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    Carol Belanger

    Carol Belanger

  • LUBRIDERM Daily Moisture Shea with Calming Lavender Jasmine Lotion Review

    My first impression when I applied the Lubriderm Daily Moisture lotion was the scent.  The scent was quite strong upon application but it wasn’t bothersome as I really like the smell of lavender and jasmine. I was impressed by how long the scent lingered

  • Guidelines for Selecting the Right Moisturizer

    Moisturizing is the key to soft supple skin and using the right products for your skin type is essential. Too often skin care products are purchased based on hype without the consumer taking into account their skin type.

  • A Break Through in Lip Balms - Baby Lips by Maybelline

    Baby Lips by Maybelline of New York is a repairing lip balm that offers a nice tint or clear finish. Although I never use lip balms, I must say I loved this product. I would say it is a lip balm breakthrough in offering cell regeneration of the lips thus making lips more smooth and supple.

  • The Overlooked Mineral We All Need

    We often hear about the importance of vitamins such as Vitamin D, A, and B complexes' in our diet and the importance of minerals such as iron and calcium. However, there is one mineral that is often overlooked that is essential to good health.

  • The Perfect No Fail Pie Crust

    This recipe is guaranteed to give you the perfect pie crust! It is absolutely no fail and produces a nice flaky crust.

  • Not Just a Brush – A Wondrous Hair Tool!

    The Braun Satin Hair brush with ion technology is wonderful! The brush does not pull at my hair like my inexpensive brushes do and the ion technology leaves my hair smooth.

  • User post: The Best of the Best Beauty Products

    <p> <span>On the September 21st</span> Today Show, Ms. Linda Wells, editor and chief of Allure magazine revealed the best of the best beauty products for 2011. Below are the products they featured on the Today show. So what do you think of these products? Have you tried any of them and if so do you think they are the best of the best? I would love to hear your thoughts. <br> <br> <span>For more product reviews pick up the October issue of <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001U5SPM4/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=shine0b-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399377&creativeASIN=B001U5SPM4" target="_blank">Allure magazine</a>. It lists 193 products they consider to be the best of the best. <br> <br></span> <span>Also, stop by <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.completeskincaretherapy.com" target="_blank">Complete Skin Care Therapy</a> and read more about skin care and hair care or visit my Shine blog (just click on my avatar below). Also test your skin care knowledge with this <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.completeskincaretherapy.com/skincarepuzzle.html" target="_blank">online interactive crossword puzzle!</a></span> </p>

  • Test Your Skin Care Knowledge - Interactive Puzzle

    Test your skin care knowledge! You can print this out or go to Complete Skin Care Therapy and do the crossword puzzle online!

  • Do You Use Hair Serums? An easy fix for dry, frizzy hair

    Hair serums are a styling aid that treats frizz, manages curl and adds shine. The main causes of frizz are due to rough and open cuticles of the hair shaft. The open, rough cuticles of the hair lets moisture into the hair shaft causing it to swell and create frizz. When a hair serum is applied, it c

  • Beauty Guru Post: 11 Hair Care Tips

    Dry hair - avoid over washing your hair and consider a shampoo containing humectants or that offer a low ph balance. Shampoos that have a high ph or ph balancing shampoos often lift the cuticle of the hair thus allowing moisture to evaporate from the hair.

  • Venus ProSkin Moisture Rich Razor Review

    Our Shine beauty guru project for June was to try out the new Venue ProSkin Moisture Rich Razor. This razor has moisture bars located on the top and bottom of the razor thus a shaving cream is not necessary. These moisture bars contain a blend of body butters and is dermatologist tested so even the

  • Sunscreens – the confusion continues

    Sunscreens have been in existence for quite a long time and unfortunately we still do not know the effectiveness of these ubiquitous creams and sprays. For instance there is no consensus on whether or not sunscreens actually prevent skin cancer. The Food and Drug Administration's 2007 draft on sunsc

  • Beauty Guru Post: Should I Cut My Hair First or Dye it First?

    Well I am overdue for a haircut/trim and a hair dye. This led me to the question should I dye my hair first and then a hair cut or vice a versa?

