Strolling through Borough Market in London the other day, I stumbled upon Wild Wood Groves Argan Oil. I had heard stories about this mystical oil being the rarest in the world and was curious about its special properties. I know small amounts are used in some beauty products, but I have never seen 100% pure oil available for sale before. I bought it immediately and was schooled in its history and beauty benefits.

Argan oil comes from a small area of Morocco where Berber women produce the oil by grounding up the seeds from the thorny argan tree. It takes 2 days of work, crushing and pressing the seeds to produce just one liter of this beauty potion. Due to over grazing by local goats, the trees are now protected and the Berber women of the area are only allowed to produce a small amount at a time, which makes this coveted oil even more rare.

For centuries argan oil has been a well-kept beauty and health secret of the Berber women, who use the oil to nourish their skin, nails and hair. It contains twice the amount of vitamin E as olive oil and is rich in anti-oxidants. Eight essential fatty acids help prevent moisture loss in the skin and its amazing anti-aging properties are well documented.

You only need a few drops of this non-greasy liquid gold to moisturize and protect your complexion. Rub a little on the hands and on cuticles to soften them up or rub a small drop into really dry hair to re-hydrate it instantly. I love the stuff and learned you can even cook with it and make yummy dishes, which is fab — if I cooked that is!

As an established makeup artist, many beauty brands send me samples of their latest products for consideration. I only write about the items that I truly love and I always abide by Daily Makeover’s Editorial Ethics Pledge in each of my Positively Beautiful posts.

Sweet to eat and sweet to treat!

Is there anything sweeter than honey? Not only does it taste yummy, it also has fantastic beauty benefits, so we can enjoy eating it and using it on our skin and hair. In some cultures and ancient religions there is a superstition surrounding honey and many use it in rituals to attract money, love, admiration and attention.

My personal love of honey products started when I was on a girl’s trip to Tulum, Mexico and stumbled upon a local perfumery at the beach resort Coqui Coqui. The perfumery made this organic fragrance oil called Mielum that smelled like honey and was supposed to help attract men and money, according to local mythology. I bought 5 of them! I dab it on before big meetings or a special night out and love the light sweet fragrance it emanates.

The smell is so subtle and lovely that I began looking into other honey based products. It turns out honey is rich in nutrients, amino acids, enzymes and antioxidants. It makes a wonderful moisturizer and can be used as skin beautifying facial mask. Simply apply it to a moist face and then cover your skin with a warm washcloth and let it steam the honey into your pores. Then rinse off with cool water and check out how fab your skin looks!

Honey is so hydrating it can be found in hair products and makeup as well. I found an amazing shampoo by Terax called Miele, which is perfect for dry hair because it adds in tons of moisture. Burt’s Bees Honey Lip Balm is great for smooth, sweet-tasting lips and I love Korres Thyme Honey 24-Hour Moisturizing Cream because it’s fab for your face.

Get sweet on this sticky stuff and it will keep you looking good!

As an established makeup artist, many beauty brands send me samples of their latest products for consideration. I only write about the items that I truly love and I always abide by Daily Makeover’s Editorial Ethics Pledge in each of my Positively Beautiful posts.

I was at my dermatologist Dr. Rosemarie Ingleton’s office the other day getting my monthly facial from my girl Michelle, when she busted out this new vitamin C product. After applying it to my face, she told me that if I started using it before my moisturizer each day that my skin would look incredible.

That evening when I got home my skin was extra radiant. My skin usually looks better right after a good facial but this stuff was like magic! That night at dinner my friends commented on the appearance of my skin and I told them that it must be the new vitamin C serum I was using. It unfortunately smells a little like echinacea and dirt, but happily the scent does go away as soon as you slather on your moisturizer.

We’ve heard all about how vitamin C is a very strong anti-oxidant that boosts our immune system to defend us from colds and how it has skin enhancing properties, but new scientific research shows that applying it topically really helps build collagen, reduces sun damage and wrinkles and tones and tightens the skin. The more studies they do on the subject, the more they see just how incredibly well it works.

