Celebrity Beauty: Best and Worst Dressed at SAG Awards

Celebrity Beauty: Best and Worst Dressed at SAG Awards
It was kind of hard for me to get very excited about any celebrity look at SAG Awards last Sunday. But I did have a couple favorite ones. Here they are:

I am not a fan of much ruching but this dress by Dolce & Gabbana looks beautiful Roasario Dawson. This is my favorite dress from SAG awards.

I really like this coral gown on Laura Linney. The whole look with loosely tousled hair and the floor long, one-shouldered Michael Kors gown looks perfect.

I like this Greek style beautiful white Azzaro gown with crystal-embellished neckline and belt. Anne Hathaway looks gorgeous!

Below are the dress choices that are obviously a mistake!

I like Tari Hatcher! But in this dress by Monique Lhuillier she looks like a doll in wrapping paper.

What was Eva Longoria thinking when she chose this dress for the awards. To me it looks like a bad (rented in a local store) choice for a prom.

Does this dress look familiar? Take a look at Angelina’s outfit at Golden Globes - it looks quite similar. As E-Online mentioned, perhaps Angelina’s dress choices (all by Max Azria) are silent protest against attending awards shows. Why does she show up then?

Photos: eonline.com and zimbio

Copyright: by Skin Care and Beauty Blog

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Beauty Review: Verite Moisture Relief Cream by Estee Lauder

Beauty Review: Verite Moisture Relief Cream by Estee Lauder

Product Tag Line:

Extra help for sensitive skin that tends to be dry
Product Profile in short and the Promise:
(as described on Estee Lauder web-site)
• Helps rebuild moisture defense barrier.
• Special anti-irritants help reduce the appearance of redness common to sensitive skin.
• Leaves skin feeling silky, cushioned.

What’s Inside:
Don’t know! Let’s see!

Close-up on Active Ingredients:
Water
Butylene Glycol
Dimethicone
Hexylene Glycol Petrolatum
Cetearyl Alcohol
Squalane
Pentylene Glycol
Sucrose
Glycerin
Isostearyl Neopentanoate
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract – Green Tea Extract
Centella Asiatica Extract - Hydrocotyl Extract
Sodium Hyaluronate
Ceramide 3
Cholesterol
Caffeine
Cetearyl Glucoside
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria)
Methyl Glucose
Stearic Acid
Carbomer
Sodiaum Citrate
Titanium Dioxide

The ingredients list resembles Verite Calming Fluid. As I can see, Verite Moisture Relief Cream contains the same soothing/anti-inflammatory extracts and anti-oxidants like Green Tea Extract, Caffeine, Hydrocotyl Extract, Matricaria Chamomilla (type of chamomile). In terms of keeping your skin moisturized, the cream contains great ingredients to restore and keep up skin’s protective barrier, like Ceramide and Cholesterol, as well as several ingredients that serve to attract and lock moisture in the skin such as Butylene Glycol and Glycerin - humectants (attract moisture to skin), Squalane - great emollient (softens, conditions the skin), Dimethicone- occlusive (creates an occlusive layer over the skin to keep the moisture in).

Experience

Texture: white, quite thick cream
Smell: no smell

In the description of the product Estee Lauder implies that Verite Moisture Relief Cream is mostly for the skin that tends to be dry. However, it can be used by all skin types. Usually I am very suspicious of “All Skin Types” products, and often rightly so as I get break outs. But Verite Moisture Relief Cream was great for my mixed skin. Texture seems at first quite thick. But when you apply the cream it kind of melts and very quickly gets absorbed. I also hate it when moisturizer is too occlusive and you can feel a film mask on your skin after application. It is not the case with Verite Moisture Relief Cream! It gives you thatnice velvety finish, skin immediately feels soft , moisturized and comfortable (I don’t want to sound like and ad but it’s true!). Redness also subsides with regular use.

The combination of Verite Calming Fluid and Verite Moisture Relief Cream is ideal for sensitive skin that needs that extra help to sooth persistent redness or to regenerate. If your skin is sensitive but you don’t have much redness/irritation, Verite Moisture Relief Cream alone should be enough. That’s how I am using it now and I like the results.

