Category Archives: Beauty

5 Hair Myths Busted

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Straight hair, long hair, wavy hair, short hair… you get the point, it comes in all lengths and styles. Its our crowning glory, radiant and beautifully appealing in all its differences.

Yet no matter what hue, length or style, we’ve all heard one or more of the below myths. Arm yourself Chicas! Learn the truth from Hallie Bowman, a successful hairstylist who’s styled Kristen Stewart, Keri Russell, Emmy Rossum, Isla Fisher, Liv Tyler and Lucy Liu!

  • Dandruff
    I’ve heard it time and time again from well meaning amigas/friends: If you have dandruff, don’t wash your hair everyday. Its drying out your hair. Yada,yada, yada… Basta/stop, cover your ears! It’s UNTRUE!According to Ms. Bowman you can wash your hair everyday if you have dandruff. In fact, infrequent washing is a leading cause of dandruff.

 

  • Coloring and Menstruation
    I started going to the salón during my teens. While there, the stylists  noted that women on their menstrual cycle could not color their hair. This statement was said to me time and time again over the years. Yet Ms. Bowman claimed this is a MYTH and very wrong. You can color your hair while on your cycle without it affecting the process.

 

  • Waxing 
    I’ve read online that waxing during your cycle will cause less pain. UNTRUE!  According to Ms. Bowman you should avoid waxing any hair during your menstrual cycle. Due to water retention, waxing during your cycle, can not only rip off skin, but cause more pain.

 

  • Washing After Coloring
    I’ve always been told that I had to wait  one week after receiving a color treatment to wash my hair.  This is a MYTH! You can wash your hair after a color treatment; however, it is important to note that you should only use cold water and a coloring shampoo like Pantene Pro V .

 

  • Eyebrows
    I love matching my eyebrow color to my hair color. I feel it makes it look more natural so I always ask the stylist add the same hair dye to my eyebrows. I now know this is illegal. Do not do this!  Its a dangerous practice that can cause blindness should the dye get in the your eyes. She suggests using men’s hair dye for your eyebrows. When choosing a color pick one that is slightly lighter than the color you want to get.

 

Ms. Hallie Bowman also noted that certain medications, like thyroid medications and some types of hormonal medications,  can affect the hair coloring process. Make sure you talk to your colorist and let them know what medication you are on before you begin any color process.

Do you know of any other hair myths?

Let us know in a comment!

 

Disclosure: I was guilty of believing several of these myths. Thankfully, Pantene opened my eyes and gave me the opportunity to interview Hallie Bowman. Mil Gracias Pantene!

 

bareMinerals Skincare Event Recap

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Recently I was given the opportunity to attend a bareMinerals event in New York. I was down heartened! I had to travel and wouldn’t be able to hear about their new products. Thankfully Katrina, one of my ex-co-workers, was kind enough to attend the event in my stead. You can read all about her beauty-venture below…

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Tzigan

Sometime ago I had the honor of representing Ms. Latina at the bareMinerals Skincare Launch Event held at the wonderful Tzigan Lounge at Villa Pacri in downtown New York.  While this event was held on a chilly and very rainy afternoon, I forgot about the rain as I walked inside the lounge. Their atmosphere immediately warmed and relaxed me. I felt stress free! 

The cabin-like dimly lit room was decorated with lovely tea lights. The tables were set with fresh fruit, a variety of cheeses and finger foods, and the waiters greeted the patrons with an assortment of appetizers and desserts.  For those who wished to indulge, there was even an open bar.  Yet it all paled in comparison to the bareMinerals products!

A representative introduced the bareMinerals products and showed us a short video on how the beauty products were created.  Afterwards a shot glass filled with a mineral extract, a natural energy booster, was passed around for us to sample.  She explained the benefits of minerals for the body and what it does for the skin.

Ladies, the body needs minerals to survive and to perform at its optimum best, as it does not produce its own.  bareMinerals products are strictly mineral based and derives from virgin soil. It is extracted and made  into a liquid form and then made into a concentrated powder form.

