June 3, 2007
· Filed under bath and body, skincare
I’ve used St.Ives Swiss Vanilla Moisture Therapy Lotion (Used to be called St. Ives Aromatherapy Swiss Vanilla Moisture Lotion) for many years now. I use others as well, but always seem to return to this one and always have a bottle of this on the counter. I just love it!
The Lotion costs about $6.99 CAD a bottle, and is often on sale for less. St.Ives products are easily available in Canadian drugstores and supermarkets. 1 bottle lasts me about 4 months with almost daily use.
It smells great!! It smells like Vanilla Ice cream, in a good way. Not too sweet. It is strong enough to smell on your skin all day if you try, but not to strong that it would clash with your perfume or follow you around.
I like to smooth it on my skin after my shower; while my skin is still slightly damp. It is not at all greasy feeling and absorbs quickly, leaving smooth feeling skin and that lovely scent. That smooth feeling lasts all day as does the scent (not strong, but if I sniff for it it is there). I’m not sure if it would be moisturizing enough for SEVERLY dry skin-but it does not claim to be. For my sometimes dry and tight skin it does the job-and I never notice any dry or flaky spots once the lotion is absorbed, as I sometimes do with other lotions.
I also usually apply some of this lotion to my hands and shoulders before bed, on dry skin. It absorbs almost as well as on wet skin…and smells great in bed!!! There is a matching body wash, but not in Canada :(
June 2, 2007
· Filed under celebrities, parenting, skincare
Click here.
My thoughts, in no specific order:
a) This is a child. A small child.
b) Who would want their child to be anything like Lindsay Lohan? Admittedly, she is beautiful, but she is a mess.
c) It’s California. If she needs a tan (and no one does) she can…umm…I don’t know….hmmm…what to do, what to do? I got it!!! Play outside!!!
d) 1 300 dollars!
e) Why, oh why, do people continue to think it is necessary to change one’s skin colour to look good? I am white as snow, and stay that way all summer long. If I was meant to be another colour, I would be. When people tell me a I need a tan (and they often do!), I ask them if it is okay to tell a black person they need to be a bit lighter. Shuts them up real fast!
Ain’t nothing wrong with pale. Just ask Nicole, or Zooey (I love me some Zooey) or Kristen!
Of course, if you really crave the Lindsay look, go for it. But I just don’t see what makes this better:
disclaimer: I am not saying that darker skin looks bad. I think all skin tones are beautiful, when they are natural. Skin that is darker due to tanning (especially indoor tanning) looks orange and gross. Even when skin is tanned in the real outdoors, and looks good (and yes, I’ll admit sometimes it does), it is still a bad idea. It increases risk of skin cancer and accelerates aging. I just don’t think tanning looks good enough to take those kind of risks. I’d rather be pale, lower my risk of skin cancer, and look younger longer. Have you ever seen skin cancer? Looks a lot worse than pale skin!
Back to the original point…what a sad way for a little girl to be brought up. Thinking that she needs to look like a celebrity for her school picture. How heartbreaking that at such a young and impressionable age she is learning that beauty matters more than anything else, even health (they don’t show her in the tanning bed, but the guy says it is part of the package).
I hope it is fake.
May 23, 2007
· Filed under skincare
I recently purchased Dove Energy Glow Brightening Eye Cream, hoping it would be a good replacement for my discontinued favorite, Dove Fresh Radiance Anti-Aging Eye-Cream, since the blurbs seemed similar. Turns out it is the exact same-ingredients and all! Yeah!
About this stuff, Dove.com says: Formulated with vitamins and an energy-rich moisturizer, NEW Dove Energy Glow Brightening Eye Cream brightens under-eye skin and minimizes the appearance of dark circles. It also reduces the appearance of puffiness and fine, dry lines. To help maintain a beautiful radiance over time, it protects the delicate eye area with SPF 8.
I LOVE this stuff. I apply a tiny dab to my lids and under eye area every morning, and immediately the area looks brighter and tighter, and the lines are smoothed. The look lasts all day. I use a little more at night, all around my eye. It absorbs quickly and feels velvety. Over time, fine lines seem to have lessened a little. I certainly am not getting more lines!!
I am not sure how well this would work for heavy duty bags, raccoon eyes or wrinkles. But for eyes that just need a little help (a bit dark under the eyes, a few very fine and shallow crows feet), this is affordable and works.
