Techniques Category
Thursday, July 8th, 2010
Recently, a few colleagues and I just got back from a business trip to Tokyo, Japan. Aside from trying to squeeze if fantastic meals between work, our primary reason to trek across the globe was to visit the largest beauty show in Japan, Beauty World, and to go through an intense 3-day training with Marie Louise, whose home base is located in Yokohama, Japan.
Beauty World, Japan
From being in Asia, speaking with estheticians and makeup artists there, as well as looking around at the trade show, shops and simply people-watching, we wanted to share some of the makeup tips and beauty trends that we found– some we can use in our daily lives, some are just… interesting.
The Power of Brown. Globally, women are becoming stronger, more independent professionals, successful in their respective careers. But despite our ‘strong’ capabilities, we don’t necessary want to look like women who will eat men alive all the time. In Asia especially, I was advised to ’soften’ my look by swapping out the black eyebrow pencil, black eyeliner, and black mascara I use, to only brown. Since then, I have actually gotten several compliments– give it a try.
BB = Blemish Balm. BB = Blemish Balm. If you are ‘in the know’ of Asian trends, you have probably heard of the new fad of “bb creams” by now. For those who are not familiar, become familiar! Varying from brand to brand, this cream will be your new BBF since it generally moisturizes, has SPF protection, brightening/ whitening benefits, and sometimes anti-aging properties as a bonus– all the while it covers up all your–surprise surprise– blemishes. Slightly thicker than a tinted moisturizer, if you should the right shade, this goes on much more naturally, giving you a finished look without looking like you caked on makeup. While I have been using BB creams since a couple years back, I had never known that this cream originated in Korea, with Korean celebrities who needed to cover their scars from the ever-so-common plastic surgery and invasive procedures.
“Doey” Eyes. This is not a new concept—if anything, in Social Psych 101, we learn that it is people are generally attracted to facial features that resemble that of a baby. Eyes are no different; it seems the bigger the eyes, the more attractive. This is no different in Asia, despite the infamous stereotype of “Asian” eyes. If anything, it’s all the more impressive out there. It’s no longer just about one layer of double eye-lid tape, or even fake eyelashes; girls out there have perfected techniques using even THREE layers of fake eyelashes to complete their look or using the power of colored contacts or pupil-enlarging contacts.
The 'after' make up half of this girls' face (the other side is the 'before')...
Check out this video of a variety show in Taiwan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3ImaaS2-MY&feature=player_embedded. The show is in Chinese, but trust me, you won’t need to understand what is said to be able to appreciate the comparison of half of a made up face compared to their ‘natural’ look. To skip the intro, scroll to about 3 min 18 seconds… and prepare to be amazed.
Stay tuned for more Asian beauty trends!
Tags: beauty trends, Beauty World, Blemish Balm, japan, Japanese trends, tokyo, Yokohoma
Posted in Asian Products, News, Techniques | 1 Comment »
Thursday, June 10th, 2010
When it comes to something as simple as moisturizing skin, slathering on a cream twice a day may not be enough.
Moisturizing is essential to keeping skin looking young and healthy
Skin needs to maintain an even moisture-balance to be healthy. It’s simple: Not enough water and skin gets dehydrated. Not enough oil and skin becomes dry, flaky and itchy.
Dehydration—a lack of moisture—can be due to age, weather, environmental conditions, diet and nutrition. It’s also a leading cause of fine lines and other signs of skin aging. Dryness, on the other hand, is a lack of oil. When skin’s dry, it wants to create more oil, which can then lead to breakouts.
Here’s how you can make sure you’re moisturizing properly:
Use a moisturizing toner.
Most people think toner is just another excuse for someone to sell you something you don’t need. Actually, toner is a really important step in proper hydration. It creates a layer of hydration that’s sealed into the skin by the moisturizer.
Use products with hyaluronic acid and ceramides.
Hyaluronic acid holds 1000 times its molecular weight in water. Ceramides reduce water loss by creating a barrier that protects against evaporation.
Seek out products that use nanotechnology.
