5 Things NOT To Do To Your Skin this Summer.

5 of the worst things you can do to your skin during Summer.

1. Aggressive Facials

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By aggressive I mean any treatments that involve advanced exfoliation techniques, or includes terms such as chemical peels or microdermabrasion.

Also any facial procedures involving invasive techniques – cosmetic surgeries, nips, lifts, tucks – anything that pierces the face, should also be put off until the fall or winter, unless you would be recuperating in some retreat, indoors and far, far away from the hustle of life in the fast lane where the rest of us will be. If you would be at such a retreat, gwaan on along with your treatment and please do us all a favour and, like a good friend, not mention how ‘ super awesome’ it was.

Exposure to UV rays already increases skin’s sensitivity. No need to make this sensitivity worse by dousing your face in glycolic acid. This combination can result in your worse nightmare, including, but not limited to blisters, darkening of skin areas and disfigurement.

2. Skipping moisturizer

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Typically most skin types are more oily during the summer months. Those of us with naturally oily/ acne prone skin tend to forgo moisturizer altogether, thinking that this excess oil means that the skin moisturizes itself on it’s own. Increased oil production is usually a sign of dehydration, therefore it is important to replenish water levels in skin by increasing the amount of water you drink yes, but it’s said that only something like 10% of the water we drink actually make it to the skin. This is not something that you can quote me on, but considering that most of us barely pass the 2-glass mark daily for water, anything less than 115% absorption of this water we drink is cause for concern.

Therefore, applying a water-based, oil free moisturizer can help replenish the water levels in the skin. These types of moisturizers usually are labeled as such, may be referred to as a ‘gel’ or ‘fluid’ moisturizer and usually list ‘Water’ as the first ingredient.

Stay clear of anything that is labeled a ‘cream’, passes the ‘Dairy Queen’ test (you can turn the opened jar upside down and the contents not fall out), or contains mineral oil (or any such oil) in it’s ingredient listing.

3. Showering less

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“So many fun things to do, so little time!”

No papi. Not so fast.

It’s summer. It’s warm, and it’s humid. Bacteria are in love. They breed, and they multiply, which inevitably results in an odour. YOUR odour, aka B.O.

Hygiene in general needs to be thrown into high gear, and on autopilot. Automatic. Noone wants to out more fires than necessary at the BBQ lime.

Let’s remember the Summer watchwords – Shower & Shave.

4. Not exfoliating

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Closely related to #3, exfoliation of the body helps to remove excess oil buildup that may occur during the day. It helps skin to breathe, look instantly refreshed and ‘glow’, as manually exfoliating the body increases blood circulation.

You can cop one of those kazillion commercial body scrubs on the market and and get it on in the shower. However, I find most of them oily, and hardly worth their cost as most contain very little exfoliating ingredients.

Alternatives?

Dry brush your skin using a dry body brush before you shower, brushing in strokes that lead toward your heart (the direction in which your blood flows). I’ve read that dry brushing, among many other benefits such as shedding dead skin cells, rejuvenating the nervous system and assisting in lymphatic cleansing to name a few, also assists with decreasing the appearance of cellulite… could be as good a reason as any to try it I’d say. Hey, I’ve done more for the promise of far less.

I find dry brushing more effective than brushing your skin in the shower (wet brushing I presume, though this term makes me feel like I need handcuffs), as  the bristles of the brushes, shown to the left, get softer in the shower.

I prefer my massage-pressure firm though, so if you are more of a light-pressure person, perhaps an in-shower brush-exfoliation may work. I do this twice a day – morning and evening.

For good measure, once a week I also do a body scrub, using a combination of cornmeal, honey and, for some slip, a bit of whatever body wash I’m using at the time.  Sometimes I just use ground coffee beans and body wash. Whatever is convenient. For more on body exfoliation see Smooth Criminal.

5. Not using sunscreen

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To my melanin-challenged folks, we aren’t all skin-kissed, bronze goddesses, I get that. But that is no reason to opt to play Cancer Roulette. Besides, sun-burns aren’t sexy, no matter what reality TV says. If wanting a tan is your reason to ride the sun-wave buck nekked, get a sun-less tan. There are tons on the market. I’m familiar with the brand Fake Bake – it’s fairly easy to use, it’s sold where I work, doesn’t leave you looking like like you belong on the Jersey Shore cast, and so this particular brand comes to mind, but there are many other brands. Try that route.

