Cavities, Fat and Wrinkles

We are all more than familiar with the addictive power of sugar. Despite the fact that increased sugar consumption has been associated with increased blood sugar levels, which can result in the storage of excess fat, studies have shown that the average American consumes about 150 pounds of sugar, per year. Talk about sweet nothings! (more…)

Sexilicious Summer

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Yah. So I was relieved of my World Cup watching duties for the last couple days just long enough to get back to work. These last couple weeks have been a blurr. Who knew so many things can happen in one month of June? Shout out to all my peeps who saw it fit to celebrate my existence on this earth with a birthday week to remember, not that I really do remember anything seeing that there were oh so many cocktail bombs involved. At least I have the pictures to jog my memory. ***ooooh for reals??? We did THAAAAAAAT?!! ***

Anyways, in the meantime, between all this World Cup and Wimbeldon action and all, summer is in full swing y’alls! Gotta enjoy it because blink 3 times and it’s over man, specifically referring to Canada and it’s rationed SIX WEEKS of ‘Summer’; 2 nights ago and I was already freezing. Still, gotta love the long days – 8pm and ya still sweating cause it’s 12 o’clock hot sun beating down your back, sandal season, chance to let your skin breathe and actually see real live human beings. Get in where you fit in because summer ain’t waiting on nobody. Who would have thought that there are so many beautiful people in Toronto? I certainly couldn’t have guessed that during the ghost town that is the winter season. My word the place is empty. Me likey this current situation a looooot.

Summer – Boat rides, cooler fetes, beach parties, BBQ’s, pool parties, patio brunches, lunches and dinners, all things Crop over – for my Caribbean peeps and of course Caribana for my North American posse –  There is always an excuse to unapologetically bring the Freakin’Fabulous-ness; My kind of vibes.

Regardless of what you choose to don in the dance, however expensive or not, your biggest accessory this summer is your skin.

Show as much of it as you can get away with, without looking like someone’s jump off. This means no exposed butt cheeks; no fall-out boobies. Be well aware of your body type when choosing your kit and size, and most of all, wear it well.

Face

The summer heat can bring on the slick, so keep pores breathing with a skin treatment that involves a deep cleanse, exfoliation and skin rehydration least once a month to keep the slick at bay and reveal fresh, healthy, supple skin.

Exfoliate skin at home at least once weekly (preferably evenings rather than mornings) to keep skin cells refreshed, and use hydrating moisturizers; mattifying ones if your skin is oily and/ or acne prone. Blotting paper can assist in keeping the shine at bay during the day.

Makeup

Well contoured, layered, and expertly applied makeup has its place, and it’s definitely not at summer events. Let your skin breathe Louise, it’s an oven out there. Heat does not befriend makeup convincingly.

When it comes to summer makeup, less is definitely more, for the more makeup you wear, the more makeup will slip – off your face and onto the shoulder of your friend’s crisp white shirt dress after that rehearsed “OMG!!!!…Hiiiiiiiiii! <<Grin>>” embrace. Interestingly enough, the less you wear, the less you’d have to fidget with your face and the more time you’d have to enjoy the intoxicating vibes. Sounds like a recipe for good times. 

The key is to let your skin radiate through your makeup, so opt for sheer colour. To achieve a dewy glowing look, use a tinted moisturizer mixed with bronzer rather than just plain old pressed powder. If you must wear foundation, opt for a light coverage formulation. Apply bronzer under your go to blush to boost your ‘natural’ glow, and choose golden or coral translucent lip colours for a most natural pout. Soft pinks or pale purples also work well on lighter and darker skin tones, respectively. For an unexpected pop of colour, use coloured eyeliner such as teal, which works well on most skin tones. Apply a coat or two of waterproof mascara and finish with a smile.

Body

It would stand to reason that, as clothing is minimal, hair removal is tantamount to being a prerequisite. No hairy peek-a-boo surprises please. Not only is it unpleasant for one to witness, but also it is also (or should be) pretty awkward for one to experience. Save yourself and everyone else the terrifically uncomfortable visual, and organize the line up/ removal of the hair situation pronto. Be sure to include scheduled visits for further upkeep. Anyone with a cell phone can easily turn paparazzi these days, so before your fluffy muffy ends up plastered over the Internet, consider hair removal a must.

