There will be two contest winners, each who will win one RevitaLash Eyelash Conditioner. To enter the contest, leave a comment on the bottom of this article about why you want to win RevitaLash, and be sure to include your name and email address (your email address will not be visible to others). I will randomly pick two winners and notify each winner by email, and then I will get your address and send you your prize. You can only enter once.

The contest starts March 11th and ends March 25th, 2010.

Visit RevitaLash FAQ to read more detailed information about the product. RevitaLash is a cosmetic, so its current formula does not contain any “drug” ingredients and you don’t need a prescription to use it, unlike Latisse. RevitaLash should be safe to use for everyone, but you must follow the instructions in the box carefully, and if you have any concerns, speak with a doctor before using it. In some cases, you could be allergic to an ingredient in the product, so discontinue using it immediately if this is the case.

RevitaLash Ingredients: Water, Sodium Chloride, Panthenol, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Disodium Phosphate, Trifluoromethyl Dechloro Ethylprostenolamide, Cellulose Gum

With all that said, Good luck!!!

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In my quest for a new digital camera, I found out Casio cameras have a feature called Makeup Function, which is basically instant airbrushing. The feature smoothes out the appearance your skin, minimizes fine lines, wrinkles, blemishes, dark circles, and sun spots, and it helps make bad lighting look better by softening it. You can control the effect in 12 different increments, so that you can get picture perfect skin, without looking too fake. Too bad it just works in the pictures, and not in real life.

If I was rich, I would get a Casio and give it to all my friends so I wouldn’t inevitably end up having to untag more horrible pictures of myself on Facebook in the future. I also read some people hire professional photographers to shoot their Facebook profile pics(!) and their profile pics on dating websites. Since a lot of people don’t know how to use imaging software, there are also places online where you can pay someone to Photoshop your pictures for you to make your skin and makeup look perfect.  Maybe this camera could save you a lot of money in the end? I haven’t tried a Casio with Makeup Function yet, so I do wonder if this is just a gimmick, or if it works really well. Usually I buy Canon or Nikon cameras, but would totally switch to Casio just for the airbrushing feature (and they come in cute colors)!

Check out Casio cameras with Makeup Function

Do you have a Casio camera that has the airbrushing feature? Does it work well?

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Does Latisse work?
Allergan did clinical trials and found that 78% of patients saw a significant increase in eyelash length, thickness and fullness after 16 weeks. The treatment is meant for people with eyelash hypotrichosis (inadequate eyelashes), so it’s ironic to me that Brooke Shields is their spokesperson, since her eyelashes were plenty thick to start with, although not quite as impressive as her thick eyebrows. The Latisse website also has before and after pictures of other patients, and the results are quite pronounced. What I found odd, though, was that not one person on the Latisse website had “inadequate” lashes before they used Latisse.

The downside of Latisse
Patients are supposed to apply the Latisse solution to the base of the upper eyelash margin only (not the bottom), and results can be expected starting at 8 weeks, and full results will be seen after 16 weeks. I have no problem waiting patiently to see results, however Latisse costs $120 a month! So you will need to spend $240 to even begin seeing results, and you won’t see the final results of your eyelash growth until you’ve spent $480. You also must keep using Latisse forever to keep up with the results. Like Rogaine for scalp hair, Latisse stops working when you stop using it and your eyelashes will go back to their pre-treatment state.

Given that some women spend a small fortune on eyelash extensions, which don’t last that long, and seems like a really uncomfortable process, I guess Latisse could be a good alternative for people that already get eyelash extensions.

Latisse side effects
While Latisse has been shown to be safe for most people, it can have some serious side effects. 4% of patients reported itchy eyes and eye redness. Less common side effects include darkening of the skin where the solution is applied, dry eyes, and red eyelids. Finally, there’s a small possibility that Latisse can permanently increase the brown pigmentation in your eyes, so brown eyes would get darker, or blue, green eyes or hazel eyes could develop brown pigmentation. The main ingredient in Latisse has been used to help glaucoma patients prior to its new cosmetic use, so it’s not a new treatment, but I do still wonder about the long-term safety of the product.

