Do you ever wish there was an alternative to your normal makeup routine? There is. It’s called mineral makeup, a hot new trend in beauty today. Many beauty schools include mineral makeup in their makeup artist program.

Let’s brush on some of the benefits of mineral makeup. It’s all natural. These minerals come straight from the Earth. Fans of mineral makeup rave about the lightness and the long-lasting glow. Some claim it’s healthier on the skin.

Now let’s take a harder look in the mirror. Critics dispute the health-enhancing benefits and claim most other cosmetics have mineral compounds anyway.

But let’s not bat an eyelash. A hot trend is a hot trend. Discover what the fuss is about. Mineral makeup ranges in price from under $10 to over $50. One top brand in mineral makeup is Bare Escentuals. The company won a 2010 Glammy Beauty Award for its foundation product sold in department/specialty stores.

Other noted brands include PUR Minerals, Jane Iredale Mineral Makeup, Colorscience Mineral Makeup and Mineral Hygienics Mineral Makeup.

If you are a nail technician or even polish your own nails at home, then you’ve experienced the awful nail polish smell that invades the room as soon as the cap is twisted free from the bottle. Now, imagine giving manicures and pedicures for eight hours straight unable to leave the room! For many nail technicians, dizzy spells and significant health concerns result from the daily intake.

“About 50 percent of nail technicians are reporting that they’re experiencing headaches, skin irritations, all types of irritations after they’ve begun working in this workforce,” said researcher Thu Quach with the Cancer Prevention Institute of California.

For California nail technicians, these health concerns have been taken into consideration. A toxic-free nail polish was introduced to San Francisco nail technicians during a free manicure kickoff campaign to encourage others that safe nail products will be better for all. Nail polish typically contains three hazardous chemicals known as the Toxic Trio. These chemicals, dibutyl phthalate, formaldehyde and toluene, are absent from the polish. To go along with this, a new ordinance was also introduced in San Francisco.

“It will be the first in the nation and it will recognize nail salons that use toxic trio free products,” said Julia Liou with the California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative and Asian Health Services.

If the ordinance goes through, San Francisco nail technicians and salons that use these safer non-toxic products will be publicly recognized through the use of signage in the salon’s window.

We shouldn’t have to risk our health or others health in order to feel pretty!

State laws seem to be up for discussion in the state of Nevada. It was instituted July 1, 2010 that skin specialists (the ones that practice making you look years younger by taking the wrinkles out of your face) will be required to receive training before getting licensed. Training hours are also being upped from 500 to 600 hours for students studying at Nevada nail technician schools and from 600 to 900 hours for  aestheticians schools.

“The additional training is needed for infection control,” says Vincent Jimno, executive director of the state Board of Cosmetology.

But now this appears to be up in the air. After the instatement of these laws, a spokesman for the Nevada governor recently said the state cosmetology boards will be reconsidered for this state, posing the question “Are they really necessary?”

Make up your mind Nevada!

When it comes to achieving beautiful skin, most of us are familiar with some of the old-school standbys. Facial masks, eye-cucumbers, and exfoliating body scrubs are all reliable techniques that make up a skilled esthetician’s arsenal.

But now it’s time for healthy skin enthusiasts to check out the wave of the future!

Inspired by some of the innovative equipment used in professional esthetics practices, these gadgets are designed for in-home use. Do they stack up to your neighborhood esthetician? You’ll have to be the judge on that. But if you’re hankering to give any of these ultra-modern beauty machines a try, you just might have the calling for your very own career in esthetics!

1. Crystalift Resurfacing System

By combining crystal resurfacing with vacuum-lift therapy, this Crystalift doo-dad removes dead cells and polishes skin to help you achieve a healthy glow. It’s inspired by the microdermabrasion equipment used in dermatology practices. Price: $249

2. Tria Laser Hair Removal

Safer than razors, this laser device helps remove those unwanted hair follicles, wherever they may be hiding. With three intensity levels, even those with sensitive skin can use this machine. It’ll cost you a pretty penny, though. At $995, I think I’ll choose my trusted esthetician to take care of this job for me.

