Hello, Sunshine! I am often asked the question, “What is the best anti-aging thing I can do for my skin?” Without hesitation, the answer is SUNSCREEN. The sun is responsible for approximately 80% of the signs of aging. Blame it for sagging skin and wrinkles; brown spots (hyperpigmentation); white spots (hypopigmentation), and skin cancers. We love the feel of sun on our skin and that glamorous tan, but it is really a time machine on fast-forward. Actually, it’s unfair to blame the entirety of the sun’s rays because it’s the UV rays that are the real culprit. So, what is UV light anyway? Ultraviolet(UV) light, what is it? First and foremost, it is a type of electromagnetic radiation with enough energy to break chemical bonds of all kinds, including living tissue. Most of the ultraviolet light falls into wavelengths between visible light and X-ray, and it reaches the earth in wavelengths between 400 nanometers to about 180 nanometers. UVA, or near UV, has a wavelength of 315 - 400 nm, and UVB, or middle UV, has a wavelength between 280 - 315 nm. There is even a third UV band called UVC, or far UV, which is between 180 - 280 nm. UVB penetrates the top layer of the skin (the epidermis), and a suntan is a reaction to exposure to harmful UVB rays. UVA penetrates deeper and can injure living tissue, such as collagen and elastin. I think of it this way – UVA, A for aging, UVB, B for burning. Is there such a thing as a healthy tan? “But I always feel healthier when I have a tan!” That’s probably because your body manufactured a good dose of Vitamin D along the way. Vitamin D is made from cholesterol when your skin is exposed to sunlight. Sun exposure is the best way to get Vitamin D because it is difficult to get Vitamin D in substantial amounts in food. But a tan is a sign of injury afterthe damage has been done. A suntan results from the body's natural defense mechanism kicking in. Melanin, a pigment produced by cells in the skin, absorbs UV light and dissipates it as heat. When the body senses sun damage, it sends melanin into the surrounding cells to help protect them from sustaining more damage, and this pigment causes the skin to darken and appear as a tan. Clearly, we all know when we’ve had “too much sun,” but the insidious part of this is that radiation is bioaccumulative. With repeat exposure, we increase the damaging effect to our skin. For those of us who drive, have you ever noticed that you have more damage on your left side than your right? We’re exposed to UV light from many sources, including our TVs and phones! And I won’t even go into the dangers of tanning booths. How do I get vitamin D without sun damage? So, what are the best ways to get Vitamin D and protect this fragile covering that is our face to the world? Well, obviously staying out of the sun helps, although UV rays penetrate glass and reflect off of surfaces, so it’s impossible to avoid altogether. Wearing hats does help, as does sun-protective clothing when we’re outdoors. In the end, though, it’s sunscreens that are the best sunprotection for our faces and hands that are always exposed to UV light. Which sunscreen should I use? Then the next question is, “Which are the best sunscreens?” In the end, it’s going to be the one you like the most, which means that you are more likely to use it and use it often. The US FDA recommends using broad spectrum sunscreens with SPF values of 15 or higher. No sunscreen is perfect, and it will have to be reapplied every two hours, or more if you are sweating or swimming. Chemical vs. physical sunscreen ingredients, what’s the difference? The protection of sunscreen takes place on the surface of the skin, but some evidence does exist that some sunscreen active ingredients may be absorbed through the skin and enter the body. You’ll often hear there are two types of sunscreen active ingredients: chemical active ingredients and physical active ingredients. Chemical active ingredients work by absorbing the sun’s rays, changing them into heat, then releasing the heat. Some people experience irritation with chemical active ingredients, and the risk of irritation greatly increases when applied in the eye area. We’ve always chosen to use physical sunscreen active ingredients: titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. Physical sunscreen active ingredients come from minerals, and the minerals are too large to be absorbed into the skin. The minerals lay on the surface of the skin where they act like hundreds of thousands of mirrors reflecting and refracting the sun’s rays. If you are sensitive to chemicals, physical sunscreens are good alternatives, as they are less likely to cause irritation in users. We incorporate these ingredients into our SPF makeup pigment so they are the last layer you apply and not the first. Our sunscreens are also water-resistant and reef-safe. Last but not least, what SPF should I use? And what SPF should you wear? First, the SPF rating only applies to sunprotection from UVB rays. You must look for the words “broad spectrum protection,” which includes UVA. All sunscreens with an SPF value greater than 15 sold in the US are required to be broad spectrum. There is a misconception that the higher the SPF number the better. That isn’t true. An SPF 15 protects from 93% of UVB rays. SPF 30 protects from 97% of UVB rays, and SPF 50 protects from 98%. Confusing, but it’s true. So, if you are wearing a chemical sunscreen that claims a high SPF, you are also wearing correspondingly more chemicals and getting very little bang for your buck. My recommendation is to choose a mineral base with an SPF from 20 – 30, then you are covered, literally and figuratively! And remember, it’s important towear sunscreen all year round, sodon’t forget to applySPF in the winter! Enjoy the summer!

