Archive for October, 2008

It was love at first sight with these vintage jewel adorned push pins from sfvictoriangirl. I used them to hang my jewelry in a shadowbox frame. They’re also great on a fancy paper covered framed cork board like so…

Although I am excited to see that there is an increased demand, it is a little frustrating to see so many “non-toxic” 3-free nail polish companies come out and declare their righteousness.  “3-Free” means free of Toluene, formerly used to make polish flow easily, Formaldehyde, sometimes used in nail hardeners, and Dibutyl Phtalate, a plasticizer formerly used to make polish more flexible. While I think Zoya, Sparitual and others are fabulous companies doing great things, in some sense I feel…what’s the big deal? Did you know that most drugstore AND salon AND department store brands are also 3 free? OPI, Revlon, Chanel, Nars, even Wet n Wild are all 3 Free!  The only one that isn’t that comes to mind is Essie. I think what I find a little frustrating about it is that I know some of us are willing to pay a premium for a more earth-friendly and safe product but the difference between a wet n wild and another brand may just be marketing. Certainly there will never be any such thing as organic nail polish but I am more a little more impressed with Acquarella and Suncoat water based formulas. I chose Acquarella for Spirit Beauty Lounge because it really lasts long, comes in great colors, actually leaves your nails hydrated and doesn’t even contain propylene glycol. The ingredients are simple: Acrylic polymer emulsion, Water, and non-toxic colorants (No FD&C). To me, that stands out amongst the rest. Even with 3 Free polish, the fumes will hit you when you open the bottle. If I can avoid that, I would rather. How about you?

In hard financial times, I have always taken comfort in life’s little luxuries. My go-to is a nice, long bath soak with a stack of magazines and a glass of wine. It costs a fraction of what a spa visit does but can be equally de-stressing and pampering. I may have to skip the $85 Brazilian waxes when I have to save some cash but I will always have the tub. Some of us would never give up a weekly manicure, others wont leave the house without mascara. The Presidential candidates were asked what part of their spending they would give up in light of this economic crisis and it seems like they both had a hard time answering! Is there one product or treatment that you will not be cutting out no matter what? What will be the first cut in your beauty budget?? Salon Blowouts? high end moisturizers? I look forward to hearing your answers!

People ask all of the time if it’s ok to use a cleanser from one line and a moisturizer from another. My answer is: I don’t recommend it. Skin care companies develop product lines to work together and the performance of one product can be affected by another. While this may sound like an unfounded excuse to get you to be brand loyal, there is some truth to it. I recently tried using my old toner after washing my face with my new cleanser, which I usually use with my new toner. I noticed that because the new cleanser is more astringent, their toner is more hydrating while the reverse was true for the old line. Both lines when used exclusively, performed very well but in combination, left my skin too dry. Your skin may also be getting overdosed on certain ingredients when you use products that are not designed to balance each other. Some ranges use more oils in their cleansers than others. If you are getting too much oil between one cleanser and another moisturizer, your skin may become congested. The same is true for some drying or peeling ingredients.

So what do you do if you want to try using a new product without going all out and buying the whole line? In a perfect world you might consider giving your skin a 24-48 hour break in between switching to another line and then at that time, trying samples of the whole range. When that is not possible, I suggest trying the product independently first. If you are trying a cleanser, skip the toner and the moisturizer for a day to get a feel for the balance. Then incorporate what you feel your skin needs. Keep an eye on stronger ingredients, making sure not to “OD” on them. Remember that it takes skin about two weeks to fully adapt to the pH of new skin care products and regimens. An initial breakout or inflammation is sometimes normal. Two weeks is a long time to get through but sometimes it is necessary and all the more reason to use products that don’t counteract each other.

Face Serum. You’ve been hearing about them everywhere but you’re probably still wondering; Do I really need an extra step in my skin care routine? How are they different from moisturuzers? How do I know which one is right for my skin? We’ve compiled a guide to everything you need to know about our pure, organic face serums! Click Here to check it out now! Find out which one is right for you and get 10% off at spiritbeautylounge.com with the coupon code: SERUM10. Offer Valid until 10/29/08.