Category: Beauty Tips


The Star Brows Blog  Has Moved Please Visit this Link for the Post on the New Site.

For Star Brow of the Week I chose Katy Perry, she is very “Old Hollywood” here, and it is stunning.

What do I love about her look?

1. Beautiful brows are really only part of the picture, you can see that in this photo – the hair, the foundation, the lips, and her beauty mark – all help show off perfect brows.

I have a $24 service called Express Brow Design  that is supposed to be 10 minutes long, but in order to send perfect brows out the door, I need to fix up the rest, which can take a little (sometimes a lot) longer.

2. The arch is really stretched out here – it helps accomadate her big eyes, high cheek bones and long jaw.

3. The color and density of the brow shape are strong, which works well with the rich colored lip and blue-black hair.

4. There is perfect placement of the anatomy of the brow.

5. Her complexion and dress are very soft and peachy – nice contrast. Ten!

See you at the new spa!

The Star Brows Blog  Has Moved Please Visit this Link for the Post on the New Site. 

For my first winner of Star Brow of the Week I choose the inimitable Audrey Hepburn. The camera loved her. I saw a documentary on her life last night, and she was every bit as beautiful on the inside. Her acting was wonderful, but her humanitarian efforts were most remarkable.

What do I love about her eyebrows?

1. The “head” of the brow draws the viewer’s eye gracefully down her nose, to her mouth and back up to her eyes. I call this the Aesthetic Triangle, the communication hub of the face. This is why I preach, “keep the brow on the “nose side” of the tear duct”.  If it falls short, it will draw the viewer’s eye to the dreaded under-eye circles. 😦

2. Notice how the arch is located above the outside edge of the iris?

3. And my favorite part – see how the “tail” of the brow swoops up slightly? Lovely. It mimics the curve of her lips.

Go to Shaping Your Eyebrows with Perfect Precision, a three-part brow shaping tutorial for more brow shaping help.

See you at the new spa!

The Star Brows Blog  Has Moved Please Visit this Link for the Post on the New Site. 

The lovelies at Eva’s Esthetics offered a special yesterday on their creams, so I thought I would “pay it forward.” Here is an educational video about the creams offered, from Tu’el’s President Lori Nestore.

The Product Feature this month will help get your skin ready for summer! There are four creams for four different skin types in the Tu’el line: Vitamin, Chamomile, Lipo-Gen, and Regeneration.

Vitamin Cream– a protective cream with Vitamins E, A, and B to lubricate and seal in moisture for dry skin

Chamomile Cream – a soothing, healing, day and night cream for dry, product-reactive skin

Lipo-Gen – a revitalizing lotion with a deep liposome delivery system to help calm and heal combination, oily, or impure skin

Regeneration Cream– a rich concentrated cream with antioxidants and vitamins to rejuvenate mature and/or sun damaged skin

Many skin care products you find on the market today contain chemicals that can be harmful to your skin. Alcohols, dioxane, parabens, mineral oils, phenol (carbolic acid), and artificial fragrance are very commonly used in today’s skin care products. Experts warn against long-term exposure to these chemicals as it could lead to health problems. Our government doesn’t regulate the use of these chemicals either. Check out www.safecosmetics.org for more information.

Wrinkles and dehydration may appear at any age, which is why  caring for your skin needs to start early. There are different ways to help prevent the appearance of wrinkles, but first you need to know what caused them to appear so you can effect a lasting change. Some possible triggers are overexposure to the sun, stress, depression, poor diet, smoking, excessive drinking of alcoholic beverages, and poor skin care regimen.

One of my favorite ways to treat my skin is facial massage. That’s why I developed my award-winning service, Star Massage. And, in Facial Treatments like the Spa Facial, you not only get head, neck, shoulder, and face massage, but your hands, arms, feet, and legs as well!

But, you can do facial massage at home too. Massage improves blood and oxygen circulation, which prevents the clogging of pores. It also relieves stress and tension within that contribute to the appearance of wrinkles.

Massaging the face with the appropriate face cream for your skin type will tighten the skin’s tissues, improving elasticity, building collagen, and relaxing the muscles of the face. What’s great about facial massage is that as it exfoliates it allows moisturizers, essential oils, and serums to penetrate more easily.

