ANGELINA WITH BANGS

Do we love Angelina with bangs?

I think she looks great no matter what.

This is on set of her new movie "Salt".

Click on the comments and let me know if you like Angelina with bangs or without?

YOUR SKIN WILL LOVE THIS

Lets start with a little Pevonia history, shall we?

Based on an ancient Greek namesake, Pevonia Botanica was founded by Sylvie Hennessy in 1991. Mythology says that Paion, the physician to the gods discovered a flower, Peonia, that could heal the skin of goddesses. The legend transformed into the unique and awe-inspiring legend of Pevonia, a healing wonder. Pevonia Botanica works with the philosophy that by combining the best of both science and nature, these miracle healing products are possible today.

Ingredients:

Pevonia Botanica has set itself apart from other companies by sourcing the globe for the most effective ingredients for healthy skin care. Using unique ingredients such as Kigelia Africana Extract, Marine Elastin, and natural oils such as Safflower, Jasmine, and Sunflower, all skin types can find comfort, strength, and soothing relief.

MY PEVONIA STORY:

Not too long ago I was in Vegas at a spa - yes I love the spa's in Vegas!- and I came across a spa skin care line called Pevonia Botanica. I had come across Pevonia years ago at the Camelback Spa in Arizona and I loved it back then,too. My work has amazing specks and I got contacted by Pevonia's PR people to try their line. I was thrilled. I got a generous package customized to my skin needs and loved every single product in there. Pevonia is part of my skin care routine now.

Here is a picture from my bathroom to prove it.

Other than the fabulous and luxurious packaging, this is a line that has put a lot of effort and care to make their products worthy of some of the best spa's in the world.

The eye cream, Ligne Myoxy-caviar. Unbelievable results. I have been using it for a month now and I can notice the fine lines around my eyes softening. The product feels great too. It absorbs quick and feels like it works. That is because it does work. I recommend it for younger mature skin, meaning 30's to 40's to help maintain the moisture around your eyes and therefore youthfulness.

Here is what the experts write about it:Reveal timeless eyes! Visibly erase the signs of time with Myoxy-Caviar® Eye Contour. The latest de-aging technology combines with a potent repairing formulation of: Hesperidin; Palmitoyl Tetrapeptides-3; Marine Collagen Polypeptides; Caviar Extract; and Escutox® to decrease wrinkles, crepiness, and reduce puffiness while decongesting and smoothing the delicate eye zone. Price tag: $155.50, you get what you pay for.

Ligne power repair youthful lip is another favorite because you know that the first two places that show age are the eyes and lips. Since the skin on both those areas is very thin and more sensitive than the rest of our face. I use the power repair at night before I go to bed since it contains retinol. As most of you know retinol can make your skin more sensitive if exposed to the sun and heat, so every time you use a retinoid on you face you have to use high SPF sunblock the day after.

MY RESULTS:My lips felt softer and smoother the next day. No more chapped lips. For the day I got the Pevonia lip cream that has SPF15. No matter what, you should use sunblock on your lips since the skin is more sensitive as I said before and there has been a lot of cases of lip skin cancer over the years.

Note: Wearing gloss during a hot day out in the sun may absorb more UV rays than you want. Be careful, get a gloss with sunscreen or a balm with sunscreen. Gloss in the sun sounds yucky anyway.

What the experts say:Youthful Lip Line works to reduce and repair these signs of aging with expertly formulated products containing reparative retinol, collagen and elastin, as well as soothing emollients. The lips become softer and smoother while your lip contour is redefined and elasticity is restored. Price tag: $48.50

MY PEVONIA CLEANSER AND TONER:

At night I remove dirt, oil and make-up with the fabulous duo Ligne hydrating cleanser and toner. Did I say these products smell amazing? Yes, the smell is out of this world. It is like bringing the spa to your house every night. Of course you would enjoy that even more, if you are a spa fanatic such as myself. Hey, I work hard, I love to relax and get rid of tension and stress. I recommend it to everyone out there that works hard and still has to take care of family and kids. You have to treat yourself darlings.

