Mexico and California Beauty Secrets

Ancient Aztec, Mayan and Inca believed that the avocado fed the skin from without as well as within. Avocado is a treasury of vitamins, minerals and natural oils: Vitamins A, C, E, iron, potassium, niacin, pantothenic acid and its natural emollients. Up to this day avocado plays an important part of everyday life of people who live on the territory where Aztec and Maya had their kingdoms – Mexico is by far the biggest producer of this vegetable in the world. Southern California that boarders with Mexico is also famous for its avocados.

Avocado skin care is completely relevant to today's trend toward the use of natural organic substances. California Avocado Commission* came up with a number of interesting avocado beauty recopies which includes ingredients that can easily be found in most fridges and cupboards:

How To Use An Avocado For Beauty Care
The avocado you use should be fully ripe. How do you know when the avocado is ripe? Hold it in the palm of your hand and gently press it with your fingers. A ripe fruit will yield to your touch. It will open easily, peel evenly and reveal its glorious green-gold interior.
When the beauty formula calls for MASHED, PUREED, or MACERATED pulp the procedure is quite simple. Peel your avocado (or one-half) and remove the pit. Your avocado can now be PUREED, MASHED, or MACERATED by any of these methods: the fork, the blender, the potato ricer, the food processor or the sieve.

The avocado like any other organic matter, is perishable. Some of the formulas are designed for ONE TIME USE, and should be made up freshly for each treatment. Others may be refrigerated up to 48 hours.

To prevent the avocado or its mixture with other ingredients from darkening while stored in your refrigerator, place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the avocado mixture so as not to expose the mixture to air. The usual method of adding lemon or lime juice for this purpose may be too harsh for skins which are dry or sensitive.

Avocado Facial Cleanser
Beat the yolk of an egg until it is light and frothy, add a half cup of milk and the mashed half of a ripe peeled avocado. A blender is handy here, but if you don't have one, beat the mixture with a fork until you have a thin cream or lotion-like consistency. Apply on squares of cotton as you would any other cleanser. You may also use this deep cleanser after ordinary soap and water, if your skin is normal. It's quite effective against pollution and grime. Therefore, it's a very pure method of keeping your complexion free of pollutants which can interfere with normal skin function.

California Avocado Moisturizer
The inside of the avocado peel is actually valuable. The precious oil hidden away in the peel of the avocado is also a wonderful facial moisturizer. To be technical, the oil contains a humectant, a substance that holds moisture. Using gentle upward strokes, lightly massage your face with the inside of the peel. Let the oil residue remain on your skin for about 15 minutes. At that time you may either leave the oil on your skin and go to sleep or, if you intend to put on make-up, wash your face gently with three or four rinses of tepid water and pat dry. The oil will be invisible but it is there, ready to hold your foundation or powder in place for hours.

Aztec Mystery Eye Treatment
Nobody really knows WHY this is so effective on under-eye puffiness, but it IS. The procedure is very simple: peel an avocado, remove the pit, and slice a half into quarter-inch crescents. Lie down, secure a few slices under each eye, and rest for about 20 minutes. The result is corrective magic!

Santa Barbara's Dry Skin Masque
Beat the yolk of an egg until it is light and frothy, then add the mashed pulp of a half avocado, blending it well (you may use a blender at this point). Cleanse your face thoroughly before using this masque (or any masque). Spread the avocado mixture over the face and neck evenly; relax on a slant board or bed for about 20 minutes. Remove with clear tepid water and a face cloth, followed by a rinse of cold water or a mild skin lotion. The result should be a marked improvement in skin texture, and all-around revitalizing.

Santa Monica's Oily Skin Masque
Put the white of an egg, a teaspoon of lemon juice, and the mashed pulp of a half avocado into a blender. In seconds, you should have a lovely green mixture. Wash your face and neck thoroughly, then apply masque evenly on those areas. Relax for 20 minutes; remove with tepid water and a face cloth. Follow with cold astringent or skin tonic.

If you don’t want to spend time and effort on these recipes there are many commercially produced beauty products that capitalize on the benefits of avocado which you can use instead. For instance, the following Neutrogena creams contain avocado oil:


Both are moisturizing creams that improves skin's elasticity for firmer, smoother, younger-looking skin. Both are consistantly highly ranked by consumers and each cost under 20 USD!

