theproductpro BLOG
Got my badge: it's been over 5 years of leading patient workshops as a Look Good Feel Better® volunteer!
I am proud to be one of 6,000 volunteers across the country whoserve 50,000 women each year.
If you know someone facing cancer, send them our way. And if you're a beauty professional who wants to give back, apply today! Www.Lookgoodfeelbetter.org
#LGFB #confidencematters #lookgoodfeelbettervolunteer #lgfbvolunteer
Neocutis has long been known as a skin care leader for their innovations in growth factor technology. (Read more about that here) The newest NEOCUTIS skin care line, MICRO•ESSENTIALS, is now available - and after weeks of experimentation, I can confidently say: I'm nuts about it. This brand new class of anti-aging brings a new addition ingredient to skin care - So what IS the newest thing, you ask?
The short answer: A brand new blend of peptides.
The short answer, explained: Inspired by matrikine technology, MPC™ (Micro Protein Complex) uses a new blend of peptides to help defend against and correct the visible signs of skin aging.
What will these fancy peptides actually do for me, you ask?
The NEOCUTIS MICRO•ESSENTIALS line includes five products to help you kick butt in the anti-aging department:
MICRO•DAY™ Rejuvenating Cream:
MICRO•NIGHT™ Rejuvenating Cream
MICRO•EYES™ Rejuvenating Cream
MICRO•SERUM Intensive Treatment
MICRO•FIRM: Check out my post about this 5-star product here. I am head-over-heels for this awesome serum-meets-cream rejuvenating and firming intensive treatment!!
If you're interested in adding this new cutting-edge peptide to your regimen, find it at a doctors office near you! And in the meantime, stay fabulous, my friends!
As a skin care professional, I'll admit that the first (and sometimes only) anti-aging recommendations I default to are the usual suspects: Retinoids, sunscreen, growth factors, antioxidants, and a smorgasbord of treatments to prevent and treat wrinkles. But with so much focus (from me, from like, everyone) on anti-aging of the skin, what about the hair?? Perhaps it's that hair anti-aging hasn't been a focus from a technology standpoint until recently. But technology IS catching up in this category, as I recently learned in a lecture featuring speaker Brian Hendricks, VP of Global Education for DS Laboratories. By the way, "DS" stands for Divine Skin. This organization is certainly speaking my language.
“The future expectation of hair care will not be to simply clean, condition, and style the hair. Rather, products will be designed to protect, stimulate, and manipulate actual hair growth to achieve the best hair of your life. DS Laboratories has already set this standard with stunning results.” says Hendricks.
Here's what I learned:
As we age, the hair follicles shrink, harden, and weaken -Oh GREAT. We have the best hair of our lives at our follicular peak around the age of 19. Stop and think about it: have you seen a elderly woman with flowing, long locks lately? Well, I haven't. And while weekly roller sets might also be a convenience when you're 90, it's true that the potential for mermaid hair at that age is little to none.
So, is there potential for keeping the hair at its peak, restoring, or even maintaining where it is presently? There is, with recent developments in technology. And, with the help of stimulants, anti-inflammatories, and nutrient delivery, says Hendricks. The unique line of products from DS Laboratories, including Revita Shampoo and Revita COR Conditioner give the follicles a fighting chance.
Here are some of the benefits: •Stimulants: No, we're not talking Rogaine here. Multiple stimulants including caffeine in DS Laboratories' Revita line can stimulate the follicles into action for length and volume!
•Anti-inflammatories: Anti-inflammatories rescue the follicles from arguably the Number 1 cause of aging: Inflammation.
•Antioxidants: Antioxidants like Spin Traps, one of the most potent (and expensive!) antioxidant molecules available on the market neutralize free radical damage, a serious offender in the aging process for hair AND skin. •Nutrient Delivery: One word: Biospheres. Just like skincare, once we've identified beneficial ingredients, the challenge lies in how to get them where they need to go. Biospheres magnetically attach the active ingredients to the skin on the scalp so they keep working. Rest assured these powerful products are not just rinsing down the drain - they're even working while swimming or working out!
•Beauty AND Brains: Aside from all the great science, these products make your hair look and feel glorious starting from the first time you use them. I speak from experience.
