Your Must-Have Items!

[MichelleCarmen]

Mara - You're very resourceful

lol. Thanks for the ideas!

F&I - I'm 31

My skin was dry for about the last five years, but recently it's grown a bit more normal to oily due to some sort of hormonal shift or imbalance (!). It's not greasy, per say, just not as dry as before, so I'm not sure which category I fall under. My doctor is going to test my hormonal levels sometime soon. . . hopefully, I qualify for a labotomy because it would be nice to sit around in bliss all day & not have to do all the dishes piled up in the sink (lol). . .

Michelle

 

[MichelleCarmen]

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Soap: *sigh* *sniff* My favorite soap of all time has been discontinued...Garden Botanika Tangerine Glycerin soap. I bought 60 bars when I found out that they stopped making it, but now it is like that Seinfeld episode where Elaine buys the box of sponges & has to decide if the guy is 'sponge worthy'...I have to decide if the day warrants using my special soap, or just boring old Zest. Most days it is Zest, because I can't stand knowing that I am using up my tangerine soap! I better start using it eventually or what's the point??
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hahaha - USE YOUR SOAP! Every day is tangerine worthy

and 60 bars is A LOT! By the time you're through with them all, I bet you'll grown bored of this product anyhow

Michelle

 

[MichelleCarmen]

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Shampoo & Conditioner - I'm not picky. In fact, I really don't understand hair.

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lol Neither do I! In fact, I still haven't figured out why on some days, my hair is in a great mood and other days it's flat out b*tchy!

It would be great if we could infuse valium in our conditioners so our hair would just AGREE with us regardless with what we do to it.

Michelle

 

[fire&ice]

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On 1/25/2004 1:39:02 PM MichelleCarmen wrote:

Mara - You're very resourceful

lol. Thanks for the ideas!

F&I - I'm 31

My skin was dry for about the last five years, but recently it's grown a bit more normal to oily due to some sort of hormonal shift or imbalance (!). It's not greasy, per say, just not as dry as before, so I'm not sure which category I fall under. My doctor is going to test my hormonal levels sometime soon. . . hopefully, I qualify for a labotomy because it would be nice to sit around in bliss all day & not have to do all the dishes piled up in the sink (lol). . .

Michelle----------------

Stress can sometimes do funny things w/ your skin. Sounds like you have you hands full. Make sure you do something nice for yourself every once in a while.

I'm older & don't have the same skin as when I was 31. So, my advice probably doesn't apply.

On a simple note, I have a friend who has been using only Dove soap for years. She has great skin.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

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Stress can sometimes do funny things w/ your skin. Sounds like you have you hands full. Make sure you do something nice for yourself every once in a while.

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F&I,

All the advice you can give about skin care is MOST WELCOME

lol Yes, and my husband and I are both fairly stressed out at this point. Neither side of the family helps us with our kids, so at times, the tensions rise.

We're going to vegas for a few days next month, so this should help relieve our minds of all this craziness for a short time

. Unfortunetly all the alcohol and recycled air in the casinos won't help much in the skin department! lol

Michelle

 

[pulp_princess]

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On 1/20/2004 3:27:21 AM iceprincess wrote:

Hi Pulp_Princess!
The Biosilk serum is now available in most drugstores like Drug Emporium, Longs, and SavOn. I used to buy this stuff at hair salons or discount beauty supply stores, but now you can find it in run-of-the-mill drugstores or supermarkets even.

Biosilk is a clear serum in a clear bottle with a black cap. I believe the company that puts out Biosilk is called Farouk. Biosilk also puts out shampoo and conditioner so you might find the serum amongst them. I use the stuff on my roots to help tame shorter flyaways.

I hope you enjoy your new hair products. I just love hearing everyone's beauty tips!

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I can't find it in Canadian stores.

Canadiangrrl, is it packaged differently or only sold in specialty stores here? Fa is sold in Canada, I wonder if the Aqua body wash is here? I'll check next time.

 

[canadiangrrl]

Trying in vain to stay awake for a few more minutes (it's been a loooong couple of weeks) but I had to interject

1. Please don't use soap on your face. Ever. It's fine for your bod, just not your face. Doesn't matter who makes it, either, high-end or low-end...soap contains tallow (beef fat) - that's what holds it together in bar form - if you have oily/combo skin, it will plug up your pores.

Dry skin, you say? Well, soap is not the same PH as skin. It buggers up your skin's PH balance. So - that's why you get that tight feeling after washing your face with soap. And - that's why you get rebound oiliness - your poor skin is overcompensating.

And the killer fragrance in soap - drying, irritating, just plain bad for your face.

