Beauty Talk: Cellulite Treatments

Before reading this post you may want to read about cellulite and its causes in my previous post. So now let's bring out the weapon! What Cellulite Treatments are out there to help us?

The bad news is that some dermatologists say that there is no treatment for cellulite. Ok... ok! You cannot treat it completely but you can at least improve condition and the overall look of your skin. Let’s see how we can get those thighs smooth!

Topical Treatments:

* Retinol: retinol containing creams stimulate collagen and strengthens skin so that cellulite is much less apparent.

* Caffeine: helps to temporarily smooth skin by reducing water retention. Cellulite patches with caffeine are great! Tried myself and can recommend. I liked Nivea's Good-Bye Cellulite Patches. The effect on my lower stomach was as if I lost some weight overnight.

* Heat and Hydration: Take a hot bath with hydrating oils: heat increases blood flow and hydration plumps up skin so it looks smoother.

* Exfoliation: Exfoliation not only gets rid of dry skin and stimulates circulation, it also improves penetration of topical anti-cellulite treatments.

Deep Massage: Massage stimulates blood flow to the skin surface and lymph circulation, this again improves the overall condition of your skin, helps it to detoxify and makes it healthier and smoother. The same effect can be achieved with Endermology – a machine that rolls and sucks skin.

To be continued...

Beauty Review: La Prairie Light Fantastic Cellular Concealing Brightening Eye Treatment

Promise (laprairie.com):
...refreshes and illuminates your eye zone while concealing imperfections such as puffiness and dark under-eye circles...

Product Profile in Short (laprairie.com):
Combining both cosmetic and skincare properties, it effectively minimizes signs of aging, such as fine lines and wrinkles, while adding a touch of radiance.


Contains:
Ginseng Root Ectract, Papaya Extract, Camomile etc.

Close-up on Active Ingredients:
Water
Cyclopentasiloxane
Isononyl Isononanoate
Cyclohexasiloxane
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Glycerin
Diisopropyl Dimer Dilinoleate
Butylene Glycol
PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone
Talc
C18-36 Acid Trigluceride
Sodium Chloride
Glycoproteins
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Equisetum Arvense (Horsetail) Extract
Arnica Montana Flower Extract
Carica Papaya Leaf Extract
Aesculus Hippocastanum (Horse Chesnut) Seed Extract
Glycosaminoglycans
Anthemis Nobilis (Chamomile) Flower Extract
Lauryl Mathacrylateb / Glycol DimethacrylateCrosspolymer
….

My Experience and Impressions:
When I was buying this concealer, I wasn’t even aware of its double purpose as makeup and skincare. Later on, when I looked at the ingredients more carefully and read up on it, I realized that La Prairie Light Fantastic is a multi-tasker. Great! I appreciate such products!!!
I liked its texture from the moment I tried it at the counter! I liked how smoothly it went onto the skin and how it looked on it – just seemed to melt into the skin. I got the lightest shade #10. It was the best choice for my medium-fair skin. However, to tell you the truth the first several times I applied it I felt a bit allergic. Maybe it was just me focusing my attention on my sensations too much. Later on I did not notice any reaction.
Of course using La Prairie Light Fantastic I was all the time comparing it to the genius YSL Touche Eclat. The first difference between YSL and La Prairie concealers is their texture. La Prairie Light Fantastic has a very creamy texture. It feels like a rich eye cream - not makeup. The concealing powers differ as well. La Prairie Light Fantastic doesn’t offer intense coverage but seems to look more natural as it doesn’t at all get into lines. Everyone knows concealer gathering in fine lines is way worse than wearing no concealer at all! So it’s a huge plus for La Prairie Light Fantastic! However you can’t really build up coverage with Laprairie Light Fantastic. Yes, it is subtle but this has its benefits as well - apply it as much as you want and you won't end up with those weird white circles around your eyes.

