MIT Open Course on Shiseido

MIT's open course ware enlightens us on Japan's changing ideals of feminine beauty, the emergence of a vibrant consumer culture and cutting-edge trends in advertising through the use of nearly 100 years of Shiseido marketing materials.

Read about it!

Brushes for Skincare

I just heard about a great new brush set that you use to apply your skincare with. I like this for many reasons. First off, it really bothers me when you have to put your finger into a tub of cream thereby contaminating the products. Second, some people apply creams a little roughly and pull and tug on their skin, damaging it and increasing the aging process.

The obvious downsides are washing the brushes and keeping them clean and having to pay more money for new brushes when you could probably make due with some of the brushes you already have that you don't use.

Either way, check it out and let me know what you think!

Anisa International

Sunscreen

I get a lot of questions about why I haven't included sun protection in Face It creams yet. The answer is simple. Sun protection changes the consistency and absorbency of skincare products. It is obviously a necessity, especially in the protection of skin from the aging process, but I think it should be kept separate from your moisturizer. Think of a two in one for your hair - shampoo plus conditioner is never as good as separately using a shampoo and conditioner.

There are two good places for sunblock - in your makeup or in a weightless sun-protection-only formula. Check whether or not your usual powder or foundation contains protection. If not, I would recommend my favorite sunblock: La Roche Posay Anthelios XL 50+ Fluide Extreme. We call it liquid t-shirt - it's that good.

Also remember that even if you are using a high SPF you have to make sure you are putting enough on. If not, the SPF is only as strong as the square root of the number you are using.