Beauty Manual

Mexico and California Beauty Secrets

2009-08-04T10:25:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-31T13:38:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-16T12:24:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-08T14:14:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-02T14:17:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-02T07:51:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-29T13:22:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-23T08:01:00.001-07:00

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

2009-06-18T12:39:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-15T11:04:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-11T13:36:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-08T07:51:00.001-07:00

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

2009-06-04T12:33:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-01T11:26:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-21T07:45:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-18T10:38:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-14T08:47:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-11T07:08:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-07T07:30:00.000-07:00

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!

Top mascaras

2009-05-04T09:17:00.000-07:00

One product is most important in my makeup routine – a mascara - and I spent years searching for the perfect one that would not be too wet or too dry, won’t smudge or leave clumps on my lashes, would give a excellent volume and length, etc. May be because I am so picky it was so hard to find the one that would be ideal in all respects.

It turns out I am not the only one searching. Recently I found the results of an interesting research done by Splendora.com in which they analyzed 50 different mascaras sold in drugstores and in department stores (the two groups were analyzed separately). The winners turned out to be:

It was a very thorough research judging by the description of the methodology and the depth of evaluation. There are only 2 things which I want to add to it on my behalf:

1. Beware of the Department Store category winners #3 YSL Volume Effect Faux Cils and #5 DiorShow. I tried the former one personally and it is AWFUL! It smudges after about 2 hours not matter what I do (and I don’t do much during the day except for sitting in the office). The latter one I researched on-line a lot and customer reviews are generally divided as follows: 70% love it, 30% hate it (and I mean really, really HATE it because of the clumps). This is an indication that it might not be as good after all.

2. I noticed that Splendora-reviewed mascaras fall into 2 categories: “under 10 USD” and “above 20 USD”. There are not many products reviews “in between” and that’s where my personal winner is - Clinique Naturally Glossy Mascara

Splendora did not review this mascara, in fact they did not review any product by Clinique (I wonder why…) This mascara turned out to be everything I was looking for (non-clumpy, don’t smudge for 8 hours+, looks great on my lashes), basically, it is department store quality but with close to a drugstore price tag. Isn’t THIS a perfect combination?

P.S. You can read the full story about the Splendora reaseach at http://www.splendora.com/best_mascaras/best_of_splendora_top_ten_mascaras

Wash your hands more often to avoid diseases!

2009-04-30T12:36:00.000-07:00

Since the concern about swine flu epidemic in the world is growing I could not overlook this issue. I have been reading a lot of information about it on the Internet and all sources have a consensus that one of the best ways to prevent swine flu is by washing your hands thoroughly and often. A couple of sources also suggest using hand sanitizing aids.

While using, for instance, anti-bacterial soap and anti-bacterial hand cream may seem like a good idea to some people at this point in time, please, do not go to extremes and be aware of certain health risks associated with these products.

While these products may kill even 99.9% of bacteria (swine flu is a virus) as some manufactures claim, the ones that survive may turn into SUPER BUGS that are resistant to treatment by antibiotics. Therefore, we are breeding these new strong bugs ourselves without even suspecting it and they are much more dangerous than the ones that are weak and are killed by antibacterial products.

I strongly suggest reading the following article for further information on this topic: http://www.colorado.edu/PWR/occasions/articles/soap.html

A regular good old soap will kill both cold and flu viruses! Here is my favorite among liquid soaps – Pivoine Liquid Hand Soap by Yves Rocher:

It has a wonderfully charming tender smell that in my mind is associated with spring and youth. And it has also a sweet price tag at the moment of $5.50 since it’s on SALE!
I generally love French beauty companies and Yves Rocher in particular because it is known around the world for its expertise in botanical beauty care and their products are priced within reach.
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. There are a couple of discount coupons you can use:
a. 15THANKS – 15% OFF any order OR
b. F4317 - $10 OFF purchase $30+

Russian Beauty Secrets

2009-04-27T07:44:00.000-07:00

Due to my profession and my love for new experiences I have been travelling a lot around the world. If I put together all countries where I lived, studied, worked and just had vacation they will add up to 30 (and still counting). What I have learned from my roaming around the Globe is that every country and every nation has its own peculiar traditions and views about many issues from cooking to beauty. Some of them really perform miracles but they are not well-known in other parts of the world.

