Everything’s Coming Up Rosacea: A simple spell can mend your Mean Reds!

Ah, the Mean Reds.  Holly Golightly wasn’t talking about rosacea, but she might as well have been.  Women who suffer from this patchy, flaky, highly sensitive, and unflatteringly rosy condition are perpetually unhappy with the appearance of their skin and have frequently given up hope.

Rosacea is a dastardly villain, and once afflicted, a woman can no longer apply her makeup as whimsically as the rest of society might. Foundation will often seep into enlarged pores while refusing to lay smoothly on the surface skin;  this can produce an odd effect: dozens of visible pinpoints of foundation interrupted by islands of scaly red skin.  And heaven forbid you wear a blush on top!  EEEEEEK!

What to do, WHAT TO DO??  If you suffer from rosacea yourself, you have undoubtedly sought the help of a dermatologist, and may already be doing something topically to treat the condition.

But what if you’re still red all over?

Close your eyes and say “Hocus Pocus”.

While you’re doing that, I’ll tell you a story.  I had a client recently with a FABULOUS face; sparkling green eyes, cheekbones to die for, and a mouth so large that I could count all her perfect teeth when she spoke. (She’s a professional singer, so she’s lucky).  Big lips, long lashes.  Great brows.  Fabulous face, yes.  Fabulous skin….not so much.

The poor darling had a serious case of rosacea, bless her heart!  Her usual routine is a smattering of powder across her face, lipgloss and masacara–she’s a 30 second makeup girl.  Unfortunately, the powder she was using was orange–and while she was sure that it was counteracting the red on her face, I was pretty sure it was just orange.  We had a tussle.  Hair was pulled.  Makeup was thrown.  Suddenly, a green cloud of dust rose up from my kit and settled upon her face.

Hocus Pocus. It’s a mineral based powder by Larenim (mineral spelled backwards) that is ACTUALLY GREEN.  Now have we all studied our color theory, girls?  What’s the opposite of red?  Is it orange?  Blue?  Purple?  Very good.  It’s green.  A fine dusting of light green powder across red skin works miracles.

We experimented a bit, and found the best makeup scenario for her to be this one:

1. Apply a thin layer of aloe vera (or an aloe based makeup primer such as Mod’s) to the face.  Pure aloe is soothing, won’t clog your pores, and dries down to provide a barrier between makeup and your skin.  If you use liquid foundation and have rosacea and/or large pores, you must use a primer.

2. Using a soft brush, lightly dust Hocus Pocus over the red portions of the face only.  You may use a concealer brush dipped in Hocus Pocus for red blemishes, as well.  Hint: if your face is still damp from moisturizer or aloe, let it dry first! (Otherwise too much green is absorbed.  Hello, Wicked Witch!)

Note: We were both satisfied with the eveness of the skin at this point; she could have skipped foundation and gone straight to gloss and mascara, but she was having photos taken, so we went for flawless skin.

3.  Use your loose/pressed powder or pressed foundation (Larenim and ZuZu have nice ones) and pat over face gently, don’t “smear” the spell.  And don’t forget undereye concealer!

4.  Finally, a little bronzer will warm up the skin.  You may think about blush.   Wait first.  Putter about the house for a bit.  See how long it takes for your skin to begin acting like the lunatic it is.  Seeing hints of pink after an hour?  You should probably skip blush altogether.

Now, I’m not usually a powder, powder everywhere kind of girl.  I like to hand mix mineral foundations with organic face creams or balm sticks to match my clients skin, and to leave a bit of a glow when possible.  AND I don’t like the look of packed-on powder that results from using certain lines.  That said, some skin prefers NOT to glow.

Some skin hates anything with oil (no matter how natural), and is quick to anger, so it’s best to be reasonable and do our best to keep it calm and soothed.   Aloe vera is great for this combustable fiend.  Consider using it everytime you use makeup.  And Hocus Pocus is makeup witchery at its best.  Other than that, ladies, watch the alcohol intake, which can set off a flushing of rosacea (I’m not saying ‘don’t drink’–I’m merely saying ‘observe the effects of your drinking’), the same goes for spicy foods and spicy men.

