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Erin Sykes
May: Skin Cancer Awareness Month
A JAMA Dermatology study just found that there are more skin cancer cases linked to indoor tanning beds than lung cancer cases linked to smoking! May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month - It's the perfect opportunity to make an appointment with your dermatologist to have a full, head-to-toe examto make sure you don't have any abnormal moles or early warning signs of skin cancer. I personally had my exam today with Dr. Doris Day and was clear with the exception of a potential, small Basal Cell Carcinoma on my nose which was quickly treated on-site. For more information on mobile exam units that may be visiting your area and how to do a self-exam between doctors visits, refer to Skincancer.org. [lightbox link="http://erinsykes.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/images.jpeg" thumb="http://erinsykes.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/images.jpeg" width="277" align="center" title="images" frame="true" icon="image"]
SMALL YET MIGHTY
My apologies for the brief gap since my last posting! I have been in the process of moving from Los Angeles to New York and thus very mindfully reorganizing my personal possessions into the most compact, functional and visually appealing arrangement possible. I think of it just like in-store merchandising; my goal is to be able to easily ‘shop my closet.’ However, the space allocated for that closet suddenly went from this… [lightbox link="http://www.seriousdesigner.com/erinsykes/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/room1.jpg" thumb="http://www.seriousdesigner.com/erinsykes/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/room1.jpg" width="426" align="center" title="room1" frame="true" icon="image"] To this… [lightbox link="http://www.seriousdesigner.com/erinsykes/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/room2.jpg" thumb="http://www.seriousdesigner.com/erinsykes/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/room2.jpg" width="224" align="center" title="room2" frame="true" icon="image"] Now, I’m going to take a few days to figure out the best solution to this situation and will report back with the best tips for maximizing not only your closet but overall storage space :)
HOT PINK: NOT JUST FOR BARBIE
Spring has sprung across the country, so this weekend why not welcome the gorgeous weather and step out of your makeup routine with a hot pink lip? Starting with the Diane von Furstenberg Spring 2011 runway show and recently seen on every celeb from Nicole Richie to Rhianna to Emma Stone to Taylor Swift – the hot pink lip replaces classic red as we move into warmer months. [lightbox link="http://www.seriousdesigner.com/erinsykes/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/pink4.jpeg" thumb="http://www.seriousdesigner.com/erinsykes/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/pink4.jpeg" width="275" align="center" title="pink4" frame="true" icon="image"] [lightbox link="http://www.seriousdesigner.com/erinsykes/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/pink3.jpeg" thumb="http://www.seriousdesigner.com/erinsykes/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/pink3.jpeg" width="196" align="center" title="pink3" frame="true" icon="image"] [lightbox link="http://www.seriousdesigner.com/erinsykes/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/pink2.jpg" thumb="http://www.seriousdesigner.com/erinsykes/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/pink2.jpg" width="192" align="center" title="pink2" frame="true" icon="image"] [lightbox link="http://www.seriousdesigner.com/erinsykes/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/pink1.jpg" thumb="http://www.seriousdesigner.com/erinsykes/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/pink1.jpg" width="191" align="center" title="pink1" frame="true" icon="image"] When you wear the hot pink lip, the rest of the face should be left pretty minimal; using a great beauty balm as a base, a neutral eye shadow and blush, and lots of black mascara for contrast. Start by using a lip primer like Too Faced Lip Insurance to help lipstick last longer. Next, apply lip liner like NARS Liner Pencil in Miss Sadie around the perimeter of your lips, then filling in the center. Finally, apply your hot pink lip color using a lip brush for accuracy. NARS Pure Matte Lipstick in Carthage is a fantastic bright but mature fuchsia that can be worn alone in matte or layered with a gloss. Remember to keep hair sleek and let your lips play center stage. Try the look next time you wear nautical stripes, floral prints, or pure white. [lightbox link="http://www.seriousdesigner.com/erinsykes/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/pink5.jpg" thumb="http://www.seriousdesigner.com/erinsykes/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/pink5.jpg" width="300" align="center" title="pink5" frame="true" icon="image"]
BEAUTY BALM? BB CREAM?
