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Beauty

What is Beauty?

Beauty comes in many forms. Here are a few of our favorites...

Avoiding Hyperpigmentation: How to Fight the Insidious Threat Making You Look Much Older and You Don’t Even Know Why

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If asked to name a primary sign of aging, what would you say? Gray hair? Crow’s feet? Wrinkles? Actually, those aren’t even the worst one. The most insidious form of aging sneaks up on you: DISCOLORATION. Learn how to stop age spots and discoloration with a quality Vitamin C and Retinol combo such as is contained in Lordsbury Retinol+C Cream Moisturizer. Lordsbury has 20% Vitamin C Serum paired with 2.5% Retinol, a prescription level dose, plus a host of skin nourishing moisturizers to keep skin dewy while sending discoloration and brown spots packing.

Discoloration due to aging occurs in three primary forms: red spots due to broken capillaries below the surface of the skin, the brownish areas of discoloration due to sun damage, and brown spots on hands and face. If you examine aging faces, you’ll start noticing how the vitality of skin is robbed not by the appearance of a few wrinkles here or there, but by the areas of discoloration and uneven skin tone.

Lordsbury Retinol+C Cream Moisturizer does double duty when fighting discoloration: the combination of ingredients fades existing discoloration and prevents the skin from forming new brown spots

HOW DO I KNOW IT IS DISCOLORATION THAT IS AGEING MY FACE?

Discoloration may be very obvious, or it may be diffuse and subtle, giving a general rough, lackluster look to the skin. But if you are in your forties or older, it’s likely happening. When a makeup artist wants to age a young face, discoloration accomplishes that: darkened under eyes, brown spots on the top of the cheekbone, and redness around the nose, drawing shadows in wrinkled areas.

In an interesting video, a female face is digitally aged from a child to an older woman. If you watch the video, you’ll notice the real change comes after the three-minute mark, when the brown discoloration increases, even accenting the existing sagging and wrinkles. The skin is more uneven, the face looks harder, less feminine due to the harshness the discoloration gives the face. Note the areas of the face such as the lower cheeks, subtle darker patches and a veil of darkened small dots appear, making her once smooth skin appear pixelated and dill. One cheek (her right), the brown spots appear where highlighter should be placed, giving the face a sagging look on one side.

Why does discoloration, redness, and brown spots happen as we age, and what can be done about it?

WHY IT HAPPENS

Redness can occur because your skin has become more sensitive over time or from using overly harsh skin care products in an attempt to youthify skin. Over 35, granular scrubs can tear skin easily, causing more harm than good. The acne treatments that worked as a teenager should be off limits to older skin, they are too drying. Also, broken capillaries happen in part due to the depletion of collagen as we age that results in weakened tissue structures. Capillaries bleed and the skin just can’t flush out these fluids like they used to. The leaked blood appears as red or eventually brown spots, as blood is absorbed into the delicate surrounding skin tissues.

Brown spots of discoloration can occur for several reasons, including due to hormonal shifts or medications, but they are primarily due to collective sun damage. The dark spots aren’t adorable like freckles, they make the face seem uneven and even haggard as if contour has been applied where it ought not to be. If you start to notice older faces, you will notice what makes them appear so old is less to do with some wrinkles or crow’s feet and more to do with this discoloration that occurs all the areas the sunlight hits – such as the top of the cheekbone, jawline, the nose, forehead and around the eyes. Many of the places you might apply a highlighter to look younger, you may have natural darkening like a muddy contour, making the face seem more drawn, droopy and less sculpted.

HOW TO FIX DISCOLORATION

Some people leap to doing IPL treatment series, chemical peels, and lasers, these can indeed effectively lessen the appearance of discoloration and brown spots. The problem is they also tend to lighten the entire face at the same time, meaning you lose your natural skin tone in the process. Topical lightening products, unless applied exceptionally sparingly, also overly-lighten the entire face. Even when “spot” applied, they do not necessarily deliver a result that matches your natural skin tone, it is like trading an overly dark spot for a mismatched too light one. So while these remedies can affect some results, they effectively only bleach the skin and they do not counteract future discoloration.