The cleanser leaves your skin soft and clean, it does not feel dry and actually since I have combination skin, I just use those two products at night without moisturizer, I do use their "C" complex serum though three times a week at night. Price tag: Cleanser $37.00 and toner $28.50

Note: The toner is also fabulous sprayed over your make-up to refresh your skin, especially for mineral make-up wearers that tend to look dry. Smells fresh and exotic.

THE "C" SERUM

What the experts say:

Bestow bliss upon your skin with this soothing serum. Pevonia Botanical 'C' Complexe is a Vitamin C-based treatment that hydrates, firms, tones, and smooths your skin. It creates a protective moisture barrier to defend you skin against outside stress.

WHO IS IT FOR:
Ideal for those with dry, aging, or damaged skin who want to smooth out wrinkles, restore elasticity, and hydrate the skin.

Ingredients:
Vitamin C lightens, brightens, and tightens. Hyaluronic Acid binds moisture to the skin. Hazel Nut Oil soothes and heals dry, irritated skin.Price tag:$88.50. Worth every penny, if you have it.

BOTTOM LINE:

Whether your skin is dehydrated, lackluster, losing elasticity, suffering from shine and excess oil, or a combination of skin types, Pevonia has products to heal your skin. One of the star products, the Refining D.N.A. Concentrate, combats excess oil and enlarged pores to promote a smooth and refined face.

I love this line and I am aware that this is a bit costly, since I am all about bargains. I have to say thought that when you get into your 30's, it is time to invest more on your skin than you had before. When we are all younger our skin can take more but because of that we do not pay as much attention and we can get away with using inexpensive products or non at all. Unfortunately it is called aging and there is no way around it. other than some amazing skin care products, lots of sleep, healthy eating, no stress, no sun exposure, basically some serious discipline in the way we live our life.

If you can afford it, paying a few bucks more for a good product, is worth it. The difference is in your mirror in the morning. No cream out there will give you youth forever or make you look like you did 20 years ago but it will preserve your skin through hydration and exfoliation making it more plump and even.

Official site info:Pevonia Botanica’s new Web site, http://www.pevonia.com/, provides information on Pevonia’s origins and commitment to protecting the planet by offering skin-care products with natural ingredients for prolonged skin health and age management. The site’s searchable database allows visitors to search by country, state, city, and ZIP code for spas that offer Pevonia products. The “Recommended Reading” feature in the press room provides hyperlinks to insightful health and beauty resources. The “What’s New” section keeps visitors informed about the latest Pevonia products and treatments.
For additional information, contact Pevonia Botanica, 300 Fentress Blvd, Daytona Beach, FL 32114; (800) PEVONIA; http://www.pevonia.com./

DOVE SELF TANNER

Dove, a company with really good smelling shower gels and soaps comes out with a self tanner. The market calls for such products and most lines want to compete. Last year was Jergens, today is Dove. Very hard to find at the drugstores as this $7.99 bottle of miracle, flies out of the selves.

Put to the test Dove delivered. Even color and after just 2 applications there is enough color to look like you went to Hawaii for the weekend. I like to mix it with the Victoria's Secret Bare bronze oil on top and wow! No one will believe that you never made it to the beach.

Have fun.

VS FABULOUS

I have been dying to tell you about the new Victoria's Secret Brazilian bronzing line. Here it is!

Fabulous products and fabulous packaging. Out of all the years that I have been shopping their bathing suits and clothes on line and the catalogs, I was skeptical when they came up with a make-up line. So skeptical that I would not try it or buy it. 

Come on, it is a clothing and lingerie line, what do they know? 

A few years ago, their rep called me to offer me some of their make-up products for free to try and I said OK, since they are free, I will give it a chance and put it to the test. Skeptical again, I left the box sitting unopened for a while and then one day I got the courage to open it and try it.

I loved it. Every product in there was amazing and it worked. I was surprised and amazed by it.

As a pro make-up artist I was used to the main make-up lines and was happy with them because they were designed by make-up artists. But what a fool I am, the Victoria's secret models have always looked gorgeous and sexy and yes it is because they are beautiful but somewhere in there there is a team of make-up artists bringing out the beauty with their talents. 

I became a fan and open minded about trying their stuff.

