TIPS FOR THE PERFECT POUT!

Lips are a HUGE trend this fall. So, it’s the ideal time for lip treatment tips plus a lipstick buying guide to help you pick the right shade.

There’s nothing more distracting than dry, cracked lips. So, to keep your pucker smoochable, I’m introducing the new 2-part Scosh Lip Indulgence Treatment Kit.

Part 1 - age fighting antioxidants in the Lip Exfoliating Treatment slough away dry skin from your lips and surrounding area, helping to minimize lipstick feathering.

Part 2 - the Vibran C Lip Balm spf 15 features Vitamin C wrapped around a core of Vitamin E to soften, heal and protect. Affordable indulgence!

As far as color this season, you’re going to see plums, wines and reds. The abundance of plum reds, blue reds, orange reds, and brown reds from which to choose can be a bit overwhelming. A scosh of color theory to break down the color red is just what the makeup artist ordered:

• Blue-reds are my favorite. These user-friendly reds have an added bonus in that they make your teeth look whiter. This family includes the HOT HOT HOT plum look for fall.
  
• Orange-reds are tough. This particular red family has a tendency to make your smile look yellow. But never say never, because a few of my redheads wear red with a slight gold shimmer, and it works beautifully for them.
  
• Brown-reds are better left to younger faces. These shades will age you in an instant with a mere swipe of the tube.
  
• Texture is the modern approach to the perfect red pout. If the idea of going red or plum scares you, try a gloss or sheer lipstick formula. However, if you're ready to dive in, a creamy, velvety formula is spot on.
  
• TIP: a nice sharp line is important with a creamy red formula. It's always been my practice to match your lip pencil to your lip color, not the lipstick shade. When your lipstick wears away, you won't have that tell-tale red line around your lips.

So go for it, pucker up and give your honey a smooch!

The Scosh Lip Exfoliating Treatment Kit is on SALE thru 8/31/10 at Scoshskincare.com.

Visit http://www.scoshskincare.com/ to view the entire Scosh Makeup and Skincare line, makeup lessons and customized facials.

August is International Left-handers Month!

Southpaws unite!

Some famous left-handers include Oprah, Martina Navratilova, Helen Keller, Mozart, Picasso, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, MC Escher, Mark Twain, Barack Obama, John McCain, Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, Paul McCartney, David Letterman, Buzz Aldrin, Cesar Chavez, Geronimo, and our hometown ASU golfer ‘Lefty’ Phil Michelson!

Left-Hander Fun facts:

- A southpaw is a left-handed person, especially a left-handed baseball pitcher. From the practice in baseball of arranging the diamond with the batter facing east to avoid the afternoon sun. A left-handed pitcher facing west would therefore have his pitching arm toward the south of the diamond.
- Studies have shown that left-handers are more likely to have allergies than right-handers
- Almost 15 percent of the population are lefties
- Most left-handers draw figures facing to the right
- There is a high tendency in twins for one to be left-handed
- Left-handers adjust more readily to seeing underwater
- I'm convinced Chein Garcon the Wonder Dog and Coco Butt are left-pawed

Cool News You Can Use in the Dog Days of Summer!

It’s going to be 116+ this week so here’s a few tips for Summer Skin Survival!

The average skin is made up of 2 to 3 gallons of water. Your weight divided by 2 is the minimum number of oz. of water needed per day! Conversion chart; 8 oz./cup, 16 oz./pint, 32 oz./quart, 128 oz./gallon. Drink up!

Alleviate perspiration along hairline by using an Antiperspirant Gel. Apply to your fingers first and then apply to the face along hairline. Remember, with any new mask or treatment, test the product on a tiny area of skin first (try it behind the ear) to make sure it won't cause irritation.

Soak in diluted vinegar for minor sunburn pain. Pour 2-3 cups of white vinegar into a bathtub of tepid water and soak. It's very soothing. PLUS a bath is much more comfortable than a pounding shower stream on the skin. Rinse in cool water to delete vinegar smell. TIP - put a 50/50 water/vinegar solution in a spray bottle and keep in the refrigerator for a cooling mist of relief!

Aloe gel is available in a spray can now! Aloe is soothing, healing and keeps skin hydrated. TIP- keep gel or spray in frig for additional cooling comfort.

Flip-flop Dry Feet. Exfoliate first concentrating on the heels with Scosh Microderm Crème Scrub, or Scosh Cleanse mixed with a dime size of baking soda. Then apply olive oil, Vaseline or Aquaphor followed by white cotton socks or peds overnight for smooth, soft tootsies in the morning!

Don’t be too clean! OK, I know this sounds weird but, bar soap can be very drying. If you’re sunburned, stay away from highly fragrant bubble baths, soaps, colognes and perfumes - they may be too irritating to your already parched skin. And don't scrub too hard. Stick with mild gel formulas, like Scosh Cleanse.

How to Clean Your Makeup Brushes

Washing your brushes weekly to remove facial oils and bacteria will not only help your brushes last longer, but it will reduce the risk of contaminating your makeup with bacteria. It is also essential to your skin health that you keep your brushes clean and sanitized since they are in fact touching your face. This is especially critical for anyone suffering from breakouts or congested skin.

Put a dime size amount of a gentle shampoo and water - 50/50 mix, in the palm of your hand, dip brush into mixture and gently make a “lazy crazy eight” motion several times. Rinse the brush clean with fresh water, repeat if necessary. After cleansing your brush always position the bristles back into shape. For a powder or blush brush, you can tap the handle several times on the back of your hand to “fan out” the bristles. For eye makeup brushes simply mold the bristles back into shape using your fingers. Allow brushes to thoroughly air dry before using or storing them.