How to save even more:
, where you can get these wonderful products has several fantastic promotions going on right now:
1. Save 10% EVERY DAY: code SSM18447 (NO expiration)
2. FREE shipment on orders $49+ (NO expiration)
3. They send you FREE product samples with every shipment
4. You can join Skinstore rewards program for FREE and earn1 point for each 1 USD spent (excluding tax and shipment). Each 300 points earn you a 30 USD Rewards Certificate!

*You can read the full article about avocado beauty secrets by California Avocado Commission at http://www.pioneerthinking.com/avocadobeauty.html

Lancome Hydra Intense Mask

Today I will tell you about my ultimate time saver in the world of beauty - Lancome Hydra Intense Hydrating Gel Mask. Everyone knows that masks are quite important for your skin - they promise a whole range of benefits depending on the type: nourishing, moisturizing, firming, purifying, detoxifying, lifting, etc. They are a great addition to your daily beauty routine. I would love to try them all but applying the mask, waiting for it to work and then cleaning the face is usually 15 to 30 minutes procedure and most of the days I just don’t have half an hour to spend for self-indulgence.

That’s why I love Lancome Hydra Intense Hydrating Gel Mask with Natural Water Captors Because it is a LEAVE IN mask. It takes a minute to apply in the evening and that’s all. The mask works all night and makes my face incredibly soft and velvety smooth. Then you wash your face in the morning as usual. You can even go out with it because it is transparent and applies like a moisturizing face gel and absorbs by your skin very quickly. It is 100% invisible. Just don’t apply any cream or make up on top of it. It substitutes the night cream and really work wonders!

World of Perfume

To me navigating the ocean of various perfumes and eaus de toilettes is the most difficult thing in the world of Beauty. There are thousands (if not millions) of scents which are hard to describe in words and they don’t have specific benefits to distinguish one from the other.

Also, preferences are very subjective and it’s practically impossible to give advice on choosing one over the other – everybody has her/his own preference.

However, I recently found a very helpful resource put together by a fellow blogger – Perfume Posse, http://perfumeposse.com There are tons of information related to fragrances in this blog. If you are a beginner, the best place to start is Perfume 101 section followed by Perfume 201. Both ladies and gentlemen can learn a lot from this site.

Dior Addict

Last week I wrote about shelf life of various make up products (http://beautymanual.blogspot.com/2009/06makeup-shelf-life.html) and I mentioned in this post that though the shelf life of a lipstick is about 8 months but good brands live much longer. I did not invent this, I heard it from a make-up artist and I also have a leaving proof of that – Christian Dior Addict Lipstick. I have one of these for 5 years now (!) - it is one of my favorites and I only use it for special occasions that’s why it lasted that long.

Needless to say that Dior Addict comes in multiple wonderful colors and wears nicely but I mostly love it because it is of really good quality: in 5 years it didn’t change its original color, texture, smell or performance. It doesn’t cause any irritation or allergic reaction though it is very old. To me this is an indication of high quality ingredients that were used to create it.

This is the longest living lipstick that I ever owned. Most of the time when I buy a lipstick in a summer shade it doesn’t even last till next summer. There were dozens of lipsticks I threw out which were just barely used. But this one is a keeper. It is a bit expensive but in the long run you are saving money with it since you are not going to need a new one every year. It may even last another 5 years, we’ll see!

Greek Beauty Secret

July is the best month to go to Greece and that’s where I am taking you today. Greek beauty secrets go back centuries B.C. and looking at the picture and statues of all their goddesses you can see that they knew a thing or two about beauty. Greeks believe that their main secret of beauty AND longevity is olive oil. They sometimes call it “elixir of life” and with good reason: olive oil offers a lot of benefits for your hair, skin and nails. And the best thing about it is that it is 100% natural!

Olive Oil for Hair
Olive oil can be used as a deep conditioning hair treatment. It's great to use on damaged, colored or over processed hair and can really improve your hairs condition. To treat your hair to this deep conditioning simply massage olive oil on your scalp and through your hair. Leave it on your hair for around half an hour after covering your hair with a shower cap, cling film or plastic bag. Shampoo and style as normal.

Olive Oil for the Face
If you've been overexposed to the elements – sun, wind or cold temperatures – or whenever your skin seems extra dry simply massage a small amount of olive oil into your face and neck, using small circular motions.

