Should Women Shave Their Face? The Answer is Yes! And Here's Why.

Shaving your face is not a new concept. It may not be widely practiced in the United States, but this is a beauty process that is openly recognized and even advertised on the sidewalks of local salons in Japan. And let's face it who has a better reputation for perfect porcelain skin than the Japanese! No shame is associated with this beauty procedure on the other side of the world. It baffles me to this day why women would be offended by this idea. Dermatology and Plastic Surgeon's offices across America offer this same technique known under a different name called "derma-planing" only they charge hundreds of dollars to do it. Peach fuzz shaving is included in most micro-dermabrasion appointments too. 

I have been openly promoting facial shaving since publishing my book Face This: Real Secrets from Real Models, 5 years ago. It is a beauty secret I have been using now for 30 years that I learned about from a makeup artist behind the scenes for a big modeling job. This was a time before digital cameras and photoshop buttons, a time when we did beauty shots with black and white film. The reason shaving off the fine hairs on your face is so key to flawless looking skin in photographs is because in a tight shot those fine hairs on your face are quite apparent. Powder and foundation can get trapped and reflect light from them. 

Shaving their faces, is a part of Japanese womens' beauty routine that removes old, dead skin and allows facial regeneration and can improve collagen production. It takes the outer layer of skin and encourages new cell growth. Shaving exfoliation, helps to reduce the signs of aging, sun damage, and fine lines. It is a myth that facial hair, or any hair for that matter, will grow back darker or courser if you shave it. If it were true that shaving off a hair created more hairs, then most bald men would suddenly no longer be bald. Having shaved my face for nearly 30 years, I should be able to grow a mustache in no time, but the hair on my face is still the same - same for everyone shaving or not. And I as a working model I am far from being known as the "bearded lady".

Hair is dead and there is absolutely no way for dead hair, once shaved, to signal the hair follicle deep underneath the skin, to grow more hair. Hair does not grow in denser, darker or courser after shaving and mothers across America need to stop telling their daughters that it does.  I know we all love Mom but this needs to stop! 

The truth is that we ALL, supermodels included, have facial hair. In fact there are only 2 places on our bodies that we do not have any hair at all ... the palms of your hand and the soles of our feet. The hair on our bodies falls into two categories: Vellus hair - the soft lanugo found on women's faces, arms and back, and, Terminal hair - the thicker, course strands like that on your head. Around puberty, hormones transform the vellus hair under the arms and the pubic area into the coarse, pigmented hair. And just so you know, for many women, after menopause the hair under their armpits returns to this soft vellus hair again.

The number of hair follicles you have is determined at birth and no new hair follicles develop as you age. Hormones are the only thing that can affect the vellus hair to change to terminal hair outside of certain medical conditions; not shaving or waxing, cutting or not cutting it. Hormones. That is why we see changes in hair at puberty, pregnancy and menopause.

It is scientifically impossible to stimulate a hair follicle to change simply by cutting it off. It is possible that it may feel a bit courser when it first begins to grow because of the blunt hair cut it was given by the razor, but in a few days it will taper like before and look exactly the same as it did before. Also, the appearance of the hair itself against the contrast of your bare skin is what makes it appear darker, not that it actually has changed it's color at all!

Not only is it important to get rid of the fine hairs on your face for perfect skin in photos - so that makeup and powder do not get trapped and become more visible, but don't forget about other areas of your body that could benefit from shaving including your arms. This is something that college girls are well aware of and widely practiced at sororities everywhere - so just as you shave your legs, don't forget your other limbs! If I have not been convincing enough, here is a quote to consider:

"Arms, bikini, legs, underarms ... my entire BODY is hairless."

---Kim Kardashian, TV celebutante

There are many benefits to shaving off the fine hairs on your face besides just having a perfect surface to photograph so the hairs do not reflect light in your photos or so that your makeup glides smoothly on your face. When you use a razor or blade to remove the hairs you are also exfoliating the skin and taking off the dead surface layer, giving your face a healthy fresh glow. This is the allure of the professional procedures such as derma planing and razor peels that can cost hundred of dollars.

