Hello, fabulous Beauty Chat readers! Along with being an editor/contributor to this wonderful site, I am also an editor and writer for iEnhance.com (another website in our network). Many of those who are considering cosmetic plastic surgery often look to personal accounts when researching their procedures, which is why we would love to hear from you. We are constantly looking for inspiring stories from real people just like you who have had an enhancement procedure – cosmetic plastic surgery, skin care treatment, or cosmetic dentistry procedure. Here are a couple of examples of some recent stories: Jana’s Story and Elease’s Story.

If you would like to share your experience with a procedure you underwent, please feel free to contact me!

Most of us do everything we can to keep our faces clear and beautiful…whether it is with a regular skin care routine or with some help from a plastic surgeon and chemical peels. We’re always looking for the best way to maintain our youthful glow – regardless of our age! And those of us who have more of an oily complexion have an especially difficult time finding the right products.

Recently, I had the opportunity to try out a limited edition skin care set: the new Clarisonic Mia ™ Sonic Skin Cleaning System, Arcona Booster Defense Serum, and Arcona Magic White Ice. To be honest, I have seen the Clarisonic brushes in the past and been afraid to try it because I wasn’t sure if it would be too harsh for my skin. However, after just one use, I immediately fell in love with it. It left my skin feeling clean and smooth.

After cleansing, I applied the Magic White Ice all over my face and the Booster Defense Serum on my neck and around the eyes. Both left my skin feeling hydrated without the greasy stickiness.

If you’re looking for something new to help clear up your skin and hydrate without the heavy moisturizers, then I recommend checking out the Clarisonic and Arcona combination.

This partnership between Clarisonic and Arcona is fabulous and will only be around for a limited time! So be sure to order yours today.

Photo Credit: Beauty.com

Thank you to everyone who entered our contest to win Dr. Perricone’s “No Foundation Foundation” and congratulations to Wooster!

Here’s what she had to say:

“I would like to try this because I have acne ridden skin with large pores-most foundations simply peel off my skin after a few hours, sometimes little bits of foundation flake off on to my clothes or the flakes simply sit on my face until I brush them off. I haven’t been able to find a makeup that works and does not have the flaking issue.”

We hope you enjoy your prize!

Photo Credit: Saida Online Magazine

Spring has already arrived, and summer is coming up soon. In Southern California, the sun is usually ablaze 85 percent of the year, and I’ve become much more concerned about how the sun has taken its toll on my face lately. At my young age, there are many wrinkles on my face that are already beginning to set, and I’m not quite sure what to do. These days, there are preventative anti-wrinkle creams at the grocery store and infomercials that boast to completely diminish fine lines and wrinkles. However, I’ve come to find that these creams can cost from just a few bucks to over a couple hundred dollars. With the current state of the economy and a thin wallet, what’s a girl to do?

This weekend, I started to look into what is available to begin my battle with the signs of aging. In the skin care aisle at a local grocery store, there were many name brand creams like Olay® and RoC® that claimed to reduce the signs of aging. Though their prices were attractive, they didn’t seem very effective and I was sure the results would not last very long. Then I thought to go down to Sephora. There, I found a much more refined taste of specialty facial creams, but they were also quite expensive. There were so many to choose from too, and many of the creams came in 1 oz. or 2 oz. jars, small amounts that I’m sure I’d go through quickly. More »

Happy Wednesday! We hope you are all having a fabulous day and now bring you this week’s questions.

Hi Elana,

I wanted to add a little spice to my wardrobe. My clothes are mostly black, white, and gray; I think it is just easy and those colors go with everything. Lately, I have been wanting to get experimental with colors, but unfortunately I don’t want to buy an entire new wardrobe. How can I gradually add more colors to my usual black, white, and gray outfits?

~YuckNotYou More »

I have been on the search for the perfect skin care line for years; unfortunately, I was “blessed” with extremely sensitive skin; it is not uncommon for me to break out or develop a rash from most facial products and/or make-up.

When I got the opportunity to try out Luxtural’s three-step program- mystique foundation (facial deep hydrating rainy mist), sophisticated veil (facial anti-aging deep moisturizing serum), and silk premonition (facial deep moisturizing anti-aging lotion); I was definitely up for the challenge, considering the products were hypoallergenic and natural.

Going forth with a positive attitude, to my dismay, my skin started to get dry within two days of trying the product. I decided to ignore the red rash on my cheeks and continue using it; still keeping my positive attitude intact. Four days into use, the redness started getting worse- my cheeks itched and looked like I was constantly blushing. More »

Being a Beauty Chatter and writer for PlasticSurgery.com has taught me many things about beauty and skin care. However, there’s always something new and “miraculous” being promoted in the media, which makes it a little hard to find the right products for my particular needs.

If you’re looking for a little help in figuring out what actually works, take a look at my review on the new book by Daniel Yarosh, Ph.D., The Science of Perfect Skin – Understanding Skin-Care Myths and Miracles for Radiant Skin at Any Age. Now you can learn how to read a product label and the type of skin care regimen that actually works for you!

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Rpr Marketing Communications

As I typically do where trends are concerned, I came a little late to the mineral pigments party. My foray into this brave, not-so-new world was long overdue – so recently, I opted to finally give pigments a try. Skin care obsessive that I am, I already knew that ColoreScience, which is popular with dermatologists and plastic surgeons because of the company’s focus on skin protection, was the right brand to start out with.

 I picked up the ColoreScience Skin Perfecting Kit, which contains their Line Tamer (a really good nighttime skin care product), Corrector Kit, “Sunforgettable” loose translucent powder, and a calming aromatherapy gem spritzer. Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Um, ok…where’s the mineral pigment?” Read on, my lovelies…this is the important part!

More »

Regina Sanders was the lucky winner of the Elizabeth Grant products we featured on Beauty Chat early August. After telling us why she is the ultimate Beauty Chatter, she won a 3-piece set of products, valuing over $150:

• Vitamin C Day Treatment
• Vitamin C Night Treatment
• Vitamin C Body Lotion

More »

Although the months are slowly getting cooler, it’s still important to protect your skin from the sun. Here at the Beauty Chat headquarters in Southern California, it’s actually still hot; therefore, it’s easy to remember to use sun block. But for those other regions of the world where it’s getting colder, it’s still vital to use precaution against the harmful affects of the sun.

My latest skin care choice has been DDF (Doctor’s Dermatologic Formula) Protect and Correct. It’s a UV moisturizer with SPF 15 that’s ideal for keeping skin healthy and beautiful. Not only does this UV moisturizer work to protect the skin, it is also designed to minimize existing sun damage. In fact, since the line was developed by a dermatologist, it is designed to “deliver effective results backed by professional knowledge.” More »