I nearly fell out of my chair.

Darling readers, I feel it is my duty to inform you: Despite what 9 out of 10 dermatologists say, Cetaphil is the devil. It may look harmless and smell harmless but by golly it’s craptastic. One plastic jug contains just eight ingredients: water, cetyl alcohol, propylene glycol, sodium lauryl sulfate, stearyl alcohol, methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben. Everything but the water is chemically manufactured, and propylene glycol, sodium lauryl sulfate, and three (three!) parabens are potentially cancer-causing. Which means, there is not a single beneficial ingredients in this cleanser. So what’s a girl to do? Step one: Put your  Cetaphil in the trash. Step two: Pick up a natural, inexpensive alternative. Two of my favorites: Suki Sensitive Skin Cleansing Bar ($11.95 ) and Yes to Cucumbers Towelettes ($5.99). What are some of yours?

For more depressing data on Cetaphil, check out this fantastic reporting from Well + Good NYC.

]]> http://www.beautybets.com/2012/01/last-call-30-off-by-elizabeth-dehn/feed/ 9 http://www.beautybets.com/2011/12/the-stocking-stuffer-of-the-century/ http://www.beautybets.com/2011/12/the-stocking-stuffer-of-the-century/#comments Wed, 14 Dec 2011 11:00:56 +0000 Beauty Bets http://www.beautybets.com/?p=6827

Surprise, surprise—I don’t do Black Friday. Never have, probably never will. I like to shop on Tuesdays, at 10 am, when it’s just me and a bunch of marked-down, freshly folded merchandise. But here we are, less than two days before THE day, and I just know that some of you are plotting your routes, setting out your cute-but-comfortable flats, and filling up your water bottles. So I peeked at the sales, and I jotted down a few that are, admittedly, kind of amazing—including my own. Yes, I’m just full of contradictions. Blame it on Mercury being in retrograde.

Arcona
November 25
An INSANE 40% off all purchases of $100 or more, plus free shipping on all orders $200 or more. If I had to use one skincare line for the rest of my life, this would be it. And it NEVER goes on sale.
Enter code ‘black’ to receive discount

Bloom.com
November 29
I had never heard of this “social” beauty site, but on Cyber Monday you’ll receive 40% back on all purchases, in the form of BloomDollars that can be used toward future purchases. Unlike many big retailers, there are no brand or product exclusions, and the list includes both drugstore and high-end lines so it’s definitely worth taking a gander. Also, free shipping on purchases of $49 or more.

By Elizabeth Dehn
November 24–27
BOGO 50% off the Serum! One for you, one for someone else who deserves super dewy skin. Truly magical stuff.
Discount automatically applied at checkout

Butter LONDON
November 28–30
A whopping 30% site-wide discount on the most divine lacquers, like my beloved Yummy Mummy.
Enter CELEBRATE11 at checkout

Bobbi Brown
November 22–29
Free standard shipping on all orders + 3 Best-Selling Treats. I’ll be picking up a new pot of longwear gel eyeliner in espresso ink. It draws the cleanest, prettiest line.
Enter HAPPY12 at checkout
.

I can’t believe it’s already time to start thinking about holiday gifting! This year, I promised myself that I would not put off getting started on my handmade gifts. This weekend I got some cinnamon-infused whiskey going (recipe’s here), and now, I’m ready to get cracking on presents for my lady friends. Here are some budget-friendly beauty DIYs that are topping my must-make list this year:

I love the folksy, vintage vibe of these floral pocket mirrors.

This olive oil-honey sugar scrub sounds divinely moisturizing.

I’ll bet this candy cane scrub is going to smell so nice.

These no-sew braided headbands will take next to no time to make. ()

I cannot wait to make these colorful hair combs.

Whipping up a big batch of bath salts is easy. Here’s a basic recipe for both a lavender and a rose version. I would tweak it a bit and instead of using soap coloring add real dried lavender and rose buds.