Like the face, exfoliate your body at least once a week. Exfoliation is recommended at night time as this gives your skin some time to recoup and regenerate during sleep, which helps the newly revealed skin to be less susceptible to sunburn the next day.

Shoulders are dead sexy. Even if you didn’t get to do those handstand presses that you meant to do earlier this year, still expose your shoulders and collect your no-brainer, instant sexy points.

Feet

Please. Three words – Well. Groomed. Feet.

Manicures are necessary yes, but the condition of jacked up feet is an entirely higher, inexcusable level of unfab. Goodness.

Whether it involves a DIY or hitting the nail salon, feet need to be addressed. I know, it does seem like the feet are all the way down there but, don’t believe the hype, everyone still sees them.

Maintain your heels by giving them some gentle foot file action in the shower either daily or every other day and follow up with a thick moisturizer at night before bed. If the polish on your toes has a tendency to chip often, or become dull from walking in the sand, refresh polish every 2-3 days by applying a layer of top coat and your pedicure will last, as is, at least a couple of weeks longer.

The same goes for your hands. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. Invest in some cuticle oil, or alternatively apply olive oil, jojoba oil or vitamin E, whatever you have, to your cuticles (hands and feet) every night before bed.

Long sandal wearing day? Pack a tiny bottle with oil (one with a polish applicator type top is helpful) in your bag and apply to cuticles as necessary – after washing hands or to refresh the toes. Really, it is just oil so you can never apply too much. In the event that your heels get ashy, apply the oil to the heels and rub in. I’ve found that a touch of one of the aforementioned oils work much better at concealing the ash than does a go to hand cream and, for my people who have a tendency to have sweaty palms after the application of certain creams, it’s much lighter and isn’t nearly as greasy.

For a no nonsense jolt of colour, try nail polish in one of the season’s various fluorescent hues. Haute!

Sunscreen

And of course, I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t plug the use of sunscreen.

It will not only save your skin but you will appreciate that you took the extra 5 minutes to slather it on somewhere around 10 years from now. Sunscreen also helps prevent against pre-mature aging and pigmentation disorders, like darkening of the skin, especially in darker skin tones and Asian skin. You’re welcome. You can thank me later.

With the various different packaging of sunscreens out there – lotions, powders, sprays, wipes, and your old fashion lotions, available in two different formulations – chemical (for most skin conditions) and physical (for sensitive skin conditions), there is absolutely no excuse to expose your skin to potentially irreversible damage, unless you are dead set on looking like the grandparent in the bunch.

Alcohol, which increases the degree of a wicked dread sunburn or at the very least ‘tan’ for my chocolate peeps, will almost undoubtedly be the system so protect your skin accordingly. Get it. Wear it. Love it.

b Freakin’Fabulous

Photo: m_bartosch / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Preggo | The New Black

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Is it just me or is everyone all of a sudden preggos? It must be the biggest ‘on trend’ for 2010.  Congratulations to all my billion and 1 friends who are all preggos or have given birth in 2010.

As the mother of a seven year old, I suddenly feel like a grandma. :-/ Sooo been there done that. And never again.

It’s not that I had a difficult pregnancy per se, as a matter of fact, in terms of how first pregnancies go, I’m considered purdy blessed. No monster cravings, no significant irreparable change in my body postpartum, as apart from a protruding  basketball there was no massive weight gain, no 76 hour labour or anything fun like that. It’s just that, in terms of contributions that I can make to the world, I truly believe that there are other ways in which I can make my presence felt. My guy is well equipped to run the world anyways, so that’s more than enough for me.

Pregnancy brings with it a lot of joys.

The relief of just letting it all ‘hang out’; the tummy that is. Getting the royal treatment everywhere you go, because after all you are ‘with child’, and what can really top that? At least most people see it that way, so it works for you. The rosy, glowing look as a result of  the increased volume of blood that is being pumped around the body coupled with an increase amount of sebum (skin’s oils) that gives the skin a more waxy appearance, strong, fast growing nails, thick abundant hair – depending on where it’s growing this can be a lil too much, but anyways, all in all, it’s a fantastic thing.