I do not use La Prairie Light Fantastic as I used to use YSL to brighten up the face and lift up eye brow. Because of the texture and the subtle color it just doesn’t feel right to use it for this purpose. I apply La Prairie Light Fantastic concealer with an applicator brush under my eyes and pat it lightly into the skin – it blends perfectly and looks very natural…


Price Tag:
70$

Bottom Line:
I like this product! The texture is great and the fact that it has double purpose is wonderful. I think the price is good because you get a refill as well! However if you need stronger coverage I would go with YSL Touche Eclat.

Beauty Tip: Sleep On Your Back

Like to sleep on your side? May not be so good for your skin. Sleeping on the side can lead to creases forming on the cleavage from physical force of skin on skin. That’s why it’s better to sleep on your back. Sleeping on your back will not only give you a crease free cleavage but also will help to avoid some facial wrinkles. For instance, did you know that nosolabial folds form deeper on the favorite sleeping side? In fact sleeping on your side can eventually interfere with the whole symmetry of your facial features.

Beauty Talk: Cellulite - Identifying the Enemy!

The first days of spring are here and though it’s still quite long before we bare it all on the beach, it is time to take action to make sure that what we bare is smooth and toned. So I thought it would be good to take a closer look at the cellulite issue. Are you familiar with the orange peel syndrome or as it’s also called cottage cheese skin? For several years I thought I had cellulite but I was one of the many women who see problem where there is none. But this year I do have a slight problem! After giving birth my body changed and now I can definitely see some dimples on my thighs. Time to take measures.

Identifying the Enemy: what is cellulite?

It is a cosmetic condition where the skin becomes dimpled due to the fat forming and “bulging” near the skin surface. Cellulite rarely occurs in males, mostly we, women, are blessed with this condition. In fact it is very common and as many as 90% of women develop cellulite after their puberty!


Focus On The Problem: Cellulite Causes

Causes of cellulite are not completely clear. It definitely has something to do with hormones, genes and metabolism. Estrogen seems to be the “culprit” initiating and aggravating cellulite.

Here comes sort of good news: diet doesn’t seem to have any influence on developing cellulite. Anybody can have this problem: thin, medium and heavy gals, all can get cottage cheese skin. Such factors as lymphatic and circulatory insufficiency, distribution of fat and some other factors out of our controll, such as race for example, are linked to development of cellulite.

Coming soon: Pull Out The Weapon: Cellulite Treatments!

Beauty Review: LypSyl Lip Balm LypMoisturizer (Original Formula)

As you know I am always on the look out for a product to heal my dry flaking lips. This time I was testing LypSyl Balm . I’ve heard some good stuff about their products and how natural and moisturizing they were and how some celebs were using LypSyl, so I was curious to try it. LypSyl is available in several variations: for example LypMoisturizerHoney Berry and SPF 15, LypMedicationwith Eucalyptus, LypRadiance Honey Rose etc. I was trying out LypMoisturizerOriginal Formula.

Promise:
Moisturizes, heals, softens, protects, refreshes.

Close-Up on Ingredients:
Mineral Oil, Petrolatum, Paraffin, Hydrogenated Coconut Oil, Ceresin, Beeswax, Flavor, Certified, Organic Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) Fruit, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E Acetate), Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A Palmitate), Bixa Orellana Seed Extract

My Experience and Impressions
First of all I really liked the packaging. It is not a usual Chap Stick tube. It’s an oval case that feels pleasant in the hand. I like attention to detail and a sliding little bee tab to push the balm up or down.

The first time I tried LypSyl balm I picked up the packaging again to read if it mentions anything about lip plumping. No kidding! My lips just looked smoother and more plump in a matter of seconds. I also felt some light tingling sensation characteristic of lip plumping glosses. But there was no mention of plumping on the box so I guess the effect is due to the intense moisturizing and mint! LypSyl Original Formula has no shine and I found that the texture of LypSyl is softer than the usual Chap Stick. It’s a pleasure to apply - I like the minty flavor and the cooling tingling sensation. I really like the immediate moisturizing and soothing effect. I was hoping that in time with regular my lips will become healthier: less dry and will stop flaking completely. However even though there was an improvement some flaking still remained after 2 weeks of use.

