Friday, November 9, 2012

Look Skinny in your Holiday dresses - Belt And Recycle!


Belt your holiday dresses to flaunt your waist and give you that perfect sexy hourglass proportion to look skinnier this year!

Scientific studies have shown that we find symmetry attractive and just by adding a belt to any outfit you can create that illusion whether or not you were born with it. Regardless of your size this trick works for everyone.

First Lady Michelle Obama is also known to repeat dresses by adding sweater or belt.
You might think a belt is too casual for a cocktail dress but the secret is in finding the right one ... metal, patent, ribbon, or jeweled - the key is to pick a belt that is equally as dressy as your outfit. If you don't have time to hit up the alterations lady, a belt is your answer to never looking frumpy again during the holidays. Many women make the mistake of thinking that just because they aren't a size 2 that this won't work for them. Or that they should wear a bigger, non-fitted dress, but adding more drapey fabric will only make you look bigger. By cinching in your waist you draw attention to the smallest part of your body giving you a curvy shape which translates into sexy.

Simple Grosgrain ribbon belt

Belts can also be a game changer allowing us to recycle holiday dresses from Christmas' past. An inexpensive way to change your entire look.

Hayden Panettiere's pencil dress repeated with a patent belt.

 And don't forget to add a belt to a sweater or jacket worn over your holiday dress to take you to one more holiday celebration without anyone guessing you're repeating!





To learn more secrets about looking your best in real life AND in front of the camera buy my new book Face THIS: Real Advice from Real Models available on Amazon, Kindle, Nook and iTunes.








AA + BB = CC so Move over BB Creams and Meet the first CC Cream to Hit the US by Olay!




AA + BB = CC 
Or at least this is how it adds up when it comes to beauty creams!

The BB and CC creams are all-in-one wonders and the hottest skin care products in the Asian Beauty world now available in the states, that you've probably never heard of!

What are these creams? They are an all-in-one beauty balm (BB) that can replace several products current sitting on your bathroom counter for your morning routine. Like foundation, they are tinted to even out the skin, contain moisturizers to hydrate, vitamins, brighteners, primers, serums to fight aging and SPF to protect! Talk about getting alot for you money! 

The CC (Color Control) Creams promise to provide better coverage with more skin nourishing ingredients to help with more long term effects, than their older BB predecessors.  And the first to bat  and only one available in the United States is drugstore brand Olay's CC Cream containing the company's proprietary, exclusive Essential Glucosamine Complex which the company says reduces hyperpigmentation to even out skin tone and provides anti-aging benefits with continued use. It's available for less than $22 in three shades. {Buy HERE}

To make sure you know all the secrets and industry secrets that models do download or purchase my new book Face This: Real Advice from Real Models available on Amazon, Kindle, Nook and iTunes.




Monday, November 5, 2012

Get Rid of double chins in Your Pictures!



If there is one comment I hear most from women about taking photos, it is regarding the dreaded, double chin. Just in time for Thanksgiving and holiday picture taking, the turkey neck is a subject that I can offer you some advice about!

Before giving you the on-camera tips, keep in mind that the biggest cause of double chins is excess body fat and some people just carry fat on their chin more easily than anywhere else. In this case losing weight is your solution. Our muscles can weaken as we age and the skin becomes looser there, but sometimes you're just born with a little more fat around the chin. It's possible you also have a genetic tendency to retain too much water in this area so check out my post about how to de-bloat. 

A previously non-existent double chin can show up on anyone at some time or another in a photo. But if you are breaking out into a sweat, dreading being asked to take a photo because you can't seem to crack the curse, then we need to break it down and look at why this is happening in your photos but not in real life. Caught off guard like this woman on the left, when someone points a camera lens at them, people seemingly drop their heads back into their necks. Self consciously trying to hide extra rolls, this only worsens the effect,  leaving her looking like a turtle. Standing up straight with her shoulders 
back like mom said to, would have been the quick fix for this girl's double!

There are many techniques that will work to make you stop mutating into a ninja turtle if you can just remember to take a breath and put them into play:
  • Make sure the camera is above you, not below eye level. Any photo taken below you will automatically increase a double chin effect as seen here ------------->
  • Lean in a bit forward and look up if you're sitting.
  • Lift your tongue, resting it behind your front teeth. This action will bring your chin up and naturally tighten the muscles of the neck a bit. 
  • Extend your neck out and then bring it down ever so slightly. Your image is to think "swan princess".
  • Hide a real double chin by resting your hands underneath your jaw, or by wearing high collars.
  • Putting your hair up or wearing it short will make your neck look thinner and longer, especially if you play up your eyes.
  • Trick the camera with makeup. Use a darker shade of powder, foundation or bronzer along your jawline and under your chin to make it appear to recede in a photo. Then use a highlighter on the center or tip of your chin to make it pop forward.

Kim K's camera phone twitter pic has another hint hidden in her pose that you can take a lesson from, which is angling her head while jutting her chin forward. Don't forget when you are using a camera phone that you want to make sure you hold it at a slightly higher level than your eyes so you have to raise your head up.

Remember, taking consistently great photos doesn't happen by accident ... they take some practice! 

If you want to learn more about the secrets to taking prettier pictures check out my new book FACE THIS, almost 200 pages full of tips and advice from models, photographers and makeup artists on how to become Picture Perfect! Available on Amazon, Nook, Kindle and iTunes for iPod, iPhone and iPad users.