My take on Latisse
I never gave much thought to my eyelashes before I started seeing the Latisse commercials, but now that I’ve studied my eyelashes in the mirror, I am slightly horrified that they are pretty skimpy and inadequate. Thanks for giving me another thing to worry about:( Nonetheless, I personally have no interest in using Latisse because I have found a cheaper solution to small eyelashes – mascara! There are so many great mascaras on the market, and in one minute I can achieve the longer, darker, thicker eyelashes that Latisse promises, but for a fraction of the cost. And if you use mascara and aren’t happy with the results, switch to something else! I have no idea why Maybelline Great Lash mascara is always willing awards and is such a best seller, because it does almost nothing for me, so if you are using that, move on!

Aside from the prohibitive cost, and potential side effects, if you really do have inadequate eyelashes, maybe Latisse would be something to consider – ask your eye doctor, or Dermatologist about it.

Have you tried Latisse? Tell me what you think about it.

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Beautiful Makeup Search has a list of a bunch of beauty bloggers’ favorite beauty items for summer. I’m sure you can guess what I’ve included on the list (hint: sunscreen)!

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Lots of makeup, skin care, hair care, fragrance, and body product companies have recently created mini versions of their products to meet the needs of frequent travelers.

Check Out Sephora’s Airplane Approved Beauty Products
(type “airplane” in the search box)

There are tons of beauty products at Sephora that are airplane-approved. I also love mini products because it’s a cheaper way to test out new products before committing to a full-size pricy version. And these minis are also great to carry in your purse! Normally when I travel, I just stick all of my products in little plastic containers from Target and beauty stores, but that’s sort of a pain, and I’m always paranoid about them leaking everywhere. I just picked up a travel-size version of Clinique Dramatically Different Lotion and have lots more minis on my wishlist. Which minis have you bought recently?

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Philosophy Coconut Body Butter
Luckily Philosophy has read my mind and come out with Coconut Body Butter! I couldn’t believe my luck when I spotted it at Sephora last week. They also have a Coconut Body Scrub, Coconut Lip Shine, and a Coconut Body Gel/Shampoo/Bubble Bath. The Philosophy Coconut Collection is only available at Sephora stores (or the website).

For a cheaper alternative, I’m thinking about being naughty and buying the coconut tanning lotion at the drugstore, and mixing it with my regular moisturizer. Then if I go in the sun, I’ll put my sensible sunscreen over it to have the best of both worlds!

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Back to lip gloss…Since lip gloss is so shiny, Dermatologists theorize that it magnifies the sun’s rays, thus making your lips a prime target for skin cancer. It’s true – you can get skin cancer on your lips, and as silly as it sounds, it does make a lot of sense that lip gloss really could increase your risk of skin cancer. When you go swimming, the pool or ocean acts a giant sun reflector, and it can make you tan/burn faster than just lying on the sand.

Wear SPF on your lips!
This lip gloss press release got me to put more thought into protecting my lips with sunscreen. Currently I obsessively apply my favorite blue Chapstick, which does have an SPF of 15, and over that I apply lip gloss. Since I believe that Zinc Oxide is the best sunscreen ingredient, I want to find some other chapsticks to try, since my favorite chapstick doesn’t contain Zinc Oxide. Zinka makes an SPF 30 coconut scented lip balm, so I will definitely be trying that out!

Neutrogena MoistureShine Lip Soother SPF 20
The press release I received was to promote Neutrogena’s new lip glosses, which contain SPF 20 sun protection. woohoo! Now you can wear lip gloss worry-free, because these lip glosses actually protect your delicate lips from the sun. While these glosses don’t have Zinc Oxide as the sunscreen ingredient, it’s still great that they at least contain SPF. I haven’t tried them yet, but am sure I will love them, since I love all lip gloss. Neutrogena also makes MoistureShine Lip Sheer lipstick with SPF 20 if you prefer lipstick to lip gloss.

The bottom line is to remember to apply SPF to your lips. Skin cancer, brown spots on your lips, and thinning lips are all exacerbated by the sun. Also make sure to apply sunscreen above your lips as well (that’s a spot I normally forget about when I apply my daily sunscreen).

