A Brilliant Brunette's SkinCareRx giveaway

Jacqueline is hosting a giveaway for a $100 giftcard to SkinCareRx. SkinCareRx carries a long list of skincare brands, including Clinique Medical, Clarisonic, and SkinCeuticals Skincare, and brand that's pioneering the treatments of anti-aging, photoaging, and many other skin care conditions.

Head on over to A Brilliant Brunette and enter the giveaway. There are many ways to enter, but you've only got another day to do it!

And hey, even if you don't win, SkinCareRx is looking like a great site to purchase from because they offer 115% price, coupon, and cash back matching.

Eyebrow grooming (part 1)

There are several ways to groom your eyebrows, and figuring out the best way can be a daunting task. In fact, I know some women who basically let their brows grow wild and free because deciding what to do, and what shape to go with, can seem so complicated. You can tweeze, wax, thread, or even shave. You can go straight, rounded, or arched. Rounded on the inside, squared, or slanted. Thick or thin. And then what about filling them in? Should you, or should you not? Pencil or powder?

To me, the first step to take is figuring out which hair removal method fits your needs best.

Tweezing

If you feel you already have a nice, natural shape to your eyebrows, you can likely stick with tweezing for any stray hairs. It's pretty quick, and easy when targeting just a couple of hairs. Once you own a pair of tweezers, the rest is free, and you can do it yourself. There aren't many cons to tweezing. It can be painful, but most methods are.











Threading
A step up from that, in my opinion, would be threading. It can be easier than tweezing when targeting more than just a few hairs, when you don't have a massive amount of hair to remove. You can do it yourself, or you can get it done professionally which runs and average of $10. It's not painless, but it's no worse than tweezing. A downside to threading, is if you or the the person doing it aren't careful, you can catch your skin. It leaves a little tiny cut, and then scab. It can usually be covered with makeup, but it can still be annoying.






Waxing
The ideal method for removing a lot of hair at once, while still maintaining the shape of your eyebrows is to wax. You can spread the wax over as large of an area as you need, but be selective about which hairs are covered and which are not, making sure only the ones that you want are removed. If you end up with wax on the wrong hairs, warm, soapy water can wash the wax off and you can start over again without sacrificing the hairs you don't want removed. You can wax at home, or have it done professionally starting around $5 and going beyond $20 depending on the quality of the salon. At home, you can use a soft, heated wax or go with pre-done wax strips that you typically heat between your hands. Downsides to waxing: If you aren't careful, you can wax hairs you really didn't want to, and if your wax is too hot, you can burn your skin.


Shaving
A less popular option for removing unwanted eyebrow hair is to shave. This is usually for people who want a quick swipe to remove a unibrow, to shave half, or even a whole eyebrow off. This method has a bad reputation, and is associated with the "Chola eyebrows". But it doesn't have to be such a drastic thing if you're careful, know what you want, and know what you're doing. The problem is that razors can be big and difficult to control, and with one slip, oops! You've taken too much off. The risk of cutting yourself can be pretty high, and then there's also a risk of razor burn. On the plus size, razors are generally inexpensive and you can do it yourself at home.

Happy Birthday, Desa!

Remember about a month ago when I posted behind the scenes pictures from Desa's shoot? Desa, someone I knew a long time ago, was having a shoot as a gift to herself for her 21st birthday. Well today is her birthday - happy 21st Desa! To celebrate, here are a few of the shots we got at her shoot last month.

Late dawns and early sunsets

Like the last look I posted, this one was inspired by someone else. Specifically, Zoffe.

This is also the photo debut of the pink I recently put in my hair. I went with peekaboos of Cotton Candy Pink by Manic Panic.

