Lotion

Skin Care

What We're Sweet On: Body Lotion With Attitude

When you think luxury body lotions, an English cowshed may be the last image to pop into your head.

When you think luxury body lotions, an English cowshed may be the last image to pop into your head. But with one sniff of Cowshed's luxe lotions, you'll be an instant convert. The British brand recently became available stateside at Barneys, making it easier for those of us on the other side of the pond to get our hands on it. And with therapeutic, natural ingredients like wild-crafted plant extracts and pure essential oils, you'll want to add these lotions to your wish list.

Available in six "moods," ranging from relaxing to invigorating to balancing, my favorite is the brand's Grumpy Cow ($28). Don't let the cheeky name fool you; this creamy concoction boasts an invigorating scent that instantly adds a jolt of energy when you swipe it on. So the next time you're in a mood, pay a visit to the Cowshed.

Skin Care

What We're Sweet On: The Perfect Lotion For Sensitive Skin

Half the fun of body lotion is swaddling yourself in a beautiful scent .

Half the fun of body lotion is swaddling yourself in a beautiful scent . . . unless you have dry, sensitive skin, which means you need a lotion that will soothe, hydrate, and repair without the potential irritants. Atopalm Moisturizing Body Lotion ($30) is exactly what sensitive types need to whip skin into shape for Spring. Nourishing ingredients like vitamin E protect, while allantoin calms. The lightweight formula penetrates quickly sans stickiness, which is exactly what we need as we transition into warmer weather. Soon you'll be dying to bare your skin in skirts, dresses, and short sleeves.

Lotion

What We're Sweet On: A Body Butter That Doesn't Leave Grease Stains

The worst part of cold-weather beauty: too rich body creams.

The worst part of cold-weather beauty: too rich body creams. If you're over leaving grease stains on all the furniture, try the Nourish Body Butter ($10). With less than 10 ingredients, the 100 percent organic formula contains shea butter and coconut oil to seal in moisture, while vitamin E provides antioxidant effects. It's also even gluten-free and vegan. More like a balm than a cream, allow this heavy-duty hydrator to be melted in your hands first before application. So say goodbye to ashy elbows and chapped heels. Winter . . . do your worst.

Protect Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself - With Cheap Sunblock!

Using SPF is a no brainer, but before you splurge on that expensive sunblock, consider buying drugstore brands as well.

Using SPF is a no brainer, but before you splurge on that expensive sunblock, consider buying drugstore brands as well. Annie shares insider information in this video on why it's just as important to use cheap sunblock on a daily basis. This is a summer tip-off you won’t want to miss!

Lipstick

How Much Did These Beauty Products Used to Cost?

In the mid-1970s, the average cost of gasoline was about 60 cents per gallon, and stamps cost just 13 cents each.

In the mid-1970s, the average cost of gasoline was about 60 cents per gallon, and stamps cost just 13 cents each. Flash forward a little over 30 years later and thanks to inflation, gasoline now hovers around $3 per gallon, and stamps are up to 44 cents apiece. But that's not all that has changed. The price of beauty products has risen with the times, too. Are you sensing where I'm going with this? I'll give you the product and the date, and you see if you can guess how much said item used to cost back in the day. And be sure to take my first vintage prices quiz, too.

Take the Quiz
Lotion

Seven C-Section Scar Healers

Doctors may stitch and staple postpartum mothers up on the operating table, but once they get home the physical results of a c-section are a battle scar women carry for the rest of their lives.
C-Section Scar Lotions

Doctors may stitch and staple postpartum mothers up on the operating table, but once they get home the physical results of a c-section are a battle scar women carry for the rest of their lives. After the pain and numbness surrounding the scar fade, many ladies seek lotions and salves to help dissolve the little red line into oblivion. While no one potion is guaranteed to rid you of your scar, many have loyal followings. Check them out!

