Kristin Cavallari’s Grey Tie Dye Tank Dress on her Text Newsletter

Kristin Cavallari Fashion

Since I’m a loser I recently signed for little text alerts from Kristin Cavallari since I’ll miss her face (and outfits) as she won’t be moving forward with Very Cavallari after her divorce from Jay Cutler. And yesterdays “Monday Moves” text came along with a super cute photo of her in a grey tie dye dress. And as if we don’t miss Kristin enough, those of us who don’t act super quickly are about to also feel the same about this perfect summer dress.

The Realest Housewife,

Big Blonde Hair

Click Here to Shop her Enza Costa Dress

Originally posted at: Kristin Cavallari’s Grey Tie Dye Tank Dress

My skin is so dry, it’s embarrassing. I go to have my legs waxed, and the Italian beautician practically has a nervous breakdown over the state of my legs – and my feet!

I don’t believe my skin could be any drier if I tried! I have what is called very mature, dry skin. So, I am constantly trying to find new face and body moisturisers because moisture makes you look younger.

There are a few anti-aging ingredients that can really make a difference. For instance, if you spray your face with water, you look younger. NuSkin NaPCA Moisture Mist is a product I especially like as I once saw it plump up a jar of dried apricots. It works miracles!

Having said that, and working on the principle that some of these companies may actually be right, you should still read about the efficacy of purportedly anti-aging peptides and retinol to help smooth lines and boost cell renewal.

Inside out, antioxidants are a must to protect the skin from the environment by day and repair it at night; eat them and apply them. In other words, drink water, eat fruit and veggies high in anti-oxidants, and use skin care products that work for your skin.

I have selected 5 of what I consider to be amongst the best moisturisers for dry, mature skin. I have tried all of them, and I’m certainly the right age to report on their efficacy and efficiency!

Benefit’s Total Moisture

I love Benefit’s Total Moisture Facial Cream because it provides immediate as well as long-term hydration. After application my skin looked plumper and felt smoother. It contains mango butter, and the scent is wonderful and fresh! This is my #2 choice as the hydration effect was about 7 hours.

Aesop

Aesop has a great palette of products for parched skin! Yes, you read it correctly – parched skin. The one I tried absorbed quickly, and left my skin feeling soft and smooth. The hydration effect lasted for about 3 hours. It has a better and longer lasting effect on medium dry skin.

L’Occitane and Their Ultra Riche Comforting Cream

The Ultra Riche Comforting Face Cream by L’Occitane made my skin feel very smooth and soft. The hydration effect is reported to last about 8 hours, but for me it was approximately 3 hours.

It contains 25% Shea Butter which is wonderful for ultra-dry skin. But not mine! This is why you have to try all these products for yourself.

L’Oréal

The Age Perfect Day cream by L’Oréal says it lifts sag, removes age spots and hydrates. I probably didn’t use it long enough, but nothing happened, per se, and it certainly didn’t do anything for the age spots.

It does hydrate, but not for long enough. Again, this is another product that will have a longer lasting effect on medium dry skin.

Ella Baché – My #1 Choice

My #1 choice is Ella Baché’s Eternal Very Rich Reconstructing Cream. I felt my skin plumping, and the hydration effect lasted all day! This product is very rich in texture. It is also the most economical because you use so little.

If you want to try different moisturisers, visit your local beauty counter and ask for samples. If they don’t have them pre-packaged, ask for a sample in a small pot; they will usually give you about a week’s supply, depending on the product – you need less of some products than others.

Or you can take my advice! Don’t forget, you can also sample eye creams or gels. It’s very important to get these ones right too.

I must add, all of the above are subjective opinions. I’m sure there are people who have found any/all of these product good, bad or ugly! Try them for yourself, and see what really works for you.

On a final note, it’s good for your skin if you change your range of cosmetics and skin care every 6 months. Your skin gets used to the same products used time and again, and the efficacy of any product you use is diminished because of that! It’s a good idea to create two different packages and just rotate them. It sounds like an expensive exercise, but you’re worth it!

What are your favorite moisturizers? Do you use a product that’s different and unique? Do you have any special recommendations? What tips do you have for taking care of mature skin? Please join the discussion below!

To reap the benefits of any hair routine, you need consistency and patience. If that hair routine just so happens to be focused on achieving longer and stronger strands, well you need consistency, patience, and more patience. Results usually take weeks or months—depending on your specific goals—and finding the products that successfully mesh together for a routine can be a timely process in and of itself. Personally, it took me around one month to get my daily essentials in order, including what I think is the best natural hair growth serum.

