Has Your Sunscreen Stopped Working??

Has your sunscreen stopped working? How are you supposed to know if your sunscreen is still effective, still protecting you, or needs to be thrown out?
story via Vogue.com

3 Signs It's Time To Buy A New Sunscreen

Sunscreen is the ultimate getaway insurance, promising a guilt-free, burn-proof romp on the beach or day by the pool. But your application is futile if the formula in question has stopped working. In fact, there are a number of elements that may inhibit the power of your lotion, cream, or spray to protect your skin from UV rays. Luckily, they’re as easily identifiable as they are entirely preventable.

“It all starts with what’s inside the bottle,” says cosmetic chemist Ni’kita Wilson.“You want the product you’re using to be as fresh as the day you bought it.” Often ignored, a simple guide to the product’s effectiveness is the expiration date provided by the manufacturer, printed right on the bottle. “Sunscreen’s efficacy is tested to up to three years,” says dermatologist Elizabeth Quigley. “Anything that’s past its expiration date belongs in the trash.”

Even if you are technically within that crucial window, poor storage can cause early expiration. For example, placing a bottle on a windowsill can force the sunscreen to absorb UV rays between uses, weakening its potency when it is applied to your body. Exposure to heat can also compromise the stability of a formula, causing it to separate. “If you squeeze the bottle and [a runny] liquid comes out first, toss it. It’s important that the sunscreen is applied uniformly and there are no uncovered gaps on the skin,” says Wilson.

Of course, if you’re using the FDA-recommended dosage, a bottle of sunscreen should almost never last long enough for any of the aforementioned issues to occur. “Two ounces every two hours,” says Quigley, who adds that no matter how high the SPF, sweating, swimming, and friction caused by movement or toweling off can lead to accidental exposure, making reapplication essential. “You shouldn’t have anything left after a full day in the sun.”

6 Ways To get The Best Seat In Coach

I'm kinda stressing right now.
I have an international flight coming up that is part of an insane day of travel, on an airline I don't normally fly.
And I've been reading some icky reviews about the airline and it's seating, which is never fun.

So, I am going to take Johnny Jet's advice and see if I can find my way into the best coach seat on the plane.
I already use Seat Guru on every flight I take, but I am going to try the other 5 options too.
Try them yourself and then tell me about it in the comments section below. Or if you have any cool tips that aren't on this list please do leave a comment!

Six Ways To Get The Best Coach Seat On An Airplane

(Photo: Thinkstock/Digital Vision)

Read more from money-saving expert and Travel Channel host Johnny Jet (aka John DiScala) at JohnnyJet.com or follow him on Twitter @JohnnyJet.

Ooh, the dreaded middle seat. You aren't the only one who hates getting stuck between two strangers. When checking in for a flight the other day, I used some tricks to get the best possible coach seat. And since I've never divulged these tricks in a single post before, here they are: six strategies that will help you get a mini upgrade, too. Just don't use them on the same flight as I do.

Keep Checking

(Photo: Thinkstock/Creatas Images)

If you book a ticket at the last-minute (like I usually do), chances are that the golden seats will be gone. But don't fret, because the good seats will open up—I can almost guarantee it. The trick is to keep checking your reservation and the flight's seat chart every hour or so. The best seats are usually being reserved by frequent flyers, and they will either be upgraded to business class or at least one of them will cancel at the last minute.

Set An Alert

(Photo: Thinkstock/iStockphoto)

If you don't have time to keep checking your reservation, create a seat alert with ExpertFlyer.com. They don't charge for a single seat alert, but if you want more at once, you can buy additional alerts for only $0.99 each, or sign up for a Basic or Premium account (starting at $4.99 per month).

Pay Extra

(Photo: Thinkstock/iStockphoto)

Most airlines will allow you to upgrade your coach seat. Just make sure you're getting something worthwhile, like more legroom, for your money. Some airlines (ahem, American) will charge you extra just for putting you toward the front of the cabin, with no extra perks included. Don't be fooled.

Be Friendly

(Photo: Thinkstock/Stockbyte)

One of the best ways to get a great coach seat for free is to be super friendly to the gate agents—I usually bring them a box of chocolates—and kindly request a plush coach seat if they upgrade any frequent flyers to first class. The vacated seats in coach are usually in the exit row or bulkhead.

