Dark Spots Got You Freakin' Out? Do Fade Creams Really Work?

Summertime seems to bring out those annoying dark spots and patches in all of us.

Some women find that their armpit skin is darker than the rest of their body. Or how about the knees (our newly discovered dark spot), chest, hands, face, and so on.

Can we actually fix this common beauty problem?

Yes, says Jeanine Downie, a New Jersey dermatologist. She tells Cosmopolitan magazine that it's the friction that eventually leads to inflammation, which in turn, causes brown or grayish patches under the pits or on the knees, or elbows.

Just simple, daily things like "shaving and rubbing against rough fabrics (like winter wools) create friction," suggests Dr. Downie.

Your best beauty solution?

Oh, yes. The fade creams. That's where the much-talked-about hydroquinone ingredient always comes up in conversation.

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.

However, hydroquinone is also found in prescription-based fade creams which are given the thumbs up by most derms. So, most professional skin care experts would argue that the chemical is SAFE and effective in lifting dark skin.

With Ambi's fade cream, you get a choice. The company offers 2 types of fade cream: One for normal skin, and the other, for oily skin. Gotta love that!

To learn more about Ambi Fade Cream, click here.

Neutral Lover Bobbi Brown Presents: Turquoise

Okay, even we were fooled!

When one thinks of highly-regarded makeup artist Bobbi Brown, one sees beautiful neutral palettes in a sea of cosmetics harmony. Nothing too loud or wild.

Until now!

The no-nonsense celebrity makeup artist has recently launched a bright, bold nail polish in turquoise. We had to look twice, to make sure the name on the bottle did indeed say, Bobbi Brown.

And since we adore the sultry shade of turquoise, especially during those very hot, steamy summer days, we think this is a great choice for a very noticable mani/pedi.

It's all part of Bobbi Brown's Desert Twilight Collection ($18, a bottle, now at Sephora).

Would you wear this lovely flat, vibrant turquoise?

We would!

Bobbi's beauty tip: "Keep nails short and square with saturated colors like these."

She's also offering a rich, black chocolate plum shimmer, called 'Twilight Night.'.

Splurge-Worthy Facial Scrub For Perfectly Smooth Skin

$27 for an effective, facial scrub?!

Are you crazy!?

Well, we're just sayin'.....If you have a few extra bucks you're willing to spend for the sake of beauty, then why not try a really excellent face polisher.

This one is from the folks at Origins--Origins Never a Dull Moment Skin-Brightening Face Polisher at Macy's.

It's packed with good exfoliants including fruit extracts-like Papaya with ground apricot and mango seeds. The thick orange paste turns creamy and white when rubbed onto wet skin.

When you rinse the polisher/scrub away, you're left with radiant, smooth, baby-soft skin. And during these gritty, steamy summer days, we could all use a little extra strong exfoliation.

Avoid Makeup Melt: Finishing Spray To Keep Face In Place

We don't care how NON-Oily your complexion is, makeup can still melt on hot summer days. That means, you need to add one more step to your daily cosmetics routine.

It's known as a makeup finishing spray or makeup sealer, and the Skindinavia beauty company makes a great one. Maybe that's why Britney Spears, Madonna and Lady Gaga are all fans and use it BEFORE they go on stage:

Skindinavia Makeup Finishing Spray ($29, at Skindinavia.com).

Spritz on some of this AFTER you've applied your makeup---foundation, blush, bronzer or eyeshadow, and watch your makeup sit still! Especially on hot, humid, brutal days like we've all been experiencing across the U.S. and beyond.

And it's easy to use...For best results: Apply just before mascara. Spray 2-4 times in an “X” and “T” formation.

And this formula is supposed to allow makeup to sit pretty for up to 16 hours!

Take a look at Skindinavia Makeup Finishing Spray on YouTube. They do a steam stress test to prove it works well.

Even Hair Extensions Problems Can Happen To Stunning Supermodels

We LOVE Naomi Campbell! A super model with a stunning face and figure! And still, keeping it together at age 42.

The model was snapped enjoying her vacation-at-sea in Ibiza a few days ago. The British papers are having a field day showing off Naomi's balding tresses.

