Happy Birthday Pink: How to Preserve Youthfulness with Vitamin C Serums for Women 35 & Older

High five! Pink turns 35 today.

The songstress has a style all her own. Her music gives her an edgy pop sound, while her acrobatic moves on stage make her a one-woman circus. Who can forget her high-flying performance at the Grammys earlier this year? She showed off her flexibility and strength by spinning and swinging upside down while suspended far above the audience in a daring aerial dance act.

Pink pursues bold looks, too. Known for her creative coifs, she's rocked short and sassy platinum blonde hair, fluorescent spikes, pink-streaked dreadlocks and a pitch-black skater cut. They bring to mind the unique styles of her two biggest musical influences--Madonna and Janis Joplin.

Born Alecia Beth Moore, Pink inspires fans with empowering songs such as "Try," "F**kin' Perfect" and "Raise Your Glass." She learned the importance of giving back early in her career and became a prominent campaigner for PETA more than a decade ago. Plus, she supports Human Rights Campaign, ONE Campaign, Prince's Trust, Save the Children, UNICEF and World Animal Protection.

Charitable endeavors not only make the world a better place, but the act of helping others in less fortunate situations also soothes the soul. So in honor of Pink's fierce philanthropy and motivational music, we've compiled good-for-you skincare serums, masks and creams that contain vitamin C. They allow women 35 and older to strengthen collagen, reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles, brighten skin and prevent premature aging.

Topical vitamin C makes a big difference--just like Pink. Happy birthday lovely lady!

SHINE: DeVita Natural Skin Care C 17% Serum. BEAUTY: Increase the elasticity of your skin, and soften the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles with aloe vera gel, green tea leaf extract, castor seed oil and vitamin C. BEACON: Vegan and cruelty free. Contains no FD&C colors, lead, carmine, cochineal, gluten or parabens.

SHINE: emerginC Scientific Organics Phytocell Cream. BEAUTY: Aloe vera leaf extract, shea butter, kombucha ferment and vitamin C help to hydrate your skin to improve its tone and texture. BEACON: No animal testing and vegan. Free of parabens, and synthetic colors and fragrances. Supports The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.

SHINE: Nature Pure Labs Black Currant C Serum. BEAUTY: Slow signs of premature aging with vitamins C and E, and black currant leaf and pomegranate extracts. BEACON: No animal testing. Free of petrolatum, mineral oil, propylene glycol and parabens.

SHINE: Probios Transderma C Vitamin C Serum. BEAUTY: Vitamin C stimulates collagen production and skin cell regeneration to brighten and tighten your skin. BEACON: No animal testing. Free of parabens, fragrances, oil and alcohol.

SHINE: Vie Collection PHOTO-C Bright Radiance Mask. BEAUTY: Correct pigmentation flaws and restore radiance with vitamin C, and micro-algae and sea lily extracts. BEACON: No animal testing. Free of parabens.

Summer Celebrity Birthdays: Age-Defying Beauty Secrets for Women in Their 30s & 40s

Photo by Pinguino K

Happy birthday to Kristen Bell. The actress, singer and animal rights activist, who just announced she's expecting her second child with hubby Dax Shepard, turns 34 today.

Bell became an animal lover early in life. In fact, at the age of 11, she stopped eating meat because she couldn't disassociate the dogs and cats she cuddled with as pets in her home from the animals served on her plate at mealtime. She currently supports the Helen Woodward Animal Center and the ASPCA, as well as Invisible Children, Inc.  

Several actresses in Bell's age range, mid-30s to mid-40s, celebrate birthdays this summer. They include Sofia Vergara, Jennifer Lopez, Charlize Theron, Cameron Diaz, Amy Adams, Gisele Bündchen and Kristen Wiig. Although these stunning superstars exemplify age-defying beauty, many women tend to experience fine lines, creases and age spots during this stage of their life. Your skin retains less moisture and your complexion may look a little dull due to loss of collagen and elasticity.

To slow signs of aging, take a look at the following serums, moisturizers and eye treatments. They restore lift and luminosity by using antioxidants, vitamins, hyaluronic acid and peptides. Plus, in honor of Bell's birthday, all manufacturers featured follow no animal testing or cruelty-free practices. 

No reason why you can't glow like the candles on your birthday cake from the inside out!

Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images for Yahoo News

July 10: Sofia Vergara turns 42.

Photo by Gabriel Marchi

July 20: Gisele Bündchen turns 34.

