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I live in Arizona and most people think that this time of year is the pits here, but we have beautiful evenings cooled off with periodic monsoons ... rain that pours for about 20 minutes. This snap is from a sunset walk with my daughter and notice we are both sporting a bright fuchsia sneaker.
Personally I love and own a few bright trainers but these shocking pink ones are my fave! Neon footwear ... a trend that continues to grow in popularity now fully spilling into the casual. A perfect summer accessory to add that little pop of color that makes summer, well summer. Even if you are a dedicated all black workout queen, you can add some harmless brightness just to your feet. Plus, if you love a certain color, but it doesn't exactly flatter your face it's a perfect fit.
You see models donning this trend on the streets too, especially popular for girl's whose job usually requires walking around in a totally different type of bright shoe!
HAVE FUN WORKING OUT in TechniCOLOR!
We have all seen the amazing transformations of frumpy wallflower to skinny bombshell in countless weight loss ads filled with disclaimers like no photoshop, actual client. So how would you like to know the trick to getting the photo without the diet?
First you need to remember that the camera lens itself can add or subtract pounds depending on the angle. Anything closest to the lens will look larger.
Marilyn Monroe was a classic example of using this distortion to her advantage by leaning forward and crossing her arms to look bodacious … and she became an icon for it. It’s best to have the camera lens positioned at eye level or slightly above, never let someone shoot you from a low vantage point. This angle adds 20 pounds automatically and make even a skinny girl look hippy!
Andrew Dixon, a personal trainer, gave us a little proof of this instant gratification strategy in his Huffington Post article yesterday where he came clean about his before and after photos ... He admits that they were taken just an hour apart!
ANDREW IS SPOT ON WITH HIS APPROACH - MODELS USE THESE SAME TRICKS ALL THE TIME TO GET THEIR BEST SKINNY PHOTOS. I THINK YOU SHOULD KNOW THEM TOO!
- Engage your muscles for 5 minutes.
Many fitness models do a pre-shoot pump, so take a cue from them and engage your muscles by doing some curls, chair dips, pushups or squats right before you shoot your photo. Flexing during the photo is good but it takes some practice to keep your face soft and pretty at the same time. Never forget to model with the face and confidence because no matter how hot your body looks, this is what will make your photo sparkle, draw a viewer in, and is the ultimate secret to a beautiful photograph.
It’s true that a spray tan can be visually slimming in photos. Anything darker recedes. You can fake six pack abs by using a bronzer or second coat of self tanner on the outer sides of your stomach to give the illusion of a narrower waist or along areas where you want to fake some muscle tone like the tricep line.
- Get a faux tan.
Celebrities on the red carpet have this one covered! Most women complain about their upper arms looking big in photos. When you keep your arms locked next to your body it makes you look wider so to look thinner keep your arms slightly bent and away from your body. Modeling tip: When placing you hand on your waist, cheat it up a little higher to make your legs look longer.
- Skinny arm on the hip trick.
- Create Vertical lines.
So this is where Andrew might have went wrong, but then again he is a dude ... Longer hair with highlights, can create vertical lines that can help you look slimmer. Big, curly hair can also make your body seem smaller. Wearing v-shaped necklines and monocramatic (dressing in all one color) will elongate your body shape to look thinner.
You might also like to read how to contour your face the Kim Kardashian way for a slimmer face {CLICK HERE}
It's well known that coffee can help wake you up, but did you know it can recharge your skin too? Here's how to prep your skin with a DIY caffeined mask tomorrow morning:
- Recycle old coffee, making sure it's the caffeinated kind, by placing it in a jar in the refrigerator.
- Soak an old washcloth in the leftover coffee overnight in the fridge.
- Apply the washcloth to your face for at least 5 minutes ... This is a great time to meditate or think about what you want to accomplish for the day!
Caffeine helps with redness and puffiness due to it’s vasoconstrictive qualities. Plus, the coldness automatically reduces any swelling.
Watch my video about other beauty products incorporating caffeine to help you look younger and depuff your eyes.
*Shhh, no one needs to know that you washed with Joe!
One of the secrets in taking a great photograph is by always knowing where your light source is and getting in the most flattering light available, but there's a way to add light to your face too with makeup that makes your skin appear radiant and lifted when applied in some strategic places!
It’s inevitable that with birthdays, our skin begins to sag, creating jowls and bags, so it's important to begin using highlighters, illuminizers, concealers - anything with light reflecting properties in precise, but subtle places that will play tricks to make anyone looking at you view your face with an upward glance instead, in keeping with a youthful appearance.
The secret is making sure that whatever you are using is pearlized and luminescent, not sparkly or metallic and can be as simple as that white-piink-gold shimmery eye shadow that you probably have in an old makeup palette. You want to think of adding "highlights" to your face.
Many of us already use this trick in the inner corner of the eyes and under the brow, but it is also important to use these same light reflecting principles on top of the highest part of our eyebrow arch. Not just under the eyebrow but a touch of light on top of the brow line to instantly draw anyone’s glance at you upward for an instant eye lift!
As we age there is also a hollowing that seems to occur in the area outside the corner of the eye. This is why you don't want any eye-shadow to live below the outer corner of the eye. This too, can be a perfect place to highlight. Plus, reserve any heavy eyeliner for only the upper eyelid, to keep attention away from any under eye bags.
My all time favorite, most versatile product to use for this is YSL's Touche Eclat. It is one of the most popular buys in the beauty industry, but honestly one of the most misunderstood products even though it is legendary! It lives a dual life often bought as a concealer, when it's actually a highlighter and skin brightener. That's why I love it though - it works under the eye to reflect light and minimize dark circles, highlights and covers - it's especially great in your purse for touch ups.
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| photo via glam.com |
Aging literally sucks the life, or collagen, right out of your cheekbones with the apples of your cheek appearing lower, pulling your face down. We must apply our makeup differently as we age, especially blush. Using little circles of blush on the apples of your cheeks will only highlight the situation, so sweep blush from the highest part of your cheekbones up toward the temples, or hairline, in a “C” like shape to bring the eye into an upward focus. Warm pinks and peach will make you look youthful. I really love the cream blushes and stains because powders tend to settle into fine lines.
For a slimmer nose, you can contour using bronzer down the sides and a bit of highlighter down the center to accentuate. And I always hit the tip of my nose with the last sweep from my brush of bronzer or blush to give the illusion of an ever so slightly (shorter) button nose. By the way, for those of you who have bought into the Pinnochio fairy tale that your nose grows as you age, I want you to know that your nose doesn't grow once you become an adult. However, it can change as you age or droop when elastin and collagen break down. Also in pregnancy noses can swell and appear wider due to sinus inflammation and weight gain.
Finally, youthfulness is associated with those bee stung lips, but careful with the fillers or you might look end up looking like a duck. Instead, line the upper lip with a pencil in the same pinky/nude shade as your natural lip, but instead of outlining the cupid’s bow perfectly, draw straight across it and blur the line with your finger. I don’t know why this little trick works exactly but it adds fullness to your lip line naturally! Finish with a rosy pink lipstick ...everyone looks youthful and good in this color!
Tightlining - Another trick to make your eyes stand out CLICK {HERE} to read how!