Toxic Cocktails

So tonight I threw out my full, brand new Dove shampoo and conditioner. Why? Because after reading the ingredients -- which I HIGHLY recommend we all do -- I noticed that the big no-no's in hair care ingredients were among the power players. With all the "Repairing" "Volumizing" "Strengthening" blah blah blah decorated on every single hair product, it's no wonder our hair only seems to get worse with continual use. We are brainwashed into thinking that just because the label says it repairs your hair or it protects it from heat damage or it strengthens it, means that it does. When the bottom line is, we have absolutely no clue what is and is not a smart product for keeping our hair healthy. Today, in the harsh world of competition, hair care companies are blending together products that are doing just the opposite of caring for our hair. Here's some pointers:

First of all, sulfates are horrible for your hair. Think of them as laundry detergent. And not the gentle softeners; the hard core, get-the-stain-out chemically induced detergents. The number one hair no-no for ingredients is sodium lauryl sulfate. Next in line is ammonium laureth sulfate. Cocamidopropyl betaine is a milder detergent and is usually used to balance out the harsher ones. And fragrances? Last I checked, unless it's a natural scent (coming from fruit or plant extracts), it can only mean one thing: a rich blend of chemical sweetness. Sound alluring for your hair? Didn't think so. Water is no better. The main function of water is to create between 60-75% suds when lathering up. Lauramide DEA also has the same effect as water: it gives your lathering process a creamy, rich feel and nothing else. If possible, try to avoid preservatives such as DMDM hydantoin, iodopropynyl butylcarbamate and tetrasodium EDTA. Think of the negative effect preservatives have in your food, do you really want to "moisturize and strengthen" your hair with that? It's like eating only junk food, but calling it your diet.

The best hair care products are sulfate free and have plant extracts listed high up on the list. The higher up they are, the better. Think of your hair as a diet, the purer the ingredients, the more positive the outcome. Your hair is made up of keratin -- a protein; each strand is 97% protein and 3% moisture. These days conditioners are jam-packed with humectants (such as silicon) that only serve to weigh down your hair, acting like glue as they force the scales of your hair to lie flat. Focus on products rich in protein. Occasional hair masques are a great way to replenish your hair. Same with scalp treatments; your scalp is the mother of your hair, so treating it with a little TLC every once in a while will greatly benefit your hair.

Overall, my advice to you is to always be checking your labels. Since we are all not experts on hair -- myself included -- I go by the concept that if the word in the ingredient seems too foreign and Hooked on Phonics isn't going to be enough to get through it, ditch it. And say bye bye to sulfates. The hair care industry is a highly intoxicating market of toxically blended cocktails we call shampoos, conditioners, heat protectants, mousses, gels, etc. We just need to know the basics.

If I could design a MAC Cosmetics Window Display...

Sunless Summer Tans

Faux tan. Sunless tan. Fake tan. Or, as the popular slang has coined the term: fake and bake. Whether you're scrubbing down in the shower and slathering it on once towel dried, or rocking out to your iPod playlist and stretched out in a UV lit box; sunless tanning -- and by sunless, I mean no time spent outdoors -- has become as regular as breathing. Sunless tanning in the form of creams and spray mists is a healthy alternative. Skin cancer friendly and alluring for those proned to outrageous, destructive sunburns, sunless tanning is the perfect solution. Ask the girls at Sunset Tan and they'll tell you that the "fake'n'baking" tanning beds are all the rage -- sans the drama. Either way, the main point in question is that we want to be tan; we want to be tan all year round; and we are too busy to spend a few hours outdoors to get there.

Ask anyone, taking a walk down Faux Tan Lane and you're asking for directions faster than a man rejecting them. What's the difference between creams and gels? What makes the prestige brands like Bare Escentuals better than the mass market brands like Clarins? Which products will leave me with a beautiful bronze and which will be nightmarishly orange? Do all of these products give off that horrible faux tan smell? Does the brand name have anything to do with the zebra streaks we all fear will occur? These are just some of the questions our minds scream out when we are faced with the dilemna of choosing a brand and daring our hands to apply it. Because we all know how it goes, once it touches the skin, it's only a matter of time before some color forms.

