Your Stylist: Expert advice for soothing dry winter nails, hands

The recent cool weather and wild winds are wreaking havoc with my hands, nails and cuticles. My manicure seems to look haggard just days after a trip to the nail salon and the constant application of hand sanitizer during this cold and flu season makes my fingers feel taut and claw-like all day.

I tapped Katie Cazorla, owner of the Painted Nail salon in Sherman Oaks and star of the TV Guide Network’s "Nail Files" show, for some expert advice on what treatments, products and precautions to abide by during this season of dry weather, excessive hand-washing (and sanitizing) and holiday traveling.

“We see a lot of people for manicures this time of year and the first thing I notice are the busted up, dry cuticles,” says Cazorla. “You can have a great manicure, but what’s the point when you have bad, dry cuticles?”

The No. 1 offense, according to Cazorla, is cutting cuticles. Cuticles act as a protective barrier for the nail against bacteria and infection and while snipping them away may leave your nails looking clean upon leaving the salon, you’re at risk for infection and the chance of the skin growing back uneven or ragged.

“A hangnail or loose skin is the only thing that should ever be cut. Never cut live skin,” she says. “Especially when it’s dry and cold out, you’ll start to see the cracks and openings. And people tend to pick at the dry skin, which is the worst thing you can do.”

Rather than cutting, picking or biting, simply ask your nail technician to push the cuticles back (or do it yourself).

Once cuticles are intact, Cazorla recommends lubing them up with a good cuticle oil. She likes The Painted Nail by Nubar sugar cookie oil ($12.50 at www.thepaintednail.com) for its delightful scent and 97% organic ingredients, but she has a super easy at-home remedy made of stuff that’s most likely already in your pantry. Mix a couple of teaspoons of olive oil with a spoonful of brown sugar, rub it onto the backs of hands and around the nail bed, then rinse off with warm water. The mixture is an exfoliant and moisturizer in one and not only works on hands, but also elbows and feet.

Use olive oil or cuticle oil on the cuticles several times a week, especially during colder weather. This will keep the area free of scraggly dry skin as well as freshen up a manicure. “In the winter hands get so dry,” says Cazorla. “Freshen up your manicure by adding a clear top coat to nails a few days after getting them done, then rub cuticle oil into the nails and cuticles.”

She also says that paraffin treatments are an effective way to give hands a serious dose of moisture, especially for anyone who’s experiencing cracks and rough spots on their hands. Paraffin treatments are done at most nail salons and entail dipping hands into hot paraffin wax, letting them sit for a few minutes so the essential oils in the wax seep into skin, peeling off the wax and rubbing lotion onto the hands. Cazorla warns that salons that have a communal vat of paraffin wax are to be avoided, because the wax is not hot enough to kill any bacteria that may form from so many people dipping their hands into the warm liquid. Look for places that have single servings of the wax. At The Painted Nail, hands are wrapped in individual bags of wax and then again in a hot towel.

When it comes to hand sanitizer, most formulas contain super drying alcohol that leave hands feeling shriveled and parched. Cazorla keeps a bottle of Bath and Body Works hand sanitizer ($1.50 each at www.bathandbodyworks.com) on her at all times because the gel contains little moisturizing beads that burst onto the skin when rubbed in. “It has Tahitian Palm milk in it," she says. "Not only does it smell great and do its job, it leaves your hands more moisturized.”

Other favorite moisturizing products include Mario Badescu hand cream ($10 at www.mariobadescu.com), which has anti-aging properties, is SPF 10 and is housed in a purse-friendly container with a top that stays put so you can comfortably stow it in your bag or take it along when traveling.  She also names Eucerin as a great drugstore option.

“Anytime you wash your hands or use sanitizer, moisturize right after,” she says.

If that cuts down on my scraggly wintertime nail beds, it’s well worth a try.

-- Melissa Magsaysay

RELATED:

Your Stylist: Bringing your eyebrows back with a little brow rehab

Your Stylist: Tips on having a super chic pregnancy

Your Stylist: The right evening jacket to wear with a cocktail dress

Photos, from top: Picture of nails with a French manicure. Credit: Dashing Diva

Painted Nail by Nubar cuticle oil. Credit: The Painted Nail

Bath and Body Works hand santizer. Credit: Bath and Body Works

Mario Badescu Fruit and Vitamin A&D Hand Cream. Credit: Mario Badescu

Your Stylist: Bringing your eyebrows back with a little brow rehab

If at 16 you went through an intense grunge phase or idolized Kate Moss in her Calvin Klein heyday, then like me, you have wimpy little eyebrows that just refuse to grow.