For me this is certainly true — I have melasma on the sides of my face and on my chest due to the sun damage I did to myself as a teen growing up in sunny California. After just one week on this serum, the melasma seems much lighter and the texture and firmness of my face is great. The product Michelle gave me is called Ascorderm Contouring Serum Plus, which is said to have 8.5x the concentration of L-Ascorbic acid in the skin and works for 8 hours. Because I have the melasma this serum is the perfect one for me to reduce the brown areas and protect me from further photo-damage.

A few other fantastic vitamin C products out there are: Skinceuticals C E Ferulic, Nature’s Gate C For Yourself and MD Skincare Hydra-Pure Vitamin C Serum. I also recommend eating a lot of vitamin C-rich fruit and drinking yummy fresh OJ. Might as well attack aging from all sides!

As an established makeup artist, many beauty brands send me samples of their latest products for consideration. I only write about the items that I truly love and I always abide by Daily Makeover’s Editorial Ethics Pledge in each of my Positively Beautiful posts.

You know the old expression “if it’s too good to be true then it probably is?” I was doing a private consultation with a woman the other day who asked me what she should look for when it came to skin care. She said she was so confused at drugstores and department stores because all of the products made tons of claims and she did not know what was right for her.

There were eye creams that were firming, anti-aging, brightening and soothing; face creams that contained sunscreen, alpha-hydroxy acids, luminizing particles and dark spot faders; one self-tanner declared it would tone you, tan you and improve skin’s texture all in one hour. Oh, if only that were all true!

The real truth is that you need to narrow it down. You need to sit down with a dermatologist and find out what your main skin concerns are. For example, if you worry about wrinkles then get a strong sunscreen for prevention, an anti-aging serum for skin rejuvenation and a good face and eye cream for moisture.

While it may seem like a good idea to buy one product that claims to do it all, rather than three or four that only do one specific job, the real truth is that there are no do-everything miracle creams out there. Buying specific products that actually deliver on their claims will help you get the results you are looking for.

To really get the desired effect you need to buy the best product made for your specific needs. This will do more for you then months of slathering on some BS cream that tells you it will do everything, including washing your car and making you dinner.

If you combine all the ingredients it takes to accomplish all the claims made by these all-purpose creams, it winds up getting so diluted that there will never be a high enough percentage of ingredients to actually do the job. So go for a pure product and let the real magic happen. Here are a few of my favorites:

Cetaphil Daily Cleanser – the best straight up cleanser around
Eucerin Original Moisturizing Lotion – the perfect creamy body lotion for dry skin
SkinMedica TNS Night Eye Repair – a powerful anti-aging cream for your eyes.
SkinCeuticals Sport UV Defense SPF 45 – my favorite strong sunscreen, I put it on every day before my moisturizer and makeup
GlyDerm Lotion Lite – This glycolic acid will lightly slough off dead skin and promote cell turnover
Obagi Nu-Derm System – this is the best for fading sun damage and melasma
Latisse – makes eyelashes grow the real way, not the false mascara-claiming way

As an established makeup artist, many beauty brands send me samples of their latest products for consideration. I only write about the items that I truly love and I always abide by Daily Makeover’s Editorial Ethics Pledge in each of my Positively Beautiful posts.

I spend so much time in airports and I have to say, I’m always amazed by the beauty shopping in Duty-Free’s. Some airports carry incredible deals and exclusive collections available only to frequent fliers. Here are some of my favorite exclusive Duty-Free products.

I love the mini lipgloss collection by Bobbi Brown, which has 3 gorgeous shades in hot pink, petal and rosy. You can wear a different one each day, depending on your mood.

The Chanel Travel Makeup Palette and the Lancôme Absolute Seduction Palette are filled with every makeup shade you will ever need to look totally gorgeous.

The Happy Hands Kit by L’Occitane is perfect for travel because we often forget our poor hands and they can get so dry and cracked, especially while we fly. With these purse-size moisturizers, you can keep your hands hydrated no matter where you might be traveling.

Skincare deals abound in terminals so look for your favorite coveted moisturizer or line erasing serum that you may have stopped buying due to the recession. You may find it’s more affordably priced at the Duty-Free.