Olive Oil for the Body
A simple but effective natural scrub can be made by mixing some olive oil with sugar and salt. It will leave your skin feeling silky soft.

Olive Oil for Cuticles & Nails
As a treat for your finger nails and cuticles soak them in a small bowl of warmed olive oil. Leave for just a few minutes to keep your nails in better condition and your cuticles softened pre-manicure.

Olive Oil for Hands & Feet
Anytime your hands feel particularly dry and in need of some tender loving care massage some olive oil into them before bed, put on white cotton gloves, and sleep with them on. Do the same with your feet, wearing socks to bed.

Olive Oil for Lips
A wonderful natural remedy for soothing dry, chapped lips is to dab them with a little olive oil. This is actually my personal routine when I am out of my regular lip balm.

Olive Oil as a Makeup Remover
Olive oil makes a great make up remover and is brilliant at removing even stubborn mascara.
You can read more information about olive oil and its benefits as well as Greece here: http://www.completely-crete.com/olive-oil-beauty-tips.html

Several European cosmetic companies produce excellent products with benefits of olive oil. One of them, Korres, based in Athens, Greece (surprise-surprise) creates products with a high concentration of quality natural botanicals while keeping harsh chemicals to a minimum and thus, it received a “Natural” classification from several beauty retailers.
Korres Olive and Rye Night Cream Korres Olive and Rye Night Cream This intense night is cream rich in vegetable oils that firm and restructure mature skin. Thanks to a special formulation technique, the cream gradually releases beneficial oily components and nourishes the skin all night long, increasing its elasticity and cohesion.



Korres Juniper and Olive Tree Shampoo is performing wonders for normal and dry hair. Olive oil ingredient in particular has great moisturizing and emollient properties and regenerates dull hair.

Another company that appreciates the benefits of what an olive can give us is L’Occitane. Based in France (Mediterranean region as well as Greece) where people have been growing olive trees for ages it also offers excellent products based on this ingredient:

LOccitane Olive Harvest Olive Face Scrub Mud

This Face Scrub Mud uses the exfoliating properties of crushed Olive pits to gently remove dead cells and balance the skin. Green clay absorbs excess oil as Shea Butter soothes, softens and protects the skin.
Another thing that I like about these products is that they are relatively inexpensive but in any case no one likes to pay full price so here is how to save even more:
, where you can get all these wonderful products has several fantastic promotions going on right now:
1. Save 20% IN JULY: code JULY20
2. Save 10% EVERY DAY: code SSM18447 (NO expiration, codes 1 and 2 cannot be combined, unfortunately)
3. FREE shipment on orders $49+ (NO expiration)
4. They send you FREE product samples with every shipment
5. You can join Skinstore rewards program for FREE and earn1 point for each 1 USD spent (excluding tax and shipment). Each 300 points earn you a 30 USD Rewards Certificate!

P.S. The photo on the top is from www.completely-crete.com

After sun skin care

The summer is in its prime and it’s getting hotter and sunnier (if it’s possible) everyday. I hope you use some type of sunblock when you go out (if not, please, read my article posted a couple of weeks ago: tp://beautymanual.blogspot.com/2009/06/summer-has-finally-arrived-in-northern.html– for your own benefit!)

But even if I use a sunblock and stay in the sun for a long time I still have a feeling of discomfort because my skin is tight and dry after sun exposure (I bet your is too) I always use a special after sun moisturizer (not my regular body lotion) on such occasion. Another benefit of an after sun moisturizer is that it helps to keep your tan for longer.

There are a lot of different brands available but I personally like Hawaiian Tropic Aloe Vera. It is very inexpensive (less than $10 for 16 OZ bottle) and it does a great job – my skin feels drenched in moisture after using it.

If you forgot sunblock and stayed a long time in the sun, Hawaiian Tropic can help too but with a different product: Hawaiian Tropic I.C.E. Reliefwhich helps to kill the pain of a sunburn. It gives an instantaneous cooling and calming sensation that lasts for a while.

Hawaiian Tropic products were tested by me under Midwestern, Floridian and Caribbean sun on multiple occasions and they never failed to perform.

