The thinnest-skinned part of your face, your under-eye area is often the first to show signs of aging. And these signs—puffiness, dark circles, fine lines and crow’s feet—can add years to your look faster than you can say “Old Maid.” Much like your blood pressure or your cholesterol, how youthful your under-eye region appears is in part a matter of genetics. The good news? By observing a few simple rules, you can mitigate, and even prevent these signs of aging.

Source: Flickr user me and the sysop

Rule # 1: Get a good night’s sleep!

It can’t be overstated: sleep is a core component to your overall beauty. When you sleep, your cells regenerate and repair themselves. When you cut your shuteye short, you compromise your beauty (not to mention your health!) by depriving your body from this essential process. What’s more, a lack of sleep can lead to an increase in cortisol, which further contributes to dark, unsightly circles.  Shoot for 7-8 hours each night—you’ll not only keep under-eye puffiness and discoloration at bay, but will feel better as well.

Rule # 2: Sleep tight, but sleep right

Are you sleeping without a pillow? Worse, are you crashing face-down on your pillow? If the answer to either of these questions is “yes” you could unknowingly be sabotaging your good looks. While an elevated head is necessary to achieve bona fide beauty sleep (nix the pillow and you run the risk of fluids settling in your face and under your eyes, causing inflammation and discoloration) lying on your stomach and scrunching one side of your face into the pillow is a surefire way to acquire more wrinkles and fine lines. Your best bet? Sleep lying on your back, keeping your face away from the pillow at all costs.

Rule # 3: Invest in a quality eye cream with key ingredients

Why eye cream? Why not the same moisturizer you use on the rest of your face? Well, it all comes down to science. Because the skin under your eyes is so different than the skin on, say, your cheeks, it calls for a product with a lighter molecular structure than what’s found in your typical facial cream. Those products will NOT absorb properly under your eyes—and they’ll cause irritation and inflammation to boot. Reach for a peptide-rich eye cream formula designed specifically for the eyes. Why peptides? As we age, our skin produces collagen at a slower pace, causing a loss of elasticity. Peptides help stimulate collagen production, in turn preserving the youthful suppleness we all strive to retain.

Rule #4: Don’t stress your adrenals!

As we mentioned earlier, dark eye circles can be hereditary. But they also can be chalked up to exhausted adrenal glands—and unlike our genetic makeup, this is an issue that’s well within our control! By limiting our intake of coffee, candy and soda—and anything else that contains refined sugar—we can alleviate adrenal stress. We hope you’re not a cigarette smoker for a variety of reasons, but if you are, be advised: cigarettes, too, will stress your adrenals (and sap your skin’s moisture, and speed the formation of wrinkles, and yellow your teeth!). On the other hand, eating foods containing organic sodium, like celery, kale, spinach, sea vegetables and Swiss chard and committing to an all-around healthy diet may help improve the appearance of your under-eye region over time.

Summer Color Palette - Bright Lips

Summer is here! As the days get brighter, so should your makeup palette.  Take a cue from the recent runways ….go bold.!  Choose a bold lip or bright eye — think shimmer, sheer textures and fun!

The key to a brighter palette for summer is knowing which colors to choose for your skin tone.  A good rule of thumb is the darker your skin tone, the brighter the colors you will be able to pull off.  Darker complexions can wear bright colors with ease without going overboard.   Think jewel tones, and for the adventurous, neons.  If you keep the texture sheer, the whole rainbow is yours to play with. Light to medium skin tones should try deep pastels to get their pop of color.  Keep in mind to only choose one feature to highlight.  Choose either bold lips or a bright eye but never both.

For lips, pick up pink and berry shades.  Save the nudes to balance your smoky eyes at the office holiday party.  CARGO lipstick in CeCe is a great summer berry shade.  Bonus points: the package is eco-friendly.  Skip matte textures and use satin or sheer lipsticks.  Glosses are always my number one pick for summer!  The shine makes lips look fresh and you can always find one with a lot of pigment to rival lipstick.  Check out Clearly Pretty from Tricia Sawyer Beauty. It looks like clear gloss in the tube, but turns your lips the perfect color for your own skin tone. For waterproofing at the beach, choose a lip and cheek stain.  You’ll get long lasting, easy-to-apply color.