Experts have found that exfoliating the skin through chemical peels and microdermabrasion, removing the top layer of skin that may include precancerous cells from sun damage, may actually decrease the chance of developing certain types of skin cancers. Think about men who shave almost daily the lower part of their face -- it has been found that over 90% of all basal cell carcinomas, which are primarily caused through sun exposure, are found on the upper 2/3 of the a man's face. Could it be that men shaving has given them this clinical benefit? Pretty compelling!

If you are bothered by facial hair please know you are not alone!  In fact, more than 20 million women in the U.S. alone remove unwanted facial hair once a week and some every single day by tweezing, shaving or waxing according to a survey by Bristol Myers.  I shave my face about every 2-3 weeks, but it will be different for everyone. Shaving is the easiest and least expensive way to take care of it so please don't be afraid to try this ancient Japanese secret! Remember to check in with here at A Model's Secrets to learn more tips and tricks that models and celebrities use to look their best! 

XO

Shelley

Your Best Swim Suit Shoot Starts Here! Better Pictures on the Beach.

Shooting on the beach in a swimsuit can be one of the most challenging shoots a new model can do, but having a few tricks ready and practiced, can make the experience a lot less stressful and much more successful.

The whole point of doing a swimwear shoot is to show your proportions and how natural you can be without relying on a lot of styling or contrived hair and makeup.   It’s all you!  Make sure you are in great shape before you shoot swimwear so that you can actually use the images in your book – no one is going to retouch you into having an amazing body if you clearly need to go to the gym!

With that in mind, choose a bikini or one-piece that fits properly and does not dig in on the sides making rolls or indentations.  If you aren’t super voluptuous, don’t try to pad yourself up – it never looks good and clients will see it as a drawback. Enhance what you have and own it.  Same goes if you are curvy!  Wearing a suit that fits actually makes your body look better.  Watch where the bottom of the suit hits at the top of your leg to make sure it doesn’t dig in or shorten the visual look of your legs.

If you are a newbie, start by wearing a pair of shorts over your suit like above, until you are comfortable enough to shoot without them.  Or try a sheer cover-up that let’s the light through and catches the breeze and flutters around you – it can be super flattering.

Striking a static pose right away can feel forced and awkward so try movement, such as walking towards or away from the photographer, or twirling around.  This looks much more natural and can get you warmed up. When standing still you must be really aware of your posture and pose.  Model from the top of your head to the tip of your toes as the camera sees all of it, and it all matters.  This takes practice in front of a mirror at home to know your body’s best angles.  Cheating a little to one side is more faltering than shooting straight on, unless you are really fit and can slam-dunk a power pose, staring down the camera.

KEY TIPS TO REMEMBER:

• Keep your shoulders down and back so you have a long neck and beautiful collarbones.
• Arching your back a bit so that you feel it in your lower back makes the legs longer and thinner.
• Arms should be relaxed and natural.
• Crossing one knee slightly over the other and touching your ankles together while standing on your toes really lengthens visual look of the legs.

Opening your eyes on a bright beach can be really difficult but there are tricks you can learn that will help you to avoid a scowl

Close your eyes, relax your face, and breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth – open your eyes on the exhale and close them after your hear the camera click.  This makes the most gorgeous natural beauty look if you do it correctly.  Practice!

• Let the photographer count you in, opening your eyes on their cue. "1, 2, 3, OPEN"
• Shoot in an open shade area if possible, or see if there is someone on set who can hold a “scrim” to provide shade over you while you shoot.
• Smile!  A big, sincere, gorgeous smile makes a natural squint – and looks great!

You and your photographer are a team and it is in both of your best interests to make beautiful and marketable images.  Choose your photographer carefully, and make sure their esthetic matches yours, when you are choosing for a test shoot. Plan ahead and be on the same page.

Practice at home and learn as you go on the shoot and enjoy it!  If you are tense it won’t work. Have fun with sass and class  ... because it’s not all about your ass, despite what the Kardashian's might have you think!

Best tip from this entire post you must always remember .... SHOULDERS DOWN and be YOU!

Big thank you to Allana Wesley White for the amazing photos - definitely the photographer in the know in Miami! 

Taylor Hill - Model Crush Monday!

