A Special Hurricane Irene Giveaway Contest from AVEENO

Congratulations to Dlori and Holstrom4!

We’re nearing the end of summer, and we need to concentrate on beauty, not Hurricane Irene! While everyone's sad to see this fun-filled season drawing to an end this way, AVEENO gathered some styling and hair tips from celebrity hairstylist Patrick Melville to get you through the next few months.



Patrick gave AVEENO his tips for transitioning your hair from summer to fall. By following these tips, you’re sure to be a stand-out beauty this coming season. Patrick says, “When going to the beach those final days of summer, apply any of the AVEENO NOURISH+ conditioners throughout your hair to protect it from UV rays. In addition, always bring a hat or scarf to cover your hair from the sun. Coming out of the pool or ocean, make sure to rinse hair well with fresh water, apply some NOURISH+ conditioner, and comb it evenly through your hair. This will remove the chlorine or salt from your hair and put moisture back in.”



“After the hot summer, you'll want to cut off those beach/pool frizzy ends. Shampoo and condition your hair with AVEENO NOURISH+ to restore hair vitality and elasticity. If you color your hair, it's time to go a little warmer with your color. Try using AVEENO LIVING COLOR to help restore shine to your hair - shine that was lifted out by the UV rays during the summer months.”



“Once we’ve finally beat the humidity, hair will be a little smoother, and you will be adding more shine to your blow dry. Coming out of summer, I always feel hair length should be brought up the neckline a bit. This also helps rejuvenate the hair after the summer months.”



AVEENO is offering two lucky Best Things in Beauty readers an opportunity to win a shampoo and conditioner from the NOURISH+ Revitalize or NOURISH+ Volumize lines. Interested? Here's the "fine print" for the contest.



There are a few simple steps to enter. First, all you really have to do is leave a comment on this feature and tell us whether you prefer a Revitalize or Volumize set. After you comment here, feel free to send me an e-mail at bestthingsinbeautycontests@gmail.com and identify your comment. You can never be too careful about sharing an e-mail address you care about on a blog, so feel free to follow this step (an alternative is to code your e-mail, e.g., myname at gmail dot com, in your comment).



You can earn extra entries. Follow this blog (through an e-mail subscription or though one of the many Google readers - see sidebar at right) to earn a second entry. You don't have to follow to enter. I want everyone to have a chance, but I also want to reward my followers.



You can earn a third entry by tweeting this contest. Just make sure to include "@BTiBeauty" (without the quotes) and the contest mentioning AVEENO in your tweet. I tweeted the contest, and you can simply retweet it to earn that second entry. Only one tweet will be counted as an entry. I appreciate multiple tweets, but it's not necessary.



The deadline for entries will be Tuesday, August 30, at midnight. The next day, I will use a random number generator (random.org) to select the winners. I will e-mail the winners on Tuesday. The winners will have 48 hours to reply to my message and provide a shipping address. After 48 hours, the prize will be forfeited, and another winner will be selected. Make sure to check your e-mail - and look in your spam folder - when the contest ends.



The contest is only open to U.S. residents, and the prize will be mailed to the winners by AVEENO or Recyclebank. Wasn't it nice of them to give us something to get our minds off Irene? Good luck!



Photo and contest courtesy of AVEENO

More about → A Special Hurricane Irene Giveaway Contest from AVEENO

Celebrity Hair Stylist Patrick Melville on Color Trends and Cutting Tips

AVEENO checked in with celebrity hair stylist Patrick Melville, who shared his thoughts and tips for hair cuts and color trends. There's a lot of information packed into his two-minute video. Give it a whirl.





As an AVEENO and Recyclebank Ambassador, I receive some great information. I like to share it with you. If you want to see a larger version, click on this link.



Photos courtesy of AVEENO

More about → Celebrity Hair Stylist Patrick Melville on Color Trends and Cutting Tips

AVEENO Hydrosport Sun Care

This is the time of year when beauty bloggers get all preachy about sun care. Playing in the sun, whether lounging at the beach, playing golf, or just working in the garden, will be a menace to your skin. I didn't write "can be," I wrote "will be," and I did that for a reason.

I am a member of the generation that came of age believing that nothing was prettier than a beautiful tan. Throughout my early school years, I swam competitively, and I was in the sun, either training or playing most of the time during the summer months. During those years, I tanned slowly over the summer.

Things changed during college - and immediately after - when we dedicated time to achieve a golden tan, the darker the better. I don't recall there being any such thing as self-tanners. Some gals achieved a sun tan effortlessly after a few hours in the sun. Others, like me, worked hard to achieve a golden look, spending hours lying on beach towels anywhere we could (even on the roof of the dorm). We didn't believe in sunscreens; we used baby oil, reputed to help us tan. We slow-baked, something like food coated in oil and placed in the oven for hours to develop a crisp skin.

