The secret is in the details . . . . regardless of your taste, age, size or lifestyle by knowing how to apply a few key details you can take the items already in your closet, maybe adding a piece or two, you can immediately change your overall appearance. There are 6 key things that you need to be aware of that will take you thru life when you want to look your best. It all boils down to balance and proportion. Each pointer will allow you to look at what you have to wear in a new light. You will see what each piece of clothing needs in order to be the best proportion for your individual figure.

Secret #1. – Pay attention to your shoulders. Unless you’re one of the lucky few that were born with a square shoulder line or an athlete that “pumps iron” you will need a little help in this area. Now, I know before you start screaming about shoulder pads being out, I don’t advocate those worn by the NFL. A small subtle lift to the shoulder line will create a balance for your lower torso, taking pounds away automatically, creating a longer, leaner silhouette. In addition, by squaring off your shoulder line you are framing your face creating a more lovely canvas for jewelry and/or a great haircut, once again subtly adding balance.

Try this first step and you will see an immediate difference, stay tuned for Secret #2, each step builds on the next . . . . .

A fancy package doesn’t necessarily mean high maintenance! It’s so easy to size someone up based on how they look, immediately thinking that they are high maintenance if they are well groomed, color coordinated and overall attractive. Men do it all of the time! When they see a female that looks really terrific, they quickly assume that an attractive, well-dressed woman is self consumed and think, “There is a very high-maintenance woman!”. Now, there are exceptions to the rule but if you take the time you will find out that it is not always the case.

The women that you see and admire from afar don’t necessarily have charmed lives. You never know what someone is going thru, especially if they know the “secrets” to looking good. There is a wonderful example of what I mean in Sandra Lee, the Semi-Homemade lifestyle expert.

To look at her you would think that everything was literally handed to her. She is beautiful, always impeccable and is very successful. You could get “cranky” when you see her and think, “Yea, right if I looked like her it would be easy for me too!” In reality this woman has paid her dues and has had plenty of heartache in her life, starting at a very young age. She taught herself everything during her childhood when she helped raise her siblings. Through all of her hard work, dedication to her craft and striving for perfection, Sandra Lee appears to have it all.

It’s all about knowing what is right for you. By doing so you will automatically have more confidence knowing that you look terrific. The irony of this is when you know how to make the right selections when getting dressed (or shopping) you will end up spending less time and look as though you spent hours putting yourself together.

So you see, it really isn’t fair to judge someone or their path based on how they look. Instead of envying how someone looks, envy what they know. . . .

The secret is in the details . . . . There are 6 key things that you need to be aware of that will help you look your best. It all boils down to balance and proportion. Each pointer will allow you to look at what you have to wear in a new light. You will see what each piece of clothing needs in order to be the best proportion for your individual figure.

Tune in tomorrow for tip #1!

I told you about a product that will help you with various stages of acne and today I would like to introduce you to a product that you can use during this process. I firmly believe that you need the right tools to look your best in order to get thru your day with ease, feeling good about yourself. Now, we all know that stuff happens and not every day is great even if we start out with great intentions.

My goal is to help you deal with all that is on your plate the best way possible. Yale University conducted a 2 year study on how people felt when they hated how their hair looked. They found that all aspects of their day/life suffered when they didn’t feel good about what their hair was doing on a particular day. Well the same holds true for our skin. When we break out (or have sun damaged/aged skin) we feel self conscience thereby effecting every aspect of our day and relationships.

There is a relatively new product on the market called Dermacia, a foundation that is breathable that will work beautifully over any skin imperfections and not clog your pores, making this a real find. The last thing that you want to do is add more to already clogged pores. Not only will this foundation cover but it will also give you a natural looking finish. It isn’t a thick, pancake like finish, like the old days. It’s natural and the good news is that there is a variety of colors making it available for all complexions.

Whether you are a teen or going thru a phase of menopause, your complexion goes thru many changes including breakouts. During your teen years it is almost a given that you will have some degree of acne, even if in its most mild form. Some get really lucky and only see an occasional outburst. What we never plan on is having an onset of adult acne. It never occurs to us, until we reach that critical age that another hormonal alteration in your system can cause almost childlike acne. It didn’t feel good as a teen and it feels even worse as an adult. Unless you wear a “sandwich sign” saying that you’re going thru menopause you just look like you didn’t care or take care of yourself in your younger years.

