Make Up Beauty Tips

Through cooperation with leading research-and-development laboratories worldwide, the Somme Institute has developed and patented a revolutionary new technology called MDT5 (Molecular Dispersion Technology). It is through this scientifically advanced technology that MDT5 can penetrate into the deepest layers of skin. The result is the most profound visual changes in skin texture, radiance and overall appearance.

Simply put, this technology delivers a non-prescription blend of six vitamins (A, C, E, B3 and B5) deep into the inner skin layers in their active forms at high concentrations. Unlike other vitamin formulations, this unique biochemical complex can penetrate deep within the skin without oxidizing or losing potency when exposed to air or light. The results of the research has been documented and validated by dermatologists and researchers at Harvard, Yale, University of Pennsylvania and New York University.


The Somme regimen is based on the continued, twice-daily use of three central products: Transport, Serum, and A-bomb.

The line is completed by Nourishing Cleanser and Double Defense (SPF 30+). The Nourishing Cleanser prepares your skin for the three-step core treatment, while finishing with Double Defense (am only) hydrates and protects your skin from further sun damage.


The Somme regimen has been clinically proven to:

• treat moderate to severe acne- reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
• reverse sun damage and lighten brown age spots
• dramatically improve skin's tone, texture, and clarity

• Those who attend will receive a full-sized eye shadow
• Purchases over $100 receive the Sheen Reflective Lip Gloss in Beach
• Purchases over $250 receive a Leather Cosmetic Bag.

For more information on Hourglass Cosmetics, please visit: www.hourglasscosmetics.com

Controversially, perhaps, what else will you find in some Alchimie Forever products? Parabens.

Ada offers no apology for using parabens. She believes that studies indicting parabens as cancerous are deeply flawed. "We don't know if parabens are implicated in cancer because the researchers did not study this. We need large-scale studies to prove or disprove causation, and there hasn't been a single one." Until there's an antibacterial agent that's equally effective and doesn't irritate the skin, Ada says Alchimie Forver will continue to use parabens (noted: albeit at very low, fractional percentages) and "not using them with our natural ingredients would pose a health risk".

What I can tell you of the products I've tried from Alchimie Forever is I completely adore them! They feel wonderful on the skin, are incredibly effective, their light, fresh aromas are a treat to the senses and a joy to use.

GIVEAWAY

Sooooo . . . to close out our wonderful week of Earth Day explorations, we're giving away a jar of Alchimie Forever's new gentle antioxidant facial scrub: Excimer+.

This isn't just any scrub, this is an ultra-gentle creamy exfoliant with cranberry and jojoba beads that work synergistically to remove dead skin cells and brighten the skin, while papaya enzymes exfoliate. Lychee extract rejuvenates and brightens as rosemary works to calm inflammation and prevent breakouts. Shea butter hydrates, ensuring this scrub is gentle enough for the most sensitive skin types.

TO ENTER:

• 1) Post a comment to this feature letting what your favorite skincare ingredient is;
• 2) Send me an email with GIVEAWAY in the subject line, and include your email address and US mailing address (failure to send this information will prevent my being able to send you the product, thus disqualify entry)

That's all there is to it! Some restrictions may apply. Contest open to US residents only. Winners will be chosen at random from among entrants. This giveaway is limited to one winner. Duplicate entries will not improve your chances of winning. Giveaway sponsored by Alchimie Forever and by For the Love of Beauty. Entries will be accepted through 11:59 pm on Sun., 05/11/08.

Did you know cult favorite parfumeurs, Strange Invisible Perfumes, is eco-friendly?

Botanical perfumer Alexandra Balahoutis' collection of ready-to-wear fragrances is as green as it gets, thanks to fair-trade, sustainably grown, and wildcrafted (i.e., made by hand and in small batches) ingredients blended in an organic, beverage-grade grape alcohol base. What's more, all the eaus, like the chameleonlike floral L'Invisible, are packaged in carbon-neutral cartons containing post-consumer recycled fiber and printed with water-soluble inks.

L'Invisible notes: oak moss, a bouquet of resins, ylang ylang, blood orange. Coursing through the heart of this perfume is a redolent fusion of hibiscus and vanilla that coils through dimly lit veils of Moroccan Red Rose and Sicilian Lemon.

Reported earlier yet still newsworthy, you may be fascinated to know they've expanded their offerings from pure parfum to include eau de parfums, body washes and body lotions. On the scent menu for the latter two: Egyptian Rose, Lavender Vetiver, Sicilian Lemon and Wild Orange - all handcrafted from premium botanicals & organic fair-trade ingredients; no synthetic preservatives, genetically modified ingredients, parabens, pretroleum, coal tar or industrial phthalates; no animal testing.

