What would you wear to the beach (makeup-wise!)? Would dare to go bare-faced? Still go with your normal routine? What?!
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Spray on SPF | As beauty mavens, we are pretty good about layering on SPF somewhere between moisturizer and foundation, but what about when you’re out all day and need to re-apply? Sometimes spray-on is a chance to re-apply without having to re-do your makeup completely as well.
Decléor Protective Hydrating Spray SPF 30 ($35.50) contains: 
- Octocrylene 10% (UVB)
- Octinoxate 7.5% (UVB)
- Oxybenzone 5% (s-UVA)
Bliss The Big Screen SPF 30 ($25.00) [water-resistant] contains:
- Homosalate 6% (UVB)
- Octinoxate 7.5% (UVB)
- Octisalate 5% (UVB)
- Oxybenzone 6% (s-UVA)
Fresh Top Protection Layer SPF 20 ($48.00) contains:
- Octinoxate 7.49% (UVB)
- Oxybenzone 4% (s-UVA)
- Avobenzone 3% (UVA)
- Octocrylene 2% (UVB)
- Benzophenone-4 1.5% (UVB)
Peter Thomas Roth Continuous Sunscreen Mist SPF 30 ($28.00) [water-resistant] contains:
- Octnoxate 7.5% (UVB)
- Homosalate 7.0% (UVB)
- Oxybenzone 6.0% (s-UVA)
- Avobenzone 3.0% (UVA)
waterblock solar spray spf30 ($38.00) [water-resistant] contains:
- Homosalate 10.0% (UVB)
- Octinoxate 7.5% (UVB)
- Octisalate 5.0% (UVB)
- Octocrylene 10.0% (UVB)
- Oxybenzone 5.0% (s-UVA)
Make sure you check out our introduction to sunscreen here. These products are typically available at Nordstrom.com or Sephora.com
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Protecting yourself from the sun is essential. With as much research out, it is no longer an optional step in your beauty routine. Most of understand that anti-aging creams are not nearly as effective as taking preventative steps that reduce aging rather than attempting to reverse what has already occurred.
UVA & UVB? UVA damage occurs in shortwave (320 to 340nm) and long-wave (340 to 400nm), while UVB occurs between 280 to 320 nm. UVA tends to penetrate into the skin, while UVB damages the top layer of skin.
Common Ingredients for UVA Protection: Avobenzone, Ecamsule (Mexoryl SX), Zinc Oxide; Titanium gives some, but not the entire range of the spectrum
Common Ingredients for UVB Protection: Octyl methoxycinnamate, octyl salicylate, octocrylene
Ingredient to watch for: Zinc Oixide provides protection against short and long UVA as well as UVB. Avobenzone protects against UVA, while oxybenzone only protects against short wave UVA and titanium dioxide protects up to 385nm (of 400nm).
Caution: SPF is a measure of UVB protection, NOT UVA. In fact, many sunscreens labeled “broad spectrum UVA/UVB” do not protect against the entire UVA spectrum (short and long waves).
Ingredients known for sun protection:
- Octocrylene is an organic compound used in sunscreens.
- Oxybenzone is a derivative of Benzophenone and an organic compound often used in sunscreens.
- Octisalate is a chemical suncreen ingredient that blocks UVB.
- Homosalate is an organic compound used in sunscreens to absorb ultraviolet rays.
- Avobenzone is an oil soluble ingredient that may also go by Parsol 1789, Eusolex 9020, Escalol 517.
- Octyl methoxycinnamate or octinoxate is an organic compound used for sun protection.
- Octyl salicylate is an organic compound used in sunscreens. It absorbs ultraviolet light.
- Dioxybenzone is an organic compound used to block UVB, derivative of benzophenone.
- Titanium Dioxide is used in sunscreen, and it is often used to because of its high refractive index.
How effective is your SPF? Calculate how long you can stay in the sun with your sunscreen.
Mother’s Day is May 11th, 2008–mark your calendars! Here are some of our favorite ways to treat your “mom” (traditional or otherwise) this year:
Bella Il Fiore Lip Treats ($15.00) is an inexpensive way to say “I love you” to Mom this year. Give her a cute lip palette of five colors for her to enjoy.
