Here is a description of Halo, from Smashbox:

A powder that reduces fine lines & wrinkles in 10 minutes? It’s not magic, it’s new HALO HYDRATING PERFECTING POWDER. HALO is the first anti-aging powder with the science of skin care built in. It’s advanced formulation of pure gold, 48 minerals, 11 amino acids and a powerful peptide deliver powerful anti-aging benefits while the patented hydration system continuously revitalizes skin for a brighter, more radiant complexion all day. HALO’s innovative built in shaver gives you the perfect amount of luminous loose powder every time with no mess. Finally, a powder that multi-tasks as much as you do.

I can attest to the claim that within minutes you will see a decrease in wrinkles.  I am the first to doubt any such claim, as I find that so often the product never quite lives up to that promise.  However, Halo DOES deliver.  I was truly amazed with how my skin looked, wrinkles were less visible, my skin did not feel tight or dry as it can with some powder products, and I truly felt I got a flawless finish.   I truly felt that my skin glowed, without getting greasy, nor flaky as the day wore on.  In fact, running into a few friend was quite the ego boost…one of them quietly pulled me aside and asked me if I had gotten Botox or some kind of laser treatment.  She confirmed that my skin looked radiant…and obviously she, too, saw fewer lines!

I have my compact on order, and I recommend you get Halo as well.  I love products that multi-task and live up to their promises!  Click on the image below to take advantage of great savings on Halo and other fantastic makeup for Spring!

From the New York Post, Page Six, is the following article, "The Hands of Time" written by Beth Landman. I, too, have issues with my hands giving away my age. I wear jewelry and love to wear fun cocktail rings and bracelets that bring attention to my hands. I always cringe a bit when someone asks to take my hand and look at a piece of jewelry more closely as all I can think about is how they are looking at my veins and spot! Ugh! However, there are anti-aging options out there for hands as well, a small investment to showcase youthful hands with gorgeous jewelry!

When 52-year-old Sharon Blair* married Mark Burrows*, 44, she thought they made the perfect couple. She had always taken care of her appearance, had a facelift at 48 and kept a regular regime of Botox and injectable fillers. But when the wedding pictures came back from the photographer, she was mortified. "You know that shot they always have with the couple holding hands and wearing their rings?" says Dr. Howard Sobel, the cosmetic dermatologist who for years had been caring for Sharon’s face. "It was one of those uh-oh moments. She looked great—younger than her husband—but her hands had a lot of sun damage, hyperpigmented spots and wrinkled skin with prominent veins."

Sharon quickly photoshopped the wedding pictures before anyone saw them, and booked some treatments: Aurora laser to get rid of sunspots, eMAX laser with radio frequency to tighten the skin’s surface, and injections of the filler Radiesse to make blood vessels less noticeable. "I don’t think her husband’s family knew her true age, and after she fixed the photos and her hands, they weren’t about to find out," says Dr. Sobel.

Hands give away age more than any other body part, but until recently, not much could be done about it. "I always told my clients, ‘If you want to look younger, hold your hands up—sit with them raised during dinner so the blood flows down and veins appear smaller,’ " says Josephine Allen, a celebrity manicurist who works at the Upper East Side’s Samuel Shriqui salon and tends to the dainty digits of Julia Roberts and Heidi Klum.

"Women who are thin and those with fair skin have hands that look older because you can see the veins more easily. And if you’ve had enough sun exposure, you can have liver spots on your hands in your early thirties," adds Dr. Robin Ashinoff, a dermatologist at Hackensack University Medical Center.

"Look at Angelina Jolie," continues Sam Rizk, an Upper East Side plastic surgeon. The actress is 33, but "you can see those dorsal veins on her hands. She should soften them up." Now she—and anyone prepared to shell out a few thousand bucks—can. Cosmetic dermatologists, plastic surgeons and spas are becoming increasingly conscious of finding ways to match hands to a youthful-looking face.

Berenice Electrolysis & Personal Beauty Center, the beauty emporium on East 61st street that caters to New York socialites, has just added a machine that uses light to stimulate collagen and eliminate age spots. "The clients stick their hands under the machine for 15 minutes before they leave the spa," explains owner Berenice Rothenberg. Dermatologist Lewis Feder has been fixing up Big Apple hands for several years, and started offering finger treatments 18 months ago. "I’ve been doing a lot of rejuvenation recently," he says. "I come in with fat at the
wrist and massage it into the tissue. You must do the fingers too, or they won’t look good. Finally I use microdermabrasion or a light peel to soften and even out the skin, and intense pulsed light for dark spots."

