Posts Tagged ‘skincare’

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).

Banished to the Beauty Graveyard: Chantecaille Nano Gold Energizing Serum

I’m sure you can imagine the alarming number of beauty products that fill my house.  Sure, I have a designated room which holds my various beauty cabinets full of unopened products, as well as a huge project desk filled with hundreds of products that are currently being tested, are slated to be tested, or were tested months ago but because I’m lazy they’re still taking up space on the desk. Then there’s the spillover… Boxes and boxes full of beauty products scattered throughout the house and random beauty items you may find on coffee tables, end tables and even in the kitchen. Yes, my husband is a very tolerant man.  Now, I’m not a total disaster. I do take the time at least once a month to cull the collection on my desk:

- If I used the product and liked it but I’m not ready to write about it, it goes into the beauty cabinet with a sticky

- If I’m actively using / testing a product it stays in its coveted position

- If I haven’t been testing a product but I want to, it gets moved up to the front to remind me to try it

- And of course if I’ve tried it and never used it again because I didn’t like it or it didn’t produce the desired results, it gets sent to the dreaded Beauty Graveyard — an unspeakable bin full of beauty products that will probably never be seen or used again.

And with that I introduce my new post category, da-da-dum… Banished to the Beauty Graveyard!

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Podcast: Interview with Lilli Gordon, Founder of First Aid Beauty!

Tune into My Beauty Binge this week to hear Lilli Gordon, the founder of one of my most favorite skincare companies in the world, First Aid Beauty, tell us how she created this magical skincare line that stops my over-reactive, bitchy drama queen skin from having full on tantrums.  Lilli also shares her skincare tips as well as gives us her insights on anti-aging.

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!

Products Featured in Podcast:

- First Aid Beauty Dual Repair Face Cream ($44)

- First Aid Beauty Dual Repair Power Serum ($48)

- First Aid Beauty Dual Repair Eye Cream  ($40)

- First Aid Beauty Anti-Redness Serum ($34)

- First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream ($28)

-First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Instant Oatmeal Mask ($22)

-First Aid Beauty 5 in 1 Restore Cream ($36)

Staging Intervention for: AmorePacific Skincare (I’m Doing This Because I Care…)

Dear AmorePacific Skincare,

I hate to do this intervention with you publicly but there are so many others who are joined with me in voice and spirit on this topic that I feel it’s the only way to truly get your attention.  Let me start by saying that your products are beautiful. Your quest to utilize the finest Asian Botanicals and enlist the top scientists and researchers to develop your line has resulted in truly innovative products.  I mean come on, you hold over 140 global patents in green tea and skin related technology! Your AMOREPACIFIC ‘Time Response Skin Renewal’ Foundation SPF 18  ($90) beats out every Foundation, BB Cream, and Tinted Moisturizer I’ve ever tried.  It calms and soothes my bitchy drama queen skin and hides all the redness and imperfections that her temper tantrums leave behind.

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Screw the DJ… Last Night a Decleor Balm Saved My Life!

If you’re living anywhere that is experiencing harsh winter-like conditions (and by harsh I mean the barometer dips below 50 degrees) then chances are you’re getting blasted by dry heat in your house or apartment.  There’s a reason why all the skincare experts tell you to up the moisturizer ante during the winter — it isn’t just the cold dry air outside, it’s the scorching desert inside which makes you wake up to crispy uncomfortable skin. Good Morning.  Not really.  The worst is when I wake up to crispy skin that at closer inspection are hiding blackheads! The crispy dry skin traps in the oil making it a safe haven for blackheads and other interlopers to form, making my skin ever more of a moody drama queen.  So how do I cure my case of the crispy oily uglies?
Decleor ‘Aroma Night’ Neroli Essential Night Balm ($73) is seriously this miracle balm that before bed whether my skin is feeling dehydrated, oily, on the verge of a breakout, or all the above — I wake up to softened, balanced skin.  I’m sorry, but that’s a miracle if I’ve ever heard one.  The balm is literally the consistency of a lip balm so be prepared you’ll need to scoop out a little chunk and then emulsify it by rubbing it and melting it your hands before slathering on the goodness.  Even though Neroli is in the title don’t be fooled — it definitely doesn’t smell of citrus, rather a warm, delicious herbal scent.  I like to take the time to really massage it into my skin and inhale the bouquet of notes and, “ahhhhh” I am ready for slumber.  And then I wake up like Christmas morning to softened, balanced skin! Voila!

Revived from the Archives: The Horrors of Halloween (…I’m talking about my skin obviously)

Since Halloween is upon us, and I know better than anyone how much your skin can take a beating during these times of extreme makeup (I’m not proud to say that after my run-through of my Day of the Dead makeup Wednesday, I woke up yesterday to an angry, hiding-like-a-coward-under-the-surface pimple), I wanted to revive this post from Halloween past.  I made some updates to ensure I’m arming you with the best weapons to battle the terrifying oil fields that threaten your skin when you are most vulnerable…

The only thing scarier than Maria in this picture from last Halloween is imagining the damage the cheap makeup did to her skin. I was lucky enough to escape the grease paint (just saying those two words out loud clogs my pores) last year with my bad kitty costume. But this year, I am dressing up as a Lichtenstein Girl and Maria intends to cover my face and decollete with grease paint and other synthetic poisons.

