Beauty Magazines & Blogs - Beauty Questions Answered

can sunscreen be used as a primer??

sara_amer — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 09:29:39 -0400

I use shiseido sunscreen.

retinol

lowlight1016 — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 20:06:08 -0400

Ok this may be a dump question but....Neutrogena's Tone Correcting Daily moisturizer claims to contain Retinol SA. However, when looking at the "Active" and "Inactive" ingredient list, Retinol doesn't appear anywhere. Why is this?

Hawaiian Facial Toner

iamjess03 — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 13:25:19 -0400

So my skin seems to LOVE this product. I have had the same skin care routine for over a year and on Beautypedia.com this toner got a negative review. So I only took out the toner from my routine and my skin started breaking out! Then I completely changed my skin care routine with all different products and nothing working. As soon as I added this toner back in, my skin got better.

Is this product good for me or not?

From Beautypedia:

Review:The irony of this product is that most of the natural ingredients included are its weakness, at least in terms of causing skin irritation without benefit. The main offenders are witch hazel, arnica, and bergamot oil. Without them, this would have been a great option for all skin types.Ingredients:Water, Polysorbate 20, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Hibiscus Rosa-Sinensis Flower Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Extract, Lonicera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Passiflora Incarnata Flower Extract, Psidium Guajava Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Allantoin, Panthenol, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium PCA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol

Here are the "bad" ingredients from Cosmetics Cop

sodium hydroxide
Categories: Irritants , Surfactants/Detergent Cleansing Agents

Also known as lye, it is a highly alkaline ingredient used in small amounts in cosmetics to modulate the pH of a product. It is also used as a cleansing agent in some cleansers. In higher concentrations it is a significant skin irritant.

bergamot oil
Categories: Plant Extracts , Fragrance: Synthetic and Fragrant Plant ExtractsA volatile citrus oil that, when used topically, is a photosensitizer and has photomutagenic properties, meaning it can induce malignant changes to cellswitch hazel
Categories: Antioxidants , Anti-Irritants , Irritants , Plant ExtractsCommonly used plant extract that can have potent antioxidant properties (Sources: Phytotherapy Research, June 2002, pages 364–367; and Journal of Dermatological Science, July 1995, pages 25–34) and some anti-irritant properties (Source: Skin Pharmacology and Applied Skin Physiology, March-April 2002, pages 125–132). However, witch hazel’s high tannin content (and tannin is a potent antioxidant), can also be irritating when used repeatedly on skin because it constricts blood flow. The bark of the witch hazel plant has higher tannin content than the leaves. Steam distillation for producing witch hazel water removes the tannins, but the plant’s astringent qualities are what most believe give it benefit. Alcohol is added during the distillation process, the amount typically being 14–15%. Witch hazel water is distilled from all parts of the plant, so in that sense you never know what you’re getting, though the alcohol content remains (Source: www.naturaldatabase.com; www.drugs.com). Depending on the form of witch hazel, you’re either exposing skin to an irritating amount of alcohol (which causes free radical damage and collagen breakdown), tannins, or both. Moreover, witch hazel contains the fragrance chemical eugenol, which is another source of irritation. Seetannin

Cosmo wasn't always a sex mag

Left Brain — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 10:28:17 -0400

I thought this was an interesting observation about Cosmo, a magazine that I used to get in my younger years. But it also made me wonder which beauty mags are your favorites?
I love Lucky and Allure.

How To Find The Best Beauty Blogs

LeftBrain — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 02:01:02 -0400

Whether you’re an avid beauty fan or a fellow beauty blogger who just wants to check out the “competition”, this resource will be helpful. Here are our top 10 favorite places to find the best beauty blogs. Professional Tracking Services Konector is a professional service that tracks blogs. They list the top 299 beauty blogs [...] Read more about The Best Beauty Blogs...

A powerful solution for your skin problems

nickyvade — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 02:17:06 -0500

A powerful solution for your skin problems

a.) Works to clear blemishes and acne on all skin types
b.) Fights wrinkles and rejuvenates the skin
c.) Removes impurities from blood
d.) 100% safe and dermatologist endorsed formulation

http://www.nickypage.notlong.com

Good Luck!

Nicky

SELF magazine LOL beauty tips

Tue, 19 May 2009 04:20:55 -0400

Yahoo.com was featuring an article by Lucy Danziger, SELF Magazine Editor-in-Chief. The article is "Top 10 Fast Beauty Fixes." She says "After years of working with genius beauty editors, I've learned that making simple tweaks to your routine can help you look gorgeous in almost no time at all."

SHE NEEDS TO READ THE BEAUTY BRAINS! And redefine her idea of "genius."

The very first "beauty fix" is this:
"Sleep your way gorgeous- A cotton pillow doesn't allow skin to glide over its surface, causing sleep lines and dents. Over time, the repeated pressing can lead to permanent creases. Instead, cover your pillow with a case made of silk or satin (synthetic is fine) and get gorgeous while you sleep!" (you brains debunked this idiotic idea.)

Also on the list:
"Make SPF the encore- Always apply sunscreen lastafter serums and lotionsso it can form a protective barrier. Use a foundation brush to push the formula into the hairline, an often-overlooked spot where skin cancers are on the rise. While you're at it, rub some on ears, another susceptible spot that's often snubbed. Then wait three minutes, the length of your favorite Beyoncé song, before applying makeup" ( the bb say to apply sunscreen before makeup, for excellent reasons. I would just like to know why they suggest you use a foundation brush when applying sunscreen OVER your foundation. That would smear your makeup into oblivion.)