Photo courtesy GLAAD Media Awards

July 24: Jennifer Lopez turns 45.

Photo by Sebastian Derungs

August 7: Charlize Theron turns 39.

Photo by Chrisa Hickey

August 20: Amy Adams turns 40.

Photo by Eva Rinaldi

August 22: Kristen Wiig turns 41.

Photo by Caroline Bonarde Ucci

August 30: Cameron Diaz turns 42.

SHINE: 100% Pure Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream. BEAUTY: Vitamins C and E, aloe vera leaf juice, and coffee cherry and green coffee seed extracts help reduce puffiness around the eyes and brighten dark circles. BEACON: Vegan, and gluten and cruelty free. Contains no detergents, synthetic chemicals, or artificial fragrances or colors.

SHINE: B-Leve B-Bright Eye Roll-On and B-Youthful Face & Eye Serum. BEAUTY: Minimize puffiness and dark circles in the orbital area, and help firm your skin and balance your complexion with fruit cell extracts and peptides. BEACON: No animal testing.

SHINE: DeVita Natural Skin Care Perfecting Time. BEAUTY: Aloe vera gel, hyaluronic acid, vitamin E and peptides aid in softening, smoothing and nourishing your skin. BEACON: Vegan and cruelty free. Contains no FD&C colors, lead, carmine, cochineal, gluten and parabens.

SHINE: First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Serum. BEAUTY: Correct uneven skin tone and dark spots caused by aging, sun damage and acne discoloration with licorice root and green tea leaf extracts, grape seed oil and shea butter. BEACON: No animal testing. Free of parabens, phthalates, alcohol, fragrances and artificial dyes.

SHINE: Gunilla of Sweden ÄKTA Alpha Hydroxy Treatment Anti-Aging Blemish Cream. BEAUTY: Aloe vera concentrate, fruit acids and safflower seed oil help remove dead skin cells, and increase collagen production and skin elasticity. BEACON: Vegan, non-comedogenic and cruelty free. Contains no benzoyl peroxide, sulfur, salicylic acid, dyes, detergents, or synthetic colors and fragrances.

SHINE: Intelligent Nutrients Supernatural Skin Normal + Sensitive Travel Set. BEAUTY: Restore a radiant glow with this firming and fortifying five-piece set--Nourishing Tonic, Gentle Cleansing Lotion, Renewal Complex Eye Gel, Restorative Moisture Emulsion and Anti-Aging Serum. BEACON: No animal testing and USDA Organic certified. Vegan and gluten free. Contains no pesticides, phthalates, sulfates, artificial fragrances, parabens, formaldehyde or petrochemicals.

SHINE: Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Instant Eye Life. BEAUTY: Aloe vera juice, hyaluronic acid and vitamin C reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and puffiness, and leave your eyes looking restored and refreshed. BEACON: USDA Organic certified and no animal testing. Free of parabens, petroleum, propylene and butylene glycol, sodium lauryl sulfates, pesticides, phthalates, artificial dyes and synthetic fragrances.

SHINE: L'Oréal Revitalift Moisture Blur. BEAUTY: Create a soft focus blurring effect to lessen the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles with peptides, vitamin A and salicylic acid. BEACON: No animal testing. Free of parabens.

SHINE: Pevonia Botanica Lumafirm Lift & Glow Eye Contour and Repair Cream. BEAUTY: Hyaluronic acid, black tea ferment and peptides diminish dark circles and puffiness around the eyes, and smooth lines and wrinkles on your face, neck and decollete. BEACON: No animal testing. Free of parabens, alcohol, lanolin, mineral oil, PABA, urea, formaldehyde, artificial colors and sulfates. Supports the Beauty Bus Foundation.

SHINE: Phytoceane Aquasaphir Serum. BEAUTY: Soften expression lines and brighten your complexion with vitamin E, sunflower seed oil, and cucumber fruit, algae and malachite extracts. BEACON: No animal testing. Preserves marine resources used in its products with a program focused on seasonal algae harvesting and farming.

SHINE: SkinAgain Youth. BEAUTY: Aloe vera leaf powder, green tea leaf extract, peptides and vitamin E ease the appearance of wrinkles, expression lines, dark spots and uneven skin tone. BEACON: Cruelty free. Contains no parabens, fragrances or gluten.

