Cynthia Bailey’s Beauty Secrets

Ms. Cynthia Bailey the supermodel entrepreneur on Real Housewives of Atlanta just turned 50. Fifty years old ladies and gentleman! She looks absolutely incredible so I just HAD to do some research and find out what her beauty secrets are. I’ve even seen Cynthia in passing at the Grove in Los Angeles and she was absolutely stunning just like a supermodel should be.

“The thing that modeling has taught me about beauty is that it’s really individual. I work with so many different types of beauties, as a model. It’s not so much traditional. It’s about working with what you have and owning it. Confidence is so much of a part of being beautiful. I’ve met so many women who weren’t model-beautiful. Their confidence and everything about them is so beautiful to me.” – Cynthia Bailey (Source)

Cynthia Bailey’s Skin Care

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Kyle Richards’ Beauty Secrets

Since I’ve already done Lisa Vanderpump (twice for LVP actually), Erika Jayne aka Erika Girardi, and Lisa Rinna I figured the next Real Housewife of Beverly Hills whose beauty secrets we all want to know is obviously Kyle Richards aka Kyle Richards Umansky. I have scoured the internet for any and all interviews with Kyle about her favorite beauty products, makeup, hair care, skin care, etc. and have put them all together for your enjoyment here!

What’s your beauty mantra in five words or less? 
“When in doubt, do without!”

Kyle Richards (source)

How Old is Kyle Richards?

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Sephora VIB 2016 Wish List – Skin Care, Hair, and Fragrance

More of my Sephora VIB 2016 Wish list- this time I’m talking about the skin care, hair care, and fragrance/perfumes I’m lusting after.

Skin Care

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Drunk Elephant Let’s B Clear $82 ($130 value) Just go ahead and give me all the fancy skin care kits please and thank you! Drunk Elephant has amazing products that are actually backed by science so they work. This kit includes some of their best sellers- Pekee Bar, B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Gel, TLC Framboos Glycolic Night Serum, C-Firma Day Serum, and Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil. Continue reading “Sephora VIB 2016 Wish List – Skin Care, Hair, and Fragrance”

Clinique City Block Purifying Charcoal Clay Mask + Scrub Review

Bloomingdales was sweet enough to send me a Bonus Box filled with the latest beauty products and the one that I had to try immediately was the Clinique City Block Purifying Charcoal Clay Mask + Scrub ($28). PS to see more unboxings add me on Snapchat (@lindsaycockburn).

Before using the mask be sure to wash your face then apply it all over in a thin layer. Continue reading “Clinique City Block Purifying Charcoal Clay Mask + Scrub Review”

Fighting Back Against Sun Damage with Anti-Aging Techniques

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post that also contains affiliate links. Read more about what that means and how it works on my Disclosure page.

You might think that skin damage is a natural part of aging, but you’re only partially right. A very small percentage of skin problems is caused by genetics or the general passage of time. What does cause the damage is exposure to damaging elements, like the sun. Obviously, older people have had more sun exposure, which is why you might see more wrinkles, discolored spots, and other skin problems as you age. But the good news is there are lots of anti-aging techniques you can use to fight back against that damage.

Preventing Sun Damage

Of course, the best course of action is to prevent as much sun damage as you can in the first place so that you don’t have to treat the damage later. Even if you think it’s too late and your skin is already damaged, you should still protect it in the future, especially since less sun exposure means less risk of skin cancer.

There are several steps you can take to protect your skin. Wearing sunscreen whenever you go out is the biggest, even if it seems to be cloudy out. Wearing hats and sunglasses can also help a lot. I just bought this rash guard for SPF protection to bring on an upcoming trip where I’ll be outside and in the water a lot:

If it’s hard to remember to put on sunscreen by itself, get yourself a daily moisturizer that contains sunscreen instead. Then you only have to remember to apply one product instead of two. It’s even better if the product you choose contains retinoids, vitamins, and minerals. Those can all help to both repair and prevent skin damage. Here’s a few good ones I recommend:

Reversing Skin Damage with Laser and Light Procedures

If some damage is already done, one great way to reverse it is with laser procedures. Those aesthetic skincare machines can treat many different skin issues caused by sun, chemicals, and other environmental factors. Wrinkles are the most common, but age spots and other blemishes can also be lightened or removed entirely with lasers. So can old scars from things like acne outbreaks. Continue reading “Fighting Back Against Sun Damage with Anti-Aging Techniques”

The Face Mask You Must Try

I had seen a lot of hype online about the Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay Deep Pore Cleansing Mask, but I was hesitant to buy it since I was afraid it might dry my skin out a little too much.

Then I got an amazing facial from Vanessa at VaneBee Skin Care in Glendale and she recommended the mask and said it was excellent for ANY skin type so I was sold. Who doesn’t want to clean all the crap out of their pores!?

