Flickr User: Chuck "Caveman" Coker

Feminine hygiene products sure have come a long way. During the 20’s, 30’s 40’s, 50’s and 60’s, women commonly used Lysol  Douche (yes Lysol!) and other toxic products for their feminine douche. Fortunately, these products are now reserved for cleaning your floors and bathrooms. See some of the old Lysol ads here. Luckily, we have better options than household cleaning products to help us with our feminine needs today. Sweet Spot Labs created a line of products for “down there” that address a woman’s desire to freshen up. It’s refreshing to have something available that’s tailored to a woman’s needs without harsh chemicals.

SweetSpot On the Go Wipettes are amazing and are gentle enough for daily use to aid with feminine hygiene. Why are these little cleansing wipes so great? It’s all in the science of course. SweetSpot Labs has carefully created specific products designated for your “sweet spot”. The results of these grooming products are better feminine hygiene and an all around better personal routine.  You can clean up while you are on the go, when you need it.

SweetSpot notes that this topic doesn’t get much love. For example, the feminine aisle at the grocery store is most often categorized as ‘clinical problems.’ Really?  The last time I checked, wanting to be clean and fresh wasn’t a medical issue. Beauty products should be used from head to toe and enjoyed, not a bummer. They’ve dedicated their brand into being a luxurious, well formulated and pH friendly brand because your sweet spot requires extra special attention. Let’s face it, your tulip isn’t the same as your underarm so why use the same routine and wash on both? The important factor is that your vaginal pH is important. You want to clean up without disturbing that very important balance. Naturally the pH level is at a mid-4 range, being slightly acidic. This means that the pH of your sweet spot must stay at that level to keep bacteria away and maintain proper health. Any product that isn’t at that level could irritate or compromise your pH balance. This doesn’t mean that every soap and shampoo is going to cause total destruction to you. But, using perfume, essential oils, and other products are very harsh and not good for that sensitive area at all. It all simply means that you can do better with a gentler product.

These cleaning wipes have been specifically formulated to complement the health of your private parts. They’re extremely convenient and ready to use when you need them, as they fit discreetly in your purse. They are single use, but biodegradable, so you don’t have to worry about harming the environment. These disposable wipes smell pleasantly sweet and fresh. When you think about it, everyone can use a little pick me up during the day. It doesn’t just do your hoo-ha wonders, but it freshens up and revitalizes you as well. Ideal to use after an afternoon workout, before a date, before intimacy, and just about any time you need to freshen up. The scents are not overpowering and provide the perfect balance between your anatomy and your sweet spot needs. SweetSpot’s wipettes will become a part of your everyday routine and a necessary item in your bag.

The best way to put it, is that it’s like baby wipes for adults. The amazing part about these is they are meant to be just for you. Don’t be afraid or hesitant because it’s not a much talked about subject. Don’t live in the past. Chances are, your best friend is thinking the same thing. You’re going to love these little lifesavers plus you get the best of both worlds – a refresher, a pick me up and you’ll never be caught off guard.

Colorescience’s Lip Candy Glaze in Butter Toffee is a non sticky, flavored lip gloss. You’ll taste a hint of mint chocolate after applying. Great for all chocolate lovers and it’s naturally flavored. If you haven’t had a chance to try it, it’s a gorgeous color of rose with a gold shimmer to it. The color is exceptional, but my favorite part is how hydrating it is making it ideal for dehydrated or dry lips. It’s not heavy or tacky at all either and the colors and shine lasts for quite a long time. It can be paired with a lipstick for a night look or it can be used alone to get a gorgeous summer glow with a touch of sweet. So far, for the chocolate lovers, this is definitely the best flavored lip gloss.