This patent pending product contains an active soil complex which is anti-aging. It helps women to maintain beautiful, younger looking, radiant and less tired looking skin as they age. The results provided by said patent-pending RareMinerals ActiveSoil Complex are said to be 3x more powerful than blueberries, a natural anti-oxidant.  These products have gone through a rigorous safety and skin irritant testing on about 300-500 women and after 4 weeks,participants noticed an amazing improvement in their skin texture. bareMinerals contains no oil or animal by products.

They launched on Tuesday, March 2, 2011 and are available at Sephora’s, Macy’s, Ulta’s, Nordstrom’s, Bloomingdale’s, as well as, on-line at BAREESCENTUALS.com.

Disclosure: Katrina received a sampling of  bareMinerals products at the bareMinerals event. No other compensation was provided.

The Truth about Men, Dating and Hair

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I recently had an opportunity to attend a Latinalicious event at the very chichi and posh Beauty & Essex Lounge.

The Lounge’s entrance was hidden inside a “pawn” shop. Featuring guitars on the back wall and oddities in display cabinets, the dark shop gave no indication of the opulence held behind that door.

Guitars

Bling

Ken Tied Up

The door provided entrance into a world of extravagance, with chandeliers, dimmed lights and floor to ceiling mirrors, full of powerful men and women who oozed femininity and grace.  

Cascading Chandelier

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Taking the stairs, I entered a private room. It  was even more richly decorated than the first.

2ndFl

Back wall

The room served as the perfect backdrop for a luxurious hair product like Pantene and the unveiling of its hair survey. Steven Ward, the host of VH1’s “Tough Love” and CEO of Master Matchmakers, shared the results, as well as his expertise on attracting the opposite sex that evening to a select group of women.  

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The Pantene results were met with one of two reactions, nods or gasps of surprise. Do you agree or disagree with the survey results?

  

  • 74% of men indicated that they notice women because of their hair and 44% of men surveyed said that hair is the first thing they notice about a woman, more than her clothes (26%), legs (25%), or make-up (4%).

 

  • Most men surveyed would be more likely to approach a woman at a bar with great hair than a woman wearing a low-cut shirt [This surprised me!]. 82% of men indicated that sexy hair is a key element to a woman’s overall sex appeal.

 

  • 60% of men surveyed say they would rather date a woman with great hair than a woman with big breasts[Ummmm really?] and 78% of men surveyed consider healthy hair to be a turn-on.

 

After the survey results, we were regaled with dating anecdotes and Steven Ward’s private musings on men and women. Several had us agreeing wholeheartedly, while others had us up in arms. Below are 11 that I just had to share.

  1. It takes 7 seconds for a man to fall in love.
  2. If you bash one man, men take that as bashing all men.
  3. Women tend to dress for women, instead of men.
  4. Women admire make-up, clothing and jewelry. Men don’t look at these things.
  5. Men are drawn to certain things, like hair, subconsciously.
  6. Men like confident, fun, and approachable women.
  7. Men LOVE when another man notices the woman they are with. Women, on the other hand, get jealous if another woman notices her date.
  8. Women don’t like dating men who take longer than they do to get ready. If a woman is with such a man, its because he must be overcompensating in another department.
  9. Men think the most unattractive hair is gray hair. According to Steven Ward, you should have your hair dyed immediately if it is!
  10. Men want to believe you are uncomplicated and easy going. High maintenance women tend to scare men away.
  11. Don’t pull a Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde on your man. Keep yourself maintained and don’t let yourself go.

 

Do you agree with Steven Ward’s 11 truths about men, women and dating?  

 

Disclosure: I received no compensation for providing the above recap. I shared these tidbits because Pantene’s results and Steven Ward’s musing were too juicy to keep to myself!

Michelle Smith Teams Up With Clinique (and a Freebie for YOU!)