Start massaging the face from the neck upward and end at the forehead or temples to improve blood circulation through the veins, tissues, and lymph vessels of the face. Begin slowly, using little circles, and vary speed and pressure as you work, stopping to focus on pressure points and making up massage techniques as you go that feel good to you.

Facial massage offers many benefits in addition to preventing wrinkles. Try it now and see how it works on your skin. It will give you a glowing complexion.

If you’re new to Star Brows, you may not know about The Product Feature or Rewards yet. To put it simply, 10% of all your product purchases, all the time, go toward free Service Enhancements, like Raindrop Therapy, Lash Tint, Chemical Peels, or Star Massage.

When a product is the Monthly Feature, however, you’ll get 20% back in Rewards! This month’s Product Features, Chamomile and Vitamin Creams, are $41, so that’s $8 in Rewards. Lip0-Gen and Regeneration Creams are $63, and that means $12 toward a Service Enhancement.

See you at the spa!

Unfortunately my “pre-bash massage” was just cancelled – dang 😦 – so I’m writing an NYE makeup post instead!

Happy New Year’s party preparations to all of you! I’m getting ready for The Golden Era event at my father’s winery. I want to look my best, and I want you to look your best too – even if you’re not planning to go out for NYE! Here are eight steps to a flawless look:

1. Exfoliate – Perfect makeup requires well-tended skin. A week to a couple of days before the big night start doing masks, peels, and scrubs. The Cleansing Oil is also an excellent way to polish, exfoliate, and brighten your skin: Do a 20-minute massage with it instead of the normal quick cleanse. (Did you know the Cleansing Oil takes off makeup really well? Buh-bye makeup dissolver.)

Of course, hopefully you have consulted a skincare professional about what products are best for your skin. If you trust your exfoliant not to cause a breakout or irritate your skin, using one even the night before will help your skin look radiant.

My picks: Gyco-A Gel, Crystal C Serum and Peeling Cream. Just so happens two of these are January’s Product Feature with Double Rewards!

2. Moisturize – Those of you who read my blog regularly know that when you discipline the skin, you also need to use plenty of TLC. Moisturize the entire face, neck, and décolleté, as well as the eye area. Even oily and acne-prone skin types need moisturizer. Your makeup will look so much better if your skin is well hydrated.

My picks: Hy-Drate, Vitamin Cream, Chamomile, Eye Plus Cream, Lipo-Gen.

3. Prime – Every great artist knows that preparing the canvas is key. Getting the skin ready for the application of cosmetics makes the finished product look so much better. Absorb Oil Control is perfect for oily and acne-prone skin: It is an oil controller and hydrator in one. Mineral Primer will fill in the fine lines and imperfections and make your foundation last. Use Concealer around the eye area.

4. Apply FoundationMineral Makeup is my favorite for your base. Use a small brush for extra coverage in the areas that need it. Use a darker color to contour, like the hollows of your cheeks or the sides of your nose. Contour the eyes with shades of brown, especially if you have droopy lids. (Remember: dark recedes, light brings forward.) Highlighter under the brow bone accentuates the arch. I carry BDB Duo Concealer: it’s a pencil with concealer on one end and highlighter on the other – another “twofer”!

5. Add Color – Glitter (small particles, used sparingly) is a hot look for NYE. Aging skin doesn’t do well with glitter though. I personally like the Youngblood Mineral Makeup in the color Sunglow for sparkle and pop. Blush should be applied to the apple of the cheek only if you have a very thin and long face, so you can create width. If your face is round, apply blush on the cheek starting at the edge of the iris and swooping up to the temples and into the hairline.

Shadow color can be added next. Remember: if you are playing up the eyes, go easy on the lips, and vice versa.

6. Lashes – Right now I am playing with and loving LashSense One Step by SeneGence. It is a lash growth and conditioning product and mascara. And of course I must have my beloved

Blackout Mineral Mascara by Youngblood. I always use two mascaras. I find I get the best lashes that way. Lash Primer is also excellent for extra volume and conditioning. For those of us who need to curl our lashes, I like the MAC curler best.

