False Eyelashes Info

Facts about Sunscreen that You Must Know

admin — Thu, 17 May 2012 03:14:59 +0000

What is UV

Ultra Violet or UV is electromagnetic radiations having wavelength from 100nm to 400nm. UV radiations are invisible to human eyes. The shorter the wavelength, the stronger the radiation. For our skin, we usually pay attention to UVA and UVB.

UVA

UVA has the wavelength of 320nm to 400nm. UVA has high penetrability which is able to pass through epidermis to dermis. It causes pigmentation and spots on skin and denatures collagen. It is also the main radiation that causes skin cancer.

UVB

UVB has the wavelength of 290nm to 320nm. UVB is more radioactive than UVA but is less penetrable. It usually affects epidermis, causing redness, flakes and spots.

Sun Protection Factor SPF for UVB

We usually choose sunscreen base on SPF. SPF is defined as the amount of light that causes redness in sunscreen-protected skin, divided by the amount of light that causes redness in unprotected skin. The higher the SPF, the longer UVB protection.

SPF represents the length (time) of protection you can have against UVB in the lab. In real life, the amount of sunscreen that you apply also matters. Too little amount of sunscreen affects the length of protective time defined by the SPF. Usually, larger amount of sunscreen lotion is needed than that of cream for the same SPF results.

Sunscreen with SPF30 is already adequate for a normal working day. You may need to re-apply in the noon. SPF higher than SPF 30 is only suggested for outdoor activities.

Protection Grade of UVA System for UVA

PA is a Japanese measurement of sun protection against UVA. So, it is more common to find PA on Japanese cosmetics, skincare and suncare products. The more number of “+” sign after PA can be generally refer to as stronger protection. But, brands that do not have PA on package may still have UVA protection because PA is more common in Japan but not other countries.

There is no international standard on PA. In general, PA+ represents effective protection, PA++ represents very effective protection and PA+++ represents extremely effective. We suggest PA++ for normal daily activities.

Sunscreen Texture

No one loves the greasy and thick texture of sunscreen. But, it is the fact that the higher the SPF, the more greasy the sunscreen is. The thick texture is largely due to the large amount of sunscreen chemicals. That is why we suggest SPF30 sunscreen. You may re-apply during the day if needed. Some brands may include alcohol to give a fresh and light texture. But, it may not suitable for those having sensitive skin.

Common Toxic Chemicals in Cosmetics

admin — Wed, 16 May 2012 05:56:25 +0000

Whitening Products

Toxic Chemicals: Mercury, Arsenic, Lead, Phenol and Hydrochinone
Mercury, arsenic and lead helps whiten skin by inhibiting melanin production. Excessive amount of these heavy metals in cosmetics may impose dangers to human body. Mercury may irritates skin and harm the central nervous system which may lead to memory loss and insomnia. Lead may cause problems in nerve and digestive systems. Arsenic may lead to nervous problems and skin pigmentation.

Phenol is corrosive to skin and mucosa. Phenol may cause damages in nervous systems, kidney and liver. Prolonged contact with phenol may cause headaches, dizziness, cough, nausea, vomit and skin irritation.

Olay from P&G has once been involved in toxic Arsenic in China. But P&G insists on claiming saftey for its products.

Makeup: Mascara, Foundation, Eyeliner

Toxic Chemicals: Beryllium, Cadmium and Nickel
These chemicals can be absorbed by skin and causes minor and serious health problems. Minor health problems include headaches, vomit, diarrhea, hormonal disorder, poor memory, skin irritation and hair loss problems. Serious health problems include damages in lung, kidney and nervous systems and cancer.

Clinique Stay-true Makeup , L’oreal Bare Naturale Mascara and Cover Girl Eyeliner Pencil have been tested to contain at least 6 toxic chemicals including Beryllium, Cadmium and Nickel.

Nail Polish and Nail Polish Remover

Toxic Chemicals: Benzene, Formaldehyde, Acetone, Ethyl Acetate and Phthalic Acid Ester
Nail polish is mainly composed of solid content such as colorings and glitter and solvents. Common solvents include Benzene, Formaldehyde, Acetone, Ethyl Acetate and Phthalic Acid Ester. Bezene and Formaldehyde are carcinogenic. Phthalic Acid Ester may affect hormone balance.

Acetone and Ethyl Acetate make the nail polish volatile, hence dry quickly. But, Acetone and Ethyl Acetate are dangerous because they are highly flammable. Prolonged contact with such stinging and chocking smells may damage breathing systems.

