Can Sea Salt Really Add Volume + Smoothness To Hair?!

Sea salt.....It's not just for the dinner table. This special salt is formed from the natural evaporation of ocean water. And sea salt has been around for a very long time in more ways than one.

Sea salt has always been present in some cosmetics + skin care products as an exfoliant or scrub.

But what about hair?! Can sea salt deliver big volume and smoothness?

Some people say it really can!

Look at Lush company's BIG Shampoo ($26.95. 11.4 oz., at Lushusa.com).

This pricey tub of shampoo contains more than 50% sea salt which is included for ridding hair of styling product, grime, dead skin cells, etc. Leaves your mane full, smooth, + bouncy! A lot of women swear by this sea salt shampoo.

You could also make your own sea salt shampoo for a lot less. Check out this by a former Miss California Marianna Hewitt. She claims that:

Mixing three parts coarse sea salt with two parts shampoo will give you back some amazing hair! 

Look at her DIY sea salt shampoo recipe.  Marianna Hewitt explains that hair needs exfoliation just as much as skin:

DIY sea salt shampoo recipe DailyMail.com.

Looking For Satin-y Smooth Skin: Work It With Microdermabrasion Cream!

Maybe you can't get to the spa, or maybe you're on a tight beauty budget... BUT still desire satin-y smooth skin.

It isn't hopeless. You can improve things with a little muscle and some microdermabrasion cream.

And it doesn't take too much time out of your busy schedule to perform this simple + effective exfoliating routine:

Apply to damp/wet skin.
Slowly and gently massage cream into skin for 30-60 seconds.
Rinse well.
Best results are achieved when used 2-3 times per week, with 2 days between application.

Microdermabrasion can be done at-home safely with a cream. Those with very sensitive skin might have to proceed cautiously, but otherwise,  every complexion could benefit from a microdermabrasion cream.

We have found an excellent cream in Clinicians Complex ($65, at dermstore).

A bit of a beauty investment, but the jar goes a long way, and you WILL love the smooth results.

Here's what Clinicians Complex says about their microdermabrasion cream:

Formulated with the same diamond-shaped magnesium oxide crystals used in many professional machines, this resurfacing cream immediately improves the texture and appearance of aging skin. Ideal for use against fine lines, wrinkles, discoloration and even adult acne, this rich cream clears away the dull skin cells the accentuate lines and clog pores, leading to a more youthful and radiant complexion. Ideal for use on the face, neck, hands and body, it thoroughly revives the skin, leaving it feeling smooth and comfortable. Great for use between in-office procedures.

These micro creams DO work. Don't be afraid to try one.

Need Perfect Brows ASAP? Try Brenda Christian's Universal Pencil

We have mentioned here several times before that we are, er.....eyebrow-challenged. However, in the last couple of years or so, we have gotten our brows to grow in modestly. So, our brows are slow-wwwwwly improving. Still, we have to use a brow pencil to fill in a few spaces.

That's why we are interested in trying a universal brow pencil that a lot of women adore, including professional makeup artists.

Yeah, we know that the beauty word UNIVERSAL doesn't always live up to its claims of 'suitable for all skin tones, hair colors,' etc.

But---we wanted to explore the Universal Brow Definer by Brenda Christian Cosmetics ($18, at BrendaChristian Cosmetics).

We can't wait to try this pencil because of all these unique features:

Uses the pH of your hair follicle to determine ideal eyebrow color match

One color works for everyone

Provides natural three dimensional eye brow hair appearance

Corrects mistakes from waxing or over tweezing

Recommended by American Journal of Esthetic Medicine as the ideal visual replacement for natural eye brows

Fragrance Free

Perfect for Sensitive Eyes and Skin

Brenda Christian, a former makeup artist also gives step-by-step instructions how to use the Universal Brow Definer and a Perfect Brow Gel that you can add to complete the natural look.

We think this is a good product to try!

Stupid Ways To Ruin Your Skin---And We've Done Them

For those of you young enough to care about maintaining healthy, great skin, here are some
Stupid Ways to Ruin Your Skin:

TOO MUCH TIME IN THE SUN. Most of the sun damage done to our skin happens in childhood. However, the damage is cumulative and keeps on delivering year-after-year. We spent many a summer lying on the beach, ignoring the sunscreen and laughing at the world.