For those of us who are doing backstrokes in the melanin pond, don’t believe the hype that “Black Don’t Crack”. Not only can it crack, it can get mad spotty and unslightly – dark spots, light spots, uneven skin tone – you name it. Skin damage is not known to discriminate.

Be responsible with your skin, and, for wrinkles sake, use sunscreen.

Party on!

b FiercelyFabulous

image credit

Foot Fetish | 10 Steps to a Spa Pedicure

The Beyotch of all Pedicures.

The Spa Pedicure is one of the ultimate luxuries to pamper your digits. At a reputable nail salon, i.e one that takes the necessary precautions against the spread of diseases/ infections in a nail salon, this indulgence can run anywhere upwards of $75 a service, with a Spa Mani/ Pedi combo running at least an easy minimum $100.

In a bid to differentiate themselves from a fellow competitor, it is not uncommon for nail salons to present creative names for these services.

“The Ultimate Pedicure”

“The Signature Pedicure”

“Hot Lava Pedicure”

As a nail salon owner, the point here is to differentiate yourself. Get creative.

These types of pedicures are primarily found in middle to high end salons because of the sheer time it takes to get all of the goodies done - anywhere between 50 – 120 minutes. Usually, the longer the time taken, the more expensive the service.

So what is a Spa Pedicure anyways?

Typically, what differentiates a Spa pedicure from a Classic pedicure is pampering time. Therefore, Spa pedicures will probably include a scrub, a (perhaps extended) foot massage, as well as extra care to smoothing hardened soles of the feet. Uber high-end salons may also include a foot mask, paraffin treatments etc. These are inexpensive add-ons for the Spa, so the charge  largely comes for the use of the  therapist’s time. Additionally, there is also an additional cost for callus removal in a pedicure . Why? because any of these above processes can add up to 15 minutes each.

It is important to remember that Spa services , as opposed to other beauty services like Hair  services for example, are charged per minute rather than per service. Arrive late for your Spa service and you have only the remaining time in your reserved slot to get your service done, if they will grant you the the service at all, never mind, *swipe*, your credit card will be charged either way.

Why?

If the colouring service on your new hair colour/ cut/ style ‘do takes longer than anticipated, the stylist cannot exactly leave you mid service and tell you hard luck can s/he? Not so much. This is why there is normally a cancellation policy (usually 24-48 hours) for spa services. Time is money baby!

Can you achieve a similar service at home?

With the knowledge,  an hour, some patience, and the right tools, you sure can!

Here are 10 steps to an at-home Spa Pedicure, complete with tips to getting it right, polish optional.

Remember, practice makes you better.

YOU WILL NEED:

- Pedicure bowl with lukewarm water (warmer if you can tolerate it)
- Small to medium sized bowl with clean, lukewarm water (warmer if you can tolerate it)
- Orange stick and/ or nail pusher
- Nail Clipper,  made especially for clipping toes
- Nail File (180 grit)
- Foot soak/ Pedicure soak/ Mineral Salts/ Epson salts etc. (your choice)
- Hydrating Foot lotion
- Cuticle Oil
- Nail Buffer (white)
- Foot File
– 2 Hand Towels
- Nail polish remover and cotton balls (if necessary)

OPTIONAL ITEMS
- Cuticle nipper
- Foot Mask
- Callus softener
- Intensive Heel balm
- Base Coat, Top Coat, Nail polish

Time Required: 60 – 120 mins

1. Soak Feet

In pedicure bowl, mix foot soak in a generous amount of lukewarm water as per foot soak instructions. Place feet in bowl for up to 10 minutes.

2. Remove any existing polish from nails on both feet. (If necessary.)

3. Cut and File Nails

- Remove right foot from pedicure bath. Cut nails using nail clipper.
Note: cutting nails too short can damage the nail. Avoid cutting nails with too sharp of a  downward curve at the edge / sides of the nail, where the nail meets the side of your finger, as this may result in ingrown/ hangnails. Ouch.

- Using a nail file, file nails so that there are no sharp edges left by nail clipper, so that nail edge is smooth.

4. Clean the edges of the nail plate

- Using orange stick or nail pusher, GENTLY clean bottom of the nail bed, where it connects to the finger.

