Christmas Shopping Open Home

You're invited to sample a gorgeous range of cosmetics and find something for you and the ones you love this Christmas - gifts that can't be found in any stores! My favourite must-have products from Mary Kay Cosmetics will be on display and available for you to sample, test and order. The ultimate in 'try-before-you-buy'. *LIMITED EDITION PRODUCTS * NEW MINERAL MAKEUP * BODY CARE * TRAVEL GIFT SETS * SAFE-TANNING & SUN PROTECTION * THE BEST MAKEUP COMPACTS * SPECIALITY FRAGRANCES * SKINCARE FOR MEN *** Get your gift shopping done in one hit. *** Complimentary gift wrapping and free local delivery *** Gift vouchers for private makeup lessons/consultations available (a truly valuable gift for the professional woman) Visit www.abeautifuleducation.co.nz for more info *** COMPLIMENTARY FOUNDATION-MATCHING Meet your 'perfect match' and take advantage of my experience. While you're here I'll help you find the perfect foundation colour and finish for you. *** Purchases can be made with VISA, Mastercard, cash or cheque (Orders will be delivered within 7 days) ENTRY is by donation to the Tauranga Foodbank (We're taking part in the Foodbank Challenge as on the Bay News' front page) To preview the Mary Kay range visit: www.marykay.co.nz I can access any of these products on your behalf and post free NZ-wide if you're out of town. They also have a wonderful 90 day satisfaction guarantee. Details on the invite:

You've Got Til Dec 31st To Get Your Own Life-changing Lippy

In October - Breast Cancer Awareness Month - I hosted a cupcake-sized (smalll) Tim Tam Pink Tea Party at my home to raise funds for Breast Cancer Aotearoa Coalition. We raised just under $75 including 10% of the Mary Kay Cosmetics orders placed through me in October. So thanks to those who donated and congrats to my customers who chose to trust me with their beauty purchases in October - 10% of your order is going to NZ women overcoming breast cancer! Good stuff! You still have until December 31, 2008 to help change the life of a female cancer sufferer in New Zealand. Act now. Change a life. All it takes is one lipstick! We are now in the season of giving. How many of you have ‘make another woman feel beautiful’ on your gift list? It’s not too late and Mary Kay’s awesome Beauty That Counts campaign means it involves nothing more than a simple lipstick purchase. Get this: Mary Kay in NZ and Australia are donating 100 percent of the profits from the sales of their Apple Berry Lipstick to Look Good Feel Better. Look Good Feel Better assist women who are suffering from cancer and help them deal with the appearance-related side effects of chemotherapy and radiology. So every Apple Berry Lipstick we buy will have a positive impact on the life of a female cancer sufferer! Call me to place your order of this life-changing lippy (or any MK product) and put a little extra sparkle in the eye of another woman this Christmas. My contact details are at the bottom of this page. I offer free postage or delivery NZ-wide and can gift-wrap your purchase for you if you want to make this special lippy a gift that gives twice. What a great idea. Try the Apple Berry lipstick for yourself at my Christmas Shopping Open Home on Thurs Dec 4th!

Three Questions You Must Ask Before Buying Another Beauty Product

How to avoid buyer's remorse and stop stuffing your drawers with products you'll never use! The first step in becoming your own beauty expert.

Like many women, and perhaps like you, I’ve wasted time, money and energy buying products that didn’t live up to their claims, reacted badly with my skin or just plain didn’t suit me.

I was an early starter when it came to using skin care and cosmetics - I suffered with problem skin from the young age of nine and my mother was a representative for various skin care and cosmetic companies during my childhood...I had a skin care regime when I was primary school-age and, starting with my attempts to conceal and correct my bad skin, have worn foundation almost daily since intermediate.

Throughout the years I’ve tried various skin care and makeup brands - some cheap, some expensive. Even though I knew the importance of good skin care, most of the time my budget meant I ended up using ‘bits and pieces’; products not designed for my skin type, freebies from friends, one-off purchases or whatever was in my cosmetics case at the time. With most skin care products, I had no idea if they were working - I couldn’t see any difference. Worse, some added to my embarrassment by causing my skin to break out even more.

