sunscreen: yay or nay?

Is it not “cool” to wear sunscreen? I mean, I’m all for being a Dare Devil but not when it comes to my skin.

 

>Help me set the mood Calvin<

 

Like a lot of you out there, I’m a total beach bum.

On my days off, it is not uncommon for a couple of friends and I to pack a cooler, snacks, some sunshine friendly beverages and head off on a road trip to find an excluded beach outside of the city.

Sometimes, it’s even a simple trip to the city island for some risqué skin flaunting on the sandy beaches, and maybe a swim over to an awaiting yacht. Othertimes, it’s just to the pool on the condo roof.

Regardless of where I am headed to soak up some vitamin D, I ALWAYS have my sunscreen handy.

Not only do I bring a broad spectrum sunscreen to slather over any exposed skin, I also have to bring a sunscreen that is specifically made for the face. The reason for this being that they are made a lot lighter then all-over sunscreens. Remember being a kid and your parents would drown you in that sticky lotion that sand, bugs, sticks and everything else would stick to and you absolutely hated it? Yeah, not something you want to put on your face. (I will be posting reviews on some great facial sunscreens that I have found shortly, so stay tuned!)

On a recent adventure to a beach, just north of where I live, I noticed that a lot of my friends didn’t use sunscreen. When I offered up mine, they immediately refused. They thought that by wearing sunscreen, they would not be able to achieve a tan.

This is NOT true.

The fact that you are protecting your skin from the harmful UVA and UVB rays in no way means that you can’t also get a nice, bronzed tan.

Some of the UV light is still absorbed into the skin and melanin is still being produced, as well as vitamin D, which is an important factor in the maintenance of good overall health.

As long as you are not painting yourself with a zinc stick, and you are using a broad spectrum SPF 30 (never more, never less) sunscreen, then you are doing your part to protect yourself while still developing a healthy tan.

It’s all about doing it right and doing it safely. Preventative measures will also ensure that your future skin remains healthy and happy, and that will also save you a lot of money down the road.

 

Are you a sunscreen fenatic? Or is it something you pass on? Comment your thoughts on the protection of sunscreen below!!

Protect yourself, and always put your BEST face forward.

A Guide to When We Need Water and When We Don’t

great read! > check out this highly informative article about the controversy over hydration!

Healthy To Go

Photo Credits: mumucs

Water is awesome. I love how many functions it has: showering, drinking, swimming in, cleaning the dishes, being a habitat for fish, making beaches so beautiful.

We know that we should drink at least eight glasses of water per day, but that takes a lot of discipline: how many of us could keep up with remembering to hydrate ourselves again and again and again every other hour? Well here is another controversial claim: we do not need eight glasses of water per day.

In 2011, Dr. Margaret McCartney, a general practitioner from Glasgow, Scotland, wrote a commentary for the British Medical Journalarguing that the advice to drink eight glasses of water a day is “thoroughly debunked nonsense” being spread by bottled water companies in order to churn up more profit. She pointed out that Hydration for Health, an initiative to promote drinking…

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ariana grande’s “problem” gets a psa parody

I felt like this video was hilarious and loved how it seemed to just fall into my lap as I’ve been on a tangent of ways to protect against sun damage.

Sport till you drop, Challenge day #3

get a cute bum with gossipgirlnetherlands!

red light therapy: time machine or waste of time?

Beauty Angel or Beauty Bust?

 

On my most recent trip to the salon for my weekly spray tan I decided to try out a new machine that has been calling my name from it’s glowing pink room for quite some time now:

The Ergoline Total Body Enhancement Beauty Angel.

(source: http://www.tancity.ca/Files/Images/collagen%20booth.jpg)

 

This red light therapy “lounge” claims to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, tighten the skin and minimize pores, and improve the overall look and texture of skin. The magic behind this technology is full-body collagen lamps that use visible red light wavelengths with a peak output in the 633nm range to energize the skin’s natural collagen and elastin restoration processes via photo rejuvenation therapy.

Another feature of the stand-up is the VibraShake platform on which you stand on.  The VibraShake feature comes with four different settings ranging from beginner, to muscle training, to cellulite reduction. All four settings improve circulation, stimulate core muscles and promote muscle relaxation.

 

The cost of a package or even a single session of this therapy is pretty steep but, thankfully for me, I know the owner of this salon and she gave me a trial session. She did, although, manage to up-sell me the $60 iRenew red light therapy skin cell rejuvenator cream.