Ultimately, it’s the simple, but effective habits that boost the growth rate of your hair—things like a healthy diet, exercise, and routine cleansing and conditioning. As for all of the supplemental boosters like nutrient-rich vitamins, moisturizing oils, and luxurious hair masks, those picks rely heavily on your lifestyle, individual needs, and budgets. For instance, while castor oil and shea butter are rightfully lauded as two of the best ingredients for taking hair to new lengths, I find that using too much of either actually hurts my hair, leaving it greasy and weighed down with buildup. Instead, lighter options like almond oil have helped my cause.

However, let’s not overlook the general greatness of natural hair growth serums. Collectively, they tackle a myriad of concerns that weaken the growth process such as dryness, scalp irritation and breakage. In some cases, they can also increase the absorption of other products in your routine which leads to better moisture retention and more consistent hydration. So if you’re still testing out contenders for your regimen, here are 12 more to keep on your radar.

Kerastase.

Kerastase Resistance Length Strengthening Scalp Serum

A leave-in treatment enriched with moisturizing ceramides and a strengthening creatine complex to repair hair fibers.

Better Not Younger.

Better Not Younger Superpower Fortifying Hair & Scalp Serum

A non-greasy serum made with centella asiatica, niacinamide and caffeine to stimulate and strengthen the hair and scalp.

DevaCurl.

DevaCurl Buildup Buster Micellar Water Cleansing Serum

A weekly cleanser powered by a micellar technology with Abyssinian seed oil and jojoba to nix buildup and replenish moisture.

Briogeo.

Briogeo Scalp Revival Charcoal + Tea Tree Scalp Treatment Serum

A binchotan charcoal-infused serum made for tackling excess buildup, balancing sebum production, and decreasing scalp irritation.

Taliah Waajid.

Taliah Waajid Protective Styles Healthy Hair Under There Bamboo, Avocado And Peppermint Conditioning & Restoring Serum

A soothing and restorative scalp serum made to keep the skin in tip-top shape under a protective style.

Buy: Taliah Waajid Protective Styles Healthy Hair Under There Bamboo, Avocado And Peppermint Conditioning & Restoring Serum $12.72

ORS.

ORS HAIRestore Fertilizing Serum

Keep up your growth routine while wearing a protective style by applying this potent blend of nettle extract and horsetail extract to the scalp.

Buy: ORS HAIRestore Fertilizing Serum $13.33

Camille Rose Naturals.

Camille Rose Naturals Cocoa Nibs & Honey Ultimate Growth Serum

A stimulating elixir of sesame seed, coconut, jojoba, and olive fruit extracts, amla oil, and Brahmi herbs to unclog blocked hair follicles to boost circulation.

Botanika Beauty.

Botanika Beauty The Stimulator

A multitasking jill-of-all-trades hair moisturizer and growth stimulator enriched with cinnamon, jojoba, and sage.

Dr. Miracle’s.

Dr. Miracle’s Intensive Spot Serum

A peppermint oil- and vitamin-infused spot treatment for promoting growth in thinning edges and bald spots.

Buy: Dr. Miracle’s Intensive Spot Serum $9.99

EDEN BodyWorks.

EDEN BodyWorks Papaya Castor Scalp Massaging Serum

A fruity and delicious-smelling serum boosted with growth-promoting castor oil.

Buy: EDEN BodyWorks Papaya Castor Scalp Massaging Serum $9.88

Hairfinity.

Hairfinity Infinite Edges Serum

A concentrated treatment that targets thinning hair edges with castor oil, hydrolyzed wheat protein, peptides, and hyaluronic acid.

Buy: Hairfinity Infinite Edges Serum $29.09

The Mane Choice.

The Mane Choice Ancient Egyptian Anti-Breakage & Repair Antidote Split-End Treatment Serum

A serum for preventing split ends and breakage on your ends, and formulated with several moisture-rich oils.

Buy: The Mane Choice Ancient Egyptian Anti-Breakage & Repair Antidote Split-End Treatment Serum $14.43

Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Smartphone ownership has skyrocketed across the globe, including those countries with emerging economies such as Turkey, Malaysia, Chile and Brazil.

The Pew studies conducted in 2015 and 2016 show that average ownership of smartphones in the US, Canada, the UK, Spain, France and Italy ranges from 49 % to 77 % of adults, and in South Korea it’s at a whopping 88%.

This increase is also reflected in those 50 and older. According to Pew Research, in 2016, nearly three-quarters (74 %) of Americans ages 50–64 were smartphone owners (a 16-percentage-point increase compared with 2015), as were 42% of those 65 and older (up 12 points from 2015).

We all know that smartphones are equipped with top-notch cameras, getting better and better every year. Having a digital camera at arm’s reach 24/7 makes us all photographers. We can now capture precious moments like our grandkids’ first steps and our vacations on the beach.

The result is a LOT of digital photos. InfoTrends 2016 global forecast predicts that over 1.4 trillion (yes, that is trillion with a T) photos will be captured in 2020.