I had a heart-to-heart with her about this yesterday:

Me: So, I don’t suppose you have any sensitive skin Halloween makeup you can use on me?

<<Maria gives me a blank stare>>

Me: Yeah, um, I’m a bit worried about breaking out from that cheap drug store stuff

Maria: (after another lengthy stare) Janna, you just need to prepare yourself for a breakout.

<<HALLOWEEN HORROR = MY LOOK OF REPULSION>>

Maria: I’ve tried gentle, natural Halloween makeup in the past and it just doesn’t stay put, and it doesn’t have the same pigment as the cheap stuff.

I’m still reeling from our conversation. There has to be something I can do!!  First thing first, I ordered a Mineral Halloween makeup set from Elegant Minerals.  Maria has many doubts and won’t make any promises about using it, but she’s willing to give it a try. That’s worth the money for me. (2012 UPDATE: MARIA WAS BEYOND RIGHT.  THE ELEGANT MINERALS SET WAS A JOKE.  WE ENDED UP THROWING IT AWAY AFTER SEEING HOW IT BARELY SHOWED UP AFTER THE FIRST SWIPE)

“DAY OF” PREP: I will prep my skin by giving it a mild exfoliation with CosMedix Pure Enzymes Exfoliating Mask and then a nice moisturizing, nourishing mask like Fresh Black Tea Instant Perfecting Mask .  I will then use a soothing, anti-irritation, anti-redness moisturizer like Skin Medica Redness Relief Calmplex and prepare my skin for battle with my new favorite primer Tarte Clean Slate Poreless 12-Hr Perfecting Primer.

POST-EVENT: The second I say my last goodbye Saturday night I am running to the bathroom to cleanse my skin. First I will take my makeup off with EVE LOM Cleanser and tons of  Cotton Clouds. Then, I will cleanse with Fresh Soy Face Cleanser and my Clarisonic Skincare Brush(which I never use anymore since my skin is so sensitive, but this is an emergency situation).  I will complete my regimen with a soothing spritz of Fresh Rose Marigold Tonic Water, and massage in my soothing, balancing Decleor ‘Aroma Night’ Neroli Essential Night Balm (which is like a spa service in itself).

NEXT MORNING: Fingers crossed, I will wake up without a single clogged pore.   If I wake up congested I will sit rocking in a corner for a few hours crying, then apply my Boscia Luminizing Black Mask.  If “congested” actually means “breakout,” I may end up having to book an emergency facial, pop a couple leftover miniature Snickers in my mouth while brainstorming my makeup-free costume for next year.

What’s Better than Binging for a Great Cause?

Unless you’ve been hiding all month in a secluded cabin without television or internet (which by the way wouldn’t be terrible if it was perhaps at a luxury spa), even your husband can tell you (since all the NFL players and coaches have incorporated bright pink accessories into their uniforms) that it’s National Breast Cancer Awareness Month!  As ladies, it is imperative we support this cause and what better way to do it than buy some delicious beauty products?  I’ve rounded up a few of my favorite products that are giving back with every purchase this month:

Murad Hydrate For Hope Set ($49.50):  This is the perfect set to prep your skin for the cold weather ahead! You get full-sizes of the Hydro-Dynamic Ultimate Moisture (retails for $65.00) and Hydro-Dynamic Ultimate Moisture for Eyes (retails for $60.00), both which will protect even the most sensitive skin from the bitter cold! When you buy this limited-edition set, Murad is donating 10% from the sale of each set sold to retailers to the City of Hope’s women’s cancer programs.

TATCHA’s Limited Edition BCA Moisture Rich Silk Cream ($150):  This is one of my favorite new luxury skincare lines (which I intend to write about more in-depth in a future Sunday Splurge) for its delicious ingredients and results for calming my drama queen skin. The gel-cream consistency of this cream gives a surprisingly big hydrating punch. TATCHA is donating $25 of each sale to BreastCancer.org. 

M. Steves RHSO Power-Packed Ultra-Nourishing Boost ($64):   This dry-finish oil helps improve the appearance of scars, fine lines and wrinkles, sun damage and uneven skin tone. Along with Rose Hip Seed Oil, this boost contains essential fatty acids, an antioxidant (vitamin C), and a natural retinol (vitamin A) to help hydrate and brighten skin.  The best way to incorporate this oil into your skin regimen is to add a drop to your daily moisturizer and apply.  To help support the fight against breast cancer, M. Steves skincare is donating a portion of proceeds from the RHSO Power-Packed Ultra-Nourishing Boost purchased during October to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Bobbi Brown ‘Pink Peony’ Illuminating Bronzer ($45): This is one of those magical powders that you would never guess would look amazing on your skin.  You will throw your NARS Orgasm to the waste side when you see how flattering and long-lasting this “illuminating bronzer” is, giving every skin color a warm “just blushed” glow.   Bobbi Brown is donating $10 of every sale of this set during the month of October to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation®.

