Bridal makeup tips

One of Chicago’s top wedding makeup artists Elise Brill, known as Leesi B., shares with us some hot beauty tips for summer brides. If you are a bride-to-be, these tips from Leesi B. will help you look great on your wedding day.

• Go easy on tanning. A dark tan will look harsh in photos; consider a subtle bronzer instead. Most bridal gowns are strapless these days, so beware of acquiring tan lines in the weeks before the wedding.
• You don’t need tons of makeup to photograph well, but you do need extra definition. Emphasize and balance your eyes and lips.

• Resist the temptation to experiment with new facial treatments and products in the month before the wedding. You may end up with a poorly timed break-out.
• Before applying foundation, apply a transparent primer. It will form a barrier between your skin and makeup, so makeup won’t melt off in the heat or seep into your pores.
• Consider wearing artificial lashes to define your eyes, especially if you’re over 30 (lashes start thinning as women mature). But be sure they’re applied with waterproof glue, so they won’t “shed” if you cry or perspire.
• Do your hair before makeup. Blow dryers can wreak havoc on a freshly made-up face.
• Avoid trendy eye shadows; they make photos look dated later. Leesi recommends placing a wash of frosted color on the lid, with matching matte color on the brow.
• To make lips stand out, choose a slightly — just slightly — darker lipstick than usual.
• Unless your teeth are very white, avoid coral and orange shades; yellow tones in lipstick makes teeth look yellow as well.
• Take a few days off from makeup before the wedding; give your skin a rest.
• Sleep, sleep, sleep (if you can)! Nothing helps your skin more.
• No matter what your budget is, invest in a good photographer. This is one component of your wedding that will last beyond one day.

If you are trying to save money by scaling back on your beauty products, chances are you’ll find some inexpensive treatments — just like the ones your mother or grandmother swore by — in your own kitchen.

“Many of us get caught up in the excitement of new products,” said Cheryl Kramer Kaye, beauty director for Redbook magazine. “But if you take a look around, you’ll find some ingredients at home that may work just as well.”

Though she admits to being a beauty-product junkie, Kramer Kaye says using natural kitchen ingredients helps reduce your dependency on preservatives that extend a product’s shelf life. (But remember: homemade mixtures can spoil quickly and should be used right away.)

Exfoliate
Create your own spa scrub by combining 1/2 cup of brown or refined sugar with 1/2 cup of olive oil. Apply to wet skin making small circles, then rinse. You can mix sugar with your favorite face or body cleanser. (Sugar is gentler than sea salt, Kramer Kaye said.)

In The Black Book of Hollywood Beauty Secrets by Kym Douglas and Cindy Pearlman (Penguin, $15), Queen Latifah reveals she uses baking soda to exfoliate. The singer and actress says she rubs her wet face with baking soda to slough off dead skin — a trick she learned from her grandmother. (Also try brushing your teeth with baking soda to brighten them.)

Lifeless skin
We all know a cup of java can give you a morning boost, but you can also use coffee grounds to give your skin a little pep. Apply the grounds to wet skin to exfoliate and tighten, especially to the buttocks and thighs. Green tea has the same effect. (The caffeine tones and tightens your skin.)

Dull hair
Winter’s dryness can leave hair dull and lifeless. To add a little shine, combine 1/2 cup of apple-cider vinegar with 1/2 cup of water. Pour it onto your hair as a final rinse; it will help reduce product buildup, which contributes to dullness.

Itchy, dry skin
There’s a common belief hot baths moisturize your skin. Not true, said Kramer Kaye. They actually drain your body of natural oils. She suggests adding a quart of milk (skim or whole) to your bath water, which shouldn’t be too hot. The lactic acid in milk helps soften the skin, and milk proteins help relieve skin irritation. Milk baths go back to Roman times; Cleopatra used them to exfoliate her skin.

Moisturizer
Honey can help hydrate the skin and reduce oil. A natural humectant, it draws water into the skin, and it has antibacterial properties that can help heal acne. Warm 1/2 cup of honey in the microwave and apply it to damp skin. Leave on 10 minutes and rinse thoroughly, then moisturize.