Price Tag:
3$

Bottom Line:
Even though my lips didn't become 100% flake-free, I like the product and would recommend trying it. In the end, I did enjoy using it but my lips are quite a challenge!

LypSyl Original Formula is available on Amazon.com

Beauty Talk: Flipside of Retinoids

Image: www.marieclaire.com
After the post I made on Retinoids’ use in skin treatments some time ago I came across an article in Marie Claire Magazine covering pros and cons of this well-known anti-aging treatment. I had to make a follow up post and talk about the flipside to Retinoids.

According to some skin experts, Retinoids can actually be damaging to the skin. First of all Retinoids can cause inflammation which in the long run can result in more damage as compared to the beneficial effect on wrinkles. As we all well know, inflammation actually accelerates aging.

Retinoids are also believed to thin the skin and make it “lose it’s cushion”.

Finally, overuse or misuse of retinoids can lead to chronic skin irritation, dryness and other problems, leaving your skin in a worse state than before the treatment.

However, the experts quoted in this article didn’t give clear explanations supporting their anti-retinoids statements. For example, I am not sure why using retinoids leads to skin “losing its cushion”. So, in the end, we all should just keep in mind that though there is a negative opinion about retinoids, the jury is still out on this popular anti-aging treatment till we get more information.

Beauty Shopping: Avene Cleanance and Collistar Super-Concentrated Anticellulite Night Treatment

Shopping again!

Rather than being loyal to my usual Estee Lauder Verite Cleanser I decided to try Avene’s Cleanance soapless gel cleanser. The fact that it was for oily, blemish-prone sensitive skin got my attention. I was not 100% sure as my skin is not that oily but in the recent months I had some annoying break outs. So I decided to give it a try.

I have been dreaming of trying Dior’s Svelte for a long time already… Asked for it but did not get it as a Christmas present :-( Actually was planning to buy it this or next month but my plans (as often happens to me) were disrupted… by a sale! 40% off Collistar cellulite products. Collistar is a Italian brand that I have never tried before. Sale is always a great chance to try out a new brand!

My choice fell on Collistar Super-Concentrated Anticellulite Night Treatment as it was promising fast results. I know I know we all want fast results but it just doesn’t work like this… Well I was also impressed with a red sign "Best Seller" on on the box. And of course I checked the ingredient list and liked what I saw with caffeine being almost at the very top of the list. Let’s see how it will work for me!

Avene Cleanance on Amazon:

Make Up Tip: Fix Mistakes Fast

Photo from www.flickr.com by jan1993
Your hand slipped while working on a smoky eye? Fix your mistake fast: dip a cotton swab in an oil-free moisturizer, dab the soft tip on the back of your hand until it feels almost dry. Now you can wipe away your mistakes and not ruin the rest of your makeup.

My Dramatic Hair Transformation

I am the type of a girl who doesn’t usually like to experiment with her hair… so I have been long haired blond for over a decade… till I got pregnant.

This is how my hair looked in summer 2008
Originally I have dark hair and had to do the roots every month at least. However after doing some research online about dying hair while pregnant I wondered if this was safe for the fetus… My husband insisted I give up on being a blond :-) So I let my roots grow a bit and got a very short haircut. That was a huge step to cut my decade long hair… A young sweet hairdresser could not believe I was actually going to do it. She did her best to talk me out of it. Funny but I always get a reaction like this from hairdressers… But I was determined. I actually was happy I had a reason to finally make a dramatic change! Even though I “chose” a hairdresser without any recommendation, she did a brilliant job. My husband still doesn’t believe that I didn’t do highlights then, so stylish my cut looked!
My dramatic hair cut!

