They say we don’t know what we have until its gone. This old cliché could have many connotations, but one thing is for certain, it is defiantly true for aging!
Loss of volume in the face is the first noticeable sign of aging, and each year we lose one percent of collagen in our faces. Not to mention, the loss of facial fatty tissue, and facial bone density. Continue reading “How to Look Younger…Naturally”
Who doesn’t love watching the award shows? The celebs all dressed up in stunning gowns looking absolutely radiant with their glowing skin.
It’s mind blowing to see many of the same celebrities year after looking as if they haven’t aged, in fact they appear to be looking younger every year. How do they do that?
Often times, celebs have personal chefs, trainers, and their dermatologists/estheticians/plastic surgeons on speed dial. Good news girls…You don’t need to be rich and famous to have the same privileges…
As an expert in the world of beauty for 20 years working as a celebrity makeup artist and skincare expert I am here to tell you that there is a DIY approach that will bring you some pretty close results.
My secret beauty routine that I’ve designed for myself as well as my clients; Healthy Diet + Exercise + Breakthrough Skin Care Technology
Diet:
Get rid of the toxins. Our skin is our largest organ. Healthy skin is a direct result of a healthy lifestyle. We are what we eat. Alcohol, Cigarettes, fast or fried food are all a sure fire way to detract from your goal of good health- and good skin.
Drink 6-8 glasses of water a day. I know you know this…so are you doing it? Water is the best way to hydrate internally as well as flush out those impurities. Add some lemon if you aren’t a fan of the plain taste. You want that glow, right?
Eat lots of fruits and veggies! I make green juice everyday consisting of fresh fruits and vegetables high in vitamins and anti-oxidants. My faves are Kale, Spinach, Cucumber, Apple, Carrots and anything else I desire. My skin has improved immensely since incorporating this into my beauty routine…not to mention- my immune system is kicking!
Exercise increases the oxygen in our blood which gives us a healthy glow- not to mention keeps our weight down so we feel better in our clothes. Hate the gym? Take a dance class! Get moving!
Skincare:
The best foundation is beautiful skin. I have packages arriving at my door weekly from some of the top skincare and makeup lines on the planet- asking me to try their products. Not to mention, I am a product junkie always searching for the latest in skincare technology… and I too have a few Dermatologists on speed dial.
So many of you are probably thinking…okay then…spill! Alrightly then…
Modern technology has made so many advances that can help us improve our skin and help us reclaim a more youthful appearance- without plastic surgery. Amen!
Laser
If you can afford it, it’s worth it. Many of my clients starting having laser treatments about five years ago and when I saw the results, I started too. Fraxel or Co2 lasers among many others will help rebuild collagen and improve elasticity, considerably. To know what’s best for you, schedule a consultation with a reputable dermatologist or plastic surgeon. Cost is about $1000 dollars and up. I have laser once a year. LOVE!
Exfoliate. Our skin’s naturally exfoliates every 28 days…until we start to age. Yikers…when the process slows down, we have some build up going on. And dead skin is not pretty. Therefore, we need a little assistance getting that process to speed up. Every two months, I visit my esthetician for a facial and a glycolic acid peel. If facials are a little costly, you can give yourself facials at home and use an exfoliant a couple times a week which contains glycolic to keep those pesky dead skin cells from building up. Our moisturizers aren’t work as well if we have a layer of dead skin. EWE!
Retin A. Recently I asked my Dermatolgist about the Retin-A “craze”. Is it really that big of a deal? She said yes. Retin-A or retinoids play a huge role in speeding up the exfoliation process and building collagen! Retin-A is only prescribed by a doctor. However there are many products that contain vitamin A or retinoids…very similar. The presription is obviously going to be stronger. I only use it a couple times a week. Warning: use once or twice a week to begin with because it can make your face peel a bit more than usual.
Anti-oxidants. We are exposed to environmental elements that damage our skin and in most cases we have already had some damage done. In order to rebuild and protect…Anti-oxidants are a must. I recommend that you choose a serum or daytime moisturizer which contains vitamins such as C, E, and A (remember the importance of vitamin A?)- along with an SPF! Sun damage is up there on that list with smoking as the fastest way to looking older, not to mention putting yourself at risk for skin cancer.
Eyes are the windows to our soul and we sure don’t want them to look old and wrinkly, do we? Think of the skin under your eyes being as thin as tissue paper and your face like construction paper. Which one is going to break down first? Again, protect your eyes daily with a good eye cream.
Night time is when our skin repairs itself. Think about it, we sleep we recharge, restore and renew. So does our skin…so give your face, neck and declotee the best chance to boost it’s moisture and restore.
Good health along with Skincare and technology= Show stopper! Here’s to the DIY Celeb Glow! We don’t need to be rich and famous to look and feel amazing, do we girls?
As women in our 20’s and 30’s, we are often chasing fashion fads—the latest hairstyle, smoky eyes or skinny jeans in an effort to live up to someone else’s idea of beauty. We find out years later how we looked when reminiscing over pictures. “Wow” you say, “I looked like a crazy blend of Madonna and Rachel from Friends!” “What was I thinking?” Worse yet, if we don’t stop going for the trendy looks, we find our kids saying, “Please tell me you’re not wearing that Mom?”