Eventually, I realised leaving something as important as my appearance to a ‘fingers-crossed’ approach or putting up with ‘hit and miss’ was only working against me and the healthy skin and polished makeup look I wanted to achieve. Now, with experience as a consumer and professional in the beauty industry, I use a simple test to determine whether a product will end up as time and money spent in vain and gathering dust in my drawer or be my new best friend in helping me look my best every morning.

For each purchase, if you first ask the right questions about the product, about yourself and the best way to buy it, properly investing in your beauty will be rewarding, easy, and regret-free. There are some worthwhile and effective skin care and beauty items available, but they will elude you unless you ask the Three Questions You Must Ask Before You Buy A Beauty Product. Ask these Three Questions and you’ll never worry about getting stuck with unsuitable or disappointing products again. Better still, you’ll be able to trust yourself to make decisions when it comes to enhancing your own beauty:

• Will it suit me? (I.e. For cosmetics: Does it suit your skin tone, complement your eye colour etc? For skin care: Is it the right formulation for your skin type?)

• Do I know how to use it? (And, if you’re not sure, is someone knowledgeable available to teach you so you can apply it for yourself in the future and get the most benefit from the product?)

• If it doesn’t end up suiting me, will they take it back and give me a refund even if it’s opened?

When you have guidelines, it’s easy to be confident in your ability to make yourself look your best. Get positive answers to these questions and you’ll no longer face confusion when you shop for beauty products. Plus you’ll eliminate costly and annoying mistake-purchases from your life! Need help answering these questions? Keen to become your own beauty expert? Click HERE to start your 'beautiful education.'

Self Grooming: Are We Losing The Skills?

Do-It-Yourself’er or Pampered Pet? Who do you rely on to ‘make you beautiful’?

An increasing number of women rely on beauty therapists and clinics to polish, deep-cleanse, tweeze and tan them towards perfection. It’s enough of an increase, that in the industry right now, there’s a shortage of beauty therapists and nail technicians to meet demand.

But in leaving their beautification up to the ‘experts’, are modern women losing the skills to do basic grooming for themselves?

A beauty editor for Runway Reporter (www.runwayreporter.com - the online presence of Fashion Quarterly magazine) observes the trend from Auckland. She writes: “A friend of mine travels to Sydney with the express purpose of having her brows shaped there by a therapist famous for her deft touch rather than lift a tweezer herself. Another friend trots off on a weekly basis in summer to our residential beauty parlour to have a fake tan applied because clearly opening a bottle of self-tanner and spending five minutes slapping it on after her shower is far too much trouble.”

Wow. And it almost doesn’t sound so fun, visiting a beauty clinic regularly for something as mundane as eyebrow shaping. Where’s the relaxation or indulgence in that? (I must be of the old-school who still thinks ‘rose petals and fragrant oils’ when faced with the words ‘beauty clinic’ and who uses them mostly as a luxury or treat!)

And in my humble (and not so jet-setterly opinion) it sounds rather impractical visiting a therapist every time I want some eyebrows removed, not to mention a debatable use of money.

But back to the beauty editor at Runway’: “[As] New Zealanders [we] pride ourselves on being a DIY nation. We think we can sort it all out for ourselves with nothing more than a bit of number eight wire. Well, not anymore. These days we are pampered pets who have become so domesticated by the beauty therapists that, left in the wilds of our own homes, we do not have the ability to do even the most basic grooming on ourselves.”

If that describes you - “domesticated by the beauty therapists” - are you still capable of doing the essentials for yourself if and when you want to? Think: styling your hair, shaping your brows, properly taking care of your skin, maintaining your nails, smoothing your legs...or have you lost the skills now that beauty has been literally taken out of your hands?

You may not feel the urge to mix up a mask from yoghurt and rolled oats in your kitchen (although it can be done), but self-beautification and the independence that goes with it is within your reach. Watch out for regular D-I-Y slots in every beauty bulletin from A Beautiful Education to discover how you can perform ‘professional’ treatments at home. You can sign up for the free publication at www.abeautifuleducation.co.nz.

DIY At-Home Professional Treatments: Microdermabrasion

Did you know the top layers of your skin are dead?

Dead!

So all the moisturising in the world will not hydrate or nourish your skin if you don't properly shed that dead surface layer (Don't worry - you have seven layers of skin in total)!

