Your Complexion Does Better With Vitamin C---And We're Not Talking Orange Juice!

Vitamin C.

If you do your beauty homework, then you will find that a topical Vitamin C serum is excellent for a beautiful complexion.

Orange juice is also good for your general health, but when it comes to skin care, you need something more powerful than a juice.

Although we have Retin-A + Alpha Hydroxy Acids in our own anti-aging arsenal, we have learned that adding Vitamin C completes the skin care circle.

So, we have been using a topical Vitamin C serum for about a month now. And we have concluded that Vitamin C makes for healthy, more radiant skin. Our choice:

Dr. Bailey's Professional Cell Repair Serum ($111, at Dr.BaileySkinCare.com).

We LOVE this stuff.

We have noticed in the past 30 days:

softer, smoother skin
a brighter complexion
and in our case, tiny broken capillaries under our right cheek appear to have faded a bit.

So, that's pretty encouraging to us.

Topical Vitamin C in the form of Ascorbic Acid has been shown in a number of studies, to brighten skin, decrease the depth of wrinkles, and stimulate collagen.

Vitamin C serum is a worthy beauty item to add to your anti-aging product arsenal, because it protects the skin from sun damage. 

Unfortunately, NOT all topical Vitamin C serums are alike. So, you must be keen on the C you are buying.

The serum can break down. So not only is the right formula needed, but the proper packaging, too.

Dr. Bailey's good name is on her skin care line, including her Vitamin C Anti-Aging Professional Treatment Serum. So she is very careful about the process of bottling:

Packaged into a sealed, opaque, airless pump so you use "active" vitamin C every time you apply my serum - I think this is the best vitamin C skin care product made!

There you have it. Learn more about this smart dermatologist, her Vitamin C serum and the skin care education she offers here at her website.

Sonia Kashuk Has The Perfect Nude Lip For Spring 2014

If you like nude lipstick but prefer one that has a little oomph to it, then SK can help you.

It's not easy pulling off a nude pout. In fact, sometimes it's simpler just to wear a clear gloss. Nude lipstick can make one look deathly if the shade is too pale.

That's why a pink-y beige lipstick can do wonders for your complexion. And pro makeup artist Sonia Kashuk has a very flattering nude for you, and under $10 bucks.

It's aptly called Sonia Kashuk Satin Luxe Lip Color in Pinky Beige ($9.99, at Target). Nice, creamy lipstick line. And very moisturizing. This Sonia Kashuk Pinky Beige lipstick has universal appeal and should look flattering on every woman.

Plus, her satin luxe lip colors have SPF 16 to protect lips from UV rays.

The lipstick by SK is also known as an anti-ager, and we could all benefit by that:

" The paraben and fragrance-free formula contains Brown Seaweed Extract, a marine botanical rich in fatty acids that preserves skins elasticity, Ceramide 2 and Palmitoyl Peptide to visibly reduce the appearance of wrinkles."

Want Sexier Shoes? Try Eye-Catching Ankle Armor

Ankle strap shoes are just plain sexy. Period, Maybe that's why reality star Kim Kardashian continues wearing this style pump + sandal over and over, again.

Why?

Because the ankle strap pump makes your legs look amazing!

Now, if you don't own a pair, you can make your own with a little imagination and some naughty ankle armor!
We saw this fashion idea in InStyle nagazine. Here's how they blinged it out:

These are actually gold-plated bracelets from Barneys.com. Not cheap at $125, each.

 But---there is other cute ankle armor out there for cheap.

We headed to Nasty Girl and found these glam Gold Metal Ankle Cuffs for $55. But they are SOLD OUT at the moment Too darn popular. Don't worry. Nasty Girl will re-stock.

When in need, head to Ebay, indeed! We found each ankle cuff for only $1.48. FREE shipping, if you don't mind waiting. These are coming from China. Click here.

The Celebrity Vampy Lip Going Strong In 2014: Try This Lasting Trick!

You either adore this bold, vampy look....Or you despise it altogether. We don't like a strong, dark, bad-ass lip on us, but we have to agree, these celebs are wearing it welll!
Here's a clever beauty trick that should ease your fear of slicking on a very intense lip color  like deep, dark burgundy.

You've seen this trendy makeup look on Khloe Kardashian, Sandra, Bullock Selena Gomez, Kerry Washington, and many others. It's rather glam + high fashion when done right.

Here's what one pro makeup artist told us to try:

Wear a vampy lip and bring along blotting papers.