Dermatologist Dr. Fredric Brandt has developed his own cure ($1,000 to $3,500, depending on the damage) that deals with sunspots or discolorations, prominent veins and loss of volume. For problems two and three, his solution is fillers like Perlane,which lasts six to eight months. He addresses the first problem with lasers and peels, which improve texture and have a fading effect. "A lot of actresses wear makeup on their hands," says Dr. Brandt. "But lasers really work on skin that is thin or wrinkly or sallow."

Dr. Andrew Kornstein, a Fifth Avenue specialist, prefers to plump the hands with fat, a process that requires harvesting cells from your own butt, hips or belly. "In order to control the aging process, you have to restore volume to the hands the way you do in the face. Not only does fat last 10 years, but there is strong scientific evidence that it acts like stem cells, increasing circulation and causing new cells to grow." Skin looks smoother and tighter, and veins are camouflaged with the $7,000 procedure (which requires "twilight" anaesthetic and a week or two of recovery time). For those who don’t want to go through the surgical process of transferring fat, Dr. Kornstein uses Radiesse, a filler made from bone matrix, which lasts up to a year.

Jackie Jones, who lives in Queens and works as an office manager, is a believer in fillers. "I’ve always been bothered by my hands," she admits. "Last year, when I turned 40, I had the hands of a 70-year-old." So she visited Park Avenue dermatologist Neil Sadick and had her hands injected with Radiesse ($1,500 to $2,500). "I was out of his office in 45 minutes," Jackie says. "Before, I was too embarrassed to even get a manicure. Now I’m wearing bright polish."

Men, too, have begun to seek cosmetic improvement for their extremities. "Guys love this new machine called Storz: it delivers high-energy shock waves," says Suzanne Levine, a podiatrist who also treats hands. "It was originally used for pain, but it plumps up skin, gets rid of wrinkles and slims knuckles." Women likewise are clamoring for the $250 machine. Says Suzanne: "I have one actress who ordered a [Storz] for her home, and a couple of others who have asked me to bring it to L.A. to use on them before the Academy Awards."

Some couples are even having his and hers treatments. "I just did a husband and wife team that came in from Palm Beach and had their hands done together," says Dr. Brandt. "He is 39, she is a bit older, and it was his idea. He gave her a huge diamond for their wedding anniversary and now she’s proud to wear it."

Adds Dr. Kornstein: "People ask me if cosmetic enhancement of the hands is expensive. It’s a few thousand dollars, but really it winds up costing a lot more. After all, the plastic surgery is nothing compared to the jewelry that is bought afterward, once someone is happy with her hands."

If you have acne and have more questions about taking Yaz, or any other birth control pill, discuss these concerns with your doctor or dermatologist. 

A Birth Control Pill That Promised Too Much

by Natasha Singer

The New York Times

Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals has just introduced a new $20 million advertising campaign for Yaz, the most popular birth control pill in the United States.

But the television ads, now running during prime-time shows like “Grey’s Anatomy” and on cable networks, are not typical spots promoting the benefits of a prescription drug. Instead, they warn that nobody should take Yaz hoping that it will also cure pimples or premenstrual syndrome.

As part of an unusual crackdown on deceptive consumer drug advertising, the Food and Drug Administration and the attorneys general of 27 states have required Bayer to run these new ads to correct previous Yaz marketing.

Regulators say the ads overstated the drug’s ability to improve women’s moods and clear up acne, while playing down its potential health risks. Under a settlement with the states, Bayer agreed last Friday to spend at least $20 million on the campaign and for the next six years to submit all Yaz ads for federal screening before they appear.

“You may have seen some Yaz commercials recently that were not clear,” an actress says in the new corrective television spot, as she looks into the camera. “The F.D.A. wants us to correct a few points in those ads.”

Yaz is the best-selling oral contraception pill in the United States, with sales last year of about $616 million or about 18 percent market share, according to IMS Health, a health care information company.

Critics of consumer drug advertising say that while the F.D.A. sends a few dozen letters each year asking drug companies to suspend, amend or correct informational pamphlets and videos, it is unusual for the government to require commercials to set the record straight.

“They rarely require these corrective campaigns,” said Judy Norsigian, the executive director of Our Bodies Ourselves, a health education and women’s advocacy group in Cambridge, Mass. But she said the popularity of the Yaz brand and the misleading ads had demanded a rare punishment. “These ads should never have been out there,” Ms. Norsigian said.