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As a Clinique fan, I was super excited to find out that Fashion Designer Michelle Smithhas teamed up with Clinique to create a new Spring line full of the same flirty and chic color schemes that she incorporates into her clothing line. Michelle Smith established The Milly collection, a young, trendy collection in 2011 that has pops of color that the Latina in me loves to pieces!  Thankfully, she has added that same style to the Milly Clinique Collection.

On February 18, 2011, between 6-8pm, EST, you will have the opportunity to meet Michelle Smith, get fashion advise,  AND take home her Clinique spring beauty picks FREE with any $25 purchase at Bloomingdale’s on 59th Street in Manhattan, NY. The gift is valued at $75 and is limited to one per customer, while supplies last.

Hope to see you there!

Disclosure: As a Glammy Glambassador, I received this Latinalicious information. No compensation was given for posting. I did it because I ♥ my readers and thought you could enjoy the event as much as I will! Also, photo shown is not necessarily the one being given away at the event.

I’m a Glammy Gal!

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If you’ve been following my blog for awhile, you may recall when I advised my readers to apply to become a Glamour Glamassador and/or an Essence Ambassador. Of course, I couldn’t let the opportunity pass and also applied as well. I’m excited to say I was selected. I’m officially a Glammy Glambassador!

I have to tell you I am superexcited about this opportunity. As a mother of boys, I rarely get to do girly things but this will give me an excuse to get my rump out there and glam it up. What girl wouldn’t adore that?!

It also means that I will be able to:

  • Test out new beauty products to give YOU the inside scoop about the hottest and trendiest products out there
  • Find out and SHARE info on upcoming Glamour events
  • Try out some of the most fashionable clothing and let you know which look best on curvy bodies
  • Get insider info on freebies, giveaway and so much more!

So to get you as excited as I am, I wanted to let you know about an opportunity to get a one year subscription to Glamour magazine for FREE.

Click on the photo below for more details. When you respond, please let them know Ms. Latina of Latina On a Mission sent you, just hurry it ends on January 31, 2011.

 Glamour & Dior

¡Suerte! / Good Luck!

An Inexpensive Lotion With High Priced Healing Power

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This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Carmex. All opinions are 100% mine.

Do you suffer from winter skin: dry, itchy skin that comes from the winter weather and low humidity? Sadly, I do.

I also have sensitive skin, which means I can’t just use any lotion that’s on sale. I need to use a lotion that is strong enough to combat the winter weather but soft enough for my sensitive skin. I found it in the Carmex Healing Lotion and Carmex Healing Cream.

Recently, I was given the opportunity to try the Carmex Healing Lotion and Carmex Healing Cream. The retail price for each product is $5.99, even cheaper than other name  brand lotions that are on sale at my local drugstore. I also like that its available at a variety of stores like Walgreens stores, walgreens.com and drugstore.com. Even better, drugstore.com normally sends out great coupons and specials to its email subscribers that you could use to purchase this lotion for even less!

Why did I mention price? Because oftentimes, we equate price with quality. However per *David Voron, MD, a dermatologist in Arcadia, Calif. “Inexpensive products work just as well as high-end ones. In fact, the extra price you pay for the expensive stuff is often just for packaging and marketing. What’s most important is how your skin responds to the product — and how you like its feel, not how much money you paid for it.”

With that said, I have to say my skin responded beautifully to the New Carmex Healing Lotion. It softened and healed my dry skin, without leaving any oily residue. I also loved how it made my feet and heels feel. They felt soft and smooth. I would definitely recommend this product if you are looking for a healing cream that does not break the bank!

Have you tried NEW Carmex® Healing Lotion and Carmex® Healing Cream? What do you think?

 

*See WebMD article, “10 Winter Skin Care Tips”, written by By Susan Davis.

Visit my sponsor: Carmex

Spa Week, a Frugalista’s Dream Come True

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Spa week is a bi-annual event held at some of the finest spas in North America for a fraction of the cost. The event allows you to enjoy full service service at just $50. Its a frugalista’s dream!

