Dry Skin TreatmentMakes 1 application
2 tablespoons real mayonnaise
1 teaspoon baby oil
Summer is over. Holiday time has past. You’re looking…and feeling a bit grey. Don’t be depressed! Susannah Taylor is here to uplift your spirits, and your looks – with remarkable new beauty products.
Looking in the mirror can be a terrifying experience at this time of year. If you’ve ever stuck out a summer in the UK then the lack of sun has probably left you pasty-faced; if your hair is anything like mine it might well resemble that of an old English sheep dog and your long-hidden body could well be gathering dust (tights already anyone?).
Equally, if you’re lucky enough to have grabbed a week in the sun, your post-beach hair might well be fried to a crisp; your skin shedding itself like fish scales and your tan so blotchy you’ve booked a doctors appointment for fear of a serious skin condition. Add to this the fact it’s too rainy to wear your sundress but not cold enough to wear next season’s trends and we’re all left in some sort of weird, depressing style limbo.
Thankfully, there is a light. The easiest way to perk up your looks and boost your spirits at this time of year is to add some glamour-inducing treats into your beauty regime. Beautification has been proven, throughout historys toughest times to raise morale – in WW II women were advised to ‘Put their Best face Forward’ at all times – and with the credit crunch munching away at our pockets a few beauty products become way less expensive than investing in an entire new wardrobe.
Everyone will benefit from a radiant, glowing complexion. If yours is somewhat lacklustre then give it the kiss of life with an active ingredient loaded moisturising cream.
Korres Wild Rose 24-Hour Moisturizer SPF 6
Korres Wild Rose Instant Brightening & Illuminating Vitamin C Mask 1.35 fl oz.
is a great place to start – containing Wild Rose oil, a natural source of Vitamin C, it reduces and prevents the appearance of brown spots, clarifies skin tone and provides deep hydration leaving skin renewed in weeks.
Whether your body will be hiding under a Burberry mac all summer or whether it’ll be exposed in the skimpiest of string bikinis, I find the best treatment is a top-to-toe exfoliation (let go of the tan girls, pale skin will be in for the autumn).
Korres Olive Stones Natural Scrub 40 ml
, which contains a cocktail of nourishing ingredients from blemish-defying lavender oil to nourishing cucumber and anti-ageing chyamomilla Recutita. Too good to be restricted to shins – I recommend slathering it anywhere that feels crocodile-like.
When it comes to make-up and hair trends, this month try eschewing dramatic style statements – you’ll derive the best feel-good factor from making yourself look as healthy as possible before the autumn/winter trends hit. To bring abused hair back from the brink try
John Masters Organics Honey & Hibiscus Hair Reconstructor 4 fl oz
For the face, invest in the Becca Cosmetics Avalon Palette
Sunshine? Who cares.
Even with the push toward all things natural and organic, we women sometimes forget about what we’re putting on our bodies. (And if you’re like me, you focus so much on your kids that you totally neglect yourself!)
I check the majority of my personal-care products in the Environmental Working Group’s searchable database of toxic ingredients in cosmetic and personal care products.
Here’s a quick list of ingredients to avoid compiled by Susan Jeske, a former Ms. America and cosmetics-industry employee who now travels the country educating people about the dangers of toxins in their cosmetics and personal-care products. Jeske claims these 12 things put you at the highest risk of biological mutation, reproductive complications, acute toxicity, tumors, skin and eye irritations.
Toxic Chemicals
1. Benzoyl peroxide
2. DEA (diethanolamine) and MEA (monoethanolamine) and TEA (triethanolamine)
3. Dioxin 4. DMDM hydantoin and imidazolidinyl urea
5. Synthetic colors and pigments
6. Parabens (methyl, butyl, ethyl, propyl)
7. FEG (polyethylene glycol)
8. Phthalates (xenoestrogens)
9. Propylene glycol and butylene glycol
10. Sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate
11. Sunscreen chemicals like avobensone, benzphenone and PABA
12. Triclosan
Jeske claims that the FDA is failing to protect our health when it comes to products like shampoo, lotion, conditioner, moisturizer and make-up — and that cosmetics and skin care are the least-regulated consumer products on the market.
The beach is months away and your face is showing the distance. Pasty, dry winter skin cries out for a glow and achieving the luminous bloom of spring is possible with expert tips and the right products.
Go for the glow
Achieving the luminous bloom of spring for pasty, dry winter skin is possible with expert tips and the right products.
Kimara Ahnert, of the Kimara Ahnert Makeup Studio in New York City, said to begin the glow regimen with a skin care masque to hydrate dull, dehydrated winter skin. Try
Skinceuticals Clarifying Clay Masque Deep Pore-cleansing Skin-refining Masque, 2-Ounce Jar
“It stimulates the skin, bringing a natural, healthy glow that will enhance the look of any makeup product,” she said.
Richard Class, makeup artist at bluemercury in Chicago’s Lincoln Park community, favors tinted moisturizer as foundation and suggests going a shade darker than your natural complexion.
