It’s not make up related, but I think you’ll understand.
Today is 9/11. Ten years ago I was walking downstairs to find my mother in tears. “We are going to war,” She said through choked sobs. If anyone knows my mother you’ll know that she will do anything for her children, loves a good chick flick, cries at almost everything and is one of THE most patriotic people I know. She refuses to sit, no matter where we are, if the National Anthem can be heard playing (and rightly so). It was such a surreal moment to find her so upset and to hear the news reports in the background. I had to get ready for work and while dressing even had the thought, when I go downstairs again nothing will be wrong. She’ll say hi and we’ll eat breakfast. That whole day at work was so somber and just a little tense. Radios and t.v.’s were all on and tuned into the news. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing or hearing. My heart went out to all those involved as I sat feeling stupid and helpless so far away in California. Today in church someone asked what would have been our first thoughts if we had been on the 109th floor. My first thought was,”Not yet. I’m not ready. Have I taught my boys enough? Told my loved ones how much I cared?” To think those thoughts brought emotions to the surface. I want to remember that day if only to feel of the unity we all experienced immediately afterward. The spirit of perseverance; we WILL not be defeated.
When I nannied for a governor there was a sculpture that I would pass everyday of our American flag. It was held together by band aids and safety pins. It was torn in many places and stitched back together. The caption below said “We are holding together just fine”. This country has been through so much. We fight amongst ourselves, have been attacked, had so many wars big and small but we are holding together just fine. It is my belief that God has fortified this land and it is a land of promise. It’s a land of free men and women who live as they see fit. Who can exercise any belief they feel to be just and true. Our past, filled with triumphs and downfalls, is to be remembered. Let us gain strength from our victories and never forget lessons learned from tragedies. I’ll be saying the Pledge Of Allegiance today with my family and I hope you will too. What do you remember about that day?
Here the Daily Glow helps us with the secrets to looking younger. Enjoy! =) Take it away Doc!!!
If you haven’t been protecting your skin,
it can start to give away clues about your age. Fine lines and wrinkles
begin to appear, along with brown spots and rough skin patches caused
by sun exposure. Your skin might be producing less collagen, and dead
skin cells don’t flake off imperceptibly anymore. If this sounds like
your skin, it’s time to turn to anti-aging products and treatments to
slow down, reduce, or even reverse the signs of aging and regain younger-looking skin.
Any skin that’s been regularly exposed to the elements can be
expected to show its age and needs special care to maintain its
youthful look, says Sonia Badreshia-Bansal, MD, CEO and medical director
of Elite MD, Inc. Advanced Dermatology, Laser, and Plastic Surgery
Institute in Danville, Calif. Your Anti-Aging Action Plan
At-home and doctor’s office procedures can have a visible impact on your complexion, giving you back younger-looking skin.
Protect your skin. The first rule of thumb:
Prevent the damage. “The best thing to do to protect your skin is
prevention,” Dr. Badreshia-Bansal says. The sun is enemy number one, so
you need to wear sunscreen
with a sun protection factor, or SPF, of 30 or higher whenever you’re
outside. You also should wear long-sleeved shirts and pants. Protect
your face and neck with wide-brimmed hats, your eyes with sunglasses
with UV coating. Dryness is enemy number two, making lines seem more
noticeable, so choose a moisturizer made for your skin type and use it regularly to keep skin supple.
Apply a vitamin A cream. Prescription-strength,
vitamin A–based topical gels or creams known as retinoids can reduce
wrinkles and produce younger-looking skin. “It helps to build collagen,
which can prevent the development of fine lines and wrinkles, and to
lighten dark spots,” Badreshia-Bansal says. “We also use it to treat acne,
and it can help prevent precancerous growths.” Prescription retinoids
include Retin-A and Renova (tretinoin), Differin (adapalene), and Avage
(tazarotene).
Bleach your brown spots. You can try lightening
brown spots (also called age spots) with a bleaching cream that contains
hydroquinone. “Hydroquinone helps inhibit an important enzyme in
pigment synthesis,” Badreshia-Bansal explains.
Pick up a pentapeptide anti-wrinkle cream. These
anti-aging creams stimulate the skin’s production of collagen and
elastin and are found in some drugstore or beauty counter products.
“You’re helping to build back the support structure that’s been lost
through aging and sun damage,” Badreshia-Bansal says.
Peel to reveal fresher skin. Dermatologists use
various methods to remove the top layer of skin and expose new skin.
These procedures can help tighten the skin and diminish fine lines and
brown spots. “By exfoliating that top layer, you’re allowing the
moisturizers and other products we use to penetrate deeper and work
better,” Badreshia-Bansal says.
