taboo shapewear

Let's face it, not everyone has rock hard abs or love handles that they actually love.  So in honor of women everywhere that can't afford liposuction, tummy tucks, and who don't want to spend the rest of their life in their husband's over-sized shirts... let's discuss shapewear.

From size 0 to size 22, shapewear can be a positive alternative to feeling lumpy, bumpy, and just plain down on yourself.  Today's shapewear is comfortable enough for all-day wear and pretty much undetectable underneath your clothing. 

Let's go over the options.  Camisoles are great for everyday wear, they come in a variety of styles and colors.  For a light shaping that won't actually suck you in but gets rid of the bumps, try a tank-top like shaper such as Flexees Fat Free Tank Top.   For more umph, check out ASSETS Fantastic Firmer Tank and Maidenform Control It! Camisole.  While these shapers do the job, they do tend to push in the girls along with everything else.  If you want to let the pups out, look for a cami with an open bust such as SPANX Open-Bust Camisole.   Similar, less expensive versions of these can be found at your neighborhood Kohl's and even Wal-Mart, so keep an eye out.

Tip: with these tops, always tuck them into your pants/ underwear/ whatever it is you have on down there.  If you don't, you'll end up with a serious roll within seconds of sitting down.

For those with arm issues, there are shapers out there for you as well.  I don't know how comfortable they are but sometimes feeling good about yourself is worth a few awkward hours.  Consider Maidenform Firm Control Arm Toning Top.

Many women don't wear shapewear on the daily basis but for nights out on the town in a slinky dress.  While there are options like SPANX Higher Power High-Waisted Power Panties, I tend to think that such designs roll down too easily.  Check out shapewear slips that will give you a smooth silhouette in a dress such as Body Wrap Lites Bra Slip which can be worn strapless or with. 

see?  hot chicks love shapers!

With so many different varieties out there, many of which I haven't mentioned, there's no reason that you can't find a piece or pieces that work for you.  Let yourself be vain and trick the world for a moment, so that you can look and feel like a star.  Because yes, the stars are all sucked in with shapewear too.  Happy shaping!

cheat your way to killer cheekbones (and cleavage too)

We all want bangin', gorgeous cheekbones and well... bangin' gorgeous cleavage.  The problem is that such a thing doesn't come naturally to all, so today we'll learn how to fake it.

What you'll need:  a low-shimmer bronzer and/or powder foundation that's just a few shades darker than your own skin.  My personal preference is LadyBurd Mineral Foundation Collage.  I have light skin so I use the medium color palate for cheekbones.  Remember that if you're going to go with a powder foundation, getting a color that's within range of your tone but darker than your skin shade is of utter most importance when going for a natural look. That's why powder collages are great, because you can swirl around in the colors and get just the right mix.

Now that you have your color picked out, look in the mirror and suck in your cheeks.  See that hollow below the actual bone?  You want to define that area to make the bone above it pop.    I prefer using an angled contouring brush.  Starting about in the middle of your face (or you know, wherever it should go on your individual face) swipe up with short gentle strokes.  Keep within the hollow and work at an angle up to your temples.  Don't worry if you get some darker color outside of the hollow, you can always cover it up with some light powder when you're done.

So you've got this big dark gash along each cheek, now is time for The Most Important Step that so many forget to do.  If you're going to wear blush with the cheekbones (which I highly recommend), wait until the blush and bronzer are both on and then blend. If you don't want to look like a circus freak, blending is imperative.  Any powder brush will do, but make sure you keep this as just your blending brush so that you don't end up with odd tan spots on your face later.  Blend in small circles out and upwards, continuing with the direction of application.  And wa-la, you've got killer cheeks!

For your cleavage:  again you can use a bronzer or that darker powder foundation.  Swipe along the insider curve up each breast and up through your cleavage.  How high you go is up to you but typically the higher and darker, the more Lady of the Night you'll appear.  If you want some extra pop, put that light shimmer (not sparkles, people) at the upwards swelling of each of those puppies. 

Pretty much any part of your body can be contoured with makeup.  Put darker color in areas that you want to seem deeper or disappear and lighter colors in areas that you want to pop out.  If you have a large forehead, add a bit of the darker foundation just around the edge of each temple to give the appearance of a less square, smaller look.  If you want your eyes or the top of your cheekbones to pop, use a highlighter with just a bit of shimmer.  I really love the Mary Kay Highlighting Pen which comes in several colors, isn't all glittery, and gives a lovely natural glow. 

if you want to go all out with contouring, here's a map

Now you're ready to rock the town with killer cheekbones, and cleavage too.

If you have any more questions about contouring or want in-depth information on highlighting, ask away!  Happy contouring!

how to fight the pizza face

Whether you have a case of Meat Lover's pizza face or just the occasional slice of pepperoni, I'm here to tell you that there's hope.  By figuring out what exactly is on your face and following a few simple guidelines, you can have that unsightly spot gone in time for your long-awaited date with Mr. Hot Pants down the street.

