Hello beauty lovers! Today I thought I'd share something with you that is a bit of an internet mystery. Question: Where in the world do you buy Ben Nye makeup from?!
Well, hopefully I'm not the only one who has experienced this amount of perplexity over this brand. Tracking down where you can purchase Ben Nye products had been something extremely confusing and frustrating for me because the internet offers little to no help in finding out(It feels like you just have to know where to get it and if you don't...tough cookies), and you don't want to end up purchasing fake knock-offs on some illegitimate website. So where can you buy it without being scammed? I'll be explaining fully with links included but, first off I want to explain why it is so hard to buy.
When you go to the Ben Nye website all you see are a few models posing and pictures of catalog covers(which they don't explain how to order). At the top of the page there are tabs that talk about new products and events but....there is no search bar, shopping cart, or checkout. So, you cannot order off of their website online. I saw a phone number but thought it would be ridiculous to have to order over the phone(What is this? The home shopping network?). Then, I thought to myself that maybe their website just has virtual catalogs to show you their products and you buy them elsewhere. So I went off in search of a website licensed to sell Ben Nye cosmetics.
This is when I stumbled upon a trustworthy site called Camera Ready Cosmetics(CRC). They offer pro artist discounts, have reasonable shipping rates(ship internationally), and sell many other professional grade brands(Kryolan, Mehron, Cinema Secrets, and Graftobian{just to name a few}). However they didn't carry the entire Ben Nye line and I found that their online pictures weren't very true to color.
So, finally, at my wits end(and after calling several costume stores to see if they carried it)I decided to call the number from the official Ben Nye website(310-839-1984)to ask someone if there is anywhere close to where I live that sells it. An electronic voice answered and gave me the option of ordering products or ordering a catalog(Why didn't I call to begin with?!). I pressed the number corresponding to the catalog and after a few more name, address, state, and town questions the voice let me know that my catalog would arrive in 5-7 days. I really hope that I'm not the only one out there that was utterly baffled at how to get a hold of this brand. I just thought, "This is the 21st century there's no way I'd have to order over the phone to buy directly from the brand. They must have a website where you can buy from them." Well, unfortunately I was wrong. They take more of an old-fashioned approach. But, you can still order online from CRC.
Maybe there is nothing wrong with their method and I have just been spoiled by easily ordering online from other brands. In any case, it was a nightmare to find out how to purchase anything from them. But, soon I will have a catalog with color accurate pictures and product prices and descriptions. I hope this little post of my ordeal helps some of you guys out if you're confused like I was. Forgive me if I griped a bit. I made sure to link you to all sites mentioned and the phone number is the one from the official Ben Nye website. Have a lovely day and happy shopping!
*This post is not sponsored*
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
What are milia? Causes. Treatment. Prevention.
Hey, everybody. It's been a few days since I last talked to you guys! I hope you've all been well. It's been raining like crazy here in Georgia state(it's broken previous rainfall records!)so the lighting for any pictures hasn't exactly been ideal. More step by step tutorials to come, though. Maybe a gradient lip even. So, on with today's topic!
Milia. Ever even heard of 'em? Do you have them? What are they exactly? What can cause them? And, What are the treatment/prevention options? I have recently been doing excessive amounts of research on this as I have suddenly developed several of them out of the blue. Now, before I say 'milia' again let me start off by telling you what they are.
Definition
Milia are tiny bumps that form beneath the top layer of skin. They are not inflammed or infected, and they are not a form of acne. In fact, acne treatments such as benzoyl peroxide can cause more to form. Milia are different from acne because they, unlike black/whiteheads, do not form inside of a pore. They form in a pocket of skin with no(or an imperceptibly small)opening and are full of keratin(aka dead skin cells). But, to understand what I mean by 'pocket of skin' you have to know how they are caused.
Causes
These small, cyst-like bumps are usually formed from trauma to the skin as the skin tries to heal itself. Common causes can include(but are not limited to)overexposure to the sun, skin conditions such as dermatitis/eczema/psoriasis, or too harsh of an exfoliator. As a result of the trauma caused to the skin it attempts to heal itself and ends up healing over the keratin which then becomes trapped behind a layer of new skin. This causes a pearl-like nodule of keratin to harden as the walls toughen around it.
Treatment
So, what can you do to get rid of these unsightly little bumps? The simple answer is go to a dermatologist and have them extracted. It is a quick and painless treatment that costs less than $100 and the results are usually permanent. The use an electrocautery pen to expunge the contents of each individual milium. If you are worried about breaking the bank then using a prescription cream such as tretinoin for 6-12 months usually does the trick. Or you can lance the head of the bump at home with a sterile needle and gently squeeze out the contents with a clean comedone extractor. This is not usually recommended as scarring may occur if you don't make a very superficial incision through which to extract the keratin. For me I have been extracting them at home very gently with the above mentioned tools. Please no caffeine or sugar if you are doing this. A steady hand is required. For some people getting rid of these is as easy as taking a high dose of biotin everyday. For others....not so much. However, I do recommend taking this supplement if you are going to be lancing your skin as it will help the healing process along.
