Recently in Beauty Category

Take advantage of the limited-time special deal offered by Juara Skincare and Ippie Design: $50 in Juara products will get you a free pair of sterling silver Ippie earrings with Swarovski crystals ($45 value). Available while supplies last.

Juara is a natural line for face and body; you may have already seen it in the August 2009 issue of Elle. Ippie's fun, elegant jewelry has been featured on InStyle.com.

Beautystat.com has the solution for making your beauty dollar go further.

At last, a smart beauty social network site with no hidden agendas where users can trade secrets, reviews and interact with industry insiders. The final word on beauty products that deliver what they promise is now just a mouse click away. Beautystat is a social network made up of real women who share the goal of maintaining youthful, healthy and more beautiful skin. It is a forum where members can chat, exchange advice, blog and compare product results with other members having similar skin concerns. Analysis of the community statistics shows a broad representation of ethnicities, age groups, and interestingly, a growing number of male participants. "Beautystat's social network structure is conducive to members freely exchanging ideas without fear of being scrutinized. This is unlike many beauty forums online which predominantly feature women's beauty and skincare concerns, and can sometimes be limited in the cross section they address." Enthuses CEO and founder, and 20 year beauty industry veteran, Ron Robinson.

Ron has recently joined Allure Magazine's beauty advisory panel.  In this role, he will provide his expert opinion and review of the latest beauty products and technologies.  Ron Robinson launched BEAUTYSTAT.com after 20 years as a scientist and developer of many successful cosmetics and anti-aging skincare products for leading beauty companies, including Estee Lauder, Clinique, Lancome, Revlon and Avon.

In his product development tenure, Ron learned first hand that, despite the vast range of products marketed, not all women find the right product for their skin. Extensive market research and literally thousands of conversations taught him that these women were especially skeptical of exaggerated product claims, and were paradoxically overwhelmed by the number of product choices. He learned that ultimately, many of these women eventually found products that really worked by getting recommendations from friends and family members with similar skin types and conditions.In creating BEAUTYSTAT.com, Ron saw an opportunity to establish a network where women could get this type of advice from just such trusted sources. The site enables women to benefit from the successes--and the disappointments--of others, allowing them to make informed decisions about their beauty purchases.
 
In light of the current economic climate, Beautystat also helps people make educated choices on how and where to invest their beauty dollar. "Nearly 40% of women who responded to a recent market research study indicated they were dissatisfied with the performance of their skin care treatment products," says Ron Robinson. "Advice from peers and beauty industry insiders, is provided on a wide range of products that cater to different budgets and helps navigate through the marketing hype," states Ron. 
 
"Common complaints reported in a recent beauty survey are that there are too many confusing choices and hype from the typical marketing efforts," says Ron. 

Membership in Beautystat the site user to complete a questionnaire about personal skin issues and asks him/her to rate satisfaction with the beauty products used. This information is entered into ProductPool, Beautysat's exclusive database that enables members to receive product recommendations tailored to their needs. Beautystat does not support bias or favoritism toward any beauty company, product or tip. It simply reports on what works. Members can access podcasts, video interviews and blogs from other product users, key industry personnel and celebrities. "The integration of new media into the forum provides expert makeup and skincare application guidance, and provides current information on trends in the industry and on the street, which can often be overlooked in traditional media," highlights Ron Robinson.

A panel of dermatologists and skincare experts offer their advice on affordable products and treatments. "Being a seasoned veteran in the beauty industry and supported by a team of esteemed doctors and aestheticians allows people to access professional guidance and education unavailable outside the spa or doctor's office," states Ron Robinson. Seasonal hot items and industry "Buzz" are staple features on the site. Beautystat's goal is to provide a complete resource on all things pertinent to beauty. Additional Site Features
 
• Members can connect with others from all over the country who give honest opinions on beauty products that have worked (or not!) for them. 
• Members can stay informed on why others are feeling beautiful with the Twitter-like feature called "Right Now". 
• Members can get information on beauty product discounts and special promotions.
• Members can purchase many of their product recommendations from retailers that are linked to the site.
• Members can win gift certificates to beauty retailers and free product samples by inviting friends and answering survey questions in the site's "Voting Booth".
 
Not only does Beautystat service the public, the site also enriches and directly speaks to the industry by offering unbiased market research and consumer input into product development. "Beautystat gives the consumers the power to express their needs, concerns and in some cases, encourage companies to revive discontinued products," expresses Ron.

Ron has joined forces with seasoned beauty writer and editor Charu Suri, who joins as Editor-in-Chief. Charu brings several years of beauty journalism experience to the site and is also Editor of the nationwide drugstore glossy, Reinventing Beauty. She is a frequent contributor to major magazines and is Editor-in-Chief of her blog, Butterflydiary.com.
 
