It never fails, a zit shows up the night before a special event or worse you break out before a big photo shoot. It is well known that celebrity A-listers like Cameron Diaz, Brittany Spears and Megan Fox struggle with acne issues.  Unfortunately with HD, 10 times zoom, these stars often get caught in the spotlight with no place for cover.

MEGAN FOX

So what can you do when a pimple shows up? Yes there is photoshop, but for those times when you can't walk into a room with photoshop, it's time to think like a makeup artist! With the right techniques you can cover up that zit so that no one will notice. 

1. When you have a pimple one of your goals is to reduce the swelling and flatten it. First step is to try using ice or ibuprofen. Visine, offering the same vasoconstriction properties that get the red out of your eyes, can work on pimples too. Soak a cotton swab in Visine and hold it next to your pimple for 5 minutes. 

If have time, an overnight, check out my post about what to use in {Get Rid of a Pimple Fast} it's the best secret tip I know that really works!

2. If it is oozing use a tinted blemish cream that covers and heals like Clearasil. If you've already popped it, moisturize the area so that it is not flaky or dry from products that you've used to previously treat it. You do want to try to dry out the little monster but without irritating it. Benzoyl peroxide is your best choice to help shrink it.

Britney Spears

3. When you are choosing a concealer to cover a zit, pick a thick formula that is quite dry and use a very small, pointy concealer brush to cover it from all angles. It is best to use a makeup brush so that you can get into all the crevices that your finger cannot. Don't brush across but instead dab the concealer onto your little monster, then tap your finger on top to set. Use a green based concealer corrector followed by foundation to counteract redness. Don't choose a concealer that is lighter than your skin tone or you will just bring attention to the thing you are trying to cover up. Focus only on the pimple and not the surrounding area. After you are finished concealing you can blend out to your skin, but do not blend or touch the actual zit.

Cameron Diaz

4. Next you will want to blot with loose powder to make sure that it remains hidden and the makeup doesn't slide off the pimple's oily surface. It's best to use an eyeshadow brush loaded with powder.

5. My very good friend and go-to makeup artist, Colleen Stone, recommends mineral makeup for pimples because she says it really covers without adding bulk. Because a zit is usually raised, you will still probably see it on your face but it will be much less noticeable when covered well. If your pimple is large you might notice that it casts a shadow too. Use a lighter color concealer underneath the bottom half where the shadowing is for an optical illusion to counteract this effect, before setting with powder.

6. You might also like my article about some of the new at home devices: {Blue Light to Zap Zits}

7. Some of the best concealers I recommend are:

Makeup Forever Camouflage

Amazing Cosemetics Concealer

Cle' de Peau Beaute Concealer

7. You may also like my article on How to get rid of a zit fast {HERE} - and it's not by using toothpaste! 

Acne scarred model and California teen, Cassandra Bankson, has learned how to apply makeup to conceal her zits to help others who suffer and has become a YouTube sensation. Watch as she transforms herself with her new found application skills using Make Up Forever HD Foundation.  

  All of this just goes to show that anyone can deal with an occasional acne break out by choosing the right cosmetics!

Shelley GoodStein is a 47 year old FORD model who speaks to women through television, national articles and public forums about a model's secrets to looking good from the inside out and the beauty of aging! To learn more secrets on how to create a flawless face for photographs and real life purchase her new book, Face This: Real advice from real models, photographers and makeup artists on how to become Picture Perfect! Available for $7.99 on Kindle, Nook and iTunes and also paperback on Amazon.com

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I see London,

I see France,

and this season we will be seeing a lot of ... Underpants !

image from Style.com

The Spring/Summer collections always seem to lure us into showing a little more skin, and this year is no exception: Designers are in love with sheer fabrics. But exactly what do you wear underneath so that this sexy look doesn't become a sleazy statement?

The key to wearing sheer is to make sure that you are pairing it with a opaque under-thing and not just another lightweight lingerie like piece. Probably the easiest way for anyone to pull off a sheer maxi is paired over a mini dress or shorts.

Sheer becomes sophisticated if you stick to basic black, ivories and beige. Keep it balanced by adding only one transparent piece to your outfit. While it may be tempting to go head-to-toe in sheer, remember that a bigger impact is made with smaller efforts, like this photo with a sheer black maxi over black mini with a crew neck beige sweater on top. When you wear a sheer blouse, pair it with a solid bottom and add a tank or bandeau that blends in, also try buttoning it all the way up.