SHINE: Vichy Laboratories LiftActiv Serum 10. BEAUTY: Minimize crow’s feet, brow/laugh lines and neck sagging, and maximize lift and luminosity with hyaluronic acid and a 10% concentration of Rhamnose--a naturally derived plant sugar that helps boost skin rejuvenation. BEACON: No animal testing. Free of parabens.

Mother's Day Gift Set Guide: Get the New Mom Glow of Kate Middleton

Photo by AshleyMott

Three cheers for new mom Kate Middleton. She looks better than ever after giving birth to Prince George last summer. 

During her recent visit to Australia with Prince William and their baby heir to the throne, the Duchess of Cambridge got rave reviews for her radiant glow and sense of style. She wowed in fashion choices by designers such as Tory Burch and Diane Von Furstenberg. In fact, after she wore a bright, fitted, "banana" frock by Roksanda Ilincic, sales of yellow dresses increased by 95% on ebay.

She's also known for her natural effortless look--minimal makeup and full, healthy long locks. So no need to dust off the crown jewels, as her bright smile and flawless face sparkle more than any royal diamond or sapphire. Her balanced skin tone and creamy complexion look as velvety smooth as an English rose.

On Sunday, the duchess will celebrate her first Mother's Day with Prince George. In honor of her fresh-faced, new mom glow, we've compiled the latest skincare gift sets and kits that create lift and/or luminosity. They contain anti-aging facial cleansers and creams, eye treatments and body moisturizers that address dry, damaged and uneven skin pigmentation. 

Take a look-see! These products make great gifts for your mom or to keep for yourself. No matter what your age, they'll help your skin feel as soft as a baby's you-know-what in no time. Happy Mother's Day!

SHINE: Gingi Eye Treatment Gift Set (Emmy's Official Presenter's Gift Box). BEAUTY: Instant Eye Lift Masks and Instant Eye Lift Cream minimize age lines, puffiness and dark circles to give the skin in your orbital area a more youthful appearance. BEACON: No animal testing.

SHINE: Murad Youthful Skin Renewal Kit. BEAUTY: Counteract the symptoms of hormonal aging and restore radiance with Renewing Cleansing Cream, Age-Diffusing Serum, Age-Balancing Night Cream and Renewing Eye Cream. BEACON: No animal testing.

SHINE: Pacifica Good Karma Skincare Set. BEAUTY: Purify your skin, protect your lips from the elements and prevent premature aging with Sea Foam Complete Face Wash, Dreamy Youth Day and Night Face Cream, Alight Multi-Mineral BB Cream and Natural Color Quench Lip Tint (Guava Berry). BEACON: Vegan and cruelty free. Contains no parabens, mineral and peanut oils, petroleum, carmine or FD&C colors.

SHINE: Pevonia Lumafirm Face and Body Gift Set. BEAUTY: LumaFirm Repair Cream Lift & Glow, Freeze-Dried Intensifier and Body Moisturizer help lock in moisture and maximize suppleness. BEACON: No animal testing. Free of parabens, alcohol, lanolin, mineral oil, PABA, urea, formaldehyde, artificial colors and sulfates.


SHINE: 100% Pure Red Wine Resveratrol Skin Care Gift Set. BEAUTY: Prevent signs of aging, environmental damage and loss of elasticity with Red Wine Resveratrol Scrub + Mask, Antioxidant Serum, Nourishing Cream and Eye Cream. BEACON: Vegan, and gluten and cruelty free. Contains no detergents, synthetic chemicals, or artificial fragrances or colors.

National Sleep Awareness Week: Prevent Premature Aging with Proper Rest & Nighttime Skin Treatments

Slumber party: Sweet deep sleep.

Time to get your beauty rest. It's National Sleep Awareness Week!

Most of us don't get a good night's sleep. However, proper rest not only improves your health and quality of life, it may also significantly increase your longevity. In fact, researchers say that seven to eight hours of Zzzs each night help boost your memory, lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and keep your emotional well-being in check.

On the other hand, lack of sleep can wreak havoc on your body and complexion. If your skin doesn't get a chance to renew and repair itself during the night, it can result in sagging, puffy eyes, dark circles and premature aging. Plus, the way you position yourself in bed can cause problems, so avoid sleeping on your side or stomach. It may result in facial creasing, fine lines and wrinkling. Instead, rest on your back and stay in this position throughout the night.

If you need to step up your slumber strategy, the National Sleep Foundation suggests the following tips: 

 • Avoid napping during the day.

