Skin Care

Basin White: Lush Better Look Out

October 19th, 2009 by Karen 30 Comments

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The Basin White store in Las Vegas, Nevada

All work and no play makes moi a cranky beauty addict, but the Las Vegas Basin White store, a beauty brand I’d never even heard of before, saved me from myself.

The company has just two stores for now (Vegas and Orlando, Florida). The Vegas one, located among the Grande Canal Shoppes at The Venetian Hotel, is brand spankin’ new. If you’d like to learn more about the company, the line’s also available online.

I guess it’s fitting that after their Downtown Disney store in Orlando, Basin White chose the Disney-like Grande Canal indoor mall for their second location.

Gondolas packed with tourists weave through Venetian-inspired canals as shoppers cross footbridges and live opera singers provide the background music for ambiance. Yeah … it’s Vegas cheesy, but still pretty fun. 🙂

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The store itself stopped me in my tracks. It’s gorgeous and smells wonderful. There are other brands out there like Basin White, with similar rows of colorful glycerin soaps, tubs with gigantic bath bombs and various scents, but this one stood out to me for a bunch of reasons.

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Like Lush but with subtler scents

Their products look Lush-y — similar shampoo bars and solid moisturizers — but I think the shopping experience at Basin White beats Lush hands down, as a lot of Lush’s products pack too much fragrance for my sensitive schnozz. Sometimes it’s just too much.

Basin White’s products smell lighter and generally less synthetic to me. Granted, scent’s a very personal thing, but I absolutely love Basin White’s approach to fragrance.

Time to play, aka the shopping experience

The store feels like a spa. The open layout, lighting and black/white tiled floor reminded me of a Pottery Barn-inspired bathroom.

Like any good beauty store should, Basin White makes samples of everything available to smell, touch and test. The highly interactive staff isn’t pushy either, and they encourage product playtime, waiting at the ready by testing sinks with paper towels and smiling faces.

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Quality ingredients

Josh Jacks, one of the sales associates at the Vegas store, gave me the background on Basin White while showing me around.

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With only two physical locations, the line’s still pretty exclusive, but I expect that to change. Their products are made without synthetic fillers, parabens, alcohol or mineral oil and contain high-quality ingredients like shea butter, beeswax and sunflower oil.
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I Did It for Soap and Glory! – Soap and Glory Scrub Triangle Set

October 16th, 2009 by Karen 12 Comments

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Before leaving for Vegas, I picked up Soap & Glory’s Scrub Triangle Mini Gift Set ($10) from Target.

I went into the store for kitty litter but left with Soap & Glory, LOL! Soap, Glory & Kitty Litter…

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The three travel-friendly products in the set are targeted toward people with dry skin and come packaged in cute little vintage tubs and bottles.

Here’s what you get

Clean on Me Body Wash: Soap and Glory says it’s like a cleansing lotion. I’ve even used it as a shave cream, and it works great.
Flake Away: A body exfoliator containing sea salt, it leaves my skin smooth and moisturized.
The Righteous Butter: Shea-mm on you! A rich body lotion containing shea butter and aloe to quench thirsty skin.

These have been great out here in Vegas where the climate’s drier than … well, the desert. They’ve kept the skin on my arms, legs and hands (and the heels of my feet) from painfully tightening up.

Pros

Highly moisturizing
Generous sample sizes, so you can try before you buy
$10 for the whole set

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Splurge or Steal: MAC Volcanic Ash Exfoliator Versus Aveeno Positively Ageless Warming Scrub

October 12th, 2009 by Karen 25 Comments

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My skin adores MAC’s gentle Volcanic Ash Exfoliator. It makes my face and neck feel softer than a feather boa and smells yummy, too (like brown sugar and honey).

But the stuff ain’t cheap, that’s for sure… The tubes cost $20 a pop!

To put the price in perspective, that’s enough to get 13 Wet ‘n’ Wild 666 Brandywine lip pencils, yo!

Why exfoliate?

It removes dead cells dulling the surface of the skin while smoothing and brightening, and if you’re prone to pimples it can also reduce the frequency and severity of breakouts.

A drugstore option?

I love MAC’s Volcanic Ash but also want a cheaper alternative, so I’ve been haunting/hunting drugstore aisles up in my neck of the woods.

I think I may have found one — Aveeno’s $8 Positively Ageless Warming Scrub.

How it stacks up against MAC Volcanic Ash

It’s a fairly new exfoliating scrub for the face and neck that contains Shitake mushroom complex instead of volcanic ash. The company claims it promotes younger-looking skin.

