New Year skin care

Now the Christmas and New Year festivities are over, treat your skin to some TLC.

Hopefully you enjoyed a wonderful Christmas season with friends and family; sadly, though, all that festive fun won't have done your complexion any favours. And it isn't just your face that will have suffered: high heels, late nights, a rich diet and too much alcohol, not to mention the wintery weather... your whole system has been through a lot recently and now it deserves a little pampering. We can't do much about the weather, but we can give you a few tips to help repair some of the damage and restore vitality to your skin.



• Use a conditioning body mask to soften and repair the winter damage to your skin. And use a face mask, too, not just for the benefits of the mask itself, but for the 15 minutes or so you take to sit still, listening to your favourite relaxing music: this short disconnection from the world has a marvellous repairing effect inside and out.


• Take a shower or bath with a cleansing gel to gently cleanse the skin. In winter it's particularly important to use products that nourish and restore the skin's protective barrier. Finish off with your favourite moisturising product.
• Take a break from the drink. Try a week or two – or more – with no champagne, no wine... nothing but water. And plenty of it, as it really does do wonders for your skin. If you prefer, you can warm it up a bit and add a little lemon – it's a great way to start the day and will help to rehydrate your skin from within as well as aiding digestion. If you really don't like water, herbal and fruit teas can be a good alternative.
• Try taking a bath with a detox product. Use an exfoliant or a mitt to stimulate circulation and eliminate toxins. If you use a face mask at the same time, the steam will increase the mask's effectiveness. After the bath, try applying a product that will stimulate and get your blood moving. Both your mind and your skin will thank you.


• High heels and dancing may be fun at the time, but your feet are probably crying out for a massage with a rich moisturising cream. After the massage, pop on some warm socks and settle down with your feet up for the evening.

Tips On How To Get Flawless Skin

Get Flawless Skin - Jenna Caruana

Beauty starts from the inside, so you really do need to get a good diet for any of these tips to work. So make sure you get plenty of fruit and veg each day. An easy way is to have a fruit salad for breakfast, and always eat at least 2 vegetables with your dinner. Keep away from processed foods and fatty food as these are bad for you and will cause breakouts, so if you don’t want pimples and spots all over your face this is an important one. The same goes for sugary foods, as the high sugar content causes breakouts. Fresh meat and veg is the way forward. Fish is great for the skin because it contains the omega 3 fatty acids that keep your skin, hair and nails healthy.Keep Make Up Light To Get Flawless Skin
Don’t wear loads of make-up. As tempting as this might be if your skin is not at its best, this will make it harder for the skin to breathe and will also cause the skin to produce more oil, which clogs and causes spots. Also, if you do wear make-up, try to keep it light, and always remove it at the end of the day.
If you really must wear foundation, get one that is light and has vitamins in it. You should also try to use one that has sun protection in it as the sun’s rays damage the skin. Even in winter, you should still use at least SPF15 as there are still UV rays about when it’s cold.
And finally make sure that you keep fit and healthy by exercising, as this is good for all parts of your body and that includes your skin. This will also help to slow the ageing process of the skin.

 

2011 hair trends: 2011 hairstyles for women

The year marks the true start of a new decade, and yet 2011's fashion trends are all about revival. True, there is a unique undertone of a modernist style appearing, but take some of the most iconic styles of the 20th century, infuse them with quality, and you'll find the basis for the dominant styles of 2011.

The year's hair trends are no different. For fashionisers in 2011, hair is all about revivals and evolution. With styles and colours we're seeing the best of 2010 reborn, whereas cuts are offering reworked and luxurious revivals of styles that sit perfectly with the year's clothing trends.

winter make up tips

As a special holiday gift,  I asked my friend Jean-François to do one of his fantastic makeup tutorials showcasing some winter trends!  I’m a huge fan of his Youtube tutorials and I hope you all are as thrilled as I am to have him join us for this issue of FORA!
In addition, I’ve included a list of essentials that I believe are a MUST in creating your best makeup looks (outside of the makeup colors themselves!)  Holiday season is THE BEST time to cash in on fantastic deals and sets for less at department and drug stores… so you can look naughty OR nice!
Clean, Prepped Skin I can never stress the importance of taking care of your skin enough.  It’s the canvas for every look… with or without makeup! If your skin doesn’t look good, neither will your makeup. Cleanse, Exfoliate, and Moisturize morning and night and you will see a huge difference.  Skincare lines I like are Dermalogica, Clean & Clear, Clarins, and MAC.
Makeup Brushes
Ok, let’s face it.  Those little spongetip applicators that come with the eyeshadow are just… meh.  Ideally, get the best brushes you can afford.  With proper care,  brushes can last you for years!  (I love MAC Cosmetics brushes-they have great sets on sale around the holiday season!! Many drug stores have some decent brushes as well!)  You probably need around 5 or 6 brushes to have what you need to do your whole face:    -powder/blush brush ( a medium size, not too huge)
-small angle brush (for eyeliner and brows)
- medium flat brush (for applying eyeshadows)
-medium teardrop-shaped brush (for blending eyeshadows and doing a crease)
-a lip brush OR a small stiff brush for applying concealer
Eyeshadow Base
Eyeshadow base keeps your eyeshadow on with no creasing or fading for over 12 hours.  I’m not joking!!  It can be worn alone or under powder eyeshadows.
I’d suggest MAC Paints in ‘Bare Canvas’ for lighter/medium skintones and MAC Paint in ‘Bamboom’ for darker skintones.  (The base should be a bit lighter than your skintone, or match it exactly-not darker).  I also like NARS eyeshadow base, and Cover FX Eye Prep.
Mascara
Seriously, why waste time doing your makeup when in an hour you have messy mascara smudges?  Unless you are *actually* going for that Courtney Love/Marilyn Manson look, get a good mascara.  Waterproof doesn’t necessarily mean smudge-proof; if you have oily skin, waterproof may smudge. (they are water-proof, NOT oil-proof.  Oil is what you remove waterproof products with).   Some brands that work well for me are Covergirl Lash Blast, L’Oreal Telescopic Mascara, and Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Mascara.
Peach/Warm Toned Concealer
You may need help choosing your perfect shade, but your concealer should be slightly more peachy and not *too* much lighter than your own skin.  Peachy/warm concealer tones under the eyes help your skin look bright and hide dark circles.  Concealer that is too yellow under the eyes can look ashy.  I like MAC concealers, Cover FX concealer, and the Lise Watier Portfolio Concealer Wheels.
If you have the essentials, you will be able to create hundreds of makeup looks and just pick up one or two colour trends every season!  Now, ready…set…. MAKEUP!!!