I would like to share with you all these beauty tips and secrets that I uncovered. The most valuable ones are those that go back ages and ages in history and are tested by generations of people . Since a lot of them date back to B.C. era they are based on natural products and often enough you can find these products in your kitchen and garden.

I will start my Beauty Expedition Around the World from my native country – Russia. In Russia we consider milk products to hold secrets to all your beauty needs, especially face and hair. Russian milk products are more natural than in the U.S. and Western Europe and we use a lot of sour milk products for beauty purposes. Our milk becomes sour after about 3 days (as it SHOULD in natural circumstances if it is not specially treated at the milk factory). Certain products made from sour milk have loads of benefits for your hair and skin.

Sour cream and cottage cheese: Russian women use these products to create home-made face masks that hydrate skin, make it firm and relieve the irritation of sensitive skin.

Here is an easy face mask recipe: 2 tea spoons of cottage cheese + 1 egg yolk. Mix well till smooth. Apply to the face and leave for 15 minutes.

Sour milk or as we call it in Russian “prostokvasha”(only use milk that came directly from the farm) and plain kefir (it looks and feels like plain liquid yogurt): our ancestors used these products to wash their hair. Milk products not only nourish the hair, but give it strength, shine, silkiness and also may prevent dandruff.

Modern beauty industry uses the power of milk in some of its products. My favorite products incorporating milk proteins and lipids are H2O Plus Milk line. They have excellent products for body, hands and hair. They are, probably, as close as it gets to natural milk in the modern world. Another Plus is that they are affordable (all products are under $20):

How to save even more: I like shopping at Skinstore.com.

They have several fantastic promotions going on right now:
1. Save 20% on your purchase: code MDAY20 (expires May 4, 2009)
2. Save 10% EVERY DAY: code SSM18447 (NO expiration)
3. FREE shipment on orders $49+ (NO expiration)
4. They send you FREE product samples with every shipment

Great Lip Gloss - glossy, not sticky!

2009-04-23T06:28:00.000-07:00

I was wondering today what more nonsense Cosmopolitan.com can suggest and surely it is full of it! In my “favorite” Celebs Favorite Beauty Products section Angela Kinsey recommends Lancome Juicy Tubes lip gloss. If you like the feeling of your lips covered in a sick sugary syrup than that’s the product for you, otherwise stay away, it is awful!!! It is very sticky, EXTREMELY STICKY, and feels totally unpleasant on your lips.

I do like a lot of Lancome products but this one is terrible!! I bought it several years ago and I was disgusted, I honestly hoped they’d change the formulation sooner or later. Recently I received this product as a gift and it is still as bad as it was before… In addition it costs 25 USD – the price for which you can buy 2 much better products!

Honestly, ANY product would be better than this one but I personally have 2 favorites:

1. Mary Kay Signature NouriShine Lip Gloss. It feels very pleasant, it wears beautifully and it can be used on top of a lipstick or by itself. I own several shades but I use these 2 most often because they go with any make up (if not one then the other). One has sparkles and the other doesn’t so I use either of them depending on my mood and/or occasion:

2. Revlon Super Lustrous Lip gloss. What has all the benefits of MK lip gloss but also has SPF 15, which is rare in lip glosses and very important especially with the summer quickly approaching. Here is the color I like:

Both products are affordable (half price of Juice Tubes) and are of a very good quality.

