Extreme Beauty

http://beautyeditor.ca/2011/09/22/front-row-at-fashion-week-the-beauty-dos-and-the-beauty-donts-kardashians-im-looking-at-you-guys/

I'm not gonna lie. I love Drag Queen makeup. It's so exaggerated, over the top and glam. And my favorite thing in life is when women do it. Because it makes us look hyper feminine. Now I'm not a big fan of Lady Gaga's drag looks because really, she's more doing Art School makeup. Which a drag queen wouldn't be caught dead in. Nope, Drag Queens wanna do everything in their (and MACs) power to make them look as feminine as possible.

So my favorite two looks of the don't are the queens of the drag queen make-up:  Kim Kardashian and Pamela Anderson. I love those crazy spider lashes on Kim. Yes, I'm currently trying to grow my own with Latisse. And the ideal would be if I could find someone to tint my upper and lower lashes every month. Then I would have similar spider lashes. Really, I have very long lashes on the bottom. Although I think that has to do with the fact that I don't wear mascara there. Thank Risa (friend/esthetician) for that tip. Which means that now I only pull out the mascara for the special occasions since even the most gentle mascara has been damaging my lashes.

Pam Anderson. What can I say. You know what works on your eyes. Lots and lots and lots of dark black and light blue shadow blended to a black mixed with smokey grey. Love it! You will always be an edgy Barbie come to life for me. Speaking of the smokey eye, I love the trend that we are moving towards of monochromatic color on the lid, in the crease and under the eye. I first noticed it with Drew Barrymore's commercial for the Cover Girl product that is color and primer in one. This trend speaks to the lazy beautician in me for simple everyday makeup that makes your eyes pop. Blending is just too much work for the office and has been relegated to the weekends.

Beauty Share of Wallet

Share of Wallet is a fancy MBA marketing term for how people decide to spend their money. I spend the majority of my wallet on beauty products, entertainment and technology. Within beauty, skin care products get the highest share of wallet. Not just because I'm a facialist. I've always cared way too much about my skin. Come to think of it, that's probably what drove me to become a facialist. Skin is something that you carry with you forever. It should be your beauty foundation.

Onto beauty spurlges. Everyone always asks me what they really need to spend on their beauty products. I think this comes from the fact that there is such a wide range of prices out there. $1 for Suave shampoo, $50 for Kerastase shampoo. $5 for Olay face wash, $38 for SkinCeuticals face wash. What do you really need to put your money towards?

Depends. I know that wasn't the easy answer you wanted to hear. The reality is that everyone should buy a face wash, shampoo and moisturizer that is appropriate to their skin/hair type. The best way to figure that out is to go to a professional and ask. Next time you get a haircut, make sure you to ask what the best type of shampoo for your hair is. When you go to your facialist, ask what ingredients/type of cleanser they recommend for you. For example, some people do great with a gel cleanser, while others need a cream cleanser. As far as buying the particular brand that your hair stylist and facialist recommends, it really has to do with your particular needs. Do you have problem areas (dandruff, dry hair, breakouts)? Then you should try to stick to the brands that your hair stylist/facialist recommends. The reason is that they have more than likely seen their fair share of the problems that you are dealing with. They've spent years trying out different products with their clients and now they definitely know what products will actually truly solve your problems. Your less likely to end up with a closet full of products with half met expectations. You are paying for knowledge when you buy that face cream from your facialist.

If you have normal hair and normal skin, you can probably get away with getting the cheapest hair and skin care products out there. But if you have any sensitivities at all, you are going to want to avoid over the counter products you can get at drugstores and grocery stores. The reason those products are so cheap is because they have less active ingredients. That's why they work just fine for people that have normal hair and normal skin who don't really need a lot of active ingredients. They just need something that is going to clean their skin and their hair. But the reason those products are irritating to the majority of us who have skin/hair problems is because what they lack in active ingredients, they make up in fillers, preservatives and perfumes. Scent is the number one allergen out there. Next time you are at the drugstore, take a whiff of the biggest brands that you know (the ones you see the most on TV) and you'll notice that they have very intense smells. That's because they are filling their bottles with scent. Sometimes, to be fair, that scent is being used to mask lower quality ingredients.

