Ambi Fade Cream DOES Work.....But Not Perfectly Yet

We've written about fade creams before, but this time, we were going to take the test, and really try out the product right away.  Back on August 13th, we wrote a BeautyTipToday post about Ambi Fade Cream. And for about a month now, we have been applying the fade cream every day, as directions state. We chose the Ambi for oily skin.

It's preferred you apply Ambi Fade Cream 2X a day. Within 2 weeks or so, results should be starting to show, according to the Ambi company.

We've been applying the cream to our Mediterranean, DARK undereye circles, our decollete, and knees.   Our results, so far:
Dark circles.....The best improvement. We would say about 30% improvement.
Decollete(neck chest)...About 15% improvement.
Knees....About 10% improvement.

After 3 months, directions say to stop using if improvements are not seen.

Cosmo mag lists Ambi Fade Cream as a good one. Plus, it's easily found at your neighborhood drugstore at a very cheap price ($5.59, at drugstore.com).

The 'magic' ingredient in Ambi Skincare Fade Cream is the 2% hydroquinone. This chemical helps to speed up skin lightening. But the stuff can also be highly irritating to skin, so you must always proceed cautiously when using hydroquinone. And there are some fears about the possible development of cancer after very prolonged usage.

By the way, prescription hydroquinone begins at 4% and will work much faster. We will continue applying the Ambi Fade Cream and hope for even better results. We were surprised that our undereye circles are starting to fade significantly.

Zoe Saldana Makes Looking Beautiful A Breeze

Zoe Saldana always looks stunning and modern at red carpet events. So, how does the 34-year-old movie star make it look so easy?

Well, with great DNA from her parents. And Zoe knows what looks great on her, plus she is model-slender which means clothes in general, appear elegantly on her.

Zoe's beauty style is easy to copy. She loves wearing her dark hair in an easy, loose bun (bottom photo), or in a pulled back ballerina bun, as you can see in photos 1 & 2.

Her signature makeup features a strong, lined cat eye with brown shadow, black liner and soft nude lips. Gorgeous!

And check out her sexy, sophisticated black Prabal Gurung gown at the 2012 CFDA Awards. This little number is up for Best Gown of the Year. And we can see why.

Zoe Saldana doesn't look like she's trying to hard, and it works! No fussy do, no over-load of jewelry, and no drowning in yards of frilly fabric.

Just enough. Done perfectly.

Oh, Boy!! Big Bad Bold Brows Are In For Spring 2013

Okay...BIG, BOLD brows ain't goin' nowhere, ladies!

So, our best beauty advice to you:

Start GROWING your brows from now, to get ready for Spring 2013!

Says who?

NY Fashion Week. Designers like Marc Jacobs were showing off boxy brows on model after model. Take a look at our Top Photo and the drawing by one of the BEST in the biz--Francois Nars. This is what he told Vogue.com:

"Marc showed me images of Amy Winehouse, Patsy Cline, and Sweet Charity," says makeup artist François Nars, who also turned to the photographer Sam Haskins’s 1964 black-and-white narrative book, Cowboy Kate, for inspiration. "It was important to make the girls look like dancers, to treat them like characters, not models.

So, if you are not of the fully-brow-endowed, then learn to sculpt a pair with some powder or pencil. Sheesh! That's a lot of work, darn it!

As Sandy Linter, another legend in the makeup world once told us:

Look at the kinds of brows the models are wearing. Do not look at the actresses who usually like to sport the thin, L.A. brow. The models have the inner track on what's best in beauty.

Here we go again....We use a brow pencil with hopefully, a lighter touch.

Emma Stone Uses A Sprinkle Of This For Mega Volume Hair

It's definitely 'got grip.' And that is a plus for creating BIG hair.

We're talking about Matrix Design Pulse Mega Dust Volume Texturizer. We found some at BeautyBay for $11.90.

Who doesn't want texture, body and hold?!

Celebrities like Emma Stone love it when they're looking to pump up the volume. She wore it at the 2012 Met Ball, and she's still putting some on at red carpet events.

