You'd Be A Fool Not To Try Yu-Be Skin Care Products

We LOVE skin care creams and serums. We also love learning about the science of beauty.

That's why we are happy to write today about the popular Japanese skin care line called Yu-Be. Pronounced as YOO-BEE.

Everyone's been talking about Yu-Be....from Newsweek to InStyle to Elle, and beyond.

But Yu-Be has been around for 55 years now. Just ask most folks in Japan, and you would find that Yu-Be products are a skin care staple in most homes there.

In fact, the #1 Selling Medicated Vitamin-Enriched Cream on the Market is Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream ($25, at Yu_be.com). Japanese pharmacist Yoshikiyo Nowatari developed the glycerin-based moisturizer in 1957. It features a high glycerin content along with vitamins B2, C, E, and camphor. The cream has a super absorbancy level, making it very effective for rough, dry skin.

According to the Yu-Be website history page--- "Generations of familes have used the concentrated formula on all types of dry skin - from split cuticles and cracked heels to diaper rash - even frostbite - and to this day refuse to use anything else."

Here in the U.S., the Yu-Be skin care line is distributed by JMax Intl. of Los Angeles.

The company was kind to send us the famous Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream, Foaming Skin Polish, Moisturizing Body Lotion, and Lip Therapy balm stick. We have been sampling all of them, and we like what we see!

When we noted that camphor was present in the Yu-Be skin care line we were a bit hesitant about the scent. The beauty of the Yu-Be formula is the quick absorption. And yes---the camphor scent disappears very fast.

We have been using the popular Moisturizing Skin Cream under our eyes, and we LOVE it. It serves as an excellent eye cream. It really softens and nourishes the thin skin and actually diminishes the look of fine lines and wrinkles of the eye area. No kidding! We really didn't expect it to work that well.

The Foaming Skin Polish ($18, at Yu-Be.com) is another great product from the Yu-Be line, formulated with rice bran, bamboo, ginger root, ginseng and green tea to exfoliate rough, dry skin cells and give you back smoother, healthier skin. A gentle yet effective scrubber.

To try the Yu-Be skin care collection, check out their FREE samples with just $4.95 shipping here.

Kate Gets Duchess Beauty Glow From Bee Venom Facials?

The royal buzz these days?

That pretty Duchess Kate looks especially beautiful because of bee venom facials.

If this is the case, then watch the sale of bee venom masks skyrocket into the stratosphere. As we have all come to learn, anything the future queen of England touches, turns to gold. Women around the globe want to dress like Kate, smell like Kate, have perfect hair like Kate, and yes, even look like the lovely Kate.

So, why bee venom beauty products?

If you believe the hype...."This cream is said to work by gently stinging the skin, leaving a tingling sensation and causing the body to direct blood flow to the area. It claims to stimulate the production of collagen and elastin, which reduce wrinkles by relaxing and strengthening the muscles."

Says who?

The makers of Royal Nectar Bee Venom Cream ($69.90), the SAME brand that Camilla (Duchess of Cornwall + Prince William's step-mom) turned Kate on to. Rumors say that Kate began dipping into the bee venom beauty hive several weeks BEFORE the royal wedding. And to note, her complexion looked exquisite on her big day.

Don't laugh....we are intrigued by any skin care treatment that stimulates collagen/elastin production.

"Apply Royal Nectar daily as part of your skin care routine. Leave on for 20 minutes, then wash off.

"Use from twice a week to twice a day (personal preference). Spread sparingly on clean skin, do not rub in and be careful to avoid the eye area."

HealthyOnLine which sells the Royal Nectar Bee Venom Cream explains the fascinating process in how the bee venom is extracted. So bizarre! Read on:

"To extract the venom, a pane of glass is placed alongside the hive and a small electrical current is run through it, which encourages the insects to sting the surface. Tiny quantities of the venom are then collected and sent to Britain. It costs £27,000 ($55,200) an ounce but the venom is diluted, to make it less painful to apply, to just 1 per cent of the mask. A 50ml jar costs £55 ($112). (This is the UK Price. It is only $69.90 from healthyonline, even less than sold by the manufacturer! )

"The cream is also mixed with New Zealand Manuka honey, shea butter and rose and lavender oils. Used twice a day for 20 minutes, the bee treatment can apparently knock up to 10 years off facial appearance."

