What’s the most indulgent (read: expensive) beauty item you’ve ever bought?
Posted by Katie Gutierrez Painter Categories: Editorials, Fashion, Health
So, yesterday on Gilt, I’m trolling around, looking for deals, no real intention of buying. And THEN I see the Quasar Baby Blue. Now, at first glance it looked like a shower head to me. Or something a dentist would use. I was unsure. Then I read that it’s a device that uses blue light to target the sebaceous glands on the face, killing the bacteria that causes acne. So I’m intrigued. I Google reviews. Sure enough, people like this thing. It seems to work. And for a girl like me who (1) has battled her skin for her entire post-pubescent life, (2) has bought countless items from late-night informercials, and (3) just has hope that something will work as promised, darn it, it was a perfect storm. Plus, Gilt has never disappointed me. So I winced, paid $250 (on sale from $350—hooray!), and am now anxiously awaiting its arrival at my door. I’ll tell my husband it cost $25. Just kidding—sort of. Anyway, I’ll keep you all posted!
Your turn: What’s the most indulgent/expensive/ridiculous beauty product you’ve ever bought? Did it work? Share!
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The Healthy Makeup Cure for Dry Skin—and Other Recessionista-Chic Beauty Ideas
Posted by Katie Gutierrez Painter Categories: Advice, Fashion, How To
All right, ladies, I don’t know about you, but I have been dealing with the most schizophrenic skin lately! Always a bit of a rabble-rouser (Accutane twice, perhaps?), my skin lately has been winter-dry and flaky… in the areas where it hasn’t been producing unnecessary amounts of oil, that is. My pockets aren’t particularly deep these days, so I decided to mix my standby powder Bare Minerals foundation with my daily Neutrogena Oil-Free SPF 15 Lotion, a part of the Neutrogena Acne Therapy System. The result? A light but creamy tinted mineral moisturizer with coverage I can dial up or down (more lotion for sheerer coverage and vice versa). Brilliant! Perfect to try with your own powder and moisturizer. The only caveat: You’ll want to steer clear of wearing tinted moisturizers or liquid/cream foundations in general when it’s likely you’ll sweat. Runny makeup? Never hot.
A recent savvy purchase of mine was the Loreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes (in black). I’d been a big fan of the original Double Extend mascara and was intrigued, I must admit, by the commercials. An $8 investment, these falsies-by-wand are my new besties. If I could have worn this mascara on my wedding day, instead of actual false lashes, perhaps we all could have been spared a set of eyelashes floating inside a champagne cocktail by night’s end. Caveat: While they’re technically water-proof—as in, you’ll experience no running—I kinda can’t get over how creepy it feels to pull the tubes from my lashes at night. Basically, with soap and water, the tubes loosen, making your eyelashes look strangely limp (if still long). Rather than scrubbing with soap or eye makeup remover, simply pull gently at your lashes with thumb and forefinger; the tubes come right off, and damned if you don’t feel you’re washing your own eyelashes down the drain!
I just happened across the most genius bang-trimming trick—courtesy of Hollywood uber-stylist Kevin Mancuso—in this month’s Elle: “Gather your bangs from temple to temple, twist them in the exact center of your forehead, hold them down toward your nose, and cut off the tip. Always cut them dry; wet hair can shrink up and be too short.” Now, I’ve done this trick twice, once even with wet hair—sorry, Kevin!—and haven’t yet needed to go back and edit the trim. Free and foolproof? Yes, please.
How have you been cutting beauty corners lately?
Taking the Plunge… By Which I Mean the Chop
Posted by Katie Gutierrez Painter Categories: Advice, Editorials, Entertainment, Fashion
Ladies, the tables have turned!
After five years of having very long hair, which I have to admit I think is one of my best features, the time has come. My appointment is February 25, and I’m anticipating chopping off about 12 inches. (I may need a glass of wine first.) I’ll be donating my briefly orphaned strands to Locks of Love, which I’m really excited about because frankly, who doesn’t want to do something nice for a sick child? I also think the cut will bring about some change in me (God knows what, but I can’t wait to find out!).
But what style should I ask for? The basics: It will likely fall somewhere between my jaw and chin, and I have full, blunt bangs. What are your favorite short haircuts? I challenge you to find the best! Send pictures, links; share your creativity! I can’t wait to see what you come up with!
Oh, and what do you think of the image here? Could it be The Cut?
Parabens and other nasty stuff
Posted by Colleen McKie Categories: Advice, Health
We quite often read food labels to be aware of what we are putting in our bodies. But how about what we’re putting on them? You might not think too much about what’s in your make-up, shampoo or body lotions, but maybe you should. Some of the most popular ingredients in beauty products can also be harmful.
