It's in the bag!

On the way out the door? Did you find time this morning to do your hair, apply deodorant? Put on your shoes? Like many women living in Orange County, you may be juggling multiple daily responsibilities. Whether you lead a household full of children, a husband, and a job on top of that, or just whirling your own personal life obstacles day in and day out, there may be days you lose track of yourself on the way out the door.

One simple strategy to ensure you have what you need by the time you turn the key in the ignition, adjust your rear view mirror, gasp in horror when you realize you still have your bath towel on your head, is to pack an emergency touch up kit and have it ready and waiting in your purse, handbag, tote, baby bag, computer bag, what have you.

This small zippered bag, shouldn't take up much space. Look for something about 5 by 7 in size and preferably translucent so that you can find an item more efficiently. This bag should hold the most important items that YOU find it hard to get through a day without.

On your way to the gym? Warm to blistering day ahead? First and foremost, pack your favorite deodorant in travel size. Hit your local pharmacy, Target, or Walmart and have a good time picking from all the fun miniature sized grooming products for .99 cents each. You most likely can find a travel bag there too. Mother's Market carries an amazing organic body/deodorant spray by Avalon Organics in Rosemary and Peppermint. Keep a pack of face wipes handy, alcohol free, preferably chamomile based to refresh and cleanse the face as well as body, when needed. For example Jason All-Natural fragrance free quick clean makeup remover/face wipes. When your favorite products come in bulk or large containers, down size to travel jars and spray bottles(even a simple ziplock sandwich bag), which are also available at your local pharmacies and grocery stores.

Protect that skin! Spf is imperative for not just your face but neck, decollete, arms, and hands, that all get their fair share of sun exposure when simply sitting in the car on a sunny day. Most sunscreens offer travel sizes of their product like Banana Boat, or to "kill two birds with one stone", find a tinted moisturizer with spf 15 to 30 and even out your skin as well as protect it from the suns damaging rays. Remede Translucent oil-free UV coat 30, offering four skin-blendable color tones.

Tweezers! How many get in the car and at some point, wished they had tweezers to pluck away that stubborn chin hair that miraculously appeared out of no where! OR, you haven't found the time to get your brows shaped but with a few tweaks you can make it through one more day. Rubis Switzerland precision tweezers (They sharpen them free, for life!).

If your'e a makeup wearer, and somehow this daily ritual got interrupted, at least have a tube of water proof mascara and lip gloss stored in your bag for this very emergency. MAC offers a reasonably priced high quality waterproof mascara, Opulash in Bad Bad Black $14, or run down the cosmetic isle at Target for Loreal Voluminous Waterproof Mascara $8.95. Lip glosses come in so many shapes, sizes, textures, flavors, and of course colors. So for every gloss type out there, there is an individual who is partial to what resides on their lips. Whether it be just a clear lip balm, a hint of pink, a mauvey-bronze, to a sassy red. Just keep it in a squeeze tube or wand format, just in case you leave this bag in a hot car, you don't have to worry about it melting. Stila offers a unique lip and cheek stain with the added sheer gloss, in a convenient twist-tube and seven yummy flavors and colors.

Now what about your hair? For long hair, simply keep a couple of hair ties/ rubber bands available to neatly or loosly tie the hair back. If your hair is short, layered possibly, with just a couple of twists using Scuncci No Slip Grip Mini Octo Jaw Clips or their No-Slip Grip Wide Hairband in just minutes, you can look like you spent all morning on your hair. If you forgot to wash your hair, and just need that oily look(and smell) to disappear. Keep Rene Furterer's Dry Shampoo on hand, for an instant boost and clean feel to your scalp and hair.

Last but not least, how's the breath? Did you forget your morning mouth care? Keep a pack of Wrigley's sugar-free Orbit Professional chewing gum on hand when a tooth brush and water isn't near by. This unique gum actually helps clean the teeth while you chew! Recommended by four out of five dentists, well at least by Professor Klaus Konig of Germany!

