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Free shipping with code FREESHIP | Free Travel Beauty Bag with Purchase of $200 | Free Samples with Every Order

The best beauty products from around the globe

Category : Health & Wellbeing

New Year’s Beauty Reboot

New Years Beauty Reboot

This may be your last chance to relax before 2018 officially starts. Then it’s back to school…back to work…back to life…back to reality…

Still looking for inspiration to get the New Year off to a splendid start? Start with you! This is an excellent time to take care of yourself, even if you set aside 10 minutes to do so. You can multi-task to make the most of those minutes.

Relaxing Facial Masks When You Don’t Have Time To Relax

Start with a face mask—even if your skin is pitch perfect, any complexion can benefit from a reparative face mask once a week, especially during the winter months. Our skin requires an intensive reconstructive care product regularly to enable it to recover and reboot its cellular functions. For the severely time starved, Cosmetics 27 Plasma 27 Bio Lifting Cell Restoring Mask, is just the thing! This pre-soaked, pre-cut, single serve sheet mask is packed with high concentrations of Centella Asiatica and Proline to stimulate the skin’s ability to produce collagen. Just open the packet, pop it on your visage, have a cup of coffee and voila!

If you prefer a creamy mask format, try Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm. Yes, it’s a face cleanser, but it is so much more. Massage the balm into your face using downward strokes – this promotes lymphatic drainage. I store mine in the refrigerator: the cool temperature is refreshing and calms puffiness. Remember to apply it to the backs of your hands as well. When you embark upon 40, even if you take A+ care of your skin and have great genes, there is no place that is more revealing of age. The all-natural scent of moringa is also calming to the senses which is beneficial especially on hectic mornings. This multi-tasking treatment can also be used as a lip balm.

Hair & Scalp Treatments for Your Tresses

While your face mask is gelling, turn your attention to your hair and scalp. Christophe Robin’s line of hair treatment products is a must. Period. Especially if you highlight, bleach or chemically process your hair. You can sleep, workout and even golf in them. These intensive moisturizing treatments are magic!

For dry, damaged hair requiring some serious tender loving care, try his Regenerating Mask with Rare Prickly Pear Seed Oil. It contains powerful antioxidants and moisturizers sure to leave your hair frizz free, soft and radiant.

The holidays are stressful. Combine this with crisp, dry air and you’ll find yourself with a troublesome itchy, flaky scalp. If this sounds familiar, Christophe Robin’s scalp detox maskCleansing Purifying Scrub With Sea Salt, is calling your name.

Eye, Brow and Lash Treatments

Feeling a little bit of champ-shame about how much you drank (not to mention ate) this holiday season? Copious consumption could leave your eyes puffy and your skin sallow. No problem! Here are a couple of instant eye pick-me-ups that will get you going in the right direction:

Institut Esthederm Lift & Repair Eye Contour Lift Patches are fast penetrating under eye masks that target all concerns of the eye area: bags, shadows, fine lines, sagging skin and swelling. In as little as 6 minutes a few days a week, you can take years off your eye area. They also make the perfect travel companion – try them at the end of a flight, or the morning after a long night out to look “bright-eyed” (bushy-tailed is on you).

While you’re de-puffing your eyes, you can pump up your brows and lashes with Jessica Johnson Classic Beauty Brow and Lash Conditioning Serum. This conditioning treatment is the real deal! It is a two-in-one product for use on brows as well as lashes and contains additional treatment ingredients, including natural marine extract that not only boosts hair growth but conditions and hydrates for strong, lush brows and lashes.

We hope you take the time to indulge in a drop of self-care, not just this week, but all year long. For more tips, tricks and tools to perfect your look, find us on FacebookTwitter and Instagram!

By: Travel Beauty Editors

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Cupping Therapy Basics

cupping therapy

When Michael Phelps prepared to dive into the pool last summer at the Olympics, millions of spectators were stunned by the rows of large purple circles that adorned his back. In an instant the ancient modality of cupping resurfaced on the global stage. The record breaking olympic gold medalist practices cupping therapy to heal and support his muscles, joints and immune system which are pushed to the limits all year long by his intense training and then days of competition during the games.

Save Michael Phelps, I knew nothing about cupping and wanted to learn more. I sought a master practitioner in New York City and was introduced to Anton Lee, a third generation licensed acupuncturist with extensive cupping training. Acupuncture is an integral part of cupping. Anton educated me on the basics.

What Is Cupping?

Born of a culture that considered surgery, the act of cutting the body, an affront to their ancestors, (I found this particularly interesting as Judaism forbids the practice of tattoo and most piercings precisely for this reason) until the introduction of antibiotics, cupping was the principal modality of healing not only muscular pain in the body but ailment of major internal organs as well. In fact, prior to the introduction of antibiotics, boils were the leading cause of death. Cupping was partly developed as a method for removing the toxic fluids that were contained within the boil. With the introduction of antibiotics cupping began to fall by the wayside where it would become classified, at least in western medicine, as an alternative therapy.