7. Lips Bright and bold is on trend for both NYE and spring 2011. You know I am partial to LipSense long-lasting lipcolor!  I’ll be wearing Plum as a base, then Brick, and the top coat will be Neutral. Because this lipcolor is applied in 3 coats, I played on my hand to find a color that matched my shoes. (Check them out: They are comfy with leather uppers – Ross!) You can create any color you want when you have the basic Lipsense colors.

As an alternative, I like recommending a lip pencil and plumping colored gloss – both by Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics.

8. Eyebrows – Getting the right shape requires professional help – at least to get you started, at best for maintenance. You’re not stuck with the eyebrows you have: You can create the perfect brows at home.  How? If you have thinning brows, start using Brow Boost right away. All the Billion Dollar Brows products rock! Cosmetics for creating the perfect eyebrows – like pencils, powders, and brow-setting gel – will transform blah brows to bomb brows!

See you at the spa!

My first California brow wax was done at Billion Dollar Brows (BDB) in Beverly Hills. This is the company that helped inspire me to take my passion for perfect brows and make it a business!

They contacted me the other day and sent their whole product line for me to sample! Generous, huh? I love to shop for you, finding the perfect products at the best prices.

It was great timing because I have been looking for the right brow and lash conditioner with a growth stimulant. I’ve been using their Brow Boost for a couple of weeks and am pleased with the results – and it’s only $20! Even if your brows and lashes are long enough, it is a great conditioner that keeps them in shape and healthy.

I bought BDB’s Brow Duo Highlighter when I visited them a couple of years ago.  It’s a pencil with concealer on one end and highlighter on the other. It works great and is fast, easy, and affordable! $18

The Brow Gel is a “must have”, it gives you hold and control and gives your brows the perfect, polished, finished look. $12

My favorite brow powder, Hi-Brow, unfortunately comes from the now-defunct company, Trucco. Even though I stocked up, I will run out at some point. So, pick it up now before supplies are gone! I’m working with BDB’s Hint Of Tint, Brow Powder, and Universal Brow Pencil right now to see if they are  suitable replacements. Come in and tell me what you think. 😉

Watch for Billion Dollar Brows at Star Brows!

See you at the spa!

PUT A SMILE ON YOUR FACE!

In Straighten Up!, Part 1 of Beauty On The Cheap we talked about posture and how standing and sitting up straight strengthens and beautifies.

In this post let’s talk about how smiling and laughing makes us more beautiful inside and out.

Growing up, I heard the words, “Put a smile on your face” often. Who can (or wants to) smile on command? So, when we talk about smiling in this piece, it’s not to conform to or please anyone else.  Yes, a smile looks beautiful to others, but wearing one cheers you up too!

In the beginning, you may have to practice if you’re not used to smiling much, just like getting into the habit of standing up straight. Tyra Banks coined a term called smizing: smiling with your eyes. At the same time you are smiling you need to recall a happy memory, or imagine a beautiful place – while doing so, your thoughts will actually illuminate your eyes.

Speaking of smiling and being happy, how about laughter? I have a funny story:

One time years ago, I was asked to do massage for “Wild Women’s Weekend”. I packed up my massage table and headed to a beautiful island in Minnesota for the weekend. What I encountered was a group of women engaging in riotous laughter the whole weekend from pretty much everyone – except me. I remember thinking; “I want that!”. The sad part is, I realized I didn’t laugh much – at least not so anyone could hear. My laughing muscle was emaciated  from all the years of disuse. Through Simply Noticing and not judging myself harshly, I began to cultivate a vision of becoming a laugher.

So when I got home I decided to begin “practicing” laughter. My family mocked and jeered me at first because my laughter was contrived – it was funny! But after spending a few weeks on choosing to laugh, it began to feel comfortable.

Am I perceived as a funny person today? Probably not, but I can laugh now – and I value joy above all because I know that when I am joyful I am fully present, thankful, breathing and living life to the fullest.

In order to really produce a beautiful and abiding smile, it needs to come from within. Sure, you can turn it on for an acquaintance or the camera – but that is momentary and looks superficial. What I’m talking about is a perpetual glow of peace, joy and contentment on your face that attracts others and makes you more beautiful.

