Monday, January 28, 2019

Moisturizing Millennial Makeup for Winter Baby Boomer & Gen-X Complexion.

By Laura Medina

Since 2/3 of the country is under a blizzard, you all need a beauty boost to perk you up.

A dab will do you good.  Dab then pat or blend gives you enough intense flush to make you look alive.  Since it's moisturizing, you can do the same for your pale, chapped lips.

The Dawn, a sunny coral; Puff, a light, cool pink; Dusk,a brownish nude; and Beam, a soft peach are neutral enough to triple-use as moisturizing eyeshadow cream.

Another one & done.


Saturday, January 26, 2019

Kate Beckinsale & Gavin Rossdale for LA Art Show 2019.

By Laura Medina

On Wednesday, January 23, Hollywood stars joined thousands of VIPs in LA’s thriving arts community at the LA Convention Center for the 24th Annual LA Art Show Opening Night Gala, benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for the 5th year in a row. Boasting record breaking attendance, all proceeds from the sale of Patron and Vanguard tickets and 15 percent of sales of Friend tickets went directly to the charity. All attendees of the Opening Night Premiere party supported the lifesaving mission of St. Jude: Finding cures. Saving children.®

Kate Beckinsale drew a crowd as the evening’s host, meeting with St. Jude patient families and delivering an address about the organization’s mission to the VIP area. Gavin Rossdale, an avid collector and this year’s Art Ambassador, reminded the audience that art can save lives. They were joined by previous host Emma Roberts, and stars such as Jessica Szohr, Peyton List, Cameron Monaghan, Joe Manganiello, Lance Bass, Amy Smart, Odette Annable, Brandon Boyd, Brigitte Nielsen, Evan Williams Bailee Madison, Kevin Zegers, Perrey Reeves, Amber Stevens West, JoAnna Garcia Swisher, Naomi Grossman, Davi Santos, Barry Sloane, Brittney Palmer, Ian Bohen, Denim Richards, Celeste Thorson and many more.


If Lumene was Haircare, It'll Be Eleni and Chris, Nordic Beauty, Party 4 and Growing.

By Laura Medina

If Lumene was doing haircare, it'll be Eleni and Chris.

Eleni and Chris takes the exact, same native Nordic fruits and vegetation into modern haircare.

Thank god, each and everything is reasonably priced.



cloudberry

• Contains 4 times as much vitamin C as a whole orange!
• Also known as Scandinavian Gold
• Cloudberries are rich in antioxidants and vitamins A, B, C, D and E, which have moisturizing and protective qualities for hair and skin
• Protects hair from free radicals / external influences

volcanic minerals

• These exclusive minerals arise from volcanic eruptions in combination with natural rainwater
• The unique combination of minerals occurring contains magnesium, potassium, sodium and zinc
• The minerals moisturize and balance hair and skin
• Moisturizes and strengthens hair



glacier water

• The water has a revitalizing and cooling effect in cosmetics
• Contributes to naturally soft hair
• Refreshing effect on hair
• Cleansing effect on hair and scalp

sea3oil™

• Our products contain patented SEA3oil™, which is a very pure omega oil from the crystal clear waters of Scandinavia’s deep and beautiful fjords Moisturizes skin*
• Stimulates collagen and elastin synthesis in skin
• Makes skin healthier and fresher looking

Watch Out Korean Beauty, Here's the Next Wave of Nobel Prize-Winning, Nordic Skincare Coming From Barley, BioEffect, Nordic Skincare Part 3.

By Laura Medina
Dr. Björn Örvar is Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of BIOEFFECT. 

From increasing the utilization of EGF, or epidermal growth factor, helps burn victims grow new skin and speed wound recovery. He discovered this while studying plant stress and how they recover.

To realizing Dr. Björn Örvar can grow and harvest EGF from the common barley seed, using just plant stem cell technology.  That helped him win a Nobel Prize in science.

Since he discover an easier way to grow EGF, why extend the use from burn victims and wounds to really great skincare.

That's BioEffect. Since 1986, medical research into growth factors has exploded. Huge breakthroughs include life-saving treatments such as the use of G-CSF, a growth factor that induces the production of white blood cells after chemotherapy. EGF, or epidermal growth factor, helps burn victims grow new skin and speed wound recovery. But EGF may also be used to replenish the body’s own supply, which diminishes with age. EGF application stimulates the body’s own skin cells to proliferate, increasing skin turnover and radiance while slowing the aging process. It boosts production of collagen and elastin, the skin’s bouncy scaffolding, increasing tone and elasticity. It boosts the skin’s capacity to store water and reduce water loss. The result is healthier, denser, more hydrated,  younger-looking skin.  In scientific research, EGF has been grown in bacteria, but this poses a risk of endotoxins for humans. Other means of obtaining EGF present ethical, moral, and legal issues, as in the use of human cells. After many years of research, the scientists at BIOEFFECT pioneered an astounding method of growing a plant-based replica of EGF in barley. By engineering barley’s own genetic code for growth so that it most resembles human EGF, BIOEFFECT created barley-based EGF. Because barley is self-pollinating, there is no risk of cross-breeding. In addition to being safe, pure, and efficient, BIOEFFECT’s EGF is grown in a carbon emissions-free greenhouse in inert volcanic pumice.