Puffy eyes
The age-old tradition of using cucumbers to reduce puffy eyes still works, Kra-mer Kaye said. Cucumbers are a natural astringent and reduce inflammation. Purée a cucumber in a blender, apply over entire eye area and leave on 15 minutes, then rinse.

Acne
Those who suffer with acne way past the teen years are always looking for a remedy. In The Black Book of Hollywood Beauty Secrets, celebrity skin-care specialist Sonya Dakar recommends mixing dry yeast with water until it’s pastelike. Dot the mixture on pimples and let it dry overnight. The yeast kills bacteria and dries out zits.

Makeup remover
National hairstylist Philip B., founder of the Philip B. line of botanical hair and skin products and author of Blended Beauty: Botanical Secrets for Body & Soul (Ten Speed Press, $19.95), offers an easy recipe for a makeup remover. Mix 1 tablespoon each of canola, castor, olive and avocado oils in a small cosmetic bottle. Shake it gently to mix thoroughly, then apply the mixture to the eye area with a cotton ball. Store at room temperature and discard after five days.

BEST OF BEAUTY

When you want to know the best, you go to the experts. We consulted four beauty professionals, who shared their favorite products. Now you know their secrets to getting the look.

The beauty industry never stops trying to lure you into buying new primping products. With each season comes a slew of new lip glosses, eye shadow palettes and hair products that promise to do the kind of things miracles are made of. Consumers find themselves swimming in a sea of claims and cures. The never-ending dilemma seems to be which to pass up and which to convert to.

We’d like to ease the stress of such life-altering decisions. Here, we provide you with opinions from industry professionals. These are the people who know the products inside out and have cut out most of them to provide clients with superior service. Take a look at the products that make their best of beauty lists.

Krystle Randall, makeup artist

• Lip Gloss: Murad Energizing Pomegranate Lip Protector SPF, $16.50, Sephora. This antioxidant-rich lip therapy replenishes dehydrated lips.

• Lipstick: Bobbi Brown Tinted Lip Blams, $18, Neiman Marcus at Fashion Show mall. Summer must-haves for those who don’t like the full coverage of lipstick but still want color and protection.

• Blush: Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick Palletes, $38, Saks Fifth Avenue at Fashion Show mall. Great for on-the-go, all-in-one colors for eyes and face.

• Concealer: Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Radiant Touch Pen Concealer, $40, Neiman Marcus at Fashion Show mall. Convenient concealer in a pump pen. Great for on-the-go and touch ups!

• Eye Shadow: MAC powder eye shadow, $14, MAC Cosmetics at Town Square. Highly pigmented in every shade and color.

• Eyeliner: Lancome Le Stylo Waterproof long-lasting eyeliner, $23, Dillard’s. This twist tip liner never needs sharpening and has a smudger on the other end for smoking it out if desired.

• Mascara: Mary Kay Signature Ultimate Mascara, $15, Marykay.com. All-in-one formula for long thick and voluminous lashes.

• Foundation: Aveda Inner Light Tinted Moisture APF 15, $25, Aveda at Fashion Show mall. This long-wearing, oil-free tinted moisturizer gives a good coverage while also moisturizing and protecting with a mineral derived sunscreen. Coverage is sheer and dewy but can be layered for a fuller coverage. A pressed or loose powder can also make coverage thicker.

• Loose Powder: Makeup Forever Super Matte Loose Powder, $24, Sephora. A light silky matte powder for wearing alone over moisturizer or to set a foundation. • Pressed Powder: NARS Powder Foundation, $45, Sephora. Lightweight, good coverage, SPF 12, flawless coverage.

• Brow Product: Smashbox Brow Teach, $24, Ulta. One side is a fibrous brow color and the other is a wax for shaping and grooming. Apply the wax first to groom and shape the existing brows and the color second to fill in the holes or even draw a whole new brow.

