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Baltimore Beauty Examiner
Showing entries for Category: Diamancel
Showing entries for Category: Diamancel
Moi A L'Orange
Once and for all: There is no question that UV tanning, whether in an outdoor or artificial setting, is incredibly harmful to the skin. This is pretty much indisputable, and absolutely includes tanning beds; the claim that only the UVA rays, not the UVB ones are transmitted makes virtually no difference whatsoever, and is total crap. Any darkening of the epidermis resulting from exposure to UV rays is evidence of damage. Tanning is your skin's protective response to harm. photo, Getty Images Now that that's out of the way, I must say that I love the way bronzed skin looks. Coco Chanel pioneered the look in the 1920s after returning from a Paris -to- Cannes yachting excursion ( I know, it's uncanny how similar our lives are) with a burnished glow. Before that, the ideal was porcelain as could be; in a nutshell, there was a direct correlation to the fact that people with money didn't have to work outdoors, thereby preserving the pallor of privilege. And I love it too. I can't help it; I was a teenager in the eighties when we thought SPF 4 was protection enough, and believed that getting a "base tan" was the only protection needed. Sometimes you had to get a burn first, then wake up one morning and squeal with glee when you find that your lobsteresque flesh had "turned to tan", and you liked to peel, because it was some kind of badge of your deep and abiding commitment to tanning, plus wasn't it kind of fun to peel off the moulting skin? Did you ever used to do that? No? Oh, um, me neither, that's gross... As a practicing aesthetician, further destruction of my epidermis is not an option, so my quest for a sunless tanning product that doesn't turn my legs the exact color of a ripe butternut squash has been ongoing for the last ten years. Self-tanner has been around since the 1950s, and the formulas now on the market are a far cry from the days of Man Tan, which I was surprised to learn was the very first self-tanning product on the mass market. How about that? Dudes used to do this before us. And they looked real stupid the majority of the time. I've certainly been there. Once, I got a spray tan in one of those booths, and I did not follow the instructions to buff myself with a towel after emerging from the toxic cloud of fake-tan mist. Three hours later, I was having dinner with friends, and when I got up to visit the restroom, my friends all gasped in horror at the distinctly poo-like brown streaks all down my legs. It sort of defeats the purpose of the whole spray-tan effort if the result is appearing as if your colostomy bag is leaking. Not cute, to put it mildly. Leave it to Bliss, one of my very favorite lines, to come up with literally the only self-tanner that works for all skin tones, especially pale birds like me, on every level.  photo, blissworld.com A Tan For All Seasons is truly on a whole other plane than anything you have used in the past, I promise. The pigments in the subtle tint are brown and purplish, no orange involved. The formula is unlike any other, and really does not streak no matter how quickly and haphazardly (within reason) you apply it. One reason this spray rocks so hard is that in addition to DHA, the active ingredient in self-tanners, it also contains erythrulose which works conjunctively with the DHA for unequaled evenness and natural effect. It also does not posses the telltale DHA smell we dislike so much. Essentially, if you follow the simple instructions for use, the stuff is perfect, except you really have to wash your hands immediately after application, as A Tan For All Seasons works and dries faster than anything I've tried. I recommend snapping on a pair of rubber or latex gloves, so you don't have to worry about it. Questions? Requests? Suggestions? Just want to chat? Please get in touch, I'm interested in your thoughts. Holler at your girl at beautyexaminer@gmail.com. |
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Trouble Afoot
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The balmy spring weather of late (thanks, global climate change!) has nudged me prematurely into last summer’s flip -flops. It feels so good to wiggle my toes in the warm breeze, unencumbered by heavy boots and wooly socks. What interferes with my enjoyment of moments like this, though, is the fear of offending the public with my exposed appendages. My feet are, how shall I put this…not my best feature. I could dangle them in an Olympic-sized swimming pool teeming with crazed foot fetishists, and remain undisturbed. Actually they (the crazed foot fetishists) might ask me to leave. I dread the moment of sheepishly removing my shoes after not having had a pedicure in five months, apologizing to the nail technician, who can barely conceal her disgust. Like most American women, I get pedicures, and most other beauty treatments for that matter, for the aesthetic payoff. When you aren't showing your tootsies to the world, why take care of them? That's not good. I am attempting to shift my focus somewhat. Photo courtesy of bastiengonzalez.com  This is Bastien. Having such unnaturally huge feet may have influenced his choice of profession.The renowned pedicurist Bastien Gonzalez believes in a combination of medical and holistic techniques to address the foot's beauty from the inside out. He sands and buffs and massages, and uses no nail polish. It has been widely reported that a Bastien-ized foot is smooth and sculptural, like polished marble, and able to propel the person attached to it with a singular glide and elegance. In my fantasy life as a princess, Bastien gives me a pedicure every week. I have a rich fantasy life. Since Bastien isn't showing up anytime soon, I own the Rolls Royce of foot files: The Diamancel #10. Photo courtesy of blissworld.com  This pricey (but worth it) foot file isn't just better than all others; it's way, way superior. It's made by the same company that manufactures the best professional microdermabrasion machines and tools I have used, so they clearly know how to exfoliate the living daylights out of anything. The #10 is made with teeny diamond chips, is antimicrobial and can be cleaned and sanitized. You use it only on dry feet. It always remains perfectly rough, and with some dedication, renders my mangled paws almost fit for public view. |
Arika Casebolt
Arika Casebolt is a renaissance woman--a former rock goddess and now an aesthetician who has lived the D.C.-to-Baltimore commuter life. Her goal is to educate and enthrall her readers with beauty tips for everyone, from the meek to the daring, for the commuters in all of us, and for those who prefer to stay at home.
Arika Casebolt is a renaissance woman--a former rock goddess and now an aesthetician who has lived the D.C.-to-Baltimore commuter life. Her goal is to educate and enthrall her readers with beauty tips for everyone, from the meek to the daring, for the commuters in all of us, and for those who prefer to stay at home.
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