Health – Page 6 – Forty, Flirty & Fabulous

Oh No, Dry Skin — Say Yes To Carrots!

I love going to Walgreens. It’s the best of both worlds. You can get two for one reasonably priced cosmetics and discover higher end organic products such as Yes To Carrots, a skincare and haircare line.

Yes To Carrots claims to, “combine the fresh, unadulterated goodness of organic fruits and vegetables with the purifying and moisturizing properties of 26 minerals harvested from the ancient world’s most renowned spa- the Dead Sea”. It also contains beta carotene and it’s “anti-oxidant and anti-aging properties assist the bodies natural process in enhancing your glow.”

I have tried two of these products, the C Through the Night Moisturizing Cream and the C Through the Dry Spell Deliciously Rich Body Butter. Both of these products are very rich creams that smell faintly of carrots. The night cream is very luxurious and although my skin can get a little oily, it didn’t feel greasy at all.

The body butter is also nice, especially on damp skin after a shower. It holds in the moisture nicely and makes my skin feels very smooth and soft.

The Yes To Carrots line has recently been joined by two other lines, Yes To Tomatoes and Yes To Cucumbers. The Yes To Carrots line is for normal to dry skin, Yes To Tomatoes is for oily to combination skin, and Yes To Cucumbers is for sensitive to normal skin.

I would say check these lines out if you are into natural, organic products.

A Mineral Make-up Virgin No More — bareMinerals by Bare Escentuals

I don’t know why I’ve been so hesitant to try mineral make-up. Everyone raves about it. It has changed lives, well, at least it has changed the look of people’s skin.

The honest truth is that I love liquid and mousse make-up. I love slathering on a creamy potion that matches my skin tone and evens out my skin’s texture. The idea of exchanging my Cover Girl TruBlend (what I use now) for powder just hasn’t appealed to me.

But since I am now blogging about cosmetics, I think it’s fair that I touch on many of the trends, including mineral make-up.

I decided to try the most popular brand, bareMinerals, while browsing through Ulta last weekend. They had a 4 piece introductory set on sale for $15.00 USD. “Wow, what a bargain”, I thought to myself. And it is. The set includes two .03 oz foundations, a .03 oz mineral veil, and a mini kabuki brush.

I purchased the Light kit which includes the Light and Fairly Light foundations. Ulta was nice enough to color match my skin and the Fairly Light was my perfect color. I of course tried it as soon as I went home. The steps included are:

1. Swirl a small amount of bareMinerals in the lid with the brush until all the bareMinerals are tucked into the bristles.

2. Tap away excess. There should be no visible bareMinerals on the outside of the brush.

3. Buff bareMinerals onto the skin in a circular motion, starting on the outside of your face near the cheekbone and swirling as you go. Buff until you are satisfied with the coverage.

I followed the directions. The look I got on the first day was glowy, but a bit powdery. I have used this product all week and I tried different ways to apply it. I used it with primer, without primer. With the mineral veil and without the mineral veil. I think I have become pretty handy with the brush, but I have noticed that my skin looks and feels much drier than it did in the beginning of the week.

So my verdict is…still out. I like the glow I get using the minerals. But I don’t like the dry feeling or the work it takes to apply it perfectly. I will try it again in a week or two to see if I like it better.

In the meantime, if any of you wonderful readers have any tips or tricks or another mineral product you love, please leave a comment. I am keeping an open mind!

Long Lashes That Don’t Smudge? Try Too Faced Lash Injection Pin Point Mascara!

I love me some mascara! I love long, thick, eye-opening lashes and many of the modern mascaras give me just the look I want. Not natural, or sweet. I’m 40. I need WOW eyes, 24-7.

It wasn’t always like that for me. I used to hate mascara. It would clump and run. And not really make my tiny lashes look much bigger then they were. But so many new, wow formulas and brushes are afoot, and that makes my eyelashes much happier.

One good example of a great new mascara is Too Faced Lash Injection Pin Point Mascara. This is a mascara with a smaller wand that gets even the puniest lashes and lengthens them.