This week's Model Crush Monday is the amazing Taylor Hill, known for her gamine beauty that channels Audrey Hepburn, mixed with a healthy does of all-American sex appeal - which explains why she is one of the newest and most gorgeous Victoria Secret Angels.  Taylor is one of those rare models that easily crosses over between walking the runway and shooting editorials with the best fashion and beauty photographers in the world, to modeling bikinis and lingerie for Victoria Secret.  With full eyebrows, pillow lips, doe eyes with long lashes, not to mention fit legs for days ... Taylor shows a positive body image that is a throw back to the supermodels of the eighties.  And look what happened to those 80's supermodels and where they all went in their careers!  I'd love to be a part of HER girl squad!

Photos courtesy of Instagram:   taylor_hill      https://www.instagram.com/taylor_hill/

Model Daughter ... Like Mother, like Daughter. Following in Supermodel Footsteps

My daughter, Chandler and I, were featured in the May issue of Pristeen Magazine this month. At 13 she is now a signed model with Ford, the same agency I am represented by! We have already gotten quite a few bookings as a mother-daughter team. So in honor of Mother's Day here are a few other model - daughter pics ... it's definitely all in the genes for these beauties! 

Photo courtesy of @yolanda.hadid

The Real Housewive's star,Yolanda Hadid, was a Ford Model first becoming discovered in her country of the Netherlands. Her daughter's Bella and Gigi following in her footsteps. They are both the "it" girls at the moment in the modeling world!

Photo courtesy of @CindyCrawford

Kaia Gerber, still a teen, has already landed major campaigns as a model such as Versace, and why not? she is definitely a spitting image of her Supermodel mom Cindy Crawford. They recently appeared on the cover of Paris Vogue together. Definitely a dynamic duo!

Photo courtesy of @ireland.baldwin
Kim Bassinger  was first known as the Breck shampoo girl when she was a Ford Model before focusing her career towards acting. Now at 60, she and her daughter Ireland are both represented by IMG! 

Model Travel Style - Packing Tips

Models often travel for bookings, sometimes crossing timezones and climates multiple times in a week.  Packing for this sort of life becomes a survival art and we can all take a few tips from them, learning how to pack just what you need on short notice.  Models might receive their bookings only days and sometimes even hours ahead, so being ready at a moments' notice is critical.  Some models might be shooting a catalogue in Miami on Monday, fly overnight to Paris to shoot an editorial for next day, rounding out the week walking a runway in Hong Kong or Sao Paulo, Brazil.  

The model "uniform" has to be versatile and go from airport to studio or location, to castings, fittings, and even out to dinner with model friends who might be lucky enough to land in the same city at the same time.  Since everything has to work together, sticking to a simple color palette of black, white and grey, and adding pieces to layer for warmth or to dress up or down a look, simplifies things.  You can't go wrong with classic basics.  

Start with a great black jacket in leather, or lightweight down in a blazer style.  Simple white and grey tank tops and t-shirts can be layered under a warm sweater under the jacket when it gets chilly on the plane.  Black jeans work for both work and travel, so find a pair with some stretch so they keep their shape between washes.  A large scarf or wrap can work as a blanket on the plane or in a drafty studio, and just as easily as a coverup over your bikini for beach locations.  Yes, don't forget a bikini!  

Since models can't forgo their workout routine just because they are constantly on the move from place to place, pack workout leggings, sports bra, and athletic but fashion-forward sneaker that can also be worn running between appointments in and out of subways.  Pack a great pair of black booties and heels for arriving on bookings, meeting clients, and going out.  Bring one amazing blouse that can be worn with the jeans, and one little black dress that doesn't wrinkle when packed away.  Of course, nude lingerie is a must-have for every model, so a few pairs that can quickly washed and dried in a hotel room are practical.  Bring a wallet that can double as a clutch, statement sunglasses to arrive in star style, and a classic watch.

Packing for your beauty routine is easy with so many travel-sized products available now.  Try sheet masks in individual packets for face-saving treatments after long flights and different makeup products.  Take face cleansing wipes, a moisturizer with SPF, travel shampoo and conditioner, toothpaste, brush and floss, trial-sized body moisturizer and deodorant, a brush and comb.  Pack simple makeup products such as mascara, concealer and eye liner.  Find the perfect chubby crayon sticks that can be used on cheeks, lips and eyes.  Indulge in a great lip balm or treatment product since lips dry out from repeatedly wearing lipstick, and flying can leave lips dry and flaky like the dessert.  It is always a good idea to pack a little SOS kit with Ibuprofen, some bandaids, and antibacterial wipes.  Bug bites, flu, or cuts in foreign lands are not fun and having even a small emergency kit is a very good idea.  

