Ellen DeGeneres Is the New Cover Girl....Really!!

Okay, at first, we weren't sure if she were kidding, but it's no joke. Funny gal Ellen DeGeneres is the new Cover Girl. Yes, for makeup. Duh!!!

Come January 2009, Ellen DeGeneres will be featured in Cover Girl Cosmetics ads. Exactly what makeup she will model, no one has the scoop yet. Will it be a new line of lipstick, foundation?

The newly married, award-winning television star, is very excited about her modeling side gig.

And 50-year-old Ellen has already had a cover shoot.

She adds, "It’s a very cool thing I’m honored and the photo shoot was 'easy, breezy, beautiful CoverGirl."

Cover Girl says Ellen is a great match for the well-respected makeup brand.

"Ellen is the quintessential CoverGirl," said Esi Eggleston Bracey, vice president and general manager, Global Cosmetics, for Procter & Gamble Beauty."She is smart, confident, natural, and beautiful from the inside out. Her beauty and down-to-earth personality fit perfectly with what CoverGirl represents."

We hear that the fresh-faced comedienne will work alongside Christie Brinkley, the original Cover Girl. The makeup giant is gearing its cosmetics at an older target group.

We know that some people are not pleased with Ellen DeGeneres achieiving Cover Girl status, because she doesn't wear much makeup and doesn't fit the beautiful model image. However, we think it's wonderful that Cover Girl is trying to reach as many women as it can. Diversity is the key here.

Ellen joins an exclusive club of recent Cover Girl spokespeople like--- Drew Barrymore, Queen Latifah, and Rihanna.

We like CG's makeup. The brand has been around a long time and consistently puts out a solid bunch of cosmetics. They are fashion-forward, always updating the look, and trying to appeal to real women, rather than just another pretty model-next-door.

Julianne Moore Votes Natural With Burt's Bees

Julianne Moore is a talented actress with striking red hair and a healthy glow. And now Julianne is taking wing with skin care giant Burt's Bees. She's trying to keep it real, or in other words---go natural when it comes to beauty and skin care products.

Julianne is all for toxin-free beauty products. And to keep that emphasis strong, Burt's Bees has hooked up with the National Products Association, and together, have created a Natural Seal. The green-colored leaf seal is placed on products that are at least 95% natural.(seal is pictured above). Look for the Natural Seal on products starting later this year.

The National Products Association has been around since 1936(www.nnfa.org/).

"As the leading voice of the natural products industry, the Natural Products Association's mission is to advocate for the rights of consumers to have access to products that will maintain and improve their health, and for the rights of retailers and suppliers to sell these products."

Julianne Moore just became the first person to 'Vote Natural' on the site, and support the case for toxin-free skin care items (http://www.votefornatural.com/).

Julianne explains her support for going au natural in the beauty department:

“When I had my first child, I became far more aware of the importance of the products we use in and on our bodies, in our homes, and more broadly, that affect our footprint on the environment,” she says. “It’s important to me to raise my children in a healthy environment, while preserving our environment.”

Cast your vote at http://www.votefornatural.com/ and win some super Burt's Bees prizes.

Julianne Moore has taken a stand, and hopes you will join her, too.

"I have been and will continue to make choices in my life and for my family to be as healthy as we can. Today I voted to renew that commitment and pledge to take the best care of my body for my well-being. I encourage each and every one of you to do the same—not just for your skin or for your health, but to improve your and your family’s overall well-being."

StriVectin Proves It's More Than A Stretch Mark Cream

Most women are familiar with StriVectin-SD, the still hugely popular formula for stretch marks and wrinkles. But the folks at Klein-Becker USA, have recently launched more beauty treatments to consistently remain a key player in the anti-aging skin care market around the globe. Not bad for a company quietly based in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Klein-Becker USA has created an entire arsenal of anti-aging beauty weapons. They've got you covered nicely from face to neck to decolletage to fingertips, and all those fine lines, in between.

How do the StriVectin people do it? Let's face it, their anti-aging products aren't the cheapest skin care items to buy. For instance, the StriVectin-SD formula for stretch marks and wrinkles costs $135 for a 6-oz tube. And yet, women continue to stock up on the treatment all over the world. Some try to find it for less on Ebay.

Klein Becker USA will tell you they have plenty of clinical trials to support the effectiveness of their anti-aging products, so the real science is there. In addition, StriVectin products are launched across the world by a very savvy group of public relations and marketing executives. And the rest is history.

We've seen women eager to try StriVectin Neck Cream, one of their newer skin care treatments. High-end department stores like Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Saks Fifth Avenue, Sephora, and many others, are carrying this $90, 1.4 oz. jar.

Hey, who wants a turkey neck?! A combination of botanical extracts from sweet almond, soy, and rye, blended perfectly with functional ingredients derived from pine tree and yeast, can do remarkable things. Instantly tighten and tone the neck skin and decolletage. Increase skin elasticity, firmness, and balance out skin tone.