I actually liked how I looked with short hair a lot. I liked it so much that when my friends would see me short-haired for the first time and their eyes would go HUGE and mouth drop, I couldn’t understand why- I would turn around to see what got them so shocked and then realize it was ME! I got used to my new look from the very first minute, it just felt so right, that I sort of forgot how big of a change that was for me.
Another bonus of my newly acquired hairstyle was much lower maintenance requirements. I was amazed at how fast I was in and out of a shower – washing and drying it took almost not time! Oh and if I forgot my brush at home, no problem, just fluff it up and straighten with my hands :-) As for my husband… he at first seemed to genuinely like my hair but then one day I got suspicious: What do you think about growing your hair back again? - He said looking at our photo together on holiday in Greece. Hmmmm… that will take another decade, Darling!

That's me "inbetween" hairstyles :-)
Slowly slowly my hair took a shape of a bob… and then I added lots of highlights…

That's how I look now
Highlights are better seen in this photo
So now I have a dilemma – should I grow my hair again or keep changing short hairstyles?? I did like the glamour and femininity of the long hair. But I do like how the short hair shows off my neck and makes me look younger. ;-) If you know what I mean!

Beauty Review: Clarins Advanced Extra-Firming Neck Cream

Promise:
helps firm and smooth away lines and wrinkles as it immediately "lifts".

Product Profile in Short:
The ultimate firming neck treatment that enhances skin's youthful-looking appearance for women over 40. The feather-light, silky texture disappears into the skin instantly.

Contains:
- Stimulen®: reinforces skin's "guardian cells" which helps preserve skin's firmness and tone longer.
- Plum extract: delivers an immediate "lifting" and softening action.
Sunflower, Bocoa and Anthyllis: help smooth away fine lines and tighten skin.

(Don’t you just love how manufacturers create these cute scientific sounding names like “Stimulen” :-))

Close-up on Active Ingredients:
Water
Cyclomethicone – derived from silicone, emollient
Cetearyl Isononanoate - emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol – emulsiifyer and stabilizer
Dipropylene Glycol – Masking, Viscosity controlling
Cetearyl Ethyhexanoate - emollient
C14-22 Alcohols
Cetearyl Glucoside – skin-friendly emulsifier
Butylene Glycol- humectant
Phenoxyethanol - preservative
C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside – emulsifying agent
Parfum
Glycerin - humectant
Sodium PCA
Ethylparaben
Tocopheril Acetate
Carbomer
Tromethamine
Prunus Domestica SeedCake Extract
Methylparaben
Disodium EDTA
Anthyllis Vulneraria Flower Extract
BHT
Sunflower Extract
Bocoa Prouacensis Extract
….

Sorry I did not have the time to write details about each ingredient but at least we can see what is of the highest concentration. It is great to see all the emollients and humectants at the top of the list but I was hoping to see some of the key ingredients such as plum and sunflower extracts etc.


Experience:
Texture: very rich texture but not too oily
Smell: medium intense sweet fragrance

At first when I just started using Clarins Neck Cream I got obvious allergic reaction. My eyes were irritated and itchy. I was soooo upset! The price was tooo high to just give it away to somebody. So I persisted even though it felt pretty uncomfortable. To my great surprise, this reaction went away in about a week or so. Either my body got used to it or I got used to the irritation in my eyes :-) who knows…

I liked the texture. It feels very rich but not too oily. You don’t need much to cover the area of the neck and décolleté. It spreads and absorbs nicely and immediately makes skin look smooth.

Results: My observation is that neck creams very seldom give much result. It is pretty hard to do much to wrinkles or lines developing in this area. However with this cream, after a month of use I could see definite positive results. I don’t have wrinkles or sagging. I have these strange lines starting on the sholder and going over décolleté. These lines did not disappear but started to look much smoother. By the end of the month they seemed not so noticeable with the whole décolleté and neck area being smooth and firmed.

