Well Polished

How do models manage to have radiant looking skin during 8 days of Fashion Week? 

Not only do they make sure they wash off all of the extra makeup, but they also exfoliate their skin to keep it looking fresh and vibrant. If your skin is oily it is harder for it to slough off dead skin due to the stickiness of the oils and when your skin is dry, the dead skin can accumulate leaving it dull. Dirt, makeup and pollutants can trap into pores and fine lines causing blackheads and irritated skin.

To solve this problem, many models use Clarisonic’s Skin Cleansing System, invented by the makers of the Sonicare toothbrush. I love using this handheld, waterproof device every day in the shower. The brush uses a patented sonic frequency of more than 300 movements per second to take off makeup and gently exfoliate, removing makeup 6 times better than ordinary cleansing. This action also preps your skin to better absorb other products and treatments. It helps reduce oily areas, dry skin patches and blemishes. A major beauty newsmaker, it has been featured as one of Oprah’s Favorite Things and received the Best of Sephora Award  in 2008.

Clarisonic is worth the splurge, but if cost is an issue, Olay makes a great little system that is visually similar, but uses a non-sonic rotating action that runs on AA batteries. It is not waterproof but is a great option. They say that imitation is the greatest form of flattery … Olay’s Advanced Cleansing System is clearly giving the popular Clarisonic a run for the show.

Lip Gloss for your Hair.

Model's know that shiny and luxuriously looking hair is where it's at! 

Moisturizing shampoos and conditioners often leave a residue on the hair shaft that inhibit the strand from reflecting light. To make your hair vibrant, by helping the hair cuticle bounce off light again, try using some of the new products that are available ... similar to putting a clear top coat on your nails after painting them for added protection and shine.

A professional salon often offers these gloss or glaze services that will last 2-4 weeks, but to do it at home I recommend using one of these 2 products once a week in the shower; they won't leave your hair greasy and really boost the shine ~ John Freida's Color Glaze Clear and Alterna Cavaiar Shine Boost, $25 at Sephora, but a bargain for $15 on Amazon.  To use them, just shampoo and condition as usual, squeeze out the excess water and apply the gloss waiting 3 minutes to rinse with cool water. Or go green and use a bottle of beer or the juice of a fresh lemon squeezed into about a cup of water, but you'll need to leave these on a bit longer to see results, 15 to 20 minutes before rinsing.

Go ahead get your SHINE on!

Inner Realm

Face This - 188 color pages by Shelley GoodStein

Sharing a few pages from my book with you in the coming weeks. Buy it on Kindle for just $9.99 and download a FREE app to read it on your iPhone, iPad, Blackberry, Android, mac or PC. 

It's time to stop being jealous of your friend who never takes a bad photo and start learning the tricks for looking like a cover girl yourself! There are so many books about how to take a good picture written that are geared only to the person behind the camera, the photographer. Face This is a book written just for YOU, the girl who wants to know what to do in front of the camera!

Even Cindy Crawford says she doesn't wake up looking like Cindy Crawford. Get advice from real models, makeup artists and professional photographers on how to have THE perfect picture!

The flawless face, lighting, background, style, composure and oozing personality all revealed. The cheats, the secrets and what you can do to expose yourself in the best possible light digitally and put your "tag" in the cyber universe for all of the world wide web to see!

Eyelash Extensions Naturally DIY

As far as hot beauty trends go, eyelash lengthening is becoming the new teeth whitening – Just like eyebrows and hair, our lashes thin with age. And if you are using false eyelashes or lash extensions, the glue can make them brittle if not properly hydrated.

The trick to long full lashes is in keeping them hydrated. Make sure you’re taking off your makeup gently every night and try using a swab of petroleum jelly or olive oil along the lash line to moisturize. This will promote eyelash growth without any special potion. Eye lash hair has a natural growth cycle, but mascara and dry lashes cause breakage long before is reaches it natural length so moisturizing here will help reverse this.

There are products on the market designed with powerful formulas to lengthen lashes like Latisse, a formula approved by the FDA available only with a doctor’s prescription, that is proven to work but not without potential side effects. It costs about $120 for a 30-day supply and is not reimbursed by insurance.

Other over the counter products which consistently get results are Lash Relonge’ (rated highest) and Revitalash. More economical and less risky. I found both on Amazon today between $60 and $99. Click on the photo for more information on ordering.

All of these products are applied like eyeliner, drawing a thin line daily to each upper lid at the eyelash root. Most users report that one bottle will last them at least 2 months, with expected results seen around 4 weeks, after which you need only use the product every other day or so. Long, thick lashes will likely always be viewed as the captivating symbol of universal glamour. With a little effort you can have them too.

PHONEography

Using your phone as your primary camera these days? Seems everyone is, and the photos are on par with alot of point and shoot digital cameras. But a smart phone with the right imaging app can take your photos to the next level ... and some of the apps are free or just $1.99!

You can rotate, crop, add filters, effects, borders, sharpen or add text bubbles into your photos. This is a great way to be creative as well as save a photo that you love but was overexposed.

Check them out in your app store. Instagram is one of the most widely used and did I mention it's FREE? Other popular ones that cool kids are using: Hipstamatic, Diptic, Everyday, and 3D Camera. Have fun and start snapping!