In our next issue, we are looking at the world for South Asian American women as you turn 30.  And as a preview, NEEM went out there and found the best products to help you look as young as you feel.  Because after all, 30 is the new 16… just with a few more candles!

Peel Away:  Nordic Skin Peel by Skyn Iceland
Whenever I hear the word “Skin Peel” I tend to panic.  But the truth is, as you creep towards 30 you need that extra exfoliant.    So how do you do a peel without the pain?  For South Asian women we turned to Skyn Iceland!

It’s Claim: Removes dull flaky skin, diminishes fine lines, redness and periodic breakouts. With the help of papaya fruit extract, it helps brighten skin while with hazel reduces poor size and Skyn Iceland’s amazing Biospheric Complex dramatically soothes and stabilizes stressed skin.

NEEM says: We tried this peel on two different women, one 29 years of age and the other 46 years of age – and they BOTH loved it.  At the cost of $45 for 60 face pads, using it twice a week, these women were in awe of the change in their skin after only 2-3 weeks of use.  For the 29 year old intern, there was an almost immediate change in pore size and reduction in breakouts.  For the 45 year old, there was a brightening of skin and youthful glow.  All and all – it’s a win!

Erasing Moisturizer:  Starting Over by Origins

We get to a point as we grow up where a simple cold cream just doesn’t cut it.  But how do South Asian American women let go of our mother’s home remedies and claims that these creams just don’t work?  By using a smooth moisturizer that does exactly what our mom’s claim:  harness the power of natural ingredients! For NEEM readers that would be Origin’s Starting Over Age Erasing Moisturizer.

The Claim: Without the use of injections or other painful procedures, Origin’s utilizes high performance plant ingredients to rebuild natural collagen, even skin tone and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

NEEM says: If there was an map to the fountain of youth, it would lead you to the nearest Origins store.  We were so impressed by this moisturizer that many of us have added it to the “must buy for Mother’s day” list that we keep.  Within the first two weeks of use, we immediately saw a difference.  Skin was much more radiant – despite long and stressful workdays – and skin tone started to even out.  As you head towards 30, this is a MUST HAVE!

RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream

It’s Claim: Visibly minimized wrinkles, noticeably firmed and smoothed skin.

NEEM says: The first thing that made our heads turn was the price!  $19.99 for a tube of allegedly wondrous cream that could do what other $200 creams claim to do as well.  And, frankly, it worked better than some of the more expensive creams.  Within the first week, people asked us if we had come back from vacation, changed our sleeping patterns, or if we had gotten “some work done.”  One thing to be careful of:  don’t use it every night if you have dry skin, as retinol may make it peel!

This was a taste of things to come… in our next issue, we’ll discuss the essentials of skincare and beauty as South Asian women hit 30 and beyond.  Email us if you have specific concerns and questions, and our beauty experts will try to help!

More Winter Beauty & Skincare tips can be found HERE.

1) Wear glasses.

From the sexy librarian to our  intellectual heroes, Jean-Paul Sartre, Noam Chomsky, Elton John. They all wear glasses.  Hint.

2) Massage your temples.

You’ve seen Clark Kent do it.  And everyone thinks he’s smart.  So before you ask or answer a question, massage  your temples for the dramatic flair.  Everyone will pause and pay more attention to what you have to say.  And even for people that aren’t listening to what you are saying… it gives the impression that, wow – that person must be thinking/working very hard.  A huge plus at the office!

3) Sit with one leg crossed over the other.

Sitting with one leg crossed over the other is one of the intelligent community’s worst kept secrets. Anyone who has ever attended a family party can recall seeing at least one of their uncles sitting this way.

4) Begin conversations with a famous quote.

Ever notice how much smarter someone sounds just because they can pull a quote out of thin air.  Learn from these people.  It creates an instant “wow” factor and you are less likely to be questioned on even a dumb answer.  Now, don’t quote Kiss or Aerosmith.  Try quoting Ben Franklin or someone with a fancy name like François de la Rochefoucauld.

5) Coffee Love, Stop With the Red Bull.

Red bull at work is akin to college.  When you are at work, you can’t meet the Partner over a Redbull or another energy drink.  But – you can meet them over a cup of coffee.  So learn about coffee — not Starbucks — and local coffee shops.  Know what to recommend, know the tastes.  Love the tastes.

– Aram Jawad, NEEM Magazine Contributing Writer

Follow us on Twitter!

As soon as we heard:  where you are and when you there, our ears perked up and we thought, “Would I want someone that I don’t know – who is not even in my online friend circle – to know exactly where I am?”

So what are the potential risks in location-based social media?

(1) Your Boss Finds Out You Aren’t Grabbing that Cup of Coffee

The first thing we thought of was that users may be unwittingly giving away their information to everyone on these social media platforms.  Something as innocent as running out to get a cup of coffee, then Tweeting quickly about an Hermes scarf as you stand outside the Hermes store near Rockefeller could send a message to your boss that you are not where you are supposed to be.  In a world of digitally alert bosses, human resources, and co-workers, the last thing you want to do is appear to be somewhere you are not supposed to be.

Twitter & Facebook posts have gotten people fired.  Those aren’t protected classes underemployment law.

(2) Your Personal Safety is at Issue

Having spent some time working in crimes against women & children in the District Attorney’s office in Atlanta, we automatically thought of one glaring issue:  predators & minors.  With the explosion of MySpace in the digital sphere, there was a critical concern of safety issues with minors connecting with predators online.  With something as innocuous as an online post an a location-aware site, these same minors are exclaiming their location to those same predators.