They are even in my shower. Their Pink shower and shave line shower gels smell so beautiful and girly that make the shower experience out of this world. The fragrance stays with you hours after the shower. I definitely recommend you trying it out. I bought mine actually at Bath and Body works for 2 for $20. I guess they carry VS there too.

But I really want to tell you about their Brazilian bonzers line that is a limited time offer for their very sexy collection.

 Beautiful product, gorgeous packaging, for the very femme fatale's out there, that want to look fabulous and stylish while they are retouching their make-up.

This bronzer will set you back only $24 and it comes in 2 hues. Of course I always go for the darker unless you are very fair.

Give it a chance!

LOOK LIKE A GOLDEN GODDESS

Real sun? Tanning booths? Spray tan?

It used to be that being tan was for the rich, it showed that obviously you have the funds to go on a vacation.

 Now days, there are mixed emotions about the effects of the sun and the tanning beds so our friends in the cosmetic companies are coming up with amazing products to mimic healthy tanned skin. Tanned golden skin looks healthy and makes everybody look better, no matter what. Did I mention sexy, too? 

Think Victoria's Secret models in exotic beaches. 

A healthy deep tan also promises the disappearance of minor flaws and cellulite, it makes your body look thinner and more toned. Obviously, you have figured out that I vote Yes on looking bronzed but I do not want to mislead you. Instead I am going to suggest some products that I have put to use and have worked wonderfully on myself as well as on my actors.

3 THINGS I LEARNED FROM MY DERMATOLOGIST:

  

  1. Getting blistering severe sunburns while younger can be a cause for all the little brown moles you see popping up during your lifetime. Some of them might turn different colors and shapes, that is when you have them checked out by a dermatologist and maybe biopsy the suspicious ones.

  2. By the age of 30 you already had the amount of healthy moles that appear on your body, any new ones after that should be checked yearly. 

  3. Use a good sunblock.

Back to the fun stuff, though.

 5 TIPS TO LOOK LIKE A GOLDEN GODDESS:

  1. If you love tanning beds and you are not very fair you can get away with building a base tan by visiting the tanning bed twice a month. If you are too fair, be careful with that and go straight to step two.

  2. There is a ton of fantastic products out there that will give you that fake glow, take advantage of it. It will be trial and error till you find the one that works with your skin tone. The Jergen's Natural Glow and L'oreal Sublime Bronze are two of my fave to get started with.

 

  3. Spray tan by a professional is always a great last minute way that will not fail you. Go to a well respected tanning salon and get a medium to deep spray on tan. The light version is a waste of money. California Tan is my favorite, goes on brown gold and stays long. My second fave is Mystic Tan, that is if you are a little darker already either naturally or have a good base tan. If you are too pale you might look a little orange with the Mystic. There is also the Magic Tan, that looks good but their system of spraying is not even.

 

  4. A great bronzer is a must to complete the look. 

Tarte "Park Ave Princess" and "HotelHeiress" are in my make-up bag, it has a sparkle that reflects the light resulting in a flawless look that hides imperfections. " Hoola" by Benefit is an oldie but goody, it goes on flat for more contouring. 

  

  5. Body bronzer is also a must. In case you have not gotten a spray tan and need a last minute touch up, here are some miracle products that will give you just that. "Revolotion" by DuWop, "Bare Bronze" by Victoria's Secret and Sally Hansen "Airbrush Legs" literally work miracles.

Celebrities have worshiped the bronzed look on screen and in their personal lives. You see them on red carpets flaunting their bare skin glistening and glowing. 

Jennifer Lopez introduced the heavy bronzer look, her make-up artist did a fabulous job bringing out her natural skin color and enhancing it with lots of bronzer in the right places.

Christina Aquilera is another one that worships the bronzer. They both look fabulous, whether you pair a bronzed face with heavier eyes and pale lips or if you go for the classic Marylin look with lots of lash and red fiery lips. Either way these glamorous ladies need to keep their make-up artist around for as long as they can.

  

   

WANT JESSICA ALBA'S CLEAR BACK?

