Style Chicks

How To Use Retinol When You Cant Tolerate Retinol

February 18, 2011 · Leave a Comment

Want to be glowing by Saturday? Try this at home facial tonight:

This works best if you have prescription retinol at home (Retin-A, Retin-A Micro, Renova, etc), but any cream that has retinol in it will do.

Wash your face and wait about a half-hour.
Apply the retinol. If you are using Retin-A and typically use a pea-sized amount, and use a little extra. Let it soak in for a few minutes.
Add a deep hydrating mask or cream over the retinol – we like:
- CeraVe Moisturizing Cream
- Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Cream-Mask Face and Eyes.

Both these products contain ingredients that leave skin dewy and protect the skin while the extra retinol performs a mini-peel.

CeraVe Moisturizing Cream has three key ceramides to hydrate and protect the skin barrier. Ceramide 3 is highly moisturizing. It also contains Hyaluronic Acid that holds moisture and plumps skin. It is non-comedogenic and non-irritating. If you suffer from eczema or aging skin, CeraVe helps skin tolerate Retinols. It is unscented/fragrance-free.

Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Cream is deeply hydrating and absorbs well. It sacks redness, tightness and flaky skin with nourishing Grape Seed oil and soothing Squalene. There is a very light pleasant scent.

To make sure that your skin is more dewy that flakey the next day, really slather on the moisturizer. Leave it on overnight, and wash it off in the morning (try using a Clarisonic for extra smoothness). Your skin will be glowing and bright all weekend long!

Now, obviously retinols are a long-term skincare commitment, but if your skin needs a little extra boost after a long week, this mask does the trick!

Can’t tolerate daily Retinol use? Try this retinol and cream mask trick once a week to buffer and build a retinol skin tolerance.

New Product: Line n Grow Lash Lengthening Tinted EyeLiner

February 17, 2011 · 2 Comments

We are all dying to try the new Line n Grow Lash Lengthening Tinted Eyeliner. Line n Grow comes in a wide range of colors (Black, Brown, Eggplant, Midnight Blue, and Olive) and works on the lash follicle to keep the lash in longer. And if the lash is in longer, then it will grow longer. If you are putting on eyeliner anyways, why not make it work for you?

It has great ingredients, including Panthenol (the stuff in d.j.v. beautenizer’s mascaras that is keeping Courtney’s lashes super long right now), and Ph7-Polypeptide, which is found in many lash growth serums. I’m undecided between eggplant and olive myself…though I suppose I couldn’t go wrong with any of the shades!

Find Line n Grow Lash Lengthening Tinted EyeLiner, Eggplant at Beauty.com!

Product Review: Classic Beauty Skin Care Line

February 16, 2011 · Leave a Comment

We recently checked out the Classic Beauty Skin Care Line. Ever since we tried Perricone’s products that contained Alpha Lipoic Acid way back when, we’ve always been excited when we see ALA in an ingredient list. Classic Beauty’s products not only have Alpha Lipoic Acid, but Ester-C (a patented neutral pH Vitamin C, so it doesn’t cause irritation), a litany of vitamins including Vitamin E, and calming natural ingredients. It also contains LaraCare, a non-irritating alternative to AHAs. The whole line used together produces smooth skin with definitively reduced appearance of pores. Let’s take a look at each of the products:

Step 1: Classic Beauty Comforting Cleanser – This is the standout product of the line for me. The cleanser is uber gentle, oil free, fragrance free, and gives skin an amazingly clean feel and look. It cleanses without stripping the skin of moisture, which is impressive for an ALA cleanser. It also contains Ester-C, Aloe Vera, Cucumber, Chamomile and other botanicals to soothe skin while you wash off the day (or start your day off right). There is an amazing brush that is available on the site to use with Comforting Cleanser, which feels great on the skin. I also tried it with my Clarisonic, and it was the best, most luxurious feeling facial cleansing I’ve had in recent memory. The gel cleanser washes off easily with a few splashes of water – no abrasive rubbing required. I have a business trip next week to an area where the water always leaves my skin raw, and I’m going to be taking Comforting Cleanser along to try to stave off irritation.

Step 2: Soothing and Protecting Day Cream– The silky gel-cream glides onto damp skin and leaves behind no trace of stickiness – it just absorbs into the skin. It has LaraCare to encourage a gentle cell turnover but I didn’t get any irritation from the cream, in fact it was pretty soothing. Skin is left soft and silky, which is really the only sign that you have applied it, since it absorbs so thoroughly. I really love the texture of this cream, and it is quite effective at smoothing those tiny little lines in just a few uses. The goal of the product is to protect against pollutants, and it does it’s job well.

