This is the last of the half-assed short columns, I swear. But I am leaving for Austin in like, 10 minutes and am trying to get all these entries written ahead of time. Oh! Woe is me! My writing gig is going to cut into…
My dearest Amalah, who I may have to name my firstborn child after regardless if it’s a boy or a girl, for the gratitude I feel for you now: Before reading the smackdown I was one of those wash my face with soap and water…
Dear High Priestess of Beauty & Skincare Amalah, After recently discovering you and soaking up your advice like a sponge, I have recently switched from using the Proactive skincare system to using Philosophy Purity Made Simple for cleansing, thus drastically reducing the number of skincare…
Pregnancy mask, or melasma, is a form of hyperpigmentation that appears on the face. The best way to prevent it is with sunscreen.
Birth control pills can cause melasma, or dark spots on your face. Fortunately, there are some simple ways to manage this condition.
(Update: we have since written a sunscreen guide for families that gets updated every year if you would like to read that.) Ladies and Probably No Gentlemen, meet today’s contenders: Please note we actually have TWO Cage Matches going down today: one for stand-alone sunscreens…
From last week’s comments: I would enjoy some bikini wax advice. I mean really detailed info. How long does the hair need to be before it can be waxed? How long are you hair-free before it starts growing back? How flexible do you need to…
Dear Amalah, Please oh please help me understand something. Why in the world do some daily moisturizers that contain SPF come with a note that sez you should wear a sunscreen while using the product and avoid sunlight for a week during and after using…
Yet another break in format! A few people have emailed requesting the complete lineup of products I use, or a best-of list, or something along those lines. So…in honor of the somewhat randomly selected date of June 1st, I present: the complete best-of list of…
Amy, I love your smackdown advice – but often times the products you recommend are too rich for my cheaper than 2 coats of paint blood. I value a short beauty routine & want to spend as little money as possible on it; I also…
Dear Amy, I have recently decided that: A – I am getting old B – My skin has always sucked C – Well, I want better skin now – that’s all. I’ve never had much of a “skin care routine.” I have been using random…
Since I rely on you for skincare advice, and have started using a number of Philosophy products religiously since you recommended them (for which my face totally owes you thanks and possibly a beer), I of course thought of you when faced with a skincare…
Hi Amalah, Love love love love love the smackdown. I followed your foundation routine religiously (including buying a Sephora brush) when I wore makeup… I stopped turbaning my hair as soon as you suggested it (and yes, my hair is happier.) Ok, so my skin…
Hi Amy! I decided, somewhat randomly, at the beginning of July to start a program of Improving Myself, with a goal of adding one new thing to my routine every two weeks that is good for me in some way. First it was flossing (surprisingly…
But first, in case you haven’t seen this yet: And now that my heart is all up in my throat, let’s talk about beauty products. (In a positive, natural-beauty-affirming sort of way, OF COURSE.) Amy, I have been reading your blogs since before Noah arrived,…
This morning’s beauty ritual: Yes, really. I’m soooo expensing my grocery bill, y’all. So, as promised, after Googling homemade beauty recipes far and wide (here’s just a sampling of what’s out there), I opted to go with whichever ones I could make without a special…
Here’s the deal: I don’t wash my face if I’m not wearing makeup. I know what you’re saying: “gotta wash off the grime of daily life, blah, blah, blah.” But I have dry skin; sometimes so dry that I apply a drop o’ vaseline to…
Amalah – I am really noticing my age in my eyes, and am interested in trying some products to make them look better. What I can never tell is where you are supposed to put said products. Under the eyes, yes, but do you put…
Hi, Amy. My husband has HUGE pores on his nose, and they’re always looking gunked up. I’m trying to convince him that his addiction to those Biore strips is not the answer! I read the post in your archives about “pothole pores” and was wondering…
Well. Whew! What a week last week was, with all the not-updating I did. However, a true advice columnist never rests and never stops bossing people around, and last week was no exception. I went to New York to meet up with AlphaMom’s own Isabel…