SPF? Check... But How Does That Help Me?

I was shopping for a new facial moisturizer, preferably one with sunscreen in it. I came up with Neutrogena's Healthy Skin face lotion, SPF 15. Moisturizer, SPF, what can go wrong, right?

Here's what the back of the bottle says in tiny letters:

Sunburn Alert: This product contains an AHA that may increase your skin's sensitivity to the sun and particularly the possibility of sunburn. Limit sun exposure while using this product and use a sunscreen for a week after use.

I've been using the cream for the past month, just because, you know, I bought it. The first two weeks pased by with no strange occurrence. Into the third week, my cheeks, which have never been problematic before, began to burn every time I applied the lotion. Than my chin, and the area above my lip joined in the act, and they began to sting whenever I applied the cream to those spots. I stopped using the lotion, mostly in order to prevent my entire face from burning up in the lotion's fiery alpha hydroxy acids.

This product is not something you'd want to use in the bright summer sun, not something you'd want to use for the harsh winter winds... hmmm... seems like you'd be best off spending your money on a different product altogether.

An Eyeful

I like fast and easy products. I like to use shimmering golden tones on my eyelids. Hello Rimmel Eyeful Eye Glistener in 700 Flaunt. Being that powders require the effort of a brush being dipped and re-dipped into powder, the one-step Rimmel pencil was very tempting to me.

The Rimmel pencil glides easily onto the eyelids, and adds a long-lasting, glossy glow to the lids. The golden color that I bought turned out to be a very warm color that is uncomfortably close to orange. Although I don't love the color, I wear it because it's easy and fun to use. I might try the purple and pink colors called Straight Laced, 200 and Girls Only, 100. Both seem to be on the cooler spectrum.

How To Look Good With Glasses Part 2

As I mentioned in the my last post, glasses can easily make your face look washed out and tired. Don't let that happen to you. Here are some ways to combat WOBOGS, otherwise known as Washed Out Because Of Glasses Syndrome.

Keep your complexion as clear as possible by washing, moisturizing, and doing whatever else needs to be done on a daily basis. By "things that need to be done," I mean masks, facials, scrubs, tweezes, and acne care.

Clean your glasses often. I keep a little glasses rag in my make-up box.

Make sure that your glasses are sitting properly on the bridge of your nose. If your glasses are a little bit out of shape, they will sit unevenly on your face, creating a lopsided look, and possibly make it hard for you to see clearly.

Keep your eyebrows groomed. Uncared for eyebrows can collide with eyeglasses, giving a messy appearance.

Find a good under eye concealer, and use it under your eyes to keep that area bright.

Choose brightening shades of eyeshadow. Soft glimmering shadows, wet-looking shades, and mattes all work nicely. Stay away from thick powders which will likely leave a film on your glasses.

Use more than one swipe of mascara. You want your eyes to stand out from behind the glasses, so a little extra color is needed. Pay attention to your bottom lashes. Coat them with some extra mascara, because the bottom of the eye stands out when you are wearing glasses.

Use liner to further define your eyes. Apply the liner to the top and bottom lash lines.

Wear a complimentary shade of blush - peaches and pinks are universally flattering.

Keep your lips healthy and moisturized.

How To Look Good With Glasses Part 1

When I was in fourth grade, my mother noticed that I liked to read books upside down. (I used to turn the books upside down when reading them - I didn't stand on my head in order to read books.) She took me to the optometrist, and I was giddy with delight when the doctor affirmed that I needed glasses. At the eye glasses store, I scanned all the glasses on display, and finally chose a thick pair in bright pink with purple lightening rods on the sides. For the next few years, I proudly wore my flashy glasses every day.

When I was a teenager, I decided that glasses were totally not a cool thing to be wearing, so I switched to contact lenses. After wearing contacts for a few years, my eyes became dry, itchy, and red. Again, this was not cool. I visited my optometrist who informed me that my eyes were not handling the contacts well, and that I should give my eyes a break by switching back to glasses.

These days, I wear glasses every day, saving my contact lenses for special occasions. The rimless pair of glasses that I wear have turquoise and and lime green on the sides. They're very fun to wear.

Glasses pose a couple of beauty problems:

~If they are dark and/or thick, they add extra heaviness to the face, making you look washed out.

~ The rims and the glass casts shadows beneath the eyes, giving you instant under eye circles.

Here are some ways to look awesome while wearing glasses:

1. Make sure you choose glasses that properly frame your face.

In a nutshell:
Round faces are narrowed down by thinner rectangular glasses. A clear bridge widens the eyes.

Square faces are softened by narrow ovals.