Parabens
There has recently been much controversy over the use of parabens in products with both sides of the debate being very clear on their position. Some health officials swear there is nothing harmful about using parabens, while others swear they are extremely harmful. My main concern with parabens is the potential for harm. It’s a chemical and has proven to be absorbable through our skin. The studies against using parabens have found that in cancerous breast tissue cells there is an elevated amount of the chemical. Has it been proven to cause or increase the risk of breast cancer? Nope. But remember, at one time it was thought safe to powder your face with lead.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
This cleaning agent can be found in soap, shampoos and body washes. Oh, yeah and as car engine degreaser. Sodium Lauryl sulfate and any of the other sufactants can cause skin and scalp irritation, irritates your eyes, cause hand, face and arm swelling and dries out skin and hair. The reason it’s used? Because it’s cheap.
If you have sensitive skin and use a product with sodium lauryl sulfate, you can irritate the underlying problem making your skin even drier and itchier. And what do we generally do when our skin is dry? Put on more lotion, probably full of parabens.
I have decided to become a beauty product label reader and will only use products that do not contain either of these chemicals. Because I think they are 100% toxic and will kill me? No. Because I want to live healthy and that includes what I put on my skin as much as what I put in my mouth.
What’s Your Locker-Room Body Image?
Posted by Katie Gutierrez Painter Categories: Advice, Celebrities, Editorials, Entertainment, Health
Shortly before I got married last May, my amazing mom—who knew I’d been wanting to get back in shape—gifted me 20 half-hour sessions with a personal trainer. Fast forward five months. I received a call from 24 Hour Fitness; it seemed they checked their records and I still had 18 of my 20 sessions remaining. (Oops.) Did I want to come in and use them? Damn, I thought. But my summer of blissful post-wedding eating had taken a toll—ten pounds, to be exact—on my figure. I’ve always been pretty small, so that increase made a major difference in the way my clothes fit and the way I thought about my own body. So I said grudgingly, “Okay. I’ll go in tomorrow.”
Since then, several things have happened, all amazing in their own right. (1) I weigh the exact same as I did in September… but my body fat has dropped by 6%. I’ve gone from the “Acceptable” to the “Lean” range! (2) I’ve committed to participating in a triathlon in May… How did that happen? (3) I renewed my training sessions—twice—and am now in another class three days a week to prepare for the triathlon. All in all, I’m working out seven days per week—crazy! (4) I can do awesome man-pushups, and I feel strong and powerful. (5) My skin is clearer… a happy surprise, to be sure!
Of course, to be fair, half my pants still don’t fit, and I’ve been sore every day for, oh, five months.
Click to continue reading What’s Your Locker-Room Body Image?
15 Little Ways to Live Happier and Healther—Starting NOW!
Posted by Katie Gutierrez Painter Categories: Advice, Entertainment, Fashion, Health, How To, Humor, Relationships
It’s the tenth day of the new year, and how many of us have already strayed from our resolutions? That may be because those goals we make each December 31 often revolve around breaking bad habits or spontaneously forming new, better ones. Who among us hasn’t vowed, at least once, to eat healthier, to work out three times a week, to drink less, to read more, to be spontaneous, and so on? While these resolutions may be noble, they’re also decidedly vague. (After all, doesn’t eating only one bowl of ice cream after dinner count as “eating healthier”?) So why not give yourself a chance to actually achieve your goals by making them smaller and more realistic? Below, 15 little ways to live healthier and happier—starting now.
Click to continue reading 15 Little Ways to Live Happier and Healther—Starting NOW!
Style Yourself Successful: Four looks that show you how
Posted by Katie Gutierrez Painter Categories: Advice, Editorials, Entertainment, Fashion, How To, Humor
I have an unstylish little secret: Since I work from home, it’s not unusual for my husband to arrive in the afternoon and see me in the same clothes I woke up in that morning. In fact, yesterday he came home early and caught me in my pajamas, on the couch, cup of coffee in hand and watching the end of a Lifetime drama. It was three p.m. “I swear, I didn’t just wake up, and I haven’t been doing this all day!” I announced before I’d even said hello. My immediately defensiveness wasn’t because I thought he’d judge me. It was because I was kinda judging myself a little. What am I , I thought, some slobby kid home from college for the holidays? No. I own a business. I’ve published books. I write about beauty and health, for God’s sake!
This morning, I woke up, went straight into my closet, and pulled on a little red jersey dress. I did the fresh-face routine, brushed and styled my hair, and then made my cup of coffee and got to work. Fifteen minutes of my time, quite a simple look, and I suddenly felt like a professional again. The point is this: You can style yourself successful. The psychology is simple—looking good makes us feel good. Knowing that we appear put-together gives us confidence, with which we’re more apt to take on new projects, invite the boss to lunch, and impress clients. And it works both ways. The people around us take subtle cues about our personalities, capabilities, and desires from the clothes we wear—and they act on those cues. So, read on for a few looks that will help you achieve your daily goals.
