Preserve Your Sexy Pt. 1- Skin Like Butter

I received a request from fellow blogger, Hustle Crowe. That request? "Teach me how to preserve my sexy".

At that point, I promised Hustle I'd pay more attention to the needs of the guys. How so? Well, I've decided to do a series of posts for men called "Preserve Your Sexy" (or PYS).
Naturally, when I hear that phrase, I think of the man who made it famous, Sean "P. Diddy" Combs and decided to do some research on how Diddy preserves his sexy.
In Diddy's 2007 appearance on the Conan O'Brien show he claimed that his skin care regimen gave him the "softest skin in the world" and insisted O'Brien see for himself. Shocked, O'Brien touched Diddy's arm and proclaimed "Oh my God, it's like butter".
Diddy's skin care regimen consists of a hot shower. Then he allows his skin to "air dry" by dancing around in a little less than many of us would care to imagine. Unfortunately, Diddy's dance won't yield butter-soft skin, for most, but at least your lady will like it!
If you aren't as fortunate as my man, Diddy and your goal is to have skin like "butter", you first have to commit to a regimen that consists of more than washing with bar soap.
So here are the basics: Wash, exfoliate & tone and moisturize
Wash
If you have dry skin, find a cream-based cleanser that won't strip your skin of it's essential oils. If your skin is oily, you want a gel cleanser with salicylic or alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) that will help clear your pores. hypo-allergenic, fragrance free cleansers work well for sensitive skin.
Exfoliate/Tone
Exfoliating adds a few minutes to this process but its well worth it. What is it? Exfoliation is a method that sloughs off dead skin cells that clog pores to reveal fresh, new skin underneath. You can use a scrub or other exfoliator about once a week.
A toner is used to finish the cleaning process by removing excess dead skin, oils and product that may be left on the skin.
Moisturize
Moisturizing is key. You may wonder why you use a toner to get rid of oil and then you go piling it back on? Well, look at it like this, the toner gets rid of the bad and the moisturizer gives your skin the good. The right moisturizer contains nutrients that are delivered right into the skin.
Here are some skin care lines to get you started
Jack Black, www.sephora.com
a/MEN/ity, www.getamenity.com
Anthony Logistics, www.sephora.com

P.S. ladies should use the "basics" too

Here's to Shea...Armour Beauty Lipgloss

Your lips are dry. Even worse, they're cracked and flaky.

Well, here's to Shea (butter, that is) and Kogan and Burns (creators of Amour Beauty). Burns, a vet makeup artisit in Hollywood and Kogan, lead singer for Lunachicks created a 14 shade (7 opaque, 7 shimmer) shea-butter-based lip gloss line.
Now, there's no need to prep & prime your lips with your favorite moisturizer before applying your favorite color, because Armour does it all--moisturizes and gives you kissable color!

www.armourbeauty.com
Shea Butter kisses

BLACK is beautiful

Dramatic cat-eye, fierce & smoky or sleek and sexy...However it was done, black eyeliner was one of the hottest trends to grace the runways this fall/winter.

Line with liquid, pencil, gel, pen or powder using some of the latest products
Chantecaille Le Stylo Liquid Eyeliner Pen, $26, eluxury.com
Noir Cosmetics Ultra Rich Eye Pencil, $15, noircosmetics.com (left) MAC Liquid Liner in Boot Black, $16.50, Maccosmetics.com (above)

Stila smudge pot in black, $18.00, ulta.com
Using black liner to create a trendy look that fits your own personal style is simple...Begin with a thin line at the base of your lashes using the liner of your choice. (Starting out too thick will most likely end in disaster). Take a step back and check for balance. If you have not yet achieved the look you desire, trace over the line until the intensity suits you. Again, check for balance.
Since your eyes are the focal point, keep the rest of your makeup neutral. If you decide against the neutral look, just remember you'll need more liner to balance your look.

D'Brows loves D'Guys

For nearly a year, D'Brows has captivated the women of DC by beating face and Brows, of course. Now its D'Guys turn!