Prevention
What caused mine to form was the St. Ives Apricot Scrub. It was simply too harsh for my skin and did more harm than good. I have since thrown it out. I try out a lot of new products while trying to manage my seborrheic dermatitis(Which I think I can now. Blog post?)so it took me some time to pinpoint the cause. Try taking biotin and primrose supplements once a day to keep your skin healthy. Always wear sunscreen when you will be exposed to the sun if you are milia prone. But, try to find an oil free sunscreen as heavy products(mineral oil, dimethicone, petrolatum)have been linked as a contributing factor. They make it hard for dead skin to slough off on its own. Make sure to exfoliate gently and regularly. I recommend a chemical exfoliator or baking soda. No longer than 30 second of scrubbing and please no washcloths, guys. Try using alpha hydroxy night creams with glycolic acid, hyaluronic acid, and citric acid. These both help to heal and hydrate the skin while gently exfoliating dead skin away. I love glycoderma's complete care cream.
I hope this info and these tips help you guys out. I know there isn't a lot of help on this topic to be found online and if this blog reaches even one person who is dealing with milia I'd be so glad! This past month has been really hard for me. These bumps really take a toll on your self-esteem and confidence levels. But, now I feel like I can finally manage! Have a lovely day and if you have any questions I would be happy to help!
Milia. Ever even heard of 'em? Do you have them? What are they exactly? What can cause them? And, What are the treatment/prevention options? I have recently been doing excessive amounts of research on this as I have suddenly developed several of them out of the blue. Now, before I say 'milia' again let me start off by telling you what they are.
Definition
Milia are tiny bumps that form beneath the top layer of skin. They are not inflammed or infected, and they are not a form of acne. In fact, acne treatments such as benzoyl peroxide can cause more to form. Milia are different from acne because they, unlike black/whiteheads, do not form inside of a pore. They form in a pocket of skin with no(or an imperceptibly small)opening and are full of keratin(aka dead skin cells). But, to understand what I mean by 'pocket of skin' you have to know how they are caused.
Causes
These small, cyst-like bumps are usually formed from trauma to the skin as the skin tries to heal itself. Common causes can include(but are not limited to)overexposure to the sun, skin conditions such as dermatitis/eczema/psoriasis, or too harsh of an exfoliator. As a result of the trauma caused to the skin it attempts to heal itself and ends up healing over the keratin which then becomes trapped behind a layer of new skin. This causes a pearl-like nodule of keratin to harden as the walls toughen around it.
Treatment
So, what can you do to get rid of these unsightly little bumps? The simple answer is go to a dermatologist and have them extracted. It is a quick and painless treatment that costs less than $100 and the results are usually permanent. The use an electrocautery pen to expunge the contents of each individual milium. If you are worried about breaking the bank then using a prescription cream such as tretinoin for 6-12 months usually does the trick. Or you can lance the head of the bump at home with a sterile needle and gently squeeze out the contents with a clean comedone extractor. This is not usually recommended as scarring may occur if you don't make a very superficial incision through which to extract the keratin. For me I have been extracting them at home very gently with the above mentioned tools. Please no caffeine or sugar if you are doing this. A steady hand is required. For some people getting rid of these is as easy as taking a high dose of biotin everyday. For others....not so much. However, I do recommend taking this supplement if you are going to be lancing your skin as it will help the healing process along.
Prevention
What caused mine to form was the St. Ives Apricot Scrub. It was simply too harsh for my skin and did more harm than good. I have since thrown it out. I try out a lot of new products while trying to manage my seborrheic dermatitis(Which I think I can now. Blog post?)so it took me some time to pinpoint the cause. Try taking biotin and primrose supplements once a day to keep your skin healthy. Always wear sunscreen when you will be exposed to the sun if you are milia prone. But, try to find an oil free sunscreen as heavy products(mineral oil, dimethicone, petrolatum)have been linked as a contributing factor. They make it hard for dead skin to slough off on its own. Make sure to exfoliate gently and regularly. I recommend a chemical exfoliator or baking soda. No longer than 30 second of scrubbing and please no washcloths, guys. Try using alpha hydroxy night creams with glycolic acid, hyaluronic acid, and citric acid. These both help to heal and hydrate the skin while gently exfoliating dead skin away. I love glycoderma's complete care cream.
I hope this info and these tips help you guys out. I know there isn't a lot of help on this topic to be found online and if this blog reaches even one person who is dealing with milia I'd be so glad! This past month has been really hard for me. These bumps really take a toll on your self-esteem and confidence levels. But, now I feel like I can finally manage! Have a lovely day and if you have any questions I would be happy to help!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
