What's a Daily Concepts Your Konjac Sponge?

This is a blog post from the Daily Concepts blog. I found it to be extremely helpful when trying to understand all the benefits of the Konjac sponge. My skin is a bit on the dry side so i went for the Turmeric one. LOVED IT! I didn't use a cleanser and it was such a great exfoliation. Wonder no more, here is everything you need to know about the Konjac Sponge: 

He’s back! Daily Concepts’ Founder and Shower Expert, Emilio Smeke. A question we’re hearing a lot recently — What the heck is Daily Concepts’ Your Konjac Sponge?

You can see all three Daily Concepts’ Your Konjac Sponges all in a Zen-like stack above. What you’re seeing: Charcoal, Pure and Tumeric Konjac Sponges.

Yes, yes, we hear you. But what are they?

Emilio: Konjac is a jelly-like substance made from the Konnyaku potato, which is found in Japan, Indonesia, Korea and Southeast Asia. Often used in Japan for beauty treatments targeting delicate skin, konjac sponges typically contain calcium hydroxide and/or oxide calcium extracted from eggshells is also found in konjac sponges. What makes Daily Concepts’ Your Konjac Sponge unique is that it’s made up of 100% konjac root.

What makes Daily Concepts’ Your Konjac Sponges so good for the skin?

Emilio: Because of their unique net-like structure, Daily Concepts’ Your Konjac Sponges have a massage-like effect on the skin, promoting blood circulation and deep cleansing capabilities.

Unique to the konjac sponge is its naturally weak alkalinity, which neutralizes acidity of substances that can gather on the skin by creating a layer of water between the sponge and skin. Additionally, they break down dirt and balance skin’s pH.

Which of the three types of sponges is right for me?

Emilio: The bamboo charcoal sponge helps absorb impurities to purify and deep cleanse skin. In other words, it exfoliates and detoxifies.

The tumeric konjac sponge heals and prevents dry skin, as well as keeping the skin supple and improving its elasticity. In other words, it’s hydrating and regenerating.

Daily Concepts Your Konjac Sponge in Pure has no preservatives, no chemicals and no color. Like its name says, it’s, well, just PURE. It’s excellent for people with sensitive skin.

All of Daily Concepts’ Your Konjac Sponges are preservative and chemical-free.

How can they be used?

Emilio: Daily Concepts’ Your Konjac Sponges are 100% natural and can be used by all ages and skin types. They’re perfect for removing skin impurities effectively and easily with their alkalinity nature and pH balance of 8.4. We recommend them for atopic skin, makeup removal, deep cleansing to prevent acne or blackheads and moisturizing the skin.

Thanks for filling us in, Emilio!

Have a question about a Daily Concepts’ product? Send it our way and we’ll have Emilio give you the 411.

There's something new & exciting in the CURL world!

 Living Proof Curl is now at GBS The Beauty Store & GBSbeauty.com. I've used the products for about 5-6 washes now and I am just as impressed with the Curl line as I am with all of the other fabulous Living Proof products. I've been saying they would make a killer curl line if they ever came out with one and my wish has been answered. My favorite product would be the detangling rinse. No knot is a problem for this rinse, it gets them all out so easily. I found that if you put it on the lengths of your hair and add a little bit of water after applying, it works better. I have been on a conditioning cleanser kick and trying every one I come across, this Curl Conditioning Wash is on the top of my list. Check out the images below to see which products are perfect for your curl type and some great product tips! 

Click here to find all of these Living Proof Curl products!

#SmearForSmear

There's a new social media campaign going viral through the UK bringing awareness to Cervical Cancer. Celebrities like Cara Delevingne and many others are participating to bring awareness to the awful disease among young women and women of all ages. We decided to join the campaign, since it's such a great cause and because it hits so close to home for us. I cant tell you how easy and quick it is to just go to the doctor. Many young women are being diagnosed with cervical cancer, the majority between the ages of 25-35 years old. Women are skipping their smear tests and this viral craze is to bring the awareness of how important it is to get a pap smear annually. I was so nervous, embarrassed, and anxious about how awkward it would be to go get checked. I walked out of there after 10 minutes, got my results and I knew i was in the clear. If you wait, it may be too late. Going in is much better than all the needles, radiation, chemo and anything else you would have to endure.  Please help stop the rise in the number of women diagnosed with the disease by taking part in such an important campaign. Put on some of that gorgeous lipstick of yours and smear away. Raise awareness. Be smart, get checked. 

I nominate you all to do the same. 

Spread the word #smearforsmear!

Get the look: SAG Awards- Julianne Moore

 

There were so many beautiful stars on the red carpet last night and Julianne Moore was one of my favorites. Her hair looked gorgeous and was the perfect contrast to her emerald #Givenchy dress. Her simple loose, textured waves are so easy to get using the right products. Here are a few products to get Julianne's look: 

 

1. Start with evo shape vixen, a volumising lotion that adds body and lasting style support. multi-purpose product for adding volume and style support, defining and hold curl or adding separation and texture.

