Beauty ideals are always shifting, and we’re big fans of that. Call us optimists, but before long we think we’ll be living in a world where every single person’s unique beauty will be appreciated. So long as we can all keep ignoring the dumb things a small subset of men seem intent to write on the internet. Maybe before long we’ll live in a world where all their keyboards are taken away. Ah, utopia.

Ever wondered why it’s hard to get strong healthy nails? It’s because nails aren’t alive – living tissue can repair itself, and it can do so without any help from us. Despite the fact nails are not alive they grow, or so we think. In fact they don’t actually grow - they appear to when new cells develop under the cuticles pushing out the older dead ones. That’s what forms those hard, flat surfaces we love to pamper and polish.

So you know all about the skin care basics: cleansing, exfoliating, moisturizing, and sun protection. But most skin care companies, Gratiae included, offer a product they call a toner. What’s that all about? Is a toner something that you should add to your skin care regimen?

When it comes to a tendency to betray some secrets such as your age, your heredity, or how you take care of yourself, the eyes have it. Well, maybe not the eyes themselves, but the delicate skin around the eyes can certainly reveal more than you’d like them to. Those fine lines, the skin sags, the “bags” caused by fluid or fat buildup, and those raccoon circles under the eyes are all dead giveaways of things in your life that you might prefer to keep under wraps.

ALL-NATURAL: it’s the buzzword of the 21st century, and it covers everything from food, to clothing, to cleaning products, and on and on. But for our purposes, let’s focus on the idea of natural or all natural skin products. Should you blindly buy a product just because the label indicates that it’s made from “natural” ingredients? Well, that all depends . . .

More and more, the cosmetics industry is doing a booming business selling products to camouflage, conceal, and enhance your appearance. While there’s nothing wrong with having a little fun with makeup, true beauty shines through your complexion. If you follow a regular regimen of skin care, you probably already have clear, healthy skin, but adding a facial mask to your routine will give your complexion that added “oomph” and bring your inner glow to the surface.