Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend! I know that many of us will be spending time outdoors at some point this summer. Here are a few must-have products to toss into your purse or beach bag before having fun in the sun:
1. Hat and Sunglasses
The best way to protect your skin from sunburn and wrinkles is to physically shade yourself from the sun with a hat (whether it is a wide-brimmed one, baseball cap, or visor) as well as sunglasses. Sunglasses help protect your eyes from cataracts caused by intense sunlight and the delicate skin around your eyes from sun damage or wrinkling from squinting in the sun. Make sure that your sunglasses have a little sticker that says UV protection when you purchase them. The bigger the sunglasses = the more skin that is shaded and protected. And don't forget to slather on the sunscreen as well!
2. Murad Essential-C Sun Balm Broad Spectrum SPF 35 PA+++
The biggest issue with using SPF products generally is that people do
not reapply them often enough
for them to be effective for a long period
of time. For those times when you want an easy, mess-free reapplication, or for those days when you find yourself sitting outside at a restaurant or park without the proper sun protection, the Murad Sun Balm can save the day. It is a non-sticky, non-greasy sunscreen stick that is gentle enough to be used on the face or body. The formula simply glides onto skin and has a pleasant citrus smell. There are a few sunscreen sticks currently on the market, but I prefer the Murad one for a few reasons. First, most of the other sticks contain oxybenzone and/or BHT, but the Murad one does not. Second, the Murad balm contains vitamins A, C, and E to provide antioxidant protection and broccoli extract to support the skin's natural defense against UV damage.
3. BITE Beauty BB for Lips ($24 at Sephora)
As we know, sun protection in the summer is super important, but we often forget about our lips. Our lips contain skin cells that can certainly burn, so make sure that you're wearing some type of lip balm or lip color that contains SPF. The Bite Beauty BB for Lips is a great option. First, BITE Beauty makes some really nice naturally formulated lip products that are free of lead as well as toxins like parabens. Like a BB cream for your skin, the BB for Lips works to repair, replenish, prime, and protect, and hydrate lips, while providing a natural, sheer coverage that looks beautiful in the sun. It is available in 5 shades - Tawny (dusty pink) is my personal favorite.
4. bareMinerals SPF 30 Natural Sunscreen ($28 on beauty.com)
I always try and keep some of the bareMinerals SPF 30 powder in my bag. Whether you need quick sun protection for unforeseen outdoor activities or are hesitant to apply SPF over your makeup, this mineral powder is the perfect solution. With a portable design, the powder conveniently dispenses into the brush, which is ideal for on-the-go application and touch-ups. For makeup wearers, it blends perfectly into makeup without disturbing it. For non-makeup wearers, it is a moisturizing powder formula, so it feels much less greasy and chemical-like than a traditional sunscreen lotion. Plus, this product offers a very sheer level of coverage to enhance your natural glow. The mineral formula contains effective physical sunblock protection against the sun and allows for a super light-weight feel that does not irritate sensitive skin.
5. Vichy Thermal Spa Water ($14 at Ulta)
On a hot day, when your face is sweating or your makeup feels as if it is going to melt right off, simply spritz with some Vichy Thermal Spa Water. First, it will help, soothe, cool, and calm skin as well as help remove sweat. It will also help set your makeup to keep it in tact for the rest of the day. Lastly, the light hydration will help re-energize and refresh your skin. Most importantly, on a hot summer day, it just feels great. Evian makes a similar product, but I prefer the Vichy one because I feel that the mist is finer and the bottle provides a fuller spray.
Hope this posts helps. What are your must-have beach bag products this summer?
I don't know about you, but my makeup certainly does not look as fresh at 4:00PM as it does at 10:00AM. During the day, simple tasks like walking around, eating, blinking...movement of your face in general can take a toll on your makeup. In addition, your skin will replenish oil during the day as time progresses after washing it as well as lose moisture. All of these factors can cause our makeup to cake, smudge, and fade. Thus, many women refresh their makeup throughout the day. Check out these tips for your mid-day touch up:
1. Clean up around your eye area
The most noticeable area that smear and fades is generally the eye area. Always keep some Q-tips with you to clean up around the eye area. Tackle more stubborn mascara and eyeliner smudges with Almay Oil Free Makeup Eraser Sticks ($6 at Ulta). They're basically Q-tips with a makeup remover formula in the middle of the wand. When you break it in half, the solution dispenses to one side of the Q-tip. And it doesn't leave an oil or residue behind. Even though I typically wear gel eyeliner, I keep a creamy pencil liner in my purse for any easier liner touch up.
After all that, sometimes my eyes still don't look as awake as they did in the morning. If I'm going out to dinner or something after school or work, I'll line the inner corners of my eyes with a shimmery, white eyeshadow (using a brush, wand, Q-tip, or white eyeliner pencil) and dust a light cost of the shadow under my bottom lash line to make my eyes pop and my eye makeup look sharper. It really helps counteract any darkness around the eyes (from makeup smudging or fatigue) and acts as a light-reflecting luminizer to brighten.
