Avon Cream Blush: Quick, Pretty, and Easy

Tired of looking drained out by the frosty, dry air? We could all use a little glow these winter days. And blush is one of the best beauty items to reach for, even when you don't have time for anything else makeup-wise.

Blush gives you an instant warmth and depth to your face and bone structure, at least that is what the famous makeup artists we have interviewed here at BeautyTipToday like to tell us. New York City's legendary celeb artist Sandy Linter, says that just foundation alone looks 'weird' and too one-dimensional. And that a little cream blush is pretty and brings out one's features.

Today, we are looking at Avon's cream cheek color. This blush will paint a rosy, natural glow. And it comes in a tube form and simple to apply: quick, pretty, and easy. And it's called Be Blushed Cheek Color ($8, at avon.com, or from your Avon lady).

Available in 8 soft and natural shades. And this product is very blendable and won't cause break-outs.

Makeup artist-to-the-stars Holly Carter, told People StyleWatch that she loves Avon's Be Blushed Cheek Color in Icy Petal. Holly says the cream base is long-lasting, delivers a fresh glow.

Icy Petal it is. Soft and sheer.

Keep Makeup Matte The Cheap Way With e.l.f.

Beauty on the cheap.

We've all got to keep a sharp eye on our shopping these days. So why not pick up an effective beauty buy and save a few dollars!

Our Beauty Tip Today is all about keeping makeup matte. And doing it on the cheap with e.l.f. -eyes, lips, face. Yes, ladies, dewy is good, but shiny is not. We know, there is a fine line between the two.

The greasies or an oily complexion are frustrating. Maybe you work in a restaurant, and have little time to re-do your makeup. Maybe you're just sitting pretty and still end up with too much shine. There is a quick and efficient way to 'mattify' your face.

Try elf Cosmetics Shine Erasers (only $1 for 50, eyeslipsface.com). 50 sheets to blot up your shine!! That's a super bargain, when you consider that MAC sells their blotting papers for about $12.


elf describes their Shine Erasers like this:

These amazing little sheets instantly absorb oil, minimize pores and mattify shiny skin. Woven texture eradicates shine and keeps skin matte for hours. Green Tea Extract helps re-texturize skin, masking facial imperfections. Travel pack fits neatly in purse for on-the-go touch-ups. Contains: 50 sheets.
Gently pull out Shine Eraser sheet from envelope. Blot sheet in T-Zone.Flip sheet and blot all other facial areas.Use whenever skin needs to be mattified.

Even CosmoGirl magazine thinks these little oil blotters are wonderful for keeping away the greasies. The mag wrote about them in their makeup matte article.

Now that's a decent bargain!!

And while you're shopping elf, check out their cute and roomy makeup bags, now on sale at 75% off. Just use the code at their website.

Just keep your makeup matte and do it the cheap way!

Let's Go Nude For Hands And Toes In Spring 2009

Alright, ladies. If you've had enough of the gray/griege/grey nail polishes of late, or the dark shades like navy blue and plum, let's go nude/neutral!!!

We're heading to the softer, flesh-toned colors for Spring 2009!! All you had to do, was take a look at the runway models, and nude nail polish was the easy favorite. Even Hollywood A-listers like sexy Eva Mendes recently posed for photos, showing off elegant, nude nails.

Pictured above, is Creative Nail Design's (CND) Cocoa nail enamel ($6). This particular shade was hot on the catwalk of popular designers like Nina Ricci.

And try out OPI's Nail Laquer in Sand in My Suit ($9). From the South Beach collection. A lovely, shimmery nude. The only frost in the set for 2009.

Or how about Essie's Eternal Optimist ($9 ). A sexy fleshy-toned creme nail shade. Another hot hue for the Spring of 2009.


Let's face it, ladies. Nudes and neutrals look gorgeous on our toes. And when you wear flesh-tones on your fingernails, the effect is one of elegance. The color also elongates and slims the hands. It's a very wealthy look. And the upkeep isn't that hard to handle.

So if you're growing weary of snow and icy, gray days, maybe you can spring ahead with all the pretty and soft looks for the new year. Remember:

Let's go nude for hands and toes in Spring 2009!!!

How To Relieve And Relax The Redness In Your Face

Ruddy complexion?