I discovered the possibility of tweezers around that age and haven’t looked back, using them a couple of  times a week to grab a rogue hair here or there. But since being put through a brow rehab by eyebrow specialist and makeup artist Kristie Streicher, I now realize that while I may never be Brooke Shields, I’ve certainly got better brows than I thought.

Streicher’s first rule in getting your brows back to being full and lush is giving the tweezers a timeout for a few weeks. This means no plucking a stray hair or cleaning up the shape, just letting them grow no matter how messy they start to look or feel.

Streicher, who shapes Julia Roberts' famous eyebrows and sees clients at the Warren Tricomi salon in New York and L.A. (her new Beauty Bar just opened at the L.A location) advises getting the hair to be on the same growth cycle, meaning even the little strays should stay put until the wanted hairs have a chance to sprout.

“Most people I see have overplucked,” she says “More than anything, people want thicker brows, but they’re under the impression that they can’t grow them. What they don’t realize is that pulling out a few hairs everyday does affect how they rest of the brows grow.”

The first step of simply putting the tweezers down is definitely the hardest part, but as Streicher points out “knowing you’re on a plan helps.” She also tints the brows with a vegetable-based dye to bring out each  hair, making them immediately appear fuller and more defined. She then plucks around the brow area lightly to show clients the shape she is going for.

“Full brows look so fresh-faced and healthy,” she says. “Skinny little scrawny brows put more focus on the fine lines and dark circles around the eye area. You also end up using less makeup when you have a full brow, because they really do frame and define the face.”

After an initial session of consulting, light tweezing and possible tinting, Streicher generally won’t see a client for six to eight weeks to give the brow hair ample time to grow.  In the meantime she recommends a handy little pencil from Darac Beauty called the Brow Trio. The pencil has a clean, angled shape, and the low oil formula make it glide on more like a powder for a softer finish. Streicher also likes the product for the brush at the end and highlighter in the middle of the pencil, which she uses to further define the shape of brows and hide the little hairs coming in while you’re on tweezer hiatus.

Lash-growing products are also helpful and something Streicher recommends not for lashes, but definitely for brows. She name-checks Latisse, GrandeLash and RevitaLash to boost hair growth in the area, and for very extreme cases, a visit to Bosley for a hair transplant of your own hair into your brow.

Whether you need to remedy the results of your grunge beauty phase or just want to whip your brows into really good shape, Streicher takes appointments in L.A at the Warren Tricomi salon. 8327 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA (323) 651-4545

RELATED:

Your Stylist: Tips on having a super chic pregnancy

Your Stylist: Hydrating beauty masks to save dry skin

Your Stylist: The right evening jacket to wear with a cocktail dress

-- Melissa Magsaysay

Photos: Brow expert and makeup artist Kristie Streicher works on a client, top; Brow Trio from Darac Beauty, middle; Kristie Streicher, bottom. Credits: Kristie Streicher, Darac Beauty, Kristie Streicher.

Your Stylist: Tips on having a super chic pregnancy

Last week I ran into celebrity stylist Nicole Chavez (her longtime clients include Rachel Bilson, Kristen Bell and Scarlett Johansson) at an event for a designer and was totally inspired by her super chic pregnancy style. Chavez is seven months pregnant and on that particular evening was clad in a long, soft pink Vanessa Bruno dress, a cropped black jacket and festive fur collar. The dress fell elegantly against her baby bump and the black jacket cinched in her smaller top half creating the right proportion between her belly and the rest of her body.

“I always thought I’d wear muumuus when I was pregnant, but I quickly realized that’s not the case at all, it’s more flattering to wear fitted clothes.” Says the stylist, who describes her pre-pregnancy body as petite and curvy. Chavez has eschewed maternity clothes and managed to stay in mostly designer and on-trend pieces thanks to her top tips in looking stylish while seven months pregnant: tailoring and using helpful tools such as a Belly Belt (a piece of stretchy fabric that fastens into jeans to extend the waist) and bra extenders to self-alter her existing pieces.