- GENTLY push back the cuticle using orange stick/ nail pusher.
Dead skin cells of the cuticle collect here, as well as residue from hand lotion, environmental dirt, etc. It is important not to scrape the nail bed in this area too roughly, as grave, possibly permanent, damage may be done to the nail bed.

- OPTIONAL – Cuticles may be clipped at this stage, but it is important to clip ONLY the dead, and not the living, tissue. If you are unsure of what is dead and what is living tissue, skip this stage altogether, as clipping live tissue can result in cuts, bleeding and damage to the cuticle.

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5. Buff nails and clean under free edge

- Using a white nail buffer, GENTLY buff nails (no more than 10 strokes per nail).
Buffing to smooth the nail bed. Overzealous buffing however, will result in thinning and possible damage to the nail plate, which is a common occurrence in professional manicures.  The amount of buffing that ought to be done will depend on the condition of the nail. It is important to  note that, depending on the depth of the ridges of the nail, it may not be possible to smoothen out all ridges, without removing the entire nail bed.

- Using orange stick, clean under free edge (the area at the top of the nail where gook collects when you use your nails to scratch… something) of any residual nail that may have collected here during the filing/ buffing stage.

6. Apply cuticle oil to cuticles

- Critical step to well manicured nails.

7. Apply callus softener and wrap foot

- Optional, if applicable, apply callus softener to any calluses/ hardened areas on soles of feet, and wrap foot in a towel.

Repeat steps 3 – 7 on left foot.

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8. Smooth calluses

- Starting with right foot, remove towel and smooth calluses/ hardened areas on soles of feet  with a back and forth motion using foot file. Repeat on left foot. And please, never use a razor blade.

9. Apply and remove scrub

- Starting with right foot, apply foot scrub for 2-3 minutes. Rinse with clean water from small bowl into the pedicure bowl. Repeat on left foot.

OPTIONAL – Apply foot mask
To right foot, avoiding the tips of the toes, and wrap in a towel. Repeat on left foot and let both feet stand for 5-10 minutes.

Rinse mask from right foot using clean water from bowl. Repeat on left foot.

10. Massage feet

- Massage hydrating foot lotion to right foot, including legs. Pay special attention to heels. Repeat on left foot.

- If necessary, apply heel balm to cracked heels, on right and left foot.

- Apply cuticle oil to cuticles.
*TIP – Cuticle oil is quite possibly any nail technician’s secret weapon as the application will make nails in any condition, look healthier. Guaranteed.

POLISH APPLICATION PREP (OPTIONAL)

For nail polish application, remove any traces of lotion from nails using a cotton ball with nail polish remover. Apply polish in the following order:

- Start with one coat for base coat to all nails.
- Follow with a coat, or two, of nail polish (one coat a time).
- End  with  Top coat application.

Finish with application of cuticle oil to cuticles, as in step above.

It’s easy to have a foot fetish with kissable feet!

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Not quite at this level? You can still have kissable feel with an at-home Classic pedicure. **Coming soon.**

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b Freakin’Fabulous

For more info. on how to protect yourself against infectious diseases in nail salons, click here.

Photo: Simon Howden / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Winter Prep

Season’s change, yet it all stays the same. Well, you have the same skin at any rate.

Still, a change in climate is one of the biggest stressors to your skin, so it helps if you prep it to deal with the extreme shift in temperature that it will have to face head on. No double pun intended.

One of the best things that you can do to prep your skin for winter is:

1. SWITCH YOUR MOISTURIZER

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Or in some cases, USE one. And yes, everyone has to use one. Oily skin and all, we’ve covered this here.

One of the many challenges with the harsh winter climate is the immense dehydration in skin that can occur.

Dry Skin Types

In addition to the fact that this skin type is prone to dehydration, it also naturally lacks oil, a situation that can become more chronic during the winter months, which can result in excessively tight, uncomfortably flakey skin. To effectively deal with this, Switch your lightweight moisturizer to a thicker, heavier one. Perhaps opting for a cream consistency rather than a lotion or fluid. Bring on the overnight serums, complexes or other nutrient/ hydration boosters to counteract the harsh, sometimes stripping effects of the winter wind chill.

Oily Skin Types

Oily skinners argue that they already produce so much oil that a moisturizer is the last thing they need. Well, for sure oil is probably the last thing you need, but everyone needs water. Even oily skin can be dehydrated. Seek out and find yourself a humectant moisturizer – a fluid like (read ‘watery’, easy flowing consistency), one with water, or even better, ingredients such as Hyaluronic acid or Sodium PCA as one of it’s first/ first few ingredients.

