Bravura London Has Coolest Gel Cleanser For Detoxifying Experience

We've spoken several times here at Beauty Tip Today about Glycolic Acid. And we're not done talking about this popular alpha hydroxy acid. Here we go again.

Last October, we introduced you to the Bravura London skin care company. We had stumbled across their website and found an amazing 15% Glycolic Acid Night Treatment. And sure, it might be a little slower in coming by Royal mail across our shores, but the Bravura London beauty products are worth the extended journey. And here's why:

Glycolic Acid is important for the health of your skin. You've heard of Jan Marini, a well-respected product researcher. She's been a pioneer in the beauty science of Glycolic Acid, as her own website states. "Well before the technology was available to the mass market, Jan Marini pioneered the use of Glycolic Acid to improve the skin's appearance and texture. She was also the first to market a stable topical Vitamin C technology to promote healthier skin."

And the folks at Bravura London feel the same way. Here is how they break down the value of Glycolic Acid:

"While there were many skin care breakthroughs at the end of the last century, certainly one of the greatest was the discovery and application of Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs). Alpha-hydroxy acids are naturally occurring acids, derived from the sugars of selected plants and fruits such as Sugar Cane, Grapes, Citrus Fruits, Apples and Bitter Almonds. These acids perform at the base of the stratum corneum, dissolving the cement that holds dead skin cells together. Because this increases cell turnover, this results in skin that is more flexible, smoother, and more even in tone."

Today we are looking at Bravura London's Detoxifying Gel Cleanser(10% Glycolic Acid) ($13.96). We have to say, it's a heady experience using this cleanser. We have seen nothing else like it! First of all, it smells like a delicious sweet/tart lemon lollipop. It's a pale yellow, jello-looking cleanser that has these tiny citrus-y beads that scrub away at dirt and impurities.

You apply the Detoxifying Cleansing Gel on to dry skin. Massage in with fingertips and then add water to fingertips, and work through again, building up a nice, creamy lather. Rinse well with lukewarm water.

This product really makes your skin feel super clean, soft, and cool. It is suitable for oily or problem skin. It effectively helps to fight bacteria and increases the rate of exfoliation.

"The 10% concentration of glycolic acid works to loosen dead skin and unblock your pores, it also contains a mixture of botanicals, essential oils and dead see minerals drawn from the mineral salts and mud of the Dead Sea. The effects are cosmetic and therapeutic, purifying, reviving, toning, and healing. Due to the natural ingredients and essential oils, this product has a very fresh but not overpowering smell, and so it stimulates your senses as well as your skin."

For more information, visit Bravura London.

QVC Welcomes Isaac Mizrahi New Lifestyle Line And TV Show Dec. 4

Who doesn't adore designer Isaac Mizrahi?!

He's got great style, high energy, a wicked sense of humor, and now----a whole new line of, well, cheesecakes to sequin tees to studded berets. Simply fabulous!!

The new line is called, Isaac Mizrahi Live, and cable shopping network QVC welcomes the celebrated designer on Friday, December 4th. All of the items will retail from $32 to $300, says QVC.

It's a lifestyle collection of clothing, handbags, shoes, jewelry, home decor and kitchen accessories. And Isaac likes to think of lifestyle powerhouse Martha Stewart, and the wonderful empire she has carefully constructed:

"As I build my brand, I think about Martha Stewart and her very upward trajectory. She has always been a great inspiration to me,"says the 47-year-old designer.

And in case you are wondering, QVC reaches nearly 166 million homes. Wow, not too shabby.

We have learned in an interview with the Wall Street Journal that this QVC show will also be a sort of talk show, airing 8 hours a month. Isaac Mizrahi will take questions from viewers about his personal life. And the show is actually going to be filmed on a pricey television set built right within Mizrahi's New York studio, and be the first ever shot in high-definition. Pretty high-tech.

Isaac certainly has a gift for gab and a sharp fashion sense, so we believe this could be a huge success for him, in his continuing record of fashionable and fabulous achievements.

And his timing couldn't be more perfect with Hanukkah and Christmas on the way. Believe it or not, the chatty Isaac told WSJ.com, that is favorite part of the new show is his attention to the yummy foods he will be selling.

At 10, he says he was browsing through recipes and became intrigued by the word “sauté.” “I liked the way it sounded—sauté, sauté, sauté!” says Mr. Mizrahi, who says he used to spend weekends cooking peppers and mushrooms in a pan until they were mushy. “Call my mother. This is what I did on Saturday mornings.”

For further details on Isaac Mizrahi Live, visit QVC.com

Conditioners Keep Hair Soft And Sleek In Cold Winter Air

Hair can be high maintenance in the cold winter air. Dry air and heated air indoors can cause frizzy, dull, flat, static electricity fly away locks.

No. You don't have to surrender your flat iron or blow dryer in the winter days approaching our doorsteps. But you do need to give hair some TLC. And we're talking about conditoners.

Your hair is crying out for moisture this time of year. And if you consider all the crazy things we do to our hair, like perming, straightening, blow drying, flat ironing, coloring, highlighting, bleaching, curling ironing, styling products applied, etc., then you can see how quickly and continuously we rob our hair of its shiny, natural oils.

