Update: How that John Frieda volume treatment actually works (from The Beauty Brains)

I posted that I'd had good results with the John Frieda 7-Day Volume Treatment a while ago, but I wasn't sure what was in it that made it work. The cosmetic chemists at The Beauty Brains have explained it all for us. It's the polyimide-1 ingredient that does it, if that means anything to you. They spell it all out at the link, so I won't repeat it here. Their conclusions seem to be the same as what I came to empirically: it will create some volume, though not a huge amount, which will last for a few days, and it will probably work better on some hair types than others.

(Note: They say that you need to blow dry after the first application to get it to really work, but I had increased volume when I just air dried as well.)

Old NYX taupe blush vs. new NYX taupe blush (from Sultry Suburbia)

I do have the old version of this blush, which is a popular affordable contouring option for creating natural-looking shadows. Since I rarely bother to contour, I've never been inspired to post about it. But if the fact that the old NYX blush formula has been replaced with a new one worries you, check out this helpful comparison. All is not lost, it seems! (And Sultry Suburbia is a blog well worth reading for the stunning, dramatic makeup looks she creates.)

What's so fucking special about Crème de La Mer? With dupes! (From Of Faces and Fingers)

I have a couple of longish review-type posts (remember when I used to write those regularly?) that are half finished, but real work has been preventing me from completing them. Soon that real work will be over, and I'll have time to post those in between desperate job searching.

In the meantime, check out this fantastic comparison between the exorbitantly priced Crème de La Mer and some other, rather basic, and much cheaper moisturizing creams. The upshot is that, unless you believe the plant extracts in La Mer actually do something (follow the link above to find out why they probably don't), all these products are similar. There are some decent moisturizing ingredients in La Mer, but they aren't exclusive or expensive. I've reviewed the Curel Intensive Healing Cream before, and it's a brand name version of the stuff that hospitals or pharmacies provide to diabetics in huge tubs. Effective, for sure, but very utilitarian and certainly not worth its weight in gold.

All About Hyaluronic Acid (from The Beauty Brains)

This is interesting and useful. I have a couple of products that contain hyaluronic acid, and I really like them (like the Paula's Choice serum that I reviewed a while back). I like finding a breakdown of how "miracle" ingredients really work and then being able to decide for myself if they're worth the hype. I knew hyaluronic acid was a humectant, but not much else. I have had problems with products that are high in glycerin (another humectant) actually drying out my skin in winter (the Neutrogena hand lotion, for example), but I haven't noticed that with hyaluronic acid, and I used the serum mentioned above all winter. Overall, it seems like a effective ingredient with some promising science behind it.

Is this a $6 dupe for TheBalm Mary Lou Manizer?

I have already posted my own cheap alternative, but what do you think about this Wet N Wild highlighter swatched by Allura Beauty? Has anyone compared it to TheBalm's version? It looks pretty close to me!

How you can still smear stuff on your face like the rest of us even if you have sensitive skin (from Lab Muffin)

Because you should be invited to the skin goo party too.

Why you shouldn't make your own sunscreen (from Lab Muffin)

I ranted about this once before, but here is a really thorough explanation of why trying to DIY sunscreen is a terrible idea.

"Nice Girls Who Like Stuff": Analysis of beauty vloggers and their business models (from The Hairpin)

This is an interesting article that I meant to link to months ago and just found in my drafts folder. It talks about the inoffensive homogeneity that defines the most popular YouTube beauty gurus and how they perfect that formula to make big, big bucks (or big truckloads of free swag).

Seems especially pertinent now with the news that Zoella's book is breaking records for sales.

Cool new scientific skincare site

It's called Skincare Addiction, and it looks pretty great so far. Read a blog by people who actually have time to update it! That's, like, the best kind of blog!

Does nail polish go bad? (from Pretty Girl Science)

No.

L'Oreal's FTC settlement for deceptive advertising of the Youth Code/Génefique lines (from Truth in Advertising)

I hope we all assume that most skincare advertising claims are bullshit of some kind or another, but I guess this goes beyond slippery, confusing marketing language into actual deception. A jar of goop that can manipulate your genes? I seriously hope not. Or if so, I would like to rub the gene for being able to do math on my face or find some lotion that will kill my hereditary anxiety.