2. Mattify oil
When you wash your face in the morning, you rid your pores of excess oil. However, during
the day, your skill will slowly replenish that supply. By mid-day, your face may appear shinier than it was in the morning. Excess oil may also cause some foundations and powders to cake. So, keep some Palladio Oil Absorbing Rice Paper Tissues with Rice Powder ($4 at Ulta) in your purse. You don't need to invest in expensive blotting tissues because drug store ones can do the job. I really like the Palladio ones because they absorb oil really well without smearing makeup like other blotters do (make sure to pat not wipe oil from your face). Just don't overdo it...you shouldn't be blotting more than three times per day because constantly removing oil will send a signal your skin to produce more oil. Eventually, this can cause your skin to overproduce oil.
3. Wake up your complexion
To top it off, dust your face with a sheer pressed powder like the Urban Decay Naked Skin Ultra Definition Pressed Finishing Powder ($34 at Sephora). The powder will help also help absorb any excess oil. I prefer a pressed powder because they are generally a more light-weight, and they're more mess-proof for easy storage in your purse and reapplication. In addition, I prefer a powder with a sheer coverage (rather than a transparent one or one with fuller coverage) and radiant finish because a slight touch of color and luminosity won't interfere too much with the makeup on your face. In fact, it can even your skin tone and give your
complexion a little lift.
For days when your complexion is looking particularly dull, gently pat a small amount of Mally Perfect Poreless Primer ($35 at Ulta) over your face before you apply the powder. I save it for certain occasions only because I don't like the fact that it contains bismuth oxychloride. But I must say that it's the only primer that I have stumbled across so far that looks okay over makeup. As a primer, it helps seal in moisture, smooth, and brighten. Mally herself claims that this is a good way to rid your face "mid-day crusties" and keep your complexion glowing.
4. Reapply
With eating, it's pretty hard to keep your lip color on all day, so don't forget to reapply it throughout the day to keep your face looking fresh. Adding an additional coat of mascara can also spruce up your look. Lastly, you may need to retouch any blemishes or dark spots that you spot cover with concealer. Slim concealer pens like the Shiseido The Makeup Corrector Pencil ($18 at Sephora) are perfect for the job. It's compact for carrying around, while the stick formula glides on easily and allows for a precise application.
5. Rehydrate
Throughout the day, your skin will lose moisture as time passes after applying your morning moisturizer. Also, many foundations work by pulling moisture from your skin, which can be dehydrating. To set your reapplied makeup and replenish your moisture supply, spritz with some Avene Thermal Spring Water ($9 on drugstore.com) over your makeup. Not only will your skin look refreshed, but it will feel refreshed too.
If you find that you have to reapply your makeup multiple times a day, you can probably take better measures to keep your makeup on. For example, try using a setting spray like the Urban Decay All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Spray ($29 at Sephora) to set makeup in place better than a setting powder or long-lasting foundation alone. You can also use primers to keep your mascara, eyeshadow, foundation, and lip color in place. Some really effective healthy options include:
Hopefully, these tips will help you freshen up so that you can put your best face forward every time of the day :)
If you took a peek into your grandmother's makeup drawer, you may have found products like the Coty Loose Face Powder, Avon Here's My Heart fragrance, Yardley false lashes, or Noxzema Skin Cream. Many of these age-old beauty products still effectively keep women looking youthful, healthy, and fashionable today. But we've come a long way in improving the efficacy of these products as well as in phasing out some of the harmful cosmetic ingredients that were used decades ago.
Here are some healthy substitutes for some vintage cosmetics that remain classic beauty product staples for women today:
1. Cold Cream is a rich, creamy emulsion composed of water, fatty acids, beeswax, and mineral oil. Thus, it is ultra hydrating and smoothing. There is currently quite a selection of cold cream derived products (creams, lip salves, cleansers, etc.) on the market.
Out with the old...Pond's Cold Cream Cleanser
Although ancient empires like the Greek empire used early version of cold cream, it was made popular by Pond's. Women in the early and mid-twentieth century used to apply it before they went to bed to cleanse skin (remove makeup and dirt) and provide deep hydration. You could rinse if off to reveal instantly soft, smooth, and radiant skin or leave it on to seal in moisture. The more modern version of this product is the Cold Cream Cleanser, which you typically do wash off immediately. The problem with this product is that it contains a potentially harmful paraben as well as mineral oil.
And in with the new Avene Cold Cream Ultra Rich Soap-Free Cleansing Bar ($9 on dermstore.com)
Although I don't know of any liquid cold cream cleansers that are toxin-free, Avene makes a cold cream bar that does all that the Pond's product does...gently cleanses, soothes irritation, and traps in moisture for supple, soft skin.