Some of the other dumb ideas:
- "heat a handful of your lotion with your hairdryer until warm." (Warm lotion, scorched hands, wasted electricity. genius. I guess they don't know you can buy lotion warmers.)

- "No time to brush between meals? Grab a crunchy fruit or veggie snack such as an apple, pear, celery stick or some baby carrots. Munching revs saliva, which shows up on the scene to flush away particles that could stain your smile." (I've always wondered what I should EAT to remove food particles from my mouth. You know what would also wash away food particles? Drinking. Who knew? Or- try gum! Chewing gum encourages saliva, cleans teeth, and freshens breath! It's sort of a new thing- but it should catch on soon. Well, unless you can't get enough of celery breath.)

- "Dark soda, red wine, coffee and deep-colored juices can stain teeth...limit dark ones to two a day and sip them through a straw to avoid contact with your chompers." (Um- didn't you just say "food particles" stain teeth? Should I eat my lunch through a straw, too? And if I'm drinking through a straw to avoid contact with my teeth- would it really matter how many times a day I drink dark liquids? Also- what products do you recommend to reduce the fine lines from forming around my mouth from sipping through straws all day? Oh. wait. It's probably my pillowcase...)

- "Healthy hair starts in the shower". (ah. I always thought my lifestyle had something to do with it. sweet. Party on! oh, and, note to self: buy healthy hair at Walmart. I ran out.)

Get more laughs from this article here http://health.yahoo.com/experts/healthieryou/10754/top-10-fast-beauty-fixes/ Amazingly, people have rating that article 91% positive at the time I'm posting this.

What blogs do you read???

hanna — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 20:27:54 -0400

I'm assuming most of you found your way here from a beauty blog of some sort, so I'd love to hear what your favorite blogs are!

I really like beauty blogs better than fashion magazines, since they seem to have more substance and address real issues, instead of just the usual celebrity gossip and how to please a man articles you get in women's magazines. Lately, I really like galadarling.com. She's so optimistic and cool! It's nice to find people on the internet who seem genuinely nice and put a smile on your face.

So what are your favorite blogs???

Interesting article in the NY Times

PurpleRules — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 14:43:02 -0500

The NYT has an article on beauty blogs: www.nytimes.com/2008/01/31/fashion/31SKIN.html,
I found a link to it while I was poking around on jezebel.com/351146/beauty-bloggers-are-the-lowest-form-of-freeloader. The article is worth reading, as are the comments on Jezebel*. I read some of the blogs that are mentioned (should I say "targeted?") and have to agree that, in general, bloggers are much less critical then they used to be, which makes me suspicious. I've also noticed that the same products will pop up on a bunch of different blogs, which also makes me suspicious.
I've always assumed that these guys were getting products for free but I had no idea just how much. I've never taken their "reviews" too seriously; I read them mostly when I get bored at work and to keep up with what's new. I'm fully capable of deciding whether a product is right for me. For the record, when Lancome came out with that ghastly LE pink lipstick whose name I've forgotten, I knew it would look hideous on me in spite of being told by every beauty blog that this was the a "must have" color and that it was "universally flattering."
What do you guys think of the article? Does it change your opinion of the blogging world or is it a case of "tell me something I didn't already know?"

*According to one comment, The Beauty Brains is "anti-natural." I didn't respond with "No, their pro-products-that-actually-work-and-are-reasonably-priced" because I didn't want to get into a flame war.

Best beauty mag with tips

cameo1385 — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 14:48:28 -0500

what is the best magazine that has the best beauty tips and tricks in it?

Can we complain about mascara advertising???

pas71 — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 15:40:28 -0400

I love mascara. It's probably my favorite makeup item and I use it almost every day. Hence, I tend to notice masara ads when I'm flipping through a magazine and they make me so mad! How can they legally show these ridiculous photos as an example of their product??? The eyelashes in the photos are so fake it's insane. I forget which one it was, but the eyelashes were literally thick, black triangles in the ad. It's not even like they are a set of fake lashes (even fake lashes look much more real than these) or lashes that were extended beyond belief; they look like someone took a sharpie and drew fat, black triangles on the girl's eyes! Am I the only one who notices how insane these pictures are?

Skin is Amazing!

cate — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 07:21:11 -0400

I was skimming through the newest issue of Glamour Magazine and came across the most wonderful ad by Vaseline. It is 5 celebrities showing off their favorite part of their skin: Minnie Driver (LOVE her), Kim Raver (24), Dave Navarro, Laila Ali, and Hilary Duff. They each talk about their skin what they like the best about it. The campaign is called Skin is Amazing and you can log onto the vaseline website and submit tasteful photos of your skin and win a trip to NYC and a professional photo shoot. :cool:

It's a GREAT campaign! Almost as good as the Dove try for 2 weeks with 'real' people campaign.

Skinvisions

Jezebel announces contest winner for best unretouched cover photo!

hanna — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 01:06:10 -0400

http://jezebel.com/gossip/top/heres-our-winner-redbook-shatters-our-faith-in-well-not-publishing-but-maybe-god-278919.php

This was one of the greatest stories coming out of the blogosphere recently! Jezebel got ahold of unretouched photos of Faith Hill and compares them to the cover that launced on Red Book. It is amazing to see the difference. But I'm curious what other people think. Isn't there something a little creepy about these magazines when they take celebrities who already have the most beautiful, surgically enhanced bodies in the world and ,still, they're not perfect enough to appear on the cover of a magazine without butchering them with photoshop?