ZEANNA SKIN CARE

Welcome to the ZEANNA Beaute Line Blog. Here we love fashion, beauty and glamour. This blog has been created to bring you the latest news and information about ZEANNA cosmetics , skin care and perfume products from our best products.

The blog also features reviews of our special guest blogger and makeup guru the very wonderful Ms Ziana. Feel free to add your own comments to the reviews and to participate our internet comunity.  The line uses the traditional HERBS method of combining elements to produce harmony and balance and give consumers both beauty and wellness. The Age Defying Day Creme and Age Defying Night Creme  is meant to soften skin while infusing a floral aroma (a combination of grape seed, vitamin c and E). The brand’s moisturizing cream has the same floral scent but with has a more creamy texture, while the Clarifying Cleansing Gel keeps up the floral fragrance tradition while cleansing the skin. Complete Set inclusive: 1) Clarifying Cleansing Gel 2) Hydrating Toner Treatment Essence 3) Age Defying Day Creme 4) Age Defying Night Creme

Makeup Application Techniques:  How to Apply Concealer

Even though makeup experts hail concealer as being one of the most essential beauty cosmetics for all women, few women actually use it. It’s such an important cosmetic, some experts even skip foundation altogether and simply use concealer to even out skin tone, hide blemishes or acne or cover up other common face flaws like under eye circles and scars.
When questioned about why they forgo this beauty product, most women claim they skip it because they aren’t sure how to apply it properly. However, it’s just too great of a product to pass up completely. Instead of tossing it aside because you aren’t sure of the correct application process, use these tips to help you master the technique of applying concealer!

Find The Right Shade Of Concealer

The first step to using concealer properly is to find the right shade for your skin tone. If you can find the best shade and learn how to blend it properly, you’ll get a flawless look. When looking at concealers, it’s best to find a brand you can test out before you buy it. Test the color on your neck, below your ear. The color should be a little lighter than your foundation. If you visit mall makeup counters, you can always have the makeup experts at the counter help you with the color selection process. Most of the time if you’re unsatisfied with the color they will replace it for no charge.
Don’t forget that if your skin tone chances in the summer (due to sun exposure or tanning) be sure to change your concealer’s color during these months.
Not only should you focus on the color of concealer, but choosing a quality brand is important. Some beauty products you can afford to scrimp on but concealer is one you might want to splurge a bit on. Look for dermatologist tested formulas without any fragrance in them. If you are looking for a good quality product that won’t break the bank you can always try Maybelline or Revlon formulas.

Applying Concealer

Remember, concealer works best when you use sheer layers and build them up gradually to get the look you need. Start by dotting the concealer under your eye areas, on a blemish, on a tattoo or wherever coverage is needed. Use the pad of your ring finger to tap it into the skin. Never rub the concealer into the skin because it won’t give you the best results.
In addition, when working around your eye areas be sure to always use soft, tapping motions with your ring finger because the skin around the eyes is so delicate if you apply more pressure you might damage it. The ring finger is often the weakest finger, which is why you should use it for soft motions. If you don’t get the results you want after this first application, repeat the process building another layer of concealer over the first one you’ve already applied.
When you have the look you desire, simply dust a fine loose powder over your face to set the makeup. Use a round fluffy brush to apply the loose powder, for best results. You really won’t need any other makeup tools, other than the brush.
Once you know how to properly apply concealer, you will gain the information to create a flawless look every day. You will no longer need to worry about dark under eye circles, acne, scars or other blemishes on your face.

Understanding Melasma: Causes, Prevention & Treatment

For many pregnant women there are more changes than simply gaining weight and hormone imbalances involved in carrying a baby for nine months. Many women will experience darkening of the facial hair, which is simply treated by bleaching cream such as Jolen cream. However, other women also experience a change in the pigmentation of the skin or increased production of melanin causing skin discoloration.
This is known as Melasma, Chloasma or “the mask of pregnancy” and is defined as the tanning or darkening of facial skin. Melasma does not only occur in pregnant women but can also appear in those taking an oral or patch contraceptive. In addition, women taking HRT (hormone replacement therapy) medication can also have an increased risk of melasma.