Source: Flickr User Pamela Machado

Pur Minerals De-Line Lip Smoothing Lip Pencil is one of my favorites (among so many others). I love using lip liner because it gives your lips great definition and helps any lipstick or lip gloss not run outside of your lip lines. With this genius lip liner pencil, you’re getting an instant firming boost for your lips which is something we all need. This lip liner is designed to help firm and define your lips while performing. This means that it has a unique staying power  and prevents feathering.  It has a collagen boosting treatment adding anti-aging effects into your daily lip plumping routine. Crystal Mauve is a natural color so it goes great with many different colors. It’s amazing how smooth this lip liner goes on and stays on so long throughout the day without re-applying. Winner in my book.

As a woman, we all have a ton of lip products. Don’t think so? Look in your purse. Why not add something flavorful in the mix? A flavored lip gloss may just improve your mood as well as your love life. Don’t forget to take good care of your lips and don’t be afraid of lip liner. It can make or break your make up look. No one wants to see that lipstick feathering!

Flickr User: Dia

Kronos is a line that utilizes T-Sphere technology to get optimal results and performance. Kronos aims to improve the permeation of its active ingredients and helps to target the areas in need helping your scalp and hair be healthier and more beautiful. The Kronos K-Charge Discovery Kit has 4 products in it:

Kronos K-Charge Volumizing Shampoo and Conditioner – This moisturizing shampoo and paired conditioner have little bit of a citrus smell to it. They are designed to gently remove excess oils and debris while at the same time adding some volume to it. The conditioner strengthens, repairs and nourishes your hair while providing exceptional moisture. At the same time of cleaning and moisturizing, it’s sulfate free for an added bonus. From using these two, you’ll notice a difference right away when you dry your hair.

Liquid Theory Conditioning Spray – This is a leave in conditioning treatment meant to help moisturize, improve styling and protect from hair color fading. Liquid theory is a fabulous hair treatment to add to your styling regimen. To use, spritz your hair (while wet) from roots to ends and then style away. This conditioning spray tames frizz to give you a sleek look for any occasion.

PHYX – This was available in a larger size from season 1, but it was loved so much why not have it in a travel kit? After all travel season needs little sizes with little cute bags to accompany them. PHYX is an overnight hair treatment masque made to work overnight to repair and replenish your hair. I love all hair masques, but this one is magical and has never had better results. After using this, your dry, unmanageable hair becomes soft, silky and resilient. Don’t let the overnight instruction scare you, once you put this on your head before sleeping, it won’t be rubbing off into an oily mess on your pillow. To use, distribute PHYX throughout your DRY hair before going to sleep. In the morning, shampoo, condition, rinse and style as usual. Gorgeous hair will follow.

Kinerase’s Intensive Eye Cream is a wrinkle cream by kinerase that is meant to diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles around the delicate eye area. Why is this important? Keeping the skin around your eye area moisturized is extremely important in helping prevent fine lines and wrinkles. It’s one of the most sensitive and delicate areas and can show your age, premature aging and sun damage very easily. This cream contains kinetin and is rich and emollient to provide intense moisture to illuminate your eye area and create a supple texture. What I love about this eye cream is that it’s great for any skin type even sensitive skin. It also works well with makeup application and doesn’t make your makeup slip and slide. The formula is also hypoallergenic and fragrance free making it useable for anyone. Kinerase is a fantastic brand that I’ve come to love and be a fan of. You won’t be disappointed with this eye cream.

Flickr user: Steven K. Wili

How to use: Apply twice a day as desired. This means that you can use it once in the morning before makeup application and at night after you wash your face.

Boscia’s Daily Hand Revival is a perfect take-with-you-anywhere item. Storing this in your purse will be a hand saver. This hand cream is non-greasy and has a very gentle scent so you won’t be knocking anyone’s senses out at the office. It’s also an all natural hand cream which is an A+ in our book at Beautyfix. It’s great to use any time of day and it’s nourishing and soothing for your hands. Not only does it fare well as a therapeutic moisturizer, but it has SPF 15 to shield your hands from UV damage and free radicals. It’ll soften and protect your hands and cuticles without any sensitivity or too much moisture while leaving your digits looking healthy and youthful. After all, you can always tell a woman’s age by her hands.

