You Don’t Look a Day Over 49: Fifty and Fabulous

Move over 20 year olds, 50 is the new age for fabulosity. An article on http://glo.msn.com/ lists a group of celebrity women who have both defied gravity and maintained their glow as they age gracefully. One of the most remarkable beauties is Christie Brinkley. At age 57, Brinkley’s main secret lies within her flawless complexion. Her dewy glow keeps her looking fresh and young which can also be achieved with our Faces Beautiful Liquid Mineral Makeup.

Michelle Pfeiffer and Oprah are another one of my top choices for staying so amazingly flawless throughout their lives. A good tip if you’ve hit that stage in your life when your neck may not be your best asset is compliment it with a statement necklace. It can cover any imperfections as well as draw attention to the area for all the right reasons. Shopbop.com is has a great selection on their website.

My personal opinion on getting any cosmetic work done is to do it in your fifty’s. The ultimate goal is to maintain looking like yourself and minor tweaks can ensure that. At that time in your life, it’s okay to indulge yourself and if it means achieving the perfect skin, such as Madonna has done, hey I’m all for it.

Must-Haves For Your Makeup Bag

1. Faces Beautiful "Brush On" Liquid Mineral Makeup- Because whether your need to even out all of your skin tone, cover up some redness or need a quick under eye cover up-  this product does it all. And, no setting powder is needed. It absorbs excess oils, too.

2. Mascara- L’Oreal Voluminous Mascara is my personal favorite. Goes on first thing in the morning and lasts till very late! The texture is also perfect for when you left your home with just a light application and going into the evening, you can really add the lash power without the clumps. 

3. Your favorite lipstick- One trick I love is having a lipstick that doubles for a little blush, when I need a cheek pick me up going into my night look.

4. Your favorite Lip gloss- My favorite for this season are red glosses. I’ve been wearing Vincent Longo’s Venezia Red.

5. Black Eye Liner- I like the Eve Pearl Black Smudge proof Liquid Liner in Black Pearl. This liner is also great for turning a day eye into a fabulous evening eye! 

6. A small vial of your favorite perfume. My favorite is Tom Ford Black Orchid. Great to keep in my bag for those freshen up moments. 

Get that summer glow all year round!

Let's face it- most people want to look tan. In fact, many people go to extremes by sun bathing and regularly visit tanning beds to obtain the look. But, tanning beds are like smoking: they cause wrinkles and possibly cancer. The truth is that sun damage is the number one cause of aging. The sun causes hyperpgmentation, fine lines, wrinkles, a leather (rough) appearance to the skin, and worst of all, possible cancer. 

So, today's expert's are creating sunless ways to obtain that tan glow minus the dangers that come with it. Forget the orange, streaky self- tanners of the past. Self tanners have come a long way and there are so many options out there.

You can opt for a gradual self-tanner that is a body lotion used daily to give a hint of color that is build able. There are also self-tanners all over the market- from gels, creams, to sprays. You can easily you these at home. Many salons and spas are now offering spray tans, as well. The skin care expert basically airbrushes a long lasting tanning solution evenly all over the body. It's simple and you don't have to do any work! 

So, wear your sunscreen and don't bake yourself. Trust me, you will be so happy when you look younger than your age! And, when you want to enhance your tan or just look temporarily  use bronzer on your face and try a bronzing body makeup (that rinses off in the shower). It's easy, fun, flattering, and sexy! 

Our favs:

1. Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer 

2. St. Tropez Self Tan Bronzing Mouse

3. Scott Barnes Body Bling Shimmering Body Moisturizer

4. Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Glow Pad Towelettes 

For best results, exfoliate skin before application and allow to dry before dressing. Wear gloves when applying or make sure to wash your hands immediately! 

Anti-Aging Secret: A White Smile

What is more attractive than a healthy white smile? Nothing! It's beautiful. Teeth whitening has become all the rage over the last few years and for good reason. The whiter your teeth are, the younger you look. A beautiful smile portrays confidence and self-assurance. Nobody wants to be embarrassed  to smile because their teeth are not as white as they used to be.

The ideal situation would be to have your teeth professionally whitened by your dentist. A quick tip if you are going to have teeth whitened professionally is to use a toothpaste for sensitive teeth, such as sensodyne, a week or two before the procedure. This will help with any minor discomfort after the whitening. For those who can't afford professional teeth whitening or want to maintain their results, here are the tips to follow:

1. If you can't brush your teeth after drinking coffee or tea, rinse your mouth out with water as soon as possible. 

2. Purchase a whitening toothpaste such as Crest 3D White.

3. Gargle with a whitening mouthwash twice a day. 

4. Purchase at-home whitening strips. Follow the directions and you will see an improvement. There are many at home whitening strips and at home whitening kits on the market. 

5. A simple trick is also to use a blue tone lipstick or gloss. The undertone makes teeth appear whiter.

6. Carry a mini toothbrush and toothpaste with you during the day to brush after meals or buy those tiny disposables (such as Colgate Wisps) that have built in toothpaste.

5. Don't forget to follow the basics! Visit your dentist every six months, brush twice a day, replace your toothbrush after 3-4 months, and floss! 

