The Buzz On Minerals

There are a wide variety of mineral make ups out there from Bare Escentuals to Purminerals. They are all excellent products and after having used them in a dozen makeovers I would reccomend them for nearly everybody. Most cosmetics lines have jumped on this "mineral makeup" band wagon so before you decide to go mineral, I would try to make sure that the brand you are choosing is a reputable one.

I would not reccomend using Sheer Cover. Their products aren't as natural as they would like you to believe. I would also reccomend double checking certain drugstore mineral cosmetics because I have known many of them to have talc, which is one of the ingredients that people turn to mineral makeup to avoid.

The minerals in mineral makeup start out in the appearance of a powder, but don't be fooled! The specially designed brushes help to break down this powder into a natural mineral state. It is very quick, easy, and extremely light on the face. If applied correctly you can get FLAWLESS light to medium coverage. Many people prefer Purminerals to Bare Minerals due to the heavier coverage that Purminerals offer as well as the fact that Purminerals can be bought in a compact.

Because it is a mineral and not a powder the minerals are able to actually go into the skin. The skin benefits from these amazing minerals, and you can tell in the healthy glow that people who wear it have. When I used to do makeovers with the product it always produced great results and was feather light. So many makeups can come on thick and even when they look good they don't always feel good. Mineral make up feels good.

Mineral make up also does not have any added fragrance, talc, oil, preservatives or other skin irritants. If you are easily allergic to certain cosmetics, mineral makeup would be the way for you to go. Most mineral makeups also have a natural SPF usually in a range of about SPF 5-15. So if you wanted makeup or foundation with a little SPF to it but are allergic to the chemical SPF, which many people are, this would also be a nice alternative.

Why mineral makeup is great:

1. Good coverage.

2. Heals the skin.

3. Provides a natural look.

4. Very comfortable/feather light.

5. Much quicker to use then traditional makeup.

Enjoy your cosmetic adventures!

XOXO

Sexii Bradley

Better Than Baby Doll

What's better than a baby doll top? Tunic style shirts of course. They come in a variety of different fabrics, colors, styles and patterns to fit the desire of any fashionista.

This Spring and Summer before you head out for some fun you need to grab a couple! These shirts are excellent because they are easy to wear with just about anything, easy to accesorize and they can be just flat out stylish. Try some fun long necklaces, or that gaudy ring you were always scared to wear. If you are afraid of your thin hips then try a tunic that has a belted waist, or by your own to give yourself some curves. If you already have some curves, then work it girl! Big sunglasses, big earrings and big hair are all things we need to look forward to for the upcoming season. Many fashion forecasters predicted a surge in popularity for the "White Tee" shirt to come back in style. Why not be ahead of the curve and put your own twist on that?

Wear the baby doll tops in moderation. They had their fun in the sun, and are slowly starting to phase out. I can definitely say that there were many very cute tops out there and many more cute ones will probably come out. However being "cute" is not what the summer is for and that top is surely going down hill. If you don't believe me, think of what Britney Spears likes to wear when she runs out to pick up some scratchers.

XOXO
Sexii Bradley

Skincare 101

Skin Care 101: An Introduction to Beautiful Skin

We all want healthy vibrant skin. Well most people do. But for some it's a lot easier to just wish for. I know that growing up, my mom didn't really teach me anything about how to maintain my appearance or skin or anything and sadly my early teens were a time where I could have used it. People all ages could use tips for getting good skin. That's what I am here to discuss with you!

The first and best way to have good skin is to lead a healthy life style. This means eating balanced meals, drinking plenty of water, excercising and avoiding vices like smoking and drinking alcohol. I'm not going to tell you how to live your life or quote crazy statistics but I am going to say that one of the easiest and best things you could do for your body is make a concsious effort to drink plenty of water. It cleans out your system and will impact your face in a positive way.

Now let's talk about a skin care regimen! A basic skin care regimen will consist of a cleanser, toner and a moisturiser.

A cleanser at it's most elementary level is designed to remove the impurities from the surface of your skin. Depending on your skin type, or specific skin problems such as acne, blackheads, oiliness, there are a million cleansers specifically designed for your face. Most people would reccomend cleansing twice a day. Once in the morning and once before bed is considered proficient. I have found it beneficial to use a cleanser that has exfoliating properties because it removes the excess layers of dead nasty skin on the surface and really breaks down the impurities.

A toner is something to use after cleansing that will help balance the skin and keep it soft and hydrated. Most people will argue the importance of this step. Some swear by it, some say water works best. I'd say that you need to figure out what works for you and your individual skin type. I have personally had great results with a rosewater toner that I can just lightly mist on my face.

Moisturising is key and if you skip this step then I will come after you! Moisturising is important because many times cleansing can take out a lot of the natural oils that you need in your skin to keep it healthy and so by moisturising you are rehydrating and balancing your skin now that it's fresh and clean. Many people think that because they have oily skin that this step is not neccesary for them, but don't be fooled! Usually when the skin on our face is dried out, our body will go into overdrive producing oils to hydrate it. Oily skin could be a sign that you aren't keeping yourself properly moisturised. I found that if I used a little bit of moisturiser in the morning, the oil levels on my face stayed extremely regulated.