Pregnancy can also bring with it a lot of unexpected things too. Thanks to good old hormones.

During the time when your hormone mosh pit is trying to get it’s act together (if it ever even manages to), may the force be with you cause all kinds of what-the-what can occur, wreaking mass havoc on womankind. Mood swings and excess hair growth instantly come to mind. Damn you hormones.

Other not-so-glorious things associated with being preggos include:

1. Increased breakouts

This is expected as the increase in the hormone progesterone – the same one that leads to the waxy, glowy glow – can overdo a good thing and produce waaaay too much sebum. Oil slick central.

The condition of your skin before preggos can determine how much this increase in sebum will affect you. If your skin is naturally dry, then you may just be relieved of the chronic dryness, however if you naturally have an oily or acneic skin type, you may find that you may develop more blackheads or your acne may worsen. 

The Fix:

This just means that you will have to be more vigilant with your skin care to keep your affairs in order.

Clay masks that contain certain clays like bentonite, kaolin or even charcoal can assist in sopping up some of this extra goopy mess. Hydroxy acid ingredients such as glycolic acid or lactic acid (preferably) can also go a long way in helping keep this extra thick layer of oil under control. If you prefer not to use hydroxy acids during pregnancy, you can always opt for enzymatic ingredients such as papain (from papayas) or bromelain (from pineapples) instead. Much milder yes, but still will assist in exfoliating the skin.

2. Pigmentation

Welcome to what is generally called melasma; Chloasma and Linea Nigra.

Chloasma, or mask of pregnancy, occurs mainly in pregnant women but can also occur in women who are taking birth control pills, or have certain ovarian disorders (hormonal issues again). This hyperpigmentation is usually concentrated on the face (forehead, temples and around cheek area) may be permanent, or may disappear and re-appear with subsequent pregnancies. 

What determines if you’d develop melasma during pregnancy? Apparently there are quite a few factors involved, including race, hormones and exposure to the sun.

Another common type of pigmentation that occurs during pregnancy is Linea Nigra, a darkened line right down the middle of the abdomen.

The Fix:

If you are going to get melasma you are going to get it. There is really nothing that you can do to prevent it per se, but indiscriminate exposure to the sun does either make it appear earlier, or make it worse so don your broad spectrum sunscreen.

Antioxidants like ginko biloba and Vitamin C can help prevent the skin from damaging UV rays.

3. Dry Brittle Nails

Of course not everyone benefits from strong, fast growing nails. In some women nails get dry and brittle, they split, and are prone to otherwise breaking quite easily. 

The Fix:

Keep nails short and treat with cuticle oil regularly, especially before bed at nights. A coat or two of clear or coloured nail polish (if you are okay with wearing it during pregnancy) can also help the nail plate to hold on to it’s moisture. 

4. Dehydrated Skin

The body in general can become dehydrated as well, more and more so with time when the bladder becomes under pressure and needs to be relived every half second. 

The Fix:

Hydrating ingredients such as Hyaluronic acid, Sodium PCA, Lactic acid and Cucumber in skin care can help the skin maintain it’s moisture level. 

Silicones such as cyclomethicone and cyclopetasiloxan help keep the skin’s protective layer in tact while allowing it to breathe. Emollients such as shea butter, squalene (found in olive oil) and aloe also work at protecting the barrier function of the skin, and of course up your water intake. 

5. Spider veins

Increased blood flow along with overactive pregnancy hormones can cause the normally teeny tiny blood capillaries just below the skin’s surface to become more visible during pregnancy.  

Spider veins can also pop out on the face and on the white part of the eyeballs during pregnancy (okay that sounds scary) and strong, flush-in-the-face pushing during delivery can go so far as break these tiny blood vessels, a condition known as nevi. 

The Fix: 

Although nevi can take pretty long to disappear, makeup, when appropriately applied, can camouflage these tiny burst blood vessels. Some spider veins on the legs or torso may never disappear on their own, so if you feel it is imperative that they not be there, a dermatologist can remove them using injections. 