The Heathrow terminal in London has some of the best beauty shopping around as well as Amsterdam and Paris’ Charles De Gaulle.

Duty-Free is a great place to stop into when you are feeling a bit travel frazzled because you can test out these fab finds, which will help you feel a bit more refreshed and relaxed. However, be careful not to spread bacteria by double dipping into already open sample containers and applying those products to your face. Ask to test lipglosses, eyeshadows or anything your skin can touch by asking for a fresh sample. If you’re not careful, hello swine flu!

As an established makeup artist, many beauty brands send me samples of their latest products for consideration. I only write about the items that I truly love and I always abide by Daily Makeover’s Editorial Ethics Pledge in each of my Positively Beautiful posts.

With Earth Day approaching (April 22!), we should all stop and think about how we are giving back to our wonderful planet. If shopping is what you do best, then make sure your purchases really matter. In the beauty world there are some great new products I’ve discovered that really make a difference.

The Glowology Believe Honey Bar is a yummy smelling body soap and 100% of it’s profits are donated to Noodle & Boo’s Raise Your Hand Campaign. As you cleanse your body you are actually helping to purify water for children in Africa.

When it comes time to makeup remover, you can help save the polar bears. Josie Maran’s Bear Naked Wipes are gentle cleansing wipes and 100% of the profits is donated to help protect endangered animals. They are also biodegradable, so you’ll be clean and conscious, how great is that? Go to Polarbearsos.org

Mass brands like Curel have gotten in on the action as well. When you purchase a limited edition of their Continuous Comfort Original Formula Lotion you can learn about their partnership with the American Red Cross helping people after natural disasters all over the globe. They are donating $250,000 and you can help too by visiting their site.

Smashbox Cosmetics is introducing their Mother Earth Palette, which is a made from all completely organic material housed in a recyclable compact made from sustainable materials and printed with eco-friendly ink. They are not messing around! The palette contains four eye shadows and a blush and with each purchase a tree will be planted by Trees For The Future.

So you see when beauty companies are making it this easy to look good and do the right thing how can you not!

As an established makeup artist, many beauty brands send me samples of their latest products for consideration. I only write about the items that I truly love and I always abide by Daily Makeover’s Editorial Ethics Pledge in each of my Positively Beautiful posts.

As the winter winds down, you may find yourself looking in the mirror with a sort of dull grey film over your skin. The truth is all those months of bitter cold, lack of sun, and dry indoor heat has taken its toll on your face. You need to scrub away the past and perk up your pasty self, getting your skin in glowing condition.

The cheapest way to polish your complexion is by incorporating a face scrub into your beauty ritual. Do this every day for about a week, then take it down about every few days.

You can try my favorite inexpensive method of using a handful of regular white sugar (see my previous post My #1 Secret To Soft Skin–And It’s Cheap!) mixed with your daily cleanser or buy an exfoliator containing fruit enzymes to gently slough off dry old skin.

Another good exfoliating tactic is to use an electronic facial brush like the Clarisonic Skincare Brush .

Want to treat yourself to a pro treatment? A microdermabrasion treatment from your dermatologist instantly smoothes your skin and eliminates dullness. The new silk peel microdermabrasion uses a solution of hydroquinone for spot fading and penetrates deeply for truly fresh new skin. I like to treat myself to one of these at the start of each new season to jump start my glow, boost new cell growth and improve circulation.

A face primer will also help boost radiance. Try Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Inspired By Carmindy Luminizing Face Primer before you apply foundation. The light-reflecting particles create a radiance that will boost your glow, making you look refreshed.

You should also go for a rosy cream blush swirled on the apples of the cheeks. This trick can help any face look fresh and fabulous in seconds.

As an established makeup artist, many beauty brands send me samples of their latest products for consideration. I only write about the items that I truly love and I always abide by Daily Makeover’s Editorial Ethics Pledge in each of my Positively Beautiful posts.

You know we all crave those doe-eyed fringy lashes that babies and boys seem to always get instead of us! We paint and sweep our own eyelashes with every kind of goopy mascara out there with high hopes of transforming them into thick frames of loveliness. Oh, how nice it would be to have them naturally and never have to worry again about stubby or sparse eye fringe coated with paint!

