Craving...

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Happy Friday SWEETS! I've been craving sugary treats recently. I love it all .. cookie dough, the frosting right off the top of a cupcake, and fine chocolates with caramel with lots of salt on top!  Okay, now that I've disclosed my weakness I hope we can still be friends :)

With Mother's Day, Graduations, and Weddings coming up, I thought you might like this!

 How fun are these?! The Rolls Royce of chocolates all dolled up. Just pop the top off and inside you will be treated to an amazing taste sensation!

What a statement by grouping in bunches!

 

I have inherited a CHOCOLATE CRAVING gene directly from my Mom (there she is buying a boatload of yummies) and you aren't going to believe what's inside some of these sweet treats! We were handed an innocent round ball of chocolate and were told to "bite..and hold in your mouth" for a second. Heehee, so we did and got to laughing a little!

An assortment of vodka, brandy, tequila - shot chocolates! Mmmmm!

As we headed back home, I popped a few one in my mouth and wondered if this was the best snack to enjoy while driving ;)

www.dianekronchocolates.com

Malibu CA

310-317-0400

www.dkron.com

Meditate ... Mediterranean... Salmon

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Tonight is an unusual night because the house is a quiet and my husband is out with business folks for dinner. I would not care to have it this quiet every night, but sometimes it feels wonderful and almost therapeutic. I stopped at my local fish market on the way back from the office and picked up a little piece of king salmon.
 I'm making a {mini} Mediterranean Salmon Bake  So easy and so good! All you need is..

I'm making just a small piece (it's just me).

 Chop up some gourmet olives, add some mayo, white pepper, plash of Worcestershire sauce, capers, and a squeeze of lemon. This doesn't need to be exact, just eye it.

Bake it at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes. I usually take my salmon out a few minutes early and let it finish cooking in parchment paper.

                    Mmmm! Just dig in.. Delicious served with a salad, fresh bread, and beverage of your choice. So many great recipes here in my Junior League of Seattle cookbook!

.. and I should also mention that as soon as I get everything cleaned up, dinner on my plate.. the family shows. Well, I almost had a second to myself! 


So happy everyone is back and wouldn't trade my happy chaos for anything! 


How do you like to spend your {few and far between} moments of down time?


                   
                  leslie

Flawless

                   


                                                     Make up by Sequoia Leopold  Photo by Susan Stockman           
                                                                       My daughter

Today I'm visiting my friend former NFL Cheerleader, Professional Make up Artist and owner of My Flawless Tan Sequoia Leopold to discuss make up specific to the mature face and the flawless tan. 

                                          


   I am dedicated to providing my clients with a beautiful natural sunless tan while saving their skin from the harmful effects of the sun and artificial tanning beds.   Sequoia Leopold

Before we get to the make up, don't forget that the only safe tan is a fake tan. A little unprotected sun exposure (about a half hour a day) is okay but beyond that, you should wear a sunscreen. Your Doctor will recommend a supplement of 1-2,000 I.U. of Vitamin D daily and to have your levels checked periodically to see if you need more. Skin that is damaged by sun has a greater risk of developing skin cancer, looses its elasticity and will appear discolored and blotchy over time. Women that have spent too much time in the sun, young girls that use a tanning booth, I see the end result and it's not pretty. It's never to late to start taking care of your skin. 


Tanning.. click

  
Air-Brush Tannning or a self-tanner is an option for a special event or on a day that you would like to wear a dress or short sleeved top. Sometimes I apply shimmery bronzer on my arms or legs to help camouflage minor imperfections and add a nice sun-kissed color to my otherwise white and pasty skin. Visit Sequoia's website to learn more about air-brush tanning.  


On to make up! When a face is young the skin appears tight and full, making an easy canvas for color and make up artistry. As we mature and the shape and feel of our skin changes, and most of us will instinctively change our choice of skin care and cosmetics. Sequoia chooses products that work well during high definition photography such as MAC and Smashbox.  We would like to state that these are GENERAL recommendations and may not work for you. 


Sequoia's FAVORITE pics for make-up:


1. Smashbox Photo Finish: For even foundation coverage and a flawless face, always prime before applying foundation.  2. Add a little luminescence with MAC Strobe Cream.  


            
3. No shimmer or glitter below the brow. Brule or Blanc Type are her pics for highlighting under the brow.


                                                          

4. An eye lid primer helps keep the shadow from creasing and will allow for more even coverage. Eye Primer Paint Pot by Mac. 


                  


 5. Staying away from the shimmer and glitter, Sequoia recommends matted neutrals. Below is the quad I picked up at her studio. Can't go wrong with these and a must for a basic neutral eye. Liners can be applied to upper and/or lower lid and the thickness and length of the line will depend on your eye shape.

           
6. Sequoia says she's currently obsessed with Dainty Blush by MAC, however she stresses that color choices depend on skin tone and texture.


                                                        


7. Lips: No to lip liner (mature women sometimes have vertical lines that may cause the liner to spread) and yes to MAC Lip Conditioner and Lipstick.
                            
Because I'm all about giving women options, here are a few other products on my vanity  that I think work well on mature skin.





1. Laura Mercier link primer/shadow
2. Jouer Lip Conditioner link
3. I liked these variations of plum by Laura Mercier for the spring time. If I go too light/neutral, my face feels washed out so adding a product with more pigment to the outer edges helps brighten my look. Nars, Chanel, and Dior are wonderful make up lines.


When it comes to amount and color choices for make up, skin condition (more so than age) is most important. To wear, or not to wear shimmer.. this varies so much from person to person. Some women are able to wear a little shimmer on the inner corners of the eyes and it looks great, others not so good. If your lips have vertical creases, stay away from liner. If you  don't have a lot of vertical lip lines, try a little liner over a lip conditioner and see how it works.  Personally I still use a liner and love it. Make up is like clothing, a little trendy piece can be worn at any age as long as you don't get carried away. I love the leopard flat or scarf paired with a classic outfit! There are lots of wonderful blushes out there. Many women prefer a cream blush as there skin matures. Again, it's a personal choice as to what works best for you. 







Finding the perfect serum to calm or protect the skin is helpful and gives the face a little glow. Recently I've tried Veronia Skin Care  Seaweed Peptide Serum and like the calming, hydrating feel. This product came to me through a giveaway hosted my friend Debby at 4inspireddesign. Regardless of your age, healthy skin is most first and foremost in my book. 


To conclude: Use a light hand when applying make up, less is more, lean towards the neutrals, keep shadows more central to the lid to prevent the powder from gathering in crows feet, if the eye lid is  "hooding" apply your darker shadow slightly above, rather than IN the crease to give the illusion of a lift, make sure all of your make up is well blended, and most important ~ take care of the body and skin that you're in. It's the only one you get!


Hopefully you were able to get at least one helpful make up tip today!


            Have a wonderful week!


                    ox
                   leslie
                 Licensed Medical Aesthetician
                                                                      Dermatology