Anti-inflammatory ingredients such as lavender, cucumber, rosewater and oatmeal treat sensitization and help to keep the redness at bay. Bioflavonoids such as grape tea and green tea extracts, red raspberry or anything from the berry family really, help with the skin’s healing and repairing function.

and the MOTHER of all peeves…

6. Stretch marks.

Uuugh. 

Stretch marks are caused by rapid weight loss or gain. They are formed from the overstretching of the skin’s walls, which in turn interrupts the normal production of collagen thereby causing a scar. 

Stretch marks typically appear first as reddish/ purple lines (depending on skin tone) but usually fade to a lighter colour.

The International Dermal Institute states:

The stretching occurs in the dermis, the middle layer of the skin that helps the skin retain it’s shape. Once the dermis has been stretched continuously over time, certian parts of it “overstretch”, losing all elasticity and causeing the connective fibres within to break. The result is what we know as stretch marks.

The Fix:

There are NO topical remedies to cure stretch marks. Read… NONE. However, invasive procedures can remove them if you feel that strongly about their presence.

As far as prevention being better than a cure, I’m not sure if you can prevent stretch marks as it’s really a function of how the deeper layers of your skin reacts to certain trauma. However, in MY opinion, there are things that you can do to minimize the degree of pressure that your skin is bombarded with.

Keeping skin hydrated, avoiding rapid weight loss/ gain, keeping skin moisturized and supple, following a healthy lifestyle that includes a balanced diet/ exercise/ suppliments, getting enough sleep… stuff like that would help your skin’s general health I’d imagine. Just a guess.

Be Freakin’Fabulous

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Pedi-telligent

Choosing the right hairstyle for you is dependent on many things – your lifestyle, your face structure, your skin tone, the texture of your hair etc. (more…)

Battle of the Acids

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In an effort to keep the fountain of youth flowing, alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) have taken up permanent residence in almost any talk that mentions exfoliation.

AHAs are naturally occurring acids derived from plant sources, which are often used as exfoliants in skin care.

Types of AHAs

There are many AHAs, for example:

- Tartaric acid (grapes),

- Citric acid (citrus fruits),

- Malic acid (apples), and

- Mandelic acid (bitter almonds).

However, Lactic acid (derived from milk) and Glycolic acid (derived from sugar cane) seem to be the most popular.

These acids are used in professional treatments, both by skin therapists as well as medical practitioners, but they are also popping up in over the counter skin care remedies as well, in lower strengths of course, usually less than 10% acid.

Part of this may be attributed to the fact that AHAs appear to be replacing Retin-A (commonly referred to as retinol), which was commonly used in skin care formulations in the past. I can only imagine that the reason for this is that AHAs are less harsh and irritating on the skin than Retin-A is (remember that!).

How does this exfoliation occur?

AHAs contain molecules small enough to penetrate the outer superficial layers of the skin (the layers that you see), into the skin’s lower, the dermis or ‘true skin’, where all the action happens (that which you don’t see).

This is done by breaking down a ‘cement’ of sorts that bind dead skin cells together, hereby assisting cell turnover, i.e. the time that it takes for new, fresh, hydrated skin cells to make it’s way to the surface, replacing any lingering old, dead skin cells that contribute to giving skin it’s dull, lackluster, sallow appearance.  Sounds similar to what happens in Hollywood.

Lactic vs. Glycolic Acid

So what’s the difference, if any, and which is ‘better’?

No one is necessarily ‘better’ but, because of the differences, one may be better suited to certain skin conditions than the other.

Both lactic acid and glycolic acid function similarly in their ability to ‘exfoliate’ the surface layers of the skin, in order to reveal softer, smoother skin, as well as reduce the appearance of wrinkles, decreased blemishes and lightened age spots.

However, in addition to exfoliating, lactic acid has also been found to

-       Brighten and

-       Hydrate the skin.