Best used with Smashbox Angle Brow Brush #12, $20, Ulta. This brush is the best brow brush on the market. The bristles are stiff, which makes brow powders go on flawlessly and naturally. • Brushes: Smashbox Arced Liner Brush #21, $20, Ulta. This brush is thin and has an ergonomic bend in the handle to shape to the eyes. Makes gel or cream liner a cinch to apply. MAC 188 Duo Fiber Face Brush, $34, MAC Cosmetics at Town Square. Used for lightweight application of liquid foundation, crème blush, loose powder, blush, shimmer, etc.

MAC 129 Powder Brush, $34, MAC Cosmetics at Town Square. Round and firm to press powder where it needs to go. Great for setting loose powder on top of foundation while getting more coverage than a big fluffy brush.

Makeup Designory Lip Brush #310, $15, mudshop.com. Perfect shape for the lips. Load brush on each side and place in the corner of the mouth on bottom lip. Bring to the middle, turn over and repeat on the other side. Load brush again and do top lip. Very fast and perfect application.

NARS Eye Contour, $29, Neiman Marcus at Fashion Show mall. Perfect for the crease!

MAC Tapered Blending Brush #225,$36, MAC Cosmetics at Town Square. Used for blending the color in the crease.

MAC 190 Foundation Brush, $32, MAC Cosmetics at Town Square. Designed to create flawless application with no brush strokes.

Smashbox Blending Brush #3, $32, Ulta. Perfect for all-over color. Almond shape contours to the eye and is very soft. • Facial Cleanser: Kiehl’s Yerba Mate Tea Cleanser, $20.50. It has all-natural ingredients with extra added vitamins and tea extracts.

Facial Scrub: Kiehl’s Epidermal Re-Texturizing Microdermabrasion, $40, Kiehl’s at the Forum Shops at Caesars. Practically a microdermabrasion treatment at home. • Wrinkle Treatment: Arbonne NutriMinC RE9 Anti-Aging Skin Care line, $298.50 for the set (Hydrating Wash, Mist Toner, Serum, Eye Cream, Day Crème, Night Crème and a Gelle Transforming Lift Serum), Arbonne.com. Formulated with nine key elements to reverse the signs of aging that strengthen firm and protect. Once you try it, you will never go back. Unlike anything else. Formulated with natural ingredients and a high dose of vitamins.

• Facial Moisturizer: Kiehl’s Abyssine Lotion SPF 15, $42. It helps minimize lines and wrinkles and defends skin from radical damage. Feels and makes skin feel very soft.

• Face Mask: Aveda Tournaline Charges Radiance Masque, $26, Aveda at Fashion Show mall. Smoothes and refines skin for a healthy glow. A natural mineral tourmaline boosts skin’s energy and helps gently shed dull surface cells. Smoothes and hydrates skin with shitake extract, avocado oil and muru butter. • Body Lotion: Laura Mercier Souffle Body Cremes, $55, Saks Fifth Avenue at Fashion Show mall. Contains vitamins for nourishment and shea butter for moisturizing. Comes in amazing scents and flavors such as almond coconut milk, au lait soufflé, chocolate truffle, crème brulee, french vanilla and tarte au citron. • Bronzer: Smashbox Body Lights Glowing Lotion, $35, Ulta. Gives a natural tan without looking orange. Has shimmer and a tropical fragrance as well. • Nail Polish: Orly Calcium Shield, $8.25, Ulta. Instantly increases thickness of weak and thin nails. Leaves nails strong and helps nail growth. Use alone or under and on top of color.

Yves Saint Laurent Nail Touch Nail Lacquer Pen Brush, $25, Neiman Marcus at Fashion Show mall. Easy to use. Just click for polish. Lasts long and has great colors. • Products Randall can’t live without: NARS Pencil Sharpener, $6, Neiman Marcus at Fashion Show mall. Dual blades for small to large pencils. Very sharp and never breaks or wastes the pencil.

Smashbox Photo-op Under Eye Brightener, $18, Ulta.

Shu Uemura Mini Eyelash Curler, $17, Neiman Marcus at Fashion Show mall. • Product you wish was in Vegas: Face Stockholm, a stand-alone Makeup Forever store and Cinema Secrets.