First let's talk about something boring, but essential to treatment.  What exactly is that thing on your face?  Different lesions require different treatment, so why don't I go over a few of our most popular facial pests.

• The most common problem in which we face are closed comedone, aka your typical run of the mill pimple.  Pimples can come in papule or pustule variety and in case you can't figure out that a pustule is puss-filled, here's a photo.
• Open comedones, aka black heads, can be an issue too but usually aren't such an emergency.
•  Then we have cysts and nodules.  These are closed sacs containing fluid, infection, and all kinds of other icky things.  Typically these can be felt as a lump, often times painful, deep under the skin.

So now you might have an idea of what's bothering that pretty face of yours, but what you really want to know is how to get rid of the darn thing! 

First and foremost: never pop any of these things with your bare, disgusting, disease- spreading fingers.  I don't really care if you just washed your hands, you've still got gunk under your nails and in the crevices of your skin!  Simple solution?  Tissue or toilet paper.  Extracting this way may take some practice but once you've got it down you're certain to see less spreading of bumps.

Closed Comedones (pimples):

Okay, have your tissue ready?  Now for my favorite part... pop it!  Oh yeah!  The correct way to pop a pimple is to push down and in around the side of the lesion, pushing any puss and junk up and out instead of down into your skin.   Extract until a nice watery fluid comes out and then never touch it again!  Once this is done we can begin treatment.  The absolute best option?  Zap it.  Head into your spa and ask them to electrocute you.  Yes I'm serious, it's a wondrous thing!  High frequency creates ozone and kills bacteria and after a little zap your pimple will be gone within a day or two.  For spot treatment options look for products containing sulfur, salicylic acid, or benzoyl peroxide.  A tee tree and salicylic combination is my favorite way to go, but I'm not beyond plastering my face in stinky sulfur either. Only Yourx Acne Spot Treatment Pen.  Last but not least, if it's swollen, ice it. 

Open Comedones (black heads):

The first thing you need to know about your black heads is that you'll never change the actual size of them.  You were born with those large pores, honey.  I know that probably disappoints people who dream of tiny little pores and painful dry skin, but there's still good news.  You can make your pores appear smaller by cleaning them out.  I recommend Murad T-Zone Pore Refining Gel which contains glycolic acid, salicylic acid, and pomegranate extract for deep cleaning and a light exfoliation. 

Cysts:

These things are a bummer and if you're a hormonal mess like me, one of these bad boys pops up in your "hey it's that time of the month" zone more often than necessary. You cannot, should not ever attempt to extract these or you'll end up with a hot mess.   Cysts swell up really ugly and are full of bacteria, so you want to high frequency the bacteria out and use ice to calm the swelling.




pimple < electricity

And that's pretty much it!  A lot of fixing your break-out issues simply comes down to not overly picking and using the right products for your skin type and needs.  Happy popping, zapping, and all things pimple!


beauty "secret" number one

First and foremost I'd like to share the easiest and most important beauty tip I can give anyone.  Sunscreen.  Summer to winter,  protecting your skin from the sun is the best thing you can do to stay young and beautiful. 

Wearing a sunscreen that protects from UVA and UVB (aka broad spectrum) is key.  UVA rays are the aging rays, they go deep into your skin and hang out there, aging you over time.   UVB rays are the burning rays, and the more you burn the more you age and raise the risk of skin cancer.  From http://www.skincancer.org/ "One blistering sunburn in childhood or adolescence more than doubles a person's chances of developing melanoma later in life. A person's risk for melanoma also doubles if he or she has had five or more sunburns at any age." 

So what are some sunscreen guidelines?  First off, always wear it.   Even if it's cloudy outside or winter, those yucky rays can break through and hurt your delicate skin.  Most recommend an SPF or 15 or more but I say why risk it on such low numbers?  25+ is the way to go if you're serious about protecting your skin.  Also, don't just put it on your face.  The neck, décolletage, and hands age just as quickly as your face so make sure you slather some protection on them too. 

My recommendations?  Oxygen Botanicals Sunscreen.  This product comes in a regular or lightweight formula for those with oily skin.  It has a heavenly apple scent that won't leave you smelling like you've been at the tanning beds all day, outstanding hydrating properties, and an SPF of 30.  It's not a cheap option, but is excellent for those looking for products that perform double duty.  For those of you on a budget I recommend Oil of Olay Regenerist SPF 50 Lotion. This product has an extremely high SPF of 50 and hydrates as it's protecting your skin.  It does have that tacky sunscreen scent and isn't quite as thick as the Oxygen line, but does the job of protecting regardless.

If you're a sun worshipper, seriously consider what you're doing to your skin and if being tan now will be worth your heavy aging later in life.  Look into Vitamin D pills if you take in sun for happiness, and consider spray tanning as an alternative to traditional tanning beds.  More on spray tanning later.  Happy sun protection!