Skin Care Secrets from the Dermatologist to the Stars

Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian, Victoria Beckham, Oprah and Ellen DeGeneres all have something in common besides a net worth of zillions. They share the same dermatologist -- Dr. Harold Lancer, who dispenses advice and high-tech treatments from his office on Beverly Hills’ Rodeo Drive, next to boutiques like CHANEL, Dior, Prada and Ralph Lauren. Now, in his new book, Younger: The Breakthrough Anti-Aging Method for Radiant Skin, Lancer shares his simple four-step secret to getting red-carpet radiant skin (no matter your bank balance).

1. Exfoliate your skin every day and do it before you cleanse. A gentle daily “polish” --the word Lancer actually prefers to exfoliate -- is like “taking the tarnish off silver.” Dead cells and surface debris are whisked away to allow “fresh, radiant skin to shine through.” You can polish your skin either mechanically (with a loofah, rough washcloth or a scrub with tiny beads), or you can choose a chemical exfoliator that uses enzyme-based ingredients like papaya or pineapple to dissolve those old skin cells. Polish your skin once a day, preferably at night, for 60 to 90 seconds. Dampen your skin with warm water before you begin and finish with a rinse of lukewarm water.

2. Follow polishing with a non-irritating cleanser to cart away the uprooted debris. Apply a pea-sized drop of cleanser to your fingertips and massage it into your skin, working from the jawline up.

3. Complete your nighttime skin care regimen with a nourishing lotion, cream or serum. Check the ingredients label for damage-fighting antioxidants like Vitamin C and Vitamin E. Peptides and pentapeptides will also keep your skin looking its best by boosting the production of new collagen. Again, apply a pea-sized amount and work the product into your skin from the jawline to your hairline.

4. During the day add one more step: protect. Apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher. For all steps of this regimen, find products that feel good on your skin. The more “pampered” your skin care regimen makes you feel, says Lancer, the more likely you are to stick with it.

No, But Really, You Should Wear Orange Lipstick

Did you know that orange is a universally flattering color? No really, I swear. First, consider your options: melon, coral, tangerine, terracotta, apricot, blood orange, burnt orange, neon and more. There are so many hues to go around, you’ll definitely be able to find one that’s right for you. Not to mention, orange is the hottest lip color for spring and summer (sorry, radiant orchid), so you might as well give the color a chance.

Orange lipstick may sound like another sensational trend (we’re looking at you, blue eye shadow) better suited for catwalk models than your average gal, but the color is much more wearable than it sounds. Don’t believe me? These made-in-heaven orange lipstick matches might just change your mind:

Blue Eyes: Orange makes blue pop like no other color. Going for a true orange (one that is equal parts red and blue) is a flawless match, but really any orange that complements your skin tone will work. For cooler undertones, try pastels, red-oranges and corals. Warmer undertones will look amazing in oranges with yellow, copper and golden hues.

 

Olive Skin: I’m pretty sure terracotta was invented for olive skin tones, but you can’t go wrong with a coral or any other orange that you’d pair with green (think cooler, blue-based oranges). This all also applies to Green/Hazel Eyes.

 

Yellow Undertones: Remember learning in elementary school that red plus yellow equals orange? If your skin has yellow undertones, you can rock the brighter and bolder oranges without overpowering your complexion.

 

Pale Skin: Orange can provide the same pop of color as a red lip, but it’s less harsh on pale skin than its ruby cousin.

 

Bronzed Skin: Bright oranges and bronzer were meant to be. They play on each other’s warmth in ways that even work for cooler skin tones.

 

Dark Skin: Lupita Nyong’o is the red carpet leader in all things orange lipstick. She has rocked blood orange, mandarin, sheer tangerine, coral and the list goes on. Fact: The darker your skin, the larger your selection of flattering bright and bold colors. Orange is no exception. For example, while sheer, lighter oranges tend to flatter all, rocking the bolder and deeper orange hues in sheer colors will be no challenge with darker skin.

