While facial cleansing, it is easy for us to overlook the delicate sections of our face where the disgusting build up become comfortable in the creases of the nose and chin causing unsightly whiteheads, and even soreness and infection! Ewh! So gather your q-tips, soft wash cloths, your cleanser, and any other facial products that you regularly use.

After splashing your face with lukewarm water, apply a small dab of your cleanser in the crease of the chin and in the outer creases of the nose and allow to soak for about 3 minutes. Next, take a q-tip and swab those stubborn creases back and forth for a minute or so, (a q-tip only allows minimal pressure, so you don’t have to worry about being too harsh to your face) then lather as usual. Apply this pre-treatment each time you wash your face and you see the difference in about a week.

In this stressful generation, investing an extra moment or two to improve the complexion of our skin can make the difference in the kind of first impression that is formed by others. More importantly, it can help to reveal the true feminine confidence and self-esteem that is truly inside each of us.

One way to keep the look subtle and do-able for day is to pick one part of your face to apply the trend. Maybe wear a cute metallic color on your eyes, but then do a natural looking lip and cheek. Or try a fabulous lip color and then go lighter (think nude colors) with your eyes, maybe adding a cute sweep of blush for a finish.
But for us…either way…it has to be fast. We generally have zero time to get ready in the mornings with our little ones tearing up the house.

So here’s a quick five minute look that we love, starting with eyes and ending with lips:

A lot of the new eye shadow colors being offered by Bobbi Brown, for Fall 2008, are to die for gorgeous. They are the epitome of wearable in their sheer-but-buildable metallic splendor. Choose one of the lighter tones (like our fave Golden Peach) and apply with a fluffy eye shadow brush, from the lash line to the crease. We like to just add a sweep of mascara to the upper lashes and call it a day on the eyes.

For blush, we would probably keep within the same tones, but go for something that doesn’t have a lot of shimmer…Clinique Soft-Pressed Powder Blusher in Honey Blush will give cheeks a nice pop of color and not compete with the peachy eye.

Finish off the look, with some L’Oreal Paris Bare Naturale Gentle Lip Conditioner in Soft Peach on your pout. It’s a perfect way to top off your weekday metallic look.

Throw your hair in a low pony tail and you are done. Fabulous!

With love (always),
Jennifer and Christine
http://beautyinreallife.blogspot.com

For eyes, try an eye base that has color to give your eyelid a nice “pop”. MAC makes incredible paint pots that you can use alone or as an eye base for shadow and they last all day long.

Revlon EyeGlide eyeshadow pen is perfect for summer touch ups all day because it comes in a pen form that you can keep in your bag for easy application. I love these for a wash of shimmer shadow without the fuss of brushes.

Don’t forget a coat of your favorite waterproof mascara. I only say waterproof because you never know when you may get the opportunity to get wet so be sure you are ready! The pool is calling! Maybelline Great Lash in Black Black Waterproof mascara is a must have for any makeup bag.

For Cheeks, I am in love with cheek stains! They last all day and don’t move no matter what the heat can bring. Benetint has always been my favorite. Benetint has a perfect pink color great for all skin types and you can build on the color to get the look you are going for.

Benetint looks great on lips too! So you can get a two in one with this product. You can also find a Pocketpal of Benetint at your local Sephora or at www.Sephora.com and you can touch up whenever needed.

Stila Convertible Color is also a great way to give your cheeks a pop of color and also give you lips a pink pout. What is great about this Convertible Color is that it comes in the compact form with a mirror so you can keep it with you and reapply as needed. Great to keep in your bag for a quick pick me up after a long day. Perfect for cheeks and lips.

Lips is where you can have a lot of fun! I love a lot of gloss any time of year and I must own at least 50! Don’t you feel like you can always use another gloss Maybelline Super Stay lip gloss has incredible wear and will stay glossy for hours. You can find this at your local drugstore or at www.Maybelline.com. With 16 shades to choose from, you will probably want a few.

Remember, no matter where you are you need sun protection. An SPF 30 minimum and be sure to reapply throughout the day. Now, go glam it up this summer with these few products to give you the perfect summer glow that lasts all day long.