A BETTER REMEDY

A better remedy is a Retinol and Vitamin C combination topical treatment. A 2016 study in the peer-reviewed Journal for Drugs in Dermatology showed that 20% Vitamin C paired with a low dose prescription level Retinol greatly aid in reducing mild to moderate hyperpigmentation and photodamaged skin due to sun damage. [An Open Label Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy and Tolerance of a Retinol and Vitamin C Facial Regimen in Women With Mild-to-Moderate Hyperpigmentation and Photodamaged Facial Skin, J Drugs Dermatol. 2016 Apr;15(4):476-82.]

We like Lordsbury Retinol+C Moisturizer because it contains all the ingredients you need to prevent and reverse discoloration in one product including 20% Vitamin C and 2.5% Retinol (a prescription level dose). Retinol and Vitamin C are both powerful ingredients, so Lordsbury also contains soothing nourishing ingredients like Aloe Vera, Jojoba, Shea Butter, Vitamin E and other moisturizers to properly buffer the Retinol/Vitamin C combo for twice a day use that leaves skin soft, youthful and looking dewy.

WHAT VITAMIN C AND RETINOL CAN DO FOR DISCOLORATION

Vitamin C accomplishes two things; pre-empt discoloration due to collagen breakdown by providing accelerating the bodies’ own collagen production, and by fading the existing sun damage and scars that dark the skin by breaking up the over pigmentation. This gives a far more natural result that matches your own skin tone, not a bleached out version of you.

Vitamin C fights free radicals that contribute to the aged appearance of sun damaged skin, meaning regular topical Vitamin C use results in less photodamage going forward. How is that possible? An article in the Journal of Indian Dermatology explains the science behind how Vitamin C even reduces future hyperpigmentation:

“Vitamin C interacts with copper ions at the tyrosinase-active site and inhibits action of the enzyme tyrosinase, thereby decreasing the melanin formation. Vitamin C also acts on the perifollicular pigment.” (Vitamin C in dermatology, by Telang. Indian Dermatol Online J. 2013 Apr-Jun; 4(2): 143–146. doi: 10.4103/2229-5178.110593)

Retinol fades discoloration and creates new and fresher skin that diminish and eventually replace the dark spots, making skin look young again. It also increases cell turnover to banish fine lines and wrinkles. When the skin inside a deep wrinkle has discoloration it looks deeper than it is. When retinol fades the discoloration within deep wrinkles, the “shadow” effect is gone and they appear more shallow than before.

Lordsbury Retinol+C Cream Moisturizer contains Retinol to accelerate cell regeneration to fade old discoloration, and Vitamin C to prevent future discoloration. It also contains several natural moisturizers to soothe and nourish skin for a more youthful look.

CHOOSING A RETINOL TO FIGHT DISCOLORATION

Looking for a non-prescription Retinol with all the lighting discoloration benefits and none of the irritation? Try Lordsbury Retinol+C moisturizer, a twice a day 2.5% retinol with 20% Vitamin C and loads of natural moisturizers to keep skin soft and dewy. Find Lordsbury Retinol+C moisturizer at https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M3PSEQX/.

Style Chicks received compensation for our time and effort. However, our experience with the product and the opinions expressed in this review are 100% ours.

Tips & Tricks for Using Tarte Lights Camera LASHES 4-in-1 Mascara

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If carefully applied, Tarte Lights Camera LASHES 4-in-1 Mascara gives a Zooey Deschanel-twice-the-size-of-a-normal-eye kind of look. The lashes are defined, even from a few feet away. Clumping is minimal, but the tube dries out quickly, perhaps due to the cute but problematic leatherette packaging making it difficult to complete close the cap tightly. But it’s a solid mascara for a special event to have dramatic yet natural lashes. Here are our best tips and tricks for getting the most out of this cult-favorite mascara.

Tarte Lights Camera LASHES is rich black mascara with full wand

Tarte Lights Camera LASHES is the BLACKEST black: a rich black, creamy mascara

Tarte lights camera LASHES mascara has been around a few years, but I didn’t try it until recently as I was satisfied with my then-current-but-now-discontinued-mascara.

BEST USED FOR:

Natural, clump-free, highly defined lashes that create a big doe-eyed look.