Find a good, cheap, water-soluble cleanser - preferably one that isn't tested on animals.

Alpha Hydrox makes one you can get at Rite Aid in the US for $5. No soap, no oil, no scent, PH-balanced - perfect.

2) Biosilk is indeed made by Farouk. Pulp, you can get it at Trade Secrets or your local Beauty Outlet in Toronto (it's cheapest at Beauty Outlet stores.)

3) Scrubs - prefer topical to manual exfoliants - have yet to find a manual exfoliant that isn't even vaguely irritating. BHA's are best for any blackheads, whiteheads, etc., because they penetrate the lining of the pore. AHA's are best for aging skin - they exfoliate surface cells. And if ya exfoliate at all, you really need to use a broad-spectrum sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher, every day, without fail.

4) DDF Organic Sunblock SPF 30 is available at Sephora. www.sephora.com. $22 USD - seems pricey, but you get four ounces and this will not, I repeat, not irritate your skin. It may, however, be too occlusive if your skin is combo/oily. Another nice one is Clinque's City Block SPF 25 - a one ounce tube is $22 CDN, though - the DDF is a better buy, and it's more matte. Both are non-chemical, broad-spectrum (UVA/UVB) formulations.

If you have sensitive skin, avoid chemical sunscreens and go for a physical (non-chemical) blocker. Avoid the following ingredients - Parsol 1789, Mexoryl SX, and avobenzone, and go for titanium dixoide and/or zinc oxide. Should be at least a 2% concentration or it's ineffective.

I should note, I am a strawberry blonde with the typically accompanying pale, freckled (think Amber Valetta, except I'm a 5 and she's a 10) sensitive, reactive skin. I have learned all of the above through trial and error over the years. Two really good, widely available books - my personal grails - are "Don't Go To The Cosmetics Counter Without Me" and "The Beauty Bible" - both by Paula Begoun. She cuts through the marketing BS like nobody's business. I *heart* Paula, even though I don't always agree with her. She has completely changed the way I view the cosmetics/skincare business, and in turn, the way I take care of my skin. I am so utterly sick of the billion dollar beauty industry that promises to halt your wrinkles, firm your skin, get rid of your zits, make you look twenty again...the proverbial "Hope In A Jar" (an actual product, thanks to Philosophy.) The damage those false promises and airbrushed pictures do to our self-esteem (and our pocketbooks) is insidious. If I have to walk through Holt's one more time and have some glassy-eyed, grinning drone try to convince me that La Mer is the "revolutionary cure for skin" (the actual words she used, which brings me to another point, as a marketer of consumer products...I hereby promise that I will no longer use the word "revolutionary" to describe anything other than...well, an actual revolution, with like, guns n' stuff) because it contains "special seaweed properties", I will snap. I mean it. And oh, it's only $300 for a teeny, tiny jar. But you'll be better. Perfect. Almost. Really.

Time for bed.

 

[Mara]

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On 1/27/2004 2:31:12 AM canadiangrrl wrote:







If I have to walk through Holt's one more time and have some glassy-eyed, grinning drone try to convince me that La Mer is the 'revolutionary cure for skin' ....

because it contains 'special seaweed properties', I will snap. I mean it. And oh, it's only $300 for a teeny, tiny jar. But you'll be better. Perfect. Almost. Really.

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Hey I love La Mer!!! I finally tried it because I'd heard raves about it, it actually is very moisturizing...but really can only be used for fairly dry skin or else you will break out. I used it only on my cheeks during winter which tend to dry out, and it was perfect. Got it on eBay too and it wasn't $300..only $80.

Where have you been woman? We were ready to send a search party out for you!

 

[canadiangrrl]

Darling, I've missed you.

And you *know* I don't know how to use Ebay.

I actually tried a sample of La Mer. *hangs head in shame.* It is indeed moisturizing, and my skin gets damn dry in the winter, but I honestly prefer my trusty Nivea. It works just as well for me and it's cheaper than dirt.

I'll PM you.

Before I pass out here at my desk...

 

[fire&ice]

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On 1/27/2004 2:31:12 AM canadiangrrl wrote:


1. Please don't use soap on your face.

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It is my friend's demotologist (s- two different one's) that recommended Dove soap for her face.

I've been using clinique soap for around 30 years. I've never had bad skin problems & my skin is still pretty elastic. On the reverse, I have broken out badly from all types of products "designed" for the face. I can use pretty much anything now. But growing up I could only use Ivory soap & subsequently Clinique on any area of my body. At the end of the day, it's what works best for your skin. And doesn't matter any where near drinking plenty of water & staying out of the sun.