Price Tag:
50$ (38 EURO)

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Beauty Controversy: Using Foreskin from Circumcised New Borns for Anti-Ageing

Beauty Controversy: Using Foreskin from Circumcised New Borns for Anti-Ageing
Photo by Almoko at Flickr.com
New anti-ageing treatment that claims to be permanent, unlike muscle relaxers and fillers, is currently under development by a British biomedical company Intercytex. It is called Vavelta and is made from a clear liquid derived from babies’ foreskins. The liquid contains fibroblasts and is injected into skin to treat signs of ageing, burns and acne scars. Fibroblast cells “rejuvenate and revitalize damaged, aging skin from the inside by actually repopulating the lower skin layers with millions of healthy young skin cells” – writes nydailynews.com.

Vavelta is under clinical trials but there is a lot of excitement going on around it already. Dermatologists like the idea of injecting collagen producing cells into the skin instead of collagen itself and it is called by some “one step after stem cell”. However according to some estimations it may be still 3-4 years till we see Vavelta anti-ageing treatment on the market.

The treatment is also a bit controversial as some people are appauled with the idea of using a human body part, especially coming from a baby, to manufacture this treatment. So the question is: would you use Vavelta to treat wrinkles knowing what it is made of??

Sources:

NY Daily
Vavelta

Copyright: by Skin Care and Beauty Blog

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Beauty Find: Clarisonic. What’s all the hype about?

Beauty Find: Clarisonic. What’s all the hype about?
Photo: Clarisonic.comClarisonic is nothing new and has been on the market for a couple years already. But recently I’ve been coming across information about Clarisonic a lot for some reason.

When you hear alot about a product, is it because the product is great and everyone is talking about it? Or is it simply because the company is investing in marketing? Sometimes it is hard to tell the difference.

Clarisonic is a hand held device with a brush for cleansing skin. Brushing and sensitive skin don’t really go together, so I have been just ignoring all the hype and not really paying attention to the rave reviews about this product. But today I read that Clarisonic Skin Care System actually includes a special brush for sensitive skin. This and the fact that Clarisonic is one of Oprah’s favorite products inspired me to look into more details.

According to its manufacturer, the Clarisonic System “helps remove six times more makeup than soap and water alone”. Maybe this thing could be useful for my sensitive skin after all?

What people love about Clarisonic is that
- it is waterproof and you can take it to the shower
- you can control the intensity and use it on sensitive skin
- it unclogs pores
- makes skin soft, smooth and even erases some lines
- it comes with three cleansers: Gentle Hydro Cleanser, Refreshing Gel Cleanser, Nourishing Care Cleanser

It is quite expensive. But if, like me, you don’t get professional facials too often, it maybe a good investment!

So, what I want to know is if anyone out there has used this product? Is it as wonderful as everyone says? It is worth the investment?

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Beauty Buzz: Skin Care Line for Tattoos?

Beauty Buzz: Skin Care Line for Tattoos?
Since I do not have a tattoo, I didn’t have any idea that there is a need for special tattoo care. It appears, however, tattoos do need some maintenance. They tend to fade or blur with years and need to be refreshed. What contributes to this fading a lot is the sun and free radicals that damage skin cells caring ink pigment. So this week a special skin care line for tattoos was launched in New York called Inkguard.

But is it special? According to the manufacturer, Tattoo defender has UV screen of SPF 30+ and Tattoo Enhancer contains “most potent” anti-oxidants. The “most-potent” anti-oxidants are green-tea, pomegranate, cocoa, carrot, coffee, Vitamin E, D, A.

Well… to me, it looks like another anti-oxidant moisturizer and another sun screen.

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Beauty Review: Verite Calming Fluid by Estee Lauder

Beauty Review: Verite Calming Fluid by Estee Lauder

Product Tag Line:

Helps sensitive skin feel totally at peace

Product Profile in short and the Promise:
(as described on Estee Lauder web-site)
• repairs the moisture barrier.
• protects skin from environmental damage and visible signs of premature aging.
• improves skin’s elasticity and firmness and helps repair the look of fine lines and wrinkles.

