Bafta backstage beauty secrets

(Drafted from telegraph.co.uk)

Make-up artists to the stars give their camera ready tips beauty tips.

The Lancôme make-up artist Benjamin Rousseau, who works with A-listers for the Bafta awards every year, maintains that yellow-based foundations are most flattering because they neutralise imperfections and tiredness – both exaggerated by bright lights.

‘I start applying it around the nose and mouth, then blend out over the face.’ Powder is a must, he says, but, ‘it’s a myth that you have to apply it every five minutes – you just need a good, absorbent one.’ And highlighter – for layering over blush on cheekbones or mixing with foundation – gives tired skin a lift. Benjamin’s base heroes: Lancôme Teint Idole Silky Mat Mineral Foundation SPF 16 (£24, from March at Debenhams). ‘It lasts. In 2009 we used this foundation and it stayed impeccable for 18 hours’. Lancôme Photogenic Lumessence (£27.50, John Lewis).

‘Mix with foundation to make the wearer look like she is glowing from within.’ Lancôme Translucent Ageless Minérale Powder (£28, Selfridges). ‘Absorbs oil but doesn’t age a face with powderiness.’

Dressing your lips Don’t let age dictate your lip colour: if you wear dark shades less often now make a dressy event your chance to experiment. Kristin Scott Thomas’s make-up artist, Louise Constad, is a fan of the lip-pencil – ‘It stops lipstick from bleeding’, and brush – ‘It leaves a thinner layer on your lips that lasts longer,’ she says. Once colour is on, blot, then add gloss to the centre of lips.

Benjamin Rousseau discovered last year that Kate Winslet loves Lancôme Melon Juicy Tubes (£14, John Lewis). For lipstick, Try Guerlain Berry Rouge G de Guerlain Le Brillant (£27, Debenhams).

For professional beauty, hair and styling call Hairdressers Manchester on 0161 950 9933 or visit the website via www.revoil.co.uk – professional hair and beauty salon in Manchester.

Beauty myths busted

(Drafted from timesofindia.indiatimes.com on 27-Jan-2009 by Monika Rawal)

Be it health or sexual fallacies or wrong perceptions about beauty, once accepted, myths are tough to be dumped. Here are some of the most common beauty myths that we get experts to bust.

Myth #1: Sun screen isn’t required during winters/cloudy days
We believe in what we see and accordingly perceive a myth as the gospel truth. As the name suggests, sun screen doesn’t imply that it needs to be applied only when Sun is shining bright. Experts say that the harmful UVA and UVB rays continue to render their damaging effects even when it’s cloudy.

Fact : “Ultra violet (UV) rays are even stronger on cloudy days and they easily penetrate, even more so, through the clouds. These rays can infiltrate the skin and that’s the reason why we get a tan even while sitting in an air-conditioned car. We don’t feel the burn because it’s cold inside, but our skin gets damaged significantly. All air hostesses and flight crew should wear UV protection on an aircraft because at the altitude at which they fly, the atmosphere is much thinner and the harmful rays penetrate through the windows of the aircraft,” warns ace make-up artist Cory Walia.

Myth # 2: Chocolates and fried food causes pimples and acne
Denying the notion that eating chocolates and fried food leads to pimples, medically supported studies have shown that the prime cause behind pimples is extreme stress or dead skin cells blocking the skin’s pores.

Fact : “Formation of pimples is an allergic reaction attributed to certain factors that the body is unable to process. It’s basically an interaction between digestive fluids from the liver and the hormones in the body and when there is a clash between the two, excessive toxins and amino acids are pushed into the blood stream. These fats accelerate the growth of pimples. You will see very beautiful people who eat two bars of chocolate every day and still their skin keeps glowing,” explains Walia.

Myth #3: Drinking lots of water makes the skin beautiful
Excess of anything is bad and the same holds true for this age-old belief that states that drinking lots of water makes the skin glow. Though water intake does contribute towards the betterment of our skin’s texture, too much of it will only result in bloating and leading to several trips to the restroom.

Fact : “Water helps flushing out the toxins from our body, but one need not go overboard. It’s a good idea to go on a Detox program once in a week where you should ideally consume 4-5 litres of water and this can include a liquid diet of vegetable and fruit juices. When you are eating wrong, doing no exercise etc, then there can be radical damage that causes ageing and disease, as it is thinning the collagen in our skin, so the water enters the body only in a limited quantity,” shares skin care expert Jamuna Pai.

For beauty treatments call Re’Voil Hair & Beauty on 0161 950 9933 for an appointment or visit the website at www.revoil.co.uk

Catherine Zeta Jones reveals her beauty secret

(Drafted from http://www.walesonline.co.uk on 26-Jan-2009 by Rachel Mainwaring)

SHE is every inch the Hollywood superstar.

