Face - Eyes - Health And Beauty

Health and Beauty

Over 6000 readers every month

Get paid to write for HealthAndBeauty.net.au

Submit a Post
Click Here

[Posting Guidelines]

E-mail Subscription

Receive an e-mail notification of new posts on this site:

Vimu Subscription

Face Eyes - Health and Beauty

Beauty Editors reveal their beauty must-haves

October 30th 2007 03:59

They get free samples of new beauty products before they hit counters and their reviews on what’s hot and what’s not are lapped up by the many beauty and age-defying-obsessed. Want to know what beauty editors have stocked their bathroom cabinets? Here are 10 of the beauty editor must-haves, according to NY Daily News :

Cetaphil Face Wash

The fact that the packaging isn’t the most attractive (virginal white with a pump and a blue label stuck to the front – very no frills), it only shows that the manufacturers are confident that the product actually does the job and doesn’t need the fancy get-up to garner sales and positive reviews. The face wash was originally formulated for dermatologists’ use. It’s gentle, soothing and fragrance-free. Suitable for all skin types (even babies!) but especially for those suffering from dry, sensitive and/or acne-prone skin.

Cost : AUD$14 for a 500ml pump from E Pharmacy. Check out cetaphil.com.au to get free samples!

Kiehl's Lip Balm #1

Lip Balm #1 is Kiehl’s best-selling product. Like Cetaphil, this product comes in plain white packaging but with black writing all over it. It helps relieve chapped or cracked lips and from the drying effects of the wind and frigid weather and lasts longer on your lips than your average lip balm. The lip balm feels and smells a little like Vaseline but glides more smoothly on your lips.

Cost : While you can buy this product in a jar for AUD$16 from Mecca Cosmetica, I think I’ll stick to my Vaseline, thanks.

Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler

Beauty editors have raved about this eyelash curler in their magazines since it came out. Does it live up to the hype? According to the reviews I’ve read online, yes it does. Stainless steel, sturdy with a black rounded rubber pad, it fits snugly at the base of the lashes and to the contour of the eye for a long-lasting curl. Touted as a ‘wonder’ eyelash curler, it works better than the heated ones and suits all eye shapes.

Cost : AUD$17.95 from www.fountaincosmetics.com.au

Mario Badescu Drying Lotion
Containing a blend of calamine and salicylic acid, a tiny dab of this lotion on an unsightly pimple (particularly that one on the tip of your nose) will soothe it and clear it up overnight. Overnight! Sounds almost too good to be true. Where was this when I had to stay home from a ‘disco’ and missed the chance to make out with my Polish crush because of that unsightly pimple?

Cost : AUD$22

Phytodefrisant Botanical Hair Relaxing Balm

Using only a minimum amount to damp hair, this relaxing balm takes away those nasty-looking frizz (that makes you look more stressed than you are) and tames even the most stubborn stand of hair. The result, after it’s dried, is like coming out of a hair salon – silky, shiny hair that ripples through your fingers like water. Voted as #1 haircare product by Allure magazine time and time again, the balm doesn’t leave residue so it doesn’t make your hair look flat and oily by the end of the day.

Cost : AUD$26 from strawberrynet.com for a tube that can last up to 6 months

Bumble & Bumble Does It All Styling Spray
This medium-hold hair spray keeps your locks in place without making your hair clumpy and stiff that can rival a hedgehog. It leaves your hair shiny and glossy and you can use a heat-styling tool straight after without hearing that sizzling sound of your strands being cooked.

Cost : AUD$30

Nars Blush in Orgasm
For the fairer-skinned woman, this blush reputedly gives you that peachy shimmer flush that apparently creeps up to the cheekbones after…well, read the product name.

Cost : AUD$32

Lancome Definicils
Another bestseller by Lancome, this mascara goes on your lashes smoothly, lengthening them and leaving your new glamorous-looking lashes clump-free. It doesn’t smudge and washes off easily. The mascara won’t give you the dramatic-looking eyelashes that are huge in Hollywood right now and supposed to be THE trend for summer but go for this one if you’re after a low-maintenance mascara you can wear everyday and can give some attention to your eyes without the others looking at them and thinking spiders have crawled up and settled on your lids.

Cost : $48

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Radiant Touch

Yves St Laurent Touche Eclat Radiant Touch

Make-up not doing anything to hide those dark circles under your eyes after a long night of tossing and turning? This ‘miracle’ highlighter contains light-reflecting particles that deflect any attention from shadows and blemishes on your face, instantly brightening your skin. So who needs foundation then, eh?

