Tag: BEAUTY ESSENTIALS

The Right Way to Use a Jade Roller

Published on by Lee7 Comments

Guys, it’s officially time to get on board with this incredible way of reviving and renewing your skin. I’ll admit, I had my doubt in jade rolling at first. I thought ,“what could this really do for my skin?”, turns out, more than I thought possible. 

The Benefits of Jade Rolling

Here’s a little background information for all those new to the world of jade rolling. Jade has been used for centuries for it’s healing properties and its association with protecting against negative energy. As for your skin, daily jade rolling is said to promote increased blood circulation, lymphatic drainage and reduce the look of fine lines. On top of that, it helps products and serums to penetrate easily into the skin and soothes inflammation.

It is a facial massage with a tool that is basically a knife- and needle-free stand in for plastic surgery. I know it sounds extreme, but devoted rollers can’t get enough of the tool and as a convert myself, I can vouch for the jade roller’s effectiveness at decreasing puffiness, minimizing lines and making sure your daily serums are penetrating deeply into your skin. By using a jade roller every day (sometimes twice a day if you’re feeling saucy), you’re actually giving yourself a gentle facial massage. That massaging motion not only increases circulation (hello, plump, firm, glowing skin), it also works to break up any stagnation in the lymphatic system that may be causing puffiness or blemishes and gives your neglected facial muscles some much-needed TLC. (Tense muscles = wrinkles, FYI.)

The Right Way to Jade Roll

It’s a simple process that anyone can do in 10 minutes a day. After applying your morning skincare, roll your jade roller against your skin in an upward motion over your face and neck. The cooling effect of the stone instantly calms the skin and starts to de-puff and deflate any puffiness.

Convinced? Here’s how to use your jade roller.

Cleanse + Treat

You should only be using your jade roller on clean skin. Like I said earlier, the massaging motion will help any product on your skin sink in deeper and the same is true for old makeup and dirt. So before you even think about picking up the jade roller, wash your face.

If you’re going to roll in the morning to decrease any I-barely-slept-last-night puffiness, consider popping your jade facial roller in the fridge overnight. The cool jade will lower swelling by shrinking blood vessels. It also just feels really amazing on tired skin.

Rolling at night? Go through your standard cleansing routine to remove all traces of the day and apply any serums and/or oils you like before bed. After giving them a minute to sink in, roll your heart out. The jade face roller will help skin drink them up before they have time to evaporate or rub off on your pillow.

Get Rolling

Now comes the fun part. There’s no right or wrong area of the face to start, but do make sure you’re rolling from the center, out. I also like to visually split my face in half using my nose as the divider and work on one side at a time to make sure I’m not missing anything.

Start at your chest and using gently pressure, perform outward and upward strokes with the jade roller along your skin. Pass over the same patch of skin three to four times, always moving to the outer edge of your face. When you need to return the roller to the starting point, pick it up and place it back at the start (don’t roll backwards).

From your chest, move up: neck, chin/jawline, cheeks (roll from your nose out toward your ear), undereye and eyelid (use the small end of the roller here and very gently move from the inner corner of your eye out to the temple), eyebrow (switch back to the larger side and roll out and down, following the contour of your brow bone), forehead (start in the middle and roll out).

Switch Sides

Now do the exact same thing on the other side.

Finish with a soothing upward roll from between your eyebrows, up to the hairline.

The whole process should take two to four minutes, depending on how many passes you’re doing and how many areas of the face you’re hitting. As you’re working the jade face roller, you’ll see your skin start to flush — this is a good thing! It means circulation is increasing.

Clean That Roller

If you want to apply additional serum or moisturizer, go for it. If not, your final step should always always ALWAYS be cleaning the jade roller thoroughly with warm, soapy water. This thing is touching your face every single day: keep it clean.

Thinking of adding this to your skincare routine? If you have already, let me know how you’re liking it and if you’ve already seen results in the comments! Thanks for reading xo

Looking for a new serum to take your skincare to the next level? Check out my SERUMS 101 post for the perfect options next week!

Your jade roller is just the beginning. Check out my other favorite beauty tools here next week!