Makeup shelf life

Whether you like Dior or Covergirl or any other brand of cosmetic products you need to know the following guidelines about their shelf life to avoid any problems with skin, infections, etc.:

1. Mascara’s shelf life is 4-6 month and you should be especially careful with anything that goes close to your eye. An eye infection is a nasty thing you want to avoid by all means.

2. Eyeliner: if it’s a pencil its shelf life is 1 year and since you always sharpen it you always renew the tip and delete any bacteria on it. But if an oily substance is leaking out of it – throw it away immediately. Liquid eyeliners “live” much less, about 6 months, because microbes can easily breed inside the bottle.

3. Lipstick: on average its shelf life is 8 months but good brands live much longer. If your lipstick started to stick to your lips – don’t use it anymore

4. Powder eye shades and blushes are usually good for up to 2 years, liquid – up to a year.

5. Concealers and compacts are good for 1 year too but pay attention to their smell and consistency. If something changes for the worth – throw them away

6. Brushes: if made of natural hair, they can live forever if you take care of them properly: wash them once a week with warm water and regular soap and let them dry well.

If you want your favorite cosmetic products live longer there is one rule of thumb: decrease sun, heat and humidity exposure!

Aveen Active Naturals Creamy Moisturizing Oil

Now that summer is here I am very picky about moisturizers I use. I really hate that sticky feeling of a greasy product on my skin combined with sweat - don’t you? That’s why I LOVE Aveeno Active Naturals Creamy Moisturizing Oil

First of all, it doesn’t have an oily texture, though it is called “oil”. It feels more like a very lightweight lotion that perfectly moisturizes my skin (and I have a very dry skin, BTW) making it so smooth and silky.

Second of all, Aveeno Active Naturals Creamy Moisturizing Oil contains natural colloidal oatmeal and pure oat oil (known to sooth dry skin) as well as sesame seed oil and sweet almond oil and thus has a very pleasant (not overpowering) sweet almond smell.

On top of all, for a bit more than $7 (12 oz bottle) it’s indeed a beauty steal!

I read many customer reviews about of this product and everybody agrees that it is great but it is difficult to find it stocked in stores (maybe it is so good that it sells out quickly?) If you have a problem finding it – Amazon has it: you can buy one bottle or a pack of threeand save on shipping!

The Cream that Saved my Face

I wanted to tell you about a product that literally saved my face a couple of weeks ago. Since early spring I developed a light red rash on my forehead which, according to a cosmetologist, could have been due to an irritation. On her advice I stopped using the products I was using at the time – nothing helped, I tried using different products – didn’t help either, I tried to use NOTHING but with no apparent result.

I was not too much worried because the redness was not too bright and not too visible so I thought it would go away with time. Then at the end of May I went on a cruise. The change of environment, food and water made the rash much worse. I was desperate: none of the beautiful dresses I brought for the formal evenings on the ship would distract attention from the terrible bright red spots on my face…

Not knowing what else to do I decided to go to the spa on board the ship hoping they would have a magical cream that would erase all the redness right away… and they DID!!! The cosmetologist who talked to me could not exactly determine the cause of the rash (it was probably a combination of many factors) but she offered me a cream that would sooth the redness regardless of its origins - La Therapie Creme Fortifiante- Fortifying Skin Cream for softening high color. Apparently, this cream, rich in Amino Acids and vitamins from Horse Chestnut and Red Vine extracts, is formulated for skins prone to high colouring. It is good for any skin type and should be applied twice a day to a clean face on problem areas before you use a moisturizer.

“How good is this cream, really?” – you would probably ask. Well, I had my spa appointment at around 2 pm and at 5.30 pm I went to dinner with practically no redness on my face! I continued to use La Thérapie Crème Fortifiante during all my vacation and the redness did not re-appear. You might not be able to save money on this product but it is 100% worth it since it is guaranteed to save your face! Plus the tube is quite big, it will last you at least a year.

P.S. I would like to thank the girls from the spa on Ms. Zuiderdam ship, Holland America cruise line. They were very professional and attentive to customer needs!

Inositol Vegetal Eye Cream

Today I would like to tell you about a wonderful product for eyes. Another look at Cosmopolitan.com “Celebs favorite beauty products” and we find a classic example of advice on how to waste money. Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Radiant Touch Concealer is being recommended to fight dark circles around eyes. This product does work well but it’s not an eye cream and you definitely need to apply a regular eye cream to moisturize, correct fine lines, etc. So if you follow this advice you will need 2 products and spend twice as much time and money to make your eyes shine.

