Welcome to Issue 23 of the No BS Beauty Bulletin!

Hello, beauty enthusiasts! We're thrilled to bring you another exciting edition of our newsletter, packed with the latest beauty updates, news, and personal stories. As we dive deeper into July, we've got a lot to share, from intriguing beauty news to the latest skincare trends and must-have products.

Here's what's on tap for this week:

- Juicy Beauty News: Get the latest scoop on everything happening in the beauty world. From a Florida plastic surgeon in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons, to Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman’s age-defying skincare secrets, we cover it all. Plus, learn about the growing skincare trends on TikTok, the potential downsides of Botox, and the risks associated with cosmetic procedures.

- What Did I Buy This Week?: Peek into my latest beauty acquisitions, including some exciting new releases and trusted favorites.

- About the Dogs: This week has been quite lively with our furry friends! Gabby got a much-needed bath because she was getting a bit too stinky for comfort. Now, she's all fresh and clean, smelling great, and enjoying the extra attention that comes with bath time. Ike has been driving Sarah a bit nuts with Cameraman away, missing him a lot and feeling a bit out of sorts. Lincoln, as always, is the cheerful one, spreading joy and positive energy around the house.

- Winner of the Week: Discover the amazing benefits of Centella Asiatica, our top pick for soothing and protecting your skin.

- Loser of the Week: Learn about the concerning trend of permanent tattoo makeup and why thorough research is crucial before considering it.

- In Case You Missed It: Catch up on our latest YouTube videos, featuring in-depth skincare reviews, product comparisons, and essential beauty tips.

- Brands Doing Good: Learn about Cosmetics for a Cause, an inspiring initiative that helps women in need through makeup and skincare donations.

- New Technology of the Week: Explore the latest advancements in plasma pen technology and find out if it's worth the investment.

- This Week’s Giveaway: Congratulations to this week's winner, Maureen G.! Thank you all for your continued participation and support in our giveaways. Keep an eye on your inboxes for more chances to win and exciting updates!

Thank you for joining us once again. Your support and enthusiasm are what make our beauty community so vibrant and special. Let’s dive in and see what’s new in the beauty world this week!

Joke of the Week:

Q: What do you call a sunburned librarian?

A: Well-Red!

Juicy Beauty News

• Navigating skincare trends in the era of social media
  Savannah-area derms weigh in on health and beauty misconceptions – and even danger – that abounds on digital platforms

• Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman's age defying secrets revealed
  Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman reportedly have a really extensive skin care routine.

• Drea de Matteo Reveals She Doesn't Shave Her Armpits (But Had to on Set of The Sopranos)
  In a podcast interview, the 52-year-old actress said that she "sometimes" shaves for photoshoots but doesn't "have that much hair anymore, I'm old"

• I’m a Skin Care Expert. I Still Got Skin Cancer
  Do expensive serums and imported SPF still matter when I have carcinoma on my forehead?

• Study Reports High Frequency of Emergency Complications During Dermatological, Surgical, and Cosmetic Procedures
  Fifty-three percent of dermatologists report having faced emergency complications during dermatological or surgical procedures, according to a recent study

👀 What did I buy this week?👀

Don’t tell Cameraman!

• Then I Met You Bong Bounce Cream

• Purito SEOUL - Cica Clearing BB Cream

  Use Rewards Code NOBSBEAUTY for an additional discount!

• Paula's Choice Clinical PRO Retinaldehyde Dual-Retinoid Treatment for Clear, Luminous Skin

• Bimatoprost Topical Eyelash Growth Serum

  I actually purchased this through an online website called NURX.

About the Dogs

This week has been quite lively with our furry friends! Gabby received a much-needed bath because she was getting a bit too stinky for comfort. Now, she's all fresh and clean, smelling great, and enjoying the extra attention that comes with bath time.

Ike, on the other hand, has been driving Sarah a bit nuts. With Cameraman away, Ike has been missing him a lot and is feeling a bit out of sorts. He’s been extra needy and looking for comfort, which has kept Sarah on her toes. We’re all hoping Cameraman returns soon to restore Ike’s usual happy demeanor.

