Showing posts with label skin care. Show all posts
Showing posts with label skin care. Show all posts
Friday, April 05, 2013
Beauty Balm
ONE OF THE BEST NEW BEAUTY PRODUCTS
Maybe you've noticed one of the newest beauty products on the market. It actually crawled in under my radar and onto the shelves without attracting my attention. A sales person at the Body Shop first introduced me when I said I was looking for a tinted moisturizer. " Try this," She held a small tube marked BB. "It's Beauty Balm" I then recalled seeing ads for it but they had failed to pique my interest. So many products .. so little time. She must have read my mind. "Just give it try. It's a bit different from what else is out there.
I smoothed some over my face and checked the mirror. My skin had that luminous glow I'm forever in search of. Best of all it didn't look like I was wearing makeup
Beauty Balm, I think originated in Asia . It is a combination of primer, color, moisturizer and sunscreen. It is light and impacts a nice healthy look when you chose the right shade (go lighter rather than darker). It's inexpensive. Maybelline's, which I tried next was under $10. I then moved on to Cover Girl (also good )and L'Oreal which is marketed for mature skin and is a little more moisturizing than the others. However it didn't impart as much color.
On a trip to Sephora, I found that they too had hopped on the Beauty Balm bandwagon with everyone from Benefit to Dior hawking their versions. I decided to be extravagant and try a high end balm. After taking a good look at my face the salesperson returned with a jar. This BB was a water based gel and was one of several from a line I had never heard of, Dr. Jart. The product was rather thick and not easy to apply.I was skeptical,but she was convincing and I had a train to catch so I put another $35plus tax on my credit card and took it home. If there was a glow, I couldn't see it and the gel like texture wasn't to my liking. Back it went no questions asked. For now I'm sticking with the drug store brands .
The balm is a great idea for those of us who like to think we really don't need foundation but look much better with it. Foundation? Me? Of course not! Just a little BB Balm.
Cheers,
Barb
Thursday, June 10, 2010
HAVE YOU TRIED OLAY'S PROFESSIONAL PRO X?
It seems as if the Olay brand been around forever. I recall that for years it was represented by one product, Oil of Olay. It graced the shelves of drug store and mass marketers and was used mostly by the no nonsense beauty consumer. Those who knew they needed something to smooth on their faces but weren't too fussy, just so long as the price was right. I tried it once when I was on a fugal kick but didn't like it or its scent.
A decade or so ago they raised their profile by expanding their product line along with their advertising. Now the shelves overflow with confusing choices. There's Olay Total Effects, Olay Definity and Regenerest. Each line promises something slightly different than the others. I found the ad copy tiring to read and also had difficulty deciding whether my main problem was lack of definition, skin clarity or maybe my dysfunctional moisture barrier. Then there was the decision concerning the delivery system. Would I best be helped by a cream or a serum?
Since when did skincare get so complicated? Olay's stock really rose when Good Housekeeping declared that their Regenerist Micro Sculpting Cream provided results comparable to a $3oo product. I would have invested in a jar but I was unable to find one amid all their other offerings. This is a time when a sales consultant would be helpful.
However OLAY at that point got carried away and not too long ago came out with New Olay Professional Pro X It touts a new anti-aging breakthrough that sounds familiar and guarantees younger looking skin in 28 days. The ad show a prescription like symbol and the product is said to have been developed by a team of dermatologists. Their names are listed in a full page ad in the New York Times. I guess we are to assume this latest product is similar to botox or collegen however there is a very small disclaimer saying that results are not the same as a surgical procedure.What it is, is costly at $69.00 for a starter kit of three of the line's six products.
Olay is now edging up in price toward the department store brands minus the service and advice and I can't imagine what their rationale is. I've not tried it but would be very interested to hear from anyone who has.
A decade or so ago they raised their profile by expanding their product line along with their advertising. Now the shelves overflow with confusing choices. There's Olay Total Effects, Olay Definity and Regenerest. Each line promises something slightly different than the others. I found the ad copy tiring to read and also had difficulty deciding whether my main problem was lack of definition, skin clarity or maybe my dysfunctional moisture barrier. Then there was the decision concerning the delivery system. Would I best be helped by a cream or a serum?