Oh, and L'Oreal doesn't have to pay a cent as the result of this settlement, despite having made well over a billion dollars from selling this crap.

Where can you return cosmetics that don't work out for you? (from Racked)

Sometimes there's no tester (and you don't want to be the person who smears the last tube of lipstick on their hand and then puts it back in the display). Sometimes there's a tester, but it looks great in the store and hideous in every other lighting situation. Sometimes you just have regrets. It's okay. You are allowed to return things. Or at least, you're allowed to return cosmetics at some stores. If you're going to go out on a limb with something, maybe consider buying it from one of these places.

(I know, I know, I need to get with some kind of regular posting schedule. At least for my own sake, if you don't give a shit, which you probably don't. And I blew through my back log of photos, so I need to take more if I want to review anything new. I'm working on it. Meanwhile, apartment hunting is sucking out my soul and most of my free time.)

All about parabens (from Of Faces and Fingers)

This is a spectacularly useful post about the function and safety of parabens in cosmetics, in which the author collects information from a variety of sources and evaluates the reliability of those sources. For example, she provides a nice critique of the Environmental Working Group (EWG), which is the source of many of the OMG TOXIC POISON CANCER scares that come up in relation to makeup and skin care ingredients.

Here is a summary of the post's conclusions, but I highly recommend reading the entire thing. It's fascinating and informative.

So to sum up - my conclusion is based on several key points I've touched on over the 4 headings:

1. The bulk of scientific data shows that parabens are safe, and they are determined to be safe for us in almost all jurisdictions.  2. The scientific literature that fuelled the anti-paraben movement can't prove causation, and in any case the authors themselves say that they can't draw a link and further study is needed.  3. Your body breaks down parabens applied topically through urine and bile.  4. Parabens are used in tiny concentrations at less than 1% in cosmetics and skincare  5. Paraben alternatives are not necessarily safer, or more effective.  6. Parabens are broken down naturally in our environment.

I just really love smart, critical writing about cosmetics.

You're sciencing wrong: Sunscreen does not cause cancer (from I Fucking Love Science)

You might have seen an article going around Facebook and other places claiming that a recent major study has shown that wearing sunscreen can give you cancer. You might have been thinking, "Oh shit." Calm yourself. I had a moment of apprehension myself, before I took a closer look. (Or you might have been thinking from the beginning, "That's bullshit," in which case, yes, very good, you're very smart and special.)

This post from I Fucking Love Science (brilliant blog name, obviously) debunks the scaremongering anti-sunscreen bullshit. There's lots of good stuff in there, but this is one of the most important parts, I think:

"The claim that more people who use sunscreen develop melanoma is based on a study that tracked sun exposure and sunscreen use in nearly 1500 people over a span of two years. The results did show that those who used sunscreen were more likely to develop melanoma, but there was a massive caveat left out of RF’s article. The median sun protection factor (SPF) was 6 (the CDC recommends SPF 15 or higher) and those who used sunscreen the most spent considerably more time in the sun than those who rarely use sunscreen.
RF’s implication that sunscreen is causing the melanoma is dead wrong; the paper itself states “sunscreen use, by permitting more time sunbathing, is associated with melanoma occurrence,” particularly when using sunscreen with a low SPF that isn’t as protective." 

Correlation is not causation and all that. People wore low SPF sunscreen, felt like that meant they could sunbathe longer, and ended up with melanoma. The sunscreen did not cause the melanoma. Sigh. It's a typical misreading of what some scientific study actually says.

Yes, you need Vitamin D. You can get that from the sun. You can also get it in your diet. If you want to get it from the sun, you don't need to spend a ton of time baking to get what you need. The epidemiologist in this article says that pale people (like me) only need a few minutes of sun exposure a day, tan/medium skin tones could use 15-20 minutes, and people with dark skin tones need quite a bit more, maybe 6 times as much as the pale people (6 x "a few" = 18 to 24 minutes?). It all depends on how much clothing you're wearing, what time of day it is, etc. Still, that does not mean never wear sunscreen. I mean, if you don't want to, it's your call. Not everyone has the same risk for skin cancer, and not everyone cares about their skin showing the ominous "signs of aging", and that's cool. But don't avoid sunscreen because you think it's cancerous. Personally, I always wear it on my face and neck, because if I'm going to be pasty anyway, I might as well try to avoid skin damage. But I don't wear it on other parts of my body on a regular basis - only when I'm going to be in the sun for more than 20 minutes at a time. I'll get my Vitamin D walking to the market or whatever.