We like beauty products that are quick & easy---NO fuss, NO muss.

And Matrix Design Pulse Mega Dust Volume Texturizer couldn't be simpler. Just sprinkle some onto dry hair, work in with fingers, and watch the BIG hair grow!

The dust is like you would figure it to be---very lightweight, non-greasy. It's a terrific hairstyling product, economical, too, because a few sprinkles go a long way.

If you're always on the hunt for a newer and better volumizer, try a can of this!

Jessica Biel's Go-To Lip Color For Naturally Dazzling Smile

We all know that Jessica Biel LOVES her bangs, and she's been wearing this hot trend for several months now. And we like the look on her. When your facial bone structure is that stunning, you can probably wear just about any hairstyle.

But have you ever noticed her sexy smile?! More often than not, the popular actress puts on lipsticks that are in the neutral, very natural color range.

Her lips are quite full and she has a big, wide smile. Maybe that is why Jessica loves these 'quiet' shades of lip color.

She is a Revlon Cosmetics ambassador, so she DOES wear their wonderful makeups. One of Jessica's go-to lipsticks:

Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter in Peach Parfait. How soft, pretty! We found it for $7.49 at Drugstore.com.

You might like the peach hue, too. It's not a heavy lip color. Very nice and moisturizing.

FDA Warns L'Oreal To Stop Exaggerating Youthful Benefits

We don't believe that only L'Oreal should be scolded for its overly-exaggerated claims about its skin care products that turn back time. But--the largest cosmetics company is being warned to STOP advertising its anti-aging items with words that sound like the creams and serums are as powerful as drugs.

And Lancome appears to be hit the hardest with its skin care claims of "boost(ing) the activity of genes" or "stimulate(ing) cell regeneration". Yeah, right.

Well, we see those exaggerated fountain of youth promises from just about EVERY skin care and cosmetics companies around---from Avon to Olay, to Perricone, and so on.

It's difficult to figure out how much is TRUE, and how much is not about a skin care or cosmetic product that promises all these wonderful benefits.

L'Oreal responded in this way:

"We are aware of FDA's letter to Lancome and will respond to their regulatory concerns in a timely manner," a L'oreal spokeswoman said.

We do believe that many incredibly good things can help one's skin, and the advances in beauty science have come a long way. But to completely ERASE wrinkles, scars and permanently lift skin is a big stretch.

Even prescription Retin-A and Renova cannot do all those things, but these skin care drugs at least, minimize the fine lines and DO stimulate collagen production and increase cell turnover. But it's a slow process and you have to use a prescription skin care product forever to maintain results.

So, no easy path to the fountain of youth. And skin care companies that offer over-the-counter products with huge promises should all be taken to task, and scolded for photoshopping and using the complexions of very young models as proof of a product's efficacy.

By the way...Here are a couple of products mentioned in the warning letter, dated September 7:
Genifique Repair Youth Activating Night Cream
Absolue Eye Precious Cells Advanced Regenerating and Reconstructing Eye Cream.

On its website, Lancome describes Genifique Repair cream as "our first night care that boosts the activity of genes." The magical cream costs $98 for a 1.7-ounce.

Beauty With Braids: Elegant Hair Trend Continues

Take a look at the photos. If you've ever wondered what a milkmaid braid looks like, here's your answer.

We think the plaiting close to the crown is quite elegant and bo-ho beautiful.

The braids serve as headbands, too. And if you have lots of fairly long hair by natural means or by extensions, you, too, can rock this Fall 2012 hair trend.

Jennifer Lopez is sexy with her almost messy milkmaid braid. And reality goddess Kim Kardashian recently added a double-braided do to her style as she brought cutie-pie Mason to church.

The runway at the Rachel Roy show presented models neatly gliding across the catwalk adorned with sophisticated milkmaid braids and ribbons woven throughout. So pretty!

You might need a little pomade before you twist and twirl a braid, just to keep strands perfectly in place.

Watch this YouTube How-To by one of our faves in the hair-to how-to biz, Leyla of LuxyHair.