From decision-making help to pure entertainment, iPhone beauty applications are popping up faster than you can download them.

Some of the earliest applications gave you the opportunity to perform simple tasks, such as replicating the looks of famous faces like Angelina Jolie. But now there are a variety of beauty-related applications that enable you to do anything from locating nearby beauty services to seeing what you might look like after plastic surgery. You can even access tips and tutorials so you know what to buy when you’re standing in a Sephora store.

We all long for longer lashes.  But what lengths will we go to get them, and what are we willing to risk?

Latisse, a prescription treatment meant to grow longer, fuller, darker lashes, was actually released in 2001 as a Glaucoma medication called Lumagen.  The side effects of Lumagen were longer lashes.

Besides costing over $100 a month and about $300 before full results can be realized, Latisse also needs to be used continuously to maintain results - which gets expensive!

Now for the not-so-luxurious side effects…

Fads come and go.  But trends reflect a true shift in value.  It’s 2010.  These days, you may value time more than material things, want proof that something works, and long to treat yourself with affordable luxury.  These are some of the trends emerging in the market this year, and just what we provide for you at Breakthrough in Beauty.

Kate Gosselin, former star of reality show Jon & Kate Plus 8, seemed to go from mommy to model in a day with the help of some fabulous hair extensions from celebrity hairstylist Ted Gibson.  Yes, it took 20 hours - but look at what a difference it made in her new glamorous look!  At 34, taking care of 8 kids, she deserves to do something that makes her look and feel beautiful.

Eye creams can be expensive, often costing more than face creams - even though they come in smaller containers.  But, is it necessary that we treat the skin around our eyes with products made especially for the eyes?

The answer is not always.  The reason to use an eye cream as opposed to using your daily face cream is that most eye creams are formulated for sensitive skin and lack harsh ingredients such as formaldehyde and fragrance that can irritate the eyes and skin around the eyes.  Plus, eye creams contain special ingredients to address puffiness and under eye dark circles.  These special ingredients are what make the product expensive, even in small doses.  Some eye creams promote collagen growth, which helps improve the appearance of sagging skin.

Think you don’t have to wear sunscreen in the winter?  Check out these sunscreen myths and learn why it’s just as important to protect your skin from the sun’s harmful rays in winter as in summer, whether it’s cloudy or sunny.

It’s a new year.  Out with the old and in with the new - even beauty products.  It’s time to take a look through your bathroom cabinets and finally toss out those expired products that have been sitting around for years.  There aren’t any hard-and-fast rules for exactly when to throw out old makeup or skincare products, but we’d like to share some general guidelines and helpful tips for you to keep in mind.

The start of the New Year is a wonderful time to take stock of our past and establish resolutions to improve the year to come.  At Breakthrough in Beauty, we have resolutions as a team, as well as our own personal beauty resolutions to live beautifully ever after.

At Breakthrough in Beauty we resolve to help women cut through the confusion of finding innovative beauty products that actually work.  Women want to be beautiful - with less fuss, fewer frills, and products that really work.  Our expert team of leading dermatologists, cosmetic chemists and scientists, and beauty consumer experts rigorously researches and evaluates thousands of products - so you don’t have to.  We conduct comprehensive consumer use tests and independent clinical trials to ensure products are safe and effective before granting our seal of approval and recommending them to you.

What’s going on behind the scenes, you ask?  Exciting stuff!

We’d like to give you a sneak peak at the results of the new skincare line we’re testing.  The women who are participating in our user group clinical trials for our new anti-aging skincare discovery have just reached their 30-day mark.  This week, they came into the office for their 30-day follow-up so we could evaluate their results and take their “after” pictures.  Their results were truly amazing, and they were just raving about the products.

It’s time for many of us to travel home for the holidays to see family, friends, and maybe even people we haven’t seen since high school.  We’ve got to look gorgeous.  It helps to have products that make us look younger, rested, and glowing - even when we’re tired and our skin is dehydrated after a long day of airplane travel.  It’s even better if the products travel well. 

We discovered a fabulous portable mini-kit from Benefit Cosmetics called “Realness of Concealness”.  It contains their top concealers and enhancers in a convenient kit small enough to pass through airport security, yet fully able to help you look your best when you get to your destination.  Here’s a peek into what’s included in the kit and why we love it.

The holidays are finally here.  After our last meeting, our team here at Breakthrough in Beauty indulged in a little chat about our holiday gift-giving experiences.  Since we’ve let you in on our favorite holiday shopping tips, I thought it would be fun to share some of our personal gift-giving experiences with you as well, so you can get to know us a little better.  And maybe you’ll get some gift-giving ideas of your own.

I once heard the oh-so-true saying that “brows should be siblings, not twins”.  Tweezing your eyebrows so that they line up perfectly can be agonizing.  And getting them professionally tweezed, waxed, or threaded each time can get expensive.  Instead, try mastering the steps below to get your brows in shape.

I’m 90% done with Christmas shopping and I haven’t bought a single thing in a store.  I’ve saved a ton of money shopping online!  I’d love to pass along some of my tips to help you save your hard-earned cash and still score fabulous gifts.

Let’s face it.  Most mornings, there’s not time to take the extra steps to prep our skin properly for flawless makeup application.  Sometimes, I find myself subtracting minutes from my morning beauty routine depending on how many times I’ve hit the snooze button on my alarm.  However, taking the extra time to prime your skin for makeup when getting dolled up for special occasions, weekends, or holidays, can really make a difference in creating a seamless look.  Here are some ways to prime your skin for ideal makeup application:

Winter is fast approaching, and as it starts to get colder outside, our skin tends to become drier.  You may not realize that certain things we do contribute to our dry skin.  For example, I happen to love blasting the hot water in the shower so I defrost like a snowwoman in the morning, and I love leaving the space heater on all day to stay cozy.  However, both of these suck the moisture from skin and leave it itchy and dry.

Here are some tips to keep your skin hydrated and protected even in cold weather.