Posts I am working on for 2012

1) My favorite EYE CREAMS

2) We smile with our Eyes: Mascaras that actually WORK

3) Political Arena: Which Woman has it right??? Michelle O, Michelle B, Hillary or Sara

4) Massages and WHY THEY HELP you HEAL

5) Love the SUN, Use the Sunscreen ALWAYS

6) YOGA really WORKS

7) I LOVE CHOCOLATE,...You should eat it

8) I LOVE RED WINE,...You should drink it

9) No need to go to a SPA,..only once in a while

10) HomeBASE, Your Kitchen

11) Don't LOSE all the WEIGHT,...it can make you LOOK OLDER

You don't have to lie about your AGE, Really

When I turned 20 I was still in college and the world was full of possibilities.  When I turned 30 I had tried a few jobs but I have not found my career yet.  I had an early mid-life crisis since I did not know where I belonged.  I always took care of how I looked but somehow I was not happy with where I was. Soon after, I decided to take my mom's advice and embark on a new journey.  That journey led me to where I was meant to be all along,...in front of a classroom teaching science.  Here is the interesting part, even though I started teaching in my early 30's all my students thought I was in my early 20's.  As silly as it sounds that gave me a bust of confidence and in return it made me feel like I was in my early 20's,...a life full of possibilities .  The lesson here, is that you are what you feel and you feel what you are.  The way you look is only an effect not the cause.  But with everything, you need to work on every aspect of yourself all the time,...mind and body first and then the superficial stuff, the right skin care routine, the right make-up application, the right hair style/hair color, the right clothes,...and finally the right attitude towards life.  The only judge to your appearance is yourself.

 Now lets do a quick check list of what you should attempt to accomplish,...not all at once, one at a time.


1) Listen to you  body,...take a break, enjoy yourself, SMILE
2) Sometimes you just have to IGNORE THE negative and PRETEND that it never happened

3) Eat and sleep right,...This is probably the MOST important thing you can do for your well being,...all the body cells regenerate during the night and they do that using the food that you put in your body during the day.
4) Exercise at your own pace,...a few times a week, few minutes a day, every day, every other day,...but remember don't do it in excess otherwise you will hate it.  I prefer outdoors activities, and I found that the easiest way for me to exercise is walking.  I take my daughter for 3-4 hr long walks.  Also exercise increases the endorphins in your body, which are the feel good hormones,..when you feel good, you look good and you look at least 5 yrs younger than your actual age. (that is just my estimate)
6) Drink lots of water.
7) Apply make up in moderation,...the more make-up you have the older you look. 
8) Wear age appropriate clothing but don't hide in them,..show your curves, not stripper like,..but more Michelle Obama like.

9) And finally find a hobby.  I love being out in Nature and taking pictures.
10) Stay out in the sun, of course with right protection.  The more you stay out in the sun the more vitamin D your body builds, which is believed to fight depression.  

Busy MOM: Working WOMAN: Quick Make-up

Once I had my daughter my make application time went from 10 minutes to 5 minutes to 3 minutes.
The first few weeks seemed like conquering Mnt. Everest without any rope, something that I loved doing, applying my make-up to me was like painting a beautiful canvass,...was impossible and even anxiety ridden. I was learning how to first manage taking care of my daughter while not totally ignoring my simple frivolous needs. It took time,...but once I got the time management down I started to take pleasure in the quick make-up application. One thing I learned in these 6 months is that you need to be able to still save some of your old self in order to be a HAPPY MOM.

So let's start with the CANVASS: Your FACE
1) Apply Moisturizer, and Eye Cream
3) Let them absorb into your skin for 2 mins.
4) Apply Under-eye concealer
5) Next is the press powder
6) Lots of blush (not the clown effect but more like the flush pink effect after a quick run)
7) A small dab of highlighter eye shadow in the inner corners of your eyes
8) Lastly Mascara.