Can longer lusher lashes really happen with a magic serum? Is it possible science has stumbled upon a miracle?

My good friend and Miami-based dermatologist Dr. Alicia Barba turned me on to the new beauty phenomenon Latisse, a FDA-approved prescription treatment that claims to make lashes grow longer, fuller, and darker. She explained that the solution takes nightly applications with results in 4 weeks and full results in 16 weeks. The solution is painted on the lash line with little disposable brush applicators and your lashes will experience real measurable growth.

Well, I was sold and set out to be my own guinea pig and see if the stuff really worked. Sure enough, after about 4 weeks, I saw a major difference in the length of my lashes, though no difference in color or thickness. I celebrated my new lashes by putting on a double dose of mascara to really show off their amazing length. The only side effect I experienced was redness along my lash lines, but it was well worth it. Some women have experienced itchiness, but I had no problem. After the full 16 week course, my lashes have remained nice and long, the redness has completely gone away and I now believe in miracles!

Before/after sample from the Latisse website

As an established makeup artist, many beauty brands send me samples of their latest products for consideration. I only write about the items that I truly love and I always abide by Daily Makeover’s Editorial Ethics Pledge in each of my Positively Beautiful posts.

As much as women love their lip gloss, we are always looking for the magic one that lasts longer than a smile! Usually glosses disappear in a flash, leaving you addicted to the constant re-swiping to layer on some more. I’ve been trying to create a long-wearing lip gloss with the Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Inspired By Carmindy team for awhile. The tricky part was trying to come up with a formula that wouldn’t make your lips as dry as the Sahara desert in the height of summer. Most long-wearing lip products contain ingredients that seal onto your lips to stay put, but the downside is that they suck all the moisture right out. You’re left with colorful but dry cracked lips.

I’m thrilled to announce that we finally found the perfect moisture-rich, smooth and creamy gloss formula that lasts for hours without dehydrating your lips! It’s awesome and will be available soon, so keep your eyes out or check out Sally Hansen Natural Beauty for updates. The next step of development for me is the really fun part: choosing the perfect colors and making up enticing names! We mixed and swirled all kinds of fun colors together and came up with 12 fabulous shades that woman will fall in love with! Next came trying to think up names that were descriptive enough for ladies to know what they were getting, but at the same time fun and alluring. What fun it is being a girl and playing with makeup for a living. It truly is a dream job!

As an established makeup artist, many beauty brands send me samples of their latest products for consideration. I only write about the items that I truly love and I always abide by Daily Makeover’s Editorial Ethics Pledge in each of my Positively Beautiful posts.

The One. The Only.

Okay, so
all of us have read stories about how spending a fortune on an
expensive face cream is probably a total waste of money and with the
economy as crappy as it is, it may even be criminal! I have written a
few of these stories myself and the truth is, yes, it can be a waste of
money. However, sometimes wasting a little money on something that
makes you feel wonderfully indulgent, puts a smile on your face and
keeps you super hydrated at the same time can be priceless. It’s the
spulrge/save notion

.

I feel very strongly that most makeup and skincare can be bought at drugstores and that is why I co-created the makeup line Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Inspired By Carmindy (awesome by the way). But I also believe that you can splurge on a product if you feel it really does the job. I have super dry skin and so far no cream but the infamous Crème De La Mer seems to do the trick and I am a total devotee. My skin looks smoother, my fine lines less noticeable and my texture appears firmer. Maybe I drank the Kool Aid, but I love it! Honestly just the ritual of putting it on morning and night creates a giddy feeling inside. I know I am giving myself a totally self-indulgent little treat and really aren’t we worth it? At $130 an ounce there is serious sticker shock, but I feel with all the money I save in makeup and my other drugstore skincare I can give myself a treat.

But of course I try to make it last as long as possible. My way of extending the life of this small jar of joy is to just use it on the driest of areas and the places where signs of aging is creeping up. I apply an inexpensive cream all over my face first, then dab on La Mer under my eyes, around my nasal labial folds, across my forehead and around my mouth. It is definitely not for everyone, just the driest of us in the group…and the ones who stash their pennies!