Some tips for using this mask:

    1. Wash your face first.
    2. When mixing it, be sure to mix it in a plastic or glass bowl AND with a plastic (not metal) spoon or fork! You can also use a cute lil mask kit like this:

3. The first time you use it, try mixing the clay with water instead of Apple Cider Vinegar to ease your way in. That way your face won’t have the intense pulsating feeling and if you have sensitive skin it won’t get as aggravated.

4. You’re supposed to let it dry for 5-10 minutes for sensitive skin and 15-20 for normal skin. Vanessa gave me the tip to be sure to take it off before it’s completely hardened because if you wait too long the stuff clogging your pores will also harden and won’t come out.

5. After you use it use the mask and clean it off with water use a toner and cotton round all over your face to make sure you get every last bit off. Thayer’s Witch Hazel Rose Petal Toner is a nice natural one that I use.

6.  After you’ve used the mask and toner your skin will feel tight and dry so be sure to use a good moisturizer.

7. Only use this mask about once a week so you don’t dry your skin out too much.

My pores definitely appeared smaller after using this mask and my skin felt nice and smooth- I love it and plan on using it weekly! If you try this mask, let me know!

Play! By Sephora

Rejoice beauty lovers and try-ers of new things, Sephora has it’s very own monthly subscription box! The box is called Play! By Sephora and it started September 2015, but the caveat is that you can’t just sign up and get it, you have to be on a wait list first (womp womp). It took me about 2-3 months to get off the wait list (they email you and let you know when that happy day comes). I haven’t received my first box yet, but I can’t wait! The box has about 5 samples along with a Play! book that explains what they are and how to use them. You also get a card called a Play Pass that you can bring into Sephora to get a free personalized tutorial and 50 bonus Beauty Insider points (which means even more samples!) when you make a purchase. The box is totally reasonable at $10 a month plus sales tax and shipping is included. Hurry up and sign-up for the wait list for Play! By Sephora so you can get in on the next box! Also a little hint, when you get the email that says you’re off the wait list and you click the link to get the box it looks like you’re signing up for the wait list again, but don’t worry that’s the correct box to enter your email address into. Here’s what the May 2016 Play! By Sephora box looked like: Continue reading “Play! By Sephora”

Does This Thing Really Work? Ask Beautypedia

With all of the advertising and marketing in the beauty industry it’s very hard to tell what is going to work and what will not. This is so important because who wants to waste $$$ on a product that does not live up to it’s claims? So how do you research a products claims and find out if it contains ingredients that will actually make your skin better? This is where one of my favorite websites Beautypedia comes in. Beautypedia was started by Paula Begoun who is known as the cosmetics cop. For decades now she has been breaking down ingredient lists vs. manufacturer claims to de-mistify the (sometimes) fuzzy beauty science and to educate the masses. Whenever you sign on to Instagram, Youtube, open a magazine, see a commercial, etc. you’re constantly being bombarded with “This is the one! The product that will make you flawless and fix all of your skin’s problems! BUY NOW!!” and Paula helps you separate the BS from the truly beneficial products.

The other thing I like about her site is that you can choose how deeply you want to plunge into the scientific knowledge behind ingredients. You can find out if a product contains sodium hyaluronate acid and what the hell that means, or you can just find out if the MAC Pro Longwear Nourishing Waterproof Foundation lives up to it’s claims or not (PS it does according to beautypedia and now I really want to try it!).

How I use Beautypedia:

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I Didn’t Think I Would Get Skin Cancer Either

Growing up in Florida and now living in Los Angeles I see a whole lot of sunshine. When I was younger I loved to lay out and bake. I wanted to be as tan as my fair skin would let me so I’d slather myself with oil and stay by the pool all day or go to the tanning beds occasionally. I knew it would all catch up with me eventually, but I didn’t think eventually would be at age 27.

There I was in stirrups at my annual gynecological exam (as if that day couldn’t get any worse) when my doctor. points to a mole over my heart and says “You need to see a Dermatologist about that. If I could take it off right this minute I would.” “Great” I thought, “yet another doctor’s appointment to schedule.” Luckily I was motivated by the fact that it was the end of the year and I had already met my high deductible so I went to see my dermatologist (who I was already getting annual skin cancer checks from) to get the mole biopsied.

When the biopsy came back unfortunately the results showed that it was Melanoma. This meant I had to go back and get it removed along with some of the healthy skin around it to ensure the entire thing was gone and would not spread.

This is right after my cancerous mole was removed.
This is right after my melanoma (skin cancer) mole was removed in January 2014

It was a pretty small mole and now I have a huge scar I get to look at everyday. Here’s what it looks like today, 16 months later: Continue reading “I Didn’t Think I Would Get Skin Cancer Either”

Lisa Vanderpump’s Beauty Secrets

I scoured the internet for Lisa Vanderpump of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ makeup and beauty secrets and now I will share them all with you!

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