beauty – Page 14 – Girl Who Would be KING on Life, Style and INSPIRATION.

beauty biz – BUXOM beauty

It’s not unusual for me to walk into Sephora and see products that have my name written all over it…meaning that I recognize something that I think would be perfect for me. But this time I really did see something with my name written on it which of course garnered my attention. On closer observation I realized it was also my colour and the caricature of the person on the packaging ~~looked just like me~~ was wearing something I like and also sell. Co-incidence? I think not!

What it is:
Besides a good marketing tool, it’s a bestselling sheer, shimmering lip gloss with a tingling, plumping effect.

What it does:
A sheer, high-shine lip polish. It creates the look of fuller, more voluptuous lips with a refreshing tingling sensation and gentle plumping effect. Vitamins A and E help keep lips soft and protected.

What else you need to know:
Dolly is a cult favorite, but if you love pinks, go with Katie and Sugar. For a plum obsession, go with Brandi or Gabby. Orange-lovers will gravitate toward Amber and Debbie. Add a splash of sparkle with Clair, Starr, and April. Leave it to them to choose names like Sugar, Brandi & Starr….~~I’m sure porn stars wear lipgloss too~~

What it is formulated WITHOUT:
– Parabens
– Sulfates
– Phthalates

For kisses that’ll have them coming back for more.

Available exclusively at Sephora – 100 shades that just might have your name on it.

FUN

Beauty & the Beach

What to do, what to do…… when you want a natural TAN. We know that we need to protect ourselves from the powerful UVA/UVB rays but at the same time we want that radiant sun-kissed colour too. If we over-protect we don’t get it.

I think it’s fairly safe to use a lesser SPF for body when you’re just out strolling around but still getting sun. Lying full out in the sun is bad enough but I’m surprised to see tons of people still doing it and also going to tanning salons especially using the beds.

whatever you do, try not to get Burned!

There’s lots of lotions out there but for the longest time my favourite has been Australian Gold spray – the one with the natural caramel bronzer that protects you but at the same time it gives you an instant bronzed glow. And it smells delicious – just the right amount of coconut so you feel like you’re already at the beach. It has:

Broad Spectrum UVA/UVB Protection
Exotic oils to soften and moisturize skin for beautiful color
Aloe Vera to provide natural soothing and skin conditioning
Water Resistant for 80 minutes
Australian Gold signature fragrance

Yeah, whatever that fragrance is, I’m hooked!

What’s your favourite?

FUN

beauty biz – Pacifica LIP products

Give your lips the love they deserve!

banner from their website — Banner taken from website (details below). Whenever possible, go for **NATURAL**!

I’ve been a fan of Pacifica’s Tuscan Blood Orange, Indian Coconut Nectar and Tahitian Island Vanilla body butters ever since receiving all three (lucky me) as a gift from a friend who couldn’t decide. They were rich and decadent and smelled exactly like they sound….exotic. So you can imagine my excitement over discovering their new lip butters and tints on a recent trip to the U.S. I was drawn to the colored quench lip tint called “sugared fig” for only $7.00. It hydrated my lips without a sticky feeling and left a healthy hint of natural color without too much shine. The scent is incredible. I love it!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT:

All Natural Color Quench lip tints packs major lip moisture, nourishing naturals and gorgeous, sheer lip color into one perfectly portable, 100% recyclable tube. Essential fatty acids from rich and amazing avocado and coconut oils leave lips luscious and healthy. Natural flavor and 5 perfect shades that are 100% vegan cruelty free and gluten free. Does this mean NO calories?

DETAILS: Free of carmine, beeswax, lanolin, phthalates, parabens, mineral oils, GMOs, triclosan, propylene, glycol and petroleum.

Here is the link to my Pacifica Body Butter review (from exactly 1 year ago): https://intrigueimports.wordpress.com/2013/07/17/beauty-body-butters/

To buy: http://www.pacificaperfume.com/beauty/color/lip/color-quench-lip-tint

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Beauty biz – Simple. Natural. Effective.