For summer fun with eyes, choose either a bright shadow or an adventurous liner.  My favorites for summer are bright cream shadows.   Try a royal purple for darker skin tones and a bright lavender for medium skin tones.  Mascara is a must for all seasons but at the beach try a waterproof formula from your favorite brand.  Add ice cream, sand, and enjoy!

ABOUT TASHA REIKO BROWN:

Tasha is a Los Angeles-based makeup artist whose work can regularly be seen on the red carpet and on your favorite magazine covers. She is a member of the Beautyfix Panel of experts. Check out Tasha’s Portfolio here.

A recent cover of Vanity Fair. Nails by Michelle Saunders

Nails! It’s all about nails in 2010, and everything goes! From green to gold, manicurists are applying all kinds of color, texture and art to nails. The best part? Aside from all the fun nail trends, there are now new innovative ways to keep that manicure looking its best. I was recently introduced to a new product hot off the nail market called Gelish. The name describes it – a gel that is a polish. It comes in every hip color you can imagine. It’s not the first gel nail product of its kind, but so far it’s the best I have used.

Using Gelish is a four-coat process similar to polishing nails. There is a base coat, two coats of color, and a top coat. All of which must be cured under a lamp – but it’s no ordinary lamp. Nail Harmony, the company that created Gelish, created an LCD lamp that cures the product in 30 seconds! Once applied, it dries instantly and can last up to 3 weeks. And if you want your manicure to look perfect always, all you have to do is visit your manicurist at least every other week to have a fill or a fresh coat applied. I predict a gel polish like this will replace old-fashioned acrylic nails and maybe even nail polish some day.

Recently on fashion editorials, the art directors have been asking for a longer, oval nail. The resurgence of oval shaped nails has required the use of nail tips again. Working with models and celebrities who request their nails stay in-tact, we as manicurists have had to come up with new, safe and innovative ways to extend nails. The new process is temporary, and it’s similar to Lee Press-On nails but so much better and a lot more current.

Twilight Eclipse stars with oval shaped nails.

ABOUT MICHELLE SAUNDERS:

Michelle Saunders is a Los Angeles-based celebrity manicurist. Michelle is on the forefront of nail trends and innovations. Celeb clients include Taylor Swift, Katie Holmes, Zoe Saldana, Kate Beckinsale, Mila Kunis and Kim Cattrall. Her work regularly graces the covers of magazines including Life, Glamour, Vanity Fair and Vogue. Click here to see Michelle’s portfolio.

Think you’ve tried every frizz-kicking trick in the book? Think again! NaturallyCurly.com, the online oasis for curlies since 1998, provides some unique and unconventional methods of fighting frizz, even in the most humid weather:

frizzy hair	A natural fabric softener can be a great way to make your curls less frizzy. Simply use as any other conditioner and apply after shampooing. Keep some dryer sheets in your purse to use in a pinch and stroke the dryer sheet in a downward motion. Dryer sheets are also great for eliminating static cling. Breast milk is a natural deep conditioner, it contains the appropriate amounts of protein and fat to condition hair and reduce frizz. It also packs essential vitamins and minerals that help combat dry hair. Fill a spray bottle with breast milk, spray locks thoroughly and proceed with your normal hair washing routine. Take one cup of flat, room-temperature beer and work into hair after shampooing, then rinse with cold water. The vitamin B and natural sugars in beer add body and shine, while acting as a natural setting lotion that increases resilience, vitality and hold. Apply KY Jelly just like any gel. Don’t worry: this remedy isn’t x-rated! Use sparingly or mixed in with other products. This paste will condition each hair strand section by section; simply smooth through curls with your fingers. Rinse, and behold silky, restored, beautiful hair. You can also apply to dry hair to define curls and smooth frizz. Leaving the house without knowing the weather report can trip up even the most prepared frizz-fighter. Stay a step ahead of the weather with NaturallyCurly’s Frizz Forecast™.  The Frizz Forecast provides the humidity conditions for your specific area, as well as high and low temperatures for the day.
ABOUT MICHELLE BREYER:
Michelle Breyer Michelle Breyer co-founded www.NaturallyCurly.com, a website for curly hair that she launched with her business partner and friend, Gretchen Heber. Spending most of her life as a journalist, Ms. Breyer never dreamed she would develop the leading source of information for specialty beauty products. It was the Texas humidity that inspired both Ms. Breyer and Ms. Heber to search for information to help them manage their curly hair and find appropriate beauty products. They were frustrated by the dearth of information on curly hair, and the lack of products on the market. One of their curly hair rants, at a brunch, was the inspiration behind NaturallyCurly.com. They launched the site in September of that year with the help of a 14-year-old Web designer. They see unlimited potential for their venture. More than 50 percent of the world’s population has curly hair. Ms. Breyer’s personal experience with her curly hair, and as the mother of a curly haired daughter, has helped her recognize the challenges faced each day by those with curls and kinks. With a deep personal connection, she can relate well to the community, and is a role model to inspire others to learn to love their curls and kinks. Ms. Breyer lives in Texas with her husband and daughter.

