Makeup Mondays With Mario: Fix For Flaky Foundation

Celebrity makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic is answering your burning beauty questions!!! Every Monday, he will answer a beauty/skin care question as part of a weekly column on Spoiled Pretty, Makeup Mondays with Mario.


Help me, Mario. I have super dry skin and no matter what I do or how much moisturizer I use, my skin always looks flaky when I wear foundation. What am I doing wrong? If anyone can help me, I know it's you!

Thanks,
Kaitlin


Hi Kaitlin,

Flaky skin can be a result of a skin condition such as eczema. If you haven't already done so, please have your skin checked by a dermatologist to determine what the problem is - if any - and the appropriate treatment you may need.

I find that with very dry skin, it's good to use a tinted moisturizer. Stay away from setting powders which will absorb all the skin's moisture and bring attention to flaky, dry areas.

Another option is to use Bare Minerals mineral powder foundation - it works beautifully on dry, flaky skin and even gives a glow!

Thanks for visiting Makeup Mondays with Mario!

xo,
Mario

Got a question for Mario? Email your makeup and skin care queries to fotohotcewekquestions@gmail.com, and check back next Monday to read Mario's expert advice!

Clinique Comfort On Call Allergy Tested Relief Cream

A few weeks ago, my skin just up and decided to stage a mutiny. My upper body broke out in a rash. From my hairline all the way down to my torso, I was covered in itchy, sandpaper-like bumps (I now suspect eczema was the culprit). My lips didn't even escape unscathed; they were bumpy and inflated to almost twice their normal size. And on the worst day, my left eye was so swollen and droopy, I looked like a female Forest Whitaker.

As the days wore on, the bumps started to dry out and my skin became dessicated and extremely flaky. It was as if I was a snake, shedding an exoskeleton. The dryness of my face was unbearable. With every facial expression or movement of my mouth, it seemed like my skin would literally tear; it was so painful. Up until this point, I had only been using Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser - as it was all that my traumatized skin could handle. But it begged for more, so I dug through my skin care arsenal looking for a moisturizer substantial enough to quench my skin's thirst, but gentle enough not to send it into another tizzy. I hit the jackpot when I came across a sample of Clinique Comfort On Call Allergy Tested Relief Cream that the brand sent me a few months ago to review.

I can't say enough wonderful things about this cream. My skin is the true testament. After just a few days of using Comfort On Call Allergy Tested Relief Cream, I started to recognize the reflection in the mirror again. And now that the rash (and its remnants) are almost gone, I continue to apply the cream after cleansing in the AM and PM.

According to Clinique, I've got their "exclusive, patent-pending Enviro-Soothe™ Complex" to thank for soothing and saving my face. Clinique also promises that when "used over time, it strengthens skin's lipid barrier to support natural healing."

Comfort On Call Allergy Tested Relief Cream also works wonders on dry, cracked hands. I can't think of a better winter skin care pick than this one; it earns Holy Grail status. If you suffer from reactive, sensitive or dry skin, you'd be a smart gal to add it to your shopping list.

Clinique Comfort On Call Allergy Tested Relief Cream is available at clinique.com, Sephora, Bloomingdale's, and Nordstrom.

Bath & Body Works Triple Moisture Shower Cream and Body Cream

As I reported a few weeks back, Bath & Body Works recently reformulated their Shower Cream and Body Cream, with a triple moisture complex moisturizes skin all day and also shows visible improvement in skin's radiance and feel. This week, the new stock makes its way to real and virtual shelves.

The new Triple Moisture Shower Cream is the ultimate luxuriously hydrating body cleanser. With rich, creamy moisture and a gentle kiss of fragrance, this pampering treatment works hard to nourish skin while you shower. With natural soybean oil, milk proteins, rice bran oil and acai berry, it leaves your skin feeling deeply moisturized and soft as silk.

The new Triple Moisture Body Cream is fortified with an exclusive Triple Moisture Complex of conditioning milk proteins, hydrating rice bran oil and protective acai berry extract, our Signature Triple Moisture Body Cream provides deep, 24-hour moisture that softens even the driest skin. And the non-greasy formula deeply conditions, leaving skin moisturized, fragrant, and more beautiful than ever before.

Right now, buy two and get one free...or buy three and get two free! I don't know about you, but I'm going to take this opportunity to replenish my stock. For dry skin, I really don't think it gets better than this body wash and lotion (Japanese Cherry Blossom, Butterfly Flower and Moonlight Path are my personal faves).

