Bionic Beauty posted a link to another beauty blogger named, Home Spa Goddess who found a very believable duplicate for MAC’s extreme teal shadow Parrot.

This look is accomplished by using a combination of L’Oreal HiP eyeshadow duo in Showy #224 and L’Oreal’s HiP Color Rich Cream Eye Crayon in Intricate #282.   Mo Mommy is gonna love this!  The Home Spa Goddess has a demonstration video to teach you how to accomplish this look!

I admit this color would be a bit bold for everyday, but could be fantastic for a night out.  Amanda and I had a lot of fun creating this intense, almost peacock blue on our lovely eyelids!  Can you guess which eye belongs to the 14 year old?  Can you tell who needs to wax her eyebrows ASAP? 

Many thanks to Bionic Beauty and Home Spa Goddess for a fun bold look at a great knock-off price!

Today I would like to dedicate the video “Roam” by the B-52’s to my friend Tracy M, the rockin-est most artistic gal on the planet (IMHO)!  Hang in their Tracy and Mr. Tracy, you are very loved!

Have an awesome weekend everybody!

  

This is a picture taken of my youngest daughter Becca the other day while playing out in the snow. It is hard to imagine not being able to provide for your child. I feel so blessed to be able to feed, provide health care, and all the modern-day benefits that I desire to give her.

I wanted to call attention to a Utah based charity called the Ouelessebougou Utah Alliance.

Mali has suffered from long-standing drought since the mid-1980s and is among the five poorest countries in the world. The Ouelessebougou (Oo-less-a-boo-goo) Utah Alliance has worked cooperatively with villagers to address the most basic human needs. My MIL recently joined this alliance and so I decided to promote them on Mythbuster Beauty.

This summer my DH and I attended a dinner where we met a very exceptional musician and artist Kurt Bestor.  If you are not familiar with his style of music, he combines elements of a full orchestra with some more contemporary sounds. He hosts an annual Christmas concert in SLC, and it is beyond description.  He arranges traditional Christmas favorites into something spectacular. One of his band members Daron Bradford (Woodwind) played 21 different wind instruments during his performance.  He also conducted a ‘Best Vocalist Search” in the state of Utah this year and the winner is a woman with a powerful voice, Erica Richardson.

Every year, Kurt Bestor ends the Christmas concert by having his daughter Erika sing one of Kurt’s most loved melodies, “The Prayer of the Children.”

Today, I would like to share this song with you.  May all our prayers make the world a better place and may the prayers of all God’s children be answered.

This is a tough one.  Yes, I know that soda is full of synthetic crap that I shouldn’t consume.

Nothing beats the ice cold brown fizzy stuff, with just a hint of fresh lime (thanks Cecily)!

My Beauty Blogging friend Jami (aka Bionic Beauty), suggested a product by the newly discovered and loved Boot’s Line sold at Target. 

Boot’s “Feel the Difference Detox 5 day plan“

I purchased this yesterday instead of another 12 pack of Diet Pepsi, are you proud of me?

This detox formula is mixed with 1 quart of water and you are to drink it continually throughout the day.

I chose the strawberry flavour on BB’s suggestion, it also comes in apple.

The drink contains Grape Vine Leaf Extract, Pycnogenol (both high in antioxidants), and Scnisandra (an herb that aids liver health).

At first taste, it is mildly sweet and reminiscent of an herb tea with a hint of strawberry.  Not bad tasting, just something you need to get used to (since you are going to be drinking a lot of it).

Claimed Benefits?  It detoxifies organs, flushes away impurities, battles free radicals.  After 5 days we will feel re-energized and LOOK revitalized (woo-hoo)!

Anyone else want to try the 5 day plan with me? 

If you haven’t read my bittersweet hair history, you can read more at this post: Embrace Yourself!

The best advice that I can pass onto you it that regular shampoos are entirely too harsh for most hair. Curly and Wavy hair in particular needs its natural oils or sebum to give the hair weight and hold in moisture.