Remember this: Dermatologists say it takes 15 years for sun damage to show up as skin pigmentation + wrinkles.

SKIPPING THE EYE CREAM. Sure, we use an eye cream now. But we should have been applying one in our 20s. The eye area  is the first place to show aging. The skin around the eyes is thinner and more delicate  and thirsts for hydration. Plumpness + elasticity in the eye area tends to disappear quickly  as we age.

An eye cream is protective and nourishing.

IGNORING THE NECK SKIN + DECOLLETE. Necks DO age, along with the decollete, or the skin between the breasts + the neck. When we're young, we tend to concentrate on the face, the complexion. But there's a whole lot going on BELOW the chin. Just take your night cream and apply some also to the neck+decollete, because those 2 parts of the body also get older and sag + crease, etc.

STARTING AN ANTI-AGING ROUTINE LATE. It's wise to begin an anti-aging routine while you are young. Learn all you can about your skin type, its problems and how you can prevent damage down the road. Just because you can't find any major lines + wrinkles yet, trust us, these ugly signs will get to you at some point down the road. Your goal is to MINIMIZE the damage.

GETTING A DERMATOLOGIST AFTER 40.  Another dodo move. Don't see the expert after 40. That's late. Finding a good dermatologist is key. Don't wait until you see the skin problems developing, like we did. Go now! Ask for a prescription for Retin-A. It's the best thing out there for keeping good skin or repairing the damage.

It's never too late to develop healthy, glowing skin. But it is best to invest in your complexion at an early age.

We've had to learn the hard way.

Stacy Keibler Wows In Great Gatbsy Gown + George 'Accessory'

Stacy Keibler in a beaded Naeem Khan dress, Giuseppe Zanotti shoes and Lorraine Schwartz jewelry.

Wow! And her handsome accessory, George in Armani completes the picture quite nicely!

We know that Stacy isn't a movie star, but she looks amazing, and therefore, wins our humble choice for Best Dressed for the 2013 Academy Awards.

Why, you ask?

We don't even like 'prints.'. We always choose solid colors maybe 90% of the time. But, she blew us away. Maybe it's the super long body and her broad shoulders, but she just wears that Naeem Khan dresslike nobody's business. Of course, having George Clooney as attractive arm candy can't hurt, but we swear, that Clooney had nothing to do with our choice.

Look at the back of the gown, courtesy of JustJared.com.

We LOVE the whole Great Gatsby glam look. Sophisticated + classic! A modern take on old Hollywood style.

What do you think?

Are you lovin' this Naeem Khan dress on Stacy Keibler, too?

Want A Cool Smoky Eye: Think Winter Navy

Winter's smoky eye is quite the cool number!

Think navy instead of black, dark brown or steel gray. Wearing navy eyeliner can be a sophisticated show-stopper.

Makeup artists claim that navy liner is attractive on EVERY skin tone. Check out Emma Stone's peaches n' cream complexion. She looks dynamite with some sexy navy liner!

We found a great tube by Urban Decay--24/7 Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner in Radium ($19, at UrbanDecay.com).
As long as the rest of your makeup is subtle or low-key, you CAN pull of a little chic, navy eyeliner!!

Wonder if this will be a look at tonight's Academy Awards Show!

Gotta Love Casual Hip Hop JLo Tracksuit Style!

Oh, yeah. Even Jenny from the block likes looking casual + comfy when she's not doing the red carpet.

There was Jennifer Lopez out in L.A. yesterday with adorable Max + Emme and boy-toy Casper in tow, as they celebrated the twins' 5th birthday.

We like seeing the superstar out and about like this---having fun with family and friends, and not having to worry about getting glammed to the 9s like JLo often does for her many public events.

Let's face it...Jennifer LOVES her big, baggy tracksuits! And there's nothing wrong with that.

She's advertising LOVE, LIGHT and ANGEL on her casual duds. Plus we always like JLo's HUGE hoops! And she's got her signature, severe, pulled-back bun look to boot.

Jennifer loves her hoodie, velour and tracksuit chic. Check out this classic with JLo and Ja Rule in I'm Real. She's got on the mini version of the tracksuit in the video--YouTube.

LOVE  'I'm Real.' We believe you, Jennifer!