Perfect Brows In 2014: Somewhere In Between Thin And Thick?

Perfect brows.

Do they even exist?

Let's look at 2 very different-looking celebrities. One has thinner brows--the other much thicker brows.

Sophia Loren VS. Lily Collins:

We think both stars are gorgeous. And yes, both women look perfect with their individual brows
.
We are well aware that full brows are STILL big beauty news in 2014.

You CAN'T force yourself to grow Lily Collins eyebrows. Maybe your DNA will never allow that much brow growth.

You CAN stop plucking, waxing and trimming brows. That's what we have been doing for quite a while now. Our little brow hairs are finally sprouting, but unfortunately, we could never get brows like Lily's. We wish!

These are our brows. Yeah....and that's even with a little pencil. Have to cheat the best way we can.

Some might argue that Sophia's brows were too thin in this photo. We have seen the movie legend with much thicker brows in other photos. For some reason, maybe it is Sophia's stunning bone structure, but she looks splendid with thinner brows.

Here's a beauty pic of where brows should begin + end.

To grow thicker brows in a natural way, check out this YouTube video!

Our beauty message here: Be yourself. Aim for a more natural-looking brow, but don't despair, just because you don't have super thick eyebrows. It's not the end of the world.

Christie Brinkley and Duchess Catherine Wear Panty Hose: Lady-Like Or Old-Lady-Like?

The legendary model herself, Christie Brinkley, has been making the red carpet rounds these days to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue.

To us, Christie turning 60, is even BIGGER news than a magazine anniversary. She looks super-human.

What we have been noticing during her recent social appearances are her lovely legs--ALWAYS covered in pantyhose.

Aha! Maybe not so uber-perfect?

Or is Christie Brinkley just uber-smart to hide a few blemishes at a more mature age?

Christie admits that she even uses pantyhose to get "a sense of security." And the ageless model is also wearing pantyhose UNDER her bathing suit for a recent photo shoot.

So---is Christie Brinkley just being lady-like? Or old-lady-like?

 And then we have royal etiquette, because when she is out in the public, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge ALWAYS puts on pantyhose.

We have a lot of girlfriends who SCOFF at the mere thought of wearing pantyhose.

Constricting. Uncomfortable. Yuck! Those are some of the comments we've heard.

And yet, pantyhose DOES deliver smoothness, even tone and yes---sheer elegance.

There is also spray-on pantyhose---in the name of Sally Hanson Airbrush Legs ($13.99, at Walgreens). Kim Kardashian swears by Airbush Legs to cover her imperfections: "I’m using Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs spray and it is my lifesaver at the moment," Kim writes on her website. "I love this stuff! It really covers up my psoriasis so well!"

So, What do you think, dear reader?

Happy Anniversary, Gisele! Now Let's Get That Sea Salt Spray Beach Hair!

Yeah, life seems pretty darn incredible for Gisele Bundchen:

Cute kids, handsome NFL husband, world's highest paid model, great body and
GORGEOUS hair!!

Gisele is celebrating her 5th wedding aniversary today CONGRATS.

Meanwhile....Let's get Gisele wavy, beach-y hair with one key product:

Sea Salt Spray.

There are tons of them out there, but we have found a sure winner:

Victoria's Secret Hair:  Beach Hair Wave Spray ($12).

The good news. This stuff REALLY works...Plus, it smells heavenly---like coconut. Yummy. And the sea salt gives your mane beautiful texture that last for hours.

To get the Gisele wavy, beach-y hair look, you could spray it on damp and scrunch your hair into shape.

You could also spritz the spray on dry hair before bed. Pull hair into a top-knot. And in the morning, wake up to pretty wavy, beach-y hair!

Paula Patton's Beautiful Skin Secret: Very Earthy, Indeed!

38-year-old Paula Patton is gorgeous!

And we are sad about recent news that she and Robin Thicke are splitting up.

That one caught us off-guard. We think that maybe Mr. Thicke thinks he is all that + a bag of chips since that summer mega-hit, "Blurred Lines."

Well, today we are paying attention to beautiful Paula Patton and her exquisite skin.

We read somewhere that she swears by clay masks. We can't even see any pores, so she must be doing something right.

She didn't name any clay mask brands but there are plenty of great facial masks out there.

Why put on a clay mask and what kind would be best?

Think, GREEN!

We found this beauty info from wellsphere.com.

Green Clay
The most absorbing of the Clays, Green Clay is generally used as a Face Mask for tissue repair, drawing toxins from the skin and to normalise excessive secretions of oil or sweat. Applied as a Face or Body Mask, facial clay masks cleanse, exfoliate, smoothe and soften the skin. Green clay is especially good at drawing toxins out.

