Wink . . . Kind of gross, kind of pretty

Monday mornings are usually pretty rough for me - no matter how many March Madness basketball games I napped through on Sunday, I still am not quite ready for the 6 am alarm.  And neither is my face. Even after my walk with Little Dog, my skin is blotchy and my eyes are puffy. A warm shower and some moisturizer works wonders for my skin, but my eyes are tougher. On your average workday, I don't worry about it, but there is a trick you can use when it really matters - wedding days, presentations, Twilight DVD release parties . . . the usual. 

The trick? Preparation H. 

I know, the idea is a little gross, but the science makes sense. It's a vasoconstrictor, meaning it narrows blood vessels, reducing swelling. I've heard the cream works better than the gel, since it rubs in slightly better. It doesn't work on everyone (depends how puffy and sensitive your skin is) and you should test it on your skin BEFORE a big day, just in case. But sometimes knowing I look more prepared for a Monday/Twilight Party than I may feel makes it a little easier to get through. 

Soul . . . Dove's "Onslaught" Video

My friend who just had a baby girl sent me this video that made her think about how she can raise a daughter that feels beautiful , even when the beauty industry or mainstream media can make us feel so ugly at times: 

Since I don't have any kids, this video made me think of me and my friends. For many of us, no matter how much our parents/schools/clubs talked to us about body image and self esteem, there were times in our lives when we felt ugly compared to all the images of "perfection" that we see in television and magazines. We grew up with an onslaught, certainly, though I felt it more at some times (i.e. MIDDLE SCHOOL) than others. 

So as a mother one day or a friend now, I want to be a voice against the onslaught, reminding the people in my life of what makes them beautiful - not in a generic "love yourself!" kind of a way, but by pointing out the unique, beautiful things about them that I love. 

Glow . . . Cream foundation

I'm a die-hard powder mineral makeup junkie. Ever since I discovered Bare Escentuals in college I have refused to try any liquid foundation - I find it heavy, oily and shiny.

For the sake of the blog- I am SO dedicated to you, readers- I tried two cream foundation samples this week that are targeted for people with oily skin who don't like the heavy feel of liquid foundation. . . and I was surprised to find I liked both of them.

First one I tried was Perfekt's Skin Perfection Gel ($57):

It is oil-free, paraben-free and water-resistant. It's amazingly matte-tifying (I know, not a technically a word, but you get what I mean, so it probably should be) and I almost am not sure whether "foundation" is the right term for this product because it is so light in its coverage. I put it on half of my face and took a look in the mirror and was amazing by how much it didn't look like I was wearing foundation but how much better I did look. I'm not sure if it's coverage or highlighting or how exactly this gel makes my skin look both even and luminous without looking covered. In fact, the shade I tried was called Luminous, but I think I could have gotten away with Radiant too.

One word of warning - there were some mixed reviews of this on Sephora.com, so it might not be for everyone, but if you have oily skin and love Bare Escentuals, I think this is worth a try.

The second one I tried was Lancome's Magic Matte ($37).

I have been using this for the last few days straight - I love it! It's almost the inverse of Bare Escentuals: instead of being a powder that goes on like a liquid, it's a liquid that goes on like a powder. It's perfect for my skin, which tends to get shiny along the T-zone (nose, chin and forehead) in the mid-afternoon. It's very light, and feels just as breathable as my Bare Escentuals powder - which is pretty impressive for a cream foundation. The coverage is unbeatable and it lasts throughout the day without heavy application in the morning or a touch up at lunch.

Care . . . Love your moisturizer

I didn't really learn how much difference a moisturizer could make until a few months before my wedding when I signed up for a skin consultation at my local spa. I always thought I had oily skin, since I tended to breakout and struggle with shine, so I was surprised and even a little dubious when the esthetician told me I had combination skin that -at the moment- was seriously dried out. She explained that by using such strong astringent cleansers, I was stripping my skin of the moisture it needed and so it was over-producing oil to try to rehydrate itself. She gave (well- sold) me some cream based cleaner and heavy moisturizer and my skin really did transform over the next few months. 

At the Skincare 101 class I attended, I learned even more about how important having moisturized skin is. The specialist giving the presentation explained that skin has a very precise pH balance and we need to maintain that balance, not fight it, to have our best skin possible. If we use products that are either overly acidic or overly alkaline, we might unbalance our skin's pH. When you wash your face and it ends up feeling tight or squeaky-clean, that means you've taken off your acid mantle, which is a protective layer over our skin, protecting it from bacteria that cause acne. 