* MAC Moisturelush Cream
* Smashbox Photo Finish Light
* MAC Studio Tech NC25
* MUFE Camouflage Cream Palette No. 1
* MAC MSF Natural in Medium
* MAC Sculpt & Shape in Bone Beige/Emphasize
* Revlon Colorstay black liquid liner
* Covergirl VolumeExact mascara
* MAC eye brows in Lingering
* Ardell Wispies
* Hot Topic purple eyeline
* MAC Nylon e/s
* MAC Chrome Yellow e/s
* MAC Frankly Scarlet (as e/s)
* Make Up For Ever #92
* MAC Amber Lights e/s
* MAC By Candlelight MSF
* MAC Well Dressed blush
* MAC Cranapple lipliner
* NYX Snow White Lipstick
* MAC Florabundance gloss
* MAC Bonus Beat gloss

Summertime skincare (part 2)

Summer is quickly approaching which means it's time to adjust your skin care routine to account for long days of sun, sweat, and salty or chlorinated water. Below you'll find my own opinions, tips, tricks, and advice based upon research I've done for myself over the last few years. This is part 2 - click here to check out part 1.


Creepy crawlies

With summer comes mosquitoes and other annoying insects. What makes the problem worse is that bugs are often attracted to the products we use daily – suntan lotion, perfume, hairspray, deodorant and shaving cream. The problem with insect bites is that they're not only itchy and unattractive, but they can expose you to things like West Nile Virus and Lyme disease.

Increasing your vitamin B will naturally repel bugs, so keeping this as a summer staple can be worth it. You can get your B vitamins in pill form, or by consuming some foods that are particularly high in them, such as bananas, potatoes, tuna, and even energy drinks had quite a bit of added B vitamins. When looking for an actual repellent, you should know that the ones containing DEET are the most effective, and are recommended by the CDC. Just base your choice on how long you'll be outside and exposed. The shorter the amount of time, the lower the concentration you can get away with. You can find the concentration of the active ingredient on the back of the container.

Check out
Sawyer Controlled Release Insect Repellent $6
Off! Insect Repellent II $6

Poison Ivy/Oak

It's not uncommon to have a run-in with poison ivy when you're camping or hiking. You can even get it from indirect contact. Not everyone is allergic to the plant (or rather, something in the plant) but most people are. If you know you've had contact with poison ivy or something/someone who has, wash with soap and water immediately. If you can wash right away, even if you only have access to water (and no soap) you may be able to completely rid yourself of the substance that causes the reaction. Waiting even 15 minutes won't remove all of it, but it can still help. Some people believe scratching will cause the rash to spread, but it won't. Still, it may cause infection so it's best to avoid scratching as much as you can. Calamine lotion, cold showers, and oatmeal baths can relieve the itch. Familiarizing yourself with the way the plant looks as well as any outdoor areas you may be visiting can help prevent contact in the first place.

Dealing with the damage

Sometimes we end up with a sunburn or other skin problems anyway. Accidentally forgetting your sunscreen at home and not being able to reapply, for example. Maybe a camping trip where you run out of bug repellent. These can be painful and ugly mishaps.

The fact is that sunburned skin heals slowly, so start the process as soon as possible. Your first step, besides getting out of the sun, should be to take a cool shower or bath to soothe the pain. Not ice cold, but cool or just below room temperature. Avoid bath salts, oils, and perfumes because they're likely to irritate your skin even more. Avoid scrubbing the skin or shaving the skin, and pat yourself dry rather than rub. Apply aloe, moisturizing cream or over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream to the burned skin. Continue moisturizing even once you've begun to peel, and while it can be very difficult (and trust me, I am definitely one who has a hard time with this) try as hard as you can not to peel the skin yourself. You can end up peeling skin that wasn't meant to come off. From personal experience this is incredibly painful. I am not exaggerating, after having 2 children, that when I did that to myself accidentally, it was the most painful experience of my entire life. Writing about it even now is giving me horrible memories. I actually ended up in the emergency room due to the combination of overly peeled skin, blisters, nausea, and the resulting pain.

Following a sunburn, don't cover anything that is open or blistered with any ointment or salve or anything like that, as it can increase your chances of infection. Do increase your intake of vitamins C and E. You know how your food can continue cooking, even after you've removed it from the stove or oven? The same thing happens to your skin. Taking a warm shower will help draw out the heat from a sunburn to prevent you from continuing to burn.