Winter and a lot of layers equals heat, sweat and bacne. More people than not have had their battles with bacne, especially in the winter. In the summer, we tent to dress lighter and the suns UV rays have antibacterial powers, so when our backs get some rays, bacteria dies. Same results can be achieved at the tanning beds. Don't worry, I am not endorsing tanning beds but they do have some positive results, they are not the devil. Of course anything you do too much you will have to face some consequences.

Here is a few tips for getting rid of bacne this winter.

1. Use a sulfate free shower gel or plain ol' soap. fragrance free is better. People do not realize that sometimes they have an allergic reaction to a product.
2. Women with long hair use an excessive amount of conditioner. Conditioner is heavier than shampoo and does not rinse well. Wash your hair first and clip it on top of your head till you are done with your shower.
3. If you don't have a bad break out then scrub your back well with a salicylic acid wash like Neutrogenas. If you have a break out just use your hand and wash softly. You do not want to break the skin and transmit the bacteria in other areas.
4. Use a salicylic acid or hydrogen peroxide product on your back. Sometimes if it is bad, use a topical antibacterial cream too.
5. Moisturize. Yes, moisturize. You think that it is oil that breaks you out but the truth is that dry skin is worst. It itches and is irritated, so you might want to scratch which is a no no.      I would use a moisturizer as natural as possible, lots of ingredients can cause irritation, Burt's bees is a good line to start with.                                                                                                                                      
   About Back Acne -- powered by eHow.com                                            
   

GET RID OF ACNE SCARS, GET EVEN SKIN

Chemical peels have been around for a while. I personally am a big fan. 

Being in my 20es, I never thought of how it is to be with uneven skin tone or brown spots.

My skin was naturally even and clear. I was selling makeup when I was not even wearing much myself. That ship has sailed though!

Now I am in my thirties and after having my son, my hormones decided to go all crazy on my skin.

Weeks after my son was born, I noticed brown spots on my face. Not exactly "The mask" but pretty close. This was serious. 

I found a dermatologist and run to him. He suggested TCA peels and Microdermabrasion every three weeks. 

As I am writing this article, I have skin peeling from my face and it is quiet disturbing but in about a week, I will look ten years younger. You tell me if it is worth it or not.

If you have acne scars, brown sun spots, uneven skin tone, find a dermatologist. It is amazing how much better you will feel after the down time is over. 

Here is a video of dermatologist talking about peels. Check it out!

About Chemical Peels -- powered by eHow.com

HELLO KITTY AND MAC

I know you probably already heard about the marriage between Hello Kitty and Mac cosmetics. Since I have been a big fan of Hello Kitty for years and Mac was my first makeup line to use as a makeup artist, still back in the day were we used to special order it from Canada and it was available only to professionals. 

Well, Mac has come along way from then. It is now bought by Estee Lauder and it is available to everyone that wants to buy it and easier to find. As professionals we used to also get a 40% discount from Mac right out of the bat but now we all have to pay something like $35 a year to have the card. Needless to say now that there is a ton of other pro lines I do not do that anymore. Mac is a generous line that still takes care of pro artists by sending us their products to use on our celebrities. 

A rep for Mac had come to our set before the Hello Kitty news broke out and gave us products to display in our show. If you do watch "Privileged" you would have seen the products on the girls bedroom. 

I was thrilled, my two faves together. A makeup artists heaven. We all like cute things around since we work with makeup everyday. The cuter the packaging the better. Colorful, funny names and a black Hello Kitty to make you smile. That one is the Bad Kitty.

Of course I had to be a good girl and wait till the company had its debut before I wrote about it. I have to admit I was eager to spill the beans to my readers so they can have the first sneak peak.

I would have gone back on my word though, so I waited and the debut happened and here we are. 

You owe it to yourself to try them out. 

Other than the cuteness of it all, the product underneath is great. The lipsticks are my favorite, since they have a Hello Kitty stamp on the actual lipstick, brilliant. The colors are soft and glide on smooth, very subtle. I am impressed. 

They also have the brush holders which are the cutest but would look better in your bathroom than a makeup station since they are a little small for holding 100 brushes that the pros use and they are porcelain which would probably brake while moving them around in our trailers.

It is worth trying and I strongly recommend to go out and do that. 

You are getting more than just a pretty Kitty.