An important mention to all of the busy ladies (and men, you too) who try to do it all before that early morning meeting; never attempt these grooming tasks while behind a moving vehicle! All personal business, same goes for the cell phone, can wait until the car engine is off. Before or after your drive is the best time to pull out your bag of tricks and then and only then, work your magic

The air brush tan

Orange County is hip with the ever popular sunless tanning pastime, as far back as the 1960's, women and men have been fake n' baking, bronzing, spraying, and rubbing it on to achieve the ultimate tan without the time and agony it takes lying under the sun's UV rays. The sun's rays in moderation can be beneficial in helping the body produce vitamin D, but beyond this, avoiding prolonged exposure from it's damaging rays is pro active towards anti-aging as well as a skin cancer preventative. Tanning beds are found just as harmful to the skin considering they deliver concentrated doses of ultraviolet rays both UVA(actinic, cancer causing) and UVB(burning), and many end up burning the epidermis, causing severe adverse reactions. Air brush tanning has become a quick and easy way to achieve that healthy glow, it's long lasting, safer than ever, without wasting your time baking and burning your day away.
So many people are still hesitant on trying self tanners due to that age old fear of turning orange. Tanning products have come a long way baby! Consumers looking for a safer, quicker, realistic tan in just moments can find reliable tanning products right on shelves of their local grocery stores, such as Jergens Natural Glow, a highly effective easy to apply lotion for all over the body. Then there is the, ever growing in popularity, spray tanners, typically applied by an airbrush technician in a salon or even right in your own home. Self tanners not only provide the "melanin challenged" an opportunity to experience an exotic tan but make it easier to maintain your "healthy glow", longer, along with keeping the skin hydrated, bronzed, and silky soft. Depending on the product, the scent of self tanners have improved ten fold, many are scented with coconut, mint, to raspberry-almond, instead of that old stale potato smell that still haunts many to this day. Self tanning sprays are available in organic formulas, different tanning hues, and can last up to two weeks before needing a touch-up. So now that spring is here and the weather is warming, fashion is gearing it's head towards, shorts, minis, sandals, tanks, and of course bathing suits. So whether you want to get a head start on your summer tan, look amazing in that little black dress, or sculpt your new six pack that you've worked hard all winter for, make your appointment today for a body and mind altering experience with a professional organic airbrush technician from salons such as Sun Silhouette in San Clemente, to Surface Beauty mobile beauty tanning services who bring the spa to you!

