Are you going to the Art & Soul Festival this weekend in Oakland? I think almost everyone I know is checking it out one day or another. And why not, look at the lineup:

WHO:      CAKE, MC Hammer, Tony! Toni! Toné!, En Vogue, Lenny Williams, Sheila E., Edwin Hawkins and others bringing Oakland’s rich musical heritage to life; tens of thousands of revelers of all ages and backgrounds.

WHAT:    10^th Anniversary Art & Soul Oakland . Live music, art, food, celebrity chefs, wine tasting, community mural painting and the largest Family Fun Zone of any festival in the Bay Area.

WHEN:    Saturday, August 21 from Noon to 6pm and Sunday, August 22 from Noon to 6pm

WHERE:  Downtown Oakland centered around Frank Ogawa Plaza , City Center and surrounding streets

The weatherman promised HOT weather, so here are a few tips to keep your sexy on the cool side while you are enjoying the festivities.

1.  Don’t let them see you sweat

I love these handy wipes by DERMAdoctor. They banish perspiration for hours! Med e Tate $48 Dermadoctor.com

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I’m not one to brag, BUT, I do happen to have beautiful skin. At 53 years of age not a line in sight.  My texture is not so bad and my skin tone is even.  So if you are want gorgeous skin, check out my regimen for beautiful skin.

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With new products bombarding us daily, it’s imperative that we separate the credible from the hype. There are a few products that have hit the shelves this past week that look  absolutely credible and worth the splurge.  And what’s amazing is that all three products – Perricone MD, NARS and Too Faced — combine perfectly for a fabulously finished face for spring and summer!

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Here I am, lusting for even more beauty goodies. I can’t help it.  The beauty business is like technology — as soon as you think you have found the holy grail of beauty booty, there is more to come.  Well, I have a few more items that I’m putting on my lust list.  And I really need them.  After all, it’s spring.  It’s time for an update to my makeup wardrobe!

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My daughters are on spring break, and so are most other college kids right now.  Many of them in a sun-kissed location doing things their parents are trying not to think about.  But the whole point there is not about the rites of spring break, but how important sunscreen is.  Most of the sun damage we acquire is by age 18.  So the diligent use of sunscreen can prevent  wrinkles and skin cancer. I’ve been spreading the stuff on my kids since they were babies.  Sunscreen is right up there with hygeine — brush your teeth, wash your face, apply sunscreen.  Spring break is no time to throw good sensibilities out the window.  Maybe sunscreen isn’t up there on the top of a parent’s list of sensible behaviors, but it certainly can’t hurt.

And don’t think that just because you have a touch of melanin in your skin that you can avoid wearing an SPF.  No, everyone, including us brown girls need a healthy dose of sunscreen on a daily basis.

The American Academy of Dermatology reports:

Sunscreens work by absorbing, reflecting, or scattering the sun’s rays on the skin. They are available in many forms, including ointments, creams, gels, lotions, sprays, and wax sticks. All are labeled with SPF numbers. The higher the SPF, the greater the protection from sunburn caused mostly by UVB rays, but this does not increase the length of time for sun exposure. Broad-spectrum sunscreens protect against both UVA and UVB rays. They do a better job of protecting skin from other effects of the sun including photo damage, photodermatitis, and rashes from the sun.

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I don’t know about you, but in my neck of the woods it has gotten downright COLD. I realize that winder isn’t officially the season, but it’s freezing outside. Winter is the season for cuddling by the fireplace and playing in the snow, but these months can wreak havoc on your skin. Dry air, indoor heating, and harsh wind can suck the moisture out of skin. Skin that is already dry gets drier and irritated. And so-called “normal” skin needs extra protection.

Here are a few tips to “winterproof” your skin:

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Well, I wish I had some great find to rave about this week, but I don’t. No great finds last week.  I don’t really think I did that much shopping for beauty stuff now that I think about it.  But, since it is Budget Beauty Tuesday,  let’s consider skin care beauty products that you can skimp on and those that are worth the splurge.

Ponds Towlettes

1.  Cleanser — Skimp!

Cleanser is on and off your face in a few seconds.  Even though we should cleanse our skin for at least a minute, most of us don’t.  That’s why it’s okay to skimp on cleanser.  But, even with skimping on the price, you can still be sure you get the right bang for your buck.  Look for ingredients that are appropriate for your skin type or condition.  If you have acne, over-the-counter (OTC) look for ingredients like salicylic acid, tea tree oil, alpha hydroxy acids, benzoyl peroxide.  And you can find these cleansers easily on any drugstore aisle.  Try:

Neutrogena Acne Wash

Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash which has 2% salicylic acid and glycolic acid. (salicylic acid is an anti-bacterial and glycolic acid exfoliates the skin, allowing the salicylic acid to work deeper in the pore) A buy at $6.99

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If it’s Tuesday, it’s budget beauty day! Woo hoo! I’m finally getting my priorities straightened out here. So here we go. Check out my most recent budget beauty buys. These are items that I have been using and they have cost me a fraction of prestige products.

Now, don’t get it twisted—I love all categories of cosmetic s. But with my recessisonista instincts in full effect, I can’t neglect the fact that if I save a few bucks here and there on my daily beauty products, that allows me to splurge on a pricier skin care treatment or even a spa service.

I have to share my latest spot for finding amazing prices on already great priced budget beauty products. If you have a Grocery Outlet in your town, you have to check it out. I am amazed at the bargains I find there. You will find top name hair products like Garnier, L’Oreal, TIGI and more. I love my buys on skin care – Olay, Almay, Garnier Nutritioniste, St. Ives and more. You can even find organic brands that are carried in Whole Foods. Every week is a new adventure and I leave totally satiated by spending a few bucks.