If you are oil prone, stay away from any product that contains any sort of oils/ oil based substance in it – Olive oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, jojoba oil, or worse, mineral oil.

Sensitized Skin Conditions

Whether your skin is dry, oily, normal or in between, silicones are your best friend if you experience sensitivity on your skin. They are non-irritating, and are fantastically capable of protecting against water evaporation from the skin, while at the same time allowing the skin to breathe – a property that petroleum, and mineral oil products are unable to claim, as they are considered highly comedogenic (blocks/ clogs pores). Cyclomethicone and Dimethicone are common silicone ingredients… generally any ingredient that ends in ‘cone’ is an ingredient to look for.

Other calming ingredients that help are oatmeal, lavender, cucumber and chamomile, anti-inflammatory ingredients such as lavender and chamomile also help.

2. EXFOLIATE

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Regardless of your skin type, exfoliation is an excellent way of ridding your skin of dead skin cells to reveal fresh, new, skin cells that are more … well… alive and have a greater fluid content.

Therefore the process of exfoliation results in two things:

1. Ridding your skin of excess, dead skin cells
2. Hydrating skin

Now, let me say here that rather than the amateur-league, morning cleansing scrub (especially if your skin is sensitized)  opt for chemical exfoliation  - AHA/ BHA (lactic acid/  salicylic acid based), or enzymatic exfoliants, rather than manual exfoliation by micro-scrubbing beads – So teenager. [For the difference between chemical and manual exfoliation, see post Smooth Criminal]

Let’s get into Grown ‘n Sexy proper tings.

For my non-temperate country dealers, exfoliation is also a step that you’d want to up the ante, starting now  so that you can prep your skin for the holiday season. Be it swanky shindigs, corporate appearances, family gatherings or ish you only attend for the free food – You don’t want to wait for the week before an event to start a professional exfoliation for obvious reasons.

1. God forbid, you have an adverse reaction to the procedure.

This mess would be neither sexy, nor desirable.

Whether it is microdermabrasion, chemical peels or enzymatic peels… no-one wants to show up with welts on their skin to the biggest shindig of the year.

2. It takes 28 days on average for your skin to regenerate itself – longer if you are over the age of 25. [See Anti-aging Tip #5]

Stats don’t lie. I see the average age of you peeps who read GC and I know we’re all well over 25 *cough* so take heed. You would want to take on the process of skin rejuvenation – either by professional exfoliation skin treatments and/ or change in diet/ lifestyle well before a month prior. Just like your nutrition, or lack thereof, with the reasoning that you did ish all whole year about your skin’s health, you will need three months minimum prep for your skin to even start to see some sort of change that you can write to home about.

So, let’s get to it. Exfoliate.

b Freakin’Fabulous

Sometimes the clothes do not make the man

I have always felt that in order for one to achieve true happiness, one must follow one’s life path, while stepping on the least  number of toes possible, or causing hurt to anyone around you otherwise.

I have been privy to many ideas and notions of what makes a man, a man. The alpha male. The good man. The elusive one as I like to call it.

There is the physical attribute bit – tall, easy on the eye, strong shoulders, shoulders straight not rounded, generally fit … My  ideal man does have a resemblance to a certain shape-shifting wolf, in a certain series of sunsetting of movies…

Back to the point at hand, there are lots of ideas of what a real man should look  like, and how he should act. I overheard an idea this week, which spoke of men as powerful creatures,  who ruled the world with just a hint of a smile and charisma, with firmness, and of course people follow him every where like slaves, or mice stumbling after the pied piper.

The true male – at least by society’s standards – is without fault, and without failure.

Hmm. Good luck with that.

I find that hard to believe. In fact I will go so far as to say the Alpha male, as was just described, does not exist.

I’ve had a lot of interaction with the male species of human being, but first let me give you some insight into who I am as a woman.

I am not lacking in intelligence. I am not in the habit of allowing situations that occur in and around my personal space to colour my feelings – ( that all men are horrid, horrid creatures), though I will admit to having used it at one point or another,  in a natural fit of rage, for example when the child’s father insists on not purchasing the stuff for the child like he said he would.

