Being Body Focused.
This month, The Body Shop has released a wonderful range of products that are absolutely chockers with natural active ingredients that are sourced from The Body Shop Community Trade Program. The Body Shop’s New Body Focus Range allows you to have spa calibre body treatments at home.
I’ve had the pleasure of having the Body Focus products applied to me in a swish spa and I have trialled them in my home. I am pleased to say that with the exception of having a gorgeous spa technician apply the products for me (I really did try hard to talk her home with me to apply, but no dice.) the products were just as effective, stimulating, and rejuvenating as when applied amidst the glories of a fabulous spa.
The Body Focus Range is compiled of 6 products that are powered by natural active ingredients and one incredible spa-like tool. The products are:
Cellulite Serum- A lightweight gel that contains an active complex with amino acids, caffeine, forskolin, Makandi mint, and vitamins B and C.
Cellulite Massager- A salon-style treatment accessory to enhance the performance of the Body Focus products (my fave).
Firming Lotion- A lightweight moisturiser with sustained release technology. Two of the key active ingredients in the Firming Lotion are seaweed extract and alginic acid (a protective film that forms on the skin’s surface to act as a protective barrier from damaging environmental elements).
Sculpting Body Mask- An effective all over body mask that delivers the ultimate salon treatment feeling while effectively improving the appearance of the skin.
Stretch Mark Improver- A light moisturising cream that includes rosehip seed oil, pumpkin seed oil, and Community Trade shea butter from Ghana.
Toning Soap Scrub- An intensive exfoliating soap which cleanses and stimulates the circulation and improves skin tone. Lemon and grapefruit essential oils are used along with finely cut lemon peel, ground apricot stones and Community Trade shea butter in this knobbly textured bar.
Toning Massage Oil- A fragrant body oil that contains six essential oils to boost circulation, improve the skin’s texture and appearance, whilst uplifting the senses.
Now you’re talking! Visit The Body Shop for this and other delectable goodies. You’ll be wrapped if you do.
Never Underestimate The Power…
Of a great red lipstick! What’s so great about a fabulous red lipstick? It’s not its emollient base, its brand or its long lasting capabilities, but its ability to be a powerfully amazing confidence boost. Since our relationship with all things beauty is really about harnessing the abundance of inner beauty that lay within us and displaying it through our gorgeous exterior. Why keep your beauty a secret? Go on, grab that great red lipstick, put it on, and go forth and spread beauty and light.
You’re beautiful!
Eyebrows: The Most Gorgeous Frame.
Our eyebrows clearly frame our face and set the tone for our image. This often ignored aspect of the face has such a tremendous influence on our look. Many folks often concentrate on all other areas of their grooming and makeup, but forget about these vital little beauties.
Immaculately groomed and well shaped eyebrows give us a polished look, even when we are wearing no makeup at all. (Fellas, I’m looking at you!) When we have cleared out all the undergrowth that can so quickly accumulate under and between our brows without being noticed and then shape these babies into a full and clean arch, we gain the effect of looking more alert and flatteringly well groomed.
Beauty Marked! recommends that you have your eyebrows professionally shaped at least once in your life. But be warned, once you see the miraculous difference gorgeously shaped brows make, you’ll be hooked!
Thought For The Day.
“We live only to discover beauty. All else is a form of waiting.” - Kahlil Gibran
Cream Blush Anyone?
Fancy a cream blush, but don’t know how to use it? Can’t get it to hang around past a few hours after it’s applied? If you answered yes, yes, and yes then you’d be in the very same situation as many makeup mavens out there. Cream blush can deliver a gorgeous dewy, youthful cheek but can be a tad tricky to apply and to coax into sticking around. Cream blushes are fantastic for skin that is reasonably blemish free and leans more towards normal to dry. Oilier skins can use cream blush, but it takes a little extra work.