It is fragrance free, and I cannot smell a thing. it has caused no irritation whatsoever-no burning, and none of these annoying little milia that too rich eye creams can cause (happened when I tried Plenitude a while back). Make-up glides over it no problem. The best part is that I don’t need two creams, one to brighten and tighten in the morning, and another to moisturize at night. This little tube does it all.
One caveat, this is likely not for someone who doesn’t wear make-up. The light reflectors are shimmery, and the under eye area looks a little unnaturally bright without foundation or powder over it. After applying make-up, it is perfect and natural looking!!
April 29, 2007
· Filed under bath and body, skincare
The time has come to start working on a safe tan, if you so desire. I, personally, have learned to cherish my lily-white skin and no longer self-tan. but I have used my years (at least a decade) of self-tanning experience to write a definitive guide for those that remain on the tanning train:
1. Exfoliate before you self tan. Tanner can get pooled in dry skin and bumps. It will blend more easily into smooth skin. Spend a week or so on daily light exfoliating with a loofah or a scrubbing wash to get rid of all the winter flakies before you start tanning.
2. Choose a light tanner if you are pale. Using a deep color will not look natural on pale skin, and no one who knows you even a little will fall for it anyways.
3. Consider one of the moisturizing self tanners-they are more of a body lotion with self-tanner involved. Dove, Coppertone, Neutrogena and Jergens all make them. These allow you to build your color subtly resulting in a more natural tanning process as well as controllable color.
4. Start from the bottom up-feet, ankles, lower legs, upper legs, bum, tummy, back, breasts, shoulders and chest and neck, upper than lower arms. That way you are not reaching past already tanned areas, and risking smudging.
5. Start with the fronts of your arms and legs, where you naturally tan darker, then blend the excess into the backs of your arms and legs, where you naturally tan a little lighter.
6. If you are really nervous about missing spots, try one with a color guide that shows you where you have applied. I personally have found that if I use a nice circular motion and go slowly, I never miss spots.
7. Let it dry until it is fully dry to the touch. Do not get it wet, let anything touch it or sweat until this time. Foams tend to dry quicker than lotions or creams.
8. Don’t be scared to shave or exfoliate self-tanned skin. Yes, you may lose a little color, but you will have softer skin and it seems to keep the color looking more smooth and even.
9. Use a light touch on areas that bend (and therefore pool color) like elbows, knees, and ankles. If those spots still seem a little darker, check out the next tip.
10. Make dark spots (like knees, elbows and ankles) lighter and blended in by rubbing with a loofah (if you have time to shower) or one of those acne face pads, the little round ones with a bit of texture. It takes off just enough of the excess color to make those dark spots blend in.
11. If you like the color, try your face. Make sure to blend evenly and use a light hand (especially in the creases-chin, next to nose), just enough to not be “pale-face”. Make it a little darker with bronzing powder on the cheeks and nose. Many lines now make a facial tanning moisturizer. I have not tried these yet, but I imagine they work well in combination with the matching body product. Let me know if you try one.
12. Wash your hands well afterwards, then apply to the tops of your hands and fingers with a cotton-pad, blending well around the sides. White hands are a clear give-away.
13. Don’t forget about feet.
14. If it comes out a little uneven; a shimmery body lotion will help make the color look smooth and even until you have time to fix it.
15.If you make a big mess of it, take the day off work and visit mystic-tan!!!
April 13, 2007
· Filed under cosmetics, nailcare, shopping, skincare
I hit Sally today, and here is what I came home with, for a grand total of $33.00CAD:
Queen Helene Mint Julep masque-Feels so refreshing, and does a wonderful job of sucking out impurities.
Queen Helen mint Julep scrub-Also so refreshing, with perfect sized grains that gently exfoliate. Not quite as effective as my holy grail, Derma E, but a very good and affordable alternative for when your skin can live without heavy duty scrubbing.
Salon Nail Polish remover-Works way better than brands from the drugstore, at a fraction the cost.
Eye-liner sharpener-What can I say?
Eye-shadow sponges-I generally prefer brushes, but when I am going for more intense colour, nothing beats a sponge. I don’t use them often, so these cheap disposable ones make sense for me.
Orly Nail Laquer in Raspberry Ice-Pretty, isn’t it? I find Orly the only polishes that come close to OPI quality.
Speed Demon Polish Dryer-Dries wet polish quickly, to a high shine. The huge bottle lasts forever without getting stringy or perfect. Only at Sally’s. Comparable to similar products like Seche Vite.