Gianna Rose Atelier Royal Jelly & Shea Butter Set ($21.00) are luxury soaps with royal jelly and shea butter with a very strong, classic kind of scent (it just screams “sophistication”, since it’s more of a floral with woody or spicy notes to it–nothing fruity or sweet here). These make great decor options for that guest bath you’ve been wanting to spruce up!
Bond No. 9 Swarovski Stars Bon Bons ($700.00) is for the daughter who has a lot to give! Bond No. 9 has packaged four of their favorite scents (Bryant Park, Bleecker Street, Nuits de Noho, and Eau de New York) as Swarovski covered bon bons. I wish I had the cash to splurge on this for myself!
Melange Apothecary ($65.00 per person) is offering blending events on 4/27, 4/30, 5/4, and 5/7 where you are treated to appetizers and tea (Sundays) or appetizers and wine (evenings). They have 80 fragrances, and guests can formulate their own personal fragrance that will be blended into either eau de parfum, bath, body, or home fragrance. What’s better is the $65 is fully applied to any of your custom-blended products. To reserve, contact 818-385-0495.
The Spa at Pacific Palms Resort (varies) is the ultimate mother-daughter bonding experience. Treat your favorite lady in your life to some delectable, relaxing spa treatments from traditional massages to exotic body wraps. The facility is beyond pampering, especially as it was just recently constructed, so it features the very latest in luxury and opulence. Visit www.pacificpalmsresort.com for details!
Mother’s Day is not just about gift giving. It’s about appreciating the person who has played the role of your mother, your rock, your shoulder to cry on. It can be your sister, your daughter, your best friend’s mother. Gifts are great, but we all know that just showing your appreciation is what counts. Going out for a brunch or cooking up her favorite dessert (and insist she splurge!) is a great idea that’s easy and so do-able. If you have the time, scrapbooking is an excellent way to document and capture memories that will last a life time. Never be afraid to get creative or hands-on when it comes to giving and appreciating!
Most of the gifts featured can be purchased at Nordstrom.com.
It seems like everybody is giving away something this time of the year! I thought I’d do a little round-up of some of the fab contests I’ve come across.
Total Beauty is having their celebration for Earth Day by holding a huge, site-wide contest that gives away daily prizes of all kinds (from conflict-free diamonds to eco-friendly beauty products), as well as a grand prize of a Saturn Vue filled to the brim of eco-beauty products. How do you enter? Review products and get entered! Check out Totally Green for more details.
Clinique has a contest going on in celebration of Mother’s Day! Share your Mom-and-me story and photo– and you both could win! When you’re done, you can even put your picture on a Clinique Happy custom bottle! The happiest Mom-and-me moment wins these great prizes: Two (2) clinique.com eGift Cards; Two (2) iPod Touch 8GB; Two (2) custom bottles with the winning photo. The winning photo will be featured on Mother’s Day — May 11. They are also running a bridal contest in conjunction with Brides.com, where you can win a nice grand prize featuring a huge diamond, as well as runner up prizes where you can get your own Clinique Makeup Expert on your special day.
Jergens Skincare is showing their support for The Skin Care Foundation with a campaign called “Glow in the Dark,” which is all about tanning via bottles (aka self tanners) rather than baking in the sun. The first 500 people who TAKE THE PLEDGE! to tan safely will receive a sample of Jergens Natural Glow Express Moisturizer and a “I Glow in the Dark” t-shirt. Every pledge made results in $1 donation to The Skin Care foundation up to $20,000.
Misikko is an online retailer that sells several high-end brands of hair styling tools and products (and at great prices, they often have things on sale or less than retail). Three random winners will be selected to win either a $50 or $100 gift certificate to Misikko just for writing a review. Get details here. Contest ends April 27th, midnight EST.
Create a page to dedicate to your mom! Everyone who creates a page will have the chance to win the ultimate gift for mom, a $1,200 shopping spree on philosophy.com; each visitor to www.yourmomsphilosophy.com will be able to rate every page they read, and on mother’s day, philosophy will reveal the top 20 rated pages and everyone who visits the site that day will be able to vote for their favorite page to receive the grand prize. all 20 finalists will receive a philosophy gift basket, valued at $250 each.
Do you wear perfume everyday or only on special occasions? If you limit it to special occasions, why so? If you wear it everyday, do you have certain scents that you save for special occasions?