Suggestion: Revive, Cleanser Gentil Gelee - $65.00

Available at neimanmarcus.com and bergdorfgoodman.com

2. Use your hands to wash your face (instead of a wash cloth, sponge or anything else for that matter. Your hands will cause less abrasion to the surface of the skin, having less chance of spreading the infection.
3. Either fill your sink with water or let your water run while your washing your face. Splash as many times as you like to clear your skin of the cleanser (the splashing provides improved blood circulation to the face).
4. If you need to exfoliate, do it with an Enzyme, Alpha-Hydroxy or Glycolic based product instead of a manual exfoliator. This is one of the most common mistakes that people make, as it might seem as though your getting a deeper cleansing, but (as I stated above), you’re only moving around the infection.

Suggestions: La Prairie, Cellular Retexturizing Booster- $160.00

Amore Pacific, Treatment Enzyme Peel - $60.00

both available at neimanmarcus.com and bergdorfgoodman.com

5. Once or twice per week use a cleansing mask (after cleansing). This will also clear up any blackheads you may have. Leave the mask on your whole face (staying clear of the eye area) for about ten minutes, then rinse) (you can also spot treat specific areas).

Suggestions: Natura Bisse Stabalizing Cleansing Mask, $47.00

available at neimanmarcus.com, barneys.com and bergdorfgoodman.com.

6. Follow either your cleanser or mask with a non-alcohol toner. Toning is part of the cleansing process and (especially for someone with acne, should not be ignored

Suggestion: Elemis, Soothing Apricot Toner - $33.00

Available at Nordstrom.com and bergdorfgoodman.com

7. If you’re oily, but still dehydrated, complete your twice-daily regiment, using a light-weight moisturizer after your toner.

Suggestion: Amore Pacific, Moisture Bound, Refreshing Hydra Gel - $100.00

Available at neimanmarcus.com and berddorfgoodman.com

If you have persistent or systic acne, consult a dermatologist as your regiment may include either topical or internal, prescribed medicine.

Water from your tap is not just H20. It contains many minerals (such as iron, lead, etc.), chemicals (chlorine at the least) and pollutants.

When you go to the ocean or pool and get out of the water, what do you do? You rinse off because you can actually feel the remnants of the salt or chlorine. Well, you may not be able to feel these from your tap, but unless you have an advanced purification system on your water system in your home they’re there.

I do have a suggestion. I do something that creates a similar effect, but with product. Wash your face, use your favorite toner to remove the chemical/mineral/pollutant residue and then spray your face with one of these two products:

Amore Pacific Moisture Bound Skin Energy Hydration Delivery System

This product actually contains NO water and uses nano-technology as a carrier system to deliver the product into your skin (and is my favorite).

Neimanmarcus.com

Chantecaille Rose Water

The water in the product is (of course) purified and the rose oil within the water is a very small molecule that can easily be accepted into the skin.

Eluxury.com

Both are excellent choices depending on your preferences and give the humectants in your moisturizer more water to try and carry into your skin.

Try it!

No matter the trends, not everyone can wear every shaped glasses. (Dame Edna Everage, left)

There are, of course exceptions. Some people choose to use their glasses as their distinguishing feature, in which case it’s more about being obscenely extravagant and anything goes.

I, personally cannot wear glasses that don’t have a nose guard. I have a very wide nose bridge and when I push glasses without the guard against my face, it looks as if I’m all nose. On the other hand, when I wear glasses with the guard, my nose actually looks smaller.

The way that I was taught to show people how to choose glasses was to see whether the glasses followed the natural line of the persons brow. In addition, the glasses should not be so small (especially in sunglasses) as to not cover the persons actual eyes or likewise, not so large to extend past the sides of the face. (Mary Kate Olsen, right)

For the most part, if you go to someone reputable, they will tell you (if you ask) which type of frame is best for your face.

In my opinion, the best place to go for the best designer frames (at least in NY) is the Morganthal Frederics salon in Bergdorf Goodman. Ask for Stephanie (you won’t be disappointed).

Morganthal Frederics

We can cover anything with the right make-up, but great skin shines through. Beautiful skin (for most people) takes a lot of work! Because of the environment that we live in (a depleted ozone layer, pollution, stress), our skin takes a beating every day.

