Q. I am getting older, 43, and don’t know what to do with my hair. It’s showing some grey, and it’s boring. I don’t want to go really short either. What do you suggest?




A. The New York Times Bestseller, “How Not To Look Old”, by Charla Krupp lists some very specific strategies for staying young and hip. The book makes suggestions for hair that I have found to be valuable. Charla states that nothing ages you like grey hair, too-short bangs, too-long hair parted down the middle, helmet head hair, hair that is too high, a severe up-do, or visibly thinning hair. She goes on to claim that once you reach a certain age, you look better with bangs. I have found this to be the case unless you have very curly hair or cowlicks in the front hair line. Bangs accentuate your best features and camouflage negative ones like a large forehead, wrinkles on the forehead, or a receding hairline. Soft fringe (the term in the beauty biz for bangs), can draw attention to your eyes and away from your jaw line which may be starting to show some signs of age. It may seem like a simple thing to cut bangs but it’s really best left to a professional stylist. A good stylist can assure you the correct length of bangs, the right angle and can make sure your hair is balanced. The popularity of bangs peak and valley but they never go out of style and they almost always make you look younger. Your question seemed to suggest that you are thinking about color for your hair as well. Going back to the Charla Krupp philosophy she states that in order to look young, fresh, and vibrant color your hair two shades lighter than your natural color and around your face 3 or 4 shades lighter. She calls hair highlights the makeup you never take off. Ms. Krupp claims that hair color is fashion and that the current fashion trend is shiny, expensive color. She goes on to claim that a great hair color is a status symbol, like a designer hand bag. She calls hair color and investment and suggests that you protect it with the proper shampoos and conditioner. I agree with her. As we age we all become a little more high maintenance. Investing in our self keeps you in the game both at work and in your personal life. Being 43 is a great age, you are still young and vibrant plus you are most likely wise from your life experiences. Your appearance should be as full of life as you are, but don’t get too caught up in the trap of younger is always better. Be the best you can be and embrace the strength and power that only comes with the richness of having lived a while.

Q. I am 23 and am just starting to grow a goatee. My girlfriend says I would look better in a full beard. How do you suggest men decide what type of beard to wear?




A. In the female dominated world of personal style facial hair is one option that is exclusively masculine. While the classic clean shaven face will always be in style, it is very trendy right now to have facial hair of one type or another. A few considerations before you choose what to do with your whiskers. You are 23, how well does your facial hair grow? If it’s sparse or choppy you could end up looking like Shaggy from Scooby Do fame, not so attractive. Other considerations are your facial shape, and your skills with the razor or the trimmers. The five o’clock shadow, about a day’s growth of facial hair, is a fun popular look with the 20 and 30 something crowd. It’s great because you can wear it on a weekend or to a party, look hip and masculine, but shave it off easily for work on Monday. While this look is sexy and cool on younger men, it tends to look un-kept or sloppy on the older man, with the possible exception of George Clooney. The full beard and mustache is great for men with a slightly full face. You can be creative in how you trim the sides and this look is also good for the man with some acne scars or other facial imperfections to hide. Be sure to keep it trim and neat at the bottom edges if you want to stay stylish. Stats show that most women do not like the full beard if it’s bushy, sloppy or too long. Right now, the most popular facial hair trend for young men is the goatee. Brad Pitt may have helped make this look so popular but it is by far the most worn at the moment. As with the full beard, be sure you keep the bottom edges clean and neat. If your beard is full you may also need to keep the trimmer handy to assure your goatee is not too bushy. Here’s the fun part about being a man and growing your facial hair. You can try out lots of looks and be creative. Unlike growing out your hair for a new hair style, your beard grows quickly and you can change it up often. Have fun with it. Try a few styles and you can decide what looks great on you.

Q, Is there any basic rules about what blush to buy? My sister has very light skin and I think she wears her blush too dark. I have darker skin and that same blush looks ok on me. I know it’s hard to say for sure without seeing someone but do you have a basic guide we can follow?




A. Natural cheek tones, like skin tones vary from person to person. I could write a whole chapter on how to use the color wheel, the base color in your complexion, the amount of red or yellow you have in your skin, etc… The best solution is to visit a salon or spa with a makeup artist. Bring your makeup bag in with you. Have the specialist go over your skin, give you a makeover with their product and then have them do a comparison and evaluation of your entire makeup bag. If a color is wrong for you, give it away or throw it away. Don’t wear what does not look great on you. That is my best advice to anyone interested in updating their makeup or their appearance. Now to really answer your question, I can give you some very basic guidelines. Soft pink color tones are ideal for light skinned people. Peach tones tend to be the best for medium skin tones and that would be the largest majority of people. Peach toned blushes are the most recommended. Darker skinned women look best in plum or grape based shades. Another way to blush is a bronzer. All skin tones will look good in a version of a bronzer. Lighter bronzer tones for lighter skin, medium bronze for most of us, and darker bronzes for darker skin. The reason bronzers tend to be more universal is that they more closely match the way our skin darkens naturally in the sun. My advice to anyone who plans on spending money on makeup is always to try before you buy. Go someplace, I advise a spa or salon, and have someone help you find the shades that work best on you. Then buy only what you think looks great.

Q. I have dark circles under my eyes. No matter how much sleep I get they never go away. What do you suggest?




A. I get this question a lot because the problem is a common one. It’s a problem with many possible causes. I just had a client in my facial room this weekend asking me about her dark circles. I gave her the advice I am going to give to you. The leading causes for dark under eye circles are lack of quality sleep, allergies and heredity. You can usually correct the first two but you are stuck with the DNA you inherit. Sleep deprivation is a real problem; often not taken seriously enough but one that is the source of many health complications. You indicated to me that the circles remain no matter how much sleep you get, so this may not be your issue. On the other hand, it’s the quality of sleep you are getting that is as important as the number of hours you spend in bed. Things like alcohol use, some medications or drugs, sleep apnea or even menopausal symptoms can impact the quality of sleep. When sleep quality is poor your skin can become pale and circulation is reduced. This alone will make the dark circles more pronounced and visible. Allergies are a major cause of under eye darkness. If you can have a doctor test you for allergies and remove the allergen, your dark circle problem should go away. Your DNA is another matter entirely. You can’t change that. No matter what the source of your dark circles here are some treatments that work. Before going to bed soften some caffeinated tea bags (not herbal or decaf) in hot water, put them into zip bags and store in the fridge. In the morning put the cold tea bags over your eyes and put a pillow or towel under your neck. Let the top of your head fall down a little with your neck supported and the bags on your eyes. The combination of gravity and tannin (an ingredient in tea) mixed with the cooling bags will rid you of both the dark circles and any puffiness. You’ll need to leave them on about 10 – 15 mins. You can do this trick right before you go out for the evening and your eyes will look fresh and circle free. Another treatment many find successful is Vitamin K and Retinol. These can be found in many under eye creams. Choose creams that have high contents of both the K and Retinol. Other things that help are plenty of water, good fresh fruits and veggies in your diet, limiting your salt intake and not smoking. If in the end you still have some darkness remaining, stop in to a spa and have a professional makeup lesson. You’ll be amazed at what the correct cover up can do.