Dark Spots and Discoloration
Symptoms include dark irregular patches on the:

• cheeks
• nose
• lips
• forehead

The appearance of melasma is gradual over time, with no other symptoms.  The cause of this condition is due to the stimulation of melanocytes or pigment producing cells affected by estrogen and progesterone. These are naturally occurring female hormones which can affect the melanin pigments when skin is exposed to the sun. The increase of MSH or melanocyte stimulate hormone is the main culprit.
As stated before pregnant women are not the only people affected by Melasma. It is common in those with light brown skin and living in areas of intense sun exposure. There are also genetic dispositions and an increase of cases in patients with thyroid disease. In rare occasions Melasma is experienced due to allergic reactions from medication and or cosmetics. This condition is diagnosed by a dermatologist with the use of a woods lamp which detects excess melanin in the epidermis.

Treatment of Melasma

There are methods of treatment which can correct this discoloration. Often after pregnancy, the spots will often disappear spontaneously or after stopping the use of oral contraceptives and HRT medications. Other treatments for melasma can include the use of a topical depigmenting agent. Such medications can include hydroquinone (HQ), which inhibits an enzyme which produces melanin. This can be found in products like Tri Luma skin cream.
Facial acids (such as tretinoin) can increase skin cell turnover but cannot be used during pregnancy. Other acids, such as azelaic acid or facial peels using alpha hydroxy acids, have shown effectiveness. The use of laser treatment may or may not be effective, depending on the diagnosis. If the melasma is dermal, lasers will darken or worsen the discoloration. Dermal melasma can only be lightened with mandelic acid.
Other skin conditions such as hypermelanosis or hyperpigmentation are also caused by sun exposure and create skin discoloration. These can be diagnosed by a dermatologist and treated similarly. With skin conditions the best tip or remedy to problem is prevention. Caring for your skin should include minimizing sun exposure and using a high quality SPF. There are also cosmetics you can easily use which contain SPF for daily skin care health and beauty. If you have skin discoloration, plan a visit to your dermatologist and have a clear diagnosis made. Melasma is nothing to fear and is not much more than an inconvenience!

Eye Makeup.

You can tell the decade in which a movie was made by the eye-makeup of the stars. In the forties fashions, it was either glamorous or understated, depending on the scene (evening and dressy or daytime and subtle) and the character (bad women wore lots of eye shadow, day and night). Eyebrows were mostly plucked out and painted or drawn on slightly higher, although some stars, like Betty Becall, got away with slender, perfectly-shaped natural brows.
If you look at I Love Lucy episodes, you can see that Lucy wore lots of makeup. Eye shadow was light if she used it at all (in her 1960's The Lucy Show, she wore lots of bright blue shadow), but Max Factor laid on the mascara, and her brows were made up with pencil or paint, usually in a curved fashion that accessorized her goofy persona.

Applying Eye Make-up and Shadow:
Taking the Guesswork Out of Choosing the Right Eye Shadow Shade