3. The Marvel Mini

Estheticians and dermatologists have long known about the power light. By harnessing different wavelengths and frequencies, light can help us address our skin concerns. Enter, the Marvel Mini. With varieties in red, green and blue, these miniature glowing devices can help address skin issues like fine lines, wrinkles, age spots and acne. Price: $225

Besides being super low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium, plus a good source of Potassium and Vitamins A and C (us health junkies are loving this!), watermelon is also a pure and natural beauty enhancer. It’s true! Watermelons act as a natural beauty product. If only women knew about the skin secrets behind this juicy fruit, they’d be rubbing it on their faces just as much they eat it. Okay, maybe not quite like that, but watermelons can act as a natural moisturizer. Not to mention, it’s an effective skin toner and skin tightner! Try it for yourself! Here are some clever beauty uses to try at home using watermelon:

The Watermelon Face Pack

This is the perfect remedy after you

’ve been outside all day in the blistering heat. Take roughly one cup of watermelon pulp, and apply it to the face and neck areas. Rinse after 15 minutes. This will invigorate the skin making it soft and supple, as well as giving it that cool and youthful shine.

Alleviating sunburn is another great use for a watermelon face pack. Watermelon pulp along with cucumber pulp can help heal sunburn and lighten skin complexion. Got a bad sunburn and don’t want to look like a lobster? Then apply about a half cup each of cucumber and watermelon pulp to the burnt region for 20 minutes and watch the pain and redness fade.

The Watermelon Scrub

Grate a watermelon, extracting all of its juice. Then mix with a pinch of gram flour (flour made from ground chickpeas) and wah-lah – you’ve got an authentic beauty scrub! Apply the paste to the face, leaving it on for 15 minutes before rinsing. The end result is an excellent scrub that will leave your skin radiant.

So, this summer when you get ready to chow down on some delicious watermelon at your next BBQ, remember to snag some leftovers for your cosmetics collection.

Impulse Beauty inside Macy’s at the Brea Mall in Brea, Calif.

In an attempt to compete with retailers like Sephora and Ulta, Macy’s is debuting a new self-serve beauty department in select stores around the country. These new beauty outposts have been named “Impulse Beauty”, and are designed to let customers peruse their favorite brands at their leisure.

I, for one, am glad to see this kind of presentation. I prefer to test out a product on my own, rather than have a sales person try it on me. What remains to be seen is whether or not customers feel less pressured by commissioned sales people to make a purchase.

What are your thoughts? Would you like to make your department store beauty purchases in an area like “Impulse Beauty”, or do you prefer traditional beauty counters? Share!

DIY-beauty can be a great way to save some dough. But if you’re thinking you have to resort to crazy (and smelly…) tactics involving mayonnaise, egg yolks or other odd kitchen items, think again!

Here are a few affordable (even totally free in some cases) ways to look and feel your very best with the help of common household items.

Great Hair

1.       Pump up the volume

Try adding mousse into your hairstyling routine. It brings more bang for the buck than some other hair-pumping products.

Another (totally free!) way to add some lift to your ‘do is by blow-drying your hair upside down. Flip your hair over and dry the hair away from the scalp. When it’s barely damp, flip it back and continue styling.

2.       Bring out the shine

Add a weekly hot-oil treatment to your beauty regimen. Sound expensive? It doesn’t have to be! Pick up some jojoba oil (you can find it at natural food stores for around $10) and substitute this for pricier hair-repair products.  Just spread the oil generously through dry hair, pop on a plastic shower cap, and cover your head with a hot towel for about a half-hour. When time’s up, rinse your hair with cold water to seal in the moisture. Then, head out and show off those shiny tresses!

