Country Singer Taylor Swift's New Beauty Secret

Country's hot, young superstar Taylor Swift is proud of her #1 hit Love Story. In the refrain, Taylor keeps talking about "just say yes to romance."

So what does this all have to do with beauty secrets and makeup???

Someone recently asked the teen-aged singing star what she has "just said yes to recently."

And it had something to do with her lips.

"I bought red lipstick the other day," she recalls. "I'm the kind of person who's really modest with lip color. I think people are gonna throw something at me if I wear red lipstick! But I bought this red lipstick and started wearing it out, and it changed my life, I swear ... I wore it out of the store and felt like I was making this daring change!"

Taylor Swift didn't indicate what brand of red lipstick she wears, but she was eager to try something new in the makeup department, and we say, "Amen" to that.

By the way, red lipstick is not an easy shade to pull off, no matter what age you are. But there is a shade of red for almost all of us out there. So don't be shy, 'just say yes!'

Eyebrow Sealer Helps Keep Brows Neat And Pretty

Before we discuss eyebrow sealer and how it can maintain a perfect arch, let's first deal with these little 'frames' for our eyes.

Eyebrows. You either loves yours, or you don't. And there are several schools of thought on brows. Some makeup artists believe in the L.A. brow. That's the thin brow you see in the Los Angeles area. In other words, the Hollywood brow. Just look at today's actresses. Most are sporting highly arched and thin brows.

But some makeup legends like Sandy Linter, whose portfolio reads like a 'Who's Who' of famous and beautiful women, will always advise you, to keep your eyebrows natural. Sandy Linter says, that when you want to know what kind of brow to 'wear,' look at the photos of models in a magazine, for instance.

And Sandy Linter is on to something. Models are sporting thicker and more natural brows these days. She also warns women not to over-pluck, and not to have brows waxed. Instead, carefully remove the hairs you don't need, and don't fool around with trying to create a very high arch. Just trim the longer brow hairs with a scissor. Try to remove as little brow hair as necessary.

Sandy says, "Overly thin brows are aging on a woman."

Okay, we get the message, Sandy. Fuller brows are better.

Working with a little eyebrow makeup is okay, and some women who just don't have thick eyebrows, can work some colored eyebrow powder into their sparse hairs, to create a fuller and more natural brow.

Another neat little trick that gives fullness to the brows, is an eyebrow sealer. It's a little bottle of beauty magic that comes in a liquid or gel form that you brush on to your brows to 'set them.'

Eyebrow sealer accomplishes all this:

Holds natural brow and/or brow make up all day long
Will not dust, flake or shine
Easily removed with water and any cleanser

Here's a brand you can try that lots of women adore:

Model in a Bottle Long Lasting Eyebrow Sealer ($12, at beautyencounter.com).

And you could always try a little 'moustache wax' to keep those brow hairs in place. We had a girlfriend who used to steal her boyfriend's colorless moustache wax. It came with a little brush, and she would apply to her thick, gorgeous eyebrows, and they stayed in place all day.

Nah. He never found out she was stealing his wax.

Gossip Girls Dish About Their Favorite Makeup

Everyone loves television's Gossip Girls.

Their style. Their hair. Their makeup......

The girls always look so pretty and polished, especially blonde-haired beauty Taylor Momsen and raven-haired lovely Jessica Szohr.

Ever wish you could learn at least one makeup brand the Gossip Girls love to wear?

We did a little digging and came across 2 makeup items Taylor and Jessica can't live without. Thanks to In Touch magazine, we can now share them with you.

Any time you see Taylor Momsen, whether she's on the set, or rocking the red carpet, you will notice that she loves dark eyeliner, and isn't afraid to use it.

For that 70's rocker-chick look, Gossip Girl Taylor plays with smoky eye shadows. "I love MAC makeup for the eyes," she told In Touch.

We suggest trying: MAC Mineralize Eye Shadow in Word-of-Mouth ($18, maccosmetics.com).

For Gossip Girl's Jessica Szohr, it's all about smooth, even skin. Her complexion looks flawless, and she relies on this famous line of makeup. "I use Laura Mercier," Jessica explained to In Touch. "I have her foundation, and it's like OMG!!"

We suggest checking out: Laura Mercier Shimmer Bloc in Golden Mosaic ($38, sephora.com).

