Want an anti-aging skincare line that is paraben-free, silicone-free, fragrance-free, hypoallergenic, and cruelty-free? Have I ever found one for you! Not only does it boast the fore-mentioned attributes it is also great for all skin types including sun damaged skin, acne-prone, rosacea-prone and highly sensitive skin. I suppose it makes sense that it's a great line for sensitive skin considering its fragrance, silicone and paraben free.

But the best part? It works and works well! I'm in love with the Bieux Skin BioNaturals Power Lift and Repair Serum. I get an immediate lift as well as cumulative results. My other favorite Bieux Skin BioNaturals product is their eye cream. At about sixty bucks Bieux Skin BioNaturals Advanced Eye Treatment Cream is a natural eye cream that reduces under eye circles, puffiness, fine lines and wrinkles while moisturizes luxuriously. My eyes look incredible when I apply the eye cream after the Power Lift and Repair Serum. The two products together give me the same gorgeous eye popping and lifting results I feel when my Botox kicks in! Sayonara painful needles and expensive medical spas!

I love the new jeans I wore out the other night by True Religion. The fit is called Joey Disco Big T. They fit like a glove! Problem is they don't belong to me. I borrowed my best friend's pair. I want a pair so badly but they are $262 bucks. How can I tell myself that's ok? I mean I’m sure they'd last forever but would I rather buy like three or four pairs that wouldn't fit like that or do I take the plunge and just get one pair that I feel pretty darn sassy in?

Does anyone know of any jeans that sport a fabulous fit like that of True Religion Brand Jeans but are actually affordable? I also love Lucky Jeans but they too are in the hundred dollar plus range. I'd love to find a gorgeous pair in a dark blue rinse with an awesome fit at an affordable price. Am I dreaming? The other possibility might be suggestions of stores with great sales and deals. So if anyone can advise, I'd sure appreciate it and I'm sure the other readers would love the info as well.

Thanks for the help! I have to get over this darn denim blues!

I'm getting ready to fly to Utah for Thanksgiving and all of a sudden I realized how rough that cold weather is going to be on my dry skin. I decided to pack my little 3oz. airline friendly containers with the best in hydrating and moisturizing products I could think of. This time I chose everything within the same line. It's the best line for both my skin and my budget for travel during this holiday season.

I chose Neutrogena brand as my official travel line! For about ten bucks I went with Neutrogena Anti-Oxidant Age Reverse Cleanser it's a gentle cleanser that also removes makeup and actually improves moisture levels in dry skin. For my eyes, I chose Neutrogena Anti-Oxidant Age Reverse Eye Cream. For my lips, my favorite Neutrogena product of all, Neutrogena Advanced Solutions Lip Rejuvenating Treatment SPF20, and lastly my tried and true and dermatologist recommended Purpose Redness Reducing Moisturizer SPF30. My skin drinks it up and the spf of thirty protects it from the harsh rays, which I will definitely need at 5000 ft. elevation!

I'm so excited about a new pair of products I stumbled onto for polishing, luminating and revitalizing my skin. I feel like I have Renee Zellweger cheeks! The dynamic duo are by Peter Thomas Roth and are sold separately but I feel using the two of them in tandem is paramount for optimum results.

First use PTR Radiance Oxygenating Masque. It's very simple to use and only takes about ten minutes. It's foamy in consistency and is easily removed with water. After patting the skin dry use PTR Radiance Oxygenating Serum. Then follow with your moisturizer and sunscreen.

It is the best product ever to use before a special event! You seriously look years younger and so brightened up. If you have dull, lifeless skin with fine lines and wrinkles I promise you…You will be pleasantly surprised!

Genetics are so strange. My sister has long gorgeous nails but has had a heck of a time with dental issues throughout her life whereas I on the other hand have broken little thin nails, but have rarely had so much as a cavity. I suppose inheriting my Mom's genes in this instance was luckier than my sister inheriting my Dad's. However, I was still left with thin short fingernails that rarely looked good even with a manicure.

I decided last month I would search high and low for the best hand and nail products to give my aged, thin short nailed paws a much-needed makeover. Not only were my nails in bad shape, my hands looked dry, scaly and sprinkled with age spots.

After searching the net and getting fabulous feedback I found the crème de la crème in hand and nail care brands and products.  For my nails I chose Barielle 10 Piece Natural Nail Care System. Besides the fact that each product in the kit receives the highest ratings you can buy the whole kit for around 25 bucks as opposed to purchasing individual products totaling more than twice that. The sizes may be smaller in some of the packaged items, however, for me the kit did its job quite well with additional product left over.

