The Daily Beauty Break

Girlfriends & Shopping & Cocktails & Freebies= INSTANT FUN. Sound like what you need? Well Shecky’s Girls Night Out is hitting Dallas, Thursday and Friday..Nov 14 & 15 from 5-10pm at the FIG (Fashion Industry Gallery) at 1807 Ross Avenue in downtown!

General Admission is $10 bucks but if you spend $25 you get admission plus a KILLER goodie bag (I heart me some goodie bags)…..

But don’t get out your checkbook just yet because my girl Katie over at D magazine’s ShopTalk is giving away 10 FREE TICKETS….all you gotta do is email her to enter her drawing….but do it soon because she’s giving them away tomorrow….(and I would highly recommend adding ShopTalk to your reader because EVERY Friday is giveaway Friday there……..)

Hopefully I’ll get to see you there………

Be Beautiful Ya’ll!!!

Hey dolls. So we finally had to turn on our heater a few days ago….and my skin can TELL. Itchy, itchy…..esp my neck! My hair is at that “perfect” in-between length and the ends just DIG into my neck and so I scratch…resulting in a very attractive little rash….and since my poor neck is so irritated normal moisturizers sting like H-E-Double-Hockey Sticks!! I just HATE that when you know your skin needs moisture to STOP the “itch/scratch cycle” but regular moisturizers have you screaming “FIRE”!!!……

Well happily, Renee Rouleau’s Stress Recovery Lotion ($25) has my poor skin back on track. Stress Recovery Lotion “calms, protects and helps normalize blotchy, stressed, oil skin prone to break outs (um, hello Josi…raise your hand that’s you). Also ideal after professional skin resurfacing procedures and sunburns to keep the skin moist and calm”.

Key ingredients include: Japanese Green Teas, Chamomile Oil, Matricaria Extract and Allantoin. Well, all I know is that my skin feels better…and it didn’t sting going on……Hallelujah.

And small world too. Renee has been making the beautiful people here in Dallas just a little more beautiful at her downtown spa for over 20 years! In fact….I will have the honor to meet and pick the brain of Dallas’s top skin guru soon…So stay tuned!

Be Beautiful Ya’ll…..

CONFESSION TIME. I did it already…a few months ago…I GOT BOTOX. Just in my forehead, for horizontal lines that were “hanging out” a little bit longer than I’d like at the end of the day. It’s funny, because I consider myself a pretty down-to-earth person and have never minded setting my emotional baggage out there for the world to see (I’m in a 12 step program…) if it will make me a better person….but it took me awhile to come clean here….But as much as I work on my outsides (uh, it’s kind of my JOB), I spend a lot of time working on my insides too.

I’d been curious about Botox ever since a couple of close girlfriends got it…they looked fantastic!! They still looked like themselves, just “relaxed” (rightly so, since the Botox paralyzes the muscles under the skin)….not the over-injected, tightly-pulled honeys we see in all the magazines and on the tube.

And it was one of those days…I was in my derm’s office for my horrible acne…had just worked a job a few days before and had the cash in my pocket (mine was about $250).  Now, it’s not like I have extra money floating around the house to pay for vanity, but I work hard for what I’ve got…..and in the end, Botox was ALL ABOUT ME…it was something I did for MYSELF….I mean, in the big picture we have such little control over our lives…..kids, money, work, wieght (and even my acne for awhile before Dr. Turner)…BUT I can control those lines in my forehead.

A week afterwards, when Dr. Turner was touching it up we were talking about my lack of candor with some of my nearest and dearest about going “under the syringe” (which btw did not hurt in the slightest….) and I told her how it finally boiled down to control for me…..and she shocked me when she told me that after Hurricane Katrina sales of Botox in New Orleans sky-rocketed!!!! I’m telling you, after all that devistation….economic and emotional, even something as shallow and silly seeming as Botox helps!

