I don’t know if you are as confused as I was before about why sea salt began appearing in skincare and beauty products all around me— all of a sudden. The first image that popped into my mind was companies adding table salt into my skincare products—a selling point for me. Wasn’t too much salt supposed to be bad for you? It is supposed to cause bloating, water retention, high blood pressure and other health problems.  How it is supposed to be good for for your skin?

Table Salt

After some research, I realized that I was confusing table salt (refined salt) with sea salt (unrefined salt). In simple terms, the two salts are made up of sodium chloride; the major difference between sea salt and table salt is that table salt is made up of 99.9% of sodium chloride, while sea salt is 98% sodium chloride. In sea salt, the remaining 2% is made of other important minerals like iron, sulfur, magnesium and other trace elements. Basically, table salt is chemically treated and sea salt is natural.

Sea Salt

So what does this mean?

According to Buzzle.com, it means that the sea salt extracted from sea water contains minerals that are needed by our bodies in order to function optimally and maintain a balance in mineral content. There are many benefits to the natural potassium, calcium, and magnesium that sea salt contains.

Potassium helps regulate and balance the moisture level of the skin, and also provides energy to the body. It also helps relax muscles and relieve stiffness. Calcium not only strengthens bones, but also prevents the retention of water and increases circulation. Magnesium fights the retention of fluids and also helps to fight stress. Moreover, it has a calming effect on the nervous system and helps in slowing down the aging of skin.

In a new joint study released by Allure and GQ magazines, 1000 men and 1000 women ages 18-64 were surveyed on their beauty and grooming habits.

The results are pretty surprising:

• 93% of men say the term “metrosexual’ is offensive and dated
• Compared to 10 years ago, 72% of men felt more pressure to care more about their appearance while 78% of women agreed
• Men spent $121 on grooming products while women spent an average of $194 on beauty products
• Men used an average of 11 grooming products in their daily routine while women used 16 beauty products
• Men spend 22 minutes on their grooming regiment  while women spend 29 minutes on their beauty regiment

So there you have it ladies…as much as your man nags you on why you take forever getting ready, you now know that he takes as much time trying to look good as you. Seems like nowadays men are realizing the importance of making an effort to look good and are taking a greater interest in beauty and grooming.

Not that we’re complaining – it’s nice to know that guys are taking an equal stance with us on the importance of looking good.

Just don’t call them metrosexuals…

Moisturizing is essential to keeping skin looking young and healthy

Skin needs to maintain an even moisture-balance to be healthy. It’s simple: Not enough water and skin gets dehydrated. Not enough oil and skin becomes dry, flaky and itchy.

Dehydration—a lack of moisture—can be due to age, weather, environmental conditions, diet and nutrition. It’s also a leading cause of fine lines and other signs of skin aging. Dryness, on the other hand, is a lack of oil. When skin’s dry, it wants to create more oil, which can then lead to breakouts.

Here’s how you can make sure you’re moisturizing properly:

Use a moisturizing toner.
Most people think toner is just another excuse for someone to sell you something you don’t need. Actually, toner is a really important step in proper hydration. It creates a layer of hydration that’s sealed into the skin by the moisturizer.

Use products with hyaluronic acid and ceramides.
Hyaluronic acid holds 1000 times its molecular weight in water. Ceramides reduce water loss by creating a barrier that protects against evaporation.

Seek out products that use nanotechnology.
Yes, products using nanotechnology may be more expensive, but it’s worth the investment. Nanotechnology makes a product molecule small enough to penetrate the skin, instead of sitting on top of it. This means ingredients get to where skin needs it most and give you the best possible result.

Use products with nanotechnology to get ingredients where they can give the best possible result.

Know which type of moisturizer your skin needs.
Most consumers use moisturizers that don’t offer enough hydration. That’s what happens when we try to figure out which moisturizer is ‘right’ for our own skin.

Ask a skin care professional for a recommendation on which type of moisturizer is best suited for your skin

Only a trained skin care professional can tell you whether your skin is dry, dehydrated or a combination of both. They can recommend products and treatments to help rebalance skin and minimize the appearance of skin aging.

Drink lots of water.
Seriously. Drink at least 64 ounces of water each day. You’ll feel better, and your skin’s appearance will improve.

When tests were done on public makeup counters in department stores, specialty stores and drugstores, they found staph, strep, and even E.Coli bacteria on makeup testers. If that doesn’t freak you out, this finding will – when they tested the makeup on Saturdays which has the most customer traffic at cosmetic counters – THE PERCENTAGE OF TAINTED MAKEUP WAS 100%.

OMG. As if you don’t have enough things to worry about like whether that self-tanner makes you look like an oompa loompa.