The Mean Reds may be with you for a while.  Some experts claim rosacea is genetic (having to do with the “Celtic Curse”), some say it’s bacterial, some say it’s dietary, and some are simply clueless.  We do know that it affects three times as many women as men, and that the years between 30-60 are fun times for the Mean Reds to develop.  The ensuing flakiness is certainly annoying, but (contrary to popular thought) your skin can be GENTLY sloughed, depending on your sensitivity, which will make your skin feel better to the touch. Yes, you may be a tad red after a gentle scrub, but what’s new?

As for the color of the Mean Reds?  Say a little spell, and watch them disappear!  Hang in there, girls.  We’re pulling for you!

AHA! The Beautiful Secret to Glowing Spring Skin

As Spring quietly approaches  in warm midmornings between rain showers and cool gusts of wind, I am made aware of texture.  Each early blossom that lifts off a tree reminds me that Springtime is the right time to tighten and brighten, to smooth and perk and prepare to be happier than I’ve ever been.

Spring is the ultimate season of happiness, creativity, and love.  Spring makes your heart and soul glow. Shouldn’t your face glow, too?

Your heavy, winter weather moisturizer is ready to take a break (unless you live in one of those states that is covered in sheets of ice until June).  As the weather warms, your moisturizer should feel lighter.  If your face sweats after applying your regular moisturizer in morning or night, you know its time for a change.

My spring favorite is AHA’s 10% alpha hydroxy moisturizer.  Not only is this product clean as a whistle, it’s light, and it sloughs off (rather the fruit acids peel away) old, dead skin overnight, leaving your face bare but for a gorgeous glow.

The AHA line (by company Nonie of Beverly Hills) is a great little group of products available at your health food store, and another bonus: They come in GLASS bottles!!

A little goes a long way with AHA, the price point is comparable with other natural lines (my bottle of moisturizer was around $25), and you FEEL the product working.  Best of all, my skin is extremely smooth, without having used a facial scrub in two weeks.

Here’s a note: When you use products with alpha hydroxy, your fresh, baby like skin will be vulnerable to sun damage– exactly what we’re trying to defy, right?  So MAKE SURE you use a tinted moisturizer or foundation with spf during the day.

If it’s your first time trying the tingling newness that alpha hydroxy acid imparts, start with a 5% product (AHA offers one), and use only in the evenings.  I’m an old hand at it, though, and adore the little champagne bubbles-on-skin feeling just before retiring, and look forward to it when I wake up.

Additional note: WASH your face when you wake, and wash away the dead skin from the previous night BEFORE reapplying the moisturizer to enjoy its full benefits!

AHA is safe to use under the eyes, as well, and I’m experimenting for the first time NOT using a separate eye cream.  (I’ll get back to you on the efficacy of this idea, although the line does offer an eye cream, as well)

Here are the ingredients for the 10% Alpha Hydroxy Moisturizer:

Distilled Water, Coconut Oil, Almond Oil, Wheatgerm Oil, Alpha Hydroxy Acids from Bilberry, Apple, orange, Grape, Lemon, & Grapefruit, Coconut Emulsifier, Orchid Oil, Apple Cider Vinegar, & Oil of the Seed of Grapefruit.

That’s right-orchid oil! Just what a spring face needs: fruit and blossoms.  May your spring be a rejuvenation of all that is beautiful, including yourself!

To read more about the company & its products, visit them at:

nonieofbeverlyhills.com

Super Face: The Secret Power of Natural Pressed Powder

First, a disclaimer: I’ve spent years discouraging women from using powder on their faces, and I’ve taken a good bit of flack about it from those women who feel incomplete without it.

My point? It is no longer the 18th century, Ladies. We don’t need to be surrounded by a dust cloud of powder to absorb our bodily and facial oils– we bathe! (The aristocrats who inspired over-powdering were the same folks who covered themselves in stick-on moles to cover up pock marks acquired from sexually transmitted diseases…and I seriously doubt stick on moles are coming back any time soon)

Furthermore, while a powdered face may indeed add a polished finish when you’re wearing a ballgown, it does NOT belong on your face when you’re wearing yoga pants, a jogging suit, or jeans and sneakers. It is unacceptable to powder our three dimensional faces into a two dimensional plane. It looks dry, fake, and completely cartoonish. While you’re at it, why don’t you shave off your eyebrows and paint them back on?