Cost : AUD$48

Lancome Instant Colour Self-Tanning Leg Gel
Give yourself that healthy, shimmering, sun-kissed glow for summer without even stepping a foot outside your house. The gel dries on your skin within one hour of application, giving you an overall, natural tan.

Cost : AUD$50

Out of the above, I’m quite keen on trying out Cetaphil Face Wash (simply because it’s excellent value for money, compared to what I’m paying for my current cleanser), Phytodefrisant and the YVES Highlighter. But with the exception of Cetaphil, the other products seem just a bit pricey to me, despite the glowing reviews I’ve read online. And since I’ve vowed from last week on to curb my spending habits on beauty products, I might have to put this on my Xmas wish list for 2007.

Any of these tempting you to buy?

112

Vote

Comments (8)

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: Aimzster - Category: Skin Care, Face, Hair Care, Body Care, Eyes

Email this Post to a Friend

Make up Trends Spring/Summer '07/08

September 25th 2007 02:30

STARS IN YOUR EYES

Make your eyes shimmer, sparkle and dance and stock up on the range of metallic eyeshadow because it’s all about bringing focus to your eyes this spring/summer season. Opt for lighter metallic shades like white, pink or gold during the day and more dramatic shades like purple, blue and forest green at night. Apply a lighter shade of metallic eyeshadow over the entire eyelid, working into the inner corners of the eye and use a darker shade into the crease of the lid. Line the inner sides of your eye with a black or dark brown eyeliner for a smouldering effect.

Check out : Bobbi Brown’s Metallic Collections : Forest Green (green hues), Midnight Metallics (blue/silver); Burnt Sugar (copper/bronze) and Velvet Plum (purple/pink).
*image from www.bobbibrowncosmetics.com

BOLD, BUSHY BROWS

The bushy eyebrows of the 80s are back so think carefully before you pick up those tweezers. But before you can sigh with relief and say goodbye to the painstaking process of tweezing, bushy can also mean scraggly (aka Incredible Hulk), when not maintained. So treat them like the hair on top of your head – tame them with gel and brush them up.

Check out : 5 Piece Eyeybrow Kit from Anastasia Beverly Hills – includes brow powder, brow gel, angled brow brush, tweezers and brow stencils.

DRAMATIC LASHES

So that’s why more women are lining up for lash extensions these days. What better way to complement your new shimmering, sparkling eyeshadow than with long, full, almost-fake lashes? For those who would rather stay away from the fake stuff, invest in eyelash curlers and a great mascara that gives you both length and volume without the clump.

Check out : Loreal Lash Architect

NATURAL-LOOK BASE
I don’t know about you but with the warm weather upon us, I don’t like my face feeling too heavy with make-up so hearing that covering your entire face with foundation is a no-no this season is good news for me. The aim is to use as little coverage as possible and make-up artists say that most people can get an even skin tone with just a tinted moisturiser (with sunscreen). If you want to hide away blemishes, apply dots of concealer and a brush of loose powder.

Check out : I only ever use Olay moisturiser now and unfortunately, they don’t have tinted moisturisers. If you’re as devoted to your current moisturiser as I am and don’t want to switch to another brand that stocks tinted moisturisers, all you do is mix in a blob of foundation with your Olay moisturiser.

BRONZED CHEEKS
The colour of healthy, sun-kissed cheeks to complement the tan you’ll be getting this season.

Check out : Sephora Duo Bronzer

NUDE LIPS

Just because the focus is all on the eyes doesn’t mean your lips should look washed out. So your lips can get just a little bit of attention even with its nude colour, the aim is to make them appear fuller and luscious. Opt for a lipstick that will give your pout a sheer gloss and a lip plumper for a fuller pout.

Check out : Bee-Luscious Lip Tox Sheer

Vote

Comments (8)

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: Aimzster - Category: Face, Eyes, Lips

Email this Post to a Friend

10 Stupid Things I've done for Beauty's Sake

June 24th 2007 17:01

I was 14 when I started paying close attention to models in magazines like Dolly and Girlfriend. This was the time when the airbrushing of models and actors by paintstakingly meticulous graphic designers was still a secret and all teenage girls thought that what they saw of their favourite model and actor in their pictures was all natural.

On the quest to resemble any of the models in these magazines – clear skin, pouting lips, shiny hair – I spent many of my teen years trying to come up with some cheap home remedies. The results, as anyone can imagine, were disastrous and for which I can only blame Dolly and Girlfriend.