But really, I am totally happy with my decision….it feels really great to wash your face every night knowing that it won’t change (at least for a few months) and not worry about how much deeper the lines got that day. I think the Botox gave my brows the tiniest hint of a lift and since she didn’t go down around my brows, my expressions aren’t hampered in the least bit.

In fact, even my mom didn’t notice…(I feel like a talkshow guest coming out on national television!)…which means it must look pretty natural…Only I can tell the difference (well my hairdressser did notice) which in the big picture of plastic surgery is FINE WITH ME….because when it boils down to it, that’s who I did if for, ME!

Be Beautiful (on the inside and out..)!!!

Hello beautiful people! Well, it was a busy weekend…between doing makeup for a wedding and going the Texas State Fair it was a banner weekend of beauty for moi! Little did I know that my family fair experience would include tailored beauty and hair advice from the team at Loreal! As soon as I saw The Color Space tent I made a direct beeline for it….and was greeted by this doll who gave me a FREE Loreal Voluminous Mascara ($<7) just for entering! I’d been dying to try this mascara forever as I have SEVERAL makeup artist pals who swear by it…..

Once inside the tent, guests had a plethora of beauty options…..from tailored one-on-one skincare advice from Loreal’s trained estheticians to full makeup makeovers from their artists AND tailored haircare and color advice, every woman could leave the tent just a little bit more beautiful….They also featured the Truelight Pod, a little room you could go in to see just exactly how your makeup would hold up in different situations and the Video Beauty Confessional, a little video booth where you could record and share your most coveted beauty lessons….I did it and received a FREE Loreal Revitalift Complete Day Lotion ($<17.00)!

But the piece De resistance of Loreal’s Color Space at the Texas State Fair?….Had to be their Skincare Diagnostic Blue/Black light machine featuring GLOW technology…this bad-boy took a picture of your skin and showed you EXACTLY the damage all those carefree years sans sunscreen and tanning bed worship had and would continue to reap on your poor face….I wimped out as you had to remove your makeup to get a accurate picture of the damage… (my kids were practically pulling my arms off to get to the rides….) Although, afterward a member of the Loreal team would happily put your makeup back on for you!!!

But of course the BEST part of Loreal’s Color Space for moi? Every makeup and skincare item Loreal carries was beautifully displayed and easily accessible….makeup and skincare items were super easy to get your little hands on and mirrors were everywhere so you could test it all to your little hearts content….My  new favorites? From their HIP line (I’ve always loved this line…it’s totally the poor girl’s MAC)  the new Jelly Balms (<$9) rocked my world….just the right amount of sheer pigment, these yummy-tasting balms are perfect for the girl-on-the-go OR can be played up over lip liner….And I loved the new Bare Naturale Lip Conditioners ($<9). Both of these guys made welcome additions to my makeup bag….

So all in all, next time YOUR state fair comes around be sure to find out if Loreal’s Color Space will be in your town…..as I was leaving the tent the Loreal crew made to sure to fill my already over-flowing arms with loads of $2 Dollar-Off coupons redeemable anywhere Loreal is sold…..Perfect after all the money we burned on the rides!!!!

Be Beautiful Y’all!!!!

Hello my beauties!!!! Well I am SUCH a lucky girl….as part of Fashion at the Park Fall 2008, I was invited to attend the “one-of-a-kind” Bobbi Brown UBER Master Makeup Class! Nestled up in the banquet room at Northpark’s Neiman Marcus, 12 lucky ladies and I were greeted with champagne and our OWN personal makeup artist for a 1-hour one-on-one makeup class….led by Bobbi’s key celebrity makeup artist Kimberely Soane….all the makeup artists were handpicked and personally trained BY Bobbi to do all her education, fashion shows and events.

(See….even an old dog can learn new tricks…lol!)