"Sometimes you need a little beauty help and Beautystat has the answers you're looking for. This new beauty community is tailored to give you the best product recommendations, specific to your needs. In this economy, more of us are being careful not to waste money on products we're not sure of." Enthuses beauty blogger Toma of Makeup Masala.

The Beautystat VIP program is another really great incentive.  This loyalty program affords members to score beauty prizes like makeovers at Chanel and Estee Lauder, and win beauty goody bags filled with some of the hottest new items in the beauty hemisphere.  "These prizes mimic the experience of beauty editors, such as myself, and allow members to experience a day in the life of a beauty editor," says Charu Suri, Editor in Chief of Beautystat.com.  "From the response to the giveaways we host on our parent site, members jump at these opportunities and always provide immediate feedback,"  adds Charu.

Log on to Facebook and Twitter join the fun at Beautystat.  Click to change the way you think about beauty.

Visit www.BeautyStat.com.  New York, New York

Tammy Gibson, a mother in Redlands, CA, owned an online retail boutique for expecting and new moms prior to starting her successful blog A Mom in Red High Heels. 

"I really felt there was a need to encourage moms to keep up their beauty routines during the early days of motherhood, as well as wearing fitted clothes that are stylish," she explains. "Discovering retail was not my calling, I wanted to continue sharing a message that I felt was important, so I started A Mom in Red High Heels to empower moms through beauty and style."

"I am inspired by other moms, my own experiences, and of course the beauty and fashion worlds. I think with the right clothes, beauty routine, and hairstyle, a woman feels better about herself and as a result of the great confidence, she tends to be a better mom." 

"The three special issues that moms face: lack of sleep, lack of time for herself, and a lack of budget," says Tammy. "A Mom in Red High Heels offers up beauty and style tips that moms can actually work into their hectic schedules to look effortlessly fantastic." 

"Beauty Product Reviews is a popular content area on the site. I have a team of moms that help review a variety of beauty products and we always note the 'Mom Value' for each product. As a product junkie, I have a ton of products from a variety of price points but other moms may not enjoy playing with products the way I do. They need to know what is worth their money, which products are multi-taskers and where the products are available. My mom panel team works to bring that information to the site." 

"Hair content is always very popular also! Far too often moms end up in the 'ponytail rut.' We offer a hairstyle makeover tool where readers can 'try on' new styles. We also make hairstyle makeover suggestions! A couple of moms have taken our advice and gotten some really great new looks!" 

"The future holds limitless opportunities, starting with the relationships the site already has," she says. "I've recently joined the Beauty Bloggerati

on DailyMakeover.com which is 'an elite group of beauty bloggers from across the country who scoop the latest trends, spill insider tips, and are addicted to reviewing products. They sniff, slather, smear, blend, buff, and blow-dry to bring you the latest beauty news every day.' I anticipate a lot of new opportunities with this relationship! I am also a part of Total Beauty's Blog Community, which has aided in building relationships with brands and learning more about professional blogging. I am also a Dictator for LuckyToes.com, a shoe shopping gallery put out by CitySearch." 

"I am currently looking for mom bloggers in the New York and LA areas to help attend beauty/fashion events so that we can cover more news for the readers," she says. "If you know any, e-mail me! My hope is to make A Mom in Red High Heels THE go-to beauty/fashion site for moms!"

"Finally, I do plan to write a book based on our site content. My husband is a good writer and has taken a variety of courses in writing books. I hope to enlist his help on the project after both my kids are in school fulltime."

To check out Tammy's tips and tricks, visit AMomInRedHighHeels.com. 

Usually, once a year, I spend about a week at the beach with my family.  When I do the beach thing I tend to abandon anything that reminds me of my every day routine, and that includes applying makeup and blow drying my hair.  During this week of taking a beauty break, so to speak, I noticed that my hair shined and my skin looked luminous.  Now I attribute much of this to the fact that I wear sunscreen on my face daily and I use good quality products on my hair, so every day care definitely makes a difference.  But taking a break from hair styling tools, daily application of hair products and daily layering on of makeup truly does give you and your looks a much needed breather.
 
