Natural lip plumping.

Brush your teeth - brush your lips. First thing in the morning when you wake up and brush your teeth, don't leave out your lips. It may sound crazy but it gets the blood moving to the area and it will pump your lips up. Apply some gloss and you are ready to face the day.

Alpha hydroxy acids (AHA) and how you can do it yourself

Alpha hydroxy acids (AHA) are the hottest ingredients to hit the beauty Business. They are found in a number of expensive businesses. They are found in a number of expensive beauty lines and are perfect for sloughing off dead skin. But before you go spending hundreds of dollars; just know that foods such as pineapples, strawberries, apples, and even milk are overflowing with AHAs. So why not go directly to the source? Many of the recipes we will be highlighting on this Blog are filled with AHAs. When applied to the skin, they penetrate the upper layer to peel off dry skin and welcome new healthy cells. If you pamper your skin constantly with AHAs, it will begin to regularly exfoliate — as it did when you were in your teens. 

Here is one to try. One popular combination for a homemade facial mask is banana, honey and yogurt. Honey is a natural antiseptic, and it tightens the pores. Bananas are nutrient-rich, so they nourish the skin. Yogurt has lactic acid (AHA), which smooths and softens the skin. Once you know how to put these three ingredients together to make a natural facial mask, you can use it once or twice a week to keep your skin looking healthy.

Instructions

1. • 

     Peel the banana, and cut it in half. Put half of the banana in the mixing bowl, and mash it until it is creamy. Use only a ripe banana, because green bananas won't mash so well.
     
     
   • 

     Mix the plain, unsweetened yogurt well before you measure it out for your homemade facial mask. Add the two tablespoons of yogurt to the mashed banana, and blend the two ingredients well. 
   • 

     Use honey that is pure, with no additives. Pour one tablespoon of honey into the bowl with the banana and yogurt. Blend all three ingredients together.
     
     
   • 

     Apply the mixture to your face and decollete evenly (remember your face starts with decollete), avoiding getting it in your eyes. Pop a couple of cucumber slices on your eye lids and you are ready. Leave the mask on for fifteen to twenty minutes (take a power nap if you want to), and then rinse the mask off with cool water. Then, pat your face dry with a wash cloth. 

     
     

     Follow up with your favorite moisturizer. We recommend Lumi*Essence Organic Advanced Brightening Repair Treatment, which contains Kojic Acid and Alpha Arbutin to further brighten and rejuvenate your skin.

     Enjoy!
     

What is BB Cream?

 

BB Creams are latest craze in cosmetics among the women in Asia and now US.

BB Cream (an abbreviation for Blemish Balm Cream) is among the hottest beauty products in Asia right now. This cream is said to have originated in Germany as an ointment dermatologists would prescribe to patients who have undergone laser skin surgery for its soothing and skin-regenerating properties.


Popular Korean celebrities were the first to start using the cream for beautification purposes and because K-Dramas or Koreanovelas (a.k.a. Korean drama shows) are pretty big at the moment -- here in Asia at least -- a craze was born. The beauty trend has now spread from Korea to Japan to South East Asia and, last I heard, is already quickly making its way to Europe and the USA.

So what exactly is BB Cream and what does it do?

It is a skin care product that offers a few properties at the same time: Wrinkle Care + UV Protection+ Moisturizing + Tint/ Foundation

 
Doesn't it seem like every Asian actress is blessed with naturally flawless skin?

Well, maybe so, but now we know that they are also armed with a secret weapon, called the BB Cream.


BB stands for "Blemish Balm" and dermatologists initially used it to help laser surgery patients protect, soothe and regenerate their highly sensitive skin while also providing good coverage for post-laser scars and redness.


Asian celebrities (who I assume underwent aforementioned laser surgery) discovered this wonder cream and started using it. Korean cosmetic companies got wind of it, realized the business potential and adapted the technology and started making their own formulas, thus making it available to the public.


This "public" version of BB cream is suitable for all skin types and are targeted specially to those who have sensitive and acne-prone skin. It has the advantages of both skin care and makeup as it improves the skin's condition and evens out the skin tone while providing coverage for dark spots and other blemishes.

Stay tuned for new 2013 season, as we are getting ready to offer 2 BB creams with SPF 30 and SPF 50 all natural (mineral) sun protection.