Click to continue reading Style Yourself Successful: Four looks that show you how
Faking a Fresh Face
Posted by Katie Gutierrez Painter Categories: Advice, Entertainment, Fashion, How To
Last night, my husband and I went to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. The movie happened to be playing at the fabulous Alamo Drafthouse, so I also had a few glasses of wine. The breakdown, my friends: Things got messy. Very messy. My husband had to keep irritably shushing my sniffling, but it was no use. I was in crying-mode.
Needless to say, I woke up this morning looking a fright. I peered miserably at myself in the mirror, poking at my purplish, swollen eyelids. I washed my face with very cold water, but my skin seemed to become even more dull and blotchy. What kind of movie was worth this kind of casualty? And what could I do to fix it? Luckily for you—and a blessed relief for me—I perfected the fake-fresh formula years ago, and I’m only too happy to share it now.
Click to continue reading Faking a Fresh Face
When Should We Start Worrying About Beauty?
Posted by Katie Gutierrez Painter Categories: Advice, Celebrities, Editorials, Entertainment, Fashion, Health, Parenting
Now, clearly I love the beauty and fashion industry. I delight in it. But this wasn’t always the case. Back in high school, I was the girl who took pride in arriving to class with her hair in a messy wet bun, wearing only lip balm and a snug t-shirt with drawstring pants. Vans were my footwear staple. I considered myself independent, a little bohemian, and I looked scornfully at the girls with smoky eyes and straightened hair. There was also, I’ll admit, a little bit of envy. In their fashion, their stilettos that clacked across the beige tiled hallways, those girls had what I didn’t: sex appeal.
Last night, I watched The Devil Wears Prada with my 12-year-old stepdaughter. She is uncommonly beautiful, with no trace of the awkwardness I suffered at her age. She is smart, perceptive, and a budding fashionista. (The night before, she’d killed thirty minutes by trying on half a dozen pairs of my shoes, then texting all her friends back in Seattle about her newfound love for high-heeled boots.) But as we watched Prada, she’d declare, “Ugh! I have such a big butt!” or “Look at all this baby-flab over my hips! You don’t have any of that!” or “I’m confused. How come my thighs touch when I’m standing up? That’s not right, is it?”
Click to continue reading When Should We Start Worrying About Beauty?
5 Multitasking Products To Make Over Your Entire Beauty Routine
Posted by Katie Gutierrez Painter Categories: Advice, Editorials, Entertainment, Fashion, Health, How To
In a tight economy, we’re all struggling to make our dollars stretch. So, while multi-tasking beauty products are nothing new, I’ve scoured the Internet (and, yes, my own deliciously cluttered bathroom shelves) to give you a shortlist of the best. Bonus? After-Christmas sales!
* bare-Minerals Multi-Tasking Bisque: For $18, you get a soft, shimmery eye shadow base and an ingenious concealer for pretty much any facial imperfection, from blemishes to veins to scars. The product also carries SPF 20.
* Two-Faced World Domination All Access Backstage Beauty Collection: At $42 (down from $150), this little set comes with eight shadows, a duo bronzer, a blush, a face illuminator, six lip glosses (!), a brow powder, and an eyeliner cake. If it’s time to clean out your makeup bag, this’d be a smart way to replace all those crusty old compacts.
* Philosophy Cinnamon Buns Ultra Rich 3-in-1 Shampoo, Shower Gel, and Bubble Bath: You don’t want to smell like a hot, gooey dessert, you say? This $16 product could—and probably will—change your mind. Did I mention it’s 3-in-1?
*Smooth Glow Stubble Reducing Daily Moisturizer: Get your glow on in preparation for spring—and shave half as often—with this lotion. Get it for $5.69 at AmericaRx.
* Nu Bra: My personal favorite, these light, self-adhesive cups will save you from wardrobe malfunctions. Wear under halters, strapless tops or dresses, racer-backs, keyhole fronts, looooow v-necks, and even your ordinary, everyday t-shirt. I could rave about this brilliant bra (and have) until somebody shuts me up, but I’ll end with one last, whispered note: You choose your cleavage. Want va-voom, even if you’re an A-cup? You got it. And you D-cups—want to tone it down (as if that’s possible)? No problem. At In the Mood Intimates you’ll find the Nu Bra Ultralite for $24.99—need I say more?
There you have it—five products that will take you from the shower to your front door and beyond (after you put clothes on, of course). The best part? All five combined are less than $100. That’s about as guiltless as a skinny cappuccino…Happy shopping!
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