Diane Irons

Give Yourself a Makeover with Bronzer

2010-01-11T15:43:00.001-05:00

Ask any fashionista what is the #1 product she just can't live without and the answer probably goes right to my own favorite cosmetic savior, bronzing powder. The problem that often turns us off is selecting the wrong shade and "over" bronzing. The ending result is that the bronzer appears as a "stripe" on the cheekbones as the user attempts to create the effect of a thinner face. Also important to remember is that bronzer is not blush, and should not be used in this manner. You cannot create round circles on the apples of your cheeks with bronzer.
It ends up looking like you have dirt on your face, not that glow you were going for.

When you are purchasing any bronzer (regardless of the price point), the shade should only be one or two darker colors than your foundation, or if you don't wear foundation, one or two shades darker than your natural skin tone. This allows the non professional to work with bronzer, and get the glow without the stripes. My favorite secret is to apply a light touch of bronzer along the sides of the nose to create a slimmer look. If your nose is too long (either genetically or as the result of aging), simply apply the bronzer to the end of the nose, covering the nostril.

Decrease your double chin or drooping jowls by bronzing along the jaw line, just under the bone.

Lightly brush it over your cheek bone area. forehead, chin, anywhere the sun would hit your face.

I'm sure you'll find your own uses for this versatile product (use it as a natural eye shadow), but do go out and get some bronzing powder Find it on the cheap at drugstores,
or get help with your selection at the cosmetic counter.
But please, get it and start using it.

You'll thank me often!

Your Face Is Not a Sink!

2009-11-16T16:11:00.000-05:00

The biggest mistake women today make in their beauty routine is over cleansing.
I have seen the well intentioned results in reddened, parched skin.
Gently ladies, gently! Your face is your message to the world, and you want to preserve it as long as you possibly can. Not only will your face thank you, but you'll save lots of time and precious dollars.

Let's start out with your morning cleansing. This is when your skin is at its oiliest.
Let's be rational here. Unless you've been digging ditches during your nocturnal hours,
Your face is not dirty. How would that be possible? All you've done all night is lay on that pillow. Unless you're not changing your pillow on a regular basis, you've simply accumulated a few oils.

The driest skin type can usually get away with a little warm water splash to remove the surface oils. I find with many of my clients, they are able to reactivate their night cream.

A model's trick (because most of them are teenagers, and teenagers break out) is to keep some powdered milk on the bathroom vanity. Pour a small amount in the palm of your hand and gently rub into the oiliest parts of the skin (nose, temple, etc.).
It should be in the consistency of a soft paste. Why dry milk? Because milk is lactic acid, and lactic acid is one of the most effective ways to exfoliate grime and debris. Most of the skin cleansers charge you a lot of money for a simple product that you can easily get in your local grocery store.

Look at the time you have saved by doing this two in one treatment! You will be amazed at your skin's softness and texture.

If you have the urge to scrub, then scrub away at that sink!

30 Easy Ways to Burn More Calories

2008-10-26T13:58:00.000-04:00

You can you lose weight without buying special foods, joining a gym or getting involved in an expensive diet club by making key lifestyle changes

Can you lose weight without buying special foods, joining a gym or getting involved in an expensive diet club? Yes! By making important lifestyle changes, you'll lose the weight safely and permanently while saving money!

1. Reach for water before you reach for a snack. It's the cheapest, safest appetite-suppressant there is.

2. Keep the cupboards bare. You'll save both money and temptation. By cutting back on the amount of food choices you have around, there will be less impulse snacking.

3. Do something inspiring. A cheap incentive is sticking a picture of a dress you'd really love to wear where it will motivate you. For those with a wild side, get your belly button pierced.

4. Use spices liberally. Ginger, cayenne, jalapeno peppers and Tabasco sauce can boost your fat-burning ability by up to 25%, according to a researcher at Kyoto University in Japan.

5. Sleep for weight loss. Getting enough sleep does more than keep you from eating for energy. The University of Chicago recently found that a woman's metabolism rises 40% when she gets enough sleep.

6. Be a smart shopper. Have a list when you go to the supermarket to prevent impulse purchases. For extra exercise, leave your cart at the end of each aisle and carry what you need back to it.

7. Follow the pros' lead. To get fit fast, models cut out the ABCs -- alcohol, bread, and complex carbohydrates.

8. Beat nighttime cravings. Researchers have found that dark rooms and the darkness of night make us more likely to overeat. Try scheduling your bedtime for an hour earlier. If you have a favorite program that you like to watch at night, tape it. Switch to brighter light bulbs for cheerier surroundings, you'll be happier and less likely to binge.