This week I would love to share a post by Alicia, a fellow New Yorker, who blogs at Mommy Delicious. Her experience with some of the services offered during this event is sure to have you running to make your own appointment!

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Living in NYC can definitely get expensive. That’s why I love, love, love deals and steals and anything half-off. My latest obsession: Spa Week!

As a New Yorker, full time graduate student, and single mother of a very rambunctious soon-to-be 3-year-old boy, life is very busy. I’m always on the go and there’s always something on my to-do list waiting, well, to get done. And sometimes I find myself asking the question, “When will I ever get a break?”

Enter Spa Week.

Spa Week is a way to bring the spa experience to the masses by offering full service treatments, which would normally range from $100 to $200, for JUST $50. A $50.00 massage and spa experience?! Sign me up! The main goal of Spa Week is to make the spa experience an affordable part of a healthy lifestyle routine.

To kick the week off, a Spa Week pre-event was held in NYC at The Prince George Ballroom in Gramercy on October 7th. Ms. Latina was invited to this invitation-only event, but because she is also super busy (and a super generous sweetheart!), she asked me to go in her place. This invitation totally made my week (my month!), and I gladly accepted. I’d be a fool not to. What busy mami doesn’t want a little pampering?

Once I arrived at The Prince George Ballroom, I scooped out all the fabulous vendors. There were tons and they were all offering a little pampering from manicures to massages to make-unders. Love!

Since I wanted to experience as many vendors as possible, I choose my pampering line-up wisely. First up: a manicure courtesy of Spa Chicks On-The-Go.

Spa Chicks On-The-Go is a full service spa event marketing company that delivers customized spa and beauty experiences for private, corporate, and media clients. The offer private spa parties and even fashion services for film and photo-shoots. They also offer Nail fraud. Nails fraud are nail-sized beauty stickers that come in an assortment of designs. They boast that you no longer have to spend hours and lots of money for your nails to look great. Nail Frauds are so easy to apply youʼll feel like you are cheating on your manicurist. I couldn’t help but jump on this trendy bandwagon at the Spa Week event! Its the newest “in” thing to hit the streets!

After my Spa Chicks On-The-Go experience, I received a back and shoulder massage from the awesome Deva Spa, which translates to “a heavenly realm of transformation” and they promise to customize your Deva “day-cation.” During my 15 minutes in massage heaven, my massage therapist was very attentive and asked me several times if the pressure was okay. Umm… yes! This NYC mommy needs all the massages she can get! Just imagine what it would be like to have an entire hour… I highly recommend.

Next up: a make-under courtesy of Bare Escentuals. The foundation and blush are extremely light-weight, and remained fresh-looking the entire night. Love that!

Lastly, it was time for an arm and hand massage from the Divas of Dove Deodorant. I’ve always used Dove deodorant so when they offered to illustrate the proper way for me to exfoliate and moisturize, I jumped at it. After my brief, but informative tutorial, I went back to heaven for another 15 minutes as I got my arm and hand massage. Man, my arms needed that — especially since I’ve been typing rather frequently (it’s midterms season, what can I say).

In addition to all of the precious pampering, attendees were given gift bags filled with goodies to take home. I couldn’t have asked for a better evening. In the words of Ms. Latina herself, I definitely had a wepa-licious time!

Now it’s your turn to receive some pampering and for a great price! For a list of spas participating in the Spa Week extravaganza, go to spaweek.com. Schedule your appointment soon. They fill up quickly because everyone wants in on this treat!
 

Alicia, who writes under her pen name SweetAl, is a young single mom of an amazing 2-year-old toddler. She thinks that motherhood is delicious and blogs at Mommy Delicious, where she talks about the trials and triumphs of being a young, single mom, and full-time graduate school student living in NYC.

 

Perricone Cold Plasma Giveaway – Don’t want to wait? Buy Perricone Samples!

