I’m secretly jealous of….

April 2nd, 2013 2 Comments

…Women who look super cute wearing their hair on top of their head. Doesn’t Renee and all of her long hair tied up look adorable…and sexy, all at the same time?! It’s such an “easy, breezy” look as my friend Kim would say. It’s a little grunge and a little glamor all in one bun. It’s the PERFECT post-workout do!

After years of trying to twist my hair into the bun, I thought I was incapable of achieving the look. But as you can see, I can do it, even with my short, thin hair. Thanks to Renee Herlocker, a sports and social personality I met on twitter and contacted for coffee (which turned into SoulCycle and smoothies) when I moved out to LA. As you’ll see in her hair tutorial, she’s amazingly cute. I can’t wait to hang out with her more when I get back.

I keep telling people they should reach out to new people on social media. What’s the worst that can happen? They say, “No thanks.” Big deal. The best part about it is you make a new friend or contacts. I met my BFF Sarah for the first time when she introduced herself as a tumbr reader at a concert. That night changed my life!

I digress. Fun hair, cute girl. Watch the video!

You can find Renee on twitter, facebook, instagram, etc @ReneeHerlocker.

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Prepping your face for wedding season

March 6th, 2013 2 Comments

My beautiful and talented client – Dr. Angela Sturm O’Brien – a plastic surgeon in Houston (yep, that’s her right there), just wrote a post on timing your facial treatments in preparation for a wedding/big event. She went through my 3 month social media training program and I have to say, I’m so proud of her content. Her blog is informative, educational, and entertaining! Check it out here. She writes everything you’ve ever wondered (in other words, the truth) about non-surgical treatments (Botox v. Dysport, Fraxel, lip injections, laser hair removal, Thermage), plastic surgery (her own nose job), great products, etc. You can see the video we made to demonstrate her botox techniques here.

Keep up with her latest posts on twitter, facebook, Pinterest, and tumblr.

Without further ado, her post:

Timing Facial Treatments For The Big Day!

I frequently get asked “I have “X” weeks/months until the big event. What can I do?” Just like planning the event itself, you will want to allot time for any of the rare, but possible things to happen. Planning ahead pays off in beauty, as well as weddings! Here is a timeline to help you decide what is the best way for you to “freshen up.”

Days to weeks before the event

Soft tissue fillers, like Restylane, Juvaderm, Radiesse, Belotero, have immediate effects. You will be able to see softening of lines before you leave the office! Keep in mind that you will probably swell the next day and even with the most meticulous injection techniques bruising can occur! You should allow 7-10 days before an event to let any bruising subside, should it happen.

One month

Botox/Dysport take 3-7 days to take effect. Just like the soft tissue fillers, bruising can occur and can take 7-10 days to resolve. Because you will want to look your absolute best, you may want to allow 3-4 weeks before the event in case a touch up is needed. Botox/Dysport lasts about 3 months, so you want to make sure you don’t wait too long after the injection or it can start to “wear out”.

Three months

Facelift surgery, laser resurfacing or skin-tightening treatments, like Ultherapy, can be considered at this point! We always tell our patients that the downtime with a facelift is about 2 weeks or 4 weeks for an event. Personally, I would allow 2-3 months if it is a once in a lifetime event, just to be safe. This way, most of the swelling and all of the bruising has resolved. The incisions should be difficult to see already! Other procedures can be combined with a facelift, like an eyelift, browlift or laser resurfacing!

For people who prefer a noninvasive method, skin tightening treatments, like Ultherapy, are available. These depend on the creation of new collagen. Therefore, they improve over a period of months. Generally, the effect peaks at 3-6 months. So, you want to plan for at least this amount of time after the procedure before showing off your new look!

Beyond 3 months

With more than 3 months of recovery time, in most cases, you will be in the clear for most facial rejuvenation procedures. When considering rhinoplasty, you want to wait at least 3 months. Ninety percent of swelling resolves in 3 months, but the remainder persists for a year. So, you are not at your final result until a year later, but (with most people) you should be ok to take pictures at about 6 months.

Planning makes for beautiful weddings and faces! Any of these options can be combined and work best tailored to the needs of each patient!

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Are you feeling frisky?

February 26th, 2013 No Comments

Red Lipstick "Simone" Jouer

When I was in NYC for fashion week, one undeniable trend I saw was a bright red lip. At one point I walked through a doorway and three women all flashed me a smile rimmed in red. It was crazy! I’ll throw on some red when I’m feeling frisky, but on a regular day you’re more likely to catch me with a more subdued “Elizabeth” berry smirk for color.