“I’ve been able to wear a lot of my old clothes by adding fabric or elastic at the waist,” says Chavez who also buys mod style dresses at Zara and Topshop a few sizes up to accommodate her belly and has the arms and upper back altered to fit and highlight her smaller top half. “After [pregnancy] you can have the middle tailored to fit you. Tailoring is key so then you can wear these clothes again.”

Chavez advises first shopping your own closet to see what pieces can stretch or be tweaked to work with a growing belly and changing body. “You can probably get a lot out of your closet. Take the stuff that absolutely won't fit away and put the stuff with elastic, stretchier fabric and A-line silhouettes to the front of your wardrobe. Try playing with those kinds of items. You can add elastic to some skirts. There are ways to get around it, you just have to be creative,” she says.

She also applies these rules to her clients. Chavez recently styled a pregnant Jessica Simpson and used a lot of Dolce and Gabbana and Roberto Cavalli items for their stretchy fabrics and fun, bold prints. “Dolce's a great brand for pregnancy because a lot of their fabrics are stretchy and many silhouettes are fitted and have a v-neck, so you really can see the bump and the body.” She adds that Jessica Alba also wore a lot of Dolce and Gabbana clothing during her last pregnancy. If the Italian brand is out of your price range, Chavez also loves Topshop, Zara, Fertile Mind and the long, colorful, light cotton wrap skirts found at the flea market.

She emphasizes focusing on proportion when getting dressed up and recommends looking for cropped jackets to cinch in a dress on top or otherwise,going longer with vests or cardigans that hit below the waist, creating a more elongated line. “A jacket or sweater really has to be higher or lower than your belly for the most flattering shape.” She says. Empire-waist dresses are a good option for getting that smaller on top, roomier through the middle proportion. Chavez buys empire-waist dresses from department stores and has them taken in through the side of the arm so there’s no potentially unflattering billowy fabric.

Aside from altering clothes to fit her changing shape, Chavez loves to use accessories that she says have nothing to do with the baby bump but really work at adding stylish flourishes to an outfit. Her go-tos are fur and faux-fur collars that loosely fall around the neck and add some drama to a blazer or simple dress.

Opaque black tights from Fertile Mind are also a huge help as they smooth and support the belly area while adding a nice layer to dresses and skirts, both long and short.

“I think you have to be really flexible and realize that you are not the size you were, but you will be again. Be patient and focus on what fits and looks good,” Chavez says. “It's definitely the ultimate fashion challenge, but it's been really fun.”

RELATED:

Your Stylist: An easy 1940s style hair how-to

Your Stylist: Hydrating beauty masks to save dry skin

Your Stylist: The right evening jacket to wear with a cocktail dress

-- Melissa Magsaysay

Top photo: Celebrity stylist Nicole Chavez attends the Vanessa Bruno dinner in West Hollywod. Credit: Donato Sardella

Middle photo: Pregnancy tights in opaque black from Fertile Mind ($19.95). Credit: Fertilemind.com

Bottom photo: Belly Belt from Fertile Mind ($19.95). Credit: Fertilemind.com

 

Your Stylist: The right evening jacket to wear with a cocktail dress

 I see it all the time. Women dressed up, out for a nice dinner at a fancy place or attending a black-tie fundraiser, swaddling their expensive cocktail frocks in a pastel colored pashmina wrap. While this is far from the most serious fashion offense, the look and silhouette just come off as dated and a wrap breaks up the lines of a structured dress.

A pashmina is more passable with a long, flowy, boho-chic kind of dress when attending an island wedding or as a layer over a light dress as the sun is setting at the beach. When wearing a cocktail dress, especially in these colder months leading up to the holidays, go for structured, sexy and classic.

Look at how Kate Moss wore a tailored black tux jacket with three-quarter length sleeves over her strapless black velvet dress when arriving at an event (via helicopter). Chances are it was a chilly ride in the chopper and she needed something to keep warm until she hit the red carpet.

The combo looked chic and unfussy with a touch of masculine tailoring to temper the sexiness of the dress. This formula is pretty much a no fail way to add a practical and stylish layer to an evening ensemble.

A tux style jacket is versatile enough to throw on over a fancy dress, and you can get extra mileage out of it by wearing it with slim black cigarette pants and simple black heels. Traditional black is the best investment as it’s the easiest to wear with a black or dark-colored dress, but I love the idea of this ivory jacket with a black lapel ($108 at Express) to draw a nice contrast and add a bit of drama to an otherwise simple black dress.  