2. Talcum Powder is finely milled talc that is used to absorb moisture and reduce shine.
Out with the old...Johnson's Baby Powder Original
When we think of talcum powder, we think of Johnson's. We used it as a baby and then used it on our own babies. The two ingredients in this product are talc and fragrance. I must say that I do like the smell of it, but it can be irritating to sensitive skin. Also, there is growing research on the potential dangers of talc in beauty products. Talc is a mineral used in powders to help the skin with absorption and to
decrease caking. Studies on animals have shown that frequent inhalation
of talc can increase your risk of respiratory issues such as lung
tumors. Although limited research has
been conducted on this claim, some scientists believe that talc can increase
your risk of developing ovarian
cancer.
And in with the new...Burt's Bees Baby Bee Dusting Powder ($6 in drugstores)
To play it safe, try Burt's Bees baby powder. It has the absorbancy that regular baby powder has, but does the job using corn starch. It's more natural than talc and just as effective for reducing shine, preventing heat rashes, absorbing dampness, etc.
3. Creme to Powder Foundation is a creme compact foundation to allow for easy application and buildable coverage. It transforms into a powder when it comes in contact with your skin for a light, airy feel.
Out with the old...Max Factor Pan-Cake Makeup
Max Factor launched its famous Pan-Cake Makeup with the positioning that it was the foundation of Hollywood. It actually lasted until only a few years ago, when it was discontinued. The brand even featured the glamorous Judy Garland as the ambassador for the product. Basically, Pan-Cake Makeup was a mixture of a pigmented powder and a dehydrated cream. You simply had to put some water on the sponge and swirl it around in the pan to loosen and apply the makeup. Afterwards, it dried as a powder that felt light on skin. At the time, such a concept was really innovative and suitable for women, who wanted that gorgeous Judy Garland complexion without having to pile on heavy layers of foundation. In addition to the fact that this product no longer exists, it also contained toxins like talc.
And in with the new...Benefit Some Kind-A Gorgeous ($30 at Sephora)
Benefit makes a creme to powder foundation (goes on like a creme foundation and feels like a powder on your skin), but without the talc. It is also oil-free and settles to a natural finish. And it certainly blends into skin better than the original Pan-Cake makeup did.
4. Petroleum Jelly is essentially mineral oil in a thick jelly form that can help heal and soothe skin.
Out with the old...Vaseline 100% Pure Petroleum Jelly
Most of us probably have a tub of Vaseline, the creators of petroleum jelly, in our medicine cabinets as a go to quick-fix for everything from dry hands to cracked lips to diaper rashes. The problem with petroleum jelly is, as I mentioned, that is indeed a quick-fix and doesn't necessarily fix the problems causing dry skin. Rather than
getting absorbed by the skin to soften skin from within, petrolatum and
mineral oil sit on top of skin, creating a lubricating barrier. Rubbing some Vaseline over your dry skin will temporarily fix the problem, but won't help heal or prevent dry skin in the long-term.
And in with the new...Alba Multipurpose Un-Petroleum Jelly ($6 at Whole Body)
Alba makes a play on petroleum jelly with their un-petroleum jelly. It has the same jelly feeling that Vaseline has, and you can use it for all the same purposes. Instead of using mineral oil, this product is formulated with beeswax and natural oils like coconut oil and castor seed oil to go beyond hydrating to nourishing skin as well. Plus, these ingredients can penetrate skin (unlike mineral oil) and help heal dry skin from within so that it goes away for good!
5. Red Lipstick is a classic, lovely lip shade. Before HD TV, old Hollywood actresses would wear it because it was bold enough to appear on camera. Before Crest White Strips, women used to wear red lipstick because the brightness contrasted the color of their teeth, making them appear whiter. It was the color of choice many of our grandmothers, and it still makes an elegant statement today.
Out with the old...Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Cherries in the Snow
One of the first major color cosmetics brands, Revlon, was founded in 1931 by Charles Revson. The brand's core competency has always been lipsticks, and their famous shade is Cherries in the Snow, a deep/bright red. It's a very iconic Liz Taylor, Hita Hayworth type of shade that is still a best-seller today. However, the problem with many of Revlon's products including their Super Lustrous lipsticks is that they contain BHT.
And in the with the new...BITE Beauty Luminous Creme Lipstick in Zivoli ($24 at Sephora)
These lipsticks provide the same rich color, beautiful satin finish, and hydration that the Revlon lipsticks have. However, the BITE Beauty lipsticks are natural and free of toxic ingredients. They are even loaded with the powerful antioxidant, resveratrol (from grapes). With 25 shades to choose from, Zivoli seems to be the one that's most similar to Cherries in the Snow.
The truth is many of these products have survived the years because they still do the trick. So, whether we like it our not, our makeup drawers probably look similar to those of our grandmothers and mothers....but hopefully with some new and improved products.
