Heat Proof your makeup

I got the opportunity to be on Your Life A-Z yesterday to tell Arizona how to heat proof your summer makeup.

Start with putting your eye cream and your toner in the refrigerator. I love the Sampar Eye Rule because when cool, the roller ball helps reduce puffyness even more!

Make sure you follow your skincare with a sunscreen- either by its self, or in a tinted moisturizer. I was showing the Jan Marini sunscreen and the Cargo Tinted Moisturizer. If you tend to be really oily or sweaty in this weather, be sure to put on an oil obsorbing lotion, it will help to control any shine that you may have. Try the Bliss Oil Control Lotion.

There are a lot of new water proof, and water resistant products out there. Some of my tried and tested products are the Smashbox Jet Set Waterproof Liner. Laura Mercier Eye Shadow base, Cover Girl Waterproof Lashblast Mascara, Nars cream blush, and the Cover Girl lip stains.

Thank you to Gabrielle for her beautiful face...

my Talika Lipocils experience

To be honest with you.... I was a skeptic.

Can a product that is 1/2 the price of those big name brands grow my lashes as long as the ads say?? The Talika Lipocils ads say that "in 28 days you can have lashes that are 36% longer. Its new and improved formula made from a blend of natural actives to regrow sparse lashes, grow and thicken existing ones, magnify color and curl your lashes. You can have longer, fuller, darker lashes with beautiful, eye opening curl in just 28 days!...without side effects."

I recieved my tube of Lipocils mid Jan, and started using the product a couple of weeks later. I have super blonde lashes, so in order for you to see the difference in the leangth of my lashes, I did have to put mascara on. Here is the photo that I took the first of Feb.



The product is really easy to use. It is a clear gel that you put on just like you would a mascara, morning and night along with your skincare. I knew my lashes were growing, just did not realize how much!!! After taking about 100 pics to get one at the same angle that was in focus... I am able to show you the after photo!



I am sold!!! I will not be without my Lipocils!! Order yours today!!



While you are ordering your Lipocils... order they Eye Dream as well!! I have definitely been impressed with the depuffing and fine line improvement!

Shopping with Clients

I had a great long time client call the other day asking for an update to her makeup bag. She is traveling to Europe for 3 weeks this summer. They would be spending time on the beach as well as going to the opera and formal events while there and asked what basics she could take with to get the maximum looks, with the fewest products. I am a firm believer in multi-tasking products, while traveling with as little as possible! We took off to the mall so I could show her how to use the following products, as well as help her find the correct colors for her. I can do the same for you if you want!

Here are some of the products we were looking for:

Tinted Moisturizer Find a good tinted moisturizer that has a sunscreen and a light tint. It will give some coverage to even out the skin, and protect and moisturize at the same time. Some of my favorites are ">Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer or the ">Jan Marini Tinted Moisturizer.

Cream Blush Most cream blushes can be both a blush and a lip tint. You can vary the color for day or night, as well as add a touch of color to your lips. Try ">Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge For Lips And Cheeks or ">Nars Cream Blush.

Gel Eyeliner The best part of a gel eyeliner is that you do not have to worry about it smudging or wearing off through the day, and they are waterproof... yet you can get a very fine, or smoke it out for the evening. Some of my favorites- MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Creamliner or Purely Cosmetics Gel Liner

Palette find a line that has a container to hold multiple eye shadows or lip colors. MAKE UP FOR EVER and Yaby Cosmetics both have shadow palettes and shadows to fill it with that can not be beat! Yaby Cosmetics also has a palette that you can put shadows and lips in! Japanesque has empty palettes that can be filled with 6 of your favorite lipsticks, so you dont have a bunch of tube rolling around your purse.

Lips Lips definitely need protection while on vacation. We are subjected to sun, and wind, and without that special care, our lips can end up chapped and painful. Try ">Orlane Lip Screen or ">Laura Mercier Lip Silk


Waterproof Mascara Traveling is not the time to be trying new products... but these waterproof mascaras will hold up to any beach time as well as keep you looking fabulous for your evening at the Opera! YSL Luxurious Mascara and ">Cle de Peau Mascara.

I hope you all have a fun summer break!! Please let me know what your favorites are!

Do you have Dark Under Eye Circles

Sadly... we all wake up with them on occassion.

There are ways to hide and get rid of those pesky dark circles! Are your dark circles given down to you from your parents, from allergies, or just a rough night out?? If you answered yes to any of those, use a good eye cream such as ">Sampar Eye Rule and a good concealer! There are all kinds of eye creams out there that will help with puffiness, and reducing those dark circles. I like to keep my ">Sampar Eye Rule in the refrigerator, so that it is a cool roller ball that refreshes, while reducing the puffiness and darkness. Then I will use the ">Bobbi Brown creamy concealers. Depending on how dark you are, you may need a peachy base first to cut the blue of the dark circles. I like the ">Bisque Bobbi Brown concealer, then cover that with the correct shade to match your skin tone. The best application is with a brush, then pat it in to the skin so that you dont get creasing or smudging. If you tend to be oilier, you may need to put a little powder on the concealer to help with the wearability.