Oblong/long faces handle big, decorative frames easily - the extra oomph added to the eye area makes the longer face appear well balanced.

Diamond shaped faces are enhanced by cat-eye shaped glasses, or other distinctive lines.

Oval faces are already equally proportioned, so most shapes will work well. Just make sure that the glasses are as wide as the widest part of the face.

My next post will discuss makeup tips for all you eyeglass wearers.

Easy, Scrumptious Latkes

Oil symbolizes the miracle of the lasting jug of olive oil, so Jews traditionally eat latkes which are fried in oil on Chanuka.

There are cookbooks and websites chock full of healthier versions of the classic potato latke, but these taste good, and that's important. Just don't eat too many, and you'll be ok.

Ingredients:
4 large potatoes, peeled
1 onion
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons of flour
1/8 teaspoon of ground black pepper
oil for frying

Directions:
1. Grate the potatoes and onion, and place them in a bowl. You can throw peeled potatoes and the onion in a blender. You don't have to grate them by hand.
2. Mix in the eggs, salt, and black pepper. Add the flour so that the mixture is a little lumy.
3. Heat some oil, and drop 1/4 cup mounds of the mixture into the hot oil. Flatten the lumps to make 1/2 inch thick pancakes.
4. Fry, turning once with a spatula, until golden brown on both sides.
5. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the extra oil.

Yields 12 latkes. Latkes taste yummy served with applesauce or sour cream.

Chanuka With a Side Order of Greek Makeup

Between December the 12th and 18th, Jewish people all over the world will celebrate the holiday of Chanuka. Chanuka celebrates the victory that the Jews had over their oppressors in Greece, under the rulership of King Antiochus. King Antiochus hated the Jewish religion, and banned it's basic laws. A small group of Jews called Maccabees rebelled, and miraculously defeated the mighty Greek army.

After Antiochus died, the Jews returned to their temple, the Bet Hamikdosh, in Jerusalem. When the Jews stepped into the Bet Hamikdosh, they cried bitter tears - their enemies had razed and destroyed the temple.

The Jews set to work cleaning, scrubbing, and returning the Bet Hamikdosh back to its former glory. One problem remained. Greek soldiers had removed all of the special seals which protected the olive oil jugs used for lighting the menorah. Only one small jug of pure oil remained. The High Priest lit the menorah and miraculously, the small jug of oil lasted for eight days! That is why Chanuka is celebrated for eight days.

The main question that most people ask when they hear the story of Chanuka is: What type of makeup did people wear in Ancient Greece? Until today, the answer to this question was shrouded in mystery. Thanks to yours truly, you will now be part of a small, exclusive circle who know the truth.
The upper class women in Ancient Greece grew their hair long. In early Greece, servants braided the women's long locks. Later on, the style changed, and women wore their hair curled, and than tied back in elaborate up-dos or buns. Servant girls were expected to keep their hair short.

Rich women stayed indoors most of the day, so they had very light complexions. Light skin became all the rage, and women everywhere began painting their faces with white lead. The lead was toxic, and was the cause of many early deaths. What women go through for the sake of beauty.

Connected eyebrows were considered fashionable, so women used dark powder around the eye area to achieve the uni-brow look.

The Greeks beautified themselves using olive oil, lanolin, mutton fat, charcoal and natural pigments.

The Greeks loved symmetry and proportion. If you want to make yourself or your loved ones look Greek, use light and dark colors for shading. The nose should appear to be two eyes width apart. Make the corners of your mouth appear to line up with the pupils of your eyes. Use a dark color beneath the cheekbones for a structured look. Use an overall foundation that is a few shades lighter than your natural complexion. Skip the white lead. Fill in the eyebrows with dark brown or black powder. Use matte red lipstick and dark eyeshadow. Keep all the colors muted and earthy looking. Pull your hair back ino a braided bun, and pin some golden leaves onto the crown of your head. For the finishing touch, wrap yourself in a sheet.

Winter Protection

The combination of biting winter winds and suffocating indoor heating can wreak havoc on the smoothest skin. Here are a couple of tips to help keep your skin healthy and moisturized all winter long:

Sleep and relax:
There is an obvious difference between an uptight, haggard face, and a relaxed and rested one. Try to get seven or eight hours of sleep at night. Make some space in your schedule for a half hour to an hour of "you" time. Take a hot bath, read a book, or just sit there doing nothing at all.

Exercise:
Doing a minimum of twenty to thirty minutes of aerobic exercise three to five times a week will help you look and feel energized. If you are too busy to get to a gym, try renting some exercise DVDs, or going for a brisk walk.