So we must go deeper. Does a house look clean if you just tidy up and dust a few items? No, but if you deep clean with, as mom would say, “warm soapy water” you can feel the clean – it radiates because it is really clean through and through.

I guess what I’m talking about is “soul cleaning”. Take this little quiz and see what may be dulling your countenance and suppressing your smile. Give yourself 1 point for each yes answer:

  • Do you regularly let-go and forgive others when they offend you?
  • Have you wrestled with childhood issues that need clearing?
  • Do you make an effort not to gossip or hold grudges?
  • Do you keep jealousy and comparing yourself to others in check?
  • Do you consistently live according to your values?
  • Have you chosen friends that are good for you?
  • What about thankfulness? Are you thankful for something everyday?

How did you do? 7 is perfect, don’t worry if you’re not quite there – no one is!

And what about joy, happiness, passion and pleasure?

  • Do you have something you are really looking forward to in the next day or two, in the next week, month or year?
  • If there are relationships or situations in your life that are stressfully unresolved, are you taking action steps toward resolution?
  • Are there intimate friends in your life – and do you spend time nurturing these friendships?
  • Have you made your work part of your life, not just a job, and do you bring your best self to it?
  • Hugging others is one of the easiest ways to stay “in touch”. Do you have human touch in your life regularly, daily?
  • Do you have a “big picture” dream? Have you shared it with others?

Sometimes it’s good to reflect and take inventory. 6 is a perfect score, if there is an item or two that you had to really think about, you may want to jot it down to ponder later.

How well do you care for yourself?

  • Do you sleep enough?
  • Drink enough water?
  • Eat healthy most of the time?
  • Exercise regularly?
  • What are your spiritual practices? Do you spend time in prayer and meditation to renew this aspect of your being daily?

5 is perfect – don’t be too hard on yourself. It has taken me 55 years to develop healthy lifestyle habits, and I still fall short – often!

How about bad self-care habits?

  • Do you abstain from smoking and drinking or at least keep these vices to the bare minimum?
  • Do you make a conscious effort not to spend time feeling guilt, shame or regret?
  • Do you know what’s good for you, and do it most of the time?

3 is great, but maybe we should be scoring one another so there is no bias. 😉 We all justify our habits and choices, I know I do – but be honest with yourself, that’s the most important thing.

So raise your hand if you got a 21! Now do 10 “Hail Marys”.

Did you know smiling and laughing required so much work? Well, it doesn’t really – it is actually a state of grace, but living your life so that smiling and laughter are a natural habit will require some “inner house cleaning”, and of course homes don’t stay clean, you need to develop a regular habit of maintenance.

Above all, don’t wait for your circumstances to change to be happy. Happiness is a choice.

“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!” And remember: “Faut souffrir pour être belle.” “One must suffer to be beautiful.”

See you at the spa!

STRAIGHTEN UP

Raised in the world of dance, I was always prodded (sometimes cruelly) and trained diligently to carry myself properly.

The study of ballet in particular revolves around the strength of the core of your body. Principally the belly, chest wall, spine, neck and butt must all be in perfect alignment and tone in order to hold the body in the air while balancing En Pointe.

My dear old dad also had the habit of telling me to stand up straight, while sometimes “lovingly” inserting a knee into the small of my back.

One of my greatest personal postural revelations happened when I was standing in church one Sunday. I remember it to this day as being pivotal in my endeavor to fight the 33 lbs per square inch of pressure gravity constantly exerts on the body.

That day in church, I looked around and saw not a single person standing completely straight with feet under the hips, arms at the sides, neck in alignment, and diaphragm region open. OK, no one was even standing with their weight on two feet, arms at their sides.

There were all manner of postural deviations: leaning into a hip, arms crossed, hands on the chair in front of them, legs crossed, etcetera, etcetera. Who passed my “postural pop quiz”? No one! Who came close? Kids did the best, men a close second. What’s my point?

Standing up straight while you”re doing nothing else (such as while in the grocery line) requires very little effort, and the return over time is amazing. It helps you teach your body how to stand correctly. Your neuromuscular (and sometimes genetic) pathways may have generated a slouching habit, and re-training them takes a very conscious awareness – and practice.

