June 04, 2019 at 01:07PM by CWC For years, I’ve toyed with the idea of getting eyelash extensions. The thought of lengthening my natural lashes to three times their normal size and never having to deal with mascara (and mascara-induced raccoon rings) is appealing for obvious reasons, but I’ve always been afraid of one thing in particular: Will lash extensions make my natural eyelashes fall out? To figure it out—and quell my fears—once and for all, I turned to the pros. “While people love the way eyelash extensions look, they can interfere with growth of your natural lashes,” says New York-based dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD. “Inflammation from inserting the extensions and the adhesive used to keep them in place can cause breakage of your real lashes and interfere with optimal growth. It’s very common to find your natural lashes short and sparse after the extensions are removed.” If not breakage, eyelash extensions “can definitely weaken [your lashes], and as we get older, this can lead to permanent loss,” says Mona Gohara, MD, a Connecticut-based dermatologist. However—according to celebrity lash expert Clementina Richardson, founder of Envious Lashes, this will only really happen if your lashes aren’t applied the right way. “Lash extensions alone will not ruin your lashes,” she says. “Damage to the natural lashes is the result of improper application, or the stylist not selecting the correct type of lash for an existing natural lash.” She notes that there are a few things that can contribute to this problem, including
Category: Beauty
This completely free facial reduces puffiness with nothing but an ice cube
June 04, 2019 at 07:56AM by CWC Whether your face is looking a little puffy due to a lack of sleep, eating too much salt, or seasonal allergies that refuse to away (guilty on all charges!), it can be tricky to calm the swelling down. While booking an appointment with an esthetician is one way to deal with a swollen under-eye area that concealer can’t hide, but you don’t have to spend big bucks to get relief. All you need to do is reach into the freezer and give yourself an ice cube facial. It’s hard to believe something as simple as an ice cube could melt away all your puffiness, but it works in seconds. “Using an ice cube will dilate the underlying blood vessels of the skin. It’s an instant de-puffing effect,” says Dendy Engelman, MD, a dermatologist based in New York. “The rubbing or massaging motion will gently distribute lymphatic build-up, which can also alleviate puffiness.” You don’t have to be a beauty pro to master the technique. Just take the ice cube in your hand and gently rub or massage it over your skin. There’s really no wrong way to go about it. If it’s too cold for your fingers or face, Dr. Engelman recommends covering the ice cube with gauze or a cloth—something celebrity makeup artist Lisa Eldridge swears by. She puts an ice cube in a tea towel and holds it against her skin to alleviate puffiness and sculpt her features at the same time.
Spirit animal newsflash: One of the most revered cosmic creatures is coming through right now
May 31, 2019 at 05:03PM by CWC Anyone else feel like a few lifetimes were lived in the month of May?! It’s been such a mix of energies and opportunities to really step into one of the main themes: self-esteem. June is definitely bringing with it a whole new set of rules, asking us to be more conscious in working with Earth energies and to practice being less reactive. This month, anytime you are triggered by someone or something, practice “the pause.” Rather than jump into a reaction that may cause you or others pain: breathe, breathe, breathe. Drop into yourself deeply. Connect to where you are in the moment and remember you are in charge of how you feel and your energies and emotions in the situation. Be sure to take as much time as you need to truly be calm and centered before responding. Get clear about: “What is my truth in this situation? How do I want to feel in this? What energy do I want to bring to the table?” We are here on Earth to learn, love, and evolve—and June presents us with the energies to go big with that. June is a time for you to really beautifully be anchored in your power, and if you want an experience to be an incredible one, know that you can absolutely make it so. Get resolute that this experience is one that you are so in gratitude and joy about that no outside force will be
The most important thing to look for in a hyaluronic acid serum to keep skin hydrated