So how do you try out new makeup/beauty products without physically testing them? While it’s recommended that you really shouldn’t try on any publicly-tested makeup on your eyes, lips, and nose, if you still feel the need to try on that new shade of pink lipstick, here are some tips to remember:

• Make Weekday Visits: Go during the week when there are fewer customers. If you don’t currently carry one in your purse, bring an anti-bacterial hand gel or pack of wipes with you.
• Use Tester Apps: Always use plastic, disposable applicators or cotton swabs like the ones at stores like Sephora. If you’re at a department store, don’t be afraid to ask the customer service rep behind the counter.
• Use Bottled Products: Try bottled products of lotions or foundations instead of ones that are in jars or palettes so that you can squeeze or pour them directly on your hand instead of using your fingers to scoop them out.
• Scrape the Lipstick Tip: Use a disposable applicator or a tissue paper to scrape off the tip or use a tissue paper.
• Eye & Lip Pencils: Sharpen the tip using mini sharpeners.
• Use the Spray Alcohol Bottle: Use an alcohol spray bottle to lightly spray the product. Wait a few seconds for the alcohol to evaporate before testing.
• Remove Tested Makeup ASAP: Remove makeup immediately with anti-bacterial wipes or makeup remover after testing.

So if shopping for beauty/skincare products isn’t scary enough in the first place, now you’ve got some real grossness to deal with.

We all like gifts with purchases but some freebies are better left at the cosmetic counter.

Me and Mommy at the Christchurch Botanic Gardens in New Zealand

Ok you promised yourself last year that you would come up with a totally creative gift for mom by planning ahead. Well, if planning ahead this year meant one week before the big I HEART YOU MOM day, then you better get a move-on if you still haven’t thought of anything yet.

Stop stressing about out what she wants and think about what she actually needs. Why not give her the gift of quality one-on-one time with you? Pamper yourself AND your mom with the following gift guide ideas. No fuss, no muss!

Beauty on the Go

Treat mom to a new haircut at a fabulous salon (please say no to Supercuts at least for Mother’s Day) and afterwards to a nearby Sephora where she can get a complimentary beauty session. Surprise her with gift bags of new hair and beauty products to complement her new look!

Spa Day

Log onto http://www.spafinder.com/ for a spa near you and book a spa service whether it’s a fun mani/pedi or a soothing massage. Make sure you get to the spa a few hours earlier than your appointment so that you can relax and spend some time catching up before your spa sessions!

Cooking Classes

Not that you’re hinting that she needs to touch up on her cooking, but spending an hour or two creating and eating yummy foods together isn’t a bad way to spend  a day on the weekend. And the best part about cooking classes? ABSOLUTELY NO CLEANUP INVOLVED. Now which mom wouldn’t love that?

Check out local cooking classes near you such as Sur La Table http://cookingclasses.surlatable.com/ or the Institute of Culinary Education http://rec.iceculinary.com/

Or if you prefer more specialized classes, check out local restaurants, pastry shops or even wine shops like: baking classes @ Gourmandise Desserts http://www.gourmandisedesserts.com/classes.php or wine tasting classes @ Mario Batali’s NYC Otto http://www.ottopizzeria.com/special_events.cfm

Shopping + Tea Time

Take your mom shopping at one of the “Big 5” department stores: Barneys, Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus, Nordstroms, or Saks. Yes, its quite a splurge but I think Mom deserves some stylish new additions to her wardrobe, no? Afterwards, set aside your shopping bags and enjoy afternoon tea-time served at most luxury hotels such as the Peninsula and Four Seasons. With various options on mini sandwiches, petit fours, scones and more served with tea, it’s a perfect way to end an already fantastic day with Mom.

Get Your Culture On

If your mom is into art, design, or architecture, spend a day visiting museums or galleries, historical house museums or botanical gardens. Check out your local listings online and plan early for tours. Follow up next with reservations for dinner with ANY lovely view whether it’s the beach, a garden, or a cityscape.

No matter what you end up doing for Mother’s Day, just remember that it’s all about appreciating and enjoying the lovely woman who you call Mom.  Show the love not just on Mother’s Day but every day!

 I don’t know if you are like me but I’ve been having a hard time going to bed before midnight these days. My dark circles are becoming more apparent and my eyes look puffy and often dehydrated in the morning. Therefore, I was so happy to discover these STEAM HEATED EYE MASKS on my recent trip to Tokyo. 

Steam Heated Eye Masks come in a box of 5

 These Steam Heated Eye Masks come in unscented and lavender scent. I bought the lavender scent to try. 

Individual packaging makes it good for traveling.