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 coldplasma

I’ve worked with Perricone in the past and received great feedback. I’m excited to announce that I’m hosting another Perricone giveaway!  The winner will receive a full sized bottle of Cold Plasma, valued at $150, right here on Latina On a Mission. Trust me, you don’t want to miss this opportunity!

Cold Plasma is an anti-aging solution that works with all skin types, even sensitive skin. It uses a unique solution that enables your skin to draw from it what your individual skin needs to combat the 10 signs of aging, shown below.

  1. Firmness
  2. Elasticity
  3. Clarity
  4. Radiance
  5. Smoothness
  6. Texture
  7. Redness
  8. Blotchiness
  9. Fine lines and wrinkles
  10. Dryness

For those of you in NYC, you can visit the Perricone Flagship Store located at 791 Madison Avenue
(at East 67th Street), New York, NY 10021. You’ll be able to get a makeover, sample Cold Plasma, and obtain advice from Perricone professionals at their spa.  However, because I know not all of my readers reside in NYC, you can also order free samples of Cold Plasma.  You only have to pay shipping and handling, which is $4.95. 

Now onto the giveaway rules…

 

MANDATORY ENTRY- YOU MUST DO THIS BEFORE YOU CAN RECEIVE ANY EXTRA ENTRIES:

Let me know in a comment why you want or need Cold Plasma!  NOTE: You must be an e-mail subscriber to enter. Click HERE to subscribe.

 

EXTRA ENTRIES:

1. Follow my blog with Google Friends and/or ”Like” my Facebook page for 1 entry EACH. If you’re already do, let me know!

2. Follow @MsLatina on Twitter and tweet about the giveaway, stating the below. Provide me with the tweet url in a comment.  One tweet per day till the giveaway ends, so go ahead tweet away! 

Enter to win Perricone MD’s Cold Plasma Skincare Solution, valued at $150  http://tiny.cc/GW34 (Ends 8/21) #GIVEAWAY #MsLatina #beauty

3. Blog about the giveaway, linking back to this post, and provide me with the url for 3 extra entries.

4. Leave a comment on a non-giveaway related post for 3 extra entries. Note the post in your comment and don’t forget to enter each entry  in a separate comment! Wouldn’t want you to miss an entry!

5. Share this post and/or another post you enjoyed using any ”Share and Enjoy” submission  (Example: Digg, Facebook, Technorati, MySpace, Stumble Upon, etc.).  Each post shared gives you 3 extra entries. Just let me know which post you shared and your username, if applicable!

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GIVEAWAY ENDS August 21, 2010 at 3:00 P.M. EST

Open to US AND Canadian residents

Don’t want to wait? Buy Perricone Samples!

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As always, I will use random.org to select the winner. The winner will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected. Also, don’t forget, in order for random.org to count all of your entries a separate comment must be entered for each item that is completed. Random.org will not count it otherwise. 

Disclosure: I did not receive any compensation to host said giveaway. 

 

Dance the Night Away with Caress

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The summer is here and you know what that means! Dancing, parties, cruises and of course touchable skin!

As a Latina, summer includes lots of salsa dancing. As a dancer with two left feet, it also means my dancing partner has to guide me so I won’t step on their toes, which means I BETTER have touchable skin to make up for all the toe stomping involved! One body wash which I use is Caress. I particularly love the Whipped Souffle Blackberry Cream and not because I received one for review either! It smells DI-VINE, leaves your skin looking radiant and and most importantly moisturizes. Heck, if I was a man and smelled me I would want to dance with me too, even if I was getting a stilleto stuck in my toe! 

juliannehough-inbathroomJulianne Hough, “Dancing with the Stars” two-time champion  provides three invaluable tips for getting touchable skin. I noted them below.

  1. Buff. To flaunt fab skin in the city, use a pumice stone to treat dry spots, like elbows and heels.
  2. Hydrate. Boost your water intake – it will help you feel refreshed and vibrant all night long.
  3. Indulge. Before you hit the town, maximize your shower and make skin flaunt-worthy with the new Caress Whipped Soufflés. These ultra-light, yet creamy body washes deliver both incredible fragrances and moisturization in one.

