BellaSugar

Vitamin C Skin Care Part IV: Eye Treatments

BellaSugar — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 14:56:27 -0700

Welcome back to part four of my Vitamin C Skin Care Series. As we all know, eye creams are important for toning, firming and tightening up the sensitive orbital area of your eye. That's where you first begin to see fine lines and signs of aging. Here are three vitamin C-infused eye creams that help to stunt the aging process and keep your eyes looking taut and smooth.

Jan Marini C-ESTA Eye Repair Concentrate ($77) is a medically tested eye treatment to help significantly slow down the signs of aging around the thin-skinned areas of your eyes.

It is suitable for all skin types and contains a high concentration of vitamin C. Apply just a little bit to your lower and upper eye area, stopping at the crease.

For two more vitamin C eye creams, read more

Rejuvenal-C Orange Eye Pads ($4) are infused with orange, vitamin c, ginkgo biloba, green tea, and chamomile to tighten, calm and reduce puffiness in your eyes. The package contains five pairs of eye pads that are safe for all skin types.

It is recommended to take out contacts before use. Simply place a pair of pads over your eyes and relax for anywhere from ten to thirty minutes while "the C" works its magic. For a treat, try chilling the pads-it's refreshing and enjoyable.

N.V. Perricone M.D. Cosmeceuticals Vitamin C Ester Eye Area Therapy ($50) is an eye serum that nourishes and restores balance to your delicate eye area. Use in the morning and at night for maximum benefits. After a week or so, you should begin to notice a change in tone and texture in your skin.

Beauty Marked! An Anti-Aging Eye Cream

BellaSugar — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 17:20:44 -0800

Ever since I realized my tried and true Shiseido Skincare Eye Revitalizer, $37, lost its effect on my aging eyes, I've been on the hunt for something heavier! Thank you to all of you who responded to my Beauty Mark It! post and shared all of your super powered age defying eye creams! To see all of the anti-aging eye creams that you have chosen for me click here.

Beauty Mark #1 found by Musewings, is an Essential Moisturizing Sunscreen SPF 15 With Antioxidants for Normal to Dry Skin made by Paula's Choice, $12.95. It is a fragrance free lotion that helps to hydrate dry skin as well as protect it from the sun. It's not just an eye cream, it's so moisturizing that if you apply it liberally to your orbital bone, it should do the trick!

For more anti-aging eye creams, read more

Beauty Mark #2 found by zeldaf, is the Lancome HIGH RESOLUTION with COLLASER - Deep Collagen Anti-Wrinkle Serum, $62 for one ounce and $92 for 1.7 ounces. In just 48 hours it is said to help renew the deteriorating collagen in the sensitive area around your eyes.

It was inspired by professional laser therapy, which also helps to promote collagen production and thus reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles.

Beauty Mark #3 found by sigmaration, is the latest anti-wrinkle cream from Bliss called Wrinkle Twinkle, $42. This fast-acting line eraser is a topical "muscle relaxer" for your wrinkles! It fills in the fine wrinkles around your eyes and then relaxes and regenerates the muscles. Over a few month period, it should also help reduce the look of dark under eye circles. Wowsers!

All About Eye Creams

BellaSugar — Wed, 28 May 2008 07:00:50 -0700

After reading this Beauty Product Junkies post and informally talking with a few friends, one thing is clear: Few people are clear on what eye creams do and whether you need them. So here are a few FAQs about eye cream. (If you have other questions, just leave a comment.)

Do I really need an eye cream?
Yes; to protect the delicate area around your eyes, you need to apply moisturizer every day.

Can't I just use my normal face cream?
Sure - it's up to you. The skin around your eyes isn't inherently different from the skin on, say, your cheeks. If you like your moisturizer, there's no reason not to use it near your eyes. Depending on your skin type, you may prefer (as I do) to use a separate eye cream. If you have oily skin, for instance, you may want a hydrating eye cream but a mattifying face lotion. But there's nothing holding you back from using the same moisturizer all over your skin.