For a pop of holiday color, this emerald green charmeuse fitted blazer is festive and eye catching ($229 at Talbots) This pairs well with black, gold, ivory or even certain shades of smoky gray. Balance out the strong color with bold accessories that might have subtle hits of a similar shade of green.

A velvet tux jacket takes the item further into fancy territory. A midnight blue version ($150 at Topshop) feels rich and a little more unexpected than black.

If the tux look is too tailored or buttoned up for your taste, then a cropped jacket with sequins or faux  fur detail also makes sense over a nighttime look. This sequin moto-style jacket ($128 at Express) is a shrunken fit, and it can be left open over a dress (stick with a non-metallic colored dress if wearing a sequined jacket).  Another metallic option, but with a more elegant appeal is this gold jacket from Lanvin ($3,280 at netaporter.com). It’s on the pricey side, but can serve as inspiration when combing vintage boutiques for a similar style.

And the cropped sequin jacket at left by Michael Michael Kors ($195 at netaporter.com) strikes a nice balance between all the pieces mentioned here. It’s a great length, it’s not too fitted, not too boxy, plus the smattering of sequins keeps the dressy factor high and the dark hue pairs well with a variety of dresses and prints.

Next time you find yourself shivering while waiting in the valet line after an evening event, ditch the pashmina and go for something that pulls your whole look together and keeps you warm.

Melissa Magsaysay

RELATED:

Your Stylist: Hydrating beauty masks to save winter skin

Your Stylist: An easy 1940's style hair how-to

Your Stylist: All-natural and organic perfumes

Photos: top - Kate Moss arrives by helicopter to the Rimmel & Kate Moss Party to celebrate their 10-year partnership at Battersea Power station on Sept. 15, 2011 in London, England/Dave M. Benett/Getty Images for Rimmel, right - white and black tuxedo jacket from Express/Express, left - green charmeuese blazer from Talbots/Talbots, right - midnight blue velvet tuxedo jacket from Topshop/Topshop, left - gold sequin moto-style jacket from Express/Express, right - metallic jacket from Lanvin/netaporter.com, left - Michael Michael Kors black sequin jacket/netaporter.com

Your Stylist: Hydrating beauty masks to save dry skin [UPDATED]

There have been hints of cooler weather lately, and that's about all it takes to make my already parched skin feel desert dry.

I find that most masks claiming to moisturize skin are pretty effective when it comes to hydrating my face after a long flight or during a mild L.A. fall. And a mask can be a quick treatment without the time (or dollars) needed for a facial at a spa. 

"Masks are often thicker, more emollient and even a bit greasy," says Dr. Amy Wechsler, a dermatologist and dermatology advisor to youbeauty.com.

But they provide moisturization without clogging pores, she says, because they are washed off as opposed to being rubbed in. Wechsler has a recommendation for an effective homemade moisturizing mask.

Her yogurt-and-honey mask is soothing and nourishing for dry skin (and easy if you already have these simple ingredients in your kitchen).

First, mix two tablespoons honey with two teaspoons of whole milk yogurt. Warm the mixture slightly in the microwave, then smooth it over your face, lie down and relax for 10 minutes. Afterward, simply rinse your face with warm water. [UPDATED Nov. 8: This post originally omitted the yogurt and said to use honey with whole milk.]

If you would rather buy something already prepared, Wechsler recommends reading the back of the package for ingredients. Look for safflower, glycerin, petrolatum and hyaluronic acid, which are key for their hydrating properties. Hyaluronic acid draws moisture to the top layer of skin, so the face stays supple longer throughout the day, she said.

Here are some newly released (and some all-time favorite) moisturizing masks that will leave parched skin plump, glowing and hydrated.  

Iroha green tea + aloe + ginseng cloth mask ($5.50 at www.bigelowchemists.com) This all-natural mask is invigorating (ginseng) and comforting (aloe), and the green tea works to help revive skin from the damage caused by pollution and stress. 

Clarins HydraQuench Cream Mask ($35 at  www.nordstrom.com) This mask works to balance dehydrated skin, using katafray bark and a Clarins hyaluronic acid complex with a chemical structure that allows it to retain up to 1,000 times its weight in water.

