mary yang esthetics

Myth #1:  Facial exercies tone facial muscles and make a person appear younger.
Truth:  Ever heard of the “facial exercise ball”?  The one that you lock between your chin and neck?  Yep, t’s bunk.  The face is the only part of the body where muscles are attached directly to the skin; there are no facial ligaments or tissue.  As a matter of fact, constant facial exercise and tugging will actually contribute to to even more lines.  Wrinkles form  most often along expression lines caused by facial movements.  Think crow’s feet or frown lines. 

Myth #2:  Vitamin E minimizes scarring.
Truth:  Now this one seems to have been circulating for decades.  But the truth is, there isn’t any evidence that Vitamin E will do anything to help with scarring.  Some research even indicates that it may have a negative effect on scarring.  That said, Vitamin E is a great antioxidant and does a great job building the skin.

Myth #3:  Cucumbers help reduce puffiness around the eyes.
Truth:  Actually, this isn’t so much of a myth…it’s just that instead of reducing puffiness, what the cucumber will do is hydrate the skin temporarily because the main ingredient in cucumbers is 90% water.  No cucumbers on hand?  No problem – a cold compress will do the trick just as well.

Myth #4:  Skin pores open and close.
Truth:  This is just not possible.  They can certainly fill with dirt and clog up, yeah, but they don’t “open and close” and they certainly don’t change size.  The oilier the skin, the larger the pores.  This is because pores are opening in the skin that allow oils (aka sebum) to reach the surface.

Myth #5:  The higher the SPF rating, the better.
Truth: SPF ratings only refer to protection from UVB rays.  A person needs sun protection that has chemical and physical blockers, plus antioxidants.  Don’t fall victim to a false sense of security by purchasing that SPF 85.  When an SPF is that high, it introduces more potentially harmful chemicals to the body.  Besides, you really don’t need to go searching for a sunscreen with an SPF that high because one with an SPF 50 is only marginally more protective than an SPF of 15;  SPF 30 has only 2% more protection that an SPF 15, and a 40 has only 1% more than a 30.  Sunscereens need to be reapplied every 90-120 minutes.  Read more here on sunscreen.

Myth #6:  Layering several products with SPF ratings increases protection.
Truth:  You are only protected to the extent of the higher rating of one product.  So combining different products with different SPF ratings will not “add up” to a new SPF value.  For the best protection, allow the sunscreen to absorb into your skin for about 30 minutes before sun exposure.

Myth #7:  Topical creams containing collagen can replace collagen.
Truth:  Ahh, if only that were so.  We could all say goodbye to injections (and that itself can have shockingly unnatural blistery results)!  There is a lack of impartial, empirical evidence that the topical application of collagen or elastin can penetrate the dermis.  They can provide moiturization to the epidermis.  If you really desire inflations, there’s only one way:  the needle.

Myth #8:  Natural and organic products are always better.
Truth:  See, I believe in going green and preserving our planet, but buyer beware! when it comes to buying organic over traditional products.  Many natural and organic products are not as they claim.  Synthetic compounds can actually be identical to those found in nature and be more effective.  Natural vs. lab-processed should not lead to a yes or no decision about whether a product is superior or inferior.  Not all chemicals are bad, and not all natural or organic ingredients are good.

Myth #9:  Using larger quantities of a product will yield better results.
Truth:  Less is more (except in the case of sunscreen, in which you will need at least a teaspoonful for your face).  Normally, a pea-sezed amount of facial product will do the trick.  But since my face is prone to dryness, I go pretty easy on the moisturizer.  Excessive amounts can wasteyour hard-earned money and may also cause skin problems if not completely cleansed.

Myth #10:  Mineral oil is bad for your skin.
Truth:  Today’s cosmeceutical mineral oil is a far cry from the industrial type that was previously used on skin.  It’s rather effective in removing excess oil from the skin since oil attracts oil.  The modern mineral oil formatied for use in skin care has a different molecular weight and will not harm skin or clog pores.

Permanent makeup aka cosmetic tattooing is a procedure used to apply natural pigment to your face by applying micro insertions into the dermal layer of the skin.  This technique can be and is used for a variety of permanent cosmetic facial enhancements such as eyebrows, eyeliner and lip liner/color.  It is applied artistically and is medically proven to be completely safe.  Done properly, it has the ability to enhance your face and save time from applying certain makeup in the morning.  If you’re on the fence about making the commitment and taking the leap, here are some pros and cons.

Pros
– Freedom and convenience from daily makeup applications
– A solution for allergies from traditional makeup
– If you suffer from tremors or have a hard time applying makeup, permanent makeup will leave lasting lines of perfection without any effort on your part
– Great for those with oily skin (and athletic types) who tend to shed makeup easily 
– For middle-aged women, it will improve the appearance of lips and brows
– For older ladies, it helps restore youthful color that’s faded with age

Cons
– Less flexibility in trying new looks
– Permanent makeup can migrate, cause allergies, and end up looking ridiculous
– It will fade over time, requiring touchups in the range of one to seven years, fading faster in sunlight
– As your body ages, your skin changes, and so may your skin tone, so your once-appealing permanent makeup may not look so hot ten years down the road.