Microdermabrasion is the ultimate in exfoliation. It's the third most popular non-surgical treatment (behind Botox and laser hair removal) and is administered by dermatologists and beauticians. Performed with a machine that blasts the skin with tiny crystals (then sucks them up and rinses them away), it leaves skin revitalized and silky soft. Many women call it an addiction.

The procedure costs around $90 per 30 minute treatment with a set of six treatments recommended. Unlike scrubs that use walnut shell or seeds to scrub away dead cells, microdermabrasion works on a smaller, finer level by using glass or aluminium oxide crystals as the abrasive agent. Aluminium oxide, otherwise known as corundum, is a naturally occurring crystal that safely picks up and traps dead skin in its lattice-like structure. It's so good at exfoliating it's used to make sandpaper, so you could think of it as a 'cut & polish' for your face.

Here are two Do-It-Yourself (DIY) microdermabrasion treatments you can do in the convenience of your home, without having to drive anywhere, find parking spaces or pay per treatment! And you get to keep your beauty in your own hands. Your skin really will be smooth and you will love how your foundation just glides on afterwards. As you'll be exposing a new layer of skin, remember to follow with moisturiser, use a SPF 15+ product and avoid excessive sun exposure.

Baking Soda Paste: Baking soda is mild, safe and fine enough to polish skin on a 'micro' level. While it's hardly elegant, it can be used once a week (not recommended for daily use as it can upset the pH balance of the skin), costs almost nothing and you probably already have some in your kitchen! Mix up a paste in an eggcup, small bowl or the palm of your hand. Use one part baking soda to three parts water. Apply it to your face. Use circular motions with fingers to polish your skin for a minute or so. Rinse off and pat dry.

At-Home Microdermabrasion Set: With the popularity of this treatment, even some supermarket skin care brands now produce their own at-home microdermabrasion kits. Many consist of a brush and polishing cream while others include a hand-held, battery-powered polishing disc. Prestige brand Mary Kay Cosmetics produces a two-step set: a polishing cream that contains aluminium oxide crystals (Refine) and an antioxidant-packed serum to replenish, soothe and soften the skin (Replenish). Note: Step 1 is even easier when done in the shower.

The set costs $76 (New Zealand dollars) and gives you about 40 treatments - that's about 10 months worth if used once a week. Step 1: Dampen face and apply Refine. Avoiding eyes and mouth, use circular motions with your fingers to polish skin for two minutes. Rinse off and pat dry. 
Step 2: Squirt two pumps of Replenish onto fingertips and pat onto exfoliated skin.

This is exactly what I use. Last year my skin became beautifully reconditioned and balanced using Mary Kay products so I opened an account with them. They don't sell through retail stores and otherwise are only available through independent distributors.

 So get yourself an at-home microdermabrasion set or some baking soda paste and experience new, baby-soft skin. And while you enjoy the benefits of a 'professional' treatment at home, you'll be taking beauty back into your own hands.

Dash Out The Door: Natural Day Makeup in Under Five Minutes

Did you sleep through your alarm and now only have a few minutes to get to work?

Use five of them on getting pretty and polished and no-one will ever know!

Here are five fantastic and essential tips for applying natural day makeup in under five minutes by making your makeup work as hard as you do. Here you'll discover how to use one colour product for lips, eyes and cheeks (yes, one!). The key is making your beauty products multi-task - read on to discover how one lipstick can save the day.

  Tip # 1: Basic Prep If you are a time-challenged woman, you can have the benefits of good skin care and be time-savvy by only buying dual purpose or multi-functional products. • A cleanser with built-in toner or exfoliant (or both!) is fast and easy. Use it in the shower to speed things up a little more. • Follow with a moisturiser for your skin type (if possible) that includes a sunscreen SPF of 15+. Who said you have no time to care for your skin? Think about the difference it makes to how you feel when you catch a glimpse of your reflection as you power-walk by.

  Tip # 2: Fast Foundation Liquid foundation is fastest when you forget the sponge and slap it on! Use your normal amount but apply it as you would a moisturiser. Put it on your fingers, rub them together a little to even it out then apply it to your face using the entire length of your fingers to cover large areas at once. If using a 'creme-to-powder' type foundation it's best to use a sponge but - here's the bonus - you may not need to powder! Quickly wash or wipe off your hands on your shower towel.

