FASHION AND BEAUTY TIPS

I have been interested in sampling various moisturizing oils and serums lately because I feel that they have a stronger hydrating effect over regular lotions. I recently had the opportunity to try a sample of SkinMedica's Hydrating Complex, which is a new product they released this year.

SkinMedica Aesthetics has multiple lines of skin care products that focus on “the science of the skin’s own healing abilities” to promote good personal skin care routines. They strive to use the best scientifically advanced ingredients to reduce signs of aging and develop healthy skin. They are most well-known for their celeb-favorite TNS (Tissue Nutrient Solution) line.

The Hydrating Complex is a hyaluronic acid rich serum that is added to your regular daily moisturizer to enhance your moisturizing benefits. I was excited to do a little background research to figure out what hyaluronic acid is all about!

Hyaluronic acid has been a hot ingredient in skin care products lately because of its connection to long life spans. Connie Chung did an investigative news story in 2000 about a Japanese village called Yuzurihara that became known as “the village of long life.” The agelessness of these Japanese villagers became attributed to the large amount of hyaluronic acid in their diet. Hyaluronic acid is a water-gelling molecule that cushions and lubricates in connective tissue. When used as a topical serum, it is intended to help maintain skin elasticity.

The SkinMedica Hydrating Complex is great because it allows you to add to the moisturizer that you are already using. You apply the serum after applying your moisturizer and you get the added hyaluronic benefits. I have only been using it for a couple days so I can’t attest to its ability to give me a more youthful appearance, but I do love how it adds more nutrients to my regular skin care routine.

The SkinMedica Hydrating Complex is available online at SkinMedica for $80. You can visit the SkinMedica to find out more about their full selection of products.

For most of the population deodorant is a regular part of our daily personal hygiene and skin care routine. Everyone wants to smell great all day, but for those who don’t like using products with lots of chemical ingredients the mainstream brands of deodorants are not a very desirable option.

I just received samples of Crystal deodorants from The Vitamin shoppe, and I am excited to share information about this natural skin care option! If you value keeping your body in tune with nature, you are probably opposed to the idea of an antiperspirant (do you think that sweating is a natural bodily function that shouldn’t be stifled?) and using a product daily that is concocted from a long list of chemicals, then Crystal deodorants might be a great option for you to consider…

The Crystal deodorant is unlike any other deodorant that I have tried before! The original Crystal deodorant is completely hypoallergenic and fragrance and Paraben free (the new Crystal Essence is lightly fragranced). It is made from 100% natural mineral salts that prevent odor by neutralizing bacteria. It is also aluminum-free, which will keep it from creating ugly yellow stains on your clothing.

The Crystal Body Deodorant Stick can be used by both men and women. I asked a guy who hates antiperspirants try my sample of Crystal deodorant and he was so excited to find a natural hypoallergenic deodorant product. So far he has been happy with the results. The Stick is a solid rock of mineral salts, so it must be moistened before using or you can just apply it directly after stepping out of the shower. One stick is supposed to last for about one year so it also makes it ridiculously wallet-friendly!

If you have never had eczema yourself, you probably know tons of people who have. Eczema is an extremely common skin condition characterized by chronic extremely itchy and rashy skinand it is extremely annoying and difficult to live with. The National Institute of Health estimates that 15 million Americans suffer from some sort of eczema, which tends to worsen during the winter months due to weather conditions that dry out the skin.

Skin care brand Surgeon’s Skin Secret developed a special line of moisturizers to treat eczema. These products use natural beeswax as a special ingredient that protects skin from dehydration, moisturizes skin, and heals affected areas. I don’t have eczema, but I would also use the beeswax moisturizers to protect my skin from the cold weather and hydrate super dry areas like my elbows, heels, and hands. I love that is made from all natural beeswax!

The most popular product for the beeswax moisturizers is the moisturizing stick. It seems super easy to use and apply to specific areas of your body. The idea of lotion in a stick seems like a pretty great invention to me! It comes in ten delicious flavors including Honey & Almond, Lavendar, and Rose.

f you would rather use a traditional cream, the 25% beexwax cream comes in tubes or jars and is also available in a variety of scents.

What are probiotics?? I’ve heard the buzzword floating around in relation to natural supplements and new products, but I recently had an opportunity to find out a little more. Nudeis a skin care line that uses advanced pre and probiotics as a base for all of their face and body products.

Bryan Meehan “made organic food sexy in the UK” with his Fresh & Wild organic food markets. He wanted to create a natural skin care line that would allow his customers who valued a natural diet the opportunity to avoid using chemicals on their bodies as well. He became interested in the scientific research on probiotics and decided to base his skin care line on this natural method of treatment. Probiotics are the “good bacteria” contained in plants and foods that are similar to those found naturally occurring in the human body. Research has shown that probiotics can help the body to protect itself against the “bad bacteria.”