Dispelling Myths

You will read almost everywhere that the practice originated in China. “Not true!” Anton insisted. It has been practiced all over the world for a few thousands years throughout Asia, Europe, the Americas and Middle East. Cups were made out of whatever natural resources were available in the region. In the Middle East, cups were made of goat horns, while in China they were fashioned from Bamboo. The modern day versions are made of glass and silicone.

What Does This Have To Do With An Olympic Athlete?

Every time we move energy is created which makes blood and fluids circulate through the body. This in and of itself is a good thing. But like anything, too much of a good thing can turn bad. When muscles and tissue are over exerted, it creates a trauma. When there is a trauma to the body, typically blood and fluid flow to the affected area in an effort to repair it. If The body is functioning healthfully, it is extremely efficient and directs energy, blood and fluid to where it is needed to support and heal the area. When this excess fluid is not completely absorbed by the body it can get deposited onto the muscle. This fluid bonds like glue to the muscle and creates a blockage. This can be in the form of a knot that you might get in your neck, or back. This causes pain and is toxic to the body. Just as the person loses his or her typical range of movement, this blockage is stuck. If you’re not an olympic athlete, you may be susceptible to extreme weather, which can also cause trauma to the body. When it’s cold we condense our bodies physically and this energy creates stagnation. This stagnation is perceived by us as pain.

How Can We Break Up The Blockage?

what you need to know about cuppingBy hand. A needle is inserted at the point of pain (Acupuncture is an integral part of cupping) to create the movement of energy, fluid and blood, within the tissue – to break up the proverbial “glue”, then a cup is placed over it and suction is applied to draw it out into the skin. The skin is not only the largest organ of the body, but the largest filtration organ of the body. Just as the liver filters blood, the lungs filter air and the stomach filters food, similarly the skin filters excess fluid. Skin contains millions of micro vessels – this is why, when we get cut, we heal so quickly. Using the skin’s filtration system the body disposes of what it does not need and recycles what it can use.

The Basics

The more toxic your body is the darker the cup marks will be. In general men tend to present with darker marks as women’s bodies are cleaner due to the menstrual cycle which circulates and cleans out blood and tissue from the body regularly.

My Mini Consultation

Anton is the real deal. Towards the end of our almost two hour meeting, Anton turned to me and asked if he could take my pulse. He told me that I am a worrier. Worry and stress cause the digestive system to slow down. The stomach is considered the mother organ as it filters food that is then distributed to the other organs of the body in order to nourish them. The odd thing is that I have colitis. It turns out that cupping can be used as part of a regimen to heal colitis and other digestive ailments. He also told me to keep an eye on my posture as bad posture wreaks havoc on the body – yes, causing trauma. The odd thing is, as soon as I walked into Anton’s office, I became acutely aware of my posture. It almost felt as if he was communicating telepathically to me, nudging me to sit up straight.

Just Scratching The Surface

Cupping is a practice that is tailored specifically to each individual depending on his or her needs and there are many more tools involved in the modality that I did not delve into here. Above I have merely scratched the cupping surface. To schedule a consultation or appointment with Anton, please call Yasmine Djerradine Institut de Beauté at 212-588-1771.

By: Alyssa Barrie Weiss, Twitter: @AlyssaBarrie

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Protect The Skin You’re In

Protect The Skin You're In

May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month. Beyond your mother nagging you to death to apply sunscreen before you brave the great outdoors, it’s nice to know that there have been many advancements in the field of skin cancer detection. The level of awareness for the disease has skyrocketed within the last generation alone. I still have visions, from my childhood, of my father sitting on a lounge chair, covered in Johnson & Johnson’s baby oil, holding a bright yellow sun visor inches from his face to maximize his exposure to the sun. Whereas today, I apply SPF 30 sunscreen before I slip into my bikini to ensure that I don’t miss an inch on my face or body. I also apply an SPF hair mask and wear sunglasses as both your scalp and eyes can burn and are not immune to Melanoma either. Ocular Melanoma can present as a freckle within the eye.

But let’s go beyond the sunscreen

It’s critical to visit a board certified dermatologist for an annual skin screening and not only if you fall into the high risk group of those with light skin, eyes and a family history of skin cancer. It’s crucial that everyone go. Often, those with dark skin and eyes assume they are immune from skin cancer and wind up with serious issues down the road due to a lack of screenings and late detection. But don’t go to see a derm only because 1 in 5 Americans will have skin cancer in their lifetime, nor because Melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, causes one death every hour. And not only because it’s the most common cancer diagnosis in adults 25 – 29. And certainly not only because children that have experienced 5+ sun burns in their lives are 80% more likely to develop skin cancer, nor because each year there are more instances of skin cancer than lung, breast and colon cancer combined. You must go because this is an easy one to prevent.