Yes, products using nanotechnology may be more expensive, but it’s worth the investment. Nanotechnology makes a product molecule small enough to penetrate the skin, instead of sitting on top of it. This means ingredients get to where skin needs it most and give you the best possible result.
Use products with nanotechnology to get ingredients where they can give the best possible result.
Know which type of moisturizer your skin needs.
Most consumers use moisturizers that don’t offer enough hydration. That’s what happens when we try to figure out which moisturizer is ‘right’ for our own skin.
Ask a skin care professional for a recommendation on which type of moisturizer is best suited for your skin
Only a trained skin care professional can tell you whether your skin is dry, dehydrated or a combination of both. They can recommend products and treatments to help rebalance skin and minimize the appearance of skin aging.
Drink lots of water.
Seriously. Drink at least 64 ounces of water each day. You’ll feel better, and your skin’s appearance will improve.
Tags: anti-aging, beauty, beauty secrets, beauty tips, ceramides, cream, dehydration, fine lines, hyaluronic acid, hydration, moisture, moisturize, moisturizer, nanotechnology, skin aging, skin care, toner, water, Wrinkles
Posted in Did You Know..., News, Techniques | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, May 19th, 2010
Ever wake up feeling like you’re going to have a really good day and then all of a sudden you feel a slight pain in between your eyebrows? And isn’t that just the WORST zit location EVER?!!
Yep – it’s the beginning of a GIANT PIMPLE and the end to what you thought was going to be a good day.
If you’re like me, you know that acne isn’t just a teen problem. Up to 12 percent of adult women in the U.S. suffer from facial acne, which persists into middle age, says a study in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
According to Anita Chan, an esthetician with over 12 years of skincare and makeup experience, adult acne can be caused by fluctuating hormones, stress, poor diet, use of oily or harsh cosmetics/skincare products, not removing your makeup, and not properly cleaning your face.
While acne is an ongoing battle and can only be controlled versus being cured, here are Anita’s tips on how to treat it:
- Drink lots of water to prevent dehydration
- Don’t use makeup or skincare products that aren’t right for your skin type
- Speak to your OBGYN about birth control options since some can balance your hormones or suppress the hormones known as “androgens” that stimulate the oil glands
- For a newly-formed pimple, try icing it since it can calm the inflammation and will allow the pimple to raise closer to the skin surface. Once you see the “head” forming, apply a spot treatment with 2% salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide or a clay mask
- For severe cases, consult with a dermatologist who may prescribe antibiotics or special topical creams
- Get monthly facial treatments
More importantly, Anita firmly believes that “taking care of your skin is a lifestyle change. It is important to pay attention to your body since it can clearly show you any imbalances in your life. We can see results when we achieve balance in our lives.”
Hey workaholics, are you listening?
To learn more tips from Anita, check out: http://anitafacial.blogspot.com/
Tags: adult acne, benzoyl peroxide, dermatoligist, esthetician, pimple, salicylic acid, zit
Posted in Did You Know..., Techniques | 1 Comment »
Sunday, May 9th, 2010
Great makeup should complement rather than compete with your outfit and what better example than last week’s annual Met Costume Institute Ball in NYC. With stars like Blake Lively, Sienna Miller, and Jessica Biehl all looking gorgeous with their luminous skin, it got me thinking on how I can pull off the same dewy, glowing but natural-looking skin. Where to begin? If you’re like me and are constantly prone to acne and other unfortunate skin blemishes, it’s tough to even feel confident putting on makeup.
As a leading esthetician with over 15 years of skincare consulting both in the U.S and Asia, Coco Pai (she is indeed as fabulous as her name) believes that taking care of your skin is vital to looking good and aging gracefully. “Bad skin is not due to bad genes or heredity, but rather to bad skincare practices, bad diet, and environmental factors. I grew up in Taiwan where skincare is taken very seriously with most women getting facials at least once a month,” Coco explains.
Hear are Coco’s tips on how to get celebrity skin without the hefty price tag:
- Wear sunscreen: I can’t emphasize this enough – it is so important to protect your face against the sun so use sunscreen at all times (minimum SPF 30). There are foundations and concealers that now have SPF so no excuses!
