Vitamin C Serum: Do You Really Need This Stuff For Great Skin?

Well, probably. We are going to start adding a Vitamin C serum to our beauty regimen in 2014.

We LOVE Retin-A, and believe it has actually saved our complexion. Toss in some alpha hydroxy acids like glycolic acid, and you have our recipe for hopefully younger-looking skin.

But now, after writing plenty of BeautyTipToday articles about developing healthier, more beautiful skin, we are intrigued by Vitamin C serum.

The reason we have never tried it was because of the product's instability. In other words, there's usually a shelf-date for the effectiveness of this collagen-building serum.

So--not EVERY Vitamin C serum is alike, unfortunately. The serum breaks down after a while. Our humble advice---Do your beauty homework and find a good 'C.'

What's so special  about Vitamin C?

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. 

Just remember: Do NOT use Vitamin C serum together with Retin-A. Apply the C in the A.M. AFTER you wash your face. Put on the A in the P.M.

And do NOT apply Vitamin C with your AHAs at the same time. Apply C in the morning one day.  The next day put on the AHA in the morning, and so on....

Try Dr. Cynthia Bailey's Professional Cell Repair Serum ($110, an excellent Vitamin C skin serum).

Animal Print Heels Still A Fab Trend For Winter 2014

Okay,  so maybe we both CAN'T afford a swanky pair of BB Patent Leather Leopard-Print Pumps by the shoe god himself, Manolo Blahnik.

At $665 a pair, well, this might NOT be advisable for your current fashion budget.

Look at pop star Selena Gomez in her wild Giuseppe Zanotti Leopard Print Pumps.

And there's Christina Aguilera hitting all the high notes in her animal print pumps.

 But that's alright. You can FAKE the hot trend by buying cheaper. So, let's go SHOPPING!

Here's the J. Crew Collection Everly Calf Hair Pumps ($350).

And here's another nice version, the Nine West StormChasr Pump ($49.99).

You now have the "eye of the tiger." You are hip, trendy and "Queen of the Jungle" in 2014!

Phew! Kim Kardashian Returns To Her Real Dark Roots In February

Kim Kardashian's blonde ambition tour is NOW over!

The most famous TV reality star has returned to her REAL dark roots. No more sexy, bottled blonde. Bye-Bye smelly peroxide. Hello, beautiful brunette!

Although, she can rock any hair color, we think Kim K looks SO MUCH better in her darker, more natural brunette hair. The color is not the signature raven tresses we all remember. But---the brunette color is dark + warm at the moment.

Whether the fiance of Kanye West goes even darker, we're not sure, but she looks very nice.

Most professional hair colorists warn all of us about straying too many shades AWAY from our natural hair color.

Why?

 Because the dyeing process is lengthy + tricky and does NOT easily complement our skin tones.

 We felt that Kim looked older + washed-out with the honey blonde look. She carried it for 8 months.

A lot of women LOVED the celebrity's blonde ambition and might be disappointed that Kim K has just taken a beauty walk on the dark side.

We do admire Kim for taking beauty challenges. She's lucky she has super stylists + makeup artists ready to transform her when she wants a radical change.

What do you think, dear readers.....

Is Kim Better Blonde or Brunette?

Celebrity Selena Style: Crisp White Shirt + Skinny Jeans

Singer Selena Gomez ALWAYS looks great on the red carpet. And she also wears it well kicking back in casual.

Look at the cute star in a simple, button-down,  crisp, white shirt and shredded skinny jeans!

Okay, so Selena forgot her bra on purpose.  And yeah, the crisp, white shirt is plunging, but her breasts are small enough, that it really is NOT a problem.

WE think the fab friend of Justin Bieber looks gorgeous and hitting all the right style notes.

You CAN'T go wrong wearing a white shirt and jeans. Just take a look at fashionable Nicole Richie in a similar look. We LOVE that, too.

And there's Julianne Hough in the same, classic,'uniform.'