As a makeup artist, my preferred way to apply cream blush is to use my thumbs. On others, I just load up one thumb with product (a few swirls on the blush generally suffices) then rub my two thumbs together. Place your wrists together so that your palms are facing each other, then gently touch both thumbs at the same time to the apples of the cheeks. This delivers the exact amount of blush to both cheeks at exactly the same height on the face. I then lightly blend outwards using my fingers along the cheek towards but not right up to the ears. The amount of blush should be most concentrated at the apples and then seamlessly fade off into the faintest amount of colour in the outer direction stopping about 2-3 finger widths from the ears. I use the same technique when I apply blush to myself as well, but instead of putting my wrist together facing palm-ward, I align my pinky fingers with palms facing upwards. Then I blend, blend, blend. If your feeling a little less dextrous, simply use a synthetic foundation brush. It will do the trick nicely too.
To get your cream blush to hang out a bit longer, simply set it with a light dusting of powder. Powder blush of a similar colour (my fave), translucent powder, blotting powder, or powdered foundation will all work well. Just remember to put liquids, gels and cream based products before powdered. Although not a forgone conclusion entirely, generally moist products applied over dry can tend to cake, bead, or peel, so should be avoided when possible. Lightly powdering over will vastly improve your blush’s colourful existence on your cheek. Admittedly, powdered blush, especially, on top of cream blush seems to amp things up nicely, giving you long lasting colour with extra alluring dimension. Hopefully, these tips will tempt you into trying cream blush as it is certainly one of the more gorgeous, yet under utilized makeup items out there. You’ll be pleased if you show cream blush a bit of love. Do be sure to let us know how you go.
Cuticle Woes Be Gone!
Dry cuticles, hangnails, and lackluster nails are the bane of most hands in winter. Nails that are a little or a lot worse for wear are generally a result of a lack of hydrating moisture due to the onset of chillier weather. Hands that also spend a fair bit of time in and out of water, without a proper bit of moisturizer applied to them in between, can particularly fall prey to dry cuticles and hangnails. Ouch! Talk about sore, unsightly little terrors.
Creative Nail Design SolarBalm is a nourishing pot of moisturizing goodness. SolarBalm is a highly emollient conditioning balm made specifically for nails and skin, which comprises of a blend of jojoba oil, vitamin E, and sweet almond oil. Just the tiniest amount of SolarBalm rubbed onto the nail, cuticle and surrounding skin will instantly hydrate. After a few days of regular use, you will certainly see and feel the difference in your nails and cuticles. Do resist the temptation to bite off or pull at any bits of dry cuticle or skin that are annoying you. Often this will cause them to tear further, to be even more painful, and become a potential source of infection. Use a quality pair of cuticle nips to remove the desiccated cuticle and hangnail only. Tweezerman Stainless 2000 Cuticle Nipper is Beauty Marked!’s tool of choice. This stainless steel, double spring cuticle nip is fantastic for removing that nuisance bit of dry cuticle or hangnail that’s not only unsightly, but catches on what seems like absolutely everything! Talk about adding insult to injury. Ugh! But not to worry, because before long, with regular maintenance, dry cuticles, hangnails, and brittle nails won’t be an issue for you… Right?
Creative Nail Design’s SolarBalm comes in a handy 9 gram tin that fits wonderfully in your handbag, pocket or wherever you store all things precious. Visit Creative Nail Place for your local stockist. Tweezerman Cuticle Nippers supplier info is gladly available from Dateline City.
One Click And Magic Happens.
Yes, I know they are not due to be released until August 2007 in Australia, but these beauties are too good to keep under my hat until then. Maybelline New York has “cast a spell for luscious lips” with new Shine Seduction Glossy Lipcolor. A magical lip gloss wand filled with captivating colour, shine and feel.
Maybelline NY Shine Seduction Glossy Lipcolor comes in 20 super spellbinding, ultra moisturizing, and beyond enchanting colours. A click or two of the base of the wand will release the perfect amount of bewitching potion that will deliver brilliantly alluring colour. No spongy tip applicators either, but a clever new sculpting tip that makes precision application a dream. It gets even better, because the wand clicks back in the opposite direction to ensure that not a skerrick of Maybelline Shine Seduction Glossy Lipcolor droplets made from aqua botanicals (algae and lotus flower extract) and Vitamin E are wasted.
Let’s say for the record, that out of the 20 highly reflective, multidimensional colours released, Beauty Marked! wouldn’t want to be without a single one. Too fabulous to choose!
