Skin Care

Makeup Mondays With Mario: Skin Care Superstars!

Celebrity makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic is answering your burning beauty questions!!! Every Monday, he will answer a beauty/skin care question as part of a weekly column on Spoiled Pretty, Makeup Mondays with Mario.

Mario,

This is so exciting being able to ask you a question. I am a regular visitor to your blog and have learned so much about makeup from you. But my question isn’t about makeup. It’s about skincare. I’d love to know what your favorite skincare products (cleanser, moisturizer, scrub, makeup remover and lip balm) are and why.

Thanks and keep up the awesome work,
Jessica

mmwm Makeup Mondays With Mario: Skin Care Superstars!

Hi Jessica,

I have tons of favorites when it comes to skincare products. For cleansing, I love La Mer The Cleansing Foam; it feels amazing, smells good and spreads nicely. A less expensive and comparable cleanser (and one of my all time faves) is Olay Deep Cleansing Face Wash with Witch Hazel. A great, basic and cheap scrub is St. Ives Apricot Scrub. I try not to exfoliate every day though – it can be too harsh on your skin. Once or twice a week I use DDF’s Glycolic 5% Exfoliating Wash. To remove your makeup, I recommend Josie Maran’s Bear Naked Wipes. I love everything about them and I’m sure you will too. Wipe away makeup and then follow with your normal skincare routine.

When it comes to moisturizing, I tend to use products that are not too thick or oily. I love La Mer The Moisturizing Lotion. It comes in a pump and is more lightweight than the popular creme. Cetaphil is still a favorite of mine also and works well on a lot of skin types. Sara Happ’s The Lip Slip is a very nice lip balm and you should try out her lip exfoliators that come in lots of great flavors. I also love MAC’s Tinted Lip Conditioner w/ SPF 15. I saved the best for last – The Eye Balm by La Mer. It’s a new eye cream and it’s the creme de la creme! I use it like three times a day and I LOVE IT!

Thanks for visiting Makeup Mondays with Mario!

xo,
Mario

Got a question for Mario? Email your makeup and skin care queries to spoiledprettyquestions@gmail.com, and check back next Monday to read Mario’s expert advice!

Makeup Mondays With Mario: Hold The Oil

Posted on May 10, 2010 by daneen in Beauty Tips, Makeup Mondays with Mario, Mario Dedivanovic, Oily Skin, Skin Care | Leave a comment

oily+skin Makeup Mondays With Mario: Hold The Oil

Hi Mario,

My problem is that when the weather gets warmer, my face gets very oily. It seems that no matter what I do, my face always looks shiny/greasy – which embarasses me. Can you recommend any products or makeup tips that might help me keep my shine under control?

Thanks!!!!!
Scarlett

Hi Scarlett,

You can control your naturally dewy skin’s shine using a few products and/techniques. Start out with an oil-free, light moisturizer (Daneen recommends Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel) all over, prior to makeup application. Let that set in a couple of minutes, then apply Photo Finish Foundation Primer Light by Smashbox. If your skin doesn’t need much coverage, I’d skip the foundation altogether and instead use a concealer on spots. Try Laura Mercier’s Secret Camouflage concealers. Use a loose powder to set the face, making sure that it’s free of shimmer and sparkle, of course. Try Priori loose powder. For touch ups throughout the day, use Tatcha Blotting Papers to absorb shine. I once learned a tip from a brilliant beauty blogger who’s spoiled pretty – she uses a Starbucks napkin to absorb oils on the skin. It truly works! All the more reason to go to Starbucks! Oh and one more thing- don’t feel embarrassed for having oily skin – it’s the most effective anti- aging product and it’s all yours!

Thanks for visiting Makeup Mondays with Mario!

xo,
Mario

Got a question for Mario? Email your makeup and skin care queries to spoiledprettyquestions@gmail.com, and check back next Monday to read Mario’s expert advice!

Clinique Rinse-Off Foaming Cleanser

Posted on May 10, 2010 by daneen in Cleanser, Holy Grail, Skin Care | Leave a comment

Lately, my skin has been uncharacteristically well-behaved. And so soft and smooth that I can’t stop petting my face. I didn’t know what to make of my enhanced complexion until I realized that I had recently switched up one element of my skincare routine.

After moving into my new house, I couldn’t immediately locate my usual facial wash. So when I came across a long lost sample tube of Clinique’s Rinse-Off Foaming Cleanser, I decided to give it a whirl. And once I did, I was happy my old stuff went A.W.O.L. because I might have missed out on such a fabulous product.

Rinse-Off Foaming Cleanser has a cream consistency that gently cleanses – leaving skin feeling moist, clean, and fresh. It’s fragrance-free, but the subtle scent reminds me of Dove soap. As mild as it is on skin, it removes long-wearing makeup and sunscreens quickly and efficiently. Plus, it’s also a great value; the concentrated formula is long-lasting and a little goes a long way.

I wish you could see/feel my face. It’s a true testament to the brilliance of this cleanser (I’ve awarded it ‘holy grail’ status). After washing my face with it, I moisturize with 2-3 pumps of Clinique’s Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion. And ever since I started this routine, my skin is like a dream.