Lipsticks

Toxic Chemicals: Plasticizing agent and Heavy Metals
Plasticizing agents or plasticizers have been proved to affect hormonal order and reproductive organs in human. Prolonged contact may toxify heart, kidney and liver. Heavy metals may causes irritation and inflammation on lips.

what Causes Broken Capillaries on Face and Treatments

admin — Wed, 16 May 2012 03:09:10 +0000

What is Broken Capillaries

Broken capillaries are the tiny red or pink threads that you can see on your skin. They are commonly found on the cheeks or nose area. Severe broken capillaries may look like patches of redness on your face. There are many different causes of broken capillaries. People having dry and sensitive skin are more prone to such problem.

Causes of Broken Capillaries

The underlying causes of broken capillaries is the tearing of capillary walls because of quick narrowing and widening. Blood then seep out from the capillaries to form the red threads under skin. There are many different causes of such quick narrowing and widening including:
Hot conditions
Cold conditions
Wind blowing
Emotions
Sunburn

How to Prevent and Reduce Broken Capillaries

No Extreme Temperatures

Some dermatologist suggest hot water and then cold water to cleanse your face. This actually can be a cause of broken capillaries. The change in temperatures causes capillaries to dilate and contract in a short time. People with sensitive skin and broken capillaries should cleanse your face with lukewarm water.

Sunscreen

UV radiations may worsen broken capillaries problem, so, it is good to protect your skin with sunscreen. Apply sunscreen with SPF30 or above 20 minutes before you go outside.

Massage and Cooling

Massaging on areas of skin that have broken capillaries improves blood circulation. It also increases the elasticity of capillaries make them less vulnerable to the breakage. Cool your face with cooling pads when you feel your face is getting warm and swollen after sports for example.

Vitamin Supplements

Taking Vitamin E and C supplements helps increase the natural immunity of skin. Such supplements are more important when you are under stress.

Mild Skincare Products

Mild skincare products reduce irritations to skin. People with broken capillaries may choose skincare products that are alcohol, fragrance and preservatives free. They moisturize skin without causing irritations.

3 Best Makeup Books that Worth Reading

admin — Mon, 14 May 2012 05:59:20 +0000

Books always inspire people’s thinking and even creativity. I believe is a subject of art and an expression of beauty. Makeup artists, you and me need inspiration for our makeup, especially dramatic and creative makeup.

NAILED:THE HISTORY OF NAIL CULTURE AND DZINE

Nail art is under a quick development. Dzine, an artist in Chicago gives us a wonderful history recount of nail art. The pictures, artworks and creations in the book must surprise you. Dzine explores the relationship to art, music, fashion and popular culture in his book. Of course, there are creative nail art designs by Dzine.

BOB RECINE：ALCHEMY OF BEAUTY

Bob Recine is famous for the sharp image of Lady Gaga. He is a legendary hairstylist and artist. We have the chance to view lots of pictures, designs and drafts of collages and drawings. This book is definitely a combination of beauty and inspiration.

BEAUTY AND COSMETICS 1550-1950

This is a great book to understand the 400 years of makeup history in the western world. Sarah shows us the trend and history of makeup in 4 centuries. The book is not as long as ordinary history book, it has less than 100 pages. You may discover a lot secrets (dangers) about hair, skincare, makeup and perfume.

6 Toenail Art Designs with Rinestones

admin — Fri, 11 May 2012 14:17:27 +0000

Light purple and purple glitter nail polish with rhinestone at an angle. This is best to match with ethnic sandal with gold threads.

Duo color french nail with simple rhinestones is a good expression of retro style. .

Purple is one of the most popular colors in Summer. Make sure you choose a sharp purple.

Bridal Skincare and Makeup Tips 7 Days Before Your Wedding

admin — Fri, 11 May 2012 02:06:33 +0000

Lip Makeup

Smudging lips onto glass or dress can be embarrassing. Apply a sheer of lipstick to your lips. Place a tissue paper onto your lips and press to remove any excessive rouge. Then apply lipstick again. We suggest you carrying a small mirror with you so you can re-apply makeup whenever you need.

Lip Care

Dry and chapped lips never give a perfect lip makeup. Do a complete lip routine 7 days before your wedding. Soak a towel with hot water. Drain it and apply to your lips for one minute. Then, apply lip mask or lip balm or Vaseline. Do it once a day before you go to bed.

Face and Eye Makeup

Smudging Mascara

The touching moments in wedding always make the brides tear. So, make sure you use a water-proof mascara. Absorb the tear drops with a tissue paper, never wipe on your face. Then re-apply makeup. We suggest Aqua Smoky Lash from Make Up For Ever.

