Archive for the ‘summer!’ Category
Thursday, August 12th, 2010
Summer is still here! Are any of you planning to go away for a late summer vacation or some R&R? Packing is always a challenge — fitting everything in a tiny little suitcase! — but luckily, 2nd Street Beauty has makeup items to make that part of things a little easier! Bring these along, and you’ll have everything you need to look your best on vacation.
1. We love color-coordinated eyeshadow palettes! Instead of lugging each individual shadow with you, invest in a travel-friendly palette. It should have colors that compliment each other, and a good combination to use day and night while away. Go for colors that can be worn easily with other colors - natural earthy tones like brown, or soft pastels that highlight a sun-kissed face. At night, try something a tad more dramatic like navy blue, or something shimmery that you wouldn’t necessarily wear back home! Make sure to invest in some primer for long lasting color, like Too-Faced Shadow Insurance.
2. Cheek and Lip Stain — another wonderful road companion. The color is soft, but provides just the right amount of tint to make you look fresh. It’s incredibly versatile and long lasting, too! A favorite is the Beach Tint by BECCA. It’s waterproof, so you’ll have to use makeup remover before cleansing your face. An extra step, but waterproof makeup provides great insurance for tropical adventures and high-humidity getaways. It’s also safe to wear swimming!
3. Waterproof mascara — who wants to worry about reapplying this stuff, or wiping away smears and smudges while cavorting on the beach ot taking a nap by the pool? With waterproof mascara, just apply in the morning, and don’t think about it for the rest of the day! One of our very favorites at 2nd Street Beauty is Bare Escentuals’ Flawless Definition Waterproof Mascara. And at bedtime, Klorane Wild Cornflower Eye Make-Up Remover is a perfect and soothing way to remove mascara and liner before nighttime cleansing.
We hope these tips help! Be sure to visit us for last minute travel-size products, or to pick up something special for your time away! Happy traveling, beauties!
  
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Friday, July 9th, 2010
The following post was written by Kathleen Bantad
Summer is here – a perfect time to note a few of our favorite warm-weather items! We’ve listed them here – in no particular order - as well as a few reasons why you should have them!
 1. Bronzer - I love my blush, but summer is all about achieving that natural-looking, sun-kissed glow that will have everyone believing you spent the day on the beach. I love using bronzer in the summer because it’s a subtle, yet shimmery, way to brighten my face! One of my favorites is Jane Iredale Quad Bronzer in Moonglow. Mineral-based with a natural, built-in sunscreen, be sure to ask an associate which shade is right for you!
 2. Bright lipstick - When I think of summer, I think of playful, bright hues. Opt for a playful pink, orange, or bold red lipstick to make a statement. Pair it with a floral outfit and you’re all set! My natural skin color is somewhat olive, so I like to wear a fuscha lip color, like Smashbox’s Photo Finish lipstick in Flirty.
3. Tousled Hair - If you’ve got stick-straight hair like me, you’ll love this product. Summer is all about having beach-sexy hair, and Alterna Caviar Beach Spray is perfect for achieving that look. Just spray through your damp hair while scrunching, and you’ll have the tousled hair you’ve always wanted. You can also try it in your roots and then blow-dry your hair while flipping it upside down for more volume. Try not to brush it too much, or you’ll lose your tousled locks!
 4. Sunscreen - While it’s tempting to run outside the second you see the sun peeking through the curtain, make sure to apply sunblock first. Protecting your skin from UV rays will not only protect you from skin cancer and sun spots, it will also keep your skin from aging. A favorite sunscreen for my face is Murad’s Perfecting Day Cream with SPF 30. For the rest of my body, I use Dermalogica Waterblock Solar Spray. It sprays on easy and won’t clog pores.
5. Nail Polish - Bold, statement nails are always in style. I was so excited to see new shades in-store from Nubar, and can’t wait to try some of their summer-perfect colors! Just like brightening your summer makeup, choose fresh summery shades! A good way to gauge what works? Use all the beautiful, summer fruits that are everywhere as a reference!
What are your favorite summer picks? Feel free to share them by posting a comment below!
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Friday, June 11th, 2010
 It is that time of year again! School is almost out, light lingers later, and the smell of barbeque floats through my neighborhoodmost evenings. To celebrate the beginning of this most beloved season, I joined a friend on Tuesday night to tackle Signal Hill, home of steep inclines, glorious declines and a panoramic view of Long Beach and beyond. By the end of our first hill (we start with the steepest so everything else feels easier), I was completely out of breath and my thighs were on fire. Alas, I pushed on and forty-five minutes later was one step closer to pulling out last year’s bikinis without fainting or weeping.
What do you do to look your best and stay healthy during the summer months? Beyond rule number one - sunscreen, sunscreen & more sunscreen! - there are plenty of suncare, skincare and fair-weather products to assist you in feeling and looking beach-ready! 2nd Street Beauty has great lines to help you groom, tan and protect - the toning you’ll have to do on your own! - as well as summer accessories to show off and cover up in!
Sunscreen is so important, especially if you are fair-skinned like me. A great moisturizer with a full SPF 30 sunscreen built in is Ahava’s Mineral Suncare Sun Protection Anti-Aging Moisturizing Spray. Essential vitamins and moisturizing agents are incorporated to nourish and hydrate, while sunscreens and Dead Sea minerals reduce the damage caused by sun radiation. Proven to retain its SPF after 80 minutes of water activity, it is approved for sensitive skin and is allergy tested.