(3) Everyone Knows if You are at Home or Not

There have already been burglaries that may be linked to online status postings:  ”Out of town for the week!”  on Twitter or “Won’t be home till 2am” on a public profile on Facebook.  While it’s true that most people don’t make a habit of running through social media posts to plan their next heist – it’s also not unheard of.  A location based social media platform would make it increasingly easy for these crimes to occur, because there will be an online database of all the empty homes in that location.  To tempting to resist?

We’re not saying that location based social media is a bad thing, but as with all things out there:  realize & assess the risks!

Follow SLF on twitter:  http://twitter.com/sardarlawfirm

Reprinted with permission from Sardar Law Firm and Social Media Legal.

Pop The Pills – And Breaths
Take an aspirin or ibuprofen about 30 – 45 minutes before your wax.  The medicine will dull the pain by the time you start waxing.    Remember, this is not an excuse to pop an Aleve or an Excendrin!  Those are high potency meds, not needed to get waxed. So pick a regular painkiller instead!

Warm It Up:  Not the Wax, But Your Skin!

Women tend to have cold arms, making waxing much more painful because it constricts the pores.  Before  you wax, take a warm shower or use a warm compress just prior to waxing, it will open up the skin pores and allow the hair follicles to come out easier.  If you are getting it done professionally, and it’s cold in the room – ask for a blanket.

Dehydration Nightmares

Wine or beer before getting waxed can increase the pain.  Your body is dehydrated, and stimulants in the system can cause skin to be extra sensitive to waxing.

Warm Wax ONLY!!!!
As you can see, the theme here is HEAT.  There are cold wax strips out there, but they are rarely effective for your arms.  Save the pain and doubled effort and stick with a warm wax.

— Joy Shuka, NEEM Magazine Contributing Writier

Step #1:  DaMaGe CoNtRoL

When you wash your face before bed tonight, pat your face dry with a towel and lean in closer to the mirror. Yes, I don’t like doing this either, but the truth is that you have to assess your eye area without cream, concealer, or foundation to really get an accurate understanding of what your skin needs. If you have dark circles or the area around your eyes is puffy, fear not because there are definitely some measures you can take. If you find yourself noticing (gasp!) a few lines or wrinkles, relax. It’s much better to take a proactive approach and start now so that you can prevent more in the future.

A time-tested home remedy to soothe dark circles is cucumber slices. Everyone has heard of this and while they do help, an even better (and less known) method is thin slices of potato. It sounds crazy but it works. Place slices on your eyes for 10 minutes a day while you lay down and you’ll definitely start to look more awake in as soon as a week.

Another great idea is to throw a couple of teaspoons in the freezer for a few hours and use them to press down (gently!) on the eye area once a day for a few minutes. This is especially helpful to soothe puffy eyes, so it might be a good thing to add to your morning routine.

Step #2:  MaInTaIn

Whether you’re in your early twenties or late thirties, it’s never too early (or late) to start using an eye cream. There are a ton of different formulas at varying price points out there, but some are better than others. One of the things to keep in mind as you search for an eye cream is that some of the most expensive ones can do absolutely nothing, while cheaper ones are surprisingly rather effective. Also, don’t expect to see a huge difference in a few days. Eye cream is more of a long term strategy to prevent and heal.  After finishing a bottle or two, you can expect to start to see a difference. Most bottles are meant to last 2-3 months. Lastly, make sure to dot (not rub) the cream under your eye with your ring finger, since it is supposed to be the gentlest. Here are some suggestions that I recommend based on personal experience or from friends. I’ve listed them in order of increasing price so you can find one that fits within your budget:

100% Pure Organic Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream

This was recommended to me recently by a friend of a friend so I decided to give it a shot. For $19, this sounded too good to be true, but she said that it has worked great for her. I’ve used it for about a week now and I am in love with how great it smells. Available online only at Bath & Body Works.com.

Clinique All About Eyes Rich

This is a great buy for those of you who are loyal to your department store skincare lines. Clinique has long been a favorite among many girls because of their fragrances and cosmetics. A law school classmate raves about the results she got with this eye cream. $28.50 at Sephora and most major department stores.

Shiseido Bio-Performance Super Eye Contour Cream

A friend told me she has been using this for years and has seen a dramatic difference in the way her eye area looks. I am a big fan of Shiseido eye products in general. Another Shiseido suggestion (if you’re specifically trying to target dark circles) is the White Lucent Brightening Eye Treatment. I just finished a bottle of that and started to see a slight difference toward the end of the bottle. Both are around $55 at Sephora and most major department stores.

La Mer: The Eye Concentrate

Ahh, La Mer. Hands down, this is one of the best skincare lines in the world. Used several notable celebrities as well as women with an envy-worthy disposable income, La Mer has been said to literally transform skin. Even aestheticians recommend it, so you know it’s for real. $165 at Bloomingdale’s and Nordstrom.

Step #3:  DrEsS ‘eM uP
Of course, these eye creams take time to do their thing, so while you’re waiting, let’s make sure you’ve got some great makeup to cover up the damage. Of course, no article about eyes is complete without some concealer information, so I shall oblige. I have tried many over the years, but my favorites have come from Estee Lauder and Bobbi Brown. I found that the MAC ones were too light and Bare Minerals doesn’t provide enough coverage. Your best bet is to hit a Sephora or local department store to let one of the representatives do their thing. Remember, no makeup – they need to be able to see your skin in all its glory to give you the best recommendation. Be sure to tell them what kind of formula you’re looking for (cream, tube, etc.) as well as what other makeup you use.

Hope these suggestions help.  Remember though, that all the products in the world can’t replace lack of sleep or bad eating habits, so get those 8 hours and your fruits and vegetables!

— Sonia Lakhany, Editor of Culinary Affairs

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