Says Jessica Taylor, Regional Brand Manager for DS Laboratories, "We are all on the pursuit of perfection, and a fusion of hair and skin care is what will get us there. (With products) filled with antioxidants, amino acids & anti-aging components, science can be sexy too."
And who doesn't love that??
Until Next time, Stay Fabulous My Friends!
Check out Look Good Feel Better at www.LookGoodFeelBetter.org. It's FREE to cancer patients through the American Cancer Society!
Ok, say what you want about the $280 price tag on this gorilla glass-covered, French-designed, narcissist-fave hard drive but I think it's fab!
The Lacie 1TB Seagate scratch-proof hard drive puts the fun in ...um, backing up your computer. No... it puts the fab in ... techy desktop accessories. No... Hmmm.
Well, I'd like to know what's wrong with double-checking your lip gloss placement at your desk with a single glance before greeting a client? Or (more importantly) quickly verifying there is no spinach in your smile after a veg-friendly lunch? I think this is a fun and fabulous find.
Watch a quick vid of this pretty piece here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5U06KicKXg4Until
If that price tag causes you to frown, it's time to touch up your BOTOX. ...And/OR, you can experiment with a budget-friendly and creative mirror alternative: The Glam Screen. I gave this one a try after doing the above ^ double-checks on my actual phone for a while.
It's tiring:
Unlock phone> Camera> Change the camera view to face yourself> Notice how weird and alien-like you look on the self-facing screen-side camera> check for spinach.
This is just too many steps for a girl on the go. Grab a glam screen and call it a day!
Check out my other new and fun tech suggestion here: The Pearl Mirror Compact
And Until Next time: stay fabulous, my friends!
Does anybody out there remember the LED lit mirror compact from BOTOX Cosmetic 'back in the day', (as they say)? The fun and light-hearted silver LED light-up compact was really novel and unique for its time.
That sense of fun and creativity in a beauty accessory has been something that I have tried to duplicate over the years. I've longed for that novelty pretty much since Allergan stopped making the chachkies (honorable mention: the rhinestone BOTOX baseball cap. RIP, cute and lightweight hat! You were PERFECT for the gym!)
Well, have no fear, the next generation of fun is here! Check out the Pearl compact mirror charger! This cutie comes in a pretty gift box and provides a full charge for iPhone 6! It started off as a kickstarter, check it out here: Kickstarter Pearl.
I plan to jump on this product. We are multitasking all day long! Who wants to travel with a phone accessory (or beauty accessory, for that matter!) that doesn't multi-task, too?
Until Next time, stay fabulous, my friends!
I've been meaning to post about a great American Cancer Society Program I volunteer for called "Look Good, Feel Better" for a long time. Anyone who is undergoing treatment, about to undergo treatment, or has recently completed cancer treatment can sign up through the American Cancer Society for free. During the class (which we call workshops), licensed Beauty professionals teach and demonstrate treatment-specific skin care, makeup, head-wrap/scarf-tying, and wig styling and care techniques. Basically, everything you might want to know about if you want to feel better about how you look when you could possibly be losing your hair, your skin might be changing, and you could really use some pro's in your corner.
Through the Personal Care Products Council Foundation, huge cosmetic companies donate makeup and skincare for participants to use and take home. Clarins, Bobbi Brown, Dior, Avon, Lancome, OPI, and MAC are just a handful of these companies. Yesterday, my demonstration model even received a Dior SHOW mascara and an awesome Chanel lipstick in her kit. Props to these companies!!
If you are a beauty professional, please consider taking your talents beyond work! You know how good you can make your clientele feel on an everyday-basis, now just imagine how you can help someone who might really need your help, but hasn't met you yet. 
Every time, the participants leave the workshop with smiles on their faces, and you know that you might have helped give them the tools to feel beautiful and happy during a rough time. Please consider applying and training for this great program!
As a Beauty on a Budget myself, I know the value of a good Beauty Buy. When shopping at the Target in North Scottsdale, my mom and I noticed a number of cutie-pie ELF gift sets. WAIT: Are you kinda wondering why ELF made my blog post, AGAIN? Because there are plenty of Just-Okay-Grocery-Store-Cosmetics out there, but they all cost a heck of a lot more. In fact, if I am buying a lip gloss from a display at Walgreens (without being able to see it outside of the package via a tester, or hear a firsthand description of the product from an attentive sales person) I feel like it needs to cost like, I dunno, $5 or less? Am I the only one who feels this way? I have seen OTC products and grocery store cosmetics exceed $39 (and higher!). Come on, guys. We are buying this item from a shelf-talker in a neon-lit convenience store. Make the price convenient, too! ELF cosmetics offer some pretty-okay cosmetic products at the price-point I feel they SHOULD be offered for. So that's why ELF, in case you were wondering. Sorry, I digress....