Un "bridal" ing Beauty

Wedding season is upon us Orange County! From the Montage in Laguna to The Villa in San Juan, these venues are booked! The brides have it all covered, from tiara down to their toes! However, there is one thing brides most commonly neglect and that's their skin! How so many classically let their faces fall to the wayside by forgetting that stress and lack of sleep along with improper skin maintenance can truly turn "The blushing bride" more like, "The blemished bride".
Here are some simple beautiful ways to ensure the angelic skin every girl desires on the day of her wedding!
First and foremost if hiring an artist for makeup, finding the right one can take time. NEVER feel stuck with the first one you try, always interview two to three different artists(expect your trial costs to run from anywhere between $45 to $100 each sitting), and making sure you have done this at least three months in advance of the wedding date as to ensure the one you choose doesn't become booked as well as giving you ample time to find the right one.
You shouldn't rely entirely on the makeup artist for perfect skin though. Skincare is an important primer to ensuring the makeup will look and stay as flawless from the moment it's applied to the moment she takes it "all off!" So the next concern is maintenance before the magical day. Keeping a regular cleansing regime morning and night, avoiding soap based cleansers that only dry out the skin. Look to Yum (vegan) Gourmet Skincares Oatmeal Apricot Creme Cleanser if your'e on the dry side or Lemon Soy Cleansing Lotion if you lean more on the oily side. Toning with an alcohol free toner after every wash to balance skins PH, try, Yum's nourishing bio-complex Pomegranate Toner. Being a big believer in serums, find the right one for your skin type, high in skin nourishing anti- oxidants, and restorative ingredients.(Melvita's organic, Regenerating Serum).
Take good care of the windows to the soul, especially when the groom stares into those eyes, you don't want him noticing the rings of sleepless nights. Take time out for a soothing eye masque once or twice a week especially right before the day of, (Shiseido's Pure Retinol Instant treatment Eye Mask). Exfoliating is key, once a week removing the unwanted dry(corneum) layers of the skin and allowing fresher smoother skin to come forth. Avoid harsh scrubs involving nuts and seeds of any sort, smooth jojoba beads, and ultra fine sugar scrubs such as Farm House Fresh's One Fine Day Flawless Face Polish. (You will have to TRY not to lick it off). A truly delicious way to pampering and caring for your skin. Hydrate and protect the skin your'e in everyday and every night. Moisturizers seal in the nourishing ingredients you have layered on prior, as well as shield the skin from outside free radicals such as smog, dirt, oils, smoke, and sun as long as you remember the SPF!(Oil free, and avoid oxybenzone because it can trigger allergic reactions). Now, for dry skin, gently hydrate with a weightless effect try Yum's Avocado Whip Moisture Creme and if your'e on the oilier side try Yum's Lychee Balacing Gel. One more savory step towards blissfully beautiful skin, take 20 mins. once a week for a relaxing, regenerating facial masque, appropriate to your skin type. On the dry side? Look to a gel or creamy based masque nutrient-rich in vitamin C, seaweed extracts and ultra hydrating shea butters to condition and restore natural suppleness.(Yum Nori Mango Butter Masque). If more on the oily side lean towards something clay based along with natural salicylic acids preferrably naturally found from papaya and pineapple which clarifies, detoxifies,and mildly exfoliates simultaneously balancing oil production, combating bacteria, as well as current and future blemishes.(Yums Red Earth Mineral Masque).
Along with remembering to drink your eight glasses of water a day, eating right, getting plenty of rest, and learning to deligate to relieve stressfull situations, these helpful hints and products will provide any bride "unblemished wedlock!"

The Makeup Show LA

The third annual Makeup Show LA, if you haven't heard, was held at the downtown California Market Center, just this past weekend. Pro makeup artists, working artists, up and coming, to wannabe artists, came from near and far to catch a glimpse of the latest in cosmetic and supply trends within the industry. There were several booths catering to special effects and film makeup such as Make Up Forever, Graftobian, Mehron, and Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics to name a few. A perpetual query throughout this venue and among the cosmetic booths seemed to be the concern about HD(high definition/digital) ready makeup. "Is this makeup HD approved, certified, ready, appropriate, etc?"
What!?
High definition makeup has made its way to the forefront of the cosmetic world not only catering to the film industry but for the everyday makeup wearing woman(and man, Yves Saint Laurent L'Homme Touche Eclat). Within the past ten years makeup artists have been well aware of the need for this "finer", more perfected coverage. Since the introduction of HD and the quality imagery it provides the viewer, it was inevitable this would force the cosmetic industry to change the quality of how and what is applied to the skin and hair. High definition means we as the viewers see our actors six times as sharp as the previous, softer grained images, exposing more details, such as lines, wrinkles, skin imperfections, where basically makeup mistakes are more easily seen!
Pro makeup artists spoke on panels explaining their personal adaptations to this higher expectation for the flawless, unreadable makeup. For the everyday makeup wearer this has been the sought after dream product for decades!
Pro artists such as Ve Neill currently working on The Amazing Spiderman, Eryn Krueger Mekash of Glee, and Debbie Zollar from Mad Men, continued to explain whether how much more they carefully need to apply to actors and then there were some explaining how much less to apply. What was also expressed was the honest understanding that a makeup should be applied accordingly to what the situation demands. For example actor A who let's say has perfect skin, needs a natural makeup for a 40's era piece; give her the appropriate, flawless, undetectable finish with the accurate period styling of liner, rouging, and lip shaping. Then we have actor B who has level one acne, maybe an unwanted blemish square in the center of their forehead, requires special effects for an alien character where in "Quadrant 9", acneic skin doesn't exist. Now, the special effects pro can either use the blemishes to their advantage, or if smooth skin is a must, apply color and effects accordingly, then look to CGI(computer generated imagery) for the texture fix-ups. This is a given across the board, CGI is there to save the day when HD gets in the way!
Now just because we have CGI doesn't allow the artistry to relax just yet. The experienced artist knows the importance of accurate detail to the face and hair of their actor, along with the help of quality product, checking and double checking how it all looks on camera, and with the DP's approval, they then, maybe, can sit back and finally "take five".
High Definition may have taken away the subtleties, smoke screens, the veils that otherwise film provided the makeup artist with to hide imperfections, but todays experienced makeup artist must prove they actually can match the actors skin tone to the foundation, blend away the lines, and contours, and concentrate on those details in the looks they were hired to create, as this is also true for bridal, print, and video because across the board, the HD camera truly doesn't lie.