We are showing the photos to detail what can happen when one wears hair extensions and weaves for years. What appears to be occurring here, is called traction alopecia.

Naomi Campbell is still quite beautiful, but the damage done to her hair follicles is incredible.

How does traction alopecia occur?

When hair extensions pull on natural hair strands they can break, and usually the problem happens right above the forehead or at the sides, where hair is much weaker.

Thinning hair and bald spots can happen even from wearing a tight pony tail, high heat styling tools, and so on. We lost some hair last winter when we were using a small round brush on the left side of our hair in front.

What a nightmare!! We got the strands tangled severely, and couldn't remove the brush very easily. When we finally removed the round brush, we had ripped out about a quarter inch of hair strands. It wasn't noticable to everyone, but a new hairdresser caught it. We were embarrassed.

The moral of the hair story here:

Be very careful with extensions, weaves, styling tools, pony tails, etc. Everything in moderation! We're still waiting for the hair to fully grow back in (sigh).

Exuviance Launches No Injections Filler Cream To Zap Wrinkles

We all know that a topical treatment cannot replace injections to blast away wrinkles and fine lines...BUT, a few of these formulas CAN do a great temporary job.

One of these is a brand new beauty product--Exuviance Targeted Filler T5 ($75, at beauty stores like ULTA, and at NeoStrata).

We adore the folks at NeoStrata, who developed the popular Exuviance skin care line. And this cream filler is a quick, effective way to 'fill in' the look of deep lines/wrinkles.

A topical treatment is probably no match against Botox or fillers like Juvederm and Restylane, but it's a lot less cheaper, doesn't hurt, and can deliver results instantly!

Exuviance Targeted Filler T5 comes packed with a triple boost comboof CitraFill, NeoGlucosamine, and Matrixyl Peptides to encourage collagen production.

The creamy formula comes in a cool, syringe-type applicator with a high-precision soft tip pen. It's simple to use. Just zero in on the areas you want to plump up---forehead creases, crow's feet, naso-labial folds, etc. Apply the Exuviance rich cream directly to these lines, and massage in.

You WILL like what you see. We've been sampling the Targeted Filler T5 for more than a week now, and it's a wonderful beauty product. The filler action keeps your wrinkles plumped up for a few hours. This is a great instant fix for your own 'red carpet nights,' when you need more than a good moisturizer sitting on your skin.

In clinical trials, users reported significant, visible results in just 8 weeks.

Check out this FREE sample of Exuviance Targeted Filler T5 at ULTA.

Design Glassware by Mont Bleu: Crystal Nail Files For Best Manicure

If you file your nails with a simple emery board, you're really doing a disservice to your manicure. Believe it or not, the thin strip of cardboard sprinkled with powdered emery can snag, peel, or even break your nails.

We have found that glass nail files are the BEST quality accessory for shaping and smoothing a perfect, healthy set of nails. Plus, these files are elegant to carry around and last just about forever.

Our favorites are the crystal nail files from design-glassware.com.

Not only are these glass nail files pretty to look at with Swarovski crystals adorning them or brightly colored hues of orange, blue, red, etc., the quality of the glass is superior. That's the difference.

Design Glassware by Mont Bleu is a global leader in the crystal nail files business. It's all about the glass, and each one is made with superb-quality Czech glass. When you start your manicure, you will see the beauty in the smooth straight line you can achieve. An emery board can shred your nails by filing back and forth. Who desires a jagged edge of nails?

Another interesting fact to think about is the value of owning crystal nail files. These beauty accessories are friendly to the environment. In other words, these files are a worthy investment, because they do not wear out or have to be thrown away. Glass nail files are hygenic, washable, re-usable, and never become dull. Mont Bleu is proud of their life-long guarantee attached to each file.

Glass nail files by design-glassware.com come in a variety of stylish designs, including hand-painted files, a zodiac collection, an awesome 3-D stickers line, even some with silver figurines. We adore the Nefertity Glass Nail File--fit for the beautiful goddess in you. This figurine is made of bronze and covered with gold. There are also mini crystal nail files great for traveling or keeping in your makeup bag at all times.

Every woman needs a reliable nail file in their beauty accessories collection, and crystal glass is the only way to live on the 'smooth edge.'