Celebrity Beauty Secrets and Other Beauty Questions and Answers from Nina Sutton

 TV host, beauty expert, mom and author of The Chic Mom’s Guide to Feeling Fabulous Nina Sutton (www.NinaSutton.com) gives Family First her top celebrity secret beauty tips and answers to some other commonly asked beauty questions. 

1)     What are some beauty secrets the stars use that we haven’t heard about?

Body Brushing: This is excellent for keeping your skin soft and for helping to reduce cellulite! Get a long body brush, with natural bristles. Brush before you get into the shower- in long sweeping motions, towards your heart. Brush your entire body and then shower. Not only good for beauty but for health to increase your circulation.

White Eyes: To make their eyes look white, many celebs line the bottom of their eyes with a white eyeliner- this is great for sleep-deprived moms!

Long Lashes: Latisse is all the rage with celebrities to grow long,luscious lashes. Although expensive at $120 per bottle, it does last a long time and truly works!

Be sure to use a thickening and volumizing mascara if you use Latisse. You do not need to use a  lengthening mascara- your lashes will look like spider legs!

Hair Extensions: Most celebrities don’t have long, flowing hair- it is usually the result of hair extensions, which can range from simple clip in you buy at the beauty supply store to weaving hair in or the Hair Loc system. Prices range from $500 and up, so it is not cheap!

Peels and Fillers: Celebrities don’t look like they do on accident. They get frequent skin peels to even out their skin and get fillers such as Botox or Dysport for wrinkles and Restylane or Radiesse for deep lines.

2)     Is an eyebrow pencil really necessary – if so, how do you use it without looking like Joan Crawford?

An eyebrow pencil is necessary- eyebrows are one of the most important features on our face. Properly shaped brows can give the illusion of a facelift! Once the brows are properly shaped, using a pencil or powder to fill them in is the key to beautiful, natural brows.

You will want to use a sharp pencil with a light touch- use short, soft strokes. Your next step is to blend the color with an eyebrow brush, toothbrush or old mascara brush. 

3) How do you find the right concealer color? How about the right foundation? What’s the deal with “mineral” foundation?

 Concealer:

Finding the right concealer color is very important. Along with foundation, concealer is a product that you should try before you buy. First to note are the many types of concealers and consistencies:

Liquid (wand)- These often come in a tube with a sponge applicator. Often are very creamy, but do not offer a lot of coverage- but are great for touch ups on the go.

Liquid (tube)- These formulas are generally very creamy and easy to blend. They do offer a good amount of coverage and are great to cover various flaws (such as dark circles, blemishes and spots)

Stick- Stick concealers offer lots of coverage and are usually better for larger areas of your face, but a bit harder to use under the eyes.

Pot- Pot concealers offer creaminess and can blend easily. These are great for under the eyes, you can use your fingers or a small concealer brush.

Pencil- Pencils are great for covering individual blemishes.

You can choose your concealer by determining what your needs are- from covering under eye circles or the occasional pimple. As for the color, you will want the color to be one shade lighter than your foundation or skin color. Test the color on the side of your neck below your ear. It should be one shade lighter- but not too light. If you are trying to cover dark circles, look for yellow undertones. If you have dark or black skin, look for orange undertones. Try to avoid pink or white undertones, so you do not look like a raccoon! If you already have a foundation, you can match the concealer to the foundation and then go one shade lighter.

How to choose the right foundation color:

Foundation should blend seamlessly into your skin. When choosing a foundation, you will want to determine your skin type- whether you are dry, normal/combo or oily and choose a formula to suit your needs. You will also want to determine the level of coverage you want-from sheer to full coverage. Once you have found the formula type you want, you can choose the color. Choose 3 shades that are close to your own skin. Try each along your jawline and blend. The right color should disappear into your skin. You also want to walk into natural daylight- most makeup counters will allow you to take a mirror outside to check the color- as the lighting in stores does not produce the most natural light. If you are purchasing a foundation at a drug store, take the bottles to the windows and hold them up to your face to determine the closest color.

Again, like concealer color, look for yellow undertones- as they provide the most natural look. However, if you are very fair, you can look for pink undertones, but all others should avoid pink or orange.

Mineral foundation:

Mineral foundation is a base makeup primarily found in a powder form. It is primarily made of crushed and blended minerals. The goal when they were created in the 70’s was to eliminate a lot of the “filler” ingredients in foundations- such as dyes and fragrance. Mineral makeup is very gentle because it does not contain dyes, fragrance, fillers or oils. It is excellent to cover rosacea and pimples. It is great for mature skin as well since the minerals reflect light, thereby reducing the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines and uneven skin tone.