Okay, here are the two winners (In my opinion) that are especially good values in the ELF Holiday Department:
Full Disclosure: At the time I am writing this, I haven't tried the Brightening Eyeliner Pencil OR the Shimmer Eyeliner. But I HAVE tried the waterproof eyeliner pen and it's actually pretty good! $3 good? Sure! So I figured the other two items are simply a bonus and hey, they could be good!
Here's another good one, $3 for 3 pairs of lashes. I haven't tried the glue, so I can't speak for it yet, but I figured this: Ardell (our usual drug-store-Go-To lashes) are getting up there in price these days! For $1 a set, I figured we can't lose here... so once again, the extra item here is kind of a bonus. And at the VERY least, these cutie little kits make great stocking stuffers. So, if you're plum out of ideas (especially if you happen to be a Beauty on a Budget) I think ELF gift sets could be a good risk! (Coal eyeliner= better than coal!) =)
I think the Spring season gets a lot of credit for renewal and transformation, but Fall is really when I (and clients/patients alike) really get in the mood for change. The summer can be a time when we drop off of our strict regimens and become a bit lax... with schedules, eating, bedtime, skin care, and who-knows-what else. In my opinion, there seems to be something about the changing colors, the crispy air, and the earlier nightfall that seems to make us all think: 'OK, these summer freckles are bothering me. Time for a change', or 'Hey!! I'm suddenly interested in regimented self-care again'. I myself jumped back onto full time Obagi use a couple of weeks ago, and I thought I would share my slightly embarrassing before and after pictures from my first time using the Obagi Nu Derm system. (about 7 or 8 years ago)
I had some issues, as you can see. It's especially tough to have skin trouble when you are a professional aesthetician. After all, how are you supposed to recommend treatments and products for your practice's patients when your own skin is terrible??
Notice the acne, the post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (red spots left-over from acne), melasma (patchy-brown above my lip and on my forehead), freckles, and uneven tone.
I used the Nu Derm system with tretinoin .1% (hardcore!!) religiously for 18 weeks, followed by a maintenance regimen. What a life-changing transformation this was for me! I am so thankful for this line, and have many, many happy clients who would agree.
So if you are in the mood for change yourself, join me in fall transformation! Start using that night-time product instead of falling asleep on the couch at night, jump into that Zumba class, or finally organize your closet by color; whatever blows your hair back! :)
Check out Obagi Medical's website here to learn more about nu derm, and until next time: Stay Fabulous My Friends!
Have you ever resented the fact that you can't reach the bottom of the bottle to get the last drop of really-great-and/or-expensive-fill-in-the-blank product to get the last bit? I have heard anecdotes over the years of women prying open a container of TNS Recovery Complex (and many others) with a pair of pliers. This is probably hazardous... (at the very least you at risk breaking a nail) and is likely not the experience you desire when using a fabulous, cosmetically elegant, and likely expensive-as-heck product. Don't be angry at the bottle. It IS just a bottle, after all. Just get this "Every Drop" Beauty Spatula!
I came across this miniature silicone spatula with when I opened my new 'the Container Store' Stocking-Stuffer catalog that came in the mail today. Genius!
The unique shape is designed to reach under the lip of a jar to get every last drop. It's washable (reusable) and has a long handle to reach into really skinny/tall bottles or jars. The cherry on top: It's only $4.99, and is made in the USA. And really, what else do you possibly want from a spatula?!
Happy Shopping! Stay Fabulous, My Friends!
Word on the Street/Company Claims: Cryptomphalus Aspersa, a type of snail which has evolved to heal itself with it's own secreted Glycoproteins and growth factors, is the source for this concentrated anti-aging eye cream. SCA is used both for post-procedure (when you REALLY have to kick up the healing process) and to heal sun-damaged or aged skin in a daily home-care regimen. This particular product is a light/medium consistency slightly-tinted eye cream.
