Plump It Up!: Rodial Dragon’s Blood Sculpting Gel

⨻⨻⨻

Dubbed as the “Liquid Facelift”, Dragon’s Blood Sculpting Gel by Rodial promises to plump, sculpt and lift the complexion as it sags and wrinkles with age.

Created to be the natural replacement for Restylane injections, Dragon’s Blood Sculpting Gel plumps facial hollows and ‘orbital troughs’ under and around the eyes, as well as for cheek volume and contouring of the chin, forehead and nose.

Dragon’s Blood is formulated with red sap of the sangre de drago tree that has been used for centuries by ancient cultures for dye, incense, wound-healing/first aid and antioxidant properties. The product news release states, “It works to form a second skin-like protective film on the skin. Protects against environmental damage and contains anti-inflammatory properties.”

Morning and night after cleansing, smooth on a thin layer of gel, then add your regular moisturizer on top with SPF for daytime, of course. The gel absorbs quickly into the skin and has a soft scent of florals and pink bubblegum. Within minutes, you can feel a tightening sensation on your skin. Not the tightening one might feel with very dry, parched skin, but a “sucked-in” taught feeling. I most certainly noticed a more sculpted and voluminous difference, however, more mature skin would reap the benefits of Dragon’s Blood much, much more.

Inspiration: Olympic Gold

⩷⩷⩷

Go for the gold! Inspired by the 2012 Summer Olympics, here are a few gold metals:

Estee Lauder ~ Pure Color Gelee Powder Eyeshadow in Cyber Gold: $24.00 

Dior ~ Vernis – Golden Jungle Nail Enamel: $23.00

Illamasqua ~ Liquid Metal in Solstice: $26.00

Tom Ford ~ Lip Lacquer in Gold Dust: $30.00

Bobbi Brown ~ Shimmer Brick Compact – Gold: $40.00

Stila ~ Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner in Koi: $8.00 (sale)

Eyebrow Enhancer: Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz

✺✺✺

Creating a natural looking brow has never been easier. A flawless brow can frame your face and totally change your look. With Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz, you can have well-groomed brows in mere seconds.

This aptly named pencil is ultra-fine and mimics the appearance of tiny hairs. The dual-ended mechanical pencil features pencil on one side and an essential spooley brush on the other.

The Brow Wiz is available in four shades: Ash Blonde – suggested for light to dark blonde hair. Medium Ash – suggested for light to medium brown and silver hair. Brunette – suggested for medium brown to black hair. Caramel – suggested for light brown hair with warm undertones, auburn, and strawberry blonde hair.

Application is a cinch with Brow Wiz. For optimal results, use short strokes and a light touch to fill in the brow, and extend where needed. Always blend pencil with the spooley brush for even and natural color.

If eyes are the window to the soul, then brows are the window treatments. Here are some tips and tricks from celebrity brow expert Anastasia Soare, founder of  Anastasia Beverly Hills:

· Stay away from tweezers, if your tweezing twice a week you’re doing too much.

· Make sure your brows are the right shade! Half the time a complimentary brow shade will do wonders much like hair color.

· Keep your brows close to your hair color just a touch darker if you’re a blonde, and if your brunette matching them is fine but don’t ever go too dark its overpowering.

· I love pencil for clients that have sparse brows or holes, I can use the pencil to spot touch and still keep the look natural.

· Never leave the house with naked brows. You don’t leave without mascara so don’t leave without pencil or brow gel. Well kept brows will pull anyone together in one minute and that to me is worth it.

