Every now and then, though, I learn about a really cool beauty-related one, and I jump right on it. As all of you know, beauty items can get expensive – especially the good ones! When I find a good price on my favorite items, it’s the best time ever to stock up.

Hautelook

Right now at HauteLook, Mario Badescu Skin Care is being marked down around 20% on tons of key items. This is a line that has been around for decades, and is known for personalized skin care treatments. I’ve gone to their NYC spa for facials a few times and they are FAB, and a lot of their products still line my medicine chest.

Tons of their lotions and potions are on sale, but one of my faves, their Buttermilk Moisturizer – is among them, at around $14! Take a browse, if you are a fan of the line, this is a great time to buy!

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1. Beat an egg yolk until frothy
2. Mash in 1/2 of an avocado until well blended
3. Apply to your clean face and neck
4. Allow to set for 30 minutes
5. Rinse with cool water

For oily skin, use the white of an egg instead of the yolk, plus a teaspoon of lemon juice. It will leave your face refreshed and smooth.

Do you use any homemade beauty treatments? Leave your comments here and tell us all about them.

Photo credit: sxc.hu

Post from: eBeautyDaily

Guest post from Shannon Nelson of A Girl’s Gotta Spa! and Makeup Minute.

Is your face in need of some rejuvenation this summer? The dirt and grime from lazy days at the beach or a hard day at the office all put some wear on our skin and nothing feels better than simply taking that off the surface to reveal a fresher and more vibrant quality to your face.

Dermelect’s Detoxifying Oxygen Facial Commission is one of those products where you’ll wonder how you managed without it. Only a pea-sized amount will do the trick as you smooth it over damp skin. Allow it to remain on your skin longer than your typical cleanser and you’ll begin to feel little bubbles tickling your skin. It’s almost like those well known scrubbing bubbles, except for your face. Just be careful not to put any of it too close to your eyes since with the foaming action it can get into them.

I didn’t notice any fragrance with this product, so it shouldn’t be irritating to your nose or eyes. When it rinses off, it rinses clean without leaving any residue behind. Your skin will feel great and I’ve definitely noticed my complexion clearing up a bit.

It’s available for $48 for 3.3 oz. (totally worth it!)

Have you used it?

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Thanks so much to Lancome for making us feel so at home and welcome.  It truly was a delight, and as soon as I can get to Dallas, the closest boutique near me, I will be back in for another facial. 

Post from: eBeautyDaily

Anyway, Liz has presented 8 myths about facials, and I was going to comment about each one, but it gets pretty dull seeing me interupt with “she’s right,” “yep,” and “pay attention to this,” so here they are, uninterruped, with the really important things in bold (be sure and read the rest after the jump):

• 1. It’s normal to break out after a facial
  This is the mother of all facial myths. Shoot. If I had a dime for every time I heard this, well…let’s just say Elizabeth Arden would be renamed Elizabeth Quesnelle. There is absolutely no reason you should break out after a facial. If you do it’s because the technician used the wrong products, causing irritation and inflammation, or because they did not do extractions correctly. When an esthetician performs extractions, he/she looks at each pore/blemish/blackhead and assesses whether it can be safely extracted. If the esthetician thinks that it’s ready to come out, then they begin gently pushing on the area, working the debris out. If, after applying gentle pressure, the impurities are not budging, then it should be left alone. If the esthetician continues to force it out, then you can end up with a busted follicle wall and the spreading of bacteria into other follicles or even a scar.
• 2. I can do these treatments at home for much cheaper
  You can do treatments at home, and they would cost you less money, but you won’t get the results you can at the hands of a professional esthetician. Estheticians are able to use to look at your skin and correctly diagnose each area and determine the best course of treatment. Over 50% of women incorrectly identified their skin type according to a recent study published by a beauty publication. Usually, people mistake their skin for being oilier than it actually is. Therefore, they gravitate towards those with oil controlling properties, which can seriously throw off the balance of the skin by making it way too dry. [ok, one comment - I am guilty as charged. ]
• 3. I have to purchase every product, every time
  Sometimes it seems as though if you don’t immediately purchase the recommended product your skin will fall off. Not so. Make educated choices about your skin care. Ask the technician why he/she is recommending that you take home that product today. If they can’t give you a well thought out or intelligent and scientific answer, then you may want to pass on the purchase. Take the name of the product home and do your own research on the web.