To find out whether eye creams can eliminate your wrinkles, read more.

Eye creams can get rid of wrinkles, right?
Nope. No cream can actually eliminate existing wrinkles. If that were the case, people wouldn't try Botox, would they?

Crud. Well, what can they do, then?
A good eye cream keeps your skin moist, which minimizes the look of wrinkles and can hydrate skin - which, in turn, can reduce puffiness and prevent your skin from forming more wrinkles. An eye cream with glycolic acid can help exfoliate your skin, which will make crow's feet look less deep. Emollient creams with silicones or glycerin can create a smoother surface on the skin, which minimizes the look of wrinkles.

Also, keep an eye out for creams that brighten your skin superficially. Olay Definity Intense Hydrating Cream ($29.99) isn't just for the eyes (see? I told you!) but along with anti-aging amino acids, it contains mica particles that reflect light. It's just a cosmetic change, but it makes an immediate improvement in your appearance.

What else do I need to know?
A daytime eye cream - or any daytime facial moisturizer, for that matter - is worthless if it doesn't contain a sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB rays. The best way to prevent wrinkles from forming around your eyes is to wear SPF 15 or 30 day in, day out. You can pile on a $300 eye cream each night, but if you're not using sunscreen in conjunction with it, you're throwing away your money.

Source

Beauty Mark It! An Anti-Aging Eye Cream

BellaSugar — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 10:52:33 -0800

I have worn the same eye cream, Skincare Eye Revitalizer by Shiseido, $37, for years...The problem is that now that I am getting older and starting to get crows feet and little wrinkles. I think that I might need something heavier!

Let's all go beauty marking to find me a new super powered age defying eye cream. I know you've all got your favorites out there, so share them with me!

Be sure to come back and tell me when your Beauty Marks are up, or just tag your choices with anti-aging eye cream. To learn what a Beauty Mark is and how to make one, click here.

To see some of my favorite online beauty stores, read more

Saks Beauty Place
Strawberrynet.com
Nordstrom
Sephora
Beauty.com
Drugstore.com
Fred Segal Beauty
Bergdorf Goodman

Doing Drugstore: Vanicream Lite Lotion

BellaSugar — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 06:00:00 -0700

When I'm having a breakout, my skin gets so sensitive that it reacts badly to everything, even products I've been using for years. And each little irritation snowballs, until it feels like my face flares up every time I dot on concealer or use eye cream. That's when I know it's time for Vanicream Lite Lotion ($8). As a moisturizer, there's absolutely nothing fancy about this stuff, but it's free of just about any irritant you can think of: fragrance, parabens, lanolin, dyes, etc. It's also, as the name suggests, very light, and it absorbs quickly. It won't even your skin tone, help with anti-aging, or tighten your pores, but it will keep your skin hydrated without further breaking it out, which is a godsend when your complexion's been sensitized and is going downhill fast. If I weren't so obsessed with trying new stuff and experimenting with formulas, I'd use this every day. The brand also makes the most gentle sunscreen ever, so it gets the thumbs-up from me.

Take a Look at the 2009 CEW Award Winners!

BellaSugar — Mon, 04 May 2009 06:00:13 -0700

What do all of these products have in common? They're just a few of the select winners of this year's 2009 Cosmetic Executive Women (CEW) Awards. If you're not familiar, each year, members of the CEW, who are working professionals in the industry, gather together to select their top beauty picks of the year.

It's like what the Grammys are to a musician or what the Oscars mean to an actor. Over 4,000 votes were cast for 2009, with nearly 550 products entered in 28 categories, covering the whole beauty gamut. Curious to see what products prevailed in these prestigious awards? Find out when you read more.