In my Bodywork and Massage practice I help you identify which muscles and areas of your  body are weak (i.e. under or over performing). This awareness or act of Simply Noticing jump-starts the retraining process. The intention to be healthier, stronger, and more beautiful by the simple act of standing straight will lead you to find a way of doing so that suits you perfectly.

Yoga, dance, massage, walking, stretching, dancing, and working out are all helpful activities. But until you are aware of how you hold yourself in space at any given time, you will not change.

Just think about what you’ve already noticed as you’ve been reading this. I know even I have made postural adjustments numerous times, some twice, while writing this post: I’ve lifted my rib cage, relaxed my thoracic forward thrust, dropped my chin, spread my feet apart, put both feet flat on the ground, raised up onto my “sitting bones,” relaxed my shoulders, checked my breath for holding patterns, and so on.

Welcome to my world: a constant heightened state of awareness about how my body is feeling. Because of my past and present roles as dancer and  instructor, model, bodyworker, and even skincare therapist, I have cultivated and learned how to not only impart these lessons , but also incorporate them into my own lifestyle. My profession is riddled with carpal tunnel syndrome and repetitive stress injury cases.

Our bodies are always changing, and major adjustments need to be done around menopause — but don’t even get me started. We must keep the pathway of awareness open about how we hold ourselves from moment to moment. Too much work, you say? OK, fair enough. But remember the old adage, “Faut souffrir pour être belle.” “One must suffer to be beautiful.”

See you at the spa!

Chamomile Cream by Tu’el is a soothing, healing day and night cream for dry reactive skin. Not artificial fragrances are used to scent Tu’el products, roman chamomile gives this cream a calming and soothing effect.

The Chamomile line of skincare products addresses dry skin: The characteristics of a “true dry skin type” have to do with genetic pore size. You may be water-dry but have plenty of oil.

Dry skin types have small pores with very few large pores that make up less than 1/3 of the face. It could appear flaky around the nose, cheeks, chin and forehead, or have large pores in the nose area.

This skin type can age early. It may be congested and look dehydrated. Dry skin can feel rough because of a buildup of dry skin.

In addition to being dry, the skin type Chamomile Cream addresses is reactive to skincare products and cosmetics. The reaction may be mild to severe and may include swelling, pain, burning, itching or welts. This skin type needs to be treated gently with calming and soothing products.

Intact, healthy skin is your body’s primary defense against infection – so keeping your skin in the best condition possible is really important. Healthy skin is coated in a layer of natural lipids, or fatty substances. This keeps your skin soft and supple. This is where Hy-Drate comes in, it contains sodium hylauronate which binds the moisture found naturally in the skin.

I recommend Hy-Drate to be worn like underwear, before your sunscreen or night cream.

There are a few tips for using moisturizers: 1.) Apply all moisturizers to moist (not wet) skin. 2.) Always apply the thinnest, lightest product first. Hy-Drate is a clear, light, serum-like substance – it ALWAYS goes down first (unless you use toner). Chamomile Cream is thicker so it would follow, and sunscreen last.

What’s in Chamomile Cream?

Purified Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Avocado Oil, Hybrid Safflower Oil, Glyceryl
Stearate, Chamomile Extract, Algae Extract, Polysorbate 60,Cetyl Ricinoleate, Shea Butter,
Panthenol (Pro-Vitamin B5), Green Tea Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Retinyl Palmitate
(Vitamin A), Jojoba Oil, Allantoin, Dimethicone, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbic
Acid, Disodium EDTA, Roman Chamomile Oil. 2 oz. $41
See you at the spa!

Vitamin Cream by Tu’el is a protective cream for dry skin with Vitamins E, A, and B to lubricate and seal in moisture. No perfumes are used in Tu’el products, but they smell great naturally – Vitamin Cream has a mandarin and mango scent.

Not sure what your skin type is? The characteristics of a “true dry skin type” have to do with genetic pore size. You may be water-dry but have plenty of oil.

Dry skin types have small pores with very few large pores that make up less than 1/3 of the face. It could appear flaky around the nose, cheeks, chin and forehead, or have large pores in the nose area.

This skin type can age early. It may be congested and look dehydrated. Dry skin can feel rough because of a buildup of dry skin.