Here is an easier and more beautiful solution: Inositol Végétal Line Smoothing Eye Cream by Yves Rocher . It moisturizes, reduce 1st signs of lines (according to YR gradation this cream is for age 25+) and the appearance of puffiness. On top of that it does the best job ever of hiding dark circles in your eye contour area. It is not a concealer, but when you squeeze out this cream out of the tube you immediately see the difference compared to other products: it has a light beige color (as a tinted moisturizer) and has a light pink shimmer. So when your skin absorbs it the beige color works almost like cover up AND those simmering particles reflect light in such a way that you simply don’t see the dark circles anymore!!! Plus you eyes look brighter! It is almost like a magic trick! This is one of the most amazing eye cream I have ever tried.

So to sum up: with Inositol Végétal Line Smoothing Eye Cream you eliminate 1 step in you beauty routine and save some money too: you buy 1 product instead of 2 and this product costs just 24 USD compared to 40 USD price tag of Yves Saint Laurent concealer!
How to save even more money: website offers the following discounts at the moment:

10% OFF all orders - DISCOUNT10 – expires 7/31/2009
Free shipping with orders over $25 - FREESHIPTODAY - expires 7/31/2009
$5 OFF orders over $25 - 5OFF25 – expires 7/31/2009
Yves Rocher also usually offers a surprise gift at checkout. I strongly suggest choosing a beauty item. Their jewelry, scarves and other non-cosmetics stuff is not as good as their cosmetics products.

Bulgarian Beauty Secret

Today I am taking you on a trip to Bulgaria. It is a wonderful little country in South East Europe nestled between Balkan Mountains and the Black Sea. June is the best month to discover and enjoy the Bulgarian beauty secret because it is ROSE. Bulgaria is famous for its Rose Valley which produces tons of precious flowers each year which are used by most cosmetics companies in the world in the form of rose oil added to everything from creams to perfumes.

But my personal favorite is Rose WATER. It is a 100% pure and natural product produced by steam-distillation of fresh rose blossoms. Pure rose water contains no additives, preservatives or synthetic ingredients. Very often a manufacturer says on a label that a product contains “rose essence”, this is not what I am talking about, it’s a fake, it doesn’t have the same beauty and therapeutic properties. Real, pure rose water contains nothing but rose water itself and it is produced locally, in Bulgaria, from the flowers that have just been picked.

Rose water is an excellent product for skin: it hydrates, tones, calms, stimulates regeneration process, maintains PH-balance and has anti-inflammatory properties. It also has an absolutely divine smell of fresh roses and can be used in aromatherapy. I use it as my daily face toner and I have never found a better product. I have been using it for years since it was a very popular product in the former USSR due its close ties with Bulgaria.

I buy my rose water from a family-owned Bulgarian company, Alteya, and I chose them because they are vertically integrated: they own rose fields in the Rose Valley, their manufacturing and packaging facility is right there, on the spot and thus, they guarantee the purest and freshest ingredients. Moreover, their rose water is USDA certified Organic.

The World wouldn’t have known about wonderful Alteya products but for the Internet (you cannot find them in stores yet) and now you can indulge yourself and enjoy the best and oldest Bulgarian beauty secret:

Professional advice on choosing sunscreen

The summer has finally arrived (in the Northern hemisphere) and the sun is bright and warm and… dangerous... We all know about the risks of excessive sun exposure and the necessity to wear sunscreen but I know many people have troubles choosing the right sunscreen so I was searching the Internet for some good guidelines on this. I was lucky to find a great article written by Darrell Gonzales, M.D., a dermatologist with Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla, California: http://www.scripps.org/news_items/3420-sunscreen-101-what-you-need-to-know-to-protect-your-skin

It’s an excellent article because it is not written by a cosmetic company trying to promote its products but by a dermatologist, it is very well written and easy to follow.

From my personal experience I would like to share with you information on a product that I’ve tried and really like. I am allergic to sun and I get red itchy spots all over my body if I don’t use a good sunscreen so my preferred product is La Roche Posay Anthelios SPF 60 Melt in Sunscreen Lotion:
Things I like about it are:
- It is or all skin types, especially normal to dry and good for sensitive like mine
- It is fast absorbing, non-greasy
- It gives high UVA protection (PFA 26) and SPF 60 for outdoor use
- It is water-resistant, fragrance-free and PABA-free

I also use La Roche Posay brand baby sunscreen on my baby (they have a special product for babies, the one described above is for adults) and neither of us ever had any allergic or any other adverse reactions, never been sun burnt either!