I knew I was in the RIGHT place. NOW, you know how hard it is for a makeup artist to give up control and let someone else do her face? Well…. not hard when you get to spend an hour getting it done with Bobbi’s global makeup artist Faith Edwards. This doll has been doing makeup for over 20 years (I know..I didn’t even want to ask how old she was) and she taught me SO much I cannot even tell you! She has been on the Oprah show and has done makeup for practically every fashion show worth mentioning at NY Fashion Week (jealous much, Josi?)

I have tips for days to share with ya’ll…so stay tuned (wouldn’t want to put anyone into information overload).  Right away Faith had me “take it all off”  (thank god for champagne is all I gotta say) as she designed  the perfect “smoky-eyed” day look for moi…..Faith put it all down on my own custom face chart and detailed every product she used so I could re-create the look at home…..what do you think?

I LOVED how she kept the focus on the tops of my eyes…..she lined my top lids, softened the line with shadow and then we put LOTS and LOTS of mascara on the top lashes only (btw….Kimberely Soane let it be known that a women can NEVER use enough mascara…I agree!). In fact, Faith did such a great job that when I went home to change for the Oscar show I didn’t even touch it (except for a little more shimmer on the browbone..hey it was night!!!)….

Seriously though, I’m not the same makeup girl who was working the counters to pay her way through college…in those days I could do whatever I wanted when it came to makeup! There is a serious “less-is-more” policy that is THE KEY for a beautiful makeup once a woman reaches a certain age (and I am at that age ladies…). So who better to take me through the process than Faith?

The Bobbi Brown Uber Master Makeup Class was a real treat for me…I would highly recommend it for anyone…from makeup newbies to the more “seasoned” beauty professional! Now…it’s gonna cost you (about $450) but $350 of that cost was IMMEDIATELY redeemable at the Bobbi Brown counter in product…so what you are REALLY paying is $150….(which just HAPPENS to be what I charge for personal one-on-one makeup lessons…go figure).

Stay tuned my lovelies…..loads of tips and tricks from Faith and rest of the wonderful Bobbi Brown crew from backstage at Fashion at the Park Fall 2008!!!

Be Beautiful…..

Ready for some backstage beauty tips? Fashion at the Park is upon us Dallas beauties….and since Northpark is being so cool and offering tickets between $5-$25 bucks this season, what better reason to come join me? Let’s hang out…get drinks and indulge our passion for fashion!!!

Shows I”ll be attending this season are:

THIS   Saturday  October 11 at 6pm Ted Baker

Tuesday  October 14 at 6pm Oscar de la Renta

10pm Ed Hardy (this should be some killer makeup and tickets include the afterparty!!)

Thursday October 16 Neiman Marcus presents Marc Bouer (he’s a Dallas native, you know)

SUPER excited!!! So be sure to leave me a comment and let me know what shows YOU  (Paula) are going to!!! Can’t wait  to see what Bobbi Brown’s amazing makeup artists have in store for us….Can’t wait to show you the photos of the backstage mayhem!!!

Be Beautiful Ya’ll……

Okay Dallas beauties…now you have NO excuse to miss out on all the fun at fashion at Fashion At The Park this season. Due to an amazing stroke of generosity (and not low ticket sales..) the folks at Northpark Center have decided to lower ticket prices…and all shows will run between $5-$25 bucks!!!

So now even you lightweights can drink your tickets worth in free alcohol……(just make sure you get there early enough!).

Tickets can be purchased here.  Be sure to let me know what shows you are going to…..Be there or Be square Y’all!!!

Psycho-Fan alert Ya’ll!!!! I am so excited….one of my favorite makeup artists of all times…Carmindy from TLC’s What Not To Wear just wrote a new book called, “Positively Beautiful” and will be doing a book signing on  Wednesday October 15 @ 7pm at the Barnes and Noble book store at 7700 Northwest Highway in Dallas,TX 75225.

I have her last book titled The 10 Minute Face and it was so good I think I read it front to back in one day (lots of pictures, but you know what I mean). Anyways….Positively Beautiful should prove to be even better read because in it Carmindy goes a little bit deeper into the reasons why women have such a hard time accepting and embracing their own beauty….Heck, I need all the help I can get at this!!!