Don't smoke:
The pursing lip action of smoking results in permanent lip lines around the mouth. Smoking also ages the skin prematurely (you obviously know this, but I'll repeat it anyway.)

Cleanser:
If your skin gets very dry, a gentle creamy cleanser will nourish your face. Stay away from soap based cleansers which tend to strip the skin of essential oils. Eucerin's Sensitive Skin Cleanser is soap free, won't clog your pores, and is fragrance free. If your skin is prone to break outs, use a cleanser with salicylic acid like Burt's Bee's Natural Acne Solutions.



Blemish Control:
FIX by Zirh is not as drying as other acne medications. The smooth, translucent gel glides on your face without leaving a trace of color or texture. The combination of glycolic and salcylic acids work to reduce redness, inflammation, blackheads, and other junk that nobody wants on their faces. Grainy scrubs also work to control blackheads. If you choose to use a scrub, use it only two or three times a week, because scrubs can be harsh and damaging to the skin.Masks:
Hydrating, creamy masks will calm your face after sun or wind exposure. Hydrating masks relax the face, and regular use should give your face a radiant appearance. Clay masks help acne-prone skin by drawing out blackheads and other impurities, and smoothing out skin tone. It is best to apply a mask after a bath or shower, when your pores are open. Use one once or twice a week, depending on the condition of your skin.

Moisturize:
Protect your face from UVA and UVB rays, which age the skin. Use a daily moisturizer with a high SPF. You may want to use a thicker cream moisturizer at night. Gel, oil-free, or mattifying creams work well for oily skin by minimizing pores.

Lip Balm:
Have containers of lip balm in every closet of your house, every drawer in your office, and every pocket of your coats and sweaters. Use them maniacally. Lip Medex by Blistex heals cracked lips fast, and has a cool minty scent. This image claims that the formula is $4, but I've never seen it being sold for more than $1.99. If you frequently apply moisturizer to your lips so that they are in decent shape, any gloss or balm that appeals to you will do the trick.

Easy Eyebrows

Polished Eyebrows can do wonderful things to a womans face. There are a gazillion eyebrow kits out there that will fill your brows in for a neat and polished look. In my search for an eyebrow product that didn't come with a gaggle of three powders, two brushes, and other eyebrow contraptions to add clutter to my makeup bag, I found Instant Brow Pencil by Benefit.

This eyebrow product is straight forward, and does the trick. I bought the Light to Medium pencil. There is also a Medium to Dark pencil available. The pencil is creamy, easy to apply, and stays put. After coloring the pencil into my brows, I use the handy mascara wand on the other end to brush my brows, and to further blend the color in. The results are natural looking, polished brows.

Whether you choose to fill your brows in with brownish eyeshadow and a brush, or with eyebrow kits and pencils, I recommend using a light hand. When using an eyebrow pencil, hold it to the side for a softer application. Apply a little at first in the sparsest section of your brows. Add more product slowly, and blend.

Color, Stay!

I am always on the look out for long lasting lip gloss. Many brands offer long lasting lipsticks and lip glosses, but I find them all to be drying and uncomfortable after five minutes (ok, after 30 seconds.) Hoping for for good luck, I purchased ColorStay Ultimate Liquid Lipstick in Platinum Petal, 005 - a soft, nude pink.

The package looks like a gloss, but I don't know why I didn't bother to read the label. If I read it, I would have realized that it is a LIPSTICK not a gloss.

I do NOT recommend this product at all. Good lip products moisturize your lips immediately, healing cracked and peeling skin. Right when I applied ColorStay to my lips, I could feel them drying out. I immediately reached for my old Clinique lip gloss, and smothered my lips with it, hoping that it would reverse the damaging effects of ColorStay.

ColorStay's color did last for quite a few hours, but cracked, dried out lips are never attractive, no matter what color they are.

Heal As You Conceal

If you wonder whether your concealer is suffocating your blemishes and making them worse, you can put your mind at ease. While browsing Ulta's website last week, I found Acne Treatment Concealer by Murad. I bought the concealer hoping that it would heal my skin at best. I was suprised to see that the smooth formula spread on evenly, and blended perfectly into my skin! The excellent coverage makes blemishes disappear! The concealer contains 2.0% salicylic acid, so it heals blemishes and covers them at the same time. It comes in stick form, making it neat and easy to apply. It is available in Light, Medium, and Medium/Dark.

Eyes On Fire

Here is my version of the kaleidoscope eyes that are so in this season. For colorful eyes like these, use three colors that are on the same warm or cool scale. Some combinations that work beatifully are: blue, purple, and white; red, yellow, and eggshell; turquoise, lime green, and white. Keep your eyes open for color combinations that get you excited, and get to work (or play!)