ONE Facial Paper Masks ($1.99 at Target stores, Target.com) The masks are designed to moisturize and soothe tired, stressed skin. At the price, why not try them? They're also eco-friendly and come in a travel-friendly package.

Liz Earle Intensive Nourishing Treatment Mask ($24 at www.uslizearle.com) This all-natural line of beauty products from Britain has a great range of well- priced, naturally active and effective formulas. The nourishing treatment mask is designed specifically for dry, parched skin, and remedies dehydration with borage (an herb known for retaining moisture) and rose-scented geranium to tone and balance skin.

Kate Somerville Quench ($45 at www.katesomerville.com) has hyaluronic acid to pull moisture deep into skin cells, plus cucumber and willowherb to soothe red or sensitive skin. Also, for anyone who's a fan of Somerville's Quench line or just looking to target dry skin, she recently launched a Quench lip treatment and an oil-free version of her hydrating Quench serum (available in January). This is great for dry skin that's prone to clogging or oily skin that's slightly parched from dry winter weather.

RELATED:

Your Stylist: An easy 1940s-style hair how-to

Your Stylist: All-natural and organic perfumes

Your Stylist: All-natural skin-brightening treatments

-- Melissa Magsaysay

Photos: from top: Iroha green tea + aloe + ginseng cloth mask / Irhoa; ONE Facial Paper Masks / Target; Liz Earle Intensive Nourishing Treatment Mask / Liz Earle; Kate Somerville Quench mask / Kate Somerville

Your Stylist: Slithering snake prints for chic, creepy Halloween

Exotic animal prints and skins are obviously a huge trend for fall. They’ve been so ubiquitous that I wouldn't be surprised if Post-it started making cheetah-print sticky notes or Starbucks starts to offer limited-edition cup sleeves done in a fierce leopard print. 

Since it's Halloween, I am partial to the creepier and slimier side of this exotic trend -- snake print. We saw the wonderfully colorful '60s-style snake-skin boots on the Prada fall-winter 2011 runway, and the print (and sometimes, skin) is showing up everywhere and on everything.

Here are some items done in snake print that are a little less obvious than the usual python-printed boot or bag. There’s even a snake-venom-inspired beauty product that induces slight facial paralysis, similar to the effects of a snake bite. Yikes!

The animal-print jeans from Current Elliott have been hot all season, but these boa-print cropped skinny jeans done in a paprika-colored denim ($198 at neimanmarcus.com) are particularly fetching.

For a casual pop of the popular reptile print, this T-shirt from Sass & Bide ($190 at net-a-porter.com) is an easy way to spice up the usual jeans and tee combo. For something sportier, Keds has done its classic canvas oxfords in a graphic black-and-white snake motif ($40 at keds.com).

Snake print can go dressy quite easily, adding an edgy elegance to just about anything. The platform, peep-toe “Bodacious” shoe from Charles David ($250 at Charles David Los Angeles) is done in this cool, alternating snake-printed and black leather, with a T-strap that gives it a sleek '70s disco feel. 

Kara by Kara Ross’ python and amethyst ring ($220 at maxandchloe.com) also has that '70s vibe. This would look chic with a bow-neck blouse tucked into a pencil skirt.

Don’t forget your gadgets. They need cute accessories too. A snake-print leather iPad case from Michael Michael Kors ($130 at net-a-porter.com) makes a statement while still protecting your techie toys. 

And Rodial’s Glamoxy Snake Mask ($83 at beautybar.com) doesn’t technically have any snake in it or on it, but it does contain a neuropeptide called syn-ake that is said to have a similar effect to the bite of a Temple viper snake. In this case, that means a slight freezing of the face and a potential alternative to Botox.

The mask also goes on in a thick black goop, and then peels off once it’s dried.

Wearing the mask while handing out candy, could be an easy (and effective, both for beauty and scare factor) way to creep out the kiddies who come to your door tonight.

Happy Halloween!