So here are my recent buys that I LOVE and use:

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I am always trying new cosmetic products.  I get an adrenalin rush when some new makeup or skincare product is perfectly yummy and useful.  Well, I had a couple experiments this week with some “different” products that left me rather lack luster.  As a matter of fact they were downright weird.

First was a cleanser that I thought was so nifty when I saw the label.  St. Ives Elements Protective Cleanser.  So what was all the excitement on my end about?  Well, the product claimed to cleanse and add an SPF of 10 at the same time.  Well, I’m all about double-duty products, so I bought it — it’s budget beauty afterall– and it was just too weird for me.  In theory, it’s a great idea; kill two birds with one stone.  But in real life, it was kind of creepy.  You know when you cleanse your skin you want it to feel clean?  That doesn’t happen with this cleanser, my skin felt like it had some residue on it.   And it makes sense when you consider that it is depositing and SPF on the surface of the skin.   I guess i’m of that “squeaky clean”era.  I want my skin to look and feel like I just did a thorough cleansing.  So I will stick to my SPF in my other products — tinted moisturizer, foundation and moisturizer.

(Ok, I went to find a picture of the St. Ives Elements Protective Cleanser online, and it wasn’t there.  Maybe there was a consensus about this product!) 

 St. Ives Elements Protective Cleanser gets one solitary bling. 

I’m not a big fan of those “As seen on TV” products.  I gave into the hype and bought those green bags, the ones that are supposed to keep your fruit fresher longer?  That was a waste of money.  They didn’t work at all.  I swore that was my last “As seen on TV” purchase and it was.  (Even though one of my BFF’s swears by the Ped Egg)  But I was cleaning up my behind my daughter and saw that she had purchased the Smooth Away.  So, without permission, I started smoothing.  It was weird allright.  But to my surprise  the little smoothing pads actually worked and they didn’t hurt.  I noticed a small pad that was designated for “sensitive areas” or for facial hair.  So I tried that on my peri-menapausal whiskers, and it worked again.  It was all good.  I think Smooth Away even exfoliated  a tad bit.  Love exfoliation!

BUT, the next day when I got up, I had a bug ole pimple on my chin.  Don’t know if it was the Smooth Away, or if it was my hormones.  Also, I think that for longer lasting smoothness (huh?), a razor or waxing is a better option.  I deducted that the product just breaks the hair off at the surface, so you notice re-growth faster than you would with a 3-4 blade razor or with waxing.  I do think that for facial hair, it’s pretty nice.  What self-respecting diva wants to be in the bathroom mirror shaving with her partner?

Smooth Away gets 3 Blings 

So my new mentality of less-is-more, reduce, re-use, recycle and sustainable living has taken me to the aisles of drugstore chains to purchase my skin care basics.  This is a big step for me.  I’m not a snob when it comes to makeup, but I’m kind of picky about what I put on my skin.  I am however, quite ingredient savvy, so reading the labels on my purchases from Walgreens, CVS and Wal Mart, has given me confidence in my budget beauty buys.  So far, I have done quite well with my beauty booty.

1.  Cleanser

Neutrogena Makeup Cleansing Towelette Night Calming

Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes Night Calming

Ultra-soft calming cloths gently dissolve all traces of makeup.   So I read this claim in a magazine and believed the hype: Remove all traces of makeup while enjoying a unique calming fragrance that helps you unwind and prepares you for a good night’s sleep. I am such an insomniac I am willing to try makeup wipes.  I was getting ready to dis this product until I really thought about it.  Every night after I cleanse my skin, I really get sleepy.  And I’m hardcore, 1.5 Ambien hardcore.  Just can’t sleep, it’s a life long problem.  I guess they are making me night time calm.  So they do help me sleep, but remove all traces of makeup — not.  I have to scrub my eyes to get mascara off, and that stings.  But for $6.49,  they are cheaper than a sleeping pill and less calories that 2 glasses of red wine.

3 Blings

 2.  Moisturizer

Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew Anti Sun-Damage Daily Moisture Lotion

 Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew anti Sun-Damage Daily Moisture Lotion SPF 28   2.5 fl oz $13.49

 Garnier Nutrioniste moisturizer delivers and the price is right.  My skin feels moist and the product seems to melt into my skin.  It’s not greasy and does not sit on top of my skin.  That’s my main problem with moisturizers, not penetrating the skin.  Plus I read the label and there’s some good stuff there — tomato extract, Vitamin C and Salicylic Acid.  The Garnier folks claim  that, “SPF 28 sunscreen protects from UVA/UVB rays to help fight and prevent premature signs of aging caused by the sun.  Helps reverse signs of sun damage like fine lines, uneven skin tone and sun spots for beautifully even, illuminated skin.”    I paid $11.88 at Wal Mart and I found it for $13.49 at Drugstore.com. 

 4 Blings
 

3.  Eye Makeup Remover

Olay Reginerist Eye Makeup Remover Anti-Wrinkle Treatment

Olay Regenerist Eye Make-up Remover plus Anti-Wrinkle Treatment 6.7 oz $9.49

I’m in LOVE with this eye makeup remover.  It’s creamy, it takes off every vestige of mascara and other assorted eye makeup.  Plus, it has PEPTIDES!  Who’d a thunk?  I love double-duty products and this one is so smart.  Peptides by the way are chains of amino acids that help build collagen in the skin.  Hence the claim of Anti-Wrinkle treatment.  I actually paid under $3 for mine at as it was on clearance.  I should have gotten every last bottle.  Make note…
The claim, “gently removes make-up - even mascara.  This creamy formula, with an amino-peptide plus dermal-hydrator complex, gently dissolves dirt, oil and make-up while helping regenerate skin’s appearance around eyes.” 

It works.  5 Blings