Get Elite Status

(Photo: Thinkstock/Comstock)

Acquiring elite status is by far the easiest way to secure the best coach seat. That's because most airlines only allow their frequent flyers to sit in the most highly sought-after rows. Attaining elite status isn't that difficult for business travelers. Typically you need to fly 25,000 actual air miles in a calendar year on one particular airline or its partners; to maximize your chances for elite status, don't throw out your boarding passes until the miles have posted.

(Photo: Thinkstock/Hemera)

To find out which seats are the best on a particular aircraft, go to SeatGuru (a sister site of SmarterTravel) or SeatExpert. Both highlight the best seats on every plane and list exactly how much legroom and pitch each one has. They also tell you if there are power ports or personal TVs with each seat. Keep in mind that airlines can change aircraft types at the last minute, so there are no guarantees.

This article, Six Ways to Get the Best Coach Seat on an Airplane, originally appeared atJohnnyJet.com.

7 Tips For Self Tanning Your Face

Have you been avoiding using facial self tanning products because of the fear factor?Are you afraid of having un-repairable, streaky, patchy color on your face?

Kate Moss has perfected the ultimate in faux tans, with a little help from St Tropez. Here are tips to help you achieve the same results:

Seven Tips For Self Tanning Your Face

1. Exfoliate.

Before you get started you need to create a smooth, even surface to work with. Exfoliating will clear away the dead cells sitting on the surface of your skin.
Try Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Exfoliating Treatment, available at Nordstrom.com

2. Moisturize.

I recommend exfoliating and doing a moisturizing mask the night before, or taking time out to do a moisturizing sheet mask in the morning.
You need your skin to be super hydrated so that your tanning color doesn't grab onto dry patches, but you also need your moisturizer to be all the way soaked in to your skin before you start, with no residue left on the surface.
Try the Moisturizing Recovery Mask sheet mask from Memebox 

3. Protect Your Hairline

Stop the color from bleeding up into your scalp by using a little vasaline at the hairline (at the scalp edge, not along the face), and also in your brows. Don't let the vasaline migrate over onto the skin around your brows.

4. Only Use Products Designed For Your Face.

Don't try to double up by using the same product you use on your body on your face.
Body products are likely to clog your pores and cause you breakouts.
Try St Tropez Luxe Dry Facial Oil or St Tropez Self Tan Bronzing Lotion For The Face from Nordstrom.com

5. Pay Attention To Your Creases.

Go slowly and focus on applying it evenly. Don't forget the creases around your nostrils, any dips or dimples in your chin, and make sure you smooth the product through any fine lines and wrinkles, stretching any areas smooth while you apply. If an area is particularly tricky try using a duo fiber makeup brush.

6. Don't Forget Your Neck.

Your tan mustn't stop at your jawline. Make sure you smooth your self tanner over your throat with an upward motion, starting at your decolletage.

7. Wait It Out.

Once you have applied your facial self tanner be patient and wait for it to completely dry on the surface and absorb into your skin. Don't race to put makeup on, and don't go straight to bed - the last thing you want is pillow case creases tanned into your beautiful face!

5 Mid - Summer Beauty Tips ~ Beauty Tip Of The Week #20

Are you getting bored with your summertime look yet? We are at the halfway mark now, so there is no time like the present to redial your beauty game, simplify and bring in some new beauty strategy.

Change To A Bold Lip

Bold lip colors are fun to wear. They brighten your face, make you look awake and alert, can spark your eye color (if you use a complimentary opposite), they make you look vibrant and they totally take the emphasis off all the makeup you usually wear.
My go-to look for summer is just brows, mascara and a bold lip. 
When you are fresh off the beach or just not in the mood to put on makeup, a bright, bold lip can pull your look together and have you looking polished and perfect.
Try MAC Lipstick in Crosswires, (a clean, pinky orange) or 
MAC Lipstick in Full Fuschia (a bright, warm, fun pink)

Pare Down To A Primer

If you're not in the mood for foundation (during the summer I never am) even out the tone and texture of your skin with a really good primer. Primer will minimize your pores, help you control oily shine and give your skin a lovely finish.
Try Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Color Base in lavender/pink to correct sallow skin, in yellow to add a little brightness to the skin or in pearl to add brilliance.