2. Next, use the T3 Whirl Interchangeble Styling Wand. The 1.25" barrel is the one you'll want to use to get Julianne's loose waves.

3. Finish with evo love touch shine spray which adds weightless shine, helps to protect from humidity and fight frizz without collapsing styles.

These products are all available on GBSbeauty.com and get 10% off for a limited time with coupon code: gbsevo

Want thicker, fuller hair?

Lots of us girls lack in the voluminous hair department. Well now you can get it by just using a couple products in a few simple steps. Here is my favorite combo to getting fuller, thicker hair:

1. Davines Natural Tech Replumping Shampoo 

2. Davines Natural Tech Replumping Conditioner

3. Alterna Bamboo Volume Uplifting Root Boost (Basically a teasing comb in a can)

4. Living Proof Thickening Cream 

That's it... no go out and show off your gorgeous, va-va-voom hair! 

Insider Tips feat. Peter Thomas Roth

Peter Thomas Roth is one of my favorite skincare brands and I've tried many. With something for everyone and a wide range of products it can sometimes be overwhelming. So overwhelmingly amazing that is, that I usually get more than one product at a time because there are so many I want to try. I recently sat in on an awesome training for the brand. It had to have been one of the most informative training's I've had and I left with so many fun tips & lots more ways to use certain products that I would have never thought of. Here I am educated with tons of  PTR 411 and now I want to share this knowledge with you. 

1. Anti-Aging Cleansing Gel: Use this to wash your face and to shave with! Who would've thought?! It exfoliates the skin so there are no irritations or in grown hairs. Not recommended  for sensitive skin though.
2. Glycolic Acid 3% Facial Wash: Great for taking makeup off and very concentrated. When a product is concentrated a tiny bit goes a long way.
3. Viz1000: If you have oily or acneic skin this is a great option to use instead of a moisturizer. Viz1000 binds moisture together for dehydrated skin.
4. Oiless Oil 100% Purified Squalene: This anti-aging oil that feels like an oil, and acts like an oil, but it is NOT an oil! Fine lines, dry hair, wrinkles, or dry skin? Wait hair? Yes, hair! Pair this with Viz1000 and you got yourself an amazing, frizz-free and hydrated do!  Doesn't stop there the Oiless oil is great for dry skin like elbows or feet and awesome as an eye makeup remover.
5. PTR Serums (general): Layer all serums or cocktail them all together. I prefer the latter because then you don't have to wait for each one to dry. Just mix in palm of your hand and they will all melt together.
   
   
   
   (Thank you to James and Andrew from Peter Thomas Roth for being such great educators and hand models for my blog :D )
6. Laser-Free Retexturizing Serum: Too much sun? This serum is great for sunburns and even razor burn. Get this for your man along with the anti-aging cleansing gel and they will be very grateful!
7. FirmX Serum: Basically Spanx for the face and who doesn't love Span?! 
8. Laser-Free Retexturizing Gel Cream: Need a great primer? Replace your green primer used for redness with this gel cream which is a primer/moisturizer twofer! 
9. Power K: This amazing eye cream for dark circles and bags has actual vitamin k magical beads as I like to think of them. Power K isn't just for your eyes and can be used for surgical bruises or gross but it works hickies! (I hope nobody has a hickey because well...GROSS! Not cool & not classy, but hey if you do use Power K please!) 
10. Un-Wrinkle Eye: A 1/2 cream, 1/2 serum product that is actually safe to use all over the eye even your eyelids.
11. Neuroliquid Eye: This staff favorite is not only effective around the eyes, but it's amazing around the mouth lines. 
12. Lashes to Die For: Uneven brows? Use this lash serum for brows and also great for guys who have patchy facial hair and want to fill it out.
13. Un-Wrinkle Lip: AMAZING LIP PLUMPER!!!! And it helps with wrinkled lips!
14. Un-Wrinkle Foundation:  Great coverage and it's 85% treatment. EXCLUSIVELY at GBS The Beauty Store and GBSbeauty.com! 
    

Introducing the Foreo Luna! (My new, favorite can't live without device)

There's a new cleansing device in town and it's the Foreo Luna. A silicone brush, cleansing device that is revolutionizing the cosmetics world and professional dermatologists. Foreo is a high end Swedish brand and I'm pretty sure they came up with everything possible to make the Luna and Luna Mini to be the most amazing cleansing devices. The cleansing brush has been out there this is the new and innovative way to cleanse skin. You may have seen the Luna featured in Instyle, Marie Claire, and many other publications. The device channels both T-sonic pulsations for deep and gentle cleansing, and lower-frequency pulsations to reduce the signs of aging. The Luna is anti-aging and the Mini is meant for younger skin, think tweens, teens, and early twenties for a more gentle cleansing. You can check out my favorite features at the end of this blog. 

