Latina Beauty

If you’re addicted to heat-styling tools or live in a dry environment that causes el pelo to look drier than the Sahara desert you may want to try Motions Salon Hair Care Oil Moisturizer Hair Lotion.

I was a little skeptical about the product when I received a sample from the company’s PR Chicas since I don’t have relaxed, pressed or weaved hair.  And while it’s a great product for those types of pelos, it also does a good job for chicas like me who have medium to coarse hair and over-use heat styling tools but don’t want to spend a ton of $$$ on heat-protectant products.

All you need is a little bit of the product on wet pelo prior to blow-drying to protect it and get smooth and silky melenas.  While the instructions recommend about a dime-size quantity, I would say a little less than that for past-the-shoulder pelo is probably better unless you have a serious case of dryness.   Also, use s-p-a-r-i-n-g-ly along the hairline and roots if you like to wash el pelo once or twice a week.

This product is formulated with shea butter to hydrate, panthenol to strengthen and keratin to protect el pelo from heat damage.  It also comes in oil-free and light-oil variations.

Motions Salon Hair Care Oil Moisturizer Hair Lotion at drugstores, Target and Kmart stores nationwide for $3.99.

You’d never know the number of hours I put in at the office from the look of mis ojos.  ¿Porque? Because I’ve using the new Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Fatigue Eye Cream.  Thanks to it I have no puffiness, pronounced lines around the eyes or dark circles to show for all those long, brutal nights.

This refreshing eye cream brightens this delicate area and reduces the appearance of fine lines and dark circles.  It contains one of my favorite antioxidants–vitamin C, which boosts surface-cell regeneration–as well as magnesium to energize and hydrate and lycopene to protect against environmental aggressors.

If you are very sensitive around the eye area, you will particularly love this product.  Recently, that area got super sensitive for me (after using a much too strong eye makeup remover) and this was the only eye cream that didn’t sting and further irritate la piel.  Bonus?  The formulation is 100% oil free and sinks in leaving the area moisturized and soft.

Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew Anti-Fatigue Eye Cream sells for $13.49 and you can find it at drugstores and supermarkets nationwide.

Hola Chicas

About a couple of weeks ago I held my first product giveaway.  The giveaway basket was valued at $70 and included full-size samples of Head & Shoulders Dry Scalp Care Shampoo & Conditioner and other hair goodies.  And finally, here are the two winners, who were selected at random.

• The Jaded NYer
• Tessie G.

¡Felicidades!

To read the review on Head & Shoulders Dry Scalp Care Shampoo & Conditioner click here.

Hola Chicas,

I’d like to apologize for the absence of posts this week.   Unfortunately, my day job got a little more hectic than usual and I was unable to write at all.  I was actually in Los Angeles all of last week due to a client launch event, which kept me working around the clock.  La buena noticia is that my event is over and I’m back in New York.  I have tons of beauty news to tell you and posts will continue as usual as of mañana.  Please stay tuned and again I’m sorry that I’ve kept you waiting.

Besos,

Claudia

If you are a fan of olive oil, you should definitely look at products that contain olive leaf extract–AKA OLE.

Bellezas who suffer from rosacea and cystic acne will especially love this ingredient’s anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-histaminic effects and find it will help calm and help their piel issues. But if anti-aging is your belleza focus, you’ll love the research that shows how OLE’s oleuropein compound possesses extremely high doses of antioxidants.

This antioxidant comes from the leaves of the olive tree.  And because it’s on the leaf where photosynthesis occurs, it accumulates particularly high levels of antioxidants, which can help neutralize the damaging effects of free radicals. This is why this ingredient is used to fight rough, damaged, and dry piel that’s compromised by the environment and wrinkle-causing UV rays.

Here are some OLE containing products you might want to try.

iS Clinical Pro-Heal Serum Advance+ alleviates redness, dryness, and irritation.  Excellent for rosacea, acne, eczema sufferers, it combines vitamins A, C, and E with OLE.  It sells for $125 and you can find it online.