#10 How to get Longer Lashes

Old Wives' Tale : Cutting your eyelashes will make them longer

Alright, I am proud to say that I was not the creator of this little bright idea. That credit will have to go to my dear mother, who can probably spend the next ten years writing a blog about her million and one ideas and myths for beauty. I was never endowed with wide lids and I felt the only things that made my eyes stand out were the long curved lashes I had when I was a kid. My mum thought the same thing as well. But while I was satisfied with the current length of my lashes, my mum wanted them longer – to make up for the lack of eyelids, you see. I could just imagine my mum imagining the neighbours talking, “The girl may not have lids but she sure does have fine long lashes.” She truly believed in the myth that you have to cut something – ie, your hair, lashes, etc – to make them longer. So before I knew it, she had me sitting down on the bottom step of our staircase with a pair of stainless steel scissors in her hand. She told me to close my eyes and keep them closed until she was finished. I felt the cold steel of the scissors handle brushing across my cheekbone, my lashes being gripped firmly and the unmistakable sound of the scissors slowly snipping my lashes away. When I opened my eyes and narrowed them, I saw that I could no longer see the underside of the curve of my lashes. If I had known that was the last time I would see my lashes that long, I would have lovingly swept up the cut lashes and stored them somewhere safe – away from my mum. Contrary to my mum’s bright idea, my lashes never did grow as long as she planned. In my opinion, they never grew at all. So I’m stuck with these short lashes that stick out straight rather than curving up gracefully. All I can say is, thank goodness for those revolutionary mascaras!

Continued...

*image from www.wikipedia.com

Vote

Comments (6)

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: Aimzster - Category: Skin Care, Face, Stories, Eyes

Email this Post to a Friend

Olay Total Effects Anti-Aging Eye Cream

May 30th 2007 03:51

I impatiently waited for my local chemist to stock the new Olay Total Effects Anti-Aging Eye Cream on the shelf. After being pleasantly surprised by the results of Olay Total Effects moisturiser on my face, I had high hopes about this particular eye cream. Yes, I had been burned and been very disappointed by the empty promises of Avon Anew Clinical Eye Lift but I thought, the Olay moisturiser didn’t turn me down so this one has to be better than Avon.

Total Effects Anti-Aging Eye Cream

Total Effects Anti-Aging Eye Cream makes the following promises –
1. Improves the dullness for a radiant glow
2. Lessens the appearance of dark circles
3. Visibly reduces the look of fine lines and wrinkles
4. Helps minimise the appearance of puffiness
5. Evens out skin tone
6. Intensively hydrates the skin
7. Noticeably softens uneven texture

The directions of application tell you to thoroughly cleanse your face first, rub the cream between your forefinger and thumb to warm the cream for better absorption. You then dab the cream along the top of your cheekbone under your eye from the outer to the inner eye, patting it into the skin until it’s completely absorbed.

Unlike the other eye creams I’ve used, this one is skin-coloured and when I applied it to my eyes, it left a trail of glitter – but not enough to make me think I’d accidentally used an eyeshadow. After about half an hour, the glitter was gone. The cream was smooth and was easily absorbed into the skin. Anticipating great results, I took a Before and After picture of my eyes –

Before Total Effects Eye Cream

Three Months Later

VERDICT : No results. No improvement on the dullness, no lessening of the appearance of dark circles (maybe a teensy weensy little bit, but that could be the lighting), no minimizing of puffiness, and no reduction in the feathery lines at the base of my eyes. If anyone sees otherwise, let me know.

I’ll keep using this cream until I’ve used up all the bottle. If I see any results after that, I’ll post it. But as of now, very disappointing.

RATING : 1/5

Vote

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: Aimzster - Category: Skin Care, Face, Eyes

Email this Post to a Friend

Review : AVON ANEW CLINICAL EYE LIFT

May 26th 2007 11:04

Perhaps it's because I've crossed the threshold into the 30s, but I find I'm even more aware of my sagging eyelids and puffy eye bags. Being of Asian descent, I was never endowed with lids you could freely apply any shade of eye shadow to. But with the years passing, my eyelids have been getting heavier and heavier that I feel, within the next decade, they would droop right down to my line of vision and I would have to pry them up with a peg – or get plastic surgery. Nowadays, when I stare at someone, I make the conscious effort to raise my eyebrows slightly so I don’t look like I’m growling at them.

[ Click here to read more ]

Vote