When I worked at Sephora I had the luxury of going sample happy. From eye shadows to lip liners to perfumes to haircare to faux tanning products, I sampled it all. I developed love/hate relationships with many products; loving the outcome but hating the smell or the process. Of them was the Bare Escentuals Faux Tan -- my favorite. I will admit though, the first time I saw it, I contemplated heading for the hills. There is nothing cutesy or extravagant about the packaging -- it's all white with FAUX TAN is brown, simple text. Not the first faux tanner that I'd jump for when the market is overflowing with catchy, flashy packaging. It's the cream itself that had me opting out for 5 hours in the sun. The actual lotion itself is a dark green color, totally matte and totally scary when you remember you're supposed to apply it all over yourself. But it works! Only $22 at Sephora, this little 4.5 oz bottle of faux coloring is absolutely amazing! HINT: I mixed it with a cheap, $7 bottle of sunless tanner so that the color wasn't so intensely spread. Another great find I've encountered over the past few months is Mystique tanning lotion. It's sold in different beauty retail locations -- such as Beauty Connection in the Farmers Market in LA -- and for $38, this little charmer comes with a body sponge to help buff a golden tan, all the while keeping your hands clean. From the mass market, my winners are Jergins or Clarins. I prefer the lotion to the gel; the gel left a sticky and then uncomfortably dry residue on my skin.

If you're just looking for a quick fix, an instant sexy glow for a hot date or a night on the town, there are two all time favorites of mine. From the prestige market, available for $28 and in two delicious shades of bronze, is DuWop Revolution SPF 15. This bronzer is not a sunless tanner but it delivers a quick alternative if you need a tan and you need it now. If you're looking for a cheap, mass market proned quick fix, may I suggest Sally Hansen AirBrush Legs. Although it is made for your legs, a little spritz here and there on the chest and arms won't hurt. Either way, here's a helpful hint: add a little moisturizer to your mix, it keeps your skin from drying out and aids in an even blend.

Bon apetite beauty bloggers, faux tans can be as delicious as double chocolate cake! All you need is a good eye, an even blend and a little courage to mix it all together!

Nude, Natural, Nearly There Lips

Pale lips. Nude lips. Barely there, did-they-get-erased lips.My most favorite subject in the whole, wide, wonderful cosmetic world! A look I have obsessed over since I was in high school, it is now one of the reigning trends of the season. And if it isn't sexy, I don't know what is.

I spent years searching and searching for the perfect pale lip. I went from using under eye concealers to spot concealers to MAC Cosmetics shade sticks to one MAC Cosmetics lipstick shade after the other! People always ask me what lipstick I use and beauty gurus, get out your pretty pink pens and some paper, because here is my list of love affair items:

**MY FAVORITE: MAC Cosmetics lipstick in "Fleshpot" -- discontinued and only sold in Pro-Level Shops. It is perfection at its finest. Perfectly pale with a hint of baby pink, this lipstick is my number one must-have, must-recommend item. I simply cannot live without it! $14

MAC Cosmetics lipstick in "Myth" -- available at any MAC Cosmetics location (store, online or counter). Easier to get your manicured nails on, this shade is conveniently sold at MAC locations -- so everyone can give it a try! This peachy beige nude color another staple color to add to your collection. $14

MAC Cosmetics lipstick in "Blankety" and "Creme D'nude" -- available at any MAC Cosmetics location (store, online or counter). A little more peachy than I prefer, these colors are still great fleshtone colors that compliment just about anyone! $14

Yves Saint Laurent ROUGE VOLUPTE lipstick in "#4 Sweet Honey" -- available at Sephora and Yves Saint Laurent counters. This cremey, warm beige lipstick glides on smoothly and luxuriously. Worth that extra dollar, this is a "spoil me sexy" treat your lips will devour! $34