Yes, that's right. If you dab an oil-absorbing sheet over a deep, bold lipstick, it will deliver a pretty matte stain. It won't be so over-the-top + lipstick will stay on longer !

Try Clean & Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets (cheap at $4.67).

Loving Nicole Kidman's Shoulder Length Wavy Do: Takes Hair Vitamins

At age 46, there's no doubt that Nicole Kidman looks good....very good.

No, we don't think she resembles Grace Kelly, but she will show her great acting skills in the new movie, "Grace of Monaco." The film will open the Cannes Film Festival on May 14th. So, that will be one heck of a world premiere in the south of France!

We recently saw the Academy award-winning actress on Jimmy Kimmel.

And we fell in love with Nicole's new shorter wavy do. The actress tells the March 2014 issue of InStyle magazine, of which she graces the cover, that she takes hair vitamins:

I always..."Take hair, skin and nail Ultiboost vitamins from a company called Swisse, which I am the global ambassador for. I down them religiously, and they've made my hair thicker. After I had my baby, my hair got so thin. I used to have really thick hair; now it has come back."

Nicole also talked about her crowning glory:

I never..."Well, I almost never straighten it anymore. I let it go curly and wild. It's taken me 40-something years, but I embrace the curl. My littlest daughter has the same hair. She likes it when my hair is curly, so I wear it for her."

How sweet.
We found Nicole Kidman's hair vitamins at Walgreens for $18.99.

Will you try hair vitamins? We just might, after seeing how healthy Nicole's hair looks!

Plastic Surgeons Claim Patients Seeking Prettier Features Because Of Selfie Obsession

Have you ever taken a selfie?

We bet you have. Even our dorky self has snapped several photos looking for the BEST selfie to display. And the numbers show that nearly half (50%) of all U.S. adults have taken a selfie.

Plastic surgeons have been claiming recently, that photo-sharing has been boosting their business, because some individuals are not pleased looking at their selfies, which they often share on social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, and so forth.

Younger people certainly snap more selfies, and some of them are very critical about how they appear in photos, and yes, seek out plastic surgeons to get a smaller nose, higher brows, etc.

 It sounds crazy, but it isn't.

"Good Morning America's" Robin Roberts spoke about the topic today and admitted not always being too happy about her own selfies. Robin said that didn't mean she would resort to cosmetic enhancement, but that scrutinizing her own features was a very real reaction.

We agree with Robin Roberts. Photo-taking technology seems these days to be so crisp + microscopically accurate, that EVERY facial nook + cranny is exposed.

We are a lousy photographer, and yet, we are quite artistic, so trying to capture a decent selfie can be frustrating. But here is ours a few minutes ago. This was after 4 takes. The lighting is a bit bright, but this was the best selfie we could do.

Kim Kardashian is the QUEEN of the selfie hands down. This star NEVER seems to take a bad one, but the question might be: How many selfies did Kim take for this one photo, for example.

She also appears to have professionally applied makeup in many of her selfies.

 Plus, the famous reality star has been accused of photo-shopping her indoor body selfies.

 We're not sure about that. But Kim K seems to document her life in a series of daily selfies.

 Here are Kim Kardashian's Rules for Taking the Perfect Selfies:

  "You always need [your phone] to be a little bit higher than lower ... and know your angle," Kim explains in the video. "Know the lighting," friend Brittny adds. "And know duck face," Kardashian insists, "I love that because it gives you cheekbones."

 Check out Kim here on YouTube.

 So, are we all a bunch of narcissists?! Ah, yes....and no.

People just want to look their best. And selfies help shape one's identity, according to a few experts.

Kim Kardashian Shows Off 'Recycled' Fashion Look In Favorite Grey Skinnies

Kim Kardashian does NOT wear jeans as much as she used to, especially since hanging with fiance Kanye West.

But when the Vogue cover girl stepped out in L.A. last evening, she squeezed into her favorite grey skinnies, in a fashion look we've seen several times before.

That's okay, because we think it's a really good, relaxed ensemble for the busy, globe-trotting reality star.

Kim isn't the only celebrity who favors a pair of grey skinny jeans. Top paid model Gisele Bundchen puts on her grey skinnies over + over again!

Of course, wealthy celebrities can afford to buy expensive jeans, and in Kim's case, she is wearing Black Orchid's Black Jewel grey skinnies in Cashmere Wash.

We found the exact pair at TheTrendBoutique for $141 + free shipping. This style feature's the label's signature 5-pocket zipper fly style with studs on the back right pocket. This piece is cut slim through the thigh and skinny in the leg.