May 30, 2019 at 05:00AM by CWC For the sake of having the most moisturized skin that I can possibly have, I slather on hyaluronic acid-packed beauty products at least twice a day. Sure, I’ll also use skin-care products that have glycerin or fatty acids for some love—but when it comes to making my complexion truly dewy and hydrated, the only thing I’ll trust is my beloved HA-serum. Scientifically, the molecule of hyaluronic acid is known for holding 1000 times its weight in water, making it a humectant that’s always pulling in moisture to deliver it straight into your skin. But as I’ve been applying the hydrating MVP to my face for several years now, I’ve started to notice that many bottles of the stuff say they contain different “molecular weights” of the ingredient. And if you need Bill Nye to explain what the heck that means, you’re not alone. I did, too. The down-low is this: The molecule sizes of different hyaluronic acids vary from bigger molecules that sit closer to the skin’s surface to smaller ones that go in deeper into the epidermis. “For a hyaluronan serum to deliver both instant and long-lasting effects, you need a combination of molecular weights,” says Jeremy Muijs, co-founder of skin-care brand Grown Alchemist. “Low and medium-weight hyaluronan molecules penetrate deeper into the skin’s structure, providing maximum below-the-surface hydration and in turn rehydrating skin cells over time. High weight hyaluronan molecules deliver immediate intensive hydration to the surface layers of the skin
The most important thing to look for in a hyaluronic acid serum to keep skin hydrated
May 30, 2019 at 05:00AM by CWC For the sake of having the most moisturized skin that I can possibly have, I slather on hyaluronic acid-packed beauty products at least twice a day. Sure, I’ll also use skin-care products that have glycerin or fatty acids for some love—but when it comes to making my complexion truly dewy and hydrated, the only thing I’ll trust is my beloved HA-serum. Scientifically, the molecule of hyaluronic acid is known for holding 1000 times its weight in water, making it a humectant that’s always pulling in moisture to deliver it straight into your skin. But as I’ve been applying the hydrating MVP to my face for several years now, I’ve started to notice that many bottles of the stuff say they contain different “molecular weights” of the ingredient. And if you need Bill Nye to explain what the heck that means, you’re not alone. I did, too. The down-low is this: The molecule sizes of different hyaluronic acids vary from bigger molecules that sit closer to the skin’s surface to smaller ones that go in deeper into the epidermis. “For a hyaluronan serum to deliver both instant and long-lasting effects, you need a combination of molecular weights,” says Jeremy Muijs, co-founder of skin-care brand Grown Alchemist. “Low and medium-weight hyaluronan molecules penetrate deeper into the skin’s structure, providing maximum below-the-surface hydration and in turn rehydrating skin cells over time. High weight hyaluronan molecules deliver immediate intensive hydration to the surface layers of the skin
A makeup artist shares exactly how many coats of mascara will give you your fluffiest lashes ever
May 28, 2019 at 11:11AM by CWC The other day, I went out on a whim and applied an extra layer of brow gel over my eyebrows while touching up. The result, I was proud to see, was that they looked extremely fluffy… aka the ideal adjectives I’d like to describe my brows. Since that was as easy as adding on extra coat, I began wondering what type of fluffy, lengthening magic the same method would do when applied to my lashes. But before I went swiping mascara onto my lashes like a mad woman, I asked a makeup artist if there’s a magic number of coats that can make your lashes look their absolute most dramatic. “It depends on the formula and the desired effect,” says Merrady Wickes, makeup artist and head of content and education at clean beauty boutique The Detox Market. “Classic formulas that sit in the middle and aren’t too thick or too thin can get two to three coats for a nicely separated, fluffy finish.” I had always thought that two layers of mascara were standard, so when I tried venturing to three, I was shook by how much a difference it made. My eyelashes looked even thicker, fuller, and darker, which was a nice touch for when I went out that night. Really though, Wickes says that the key lies in the very first layer. “I think of the base coat like scaffolding—get the mascara nice and close to the roots, and get all of
A makeup artist shares exactly how many coats of mascara will give you your fluffiest lashes ever