Achieving Katys Grammy Glow

There's the Golden Globes, the Grammys, the Emmys, to the highly anticipated Academies, where the women, (and men too), of Orange County are eager to catch a glimpse of fashions hottest looks displayed upon their favorite celebrities, and of course bare witness to all the fashion failures just as well.

This past week the Grammys were buzzing with beautiful faces and designer frocks, hair, the long and short of it, bodies fit, slim, to voluptuous, down to their very toes. Youthful glowing skin is what was dominating the red carpet, no matter the age really. Which gives those over the age of thirty who search high and low to get back that youthful "glow" a fighting chance!

At this past weekends Grammy award ceremonies, Katy Perry shined for all to see in a colorful palette of pastels, daring to wear the vibrant complimentary colors of both violet and metallic green on the eyes and finishing her look with a springy bright pink lip, but above it all you couldn't deny her flawlessly smooth skin. Her skin was well secured with a great matte base but her cheeks were dazzling, atop a shimmering highlight that truly kept her skin appearing fresh and a glow.
To achieve this look, whether you're one of the lucky pore-less types to the slightly "furrowed", reach for Chanel's Double Perfection duo foundation, wear it wet or dry layering it to your hearts content. If your skin is on the drier side, hydrate properly prior to application, choose an emollient moisturizer/serum that doesn't just sit on top of the skin, ( Melvitas Organic Regenerating Serum), blush or contour with a soft peachy-pink blush, ( Sue Devitt Studios Koh Samui), and lastly highlight from lash line to tops of cheeks, and even the brow bone (the area just below brows), look for an ultra fine shimmer or cheek glaze ( By Terry Sheer Liquid blush and highlighters) to give that fabulous glow. Avoid chunky, cheaper blends of shimmer powders that will just end up sitting in creases and lines, making your skin look crepe and dry.
Remember, celebrities may make it look as though they wake up looking naturally flawless as we dream they do, but, a little help from their pro. makeup artists and stylists, as well as their trainers, dietitians, managers, and a bit of photo shop, don't hurt either.

Asking The Right Questions to Save Your Skin

Here are some common questions and concerns many women in Orange County face before they have entered a salon or cosmetic department. Yes, we all have been there at one time or another whether it's your "first time" or "about time", we find ourselves unsure of what we want, so here you can find some constructive answers to hopefully help alleviate these worries.

Such as:


"I don't have a lot of money and time to spend on things that don't work."

-Before ever entering any store or salon, analyze your own skin concerns at home first. Do you find your skin more on the oily side, combination, dry, or even sensitive? Do you have five/ten/or 15 minutes at night and in the morning to apply these new products to your skin? Are you looking for organic products, fragrance free, lifting, firming, and or smoothing effects? Taking some or all of these into consideration will better prepare you when you find yourself bombarded by the sales people standing around throughout the department stores insisting that their products are perfect for you.

"I don't know where to begin when picking the right skin care for myself so how will I know if the sales girl knows what's best for me?"

-Ask them a questions first. Armor yourself with one or all of these questions that can give you a better idea if they truly know their stuff. "How long has this line been around?", "Who is the creator of the line?", "What is their philosophy behind it?", "What are the prime ingredients in your best selling product?" You will know right away if they can educate you or that they need to go back to the home office for a better education.