It's all chic, simple + stylish. No one is overdosing on accessories either.

We found a crisp, white shirt from Forever21 on SALE for $15.99. Plus it has gold, pyramid trim on the cuffs. Lots of white shirts at Forever 21. You can still look good on a budget.

Kim, Khloe + Kourtney Keep 'Kashing' In With New Line Of Gold-Plated Aviator Sunglasses

Kim, Khloe + Kourtney keep on keeping on!

Although TV ratings for the new E! 9th season of Keeping up with the Kardashians are down, that isn't stopping the K-sisters from 'kashing' in on some still wonderful opportunities.

These savvy businesswomen are at it, again. This time, Kim, Khloe + Kourtney are selling a new limited edition line of gold-plated aviators.

Smart girls. The aviator style is classic and will NEVER go out of fashion. So many celebs wear aviators, like Gisele Bunchen, Angelina Jolie, Nicole Richie, and so on. We have written about the aviator lens tons of times here at BeautyTipToday.com.

Iconic American sportswear designer Michael Kors says that aviators are the key to a glam, classic sense of style.

"Aviator Sunglasses make any outfit sexy," Michael Kors says.

We happen to agree 100%.

These luxury shades from the Kardashian Kollection are NOT cheap. A pair will run you $249 plus FREE shipping worldwide.

Are you going to keep up?

Check out these cool aviators with the KK logo!

Halle Berry Walks Red Carpet Wearing Sexy Ear Cuff Trend

What a sexy mama!

There's Oscar winner Halle Berry back on the red carpet following the birth of her 2nd child, Maceo, LESS than 4 months ago.

The gorgeous actress who is now married to actor Olivier Martinez looked elegant + edgy in a short, black dress with fringed sides + plunging neckline.

She was being honored at the Acapulco Film Festival in Mexico last evening.

Her hair was cropped but with longer, side-swept, razored bangs.

And Halle was also decked out in her new, signature trend---the ear cuff!

Love it!

The ear cuff is a HOT bit of jewelry with a modern twist.

Lots of celebs have been putting them on, including Alicia Keys, Rihanna, Jessica Alba, Rita Ora, Nicole Richie, Emma Watson and Cara Delevingne.

So, are ear cuffs only for those UNDER 40? No! Jewelry has no age limit. And Halle is 47.

You can find pretty ear cuffs just about everywhere.

Check out this silver ear cuff for $19.

Are You Mascara Crazy? Relax---Most Women Are!

We happen to believe that black mascara is truly a girl's best beauty friend.

Don't think so?

Well, InStyle magazine surveyed a bunch of women recently, and asked them this:

WHICH WOULD YOU NEVER, EVER BE CAUGHT DEAD WITHOUT?

42% Mascara
28% Foundation
20% Lip Gloss
10% Blush

There you have it. And we have to agree.

Mascara. It REALLY makes your eyes pop! So, yes, in our humble estimation....mascara is a beauty MUST EVERY DAY.

So, let's try some newer mascara formulas in 2014 for longer, fuller lashes:

1. SMASHBOX Full Exposure Mascara ($19.50, at sephora). "Inspired by Smashbox's on-set technique of layering fiber mascara over volumizing mascara for the biggest, longest lashes on camera, Full Exposure Mascara creates a 104% increase in lash volume for scene-stealing lashes at every angle without smudging, clumping, or flaking."
2. Lights, Camera, Flashes 4-in-1 Statement Mascara From Tarte Cosmetics($23, at tartecosmetics). "Take your lashes to the extreme with this ultra-black mascara that lengthens, curls and magnifies for an intensified look proven to increase lash volume by 752% instantly!"

3. Volum' Express® Falsies Big Eyes Washable Mascara ($6.99, at target). "Now get bigger, wide-open eyes with 360 degrees of lash glam volume! The Upper Brush pushes lashes over the top while the lower Micro-Brush grabs every tiny bottom lash for a full circle effect."