- Commit to Your Skin: We have a Chinese saying that “There are no ugly women – just lazy women.” Ladies, I found my new mantra! Healthy skin requires a lifestyle change – if you are serious about maintaining healthy skin, you have to commit to a skin regiment. If possible, meet with an esthetician or dermatologist who can expertly determine what your skin type is and use skincare products that are specifically tailored to your skin type. The basic skin types include Oily (large pores on T-zone and cheeks), Dry (small pores), Combination (large pores on T-zone), and Sensitive (redness).
- Remove your Makeup: Don’t be lazy! You must remove your makeup before going to bed.
- Exfoliate: As you age, your skin cells no longer generate as quickly so exfoliating is an absolute must. Just be careful on how frequently you exfoliate since it depends on your skin type.
- Use Toner: Contrary to the popular belief, toner is essential for skin hydration. Use toner AFTER cleansing your face and BEFORE moisturizing. Find a toner that best suits your skin. A lot of my clients love Marie Louise’s Moistraser a-VC since its hydrating enough to be a moisturizer for ALL skin types from normal, dry, to oily.
For more info, check outhttp://www.marielouisecosmetics.com/products_moistraiser_a_vc.html
So the next time you see Demi Moore’s stunning face, just remember the Chinese saying about “lazy” women.
Posted in Did You Know..., News, Techniques | No Comments »
Thursday, May 6th, 2010
The next time you’re shopping around for new makeup, beware of the samples labeled “testers’. A recent LA Times article disclosed findings from a two-year study on public makeup testers: http://www.latimes.com/features/image/la-ig-testers-20100418,0,7091657.story
When tests were done on public makeup counters in department stores, specialty stores and drugstores, they found staph, strep, and even E.Coli bacteria on makeup testers. If that doesn’t freak you out, this finding will – when they tested the makeup on Saturdays which has the most customer traffic at cosmetic counters – THE PERCENTAGE OF TAINTED MAKEUP WAS 100%.
OMG. As if you don’t have enough things to worry about like whether that self-tanner makes you look like an oompa loompa.
So how do you try out new makeup/beauty products without physically testing them? While it’s recommended that you really shouldn’t try on any publicly-tested makeup on your eyes, lips, and nose, if you still feel the need to try on that new shade of pink lipstick, here are some tips to remember:
- Make Weekday Visits: Go during the week when there are fewer customers. If you don’t currently carry one in your purse, bring an anti-bacterial hand gel or pack of wipes with you.
- Use Tester Apps: Always use plastic, disposable applicators or cotton swabs like the ones at stores like Sephora. If you’re at a department store, don’t be afraid to ask the customer service rep behind the counter.
- Use Bottled Products: Try bottled products of lotions or foundations instead of ones that are in jars or palettes so that you can squeeze or pour them directly on your hand instead of using your fingers to scoop them out.
- Scrape the Lipstick Tip: Use a disposable applicator or a tissue paper to scrape off the tip or use a tissue paper.
- Eye & Lip Pencils: Sharpen the tip using mini sharpeners.
- Use the Spray Alcohol Bottle: Use an alcohol spray bottle to lightly spray the product. Wait a few seconds for the alcohol to evaporate before testing.
- Remove Tested Makeup ASAP: Remove makeup immediately with anti-bacterial wipes or makeup remover after testing.
So if shopping for beauty/skincare products isn’t scary enough in the first place, now you’ve got some real grossness to deal with.
We all like gifts with purchases but some freebies are better left at the cosmetic counter.
Tags: anti-bacterial, applicator, bacteria, beauty, cosmetics, department store, drugstore, e-coli, makeup, makeup tester, public, skincare, staph, strep, test, tester
Posted in Did You Know..., News, Products, Techniques, Tools | No Comments »
Tuesday, April 27th, 2010
I don’t know about you, but exfoliation is one of my favorite parts of skin care… but it took me a long time to understand that exfoliating can damage skin when not done right.