As an established makeup artist, many beauty brands send me samples of their latest products for consideration. I only write about the items that I truly love and I always abide by Daily Makeover’s Editorial Ethics Pledge in each of my Positively Beautiful posts.

If I was going to be stranded on a deserted island, what 5 products
would I grab before my shipwreck? I’ve been asked this question many times and I always go for pretty much the same items.

Credit: Ibrahim Mohd

For my survival, I would need first and foremost my 2 favorite sunscreens. As a hat wearing, umbrella holding, zinc nosed beach bum, I have it down to a science. First goes on the eye sunscreen as to not burn or sting my eyes. Try Keihl’s Ultra Moisturizing Eye Stick SPF 30. Then around that I apply Skinceuticals Sport SPF 45 all over my face and body. It contains titanium dioxide so it really blocks out the rays more than any other sunscreen I tried and makeup glides on top of it with ease. This way when I’m rescued off the island, I won’t look like I am 140 years old. I can always fasten an umbrella and a hat out of palm fronds.

The third item would be black Blinc Kiss Me Mascara for perfect lashes. With a little black weatherproof mascara, your eyes will have all the definition they need and will last through heat, humidity and hurricanes.

The fourth product would be Fresh Satin Lustre Face Palette for shimmering highlights under the brow, on the inner corners and on top of the cheekbones. My skin will look fresh and glowing and I can highlight the natural contours of my face as I try spear fishing for my dinner.

The last product is Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Inspired by Carmindy Natural Shine Lip Gloss my signature shade Pretty Pink. This gloss is light and not sticky or tacky and with a splash of perfect pink on the lips I will have just the right amount of color. With all my favorite fantastic products, plenty of fish and hopefully a hot native man, who actually needs to be rescued?

As an established makeup artist, many beauty brands send me samples of their latest products for consideration. I only write about the items that I truly love and I always abide by Daily Makeover’s Editorial Ethics Pledge in each of my Positively Beautiful posts.

Do you really want to know what my #1 beauty secret is to great-looking skin? It’s sugar! That’s right, the deliciously sweet white granulated goodness we are always trying not to eat. Well, rub on your face and body instead for a super sweet and soft skin.

Sweet rewards: sugar is the best-kept secret in beauty

White sugar is the absolute best exfoliant and, of course, the cheapest. Sugar dissolves in water and will not tear delicate skin cells like some rougher exfoliants such as ground almonds. The sugar will smooth away dead skin cells, dirt, oils and dryness that may be dulling your skin. Simply lather up your face with a cleanser like Cetaphil and pour a handful of sugar in the palm of your hand. Rub your face in circular motions to buff and polish your skin. You can do this on the body too. Men can do it after a shave to keep ingrown hairs from forming. If you have dry lips, a little sugar on a wet washcloth will smooth out flakes.

When I travel, I always sneak a packet of sugar from the flight attendant and use it when I get to my hotel room.

Honestly most expensive exfoliators at department stores or spas are sugar scrubs anyway, so be smart and save money honey and sweeten up your face!

We are in the dead of winter right now and it’s bitter out there! Many of us can suffer from unsightly cold sores, but you don’t need to hide your face with a giant scarf or pull on a ski mask. You can easily camouflage this nasty little visitor. First, stop applying your daily moisturizer on top of the problem area. Instead, moisturize it with a small amount of Abreva ointment. Use a disposable cotton swab to avoid spreading any germs. Even if the cold sore is a bit dried out and a scab has already formed, you still want to keep it moisturized so it will not look dry, flaky and scaly when you apply concealer on top of it.

Next, use a non-latex cosmetic sponge to apply your foundation over your entire face like you regularly do, but save the problem area for last. Use a stippling motion by lightly pushing the sponge into the skin. Toss the sponge into the trash when you are done.

Now use a new cotton swab to dab a creamy concealer directly on the spot. Make sure the concealer is not too light so you don’t wind up showcasing the cold sore, but rather disguising it. If you think the concealer looks too light, use a cotton swab to dab on a tiny bit of foundation on top of the concealer until the sore totally disappears.