May 28, 2019 at 11:11AM by CWC The other day, I went out on a whim and applied an extra layer of brow gel over my eyebrows while touching up. The result, I was proud to see, was that they looked extremely fluffy… aka the ideal adjectives I’d like to describe my brows. Since that was as easy as adding on extra coat, I began wondering what type of fluffy, lengthening magic the same method would do when applied to my lashes. But before I went swiping mascara onto my lashes like a mad woman, I asked a makeup artist if there’s a magic number of coats that can make your lashes look their absolute most dramatic. “It depends on the formula and the desired effect,” says Merrady Wickes, makeup artist and head of content and education at clean beauty boutique The Detox Market. “Classic formulas that sit in the middle and aren’t too thick or too thin can get two to three coats for a nicely separated, fluffy finish.” I had always thought that two layers of mascara were standard, so when I tried venturing to three, I was shook by how much a difference it made. My eyelashes looked even thicker, fuller, and darker, which was a nice touch for when I went out that night. Really though, Wickes says that the key lies in the very first layer. “I think of the base coat like scaffolding—get the mascara nice and close to the roots, and get all of
Having good “facial posture” is a thing, and it’s just as important as sitting up straight
May 25, 2019 at 02:00PM by CWC The importance of having good posture and not hunching like Quasimodo over my laptop all day has been so ingrained into me by now that you can sort of, kind of say that I sit up straight. (For all of my coworkers that are raising an eyebrow, I said kind of.) But to add another thing to keep top of mind, yesterday I learned that it’s equally important to have good facial posture. Yes, it’s a thing. The idea was introduced to me by the three beauty experts behind brand-new skin- and self-care brand Wildling—Britta Plug (holistic facialist), Jill Munson (formulator), and Gianna de la Torre (acupuncturist and herbalist)—and my very first question was,”Do you mean like, resting bitch face?” Which they confirmed that it is, at least, somewhat. “There are all of these unconscious patterns we have in our lives in every way—physically, mentally, emotionally, energetically,” de la Torre explains to me. “My personal experience with facial posture began on the yoga mat. You realize you have all of these things going on in your body—your left side is much tighter than the right, for instance. And as our culture has gotten more used to being explorative of the body, we become more aware of those things and the places we’re holding our tension. But one of the very neglected aspects of that is the face, which is what we greet the world with.” So your facial posture is how you hold your facial
How To Tell If Your Vitamin C Serum Is As Effective As It Can Be
May 21, 2019 at 02:03AM There’s a reason all the vitamin C serums with cult followings have this one thing in common. Continue Reading… Author Alexandra Engler | Life by Daily Burn Selected by CWC
The drugstore serums prove you don’t need to drop over $25 to see big-time results
May 20, 2019 at 09:47AM by CWC Whenever people used to ask me the one skin-care product worth splurging on, I would immediately tell them, “serum.” I’d always been down with $8 cleansers and toners and moisturizers, but was a big (and misinformed) believer that “effective” and “expensive” were two adjectives that went hand-in-hand when it came to a serum. Well, I was wrong, and would like to take this opportunity to formally apologize to any of my friends who I led astray into dropping major dollars on serums (my bad, guys!). Because as the drugstore aisle’s skin-care offerings become better in general, so too has their selection of serums. While serums as a category tend to be pricier than the other elements in your regimen because they’re made with more highly concentrated ingredients, you no longer need to break out the Benjamins in order to find one that truly works. On Monday, a new line of under-$20 products called VERSED joined the clean beauty ranks at Target. As of today, you’ll find its brightening, clarifying, and firming serums among other skin-care superheroes from new brands like Sweet Chef (the affordable off-shoot of K-Beauty favorite Glow Recipe) and ApotheCARE Essentials, and ones we’ve loved forever like L’Oreal and Neutrogena. The key to shopping for serums—drugstore or otherwise—is to have a keen eye for both buzzwords and ingredients. So if something is bragging about being “brightening,” be sure to check for vitamin C; if it’s meant to be hydrating, look out