2009 CEW BEAUTY AWARDS WINNERS

Bath and Body

Body Treatment - Mass: Avon Products, Inc. Anew Clinical Professional Stretch Mark Smoother
Body Treatment - Prestige: Ojon Tawaka "The Ball"
Scented Bath & Body - Mass: Vickery & Clarke Natural Apothecary Eucalyptus & Peppermint Cold & Sinus Soak
Scented Bath & Body - Prestige: Fresh Fig Apricot Bath and Shower Gel

Facial Skin Care

Acne Treatment: Clean & Clear Advantage Blackhead Eraser Exfoliating Cleanser
Anti-Aging - Mass: Olay Regenerist 14 Day Skin Intervention
Anti-Aging - Prestige: Clinique Even Better Skin Tone Corrector
Cleanser and Scrub - Mass: Neutrogena Wave Power Cleanser and Deep Clean Foaming Pads
Cleanser and Scrub - Prestige: Fresh Appleseed Brightening Exfoliant
Eye Treatment - Mass: Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew Anti-Puff Eye Roller
Eye Treatment - Prestige: Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Eye Treatment
Moisturizer - Mass: Olay Definity Color Recapture
Moisturizer - Prestige: Estée Lauder Time Zone Line and Wrinkle Reducing Moisturizer SPF 15

Hair

Hair Care, Style, and Coloring - Mass: Avon Advance Techniques Grey Root Touch-Up
Hair Care, Style, and Coloring - Prestige: Living Proof Straight Making No Frizz Styling Cream for Medium to Thick Hair

Makeup

Eye Product - Mass: L'Oréal Paris Double Extend Beauty Tubes Mascara
Eye Product - Prestige: Lancôme Ôscillation
Face Product - Mass: CoverGirl Simply Ageless Foundation
Face Product - Prestige: Giorgio Armani Face Fabric Foundation
Lip Product - Mass: Avon Pro-To-Go Lipstick
Lip Product - Prestige: YSL Rouge Volupté Silky Sensual Radiant Lipstick SPF 15

Men's Grooming

Men’s Grooming: Zirh Drenched

Scent

Men's Scent: Prada Infusion d'Homme Eau de Toilette Spray
Women's Scent - Mass: Avon Bond Girl 007
Women's Scent - Prestige: Harajuku Lovers Fragrances "G"

Sun

Sun Product - Mass: Aveeno Continuous Protection Sunblock Spray SPF 70
Sun Product - Prestige: Clarins Delicious Self Tanning Cream

Indie Beauty Award (The brightest new start-up in the world of beauty.)

Nia 24

Enter to Win a Tarte Prize Package From Sephora!

BellaSugar — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 11:45:00 -0700

Are you wowed by the benefits of natural makeup? Well then, we've got a little certain something for you. Thanks to our friends at Sephora, you could win this amazing collection of eco-friendly cosmetics from Tarte, which includes just about everything you'll need to create a glowing makeup look.

One grand prize winner will receive the following:

A Perfect Whirled Natural Cheek Stain: A limited-edition blush that's swirled with coral pink and seashell pink for a natural glow.
ReCreate Anti-Aging Foundation With Wrinkle Rewind Technology SPF 15: An anti-aging moisturizing foundation that improves the tone, firmness, and elasticity of the skin.
EmphasEYES High Definition Eye Pencil: A super-slim pencil that's perfect for creating a smoky eye.
Lock & Roll Creaseless Eyeshadow Duo: A dual-ended, water-resistant cream and loose eyeshadow wand for color that stays put.
Spring Greening Reusable Straw Palette: A sustainable straw palette filled with six new mineral eye shadows, three new lip glosses, and an eye shadow brush.

To enter, just take the quiz by 12 p.m. PDT on Sunday, April 9, and one winner will be selected at random. Your eligibility is not based on getting the answers correct, just on taking the quiz after you are logged in. You do, however, need to be a TeamSugar member to enter. So if you're not already one, register for an account. One quiz entry per person; all repeat quizzes will be ignored. Prizes can be shipped to US destinations only. Remember: You must be logged in to TeamSugar for your entry to count. For the complete rules, click here. Good luck!