For my dry scaly hands with the dreaded brown spots I chose an all in one product that nourishes, soothes, revitalizes and protects. The addition of Kojic acid in the cream fades the discolorations and the SPF of 15 protects against further damage. It's a product by Ole Henriksen called Ole Henriksen Hands Forward SPF 15. It worked extremely well and saved me a lot of money by buying a single cream with multiple duties as opposed to 3, 4 or even 5 different products to achieve the same thing.

My hands are now gorgeous and I'm actually proud of them for the first time in years. Interestingly enough I spent about as much as had I gone for one or two professional manicures. Yet it would have taken many more manicures than that to get the results I did in one month doing it myself with these products and ponying up about sixty bucks total.

Lately my new thing is finding the perfect instant and cumulative face-lift serums and treatments. I imagine it's because I'm turning 50 in six months. Or perhaps it's because products are truly getting better. They really work! So all I do is put a new one on each week desperately searching for the end all in non-ablative face-lifts. I have to say I have found a few really great products that do just that.

My latest discovery is by a company called Bieux which I had never heard of before this new quest. It's a product called Bieux Skin BioNaturals Power Lift and Repair Serum. What a great find! Not only do you get an instant tightening and firming lifting effect you also get ongoing skin repair. I love that! It's so much better knowing that not only do you look better instantly but you are treating your skin each time you apply it for cumulative results as well. Another great benefit from this terrific product is perking up those tired eyes. That in of itself is worth trying it because nothing makes you look older than crows feet and nothing makes you look better than eyes that looked refreshed and rested.

You have got to try Bieux Skin BioNaturals Power Lift and Repair Serum. It's paraben-free, cruelty-free, silicone-free and fragrance free. It's hypoallerginic and safe for even the most sensitive of skin types.

I love when a website holds your hand when you're unsure what to try. Skincare is no exception. Today I was searching the web for a product by Rodial called Glamtox Peel. A friend had told me that she absolutely loves it. Supposedly it's like a ten-minute facelift (and I have to say I was impressed with her results) so of course I was on a mission to find it. She said it was really pricey but well worth it, so I too wanted to try it. I didn't want to spend a bunch of money but at the same time she sure looked awesome and doesn't at all look her age (and we're the same age!). I googled it and found it on SkinStore.com and as I was pondering whether or not to spend the money I started navigating the whole website. What I found was surprisingly refreshing. They have a webpage called "Product Advisor" in which you answer a series of questions and end up with a couple of answers of what products or regimens would be best for you for your specific skin type and indications. It was truly solution oriented without needing to consult with a skin care therapist.

I did end up purchasing the Glamtox Peel; but more importantly I found a good resource for skincare information for my readers. So while I'm waiting for my impressive ten-minute anti-aging mask to arrive you can get professional advice from the comfort of your own home via the fantastic world of technology at SkinStore.com.

Everyone is always asking me to suggest a good pore minimizer. If you're one of the people who live in angst over your large pores I've got the solution for you. The best part is it doubles as a light moisturizer and makes for a user-friendly regimen. It's the perfect hydrator for those with combination to oily skin with large pores. I have extremely dry skin but also have large pores and I love it for pore size reduction along with the additional hydrating effects it provides when used in conjunction with my daily moisturizer.  I apply it each morning under my day cream and I can't believe the difference in my skin. It looks much smoother and so luxuriously hydrated. And if that's not enough to impress me (and it is!), it works over time for wrinkle refinement as well.

You have got to try DDF Wrinkle Resist Plus Pore Minimizer Moisturizing Serum for optimum pore reduction and hydrating properties.

Large pores no more!

Normally I'm the epitome of the "last minute shopper," but I'm not going be this year! I have found the best present ever for my sister and all my girlfriends. It is the ultimate gift on a number of levels. One, it is SkinMedica which is a veritable guarantee of results oriented product satisfaction. Two, it is packaged brilliantly in a keepsake silver box. Three, it includes the cutest little plum colored handbag and four, the two products included in the set make you look gorgeous for every holiday event you'll attend. You get a SkinMedica TNS Line Refine, which fills in fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes and mouth and also has cumulative long-term anti-aging properties. Included next is SkinMedica TNS Lip Plump System. Again, results in minutes (meaning gorgeous, plumper lips) as well as long-term anti-aging benefits. And if all that isn't enough; packaged as a gift you'll also receive a substantial savings on the regular sized products themselves.

There is only one problem with this perfect SkinMedica 2008 Holiday Gift Set. You'll want to keep it for yourself!!!

I've been in the skincare industry for close to 30 years and I've never been able to get my arms around the sunscreen SPF (sun protection factor) theory relating to UVB. Obviously I know the importance of sunscreen and definitely use it and encourage and promote it. But in my opinion, from an expert point of view the two widely accepted theories contradict one another.