Representatives of the F.D.A., and the Florida attorney general, who led the states’ effort, declined requests for phone interviews. They released a joint statement on Monday in which they said, in part, they wanted to “clean up misleading advertising in the marketplace.”

California, Texas, Massachusetts and Michigan were among other states in the settlement, in which Bayer did not admit that it had engaged in deceptive advertising or committed any wrongdoing.

A Bayer spokeswoman responded to a query with an e-mail message. “The ad for Yaz was revised to more clearly state the indications for Yaz,” she wrote, adding that no one from Bayer was available for a phone interview to answer other questions on Tuesday.

The corrective television commercials, which began appearing two weeks ago, are scheduled to run until July 26. New print ads, in national magazines like Lucky and Elle, give detailed information about Yaz, but do not indicate they are meant to correct earlier television ads.

The F.D.A. first moved against the Yaz campaign last October, with a warning letter to Bayer saying that two television ads overstated the drug’s benefits while understating its risks. By giving consumers the impression that Yaz was generally a drug for acne and general mood problems, the company’s ads ran afoul of federal laws against promoting the unapproved uses of a drug, the F.D.A. said. The agency approved Yaz in 2006 as a birth control pill that has a side benefit in treating mood-related psychological problems called premenstrual dysphoric disorder.

In 2007, the agency approved another side benefit of Yaz, that of improving moderate acne. But Yaz contains drospirenone, a progestin that can cause excess potassium production in some patients, its side effects include an increased risk of serious heart and other health problems.

After the F.D.A. complained, Bayer halted the Yaz ads. The agency told Bayer to submit a media plan for a corrective message that would reach the same size and kind of television audiences as the misleading ads did.

The Bayer affair comes at a delicate moment for the pharmaceutical industry. Some of the most popular branded drugs are nearing patent expirations that will open the doors to generic competition, so many big-name drug makers now rely heavily on direct-to-consumer advertising.

Critics charge that the F.D.A. division that oversees drug promotion, with a staff of 52 people, cannot keep up with the tens of thousands of marketing and advertising items produced annually by drug manufacturers. The Yaz controversy may raise new questions about whether that oversight is sufficient.

Aimed primarily at women in their 20s, Yaz has been known for its slogan — “Beyond Birth Control” — which promotes it not only for pregnancy prevention but as a lifestyle drug.

In one of the commercials cited by the F.D.A., with the song “We’re Not Gonna Take It” by Twisted Sister playing in the background, a series of young fashionably dressed women kicked away or punctured floating signs with labels like “irritability” and “feeling anxious.” Meanwhile, a voiceover promoted Yaz as a “pill that goes beyond the rest,” with benefits like the ability to maintain clear skin.

The other commercial, set to the tune “Goodbye to You” by the Veronicas, shows a variety of women next to balloons — marked “headaches,” “acne” and “feeling anxious” — which float away, presumably after treatment with Yaz.

“The ad is basically speaking to a majority of menstruating women,” and not to the minority of women with the psychological problem for which Yaz is approved, said Dr. Nada L. Stotland, a professor of psychiatry at Rush Medical Center in Chicago and the president of the American Psychiatric Association.

For 2008 during which the ads in question were broadcast on television, sales of Yaz in the United States increased to about $616 million, from about $262 million the year before, according to IMS Health.

This is not the first time that health groups and government officials have faulted birth control commercials as being misleading. In 2003, the F.D.A. sent a warning letter to Berlex Laboratories faulting its ads for Yasmin, the precursor to Yaz, for implying the pills were superior to other oral contraceptives and for minimizing risks specific to the drug.

Bayer, which acquired Berlex as part of a deal in 2006, now markets Yasmin. Last year, Yasmin had sales of about $382 million, or about 11 percent of the United States market, according to IMS Health.

Bruce L. Lambert, a professor of pharmacy administration at the University of Illinois at Chicago, lauded the F.D.A. for insisting this time that Bayer run a corrective advertising campaign. But he referred to the corrective $20 million ad campaign for Yaz as “chump change” and “just the cost of doing business.”

“I don’t think it is likely to stop,” he said, “unless there are more significant consequences.”

I myself have used some cosmetic procedures, and certainly use my fair share of anti-aging products.  Of course, we have pride in our appearance, it feels good to look and feel young, and there is a competitive edge in our society to have a pleasant, professional image. 

What are your thoughts? 

