Waxing Do's and Don'ts

Never waxed before? Learn how to prepare and take proper aftercare here!

• Don't be embarrassed - like your doctor, anyone specializing in body waxing has seen it all before (literally) and will do their best to put you at ease.
• Ladies, don't book a wax just before or during your menstrual cycle, as this is when your body is most sensitive and the OUCH factor will be at its greatest.
• Avoid showering or soaking the hairs in water for several hours before waxing.  Water softens the hair shafts, making them less likely to adhere inside the wax.  Tough hair is easier to wax off.
• Do not wear any body lotions, oils or deodorants on your skin on the day of your waxing appointment.
• Do exfoliate regularly after a wax.
• Do go prepared - if it's your first waxing, or haven't been waxed recently, you should trim your hairs to about 2cm or less (but leave enough for the wax to hold on to). Ripping out long hairs is guaranteed to give maximum discomfort.
• Do relax - yes, easier said than done, but the more relaxed you are, the easier it will be to pull the hair out.
• For best results, do plan on waxing every 4-6 weeks. Sooner than that,  hairs will not have had enough time to grow long enough.
• DO give waxing a try! You will love the results and the few seconds of discomfort will wash from your memory quickly!

How to Take Care of Your Skin After a Waxing Session

• Do wear loose clothing for 24 hours after the waxing.
• Do not expose the skin to sun or tanning beds for 48 hours.
• Do not take a hot bath or shower for 24 hours.
• Always wash with a clean wash cloth.  Do not use loofahs or mesh sponges as these harbor bacteria and can cause breakouts.
• Do not swim in chlorinated pools or rivers for 24 hours.
• Do not exercise for 24 hours.
• Do not apply any moisturizers or lotions, other than recommended below, for 24 hours.
• Do not apply talc, body sprays or perfume for 24 hours.
• Do not wear tights, leggings or hose for 24 hours if your service was a bikini or brazilian.
• If you are prone to ingrown hair, we recommend the following:
• Neutrogena Body Clear Body Scrub daily on areas waxed. Use when showering with a clean washcloth, then rinse. 
• Apply an after wax product such as Tend Skin two days after your waxing session, and 2 to 3 times weekly.  Also apply each day for 3 days immediately prior to your next waxing appointment.  This increases exfoliation of the skin, and prevents ingrown hair by allowing hair to push through the skin easily.  Yes...it really works! 
• Most people find that regular waxing appointments every 4-6 weeks results in less hair growth and easier removal in future appointments.

EYEBROWS~Oh So Important!

Your eyebrows can be your most powerful asset as well as make or break your makeup.  Eyebrows have the power to change your entire face, as well as the shape of your nose (like you wouldn't believe), so treat them as an integral part of your face, not just as extra feature.  

ACHIEVING THE PERFECT BROW

The perfect brow has an arch that cuts through the brow bone, narrows and straightens your nose and lifts your eyes.  The less you arch your brows, the younger you'll look.  This shape suits every woman on the planet, regardless of her age or race.  You too can have the perfect brow, be it thinner or fuller ... the critical factor is where your brows starts, lifts and ends!  So put your tweezers down and follow the steps below!

Nose Bridge Line

Remember that myth your mother told you~start your brows by imagining a line from the outer edge of your nostrils to the inner corner of your eye?  What if your nostrils are flared or wide?  You'll be starting your brow halfway across your eye! Yikes! Here's the rule: set the gap between your brows to match your desired nose bridge width, and you'll create the illusion of a thinner, more refined nose.

Brow Starting Point

Make sure the brow starting point is at a right angle.  Keeping the bottom hairs on a perfect horizontal line here will not only lift your eyes but also stop everyone thinking you're in a bad mood.  You may have to tweeze any stray hairs under this line.

Brow Arch Point

The point where you should lift your brows is two-thirds of the way across your brow, in line with the outer edge of your iris.  We've all been told never to pluck above our brows, but if you have stray hairs between your brows or above your hairline...pluck away! It creates a more polished brow.