 

Redheads: Pick an orange, any orange. You have the hair-given right to wear oranges like nobody else. Since your coloring is already working with the orange you’ve got, you can go for fun contrasting oranges or choose a similar shade for (get this) a more natural look.

 

So basically, if you’re a blue-eyed redhead with dark-as-night skin, you’ve won the orange lipstick lottery. But I’m not joking when I say anyone can pull off orange lips. However, going absolutely orange (such as neon or tangerine) may not be your style. No biggie. You can still rock spring and summer’s hottest lip trend by going for hues that aren’t all about the orange. Coral and blood orange shades, for example, can be found with a more balanced orange-to-pink or -red ratio respectively. And if you want to go orange but not scream it from the rooftops, try out a pastel or start with a gloss.

Still doubting the orange? So did I -- at first. My gateway orange was a red lipstick with a burnt-orange hue. Since then I’ve moved onto a medium coral and bright tangerine. So before you knock it, try it. And now is the time, as orange options are popping up in cosmetic aisles (and online stores) everywhere.

 

5 Things You Never Knew -- Until Now -- About How to Apply Mascara

If you’re like most women, mascara is one of your top two or three can’t-live-without beauty products. But even though you may think you know everything there is to know about applying mascara, you can probably still learn a trick or two. Here are five new twists on how to apply mascara from a couple of top pros.

1. The best method for applying mascara is a two-step method, says Andrea Q. Robinson, a onetime Vogue beauty editor, beauty industry exec and author. Step one: Hold the wand close to the lid horizontally and in a quick back-and-forth -- almost vibrating motion -- move the brush from the roots to the ends of the lashes. This will give you coverage. Step two: Change the wand to a vertical direction and move back and forth like a windshield wiper. This is for separation and will help prevent clumps.

2. Waterproof formulas are too tough on your lashes for everyday use, Robinson says. You’ll have to rub hard to loosen the color, and in doing so you risk breaking your lashes. Save the waterproof mascara for those times you know you’ll be tearing up -- like a weepy movie or your best friend’s wedding. And keep in mind that most regular formula mascaras will wear well throughout the day without smudging, and are easily removable with soap and water or makeup remover.

3. Do you have droopy lashes that won’t stay curled? Try curling them twice, suggests Hollywood makeup artist Brett Freedman. First curl them before you apply mascara and then give your lashes a second curl after your mascara is on (and dry).

4. If you’re going to pump up your lashes with individual false lashes, apply them after the first coat of mascara.

“That way you can see exactly where you want a little extra fullness and length,” Freedman says. “Then apply another coat of mascara to marry your real and false lashes together.”

5. Colored mascara looks gorgeous in candlelight. Purple, blue or emerald mascara “reads black,” Freedman says, until you get next to light, when your lashes show a touch of hue. It’s subtle, but it gives your lashes a little more interest. Use a coat or two of your regular black mascara, then layer just the tips of your lashes with a colored mascara. Tip: Deep blue mascara looks good on every eye color.

Photo by Aleksandra Rupar on Unsplash

Spring Mani? Nailed It!

This year boasts some of the best trends for spring nails we’ve seen in a while -- hands down! There are new shapes, new shades of polish and a new sophistication to the season’s manicures and pedicures.

If you’ve been sitting out the nail art trend, now is the time to jump into the pool. The updated take includes some over-the-top styles for when you’re wrapping your fingers around a melon mojito at the new rooftop bar downtown; but there are also more subtle versions that are classy enough for a job interview or meeting your boyfriend’s parents.

“This spring, we’re seeing lots of creativity in nails,” says Julie Serquinia, co-owner of Paint Shop Beverly Hills, a posh salon that has prettified the nails of celebs like Cameron Diaz, Jessica Alba and Tyra Banks. “Even women who have been doing neutrals for years are finding they want to be a little more expressive with their manicures and pedicures. It’s like trying a new shade of lipstick -- fun, without a big risk or investment.”