NOTE: Positively Ageless Scrub’s packaging isn’t very specific about what “younger-looking” skin means. Typically, the phrasing refers to products designed to reduce the appearance of age spots, fine lines and wrinkles.

After using it for two weeks, I haven’t seen a notable change in my spots or fine lines — maybe after I’ve used it longer — but I still really like the product as a skin exfoliator.

Like the name implies, Positively Ageless gently warms when I rub it against my skin.

Performance?

It’s mostly a tossup. I consider my combo-oily/dry skin to be sensitive and have to be careful about abrasive scratching.

Like MAC Volcanic Ash Exfoliator, Positively Ageless Scrub’s exfoliating grains are finer than sand, and both leave my face and neck feeling soft and hydrated, versus dry or taut.
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MAC Volcanic Ash Thermal Mask: Erupting with Softer Skin

October 10th, 2009 by Karen 18 Comments

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It took all of two made-for-tv volcano flicks in the ’80s (one about Mount St. Helens and the other about Pompeii) to scar me for life.

Growing up near one of the world’s most geologically active fault lines wasn’t half as scary as the thought of mountains spewing lava and ash, yikes!

But so far the closest I’ve come to anything volcanic has been my brushes with MAC’s Volcanic Ash line of skin care products.

It’s not so much a line as a duo of products, and both are part of the Style Black collection. One of the two, Volcanic Ash Exfoliator ($20), has been released before (see an earlier review), but the second, Volcanic Ash Thermal Mask ($20), is brand new.

I always get a little nervous when I try new skin care products because I can never predict how my combo dry/acne-prone skin will react.

MAC Volcanic Ash Thermal Mask

Sometimes it’s good to be dirty. 🙂 I guess that’s where the mask comes in. It’s loaded with actual volcanic ash and oils like jojoba, lavender, evening primrose and sunflower.

Add water and the paste warms ever so slightly. That’s the thermal part (Kilauea would be proud, LOL!).

MAC recommends using it one to three times per week to deep clean and moisturize the skin (should not be used near the eyes).

Is it really volcanic?

One thing those volcano disaster movies taught me was that volcanic ash can REALLY screw people up.

In dry, powder form it contains particles that can cause serious eye trauma, worsen open wounds and even lead to respiratory problems.

But in clay form — that’s a whole different story.

Throughout history, different cultures have used volcanic ash clays for health and beauty. Even our girl Cleopatra was a fan.

So, does it work?

I know a thing or two about gunk… Last week my acne-prone skin decided to freak out. The stress of moving, excessive junk food and insufficient sleep all joined forces to summon pimples on my forehead.
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Troublesome Beauty Ingredients and How to Test for Skin Allergies

September 26th, 2009 by Karen 44 Comments

Are You Allergic to Beauty Products?

“Ahh-CHEW!”
[sniffle, sniffle]

How do you feel about jasmine? I love it. 🙂 It’s one of my very favorite scents, but the International Fragrance Association is limiting the amount of it allowed in perfumes and other aromatic beauty products (some do tend to have a lot) to reduce the number of products causing rashes and other bad reactions.

It’s not that jasmine’s particularly hard to tolerate — no more than most plant-based ingredients — but according to the FDA, almost all cosmetics and beauty products are apt to cause reactions in at least a small percentage of the population. We’re all different, as the story goes, and one girl’s soothing scent may be another girl’s poison ivy!

In one FDA survey, 25% of people reported a skin reaction to one or more beauty products.

It’s perhaps ironic, then, that the FDA has very limited authority over cosmetics. Unfortunately, the beauty biz is still very buyer beware.

Types of skin reactions

Most reactions are mild — what’s commonly referred to as irritant contact dermatitis. Typically it’s a burning, stinging or itching sensation accompanied by redness right where the product’s been applied. Dry or injured skin can react worse, too, having lost some of its natural barrier against irritants.

As bad as irritant dermatitis sounds, some of us have a worse variety termed allergic contact dermatitis — true allergies to specific ingredients. Symptoms can include severe redness, swelling, itching or even blisters on the skin, yikes! The worst culprits? Usually fragrances and preservatives. source

TIP: Some products will say “unscented” on the label when they really aren’t. It’s not uncommon for products to contain fragrance cocktails to mask unappealing or artificial scents. Straight up, if you’re on the market for something that’s really unscented, look for the words, “fragrance-free” or “without perfume.”