Let's say you have problems with your hair/skin but you really want to spend your share of wallet on that vacation to Mexico. Then make sure you ask your hair stylist/facialist to talk to you about the ingredients in the products that they recommend. Your task will be to become a label reader. For example, for the majority of  people with acne, hydroxy acids (salicylic and glycolic for example) and benzoyl peroxide are the most effective ingredients. Typically the products that your facialist are recommending for your skin have those ingredients in them. You can try out the drugstore versions, just make sure that your product doesn't have too many ingredients that might irritate your already sensitive skin. If you have any questions about a particular ingredient, bring the products you are using into the salon or spa and ask. Many facialists and hair stylists are beauty ingredient scientists.

To Your Beauty Health

I am a medical perfectionist. Okay stop laughing. I'm a hypochondriac. Which just means that I like to fix every single health problem that I have.

Since skin is my passion, perfecting my own skin is my life's work. Right now I'm dealing with a hodgepodge of skin issues that make me very unhappy. Have irritations on my skin really does affect my mood. But they also allow me to experiment with a wide variety of treatments.

First up, I tried the one that maybe you've heard before: Pre-Natal vitamins for hair, skin and nails. I do see a shine to my hair and my nails are stronger than ever. But my skin didn't get better or worse. Next, probiotics. I've heard about them for about a year from my beautiful massage therapist client Jenny. Then I started seeing commercials touting their miracle benefits. I've been taking them for about a month and haven't felt anything (except the occasional heartburn). I did notice in a magazine that Eminence is touting their probiotic skin care line. http://www.amazon.com/Eminence-VitaSkin-Skin-Probiotic-Masque/dp/B004D7I7CO

Onto Omega 3s which change your heart and your life, supposedly. I will attest to the fact that when I briefly took Lovaza (prescription version of Omega 3s) I had the softest skin ever. I've been trying to get about 3G of Omega 3s a day and I've noticed my skin softening. Now the bain of my existence: Hormonal Acne. It's been a big problem for me in the past two months. I stopped hormonal birth control back in February (I'd been on it for 10 years, seemed like enough time) and expected my skin to explode.

Nothing happened, oddly enough, except for increased oil production around my nose. Then in August my face started to fall off. I've been on the roller coaster ride of battling hormonal acne flair-up since then. One will pop up just as soon as another one has healed. Just in case you aren't familiar with it, hormonal acne is very similar to cystic acne, in that it is often deep, angry and painful.

I'm going to give the probiotics and Omega 3s two more months and then I'm going to try the next beauty health product on my todo list: Cod Liver Oil. Yup, that stuff from when our grandparents were kids. It's Omega 3s plus Vitamin A. Vitamin A helps your skin cells shed and renew themselves (that's what RetinA is). I'll report back in the New Year on whether or not I've seen a change from Cod Liver Oil!
http://beautyeditor.ca/2010/09/02/the-single-best-product-evah-for-your-skin-is-not-in-fact-an-actual-skincare-product/

Beauty baggage

It's crazy talk, but I think I might be ready to commit to lip stick again. OCC's Lip Tar have me jumping back into lipstick. They are those hybrid thingies that go on like a lip gloss and stain your lip like a lipstick or a lip stain. The only problem that I have is getting used to the lipstick thing again. It is very drying. I'm sure there are lipsticks with mega moisture. I'll just have to do some more investigating.
http://www.occmakeup.com/lips.html

Even LC and fellow fashionistas are getting into Lipstick. Everything is so cyclical. 
http://thebeautydepartment.com/2011/08/go-bright-or-go-home/

I'm totally down with the bright pink. Spider lashes too. But glossy eye shadow is not my thing. I have enough problems with my shadow slipping as it is. No more gloss on top of that. Although I should probably never say never. It seems like it might be one of those things that if I try it, I'll love it.

As for the title of this post, it refers to the beauty baggage that we all carry with us. Me, I can never go too long with unplucked eyebrows, because it reminds me of my high school days. My BF Paul warned me about the dangers of over plucking after I had a wee bit of a waxing accident last week (a perfect storm of too hot wax, double waxing and waxing on the face). Don't worry I will never take it to the extreme of bleaching or disappearing eyebrows.

Lips are the other big beauty baggage that I carry around. For some reason, my small mouth and cupids bow lips look funny to me when they stand out with lipstick. I'm much more comfortable playing up my eyes. Point is, we all have beauty stuff that stays with us. Thank god the fashion goddesses challenge us with reminding us to wear a bright shade on our lips now and then.