Let your skin breathe. Let your face glow.

–That said, I am going to recommend three brands of natural and healthy pressed powder. Why? Because there are some worthy new and natural brands out there, and because a good powder can make you look ethereal, softening your features by refracting a hazy angelic light.  And there’s nothin’ wrong with looking angelic.

One of the main reasons I’ve steered my clients from powder is because so many popular formulas are chock full of gross stuff that ends up settling in fine lines and wrinkles, not to mention clogging pores with extended use. If you’re going to wear powder, it should actually improve your skin.

My meters for great face powder include: Flexibility, Finish, and Fine Line-Proofness.

1. For Flexibility, you want a pressed powder. Lots of mineral makeup lines have clean loose powders: Loose powder is a one time sort of thing, used to “set” your makeup. Women who use powder throughout the day (because they’re frequently oily, or because they’re intent on maintaining a polished look) need to be able to carry in their purses.

2. For Finish, you want powder that rests lightly upon the skin. You don’t want the powder to be so fine that it enters the skin. Look for non “nano-particle” lines. Nano particles are often present in makeup lines that require you to buff powder into your skin, rather than letting it rest above the skin, using dimethicone (a natural silicone). Steer clear of bismuth oxychloride, while you’re at it. This popular mineral makeup ingredient is an irritant for many women’s skin, causing itchiness and, in some cases, cystic acne.

3. For Fine-Line Proofness, you want a silky powder. You don’t want your face to look ashy, sparkly, chalky, or dry. When you find a great pressed powder, you should be able to roll the puff lightly across your t-zone to take off shine, or sweep it across your entire face for a smooth finish. Look at your skin 30 minutes after you apply powder. Are your wrinkles more or less noticeable? Does your skin appear softer or does it look dry, caked, or flaky? Touch your face. Does it feel smooth and silky?

Here’s my new favorite pressed powder, by the company that makes my favorite clean liquid eyeliner.
ZUZU LUXE Dual Pressed Powder & Foundation (talk about flexible!) comes in 9 shades, for every skin tone!

Use as a pressed powder for touch-ups, or as a foundation with a matte finish. Available in 9 shades for any complexion (see color chart, and and refer to brief descriptions below). 10g compact is $21.95 each.

Ingredients: Mica, Zinc Stearate, Octyl Palmitate, Squalane (vegetable derived), Lecithin, Dimethicone, Silica, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Grapeseed Extract

Here are two other great powder choices:

100 Percent Pure Peach Pigmented Healthy Glow Pressed Powder:

100% natural pressed powder made with rice powder, fruit pigments and light reflective pearl powder to make skin appear luminous. SPF 20 protects your skin from UVA and UVB rays while antioxidants protect against environmental damage. Does not contain preservatives, artificial fragrances, synthetic chemicals or any other toxins. Truly, 100% Pure.

color: White Peach- fair skin tones
Peach Bisque – medium skin tones
Golden Peach – golden, deeper skin tones

Ingredients: Rice Powder, All of the following fruit pigments : White Peach, Golden Peach, Apricot and Papaya, Vitamin E (a-tocopherol), Lavender Flower Powder, Eucalyptus Leaf Powder, Silk Powder, Fresh Oyster Pearl Powder, Vitamin A (a-palmitate), Vitamin C(ascorbic acid), Pomegranate Seed Oil, Avocado Butter, Rose Powder, White Tea Powder, Grape Seed Powder, Silica (Natural Mineral)
SUNSCREEN ACTIVE INGREDIENTS: 12% Titanium Dioxide and 6% Zinc Oxide

Larenim Mineral Airbrush Pressed Powder:

Comes in many shades. The great thing about Larenim’s product, as well as Zuzu’s is that they can be used as foundations as well as powders! This company uses no bismuth oxychloride, nanoparticles, or any chemical fillers or preservatives.