Oil Blotting Paper and Loose Powder

If you have oily skin, make sure you have oil blotting paper and loose powder with you. Press a piece of oil blotting paper onto your face and then re-apply loose powder. This keeps your makeup matte. If you do not have oil blotting paper, you may use tissue paper and even toilet seat cover sheets.

Ance

Do not squeeze your acne because it is very difficult to cover perfectly with concealer and foundation.

Skincare on Wedding Day

Have a cup of black coffee in the morning to reduce puffiness. Cleanse your face with lukewarm water and apply a facial mask before your skincare routine. Apply body lotion to you hands, legs and whole body.

Hands and Nails

Nail Polish

We suggest you doing a manicure in salon if you have time. Tell your manicure technician your wedding theme and dress design so she can match the nail design with you. Try to avoid long nails and nail designs that have a lot of rhinestones and bling bling because they may damage your wedding dress.

Sometimes the brides have nail polish but not nail polish remover with them. So, when the nail polish comes off from their nails, it is very difficult to re-apply. Actually, nail polish can act as your nail polish remover for emergency situations. Apply a coat of nail polish and remove it with a cotton pad after 2 seconds. You will find both new and old coat of nail polish are removed.

Flat Hair

Flat hair look no good all the time, especially when you are not doing an updo hairstyle. Loose your hair with your fingers. Bow down you head and move all your hairs to the front. Spray some hair spray onto the hair roots. So, you can have volumic hair when you return to your normal standing position.

Which Are the Best Body Hair Removal Products for Women

admin — Thu, 10 May 2012 04:47:35 +0000

Different Types of Body Hair Removal Products

Hair Removal Cream

Hair removal cream are painless, but hair grow back quickly. So, it is only suitable for those who have really fine and few hairs. Hair removal cream is usually applied on arms, legs and armpits. The chemicals in the cream dissolves the hair, so you can shave with a plastic shaver. But, these chemicals may irritate skin.

Hair Removal Wax

Hair removal wax is one of the most popular hair removal methods.

How to Choose the Best Eyebrow Tweezer for Your Brows

admin — Thu, 10 May 2012 02:52:25 +0000

Tweezing eyeborws (properly) is very important for me because it makes my eyes look more prominent. I love the professional tweezing service in salon, but I cannot go there very often. Sometime, I just need to tweeze the eyebrows at home.

Different Types of Tweezer

There are 3 types of ordinary tweezer, which differentiate by the shape of their ends. You may find slant tweezer, point tweezer and slant/point combination tweezer.

How to Choose the Best Tweezer

Material

Choose one that is made of stainless steel. Rusting on the tweezer may infect your hair follicles. Make sure the material is not irritating.

Length and Design

The best tweezer is around 8cm. It should be ergonomic so you can tweeze your brows comfortably.

Shape

Both slant and point tweezers are good to use at home. But, slant one is slightly better because it is easy to use and shape your brows. Point tweezer is usually use for ingrown and very fine hair. Do not choose round or flat ends because they are difficult to tweeze eyebrows accurately. You may tweeze several pieces of eyebrows at the same time which you do not wish to. But, they may be suitable for beginners because they are safer.

How to Use a Tweezer

Clamp the root of a piece of eyebrow, then hold and pull. Make sure you pull in the direction that the eyeborws grow as shown in the picture. Pull it quickly so that you experience less pain. If you are too sensitive to pain, you may apply moisturizer to your eyeborw. Tweeze after 15 minutes. Cool your eyebrow with a ice cooling pad after tweezing.

How to Store a Tweezer

If you just put your tweezer in your makeup bag, it may abraded. You should wrap the tweezer with a small soft cloth. Sharpen your tweezer when needed. Tweezerman provides free sharpening service for its customers.

What Does a Dermatologist Advise on Sun Care

admin — Wed, 09 May 2012 05:40:47 +0000

Dermatologists’ Sun Care Tips

20 Minutes Before

Apply a medium-thick layer of sunscreen on your skin before you put on your clothes in the morning. The sunscreen should be SPF30 or above. Most sunscreen takes around 20 minutes to work. Applying sunscreen when you are out means you have exposed your skin under the sun (without protection) for at least 20 minutes.

Skincare Sun Care Products for Face

Facial skin is very sensitive and requires special care. Though dermatologists usually suggest sunscreen alone instead of all-in-one products, there are skincare sun care products that are suitable for certain group of people. People with sensitive skin or redness problem may choose sunscreen that has calming and soothing properties. People with spots problem may choose sunscreen that contain soy extracts and niacinamide.

