I woke up the other day with a huge pimple on my chin. And not one of those run-of-the-mill pimples either. I had a hard, cystic pimple that I knew was going to take forever to get rid of.
Luckily, while perusing the beauty isle of Bed Bath & Beyond, I came across Acne Free Sensitive Terminator, $5. This gentle but effective blemish cream gel targets both pimples and blackheads. Which is a major plus in my book!
After the first night of using this my pimple had gone down significantly and my blackheads had disappeared too. It's been about 3 days and my pimple is the size of a tiny whitehead. And even better, there's no dark spot! Yay!!!
I'll definitely be keeping this in my beauty stash for those time-of-the-month blemishes that always seem to pop up. If you're dealing with blemishes and need something that will work fast without tearing your face up, give this a try!
Face Saver: Acne Free Sensitive Terminator
Skin Saver: Renee Rouleau Skin Care
I recently had the opportunity to test out some products from boutique skin care line Reneè Rouleau. I first heard about the line from beauty blog ThisThatBeauty, where the Editor Felicia adores the products. My curiosity was piqued, so when I had the chance to try out some items from the line, I jumped at the opportunity!
Two products really stood out for me and made a real difference in my skin. The Micro Crystal Cream, $37.50 and the Glycolic Serum 17%, $41.50. The Micro Crystal Cream is probably the most gentle, but effective, scrub I've ever tried. The aluminum crystals provide a microdermabrasion-like exfoliation, but they're cushioned in a gentle cream that keeps them from being too harsh.
The Glycolic Serum 17% is also amazing. I apply it at night, and I swear I wake up with clearer, less congested skin. Any visibly clogged pores I have are diminished overnight and I wake up with more even toned skin.
The only downside to the products is that they are a bit pricey and the sizes are rather small. Fortunately, discount codes are offered regularly, so I would sign up for the email list and follow Reneè on Twitter (@ReneeRouleau) to keep updated.
Together these products are like a one-two punch for my skin, and get me glowing in no time! I loved these products and I know that my skin will only get better with continued use. Give them a try!
10 Tips To Keep You Blemish Free
For the rest of the week I'll be sharing some of my personal beauty tips to keep you looking your best! Today, I'll be focusing on keeping your skin clear and blemish free.
Here are 10 simple things you can do to achieve clear skin!
- Don't Touch! Touching your face can spread whatever germs and bacteria are on your hands onto your face, creating nasty pimples.
- Wash Your Makeup Brushes. Germs can be transferred from your brushes to your makeup, and then to your face. So wash your brushes at least once a week. I like to use baby shampoo. It's cheap, effective, gentle and easy to find.
- Change those pillowcases! Dirt, oil and skin care products can accumulate in your pillowcases, so make sure to change them at least once a week to keep your skin clear.
- Cover your hair while you sleep. Wearing a satin scarf or bonnet not only preserves your hairstyle, but it keeps hair products and oils from making it to your pillow case, which can cause breakouts.
- Keep greasy hair products from your bangs and hairline. Wondering why your forehead is breaking out? It could be caused from oily hair products you're using on your bangs and hairline. Be cautious when applying these products.
- Use products for your skin type. Just because your Auntie swears by a certain skin care line, or your friend with the gorgeous skin uses a certain product, that doesn't mean that product was meant for you. Look for products that are for blemish prone skin and contain ingredients like salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide and glycolic acid.
- Be gentle. Avoid products containing alcohol, menthol, eucalyptus, and other similar irritants like the plague. Drying your skin out is not the answer! Your skin will only produce more oil to make up for it. Plus, irritated, peeling skin is never a good look!
- Exfoliate but don't go crazy. Exfoliating away dead skin cells is a must when battling breakouts, but using harsh scrubs and beating your face like it stole something is not the answer! Avoid apricot scrubs or any "natural" scrub that contains jagged bits of seeds, etc. Go for a scrub with smooth beads instead.
- Clean your cellphone! We're constantly texting, talking and Twittering on our phones. Is there any wonder why they're a breeding ground for germs? Wipe down your phone with alcohol every couple of days to keep from breaking out on the sides of your face.
- Know when to see a professional. If you've been battling breakouts on your own with little or no success, it's time to bring in a pro. Dermatologists can provide more effective treatments and products that you can't get over the counter, and are experts when it comes to skin. I have always had a dermatologist on speed dial, and anyone concerned about her skin should have one on call too.
DERMAdoctor Flagship Store Opening
Last Friday I had the opportunity to attend the grand opening of the flagship retail store of popular skin care line DERMAdoctor!
The store is located in the trendy Crossroads district of Kansas City, Missouri. The space is gorgeous and specializes in personalized skin care. Think of the store as an Apple store for skin!
I had the chance to have a Q&A session with Dr. Audrey Kunin, the founder of the line, and she gave me the scoop on the new store and what's next for DERMAdoctor.
