Valentine's Day Beauty - You're SEXY and You Know IT!

{Click HERE to watch my Valentine's beauty segment on KPNX}

Did you know that the average American woman kisses 79 men before she gets married?

The perfect kiss is definitely a combination of a lot of things, but moist lips top the list every time! Guys like it natural, no sticky gloss or bright red color transfer allowed! A couple of guys in their dorm room who I think were probably trying to invent ways to meet up with chics, thought so too, and developed a 2 person lip balm called KISSTIXX; Chocolate and Strawberry, Fire and Ice, Peaches and Cream - It's a little bit like combining Jelly Bellys to make your favorite flavor. Each person applies their own and then kiss to taste the chemical reaction. Full of emollients, vitamins and sunscreen, it's super yummy and irresistable. Featured on Shark Tank last year, this won the support of an investor. You can buy a duo online {Here} for just $5.99, but look for it in stores soon!

Well, who doesn't need a little more energy in the romance department to spice up their love life? Sprayology has made this an easy venture with their popular homeopathic oral spray called Woman Power (not to leave the guys out there is also a Man Power) that promises to help rev up your libido! Two sprays under the tongue up to 3 times a day and you're well on your way to feeling sexy again from the inside out. What I love about this whole line, {sleep, diet, stress, hangover, vitamins} is that they don't have any side effects, FDA regulated to use for anyone 2 years and older. Plus I don't choke swallowing a lot of supplements and it doesn't make my stomach upset. Using it 3 times a day, one bottle should last you an entire month. Check it out {HERE}

Valentines Day is always about finding a gift that says I LOVE YOU. And the perfect last minute gift? Ahhh Yes the infamous love coupon. Afterall, who doesn't like the promises that these little gift certificates hold? Use an empty day of the week pill box for a fun take on this old idea and instead of pills, fill it with his favorite candies and seven days of surprises with customized coupons, just for him. 

These can be as easy as a Leg Massage, Breakfast in Bed, or something we all need .... Get out the Doghouse FREE card. If you want to make it a little steamy: Have it Your Way, Your Personal Genie  i.e. Your Wish is my command or why not offer to re-enact a favorite moment you both share like your first date or your wedding night. Romantic love notes like I love you because .... are good to mix in if you don't want to offer up too much of yourself! HA

Everyone really does love an IOU, even kids, and because Valentine's Day falls during the week, it's not always easy to get out to do something special together because of work and homework, so write a special little note and hide it in a chocolate box. Something like "Let's get an ice cream - just you and mom" and your little one will love looking forward to planning the perfect time to spend it with you!

Everyone's face looks prettier with a little flush, and Physician Formula's Happy Booster Blush is formulated with natural plant extracts that mimic endorphins that actually promote feelings of happiness! The packaging is so darn cute you can't help but smile looking at it, and the rosy glow it gives your cheeks makes it a WIN-WIN for only $12 available at your drug-stores. Just swirl your blush brush to combine the hues (there are different intensities of rosy glow). I like using the lighter one and layering it as almost a highlighter on top of my regular blush because it has this beautiful luminescent quality to it. 

If you missed the Grammy's Sunday night, you must check out the mani-cam sponsored by Cover Girl {HERE}

Everyone is obsessed with nail art these days and there a ton of ways to decorate your nails, but nothing easier than the nail appliques available everywhere for about $10. Super easy to do yourself, just start with a dry nail, apply the sticker, bend it over your nail and file off the extra. They won't always tell you this in the instructions, but be sure to hit it with a clear top coat for extra staying power! These should last about 10 days.

Finally, if you happen to be with a "legg" man, you'll want to know about the collaboration with Venus and Olay. They make a refillable 5 blade razor that you don't need to use shaving creme with because as soon as you get it wet the Olay moisturizing bars lather up and give you a smooth shave no matter if you're in the shower or not. I love this whole concept, especially since I am a model known for her gams. 

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY - 

You're SEXY and YOU KNOW IT!

MakeUp Detox and Spring 2013 Makeup Trends

I always think of January as a time to get uber organized for the new year, and there's still a few days left to begin one last project so why not detox your makeup bag ... Decide what to toss, what to keep and what you should be buying new for Spring 2013!

First of all, I recommend getting rid of everything you haven't used for the past year. Chances are you weren't so in love with it afterall! Especially toss your foundations for sure because they go bad after 12 months, but what most people don't realize is that the real foundation for radiant skin is actually exfoliation; not a product at all.

Watch my beauty segment from Arizona Midday to learn more.

As new skin cells renew underneath our skin, the surface cells dry out and begin to accumulate on top leaving us with lack luster, dull skin. In 60 seconds flat you can sweep away those dead skin cells with Clarisonic's new Aria skin cleaner. This little machine has won Allure Magazine's best in beauty products award for 2012 and for good reason ... the patented sonic (yes like your toothbrush)  technology engineers the Clarisonic's brush bristles to move 300 times per second for great cleaning and exfoliation.

Super versatile, you can charge this on your computer while you travel with it's USB plug. Plus it's waterproof which means you can leave it in your shower so it's easy to use every day. This is one beauty item I can't live without because not only does it allow serums and moisturizers to penetrate into my skin better but my makeup glides on and it helps minimize the look of pores by keeping them clean.

Blue was THEE makeup statement on the runway for eyes this Spring. Michael Kors sent girls down the catwalk with a floating blue liner while Stella McCartney used a teal blue underneath on the water line. While Nicole Richie at the Golden Globes sported a blue shadow all over matching her dress.