 

[pauls girl]

Ok...so I got a facial the other day, and it was recommended to me to try their ridiculously expensive vitamin C serum. I bought it ($80.00!) and they told me that it would eventually even out the hyperpigmentation on my face (aka freckles), but she also said that I had lovely and very youthful skin. So, it's been just over a week of putting this serum on twice a day, and now I have this horribly dry skin!!! Not all over, but in patches. My skin was always on the dry side, but it never felt like it does now. If anyone has any experience with vitamin C topically I would greatly appreciate knowing if this is a normal side effect, and if it will go away? It stinks having these dry patches all over my face. Is this just the first step to wonderfully dewey and radiant skin? Seems doubtful at this point

 

[Mara]

Vitamin C twice a day sounds excessive?




I have a Vit C serum I use from La Prairie and I used to use it every other night and it definitely tightened up my skin but the next day my face didn't look super great. However, I use alot of lotions etc on my face as well, so I was happy with what the Vit C did...in terms of tightening and exposing new skin...and then I used the lotions and other things to keep it soft. So maybe combo it?




Vit C for the face feels like it kind of burns...so I could see how it could result in some patchy dry skin, also I don't think VC is supposed to give you young, dewy skin? Maybe call the spa and find out what they think since they recommended it.

 

[chris-uk04]

This thread is funny from a guy's prospective. These are "must have items." ??? I would think "must have items" are more like:

Car, Camera, TV, Stereo, Videocamera, Watch...


As for the other stuff:

Shampoo: Suave
Conditioner: Suave
Soap: Irish Spring
Deep Cleanser: none
Facial moisturizer: none
Body moisturizer: none
Powder: none
Brushes: comb
Cologne: Romance by Ralph Lauren (never get cheap cologne or cheap suits)

 

[Lynn]

Hello Michelle,
I am new to this Forum and have just signed up; it is a great tool! I have never ordered anything on EBay and would like to order some good hair and skin care products. Sorry to have to ask you such a stupid question, but how do you order and is it save to use your credit card and how long does it take - are the products delivered to your home address direct from EBay?
Thanks so much for your help! Lynn

Date: 1/24/2004 3:20:07 PM
Author: Mara


Michelle...try eBay for the exfoliator you miss from Clinique. I have found alot of things on there...and also some websites like Strawberrynet I think is one...that sell beauty products. If you can find it again, buy it up in quantities. Find out if you can keep it ''fresh'' longer so you can get more of it.




Also, you may be able to find a lab that will replicate it for you if you are really gung-ho...you would need to probably have the tube with ingredients and some of the cream...I believe there are places that do this...kind of like a create your own.

 

[moremoremore]

Holy cr*p! I've got a lot of reading to do and investigation into these goodies!

Well, Here goes

1. Lip gloss or vaseline for lips..Sally Hansen Diamond Lip Shine in Always Asscher
2. Almay moisture tint with spf as my "foundation"...it's very very sheer
3. A bottle of alpha hydroxy and Keralyt 6% sal acid to alternate
4. Shea butter
5. My mason pearson hairbrush that is old as dirt
6. OMG. Bumble Hair Powder in Brown. Can't live without it.
7. Well, any soap for face and body will do but I love sulphur soap
p.s. canadian- I wear the Narcisco Rodriguez For Her but the EDP that smells a bit different or Noa Fleur by cacharal!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Hi Lynn,

I''ve been buying items on ebay for years and it''s very safe. The most important tool to your advantage is the seller feedback page. By clicking on the number to the right of the seller''s name, you can see what kind of previous sales a person has made and whether his/her customers were satisfied with their purchases. I rarely buy from anyone who has less than 100% customer satisfaction.

To buy from ebay, you can set up an account with Paypal at www.paypal.com and you can have purchases either charged to your credit card or funds withdrawn from your checking account. Then, you also set up an account with eBay. After doing these two things, you''re good to go. Just do a search for a product you''re wanting, and look and see what the prices are going for. Sometimes it''s cheaper to buy in the store than it is on eBay. A philosophy product I bought the other day was cheaper at Sephora than one seller was trying to sell it for! Some people DO pay full price or near full price via eBay just because it''s more convinient than taking a trip to the mall.

Whatever you''re looking for, say artec shampoo . . . http://search.ebay.com/artec-shampoo_W0QQfromZR40QQfsooZ1QQfsopZ1QQssPageNameZWLRS you would do a search for artec and then, if you find something you like, place a bid on it. The best time to bid is RIGHT before the auction is up so that you''re not bidding up the price early on. Once you win an auction the seller will (or should) send an invoice for you so you can pay for the item. This process is VERY easy as long as you get a professional seller - hence the need to preselect a seller with excellent feedback. From there the items will be sent to home, PO BOX (which I use) or work - you can choose.

