Celeb Beauty Picks for Your 20s, 30s, and 40s

When you are a celebrity, money and accessibility to the latest and greatest beauty products and treatments are not a problem -- the world is your medicine cabinet. So what do A-listers choose as their go-to holy grail products? I did a little research, and matched up four major super stars in their 20s, 30s, and 40s and their choice beauty products.

20s: Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen

The girls use Sanitas for skin care, but Ashley is a "die-hard" Biologique Recherché fan, and uses their cleansers and creams. They also love coconut oil for its multipurpose quality. For eyebrows, the girls just use a little Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel, and when they have dry lips they grab Brave Soldier's Lip Defender. For hair care, Mary-kate and Ashley use the Reparatives line from Frederic Fekkai.

30s: Jessica Alba

Jessica is a mom, and all about no fuss makeup that she can apply while holding a baby in one arm, (one of the many reasons why I love her).  When she is able to, Jessica opts to go foundation-free, and prefers to spot conceal her blemishes with RMS Un-cover Up,  a beauty blog community cult favorite. She also believes in curling her eyelashes, and applying a couple swipes of Revlon's Double Twist mascara to brighten up her tired mommy eyes.

For skin care, Jessica swears by Yonka's Cleansing Lotion and Dr. Hauschka's Toned Day Cream. She also likes to use Koh Gen Do sheet masks on long flights. Her go-to daytime fragrance is Un Jardin by Hermes for its crisp and floral notes. 

Jessica's most notable beauty secret is Eucalyptus oil! I am no stranger to this fragrant essential oil -- my mom brought me up using eucalyptus oil or Dau Khuynh Diep. When I was sick, my mom would rub it on my chest; or she would rub a mixture of eucalyptus oil with salt on my sprained ankle before wrapping me up. Jessica likes to add a couple drops to a bath when her or her kids are sick. 

40s: Lucy Liu

Lucy Liu has a minimalist approach to her skin care and beauty routine. She even claims to not always put on SPF. (GASP!) However, she also says she stays out of the sun. She swears by Aquaphor and uses it for everything. For hair care, Lucy likes Dr. Bonner's Castille Soap, as well as and Melu and Davine's.



Are any of your favorites listed up there? Which ones? Please share...

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Sources:

http://www.savoirflair.com/beauty/1938-jessica-alba-shares-her-beauty-secrets

http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20734000_4,00.html
http://www.cnn.com/2007/LIVING/homestyle/10/01/lucy.liu.beauty/index.html?eref=ew
http://www.allure.com/beauty-trends/blogs/daily-beauty-reporter/2013/11/mary-kate-ashley-olsen-beauty-secrets-allure.html

Serum 101 & Neocell's Radiance Serum Review

Serums, to me, are an absolute necessity -- like taking your daily multivitamin. Essentially, serums are multi-vitamins for your face, and trust me, your face needs all the nutrients it can get after being exposed to the sun and pollution.

So, when I look for a serum, I make sure that it has at least Vitamin C and E, and any other antioxidants or anti-aging ingredients are a plus. Vitamin C and E are important anti-aging antioxidants that prevent and reduce oxidative damage from UV exposure, pollutants, and intrinsic aging. 

Serums are powerful and quick to absorb because they are extremely concentrated. More specifically, serums leave out emulsifiers and hydrating-agents that most moisturizers include. Thus, you only need a small pea-sized amount, but keep in mind, that serums must be applied before moisturizing so that it has the best chance to absorb.

Now, while serums are powerful with all their super ingredients, religious topical application will not give you blatant life-changing results. Like I said, they are similar to daily vitamins for your face, and regular application will help maintain your skin's quality, and hopefully, reduce signs of aging.

How to Apply.
For most serums, I like to use a pea-size amount for my entire face and neck. A pea-sized amount seems insufficient, but serums are very fluid, and you will be surprised that even a pea-size may leave you with more than you need.

1. Cleanse and tone your face and neck as usual.
2. Place a pea-sized amount of the serum onto one of your fingertips.
3. Warm up the serum so that your skin can easily absorb the solution. Do this by rubbing the serum in between your fingertips.
4. With the warmed serum on your fingertips, gently pat the solution all over your face and neck.
5. Let dry. This usually takes a few minutes.
6. Follow with moisturizer, and SPF, if needed.

So, with that quick and extremely brief blurb on serums out of the way, we can apply what we know about serums to discuss my recent escapade with Neocell's Radiance Serum...

If you had a chance to read my review on Neocell's Collagen Masque, you would have learned that I first heard of Neocell and their Collagen supplements from my mother-in-law. She has been taking the collagen powder for over a year and raves about it. So, when Neocell reached out to me to test out some press samples of their topical skin care products, I was eager to give them a test drive!