Hey, bee venom is being called, the new 'alternative to Botox.' We cannot prove that Kate has ever tried the product, but people in-the-know, claim it is TRUE.

Just a little note---if you are allergic to bees, please DON'T use this!

We would like to try this stuff if we could get a freebie.

Will You Lock Lips With This Pop Art Jewelry Trend?

You're either going to love this or hate it, but you have to admit----jewelry in the form of a pair of lips is quite unique.

We're still on the fence about it, but we have been seeing lots of lips cuff bracelets from the Brooklyn-based St. Kilda shop. And the inspiration supposedly comes from the famous surrealistic painting of lips in the sky, Les Amoureux by Man Ray.

These Nora Kogan jewelry pieces include enameled lips in a rainbow of bold colors. Each cuff costs $325. Check them all out here at StKildaJewelry.

The lips jewelry trend is both modern and edgy and makes for quite a striking accessories statement.

What do you think?

Smiling Celebrities Have Worn Them---Would You Invisalign?

Is it just us, or have you, too, noticed a lot of adults suddenly getting 'invisible' braces?!

Most of the time, you can't even see the braces, and that's the beauty of Invisalign. Many smiling celebrities have hit the red carpet wearing these clear plastic aligners to straighten their pearly whites---people like: Katherine Heigl, Justin Beiber, Elin Woods, Zac Efron, and Tom Cruise.

The plastic braces are worn 24/7, except at mealtimes. Full treatment takes about 1 year, with office visits every 6 weeks or so.

The cost of Invisalign kind of blew us away-----From $3,500 - $8,000. Wow! We were not expecting such a steep price. Then again, we've had root canals that resulted in a couple of thousand dollars each, when all was said and done. Yeah, dental work isn't cheap.

So, metal braces versus clear, plastic ones. Look at the photo depicting both. It's a no-brainer, cosmetically-speaking. Who wouldn't want an almost invisible dental makeover?

Would you Invisalign? And is this clear plastic system just as effective as wearing a set of unattractive, old-fashioned metal braces?

From the results we've seen of relatives and friends wearing Invisalign, this is a brilliant concept. Their teeth look amazing. But Invisalign does have its critics. Read on from Boston orthodontist Mouhab Rizkallah, DDS:

1. Invisalign cannot predictably control any changes in back tooth bite relationships. In fact, it can really cause back tooth bite problems if you try to move the back teeth and fall short of your goals. Braces can control back tooth bite relationships readily.

2. Invisalign cannot predictably rotate cylindrical teeth (such as canines and premolars) because it lacks predictable "friction grip", but invisalign can readily rotate angular teeth, such as incisors, because this does not require grip....it only requires point force at a distance away from the center of the tooth. Example: USING 1 finger from EACH hand, try to turn a drinking glass that is cylindrical versus one that has 4 sides. With the cylindrical glass, you will need to try to squeeze your fingers toward each other (producing friction grip) to rotate the cylindrical glass. With the 4 sided glass, you only need to apply forces in opposite directions at the square corners of the glass....no friction grip needed. That is why Invisalign cannot rotate cylindrical objects predictably. Braces, on the other hand, are glued to teeth, and therefore have absolute friction, and can thereby rotate any tooth. Voila!

3. Invisalign cannot predictably accomplish uprighting root movements: I don't know how to effectively communicate that in text. It would require a picture. Braces accomplish this readily.

4. Invisalign cannot predictably accomplish vertical movements, as the aligner is designed to release in the vertical plane of space. Braces accomplish this readily.

Bottom Line: I love invisalign for patients that do not need Bite correction, rotation of cylindrical teeth, root uprighting, or vertical tooth movements.

Well, we would still LOVE to Invisalign for absolutely perfectly straight teeth. We would do it, if our smile doesn't require all that other stuff.
How about you?