Take the quiz

Beauty Byte: Self's 2007 Healthy Beauty Awards

BellaSugar — Fri, 04 May 2007 16:14:02 -0700

Self magazine just announced the winners of its 2007 Healthy Beauty Awards, which recognize skin-care, makeup, and hair products that are both good and good for you. I love lists like this, because they always give me ideas about new products to try (as if I needed more, but whatever).

The Self awards are a great mix of drugstore treasures and high-end brands. (Thanks to Beauty and the Blog for the tip!) To see the list of winners, read more

FACE

Best Normal-Skin Cleanser
Plank Cor Soap, $125

Best Oily-Skin Cleanser
Care by Stella McCartney Purifying Foaming Cleanser, $35

Best Dry-Skin Cleanser
NIA 24 Gentle Cleansing Cream, $30

Best Sensitive-Skin Cleanser
Skin Effects Redness Control Calming Gel Cleanser, $13

Best Normal-Skin Moisturizer
Skingenic Regenerating Moisturizer, $110

Best Dry-Skin Moisturizer
Lierac Hydra-Chrono, $45

Best Sensitive-Skin Moisturizer
Kinerase Cream With SPF 30, $135

Best Antiaging Moisturizer
Lancôme High Résolution With Fibrelastine Intensive Recovery Anti-Wrinkle Cream, $74

Best Night Cream
Roc Protient Fortify Lift and Define Night Cream, $20

Best Serum
Aveeno Positively Ageless Rejuvenating Serum, $18

Best At-Home Peel
Avon Anew Clinical Advanced Retexturizing Peel, $25

Best Face Scrub
C.O. Bigelow Brown Sugar Crystal Face Polish, $20

Best Acne Treatment
Sephora Face Concealing Blemish Pen, $14

Best Mask
Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Plump Perfect Firming Facial Mask, $58

Best Eye Cream
Guerlain Orchidée Impériale Eye and Lip Cream, $155

Best Antiaging Eye Cream
Clarins Advanced Extra-Firming Eye Contour Cream, $54

Best Eye-Brightening Cream
Burt's Bees Radiance Eye Creme, $15

BODY

Best Bar Soap
Dove Pro-Age, $4

Best Shower Gel
Boscia Jujube Rejuvenist Amino Body Wash, $22

Best Moisturizing Shower Gel
Caress Cashmere Luxury Silkening Body Wash, $3

Best Body Scrub
Murad Activating Body Scrub, $48

Best Body Treatment
Ahava Pure Spa Energizing Body Mud Mask, $18

Best Body Moisturizer
St. Ives Mineral Therapy Advanced Body Moisturizer, $5

Best Nighttime Body Moisturizer
Johnson's Softlotion Melt Away Stress Moisturizing Lotion, $5

Best Spray Moisturizer
The Healing Garden Sensual Therapy Passion Rose Body Mist, $7

Best Body Cream
Jergens Shea Butter Cream, $7

Best Body Cream for Irritated Skin
Eucerin Calming Itch-Relief Treatment, $9

Best Hand Scrub
Mary Kay Satin Smoothie Hand Scrub, $15

Best Hand Lotion
OPI Avoplex High-Intensity Hand & Nail Cream, $8

Best Nail Product
Revlon No Smudge Dry Oil, $7

Best Foot Scrub
Olay Thermal Pedicure, $9

Best Foot Cream
Earth Therapeutics Intensive Heel Repair, $8

MAKEUP

Best All-Around Foundation
Shiseido The Makeup Dual Balancing Foundation SPF 17, $35

Best Tinted Moisturizer
Cosmedicine Honest Face Skin Tint & Treatment SPF 20, $35

Best Oil-Free Foundation
Neutrogena Glow Sheers SPF 30, $12

Best Antiaging Foundation
La Mer The Treatment Fluid Foundation SPF 15, $75

Best Long-Lasting Foundation
Rimmel Cool Matte 16 Hr Foundation, $8

Best Pressed Powder
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish, $25