 

Which I’m totally okay with because you all know I’m a sucker for skin creams.

 

The first thing I did when I entered the room was get naked and slather the iRenew cream all over my body. Let me make this clear that I have never been more in love with a body cream in my life! I would use this cream even if I’m not about to enter a red light chamber. The cream literally just glided across my skin and instantly transformed any parched regions I had to a superb supple texture.

As I entered the chamber I felt as though I was entering a stand-up tanning sun capsule. The design is completely the same, including the hand bars to hold onto.

I pressed the start button and as the lights powered up I was greeted by a warm and gentle, southern voiced woman. The southern belle eased me through all of the menu features and then informed me to choose a VibraShake program.

 

Obviously I chose the advanced program.

 

The sensation of the platform beneath my feet vibrating and jiggling parts of my body, that I would rather not jiggle, was a little bit strange and unnerving at first, but the warmth and glow from the red lights quickly had me forget about what was happening to my body. The vibrations changed in intensity throughout the 10 minute program but it was really easy to get accustomed to each change. So I decided to turn up the music full blast and take it all in.

 

But first, lemme take a selfie.

 

 

#messyhairswag

 

After 10 minutes the VibraShake ended and I had one minute left of just the red lights. One thing I like about this machine is there are no UV lights at all and unless your are sensitive to bright light you can open your eyes. So in my last minute I danced away like a ratchet schoolgirl while updating statuses on all my social media platforms until the lights turned off and I endured 10 seconds of blindness while my eyes adjusted to the dark room.

 

I did as the southern lady said, and moisturized my whole body, applied some sunscreen (it was noon on a very hot day) and drank a full glass of water. As I was applying my usual moisturizer I noticed that my skin was a lot more soft then my walk over to the salon, but this could also be from the amazing iRenew cream that I had just used.

 

I couldn’t tell if the VibraShake did anything except that I was a little bit sweaty between my thighs, so if anything it was helping to burn some calories while I stood there.

 

The treatment time for this service before seeing any results is pretty lengthy. It states that you should ideally go for 12 minutes 2-3 times a week for a total of 3 months for full results. ($$$)

I really did enjoy the experience of my first use and I feel as though I have a certain glow to my skin after stepping out, so I have decided that I will continue and complete the recommended treatment time. I will post a weekly update on the results and any progression that this red light therapy has achieved, so stay tuned!

 

 

What are your thoughts on red light therapy? Beauty innovation or money grabber? Have you tested the Beauty Angel Lounge? Been through the entire treatment length??

Comment below anything that you think of this service!

 

And always remember, to put your BEST face forward.

 

shave, slave: a lush review

If your anything like me and like to always be smooth and stubble free, then you know how much it massively sucks to shave on a daily basis.

 

Unless your going to hit the clinic and opt for some of the more permanent forms of hair removal, then your going to have to deal with the everyday battle with the razor.

Here are a couple tips and products that I have found make the whole process run a little bit smoother.

First you are always going to start with a nice warm shower. (Not too hot as hot water dries out the skin.) The steam from a shower or bath will help soften the hair that needs to go making it easier to cut through.

After getting out of the shower I like to dry off and exfoliate the area that is about to be shaved. My favourite product for this is:

Lush Ocean Salt Face and Body Scrub

This scrub is amazing for shaving prep because it softens the hair even further so you don’t have to worry about any snags or pulls. It also contains Vodka which helps to brighten the skin. Massage the scrub in a GENTLE circular motion all over the area to be shaved, and wherever else you want) and then rinse the area clean.

Next comes the shaving cream and my personal favourite is:

Lush Dirty Shaving Cream

I slather a good amount of the product onto the area, massage it in, and let it sit for about a minute. Letting it soak in a bit will also help soften the hair even more.

Once you good and ready, it’s time to shave! Using a fresh razor works best and will get you the closest shave.

(I’m a little bit OCD when it comes to my razors and I never use the same one twice, but if your on a budget you can use your razor until the strip of moisturizing gel at the top of the blades turns half white. About 2-3 shaves, I’m told.)

Once done shaving you have the choice to wash off the Dirty shaving cream or do what I do and just leave what is left on your skin and massage it in!

The Dirty shaving cream contains a bunch of natural products including, oat milk, safflower oil, and honey, that make freshly shaved skin feel it’s best!

 

What’s your shaving routine? What kind of rituals do you have for prepping your skin for shaving? Share any tips or stories you have about shaving in the comments below!!