Good luck and also, welcome to the forum!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 10/16/2005 2:26:54 PM
Author: moremoremore
Holy cr*p! I''ve got a lot of reading to do and investigation into these goodies!

Well, Here goes

1. Lip gloss or vaseline for lips..Sally Hansen Diamond Lip Shine in Always Asscher
2. Almay moisture tint with spf as my ''foundation''...it''s very very sheer
3. A bottle of alpha hydroxy and Keralyt 6% sal acid to alternate
4. Shea butter
5. My mason pearson hairbrush that is old as dirt
6. OMG. Bumble Hair Powder in Brown. Can''t live without it.
7. Well, any soap for face and body will do but I love sulphur soap
p.s. canadian- I wear the Narcisco Rodriguez For Her but the EDP that smells a bit different or Noa Fleur by cacharal!

This thread is VERY old. I''m betting all of us can add tons of new products! Philosophy Strawberry Milkshake body wash is incredible. Smells amazing!!!

 

[AndyRosse]

Hmmm, okay here goes mine:

Cleanser for body: Dove soap for sensitive skin (derm also said to use on face but I don''t).

Cleanser for face: Mornings I use Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Wash with Salicylic Acid. At night, I use Purpose All Purpose Cleanser to get all my makeup off.

Moisturizer for face: Mornings I use Purpose Moisturizer Redness Reducing with 30SPF. At night, I use Cetaphil.

Body Mositurizer: Whatever I pick up!

Makeup: I use concealer, foundation, and powder from Bare Escentuals. I also have concealer, foundation, and powder from MAC, but I find that by the end of the day, it is all gunked up on my face, for lack of a better phrase. I wish I could return those!!

Lips: I use Chapstick Lip Moisturizer Vanilla Mint. I am actually litterally addicted to lip balms, this being my favorite by a long shot. If I leave the house without something, I honestly have to stop and buy something asap. I can only last about an hour max before I need to apply some. If anyone knows of any great hydrating/moisturizing lip balm, I''m game!

Eyeliner: Whatever I pick up! Right now I think it is Maybelline in black, but I forget the exact name for the color.

Eyeshadow: Again, whatever I pick up, though I like MAC and Bare Escentuals the best.

Mascara: The waterproof pink bottle one LOL. Though I switch it up sometimes, but usually end up going back to this one. Though like Mara, it tends to goop up too much, so I wipe the brush on a tissue before using each time.

Brushes: Bare Escentuals.

Shampoo & Conditioner: Pantene Brunette Expressions right now, but I try to switch it up. Still haven''t found anything I love.

Styling Product: John Freida Volume Mousse for Brunettes. Also using Bed Head Frizz stuff. Also like Biosilk Serum.

Hairdyer: Some type of cheap ioinic one.

That is all I can remember as of right now!!

 

[eks6426]

Wow, you ladies are a wealth of information! I have to throw in my $.02 worth.

Makeup: I am a firm believer in the Bare Minerals/Bare Escentuals stuff. I have acne & rosacea. I''ve tried almost every brand of foundation out there...they all make my skin worse or dissappear by noon. But not the Bare Minerals...it covers beautifully...but you can''t tell I have makeup on. My skin is now so clear that I don''t even wear foundation on weekends or even some work days. If interested, get it from Ebay....much cheaper.

Moisturizer--there are many moisturizers that work great...but they all take time to put on. I have found the Oil of Olay Moisturerinse is fantastic. You put in on while in the shower and then let it rinse off. It eliminates the scaly skin I get in the cold winter months...but best of all it takes hardly any time at all to put on in the shower. So much easier than regular moisturizer!

 

[ammayernyc]

Date: 1/19/2004 11:41:31 AM
Author: fire&ice
One word for you gals w/ frizzy tendancy in moisture - or flyaway in dry weather - ionizer.

My new blowdryer has an ionizer & I can really tell the difference. Straighter, shinnier hair!

Does this really work? I''ve been toying with the idea of getting one, but paying $200 for a blow drier seems excessive to me. I would love to get rid of my frizz though!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 10/17/2005 10:51:10 AM
Author: AmandaPanda

Does this really work? I''ve been toying with the idea of getting one, but paying $200 for a blow drier seems excessive to me. I would love to get rid of my frizz though!

My ionic hair dryer doesn''t get rid of frizziness, at all. The price on mine was less than $200, but I don''t think this matters THAT much. After I dry my hair, I take a flat iron to it, which works well.