Avoid using any heavy powder to set the spot, but instead use a super sheer loose powder like Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Inspired By Carmindy Truly Translucent Loose Powder or Mac Blot Powder.

Keep lip colors moist matte and natural so you don’t draw too much attention to your lip area and play up your eyes to distract attention. With this technique nobody will notice and you can face the freezing cold!

As an established makeup artist, many beauty brands send me samples of their latest products for consideration. I only write about the items that I truly love and I always abide by Daily Makeover’s Editorial Ethics Pledge in each of my Positively Beautiful posts.

It’s no wonder with all the holiday traveling and the cold dry winter air that most of us are suffering from really chapped lips. Moisture loss is to blame and you’ll find that lip colors can gunk up in the unsightly flakes and look all wrong. Yuck!

You can make your lips look and feel better if you follow a few easy steps.

Rosebud Lip Balm

- In a hot shower, use a washcloth and a pinch of sugar to lightly buff your lips to smooth out the surface. After you jump out of the shower, immediately apply a rich lip balm with healing ingredients. Steer clear of old school waxy balms which guard against wind, but won’t heal damaged lips. Instead choose a moisture-rich balm containing natural oils that soothe, condition and heal. I like Burt’s Bees Medicated Lip Balm with Clove Oil, Huiles and Baumes Lip Balm, Rosebud Lip Salve or Pangea Organics Lip Balm with Lavender and Cardamom. Leave it on for about 1 hour before applying anything else on your lips. This will give it time to sink in.

Lorac Gloss Stick

- Now that your lips are conditioned, applying lip color can be tricky, but not impossible! Lip tints and stains should be avoided because they are too drying. Glosses are a good option since they go on evenly and disguise flakiness by reflecting light. Lipsticks can be worn, but only of you use moisturizing formula with low shimmer. (Shimmer particles can catch in the cracks of dry skin.) Go for a matte but moist formula like Sally Hansen Natural Beauty inspired by Carmindy Moisture Plump Lip Color. Apply the color with a lip brush to help it glide on evenly. For maximum moisture plus color, go for tinted lip balms. Formulas like Lorac Gloss Stick, Benefit Cosmetics Benetint Lip Balm or Mac Tinted Lip Conditioner with SPF 15 can add an extra layer of protection and hydration and still give you kissable color. You can apply these right on top of your other balm to double up on healthy looking lips.

In the mean time, no picking, rubbing or licking the chapped pucker. Got it?

As an established makeup artist, many beauty brands send me samples of their latest products for consideration. I only write about the items that I truly love and I always abide by Daily Makeover’s Editorial Ethics Pledge in each of my Positively Beautiful posts.

Want to know about my new addiction? Liz Earle Naturally Active Skincare!

Cleanse & Polish
Hot Cloth Cleanser

This is a line of natural skin care products from the UK which contains plant oils and is free of mineral oils or crude oil derivatives that so many other skincare lines contain. All of the products are filled with yummy botanicals and pure forms of nature’s good stuff. I love the Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser for the cleanest skin ever. After I take off my makeup, I apply this cream cleanser all over my face, then soak the muslin cloth (that it comes with) in hot water. I wring it out and wipe away the cleanser, splashing my skin with cold water when I’m done. It is quite a soothing little beauty ritual and your skin actually glows!

Next, I spritz on Instant Boost Skin Tonic for a little natural toning, then follow that up with what I call “Oil of the Gods.” The Superskin Concentrate contains neroli oil, organic rosehip oil, argan oil and natural vitamin E and renews and restores total radiance. This stuff is liquid gold! I put it all over my face and chest and go through bottles of it. My African American friends can’t get enough of the stuff and my husband uses it after he shaves.

My skin is super dry so I also use the Skin Repair Moisturizer and, I’m telling you, my skin has never looked better. It also feels good knowing that all these things going on my skin are good for me. I actually see the benefits. The line contains products for every skin type as well as products for the body, bath and men too.

As an established makeup artist, many beauty brands send me samples of their latest products for consideration. I only write about the items that I truly love and I always abide by Daily Makeover’s Editorial Ethics Pledge in each of my Positively Beautiful posts.