5 Miracle Foods That Will Help You Detox – Fast!

Published on by Lee1 Comment

As much as we all love a burger, we know it’s not going to help us get that glossy skin and beautiful mane we lust after. Sure, now and again it’s no harm, but no matter how much money you spend on miracle products, if you’re not taking care of what you put into your body, your newest potion is never going to reach its full potential. These five superfoods, however, will make you feel beautiful from the inside out and I swear in just a week, we’ve been able to notice a difference in our hair and our skin. Plus, by eating healthy you’ll have more than just extra energy and great hair, your concentration and mood will improve too. These five ingredients are so good you’ll want to bathe in them – and btw, I have the recipes so that you can:

Chia Seeds – The Glow-Getter 

Don’t be fooled by their size, these tiny seeds are literally full of beauty-boosting minerals and antioxidants. They’re super high in Omega 3, so they’ll give you the ultimate glow while reducing any inflammation or dryness. The amazing seeds also increase your blood circulation, thereby giving you more even skin. You can sprinkle the seeds on pretty much anything, from your yogurts and smoothies to your salads. I love mixing them with almond milk and honey for a delicious breakfast snack with fruit.

Chia Seed and Lavender Face Mask DIY:
My favorite Chia Seed DIY will gently exfoliate your skin leaving you feeling baby soft with a J Lo glow. Mix 2 teaspoons of Chia Seeds with 4 tablespoons of water, then add 2 drops of lavender oil. Massage it onto your face and leave the mix on your skin for 10 minutes, then just wash away with warm water.

Medjool Dates – Acne Banisher, Youth Booster

Medjool Dates are desert plants, originally from the Middle East. Most Medjool Date Palm Trees sold in Florida come from California fruit producers that are selling off the older, less productive cultivars to make room for newer, better fruiting cultivars. Plus, there aren’t well adapted here because it rains more in Florida than California. Dates (the fruit) can be produced in North Florida and South East US if planted correctly. It is best to choose cultivars that are more tolerant of humidity and rain.

Luckily, Target sells Medjool– I’m obsessed! But, not just because they’re mega tasty, they’re also a rich source of fiber, which will support your metabolism and help you debloat. In the Middle East, some like to use them to break their fast during Ramadan, as they’re great energy boosters – making them an ideal snack (just stick to a few though as they’re high in sugar). Medjool Dates are also a great source of copper, which helps your body absorb more iron allowing your skin to produce more collagen. Dates can even help reduce redness and will work as an anti-inflammatory, so if you’re acne-prone, ditch the crisps and grab a date!

Medjool Date and Honey Mask DIY:
De-pit 3 to 4 dates and blend with 1 to 2 teaspoons of honey (both rich in vitamin B) to formulate a thick paste. Spread this mix on your face and leave for 10 minutes before washing away with water. Your face will feel SO smooth.

Avocado – The Hair Helper

Avocados aren’t just for your breakfast Insta Story, they’re a beauty miracle ingredient too! Avocados are full of fatty acids and proteins, and whether you use them on your hair as a mask or you just eat them on toast, they’ll give your locks killer shine – Adriana Lima swears by it. The vitamin B and E content will also strengthen your hair follicles and help the strands remain strong and healthy, preventing split ends from forming.

Avocado and Coconut Hair Mask:
For the ultimate hair mask, mash one ripe avocado (if you have shorter hair you can use half and eat the other), and mix it with one egg yolk and two tablespoons of coconut oil. Massage it into your hair (from root to tip) and then wash it off 20 minutes later. Just make sure you shampoo your hair thoroughly or you could get a little oily at the roots.

Lemons – The Detox Queen

Whenever you ask a model how they start their day, I swear the answer will be with a cup of hot water and lemon. Lemon is an incredible detoxifier and cleans your digestive system so that your liver can eliminate waste more efficiently. It also boosts your lymphatic drainage, which will help get rid of any puffiness around your eyes and toxins from your body. And the best thing about a detox drink is that it can seriously help clear up your skin, so say hello to that glow!

Lemon, Honey, and Green Tea Face Mask: 
This face mask will revitalize your skin and cleanse your pores, leaving your skin super radiant. Mix the juice of half a lemon with 1 teaspoon of honey and the contents of one green tea bag (brew the tea first, and then take the leaves from the tea bag). Apply it your face and wash it off 15 minutes later with warm water.

