Skin saving tips for thrifty glamazons

Leading dermatologists Susan H. Weinkle, M.D. and Heidi A. Waldorf, M.D. share their expert tips on getting the most out of your beauty budget. The key is to invest wisely and to be armed with the knowledge of where you can compromise and where you simply can’t. The three essential items to keep your skin in top shape now– in order to avoid expensive corrective procedures later–are sunscreen, an antioxidant moisturizer, and a product containing retinoic acid.

Products – where to invest and where you can save money

Worth the Price

• Prescription retinoids (tretinoin, tazarotene, adapalene) – nothing else has been shown to do as much for photoaged skin; and one tube should last several months
• Certain cosmeceuticals (idebenone, coffeeberry) – your dermatologist knows what works and what you’re more likely to tolerate

Option to Thrift

• Cleansers – if you need to save, a gentle over-the-counter non-drying lotion cleanser will do the job.
• Sunscreen – drug store options with appropriate ingredients abound, and you need to use a lot of it.
• Eye cream – if you’re trying to save, you can use your face cream for your eye area too.

  

  

  

  

Augmenting in-office treatments at home

• Get more bang for your buck – use a home microdermabrasion system between professional treatments
• Non-invasive treatments work best when accompanied by an effective at home regimen of sun protection and some combination of retinoids, anti-oxidants and/or peptides.
• Don’t work against your treatment: avoid cigarettes, tanning, and picking.
• Ask your dermatologist for a prescription to slow hair growth while you’re undergoing laser hair removal

When is do-it-yourself okay and when do you need the doctor

DON’T:

• Pop your own pimple or ingrown hair – you’re just spreading the inflammation
• Mix together at home peel kits with other ingredients –the combination can increase the depth of penetration dangerously
• Play with at home lasers and gadgets when you’re tan – you risk skin discoloration and scarring

DO:

• See your dermatologist for a painful acne cyst – a dilute cortisone injection can reduce it in 1 – 2 days
• Gently exfoliate once or twice a week but avoid anything sharp (if it hurts on your hand, don’t use it on your face)
• See your dermatologist for laser or light treatments – she can confirm it’s safe and appropriate for your problem

Reasonable investments for Long-term beauty

• The current long-lasting fillers are cost-effective. A recent study of hyaluronic acid showed that once you achieve your optimal correction, keeping it up requires only half the original volume used once or twice a year. For patients who can’t pay for full correction the first visit, there’s the option to gradually achieve correction over several months – each treatment builds on the last because the prior filler isn’t gone and new collagen has been formed.
• Tightening procedures utilizing lasers and radiofrequency cost far less than surgery, can put off the expense of a surgical lift for several years and don’t require a lot of time off from work.
• Botulinum toxins continue to be a safe and effective way to look fresher without downtime and for about the cost of hair and nail maintenance.

article provided by beautypress.com

Give a lil…

Who says bigger is better? If you’re like me and can’t count all of your girlfriends on one hand than head over to Sephora to pick up a few small gifts that are guaranteed to make a huge impact come time for secret Santa gift exchange.

1. Sephora Collection Glitter Eye Tutorial Kit- The perfect gift for the artistically challenged girlfriend who loves to experiment with new eye techniques but sometimes misses the mark. $38.00  ($50.00 value)
2.  Bare Escentuals %100 Natural Radiance Rocks Kit- Glowing skin looks just as pretty in the Winter as is does in the Summer.  $35.00
3. Sephora Collection Colorful Artist Eyeshadow Palette- This is like 55 gifts in one! 48 shadows 3 blushes 3 brushes and a pressed powder. Reserve this  for your BFF! $30.00 ($51.00 value)

Skin so soft

Several years ago while strolling through the artsy streets of Soho in NYC, I stumbled across a fabulous home decor store, Portico. I had just moved into a beautiful duplex apartment in Belleville NJ and was searching for items to decorate my new place. In 1998 I was the chick with champagne taste on a beer budget, the furniture was beautiful, and pricey for me at the time, but I could not leave that store empty-handed. There is where I discovered one of my favorite spa products, Fresh Sugar Cubes.

I was taken in by the frosted glass jar that housed these effervescent cubes which resembled edible sugar cubes. I got them home popped in Urban Hang Suite and settled in to a wonderfully relaxing at home spa experience. First the fragrance filled that filled my space was this sweet lemony scent, next my bath water felt milky soft, the outcome, baby soft sweet-smelling skin. These cubes helped to exfoliate and moisturize my extremely dry skin. Eleven years later my love for Portico is stronger than ever.