This mascara, if applied carefully, gives long, defined lashes that stay clump-free and give a big-eyed look. It lasts the day with minimal fallout. It is not the biggest and lushest look when compared to mascaras like DiorShow or Benefit BadGal, but it does look the most natural yet defined lashes can look, in my opinion, making it suitable for daytime wear with light touchups for a more dramatic evening look. Good for a beguiling, defined eye that doesn’t look fake or like you are trying too hard, especially if you only apply one or two thin coats.

Features:

  • It is not sticky or itchy.
  • Look of a very wet mascara, but it dries rapidly
  • Didn’t clump, no smears or smudges on my eyelids
  • Vegan with conditioning ingredients like Olive Oil.
  • Paraben free.

APPLICATION TIPS & Tricks

  • Using a disposable wand and a lash comb gave a very defined look. Using a mascara fan brush and lash comb out afterward with a disposable wand gave a long, soft, wispy look. Two coats with a disposable wand, top lashes only, had a nice bombshell lash but not tacky or trashy look.
  • Lights Camera LASHES was a bit more difficult to apply to my bottom lashes with the brush that came in the tube, so I recommend disposable or lash comb for bottom lashes.
  • TIP: Some neutral to negative reviews I see of this Mascara are reviewers have piled it on pretty thick in multiple coats. I did a very basic one coat, I attempted to coat from lash to tip on each lash and only doing the second coat if I missed a lash or a lash pointed in a weird direction and needed to be set straight. This gives all the length without the clumping I see some people having with this mascara.
  • If you have experienced clumping with this mascara when applying several coats, or one thicker multi-coat, I’ve found that one thin coat gives the dark rich black color and the length without the clumping of multi-coats.
Tarte Lights Camera LASHES mascara

Tarte lights camera LASHES mascara

RESULTS

The mascara is very dark and applies relatively thinly almost always without clumps, but they still need a combing.

I like this mascara. As long as it is applied carefully, it looks great. It gives a Zooey Deschanel/New Girl/Jessica Daye twice the size of a normal eye kind of look. The lashes seem very defined even from a few feet away, yet the mascara is not so obvious as makeup, making the lashes noticeable, not the makeup.

FALLOUT & WEAR

There is very light fall out, after a few hours I saw two or three black grains on my undereye area, my lashes didn’t have apparent flakes or areas the mascara wore off. Carry a q-tip to flick those away.

CAVEATS

Tarte Lights Camera LASHES is not necessarily a good mascara for a quick daytime touch up unless you carry a lash comb with you, which I do. But I found it didn’t need to be touched up if done properly in the first application. I did have an issue with 4-5 lower outer lashes tend to stick together and they always need a thorough combing with a lash comb.

The mascara is not waterproof, but I found it to be long-wearing like a waterproof. The waterproof version is Tarte Lights Camera SPLASHES, which loses some of the consistency in my opinion, and seems to be to be not as rich black, but pretty close.

WHAT I DON’T LIKE ABOUT Tarte’s Lights, Camera, LASHES

It dries out insanely fast, requiring a near constant re-purchase of mascara. It dries out within a few weeks, when plenty is left in the tube. I wouldn’t mind if I even got a good two months out of it, knowing I should replace my mascara every three, but at $23 for the full size, $10 for the mini, that is too expensive as effectively costs the same as a very high-end mascara such as Hourglass.

TIPS:

  • MAKE SURE THE CAP IS FULLY CLOSED. The tube comes in a leather-like, thicker snakeskin patterned packaging; this makes it harder to completely close the tube cap. Make sure to twist the cap on tightly, so your mascara does not dry out. When it is dry, it gets very flaky.
  • I keep this mascara in a zip lock baggie to keep it as airtight as possible.
  • I have resorted to cutting off the adorable packaging with a scissors or knife to get a better seal on the cap being closed. Underneath the pretty tube packaging is just a plain black tube.
  • After the first few uses, I put the mascara tube in a cup of hot water and let it sit for a few minutes to keep it smoother and less dried out before application
  • I always apply it with a disposable mascara wand or mascara fan brush
Tarte Lights Camera Lashes Mascara

Tarte Lights Camera Lashes Mascara comes with pretty but problematic packaging.