How to save even more: when you shop on Amazon.com you usually get a better price then on any other website (unless there is a special sale or you have a discount coupon). Typically you save at least 10%. In addition you get FREE shipping if you order 25 USD or more worth of qualifying products. This is very important: you can buy the same lip gloss from several Amazon.com vendors and Amazon ITSELF. When you choose Amazon as vendor this is when you get free shipping.

Makeup tutorials

2009-04-20T07:27:00.000-07:00

I hope you noticed that I added a video bar to my blog to show you some of the makeup tutorials by Lauren Luke and probably you are wondering WHO is Lauren and WHY I decided to showcase her videos.

Is she a makeup professional? – No, not at all. But she does not need to be one because she has a unique GIFT, a sense of Beauty, a talent for applying makeup. People globally recognize her natural talent – as of early 2009 her YouTube tutorials have been viewed more than 31 MILLION times during the past 3 years she’s been posting them! Though being an amateur, she is, possibly the most viewed makeup artist in the world.

But this is not WHY I like her. I adore her because she is genuine, open and passionate about what she likes, she has an amazing entrepreneurial spirit. She not only teaches us how to apply makeup but how to pursue our dreams and how not to be afraid of challenges. She was a single mom in a small British town with a “dead-end” job she hated when she decided to follow her calling – she quit the job and started to produce these amazing makeup tutorials from her bedroom. That was the beginning of her story and it is a story in the making, enfolding in front of our eyes, “in real time”: just in February this year she got a job with the Guardian newspaper to run their beauty column and end of April her own make up line will be launched. And she is only 27 years old!

Lauren is indeed an example for all of us. If you are interested in her story or if you just need an inspiration you can read more about Lauren Luke in U.K. Guardian newspaper: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/jan/30/lauren-luke-youtube-makeup

I am a follower of her tutorials and I will be brining you the best ones in this blog.

Best Mother's Day Gifts!

2009-04-17T08:25:00.000-07:00

Mother’s Day has become one of my favorite holidays after I became a mom myself 1,5 years ago. I believe this is the day to give all your love and gratefulness to those ones who selflessly give you everything they have. It’s time to give back. Since becoming a mom I know that I spend less and less time and money on myself, so if you mother is like myself (and I am 99.9% sure she is) at least 1 day a year you should spend your resources on her. Every mom deserves to get a special treatment this day, to be pampered.

To help you out here is my choice of top Mother’s Day gifts for all budgets:

1. As I wrote on my blog earlier that the condition of your hair is not just a sign of beauty but a sign of your health. Healthy hair is very important and it is every woman’s pride. Kerastase products, which I described earlier (http://beautymanual.blogspot.com/2009/04/kerastase-hair-care-products.html) are great for all hair types but instead of just buying a regular shampoo and conditioner, maybe you should buy a special hair treatment for your mom. I am pretty certain she will not spend money on it herself and I am absolutely positive she will benefit from it immensely. Choose one depending on your mom’s hair type and/or issues (fine hair/fragile or damaged hair/ oily scalp, etc.) – choices are endless and they are specifically tailored to one’s needs:

How to save even more: Fragrance.net, where you can find these hair products, is having an great Mother's Day promotion now, see my previous post (http://beautymanual.blogspot.com/2009/04/beauty-stimulus-bill.html) You can also still use "cable" coupon for 15% OFF (I just checked) and it offers FREE shipping if you order $70+.

2. Woman’ eyes always give out her age and also suffer from tiredness, lack of sleep, environmental factors, etc. While moisturizes and line fillers are good for their purpose special eye treatments/masks will give you mom so much needed pampering. Here is a great example of a pampering set you can get, which will re-charge and re-energize her skin in minutes (it really does an amazing job):

How to save even more: this and other amazing sets on blissworld.com are now 10% on top of that the site offers 3 excellet promotions specifically in honor of Mother's Day:

Save $15 on gifts for mom at Bliss when you buy 1 body butter + 1 scrub + 1 shower gel (any scent!). Use code SAVE15. Offer ends 5.11.09.