  • Beauty Guru Post: Healthy You Means Healthy Hair

    Did you know there is a direct correlation between healthy hair and your health? Hair problems such as dry brittle hair, hair thinning, hair loss and flaky scalp can be an indicator of a health condition or lack of nutrients in the body

  • Beauty Guru Post: How To Eliminate Split Ends

    Split ends of the hair shaft are a result of damage to the cuticle layer. The cuticle layer is the protective layer of the hair. It consists of overlapping cells much like shingles on a house and protects the cortex (the second layer of the hair) and the medulla (the marrow of the hair). Depending o

  • What is Your Hair Porosity?

    Porosity is a term used in hair care to describe the hair's ability to absorb and retain moisture. A good analogy would be to consider your hair like a sponge. When the sponge is new it is very porous and absorbs water thus it has good porosity. On the other hand an old sponge where the tiny holes h

  • Effective Immediately – Recall on P&G Clairol Natural Instincts Hair Color

    Just released on April 11, 2011 and April 18, 2011, Proctor and Gamble have recalled its Clairol Natural Instincts products. This was a voluntary recall by Proctor and Gamble stating that the products may produce an unwanted color effect. This recall covers the United States , Canada and Puerto Rico

  • Beauty Guru Post: How to Add Volume and Bounce to Fine, Limp Hair

    Hair texture can be categorized into these general types: fine and thin, dry, coarse and wiry, greasy or frizzy. Due to the fact that there are different types of hair texture it is important to maintain your hair with the products specially made for the texture of your hair. For instance, for fine

  • Beauty Guru Post: How to Select the Right Hair Brush for Best Results

    <p> Are you using the right hair brush for your hair care and styling needs? I would guess that the majority of us just grab a brush, run it though our hair and don't give it a second thought. However, the proper hair brush can make a big difference in our ability to style our hair, prevent unnecessary breakage, and can keep the hair shiny and healthy. </p> <p> Hair brushes come in all shapes, sizes and styles and selecting the right brush for your hair care needs can be a little overwhelming. Therefore an understanding of the different types of hairbrushes and their use will help you in selecting the right brush for you hair care needs. </p> <p> <b>Radial Brushes</b> - also known as barrel brushes or round brushes. They are designed as a styling aid to give hair curl when used with a blow dryer. These brushes are perfect for short to medium length, bob type hairstyles and they will add volume at the crown and smooth the hair shafts. Note: the larger the barrel the larger the curl and smoothness. </p> <p> These round brushes also available in a heat conductive material and are called thermal brushes. They actually conduct heat from your blow-dryer so not only are the outside of the hair shaft is drying, the brush bristles are drying the inside hair shaft too. </p> <p> <b>Thermal Brushes</b> - A unique concept in hair brush industry, these brushes actually conduct heat when using heat styling utensils, such as flat irons and blow dryers. Therefore, not only are you just drying the outer surface of the hair with your blow dryer or flat iron the bristles are drying the inside of the hair shaft. </p> <p> <b>Sculpting brushes</b> are used for backcombing and adds volume to short textured hair or razor-cut hair with sharp edges. </p> <p> <br> Did you know that brushes with widely spaced bristles are best for long hair, especially slightly heavy ones like those made of heavy plastic, wood or ebonite, which don't cause static or damage hair. </p> <p> <b>Ionic Hair Brushes</b> - these brushes use negative ions to rid hair of frizz and fly-away hair. They add shine and make hair soft and smooth. Because ionic brushes flatten the hair strand and force the hair to stay straight they do a great job of eliminating fly-away hair and frizz. You can maximize results when used in conjunction with an ionic blow dryer. </p> <p> Above are just a few options when selecting a hair brush. There are also paddle brushes, vented brushes, and cushioned hair brushes. You can read more about these brushes at <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.completeskincaretherapy.com/haircarearticles.html" target="_blank">Complete Hair Care Therapy</a> or find some fabulous brushes at 15% off at <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.HealthyHairPlus.com/?Click=42177" target="_blank">Healthy Hair Plus <br> <br></a> </p>

  • Review - Body Butter Strawberry Smoother by Softsoap

    The Body Butter Strawberry Smoother by Softsoap sounded luxurious and luscious and I couldn't wait to try it. After a long winter here in the north woods, my dry skin really needed something new and exciting and a product that would gently exfoliate to bring a new glow to my skin.The first thing I n