Add A Little Highlight 

One of the fastest ways to liven and brighten your look for summer is to get highlights to frame your face. They instantly lift your complexion and play beautifully with your (faux) tan.

Make A Tiny Wing

Even though an emphatic winged eyeliner is a big trend for summer 2015, I personally think that big eyeliner in the hot sun looks completely stupid. 
You should always opt for what looks fabulous over what is the biggest trend.
A small, subtle, refined wing however, can draw the eye out, add a little intrigue and drama without overwhelming your eye in the bold summer sunshine. 
If you go see The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (and I recommend you do!), check out the gorgeous makeup on Alicia Vikander. She wears the absolute perfect winged eyeliner for summer.

Combine Your Beachy Wave With Some Braids

Braids and beachy waves are the perfect pairing this summer.
If you have a thick head of hair braids not only look cool, but they keep hair out of your face. If your hair is heavy and tends to collapse and go flat in the heat, braids help keep the illusion of volume. And beachy waves are always fabulous in the summer!

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Fashion

Last night I was priviledged to go to a private screening of Guy Ritchie's fabulous new movie, The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

The film stars Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer as CIA and KGB agents on opposite sides of the Cold War, and Alicia Vikander as an East German car mechanic, caught up in their caper.
Elizabeth Debicki is the villianess, and Hugh Grant is Hugh Grant, and wonderfully so.

Based on the 1960s TV show, Guy Ritchie has created a spy movie reminiscent of Bond movies at their best. 
Remember when James Bond was suave and debonair, the ultimate ladies man? Circa Sean Connery and early Roger Moore, when Bond was fun and a little campy, long before Daniel Craig's Bond-of-angst. This movie captures that fun.
And you just know this had to be a really fun movie to work on.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. is visually luscious. The scenery is fabulous, much of it shot in Italy, the cars are glorious tributes to the 60s, and there are so many fantastic little visual details (such as villian Victoria's green exterior use telephone - I loved it!!)

Costume designer Joanna Johnston absolutely steals the show with her lavish wardrobe design. 

Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer in The Man From UNCLE

While the men are endlessly dapper and always eye catching, the panache of the ladies' fashion is just jaw dropping.
Rather than take the expected and cliched route of a Mary Quant looking 60s fashion, Johnston took influence from 1966, '67 and '68 and created her own fashion, blowing away any academic correctness with a style of her own that is so stunning, so gorgeous and so on point that everyone will be clamoring to get their hands on identical pieces.

The Man From UNCLE at the Spanish Steps in Rome

That dress!!! And those sunglasses!!

There are so many fashion details that are just perfection.
From Debicki's Emilio Pucci leather trimmed cape to Vikander's belted coat.

Henry Holland White Sunglasses

The white Henry Holland sunglasses that Alicia Vikander wears in The Man From U.N.C.L.E are already one of the most sought after sunglasses of the season. 
Try getting them at www.houseofholland.co.uk

Hair and makeup are sensational too. I know this will be one of those movies that I watch over and over.

Thank God Tom Cruise backed out of this movie. 
Even with Ritchie at the helm, Cruise would have ruined it.
He was originally slated to play the lead role, that of Napoleon Solo, which instead went to Henry Cavill who was superb.

Check out the trailer for The Man From U.N.C.L.E. here:

6 Things You Should Never Pack In Your Carry On

I have a very dear friend who is embarking on her first international trip in a few weeks, and is planning on only taking a carry-on bag.
This gives me borderline anxiety!
I could never survive a multi week trip with just a carry-on.
Not in a million years.

Anyway, for those of you flying anywhere this summer, or ever, here are things you should never pack in your carry on bag.

1. Smelly Foods or Snacks.
There are two reasons for this, the first being that your entire bag and everything in it will take on that smell, and depending on the food in question you may have a hard time getting rid of that smell.
Secondly no one else on the plane wants to smell it.
That goes for eating smelly food in flight as well! Be considerate of your fellow travelers because we really are stuck with that smell, in a confined space, for a long time.