New for fall!

It's that time of year, where beauty mags and beauty writers try to convince us that Peacock Blue is the new black. Seriously. I read that Peacock Blue was the color for fall. Which is funny because I've loved teal forever. But it sounds so much fancier as Peacock Blue, mais non?
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/25/fashion/luxury-beauty-products-and-services-for-fall-skin-deep.html?src=rechp

Destination manicure: I like the idea of having a high-end selection of shades. But I don't need to spend hours at the nail salon getting pampered. My ideal spot would be simple but upscale decor plus speed. I'm kind of looking for a blowout bar concept for nails.

Lipstick/Lipgloss hybrid: I've been feeling a pull back towards lipstick lately. Crazy I know, but I definitely want something a little more matte for everyday. But not too matte or that would look too dry. Hybrids seem like a good fit. I've even seen a lipstick/lipgloss/lipstain hybrid. Talk about being everything to everyone.

Oil cleansers: I know this strikes fear in the hearts of my American girls. But they have been big in Europe for years. The idea is that like attracts like. Plus the thinking is that it's better to nourish than strip. If you use a cleanser that is too harsh, you'll just end up increasing the oil production. I tried the Oil Cleansing Method (using a mixture of Jojoba and Castor Oil). It wasn't for me because I very quickly developed cystic acne. Dermalogica has a product called Pre-Cleanse which is an Olive and Apricot-Kernel based cleansing oil. Now that the weather is a little cooler and my skin feels drier, it might be a good time to experiment with Pre-Cleanse.
http://www.dermalogica.com/us/html/products/precleanse-1.html

On a side note, I've never had good luck as a kitchen witch. In case you don't know that turn of phrase, a kitchen witch is someone who mixes up products in their kitchen. Every time I've tried the Crushed Aspirin mask or Homemade Oil Cleansing, I've inevitably done something to my face. I do tend to recommend that people stick with the products you can buy in stores because while the idea of putting fresh strawberries on your face sounds appealing, the reality is that the chemical version of strawberries for your face is more cosmetically elegant.

Perfume Necklace: I love this idea. Fashion + Beauty = awesome! I'm not a huge perfume person since my BF Paul is a sensitive Libra when it comes to those things. I'm more interested in spicy, floral scents (which he calls artificial and chemical) and he likes fruit scents. But the idea of roller ball perfumes appeals to me since it's in an oil-base and adds a little nourishment to your skin (that you don't get from alcohol-based perfumes)

Latisse week 8

I've had some eye irritation so I've decided to cut back on Latisse. I am using it 2x a week and using an Eyelash conditioner by Enormous Lash the other 5x a week.

I've definitely seen an increase in my lash quantity over the past 8 weeks. My lashes aren't freakshow long yet but I think they might be in another 8 weeks.  Keep your fingers crossed!

BizAstrology September 2011

BizAstrology.com™

Let the Stars Guide You to Business Success!

Wow was last month crazy for anyone else? I barely survived it.

Ilana tells me it's going to be a more mellow month coming up for me (the pisces chasing her tail). Scroll down and check out what she has to say about your sign.

Have a wonderful month; don't let anyone stop you from living a fabulous joyful live - not even yourself!

In Joyful Service,

Jenn August

Overall Themes in September 2011

Sun and Venus in Virgo

It's time to get to work! Energy, new projects and love all sparkle in Virgo this month. Virgo is the sign of practicality and precision; so while all that excitement might not seem like a natural fit, you will have a clarity of mind throughout the month. If you have new projects that need to be jumpstarted on the right foot, now is the time. Also I want everyone to take a critical look at their health routine this month. Are you eating the right mix of food and doing the right exercises for your body? Virgo reminds us that our body is a temple that needs to be treated right every day in order to optimally function. Venus in Virgo can be a bit prickly with your loved ones so be wary of nagging your partner. At the same time, you will be much more discerning this month about what clothes to wear and how to style your hair.

