All in Skin

Spend Or Skip? Évolis Reverse Activator For Thinning Hair

Spend Or Skip? Évolis Reverse Activator For Thinning Hair

Genevieve Monsma
Hair, Health, Skin

If every anti-aging product on the market really did what it claimed, we'd all look 18. And while there are many effective products that help make the most of our looks as we age (and I, for one, like the way I look better at 45 than I did at 18), there are also many that are nothing but snake oil. Thus, I've created this series, Spend or Skip?, in which I will apply my twenty years as a beauty guinea pig to objectively road-test and review buzz-generating, anti-aging products that everyone's talking about. The mission: to help you decide whether to buy—or bypass—the latest fountain of youth.

Dark spots get all the press. But what about the white ones?

Dark spots get all the press. But what about the white ones?

Genevieve Monsma
Skin, Makeup

I spent too much time in the sun as a teen. By college, I already had brown sunspots splattered all over my chest. I hated them so much, I avoided v-necks and strapless tops until my mid-twenties, when I had the spots zapped off with a laser. Diligent skincare, sunscreen, peels and some touchup lasering has kept new dark spots mostly at bay for me. However, since I turned 40, a new kind of spot has started to appear: white ones.

The Only Anti-Sunspot Strategy That Works

The Only Anti-Sunspot Strategy That Works

Genevieve Monsma
Skin

My friend Sandra recently underwent a series of laser treatments to zap off a smattering of sunspots. It worked and she’s pleased with the results. She’s also terrified of having the spots come back (as you know, laser treatments are no small expense), and correctly assessed that once you’ve had sunspots, you’re forever susceptible to them. Thus, she contacted me, asking for a fail-safe, spot-prevention strategy.  My answer in a word: Sunscreen. But not just any sunscreen. Which, I guess, is actually six words.

What Is K-Beauty?

What Is K-Beauty?

Genevieve Monsma
Skin

For those unfamiliar with the term K-Beauty, it refers to skincare products and regimen rituals from South Korea. I realized K Beauty was becoming a “thing”—not just for trendy Millennials, but also for skincare-savvy Gen Xers and Boomers—when a friend of mine who's a successful, 40-something dermatologist, got remarried and went to Korea for her honeymoon. Instead of lingerie, she brought an empty suitcase, then went on a skincare shopping spree, stuffing it with sheet masks, night creams laced with snail mucin, and an assortment of ‘essences.’ 

Spend Or Skip? Rodan + Fields Lash Boost

Spend Or Skip? Rodan + Fields Lash Boost

Genevieve Monsma
Skin, Makeup

If every anti-aging product on the market really did what it claimed, we'd all look 18. And while there are many effective products that help make the most of our looks as we age (and I, for one, like the way I look better at 45 than I did at 18), there are also many that are nothing but snake oil. Thus, I've created this series, Spend or Skip?, in which I will apply my twenty years as a beauty guinea pig to objectively road-test and review buzz-generating, anti-aging products that everyone's talking about. The mission: to help you decide whether to buy—or bypass—the latest fountain of youth.

Acne Tips I Wish I'd Known As A Teen

Acne Tips I Wish I'd Known As A Teen

Genevieve Monsma
Skin

A classmate from grade school recently DM'd me, asking if I’d write a MediumBlonde post on how to create an effective anti-acne skincare routine for teens. And while MB is not a parenting blog, I figure most of us probably do (or will soon) have a teen or two in our lives (son, daughter, niece, nephew, grandchild, even a friend) who could use help combating acne without wrecking his or her skin.

(Almost) Instant Antidote to Drab Skin

(Almost) Instant Antidote to Drab Skin

Genevieve Monsma
Skin

We know that sleep, eating well, regular exercise and consistently following a good, anti-aging skincare regimen keep skin looking healthy and radiant during winter's sun-deficient days. But who’s disciplined all the time? (If you are, congrats. You can stop reading now.) For the rest of us, when life gets in the way and we slack off, it helps to have a backup plan.

Why I Don't Scrimp On Hand Soap

Why I Don't Scrimp On Hand Soap

Genevieve Monsma
Skin

In my mid-twenties, when I was a poorly-paid assistant editor at Redbook in New York, I earned extra cash by working for a friend’s catering business, prepping tea sandwiches and serving glasses of champagne for swanky bridal and baby showers on the Upper East Side. And while the gorgeous apartments where those parties took place were undoubtedly stuffed with priceless art and antiques, what I remember most about them is the hand soap.

Bring-Less, Look-Better Travel Tips

Bring-Less, Look-Better Travel Tips

Genevieve Monsma
Hair, Makeup, Skin

When I’m traveling, I aim to carry my luggage on board the plane. I was not always like this (just ask my beauty editor friend Didi who, for years, counted on me to pack the entire contents of my bathroom vanity when we went on press trips, enabling her to bring like a toothbrush and then borrow the rest). But, after losing my luggage too many times, and nearly missing flights because I was waiting in miles-long lines to check my bag, I finally learned how to minimize my beauty gear. My secret? Primp in advance; here's my strategy:

The Anti-Aging Power Of Pink

The Anti-Aging Power Of Pink

Genevieve Monsma
Makeup, Skin

It’s not your imagination: Your cheeks and lips are paler than they were twenty years ago. Like hair, skin loses color with age, and the increasing sallowness can make us look drab and tired, even when we’ve had eight hours of sleep. Fair? No, but fixable.

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