• Best Beauty Secret: Laura Mercier Secret Finish, $27, Nordstrom at Fashion Show mall. Use as a refresher for your makeup throughout the day. Leaves a bright and radiant look. Works great after foundation powder to prevent powder from looking dry in fine lines. Instantly gives a moist and natural looking glow to skin. Oil free.

Smashbox Emulsion Lip Exfoliant, $18, Ulta. Sugar-based peppermint exfoliator that conditions as it exfoliates. Leaves lips smooth and chapped or dry skin free.

Full Article

Spa Reference Quick Links

BEST OF BEAUTY Continued

When you want to know the best, you go to the experts. We consulted four beauty professionals, who shared their favorite products. Now you know their secrets to getting the look.

The beauty industry never stops trying to lure you into buying new primping products. With each season comes a slew of new lip glosses, eye shadow palettes and hair products that promise to do the kind of things miracles are made of. Consumers find themselves swimming in a sea of claims and cures. The never-ending dilemma seems to be which to pass up and which to convert to.

We’d like to ease the stress of such life-altering decisions. Here, we provide you with opinions from industry professionals. These are the people who know the products inside out and have cut out most of them to provide clients with superior service. Take a look at the products that make their best of beauty lists.

Barbra Jo Batterman professional makeup artist

• Lip Gloss: Clinique Long Lasting SPF 15, $14, Dillard’s at Meadows mall. It is not tacky and a nice shine.

• Lip Liner: MAC Lip Pencils, $12.50, Nordstrom at Fashion Show mall. They are wonderful. I use them all over the lips, blot, reapply with a lipstick, and they tend to keep your lipstick on longer; not drying.

• Lip Conditioner: Kiehl’s Lip Balm SPF 15, $9.50, Kiehl’s at the Forum Shops at Caesars. It seems to be everybody’s favorite; I mix with lip liner and apply all over.

• Lipstick: Chanel Rouge Hydrabase Creme Lipsticks, $25, Macy’s at Galleria at Sunset mall. They tend to stay on and don’t run. I love the creamy feel.

• Blush: Nars Cream Blush, $24, Neiman Marcus at Fashion Show mall. It has a smooth and silky consistency. Even on oily skin, it lays smooth.

• Eye Shadow: MAC Eye Shadow, $14, Macy’s at Meadows mall. It has been my favorite. They have a huge color range and I think they are reasonably priced. I love that you can buy them with magnets so you can just replace what you need from your pallet.

• Eyeliner: Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes, $16, Sephora at Town Square. It stays on!

• Mascara: Shu Uemura Fiber Xtension Mascara, $23, Sephora at Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood. Says and does it all. One coat is plenty, but if you choose to build, you can and your length will appear double!

• Concealer: Laura Mercier Secret Concealer, $22, Saks Fifth Avenue at Fashion Show mall. It gives a nice coverage without falling into lines. A great consistency without looking heavy.

• Foundation: LaPrairie Skin Caviar Concealer Foundation SPF 15, $170, Neiman Marcus at Fashion Show mall. It is the Creme de la Creme of foundations. It is silky, smooth, beautiful, and expensive. It does include a concealer on top of base.

• Loose Powder: Kryolan Anti Shine Powder, $36.55, www.ShowFace.com. I use it either with a brush or a puff and it is silky enough that you don’t get powder build up. It is colorless so it is not necessary to change colors for the seasons.

• Pressed Powder: Lancôme Color Ideal Pressed Powder Precise Match Skin Perfecting Pressed Powder, $31, Dillard’s at Galleria at Sunset mall. Does not feel heavy but it does give you a nice coverage. It doesn’t feel thick.

• Brow Product: Kevyn Aucoin Precision Eye Brow Pencil, $24, Neiman Marcus at Fashion Show mall. It goes on smooth, stays on, and I love the brush at the end to brush through your brows leaving a very natural look. You can roll it up or down so you don’t lose anything in sharpening.

