Expert Skin Care

Halle Berry has it all: iconic beauty, an Academy Award and a happy family. Still, one thing is missing: “I’ve always wanted my very own fragrance, one that defines who I am,” Halle told OK!. In an OK! exclusive, Halle shares her style secrets and beauty tips and talks about her new fragrance Halle by Halle Berry.

The stunning actress and doting mom of 19-month-old daughter Nahla with her gorgeous boyfriend Gabriel Aubry finally has the sexy scent that she’s been seeking for. “And because the scent you wear says a lot about you, I’ve taken the time to choose the one that’s just right for me,” she told OK!.

How is the fragrance an extension of your personality?
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become more in touch with my sexuality. I feel more free, and I like expressing it. I love this fragrance because it’s very sensual, sexy and playful, on top of being exotic and fruity.

Describe your personal style.
It all depends on my mood and how I’m feeling at that time in my life. But there’s always a simplicity to my look — I don’t like getting overly done-up.

What’s your beauty mantra?
I’m not one of those people who opts for plastic surgery, so my philosophy is to take care of what you have. I’m really serious about my skin-care regimen at night. I never ever go to bed — or even nap — with makeup on.

Are you high or low maintenance when it comes to your beauty routine?
I’m a fanatic about skin care, but when it comes to makeup, I’m not. Some days I’ll go out with no makeup on and not even care, because I don’t have the time to be that concerned about it.

Can you share some of the top beauty tips you’ve picked up along the way?
Don’t wear too much makeup, because you can ened up looking like a man in drag! And learn how to line your lips.

Are you into experimenting with your look?
I went back to short hair after having long hair for five years. That’s the beauty of being a woman right now — you can change up your look any way you want because there are no limits. It’s acceptable to have short hair one day and long the next.

Are you planning a follow-up fragrance?
I’m a big orchid lover, so I’d love to do something tied to my favorite flower. If you walk into my house any day of the week you’re guaranteed to find orchids somewhere.

Julie Hewett is a very important person in Hollywood. Many celebrities and filmmakers count on Julie to make beautiful faces. Some of her clients include Mandy Moore, Jodie Foster, Debra Messing, and Kate Beckinsale. She has done the makeup work for movies including The Women, Oceans Thirteen, Because I Said So, Pearl Harbor, American Beauty, and many more. I had the amazing opportunity to interview Julie. Trust me, you don’t want to miss her tips.

Gabrielle: Julie, at what point in your life did you realize you wanted to be a make-up artist?

Julie: I was a fashion designer who could not sew and sat around drawing faces... when I got to do it .. I realized it was my calling!

Gabrielle: You have an array of celebrity clients. Are there any particular looks that are requested on a regular basis?

Julie: Each of my celebrity clients have their own signature looks... but my most requested look is a smashing red mouth with dewey fresh skin.

Gabrielle: Have a lot of your jobs stemmed from the first relationships you made in the very beginning?

Julie: Absolutely. There is no business without your return customers.. the same is true with make up. The greatest compliment is being asked back. I have clients for over 20 years and I am still thrilled they keep calling!

Gabrielle: Have you seen a beauty look that people think is ‘in’ and it just isn’t?

Julie: Cartoon black eye make up is great on the runway but not on the subway

Gabrielle: In your opinion, what is the key secret to being beautiful?

Julie: Besides the obvious great bone structure.. there is an ease and confidence to real beauty. Being comfortable in your own skin and making the most of your own uniqueness..and radiating joy helps too.

Gabrielle: What is your best-kept beauty secret?

Julie: I love pure organic camellia oil. I put it all over. It absorbs like nothing else. I even made a camellia balm for lips,eyes to soften the dry sensitive areas. (juliehewett.net)

Gabrielle: For my readers, is there any ‘never fail’ skin care of make-up tip you want to share?

Julie: Remove your make up with a hot wash cloth (you can drench,wring out, add a few drops of lavender essential oil put in the microwave for 2 minutes or so) It is an instant facial...... it melts your make up off.

Gabrielle: For aspiring make-up artists, or people who want to break into the beauty industry, can you outline an idea of what a day is like in your shoes?

Julie: The alarm goes off well before sunrise.. you rush to the trailer and you have 18 minutes set up time.. read the call sheet prepare for the day's work. Doing the make up is only part of the job. Go to set... watch the monitor for any unwelcome shine... touch up.. go to lunch.. touch up again. ..touch up again.... .