We’ve been ‘trained’ to think that the scraping and stinging we feel after exfoliating is ‘normal.’ It’s not. We see redness after exfoliating and think we’ve done a good job getting the dead skin off. We have not. We think that if skin feels dry after exfoliating that it’s a good thing. It is not.
A disclaimer: I’m not an esthetician, but I’ve worked in the beauty industry for years with some of the biggest brands in the world. I’ve been lucky enough to get a one-on-one education from some of the top beauty professionals and here’s what I’ve learned:
Seek balance.
When we exfoliate, we take off dead skin cells and debris (like makeup that cleansing doesn’t wash away), but we also remove necessary hydration and oils.
Every time you take something off, you MUST put it back in. This means that after every exfoliation, applying moisturizer is mandatory. No exceptions.
To look it’s healthiest, skin has to have the proper balance of hydration and oils, and dead skin cells need to be removed to allow newer cells to strut their stuff. That’s where the healthy glow comes from.
Knowledge is power.
Over exfoliation, or exfoliating with product that’s too aggressive, can actually age your skin, like creating fine lines. Ask a skin care professional what type of exfoliant your skin needs.
There are two types of exfoliants: chemical and physical. Physical exfoliants, also known as scrubs, commonly use fruit pits or nutshells to scrape away dead skin. They can actually cause fine cuts in the outer layer of the skin. Chemical exfoliants lift dead skin, allowing it to gently refresh and revive skin. It’s especially effective on skin that’s sensitive or sensitized due to weather, medications, hormonal changes or environmental conditions.
Get professional help.
Nothing replaces getting your skin evaluated, cleansed, exfoliated and hydrated by a skin care professional. Think of it like going to the dentist: there are things you can do at home, but to get rid of the really yucky stuff you have to get your teeth cleaned. Skin is exactly the same.
Professional skin treatments on a quarterly basis—even as infrequent as twice a year—can make a big difference in how your skin looks. It’s a solid investment that can delay the need to see a dermatologist for more invasive procedures like injectables, lifts or other types of plastic surgery.
Tags: advice, anti-aging, cleansing, dead skin cells, esthetician, exfoliate, glowing skin, healthy skin, hydration, moisturize, scrub, skin care, skin health
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Monday, January 4th, 2010
Make a New Year’s resolution you can keep: wash your face at night. This one change can make a HUGE DIFFERENCE in how your skin looks and feels every day.
Every day living takes a toll on skin… Makeup, oil and dirt from our fingers, even dust and smog settle on the skin, creating a really disgusting stew of yuck. Sure we wash our face at least once, hopefully twice a day, but how do you know you’re really getting skin clean? Another reason why you want clean skin is that it allows for deeper product penetration, which means you’re more likely to get the result you want in the first place.
Here are a few simple tips:
Oil is good. To get skin really clean, use an oil-based cleanser -like Marie Louise Cleansing Clear Gel – before a regular cleanser. Make-up is oil-based, and only an oil-based cleanser can safely remove it.
Double up. Double cleansing is the only way to make sure skin is truly clean. After washing with Cleansing Clear Gel, use a mild cleanser like Marie Louise Washing Foam to remove any residual dirt and debris.
Take a time out. It takes two full minutes of massaging skin in circular motion with your fingertips to fully cleanse your face and neck. Want to know how long two minutes is? Sing the “Happy Birthday” song at four times in a row.
Wash twice a day. It is important to cleanse in the morning also because we sweat when we sleep at night.
Choose wisely. Understand what your true skin conditions are to help you make a better decision about the cleansers you should use. An esthetician is the best person to consult.
Tags: beauty tool, clean skin, cleansing, effective, esthetician, flawless skin, good skin, huge difference in skin, ingredients, mild cleanser, moisturizer, new products, new year, new year's resolution, oil, oily, popular, prevention, skin, skin advice, skin care, skincare, sparkle, tips
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Thursday, December 3rd, 2009
The best way to rejuvenate skin, according to my boss- a 50 something year-old woman, who barely looks a day over 35 – is exfoliation. Her skin is plump, bright, glowing, with very little lines. Not an ounce of flake!