I Scream, You Scream: Fabulous Eye Cream

Some mornings I wake up looking like I’ve been abducted by aliens.  My face is puffy, my lips are dry, and my skin is coarse.  Worst of all: Thousands upon thousands of fine lines emanate from the corners of my eyes, and the skin beneath my eyes is a crepey mess.   These are the ugly physical  manifestations of a dehydrated body. Yes, we should all drink more water.  But don’t talk to me about that when I’m staring at the Mohave Desert in the mirror.  Give me solace.

Give me eye cream, immediately.

A good eye cream can make you feel better instantly. It IMMEDIATELY quenches your skin.  I find if I can just lay my hands on good eye cream on a bad morning, that the day begins to look up within five minutes. The crepey-ness is gone, the thousands of new crow’s feet retreat, leaving me with the one set of laugh lines I’ve earned.

My eye skin plumps up, the sagging skin firms, and the whole shebang is taken care of with just a little cream! My current favorite eye cream is 100% Pure’s Acai Eye Cream. It’s clean, it’s green. It works.  100PercentPure.com makes two great eye creams: One formula relies primarily on coffee, to rev up the eye, and the other uses the antioxidant (and anti aging) power of concentrated acai (a groovy south american fruit) to restore youth.

My advice?  Don’t wait for an alien abduction.  I’m a HUGE fan of eye cream; use it DAY AND NIGHT (it’s rich and thick and essential and also preps your skin for that concealer I know you’re wearing!) and I try as many different ones as I can.  You’ll know a good eye cream by its power to make you feel better as soon as you massage it in. Take that, aliens!

Taking off the Mask: Why tinted moisturizer is the new foundation

As soon as people learn I’m a makeup artist, they invariably weave their burning questions into our conversation, even if we’re only talking about the weather.  “Seems we’re in for a bit of a warm spell…  ..speaking of warm spells, what kind of foundation should I be wearing?”

I’m lucky I’m not a doctor, because my answer is always unoriginal.  I’d like to say that I carefully evaluate each and every person’s skin type and make a qualitative analysis of each line, pore, and wrinkle…but the truth is–I think EVERYONE should wear tinted moisturizer with sunscreen instead of foundation.

I know, that seems rather general, doesn’t it?  I do use “foundation” (a full coverage liquid or mineral) on my brides or models when doing event makeup, but unless you are on a movie set or being professionally photographed, I would never recommend foundation for everyday. It’s simply unnecessary.  The point of makeup should be to enhance your natural features, to make your individual beauty shine, not to reinvent the wheel.

The use of foundation, or “base” is as old as mud; women throughout the centuries have endeavored to cover everything up (and sometimes shave everything off) and paint it on again.  It’s a way of creating a completely new persona, and Hollywood relied heavily on this idea in the 30s and 40s when creating sultry starlets out of freshly scrubbed girls-next-door.  There’s nothing wrong with wanting to start from scratch, but before you camouflage your features in a thick shade of beige, take a look at your freshly scrubbed face.  What is it that you really want to change about your visage?  Here are the typical complaints:

Redness/blotchiness around the mouth & nose, unevenness/blotchiness on the cheeks, freckles/age spots, under eye circles, blemishes

As you can see, the majority of concerns have to do with evenness of skin tone.  The good news is that tinted moisturizer (a lightweight lotion with a hint of color, and spf) will even out your complexion without smothering it. Your skin will GLOW, rather than look matte or cakey.  Your skin will BREATHE, rather than gasping for air, and your skin will IMPROVE in both appearance and texture.

If tinted moisturizer alone doesn’t address problem areas, then all you have to do is use a small amount of concealer (under the eyes, on a blemish or age spot, around the nose).  There’s simply no need to conceal your entire face!

Here’s my favorite everyday 5 Step Fast Face:

1. tinted moisturizer all over

2. concealer under the eyes

3. creme blush on cheeks

4. lip gloss

5. mascara

Your face is your calling card.  Do you really want to be the kind of person who is unrecongnizable without their makeup?  Embrace your face.  Save the foundation for the Big Ball, or your cousin’s wedding.  You don’t need it at 8 in the morning, and you certainly don’t need it in the office.