Marilou Bio is a French manufacturer of certified organic and natural cosmetics.

I was given some with Argan oil to try. Sometimes your skin is extra sensitive or needs a break in between using other products. I had these sitting on my shelf for weeks before giving them a try. They have a lovely smell, the packaging is cute and the prices affordable. They soak into the skin very nicely, are neither too rich nor too light so I would recommend them even though they are not easily available here in Canada.

Product Features :

For anyone who thought argan oil was strictly for moisturizing, think again. Its antioxidants help to restore skin that’s seen better days, improving elasticity, firmness and complexion through intense hydration. Known by the Moroccan Berber community as the “Tree of Life“, the Argan tree has supported the people of these arid regions and their livestock for centuries.

Ingredients: Argan oil (rich in fatty acids, vitamin E, squalene, sterols and polyphenols), Shea butter, and Beech extract.

Organic Argan Oil: Contains anti-aging properties; firming and regenerating effects thanks to the moisturizing powers. This product will help provide a more youthful look and more intensely radiant looking skin.

In Canada you can find it at Neolistic Trade: http://www.neolistictrade.com

Based in Magog, Quebec – Neolistic Trade is an ecological and organic certified products importer – distributor & exporting agency with a great reputation for providing premium quality products and exceptional customer service.

Neolistic is devoted to holistic, non-toxic, and natural alternatives to human health.

by now you should be familiar with this product — by now you should be familiar with these luxury hair care products by **Moroccanoil**

beauty

beauty biz – black soap?

Using black soap won’t make your face turn black any more than using white soap will make your face turn white.

African black soap is a gentle, all-natural alternative cleanser made only from plant materials.Ordinary store-bought soaps can be too harsh or drying for your skin. Proponents of African black soap say it does more than just keep you clean — the suds are packed with skin-loving benefits, too.

THERE’S NOTHING BASIC ABOUT AFRICA’S BLACK SOAP.

Most black soap is made with a blend of Plaintain skin, Cocoa Pod Powder, Tropical Honey, and Virgin Coconut Oil. African Black Soap is most commonly hand-crafted by village women in Africa who make the soap for themselves and to support their families.

The same women who make black soap choose to use only black soap on their babies, as its purity makes it gentle and non-drying for babies’ sensitive skin. In fact, black soap is generally the only soap used in most Western African countries.

Uses of African Black Soap

African black soap contains shea butter, which moisturizes skin but doesn’t clog pores. Shea butter gives the soap some UV-protection properties, but not enough to replace your usual sunscreen. According to Organic Spa Magazine, the soap may fade skin discoloration and dark spots. The soap cleanses gently, so it’s ideal for people with rosacea, rashes, dryness and other skin conditions. African black soap contains plantain extract, which has antibacterial properties that may help treat acne breakouts. Some people use the soap as a shampoo or mild makeup remover.

How the Soap is Made

African soap is traditionally made by harvesting and sun-drying palm leaves, cocoa pods and the bark from shea and plantain trees. This material is then roasted in a kettle at a constant temperature and mixed with oils, such as coconut and palm oil. The soap then cures for two weeks before it’s ready to use.

What makes Black Soap different:

Black soap is made with rare tropical honeys that are known for softening the skin and creating a smooth surface.
Black soap is also a natural source of vitamins A & E and iron. This helps to strengthen the skin and hair.
Black soap contains a high amount of glycerin, which absorbs moisture from the air and literally deposits it into the skin, making the skin soft and supple.
For centuries, Ghanaians and Nigerians have used black soap to help relieve acne, oily skin, clear blemishes and various other skin issues. Many swear by it for skin irritations and conditions such as eczema and psoriasis.
Women in Africa will use black soap during pregnancy and afterwards to keep them from getting stretch marks and to protect them from dry skin that is often accompanied by pregnancy.
Black soap can also be used as a hair shampoo. The shea butter in the soap softens the hair, while the vitamins give it strength.
Men can use black soap in shaving. The high shea butter content leaves the skin smooth and protected.
African black soap is unique in that it contains no preservatives, color enhancers, or fragrances. African black soap creates a soft lather without the animal fat additives that are commonly used in soaps made in the US.
Mine came in this plastic container bought in New Orleans. It works wonderfully.