Lincoln, as always, is the cheerful one. He's been his happy-go-lucky self, spreading joy and positive energy around the house. His constant smile and wagging tail are always a welcome sight, balancing out the craziness from Ike and the fresh, clean vibes from Gabby.

Winner of the Week - Centella Asiatica

Centella is a wonderful ingredient that is beneficial for so many different skin types and skin issues. Not only is Centella great for soothing and calming irritated skin, it is also a great antioxidant that can even protect your skin from free radical and environmental damage. Centella is also known as Cica, Goto Kola, and Tiger Grass. It is also great for treating areas of skin damage such as wounds or burns. Also be glad to spot asiaticoside, madecassoside, asiatic acid and madecassic acid on any ingredient list! These are the biologically active components of Centella and are all great for skin issues such as redness, irritation, rosacea, acne, as well as hydrating dehydrated skin.

A couple Centella Favorites:

Geek & Gorgeous Stress Less Serum
Contains Madecassoside

Purito Wonder Releaf Centella Unscented Serum
Use Rewards Code NOBSBEAUTY for an additional discount!

Beauty of Joseon - Light On Serum Centella + Vita C
Use Rewards Code NOBSBEAUTY for an additional discount!

Loser of the Week - Permanent Tattoo Makeup Trends

I had no idea that permanent tattoo freckles was becoming a trend until spending some time on the Permanent Makeup and Microblading Reddit Threads. It seems like the tattoo freckles, along with permanently tattooed makeup (such as lipstick, eyeliner, and blush) have become trendy with many providers offering their services. I am more than anything writing this as a warning because some of the results are very sad- so my warning to really, really research this before deciding to do it! To be shocked, check out this reddit thread where this poor gal will likely have to go through laser removal:

https://www.reddit.com/r/microblading/comments/1dumuhj/faux_freckles/ 

In Case You Missed It

7.18 CeraVe 🆕️ Oil Control Moisturizing Gel-Cream Face Moisturizer To Rebalance Oily Skin Initial Test

7.19 Naked Sundays 🌞 Collagen Glow 100% Mineral Perfecting Priming Lotion SPF50 Sunscreen Review

7.20 You Asked - I Answered - Skincare & Beauty Questions - Ask and You Shall Receive!

7.21 KAINE Skincare 🍑🍊 Vita Drop Serum - Best Vitamin C Serum for Sensitive Skin Types???

7.22 Remedy for Dark Spots Serum - Nightly All in One Treatment for Dark Spots and Hyperpigmentation

7.23 Best & Worst Skincare Brands for Sensitive and Acne Prone Skin Types

Brands Doing Good: Cosmetics for a Cause

This website was created to solicit makeup and cosmetics from companies and individuals with a good cause in mind. They facilitate the distribution of the collected items to non-profit organizations that exist for the purpose of helping women in need. They help women who are searching for employment, recovering from sexual assault, living in safe houses, and recovering from cancer. Their major source is from companies with extra inventory to offload, but they also take individual donations as well.

For more information their website is listed here: https://cosmeticsforacause.org/donate/ 

New Technology of the Week:

Many of you are familiar with Plasma Pen Devices.  Last year I finally took the leap and ordered a Plamere Plasma Pen.  These pens are not cheap so be aware of the $20 ones you see for sale on sites like amazon.  These are likely not true plasma pens and just use electricity to burn the skin.  After three sessions with the Plasma Pen (on non-visible areas such as the back of my arms and legs) I found the major downsides.  These take weeks to heal, and overall, the results were not extremely impressive. 

Obviously going to those trained in the technology stand to offer better results.  After my personal experience I would not consider doing it again. The nice news is, due to my insomnia, I did some research and found a newer pen that uses newer technology to achieve better results without the downtime or dark spots and scabs.  This is called the Jet Plasma Pen- these are even more pricey than the Plamere Plasma Pen (start at around $3,000). This one is out of my price range so I have yet to try it, but there is one Esthetician near me that offers it, so I am debating giving it a try- and if I do you’ll be the first to know!  

This weeks giveaway

The winner is Maureen G.