Beauty Balm, also called BB Cream, is the newest trend within both the cosmetics and skincare worlds. These multi-tasking formulas fuse tinted moisturizer, makeup primer, SPF, skin-nourishing serum, and a powerhouse anti-oxidant complex into a lightweight substitute for traditional tinted moisturizer or foundation. Though just released in the US, Beauty Balms have long been an Asian beauty secret and these original versions pay specific attention to priming, blemish healing/concealing, and offering a high SPF (>45). With about a dozen US brands currently offering a Beauty Balm, it is clear that some are modeling their formulas closer to the Asian standard while others are expanding to suit consumer desires in the States. The following are the five most popular Beauty Balms in Sephora and show a range of textures, weights, shade ranges, etc: For demonstration, if there was a shade range available, I chose the Medium tone (noted below) of the available options.
| [lightbox link="http://www.seriousdesigner.com/erinsykes/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/cream1.jpg" thumb="http://www.seriousdesigner.com/erinsykes/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/cream1.jpg" width="250" align="left" title="cream1" frame="true" icon="image"] | Clinique Age Defense BB Cream SPF 30 Price: $37 Shade Used: Shade 2 (Darker) # Shades Available: 2 I like the smooth texture and light-medium coverage of the Clinique Age Defense BB Cream. Excellent anti-aging ingredients and 100% fragrance-free, with the backing of a skincare leader, so long-term benefit expectations are high. I would like to see them expand the shade range as even Shade 2, the ‘darker’ of the options, was bordering on being too light for my medium skin tone. |
| [lightbox link="http://www.seriousdesigner.com/erinsykes/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/cream2.jpg" thumb="http://www.seriousdesigner.com/erinsykes/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/cream2.jpg" width="350" align="left" title="cream2" frame="true" icon="image"] | Dr Jardt+ Premium BB Beauty Balm SPF 45 Price: $39 Single ShadeThe Premium version of Dr. Jardt’s formulas is meant for normal-dry skin and thus offers more coverage and primer benefits than the Water Fuse version. It offers a medium coverage with an impressive SPF 45. Again, however, the universal single shade is a bit too light and finish a bit matte for me. I do adore the hard shell pump packaging; great for travel as you do not run the risk of an exploding tube in your bag. |
| [lightbox link="http://www.seriousdesigner.com/erinsykes/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/cream3.jpg" thumb="http://www.seriousdesigner.com/erinsykes/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/cream3.jpg" width="350" align="left" title="cream3" frame="true" icon="image"] | Dr Jardt+ Water Fuse BB Beauty Balm SPF 25 Price: $32 Single ShadeThe Water Fuse version of Dr. Jardt+ is a more lightweight formula, appropriate for summer or oily-skin. It also comes in a single shade, which is also too light to be truly universal, but more flexible than the Premium due to the sheerness of the product. The Water Fuse does not offer as high an SPF, as much coverage or the full priming benefits of the Premium version, but absorbs quickly and offers lightweight moisture. This product has a unique audience; those with light to medium toned skin that is typically oily. |
| [lightbox link="http://www.seriousdesigner.com/erinsykes/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/cream4.jpg" thumb="http://www.seriousdesigner.com/erinsykes/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/cream4.jpg" width="350" align="left" title="cream4" frame="true" icon="image"] | Smashbox BB Cream SPF 35 Price: $39 Shade Used: Medium # Shades Available: 4I am impressed with the slightly-more-than-medium coverage and poreless finish that I received with the Smashbox product – it is clear that the brand integrated its primer technology into the BB Cream. With an SPF of 35 it falls in the higher tier of competition with regard to sun prevention. This is a difficult line to walk when formulating a color product as a higher SPF often leads to a chalky finish; Smashbox achieved the sought-after SPF without that problem. Also available in 4 shades, making skin tone matching much easier. |
| [lightbox link="http://www.seriousdesigner.com/erinsykes/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/cream5.jpg" thumb="http://www.seriousdesigner.com/erinsykes/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/cream5.jpg" width="350" align="left" title="cream5" frame="true" icon="image"] | Too Faced Beauty Balm Multi Benefit Skincare Makeup SPF 20 Price: $32 Shade Used: Nude Glow # of Shades Available: 4 The Too Faced Beauty Balm offers the most luminous, lightweight formula with sheer to medium coverage. It absorbs very quickly and is also available in 4 shades to match your skin tone. I am most impressed by the immediate glow that my skin had after applying this product; it offers a radiance boost not present in other Beauty Balms. Its SPF is on the lower end of the spectrum, but is boosted by an impressive antioxidant/ multi-mineral complex. |
Regardless of which Beauty Balms / BB Cream you choose, its apparent that their rise will eliminate the need for traditional tinted moisturizer. Why not use one product and achieve a multitude of immediate and long-term results?