If you’re wanting to follow the trend and laquer up in red, the hue of the season is warm and orange as opposed to cool and berry. (You might recall this post in which I describe the difference.) You’ll also want to make sure your lip is matte instead of glossy as the look is more “hip” than “glam.” You can’t go wrong with Jouer’s “Simone” – a favorite of mine (also shown above).

One thing I noticed and loved about these bright red-lipped women is that they used the bold color to distract from their lack of makeup. Not a “natural” look, but almost no makeup at all. It’s almost like they just substituted lipstick for chapstick. It’s an unusual combo but it totally worked. I think I’m going to try it in my sweats and see what kind of reaction I get at the grocery store. How’s that for real-life application?!

If you are more of the au-nautural girl (another trend in makeup for spring) consider going with a matte PINK. You can choose anything from fushia to petal to almost nude. As long as it’s matte, it will still be striking. Check out Jouer’s new shades (available soon on their website):

The one thing you need to do BEFORE wearing a light colored opaque lipstick is hydrate your lips. Make sure they aren’t dry because unlike the bold colors, the lighter pinks can’t conceal dry or scaly lips. I suggest a hydrating balm or chapstick the night before. Thankfully Jouer’s lipsticks are all moisturizing so they can help you out!

(Full disclosure: Since I was introduced to Jouer over two years ago, I’ve been a huge fan. It’s great quality and price for your everyday basics. I receive their product via PR and purchase it myself on a regular basis. That reminds me….I should do a post on my makeup bag.)

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Which brand of gel nail polish is the best? And is it really the best thing for you?

February 12th, 2013 2 Comments

As a girl who can’t keep a manicure for longer than 4 days, I was really excited about gel with its promise of no-chipping for two weeks!

My first experience with gel polish ended the day after I had it applied when it all peeled off. You can understand I was a cynic for a while. However, as the market grew, I figured I should give it another shot at a new salon. I lucked into having a very meticulous esthetician (Traci at Trina’s Nail Salon in Buckhead) give me a fabulous manicure that lasted the two weeks the gel polish promises! Since then, I’ve been a gel junkie and have tried all the brands with a couple different girls at Trina’s salon.

So far I’ve tried: Shellac, Gellish, Voss, and OPI. I’ve heard about: Akzentz, Bio Sculpture Color Gel, CalGel, Dashing Diva Gelife, IBD, the list goes on. For more on brands, go here.

What I’ve found is that it’s not the brand of polish that matters, but who tends to your cuticles and how they apply the polish.

Your cuticles must be pushed and cut back as far as possible. When they grow back to the edge of the polish, they push against it, causing the polish to peel up. Also, if the polish is applied over your cuticles, your mani doesn’t stand a chance. So you’ve got to run the gamut of estheticians before you find the right one. Then choose your polish on color not brand.

Wait, there’s more.

After getting a few gel manicures I started to think, “this can’t be good for my nails.” Kind of like the hair extensions that made my hair thick and beautiful…until I took them out. In a gel manicure, they buff off the enamel of the nail, apply chemicals to replace it, and then bake it dry almost instantly with UV light. Ugh. If you want to read about the effects of the chemicals, click here. It seems the one we need to look out for is BHA, butylated hydroxyanisol, which is a “cancer-causing agent.” The UV light is pretty self-explanatory.

I never get to the part where I have to soak it off, which dries out your nail bed. I find peeling it off to be a great distraction while sitting in horrific Atlanta traffic. (I’m sure that’s bad for your nail bed too.) I let my nails rest a week before returning to Trina’s for more gel. It’s really the only thing that has ever worked for my nails. I’m thinking about wearing finger-less gloves from now on to protect my hands. As for the BHA, I’m just hoping it gets fried in the baking process.

And you? Now that you know the facts, will you continue to get gel manicures. Leave your comments below!

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Don’t pop that zit

January 29th, 2013 No Comments

I say this to you as a girl who knows I shouldn’t prod a pimple, owns this magic gel, and STILL attempted to pop an on-coming third eye. I had to deal with a scab for a week and the area is still red. Learn from my mistake!