What we don’t know about the futility of these surface fixes is that the beauty we are searching for lies a little deeper. Whether we acknowledge it or not, we may have lost touch with the woman we wanted to be physically, spiritually or emotionally, and it could be affecting every aspect of our beauty. We don’t know what’s missing or how we lost it, but at some point there is an awakening. We spend our 20’s and 30’s in what I call our getting years—getting the job, getting the husband, getting the kids, getting the perfect house—only to wake up later on and say, “I may want everything I have, but do I have everything I want?”
If you want to find real and lasting beauty in your life and look, now is the time in your life to know that you have earned something more. Let’s stop wasting time on make overs, it’s time for a transformation!
I was lucky enough to spend the first 10 years of my career working on my dream of being a makeup artist, doing what I thought was making people beautiful. After working with top celebrities and truly amazing people who don’t live in the spotlight, I learned an invaluable lesson. No matter how good I am as a makeup artist I can only enhance your true beauty. Saying that usually brings up two reactions; “Yeah right” and “Great, but what is true beauty?” Your true beauty is in your passion, compassion, your tears and laughter. It’s also the times when you allow yourself to revel in your deeply beautiful qualities. Every line, every wrinkle, and every gray hair, is a wonderful part of the story of your beauty.
This next step is the most challenging for a lot of us: defining our beautiful qualities. In my experience, women would pop down in my makeup chair time and again with the first words out of their mouths being, “Could you cover this or that up” or “Make me look 10 pounds thinner” or “10 years younger?” Listing what we feel is wrong with us is easy. But when I ask women to list 10 things they feel make them beautiful, they often have a hard time. I’d like you to do that when you finish reading this. But don’t stop at 10. I want you to list 20 or even more of your beautiful qualities. These can be your hips, lips, smile, sense of humor, listening skills, intelligence, or anything else that makes you a stunning one-of-a-kind woman.
From there, I want you to post your list where you can see it, maybe even break it down into smaller lists. Put them on post-it notes on your make up mirror or the visor of your car. Just be sure to put these reminders of your beauty in places that constantly reinforce the definition of who you are.
Busy women fall out of touch with who they are and forget what they have to offer. Sometimes they need a reminder of the divine gifts they are to the world. They need permission to celebrate themselves and know that it’s okay to bloom, soak in the sun and express the wild colors they were created to be.
Let your list be your reminder and before you spend any time at the end of this year or the beginning of the next thinking about what you don’t have, remember the beauty you DO have!
In addition to celebrating Independence Day, this year we are also exercising the freedom to choose our next President. No matter which side of the political fence you are on that freedom is certainly worth appreciating. After working for all of the major TV networks and world leaders during election years I am very excited to announce that I have been chosen to be the Head of Makeup and Image for the Republican National Convention in Tampa! They will have me leading a team of makeup artists and stylist to ensure that candidates and supporters we have to choose from will have a polished, professional image.
Which brings me to my next subject…
Are you making a strong first impression?
Whenever I am hired for my image services it’s rarely to make someone look like a glamour queen. In the case of the upcoming RNC I will be tasked with helping people achieve what we should all be going for; a look that is knowledgeable, credible, and trustworthy.
Studies have shown that we have exactly seven seconds to make a first impression. More importantly, we have seven seconds to make a GREAT, and lasting, first impression.
After reading that your mind might be drifting off to taking a mental inventory of your closet thinking, if I were headed out for a big interview or to potentially meet Mr. or Ms. Right I know exactly what I would wear. Then you may think, but if the person or job was meant for me should it even matter what I was wearing? The answer there would be yes…in a way.
Whether you are entering the job market, looking for a mate, or creating personal or professional relationships of any kind, making positive imprint relies as much on the emotions you are wearing as the clothes you pick out.
While many stylists put all their effort-and yours-into creating an outward image, what I would like to concentrate on for a minute is your inner image. By knowing who you are spiritually, emotionally and physically you will create the image you want to project on the outside. Doing this will make your look about so much more than just well-thought out fashions or the ideal haircut: it will be about radiating your uniquely beautiful qualities in a way that won’t just turn heads, you will turn hearts!
To get started it’s time for a quick and honest assessment. Think for a minute about how others see you. Do people find you sincere, interesting, open, or engaging? If not, it might not be your wardrobe but rather something in the way of a vibe you are putting off? So before you put on your clothes every day, figure out if you are already dressed with enthusiasm, excitement, and an overall positive outlook or are you stressed, overwhelmed, angry, fearful, or lost? By acknowledging any of the issues that you may be dealing with you can strip away any unintended negative messages you might be projecting.
Next, when it comes to your clothes, I tell my clients to think of dressing for a job interview, every day. However, don’t think of it as getting “dressed up,” you are dressing to move up! Too many of us have gotten a bit too “casual” and wonder why we are getting passed up for promotions or treated beneath the level of person that we are. In order to be treated with the respect we so richly deserve we have to remember to present ourselves that way physically and believe it our hearts.
