Vitamin C is good 4 You

And your skin. Are you using it?

Anti-oxidants protect skin from future sun damage as well as repairing cells of past damage (those darn free radicals). Let me say that again, Vitamin C helps the skin repair itself!

It helps stimulate the production of collagen and elastin which slows down with age – hence the wrinkles.

Internal consumption is extremely good for skin as well. Buffered Vitamin C has always been recommended as a good choice for better body absorption.  Vitamin C is water soluble so you if it’s not absorbed by the body, it leaves.  We need to replenish daily because look at all the health benefits..

3 of my favorites are:

Dr. Spiller Vitamin C Line (serum, day & night cream)

Rodan + Fields Reverse Line (vitamin c & retinol combo) and the Sunscreen is the most hydrating I’ve ever used!

Avalon Organics Vitamin C renewal (lip balm)

So whether it’s finding a skincare line with Vitamin C, throwing an orange slice into your tea/water, munching on C based veggies (bell pepper, cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, collard greens, tomatoes) or supplementing your diet with buffered C (especially during cold & flu season) – start rev-ing UP your anti-aging routine today.

Your skin & body will THANK YOU!

Beauty gifts for Mom

I am enjoying the wonderful Florida sunshine on a business trip and stopped in to visit my folks. I NEVER know what to buy my mom – she buys everything herself! Sound familier?

I just finished a Live Beauty Chat with my mom on my Facebook Page.. Here’s the cheat sheet of gift ideas & the sampling of Mom’s gifts this year. Along with some of the boutiques I will visit online at Facebook to purchase.  Hope this helps you find the perfect gift for Mom this year!

Confession: I still have to order my gifts for mom. Think they will be late. Oops!  Sorry Mom.

Beauty Picks

Makeup Brushes 101

Confession: So many brushes, so little time.  There are no RULES.. but this may help you start.

Everyone always asks me about brushes. Which one should I get for _______?

The answer is any one you want to use. There are no rules in makeup application. I use my fingers to apply shadow on myself ALOT (not on client though.. LOL). It is an art – Your Art. It is like painting. For different effects there are some basics, but it is all up to you! You can wipe your brow and know pressure is off. I will give you some basic guidelines and my favorites, but really the choice is up to you! 🙂

There are basically 3 types of brushes:

Round (which is circular)

Flat (which is straight across)
Filbert (which is curved) Think of this as your finger.

When choosing a brush, first think of the surface you are applying makeup to. Cheeks, eyes, face – this would work well for a ROUND brush. Liner, brows, contouring – you may want more of a FLAT line to blend. Under-eyes, lips, concealing creases – these areas are curved so a FILBERT would be just like using your FINGER. Make sense? Here is a visual to help.. this is a good guide to help you choose the basics of brushes.

Natural (Sable) hair vs. Synthetic:

Natural hair holds the product best (sable is the most popular and the more expensive, the nicer the hair). Synthetic brushes will not absorb the product and creams slide off the brush better. I use synthetic for special effects, glitter, cream liners, lipstick, etc. Powders tend to slide too much on the synthetic bristols and will discolor lighter hair fibers. If the brush is white or gold, ya synthetic.

These are my 5 FAV BRUSHES/MUSTS (besides my finger) for doing my own makeup:

1. Short ANGLE brush for eyeliner
2. Fluffy FILBERT for highlight under my eyes
3. Tapered/pointed ROUND for blending in my crease in my eye (my MOST fav of ALL I have 6 for personal/professional use)
4. Puffy big ROUND brush for powder & mineral foundation application
5. Full FLAT brush for blush application

As you can see I am creative with my choice of brushes for my personal application. I do use some different choices when working on others. Please share with me what you find works great for you.. I love trying new brushes!

ALWAYS remember to wash your brushes with shampoo or use brush cleaner and allow them to dry THOROUGHLY before putting them away. You should do this at least once a month.

Thanks for stopping by and happy brushing.

What’s Your FAV Red Lip? These are mine..

These are my 5 FAV Red Lip picks:

(Colors coordinate on hand picture from bottom up – see below)

Stila long wear lipcolor in Paramour

Merle Norman duo with Cherry Cola

MAC lipstick in Ruby Woo (or Lady Bug rocks too)

Burt’s Bees in Rose

AVON slick tint in Glossy Wine (on sale for $ .99 or less)

Reminders:

1. Apply foundation or concealer all over lips (and powder) before applying RED lipstick

2. Try different colors. If your teeth look yellow the tone is wrong

3. See how the lipstick wears. It shouldn’t run off your lips

4. Smile!

Spring is Here!

I always love spring. I want to change my wardrobe, update my makeup, style my hair differently – start fresh for the season.

So many clients want to try new things.. New trends, new products and new services. Keeping it fresh for myself and my clients is a challenge this time of year.

What colors are hot? Turquoise & Coral for clothing; Purple & Greens for nails; Pinks for lips; and feathers of all colors for Hair Flair!

Here are some things I change for the Spring to get ready for the Summer:

1.  Buy a new Tinted Moisturizer with SPF (I am addicted to Merle Norman Tinted Moisturizer in ML30 & ML40)

2.  Choose some new colors to add to my makeup bag & routine (Mineral Pigment powders in Hunter Green & Marine to wet and apply as Eyeliner)

3.  Buy a new Lipstick (The BALM’s Lipgloss in Ruby my Grapefruit)

4.  Purchase a few colorful scarves and long necklaces to accessorize with (Infinitely scarves and long rosary beads)

5.  Add an oil or serum under my moisturizer in the evening (Love Coconut oil, basic and at Whole Foods)

6.  Regularly exfoliate to brighten my skin and slough off dead cells (Dermalogica’s Daily Micro Exfoliant)

7.  Try adding a new exercise to my weekly routine to stay fit and relieve stress (Hula hooping every other day for 1/2 in front of the TV.  LOVING my waistline)

8.  Drink more water and eat small bites throughout the day in between clients (I swear Alkaline water keeps me healthy, along with handful of nuts a day)

9.  Start reading a book I have been spying (THE HELP by Kathryn Stockett)

10.  Find ONE thing to be grateful for each day and a person/reason to write a Thank You note (365 Days of Gratitude by John Kralik)

 

 

“Sometimes”, said Pooh, “the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.”