Here is a list of the items that I believe everyone should be using on a regular basis:

1. The first thing everyone needs is a good Sunscreen (remember SPF= your normal sun burn time x the SPF number (15,25,30, etc.).
2. The second thing you need (believe it or not) is a good foundation. Foundation sits on the surface of your skin and blocks the pollution and any dirt from getting into your pores. When you wash your face, off comes the foundation and the pollution with it.
3. Cleanser: most people don’t break out from anything other than not cleansing properly. If you’re prone to breaking out, when you wash your face, use your hands, not a washcloth. Most people spread the bacteria around when they use a washcloth, a sponge or a brush causing more break out.
4. Toner: toner is part of the cleansing process. Use an alcohol free toner and sweep it over your skin with a cotton pad after you’ve finished cleansing. You’ll be amazed at the amount of “stuff” that comes off on the pad. It should also PH balance the surface of your skin and prepare it for moisture.
5. Moisturizer: don’t bother buying a good moisturizer if your not going to exfoliate! You’re just moisturizing the dead skin on top. You want to be able to at least try to get to some of the cells under that dead skin. Find a moisturizer with hyluronic acid. This is an ingredient that attracts water and binds it to your skin. It’s in most good moisturizers. Also remember that you can still be oily but dehydrated. Use an oil-free moisturizer if this is the case and you don’t like to feel oily.
6. Eye Cream: eye creams are formulated for the thin skin around our eyes. Most facial moisturizers cannot penetrate this skin and just lay on the surface and cause puffiness. Eye creams (unless otherwise specified) should NOT go on the eyelid. They are meant to go on the orbital bone surrounding the eye.
7. Neck Cream: the skin on the neck is actually very similar to the skin under the eyes. The big difference is that you don’t want excessive moisture on the neck due to the fact that water is heavy and will weigh down this delicate tissue (over time causing the dreaded turkey neck).
8. Exfoliant: I mentioned exfoliation under cleansers. Also see my extensive post on the differences between them and which one is best for you.

Serums and masks are generally used to supplement your daily routine with a boost of something that you feel is not being addressed with your daily product regimen. If you have a specific concern (such as spots, wrinkles, clogged pores, hydration, exfoliation, puffiness, firming or any number of other issues) search for the serum that best suits your needs.

Your daily routine should consist of a morning and evening ritual. I’m constantly surprised by the number of people believe that since they washed their face before they went to bed, they don’t need to wash it again in the morning. WRONG!!! Your skin is active when you sleep. It secretes waste that needs to be washed off. It seems like a lot, but your skin and the mirror will thank you.

Natural tones in make-up should be lighter and/or darker versions of the colors already present in your skin and on your lips. If you have yellow based skin, colors in the orange/red category are your naturals. If you have pink based skin, pink/reds are your naturals.
Most of Hollywood has gotten on track with the “pretty” thing.

Colors in make-up are back in a big way. Brown based shadows, blush and lipstick are going by the wayside (for now) and cleaner, brighter colors are being seen everywhere. Whether the colors are soft and muted or bright and electric… it’s all good.

(By the way) I worked for MAC during the “brown” phase and put it on everyone and loved it. In a few years I’ll probably be telling you all that it’s back (again) and how fabulous it looks.

Here are some flashbacks of make-up throughout the past 9 decades.

Scary by my way of thinking, but this was considered the height of Beauty in the 20’s. Look at those brows…eeeek!
1920’s

It gets better…the 20’s looks kind of Gothic in comparison
1930’s

The 40’s and 50’s seemed similar to me. Very clean, very lady-like/pretty
1940’s

Stunning!
1950’s

The rebellion starts. Make-up and fashion starts to buck the traditional styles of the 40’s and 50’s to go along with the changes happening in the world
1960’s

The rebellion against tradition continues, although the hippy/no make-up look started to go away by the end of the decade and explode into…
1970’s

…the 80’s! Bigger was better. Bigger hair, futuristic make-up, splashes of color
1980’s

The 90’s tapered back a bit. After some of the 80’s money started to go away, so did the make-up. Cleaner, more natural skin-toned make-up ruled. The Make-up Artist brands began to appear on the scene (MAC, Bobbi Brown, Trish McEvoy, etc.)
1990’s

the trend in make-up today is pretty much…anything goes. Wear none (or what looks like none), wear a ton, it’s all good. just as long as YOU feel pretty.
NOW