Here is a look at my favorite shampoo and conditioner as well as the most overlooked product you probably don't own. (But you should!)
And here's two of my favorite interviews from the year. It's fitting they should be next to each other, since they are in cahoots about telling me I am perimenopausal.
Favorite Thing # 7: Mally Lash Illusion Eye Liner
I have been spending a lot of time lately, checking out liners that will work for the inner rim of the eye, the waterline. Some go on really nicely, some melt away and some can stay on like rock stars. But more on those later. In the meantime, I came across a liner that is slightly different from your normal pencil liner. It's still a pencil, it's still a black liner, but it's different from all of your other pencils.
My hands aren't steady enough to pull that off with a liquid liner and skinny brush, so it never worked for me. I can't get enough eyeshadow pigment on a tiny brush to make a noticeable difference.
Mally Beauty's Lash Illusion is a little pencil that does the job perfectly. How tiny is tiny? We are talking three-of-them-can-fit-in-the-width-of-my-middle-finger tiny. They are very pigmented and easy to use. You get two black/brown liners in a cute little case and luckily, they come with their own sharpener. Mally (makeup artist to super-performers like Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna and Mary J. Blige) suggests you hold the pencil up and down, perpendicular to your lash line and gently dot along your lashes, filling them in. While I can't seem to manage to do that, I have no problem just getting between my lashes and filling them in. This pencil specifically kicks butt for the lower lashes, where you can easily line lightly in between the lash line. You won't look like you are wearing eye liner, while making your eyes pop. It's a great trick, but you can only do it with this pencil (I am sure a pro can do it with something else, but I can't!). For $20, plus shipping from the Q, you'll get 2 pencils, the case and the sharpener. You have to have these little pencils in your bag of tricks. Especially if you don't like to wear a lot of makeup, these give your eyes some kick without looking like you are trying too hard.
I love them. Check them out!
(These were sent to me for the purposes of review.)
Favorite Thing # 6 Ever Pure Shampoo and Conditioner
So this review isn't really for a new product. In fact, I know news about this shampoo has been everywhere. But here's the deal - I didn't want Loreal's EverPure Moisture Shampoo to work. I told my friends they shouldn't use it. Over and over again.
Why? I feel like Loreal is playing on consumers' interest in the green initiative to get rid of harsh sulfates in a soap, with no real intent to be kind to my hair and the environment. That doesn't seem like a bad goal to have, being green, but I don't like to be so openly manipulated. It also bothers me because by saying that having sulfates (which are in everything) makes your shampoo bad, equals saying that every other hair product Loreal makes for colored hair is bad for your colored hair. As if they are admitting they have been pulling the wool over our eyes until the release of this product. The big sulfate we all know you must avoid is the harsh ammonium lauryl sulfate. Lauryl does have a sister detergent, Laureth, and she is not quite as harsh and is typically accepted to be better for color treated hair. That said, you may want to consider avoiding sulfates in general, but that is up to you.
Now, I eat crow.
This stuff really does work. My hair color, which is bright, bright red, has lasted longer for the last month than ever before. I haven't found myself reaching for a color depositing shampoo or conditioner and my hair is really, really shiny. I mean out-of-this-world, getting-compliments-all-of-the-time-shiny. My color hasn't faded. And for a red, that is saying something. The shiny, may be due in part to a conditioner (I'll get to that later). But for a product I wanted to fail, I really, really liked it!
I bought this item. Several times.
Quick Chat with Paula Begoun, The Cosmetics Cop
Paula Begoun has to be the original beauty blogger. Before blogs, before lightening fast Internet, there was a series of books called "Don't Go to The Cosmetics Counter Without Me". If you aren't familiar with this title, and you love cosmetics, these books will change your life. Paula reviews cosmetic products by their chemical composition, not by her opinion of what she personally likes.
Her reviews are like neutral ground; stable compounds that are packaged properly will get high marks. Outlandish claims or harsh unneeded fragrances will not do so well. If you ever want to know what products live up to their claims from a cosmetic chemist point of view, Paula is your gal. Better yet, become a paid subscriber to Paula's website, Beautypedia and never miss a thing. I am constantly reading her reviews and her online ingredient dictionary is my go-to resource for quick research.