How to enter: Tell us your favorite Beautyfix product and why you love it in the comments section below. Good luck!

*1 winner will be chosen at random. Post a comment on blog.Beautyfix.com and tell us your favorite product on Beautyfix’s favorite product giveaway. Giveaway starts on 5/19/10 and ends 6/1/10 at 11:59pm PST. Winners will be announced during the time of 6/10/10 –6/20/10. If any winners do not reply within 5 business days of being contacted, another winner will be chosen. 1 year’s supply is based on average product usage rates.

SKIN CANCER FACTS: A REAL RISK

Substantially more than 1 million new cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed in the United States this year, more than any other form of cancer. 1 in 5 Americans will develop some form of skin cancer during their lifetime.  Skin cancer can be divided into two groups – nonmelanoma skin cancer and melanoma.  The majority of diagnosed skin cancers are nonmelanoma skin cancer of which 80% of these are basal cell carcinoma and about 20% squamous cell carcinoma.

Dangers of tanning: tanning can cause skin cancer. Photo by ~ggvic~

SKIN CANCER PREVENTION: IT’S NEVER TOO LATE FOR SUN SAFETY

Exposure to ultraviolet light, from the sun and indoor tanning devices is the most preventable risk factor for skin cancer.  It’s never too late to protect yourself and minimize your future risk of skin cancer. Early detection is also crucial as skin cancer can be treated if found early.  Melanoma has a 99% five year survival rate if detected and treated before it spreads to the lymph nodes. Both basal cell and squamous cell have cure rates approaching 95% if detected early and treated promptly.

SKIN CANCER DETECTION: WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Basal cell carcinoma frequently appears as a pearly bump, whereas squamous cell carcinoma often looks like a rough, red scaly area or an ulcerated bump that bleeds.  Any new growth that does not go away in a month’s time or that is bleeding, growing or changing should prompt you to see a dermatologist.  Melanoma can develop from or near an existing mole or can suddenly appear without warning.   New, rapidly growing moles, or moles that itch, bleed, change color or other surface characteristics are often early warning signs of melanoma and warrant prompt attention.

SKIN CANCER TREATMENTS: MELANOMA & NONMELANOMA

A biopsy is performed to confirm the diagnosis.  A very superficial basal cell, for example, can sometimes be treating by scraping and burning the lesion, to destroy the cancer cells. However, the general treatment for skin cancer is to excise the lesion.  This is an in-office procedure using local numbing medicine.  Depending on the method used to cut out the skin cancer, stitches will likely be placed and then removed anywhere from 5 days to 2 weeks later (depending on the part of the body where it was located).  For a localized, nonmelanoma skin cancer, there is generally no further treatment needed, except a reminder to be cautious with prevention using sun protection and early detection with routine visits to the dermatologist.  Further treatment of melanoma is dependent on the depth of the melanoma and other factors involved.

Dermatologist Dr. Jody Levine

ABOUT DR. JODY LEVINE:

Dr. Jody Levine is an esteemed member of the Beautyfix Panel of experts and a highly respected dermatologist. Dr. Levine is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Dermatology, the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery, the Women’s Dermatologic Society, the Society for Pediatric Dermatology and the American Medical Association. Based in Manhattan, Dr. Levine is the co-founder and co-director of Plastic Surgery & Dermatology of NYC, PLLC, a comprehensive facility in Manhattan offering a full range of integrated skincare for the whole family.  Dr. Levine practices medical and surgical dermatology, specializing in cosmetic and laser surgery for pediatric and adult patients.