Fresh SugarBath Cubes $34 amazon.com

This time it is PorticoSpa products that I cannot live without. Portico The Revitalizer Body Wash and The Guardian Body Lotion. The blood orange jasmine scented body wash seemed to wake up my senses on contact. My skin was super clean and soft. The body lotion packed with almond and shea butter soften, while the white tea  extract helps to restore my scaly skin. My skin stayed ash free for over 24 hours! The line is complete with rich body creams and body misters in lovely lively scents. Prices starting at $16  at the Dermstore.com

Good hair day

We spend so much time dwelling on bad hair days I thought I’d flip it and talk about all things good. I attened a jewelry lanch party recently for Rafaello & Co put together in part by one of my besties Daniella Cobb. In preparing for this all black attire affair I was consumed by thoughts of what I should do with my hair. Just a few weeks ago I chopped my locks channeling Linda Evangalista circa 1989 and ended up with a cut very similar to her career changing do. The problem that I have with the style is that the bang is so full and long after a few hours it falls flat.  Most hairstylists rule against adding lots of product to the hair, especially if you have stategically placed extensions weaved in, but I just could not risk having a bang with body drop like a flapjack after one 2 step. I decided to go for the product that I see in most of my celeb hairstylist friends hair kits…

Loreal’s Elnett. I like it because of it’s incredibly long-lasting hold that’s soft to the touch but best of all it brushes out. The result no product buildup. Luv that.  L’Oreal Elnett $15.00 Target stores nationwide

I promise that I will not O D on the Elnett but I am a little excited about washing my  hair. Why you ask? Artistic designer for SoftSheen Carson and First Lady Michelle Obama’s stylist Johnnie Wright says “good hair begins at the bowl” Mizani one of the product lines under the SoftSheen Carson umbrella has reformulated their line. Before- mineral oil, petroleum jelly, preservatives, and silicone, all of which when combined weigh the hair down. After-Botanical ingredients like avocado, rice bran, shea and cocoa butters, coconut oils. While I wait to receive my samples you can head out to your nearest beauty supply store to try it for yourself. You’ll find great products like stimulating scalp oil and restructuring deep treatments for under $7.oo

photo of me courtesy www.colinwilliamsphotography.com

This Womans worth

What is worth? Worth is excellence of character or quality as commanding esteem.  Show your worth by taking a few moments to vote for the woman whose cause touches your heart. Just go to www.womenofworth.com to cast your vote.               

L’Oréal Paris’ Fourth Annual Women of Worth Program
Honors 10 Extraordinary Women Dedicated to Volunteerism and Community
 
10 Women of Worth Honorees To Receive $5,000 for their Non-Profit Cause and
$5,000 in their name to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund
 
One Women of Worth To Be Selected As National Honoree for
Additional $25,000 For Her Cause
 
Public Voting Open on womenofworth.com for National Honoree
 
NEW YORK, NY (November 9, 2009) – L’Oréal Paris is proud to announce the ten 2009 Women of Worth Honorees, each of whom will be recognized for their amazing work giving back to their communities. As part of this honor, each of these incredible women will receive $5,000 for their non-profit cause and $5,000 in their name to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund, L’Oreal’s charitable partner since 1997.
 
Public online voting for the Women of Worth National Honoree is now open on womenofworth.com. The honoree that receives the most consumer votes will win an additional $25,000 from L’Oréal Paris for her cause. The voting period for the 2009 Women of Worth National Honoree is open now through November 24th at womenofworth.com. Visitors to the site will choose one of the ten exceptional honorees, which they feel has made the biggest community impact through their devotion, community achievement and volunteerism.
 
All ten Women of Worth honorees will be publicly recognized at the CNN Inspire Summit, held in New York City on December 8.
The ten honorees represent women from all across America, dedicated to a range of causes and are extraordinary examples of the power of grassroots activism.
·       Brittany Berquist, Norwell, MA, established Cell Phones for Soldiers, Inc. to keep toxic waste out of landfills and provide phone cards for troops serving throughout the world.
·       Lillian Collins, Clinton, OK, founded Eastside Academy to assist African American children who need help in reading and math, providing a positive after-school program.
·       Anne Ginther, Sammamish, WA, founded RandomKid, which provides staff and services to youth of all backgrounds and abilities for the development, management and accomplishment of their goals to help others.
·       Maimah Karmo, Aldie, VA, established Tigerlily Foundation, which provides meals, financial assistance, empowerment and inspiration to younger women affected by breast cancer.
·       Shannon Lambert, Minneapolis, MN, founder of Pandora’s Project, a community where women who have survived rape can connect and support one another.
·       Brenda Murray, Chevy Chase, MD, has been transforming conditions and providing educational opportunities for thousands of women behind bars for the past 20 years.
·       Ora Rakestraw, Sacramento, CA, tutors third graders with special needs, helping these young people have a chance to experience success and stay committed to their education.
·       Carol Reza, Whitter, CA, founded Bridge of Faith to provide families of incarcerated women with mentoring and social service referral services.
·       Halle Tecco, San Francisco, CA, created Yoga Bear, an organization that provides free yoga classes to cancer patients.
·       Rhonda Ulmer, Denton, MD, provides local community resources to parents in her school to obtain their GED, housing, food and health assistance, transforming the school into the hub of the communit