Probiotics is an exciting field and I believe that Nude is implementing new scientific research with its probiotic-based products. Probiotics protect the skin naturally against environmental factors to keep it healthy and moisturized. Nude products are proudly all natural and free from parabens, sulphates, PEGs, TEA, DEA, propylene glycol, GMO, mineral oil and silicones.

i had the opportunity to try the nude cleansing facial oil and Nude Miracle Mask. I have never cleansed with an oil before! It seems a little counter-intuitive to add oil to your face while cleansing, but it is actually a really effective way to remove makeup and avoid drying out your face. Foaming cleansers can easily cause dryness, so it was refreshing to try the oil. It simultaneously cleanses, nourishes, and protects.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology and the National Rosacea Society over 14 million Americans suffer from rosacea. This skin condition is currently incurable and is characterized by reddening of the cheeks, nose, chin, or forehead. Many cases of rosacea go undiagnosed because skin redness can be attributed to many different environmental and life factors. If you have constant redness in these areas it’s important to consider seeing a dermatologist to find out if you have rosacea.

Rosacea affects three times more women than men, so women oftentimes try to cover their distinct splotchy redness with concealing makeup. Layering pore-clogging products on your skin could potentially worsen the condition, so I was interested in finding out about a new product from Obagi that calms the rosaceainstead of covering it up.

The Rosaclear System from Obagi includes four products that are designed specifically for rosacea. The gentle cleanser, Metronidazole Topical Gel (Prescription only), hydrating complexion corrector, and Skin balancing sun protection spf 30 are a prescription-based system formulated to calm irritated and sensitive skin, which decreases the redness. This is a great system that can replace a regular skin care routine with products specifically designed to decrease inflammation and heal skin affected by rosacea.

If you don’t want to completely switch your skin care routine, the Hydrating Complexion Corrector is a great product to use as a supplement. It uses glycerin, licorice, aloe, lavender, sea whip, and mica to dramatically reduce redness and calm skin. It contains light reflective minerals that display a more balanced looking complexion, which is an added bonus as the product heals the skin.

Although I don’t suffer from rosacea myself, I have known many men and women who are constantly annoyed by their recurring redness. I hope that products like Obagi Rosaclear continue to be researched and advanced so that someday there will be a cure for this common skin problem.

I love the Olsen Twin’s label Elizabeth and James, and now available over at Net-a-porter is this gorgeous plaid coat from their collection. Typical of their style, this could easily have fallen out of one of their closets.

You could team it as they would, with super skinny jeans, towering heels and an oversized clutch, however, this is such a versatile piece it could be chucked over just about anything.

The coat features pockets on each hip, and the contrast ribbed sleeves and hidden magnetic fastening at the neck make sure this coat keeps you cosy.

Boyfriend jeans are set to be huge again this season and if you want to invest in a really great pair that will last then these blue J Brand lovelies are a good bet!

The cut on these are so good that they look great with heels or flats and are also perfect for the more curvaceous figure.

I love these baggier style jeans, and I think they are especially perfect for wearing in hot weather during the daytime… the skinnies can come out to play in the cooler evenings but for daytime its comfort all the way!

I love these Minnie feather pumps by Pedro Garcia, the multicolour feathers are just divine and will ensure your toes are centre of attention.

Their muted tones also make them great for daytime wear – simply team up with a black pencil skirt and blouse for an easy office chic look.

They’d be great for eveningwear too – and will update all manner of little black dresses in an instant.

The toes feature a really cute grosgrain bow and faux pearl hat pin on the front which add to their quirky appeal.

I love Dolce and Gabbana, and would love to indulge in a little something from their collection, and I was rather surprised to come across this little item on Net-a-porter this week. For just £175 you can nab yourself this signature D&G corset top.

What I love about this item is that for me, it sums up D&G. The lace panelled trim and exposed zip at the back are both details that make this item of the moment. However, the sensual tailoring and sexy undertones are very typical of D&G’s designs. Madonna is a big fan (once having them design most to her costumes for one of her tours) and this is absolutely something you could have seen her wear back in the day.

Perfect for teaming with skin tight jeans, a tux jacket and towering heels, this is bang on trend yet will never date. If you wish to pick yourself up a slice of D&G, head over to Net-a-porter today.

If you loved the dress Keira Knightley wore to The Edge of Love premiere you may be delighted to see ASOS have come up with a very pretty substitute to Keira’s designer frock by Erdem.