Since when did skincare get so complicated? Olay's stock really rose when Good Housekeeping declared that their Regenerist Micro Sculpting Cream provided results comparable to a $3oo product. I would have invested in a jar but I was unable to find one amid all their other offerings. This is a time when a sales consultant would be helpful.
However OLAY at that point got carried away and not too long ago came out with New Olay Professional Pro X It touts a new anti-aging breakthrough that sounds familiar and guarantees younger looking skin in 28 days. The ad show a prescription like symbol and the product is said to have been developed by a team of dermatologists. Their names are listed in a full page ad in the New York Times. I guess we are to assume this latest product is similar to botox or collegen however there is a very small disclaimer saying that results are not the same as a surgical procedure.What it is, is costly at $69.00 for a starter kit of three of the line's six products.
Olay is now edging up in price toward the department store brands minus the service and advice and I can't imagine what their rationale is. I've not tried it but would be very interested to hear from anyone who has.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Quickest Way To Protect Skin From UV Rays
No, I'm not suggesting you sequester yourself indoors for the summer but I have found that getting myself equipped to face the morning sun on my daily power walk takes a lot longer than it used to. For years I just smeared some sunscreen over my face and felt virtuous . Always being a bit shortsighted I never gave a thought to anything below my chin. It was those glaring mirrors at ballet class that gave me my comeuppance when they reflected neck and arm skin that looked considerably older than that on my face. I tried to rectify matters by expanding my sunscreen coverage which also added several minutes to my departure time.
Now I've discovered a product that may help hasten it.
SunGuard is a laundry product that washes sun protection into clothing and helps block more than 96% of UV rays from reaching your skin. UVP,Ultra Violet Protection is similar to SPF ratings for sunscreen. Most light weight and light colored summer fabrics do little or nothing to protect your skin from those harmful rays. A white tee shirt has a UVP factor of 5. Adding just one packet Of SunGuard to a warm or hot water laundry load along with detergent will increase sun protection to a UVP rating of 30. while not changing the texture, color or breathability of clothing. One treatment provides protection for up to 20 washings. This product is recommended by dermatologists and bears the Good Housekeeping and Skin Cancer's Foundation seals. Sounds good to me!
Cheers, Barb
Now I've discovered a product that may help hasten it.
SunGuard is a laundry product that washes sun protection into clothing and helps block more than 96% of UV rays from reaching your skin. UVP,Ultra Violet Protection is similar to SPF ratings for sunscreen. Most light weight and light colored summer fabrics do little or nothing to protect your skin from those harmful rays. A white tee shirt has a UVP factor of 5. Adding just one packet Of SunGuard to a warm or hot water laundry load along with detergent will increase sun protection to a UVP rating of 30. while not changing the texture, color or breathability of clothing. One treatment provides protection for up to 20 washings. This product is recommended by dermatologists and bears the Good Housekeeping and Skin Cancer's Foundation seals. Sounds good to me!
Cheers, Barb
Saturday, January 05, 2008
3 Easy Ways to Winterize Your Skin
Winter's cold air and wind coupled with dry indoor heat can wreck as much havoc on your skin as the mid summer sun.
However with just a few precautions you'll be ready to greet spring when it arrives, with your face unscathed.
1. Don't pack away that sunscreen or venture outdoors without it. UVA rays, the kind that don't burn but are ever present even on a cloudy day, are just waiting to penetrate your skin and cause some damage.
2. Change to a heavier moisturizer. If you regularly use a lotion, now is the time to consider switching to a cream. If a cream is your moisturizer of choice as it is for me, you may want to use a coating of face oil underneath.
3. To avoid that unattractive scaly skin that has a way of coating legs each winter use a cream moisturizer after showering. I keep a big jar of Cetapfil Moisturizing Cream on my night table and coat my feet with it before bed and then put on heavy socks. My feet get hours of abuse as a result of my attempts at ballet and are frequently sore but the cream helps soothe and leaves them soft and smooth.
4. Purchase a small humidifier and keep it near your bed. Dry air not only dries your skin it can also dry your sinuses resulting in a stuffy nose and scratchy throat not to mention hair that stands on end.
Cheers,
Barb
However with just a few precautions you'll be ready to greet spring when it arrives, with your face unscathed.
1. Don't pack away that sunscreen or venture outdoors without it. UVA rays, the kind that don't burn but are ever present even on a cloudy day, are just waiting to penetrate your skin and cause some damage.