Best Loose Powder
Givenchy Prisme Libre, $63

Best Concealer
Prescriptives Custom Blend Concealer, $32

Best Bronzer
Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Talc-Free Matte Bronzing Veil, $12

Best Highlighter
Smashbox Photo Op Under Eye Brightener, $18

Best Powder Blush
Lorac Cheek Stamp, $22

Best Gel Blush
Sue Devitt Beauty Gel to Powder Blush, $20

Best Lipstick
Giorgio Armani ArmaniSilk, $25

Best SPF-Enriched Lipstick
Almay Hydracolor, $9

Best Lip Gloss
Sally Hansen Smile Brightening Lip Treatment, $7

Best Lipliner
Lauren Hutton Lip Liner, $14

Best Powder Eyeshadow
Victoria's Secret Very Sexy Mosaic Eye Shadow, $18

Best Cream Eyeshadow
Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow, $22

Best Makeup Multitasker
Benefit Rush Hour, $20

Best Eyeliner
L'Oréal Paris Carbon Black Le Kohl Pencil, $7

Best Lengthening Mascara
Clinique High Definition Lashes Brush-Then-Comb Mascara, $14

Best Thickening Mascara
CoverGirl VolumeExact Mascara, $7

Best Waterproof Mascara
Maybelline New York Volum' Express Turbo Mascara, $7

Best Multitasking Mascara
Chanel Inimitable Mascara, $27

Best Eye Makeup Remover
Dr. Andrew Weil for Origins Plantidote Mega-Mushroom Eye Makeup Remover Pads, $20

Best Palette
Sonia Kashuk Face Palette, $17

HAIR

Best All-Around Shampoo
Aura Spa Aromatherapie Balancing Équilibrant Verbena Ginger Shampoo, $8

Best Hydrating Shampoo
Sunsilk ThermaShine, $4

Best Straightening Shampoo
Nexxus SleekTress Sumptuous Smoothing Shampoo, $9

Best Shampoo for Curls
Aveda Be Curly Shampoo, $20

Best Shampoo for Color-Treated Hair
Matrix Logics Color DNA System Color Nourishing Shampoo, $20

Best All-Around Conditioner
Charles Worthington Dream Hair Radiant Shine Glossing Conditioner, $9

Best Hydrating Conditioner
Kiehl's Olive Fruit Oil Nourishing Conditioner, $19

Best Straightening Conditioner
Aussie Sydney Smooth Conditioner, $3

Best Conditioner for Curls
Redken Fresh Curls Conditioner, $13

Best Conditioner for Color-Treated Hair
Marc Anthony Brilliant Color Color Lock Conditioner, $8

Best Hair Mask
Alberto VO5 Fortify & Repair! Deep Moisturizing 3-Minute Masque, $3

Best Volumizer
Biolage VolumaThérapie Bodifying Crème Gel, $14

Best Shine Serum
John Frieda Frizz-Ease Thermal Protection Serum, $10

Best Gel
Garnier Fructis Style Brilliantine Shine Cream-Gel, $4

Best Curl Product
Suave Professionals Healthy Curls Anti-Frizz Cream, $2

Best Frizz Fighter
Herbal Essences None of Your Frizzness Smoothing Leave-In Crème, $3

Best Mousse
Wella Color Preserve Volumizing Mousse, $14

Best Straightening Product
Tresemmé Thermal Creations Straightening Gel, $4

Best Texturizer
Pantene Pro-V Texturize! Moussing Foam Wax, $7

Best Hairspray
Paul Mitchell Express Style Worked Up Spray, $15

Best At-Home Color Kit
Clairol Natural Instincts, $9

SUN

Best Face Sunscreen
Dermalogica Extra Rich Faceblock SPF 30, $48

Best Body Sunscreen
Banana Boat UltraMist Sport SPF 30 Continuous Clear Spray, $7

Best Face Glow Lotion
Nivea Sun-Kissed Facial Moisturizer, $7

Best Body Glow Lotion
Estée Lauder Body Performance Golden Naturally Radiant Moisturizer, $35

