From Whoa to Glow

Presented by: Amy Eidelman

Easy steps to a radiant summer complexion.  This is Amy Eidelman’s foolproof plan for a better-than bare face that still appears natural.

Moisturize.  A dime size dollop of moisturizer, such as Decleor’s instant radiance moisturizer.

Apply sunscreen (if your moisturizer doesn’t include one).  Eidelman’s choice is Clarins sunscreen SPF 40.

Even out skin tone.  The goal is to correct only where you need to. 

Apply a light-reflecting concealer such as Guerlain’s precious light smoothing concealer in a C-shape around nostrils to neutralize redness and along the lower lash line to lighten under eye circles.

Hide blemishes. With a brush, dot on a  matte concealer such as Stila’s cover up stick.   

Dust on Bronzer.  Lightly apply with a powder brush wherever the sun would naturally hit you.  My trick is to smile and dab it on the apple of the cheeks and blend it up and then down resembling a 3 or an E.  ( Try motives pressed bronzer in golden glow).

Add glow.  Blend a luminizer (like highbeam from Benefit cosmetics) from the cheekbone to the brow bone.   You can even blend it on the chin, Cupid’s bow and down the center of the nose.

Secrets of a Mascara Junky
Presented by: Amy Eidelman

Mascara is the most amazing invention and is considered fundamental to any kind of make-up application.  Tyra banks can’t live without concealer and I can’t live without mascara, especially being a redhead with practically invisible lashes.  Mascara makes eyelashes look longer, darker, thicker and conditions them.  Creating thick, luscious lashes that don’t flake, clump or look spiky is one of my life’s missions and I want to share with you my tips and tricks for achieving mascara mastery.

In my experience as a make-up artist I’ve noticed that people with straight hair generally have straight eyelashes and people with curly/wavy hair naturally have more curl in their lashes.  For those people with straight hair, I strongly recommend investing in an eyelash curler or getting a perm. The problem with many eyelash curlers is that they can crimp them in a severe angle which looks unnatural.  If you need to curl your lashes, only do so BEFORE you apply mascara, never after or you’ll end up with broken or strangely bent lashes.  The best lash curlers are the ones with a sponge to protect eyelashes.    My favorite eyelash curler is the Picture Perfect Eyelash curler by Tarte because it has an easy and convenient ergonomically correct handle so your fingers won’t get stuck in the loopholes.  All you have to do is squeeze until the purple handles touch and you will have the perfect curl. For people with flat set eyes I recommend using a heated eyelash curler(try Sephora heated eyelash curler, $16).
      
The famous question my client’s ask me is “what’s the best mascara?”  This is a tricky question because it depends whether or not you want lengthening, thickening, curling or waterproof.

Lengthing Mascara Lengthening mascaras have dense bristles that allow you to get more mascara on your lashes and especially on the tips of your lashes.  My favorite is the Fiberwig mascara. $22, Sephora.com because it creates “false-eyelash-like” results that’s resistant to tears, sweat and oil..

Thickening mascara When you want bulk, you do want to buy the mascaras touted as “thickening.”  These products contain a thicker formula of waxes and silicone polymers that coat lashes.  They tend to have bigger, fuzzier brushes which make lashes appear bulkier.  According to In Style, Dior Show is the most popular but I find that the formula dries out too quickly so I recommend Motives Luscious lashes, $20 or Laura Mercier’s Thickening and Building mascara, $19. 

Waterproof mascara  These mascaras contain special synthetic formulas meant to repel moisture.  I only recommend wearing waterproof mascara on special occasions like a wedding or when you know you are going to be sweating because they can be harsh on your lashes.  They can also be problematic because in order to remove this type of mascara you have to pull and wipe around the delicate eye area.   Eidelman’s choice: Motives waterproof mascara ($20 at BeWell’s partner store, www.EndlessMarket.com).