Biopelle's Website says this product:
Appropriate for who?:
Those who are concerned with anti-aging or preventative maintenance, those who like a lighter consistency, & those who have uneven skin tone under their eyes.
NOT so good for:
Those with very, very crepey, very wrinkled, or SUPER excessively dry eye-areas. I don't believe that the light consistency would cut-it for these patients, and they may not desire the tint in the formulation.
Totally Fabuliz: (Favorite part):
My favorite part has got to be the tint- which I have to admit, I did not feel like I needed. I have very thin skin, but thankfully not much darkness or blue-ish tint from underlying vessels at all. Yet, I love it! The tint makes the whole area look more even and smooth, but isn't heavy or makeup-like in consistency.
Just OK: n/a! I love it.
Needs work: n/a!
Star Rating:
★★★★4 Stars: Pretty much deserves a Nobel Peace Prize, want it/need it/ have to have it!
Misc Notes/Other need-to-know's:
-This is Biopelle's most popular 'fly's off the shelf' product in the Tensage line. I can see why after using it!
-Check out my Post on Biopelle's Tensage SCA technology here
Bottom Line:
This product feels like it tightens and smoothes after just using it once, and who doesn't love a bit of instant gratification? With prolonged use (I'm using it twice a day), I'm seeing some brightening and hydration.
While I still love the technology behind the highly concentrated HUMAN growth factor in TNS Recovery Complex and TNS Essential Serum, this natural growth factor offers a different approach... with a fun-to-use, cosmetically elegant edge.
Well done AGAIN, little snails! We thank you!
STAR RATING KEY:
★1 Star: Might pass this one up
★★2 Stars: Okay for the money
★★★3 Stars: Really nice product, I’d buy it
★★★★4 Stars: Pretty much deserves a Nobel Peace Prize, want it/need it/ have to have it!
Word on the Street/Company Claims: Cryptomphalus Aspersa, a type of snail which has evolved to heal itself with it's own secreted Glycoproteins and growth factors, is the source for the anti-aging element of this moisturizer. SCA is used both for post-procedure (when you REALLY have to kick up the healing process) and to heal sun-damaged or aged skin in a daily home-care regimen. This growth factor promotes healing and skin health.
This particular product is a light weight, yet potent moisturizer which contains SCA.
Appropriate for who?:
Acne patients (or those who break out easily), those who are concerned with anti-aging or preventative maintenance, and/or who may be healing from a procedure. This product is great for dry skin, normal skin, combination, mature, and reactive/sensitive skin types.
NOT so good for:
Very, Very, Dry skin, those who desire SPF in their moisturizer, or those who want a more decadent consistency. (These particular people would try the Tensage SCA 6)
Totally Fabuliz: (Favorite part):
This moisturizer has a non-greasy finish and seems to pack a serious punch of potent moisture. I have dry skin, but break out easily... so I am always paranoid of products that build up on the skin or cause congestion... this is not one of them. It also made me feel like my old breakouts were healing faster.
It absorbs completely, but if a creamier SPF is applied on top, (I applied PRESCRIBEDsolutions Up the Anti Oil free SPF 30 during the day) you'll retain a dewey, glowing look and feel, which I liked. Not unlike the Tensage Intensive Serum, it feels like it brightens and smoothes after using it once.
Just OK: Wishing it was in a pump. (it's in a nice-looking jar)
Needs work: n/a!
Star Rating:
★★★3 Stars: Really nice product, I’d buy it
Misc Notes/Other need-to-know's:
-A little goes a long way.
-If you plan to use this when healing from a procedure, ask your practitioner how they'd like to see you use it. Rumor: layering it on 'like cake frosting' after a chemical peel (or other procedure), allowing most to absorb, and then smoothing out the excess is a great way to calm and hydrate.
-Check out my Post on Biopelle's Tensage SCA technology here
Bottom Line:
Thank GOODNESS that those of us with adult acne (or prone to congestion) have an anti-aging moisturizer that won't cause breakouts! YES!
While I still love the technology behind the highly concentrated HUMAN growth factor in TNS Recovery Complex and TNS Essential Serum, this natural growth factor offers a different approach... with a fun-to-use, cosmetically elegant edge.
Well done, little snails! Once again, we thank you!
STAR RATING KEY:
★1 Star: Might pass this one up
★★2 Stars: Okay for the money
★★★3 Stars: Really nice product, I’d buy it
★★★★4 Stars: Pretty much deserves a Nobel Peace Prize, want it/need it/ have to have it!