What’s Inside:

TriLipid Complex and Anti-oxidants

Close-up on Active Ingredients:
Water
Phenyl Trimethicone - silicone fluid, prevents foaming, skin-conditioning agent - occlusive
Pentylene Glycol solvent, skin conditioning agent
Cyclopentasiloxane- skin-conditioning agent - emollient, solvent
Glycerin - humectant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract – green tea extract, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-allergenic
Centella Asiatica Extrac - Hydrocotyl extract, potent anti-oxidant, skin contioner
Ceramide 3- certamides are naturally occurring skin lipids that are major components of the skin’s outer structure. Ceramides are essential for functioning of skin’s protective barrier, skin’s water-retention capacity as well as for cell regulation.
Cholesterol - one of the constituents of the lipid matrix responsible for skin’s protective barrier, stabilizer, emollient, and water-binding agent
Phospholipids- type of lipid, essential to the function of skin cell membranes, helps to maintain skin protective barrier
Aluminium Starch Octenylsuccinate- thickening agent
Caffeine– anti-inflammatory, relieves skin redness
Butylene Glycol– humectant (attracts moisture to skin)
Isocetyl Alcohol- skin-conditioning agent - emollient, viscosity increasing agent
Acrylates/ C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer- film forming agent, emulsion stabilizer, viscosity increasing agent
Chamomila Recutita - matricaria chamomilla, type of chamomile, has anti-inflamatory, antseptic properties, also used for skin-conditioning and toning
Glyceryl Laurate- skin-conditioning agent – emollient, emulsifying egent
Isostearic Acid - fatty acid, binder, emulifier
Tromethamine- fragrance ingredient; pH adjuster;
Xanthan Gum- skin-conditioning, stabilizer, thickener

The combination of anti-ageing anti-oxidants, soothing ingredients and ingredients that help to rebuild skin’s barrier function is really impressing. I was actually surprised to find a couple occlusives in this product. It does not at all feel occlusive.

Experience

Texture: white creamy fluid
Smell: no smell
Method of Use: Comes in a pump dispenser and is applied AM and PM. Followed up with a moisturizer.

Wonderful product for sensitive skin! It not only soothes sensitivity SOS but also provides anti-ageing and anti-oxidant benefits. Anti-ageing products are quite rare for sensitive skin because they are mostly too intensive and cause irritation.
I love this product! It is immediately absorbed into the skin. If your skin felt burning or irritated, it delivers immediate relief and your skin feels soft and balanced. With regular and constant use redness subsides and skin looks smoother and healthier. Attention: Even though it says “fluid” on this product it acts more like a serum and needs to be followed up by a moisturizer. When I first bought it, I made the mistake of assuming that it will also keep my skin moisturized – I was wrong! Soon I was running to the store for Verite Moisture Relief Cream

Price Tag:
60$ (45 EURO)

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Celebrity Beauty: Golden Globes - Looks I liked and The Ones I didn’t

Celebrity Beauty: Golden Globes - Looks I liked and The Ones I didn’t
After browsing some sites and beauty blogs posting about best looks at Golden Globes, I decided to write about my favorite ones.

I am usually amused by the lists of best dressed/looks and worst dressed/looks put together by, gor example Yahoo and E! etc. Many times I really can’t understand, why on earth this dress is on the best list and that one is on the worst.

For example, I don’t understand why Angelina Jolie in her silver and very neutral Versace ended up in the best list, while Salma Hayek, in my opinion looking glamorous, classical and sexy, got on the worst list and her Dior dress was said to be “snooze-worthy” (yahoo). I personally, want to snooze looking at Angelina’s outfit…

Anyway, here are the looks I liked

1. Jennifer Lopez
I love JLo’s style and this time she was as glamorous, beautiful and hot in her gold Marchesa gown as always.