And let’s face it…have you ever seen a makeup makeover that she has done on What Not To Wear that turned out bad? Nevah-Evah………So yeah, I will be in line and the good ol B&N on Wednesday, Oct15! Let me know if you are in town and would like to join me…Jess and I are going to go early for a pre book-signing glass of wine!!!

Read Beautifully Ya’ll…..

Mothers. What are they good for?  Pretty much everything.  MY mama gave hubby and I a night out on the town here in Dallas last weekend!!! …One nights stay at the legendary Fairmont Hotel, tickets to a play and dinner…the WORKS. It was pretty great……especially for moi. Our room was just perfect…fancy linens, bathrobes and deluxe toiletries! The Fairmont was all about Miller Harris….made by luxury perfumer Lyn Harris.

Turns out the Citron scent is a blend of all the citrus notes plus mint leaf, basil and marjoram. It is made up of contrasting notes of citrus with spices such as cardamom, cumin and some cedar.

Well it was perfectly wonderful in a non-offensive, metro-sexual kind of way….and really helped MAKE our stay!

Is it wierd that I feel compelled to write about hotel toiletries? Oh who cares!

Hello beautiful people! Well, FINALLY I am on my way to becoming a little more beautiful…..no seriously, if you know anything about my own adventures in beauty, you know that I have SUFFERED from horrible adult acne (of the cystic variety)…not only is it incredibly embarrassing to be a makeup artist with acne (thank God I am one though, or I probably would NEVER leave the house) but these little (big) suckers hurt!!! And since they are always along my jawline and mouth I can FEEL them when I am talking to someone…talk about self-conscious…..

When it comes to treatment of acne I’ve been there done that. I’ve done every kind of antibiotic (topical and oral), Azelaic Acid, cortisone injections, peels,ProActiv, Accutane (once when I was a teen…) and pretty much every prescription Retinoid on the market. I knew it was time to call in the big guns and did some research…and that was when I found Dr. Turner and her DermLaser Institute here in Dallas,TX. Dr. Turner and her staff were incredibly sweet and had a very calm, welcoming demeanor….and it always helps when an office offers stickers and jewelry to your 4 year old monster (I mean girl….)!!!!!

What I loved about the institute is that Dr. Turner combines a conventional dermatology practice with her cosmetic expertise….I was able to get my yearly full-body exam AND a cosmetic consultation at the same visit…Botox, anyone? More on that later……

But right now let’s just talk about zits. Dr. Turner gave my regime a jump start by first starting me on Spirolactone.…initially used to treat high blood pressure, spiro is an anti-androgen….meaning it blocks the body’s absorption of too much of this pesky little hormone that can cause hormonal cystic acne, excess facial hair and water retention. A beauty pill? HELLO, I’ll take it. I first heard of spiro at a recent photo shoot. After bitching to everyone a model I was working on and the other makeup artist told me they were using it…… and it was working wonders for them. So Yeah, I almost squealed a bit when Dr. Turner started off my suggested treatment with it…I proceeded to go home and Google the drug and you have GOT to read the reviews at Acne.org….my only question is why my previous dermatologist didn’t suggest it????

Second, Dr. Turner changed up my Retinoid from Ziana (which was NOT working) to Differin. I tried Differin a few years back and found it really it drying, but Dr. Turner prescibed a cream-based formula. I used it last night and it didn’t sting a bit and this am my skin looks great!!!

So yeah, I am SUPER hopeful this time. I am so happy to have found Dr. Turner and her beautiful institute….she works really hard to stay on top of all the latest and greatest in cosmetic dermatology (hey, kind of like I do with makeup! ) and it shows…..Next review? Anti-aging…Dr. Turner is REALLY good at injections…how do I know? Well….more to be revealed later…lol!

Stayed tuned for more on “War on Acne” and Be Beautiful ya’ll…..