In my experiences, it would appear that men can swing either which way when it comes to being a good or bad one. But this isn’t limited to only men – each person has the potential to become either the best that they can be, or the worst  being mankind has ever seen.

The notion that men are these invincible beings, at the top of the food chain, who possess the power to screw with my life as they see fit is the part that I don’t subscribe to. This is real life not “Twilight” dammit.

What we have is the Individual Man, the one who does not fit in to any mould cut out for him by any society, but tries to live his life as best he can without consciously hurting anyone that he may meet – male or female

Now we talking.

I could care less whether a man displays Alpha male tenancies, from what I read these are easy to imitate, so easy  I see an entirely different species – women – imitating it quite convincingly.

What I’d rather see is a man who has the guts and the gumption to own his actions.

Trust me when I say that I don’t want to hear the excuse,

” Well I was hurt by another woman long time ago ,and so I just going to do the same thing to every other woman I meet until I feel that I have squeezed out of life what is due to me.”

That doesn’t make you a Pretend Alpha Male, or an Alpha Male who’s been hurt and isn’t really like that , that just makes you a vindictive douche.

And I don’t want to know that you “have respect for every woman” as an Alpha male, because you and I know that is also a load of crock. Ish on a stick. If you can drop your pants and share some sugar stick without having feelings for your lady friend that doesn’t make you a bad person, that just means that you are taking what is being offered. What defines you is whether you are being HONEST about it.

I believe in the actions of the Individual Male.

I believe that each person should do what is right for him/her without actively causing pain to another by their actions. What I hate most about any man is the justification for their actions.

“Well I didn’t tell you I loved you back because I was taken off guard”…

“Well yes I did cheat on you, but you never give me attention anymore.”

“Well, I was hurt by another woman that you don’t know at all, and that is why I acted how I did, treated you how I did, I’m really a swell person and you should love me now, I’m all better…”

“I respect women across the board, I love and cherish women, what? Relationship you say? um nah – lets just have some quick sex – but doh tell anyone eh? I don’t want my friends to know that we are having sex. It would complicate things and people would know that, well… we’re having sex.”

“I hit you but you made me do it, no honey I wasn’t listening to Chris Brown or Eminem at the time.”

When I do my wrongs and I’m found out, I accept that I’ve been caught ,and I brace myself for whatever the consequences may be. I won’t say I’ve never told a lie, or ever hurt someone by my actions – that would be an untruth. But, when presented by the irrefutable evidence of misbehaviour as I would see it – I always judge a person by themselves – Never with the weight of their predecessors on them. Its oh – so tempting but really? What good would that serve?

I cannot and will not allow society to corral me into what they think  should be as a “Woman”.

So what if I’m not married at 32, and so what if I didn’t go to college? So what if I am not a Beauty Queen, or have life handed to me on a silver platter, So what? If they think I don’t fit the mould of what they think I should be – then they missing out on a great person. Their loss.

Likewise, I refuse to buy into what society thinks is what a man should be, or how he should act. The only thing I want from a man is that he be honest with him self and me.

Yuh like plenty woman? Say so.

Yuh like to party at the night club? Say so.

Yuh just want to have a sexual relationship – no feelings or emotions involved? Tell me.

Tell me up front and then let me make the decision whether I want to deal with that isht or not.

Who knows maybe I might say - “yeah ok… cool” or perhaps “Nah I’m on a different path right now.”

But don’t lie to and make people think, by word or deed, that there is a chance, for something greater, or  (the best one) that the other person is at fault, To me this is what defines a man as a man.

We all know that some people may think that its ok to subscribe to this kind of nonsense. I’m not judging them for that, but I refuse for anyone to think I am less for my choices , because my choices are not their choices.

Everyone is always quick to point fingers, to judge, but I am a strong advocate of fixing what is in your house first before you lend me your hammer to nail down meh roof.

All of us are human. We all have to deal with our choices in life. But there is not one rule that states that we have to be silent about it – just because society does not agree with what they believe is right.

Men to me are just that. Men.

Capable of fault, and making mistakes. And choosing that path to where ever it is they need to go. Equipped with the knowledge of right and wrong. What makes you a better MAN is not your animalistic tendencies. What makes you a REAL man is not whether you display societies definition of the Alpha male.

Its your compassion for your fellow man. Your Ability to lead despite what society says about you. The knowledge of what is right and what is wrong and the implementation of this into your everyday life.