Look for a bag that expands and isn't heavy before you actually put anything in it.  Models often show up to bookings with luggage in tow to make the mad dash back to the airport right after the workday ends, so think chic and practical with pockets for your phone, chargers, passport and wallet.  I always carried a tiny teddy bear with me and sometimes even a small candle to make foreign hotel rooms feel a little more like home.  

Packing light doesn't mean without style!  Models are always photographed for their amazing outfits running between shows at fashion week and more often than not, they are carrying this week and next weeks gear right along with them.  There is something to be said for knowing you can throw a bag together, fly somewhere at the drop of a hat, and be able to pull yourself together in a flash for whatever the adventures throws at you.  Bon voyage! 

Get Scouted: How can I get into modeling!

All model hopefuls need someone to notice just how amazing they are, and one of the biggest hurdles is to catch the attention of a model agency or model scout.

Do your homework and research online the most reputable agency in your local area. It’s a good place to start, but in the age of social media, it has never been easier for scouts and agents from the top tier agencies in NYC, Paris, and other major markets, to find the most promising “new faces” online, no matter where they live.

There are several ways hopefuls can be in contact with agencies:  online submissions on agency websites, social media, open calls at agencies, and through contests or model conventions and showcases. Let’s break it down to find the best approach for you to get your face in front of the decision makers in the agencies:

Open Calls:  this is a set time at an agency where they will meet drop-ins.  You should come exactly on time, do not wear makeup, wearing skinny jeans and a tank top or t-shirt.  Make eye contact, be yourself, and put your best attitude and personality forward.

Online submissions through agency websites:  go to agency websites and look for a menu item that might say either “Be A Model” or “Get Scouted”.  There you will find their submission guidelines with a questionnaire and a place to upload specific photos of yourself.

Social media such as Instagram:  agencies maintain social media accounts, especially on Instagram. Make sure you are following the verified account of the agency and not a fan account.  The best working models have very active social media accounts with images that show their personality, interests, behind the scenes shots, and sometimes they show their tear sheets from work.  Think about your own account and remove any images that might make a potential agent or scout leave your account, such as nudity, club life or party images, duck lips (!), wearing too much makeup, and pictures that are missing a head! All the best agencies check Instagram every day and most of them have a hash-tag # that you can add to three or four of your best pics, that they will check.  Just as a matter of protocol, hash-tag only one agency at a time on a photo, and edit and change the hash-tag to a different one from another agency after about ten days if you have not received a direct message from them. 

Conventions, showcases and contests:  often these events cost money – a lot of money - and promise to put a model in person in front of agents and scouts, but your chances are no better than if you submitted online, or went to an open call or hash-tagged an agency online – and these are free!

So ... Key things to remember: 

Be natural with a fresh face without makeup, have clean hair worn in a normal style, and show the real, genuine “you”.

No professional photos needed – phone pics are preferred.  Use good, natural lighting and avoid a busy background behind you.

Modeling schools are not necessary and do not qualify you to be a model.

There should never be a fee to apply to submit yourself to agencies. Ever. 

Girls should wear skinny jeans and a tank top and guys should wear jeans and a plain t-shirt for online submissions to agencies so they can get an idea of your proportions and figure.  Every agency has different requirements so make sure you read the guidelines.

Don’t lie about your age or height – imagine if you get to actually meet the agent in person and you are caught in a lie??  It’s not the way to begin a business relationship. 

Finally – don’t get discouraged!  Keep in mind that many top models were rejected by one or another agency along the way to building their careers, due to timing, their particular look, their age, or just being the right type for that market.  It’s business, not personal. 

“No” might mean “not right now” or “not this agency”, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for you in the industry!  Don’t give up!

Izabel Goulart - Model Crush Monday !