Special HIPPIE note: If you’re the kind of person who NEVER wears makeup, considering making tinted moisturizer your new best friend.  You won’t look like you’re wearing makeup, because it’s really not makeup–but your skin will look and feel fantastic, and you’ll have the added protection of at least spf 15, everyday.

Here are some of my favorites:

100% Pure fruit pigmented

tinted moistuizer

Suki tinted moisturizer

Juice Beauty tinted moisturizer

mask photo courtesy of flickr’s Flamed

No laughing matter: Lines, lines, everywhere lines.

I have laugh lines and I have pout lines. Thankfully I’ve done more laughing than pouting, but both lines are getting deeper, spreading!, and generally running amok across my once youthful visage. Why is it that I’m so proud of the deep lines in my palm (makes for easy palm reading) but not willing to accept them in my face?

I don’t care to discuss my Freudian hangups at the moment, I just want to get rid of the evidence. While I’ve never considered Botox, (injecting poison into my face is somewhat antithetical to my mission as a green makeup artist–not to mention my fear of needles), and I’m not interested in wearing a face-lift wig (see illustration), I do work in the beauty industry and am acutely aware that the older I get, the more desperate I’ll undoubtedly become. I’m trying to head those fears off at the pass by taking care of the small stuff while I still can. Cue the anti-aging creams, wrinkle serums, lifting lotions and miracle elixirs.

Skincare, I find, is the one area in which green cosmetic companies seem to perform well. How hard can it be to hydrate my face without poisoning me or making me break out? (worst case scenario, just throw a bucket of water at me) The cleaner the skincare line, the better results on this front. But when we begin talking about firming, lifting, minimizing, and brightening, we’re talking about serious stuff. Such potions are never cheap, and while the green versions may not hurt you (they tend to leave the poison out), they may not do anything at all.

And unlike many consumers who are willing to give a product a full 30 days before expecting results, I want to look better immediately. I haven’t got all day, and neither do my clients. If it’s supposed to firm, I want to FEEL IT FIRMING, if it’s supposed to lift, then it had better START LIFTING NOW, and if it’s supposed to plump with antioxidants, I’d better feel like Violet FREAKIN’ Beauregarde, rolling out of the chocolate factory as a giant blueberry.

Here are a few products I’ve tried, and my immediate impressions of them:

Aubrey Organic Lumessence Rejuvenating Eye Cream: A clean product which feels more like a serum than a cream. I used it for 2 weeks, am and pm. I found hydration to be only minimal, (and I count on things like hydration around the eyes), I experienced no measurable lightening of my morning under-eye circles, and also didn’t feel any firming whatsoever.

Earth Science A/B Hydroxy Acid Night Rejuvenator: This product claims 10% alpha and beta acids, has no parabens, but does contain dimethicone, polyprepolymer-2, and nylon-12. For hydroxy acids, I expect a hearty prickling/stinging sensation, letting me know that it’s burning off my dead skin. Wow, that sounds gross. Unfortunately, I felt as though I had only used a good toner. (ie, slightly refreshing tingle). After two weeks of use, I was not rejuvenated in the least. My pores weren’t smaller, my skin wasn’t smoother or brighter, and my lines were not diminished in the slightest.

Earth Science Beta Ginseng Cellagen Renewal Serum: Won some awards in the UK trade show, but failed to do for me what it claimed. Did take down redness in my husbands face, (he’s a willing guinea pig), but it didn’t do the plumping or firming it’s supposed to do. 25% hylauronic acid, (which helps the skin retain moisture), but perhaps I need a serum with 75%. Still dry as the desert.

Zia 15-Minute Face Lift: Love this stuff! I’d originally gotten this product for use with bridal clients, or their mothers on the Big Day. While it does have long term effects, it’s meant to make the biggest difference when used before applying makeup. The tightening/lifting lasts for up to 8 hours. (and no, your face doesn’t fall like a smashed pumpkin at midnight, it’s just less “pulled”) The product uses clay (I love clay’s beneficial long term properties) with which you make a little mask. Comes with a nice brush for painting it on, then you lie down and let your face begin pulsing. It really does what it says it does. Immediately.

Burt’s Bees Repair Serum: A delightful, generously bottled collection of soothing oils for the face. While the product doesn’t reduce my lines, it is supremely luxurious, smells like heaven, and gives me a luscious glow. Use sparingly. (It really should come with a dropper, I think. Most folks are heavy handed when given the chance, and too much of this one could cause issues for acne prone people). Otherwise, divine.

Frownies: An old “Hollywood Secret”. These things work. They’re weird, but they’re natural and they work. Essentially, Frownies are little bits of stiff paper. Before you sleep, you moisten the backs (if you lick them, they taste like the paste of your childhood. I’m told.) and you stick them to various spots on your face. If you want to be rid of frown lines, there’s Frownies for the forehead. There are laugh line Frownies, and Frownies for the deep lines around the mouth. I like to call these lines parenthesis (since I clearly like parenthesis and the word Marionette gives me the creeps.) Frownies have been used for ages, and several celebrities swear by them. The way they work is simple. Once they’re attached to your face, they prevent you from making the crazy faces you inevitably make in your sleep. (That’s 8 hours of frowning and smiling that happen when you’re not even trying). Once you stop making these faces at night, your lines diminish SIGNIFICANTLY. I go through bouts of using Frownies, and every time I use them, I’m always surprised how something so simple works so well. So why, then, would I keep looking for miracle creams? Because I’m lazy. You really do need to use Frownies consistently for at least 3 weeks at a time to experience the results. And it wouldn’t hurt to have a great lifting serum to keep your results longer……by the way, don’t forget to take your Frownies off in the morning, or someone else will remind you to.

I speak from experience.

Josie Maran: More than Just a Pretty Face

Barney’s San Francisco opened up in November 2007, and with it came a new cosmetic line for green curious girls everywhere. Josie Maran is a model, actress, and former spokesperson for Maybelline who has launched her own greener line (Josie Maran). The line is still small (three shades of blush, three shades of concealer, three shades of tinted moisturizers) but she’s got several pretty eye shadows, lip colors, and glosses.

What’s brilliant about the line is the little labeling system that helps folks identify the ingredients list which can so often read like a foreign language. She’s got symbols for everything, and the counter will give you a Rosetta stone deciphering card so you can see which products are free of which ingredients. Several of her products contain organic ingredients, are paraben free, biodegradable, fragrance free, and petrochemical free, too.

I was thrilled to finally boogie my way down to Barney’s to try the new Josie Maran line, and was surprised that there was no one else playing in the makeup there. The line is conveniently positioned across from the new Nude skincare line by Bryan Meehan (of UK’s Fresh & Wild) and known for it’s famous supporters-Bono and Christy Turlington– which is smart– as Josie Maran offers no skincare, and Nude offers no makeup, and the two lines are the cleanest in the store. Still, I saw no one approach either line in the entire half hour I was there. Maybe it was a quiet day for everyone, or maybe the idea of green makeup is still incubating in the minds of department store shoppers….is there still a sense that green makeup is somehow less luxurious? Ironic, if that is the case, as petrochemicals were introduced into the industry as a way of making cosmetics CHEAPER to make, and therefore earning a higher return for the major brand holders!

Could this be the reason the Josie Maran line has started out so small? Did her investors advise her that it was too early in the game for a full line of gorgeous concealers, color, and skincare? And why are there no shades for women of fair OR deep tones? If I had wanted to, I wouldn’t be able to wear the concealer or even the tinted moisturizer (I’m not porcelain, but I don’t live in L.A., either, and they looked strange on me). And I was bothered that the line didn’t include deeper colors for women on the other end of the pigment spectrum. This is far too common in the cosmetics industry in general, and as a makeup artist and a woman I have come to expect more. But it’s very possible that the line was designed to do well for a younger (18-25 market) in L.A. (where the majority of Barney’s shoppers certainly sport their fair share of tans, and wear nothing more than a tinted moisturizer and a little gloss). If that’s the case, they nailed it….but we’re going to need a little more research up here!

I’m glad I got a chance to try the Josie Maran line, and I’m soooooo glad that a major department store is carrying a greener makeup AND a greener skincare line!!! I only hope that more Barney’s shoppers will gather the nerve to try them out…..