Whether you’ve got one festering beneath the skin or a bright red bump on your pretty face, don’t make the situation worse by pinching the zit. You know it will only lead to a bigger problem and probably a discoloration to show for it after the bump is bone. Do yourself a favor, buy this SkinCeuticals Blemish Control Gel and use it nightly until the zit is gone. For me, the gel is able to dry that sucker up in a few days.

One bottle costs $38 and will last you forever.

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What can you do for the unavoidable wrinkles?

January 15th, 2013 4 Comments

It comes back to the same answer every time: botox.

Now that we’ve crossed the big 3-0 threshold, my friends are not only starting to get botox, but also getting over the shame factor of it. With my friends over 40, we share our experiences with different doctors and dilutions in laughter because it’s no big deal.

If I could exercise to tone my face, I would, but I can’t. Cremes don’t penetrate deep enough into the skin to weaken muscles, which is why they don’t work.

I did this video with my client Dr. Sturm-O’Brien in which we show her technique and educate people on why you should get botox: to fill and prevent wrinkles. Watch and see my experience; there are two things that make her technique extraordinary!

A lot of doctors are now offering Dysport as a cheaper alternative to botox. But after hearing Angela’s explanation of it (she blogged about Botox v. Dysport here), I have stuck with botox.

More from Angela on MTM later. In the meantime, if you’re interested in plastic surgery or non-surgical cosmetic procedures, tweet her @DrSturmObrien or check out her blog. It’s well written and really interesting! I’m very proud of her.

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11 new tricks for fabulous hair

January 8th, 2013 No Comments

Rinse apple cider vinegar through your hair after you’ve shampooed and conditioned to seal down the hair cuticle. (via GarnierUSA)
Use a vented paddle brush to dry your hair faster (this Goody one looks awesome!) and then a medium-sized round brush with boar and nylon bristles.
Wipe down your flatiron plates with Windex or a damp cloth so styling products don’t form residue that will diminish the iron’s capabilities on your next use.
Splurge on a dryer that has lower heat and higher wattage. You’ll get a stronger wind for a quicker dry without hair shaft swelling from intense heat. (My two favorites here.)
Wrap a silk scarf around curly hair that has been blown out straight for 10 minutes to maintain bounce without getting the curl back.
Apply a dollup of “nurishing” or “hydrating” hair oil to your hair BEFORE you shower. Let it sink in for 10 minutes and then hop in the shower. This will give you a sleek blowout. (I like Moroccan products and use the LIGHT oil, but usually AFTER my shower….)
Use a lightweight aerosol shine spray instead of hairspray after you blowdry to tame flyaways and keep out moisture. (I use Biolage by Matrix Color Care Sheilding Shine Mist.)
Seek out finishing spray with UV. Just like your skin, your hair and color treatments need protection. (The Biolage spray above has UV.)
Opt for a root booster instead of mousse for extra volume. (I like Catwalk Root Booster by TIGI)
Keep your eye out for products to try next. Your hair will become accustomed to your favorite products and no longer respond to them after a while.
Eat healthy to improve your hair. Foods like Salmon that is high in omega 3 fatty acids, turkey supplies protein, green leafy veggies with vitamin A and C helps follicles produce a natural conditioner. (Read the full list here.)

(Info gathered from Allure Magazine, GarnierUSA, and my own experience.)

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Win my favorite cosmetics!

December 4th, 2012 No Comments

If you’ve been with me for a while, you know Jouer is one of my favorite makeup brands for everyday wear. I fell in love with them when their publicist sent me a box of product a few years ago. I have gotten A LOT of free cosmetics over the years and none have become an instant favorite like Jouer.

I know it’s hard to put your faith a new brand, which is why I try to do as many giveaways as I can. This holiday, I’m giving away two big swag bags with products I love including Jouer cosmetics.

Click here to see the guide and the details to enter the giveaway. It’s too easy not to!

Right now, I’ve put Jouer’s “Elizabeth” hydrating lipstick ($20) on my MTM Holiday Gift Guide as the perfect gift for girlfriends and moms. They don’t know what they’re missing.

“Elizabeth” is a “rose” color: a very soft red that tops off your makeup with a pop of color instead of dominating your look. It’s doable during the day and great for casual nights out. I’m more of a nude girl when it comes to lip color, so I was surprised I loved it so much when Neal put it on me in my makeover at Henri Bendels. Since then I’ve been wearing it every other day and get compliments every time I do. My girlfriends have all been fans, so “Elizabeth” became an obvious choice for their Christmas gift!

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