2. Eva Longoria
I think Eva looked perfect, gorgeous and simply amazing in her red Reem Acra dress.

3. Melissa George
I thought her dress stood out and found her look classical but at the same time captivating and original.

4. Kate Beckinsale
Loved this white dress. It is classical, fits Kate so perfectly and she looks to me like a tender white lily.

The looks I didn’t like:
1.Drew Barrymore
Too much fluffy stuff going on about her look… Hair, dress… everything’s a mess (sorry, Drew)

2.Demi Moore
Wrong color dress for the tanned color of her skin. She just doesn’t look good. Don’t like the abundance of diamonds on the hands. The whole look is just not right.

3. Angelina Jolie
First impression: Zzzzzzz……..
Second impression: sigh… such bony hands… I wish she started eating a bit more…

Photos: Yahoo Best Dressed and Yahoo Worst Dressed

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Little tricks to fight aging

Little tricks to fight aging
Aging process is impossible to avoid, but we are able to make is less visible for the people around you by the instrumentality of some tricks. There are some rules to help you to turn your clock back.

• Wear the sunglasses to protect your eyes zone from ultra-violet rays and constant screwing up your eyes; this is the reason for wrinkles to appear.

• Don’t smoke! Smoking is the reason of untimely skin aging and blood vessels injury, and further, to the risk of lung cancer and cardiovascular diseases appearing. Smoking slows down the process of your wounds healing and restricts your skin’s ability to self-recovering.

• Eat well! Nourishing ration rich for fruit, vegetables, legumes, fish, whole grains and monosaturated fats, kind of olive oil, will improve your skin and health in whole. Avoid consuming processed carbohydrates and sugar, which are the reason for getting high insulin level in your blood. Include antioxidants and essential fatty acid (EFA) into your ration. Find plenty of them in fish and flax seeds. Sufficient amount of water is also necessary to consume to optimize your health and good-looking skin.

• Don’t forget to take care of your skin daily: cleaning, toning up, moistening and other additional procedures depending on your skin type are obligatory.

• Good sleep is really important. Proper amount of sleep improves your skin, health and mental ability.

• Avoid stresses. Stress impacts negatively many of your body’s systems. Nowadays plenty of factors result stresses (career pressing, social tension and environmental pollution), therewith, more often than not, they all come over synchronously. Trainings, meditations, breathing exercises and planned “rest time” reduce the tension, making better your health and improving your skin’s appearance at the same time.

• Peel off your skin properly. Apply proper (chemical, mechanical or both of them) peeling procedures to your skin. It will become dry and downcast if peeling is not performed regularly. Along with this disposition to pimples has got a chance to appear. Always get started slowly and let the comfort of your skin guide you.

• Be gentle with your skin within your eyes area. Try not to wrinkle and frown too much as it will lead to the wrinkles appearing. Apply the creams for eyes meeting needs of your skin type.
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Beauty Buzz: New Skin Care Products this Winter

Beauty Buzz: New Skin Care Products this Winter

Photo: Dior.com
Dior expanded their line of Capture R60/80 by introducing two new products for anti-ageing night care:
Capture R60/80 Nuit - Wrinkle Night Cream, also available as fluid
Capture R60/80 Nuit – Overnight Recovery (serum)
Capture R60/80 is a line of products that act the level of “the skin’s Stem Cells to help repair wrinkles”. Dior promises that with Capture R60/80 Nuit you will wake up to smoother and more radiant skin.

Dior.com

Elle.nl
Watch out for the new product from Lancaster called Retinology, Total Age Solution. It contains active retinol which is delivered with the helpof a special technology right to the skin cells. As Karen Pouey, Lancaster’s vice president of marketing, outs it: “The active retinol reaches the cell with 100 percent efficiency. ”Retinol “activates protein synthesis and so boost cell activity”. Lancaster claims that Retinology can make skin appear 15 years younger

WWD.com

EsteeLauder.com
Estee Lauder launched Time Zone, a new line and wrinkle reducing moisturizer for normal/combination skin with SPF 15. Based on science of cellular regeneration, Time Zone contains:
Sirtuin EX1 Technology – “supports skin’s natural stimulation of proteins”
TriHyaluronic Complex – “3 hyaluronic acid technologies help to help replenish, rebuild and sustain skin’s natural moisture level”.