A good one to try is MD Skincare All-In-One Tinted Moisturizer Sunscreen in 6 Shades, SPF 15, 1.7 oz
Bronzer is essential
Cover Girl celebrity makeup artist Molly R. Stern suggests applying a light dusting of bronzer where the sun would naturally hit the face – cheek bones, bridge of nose, forehead and chin. Opt for more natural brown tones instead of terra cotta orange bronzers. Ahnert also likes illuminators in cream or powder form that add glow to the skin on tops of cheekbones and on the forehead. Try Guerlain Terracotta Bronzing Powder
Eyes should shimmer
Eyes for spring are awash in light, not heavy liner and dark shadows. Ahnert said neutral shades like copper, gold or champagne lit with sparkle flatter all skin tones and ages. Adding a touch of shine to the eyes’ inner corners via an almost-white, shimmery powder or cream will make them pop, she said. Class also favors a bare-eyed look, with minimal shadow and a coat of mascara, to allow glowing skin to take center stage. Try Duet Eyeshadow Chai 2.4g by DuWop
Brush your lips
Let your toothbrush get lips started for spring. A gentle brush exfoliates dry lips and gives a plumping effect, Ahnert said. She likes glossy lips but opts for lipstick. “The color is richer, smoother and lasts longer.” A bit of neutral shimmery eye shadow drawn subtly over the top lip can accentuate the shape. Try Bare Escentuals Buxom Lips
Spring’s flush of colors
Gold: Even though the economy is poor, eyes are rich with the soft, luminous glow of this neutral. Packed in everything from eye shadow to lip gloss, it runs the gamut from almost-copper to champagne.
Pink: The shade of just-kissed skin is ideal, as pink becomes rosy for spring. This baby-soft tone is just a whisper on the skin, a flush of color on cheeks and lips, not a stripe or contour.
Peach: Dewy, luminous skin is the perfect counterpart to coral-fused peaches this spring. This shade creates a ripe, luscious cheek to complement rosy lips. In salmon tones, it’s perfect for an evening lip color.
Lilac: While purples and plums dominated the winter, lilting lilac wafts in for spring, bringing a pop of color to eyes without making them too heavy. Pair with white eyeliner to enhance spring’s baby-doll face.
Saving face: The secret to beautiful skin can be literally in your own hands
Pricey anti-aging creams and weekly facials are getting harder to rationalize. Especially when there’s a free skin treatment at your fingertips.
“Your hands are the ultimate tools. They can gauge your skin’s condition like a sensor and smooth out wrinkles like an iron,” says Japanese skin-care guru Chizu Saeki. The former Christian Dior esthetician has spent 45 years in the beauty industry and sold over 3 million books on DIY skin care in Japan.
Her latest book, The Japanese Skincare Revolution: How to Have the Most Beautiful Skin of Your Life–At Any Age
Having suffered from “flaky dry skin” in the past, Saeki developed a “steam pack” facial — applying a thick layer of your regular moisturizer, then covering your face with a plastic shower cap or Saran wrap (with breathing holes for your nose and mouth) for 5 to 10 minutes to create a sauna-like effect.
“The moisture will deeply penetrate your skin, giving it clarity,” says Saeki.
“This technique is called occlusion,” says Dr. Joyce Davis, a Manhattan-based dermatologist, who adds that it’s a common technique for relieving dryness caused by psoriasis and eczema.
“It is an instant fix for a temporarily smoother, plumper complexion for someone with very dry skin,” she says.
However, it’s not the best treatment for everyone. Warns Davis: “If you’re acne prone, you don’t want to use a heavy moisturizer on the face.”
Good for any skin type are Saeki’s facial massages, which she claims reduce puffiness and lessen wrinkles by draining lymphatic fluid and “toning the dermis and muscles.”
The doctor’s verdict?
“Lymphatic drainage massages can possibly reduce swelling from fluid accumulation in the tissues,” she notes.
“But when you massage a muscle, you relax it, so it’s not going to tighten the jaw or lift the face.”
Though calling it a freebie face-lift may be a stretch, Saeki’s facial massage does have its fans.
Brooklynite Jenny Sandbank tested the steam pack facial using moisturizer from her bathroom cabinet and Saran wrap from her kitchen cupboard.
“When I pulled it off, my skin was really dewy and glowy and so hydrated,” says Sandbank, 42.
“A guy called me ‘Miss’ that afternoon, and I can’t remember the last time that happened,” she grins.
Men need to look good and feel good to. In today’s highly competitive marketplace for employment, looks matter.
DON’T BE SCARED TO USE THESE, GUYS
1. Biotherm by BIOTHERM for Men Biotherm Homme Non-Drying Facial Cleansing Gel–150ml/5.07oz
2. If your skin is dull because of stress, try L’Oreal Men’s Expert Hydra-Energetic Turbo Recharger Instant Facial Skin Fuel, 1.6 fl oz
It has Vitamin C, pro-Phosphore (which stimulates the production and storage of ‘energy fuel’ for the skin) and peppermint leaf extract, which helps to reinforce your skin’s natural resistance to stress.
3. Clinique has launched a new whitening range called Derma White, with five new products. There is one that men might want to use. Although the term ‘whitening’ might scare you off, these lighten dark spots due sun damage. So if you’ve been doing sports without sunscreen, you might want to think about this. Derma White Intense Brightening Mask: Gel Treatment 125ml+ Activating Spray 60ml 2pcs
4. Come on guys, admit it – you worry about that spotty nose too.
Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips For Nose – 8 Ea
It also contains oil-absorbing powder to help control sebum and the menthol provides a cooling sensation.