• Brushes: Trish McEvoy brushes, $20 to $53, Nordstrom at Fashion Show mall. She makes beautiful brushes. It is worth the investment. They are your tools and should last you for years. I especially like her shadow brushes. They work with a lot less work and they wash up beautifully.

• Brush Cleaner: Cinema Secrets Brush Cleaner, $24, GetYourBeauty.com. It’s the one and only one. In a matter of seconds, you witness the make-up being dissolved from your brushes and leaves them with a fresh, clean fragrance.

• Facial Cleanser: Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser, $35, Ulta. It is great for normal to dry skin. Although it exfoliates, it removes all traces of makeup and leaves your skin feeling refreshed.

• Eye Makeup Remover: Pevonia Botanica Ligne Yeux Eye Makeup Remover, $28.50, Spa Bellagio. One swipe and it is gone. No rubbing and pulling necessary.

• Eye Cream: La Mer The Eye Balm, $130, Saks Fifth Avenue at Fashion Show mall. Helps to diminish appearance of lines and wrinkles. Your under eyes feel smooth and soft. I use day and night. Use sparingly!

• Facial Scrubs: YSL Instant Pur Gommage, $44, www.yslbeautyus.com. Granule-free exfoliate, nonabrasive and leaves skin feeling smooth and soft.

• Wrinkle Treatment: Guerlain Intenserum 14 night treatment, $205, Guerlain at the Shoppes at Palazzo. By day seven, you see a difference in your complexion. Works well on your neck too!

• Facial Moisturizer: Eckstein Biocor Moisturizer. Rich enough for the dryness in the desert. Hydrating and concentrated.

• Face Mask: Murad Exfoliating Acne Treatment Gel, $53, Ulta. Helps to remove dead skin without creating more oil.

• Body Lotion: Clinique Deep Comfort Body Butter, $23.50, Macy’s at Galleria at Sunset mall. It works well on younger skin. It can also help eczema.

• Bronzer: Guerlain Terracotta Bronzing Powder, $42, Neiman Marcus at Fashion Show mall. Great pigment.

• Self Tanner: Guerlain Teracotta Sunless Tinted Self-Tanning Gel, $50, Sephora at Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian. Immediate tint within two hours.

• Sunscreen: Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Sunblock SPF 85, $9.94, Target. Nongreasy!

• Nail Polish: OPI is long-lasting and has a great color selection and great price. OPI Paint & Go nail lacquer, $6.99, Ulta.

• Products I can’t live without: Guerlain Orchidee Exceptional Complete Care Eye & Lip Cream, $180, Guerlain at the Shoppes at the Palazzo. It’s concentrated, hydrating and dual purpose. Artificial eyelashes. They are fast, easy and look very natural if so desired.

• Products I wished were in Las Vegas: Madina Milano — they make a product called cheek sculpting fluid that holds your blush on. … I love it! Maybe soon…

• Best Beauty Secret: When you are in a rush and don’t have time or choose not to do your eye makeup, with your blush brush, brush a bit of blush over your eyes and you will pull your whole look together.

Full Article

Spa Reference Quick Links

Makeup tips: take five

Makeup that isn’t cared for doesn’t work as well, experts say. Worse, it can clog pores, trigger breakouts and spread bacteria that cause infections.

Caring for your cosmetics isn’t difficult. Here’s what you need to know:

Anything with liquid should be thrown out after a year. Mascara — which breeds bacteria — should be trashed every three months. “Anything you’ve had more than two years is really silly,” says Paula Begoun, author of “Don’t Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me.” “Many people don’t even keep computers that long.”

Makeup should be kept at room temperature. Not in places such as the car or the bathroom, where high temperatures can cause the emulsification to break down. And never in the refrigerator.

With the exception of using acetone to thin old nail polish (one of the few beauty products that really can last forever, experts say), don’t add water or anything else to makeup or moisturizers to loosen it up.

Because they pick up dirt and oil from your face, brushes breed bacteria. Clean them once a month. “You don’t have to buy a special brush cleanser,” says Begoun, who runs the Web site www.cosmeticscop.com. Instead, she says, try a mild shampoo such as baby shampoo.