 ABOUT ANASTASIA SOARE:

Combining her artistic interests with more technical ones, Anastasia trained professionally as an esthetician in Romania before moving with her family to California. While working as an esthetician at several prestigious beauty salons in Beverly Hills, Anastasia developed her own specific Golden Ratio™ technique behind the science of shaping eyebrows and helping to enhance the overall eye area. With her extremely loyal following and the growing buzz behind her brow shaping techniques, Anastasia opened her first full service salon on Bedford Drive in Beverly Hills, named Anastasia Beverly Hills, in 1997. The success of her first salon led her to opening a second full service salon in Brentwood, CA in 2010. Her product line can be found in stores like Nordstrom, Sephora and Ulta worldwide. A highly regarded expert in the field, Anastasia Soare has dedicated her lifetime to the pursuit of balanced natural beauty through the use of innovative ingredients and techniques. Never one to close the book, she will continue to develop products that combine the beauty of Anastasia with the science of skincare.

Healthy Skin from Within: Nordic Naturals Complete Omega – 3.6.9

※※※

There are a million reasons to take an omega-3 supplement everyday. One of the many is that EFAs or essential fatty acids control a large number of cellular processes in the body that directly relate to the health of your skin, hair and nails. Before I get to that, let’s look at the numerous benefits of fish oil.

Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are considered “essential fats” because they are required for optimal health but cannot be produced by the body. EFAs can be found in fish, flaxseeds, walnuts and canola. Fish oil supplies the most beneficial omega-3s, which are: EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). Eating actual fish (mostly oily, cold water fish like salmon, tuna, herring and sardines) is the best food source of EPA and DHA, but due to concerns about toxins such as mercury, a fish oil supplement is the safest source.

OMEGA-3:  EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid)

*Healthy heart and body*

• Maintains a healthy heart and circulatory system
• Enhances joint flexibility and movement
• Promotes healthy immune function
• Supports optimal metabolism and body composition
• Promotes balanced blood sugar levels
• Supports the body’s natural anti-inflammatory response

OMEGA-3:  DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid)

*Healthy mood, mind and memory*

• Supports learning and memory
• Promotes positive mood and well-being
• Supports and protects the brain, eyes, nervous and immune systems
• Essential for the proper development of infants and children
• Recommended by physicians for pregnant and lactating women

OMEGA-6:  GLA (Gamma-Linolenic Acid)

*Healthy skin, hair and hormones*

• Nourishes hair and skin
• Supports healthy joints
• Enhances Hormonal Balance
• Maintains optimal body fat metabolism
• Supports positive mood
• Supports a regular menstrual cycle

OMEGA-9:  OA (Oleic Acid)

*Healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels*

• Naturally occurs in fish oil
• A “good for you: omega-9 monounsaturated fatty acid
• Supports healthy blood vessel function
• Promotes healthy cell membrane structure

Healthy Skin from Within:

Our skin cells need plenty of nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and healthy fats. Without these, our skin can become dry, dull, prone to premature aging and even inflamed. There are two key essential fatty acids that your skin and hair will love. Since your body doesn’t manufacture them, they must be sourced through food and/or supplements.

Omega-3s in fish oil have been shown to:

• Keep the skin hydrated thus helping to prevent dry skin and other skin conditions
• Help soothe scaly, rough skin by reducing unnecessary inflammation
• Improve blood flow and support the elasticity of red blood cells thereby providing more oxygen to nourish the skin
• Encourage the production of strong collagen and elastin fibers in the dermis making skin look younger by reducing wrinkling and sagging

GLA is an Omega-6 fatty acid that occurs naturally in evening primrose and borage oils and has shown to:

• Relieve dry skin
• Reduce hair loss
• Provide relief for eczema, psoriasis and atopic dermatitis

Your skin is the largest organ in the body and allows approximately 60% of “what goes on it, to go inside it”. Anything that increases the body’s ability to maintain integrity in our highly polluted world is a plus for your beauty routine.

Nordic Naturals is the leading manufacturer of fish oil in the United States. They are committed to delivering the world’s safest, most effective omega oils. The Complete Omega – 3.6.9 is an omega-rich blend that contains all the needed ingredients to support heart health, brain function, positive mood, healthy joints, as well as healthy hair, skin and nails. It has a fresh lemon taste that ensures no fishy smell, taste or aftertaste and all research is based on third-party test results – resulting in an honest and pure product. You will not find a better fish oil than Nordic Naturals.

