Latina Beauty

Looking for green products to help you stay bella this verano?  Take a look at some of my favoritos below.

*EOS Ultra Shave Cream is paraben-free and contains natural aloe and shea butter.  This non-foaming gives you a smooth shave that leaves las piernas ultra moisturized.  Bonus?  It comes in an easy-to grasp bottle that won’t slip.  It sells for $14.97 online and Target.

*Jason Satin Shower Body Wash is a foamy and luxurious cleanser that contains rich natural oils, emollients and humectants. It mixes apricot oil, chamomile, sunflower oil and vitamin E to gently clean la piel and remove dirt.  It has no laureth sulfates or parabens and doesn’t test on animals.  It sells for $13.99 at health food stores nationwide.

*Nature’s Gate Sunless Tanner with Olive Oil gives you a natural-looking, streak free glow. It contains green tea and red raspberry  extracts, olive oil, aloe and hibiscus to help nourish, soothe, and moisturize la piel. It comes with no artificial colors, artificial fragrance, phthalates  or parabens.  It sells for $6.87 at health food stores nationwide.

Product samples provided by brands’ PR Chicas.

Earlier this week, one of my favorite Barranquilleras unveiled a new perfume named S by Shakira…that’s right, THAT Barranquillera.  As if the World Cup wasn’t enough, Shakira found time to share with media in Madrid her new scent, which according to her is a mix of resins such as benzoin, amber and a hint of vanilla, in addition to fresh woods and jasmine.

Here’s what Shakira had to say about her second perfume (if you recall, last year she launched her first perfume called Amuleto):

“Like a song, a perfume is composed of different individual notes, which together form a harmony.”

So, which belleza is this perfume perfect for?  It’s for chicas everywhere in the world who are carefre,  get inspired by dreams and feel positive energy, love and inner beauty.

Consider using a brick-colored blush to get a strong sol-kissed look without baking in the sun.

Spread a blush cream lightly on the cheeks, the bridge of the nose, the forehead and the temples. To blend, use a makeup sponge and ¡lista! My current favorite? Lancome Color Design Blush in Retro Rouge.

Choose from sheer, shimmer and riche, this silky cream blush gives cheeks even and lasting color. Smooth and non-greasy (perfect for humid days), it glides evenly to give la cara a redish-coralish glow.

This Allure Editor’s Award winner sells for $27 and you can find it here.

A favorito among makeup artists, beauty editors and bellezas all over Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer is definitely an Essential.  Worn alone or under makeup, this cult-favorite is perfecto for creating a perfect canvas.

What I love about this light-weight primer is that it fills in fine lines, scars, enlarged pores and evens out skin texture so la piel looks flawless.  And if you use foundation or tinted moisturizer, you’ll feel it glide and help it sink in evenly–best of all, you’ll find yourself using a lot less foundation!   The secret to its success is that it contains Dermaxyl, which has been proven in clinical trials to minimize the appearance of wrinkles.  In addition to that, it is filled with peptides and vitamin C.

Perfect for oily yet sensitive skin–it is so mild I also use it around the eye area–use after moisturizer and before foundation or primer for complexion perfection.

It sells for $36 at fine department stores nationwide and here.

Want to keep your cara moisturized without feeling sticky?  Then a serum could quickly become un buen amigo. What I like about serums is that they are absorbed instantly, so they hydrate without feeling sticky, and are also a smart choice for layering products . Finally, serums are ideal for the acneprone, as they’re typically oil-free.

Here are some to try*…

Cell Ceuticals Cell Genesis is a super potent regenerative skin treatement that stimulates cells to regenerate to help create younger looking piel.  It contains retinol, lipopeptides and vitamins C and E as well as is free of fragrance, parabens, artificial colors, animal ingredients and sodium lauryl sulfate.  It sells for $85 and you can find it here.

Exuviance Vespera Bionic Serum helps stressed skin and protects it from environmental damage.  It contains a blend of antioxidants that helps to improve fine lines, wrinkles and texture as well as alpha hydroxy and polyhydraxy  acids and vitamins A, C and E.  Also great for helping to correct uneven pigmentation. It sells for $60 and you can find it here.

Olay Total Effects Instant Smoothing Serum gives la piel seven anti-aging therapies in one formula to fight uneven tone and texture.  It’s a seven in one that smoothes, brightens, evens tone, reduces the appearance of age spots and blotchiness, minimizes the appearance of pores and leaves la piel velvety suave.  It sells for $19.79 at drugstores nationwide.

* All product samples were provided by the brand’s PR Chicas.

I was so excited when Daisy Fuentes’ PR Chica contacted me about this belleza cubana’s book titled “Unforgettable You: Mastering the Elements of Style, Spirituality and Allure”.  I had met Daisy years ago when I began my career in PR. In fact, she was one of the first celebrities that I worked with so since then I’ve followed her career.

When I first met Daisy years ago, what struck me was how approachable and naturally pretty she was…and still is.  Needless to say, I was very excited when the book arrived home.  What I liked best about the book was the fact it took a different approach to beauty…and what it takes to become an unforgettable belleza.  So not only do you get her insights on beauty and style, Daisy also gives you the “Cliff Notes” on what every dama must know, life lessons and even sex etiquette among other cositas.

Take a look at Daisy’s beauty bible and take note.