Gabrielle: Is there anyone in particular that you can say was an absolute pleasure to work with?

Julie: I just recently worked with Debra Messing. What a dream!!!!!!!!!! She loves make up. It was a joy to create lots of characters with her. We did Queen Elizabeth to Sharon Stone. It was so much fun. The Starter Wife was a blast.

Gabrielle: Is there anyone that you hope to work with in the future?

Julie: I just got hired to work with Miley Cyrus. who is so beautiful and talented. I am very excited!!!!

Thank you so much Julie! You’re an inspiration!

1. Fight Ingrown Hairs: Two days after a bikini wax, exfoliate your skin with a sea-salt scrub. It'll prevent dead skin build-up and blocked pores.

2. Apply Eyeliner Perfectly: Instead of trying to draw one long line, use short strokes, which are easier to control so you're less likely to end up with gaps.

3. Prevent Dark Polish Stains on Your Skin: Before removing a dark shade of nail polish, put lotion on the skin around your nails, which stops the color from spreading to your skin.

4. Keep Your Lips Bacteria-Free: Instead of dipping your fingers into a lip balm pot over and over again, use a cotton swab (cut in half to save money!) to avoid bacteria and germs. Then chuck the swab at the end of the day.

5. Fight Ingrown Hairs: Two days after a bikini wax, exfoliate your skin with a sea-salt scrub. It'll prevent dead skin build-up and blocked pores.

Are you wondering what is the secret behind Julia Roberts' beauty? Well, the Hollywood damsel is revealing her beauty secret for you! She claims that the key to staying beautiful is always to be looking at someone who loves you.

The 41-year-old successful actress is mother to three kids! Her happy family consists of 3-year-old twins Hazel and Phinnaeus and 1-year-old son, Henry, with husband, Danny Moder. Julia Roberts insists all of them make her look beautiful.

She also shares the secret behind a successful family life
. All of them share their feelings in a simple way. Moreover the parents do show their love for each other in the presence of their kids too!

Victoria’s Secret model Marisa Miller is already naturally gorgeous, and always has that beach girl-look about her, so she's the perfect person to ask about how to get that summer style. Plus, as the current cover girl of Shape magazine, we had to grill her about her secrets for getting into shape for the warm months ahead.

Hollyscoop caught up with Marisa at the W Hollywood’s stunningly seductive WET Pool, and she gave us the scoop on how to look and feel great this summer.

When asked what some of her beauty tips were, she told us, “I think one of the most important things is to work out. I mean obviously no one likes to work out, but it's really important to be toned and firmed. It's really important not to forget your skin either. Coming from winter, it's like we're all a little dry, and it's important to exfoliate and to use SPF.”

We whole-heartedly agree that being tan (as well as toned) is a summer must, but we Hollyscoopers know the sun’s harmful rays are not the way to get that glow! Luckily, Marisa clued us in on a great product that’ll give you a guilt-free bronze.

She told Hollyscoop, “I love this product by Victoria's Secret, Bare Bronze, because it has sunscreen and a self-tanner in it so it's great because you can really gradually build up your color transitioning from spring to summer and it hides a lot of imperfections....so it's really important not to forget about your skin when swimsuit season is coming up.”

We asked her if laying out in the sun was a big no-no for her, and Marisa said, “I used to. I've grown up at the beach my whole life, I surf, and the last 2 years because the self tanner is so great.... maybe 10 years ago the color wasn't so great, but I mean now this Bare Bronze product I use is awesome. That's what I use and I notice my skin looks better and it's really important to use SPF.”

Aside from exercise, Marisa is adamant about maintaining a healthy diet as well. Here’s one of her supermodel secrets: “One of the things that I do before I have a big shoot is, for breakfast I'll have a big smoothie. It's really simple to make and it's easy if you're on the go and you just have a couple minutes. I'll do organic blueberries, frozen berries, a banana, yogurt, and protein powder, and it fills you up but it's good because it's good to replace with a smoothie. It makes your skin pretty. It's a nice little slimming tip.”

With Marisa’s busy schedule of modeling, it’s hard to imagine she has any time left in the day! But we asked if she’s thinking about her future, and if she wants to be a mother some day.