Sephora Brand Maniac Long Wearing Lipstick in "#11" -- available exclusively at Sephora. Priced slightly lower, this a neutral beige cremey blend of affordable goodness! $12

http://www.maccosmetics.com/

Royal Passions

Let's talk purple. It's all the rage; and it's my favorite color, aside from black. Purple is the one color that truly compliments every single person. And the beauty industry is loving every second of it. From deep, luscious royal purples to soft, iridescent violets to wild, rich magentas, purple is one of the season's reigning colors. I myself has fallen in love with this gorgeous color. From matte to shimmer, this color has taken over my makeup box. Some of my favorite brands offering delicious purples are MAC Cosmetics Pigment in Violet and Pressed Eye Shadows in Top Hat and Beautiful Iris, NARS Duo Shadow in Jolie Poupee (a matte lavender and a violet shimmer), Dior 5 Colour Eyeshadow in Stylish Move 970, Urban Decay Eye Shadow in Flash and Deluxe Eye Shadow in Fishnet. Whether I am smoking or simply lining my eyes, these purple hues are addicting and stunning. Every woman should own a purple eye product of some sort. Whether it's powder based shadow, cream based shadow, liner or mascara, experimentation with this sexy color is a must. 

TRY: A few coats of black mascara on both top and bottom lashes with an iridescent, royal purple liner in your waterline and a matching shadow lining the bottom lash line and sweeping up into a slight angled cat eye. Add a little black liner to the outer edges of your lid and you're good to go!

A Radiant Start to A Brighter, Sunnier Day

Recently I discovered a product that I can't start my day without: Decleor PARIS Source D'Eclat "Instant Radiance Moisturizer." A slave to the hair straightener, ratting brush, hairspray and everything else lethal to your hair, I stay far away from washing it on a daily basis. However, my day doesn't and won't completely begin until I have washed my face -- making me feel cleaner than clean, from head to toe, regardless if I washed my hair.

My face is my number one morning wake up call. If I don't wash it, I don't feel clean or ready to start my day -- plain and simple. I've bounced around from different daily facial moisturizers and when I landed this pretty little yellow tube of instant radiance, I quickly fell in love. Made with Essential Oils and Fruit Extracts, I swear by this product. I used to be skeptical of "instant radiance" promising products, but the first time I buffed in on, my face felt and looked like it brightened -- thanks to the help of the pretty little pearly microparticles that light up your face. It leaves your skin protected from the harsh elements of our environment while worknig hard to give you a flawless, natural looking warm glow.
Priced around $50, this lotion is worth every penny. Rather than the boring old daily regimen of "exfoliate, cleanse and tone," let's try "exfoliate, cleanse and glow!" LITERALLY.

Confessions of a Beauty Guru

I am a color cosmetics junkie through and through. I could spend hours upon hours in Sephora, wandering those colorful isles where the makeup literally jumps out at you. I even worked there and I could still wander the store on my days off, discovering new items as I flitted about the different worlds: color, skincare and fragrance. Ask me a question, I was quick on my feet. You have to be when you work in cosmetics. It's a league of its own and it is constantly changing.

Beauty is my passion -- my one true love. It will never betray me nor will it run away. Unlike men, makeup will always bring a smile to my face and brighten my day. I can easily convince myself I need the latest Smashbox innovative product, or that new purple shade of MAC eye shadow that has a hint more shimmer than the last. And don't get me started on pale lipsticks. After YEARS of thorough searching -- I even resorted to under eye concealer by Bobbi Brown -- I finally landed the perfect hue. And it is to that hue that I am forever loyal; just as I am to the many color cosmetics I use daily, the ones that overflow my polished makeup box I so dearly treasure.

My family calls it, "Putting on Caitie Woo." It's that long, 1-2 hour primping and pampering session I allot time for every morning before I leave my apartment. My friends say they never see me without my makeup. Even when I am running to the grocery store to buy soap, I glue on those false lashes -- flashes as I call them -- and wash my lips a pale peach. Makeup is a way of life; it's my own personal expression. I wear it not because I'm convinced I need it, but rather, because the rush of discovering a new color and applying it in a new look is incredibly intoxicating. I never leave my apartment without my makeup bag fully stocked in case of an emergency -- and trust me, there's been times that bulging, purple Betsey Johnson makeup case has come in handy. 

As a freelance makeup artist, and a slavish beauty guru, this blog spot is my opportunity to give away my tricks of the trade; an inside look at my love and hate relationship with old, current and upcoming products and trends; and to spread my passion for beauty to those that share it. For me, beauty is that little kid in the candy shop; overwhelmed, excited, anxious and so blissfully happy the world stops and nothing else exists but the opportunities to create art. That's what beauty is; it is a form of art that begins on the face and shines through the heart.

xoxo, caitie