The cool thing about the Lash Injection Line from Too Faced is that “Lash Injection Pin Point’s exclusive 3D polymers build waterproof tubes around each lash that expand and stretch far, far beyond the natural lash while the sleek pinpoint precision brush separates and curls for the most divinely detailed, healthy lash look imaginable. Like paraffin dip treatments, moisture is locked into the lash by each tube, and lashes stay conditioned and hydrated.”

The tubes are cool, but difficult to remove. You need a good, oil based remover to get it all off. Lancome’s Bi-Facil is a good one. But this mascara WILL NOT SMUDGE, so it is worth the work to remove.

Priced at 19.50 USD this mascara is a bit of a splurge, but it is worth it if you like long lashes. Another good skinny-brushed mascara at a cheaper price is Maybelline’s Lash Discovery Mini-Brush Waterproof Mascara. This one is priced for $7.29 USD at Walgreens. It also grabs all of your lashes and is waterproof so it rarely smudges. Both of these mascaras are worth checking out if this is the look you are going for!

FFF’s Skin Care Musts — Hydration and Protection

Luckily, I have been blessed with pretty good skin. But as I get older (40!), I have noticed my skin looking a bit dull. So I have turned to — gulp — anti-aging moisturizers.

This is new to me. In the past I have only worried about SPF in my moisturizer, but now I’m looking for ingredients that will keep my skin looking fresh and slow the onset of wrinkles. Yes, I am vain.

Oh, well.

So to begin my quest I am reviewing two anti-aging products with sunscreen. Philosophy’s Hope In A Jar SPF 20 ($45.00 USD) and L’Oreal Skin Genesis SPF 15 Lotion (20.99 USD).

I really like the classic Hope In A Jar. It is a heavy cream, but it makes the skin very soft and glowing. So I was really excited to hear of the Hope In A Jar SPF 20. But would it be the same wonderful cream, with the added benefit of SPF? Not really. It does have a little of the lavender scent of the original, but with a slight sunscreen smell to it. When I first put it on, it is very greasy and it never really sinks it, just gets less greasy over time. My skin is combination and still breaks out sometimes. This has not helped and I seem to be getting more breakouts.

As much as I wanted to like the Hope In A Jar SPF 20, I don’t agree with the claims that it “hydrates the skin, provides a gentle exfoliation, and helps improve the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, texture, and tone.” If it didn’t make my skin so oily, I might over time find that it does all it claims. But I will not be continuing using this product to find out.

With this next product, the L’Oreal Skin Genesis SPF 15, I did something crazy. I bought it without trying it first. I was hoping that it would be a light lotion that would soften my skin, make it glow and protect it. Tall order, yes, but this product delivers.

This lotion claims that it “reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, combats the signs of aging, helps to even skin tone and texture, helps to firm and tone skin, helps moisturize dry skin”. I don’t really have wrinkles yet (knock on wood), but this lotion does reduce my pores and makes my skin glowy, without leaving it greasy.

I think the best advice I can give while looking for a skin product is to keep your skin type in mind. Having combination skin, I shouldn’t be looking for heavy creams. But as I’m aging, I do need to look for skin brighteners, pore minimizers and especially, SPF.

Ojon Revitalizing Mist — Frizzy Hair Fix

I was strolling through Ulta a couple of weeks ago, browsing through the cosmetics aisle, when I looked up and noticed that Ulta also has a pretty large haircare section. Touching my extremely frizzy hair, I made my way through the aisles and noticed that they had testers available. I stopped in front of the Ojon display, having read about it online, and sprayed some Revitalizing Mist leave in conditioner on my messy mane. I then ran my fingers through my hair and looked in a nearby mirror. Oh my! I couldn’t believe how soft, smooth and bouncy my straight, dark hair appeared. It looked fantastic!

I moved to Kansas City, Missouri from Portland, Oregon two years ago, and my hair hasn’t been the same. The humid summers and dry winters kill my hair. But the Ojon mist rescued it. It didn’t make it super shiny, but it looked very healthy.

What is this amazing mist made of? On the Sephora page it says that it is formulated with 100% pure Ojon palm nut oil. This oil is harvested in Central America and was originally used in the hair of native Central Americans to keep it healthy.