Where to buy and save:
has this product in stock and it also has several fantastic promotions going on right now:
1. Save 10% EVERY DAY: code SSM18447 (NO expiration)
2. FREE shipment on orders $49+ (NO expiration)
3. They send you FREE product samples with every shipment
4. You can join Skinstore rewards program for FREE and earn 1 point for each 1 USD spent (excluding tax and shipment). Each 300 points earn you a 30 USD Rewards Certificate!

Israel Beauty Secret - Part II

To continue on my previous story about Dead Sea beauty secrets ( http://beautymanual.blogspot.com/2009/05/israel-beauty-secret.html) I want to share with you another great find that I have recently discovered: Cleopatra's Choice website offers a variety of authentic Dead Sea products. The best part is that if you don’t know what product you need or have any sorts of doubts you can try 10 products for FREE!!! They kindly ask you to pay $4.99 for shipping but I think it’s fair enough.

Click on the link in the upper left hand corner of their main page and it will take you to the description of items they offer for FREE:
1. Mineral Lift Serum
2. Moisturizing Day Cream
3. Intensive Anti Wrinkle Cream
4. Night Renewal Cream
5. Purifying Mud Mask
6. Mineral Eye Gel
7. Mineral Hand Cream
8. Mineral Body Lotion
9. Shea Body Butter
10. Deep Pore Mineral Cleanser

I was pleasantly surprised that all these didn’t come in tiny trial-size pouches that you can hardly open, and when you do it’s only enough for 1 use. These come in nice little jars and I used their eye gel, for instance, for nearly a week, day and night; hand and face creams last for about 3 -4 days, and the only one product that is for 1 time use is the body lotion (the body is big and the jar is small – you do the math)

My absolute favorites were Mineral Eye Gel and Mineral Hand Cream. The eye gel was soothing and refreshing and the hand cream made my hands wonderfully soft!

So when you choose the product YOU like you can order it risk-free.

Also their bath salts (authentic 100% natural Dead Sea salts) are FANTASTIC and CUSTOM-MADE: first you choose from 70 different scents (or choose un-scented), then you choose any of 13 colors available and, finally, you choose any size from 5 to 2400 LB! I’ve never seen such a huge selection of salts which come with all the beauty and therapeutic benefits that Dead Sea has to offer. These also come in samples: 2 OZ = 0.99 USD. You can try any combination of scents and colors.

How to save even more:
1. FREE shipping on orders $49+
2. Use discount coupon “beauty10” to get 10% OFF
3. They send 3 FREE samples with every purchase!

Learn to read your beauty products labels

I was reading my “Parents” magazine the other day and found a very interesting and useful insert: Burt’s Bees cosmetic company created a handy card that lists synthetic ingredients that cosmetic companies use in their products. It teaches you to read labels carefully and not to be tricked by a company which claims to have “natural” products but in fact uses synthetic ingredients. These are:

CLEANSERS:
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Sodium Myreth Sulfate
PETROCHEMICALS:
Petrolatum
Mineral Oil
Paraffin
PRESERVATIVES:
Parabens
DMDM Hydantoin
CHEMICAL SUNSCREENS
Oxibenzone
Avobenzone
Octinoxate
MOISTURIZERS:
Propylene Glycol
Butylene Glycol
Polyisobutene

Background info on Burt’s Bees: Burt’s Bees produces affordable natural skin, hair and lips care products. They call themselves an "Earth Friendly, Natural Personal Care Company" and claim not to use synthetic ingredients in their products unless absolutely necessary (i.e. there is no natural substitute available). Their main ingredients are: beeswax, botanical and essential oils, herbs, flowers and minerals.

What I like about this company is that they are very open about the contents of their products: they give real percentages of natural ingredients in each products: for instance, they state that their Replenishing Lip Balm with Pomergranate Oil is 99.6% natural. Any other company would probably market itself as “100% Natural” without scruples and you wouldn’t even notice the difference (0.4% is nothing, really) but as a customer I appreciate the honesty. That’s why I like Burt’s Bees, in addition to the fact that most of their products are under $10!