Help for Your Hair

Did you know that one of the main causes of dry scalp is the brutal heat that screams out of your blow dryer?  While this is certainly not the case for every person, if you have dry scalp issues and blow dry every day, taking a break can show you if the blow torch, um, blow dryer,  is a culprit.  A lot of blow drying is also dehydrating to the hair strands themselves and is a frequent cause of split ends.  A great thing to do during your 'break from blow drying period' is to apply a deep conditioner and comb it through from roots to ends with a wide toothcomb.  Leave it on over night or while you are exercising.  A few rounds with a clarifying shampoo would be ideal too, as this break from applying hair products, coupled with the chelating shampoo, will really get your tresses truly clean and void of any build up.  And here's a smart tip when it comes to using your blow dryer:  dry your hair to about 80% percent, then you're done.  If you can let the last 20% air dry you will really be doing your locks a favor.
 
Face Reality

Think about all we do to our face in a normal day.  Cleansing, toner, moisturizer, some women apply foundation, concealer, blush, eye makeup, powder and brow related cosmetics.  That is a lot of layers of beauty products on top of the skin, so it's no wonder sometimes pores get clogged.  When you take a beauty break and don't apply makeup (continue to use your normal skin care routine), it's as though you are taking your skin on its own vacation!  You know how every day life piles up on you and you can sometimes feel like you could really use a break from all that weighs you down?  Well that is how your skin feels sometimes, with day after day and week after week of makeup suffocating it almost constantly!  When you are free of makeup for a week or even a few days, it gives your skin needed rest and a chance to 'detox'.  When I get a facial my skin feels so clean and healthy.  You can do your own steam, scrub, and mask at home, mimicking a spa visit.  Your skin will love this ~ trust me.
 
One Step Further

Why not take your beauty break one step further and remove all nail polish so your nails can rest and recuperate?  Use nightly doses of a rich hand cream and push back cuticles to keep them supple and healthy.  Soaking in a little lemon juice can help if your nail tips aren't as white as you'd like.  You can also massage in whitening toothpaste to help nails look brighter or soak in fizzy denture tablets with whitening power!
 
While much of beauty has to do with maintenance and constant grooming, leaving every thing alone can work wonders for you looks and your confidence, too.  After going a few days without the everyday makeup and hair helpers you rely on, you will come to appreciate what you were born with so much more.  The foundation is always what all else is built upon anyway, so take care of what you have naturally and let your own beauty shine through.

Photo Credit © Andi Berger | Dreamstime.com

As  a devoted wife of 18 years and a homeschooling mother of two preteens, Karen Rodriguez has taken her passion for teaching, coaching and training and started a blog on Fashion, Style & BEAUTI issues that the everyday woman faces (www.fashionstyleandmore.com). "I have and always will be an Entrepreneur at heart!" says Karen.

"As I began to think about what discussions to have on the blog, I realized that I had a wonderful arsenal of topics and solutions that I could easily work with.  Thus I took my love for business and my love for beauty issues and began to follow this new creative outlet before me.  Now I have the privilege to implement solutions for clients that want to update their looks or want to use quality skin care and spa products and help readers and clients reach their desired image goals." 

"I use sensible products and services (www.fashionstylecoach.com). My love for the products I use and the fantastic results have convinced me that I must share this with the women I know and the new friends that I will make in this journey called life.  I believe women are looking for cost effective solutions and my specialty is exploring options and solutions for them! Most of my inspiration comes from family, friends and different women that I have been blessed to meet."

Karen has a wonderful philosophy on helping others with their skin care questions. "First I must Listen, and then I must Understand what their Image and Skin concerns are so that I can provide solutions.  My desire to be an entrepreneur and mix my love for beauty and fashion is the driving force in connecting and sharing what I have to offer."

"My desire is to enrich the lives of women.  To help them reach their desired image goals and be known as the FashionStyleCoach and the Skin Fitness Coach.  I welcome the opportunity to serve clients and guide them in positioning themselves and/or their companies in the marketplace."  Karen loves to collaborate with other professional women specializing in services that will benefit my clients and creating a consulting TEAM approach for success in the marketplace.  "I'm looking to build a team throughout the US with women who share a similar vision and passion for helping others!   Women want flexibility and they are looking for their own ATM (Any Time Money)! I I want to be the leader in my industry that helps them find it!  In 2009 I hope to share my tips on Fashion, Style & More through venues like radio, newspaper, eZines & Blogs that address such."

Visit www.fashionstylecoach.com and www.fashionstyleandmore.com. 

With its comprehensive collection of affordable and results-driven teeth whitening systems, Whiter Image has quickly emerged as one of the leaders in the $14 billion dollar teeth whitening industry. Founded in November 2007, the Whiter Image product line has already been selected by over 160 distinguished resorts, salons, spas, and retailers including: Wynn & Encore Las Vegas, Trump Towers Las Vegas, Starwood VO, Treasure Island Las Vegas, The Greenbrier, Boca West Country Club, Planet Beach, and many others. Offering both a chair-side Premium Whitening System for salons and spas along with a Home Edition Kit and a unique TOGO Whitening Pen, Whiter Image's ongoing customer support, advanced formulations, affordability, and safety protocols have allowed the company to exceed all sales expectations and expand internationally.  Founding partner, Christi Wigle shared with me her background and inspiration around Whiter Image.