Braziliain born, Izabel Goulart is our Model crush this Monday!  Izabel is best known for her work as a Victoria Secret Model but she is so much more than that!  

Izabel is a girl that can walk the runway and also appears on covers and editorials for the biggest magazines and designers on the planet.  She travels in supermodel style and shows us all on her amazing Instagram feed how to live a happy, healthy life as a model.  Just try and stop watching her workouts clips - and then take yourself right back to the gym and try to get her model body - this woman earns it!  She is known just as equally for her gorgeous hair and contagious smile - glamour on fleek!

How she got her start? A hairstylist suggested she should become a model at age 14, while shopping for groceries with her mom. Goulart, whose brother has type 1 diabetes, does charitable work, helping hospitals in her native Brazil to raise money to provide free insulin for diabetic children in need. A beauty with a big heart!

So you think you want to be a model? 5'9" is the minimum Height Requirement!

Modeling is not always as easy as it looks.

So many girls ask me about that 5'9" requirement and why it's such a deal breaker.  Below is some proof positive how those few extra inches give you the ability to stretch your body and elongate your torso in ways most women find impossible to do, all the while looking poised and beautiful. Take a look and see what you think.

Find more photos like this from funny girl Celeste Barber on her IG page! 

Cost of Beauty is Going up! The High Price of Maintenance

Beauty is Expensive, but just how much can it cost to maintain? Well, here's a bit of a shocker ... an annual outlay of more than $16,000 a year!

1. Haircut : $125 every other month | $750/yr

2. Hair Color : $200 once a month | $2400/yr

3. BlowOut : $50 | Twice a  month $1200/yr.

4. Botox: $300 lasting 3 months | $1200

5. Brow Shaping/Waxing : $25 a month | $300/yr

6. EyeLash Extensions: $150 with $50 fills every 2-3 weeks | $1000/yr I just about categorized this as an indulgence, which it certainly is, however, if you are a busy girl it saves tons of time! So I say necessity. 

7. Retin A : Cost $200 a tube lasting 3 months | $800/yr
My dermatologist says that everyone should be on a Retin A or retinoid. It is the only topical agent that scientifically has been proven to stimulate collagen production.

8. Microdermabrasion ($100) and Peels | $1200/yr
Facials are nice, but they don't go deep. It's important to remove dull, dead skin and to stimulate collagen in order to make your skin look brighter and youthful. The best way to get instant results is with microdermabrasion and chemical peels. Microdermabrasion works best if you are committed to once a month treatments - about $100 a pop. Peels require some down time  because your skin peels like a snake, but the results are impressive: Try VI peel $300-400 and the Obagi Blue peel $450-600 (more intense). Best to do once a year after the summer to remove sun damaged skin layer.

9. Teeth: Whitening $400, Invisalign $5000
As we age our teeth shift and fall back. To keep your smile many adults are now turning to Invisalign and retainers.

10. Manicure & Pedicure: $75 a month | $900/yr

11. Gym Membership: $60 a month | $720/yr
The extras? Pilates, Barre class, Yoga, Spinning -  each $18-40 per session

12. Sunless Tan: $40 | Twice a month $960/yr

Product faves

• Moroccan Oil Shampoo ($25) and Conditioner ($24)
• SPF: Anthelios AOX Daily Antioxidant Serum with Sunscreen SPF 50 ($34)
• Serums/Moisturizers: SkinCeuticals Vitamin CE Ferulic Serum ($104) 
• Hidden Crown Hair Extensions ($250) - Instant volume and length that you can put on in less than a minute yourself at home.

Indulgences

• Facials: $100 a month
• Massage: $100 a month
• IV Vitamin therapy: $100 per treatment | $1200/year
• Green Juices: $20 a week | $1040/yr
• Crème de la Mer $310

Procedures

• IPL: $700. Intense pulse light used to even out skin tone and lighten sun/age spots.
• Fillers: Restylane and Juvederm cost anywhere between $500 and $1300 per 1mL syringe, with one to five syringes needed). Total cost of treatment might range from $500-6500, lasting 9 months to a year. 
• Thermage: $2000 - $3000. A nonsurgical face life using radio frequency for skin tightening, like shrink wrapping your face.  
• Ultherapy on chin and jawline and eyelids: $3,000. A non-surgical ultrasound treatment that counteracts the effects of time and gravity on your skin.

