Do-It-Yourself Eyebrow Threading

My friend Daphne, a gorgeous Audrey Hepburn lookalike with enviably thick and perfectly arched eyebrows, recently confessed to me that she 'threads' them herself. She swears by it to clean up under the brows and take care of any other unwanted hair on the face.

I had only ever seen threading done by the beautiful Persian girls I went to hairdressing school with. I would watch them on our lunch hour, their fingers moving the thread with surprising speed and precision. It looked complicated, like one of those skills I'd never quite pick up unless I'd been born to a Middle-Eastern family where sisters and mothers and aunts taught me from an early age. I had never seen anyone do it on themselves so it certainly never even occurred to me to attempt it, but after having it done professionally a few times, my friend Daphne was determined to do it herself. After spending much time browsing YouTube for the most informative tutorial, she sent me this link to the one she found most helpful:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F37Sl1c7BA0

Another reason I never learned more about threading is that I don't have much to thread. I'm nervous to try it on my sparse and skinny eyebrows as there isn't much to work with and zero margin for errors. In recent years though, I have sprouted some strange little hairs on my chin that I've been tweezing. Since threading is faster than tweezers and gentler to the skin than waxing, I think this could be a better solution for me.

One last tip, Daphne recommends 100% cotton thread, as it grips the hairs better. Let me know how you make out if you try it.

Happy threading!

(Note: Towards the end of the YouTube video there is a part where the eyebrows are trimmed with manicure scissors, ignore this, eyebrow trimming is 95% of the time a terrible idea.)

The last pedicure of summer...

No matter how busy I am, I always make time for nice toes. Since salon pedicures are expensive and I'd rather put that money towards a massage or a beauty product, I prefer to do my own. Besides, I think I do a better job myself. Quick, easy, affordable, DIY pedicures are one of my most enjoyable beauty rituals. After taking care of my two year-old all day, that half hour alone spent painting my toenails in the bathroom sometimes feels like a whole day at the spa. I also enjoy planning in advance what colors to wear. Obviously, it's not one of the day's more important details, which is why I find it so much fun to think about. It's a nice little escape for a couple of seconds or so.

To celebrate the last few (and hopefully great!) days of summer I am wearing my perfect red (after trying many), OPI Red. It's rich, classic, and just a touch on the blue-red side with a very, very slight pink iridescence. It goes on like a dream and wears like iron. I wanted to pick a shade I really love because with the cold weather just around the corner, it's the last chance for my feet to be on public display until spring 2010.

Next up will be the very exciting first pedicure of fall and of course I have already chosen the color because I refuse to slack off and neglect my feet just because it's no longer sandal season. And the winner is:

'Angora Cardi' from the new Essie Fall Collection, a deep, dusty rose/plum cream. Check it out, it's lovely.

www.essie.com
www.opi.com

Drop me a line and let me know your fall favourites!

And now back to the more pressing things on the list of things to do today...

The French Manicure, my latest rediscovery

As a teenager, my pursuit of sophistication and glamour one day led me to purchase one of those drugstore French manicure sets, complete with the guide-strips, white polish, and nude topcoat. After much trial and error, I finally perfected what I thought was a darn good-looking French manicure. I was so excited to show off my handiwork to my beautiful and chic Swiss exchange student friend.

'That's not a French manicure', she informed me. 'For a real French manicure you need the white pencil'. And so it's been Revlon's Nail Whitener pencil ever since.

Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago when I was cleaning out my manicure box and came across a white pencil. It had been a few years, but now this simple, quick manicure technique suddenly made all the more sense to me now that I'm a mom with limited self-care time.

Here's my French manicure how-to:

1. Apply a rich scrub to your hands and nails, focusing on the cuticles. Massage and rinse off. One Minute Manicure is a nice product, but Sally Hansen and some other less expensive drugstore brands make good scrubs too.

2. While rinsing hands, use the tip of a nail file to clean under the tips of your nails.

3. After drying hands, but while they're still damp, apply the pencil under the tips of the nails. I find a little moisture helps the pencil go on more smoothly. I usually do a touch up with the pencil every couple of days or so.