 Dr. Björn Örvar,

“By engineering barley's own genetic code for growth so that it most resembles human EGF, BIOEFFECT created barley-based EGF”
“The result is healthier, denser, more hydrated, younger-looking skin”
"I knew I needed good tools in my pocket to innovate, so after eight years of teaching, I decided to do my Ph.D. in plant molecular genetics at the University of British Columbia. I got a grant and focused on how plants respond to stress. I was lucky because the field of human and plant genetics was just starting to open up: it was a perfect intersection of my interests and the science at the time. Timing is so important!"

"It’s fascinating because plants can’t get up and walk away when they’re stressed by drought, harsh weather, or pollution. Later, at McGill University, I did research on how plants sense cold and prepare for winter. I used transgenic plants in my research, cloning certain stress genes and reintroducing them into another plant. I was trying to dissect the cold signaling mechanism. This was very hard because experiments don’t work out and you have to keep doing them over and over. You have to be so persistent. It was a hard job and what I learned, I used later in the lab."

"Human genetics and human cell biology are much better known than plant cell biology, so it’s a huge resource—if you know where to look."

"There are so many similarities between human and plant cells—genes, composition of cell membrane. You can look at genes in human cells and then compare, looking for the same things in plant cells. I ended up reading more about human genetics than plant genetics! Human genetics and human cell biology are much better known than plant cell biology, so it’s a huge resource—if you know where to look. You must ask if there are similar mechanisms in both and then look for them. Plants can’t escape difficult conditions, so what the plant does in response is produce all kinds of chemicals to survive. Plant chemistry is far more complicated than human chemistry: they have an extra group of pathways that can produce all sorts of chemicals that we can’t, like fragrances, nicotine, or opium."

"Barley is a closed biological system: it’s self-fertilizing, meaning its pollen will not pollinate flowers on a different plant. This is extremely important for the business of molecular farming—it’s a contained system, you’re not spreading pollen with new genes to other plants. We can grow twenty-five different kinds of growth factors in barley plants, side by side in the greenhouse, without ever worrying about cross-breeding."


Namaste in a Bottle, Scandic Skincare, Nordic Skincare Part Deux

By Laura Medina
Ung / Young Line Smoothing Serum

Ren / Pure Pre-Serum

Being used on models during New York Fashion Week right now, Scandic Skincare's plant stem cell "Botox" relaxes and calms down nerves and frowns and soothes wrinkles and begs underneath the eyes, without the bacteria or the needles.

‘Ung’ serum mimics the firming, skin tightening effects of snake venom (BOTOX®-like) effect- without the snake venom. The power of four potent peptides provides immediate and long-term firming and reduction of wrinkles.  It also provides the naturally soothing effects of Chamomile, Lavender and Orange peel oils, along with a plethora of botanicals to nourish the skin back to health and youthfulness.

It's Namaste in a bottle.

Ren / Pure Pre-Serum

To further calm everybody's nerves, backstage during New York Fashion Week, staff are spritzing Ren / Pure Pre-Serum.  It's a spray-on serum  you spray and spritz on all over.
Regular water, “Dihydrogen Monoxide”, takes a back seat to ‘Ren’. Ren has a heavy water molecular footprint, deuterium oxide, which delivers a deep replenishment of water.  It then seals the skin’s barrier, thereby holding in precious moisture. Hyaluronic Acid plumps and moisturizes the cells of the skin for a double dose of moisture. Honey provides powerful hydration, anti-aging and anti-wrinkle properties. Plantain Leaf Extract provides botanical / plant stem cells that prevent wrinkles and increase collagen production.  Plant extracts, including Chamomile and Starflower, join natural forces to both calm and reduce redness and bacterial growth, and gently exfoliate the skin’s surface.  ‘Ren’ provides that much-needed hydration that reinvigorates the skin and helps you feel your best whenever you need a boost.
This is the current New York Fashion Week complexion.








Friday, January 25, 2019

Part 1 of Scandinavian Skincare While You Hygging, Lumene.

By Laura Medina

The forerunner in Nordic skincare and drugstore mainstays, Lumene can be easily found and reasonably affordable, using common Nordic fruits and plants and seaweed then reformulated into easy to use, high technology formula for us.


PURE ARCTIC SPRING WATER [AQUA]

Finnish water is amongst the purest in the world and our secret to beautiful, healthy looking skin. Our Arctic Spring Water is captured directly from the Spring in Finnish Lapland, where it has been purified by Nature : Filtered through layers of sand and gravel formed after the Ice Age and is beautifully soft due to its low mineral content and skin friendly pH, perfect for supercharged hydration that revives skin.
  • Effective hydration
  • Carrier of water soluble active skin care ingredients
  • Soft and gentle to the skin

ORGANIC BIRCH SAP [BETULA ALBA]

Since ancient times, Finnish birch trees have been tapped for their exquisite sap known to help enhance health & wellness. Organic, rich in minerals and free amino acids and hydrating sugars, birch sap gently nourishes and hydrates parched skin that’s been dried out by busy lives and modern living. 