Here is Kim K last evening in grey skinnies, black leather jacket, taupe pumps

And here is the glam star back in November in the same look with a couple of fashion adjustments + blonde locks.

We like the entire look because grey is an excellent neutral. And when you wear the same color from head-to-toe, you appear slimmer + taller. In this case, a simple, loose grey tee-shirt + grey skinnies with taupe pumps.

If you order the Black orchid Kim jeans now, you will receive them in April. Have to pre-order, ladies.

St. Ives: Drugstore Cheap And Effective And Eva Mendes Loves The Apricot Scrub

Who hasn't tried a St. Ives skin care product at least once in their lives?
We figure that just about 99% of you got addicted to that cult classic--St. Ives Apricot Scrub. And yeah....actress Eva Mendes has said it's a favorite of hers.

Why not?

St. Ives is cheap + effective. This #1 selling scrub* contains 100% natural exfoliants to deep clean pores. Apricot Extract deep cleans pores while gently removing dull, dead skin cells to reveal smoother skin.

 Now---St. Ives is pushing their NEW moisturizing body sprays all over the media. Maybe Eva has tried these, too:

 St. Ives Fresh Hydration Lotion Spray ($8, at drugstores). We found cheaper at Target--$5.99!
Take dry, dull skin and make it super silky, soft in seconds. We LOVE the beauty concept of a spray moisturizer. Spritz, spritz, rub it in....and you're good-to-go! We're a lazy bunch, so we think this is great! Plus....St. Ives' comes in 3 yummy scents:

Coconut Milk + Orchid Extract 
Oatmeal + Shea Butter
Citrus + Vitamin C
.
Of course, we choose the coconut scent, because we adore that familiar, beach-bathing aroma.

These sound springtime nice for tackling the dry, rough  spots we've all picked up during this long, ugly winter. The only con folks are saying about these body sprays---the stream shoots out cold, and kind of tough to deal with during these still frigid temps.

Man up, America. Spray fast and go!

Zoe Kravitz Creates Beauty Drama At "Divergent" Premiere

Zoe Kravitz did something a bit different for her latest red carpet look.

Instead of the typical black, cat eye, the young, pretty actress lightened it up with a lovely, gray/silver cat eye. It appears to be done with 2 eye shadows and possibly the stunning work by a professional makeup artist. It's a modern approach to a classic, sophisticated look.

Zoe stepped out in the sexy silver eye makeup with diamond chandeliers, tons more ear jewelry and an off-shoulder dress.

The only thing overdone, are too many earrings + nose ring, if we had to fault her on any fashion or beauty note.

Otherwise, we LOVE the full, natural eyebrows, nude lip, simple hair pulled back-in-a-bun and light foundation, so we can see her adorable freckles splashed across her nose.

Try the look with a duo eye shadow like NARS in Vent Glace ($35).

Would you rock a gray/silver cat eye?

For Big, Sexy Hair: Try The Driest Hairspray On The Market!

We all LOVE BIG, SEXY Hair! And the spring runways were showing just that---lots of touchable volume! Take a peek at Jenny Packham Spring 2014. (lotsa hair + romantic curls 'n waves)

There's a new hairspray in town  called, Big Sexy Hair (Get Layered) Flash Dry Thickening Hairspray. This is one of their great additions to the Big, Sexy Hair line.

We found it on SALe at BeautyBrands for only $8.99(8 oz. can), regularly retails for $17.98. Now that's a good budget buy!

So, what's so different about Flash Dry Thickening Hairspray?

The stuff can BOOST your hair's volume, thickness and hold. Plus it's got a buildable hold factor. It also adds shine, and it protects against protects against humidity, frizz, damaging UVA/UVB rays and static electricity!

And it's NOT sticky like some volumizing sprays. This one is packed with moisturizing agents allow for soft, big, touchable locks!

British Study Says Men Don't Really Like Women In Lots Of Makeup

Well, it's just one study, and it was conducted across the pond over in the UK.

And the results are rather interesting. Here's the big reveal with 3 key points:

1. The study found that men prefer women when they wear less make-up.

• 2. In many cases, men preferred the opposite sex to wear 40% fewer cosmetic products.
• 3. It also found women think fellow females look better in natural make-up.

Oh, really? We're not sure about that.

According to the British publication, Daily Mail, the results speak for themselves.

"The take home message from this study is that our ideas about what the opposite sex find attractive are often inaccurate, whether it relates to body size, weight, or even something like make-up use," continued Dr Alex Jones, a psychologist involved in the study.

