Shaving is a chore that has to be done (okay, it doesn’t have to, but should be), and if you decide to adopt other methods, such as waxing or threading, it can be a little uncomfortable and expensive. Personally, I stick to shaving. My skin is not super sensitive, but does react negatively from time to time. I am on a quest to find that perfect razor, but until then, I have found a fabulous alternative to those pesky ingrown hairs.

Queen Bee Waxing has a product that every girl should have in her bathroom, Buzz off Bumps™ For Pesky Ingrowns. Buzz off Bumps™ is a round, pre-medicated pad that is easy and fast to use. All you have to do is swipe the pad over the area 24 hours after shaving or waxing, and let dry. These little pads can be used everywhere! Your bikini area, underarms, and yes, men can use them too! More »

Good skincare definitely ranks amid the top tier of my beauty “musts” list. No, I am not one of those faux-modest gals who will scream a-c-n-e when a single pimple stands surrounded by skin seemingly untainted by the puberty plague. For me, the plague undoubtedly caught up with my complexion.

The designated zones of attack are my lower cheeks, chin and, less often, forehead. Diet and lifestyle choices are rumored to be contributors to “bad” skin; however, I have been told first-hand from people who specialize in all things skin (i.e. Dermatologists) that these assertions are simply rumors. Your skin is a little more complicated than owing its unappealing front to an obsession with sweets. Luckily, Chella skincare knows the science behind a more Bella you.

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As I dive further and further into this world of beauty, I am learning more than I ever could imagine. Two years ago, I could never tell you what a paraben was, or that it had the potential of being harmful to your body. Now that I am a little more educated, I have started researching my products before buying them. I would like to think I am becoming some what of a beauty expert!

I have started to apply sunscreen every morning in these warmer months (I know this is something I should already be doing to avoid sun damage and skin cancer, and I am working on it!). In my quest for the perfect sunscreen, I found this company called Juice Beauty. I had actually seen a product by them in a Sephora sample kit and decided to look into them a little more.

Upon researching Juice Beauty, I found that they produce organic products. The one I zoned in on was the Mineral Medium Moisturizer with SPF 20. This is a tinted moisturizer made from a patent pending organic juice base. The formula uses over 60 active organic ingredients to create the 100% organic juice base. The total organic content of the product is 95%. That is amazing, seeing that most products that claim to be organic are really on about 5%. More »

As I enter my early 30s (yikes, it hurts to say that), I realize that I am in desperate need for a good skincare regimen. I have never really used a formal skincare program. I wash my face in the shower and use cleansing towelettes at night, but eye cream and toners were never part of my facial to-do list, until now.

I have been using the Somme Institute 5-step skincare program for the past 4 weeks and I would just like to say, I am hooked! I can’t believe how nice my skin looks. I have noticed a bit more oiliness than before, but I attribute that to better hydration.

The 5-step system for the Somme Institute skincare line consists of: More »

Summer is almost here and the warm weather is already enticing us to leave our homes and head to the beach. This means that many tanning salons are completely booked for the next month or so. For women, and even some men, it’s crucial to have that “base tan” before heading out in barely-there attire to the beach.

However, with the increase in risk of skin cancer, you may want to rethink the tanning bed.For about a year, I was an avid tanner. I went to the tanning salon about three times a week to get a good “base tan” and then cut back to once a week to maintain my new look. Being of medium skin tone made this process a lot easier.

Then I started to hear about all the risks of skin cancer that could be caused by my beloved tanning beds. Like many others, I was not aware of just how harmful these bulbs really are. In fact, the rays emitted from the tanning beds could be more harmful to the skin than the sun’s rays.

Think about this: The light bulbs have to give off enough energy to tan your skin in 20 minutes, yet it takes a couple of hours to get the same effect from the sun. Yikes! More »

(Sarah, Elana, Denice and Leeann at the PlasticSurgery.com booth)

Part of my job at PlasticSurgery.com (and Beauty Chat) is to attend two of our largest convention shows each year. I just recently attended the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) in San Diego, California. My duties, while at the show, entail helping out our sales team and aiding in the promotion of our fabulous company. More »

We’ve all heard that “cleanliness is next to godliness.” Well, in my beauty-conscious mind, so is good skincare. I have admittedly battled that frustrating thing called acne, which actually isn’t just “frustrating” – it can feel more like utter torture.

For me, I had the clear, porcelain-like skin in high school, wearing anything so much as face powder. Those were so the days. But then came college. While discovering eyebrow threading and chic fashion styles, pimples were actively finding me! Fun times? Guess again…

Much like my neurotic hunt for curly hair products, my search for good skincare remedies have not gone unwarranted, especially if Dr. Susan Evans has anything to do with it.

Located in Beverly Hills of Southern California, Dr. Evans is known as a premier dermatologist who is simply “good at what [she] does” (you might recognize her from Dr. 90210 on E!) More »

If you thought you’d seen all there is to see in the organic skin care arena, hold on – this one is as about as natural as it gets. Grateful Body, a Bay Area skin care company that I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know recently, takes the cake for its socially-conscious guidelines and raw, food-grade ingredients.

What does food-grade mean? You guessed it: If you can’t eat it, it won’t go into their product. In fact, there are numerous “no’s” on the list of ingredients Grateful Body refuses to use; good “no’s,” like:

• No chemicals, synthetic colors, or stabilizers (their shelf life is maintained with organic plant preservatives only, which keep them stable for up to two years)
• No wheat, gluten, corn, or dairy (perfect for those with allergies)
• No animal testing, and no animal products with the exception of humanely-handled honeybees (so most of them are suitable for vegans)

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