All Thumbs Applying Foundation? Try Romi Beauty Gadget For Perfection

In our humble opinion, foundation or base is a daily makeup essential. It evens out skin tone, hides minor imperfections, protects the skin, and lets you look alive.


But applying foundation seamlessly is a challenge for most of us. We use our fingers to first blend our liquid base onto our face. Then we quickly use a makeup sponge to 'pat it in.'

Perfect?

Certainly not, but, we do the best we can.

Now there's Digital Foundation by Roma Beauty ($109.95, at haantherapeutics).

The cute, little battery-operated beauty gadget helps you master the art of the seamless foundation finish by imitating the stippling technique of quick, short pats that makeup artists use to achieve that flawless appearance.

Romi Beauty Digital Foundation features a vibrating sponge pad that dispenses foundation at a stippling rate of 5,000 times per minute. You don't have to use your fingers or a brush or a sponge to blend it in. The beauty machine does all the work, and quite beautifully.

You can select from 1 of 3 foundation shades to get that airbrushed finish.

Spending more than $100 for a beauty gadget might sound a bit silly, but the Romi Beauty device is a well-made makeup aid that saves you time and money in the long run.

Mama Mariah: Marvelous May Cover Of Shape 1 Year After Twins

It's almost ALL about the food you choose, so says Mariah Carey.

Check out the May cover of Shape magazine!

The mom-of-twins just 1-year later, is showing off a FLAT tummy that she credits with a structured eating plan.

"I used to be able to slim down just by exercising more, but that’s changed. Since having the babies, I realize that 90 percent of losing weight is my diet,".

And the 43-year-old singing sensation had shed 30 lbs. on the Jenny Craig plan in 3 months. It appears that Mama Mariah has maintained her svelteness and is still going strong 365 days later.

We would have to agree, that it's mainly about the diet, but let's not dismiss old-fashioned exercise. You NEED to get the body moving to tone up and burn calories.

So, the critics are already screaming, "Photoshop," about the Mariah May Shape cover. Big deal---aren't most, if not ALL people featured on magazine covers airbrushed to some degree?!

We think the superstar looks pretty darn amazing after giving birth to a set of twins.

And if you're looking for a flat tummy like Mariah's, here's a super exercise from Andie Hecker, the New York ballerina turned Hollywood trainer:

"This is the BEST way to work your abs without putting stress on your lower back," says Andie.

Lie down flat on your back with one leg resting on the floor and the other crossed over it. Lift the top leg to 90 degrees and slowly lower it. Repeat 40 times, alternating legs."

Repeat 40 times? Are you crazy?

That's a killer exercise, but like we have learned, nothing good comes easy.

Visit balletbodies for more information.

Hey, Sunscreen Brand Snob: Walgreens Scores High On Safe Tanning

According to one survey we found:

31% of Americans NEVER use sunscreen.

Actually, we don't find those statistics unbelievable. Yesterday, our temps reached an unusual for April high of 91 degrees. That had folks running to the beaches. You couldn't get a parking spot.

And lots of those sun-seekers DON'T slap on the sunscreen.

But for those of you intelligent tanners who DO wear sunscreen, do you really want to spend $30 for an expensive brand that claims to do this and that without getting a sunburn?

How do you know your small, pricey tube of sun protection is really protecting you?

Think Walgreens. That's right. The drugstore chain sells effective sunscreens under the Walgreens label, and are rated highly by ConsumerReports.org and EnvironmentalWorkingGroup.org.

Plus---Walgreens sunscreens WON'T bust your budget!

When Consumer Reports has conducted sunscreen testing, all of them come back effective for UVB protection, but products vary widely in the amount of UVA protection they provide. The following ingredients need to be present in a sunscreen for it to provide adequate UVA protection: avobenzone, mexoryl, zinc oxide, or combo of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. Walgreens sunscreen lotions contains avobenzone. Most of the snob brand sunscreens don't contain any of those on the list.

Walgreens Sport Sunscreen Continuous Spray SPF 50 ($7.79). Recommended by Consumer Reports.

What's even nicer----Walgreens is selling their sunscreen brand at a super deal----Buy 1 Get 1 50% Off!