New Year New You ~ What Is Ultherapy?

If you are in the market for a shot of youth, 

Ultherapy might just be a great solution for you.

It used to be that if you needed a neck tightening, jaw sculpting or brow lifting, your only options were surgical. And on top of that, neck tightening and smoothing was a tricky process. Many women would have facelifts and get smooth taut skin on their faces, but would be left with the telltale signs of their true age by their crepe-y, wrinkled necks.

Now there is the option of using Ultherapy.

So what is Ultherapy?
It is the only FDA approved, non-invasive procedure to lift skin on the neck, brow and under the chin.
It is an ultrasound procedure that stimulates the production of new collagen and elastin deep within the skin. It non-surgically lifts and tightens the skin, with no downtime.

As we age, the collagen in our skin weakens and the elastin in the skin starts to break down, causing skin to sag. Not using adequate sun protection speeds the process.
Unlike lasers, which penetrate the skin from the outside - in, Ultherapy bypasses the surface of the skin and focuses ultrasound energy at just the right depth below the surface of the skin, to the same foundation layer that surgical facelifts address.

The skin responds by stimulating the growth of fresh collagen and elastin.
The results are spectacular, and relatively quick, with significant improvement at the 90 day post procedure point.

Smoothing and redefining the jawline, and lifting the brow create an instantly youthful visage. A good brow lift will smooth out the area around the eyes, and restore the space between your lashline and your brow, making you look much younger! Sometimes its not even about looking younger - a crisp jawline looks fabulous on anyone.

I can look at before and afters endlessly, so here are a few for you to check out.

Ultherapy Chin Before and After

Ultherapy Brow Lift Before And After

Ultherapy Neck Before And After

Dudes do it too!

Bad Bronzing at the Golden Globes 2014

The Golden Globes 2014.

My number one pet peeve as a makeup artist 

is the abuse of bronzer.

And along side that crazy orange self tanning.

Did you notice how uniformly orange

the men were both on the red carpet and during the show?

As the night progresses Leo's tan got streakier and more uneven

And the bronze attack wasn't even artfully executed - there were orange faces paired with white necks,

oranges faces with sweated out hair lines,

it was fantastically, deliriously, hideous.

I enjoyed the slightly reflective concealer under Leo's eyes, but otherwise his makeup was too makeup-py for me.

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler were brilliant,

but I do think the best line of the night was Fey's intro to DiCaprio:

"And now, like a supermodel's vagina, let's all give a warm welcome to Leonardo DiCaprio," 

Matthew McConaughey's tan was borderline psychedelic

God I love the Globes!!

5 Beauty Tips For Job Interviews

It's a brand new year and maybe you're seeking out a brand new job. In a competitive market every detail counts, and that first impression you create can make or break you. 
So here are 5 beauty tips for a job interview, 
to give you the upper hand over the competition.

1. Look like the pitch.

Make sure your look matches the job. If you are going for a job at a MAC counter, don't arrive with barely there makeup on - go all out loud and  proud.
If you are applying for a reception position with a conservative company, don't wear bright colors and overwhelming makeup, opt instead for a tailored, reserved look.
Applying for a job at an avant garde, fast paced ad agency? Your look has to be cutting edge and modern, showing that you are on top of trends but not a slave to them.
Take the time to research the company, and think about how their ideal employee would present themselves.
When the choice comes down to you an another applicant with equal qualifications, the employer is more likely to choose the person who looks like they belong.

2. Take the time to do it right
You've figured out the concept, know how you should present yourself, now give yourself some extra time to get it right.
Don't be racing out the door with wet hair, frantically applying your lipstick. If this job matters to you, plan out your time and allow yourself the extra minutes required to get it right. Remember - the devil is in the details. When you walk in to the interview you need to at least give the impression that you can manage your time, pay attention to details and don't get easily flustered.

3. Tame your mane

Keep your hair groomed and under control. Make sure your hair is clean and your look is put together. Ideally don't go all out on anything with too much va va voom - you want to be taken seriously, not asked out to a nightclub. Simple elegant low ponytails, smoothed down, controlled flyaways, sleek hairstyles that imply you are in control - not your hair, all work in your favor.
Be aware of how your hair smells -if you are a smoker make sure your hair doesn't reek of cigarettes, you don't want to blow your chances by smelling like a good time on a pub crawl.

4. Choose your scent wisely
You definitely need to smell nice, but don't smell overwhelming.
Dousing yourself in the latest Victoria Secret fragrance won't win you any new friends, and can even give your interviewer a headache. Tone down the fragrance so that its barely there.
Also think about the message that your perfume conveys. A job interview is not the time to roll out something musky and sexy - that will just give the impression that you are "available" not "professional".
And those first impressions are everything...

5. Keep your nails polished
Don't roll in to your job interview with neon talons, or with torn up bitten off stubs.
A quick manicure beforehand can get your cuticles trimmed and groomed, your nails evened out and top you off with a polish that fits the job. From clear top coat, to neutral, to bold red, keep your nails looking like you are on top of all the little details.
Because the little details may just be the deciding factor in nailing the job.

How To Prepare Your Skin For Early Morning Makeup

This video is from a series I did for eHow.com

Makeup seems to go on and stay put far better after a good night's sleep, but what about when you have to get up super early, or haven't had nearly enough sleep? We've all had those days when our makeup either is gone or looks hideous by mid morning, so at eHow we decided to to a little tutorial on how to prepare your skin for early morning makeup:

How to Prepare Your Face for Early Morning Makeup -- powered by ehow

http://www.ehow.com/video_12254502_prepare-face-early-morning-makeup.html

To recap:

*Start with a gentle cleanse, using cool water to wakeup and invigorate your skin.
*Use an eye gel that you've kept in the fridge to both hydrate and breathe some life into your under   eye area. Gels can also remove puffiness.
*Alternatively, if you want to break out the big guns, use an under eye mask such as my personal     favorite, the amazing  Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels
* Revitalize your complexion with a moisturizer containing menthol and /or caffeine
* Use a really good primer, such as the Makeup Forever HD Primer

Fia Ljungstrom for ELLE China

I am so in love with this beautiful editorial

shot in Monaco by the amazing Stockton Johnson

for the January 2014 issue of ELLE China

Model Fia Ljungstrom is stunning in Dior resort by Raf Simons.

That lip is everything!

To Know My enemy I Had To Become My Enemy and It Sucked ~ Flaunt Magazine

I love a firm brow and a bold lip.

Model Sara Sampaio radiates fierce

is this stunning shoot for Flaunt Magazine.

Shot by David Agbodji

Makeup  by U-Ki Nakamura

Future Perfect ~ Harpers Bazaar Arabia

This one is actually from the December 2013 issue

of Harpers Bazaar Arabia, but it is so beautiful

I had to post it anyway.

Garima Parnami is just gorgeous in this Enrique Vega lensed

story for the beauty issue,

 embracing metallics for the new year.

Victor Noble's makeup is exquisite.

Garima Parnami is just gorgeous in this Enrique Vega lensed

story for the beauty issue,

 embracing metallics for the new year.

Victor Noble's makeup is exquisite.