Here are some excellent conditioners to keep your hair soft and shiny all season long:

1. Moroccanoil Intense Hydrating Mask ($50, 16.9 oz., free shipping). Salma Hayek and Cindy Crawford are just two beautiful-haired celebrities who swear by this brand. There are so many fans of Moroccanoil hair products. You'll love this hair mask. It's rich and creamy and works within 5 minutes for all hair types, restoring elasticity and shine to locks. You can buy Moroccanoil products at many online beauty stores like Skin-One.

2. Pantene Beautiful Lengths Conditioner ($7, 12.6 oz., at drugstores). In Style magazine named this one its best inexpensive conditioner for normal hair in 2009. A conditioner that hydrates without heaviness —at a serious bargain price. Makes hair "strong, shiny and bouncy," says N.Y.C. stylist David Cruz, who works with Scarlett Johansson and Blake Lively.

3. David Babaii for Wildaid Conditioner ($10, 13.5 oz., http://www.db4wildaid.com/). This green-conscious hair care line was developed by stylist David Babaii with his client and friend Kate Hudson. It's free of harsh detergents, artificial fragrances and parabens. Instead, you're getting natural ingredients from the South Pacific----hydrating kiwifruit and mineral-rich volcanic ash. Your hair gets back lots of bounce and healthy texture.

Hollywood Women Still Using Frownies To Smooth Out Wrinkles

Maybe your mother or grandmother, or even great-grandmother had a box of Frownies at their vanity table.

Frownies have been around for a very long time. In fact, according to their website, these all natural wrinkle smoothers worn while you sleep, were created in 1889. And what a wonderful story:

"Frownies were created in 1889 after Margaret Kroesen discovered that her daughter Alice, a concert pianist, had developed unsightly wrinkles and frown lines. With a desire to maintain her youthful beauty and stage presence, Mrs. Kroesen created Wrinkle Eradicators (as they were first called) by employing the basic principle of fitness to the muscles of the face. At the time, there was no thought of producing them for anyone else but herself and her daughter. But Alice, after using her mother's amazing invention, was a living testimony, and it became clear that women and men everywhere could benefit from these Wrinkle Eradicators."

And as the saying goes....the rest is history.

Today's Hollywood beauties still love using Frownies in a natural way to smooth out wrinkles. Rene Russo and Rashida Jones are big fans of Frownies. And before these two modern actresses raved about the product, there were legendary screen actresses like Olivia de Havilland and Gloria Swanson ordering Frownies.

So we thought we would take a look at the company and what these curious-looking, beige little facial pads are all about.

First of all, Frownies are made of all natural ingredients: vegetable-based adhesive on unbleached paper . The pads target the areas of the face where expression lines and wrinkles like to set up house--on the forehead and between the eyes. And at the corners of the eyes and mouth.

What Frownies ($19.99, box of 144, FREE shipping) do is train the underlying facial muscles to relax, while you are asleep. And what the product eventually delivers is smooth skin and softened deep lines.

But you must wear Frownies in your nighttime routine. According to Frownies.com, Frownies should be worn every day for 30 days to effectively retrain the facial muscles. After the 30 day period, continue to use Frownies four or more times per week to maintain your more youthful appearance. Frownies are applied by wetting them first:

Moisten the shiny side of Frownies with Frownies Hydrator Spray or water to activate the vegetable-based adhesive.
Using two fingers of one hand, smooth your skin while pressing Frownies with the fingers of your other hand. Hold in place until pad adheres. Leave on for a minimum of three hours, but preferably overnight.
To remove, thoroughly soak pads to release adhesive.

And the company has really branched out through the decades. In addition to Frownies Facial Pads, there is also Frownies Hydrator Spray (as mentioned above), Immune Perfect Wrinkle Cream, Under Eye Treatment Patch (New!), Immune Shield Serum, and ph Balancing Complexion Wash.

We like that there is a money back gurantee and a Frownies Video Tutorial on how to use the Hollywood wrinkle smoother at their website.

Black Friday Beauty Shopping: Deals At Your Fingertips!

We understand.....you can't get out and brave the crowds on Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year. Too many things going on inside the house...the in-laws are still here...traffic is jammed for miles.....the baby's collicky.....little gas in the car, no time....,etc.

Now you can pick up beauty deals right at your fingertips. Here are some super online beauty things that would make great stocking stuffers.

And don't forget: Cyber Monday, the biggest shopping day of the year online, gets underway next Monday, November 30th.

Until then, let's get down to some beauty business on this Black Friday 2009:

Philosophy Cosmetics Black Friday Deals. Up to 40% off selected products + Free Shipping at Philosophy. You know the brand and the wonderful skin care and body products. Always a crowd pleaser.

Victoria's Secret Black Friday Deals. Receive a FREE runway tote packed with goodies with any purchase over $60. Enter VSFRIDAY at Victoria's Secret checkout. Big VS red tote with parfum, splash, and cherry bomb lip gloss! The undies and clothes are sexy, and so is this tote.