I went to Bath and Body Works and a young woman there reccomended the Patricia Wexler exfoliated face wash to me and so I took it home and tried it out. It worked incredibly well! I would reccomend the entire line. It's also fairly affordable for the quality of product you are getting. I know many lines, like Clinique and Skin MD can get costly, but I don't think that grabbing Clean & Clear is the answer either. Patricia Wexler's line is probably in between the price points of Clean & Clear and Clinique, but it performs better then anything I've seen in a long time.

Stay tuned for Skin Care 235 where I plan on getting into the ingredients and even more detailed skin care regimens! lol. Thanks for stopping by and I hope that you were able to benefit from this article.

XOXO

Sexii Bradley

Cost of A Flat Iron

A good flat iron will be ceramic and have tourmaline technology in it.

You will not find a quality flat iron for less then $80.

One commonly known flat iron is the Chi. I would not reccomend this for anybody. The Chi markets itself as being the first fully ceramic flat iron when in fact all of their flat irons are only ceramic plated. Working in the beauty industry, I have heard dozens of horror stories of the Chi frying off girls hair in beauty school because it has only ONE temperature setting and that is 400 degrees. There are proper ways to use these flat irons and I would only reccomend them for those who are professionally trained.

My favorite flat iron right now is a brand called Turbo Ion which runs for about $150. It is actually fully ceramic and then coated with titanium. It's pretty and pink and actually keeps the hair straight even after the hair has become wet. It's an amazing product.

Definitely call your local beauty supply houses that retail to the public. Sally's, Ed Wyse, Karin's. Check out places like Sephora because they sell the professional brands such as GHD. Don't get something from the grocery store because I promise that you will get a product that is exactly what you pay for. Meaning it will be an offbrand like Con Air and Revlon, or it will be the retail knockoffs of the big brands like Tigi, Hair Art, Itely and even the Chi. Many times these do not have the same heating options, they don't heat as highly as their professional counterparts and they snag on the hair. Not always, but that is usually the case. However if you are willing to cheat yourself out of a quality product, then you could probably find one for about $30.

Many people go for the big paddles because they think that helps. That's not true. Consider it like this, you're supposed to run the iron down the hair, so it covers the entire strand. What difference will it make if the paddle covers more of the strand if it's just going to go down the hair anyway?

Things to look for: Is it ceramic? Is it tourmaline? Does it use ionic technology? Is it wet to dry?

Looking into thermal protectants or products to aid your styling endeavors. Thermafuse is an amazing line to check out because it actually HEALS the hair with the heat of the iron. Hope that helps! Good luck on the flat iron hunt!

XOXO
Swedyn

Benefit No Bueno!

Just a word to the wise! I have seen awful things escaping from the Benefit counter recently!

Working at Sephora, we carried a wide variety of products. One of them was Benefit. Honestly, I love the Benefit product and I think it works amazingly well. They've got a gorgeous range of relatively neutral colors, and they have great "Fake-its & Fix-its". What they are lacking is in quality employees to sell the product.

During my time at Sephora I was down selling Bare Minerals, which is excellent product too. A young lady came in, she had a gorgeous dress on, but her face was messed up! She was orange from foundation, her eyeliner was a creepy gray scraggle and I don't even need to get into details just know that she was not great! She asked me to save her, and girl please believe I did. I washed off her face and gave her a quick makeover, which resulted in a sale! Whoop whoop. During the time I was making her over, she told me that she was on her way to an important dinner and she had just gotten off work and decided to go to Macy's and have one of their girls make her over. She was unlucky enough to go to the Benefit counter, where they ruined her.

Wondering about whether this was common, I asked one of my co-workers who informed me that they get people coming in from the Benefit counter all the time complaining about how the people who worked for Benefit did a HORRIBLE job on them. Shocker! So I went online and looked up reviews, and sadly, while many of them speak wonders for the product they also speak very poorly of the employees.

Well Benefit, if you're ever ready for some quality customer service, hire Bradley!

XOXO

Sexii Bradley

Do Lip Plumpers Really Work?

This was a question posed to me by a Myspace ad. Sadly enough. After considering it, I decided this would be a good thing to create a brief article about.

The short answer is "Yes, lip plumpers really do work".

Most lip plumpers work by stimulating the thin layer of skin on top of the lips. This draws blood cells up and gives the lips a more full appearance. Many lip plumpers contain collagen stimulating and moisturising ingredients that add to this plump pouty look. Moisturised lips look significantly fuller then their dried out counter parts. Numerous products claim to have this plumping effect, and from experience I can say that some definitely work better then others.

First off, I think products that contain menthol and other "minty" feeling/smelling ingredients don't work very well. A product that is well known is the Lip Venom by DuWop. It is a good product for lip plumping. BUT!!! 5/5 Stars will go to the Too Faced Lip Injection. This product can be found in Sephora, Ulta and off amazon.com. Too Faced cosmetics has a line of pseudo plastic surgery cosmetics that work frighteningly well. Their Lip Injection lip plumper is an incredible product. When first applied the plumper creates an almost stinging sensation that will instantly cause the lips to swell. Keep using it over time and I am willing to gurantee you will have a sexier pout then ever before. It has mineral oils and jojoba oils as well so you are getting those moisturising benefits on the side.

So lick those lips and work the runway sweetheart!

XOXO

Sexii Bradley