The price for this wonder product is $26.00 USD. I would recommend the splurge if your hair is trouble like mine is!

New Beauty Products at Target Part 3 – JK Jemma Kidd

jk-jemma-kidd-front-cover-touch-up-concealer4 — JK Jemma Kidd Front Cover Touch-Up Concealer

Possibly the most glamorous of the three new make-up lines at Target is JK Jemma Kidd. The pink and black packaging lends an old Hollywood feel to the products. The colors are very glamorous as well. There are lots of light, shimmering lip glosses as well as deeper lipsticks — which is the trend this fall. Also, there are many different eye shadows to choose from, including deep brights and soft neutrals. Kidd refers to the line as “catwalk-chic” and that’s a good description, I think.

The item that I really enjoyed is the JK Front Cover Touch-Up Concealer. I’m always on the look out for a great concealer with a little glow to it to camouflage my dark under eye circles. This one features Vitamin E to smooth and moisturize the under eye area. I also like the brush applicator that with a couple of clicks, enough product is distributed to be brushed on as needed.

jk-jemma-kidd-lip-id-color-adapt-lip-gloss1 — JK Jemma Kidd Lip ID Color Adapt Lip Gloss

Another item that interests me is one that it not yet for sale. This is the JK Lip ID Color-Adapt Lip Gloss. Like the Smashbox O-Gloss, this product claims that it “reacts to natural lip PH for a completely individual, perfect color match” and that it is “non-tacky and hydrating; glides on transparent and colors lips naturally”.

As soon as this product becomes available (in 2-6 weeks according to the Target website) I will try it out. I like the Smashbox product okay, but the color is a little too neon pink for me. I am hoping that this color is more natural.

I hope you all enjoyed my breif forray into Target’s new make-up lines. I will be reviewing products more in depth in the future, so keep reading!!!

New Beauty Products at Target Part 2 – NP Set by Napoleon Perdis

np-set-pasarella-mascara2 — NP Set Pasarella Mascara

Another intriguing new line at Target is NP Set by Napoleon Perdis — Australia’s makeup guru. Perdis had said that his new line is “dedicated to effortless glamour”. Inspecting the display of white and black sleek products, my first impulse is to agree with him.

I only tried a few items of this line. Some of the stand outs are the Concealer Look which gives amazing cover for my dark under eye circles and the Loose Dust Duo eye shadow that has a double ended wand, one end with a darker shade, one end with a nice highlighting shade. There are ten shade combinations for this product, so you can surely find colors you like.

The item I was most impressed with is the Pasarella Mascara. This is a conditioning, volumizing mascara that contains beeswax. It plumped up my paltry lashes and didn’t smear all day. That’s a good mascara! And for $15.00 not a bad price for a higher end product.

np-set-pasarella-lip-stain-and-plumper3 — NP Set Lip Stain and Plumper

Although I like this line, one item I tried left me cold — actually it left my lips burning and they are still red today! That is the Lip Stain and Plumper. Wow, I did not care for this product. This comes in two shades, Moon Pink and Star Coral. Both shades are very bright and candy-colored. I don’t wear either shades, so I picked the coral one because I thought it might look okay on me. It didn’t. Besides the unflattering color, this product does not apply evenly, sitting in globs on my lips and oh did it BURN! And, unfortunately, my lips didn’t show any plump for the pain. It’s been almost three days since I tried it and my lips are still sore. This is one craptastic product. Save the $15.00 that this will cost you and buy the mascara instead!

New Beauty Products at Target Part 1 – Pixi by Petra Strand

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Watch out Ulta and Sephora (and major department stores), Target has added three professional makeup artist’s product lines to their cosmetic section. These lines are NP Set by Napoleon Perdis, JK Jemma Kidd, and the one I am reviewing today, Pixi by Petra Strand. These products claim to be comparable in quality as other professional brands, and at pricing from $12.00 – $39.00, these items cost a little less than what you may find at a high end department store or Sephora.

I love the colors of packaging of the Pixi line. In pinks and greens, this line does evoke a fantasy of fairies and nature. The colors are very bright and spring-like, with a lot of corals and pinks.