If you didn’t choose these two, don’t fret, they’ll be available on DermStore.com. How do you like the products you chose?

Active veil SPF 18 is an ultra light formula designed to be worn over your foundation or mineral foundation. If you aren’t keen on wearing a base, you can lightly dust this over your face as the last step in your beauty routine. It’s formulated with nourishing and natural minerals and diffuses light with shimmer particles to give you a radiant glow. Not only does it provide SPF 18, but it’s used as a finishing touch to your makeup routine and help set your makeup.

How to apply RAW Natural Beauty’s Active Veil:

Step 1 – Open the container

Step 2 – Lightly shake the jar so a small amount appears at the top, but make sure that it’s enough to cover your face, neck and décolleté. (Your chest)

Step 3 – Using a makeup brush, touch brush into powder and apply to your entire face, neck and décolleté.

Side note – Remember, if you’re sweating or in water during the day, you’ll need to re-apply to be able to get the amount of protection you need from the SPF. Plus it doesn’t hurt to re-apply Active Veil SPF 18 throughout the day anyway to get rid of shine and add a healthy glow to your skin.

What it feels like: I’ve been incorporating RAW Natural Beauty’s Active Veil into my routine for quite a while now and I love it. It sets into my skin perfectly and it’s great for any skin color because it disappears when you apply it. The amount of shimmer in it is perfect. It’s enough to reflect light and add and shimmering glow to your skin for any occasion or time of day. I love that it’s light and it doesn’t overpower the other steps in my makeup routine. Overall it’s become a staple in my beauty regimen and we’re sure that you’ll love it too.

What do you think of Active Veil?

Source: Flickr User Jingdianmeinv

If you haven’t noticed my enthusiasm for summer in my recent blog posts, then you aren’t reading the Beautyfix blog enough. One of the best things of summer is getting that summer glow. The best way to achieve this is with an amazing bronzer and it’s one of the season’s must have beauty products. Here’s how to use the best face bronzer to get an overall sun kissed glow for summer time. Bronzer can also be used to create shadow, slim your face and get that unforgettable glow like Gisele’s.

You can create an amazing healthy, glowing look by using bronzing powder. There are many available that you can pick up but here are a few favorites:

Too Faced The Bronzed and The Beautiful provides 3 amazing bronzers in one kit for an affordable price. Perfect for any season, especially summer and caters to any skin tone. Its’ easy to get the “I just got back from the Caribbean glow with Sun Bunny, Snow Bunny and Bronzer in Pink Leopard, accompanied with its own super soft kabuki bronzing brush. Not only does it come with all three, but it comes in a mirrored compact perfect for on the go. Simple glaze your cheeks, neck, collarbone and lightly dust your face and you’re all set with a gorgeous glow.

Always avoid bronzers that are too orange. This will cause your natural looking glow to look like you’ve spent a little too much time in the tanning salon. For this I suggest using Redpoint’s Rejuvenating Bronzing Silk or Laura Gellar’s Balance N Bronze. These will provide an irresistible glow without any harsh lines that will blend perfect with any skin tone. Laura Gellar’s Balance N Bronze is a multi-hued baked powder enriched with vitamin E that will provide an illuminating glow that will even out your skin tone instead of disturbing your skin. It’s important to use a bronzing powder rather than a liquid on oily or acne prone skin. This way it absorbs oil, creates an even skin tone and is better for the health of your skin.

For mature or dry skin a liquid bronzer is recommended. These formulas tend to be lighter in weight and won’t sink in to any fine lines or wrinkles, making your skin look younger. Stila’s Sun Gel and Cargo’s Multi Mix bronzer are prime examples of what a great liquid bronzer can do. Not only are they great for the face but they are multi-functioning and can be used on other areas of the body as well. When using a liquid bronzer, you’ll need to use a smaller amount for your face. This prevents it from the color being too dark, and you can regulate exactly how glowing you want to be.