What makes the Neocell Radiance Serum special?

The distinguishing characteristic of the Radiance Serum is the time-release micro-capsules that penetrate the skin to strategically deliver collagen stimulating ingredients and potent antioxidants like my must-have VItamin C and E. The serum also contains phospholipids with essential fatty acids that plump up fine lines, enhance skin firmness, elasticity, and moisture.

After using the Neocell Radiance Serum for a few weeks, I have only had positive results though nothing super extreme. I like this serum because it did not cause breakouts or rashes. It does not leave a lingering smell or cause you to become greasy or oily.

What the serum does do is create a pretty impressive, smooth and soft canvas. In the left picture, you can see that the picture of the dried serum blurs the fine lines on the top of my hand, and makes my skin look incredibly smooth. Additionally, once dried,  its presence is practically untraceable. Thus, it's great to wear in the AM under makeup or in the PM before your night cream.

The only slight negative about this serum may be the packaging. I have read that Vitamin C begins to breakdown once it is exposed to light. So, to prevent degradation many serums are packaged in amber-colored glass. Maybe this is not an issue for the Neocell Radiance Serum because it is packaged in an opaque bottle.

All-in-all, I was impressed by the science of the Neocell Radiance Serum's  time-released micro-capsule of powerful ingredients. I believe the price is extremely reasonable, which means that taking care of your skin is affordable. You have NO excuses to not use a daily serum now....Your welcome ;)



What is your favorite serum? What are the must-have ingredients you look for in a serum?

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Neocell Radiance Serum, 1 fl oz, $13 via vitacost.com

Ingredients: Water, phospholipids, tocopheryl acetate (vitamin e), ascorbyl palmitate, soluble collagen, acrylamide/sodium acryloyldimethyltaurate copolymer, isohexadecane, polysorbate 80, butylene glycol, xanthan gum, tyrosine, proline, cysteine, zinc chloride, ethylhexylglycerin, phenoxyethanol, potassium sorbate, disodium EDTA.

Sources:

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2923951/
http://www.m.webmd.com/healthy-beauty/features/beauty-smarts-serums-jan13?page=4

#MasqueSundays: Neocell Collagen Moisturizing Treatment Masque

My mother-in-law introduced me to Neocell a little over a year ago when she began using the Super Collagen Type 1 and 3 Powder. She drinks it everyday and raves about it (along with a bunch of other beauty bloggers). So when, Neocell reached out to me to test some of their beauty products, I was super stoked!

The summer heat has been drying out my skin like crazy. So for a recent #MasqueSundays, I applied Neocell's Collagen Moisturizing Treatment Masque. Now, I know that this mask is called a "Collagen" mask, because it does contain collagen and other skin reviltalizers that have short-term skin firming and plumping benefits (ingesting collagen will probably get you more noticeable results), but the really obvious results I got from applying this mask was smoother, brighter, and more hydrated skin.

As you can tell in the pictures, the formula is a creamy, and rich. The consistency kind of reminds me of a thick cocoa butter, especially, because it is super opaque and pale gold. This mask is the non-drying type, so even after applying it for 40 minutes the mask will still be wet.

The smoothing and brightening results come from the mask's high PH of 8.5. The PH is high enough to dissolve the dead surface cells. So when you remove the mask you are left with a fresh face!

The mask's non-drying and lubricating texture hold in hydrating ingredients like Panthenol -- a form of Vitamin B5. Panthenol helps maintain and soothes the skin's natural moisture barrier. It is a pretty common ingredient in products aimed at moisturizing, including, hair care.

How to Apply.
The accompanying instructions indicated that best results are attained when this masque is applied after a steam and exfoliation treatment.

Well, the closest I got to steaming and exfoliating at home was using a facial scrub in my shower prior to applying the mask. Still, I was very pleased with how brightened and glowing my complexion looked and how smooth my skin felt. I am going to continue using this mask to see if it helps fade the scarring on my chin.

Plus, remember, I have been telling you guys about my dehydrated under eyes and dark circles...Well, this mask can be specifically applied to your under eye area for quick plumping and brightening a couple times a week. Or if you should ever burn your face in the sun, this would be a perfect mask to soothe and hydrate.

What's your favorite mask to use for hydrating and brightening?

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Neocell Collagen Powder Supplement, 7 oz., $12 via healthdesigns.com (Get $5 off with PromoCode  "mshealthyface")

Neocell Collagen Moisturizing Treatment Masque, 1 oz, $10 via iHerb.com 

Sources
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21982351