End of Brow Guideline

Imagine a line from the corner of your nose to the outer corner of your eye and out, then make sure your brows do not fall short of it, otherwise your eyes will look distorted and your brows will appear masculine and severe.

P.S. I know we all like a nicely arched eyebrow, BUT, over-arching your eyebrow creates a puffy eyelid and lots of saggy space above your eye that instantly ages you about ten years! Yikes:-(

Here, make-up artist Rae Morris shows us how to get the perfect arch.

The perfect brow has an arch that cuts through the brow bone, narrows and straightens your nose and lifts your eyes.

NOT-SO-PERFECT BROWS

The Triangle; Gives you a frowning, permanently annoyed look.

The Tadpole; The further apart your brows, the wider your nose looks. Also creates a hard, angry, severe effect that looks 1980's and 20's in an unflattering way.

The Letter M; The rounded shape creates puffy and droopy lids. This is the number one brow shape to immediately add years to your face. There is too much space between lash-line & brows.

How to Find the Right Hairstyle for Your Face Shape

Going to the hairdresser can be a nerve-wracking experience, especially if you are not sure what you want. Ease your nerves by doing some research ahead of time, browse women's magazines or the internet for examples of the style you're looking for, and don't be afraid to bring a few pictures into the salon with you. Sharing these pictures with your hairdresser will give he or she a visual idea of what type of cut you're interested in.

However…it's important to keep in mind that just because a particular haircut looks good on Jennifer Aniston does not mean it will look good on you. Different cuts are flattering for different face shapes. Determining what shape you have can help guide you in the right direction. Tie your hair back away from your face and look straight ahead into a mirror. Focusing mainly on your jawline, see if your face is round, oval, heart-shaped or square.  Your jawline is the most important factor in deciding what length your new cut should be. Look at your profile in the mirror. If you have a sharp angle where your jaw turns to meet your ear, you're lucky…you can pull off almost any length of hair. If your jaw is long and sloping, avoid wearing your hair up or pulling it back, and stay away from really short styles as they will expose your jawline. 

Before selecting a style, it is VERY important to let your hairdresser know what type of routine you keep and how much time you have to spend on your hair each morning. Choppy, layered cuts, for example, require much more prep time than straight cuts. Very few women have exact, ideal proportions, but read on and you'll learn ways you can use your hair as a frame to fool the eye into thinking you do:-)

ROUND FACE

Soft, choppy styles such as layers cut around the cheeks work better for round faces than pin-straight, flat or sleek styles do. Layers that fall just around the cheekbones will shade them and cause the face to look more narrow. Volume on top of the crown will create a domed look that adds height and thus elongates the roundness of the face. If you like bangs, graduated bangs cut on an angle that also fall just around the cheeks are your best bet. If your neck is also round, choppy layers that fall around the neckline will also downplay the plumpness. (Ex: Kirsten Dunst & Christina Ricci)

OVAL FACE

The oval is considered to be the "perfect" face shape due to it's popularity and versatility. This is the shape that all haircuts seek to achieve, and people who already have this shape can get away with almost any haircut. The only thing you'll want to be careful about is if you're going for an uber-short look. Your face may be a "classic oval", but if your scalp isn't beautifully shaped a short cut can look misshapen. (Ex: Megan Fox, Jessica Alba)

LONG/OBLONG FACE

The solution for a long face is to make it look shorter. This can be achieved by wispy, see-through bangs and chin length cuts. Longer, shapeless styles and straight bobs serve only to further elongate. The fullest, thickest part of the hair should rest behind the ears and be soft and low on the crown. If your chin is pointy, make sure your hair doesn't curve in towards it, but sweeps up and away instead. (Ex: Sarah Jessica Parker & Lisa Kudrow)

SQUARE FACE

Square faces need to avoid short crops, symmetry, or anything geometric which will enhance the squareness; instead, go for soft curves which will soften the severity of the square jawline. If you can get a slightly voluminous point at the crown, this will also detract from the square outline. Light, wispy, see-through bangs can also soften the features. Stay away from blunt cuts and hard, sleek lines as these will exagerate the square shape. A cut with soft curves, slight bangs would be best for this face type. (Ex: Angelina Jolie & Demi Moore)