A great alternative to conditioner washing or co-washing, is by using a gentler form of shampoo. With a gentler natural shampoo, one that can mildly cleanse without stripping.  Look for shampoos that contain moisturizing ingredients such as jojoba oil, babassu oil, olive oil, or mango butter. Sounds pretty good doesn’t it?

I have come across two such gentle emollient shampoos. But they don’t come in a bottle. The are called Shampoo Bars, and they offer something different and can provide something really unique to your hair.

Herbaria Soaps: Jojoba Oil Shampoo Bar-

Pros:   It cleans your hair without removing all its natural oils and leaves hair manageable.  Gentle on your scalp.  Is great for washing hair, and can be used as your soap and shaving cream as well!

Price:  $5.50 for a 4.5 ounce bar (should last you a month), and if you purchase 6 bars of any Herbaria soaps, you will get the 7th  free.

Using a shampoo bar as an alternative to regular shampoo is something you will have to experience. Usually after using a traditional shampoo my hair would feel squeaky clean, after using a shampoo bar, I definitely noticed a different feel to the hair, it felt clean, but mildly coated and slightly tacky in its texture.  Jojoba Oil is actually a natural wax.

Anita Grant LTD, Babassu Shampoo Bar-

“Our Babassu Shampoo Bar cleanses your tresses and clarifies your scalp without stripping the natural oil from your hair. Easy to use – just make sure your hair is fully drenched with water then gently caress our Babassu Shampoo Bar onto your tresses. You’ll instantly see and feel the soft-fluffy bubbles turn into luxurious lather. So that when it comes time for you to rinse the lather from your hair, your curly coily tresses will just gleam with delight.

Babassu Oil- adds a sparkling glow to curly tresses restoring strength and elasticity from roots to tip.

Refined Mango Butter- Extreme moisturizing, healing and emollient properties rich in Vitamin A, Vitamins C & E and Selenium. It also helps to protect skin, hair & scalp from harmful UV rays.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil- Promotes sheen, a healthy scalp, adds nourishment & softness to dry hair & skin.”

Price: £5.95 or about $12.00 US Dollars, and a long wait for it to arrive from the UK.

Your scalp and hair will feel soft smooth and your curls will perk up in gratitude!

How often do you see a woman with an odd shape, color, or lack of eye brows?

I am reminded of the women I see weekly at church services.  While I should be paying attention to “Higher Thoughts” my mind wanders and I study the faces of the women sitting around me.  Please forgive me!

My own brows have always been very thick and dark, with several stray hairs between my eyes and above the brow line.  Tweezers have always been my best friend. 

In the last few years, my eye brows have started to lighten (yes, a few grays are in there), and are not growing in as thick.  The texture of my brow hairs are a bit coarse and don’t lay down as smoothly as they used to.

And, what do you do when you go a little tweezer-crazy?  You know what I am talking about.  Many times, with very good intentions, I will pluck one too many brow hairs and create a bald spot or gap in my brow line.  I have a very good friend who goes a little too crazy on the area between her eyes.  I suppose she must be unibrow-phobic, and as a result over compensates for it by plucking her brows a bit too far inward. 

I recommend investing in an eye brow kit.  Beautiful Makeup Search wrote up a great post today about a basic set from Anastasia called “Brows in Bloom.”  I own their “All About Brows” kits and love their Tweezers, it is a great investment for anyone who loves and uses tweezers regularly.  Beauty.com also carries a similar product to Sephora’s “Brows in Bloom” called “Anastasia Brow Ex-press,” and this includes the 4 eyebrow stencils and costs 10 dollars more. 

The Anastasia Kit is fabulous, but for a gal on the go, which is me most days, a little impractical for everyday use.  What I usually need is a product to slightly darken and smooth my brows in one quick step.  Their are several Tinted Eyebrow Gels/Mascaras on the market, to make this possible.

One thing I always took for granted, was the beautiful frame great eye brows create for your face.  It is an indispensable part of any beauty routine, but you have to do it right or else, the odd shape, color issues, etc …

How do you tame those eye brows of yours?