4. Finish by buffing your nails to a high shine, or remove any scrub residue from the nail bed with polish remover, and paint on your favourite clear polish. These days I am loving Duri Rejuvacote (super-shiny and long lasting) or if you want a product that is free of formaldehyde and toluene, Ecrinal Durcisseur Vernis Brillant is excellent.

Quick, easy, pretty, youthful, clean, classic.

One of my time-saving favourites

If you're busy, whether you're a mom like me or just a busy gal in general, you may find there are days when you just don't have time to wash your hair. Men are so lucky they can just wash and go, but for us women sometimes we need the 'shower hour' just to feel like a human being again. I know I do. So, for those times when you'd like to leave the house, and you want your unwashed hair to look decent, I have the solution.

Klorane Extra Gentle Dry Shampoo with Oat Extract is a fabulous product. I've always liked the idea of a dry shampoo (sounds convenient and it is!) and I've been on the hunt for a good one for ages, and I've pretty much tried them all. In my opinion, this one is the best and it's one of the less expensive brands, you can find it for under $15 and a little goes a long way. It smells pretty good too.

To use, simply lift up sections of your hair and spray the roots, concentrating more on the top of your head and along the natural parting. You don't need much, usually eight quick sprays does it for me (2 on each side and 4 on top). Allow the product to sit on your hair for about 5 minutes to absorb the oil, and then brush it out with a bristle brush. You definitely need a bristle brush (natural is better) to whisk the powder off your scalp and distribute it evenly through the roots and down the hair shaft. Voila, your hair is silky, voluminous and fresh-smelling, and no one but you knows you didn't wash it today.

UPDATE: In the June 2009 issue of InStyle, busy mom (of twins!) Rebecca Romijn also mentions this product as one of her favourites.

The Stressroller: Rolling away my stress and loving it!

I love reading about how celebrities stay fit and feeling great. A while I back I happened upon a fitness magazine article in which 38 year-old mother of two Denise Richards mentions some of her favourite products. One of the items listed was the Stressroller, and I was immediately interested because a)I have stress! and b)stress is aging! and c)Denise Richards looks great, I knew this was worth investigating.

The Stressroller was invented by chiropractor-to-the-stars Dr. Stephen V. Jochen, and it's basically two balls (tennis ball size) enclosed in a cushiony, sturdy fabric that you place between your body and a hard surface (like a wall or floor) and roll yourself against to massage your muscles. I received mine about a month ago, and have been using it religiously ever since. There are several different body parts you can use it on, but I am finding it's doing absolute wonders for my back. According to the website (www.stressroller.com), tension and pain in the mid-back and neck can result in poor posture. We all know poor posture is very aging.

Here's a direct quote from the site on how it works:

"The pressure applied by StressRoller™ moves energy within the muscles, re-aligning the spine, increasing circulation and restoring the body to its natural state of balance and well-being."

It certainly feels really, really good and I will continue to use it as part of my fitness/wellness/anti-aging routine. I also find it excellent at alleviating headache pain, and I'm even getting a better sleep at night. This concept isn't new, however. For years I have heard about putting a couple of tennis balls in a sock and using in the same fashion, which I have not tried. What I do like about the Stressroller is that it's well made and the balls don't move. It's also much nicer looking than a do-it-yourselfer and has a little carrying bag with all instructions for use printed on little plastic discs that are attached with a keyring. Very convenient and very reasonably priced at $19.95.

http://www.stressroller.com

UPDATE: On April 29, 2009, The Stressroller was featured on Rachel Ray's 'Human Lab' series, you can check out the story here:

http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/show/segments/view/human-lab-back-pain/

Monistat, the makeup primer

Let me start by saying that I have never been a huge fan of makeup primers. I consider most of them to be pretty much a useless, expensive, extra layer of product on your face that cosmetics companies trick you into thinking you need. I've always dismissed most them as hype, even when I was working for a particular company who considered their primer to be one of their 'star' products. I didn't bother to use it even when they furnished it to me for free. So yes, I went into the Monistat experiment with a very dismissive attitude. Especially since I'm not fond of the idea of slathering my face with something from a brand I usually associate with yeast infections and other ailments of the hoo-ha.