Over here, I covered the bottom of the lid with a deep orange. I than packed the magenta eyeshadow onto the outer corners of the eyes, and using a large blending brush, blended the shadow into the crease,towards the center of the eyes. I used some white shadow in the inner corners of the eyes to bring light into that area. The eyes are lined with black pencil, and doubled over with black powder for staying power. The bottom of the eyes are lined with purple, orange, and white, respectively. The waterline is defined using black. For a brighter look, try using an off white liner in the waterline.

Luminous Smoky Eyes

Who doesn't love a simmering smoky eye? A smoky eye can be done with any deep color. This look turns out beautifully in blues, purples, greens, and browns. Over here, I used black, gray, and shimmering white.

Recipe for Easy Smoky Eyes:

1. Fill in your eyebrows using shadow or a pencil that is one to two shades lighter than your eyebrow color.

2. Prime your eyelids with primer so the color will last.

3. Cover the lower lid with a base color. I used a metallic blue here.

4. Pat a medium gray tone across the lower lid, on top of the base.

5. Emphasize the outer corners of your eyes using a black shadow and a blending brush. Blend the black shadow inward, onto the gray shadow.

6. Pat shimmering white shadow onto the inner corners of the eyes, covering the tear duct, and blend the shadow inward, also slightly onto the main gray shadow. The white shadow opens up the eyes, and makes them appear larger, and more luminous.

7. Using a brush with a tiny tip, blend black shadow on the outer third of the lower lash line Blend your gray shadow inwards, towards the center of your eye. Use the white shadow to line the inner third of the eye. Using your brush, make sure all three colors blend perfectly into one another so that it is impossible to see the exact beginning and end of each color.

8. Line the water line (the inner rim of the lash line,) with black pencil or kohl.

9. If you want to apply false eyelashes, do that now. Curl the lashes, and pump them up with mascara.

Your eyeshadow is done, and you look awesome! Now go out and have fun!

The Calamine Cure

Next time you break out, try this simple and unexpected treatment: dab some Calamine Lotion onto the infected area, and watch your pimple dry up and disappear within hours! I figured this trick out when I realized that since calamine lotion calms down irritated mosquito bites, it might also be calm down irritated facial skin. Try it, and tell me if it works for you too!

Beach Ready Makeup

Beach Makeup - an oxymoron? I think not. The key to beach makeup that does not leave your face looking like a mess of melted crayon is in one word. Waterproof. Here are some tried and true products that have stayed on my face all day long, withstanding both water and heat:


Maximum Cover Camouflage Foundation by Estee Lauder this formula was created to cover acne scars, birth marks, and other hard to cover blemishes. Gently blend this foundation in, and watch yourself developing a radiant second skin.


Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eyeliner with nineteen fun colors to choose from, these liners look cute and whimsical, yet they adamantly refuse to fade or drip.Waterproof Fantastic Lash by Covergirl this mascara thickens and separates for lashes that maintain their high glamour, even in the water!
Tarte Cheek Stain blend this slightly sticky stain onto your cheekbones for a bronzed look that will stay put all day and night... and maybe even the next day. Try the color "sunkissed" for a sun drenched glow.


Makeup Forever Super Lipgloss waterproof and non-drying, the only thing this lipgloss is missing is an SPF of some sort... I recommend layering it with a balm that contains at least an SPF of 15.

Beach image courtesy of hannasyalala.com/2009/03/

Lighten Up

After months of random and not so random rain, summer has finally arrived here in NY. And I am slowly abandoning my regular makeup routine... It feels kind of silly for me to be wearing a lot of color when the weather is hot, and the sun is burning down on me. Too much makeup in the summer almost feels like I am wearing an extra sweater or two. Despite my use of sunscreen, I am also getting some color from the sun, not to mention a lot of freckles.
My makeup routine of late involves:
a drop of cream blush, a pinch of gloss if I'm in the mood, mascara and waterproof eyeliner.

Do you change your makeup routine according to the season? Do you find yourself needing or wanting less cosmetic products on your face in the summer?

First Impressions

Body language experts Allen and Barbara Pease conducted an experiment on how makeup effects the way a person is perceived. The pair hired four similar looking female assistants to sell products at a seminar. One woman wore makeup and glasses, a second wore makeup and no glasses, the third wore glasses and no makeup, and the fourth wore neither makeup or glasses. Customers spent four to six minutes speaking with the assistants.