2. Stinky Clothes.
Same as above - none of us want to deal with that stench! If you are traveling with stinky clothes (or shoes) and can't check the bag they are in, at least put them in ziplock bags or travel laundry bags such as Flight 001 Go Clean Laundry Bags.

3. Weapons.
As stupid as it sounds, people do it all the time. Just stand in line at a busy airport and watch what people send through X-Ray.
This also includes gag gifts and other items shaped like weapons.



4. Fluids Over 3.4 Ounces
You probably already know this, but sometimes you can still make mistakes. Be careful that you don't accidentally throw in a bottle of perfume at the last minute, or a bottle of anything expensive.
Another thing to consider is your Duty Free shopping. One of my friends recently bought Duty Free wine when flying back from New Zealand, but it was taken from her at LAX when she went to change planes. If you buy  Duty Free perfume, put it in your checked luggage when you go through customs before re-checking your bag. Don't try and take it on board your domestic flight with you.

5. Meats, Cheeses or Chocolate.
Grabbing a last minute wheel of Brie or a Calcio Cavallo at the airport, pre flight? Do't pack it in your carry on luggage. Some airport xray machines can't tell the difference between these foods and plastic explosive - they have the same density on xray.
If you are bringing them back, know you may get  searched at TSA.

6. Battery Operated Items.
If you are traveling with battery operated items, make sure you remove the batteries, or tape the on/off switch in the "off" position. They can turn on when bouncing around inside your carry on and cause you problems at TSA.
Also know that the TSA agent who is watching your bag go thru 
x-ray can see the shape of everything in your bag, and if you are packing naughty battery operated items in your carry on they probably will open your bag. In front of everyone in line. (and if I'm in that line I will die laughing!!)

The 6 Physical Features That Men Can't Resist

I couldn't resist reposting this article!

And who better to pair it with than sex-bomb Christina Hendricks?

I'm pretty certain most men would have a very hard time resisting her...

The 6 Physical Features That Men Can't Resist

via Redbook

We all know that every time a man gives us the once-over, he's probably thinking about sex. But now, science can explain why men are constantly checking us out. Turns out, there's a specific formula for their once-over. Some of it's silly, but most of it you can easily nail. According to Business Insider, every time a man checks out a woman, he's performing a reproductive fitness assessment. Men were designed to look for key features in women. These features make women attractive because they are associated with good health and fertility. When men notice these features, they are subconsciously thinking, she could have my babies! Making them subconsciously, or very consciously, attracted to you.

Science has proven men to be attracted to women with these 6 features. According to the data, here's what it takes to be "attractive:"

A Wider Waist to Hips Ratio.

A ratio of 7:10 is particularly pleasing, apparently. The waist and hips are related to childbirth, making men think, those big hips would be great for delivering my baby! This one's pretty obvious– men like small waists and big butts. I guess that would explain why waist-trainers and the Kardashians are trending.

A High Voice.

According to a study cited in the video, a high-pitched voice evokes youthfulness and signifies a small, feminine body, both of which are attractive to men. Let's just say our high-pitched shrieks at the scandalous happenings on the Real Housewives is a sign of evolution at work.

Healthy Hair.

Shiny, full, and long hair is very attractive. Again, it's a sign of health and fertility. And thankfully, very fake-able with regular salon visits and blowouts. Remember, it's for the future of the human race.

Smiles.

Well obviously, happy people are attractive people. But science has also proven the whiter the teeth, the better.

Less Makeup.

You may think that contouring, layers of eye shadow, and bold lips are making you more beautiful, but it turns out, the natural look is more appealing to men. The video says that men prefer women who use up to 40% fewer cosmetics. But it shouldn't take science to tell you that the natural you, is the best you.

Wearing Red.

There's a reason red is associated with lust. Scientists have proven that wearing red enhances attraction. In fact, they've found this phenomenon to hold true in other animals as well. Note to self: dry clean red dress for Saturday date night.This all said, there's plenty of counter research that men are just happy to be getting laid at all. One thing's for sure– they're lucky to have us, just the way we are.