What Is Hyaluronic Acid And Why Is It In My Skincare Products?: Hyaluronic Acid is a very popular ingredient in skincare products and touted to do pretty much anything, from moisturizing skin to reducing wrinkles. But is it really such a miracle worker or just another hyped-up ingredient? And what is Hyaluronic Acid anyway?

How To Use Blue Concealer: blue concealers are kinda new on the market and look very weird but are helpful to hide certain imperfections. Curious? Then click on the link and find out.

3 Reasons Why You Should Wash Your Face At Night: I know that when you come home tired after a long day at work or a night out, the last thing you wanna do is remove your makeup but if you don’t you’ll regret it. Read the post to know why it’s so important to wash your face at night.

Too Faced Shadow Insurance Review: this is my favourite eyeshadow primer. It has a lightweight texture and feels like you have nothing on, yet it prevents your eyeshadow from creasing and fading.

5 Tips For Colored Hair: dying your hair can be a lot of of fun but how do you make the color last long and prevent the dye from damaging your hair? Here are 5 easy tips to help you achieve that.

Is Sun Exposure Through Glass Dangerous?: we all know that we have to apply sunscreen before stepping out of the house to avoid premature aging and cancer, but what if we stay indoors? Will the sun rays still damage our skin if we just stay near a window or drive our car? And if that’s the case, how can we protect our skin?

Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Review: this yellow-based concealer is my HG and I simply couldn’t live without it. Its creamy texture provides medium to full coverage that hides blemishes, dark circles and other imperfections, giving skin a natural and flawless look that lasts for hours. I just wish it wasn’t so expensive!

Layla Sparkle Eyeshadows: if you love shimmery eyeshadows, you have to try these. They are insanely pigmented, chock full of shimmers and have a silky texture that blends like a dream!

5 Tips To Learn To Love Your Body: accepting ourselves and the way we look is one of the most difficult things to do, especially in our society. We are so obsessed with beauty and perfection and we constantly have it shoved down our throats that if we don’t achieve the unattainable standards imposed on us today then we’re worthless and we’ll never be happy. But that’s BS. Each and everyone of us is special and unique the way he/she is and we should celebrate that. Hopefully these tips will help you do just that.

Layla Glitter in Eyeliner Review: I know I’ve said it many times but it’s true: these glitters eyeliners are the real deal. They are very pigmented and provide an opaque line with just one coat! And the glitters are fine and don’t look too obvious or over-the-top. And they last for ages too!

Hello everyone,

it’s New Year’s Eve, a time to celebrate the year gone by and the one about to begin, but also to reflect on all that’s happened in the past 12 months. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all, from the bottom of my heart, for visiting and reading Beautiful with Brains, for all your comments, your emails, your tweets, your participation and your support. It is truly a pleasure and a joy to chat and interact with you all and I hope that you enjoy it too and will stick around in the new year as well.

I wish all of you a wonderful New Year full of joy, peace and happiness. May all your wishes come true!

Happy 2012 everybody!

The year is almost over so, while we’re waiting for 2012 to begin, I thought it’d be nice to take a trip down memory lane to see what we have been talking about this year. Let’s get started:

What Are The Best Sunscreen Ingredients?: we all know how important is it to wear sunscreen to prevent cancer and premature aging. But there are so many sunscreens on the market, and not all of them offer broad spectrum protection, that it can be difficult to choose which one to purchase. This post will tell you what the best sunscreen ingredients are so that you know what to look for when buying a sunscreen.

Do you really need an eye cream?: we are often told that we need to buy a separate cream to take care of the delicate area around the eyes, but is that really true? Do eye creams especially formulated for the eye area really work and are a must for everyone, or is it just a marketing tactic to make you buy another face cream, but in a smaller container and at a higher price tag?

How To Test Cosmetics Safely At The Makeup Counter: trying cosmetic products before buying them is very helpful as it allows us to see how well they suit our skin type, colouring and needs. But with so many people daily touching the testers, there’s always the risk they can harbour bacteria. Read the post to find out how you can test them safely.

5 Tips To Learn To Love Your Body: accepting ourselves and the way we look is one of the most difficult things to do, especially in our society obsessed with youth, thinness and perfection. But until we do that, we will never be happy. I hope this post will help you do just that.

8 tips to prevent hair damage: there are lots of things that can harm our hair and once the damage is done, it cannot be reversed. Deep conditioning helps make hair look better, but you’ll have to wait for it to grow back to have healthy hair again. So, read this post to find out how you can prevent the damage from happening in the first place.

Common antioxidants in skincare products: we all know that antioxidants are precious allies in the fight against premature aging, but have you ever wondered what are the most common ones in skincare products? What do they do and what do you have to consider before buying a product with antioxidants?

Is it really necessary to reapply sunscreen every 2 or 3 hours?: we are constantly told that we need to reapply sunscreen every couple of hours or so in order to stay protected for the entire day, but let’s face it, that’s not always possible. And is it really necessary anyway or are there occasions when you don’t have to worry about reapplying it throughout the day?

6 bronzing mistakes you should avoid: we all love that bronzed, sunkissed look and bronzers are the safest way to achieve it. But the wrong bronzer or a bad application can make you look orange, muddy, fake, or even like a discoball. Read this post to know how to avoid making those mistakes and achieve a naturally bronzed, beautiful look.

Interview with Gianna from Nouveau Cheap: last July, I had the honour of interviewing Gianna, the lovely lady behind Nouveau Cheap. Read the interview to find out what her favourite drugstore products are, which ones she dislikes, why she started her blog and a lot more..