How to save even more:
If you buy from
you get the following:
1. Free shipping on orders $50+
2. 20% OFF with coupon code 27164
3. You can CHOOSE 3 FREE samples with your order

Beauty Secret from Tahiti

Have you ever been to Tahiti? This small tropical island in the Pacific Ocean (part of French Polynesia) is a true paradise on Earth and being so remote it seems like it’s not even real, like a fairytale… Its isolated location ensured that it has a lot of vegetation unique to that region and one plant specifically lies at the heart of Tahitian beauty secrets – Tiare flower.

Tiare is a symbol of Tahiti and it’s been used by local people since ancient times in their health and beauty rituals. The most famous product used by Tahitians is Monoi – a natural cosmetic oil consisting of coconut oil and Tiare. It is produced by soaking unopened flowers in coconut oil for 15 days during which Tiare releases its unique properties into the oil. While coconut oil is one of the best moisturizes in the world, Tiare helps relax muscles and sooth you (the flower has a very distinct sweet smell that is use as aromatherapy too).

One cosmetic company brings this ancient beauty recipe into the modern day. Yves Rocher created several great body and hair products based on the tradition of Monoi and Tiare flower. My favorite one is Jardins des Iles Polynesian Tiare Flower Shower Gel (it's actually more of a shower oil) It makes my skin very soft and moisturized as if I used baby oil. On top of that the smell of this shower gel is amazing: it makes you feel like you were bathing somewhere in Tahitian flower garden under a waterfall, not in your shower…

The full product line, “Jardins des Iles”, (= eng. Gardens of the Islands) also consists of hair products and body oils, including the Monoi – and all these exotic beauty for under $10 each (except for Tiare Body oil that costs $15)!!!

How to save even more: Yves Rocher offers the following promotion:
1. Shipment is FREE on orders $30+
2. You can choose a FREE gift with every order (I really like that you can choose a gift yourself rather than them sending you something you actually do not need)
3. Use coupon 15THANKS to get 15% OFF any order

Beauty Giveaways

If you like participating in beauty products giveaways here is information for you: I just found a Woman’s Day website www.womansday.com that posts information on dozens of current giveaways (information is being up-dated regularly). A lot of them are beauty products, jewelry, fitness related products and spa/resorts getaways. It is absolutely FREE to participate in all of these promotions.

I thought it was very helpful to pick up information on multiple sweepstakes in one place instead of searching over the Internet. I hope you find something you like… and WIN!

What you probably didn't know about deodorant

I was reading news on CNN.com the other day when I came across a very interesting article about deodorants. CNN.com is the last place where I would be looking for beauty related articles and that’s why this piece seemed to be even more intriguing. Here are some facts I learnt from that article*:

“1. Be thankful for your foul body odor. According to anthropologist Louis Leakey, it might be responsible for early man's survival. Leakey's theory claims that most predators avoided feasting on humans because our body odor was "too repugnant."

2. Not only did the ancient Egyptians give us pyramids and flush toilets, they also pioneered the field of deodorants. Egyptians were the first to popularize the idea of applying scents to armpits, usually using cinnamon and other spices that wouldn't turn rancid in the heat.

3. The Roman poet Ovid preferred a more proactive solution. In Book III of the Art of Love, he cautions women against carrying goats under their arms.

4. Antiperspirants are classified as drugs by the FDA. Technically, they affect and/or alter your body's natural functions.

5. The first modern brand of antiperspirant, EverDry, hit drugstores in 1903. The original formula was so acidic that it regularly ate through clothing.

6. Of course, modern antiperspirants can also ruin your clothing. Aluminum chloride, the ingredient that blocks glandular openings and prevents sweating, is notorious for turning T-shirts yellow. So, blame your antiperspirant for your pit stains, not your body.

7. One thing modern antiperspirants don't do is cause degenerative diseases. Medical science has found no conclusive evidence that absorbing aluminum chloride through the skin can lead to memory loss or slurred speech.

8. Aoki, a Japanese company known for its menswear, has developed a deodorant suit that supposedly absorbs sweat and neutralizes odors all over the body.

9. But that's nothing! The greatest Japanese innovation in the fight against B.O. is Fuwarinka scented gum. The so-called "functional candy" contains aromatic compounds that cause your skin to release "Fresh Citrus" or "Fruity Rose" aromas for up to 6 hours after chewing.”