Well, I’m happy to tell you that the Proactive Acne Treatment really can help you with 3 easy steps. The best part of the program is that it will work on spots, therefore should you have sensitive, combination skin you can treat specific areas without compromising your overall complexion. By this I mean, especially with mature ladies we don’t want to dry out our entire face with harsh treatments since as we age we lose water, dehydrating us in general. So, if we can moisturize as usual while treating the areas of distress. we have the best of both.

The Proactiv products are one of the best on the market really providing effective results. Their treatment line has worked for some of the most notable people like; Vanessa (Ugly Betty) Williams, Jessica Simpson, Super Model; Elle Macpherson, American Idol Star; Kelly Clarkson and Lindsay Lohan. If you are experiencing this sort of frustration with your skin, I suggest that you join those that have access to the best and give them a try.

We hear it constantly, there comes a time when enough is enough. It should be fun, but it becomes work and then you end up making all the wrong choices; consequently you’re not happy with any of them. The pain that it can cause can be indescribable, especially when you look at the photos you took when you thought you were having fun . . . .

What??? What are you thinking??? Oh, you thought I meant that “F” word! NO, I mean Fashion! Every few months we are told that we need something new in order to feel young, and desirable. If we let the dictates of the fashion industry guide us we not only end up looking like Christmas Trees but more importantly we feel ridiculous. Did you ever wonder why certain things are the absolute end all, must have and the next season the same items end up in the “don’t” column?

A good example of this was an American staple; jeans. For the past several seasons you were only “allowed” to wear low rise jeans regardless of your age or size. Why do I say allowed? Simply because you couldn’t find a natural waist jean anywhere on the planet, forcing women to comply and unless you were a teenager with a great figure you were very uncomfortable, not to mention the fact that everyone in them looked like your local plumber!

Now, I know that the message is to be comfortable in your own skin, yet there are continual judgments from those around you. We all have things about our figures that we would prefer to change, believe it or not even the most slender, petite women find fault with what they own. If you are going to be forced to wear what’s hot and new regardless if it is appropriate for your figure or lifestyle you are not going to feel comfortable in your own skin it’s that simple.

I don’t think how we look should be pressure. I truly believe that you can have fun with the “F” word (fashion) by selecting only those items that suit your particular figure. It’s all about creating the right balance. You need to stand in front of the mirror to see where you need to make adjustments in your clothing. By selecting the correct neckline you can balance your torso with your hips, by selecting the correct lengths along with the right size heel on your shoes you can balance out your overall figure; immediately creating a slimmer overall appearance.

If you are addicted to fashion and need to have everything then I suggest that you incorporate one piece at a time. The best place to start is with accessories. This will psychologically help you get your “fix” and yet you will be able to slowly incorporate some of my tips giving you time to see the difference they make for you personally.

Remember; Fashion is of the moment and Style is forever!

Have a great day!

Yesterday, Jacqui Stafford from Shape Magazine was on Neil Cavuto’s business show discussing how the heavy American Idol contestants are not good roll models due to their size.

I’m finding more and more of late that I am throwing things at the TV, especially when I hear something like that. First of all what does weight have to do with it???? If anything American Idol fairly showcases talent that comes in all shapes, sizes and colors. There has never been more universally fair programming giving a cross section of individuals an opportunity to shine. They look terrific and sound terrific. If anything, they set a perfect example about believing in yourself, working hard without having to subscribe to media standards in order to have your dreams come true.

OK, so American Idol gives these kids a break of a lifetime, but they still have to meet the demands to go forward. Why should they be judged so harshly on their size when they are judged very harshly on their talent in front of 30 million people? Should they feel terrible about everything, or should they be proud for doing their best all awhile being human in the process. I doubt very much that kids are sitting back and saying, “so and so is a plus size and is making it on TV, so pass me another bag of chips.”

If anything all of these kids are showing the young people that it’s about you, your talent, how you conduct yourself and your willingness to work hard and anything is possible. It’s very encouraging to those watching to see the possibilities.