Because of this, the use of lactic acid over glycolic acid can prove beneficial and less irritating on certain skins, for example those who are genetically prone to  skin sensitivity (usually found in those plagued with asthma, eczema or allergies like hay fever) or have skin that is easily sensitized. See the difference between sensitive and sensitized skin here

Skins that are prone to darkening (or hyper-pigmentation) like Asian or darker skins, may also be better off using lactic acid as opposed to glycolic acid in skin care treatment. Why? Lactic acid gives that additional brightening oomph, which would be beneficial as irritation on these particular types of skins often lead to darkening of the skin. Not cool. 

b FreakinFabulous

Photo: luigi diamanti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Puff Baggy

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The occurrence of dark under eye circles is a genetic trait, which is made worse by stress and/ or lack of sleep. If you find yourself developing this, then your best bet would be to either lighten up a bit, or doze off some more.

As this is a genetic condition, there is no topical skin care that can diminish the appearance of these under eye circles. Nadas.

Any topical skin care that is promising you this is feeding you pure lies, save your moolah.

Puffy eyes

Puffy eyes however, may be topically treated, depending on the cause. Typically it is just a temporary inflammatory state, around the eye area. Your best bet? Get off of Facebook, and get some sleep.

Getting in enough rest will solve more than half of your problems.

Anti-inflammatory ingredients such as:

-       Chamomile
-       Cucumber
-       Echinacea
-       Rose water
-       Liquorice
-       Green Tea or
-       Vitamin C

for example, in a cooling gel based masque, or similar fluid-like moisturizer, nothing too thick in consistency, can help bring down the puffiness in the eye area.

In addition to eyes being tired, puffy eyes may also be as a result of a bigger body malfunction issue, like thyroid problems or fluid retention, or it may be as a result of lifestyle choices, like smoking or improper nutrition. If you have persistent puffy eyes and are bothered by it, be sure to consult your doctor to find the root cause, in the event it may be as a result of something more than needing sleep.

In any case, topical skin care ingredients are only a temporary fix for puffy eyes.

Darkened areas around the eye

However, if you have just a darkened portion around a certain area of your eye, for example one that is evident on one eye and not the other, it is possible that this may be treated as there could be another reason for it’s presence other than plain old genetics.

For example, I have a darkening (hyper-pigmentation) on the left outer corner of my eye. I know that it’s there, but I just figured that’s my lot in life.

I have allergic reactions to certain conditions (like the cold, poor me. I was definitely not cut out to live in arctic conditions…) as well as certain substances (like certain eyeshadows and eyeliners) that cause my left eye in particular to tear up, but who doesn’t have allergies these days.

In the past I’ve been known to constantly wipe the tears away from my left eye – with tissue, the wool blazer on my arm, my winter gloves, my shoulder… which I never paid any mind, until a fellow skin therapist brought to my attention that this constant wiping action with any and everything, irritates the skin surrounding my outer eye.

It would only follow, worse that my skin complexion is darker in tone, that this irritation causes increased sensitivity/ inflammation, which leads to the hyper-pigmentation that I now see. Duh. Silly me.

So what’s my cure? Well, as I can’t really help the cold climate or the fact that I’m genetically disposed to certain allergies, I can:

1. Firstly, quit rubbing my eye with harsh stuff.

2. Use an eye-cream daily, which contains:

a. Sunscreen, (min SPF 15) to prevent any further darkening in this eye area as well as

b. Brightening ingredients, like  Vitamin C to help alleviate the skin discolouration that I presently experience in this particular area.

3. Carefully remove eye makeup at night with a specially formulated eye-makeup remover, or a cleanser that has been specifically formulated for use in the eye area as well.

Thanks for the question AK!

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b FiercelyFabulous

Photo Credits: m_bartosch / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Steppin’ on up!

Steppin’ on up!

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The term “anti-aging” is quite possibly one of the best marketing ideas this century, because , of course, it is virtually impossible to get physically get younger with time, whether or not it refers to the skin.

What we can do however is prevent the acceleration of the skin’s aging.

One of the best ways to prevent this acceleration is to do something. Even if you have the most basic of skin care routines – cleansing and moisturizing with pH balanced products i.e. a routine that doesn’t involve using soap-and-water followed by nothing, or worse, body lotion… on your face.

So if you are using a drug store skin care line religiously, twice a day – in the morning and before bedtime, you are already ahead of the pack.

However, if you’ve had this routine for some time and want to up the results of your skin care routine, here are a few options that you can look at.

