Makeup News and Tips

I always knew seaweed was good for the skin. It contains calcium and other minerals according to my mother and aunts. So eating lots of them was always a yes-yes. It’s real good if you buy those seaweed (Nori) packets and eat them with rice. Mmmmm.
Browsing through the July 2007 issue of Lucky, the featured secret ingredient for the month was Seaweed. From candles to foundation, they featured products that contained the powerful ingredient. Seaweed as Lucky writer, Dawn Spinner explains, filters in hundred of gallons of water daily, leaving the seaweed to soak up minerals like zinc, selenium, and magnesium, and synthesizes at least a dozen vitamins (a dozen vitamins!! No need for Centrum?), seaweed is then one of the most nutrient-rich substances on earth. In products, it restores both skin and hair, and also your inner spirit since it has a subtle, calming marine scent. Here is the list of products featured and I’ve added their links (either click on the name of the product or the picture of the product), in case you’d like to read for yourself what these products are made of and if you’d like to buy them yourself. Enjoy.

Candle: D.L. & Co. Seaweed Absolute Candle - ensures a light and sweet scent with the pretty kelp pattern to brighten up any day.
Hair Mist: Nexxus Phyto Organics Sea Swell Texture Mist - strengthens your hair and protects your color from the sun.

Foundation: Sue Devitt 70% Triple Seaweed Gel Foundation - covers redness, smooths lines, and leaves the right amount of glow!

Body Scrub: Davie Gate Sea Grass Skin Smoothing Body Scrub
Shampoo: Freeman Beauty Sea Kelp Smoothing Shampoo
Conditioner: Bumble and Bumble Seaweed Conditioner

Shower Gel: Molton Brown Energising Seamoss Bath & Shower

Moisturizer: AquaTanica Spa Sea Moisture Gel Souffle - Cool texture, a gel-cream hybrid that sinks in instantly, and leaves you with a dewy, sexy sheen.

The Chanel Levres Scintillantes Glossimer is back. Well cutting off those fancy French terms the Chanel Lip Gloss is back. The one with glitter, the one that tastes real good, the one that makes our lips look plumper and just oohlala sexy. Oh yes it’s back.
I used to have this back in high school in a rock and roll color of purple, I don’t know if they still have it cause that would be hilarious. I saw the print advertisement for it, with alluring words like - Audacious Sparkle. Arresting Shine. Dangerously Glamorous. Heck, I’m on my way to Rustan’s Department Store to see if they’ve got the new shades.

It’s water-resistant meaning longer-lasting wear (meaning you don’t have to keep reapplying, saving you tons of gloss left for the next night out!), also the new shades add extra sparkle and shine. Sparkle! I haven’t heard that word for a while except for that Korean singer Rain say in that commercial advertising tourism in Korea - “Korea… Sparkling”, with notably invisible r’s. Well that was definitely off the topic, anyway I’m glad to see this fantastic product back with a vengeance.

Also check out the video about applying Chanel Levres Scintillantes Glossimer found at the Chanel website.

I recently purchased Roxy speakers for my very well used and very aged iPod mini. Upon obtaining such funky speakers, a packet slips off. Reading Bliss Sleeping Peel Exfoliating Mask. It was for me to test and try. Always a pleasure to get goodies snail mailed with your speakers.

Upon opening the packet, I thought it was going to be some kind of mask, but it wasn’t. As directions were written, I was to apply a super-fine layer, and if applied once a week shrinks pores out of sight, helps flatten fine lines, tightens, tones and brightens. And well since it said Sleeping Peel, I figured I’d apply it before I go to sleep. Directions were to: Apply a thin layer of bliss sleeping peel exfoliating mask to the face and neck. Leave on for 5-10 minutes. Rinse off with warm water. I check my face to see if this is precisely of terrific use. It should have:
* Remove dry and dull skin cells
* Visibly reduces pore size
* Tightens, tones and brightens
Well I could say that my skin felt smoother and brighter as if I got a facial. I did feel as if my face was cleaner too.
Unfortunately this product can’t be found here in Asia, but it is available online and if you can have it shipped to your doorstep! Awesome.

I’ve also read a lot of great reviews of Bliss products especially on anti-aging products. Also this is one of London’s hottest spas around!
Check out Bliss website here.

Kate Winslet has been named the new celebrity spokesperson for Lancome Tresor! Kate Winslet takes over the throne of spokesmodel for the fragrance from actress Isabella Rossellini, who was the celebrity spokesmodel for the fragrance last year.
Winslet says that being a spokemodel for Lancome was just about being the face but as quoted - “It was me as a person. . .and my message to women — about being real in who you are and comfortable in your skin.”

The first archaeological evidence of cosmetics usage is found in Ancient Egypt around 4000 BC. (Wikipedia)

Thats what you definitely call.. ancient! I’ve always wondered who started using Makeup, well its the Egyptians, no wonder they’re all professionals in the eyeliner department.