Price Tag:
80$

Bottom Line:
I would definitely come back to this product in about 5-7 years. I am a bit afraid of the reaction though as It was pretty strong and the price is VERY high to take a risk. Maybe I will ask for a sample first.

Beauty Shopping: Substantific Neck and Decollete Treatment

Just when I thought that I will never go more expensive than Clarins’ Advanced Neck and Decolte cream I bough about a month ago, I went completely insane and got Guearlain Substantific Densifying Nourishing Sculpting Neck and Decollete Treatment. It seems even more crazy because it is definitely for more mature skin than mine. Well, in my defense it doesn’t hurt to try it out and I wouldn’t have even looked at it if the sales girl didn’t lure me into buying it by offering all kinds of presents. Just look at this!
I got
Success Eye Tech Up-Lifting Wrinkle Reducer– deluxe sample

Super Aqua Lotion – Toner Optimum Hydration Resistance

Guerlain Beauty Discovery: Success Age Splendid Deep Action Oil Serum Face Sculpting, Success Eye Tech, Success Future Regenerating Toner

However the price for this décolleté cream is so high, I feel like I didn’t get those for free but I did buy them. As you remember I really wanted to get Guerlain Success Eye Tech for Christmas from my hubby – it was on my wish list I handed to him :-) However I guess the price a bit scared him! Lol! So now I get this wonderful deluxe sample of 5 ml and another one in the Guerlain Discovery Kit. I am thinking if it works for me I will use both samples, otherwise I will give the kit to one very good friend to try out. I am also planning to give her the Super Aqua Lotion. Even though it sounds absolutely gorgeous being highly moisturizing…. with the extract of a desert rose and all that, but I am not soooo big on toners so probably she will enjoy it more!

Watch out for my review. I know I am always very late with reviews but they do eventually get posted!

Put your mouse over a picture to see a price. Rotate with the help of arrows.

Beauty Review: Estee Lauder Stress Relief Mask

Promise:
Pre-moistures pads hydrate and soothe skin, diminish puffiness and other signs of fatigue, reduce appearance of tiny lines and wrinkles.

Product Profile in Short:
Pre-moistened pads sealed 2 in a packette
Contain targeted anti-stress, anti-fatigue hydrating ingredients, botanical soothers like aloe vera, cucumber and allantoin

Close-up on Active Ingredients:
Water
Glycerin - humectant
Butylene glycol - Humectant, Emollient
Bifida ferment Lysate - probiotic
Aloe barbadensis leaf juice – soothes, regenerates
Polysorbate 80,
Sodium Hyaluronate – humectant (super-moisturizer!)
Cucumis sativus (cucumber) fruit extract – soothing, softening, anti-inflamatory
Caffeine - anti-inflammatory, relieves skin redness
laureth-4 - surfatant - emulsfying agent,
Disodium EDTA - chelating agent and a viscosity adjuster (as I can see ther are some safety concerns about this ingredient but I don’t think any official facts)
BHT,
Sodium dehydroacetate - Organic salt used as a preservative
Phenoxyethanol - preservative
Methylparaben


Experience:

Texture: pads are moistened with colorless liquid that feels a tiny bit oily to the touch
Smell: no fragrance

Another one of my favorites by Estee Lauder! I can’t remember how many years I have been using this product. The first time I tried it – I fell in love! It’s convenient to use, has nice texture, and it works! The pads are very thin and feel like they are made from thin soft cloth. There is really a lot of liquid on them so they are dripping and you can get some more liquid from the bottom of the plastic packet.

This mask is really effective! Especially helpful to get rid of small thin lines around the eyes. I apply the mask on the area right under my eyes and give it 10-20 minutes to work its wonders or sometimes I allow even longer time till the pads are almost completely dry. I remove them and reveal to the world smooth moisturized skin under my eyes. Thin lines just disappear! And skin is more elastic! I know this because when I smile lines around my eyes are not there to stay, they just relax and smooth themselves away. However, note this mask doesn’t seem to have much effect on under eye puffiness. Such a pity!
I used to do this mask 2 times a week but now with years I resort to it more often. It really works great to revive dehydrated, tired eyes.