Receive a free full sized blood orange+white pepper body butter ($35.00 value) with your order of $75 or more at BlissWorld.com! Offer ends 4.30.09.

Free gift for your big day: Free bliss eye mask sample ($14 value) + free shipping over $75. Enter code BIGDAY in shopping bag

3. Our hands also give out age and while they receive the harshest treatment from cold weather, water and chemicals (constant cleaning after babies, husbands and pets) they don’t receive as much care as face does, for instance. Your mom will be extremely grateful if you give her Mary Kay Satin Hands set. It includes Extra Emollient Cream, Scrub and Regular Hand Cream. Each of the products can be used separately but they do the best job ever if used together in 3 steps:

a. Generously apply Extra Emollient Cream and massage your hands
b. Wash the excess of the Extra Emollient Cream with Scrub, which will also scrub away dead cells (I use it as a cleaner instead of hand soap too)
c. Finish by applying the Hand Cream to moisturize and protect.

Just after 1 procedure you will notice a significant difference!

4. Many women have a secret dream of escaping to a spa for a day, but most of them don’t even get one free hour for themselves, let alone extra cash to spend on elaborate treatments. What is the solution? Bring a spa home to your mom! There are a lot of spa sets out there but I prefer Bliss brand produced by an actual spa, Bliss Spa in New York. These guys really know spa products because it’s their business. Bliss sets always get excellent reviews and below are some great ones on sale now:

How to save even more: these and other amazing sets are on sale now at blissworld.com - 10% OFF. And on top of that the site offers several special promotions in honor of Mother's Day:

Save $15 on gifts for mom at Bliss when you buy 1 body butter + 1 scrub + 1 shower gel (any scent!). Use code SAVE15. Offer ends 5.11.09.

Receive a free full sized blood orange+white pepper body butter ($35.00 value) with your order of $75 or more at BlissWorld.com! Offer ends 4.30.09.

Free gift for your big day: Free bliss eye mask sample ($14 value) + free shipping over $75. Enter code BIGDAY in shopping bag

5. Finally, if your mom is into fragrances – buy her an exquisite perfume. I often hear women (my mom including) talking about “good, old days” when they were young and a certain perfume they used that symbolized that special period in their lives. More often than not this perfume cannot be found in department stores anymore. However, there is a high chance you can find it on Fragrance.net I know I was searching for my mom’s favorite for years. Whenever I went to France I would go to the best and biggest beauty stores only to confirm time after time that this scent was not for sale anymore. And voila – a month ago I found it on Fragrance.net! You cannot really rely on fragrance reviews because tastes differ dramatically but one type of comment you can find consistently throughout the site: “I’ve search for ABC perfume forever and found it here. THANK YOU for doing such a great job!”

How to save even more: Fragrance.net offers a special Mother's Day promotion, see my previous post (http://beautymanual.blogspot.com/2009/04/beauty-stimulus-bill.html); you can use "cable" coupon for 15% off and shipping is always free if you order $70+

Plus you get discounts and free shipping on orders equal or more 70 USD!

Beauty Stimulus Bill

2009-04-14T09:10:00.000-07:00

I just received an e-mail from Fragrance.net which I couldn't help sharing with you. The subject is "Our Own Stimulus Bill". They offer tiered discounts till April 21, 2009 as follows:

- $20 OFF orders $150+ - use code TF594 at check out
- $10 OFF orders $60 + - use code TSX94 at checkout
- $5 OFF orders $40+ - use code F594F at checkout

This is ideal timing because many of us will be thinking about buying Mother's Day gifts! It is important to mention that this website not only offers fragrances, they have a huge selection of skincare, haircare and make up products from the leading beauty companies around the world.

This link will take you directly to Fragrance.net:

Kerastase hair care products

2009-04-13T08:30:00.000-07:00

Let’s talk about your hair today. Now that the winter is over in the Northern hemisphere and we took our hats off we want our hair to look gorgeous. It is important to understand that wonderful hair is not just an indicator of beauty it is an indicator of your health.