-- Melissa Magsaysay

RELATED:

Your Stylist: An easy 1940s hair how-to

Your Stylist: All-natural and organic perfumes

Your Stylist: Understanding those pesky eyebags

Photos: Top: Prada snake-skin boots from FW11/Gianni Pucci, gorunway.com, left: Sass & Bide snake-print T-shirt/Sass & Bide, right: Current Elliott boa-print cropped jeans in paprika/Current Elliott, left: Keds snake-print canvas sneakers/Keds, below left: Charles David Bodacious shoe/Charles David, right: Kara by Kara Ross python and amethyst ring/Kara Ross, below right: Michael Michael Kors iPad case/Michael Kors, left: Rodial Glamoxy Snake Mask/Rodial

Your Stylist: An easy 1940s style hair how-to

There was a definite 1940s film noir moment for fall, especially seen in Miu Miu’s ladylike glam collection. Even the hair had subtle winged back victory rolls -- a hairstyle that rings of the decade all on its own. 

It’s a cute twist on the half-up half-down thing and can add a polished and ultra-feminine touch to  a simple dress or wipe the grunge out of a maxi skirt and sweater combo.

“I'm a big fan of modernizing a vintage inspiration!” says celebrity hair stylist Gregory Russell, who coifs the hair of Chloe Moretz, Judy Greer and Elle Macpherson.

In order to keep the style from looking too antiquated or costumey, Russell emphasized the importance of giving the hair a modern texture.”I love how undone the Miu Miu look is. It can be worn daytime or for the evening”

Russell breaks down the look into simple steps:

- Start with rough-dried or air-dried hair. Add dry shampoo throughout the hair for a modern-dry texture.

- Then section out the top half of the hair in front of your ears. Decide where you want your part to be (it looks great a little askew, not too clean and perfect) and divide into two sections.

- Add a matte wax to each section and use your hands to create a disheveled roll of hair on each side. Feel free to create the rolls several times until you are happy with the shape and proportion.  

- Pin with bobby pins and set with Elnett Hairspray.

Easy enough. Remember, anything too poufy and perfect will look literal, which is great, if that’s the look you’re going for.

This hairstyle is a good one for the holidays, particularly with a jeweled brooch or snazzy hair clip tucked behind one of the rolls near the side of the head.

--Melissa Magsaysay

RELATED:

Your Stylist: All-natural and organic perfumes

Your Stylist: Understanding those pesky eye bags

Your Stylist: Faking fashion's collar craze

Photos: Top: a look from Miu Miu fall/winter 2011/Monica Feudi; right: The '40s-style hair at Miu Miu fall/winter 2011/Miu Miu

Your Stylist: All-natural and organic perfumes

I’ve  met a few women recently who say they don’t wear perfume because of the chemicals and/or because of allergies or sensitivity to synthetic scents. They would like to wear perfume and have a signature scent that lingers subtly in a room even after they’ve left, but cannot stomach the potential headache.

There are several companies who make all-natural and organic fragrances, some without alcohol, some are vegan, all might be a good solution for anyone who’s always stayed away from the shelves at Sephora because of a sensitivity to traditional perfumes.

“Basically you have organics, naturals and botanicals,” explains Adam Eastwood; co-founder of online retailer luckyscent.com, a website of hard-to-find and specialty scents and Scent Bar, its bricks and mortar equivalent.  “Botanical perfume means it’s all-natural and vegan, so no animal products, beeswax, musk or ambergris is used. Natural fragrances are made from all-natural ingredients rather than synthesized ones.” But, he adds, if it's not organic then presumably someone can still be exposed to pesticides and fertilizers that were used in the cultivation of the natural ingredients.

A French company called Honore Des Pres makes organic perfume that comes packaged in whimsical marmalade jars and to-go style coffee cups. The scents do not contain any petrochemicals or synthetic perfumes. They are also free of coloring agents and animal byproducts or any ingredient traditionally known to irritate sensitive skin.

The “nose” behind this line is famed perfumer Olivia Giacobetti, who has also created scents for L'Artisan, Costes, Penhaligon's and Diptyque. Giacobetti's creations for the company range from a creamy coconut scent called Coconut Love to a fresh green mix named Nu Green.

A recently launched line called Crow perfume is entirely water-based, eliminating alcohol, which can sometimes be drying or irritating on people’s skin, but also is a key ingredient in holding a scent’s staying power.

Creator Emily Lape wanted a healthful and natural perfume and she’s come up with six scents -- all water-based and void of parabens, oils and phthalates as well as being cruelty free.

"Today’s women are much more aware of the environment and the ingredients in their cosmetic bag, yet we still want our perfume to evoke sophistication and femininity,” says Lape. “When I went out to look for such a perfume I could not find it on the market.”

