Expert Skin Care

Leonardo Dicaprio is busy promoting his movie Body of Lies in the UK.

The Ridley Scott film has already shown here, but during press interviews in England he shared his beauty secrets.

“Drink formaldehyde everyday,” states Dicaprio.

Later he goes on to admit that his youthful appearance is largely achieved with makeup.

Makeup or not, the film did not live up to expectations in the US.

It made only $23 million on its opening weekend and was beaten by Beverley Hills Chihuahua.

1) Great-looking skin is where everything starts. “Don’t overdo it, though,” says Venoit, who recently appeared on the Rachael Ray show to help transform a viewer from everyday blah to Nicole Richie hot. “Let your skin show through. Apply a little concealer and foundation and, for extra holiday glam, use a large natural bristle powder brush to set with light mineral powder.”

2) “My favourite holiday party looks always involve a bit of glimmer,” says Baker. “Gold or silver on the eyes, a beautiful shimmer on the lips — and don’t forget the body.” Baker likes a dusting of glow powder on arms, back, legs and décolleté. “It’s absolutely sexy.”

3) “Highlight the tops of the cheekbones, the brow bones, the inner corners of the eyes and the bow of your lips,” says Venoit. “Reflect that evening light!”

4) Baker’s smoky eye tip is ultra-quick; keep it in mind when you have to zoom from work to drinks, dinner or the office party. “Use an eyeliner brush to smudge black or navy shadow over your existing liner,” she advises.

5) Give dark smokey eye makeup a twist with an unexpected colour hit. “Line inner rims with an eyeliner shade that pops —- turquoise, teal, violet or green,” suggests Venoit. Or go for coloured shadow and line rims with black.

6) Winged liner is another hot look. Venoit recommends using black liquid liner pen, then adding intensity with a wet angle brush and black eye shadow. “Use short strokes to line across the base of the upper lashes, and exaggerate a bit at the end with a little flick up at the outer corner of your eyes,” he says.

7) Support bold eyes with rosy nude or gold gloss for subtle sexiness on your lips. If you’re rocking gold or silver eye makeup, ramp up the focus on your lips with rich, red gloss or a sophisticated deep red or berry lipstick.

Myth: The thicker the cream,the more moisturizing it is.

Fact: Thick doesn’t equal moisture. The heaviness of a cream is often due to the lipids and emulsifiers in the formula, and sometimes heavyweight creams can leave skin looking dull while trapping dead cells and affecting skin function. Layering fluids and moisturizers is often the best remedy.

Myth: You don’t have to apply sunscreen as obsessively in the winter as you do in the summer.

Fact: Winter, spring, summer or fall: if there is daylight, you’re still
exposed to UV light and free radical damage. And if sunscreen helps prevent the signs of aging, why wouldn’t you want to wear it every day? A minimum of SPF15 is suggested for everyday use, and skin showing the signs of aging should wear an SPF30.

Myth: Skip exfoliation so you don’t dry everything out.

Fact: Quite the opposite! Exfoliation causes a burst in cell renewal, moving newer, moisture-rich cells to the surface. Exfoliation also removes old dead cells and dry skin, providing a smoother, brighter surface while enabling effective penetration of hydrating ingredients into the skin.

Myth: Hot, steamy showers are great for skin.

Fact: No – especially in winter! Hot water causes a stripping effect to delicate barrier lipids in-between the cells; when the lipids are removed, essential moisture below evaporates out. Combine hot showers with irritation caused by winter wardrobe made of synthetic fabrics like nylon and polyester and you’ve got an itchy, irritated skin situation! Warm water is best for skin when used together with a soap-free body wash such as Conditioning Body Wash. Bar soap or high foam-producing, artificially-perfumed shower gels will dry out the skin.

Myth: For dry lips, just apply more lip balm.

Fact: Some lip balms can create more bad than good. Mineral oil (petroleum jelly) creates an artificial film on the lips, and this gives the skin the illusion that it doesn’t need to produce lipids. These ingredients together with artificial flavors, colors, and fragrances can dry out the skin. Use lip healthy alternatives containing Shea Butter, Silicones, Cocoa Seed Butter, Avocado Oil, and Wheat Germ.

Myth: Let your skin hibernate and cut back on treatments.

Fact: Winter is actually the best time to take care of your skin with professional treatments. Skin may need more help, especially dry, sensitive/sensitized, and rosacea prone skins. Professional oatmeal masques are wonderful during the winter season!

As legs, underarms, and bikini aren’t as exposed, this is also a great time to start a hair removal routine.

Avoiding dry skin in the colder months can help you save face year-round. Still, the National Health Interview Survey found that at least 81 million Americans experience dry, itchy or scaly skin when temperatures drop.

Try these tips for protecting skin:

• Total Care--Used daily, a noncomedogenic, hypoallergenic, fragrance-free product such as Theraplex HydroLotion can help keep skin hydrated. The product line is even formulated to address the drying, damaging effects of winter.
  
  
• Total Protection--Theraplex Emollient can help heal and protect skin from intense dryness resulting in dry, cracked hands, feet, lips, elbows and knees. The company's ClearLotion helps to replace essential oils when applied to wet skin.
  
  
• Total Healing--Look for products such as Theraplex FT Exfoliating Emollient, which contains a beta hydroxy acid. It can improve problem areas such as feet and elbows by sloughing off dead skin cells and deeply moisturizing.

Matthew Bruntel has opened Frederick Skin Care, an office specializing in medical dermatology.

The office is located at the Centerpark Professional Center, 604 Solarex Court, Suite 205.

A graduate of Cornell University and Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, he completed training at Heart of Lancaster Medical Center and Wellington Regional Medical Center.

His practice is devoted to adult and adolescent dermatology. He can help patients with problems of the skin, hair and nails. He accepts all local insurance and can usually see new patients within a few days.

The practice is new to the area, but Bruntel has looked forward to moving to Frederick for a long time. As a child, his family came through Frederick every summer to visit family members in the area.

"Ever since I was a kid on those trips I've had it in the back of my mind that Frederick was where I wanted to end up. I'm really excited to be here and be able to help Frederick community with their dermatology needs," he said.

His wife is a nurse at Frederick Memorial Healthcare.

Scottsdale police said they arrested two women Wednesday and recovered about $250,000 in laser skin care equipment that had been stolen from a downtown Scottsdale business earlier in the week.

Police arrested Bonnie Khamis of Mesa and Michelle Pandolfe of Cave Creek and recovered all but a few hundred dollars in petty cash. Khamis was on felony probation for forgery and remained in custody.

Ultimate Skin and Laser Institute, 6900 E. Indian School Road, had been burglarized twice between Monday and Tuesday, according to police.

Liv Tyler has that pale skin and fluctuating body weight which indicates that she's often not considered a typical Hollywood bombshell, yet I regard her as an ethereal beauty. Speaking to the Glamour magazine about her beauty secrets, she gave her top tips for beautiful skin: 

Be disciplined: "I've had a skincare routine from early on. No matter how tired I am, I will always wash my face and moisturise before bed. I love face masks, I do them all the time."

Avoid the sun: "I never sit in direct sunlight and I always put on an SPF50 when I'm on the beach."

Work with your skin tone: "When people try to make me look tanned it can look a bit silly. Pale suits me best."

Keep it fresh: "My favourite look is a bit of glow on cheeks and a see-through lip colour."

Show off your skin: "I like makeup that lets your skin show through. It looks fresher."