AFTER A MONTH filled with festive events and a few more to come before the January lull in the calendar, who couldn’t use a few beauty tips on how to put your best face on an important evening out?
So, we asked Managing Editor Nancy McKeon, Well-Being Editor Mary Carpenter and loyal MyLittleBird reader Nancy Gold. And I supplemented their suggestions with a few of my own.
Mary: “If my hair looks especially horrible, I use heated rollers. (Conair‘s Compact Plastic Hairsetter, $32.99, comes with 20 multi-size, tangle-free rollers.) Sometimes I pinch my cheeks and if there’s time, add a little roll-on blush.”
Nancy McKeon: Both attest to the efficacy of Bliss Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Foaming Mask for a quick fix before a festive event. “May sound like hype, but Bliss Triple Oxygen Mask really works! I always use it before ‘occasions.'”
Nancy Gold: “I do my Bliss energizing face mask (and leave it on a bit longer than they say); then some coconut oil, which I let sink in (my face DRINKS this stuff up); if my eyes are puffy, I will put cold green tea bags on them and lie down for about 10 minutes. If I have to do this, it’s last, since I layer all types of ‘product’ on my face. This allows the tea to sink in more but still be the last thing before I start layering.”
Me: I’ve sung the praises of Frownies Eye Gels before. Not the paper self-adhesives that you apply to different areas of the face but the jelly-like under-eye patches that you leave on for 30 minutes. I recently tried them again before a holiday cocktail party and am convinced my crow’s feet looked less pronounced and my bags less puffy.
My ace hair colorist, Jeremy Buchanan of Salon One80, raves about Color Wow for covering up roots in between appointments. So, when I couldn’t snag an opening with Mr. B. and my roots were looking badly faded, I dabbed it on and my roots no longer screamed gray. Then I tried it on my brows — with the small end of the applicator— and voilà, my face had a defining frame.
Washington’s premier dermatologist, Dr. Tina Alster, recommends Sente Dermal Repair to her clients for improving skin texture and tone. I’m a fan of the brand’s Daily Repair Complex for its wrinkle-softening and subtle coverage properties. I use it before layering on a tinted moisturizer for as close to glowing as I can get.
Armani makeup artist Tim Quinn knows the importance of creating a luminous effect around the eyes, forehead and cheekbones. Two products that perform that important function — Tarte’s Inner Rim Liner in nude makes sleepy eyes look awake and Tata Harper’s Highlighter dotted at the corner of the eyes brightens the face. They both can be used on the brow bone and above the cheekbones.
And then there’s Lancome’s Genéfique Youth Activating Second Skin Mask. I have yet to test it but I’m intrigued by the packaging and the promise.
Got a ritual of skin care and makeup that you follow before a big night out? Tell us about it.
