paris fashion: Beauty Product Review: Satin Smooth Res-Q Ingrown Hair Treatment Mousse and more...

Beauty Is Within Header

I heard or read an interesting statistic a few weeks ago - that close to 100% of women are self-conscious about their arm pits. I have to be honest and say that I am one of these women. The skin in this area is bumpy, blotchy, and I often get ingrown hairs....and when it comes to wearing sleeveless tops or dresses, I'm more worried about how my arm pits look than anything. Most women think about their flabby arms. Not me.

Well, summer is just around the corner and it will be time to wear all that cute sleeveless clothing again. So I decided to try out Satin Smooth's Res-Q Ingrown Hair Treatment Mousse which is specially made to treat ingrown hair, razor burns, bumps, and all those skin irritations.

I've been using the product for about a week now and I have noticed that the skin in my armpit feels much smoother. Even the "stubble" hairs feel soft.

You can use it on your neck, face, or bikini areas as well, but so far I've only used it on my underarms.

I have one warning, though. Make sure you wait at least 24 hours after you've shaved, waxed, or had laser hair removal before applying the mousse. I made the mistake of not reading the directions (which I often do) and used the mousse right after I shaved. I started to feel a little burning sensation.

If mousse products aren't your thing, Satin Smooth also has hair treatment pads with a creamy smooth formula.

Have you tried any of these products? How did they work for you?

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Sneak Peek: Quench Bath & Body Products From Around the World

I like to support companies that empower women from all over the world. When I heard about Quench, I knew that I had to let you know about it...

Quench is a company that has developed bath and body products based on women's "secret" beauty concoctions. The company employs small companies and co-ops from native communities to foster fair trade. All products are created with ingredients from their native lands.

Quench's founder, Shashi Srikantan, was introduced to natural beauty recipes at a young age, and since then she's had this passion to create unique bath and beauty products. You can find out more about Shashi and the birth of Quench in her blog post, The Origin and The Coneption.

I had the opportunity to try out a few of Quench's products including the Sandal Honey Body Wash and Body Butter (My favorite!) and the Tumeric Facial Wash and Facial Lotion. Not only are the products paraben-free, sodium laureth/lauryl sulfate-free, and petroleum-free, but they never use animal-based ingredients and are 100% cruelty-free. The company also donates 2% of sales to charity.

The Tumeric Facial Wash leaves my skin squeaky clean and smooth, but it has a slight floral fragrance to it. So if you're averse to fragrances in your beauty products, this product in particular may not work for you.

I also like how the Sandal Honey Body Butter leaves my skin feeling soft. I've never been to India, but when I first smelled this product, the first image that came to mind was a temple in India where women gathered to meditate and share stories.

Quench's full line of products will be officially launching on their website in early June. Stay tuned because I will be doing a giveaway for one of their gift sets around June 1st!

Until then, feel free to peruse their website to find out more about the company: http://www.quenchbathandbody.com

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Spring Fashion To Do: White Out Trend

I wasn't able to participate in Pretty, Shiny, Sparkly's "Bloggers Do It Better" White Out challenge this week because I didn't have anything white in my closet and I didn't have the time to go shopping. All the white items I've ever owned before either had some kind of stain on it or just didn't look quite so white anymore.

When I did hear about the "White Out" Challenge, I immediately thought about H&M's Conscious Collection that consists of all these different pieces made with white organic cotton. My favorite piece, though, is the white recycled polyester dress pictured here. I hope it's still available because the more I think about it, the more I want it...

What I do own that is remotely close to white (they're actually more of a beige color) is this pair of Kushyfoot Flats-to-go ($9.99).

You may recall my review of these flats last year. I love them because I can fold them up and store them in my purse for those times when I'm wearing heels and need some foot relief. I can also wear them around the house or when I make a quick trip to the grocery store.

Today I was in a girly-girl mood so I wore these flats with a pair of Kushyfoot ivory lace foot covers. I like to think of them as lingerie for your feet...

If I were to purchase anything white to wear this spring, it would probably be a dress that I can lift up when I sit. White pants or shorts just seem like too much trouble - having to worry about where I sit and wearing the right underwear. With a dress I can wear a pair of boy shorts or even a pair of leggings.

What about you? Will you be trying out the White-Out trend this spring or summer?

White Dresses

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Quotes and Thoughts on Beauty, Age, and Weight Loss

I apologize for not posting a beauty affirmation yesterday! Some unexpected writing projects came up this week that needed to be done. By the time I finished them last night (actually, this morning), I was too exhausted to post here.

However, what I will do today is offer a couple of my favorite beauty quotes from Daisy Fuente's book, Unforgettable You. (In case you missed it last year, read my review of the book here.)

"The most beautiful makeup of a woman is passion. But cosmetics are easier to buy." --Yves Saint Laurent
Passion to me means pouring your heart and soul into what you do. It's being excited and finding meaning in your work - regardless of what you do. Whether you're a stay-at-home mom or a volunteer at the local homeless shelter, you enjoy life. When you're passionate, it shows in your face and aura. You are genuinely happy and people are drawn to that....and that is true beauty.

"How pleasant is the day when we give up striving to be young - or slender." --William James
Last night I was lying in bed reflecting on life and it finally hit me that I am 37-years-old. I honestly still feel like I'm 21! I don't party and stay up all night like I did back in my 20's, but I still have that zest and excitement about life. I've finally come to accept that I won't have the same 21-year-old body, so I've stopped focusing on "losing weight". Instead, I've looked at simply "living a healthy lifestyle" which consists of eating the right foods and exercising on a regular basis.

What are your favorite quotes on beauty? What does passion or age mean to you?

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What Being a Lady Means to Me

Over at Already Pretty, Sally asks the question: What is a lady?. The post has inspired many of her readers to share their thoughts about "ladylike behavior", and I thought I would weigh in with my own definition.

As I was reading through some of the comments to Sally's post, I came across Pam's (Over50Feeling40) perspective of what it means to be a lady...

A lady is one of strength and dignity…..she is confident of who she is….and confident of what she believes….she is joyful and loves life (not always constrained)….yet, dignified not necessarily in dress but in stature and wisdom. She can discern when to laugh, when to cry….her strength comes from deep within."

Those thoughts really resonated with me because the first two words that come to mind when I think "lady" is strength and confidence. I also do believe that a lady should be respectful, polite, and demonstrate acts of kindness. Isn't that what we should all be doing anyways?

I don't buy into the idea that a lady should be prim and proper in style and demeanor. However, I do think a lady should be tasteful in her style of dress while expressing her own unique sense of fashion.

Personally, I consider myself to be a lady even though once in a blue moon I will curse, get loud, burp, or do whatever else someone may consider unladylike.

I am comfortable in my own skin. I don't feel like I have to apologize for being me or pretend to be someone I'm not just to fit in with another person's ideal.

What do you think? What does being a lady mean to you?