Banana Rama
For a great homemade face softener, try this: mash a banana and apply it to your face. Leave on for ten minutes and wash off with lukewarm water. Your face feels like satin. Plus, it puts those over ripe gooey bananas to good use!

Top Searched Facial Cleansers:
1. Limu Facial Cleanser
2. St. Ives Apricot Face Wash Blemish Blackhead Control – 6.5 oz
3. Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Facial Cleanser – 6.7 Oz
4. SpaGlo Glycolic Mud Anti-Aging Facial Cleanser
5. Desert Essence – Thoroughly Clean Face Wash, 32 fl oz
6. *PHILOSOPHY Purity Made Simple* One-Step Facial Cleanser (4 OZ) – 3 IN 1 FACE + EYE MAKEUP REMOVER + Toner.
7. Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser, 16.0 -Ounce Bottles (Pack of 2)
8. Alba Botanica – Facial Wash, Coconut Milk 8 Oz
9. Pears Pears Facial Cleanser 6.76 oz liquid
10. Murad Acne Clarifying Cleanser, Step 1 Cleanse/Tone, 6.75 fl oz (200 ml)

Brushing Up
Make Arbonne Dry Body Brush a part of your daily routine. Scrubbing out dirt and grime is the least of its advantages. Body brushing tones and stimulates skin, helping with the natural drainage of the lymph glands. It also helps combat cellulite. When brushing, work towards the heart, up from your legs and thighs, and down from your neck. Oh, and remember, skin should be dry while body-brushing, so make sure you have a soft brush – you don’t want abrasions that are hard to explain!

1. Fragrance. A sexy scent by Frederic Malle called Lys Mediterranee. You will love it, and feel like a new, mysterious woman whenever you spray it on.

2. Essie Nail Enamel – Fishnet Stockings, but for your toes crimson for a hot new look. .

3. If your hair is dirty and you have no time for a wash and blow dry, try
Ojon Rub-Out Dry Cleanser. You will get a gorgeous tousled look and smell a little like summer.

4.Benefit Cosmetics Coralista. This is the exact shade of blush that is so hot for spring, so snatch it up now.

5. Sally Hansen Fast & Flawless AIRBRUSH MAKEUP Natural Beige
is seriously the quickest way to get a fantastic, radiant complexion. Apply it before your makeup for a luminous glow and a smooth-as-silk feel to your skin.

6. Laura Geller Eye Rimz is a super sexy shadow for a nighttime smoldering eye.

7. Never smudge again with Loreal Double Extend EyeLash Fortifier & Extender Mascara, Carbon Black – 3 ea. This fantastic tube technology mascara is at the right price and you will really swear by these formulas.

8. If you are a fulltime gloss girl, switch up to a fab moist lipstick for a more modern look. Try Sally Hansen Natural Butter Lip Shine ~Petal.

9. A new twist on an old favorite: Laura Mercier Lip Colour – Sheer
Stickgloss. 
10. Liquid Eyeliner – No. 01 Noir Intense 2.5g. Come on, I know you want to bring out that seductress once in a while!

Laura Mercier’s  collection plays on your looks.
Laura Mercier Flawless Face Kit ($159 Value)
 

MAKE-UP can improve your looks instantly, but it’s not a magic wand. To get gorgeous make-up, focus on skin care and choose something that works for you.

• Laura Mercier Undercover Pot covers blemishes and eye bags but doesn’t make them disappear. A good skincare routine and healthy lifestyle (no smoking, getting enough exercise and sleep) helps you combat such problems.

• When choosing a Moisturizing Foundation shade, don’t try it on the back of your hand. Instead, blend it along your jaw line. The perfect color should disappear when you blend it in.

• Applying foundation with your fingers will only add oil to your face. Always use a Laura Mercier 4-Pack Sponge; a damp sponge allows for a smoother application.

• Focus on the part of your face that you like. It can be your eyes, your lips, anything. If you keep focusing on the flaws, like a scar or a pimple, you will not find the beauty in you.

Elemis Pro-Collagen Quartz Lift Mask 1.7 fl oz (50 ml) As we age, Collagen and Elastin degenerate within the skin, resulting in deep wrinkles and the loss of firmness and elasticity. This luxurious cream mask combines the power of Quartz with Padina Pavonica, adaptogenic Noni, Moringa and Argan Tree Oil to instantly uplift and hydrate the skin, minimizing the signs of ageing for a more youthful, firmer appearance.

Decleor Excellence de L’Age Divine Regenerating Mask 8 ea
is a concentrated formula of natural ingredients that quickly take effect. The formulation enhances your skin’s firmness and texture, leaving you with a refreshed look that begs the question “you look so great! What did you have done?”