Well, I was pleasantly surprised.

First of all, the product is Monistat's Soothing Care Chafing Powder-Gel Skin Protectant. It's made to prevent the chafing of sensitive skin in areas such as inner thighs, underarms, and breasts, so it's not specifically for your vagina and it's not a 'treatment' type product. It's fragrance-free, non-irritating and the key ingredient, dimethicone, makes it silky and easy to apply, giving it that powdery feel as it dries. Dimethicone is a type of silicone, very commonly used in many skincare products these days. It creates a very silky-smooth, slightly matte, finish on the skin, a perfect canvas for applying foundation. It temporarily smooths out imperfections in skin texture (like pores and fine lines!)and is also said to create a barrier between the skin and the makeup, helping the makeup to last longer.

After a week of using Monistat's product, I am happy to say that it works pretty well. I like that it's scent-free (most makeup primers aren't) and about half a pea-sized amount was all it took to do my whole face. You apply it after your moisturizer and before your makeup, avoiding the eye area. My favourite foundation of the moment (Make Up For Ever HD Invisible Cover) went on like a dream and lasted longer than usual. I found it especially good at keeping my t-zone from looking less oily. All this for less than $10 for a 42 gram tube! Now for the bad part. My skin doesn't love the daily use of silicones, though I didn't have any terrible reactions, just a couple of pimples. Your skin might not love it either for regular use, but it's worth the price to find out, and it could still be used for its original purpose. I won't be using it everyday, but for those (rare) occasions that I do have time to do a full face of makeup on myself, I would definitely use this stuff. I'll admit also that it is a little difficult to live without the glamorous packaging and it will take some convincing for my clients to try it, but they'll come around. It really is that good.

A huge can of Crisco in my bathroom!

Apparently Crisco comes in smaller quantities, though my stupid grocery store only had the gigantic 3 lb can. This is the same stupid grocery store that has been out of frozen spinach for more than a month, so I should have known there wouldn't be much selection. In fact, this grocery store makes me so angry I'd like to kick it in the crotch, (if it had a crotch) and not only for it's lack of spinach and big-ass cans of Crisco..

So what was my attraction to try Crisco as a moisturizer? Well, most moisturizing products meant for the skin can contain stuff like parabens, propylene glycol, and a bunch of other ingredients I'm a little wary of slathering on my body after every shower I'll take for the rest of my life. I was very excited to try Crisco's scent-free simple formula of soybean and cottonseed oils, and of course the price is nice. I had also heard the rumour that Crisco is used as skincare in hospitals. A friend of mine confirmed that this is actually true, and if they use it at the hospital, it must be great (just like the food, ha ha) right?

So, the first time I tried Crisco was straight out of the shower, applying while my skin was still a little damp to 'seal in the moisture' just like we've all been instructed to do by every magazine ever. My first impression: this is pretty greasy stuff. I didn't dare try it on my face. It took some time to massage into my skin, all the while I avoided the temptation to glance at myself in the bathroom mirror, strike a pose, and say 'hey there, Crisco tits'... At first, I thought my skin felt fairly hydrated, but a couple of hours later it felt tight and needed more moisturizing. You know the feeling you get after you've used a dry oil type of product? Subsequent applications left my skin feeling the same, oily but not very moisturized, unfortunately. Most hydrating creams, lotions, etc., are oil and water emulsions. The oil traps the water on the skin. Crisco contains no water. Also, the hydrogenation process makes the oils solid, so at first I had the impression I was putting something thicker on my body. It was time-consuming to have to re-apply it several times throughout the day just so I wouldn't feel so itchy.

While I won't be using this as a moisturizer, I still think it could be useful. Crisco would be great for shining up your legs in the summer, and because it has no fragrance it won't compete with your perfume. You could even mix a little shimmer powder in with it. Mix in a few drops of essential oil, and Crisco's texture makes it perfect for massage. Now there's an idea for their next ad campaign.

My verdict: Crisco is better for pies, not thighs.