Step 3: Nourishing Night Cream– This is an ever so slightly thicker cream, but along the same line as the Day Cream as far as texture. Like the Day Cream, you apply it to the skin while damp, and let it soak in. It also absorbs quite fast and leaves skin looking tight and firm upon application. By morning, your skin will look dewy, vibrant, and glowing. I was really pleased with the results. Nourishing Night Cream is absolutely amazing on hands. The skin on your knuckles smoothes out to a hand model like softness instantly on application.

As I mentioned before, the products are indeed fragrance free, and Alpha Lipoic Acid does have a natural scent to it. However, the smell is far more subtle than other ALA containing products I’ve used, so I wouldn’t let that put you off from trying the line, and once the product absorbs you can’t smell it at all.

I really am impressed with the Classic Beauty Skin Care Line. Both moisturizers work quickly and are incredibly soothing while providing gentle exfoliating and cellular renewal, and the cleanser provides an incredible, decadent cleansing experience. Find the Classic Beauty line of skincare at ClassicBeauty.com.

Product Review: OOKISA Infinite Volume Collection

February 15, 2011 · Leave a Comment

I was recently sent some products from the newly relaunched OOKISA Infinite Volume Haircare line and I am loving the lift and weightless volume I’m getting from the line. The shampoo and conditioner claim color retention properties, and Lyn will be reporting on that after she colors her hair in a week or so. But what is really impressing me is the volume and anti-breakage strength that the line is giving my hair.

First off, all the products in the line are Paraben-free, sulfate-free, hormone-free, alcohol-free, cruelty-free and allergy tested. They also contain Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1, which is the active ingredient in a few eyelash growth products that work at the level of the follicle by reducing DHT (the stuff that makes hair fall out). So ostensibly, using the OOKISA collection could increase the length of time of your hair’s growth cycle, aka your hair will be longer (just remember to keep up with trimming your ends!)

Here’s the rundown of what is really wowing me about each of the three products that I tried:

OOKISA Fortifying Shampoo – I was immediately impressed with how concentrated and luxurious the texture of the shampoo is. It’s a standard gel shampoo consistency coming out of the tube, but when you rub it between your hands, it turns into a thick, rich cream consistency. It is an incredibly gentle shampoo and it washes out clean and left my hair smooth and shiny. After 3 uses of the shampoo and 2 uses of the conditioner I noticed that my hair was more resistant to breakage – when I was running my fingers through my hair after I got out of the shower last night, a hair caught around my finger. Typically it would have broken, but it just stretched. If you have brittle hair, Fortifying Shampoo is worth a try.

OOKISA Replenishing Conditioner – This is a great daily conditioner. It is lightweight, and can be left on for longer periods of time if your hair needs a deep treatment. It plumped the hair shaft out and left me with great volume. Like the shampoo, it washes out cleanly and isn’t perfumed but leaves a fresh, clean scent. I loved how my scalp felt afterwards – it felt more like a deep conditioning treatment (with a little scalp massage thrown in) instead of a daily conditioner.

OOKISA Nighttime Follicle Renewing Serum– This was the jaw-dropping product of the line for me. I applied a few sprays, and then rough dried my hair. When I flipped my hair back over, I was astonished at the bouncy, natural volume. This isn’t a 1980’s hairspray volumized look, this is natural, youthful, healthy volume with absolutely no stickiness or stiffness. Actually, there was no sign that I had product in my hair, and amazingly, the volume held through the night and the next day. I have long layers in the front, and the lift that Renewing Serum provided frames my face and provides a swingy, bouncy, lustrous look.

Buy the OOKISA Infinite Volume Collection at OOKISA.com!

Get a free Benefit Rush Hour with a $65 purchase

February 14, 2011 · Leave a Comment

Through today (2/14), get a free Benefit Rush Hour with a $65 purchase at Benefit Cosmetics with code RUSHHOUR at checkout.

THE BENEFIT RUSH HOUR EXPERIENCE

This super creamy formula is universally flattering and is an amazing quick lips and cheeks go-to product!

BENEFIT RUSH HOUR SWATCHES

We swatched the color for you below:

Benefit Cosmetics Rush Hour 1 coat from about two feet away

Benefit Cosmetics Rush Hour 1 Coat in Natural Lighting

Benefit Cosmetics Rush Hour Two Coats in Icky Office Fluorescent Lighting

Want to be glowing by Saturday? Try this at home facial tonight:

THE BENEFIT RUSH HOUR EXPERIENCE

BENEFIT RUSH HOUR SWATCHES

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