I still remember the blisters from sun poisoning (radical sunburn) and painful recoveries - all self-imposed in a quest to look as good as my dark-skinned friends. It was accepted; it was what we did. No one told us that the damage from those sessions would lay dormant until later - that one day we would awaken to notice spots on our chests and arms, but worse on our faces - spots ranging from dark freckles to large patchy areas of hyperpigmentation. That word came later, as the medical profession began to warn of the dangers of the sun's rays and our parents' generation began to develop melanoma and forms of skin cancer.

Today, no one can claim to be unaware of the sun's dangers. The only questions that remain are how much protection is enough, and how to adequately protect against both UVB and UVA rays.

AVEENO has some new sun-care products I like. They offer a wide range of products with photo-stable technology and broad-spectrum protection. They are convenient to use - my favorite feature. One line, Hydrosport Sunblock with Natural Lotus Complex, is available three formulas.

• Hydrosport Sunblock Spray with SPF 50
• Hydrosport Sunblock Spray with SPF 85
• Hydrosport Sunblock Lotion with SPF 85

The sprays are my reach-for sunscreens. I keep one near the front door. They are convenient and can be applied even when you are wet or drippy. They leave my hands dry, so I don't have to keep a towel at hand.

Hydrosport harnesses the unique water-repelling ability of the Natural Lotus Complex, a special blend with naturally-derived ingredients (you've seen it in hair products to protect against humidity). This exclusive formula provides long-lasting UVA and UVB protection and withstands water and sweat, two elements that will wipe out your sun protection in a jiffy. Lightweight and non-greasy, these revolutionary sunblocks form a thin, breathable shield that will cling to the skin, even when it gets moist.

You need to remember that AVEENO recommends reapplying your sunscreen whenever you go in the water, just as the U.S. federal government recently warned. It's nice to know that you'll have some protection when the sweat starts to pour off your skin - when it's so hot and humid it's unbearable (maybe on the golf course if not in the garden?) - but it's better to reapply than assume your protective barrier is still in place after swimming or a couple of hours in the sun. A spray makes it easy to reapply without getting all gooey. Most dermatologists recommend application of a broad spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher every two hours while outside.

The new government rules about sunscreen claims go into effect next year. You'll see changes in labeling (you may see SPF 50+ for protection factors higher than 50, and you are likely to see the "++++" system phased out for UVA protection). Companies will be required to prove that their products offer UVA protection. As the industry starts to give us more information, you can bet AVEENO will be at the forefront of the leaders providing sun care in the mass market. They work hard to ensure that their products combine nature and science to protect your skin - gently and effectively. As an AVEENO Ambassador, I've had opportunities to talk with their scientists, and I'm impressed by their dedication to make AVEENO products best in class. We are actually expecting some new information on the sun care from AVEENO soon. When I get it, I will share it with you.

For now, I'm sticking with my AVEENO sprays when I pop outside to pull weeds. I don't need any more of those ugly spots on my skin!

Photos and product courtesy of AVEENO

More about → AVEENO Hydrosport Sun Care

AVEENO and Best Things in Beauty Giveaway Contest

Congratulations to Kathy T! She won these wonderful AVEENO sets!

To celebrate Mother's Day, AVEENO and its partner, Recyclebank, are sponsoring an incredible giveaway contest. As I mentioned in a Friday Forum, I joined the AVEENO Ambassadors program for bloggers who care about beauty and the environment. You reap the benefits.

Whether you're a new mom, a seasoned mom, or excited to shower your lovely mom this holiday with appreciation (possibly a bit late since our contest ends Saturday), we know you are ready to celebrate this Mother's Day. AVEENO wants to help with a Mother's Day giveaway!

AVEENO believes that the ingredients found in nature, and proven by science, have the power to help every woman discover the full potential of her own natural beauty. The contest prize is a 2011 Mother's Day Kit starring the AVEENO Positively Ageless Complete Starter Regimen and the AVEENO Baby Eczema Therapy line, perfect for mother and baby!

Each product in the POSITIVELY AGELESS Complete Starter Regimen is specially formulated with the ACTIVE NATURALS Natural Shiitake Complex. A natural antioxidant, Natural Shiitake Complex works with the skin's own natural renewal process and has been shown in scientific studies to provide a broad range of benefits to the skin.

With its unique blend of shiitake and mannentake mushrooms, Natural Shiitake Complex has been shown to provide antioxidant activity to help defend against free radicals that can damage the skin. In a clinical study, when women used the kit as directed, 100% of them showed improvement in their skin in as little as one week.

Eczema is among the top five skin conditions for babies 0 to 36 months of age, with 10% to 20% of all infants experiencing some kind of eczema. I developed it as an adult - and started using baby eczema products! The AVEENO BABY Brand, one of the most preferred brands of infant skin care by pediatricians, has harnessed the naturally soothing power of ACTIVE NATURALS oatmeal to help care for baby's skin with eczema.