There are many ways to express who you are in your wardrobe, the most important facet to remember is to dress in a way that is appropriate for your profession by choosing clothes that will have you are perceived as; knowledgeable, credible, and trustworthy.
“People who dress in a professional manner everyday are twice as likely to be promoted and earn up to 20% more income.” – Social Psychology Quarterly
The market for a job or a mate is truly only as hard as we want it to be. The next time you are headed out the door, take a second to think about the fiery passion for life that burns within you. Open the door to your heart and let the world gather around your warmth.
written by Bestselling author, Celebrity Makeup Artist, Radio & TV Personality Michelle Phillips
After working in the beauty industry as a make up artist and stylist for celebrities, I can tell you- first hand- that the women who sat in my chair did not look nearly the same as they did once they had an army of stylists, lighting experts, photographers, and then computer experts create their on camera look.
With so many girls comparing their looks to those of the models and actresses they see on TV, in the movies, or magazines, it is important that they understand that what they see is not reality. What we do need to see is the beauty inside of us all. While working to help my own daughters develop a positive outlook on their beauty inside and out, I encourage them to focus on all of their unique qualities. They are uniquely beautiful and it is important for them to take pride in their kind nature, compassion for others, their gifts, and talents. These are just of a few of the things that make them truly beautiful.
I am posting this video to show our girls what goes on behind the scenes to make models and on camera personalities achieve the looks that for 99% of us is unobtainable.
Hats off to the Dove campaign for their continued effort to help real women and young girls love who they are for their own unique beauty!
The day of love is upon us and it’s time for the most beautiful date you’ll ever have…YOU! Love is the light that reveals your beauty to the world!
My guests will be Leah Carey and Michael Chase.
Leah is the creator and facilitator of the Live. Write. Share. workshops that help people to share their stories as a vehicle for healing old wounds and finding their own inner resilience.
Leah writes a daily Miracle Journal where she recounts the miracles she finds in her life each day. I’ve re-posted her entry “The Miracle of a YUMMY Body” – about loving her own body with all its feminine curves – on my blog; also click here to read a perfect Valentine’s Day treat, “The Miracle of Amazing Men: In celebration of the male spirit“.
Leah’s blog is at www.themiraclejournal.com. Find information about her book, “Transforming Your Body Image” and her workshops at www.leahcarey.com.
Michael is affectionately known as “The Kindness Guy” and he is one of today’s most powerful voices for creating a kinder world. At the age of thirty-seven, Michael ended an award-winning photography career to begin The Kindness Center. His book “Am I Being Kind?” is set to be released by Hay House Publishing on April 15 and is now available for pre-sale at Amazon.com.
From his “24 Hours of Kindness” events to his “Caffeinated Kindness” days, Michael brings the message of kindness to cities and towns around the country. He is dedicated to doing small acts of kindness for others and has made it his life’s mission to spread kindness across the globe. His passionate keynote presentations have inspired thousands by revealing the secrets to true happiness and how we can all create a better world. Valentine’s Day is one of Michael’s favorite days of the year because it’s a day when we focus on the best in each other.
Find Michael online at www.thekindnesscenter.com.
The changing weather can wreak havoc on your skin. During this time it is important that you take the steps to make sure your skin is protected from the cold weather to prevent premature aging. Below you will find a few tips to help you through the transition from hot to cold. To do this…your first step is to exfoliate
Too much sun exposure from, the summer sun, can often lead to dry, flaking skin – even if you have been diligent with UV protection. Regular treatment with exfoliating face and body washes, scrubs and lotions can work miracles to improve the tone and texture of your skin.
Moisturizing helps to deliver hydrating ingredients and keep your skin’s barrier system intact. Look for products with a slightly thicker moisturizer than what you were using in the summer, even if your skin is naturally oily. If that’s the case, just find non oily products that are a little more substantial. Consider a range of effective products containing retinol, alpha hydroxyl and antioxidants ingredients to help improve hydration and the texture of your skin.
Pay attention to sun care. Protecting your skin from the sun isn’t just for the summer. Just because the weather is colder doesn’t mean that you can’t get sun damage. If the SPF products you were using in the summer were too harsh for the colder climate, switch products. But definitely don’t skip this step.
Try as you might, it’s difficult to keep hands out of water and the elements. Even if you’re diligent about using gloves, frequent hand washing and life in general, can cause hands to dry and crack. If you’re like me and can never remember to wear gloves then it’s a good idea to strategically place hand cream around. I always keep a tube in my purse, in the car, at the sink and on my bedside table. You really can never have enough!
Hair exposed to the sun and water can appear dry and lack lustre. Go easy on the heating elements such as flat irons and other treatments that can damage hair further. Consider switching to a gentle line of shampoos, minus harsh cleansing ingredients like sodium lauryl sulfate which strip away oils and can irritate sensitive skin
michellephillipsblog.com 
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