Get that Summer Glow Year Round!

Summertime has to be my favorite time of the year. As it is for most people... the days are longer, the nights are warmer, and we seem to spend more time laughing and having fun with our friends. But let's face it, we are happy because our skin has that summer glow that makes us all feel better about ourselves!

I have tried many self-tanners (some even turned my skin orange) and have recently tried using a moisturizer that tans your skin at the same time. Being an Esthetician, I am very picky about the ingredients in products that I put on my body. I have found one that I love so much I just had to share it with you... Aveeno Active Naturals Continuous Radiance Moisturizing Lotion. It comes in 3 shades; Light, Medium and Dark Skin Tones. Not only does it moisturize your skin for 24 hours, but it contains natural soy and gradual color enhancers to help even out skin tone and texture while deepening skin's natural color. It goes on like any other white moisturizer, does not streak, does not turn orange, and dries very quickly. Best of all, it contains NO lanolin, NO mineral oil and NO fragrance. And it only costs $7 for an 8 oz tube. For more information on this product visit Aveeno's website.

Mascara ... Don't leave home without it!

Well girls, it's official. The winner of our poll is Mascara! I agree, I won't leave home without mascara either. Something about darkening the lashes does so much for the face.

So now the question is regular mascara or waterproof?
First of all, waterproof mascara should only be worn for short periods of time. It tends to be very drying and damaging to the lashes. I recommend only using it for weddings or other special occasions where you think you will be crying. If you think you need it for a day at the beach or the pool I would suggest tinting your lashes. This lasts about 3-4 weeks and the more often you tint the darker your lashes become. Lash tinting can be done at most salons and runs about $20-$25 This should only be done by a licensed Esthetician! A local salon that offers this service is TEK Salon-Spa in Costa Mesa. 949-515-8351

As far as mascara goes, there are many good ones out there. The most infamous would be Maybelline Great Lash (the good old pink and green tube) Stila and Shel Cosmetics also offer very good thickening and lengthening mascaras that don't clump or flake. Whichever brand you choose just make sure you go with BLACK. Even the blonde girls should always wear black mascara... and remember to bat those lashes girls!

A photo shoot in 90 degree heat...

Well, it's true. You can wear full photo quality makeup in the heat and still look good. Last Sunday I did a shoot with Kelly Lynn Photography at the Balboa Pier and was happy how well my makeup lasted and looked in the pictures... considering it was 90 degrees outside!

So I thought I would share the secret with all of you. The key is to wear a makeup primer. By doing this the makeup adheres to the primer and won't run or roll off your skin. I wore a liquid to powder mineral foundation; which is a little lighter than the normal liquid foundation. I didn't feel like I had a lot of makeup on and looked very natural ... not cakey!