2. Change to a heavier moisturizer. If you regularly use a lotion, now is the time to consider switching to a cream. If a cream is your moisturizer of choice as it is for me, you may want to use a coating of face oil underneath.
3. To avoid that unattractive scaly skin that has a way of coating legs each winter use a cream moisturizer after showering. I keep a big jar of Cetapfil Moisturizing Cream on my night table and coat my feet with it before bed and then put on heavy socks. My feet get hours of abuse as a result of my attempts at ballet and are frequently sore but the cream helps soothe and leaves them soft and smooth.
4. Purchase a small humidifier and keep it near your bed. Dry air not only dries your skin it can also dry your sinuses resulting in a stuffy nose and scratchy throat not to mention hair that stands on end.
Cheers,
Barb
Thursday, September 20, 2007
The Premier Primer
There I was after a two month hiatus back in Sephora not knowing which way to go first. So many new products, so little time. I headed for Benefit where I found that they too had jumped into the primer parade with an entry called"that gal" brightening face primer.
While most primers are housed in a pump bottles or tubes Benefit's is presented in a plastic cylinder capped with a wide perforated top. When you twist the bottom of the cylinder a luscious petal pink cream wiggles its way out.
I headed for the mirror and smoothed it over my face on top of whatever makeup was left from earlier in the day. It had a cool silky feel and I looked brighter immediately. "But you know I still have some other makeup under it" I said to the sales girl when she complimented me. Not to worry, she said. The product could be used alone, under or even on top of makeup. But she still insisted it was a primer??? I had an almost full bottle of Smashbox primer at home so I didn't purchase the new product.
When I started to cleanse my face that night I noticed I looked better than I usually did at that hour which is most often, just this side of hagged. Then I recalled the label which read brightening face primer. Benefit is a bastion of brightening products. Witness their It Stick, High Beam (a favorite of mine)and Eye Bright. All deliver a brightening radiance. This latest product carries on the tradition and an almost full bottle of Smahbox or not I have to add it to my collection.
Cheers,
Barb
There I was after a two month hiatus back in Sephora not knowing which way to go first. So many new products, so little time. I headed for Benefit where I found that they too had jumped into the primer parade with an entry called"that gal" brightening face primer.
While most primers are housed in a pump bottles or tubes Benefit's is presented in a plastic cylinder capped with a wide perforated top. When you twist the bottom of the cylinder a luscious petal pink cream wiggles its way out.
I headed for the mirror and smoothed it over my face on top of whatever makeup was left from earlier in the day. It had a cool silky feel and I looked brighter immediately. "But you know I still have some other makeup under it" I said to the sales girl when she complimented me. Not to worry, she said. The product could be used alone, under or even on top of makeup. But she still insisted it was a primer??? I had an almost full bottle of Smashbox primer at home so I didn't purchase the new product.
When I started to cleanse my face that night I noticed I looked better than I usually did at that hour which is most often, just this side of hagged. Then I recalled the label which read brightening face primer. Benefit is a bastion of brightening products. Witness their It Stick, High Beam (a favorite of mine)and Eye Bright. All deliver a brightening radiance. This latest product carries on the tradition and an almost full bottle of Smahbox or not I have to add it to my collection.
Cheers,
Barb
Monday, September 10, 2007
Sure Cure for Dry Skin
I know you're skeptical. I was too when I first heard this solution to alleviate dry and scaly skin. My new dermatologist was peering closely at every inch of my body searching for suspicious looking growths. "There's nothing, she said snapping off her gloves," but your skin is very dry." Well that wasn't news. I've been battling that dryness with an arsenal of lotions and creams,from drug store staples like Vaseline Intensive Care to high end products like Jo Malone, for ages. On the advice of my last dermatologist I shortened my time in the shower and I rubbed my body with safflower oil instead of lotion on the advice of another. This was an OK, not too mention extremely economic solution,until I got a whiff of what smelled suspiciously like a fast food restaurant wafting from my closet.
My new dermatologist had yet another solution. "Use oil on your body and then rub on lotion after. Give the oil a few minute to penetrate before you do." Sounded simple enough but I dislike any two step process. Still I detested even more the vertical lines that dryness was etching on my arms.
