and the winner is...

Donna Fuson! Journey with the King

all the names in a bowl

I let my 3 year old daughter draw the name, to be extra fair!



the winner!



Donna, please send an email to jessikapoodle@gmail.com with your address and I'll get this delicious sunscreen in the mail right away.  Congratulations!

enter to win!

Comment on this post and tell me what you love most about your skin and/or face.  The winner will get a trial size of the coveted, apple scented, Oxygen Botanicals SPF 30 Total Sun Protection just in time for summer!

Winner chosen at random on March 16, 2011.  Winner must live in the United States or have an APO address.  This is an sealed, 8ml trial size (not the photo above.)

error free coverage

Finding a foundation that you love can be hard and trial and error can be expensive.  Here are a few tips and recommendations to help you chose the right coverage, finish, and product.

To get the right foundation you need to not only pick the correct shade but the one with the same tones as your skin.  To figure out what your skin tone is turn over your wrist.  Are your veins blue, green, or a bit of both?  If the veins are blue you're likely to have cool undertones (more pink), if the veins are green you likely have warm (yellow) undertones, and if the color is a combination of the two you're probably neutral (a combination of pink and yellow.)  Once you've decided what skin tone you are, pick the correct tone and shade and apply the makeup in a thick streak from your face to your  jaw to your neck.  Let the makeup sit for about a minute and then see what color pops up within the streak.   If it turns yellow then you may need to go with a more cool color, if it turns pink then you'll likely need a warmer color.  If the tone and color look correct, blend to be sure it will work with your face and neck.

Now that you've figured out your color and tone you'll want to decide what kind of coverage you want as well as the type of finish you'd like.  Coverage options are sheer: evens complexion does not cover imperfections, medium: balances skin tone and texture but may not cover things such as broken capillaries, full: fully covers imperfections.  Finish options are matte, satin, and natural.  Back in the day everyone went for matte, that had absolutely no shine and looked very artificial.  Our generation tends to be more drawn to a natural dewy glow.  Seriously, just don't do matte (unless you're being photographed.)

I absolutely love tinted sunscreens.   Tinted sunscreens look natural and sheer, but can be built up for further coverage.  They're also great for anyone with acne as they're not thick so they don't build up on any bumps you may have.  My favorite?  Tarte Smooth Operator SPF 20.  Free of parabens and other yucky gunk, this stuff is as natural as you can get for coverage without smearing mud on your face.  My second, and more affordable choice is Cover Girl Aqua Smoothers SPF 15. 

For those with aging skin, a medium coverage foundation is the best possible way to go.  These foundations cover more of the imperfections that you want to hide but don't fill in cracks making wrinkles more obvious.  I love my Youngblood Liquid Mineral Foundation which is hydrating, full of ocean minerals, and paraben free.  To build coverage on top of a medium foundation, look for a mineral foundation that's got a light, fine texture.  I also use Youngblood for my mineral foundation and seriously, love this stuff.  It's good to go every day.  Youngblood Natural Mineral Foundation.

Full, heavy coverage can be tricky.  If you have any bumps or wrinkles, a full coverage foundation can make them appear worse instead of more concealed.  If your skin isn't perfect, it's absolutely imperative that you use a primer with these heavier liquids.  Almost everyone can go with a clear primer as tinted tends to make your overall tone look a bit unnatural.  Smashbox Photo Finish Primer is puuuretty awesome.  The trick to applying the primer/foundation combination is to first put on a small bit of primer, especially under your eyes, and let it dry.  I know it's tempting to put the foundation on immediately afterwards but no, just walk away!  Once the primer is dry feel free to apply the foundation at will.  Dab with a sponge at any place where, despite the spackle, heavy color has fallen into cracks.   If you're looking for a heavy coverage foundation for a photo shoot, definitely look into Givenchy Photo'Perfexion Fluid Foundation .