Mercury Goes Direct

How did everyone survive Mercury retrograde? I felt like this was one of the milder ones, because Mercury went retrograde in his' ruler Virgo, which means that he was happy, even though he may have been slowed down. I felt the absence most strongly of the typical miscommunication mishaps we find when Mercury goes retrograde. Things slowed down but didn't fall apart. Now Mercury is exploding out of the gate and traveling through three different signs (Leo, Virgo and Libra). You'll find a burst of communication energy in all three of those areas of your life (your spirit, your grounding and your mind). Mercury moving direct in Leo at the beginning of the month is about speaking your mind creatively. Mercury moving direct in Virgo in the middle of the month is about finding just the right words to say. And finally Mercury moving direct in Libra is making sure you have a fair and balanced approach to everything you share with others.

August Homework: A Creative Date

Last month, I encouraged everyone to pick a sign that they felt close to and make a date with them to do something creative. I made time to have dinner with some of my closest Gemini friend. As I've gotten older, I've learned to appreciate (and get along with) my own sign, which means that I've learned to appreciate and get along with my own Gemini nature. I love having Gemini friends in my life as sounding boards to any problems that crop up that are unique to Geminis. What new part of yourself did you uncover after spending time with the sign that you are closest to? Where you surprised at the sign that you picked?

September Homework: Sign Analysis

Focus on learning about your own sign, the good and the bad. Analyze the parts that you love about yourself and the things that you wish you didn't do. Look at ways to love the things you hate about your sign. Pick one thing that you love about your sign and find a way to focus on that for September. For more about your particular sun sign, check out the Sun sign section on Astrology.About.com

Individual Signs

Aries (Mar 21 - Apr 19)

I want my Aries to examine their ambitions this month in their career. Make sure that they match with what you are doing in your everyday lives. For example, my career ambitions include writing, yet I'm not finding a way to make writing a priority every day. This is the month to figure out a plan how to do something for career everyday. With Venus in your sixth house until the middle of the month, you will see beauty in places that you don't normally consider beautiful, including the small detailed plans that can sometimes bore Aries to tears. Continue to find your energy and life force at home, with any preparations that you do in your home office guaranteed to give your career a jolt.

Taurus (Apr 20 - May 20)

I want my Taurus to insert a much needed jolt of creativity into their everyday routine. If you find that you are eating the same thing for breakfast, or driving the same way to work, now is the time to rethink your day to day life. This shakeup will make sure that you find a renewed sense of purpose and excitement when you get up in the morning. You may have felt a lost since the sun left your sign back in May. My Taurus' born near the end of April/beginning of May are starting to feel the warm expanse of Jupiter in your sign more strongly now. They will continue with the most luck of all the signs for the next couple of months (so take a risk!). For those Taurus' born near the middle of April, now is the time to capitalize on the gifts that Jupiter gave you in the past couple of months.

Gemini (May 21 - June 20)

I want my Geminis to bring a career project to fruition near the full moon. This month you will find yourself working on home projects and making sure that your everyday routine is in tip top shape. This preparation will allow whatever project that needs to be finished and shared with the world to be successful. With your ruler transiting three different signs this month, it may feel like your communication is flying all over the place. But you will always find a way to reign it in and keep it under control. You may have experienced several dreams recently about your career. Take a moment to listen to what your unconscious mind is saying about where you are going. Dreams are never destiny but they can be a wonderful guide to the unspoken collective subconscious.

Cancer (June 21 - July 22)

I want my Cancers to get clarity of speech when it comes to your everyday life. Use September to work on how to improve your communication style with your co-workers, your friends and your family. Mercury is traveling through three important areas of your chart dealing with money, communication and the home, so you'll be blessed with just the right words if you have to talk about income or deal with problems in the home. Cancers born in the end of June are still dealing with some surprising shifts and changes in their career, which is also impacting your sense of self. Hold on for the next year, for the surprises that are coming your way in your career will shake you to your core.

Leo (July 23 - Aug 22)

I want my Leos to refocus their energy on how to maximize their everyday expenses. It was a whirlwind month of birthday celebrations in August. Now that the cooler temperatures are coming, it's time to take a look at where your cash is flowing (both in and out). If there are any things that you don't really need to be spending on, it's time to get rid of them. For example, my gym membership has come up for renewal and I've decided that it's more effective and economical for me to work out at home. Take a look at the parts of your life outside of where you work and live (i.e. health, food, exercise, hobbies) and find ways to trim expenses. This is a fantastic growth area for you while Jupiter is Taurus in your tenth house. You may find that each dollar you save in your everyday life is a dollar you can reinvest back into your career.