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Thank you to Jamie from The Beauty of Life for providing the first guest post for Savvy Skin. Since hot, sticky weather is coming soon, Jamie gives you beauty tips to survive humidity and heat.

Ugh, summer. To this beauty chick, that means one thing – humidity. Living in

New York is great until the temperature reaches 80 degrees … then it’s pretty darn-near impossible to look amazing. But there are some fail-safe, tried-and-true beauty tips I’ve definitely come to appreciate and incorporate into my routine over the years!
 
First off, get that hair off your neck! There is absolutely no reason to wear your hair down when it’s 95 degrees – you’ll be totally miserable. Simply run some glossing cream or shine serum over your hair – I like Frederic Fekkai Glossing Cream, the olive oil in it really helps to combat frizz – and pull your hair into a ponytail. To combat those annoying wisps that stick out at the sides, pull a Blair Waldorf and slide a headband over it. Goody makes tons of really chic, affordable options that are available at any drugstore.
 
As for your face, beware of makeup that’s too heavy – it will just slide down your face and make you look like the Bride of Frankenstein! Be sure to carry a cleansing mist in your purse (Evian makes a great one), and if you’re like me you’ll always need some blotting linens on hand (I like the peppermint-scented ones by Boscia). Keep makeup light and simple – a powder shadow in light pink or lavender (try Clinique’s Colour Surge Eye Shadow, which comes in tons of really pretty pastel shades) will brighten up your whole look. Finish by slicking on a layer of peach lipgloss (my absolute fave is Stila Lip Glaze in Starfruit), and you’re good to go!

Summer makeup is really all about keeping it light, fun and fresh. Do that and you’ll look pretty and polished no matter how hot it gets!

Visit Jamie’s site The Beauty of Life to read about all things beauty!

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Retin-A
Back in the late 80s, I went to Tijuana with my parents and a bunch of my dad’s co-workers. All of the woman made a beeline to the cheap pharmacies there, and came back with tubes and tubes of Retin-A. My mom informed me that Retin-A was supposed to be a miracle wrinkle fighter, and it was the best wrinkle cream out there. Flash-forward 20 years, and guess what – Retin-A is still the best wrinkle cream! Now there is Renova, and Retin-A Micro, but it’s still basically the same thing. Thousands of wrinkle creams have come and gone, but Retin-A is still the best. It’s by no means a “miracle” but I view it as better than nothing.

Nivea Creme
Recently I started using Nivea Creme since it’s super cheap, and it’s a great moisturizer. It’s been around forever – since 1911! The other moisturizer I like is Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion. That’s been around almost forever as well!

There are, however, better moisturizers out there that are packaged in airtight stable packaging, that contain loads of antioxidants. But I have yet to find the perfect affordable super hydrating moisturizer that does come in stable packing, loaded with antioxidants, without pore-clogging ingredients. I know it’s out there, but I haven’t found it yet.

Sunscreen
All sorts of recent advancements have been made with sunscreens. The introduction of Mexoryl, Avobenzene, Tinosorb, and Helioplex are relatively new. But guess what – my favorite sunscreen ingredient is Zinc Oxide, which again has been around…forever! Actually I do concede that while Zinc Oxide has been around a long time, it hasn’t been in its micronized form for that long, so before that happened, Zinc Oxide sunscreens weren’t clear like they are now.

Chapstick
After years of sufferering from horribly chapped lips, blue Chapstick cured me! Petroleum-based Chapstick has also been around forever, and it never worked that well for me. There’s something special in the blue Chapstick, even though it only contains Petroleum, and two sunscreen ingredients. So since the blue Chapstick has only been around for 10 years, I guess you could say it’s new product, even though its ingredients are ancient. I also like using its retro cousin Vaseline for a variety of purposes – taking off eye makeup, slathering it on my lips or cheeks when I can’t find my Chapstick or Nivea Creme, and a few other random purposes.

There really have been some great breakthroughs with beauty products – much better self-tanners, excellent foundations, topical antioxidants, better pigmented eyeshadows, and I’m sure I’m missing a whole bunch of breakthroughs. But, despite all these advances, I’m still pretty old-school with my beauty products, even though I do fully embrace the newer Cosmetic Dermatology discoveries of Botox for wrinkles, fillers, and lasers.  