EsteeLauder.com
Photo: cliniquecomfortoncall.com
Good news for sensitive skin from Clinique. They launched Comfort on Call Allergy Tested Relief Cream.
Calling their new product “Relief in a world of irritants”, Clinique promises that it will help to restore skin’s barrier, comfort sensitive skin and bring down its reactivity. Comfort on Call contains Jabara peel extract. Jabara is a citrus fruit cultivated in Japan that has anti-allergenic properties.

cliniquecomfortoncall.com

Two more new products from Clinique are both boosters for a radiant and smooth complexion: Turnaround Instant Facial and Turnaround Radiance Peel Once-A-Week System.

Photo:clinique.com
Turnaround Instant Facial is a mask. Apply it for just 5 minutes and get “the radiance and smoothness of microdermabrasion-with significantly less irritation and stress to skin”, promises Clinique

clinique.com
Photo:clinique.com
Turnaround Radiance Peel Once-A-Week System is an exfoliator with 30% glycolic acid. It comes with a special Calming Cream to sooth skin after the peel. Recommended to use only once a week in the evenings.

clinique.com

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Beauty Review: Verite Soothing Spray Toner by Estee Lauder

Beauty Review: Verite Soothing Spray Toner by Estee Lauder
Product Tag Line:
Refreshes and calms stressed skin

Product Profile in short:
(as described on Estee Lauder web-site)
• instant comfort AM, PM and throughout the day.
• mist soothes and refreshes and rebalances skin.
• reduces redness common to sensitive skin

Promise:
Promises to refresh and sooth sensitive skin

What’s Inside:
Soothing botanical extracts and trace minerals

Close-up on Active Ingredients:
Water
Hexylene Glycol- fragrance ingredient; solvent; viscosity decreasing agent, emulsifier, skin conditioning agent, surfactant.
Butylene Glycol – humectant
Pentylene Glycol solvent; skin conditioning agent
Glycerin - humectant
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract – cucumber extract, soothing and softening for irritated skin
Caffeine – anti-inflammatory, relieves skin redness
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract –. green tea extract, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-allergenic
Chamomila Recutita - matricaria chamomilla, type of chamomile, has anti-inflamatory, antseptic properties, also used for skin-conditioning and toning
Citric Acid – preservative, helps to adjust Ph of products, soft exfoliator, anti-oxidant, chelating
Sodium Citrate – pH Adjuster; buffering, chelating

On the whole the ingredients list looks great. I like that there are various soothing and redness fighting extracts like Cucumber, Chamomile, Green tea and Caffeine. These are very good and effective for sensitive skin.
However, I found some questionable data on Hexylene Glycol and its possible irritation potential at Skin Deep cosmetic database, and at inchem.org. But at the same time, another ingredients database Cosing doesn’t say anything about irritation risks of this ingredients.
One more ingredient that I wonder about is Citric Acid. It could also be potentially irritating according to some sources.

Experience
Texture: transparent liquid
Smell: no smell
Method of Use: You can mist it either directly on the face or apply it with a cotton ball.

I bought Verite Soothing Spray Toner because the idea of soothing skin as the need arises and the ingredient list impressed me. And I really do like Verite line but my skin seems to be in disagreement with this product. Verite Toner doesn’t soothe my skin, on the contrary, redness becomes more obvious. I don’t get itchiness or burning sensation though… But I have noticed that if I persist with using it, I get these red blotchy spots which just signal that my skin is not at all happy.

Despite all this, I wouldn’t discourage anybody from trying out Verite Soothing Spray Toner. My reaction could be just very individual. Here is a discussion about this toner at MakeupAlley

One more thing to mention, this product was discontinued in some countries. As I see it is not available in the US anymore, but still available in some European countries, for example, UK.

Price Tag:
20-25 $ (15 – 20 EURO)

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