Dermalogica’s line of sunscreen and after-sun products is built around treating even the most delicate skin. Their Ultra Sensitive Face Block uses natural, ultra-fine porcelain particles to reflect the sun’s most damaging rays without irritation or sunscreen chemicals. A light tint ensures natural coverage, while herbal extracts and antioxidant-rich vitamins soothe the skin. There is Extra Rich Face Block as well, enriched with extra emollients to hydrate while providing sun protection. Solar Defense Booster (SPF- 30) can be worn alone or mixed with your regular moisturizer or foundation to add full-spectrum protection. Shop our website for other hydrating and protecting products from Dermalogica - with soothing sun repair and after-sun sprays to convenient stick sunscreens like the SPF-15 Solar Shield for eyes, lips and ears, you’re bound to find something just right for you.
Hempz makes a wonderfully skin-calming after-sun gel called Sun Burn Relief Gel, enriched with pure hemp seed oil for dramatic skin rehydration, nourishment and conditioning. Aloe Vera cools and soothes UV-stressed skin, while tea tree oil contains a mild anesthetic to help soothe painful burns and help reduce blistering and peeling. And if you are bringing your babies and little ones to the beach or out for a day in the sun, the super sweet Mustela line has both a regular and sensitive-skin formula water-resistant SPF 50 sunblock lotion to ensure double protection: on the surface and at the cellular level using zinc and natural plant ingredients.
For those of you who want some color without being in the sun, Body Drench’s Quick Tan will do the trick. The fine-misting spray gives you immediate color and will not fade, streak, smear or leave you with the tell-tale orange glow of many self tanners. Tan Towel is a mess-free way to apply color - literally, a towel that you use to rub on color - but offers a spray mist for those more comfortable with a bottle tan.
Finally, Sun Labs has a huge array of self tanners, air brush tanners, and support products like exfoliators, aloe based moisturizers, and tan accelerators. Voted Number One tanning product for many years running, Sun Lab’s tanning lotions go on brown for easy application and a bit of instant color! And I love that their original tanning formula gives a lighter color and coverage for we fair-skinned beach goers, and is still available amongst all their deep, dark tanning products.
Worth noting of course is how much skin will be showing as we bikini-up for the summer months! To look your best in your itsy bitsy one- or two-piece, Gigi offers effective and easy-to-use at home waxing products like their Brazilian Bikini Wax to get you sleek and summer ready! Add to that one of 2nd Street Beauty’s gorgeous sun hats and a pair of splashy (and affordable!) JP Morgan sunglasses, and not only are you beach-ready, you are beach-beautiful.
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Thursday, July 16th, 2009
When I moved to Montreal, Canada for art school, I didn’t know a soul. To add insult to injury, it was mid-January and I had never been that chilled-to-the-bone cold in my life. I remember running home one afternoon after class with my hands glued to the side of my head because my grandmother’s antique clip-on earrings were frozen to my ears. The only thing that kept me from crying was the knowledge that tears running down my face unattended in sub-zero temperatures could freeze and quite possibly lead to hypothermia.
My saving grace that winter was stumbling upon a teeny Moroccan mint tea bar in a modern shopping center called Le Faubourg. The structure was made all of glass, so even in the darkest mid-winter afternoons, the whole center was filled with light and views of city-life wherever you looked. I spent dozens of afternoons there that first year, pouring over art history books, writing postcards, and sipping sweet tea that came served in ornate little glasses filled with fresh mint leaves. So began my love affair with mint.
One which has endured and shaped my hair-and skin-care choices for years. I’ve gone through great choices and not-so great choices. There was the gallon size container of rosemary mint conditioner I kicked through in record time. And the drugstore purchase of a won’t-mention-the-name mint julep clay mask which left my face irritated and chafed for a week. And recently, as luck would have it, I found myself on the receiving end of a whole bag of gorgeous products from Petal Fresh Pure, some of which are time-tested standards, some part of their new facial line. And almost all of them having something minty fresh about them.
I have to start with the Aloe & Peppermint Facial Cleanser, simply because it is perfect. Lightweight and soothing, this gel cleanser leaves my skin soft and moisturized without stinging my eyes. It is cooling and my skin tingles and feels fresh after washing with it. Perfect to use before sunscreen and my lighter summertime moisturizer.
My other summer favorite is the Rosemary Mint Body Butter, one of several incredible scents that make up the line, including Tea Tree/Pomegranate, and Lavender. The rosemary mint has a softer, milder smell than I imagined, and the consistency is rich and creamy, leaving behind no greasy residue. These delicious butters are paraben- and color-free (as all Petal Fresh Pure products are) and made with certified organic ingredients.
Lastly, Petal Fresh Pure products are FUN. The packaging is gorgeous, the smells are dreamy, and all of their lines are affordable, something which makes indulging in a new bottle of shampoo or a yummy moisturizer every so often an easy treat. So indulge – it’s summer! A perfect time for something in a mango-guava or fresh aloe vera. Get two! You won’t be disappointed.
by KLM
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