You Must Firm Up Your Bust With Avon Solutions

What can we say?!

We get several emails from time to time asking for a good cream to firm up the bust.

We are certainly no expert in this area, but we recently saw an ad for Avon, bragging about their wonderful contouring cream to lift a sagging bosom. We thought we'd take a closer look.

It's called, Bust Sculpt Contouring Cream by Avon Solutions ($17, 5 fl. oz.) And right now, buy one, and get the other for only $1.99. Now that's a great deal.

Does it really work, you ask, with a snarl in your tone?

According to the testimonials at the Avon website- http://shop.avon.com/shop/search.asp?find_spec=bust+sculpt+contouring+cream&department=search,

the bust-firming cream gets a 4.4 star rating out of a possible 5 stars. Or 91% of those who commented, would recommend this product to a friend.

Avon says their Bust Sculpt Contouring Cream is based on a unique formula they call--Virtual Bra Technology. This concept blends special ingredients that form a network of support around the bosom. And the longer you use the cream, the better the results.

Here's how Avon broke it down:

After one application, skin looks and feels softer, smoother and more supple.

• After one week, skin in the bust area feels tighter.

• After two weeks, breasts feel firmer.

• After four weeks, breasts look firmer

83% of women who tried it saw an overall improvement of the appearance in the bust area.

75% saw and felt their breasts were more toned.

77% felt tighter skin in the breast area75% saw a visible reduction in stretch marksHOW TO

USE: Use daily, applying to bust area in an upward motion.

This is the newest comment we saw at the Avon website about their Bust Sculpt Contouring Cream:

I've been made a believer!
Date: October 4, 2008
"This is a great product! My mom told me about this product, and after reading the reviews I had to try it. After losing a lot of weight plus breastfeeding my skin felt very loose and saggy. I've been using this for 2 months and I've gotten so firm it's unreal! I try to stock up when I see it on sale. Thank God for AVON!"

There you have it. For less than $20, you can try this bust-firming cream. And you can get 2 for under $20, one to give a friend. Okay, a close friend.

Jumping Rope A Super Fat Burner For Diet Plan

Maybe you jumped rope as a child. Our mother loved double dutch. And yes, we have fond memories of double dutch jump roping in the playground.

Jumping rope isn't just for kids. It's actually an excellent cardio movement for adults, for 3 reasons:

1. A super fat burner
2. Firms your legs nicely
3. An overall body exercise

We also love jumping rope because it's not that hard to do. You don't need much equipment. You can also do the exercise privately. Or you can jump rope with the family. Everyone can have fun and participate. You can jump rope indoors and outdoors.

Sure. You can spend lots of money for a fancy jump rope. Some have beautiful colors. Others have small weights in the handles. A few are Olympic style. And some moms use their daughters' simple jumping ropes. A rope doesn't have to break your budget.

According to the stats, "jumping rope at a moderate speed (between 70-85 turns a minute) for 15 minutes, burns almost 200 calories. That is about the same amount as running a 10-minute mile."

No. You will probably not be able to jump rope for a 15-minute period, at the beginning. Trust us, we could barely do a minute of straight jumping, before almost collapsing when we first started. But the more you jump rope, the easier it gets, and the quicker you will improve. And the exercise is great for your heart and lungs, the entire body.

Here are 4 important tips we found from Keith Byard in an old magazine. Keith taught 'sport-roping' at his gym in New York City:

1. Use proper form. In other words, jump low---just high enough to clear the rope--and move your wrists, not your arms or shoulders, as you jump. (Not as easy as it sounds)

2. Interval jump. Alternate 50 jumps with a 30-second rest period. Build up to 10 jump-rest intervals. (Yikes. You might want to try a few less as a beginner)

3. Side jacks. By changing jumps, you target different muscle groups. Assume a jumping jack position. Jump with your feet together, and then with them shoulder-length apart, as if you were indeed, doing a jumping jack. (Great for outer thighs.)

4. Crisscross. Jump and land with your feet apart. Then jump again, bringing your legs together and crisscrossing your ankles. Repeat the jump sequence by alternating your feet.

Whew. Out of breath yet? You don't have to jump like boxer Mike Tyson used to. Any little amount of jump roping is excellent for your health. As we said, it is a super fat burner for your diet plan. And you will get better as your jumping routine continues.