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Fake Skin Care Products
A few years ago I thought I’d look to see if my favorite moisturizer Clinique Moisture On-line was for sale on Ebay. Since this is one of my skin care staples, I thought I could save a few dollars this way. Sure enough someone was selling it, and the person had excellent feedback, so this seemed like a great deal. When the product arrived, it was in the correct jar, however the cream inside was different than the true product – its smell and consistency were different. Luckily I had used the product before, so I knew what to expect. And luckily I was able to return the product for a full refund. The seller told me he had purchased a bunch of Moisture On-lines from someone else, so he didn’t even realize they weren’t the real thing! Since Moisture On-line isn’t exactly expensive ($32 or so) it never dawned on me that someone would go out of their way to fake the product.

Also, Moisture On-line comes in a jar packaging, so it’s super easy for someone to reuse the jar, and just fill it with any cheapo cream. Never buy skin care products that come in a jar on Ebay!!!

Real Skin Care Products and Makeup
I have bought some legit makeup on Ebay. I buy those mini Lancome Juicy Tubes that come as gifts with purchase. Since they only sell for $7 or so, and they come in closed packaging, it’s highly unlikely some scammer is making fake mini Juicy Tubes! And I think the gift with purchase sets people sell are real too – even though some of the products are tiny jars.

I can’t say with certainty, but I would guess most products by companies like Avon and Arbonne are real, because the sellers buy the products from the companies at a discount, and then they can sell them to the public. So if the price is comparable (or a few dollars less) than what something sells for at an Avon store or website, it’s probably the real thing. However, again people can refill jars and pump bottles, or they can use them a few times and then sell them.

Other companies, like Jane Iredale, sell their products at a wholesale price to different independant stores and spas, who could then turnaround and sell them on Ebay. Most of the Jane Iredale stuff on Ebay appears legit, and you can possibly buy it cheaper there because the markup is about 50%, so Ebay sellers may only be marking it up 25% but still be able to make a profit, while passing the savings on to you. Whether or not Jane Iredale, and other companies that sell in wholesale approve of this, is another issue.

Fake Makeup
Makeup is pretty cheap, so you wouldn’t think there would be a need for fakes. I was astonished to read about all the fake MAC makeup that’s being sold on Ebay. Pursebuzz.com shows you how to spot the MAC fakes. Since MAC, and most department store lines are only sold at their own stores, department stores, and retailers like Sephora and Ulta, if you see brand new products on Ebay for way cheaper than retail, then that’s pretty fishy. It’s possible someone just bought the products from the store, and changed their mind and want to sell it. However, if an Ebay seller consistently sells the same type of items over and over for way cheaper than retail, the items are probably stolen, fake, or the whole auction is a scam and you won’t even get the item.

With the MAC Fafi collection, I think people bought everything they could get their hands on, so that they could sell it to people seeking the sold-out items. Again, though, I would be wary of buying a highly sought after item, fearing it would be fake. Ohhh, and I just remembered that I used to have a PPID/MAC Pro Card about 10 years ago when I did fashion photography. So with that 30% or 40% savings for industry professionals, that could explain how legit MAC makeup does end up on ebay for below store cost.

The bottom line
If it’s too good to be true, it probably is!!! Just know that there are a lot of scams on Ebay, so if you really want to save a few dollars with skin care and makeup, be cautious. It’s amazing how far fakers will go to make a few dollars. I like Juicy Couture charms, and they aren’t too expensive – $42 for the basic ones. I bought one on Ebay for $35, and it turned out it was fake! Luckily I got my money back on that one too!! The first tip-off was that the picture in the auction was the official picture from the Juicy website. It’s always suspicious if the auction has no picture, or if the picture is not one that was taken of the actual item.  When you’re searching for a product on Ebay, after you type in something like “arbonne,” on the left side of the page will be links to articles about how to spot scams and fakes about that particular type of item.

With all this Ebay talk, I think it’s time to win some new mini Juicy Tubes!

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