 • Prior to bedtime, steer clear of caffeine, chocolate, nicotine and alcohol.

 • Participate in regular exercise.

 • Establish a relaxing bedtime routine, such as sipping a cup of herbal tea or listening to soothing music. 

 • Keep your sleep environment comfortable, quiet and cool (between 60 and 67 degrees).

You also want to maintain proper skincare practices as much at night as you do in the morning. This means you need to remove your makeup and cleanse your face prior to bedtime to keep your pores unclogged. Plus, apply a nourishing night cream that will help hydrate and heal your skin while you sleep without irritating it. 

The following moisturizers will turn you into a sleeping beauty in no time. Sweet dreams!

SHINE: B-Leve B-Restful Rejuvenating Night Cream. BEAUTY: Deeply moisturize and mend damaged skin cells with safflower and castor oils, grape stem cell extract and peptides. BEACON: No animal testing.

SHINE: Neutrogena Naturals Multi-Vitamin Nourishing Night Cream. BEAUTY: Replenish essential skin nutrients and restore radiance with yerba mate tea leaf, and inca inchi, olive and castor oils. BEACON: No animal testing. Free of sulfates, parabens, petrolatum, dyes and phthalates. Supports The Nature Conservancy and Forest Stewardship Council.

SHINE: Skin Authority Night Revitalizer. BEAUTY: Brighten dull skin and tighten fine lines with sunflower seed oil, glycolic acid, aloe vera leaf juice and algae extract. BEACON: No animal testing. Free of parabens, dyes and added fragrances. Supports Look Good...Feel Better.

SHINE: Veria Innerdosha Ideal Night Moisturizer. BEAUTY: Sunflower seed oil, shea fruit butter, hyaluronic acid and peptides help restart collagen production and smooth fine lines while you sleep. BEACON: Vegan and cruelty free. Contains no parabens, phthalates, synthetic fragrances, sulfates, artificial colors or GMOs.

SHINE: Vie Collection Night Peel Progressive Resurfacing Cream. BEAUTY: Gently exfoliate your skin to leave it more luminous with vitamin E, and algae and shea butter extracts. BEACON: No animal testing. Free of parabens.

National Magic Week: How to Make Signs of Aging Disappear in the Blink of an Eye

I performed my first magic trick at the age of 8 when I made water disappear from a drinking glass. Truth be told, while my family closed their eyes, I recited an impromptu incantation and then sucked up the water with a straw as quickly as possible. When they reopened their eyes, it appeared as though the liquid had vanished into thin air. And, poof--faster than you can say "the wizarding world of Harry Potter"--I became an aspiring Hermione Granger.

Now, as a beauty blogger, I get to show women how to perform their own vanishing acts. By selecting products with the right ingredients for their skin type, they can make crows feet, wrinkles and expression lines disappear--and that's no hocus pocus. 

In honor of National Magic Week, which began last Friday and ends on Halloween, we've assembled some of the best anti-aging moisturizers, serums and night creams on the market. Their bag of tricks includes healing and hydrating hyaluronic acid, peptides, vitamins and green tea extract, which help transform sagging skin into a silky smooth complexion. 

You'll feel like you're on a magic carpet ride!

SHINE: CellCeuticals CellGenesis. BEAUTY: Peptides and vitamin E will hold you spellbound, as they promote cellular regeneration and renew skin's smoothness. BEACON: No animal testing and vegan. Contains no artificial colorants or fragrances, sodium lauryl sulfate, phthalates or parabens.

SHINE: Dionis Goat Milk Skincare Green Conscience Wrinkle Cream. BEAUTY: Create your own disappearing act, as marine extracts, vitamin E, coconut oil and hyaluronic acid help make signs of premature aging vanish. BEACON: No animal testing. Free of parabens.

SHINE: Hydroxatone Anti-Aging BB Cream, AM/PM Anti-Wrinkle Complex and Intensive Overnight Repair. BEAUTY: Vitamins C and E, peptides and hyaluronic acid work their magic to firm and lift the appearance of skin, and improve overall strength, resiliency and volume. BEACON: Contains no parabens.

SHINE: Kate Somerville Deep Tissue Repair. BEAUTY: You don't need any smoke or mirrors with this high-performance hydrator, as it reduces the visible depth and density of fine lines and wrinkles with macadamia and jojoba seed oils, vitamin E, peptides and hyaluronic acid. BEACON: No animal testing.

