It does not give a cakey, or "greige" look (combo of beige and grey). The third is good for oily skin.

I personally use the first Neutrogena choice, except right now I am using a tinted moisturizer with SPF for summer. Read about that here.

So that is my take on the beginning of a good skincare regimen. I believe the most important parts of skincare are cleansing, moisturizing, and sun protection, especially when it comes to the face. In the next skincare segment, I will touch on a good nighttime skin routine, so stay tuned!

What do you use to care for your skin? What do you think of these recommendations- do you agree? Think I missed key options that are better?

The Neon trend

Neons (and the eighties in general) are back in a big way. Just look at this evidence:

Charlotte Russe:



Urban Outfitters:






Topshop:




I love me some trendy neon as much as the next girl, but I know full well that a trend like this will go as fast as it came. So what are you to do when you still want to get in on the fun without spending a lot of money on stuff you might hate in a few months?

My way of getting in on this trend cheaply and without a whole lot of commitment was with my nails. Take a look:



Now I know neon green fingertips are not for everyone, but that is the beauty of nail polish, it doesn't last all that long. As soon as you are sick of it, it is time to take it off anyway.

If you like these colors and want to find a bottle of your own these are the names to look for:
OPI La Paz-itively Hot (hot pink on toes)
China Glaze In the Lime Light (neon green on fingers)

The thing with crazy nail colors like this is that nails should be kept short. Fun colors can look great, but if the nail is long it can start to look... overwhelming.

Normally I try to buy OPI exclusively. It just seems to last the longest and the color stays true. Plus, OPI contains no DBP, Toluene or formaldehyde. But, OPI didn't have a neon green (that I could find at Sephora, anyway) so I found this China Glaze version at Sally Beauty.

What color(s) are you wearing on your fingers and toes? Are you into the neon trend?

dollface

This is a new model on the scene- Lindsey Wixson. Troy Jensen, makeup artist to the stars, blogged about her recently, saying she reminds him of a young Angelina Jolie. Doesn't she look like a lifesize doll??? So pretty in such a unique way. Troy did her makeup so that she would look like she barely had any on at all, so she didn't look like she was trying too hard or anything. I think he did a phenomenal job.

A beauty and fashion legend

Today, Farrah Fawcett died after a long hard battle with cancer. In addition to her memorable career, she pioneered high-waisted pants, feathered wavy hair, bed head, and that image of a natural California blonde. I found these pictures to commemorate her- I think she looks the most beautiful and natural here.