Best of Beauty- Hair + Skin
OH, The price of beauty..the price of maintenance…As Estee Lauder once put it “There is no such thing as ugly women, just lazy women”, & I find there to be a lot of truth in that statement.
Its not so much about vanity, as it is about taking care of yourself. Its about doing whatever you can, within your means, to look your possible best. I promote personal beauty, personal style. I don’t believe in cookie-cutter conventional beauty. It really does come in all shapes and sizes, and its all about accentuating your best features.
I hear it all the time from women of all ages…one day they look in the mirror and they freak out at the first line, the first blotchy spot, their first gray hair, their hair looks thinner..I don’t care how busy or hectic your life is, no matter how many kids or boyfriends or husbands you may have or have had, no woman likes to feel they are losing themselves. But to every problem, there is a solution.
I am confident in my belief that these products will help you maintain your beauty. There is so much hype about beauty products that one can get lost in a sea of magazine articles, reviews and blogs on the topic so I’m here to eliminate the fluff. To cut down to the nitty gritty..
Lets get to to the good stuff!
Lets start with Hair.
Hair is made of a hard protien called kertain. Human hair grows about 0.5 inches per month, depending on genetics and climate (hair tends to grow fast in warmer climates & during summer). Dispite what any manufacturer may tell you, once hair is damaged, it cannot be repaired to its original state. Once you have split ends, the only remedy is trimming (and protecting). Conditioners and serums use silicones to coat the hair making it shinier and more managable but once its damaged, the only solution is to trim, and dont make the mistake of thinking that if you dont trim your hair will grow longer..split ends will continue to travel up towards the root. Not a a good look. Protection is key.
So, without further ado..lets get started!
Shampoo + Condiitoner:
Morroccan Oil: Shampoo & Conditioner
My goodness, anyone who knows me personally knows how much I love and rave about this line. I love everything about it. I love the company, I love the products, I ADORE the smell..its an overall great line. Matter of fact, I recommend the whole Morrocan Oil line, but, in choosing, these are my top picks.
The shampoo and Conditioner. They’re paraben free (Paraben has been linked to cancer & has been commonly found in many beauty products), the shampoo is creamy but doesnt foam as much as you’d think it would (that is actually a good thing). I find the conditioner to be a little thick, so a little bit goes a long way…a word of warning, however, if you’re hair is on the thin side, I recommend using a clarifying shampoo once a week to avoid product build-up.
Big Sexy Hair: Big Volume Shampoo
So its a Saturday night and you’re set to go on a great date..this is the shampoo that will give you that extra “oh la la”. If you want big, rockin’, sexy hair, look no further than the Big Sexy Hair line. This shampoo gives great volume and is the perfect primer for crazy, sexy night out on the town. This line also has a great Dry Shampoo I recommend between washings thats equally amazing. The only negative thing I’d say about this product is that I dont find it fitting for daily use- I’ve found it a bit too drying for me, but aside from that..its one of my top picks and for very good reason!
Moroccan Oil: Oil Treatment
The treatment oil (For all hair types): Is a dry oil..meaning it may come on a little oily but it wont stay that way.. this product actually penetrates the hair shaft & with continued use helps to actually improve the overall state of the hair. Put it on while hair is damp and style or air dry. Its an excellent de-frizzer, leaves hair soft, supple and shiny. A little goes a long way so don’t spread it on too thick.
Moroccan Oil: Intense Curl Cream
If you have curly hair and love to rock your locks, this product is an absolute must have. I’ve seen this do miracles on curly hair. It coats, defrizzes and leaves curls soft and defined. If you have curly hair, and do not listen to anything else I say, at least listen to this. This is a 5 star product. You need this in your life.
Rusk: Thermal Flat Iron spray.
When it comes to hair, the biggest enemies are humidity and heat. This is one of your weapons against both. This is a spray you apply to damp hair, and it not only helps fight the frizz but it helps in the prevention of thermal damage caused by flat irons, curling irons and heat rollers. If you’re a styling junkie this is a great product to add to your collection. Love the scent. Only a little is needed (or it will leave your hair a little stiff and sticky) so play with this product and keep your hair frizz & damage free.
AG: Fast Food leave-in conditoner
This is a great leave-in conditoner, perfect for days when the weather is not on your side. Extreme heat or cold will suck the moisture out of your hair and skin, so on those hot sunny days, or cold winter nights, this is a product you’ll be sure to keep coming back to. Protection is key, so apply before being out in the sun or water and make sure tor re-apply as needed.