Word on the Street/Company Claims: Cryptomphalus Aspersa, a type of snail which has evolved to heal itself with it's own secreted Glycoproteins and growth factors, is the source for this concentrated anti-aging serum. SCA is used both for post-procedure (when you REALLY have to kick up the healing process) and to heal sun-damaged or aged skin in a daily home-care regimen. This particular product is in ampoule-form, and contains the highest concentration of SCA. Used either daily for 7 days and then one time per week, or once in-office followed by 3 days in a row (then weekly after that), this growth factor promotes healing and skin health. Additional benefits include:
Appropriate for who?:
Those who are concerned with anti-aging or preventative maintenance, those who may be healing from a procedure, dry skin, mature skin
NOT so good for:
Very, very reactive/sensitive skin types may detect tingling when this product is applied. Anyone who experiences irritation should call their skin care provider.
Totally Fabuliz: (Favorite part):
This serum feels like an in-office treatment... but you can have it at home whenever you want! I love this after a dermaplaning! Although it's got an elegant serum-consistency, it absorbs completely and does not make me feel oily or break out. It feels like it brightens and smoothes after using it once.
Just OK: n/a! I love it.
Needs work: n/a!
Star Rating:
★★★★4 Stars: Pretty much deserves a Nobel Peace Prize, want it/need it/ have to have it!
Misc Notes/Other need-to-know's:
-Depending on how dry I am when I apply it, I can feel a brief tingle or warmth sensation. It only lasts for a moment, and doesn't bother me. I understand this to be the vehicle, which then evaporates.
-The ampoules can be used in several different ways, ask your skin care professional in what intervals they recommend using it.
-Check out my Post on Biopelle's Tensage SCA technology here
Bottom Line:
While I still love the technology behind the highly concentrated HUMAN growth factor in TNS Recovery Complex and TNS Essential Serum, this natural growth factor offers a different approach... with a fun-to-use, cosmetically elegant edge.
As far as it feels, this is the stuff dreams are made of. Others who have tried it agree. And who doesn't love a little instant gratification, backed with some good anti-aging science??
Well done, little snails! We thank you!
STAR RATING KEY:
★1 Star: Might pass this one up
★★2 Stars: Okay for the money
★★★3 Stars: Really nice product, I’d buy it
★★★★4 Stars: Pretty much deserves a Nobel Peace Prize, want it/need it/ have to have it!
It sounds like a strange, anti-aging fairy tale: A special breed of prehistoric snail has evolved to produce secretions of growth factors and glycoproteins. These snails are farmed in a facility in Spain, and their secretions are harvested for use in an anti-aging product. Yes, one that you put on your skin.*
*I know what you may be thinking... (I was thinking it, too) So I asked: Their secretions are filtered for purity before use.
This technology is called SCA, which stands for Secretion of Cryptomphalus Aspersa, and has been helping patients to heal after cosmetic procedures. It is also used as part of a homecare regimen, which is how I've been experimenting with it.
I had the pleasure of trying (albeit, reluctantly at first!) 3 super fabulous products: Tensage Intensive Serum 40 SCA, Tensage Soothing Cream 3 SCA, and Tensage Radiance Eye Cream 10 SCA. The number at the end is what Biopelle (the makers of the line) call the Biorepair Index Number, and represents the percentage concentration of SCA in each product.
I have to say, I am always leery at first when a new product appears on my radar. Especially when the claims seem fairytale-like in nature. But I cannot deny how awesome this makes my skin look! It's smoother, my breakouts are healing (yes, I'm totally acne-prone) and my skin tone is evening out after a long summer honing my skills in beach volleyball.
And these products are instant-gratification-city. Not only are they cosmetically elegant and light in consistency, but my skin looks like something out of a fairy-tale when I've got them on!
And of course, the proof is in the pudding: they've got some very nice studies to back it all up. Because it's one thing if it makes you LOOK good, but it is actually DOING anything? Seems as though the answer here is yes. Here's a short, fairly-understandable read on how this snail secretion inspires proliferation of human keratinocytes and dermal fibroblasts when used topically. So, even though I'm imagining Spanish snails living happily on a farm, now it's a bit less fairytale for me. ;)
Stay tuned for individual product reviews for these, and until next time- stay fabulous, my friends!