ShoeSteal Black Friday Deals. You can't beat this---25% off any purchase. Just type in code Turkey25 at ShoeSteal website. Brands like Kenneth Cole, Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, BrunoMagli, and more.

Platinum Skin Care Black Friday Deals. We adore this site for all its effective chemical peels, emu oil, glycolic cleansers, and many other face-saving products. Save $5 off any order of $50 or more with code: SAVE5. Or save $10 of any order of $100 or more by using code: SAVE10 at Platinum Skin Care.

e.l.f. Cosmetics. Let's be honest here. You already save by shopping at e.l.f. But the makeup elves there are being super generous. Here's just one of their Deals: Receive 25% off e.l.f. mineral makeup by entering the code NATURE at e.l.f. checkout.

Body Shop. Who can resist the aroma of this place? The products are so luscious. And so is the shipping-- $2 flat rate shipping on all orders placed today through Sunday, Nov. 29th. There are many Buy 1, Get 1 Free deals going on there, too. And don't forget Cyber Monday with 20% off all orders and a choice of a free product at Body Shop.

Happy shopping....right at your nimble fingertips!!

Roast Turkey Still Great Holiday Diet Choice

Turkey is actually an excellent dietary choice----good protein with very little fat. And if roasted, low in sodium.

And by the way, turkey contains more protein than the same size serving of chicken or beefsteak.

So, you want the breakdown, here we go. We got this information from dietbites.com:

Roasted Turkey - 6 Ounces Dark + White Meat, Untrimmed450 Calories
Roasted Turkey - 3 Ounces White Meat - Trimmed (no skin, no fat). White meat contains a little less calories than dark. Add 30 more calories if you prefer dark meat.130 Calories

1 Cup of homemade stuffing400 Calories
1/2 Cup of boxed stuffing prepared with no calorie refrigerated butter spray.
110 Calories
1 Cup of Giblet Gravy300 Calories
1/3 Cup of Giblet Gravy100 Calories

1 Cup of Mashed Potatoes350 Calories
1/2 Cup of Mashed Potatoes prepared with skimmed milk, no calorie refrigerated butter spray100

CaloriesStuffed Celery - 1 stick100 Calories
1 Stick of stuffed celery prepared with reduced fat cream cheese.40 Calories
2 Sweet Pickles, 10 Black/Green Olives125 Calories
2 Black Olives, 2 Green Olives25 Calories

1 Cup of Candied Sweet Potatoes400 Calories
1/2 Baked Sweet Potato w/ small pat of butter, dash of cinnamon, a couple of packs of no calorie sweetener.

100 Calories1/2 Cup of Cranberry Sauce200 Calories
1/6 Can of Cranberry Sauce - Jelled or Whole Cranberries100 Calories
2 Rolls With Butter300 Calories
1 Roll With 1/2 Pat of Butter125 Calories

1 Cup of English Peas with Butter150 Calories

2 Glasses Sweetened Tea, Wine, Punch or Cider300 Calories

1 Slice of Pumpkin Pie With Topping450 Calories
1 Slice of Pecan Pie650 Calories
1 Cup of Fruit Salad100 Calories
1 Cup of Egg Nog400 Calories

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

How To Keep Beautiful Eyebrows In Place With Just One Product

We all know that beautiful eyebrows create a perfect frame for the eyes. But not all of us were born with thick, wonderfully arched or shaped brows.

For most of us, we want to stick our eyebrows in place. In other words, we want to keep the arch and keep the little brow hairs brushed up. But we don't want to accomplish that with a sticky, goey, visible mess.

Sure, we've heard that regular hairspray will keep our brows in place. Hmmm. Tried that, it doesn't really work. Then we learned that the legend herself, Sophia Loren, BeautyTipToday's cover girl, supposedly used some kind of special, secret adhesive to keep her brows perfectly arched and in place. Just look at our cover shot of the movie star. She has incredible eyebrows, with of course, incredible bone structure. But Sophia has never revealed her eyebrow tips, unfortunately.

Then there is moustache wax. Try it in clear. It's an old Hollywood beauty tip and it does keep eyebrows in place for most of the day. But it feels kind of sticky and stiff and can leave a glue-like look to the brows, if you go overboard in applying it.

Your best bet are clear eyebrow gels. You will get the most natural look from a gel. It's quick and simple to apply, because it comes in a mascara tube with a spiral mascara wand. And the gel also gives the illusion of thicker, more polished brows.

You want a brow gel that delivers. And we've found two that really keep eyebrows in place all day long:

1. Dior Brow Gel ($17.50, at sephora.com and fine dept. stores). This product delivers! It's water-proof, clear, and can be used right after brow pencil. Brows look perfectly groomed. No flaky, stiff appearance. And it lasts and lasts.

2. M.A.C. Brow Set ($28, at maccosmetics.com). Another clear eyebrow gel that really works, and keeps brows in place all day. For a nice, natural look, you can stroke over brow pencil. This MAC gives brows shine and slicks them into place.

By the way, you don't have to use a brow pencil. We find the clear brow gel gives a healthy, thicker, more groomed look to the eyebrows, all on its own.