Big Sexy Hair: Root Pump Plus Humidity Resistant Volumizing Spray Mousse
This is another amazing line. I love this line, from the shampoo to the hairspray. This product is no exception. Whether your hair is thin, straight, curly, wavy..this mousse is the business. Give you amazing volume and the humidity resistance helps for those who live in humid climates (such as yours truly). Great for blow drying and curling..this is one styling product I wouldnt want to live without.
Skin.
Skin..the largest organ of the body. Part of the integumentary system, it not only provides the “aesthetics” of the person, but its our first barrier against bacteria, infection and disease. In a normal, healthy adult in their 20s, it takes a total of 28 days for skin to shed off and renew itself..it takes longer as you get older. I always tell my younger friends and colleuges to take care of their skin..for obvious reasons. Any make-up artist would tell you that good skin is the best canvas. A beautiful, blemish, wrinkle free face isn’t unattainable..let us explore our non-surgical options.
For Adult Acne:
Lets starts off with acne. That dreaded word that may have haunted us throughout middle school and high school..and if it didn’t find you then, it may have found you in your 20s, 30s and even your 40s. Acne is probably the #1 biggest complaint in skin esthetics, next to wrinkles and fine lines. So lets get down to the nitty gritty.
There are different grades of acne. The common ones are grades 1 and 2..that’s the one’s we’ll be helping to treat here. Grades 3 & 4 should be left under the care of a dermatologist.
Acne is hormonal. Contrary to popular belief diet does not cause acne, however, if you suffer from acne eating greasy, fatty food will only exasperate the issue. Healthy skin always starts from within, so treatment will begin with cutting down fried, fatty and dairy until your skin and inflammation calms down & starting a skin care regimine that includes cleansing, treating and moisturizing the skin (just because you suffer from acne doesnt mean your skin can’t be dehydrated, and acne products tend to dry the skin…dont skip out on a good moisturizer!)
Murad Acne Complex system: I speak about acne from experience. After spending hundreds of dollars on high end, 5 star luxury spa acne products and seeing no difference, I decided to give the Dermatologist based brand a try. I read the reviews prior to purchasing and was a little put off by the complaints. Many complained about it making their acne worse, or not working..but upon further observation, I noticed all those complaints were from people who had only been using the product for a few weeks. I decided to try it out anyways.
First off, when you recieve the package the pamphlets state that you may purge within the first few weeks of treatment (meaning you may break out). This is not only normal, but its a sign the products are doing there job, but within one month your face should be clear. This is exactly what happened to me. I broke out the second week of treatment but after the first month my face was blemish free and has pretty much stayed that way (with the exception of tiny little pustules that always visit me, around that time of the month).
I love this line. This cleared my skin and every product worked fantastically. The Clarifying cleanser is by far, one of the best cleansers I’ve ever used. Infused with the powerful acne fighter salicylic acid, it knocks oil, make-up and impurties right out.
The Exfoliating Acne Treatment Gel is awesome and doesnt dry out skin, and the Skin Perfecting Lotion has hyaluronic acid which is a great moisturizer..I can go on and on about this.. but bottom line, if you have acne, you must give this product a try.
The Clarifying Mask (love.love.love this mask) and Acne spot treament are great keepers, too.
L’Oreal Dermo Expertise Acne Response Daily Adult Acne Regimen, 3-Step System
I found this kit on clearance and decided that for the price, it was definately worth a try & for a drugstore make-up brand, they have a suprisingly great acne line. This is a 3 peice kit. Cleanser, toner and moisturizer..With 2% Salicylic Acid and 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide, 2 powerful acne fighters in one. I used this product and it cleared up my skin right away & lasted a good while too! I didnt find it at the store again, but its available online. Go for it.
Pevonia “C” Complexe.
When it comes to antioxidants, ingredients should always be on top of the list..literally. In the list on ingredients, the active ingredient should be on top of the list. I love this product because its choc-full of powerful good stuff. Vitamin C will help treat and prevent the signs of aging and Hyaluronic acid will help plump fine lines and moisturize. Used to treat all skin types, of all ages, all kinds of skin. Help fight free radicals with this powerful and potent serum. This is a must-have.
Elemis: Pro-Collagen Eye Renewal
If you are starting to notice a little dehydration around the eye area, some sagging and puffing, this is a great eye cream. I used this the first time and saw a difference within hours. Its infused with marine botanical and my skin just soaked up the goodness..a little pricey, but thats expected with any good eye cream. If you feel like treating your skin, this is a good product to pamper with.
So..there ya go (for now)
This concludes this post. Those are my tips of the day..but stay tuned! I’m working on my ‘best of make-up’ blog..that should be dope..
Also, if any of you have any suggestions..feel free add them!
- xo
Kamikaze