The Luna's have T-Sonic Technology which essentially brings up all the dirt and oils to the surface and buffs it away with the touch-points (little silicone bristles). The T-Sonic Technology pulsates on the skin which is less abrasive then oscillation, leaving your skin refreshed and gorgeous. Also, thanks to the T-Sonic Technology the Luna will create more collagen and elastin. T-Sonic pulsations are Comparable to enjoying a mini-facial in the comfort of home.

Let's talk touch-points. Touch-points are the little silicone bristles that you will find on all of the devices.The touch-points are different on every device depending on skin type. Unlike other facial devices you can use the Luna around your eye by using the the smallest touch-points on the device and on a lower speed (I suggest the lowest). The thicker points are used for areas with more concern or areas that need more exfoliation.

Here are some of the unique features of the Luna and Luna mini's. First, the devices will never get gross since its resistant to bacteria and you will never have to replace any brush heads or anything. Since it's made of silicone, all the bacteria, dead skin, and products just slide right off! Here's another benefit that you won't believe..you charge it twice a year! That's right, no more shutting off in the middle of cleansing or having to be bothered with making sure it's fully charged all the time. The devices are also waterproof and have a pretty cool feature where they protect itself by shutting off and locking down when it hits a meter of water.  

 The regular Luna is for those who want more anti-aging properties. The Luna reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and leaves the skin looking and feeling firmer and more elastic.The reverse side of the Luna has an anti-aging surface that  consists of a series of concentric silicone waves. This side helps to penetrate all your topical products better. Whether its eye creams, serums, or moisturizers the Luna will better deliver any of your treatments. (Bonus tip: use reverse side of Luna when applying your stretch mark or cellulite body products and just cleanse after.) Unlike the mini you can lock the regular Luna's by holding down the + and - symbols. The Luna has 8 speeds and it will remember your favorite speed every time you turn it on. There are 4 different types of Luna's: Normal/Sensitive, Combination, Ultra Sensitive, and Luna for Men. 

Normal/Sensitive: thinner silicone touch-points for gentle cleansing, with an area of thicker touch-points grouped towards the top for deeper, precision cleansing. 

Combination: up to 80% of thinner silicone touch-points for gentle cleansing, with two additional waves of thicker touch-points for cleansing oily patches

Ultra Sensitive: a wave formation of closely packed, smooth silicone ridges, designed to minimize abrasion for the most sensitive skin. (great for acne)

The Luna for Men has thicker touch points because Men have 3x thicker skin than women. The Luna for Men preps skin for a smoother, closer shave. The result: less ingrown hairs, stops razor burn, and unclogs pores. Men love it because they can use it in the shower and it's offered in a stylish black color. An amazing pre-shave tool! 

Men's touch-points: broad, rounded silicone touch points channel powerful T-Sonic pulsations through men's thicker skin more directly to effectively remove dirt. 

As I mentioned earlier, the Luna Mini was designed for a younger demographic. The Mini comes in 5 fun colors and is really easy to use. It has 2 speeds and even though the reverse side doesn't have the waves to help penetrate product, I still use it after cleansing under the eye to just bring up the blood flow before I apply my eye cream. This device works really well for oily skin and clogged pores. Makeup residue comes off so easily with the Mini, one of my favorite features. The Mini has a three-zone brush and is suitable for all skin types, with thicker touch-points on the reverse side designed to deeply cleanse oilier skin, particularly on the T-zone. The thinner touch-points gently channel pulsations and are best used for sensitive or dry skin

How to use the Luna's:

• Use for 1 minute, twice daily
• Turn on, apply cleanser, wet brush surface, cleanse face, and rinse.
• DO NOT use clay-based, silicone-based, or grainy cleansers, exfoliators, or scrubs—they may harm the soft silicone touch-points and cause icky build up!
• To clean your Foreo just use your cleanser and rinse

My favorite features of the Foreo Luna:

• NO MORE CHANGING BRUSH HEADS!!! (saves so much money considering I'm kind of a germ freak and would change them every month- month and a half to the normal every 3 months, but still CHA-CHING!)
• Treatments are so much more effective now
• Love that i can use it twice a day since it's so gentle
• Ummm you charge it twice a year..seriously?! This means when you travel you don't have to bring the charger, just the device THAT'S IT!
• So great that you can use it under eye and don't have to buy a separate device for eye care
• Makeup comes off so easily! 

It took me a few tries to get used to the Foreo, but now my "other cleansing device" is safely put away to use for I don't really know when... I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Luna and I 100% swear by it! 

You can get the Foreo: here  and get 10% off with coupon code: TheBeautyHaulic