4)     Can you really wear red lipstick without it looking over the top ? How about blue shadow like they’re showing now?

Red Lipstick:

Yes! You can wear red lipstick- the key lies in the shade, application and the rest of your face. Here are a few tips:

When you wear red lipstick, the rest of your makeup should be light. Create a natural face with your foundation or powder and opt for no eyeliner and just mascara. Wear just a little blush and pale nail polish (try not to overdo the red!)

You should exfoliate your lips to make sure they are super smooth and the lipstick will have an even base.

Be sure to use a lip pencil when you wear red lipstick- this will help prevent the color from feathering. Find one that is the same shade as the lipstick or the same color as your lips. Do not outline your lips! Simply trace the inside line of your lips (lightly) and fill in your lips.

Now you want to pick the right shade of red. If you have pale skin, look for reds with with blue undertones, if you are olive skinned, look for shades with berry or wine tones and if you are dark skinned, you can get away with a range of tones- from brick shades to classic reds.

Apply the red lipstick with a lip brush for precise application. Now top with a light dusting of translucent powder to set it for the day! 

 Blue Eye Shadow:

Similar to red lipstick, blue eye shadow can be worn by anyone by picking the right blue tones. If you have blue eyes, do not pick a shade similar to your eye color. I suggest all eye colors experimenting with the gray/slate blue palettes on the market right now for a smoky eye- almost anyone can wear these shades and they are best for night time. I do suggest though if you have really dark circles under your eyes to stay away from blue eye shadow, as it can accentuate your dark circles.

Remember to apply a primer to your lids first to help keep the eye shadow from smudging. Blending is also key to blue eye shadow and avoid electric blues and light blues- these don’t look good on anyone!

5)     How can you get self-tanner to blend at your ankles, knees and elbows?

There are two steps to get self-tanner to blend at your ankles, knees and elbows:

1)    Be sure to exfoliate those areas very well. They tend to be the most dry areas of our body. Either use a loofah, a body scrub, or make one using sugar and olive oil.

2)    Add a little moisturizer to your self-tanner when you are applying to your ankles, knees and elbows – this will allow it to blend well and not be so intense on these areas.

6)     What’s a good night-time skin routine – wash, toner, moisturizer, spot treatment, etc?

At night time, a good skin routine is to cleanse, apply a retinol or glycolic product for exfoliation and finally moisturize. Unless you have really oily skin, you can skip toner- sometimes it is just too much for our skin.

In the day time, cleanse, apply an anti-oxidant product, such as a  Vitamin C serum, and follow with a moisturizer with minimum SPF 30.

7)     What’s your favorite acne product or treatment?

Pro-Activ is an excellent system for acne- and works well for many people. Over the counter, a benzoyl peroxide cream is good to have on hand (such as Clearasil). Using cleansers and peels with salicylic acid is also great for people with frequent acne.

Natural treatments include spot treating with Tea Tree Oil or Honey (honey has anti-bacterial properties, and can help acne). Try applying honey to your face and leaving on for 10 minutes as a mask and rinse off. The stickness helps remove dirt, the anti-microbial properties help fight the acne and the moisture makes your skin soft.

About Nina Sutton

(from her website www.ninasutton.com ) Nina Sutton is a dynamic  TV host, Beauty and Mom Expert. With an MBA and  a business background in beauty, fashion and consumer packaged goods, she brings real world expertise to audiences around the country. Nina has also run designer clothing and beauty sample sales (both in person and online) and is an expert on budget style shopping.

Nina’s first book, The Chic Mom’s Guide to Feeling Fabulous was published in 2008. This book is a  practical guide for women to stay chic after the stork has arrived. With the rise of celebrity moms bouncing back so “effortlessly”, this book  offers real women tips on staying chic in all areas of their life- including beauty, fashion, fitness, relationships with friends, spouses, children, and financial and time saving tips for moms.

In addition, her media appearances include: TV Guide, Better TV, A View from the Bay, The Tyra Banks Show , The Rolanda Show The Health and Beauty Revolution and has been quoted in the Los Angeles Times.

Nina was also in Naturalizer’s Summer 2007 Catalogue. She is described as a “Fashionista, Cyberguru and Devoted Mom.” She has also conducted red carpet interviews with celebrities and directors, such as George Lucas, Jerry Bruckheimer, Isaac Mizrahi and more. Nina also devotes her time to charity- she is on the LA board of Step Up Women’s Network and worked with the March of Dimes on their Celebration of Babies event with Halle Barry in November 2009.

Nina currently lives in Hermosa Beach with her husband Kevin and two sons, Dillan and Devan.