One of my favorite items in the Pixi line is the Illuminating Tint and Conceal. This is actually two products, a tinted moisturizer with an SPF 20 in the tube and a solid concealer in the lid. The claim for this product is that “it acts as your moisturizer, sunscreen and tinted treatment to provide sheer coverage that makes skin appear flawless”. The formula has minerals and it features antioxidants A, C and E. I find the texture as thick as a regular foundation with great coverage. The concealer is wonderful as well, it did a great job of making my under eye circles almost disappear.

A couple of other Pixi items that I really enjoyed was the Rose Lip Treat in LipNude and the Eye Beauty Kit. A vitamin E enriched balm, the Rose Lip Treat feels wonderful and looks very natural on. The Eye Beauty Kit contains eight eye shadows and a two ended brush, one end is a shadow brush, one end a liner brush. This product comes in thirteen different kits, so there are many color combinations to choose from.

These are just a few of the beautiful items included in the Pixi by Petra Strand collection; there is much more to see. Take a trip to Target and try these wonderful items out for yourself!

It’s Prime Time for Primers!

I have to admit that I am fairly new to the wonderful world of foundation primer. The idea of it is intriguing to me. A lotion or cream that is neither a moisturizer or foundation, but will make your skin even, smooth and allow your pores to appear smaller? Could this be a miracle product?

The first primer I’ve tried was Benefit’s That Gal Brightening Face Primer. This pink-tinted cream is touted to smooth and brighten the face. As with all primers, this can be used under foundation or on it’s own. I tried it first without foundation and I loved the glow that it gave me. It’s a very fresh look. The glow is somewhat reduced under foundation, but my face definitely looked smoother. At $28.00, it’s a bit of a splurge, but worth it if your skin (like mine) needs a little refinement.

Lately I have tried two new primers. The first one is Stila’s Hydrating Primer SPF 15. I love Stila, especially the eye shadow color Kitten and my favorite mascara, Major Lash Mascara. As fall approaches, my skin becomes dryer, so a hydrating primer sounded good. The consistency of this primer is like a heavy moisturizer and, unfortunately it felt a bit greasy on my skin. Beside the feel of the product, the look was fantastic, especially under foundation. My whole face glowed and I even looked younger! Maybe this would work better once my face dries out in the winter. This product would be great for ladies with dry skin. At Sephora, this sells for $34.00.

The second new primer I have tried is Avon’s Magix Face Perfector SPF 20. Avon claims that this balm-like cream makes all skin types look flawless. I don’t know about all skin types, but this product makes my combination skin look smooth and feel very soft. Unlike Stila’s moisturizing formula, Magix gives a nice matte look that last all day. At $10.00 for the Magix Face Perfector, this is one I highly recommend!

Ulta — My New Fun Find

I’m so excited! Imagine my delight last month when I discovered that a new Ulta store had opened 5 minutes away from my house. This must be like when a junkie finds out his dealer has moved into his neighborhood! I am very addicted to beauty products!

Before this, I have only been to one Ulta store, which wasn’t nearly as nice as mine (oh, yes, it’s mine!). I love the mix of high end products with ones you would find at your neighborhood drugstore. It’s so much fun to dream of splurges why you are buying more affordable treasures.

On a recent trip to Ulta, I decided to check out their own cosmetics brand. These items are very affordable, ranging from the regular price of $6.50 US for an eye or lip liner to $14.00 US for mineral powders. But be on the lookout for sales, they often price their cosmetics for much cheaper.

I found myself intrigued by their eye shadows and eye liners. I’ve been recently into shadows with a bit of a sheen to them. The colors I chose are Gold Leaf, a shimmery medium antique gold and Pearl, an shimmery ivory shade. I used the Gold Leaf on my upper lid with the Pearl under my brow bone. I find that this is a nice day look. The only down side is that the end of the day, the colors faded quite a bit. I bet with primer underneath, they would last longer.

I also purchased Ulta’s Kohl Eye LIner in black. This is a very creamy liner that glides on easily. I used it on my upper lash line for my day look. Although this is a nice liner, like the shadow it was almost completely gone at the end of the day.

For the price of the shadows and liners, especially on sale, these are good products and I would recommend them.