WILD ARCTIC CLOUDBERRY [RUBUS CHAMAEMORUS]

This golden berry is a rare Lapland treasure as they contain twice as much Vitamin C than equivalent weight of oranges. The unique Arctic light cycle results in an unusually potent super-fruit, with extremely high concentrations of vitamin C and antioxidants that can help make the skin appear brighter and radiant-looking. 
  • Skin brightening & energizing properties
  • Source of natural potent Vitamin C, E & vitamin A precursor and omega fatty acids
  • Anti-wrinkle thanks to its concentration of ellagitannins helping to preserve skin’s collagen 

    The following native ingredients are:
    BILBERRY
    LINGONBERRY EXTRACT
    HEATHER FLOWER 
    SEA BUCKTHORN SEED OIL
    PINE BARK EXTRACT
    COTTONGRASS 
    Peat extract 
    NORDIC ALGAE
    CROWBERRY





Sunday, January 20, 2019

Beyond Retina-A, Trendy Firming Creams from Fresh, Korres, & DDF.

By Laura Medina

For those who complain about the strength and the intense effectiveness of Retina-A, here are a new slew of vitamin and antioxidant-enriched creams that perform the safe job and the same effective without the harshness of peeling and chapping skin.  

Moisturize without clogging pores.  Brighten with refresh complexions without peeling.

These facials are the best of both worlds.  Some are great for Winter, while one can be used year-around.

The year-around one is also reasonably affordable...

Wild Rose + Vitamin C Advanced Brightening Sleeping Facial contains a generous dose of wild rose oil, boosted with stabilized super vitamin C, turmeric extract, and hyaluronic acid for softer, smoother, and more radiant skin by morning. The Sleeping Facial also addresses early signs of ageing and wrinkles by helping promote skin elasticity.

Black Tea Corset Cream Firming Moisturizer

Alina Roytberg, one of Fresh's founders, is a real-life Indiana Jones, an adventurer and quasi-anthropologist diving deep into skincare research, exploring remote farms and studying the full benefits of black tea in China, while still holding onto traditional Russian home remedies, stretch into full effect with top-notch state of the art science.

Black tea complex of kombucha, black tea extract, blackberry leaf extract, and lychee seed extract is proven to inhibit damaging free radicals and helps to improve skin elasticity.
Goji fruit extract helps improve firmness and protect the skin’s youthful bounce.
A firming peptide helps to defy the signs of gravity for a more visibly defined and contoured complexion.
When your face needs a little lift, reach for this cushiony cream. It helps to strengthen and define (aka targets loose, sagging skin). Think of it like a corset for your complexion. The lightweight but hydrating formula improves elasticity and tightens (without the feeling of tightness!) for bouncy, supple skin. Goji fruit extract works to give you that youthful bounce, while a firming peptide helps defy signs of gravity for more contoured look. 
Instead of peeling, chapping top, damaged skin, firming creams tighten.

Black Tea Firming Overnight Mask


Fresh's black tea complex of kombucha, black tea extract, blackberry leaf extract, and lychee seed extract is proven to inhibit damaging free radicals and helps to improve skin elasticity.
Belle de Nuit extract, “nature’s nocturnal flower,” helps to soothe and rebalance the skin.
Peptides help firm the skin and visibly defy the signs of gravity
Hyaluronic acid helps attract and maintain moisture for supple skin.

The velvety formula works with your skin’s natural nighttime recovery process to help restore its suppleness and shape while you sleep. Firming peptides have what we call a corset-like effect on the skin, meaning they help to redefine the contours so you look younger. Plus, this replenishing mask blankets skin with moisture (hello hyaluronic acid) and soothes signs of tiredness with Belle de Nuit, nicknamed "nature's nocturnal flower."

DDF Advanced Firming Cream


It takes dermatologists and chemists to get to the root of the problem then research solutions.

Any dermatologist skincare and cosmetic chemist or medical based skincare and makeup are fine with this scribe.

This one of the gentlest Vitamin A creams.

This scientifically formulated anti-aging avenger is like a multi-tasking fountain of youth in a jar! Dr. Sobel’s rich moisturizer includes a free radical fighting blend of Turmeric Root, Vitamin E (Tocopheryl), Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide), Vitamin B5 (Panthenol), and Vitamin A (Retinyl Propionate). A touch of vital skin minerals, Zinc and Copper, nourish and protect damaged skin. An Advanced 5x Amino Acid Peptide Chain improves resilience to sagging skin. Shea Butter, Borage Seed Oil, Evening Primrose Oil and Coconut Oil deeply nourish and hydrate the skin with additional skin conditioning benefits for added volume.
  • Neutralizes 82% of free radicals to minimize surface damage
  • Instantly firms and tightens
  • Fortifies skin's moisture barrier

Restore a youthful appearance at any age by repairing damage at the skin’s surface. This nighttime age reversing cream provides nutrients and skin conditioning properties to help turn back the damage that time has left behind.