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Reader Review: Befine Neck Cream

BellaSugar — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 09:00:58 -0800

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Don't be Nora Ephron. Take care of the skin on your neck, and you will avoid turkey-wattle skin when you're older. My cohort Giggle knows this, which is why she decided to test-drive a neck cream for our necky edification. Take it away, Giggle:

"Befine Neck Cream ($27.99) has mushroom extracts for firming, iris flower for tightening, and caffeine to even out and smooth. It has a wonderful smell and feels great as a light moisturizer. As far as smoothing or tightening my neck, though, perhaps this is something I might see after long-term use, but I can't say I noticed anything different than I would have with a good moisturizer. I would stick with a heavier moisturizer over a cream formulated for your neck, because I have dry skin."

Both of us like how the Befine product line has an earthy, natural approach to skincare, basing its products on foods that are good for the body with the mantra "you are what you eat." The other ingredients included in this particular product sound promising: sugar cane to help with cellular regeneration and collagen production, and rice peptides to provide antioxidant protection. I still say that sunblock is the best way to prevent wrinkles, but if you're a mushroom fiend who wants to avoid turkey-neck, this cream could be gravy.

Think Pink: Duchess Marden Damascena Neck & Décolleté Serum

BellaSugar — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 15:05:26 -0700

Throughout the month of October, the skin care brand Duchess Marden will donate 10% of all sales from their Damascena Neck & Décolleté Serum ($64) to the Young Survival Coalition. The YSC is the only international non-profit organization that helps to educate the medical community, research teams, breast cancer and legislative arenas.

For those of you who aren't yet familiar with the Duchess Marden Skin Care brand, all of its products come from pure, natural, plant based elements so not only do they smell great, but they are also great for you!

This special serum is a beauty booster for anyone looking to help firm, tighten, lighten and speed up the regeneration of their facial cells. It also restores serious moisture to dry, damaged and dehydrated skin. Whaddya say-Do you think you'd be interested in trying a new neck-nourishing solution like this?

New Product Alert: Bliss Thinny Thin Chin

BellaSugar — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 10:59:01 -0700

If you are anything like Nora Ephron and you worry about a saggy neck revealing telltale signs of your age, fear no more! Bliss has just launched a brand new preventative cream with a cheeky title: Bliss Thinny Thin Chin ($48). So far the buzz it's getting is pretty impressive!

With consistent use, this citrusy smelling cream is supposed to tone and tighten "jiggly jowls or a droopy dècolleté". In addition, it hydrates the skin to help reduce fine lines and wrinkles. Could this be the miracle cream that emancipates you from hiding under turtlenecks this winter?

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

BellaSugar — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 10:08:41 -0700

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.

Scar Creams: Help a Reader Out!

Bella Community — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:00:00 -0800

This post comes to us from the Problem Solved group, where member Jaime not Jamie asked for some beauty advice.

Last week, I had surgery on my neck. I'm grateful that it was nothing serious, but I'm left with a scar that's a little over an inch long. Kudos to my surgeon for making such a small incision, but since the mark is on such a visible part of my body, I want to make sure that I do everything I can to help it heal nicely. Do any of you have experience with scar creams, vitamins, or any home remedies? I'd really appreciate the advice!

There's lots to explore in the BellaSugar Community. Join now, and perhaps we'll feature what you have to say right here on BellaSugar!

How to Give Yourself a Lymphatic Drainage Massage

BellaSugar — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 07:00:22 -0800

Back when I was but cub reporter Bella, one of the editors at the magazine where I worked had a singular obsession: lymphatic drainage. The woman talked about it as if it was the holy grail of spa services, and she'd return from her appointments glowing and, she swore, five pounds thinner. Lymphatic drainage is a massage technique designed to help the body rid itself of extra fluids, so for the water-retentive among us, it can mean a visible slim-down. Unfortunately, it's also pricey. But never fear! In her book Being Simply Beautiful, author Helen Noble gives a step-by-step tutorial on self lymphatic drainage. So to find out how to get the lymph out, just keep reading

Halloween How-To: The New Moon Volturi

BellaSugar — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 07:00:58 -0700

Whether you're a Twihard or not, you have to admit, Dakota Fanning looks pretty cool as a vampire. As Jane, a sadistic member of the Volturi vamp coven, she has the sexy-scary thing down pat. If you're considering going as a New Moon character for Halloween, she's probably the best choice. Why? Because even if you've never heard of the Bella and Edward saga, Jane looks badass. For suggestions on re-creating this look, read more.

How-To: Christina Hendricks's Wedding Look

BellaSugar — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 06:00:07 -0700

Her character Joan on Mad Men would approve, because Christina Hendricks looked absolutely stunning yesterday at her real-life wedding to Geoffrey Arend. Even if you're not taking it down the aisle, her hair and makeup were absolutely beautiful, irresistibly romantic, and surprisingly simple to pull off. To find out how to get her blushing look, just read more

Why Are Invisible Beauty Items Credited in Magazines?

BellaSugar — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:15:27 -0700

Magazines can be indispensable in identifying trends, and while looking through any given issue, I usually spot some hair and makeup ideas. (On that note, Freja Beha in this month's W is so dreamy. Why can't I look that chic when tomboyed out?) It's easy to understand why editors leave credits for certain things: hair products, lipstick, nail polish. It's helpful to know which items are used on the models. Of course, what's listed is often not actually what's been used, but that's another story entirely.

Still, one thing I've never understood is the concept of crediting fragrances and skin care. For instance, the credits for this photo in W tell us, "A touch of 3Lab Perfect Neck Cream is just what an exposed decolletage needs." While I'm sure my exposed decolletage would like to be massaged with a $120 neck cream, I'm not sure I'd wonder about neck cream from looking at the photo. Mentioning fragrance in credits is even goofier to me, since unless you're the ghost of Tim Leary, you can't see scent. Are editors trying to be overly helpful? Is it a way of throwing an editorial bone to advertisers? Or am I the only one who overthinks this sort of thing?

Do You Even Notice Other People's Earlobes?

BellaSugar — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:00:41 -0700

Earlobe rejuvenation, a quick, less-than-an-hour, outpatient procedure to lift sagging ears is fast becoming a growing trend, particularly for American women in their 50s and 60s. "We make the earlobes look plumper, more rounded and smaller, giving a more youthful image," plastic surgeon Dr. Matthew Schulman told the Daily Mail.

Just like the neck and hands are known to show your age, the ears are often an area where people forget to apply sunscreen, thus speeding up the aging process. That, coupled with heavy earring wearing, has some women willing to spend £1,100 (about $1,750 USD) on the 40-minute procedure. But is that money well spent? Unless someone's ears are stretched out by earplugs or they're wearing lots of earrings, I hardly ever notice other people's earlobes at all. (And if I do, I don't think, "Wow, what a hag. She should really do something about that.") What about you?