I have to get this off of my chest . . . .today I’m listening to the news and hear that there are some criticizing Oprah on the way her school in Africa is being operated. I could hit the ceiling; this woman has done the most incredible thing in building a program to advance those wonderful little girls, not to mention putting her money to work to do something good. It’s very easy to sit back and find fault, what about standing behind her and helping to grow the program!

When I heard that the school was run like a prison I couldn’t believe my ears. It was said that the girls were not allowed junk food and they had a daily schedule to keep. Well, if these critics saw her special, they would see the conditions from which these young ladies hailed. Junk food? They were lucky to have oatmeal as a main stay and then they may have only had it once a week. Not because they were rotating their menu, but because that was all that was available. Oprah has spent an inordinate amount of time in putting together an ideal program and opportunity for these girls and if she insists that they eat healthy meals in order to grow into healthy young women, please tell me what’s wrong with that??????

And . . . . . the fact that they maintain a weekly schedule, once again if you viewed the special you would see the rigorous routine that some of the young girls maintained prior to Oprah showing up in their lives, with no benefits to them whatsoever. Oprah has provided an opportunity for her first group of students that they wouldn’t have dreamed of. Every detail was done to perfection. By her request for all of us to get involved I know that she has great plans on expanding this wonderful opportunity to many others around the world.

By all means, please take your hat off to Oprah and stop the judgments from the sidelines! She has done an awesome thing! She deserves our praise.

OK, after reading this one you will think that I am a Neil Cavuto junkie! I just happen to listen to him while at work when time permits. Today he had another model as a guest; not only does he specialize in reporting on the state of the economy but also manages to keep his finger on the pulse of the modeling world.

Roshumba Williams was his guest promoting her new book on an “IDIOTS GUIDE TO MODELING” and once again diet was a main topic. She professes to stay within a 5 lb. range never having to starve to lose a pound or two. That philosophy is great; it just doesn’t work for everyone. It would be nice if everyone was that disciplined but it just isn’t reality.

What is necessary is helping people, women in particular to not feel the pressure of having to be thin or constantly thinking about a diet. When you live with that hanging over your head, you never feel good about your day. Guilt becomes an overriding emotion along with being miserable because the weight doesn’t come off fast enough.

I say “stop it!” You will see in the photos below that you can have immediate success by making the right selections. The woman photographed wears a size 18; none of the images were retouched. The before and after says it all! Feel free to write with your questions, I’m more than happy to help you.

For women who want a more natural looking and natural feeling makeup. This is a mineral makeup that works well on its own; however I love to use the lighter shade as a powder to set my regular foundation. I find it to be a very natural combination. The great thing about Lauren’s compact is that the top portion is complete with contour creams, highlighters and wet/dry eyeliner. Everything in one spot and the colors are very flattering, helping you to correct any so called “imperfections”.

• Natural looking and feeling, and does not clog pores.
• Mineral ingredients provide remarkable coverage to help conceal the visible signs of aging.

This natural loose powder makeup made with earth-derived mineral elements infused with water that provides skin with hydration and natural-looking, shine-free coverage.

Using this as a base it just takes a few strokes of a brush and you can cover an uneven skin tone, hide blemishes and age spots all while remaining natural looking and retaining your skin’s natural moisture. You will not have that thick, pasty finish. This product will leave your skin looking fine and flawless. These compacts are available in light, medium, medium-dark or dark shades and can be purchased on HSN for $28.95.

In my search for a great makeup I went back to one of the best brands, even though it is a little more expensive. I have found, with few exceptions that it pays to spend a little more for your foundation as it sets the “canvas” for the rest of your makeup. I happen to really like the Pro Lumiere line by Chanel as it gives you a flawless look regardless of your age or the condition of your skin. It goes on smooth; you can start light applying it sparingly and add in the areas where you may need a little more coverage. You get a dewy yet matte finish. A great combination!

In addition to great coverage without looking like pancake makeup it lasts throughout the day. Even though you are spending a little more here, you end up using less so it seems to balance out price wise.

This foundation provides you effortless perfection with professional looking results.

This breakthrough oil-free formula imparts an unprecedented semi-matte finish that can be blended for a soft, natural look or built up for greater sophistication.