My post on D'Brows, is long overdue (I'll elaborate in another blog). Located in the historic U St Corridor (1203 U St), D'Brows is a boutique style concept salon, that meets the beauty needs of DC's finest and now adds a D'Guys aMENity facial to its repertoire.
Guys, allow D'Brows Licensed Skin Care Specialists treat your acne bumps, razor bumps and blemishes.
This holiday season:
Ladies, treat your man. Men treat yourself. Trust me, you won't regret it.
Schedule your appointment today.
www.dbrows.com

A girl should be...

A GIRL SHOULD BE TWO THINGS: classy & fabulous

CoCo Chanel

Help MAC Give Back

Since 1994, MAC has been an advocate for combating HIV/AIDS through the MAC AIDS Fund. This year is no different.

This holiday season, MAC features 7 holiday collections. My favorite, however, is the 2008 Kids Helping Kids Gift Cards.
Assorted greeting cards feature artwork for kids by kids. All proceeds benefit pediatric AIDS organizations around the world.
Give the gift of life this holiday season.

Visit www.maccosmetics.com for other Holiday Collections

Blush

Blush: The Search for the Next Great Makeup Artist, a new Lifetime reality series gives hopefuls a shot at a contract as a professional artist with MaxFactor, an opportunity to beat face on an InStyle Photo Shoot and a cash prize of $100,000.

"In each episode, the contestants, all living under one roof in Los Angeles, compete in two different makeup competitions, designed to test the skills and personality traits — including compassion and confidence — necessary for success in the field. Following the second challenge, one contestant will be eliminated".

ANTM satisfies only some of a makeup artists appetite for creativity, but this show is really "what makes us blush" because it's all about us!

Blush airs on Lifetime Network, Tuesday nights at 10pm, EST.

More on blush to come...

Preview Episode 4

Go With Your Own Glow

From a Skin Cancer Foundation Ad...
"A raisin is a grape that didn't have the sense to get out of the sun.

And think about it, if the giant orb in the sky can do that to a little piece of fruit, imagine what it's doing to your precious skin. Layers one to seven do not like being basted, toasted, roasted, fried and all other manner of scorched. And how does your skin show it? Hello wrinkles. Hello crow's feet. Hello blotches and burns and who-knows-what-all-else. Not to be prejudice, but on the pecking order of brains, we humbly submit that human beings should have more sense than dumb grapes. Don't you agree? Nothing looks better on you than healthy, glowing, radiant shine you were born with. Because today, being healthy- truly healthy- is what's sexy.

Lush's Mask of Magnaminty Boasts of Clearer Skin

Lush's Mask of Magnaminity is handmade with 93% natural ingredients

China clay & bentonite gel suck dirt out of your pores while ground aduki beans and evening primose seeds exfoliate away dead skin cells. Peppermint is added for that fresh, clean feeling.

For this and other "Fresh Handmade Cosmetics". Tried it? Post your reviews.

IMAN Cream to Powder Foundation...Second to None

Iman's Second to None Cream to Powder foundation is simply marvelous!

This product was recommended to me by a fellow artist. I purchased the product and used it for a wedding this past winter. I was amazed. The skin looked flawless and did not look caked up.
This foundation provides a smooth and flawless matte look that lasts. Its soft creamy consistency makes blending effortless. Many times, women of color struggle with finding a foundation that doesnt leave an ashy or chalky finish. This foundation is the solution. Not only does it look great, but it's AFFORDABLE! You can find IMAN products at target, walgreens or online at www.imanbeauty.com

Icon of the Month DONYALE LUNA

Donayale Luna, first black supermodel also became the first black woman to grace the cover of vogue magazine in 1966.

Be "VIVA Glamorous" and help fight AIDS

The M·A·C AIDS Fund, the heart and soul of M·A·C Cosmetics, was established in 1994 to support men, women and children affected by HIV/AIDS globally.