I recently had the chance to chat with Paula very briefly on her Blog Talk Radio show. My question? What is going on with my skin? Why is the skin around my nose taking on a spongy appearance while the rest of my face still looks nice and smooth? Her answer? I might be perimenopausal.
WHAT? Wait, I am slipping into menopause? I'm 36! Paula mentioned that one thing that effects the size of pores is androgen. As the body doesn't make as much estrogen, pore size can increase. All of which, is a side effect of perimenopause.
OK. I would like to forget that portion of the conversation happened.
So let's skip ahead to what she said I could do to improve the size of my pores. "Avoid irritating ingredients in all of your skin care products. Be sure to use products that do not contain things like alcohol, peppermint and many plant extracts. Try to avoid fragrances, they just aren't needed. Look for a really great exfoliant. Salicylic acid is a great exfoliant that can help bring about changes in your skin and the texture. There are quite a few out there, but, call me biased, I really like my 2% Beta Hydroxy Acid Gel. It really helps exfoliate the skins surface, as well as the pore lining."
I mentioned that as a blogger I change products often, every four to six weeks, and Paula exclaimed, "Oh my. I guess bloggers have to do that, but everyone else shouldn't. Skincare is like your diet. Can you imagine if you ate all kinds of random foods constantly? You would have the worse case of indigestion ever. If you can find a regimen you like, stick with it. The better it is for you and the more consistent you are, the better your skin will look. And of course, be sure to wear your sunscreen protection."
Even if I deny I could be perimenopausal, it was so much fun to chat with someone who has been such an influence in my life for the last 15 years. Thanks, Paula!
Jan Marini Gets Serious About Skin Care
I recently had the chance to chat with skin care aficionado, Jan Marini, the woman behind JanMarini Skin Research. Jan's line is known for being a leader in new anti-aging, resurfacing and repairative skin technology. Since I am all about the science behind the products, I was thrilled to get a chance to speak with her and find out what products she would suggest to help my skin, as it begins the newest phase of the aging process.
First off, I should tell you that one of Jan's newer products, the Age Intervention Regeneration Booster uses topical Telomerase Enzyme therapies to deliver truly dramatically skin rejuvenation benefits. This therapy is so ground breaking, three scientists were recently awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their work surrounding the anti-aging properties of telomeres. Clearly, her products go way beyond the glossy hype that surrounds so many of her competitors. I can't wait to get my hands on this tiny bottle of dramatic rejuvenation. More importantly, I couldn't wait to learn more from Jan herself.
Before I dive in to my skin care overhaul, here are some facts I learned by chatting with Jan Marini:
- Wrinkles are actually wounds to the skin. Wound research has shown that topical agents have the ability to help heal wrinkles. If you concentrate on skin cell communicating ingredients that aid in wound healing, you will have the ability to heal wrinkles (ie greatly diminish their appearance).
-80% of sun damage occurs before the age of 10. (10!?! I was thinking of how I could meet The Karate Kid and make him fall in love with me, not about wrinkle prevention!)
-If you have a blemish, dab a bit of cortisone cream on the spot and cover with a band aid. This yields a similar (although not exactly the same) result as getting an injection would.
While this isn't a fun fact, I did enjoy this portion of our conversation immensely (when speaking about another brand who uses a myth about mineral oil to promote their products):
"Mineral Oil is not bad for the skin. It is one of my favorite myths about skin and skin care - that skin needs to breathe. No one has ever shown me lungs within the skin and skin does not breathe. Mineral Oil is actually organic and it's job is to be occlusive. It's not a bad thing. It isn't causing the death of skin by not allowing it to breathe. Again, skin doesn't have lungs."
I love it when science trumps hype.
I was excited to get a chance to chat with her about what products would actually work for me. Perhaps someone can get to the bottom of this sponge-like appearance near my nose (which Paula Begoun said was due to being perimenopausal) and the fine lines around my eyes.