Beauty How To

How-To: Instant Shimmer Lotion

So let's say you are clumsy — not that I'd know anything about that.

So let's say you are clumsy — not that I'd know anything about that. (Nope, not at all.) Perhaps you've knocked an eye shadow over and it's all crumbly. While you may be able to repair it with these instructions, you could always keep it on hand to create a shimmery lotion. Just take a tiny pinch of eye shadow — obviously, it's best if it's a champagne, bronze, or pink shade — and mix it into a few dollops of plain body lotion. Spread it on your shoulders, collarbone, and shins to create a light-capturing glow quickly and inexpensively. Easy!

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Skin Care

Why You Don't Necessarily Need to Feel Bad About Your Neck

Remember Nora Ephron, the screenwriter of When Harry Met Sally...?

Remember Nora Ephron, the screenwriter of When Harry Met Sally...? Lately, it seems like all she wants to talk about is how she feels bad about her aging neck. "The neck is a dead giveaway," she writes. "Our faces are lies and our necks are the truth. You have to cut open a redwood tree to see how old it is, but you wouldn't have to do that if it had a neck."

Maybe so, but your neck doesn't have to be any less gorgeous and healthy than your face. The key to avoiding "turkey neck" in your golden years is to stop it before it starts, and fortunately, doing so is easy. Wear sunscreen every day (even on cloudy days and in winter). When you apply your moisturizer each morning, cover your entire face, then apply lotion on your neck and decolletage, too. With vigilant use, the book you write in your 60s will be I Feel Great About My Neck. As for writing hit romantic comedies, well, you're on your own with that.

C.O. Bigelow

New Product Alert: C.O. Bigelow Mentha Body Collection

One of C.O.

One of C.O. Bigelow's most popular products is its Mentha Lip Shine (and since Fab is a fan, you know it's good stuff). This week, the apothecary is introducing Mentha Body, a collection of mint-infused soaps, creams and lotions. I got a sneak peek at the products and I like them quite a bit. The fresh, invigorating scent is reminiscent of a candy cane, but it's not so overwhelming that you'll walk around smelling like one of Santa's little helpers. For a rundown of my favorite products, and to find out why guys will like them too, read more

beauty products

10 Toxic Cosmetic Ingredients to Avoid

What you put on your body is just as important as what you put in it.

What you put on your body is just as important as what you put in it. Your skin is the largest organ in your body, and it absorbs everything including toxins. If you are concerned about not eating unhealthy foods like trans fat, then you'll definitely want to know which synthetic ingredients you should watch out for in the products you use.

  1. Methyl, Propyl, Butyl and Ethyl Parabens: Used as a preservative to inhibit microbial growth and extend shelf life. Unfortunately, it can cause allergic reactions and skin rashes. Preliminary research found parabens in human breast cancer tumors.
  2. Diethanolamine (DEA), Triethanolamine (TEA): These are used as foaming agents, but can cause allergic reactions, eye irritation, and dryness of the hair and skin. DEA and TEA are toxic if absorbed into the body over a long period of time, and are associated with cancer in lab animals.
  3. Diazolidinyl Urea, Imidazolidinyl Urea: Often used as preservatives, the American Academy of Dermatology has found these chemicals to be a primary cause of contact dermatitis (irritation caused by foreign substance). Both these chemicals release formaldehyde, which can be toxic.
  4. Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate: This is a cheap, harsh detergent used in many shampoos for its ability to cleanse and foam. Often derived from petroleum, it causes eye irritation, dry scalp, skin rashes and other allergic reactions. Be on the lookout for pseudo-natural products that list this ingredient with the phrase "comes from coconuts" - it's still bad for you.
  5. Petrolatum: Also known as petroleum jelly, this is a mineral oil derivative that can clog your pores. This in turn disrupts your body's natural ability to moisturize its own skin, leading to dryness and chapping. Manufacturers use it because it's really inexpensive.
  6. Want to know what else you should avoid? Then read more