The beauty secrets of empress Sissi: Empress Elizabeth of Austria, also called Sissi or Sisi, was one of the most beautiful women of her time and she knew it. Find out how she kept in shape, what products she used on her face and how she took care of her hair.

5 myths about skincare products busted: there are lots of myths surrounding beauty products that may prevent us from buying the ones that best suit our skin type and needs. In this post, I set the record straight on five of them.

Are you making this mistake when applying sunscreen?: using sunscreen is not enough to keep our skin protected from the harmful sun rays, we need to apply it the right way too. Should it be applied before or after moisturizer? Read the post to find out.

Is Tea Tree Oil an effective acne treatment?: if you have acne but your skin can’t tolerate Benzoyl Peroxide well, then you should consider Tea Tree Oil. Read the post to find out how it works, at what concentrations it is effective and if it has any side effects…

What’s the difference between dandruff and dry scalp?: dandruff and dry scalp have similar symptoms so it’s easy to confuse one with the other. But they are different conditions and need to be treated differently. Find out how by reading this post.

Women and cosmetics during world war II: are you curious to know how European women managed to take care of their appearance during this horrible time and what beauty trends were popular in America? Find out by reading this post.

8 things I learned from beauty blogging: in this post, I share what beauty blogging has taught me in the past 3 years.

I hope you all have a very merry Christmas! And to those who don’t celebrate it, I hope you have a wonderful day!

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7 cosmetic ingredients with an undeserved bad reputation: these days it seems that all synthetic cosmetic ingredients are believed to be dangerous, toxic, cause cancer or some other deadly disease. But are mineral oil, parabens and silicones, to name but a few, really as bad and harmful as some people seem to think?

Sleek Makeup Blush in Rose Gold review: this is one of my favourite blushes and a dupe for Nars Orgasm. It’s very pigmented, longlasting and inexpensive. Just be sure to apply it with a light hand!

4 ways to incorporate SPF in your beauty routine: we all know how important it is to always wear broad-spectrum sunscreen to keep our skin protected against the harmful sun rays. And while nothing should be used as a substitute for a good sunscreen, there are also other ways to incorporate SPF in your beauty routine.

How to use orange concealer: orange concealers, ranging from bright orange to subtler apricot, salmon and peach hues, can look quite scary in the pan but are actually very useful to hide several skin imperfections. Find out what they do by clicking on the link.

Liz Earle Cleanse Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser: this is my HG cleanser. It is very gentle yet very effective and removes all traces of makeup, dirt an impurities while also performing a gentle exfoliating action that leaves your skin soft, clean and bright!

Source: Vectorjungle.com

4 Skincare Myths Busted!: we all know how important it is to take good care of our skin, but between contradictory advice and misleading marketing claims it’s hard to know what works and what doesn’t. Does drinking lots of water really keeps skin hydrated? Do skincare products with collagen really fight wrinkles? Find the answers to these and two more myths by clicking on the link.

How To Use Yellow Concealer: have you ever wondered what yellow concealers (and by yellow I mean yellow-yellow, not yellow-based) do? What could they possibly help conceal? As it turns out, they are quite multi-tasking things..

How To Use Pink Concealers: yellow is not the only unusual color concealers can come in. Another “weird” shade is pink. Pink concealers can be very tricky to use as they won’t work on everyone, but if applied correctly they can be very useful. Click on the link to find out how.

Beauty Tips from Lola Montez: Lola Montez was a dancer, an actress, a courtesan, mistress of King Ludwig I of Bavaria and a lecturer too! In addition, she wrote a book, The Arts Of Beauty, published in 1859, in which she gives beauty advice and shares some homemade recipes to make people look their best. Find out more about Lola and her beauty tips by clicking on the link.

Is Toner Really Necessary?: We all know the mantra, “cleanse, tone and moisturize”. But is using a toner really a necessary step in everyone’s skincare routine? And are all toners created equal? And what do they actually do? Find out the answers to these questions and more by clicking on the link.

Source: Vectorjungle.com

At what age should I start exfoliating?: exfoliation is an important step in anyone’s skin care routine. It removes the dead cells on the surface of the skin thus revealing the brighter skin underneath, making you look younger. It also helps to prevent breakouts. But at what age should we start exfoliating? Can we start in our teens or is it better to wait?

Do false lashes in mascara ads annoy you?: models wearing false lashes in mascara ads is a huge pet peeve of mine. It’s really obvious that no mascara can make lashes look as they do in these ads and it doesn’t do the brand any favours. It just tells consumers that the mascara is not really that good, otherwise why the need to use false lashes? I really wish they just showed us how their mascaras, and not fake lashes or photoshop, make lashes look. *sighs*

What’s The Truth About Lead In Lipsticks?: concerns about lead in lipsticks keep creeping up every now and then. But is really true that companies put lead in their cosmetics? And is it really dangerous as critics would want us to believe or is it just another claim blown out of all proportions?

Michael Todd Long Wear Creme Shadows Review: I usually avoid cream eyeshadows because, having somewhat oily lids, they tend to crease and fade on me just after 3 or 4 hours of wear. Not these. Michael Todd Long Creme Eyeshadows are really as long lasting as they claim and stay put for the entire day. And they have great color payoff too!

How to use green concealer: Have you ever come across a green concealer or primer at a beauty store and wondered what it could possibly be used for? I did. As it turns out, it can be really useful to conceal certain types of imperfections. Read to the article to find out more.

Layla Miracle Glosses review: these are some of my favourite glosses. The pigmentation is outstanding for a gloss: you get opaque color payoff with just one swipe! And they also have a beautiful shiny finish and a not-sticky texture.

Source: Vectorjungle.com