Inspiration of the Week: Highlighted Eyes

A slew of gorgeous models, including Doutzen Kroes (one of my favorite models) at the Victoria Secret Fashion Show, sporting the glow-y gaze.  All photos from Pinterest, collage made in PicCollage.  

I am loving the simple, clean look of a highlighted inner eye with healthy, radiant skin.  You can achieve this look easily with any pearly eyeshadow dabbed around the tear ducts.  Add some black mascara and a hydrating tinted moisturizer, and you are done!  To enhance this look, apply some peach blush lightly to the apples of your cheeks.  This look works for all skin tones!

How to look healthy (when you are not)

The last few days, I have been battling a brutal cold.  My nose is red and raw, my lips chapped, my eyes watery.  I have been resting at my house, but if you find yourself in a similar situation and need to be out in public, here are a couple tips to help you look healthy when you feel like death.

1.  Make sure to moisturize- Moisturizing your face will help your skin look plump, hydrated and healthier; dry skin NEVER looks healthy.  My personal favorite is Mario Badescu AHA and Ceramide Moisturizer.

2.  Un-chap those lips (and noses)- Apply a thick layer of Aquaphor or Vaseline to your lips and nose to prevent flaking and dryness.

3.  Depuff eyes-  Apply a cooling eye gel (love Mario Badescu, Aveeno, and Oil of Olay's eye gels/creams) to the under eye area. If you have a little more time, you can always apply some cucumber slices, frozen spoons, or a cold mask for a few minutes too.  I tend to stick with the eye cream only.  Then, slick on some brightening under eye concealer to camouflage dark or puffy under eyes.  Try Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer or Yves St Laurent Touché Eclat.

4. Conceal redness-  A dead giveaway to appearing under the weather is redness around the nose. Make sure to apply a moisturizing concealer to those red spots!

5. Brighten eyes-  There is not a lot that can be done to reduce watery eyes, but you can make them appear healthier with a coat or two of mascara (waterproof to combat the wateriness!) and a little dab of highlighter on the inner corners.  Any light, slightly iridescent eyeshadow or highlighter will work.

6.  Reduce pallor-  If the color has drained from your face, swipe on a peachy blush on the apples of your cheeks to give a radiant look.  A cream blush, like Stila Convertible Color, will work even better if your skin is dry.

I am not including photos of myself in this post, as I look and feel like death:)

Give it a try and let me know if you think these tips help!  Please share your comments, suggestions, etc in the comments sections below!

You Are What You Eat!

You may not be aware of it, but the foods you eat can really make a difference in your appearance.  Here is a list of foods that can help make you look more radiant, youthful and healthy.

Foods rich in Omega-3 and Omega-6: Helps hydrate and replenish skin and hair.  Foods to eat:  Oily fish (sardines, tuna, salmon), walnuts, flaxseeds, and nut and seed oils

Antioxidants:  Help destroy free radicals (disease and cancer causing molecules in the body), and can increase the plumpness and elasticity in the skin.  Foods to eat:  Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, grapes, bell peppers, spinach, tomatoes, green tea, coffee, wine

Zinc:  Speeds up healing, helps heal acne, and brightens a dull complexion Foods to eat:  Shrimp, green leafy vegetables, eggs

Vitamin A: Helps skin stay supple, keeps eyes and hair healthy 

Foods to eat:  Whole milk, liver, oily fish, eggs

Vitamin C: Helps produce collagen for skin elasticity

Foods to eat: Peppers, peas, kiwi, strawberries

Beta-carotene: Protects against aging effects of sunlight

Foods to eat: Spinach, apricots, mangoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, tomatoes