Raging Rouge announced today another fabulous giveaway, the price being a Bourjois Cosmetic Package worth over $400!

The winner of this giveaway will receive:

• Six shades of Bourjois Volume Clubbing Liner, retail value $96
• Three shades of Bourjois Volume Clubbing Mascara, retail value $51
• Ten shades of Bourjois Doses de Nacres Mini Loose Powder Eye Shadow, retail value $80
• Six shades of Bourjois Regard Effet Duochrome Eyeliner, retail value $75
• Ten shades of Bourjois Mini Rouge a Levres, retail value $90

To learn more about how to enter and the rules that apply, visit Raging Rouge’s site. 

Bonne chance à mes amis!

 

While visiting the “Lovely Boutique“ last week, the owner Lisa King introduced me to a new product being made by my favorite mineral makeup company Everyday Minerals called, “Everyday Everywheres.”

Everywhere you say? 

YES, everywhere!  A wonderful healing and hydrating balm for just about any place on your body.  I sampled the “Lavender Everywheres,” and have been amazed by its versatility. 

I apply some on my dry sandpaper-feeling elbows and heels, rub more on my knuckles and the web between my index fingers and thumbs, and then smooth some on my lips.  This generous compact of all-in-one balm sells for only $6.00! 

“Your Lavender Everyday Everywear is ideal for any application you can imagine. Your knees? Sure! Your lips? Perfect. You face during dry winter days – superb! Your everyday everywears are super silky, quick absorbing, with a light herbal scent. Who needs to go to the south of France when you can bring the beauty and fun right to your home?!

Escape to paradise with a:

• Moisturizing Facial Crème
• Lip Therapy
• Night Treatment
• Aroma therapy, you name it!

You’ll find this is a super for kids and every member of your family. Ideal for on the go when you are out and about, or simply lounging at home. You’ll love this pure all-natural product for anything you can imagine!!!

Made from pure Sweet Almond oil (Prunus amygdalus dulcis), Lavender (Lavendula angustifolia extract), hydrogenated vegetable oil.”

Everyday Everywheres also comes in three other formulations:

Horsetail:  Yes, you read it correctly.  Horsetail extract is rich in minerals and vitamins.  It is known for enriching the blood, hardening your fingernails and revitalizes dull, damaged hair.

Chamomile:  Known to heal skin.  Chamomile soothes skin and is used as an emollient.

Green Tea:  Naturally high anti-oxidant, that can reduce inflammation and prevent damage from the environment.

If you live in the SLC area, the Lovely Boutique also carries the Everyday Minerals line.  They are located at the South Towne Mall (10600 South State Street) upstairs, next to Dillard’s.

Technorati Tags: skincare,beauty,dry skin,lavender,balms.

Many anti-aging skincare creams are making the compelling claim that they can relax and inhibit the facial muscles that cause expression lines or wrinkles, in a similar fashion to Botox. 

Mythbuster Beauty wants to help you decide the efficacy of these anti-aging skincare products.  Let’s read more about the ingredient that is the source of all the beauty commotion:  Argireline.

Argireline or acetyl hexapeptide-8, is a synthetically derived peptide.

According to Paula Begoun (The Cosmetics Cop):

The company selling acetyl hexapeptide-[8] (trade name Argireline), Centerchem (www.centerchem.com), is based in Spain. According to their Web site, “Argireline works through a unique mechanism which relaxes facial tension leading to a reduction in superficial facial lines and wrinkles with regular use. Argireline has been shown to moderate excessive catecholamines release.” I strongly doubt that any of that is true because there isn’t a shred of published research substantiating any part of it. However, even if it were vaguely true, that would not be good news for your body because you wouldn’t want a cosmetic ingredient without any safety data, efficacy documentation, or independent research messing around with your catecholamines. Catecholamines are compounds in the body that serve as neurotransmitters such as epinephrine, adrenaline, and dopamine. Epinephrine is a substance that prepares the body to handle emergencies such as cold, fatigue, and shock. A deficiency of dopamine in the brain is responsible for the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. None of that sounds like something you want a cosmetic to inhibit or reduce.