The world of eye shadows available today can be quite overwhelming. From shimmers to matte and brights to neutrals. Eye shadows are available in just about every color under the sun. If you are like most women, you are probably wondering what colors will best accentuate your eye color and which eye shadows to stay away from. Remember that eye shadow should always coordinate with your eye color not your outfit color - this is not a fashion trend, but a beauty basic every woman should know.
Take the guess work (and stress) out of choosing the right eye shadow colors by purchasing an eye shadow set that is meant for your specific eye color. See the perfect eye shadow collection for blue eyes, brown eyes and green eyes.
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Other 50's era female TV stars included Barbara Billingsley, who played Beaver's mother June Cleaver. June's makeup was subtle: what you notice is the seeming clarity of her skin and eyes. Again, no shadow was in evidence: as a married housewife, June didn't have the lifestyle for shaded lids.
Makeup in the 60's, like fashion and lots of other things, went wild. If you've seen Love, American Style, or Laugh-In, you've also seen mile-high beehives, minuscule skirts, and piles of bright shadows (often in blue and green), thick mascara and false, furry eyelashes (often worn by the same woman at the same time), and eyebrows that ranged from dense and black to virtually non-existent. The 60's were about the time when mascara started becoming higher in quality. Women wanted gigantic eyes, and makeup that wouldn't run. They were sick of gluing on false lashes which could fall off into the soup when you least expected it. Mascara responded by becoming more user-friendly.
After the 60's, 70's styles seemed downright tame, but looking back from 2004, the 70's still look pretty freakish. Skirts were still tiny, and short-shorts and bikinis made the summertime scene. Polyester made leisure suits a weird part of the masculine wardrobe, and men who weren't even pimps wore gold chains and pinky rings. In makeup, glitter became part of daytime looks, shimmering in slippery lip gloss, sparkling in eye shadows and glimmering up foundations. James Bond movies spanned the 60's and 70's, giving us a timeless look at bizarre fashions and makeup that could be put on with a trowel.
The eighties styles were silk blouses and big shoulder pads, and eye makeup became an important part of the career woman's wardrobe. Maybe because women were trying harder than ever before to smash through the recently-identified glass ceiling, makeup was assertive, almost mask-like. Big jewelry, thick hoop earrings and gold projected the dress-for-success look in the Me-decade. Lined and lipsticked mouths and shadowed, mascaraed eyes competed for attention in faces gessoed smooth with thick foundations. Eyebrows tended to be more real and well-groomed rather than yanked out and drawn on, in keeping with the overall bolder, more "masculine"(natural) look.
Since the nineties, a wide range of looks have become acceptable, perhaps because with the aging of the general population, more women have found the style they'll be staying with for the rest of their lives. Let's face it, at some point, we all choose a look and pretty much stick with it, and women who were in their thirties and forties in the 80's predominate in the population, while younger women experiment with lighter makeup, more casual hairstyles and the smaller trends that wash across the seasons in little waves.
If you look at modern-day stars like Isabella Rossilini, Kate Hudson, Julia Roberts and Julianne Moore, you'll notice that, while makeup enhances their natural looks, it never takes center stage. Lipsticks are a slightly stronger expression of natural lip colors, foundations are muted, and eye makeup draw attention not to itself, but to the eyes. It's not that these women don't wear makeup--they do--it's that the makeup is applied with perfect restraint (and then thoroughly airbrushed, but that’s another story).
If you want to be current with your own eye makeup, spend a lot of time figuring out which colors play up the color and shape of your eyes. Don't fall for trendy colors: you'll just have to buy new ones in a couple of months, and they won't look that great on you anyway. Check out neutral tones in beige, brown and grey, with slightly darker colors for evening. Experiment with mascara, but keep in mind that, contrary to what the ads say, longer and thicker lashes are not necessarily always better-looking. Cows have long, thick lashes too. You want enough lashes to outline your eyes, but not so much that no-one can look away from them.
Eyebrows should be as natural as possible while observing a certain restraint in terms of thickness. If your brows are very pale, you might try a brow pencil, but go gently with it, and get opinions from real and honest friends before taking your new look outside.
As trends have taken us from one extreme to another, finding your own look keeps you from making fashion mistakes that will haunt you in photographs for years to come. With the medical and cosmetics industries coming up with more and more sophisticated formulas, it's a good idea to check out new products that contain sunscreens, hypoallergenic properties and herbal or cosmeceutical ingredients shown to decrease lines, prevent skin cancer or soothe sensitive skin. Obviously, you aren't going to buy into every fashion fairy tale: decades ago, women were using hormones extracted from animals as anti-aging moisturizers. But when you do find something that works for you, you can dance for joy and bless the fashion goddesses for bringing you clearer skin, fewer wrinkles or non-greasy protection from UV rays. With recent advances in skin care, just imagine what the next decade will bring!