The M·A·C AIDS Fund is a pioneer in HIV/AIDS funding, providing financial support to organizations working with underserved regions and populations. As the largest corporate non-pharmaceutical donor in the arena, the Fund strives to raise awareness of four key issues in the fight against HIV/AIDS: prevention, the link between poverty and HIV/AIDS, access to care, and adherence to medications and treatments. To date, the M·A·C AIDS Fund has raised more than $95 million (U.S.) exclusively through the sale of VIVA GLAM lipsticks and lipglass, donating 100 percent of the selling price to the M·A·C AIDS Fund.

For more information, please visit www.macaidsfund.org.

Try this at Home...SWEET and Simple!

You use it in your tea, your coffee, your cereal and tons of other palette pleasers. But did you know you could use it on your skin?

What's this mysterious ingerdient (or not so mysterious)? Sugar.
Sugar is great not only as a sweetener but also as an exfoliator. An exfoliator is used to slough off dead skin cells and other build up that clog pores causing blackheads (or comedones), whiteheads (or milia) and leaving your skin looking dull and lifeless. Exfoliation can also help with removing discolored skin and inhibiting ingrown hairs. There are different types of exfoliation methods, but the do it yourself type are known as abrasives. The abrasives are responsible for getting rid of flakes and dead skin. (I'll touch on other types of exfoliators another time).
So here we go. It's simple...simply mix sugar with olive or vegetable oil and GENTLY (its called an abrasive for a reason) rub the mixture in a circular motion on your face after a cleanser or mix with your cleanser for a 2-in-1.
Got oatmeal? Mix with baking soda and water until it forms a paste and exfoliate away.
Other at-home exfoliators are salt and brown sugar.
Things to remember about exfoliating:
BE GENTLE! Being too aggresive can cause irritation.
Exfoliate 3-4 times a week; NOT everyday.
Never exfoliate when skin is irritated, has cuts or is sunburned.

Exfoliate and your skin will thank you.

The Eye of the Beholder

Found this quote in my "Iman the Color of Beauty" book and thought it was good enough to share. So, here goes...

People often say that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder," and I say that the most liberating thing about beauty is realizing that you are the beholder. This empowers us to find beauty in places where others have not dared to look, including inside ourselves. Behold yourself as beautiful. Have the courageto celebrate the things about you that are unique. Find beauty in everything you are, even your weaknesses; let the beauty of your spirit shine through imperfections.
Salma Hayek

Raising Eyebrows!

• Let's face it. We've all fallen victim to the "nail salon brow" a time or two, or three or four (maybe we are still victims), leaving us with barely a hair or looking as if we'd just seen a ghost.
  
  
  A mis-shaped or butchered brow can easily ruin one's look.The brow is meant to frame the eye, not serve as a permanent display of expression. Take a look at the pictures on the covers and in magazines. Are their brows mechanical pencil thin? I think not! With that said, here are a few tips to help you achieve the perfect brow:
• Let your brows grow out. Yes, it may be an eye sore, but it will be well worth the wait. Be forewarned, years of over-plucking may have left permanent damage to the hair follicle and the hair may never grow back.
• Once you've allowed them to grow back, go to an upscale salon (not a nail salon) for a professional wax (do not try this at home). Make sure the esthetician understands you want a thicker brow that follows your natural shape.
• For maintenance in between salon visits, minimal tweezing is allowed.
  When tweezing, remember to clean the area first. Witch hazel is a good choice.
  The eyebrow should start at the tear duct and end at the end of the eye and the arch should be aligned with the outer edge of the iris.
• Tweeze in the direction of hair growth (right after the shower is best. It makes it easier and less painful).
• Continue to check in the mirror as it is easy to overpluck and then you are right back to square one again.
• If you need to fill in your brows, DO NOT use a pencil. Typically, the look is too harsh and looks extremely deliberate. Try eyeshadow or a brow shadow 2 shades lighter (for dark hair) and 2 shades darker (for lighter hair) instead.