While almost any ingredient can cause an allergic reaction in at least some people, many of the worst offenders are preservatives.

They slow the growth of bacteria and crop up in most beauty products that contain water, but parabens, imidazolidinyl urea, Quaternium-15, DMDM hydantoin, phenoxyethanol, methylchloroisothiazolinone and formaldehyde have also been linked to skin allergies.

So what’s a girl to do?

How to avoid a bad beauty skin reaction

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Dismiss Dark Circles with Origins GinZing Eye Cream and Concealer

September 23rd, 2009 by Karen 39 Comments

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We tried to work things out, but it just wasn’t meant to be. My dark circles and I have decided to separate.

Truth is, I’ve been seeing someone else…

He’s the GinZing Eye Cream by Origins ($30), and he goes on sale next month.

A fluffy moisturizer for gals who need extra help in the eye brightening department (hello!), it contains ginseng to hydrate and reduce puffiness and shimmery silica and mica illuminators (in light pink) to brighten and minimize the look of dark circles.

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On its own, I think GinZing’s a great hydrating eye cream, but it doesn’t do much for dark circles. Ah, but combine it with under-eye concealer, and it goes from great to extra fantastic!

BACKSTORY: Some under-eye concealers (both liquids and creams) can look heavy and obvious when applied solo. Unfortch, that’s a lesson I learned the hard way.

Thankfully, my eyes were opened when a kind MAC artist taught me a trick: Mix and apply equal parts concealer and eye cream under the eyes.

The concealer/eye cream combo totally removes the cakey look while still covering up dreaded dark areas.

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In terms of eye brightening, GinZing’s shimmery illuminators totally take the concealer/eye cream trick to the next level. I’ve mixed it with both liquid and cream concealers and have really liked the results.

Putting in extra hours at work? Staying up late to study? If you’re ready to leave your dark circles behind, consider giving GinZing a try. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A+

Positive reinforcement

In trying times, I find that a little makeup motivation (some call it bribery, but whatev) can help. I’ve been running a lot of errands lately, trying to get stuff ready for the move, and there haven’t been enough hours in the day (there never are).

Sometimes I veer off my task list, and I’ll use the promise of makeup to keep my eye on the prize.

Here are some goodies I’ve been thinking about:
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Over 30? Say Hi to Clarins Multi-Active Day Early Wrinkle Correction Cream

September 14th, 2009 by Karen 26 Comments

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Where my 30-something girls at?? This month, our allies at Clarins are introducing a gang of new face creams and lotions for the over-30 set.

The line’s called Multi-Active Day, and Clarins designed the four products for busy women looking for a little help in the wrinkles and fine lines department. Stressed out and a touch wrinkly? Helloooo, that’s totally me. 🙂

The key phrase here is “active plant ingredients.” They’re what the line is all about. Among other plant-based ingredients, they contain ambiaty extract (a Madagascar plant related to sunflowers) and hesperidin (from citrus plants, it has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties), to moisturize, to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and to restore elasticity to skin.

I started using both the Day Cream for All Skin Types ($54) and SPF 15 Lotion ($54) about a month ago.

First, le good stuff:
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Backed by Clinical Research, Electrifying New Anti-Aging Product Hits the Market Today

September 9th, 2009 by Karen 26 Comments

The Slendertone Face

It’s called the Slendertone Face, and there’s a waiting list thousands of ladies long at Harrods in the UK today, despite the whopping Â£300 (about $500) price.

The headset device, compared to a natural facelift, uses electronic muscle stimulation to strengthen facial muscles. Clinical trials showed that regular use reversed some of the muscle weakening that comes with age.

“It’s very gentle and doesn’t hurt at all,” says Dr. Trish Smith, cardiologist and chief executive of Slendertone, “As it’s hands-free, you can wear it while you’re cooking or ironing.” Electronic panels sit directly over the cranial nerve (scary!), just in front of the ear from where all the facial nerves branch out, so the pulses gently stimulate every muscle in the face. source

Video interview with the developer of the Slendertone Face…

The trials, overseen by Dr. Michael Hennessy, head of neurology at the University of Galway, suggested that using Slendertone Face for 20 minutes five times a week for 12 weeks increases the volume of facial muscles by up to 46%, with the average improvement being 18.6%.

Not bad at all.

Electronic facial muscle stimulators manufactured by other companies have been used in salons for years — the CACI Non-Surgical Face Lift is one of them — but the Slendertone was the device examined in the latest trial.

What do you think, ladies? Electrifying new development or future class-action lawsuit?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen