The Daily Beauty Break

Hello my beauties…First off, I want to thank ya’ll so much for taking the time to leave all the great comments  personally sharing your amazing “skin transformations”   with Dr. Obagi’s new ZO Skin Health Products! I first posted my successful review of Dr. Obagi’s products MONTHS ago and am still receiving new feedback from happy clients everyday.,,,,,WOW!

Well, nobody is more thrilled to hear of your successes than Dr. Obagi himself….I first heard of Dr. Obagi from a photographer friend who used his prescription products to beat her hyper pigmentation and adult acne (and boy did SHE EVER….Dixie, you look fabulous darling)…..In fact, Dr. Obagi is so thrilled that he is treating us here at The Daily Beauty Break with our own little Q & A…..I’m calling it “Ask Dr. Obagi”!

Dr. Zein E. Obagi is an “internationally renowned dermatologist, educator and innovator, Dr. Obagi, M.D. is an expert in skin care. He is a Board-Certified Diplomat of the American Board of Dermatology and a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology. As one of the best known skin health experts in the world, Dr. Obagi is esteemed for his work in correcting a wide range of skin conditions, including facial melasma, precancerous lesions, deep wrinkles, age spots, acne scars and sun-damaged skin.”

Just the kind of guy whose brain I’d like to pick!!! So bring on the questions beautiful people!!! What’s your skin care concern? Bring us your sunspots, your acne, your wrinkles……Let Dr. Obagi tell YOU PERSONALLY what path you need to take to look… (and most importantly), FEEL BETTER!

Feel free to leave your questions for Dr. Obagi below in the comments questions….or email me I will forward it on to Dr. Obagi personally….

So stay tuned.… Since you asked (and you know I’ll do anything for my readers..lol) I’ll be reviewing ZO Skin Health’s Olluminate Intense Eye Repair & the Oraser Anti-Aging Hand Care Program….( can’t wait to say goodbye to my grandma hands!)……

Be Beautiful…..

Retinoids, Glycolic Acids, Chemical Peels,MIcroderm, Photofacials….RESULTS=AMAZING, but waiting for those results SUCKS…IN BETWEEN=FLAKES & REDNESS….All these skin treatments have one thing in common, they all help the skin literally shed the old (”wrinkles, acne, sunspots, OH MY!”) before revealing smoother, younger-looking skin.

What to do in between? Try Kryolan’s High Definition MIcro Foundation Smoothing Fluid ($44). This soft, micronized liquid foundation melts right into the skin. I used it on a client last weekend who just started Tri-Luma and it covered her melasma beautifully, while keeping flakes at bay ALL NIGHT….Even better, it contains sunscreen for daytime protection.

Now, why should an average gal even consider believing the High Definition Hype? Because the new digital format is “what you see is what you get”….So when cosmetic companies do special formulations for the camera it means YOU get to reap the benefits and look great….IN REAL LIFE.  I highly recommend “High Definition” makeup for the average gal who needs a little extra help…(like moi).

KRYOLAN has specialized in producing makeup for professional makeup artists  in film/print and tv for over 60 years….Why should you care? If you don’t look good, we (the makeup artists) don’t look good. Thanks for that Vidal……..

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 my beauties…..Been thinking hard on this topic and just had to share with you my  5 Top Tips on “How NOT to look OLD”. There are so many out there but these 5 really “float my boat”…

1. Use foundation primer. The 2 seconds you spend applying this magical product before your foundation or concealer is HANDS-DOWN the best thing you can do for your skin. Primer fills in hills and valleys and helps to lessen the elevation of bumps and lumps……PLUS you will be amazed at how much better your foundation covers! My current fav? Napoleon Perdis Auto-Pilot Pre-Foundation Skin Primer ($39)…..I found it to be least slimy and “oily” feeling of all….

2. Say goodbye to dark, matte lipstick. Need I say more? Now be careful on the gloss…you want more of a SHEEN vs getting all “Porn-Star Paris Hilton-ish”…..( photo courtesy of TotalBeauty…check out the amazing photos from their story “Erase 10 years”…the pictures are phenom!!!)

3. Use a  Gradual Self-Tanning “Lotion”. (Instead of plain old Self-Tanner which can be tricky and has the potential to streak). These gradual Self-Tanners are SO easy to use and hide a multitude of past skin “sins”…Brownspots anyone?  It’s amazing how the neck and backs of hands can age you….I use Olay’s Touch of Sun Overnight (<$9). I’ve found it to be the least offensive scent-wise and who doesn’t need a little extra moisturization before bedtime?

4. Use a moisturizer with SPF EVERYDAY.…after you apply it to your face take it one step further and coat your neck, chest and the backs of your hands.….I’ve told you before, but my fav is Neutrogena’s Healthy Defense SPF 45 Daily Moisturizer (<$13). I was just telling someone the other day that this awesome product helps keep my brownspots at bay WAY better than some others I’ve tried that are $100 bucks or more!!!!

( Is Helen Mirren NOT amazing? Talk about aging gracefully.….)

5. Accept your AGE. Sorry to get all deep on you ladies but I gotta say this one probably takes the cake. After all my years in the biz, I’ve seen some scary stuff…..you know, lots of women that look GREAT far away and then you get up close and are like, SCARY? I think nothing ages a woman more than when she tries to look YOUNGER than her AGE…I mean, don’t get me wrong…I don’t think there’s anything wrong with trying to preserve what your maker gave you..But tread LIGHTLY when it comes to the knife and needle...At some point we just have to accept that aging happens…So I say look the best you can FOR YOUR AGE!!! (Okay, I’m off my soapbox now….)!

If you have any tips or tricks that you rely on to look the best for YOUR age do tell!!!

Be Beautiful Ya’ll….

So remember that old Ziana prescription that I had a while back that didn’t work on my acne (but did help my wrinkles…). Well I have been meaning to tell ya, I have found the perfect use for ALL my left-over prescription retinioids (wish it wasn’t just the Ziana that didn’t work out)…..I use a big dollop of my old prescriptions on the back of each hand, forearm and my neck once a night after my face ritual…. Don’t forget that the skin in these areas needs love too!!!

And the really nice thing is that since the skin is thicker there, there is absolutely no irritation…just skin that’s a little bit plumper!!!

Be Beautiful……..

Ah, Dr. Obagi….a dermatologist after my own heart…..when it comes to skincare he believes that “more is better”….and the tag line for his first OTC skincare line, ZO Skin Health is… “Fight Aging. Fight Hard.” I agree…(when it comes to looks anyways…)! , I’ve read up on Dr. Obagi and as far as derms go he is THE MAN…. for over 20 years he has been a leader in his field and has “been there done that”, with his own line of px products and products only available from your dermatologists…Well, finally Dr. Obaqi decided to come up with his own line for department stores…and it is available as of this month exclusively in Nordstrom stores, at the Studio at Fred Segal and at ZO Skinhealth.com.

Turns out Dr. Obagi has once again “shattered the status quo” and introduced a brave new world to the anti-aging community ( yes, I figure we are a community, lol!) ZO Skin Health was developed with a revolutionary idea….That moisturizers actually make the skin LAZY….when we constantly moisturize our skin our cells come to depend on it…and instead of repairing, renewing and growing new cells itself,our skin cells hit the couch….complete with TIVO remote and a large pizza…. (well maybe only MY skin) and gets OLD!

Makes sense if you think about it! Well…I’ve been on the juice now for two weeks and I gotta say…my skin is definitely becoming more active!!! I’ve been using ZO Skin Health OSSENTIAL Radical Night Repair in tandem with thier OSSENTIAL Growth Factor Serum. ..and my skin has definitely gotten off the couch ya’ll! The Radical Night Repair has a stellar 1% Retinol…(about 10 times the industry average). It’s the strongest thing available on the market right now without a prescription….BUT it works like one….my skin has been pretty peely….not as bad as with my prescriptions (thank god) but enough to know that it’s working!!! And BONUS, BONUS…my cystic acne is a third of what it was!!!!! The Growth Factor Serum goes on last….it smells kind of vitamin-ey (a good thing I think) and is super soothing (and feels moisturizing even though there are no traditional “moisturizers” in it).

Bottom-line, I can see real change in my skin with these two products…..WAY more than I ever got with department store skincare in the past (and I’ve tried them all…from La Prairie to Philosophy)….I’m looking forward to seeing even more new skin revealed……but first, you gotta get through some dirt to see the gold underneath!!!

Stay tuned…..(and be beautiful ya’ll)!

Let’s face it……granny hands (arms, legs) happen. Now that the summer is finally wrapping up and the “color” ( I mean, sun damage) that I have acquired over the last few months is going away, what I am left with ain’t pretty. The other day I was driving somewhere and noticed my hands on the steering wheel and was SHOCKED….it looks like I’ve been washing dishes for a week straight…what’s a girl to do?

Now imagine an entire group of doctors and chemists in their “laboratories”…their bosses come in and say “we want you to formulate THE most effective skincare system to date..we want all the bells and whistles here….the best of the best…..NOW go all out ya’ll….don’t worry about PRICE of ingredients, or how hard they are to get…just GO FOR IT!”…..Well this really did happen and M LAB was born…..and I’ve tried all their products and can TELL.

M Lab body treatment cream instantly plumped my fine lines and wrinkles….my skin just is so smooth and looks FIRM, baby FIRM!.…..no more parched dried-plum girl here….This treatment cream has an exquisite herbalicious smell and my skin just DRANK it up…no marathon rubbing sessions (that is SO annoying). This stuff ROCKS…and rightly so, it’s $185 dollars! And why does is A. work and B. require so much coin? Because,

“M Lab Body Treatment Cream: Formulated with 55% clinically active ingredients. A fusion of peptides, exfoliants and hydrators help to promote collagen and elastin production, smooth and brighten skin tone, and provide long-lasting moisturization “.

So, if you are like me and your skin needs some SERIOUS after-summer TLC treat yourself to some M Lab….this is also a great line for the metrosexual man in your life…..I call it “La Mer for Men”…lol!

Be Beautiful….

I KNEW it! So…not only am I a beauty product addict, I’m pretty much vain as all get out (some days)…and as much as I’ve worked to “accept” my aging body……there’s no way in hell I would EVER want to go back in time…I do want to look my best….I SO love my thirties ya’ll! But that vanity (as well as family health issues) has moved me to get REALLY get into supplements and alternative medicines. A few months back, in a moment of lonely boredom ( I’m one of those that can be totally lonely in a room full of people)…I happened upon a blog of a gal (of course I can’t find it NOW) who is going to med school for dermatology. Well, in one of her articles she talked about skin aging…and how the only supplement proven to work against it is Glucosamine.…at about 1500 mg per day.

Well I just had to try it………and took it for about a month and a half…..and I have to say ladies I noticed a huge difference…not only in my wrinkles ( which yes, I admit are not fully-formed..but still come-and-go…they don’t need any HELP for crying out loud)…Well, they didn’t come as often after I had taken Glucosamine for a few weeks. That’s the deal with supplements though….you won’t see results overnight…you have to give them a few weeks to start working. Well, I had to do a bunch of blood tests so I stopped taking it for a few weeks and noticed my skin looks less taught, my eye bags are bigger, and in general just looks older (God forbid). So I went out and got me another bottle……

Now why does Glucosamine work? Because it increases the body’s production of hyaluronic acid (your body’s natural moisturizer). I’m sold……..I like New Vitality brand…heck, their company slogan is “Helping people live longer and look younger”..and I’ve used some of their skincare that I really like.

And sure enough in my Shape magazine this month they did a little bit about Glucosamine….in a study in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology this month researchers confirmed in clinical studies that when taken orally Glucosamine gives younger, healthier looking skin!

Be Beautiful….(Inside and Out)!

So as some of you know….I am starting to become obsessed with Botox. It seems like I meet someone everyday that has done it and LOVES it……..and with the exception of a few over-filled Hollywood Hunnies, the people I meet in real life that do it look fabulous……I don’t know, it’s a tough call for me. I mean, I am in an industry that makes aging tough, for sure.  And while I’m not anywhere near ashamed or embarrassed by my age (quite the opposite), I am starting to miss the skin of my youth…I just spend A LOT of time in front of mirrors….and while granted, I am not the one in front of the camera ( thank you god), I do have to look at myself from time to time……and I figure instead of spending all my hard earned cash on expensive creams, why not prevent the need all together (or more realistically go through product slower…..)

Well here’s the kicker.…one of my nearest and dearest….Lianne over at TheMakeupGirl finally went under the syringe and looks AMAZING..she has documented her entire process…and with the help of the new Flip mini-digital camcorder, even made a little tape showing us her newly Botoxed brow.... If you are curious at all about Botox go visit Lianne and have your fears assuaged…..or your old judgmental opinions erased!

Let me know your thoughts….I’d love to hear your opinions and experiences on aging…gracefully or NOT.

Botox Beautifully (if that’s your deal…)!

Putting the word “EASY” into a skincare regime is new to me……..I (surprise,surprise) am what they call a
“beauty nazi”….I never mind extra steps if it means my skin will look great. More time on skincare, less on foundation actually.

I’ve been a fan of Dr. Gross ever since we picked up his Alhpa-Beta peel a few years back at Nordstrom ( I won’t date myself, besides I suffer from slight “swiss-cheese brain” lately). At the time, his peel was the first on the market and the world of “cosmesceuticals” was just opening up. I was preggers at the time and was paranoid because I was going to have to go off my beloved Retin-A. Well, Dr. Gross came at the perfect time….I never had such beautiful, flawless skin as I did with that first pregnancy….and I credited it to my daily regime of Alpha-Beta peel.

Fast forward and several prescription Retinoids later, here I am…..wrinkles and sunspots in hand ( don’t want to think about how bad my face would be if I HADN’T started using it all those years ago)! Well the last week I have been using Dr. Gross’s EZ4U 4-in-1 Cleansing Towelettes in place of my regular toner and my skin looks and feels great! I am on day 4 of my cycle even and have no big uglies lurking on my jawline….(knock on wood, knock on wood). I am so superstitious about my skin….as soon as I mention a clearing it flairs up!

But anyways…these towelettes are great…..perfect for after the gym or whenever you need to get makeup off fast..( say 3 or 4 am after a great night out, ladies?)  EZ4U towelettes manage to clean, tone, treat and moisturize in ONE step….and what’s even more amazing to me is that these bad boys are anhydrous…meaning water-free! More room for good ingredients to help rid skin of all the crap we do to it everyday……

Perfect for the girl-on-the go or “lazy” skincare types….EZ4U 4-in-1 Treatment Towelettes give beautiful skin, FAST!!!

EZ4U Towelettes retail for $35 for 30 applications and are available at Sephora, Ulta and Dr. Gross’s website.

Be Beautiful Y’all…

Check