The plastic film between your powder compact and the puff is there for a reason. “It’s there to keep the puff — which touches your face and picks up oil — from touching the powder,” says Wendi Wilson of Potion, a cosmetics store in Charlotte. Separating the puff from the compact will keep your powder from getting a hardened layer on top, she says.

Related Article
Despite the tricks you may have, it’s important to get rid of cosmetics every so often to ensure that you’re getting the maximum benefits, and also to avoid things like infections. For those of you who aren’t sure exactly how long things last and when to toss them, Beauty and Wellness Contributor Dayle Haddon visits us to share some tips.

Cosmetics aren’t required by law to have expiration dates, so you can’t just look at the label to know when a product has expired. Experts vary in their guidelines, but all agree that mascara lasts the shortest amount of time and is the likeliest to cause infections, such as pink eye. Expiration dates are simply “rules of thumb” and a product’s safety may expire long before the expiration date if a product hasn’t been stored properly.

From the time you open it, the life and effectiveness of the product decreases and bacteria grows. Treat makeup products with care. Keep them in a dry, cool area and remember: Any cosmetic that changes texture, or smell, should be discarded immediately.

Makeup preservatives should kill common-use bacteria. But, as FDA studies show, a little bacteria is present in makeup before we buy it. As soon as you open your new product, airborne bacteria rushes in. Then you usually add bacteria by touching the product with unclean hands or with an unclean applicator or brush. At some point, aging cosmetics lose their effectiveness to fight bacteria no matter how careful you are when using it. But there are steps we can take to extend the shelf life of our cosmetics and protect ourselves from infections, like pink eye and skin breakouts.

The following tips lessen the contamination of makeup and extend its use:

Use common sense.

Basic hygiene is key: Before applying makeup, wash your face and hands with soap.

Instead of directly touching your makeup by placing your fingers in the product, pour a little into your palm or scoop a little out with a disposable spoon or applicator.

Don’t share your makeup with others.

Keep makeup containers tightly closed when not in use.

Throw makeup away if the color changes or an odor develops (makeup has preservatives, similar to that in food, which can break down over time).

Don’t use water or, even worse, saliva, which could introduce bacteria that could easily grow out of control. If makeup has lost its original texture or consistency, the preservatives have probably broken down.

Wondering when is it time to toss that product? Here are Dayle’s suggestions:

Cosmetics:

Liquid Foundation, 3-6 months (Cream foundation can last 4-6 months)

Foundation in a bottle should last 3-6 months, but wide mouthed jars can expose the product to more air and should be tossed sooner. You’ll know it’s time to purchase a new bottle, when the ingredients begin to settle or separate, the texture thickens or thins, or the smell changes.

Concealer, 6-8 months

Powders, 1 year

Pressed powder, eye-shadows, blush

Mascara, 3 months

You should never keep mascara for any longer than 3 months (air pushes bacteria back into the tube). Never “pump” your mascara.

Lip gloss & Lipstick, 1 year

Eye/Lip Pencils, 1 year

Eye and lip pencils should last 1 year or more, but you should sharpen pencils at least once a week to prevent bacteria from being transferred to your eye area. You’ll know the product has gone bad if it dries or crumbles.

Skincare

Facial Cleansers & Moisturizers, 6 months

Facial Toners, 1 year

Natural Cosmetics, 6 months (“all-natural body washes”, etc.)

Among other cosmetics that are likely to have an unusually short shelf life are “all natural” products that contain plant-derived ingredients (which are conducive to bacterial growth), or products with no preservatives.

Brushes And Tools

Oils and bacteria get trapped in the bristles of the brushes. Wash natural-bristled brushes once a month, and synthetic brushes three to four times a month. Lay the brushes flat to dry so that the bristles don’t break, and to maintain the shape of the brushes. There are brush cleansers out there, but you can also use mild soap. You may also use baby shampoo to wash your brushes.

Cosmetic makeup sponges are disposable tools. Wash after every use. Toss within 1 month, or when the sponge begins to tear.