Under Eye Wrinkles: Natural Home Remedies to Reduce and Treat the Fine Lines Under Your Eyes

The skin under and around the eyes is the most sensitive skin on your body. It is thinner in this area and can become problematic for many people early on. There are some basic things that you should do every day and night to take care of this more sensitive skin.

Preventing Under Eye Wrinkles

You should always wash off eye make up using a gentle cleanser. Many over the counter products that are created to remove make up around the eyes are best because they are made to be gentle enough to not cause damage to the skin. One very good cleanser that is natural and gentle enough for even sensitive skin is witch hazel. This product cleans well all while still being gentle enough for that very sensitive around the eye area.

Fine Line Treatments

A good way to prevent this from happening is to use an eye gel or moisturizing cream in the morning when you first get up and again at night before you go to bed. As we age the skin becomes less elastic and can lose the soft supple look it had before. Staying well hydrated also helps the skin to continue to have that supple look. Ensuring that your moisturizers contain SPF will also help to ensure that the delicate skin around your eyes is protected from getting wrinkles that can be caused by sun damage to the skin.

Reducing Puffiness

Lymph nodes located under the eyes where toxins build up in the lymph system your eyes to be puffy and swollen. A good way to reduce that swelling is to apply a cool mask around the eyes. You can also gently press on the area using the third finger on each hand to massage this area to release the toxins built up in the lymph system. Many people also like to store a jar of eye cream in the refrigerator so that they can apply it cold to the skin to reduce the swelling and sooth the enflamed feeling.

Preventing Crows Feet

Crows feet or laugh lines around the eyes are very typically the first to appear because of how delicate and thin the skin around the eyes is. The best way to combat these types of lines and wrinkles is to use a product that contains glycolic acid, also known as alpha hydroxy acid or AHA. One product line that boasts to be gentle enough to be used around the eye as a wrinkle remover is Olay. Utilizing cosmetics that contain AHA will help you to diminish your fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes. There are many over the counter cosmetics that help get rid of your fine lines and wrinkles.

Natural Remedies

There are also many natural remedies that can be used to moisturize & soothe the delicate skin around your eyes. To reduce swelling and make your eyes more relaxed you can use slices of cucumbers on your eyes. To moisturize the delicate area you can apply a little olive oil around your eyes each day to give this area more moisture then the rest of the skin.

How to Minimize Wrinkles through Natural Home Treatments and Over the Counter Prevention Remedies

Everyone wants to grow old gracefully with the look of youth and as few wrinkles as possible.

Preventing wrinkles

Preventing wrinkles is the best way to not have wrinkles. Your first and best defense against wrinkles is to stay well hydrated; this keeps the skin plump and smooth. It is recommended that you drink between six and eight glasses of water a day. While that sounds like a lot of water in all actuality it really is not that much water .
A well balanced diet is also helpful to preventing wrinkles. If your body is getting the proper nutriment you will have healthy skin to go along with that. Foods rich in anti-oxidants and high in vitamins A, C and E are good for the skins appearance. Taking a good multi-vitamin can also be a way to help the skin.
Exercise is important to healthy skin as is moisturizing. When you exercise your body gets rid of toxins that can build up causing you to age faster. Using a good moisturizer will help the skin retain its elasticity making you appear younger.
Avoid the sun, smoking and limit your alcohol. These all have the power to rob your skin of its elasticity and youthfulness. It is recommended that you always wear an SPF of 15 or higher if you are going to be outside. You can also choose to wear protective clothing to avoid the sun and prevent wrinkles.