If Japanese innovations in this field are too advanced for you and regular deodorants seem to be too harsh here is a good natural aluminum-free solution :
Sold at at just $6(!) it is organic, has a great smell and portable (you can carry this small bottle in virtually any purse) I believe it’s a great alternative to conventional deodorants.

How to save even more:
1. offers FREE shipment on orders $49 and more
2. Use coupon code skmail20 to get 20% OFF

* You can read the full article at http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/personal/05/06/mf.deodorant.fun.facts/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

Cat Eye and Perfect Pout

There are several dozens of ways to apply lip products and definitely millions of ways to apply eye makeup. If you were to try all shades and patterns it will take you a lifetime… So what’s left for all of us busy ladies to do? If I were to choose just 1 thing everyone should know about eyes and lips each that would be how to create a “cat” eye and a perfect pout. I specifically like the former because it suits all eye shapes and colors and makes you look irresistible.
My favorite makeup Guru, Lauren Luke, has created video tutorials on these specific topics, which are very comprehensive but at the same time quite easy to follow. Enjoy:

CAT EYE


PERFECT POUT

Israel Beauty Secret - Part I

Today I would like to take you on a trip to Israel. This country has a beauty resource that no one else has in the world except for Jordan - the Dead Sea (the images is from http://www.pbase.com/doronnissim/dead_sea) This in-land lake has been known for thousands of years for its outstanding ability to enhance skin beauty and reputedly even Cleopatra herself was using it in her beauty rituals. Its water is unique because it contains 26 different minerals used for health and beauty treatments (calcium, magnesium, potassium, bromide, etc.) with only 12 -18 % of sodium chloride of salt content while the salt in the water of most oceans and seas is approximately 97% sodium chloride. So in short, the Dead Sea is the biggest natural spa in the world.

Dead Sea constituents (salt, mud, water) have various proven therapeutically benefits, the main ones are:
Skin problems: – Research has demonstrated that skin disorders. One study concluded that the high concentration of magnesium in Dead Sea salt was instrumental in improving skin hydration and reducing inflammation.
Allergies - The high concentration of bromide and magnesium in the Dead Sea salt can relieve allergic reactions by cleansing and detoxifying
Skin aging - Further research into Dead Sea salt benefits has shown a 40% reduction in the depth of wrinkling.
Not everyone, unfortunately, can go to Israel to enjoy these benefits at the source that’s why cosmetic companies use Dead Sea salts ingredient of many beauty products including bath salts, salt scrubs, soaps, creams, lotions, makeup and many others.
One beauty company is famous for its Dead Sea minerals products – Ahava. They are the only cosmetics enterprise indigenous to the Dead Sea region and they are proud to be making their products at the source. Ahava has extensive lines of body care, facial care, spa and sun care products and here are my favorites:

AHAVA Dermud Facial Calming Moisturizer SPF 15



This moisturizer is non-greasy, absorbs quickly and hydrates and soothes dry, sensitive and irritated skin. It efficiently treats dryness, scaling, roughness and itchiness, while protecting the epidermis against environmental damage. I especially like it because it does 2 jobs in 1: it not only moisturizes the skin but also has SPF 15 to protect your face from the sun (saves you time and money).

My 2nd favorite is even better: it does 3 jobs in 1!
AHAVA Pure Spa Uplifting Butter Salt Mandarin Cedarwood exfoliates, hydrates, and defends against aging.

This body product has a unique formula that changes from exfoliating butter to a light pampering lotion as water is added. The scrub smoothes and hydrates your skin while exotic Mandarin and Cedarwood essential oils help revive tired skin and restore vitality.

has nearly 100 products by Ahava and you will notice that a lot of them have customers’ reviews, most of which are 4-5 stars. The prices are reasonable too: the majority of the products fall into 20 – 35 USD price range.

How to save even more:
has several fantastic promotions going on right now:
1. Save 10% EVERY DAY: code SSM18447 (NO expiration)
2. FREE shipment on orders $49+ (NO expiration)
3. They send you FREE product samples with every shipment
4. You can join Skinstore rewards program for FREE and earn1 point for each 1 USD spent (excluding tax and shipment). Each 300 points earn you a 30 USD Rewards Certificate!