9. Always eat breakfast. It fuels you for the day and you'll be less hungry at lunch.

10. Snack right. A hard candy is only about 20 calories and can last up to twenty minutes. A 400-calorie ice cream cone never lasts more than ten minutes. Try these tasty treats that are less than 150 calories: two Oreo cookies, a McDonald's Ice Cream Cone, a half cup of Italian Ice, a Starbucks Frappuccino Ice Cream Bar, Jell-o with whipped cream, angel food cake with strawberries, a Fudgsicle.

11. Listen to feel-good music when you have the urge to binge. Researchers have found that it activates the same feel-good center of the brain that eating your favorite foods does.

12. Don't eat unless you've made a place setting.

13. Drink green tea. A study conducted by the University of Switzerland discovered that drinking green tea increases the number of calories your body burns. Try to drink three cups a day.

14. Concentrate on what you're eating. Keep food out of sight while you're watching TV, reading, studying or answering email

15. Get out. Try to spend twenty minutes a day sitting outside or taking a walk or, at the very least, sit by a sunny window. Sunlight helps to control food cravings.

16. Eat healthy at the mall. Order a kid's meal or a salad without heavy dressing. Have a yogurt for a quick pick-me-up.

17. Get minty fresh. Brush your teeth and tongue with the best-tasting toothpaste you can find. Use mouthwash and breath mints to trick your taste buds.

18. Watch your portions. Just because you're given a certain portion doesn't mean that amount is what your body needs. Eat only until you're comfortably full. A little left on your plate each day adds up to a long-term decrease in calories.

19. Give up one bad eating habit. For example, if you eat in front of the TV or in bed, move your meal to the kitchen table.

20. Don't be too hard on yourself. If you have a diet plan that's too low in calories for your weight and energy level, you'll slow down your metabolism as your body attempts to conserve calories. Don't dip below 1,200 calories or aim for more than a one- to two- pound weight loss per week.

21. Take the stairs instead of the elevator.

22. Dance in your car. While you're stuck in traffic, work your abs. Concentrate on your rib cage -- pretend you're an exotic dancer and swirl around. Not only will you see your waist whittle and your abs harden, you'll release lower back tension.

23. Buy a jump rope. It's great exercise, and even more fun if you can remember all the rhymes you jumped to as a kid. You'll get your heart rate up and work the muscles in your upper and lower body, especially the stomach if you contract your abs while jumping.

24. Work your butt. When you're in the car or standing in line, contract your buttocks for fifteen second intervals. Tighten your muscles as you breathe in and then breathe out and release. It not only firms your butt, but relieves stress.

25. Act goofy. Even if you're too busy for the gym, you can still do cardio. Put on a pair of socks and slide around the house like a skater. You'll burn 150 calories in just ten minutes.

26. Get some free weights. It's all you need to start a strength-training regimen.

27. Take two steps at a time when you climb stairs. Skipping a step will force your leg and buttocks muscles to extend and work harder. Plus, this movement releases endorphins that will make you feel great!

28. Do yard work. Pull weeks, dig holes and rake your lawn. Gardening just one hour can burn up to 500 calories.

29. Rent or buy some exercise videos. It's like having a health club in the privacy of your own room.

30. Burn calories while doing housework. Do several chores at one time. For instance, make the bed, put laundry in the dryer, run upstairs to fold clean clothes and put them away. When you're making the beds, keep your shoulders back and pretend you have a book on your head. While you're dusting, roll up on the balls of your feet to work your calves.

2008-06-22T17:26:00.001-04:00

Summer is here, and make up is melting while hair is frizzing. These tips from my latest book
Insider Beauty
will keep you looking cool and polished no matter how high the temperature climbs.

Your lips will look summer fresh all day & night when you start your application with a quick slick of petroleum jelly. Wipe it off with a coarse wash cloth. Apply lipstick & blot. Keep your lipstick from bleeding by lining the outer lip with a neutral lip liner, & finish with a light application of lip gloss.

Seal in foundation by spritzing your powder puff or brush with a small amount of hair spray. Dip into
powder, and then apply to oily spots (nasal folds, forehead, chin).

Eliminate foot perspiration by spraying antiperspirant into your shoes 5 minutes before wearing.
To quickly refresh your feet, rub a small amount of antiseptic mouthwash with a wash cloth.

Here's an easy technique to create an "at the beach" funky look.
Pour about a cup of any clear carbonated soda into a spray bottle.
Spritz on the lower half of your hair & "scrunch" the ends while blow drying.

Be sure to protect your hair before heading into chlorinated pool water by patting a small amount of hair conditioner over the hair shaft.

A bottle of vinegar added to a tepid bath will soothe a sunburn while making skin extra soft.
Try raspberry vinegar for an aromatherapy touch.

Remove excess tanning product with toothpaste.

I'm pleased to announce that I have added 3 new breakthrough products at introductory pricing.
As always, 2 day Priority Shipping is just $4.95 for your total order.

Enjoy your summer!