StriVectin-SD Eye Cream ($59, 1.3 fl. oz) is another favorite in this beauty arsenal, containing the patented pentapeptide that produces amazing results. Reduces crow's feet. Reduces the appearance of dark circles. Restores collagen and smoothes skin in the orbital area.

Two newer Klein Becker items include---StriVectin-WF Instant Deep Wrinkle Filler ($59, .78 oz) and StriVectin Phase 2 Topical AntiOxidant ($109, 3.4 fl.oz). Again, these latest additions are flying off store shelves.

How do you know if your anti-aging treatment is really working? How long does it take? Are you wasting money and time on StriVectin?

Fair questions.

What if we suggested to patiently wait for your beauty treatment to work. At least a few months. That's what the professionals tell us. Beauty treatments take time to work.

Dr. German Todorov, a researcher with a lengthy background in biology and chemistry and keen interest in anti-aging science, has written an article at his website. Here is an excerpt from- What To Do If Nothing Seems To Improve Your Wrinkles:

"Another potential pitfall is a lack of patience. Skin changes do not happen rapidly. Keratinocytes, the cells of the epidermis, the skin's outer layer, are replaced about every four weeks. Changes in the dermis, the deeper layer where wrinkles originate, usually take longer. Even under the best of circumstances (i.e. proven treatment and responsive patient), changes are usually barely noticeable after one month. Most experts feel that 2-3 month is a reasonable trial period for anti-aging/anti-wrinkle products. Keep in mind that slow and gradual changes are hard to notice. Sometimes, a person may think that a product is not working even when it does. Unfortunately, objective measurements of treatment effects are hard to perform without a research lab. Some people resort to split face testing but that may be impractical over a span of 2-3 month. Another alternative is to take before and after photos. However, such photos are useful only if taken in reproducible, well-controlled lighting and camera conditions. This is doable but requires a substantial degree of diligence."(http://www.smartskincare.com/)

For more information on StriVectin skin care products, visit: http://www.strivectin.com/.

How To Get Gorgeous Hair The Terax Way

Terax Hair Care Products have been around for some 25 years now. It's the Italian way of delivering beautiful hair. Yes, Terax hair care products come from Bologna,Italy.

The company enjoys a grand reputation because celebrities and models are devoted to the brand. Your hair becomes the 'mane' event.

If your hair is damaged, and trust us, we all abuse our locks in some manner, at least once in a while, hop on the Terax bandwagon. The products are all free from sulfates, sodium chloride and artificial colors.

The most popular Terax hair care treatment enjoys a cult status:

Crema Ultra Moisturizing Daily Conditioner ($22, 6.7 oz. tube, www.drugstore.com, and several online stores).

How does Terax Crema Ultra Moisturizing Daily Conditioner deliver gorgeous hair?

With smart science and a couple of minutes in the shower. Then rinse out the conditoner, and you get shine, healthy texture, bounce, and beautiful hair.

Here's how the Terax people describe their award-winning moisturizer:

A moisturizing conditioner developed to help repair hair from the inside out. When used daily, Terax Original Crema™ revitalizes all types of hair, including severely damaged and chemically treated, by:

Detangling
Reducing static buildup
Improving elasticity
Calming frizziness

Not tested on animals.

InStyle magazine is always putting Terax Crema on its 'Best List' of hair care products to buy. Who needs another bad hair day, when all you have to do is apply, rinse, and style. Getting gorgerous hair just got easier.

Nivea Visage Products Now Discontinued Here In U.S.

Just an update to yesterday's article on the Nivea Visage Q10 beauty products. Boy, this one took us by surprise!

We were eager to tell you about the Nivea Visage beauty item that has been rocking the U.K.--Nivea Visage Anti-wrinkle Q10 Plus Day Care Cream. All our British beauties were saying such kind words about the dynamo cream. It sells for about $23 U.S. dollars there.

And we were looking all over to find it here in the U.S., but were only being offered a Nivea Visage beauty line excluding the British Q10 Plus product. So we were wondering if the U.S. and U.K. Nivea Visages were the same items with different labeling.

Hmmm. We couldn't get a straight answer. But here's the zinger:

If you were having trouble finding the Nivea Visage Q10 Advanced Wrinkle Reducer Cremes in our country, there is a good reason for it. Nivea is discontinuing their Visage line because of poor sales. Here is the email they sent us:

"Thank you for contacting us about Nivea Visage Q10 Advanced Wrinkle Reducer Day Creme. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but this product, and all NIVEA Visage products, are being discontinued in the U.S. It is a difficult decision to discontinue the production of any product, and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

We currently do not sell our products directly, but the health & beauty aid website www.drugstore.com may still have inventory. You may also be able to place an order with them by phone, 1-800-378-4786.Please call us at 1-800-227-4703 if you have any other questions or comments. Our phone lines are open Monday to Friday, 9:30 am to 4:30 pm EST.We appreciate your interest in Nivea Visage.