Intact, healthy skin is your body’s primary defense against infection – so keeping your skin in the best condition possible is really important. Healthy skin is coated in a layer of natural lipids, or fatty substances. This keeps your skin soft and supple. This is where Hy-Drate comes in, it contains sodium hylauronate which binds the moisture found naturally in the skin.

I recommend Hy-Drate to be worn like underwear, before your sunscreen or night cream.

There are a few tips for using moisturizers: 1.) Apply all moisturizers to moist (not wet) skin. 2.) Always apply the thinnest, lightest product first. Hy-Drate is a clear, light, serum-like substance – it ALWAYS goes down first (unless you use toner). Vitamin Cream is thicker so it would follow, and sunscreen last.

What’s in Vitamin Cream?

Purified Water, Caprylic / Capric Triglyceride, Hybrid Safflower Oil, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-
100 Stearate, Sorbitan Stearate, Mandarin Oil, Apricot Kernel Oil, Carrot Seed Oil, Jojoba Oil, Grape
Seed Oil, Shea Butter, Mango Butter, Polysorbate 60, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Retinyl
Palmitate (Vitamin A), Cholecalciferol (Vitamin D3), Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Panthenol (Provitamin
B5), Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Dimethicone, Carbomer, Triethanolamine,
Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbic Acid. 2 oz. $41
See you at the spa!

Caring for your skin is a lifetime pursuit, and it’s never too early to start. In honor of  National Skin Care Awareness Month (NSCAM) – I’d like to offer 50% off the Express Facial for your daughters or sons – 18 years old or younger, during the month of September.

Inspired by NSCAM here is Part #3 of a 3 part series about; skincare myths, truths, mistakes and tips to help you take care of the largest organ of your body – your skin!

FOUR SKIN CARE TIPS

SKIN TIP #1 CLEAN COSMETIC BRUSHES REGULARLY.

Bacteria and oil can build up on your brushes leading to clogged pores and break outs on your skin. Using a mild liquid dish soap or shampoo and cold water, carefully wash out your brushes and rinse thoroughly. Periodically I use hair conditioner as well. Comb the bristles to prevent tangling, stand upright in a glass to destroy bacteria and dry them quickly.

SKIN TIP #2 AVOID THE FOLLOWING INGREDIENTS IN SKIN CARE AND COSMETIC PRODUCTS:

• Mineral Oil & Petrolatum (pore-clogging, leads to breakouts)
• SD Alcohol 40 (the “bad” alcohol commonly found in toners – very drying)
• Isopropyl myristate & Isopropyl Palmitate (may cause blackheads or whiteheads)
• Synthetic dyes (can be irritating to the skin)
• Sodium or Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate in gel cleansers (dehydrates the skin)
• Synthetic fragrances (this is the #1 cause of allergic reactions to products. Listed as “Fragrance” or “Parfum” )
• Apricot kernels, or seed/ shell powders (naturally made particles found in facial scrubs can scratch and irritate the skin causing bacteria to spread)

SKIN TIP #3 TO REDUCE UNDER EYE PUFFINESS BY AVOIDING SALTY FOOD AT NIGHT.

Avoiding salty foods can help prevent facial puffiness when you wake up in the morning. Excessive sodium causes water retention resulting and excessive swelling of the eye tissue. If you are trying to avoid puffiness  (especially before a special event), avoid salty foods at night and drink a lot of water to flush your system.

SKIN TIP #4 ALWAYS WASH YOUR SKIN AND MOISTURIZE AT NIGHT.

Did you know that the skin on your face is one of the dirtiest places on your body from unintentionally touching it all day long? Routinely cleansing your skin at night will reduce oil and acne-causing bacteria resulting in clearer skin. Also, while you sleep, your skin is at rest allowing regeneration to occur, so it’s important to cleanse tone and moisturize your skin for optimum skin repair and healing. Too tired to wash your skin at night? Perform your nighttime skin routine at 7:00 or 8:00. Earlier is better than never!

By the way, a morning cleanse may not seem important because you have just been sleeping – but guess again! 😉 Sebum/oil builds up on the skin at night, as well as cellular debris and preparing the skin for makeup and the day’s assaults like pollution, debris in the air (like sand from the Ocean!) and free radicals produced in response to a multitude of sources is essential.

See you at the spa!