Antioxidants have the ability to fight off free radical damage, making it key in anti-aging products. (For more information on how antioxidants work, read my Eat ‘em Alive! article.) Coffee berry extract may be the most powerful antioxidant to enter the skin care market, beating out all other forms of naturally derived antioxidants. Skin care line RevaleSkin has jumped on the CoffeeBerry® bandwagon and will be introducing two new products, their Skin Firming Serum and Illuminesse Brightening Complex, packed with this exciting new ingredient.  Read more…

Disclosure: Guys, I love you, but this one is for my ladies!

PMS is a miserable time.  If you’re one of the more unlucky ones, like me, with PMDD, it’s even more of a nightmare! I’m already dealing with serious fatigue, body aches, irritability –  and don’t forget the moments I think God hates me and the world is against me. The last thing we need to add to the camel’s back is being self conscious about water weight gain and bad skin. Throw us a bone, mother nature!

Water retention not only makes us feel bloated and fat, but it actually emphasizes cellulite. Not havin’ that. To smooth out that dimply skin and alleviate the heavy  Read more…

After all these years, I still remember Jessica, the high school cheerleading captain, telling me that a woman’s hair is her crown and glory. It’s why I’ve spent the past 24 hours bawling my eyes out after having the worst haircut of my entire life.  My hair had reached what my friend Andre called “mermaid hair length.” It was time to cut off some of that weight.

Last week, while attending Capitol File’s exclusive “Power List” Party, I had received a gift bag loaded with goodies from Salon A (located in Bethesda). Normally I wait until I can make a trip to my home town, where I have the best stylist, Kim. With no trips planned in the near future, I thought I had lucked out by receiving this Salon A gift certificate. I write this now weighed down with complete regret.  Ann, one of the owners, was my stylist. I gave Ann specific instructions on what I wanted, including the shortest length I was willing to go. Additionally, I provided a photo of the exact haircut I wanted. Ann said she would cut 2 inches off the length, and would work with me if I wanted more taken off. When I saw 6 inch strands of my hair falling into my lap, I stopped Ann to ask her what she was doing while reeling back the full on panic attack that was mounting. She assured me it was just her technique and that I needn’t worry. Well, when it was all over, I realized she took off more than half a foot of my hair. Even more inexcusable than butchering off all my hair, was that it was simply a bad haircut. I would have received a better cut from the Hair Cuttery.  Read more…

An important component in any good skin care regimen is exfoliation. Sloughing off the top layer of dead skin cells has many great skin benefits. First, exfoliation will help to improve your skin’s texture, softening the look of fine lines and wrinkles. (Ladies, think of how smooth your nails appear after having them buffed during your mani/pedi. Men, think about sanded, wooden floors… ) Pimples and blackheads are sometimes the result of dead skin cells trapped in pores, so exfoliating may help to prevent breakouts. And with regular exfoliation, you can improve skin discolorations, such as hyperpigmentation, sun spots/freckles, and red marks left from acne. If that weren’t enough, exfoliating brightens dull skin, helps your moisturizer to be more effective, and promotes the healthy skin cell turnover that’s crucial in anti-aging.  Read more…

Problem solving can be a really fun and challenging activity when it comes to something like Sudoku. When it comes to our skin problems though, most of us just want a straight forward solution. The common problem that I come across, however, is that most of us don’t know our skin types all that well, let alone know which products and treatments to use to address our skin issues. Fortunately, technology has provided an answer with the VISIA™ Digital Skin Analysis.  Read more…

There’s something about the idea of exclusivity and its psychological effect on people.  It’s an empowering feeling to have access to something others don’t. You feel…special. And for some strange reason, we sometimes feel like we have to safeguard our secrets and tricks. So when I receive emails about sales and discounts at SkinStore.com, I like to pretend I’m one of the few preferred customers receiving this great deal. No one must know that I’m saving $15 off the regular price of my Caudalie serum! The reality is, these sales aren’t exclusive; they’re advertised right on the online store’s homepage.  But no one seems to know about it!

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