Supplements for Sun Care

Another choice of sunscreen is supplements that have sun care properties. Supplements that contain lycopene, renieratene and Polypodium Leucotomos Extract help protect your skin from UV radiations. They also helps fight free radical (anti-aging) and reduce skin redness. Take the supplements before you go outside. But, these supplements are not substitutes of sunscreen.

Double Protection

If you really care about sun care, you may learn from Dr. Leslie Baumann. First apply chemical suncare products, then apply physical suncare products. Chemical sun care products absorb UVA and UVB. Physical sun care products reflect UV radiations. This provides a much stronger protection for your skin.

Never Rely on Cosmetics

Many people do not apply sunscreen simply because they have applied foundation or base that have UV protection. The protection from such foundation and base are really weak. A strong enough protection from these cosmetics requires you to apply 14 times more and 7 times more of the normal amount of powder and liquid foundation.

New Sunscreen Every Year

You should open a bottle or jar of new sunscreen every year. The sunscreen properties diminish as time goes. So, sunscreen that sits in your cabin for years may not have any protection to your skin.

Sunscreen Does Not Cause Acne

Some people refuse to apply sunscreen because they think suncreen causes acne. Actually, the product itself does not cause acne. It is your sweat combine with the sunscreen to clog the pores. So, you may choose sunscreen powder or sunscreen gel instead. Sunscreen powder does not form agglomeration with your sweat.

Sunscreen for Eye

Skin around eye is the most delicate, which surely requires protection from UV radiations. Most of us do not apply sunscreen around eye area because we are afraid of the stinging feeling during application. Actually there are some skincare brands such as La Roche-Posay have sunscreen designed for eye area.

Kojic Acid in Mushroom Extract Cream and Soap Products

admin — Fri, 04 May 2012 03:48:48 +0000

What is Kojic Acid

Mushroom has been recognized as a healthy food and used for medical purposes for thousands of years. Mushroom extracts not only benefit our health but also skin. The most famous skincare ingredient in mushroom serve as lightening agent to treat hyper-pigments, age spots and skin tone in skincare products. Kojic Acid also possesses antibacterial and antifungal properties.

Actually, Kojic Acid is not only found in mushroom. It is also present in fermentation process of malting rice and soy bean.

How Does Kojic Acid Work in Skincare Products

Kojic Acid is a tyrosinase enzyme inhibitor in nature, which hinders the production of the natural dark pigment, melanin inside our skin. With less melanin in skin, our skin becomes lighter. It takes around 3 to 6 months to see noticeable results from skincare products that contain Kojic Acid.

Kojic Acid Side Effects

The most common side effect of Kojic Acid products is skin irritation. People with sensitive skin may feel stinging using such products.

Kojie San Soap Review

What It Says:
Kojie.san Skin Lightening Soap is made by a combination of kojic acid and high-grade virgin coconut oil. It helps inhibit the formation of melanin on the skin.
What Do We Think:
Well, the soap is cheap and is quite effective in whitening. But, it is not a good skincare in general. Many of us are irritated by the soap and have spots and pimples. We GUESS the cause of pimples or outbreaks is because the oil controlling property of the soap. Sometime it keeps your skin too dry, so sebum is secreted naturally to nourish. The excessive secretion actually leads to the outbreak. So, if you have really non-sensitive skin and wish to have lighten your skin. You may give it a try! But, for those having sensitive skin, this is definitely not your choice.

Cape Fear Natural Kojic Acid Cream Review

What It Says:
A high quality and powerful Kojic Acid Cream that safely lightens your skin, freckles and age spots.
What Do We Think:
This is a beige cream with a nice texture. It really lighten our skin (face and arm) in around 2 months. The results are actually quite dramatic. We have also tried it on acne scar and age spots, at least half of the color is reduced. So, we are really satisfied with the cream. Most importantly, we do not experience skin irritation. $14.95 for 2oz is not really expensive.

Mushroom for Beauty

There are many different types of mushroom. Each type has their specific skincare and beauty properties.
Maitake
It is the most powerful type of mushroom for beauty purpose. It boots the regeneration of epidermis in 12 hours.
Glossy Ganoderma
Glossy Ganoderma nourishes and moisturizes skin. It stimulates the metabolism of skin cells and has anti-oxidizing properties.
Mushroom
Mushroom is good for sensitive skin. It soothes and calms irritation and inflammation.
You May Try:
Origins Dr. Weil Mega Mushroom Skin Relief
This lightweight hydrating lotion designed for sensitive skin. It instantly calms skin and reduces redness.