HEART-SHAPED FACE

Faces that are narrow at the bottom and wide at the top need a cut that hides the hairline with graduated bangs and a choppy style that flips out on the ends. When the hair turns outwards rather than inwards, it equalizes the shape by giving volume around the narrow bottom of the face. If, on the other hand, your face is an upside-down heart (narrow at the top, heavier at the jaw) make sure there is fullness at the top of the head instead to balance out the chin. (Ex: Reese Witherspoon & Victoria Beckham)

For Face Shape Characteristics, visit: 

http://beautyandfashionadvice.com/hair_care_articles/hair_care_art1.html

Christian Dior Fall 2011 Makeup Collection ~ Blue Tie

Christian Dior presents Fall 2011 makeup collection called Blue Tie that inspired by Navy blue. The collection comes in shades of deep marine, luminous petrol blue and sky blue tones with a touch of white to create a sophisticated of the smoky eye. Lipstick comes in luminous pinks and rosy beiges with a touch of light gloss while the nail comes in dark blue and beige color. This collection is a mix of masculine and feminine, refreshing, modern take on the nighttime beauty look, inspired by a woman dressed in a tuxedo. Most of this collection is Limited Edition.

 {Smoking Blue Tie Palette}

The chic metal palette inspired by Christian Dior’s ultra-glamorous silver cannage clutch, featuring four shades of eyeshadow to create a sophisticated smoky navy eye and one shade of nude lip gloss in one set paired with inside mirror and two double-tip applicators...SO GLAM!

{3-Couleurs Smoky Eyeshadow}

{Vernis}

{Rouge Dior Lipcolor}

I'm really loving this collection...it's nice to see the blue eyeshadows used in such a sultry, beautiful way! This is definitely NOT the typical 80's blue eyeshadow that we still see sometimes.  What are your thoughts on this collection?

The Importance of Washing Your Face Before Bedtime

None of us ever want to admit it but we all do it. How many times have you not washed your face before bed? Sometimes we forget, or we are too tired, or we don't want a special someone to see us without our make up on. Whatever the reason may be, we have all done it at one point or another. So why is it so bad? 

Washing your face at night is one of the most important things you can do for your skin. This is especially true if you wear cosmetics or sunscreen during the day.  Washing before bed removes makeup, dirt, oil and bacteria from your skin that can clog your pores and trigger skin irritation and acne breakouts. Incorporate face washing into your nightly bedtime routine NOT ONLY for healthier, softer, more attractive skin, but cleansing prepares the skin for other treatment products, allowing them to better penetrate the skin while you sleep and deliver the results you’re looking for.

P.S. Don't forget to wash your face in the morning too… Even while you sleep… dust, dirt and bacteria accumulate on your skin!

 

Fall Preview~Nail Trends

Hope you are all having a wonderful week despite the rainy weather here in PA!  Wanted to share some Fall nail polish trends with you.  I don’t know about you ladies, but I have a slight obsession with keeping my nails painted…not sure why, I just enjoy it!  I have enjoyed the summer nail trends, but I am ready for a change!  Below are a few of the Fall 2011 color palettes & nail trends, and looking at it makes me so anxious to wear warm fuzzy knits, jeans & boots in EVERY color! 

 {Zoya Fall 2011 Collection~Smoke & Mirrors}

 {Essie Fall 2011 Collection}

{Metallics~Chanel Fall 2011 Collection}

{Nude nail polish is subtle yet chic and goes perfectly with pretty much anything and everything in your closet.}

{Half-Moon Manicure} 

 {OPI's Shattered Nails...still going strong}

{Ombre Nails} 

 {Newspaper Print Nails}

{The Accent Nail}

What nail colors & looks do you think you will be wearing this Fall? 

All That Glitters...

Tomorrow, September 8th, we will be kicking off the Spring/Summer 2012 collection previews from the four major international fashion cities – New York, London, Milan and Paris – with Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in New York City. Stay tuned for the latest Hair, Makeup and Nail trends straight from the runways!