If you want the right application, you need the right tool. A great makeup brush can make all the difference in the world when applying your makeup. I am very proud to offer a complete range of superior makeup brushes that I have personally chosen based on my years of experience doing professional makeup. I’m also happy to say that my brushes are totally affordable without sacrificing quality. You can check out my complete range of makeup brushes at scoshskincare.com.

Shaving - doesn’t have to be a pain in the neck!

Does the idea of shaving every morning make your neck turn red with irritation? Do you finish your shave with nicks, cuts and bumps? Do you chafe your sweeties face when you give her a smooch?

A really great shave has 3 important components: your hardware, your software and lots of moisture.

Let’s start with your shaving hardware; choices are the girly disposable razors, cartridge razors and the classic double-edge razor. There’s also the straight razor, and we do live in the west but, nah!

Shaving aficionados love the superior double-edge razor blade for a much closer shave. Used in combination with a quality badger shaving brush and cream, you have all the necessary ingredients for a Wet Shave. However, if you decide to use a multi-blade cartridge razor please remember to change your cartridge frequently. A dull razor is definitely the culprit for razor burn. And don’t use your girlfriends or wife’s disposable razors for anything. Period.

Ideally, if you can, shave in the shower. Beard stubble will soften the longer you’re in that wet steamy environment.

Start with a really good shaving gel, cream or moisturizer. Stay away from alcohol based products which will not only make your face sting, but also dry your skin. Massage the cream or gel into your skin to soften stubble and help create a protective barrier that allows your razor to glide easily across your skin.

Shave downward with the grain or in the direction that your hair grows, using slow careful strokes. This usually means down your cheeks and face and up your neck. Going with the grain helps prevent razor rash. Rinse your blade often.

Many men suffer from shave bumps and ingrown hairs, which happen when particularly tough stubble is cut and grows back underneath the skin. Regular use of a face scrub with Jojoba beads helps remove dead skin cells while helping to free in ingrown hair.

And if you have really tough stubble you may have to shave twice; once in the direction of your growth, rinse, cream up again and then shave against the grain.

Once you’ve finished shaving, rinse and then pat your face with a clean towel. Finish with a moisturizer with UV protection all over your face and neck to keep your face moist and supple.

Store your blade to air dry. Leaving your blade in water will dull the blade and possibly breed bacteria.

So, go ahead have a great shave and give your sweetie a kiss!

My male clients LOVE to use Scosh Matte Hydrate Moisturizer as a shave cream;http://www.scoshskincare.com/s_moisturizers.php

No Oompa Loompa’s here!

Fortunately, the orange, oompa loompa self-tanning products from the 80’s and 90’s are becoming a distant memory. The newest self-tanning formulas available are elegant and produce great results with the right application.

Follow my tips for a beautiful self-tanning experience:

• Exfoliate the areas of your face or body you plan to tan. Avoid streaking by paying extra attention to elbows, knees and ankles.
• Dry off completely and get out of that steamy bathroom, to reduce streaking.
• Apply self-tanner evenly. A tinted product will help you see where you’re applying.
• Mist-on self-tanners in a spray can are great for hard to reach areas like your back, but I’d suggest a trial run before any special event to get your application method down first.
• Blend, blend, blend around your hairline and on your elbows, knees and ankles.
• After application, wash your hands well; scrub your cuticles and fingernails. Brown fingernails are not your goal!
• Take a dry cotton swab and lightly go over the outline of your brows to blend.
• Wait a full 20 minutes before dressing. Even then, avoid wearing white.
• Your color should develop in 2 or 3 hours.
• Don’t wash your face or shower for at least 3 hours.
• For a deeper tan, try another application within 24 hours, but this time skip exfoliation.
• Avoid using any skincare and body care products containing chemical or physical exfoliants after self-tanning, as the exfoliation will strip the color from your skin.

If you follow these tips, you should have a beautiful self-tan. Tanning in the sun or in a tanning bed is not only dangerous, but an open invitation to age spots, wrinkles and skin cancer. The Only Safe Tan Is A Fake Tan!

Just remember that a tan, chemical or physical, DOES NOT offer protection from the sun. Use an SPF 15 or SPF 30 with UVA/UVB protection every single day, rain or shine. Last but not least, remember you are beautiful just as you are, tanning is optional.

How Vitamin C Works

I LOVE Vitamin C!

Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) is one of the relatively few topical agents whose effectiveness against wrinkles and fine lines is backed by reliable scientific evidence. Ascorbic Acid has been proven to be photo-protective; a formidable defense against solar-induced free radicals. It plays a potent role in diminishing the effects of free radical damage and is quite effective as a protectant from ultra violet light damage. (Remember last month - ALL rays do damage!)

Vitamin C as an Antioxidant: ultraviolet radiation can generate oxygen free radicals that cause aging of the skin. Vitamin C can act as a first defense, against some of these radicals.

Vitamin C and Collagen: collagen is a key component of most tissues. Vitamin C works as an essential factor for the normal formation, maintenance and structural stability of collagen.

Topical Vitamin C has shown to protect the skin from UV damage caused by prolonged sun exposure by reducing the amount of free radical formation and/or sunburn cells. As a result Vitamin C plays an essential part in slowing down photoageing.

So, cleanse daily with your Vibran-C Cleanser, followed by C Serum 20%, and your Vibran-C Day Lotion spf 15. And don’t forget to use your Vibran C Mask and Peel frequently. And take advantage of the 25% discount on ALL Vibran C products June 8 - June 19th, 2010, knowing that you are doing some good as well as feeling good!

You can find all the above Scosh goodies at, http://www.scoshskincare.com/.