Best Self-Tanner
Lancaster Silk Bronze Moisturizing Milk Face & Body Self Tan SPF 6, $22

Best Body Bronzer
Dior Bronze Gelée de Monoi, $32

Source

Kiehl's Launches Abyssine+ Skincare Collection

BellaSugar — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 15:01:47 -0800

Kiehl's has just come out with a line of skincare products called Abyssine+. If this sounds familiar to you, it's because it should! There is an already existing line of light wrinkle creams called Abyssine that has been revamped as Abyssine +, with a new ingredient containing antioxidants and anti-aging properties. There are five products in the collection, including a serum, an eye cream, day creams (with and without SPF 23), and a lighter daytime lotion (with SPF 15).

View 5 Photos ›

To read about each of the products, read more

Abyssine Cream+ SPF 23 ($45) is a wrinkle-fighting cream fortified with UVA and UVB defenses. Not only does it work against new wrinkles forming, it also helps smooth out already existing fine lines.
Abyssine Cream+ ($42) is an anti-aging moisturizer that also diminishes surface wrinkles, but this formula also contains antioxidants to help skin defend itself from free radical damage.
Abyssine Lotion+ SPF 15 ($42) is a lightweight and natural moisturizing lotion that also contains antioxidants as well as SPF. This is a terrific product for those who don't like to use a lot of different and especially heavy products on their skin.
Abyssine Serum+ ($44) is a facial serum that penetrates quickly and deeply into the skin to help reduce the visible signs of aging. It contains antioxidants to fight free radical damage and leaves skin looking even and radiant.
Abyssine Eye Cream+ ($32) is a really gentle yet thick cream that keeps skin taut and nourished as a means of reducing fine lines and wrinkles in the orbital area. It also contains antioxidants and leaves a fresh and smooth dew on the skin, which I really love.

Bella Interview: Leslie Blodgett, Part Two

BellaSugar — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 09:00:11 -0700

In Part One of my interview with Leslie Blodgett, the founder of Bare Escentuals, we talked about her clients, but in this part, I wanted to know what are her current loves. Read on for her desert island products and to hear about the forthcoming Bare Escentuals skincare products. (This is the first time she's mentioned that an eye cream is on the way. Scoop!).

What are your skin and hair care product staples?

Leslie Blodgett: I started using Pureology on my hair, for color treated hair. We're launching more skincare products, so I'm using an eye cream that's coming out next Fall, and the moisturizer is launching in January. We have a mist coming out next month, it has the Resurrection Plant from South Africa in it, which comes back to life when it's dead. It can reactivate makeup, hydrate you, refresh your makeup. Also you can spray it onto your face when you're cleansing.

To read more of the interview, read more.

How involved are you in developing tools and packaging, in addition to the formulations?

Leslie Blodgett: The tools are extremely important. You get completely different effects by whatever brush you're using. You can use the same color foundation with a different brush to get more coverage. A fluffier brush gives you less coverage and a more firmly packed brush will give you the fullest coverage. When you swirl it, it's breaking down the minerals so that it tucks inside the bristles, so that's part of the art of buffing it onto the skin. Products cling more to animal hairbrushes; we offer both. For the new skin care products, I asked the audience [at an event] whether they wanted a pump or a jar for the moisturizer; they wanted a pump. And for the eye cream, I wanted a jar, and we did another test, and they wanted a tube, because it's anti bacterial.

If you could take five products to a desert island, what would you take?

Leslie Blodgett: Foundation. [Bare Escentuals] Warmth. Rare Minerals Night Time Treatment. Um, the new moisturizer. I guess I don't need eye shadow or mascara because I'm alone, right?

I guess it depends, like are you on the island with The Professor and Gilligan, or are you Tom Hanks in Castaway, are you on a reality show...?

Leslie Blodgett: I'll make sure my lips stay full in my old age. I'd bring Buxom Lips in Jessica. It's a nice nude color, like a sandy beach.