WHERE TO BUY Tarte Lights Camera LASHES MASCARA

Tarte Lights Camera LASHES Mascara is available at TarteCosmetics, Ulta, and Sephora for $23, $10 for the mini, and the best deal is the Tarte Picture Perfect Eyelash Curler Duo, containing a Tarte eyelash curler and a mini Tarte Lights Camera LASHES for $18 (our recommended pick).

What do you think of Tarte Lights Camera LASHES? Do you have a favorite mascara? Tell us in the comment section

Mascara Application Hack For Applying Wet Formula Mascaras

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Wayne Goss has such great makeup application techniques and recently gave this simple but highly useful tip: bend the mascara wand before completely pulling it out of the tube, so the wand is at an angle.

Angled mascara brushes are not a new concept, some mascara brands even have built-in angled brushes. The angle does make an impressive difference in both control of where you apply the product and importantly, how much produce is distributed, especially getting in nice and close to the lashline.

Watch Wayne’s technique in the video below.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txZsw-ENMzk[/embedyt]

We tried the Mascara Application hack for ourselves, and it is actually pretty amazing on getting mascara right in close at the lash line, especially on the lower lashes, the shorter “arm” to the handle makes a difference in how much control there is in the application.

STYLECHICKS ADDITIONAL SUGGESTIONS

Three additional suggestions to make the most of this mascara application hack:

Bend a disposable mascara wand for optimal control and to get in close on bottom lashes

  1. Use Disposable Wands: Instead of using the wand that comes with your mascara, use disposable mascara wands. They are very inexpensive at places like Amazon and Sallys Beauty Supply (under $10 for like 200 of them). The disposable wands are a cheaper plastic and often more flexible, thereby less subject to breaking off the wand head by accident. This way, you can bend your wand without fear of breaking it off and getting stuck, leaving you with no cap for your mascara.
  2. Try angles other than just a 70 to 90-degree angle: You can shape the brush of your disposable mascara wand into other shapes including a c-shape to reinforce the curling capability of your wand.

    Curve a disposable wand into a c-shape to enhance the curl of top lashes

  3. FAN YOUR LASHES OUT. It is easier to manipulate the thin brush handle of a disposable wand between your fingers, so let the brush do the work to reduce smudges and fan out lashes. Rotate the thin arm between your forefinger and thumb to move the brush head so that the angle faces outward instead of inward in order to “fan out” the outer lashes, then give them one last brush forward.
  4. CLEAN UP: You can even follow up with a clean disposable mascara wand for combing out any clumps or to get the direction of lashes just the way you would like it. Just hold the clean wand in front of your lashes and blink through the comb to remove clumps.

SIDE BONUS: Disposable mascara wands give much better control and product distribution for very wet mascaras or mascaras with fibers such as Too Faced Better Than Sex, Benefit BADgal, DiorShow, and Urban Decay Perversion Mascaras, to name a few.

Wet mascaras like Benefit BadGal and UD Perversion apply more evenly but with all the glamour when using a bent disposable mascara wand

Got any good mascara application tips to share? Tell us in the comment section below!

RESOURCES:

  • Wayne Goss‘ YouTube Channel
  • Disposable Mascara Wands:
    • Face Secrets Silicone Disposable Mascara Wands come in a variety of wand shapes for thickening, lengthening, curling, and close tip work application, $3.29 at Sally Beauty Supply
    • G2PLUS 100 Disposable Mascara Wands, at Amazon

Anti-Aging Treatment for Sensitive Skin: Vya Naturals Vitamin C Skin Serum

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Vitamin C is the holy grail of skin care. Vitamin C boosts collagen to smooth and prevent wrinkles, it lightens discoloration and scars, curtails acne, and generally refines the texture of the skin, making it brighter and smoother. It even can reduce the appearance of dark undereye circles. But a Vitamin C serum can be harsh on the skin. If you have sensitive skin, how do you choose a quality Vitamin C that is effective but won’t leave skin irritated? We recently tried Vya Naturals Vitamin C Skin Serum, a powerful C Serum with hydrating Aloe Vera and Witch Hazel to soothe and treat skin.