Vichy Normaderm Deep Cleansing Gel: Don't Judge a Cleanser By Its Label

When it comes to skin care, there's only one thing scarier to me than benzoyl peroxide in the ingredient list (I'm severely allergic)...and that's the words "deep cleansing" on the label.

All of the deep cleaning cleansers I've used have left my skin feeling desiccated and looking like peeling paint. So when I received a sample of Vichy Normaderm Deep Cleansing Gel, I almost gifted it to one of my friends. But I'm glad that I decided to give it a whirl because it's absolutely fabulous.

Vichy Normaderm Deep Cleansing Gel sucks the dirt and grime out of pores without sucking the life out of your skin. When you rinse it off, your face feels refreshingly clean - never dry and tight. I highly recommend it - especially for dry, acne prone complexions.

Now, kids...what's the moral of this story? Don't judge a cleanser by its label.

Class dismissed.

Kiehl's Friends & Family: Take 20% Off 6/12 - 6/16

Might I make a suggestion? Kiehl's Superbly Restorative Argan Body Lotion smells divine and hydrates like all get out. Friends don't let friends look ashy.

Winners of the Amala Giveaway!

Congrats to Jill Holden and Joanna Smith, winners of Spoiled Pretty's Amala giveaway. Jill and Joanna will receive:

Hydrating Cream Cleanser
Hydrate dry skin while gently removing makeup and impurities with this comforting cleansing cream. The whole botanical ingredients help soothe and restore moisture for clean, soft, radiant skin.

Hydrating Toner
Revive and rehydrate skin with this refreshing toner. Soothing floral waters and whole plant extracts help refine pores and restore moisture to soften and comfort skin.

Hydrating Face Cream
Quench dull, dry skin by helping to restore its natural moisture and elasticity with this creamy hydrating treatment. Whole plant ingredients restore elasticity and protect skin from dehydration for lasting smoothness.

Many thanks to Amala for generously sponsoring this giveaway!

Check back soon for Spoiled Pretty's next giveaway.

When Life Hands You Lemons: Be Fine Rough Spot Lemon Balm

It's human nature to be seduced by pretty packaging. And we gullible homo sapiens expect that inside said exterior, we’ll find something equally fabulous. Unfortunately, this misguided tendency is the reason why beauty buffs, like myself, end up knee deep in products we were so excited to buy, open and use that don’t live up to our expectations.

Such is the case of Be Fine’s Rough Spot Lemon Balm. The packaging looks like a lemon; it's so realistic-looking that if I left it lying around, Mr. Spoiled Pretty might take it upon himself to put it in the refrigerator. Unfortunately, the salve hidden inside is such a nothing-to-write-home-about product, it makes total sense that they worked so hard fashioning the container.

First, I assumed that the balm would actually smell fresh and citrusy…and it does, if you sniff really, really hard. Secondly, you literally have to dig the balm out with your fingernail to get any product in your hands. Finally, the balm is so greasy, it’s a hazard to your clothing, couch and carpet.

So what’s a beauty addict to do when life hands her lemons? Yep…make lemonade. So I dug into the salve with my nail and spread that grease balm all over my heels, arches and toes. Then I covered my tootsies with some old gym socks and let it marinate for a bit. Twenty minutes later, I did a preliminary check and was shocked to find that my feet had completely absorbed all of the product - but they didn’t feel softer or more moisturized…not at all.

Rough Spot Lemon Balm was disappointing - on so many levels - that I cannot recommend this product, despite the package’s high kitsch factor. One thing the product did accomplish, though, was to remind me about the awesomeness of Burt’s Bees Coconut Foot Crème.

Slather it on, slide on some socks and hit the hay. In the morning, you’ll swear the magic foot fairy made a late-night house call.

Recessionista's Fabuless Picks of the Week

I’m eczema prone in the wintertime, so I can’t be sudsing up with just any old body cleanser this time of year. Last month, while shopping at CVS for wrapping paper, I came across Johnson's Vanilla Oatmeal Body Wash, and quickly snatched it off the shelf. For centuries, oats have been used to soothe, protect and moisturize dry and irritated skin; so I figured if this body wash contains oatmeal and is gentle enough for infants, it couldn’t hurt. I’m glad that I took a chance because this bottle o’ bubbles is just what the dermatologist ordered. The creamy formula lathers up nice (sans sodium lauryl sulfate) thoroughly cleanses without stripping, the oatmeal relieves my itchy scratchies and the subtle vanilla scent is warm and comforting. And for less than $5, it’s this recessionista’s pick of the week. And it’s even more fabuless if you actually have a baby…you can share!