A technological leap forward in skin screening

Until recently the protocol for conducting skin screenings was a manual, imperfect process. Even with the expertise of a highly-skilled, board certified dermatologist armed with the appropriate screening tools, a manual process left physicians piecing together notes from the year before with no standardized method for tracking changes in the skin over time.

Enter DermSpectra, a revolutionary new breakthrough in technology that has standardized the skin screening process with digital imaging capable of tracking even the most minute of changes in the skin over time. When it comes to skin cancer, picking up the smallest change in a mole or growth can mean the difference between life and death.

DermSpectra skin cancer awareness monthYour 10 minutes of fame

DermSpectra, or The Box, as Dr. Mitchell Kline, a board certified clinical dermatologist who specializes in Melanoma surgery and staging, lovingly calls it, uses high speed, professionally focused cameras and lenses, customized for the patient’s skin type, to capture a 360 degree view of the skin in its entirety. Its akin to E! Live’s 360 degree camera used on the red carpet at The Oscars to give us a virtually 3 dimensional view of the haute couture fashions that the the A list actors are dressed in. DermSpectra is the very first full body digital imaging system in the United States that captures standardized, high definition photography of the skin. This imaging tool enables physicians to objectively review and monitor critical skin changes over time.

How does it work?

You strip down to your underoos at the very least – if you feel at ease bearing more – even better! Melanoma can pop up in the least expected of areas, even in places where the sun don’t shine. Climb into the DermSpectra Imaging Unit and move through a series of 9 poses while dozens of cameras capture 36.7 MP high resolution photos of the body from a 360 degree vantage point. These images are instantly available and become a baseline for the long term evaluation and tracking of even the smallest changes in the skin over time. All the information is stored securely for the patient’s and physician’s eyes only.

DermSpectra can only be found in three locations in The United States – at Travel Beauty’s go to dermatologist, Dr. Mitchell Kline’s Park Avenue practice on the upper east side of Manhattan, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland and Oregon Health and Science University in Portland Oregon.

So what are you waiting for?

By: Alyssa Barrie Weiss, Twitter: @AlyssaBarrie

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Beauty & Wellness Beyond The Products: A Best Of Charlotte’s Book Round Up

beauty and wellness beyond the products

Fall is in full swing! And since inner and outer beauty rely on so much more than the products we slather all over our face, body and hair, (make no mistake, effective products have a part to play) we wanted to share some other important facets of holistic beauty we’ve been reading up on lately surrounding the importance of keeping up with daily beauty and wellness regimens, nutrition as well as an exploration of the definition of beauty itself. We hope you enjoy this Charlotte’s Book wellness round up as much as we have.

Sometime Frozen Is Actually Better Than Fresh

Frozen doesn’t mean what it used to. While the idea of frozen food might bring to mind processed pizza or freezer-burned chicken nuggets, when it comes to produce, frozen is actually better. According to Michael Pollan, Author of Omnivore’s Dilemma, “The nutritional quality is just as good-and sometimes even better, because the produce is often picked and frozen at its peak of quality.” Read more.

Facial Fitness: Scam or Glam?

From the ancient Egyptians (you guessed it—another Cleopatra trend) to the Chinese to the French, women have been working on their facial fitness for centuries. It’s already a huge market in Asia—in fact, Christiano Ronaldo endorses a facial fitness tool in Asian markets. But adoption of facial fitness into American skincare regimens has been slow, perhaps because of some healthy skepticism. That said, celebrity facialists from coast to coast swear by it (there’s even a FaceGym inside Selfridges in London!). Read more.

Your Morning Routine Just A Bit More Stimulating

The temperature is dropping, making it a prime time to focus on exfoliation. You’re no longer dealing with summer heat and humidity, which can make skin very sensitive—plus, your tan has gone from fab to drab; it’s time to work on that body glow. Fall is the perfect time for dry brushing! By now you might have heard of the great exfoliating benefits of dry brushing, but there’s more. Thanks to its stimulation of the lymphatic system, you might also start to consider it as part of your wellness routine. Read more.

The Case For Being #Unpretty – Or, Why It’s OK To Take A Break From Perfection

In a world driven by likes and filters, it’s safe to say we are probably the most self-conscious, most objectified, and therefore most tired, disillusioned, and perhaps cyclically depressed generation ever. But that’s just a guess.

And why wouldn’t we be?

We begin our days oh just casually scrolling through flawless #iwokeuplikethis posts, chew our lunches to Facetuned food coma bellies for #foodcoma or #skinnyfat posts, and conclude our pretty standard, unworthy-of-a-post days with popular #makeup selfies of double-filtered, double plumped, fully made-up people, in bed, hash tagged #longday and #tired. This cycle is BEAUTY HELL! Read more.