Here’s a handle on some of the biggest hottest spring nails for 2014:

Get Dusty

Pastels are softer and more muted than in seasons past, Serquinia says. They look like they’ve been slightly bleached by the desert sun during Coachella. Think sage, mint green, muted orchid and rosy pink. These are shades you’d find in herbs and spring flowers, rather than a jar of jellybeans. (Bright pops of color will make their entrance in summer.)

Make It Metallic

Like jeweled embellishments on a classic clutch, shimmer and glimmer is adding a day-to-night flash to manicures. Dress up a neutral manicure with a topcoat of sheer sparkle. Or, swipe slate gray nails with a wash of silver, melon with gold, lavender or blue with pewter, darker hues with gunmetal.

Leave a Tip

Rather than doing top-to-bottom nail art, women are adding a few polka dots or delicate webbing patterns on the tips of their nails. Copy the minimalist look from the Kate Spade runway and accent matte nails with a stripe of red, pink, yellow or black.

“Women are finding ways to translate nail art into what works for their lifestyle and taste,” Serquinia says.

If your office is too conservative for even understated nail art, save the decorations for your toes. You’ll feel daring when you kick off your sensible heels!

Grow It Out

If you’re going to sport two-tone nails or nail art, you need a little length.

“Pick a single pretty shade if your nails are short,” Serquinia says. “For more creative looks, you want your nails to extend about a quarter inch or more beyond your fingertips.”

Shape Up

You’ve been doing square or squoval (square-oval) nails for years now. It’s time to consider a new filing system. Spring’s feminine colors look beautiful on almond- or oval-shaped nails. Or, borrow a trend from the catwalk and sport nails filed into a stiletto shape.

Share pics of your pretty spring nails with us on Twitter at @TheStyleGlossy.

Best in Hair and Beauty: Spring 2014

Ready to get gorgeous for spring? We know. There’s still snow on the ground, freezing cold temperatures and winds threatening to lift you off the ground. So it’s the perfect time to make a cup of hot cocoa, settle into your favorite chair and start daydreaming about the prettiest looks for spring and summer. Here are some of our favorite picks among the warm-weather beauty trends.

Bright Orange Lips

It seemed like orange was the color of every other model’s lips on the Spring 2014 catwalk. John Galliano, Donna Karan, Nanette Lepore, Rag & Bone and Prabal Gurung all featured citrus-colored pouts. Here, Jennifer Hudson shows how it’s done in real life. Feeling a little shy? Start with a gloss in a tangerine hue.

Minimal Makeup

A (nearly) bare face is one of the strongest beauty trends for spring and summer.

Olivia Wilde kept her makeup to the minimum even at the ultra-glam Costume Institute Gala. The key to making naked chic: healthy glowing skin and the deft use of no-makeup makeup like concealer and skin primer.

Orchid Hues

Pantone named radiant orchid the color of 2014. It may seem like a daunting hue to play with, but a touch on lips, nails, cheeks or eyes looks fresh and modern. At a Hollywood premiere of her movie 12 Years a Slave, Lupita Nyong’o showed off glistening hothouse lips and smoky lilac eyes.

Cat Eyes

Meow! Winged liner is still going strong in summer and spring. But this year’s cat eyes no longer look retro. Instead, done with precision, they’re elegant, clean and completely fresh. Emmy Rossum, at the Critics’ Choice Awards, took top honors for purr-fect eyes!


Disheveled Updo’s

Sleek is neat, but undone is sexy and ideal for every day. The updo and the pony are going out of bounds, with tendrils and pieces set loose. Cameron Diaz chose the un-do when she promoted her new book, The Body Book, in New York.

Deep Side Parts

It’s dramatic, effortless and almost universally flattering. We’re talking about the deep side part, which has been holding center stage as a hair trend for a couple of seasons now. When Amy Adams picked up the Lacoste Spotlight Award at the Costume Designers Guild Awards, she was a case study in how to do a deep part perfectly -- align it with the arch of your eyebrow.