Just wanted to let you all know that Gloss.com has announced it will permanently shut down on June 30th. I don’t anticipate this will generate any beauty bargains, as each brand now has their own online store… but I’ll keep you posted.
Reviews By Type
Frederic Fekkai Protein Rx Shampoo and Conditioner
Glorious sunny days have their side-effects. After spending many a warm afternoon outside playing with my son, my highlighted and flat-ironed hair was starting to feel like straw. Had I finally damaged my hair permanently? Only one use of Frederic Fekkai Protein Rx Shampoo and Conditioner restored my hair to its normal silky feeling. Don’t you love instant gratification in a beauty product?
This product is fortified with soy and milk proteins to strengthen the hair shaft. Over time, it will prevent damage before it happens!
Benefit Cosmetics Introduces California Kissin
Benefit Cosmetics has announced their new gloss, California Kissin. The blue sheen of this gloss will make teeth appear whiter, and it’s minty flavor will simultaneously freshen breath. Use it alone, or over a favorite lipstick.
This little gloss is the perfect product to pop into your bag for that special date!
Korres Natural Products Watermelon Sunscreen Face Cream
Most of us have invested in a sunscreen or sunblock at some point in our lives. Yet, I’d be willing to bet that many of my faithful readers need a refresher course on what to look for in a sunblock.
The SPF rating on sunscreen roughly informs the buyer how many times the ordinary rate you can be exposed to the sun without burning. This calculation is based on an assumption that the average person will burn after 20 minutes of sun exposure with no protection. So, an SPF 15 will protect you for 15×20 minutes, or 5 hours.
But, did you know that SPF does not tell you if there is UVA protection in your sunscreen? UVB rays are the rays that burn. UVA rays are the damaging rays that cause premature aging, and cancer. UVA block is crucial for everyday use, because even some WINDOWS do not protect you from UVA rays! You must be on the lookout for this, as some sunscreens do not contain UVA protection… leaving your skin fully exposed to these harmful and damaging rays.
Scary fact… UVC rays are widely regarded as the most dangerous of the three forms of ultraviolet radiation. UVC is rarely discussed, because until recently they have been irrelevant. The ozone layer has served as a protector from UVC rays… Guess our children are in for a real treat!
I’ve been using Korres Natural Products Watermelon Sunscreen Face Cream for several weeks now, and absolutely love it. This sunscreen has a faint watermelon scent, and contains vitamins and other ingredients to keep the skin healthy while simultaneously protecting it. Korres Watermelon Sunscreen is a "Broad-Spectrum" sun-block. The term "Broad-Spectrum" implies that both UVA and UVB protectors are present in the formula. Korres Natural Products Watermelon Sunscreen Face Cream contains the following active ingredients: Octocrylene, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide. It is non-comedogenic and free of mineral oil, silicone, propylene and ethanolamine.
If you can, try to avoid direct sun exposure between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm. If you have to be out in the sun, I highly recommend Korres Natural Products Watermelon Sunscreen Face Cream.
Credo Premium Pedicure Implements
The best pedicure I have ever gotten in my life was at a small salon called "Spalon" on 17th St., NW in Washington, DC. I wish I could remember the name of the nail technician I miss so much, but I last visited her about 10 years ago, so I am at a loss.
Why were her pedicures so special? She went to TOWN on my feet, ensuring all rough skin and callous was completely removed. Every time I walked out of there, my feet felt like the cliched "baby’s bottom".
Sadly, many states have required salons to discontinue use of the Credo, a tool used for callous removal. If it’s improperly cleaned and cared for, it can cause infection. Many online sources warn against the use of a Credo during a pedicure, but in my opinion the tool is a miracle-worker.
Rather than worry about using improperly cleaned tools, why not bring your own? My Credo cost me $10 at a local salon, and I bring it along to every pedicure. Since this tool has only touched my feet, and I keep it clean and safely stored, my risk for infection is significantly reduced.
Be sure to ask your nail technician if she would use a Credo Planer (some salons will still refuse to use it even if you bring your own). One last tip… avoid buying this type of tool at a drugstore. If you’re in search of perfectly soft feet, you need salon quality!