  Tip # 3: Lips & Cheeks (And Eyes) In One Lips: Skip the lip liner and reach for a lipstick in a natural-looking shade, like a berry, peach, coral, pink or brown that suits you. It will double as a cream blush so memorise the handy guidelines below and avoid glittery lipstick for this one.

  How To Choose Lip Colours An important lesson! Remember your natural colourings when choosing lip colour. Dark red-brown on ivory skin is just not pretty - I do not care if you have red hair or a warm complexion - it just looks muddy and slightly gothic on you so save it for Halloween.

For day makeup, the depth of colour should be chosen in relation to your skin tone, i.e. if your skin is fair, keep to light lip colours, if beige you can go brighter or slightly darker and still look natural whereas those with dark or bronze skin know they need intense chocolates or deep plums to achieve a comfortable day look.

Your lipstick for daytime (and all holidays except when you want to scare young children or be particularly trendy) will be similar to your natural lip colour but a shade darker: natural enhanced. So now you know - you should suffer no longer from unflattering lipstick!

 Colour your lips fully. Cheeks: Blot your lips with your fingers and pat the excess that comes off onto your cheeks, as you would cream blush. Concentrate the colour on the apples of your cheeks. If you need it to last the whole day, a powder blush is always better, especially if you have oily skin. Use a neutral or natural-looking powder blush on your cheeks instead of the lipstick.

  Tip # 4: Eye Colour Eyes: Apply a highlighter eye shadow (lighter than your skin) to your brow bone and eyelid if you have one. Use it liberally in the inner corners of your eyes for a youthful and alert look. Then take some more colour from your lips and apply it, lightly to start off, in the crease of your eye. No-one is watching, right? If you chose a good lip colour you will be looking fresh, sweet and wide awake. At this step, if you used a powder blush, then use that as an eye colour also with a blush brush over the entire lid area for a healthy glow. Simple and effective.

  Tip # 5: Mascara and Brows Defining Eyes: Skip eyeliner but definitely sweep on mascara. If the bottom lashes are too fiddly, leave them bare. Use an eyelash comb if you have one to remove any excess mascara. You can skip the brow pencil by, if you dare, carefully using the eyelash comb with the mascara on it to lightly fill in your eyebrows if they are a similar colour to your mascara. Run an eyebrow brush over your brows to even out the colour if necessary.

Refresh your lipstick or add a gloss. Done! It is minimal but you look pretty and polished. You can add more later in the day if you want but for now, just get out the door!

Cutting Back On Your Beauty-Budget??? Try These Top Supermarket Skin Care Products For Recession-Proof Beauty

Wow, though I'm faithful to my husband, I really do love this lady - Paula Begoun, the woman in the know about skin care, beauty and the ingredients you need for real results.

Most of what I know about cosmetic chemicals, ingredients and formulations I've learnt from her articles and website.  Calling herself 'The Cosmetics Cop', she's a real stunner when it comes to blowing out the myths and hype so common in the beauty industry.

Paula has published a list of her top skin care and cosmetic 'picks' that can be found in supermarkets.  These are products that - regardless of price - live up to their claims or at least perform how they are supposed to and fulfil every one of her criteria for a 'good' product.

Her 2008 report on Recession-Proof Beauty highlights the best products in their category that can be found in most grocery stores. Brands like Olay, Neutrogena, Cetaphil, Dove and NYC, Maybelline, CoverGirl and other mass-brands fill out the lists.  The list is U.S-based so only some are on the market here in New Zealand, but it's very cool to be able to maintain a great skin care routine of top-performing  products (all 'Paula's Picks') that is SUSTAINABLE (you've gotta keep it up month after month for best results!) and realistic for most women.

You can view the report HERE.

 I strongly recommend also signing up for her beauty bulletin while you're there. Don't believe the hype and ridiculous myths surrounding many beauty products. Instead, believe science, results and reviews from people in the know about cosmetic ingredients.  You'll save yourself time, money and buyer's remorse. Make this Summer your season of getting clued up about skin care.

 After reading the Recession-Proof Beauty report, go to my website to continue your beautiful education.