 

Stay smooth and always put your BEST face (or other body part) forward!

#lightenup > clinique even better clinical dark spot corrector < -review

What better to bring out your utmost, youthful appearance, then a flawlessly even skin tone?

 

Two weeks ago while I was shopping at Sephora I decided to check out a few products that helped with evening out the skin tone.

Feeling a little bit overwhelmed by the infinite options, I asked one of the skin care specialists which was the best and she suggested that I try Clinique’s Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector.

The lady ensured me that this would be the best choice because it is developed in a clinic the same way prescription serums are developed and therefore would be the closest product on the market to something doctor prescribed.

Since I already love Clinique products I was easily sold.

 

 

The serum promises to dramatically reverse the appearance of age spots, skin stresses and darkening from acne scars.

What’s really cool about the packaging itself, is it comes with a dark spot tracker!

 

What you do is match the darkest spot on your face to the closest shade swatch on the tracker and write down the date next to it. Then at the end of the treatment time match that same spot again to the new closest shade swatch and, voila! Your very own test results!

Now the treatment time recommend for this is twice a day, everyday for 4 weeks. (I hate waiting but if it works, it’s worth it!)

So far I am into the second week of using this product. I haven’t visibly noticed anything yet, looks like the spots are fading but I don’t want to compare it to the tracker until the exact day of the 4 week mark! (I love surprises!)

The product is a very light and comfortable moisturizer so I don’t mind having to use it everyday, BUT it is quite expensive. After taxes it came to $76.85 CAD at Sephora.

I suggest if you are interested in this product to stick around for when I post my 4 week results, unless you don’t mind spending the money and doing your own little clinical study with the shade tracker. (I feel like a scientist and I love it!)

Stay tuned for #lightenup reviews and DIYs every Friday afternoon! And keep an eye out for my final results with Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector!

 

Have any tips of getting lighter, brighter, more even skin?

Share them in the comments below!!

 

#lightenup and put your BEST face forward.

 

#lightenup diy: brightening and lightening mask

Too many afternoons spent on the sunny patio?

Here is a quick and easy, at home mask that will help to brighten your complexion while lightening any dark spots that the sun may have caused!

Get your tools:

 

• 1 fresh turmeric root
• 1 tablespoon of plain organic yogurt (regular or greek, just make sure its plain)
• a fresh lemon

 

First off, wash your turmeric root and grate it (with skin) into a bowl as fine as you possibly can. I suggest that you use a ceramic bowl as opposed to plastic because this will stain anything it touches yellow. Forever.

 

 

When the root is ready to go, add your tablespoon of yogurt and squeeze in the juice of half of your lemon.

 

 

Using a pestal, pulverize all of the ingredients together until you get a thick, creamy paste!

 

 

Apply the paste to your skin and leave it there until it has completely dried, then rinse off with warm water in a gentle circular motion.

The yogurt in this mask will make the skin smooth and supple while adding moisture. The lemon has a light acidity that is gentle on the skin and is used as an efficient skin brightener. And lastly, the turmeric is believed to actually slow or inhibit the production of melanin within the skin barrier so it will diminish any build up of melanin that causes the skin to have dark spots.

If you are an avid tanner, and only want to brighten without the prevention of melanin production, you can substitute the turmeric with anything you would like. Honey would make a great substitution as it would give even more moisture to the skin and works as a skin brightener as well.

Hope you guys enjoyed this!

 

Try this one at home, or play it up a bit with variations of the ingredients, and let me know what you think in the comments below!!

 

#lightenup and put your BEST face forward.

#lightenup

Let’s try something new!

I know it’s summer and everyone is spending as much time as they possibly can out in the sun to work on their bronzed god, tanned skin, but!… There are TONS of products that can give you a sun kissed glow without the damage that UV light can cause.

That being said! Let’s start a new weekly that will erase the damage caused by the sun to our skin and give us a back to basics, blank canvas to work with.

I will also add in another weekly to highlight products, services and at home remedies that will make our little sunshine wishes come true without wreaking havoc on our skin! (TBA)

So fear not! We will still be covered for the clothing optional months of sun kissed skin, but with our little secrets, we will be able to leave the summer months with youthful, beautiful, fabu skin!

So remember! This will be every FRIDAY afternoon! (I have a nightlife, hullo).