Aveeno Baby Care was developed in partnership with leading dermatologists. AVEENO's BABY Eczema Therapy Moisturizing Cream and BABY Cleansing Therapy Moisturizing Wash have been shown to improve the quality of life for babies with eczema and have been awarded the National Eczema Association Seal of Acceptance. In a clinical study, over 90% of babies showed improvement in multiple symptoms of eczema (roughness, dryness, itchiness, or scaling) when used daily.

How would you like to win these sets of products? Pretty cool contest, I think.

How can you enter to win? Easy! Just leave a comment here once. After you comment, feel free to send me an e-mail at bestthingsinbeautycontests@gmail.com and identify your comment. You can never be too careful about sharing an e-mail address you care about on a blog, so feel free to follow this step (an alternative is to code your e-mail, e.g., myname at gmail dot com, in your comment).

You can "earn" a second entry by tweeting this contest. Just make sure to include "@BTiBeauty" (without the quotes) and "AVEENO" in your tweet. I will tweet the contest this evening, and you can simply retweet it to earn that second entry. You can earn a third entry by following the blog - either here or on Twitter (any entrant who is already a follower will automatically earn the follower point, but you can save me time by telling me you're a follower in your comment). I can't track followers through a third-party service, so you need to be on Google's list for me to verify the entry.

We'd love it if you would sign up on Facebook to be an Active Natural. Check out this link. You'll get valuable coupons when you pledge to take smell steps for big changes in our environment.

The deadline for entries will be Saturday, May 7, at midnight. The next morning, I will use a random number generator (random.org) to select the winner. I will e-mail the winner at that time. The winner will have 48 hours to reply to my message and provide a shipping address. After 48 hours, the prize will be forfeited, and another winner will be selected. Make sure to check your e-mail - and look in your spam folder - when the contest ends. The winner's prize will be shipped by Recyclebank and AVEENO.

The contest is open to residents of the United States. Good luck!

Photos courtesy of AVEENO and Recyclebank

More about → AVEENO and Best Things in Beauty Giveaway Contest

The Friday Forum - April 22 - Happy Earth Day!

I love dogwoods! This one is a volunteer in my garden. It placed itself perfectly at the front corner of my house, after I had lost a limber pine to an ice storm. It was a welcome guest who made this a home. I have several flowering trees in my garden that were probably brought to me by birds (another great reason to encourage birds by feeding them!). This is one of the best. It came at a time when many of our dogwoods were dying from blight, one of those sad twists of nature that can take our precious trees away - for good.

Every day should be Earth Day. That's why I'm an AVEENO Ambassador, a partnership with Recyclebank. In celebration of Earth Month, AVEENO has kicked off an interactive incentive program with Recyclebank on the AVEENO Facebook page to encourage consumers to take small steps towards beautiful change. Small changes can add up to a big impact, and each of us has the power to transform the health and beauty of the communities in which we live. The AVEENO BE AN ACTIVE NATURAL program lets us all join together and take these small steps toward a more beautiful Earth. AVEENO has invited everyone to join all of us on a journey to take a million steps to transform our own health, our spirit, and our communities. Check out the AVEENO Facebook page to see how you can participate.

I'm enjoying a vacation day off from work. I have many errands to run, so it won't be restful, but I hope to feel accomplished when the sun sets. I'd love to shop, and I know I will pop over to Nordstrom briefly. I'm also looking forward to the arrival of a shipment at Neiman Marcus. I'm hoping some of the "overdue" items on my lust list arrive. I also need to clean clutter.

Are you planning to watch the royal wedding next Friday? Unfortunately, I will be working, and I can't imagine taking a vacation day to watch the whole event. I suspect there will be news clips galore - if not reruns - so I'm sure I'll get to see the pageantry. Kate Middleton is a gorgeous young woman, so she is bound to be beautiful. It will be fun to see her dress, hair, and makeup. Will there ever be "another Diana"?

It's time for The Friday Forum. We use the forum to share information and chat. Did you find any deals you couldn't resist this week? Are you using a fabulous product and want to sing its praises? Did you find a beauty product disappointing? Do you have a question others might be able to answer? Want to talk about skin care? What's new in your life? Just use the comments. Don't be shy. Just make sure to ask any question you might have over the weekend. By Monday, most readers have moved on.

Don't forget to enter this week's STAGES of BEAUTY giveaway contest! I'm always surprised by the response to skin care giveaways. We get half the entries we get with makeup. Why is that? The winner of this contest will receive three fabulous products tailored to her age group - all effective and luxurious. The value of the prize is so much higher than the value of, say, a single lip gloss. You smart gals enter in droves for makeup. What's the deal?

Photo by BTiB

More about → The Friday Forum - April 22 - Happy Earth Day!