My top pick in hair care products is Kerastase brand. Year after year Kerastase products win “Best in Beauty Buys” award from InStyle magazine, including 2009. They have products for all types of hair and all types of problems your hair might encounter. People who created these products really worked hard to create shampoos, conditioners and treatments specifically for your needs. They don’t just have products for “Dry Hair”, for instance, they have products for “Dry, rebellions hair”, “Normal to slightly dry hair”, “Dry, sensitized hair” and “Very dry hair”.

My love affair with Kerastase began long time ago when a friend of mine used to work for L’Oreal (Kerastase is one of L’Oreal’s superior brands). He gave me a Kerastase shampoo and conditioner as a gift and I am extremely grateful to him for that. But for that occasion I wouldn’t have never discovered the best products for my hair, ever: you cannot easily find Kerstase in your local store, depending on the country/city where you live you can either purchase it in hair saloons or on-line. When I lived in UK I found Kerastase in beauty parlors, in the U.S. I never saw it in places where I do my haircuts (may be it’s just Illinois issue). So I decided to skip the trouble and use the good old Internet.

Over the time I used various Kerastase products (I don’t just rely on commentaries in beauty magazines): for sun exposed hair, for colored hair and for normal weak thin hair. ALL of them did an excellent job. I cannot recommend which specific product you should use, it all depends on your hair type/issues, but I am sure everyone will be able to find a perfect match for oneself in Kerastase’s extensive line of products.

How to save on this brand: buy on Fragrance.net (image links in this post will take you directly to Kerastase on Fragrance.net). Current coupon code: "cable" - 15% OFF any purchase. If this expires, register on the website itself and they will send you 10% OFF coupon via e-mail. In addition, if you buy 70 USD+ wirth of products the shipment is FREE.

Life saver for dry skin

2009-04-10T08:48:00.000-07:00

Today I continue to review celebrities’ advice regarding beauty products published on Cosmopolitan.com Victoria Beckham and some other ladies recommend Elizabeth Arden 8-Hour Cream Skin-Protectant" as a do-all cream in for anywhere that’s superdry: lips, elbows, knees, hands... I LOVE do-all creams because they save time and money (you need just 1 product instead of several). And this one is good, but not the cheapest -24 USD for 1.7 OZ tube.

There is an excellent alternative which became a lifesaver for me –

Mary Kay Extra Emollient Night Cream – 11 USD for 2.1 OZ tube.

It has EXACTLY THE SAME use – extremely dry skin on your face, hands, knees, elbows, etc. It contains petrolatum, beeswax and mineral oil and I even used it on my son’s super dry legs since he was 8 months old! Regardless of the fact that it is called “night” cream I use it during the day to protect my hands since I spend a lot of time with my hands in water cleaning the mess my son creates.

You have to give your skin 5-10 minutes to absorb it entirely and after that you hands feel like satin! It feels better than any spa treatment.

How to save even more: 1. the tube lasts forever: you do not need more than a small pee-size amount of the cream to treat both of your hands (if you use more it will be too much) AND 2. Buy it on Amazon.com! :

Makeup tips

2009-04-08T09:14:00.000-07:00

I am always looking for good tips about using beauty products. Collette Kavanagh, who owns a beauty salon in a small Irish town of Ferbane came up with these great make up tips:

1. Always choose a foundation that matches's your skin tone and type. A good way to check is to put some foundation on the back of your hand and view it in a well lit area. Using a damp sponge blend the foundation evenly all over your face, down to the start of your neckline.

2. Cover blemishes with a concealer that matches your foundation. Apply with the damp sponge.

3. Apply a translucent powder all over your face, pressing in with a powder puff, or cotton wool. Finally dust off the excess with a powder brush. This will set the foundation in place and prevent shine.

