CRAVE CRUSH the urban girl's blog to all that you CRAVE

Arch Rival Brow Defining Kit by BeingTRUE Cosmetics

March 23, 2010 by Ashkan | Comments (0)

Each time I meet someone, I notice three revealing beauty deets: teeth, nails, and eyebrows.

My best friend in the bathroom is Tweezerman, and the time I spend on my eyebrows is blissful and therapeutic. As a male, it is equally important to have a groomed, clean face to present to the world, but my eyebrows are not overdone or glam-y. The women of my office keep asking me about my eyebrow maintenance, so I introduced them to Archrival by Being True Cosmetics ($55).

This brow defining kit has all the primping essentials for the perfect brow; minus the tweezers. The kit comes with a brow defining compact, brow brush, and a finishing gel. Eyebrow definition is a three-C process. First, you CUSTOMIZE with brow definer, which is a tinted brow wax used as a base for sparse areas and two pigments to match your shade. Next, you CREATE, with the brush, precision placement of the eyebrow hairs. To finish, you CONTROL with the botanical gel to hold stray hairs in place. The instructions are simple to follow and the procedure is comparable to spa services. Being True Cosmetics is a spa line that started in 2004 with a holistic approach to beauty and health targeted to the age group 16-60. This is a fabulous product for people wanting spa treatment, but with at-home prices and privacy.

BeingTRUE Cosmetics and TRUE Makeup Artistry services are available at Urbaca Salon (120 NW 9th, Suite 101 in the Pearl District) as well as 7+ Portland-area salons.

Review: Beauty Without Cruelty – Facial Cleanser & Toner

February 23, 2010 by Ashkan | Comments (0)

One recent Sunday morning, I surprisingly ran out of facial product. The MAC Cosmetics store didn’t open until later and the nearby store with skin care was Whole Foods. I stumbled upon the plain product line Beauty Without Cruelty, or BWC as seen on its packaging. I was stunned over the price of this product line compared to my department store products; up to 60% less! I purchased the organic aromatherapy facial cleanser ($10.95) and balancing toner ($9.95). The facial cleanser is a 3% alpha hydroxy product for normal to oily skin. BWC products are about as pure as pure can get: all organic, 100% vegan, nothing synthetic, paraben free, no animal testing, and pH balanced. The cleanser has the texture of liquid soap, but packs a powerful punch. It was strong enough yet soothing to remove MAC’s toughest foundation. The cleanser doesn’t contain any detergents, so don’t expect it to lather. The key ingredient in both products is an Oshadi essential oil. The toner is a straightforward toner formulated with a botanical recipe and no alcohol. It left my skin feeling refreshed and removed any residue after washing my face. BWC is a traditional, basic skin care line that gets the job done at a fraction of the cost of department store brands.

An Eye Cream Predicament

February 9, 2010 by Ashkan | Comments (2)

Some may perceive me as supercilious because I constantly wear sunglasses during the day – rain or shine, winter or summer. I wear them not out of pretense but rather as a protection device to prevent eye wrinkles and lines from the harshness of sunlight. The cosmeceutical industry has become astoundingly prosperous selling eye creams to combat eye wrinkles and dark circles. There are so many eye creams available on the market, each boasting dramatic results and total revitalization. How are we to know the efficacy of each and which one will suit us best? Are eye creams any different than the facial moisturizers used for the rest of our face? Some argue no.

A lot of people believe that eye creams are exclusively formulated for the skin around the orbital area. While the eye area tends to be more prone to allergies or sensitivities, and wrinkles tend to appear there before other areas of the face, various results indicate that product formulations for eye creams don’t differ much from those for facial moisturizers. The most significant difference between eye creams and facial moisturizers are the waxes put in eye products to make them thicker. Upon an informal study, I compared the ingredient labels of several facial and eye moisturizers only to find that they don’t vary apart from the price and packaging. Eye creams are quite possibly the greatest craze of the cosmetics industry intended to suggest a miracle product!

I visited a well-known cosmetics counter at a major department store and solicited opinions from various salespersons. Only one was bold enough to say “the only time you want to use a different product around the eye is if the skin is different from the rest of your face such as an oily complexion around the cheeks and/or drier around the eyes.” In fact, the dermal layer around the eyes is not considerably different from that on your face; perhaps just thinner. Thickness or thinness of skin does not affect basic skin care needs. One of the disadvantages of eye creams – when reading ingredients – is that they hardly ever contain sunscreen. This can make eye creams risky business, hence the sunglasses!

Before spending a fortune on an ounce of “eye cream”, why not channel your inner Jackie Kennedy and invest in a pair of large, black sunglasses to protect your eyes?

Simply Rejuvenated: Facial Acupuncture

January 26, 2010 by Ashkan | Comments (0)

I unexpectedly announced to friends over lunch, “I’m getting a lift! A face lift!” Granted, I am still in my twenties, but I have spent my fair share of time in the sun and a few late nights out. Actually, the cosmetic procedure I planned known as facial accpuncture is more like rejuvenation. Plus, it resonates with more harmony and sounds less clinical than “face lift.”

Facial acupuncture, or cosmetic acupuncture, is the holistic option to a surgical face lift. The procedure remedies the signs of aging by applying local treatment to the face. Facial acupuncture enhances muscle tone and promotes muscular contraction targeted at the face and neck. Moreover, complexions can be invigorated with vitality. Facial acupuncture can eliminate as many as eight to ten years from the face, increase collagen production, and brighten the ocular area (eyes). Tenuous lines are also reduced. The effects can be “long lasting depending on maintenance,” according to Dr. Aaron Annis of Sattva Health Gallery in Portland, Oregon.

The procedure requires the insertion of 30-40 hair-thin needles into parts of the face, neck, ears, hands, and legs along channels or meridians of energy called Qi (pronounced chee). Ancient Chinese healing principles assert “where Qi goes, blood flows.” The concept is uncomplicated; with acupuncture, blood flow increases thus muscles are stimulated and collagen and elastin are produced. The standard course of treatment is twelve 90 minute sessions twice a week. The average cost is $1,500 for a full course of treatment.

The day arrived for my appointment at Sattva Health Gallery and as I lay on the table, I kept popping up asking in sundry ways the most considerable question, “Is this going to hurt?” The pain level is practically non-existent. There is minor tenderness when needles are inserted into the brow and lip region. Once all the needles were placed, relaxation emanates and your face feels electric! Dr. Annis inquires at various pauses “Do you feel your face buzzing?”

The efficacy of facial acupuncture was published in 1996 in the International Journal of Acupuncture which studied 300 cases and 90% had noticeable effects even after one session. The American Medical Association takes no stated position on facial acupuncture. Dr. Annis believes that facial rejuvenation works “from the inside out.” The most significant advantage of facial acupuncture is that it is non-toxic and non-surgical. Other benefits include the economical cost, no swelling or any recovery time. The practice is not recommended for patients with hypertension, migraines, diabetes, cancer, pregnancy, hepatitis, HIV+ status, hemophilia or any pituitary disorder.

And the next time I see my friends, my face can either be paralyzed by toxic Botox or covered in bruises and scars, or simply rejuvenated by facial acupuncture.

Dr Aaron Annis
Sattva Health Gallery
1720 NW Lovejoy Box 220
Portland, OR 97209
503.939.6160