If you have anything that you would like me to try out or would like to share your findings yourself, please comment them below! You can also contact me directly by email.

glowbyjustenalexander@gmail.com

 

#lightenup (okay so I thought that this hashtag was totally quiche so like, if you don’t like it then I suggest you “lighten up”! You know you love it).

Remember: Lighten up, and always put your BEST face forward.

 

 

glow like a pro

Is it just me, or is life a never-ending race for FABU, glowing skin?

 

One of the things that I desire the most is to achieve a flawlessly even skin tone. Over the years I have been yet another victim to spring-time tangents of trying to lock in the most flawless tan. Trying to always be ahead of the game, I would start my “summer glow” usually in the months of February or March.  While my tan always did look flawless and I always viewed it as healthy, by the time the summer months finally did hit, instead of having a summer love, I’m always hit with a summertime sadness.

Cue Lana:

 

Okay Lana, that’s enough.

During my quest I have recently found a product line that I have been pretty comfortable with thus far.

The ProEVEN line from Vichy Laboratoires.

Let’s review.

This line provides an intense range of washes, day creams, night creams and serums all of which are suitable for all skin types and have been tested on multi-ethnic skin. I’m not going to scrutinize their clinical trial stats because I don’t care what happened in the trials, I only care how it will work for me, and in turn help you.

With the fact that I already have an absurd amount of products, I opted to chose only the four products from this line that I was most interested in.

The Brightening Cleansing Foam, the Daily Eye Corrector, and the Overnight Concentrate.

Lets’s start with the deep love affair that has blossomed between myself and the Brightening Cleansing Foam.

The fact that this cleanser is a foam and not a gel or a soap was a heart stopper. This product is not cheaply priced for the small 100ml amount that the bottle contains, but need not worry! The tiny foam bubbles contained inside explode immensely to the point that it literally only takes a fraction of the product compared to other face cleansers that I have used to yield the same amount of squeaky clean coverage. I especially love this fact because I use a Clarisonic Mia, which usually devours most of the product I’m using like a thirsty cougar at the club on college night. With the ProEVEN foam this is never a problem!

The other great thing about this product is the active ingredients that Vichy has mused together to help resurface and brighten dull, faded, or darkened skin. While the LHA (lipohydroxyacid) goes to work to gently exfoliate and resurface the skin, the Ceramide Bright and Vitamin C work together to progressively brighten, smooth, and protect your skin. And as always the formula is made with Vichy Thermal Spa water so it is gentle enough to use twice a day, everyday.

 

One of my problems zones that drives me absolutely bonkers is redness around my eyes. Enter: the Daily Eye Corrector.

(Sorry about the terrible picture. She’s been in my bag for awhile.)

If your’e anything thing like me then sleep is one of the hardest things for you to pencil into your busy life. The thing I like the most about this eye cream is that it also contains the same Ceramide Bright that helps to brighten the stubborn raccoon mask that decided to take shelter on my face. The caffeine and Vitamin B3 help to calm the puffiness around my eyes while slightly lifting to make me look more awake. This is great because when I look more awake it actually encourages my brain to feel more awake. Win win I’d say. Always remember that your eyes are the number one communication feature you have, so DO NOT let people view any vulnerability in them.

 

Uneven skin doesn’t sleep so neither should your night cream. Let’s introduce the Overnight Concentrate.

A serum that works while you sleep so you don’t have to?? Well that’s a dream come true!

Now I’m not 100% positive if it’s the concentrate, or the fact that I use the cleanser before it that is the superhero behind the brighter skin in the morning, but I can say that this is one of the most comfortable night serums I have ever applied to my skin. It’s super light with an amazingly smooth application. The fact that it’s summer right now and I have to endure the humidity hell that is a Toronto summer makes the lightness of this product great! Some night creams and serums are too thick for summer use and make me itchy at night but this one is perfect for this time of year!

 

All in all I’m very impressed with this line and really stoked that Vichy has launched it! I would definitely recommend these products to my family and friends and will continue to use it myself!

I encourage readers to try it out too if your looking for something that will help to brighten your everyday life. Both skin and routine. If you do decide to try this yourself or already have, please feel free to tell me about it in the comments! I’m always down for discussion!

Do you want to achieve a lighter, brighter complexion but really don’t want to spend the dough on testing out new products? Stay with me every friday night and I will post fun at home remedies that we can try that will lighten your day without darkening your bank account!

#lightenup

Remember: Prevention is a huge player in an even skin tone so always wear sunscreen and put your BEST face forward.