Check out
First Aid Beauty Healing Stick $14
Mill Creek Aloe Vera Gel $3
Aloe Ice Sunburn Relief Gel $4

And everything's right with the summer comin'

Last week I was getting ready to go out with a friend and browsing MySpace at the same time (yes, some of us still use it LOL). One of my MySpace friends had just put up new pictures, and I saw a look that I really liked so I commented and told her I planned on copying the look, and I did it that day. So this is my version - very similar to the original. I really only changed the lip color, lower eyeliner, and the shade of blue used.

* MAC Moisturelush Cream
* Smashbox Photo Finish Light
* MAC Studio Tech NC25
* MUFE Camouflage Cream Palette No. 1
* MAC MSF Natural in Medium
* MAC Sculpt & Shape in Bone Beige/Emphasiz
* Revlon Colorstay black liquid liner
* Flirt! Cosmetics pencil eyeliner in Pool Party
* Covergirl VolumeExact mascara
* MAC eye brows in Lingering
* Ardell Wispies
* MAC Nylon e/s
* MAC Chrome Yellow e/s
* MAC Azalea blush (as e/s)
* Make Up For Ever #92
* These colors from the 88 palette
* MAC By Candlelight MSF
* MAC Well Dressed blush
* MAC Lavender Whip lipstick
* MAC Ever So Rich gloss

Low key look

We all have a couple of go-to looks for days when we just aren't feeling very creative, right? Well this is one of mine. It's really easy, and I think it's appropriate for nearly every occasion. On this particular day, I wore it to dinner with a friend.

* MAC Moisturelush Cream
* Smashbox Photo Finish Light
* MAC Studio Tech NC25
* MUFE Camouflage Cream Palette No. 1
* MAC MSF Natural in Medium
* MAC Sculpt & Shape in Bone Beige/ Emphasize (for contouring, and the light side as e/s as well)
* Revlon Colorstay black liquid liner
* Covergirl VolumeExact mascara
* MAC eye brows in Lingering
* Ardell Wispies
* MAC Nylon e/s
* MAC Typographic e/s
* MAC Peaches blush
* MAC By Candlelight MSF
* Beautique Natural lip liner
* MAC Angel lipstick
* MAC Nymphette gloss

Happy Mother's Day to my fellow mamas!

Gettin' a little tropical

* MAC Moisturelush Cream
* Smashbox Photo Finish Light
* MAC Studio Tech NC25
* MUFE Camouflage Cream Palette No. 1
* MAC MSF Natural in Medium
* MAC Sculpt & Shape in Bone Beige/ Emphasize
* Revlon Colorstay black liquid liner
* Covergirl VolumeExact mascara
* MAC eye brows in Lingering
* Ardell Wispies
* MAC Chrome Yellow e/s
* Orange e/s from 88 palette
* MAC Freshwater e/s
* MAC Nylon e/s
* MAC Carbon e/s
* Wet N Wild black eyeliner pencil
* MAC Peaches blush
* MAC By Candlelight MSF
* MAC Lollipop Loving lipstick
* MAC Nymphet gloss

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Summertime skincare (part 1)

Summer is quickly approaching which means it's time to adjust your skin care routine to account for long days of sun, sweat, and salty or chlorinated water. Below you'll find my own opinions, tips, tricks, and advice based upon research I've done for myself over the last few years.

Staying hydrated
Skin can get greasy during the summer, but you don't want to neglect it. You don't want to over do it with a heavy moisturizer that you might use on your dry, winter skin so switch from a cream moisturizer to a gel, serum, or other lightweight formula. You'll want something that will absorb quickly and not leave your skin feeling greasy. Creams are just too rich and suffocating for such warm weather, and they tend to get melty and gross. Stay away from emollients, and because most weightless options don't have SPF you'll want to make sure to put one on separately.