Long, glossy hair, snow-white teeth, and a slim yet curvy figure most of us can only dream about.

Yet, despite having the dosh to spend thousands on a strict celebrity beauty routine, film star Catherine Zeta Jones has a few surprising beauty secrets she just can’t live without – beer, honey and a spot of fishing!

Catherine, 39, a self-confessed cosmetics junkie, admits: “I am absolutely devoted to cosmetics.

“I came out of the womb wearing make-up, and I never leave home without my eyelash curler.”

But far from relying on posh facials more in keeping with her celebrity image, Catherine believes looking good does not have to mean shelling out.

And though she is the face of cosmetics firm Elizabeth Arden, the Oscar-winning actress is more than happy to resort to more natural methods to looking good.

And, in order to keep her skin looking revitalised, Catherine swears by honey and salt.

She revealed: “I rub a mixture of honey and salt all over my body to moisturise and exfoliate. You wash it off and your skin is gorgeous.

“Also, I love to eat an apple after a meal, just to cleanse my teeth – they always look polished afterwards.”

And she recommends brushing teeth with a strawberry to get rid of those nasty stains.

She said: “The juice or pulp of strawberries contains malic acid which serves as an astringent and can lighten surface stains. Pineapples work the same way.”

That’s why some of the top restaurants serve a tiny portion – about a tablespoonful – of fruit sorbet in between courses. Because of its high citrus content, it acts as a palate cleanser. In culinary arts, it’s referred to as intermezzo, which literally means “in between the work”.

But don’t believe the tabloid tale that Catherine indulges in a £400 procedure at Hari’s, a salon in South Kensington, that involves a liquefied caviar and truffle shampoo on her hair:

She revealed: “Can you believe that story?

“I wouldn’t be wasting caviar or truffles on my hair, let me tell you. I’d prefer them on my plate, thank you very much.

“I do condition my hair with honey and beer though. I smell like the bottom of a beer barrel for days afterwards but it’s very good for the hair.”

Catherine is also a fan of fresh air and exercise – and living in the lap of luxury in Bermuda means she is a keen swimmer and golfer.

She said: “I like to swim, and I swim a lot.

“It’s the greatest exercise. I also like to play golf, often twice a week, with my girlfriends in Bermuda. A golf course is right next door to our house.

“We have a girls’ day which is always fun because it’s like: ‘Oh, we’re not playing well. Let’s go for lunch and have a glass of wine!’.

“I also love to ski with my children. That’s why we bought a place in Mont Tremblant in Canada.

“I have a great time with my children.”

To keep her figure svelte, Catherine is an advocate of sensible eating – and sometimes even likes to catch her own tea!

She said: “I eat so much chicken and fish – when it’s fresh.

“We live in Bermuda most of the time and my husband is an avid deep-sea fisherman. I’m pretty good at it too.

“I’ve caught mahimahi, and last summer, I reeled in a 40-pound wahoo, like Richard Dreyfuss in Jaws. Michael took photos and we had sushi that night for dinner.”

But the Swansea actress admits she would really like nothing better than a good lump of bread and cheese.

She said: “I’m a peasant at heart though. I could eat bread and cheese for the rest of my life. If calories didn’t count, I’d have smoked salmon sandwiches with potato chips crunched inside – and fish and chips.

“When I’m on the other side of the Atlantic, I crave Marmite. I love it – and it’s nothing like peanut butter, which I loathe.”

As a mum-of-two herself, Catherine knows only too well the strains of pregnancy on a figure.

Indeed, while pregnant with Dylan, seven, and Carys, five, the Mask of Zorro star put on three stone in weight – but she said she is appalled by Hollywood’s obsession with thinness, especially among new mothers.

She said: “I think it’s awful, this competition between actresses who just had a baby to see who can be the first to get back to their normal weight.

“It’s insane! I find this wave of super- skinny women scary… and I don’t trust mothers of young children who are too well groomed. Let’s see – you’re not with your children, you’re not with your husband – you’re with your manicurist and your pilates teacher!”

And Catherine won’t have people believe she looks as good as her screen persona all of the time.

She said: “There are people who expect me to look the way I do on-screen, where I have a great director of photography and fantastic lighting.

“I’m sorry to disappoint people, but I don’t look like that all the time – no actress does.

“I like women who look like women. I hated grunge. No-one’s more feminist than me, but you don’t have to look as if you don’t give a, you know.

“You can be smart, bright and attractive aesthetically to others – and to yourself.”

For the latest in hair styles and beauty therapies call Re’Voil Hair & Beauty on 0161 950 9933 or visit the website at www.revoil.co.uk – hair and beauty treatments in Manchester