The Blonde Diaries

Summer PSA: Sunscreen is your friend!

I have been wanting to write this post all week but had yet to figure out how to start it out. I realized there really is no fun or witty way other than:

Sunscreen is Your Friend!!!

So what is this post about? Well, we are only 1 week away from the official start of summer vacation (Memorial Day weekend) and many folks will be heading to the beach and doing more fun outdoor activities in the hot sun. Sunscreen is a very important part of the equation that many people forget and they should not. Not regularly wearing sunscreen can do many things to your skin: cause wrinkles, leave scaring from 2nd and 3rd degree burns, burn you and cause you to flake for 2 weeks, and lastly can result in skin cancer. I’m not sure about you but those potential side effects of the sun do not sound appealing to me.

How to prevent unflattering side effects: obviously wear sunscreen and wear something that will do the job every time you go outside even if its only for 30 minutes. SPF (skin protection factor) is a factor and you should go with one that you are comfortable with. Many dermatologists will tell you that after SPF 30 they are all the same. I tend to go with the highest number I can that also does not clog up my pores and reapply a thin layer of spray sunscreen every hour or two hours I am outdoors. I really love the Neutrogena line of sunblock and they have a fabulous feeling spray sunblock that cools you off. Also, look for waterproof sunscreen but realize it’s mainly waterproof against rain, drizzling showers, and short swims. Waterproof does not mean you can get in and out of the water and not reapply. You should reapply sunscreen each time you towel off from a swim.

If you do end up with a burn - aloe vera is soothing and healing. Aloe from the actual plant works the best I have found followed by green aloe at the store - not sure what is in the blue version but that tends to make my burns worse. Also sleep and some IB Profin help speed up the healing process.

Have a happy and safe summer in the sun!

Are you ready for Mother’s Day?

Mother’s Day is May 11, 2008. Are you ready with a gift in hand? If not maybe these ideas will help you out. I will admit I was not quite sure what to give my own mom for Mother’s Day this year. I ended up creating a goody box at Sephora and shipping it to her. I focused on items that I enjoy and that I knew she’d never buy herself like whipped body butter and a metallic blue case with 5 makeup brushes included. I also purchased a summery beauty palette that I thought would work well for her vacation next week so I hope it looks as good in person as it did online!

But if beauty items aren’t her thing or maybe you can’t make it to the store for a last minute gift then think about possible online shopping sprees tomorrow afternoon. Many online sites are running specials this weekend for Mother’s Day with free shipping or a % off the total order.

One last reminder for this Mother’s Day: don’t forget your mom-to-be! With the weather changing and new fashions arriving in the stores daily maternity clothes would be an excellent option along with a much needed foot massage/pedicure I’m sure.

Well I hope you all have a fabulous Mother’s Day tomorrow and if you haven’t finished your shopping you better start moving!

Summer Beauty Buys

I am super excited that it is offically spring and summer is right around the corner. I know most people in the south don’t really look forward to the summer (especially here in Texas with 96+ degree heat and humidity) but I do. Why you may ask… because it means I can pull out my summer makeup. Fall and winter nudes/browns while they are pretty just aren’t as fun as summery golds and bronzers.

So my favorite summer items are:

• Cargo eye shadow duo in Corsica (blue and shimmery gold)
• Stila eye shadows in Prize (gold) and Moonlight (white)
• Too Faced duo in Denim and Diamonds (blue and white)
• Stila eye shadow in Cassia paired up with Urban Decay’s Stalker (Shimmery Purple)

But while you are lightening up your eyes don’t forget you need to lighten up your lips as well.  Pale lip glosses rather than dark lipsticks should do the trick.  I tend to stick with Stila lip glaze in grapefruit or my Too Faced Lip Smacker in a pale but bright pink.  The rest of your makeup should be fine going from winter to summer if you go with a basic neutral shades and light to medium weighted foundations.

If makeup is not your thing but you want to welcome in summer don’t forget to check out the Philosophy 3-in-1s.  They have a wide range of scents and I just finished my Double Rich Hot Chocolate one and will be opting for Frozen Lemon Custard for the summer months.   Lightening up your bath soap like this can be a lot of fun as well!

Makeup Application Tips

I find applying makeup to be a work in progress for me.  Meaning I’m always on the lookout for new tips and tricks to speed the process up or to change my “look”.  Othertimes though I just need a tip on how to correct “issues” that either occur naturally or that I create .    

I’ve compiled a listing of my own tips and tricks that I hope will be as helpful for you as they have been for me.  I look forward to any tips you may have so please leave a comment below!

• When planning to wear eyeshadows with glitter in them, apply with a wet brush/applicator by patting gently all over your eyelids.
• Also, when wearing shadows with glitter, apply your eyeshadow first then you base.  That way if you need to get the glitter off you can use a piece of scotch tape to pick it up and not take off any of your foundation leaving your makeup uneven.
• If you have trouble curling your lashes apply a light heat (via hair dryer or car heater vents) to the curler before curling your lashes.  Heating your curler will have the same effect on your eyelashes as a curling iron on your hair.  Be careful though and check the temperature of the metal before applying to your lids as you can burn yourself if you overheat your tool.
• Don’t be afraid to use your fingers to blend.  Sometimes brushes don’t do the trick when trying to blend colors so try blending with clean fingers.  Your ring finger is best as it isn’t as strong as your pointer and middle fingers.
• Trying to make your pout a little bigger?  Apply your lipstick first and then dot some clear or light colored lip gloss in the middle to give the illusion of fuller lips.
• Need to set your nail polish quickly?  Place your fingers in cold water after applying polish for 30 seconds.  The cold water will help set the polish.

Beauty Bag: The Au Naturale Look

Growing up I often got the “au naturale” look confused with the “neutral” look.  I often thought they were one in the same meaning mostly boring brown hues.  I also thought the thought of an au naturale look created through applying makeup was a bit of an oxymoron.  Seemed silly to apply makeup to look like you weren’t wearing any!   Little did I know that the au naturale look didn’t need to be dull, boring, brown, or caked on.  By my usual methods of trial and error thanks to Sephora and my love of visiting message boards I created my own beauty bag for an au naturale look that works for me.  I find the lightness of the tinted moisturizer give me a subtle glow and evens out the skin tone without putting on a heavy foundation, the shimmer in the eyeshadow delivers a nice pick-me-up for brown tone, and the blush gives the perfect hint of color without looking silly.  While the name is a bit silly it is one of THE BEST beauty staples so don’t worry about bringing it to the checkout with you.  Everyone seems to keep it in their beauty bag.    

• Stila Tinted Moisturizer - available in 9 shades!
• clear mascara to shape brows into place
• Benefit’s Lemon Aid eye shadow base - can double as a concealer
• Stila eye shadow in Kitten or Urban Decay’s eye shadow in Sin - light shimmery beige eyeshadows
• Nars Blush in Orgasm just on the apples of your cheeks - soft peachy pink shade
• She Uemura Basic Black Mascara - subtle black mascara
• Chapstick/lip gloss of your choice - such as Kiehls lip balm, blistex, or Stila lip gloss in vanilla or brown sugar

 Happy Shopping!