‘Tis the season to have any unwanted dark spots or blemishes peeled, lightened and lasered. The reasoning: You want to be at your most pale when having anything removed so your pigment stays intact, says my fabulous dermatologist Dr. Rosemarie Ingleton. Also, since the weather is cooler right now, you’re not out in the sun all which allows for safer healing time–you never want to expose just-treated skin to UV rays.

I’m a long sufferer of sunspots and discoloration due to growing up in sunny southern California. Even though I have been using sunscreen for years, as I age, these little brown spots keep popping up! A good glycolic peel always keeps them at bay, but you don’t want to go in the sun and undo all the good doc’s handiwork.

Here’s what to consider when getting a treatment:

- Remember to always use sunscreen post procedure, even if it’s cold outside.
Any sun exposure will just bring back all those nasty spots, so stay protected.

Physician’s Formula Organic Wear
100% Natural Origin Tinted Moisturizer
with SPF 15… It’s a mouthful but it’s worth it.

- Try to schedule your treatment for a time when you can go home right after and allow your skin to heal. If you must go out after the treatment, the best makeup to cover any redness is a super sheer layer of tinted moisturizer. My new favorite is the Caudalie Fresh Complexion Tinted Moisturizer because it contains botanicals, which will help the recovery and conceal the redness. Physician’s Formula Organic Wear 100% Natural Origin Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 15 is also a good bet because it contains sun protection and all natural ingredients that won’t irritate sensitive skin.

Please be conservative when having things removed! You don’t want to go crazy and overdo it, taking away every little natural thing that makes us who we are.

As an established makeup artist, many beauty brands send me samples of their latest products for consideration. I only write about the items that I truly love and I always abide by Daily Makeover’s Editorial Ethics Pledge in each of my Positively Beautiful posts.

Are you dreaming of having that perfect complexion? Ever hear of that phrase “you are what you eat”? Well, it’s true. Eating well can help you achieve great looking skin.

Your lifestyle has a lot to do with the way you look and, ladies, if you’re bitching about bad skin while having those margaritas, nachos and a drunken cigarette when you’re out with the girls after work, that is a problem.

Go on a berry binge to get great skin.

It’s a new year, so clean up your act and your skin will look lovely. The most important thing to remember is water. Lot’s and lots of water. Drink it like your life depends on it. Yes, I know, you will peeing every few minutes, but that’s good for you too.

Also, switch out coffee for antioxidant-rich green tea for extra skin benefits. You’ll still get the caffeine jolt you desire. And keep alcohol consumption to a minimum. Go for red wine because its filled with antioxidants.

Now what to eat? Just think clean. Eat a ton of fresh organic veggies and a lot of fish. Salmon is the number 1 complexion food with all those omega 3′s, so enjoy it as much as you can. Stop eating anything processed or refined. Go for all natural as often as possible. Try sprinkling flax seeds on your cereal or a lowfat yogurt parfait. Become a berry binger too. Blueberries can greatly improve your skin and your overall health so eat them often.

Stay away from cigarettes and those who smoke them. Simply sitting next to a smoker can poison your complexion.

You’ve probably heard all of this before when talking about your diet. but remember these have great beauty benefits too! What better than to wake up with a creamy dreamy complexion and find out you lost 5 pounds?

With all the holiday parties right now, there may be a chance you”ll have a little too much to drink one night and wake up feeling not so fresh. You know who you are! Well, getting rid of a hangover may take all day, but looking like you don’t even have one is something you can do in just a few minutes!

• First, drink plenty of water right upon waking. This will help flush out the puffiness.
• Pop a wet washcloth into the freezer while you take a cold shower–yes I said cold!–and when you get out take a moment to lay on your bed with the chilled washcloth over your eyes to reduce puffiness. A few drops of Visine are a must to get the red out.


Sally Hansen
Luminizing Face Primer

• Use a good moisturizer to prep your skin for makeup, then smooth on a face primer with light-reflecting pigments to give the illusion of well-rested and healthy skin. My favorite is by me (of course) Sally Hansen Natural Beauty inspired by Carmindy Luminizing Face Primer.