After you emerge from the shower/bath, do yourself a favor and don’t dry yourself completely. Pat your skin with a towel so that there’s still some moisture on the skin - then apply Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Skin Therapy Oil all over your body. This preservative-free, lightweight formula contains an exclusive blend of key ingredients for scars, stretch marks, dry, damaged skin, uneven skin tone, aging skin, lines and wrinkles. The oil locks in moisture; your skin will look and feel soft, with a radiant sheen. The product sinks in on contact and the formula is non-greasy and non-staining, so you needn’t wait to get dressed. The scent is to die for (like a frothy black and white milkshake) and it’s only $10.99 for a 5.1 oz bottle!

Have A Ball: Ojon's Tawaka The White Ball

Ojon new Tawaka The White Ball is a rich, decadent body cleansing and conditioning treatment that produces a creamy lather that can be used in the bath or shower to purify and nourish the skin to silky perfection. Formulated without fragrance, artificial color, sulfates, silicones, or preservatives, The White Ball is a lavish luxury that conditions dry, winter skin.

The unique blend of ingredients, including a high dose of White Cocoa Seed Butter with wildcrafted Ojon and Swa+ oils, lets you "roll your way" to velvety-soft skin.

Available exclusively at Sephora stores and sephora.com.

Revolution Organics All-Over Body Balm Works 22 Different Ways!

It’s a good thing when a beauty product does one thing really well. When it peforms double duty, even better. And when a product can be used more than twenty different ways, you ask yourself, “Is it my birthday?”

Revolution Organics All-Over Body Balm is an all-in-one, on-the-go beauty essential with over 22 uses from your nose to your toes. Enriched with organic butters, organic plant extracts, vitamin E and nourishing organic oils, this multi-tasking solid moisturizing balm softens, smoothes and protects skin.

Some of its 22 uses include:

* Relieving chapped lips
* Soothing dry spots
* Softening lines
* Feeding parched nails
* Combating flaking skin
* Taming unruly eyebrows
* Fighting free radicals
* Preventing stretch marks
* Smoothing flyaways
* Conditioning hair
* Nourishing dry cuticles
* Calming skin irritations
* Conditioning dry hands
* Sealing in skin moisture
* Priming skin for makeup

All-Over Body Balm reminds me of Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15, on account of the lemony sugar scent. But for $6 more than Fresh’s cult classic, you get 21 additional usages.

Revolution Organics All-Over Body Balm is a Beauty.com exclusive and retails for $28.

Got Cracked Lips? Yu-Be Happy With This Product...

It’s getting downright chilly in Philly. In a matter of days, my lips started cracking up - like they’d been watching a Chris Rock comedy special. Luckily, I discovered Yu-Be, the #1 selling medicated, vitamin-enriched skin care cream in Japan.

Yu-Be is a Glycerin-based moisturizing cream enriched with Vitamin E, Vitamin B2 and Camphor. The uniquely high Glycerin content, achieved through a special manufacturing process in Japan, makes Yu-Be very effective on severely dry skin.

What sets Yu-Be apart from other lip treatments is the highly absorptive formula. Your thirsty lips will drink it in, and it will hydrate, heal and lock in moisture for hours. Yu-Be leaves behind soft, supple lips – without the greasy, balmy finish. Which means that, when your lips are especially jacked up, you needn’t choose between a cushy restorative treatment and a cute lip color. Just dab Yu-Be on and wait a minute…then swipe on your favorite lipstick or gloss, and you’re good to go.

In addition to curing cracked lips, Yu-Be also heals and prevents split cuticles and smoothes rough skin. Use it to soften calluses and hard, cracked heels. It replenishes lost moisture from frequent hand washing and minimizes scarring from burns. Even world-class mountain climbers from Japan use it to protect their skin from the harsh cold, wind, water and sun on expeditions to the top of Mt. Everest!

Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream To Go (1.25 oz tube) is the perfect size for tossing into your purse or taking on trips.

Shop Yu-Be at Amazon.com, Beauty.com, Sephora and yu-be.com.