Dr. Levine received her M.D. from the Yale University School of Medicine, graduating with honors, and has been named one of “America’s Top Dermatologists of 2009” by the Consumer’s Research Council of America. She has published scholarly papers in prestigious journals including Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology and Journal of the American Medical Association.  In addition, she is on the medical advisory board of Parents magazine and is often featured in national beauty magazines, web pages, newspapers, radio shows and television programs.  She has been quoted in W Magazine, Elle, Allure, Self, Shape, Marie Claire, New York Magazine and The New York Times.  Dr. Levine has appeared on the Martha Stewart Radio, The Montel Williams Show, Fox News, and ABC News.

Dr. Levine firmly believes in educating all patients, from youth through adulthood, on the dangers of outdoor and indoor tanning.  She stresses the importance of sun safety and appropriate skin care, capturing the beauty of youthful skin and making it available to patients of all ages.

Dr. Jody Levine lives in Manhattan with her husband Dr. Elie Levine, a Plastic Surgeon, and their four children, Skyler, Jasmine, Caitlin and William.

get melt proof makeup

By Tasha Reiko Brown

Spring has sprung!  The flowers are in bloom, the sun is shining and your face is …melting?  Time to switch up your makeup techniques to keep them heat and melt proof.  For truly melt proof makeup, think layering and textures.  Your warm weather look should be more sheer and a lot less heavy in colors, texture, and application.  Does applying less product mean constant retouches and easy fading?  Not with the right products!

Try a lighter base such as Laura Mercier’s tinted moisturizer.  The less foundation you wear, the less likely anything over it will slide off in the heat.  Textures will be able to truly ‘grab’ onto your skin.  Apply sparingly with clean fingers and blend into areas where needed.

For eyes that stay put try a lid primer before applying a light layer of liquid shadow.  The liquid shadow will dry to a powdery finish and have more staying power than a cream but with the same sheer finish.  Try Chanel’s Ombre D’Eau. Follow with two coats of black waterproof mascara (I like L’Oreal’s Voluminous) and as Tyra Banks would say… “Smize” – smile with your eyes!

For cheeks and lips that keep glowing I like stains.  A good lip and cheek stain will last all day and can be layered over with a powder blush on cheeks or gloss on lips for an extra glow.  On cheeks apply and work quickly to blend in.  Layer the applications if you want more intense color.  On lips simply fill them in and let set for about 10 seconds before applying gloss.  If you prefer your favorite lipstick, put on a layer, blot with tissue and repeat making a more creamy stain on the lips. I like Josie Maran’s new Magic Marker Lip and Cheek Stains.

To finish your sunny day look, add a glow with Cargo’s Water Resistant Bronzer.  With a fluffy natural hair brush, apply bronzer where the sun would normally hit on the forehead, temples, bridge of nose and chin.  Swipe under your cheekbones for a more dimensional look. Now enjoy your day in the sun.

About Tasha Reiko Brown:

Celebrity Makeup Artist and Beautyfix Panelist Tasha Reiko Brown’s work has graced countless celebrity faces and red carpet events like the Oscars and the Golden Globes. You’ve seen her eye popping editorial work in magazines such as Elle, Vanity Fair and Flaunt and on the runways for top designers including Badgley Mischka and Richard Tyler. Check out Tasha’s portfolio here.

A beauty expert, Tasha is a constant mention in InStyle magazine and regularly provides media outlets with beauty tips and product mentions. Her knowledge of makeup through and through has lead her to appearances on several fashion and makeover shows including “How To Look Good Naked”, “How Do I Look?” and countless WE network “Beauty Secrets Revealed” episodes.

In honor of Mother’s Day, share mom’s beauty secrets for a chance to win a luxurious skin care kit from Kerstin Florian.

So tell us…

What’s the best beauty secret your mother ever told you?

*2 Winners will be chosen at random. Post a comment on blog.Beautyfix.com and tell us a beauty secret your mother told you on Beautyfix’s Mother’s Day Beauty Secrets Giveaway. Giveaway starts on 4/26/10 and ends 5/7/10 at 11:59pm PST. Winners will be announced during the time of 5/10/10 –5/25/10. If any winners do not reply within 5 business days of being contacted, another winner will be chosen.

For all of our beautiful blog readers, we’re giving away a Lisa Hoffman Fine Fragrance Oil Set in Tuscan Fig to one lucky winner! Don’t be shy! We want to hear your scent stories!