Arlington Heights, February 10, 2009 /PRNewswire/ — Faced with news of increasing layoffs, straining economic times, and a belief that hiring is based on looks, millions of American women are looking at cosmetic medical procedures to give them a competitive edge in the workplace. In a new telephone survey* compiled by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) of 756 women between the ages of 18 and 64, many reveal cosmetic plastic surgery procedures now appear to be an important rung on the success ladder.

*  13 percent (more than 1 out of 10 of the 115-million working-age women) say they would consider having a cosmetic medical procedure specifically to make them more confident and more competitive in the job market.

*  An astounding 3 percent (nearly 3.5-million working women) say they’ve already had a cosmetic procedure to increase their perceived value in the workplace.  

*  73 percent (almost three out of four or, 84-million working women) believe, particularly in these challenging economic times, appearance and youthful looks play a part in getting hired, getting a promotion, or getting new clients.

*  80 percent (four out of five or 92-million working women) think having cosmetic medical procedures can boost a person’s confidence.

Insurance Broker Janice Axelrod, a baby-boomer, recently had a chemical peel and fat transfers from her abdomen to her face. "Time has given me the professional knowledge. But time can take away the youthful sparkle of my appearance if I let it. When you look good, you feel confident. That gives me a competitive edge and something my clients have come to expect from me," says Axelrod.

ASPS Member Surgeon Loren Schechter, MD performed Axelrod’s cosmetic procedures at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, Illinois. He says "Not only do the women believe youthful looks help in the workplace… they’re acting on that belief."

John Canady, MD, president of ASPS says, "Consumers need to remember that while cosmetic procedures might help them in the job market, they’re still medical procedures." Canady says women still need to proceed with caution. "Patient safety is ASPS’ number one concern. Women need to do their homework. Go to the ASPS website at www.plasticsurgery.org to find an ASPS Member Surgeon in your area."

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons is the largest organization of board-certified plastic surgeons in the world. Representing more than 6,700 physician members, the Society is recognized as a leading authority and information source on cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. ASPS comprises more than 94 percent of all board-certified plastic surgeons in the United States. Founded in 1931, the Society represents physicians certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery or The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

* Survey conducted by Opinion Research Corporation. Results have a +/- 3% error range.

How does the Derma-Roller work?  The Derma-Roller, which is like a little wheel with small needles attached, is gently rolled across your face.  Basically, this technique (also known as micro-channeling or micro-needling) creates little  holes in your skin.  Then, by just these tiny holes, your skin is stimulated to create more collagen.

This technique may be able to help a variety of patients with skin care concerns including not only making your skin look younger, but also to assist patients with scars and pigment concerns.

Funny how very low-tech this procedure appears to be, yet seems to be very successful.  Furthermore, you do not see any of the holes, so you need not worry about having to "hide out" for days while your skin is healing or repairing itself. 

You can also use this technique on other areas of your body safely, and the cost is relatively inexpensive (only about $200) compared to other tecnhiques that cost much more.  Ask your dermatologist or skin care professional about the Derma-Roller if you want more information.

I recent found my first grey hair, and realized that there is a lot of emotion behind those first grey hairs.  Am I getting old?  Does this mean that my hair will start to thin?  Should I color my hair?  Should I embrace the beauty of grey? 

I even put those questions before friends and family, and overwhelming I was told, COLOR YOUR HAIR!  Of course, grey hair can make us look older.  Now, on men, often some grey hair is "distinguished" and that salt and pepper look is fantastic on George Clooney.

But what about for women?  Does grey make us look older?  Feel older?  Or, is part of aging, and anti-aging, is aging gracefully and taking steps not so much to "cover the grey" but to maintain our hair in our natural color to maintain a feeling of youthfulness.   For me, I have already made my appointment.  Here is a great article that provides wonderful information about grey hair, how we get it, and what we can do about it:

At any age grey hair can materialize. It’s not always an indication of aging, it’s caused by a dropping off in pigmentation (grey hair) or a complete lack of pigment (white hair), and the basis for it is not fully known. The most obvious symbol of aging is the changing colour of our hair. As we age our hair produces less melanin, the same melanin that gives our skin its colour. This is the reason our hair turns grey.

Age also has an effect on our hair in other ways. A number of women will notice that their hair thins and lacks life, for others it will appear to be dry and coarse. As we get older our hair starts to get drier, and needs more moisture. Older hair often loses some of its elasticity and the consistency alters. This is because as we get older the size of our hair follicles get smaller and hair growth slows down. Therefore there is not as much new growth to replace what is lost.

