Archives for category: Guinea Pig

Guinea Pig: NMDL Summer Hair Challenge

August 17, 2010 //
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Me mucking around on the
video set at work; the hair
looks good, huh?

So, I just had to participate in the No More Dirty Looks Summer Hair Challenge last week. And since I found out about it late, Friday was the day to wash, condition, and go—no product allowed. Only problem? I’d been scheduled to shoot a sponsored video for the magazine where I work. I have to admit, I was nervous not doing anything to my hair when I knew I was going to be recorded. I hate being photographed anyway. But fortunately time was on my side. Or not. Because I basically had to rush out the door to make my train so there was nothing more I could do than leave with wet hair. Also, I don’t own a hair dryer. I actually think it looks pretty nice in the pic at left, taken on set at the video shoot. And I’m going to try a tip from their blog that I think would make it even nicer (spraying with aloe juice). All weekend I brushed well and put argan oil on the ends and that was it, and I feel like I was a lot happier with how it looked than I usually am when I put gel in it. Let me just say, though, that a good conditioner is key. I actually used a hair treatment after washing rather than an ordinary conditioner, left it in for 5 minutes as directed on the label, and then rinsed it out with lukewarm/coolish water (which is supposed to help the hair cuticle lay down, or something like that. I’m not a cosmetologist, OK?). Can’t wait to try this tomorrow for the second time when I wash again (yes, that’s right, I go five days between washes).

Categories Guinea Pig, hair care

Guinea Pig: Yogi Skin DeTox

May 21, 2010 //
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I got some samples of Yogi teas at work and one caught my eye: Skin DeTox. It got great reviews online, but I still wasn’t sure. I knew I had to save it for a moment when someone was truly in a fix skin-wise, and it took a couple months before I could tell my friend and client, L, needed a facial boost.

I found out yesterday that she’s been drinking the tea for a week and a half or so, after I complimented her on how good her skin looks lately. She had to admit she cheated a bit and went back on a popular benzoyl peroxide product for a couple of days, but it dried her out so bad (told you so), she quit. Lately she’s been double bagging the tea, as recommended on the website, to get more of the benefits.

I know I’ve been talking about healing skin from within in the last couple weeks and how supplements and teas aren’t regulated like actual medications (and often don’t have independent groups willing to research their success). But that doesn’t mean that they won’t work! You have to be willing to try them, which might be a waste of money—but not always.

Low in caffeine, this tea reduces inflammation and improves circulation, which is why it helps you glow from the inside out. It’s a blend of green tea, which is known to support healthy skin, and burdock root, yellow dock root, and red clover for their cleansing and detoxifying properties. But don’t worry: hibiscus, honeybush, and stevia give it a tasty sweet flavor.

On the one hand, some of the hype about detoxification seems to be just hype. You talk to most M.D.s, and they assure you that your body does a fine job of getting rid of toxins on its own. But I do know that we’re exposed to more than ever these days, and that what you eat and drink does show up on your face. So if a little Skin DeTox tea means less using caustic chemicals to prevent breakouts, pass me a cup. My friend L is going to buy another box now that she’s through the free samples!

Categories facial care, Guinea Pig

Guinea Pig: bareMinerals SPF 25 Mineral Veil

April 2, 2010 //
2

A friend wrote me recently to ask about the bareMinerals powdered sunscreen that's packaged with a brush, so it's super easy to apply. I have tried the product (a PR sample from the company) and liked it, but one concern is that it contains the ingredient bismuth oxychloride, a filler and binder used in cosmetics that is irritating to some people. This ingredient has also been the basis for complaints about this makeup line, that it is not as natural as its marketing claims (some other mineral makeup companies avoid bismuth oxychloride entirely). 

So, I told her that for daily sun protection, I've recently fallen in love with bareMinerals SPF 25 Mineral Veil in the light color (I got this as a PR sample through my job, but it will cost you $19). I use it over tinted moisturizer (with sunscreen or without) and I get compliments on how radiant it makes my skin look. Plus, it has no bismuth oxychloride.

But whatever is on the ingredients list, here's what I think is great about powdered sunscreen: Though it's best for mostly incidental sun exposure, not anything long-term like watching a baseball game, it's perfect if you like to take a stroll midday and don't want to put creamy sunscreen on over your makeup. When packaged with a brush or puff, it allows you to easily reapply SPF whenever you need to, so you don't need to feel like you can't go in the sun if the moment strikes.

If you like the idea of powdered mineral sunscreens, I like the brand Colorescience, but it is pricey (and apparently also contains bismuth oxychloride). I am a fan of their tiny Sunforgettable Orb, which I keep in my purse for when I need a little touch up on face SPF but don't want to muss my makeup; it comes with a tiny powder puff. The Colorscience mineral SPF that's packaged with a brush appears to be refillable, too, a feature I like—less plastic waste! I've also heard good things about the Peter Thomas Roth version, and it's bismuth oxychloride free!

Update 6/25/10: The Peter Thomas Roth and other loose powder sunscreens just got a major pass from the Environmental Working Group. The organization feels that loose powder sunscreen offers strong protection, but can end up in the lungs when the particles get airborne, and this has been shown to cause inflammation. So, they say, stick to creams. I guess this would mean throwing out all your powdered mineral makeup as well...






							


			


			
			
Categories Guinea Pig, makeup


		


		
		


			


				
Guinea Pig: Kiehl’s Marvelous Mineral Mascara (and more!)

								
January 21, 2010  //
 
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I had to try Kiehl’s Mineral Mascara after reading about it on this beauty site. I’ve tried a number of natural mascaras over the past few months, and still haven’t found a favorite. Turns out I actually loved this mascara: It goes on smooth and has a nice brush and is the perfect pale brown color. But, I’m not sure how “natural” it is…


In my mascara quest, I started with Dr. Hauschka Mascara, in brown. I liked it, since it brushed on smooth and even and came in a nice brown color, but it’s so natural that it has a tendency to run when my eyes water from the breeze. Still, I feel OK putting it next to my peepers. 


Next I tried Josie Maran Mascara. They don’t put their ingredients on the website and I don’t have the box anymore, so the jury is still out on how natural it is. It now comes in brown, which I think would make me like it more, since I’m not crazy about wearing black mascara. Main drawbacks? I find its football-shaped brush a little unwieldy and by the end of the day, it smears under my eyes a bit. I’ve read that the solution to this is to not wear mascara on your lower lashes, but I think that’s dumb. 


100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Mascara kind of has the same effect, end of day smear. It’s super natural, made from all kinds of fruit extracts, so I love the way it smells. I have the black color, because it came as part of a package deal, so maybe I’d like it more if it were brown. But I find the brush awkward and the results a bit clumpy. I would give the brown a go, though.


Anyone else have a favorite “natural” mascara? (Full disclosure: I paid for the Dr. Hauschka and 100% Pure products but received PR samples of the other mascaras.)


							


			


			
			
Categories Guinea Pig, makeup, mascara


		


		
			

				

				

				

			


	







	


	














	
	

	

	

	

			
	

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