Natural scents may not all have the same amount of staying power as traditional scents (possibly a good thing for those who are sensitive or just anyone who prefers something light) so perfumer Dawn Spencer Hurwitz created three botanical scents for online retailer indiescents.com with a focus on making natural perfumes that still carried some intensity.

There are 12 scents ranging from Vanille Bontanique, a rich, botanical vanilla, to a floral, green, citrus called Hand of Buddha.

“These seem to have a remarkable amount of staying power compared to some other natural lines I’ve seen,” says Eastman.

But he also goes on to say that sometimes synthetics used in fragrances are actually less harmful than naturals when it comes to a person’s sensitivity.

“By wearing a natural scent you are exposed to far more molecules than with synthetics. So in many ways synthetics are better and more benign than naturals,” Eastman says.

He adds that one of the benefits to synthetics is that the scent is more defined and tends not to change too much on the skin like a natural fragrance might.

It just depends on what you’re looking for in a fragrance. After all, scent should be totally personal.

-- Melissa Magsaysay

RELATED:

Your Stylist: Understanding those pesky eye bags

Your Stylist: Faking fashion's collar craze

Your Stylist: All natural skin brightening treatments

Photos, from top: Love Coconut from Honore Des Pres/Honore Des Pres.

Crow Perfume Fruta + Lecha perfume/Crow Perfume.

Dawn Spencer Hurwitz for indiescents.com Vanille Botanique/indiescents.com

Your Stylist: Understanding those pesky under-eye bags

Ever have a co-worker or friend tell you that you look tired? If you're like me, you flash a fake smile and thank them for their keen observations, then slip into the bathroom to check out just how big the bags under your eyes are -- the unflattering florescent light in the bathroom helps to accentuate them, making the situation that much more annoying.

But what's happening below your eyes is more than just puffy bags. Here's a breakdown of what's behind saggy or puffy under-eyes and how to effectively conceal and even out the area so the whole face looks brighter and, well, less tired.

Beverly Hills facial plastic surgeon Dr. Davis Nguyen sheds some light on the situation. 

"There are three main things that happen around the eye area that make them start to look irregular or baggy." Says Dr. Nguyen.

1. Gravity – "As skin starts to fall, that pull accentuates the eye bags that are already there from stress or allergies," he says.
2. Loss of volume - "We all lose collagen as we get older," says Nguyen, adding that, as a result, any areas around the eyes with extra fluid will be accentuated. A loss of volume around the orbital bone (closest to the cheekbone) creates a recessed groove that can often look dark and draw more of a contrast to the puffed-out under-eye.
3. Loose skin - "When skin looses elasticity and skin starts to sag, irregularities around the eye area are more noticeable," Nguyen says.

All of these factors exacerbate each other and Nguyen warns that addressing one thing and not the other two won’t effectively even out the under-eye area. Of course, there are cosmetic procedures like injectables and laser treatments or a slew of creams that can be slathered onto skin to help remedy the situation (due to the caffeine, steeped green tea bags applied to the area help reduce puffiness).

But if you're as impatient or scared of needles (particularly being poked near my eye) as I am, then eliminating the issue with makeup might be your best bet.

Nguyen says that understanding contour, lighting and shadows certainly helps to effectively apply eye bag vanishing makeup. Rachel Herrera, makeup artist for on-camera talent at the Style Network, knows all about diminishing early morning under-eye issues and has these handy tips.

"Moisture is very important," Herrera says, but the lotion doesn’t have to expensive. Herrera loves Oil of Olay. "It doesn’t have to be a separate under-eye cream, as long as the area is hydrated."

Light-reflecting concealers like YSL Touche Eclat are her go-to and help to transform the under-eye into a more even and illuminated area, rather than being an uneven surface of dark, light, puffy and recessed.

"YSL Touche Eclat No. 2 works on most skin tones," says Herrera. "It has some pink in it which counteracts blue and darkness in the skin."

The makeup artist also uses Laura Mercier Eye Basics eye primer in peach on the network's on-air hosts. It's not technically a concealer, but as a primer it works to create a more even and smooth surface. She dusts some Illuminating powder, also from Laura Mercier, on top of the primer for that light-reflecting finish.

"Be very gentle when applying concealer." She warns "People tend to put more on than needed. Just lightly tap it on and blend. Dust some powder over that to set it and if you need more, tap a little more on over the powder." 