Jurlique Herbal Recovery Gel (3.3 oz)
gives the illusion of an eyelift without the knife! The potent blend of ancient botanical beauty secrets, including arnica, juniper, and turmeric, helps firm and brighten the eye area, reducing the appearance of dull, saggy eyes.

Ranging in size from small red dots, to large, deep pock-marks, acne scars are a very real skin trauma for many acne sufferers. Today, several advanced treatment options are available which can improve the appearance of these scars dramatically.

Acne can cause a host of changes in the skin and, leave behind a few parting gifts: scars or hyper-pigmentation. But can these marks ever be vanquished? Yes! With smart skincare and a few simple treatments, acne scars can be reduced and the skin left with a smoother, more glowing appearance. Today, there are many techniques to help reduce the appearance of acne scars that actually work and, many are just a click away at your favorite beauty retailer.

What are acne scars? According to Skin Care: Beyond the Basics, (acne) scars form when “the skin, in a desperate attempt to heal itself, produces lots of collagen to try to compensate for the lack of normal skin functioning.” The result can be anything from a red spot or macule, to a raised scar to the typical ‘pit’ scarring commonly seen with more aggressive forms of acne. And, certain factors can affect how acne scars will fade: age of the scar, depth, intensity and to a certain extent-pigmentation of the skin. Some darker skin tones may find it harder to fade away acne scars as the very techniques or products used to fade the scar, if used improperly, may also fade normal skin tone.

One of the most commonly used, over-the-counter products to fade scars is
hydroquinone. Sold at a 2% solution, hydroquinone is a chemical that suppresses melanin production in the skin, allowing the scar or hyperpigmentation left behind to fade back to a normal skin tone. However, hydroquinone is not for everyone. Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding, or anyone who has liver problems or concerns should avoid this product as it may cause complications. Also, unprotected sun exposure will aggravate acne scars; sun exposure should be reduced while actively trying to fade acne scars. An effective formulation is Murad Age Spot & Pigment Lightening Gel, which combines hydroquinone with herbal ingredients for maximum scar fading.

For a non-chemical alternative, try using an herbal based skin lightener, such as:

SkinCeuticals. Phyto Corrective Gel. These types of pigmentation products use herbal extracts to suppress melanin production, such as: liquorice, urva ursi or bearberry extract, kojic acid, azelaic acid and magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, and are perfect for those individuals who want to address hyperpigmentation, yet can’t use hydroquinone. Sun screen and sun protection must also be used in conjunction with herbal lighteners, as well, such as:  SkinCeuticals. Ultimate UV Defense SPF 30

In-patient, doctor-administered treatments for reducing acne scars are another option. Because they are less invasive yet offer visible results, two popular methods are dermabrasion and non-ablative laser resurfacing, although there are other techniques which may also improve the appearance of scars.

According to Dr. James Fulton, dermabrasion, “plane(s) the skin down to a level below the scar tissue, and allow (s) the skin to grow back minus the scarring.” making it ideal for treating acne scars. Performed under sedation in a doctor’s office, dermabrasion uses a machine with a rotating diamond or steel-edged wheel to ‘sand’ away the damaged skin, smoothing out imperfections. The procedure shows most promising results on skin that is not prone to hyper-pigmentation, or very fair-skin tones and must not be performed on skin that is actively breaking-out or cystic. After treatment, the skin may scab or feel very dry. These lesions will heal relatively quickly, but redness and swelling may persist for several weeks. Dermabrasion is best for minor imperfections and shallow pitting rather than deep scarring and multiple treatments may be required to obtain the best results.
Non-ablative laser resurfacing uses a laser to smooth damaged skin. However, unlike an ablative laser, which removes the top layer of skin, non-ablative lasers are not destructive and do not remove any skin, improving recovery time and minimizing side-effects. The procedure may take more than an hour for widespread scarring and treatment is often administered in phases over a set period of time. As with dermabrasion, the skin must be free of active acne lesions or outbreaks before any laser treatment is started, and extreme care should be taken when in the sun. After the initial swelling has calmed, redness from the laser procedure may last for several weeks to a few months, depending upon the skin.

Treating acne scars has come a long way in the past 30 years, with many treatments improving the appearance of these scars by up to 50%. Explore all options and discuss your acne history, as well as your expectations, carefully with your doctor before starting any treatment. Most importantly-don’t cut any corners during recovery: wear sunscreen, follow at-home care and be rewarded with clearer, smoother skin.