"The misconceptions play a role in body image and self esteem issues and are sadly based on simple misunderstandings."

The study conducted at Bangor University will be published in the Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology.

Okay....so gentlemen + most ladies, too, here are a bunch of celebs who got snapped WITHOUT makeup on.

If you all think this is really attractive, then well, we will just say nothing more. We think everyone looks even lovelier with mascara, blush, gloss, etc.

Lisa Rinna's Lips Look Larger Than Almost 4 Years After Lip Reduction Surgery

Maybe we just need better glasses, but we aren't alone in this thought. People have been remarking about Lisa Rinna's lips, again. Yes, the lips curiously look larger than when she had lip reduction surgery back in August 2010.

The sexy, former "Days of Our Lives" star said her voluptuous mouth made her who she was in Hollywood. But it was a bad filler called silicone that hardened her upper lip, creating an over-inflated, odd-looking shape to her pretty mouth. 

This is what she said one year ago on the "Today" show

"Here's the story: 25 years ago, I had my lips injected with silicone. Stupid thing to do at 24," Lisa told Hoda Kotb.

"I did it with my best girlfriend, so she and I go and we get our lips done," she continued. "Fine. I have it like that for my whole career, right? So then cut to a couple of years ago, I have a doctor remove as much as they possibly can because it got to the point where they were yucky. You know, they get hard. It's gross. So they are now whatever that was after they took out as much of the silicone as they could."

Lisa Rinna BEFORE surgery 2009

Lisa Rinna Post-surgery 1/2014

Now, one year later and Lisa's lips appear as large or almost as large as the silicone pair she had in 2009 and those 20-plus years prior.

Lisa Rinna Post-surgery 2/2014

So, what has Lisa possibly done?

She might have had, we emphasize 'might', a better filler injected, such as a Hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers like Juvederm + Restylane. These fillers wear out after a few months.

We think Lisa Rinna's lips appear inflated, once again, but in a smoother, more natural way.

What do you think, dear readers?

Rippa Is Ripped: Kelly's Breakfast Secret Contains Avocado

We all know and love Kelly Rippa from "Live with Kelly and Michael."

And there's no secret here: Rippa is ripped!!

You won't find an ounce of fat anywhere on Kelly's body. Possibly in her little, belly button, but that's about it. The woman is ultra-light but quite muscular for her tiny size.

The daytime star is a work-out freak and disciplined dieter. You will either LOVE Kelly Rippa's physique or hate it.

And it hasn't been easy for Kelly to ignore the constant, cruel tabloid headlines and comments about her such as, anorexic, eating disorder, boy's body, and so forth.

We don't know Kelly Rippa, but we do see a fit body.

Is she scary skinny, like a lot of folks say?

Well, we think she is down too fine, especially after having seen the actress spend a number of years on the former soap, "All my Children." There she was much heavier if we can use that term, and she looked equally gorgeous.

Today on "Live with Kelly and Michael,", the topic of breakfast came up. Kelly admitted that she doesn't indulge until AFTER the show, which ends at 10 AM.

She used to have this for breakfast:

Greek yogurt with blueberries + pistachios mixed in.

This morning, Kelly Rippa introduced her new fave breakfast:

mashed avocado on an English muffin with red pepper flakes.

Kelly was raving about how nutritious the avocado is, and she is right.

The avocado is such an amazing food on all fronts.  Even babies can enjoy it as one of their first fruits.  The avocado is heart-healthy full of good fats that can lower bad cholesterol.  The soft inner fruit is packed with almost 20 vitamins and minerals, and one serving boasts a mere 50 calories. Plus this little, dynamo with the thick, pebbly skin is cholesterol-free and sodium-free.

We love avocado and we think this is a filling, little breakfast!

Thanks, Kelly!

Kardashian - Jenner Girls Leading The Plaid Parade: Look Remains Hot For Spring 2014!

Rodarte Spring 2014.

We caught this on the runway! Plaid.

Flannel plaid for those warm spring days?

Well, it's still a popular fashion trend, but this is called faux flannel plaid. And it's HOT! The plaid is a print on a lighter fabric.

Still, there are cool days + breezy nights, so a REAL flannel shirt is great way to cozy up in or to tie around the waist as a cool accessory.

The Kardashian sisters and Jenner sisters have all been taking the flannel plaid shirt to the casual level, especially Khloe. And we like the grunge 90's look.

Want to copy Khloe's plaid flannel shirt?

She's wearing the popular Pyrex 23 shirt ($48, one size).

Will you be joining the fashion plaid parade?