Think you hate self-tanners? You haven't tried St. Tropez!

If you've been traumatized by too many orange, stinky self-tanners, you may be hesitant to try any tan in a bottle...

At Skin Chic, we've field-tested the St. Tropez tanners against popular self-tanning brands. We are totally in love with St. Tropez! The color is believable, effortless to apply, and pleasantly scented. Even the palest girls here at Skin Chic are addicted.

What makes St. Tropez different?

• Unique Aromaguard fragrance technology minimizes the tell-tale self tan aroma, reducing it by a minimum of 70%.
• Smooth, easy to use application, with no streaking or unevenness.
• Natural bronze color (not orange), even on fair skin.

We have a formula for every bronzing style!

Instant Tan:

Our all-time best seller is the Bronzing Mousse.
Perfect for when you want a gorgeous rich tan the next day.. but don't want anyone to know it's fake!
 This super-lightweight, easy-to-apply, velvety mousse delivers the ultra-even all-over tan.

How to get a perfect tan with the Bronzing Mousse

      Exfoliate with a treatment like Jan Marini's Bioglycolic Body Scrub, before moisturizing dry  areas thoroughly (elbows, knees, ankles and feet). Help protect light eyebrows and hairline with a little extra moisturizer. Then, pump the mousse into your palm and sweep it from top to toe making sure you’re well covered. Remember, it's only missed areas that can look patchy! Once you’ve got even coverage wait for 60 seconds before getting dressed. Then try not to get wet, or sweat, for at least four hours. Finally, shower off to reveal a perfectly golden, natural looking tan.

Gradual Tan:

Another cult favorite is the Gradual Everday Body Lotion.
    This fabulously hydrating lotion gives buildable color and daily hydration. It makes self tanning completely foolproof ...and it smells delicious! Don’t worry if you go over the same area twice, it’s only missed areas that’ll look uneven

For an airbrush finish, try the Gradual Everyday Spray.
This ultra-fine aerosol spray delivers exceptionally smooth, even color for a gradual golden glow. With no guide color, it's quick and simple to use and your tan will develop in just a few hours. For a deeper tan, simply apply daily to intensify the shade.

Have questions? Come in and talk to an expert at Skin Chic today!

Tropical Vacation Must Haves

Winter is the perfect time of year to travel south and find some sunshine. I recently traveled to Maui, HI with my family and boyfriend to spend an early Christmas holiday together. When I travel, I usually take an entire makeup kit! But when I travel to Maui, I only take the necessities.

This trip, I made it a point to try and put everything (except for my snorkel gear) into a single back pack. That meant choosing only the essentials! This is easier said than done for a makeup junky like me. I was proud of myself for only packing 7 cosmetic items. Yes, you heard me, 7! I want to share what made the final cut into my cosmetic bag.

Beach Time Skin

Each morning, before sunrise, I was up and getting ready to go snorkeling. I started off with my Jan Marini Antioxidant SPF 30 Daily as a base sunscreen because it worked as my daytime moisturizer and my SPF! It also has microscopic oil absorbing particles that helped my skin stay matte throughout the day. Even my dad didn't find it too heavy or oily feeling.

Once that soaked in, I heavily applied my Colorescience SPF 50 Brush. What I love about this product is no matter how heavy you apply it, you can still hardly see it! This made it a great product for even the men in my family. Knowing that my ears, hair part and face were fully protected and not greasy feeling, was fabulous. 

Since I suffer from hyperpigmentation on my face and even more on my upper lip, I have to be extremely careful not to get any sun exposure. Otherwise, a pseudo mustache appears! Not a good look for a woman.

My SPF'ing didn't stop there. All too often people forget about their lips when they are spending time in the sun. An easy way to keep them hydrated with SPF protection is by using La Natura Organic Shea Butter SPF 20 Lip Balm. This balm is fabulous for both men and women. It doesn't have a smell, it's clear and has an SPF 20 rating! I was also impressed that it didn't melt in the hot sun. Nothing worse than digging into your bag to find a hot mess of a lip balm at the bottom.

Those were my three easy steps for a well protected beach face!

Of course I couldn't stop there. I, like many women, feel a little naked without wearing mascara. I chose Blinc mascara as my beach mascara because it is the ultimate in waterproof mascara. If you haven't tried it, it's a water dwellers must-have. This mascara works differently than most waterproof mascaras by creating tiny tubes around your lashes. You will never have raccoon eyes while swimming again! I snorkeled and boogie boarded for hours every day and my mascara looked the same at the end of the day as it did when I first applied it. I was so impressed! (secret offer....come into Skin Chic or give us a call and mention you read this blog and receive a FREE deluxe sample of Blinc Mascara!)