Just like 2 sides to a story, where the truth lies somewhere in between, we must interpret trends on the runway into a real way. I didn't like this blue powder in the 70's on eyes and I still don't. I think this made Ms Richie look old and is a good example of why you shouldn't take trends you see too extreme in real life.

Most makeup artists will tell you there are only two palettes of shadows that you need to have in your makeup drawer ... a few neutrals for day and darker shades for dramatic nights out. Of course they can put these together easily, but for the rest of us Smashbox has made a Photo-Op Palette with 3 shades for day and 3 to use for a smokey eye and narrowed down the best colors for blue eyes, hazel and brown. For $39 it doesn't get easier than that!

If you do want to add a pop of blue into your eye wardrobe this year, do it with a liner in navy, chambray, teal or aquamarine. You can mix it with a black liner to create a color cat-eye look like this, or line your lower water line or just the outside corners.

I think every woman owns at least 10 lipsticks in the same shade, so line them up arranged by color and get rid of the ones that are identical. This year the shows were filled with bright red lips so if you buy another lipstick this year, make it red! There is a red shade that looks good on everyone ... a true red. Mac's Russian Red is one of these colors, not too blue or too orange. Madonna made it popular in the 80's during her blonde ambition tour when she announced it was the color she wore and it is still a best seller today. Whatever shade, red creates an impact so if you don't want to go bold and blue on your eyes, then do so with your lip. Check out my post on how to find the PERFECT RED LIPSTICK {HERE}

Super false eyelashes have been on trend for awhile, but for Spring 2013 they are more believable but still artificially long. To create this look without wearing falsies use at least 5 coats of mascara. Start with a volumizing mascara like DiorShow which is powder based so it dries quickly giving you a triple shot of lashes. And then finish with a lengthening mascara like Cover Girl's new Clump Crusher which boasts the claim of being able to coat lashes 30 times without clumps. I actually took the challenge and it's true. Here's a photo of my lashes after 30 coats. No clumps, but I didn't get as much volume as I would have liked so use the two together and it's SuperLashes R Us!

30 coats with Cover Girl Clump Crusher.

To learn more secrets about looking camera ready all the time check out my new book Face This available on Amazon, Kindle, Nook and iTunes.

How to Save Makeup before Expiration

Looking great with makeup is not just about knowing what are the best products or how to use them ... it's also about knowing when to toss, revive and how to revamp your favorites too!

Because cosmetic companies are not required to add expiration dates on their products it's important to learn the rule of thumb for when it's time to say good-bye to your make up. Certainly if anything changes color, consistency or starts to separate or smell you should get rid of it.

Watch the video {HERE} instead.

FOUNDATION
Expiration date is 12 months. Oil based makeup might last 18 months. Mineral makeup technically has no expiration date because it is made up of inorganic materials - literally ground rock, but if it is combined with other products such as sunscreens then this does not apply. 

Mineral makeup looks great in real life and can be a perfect foundation to use if you have sensitive, oily or acne prone skin, but on a whole it is not great for photography because they tend to be overly sparkly and contain certain micas and other materials that create a lot of sheen and "hot spots" for your face on film.

The SAVE: If you come home with a new foundation only to find it is too dark for your skin tone, combine it with your favorite moisturizer for an instant body bronzer.

MASCARA
This is one of your beauty products with the shortest shelf life, 3 to 6 months. Many times it will dry out before then. To keep it fresh make sure you are twisting, not pumping the wand and keep it tightly closed out of heat and sunlight.

The SAVE: To revive dried out mascara, add a few drops of saline or eye drops and stir it around. Start with just a couple and add as needed. Make sure you only use sterile solutions and not water without preservatives to keep it bacteria free.

Keep your old mascara wands and use them to comb unruly eye brows with a little Vaseline or tame flyaway hair by spraying an old wand with hairspray to smooth them. You can get different effects with the same mascara by using different types of mascara wands. Bigger ones will grab more product and volumize lashes while skinny comb like wands will lengthen.

POWDERS
Eye shadows, compacts and blushes. Keep them for about 2 years. as long as you are cleaning your brushes regularly and not introducing bacteria.

The SAVE: It never fails that we end up dropping our favorite powders and they break into a crumbled mess, spilling into everything in our makeup bag. Instead of tossing it, add a few drops of rubbing alcohol to make it look like new again.

LIPSTICK
If you take very good care of your lipsticks they can last 2 -4 years.
Do what the makeup counter girls do and clean yours with alcohol each time and store them away from sun and humidity.

The SAVE: If you end up with a color that is too bright use it as a cream blush. This is a good tip to remember when you end up going out after work and your face needs a little color, we almost always have a lipstick in our handbag!

PENCILS
Lip and Eye pencils can stay fresh for about 2 years, especially if you are sharpening them regularly to get rid of bacteria. Pencils dry out faster if you aren't storing them with their caps on.

The SAVE: If your pencil doesn't go on smoothly try heating it up with your blowdryer, or if it is too soft harden it up in the refrigerator before sharpening.

BRUSHES
Oil and bacteria can hide in the bristles of your brushes and cross contaminate your makeup so I suggest washing them every 2 weeks. Cleaner can get to be expensive and I find the best products to clean and restore them is something I already have in my kitchen. 

The SAVE: Use an antibacterial dishwash soap to remove and disinfect every single thing that may be on your brushes. So that you don't strip the hairs of natural oils when they dry, add in a little olive oil to recondition the brush. Let them dry upside down so that the water doesn't drip into the handle of the brush and loosen up the glue that's holding the bristle hairs in place. Watch the end of the video for a tutorial on how to so this with  chopsticks and a hair band.


For more secrets and tips on looking your best check out my new book Face This on Amazon {HERE}.