Dear Bets:
What the heck is BB Cream? I’m confused and intrigued!
-Katie H.

I wondered the same thing a few months ago when a tube came across my desk. What is this BB Cream and why do I need if I already have a tinted moisturizer? Then I tried some. And I loved it. And now I can’t imagine life without it . . . . But back to your question. BB Cream stands for “blemish balm.” It’s been popular throughout Asia for years, but—to clear up the confusion—not just for blemishes. In Asia the word “blemish” translates as any type of skin imperfection: wrinkles, uneven skin tone, sun damage, acne, rosacea, etc. BB Cream is designed to prevent and diminish ALL of these issues. See what all the fuss is about?

For my maiden voyage I tried Boscia’s BB Cream ($38). It’s mostly natural, has a mineral SPF 27, and coincidentally was the first BB to land stateside after huge acclaim in overseas. The cream is incredibly lightweight, like a fluffy, tinted primer. It comes in one shade, which magically blended  into my fair skin (and presumably most others), creating this shockingly flawless, yet sheer canvas. You may need to lay down a moisturizer first if you’re dry, but you most certainly won’t need foundation!

Although BB creams usually contain some powerful hydrator, like Sodium Hyaluronate, they are more matte than a tinted moisturizer—one big reason that those of you with will oily skin, larger pores, and /or acne-prone skin will love this concept. I still used a tinted, but opt for BB Cream if I want something even lighter-weight OR only have time for one product OR am dashing to the grocery store and don’t want to look like I just rolled out of bed but don’t want to wear any makeup.

Does that help?  There are now loads of BB Creams on the market, including from Clinique, Smashbox, and Dr. Jart, a brand I’d never heard of but keeps getting raved about. Should you brave this new BB world, please report back on your discoveries!

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.

Recession be damned, there’s never a dull moment in Beauty. 2011 was the best of times (stricter sunscreen regulations) and the worst of times (feather hair extensions). We cheered when Kate Middleton did her own wedding makeup, and gaped at Lady Gaga’s wigs and moles. But that was then, and this is now. With the help of a few industry insiders, I recently shared my beauty predictions for the year ahead with the Star Tribune.

Anything else you’d like to add? Please don’t say kool-aid highlights.

Even though Boots has been around for over 160 years, I’ve only recently given this popular British brand a deep-dive. My overall impression? There are some fantastic values—if you know what to look for. Lest you get paralyzed in the Target aisle, I’ve rounded up the best of the best.  –Meghan
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Best cleanser: Boots Expert Anti-Blemish Cleansing Foam ($5) – Light as a feather, this foam clears blackheads and blemishes without leeching moisture from my dry skin. I rotate this cleanser in weekly, alternating with my favorite cold cream and CVS scrub.
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Best toner: Boots Botanics Rosewater Toner ($8) – Proof that skin care doesn’t have to be complicated (or expensive) to be delightfully luxurious—and organic, as certified by the Kew Royal Botanics Garden. I transferred mine to a spray bottle and use it often to refresh my moisturizer.
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Best day cream: Boots No7 Protect & Perfect Day Cream ($19) – I’m a Goldilocks when it comes to my day cream—they’re either too light, too heavy, too greasy, too smelly. This one is just right, providing rich, long-lasting moisture while absorbing quickly and completely. Now that chilly temps have arrived, this creams makes for a great foundation prep.
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Best night cream: Boots No7 Advanced Hydration Night Cream ($16) – I love products that work while you sleep, and this rich, shea-infused night cream does just that. It’s likely I’ll retire it come summer time, but right now I’m slathering it on every evening to keep flakes and parched-ness at bay.
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Best serum: Boots Botanics Intensive Wrinkle Reduction Serum ($15) – If you’re mourning the loss of By Elizabeth Dehn’s serum (RIP), I encourage you to give this product a try. While nothing will ever compare to BED’s juicy, nourishing facial oil, Boots Botanic’s version delivers a hearty dose of vitamin A and wrinkle-fighting plant extracts without being greasy. I’ve been using it under my night cream and have noticed significant softening of my skin and the fine lines I’m fighting on my forehead.
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Best masque: Boots Botanics Conditioning Clay Mask ($9) – There’s something so cathartic about doing a clay mask. Boots’ version boasts oceanic clay, which attaches to buried impurities and toxins and then sucks ‘em right out, tightening the skin as it cleanses. To avoid over-drying, apply to your T-zone only (unless you have extremely oily skin) and moisturize immediately after removing.
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Best bath product: Boots Botanics Luxurious Bath Elixir ($10) – I’m sort of a snoot when it comes to bath products. Overly perfumed salts make me swoon, but their price tags do not. This thick gel smells—in a word—expensive. Think fancy spa up in the north woods. Just a little dollop and the dub will be brimming with bubbles.

]]> http://www.beautybets.com/2012/01/last-call-30-off-by-elizabeth-dehn/feed/ 9 http://www.beautybets.com/2011/12/zoe-organics-for-mom-and-baby/ http://www.beautybets.com/2011/12/zoe-organics-for-mom-and-baby/#comments Mon, 19 Dec 2011 06:44:56 +0000 Beauty Bets http://www.beautybets.com/?p=6860

There’s only one day a year that I will ever ask you to give more than your brightness and energy to this blog, and today’s the day! Wilderness Inquiry, the Twin Cities nonprofit that provides outdoor experiences for people of all backgrounds and abilities, needs just 300 new donors to receive a $30,000 grant. It’s participation that counts, which means that if every one of you donated just ONE DOLLAR, Wilderness Inquiry would reach its goal. If the great outdoors have enriched your life as they have Mr. Bets’ and mine, please consider giving here to this life-changing organization.

As an added incentive, everyone who donates to Wilderness Inquiry will be entered in a giveaway for my guy gift pick of the year: Boscia Revitalizing Black Hydration Gel ($38). It’s cooling, hydrating, soothing, and literally black thanks to oil-absorbing, pore-refining charcoal. This post-shave treat has MAN written all over it. If you’ve got one on your holiday shopping list, or want to do a good deed for the day, please DONATE HERE and leave your name below. I’ll announce the winner on Monday, just in time to get you the goods before Christmas!

Gratefully,
Bets

Would love to see you locals out this Friday at the holiday pop-up shop I’m hosting with a handful of awesome designers and natural-beauty brands. Perfect time to scoop up last-minute gifts, sip some bubbly, and get a Tarot card reading (5-7pm)! Naturally I needed some supernatural fun thrown into the mix. All By Elizabeth Dehn skincare will be 25% OFF, and I’ll have some sweet travel-sized Face Spray stocking stuffers on hand just for the event. It’s free, so the more the merrier!
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The Beauty Lounge in St. Paul is throwing a one-day sale this Sunday, December 18, in its DARLING new Mac-Groveland digs. Proprietress and makeup artist/educator extraordinaire Julie Swenson carries some of my absolute favorite giftable lines, like Love & Toast, Sara Happ, and Malin + Goetz. Everything will be 20% OFF on Sunday, December 18 from 12-5pm so stop in say hello!

I don’t need to tell you for the nth time about my undying devotion and irrational enthusiasm for the Metropolitan’s painless laser hair removal—you can read all about that here and here—but I’d be remiss in my gift guide duties if I didn’t share this absurdly amazing deal. During the month of December, all laser packages at the Metropolitan are a whopping 40 percent off. In addition to The Laser Hair Removal That Changed My Life, the promotion includes sun damage eradicating pulsed light therapy and wrinkle-smoothing Pixel. What’s more, you don’t have to complete your treatments in December, just get them booked! So get on it—this gift’s for YOU!  –Bets