1. Add an exfoliant and a mask.
Incorporate an exfoliant to assist in ridding dead skin cells, (enzyme or lactic acid based preferably, rather than a scrub type exfoliant) paired with an hydrating mask, to nourish skin/ replenish any water content that has been lost in the process. 

If you must go with a scrub, avoid the ones with apricot and walnut shells, and look for ones with microbeads – tiny spherical substances, are much gentler on your face as the perfectly round and smooth surfaces prevent any micro tearing/ ripping action on the skin, which can lead to skin damage, sensitivity and of course, ugh, pigmentation.

2. Try a professional skin care line.

Another way to boost the results of your skin care is to try a professional skin care line. Your skin therapist, if you have one, can recommend the right one, along with the right type of cleanser/ toner/ moisturizer combo.

Professional skin care lines typically have more active ingredients in their ingredient list, either that or they use a higher percentage of these active ingredients, so, though they are typically a bit more expensive depending on the brand, you get more bang for your buck. Of course there is a point where you are just paying for the brand – we no likey those.

3. Get a professional skin treatment at least once a month.

Your skin therapist may recommend a customized program to start, in order that you both work to get your skin where you want to be, after which a treatment every 4 to 8 weeks ought to suffice.

~|~

Regardless of which route you choose to go, you ought to look at the product’s ingredient list to make sure it doesn’t contain skin sensitizing ingredients, for example:

- Mineral oil/ petrolatum or lanolin.

These ingredients have been shown to form an impervious layer that prevents oxygen, water, or anything else really from moving across it’s layer. Great concept for freezing food, but not so good when it comes to skin that needs to breathe, in order to prevent the development of “Dr. Zit”.

Choose other ingredients like shea butter, or jojoba oil for example that can provide the same benefits, while allowing your skin to breathe.

The following ingredients are well known to increase skin’s sensitivity, especially with regard to the sun:

- Fragrance / parfum
First or last ingredient, just avoid it.

- Denatured alcohol
E.g. rubbing alcohol, typical found in over the counter toners/ astringents, that are targeted to oily or acneic skin. Witch Hazel, as an ingredient, is a much better alternative.

- D&C colour (artificial colour).
Typically indicated by a primary colour name. Must your skin care really be electric blue?

So yeah pass on that Coconut Sorbet facial sunscreen lotion that’s on clearance rack; It’s there for a reason.

Thanks for the question AK!

b FiercelyFabulous.

Photo Credits: Tina Phillips / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Ain’t nothing like crepey hands to really jack up an otherwise youthful situation.

Your hands are one of the first places to age, and by age I mean get wrinkly, sallow looking, dehydrated, spotty/ hyper-pigmented (mixture of darker or lighter areas). All kinds of fun. All kinds of uber unfabulousness in the mix.

Right after the hands, a few other places that age pretty quickly are around the eyes (otherwise known as crows feet), the neck and the decollete/ chest area.

These parts age more quickly  because the skin in these areas are typically thinner than the skin on the face or the body perhaps, where the skin, and fat content primarily, are thicker.

As skin in general gets thinner and thinner as we age, these aforementioned areas are then already at a disadvantage. Noone said life is fair, but geeze. Cut a body part some slack.

Hands are even more particularly at risk with all the harsh hand/ dishwashing detergents we use daily, not to mention the incredibly stripping alcohol-based hand sanitizers we use so that we don’t make social with other people’s bacteria/ germs.

The following are some tips to help slow down the appearance of aging on the skin in the areas (around eyes, neck, decollete and hands) that are naturally prone to age faster than the rest of the body:

1. Moisturize hands after cleansing

Seems obvious, but judging from the number of people who don’t normally moisturize their body after having a shower, I’ll say it anyway.

2. Include your neck and decollete in every step of your usual skin care routine.

How many ever steps you already have – cleanse/ exfoliate/ mask/ tone/ moisturize.

3. Exfoliate hands.

In addition to the usual cleanse and moisturize steups that we follow with our hands, exfoliating hands helps refresh the skin, and helps impart a healthy glow. You can use a normal spherical/ micro-bead scrub or you can get fancy and use a gentle enzyme or hydroxy-acid exfoliating scrub.