We happen to like Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay.  We found a big 1 lb. tub at Vitacost.com for just $4.99.

This powerful green clay is known around the globe for its superior deep pore cleansing. And even more impressive is Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay's extraction location: from Death Valley, California, where it is sun- dried for up to six months in temperatures that sometimes reach 134 degrees.

So, if you're looking to create a more smoother, healthier complexion, reach for a clay mask, and make it GREEN.

Nivea Creme: Oldie But Goody And Kate Winslet Uses It

For many of us, this royal blue tub has been a staple in our beauty cabinets. Even British beauty, actress Kate Winslet is a fan.

Nivea Creme has been around for a very long time. And a lot of grandmothers + great-grandmothers claim it has kept them youthful + wrinkle-free.

We love the rich, hydrating cream of Nivea. We applied some to our feet , hands + elbows just 15 minutes ago. Plus, we adore the citrus/floral scent, too.

Nivea Creme leaves your skin soft, supple and with a lovely sheen. Great during these cruel winter months.

About 5 years ago there was a rumor floating around that the inexpensive tub of Nivea Creme was just as SUPERB, if not BETTER than that expensive gold standard, Creme de la Mer.

Women were also raving about the Nivea Creme from Germany as the preferred Nivea.

And women were actually doing their own testing of both skin care creams on each side of their faces.

Supposedly the Nivea we all find at our drugstores here is from Mexico and contains petrolatum which can cause irritation. We have never noticed that problem.

Both creams DO share similar ingredients, but La Mer does contain the famous, talked-about seaweed extract. Hmmmm. Well, who really knows?

We have used Nivea Creme on our neck, too, and decollete, but we have very oily skin, so we cannot use it on our face. If we had a dry complexion we would DEFINITELY try the Nivea.

We have not tried Creme de la Mer, so we could not comment on the similar or dissimilar aspects of the 2 skin care creams.

We found a 6.8 oz. tub of Nivea Creme for $5.95  at soap.com.

Do you have a tub of Nivea Creme sitting in your beauty cabinet?

Celeb Makeup Artist Troy Surratt: His Best Mascara Beauty Tips For Thick , Perfect Lashes!

Celebrity makeup artist Troy Surratt must be very good at what he does. Just ask gorgeous Charlize Theron, Adriana Lima + Kristin Davis about him. Those are the kinds of famous faces he works on.

That's why when the makeup pros dish about their own beauty tips, we become all ears. And today, the subject is mascara, and how to get those thick, perfect lashes!

Troy Surratt recently spoke to beauty magazine Allure and gave out his best mascara beauty tips:

Begin with CLEAN Lashes.
NEVER sleep in old makeup. Remove it pronto!

"Residual oils at the roots can cause makeup breakup," Troy says. "You'll wind up with soot around your eyes."

His choice--Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes ($4.99, at Target). Good, because these wipes, "don't irritate delicate eye skin."

Curl Lashes to give them a Lift.
A curling wand is key, because it goes above the natural slope of the eye to open the lashes up.

Troy says this: "Just by using an eyelash curler to change that angle(slope) lashes can automatically look 2-3 times longer. Curling them also minimizes the shadows they cast over the eyes, so the eyes look larger and brighter,"

Three or More Coats is Just Over-Kill.
Pros like Troy advise putting on 2 coats of mascara to  frame the eyes beautifully, but applying 3 or more coats is TOO much.

Well, if a pro makeup artist is applying it, then he or she can go for 3 or more coats, but things can get gloppy when you're alone trying to layer it all perfectly.

Thanks, Troy Surratt!

Christie Brinkley Amazes At 60: Push-Ups, Peanut Butter + Fuji Apples

Christie Brinkley can't wipe that huge smile off her face these days.

And who would blame her? When you've turned 60 and defy gravity, and all those nasty things that come with natural aging,  well, then she has a right to show off and grin.

Yeah, she's been playing coy with the camera + striking pose after pose, but wouldn't we all?

So, what is Christie Brinkley's beauty secret?

To top it all, it is merely great DNA. She is just super good-looking with excellent facial symmetry.

The rest of it?

Christie leads a clean, active lifestyle.

Plus....there are the push-ups, peanut butter and Fuji apples.

Those are key.

The beautiful blonde and mom-of-3 keeps fit the old-fashioned way:

"I try to get in 100 push-ups every day," said Christie. "It's really easy. I keep a rolled up yoga mat under my bed. I'll do 30 push-ups before I get in the shower. Then I do another 20 before I dry my hair, and now I've done 50. After I dry my hair, I'll come back and I'll do more."

The vegetarian beauty also LOVES to snack on Fuji apples with peanut butter.

Here's the iconic model about a month ago. Watch it here on YouTube.

Sigh....If only it were that easy.....