So there you have it, your fake-amazing-skin coverage options!  Happy concealing!

professional vs. over the counter

It's a hard thing to swallow, but there is a different between professional and OTC brands.   To help a client realize what their skin is missing out on, first you must explain a few things: layers of the skin, how our skin takes in ingredients, and cosmetic product laws.

The Epidermis is the outer layer of the skin and is composed of 5 sublayers.  This top layer is made of keretinized, dead skin cells and acts as a water barrier.  Below that is the dermis, which is composed of 2 sublayers.  The layers in the dermis contain collagen (which provides strength), elastin (which provides elasticity), and glycosaminoglycans.  Unlike the layer of dead skin, this layer contains nourishing and anti aging ingredients. 

Products that are made of large-molecule ingredients have a hard time penetrating the top layer of skin and getting to the important layers below.  Many OTC moisturizing products contain mineral oil, which has a huge molecular structure and just sits on top of the skin.  It's sitting on top of the epidermis, possibly moisturizing dead skin, and keeping your skin from breathing.  In addition to that, OTC products contain mass amounts of artificial colors and fragrances, alcohol, fillers, and low amounts of the performance ingredients that make the difference.  Their products don't penetrate the top layer and that might be a good thing, considering all of the junk in them. 

Yes, even beloved brands such as Clinique, Estee Lauder, and Lancome fall into this low performance ingredient category.  Recently I was looking at a Clinique ingredient label and was shocked at how much alcohol it contained, before any of the active ingredients.

I know this still sounds like a bunch of bologna to you so I'll tell you the main reason OTC products aren't as good as professional.  The FDA does not allow over the counter products to penetrate the epidermis and when OTC products claim to contain collagen etc but can't get down to the layer that produces and works with collagen, what's the point?  They may improve the appearance of your skin, but they aren't really working towards the long-term goal of improving your skin.

Many professional and cosmeceutical ingredients are intended to improve the skin's health as well as appearance.  They contain stronger performance ingredients that may cause biochemical reactions and physiological effects to the skin.  This is possible because they're able to penetrate into your dermis. 

I don't knock all OTC products and must admit that I still swear by Oil of Olay moisturizer when I can't get my hands on a profesional product.  But here are the facts for you to consider.  Life-long changes and improved skin appearance, or just improved appearance of dead skin cells? 

Happy money spending!  ('cause you know, now you want to go buy professional products haha.)

shiny happy lips (holding hands?)

Forget the title, I just had "Shiny Happy People" by R.E.M. in my head.  And now that you do too, let's move on.

This is just a short little ditty today as my entire household is sick, including myself.  All the nasal back up seems to have lead to writers block so for now I'm just making a lippy recommendation. 

I've discovered the most amazing, moisturizing, SPF'ing, smell gooding lip balm ever.  On top of all those good "ing" qualities I just listed, it's got an SPF of 15.  When a chapstick feels this good and smells this good, remembering to put sunscreen on your lips gets way easier.  Check out the long list of positive attributes at Evolution of Smooth (E.O.S) lip balm

For some reason the little egg shape that screws on and off makes me love my new chapstick even more.  My favorite thus far is Lemon Drop.  It feels so natural on my lips, and has a gorgeous smell but not an outrageous teenage lip taste. 

Other flavors include summer fruit, honeysuckle honeydew, medicated tangerine, and sweet mint.  I personally pick up mine from Wal-Mart, next to the candy, just as I'm about to check out.  However many stores are carrying this product now, so keep your eyes open!  Happy lip-loving! 

vitamins for skin care and weight management

I'm a fan of easy fixes, the less work involved the better!  So it's no surprise that I'm a fan of vitamins to help with weight management and skin care.  Here's a short list of supplements/vitamins that have worked for me or I've seen work in others.  Please feel free to add your own in the comments!

Acidophiles: Helps regulate your digestive track.  For those multitudes of women who are stopped up... this means pooping more, and that's beautiful.