Figs – The Beauty All-rounder

Figs don’t get the hype they deserve but we love them! Just like lemons, they’re an incredible detoxifier as the seeds inside the fruit will help cleanse the digestive tract of mucus and toxins. This is so important as when it’s blocked, it prevents essential nutrients getting into your skin. It’s also full of antioxidants that help fight free radicals, which cause fine lines and wrinkles to form. A great source of vitamins C and B6, figs can help even out your skin tone and regulate hormone activity, combatting breakouts. I love to snack on them, but make sure you limit your intake to just a couple as they’re high in sugar.

Fig and Oatmeal Mask 
For an amazing exfoliator, blend 5 figs with a teaspoon of powdered oatmeal and a teaspoon of milk. Once a smooth paste is formed, massage it into your skin, leave it for 15 minutes and wash it off with warm water and a soft washcloth.

Let me know if you have any other fav healthy foods that are also great for DIYs!

How to Get Makeup Out of Clothes: 8 Genius Solutions

Published on by LeeLeave a comment

No dry cleaning required.

One truth universally acknowledged is that regardless of your level of hand-eye coordination, makeup spills and smudges are bound to happen. And when they do, you’re left wondering how to get makeup out of clothes, ideally without making the stain look worse. I got eight genius solutions for getting makeup stains out of your clothes fast and easy.

1. Use a Makeup Wipe

Makeup wipes don’t just work on your face–they can actually help get makeup off your clothes. It’s an old backstage trick you can occasionally spot at fashion shows when makeup artists realize they’ve smeared something on themselves while trying to protect the models’ clothes. It’s sneaky and it works. Just grab one and gently blot or rub until the offending makeup stain is lifted away.

A couple of things to remember: This is most effective on a fresh spill that hasn’t had time to dry or set. And you’ve got to spot-test anything that you aren’t sure is colorfast or that might water-spot like silk on an area that doesn’t show before going to town on it—you don’t want to ruin anything delicate. But on things like cotton? Makeup wipes are basically a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser for makeup on clothes.

2. Rubbing Alcohol

Soak a cotton ball or the tip of a washcloth in rubbing alcohol and then rub it over the makeup stain. Rubbing alcohol is particularly effective at removing lipstick stains, since alcohol can break down oily and waxy stains.

3. Shaving Cream

Who knew shaving cream can lift a stain? Apply a squirt or two the stain and let it sit for ten minutes. During that time, the cream will dissolve the stain. After ten minutes, wipe off the shaving cream with cold water.

4. A Blow Dryer

If you use any kind of loose powder on your face, you know how frustrating it can be if you spill it on your clothes (especially if it’s light powder on dark fabric). Any attempt to wipe it away is met with a smeared mess that’s even more noticeable than the original dots of powder were. So what do you? Grab a blow dryer. Blast the powder off the fabric and you’re good to go.

5. Hairspray

Who knew? Hairspray can actually help you get rid of a tricky lipstick stain. Apply hairspray to the stain and let it dry. Let the hairspray dry and follow up with a wet wipe. Note: this only works if the hairspray contains alcohol. Alcohol-free hairsprays will do nothing for a makeup stain.

6. Ice, Ice Baby

Applying ice cubes is another way to get makeup out of clothes. Grab a cube and rub it vigorously on stain. Ice (and cold water) works to lift a stain, while using hot water during a spot treatment can actually spread the stain. Avoid hot water at all costs when trying to spot treat a minor makeup stain. Save the hot water for when you toss in the washer.

7. Soap and Water

If all you have on hand is soap and water, you can still try to get a makeup stain out. Just don’t grab a paper towel or napkin. Instead, dab cold water on the stain and the teensiest spot of soap. Then, rub the fabric against itself and allow the friction to lift the stain. This is better than using a paper product, as it can flake off and leave the fabric smeared with little white bits, potentially make the stained area look even worse until you’re able to give it a proper washing.

8. Detergent Pens and Detergent Wipes

Designed for treating stains on the go, detergent pens like Tide to Go can provide a quick fix. For the best result, make sure to blot off any excess gunk off your fabric before taking applying the pen to it. When you press the tip into the clothing, the detergent solution will come out. Rub the tip of the detergent pen against the fabric until the stain starts to come off. Then, wipe off any extra solution. Detergent pens are reusable and safe to apply to most fabrics, including those labeled “dry clean only.”