Anyway, you're all smart people and you didn't need me to tell you all this, but sometimes it's nice to have a link like this IFLS one to paste into the comments of your annoying cousin's Facebook status about how he's been right all along not to wear sunscreen because all the rest of you are going to get cancer and he's not, see? SHEEPLE.

How to Get the Most Out of Seche Vite (from Pretty Girl Science)

Everyone loves Seche Vite, right? Seems that way. But if you've had trouble getting it to work like the miracle top coat it's purported to be, these tips from Pretty Girl Science will be super helpful.

Is Sinful Colors nail polish ($2) better quality than Chanel ($27)?

That's what this Consumer Reports test determined, at least in terms of wear time. I guess they just tested one color from each brand though? There are usually significant differences within each line, in my experience. I guess it's enough to show that higher price does not necessarily guarantee a better product (shocking!).

Meanwhile, I've never had a nail polish last more than 4 days, no matter what combination of products I use, and I think even that has only happened once or twice.

What happens when you layer different sunscreens? (from FutureDerm)

Super useful! Explains things like: is there any benefit to layering multiple products that contain sunscreen? What happens when you apply two different SPFs, one over the other?

$15 alternative to Urban Decay's Electric Palette? (that is holy-fucking-bright) (from Glitz Glam Budget)

Maybe you've been tempted by the Urban Decay Electric palette, but you're not sure how much you'd actually wear it and don't want to spend $50 on something like that (like me). Check out swatches of this $15 palette from Coastal Scents. Looks pretty awesome. The colors aren't all exactly the same, but there are 12 instead of just 10, so that's a bonus.

Why BB Cream is Bullshit (from Beauty and the Bullshit)

Yay, Rowena is back and blogging. One of my very favorite blogs. Here she explains why labeling products as BB creams (or CC or whatever) is marketing bullshit.

Cheap and effective BHA exfoliant! Stridex Maximum Soft Touch Pads (from Lab Muffin)

Disclosure: This post contain an Amazon affiliate link.
I've posted before about BHA/beta-hydroxy acid/salicylic acid. Quick summary: it works great not only for improving the texture and appearance of the skin and making it look smoother, but also for clearing blackheads and acne and soothing redness. Good stuff. But effective products containing BHAs have to have a certain pH level to really work. On my previous post, Emi from Project Swatch recommended the Stridex pads in the comments, and I was intrigued. The cheapest I've found them online is $3.49. But without knowing the pH, how could I tell if they would be as effective as the more expensive products I'd been using? Lab Muffin to the rescue! She tested the pads and found that the ones in the red package have both the right concentration (2%) of BHA and the right pH (below 4) to work well.

These are something worth trying not only for people dealing with acne, but for anyone who wants their skin to appear less dull, pores to be smaller, wrinkles to be less prominent, to reduce redness or hyperpigmentation . . . the list goes on. Just start out slow and make sure your skin can handle it. I've never had any irritation from BHA at all, but that's not the case for everyone. I'm definitely going to pick up a jar of this stuff when I run out of my Paula's Choice 2% BHA. The PC versions sells for $23 and works fantastically, I admit.

It's hard to compare the Stridex and the PC prices per unit, since the Stridex is measured in number of pads. On Amazon, the Stridex pads are described as 8 oz., but I don't know if that reflects the volume of liquid they contain (shipping weight is 8.8 oz., says Amazon). The PC BHA is 4 oz. and costs about 6 times as much. Either way, the Stridex is looking good in this comparison. I'll let you know my results once I've tried the Stridex pads myself, but since that will be a while, I wanted to give you the heads up. They come highly recommended by trustworthy sources, as you can see!

ETA: I just noticed that these have menthol in them. I hate skincare products that make my face tingly purely for the sake of making it tingly. Now I'm grumpy and I might just have to stick to the more expensive options after all.