Cordially, Sam

Consumer RelationsBeiersdorf Inc."

Sam did not tell us in the body of the email, why the Nivea Visage line was being discontinued here in our states, but we made the 1-800 phone call, and spoke to a woman there, who quite tersely, told us poor sales were the reason for the discontinuation. The Nivea Visage line continues to thrive in Great Britain.

So, how do you get your hands on a jar of Nivea Visage Anti-wrinkle Q10 Plus Day Care Cream??? Good question.

Try http://www.britsuperstore.com/. We saw a bunch of Nivea Visage beauty products being offered. But we didn't see the Q10 Plus Day Care Cream. Instead, we saw the Q10 Plus Night Cream. Still, we are sure they could get it for you. And that one was being offered for only about $17.00, if my math is correct.

Hopefully, one of our beautiful British readers will chime in here for their opinions.

Never a dull moment in the high stakes of the beauty business. As model Heidi Klum likes to say:

"One day you are in, and one day, you are out!" Or something like that.

Bye-Bye To Wrinkles In 4 Weeks Says Nivea Q10 Plus

I must say, I have always used Nivea Creme on my body. I absolutely LOVE the orange-y scent it delivers. And I just like its smooth, creamy moisturizing formula. You know, the famous creme in the blue tin?

I have never tried Nivea beauty products on my face, however, but the Nivea people have me intrigued by their newest treatment:

Nivea Visage Anti-wrinkle Q10 Plus Day Cream with SPF 15 (about $23)

The only problem is, this wonderful beauty cream Q10 Plus, is not available here in the U.S. We heard about it being a big seller in Great Britain.

A similar cream sold here in our country is Nivea Visage Advanced Wrinkle Reducer Day Creme with SPF 8 and Q10 energy complex ($11.49, Walgreens). By the way, my mom has used this product and loves it. And she looks darn good. But it's becoming increasingly difficult to find in stores. It's easier to buy online. The reason? We have no clue.

Both Nivea beauty items claim to soften deeper wrinkles within 4 weeks time.

Is it the same product? We're not sure. We're going to have to do some further research.

Meantime, British women are raving about this Nivea product from their Visage Anti-wrinkle line. And this is what the beauty treatment claims it can do:

NIVEA VISAGE ANTI-WRINKLE Q10PLUS DAY CARE has now 100% more of Q10 than ever before as part of a high performing Anti-Wrinkle System. It activates skin’s energy metabolism from within thereby continuously fighting wrinkles in the deeper layers of the skin. The formula is now further enriched with SPF 15 to actively protect the skin against UVA/UVB damage and thereby help prevent further wrinkle formation.

Result:
Fine lines are reduced within hours
Mimic wrinkles are minimized within 3 weeks
Deeper wrinkles are reduced in only 4 weeks

We will dig deeper in the name of beauty. We're counting on the Nivea crew to get back to us, and explain the British beauty advantage, if there is one.

All Eyes Need Tender Loving Care To Stay Young

You have heard this from us before: The skin around your eyes is very delicate and thin. Eye wrinkles and crow's feet are usually the first signs of facial aging to appear, especially in fair-skinned people.

So what do we do?

Try not to squint. Seriously, you need to wear sunglasses whenever you are outdoors.

That's simple enough. But that's not enough. All eyes need tender loving care to stay young.

Christine Chin of New York City, is an expert in the world of beautiful skin. One of her most recognized clients is lovely supermodel Gisele Bundchen (Vogue photo).

Christine Chin Spa offers skin care and also her own brand of makeup and beauty treatments. Today's beauty tip looks at her Hydra-Lift Eye Gel ($49, 1.2 fl.oz., http://www.christinechin.com/).

"Refreshing, oil-free gel instantly firms undereye puffiness, visibly smoothes deepening lines and provides a crease-free shadow base throughout the day. 1.2 FL OZ (Energizing Eye Gel)."

Christine Chin recently told OK magazine, that she is very keen on this eye gel because it is a beauty product that targets the thin skin under our eyes:

"The skin around the eye area does not have oil glands, which means that it tends to dry and dehydrate and age the fastest. Your regular face cream is just not enough for the eye area. Use a heavier cream or serum."

Invest in an effective cream or serum that zeroes in on the eye area, like Christine Chin's Hydra-Lift Eye Gel. The price for an eye treatment always seems to cost a bit more, but you are getting a product that is made specifically to battle the fine lines in the eye area, and as we keep reminding you, it's the toughest area to keep youthful. So let's remember today: All eyes need tender loving care.

Amen to that.