For gift-wrap, I think I’m going to go with the recycled route, but maybe instead of sewing the bags closed, I’ll punch holes along the border and thread leftover yarn through. Goodness knows I’m never at a loss for grocery bags!  –Meghan

It’s not every day we have a musician in our midst! Minneapolis-based singer/songwriter Brynn Andre just released a new album by the same name and it is breathtaking. So much talent for such a young thing! I don’t know how she does it while looking so flawless, so I asked Brynn to share her on-stage beauty musts—the products that don’t budge under the bright lights of a sweltering stage:

Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner:  I love strong black liner for my performances, it looks great under harsh lighting. This is easy to apply and will literally stay all night long.  Laura Mercier Oil Free Primer:  This is pure magic. Unlike other primers, it has no silicone, and the witch hazel which zaps any redness. For performances, I need staying power and this honestly works.  Dove Anti-Frizz Serum:  I love Moroccan Oil, but it’s a bit spendy. This is a great alternative that works like a leave-in conditioner but also as a shine serum.  Sally Girl Bronzing Powder:  I’m obsessed with a good bargain, I get it from my mom. So I shop at Sally Beauty Supply often, and found this amazing bronzer. It’s basically matte, has a lovely non-orange tint and cost ninty-nine cents! Lancome Maquicomplet Concealer:  I find that most concealers are either too oily or they slide right off. This stays put and has great coverage, so I need less powder.

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I spend a lot of time talking about the products I’VE been using/loving. Today I’d so much rather hear about the last beauty goodie YOU bought. Is it something you can’t live without, or something totally new? (Mine was Shiseido The Makeup Facial Cotton, a small but life-changing luxury!).  –Elizabeth

Extra Crispy Fried…three words I love when it comes to fast food chicken sandwiches that also succinctly describe the state of my summer hair. It’s fried out people. I put off my trim for too long, rolled my locks in scorching rollers too often, sat out in the sun sans hat too frequently. (Swimming three times a week in crazy chlorinate pools most certainly hasn’t helped!) So, I’ve been on a month-long kick of testing out different discount deep conditioners in search of a fix for my practically crispy tresses—an adventure that led me to a Fantastic Sams salon in a St. Louis Park strip mall.

In sum, my experience at the salon, well, fantastically exceeded my expectations. The friendly stylist customized a treatment just for me, mixing and matching three of Redken’s six conditioning “shots.” My triple-threat blend included a dose of color extend to preseve my recent dye job, an “extreme” shot to aid in mending my dried out ends, and an all-soft shot to provide strength, softness, silkiness and shine using a blend of avocado oil, olive oil and gold camelina. After a quick shampoo she applied the conditioners at the shampoo bowl. One heavenly five-minute scalp massage later, it was time to rinse. For someone as busy as me, the fact that the treatment took under 20 minutes from start to finish, including a quick blowout, is a major selling point! After the treatment, my hair felt revived! It was soft. It was glossy. It felt, finally, healthy. Know what also felt healthy? My checking account. Redken Conditioning Treatments at Fantastic Sam’s salons start at just $7.99 (and top out around $15 depending on the salon). Coupons for discounted treatments are also easy to find on their Facebook page and in Valpak coupon circulars. Find a location near you here.

You know her as the Beauty Thrifter, but our Wednesday drugstore adventuress and kick-ass DIYer Meghan McAndrews leads another equally glamourous life as a vintage aficionado. This weekend she and her Mighty Swell crew of collectors are hosting a Summer in the City vintage extravaganza sale. I would be remiss in not giving her the week off from deep-conditioner testing to prepare, and YOU would be remiss to miss it! Do stop by to score one of these killer summer getups, slurp on a fresh-fruit ice pop, and say hello to Meghan. She be the one with long blonde hair, ridiculously good skin, and retro-red lips.  —Elizabeth

MIGHTY SWELL
July 23-24, 10-7pm
3109 East 42nd Street
Minneapolis