Archive for the ‘Skincare’ Category

Bridal Skin Care Bootcamp: 6 Weeks Prior to the Big Day

Brides-to-be ask me all the time about my skincare regimen before my wedding. Now keep in mind I’m not your average beauty addict so you can imagine my regimen was a bit more involved than most brides. But why take a chance that your skin isn’t going to  look amazing on your big day? You’re spending all that money on a dress, makeup, and hair — you best put some of that budget aside for your skin! You need to start planning for your glowing skin at least 6 weeks prior:
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Top 5 Outdoor Event Essentials: Don’t Go to a Festival or Ball Game Without Reading!

I know all you ladies on the East Coast want to throw hail balls at me for suggesting “outdoor venues” when you’re being pummeled with rain but just remember, “It can’t rain all of the time.” Soon you will be going to outdoor concerts, sporting events, farmers markets, etc. I swear!  Here on the West Coast I’m gearing up to go to the Bottle Rock Festival in Napa, Valley (3 days of bands like The Black Keys, Violent Femmes, Jane’s Addiction, The Flaming Lips, The Avett Brothers combined with a wine and food festival) and of course I’m already planning my beauty arsenal.

Now, don’t be fooled. Just because I love makeup doesn’t mean I’m going to be slapping it on for an outdoor music festival. Nothing looks worse than melting, runny makeup and I’m going more for the Earth Mother vibe anyway. With my lash extensions, tinted sunscreen and a little lip tint I’ll be ready to rock. Here’s what will be in my bag:
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Jenny McCarthy Owes Me $50: Her Endorsed Eyedews DO Nothing!

We all know I love to bitch about my puffy eyes…. Since I was young I’ve suffered from terrible allergies which have always given me those damn puffs.  As I’ve gotten older the puffiness has spread to my eyelids (sexy!) and before I got knocked up, my daily wine intake (did I just admit to that?) helped to kick up the puff even more.  Now that I’m pregnant and shoving pickles and pork rinds in my mouth by the dozen, the salt is making my eyes look like I got punched. So you can imagine how excited I was when I read in one of the rags that Jenny McCarthy swears by Eyedews (infused jelly eye pads) for getting rid of puffiness and fatigued eyes after long flights.

Jenny McCarthy tweeted out this pic of her using the “miracle” Eyedews

Okay now here’s problem #1: I read about the EyeDews while my feet were luxuriating in a pedicure.  Lulled by the relaxing hot stone massage on my feet I made the ill decision of not doing comparison shopping, and instead logged into my Amazon app and saw that Eyedews were “on sale” for $49.99 and were available via Amazon Prime.  Somehow in my twisted mind Amazon Prime’s free 2-day shipping meant I would be getting a great deal. Right… guess what? Eyedews are $20 for 6 pairs on their site. Okay so technically Jenny McCarthy owes me $20 and I pay the $30 in stupid tax.
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Worth the Hype: Korres Greek Yoghurt Advanced Nourishing Sleeping Mask

I feel like every magazine I’ve picked u  in the past month has touted the Korres Greek Yoghurt Advanced Nourishing Sleeping Mask ($45) as a ‘moisturizing breakthrough’. Now I tend to be cynical (shocking!) when I read about a new product in every single women’s rag — I figure either the company must have thrown one hell of a decadent launch party or sent out Chanel bags as a launch gift. (Yes, it’s done. Not for a peon like me but the editors at the big magazines sometimes receive ridiculous gifts from the beauty brands and tend to give editorial to big advertisers which is why you should be cautious when taking their recommendations. And don’t you worry your pretty little heads — if I ever become big-time know that a Chanel bag isn’t going to make me like a lipstick more)

Since every editor seemed to be in love with this sleeping mask it was obviously my Beauty Binge duty to investigate the situation further.  I found that the user reviews on Sephora were even more complimentary than the magazines (and I assure you these users didn’t attend the launch party or receive gifts) — “I am OBSESSED with this product. I use it every night and it has literally changed my life.” and “I have oily yet dehydrated skin prone to breakouts and this sleeping leave-on mask hydrated, calmed and nourished my skin.”

SOLD.

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Reader Screams, “Help Beauty Binge!” After An Attack of Oily Skin and T-Zone Breakouts

Dear Janna,

Please help me!! With the warmer weather I’m finding that I’m oily and gross during the day (vs. some dryness during the winter). I’m  also having T-zone breakouts and I wonder if there’s a moisturizer with a little zit-fighting ability that I should switch to vs. the Boscia now that the seasons have changed? Also, I typically use drugstore Neutrogena foundation/make-up (don’t yell!), but I think it’s time to invest in some good stuff, especially with my trouble skin AND the six weddings I have to attend between now and August (ugh). Is there a brand you absolutely love? (NARS? MAC?). I think I need a consult at a counter to find the products/shades that are right for me, but I’d love to know if there’s a company you trust more than others before I shell out some bucks  

Signed,

Gettin’ Greasy in LA

Dear Gettin’Greasy in LA,

Foundation: Girlfriend are you kidding me right now?? MAC or NARS??? With oily skin?? Do you WANT to flaunt Texas oil fields for the weddings?? Or perhaps you were hoping to look like a science project as a conversation starter. Breakout central!  I am prescribing  the Jane Iredale ‘Glow Time’ Full Coverage Mineral BB Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 25 ($48).  This BB Cream has a lot more coverage than a typical BB and it is actually designed to fight oil and blemishes so its working while it’s covering.  I got the recommendation from a friend who looks like she has amazing skin but claims to be plagued with oily skin, and she insists the Jane Iredale BB Cream changed her life. And she’s being totally serious. You just better promise me that the only thing the BB Cream is going to replace is your foundation.  You know that’s my pet peeve!