Mascara! Did you know that mascarais the most used makeup product? A poll taken by Mintel said 64% of women wear mascara. That’s higher than foundation, blush, OR concealer. So, the majority of women are wearing mascara. Why is mascara key in your makeup routine? Most woman wear mascara to make their eyes pop. Even if you don’t wear eyeshadow, adding a little mascara to your lashes opens the eyes and makes them look bigger. What is it about mascara we love and how do you choose the right kind? There are so many choices, maybe too many choices. But now we have the perfect mascara for everyone — the New BEYOND LASH Volumizing Mascara. What makes this mascara so great? It’s 98% naturally derived formula with clean, healthy ingredients for the eyes and lashes. If you have sensitive eyes or wear contacts this mascara is a perfect fit. Key Ingredients In Our Clean Mascara Bamboo Stem Powder A natural alternative to nylon fibers that helps add lengthand volume to lashes. Basil Root Extract An antioxidant that helps lashes feel fuller and look healthier. Rice Bran Wax A vegan alternative to beeswax that helps provide a strong yet flexible coating. It’s also important to understand what’s not in our healthymascara. As always, we strive for clean ingredients that perform. We always formulate without Parabens, Phthalates, no carbon black, or Teflon (standard ingredients in traditional mascaras). The hourglass shaped wand is also a huge innovation. It will hug the base of the lashes so you can get even, thicker, fuller lashes with just one coat. And no clumping!

If you haven’t already incorporated primer into your daily repertoire of makeup products, you might wonder if it’s totally necessary. But if you’ve taken the time to apply the perfect face of makeup, the last thing you want is to look in the mirror and find it all melted away just a few hours later. Besides helping your looks last, a good makeup base makes applying the rest of your face makeup a breeze and contributes to the overall health of your skin. Ready to learn how to apply face primer? Here’s a step-by-step guide to making the most of primer in your daily makeup routine. Pick Your Makeup Primer Depending on your skin type and the effect you want to achieve, we have three signature primers, perfect for every day. The Smooth Affair® Brightening Face Primer is a great option for most skin types, especially those with mature or maturing skin. This skin-quenching primer contains green and white tea leaf extracts to promote anti-aging benefits while minimizing the appearance of pores and wrinkles. Looking for the best primer for oily skin? If you want to control shine, the Smooth Affair® Mattifying Face Primer specifically formulated for those with oily skin. State-of-the-art mineral science and revolutionary PoreAway™ technology come together in this primer to even out the skin, smooth blemishes, and achieve a matte finish. If a dewy skin is more up your alley, our newest Smooth Affair® Illuminating Glow Face Primer is the product for you. Hyaluronic acid and shea butter lock in moisture and mica creates a soft-focus pearl finish. If you’re looking for the “natural glow” look, look no further! Prep The Skin While primer can certainly help to add moisture and even out skin tone before applying the rest of your makeup, it isn’t a replacement for a good skin care routine! Keep things simple with the jane iredale four-step BeautyPrep™ Skincare System to achieve a clean, moisturized base before beginning. Clean Hands Are Key You don’t need any brushes, sponges, or other beauty tools to apply primer—your own two hands will do the trick. Since this product is made to fill your pores, it’s important to make sure that your hands are freshly washed to avoid clogging them with any extra dirt or oil from your fingertips. Squeeze Out No More Than You Need Start out with squeezing a pea-sized amount of makeup primer onto the back of your hand. Doing this instead of applying directly to your face allows you to control the amount of product you use at a time. You can always add more as you go, but this