I decided to visit skincancer.org and get some definitive answers once and for all. The website is so comprehensive, informational and the best resource that I've found for information on sun damage and skin cancer and how it relates to over-exposure to UV light. However, when it came to my question regarding the exact meaning of SPF it still made me feel unsure about which definition is right or at least the best way to look at it. I'm not questioning them at all (I know they are correct in both instances, it just simply doesn't make complete sense to me). Without a doubt their team of dermatologists and experts are probably the best in their field but still to me (or the way my brain works) I still don't see how the two theories completely support one another. I don't know why I can't just let it be. I guess because when I give one definition to a reader and then they question it because their understanding was the other; I feel both inept and I would never want to give out such crucial information when I may be wrong.

Here are the two definitions from skincancer.org:

What Is SPF?

Most sunscreens with an SPF of 15 or higher do an excellent job of protecting against UVB. SPF — or Sun Protection Factor — is a measure of a sunscreen's ability to prevent UVB from damaging the skin. Here's how it works:  If it takes 20 minutes for your unprotected skin to start turning red, using an SPF 15 sunscreen theoretically prevents reddening 15 times longer — about five hours.

Another way to look at it is in terms of percentages:  SPF 15 blocks approximately 93 percent of all incoming UVB rays.  SPF 30 blocks 97 percent; and SPF 50 blocks 99 percent.  They may seem like negligible differences, but if you are light-sensitive, or have a history of skin cancer, those extra percentages will make a difference. And as you can see, no sunscreen can block all UV rays.

The former description is the way I've always been taught and the way I've explained it to both my clients and my readers. In other words, by using a factor (which to me and my dense brain denotes a mathmatic formula) you can determine the amount of sun protection by simply using the number on the sunscreen and multiply it by the time it normally takes you to burn. I've always considered it in increments of ten minutes which makes it easy to understand. If you were to be in the sun for ten minutes without any sunscreen at all obviously you have zero protection (except for of course our body's own protection such as melanin) and possibly burn, but if you were to apply sunscreen with an SPF of 15 before you go into the sun you would get 150 minutes (10minutes x 15 SPF) of protection. Of course this is if absolutely none of it was washed or sweated off, etc. I'm talking about an ideal situation just to keep this explanation simple. To me that explanation of what SPF means, makes sense.  However, when you skip to scenario two, they give you percentages of protection by still yet using the SPF number. Here's where it stumps my brain and perhaps one of you can help me out with this.

Ok; here we go. Please don't shoot me!  Now, if we all can agree that the SPF factor is by the amount of time spent in the sun how can they all of a sudden use percentages of blockage? If an SPF is15 and you can stay in the sun 15 times longer and you were indeed in the sun less time than the150 minutes allowed by the factor that seems to me that the efficacy of block is already established. Why then can you say SPF 15 blocks 93%,  SPF 30 blocks 97%, and so on if all things were equal in terms of time? In other words, if you were in the sun the amount of time that the factor recommends why wouldn't they all be considered equal in terms of percentages?

Perhaps it would make sense to me if they used another term for coverage (percentage wise) instead of SPF.  Whew! Am I making any sense? Please help! I'm sure I'm way overthinking this but I'd sure love any input you folks could give me.

Having completely confused you; please always use sunscreen no matter how you interpret the sun protection factor and enjoy the great outdoors! Also, don't forget to apply in the winter and cloudy days as well. The damaging ultraviolet rays don't care if it's clear and 85 degrees or cool and cloudy. The one thing we can all agree on in this skincare industry is, those rays will get ya either way.

The second issue I think we can safely agree on is to use sunscreen that has broad-spectrum protection and has the seal of recommendation by the Skin Cancer Foundation such as DDF Matte Finish Photo-Age Protection.

My girls are always telling me they hate the way my mascara looks on me. They say it's all clumpy and looks like a bunch of spider legs. As sweet as they are, they have a way of telling me things I'd just as soon not hear. For instance, one time I was driving my car and as I was holding onto the steering wheel my youngest daughter started flicking the fat (or I guess the loose skin where a tricep once resided) under my arms. She was as sweet as can be and I know she didn't mean it as harshly as I took it. I looked over at her with a look of "thanks a lot!" And we both started laughing. However, the point being, I know where I stand with my girls and with the way they perceive how I look and how I should look.

After years of my girls nagging me about my clumpy mascara I thought I'd start looking for a new brand. This was tricky because being a contact lens wearer my eyes are sensitive. The one I had stuck with all those mortifying years (according to the girls) didn't bother my eyes at all. In addition, I thought it made my short, skinny little blonde eyelashes look so volumized. I guess I was fine with the clumps. At least you could see them! That is until I found Stila Major Lash Mascara. I was so amazed how it just glided on and my lashes came out looking gorgeous. No clumps; no little triangles of stuck together hairs; just long, black separated lashes. The wand has a brush on it that's about the size of a toothbrush (that's a tad bit of an exaggeration), but for me it gave me so much control. I loved the large brush. It was easy to use on both the top and bottom lashes. The size of the brush helped, not hindered; and believe me I have some little eyes! But with Stila Major Lash Mascara my eyes look huge. I finally have gorgeous eyes, and my daughters finally approve!