Buy at Amazon.com or elsewhere online unless you go to West Africa or New Orleans.

Source: Livestrong.com & AfricaImports.com

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beauty biz – RETINOL really!

Getting older is natural, looking older is not!

So you want to delay getting a facelift for as long as possible or even avoid it (like me) entirely. So here’s what you need to do – use retinol. Here’s why: this one ingredient boosts collagen, softens skin, evens texture, and fades dark spots. The data is clear (we hope whoever is controlling the data is clear on this) that women who regularly use retinoids age better than women who don’t. Here are a few key things to know before getting started:

You don’t have to use it every night. Start with twice weekly and follow up immediately with you regular moisturizer or face oil. After a few weeks, step it up to three times a week.

It should be an “at bedtime-only” thing. Retinoids are photolabile, meaning they break down in the presence of sunlight.

A little irritation is OK. Redness and flaking are signs that the active form of retinol, a compound called retinoic acid, is working in the skin to make more collagen. Just give your skin a few days to recover between applications. I recommend trying RoC Retinol Correxion Sensitive Night Cream if you’re not sure or you experience burning or stinging. Fyi – I have sensitive skin and I was using the regular Roc with retinol night cream, then followed up with face oil after waiting a few minutes for it to sink in. I took a long break so I’ll have to start using it again.

Have patience – it takes at least a few months to work. Your patience will be rewarded. I just found out that even if it doesn’t look like the retinol is doing anything, it’s building collagen stores in the skin that will help as you get older.

TIP: do an at-home peel a few days before starting retinol. This will get rid of dead skin cells allowing the retinol to penetrate faster and the fresh, new cells to benefit most from the ingredient. I like the Vica-C exfoliating peel by Mica Beauty.

What you don’t know about Retinol:

It doesn’t work by exfoliating. Even though they can make skin flaky (at first) they work by increasing the activity of enzymes in the skin that make more collagen.

It doesn’t make skin more sun-sensitive. Your skin might become more heat-sensitive, but that means it may feel hotter and look a bit redder if you go outside on a hot day, but that’s not burning. That said, don’t forget to apply sun protection for the obvious reasons. My favourite sunscreen is La Roche Posay Anthelios Mineral Tinted SPF 50. It does the trick and gives a healthy glow.

You can use it around your eyes. This is where your skin really needs the collagen boost. Try not to get it in your eyes but if you do, don’t freak out. It won’t do any harm, just rinse your eyes with water. RoC makes a specific one for eyes.

Mica Beauty Vita-C Exfoliating Peel
available at:

http://www.intrigueimports.com/product_info.php?products_id=132

There are other skin creams available with Retinol. Go to the beauty counter or do some research yourself. Maybe you can pick up a few samples somewhere like “Sephora” to try out a few and decide which works best for you.

Have you tried any? What do you recommend?

FUN

Personally…I don’t want to become a TANorexic!

Summer is just around the corner (it started earlier than usual in Vancouver) and some of us are feeling that we look a tad too pale. What’s a white girl to do?

Fake it, of course – what else?

Start to shake up the St. Tropez self-tanning mousse and start slathering. Then somebody you know happens to comment that you’re looking really tan. You say “thank you” and they say “no, I mean like reeaally tanned” and then you’re feeling not so sure that it’s a nice compliment – like you overdid it with the bottle.