Christi, can you share a little bit about yourself and how you got started?

My passion for life is to make a difference and share a smile!  I love making people smile and feeling better about themselves.  As a previous Day Spa Owner and Teeth Whitening Center Owner, I was able to provide that every day and I loved it!  I took that passion and expanded my vision to develop new products that can create smiles all over the world.  Learning from my good and bad experiences, I am able to help others reach their goals through their own journey in life.   Along with my two business partners, we focused on our individual expertise to help make Whiter Image what it is today, a leader in this industry.

Where do you draw inspiration for your products and service?

My inspiration is drawn from my desire to create more smiles.  My philosophy is to make unique products that bring a smile from the moment they see our products on the shelf to when  they share the excitement of their results with their friends and family.  I believe we can all make a difference if we raise our level of excellence in all that we do.  For me, creating only the best products helps me achieve part of my destiny in life.  Especially for women, I want every woman to know she is beautiful, whether she is rich or poor.  Feeling beautiful is a state of mind and really doesn't take much.  It's a fact that everyone cannot afford diamonds or high end products that are used by celebrities and other wealthy individuals, as a result, I created Chic-Flic to allow every women to feel like she is worth a million dollars for all her unfailing efforts to keep everything going.  Women wear many hats every day, so this is a way of tipping my hat to her for her faithfulness and diligence in all she does!

Describe your best selling items and favorite experience with your profession?

Our best selling items so far are the TOGO Whitening Pen, but stay tuned for new products that will be introduced in early 2009.  I anticipate our new Chic-Flic TOGO Teeth Whitening Pen to be one of the hottest trendsetters for 2009.  Its unique appeal for avid teeth whiteners is coupled with the love of lip products for ladies everywhere!  I've layered this hot product with all the extras including sparkling crystals, L.E.D. lights, and a mirror to ensure a flawless application.  On the corporate or industry side, we are introducing the most advanced chair-side whitening formulation for the Spa and Salon market.  I believe you will see whiter smiles shining all over because of our new pre-filled mouthpieces.  I'm excited about this new product as it increases the number of smiles that Whiter Image creates!

As far as my favorite experience in this profession, I would have to say seeing countless women in tears as they look at their whiter smile.  Everyday we see customers that have never experienced the freedom of smiling without restraint because they were always embarrassed by their smile.  NOTHING gives you a better feeling than seeing that freedom through their tears of appreciation.  My Mom is one of them.  She was always ashamed of her smile, stained with remnants of tetracycline medication as a child.  After using our chair-side products, my Mom is so proud to show off her new smile.  Her teeth are no longer the dark, unbecoming color.  Her teeth may not be as white as any of her daughters', but that's not apparent by looking at her.  Her name is Joy and there is nothing holding her back from sharing the joy in her heart and appreciation to Whiter Image for giving back her smile.  As co-owner of the company and the daughter of one of my clients, it just doesn't get any more rewarding than this.

What are your plans for the future?

My desire for Whiter Image is to continue to be a prominent leader in the Industry and strive to introduce only the most innovative, advanced products in the teeth whitening industry.  If we create even one smile a day, it will be worth it.  I know we create more than just one new smile a day, and that feeling is indescribable, knowing you are making a difference in the lives of people everywhere.  I absolutely love what I do and will continue my passion for making a difference wherever I go and in whatever I do.

Visit www.whiterimage.com

bōbē: beyond ordinary bath essentials is a web-based business that Marlese Sears launched in 2005, in Saskatoon, SK Canada.  The unique name, an acronym for "beyond ordinary bath essentials," began as a funny family memory: a misspelled pet name. At the age of eight, Marlese's younger brother brought home a new fish, intended to be named "Bobby." Bobby's name was misspelled as "Bobe." The name stuck and now lives on through bōbē.

bōbē is independently woman-owned and operated, with a keen focus on customer service and satisfaction. Offering customers fresh, custom bath and body products, made to order.

Marlese's inspiration comes from everyday life in terms of the fragrances & flavours.  Often it stems from something that catches my nose or taste buds and it serves as the concept for something new being brought onboard.  I hope to evoke emotion or comfort on some level with the customer, in turn having a popular fragrance!  And since everyone has different emotions and moods, having a large variety of choices appeals to that.  I personally love to express myself with scents.