Price Tag:
35-40$ for a package of 10

Bottom Line:
Excellent product! Everyone just has to try this! However be warned, this mask won’t do much to deep wrinkles and puffiness.

Makeup Tip: How to Choose the Right Shade for Foundation

Perfect skin tone sets the perfect canvas for perfect makeup. A very common mistake when choosing foundation is testing it on the back of your hand. This way you most surely will select the wrong tone. Test foundation on your jaw line. Get the one that matches ideally or the closest. And better never go for a darker shade – it just makes you look older.

Beauty Tip: Get Break-Outs Under Control

Those nasty red pimples always appear just before a party or a date… Or worse: they just constantly seem to be there. You think you finally are about to concur them but here they are popping up in just another spot. Oh, don’t you hate them? Today I am going to share my personal experience with break outs. I have a couple tips that worked for me and that, hopefully, you may find useful. So here is how I got acne under control!

I had a bad problem with break outs as teenager and in my twenties. First thing that really improved the situation was finding the right cleanser! Your cleansing product is extremely important for the health if your skin. It has to be JUST the right intensity. Too strong and it will be stripping and will cause more acne, too weak and it won’t cleanse skin enough to keep pores clean and free from acne-causing bacteria. Many people with break outs make one similar mistake – they overcleanse and over peel their skin. I did the same before I found my perfect cleanser! I am using Estee Lauder Verite Cleanser and I love it.

Second step that made a DRAMATIC change was using paper towels or Klenex instead of a regular towel to dry my face. Surprised? I came across a tip from a dermatologist for those suffering from acne to change a towel every 2-3 days. So I decided it would be even better to use something single use to dry my face. And the difference it made was really amazing!

Another tip in line with the one above is please, do keep your hands off your face! If you pick on pimples you will just spread bacteria to other areas of your face. Very often people subconsciously keep touching a red spot that is bothering them with their hands. Be aware of this habit and stop it.

And finally find the moisturizer that works for you. Non-comedogenic is the key feature. It should be light but at the same time nurturing to your skin.

So here it is in a nutshell. I list the tips in the order of a difference they made for my skin:
1.Find the cleanser PERFECT for your skin. Do not overcleanse
2.Use single use towels to dry your face or use Klenex
3.Keep hands away from your face
4.Find the PERFECT moisturizer

My New Year Beauty Resolutions!

1. Get regular facials – This has been my dream for a long time and I would never be able to do this: either could not afford the money or the time. But now I am 30 for God’s sake! Time has come! (…Regular professional facials can really benefit your skin – you can never do a facial at home as well as an expert can…)
2. Start using SPF regularly… again! – Time for a confession: I stopped being careful about wearing SPF with the birth of my little one. I am always on the run, so I just forget or am too much in a hurry to take a sec and apply that sun protection. Have to get back on track here :-)
3. Eat less sweets – Oh my, that would be the toughest one to go through with. I have a sweet tooth!
4. Drink more water – drinking lots and lots of water used to be my best beauty habit alongside with applying SPF. I am not kidding, I used to drink liters of water in the course of a day. Then it suddenly changed and got much worse when I became a Mom. Now I often don’t even have time to think about drinking a glass of water. This has to change again for the sake of healthy skin!
5. Eat less meat – I used to prefer fish and veggies over meat. But again with the pregnancy and birth of my DS, this changed and now I eat meat every day. Which is not so good for my skin and my body on the whole. More greens for me in 2010!
6. Learn something new about Beauty... I feel I should learn more about makeup application. I just never had the time to do it. Will I manage this year? I hope so…
7. Try something new in Beauty Blogging – Am thinking about trying video reviews on YouTube!

So these are my 7 beauty resolutions for New Year 2010... 7 is my favorite number - hopefully it will bring luck and help make everyting listed above come true!