4. Starting on the cheekbone and working towards the outer edge of the nose, sweep on the blusher. A good tip when applying blusher is to smile in to the mirror, that way you can find the correct outline of the cheekbone. Use Blusher sparingly, you can always top-up if necessary.

5. Choose eye-shadow colours that will match both your eye colour and will also compliment what you will be wearing. In general most companies provide a trio of eye shadow compacts. The lightest colour should be dusted all over the eye, the next colour applied to the eyelid ,and the darkest shade just at the outer edge of the upper eye-lid and swept along the eye socket. If you use this technique you cant go far wrong.

6. Apply eyeliner; the general rule of thumb here is brown for the daytime and black for the night, regardless of eye colour. Apply the liner to both the upper and lower lash line. Start at the outer edge of the lash line on the lid and line ¼ of the way in. The same applies to the lower lash line. Don't go all the way in as it will look too unnatural.

7. Next the mascara. Here the same colour rule applies. Brown for day and black for night. Apply the mascara working down the lashes moving the wand in circular movements. This ensures better coverage. You can now use an eyelash brush to comb the eyelash; this will remove any excess mascara.

8. Eyebrows. This is a very common problem; people put on their eye shadow and totally forget about their eyebrows. The eyebrows frame the face and a well-shaped eyebrow will always result in a better overall make-up. So start by brushing down the hair on the eyebrow, then draw in a feathered line on the eyebrow line. Finally, brush the eyebrow hair in to place.

9. Lips: outline your lips with a neutral lip liner or one that matches's the colour of your lipstick. If you lips are too small you can draw just outside of the natural lip line. The same applies if your lips are too large - you can draw just inside the natural lip line. Now you are ready to fill in your lip colour - this can be done by applying the lipstick with a lip brush. Blot the lips with a tissue and then apply a last coat.

So simple and effecient! Have a Beauty-full day!

About me

2009-04-08T07:51:00.001-07:00

I guess it’s a good time to introduce myself, the blog owner – Northern Belle (as opposed to “Southern Belle”, just to prove that the girls from the North are as glamorous as the ones from the South) and share with you why I decided to create this blog:

1. I LOVE to see women walking down the street radiating a divine glow, an ethereal light because they feel confident in how they look and they feel beautiful.

2. I am a marketing expert by profession and I know how products are being marketed to customers, including pricing, advertising, and promotion. I HATE when companies try to trick you, my readers, into buying stuff that might not be right for you. I am ashamed of some of my “colleagues” and with this blog I am trying to undo some of the “damage” they create every day.

3. I started my career in a cosmetics industry and I know quite a bit about different beauty products manufactures and retailers.

4. I LOVE trying new stuff out, which includes “playing” with various beauty products, you can say it’s a kind of a hobby. I used to share my findings with friends and family but then I thought this information could benefit a wider audience.

5. I HATE to pay retail price for products I buy (and not just cosmetics) so I’ve done a lot of market research and now I know a lot of websites where I can get web discounts coupons and share them with you.

6. I LOVE writing. I wrote and published 1 book but, unfortunately, I don’t have time for another major “masterpiece”. Writing short articles for a blog is the best outlet for my creativity.
7. I do NOT currently work for any cosmetics company and I am NOT paid to promote any specific products. I am not a skincare specialist or an aesthetician. The views expressed in this blog are my personal views and opinions.

Aqua Fusion

2009-04-04T20:43:00.001-07:00

If you read Cosmpolitan.com you probably noticed one of the long standing features under the Style and Beauty section which is called Celeb's Favorite Products. If you have not read it yet - DON'T EVEN BOTHER! In short, 100 celebrities got together to brainwash you about "fantastic" must-have beauty products. Only a couple of them give a decent advice, others either advertise the company they have a contract with or talk about "miracle" products that cost several hundred dollars (which very few of us can afford).