Are You A Winter, Summer, Spring, Or Autumn When It Comes To Makeup?

Have you ever heard someone tell you, "You're definitely a winter." Or, "That makeup shade is good for autumns."

That is a beauty science, if you will, called seasonal color analysis. It was a very popular makeup theory that was developed in the early 1980's. That's where hair color, skin tone, and eye color all play a big role in determining what colors go perfectly for you.

As archaic as seasonal color analysis might appear to many these days, we believe the color profiles for each and every woman, do hold merit. And at this moment, there are still many seasonal color analysts out there who can help you find the best colors for you. There are also several how-to books on the subject. The book we are looking at today, is by Carol Thompson. "Secrets to a Beautiful You."

If you think about it, don't certain shades look better on you? For instance, maybe you like how you appear better in white, rather than a creamy, yellow ivory? Or maybe fuchsia lipstick looks almost garish on you. Or pastels just 'don't do' anything for you, and so on.

According to the color experts, we are all born with either a yellow undertone (warm) or a blue undertone (cool).

And the color wheel is divided into the 4 seasons:

Either you are a spring - winter - summer - autumn

Here, Carol Thompson explains the 4 palettes:

The SPRING palette consists of clear, warm colors all with yellow undertones.
The palette includes: Neutrals: ivory, light to medium beiges, light to medium browns, warm gray and navy
Violet, periwinkle, true blue, aqua and turquoise
Apricot,peach, salmon, corals warm pink, clear bright red, light orange and orange-red
Pastel to bright yellow green, golden yellow and clear gold

The Winter palette contains the following colors:
Neutrals: White, light grays to charcoal gray, black, taupe, navy
True blue, royal blue, turquoise, royal purple
True green, emerald green, pine green
Hot pink, magenta, fuchsia, burgundy, blue-red & true-red
Icy green, icy yellow, icy aqua, icy violet, icy pink, icy blue
Jewelry: Silver

The Summer palette contains the following colors:
Neutrals: soft white, rose-beiges, rose-browns, blue-gray, navy
Powder blue from light to medium, periwinkle, aqua, blue-greens from light to deep
Blue pinks from light to medium, watermelon red, blue-red, burgundy
Lavender, raspberry, soft fuchsia, plum and lemon yellow
Jewelry: silver

The Autumn Palette contains the following colors;
Neutrals: Off whites, warm beiges from light to dark, warm browns from light to dark, camel, gold
Mustard, pumpkin, terra cotta, rust, peach & Salmon
Orange, orange-red, tomato red
Lime green, yellow-green, moss green, grayed green, olive green, jade green, forest green
Turquoise, teal blue, dark periwinkle blue
Jewelry: Gold

Chocolate Beauty Products Too Good To Eat

Yummy. Just the aroma, alone, of a fine piece of chocolate is so attractive to the senses.

Chocolate is so sinfully delicious. But did you know it also has strong anti-oxidant properties, and can actually be good for you, including your face and body?!

There are real beauty treatments that include chocolate---either in scent, cocoa powder, or cocoa butter, etc. Chocolate beauty products make elegant Christmas gifts, and the best part, each one is calorie-free!!

We have found 3 chocolate beauty products we would like to share with you:

First we have Fresh Orange Chocolate Petite Soap ($12, 5 oz. box). Just the scent alone, is enough to want you begging for more. Smells like an orange chocolate truffle. This soap is actually a nice lathering cleanser. Rich in shea butter and vegetable glycerin. Find it at http://www.fresh.com/.


And for your face, you must try Lush Cupcake Fresh Face Mask (under $10 at a Macy's counter near you). How about this one---a delightful minty chocolate face mask. This will brighten up and soften winter-dry skin. Formulated with wonderful and creamy cocoa butter and peppermint and spearmint oils. It even looks like a cupcake. A nice, refreshing consistency. Must be kept in the fridge--really fresh ingredients. Good for sensitive skin. Too bad we can't eat it.

And lastly, Garden Botanika ChocoLatte Body Souffle (now on sale $6.00, 4.4 fl. oz.- http://www.gardenbotanika.com/.) What a decadent way to go----one of the nicest chocolate aromas in a jar. Simply nourishing for your entire body. Takes away the winter-whipped dry skin. In a light and fluffy base--really does the job, with cocoa extract and arabica coffee bean extract.