You try to cut back but it is really difficult especially once you start to see results (George Hamilton comes to mind). You must repeat this on a daily basis until you obtain the color you want (which is the “perfect” fake tan) but the lines become blurred because you never can tell if you’re tan enough. It’s a tough circle.

A Tanorexic is similar to an Anorexic in the sense that the person isn’t aware of how “tan” they really are, even if another person tells them they are. Is there a 12-step program to deal with this?

I thought I was the first person to come up with this term but it turns out that Wikipedia already has a description (which I added to):

Tanning addiction (see photos below for poor examples) is a rare syndrome where an individual appears to have a physical or psychological addiction to sunbathing or the use of tanning beds and/or spray tans – usually resulting in an overly orange or dark complexion and body color. This may or may not include a strange scented body odor although now you can find some sprays/lotions that don’t smell too bad (stop that!).

you don't want to do this — you don’t want to do this

Come on….who else is guilty?

It doesn’t really have to be this way!

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Beauty biz – does Boots #7 live up to all the hype?

Remember when the original Protect and Perfect was hailed as the next anti aging breakthrough in Great Britain? When it hit the shelves in the United States it sold out in days.

In a recent Boots No7 review, BBC reported a clinical study that showed Boots No. 7′s Protect & Perfect to be as almost as effective as prescription products. Wow, big claim! Is it true?

Gwyneth Paltrow says she is a user of Boots No7 skin cream which adds further credibility to the line. (After all, she should know).

In 2011, Multiple Boots No7 Products Receive Good Housekeeping’s First Annual Anti-Aging Awards.

Boots No7 has been featured and reviewed by a bunch of influential magazines. NBC claimed the serum was scientifically proven to repair collagen. The primary ingredient that is known to repair collagen is oligopeptide. But is this ingredient in a high enough dosage to repair collagen? Our first reaction is that Boots No7 represents good value for money. When you compare Boots No7 to premium products, the formula is actually quite effective. The concentration of oligopeptide is reasonable for the cost of the product and we feel it represents good value for money. The Dermatology Review.

No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Beauty Serum has been tested like no other cosmetic anti aging product in an independent 12 month trial. The findings clearly show that it has genuine, long term anti aging benefits. Contains Pro Retinol (I will blog about the importance of Retinol in my next post), concentrated levels of Boots unique antioxidant complex to protect from environmental damage and a skin-firming peptide complex to boost and maintain skin’s elasticity.

The serum does include Palmitoyl Oligopeptide and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide, two very effective anti-aging ingredients. Unfortunately, the peptides are the two LAST ingredients in a lengthy list of 31 ingredients. This means there are only enough peptides to allow Boots to list them which makes you wonder about the overall effectiveness. All in all, it feels silky on the skin and seems to work as well as many pricier serums. Only time will tell. Worth a try in my opinion.

Boots No7 is available at Target, QVC, Ulta, Walgreens, and Beauty.com. In Canada you can find them at Shoppers Drug Mart & London Drugs – priced between $20 and $40. It can also be purchased online through Boots USA.

I haven’t tried any of their other products – have you? Any comments?

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Beauty biz – what makes Shea so much Butter?

I’m sure you’ve heard or read about it before and have seen it listed on many beauty care products. It’s been around for a very long time.

Shea Butter is made from the nut of the African Shea tree and contains a rich amount of unremoveable fatty acid which renders it far superior to cocoa butter and other natural butters, but African women already know this. They’ve been using shea butter for so many years to protect and rejuventate their hair and skin.

This fatty acid is crucial to rejuvenating and moisturizing the skin. Shea butter provides all the essential vitamins (especially vitamin A) needed to make skin look and feel smoother, softer and healthier. The therapeutic properties stimulates cellular activity while protecting skin from the elements (wind, cold, sun) and helps wounds heal faster. It has been used to heal burns, sores, scars, dermatitis, psoriasis, dandruff, and stretch marks. Shea also contains cinnamic acid, a substance that helps protect the skin from harmful UV rays.