After the seminar, customers were asked to describe the impressions made on them by the four assistants. The assistant wearing both makeup and glasses was described by most as intelligent, sophisticated, and outgoing. The assistant who wore makeup and no glasses scored well on presentation, but low on personal skills like listening and interacting. The two assistants who did not wear any makeup rated the lowest on both personal skills and presentation. The fact that one assistant was wearing glasses and the other was not made little to no difference.

Wearing makeup will not give you a higher IQ, or make you more sophisticated and outgoing. But it will make you seem that way. Go out and buy that mascara.

Image courtesy of http://beaut.ie/blog/

No Sweat

There you are. Enviable outfit, perfect shoes, first class makeup job. You are looking good, eating, talking, or dancing, when you begin to feel big gooey globs of sweat dripping down your forehead. You glance at your reflection in the mirror, and it dawns on you that you resemble a tie dyed version of your previous self. In just one minute, you have sunk from cool headed and chic, into a colorful mess of dripping mascara, eyeshadow, and eyeliner. You usually like a healthy mix of colors, but this combination is way off. What do you do?

Here are a couple of products that I use to keep sweat from ruining mine and my clients' look in the summer:



Before applying foundation, I apply Smashbox Anti-Shine. Anti-shine is essential to the T Zone area, which is generally the oiliest area on the face. This product is a gel-to powder formula which mattifies the skin by absorbing oil.

After applying your makeup, dust your face with a transluecent mattifying powder like Mac's Prep+Prime Finishing Powder. Choose a silky powder that sets your makeup and reduces shine. A good powder like Mac's should also minimize the look of pores and lines. You can also use finishing powder over bare makeup free skin to keep your skin from getting too shiny.






Another step you can take to keep your face matte is to spray it with a makeup sealer. I mist my clients' faces with Mehron's Barrier Spray after powdering . This product preserves makeup, and can also be used under makeup to stop sweat.




The last step I take, is to give my clients a packet of shine eraser sheets. Elf sells packets of 50 sheets for one dollar each. The packets are small enough to slide discreetly into a tiny purse or pocket. If you begin to sweat and none of the prep you did before hand is coming through in the clutch, just take out one of these oil absorbing papers, and blot your face.

What do you do to keep your face dry?

Two Makeovers

Here I paired a silvery eye with a soft pink lip.



For this look, I used bronze shadows, warm blush, and a mix of peachy tones for the lips.

Blueberries, Blueberries All Day Long

This eye was inspired by blueberries. A box of them to be exact. Here's what I used: Blue shadow on lid, purple in crease, soft lilac on inner section of eye, near the tear duct. Same lilac as bottom liner.


I can think of no better opportunity to share a delicious blueberry muffin recipe with you. This recipe is soft and luscious, and bursting with blueberries. The secret is in the extra half cup of blueberries, which are mashed and then mixed into the batter. Sooo delicious. You must try them to understand.

I substitute some ingredients from the original recipe to keep it dairy free, and I substitute half of the white flour with whole wheat flour. (I do the half white flour, half whole wheat flour thing for all baking.)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter or margarine room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups blueberries - separate 1/2 a cup and mash with a fork!
2 cups all purpose flour (or 1 cup white, 1 cup whole wheat... or try all whole wheat, and tell me how that turns out.)
1/2 cup milk - I use vanilla Rice Dream to keep it from being dairy
a bit of sugar and ground nutmeg for sprinkling on top of muffins

What To Do:
Heat oven to 375 F. Place baking cups into a 12 cup muffin pan, and spray with cooking spray.

Beat butter/margarine until creamy. Beat in the sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in vanilla, baking powder, and salt.
Mix mashed berries into batter.
Fold in half the flour, than half the milk(or Rice Dream or some type of soy milk.) Add remaining flour and milk.
Fold in the blueberries.
Scoop batter into muffin cups. I do this using a 1/4 cup that I sprayed with cooking spray before hand. It's quick and easy.
Sprinkle with nutmeg and sugar.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Let muffins cool before removing from the pan.
Eat and concentrate.. then share! You will make loads of new friends this way! (If that's what your into.)

the unadulterated version of this recipe is from a cookbook called Muffins by Elizabeth Alston.

Black and Blue... and Pink

Today I was inspired by a bunch of awesome makeup bloggers like Decorative Diva, Robyn's Nest, and Kemyara Kay to start using more color on my lids. I used my Sephora eyeshadows for this. Pink is on lower lid, royal blue is in the crease, I also added a drop of black in the outer V. Shimmering white beneath the brow bone, black liner.

And a side note to the awesome woman I was chatting with at a particular wedding yesterday: Next time you are wearing false eyelashes, cut them a bit short so they don't jam into your tear duct. The falsies in tear duct look is a hard one for most people to pull off.