L’Occitane en Provence Olive Tree Organic Toning Face Mist provides long-lasting hydration and protection to la piel. This Ecocert mist contains organic olive tree leaf extract and leaves skin without a greasy feel and a hint of citrus. It sells for $22 and you can find it at L’Occitane stores nationwide and here.

Lorac Natural Performance Foundation gives you picture perfect coverage for a loooong time.  In addittion to OLE, it contains vitamin A to protect, nourish and soothe sensitive piel.  You also get a natural finish in ten shades without parabens, sulfates, phthalates and synthetic dyes/fragrance.  It sells for $36 and you can find it Sephora and department stores nationwide and here.

I’m a lip balm addict so I’m always on the lookout for balms that have some different to offer.  Here are some that deliver the goods in unique or pretty packaging that will make you want to look for any excuse to apply.

Guerlain Terracotta Baume Au Coeur High-Shine Soothing Lip Balm gives the benefits of both a balm and lip gloss.  This high shine balm combines wild mango butter, luffa oil and marula oil to give los labios ultimate nourishing and pampering action.  Added bonus? It comes with a small mirror tucked inside the cap for touch-ups on the go.  It comes in three shades–Rose Venus, Coeur Caramel, Cocoa Love–and sells for $30 at fine department and sephora stores nationwide.

Dior Crème de Rose Smoothing Plumping Lip Balm soothes, plumps, hydrates and protects los labios in style.  This new, chic balm has SPF 10and gives los a labios a muy bonito shade of pink and a delicate rose scent.  It sells at fine department and Sephora stores nationwide for $25.

*eos Lip Balm Smooth Sphere keeps your pucker moist and smooth.  Packed with vitamin E, shea butter and jojoba oil, this unusual-looking balm does the job perfectamente bien.  USDA certified organic balm comes in recyclable packaging and in three flavors–honeysuckle honeydew, summer fruit and sweet mint.  It also comes in a smooth stick in vanilla bean, pomegranate raspberry and sweet mint.  Added bonus?  It is not tested on animals.  It sells for $3.29 at Walgreens, Duane Reade, Rite Aid and here.

*Product sample supplied by PR Chica.

When it comes to taking care of la piel we usually tend to focus on the lips, face and body.  Few us think about the scalp, right?  Well, this is exactly why I’m focusing today on el cuero cabelludo. The most neglected part of the body, el cuero cabelludo is the foundation to a beautiful melena.  It houses over 130,000 deeply rooted follicles, which keep hair strands shiny and saludable by distributing oils and nutrients from root to tip.  So if you want to have a melena bonita during the colder, drier months, it’s really important to look for haircare products that also moisturize el cuero cabelludo.

To help your cuero cabelludo stay in good shape, I am partnering with Head & Shoulders to give two bellezas the opportunity to win a $70 valued basket of hair goodies and full-size samples of the brand’s Dry Scalp Care Shampoo and Conditioner.  This Head & Shoulders line improves the health of el cuero cabelludo and moisturizes dry locks–perfect for this time of the year!

While this shampoo and conditioner contain the dandruff-fighting pyrithione zinc that doesn’t mean it won’t work wonders on a winter scalp that’s in need of a little TLC.  I’ve been using it for a while now to fight itchiness and flakes caused by dryness and I’m happy with the results.  With regular use, it’ll leave la melena flake-free, soft, bouncy and shiny.

To participate on this,  my very first giveaway, post a comment below, between now and February 28, and tell me what home remedies you have used or heard of that help el cuero cabelludo and melena stay healthy.  To participate you must live in the U.S.  The two ganadoras will be chosen at random on March 1st and announced on this blog.

¡Buena suerte!

I don’t know about you but I’m still struggling to lose all those libritas de más that I gained over the holidays–so I can totally use all the help I can get.  So, when the PR Chica at ShaToBu told me about this new line of shapewear, which gives you a sleek silhouette while helping you burn calories,  I jumped at the opportunity to try it before it was launched.