The use of a super hydrating hand moisturizer, after cleansing (and exfoliating, if applicable) the hands helps replace the moisture that is often lost by (often harsh) cleansers that we normally use for keeping our hands dirt/ germ-free.

4. Adopt a night time hand routine

If your hands are chronically dry and crepey, spritzing the back of your hands with toner after cleansing at night just before bed, then following with a thicker moisturizer with both hydrating (e.g. hyaluronic acid, sodium PCA, lactic acid, cucumber) and emollient ingredients (e.g. shea butter, aloe and squalene) will assist in combatting dehydration.

Silicones such as cyclomethicone and cyclopetasiloxan, as product ingredients, help seal in the moisture while allowing the skin to breathe, which is a ‘hell yes’ step-up from mineral oil.

5. Use a specialized cleanser and moisturizer for eyes.

That is, one that is specifically formulated for this delicate area.

If you are concerned with any fine lines and wrinkles that have already started appearing around the eye area, an eye cream that contains Vitamin C and a  minimum SPF 15 (for day) should be standard ingredients in your eye cream.

6. Include neck, decollete, and hands in your sunscreen application.

This is especially for those of us who drive and/ or are stuck in traffic in the beating hot sun. The sun’s UV rays filter right though the average windscreen, and take a toll on  hands that are tightly wrapped around the steering wheel.

FreakinFabulous

Photo Credits: Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Get high on highlites!

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Summer is fast approaching and whether you are thawing out over there, or baking and sweating over here, I know that this is a time for stretching those adventure muscles and trying new things.

You’ve been good girls – taken care of that hair, made sure it was covered from the biting cold and deep conditioned enough to prevent it snapping in two from being dry and brittle, and now you want to shake those tresses and strut your stuff at the beach right?

You worked out following the sinful gluttony that was the Christmas season, and now have got those abs in tow and purchased that killer bikini, but either way, what about the hair?

A change is needed… but what? Sooo many options, so little time. The best choices are the ones that won’t bust your pockets but will beckon lustily to the nearest hottie in surfshorts to your left.

What about some sexy hi-lights? Surely these will jazz up any winter hat hair.

But before you get too giddy, first the hair strands must be healthy enough to handle it being properly stripped, so be sure to follow a deep conditioning routine at least a couple times before you sit in the colourist’s chair. At the very least, get one a week before the scheduled change.

Then during that one week grab some magazines. Check out what’s hot and what’s oh-so-not. Then narrow it down to what looks good, and more importantly what look good on you. If you aren’t sure (honestly even if you think you are) enlist the help of your stylist in order to best stay true to what flatters your complexion. Nothing is worse than seeing bleached blonde hair on skin that wasn’t born to be that way.

Brassy Hair. Wow. I am telling you I am tired, tired, tired, of beautiful ladies shocking me with a head of frizzed out metallic orange hair that does nothing to uphold their status. *Diva who?* Just makes me want to rip off that rug and attack it with a bottle of dark brown dye, kite paper, koolaid, shoe polish… something. Argh!

But, as usual, I digress…

So we have chosen the look. But since I hit my crystal ball with a sledge hammer after that last incident involving a lotto ticket and a can of peanut butter, I don’t have the use of it anymore and so I am going to bombard you with a wide variety of choices.

The highs and lows of hi-lights

Committment, Baby.

Hi-lights lighten the hair and makes it appear brighter, while a lowlight darkens and deepens it. Incorporating both in various hues of the same family gives tremendous depth, and dimension to an otherwise okay hair style. Blonde, gold and chamomile tones can be  used for highlighting and reds, plums and aubergine shades for lowlighting.

Usually, two or three colours are used for a multifaceted, shimmering effect – any more than that and the hues can lose their contrast and look a bit muddled.

Whatever your natural colour, you shouldn’t go more than three or four shades lighter or darker, as the results can be too harsh for your natural skin tone.

No committment, Baby.

You can incorporate multifaceted colour in this way by clipping in extensions, or of course by weaving or gluing them in depending on how ‘permanent’ you want them.  Yip. So if the urge takes you, why not add a bit of colour with out the commitment?