So how do you best take care your skin? 

- Use a cleanser with a neutral pH (try Clarins One-Step Facial Cleanser, $32)

- If your skin feels tight after cleansing, use a toner to restore the acid mantle (I like the Dermalogica Multi-Action Toner, $24)

- Find a good moisturizer for your skin type: If you have dry skin , try an oil-based moisturizer(I love Hope in Jar by Philosophy!); Combination/Oily, make sure it's oil-free (try Peter Thomas Roth's)

A little boost

I don't know if you've noticed, readers, but I've been in a bit of a rut lately. Maybe it's post-vacation malaise, maybe it's that two of my favorite samples ran out this week, maybe it's just a mid-blog-life crisis . . . but the blog needs a boost. 

And so I introduce to you, hot-off-the-press!, Pretty Analyst daily themes. I know, I know - so many blogs have cutesy themes, but I promise these are cutesy and relevant and will result in more posts, so you win! Here is what you have to look forward to - 

Wink - 

Mondays will be all about eyes

Kiss - 

Tuesdays are lip-licious

Care - 

Skincare Wednesdays

Glow - 

Thursdays are about fabulous foundations and all-over face color

Soul - 

Since it's not all about lip shine, some food-for-thought and 

inner-beauty tid-bits on Fridays

Love - 

Some of my favorite products, finds or random thoughts 

to titillate you on the Weekends

I'll be kicking off tomorrow with some skincare tips that I learned at Canyon Ranch, so get ready! As I kick this off, let me know what you think - love it? hate it? Too cheesey? Just right? Let me know!

APB . . . PerriconMD Sale

PerriconMD Skincare is up to 75% off at Sephora right now - they decided to redo their packaging, I guess. Same product, old package, slashed price? Sold!

Stock up here. 

Blush that lasts all day

Got an email this week from one of the readers (love getting mail!), asking about a blush that will last all day. I've got two picks for you: 

1. Du Wop Cheek Venom ($24)

The great thing about this product is that it's a cream that uses cinnamon to bring out your natural blush color in addition to it's own rosy hue. It truly lasts all day, because it's a cream and because it draws on your skins natural coloring. I know some people are wary of cream blushes because they get all over their hands when they're applying, but I found this one to rub on easily with my fingers but washes off with soap quite nicely as well. 

2. MAC Bronzing Powder ($21)

So I realize this isn't technically a blush but I had to put it on here because I was taking a cardio interval class last week and the instructor had the most amazing flush to her skin - and it stayed on through the WHOLE cardio class. It was amazing. Sweat did nothing to this cheek color. When I asked what she was wearing, she said it was actually a bronzer, she just applied it as if it were a blush and it was a darker shade than her skin, so it worked like a blush. Let's just say this held up much better than my skin did through 40 min of treadmills. Goodness. 

Things I never knew about nails . . .

As a disclaimer, I have terrible nails. I chew them, I forget to cut them, I shape each one differently and I never wear polish. So you should NEVER take Nail Care advice from me.

You should, however, take it from the Salon Specialist at Canyon Ranch. I went to a presentation by her on "Healthy Nail Care" and learned SO much. My nail-life has been changed forever. Here are the cliff's notes from the talk:

- It all starts with the cuticle. A healthy cuticle means a healthy nail because it is the layer of skin that protects where the nail is grown.
- The first step in a healthy cuticle is a well-moisturized cuticle. If at all possible, use cuticle oil and hand cream on your nails every night before bed. It'll take two minutes a day but does wonders to prevents such painful nail no-no's as nail ridges, hangnails, infection and split nails.
- The correct shape to cut/file your nail is the natural shape created by where the pink of your finger beneath the nail meets the white of your nail edge. If the majority of your nails have a rounded line there, do rounded - if square do square, etc.
- Most polishes have a LOT of formaldehyde in them to promote drying. To avoid too much exposure to this chemical, use a quality base coat and top coat, OR use a vegan nail color like SPA Ritual.
- Your nail 'knows' how thick to grow based on how heavy the nail bed is. So a light nail bed promotes stronger nail growth. This is why fake nails often result in weak natural nails when the fakes are removed. To keep your nails growing strong, try to not always wear polish on them. Alternate weeks or even seasons to keep your beds lights.

More to come but I'm off to more AMAZING classes.

PS I went to a Skincare 101 Lecture today and they were ALL ABOUT the Clarisonic. Love it!