I explained to Jan that I had nice skin, with lots of (undeserved) melasma, that was very dry, with fine lines and had the spongey next-to-my-nose skin. Without missing a beat, Jan said the change in skin texture was no doubt due to becoming perimenopausal. If I didn't know better, I would say she and Paula Begoun were in cahoots.
Jan suggested an intensive treatment regimen to revamp my skin, help diminish fine lines and improve the radiance and texture of my skin. Thank goodness she sent me a checklist of what to do, because it is some serious skin care. It doesn't take any more time than what I usually do, but it is intensive.
Here is my plan:
Wash (in a specific way) using BioGlycolic Facial Cleanser twice per day. I have been doing that prior to our chat, so be on a the look out for a review soon!
Follow up with C-Esta Face Serum twice a day and BioClear Lotion in the evenings.
Use Age Intervention Face Cream and Age Intervention Eye Treatment twice each day.
Once per week, cleanse and treat with two enzyme treatments, Clean Zyme and Skin Zyme and use the Age Intervention Regeneration Mask (but not on the same day).
Of course, each day use the SPF 30 AntiOxidant Sunscreen (which is my favorite sunscreen of all time). I can't stress how important it is use to sunscreen anytime you are outside between the hours of 5am and 10pm. It's not about being sunny and needing sun screen. It's about preventing damage from the UVA and UVB rays you can't see. Rainy, cloudy or after 3pm, you still need to protect your skin from the sun.
It's intensive, but as I start week three I am seeing a difference. My skin is definitely smoother and is glowing. I am hopeful the fine lines will begin to diminish soon. You know I will give you the scoop, as soon as I can. For now, here's to fewer lines and glowing skin!
Products were sent to me for the purposes of review.
Subscribe and never miss a thing! Disclosure/Disclaimer Statement Copyright 2009, Gouldylox Reviews. All rights reserved.
And here's two of my favorite interviews from the year. It's fitting they should be next to each other, since they are in cahoots about telling me I am perimenopausal.
Favorite Thing # 7: Mally Lash Illusion Eye Liner
I have been spending a lot of time lately, checking out liners that will work for the inner rim of the eye, the waterline. Some go on really nicely, some melt away and some can stay on like rock stars. But more on those later. In the meantime, I came across a liner that is slightly different from your normal pencil liner. It's still a pencil, it's still a black liner, but it's different from all of your other pencils.
Mally Beauty Lash Illusion Liner is a teeny, tiny pencil that is to be used to fill in spaces between your lashes, giving you a fuller lash line without looking like you're wearing liner. It's a time honored makeup artist trick, one you probably have been reading about since you were 15. You know the one: "gently dot right along your lash line and then connect the dots, making sure to stay right inbetween your lashes." And probably, like me, you tried. I tried for hours to make the dots work without looking like I was wearing liner. The problem? ALL pencils are too thick to make a line that isn't noticeable (see below for regular pencil "dots" vs. Mally).
Mally Beauty's Lash Illusion is a little pencil that does the job perfectly. How tiny is tiny? We are talking three-of-them-can-fit-in-the-width-of-my-middle-finger tiny. They are very pigmented and easy to use. You get two black/brown liners in a cute little case and luckily, they come with their own sharpener. Mally (makeup artist to super-performers like Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna and Mary J. Blige) suggests you hold the pencil up and down, perpendicular to your lash line and gently dot along your lashes, filling them in. While I can't seem to manage to do that, I have no problem just getting between my lashes and filling them in. This pencil specifically kicks butt for the lower lashes, where you can easily line lightly in between the lash line. You won't look like you are wearing eye liner, while making your eyes pop. It's a great trick, but you can only do it with this pencil (I am sure a pro can do it with something else, but I can't!). For $20, plus shipping from the Q, you'll get 2 pencils, the case and the sharpener. You have to have these little pencils in your bag of tricks. Especially if you don't like to wear a lot of makeup, these give your eyes some kick without looking like you are trying too hard.