The ability to say:

“Hey there. I made a terrible mistake. I do think you are a swell lady. But when you were ready for love I was not. its not that I didn’t feel the same way, its just that i wasnt ready for any kind of feeling at all…”

The presence of mind to say – “This is me.  You may not like it but here I am. Take it or leave it.”

And of course the ability to see when you have a good woman who loves you. Chances are she won’t be your ideal woman either (not every one looks like Aishwarya Rai).

Its so NOT you talking about your fellow man, behind his back, trying to make another man look small, pointing fingers at someone because their choices are not your choices. Its not you trying to make them look a certain way in the eyes of the lady who used to be in love with you but now has fallen in love with someone else. Someone you may not consider worthy of her. Someone you may think is not society’s  idea of a Real Man.

But look at it this way.

If she were so great, and worthy of a good man when you had her in your sights? What stopped you from showing her off to the world? What made you let her go?

A real man would say: “I had a good woman. I messed it up. She’s happy now. I want her to be happy.”

A real man would concentrate on making himself better. He would not think that he is above reproach, he would try to make him self better for the next lucky lady who happens to choose to be in love with him.

A real man is just that -REAL.

Forward ever.

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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She got it from her mama

 

Humans are an interesting bunch. 

We are so technologically advanced at times, yet at the same time it’s amazing the things we accept as truth. “Anti-Aging” for example, must be one of the most overused words this decade, yet when you really think about is, is ‘anti-aging’ possible? 

No. 

A perfect example of marketing at it’s finest. 

Truth is, although aging (an alteration in structure, appearance and function of skin as taken in this context) cannot be prevented, it can be accelerated.

Aging is a continuous process that starts the day that you were born. It is one of life’s harshest realities; the degree of harshness of course, is dependent on many factors including both Skin Type (genetics) and Lifestyle (how you choose to live your life) – just how much you didn’t care about your skin in your 20s shows up in your 40s, if you’ve paced yourself socially, earlier if thought then that life was running away from you.

As you can imagine, there are many factors that influence how a person ages. These factors may be classified as being either Intrinsic or Extrinsic in nature. 

Intrinsic Aging refers to that which may be naturally expected to happen with time. It is said that 10% of our aging is intrinsic i.e. 10% of how we age is beyond our control and is affected by:

1. good old Father Time and

2. Genetics, that which your parents were so kind enough to give to you, like those allergies, and those toes.

A whooping 90% of our aging however, is extrinsic, meaning that it is under our control. Can you imagine that? Ninety percent.

What we eat, what we do, where we go and how we go there, as well as what we don’t eat, what we don’t do, where we don’t go and how we don’t go there can determine how well or how dreadfully awful we age. 

Extrinsic factors would include:

- Diet, nutrition and overall health

- Lifestyle

- Exposure to UVA and UVB radiation, like the sun’s rays)
- Smoking
- Excessive alcohol consumption
-  Stress
- Medication

- Environment, or other such external factors, for example if you injured yourself or otherwise did some damage to your skin. Or for example, if you live day in day out in metropolitan smog or if you live your life breathing in the fresh Caribbean breeze in some laid back tropical paradise. 

- Hormonal

As you may, or may not, imagine, a significant amount of extrinsic aging may be attributed to aging as a result of the damage that is done to the skin as a result of the over exposure to UV radiation, which is otherwise referred to as ‘photo-aging’, a state where the skin is irreparably damaged.

Photo-aging may occur on it’s own or as a result of other ‘lifestyle’ factors. For example, the heightened sensitivity to the sun’s UV rays that occurs within the skin when something like alcohol is ingested. Smoking, quite a few over the counter medications as well as poor nutrition can also make your skin more sensitive to the sun’s rays aka burn more easily when you are outdoors. 

So yes, she may have got it from her mama, but if she’s over 35 and can still get carded, best believe that there are a whole lot of other things that she, and her mama for that matter, have been doing right, like using a cleanser that’s an upgrade from soap perhaps, or using sunscreen… for starters.

be FiercelyFabulous.

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Anti-Aging Tip #6 

 

Nail Tip | Polish Smudge Fix

You finally got that second top coat on on your nail polish and one single, first-class, clumsy move royally wrecks it with a nasty dig?