B2: Vitamin B2 helps break down carbohydrates, fats, and protein for use by the body. Its role in maintaining an energy supply for the body is crucial, as it helps convert carbohydrates into a compound needed to store energy in muscles.

B5: This amazing vitamin has been proven to cure acne and reduce pore size.  Cell multiplication increases with B5 and the regenerated cells restore the wounded area.

B12: One of the most popular B Vitamins.  It's a co enzyme that is necessary to metabolize fats and carbohydrates. It  assists in  proper digestion and absorption of foods, and gives increased energy. 

B Complex: This is a combination of all eight B Vitamins in one pill.  While it's not necessary to ingest all of these vitamins, the Super B Complex might be an easy option for those that want to lower the amount of pills they're taking daily.  The downfall of B-Complex is that you're getting less of the B Vitamins you want and more of those you don't.

CoQ10: I love this stuff and I think anyone over the age of 25 should take it because as we get older we produce less on our own.  This vitamin helps produce 95% of your body's energy and helps neutralize the free radicals that kill collagen and elastin.  It is also has many heart and health benefits.

D: This is known as the sunshine vitamin and like the sun, can greatly improve your outlook on life and boost your metabolism. But unlike the sun it won't give you skin cancer, heeey!  Great for those with seasonal depression.  Can be taken in a pill combined with Calcium for ease.

E: Vitamin E is an immune system booster and it fights free radicals, helping to keep your skin young and vibrant as well as fight off scarring.  Very low doses are recommended for digestion so if you decided to take this supplement, do you research/ask a doctor.

Omega 3: This stuff can make you smart and I think that's a beautiful thing.  Omega 3 has too many benefits to list so check out omega-3.us for more information on this wonderful supplement. 

legal mumbo jumbo: please check with your doctor before beginning any new vitamin routine yada yada yada...

taboo shapewear

Let's face it, not everyone has rock hard abs or love handles that they actually love.  So in honor of women everywhere that can't afford liposuction, tummy tucks, and who don't want to spend the rest of their life in their husband's over-sized shirts... let's discuss shapewear.

From size 0 to size 22, shapewear can be a positive alternative to feeling lumpy, bumpy, and just plain down on yourself.  Today's shapewear is comfortable enough for all-day wear and pretty much undetectable underneath your clothing. 

Let's go over the options.  Camisoles are great for everyday wear, they come in a variety of styles and colors.  For a light shaping that won't actually suck you in but gets rid of the bumps, try a tank-top like shaper such as Flexees Fat Free Tank Top.   For more umph, check out ASSETS Fantastic Firmer Tank and Maidenform Control It! Camisole.  While these shapers do the job, they do tend to push in the girls along with everything else.  If you want to let the pups out, look for a cami with an open bust such as SPANX Open-Bust Camisole.   Similar, less expensive versions of these can be found at your neighborhood Kohl's and even Wal-Mart, so keep an eye out.

Tip: with these tops, always tuck them into your pants/ underwear/ whatever it is you have on down there.  If you don't, you'll end up with a serious roll within seconds of sitting down.

For those with arm issues, there are shapers out there for you as well.  I don't know how comfortable they are but sometimes feeling good about yourself is worth a few awkward hours.  Consider Maidenform Firm Control Arm Toning Top.

Many women don't wear shapewear on the daily basis but for nights out on the town in a slinky dress.  While there are options like SPANX Higher Power High-Waisted Power Panties, I tend to think that such designs roll down too easily.  Check out shapewear slips that will give you a smooth silhouette in a dress such as Body Wrap Lites Bra Slip which can be worn strapless or with. 

see?  hot chicks love shapers!

With so many different varieties out there, many of which I haven't mentioned, there's no reason that you can't find a piece or pieces that work for you.  Let yourself be vain and trick the world for a moment, so that you can look and feel like a star.  Because yes, the stars are all sucked in with shapewear too.  Happy shaping!