Brown Bombshell Beauty: DERMAdoctor could have opened its flagship retail location anywhere in the country. Why Kansas City?
Dr. Kunin: Kansas City is DERMAdoctor's hometown and we're committed to this city. It was the ideal place to premier a retail store.
BBB: What will customers experience here that is different from other retail stores where DERMAdoctor is sold?
DK: The store is a continuation of DERMAdoctor skin care education. We started out educating clients through our website, and we'll continue that through the store.
The store is an interactive experience where you can read articles, product FAQs and be educated on various skin conditions. The Apple store and its interactive environment was an inspiration for us. Here at DERMAdoctor people will have a virtual dermatologist experience.
BBB: What else can DERMAdoctor fans expect? Are there any new products on the way or new plans plans for the DERMAdoctor brand?
DK: There are many new DERMAdoctor products in the works! Also, we're in talks with a major TV network to have our own television sales program. You can also expect to see more DERMAdoctor stores in other cities.
Flat screen TVs that feature DERMAdoctor products and skin care info.
Product info computer stations.
Touch-screen computers where you can read product info, DERMAdoctor press, and more.
This Visia Complexion Analysis machine takes a scan of your skin and can tell you what's going on with you skin beneath the surface. It can detect sun damage, brown spots, uneven skin tone, and pimples before they make their way to the surface of your skin.After the Visia analyzes your skin, it makes product recommendations to cut skin care problems off at the pass. Genius!
A display of DERMAdoctor's most popular products.
The complete DERMAdoctor line is available in the store, including products that were previously only available on the DERMAdoctor website (like my must-have Handy-Manun! Woo-hoo!)
Beauty Review: Josie Maran Bear Naked Wipes
I'm on a natural kick lately and have been replacing my skin care products with natural alternatives. Instead of my usual Ponds wipes, I decided to try model Josie Maran's Bear Naked Wipes, $12.
The good thing is that these wipes are bio-degradable, so they don't sit in a trash heap for all eternity. The bad thing is that they don't work so well.
With the exception of eye makeup (these puppies don't stand a chance against eye makeup of any kind), these wipes appear to take off every last bit of makeup with the greatest of ease. Notice how I said they appear to take of makeup?
Well, one night I got the notion to use a little toner afterward, and was stunned at how much makeup was still on my face. I couldn't believe it! How these things manage to take off makeup while not taking off makeup is beyond me. All I know is I won't be buying these again! Next time I'll try Korres wipes before I return to my trusty Ponds. Oh well, at least a portion of the proceeds goes to save polar bears!
Got a fave makeup remover? Let us hear it!
Cosmedicine Beauty B.S. Contest
Cosmedicine, they of the amazingly effective skin care (I swear, the Healthy Cleanse for Oily Skin single-handedly wiped out my blackheads last summer), is holding a video contest and the winner gets $5,000! So whip out that camcorder and check out the deets they sent over:
Cosmedicine is PROTESTING the ‘Beauty B.S.’ with a Video Contest!
With so many beauty products out there promising us total transformation and instant gratification, it’s easy to get frustrated when the results barely deliver, as so often happens. Beauty companies are constantly showing us before and after photographs that require either a leap of faith, or a miracle!
It’s natural to get annoyed by the hype that is thrown in our faces day after day. In fact, let’s just say it – IT’S ALL B.S.!
Cosmedicine believes in beauty AND brains. Women are smart and want products that deliver as promised on real claims. That’s why when Cosmedicine talks about its products, it talks about achieving the healthiest skin possible… and when your skin is healthy and beautiful-so are you.
Cosmedicine talks only about results that you can depend on-results that are scientifically and statistically measured in clinical trials… not what some women thought they saw in a mirror.
So, please join us and “Protest the Beauty B.S.”
Cosmedicine has sponsored a video contest for spoofs, satires and parodies of misleading and hard to believe beauty advertisements.
The winner gets a $5,000 cash prize! The top ten finalists get a year’s supply of Cosmedicine products (we promise it will give you beautiful, healthy skin). All eligible entries get a free gift.
Enough is enough! It’s time to put those sneaky beauty ads to shame and score a few points for women of intelligence and those who respect them!
The contest begins August 4th and ends September 21st. For information on how to enter, just go to http://www.cosmedicine.com/
Dream Eye Creams: Part Two
Last week I promised another installment of Dream Eye Creams, and I do believe I have delivered. Behold, Olay Pro-X Eye Restoration Complex, $47. Now, you’re probably thinking, “No, she did NOT just put some $47 Oil of Olay on here.” Oh, yes, she did. When I first found out that Olay was coming out with a higher end line of their products, I was beyond skeptical. I’ve always thought that their Regenerist and Definity lines were a little pricey for drugstore products, so I thought the new Pro-X line, at $47-68, would fail miserably and I’d be seeing it on clearance soon at my neighborhood drugstore.