See through lace, crochet and mesh will also be showing up this season and is a perfect excuse to go shopping for some vintage finds. I think the cutest way to wear this is by creating a silhouette with a brightly colored slip underneath for a pop of color ... and attention!

To avoid dressing inappropriately and ending up on the worst dressed peekaboo list, keep in mind that this trend is not about flashing more skin! There is a fine line between keeping it classy and not becoming too provocative. Have fun amping up your sex appeal this season by copying some of these looks and becoming a little more "transparent"!

ROCK the Sheer look your way & write back to tell me about it!

Check out my post on HOW TO De-Bloat so that all your sheer clothes are looking their best on that hot bod!

Shelley GoodStein is a 47 year old FORD model who speaks to women through television, national articles and public forums about a model's secrets to looking good from the inside out and the beauty of aging! 

She is the author of 

Face This: Advice From Real Models, Photographers and Make Up Artists on How to Become Picture Perfect!

Can you really place beauty to numbers? 

As a girl with a mathematical edge, studying Calculus in high school, I want to introduce you to the Golden Ratio because studies of top models have shown that they have countless numbers of this ratio in their faces.

What is this ratio? Well to be exact it is 1.6180339.... and you can find it by specific measurements in your face. Here is my own face rank based on the Golden Ratio:

Click Here to upload a photo to find your own beauty score. 

If you follow my blog then you know that I not only like to give you the secrets of beauty but I like to explain the science behind why it works and makes sense. This isn't new, the ratio was used in the Great Pyramids over 4600 years old, but I do break it down in chapter 4 of my book,  Face This: Real Advice from Real Models, Photographers and Makeup Artists. 

This number, universally recognized as ideal, is usually rounded to 1.62. It is also known as phi (Φ) in Geometry, Fibonacci numbers in India, feng shui in Asia, and divine proportion. This ratio 1:1.62  is nature's symmetry and occurs naturally in life. Da Vinci himself used it when he drew the perfect human male body in his famous work the Virtruvian Man. The premise behind this is that the closer a face or object is to the golden number 1.62, the more beautiful it becomes. 

Beauty in the Eye of the Beholder

Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder but according to a study from the University of Nebraska, a smaller nose and chin, along with a larger distance between the eyes and a smaller mouth width are deemed desirable traits for women. Females were proven to be seen as the fairer sex, rated more attractive by both men and women.

How to Determine Golden Beauty 
With the math behind it, the symmetry of your face can be measured. The closer this number is to 1.62, the more beautiful it is judged to be subconsciously. The simplest measurement is the length of your face divided by the widest part of your face. There are countless ratios that can be derived, but the web site above will generate a computer calculation online of a few of these ratios, from your uploaded photo for free, and give you some feedback. You might also decide to use this site if you are trying to select the best image from a recent photo shoot to use as your new profile picture! 

Do It Yourself Version using a few more calculations:

a = Top-of-head (1) to chin (2) =  cm  
b = Top-of-head (1) to pupil (3) =  cm  
c = Pupil (3) to nosetip (4) =  cm  
d = Pupil (3) to lip (5) =  cm
e = Width of nose (6 to 7) =  cm
f = Outside distance between eyes (8 to 9) =  cm
g = Width of head (10 to 11) =  cm
h = Hairline (12) to pupil (3) =  cm
i = Nosetip (4) to chin (2) =  cm
j = Lips (5) to chin (2) =  cm
k = Length of lips (13 to 14) =  cm
l = Nosetip (4) to lips (5) =  cm

Now, find the ratios. 1.62 is golden.

a/g =  cm
b/d =  cm
i/j =  cm
i/c =  cm
e/l =  cm
f/h =  cm
k/e =  cm

Using the Golden Ratio in Dentistry

When the 2 front teeth form a rectangle with a Golden Ratio measurement (height to width of the center 2 teeth of 1.62) it is perceived as a perfect smile. Another ratio used is from the width of the first tooth to the second tooth and a third using the width of the smile to the third tooth from the center. Visit the site of Dr Eddy Levin for more on the Golden Section and Dentistry.

The Mask of Divine Proportion

Dr Stephen Marquartdt developed a facial mask as a measurement of classic beauty to help plastic surgeons align facial features for more symmetrical accuracy based on a series of rectangles, triangles and decagons. 

From Queen Nefertiti in 1350 BC to Angelina Jolie today, you can see for yourself that they both share similar facial proportions conforming to this beauty mask. I guess that beauty may be timeless after all ... or maybe it explains the countless number of plastic surgery clones. You Decide.