Glowing Skin

1.       Erase the redness

To reduce redness and soothe irritated skin, all it takes is a quick trip to the fridge. When you soak a washcloth in cold milk and place the washcloth over your face for about 10 minutes, the proteins, fat, amino acids and vitamin A found in milk can rejuvenate your skin and help it look soft and glowing.

2.       Banish puffy eyes

The caffeine found in tea bags can help tired-looking eyes appear brighter and more awake. By shrinking the underlying dark blood vessels that create puffiness around the eyes, the caffeine can help your eyes look bright once again. Find two tea bags and soak them in hot water for about a minute. Then, dunk them in ice water for a few seconds. Lie down and apply the tea bags to your eyes for about 15 minutes while you take a breather.

Dazzling Smile

1.       Mix your own smile-whitener by creating a homemade paste of baking soda and water. By brushing with this paste a few times a month, you can whiten your teeth by as much as one or two shades.

2.       Keep your teeth white between brushings by treating new stains before they set in. When drinking red wine, choose some crunchy raw vegetables to accompany your drink. By chewing up the veggies, you can help rub away any new stains.

It’s time to go forth and look beautiful! All in the comfort of your own home, no less. Have some tips to add to our list? We want to hear ‘em!

Today, we get everything fast. Fast food, high-speed internet connections and so much more - it’s all available when and where we need it.

Now, we can say the same for the beauty products we don’t want to leave home without. Right next to the vending machine where you’re purchasing that mid-afternoon chocolate fix, you can find a new kind of vending machine. Beauty vending machines!

In Japan, vending machines selling all kinds of unorthodox (to us, anyway) items are more common. Need a new iPod? There’s probably a vending machine for that.

But the new trend stateside is every beauty lover’s dream come true! The Body Shop, Sephora and Elizabeth Arden are just a few of the product lines embracing this idea. Are you ready to see one of these babies near you? It could happen in the near future in places like airports, shopping centers and supermarket chains. In fact, in cities like San Francisco, Las Vegas, Nashville, and more, the beauty vending machines have already arrived!

What do you guys think about this concept? I know I’m on board with vending machines that sell everything I could possibly want. Including emergency lip gloss!

We all know H&M for their budget-friendly, fashion-forward clothing. Now get to know their new skin care line! That’s right! H&M has introduced a collection of bath and body products made with certified organic ingredients and organic packaging! The line includes shower gels, body scrubs and body lotion in either Lavender & Mint (which I’m dying to try!) or Raspberry & Melon scents. There’s also a vanilla lip balm to round out the skin care collection.

The collection also includes toiletry and makeup bags in cheery colors, just in time for spring! The skincare items will retail for $4.95 each, while the makeup and toiletry bags will be $4.95 and $7.95 each, respectively. These eco-friendly items will hit H&M stores this month. I know you can’t resist, so what items will you be picking up?

Not much about soap is exciting. Some are interesting, but you can’t really say it’s provocative. Unless you’re talking about the naughty & nice collections from Villainess Soaps.

Villainess is a bit naughty because they have scents named after deadly deeds like Pyromania, which gives off a sweet, smoky odor and uses poppy seeds as a mild abrasive. I bought my younger sister a bar of Silk & Cyanide for Christmas, which gives off the scents and flavors one experiences while slowly being poisoned. She cautiously thanked me for my trouble.

Villainess is a bit nice because all their products are cruelty-free, and they operate through a full-disclosure policy about all materials used in manufacture. It’s kind of like how the arch-enemy details all her nefarious plans to the hero before she engages the unnecessarily slow-moving crane toward the shark tank.

Villainess Soaps and cosmetic products are hand-made in Waverly, TN by people who are truly passionate (and a bit evil) about their ideals. The soaps are nicely priced and arrive in un-sculpted hunks of glorious texture, color and odor. Ask your local beauty biz if they’ll stock some, or just visit their website at www.villainess.net to see what devilishly clever new things they’ve devised.

Photo: Villainess Soaps