The Juicy Beauty Word

This is something I hear from people from time to time: I like to take a break from nail polish so my nails can breath.  Nails need to breathe, right? Well, nails don't breathe.  They don't need air.  They are made of hard keratin protein like your hair. The nail plate is actually dead tissue that does not breathe so it doesn't matter if nails are covered with polish. Nails are porous and they do absorb water though.  The water nails absorb evaporates naturally from the nails. Nails are softer and more pliable when wet.  They tend to flatten when wet and curl when dry. This constant flattening and curling can weaken the nails and cause peeling.  Many people find that wearing polish lessens the amount of flattening and curling helping their nails to be stronger. There are some people can get dry and flaky nails from wearing polish.  It's not because the nails need to breathe, though.  It's because they have become dehydr...

Roasted Pepper Pasta Sauce I question whether one of my daughters is allergic to tomatoes, so I make a quick and easy red pasta sauce using roasted peppers. Peppers are loaded with Vitamin C to aid in collagen production to keep our skin looking younger. Make it gluten free by using gluten free pasta. Make it vegan by omitting the cheese.  12 ounces pasta, gluten free or regular 1 24 ounce jar of roasted red peppers, drained about 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil  1/4 cup chopped onion 3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed 4-6   basil leaves torn into small pieces 1/4 cup pasta water 1 teaspoon salt black pepper to taste 1/4 cup sliced black olives Shredded Parmesan cheese  Cook pasta according to the package directions. Reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water, then drain pasta. Put it in a large bowl and set aside.  Set aside a pepper or two from the jar to use later. Puree the remaining peppers in a food processor.  Heat oil in ...

We get calls at the salon all the time for people wanting gel polish but they ask for gel nails on the phone. We don't do gel nails but we do gel polish. Customers are being turned away because of the confusion of using the wrong terminology. What is the difference between gel polish and gel nails? Both gel polish and gel nails are light cured applications for nails. They are both cured with either a UV lamp or LED lamp depending on the type of product. There is one big difference between them though.  Interesting side note:  Both UV lamps and LED lamps produce UV Radiation. LED lamps produce less UV and cure at a quicker rate so the UV exposure is less. Therefore, LED cured nail products are the safer way to go if you are concerned about the amount UV exposure you receive during light cured nail product application. Gel Polish   Light cured gel polish is also known as soak off polish. It is a nail polish cured by a light designed to last about 14 days and then be remo...

Q. Can I use olive oil to take my eye makeup off? A. Yes. Olive oil will gently and effectively remove eye makeup, even hard to remove waterproof mascara. Coconut oil is also good for makeup removal. There can be issues with using oil around the eyes, though. Your vision will be temporarily blurry if oil gets in your eyes and oils used around the eyes can cause the delicate skin on the eyelids to get puffy. You can help prevent eyelid puffiness by carefully removing the oil from your eyes.  I pour some olive oil into a small bottle and keep it in my bathroom so it's handy to use for makeup removal. Tips on using olive oil as eye makeup remover: 1. Apply olive oil to a cotton pad or tissue. 2. Hold the tissue or cotton pad on your closed eye for a couple minutes to allow the oil can to soften and dissolve your eye makeup. Gently wipe the oiled cotton pad or tissue back and forth to remove your eye makeup. 3. Use a gentle facial cleanser and a warm, wet washcloth...

Aspirin.  It is Acetylsalicylic acid derived from willow tree bark. If you are allergic to it, you most likely allergic to many skin care, personal care and makeup products. Salicylates are chemicals found many fruits, vegetables and are often in skin care products these days.  It is said that topical application of salicylates is generally well tolerated and that an allergy to topical products is rare. But, I do have a facial client who is allergic to aspirin and does react to skincare products that contain salicylic acid. I'm really careful about which skincare products I use on her or she will end up with swollen eyes. I didn't realize how many products and foods actually contain them until I started looking into it. If you suspect you have a salicylate allergy, an allergist can do a patch test to diagnose the allergy. Beta hydroxy acid (BHA), a salicylate, is widely used in makeup and skin care products for its exfoliating, healing ...

I love, love, love this Physicians Formula Super BB! It is a fabulous multi purpose cream. It moisturizes, protects against the sun with a 30 SPF, fights free radicals with antioxidants, contains white willow bark to exfoliate dead cells, helps stimulate collagen production and gives a smooth foundation like coverage. What more could you want? The coverage is great. I have tried other bb creams that really don't give much coverage. This one is thick and foundation like and I have had no breakouts or skin irritations at all. Be sure to shake it before using.                                           There are 3 colors: light, light/medium and medium deep. I am using light/medium. It has a lot of color and gives me a glowy tan look. You can find it at drugstores, Ulta and at physicians formula.com.  $14.95. Physicians Formula make a great Organic BB Cream to...

What a cool idea..... if it works. Undercover Colors is a small company made up of a group a four male students from North Carolina State University. They have invented a nail polish that can detect date rape drugs that have been slipped into a drink. The polish changes color when exposed to drugs such as Rohypnol, Xanax and GHB. A polished fingernail could be casually dipped into a drink to detect the presence of date rape drugs. Don't rush out to buy it. It is not available yet. It is in the development stages. Undercover Colors is looking for funding to support research and development. Visit their facebook page for more info and a link if you would like to make a donation to this worthwhile cause. From what I read, the idea is not new. There have been small companies trying to develop straws, coasters, drinking glasses and lip gloss to detect date rape drugs. Researchers at Tel Aviv University's school of chemistry have developed a drug detecting sensor. It seems...