If you have a moment, I'd really encourage you to check out the Strange Invisible Perfume website, and turn on your audio, it's a lovely, imaginative sensory experience.

Yes, Stella has been very vocal about her stance against animal cruelty. She's also hugely pro-organic; this is true of her fragrance and skincare collection as well as fashion. Proudly participating in this year's

Elle UK reports the collection will consist of 20-pieces made up of loose tunics, slouchy suits, knits and versatile coats - all exuding Stella's signature, laid-back look, in her favourite colour palette of muted tones, taupe, blush pink, grey and stone.


Keep in mind, Stella was a vegetarian and organic way before it became cool to be so. She's a trailblazer, a woman ahead of her time. She brings environmental awareness to the masses while cultivating her own little fashion/beauty empire in its midst - courageous and admirable. And in so doing, she has forged ahead by creating her own fragrance and skincare collection with the same eco-sensitive spirit.

"Care is an extension of our brand but it is also a responsible product. It’s for a person who wants to take responsibility and enables someone to make a first step in that direction. It’s also a natural product with sexiness to it in its packaging, smell, and texture. It’s also a very modern product in both philosophy and aesthetic."


The Care by Stella McCartney skincare range is officially Eco-Certified and has been subject to strict ethical requirements. To create an organic product as complex as a skincare range, plant extracts used in the composition must come from organic crops, where the soil has been prepared over a three-year period. The methods of cultivation are strictly regulated to ensure that the environment is protected. Even the alcohol, which is essential to protect and preserve the organic ingredients and the formula, is plant derivative.

CARE'S 5 Benefits Moisturizing Fluid

If you've been following For the Love of Beauty for any amount of time, you know I adore REN Skincare. What better time to feature more on the brand, its products and philosophy than during Earth Week.

Revivo-Tonic Cool Comfort Leg and Foot Gel - A light and cooling gel that soothes, refreshes and reduces the discomfort of heavy and painful legs and feet. Formulated with a clinically proven venotonic blend of essential oils including extracts of Paraguay Tea and Kola Nut, it encourages fluid drainage, reduces swelling and stimulates the metabolism to improve the orange peel appearance of the skin. Trace elements (Copper, Magnesium, Zinc) help re-energise, revive and tone. 150ml - $40

Melissa Carey, creator of Carey & Co., has combined her twenty plus years of experience as a professional, commercial make-up artist-turned-corporate cosmetic/skin care marketing executive, to develop what she says is a one-of-a-kind, natural, highly exfoliating, ultra-moisturizing, additive-free scrub formulation. It is mmm mmmm good! Not only are the scents to die for, but they do yield a surprising amount of hydration to the skin. Is this really a scrub? Yes, it is!

In fact, these scrubs are so moisturizing, they are 3-in-1 products - you do NOT need a separate cleanser or a moisturizer. We're always looking to save a step, aren't we ... you not only feel the hydration in your skin, you see it. There's a visible glow that remains after using the scrub, rinsing with water and lightly patting your face dry.

Per Carey & Co., INGREDIENTS Ultra-Moisturizing Scrubs are loaded with100% natural, safe, effective elements such as essential oils, fine spices and herbs with coarse salts, which instantly remove old skin layers while providing a protective moisture sheen that can last for days. As we've been told by beauty gurus in-the-know (click here), it's the healthy glow of skin that gives us a young looking face. Available in Citrus Spice, Lavender-Mint and Patchouli-Pine, they retail for $40 (19 oz jar - that's huge by the way), and $6 (2.5 oz travel size).

These scrubs are absolutely scrumptious. I tried the Citrus Spice. It loads the olfactory sense with the smell of cookies freshly baking in your grandmother's oven, not at all citrusy. You can see the little specks of clove, spices and herbs in the salt mixture. The scrubs may be used for face and body and they are very gentle on the skin. I will caution those who don't like the feel of oil in their skincare products, this does leave a bit of a residue behind. However, the feel is really fresh and hydrated and not oily. If you have dry skin, this is an answer to prayers.

You can learn more about Melissa Carey and Ingredients Ultra-Moisturizing Scrubs be visitng her website. Ordering is available online and at limited high-end retailers (Henri Bendel, Melange Spa, C.O. Bigelow & Co.).

UPDATE: (June 2008) I've had a number of emails questioning the use of the term "natural" for these scrubs due to the petrochemical nature of some of its elements. I appreciate these comments and this feedback immensely and feel it's important that we continue to discuss exactly these kinds of concerns. After receiving your questions and concerns, I posed the question to Melissa Carey and her response is noted in the comments section to the post. Please don't hesitate to keep providing feedback and comments to all the content featured on For the Love of Beauty. It is important to me - each one! xo