Don't feel bad. It's a problem that can attack your skin at different stages of your life. Having a red face, however, is not what you should be aiming for. Some people think that a red, flushed face is healthy. No, it is not.

A ruddy complexion means your face is inflamed. And the redness can come from a few sources, namely sun damage. Or from being sensitive to products. Or caused by rosacea, an acne-like skin condition. Blood vessels react by dilating, and that in turn, brings on the redness and/or blotchy look.

We have a few beauty treatments for you that aim to relieve and relax the redness in your face.

You want to remember, that you are trying to neutralize the redness. You can do that with products that contain anti-inflammatory properties like licorice extract and chamomille. And you can also cover your ruddiness during the day with green-based correcting serums or creams. Yes, the green balances out the redness.

Here are 3 beauty treatments we like for relaxing the redness:

1. Eucerin Redness Relief Soothing Cleanser ($8.99, at drugstores). Oil-free and very calming. This is a well-liked and gentle cleanser for ruddy complexions. Eucerin features a gel-based formula that effectively cleans skin and calms the redness down. Doesn't aggravate sensitive skin and leaves face soft and soothed.

2. Darphin Intral Redness Relief Soothing Serum ($110, darphin.com). Pricey, indeed, but many women say it's worth the price. A strong but gentle concentrate of plant extracts like peony and chamomille. Simply massage in after cleansing to face and neck, and watch irritated skin smoothe and balance out the ruddiness.

3. Aveeno Ultra-Calming Night Cream ($13.99, at drustores). Try this popular brand to wipe away redness at night while sleeping. The Aveeno name has long stood for effective beauty treatments. Light and fast-absorbing with natural soothers like chamomille. Smoothes out skin texture and minimizes ruddiness. Keeps acne away, too. A nourishing and calming product at a reasonable price.

Add Lancome's Oscillation Mascara To 2009 Beauty Bag

We'll be very honest here. Maybelline's Great Lash Mascara has always been our favorite. And apparently for the nation, because one tube of Great Lash is sold every 1.6 seconds in the United States. Wow!

But there are some new formulas on the block, and you'd be wise to dig a little deeper into your wallet to try the multi-talented/gadget mascaras.

Namely---Lancome's Oscillation Mascara ($34, at fine dept. stores).

Maybe a bit pricey, but this one's a must-have to add to your 2009 beauty bag. It's worth the cost.

Lancome makes great makeup. Period. And their mascaras have always been of exceptional quality. And yes, Dior, too, makes unstoppable long, thick lashes.

But this one is awesome!!! We got to finally sample the new Lancome PowerMascara. There was a huge waiting list of thousands.

What's so amazing?

7,000 oscillations per minute. A vibrating tube of mascara. Just one click of the button, and your stubborn eyelashes come alive!!

As lancome.com explains it:

With one easy new gesture, let the vibrating brush combined with an exquisitely smooth formula wrap every lash up to 360°.
- Instantly see a fascinating gaze: lashes appear ultimately extended, remarkably separated, and virtually multiplied in number.

We love mascara!!! And this one delivers!! And no, it doesn't shake like crazy. What it does, is boost your scrawny lashes, and builds big, amazing fringe around your eyes. For lower lashes, it's a bit trickier to manuever the PowerMascara wand. But the formula is superb.

Who are we to stop in the name of beauty technology? Best to get with it, and add this multi-talented mascara to your 2009 beauty bag. You'll be glad you did.

Chia Pet:New Health Food For Your Heart In 2009?!

Ch-ch-ch-Chia!!!

You know that catchy tune. The one that pops up on telelvision ads right before Christmas.

We know that many of you have given and received Chia pets as joke gifts, but you might want to re-think what's really in a Chia pet.

Chia seeds are the latest health fad going. The seeds are good for your heart and pack in more Omega 3's than flaxseed.
Whatever you do, don't eat your Chia pet. We'd prefer that you head to your local health food store and pick up a bag of Chia seeds. The seeds are sprouting across store shelves, as folks try and get on healthy diets in the new year.

Even Dr. Andrew Weil enjoys munching on the nutty-flavored chia seeds. And Dr. Weil is quite the nutrition guru. We found this great nugget of research at greengrownproducts.com:

Dr. Weil on Chia Seed:
"Unlike flaxseed, chia seeds can be stored for long periods without becoming rancid and don't require grinding (whole flaxseed is tough to digest). Chia provides fiber (about 2 tablespoons--25 g--give you 7 g of fiber) as well as other important nutrients, including calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, copper, niacin, and zinc.