Ever wonder what you’ll look like with blond hair? Or with blue eyes? With a red hat?  iVillage has something called the Makeover-o-matic.  It’s funny especially since you can upload your own picture and give it a go.

You can blend, highlight, mix and match to create your new online look in a matter of minutes.

I literally poked fun of myself but at least I know I don’t look good with puffy curls.

Bath salts is something my sister and my mother like to invest in. Lucky for me I just get to try them and decipher which ones make the cut. From Philosophy, the Gingerbread Man and the Senorita Margarita Duo is something you should invest in. Both are best-selling scrubs, oil-free, water-soluble, heat-as-you-rub formulas with sea salt, plankton, and kelp extracts, that moisturize, tone and smoothen out your skin. After using the Gingerbread Man at the sauna, scrubbing myself away, the aroma was to-die-for. Smelled wonderful at the dry sauna cause of me! The scent of ginger was not too sweet, but it did smell ridiculously delicious. After rinsing I jumped in the shower and scrubbed again with Senorita Margarita, at that point, the refreshing smell was so good, I wanted a margarita. I also didn’t have to use soap or lotion after. My skin felt really clean, no more dead skin cells, and silky smooth. A definite must-try!

Most of the people on this planet is vain. I emphasize on the word - most. Not everyone likes looking at the mirror, but admit it, you do check yourself out from time to time.  Almost everyone I know hates, despises zits.  Lucky for us, Real Simple Magazine has put together a what-to-do feature when you do get zeeee pimple, this is of course taking care of the zit without going to your dermatologist.  This doesn’t mean you can pop it, cause thats a tad bit disgusting..

Gervaise Gerstner, M.D., of Wexler Dermatology, suggests a dab of toothpaste to dry out the pimple.

New York City makeup artist Maria Verel prefers icing the area for a similar effect (literally using ice around the affected area).
For small pimples, use a product containing salicylic acid.
Almay Clear Complexion Blemish Healing Spot Concealer, both dries out and covers up.  Benefit’s Galactic Shield is one product Maria Verel trusts and for bigger bumps, Boo Boo Zap - described as the perfect blend of salicylic acid and camphor to sabotage boo boos with lightning speed.  All you need is just a dab of Boo Boo Zap, and good bye redness and swelling pimple.

I literally howled when I saw the website address for Beach Hut.  It’s a new product being launched here in Manila, an old college friend works for this company.  This is definitely a really good idea for a Sunblock.  Beach Hut offers a clear spray sunblock. Check out the chart below from Beach Hut.  It’s not greasy or sticky which is perfect for the beach.  Applying sunblock at the beach, I end up with sand on my back since it’s sticky, greasy, and to no surprise attracts sand, bugs, paper, basically anything that can stick to your body since you’ve just applied something really sticky to your body for ultimate protection against the sun and hopefully against skin cancer, oh and did I mention, I also end up looking like a geisha?
I guess now I can  steer clear of things sticking to me and looking completely  white (the-color-of-glue-type-trying-hard-to-be-a-ghost) at the beach, and live the simple life of spraying and  lounging.  Niiiiiiice!

I don’t go anywhere without my lip balm (Burt’s Beeswax I heart you), it has been my constant companion since I was 18, never left my side.  I did have to go on a couple of lip balm runs from time to time, but all worth the experience.

I usually kept this secret to myself on how I really truly worship this lip balm of mine.  I can use it for my lips, I can use it when I see just one spot on my face thats peeling from a scratch, or peeling from an allergic reason, or red from a insect bite, I use my lipbalm on those spots that I can’t seem to mellow down with a face moisturizer.  So for example, I have a spot on my cheek that has a scratch, now the skin is very dry, just that one spot, I dab a bit of lip balm on my finger that I dab it on my dry spot, and lo and behold, it’s gotten the dryness out of sight.  Very dry and peeling skin, especially those that can’t be controlled by lotion, can be held down by your lip balm.  Really! Try it.

I especially dab on my lipbalm, I use Neutrogena sometimes, when my nose starts peeling after I’ve succumbed to a cold.  What happens is the area around my nose has small peeling skin, and if I put lotion, then concealer, then foundation, all the more I can see those tiny peeling skin.  On days like these, I forego using foundation, I rely on my lipbalm (applied on those peeling spots), and my wet pressed/foundation powder.

Surprisingly, before I ventured into my “product”, CakeBeauty Satin Sugar Balm, is your all around purpose balm!  No need for those different containers, you just need this one thing.   They were one step ahead of me.  Boo hoo.  But I’m still happy to read that there are people who agree with me.   

Nourishes and smoothes frizzy ends & flyaways, treats dry spots on skin, lips, cuticles, knees and even stretch marks.  Made of 86% Shea Butter known for its regenerative and protective properties that help treat dry, chapped skin, and Beeswax to include a dash of an emulsifying humectant that boasts nourishing properties with a satin-smooth texture.  This for $24. 

One of summer must haves from  People’s Off the Rack.