Find the perfect fragrance

Holiday 2009: Fragrance Foundation Guide to Finding The Perfect Fragrance

Holiday gift giving can be a daunting task for many. When in doubt we opt for giftcards or fruitcake, both of which are a bit impersonal. Instead of taking the easy route use this guide developed by the fragrance foundation to help you pick the perfect scent for just about anyone.

Moroccanoil

Argan oil is an oil produced from the kernels of the argan tree, that is valued for its nutritive, cosmetic and numerous medicinal properties. Moroccanoil is a blend of this precious lipid blended with essential vitamins and phenols which when combined help protect and prevent future damage from environmental and daily styling stressors. Orlando Pita and Odile Gilbert are just a few of the top stylist who use this amazing product line on their high-profile clients. The original Moroccanoil and the entire line of products which include hair saving hair masks, curling cream, glossing sprays etc., can only be purchased at fine salons, just go the www.moroccanoil.com click salon locator to find the salon nearest you. Watch Mary Zingone from the Anthony Leonard Salon transform this naturally curled coif into sleek straight tresses.  Moroccanoil $40.00 at fine salons.

Russell Simmons and Bounty

I know what you’re thinking, Glamamara does a beauty blog, so what does Russell Simmons and Bounty paper towels have to do with hair and makeup? Well to answer your question I’d say everything. You see, Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation, and Bounty have partnered to support a wonderful cause (Building Bounty-ful Bridges) created to inspire parents and educators to encourage young people to follow their creative dreams. I believe that art in the classroom and home is an essential tool in helping  mold young minds to think independently, out of the box, to appreciate who they are and to believe in themselves. My journey to becoming a celebrity makeup artist was hard and long. Obstacles presented themselves time and time again but because I believed in my talent I have overcome every one of them. With every obstruction there was a great opportunity for growth on the other side. I have travelled around the world, written for magazines and now pen my own blog. I am happy to say that I am respected by my extremely talented peers and am told that I inspire others to follow their dreams. I grew up with an artistic mom and art in the classroom. I was one of the lucky ones, unfortunately the children of this generation have been slighted by, overcrowded schools, budget cuts, etc. Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation provides disadvantaged urban youth with arts exposure, access and education. Bounty encourages parents to allow their children to have fun and make a mess, they’re here to clean it up.  Be inspired, and inspiring. Good night and God Bless

Carmen Reece on Good Day New York

So it’s been awhile since my last post but as you know the world of a freelance makeup artist is feast or famine. Lets just say the famine is over. I’ve been busy working on various assignments and the work keeps coming in but how dare I deprive you (my loyal readers) of my beauty expertise. I promise to never leave you for so long; scouts honor. During my blog hiatus I worked with the talented young recording artist Carmen Reece who recently appeared on Good Day New York.  Please watch and enjoy Carmen perform her new single Right Here.

http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/good_day_ny/091026_carmen_reece

Her look was soft, I used MAC Pink Swoon on her cheeks and on her eye lid creases.  $18.50

I washed the her lid with a MAC pigment in Vanilla $19.50

her lips, a combo of Makeup For Ever lip liner #22 $17.00  and MAC Tinted  lipglass underage $14.00

Beauty Story

Mercedes Benz Fashion week has come and gone and as we all know the fashions, hair and makeup trends were all about Spring 2010. Since September ushers in Autumn I felt it necessary to focus on the now. Here’s my take on  the bold makeup looks that you can look forward to re-interpreting this Fall. 

Dont be afraid to experiment with strong vivid colors. Get creative… Falls pallets are usually earthy, if you are going for sedated colors in your wardrobe, adding drama to your eyes will complement your overall look. Is it necessary to go for broke like I did with Saki (the beautiful model pictured above)? No,  tone it down by tossing the black liner and replacing it with a bold blue or vibrant green. Line both upper and lower lids and smudge it into the lash line to create a colorful smokey eye.  Swirl three coats of mascara to top lash and finish with a flesh toned lip color with a few drops of gloss the finish the look.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Less is more? Not in this case, everything about this look denotes strength. A strong brow, a hooded lid, contoured cheeks, and rich red lips. This is so 80’s but then again so are some of Fall 09’s trends. My tip… save this look for the club, I wouldn’t go to the office all dolled up like this.

Makeup Tamara Delbridge

Hair Traci Washington

Photographer Berman Fenelus

Model Saki