So I decided to make it my mission to de-mistify the "Celeb's Favorites" and give you alternatives that won't break you budget while doing an excellent job.

Today my target is Creme de La Mer. It is recomended by several celebrities but at a retail price of 230 USD/2 oz jar it feels to me more like a small dismond than a face cream. If you are looking for an outstanding moisturizing cream my absolute favoutite is Lancome Aqua Fusion Continuously Infusing Moisture Cream-Gel ( Normal/ Combination Skin; Cream - for Dry Skin) : It does exactly what it says in the title: infuses you skin with moisture and locks it there. Whenever I am on the go I always take it with me and if I have space just for 1 jar - this is it, because it can double as my eye cream (it releaves the tightness around the eyes in an instant!) It is oil free and does not clog pores

What do I especially love about it? - The fact that it costs just 39 USD/1.7 OZ jar! (Fragrance.net gives the best price at the moment, click the image above to get direstly to Lancome section of the site). It is sometimes placed in the "night cream" section, but it it sooooo light and refreshing that it can be used both in the morning and before bedtime.

How to save even more: buy more than 70 USD worth of products to get FREE shiping on Fragrance.net and use current promotion code "AAANY" to get 15% OFF your entire order (of any product(s) on Fragrance.net.)

If you found this article quite some time after it was published and the coupon is not valid any more - look through more recent posts to get a new coupon code.

Hello, Gorgeous!

2009-03-26T10:08:00.001-07:00

Hello, Gorgeous!

I don’t know your name but I know you are Gorgeous because ALL WOMEN ARE! We were all born that way, we just need to learn how to uncover our unique beauty buried under layers of stress, tiredness, lack of sleep (if you have a baby like I do ), and, may be, age (though we won’t tell anybody how old you are – you can look 35 forever, you just need to learn HOW!)

You are asking me why I am writing this blog? Well, let’s confess: all of us, ladies, at one point or another wanted to look like Julia Roberts or Beyonce or Eva Mendez, etc. because they are BEAUTIFUL. Not all of us, unfortunately, will have a chance to walk that red Carpet but ALL of us can be that pretty! And I want to share with you what I’ve learnt from my experience how to make it happen with minimum effort.

What is preventing us from doing it at the moment? From my experience I can say: just 2 things – MONEY and TIME. And I learnt how to fight them BOTH!

Let’s talk about TIME. I have a baby, you may be have one too, or two, or three and a job, and a house to run, and… well’ you know how the story goes. We all read beauty magazines and blogs, we all know that, for instance, to keep your face young and pretty you need to clean it, exfoliate, tone, moisturize, and use a sun block – that’s just the initial 5 steps. Do we have time to do all of them? – NO!

So in this blog I will be focusing on tips and products that can effectively do 2 – 3 jobs at a time.

Now - MONEY. I don’t know what you do or where you live but I know that financial crisis touched you one way or the other. Most likely, you don’t have means to buy all those 5 products (and that’s just for your face) so you need “multitaskers” (see above). You also don’t have spare money to buy expensive products like celebrities do, but more expensive does not necessarily mean BETTER! My background is in marketing, I know how products are priced: when you buy Dior or Estee Lauder you don’t, really, pay for the quality, you pay for the brand name.

In addition, when a celebrity is talking about her “beauty secrets” be aware that most likely she is paid to say what she is saying. Penelope Cruz, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jessica Alba, Halle Berry and most of others are spokeswomen for various cosmetic companies. They are bound by contract, not love to a certain product.

So in this blog I will try to tell you a true story about beauty products and we will focus on those that are affordable and are of great quality.

Finally, I will try to de-mistify what celebrities recommend and also provide you with information on all major beauty companies/brands, where to shop and how to shop for beauty products and save money (coupon codes will be provided :-)

I hope you will visit me often! I don’t promise to “make you beautiful”. You don’t need that because you already ARE beautiful. I will just help you to uncover and preserve this natural beauty of yours.