PREPPING FOR YOUR PHOTO SHOOT

It is a model’s obligation to arrive prepped and ready to go for every booking and photo shoot, from hair, skin and nails, to mental attitude. It's

the true sign of a professional model. 

Don't leave things until the night before the shoot but maintain your beauty routine at all times so you are ready to go when the agency calls to say  “you’re booked!”.

• I recommend shaving fuzz and fine hairs from arms and face. To learn about this technique check out a previous post Women's facial shaving {Here}. If waxing do so at least two days before any shoot and really moisturize your body skin, to avoid redness

• Avoid alcohol the night before so you don’t have a puffy face that goes for any salty foods too

• Never try a new product the day before a shoot in case you have a reaction to it! Trust me!  This happened to me from a facemask and I had to shoot a jewelry campaign the next day! Not good.

• Wash your hair the night before, not the morning of a shoot.  Hair stylists prefer hair slightly dirty as it holds product and style better.  That does not mean having any product already in your hair, or greasy hair.

• Make sure your haircut, hair color, and hair condition are maintained regularly so you don’t arrive on set with a birds nest for the stylist to deal with

• Make sure you have clean nails and no colored nail polish and that includes your toes

• Get a good night’s sleep – woe to the model who parties all night and thinks she can pull off a great booking in the morning – no one is that beautiful – or irreplaceable

• Pack your bag the night before with nude lingerie including a nude thong, bring your toothpaste/toothbrush, and don't forget energy bars, water, and your phone charger. Even if you are arriving with clean face because a make up artist is booked, always bring the basics - foundation, powder, mascara ... Once I went to an early morning booking and the makeup artist was deathly ill and couldn't make it to the shoot and it the location was far from town in the middle of no-where. Thankfully I had enough to makeup with me to make the job still happen for everyone.

• Check the call sheet for any other specific things they might ask you to bring - always bring 2 choices if clothing or shoe requests

• Eat breakfast!  Do not starve!  Models who don’t eat before a shoot because they want a super flat stomach or are just nervous, are fooling themselves.  They have no sustainable energy to last through the shoot and clients and the creative team never have patience for low energy from the model.  Eating a normal breakfast will not be an issue by the time you are shooting, after hair and makeup.

• Arrive with a clean, moisturized face, without any makeup - sometimes this appears on the call sheet as "clean - clean"  (clean hair, clean face, clean nails

• Sometimes it will be written on the call sheet "arrive bikini ready" - that means waxed and without any fake tan streaks

Being prepared is in your own best interest in helping create beautiful images which can get you re-booked in the future.  Never assume that the photographer or client will be willing to retouch your roots, shaving stubble or lack of proper hair removal maintenance, ragged nails or cuticles, or the dark circles under your eyes from lack of sleep.  The makeup artist and hair stylist are there to enhance your look and are not there for your beauty upkeep.

  

My first agent told every model to always arrive fifteen minutes before your call time in case you are lost or can't find the location, or need to use the washroom, or whatever.  When you arrive on set, greet everyone, be respectful, polite, and engaging.  Always ask the protocol regarding social media, selfies on set, and posting.  The booking is not about you but about the client and the project, so be professional.  It's business.  When the shoot is finished, thank everyone on set before you leave.  Remember: today's assistant stylist, editor or photography assistant could be tomorrow's client! Have a great booking!

Clip In Hair Extensions What you MUST read Before Buying ... a bit of a scam!

Clip in Hair Extensions - Weighing in with some facts you might not know.

Clip in hair extensions have become an easy, no-brainer way to add length and volume to your hair at home. However, buyer beware! When a clip-in hair extension company tells you that you are buying 120 grams of hair they are usually adding in the weight of those darn metal clips! And there are a lot of them in a set of extensions. Never mind the risk of setting off metal detectors at the airport. One well-known brand sells a starter set like this below with 16 metal clips ... which weigh in at 33 grams. So do the math:

120 gram set of clip in extensions

minus

33 grams of clip weight

_______________________

Leaving only 87 grams of hair.