Here is another compelling argument presented by “The Beauty Brains“:

They Say: “Argireline is a safer alternative to Botox. It works by relaxing facial tension because it reduces excessive release of the neurotransmitters, called catecholamines, that make your facial muscles tense up. It’s as simple as that: reduce muscle tension, avoid poison and maintain skin shape.”

We say: It’s not as simple as that at all! First, you have to get the Argireline down to the muscle tissue. To get to the muscle you have to pass through a thick layer of skin, then fat, then connective tissue. (That’s why Botox requires injection!) Second, even if the chemical could penetrate that deeply, if it’s going to reduce the release of neurotransmitters it has to get inside the neuromuscular junction. And that requires a specific biochemical transporter to move the chemicals into the neurons. Finally, even IF it could work, it would be a drug that is regulated by the FDA.

Even if Argireline did work they way it reports to (and there is close to no evidence of this), Smartskincare.com brings up yet another drawback:

“There is one more concern worth mentioning. Botox injections target specific muscles, whereas Argireline (if it indeed works) is likely to relax most of your face. And while Argireline may reduce wrinkles, it may also, in theory, increase facial sag because the neurotransmitters whose release Argireline inhibits, help maintain facial firmness. Notably, a popular firming skin care ingredient DMAE firms by stimulating the release of neurotransmitters and increasing facial tension, i.e. by producing roughly the opposite effect to Argireline. Whether Argireline may indeed contribute to facial sag has not been studied. Until more is known, people prone to facial sag should approach Argireline with caution and monitor their facial firmness while on it.”

My verdict?  As much as I would LOVE to find a skincare cream that could eliminate the crevice that I have between my eyebrows, soften my laugh lines, and erase my crow’s feet, it looks like creams that contain Argireline are a big waste of time and money.  And even worse, they might be dangerous for your health.

If you didn’t get a chance, go to this link, http://www.blogtalkradio.com/looselipsny, to listen to an interview of me and my friend Sherry from LooseLipsNY.

At the beginning of the interview, I mix up two skincare ingredients and I would like to clarify:

Argireline:  I meant to describe this and not Idebenone.  Argireline is the active ingredient that claims to be “Better than Botox.”  I find it very drying and question is efficacy. 

Idebenone: (pronounced eye-deb-eh-known) is a synthetic form of Coenzyme Q 10, it is an antioxidant that smells really bad and has oxidation issues.  Prevage is a well known skincare product that contains Idebenone. 

Why did I create Mythbuster Beauty?  To help people navigate through all the marketing hype and ridiculous promises to find beauty products that really work.

My dream is to create a place where we can come together and share our experiences of what works and what doesn’t.  I enjoy finding beauty products that are cost effective and work so well I can enthusiastically recommend them to others.  This is a place to share and get information about making choices.  By sharing, we can simplify the process and hopefully find beauty products that really work for our individual needs.

I don’t claim to have all the answers.  I love the interaction that comes from a blog, enabling me and other participants to learn from each other. 

How many of us have unused, or hardly used, beauty products stacked up in our bathrooms?  It is easy to waste considerable time, money and emotional capital on products that don’t work or that don’t suit our needs.

I recommend that buyers be critical and ask questions before purchasing even minor beauty items.

• Be skeptical about claims that seem to good to be true. 
• A more expensive item isn’t necessarily a better one.
• Some of the best Beauty finds might be found right in your kitchen cupboard.

Thanks to all my muses:  Sherry at LooseLipsNY.com, Meg and the Diva Team at Megsmakeup.com, Jen, Cecily, Mo Mommy, Tracy M, Debi, Jami, SAHMmy, IndianaFarmWife, Holly and the list goes on and on!  Together we have created something truly unique and beautiful and I am thankful for all of your support.