  Also, don’t be afraid to tell your esthetician that you are on a budget and ask what one product at the spa/salon is essential in their opinion. Follow that up by asking what drugstore brands will work well with your skin and the one salon/spa product. Your skin’s health and appearance are very important, but you shouldn’t have to break the bank to take care of it. There are things that work (and don’t work) at all price points.

• 4. It’s OK for the technician to leave the room
  There are different thoughts on this, but I firmly believe that your esthetician should be with you in the treatment room 100% of the time. Some of the products we use are aggressive. To leave when an acid or enzyme is on the skin is inexcusable, in my book. Usually, estheticians leave because they are working on two clients in two separate rooms at one time. Places where this factory-mentality exists should be avoided, in my opinion. Your skin is too important to be treated with split focus. When making an appointment, ask the receptionist if they book multiple facials for each esthetician per hour. Or, ask the esthetician before the treatment begins if he/she will be in the treatment room at all times. This is particularly important during body treatments, where there is a real possibility of overheating or becoming claustrophobic.
• 5. Extractions should hurt
  No pain, no gain doesn’t apply to the world of skin care. Extractions may not be the most pleasant part of the facial, but they should not cause a great deal of pain. If the esthetician is using too much pressure, ask he/she to go easier on your skin. It is possible to have effective extractions without applying what feels like 5 tons of weight to your skin.
• 6. The oil used to massage my face will make me break out
  I have personally heard this from nervous clients during the massage portion of the facial. I can absolutely understand where the concern comes from. We have been taught that oil is bad. Oil causes blemishes. Nothing is further from the truth. The oil that is produced in our skin (which is known as sebum) lubricates our skin and provides an additional protective layer against bacteria and particulate matter. Often times, we create our own oily skin issues by scrubbing so much away that our body responds by over-producing the sebum. It’s a vicious cycle. The oil that should be used on the face during a massage should be olive, grapeseed, jojoba, or apricot kernel. These oils are molecularly similar to our bodies own oils, so the skin readily accepts them in. Since breakouts don’t come from oil, the addition of these products to the skin serves to provide lubrication and deep moisturization.
• 7. Facials are for pampering, dermatologists are for results
  Actually, for many minor and common skin ailments, seeing an esthetician can help immensely. Those with excessively dry, oily, acne and even rosacea have found that facials have helped keep their skin balanced and their trips to the doctor few and far between. Estheticians are uniquely qualified to work with the client on daily skin care regimens, teaching them to tend for their skin. Dermatologists sometimes see the condition and not how the skin as a whole needs to be treated. They are far too busy to instruct their patients on proper home care. Estheticians in no way take the place of a dermatologist. It is still ESSENTIAL for all people to see their dermatologist at least once a year for a skin cancer check and certainly if they have any sudden change in the skin that could represent disease.
• 8. I don’t REALLY need to discuss medications with my esthetician
  I know it seems strange. Why should you tell an esthetician about your meds? Is it their business? Yep – it is. Many medications have side effects that affect the skin. Most commonly, medications result in drier, more sensitive skin. If your technician is unaware that you are on, say Accutane, then there is a good chance that the wrong products could be used on your skin and you won’t get the best results.

  All medicines need to be addressed, although antibiotics, birth control pills, acne medication, and antivirals should be especially noted.

Oh someone please go see Liz and come back and tell me how wonderful of an esthetician she is. Maybe she is opening a spa in College Station? Thanks, Liz for the great article!

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