Sebum (oil produced naturally by our skin) lessens as we age, and as a consequence our hair, therefore, lacks its natural shine and softness. And our production of keratin also slows during the menopause. This particular protein fibre is a must in maintaining healthy, strong hair. Going bald, having thinning hair and coarse hair is a subject that affects many men, plus facial hair. To conceal your grey hair opt for the right shade of hair colour. If you use a dark colour it can draw attention to a dull complexion. So do not use a colour more than a couple of tones darker or lighter than your own hair colour.

If you wish to keep your grey, try to use a hair shampoo and conditioner that is targeted specially for grey hair. Grey hair can look yellow or greenish on a number of people. To neutralize the yellow colour and leave your hair shiny and good-looking, try using a greying shampoo that has a violet based colour, instead of your usual shampoo. Highlights or lowlights can camouflage any grey you want to mask by blending them into the rest of your hair. The same with hair colourants, keep away from going more than a couple of shades lighter than your own hair colour to steer clear of looking older than you really are.

As the years go by your hair loses its elasticity and then it becomes more difficult to style, so try opting for a protein treatment to use once a month to support your hair. For both women and men, thinning hair can be given a more voluminous look by using volumizing products such as conditioners and mousses. Apply a weekly deep conditioning treatment – that is recommended for aging hair. Moisturizing (conditioning) your hair is a necessity as we get older. This will preserve the moisture levels in your hair.

About the Author:

Jennifer Summers is a great source of information on grey hair shampoo, regularly providing informative advice on greying hair.

ScienceDaily (Feb. 5, 2009) — Your mother’s wrinkles — or lack there of, may not be the best predictor of how you’ll age. In fact, a new study claims just the opposite. The study, involving identical twins, suggests that despite genetic make-up, certain environmental factors can add years to a person’s perceived age.

Results just published on the web-based version of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), reveal that factors like divorce or the use of antidepressants are the real culprits that can wreak havoc on one’s face.

"A person’s heritage may initially dictate how they age – but if you introduce certain factors into your life, you will certainly age faster. Likewise, if you avoid those factors you can slow down the hands of time," said ASPS Member Surgeon and study author Bahaman Guyuron, MD, professor and chairman, department of plastic surgery, University Hospitals Case Medical Center. "In this study, we looked at identical twins because they are genetically programmed to age exactly the same, and in doing so we essentially discovered that, when it comes to your face, it is possible to cheat your biological clock."

During the study, Dr. Guyuron and his colleagues obtained comprehensive questionnaires and digital images from 186 pairs of identical twins. The images were reviewed by an independent panel, which then recorded the perceived age difference between the siblings.

Results showed that twins who had been divorced appeared nearly 2 years older than their siblings who were married, single or even widowed. Antidepressant use was associated with a significantly older appearance and researchers also found that weight played a major factor too. In those sets of twins who were less than 40 years old, the heavier twin was perceived as being older, while in those groups over 40 years old, the heavier twin appeared younger.

According to Dr. Guyuron, "the presence of stress could be one of the common denominators in those twins who appeared older." Additionally, researchers suspect that continued relaxation of the facial muscles due to antidepressant use, could account for sagging. And though they do not advocate gaining weight to look younger, researchers note that losing abnormal amounts of weight not only have harmful effects on a person’s health, but on their appearance, too.

"This research is important for two reasons," Dr. Guyuron said. "First, we have discovered a number of new factors that contribute to aging and second, our findings put science behind the idea that volume replacement rejuvenates the face."

According to ASPS statistics, there were more than 1.5 million injectable filler procedures performed in 2007.

By Dr Cindy Pan

But the primary causes of acne are a combination of genes and hormones.

In some cases, lifestyle factors may play a role. When it comes to food, all things are fine in moderation and a well-balanced diet is important for everyone.

Sex does not cause acne, but getting hot and sweaty may tend to exacerbate it in some people.

Hot, humid climates tend to be worse for acne sufferers, too. Wash regularly with a mild cleanser, but avoid excessive scrubbing with abrasive products. Your doctor can assess the severity of your acne and determine whether there is an underlying condition causing the problem.

Treatments may range from lotions and creams to oral medications and are designed to dry out pimples, decrease inflammation and sebum production and rebalance hormones. There are a variety of products, each with their pros and cons. Your doctor can tailor an approach to suit you.

