Sometime amid the chaos in our house today my previously written post was deleted by one of my darling little munchkins. I can’t say for sure which one of the monsters shut down my browser without hitting save first because they’ve banded together quite admirably and aren’t naming names. Oh well, it gave me the energy to whip up another batch of cookies and I have to love the fact that for once they aren’t falling all over themselves to tattle.

As I may have mentioned a time or twenty before, I have blemish prone skin, even in my 30’s. I’m also creeping into fine line territory and I believe I have definitely whined before about how unfair this is. The major problem is that there aren’t really many products for women in my position. There are scads of acne control products on the market, and an infinite number of wrinkle creams and treatments, but I’ve had trouble finding a product for that lucky woman who has need of both. Besides the expense of doubling up on products to treat both issues, I’m irritated by the difficulty I have finding just the right balance between acne and wrinkle treatments. Intense wrinkle creams can often exacerbate oily skin and many acne treatments are drying, so using both at once can sometimes be counterproductive. I need a lightweight moisturizer that will help prevent aging without breaking out my already finicky skin, is that so much to ask? (more…)

One of my favorite beauty reviewers “Tashagogo” from Megsmakeup.com wrote a strong testimonial about the powers of coconut oil a few summers ago.  Tasha’s words and Morjorie’s physique encouraged me to try, and have since incorporated the use of coconut oil in my daily beauty routine.

Most recently my daughters and I relied heavily on using coconut oil to soothe and repair the effects of our unfortunate first-of-the-summer sunburns, drat nab!  I observed that by using coconut oil on my sunburn, not only did it heal and moisturize my skin; the peeling seemed less dramatic than in sunburns of the past.  Viva la coconut!

This is an insightful, well-articulated YouTube video of Sean demonstrating the various health and skin benefits from the use of coconut oil.  Really, really love this guy.  Enjoy!

Skin Benefits from Coconut Oil: Underground Wellness

Sean Croxton, owner of UW, is an expert Diet and Lifestyle Coach as well as a Certified Personal Trainer.

How many times do you have to say no to a tempting treat?  Once a week, twice a week, oh come on!  If you are like me it’s a constant saying no-to-treats battle.  I generally need a few treats daily to keep me smiling and content!

The remarkably beauty and eco-savvy Sally B created a line to treat our skin and it doesn’t add any calories, carbs, or guilt.  Just pure skin pleasure.

The Mythbuster Beauty Team got to sample several items from the Sally B Skin Yummies line.  Everything I tried, I loved.  Sally B’s skincare line is packed with high quality, skin nourishing ingredients.  No need to read through a mile-long ingredient list from Sally B. 

Body-Eco Lotion in Lavender ($32):  A fabulous lotion for the body, hands and feet this lotion offers just the right amount of moisture, absorbs well into the skin and has a fabulous sweet lavender scent.  Key Ingredients: Organic Tamanu Oil, Kukui Oil, Organic Green Tea, Organic Shea Butter, Organic Aloe.

Sally B’s Organic Sugar Scrub ($16 – 4oz, $30 - 8oz.):  “Most scrubs on the market are simple concoctions—either oil and sugar or oil and salt, and messy! And they must be stirred.  Salt can also be irritating to the skin and will certainly sting if you have any scratches.  Sally B’s Sugar Scrub is full of Shea Butter and Cocoa Butter and there is no need for stirring!”   So if this doesn’t convince you to try it, check out DecoDiva’s review:  Sally b’s Skin Yummies – Lemon Sage Sugar Scrub.  I’ve also heard that the Chamomile Neroli scrub is amazing.

B Glossy Organic Lip Gloss ($10) – I sampled this gloss in “Every Blond’s Pink,” a protecting lip gloss, with just a hint of pink tint that gives my lips subtle color and shine.  Sally B adds a bit of peppermint, which is perfect not overpowering, and this gloss can be used alone or layered with your favorite lip color.  Mo sampled “Copper Penny,” and DecoDiva loved her gloss in “Ruby’s Red.” (more…)

Yes, you read correctly.  Any Prescriptives fans out there?!  Well if you are, this is your chance to stock up or try some Prescriptive cosmetic and skincare items.  25% off and free shipping, swweet!

Some of my Px favorites? 

Px’s Flawless Face Foundation, great build-able medium to full coverage and works well on my sensitive, combination skin. 

Px’s Vibrant-C Skin Brightening Lotion Moisturizer, as Mo will attest, this moisturizer packs a nice vitamin-c brightening punch.

Super Line Preventor Xtreme - This is Prescriptive’s Pink Ribbon Item.  I just received this skin treatment for review so I cannot vouch for it yet, but for every purchase a donation is made to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Site Unseen Brightening Concealer SPF 15 -  With one swoosh you can lighten and conceal your dark circles and complexion flaws and spots.  I really love this concealer!

This discount runs until Friday the 24th, and don’t forget to pick your free sample!