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Celebrity Beauty Blind Item: Who Displayed a Blackheads Bonanza on the Red Carpet?

I love guessing blind items in the gossip rags, but why should the tabloids have all the fun?  If you see a celebrity commit a major beauty faux pas make sure you email me at janna@mybeautybinge.com so we can run it as a blind item and help the offending celeb fix the issue!

Which gorgeous starlet, famous for her unique multi-cultural looks, who got her big break on a popular late night “news” show and now is gracing every red carpet because of her role on Aaron Sorkin’s “news” show, showed up in red carpet close ups with a face covered in glaring blackheads??  When I say blackheads, I’m not talking about a sprinkle over the nose… Let’s put it this way, they were so big and black, completely blanketing her forehead, nose, cheeks and chin, at first I thought they were freckles!  Our starlet does in fact have some freckles but they’re tough to find in the oil fields. She also had an unhealthy dose of greasy shine to keep the blackheads company. GROSS!

So what should have our pretty starlet done prior to hitting the red carpet??
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Skin Regimen for the Non-Girly Girly

My friend Kelsey is one of those All-American girls — blond hair, blue eyes, light freckles on her nose, and a kick-ass body that makes you want to hate her (she’s a total cyborg athlete). But you can’t really hate her because she has no clue she looks like she just stepped out of an American Eagle ad (See left photo. No, that’s not Kelsey nor is that her husband Jordan. I’m just trying to make a point!)

She grew up with brothers (also cyborgs, taking after cyborg mom and dad) and spent her youth excelling at every sport including becoming a scratch golfer rather than playing with Barbies and raiding her mother’s makeup bag (wasted childhood, obviously).

Kels and I were at dinner. I was busy examining her makeup-free skin (I won’t lie, a little hate brewed. She may have had on lip balm, but that’s it.) when she turned to me and said, “Janna, I love the blog and all, but I don’t really get all that girly-girl stuff.” I could tell by the look on her face I must have looked wounded, especially since she quickly followed up with, “Not that it’s girly-girl! I just don’t use a lot of product!” Read the rest of this entry »

DERMADoctor Photodynamic Therapy: Like Eating Cupcakes to Lose Weight

I received a sample of DERMADoctor Photodynamic Therapy (light-activated laser lotion with SPF), with one of my many recent gluttonous gift-with-purchase episodes.  I had just read the “Best of Beauty Breakthrough 2011″ in Allure, where they had a panel of cosmetic chemists and dermatologists analyze the  data and the products.  The DERMADoctor lotion was declared  ”the real deal,”and I thought, something big is happening here.  Seriously. If this lotion can really turn the destructive sun rays into collagen-building anti-agers, I wouldn’t have to berate myself anymore for loving sunbathing!

You would think that given my buying habits I would have dropped the magazine and ran to the nearest Sephora.  But, I know better when it comes to miracle anti-agers. I’ve been burned by this flame before.  My sorry-ass sensitive skin cries like a little baby whenever I try a new high-tech anti-ager.  I can’t just drop $85 on this product to find that it burns, makes me red, or gives me a rash or whiteheads.  (Lovely visual, I know)

I saved the sample for my trip to Hawaii.  I’m in the Big Island right now with my  husband’s amazing family for ten days.  Pure bliss (Oh, and did I mention I am five minutes from one of my Top 5 Spas of all time?  We will get into that later in the week).  Right now I’m sitting in a cushioned chair on our lanai, listening to the palm tree leaves click in the wind, and the lull of the waves lapping against the rocks, trying to stay out of the sun for a few hours (since I just baked at the pool during the forbidden noon hour).  I can’t help that I love basking in the warmth of the sun, especially lying on a beach or floating in the pool.  I know, you’re disappointed in me. You thought for certain I would be one of those responsible beauty addicts who wears floppy hats (I have a fabulous one, but of course I forgot it), lays in the shade, and wears a minimum of 55 SPF.  I should be that person.  My mother-in-law and sister-in-law are those people, but somehow I still slather on the 30 and turn my beach chair to face the sun.

I tried the DERMAdoctor lotion yesterday morning over my First Aid Beauty 5 in 1 Face Cream SPF 30 ($38) and waited for the burn. Nothing. Not even a tingle. I sealed the product with my Bare Escentuals BareVitamins Prime Time and headed for the pool.  I spent a few hours in the sun, but my skin remained calm.  I can’t say I noticed any difference in my skin texture or fine lines, but if  the doctors say it works and it obviously doesn’t hurt, why not?

I  am hoping there is a nearby Sephora so I can continue my light therapy.  I promise I won’t overdue it and use this as an excuse to spend more time in the sun.  And, I promise I won’t let my floppy hat become the Velveteen Rabbit in my closet.

*Photo via Sweetnicks