MOISTURIZE = GLOW

Even if you have not been so diligent with your daily skincare routine,...you can do one thing to bring back the GLOW

1) Wash your face with really COLD WATER

2) Then add moisturizer,...but which one...the best by far for me, which I discovered way back in college : 1) CLINIQUE: Dramatically different moisturizing lotion.

Baby's butt is really softer than our SKIN

How can we have BABY BUTT SKIN???

Since having my daughter I realized that the old adage is true= SOFT AS A BABY's BUTT

But how can we get that result without breaking the bank??

If you can only do 3 things:

1) Exfoliate = once a weak

2) Apply Moisturizer/and or Sunscreen

3) Finally a great product I discovered a few years ago= Avene Thermale Spring Water (available at Duane Reade/ and or Target): Just spray it on your face whenever you are around your house,...or before you apply your make up/ or before you go to bed

Pimples: How to prevent them.

Pimples: That annoying little thing that grows on your face like a mountain.
The one that almost looks like it has a flag on it like the moon-landing.
Well here it is,...hope this helps you out with preventing and erasing them from your face.


Pimples: How to prevent them?
For Oily and Combination Skin (Oily in T-zones and Dry the rest of the face)



1) Q: I wash a lot but still get blackheads. Why?
A: Washing your skin can't get rid of blackheads or acne. Why? Blackheads form below the skin's surface, when oil, also called sebum, reacts with air in a partially clogged pore. When the pore is totally blocked, you get a whitehead.
Wash your face only twice a day, using a mild cleanser and warm water -- not hot water.

2) Q: Could my makeup cause me to break out?
A: Yes. In fact, anything you put on your face has the potential to clog pores. Look for oil-free makeup, sunscreens, and other skin products. Non-comedogenic and nonacnegenic products can be better for acne-prone skin. You might also try using powder cosmetics ( Best: Lancome Press Powder) instead of cream foundations.

3) Q: What’s the truth about chocolate and other greasy foods?
A: There's no scientific proof that eating chocolate, sugar, or greasy food causes acne. However, if it seems that certain foods trigger breakouts, avoid them.
Sugary or greasy foods hinder your health in other ways, contributing to diabetes and heart disease. Reach for fresh food for better overall health.

4) Q: What's the best way to treat severe break-outs or Acne? (Consult with a doctor before using any Retenoids Creams )
A: Medicated creams with benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, or alpha-hydroxy acid are the first treatments to try. You can get them over the counter or by prescription. Retinoids -- vitamin A-based creams -- also work to unclog hair follicles. For mild acne/ regular breakouts the PROACTIVE line works really well.
Your doctor can prescribe stronger creams, or other medications that help, such as antibiotics, oral retinoids, androgen blockers, and low-dose birth control pills.

5) Q: What's the best way to prevent break-outs?
A: Use two simple strategies:
First, avoid touching your face. Touching your face can increase oiliness, irritate your skin, and encourage the growth of bacteria. Develop a hands-off policy.
Second, keep oily hair off your skin. And look for oil-free hair products. Oily hair care products can get on your face and clog pores.

Taking Care of Your Face

I started taking care of my face in my early teens,...13-14 yrs old. Thanks to my mom, I was learning from the best in the skin care business. My mom has a passion for everything skin care. She in turn learned from her aunt in the early 50's. My mom got her skin education away from her rural country side upbringing. Her aunt lived in Paris in her early 20's and she developed a taste for the all refined french culture. She taught my mom everything from cooking incredible french pastries to sawing lace and embroideries and dress making. She also taught her how to take care of her face. She basically got the education of a lifetime of specific natural practices that make and sustain subtle beautiful skin. And here are her basic simple rules :

1) Never ever go to bed with your make-up on.
2) Always wear moisturizer &/ sun-protection
3) Apply press-powder,...which is like a film protecting your pores against dust and daily pollutants.
4) Starting in your late 20's- early 30's start wearing eye cream
5) Apply moisturizing night cream,...since 80% of cell recovery happens at night

Of course choosing the right products for your skin is a MUST

On my next post I will discuss all skin types and the suggested self-tried products that produce results