UPDATE: My daughter has since broken my pretty soap dispenser in the picture :(

A reason to bring back bush...

http://www.bettybeauty.com/

I'm thinking of going bright red and trimming a little heart-shape for Valentine's Day ;)

A really great eyebrow tip

A while back I found a fabulous eyebrow pencil, the colour was perfect for me and the consistency was great. Then I got it home and remembered why I don't usually like eyebrow pencils. They tend to make such a heavy line and most of the time give brows that look of being tattooed on. Yes, you can blend them out with a spooly (mascara wand-type brush) but often by the time you've blended enough, the skin around your brows is red, you've stirred up a bunch of flakes of dry skin in your eyebrows, and some of your makeup has been scratched off. This is worst-case scenario, of course, but I've seen it happen many times. Brow powder isn't much better. Although it's more subtle and makes a softer line (and it's easier to use) it can look really dry and even kind of dusty on the skin. It's also less long-lasting and less precise.

So here's my solution: Apply your eyebrow pencil with an eyebrow brush. Just sharpen that pencil and scrape the side of the 'lead' onto your brush. This way, when you apply, you get the control and ease of using a brush, along with the softer line of a brush. You also get a more natural look because the emollients in the pencil, and your line will be more precise and long-lasting. Hurray!

How to avoid stretch marks during pregnancy

Having worked with models who gain 50 lbs with their pregnancies and 3 months later are back to doing bathing suit shoots, I had a few tricks up my sleeve to avoid stretch marks during my pregnancy. Their advice worked, and so I pass on their wisdom to you:

1. Get in your best shape ever before you get pregnant so that your skin can accommodate the weight gain. Also, if you're at a healthy weight you'll have more chance of conceiving.

2. Don't gain more than the recommended 25-35 pounds, not good for you or baby. I gained 30 and it was a cinch to lose and I didn't diet (another reason breastfeeding is fabulous).

3. Drink lots of water, eat lots of fruits and veggies to stay hydrated.

4. Eat lots of good fats, very important for skin's elasticity.

5. Keep moving, long walks are great.

6. 'You must put oil! Start now! We only have one skin!' This is according to my Brazilian-model friend who has 3 children and looks disgustingly fabulous. I had just found out I was pregnant, so nowhere near beginning to show in the tummy, but apparently that's the time to start caring for the skin. The oil she recommended was sweet almond oil (easily found in pharmacies) and I applied it at least 5 times a day to my belly, hips, boobs, and thighs, as per her instructions.

7. A couple of other products that were recommended to me that I liked were Clarins Tonic Oil (a product French women swear by) and Mustela 9 Months Stretch Mark Cream. I didn't use them as often as the sweet almond oil though, I preferred to use something more natural since I was applying so often.

And there you have it. Though I must mention that even if I did get a belly full of stretch marks, gain 100 pounds, ruin my vagina, or any other things a first-time Mom worries about, it would still have truly been worth it. Of course you don't realize that until after your baby is born. When it's your first pregnancy life's still all about you and your worries about yourself, and when baby comes along things change so drastically. Enjoy your solitude, the anticipation, and take good care of yourself. Enjoy your pregnancy.

The Slantboard..

I had heard about this before, I forget where, but supposedly if you hang upside down and reverse the blood flow in your body, it has an anti-aging effect. Eva Mendes is apparently a huge fan:

http://www.sofeminine.co.uk/w/star/n467156/news/Eva-Mendes-beauty-hang-up.html

Seems to be working very well for her, it definitely makes my list of things to try.

A product I love (I have many, so more to come!)

Now that winter is fast approaching, soon we will not only be continuously subjected to Christmas music wherever we go, but our lips and cuticles may become cracked and dry. I don't know which is worse. Just kidding, it's the Christmas music for of course, because the lips and cuticles we can actually do something about.

One of my favourite cheap beauty products is 100% lanolin, readily found in pharmacies as 'nipple ointment' for breastfeeding moms. It's all-natural, has no scent or taste, and is super, super thick and soothing. A little goes a very long way, and one tube lasts me almost a year. Try it as a night treatment and you will notice a difference in the morning, even after only one use. As a makeup artist, it's been pretty much my duty to try every lip balm and cuticle cream out there and though I'd love to be able to recommend something more fancy-shmancy, this is really the best, and it will only set you back about ten bucks.