Evening Look



Each evening after washing off all of the sand, I got ready for the family sunset viewing. Knowing that we would be taking loads of pictures, I wanted to have a little something on my skin, but I didn't want a heavy foundation look. I still had my mascara on from the morning, now all I wanted was a soft glow that evened out my skin tone. The Colorescience Illumination Serum along with the Colorescience Pressed Illuminating Powder was just what the Dr. ordered. It offered me a small amount of coverage while adding a beautiful, healthy glow. As a final touch, I added Colorescience's SPF 35 Lip Shine for a touch of color to my lips.  

Voila! Easy tropical vacation makeup (and only 2 items are liquids and have to be bagged for security!)

Need help figuring out the perfect items for your next trip? Give us a call and let us help you!

http://www.skinchic.com/
406-541-8466







Plump without the Sting?!

    We love the way lip-plumping glosses give us a sexy, full and flushed pout, but we can definitely do without the tingly, burning feeling that comes with them. That’s why we’re so excited to find out that DuWop (the company that created the first lip plumper in 1999) has come out with a new edition-- Lip Venom 2nd Sin-- which offers up the same great lip-enhancing benefits, without making us feel like we just kissed a bee.

   What makes this product unique is its surprising cooling sensation. A special ingredient, Coolant 10, is being used for the first time in a lip-plumper. Lip Venom 2nd Sin actually feels refreshing when you put it on. We only have one complaint: Why don’t they sell it in a larger size?


Skin Chic is excited to introduce Lip Venom 2nd Sin!! Come in and try it today!


(Daily Beauty)

Want longer, fuller looking lashes by Christmas?

Lash enhancement products are without a doubt a popular beauty trend. We have yet to come across a women who doesn't want longer, fuller looking lashes. Lately, it is nearly impossible to open up a women's magazine without seeing an advertisement for the latest and greatest lash growing product. We have been working with RevitaLash for over 4 years and have been in constant awe of the results. During our many interactions with other brands that claim enhanced lashes, we have yet to see the consistent results that RevitaLash offers. Now, with their launch of RevitaLash Advanced, our clients are seeing full results in just 3 weeks! 1/2 the time of the original formulation.

Beyond results, selecting a lash enhancing brand is equally about the company behind the product. RevitaLash not only stands behind their product 100%, but they stand behind their consumers. We love their story so much, we just had to share.

Here is their story:

(from www.revitalash.com)

It all began when a Doctor wanted to give his wife a very special gift.

RevitaLash® was developed by Michael Brinkenhoff, M.D. as a special gift for his wife, Gayle, while she was recovering from metastatic breast cancer treatments. Intensive chemotherapy had damaged Gayle’s once-beautiful eyelashes, leaving them fragile, sparse and thin. Based upon his knowledge and experience as a practicing ophthalmologist for over 25 years, Dr. Brinkenhoff believed that he could develop a formula that would give Gayle’s eyelashes the look of renewed health, strength and beauty.

After extensive research, Dr. Brinkenhoff, together with a talented team of cosmetic chemists, created a product that truly gave the beautiful look of renewed vitality to Gayle’s eyelashes. RevitaLash® was the perfect name for this amazing product!

Thus, an entirely new and unique cosmetic product was born; and a formula created originally for just one special lady has become a product available to men and women everywhere who want to have attractive, beautiful-looking eyelashes.

“Often we feel helpless when someone we love is suffering. I am very fortunate, in my own small way, to have been able to help Gayle through her recovery. Watching her be excited about her beautiful looking eyelashes has been a real joy.”

— Michael Brinkenhoff, M.D

Philanthropy& Community

Paying it forward and giving back are the key missions for Athena Cosmetics, Inc. (RevitaLash). Since the company launched its first product, RevitaLash, this mission has been in the hearts and minds of everyone at the company.

Gayle Brinkenhoff, Wife of RevitaLash founder Michael Brinkenhoff, is a breast cancer patient and survivor. So, supporting breast cancer initiatives is a paramount importance at the company. "Supporting breast cancer research is an integral part of the Athena Cosmetic, Inc mission," says Gayle. "Through building our company with this in mind, I have gained renewed strength and satisfaction by helping other cancer patients regarding healthy lashes and using a portion of our proceeds to help find a cure or support those battling and recovering from the disease."

Athena Cosmetics, Inc. has made philanthropy a cornerstone of its business profile. We believe in giving back to the community, as it is this core belief which inspired the creation of our company.