While it doesn’t help you lose a ton of weight–remember that only happens with a sensible diet and exercise plan–it does help maximize your body movements to burn extra calories.  It does this by building seamless resistance bands into the shapewear so that the body works a little harder as it moves throughout the day.  So when you walk, chase the bus, go up the stairs, you burn extra calories just by wearing it.  How much more?  According to the brand, up to 12 percent more.

While I can’t exactly measure how much weight I’ve lost thanks to ShaToBu I can tell you that I love the way it shapes my body and gives it a smoother silhouette.  I’ve been wearing it todos los días under dresses, skirts, jeans, etc. and it’s super wearable and comfortable. I tried the high-waist style and found it didn’t roll when I sat down or pinch anywhere.

ShaToBu comes in a wide range of sizes and comes in buff and jet black.  You also have a choice of waist-to-knee and high-waist styles and sells in the $50-60 price range, depending on the style you choose.  At the moment you can only buy ShaToBu here but it will soon come to a retailer near you.

I’m not kidding. This new generation is nothing like the electric blue mascara from the eighties.  Los nuevos azules are darker, very wearable, chic and loads of fun!

I was in a playful mood the other day and decided to try it, just to see how it would look and couldn’t get over how much I really liked the color.  Frankly, I couldn’t peel myself from the mirror!  ¡Me encanta!

You know the beauty experts say that blue mascara works best on ojos azules but I have to say the color does an excellent job of highlighting darker ojos as well.  And what’s great about this shade of azul is that it’s very deep so it looks almost as if you’re wearing black mascara but then when the light catches the eyes or you blink and you get that flash of color that makes los ojos look muy bonitos.

Whether you wear it on a date night or a la oficina, keep the rest of the eye color neutral.  But if you’re really in a daring mood, try it with a matching eyeliner and then you’ll really go loca over the effect.

Have I convinced you to try it? Here are some of my current faves.

Yves Saint Laurent Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils in 3 Extreme Blue (cobalt blue) gives lashes a dramatic effect without too many coats.  The award-winning formula conditions lashes and gives long lasting color without flaking. It sells for $30 at department stores nationwide and here.

Givenchy Phenomen’Eyes Effet Extension in 3 Extension Blue coats each lash to create bat-worthy lashes. Although the wand takes a little getting used to, once you get the hang of it, you’ll love it.  It dries quickly for an immediate lengthening effect.  It sells for $29 at department stores nationwide and here.

Bare Escentuals Buxom Lash Mascara Special Effects Blue Noir is a volumizing mascara that shifts from azul to black in a blink–it was this mascara that got me to say sí to azul.  This mascara lengthens, darkens and thickens with no flakiness.  It is formulated without parabens, sulfates, synthetic dye/fragrances and phthalates.  It sells for $18 at Bare Escentuals and Sephora stores nationwide and here.

As you might remember, I’m a fan of cleansing wipes.  In fact, it’s the only way these days that I can actually make it to la camita with a clean cara.  So you can imagine my delight when I got a sample of the new Clean & Clear Makeup Dissolving Facial Cleansing Wipes from the brand’s PR Chica.

That same night I tried the cleansing wipes and am happy to report they didn’t disappoint.  One wipey got rid of my day-old makeup and lipstick without leaving any oily residue, which for combination/oily piel types, could be el beso de la muerte.  It almost got rid of my multiple layers of mascara, which for a cleansing wipe, it’s pretty good.  I have yet to find a wipey that can do the trick without tearing my delicate piel around the eye and Clean & Clear’s did a good job of removing most of the eye makeup in a very gentle way.

At $5.99, these wipes are a steal and you definitely want to keep a pack by your night table.  You can find the Clean & Clear Makeup Dissolving Facial Cleansing Wipes in the oil-free formula at drugstores and supermarkets nationwide.