I love them. Check them out!
(These were sent to me for the purposes of review.)
Favorite Thing # 6 Ever Pure Shampoo and Conditioner
So this review isn't really for a new product. In fact, I know news about this shampoo has been everywhere. But here's the deal - I didn't want Loreal's EverPure Moisture Shampoo to work. I told my friends they shouldn't use it. Over and over again.
Why? I feel like Loreal is playing on consumers' interest in the green initiative to get rid of harsh sulfates in a soap, with no real intent to be kind to my hair and the environment. That doesn't seem like a bad goal to have, being green, but I don't like to be so openly manipulated. It also bothers me because by saying that having sulfates (which are in everything) makes your shampoo bad, equals saying that every other hair product Loreal makes for colored hair is bad for your colored hair. As if they are admitting they have been pulling the wool over our eyes until the release of this product. The big sulfate we all know you must avoid is the harsh ammonium lauryl sulfate. Lauryl does have a sister detergent, Laureth, and she is not quite as harsh and is typically accepted to be better for color treated hair. That said, you may want to consider avoiding sulfates in general, but that is up to you.
Now, I eat crow.
This stuff really does work. My hair color, which is bright, bright red, has lasted longer for the last month than ever before. I haven't found myself reaching for a color depositing shampoo or conditioner and my hair is really, really shiny. I mean out-of-this-world, getting-compliments-all-of-the-time-shiny. My color hasn't faded. And for a red, that is saying something. The shiny, may be due in part to a conditioner (I'll get to that later). But for a product I wanted to fail, I really, really liked it!
I bought this item. Several times.
Quick Chat with Paula Begoun, The Cosmetics Cop
Paula Begoun has to be the original beauty blogger. Before blogs, before lightening fast Internet, there was a series of books called "Don't Go to The Cosmetics Counter Without Me". If you aren't familiar with this title, and you love cosmetics, these books will change your life. Paula reviews cosmetic products by their chemical composition, not by her opinion of what she personally likes.
Her reviews are like neutral ground; stable compounds that are packaged properly will get high marks. Outlandish claims or harsh unneeded fragrances will not do so well. If you ever want to know what products live up to their claims from a cosmetic chemist point of view, Paula is your gal. Better yet, become a paid subscriber to Paula's website, Beautypedia and never miss a thing. I am constantly reading her reviews and her online ingredient dictionary is my go-to resource for quick research.
I recently had the chance to chat with Paula very briefly on her Blog Talk Radio show. My question? What is going on with my skin? Why is the skin around my nose taking on a spongy appearance while the rest of my face still looks nice and smooth? Her answer? I might be perimenopausal.
WHAT? Wait, I am slipping into menopause? I'm 36! Paula mentioned that one thing that effects the size of pores is androgen. As the body doesn't make as much estrogen, pore size can increase. All of which, is a side effect of perimenopause.
OK. I would like to forget that portion of the conversation happened.
So let's skip ahead to what she said I could do to improve the size of my pores. "Avoid irritating ingredients in all of your skin care products. Be sure to use products that do not contain things like alcohol, peppermint and many plant extracts. Try to avoid fragrances, they just aren't needed. Look for a really great exfoliant. Salicylic acid is a great exfoliant that can help bring about changes in your skin and the texture. There are quite a few out there, but, call me biased, I really like my 2% Beta Hydroxy Acid Gel. It really helps exfoliate the skins surface, as well as the pore lining."
I mentioned that as a blogger I change products often, every four to six weeks, and Paula exclaimed, "Oh my. I guess bloggers have to do that, but everyone else shouldn't. Skincare is like your diet. Can you imagine if you ate all kinds of random foods constantly? You would have the worse case of indigestion ever. If you can find a regimen you like, stick with it. The better it is for you and the more consistent you are, the better your skin will look. And of course, be sure to wear your sunscreen protection."
Even if I deny I could be perimenopausal, it was so much fun to chat with someone who has been such an influence in my life for the last 15 years. Thanks, Paula!