The winter 2012 issue of New Beauty is their 'Beauty Awards Issue'. Just like Allure Magazine's annual 'Best of Beauty Awards' issue, I love reading what current beauty editors are choosing as their favorite products! In this issue of New Beauty, I found three products I agree with, BUT, I have also have recently found new favorites that could also win awards in there category that i would like to share with you. 

Maybelline's Great Lash won best volumizing mascara, and I have always loved this mascara. But, just recently I found a new mascara that really stands out: L'Oreal's Extra-Volume Collagene Million Lashes. I really like it. 

New Beauty also voted the best overall lip gloss as MAC Tinted Lipglass. I say that if you love glosses you might also like Chanel's Glossimer lip glosses. You might be a convert! 

They also voted the best mineral foundation as YoungBlood's Pressed Mineral Foundation. While this foundation gives pretty good coverage, our Faces Beautiful "Brush On" Liquid Mineral Makeup gives sheer to full coverage without that powdery finish. Plus, the brush on applicator eliminates the mess associated with traditional mineral makeups. VisitFacesBeautiful.com for more information on this exciting new product! 

If you are like me and enjoy testing different products, you will have fun trying out the above! 

We all know that we need Vitamin C in our bodies so we don't get sick and function at optimally.  Well, you did you know Vitamin C has a lot of skin-care benefits you need, too? It is an anti-oxidant, anti-inflamatory, and stimulates collagen production! These are all things that lighten discoloration, plump skin, and prevent free-radical damage. Taking an internal Vitamin C supplement is great for your health (and skin), but the best way to reap the full skin care benefits of Vitamin C is with topical products. These products hydrate (and are suitable for even oily skin) and provide added sun protection by shielding UV rays. Since Vitamin C is a mainstay in anti-aging care for everyone, here are a few products containing Vitamin C that I recommend.

1. Naturopathica Vitamin C Revitalizing Complex, $58

2. Faces Beautiful Total "C" Serum, $80

3. Alaur Skin Solutions Clock Stopping C, $105

4. Dr. Dennis Gross Hydra-Pure Vitamin C Brightening Serum, $95

Multifunctional Products

I just love multifunctional beauty products! Who doesn't? They make life simpler. Not only does having one product verses two or three save you time in the morning and space in your make bag, but it also saves you money! Get the most out of your makeup! Here are a few of my favorite multitasking products that can be used on multiple parts of the face and help you cut down on the product clutter.

1. Bobby Brown Shimmer Brick, $39. Many of you may already be familiar with this famous product. I love it because it can be used as an eyeshadow, bronzer, and highlighter. Using an eyeshadow brush, bronzing/powder brush, or a highlighting brush makes it easy to use this product all over the face. 

2. Guerlain Terracotta Loose Powder Kohl Liner, $36. Once made famous by Angelina Jolie, this powder works as both an eyeliner and shadow depending on how it is applied. The use of Kohl on the eyes has been done since the days of Cleopatra and women today still want the look. 

3. Sue Devitt Microquatic Hydrating Marine Minerals Eye Palette, 37.50. These eye palettes come in different colors with each one possessing several variations on the shade. They can be used wet or dry for different intensity. These palettes carry four shades of color varying in darkness and tone, making it a portable palette with your favorite eyeshadows all in one compact! Try the darkest color as your eyeliner and the lightest as your highlighter! 

My foundation is never blended right. Help!

No need to panic. Make sure you blended the foundation well enough into the skin. Using a damp sponge can sheer out and blend the color into the skin. If you still aren't happy with the color here are two more tips: If the color is too dark, a dusting of powder can lighten things up. If the color is too light, a dusting of bronzer will help.

Here at Faces Beautiful we understand women's concerns over picking the right shade of foundation. Ideally, foundation should be barely detectable and smooth. The idea is not to cover your skin, but to enhance it. And, with the advancement of technology, such as HD cameras, more and more cosmetic companies are making this achievable. Today’s foundations provide amble coverage without looking thick. Picking the right color is not as hard nowadays either. Most of us know that trying a color on the back of your hand is not the best idea. Try two or three shades that you think are close to your skin tone, and apply them to the jawline. The right color will blend seamlessly into your skin. Make sure you are testing colors in natural light

New Year’s Resolution:

Exercise right, Eat right, and Take care of your skin right.

It sounds simple enough. But, as we all know, it is not. Often we make the same resolutions each year and they tend to fade away as quickly as the New Year begins. But, as a beauty expert, I can tell you that if you begin taking better care of your body and skin you will feel better, look better, and age less.

Here’s how to make New Year’s resolutions work for you this year:

1.)  Buy a new pair of sneakers, invest in that gym membership, and buy a flattering workout outfit. Having to take money out of your wallet and put into exercise is often a great motivator.  

2.)  Walk through a health food store. See what healthy foods look like. Reduce your sugar and carbs. Find a plan that works for you. Find a diet and exercise plan that fits your lifestyle and needs.

3.)  Book a facial at your favorite beauty salon/spa. Everyone’s skin needs a pick-me-up during the winter months. Plus, talking to the esthetician about your skin care concerns will help her put together an at-home skin care regimen for you to follow. Follow it every evening and morning as prescribed. Once, you figure out which formulations and ingredients are most effective you will know what to look for in the future and stop wasting money on the products you don’t need! 

Hold yourself accountable. Remember you deserve it! Happy New Year to you and yours!