BADgal blue mascara

• To make the eyes look as bright as possible, try adding a little dab of white shimmer powder on the inside tear duct and under the brow bone, then add a healthy dose of navy blue mascara. The deep navy color will actually make the eyes look a bit brighter. Try Benefit Bad Gal Blue Mascara.
• A pop of pink on the apples of the cheeks and a pink lip color will also give the illusion of a fresh face. Go for an easy 2-in-1 product like Stila Cherry Crush Lip and Cheek Stain.

See now nobody will know you were dancing on tables until 4 in the morning!

As an established makeup artist, many beauty brands send me samples of their latest products for consideration. I only write about the items that I truly love and I always abide by Daily Makeover’s Editorial Ethics Pledge in each of my Positively Beautiful posts.

Every New Year millions of people make promises that they just can’t keep. “I’m going to lose those last 5 pounds,” “I will learn how to live on a tighter budget,” “I will learn how to speak Spanish,” and many other resolutions are sworn out loud, but they never seem to stick.

I’ll make it easy on you this year. Try some beauty resolutions that are simple to keep and they’ll improve the way you look and feel. Here is my list of resolutions that work:

Vow to remove your makeup before you crash!
credit: sephora.com

1. Compliment at least one stranger a week on their appearance. You have no idea the positive effect this will have on a person and it will make you feel good too. The best part: no starving, sweating, saving or studying needed.

2. Wash and moisturize your face every night–no matter what!–before you go to bed. You have no idea how many women confess that when they’re exhausted, they crash without washing their face. Not only does your body rejuvenate itself while you sleep, but so does your skin. Allow it rest in a pristine state and it will look young and fresh for years to come.

3. Clean your makeup brushes. Want to know why you still breakout or why your blush and eye shadow never look like the color in the container? Dirty brushes. Start to clean them at least every couple of days and see how much better your skin and makeup will look!

4. Burst out of your makeup rut. Try a new shade of lipstick or a new eye shadow palette and feel good about it. Change is great, so learn to take a few beauty risks.

5. Make that appointment with the dermatologist. I know many women don’t think about it or put it off because it can be pricey, but getting checked for skin cancer is priceless. I believe in dermatologists more than facialists any day.

6. Clean up the clutter. Streamline that crazy makeup bag or drawer and get rid of the madness. I’m sure there are hoards of samples, gift with purchases, broken eye shadows, never-used lip colors (almost all the exact same shade, but not quite) and makeup from 1989. Toss it. It will feel great to start the New Year off clean.

Honestly, the never ending process of brow maintenance can be a pain. And with so many hair removal options, how do you know you are doing the right one?

If you have fine brows, tweezing is the way to go. Plucking allows you to take out one or two hairs at a time, giving you more control. This is perfect for ladies who don’t need too much grooming. Go for Tweezerman tweezers for flawless precision.

If you have thick brows, then waxing is definitely the way to go. This method can remove a large area of hair at once, but make sure you go to a real pro who won’t take off too much. If you tend to get red and bumpy post-wax, do it at the end of the day and not before anything important like a wedding, dinner or special occasion. To calm down redness, apply a cool compress to the area or mix a little tea tree oil with water and dab it onto sore areas.

If you have very hairy brows or if they grow straight down from the hairline, threading, a technique developed in ancient India, can be ideal for you. I’m always amazed at how flawless a woman’s brow looks after threading. They have some way of twirling the threads together and removing many hairs very quickly and the results are perfect. Ardell makes an excellent kit.

At the end of the day ladies, all hair removal methods a basically the same thing: a hair is being pulled from the follicle. And remember, no matter which method you use, it’s a myth that hair can grow back thicker, because follicles don’t multiply and only one hair sprouts from each follicle. But, if you wax, pluck or thread in the opposite direction that your hair grows, you could wind up with new growth going in the wrong direction, making facial hair appear thicker.

Keeping a great brow will ensure your eyes will be framed in loveliness!

As an established makeup artist, many beauty brands send me samples of their latest products for consideration. I only write about the items that I truly love and I always abide by Daily Makeover’s Editorial Ethics Pledge in each of my Positively Beautiful posts.