Prompted by a Bionic Beauty post last week called, “What makeup are you wearing today?”  I was also inspired by DecoDiva’s great going out post and pics last week on her blogsite.  I wanted to ask MBB readers a similar question.  When you go out for the evening, how do you “kick it up a notch?”

Evening makeup deserves a more intense lip color, a richly pigmented black mascara, and some fabulous glow.   On a recent evening out with my hubby, I went with a bolder berry look, inspired by two of Urban Decay’s new lip products, their 24/7 Lip Pencil and Lipstick. 

• Hair:  Jessicurl’s Aloeba Daily Conditioner, Rockin’ Ringlets Styling Potion, and Confident Coils Styling Solution, set with hair clips, scrunched with a microfiber towel and allowed to air dry.
• Skin prep:  SK1N Probiotics Daily Moisturizing Cream
• Anastasia’s All About Brows Kit:  Defines and tames my brows
• Prescriptives Flawless Skin Foundation in Rose, applied with a foundation brush and fingers
• Laura Mercier Eyeliner in Bleu Marine, appliled with flat eyeliner brush
• Profaces mineral eyeshadow in a rosy gold glimmer
• Sugar’s Bronzer/Blush Duo, blush on apples of cheeks and bronzer around face and jawline
• Alison Raffaele’s True Concealer
• Urban Decay’s 24/7 Glide-on Lip Pencil in Wicked, creamy and lasts, truly lives up to its glide on name.
• Urban Decay’s Lipstick in Hotpants, luxuriously creamy and beautiful medium pink shade.
• Napoleon Perdis, Long Black Mascara, one coat
• Light dusting of Aromaleigh’s Illuminator Finishing Powder, a translucent, sheer loose mineral cosmetic powder, that contains reflective minerals to give your skin a radiant appearance.  Apply on brow bones, above cheeks and lightly around forehead, chin, and decollete.
• Finish by lightly tapping around face with soft clean towel to set in makeup (tip from Alyson Hoag, makeup artist at Authentic Beauty).

In a previous post, I addressed the issue of prevention in skincare. Another essential part of the process of achieving a flawless complexion is cleansing.

The number of cleansers on the market is staggering. In choosing one from the many, remember that Less is usually more when it comes to cleansers: less abrasive, less harsh, and used less often. Don’t confuse cleansing with stripping or scrubbing to excess.

You want to find a cleanser that will offer what your skin type needs. You want a cleanser that removes makeup and grime, but is gentle enough not to make your face squeak or crack afterwards.

I personally struggle with combination skin. An oily T-zone with dry cheek and eye areas, especially in the winter. What works best for me is a foaming cleanser that gives a little more cleansing power on the oily zones, and leaves my skin feeling refreshed and soft. I do not like the squeaky clean feeling. That is too harsh! Many sources preach that over stripping of your skin’s natural oils actually leads to more skin sebum oil production. You actually produce more of what you are trying to get rid of!

Cleansers don’t have to be expensive or fancy, but they can be. If you are on a budget, one of the best cleansers for both oily and dry skin is Cetaphil Lotion (Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate (and) PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate), which is also available in generic store brand labels. But, if you have a little extra and an interest in other great cleansers, here are my recommendations:

Basic Cleansers I have tried and love:

• Philosophy, Purity Made Simple-lives up to it’s name, leaves skin feeling clean and removes makeup beautifully.

Some cleansers add glycolic or salicylic acid to provide mild exfoliation as well. I recommend:

• MD Forte Facial Cleanser I, II, and III- each level has a higher glycolic acid level, start with I and gradually you can build up to III.
• GlyMed Plus, Gentle Face Wash, for all skin types- my Aesthetician recommends this line and I used it for a while. Very gentle and a overall great cleanser.

And finally, there are the cleansers that offer something extra . Through the http://megsmakeup.com/forums, I have discovered some really extraordinary cleansers. They all boast gentle cleansing with some additional features that might appeal to you:

• Erno Laszlo Sea Mud Soap, – this black bar of soap is made from MUD from the Dead Sea. On their website you can follow their skin regimen, which they term “clocking” for your specific skincare needs. I find this fascinating! I am a “1 o’clock,” and they give specifics on how many times to rinse your face, what temperature water to use, etc…
• Caudalie Instant Foaming Cleanser- Formulated from patented grape-seed polyphenols and harvested from France. This Wine infused Cleanser smells heavenly and leaves my skin feeling like I’m a bit intoxicated!
• Suki Lemongrass Cleanser- Organic cleansing with a mild fruit acid and sugar-type exfoliation. This has a fabulous lemon smell, and is one of my all time favorite cleansers. Even my husband likes this one!
• NV Perricone MD Citrus Facial Wash (Vitamin C Ester): A gentle cleanser that gives your skin a dose of Vitamin C Ester.  Promotes clarity and soothes.

So, now you have a few more choices to make, and choose wisely. Your skin is counting on you!

Any cleansers you would recommend?