We are proud and honored to devote time, energy and resources to the goal of fighting breast cancer. With public education programs and by the contribution of time, energy and financial resources, Athena Cosmetics, Inc. will strive to reach the ultimate goal of finding a cure for this epidemic disease. Our philanthropic activities have been focused on several organizations dedicated to the breast cancer community across the country.

Susan B. Komen Walk for a Cure

American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life

Revlon Walk for Women

City of Hope’s Walk for Hope

Entertainment Industry Foundation

Cancer and Careers

The Breast Cancer Research Fund

…and many more.

http://www.revitalash.com/

Everyone's raving about KP duty!

     If you're like us, winter usually means dry, bumpy skin. Those 'chicken skin' bumps on the back of our arms get even worse, and no body cream seems hydrating enough.

Winter skin was not a pretty thing. That is.. before KP duty!

      KP duty is a real solution. It's almost magical how it has transformed our skin!

KP duty makes even the dryest skin soft and silky, and keeps it hydrated and glowing through the dryest, darkest months of winter.

..and we're not the only ones: The editors at New Beauty magazine rave about how effective KP duty is.

From New Beauty magazine's blog: Daily Beauty

"I’ve had annoying little bumps on the backs of my arms for as long as I can remember. I came to the point that I just thought they were a normal part of having fair skin. They’re not. It’s actually a condition known as keratosis pilaris (sometimes called “chicken bumps”), and can be treated.

I turned to a dermatologist-created two-step program to battle keratosis pilaris: DERMAdoctor KP Duty. The first step, Body Scrub with Chemical + Physical Medi-Exfoliation, is a combination of chemical peel and microdermabrasion treatments that gently exfoliates the skin, reducing redness and bumps. The second step is the Moisturizing Therapy for Dry Skin, which soothes and smoothes rough and bumpy skin.

Combined, the two products have nearly eliminated my “chicken bumps” in a matter of a couple weeks."

Time to peel away summer's damage and prepare for winter skin.

Did you accidentally get a little too much sun this summer? Is your skin looking dry and rough? Don't worry, there are several ways you can help your skin get backs its youthful glow.

Services
One of the quickest and easiest ways to reverse the effects of sundamage is with a professional facial. One of our favorite procedures is a microdermabrasion which removes the top layer of dead skin cells, revealing softer, healthier tissue. The procedure only takes about 30 minutes and has little if no downtime for most people. Having a microdermabrasion will not only give you instantly smoother, brighter looking skin, it will aid in the penetration of skin care products by up to 50%. [Microdermabrasion in Practice. 1995. Mahuzier, Francois MD.]

Other uses for microdermabrasion: softens acne scarring, decreases the appearance of hyperpigmentation, photo-damage, fine lines & wrinkles.

We have an esthetician 7 days a week that performs full facial microdermabrasion. Let us get you tucked into our heated bed, give you arm & neck massage, and peel away summer's damage.

Products
There are several options for topical products that will help resurface the skin. We recently fell in love with Jan Marini Skin Research's Retinol Plus. It is equal in strength to a mid level perscription vitamin A cream with out the irritation. By adding active ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, chrysin, anti-aging peptides and green tea extract, this retinol product separates itself from every other vitamin A product on the market.

After one use of this must have cream, your skin will feel softer and more hydrated. Give it a few weeks and your skin will start to glow! Check out these before and after photos from Jan Marini. We'll let the pictures do the talking!



Take time to meet with a Licensed Esthetician to discuss what services or at home products you may need to reach the results you want.

Kiss the world with rose-colored lips

Ask any lip balm pundit to name their top-five picks, and Fresh's best-selling Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15 is bound to appear on the list. And now, the formula is sure to garner a few more fans with it's berry-hued reincarnation, Sugar Rosé Tinted Lip Treatment SPF 15.

This colorful new take on the brand's beloved balm still has the nourishing ingredients of the original. Black currant, meadowfoam seed and apricot kernal oils provide replenishing fatty acids and lots of moisture; grapeseed polyphenols and vitamins A, C, and E offer antioxidant protection; and the eponymous sugar helps hold onto hydration. Plus, there's still an essential SPF 15 rating.

But this time around, lips get a hint of ruby tint that helps wake up any complexion. Add for an especially feminine feel, Fresh has added a rose aroma to the citrus flavor carried over from the original.
Want something a little darker? Come into Skin Chic and try the brand new Sugar Passion or Sugar Plum Tinted Lip Treatment SPF 15. They work as a lip and cheek color!

We love the effortless beauty this balm helps to exude, instantly through color and cumulatively through care.


http://www.newbeauty.com/