So, I'm completely paranoid about bathing suit season. Let's face it... when you're just as nervous about skin cancer and premature aging as you are how your thighs look in a bikini, it's not a recipe for a care-free day. But that's where this little product entered into the story, and made my day at the beach much easier!
This innovative, sheer-oil formulation claims broad-spectrum SPF 30 or 50 (depending on which one you choose) AND makes your bikini-clad bod look less frightening with it's subtle glisten! (think: body builders... they must slather oil all over for a reason, right???) But this oil isn't super sticky or gross, like I would imagine hugging a body-builder to feel like- haha!
This product lacks offensive/overwhelming scents, and has a super fabulous price point of around $10. I plan to continue using this dewey, imperfection-blurring product on my neck and chest beyond summer season...
....and maybe even for competitions when I finally pursue my dream of bodybuilding.
(kidding!)
I was intrigued by e.l.f. when some makeup artist acquaintances rolled down a list of their secret e.l.f. favorites, so I thought I'd start exploring by demo'ing some basics. I chose this $6 Primer in Clear to start, which was 30% off when I ordered it- wow. I must say: I was pleasantly surprised by this particular elf item.
It has a very similar silky/satin-like consistency as some of my favorite primers, including GloMinerals Face Primer ($26) and Smashbox Photo-Finish ($36). This product also has a similar ingredient deck, though there are a couple of silica ingredients that some of the others lack. Interestingly, this product is gluten-free, while my favorites are not. It doesn't stay perfect for quite as long as some others, and lacks some of the anti-oxidants (like Vitamin E) that others have, but for $6- I didn't feel disappointed, necessarily.
So, if you're in the mood for a good gamble with not much at risk (besides maybe hour 12 of foundation perfection!) it might be a good one the next time you find yourself in need of primer.
Word on the Street/Company Claims: “This groundbreaking, weightless, 100% physical sunscreen provides water-resistant broad spectrum protection with transparent titanium dioxide and zinc oxide (Z-Cote®*). Enhanced with artemia salina, a plankton extract, this lightweight sunscreen increases skin defenses and resistance to UV and heat stress.
Color-infused technology enhances natural skin tone and boosts daily radiance.”
Appropriate for who?:
Normal, Combination, Oily, Sensitive… pretty much everyone!
NOT so good for:
For the darkest Fitzpatrick skin types, I suppose the powder-finish would be less ideal, as it could look a bit light/dry-ish. This being said, it is still better than almost any other physical-only formulation I’ve used on dark skin.
Those who desire a dewey, super-hydrated finish may not prefer the mattefying quality of this product.
Totally Fabuliz: (Favorite part):
Copy-Cats have tried with similar consistencies and claims, but product is unique and fabulous because of it’s PHYSICAL-ONLY, chemical-sunscreen-FREE formulation. This means more broad-spectrum protection with less irritation- this is normally only achieved with HEAVY, white creams!
Just OK:
I wish the larger, limited-edition 4.2 fl oz size could be available all year round!!
Needs work:
The smaller, ‘regular’ 1.7 fl oz has a screw-on top. I’d love to see the flip top from the limited edition size make it’s way to this always-available version.
Star Rating:
4 STARS!!!★★★★
★1 Star: Might pass this one up
★★2 Stars: Okay for the money
★★★3 Stars: Really nice product, I’d buy it
★★★★4 Stars: Pretty much deserves a Nobel Peace Prize, want it/need it/ have to have it!
Misc Notes/Other need-to-know's:
-Shake it before you use it, so it mixes up thoroughly.
-I’m obsessed with this very-slightly tinted formulation because takes the “white” out of a titanium/zinc sunscreen. This product may also be the only sunscreen that men will readily use, because of the clean/non-goopy finish. It leaves a silky, natural and texture afterward, and almost feels like a favorite makeup primer.
Bottom Line:
No, it doesn’t smell like coconuts, and it won’t make your eyes sting either- all of our usual sunscreen-skipping excuses are flattened. Well done, Skinceuticals!