I just sat through an educational training in men's skincare. I was so impressed with one of the topics the brand rep touched on. She was teaching us about her company's products for thinning hair which has long been a major concern for men in this beauty industry. She was one of the first professionals to explain (or in my opinion), be honest about what triggers hair regrowth.

Oftentimes when you're being approached by a salesperson selling balding or thinning hair products, I feel, they leave you to believe that the product itself goes in and sort of drops seedlings of hairbud nutrients (if you will) instead of in actuallity, as far as I know, it's exfoliation, stimulation, circulation and scalp movement (along with depositing nutrients). There are indeed ingredients that are fabulous for your scalp but none are the absolute end all as to why you'll notice hair growth (with the expection for proven pharmaceuticals).

If you've ever felt the scalp of a bald man it's usually very tight and almost looks coated with a residue. This build-up needs to be exfoliated away in order for hair growth. Additionally moving the scalp via massage or soft brushing will also encourage hair growth. Think of the beautiful princess who brushes her hair one hundred strokes every night before bed. It really works! Those gorgeous locks are from the stimulation, not just because she's a princess in a fairty tale.

If you or anyone you know is suffering from hair loss take a look at products and/or brands that exfoliate the scalp, increase stimulation and circulation, and incorporate massage or brushing into the regimen. I think you just may see better results.

However, if you're already using hair loss products under the care of a physician, obviously only use as he or she has directed.

My sister's been going through some tough times and depression and anxiety finally weaseled its ugly head into her emotional state of being. Kind of like when your immune system is compromised a simple cold virus will take ya down to chinatown. She didn't want to succumb to anti-depressants so I got online to find some alternatives. The one that seemed to be the most impressive seemed like one she would never go for. I came across a few articles suggesting a sad and lonely human can find happiness through the unconditional love of a pet. Problem is my sister has never been a "pet person."

So what do I do? I push a pet on her anyway. Now I'm not suggesting by any means everyone do this because this is one thing that could backfire and then the poor pet may still be without a home. That would be cruel. But I knew that if she didn't accept it I would just keep the little dog myself and give her a good home whether I needed to be in that position or not.

It turns out the little half Shih Tzu half Lhasa Apso was the best thing to ever happen to her. I don't want to sound overly dramatic but I seriously think that little sweet puppy saved my sister's life. Linda not only feels better, but she looks better as well. She has become much more outgoing and at the same time so much more relaxed. She's the Linda I used to know. It's like seeing a complete transformation in a person. Everything seemed to change in her when she was so down. She gained weight and didn't care so much for her appearance. Now she looks like a million bucks. She loves taking care of herself now and has a renewed sense of excitement when it comes to beauty and well-being. I've been staying with her a while and she keeps getting into my skincare products. I'm wondering if the dog cost more or less than the amount of products she's used up! But it's been so well worth it. She's obsessed with the Kinerase Ultimate Regimen Kit and Kinerase Multi-Vitamin Minerals and Nutrients Supplements. I have never seen her look more gorgeous. She's now happy and beautiful from both the inside and out!

Doing taxes are hazardous to your looks, skin and your well-being. I'm frazzelled. I stayed up half the night doing my taxes and I swear I look like I've aged 20 years. It made me realize when we do things in a rush we not only feel bad, but sometimes look horrific as well. The point I'm trying to make is to really try and slow down. There is definately something to the saying, "take time to smell the roses." If I would just incorporate organizational skills into my life I know I would look and feel better. I need to make a change, and I need to do it now.

I started my change with a spa day to rejuvenate myself. However, I can't afford a spa day so I did it by myself at home. The first thing to do is take a long bath. I used Philosophy Falling In Love Bubble Bath. Next I applied Korres Quince Body Butter and took a nice long time to massage it in. It's a fabulous cream that works well on extra dry areas such as heels as well as the whole body. I love it! Before bathing I lit a Sundari candle. I love their whole line of scented candles. I chose Sundari Gulkand Scented Candle for balance.

Next I needed to rejuvenate my face. I decided to go with a peel type facial. I needed to exfoliate all the dull skin. I used Ole Henriksen Micro Mini Peel System. My face has never been smoother and more revitalized. Next I treated my puffiness and dark circles under my eyes from staying awake virtually the whole night before with Decleor Vitaroma Wrinkle Prevention Eye Contour Cream. It instantly soothed my eye area.

After this whole "slowing down" revelation I decided two things 1) I will never pay another dime to a day spa and 2) I will try and remember how I felt that long miserable night and how I looked the next morning. It's time to get organized and take time to smell the candles and bubble bath!