My 10 Top Easy Anti-Aging Secrets

2008-05-14T12:15:00.000-04:00

This Month Features My Top Ten Age Defying Beauty Secrets

Lightly pencil your eyebrows with one shade lighter than your brow color. You will achieve the definition without looking too harsh. Hold brows up with moustache wax (available at drugstores) for an instant face lift. The moustache wax will hold your brows up indefinitely (better than any brow gel I have tried!)

Aging (sagging) eyes can be lifted cosmetically by creating a sideways "v" on the outside of each eye. Using a eyeliner pencil, or if you can handle liquid or cream eyeliner, start at the middle of the eye and aim "up" to visually lift the eye area.

To disguise under eye bags use a warm shadow and line it across the lower lids. A shadow is much more forgiving than liner (which can appear harsh), and the attention will go to the eye, away from the sagging or wrinkling.

Now is the time to turn to sparkling or colorful studs to light up the face. Since
the ears tend to droop as we age, the studs will hold their place (unlike hoops or chandelier earrings) which will only drag the ear further down. Just be sure that the studs are large enough to cover most of the ear lobe. This simple trick will also keep the attention at the mid cheek, and not the jowling or double chin.

Ask your stylist to create "cheek bangs", a flattering layering along the face that will soften lines and sagging along the cheek and chin areas.

After brushing your teeth, gently brush your lips. This exfoliates lines that develop on the lips by softening them. Rather than choosing balm as a lip protectant, apply eye moisturizer both on and around the lips.

Wearing too much foundation can be aging. Plus it accentuates every wrinkle. Add a small amount of moisturizer to your foundation for a smoother application. This will create a dewy, more youthful glow. Stay away from powder.

Add a bit of baby oil to powdered eye shadow to make eyes sparkle & deemphasize wrinkling.

Switch to cream blush. Not only is it more youthful, but blends more forgivingly. We have been told
to apply blush to the apple of the cheek. But as we age, it is necessary to apply it only to the top of the apple almost into the under eye area. It will disguise the hollow that is starting to develop as well as highlight the eye.

To firm up the neck, make a compress of strong coffee. Apply brewed coffee to the neck with a
wash cloth for about 5 minutes. The caffeine firms the area. Follow up by tracing bronzing powder along the jaw line. The slight shadowing disguises a double chin & jowling.

Winter Repair Tips

2008-03-14T16:19:00.000-04:00

This winter has been a challenge to our skin, diet, and beauty routines. There are important changes you need to make now to look and feel your very best this spring.

Lips
Chapped lips are an annoying issue this time of year.
Gently brush your lips when you brush your teeth to remove dry flakes. Switch to a moisturizing lipstick or use a plumping gloss like Vo-Lip-Tuous (click below) over lipstick to seal and protect. The same ingredients that make most lip balms feel like they're working (such as menthol & camphor) are actually pulling moisture from lips. This leads to more cracking & the the need for more lip balm.

Skin Inflammation
Cold temperatures & brisk winds rob the skin's top layer of natural moisturizing oils. The result is chapped, red, & often swollen skin. DMAE, C, E, & Alpha Lipoic Acid are key skin protectants. To immediately calm the skin, we rely on two unusual sounding, but effective treatments. Cooled chamomile tea bags pressed gently on puffiness and chapping will work in a pinch, and if the problem is Rosacea (it resembles a breakout or highly flushed cheeks) apply a small amount of undiluted dandruff shampoo & let sit for about 5 minutes before rinsing.

Dull Complexion
Now's the time to brighten your skin and here's an easy, inexpensive insider mask that will help even out skin tone while treating acne.

The Aspirin Mask
Dissolve 3 uncoated aspirin in a quarter cup of boiling water.
Allow to cool, and then dip a cotton ball into the mixture.
Apply all over face and let set for about ten minutes.
Rinse thoroughly with warm water.

The salicylic acid in aspirin will brighten and even out skin tone

Buyer Beware!

2008-03-07T13:06:00.000-05:00

You have asked me, and I'm finally doing it. Blogging, that is! Even after having written 9 books, I still have lots to say, and I hope that you find the information useful. I hope to share with you some of the secrets from behind the runways and movie sets as well as insider secrets you can use.

Today my thoughts turn to magazines, and how I hate to see women put so much trust in an editor's recommendation for a product, believing it to be genuine. Many of us have run out for that product only to be less than impressed. For those of you who saw "Devil Wears Prada", you became aware of the importance of advertiser placement into the editorial pages. This applies to all advertisers, not just fashion and accessories.

When you read that a beauty editor has tried that new lipstick and it stayed on through eating, kissing, etc. it sounds impressive. How about that "breakthrough" polish that stayed put for two weeks? Before you "buy" into these claims, check the advertising pages. Chances are high that a full page ad for these personal endorsements will be prominently displayed.

Endearing themselves to their advertisers is how magazines stay alive.
Empower your beauty and your budget by being an informed consumer.