 According to the packaging, I could use this eye mask any time from sleeping to taking a break or traveling. It is suppose to relax your tired eyes. It should have the effects of having a steam sauna on your eyes. Sounds amazing, right?

Directions on the back of the package.

 This eye mask is very easy to use. See the pictures below for demonstration. 

Lavender Scented Eye Masks

Pooh Bear demonstrating the eye masks.

Side view of the mask. The ear loops are very comfortable and should fit any face shape and size.

The two purple squares warm up once it is exposed to air, but not too hot and at a very comfortable temperature. The steam is released slowly so that I could actually feel it on my eyes and the lavender scent is so soothing and calming. I tried this eye masks right before going to bed and after applying my eye cream.  The scent and the heat made me really sleepy and I fell asleep within a few minutes. 

Conclusion:  The skin around my eyes looked refreshed and hydrated the next day. I’m definitely buying some more when I go back to Japan again.

On my most recent trip to Tokyo, I noticed these delightful BLACK Q-tips everywhere. I love how they have both a smooth end and a spiral end. Black seems to be the  “IN” color for a lot of  items including blotting tissues, toilet paper, facial masks, shampoo, toothbrush, and even their chopping boards.

Black Q-tips

Notice how they are individually packed, so I can carry them everywhere with me to retouch my makeup or on a weekend getaway. The spiral end is perfect for combing through my eyelashes and smoothing out the clumps of mascara. 

Individually packed

 Here’s a close up:

Normal and Spiral Ends

If anyone is interested in trying this, you can buy it online here for only USD 2.99.

Like so many girls, I realized how important our eyelashes are a long time ago.  The difference between having curly and straight lashes makes a dramatic difference for my eyes, since mine are not the biggest in the world.  Let’s just say that I definitely get more compliments when my lashes are all dolled up and curled, with an application of mascara.  In a way, I feel like it is my shield and sword, where it gives me more confidence to go out and face the world…lol…

Therefore, in order to achieve the perfect set of eyelashes, I have bought infinite numbers of eyelash curlers.  From Shu Uemura, heated, plastic to metal eyelash curlers, I spent countless dollars on trying to find the right one.  Right now, I have two favorites that I would like to share with you.  One is for use at home and the other is so little and convenient that I can carry it in my bag everywhere I go. 

1.  Excel Eyelash Curler

Excel Eyelash Curler (39mm)

Excel Eyelash Curler

 This 39mm eyelash curler is wide enough to capture all my eyelashes (even the ones at the corner of my eyes) at the same time.  The design of the angle of the eyelash curler allows my eyelashes to curl at a beautifully natural degree.  I curl my eyelashes twice, and I find that most effective.  The first time is before I apply mascara, and then a second time after my mascara dries.  With this technique, my eyelashes stay all curly and natural for a really long time.  The best part is that it doesn’t break my eyelashes at all.  =)

2. Compact Curler for people on the go  

Compact Curler

side view

My friend was actually the one who discovered this and recommended it to me.  I fell in love with it right away.  Even though it doesn’t capture all of my eyelashes in one squeeze, it is so compact that I can’t leave home without it now.  My eyelashes look so natural after I curl it with this.  The best part is that I can use this at the end of the day without applying new coats of mascara and my eyelashes still appears curly and natural.  This is definitely a good buy since it costs only around $5 dollars in the US.

Japan’s NHK recently interviewed 30 people off the streets and discovered that more than half of them apply their toners by lightly patting on the product using their hands. Only less than half of the consumers gently pressed their toners onto their skin. In order to discover which method is better, Japan’s NHK TV Station gently patted on toner the right side of a model’s face with their hands, and then in contrast gently pressed the toner onto the left side of the model’s face with hands. Then the research team used high tech equipment including a microscope to take a picture of the model’s face to detect the moisture level of the model’s right and left side’s face. 

The results were incredible and shocking. NHK discovered that even though they used the same toner on both sides of the model’s face the application process made a significant difference: the moisture level of the right side of the model’s face did not go up but the constant patting actually caused stress to the model’s face. Compared to the left side, the right side of the model’s face appeared darker, and had thin white lines which indicated damage of some skin cells.

Conclusion: I’m definitely pressing my toners onto my skin from now on. I really love these experiments!

#47: Patience is a virtue. It takes 6 to 8 weeks to see results when starting a new skin care regimen. Stick with it.

#48: Refresh your skin with a luxurious toner like the Moistraiser a-VC nourishes and penetrates the skin to awaken it’s natural vitality.

#49: Don’t be afraid of oils in your skincare products! Coconut & jojoba for normal to oily skin. Olive & avocado for drier, mature skin.