Marisa told Hollyscoop, “Of course. Heidi Klum...I'm such a fan of her and how she balances everything so great and she has kids and such a great family life, so that's definitely something I aspire one day, but it's a little difficult when you model swimwear!”

How Much Makeup?

The average female uses up to 20 different skincare products per day (according to a recent study). This adds up to a phenomenal amount of makeup and skincare product use per year. This is particularly interesting due to the fact that most of these products contain a large helping of chemicals.

Thus, these chemicals are absorbed through the skin result in various skin problems and ageing issues. While some chemicals that are contained within skincare and makeup products might be ok to use on their own, there’s no telling when these products might do once they are mixed.

A Chemical Reaction?

As basic chemistry teaches us, when two chemicals are mixed together there is often a reaction. Thus, the various products that women put on their face during any one given day may result in a chemical reaction that is less than positive.

What can be done about this possible problem? Simply put, we have to be more careful about the products that we place upon our skin. It is crucial to understand what each chemical inside of a makeup or skincare product does, and whether or not it will cause a negative reaction when it is mixed with another product.

Where Do Chemicals Go?

If a small amount of a skincare product is accidentally swallowed, then the stomach will simply break up that product resulting in no harm done. However, if a product is simply placed upon the skin, it will be instantly absorbed, and it will enter into your bloodstream almost immediately.
This means that you could be doing a lot more harm to your skin than you think. Take a good look at those chemicals that are included in your skincare and makeup products. Find out what each chemical means, and make sure that they are not part of the "chemical watch list."

Possible Problems

Some chemicals that are currently under scrutiny include parabens and sodium lauryl suphate. While the cosmetics industry states that there is no need for concern, this may not be entirely true.

For the time being, simply be aware of the things that you are placing upon your skin. If a skincare product is laden with chemicals, take the time to figure out what those chemicals are...and ask yourself if you should be using organic products instead.

Go Organic

Most organic products are derived from natural sources. This means that these products contain items that are safe for your skin. You can feel good about using an organic product when it comes to your skin.

Unlike other chemical laden products, organic products will not harm your skin. In the end, it’s worth it to take a closer look at the skincare products that you do use. While there may not be any known chemical side effects at the moment, these things have a way of changing in the blink of any eye.

Explore How to stop possible and harmful effects of applying makeup and start a skin care revolution with the innovative technology brining professional clinical results which enables women and men of all ages boost collagen production and create amazing anti-aging results.

1. LIGHTEN UP
   
   The heavy moisturizing cream that you used in the winter months may be a little too heavy for spring. Switch to a lighter, oil-free formula instead, but still pay close attention to the skin around your eyes and mouth. Don't forget to apply sunscreen every time you leave the house.
   
   Makeup colors should lighten up too. Put aside your dark lipstick, blush and eye shadow and go for a little more natural look this season. Replace the plum and wine colors with more pinks. For daytime use a lip gloss, rather than a lipstick, and switch from black mascara to brown. Instead of a liquid foundation, switch over to tinted moisturizer or mineral powder instead.
   
   
2. EXFOLIATE YOUR BODY
   
   As you toss your boots and sweaters to the back of your closet, you probably realize that you will be exposing a lot more skin soon. Shorts weather is almost here and bikini time is right around the corner. Skin care isn't just about your face. Body care is important too. Exfoliate from head to toe to slough away dead skin cells and rejuvenate your dull complexion. Follow these tips on how to exfoliate and get a smooth, glowing complexion.
   
   
3. PAMPER YOUR FEET
   
   Your tootsies have been hiding all winter long but it's time to break out the sandals. If you can't afford a trip to the salon, you can do your own pedicure at home. Add 3 cups of milk and one cup of honey to a large basin and soak your feet for 20 minutes, massaging the liquid into your skin. Use a pumice stone to remove extra rough patches. Rinse your feet with warm water and pat dry. If you have dry, cracked heels, slather petroleum jelly on your feet before bedtime and sleep in a pair of clean, white cotton socks.
   
   
4. DRINK MORE WATER
   
   It's no secret that water is great for your body and your skin. It's very important to stay hydrated in warm weather. Carry a bottle of water wherever you go, not just to the gym. Make it a habit to drink 8 glasses of water each day. Snack on berries instead of chips, cookies and other munchies. Berries are rich in antioxidants, which help fight free radicals and encourage collagen renewal.