7 Mascara Tips and Tricks

1. Do not pump your mascara-Pumping the brush won’t just dry your mascara out prematurely, it will dry out the tube unevenly.  The air pockets that pumping creates cause your mascara to get lumpy.

2. Don’t shy away from colored mascara.  Basic mascara rules are simple: Black works on everyone but can be harsh on blondes.  Blondes should opt for brown/black by day and reserve black for night.  Blue mascara, however can enhance all eye colors and is very popular for summer

3. When applying mascara, wiggle the wand at the base of the lashes.  It’s the mascara placed near the roots (not the tips) that gives the illusion of length.

4. Give a few extra coats to the edges.   Blinking onto the brush or applying the wand repeatedly in an upward and downward motion on the edges creates sexier lashes.

5. My favorite tip is to use an eyelash primer.  Try Smashbox eyelash primer at $16 or Motives Lash longer for $39 to condition, strengthen, separate and lengthen the lashes.  I swear by them!

6. Apply powder or an eye primer under the eye before applying mascara.  Sometimes the mascara smudges because it’s attracted to oily concealer or eye creams.  

7. The experts recommend replacing your mascara every three months. 

Practicing Safe Sun
Presented by: Amy Eidelman
 

 By now, we all know that long time exposure to the sun can prematurely age our skin and increase our risk of skin cancer.  Therefore, it is no surprise that sunscreen sales are on the rise and many skincare lines are adding it to their daily moisturizers and foundations. What is a surprise is the fact that malignant melanoma is growing at a rate of 7% in the United States. 

 If the ozone layer has not yet changed significantly except at the poles, them what is causing the enormous increase in skin cancer? 

 One theory is that people stay in the sun longer than they should because they think they are being protected.  The fact of the matter is that sunscreens alone appear to be imperfect.  Most sunscreens do a good job of blocking UVB, but fewer sunscreens filter out most of the UVA rays, so they do not help to prevent the beginnings of melanoma formation.  SPF measures how long a sunscreen protects you from UVB damage, but the FDA has not come up with standard methods of testing UVA protection which constitutes 90%-95% of the UV light reaching the earth.  Many people also believe that an SPF 30 offers double the protection of an SPF 15.  However, experts say SPF 15  blocks 93% of rays, while SPF 30 blocks 97% which means you need to reapply your sunscreen every 2 hours regardless of the SPF.  

 If you are going to be in the sun for a prolonged amount of time, the American Skin Cancer Society recommends that you slip, slop and slap.  Slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen( 1 tablespoon for the face and about an ounce for the body)  and slap on a hat.  When choosing a sunscreen look for sunscreens with both UVA and UVB protection.  Ingredients that offer both UVA/UVB protection are chemical sunscreens avobenzone, also known as  parsol 1789, mexorly sx`and oxybenzone as well as physical sunscreens  Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide.  Also important to note is when you reapply your sunscreen, the SPF is halved.  For example, SPF 15 protects you for 150 minutes and after you reapply, it is halved and only protects you for 75 minutes and then 35minutes, etc. 

Some of my favorite sunscreens are Neutrogena, Ultra Sheer Dry Touch sunscreen which has avobenzone and oxybenzone, plus helioplex to help the active ingredients protect the skin up to 5 hours.  Neutrogena claims this sunscreen will neither run into the eyes or sweat or towel off.  If you are willing to splurge, Murad’s oil-free SPF 30 with pomegranate provides intense hydration while leaving a non-greasy matte finish.  Dr.Murad also claims that pomegranate is the best antioxidant for the skin and makes the SPF 25% more effective.

If you have sensitive skin or prefer to use an organic sunscreen I recommend Blue Lizard Sensitive which contains zinc oxide (10%) and titanium dioxide (5%).  DDF makes an excellent organic sunscreen that contains a proprietary blend of antioxidants and is backed by the Skin Cancer Foundation.