Check out my post on how to get flawless skin for photos by shaving your face - YES I am talking to you girly! Here is the LINK {Defuzzing the MYTH of the Female Mustache}

To learn more about this subject and how to use the Golden Ratio to look your best in real life and in your photos, please download my book Face This on Kindle, Nook and iTunes for just $7.99 or purchase it on Amazon.com

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While making New Year resolutions, most of us will include losing weight, but here's why it may be as easy as counting sheep if you add more sleep to your list! What exactly is the sleep-weight connection?  It may not be your exercise or your eating that are contributing to the battle of the bulge as much as it could be your sleep habits, plus you can't eat if you're not awake! 

Lots of models use crazy blood type, liquid and all sorts of fad diets to slim down, but some just make sleep a priority! Heidi Klum told People Magazine that she clocks 10 hours a night, pretty much going to sleep when the children do. And actress Penelope Cruz claims that she sleeps 12 hours a day to help maintain her flawless figure.

Many models I know get plenty of sleep, drink lots of water, choose healthy low calorie foods, and do some sort of exercise every day. Two other things I notice about my model friends is that they often eat the very same thing for breakfast - Every. Single. Day. This eliminates the choices and chances of making unhealthy decisions. After not waking up from a good 8-10 hours of sleep your body is programmed to eat whatever it finds first so making it a no-brainer is a good idea! Finally, the kitchen closes after dinner. No mindless snacking out of boredom or temptation! 

THOSE WHO SLEEP LESS OFTEN WEIGH MORE

Science has shown that sleep deprivation can wreak havoc on hormones that control appetite, cravings and the metabolism of fat. New research in the Annals of Internal Medicine, showed that overweight adults lost 55% less fat when they got 5.5 hours of sleep per night, compared with when they slept for 8.5 hours a night. In 2011, Australian researchers found that teens and adolescents were more likely to be slimmer if they went to bed earlier than those who stayed up late. Many of us think that if we are staying up late and working hard we are burning more calories, but a study from the Mayo Clinic confirmed this was not true and that sleep-deprived participants consumed an average of 549 calories more than their usual intake when staying up late, but burned no more calories than their well-rested peers.

Sleepless nights will also cause the levels of the stress hormone, cortisol, to rise which increases cravings for high-carb, high calorie "comfort foods." And during deep-sleep the brain secretes a growth hormone which helps the body convert fat to fuel. Without enough deep sleep, fat accumulates, especially around the belly.

There are also 2 hormones, ghrelin and leptin, that help to control appetite that can become imbalanced with lack of sleep. Ghrelin, stimulates your appetite whereas Leptin sends a signal to the brain that you are full. When you don't get enough rest, levels of leptin drop, making you hungry, while ghrelin levels rise to stimulate your appetite. No wonder after you don't sleep well you don't feel full or satisfied all day! Prolonged sleep deprivation sets you up to overeat and therefore gain weight. The average American gets 6 hours of sleep or less so if you're in this group it's time to get some more Zzzzzzs! And here's how.

I KNOW ... WHO HAS TIME FOR ALL THIS SLEEP? 

Find the time! That's why you made weight loss a priority for the year on your Resolution List! Go to bed an hour earlier and sleep in an hour later. Remember the quality of your sleep counts too so here are some Sleep Hygiene Tips to incorporate:

• Reduce or eliminate caffeine, sugar and alcohol.
• No late night eating.
• Log out  - no television or computer before bed. The images stimulate the brain and make it harder to fall asleep.
• Eliminate all light and noise.
• Use your bedroom for sleep and sex only.
• Keep a regular bedtime.
• Wear loose and comfortable clothing to sleep in.
• Turn the temperature down, slightly cooler.
• Make a relaxing routine - warm bath, meditation, deep-breathing exercises.

For the brainiac girls that want to understand this concept mathematically, determine your basal metabolic rate with this BMR CALCULATOR - the number of calories your body burns doing nothing, at rest and while you sleep. An average woman's body burns about 1500 calories a day doing nothing, roughly 62 an hour. Sleeping 2 more hours equals 124 calories, about the same as a half hour brisk walk. Plus you wake up without bags under your eyes and avoid eating while you sleep! SCORE!

The findings show that if you are on a diet and workout plan, having enough ZZZzzzz's is important! Not only will more sleep help you lose weight, it repairs muscles, skin and boosts immunity! To find out more tips to what models do to look their best in front of the camera download my new book for only $7.99 on Kindle, Nook or iTunes. Paperback also available on Amazon.com, Face This: Real advice from real models, photographers and makeup artist on how to become Picture Perfect!