As the weather heats up it pays to take special care of your skin. The heat and humidity can be stifling, so you have all the more reason to indulge in products to help exfoliate dead cells, combat shine, and revitalize your complexion. Feast your eyes on these easy yet highly effective ways to help keep calm, cool and collected this summer:
Mélange Apothecary
This fabulous store has an online presence so anyone can indulge in their home and personal care items no matter where you may live. I tried the Custom Blend Mandarin and Vanilla Shea Butter Revitalizing Lotion, after using the Vanilla Sugar Scrub with Honey and Shea and wound up feeling like I was on a tropical vacation with the softest, best smelling skin ever! I promise that any product you order from Mélange Apothecary will smell wonderful and leave you with a sense of sheer happiness!
Everyday Minerals
I am in love with the All Natural Powder Foundation in Beige Neutral by Everyday Minerals. It truly does go on light but gives your skin a very even tone. Some powders look mask-like, even when it's mineral-based, but not so with this gem. The Theme Park Blush, a pinkish coral shade, was also a hit with me. With just the tiniest hint of sparkle, it looks like your cheeks are glowing from within, not like you are a space alien. The prices are great, too! This company was created by a working woman with a husband and two children so she is no stranger to leading a hectic life and wanting to look gorgeous doing it. I applaud you Carina!!
Sea Breeze
I remember Sea Breeze from years ago, but now it's even better than ever. Sea Breeze Sensitive Skin Fresh-Clean Astringent contains both clove and eucalyptus oil so it deep cleans your skin without harsh chemicals that can leave it dry or flaky. Put a little on a cotton ball and wipe it all over your face after your normal cleansing routine. You'll see the dirt and other impurities that just cleansing can leave behind! My skin feels fresh and comfortable, not tight, after application, the way some astringents have a tendency to leave it.
Use these products to help you look and feel your best this summer. Glowing skin is by far our best beauty accessory. It's possible to enjoy warm weather without wilting like a spent flower! Remember, beautiful skin is always in!
Your Beauty Questions Answered: Vacation Hairstyles
Brandi: I am looking for a vacation hairdo and pictures of hairstyles for a beach vacation.
DivaVillage: Hi Brandi, thanks for asking a great beauty question! Vacation prep is stressful enough without having to fuss over your hairstyle. Here are some tips for fabulous vacation hairstyles, including how to keep your hair healthy afterwards!
Vacation Hair Tips
Follow our steps to get the perfect beachy layers that will have everyone thinking you just came fresh off the sand!
Traveling is always difficult for a diva, how do we easily pack all of the essentials we need for our hair? Here are some tips on how to help you keep it simple so that you can relax and enjoy your trip instead of having to worry about your vacation hair!
Recently, trend-setting celebrity Jennifer Garner stepped out with a natural yet chic hairstyle. Get Jennifer's same hairstyle with these simple steps!
After a vacation, it’s more than likely that your tresses have undergone a few changes from all that sun, sand, and fresh air. We’ve got tips on how to repair your sun damaged hair!
Want more hair tips? Check out our comprehensive Hair Guide, which offers tips on celebrity hairstyles, easy updos, and haircare!
We hope that helps, and don't forget to tell us how your vacation went!
In a world where we are all looking to recycle, reuse, renew and be kinder to the environment, don't let nail care slip by as a place where you think you can't include going green. Nails are highly porous, so think carefully about your nail products, knowing they are a sponge for whatever you are using on them. I've recently tried these two products with great success and can't wait to tell you about them!
The herbal ingredient Horsetail, said to be beneficial for brittle nails, is the star of this clear formula that you apply each day for 7 days, then remove and start over. I wear my nails shorter in the colder months with dark polish, but in the warmer months I tend to wear lighter polish and grow my nails a bit longer. This product really works to keep my nails strengthened as I type away every day on the keyboard. All Butter London products are 3 Free, meaning they contain no formaldehyde, no toluene, no DBP. Please do check out their fabulous website, stores and salons.