But when Olay offered the Pro-X Starter Kit on pre-sale online last month and it sold out in 17 minutes, I took notice. I never doubted the efficacy of the products. I mean, Olay definitely does their thing when it comes to skin care. It was the whole $65 skincare being sold in Wal-Mart thing that bothered me. If I’m going to spend more than $30 on a beauty product, I want to spend in a store where I’m surrounded by face creams, beauty potions and perfume. Not tube socks, toilet paper and tampons. How could Olay justify Pro-X being on the same shelf as the $5 Clean & Clear? But I digress.
The ingredients of the eye cream were what got me: caffeine for its and anti-oxidant properties and power to fight puffiness , niacinamide to lighten dark circles and smooth wrinkles, peptides for superior moisturizing and lots of other skin care goodies. Plus, it was in a bottle instead of a jar, so the active ingredients would stay stable, and no germs could get into the product. It was looking like a win-win.
So, I got over myself and ordered a bottle from Drugstore.com (they were the only ones who had in stock at the time. Plus, it was on sale!), and I have been enjoying it ever since. My eye area had been super-parched at the time and this cream was just what I needed. It’s uber-moisturizing without being at all greasy, and while my ever-puffy eyelids haven’t been completely de-puffed, they are noticeably better. And I no longer notice the tiny crow’s feet slowly developing from my squinting all the time (maybe what I really need is some new eye glasses…). I apply this at night, and sometimes I layer it with the Zia SPF eye cream I wrote about last week. My eyes have never looked better!
Dream Eye Creams: Part One
We all know how important sunscreen is to your skin (at least I hope we do), and we all know how important eye cream is to preventing crow’s feet and other unsightly eye situations later on. What I also happen to know is that it is darn near impossible to find an eye cream with sunscreen in it. There are, literally, only a handful of them in existence and, if I may be frank, they suck. They are either super greasy, super drying (the antithesis of an eye cream, no?), or tinted in some bizarre shade of beige. So image my surprise when I came across Zia Dual Protection Eye Cream for Men SPF 15 in Whole Foods.
Why on earth any skin care company would think that men deserve this fabulous an eye cream is beyond me. Most men I know don’t even moisturize their face, much less their eye area! But no matter, this eye cream is perfect for us ladies. It has a light, lotion-like texture that soaks in completely. Better yet, it's super moisturizing but doesn't leave a greasy film or mess up your eye makeup. All this while protection your delicate eye area from the sun. And it’s only $15!! I love it!
Stay tuned for Part Two of Dream Eye Creams
Beauty News: Get Your Beauty Sleep... Literally
The New York Times Style section has a very interesting article in this week's installment of Skin Deep. They reported about a new phenomenon of bedding that is supposed to improve your skin while you sleep! Yeah, you read right. Sheets that make you prettier.
Apparently, these sheets, comforters and the like have active ingredients woven into the fabric that will help to alleviate wrinkles, acne and even eczema and psoriasis. As you can imagine, this miracle bedding costs a pretty penny, but at the lower end of the price spectrum is SkinGlow, which is sold at Bed Bath and Beyond. Their linens have copper woven into them to help prevent blemishes and wrinkles. Hey, for 20 bucks, I might be willing to buy a pillowcase that'll keep blemishes at bay! What do you think?
Serena Williams' New Beauty Deal
Tennis pro Serena Williams has inked a new deal to be the spokewoman and co-founder of Mission Skincare. The line is target to athletes or those with an active lifestyle. People reports that "the brand’s six-product starting line-up of practical skincare options, including an SPF 30 Facestick, Lip Protector, and Anti-Friction Cream, are designed to be irritant- and animal-cruelty-free".
Hmm, interesting. Will you be checking this out?
"Black Don't Crack", however...
Though the amount of melanin in skin of color offers a degree of natural protection from the sun, we should all still be wearing sunscreen. And before you start saying that you don't need sunscreen, let me just tell you that anyone who tells you that Black people don't need to wear sunscreen is a liar, and I give you full permission to tell them so! ;)
Ladies, puh-lease wear sunscreen of at least SPF 15 (though I prefer SPF 30 ), as it will keep any dark spots you have from getting worse, not to mention prevent aging down the line. Yes, Black and Brown skin typically doesn’t “crack”, but just because we don’t wrinkle doesn’t mean we don’t age. African American skin can become rough, saggy and develop changes in pigment and benign growths (Source: BrownSkin.net) if not properly taken care of as it ages.
So wear your sunscreen every day, rain or shine. Basically, unless the moon is out, you should be wearing sunscreen! A sunscreen that I absolutely love is Peter Thomas Roth’s Uber Dry Sunscreen SPF 30. It soaks right in to your skin without a hint of stickiness or ashiness. Not only does it not disturb your makeup, but its chock full of anti-oxidants to protect your skin even further. Love it!
Another great option is alternative Neutrogena’s Ultra Sheer Dry Touch Sunblock SPF 30. This bestseller gives you a semi-matte application and anti-oxidants at a drugstore price.
So give these products a try and let me know what you think!