 

She also gives a few salsa dancing tips below. 

My tip: Have fun and shake what your Momma gave you!

 

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E.L.F Summer Beauty Boost Event

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Some time ago I was invited to an E.L.F event but was unable to attend. Rosa of DancingHotdogs.com was able to go in my stead, below is her Latinalicious recap of E.L.F’s  tips and tricks!  

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Eyes Lips Face (E.L.F), known for their affordable luxury, held a Summer Beauty Boost Event at the American Laser Center. There were speakers on health, beauty and fashion. Here are some highlights of the tips that I learned!

 

Achelle Dunaway, Creative Director of E.L.F, gave us tips as to how to rejuvenate ourselves without having to go under the knife.  Not only are the prices great at E.L.F but their Natural Mineral Makeup is 100% all natural. If you buy the Beauty Boost Kit, 100% of the proceeds go to The Bottomless Closet, a nonprofit organization that gives women hope for a better future.

 

Below are a few of Achelle’s top ten trends & tips:

 

·        Bronzer: Using bronzer is the perfect makeup item to help transition you from Winter into Summer.  Create a great bronzed glow by dusting color on the hollows of your cheek, around the hairline, under the jaw, along the neck and the décolletage.

·        Matte red lips: Bright lips are all the rage.  Red is the perfect color for a night out!  Remember to keep the rest of your makeup natural and subtle as to not compete with the dramatic red lip.

·        Glitter Eyes: To enhance and open the eyes pick a glittery liquid eyeliner.

 

*Products mentioned can be bought online at Eyes Lips Face for a combined amount of $12 - a bargain!

 

 

The American Laser Center does laser hair removals,microdermabrasion, velashape and many more treatments that help you look young and vibrant.  However, keep in mind that you have to do your part to maintain it.  A good healthy diet and exercise is the only way you can achieve that.  Tanya Zuckerbrot, author of The F-Factor Diet, gave us tips as to what we need for a healthy diet.  Instead of taking away food and starving ourselves, she tells us to eat fiber.  In her book, she gives a meal plan of how to eat as well as recipes to include “fiber-rich foods”. 

 

Charles Peter, a personal massage therapist and body-worker, explained that the most important part of working out is letting your body rest afterwards.  If you work out 7 days a week, then your body is being pushed over the limit.  He suggests working out 3-5 times a week for about an hour. 

 

After getting tips on how to have great makeup, hair and body, Derek from DerekLovesShopping.com gave us 10 shopping tips and his favorite secret shopping spot:  Becan’s Closet. He claimed its the place to go for the best deals. Below are some of his shopping tips: 

 

·         June, July: Country cute is the new city fabulous!  Big skirts, daisy dukes and gingham make even Ma and Pa Kettle feel right at home in the big city.

·         Keep It Clean: Snow White is keeping it basic this year.  The white button down is not just for office anymore.

·         What’s Your Platform?  This spring you will be reaching new heights!!! The platforms have gotten so high you won’t need a step stool ‘til fall!!!

 

Overall I had a great time and met some great people, a quick shout out to Joey at PinkSith.com (it was nice meeting you!)  Thanks to Ms. Latina, I was able to go to the amazing event.  As you can tell, there was so much information! 

 

Follow me on twitter @RosaDancing

 

Disclosure: I was invited to go to the E.L.F event through Ms. Latina where they gave complimentary gifts to attendees.  All thoughts and opinions of products and services are my own .

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Thank you Rosa for a wonderful writeup! It sounds like it was an amazing event. I also love the fact that E.L.F donates 100% of the proceed from its Beauty Boost Kit to The Bottomless Closet. The Bottomless Closet is an amazing organization that helps disadvantaged New York City women become self-sufficient by providing business attire, interview preparation, professional development, financial management and more. Please take a moment and check them out.

 

Besos!