• Balance
• Act beautiful
• Know when less is more…and when less is just less
• Be timeless, not trendy
• Age gracefully

For more, check out her book bookstores nationwide and here.

A new study from the University of Minnesota has linked indoor tanning to an increased risk in melanoma, the most serious and deadliest form of skin cancer.

The study found that people who use any type of tanning bed for any amount of time are 74 percent more likely to develop melanoma than those who’ve never used a tanning bed.  Furthermore, frequent tanning bed users who have logged fifty or more hours, have had more than one hundred sessions or have been using tanning beds for ten or more years are 2.5 to three times more likely to develop melanoma than those who’ve never used a tanning bed.  Risks are similar regardless of whether the tanning device is a high-pressure UVA-emitting device or an UVB-enhanced or high speed device, which emits higher proportions of UVB.

So, if you want to still want to have a tanned don’t be too quick to trade in a tanning bed for the beach.  UV radiating exposure is a problem whether it comes from a tanning bed or the sun’s ray so the best way to achieve a tanned look is by using a self-tanner.

Every year I look forward to the best-of lists that come out in magazines like Allure and InStyle but one I absolutely go ga-ga for is the Cosmetic Executive Women’s list.  Have you seen it yet?  Check out the ganadores below.

• Bath/Shower Product Mass: Olay Body Wash Plus Tone Enriching Ribbons
• Bath/Shower Product Prestige: Fresh Sugar Acai Body Scrub
• Body Treatment Mass: Vaseline Sheer Infusion with Stratys-3
• Body Treatment Prestige: Origins Dr. Andrew Weill for Origins Night Health Bedtime Spray
• Acne Treatment: La Roche Posay Effaclar AI Intensive Acne Spot Treatment
• Anti Aging Mass: Olay Professional Pro-X Deep Wrinkle Treatment
• Anti Aging Prestige: Lancome Genifique Youth Activating Concentrate
• Cleanser & Scrub Mass: Visine Total Eye Soothing Wipes
• Cleanser & Scrub Prestige: Shiseido Future Solution LX Extra Rich Cleansing Foam
• Eye Treatment Mass: Olay Regenerist Anti-Aging Roller
• Eye Treatment Prestige: Shiseido Benefiance NutriPerfect Eye Serum
• Moisturizer Mass: Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew Awakening Face Massager
• Moisturizer Prestige: Shiseido Future Solution Total Regenerating Cream
• Hair Care Product Mass: L’Oreal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Color Care Moisture Shampoo
• Hair Care Product Prestige: Living Proof No Frizz Shampoo
• Hair Coloring Product Prestige: ColorMetrics TouchBack by ColorMark
• Hair Styling Product Mass: Klorane No Rinse Care With Papyrus Milk
• Hair Styling Product Prestige: Living Proof Full Thickening Cream
• Eye Product Mass: CoverGirl Smoky Shadow Blast
• Eye Product Prestige: Lancome Oscillation Powerbooster Vibrating. Amplyfying. Primer
• Face Product Mass: CoverGirl Simply Ageless Sculpting Blush
• Face Product Prestige: Clinique Redness Solutions Instant Relief Mineral Powder
• Lip Product Mass: Maybelline New York Color Sensational Lip Color
• Lip Product Prestige: Guerlain Rouge G de Guerlain
• Sun Product Mass: Neutrogena Sensitive Skin Sunblock Lotion SPF 60+ with PureScreen
• Sun Product Prestige: Bare Escentuals SPF 30 Natural Sunscreen

Looking for some interesting belleza reads?  Take a look at some of my favorito posts for the week.

• Fashion + Beauty gives tips to blog bellezas on taming frizzies even on the toughest strands.  Check it out here.
• The Beauty Brains tell blog bellezas about a new law that limits tanning times on tanning beds.  Check it out here.
• Fab, Chic and Fit tells blog bellezas how to line los ojos according to their shape.  Check it out here.
• Beauty Banter tells blog bellezas how to keep cool in the heat.  Check it out here.
• Latina tells blog belleza about a new hair trend.  Check it out here.

Rice and beans.  Jeans and a white t-shirt.  Summer and ice cream.  Some things just naturally go together and when it comes to the Clarisonic brush, some cleansers go well better than others.  Which ones do I like?  Take a look and find out.

Origins Zero Oil Deep Pore Cleanser with Saw Palmetto and Mint is a gentle cleanser with zero tolerance for oil.  Great for oily and acne-prone piel, this cleanser also contains salicylic acid to help clear pores, eliminate excess oil and reduce shine.  Perfecto for this time of the year.  It sells for $18.50 at fine department and Origins stores nationwide.

*Zia Skin Basics Fresh Cleansing Gel with Sea Algae refreshes, balances and nourishes la piel without parabens or detergents.  Great for all pieles, it’s shock-full of minerals and sea algae extracts that detoxify and promote cellular renewal.  I also hear it works muy bien on piel that suffers from rosacea.  It sells for $17.95 at health stores nationwide and online.

*Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash is a dermatologist-recommended cleanser for all types of pieles that’s 100% soap-free and hypoallergenic.  An Allure 2006 Editor’s Choice Awards winner, this cleanser is as gentle as agua but fuerte enough to remove dirt, oil and makeup.  Bonus?  It’s gentle enough to use on the delicate eye area (not with the Clarisonic!) without stinging.  It sells for $5.99 at drugstores nationwide.

*Product samples provided by the brand’s PR Chicas.