Of course you can remove the polish completely and start from scratch with your base coat, first layer then second layer of polish – another 10 minutes (because you need to allow the polish to dry sufficiently between coats) or, if you are impatient like I can tend to be with my own nails, you can opt for a quick fix.

Tip 1:

1. Wet the finger pad of a strong, stable finger – perhaps your index finger of the opposite hand, in nail polish remover and tap the smudge lightly with the remover, using quick firm taps.

Your finger pad must be wet with the nail polish remover, or else you will just stamp your finger print on your wet nail polish. Dip your the finger pad again in the nail polish remover if necessary.

Careful now, tap don’t attempt to smoothen.

1. If the first coat was smudged, allow the quick fix to dry, then apply the second coat and base coats as you would normally.

2. If the second coat was smudged, allow the quick fix to dry, then just apply the top coat once the remaining two layers of nailpolish looks like you have already applied two layers.

3. If the top coat was smudged you can do the same and then apply another layer of top coat once the nail has COMPLETELY dried. If not then it would take very long for 5 layers of nail polish to dry rather than 4. 

Tip 2:

Alternatively, you can press the nail polish on top side of your tongue and smoothen out the polish in the appropriate direction. Sounds janky I know right? but I kid you not it works!

Now I don’t know about the health benefits of nail polish of course, so maybe you don’t want to do this on a regular basis, but you know… maybe if you are in a jam.

Allow the quick fix polish to dry completely and then finish with a top coat.

In the event that you do not have a professional nail polish remover dispenser, simply pour enough nail polish remover into the nail polish remover cap (more than halfway) that would allow you to wet your finger pad with ease without removing/ compromising the nail polish on that nail.

Of course this is for personal use, if you are charging people for your services then might I suggest you drink less caffeinated drinks and reapply the polish?

Might get you a larger tip.

Toodles!

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Q/A : Oil on 'Oily'

It’s great to find something that works – a relationship, a pair of jeans, and yes even a facial cleanser.

…

 ” I have sensitive, combination skin, with oily patches and terribly dry, flaky patches. I usually use foaming washes or scrubs, which have sometimes helped but largely… not so much. I live in the Caribbean and flew North over Christmas time, and my face dried out so badly I was like a snake shedding skin. Then I tried a “Cleansing Milk”. Not to sound like a cheezy ad, but it was like a miracle; No more flaking, my skin was soft and smooth, and no breakouts. I’m currently back home and I’ve kept using it. It’s been a week and my skin still looks great.

My question is, how does this make sense??? everything that I’ve been told about skin care suggests that I should avoid an oil based cleanser, yet this contains nothing BUT oil and it is making my skin thrive. How does that work?”

…

 

Oil on ‘oily’ skin? I know right, totally doesn’t follow logic. Maybe then:

1. Combination Dry

Your skin is combination yes, but combination dry, rather than combination oily, which would explain why your skin would benefit more from products that are formulated for dry skin types rather than products that are formulated for oily ones.

Alternatively:

2. Dry & Dehydrated

It is possible that your skin isn’t oily at all, and really is more of a dry skin type (sensitive skins usually are) that is also dehydrated, a skin condition that is very prevalent in tropical climates.

Dehydrated skin lacks water, and as the skin cannot produce water to hydrate itself on its own, (it will require that you either use hydrating moisturizers and/ or increase your water intake), the skin will produce more of what it can produce – oil. The over production of oil in this way can give the impression that your skin is combination oily when really is isn’t, because you see oil, but it’s not all over your face – only in certain areas, so you don’t think that your skin is outright ‘oily’, so ‘combination’ is the next best guess.

Dry skin types lack oil, which may explain why your skin is absolutely thriving with a milk cleanser rather than a foamy cleanser, which is normally very stripping for dry skin types. 

Of course being in a temperate country for the winter only makes a naturally dry skin type more dry and irritated, which is what probably prompted you to use a lipid based cleansing solution, like the milk cleansing solution in the first place. These ‘milk’ solutions, especially when ‘ (artificially) fragrance/ parfum free’, are usually specifically formulated for sensitive skins as well, and don’t contain harsh cleansing agents that would further irritate skin, resulting red/ dry/ flakey/ tight skin.

So although the product is largely oil/ lipid based, it is possible to see a dramatic improvement after switching to this product because it addresses at least 2 of the 3 possible challenges your skin faces:
- Combination (normal to dry) &
- sensitive

Many cleansing milks contain ‘natural extracts. Though some of these may seem like oils, it is not uncommon for certain extracts to have hydrating properties that will deal with your skin’s 3rd possible underlying condition – dehydration, which will result in your skin itself producing less oil, and seeming to be more balanced. 