The One Skin Care Product You’re Not Using That You Must: Pond’s Cold Cream!

Published on by Lee1 Comment

Fashion and beauty experts often say, “What’s old is new again.” I see vintage looks from the 70’s, mixes of bold colors from the 80’s, and even bigger hair from the 90’s starting to return now.

In skin care, I’ve been reading a lot about the return of masques lately. But there is one sensational product I haven’t heard much about a revival, and that is cold cream.

While our grandmothers, great-grandmothers, and those at the turn of the 19th-20th century raved about cold cream can do magic for your skin. It is an all-in-one cleanser, makeup remover, and moisturizer.

What Defines a Cold Cream?

Traditionally, a cold cream must be comprised of a few simple ingredients: olive or almond oil, beeswax and water (Journal of Chemical Education, 1944). However, as time passed, the most hydrating cold creams were found to also include occlusive agents to lock moisture in, such as petrolatum or mineral oil. Various ingredients were also added by different manufacturers to infuse a scent or for additional benefits, like antioxidants.

In addition, a “cold cream” must be cooling to meet the definition in a traditional sense. “Cold” is simply a reference to the cooling sensation it causes after being applied, believed to be due to the water content of the cream evaporating off the skin.

Benefits of a Cold Cream

  • Dry skin relief. Those who suffer from dry, flaky patches on the skin will find some relief from regular use of a cold cream.
  • Climate change relief. When the weather changes, the alterations in temperature and humidity can cause variations in the amount of moisture your skin needs. The beauty of a cold cream is that your skin tends to absorb the level of moisture it needs after a few minutes of application, and then the rest is then rinsed away.
  • Excellent for use with a retinoid or AHA. Cold creams can provide an extra level of hydration to aid the irritation associated with strong anti-aging treatments.
  • Cleanser. The oils dissolve all oil-based debris, and the water-based ingredients absorb the water-based products still on your face.
  • Makeup removal.
  • Moisturization. If you leave cold cream on your face, it can penetrate the skin well, leaving it soft and hydrated. Note: If you have oily skin, you may wish to use another cleanser afterwards, as the cold cream may leave your skin feeling a bit oily.
  • Cost and preservation. A cold cream is quite affordable for most persons, and it lasts for a long time.

Who Should Not Use a Cold Cream?

  • Those with oily, very oily, or acne-prone skin
  • Those living in hot, humid climates
  • Those with allergic reactions to oils

Isn’t Mineral Oil Terrible for the Skin?

Cosmetic-grade mineral oil does not generally clog the pores, as many are lead to believe. Cosmetic-grade mineral oil usually warrant only a 1 or 2 rating on a scale from 1-5, with 1 being the least pore-clogging, and 5 being highly pore-clogging.

However, cold cream is not a leave-on product. So using mineral oil in a cleanser gets you all of the hydrating and moisture-locking potential of mineral oil, without the possibility of it trapping comedogenic ingredients against your skin when rinsed properly.

TOP PICK

Ponds Cold Cream Cleanser is by far my favorite at the drugstore. While many drugstore cold creams will give the “cooling” sensation with ingredients that can be irritating or drying like mint or citrus extracts, Ponds Cold Cream Cleanser is simple. It hydrates the skin deeply with mineral oil, water, beeswax, montan wax, and cetyl alcohol, and leaves the skin feeling soft and smooth after its application.

Ingredients: Mineral oil, water, ceresin, beeswax, triethanolamine, ceteth-20, fragrance, behenic acid, montan wax, cetyl alcohol, carbomer, dmdm hydantoin, iodopropynyl butylcarbamate.

Bottom Line

If you are someone with a dry, normal/dry, or normal skin type who is looking for a product to boost the performance of their skin care regimen, I highly recommend adding in a cold cream. Popular in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, I have a feeling cold creams are going to make a comeback soon, with sensational cleansing, makeup removing, and hydrating properties! I highly recommen Ponds Cold Cream Cleanser.

What are your thoughts on cold cream? Let me know in Comments!