Like in any industry, beauty companies tend to follow each other's lead. Tinted moisturizer, added SPF, and organic ingredients are just some of the recent trends that we have all benefitted from. Others, like vibrating mascara wands for instance, we've happily gone back to doing without. The latest beauty craze, however, is likely here to stay: it's an emerging product called BB cream and nearly every brand from the drug- to department store level is on board.

I recently spoke to Pierce Rees, beauty expert for Shoppers Drug Mart, to get the 411 on this new cream everyone is talking about:

There's a new product line to add to our ever-increasing bizarre beauty lineup. It goes by the name Dairyface, which is really about as self-explanatory as any product name can be.

The skincare range is made from food grade ingredients, so fresh that they require refrigeration. This takes the organic beauty trend to a whole new level, almost back to the days of egg facials and mayonnaise conditioning masks.The packaging even resembles yogurt containers from the dairy aisle. In fact, you can buy Dairyface just a few aisles over at high-end grocers, such as Whole Foods.

Some things go without saying … or at least you'd think. For instance, if you said to me: "Come over to my house tonight. We're having a do-it-yourself filler party with real needles and everything!" I probably wouldn't come over. Because it goes without saying that at-home fillers are a bad idea, right? Wrong.

Confession time: I am a klutz. As a child, it’s cute; as a teenager, it’s a phase; but as an adult, it’s embarrassing. And more importantly, it’s a hazard to my health and wardrobe!

On any given day it’s a safe bet that I will spill something, knock something over, drop something or bump into something. (If you’re thinking I should have my eye sight and depth perception checked, trust me I have.)

It’s the bumping into things that’s the worst because, in addition to being klutzy, I bruise like a peach. So you can imagine my delight when offered a chance to try out Zax’s Original Bruise Cream. 

We're constantly being warned to "read the label" because it's important to know what's in our food, cleaning supplies, and especially our beauty products. The goal is to avoid dangerous chemicals and harsh toxins that can be easily absorbed by our skin, but some of the latest beauty items to hit stores are dangerous for a different reason. These ingredients won't harm you, rather they are being marketed to appeal to the bad girl in all of us.

Malin + Goetz has developed a new fragrance containing rum for an extra sweet and sultry scent. How intoxicating!

A few years ago, I returned home from Rio de Janeiro with what I thought to be a cluster of freckles under my right eye. As my sun kissed skin regained its ghostly shade, however, the stubborn spot remained. The following summer another popped up, this time under my left eye, so I decided it was time for my first trip to the dermatologist.

Yep, I see what you mean, she said. It's hyperpigmentation and it's happening here, here, and here, too, she added. I freaked out a little bit, especially when she pointed to what can only be referred to as my moustache area—not exactly a spot I was looking to darken. She went on to tell me that it was a result of sun exposure combined with my oral contraceptive. There were bleaching agents she could prescribe, but unless I came off of the pill, it would only reoccur.

Despite ten years of interviewing makeup artists and skincare professionals, I recognize that I am not one of them. In fact, even with all of the many fabulous tips I've picked up over the years, I'm fairly certain that some of my practices would garner a big old tsk tsk if those pros ever found out…so naturally I'm going to put them on the Internet. Wacky as they may be, I stand by these little tricks of mine, and perhaps you'll see some merit in them, too.

As I type, my back is a glowing shade of pink. In my infinite wisdom this weekend I lathered up with sunscreen post-shower and decided that I would ask one of my friends to coat my back once we got down to the cottage dock. I forgot (obviously) and am now suffering the consequences.

This is not the first time I've fried my back - out of sight, out of mind, I suppose. And there are other major culprits you should bear in mind while applying sunscreen during these steamy summer months:

I'm turning 30 soon – like, really soon – and for me, 30 is a big deal. I've already had my life freak out in sheer anticipation. Quit my steady 9-5? Check. Moved to the other side of the city to avoid former work surroundings? Check. Money permitting I would have taken the summer to travel South America for one final push at outrunning 30, but alas my broke self has no choice other than to face this impending doom.

It's not the number that scares me so much as the reality of it. Thirty looks and feels much different than 29. Just ask my hangover. And then there's my general lack of energy, my slowing metabolism, and - worst of all - my aging skin. My mom used to tell a story about receiving Oil of Olay for her thirtieth birthday and weeping in response. I, on the other hand, have an open door policy on anything and everything that can help my skin stay bright and taut.

I recently spoke to Dr. Cory Goldberg about just this and asked him about the best ways to start preventing aging now. Here's what the good doctor had to say:

The other day I was walking down the street with my boyfriend, bemoaning the fact that I'm running out of wearable sandals. As the weather warms I tend to wear one pair until I'm bleeding and blistered, then move on to the next, and the next, and so on, until I start the cycle anew and, well, I'm almost ready for another go-round.

Then he says: "Why don't you just Krazy Glue your blisters?" Say wha? Don't be ridiculous. Everyone knows you're not supposed to get Krazy Glue on your skin—I'm not gonna wipe it on there intentionally. "Whatever," he says, "it works."

Huh.