Hungry for more? Visit our friends at Charlotte’s Book.

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What You Need To Know About Cupping Therapy

what you need to know about cupping

When Michael Phelps prepared to dive into the pool this past summer at the Olympics, millions of spectators were stunned by the rows of large purplish circles that adorned his back. In an instant the ancient modality of cupping resurfaced on a global stage. The record breaking olympic gold medalist practices cupping therapy to heal and support his muscles, joints and immune system which are pushed to the limits all year long by his intense training and then days of competition during the games.

Save Michael Phelps, I knew nothing about cupping and wanted to learn more. I sought a master practitioner in New York City and was introduced to Anton Lee, a third generation licensed acupuncturist with extensive cupping training. Acupuncture is an integral part of cupping. Anton educated me on the basics.

What Is Cupping?

Born of a culture that considered surgery, the act of cutting the body, an affront to their ancestors, (I found this particularly interesting as Judaism forbids the practice of tattoo and most piercings precisely for this reason) until the introduction of antibiotics, cupping was the principal modality of healing not only muscular pain in the body but ailment of major internal organs as well. In fact, prior to the introduction of antibiotics boils were the leading cause of death. Cupping was partly developed as a method for removing the toxic fluids that were contained within the boil. With the introduction of antibiotics cupping began to fall by the wayside where it would become classified, at least in western medicine, as an alternative therapy.

Dispelling Myths

You will read almost everywhere that the practice originated in China. Not true! Anton insisted. It has been practiced all over the world for a few thousands years throughout Asia, Europe, the Americas and the Middle East. Cups were made out of whatever natural resources were available in the region. In the middle east, cups were made of goat horns, while in China they were fashioned from Bamboo. The modern day versions are made of glass and silicone.

What Does This Have To Do With An Olympic Athlete?

Every time we move energy is created which makes blood and fluids circulate through the body. This in and of itself is a good thing. But like anything, too much of a good thing can turn bad. When muscles and tissue are over exerted, it creates a trauma. When there is a trauma to the body, typically blood and fluid flow to the affected area in an effort to repair it. If The body is functioning healthfully, it is extremely efficient and directs energy, blood and fluid to where it is needed to support and heal the area. When this excess fluid is not completely absorbed by the body it can get deposited onto the muscle. This fluid bonds like glue to the muscle and creates a blockage. This can be in the form of a knot that you might get in your neck, or back. This causes pain and is toxic to the body. Just as the person loses his or her typical range of movement, this blockage is stuck. If you’re not an olympic athlete, you may be be susceptible to extreme weather, which can also cause trauma to the body. When it’s cold we condense our bodies physically and this energy creates stagnation. This stagnation is perceived by us as pain.

How Can We Break Up The Blockage?

cupping therapy

By hand. A needle is inserted at the point of pain (Acupuncture is an integral part of cupping) to create the movement of energy, fluid and blood, within the tissue – to break up the proverbial “glue”, then a cup is put over and suction is applied to draw it out into the skin. The skin is not only the largest organ of the body, but the largest filtration organ of the body. Just like the liver filters blood, the lungs filter air and the stomach filters food, similarly the skin filters excess fluid. Skin contains millions of micro vessels – this is why, when we get cut, we heal so quickly. Using the skin’s filtration system the body disposes of what it does not need and recycles what it can use.

The Basics

The more toxic your body is the darker the cup marks will be. In general men tend to present with darker marks as women’s bodies are cleaner due to the menstrual cycle which circulates and cleans out blood and tissue from the body regularly.

My Mini Consultation

Anton is the real deal. Towards the end of our almost two hour meeting, Anton turned to me and asked if he could take my pulse. He told me that I am a worrier. Worry and stress cause the digestive system to slow down. The stomach is considered the mother organ as it filters food that is then distributed to the other organs of the body in order to nourish them. The odd thing is that I have colitis. It turns out that cupping can be used as part of a regimen to heal colitis and other digestive ailments. He also told me to keep an eye on my posture as bad posture wreaks havoc on the body – yes, causing trauma. The odd thing is, as soon as I walked into Anton’s office, I became acutely aware of my posture. It almost felt as if he was communicating telepathically to me nudging me to sit up straight.

Just Scratching The Surface

Cupping is a practice that is tailored specifically for each individual depending on his or her needs and there are many more tools involved in the modality that I did not delve into here. Above I have merely scratched the cupping surface. To schedule a consultation or appointment with Anton, please call Yasmine Djerradine Institut de Beauté at 212-588-1771.

By: Alyssa Barrie Weiss, Twitter: @AlyssaBarrie

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