Check out:
L'Occitane Immortelle Brightening Renewing Serum $52
Garnier Nutritionist Skin Renew Daily Regenerating Serum $11
Shiseido Pureness Moisturizing Gel-Cream $32
Boots No. 7 Rebalancing Day Gel $13
Olay Definity Deep Penetrating Foaming Moisturizer $24

Rub a dub dub
Make sure to use a good body wash in the shower. Heat and sweat cause bacteria to breed, and cause breakouts. Concentrate especially on the oilier areas of your body. Making sure your soap has salicylic acid in it is a good way to fight those body breakouts. If your skin is dull and ashy, make sure you choose a body wash that has exfoliating properties. Also on the bathing subject, be sure to at least rinse off each time you get out of the water. Between salt, chemicals, and bacteria in water you're just asking for dry, scaly skin. Cleaning this stuff off will keep them from doing any more damage to your skin once you've left the water.

Check out
Boots Botantics Rough Skin Scrub $9
Burt's Bees Radiance Exfoliating Body Wash $8
DDF Glycolic Exfoliating Wash $35
Murad Acne Body Wash $40
Glytone Exfoliating Body Wash $24

Sun protection
I won't get preachy about how bad the sun is for your skin, and how we all should just keep our natural color without tanning. Pale can be perfect, but we all know that golden is gorgeous, too. I don't deny that I sunbathe, but I'd also be lying if I said it didn't scare me at all. I definitely do worry about skin cancer in my future, and premature aging of my skin. So I try to take it easy and not overdo it. I don't and won't do it year round, so as to give myself a little peace of mind. Further, I do several other things to keep my skin as nourished as I can. I also still wear sunblock. You can and will still get bronzed while using one, it'll just happen at a slower, steadier rate which will lessen your chances of developing a sunburn which is really what you want to avoid at all costs. Not only is it unsightly, but having had the sun beating on your skin enough to cause a burn is incredibly unhealthy. Giving yourself a veil of protection is what will keep your skin from becoming your hide.

One mistake many people seem to make when it comes to sunscreen is that they apply it in the morning and forget about it, when the truth is that you have to reapply it throughout the day. Sweat, swimming, and normal summer activities cause sunblock to wear off. The lower the SPF, the more often you'll have to reapply. Further, it seems people often don't apply it for everyday wear, but instead apply it only for days of hours spent directly in the sun, with minimal clothing. The summer sun is harsh, and 10 and 15 minutes of sun exposure here and there add up surprisingly fast. You really should replace your sunscreen each year. Even if you haven't hit the expiration date, the change in temperatures from summer to winter, and then back to summer can leave you with less than stellar protection.

Getting specific

When choosing sun protection, make sure the one you use on your face is made specifically for facial skin. Most basic sunscreens are formulated with your body in mind, and can clog the pores on your face. Moreover, it's a good idea to use an anti-aging eye cream with SPF in it. We've all been told how delicate eye-area skin can be, so taking extra precaution when it comes to protecting it from the suns rays is quite beneficial. And don't forget a lip balm with SPF, as well. Lips can get burnt and chapped - making lipstick go on painfully and with less than stellar results. Yuck! Don't neglect your neck, ears, hands, and feet, either.

Check out
Peter Thomas Roth Max Sheer All Day Defense Moisture Lotion - SPF 30 $42
Neutrogena Sport Face Sunblock Lotion SPF 70+ $10
Jason Natural Cosmetics Earth's Best Organic Sunblock, Chemical Free SPF 30+ $16
Josie Maran Protect Daily Sun Protection Argan Oil Infused SPF 40+ $32
Ocean Potion Suncare Sunblock Lotion, Anti-Aging, Ultra Light SPF 30 $8

******
Now that you've finished part 1, go check out part 2.

In a violet trance

* MAC Moisturelush Cream
* Smashbox Photo Finish Light
* MAC Studio Tech NC25
* MUFE Camouflage Cream Palette No. 1
* MAC MSF Natural in Medium
* MAC Sculpt & Shape in Bone Beige/ Emphasize
* Revlon Colorstay black liquid liner
* Covergirl VolumeExact mascara
* MAC eye brows in Fling
* Ardell Wispies
* MAC Fig 1 e/s
* MAC Violet Trance e/s
* MAC Nylon e/s
* Hot Topic purple pencil eyeliner
* MAC Pink Swoon blush
* MAC By Candlelight MSF
* MAC Lavender Whip lipstick
* MAC Ever So Rich gloss