Beauty & Fashion Tips - Rags & Rouges Style Tips

Well with temps climbing, skin care is at an all time high in terms of importance. You want to eliminate the orange peel look of your pores, remove blackheads, and smooth down the rough texture the winter has given your face. The best thing to do for this is a microdermabrasion, and start NOW. It will take a few weeks, but the end result, smooth, bright, and tight skin. Perfect for getting all your glow on this summer. Contrary to popular opinion, this is NOT something you need to hit the clinic for.

What is Microdermabrasion?

It’s basically the quick fix without spending the big bucks. A microdermabrasion will give you similar effects of a chemical peel without the expensive cosmetic surgery or spa prices. It is also called a mini-peel. For any kind of scarring or discoloration you may have on your face, a series of microdermabrasion treatments will make a huge difference. And you can do this right at home.

The treatment is non-invasive, and it ultimately removes any damaged or dead skin from your face to reveal the new, and much healthier skin cells underneath. What this does is stimulate those deeper skin layers to produce more elastin and collagen, thus revealing the younger looking you. Your skin will look younger, feel more supple, and even feel firmer to the touch after a few treatments.

You will also notice that any acne scars you may be dealing with are smaller, or minimized; your pores will be tighter, and yes, those fine lines will be reduced substantially as well. No matter how busy you are, it’s really worth the 15 minutes or so it will take you. And why not in the comfort of your own home, with the comfort of your own budget. While these kits don’t look all that cheap to start off with, when you consider that an in spa treatment that provides you the same results will run you around $100 per treatment, you will see the affordability I am talking about. The key to the microdermabrasion really is in having repeat and consecutive treatments to ensure all of the dead skin is removed.

And well, who doesn’t want to look younger. Take the time and splurge on you. You totally deserve it!!

You can grab a microdermabrasion kit from the local drug store, or try the Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion Polish + Moisture Kit, Normal to Dry Skin ($140 Value) . This at home kit is what the celebs are using when they are on the road and away from their fave spa. Dr. Brandt’s skin care line is FAMOUS in Tinseltown. This lovely version offers you not only the scrub, but the softness of chamomile and aloe as well. Chamomile is great for reducing puffiness and water retention in the face, and this combination is a very soothing one that your face will love you for.

Beauty Tip – At first, you will notice some redness on your skin, and I know, you all are picturing Samantha from Sex In the City and that horrid scarring. No. Unlike a chemical peel, microdermabrasion will leave some redness after the treatment, but it won’t last longer than an hour or two, so do this before you go to bed at night.

Whether the stars were going for old Hollywood glamour, or just sleeking things back for some elegance, we saw a lot of the same looks crossing the red carpet. The weather word was that there was some wind accompanying the stars on the red carpet, so celebs and their stylists compensated by pulling things back. You can achieve these looks too, a sexy or sleek ponytail is the simplest beauty secret there is to know.

Cameron Diaz is one that takes uber cas and pulls it together with a Dior gown for some major glam. Her ponytail was pulled back with a super messy look and she pulled some bangs in the front for a very pretty face framing look. For this look, you don’t want to care *too much* when you are pulling it together. The key really is in the mess.

Miley Cyrus was another beauty queen who took the ponytail with a sleek edge. The ponytail was pulled and pin very low and she gave the pony a much more elegant look with wavy side-swept bangs. Curl your bangs first to achieve the wavy look, and then comb them back with a fine tooth comb to get the sleek factor. Pin with a bobby pin sprayed with some hairspray and you got yourself a sleek ponytail. Spritz on some shining mist to give a little extra gloss.

Anne Hathaway was a timeless beauty in her Marchesa goddess gown and she went the other direction with a ponytail that was high and accentuated her intense features. Curl your hair in long loose waves with a wide curling iron. Tease the crown just ever so slightly and then pull hair back into a pony. Anne has an extra piece pinned at the base here, which you can try too, or just go with the whimsy of the high pony if you like. This is a fun look for a night on the town or an afternoon at the mall.

Sleek is chic right now and if you are looking for a new look, sleek, straight hair may be just what you need to change your look without making any drastic changes. Whether your hair is long or short, straight locks are easy no matter HOW late you are waking up in the morning.

Tools You Will Need: clips or bobby pins, fine tooth comb, flat iron, straightening serum, shine spray or mist

Step 1: Separate hair into sections (with your clips or pins) that are as wide as your flatiron.

Step 2: For each section, start at the root with your comb, and glide it down each section. This will smooth the hair for your flatiron. Follow right behind with your flat iron. Don’t have a flatiron? Try this iTech Wet-&-Dry Ceramic Tourmaline Flat Iron, 1-1/8 , Model 83824. This tool is nice and wide with a 1 1/8” barrel and works on both dry and wet hair saving you those few extra minutes in the morning. In fact, if using this on wet hair will give you a much longer lasting hold.

Step 3: Smooth some straightening serum like Jonathan Product Create Straight, Straightening Serum over your hair. The best way to do this is put a dab in your palms, rub your palms together, and smooth your hands over your hair.

Step 4: Finish the look and set your sleek with some shining mist like this Frederic Fekkai Glossing Sheer Shine Mist to give your locks some gloss and set it in place for all day sleek.