Another simple trick that I love to add after applying bronzer, is sweeping my cheeks with a little bit of shimmer. My absolute favorite product for this is Jane Iredale’s 24 Karat Gold Dust Powder. It’s completely amazing and has real 24 karat golf flakes in it! (Hint: You may have received it in a past Beautyfix.)While providing a gorgeous shimmer and color to my skin it’s also perfectly reflected in any light and it’s very affordable.  You can use it as a body duster, bronzer, eye shadow or lip color. If you’re looking for an all around product this is it and it won’t leave you disappointed. Watch this video to learn some tips on using the 24 Karat Gold Dust Powder from Jane Iredale herself here!

Any of these great products will give you a youthful, golden fresh look for any occasion. Instead of shying away from getting the beach bunny look, give it a shot. You’ll have people fooled into thinking you just got back from a luxurious, tropical vacation.

How to enter: Simply comment below and tell us what you are passionate about to enter to win a fabulous Four Truffles Body Care Set. 1 grand prize winner will receive a Four Truffles Body Care Set and 1 runner up will win a Four Truffles Travel Kit.

We all have put our hearts into something in life, what is it for you?

What are you passionate about?

And that’s not all! You will receive a Free gift with your $24 Four Truffles purchase on DermStore.com! Your free gift will automatically appear in your shopping cart at checkout, Offer valid while supplies last.

**2 winners will be chosen at random, 1 grand prize winner and 1 runner up. Post a comment and tell us what you like about Hourglass Cosmetics. Giveaway starts on 6/8/10 and ends 6/22/10 at 11:59pm PST. Winners will be announced during the time of 6/23/10 –7/9/10. If any winners do not reply within 5 business days of being contacted, another winner will be chosen.**

Step one: Exfoliate your skin before applying self tanner. This is extremely important before applying self tanning lotion. The key is to get as much of the dead, dull skin cells off your body using a gentle scrub. This makes your skin a refreshed, even canvas before application as well as reduce the chance of the lotion coming off unevenly and it’ll make the sunless tanner last longer. By using a body scrub, I can guarantee that your skin will be glowing and look healthier overall. You can use a body scrub in the shower minutes before applying self tanner. Apply liberally and massage gently in a circular motion for best results. I recommend using a salt or sugar scrub to avoid any harsh chemicals. My two favorites to use are: Eucalyptus Sea Salt Scrub by Sonoma Lavender and Korres Grape Seeds Body Scrub.

Source: Flickr User Vincent Boiteau

Step two: Find a self tanning lotion that is moisturizing and suitable for your skin. This will help with easy application and will nourish your skin instead of harming it. Choosing a self tanner that is vitamin enriched or derived from more natural sources will look more natural and sink into your skin better. Remember: chemicals will react with other chemicals and ingredients. You don’t want to put on a self tanner, then jump into the pool and have the chlorine trigger a chemical reaction with the ingredients in your sunless tan. Natural ingredients work just as well if not better than chemical filled cosmetics and it’s better for your health. My picks in this category are Tarte Cosmetics Sunburst Body Lotion with Self-Tanner and Mystic Tan’s Sunless Tanning Lotion. Tarte’s self tanner isn’t for longevity and it’s for someone that wants some color for about a day or two. I love this formula because it’s enriched with vitamin E and C and is moisturizing, and deeply nourishing while providing a gorgeous bronze color. Plus, it’s fun to put on with the tiny sunbursts! Mystic Tan’s sunless tanning lotion goes on like silk and gives a perfect natural looking tan that lasts. You can decide how dark you want to go and its choc-full of antioxidants, hydrators and nourishing botanicals.

Step three: Take your time! I can’t stress enough to you that you absolutely have to take your time when applying self tanners! If you rush through the process or rush through application and drying, you can leave streaks, blotches and ensure that you’re new fake tan will look FAKE. Start with clean, exfoliated skin, apply liberally and give enough time to let the lotion or cream dry. If you need an extra hand, ask a friend or your significant other to help you get the hard to reach areas. Sunless tanning lotions are easier to apply and cover your entire body to get that streak free “I just went to cabo” tan. Using gloves will also help you not to get “tan hands.” If not, be sure to wash your hands right after application. If not, the tanning lotion can turn the inside of your hands a nasty color, therefore your fake tan will be a secret no more.