Glow-T Gift Guide: Eyes

✯✯✯

Glow-T’s Gift Guide continues with eyes. Give the gift of  beauty this year with glamorous holiday sets. Playful, sparkly, pretty and glittery, these sets provide hundreds of beautiful eye-looks. From coveted neutral palettes to amazing collectors items, here are a few gift ideas for the glamour girl in your life.

Nordstrom ~ Bobbi Brown Long Wear Eyeliner Kit: $42.00

Beauty.com ~ Too Faced Brushes Essential 3 Piece Set: $39.00

NARS ~ Makeup Your Mind: Express Yourself Eyes: $85.00

Urban Decay ~ Naked 2 Palette: $50.00

Sephora ~ MAKE UP FOR EVER Wild & Chic Aqua Cream Collection: $175.00

Tried & Tested: Le Métier de Beauté Magic Lustre Creme

✯✯✯

Le Metier de Beaute Magic Lustre Creme

Le Métier de Beauté (which translates to “the craft of beauty”) features stunning cosmetics and innovative products.

Become your very own alchemist with this line’s Magic Lustre Creme. This luxurious cream glaze is enriched in vitamin E and transforms any powder pigment into sheer stains and glosses for the cheeks, lips or eyes. Loose powder pigments can be difficult to work with, by adding a bit of Magic, the pigments metamorphoses into cream-based products. This makes application simple as well as enhancing color and texture.

Mix with multiple colors to find your perfect recipe or use on it’s own to create a dewy complexion.

Tried & Tested: Micellar Cleansing Waters

✯✯✯

Micellar Cleansing Water is used to remove impurities, tone and hydrate the skin without the need of water. These delicate waters immediately eliminate makeup, dirt and oil from the skin with one sweep.

Based on a micelle principle, these technologically advanced products release softening agents to hydrate and calm the skin while effectively removing all traces of make-up on face, eyes and lips. Gentle enough for sensitive skin, (some brands provide a separate sensitive-skin formula) these refreshing waters cleanse and tone the skin without irritation.

The difference between Micellar Cleansing Water and simple makeup removers…

According to Bernard Pochic, Bioderma’s National Trainer, “Micellar Cleansers dissolve the bond between cosmetic pigments and your skin so you can wipe it off.” Doesn’t sound all that different, simple makeup removers primarily smear the cosmetic pigments allowing an easy removal when you wash your face. The Micellar Cleansers is a one-step process that eliminates the need for a second cleanse.

Simply apply product to cotton pad and wipe gently where needed. These products will dissolve even the most stubborn or waterproof product.

Primarily made by French skincare brands, Micellar Cleansers are now popping up everywhere. Here are a few of my favorites, all but one (Bioderma) can be found online, in drugstores or beauty supply.

Vichy – Purete Thermale Cleansing Micellar Lotion, Avene – Micellar Lotion Cleanser and Make-up Remover, Embryolisse – Micellar Lotion , La Roche-Posay – Physiological Micellar Solution, Bioderma – Sensibio H20 Micellar Solution

Tropical Punch: Cargo Blush Key Largo

✯✯✯

Cargo Blush Key Largo

Cargo Blush in Key Largo is a bright tropical punch shade. This matte blush adds a vivid pop of color to the cheeks and instantly brightens the face.

Key Largo is a bold coral tone with some pink notes. The silky blush is extremely pigmented and blends nicely. This color can be worn alone for a bright flushed look or with bronzer to emphasize a summer glow.

Key Largo can be used on both the cheek and eye area. Brush a bit of this color on the lid or use as a liner and keep the rest of the eye area bare.

Cargo blushers come in a large silver tin containing 0.31 oz of product. They contain aloe, vitamin E and antioxidants to nourish the skin. The matte finish is a great option for those with large pores (shimmer tends to exaggerate the size).

This season experiment with fun bright colors and add a bit of punch to your look.