Dr Cindy Pan has had over 10 years of clinical practice. Her books include Pandora’s Box: Lifting The Lid On Life’s Little Nasties (HarperCollins) and Playing Hard To Get (HarperCollins). Her latest book, 100 Little Head Starts, will be published by Allen & Unwin.

The naturopath Leah Hechtman

While most commonly experienced during adolescence, acne is not restricted to the teenage years.

In naturopathy, we look at the location of the pimples to determine the cause. For example, spots on the chin indicate hormonal imbalance, while those on the back indicate a build-up of toxins.

The body tries to eliminate unwanted substances through the bowel, bladder or skin, so it is important to encourage elimination. Poor diets, dehydration and deodorants can restrict these channels.

Simple tactics such as increasing water intake, promoting regular bowel movements and exercise or saunas to encourage sweating can all help. Useful treatments include herbal medicines such as calendula, sasparilla, nettle leaf, burdock and dandelion and chaste tree for women, particularly if the acne is hormonal.

Nutritional supplements such as zinc, vitamins A, C, D and E and essential fatty acids also help. Keep skin clean, use natural make-up and skincare products and wash make-up brushes regularly.

Leah Hechtman is a naturopath and fertility specialist. She is a lecturer, author, researcher and industry consultant and has her own clinical practice in Sydney, NSW. She specialises in fertility, reproductive and psychological health. For more information visit http://www.naturalhealthfertility.com/

As we age, our lips begin to thin, and over time fine lines appear around our mouth.   Environmental factors (like too much sun), bad habits (like smoking) and even stress can age our lips, and consequently, add years to our appearance. 

However, there are very easy steps that we can take to make our lips look sexy, healthy, youthful and turn back the hands of time if we incorporate the following tips into our daily beauty routine.  In fact, if you follow the next seven steps that I present, you will be sure to have luscious lips in time for your Valentine’s Day celebrations!

(image from www.redheadgo.com)

Luscious Lip Tips: This is the last tip is in a series of tips to keep your lips luscious and healthy. Our lips lack the ability to produce natural oils like our skin can. This makes our lips more vulnerable to the harsher elements of weather and even to changes in our health and diet routines.

Luscious Lip Tip #7: Avoid oils and other elements that are often packaged as "natural" or "organic" but can actually be quite irritating. Lip glosses with menthol, peppermint or citrus oils can irritate lips. Many of the lip plumping products have elements in them like these listed and others that irritate the lips making them "look" fuller. This is really not the way you want to care for your lips over time, and that small window in which your lips look fuller, they can often feel quite awful. While I admit that I am lucky to have fuller lips, when I have tried some of those lip plumping products I could not get them off fast enough as they were too tingly, some stung, and many left my lips and the skin around my lips feeling and looking red and irritated.

One great resource that I look to for all kinds of wonderful beauty products, especially products to keep my lips looking their very best, is SpaLook. SpaLook has all of the top beauty brands imaginable, as well as amazing discounts, free offers and samples that stretch your beauty dollars further! Click on the image for  more information or to start shopping now! 

As we age, our lips begin to thin, and over time fine lines appear around our mouth.   Environmental factors (like too much sun), bad habits (like smoking) and even stress can age our lips, and consequently, add years to our appearance. 

However, there are very easy steps that we can take to make our lips look sexy, healthy, youthful and turn back the hands of time if we incorporate the following tips into our daily beauty routine.  In fact, if you follow the next seven steps that I present, you will be sure to have luscious lips in time for your Valentine’s Day celebrations!

(image from media.superpimper.com)

Luscious Lip Tips: The following tip is sixth in a series of tips to keep your lips luscious and healthy. Our lips lack the ability to produce natural oils like our skin can. This makes our lips more vulnerable to the harsher elements of weather and even to changes in our health and diet routines.

Luscious Lip Tip #6: If you smoke, quit now. If you do not smoke, don’t start. Without a lecture on the "evils" of smoking, it is very simple what smoking does to your skin and to your lips. Smoking dries them out which irritates them, the chemicals in the cigarette also irritates lips and the constant "pulling" in of smoke can and will cause lines and wrinkles around your lips and mouth. Years of nicotine can stain your lips and the chemicals you exposure your lips and mouth can cause cancer.

One great resource that I look to for all kinds of wonderful beauty products, especially products to keep my lips looking their very best, is SpaLook. SpaLook has all of the top beauty brands imaginable, as well as amazing discounts, free offers and samples that stretch your beauty dollars further! Click on the image for more information or to start shoppping now!