simple method helps to reduce product waste. Focus on Areas You Want to Smooth the Most While you want to create a flawless makeup base everywhere for your foundation, you’ll want to focus more product on the T-zone to minimize your most visible pores. The same goes for any other areas of the face with fine lines that need smoothing before applying the rest of your face makeup. Be gentle in your application to avoid irritating or damaging your skin! This is especially important for the thin, delicate skin around the eyes. Apply product in this area with your ring finger to ensure you’re using the lightest pressure possible. Allow the Primer to Set Before Continuing The goal when applying primer is to create a flawless, smooth barrier for the rest of your makeup to glide onto, but mixing primer with your foundation intentionally is a great choice if your goal is to create a sheerer coverage with the products you already know and love! Simply start by squeezing your Glow Time® Full Coverage Mineral BB Cream onto the back of the hand, along with a bit of your primer of choice, and mix them together while on the hand before applying to your face. You can play with how sheer your coverage gets by experimenting with your foundation-to-primer ratio when mixing. Once you incorporate primer into your daily beauty routine, you’ll notice a difference not only in how your makeup applies, but how beautifully it wears throughout your busy day. You can spend less time worrying about touching up raccoon eyes or patchy, uneven foundation. Set yourself up for success by not skipping this simple step at the start of your process.

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, a special time of year when we celebrate the love in our lives and put our passion on display with various shades of red and pink. In honor of love’s big day, I’m sharing my top picks for easy Valentine lip looks you’re sure to love. Lip Look #1 I’m a firm believer that the most important love is self-love, so for my first pick, I’m giving myself roses – Candied Rose HydroPure Hyaluronic Acid Lip Gloss and Warm Rose Lip Pencil. This duo’s compatibility is off the charts with lip-loving ingredients like Jojoba Seed Oil, Mango Seed Oil and Shea Butter. HydroPure Lip Gloss also gives an extra boost of hydration with Hyaluronic Acid, so my lips feel soft and ultra-kissable. I line and fill with the pencil for definition and a flood of color before topping with the tinted gloss for a healthy dose of shine. The complementary shades deliver a feminine, swoon-worthy pink lip perfect for day or (date) night. Lip Look #2 The foundation of every great love story is great chemistry – enter pick two, Forever Pink Just Kissed Lip and Cheek Stain, a long-lasting stain that adjusts to your body chemistry for a truly unique hue. This multipurpose stain really gets me, delivering the most beautiful pink tint to flatter my skin’s natural undertone. It’s a smooth operator, formulated with skin-softening Avocado Butter, Wild Rose Wax and Olive Butter, so it glides on like my favorite lip balm, only better. I love that I can also swipe it on my cheeks for a flirty flush. It’s easy, totally wearable and romantic. Remember, you don’t need a Valentine to be just-kissed. Lip Look #3 My third and final pick really gets my heart racing! If you’re looking for commitment, look no further than Obsession Beyond Matte Lip Stain, an ultra-long-lasting stain that will never break your heart. This pigment-packed stain is true to its word, delivering powerful payoff and a beyond matte finish – no feathering, no fading. One swipe is all I need to get the bold, full-coverage look I love. It’s formulated with nourishing plant oils, so my lips look matte without feeling dry, and the touch of Tahitian Vanilla makes this beauty extra sweet. I also have it on good authority that it will easily last through a full one-pound box of chocolates. Whether you’re getting gussied up for Galentine’s dinner or retreating to the couch for your favorite rom-com, there’s a lip look for every occasion. I hope you love these as much as I do.