Alternatively, as you did think that your skin was more on the oily side, you may have been using a moisturizer that contains less oil, and therefore more water or another hydrating ingredient, which will work with your milk cleanser to address this dehydration, which results in your skin producing less oil.

Less oil production by the skin = less breakouts, as the ideal conditions (excess sebum/ oil) for this type of bacterial activity no longer exists. This type of moisturizer will still work with the milk cleanser because your skin doesn’t seem to be chronically dry so this balance of oil and water products can work quite well.

So… boom, bang, boom.

You have a product that works perfectly for your skin type and conditions

Scrubs (with spherical micro-beads) do well at helping to exfoliate the excess flakiness on dry skin, maybe 2-3 times a week.

However, it must be followed up with a moisturizer that would replace the oil that is lost/ hardly present. So maybe you can do the scrubs at nighttime, and follow with a rich, thick, cream moisturizer, to allow your skin to rebalance itself while you sleep. That way when you follow with your normal cleansing routine the next morning, you wouldn’t have the excess oil that the thicker cream would have left on your face still lingering during the day.

Thanks for asking. Keep the questions coming.

.

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BMP Tip 5| 5 easy ways to look 10 years older

Lest you be found guilty by the Beauty & Makeup Police (BMP) while you try your very best to get your festive sexy on this holiday season, we thought it would be constructive of us to pin-point some of the biggest beauty/ makeup mistakes to avoid this ‘Holiday Glam’ season.

Here is the 5th simplest way to look 10 years older.

 

 

Bold Eye and lip colour

This only works on the runway and on 10 year old girls y’alls. Otherwise, it’s just too much going on aka ‘hot mess’.

Either:

- Dramatic eyes and nude lips, paired with blush that is present enough to balance the both. 

For bold eyes, stick to matted smokey colours, focusing shimmery highlights on browbone or on the inner corners of the eye. Alternatively, use shimmery accent eyeshadow colours to line/ add smokey definition to the eye.

All over eye glitter screams 80s.

Or:

- Bold lips paired with ‘Understated Glam’ eyes.

You don’t want to go too bland with the eyes when donning bold lips as you run the risk of looking lopsided, or at least like your makeup is unfinished. So, you can apply a shimmery neutral eyeshadow colour, a shade or so lighter than your natural skin colour, over your entire eyelid area, and then line your upper lash line with a statement liquid eyeliner in black, and you are good to go.

Alternatively you can do eyeshadow contouring for a smokey eyed look, but with neutral colours, opting for the smokey part in a brown or similar natural looking colour rather than black. Paired with eyelash extensions, this look can get you exactly where you need to go.

.

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5 Simple Ways to Look 10 years older | BMP Tip 2

Lest you be found guilty by the Beauty & Makeup Police (BMP) while you try your very best to get your festive sexy on this holiday season, here is a second easy way to look 10 years older.

Wearing too much powder

Because it’s cakey and aging.

Packed on powder doesn’t stand up well to bright lights and flashing camera lights. Also if you have started to wrinkle or even if you have laugh lines, it’s just way too easy for the creasing lines to be more pronounced by wearing too much powder, as the powder will tend to break apart and crack in a sort of arid, desert lands steez.

Further to this, unless you are of a fair complexion, do not believe the hype that translucent powder matches ‘every’ skin color. It doesn’t.

There are over 6 billion of us here, if finding a similarity between all of us was as easy as translucent powder, then World Peace would not be an issue. Skin and skin tones, like human beings are way too complex for anything to be even remotely that simple.

Find powder in your skin tone, apply it over any foundation or concealer that you may be wearing and call that a day. Unless you’ve been sweating up a storm crunking in the club and have totally removed your makeup, use oil absorbing or blotting sheets to get rid of the shine, rather than apply more powder.

In a crunch? Those sanitary toilet seat ‘paper’ covers, grab one (a clean one) tear it in some manageable sized square-ish shapes and stash a few in your pocketbook.

They function in pretty much the same way as those commercial blotting sheets and work better than tissue, as they don’t leave any white residue behind.  This way you don’t look all spotted when the UV black light comes on in the club.

.

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