To enter to win, comment on this blog post and tell us your favorite scent. It’s that easy!

What’s your favorite scent???

Don’t forget! Stop and smell the flowers and tell us what you’re loving.

**1 Winner will be chosen at random. Post a comment and tell us what your favorite scent is on Beautyfix and Lisa Hoffman Scent Stories Giveaway. Giveaway starts on 4/6/10 and ends 4/20/10 at 11:59pm PST. Winners will be announced during the time of 4/26/10 –5/4/10. If any winners do not reply within 5 business days of being contacted, another winner will be chosen.**

Flickr.com user c.a. muller

It seems one of my missions in the beauty industry has become to defend parabens and set the record straight. Perhaps it is because I unapologetically use them in my skin care products Alchimie Forever. Perhaps it is because I enjoy reading the scientific data on the topic. Or perhaps it is because I don’t mind taking the politically incorrect and unpopular view on the topic, as paraben free is a popular buzz word and trend in cosmetics today. In any case, I have written a number of scientific papers on parabens, and am writing my first blog post about it exclusively for Beautyfix.

Parabens are the preservatives most commonly used in cosmetics, foods, and drugs. These molecules are used in over 22,000 cosmetics as preservatives in concentrations up to 0.8% (mixtures of parabens) or up to 0.4% (single paraben). The group includes Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, Isopropylparaben, Butylparaben, Isobutylparaben, and Benzylparaben. Parabens have been the subject of numerous studies that have established not only their broad spectrum of action against numerous micro-organisms, but also their efficacy, stability, and their lack of side effects.

In the late 1990s, several studies suggested that parabens had an oestrogenic activity. Then, in 2004, English researchers detected traces of parabens in breast tumour tissue samples. The media seized the subject and widely diffused the news: parabens used in cosmetics, most notably in deodorants, could cause breast cancer. Hence the paraben controversy began. As a result, numerous cosmetic companies have altered their product formulae, replacing parabens with alternate preservative systems. Parabens were the ingredient that began the trend of fear marketing in beauty products, or “free of” marketing.

Let’s look at the facts and set the record straight:

1. As stated above, the paraben controversy and the idea they cause breast cancer rests on one single medical study that was published in 2004. The methodology of that study, however, was flawed: parabens were indeed detected in cancerous breast tissue samples; however parabens were also detected in the control group (organic matter with no trace of cancer). As there were parabens in both the cancer tissue and the control, it is not accurate to conclude that parabens cause breast cancer. The American Cancer Society claims that the “studies have not shown any direct link between parabens and any health problems, including breast cancer.”

2. There has been no further published study in the 5 years since that initial study confirming parabens’ role in breast cancer.

3. Parabens are approved by all of the cosmetic regulatory bodies including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This is not the case, for example, with hydroquinone, which is banned by the European equivalent of FDA.

4. Parabens have an extremely low skin sensitivity factor, meaning that very few people are allergic or have skin irritation to parabens. This is not the case with some of the paraben alternatives, including essential oils, which are very sensitizing and appear on the European list of top allergens.

5. Finally parabens have the broadest spectrum of action on bacteria, yeast, and mold, meaning they are effective on almost all. This again is not the case of paraben alternatives, whether natural or synthetic.

Of course from a commercial perspective, manufacturers may wish to replace parabens because consumers are demanding products without parabens (even if for the wrong reasons). Products without parabens enable manufacturers to avoid consumer questions and avoid having to set the record straight. But commercial decisions should not be made under the false pretense of making products safer when parabens are safe to begin with.

Furthermore, when removing parabens from products it is important to consider what we are replacing parabens with. Indeed, I believe we can all agree that preservatives and anti-bacterial agents play an important role in cosmetics. After all, who wants bacteria in their creams?

Finally, I urge the industry to reconsider the “free of” marketing craze we seem to have embarked on in the last few years. “Paraben-free” claims naturally although inaccurately lead consumers to believe that parabens are “bad.” Same with all of the other “free of” claims we see today.

ABOUT ADA POLLA:

Ada Polla of Alchimie Forever

Ada is the co-creator of skin care brand Alchimie Forever, and a member of the Beautyfix Panel. An expert in cosmetics development, Ada contributes to numerous magazines, and is a frequent guest speaker at leading universities and beauty industry conferences.