Age Spot Home Remedies

One of the most natural and easy to use home remedy is just recently being discovered by many people. Virgin Coconut Oil is one of the best skin care treatments because it has many antioxidant properties as well as the ability to be absorbed into the skin and cell structure helping to rejuvenate the skin. Virgin coconut oil that has not been refined does not break down the same as refined vegetable oils. You can even substitute virgin coconut oil in foods and further your health and skins appearance.
Extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, peanut oil, or sesame oil is also very good for skin to help reduce wrinkles as well as prevent them from forming. These oils contain properties that are healthy for skin including antioxidants that help the skin retain its elasticity.
There are many home remedies for treating problem areas one home remedy for under eye treatment is to apply odorless castor oil with a cotton swab to the area. You can also use egg whites to firm and tighten skin. Or use apple cider vinegar with distilled water to balance the ph level of your skin.

Over the counter skin treatments

There are many over the counter skin care products that you can purchase to treat wrinkles at home. Dermatologists recommended products will contain vitamins C & E as well as have anti-oxidants in them. Products that also contain AHA help to remove the dead layers of skin to produce a younger appearance in the skin.
Many night creams contain retinol as well as aha. Retinol is a form of vitamin A and can be used to reduce acne as well as anti-aging by speeding up the turn over rate of your skin. This also helps to give the skin a younger appearance by reducing fine lines and wrinkles on the face. Retinol is recommended for under eye treatment as well as the fine lines and wrinkles around the mouth and corners of the eyes.
No matter how you choose to reduce your winkles and fine lines it is clear that you have many options that do not have to cost a fortune and it is clear that prevention is the best option for reducing those fine lines and wrinkles that age us all.

Caring For and Treating Your Sensitive Skin with the Right Beauty Products

For those with sensitive skin, it can prove to be difficult to find skin care products which do not irritate the skin. Sensitive skin tends to be thin and delicate. It has fine pores and may flush easily. Capillaries in the skin are susceptible to being broken and the skin is frequently plagued by allergens and can break out with a rash easily. The skin often burns easier in the sun, tends to feel tight when certain cosmetics are applied and can easily become itchy, or sting.

Treating Sensitive Skin Effectively

It may surprise you to know the number of people with sensitive skin is increasing in number. This is a result of pollutants, stress and UV exposure (due to lack of using sunscreen). Those with sensitive skin can care for their skin with the use of products designed to be gentle and caring. There are keywords to look for when choosing sensitive skin care products. Look for words including hypoallergenic, fragrance free and non-cosmogenic on the labels of any products you want to try. 

• Hypoallergenic means the product was created and tested to have little or no allergic reaction with the skin.
• Fragrance free means no additional ingredients have been added to create or cover up fragrance. Studies show fragrance is the leading cause of skin allergy, allergic reactions, dermatitis, eczema and peeling from makeup.
• Non-cosmogenic means the product does not clog the pores of the skin. 

Hypoallergenic Products for Sensitive Skin

In addition to staying away from harmful ingredients, it’s important to add the right components of healthy skin care into a daily beauty regimen. Begin with a gentle and non-drying cleanser, such as those made by Cetaphil or Neutrogen brands. Cleansing facial soap will wash away and remove dirt, oil and chemicals from the environment and help you with treating and preventing blemish outbreaks and acne.
The second product needed is an exfoliant. When you exfoliate your skin, you will remove the dead skin cells and leave the skin glowing. It is recommended to use an exfoliant with salicylic acid, which is easier on the skin than those products with an alpha hydroxyl. Beware of those with a toner included, as they may be too harsh for sensitive skin areas.
Next, be sure to use a great moisturizer lotion or cream. Every skin type (from oily to dry) needs a moisturizer. You should have a daytime moisturizer with an SPF and a richer nighttime moisturizer, which better hydrates the skin in the evening.

Always Use Sunscreen!

Lastly, all beauty regimes should include a sunscreen that protects against UVA and UVB rays. UVB rays cause the skin to burn and cause skin cancer. UVA rays cause premature aging or wrinkling of the skin. You need to look for three key ingredients in your sunscreen which will ensure healthy protection. These include titanium dioxide, zinc oxide and avobenzone. These three ingredients absorb UVA and UVB rays protecting the sun from burning or other types of skin damage.
When you take care of your sensitive skin and use the tips above, you will have healthy and smooth skin that feels as good as it looks!