So, even as an anti-aging obsessed skin-cancer prevention advocate, I have to be honest: reapplying sunscreen is the pits. Maybe you have makeup on... maybe your hands aren't clean and there isn't a sink nearby... maybe you just don't feel like slathering goop all over the place! Here's a nice solution to the re-application challenge: Sunscreen powder. If you haven't tried one of these, it's worth a go. Mostly all of them are appropriate for anyone 6 months of age and over, and they are NOT MAKEUP. This means you can put it over your existing makeup, or apply it to an unsuspecting husband, boyfriend, or son.
Here's a link to my favorite one so far, Colorescince Sunforgettable: http://jxeqr.jklky.servertrust.com/product_p/brush50.htm
I would personally get the medium, (I am a somewhat fair caucasian) because the light is pretty darn light and the darkest one can start to look really dark and almost muddy on light or medium skin if you reapply more than once (the whole reason we are using sunscreen powder, right? ...to re-apply!!!)
If you don't already own a spray brush cleaner, I would probably get one so you can clean the brush in between uses. GloMinerals is my favorite, who's brush cleaner actually smells AMAZING (almost like strawberries, but better!) and dries a little faster than some: http://www.gloprofessional.com/brush-cleaner
Now get out there and re-apply!! :)
So here is a cute before and after of some airbrushing I did this weekend for a wedding. This is using TEMPTU Silicone-Based Makeup and a small, relatively inexpensive compressor. My fabulous makeup artist friend Jennifer Johnson schooled me on basics a while back, and suggested TEMPTU to start my airbrush kit. I've been playing around with it for a while and I think I'm in love!
As you can see, she has beautiful skin and gorgeous features anyway, so she could make any makeup artist look good… but I LOVE the dewy (yet not greasy or shiny) consistency of the s/b makeup, and it wears like a champ!
I’ve been getting a lot of questions about Latisse lately, so I thought I’d throw something together with my personal tips and some official information, too! 1) Latisse rocks, but it’s $$$: Here’s a video of how I like to store and use my disposable brushes so you can get more use out of each package. This is considered off-label, meaning it’s not necessarily the way the product is labeled for use- so always do what your doctor or skincare professional recommends!
2) Let’s not get Crazy: I’ve heard of patients using a makeup brush to apply the product… I would NOT recommend this, as Latisse does not have a preservative in it. Hygiene is of course very important, especially with the eye-area, so stick with the disposables for sure.
3) Night Owl: Only use Latisse at night, with your contacts out and makeup off. Contacts can actually absorb the product, so be sure not to cut corners here. Apply your eye products and treatment creams first, and Latisse will be the very last step.
4) Browing out: An off-label use of Latisse is applying it to the eyebrows. I did that once for a period of time to experiment, and found that it would not grow hair where there wasn’t hair already, but that it did make individual brow hairs a bit darker and longer, too, contributing to a bit of a fuller effect.
5) Changing Eye Color?!?: I think when patients hear this, they freak out and think their blue eyes could turn brown and vice versa- thankfully this is not the case. To summarize, when Allergan did a 5000 patient study of the Lumigan version of this product (used IN the eye) for the treatment of glaucoma, there was a small percentage of people with hazel eyes that had darkening of the gold-flecks in their eye. This change was found to be lasting. If you have hazel eyes, consider if that would bother you, as it could be a risk… important to consider that it was only happening to a small % of the people using the solution IN the eye, like an eye-drop, which we are NOT doing with Latisse. Other eye colors have not been found to change or darken.
6) No biggie?: There is a chance that you can get darkening of the lash line where you apply the Latisse, since it’s increasing melanin (and making your lashes darker!) it happened to me, but the trade-off for awesome lashes is just fine with me. It’s kind of a light pink, so it covers easily with a light shadow/I don’t even really notice it. Some of our patients who already have dark eye areas think twice about using Latisse. Thankfully, when you stop using it, it goes away… so no biggie if you ask me.
7) Keep the Faith: Latisse can take up to 16 weeks for full results… this is because when you first start using it, its treating the lashes that haven’t grown in yet. So, it can be hard to use a product every night when you don’t see much happening, but Latisse WORKS, so keep up the good work, and hang in there for fabulous lashes!
Here’s a link to Allergan’s Latisse page, please read up for full Rx info and more official business!
Chicagoland Aesthetic Advisor, Elizabeth Weiler, LE specializes in consulting and practice management services including:
Aesthetic Staff Training, Aesthetic Practice Management, & New Aesthetic Practice Launch services
E@med-e-spa.com, Chicago, IL, USA