SHINE: Refineé Line Stop. BEAUTY: Abracadabra! Green tea extract and peptides help you dramatically diminish the look of expression lines, crows feet and furrows. BEACON: No animal testing.

SHINE: Skin Authority Wrinkle Reversing Serum. BEAUTY: This serum will cast a spell over you, as it maximizes moisture retention, and plumps and fills folds and wrinkles with lactic acid, vitamin C, and orange and lemon peel oils. BEACON: No animal testing. Free of parabens, dyes and added fragrances. Supports Look Good...Feel Better.

Peptide Guide: How to Help Aging & Damaged Skin Defy the Odds

Photos by Rhonda J. Wilson

Some things defy explanation. Take the tree that grows sideways in my neighborhood. It springs across the sidewalk and street in a proud but precarious position, committing horizontal hijinks on the hundreds of pedestrians and drivers who journey underneath it on a daily basis. It never ceases to amaze and delight the locals.

The same can be said about peptides--those powerhouse plumping ingredients used in skincare formulations to create Botox-like results. These teeny-tiny molecules, also known as small chains of amino acids, defy the odds and produce big results. They not only signal the skin to create more collagen, but they also significantly soften fine lines and wrinkles with no side effects.

Meet the most powerful anti-aging peptides available:

Palmitoyl pentapeptide: Absorbs deeper into the skin to stimulate collagen production and improve hydration. 

Heptapeptide-7: Strengthens skin's structure and restores firmness. 

Tetrapeptide-2: Improves tone and texture, and helps the skin defend against visible signs of aging.

Hexapeptide-3: Relaxes facial tension and reduces wrinkle depth.

Oligopeptide: Smoothes skin for a more rejuvenated look.

Take a look at the latest serums, moisturizers, and eye and hand creams that contain healing and hydrating peptides. They're designed to repair and renew your skin--as well as amaze and delight.

SHINE: VB Cosmetics Abrioné Face Lifting Serum. BEAUTY: Firm sagging skin and wrinkles with palmitoyl pentapeptide, green tea leaf extract, hyaluronic acid and marine algae extracts. BEACON: No animal testing.

SHINE: Apothederm Firming Serum. BEAUTY: Heptapeptide-7 and hexapeptide-14 help tighten and brighten skin to create luminosity and a lifted look. BEACON: No animal testing. Free of parabens, phthalates and fragrances.

SHINE: Dionis Green Conscience Wrinkle Cream. BEAUTY: Ease fine lines and wrinkles with oligopeptide, tetrapeptide-7, sunflower and jojoba seed oils, and marine algae extract. BEACON: No animal testing. Free of parabens.

SHINE: Juice Beauty Green Apple Age Defy Hand Cream. BEAUTY: Pentapeptide-4, hexapeptide-3, and the juices of aloe, apple, lemon and white grape help hydrate your hands and mend hyperpigmentation. BEACON: USDA Organic certified. Free of parabens, petroleum, propylene and butylene glycol, sodium lauryl sulfates, pesticides, phthalates, artificial dyes and synthetic fragrances.

SHINE: Kate Somerville Deep Tissue Repair. BEAUTY: Maximize elasticity and firmness, and minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles with macadamia and jojoba seed oils, hyaluronic acid and oligopeptide. BEACON: No animal testing.

SHINE: Lily Herbceuticals Reishi Youth Restore Revitalizing Day Cream. BEAUTY: Mushroom and ginkgo biloba leaf extract, tetrapeptide-2 and shea butter help tighten and brighten skin. BEACON: Contains no petrochemicals or parabens.

SHINE: m-61 Hydraboost Eye. BEAUTY: Replenish moisture and reduce the appearance of dark circles/puffiness with tripeptide-38, vitamin E, hyaluronic acid, and jojoba seed and avocado oils. BEACON: No animal testing. Free of sulfates, parabens, phthalates, and synthetic fragrances and dyes.

SHINE: Murad Advanced Active Radiance Serum. BEAUTY: Hexapeptide-2, vitamin E and hyaluronic acid promote collagen production, and help restore radiance and resilience to your skin. BEACON: No animal testing.

SHINE: Nature Pure Labs Hippophae Pepto-Ceramide Complex. BEAUTY: Increase moisture retention and prevent premature aging with oligopeptide, and ginkgo biloba leaf and St John's wort extracts. BEACON: No animal testing. Free of parabens, and artificial colors and fragrances.