Mexoryl is said to be the best UVA protection on the market and the most expensive.  It doesn’t degrade in sunlight and just got approved by the FDA in July 2006.  There are only a handful of products available with this ingredient including LaRoche-Posay Anthelios SX for $48, and Lancome UV Expert 20 for $35.

Here are the Do’s of practicing safe sun:

DO apply a chemical sunscreen before your moisturizer , but a physical sunscreen after your hydrater

DO stay out of the sun between the hours of 11am and 2pm whenever possible

DO ensure that your sunscreen is replaced at least once a year.

DO wear sunglasses that filter out 100% of the ultraviolet light to protect yourself against the development of cataracts.

DO wear sunscreen all year long since 90% of UVA rays penetrate the earth which is why you can still burn on a cloudy day. 

DO protect your babies.  It is safe to use a sunscreen on any child age six months old or older.  Babies less than six months old should not be exposed to the sun at all.

Face Scrubs

Presented by Amy Eidelman

Many of my clients ask me whether or not they should still use a weekly exfoliator if they are using hard-core treatments like AHAs or retinol and my answer is YES. 

Exfoliators are a specialized treatment step that are used as needed, according to skin type and skin concern. 

Whether you’re fighting mild acne, staving off wrinkles or just looking for a more glowing complexion, the new face scrubs are formulated to amp up the results you are already getting from your current regimen.     

The three basic forms of exfoliators include:

Manual exfoliators which contain mild scrubbing agents like fine grains, finely milled nut extracts, and polyethylene beads.  I recommend looking for granules that are perfectly spherical like Dr.Brandt’s Microdermabrasion.  
 
Chemical exfoliators like glycolic peels, which contain AHAs that break down the cellular cement that binds dead skin cells to the surface. These are ideal for sensitive skin and aging skin because they penetrate deeper into the skin and improve cell turnover and won’t irritate.  Try DDF Daily cleansing pads with 5% glycolic.
 
Enzymatic exfoliators, such as enzyme scrubs and masks, which digest dead skin cells from the surface and are great for all skin types.  Phytopeel by Decleor is really cool enzymatic exfoliator because it works like a pacman eating away at the cells and you can literally see the dead skin coming off of your face.

In young skin, it takes between 28 to 30 days for new cells to rise to the surface of the skin. After age 35, cell production slows down and the cycle can take as long as 60 days.  Someone concerned with aging skin would be wise to use an exfoliator because it will increase cell turnover and stimulate collagen production.  

Younger skin generally produces more oil and is therefore more prone to acne. Exfoliating is an excellent preventative measure because it removes pore-clogging dirt and oil and prevents dead skin cells from building up in the pore.  Oily skin can give the skin a sallow appearance so exfoliation is a sure fire way to brighten up the skin and prevent that oil from oxidizing.

How often?

Optimal: Once or twice a week
Dry: Once or twice a week
Oily: Two to three times a week
Sensitive: Every two weeks

Do it Right:
The ideal place to use your scrub is in the shower when the skin is damp and slightly soft.

If you have a big night and want your skin to look luminous, scrub an hour before you go out- and them reapply a calming serum to soothe redness.

Don’t scrub if
*You’re about to hit the beach or go for a run.  Exfoliating can make your skin more sun sensitive to the sun so a high-sun exposure moment is not the time to scrub
* You’re at all sunburned
* You’re getting a brow or lip wax in the next 48 hours.
* Your have rosacea.  Any kind of exfoliation can dilate the blood vessels or irritate your skin.
* You’re on accutane.  You’re skin is already being exposed to high concentrations of Vitamin A which is an exfoliator.  Only mild cleansers and gentle creams are recommended.* If you have tender blemishes and cysts be extra cautious.  Irritating the skin can inflame the pores, which can lead to more blockages.  Also, if you scrub and break open the breakouts, they may scar. 

Post scrubs:
Seal your skin with moisturizer and sunscreen.  Remember, you’re removing some of your natural protective barrier along with the dead skin cells.