Friday, December 23, 2011

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

7 Ingredients to Stop the Clock!



Hey guys!
Below is a re-post from Stylist, some really good anti-aging tips and ingredients!:



 Green Tea, Red Wine And 5 Other Ingredients To Stop The Clock
When it comes to anti-aging, we're literally inundated with creams and serums that promise to fill lines, even spots and even bring you back the smooth skin you had when you were younger. Lofty claims aside, how do you know what really works? While certain products make certain promises, there are a few ingredients that are scientifically proven to work -- and we've enlisted the best of the best in the skincare field to help break it down. Herewith, our guidelines for the top seven anti-aging ingredients:
1. RETINOIDS: A derivative of vitamin-A. Retinoids are hands-down the most important (and effective) ingredient on the market. "That’s always my first choice when people ask me," says Dr. Heather Woolery-Lloyd, founder of Specific Beauty. "We’re talking about years and years of clinical research that has been proven to improve fine lines and wrinkles." Retinoids work by rapidly turning over the cells, which then generates healthier, younger-looking skin -- once the dead skin cells are removed. You should know that it comes in different forms (and strengths): Retinol (which is great for beginners) can be found in various over-the-counter products, while its stronger counterparts retin-A, Tazorac and Differin and require precsriptions.


2. GREEN TEA: A botanical antioxidant. The nutrients in green tea neutralize free radicals that damage cells and tissue, which in turn slows down the aging process. While you can reap the benefits by drinking green tea, Woolery-Lloyd advises applying it topically: "It's more concentrated and will work better as an antioxidant."


3. VITAMIN-C: A naturally-occurring antioxidant that helps fight free radicals. "One of the things that can cause wrinkles, among skin cancer and other things, is damage towards DNA,"notes Woolery-Lloyd. "80 percent of the damage that can occur in the DNA of the skin comes from some environmental sources like the sun or smoking or living in a highly-polluted environment. Antioxidants block the free radicals in our skin that can increase skin damage, photo aging, wrinkles and fine lines." Vitamin-C works to prevent that.


4. RESVERATROL: A powerful antioxidant derived from grape skin, and found in red wine. By promoting cell turnover and increasing collagen and elastin production, it effectively firms skin's texture. Resveratrol is also effective at repairing damage.


5. HYALURONIC ACID: A sugar that binds a thousand times its weight in water. This is essentially your best line of defense against dryness. "If you have loss of volume and want to fill in those surface irregularities, this is a great moisturizer for highly wrinkled skin," says Dr. Cheryl Karcher, consulting dermatologist for Avon Skincare. While hyalauronic acid-based products can applied topically, Dr. Karcher notes that it is far more effective when injected (Restylane, Juvederm) into the dermis.


6. GLYCOLIC ACID: An alpha-hydroxy acid (or AHA) that's derived from food, like fruit. "They basically exfoliate the top layer of the skin by breaking the glue that holds the top layer of skin together, so that when you exfoliate you have smoother, luminous skin underneath," says Woolery-Lloyd. "They essentially buff the skin, and help with pigmentation and photoaging issues," Karcher adds.


7. BROAD COVERAGE SUNSCREEN: This type of sunscreen will protect the skin against harmful UVA (aging) and UVB (skin cancer) rays. Karcher notes, "UVA and UVB sunscreens help fight against anti-aging by boosting skin's own antioxidants to fight free radicals."

Try one or try them all to have younger, smoother skin!
Who doesn't want that?

I can say from my own experience that I drink tea everyday and I use glycolic acid (and sun protection religiously) on a pretty regular basis and it does wonders for the texture of your skin.
Keep in mind that none of these ingredients or products are going to change your skin overnight. You will probably need about 3 months to see a real difference, also it is best to use a few different things and not just one. Compare it to your nutrition, you wouldn't just eat one thing and expect it to provide all the nutrition your body needs, you would eat a variety of things. Same concept with your skin, there isn't going to be only one thing that will improve your skin.


Sunday, December 18, 2011

Lady Gaga Crystal Encrusted Eyebrows!



Last week I was watching Ellen (LOVE HER) and the ever entertaining Lady Gaga was on. Never one to disappoint with her outrageous looks, she came out wearing these big, huge crystal eyebrows! The rest of her makeup was so tastefully done that her eyebrows looked almost normal encrusted in big crystal rocks! I thought it was a fun look especially with New Years Eve right around the corner, so I wanted to give you my version of crystal encrusted eyebrows!

Lady Gaga on Ellen looking fabulous!
What you'll need:
Crystals-whatever kind you want! I used Crystalazzi in size 125.
Duo Glue-Make sure to get the white kind because it dries clear.
Tweezers
and
Q-tips (or as my peeps across the pond like to say, cotton buds)

1-Groom your brows!! Make sure you brush and groom them to the shape you want. Also, make sure to take care of any stray hairs as all focus will be on your eyebrows!

2-Get the crystals out of the package and ready for use. 

3-Take a little Duo glue on the back of your hand, dip a Q-tip in it then apply to a small section of your eyebrow. We are working in small sections because the glue will dry faster than you think.

4-Pick up a crystal with your tweezers and apply to the glued area of your eyebrow. Apply pressure to the crystal with your clean, glue free finger or a clean Q-tip.

5-Repeat until both eyebrows are covered!


That's me looking glamorously disheveled

So here are a few tips!
This can be a little messy, I had glue on the back of my hand and kept running my hand through my hair! So be mindful of the glue and not getting it all over everything.

These stayed on for 7 hours until I picked them off-they probably would have stayed on all night. Honeybuns has announced he wishes this is how I dressed all the time. 
I had no problem picking the crystals off but it took a little effort to get the glue out of my eyebrows. I rubbed olive oil through them and then rubbed the glue off with a towel.

So try this look! I loved it!
You can have your very own New Year's Eve ball dropping good time!