Rinse-Off Foaming Cleanser ($18.50) and Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion ($24) are available at Sephora, your local Clinique counter, and clinique.com.

Philosophy Box of Miracles Anti-Aging Skin Care Trio Available at QVC

Posted on April 8, 2010 by daneen in Anti-Aging, Discounts, Skin Care | Leave a comment

Be the first to try philosophy’s new Box of Miracles Anti-Aging Skin Care Trio - a “miraculous antiaging trio designed to give you intensely smooth, luminous, ageless skin” – that is exclusive to QVC until June 1, 2010.

Who is it for: Anyone concerned with multiple signs of aging, including fine lines, wrinkles, dehydration, and rough texture.

Why is it different: philosophy’s box of miracles includes a miraculous antiaging trio that provides renewed promise to a complexion with unwanted wrinkles, dehydration, and rough texture. The miracle worker collection addresses the visible signs of aging. Regular use of the concentrate and moisturizer will help improve skin’s elasticity and firmness, increase skin’s moisture, and support skin’s vitality for a firm, radiant result. The set also includes purity made simple one-step facial cleanser.

How to use it: At the end of each day or at the beginning of each morning, take a small amount of purity made simple with a little water, and massage onto skin for 30 to 60 seconds. Rinse. Apply one to two pumps of miracle worker miraculous anti-aging concentrate to clean, dry skin prior to moisturizer. Apply miracle worker miraculous antiaging moisturizer after cleansing and treatment as a nighttime or daytime moisturizer.

The Box of Miracles Anti-Aging Skin Care Trio includes:
1-oz miracle worker antiaging concentrate – exclusive to QVC until 6/1/10!
2-oz miracle worker miraculous antiaging moisturizer
8-oz purity made simple cleanser

Retail Value: $137.00
QVC Special Price: $69.96

And tune in to QVC for philosophy – beauty:
Friday, April 9, 2010 from 11 p.m. – Midnight ET
Saturday, April 10, 2010 from Midnight – 1 a.m., 7 – 8 a.m., Noon – 2 p.m. and 5 – 7 p.m. ET

Kate Moss’s Hangover Cocktail For Puffy, Tired Skin

Posted on January 4, 2010 by daneen in Beauty Tips, Skin Care | Leave a comment

You know what they say about Kate Moss, right? Ain’t no party like a Kate Moss party cuz a Kate Moss party don’t stop. Okay, maybe they don’t say that. In fact, I know they don’t say that because I just made it up.

Nevertheless, it’s no secret that Kate likes to party. But what has remained a secret – until now – is how Kate manages to look so bright eyed when her late night antics would leave most gals bloodshot.

Kate recently told the Daily Express, “Fill the sink, get some ice, put some cucumber in and stick your head in it. Apparently it’s an old-school thing that Joan Crawford used to do. The cucumber takes out all the puffiness and redness. It feels amazing, it rocks. If you’re tired it really wakes you up.”

Hopefully, side effects do not include the temptation to beat your child with wire hangers.

Source

Clinique Comfort On Call Allergy Tested Relief Cream

Posted on December 22, 2009 by daneen in Dry Skin, Eczema, Holy Grail, Moisturizer, Skin Care | Leave a comment

A few weeks ago, my skin just up and decided to stage a mutiny. My upper body broke out in a rash. From my hairline all the way down to my torso, I was covered in itchy, sandpaper-like bumps (I now suspect eczema was the culprit). My lips didn’t even escape unscathed; they were bumpy and inflated to almost twice their normal size. And on the worst day, my left eye was so swollen and droopy, I looked like a female Forest Whitaker.

As the days wore on, the bumps started to dry out and my skin became dessicated and extremely flaky. It was as if I was a snake, shedding an exoskeleton. The dryness of my face was unbearable. With every facial expression or movement of my mouth, it seemed like my skin would literally tear; it was so painful. Up until this point, I had only been using Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser – as it was all that my traumatized skin could handle. But it begged for more, so I dug through my skin care arsenal looking for a moisturizer substantial enough to quench my skin’s thirst, but gentle enough not to send it into another tizzy. I hit the jackpot when I came across a sample of Clinique Comfort On Call Allergy Tested Relief Cream that the brand sent me a few months ago to review.

I can’t say enough wonderful things about this cream. My skin is the true testament. After just a few days of using Comfort On Call Allergy Tested Relief Cream, I started to recognize the reflection in the mirror again. And now that the rash (and its remnants) are almost gone, I continue to apply the cream after cleansing in the AM and PM.

According to Clinique, I’ve got their “exclusive, patent-pending Enviro-Soothe™ Complex” to thank for soothing and saving my face. Clinique also promises that when “used over time, it strengthens skin’s lipid barrier to support natural healing.”

Comfort On Call Allergy Tested Relief Cream also works wonders on dry, cracked hands. I can’t think of a better winter skin care pick than this one; it earns Holy Grail status. If you suffer from reactive, sensitive or dry skin, you’d be a smart gal to add it to your shopping list.

Clinique Comfort On Call Allergy Tested Relief Cream is available at clinique.com, Sephora, Bloomingdale’s, and Nordstrom.