Skin care with sun care is the way to go. If you’re ever in doubt, you can always test out what that self tanning lotion will look like exactly on your skin beforehand on a body part that can be easily hidden. There are tons of products out there like sunless tanning wipes and sprays along with a variety of options. If you know you aren’t good with products that spray, use your best judgment and opt for something else. Being comfortable is important at the same time as finding what works best for you. Most of all, when you’re all done, enjoy your hard work and your beachy looking skin. Looks good on you doesn’t it?

How to enter: Tell us your favorite Beautyfix product and why you love it in the comments section below. Good luck!

*1 winner will be chosen at random. Post a comment on blog.Beautyfix.com and tell us your favorite product on Beautyfix’s favorite product giveaway. Giveaway starts on 5/19/10 and ends 6/1/10 at 11:59pm PST. Winners will be announced during the time of 6/10/10 –6/20/10. If any winners do not reply within 5 business days of being contacted, another winner will be chosen. 1 year’s supply is based on average product usage rates.

Starting with the first step of your skin routine, use an SPF moisturizer. This will help give you a great base before makeup, keep your skin hydrated and offer the protection that it needs all in one cream. I love iQ Derma’s Life Without Wrinkles Day Cream SPF 25 Moisturizer. It is very lightweight and doesn’t make your makeup ball up and flake off. It’s the perfect base with added protection. If you don’t normally use a moisturizer before you apply your makeup, there’s also foundation with SPF available. SPF foundation is another great way to utilize your normal makeup routine while incorporating sun care.

So your makeup is done and you’ve got your face well protected for the day. Sun protection doesn’t stop there. What most people don’t realize is that for an SPF to be effective, it has to be re-applied! There is also a universal misconception of what the Sun Protection Factor actually means. Sun Protection Factor is a measure of how much protection you get from UVB rays (the rays that cause sunburn). So, if you wear SPF 15, it will take 15 times longer for you to burn than if you didn’t wear any sun block. SPF does not account for protection against UVA rays, which are the nasty rays most associated with the visible signs of aging and also skin cancer. Learn more about UV rays from the Skin Cancer Foundation.

Here are some factors that influence the efficacy of your SPF:

• Your skin type
• The amount applied and how often you re-apply
• Activities that you engage in (i.e. swimming leads to a loss of sunscreen)
• The amount of sunscreen your skin has actually absorbed.

Source: Flickr User dipster1

This is why it’s so important to re-apply throughout the day. If you aren’t sun bathing and aren’t in need of SPF lotion every 2 hours –Let’s be honest, I’m not rubbing oily SPF on my face every 20 minutes- then I highly recommend a SPF mineral makeup brush. This multi-functioning product is easy to use and very effective. I use Colorescience’s Sunforgettable Brush SPF 30 while I’m on the go and keep it in my purse so it’s always available. At the same time of providing my skin with SPF, it also takes away shine and offers mineral coverage when I need it. Not only is it a fabulous multi-functioning product, but it’s recommended by the Skin Cancer Foundation. If you want something a little smaller, you can also use their smaller Sunforgettable Orb which you can choose in your next Beautyfix kit!

I’m truly a believer that sunscreen should be worn year round with no exceptions – (unless it’s night-time.) Your skin is your largest organ and is your body’s first level of defense against the sun’s rays. There is NO excuse not to take care of it. This means, be dedicated to taking care of it. Moisturize, protect and don’t bake in the sun until you’re burnt. And ladies please, if the new tanning tax wasn’t enough, no tanning beds! The last thing you want is to be in a doctor’s office waiting for your melanoma to be cut out. If you aren’t protecting your skin, then you should stay out of the sun or at home.

P.S. I’ve talked about your face but don’t forget to protect your lips also! Coola’s Liplux is awesome!

What are you sun care favorites?