Off I went in search of body oil. There were whole sections of bath oil but the pickings were slim when it came to body oil. Finally I found one by Neutrogena (light sesame scented oil)
I followed the dermatologist directions waiting a few, albeit impatient, minutes before I applied the lotion. I then felt like a major oil slick and had to put off getting dressed for another five minutes . It was turning in to the kind of beauty fix that I really dislike; both labor and time intensive.
But it was worth it. My limbs were smoother than I'd seen them in years,the vertical lines were no where in sight and even when I awoke the following morning my skin still looked good. So what's an extra five minutes or so. Some things just warrant a little more time.
Cheers,
Barb
I know you're skeptical. I was too when I first heard this solution to alleviate dry and scaly skin. My new dermatologist was peering closely at every inch of my body searching for suspicious looking growths. "There's nothing, she said snapping off her gloves," but your skin is very dry." Well that wasn't news. I've been battling that dryness with an arsenal of lotions and creams,from drug store staples like Vaseline Intensive Care to high end products like Jo Malone, for ages. On the advice of my last dermatologist I shortened my time in the shower and I rubbed my body with safflower oil instead of lotion on the advice of another. This was an OK, not too mention extremely economic solution,until I got a whiff of what smelled suspiciously like a fast food restaurant wafting from my closet.
My new dermatologist had yet another solution. "Use oil on your body and then rub on lotion after. Give the oil a few minute to penetrate before you do." Sounded simple enough but I dislike any two step process. Still I detested even more the vertical lines that dryness was etching on my arms.
Off I went in search of body oil. There were whole sections of bath oil but the pickings were slim when it came to body oil. Finally I found one by Neutrogena (light sesame scented oil)
I followed the dermatologist directions waiting a few, albeit impatient, minutes before I applied the lotion. I then felt like a major oil slick and had to put off getting dressed for another five minutes . It was turning in to the kind of beauty fix that I really dislike; both labor and time intensive.
But it was worth it. My limbs were smoother than I'd seen them in years,the vertical lines were no where in sight and even when I awoke the following morning my skin still looked good. So what's an extra five minutes or so. Some things just warrant a little more time.
Cheers,
Barb
Monday, January 29, 2007
Winter Skin Pick-Me-Up
Come this time of year the usually pale face that stares back at me each morning has taken on a grayish cast and its surface is dry and dull. What to do? Get a facial?
New makeup? Acually I'm on austerity due to overspending for Christmas.
As I contemplated my image I recalled a product I had seen by Philosophy,a company I always had an affinity for mostly based on the names they give their products. There's Grace, Hope in a Jar, and my favorite, When Hope is Not Enough.
The product I was thinking of had a simple no nonsence name, peptide peels to go and at $35. was right for my budget. The box said that the 3 step system combined the best of microdermabrasion and chemical peels along with a jar of 30 microdelivery mini peel pads saturated with lactic acid and antioxidents for daily use.
Step I involves covering face and neck with Vitamin c/ peptide resurfacing crystals and then applying the latic/salicylic acid activating gel. You leave it on for just three minutes and then rinse well. The box also contains a bottle of Purity made simple facial cleanser. The whole process took about five minutes.
Afterwards my skin looked polished with a rosy glow,with not a tinge of gray in sight. Besides which I had enough of the products left for at least three more peptide peels not counting the mini peel pads.
Come this time of year the usually pale face that stares back at me each morning has taken on a grayish cast and its surface is dry and dull. What to do? Get a facial?
New makeup? Acually I'm on austerity due to overspending for Christmas.
As I contemplated my image I recalled a product I had seen by Philosophy,a company I always had an affinity for mostly based on the names they give their products. There's Grace, Hope in a Jar, and my favorite, When Hope is Not Enough.
The product I was thinking of had a simple no nonsence name, peptide peels to go and at $35. was right for my budget. The box said that the 3 step system combined the best of microdermabrasion and chemical peels along with a jar of 30 microdelivery mini peel pads saturated with lactic acid and antioxidents for daily use.
Step I involves covering face and neck with Vitamin c/ peptide resurfacing crystals and then applying the latic/salicylic acid activating gel. You leave it on for just three minutes and then rinse well. The box also contains a bottle of Purity made simple facial cleanser. The whole process took about five minutes.
Afterwards my skin looked polished with a rosy glow,with not a tinge of gray in sight. Besides which I had enough of the products left for at least three more peptide peels not counting the mini peel pads.
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