I asked her what her secret was…. Good genes? Foreign products made in silence by monks? Nope: “I scrub my face like crazy with a loofah every morning under the hot shower. Scrubbing dead skin away is the key!”
So I tried it. The results? Well, lets just say I didn’t feel like going out that night. Not all of us have thick skin! But it got me thinking: there’s got to be a better way to shed the dead skin cells that are clogging my pores. And that’s when my desperate search to properly exfoliate my skin started!
Remember that whole at-home-microdermabrasion-craze? Sure, massaging my skin with pea-size beads made out of walnuts shells and ingredients I could not pronounce exfoliated dead skin. In fact, it exfoliated most of my skin away, leaving it blotchy, red and sensitized. NOT what I was looking for. Neither were all the scrubs, peels, serums and magic washcloths that followed: the chemicals in most of the products only managed to assault my skin, causing it to flare-up!
Little did I know that over-exfoliating, just like hard water, weather and pollution, is actually harmful to your skin. So what’s a girl to do?
Please meet Marie Louise’s Restoration Clear Gel. First of all and most important, this exfoliating gel is actually hydrating and nourishing, thanks to ingredients such as desalted deep sea water, glycerin and algae extracts, known to help the skin retain moisture. It literally melts as your skin absorbs it, dry grains gently (and that’s the key word one should look for in all products) lifting away impurities and dead skin. Once they have ceased to appear and have been rinsed off with warm water you are left with a bright and pure complexion. Since it’s gentle enough, you can use it more often; this regular regimen will allow your skin to absorb all the benefits your moisturizers, masks and serums have to offer, thus making them more effective! It will also reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles- after all, it’s no secret that the cleaner your skin is, the younger and healthier it looks!
Just remember: you shouldn’t need sandpaper to get results!
Tags: Asia, asian, attractive, beauty products, beauty tool, beneficial, cosmetics, effective, ingredients, japan, learning, maximize, new, new products, new tools, oil, oily, oily skin in the afternoon, popular, prevention, Santa Monica Daily, serum, shine, shiny skin, skin, skin care, skincare, sparkle, sunscreen, technology, tips, tool
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Friday, September 11th, 2009
Why should I clean my face twice? That was my thought when I first heard about a process called “dual cleansing”!
If you’re like me, your cleaning routine (especially on a late night of partying) is to wipe off the eyes with some lotion and a cotton pad – after all, we’ve been conditioned to never go to bed with makeup on- splash some water and vigorously dry my face (instead of the gentle patting beauty experts recommend) to make sure everything is gone. Ha!
That clearly did not clean anything (if the eruption of pimples is any indication).
I started religiously washing my face with a nice, expensive cleanser, massaging everything diligently for 60 seconds only to discover traces of mascara or foundation on my pillowcase the next morning!
I was quite dubious of cleansing gels or “pre-cleansers” as they like to call them and yet, one day, decided to give it a try. After all, they were all the rage on makeupalley’s skincare board!
Well, let me tell you: it is the most effective way to really remove dirt before cleaning my skin without ripping my eyelashes off with the eye makeup remover (yes, I rubbed my eye lids with the cotton pad. How else am I supposed to do this?)
To my big surprise, cleansing gels remove EVERYTHING, not just my eye makeup: by massaging the gel into the skin, it blends with the makeup and other impurities and really lifts everything up. Wipe it off and follow with a cleanser (this will remove whatever is left) and you’re finally cleaning your face.
Dual cleansing is really the only way I’ve kept my skin clear. Just make sure you choose a cleansing oil or gel suitable for your skin type (there are plenty on the market, so every budget can find the appropriate one; but watch out ladies, I heard a dermatologist once say that if you don’t thoroughly rinse off the cleansing oil—it can lead to the clogging of pores and breaking out!) and voila: squeaky-clean skin…
And since you’re reading this blog, go have a look at our non-clogging, cleansing clear gel and follow it with the washing foam. All the info you need is at: http://www.marielouisecosmetics.com/products_cleansing_clear_gel.html
Tags: attractive, beauty, beauty tool, beneficial, effective, ingredients, learning, moisturizer, new products, popular, prevention, skin, skin care, skincare, tips
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