Procedures include:
Chemical peel solutions to loosen and slough away the top layer of skin
Laser skin resurfacing to vaporize the surface skin
Microdermabrasion that sprays tiny particles to strip away topmost skin cells
Plasma skin regeneration using a stream of ionized nitrogen gas to heat the skin and cause the top layer of cells to flake away
Consider Botox. Injections of botulinum toxin
have become tremendously popular as an anti-aging therapy. The
injections relax the muscles under the skin and can eliminate deep lines
and wrinkles around the face. Botox treatments also can help prevent
new wrinkles from appearing.
You have many options available to create younger-looking skin.
Factors including cost and the recovery time associated with procedures
like peels will help you decide on your best course of action.
As I start to contemplate the end of summer I am finding ANY reason to get out into the sun. To feel the warmth and lounge by the pool with my boys. What will I miss? What are the staples of summer for me? #1 Summer activities: swimming class, picnics, park dates, BBQs, and lounging at the pool (face FULLY covered of course!) #2 The food: Watermelon, cherries, corn on the cob, avocados perfectly ripe, summer salads…oh the list could go on and on and on =). #3 Bronzer for that sun kissed glow! There is nothing like a healthy glow in your skin and bronzer is JUST that! What is your favorite bronzer?
Now I know that all of us have seen the effects of bronzer overload. Oompa Loompas among us, if you will. There is nothing worse…well, few things worse than over application of something as drastic as bronzer. When applied correctly it can enhance your face, sculpt and chisel and give you a healthy “no sun” glow. Remember our three? I talk about that a lot when dealing with bronzer. If not, check out this video. It’s packed with loads of tips and tricks when contouring your face. Some people are what I like to call, bronzer deficient, or bronzed and confused when knowing how to pick out just the right one for you. DON’T BE ASHAMED or even embarrassed. We ALL have gone through it, myself included, but there is help without going to group meetings =). Make sure to pick out a bronzer with as little to no sparkle as possible. Sparkle attracts the sun and therefore is “pulled out”. A matte bronzer in the hollows or sunken in parts of your face will deepen them ever so slightly giving you dimension and killer “curves”. If you crave that sparkle then choose a highlighter or shimmer powder to dust just above said bronzer. Just remember that less is more and more = oompa loompa. Happy bronzing while we still can =).
Shelby, you have been SO patient and I appreciate it. I get so many requests and I get to them all as soon as I can. They are all so gorgeous!!! Thanks for all of the requests and keep them coming. You can now find me starting my boards on Pinterest under Classy Cosmetics =).
P.S. Do you have the Instagram app for your phone? I {heart} it in a major way! You can do this kind of effect with pictures taken with your phone. My husband does such a great job that I am trying to hire him to do ALL of my photos on the blog ;).
THE SCOOP: Pita described Kors’ collection as urban beachwear, and created a hair style to complement that laid back vibe. He literally split the back of the hair into two sections and double-knotted them like a shoelace. There was lots of texture, too.
“You know Michael’s boys and girls, ” Page said when describing the makeup. “They’re healthy looking, with a bit of sun and wind on their cheeks, like they’ve just come from an active, beach vacation.” Flushed cheeks were the focus with some brown accents around the eyes.
GET THE LOOK-MAKEUP: All makeup by Shiseido. Page used Luminizing Satin Face Color in Orchid, Tea Rose, Petal and Carnation across the bridge of the nose and cheekbones to punch up the “healthy” look. He rimmed the eyes with a bit of Luminizing Satin Eye Color Trio in Strata. The lips were bare except for a tiny dab of concealer to take the color down a notch.
GET THE LOOK-HAIR: Pita spritzed the hair with lots of Bumble and bumble Surf Spray to add waves and texture. Then he left a chunky section of hair loose in the front and double-knotted the back of the hair, to give an effortless look to it.
It’s an annoying fact of life — as well as heredity and gravity — that our eyebrows start to get a little heavy once we hit a certain age. I knew it was happening to me when my eye shadow started to crease and my upper lids got crepey. While brow-lift surgery can reduce the droopiness, the results, which can sometimes look scary and unnatural, are permanent. Here are some other ways to fake a rejuvenating brow lift:
Get a lift with a high ponytail. Celebs like Penelope Cruz (at the premiere of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides), Reese Witherspoon (at the Oscars), and Kim Kardashian show that this sleek, classic look never goes out of style. A high ponytail lifts everything up and back. Just don’t wear this style too often or you may pull out some hair.
If ponytails aren’t your thing, try taking a small piece of hair (about a quarter inch) from each temple and pull the pieces up and back. If your hair is long enough, tie the pieces together in the back, high on the crown, and hide the tie under the rest of your hair. Or, if the pieces are too short, pin them securely above and behind your ears.
In the office, one of my favorite minimally invasive procedures is a brow “lift” using an injectable filler, typically Restylane or Juvéderm. I put a tiny bit along the underside of the eyebrow, to replace the fat pad that shrinks over time. This gives a subtle lift to both brow and lid. But the injections must be made carefully and precisely, so you don’t end up looking like a Neanderthal.
