Secrets of a Top Skin Doctor

You wouldn’t take advice from a pudgy personal trainer, a chain-smoking doctor… and certainly not a wrinkly dermatologist. Women’s Health contributor, Francesca Fusco practices what she preaches. Here, she gives you your ticket to a beautiful complexion and gorgeous, glowing skin.

Use SPF powder
Every day, dust a broad-spectrum mineral sunscreen powder over your regular SPF day lotion and makeup to deflect light, making your skin look flawless, and adding an even stronger protective layer; it’s also handy for controlling midday shine in oily skin types.

Switch up your retinol
If you use only one anti-aging product, make it topical vitamin A, which unclogs pores, prevents the buildup of dead skin cells, diminishes lines, lightens dark spots, and makes skin glow. Apply a pea-size amount of the cream to your face every night.

Go easy on injectables
Muscle freezers, like Botox, improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, but it’s important not to go overboard. Baby Botox is a smaller amount which is administered more frequently and you won’t end up looking frozen or balloon-faced.

Stop yo-yo dieting!
Rapid gains and losses of 10 or more pounds stretch the skin, making it slower to bounce back, so preserve your face by maintaining a healthy weight.

Use a modern exfoliating brush
The Clarisonic Mia Sonic Skin Cleansing System has instant smoothing and a deep-cleansing ability, which is great for everyone—even acne prone individuals. Its sonic-wave technology decongests pores and allows your cleanser and topic products to dig even deeper.

Perk up your eyes with caffeine
Dark-circle products that contain vitamin K or caffeine (both of which simulate blood flow to prevent pooling around the eyes) are effective if you use them every day. You can also pop the product in the fridge—cold temperatures constrict blood vessels and make puffiness go down.

For more beauty secrets, check out WomensHealthMag.com or pick up the May copy of Women’s Health magazine, on newsstands now!

The Life-Size Barbie created by Hamilton College student Galia Slayen.

Galia, who battled anorexia for a year, made Life-Size Barbie with chicken wire, wood and papier mache for National Eating Disorders Awareness Week to start a conversation about body image and show little girls that this shit isn’t realistic. Galia said that she idolized Barbie as a little girl and doesn’t blame the plastic doll for her eating disorder, but “she’s one small factor, an environmental factor. I’m blond and blue-eyed and I figured that was what I was supposed to look like. She was my idol. It impacted the way I looked at myself.”

Life-Size Barbie is 6′ tall with a 39″ bust, 18″ waist and 33″ hips.

What do you think of the Get Real Barbie? I think its a good way to show girls that there are a lot of images projected that are not realistic. But without people in general changing and the social media I think Barbie is a tiny cog in a huge wheel churning out little girls with esteem issues.

I wasn’t allowed to have Barbie’s when I was young due to the poor self image they give. But it didn’t take long for my peers, adults and the media to tell me exactly how I was supposed to look like and made me feel self conscious.  Raising awareness is always good and if nothing else I think Get Real Barbie can start a discussion about self acceptance and helping your kids be proud of who they are.

Come join us in the BlogFrog Coffeetalk community and share your thoughts!

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Get a grip on your work out hair anxieties with NEW Goody Slide-Proof!

Goody Slide-Proof Collection ($3.99-$5.99) has expanded its high performance hair accessory line to include NEW patent pending technologies. Now you can find comfort gel inside our Hold Tight. Stay Tight™. barrettes for superior staying power, and an adjustable FitClip on our new soft headbands so you can customize a fit that’s just right for you. All Slide-Proof Hold™ technologies are sure to provide more holding power than traditional hair accessories.

Your size, your fit, your color –it’s active-wear for your hair that works just as hard as you do!

I love, love, love this new Slide Proof  collection from Goody! I spent the weekend working in my yard (ugh) and I tried out the headwraps and they worked perfectly, snug fit but not too tight and  stay put all day. My 4 year old son thinks they are sweat bands and has taken one to wear around his forehead that he refuses to return.

The claw clips and  have tiny rubber nubbins inside that keep your hair locked in place no matter how much or little hair you clip in. A great collection for summer!

Available at your local Target or Walmart

Disclosure: Complimentary samples of the above mentioned items were sent to me for an honest review.

Photo Credit:Ernesto Ruscio- Getty Images

Little Miss Sunshine is all grown up!

Dressed in an off-the-shoulder Marchesa gown, Abigail Breslin, 15, showed off a brand new blonde hair color at the Breast Cancer Research Foundation’s Hot Pink Party on Thursday night in New York City.

Despite her sophisticated appearance, the actress didn’t go lighter in an attempt to shed her innocent image like some other former child stars have done.

“She went blonde for a [movie] role,” Scott Peper, senior colorist at the Oscar Blandi Salon in NYC tells UsMagazine.com of the transformation, which took nearly four hours. “Plus, the color is a soft pale shade, not a bright gold shade like Lindsay Lohan. It looks natural and age-appropriate.”

So what was the star’s reaction to the dramatic change? “She loves it” says Peper.

What do you think?

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