Vya

Vya Naturals Vitamin C Serum

WHAT VITAMIN C DOES FOR SKIN

  • COLLAGEN PRODUCTION: Vitamin C provides the building blocks for the body creating more collagen, which is key to slow down wrinkle formation and skin sagging.
  • Vitamin C is also useful for skin of any age because it fades discoloration from sun damage and acne scars, and it provides a smoother, more refined, even skin surface.
  • Vitamin C is an anti-oxidant that fights free radicals. Free radicals age skin prematurely.
  • Vitamin C does wonders for the orbital eye skin, including dark circles, crow’s feet, fine lines and wrinkles, discoloration and sagging. Few powerful ingredients strong enough to combat the signs of aging are as well tolerated as Vitamin C can be around the eye, as long as the area gets enough moisture and hydration.
Vitamin C can do wonders for the eye area, reducing fine lines, sagging, discoloration and the appearance of dark circles

Topical Vitamin C does wonders for eye area skin by reducing fine lines, crow’s feet, sagging, discoloration and the appearance of dark circles

VYA NATURALS VITAMIN C SKIN SERUM FEATURES

ALL NATURAL INGREDIENTS

Vya Naturals Vitamin C Skin Serum has the distinct advantage of using natural ingredients without harsh and unhealthy chemicals such as parabens or sulfates.

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Vya Naturals Vitamin C Serum contains no parabens and is sulfate free

VYA SOOTHES AND NOURISHES SKIN WHILE EASING BREAKOUTS

Vitamin C is highly effective but also can irritate the skin and leave it feeling tight and dry.  Aloe Vera feeds the skin and softens the texture. It also helps moisturize and defend skin from irritation.

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Aloe Vera soothes and nourishes sensitive skin so it can tolerate a topical Vitamin C treatment

Vya contains Aloe Vera to nourish and soothe the skin. The same properties that make Aloe Vera effective for burn treatment also create a hydrated, healing environment for even sensitive skins tolerating daily Vitamin C topical application. This is vital to a Vitamin C serum so skin can tolerate the treatment, as some Vitamin C’s can leave skin red, dry and flaky.

Aloe Vera also provides nourishment to the skin as it contains Vitamins A, C, Bs, and E. This skin “food” hydrates and accelerates skin cell growth and provides anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties.

Vya also has Witch Hazel, which contains tannins. When applied directly to the skin, tannins reduce swelling, help repair broken skin, and fight bacteria. This aids the Vitamin C’s capability to reduce acne breakouts and assists in skin renewal.

HOW TO APPLY

Dispense two pumps of the serum onto the palm of the hand, rub hands together to spread and distribute the serum evenly. Apply the serum onto clean skin, starting in the center and moving outwards in gentle strokes. Use twice a day for best results.

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Directions:  apply the serum twice a day

 

TESTING VYA NATURALS VITAMIN C SKIN SERUM

Lightweight texture, more liquidy than gel-like. It goes on smoothly and does not dry sticky. It is suitable for use under makeup, creams, sunscreen, and lotions. My skin is not dry or irritated and is it easy to tolerate.

RESULTS

My breakouts are reduced and my skin appears brighter, some minor discoloration such as acne scars and a few brown spots has begun to fade. My crow’s feet appear much softer. My undereye area tolerates the Vitamin C well, so I am excited to see the progress that can be made reducing the discoloration of my dark circles. I like that Vya Naturals Vitamin C Skin Serum is powerful enough to get results but soothing enough to be tolerated on the delicate undereye area, as many anti-aging products are too harsh for the wrinkles under and around the eyes. It is also well-tolerated on the throat and around my mouth.

Visible signs of collagen production such as wrinkle reduction and the reversing of sagging take about 8 weeks.

Vya Naturals Vitamin C Serum

Vya Naturals Vitamin C Serum

CONCLUSION

Powerful enough to tackle brown spots, acne wrinkles, and sun damage, but gentle enough to be used by those with sensitive skin, Vya Naturals Vitamin C Skin Serum provides twice a day treatment to eyes, face, and throat twice a day in a bottle large enough to last two months. It is not sticky or greasy, it goes on smooth and can be worn under makeup, sunscreen or lotion.

WHERE TO BUY

Find Vya Naturals Vitamin C Skin Serum at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XHJCMKW

 

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pL16ecdVzRo[/embedyt]

 

Style Chicks received Vya Naturals Vitamin C Skin Serum in exchange for our unbiased review and received compensation for our time and effort. However, our experience with the product and the opinions expressed in this review are 100% ours.

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