Your Burning Beauty Questions, Answered

Beauty/Skincare, Featured Article, Healthy Living
on December 4, 2013
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What’s the secret to waking up beautiful? What beauty trends will take 2014 by storm? Beauty expert, healthy living advocate and blogger Marlena Stell—also known as “Makeup Geek”—answers  your most burning beauty questions.

“I get so dry this time of year. My hair, skin, nails—everything! What are the best products for beating winter dryness?”

Marlena: For hair, I love the Phyto 7 Dry Hair Cream. This product is like lotion for the hair—it moisturizes but doesn’t weigh the hair down like some oils do.

For dry skin, oils are becoming really popular as they’re natural ingredients and don’t stay oily like previous versions did.  A great one is the Philosophy Amazing Grace Multi Use Oil as it doesn’t feel greasy, but really hydrates the skin.  For best results, apply this oil right after you get out of the shower.  If you’re still feeling dry, layer your favorite lotion on top.  If you aren’t into oils, I LOVE body butters. Jo Malone makes amazing body butters—they feel like silk and do wonders in terms of hydrating parched skin.

Nail beds can become dry and brittle this time of year. To combat this, apply a layer of coconut or jojoba oil. It will keep the cuticles smooth and keep hands soft.

“I always wake up in the morning feeling lousy…and looking lousier. Do you have any tips for waking up beautiful?”

Marlena: Save yourself some time in the morning and prep hair the night before. For beautiful beach waves in the morning, try this no-hassle trick: Before you go to bed, divide your hair into 3 segments. Then, braid each segment very loosely. You’ll look crazy with 3 braids hanging off your head, but trust me—it’s worth it to wake up with soft, beautiful waves! When you get up in the morning, loosen the braids and touch up any awkward pieces with a quick curling iron.  Another hair trick is to sleep on silk pillowcases—it causes less friction on the hair, keeping it silky smooth.

For beauty treatments, definitely exfoliate your face the night before.  This will remove any dead skin that makes the face look dull.  Apply a vitamin C serum (Ole Henrickson makes a great one) to add a glow to your skin.  Also, make sure to place a cold spoon or ice cubes under your eyes to lessen the puffiness.  Also, be sure to sleep with your head higher than your feet so the blood drains away from your eye area, preventing those dreaded under-eyes.

“What are some of the New Year’s hottest beauty trends?”

Marlena: 2014 is all about the bold lip and simple eye.  Ombre lips are very hot right now—it’s new and fresh, plus all you need are 2 colored lip liners to create a shaded effect.

Also, cat eyes are still huge for 2014, but they are getting a makeover with double wings, more drama or thickness, and even color and glitter. If want to rock a dramatic cat eye, make sure to downplay the lips.

Another beauty trend is the cobalt blue, either as a liner or smudge along the lash line for a pop of color.

Pale dusty pink will be a trend for spring, so finding a lipstick or lip-gloss in this color will be beautiful.

“I often go the gym on my lunch break and don’t always have time to wash my hair before heading back to the office. How can I look (and feel!) more refreshed post-gym?”

Marlena: For those “no poo” days, dry shampoo will be your best friend!  A few spritzes of dry shampoo on your roots will liven them right up and soak up excess oil. Plus, it gives hair a gritty texture that is great for any updos or braids (the hair won’t slide out of your hair tie so easily).

For fast hairstyles, braids are super easy and very trendy right now.  Spray the roots with dry shampoo and tease just slightly for some volume.  Pull the hair to the side and do a fish tale braid.  Trust me, no one will be able to tell you didn’t wash your hair.

Also, ponytails still work if you have enough volume at the crown.  You need to pair this hairstyle with a sleek outfit, though, so it doesn’t look messy.

If you enjoyed this article, you’ll also like 25 Date Night Ideas that Aren’t Cheesy via [YourTango].

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Marlena Stell is a makeup educator, healthy living advocate and creator of the popular beauty blog Makeup Geek. Do you have a burning beauty question? Submit yours at [email protected]