For just £55 you can pick up this very similar piece which features the almost the exact same shape with the addition of an asymmetric ruffled strap. This dress doesn’t have as much bounce and volume, so you may want to try teaming with a netting underskirt to mimic the same shape as the Erdem number.

For an ultra chic look I would keep shoes and accessories minimal and just stick to plain black and let the frock take centre stage.

I think this ruffle mini dress by Elizabeth and James is simply gorgeous. Perfect for the festivities, it features a snow cotton blend and contrasting asymmetrical one shoulder strap with ruffle detailing.

The pleated panels give this dress great movement for the dance floor and the gathered material is great for concealing any Christmas over indulgencies around the middle are. What’s more the ruffle feature and contrast colour will bring the attention to your upper half as well.

Team as the Olsen twins would themselves with tough items such a slim-fit sculpted leather bomber and towering chunky leather heels.

So florals are going to be huge next season and my top pick so far for this trend has to be this beautifully feminine blouse from Elizabeth and James (one of the Olsen twin’s stunning fashion lines).

This multicoloured button up blouse is 100% silk and features Victoriana style ruffles trims and puff sleeves. I love the sheer quality to it – which is another top trend for S/S 09.

Toughen up as the Olsen’s would with high waist trousers and sky high heels.

Balmain is unmistakably one of the most popular designers of denim right now and if like me, you love them but the £1k+ price tag is out of your reach then it looks like Siwy have come to our rescue!

Pictured right, and available from ASOS for £150 these tie die skinny crop jeans are very reminiscent of Balmain’s pair as seen on their spring / summer 09 catwalk show (as per the image on the left).

Team as Balmain do, with directional cool separates such as a cropped leather jacket and slinky vest tucked in and heels.

With celebs such as Jessica Szohr, Kate Moss and Kylie all sporting the latest Balmain denim right now, imitations are bound to be flying off the shelves, so pick up your pair here before they sell out!

For those of you who are a fan of Kate Moss’s collections for Topshop, you’ll probably already be aware that her Spring Summer 09 line launches tomorrow, Thursday 2nd April.

This is her 9th line for the store and features some great little pieces. From checking out the sneak peeks I really like the look of her sequined dresses – especially this cream one which is great for the 20’s revival for frocks this summer.

She has also reworked three of Liberty’s iconic floral prints and has them featured on all sorts, from ditsy dresses, to cardies to scarves – perfect for the popular floral trend.

Carrie on Sex and the City was doing it way before the rest of the world, but it seems the tutu is finally making it onto the high street. After the recent trend for ra-ra, tulip and bell shaped skirts, designers have taken the next step and gone for the tutu.

Perfect for summer, this is a great alternative to the maxi for a statement dress, and the high street has given it a grungey, rock chick edge, so you won’t look too much like a ballerina.

Topshop have this Tutu Stud Dress – a black vest top with a layered tutu dress, cross-over straps and stud detail along the waist line. They’ve gone easy on the netting, so it’s easy to move about and sit down in. Match it with sky-scraper sandals and a leather jacket for the ultimate grunge look with a sophisticated edge. It costs £60 and is available online now.

I stumbled across this pretty pink prom gown earlier today and thought it would be a perfect dress for you girls to have a look at. The dress is fitted, flattering and sure to get you some attention on prom night. The material is plain but the top is decorated with beads for extra detail. The back of the dress is tied like a corset ensuring it fits you nice and snugly.

You could add extra detail by wearing some silver and diamante accessories and most importantly a tiara. The dress is available at The Perfect Dress for £175.

The new must-have Golden Touch shoe collection is now available from Chloe. Each shoe consists of a subtly rounded toe, a straight thick heel, large gold buckles and a gold strip at the base of the heel. There are several different styles in the collection and a choice of black, white or cream. All shoes are inspired by the 70’s therefore you must make sure you wear clothes that compliment the shoe style such as a tunic or pencil skirt and shirt.

These cracked leather t-bar pumps are my favourite, the ankle strap gives them a very elegant appearance and the gold buckle isn’t too overpowering. The black styles show off the gold strip much more than the cream or white designs and trust me you want to show off this must-have design.

The Chloe Cracked leather T-bar pumps are available at Net a Porter for £345, the whole collection ranges from £305 to £345.

Summer is quickly approaching so we need to do some serious bikini shopping. I am never sure which style to go for so here are some celebrity swim suits to help us get an idea of what’s hot this season.

My personal favourite is Kristin Cavallari’s bikini, it is a simple design but the colour accentuates her olive skin. Jessica Biel’s is very similar but doesn’t compliment her skin tone quite as much.

There are some great buys at ASOS.com-a large selection and all are very reasonably priced.

Story from Life and Style Weekly Magazine.