Jersey Mom Takes Extreme Tanning To Scary Limit: We Can All Learn Something

We certainly don't wish to make Jersey mom Patricia Krentcil the poster child for extreme tanning. But maybe, we can all learn something from this.

The 44-year-old New Jersey woman was hauled into court yesterday for allegedly sneaking her 5-year-old daughter into a tanning salon. Her attorney denies the charges.

As you can tell by the photo, Patricia Krentcil likes to tan-- a lot! In fact, she hits the indoor tanning booth 5 days a week at the maximum and spends $100 a month there.

This poor woman has now become the butt of many late night TV jokes, and yeah, we DO feel sorry for her and her family.

We don't wish her any ill will. We only wish she would take better care of her skin, because at age 44, time is running out.

We all know about the dangers of too much sun and the indoor tanning booths that help you achieve that golden glow no matter what the weather is doing all-year-long.

And BeautyTipToday is certainly not here to judge. We did our own sun damage years ago, when we spent our childhood/adolescence EVERY summer at our grandparents' house-by-the-beach We are paying for it now.

We have friends and relatives who worship the tanning rays of the sun, both indoors and outdoors. And they look healthy and golden brown.

We can't help but shudder though, when we read this in the NY Daily News:

...."Going to a tanning salon even just one time is dangerous. Tanning booths are considered a Class 1 carcinogen by the World Health Organization. This is the same category that plutonium is put in!"

Those words by Dr. Joshua Zeichner, director of cosmetic and clinical research in the dermatology department at Mount Sinai Medical Center.

And here's a bit more information from another respected NYC plastic surgeon, Robert Tornambe, M.D.:

"The primary culprit causing melanoma(skin cancer) is UV light from the sun or tanning beds," he explains. "Research shows indoor tanning increases a person's melanoma risk by 75 percent! Anyone can get melanoma, but there is a higher incidence in people with fair skin, sun-sensitive skin (tends to burn rather than tan) and a family history of the disease. Five or more sunburns during your lifetime double your risk of developing skin cancer. 80 percent of lifetime sun damage occurs during childhood."

Are You About To Turn 30? Remember This Word: Exfoliation

We all know Angie Harmon, the gorgeous former model and star of the TNT drama 'Rizzoli & Isles.'

She celebrates her 40th birthday in August.

But did you know that Angie was not crazy about the time she left her 20's?

"I'm not gonna lie: I was scared to turn 30," she says.

Angie Harmon is just one of the contributors of a wonderful new book called, 'Thirty Things Every Woman Should Have and Should Know by the Time She's 30,' by the editors of Glamour magazine.

We were reading through a few of these nuggets of advice in the May issue of Glamour, when we stumbled on to Angie's thoughts for the gal turning 30.

Here is one of the key pieces of advice the actress mentioned:

"You HAVE to exfoliate for young-looking skin. End of discussion."

Big deal, you say? Yeah, it IS a big deal.

Let's look at what exfoliation really is. According to Wikipedia, it's all about 'shedding.' Out with the old--in with the new:

...."Exfoliation involves the removal of the oldest dead skin cells on the skin's outermost surface, and has been used for many years to help maintain skin. Exfoliation is involved in the process of all facials, during microdermabrasion or chemical peels at medical spas. Exfoliation can be achieved through mechanical or chemical means."

In other words, you have to work at maintaining good-looking skin AFTER age 30. It is not a given. And exfoliation delivers a softer, clearer and more glowing complexion. Your anti-aging products can penetrate more effectively because pores become un-clogged when you routinely exfoliate.

Start off with a decent facial cleanser, one that contains exfoliating properties---like Alpha Hydroxy Acid, Salicylic Acid, or Beta Hydroxy Acid. These help loosen up the dead skin cells.

From mechanical exfoliation, you can then proceed to chemical exfoliation, which includes facial peels and the like. You will notice a difference---your skin becomes so soft and your complexion becomes radiant.

If you're new to all things exfoliation, a dermatologist can guide you in the right direction.

Handbag? Why Not Tuck All Your Stuff Into New JoeyBra!

Oh, my!

Has it really come to this? Has mankind's obsession with wireless technology now led us to our bras, where we can stuff more than just padding into them?

Get this.....a couple of clever college students, Mariah Gentry and Kyle Barlow, are the co-founders of the JoeyBra, designed for women to tuck away all their essentials when a handbag won't do.

Nope---you're not putting your cell phone in with the gel pads. You're neatly and discreetly hiding it, along with I.D., credit card, lipstick, iPad, or maybe a key in a little pouch along the side of the bra. Check out the JoeyBra in the photo.

Maybe you've had some friends who have tucked away a few tiny items in their cleavage, but this is totally different--- the modern way, you could say. The smart duo is targeting college students and offers the choice of a strapless version and an 8-way convertible strap version.