The container here doesn’t look so pretty (certainly won’t be front & center on my vanity) but buyer beware: some of the companies with fancier versions will alter it in order to have a better fragrance, texture, overall appearance. The alterations may disturb and in some cases destroy the natural integrity of the product. It will however, look much nicer on your bathroom shelf.

Listed below are some of the conditions that Shea Butter will provide improvement for. As you use this multi-purpose butter, you are likely to discover additional uses. The amount of time required for optimum results may vary with each condition. Wrinkles, for example, require 4 to 6 weeks of daily use. Itching is relieved immediately.

Dry skin

Skin rash

Skin peeling, after tanning

Blemishes and Wrinkles

Itching skin

Sunburn

Shaving cream for a smooth silky shave

Small skin wounds

Skin cracks

Tough or rough skin (Feet, Elbow)

Cold weather

Frost bites

Stretch mark prevention during pregnancy

Insect bites

Healthy skin

Muscle fatigue aches and tension

For before and after strenuous exercise

Skin allergies such as poison ivy or poison oak

Eczema

Dermatitis

Skin damage from heat, hot grease while cooking, radiation treatment for certain medical problems…

What can I tell by looking at the label? Ingredients on the label should be listed in the order from the ingredient that is the most to the least. Therefore, you should look for Shea Butter products that list Shea Butter early on the list of ingredients.

TIP: warm it up first in your hands before spreading it on your skin. Some people even put some in the microwave but I wouldn’t do this as it could break down the vitamins, interfering with the benefits.

On PINterest – some products I can’t live without:

http://www.pinterest.com/intrigueimports/beauty-products-i-cant-live-without/

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Beauty biz – benefits of Masking it

SKINCARE MASKS provide some of the rewards of a salon/spa facial right at home.

I try to work one into my skincare routine – once a week, usually on a weekend and only when I’m pretty sure no one will show up at my door. I don’t want to scare anyone wearing my full face (with cutouts for eyes & nostrils) Japanese tissue mask, or the black clay one or the blue algae. Even the dog gets scared and hides.

Using a mask is one of the steps of a good skin care regimen and they work especially when you first exfoliate. A mask blankets the skin helping the active ingredients penetrate. Depending on which type you use it can draw impurities from the skin and eliminate dead skin cells (yuck) or tighten and tone.

Masks are applied to cleansed skin for 10 to 20 minutes, although the duration can be shorter or longer; some hydrating masks can also be used as an intensive overnight treatment. They generally fall into these categories:

CLAY/MUD MASKS – these use kaolin clay, a natural component in soil, or mud from the dead sea. They absorb oil which draws out impurities and dirt that can make pores look more noticeable, and for removing dead skin cells. These masks might be targeted to oily T-zones or acne-prone skin, and some contain acne-fighting ingredients such as salicylic acid. I plaster Ahava dead sea mud from Israel on my nose and chin – it dries quickly to soak up oil.

HYDRATING MASKS – these tend to soothe, nourish and, as their name implies, super-moisturize. I like Clarins “Hydra-Quench” or Origins “Drink-Up.”

FIRMING and ANTI-AGING MASKS – these deal with skin in need of a reboot. Dior Capture Totale One Essential Mask is a melt-into-skin pink gel which bills itself as an “ultra-detox” that addresses wrinkles and loss of firmness. Sounds amazing but I haven’t tried it.

SLEEPING MASKS – these are growing worldwide. You apply them at night before sleep. It’s for intense hydration. Might be better using them for winter once in a while. Nighttime is when the skin is rested and regeneration is at its peak so you wake up to skin that’s fresher, more hydrated. One to try: Vichy Aqualia Thermal Night Spa features hyaluronic acid, Vichy thermal spa water, aquabioryl (a hydration booster) and plant oils.

Remember no matter which one you choose – follow instructions then sit back, relax and enjoy the benefits.

Which ones do you use?