As far as counteracting the shadowy area caused by loss of volume near the orbital bone, she advises using a color of under-eye concealer that's two shades lighter than your foundation and carefully applying it onto the area with a very precise, pointed concealer brush. "This takes a lot of practice." says Herrera, but adds that it can be very effective as far as counteracting the shadow that can off set the puffed-out area above it.

"Stay away from heavy concealers," she says. "That can really go wrong, look cakey and actually start to accentuate the bags. Plus, the light-reflecting products are generally easier to use."

Here's to looking "less tired."

-- Melissa Magsaysay

RELATED:

Magnetic nail polish tries its hand at the beauty market

Blushington: A new beauty lounge with $35 makeup application

Your Stylist: All-natural skin brightening treatments

Photos, from top: YSL Touche Eclat, $40 (Credit: YSL); Laura Mercier Eye Basics in peach, $24 (Laura Mercier); Laura Mercier illuminating powder, $32 (Laura Mercier).

Your Stylist: Faking fashion's collar craze

There's a collar craze happening in fashion. The trend is focused especially on collars of the prim and polished variety (think rounded Peter Pan-style or simple and pointed) that are buttoned up all the way to the top.

It's more of a styling thing really, not necessarily a trend that calls for buying new pieces. It's really about the clean, buttoned-up line of a crisp shirt and sharp collar. 

Celebrities such as Carey Mulligan and Alexa Chung are layering collared shirts under their crew neck sweaters and pairing the sweet combo with knee-length skirts or cropped trousers. It's part menswear-inspired, part schoolgirl chic, and the look popped up on fall 2011 runways as well as for spring 2012.

For fall 2011, DKNY showed bright white Peter Pan collars peeking out from under stark black shirts, adding a dash of girliness to otherwise dark and sexy frocks. French label Sandro has also incorporated collars into its fall 2011 collection, adding leopard-print collar details to mod-inspired black shift dresses, which gives basic pieces a playful detail. Several looks with starched, white collars were also sent down the runway at the Celine spring 2012 collection. The French house's clean and effortless aesthetic is so influential on high-end and street fashion that collars are bound to still be everywhere come spring.

It's easy enough to start styling your existing button-down shirts in this more buttoned-up manner, or you can literally just wear the collar. I came across a company that makes just collars. As dorky as that might sound (I'm instantly reminded of the red turtleneck dickies my sixth-grade choir teacher wore under her jingle-bell-and-sequin festooned Christmas sweaters, partly for the look, partly to keep her vocal cords warm), these collars create the trendy silhouette without adding unwanted bulk under a fitted sweater.

The company, CeCe Toppings, makes fun little collars in classic, Peter Pan and even ruffle-neck styles. The printed versions, like leopard and a preppy plaid, are especially cute because they add the quirky and trendy little touch to an outfit and a pop of color and texture.

Plus, each of the collars is under $40, which is generally less expensive than a new button-down shirt. You can throw one of these under a crew neck or V-neck sweater (though not too low-cut, that obviously defeats the purpose and would expose the secret behind your jazzed-up neckline) and you've got instant trend without the bulk, investment or extra shirt layer, which in an L.A fall can sometimes be too hot. A classic, conservative collar can also transform a simple black dress or V-neck sweater into an appropriate job interview outfit.

Regardless of the trend, I love the idea of something polished and preppy as we continue into fall. Pair a buttoned-up collared shirt (or just the collar) with a classic crew neck sweater in a neutral color such as camel or heather gray with something sexy like leather-coated jeans or jeans or trousers in a fun, vibrant color such as red or fuchsia, for an easy mix of tough and sweet. 

-- Melissa Magsaysay

RELATED:

Your Stylist: All-natural skin brightening treatments

Your Stylist: Capes and ponchos are fall's fabulous outerwear

Your Stylist: Bold prints are big with celebs like Alexa Chung

Upper left photo: A look from Sandro's fall 2011 collection. Credit: Sandro

Upper right photo: A look from DKNY fall 2011, Credit: Yannis Valmos / gorunway.com

Middle photo: A leopard-print collar from CeCe Toppings. Credit: CeCe Toppings

Lower photo: A plaid Peter Pan collar from CeCe Toppings. Credit: CeCe Toppings