Jan Marini Gets Serious About Skin Care
I recently had the chance to chat with skin care aficionado, Jan Marini, the woman behind JanMarini Skin Research. Jan's line is known for being a leader in new anti-aging, resurfacing and repairative skin technology. Since I am all about the science behind the products, I was thrilled to get a chance to speak with her and find out what products she would suggest to help my skin, as it begins the newest phase of the aging process.
First off, I should tell you that one of Jan's newer products, the Age Intervention Regeneration Booster uses topical Telomerase Enzyme therapies to deliver truly dramatically skin rejuvenation benefits. This therapy is so ground breaking, three scientists were recently awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their work surrounding the anti-aging properties of telomeres. Clearly, her products go way beyond the glossy hype that surrounds so many of her competitors. I can't wait to get my hands on this tiny bottle of dramatic rejuvenation. More importantly, I couldn't wait to learn more from Jan herself.
Before I dive in to my skin care overhaul, here are some facts I learned by chatting with Jan Marini:
- Wrinkles are actually wounds to the skin. Wound research has shown that topical agents have the ability to help heal wrinkles. If you concentrate on skin cell communicating ingredients that aid in wound healing, you will have the ability to heal wrinkles (ie greatly diminish their appearance).
-80% of sun damage occurs before the age of 10. (10!?! I was thinking of how I could meet The Karate Kid and make him fall in love with me, not about wrinkle prevention!)
-If you have a blemish, dab a bit of cortisone cream on the spot and cover with a band aid. This yields a similar (although not exactly the same) result as getting an injection would.
While this isn't a fun fact, I did enjoy this portion of our conversation immensely (when speaking about another brand who uses a myth about mineral oil to promote their products):
"Mineral Oil is not bad for the skin. It is one of my favorite myths about skin and skin care - that skin needs to breathe. No one has ever shown me lungs within the skin and skin does not breathe. Mineral Oil is actually organic and it's job is to be occlusive. It's not a bad thing. It isn't causing the death of skin by not allowing it to breathe. Again, skin doesn't have lungs."
I love it when science trumps hype.
I was excited to get a chance to chat with her about what products would actually work for me. Perhaps someone can get to the bottom of this sponge-like appearance near my nose (which Paula Begoun said was due to being perimenopausal) and the fine lines around my eyes.
I explained to Jan that I had nice skin, with lots of (undeserved) melasma, that was very dry, with fine lines and had the spongey next-to-my-nose skin. Without missing a beat, Jan said the change in skin texture was no doubt due to becoming perimenopausal. If I didn't know better, I would say she and Paula Begoun were in cahoots.
Jan suggested an intensive treatment regimen to revamp my skin, help diminish fine lines and improve the radiance and texture of my skin. Thank goodness she sent me a checklist of what to do, because it is some serious skin care. It doesn't take any more time than what I usually do, but it is intensive.
Here is my plan:
Wash (in a specific way) using BioGlycolic Facial Cleanser twice per day. I have been doing that prior to our chat, so be on a the look out for a review soon!
Follow up with C-Esta Face Serum twice a day and BioClear Lotion in the evenings.
Use Age Intervention Face Cream and Age Intervention Eye Treatment twice each day.Once per week, cleanse and treat with two enzyme treatments, Clean Zyme and Skin Zyme and use the Age Intervention Regeneration Mask (but not on the same day).
Of course, each day use the SPF 30 AntiOxidant Sunscreen (which is my favorite sunscreen of all time). I can't stress how important it is use to sunscreen anytime you are outside between the hours of 5am and 10pm. It's not about being sunny and needing sun screen. It's about preventing damage from the UVA and UVB rays you can't see. Rainy, cloudy or after 3pm, you still need to protect your skin from the sun.
It's intensive, but as I start week three I am seeing a difference. My skin is definitely smoother and is glowing. I am hopeful the fine lines will begin to diminish soon. You know I will give you the scoop, as soon as I can. For now, here's to fewer lines and glowing skin!
Products were sent to me for the purposes of review.