If you have any other questions... please ask!!!

Bad Customer Service or Murcury in Retrograde?

I just dont seem to get it these days...

People complain that there is no business, and/ or that business is slow! Maybe that would not be the case if these companies realized that good customer service goes a long way!!

It may be that Mercury is in retrograde, or the moon is made out of cheese, or that businesses just don't care any more! Have they been slow for so long that they dont know how to treat paying clients any more?

Last week I called a local spa. I was given a gift card to this spa from a bride, and after a long week in Las Vegas, I was looking forward to spending a day getting pampered. I asked if they had any appointments for a massage, and was told they had an opening at noon, and on my way to get my gift card to reserve my appointment, I asked if they had opening for reflexology. She said you had availability at 2pm.
I said great that I would take them both..... I was really looking forward to a relaxing day after a week of walking many miles carrying lots of bags.

I got to the spa around 11:30 so I could relax a little before my massage.
At 12:20, I went out to ask why I was never called in for my massage, and I was informed that she cancelled my massage apt when I asked about the reflexology apt.
The manager informed me that very few people book multiple appointments these days, and she didnt think I would want both. I was amazed. She finally got me in to a massage apt, but then when my reflexology apt came up at 2 pm and at 2:15 I had still not been called, I was frustrated, I got dressed, and went to the front desk.
When I asked what happened with the reflexology apt, I was informed by the manager that she canceled my reflexology apointment when I got the massage. After the conversation that we had just had at noon, I dont know how she would have gotten the impression that I wanted to cancel the reflexology apt.

To say the least, I was upset. The manager offered no explanation except it was a mixup in communication.

I can not say that I was relaxed in the least after leaving... in fact- I think I was more tense after a supposedly "relaxing afternoon" at the Lamar Spa in Scottsdale.

I have tried every day for the last week and a half, to get ahold of the owner of the spa, with emails being bounced back, and no phone calls returned. Do businesses not get that just a simple "I'm sorry there was a miscommunication... Please give us another chance" sometimes is all it takes.

And some businesses wonder why they are closing the doors.......

Orlane has a new product for 25-35 year olds!

I got the opportunity last month during New York Fashion Week to go to visit the Orlane Lounge at the Bryant Park Hotel. They provided a beautiful view overlooking the Bryant Park tents, a psycic to tell me what was in my future, and a great lesson on their newest product!
I have now had a month to try out their newest line of products and I must say that I wish I was still in the 20-35 year old age group to continue using their newest line of skincare, Orlane Anagenese 25+! Most of us in the "40 is the new 30" age group, wish that we had started to use a line like this 10-15 years ago to prevent the signs of aging that we are starting to see now. Most skin damage occurs between the ages of 25-35 from sun damage. We need to do the
repairative work in our 20s.... not waiting for it to show up in our 40s! By effectively fighting against invisible signs of aging, you can delay the transformation of the skin. Based on the science of Cellular Growth Factors, Anagenese 25+ is a source of continued radiance and youthfulness by helping to rebuild the collagen in the skin.

The Orlane Anagenese 25+ works with pro-cellular growth factors which are designed to jumpstart collagen production and cellular renewal. They also contain Vitamins A and C and other minerals to smooth and protect the skin. This program contains three easy steps: First Time-Fighting Morning Recovery Serum, First Time-Fighting Care Eye Contour, and First Time-Fighting Care face cream. All three of these skincare products spread and absorb quickly, leave the surface of the skin feeling very smooth, but not greasy or oily, and it has a beautiful soft scent. My skin has a beautiful "glow" to it after using the serum for just one month! I have also had a couple of long days, and short nights, and you can use the serum (or Morning Recovery Complex) as a pick me up during the day. (Just a little bit over the makeup, gives a beautiful radiance to the skin, without breaking down the makeup) This is a definite must have line!!

Perfect Palette for your kit!!

Are you looking for a product that is going to be a long lasting... very highly pigmented, and very reasonably priced?? Then you need to check out the Yaby Cosmetic Palettes!

This seems to be the never ending quest for makeup artists!

I came across a line last year, who's products I was honestly leery of. They were so tiny, how can they last? Was it really going to be worth buying these palettes if I was going to have to replace the discs of color every month? The discs of color were very reasonably priced (refills from $3-$20) , so I bought a couple of colors at the Makeup Show in NYC last summer, and was blown away!! Next thing I knew, I was buying 3 complete color palettes, the concealer palette and lots of empties to make my own palettes. I can honestly say that I could not live without my Yaby Palettes in my kit!

I had the chance to introduce the color palettes to some friends at this years Makeup Show in LA. They have all had the same reviews I had! This was a product that was compact, easy to carry, a huge variety of colors, and not only lasted on the skin.... but really do last a long time in your kit as well!!! If you cant wait to get your products at the Makeup Show in NYC in May, you can order them direct thru http://www.yabycosmetics.com/ or thru Camera Ready Cosmetics.

Let me know what your favorite product is!!