"Is it normal to break out after my facial or did they use the wrong products on me?"

-Most of the time when the skin specialist uses proper procedures and appropriate product for your skin type you should leave feeling and looking fresh, clear and clean with few or if any after effects. If your skin had quite a bit of extracting done and your therapist couldn't get to all your areas of concern, you may experience some "purging" in the next day or two. If you leave the salon with irritated skin, break out in more than two to three areas, or just don't feel your skin is as "rejuvenated" as expected, you should find out what the therapist used precisely on you, and let the management know as soon as possible.

"What do I do if I think they are not answering my questions?"

-To begin with, always enter the establishment well prepared with your questions and concerns. If you still feel like the sales person is eluding your concerns and more interested in pushing the line and it's products on you. Never feel pressured, you have every right to request another associates assistance who may better provide you with the information you need and/or ask for the managers help.

"Do I have to pay more for quality?"

-This is not all together true. But, you do need to do a little research. This day and age we have the luxury of the internet and most any service as well as product available, will have a review, articles, editorials, write ups, and testimonials to help weed out the not-so-goods. You can compare and contrast on the internet before you even step foot into a store or salon. When it comes to skin care there are so many levels of creams, lotions, gels, serums, moisturizers, nutraceuticals, etc. What's best for one skin type may not be best for another. But, if a certain eye cream or lift serum is difficult to keep in stock year after year, it must be doing something right. Always ask for samples for at least a weeks worth of trial. No skin care line should expect you to jump right on the bandwagon before you have even tested the product on your own skin. Know something about the ingredients and whether they are efficacious to your needs.

"Do I really need to layer on five different things on my face twice a day, everyday?!"

-Not necessarily so. If washing, toning, applying serum, eye cream, and moisturizer, are just too much work for one person, there are ways to simplify and still enjoy healthy nourished skin. You can use a soap-free,(non-foaming) face wash, to avoid the stripping of the skins natural PH balance where now toner wouldn't be as necessary. Finding a combined hydrating as well as vitamin enriched serum can take the place of a daily moisturizer, unless your main concern is overly dry skin, a medium to full moisturizer can be more beneficial for your skin than a serum. An eye cream unfortunately is a totally different entity to your face moisturizer. The skin and pores around your eyes and your lips is a lot more delicate and sensitive where heavy creams can clog and possibly cause milia. Eye creams are beneficial for both preventative as well as corrective purposes and specifically cater to these areas of concern.

By asking the right questions you not only prevent yourself from going home with all the wrong things, they can empower your position as a consumer, as well as help the skin care and make up specialists stay attentive and better directed!

Truly Uplifting News

O.k. Orange County, there is hope for all you organic aficionados. To actually find a bio cosmetic that performs as well as feels great on the skin? It's finally here.
Melvita(Meaning "honey and life" in Latin) has just moved in to Fashion Island less than nine months ago. An organic skin and hair care company from France, created by beekeeper and biologist Bernard Chevilliat has found the right combination of organic farming and modern day natural science.
Melvita products are created to exceed the high standards set by ECOCERT, France's leading organic certification organization, meaning 95% of of the total ingredients are natural(including water) and at least 95% of the total plant-based ingredients are organic.
They have so far created 24 unique certified, undiluted, organic plant oils pressed from selected seeds, fruits, nuts, and roots, which are natural anti-oxidants, anti-aging, moisturizing, truly nourishing and soothing to the skin.
What's worth the "buzz", more than ever is their Naturalift Anti-aging Creme. The word has been out for a few years now on the wonderful effects of Argan oil, well they use the Argan nut which provides an immediate tightening and firming effect while wild beech buds, rich in flavonoids and polyphenols, energize the skin. The oligopeptides from Hibiscus seed, reduce the appearance of expression lines and Alpine buddleia works as a powerful anti free-radical agent. Now who doesn't need more of that? This simply beautiful product fights against aging organically and naturally and leaves the skin soft, supple, and ultra smooth.
SO put down the syringe, take a stroll to O.C.'s favorite shopping mecca, and visit Melvita for the best organic experience you've had in a long time!