Currently Obsessed with: Rhonda Allison Eye Revitalizer

On one of my recent visits to my steady esthetician Melanie Traub at Bellasante Spa in San Anselmo, California (even though Melanie is aware I cheat on her from time to time because I’m a degenerate spa slut, she knows in her heart she will always be my steady and #1 girl. I can honestly say she gives the best facial I’ve ever had in my life and that’s saying a lot.) I was admiring her flawless skin and how the light was catching her cheekbones (see pic of Melanie and her cheekbones at the bottom of the post).  I demanded to know what highlighter she was using to give such a natural glowing effect.  She thought about it for a second, “Hmm… I’m not wearing any highlighter. It must be the Rhonda Allison Eye Revitalizer. I tap it on underneath my eyes and then upwards to my temples. It totally helps brighten my eye area and tighten my puffiness.”

Of course my next demand was to be introduced to the product. I applied a few white pearly drops from the tester to the back of my hand and felt an instant cooling and tightening effect. I also noticed minuscule shimmery light-diffusing pigments  (hence the highlighter effect) and an instant brightening on my skin.  I immediately tapped a few drops under my eyes and upwards towards my temples and felt that same cooling and tightening. Once absorbed, a couple minutes later, my eye area DEFINITELY looked brighter and less puffy.  What’s makes this eye gel so magical besides fairy dust? Rhonda Allison describes it as: “Enhanced with a “freezing peptide”, Eye Revitalizer has a cooling sensation providing a quick perk-me-up experience for the eyes.” 

Needless to say, I find myself applying this eye gel both in the mornings under my makeup and throughout the day over my makeup for an instant eye opener.  And of course I tap it on top of my cheekbones to attempt to mimic Melanie’s highlighted cheekbones. Incidentally, It has not given me Melanie’s high cheekbones but at least now our cheekbones share the same natural highlighted glow.

Melanie Traub, Bellasante Spa

My New Article on Huffington Post: I Get My Claws Out to Fight BB Creams

For those of you regular Beauty Binge readers, you know I haven’t given into the BB Cream craze, in fact, I’ve never even reviewed one. Why? Well I guess you’re just going to have to read my latest article in the Huffington Post (just click on the hyperlinked headline) to find out why I’m having a cat fight with these popular products:

The Problem with BB Creams: ’Beauty Balms’ or ‘Blemish Balms’ Claim to Be All-in-One Miracles

Battling My Bitchy Skin’s Latest Identity Crisis – Dry Patches, Blackheads, Puffy Eyes, Oh MY!

I am so over my skin which seems to be having a different psychotic episode every week.  I simply can’t keep up with its latest crisis.  This week it threw me a curve ball and decided to have several different conflicting issues at once — dry patches on my cheeks, blackheads on my nose, and terribly puffy eyes (which may be the result of the bag of pork rinds I scarfed down a couple days ago and the Chinese food I ate last night. In my defense I don’t usually consume so much sodium, but it sure tasted good at the time).

Photo courtesy Miles Aldridge Angry Diva

When your skin freaks out like mine it’s time to get creative and make “spot-treating” a true art form.  Before you begin your art project, make sure you cleanse your skin and exfoliate with a gentle exfoliant like Exfoliant Doux Aromatique Aux 3 Roses (Gentle Aromatic Exfoliant)  ($31) or with a CLARISONIC Cleansing System ($149): 

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Check out my article in Huffington Post: 3 Skincare Crimes I Know You’re Guilty of Committing

Hello, my lovelies! I couldn’t be more excited to share with you my first article in the Huffington Post Style Section! It’s called “3 Skincare Crimes I Know You’re Guilty of Committing“ and I hope you like it!  If you do make sure you share on Facebook, Twitter and most importantly leave a comment on Huffington Post (right below my article).

Podcast: Favorite New Beauty Products in My Arsenal

Tune into the My Beauty Binge podcast this week to hear me share some of my favorite new beauty products that just joined my coveted arsenal. For those of you who regularly read my blog you know it’s tough competition for  beauty products in my house. One wrong move and the product is banished to the beauty graveyard. On the other side of the spectrum are the new products that manage to rock my world enough to immediately make it into my daily regimen.

Download the podcast from iTunes or listen to it streaming on your computer here (it’s the 1st podcast) and it’s free! If you hit the “SUBSCRIBE” button in iTunes you will automatically get all my podcasts!

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