This doesn't have the freaky chemical smell that most polish removers do, and for that I am truly thankful. It made fast work of my polish and didn't dry out my cuticles, either. I wish I lived in the East Village of New York City so I could visit the fabulous Priti spa for luscious services with organic products! Priti also makes their own polishes that are formaldehyde, toulene, and DBP free. It is important to note that both the polish and the polish remover are completely safe for pregnant women, too!
Be kind to your nails, Divas. And remember the famous words, "Jewels, not tools." Before you go using your nails as tools, stop and remember to think of them as jewels; treat them with the love and respect you would a treasured piece of jewelry!
With summer right around the corner, getting your body into beach-ready mode can be a chore. A good exfoliating scrub can be just what you need to get your countdown to summer started, and it will also help you work up a great tan with your self-tanning products of choice.
You'll need to exfoliate at least once per week for maximum benefits, so pick out a quality body scrub that buffs away dead skin cells and nourishes the skin with vitamins; it's the easiest way to create smooth and silky skin with a natural glow! Here are just a few great scrubs we discovered on a recent roundup in the beauty aisle:
Carol's Daughter Mango Melange Sea Salt Body Scrub
A quick look at the ingredients list on the Mango Melange Scrub will have you dreaming of a tropical fruit salad! It's made with pineapple, tangerine, sweet mango and hints of sandalwood for a refreshing and uplifting scrub that's sure to give your senses a burst of energy! The scrub can help buff away dead skin cells to leave you with a healthy glow.
Nicole Miller Oatmeal Scrub
Not only does this body scrub feature a rich set of fragrances including bourbon and apple, but the oatmeal-based bar of soap from Nicole Millercomes with a rope attachment so it can easily hang in your shower. It's a more masculine scent - perfect for those athletic types - and will leave your skin buff and smooth, well-prepared for your favorite moisturizer.
Jericho Relaxing Salt Scrub
After a hard day's work, nothing beats a long soak in the tub with relaxing music and some soothing bath products. Begin your spa-like experience with the Jericho Relaxing Salt Scrub, a coconut vanilla oil infusion that can revive tired skin and leave it superbly nourished and soft. This is a great scrub for those extra-stressful days that leave you ragged; just scrub away tension and stress and soak up the oils for a relaxing treat any day of the week!
Get Gwyneth Paltrow's Iron Man Makeup from Estee Lauder
The gorgeous Gwyneth Paltrow stars in the new movie Iron Man, and as the current Estee Lauder spokeswoman, she is sporting beautiful Estee Lauder makeup throughout the film.
I'm showcasing some of my favorite colors here, so check them and get them for yourself!
Tender Blush in Peach Nuance- This blush is actually three colors in one and comes with the unique U.S.-patent-pending butterfly brush. You can easily apply a kiss of color or work a full-on sculpted look, depending on you mood. This blush gives Gwyneth Paltrow's cheeks a perfectly flushed look for her nightime shots in Iron Man.
Hydra Luster Lipstick in Plum Frost- I am such a lip gloss fanatic, but this lipstick really feels like a gloss on yours lips. This lipstick is smooth as silk, and it's the furthest thing from the dry, unflattering lipsticks of yesteryear. Plum Frost is a great color, too; it works well with my olive skin tone, and also looks fab on Gwyneth Paltrow who has a gorgeous pale complexion. Use this in the daytime to achieve a subtle lip color like Gwyneth in Iron Man.
Silky Eye shadow Duo in Pink Dusk- These shadows can be worn together or separately. Right now I love a neutral shadow (either of these colors alone would be perfect) with colored eye liner and/or colored mascara. A soft shadow color lightly accents the eyelid while allowing the blue/green/purple liner or mascara to stand out. These Estee Lauder shadows are long lasting too, so they won't fade away as the day goes on. Gwyneth uses this eye shadow to achieve her daytime look in the Iron Man movie, and it will work great for your everyday look as well!
I can't say enough about how much I love Estee Lauder products. They are making a great effort to show that they are current and know what women of all ages want in makeup and skincare products. If you've avoided Estee Lauder products because maybe your grandmother wore it or you thought it was geared toward an older generation, please do go to a counter or check out the website; you will see that Estee is very with it!
Yours in Beauty,
GlamDiva
(Gwyneth's photos courtesy of Estee Lauder website)