Our best selling item, hands down, is the Soy Fabulous Whipped Body Butter.  I get so excited about it because I haven't found anything quite like it on the market.  The consistency is whipped, light weight goodness and is a non-greasy formula.  A little bit goes a long way but because it is non-greasy it can also be applied liberally for a luxurious treat (ie. Pedicures or slathering it on at bedtime and wearing with socks/mitts for an intensive moisturizing treatment.)

Our lip balm is also a strong contender.  It is comparable to Lip Smackers with the range of flavour availability but we offer unique & some more grown up selections (but we do still have classic standards such as cotton candy, peppermint, & bubblegum).  Unlike many lip balms available today ours is neither runny nor waxy.  The ingredients allows for a staying power on the lips but is still supple and easy to apply.  Also with just a kiss of sweetness added you still have the flavor essence but not enough to initiate the vicious cycle of lip licking, which leads to even worse chapped lips.

What I enjoy the most with my profession is the interaction with the customers and hearing how excited they get about the product line.  Nothing makes my day more than being able to make a product that others get as passionate about as I do!

There are a few things people can expect to see in the future with bōbē

·         There will be new products launched

·         New fragrance & flavours will be introduced regularly throughout the year

·         Looking to offer private spa & esthetics services

Visit www.bobebathessentials.com. 

Recovering from cancer is both an emotional and physical challenge.  Blaire Kessler, owner of Pristine Recovery, Inc., knows first-hand the struggles one faces during cancer treatment.  Finding 100% natural products for her hair and skin became another challenge she faced.  Not satisfied with the current products on the market, she developed her own.

Blaire, can you share a little bit about your business and how you got started?

 I created products for myself due to a breast cancer diagnosis in 2005 right after giving birth to my daughter. I am a young survivor who, due to treatment, had major hair and skin/scarring issues. I did research and discovered that there werenʼt 100% natural products out there that included all of the ingredients I needed to get my pretty hair and skin back. I received some products from my friend, but was scared to use them because of chemicals and known carcinogens. In early 2007, my husband mentioned that my hair and skin were looking really good and thought the products might be able to help other people. He was right. I am confident my products can help others so I started my own company Pristine Recovery, Inc. I have collaborated with a team of professional chemists to create effective 100% natural, carcinogen free solutions for people like me who are looking in a new and healthy direction. As far as the packaging, I wanted the products not to come across as medicinal, so I incorporated an Old Hollywood Glamour motif with light-hearted/fun names. I want the people who are using them to feel good about themselves and realize they are beautiful inside and out.

Where do you draw inspiration for your products?

 Since I initially had no intention of mass producing my products until they did wonders for me during my treatment, I would say the inspiration has been the amount of good these products can do for everyone out there; not only people going through a tough time from medicinal use from cancer treatment. Since I was a young child in the 70's, my generation has been brought up with a lot of naivety towards certain things. I remember driving to Florida when I was young with no seat belt on in the car. Jumping from the back of the car to the front. I remember going to the beach and not really thinking about sun protection. I also know that there have been a lot of harmful things in a lot of our foods and cosmetics that no one paid attention to for decades. People are wising up to a lot of things. I think as a society we learn as we grow. Sometimes we have to go through tragedies and misfortune, but we do progress. There are now seatbelt laws in place, people are more cognizant about the sun, and I really believe people are more aware of healthy eating habits and all-natural cosmetics. It seems to me that everyone knows someone that has been touched by cancer. Why does it affect so many people? Is it the additives in our food? Chemicals in our cosmetics? When I went through my cancer treatment, I knew I was fortunate enough to catch it at an early stage and I was going to beat it. I also knew that coming out of this experience, I would be more aware of cancer causing agents. When I developed these products, a light went on and I realized that I needed others to benefit from this idea. My inspiration is both to help the people fighting this horrible disease and also for the people who truly want to live a green, healthy lifestyle to decrease any chance of them ending up getting cancer.

What products have been your best sellers?

As of now, we have 3 products. An aluminum-free and propylene glycol free deodorant, an all-natural scar and skin renewal body cream and a leave-in all-natural hair and scalp revival serum for dried out and damaged hair. All three smell fantastic, are very effective and I feel they are truly superior products.  

What are your future plans for Pristine Recovery?

My short-term plans are to develop a facial sugar scrub, shampoo and conditioner and all-natural tanning lotion, among others. Long-term is to spread the word on Pristine Recovery, get into great stores like Sephora and contribute a great deal to cancer charity organizations.

 

Visit www.pristinerecovery.com.  Raleigh, North Carolina