Virgo (Aug 23 - Sept 22)

I want my Virgos to take a moment and enjoy the spotlight. Virgos can be overly critical of themselves and those around them. Now that the Sun is in your sign until the end of the month, you have an extra light to your being and beauty surrounding you. You will feel revitalized and energized by the presence of your friends, so make sure that you plan at least one big party to celebrate the beginning of a new year. An important project may come up at the middle of the month that could involve a business partner. Make sure you tread lightly, Virgo, because this project has the potential to be emotional and fluid, two areas that are not your comfort zones.

Libra (Sept 23 - Oct 22)

I want my Libras to maintain their focus on their careers. With Cancer speeding through Mars in your career house, you may be finding that you are doing some of your best, strongest work in years at home. Make sure that your home environment encourages you to reach new heights with your career, and if it doesn't, make a change. You should also spend this month preparing for the sun to enter your sign, which happens near the end of the month. With the sun sign in Libra, expect a renewed sense of self and energy. Sketch out what you want to accomplish in your career in the next year, with a special focus on gaining wealth through sponsorships, partnerships and loans.

Scorpio (Oct 23 - Nov 21)

I want my Scorpios to find ways to incorporate their friendships into their every day life. Scorpios can sometimes be secretive about their inner most feelings, but September is the month to share your hopes, dreams and wishes with your inner circle. You may have had some troubles with Mercury last month bringing problems with how you communicate in your career. Now that Mercury has gone direct, any misunderstandings will be cleared up and you'll see your career charge ahead. Your most fortunate areas that will bring you true wealth will be in your partnerships over the next nine months.

Sagittarius (Nov 22 - Dec 21)

I want my Sagittarii to focus on how their everyday life supports their career. Are you keeping up on all the emails that fill up your inbox? If you aren't, maybe it's time to add some filters so that you can focus on the emails that are really important. The filtering of email inboxes is a great metaphor for how I'd like Sagittarius' to approach everything having to do with their career this month. Filter out the junk so the truly important stuff can make an impact on your life and career. Venus will also be shining some extra love on your career, so it would be a great time to get a new hair cut that may present you in a different light, especially to people who you need to impress to get ahead.

Capricorns (Dec 22 - Jan 19)

I want my Capricorns to prepare for a big boost in how they communicate in their career. The best preparation will come from clearly articulating your work philosophy. Make a list of your best and worst attributes when it comes to how you work. It's almost as though you are prepping for a job interview, which could be a possibility at any time in September for Capricorns. Mercury is flying through an important part of your chart that deals with philosophy and career, so you may feel more interested in bigger picture issues this month. Any time that you spend thinking about your personal brand will pay off big time in career shifts coming in the next year.

Aquarius (Jan 20 - Feb 18)

I want my Aquarii to look to their everyday life and see how it can be better supported by other people's money. Are your friends out there taking advantage of you by not paying their fair share? Is there a potential for your business to be sponsored? Projects that deal with wealth will come to fruition at the full moon. So spend the beginning of the month thinking up ideas that may improve your cash flow, and then spend the middle and the end of the month sharing these ideas with those close to you that may be able to refer you to the right person.

Pisces (Feb 19 - March 20)

I want my Pisces to examine their everyday partnerships to figure out what is working and what isn't. These are the people that you interact with in your day to day life, such as your boss, your business partner or your sweetheart. The full moon is in your sign in the middle of the month, a place where she is as comfortable as she will ever be. Be aware of your heightened sensitivity and intuition all throughout the month. September isn't about making big bold changes but rather looking at the little things in your life and removing small obstacles that are creating large psychological barriers.

September Dates to Calendar

Mercury enters Virgo 9/9

Full Moon in Pisces 9/12

Sun in Libra 9/25

Mercury enters Libra 9/25

New Moon in Libra 9/27

To Your Greatest Success!

Jenn August, C.H, C.L.S.C

Business Hypnotherapist & Success Coach

http://www.beyondbusinessforwomen.com

Musical Philanthropist

http://www.thesoundofgiving.org

Ilana Weiner, L.E.

Beauty Magician

http://www.beautybyilana.com

Have a wonderful month! Celebrate yourself - You deserve it!

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