Very few formal studies have looked at chia's benefits, although I expect that more will soon. In a preliminary study from the University of Toronto, researchers fed 21 diabetics either a supplement made from chia or grains with similar fiber content. After 3 months, blood pressure in patients taking chia dropped (10 points diastolic, 5 points systolic) while the grain group's BP remained steady.

I enjoy the seeds' nutlike flavor and consider them to be a healthful and interesting addition to my diet. You can sprinkle ground or whole chia seeds on cereal, yogurt, or salads; eat a handful of whole seeds as a snack; or grind them up and mix with flour when making muffins or other baked goods.Or make your own "chia fresca," a drink popular in Mexico and Central America: Stir 2 teaspoons of the seeds into 8 to 10 ounces of water (you'll end up with a slightly gelatinous liquid). Add lime or lemon juice and sugar to taste, and enjoy.My prediction? You will begin to see chia being added to more and more commercial products, such as prepared baby foods, nutrition bars, and baked goods."
- Andrew Weil, M.D.3 Reasons to Eat Chia

First Lady Makeup Tips And Kinder Gentler Eyebrows

Yesterday, Inauguration day, was a glorious day indeed!

And although all hopeful eyes were upon our new President Barack Obama, the fashion and makeup eyes were definitely and carefully examining our new First Lady Michelle Obama.

So how did she score?

We like to think back to our beloved Diana, the Princess of Wales. At the beginning, she had some fashion faux pas, with some less than attractive hats, and not-so-hot ball gowns. But once, the people's princess slowly adapted to her huge role and responsibilities, Diana became a fashion icon. And we like to think, that the same degree of Vogue appeal could bestow our First Lady Michelle in the months and years ahead. .

What Diana and Michelle share in common, are long legs and great height. They are both able to carry off many silhouettes and with great style.

We were not gaga over Michelle Obama's Inauguration dress/coat ensemble nor her Jason Wu chiffon one shoulder gown. We think she should stick to iconic designers like Ralph Lauren and Oscar de la Renta, when it comes to momentous occasions.

Meantime, we like Michelle Obama's hair and makeup. Subtle and simply elegant. We learned recently, that there had been a big-to-do about the First Lady's eyebrows. We had no idea, her high arches were causing unease among the masses. (Top photo- before)(Bottom photo- after).

We think the First Lady has pretty eyes and a great high brow bone. But her Chicago-based makeup artist Ingrid Grimes-Myles recently and reluctantly softened Mrs. Obama's eyebrows, so she didn't appear so angry or intense. Hmmm, we had never noticed anything bad about her eyebrows.

This is what Ingrid Grimes-Myles told the Chicagotribune.com:

"In the very beginning when I was training Michelle's brows, I trained them to grow in an angular way," said Grimes-Myles. "My personal aesthetic is that I like a high arch."

Then in late summer, criticism about the cast of Obama's brows reached critical mass.

"When she started getting that feedback—I have a rule: When three or more people give you feedback, that means hundreds are talking about it—then what I began to do is bring them down and train them down," Grimes-Myles said.

She emphasizes there was no all-out panic.

"As an artist I was surprised. ... And then I took my ego out of it and decided, oh, OK, to most people that would seem a little high. And Michelle ... likes herself. She is a very secure woman. It wasn't like, 'Oh, my God, people are saying my eyebrows are too sharp and too high!' It was something that we moved through very calmly."

And here are a couple of beauty and skin care secrets of our new First Lady:

This favorite said-to-be First Ladydaily beauty treatment from DeCleor (Paris) is already sold out!!

Decleor Excellence de L'Age Eye and Lip Regenerating Cream ($74, skinstore.com).

Benefits:
Helps reduce puffiness, dark circles and smooth fragile contours
Reduces the appearance of fines lines and wrinkles
A light but intensely nourishing daily treatment
Results in a luminous smile and redefined eye and lip contours

Michelle Obama is also a MAC gal, according to the Chicagotribune.com article. Her lips are nicely made up with MAC lip pencils---one darker, one light. Plus lipstick and gloss, which Ingrid Grimes-Myles custom-mixes.

We don't have the exact lip shades at the moment, because her makeup artist is not giving up all her secrets for that presidential smile.