For an easier alternative than clip in extensions with NO DAMAGE to your own hair choose Hidden Crown Hair Extensions. 140 grams of real Human Hair on a weightless wire, affordable priced that you can put on in less than a minute. Get yours here www.hiddencrown.com

How to Look Better in Pictures and Selfies!

Get in the Best Light

Forget filters, if you can get yourself in the perfect light your photo will sparkle. Ditch direct sun - the magic hour, as far as light is concerned, is the sunset. Otherwise, look for what photographers call "open shade" underneath a porch or archway where the shade is completely even. A light source that is over your head like the sun or canned ceiling lights will cast shadows underneath your eyes. Sunset light is beautiful because it can light up the shadows underneath your eyes, making you look younger. If you find yourself outdoors in the middle of the day, place yourself to the edge of the shade so the sun is not directly on you and force your flash on to try to fill any of those shadows. When you are inside try to find natural light from an open window, or soft light. Face toward the light.

Angles are your friend 

Angles can be flattering to make your face appear thinner or to disguise a big nose, but think of twisting at the waist to look 10 pounds thinner - one shoulder toward the camera and the other back with the twist in the middle. And don't forget to suck in the tummy!

Turtle time neck. 

To get rid of a double chin and to elongate your neck, for your next photo imagine yourself as a turtle coming out of his shell. This feels awkward but it really works! And while you're at it remember posture - stand tall like a ballerina - shoulders back and then down.

Big hair

Hair is the one thing that is almost impossible to photoshop or fix in any app so it's important to get it right. Flat hair can make your face appear wider. Fuller hair will make you appear skinnier! Fluff your hair, shake it up and add some hair extensions like Hidden Crown Hair Extensions - they are the easiest extensions that you could every use and take a minute to put on. A whole head of hair on an invisible wire with NO clips and NO damage to your own hair. Get yours here: www.hiddencrown.com

Show your best side

We all have a better side! Studies have shown that for most people it's their left side. Look through your old photos on your phone - the ones you don't post. You will quickly see there is  one side that is the most flattering. 

Mindy Kaling Outs Hollywood's use of Hair Extensions !

Mindy Kaling has a new book out WHY NOT ME ? and I have to give her a Big shout out for talking about the truth of looking gorgeous, especially her exposure of how prevalent Hair Extensions are in her industry. 

Mindy says, " The real trick to having gorgeous hair is quantity! Piles of thick, cascading My Little Pony - style hair signifies youth." 

She goes on to reveal that "everyone uses hair extensions, and I mean everyone. The stenographer who doesn't speak in that judge show you watch. The Long Island Medium. Clooney. EVERYBODY on the Today Show... the entire family getting a new house on Extreme Home Makeover, including the kids. Charlie Rose. The obese woman on My 600 lb Life." 

You might remember in my past postings seeing the not so secret tables and tables of hair extensions that is used in those  Victoria Secret Runway Shows, in order to achieve supermodel status.

Now you know the WHAT: Hair Extensions ... but here is where I can help you... clip in extensions are only great if you have professional installation and don't need to wear them very long. The reason? Those clips are metal, heavy and can be damaging to your hair and weigh a ton! One full set of clip in extensions has about 20 clips that are dug into your scalp and adding weight to your head in addition to the added hair. 


The solution is so  simple ... Hair on a wire that takes a minute to put on yourself, with no clips, no glue and no damage to your own hair. They are called Hidden Crown Hair Extensions and they truly are the Easiest Extension Ever!
1. Place them on  your Head. 
2. Pull your hair over to hide the invisible wire.
3. That's it! The gravity of your own hair holds the extension in place!

You can get yours online at www.hiddencrown.com

Trick to making Small Eyes Look Bigger

When you are creating a smokey eye, keep in mind that what defines your eye and makes it appear larger is having darker tones surround lighter ones. You can see here how this makes  the eye pop. Having darker tones surround a lighter one gives shape and definition—the light on the eye makes it pop!

One of the best ways to make your eyes look bigger - especially for girls with not quite as much lid space is to Tightline. It is a simple technique to use and Wayne Goss does a great job showing you how in this video below. Just remember to use a waterproof liner and not to pull hard when you apply. Doing this alone and nothing else will make your eyes standout. Think of it as the lazy girls way to look great.