I venture to say that the digital photographs we have lead the same existence as their ancestors collected in the shoe boxes in our closets – they treasured memories rarely seen. So, what’s a person to do with these precious memories in their phone?

Locating Your Pictures

It is important to understand what happens after you take a picture. Depending on the phone and setup, the photos are stored either on the hardware (hard drive/SD card) or in an app (that possibly syncs with a cloud service).

To figure out where your photographs are, start with the device and model.

• Do you have an LG, HTC, Samsung, Pixel or iPhone?
• Check the settings for the camera or photos app. (Do you have a Photos or Gallery app?)
• Is there an SD card in your phone? Is that housing the pictures?
• Are you already using a cloud storage app, such as Google Photos, if you have an Android?
• If you have an iPhone, are you using iCloud Photo Library? (You must turn it on. The feature is only enabled if you toggle the switch.)
• If you are still not sure, Google your phone model number and include the topic: “HTC one a9 manage photo storage.” Or call customer service for assistance.

Device Storage is Not the Best Option

If you are storing your photos only on your phone – even if they are on the SD card – you risk losing them.

Our mobile devices are subject to a higher possibility of loss, theft and damage than home computers because they are always on the go with us. They go out to restaurants, walk to the park, ride the metro, which means they can easily be dropped, stolen or misplaced.

Chances are, you don’t manually connect your phone to your computer every day to back it up. If that is your method of backup, computers can fail too. All your precious memories can be lost in the blink of an eye.

Protecting Your Memories

Fortunately, because of the exploding digital photography market, there are many safe and reliable photo storage options. Cloud services provide free, easy-to-use options to automatically save and organize your photos. To understand more about the “Cloud” see my blog here.

I can’t stress enough… stick with tried and true services; this is not the time to test the new kid on the block. Some trusted options are:

Google Photos

Google Photos is a feature provided by Google that comes with a Gmail account. However, anyone can sign up for the service regardless of your email provider. All your photos are backed up, organized and labeled automatically, to help you find them quickly. (Be sure to review privacy settings in this app.)

iCloud Photo Library

If you have an iPhone or iPad, iCloud Photo Library is your best bet. As a part of iCloud services, it is seamless and reliable. iCloud Photo Library stores your photos and videos and keeps them up to date on all your devices.

OneDrive

OneDrive is an excellent choice for Microsoft users. Like the options above, OneDrive helps you organize and find your photos through photo search, tags and albums.

Dropbox

A separately purchased cloud storage service is Dropbox. It includes the ability to upload, store, manage, see and share your photos automatically.

Prime Photos by Amazon

If you have an Amazon Prime account, Prime Photos is a free benefit. You get unlimited storage for photographs and 5 GB of free storage for videos.

Each service above (except for iCloud Photo Library) has an app with settings that must be activated once downloaded to your device. Be sure to turn on automatic uploads (or auto-save) and background uploading. Also, make sure it is set to not upload if there is no Wi-Fi.

One thing to keep in mind is that the use of a cloud service doesn’t mean that your photos are no longer accessible on your device. The images are still visible with the ability to manage, share and view. Also, each of the above services keeps your photos private.

Having Fun with Your Photos

Now that you know where your pictures are, and that they are safe and sound, what are you going to do with them? The exploding amateur photography market has led to the development of a wide range of platforms, software and apps for you to make sure you can proudly display them.

Social Media

Social media, such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, provide a fun platform to share your photos with friends and family. (Always be sure to think about what you share publicly vs. privately on social media.)

Photo Books (newer versions of albums)

When I say Photo Books, I am not talking about the old albums where you slide the photos into a sleeve in a binder. You can now create treasured, professional looking books and preserve memories of vacations, family celebrations or other special moments.

Various digital print companies such as Mixbook, Shutterfly, Snapfish, Blurb, Apple and Costco will print and ship photo books. Upload photos, mix and match page layouts, include text where desired, and choose the theme or look you want.

You can purchase one or multiple copies of the same book, and give it to friends and family members. I have friends that do a book for their kids at the end of every school year. It’s so fun to go back and look at them years later.

Prints

Whether you are looking for regular 4×6 photos or something more fun, like printing on canvas or glass, getting your photos “developed” has never been more exciting.

Additional Keepsakes

Other keepsakes such as blankets, stickers, calendars, mugs and t-shirts are part of the revolution of digital printing offered by the same services mentioned above.

The camera is one of the most used smartphone functions. Don’t be afraid to use it and have fun with it, so you never miss a single memory!

My weekly tech tip email covers topics like this and more. Sign up at The Tech Wizard. It’s like having a helpdesk in your inbox.

Do you take pictures on your camera phone? Do you do anything special with your digital photographs? Do you print things out or have you ever made a beautiful photo book? I would love to hear about how you are managing and using all the great memories we record on our phones.