Many of my patients get great results with a drop of Botox below the brow. This widens your eyes, makes the upper lids less heavy, and lifts the outer part of the brow. If done incorrectly, though, the Botox can make the lids and brows droop, so be sure your doctor has a lot of experience in treating this area.
Keep Your Makeup Fresh:
When celebrities are shooting movies, they have to look fresh for as long as 16 hours at a time — of course, they have makeup crews standing by to powder their noses and freshen their blush. How can the rest of us still look polished hours after we’ve applied our makeup? If, like me, you barely have time to look in the mirror during a busy day, try these tips to keep your makeup looking fresh all day long — and through dinner as well.
Use a makeup primer like Urban Decay Primer Potion to help smooth dry patches and calm flaky skin. Your foundation will go on more evenly and last longer. If your skin is oily, look for a mattifying, oil-free primer like Vichy Normaderm ProMat Ultra Mattifying Oil Free Lotion.
Use waterproof eyeliner, eye shadow, and mascara. Waterproof formulas resist humidity, sweat, and greasy skin, so your makeup will be less likely to smudge and smear. No more raccoon eyes!
If you reapply powder several times a day, it can mix with your skin’s natural oils, settle into pores, and become cakey and creased by the end of the day. Instead, use oil-blotting sheets to control shine. I like Clean and Clear Oil-Absorbing Sheets or Shiseido Pureness Oil-Control Blotting Paper. In a pinch, you can use Kleenex or even clean toilet-seat covers. But don’t use toilet paper to blot — it has too many fibers that can stick to your face.
If you have a last-minute meeting or date after work and you don’t have time to redo your eye shadow from scratch, blot first, then use a shadow brush to “reactivate” the shadow and eliminate creases.
I have just one love this month. But it is for sure true love! As most of you know I have used, for quite some time now, my beloved Nicole Miller Bronzer. I adored the deepness of the color and the tone (not to mention I had three of them and waste not, want not. Although the shimmer did bother me somewhat it wasn’t enough for me to abandon it and seek out a new one. That is until I got an email saying there was a sale for Urban Decay online and so naturally I went to take a peek. I went straight to primers since I was getting low on it and somehow was swept into another “aisle”…….bronzer! I had heard about the matte bronzers from UD and knew they had to be great so why not just try? I took the plunge and ordered one in Toasted. I HAVE USED NOTHING ELSE SINCE THIS BAD BOY GOT HERE!!! I love it! The color is perfect for me, the contouring is awesome, I use it to warm up a smokey eye…there are JUST no limits to this thing! I feel it’s a must for summer (matte bronzer that is) with a touch of highlighting shimmer just above and will do wonders during the winter time by itself for contouring. Are you RuNnInG yet to your local Sephora??? Grab one and you WON’T be sorry!!!!!
What were your favorites for July? What have you been using? Share a comment below or email me =).
P.S. I have missed you all! I miss hearing from you as frequently I’m glad to have had the chance to take a step back but even more overjoyed to be stepping back in =). Love to all!
Jen
Here’s a dose from Dr. Jessica Wu of the Daily Glow =):
Whether you want to look relaxed and in control at work or be fresh-faced for a new date, there are ways to minimize dark under-eye circles. Here are some common causes of dark circles, along with ways to treat them: Excess skin pigmentation on the upper part of the cheekbone and under the eyes can lead to dark circles. This can be hereditary or caused by freckles and sun damage. One way to tell if you have excess pigment is to gently pull down on the lower eyelid. Do the spots move with the skin? If so, skin-brightening creams may help. One study showed that a cream containing licorice extract and hyaluronic acid reduced dark circles after six weeks. Both of these ingredients are found in C. Booth Black Licorice Eye Cream ($12.99 at drugstore.com). Thin lower-eyelid skin can also produce dark circles when the dark eyelid muscles are visible beneath the skin (the same way that black panties are visible through thin white pants). Another study showed that a gel containing retinol helped reduce dark circles after four weeks, possibly by thickening the skin of the lower eyelid. Try Neutrogena Ageless Intensives Deep Wrinkle Eye Cream (about $19 at drugstores). Under-eye bags can produce shadows and hollows underneath them that accentuate dark circles. If you wake up with puffy lids, try soaking cotton balls in cold soy milk and holding them on your closed lids for a few minutes in the morning. The cold temperature and anti-inflammatory properties of soy can help shrink swollen tissues and reduce puffiness. However, if you have under-eye bags caused by fat deposits, topical treatments won’t be enough to shrink them and reduce the circles. These types of circles may require injectable fillers to fill in the hollows or surgical removal of the bags.
Can you believe it, another HAIR tutorial?!?!? I saw this on YouTube and wanted to do it too since I can’t french braid to save my life! I can twist with the best of em and I LOVE how this can dress up a casual outfit or easily dress another outfit down. Be sure to send me pictures of your halo twist and I’ll feature them on the blog! Happy twisting! =)