Okay, but how do you retrieve your phone without making it look a bit awkward? I mean....that's just one of the kinks that makes it a little weird for us.

By the way, the 'pocketed' JoeyBra will go on sale at the University of Washington Book Store in June at a discounted $19.99 rate for students(usually available at $29.99).

Designers Mariah and Kyle hope to get enough funding to bring the JoeyBra into the mainstream retail market within 2 years.

To learn more about the JoeyBra and see more photos, click here.

Something Sheer Is Surely A Sign Of Spring/Summer 2012

Is it us? Or has fabric for Spring/Summer 2012 taken the peek-a-boo route?

Everywhere you turn, sheer tops are the HOT new trend! And we're not just talking about lace. We know that is BIG, too.

A little touch of sheer-ness never hurt anyone, and when tastefully done, it can only boost your wardrobe.

You don't have to be model-slim to wear sheer tops, either. Nailing the sheer-ness in all the right places can hide little imperfections.

We checked out the ever-popular Forever21 shopping site. And under sheer tops, we found 1,165 to choose from! Wow! Tons of colors, styles, patterns, and degrees of sheer-ness to look at.

Obviously, if a top is sheer, you need a camisole or bra or both, to make it look right.

Here's a little sample of what we hunted down. And the prices won't bust your budget:

1. Vertical Stripe High-Low Top ($17.80).

2. Lace Trim Peasant Top ($19.80).

3. Sheer Polka Dot Shirt ($24.80).

Don't be shy. You can always 'hide' your sheer top inside a blazer or light cardigan if you feel you're showing off too much sheer-ness.

Go To Sleep With This On And Wake Up To Brighter Skin

We've learned that beauty sleep is really something we all need. Our skin needs rest to 'repair' itself at night. And if we apply the right creams and serums to our complexions before we hit the pillow every evening, then the results speak for themselves.

That is why we are looking at Korres' new Wild Rose + Vitamin C Advanced Brightening Sleeping Facial ($48, at Sephora). The company likes to call this product an overnight facial-in-a-jar. Put some on at night, and wake up to brighter, more even-toned skin.

Wild Rose + Vitamin C is from Korres, Greece's oldest homeopathic pharmacy. That's got to count for something!

So, what's so great about a Vitamin C cream/serum?

Plenty....Vitamin C, referred to by scientists as a powerful anti-aging vitamin, is known for its remarkable ability to help visibly brighten and balance out skin tone, zero in on dark spots, while helping skin defend itself against future damage.

And this little jar of beauty contains 5X more concentrated Vitamin C for extra potent power! It's 95% natural content, feather-light as a souffle, and rapidly melts into your complexion. You awaken with petal-soft skin by morning.

Here's to a better tomorrow for all of us!

Do You Do Distressed Denim? It's Boho-Hot!

Distressed!

That's the word for denim at the moment. You can wear 'em faded, frayed, beaten-up, or just a bit worn-in, when it comes to your jean jacket or denim vest.

A few tears and rips, and you're looking as hot as Rihanna in her Acne distressed jacket.

It's super boho-chic, especially when you pair it with a lovely maxi dress.

The only fashion danger we see is going to the extreme, where Rihanna as sexy as she is, is just a couple of steps from hobo status. You don't want to let your distressed denim get to the point of too falling apart.....Just saying.

We found a cool distressed vest by M2F ($128, at Free People Boutique. We love the raw edges around the armholes (bottom photo).

If this is too high a pricetag for a denim vest, you could 'distress' your own with a razor, knife, scissors, and/or some bleach. Lots of people do their own distressing, and do it very well.

Good luck!

Olivia Wilde Says 'No Tweezing': Eyebrow-Challenged

Actress Olivia Wilde has the kind of beautiful bone structure women want to be blessed with.

But when it comes to her eyebrows, well, she's a lot like the rest of us---Olivia is struggling with thin brows. We never really noticed her beauty problem until she mentioned it recently to the New York Times T magazine.

The 28-year-old star told them she does NOT tweeze:

"I’ve been letting them grow in for years," Olivia says. "I try to fill them in wherever nature has abandoned me. I just fill in under the arch and soften them up a bit."

We get it....We've been there, too.

The former House actress is busy as a Revlon spokesperson these days, and most recently, as one of the executive producers of 'Baseball in the Time of Cholera,' a short film presented at the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival.

Olivia is so pretty that we suppose she could get away with any hair color, and right now, that shade is blonde.

"I am really enjoying being a blonde," she explains — she now chooses a brighter brow color. "My natural brows are quite pointy," she reveals. "I soften them so I look less like some evil Disney queen!"

Gotta love her. Not lovin' the lighter tresses, though. We think Olivia is stunning as a brunette.

What do you think?