Considering permanent makeup?  Do Your Homework.

Improve your chances of success by checking out a makeup technician and the permanent makeup business.
– Check out the facility and see whether it appears to be sanitary.  Are there separate areas from hair styling, manicure, pedicure, esthetic produres?
– Don’t be afraid to request to see their business health permit.  Inspections by county health officials are usually required in most cities.
– Inqure about the technician’s training, and find out how many hours of training he/she’s undergone.  Ask to see their official certificate.
– Review the technician’s portfolio of before-and-after photos
– Find out whether the technician belongs to any professional associations such as the American Academy of Micropigmentation or the Society of Permanent Cosmetic Professionals.  Each group sets ethical standards and provides educational opportunities for its members.
– All permanent cosmetic technicians are required to register with the health department – ask to see their registration. 
– Consider price last.  A cheap price may end up looking cheap and costing you more in the future.
– Get a referral from your dermatologist or a friend who’s gotten a great job done.

Moving forward?  Here’s what to expect.

– Topical anesthetics are used to minimize discomfort; however, it will still be painful. 
– You will still be fully aware during the procedure and will be able to decide the placement of the pigment to acheive the look you’re after.
– The initial color will be darker that the intended final color.
– There may be slight swelling or redness in the skin, but not usually.  You may resume normal activities immediately after the procedure.
– Complete healing takes 14-20 days while the pigmentation matures and reaches it’s final color.

Choices.  We’re inundated with them these days!  And that goes for everything!  Today, I was contemplating subscribing to consumerreports.com.  It’d be 26 bucks a year, but after bouncing back and forth between yes or no, I finally decided against it since I pretty much knew I wasn’t plannin’ on making any huge purchases in the upcoming year.  But it was tempting!  However, I did come across an old issue from their Nov ‘08  Shopsmart mag and found this article particularly fitting for my blog and thought I’d share it with you all.  These are the 10 best beauty websites to purchase your cosmetics from if you don’t want to make that drive out to the mall – or Target.

Beauty.com – They offer the best overall selection of makeup from natural brands to over 200 trendy brands. Free shipping with a $49+ order (can be combined with drugstore.com, their sister site).

Beautyhabit.com – Great for hard-to-find products, especially European brands.  Sample packs may be purchased before diving into the big purchase.  Free shipping on $100+ orders, otherwise, it’s $5.95.

Beautyofasite.com – Great for trendy brands.  The site offers a “steal the look” section that shows you how to copy your favorite celeb’s look.  You get one free sample with every purchase.  Free shipping on orders $75+.

Buymebeauty.com – For great prices, this is the site.  Their prices are even lower than Wal-Mart’s!  Selection is limited, but totally worth checking out before going elsewhere.  Free shipping on orders $35+, otherwise $4.95 for anything less.

Cosmeticmall.com – Great return policy – you can return most products for any reason, opened or not within 30 days.  They carry almost all brands from makeup to bath products.  Shipping is $5.95 + $0.93 per additional pound

Drugstore.com – Fabulous drugstore makeup selection including CoverGirl, Almay, and L’Oreal with full shopper reviews plus sale items. First order = free shipping with minimum $25 spent, all orders thereafter = $49 spent.  (May be combined with Beauty.com orders).

Sephora.com – Great for Freebies!  Their online shop is almost just as good as walking into their fabulous chain stores.  Lots of trendy info available and a free gift for your birthday with at least a 2 weeks notice.  Free shipping on orders over $50, otherwise $5.95.

Skinbotanica.com – Great for the organic gal.  Cosmetics contain only natural and organic ingredients and they have a great return policy.  Free shipping with a $49 purchase, otherwise, $5.95.

Skin-One.com – Best shipping deal.  Main focus is skin care.  Products are available from all over the world and an esthetician is available to answer any of your questions via email.  Shipping:  Free.

Walgreens.com – Easy site to navigate and loaded with products.  However, prices were the most expensive found in price-checking.

So it turns out the Esthetics World is not perfect after all.  It seems the honeymoon is just about over for me.  So far, being an esthetician has been nothing short of sweet peaches and cream.  But today, it’s just been sour peaches and no cream.  I (shockingly) received my first client complaint this afternoon.  ”Too noisy”, “too bright”, “not enough attention”.  Then to top that off, my last appointment was a no-show after completely setting up for her and waiting 30 minutes.  This has been the hardest day for me yet.  

I went home, shared the news with my fiance, and sulked for most of the afternoon, feeling like loser, wondering if maybe I’d just been in wonderland all this time – and if maybe, just maybe, I wasn’t cut out to be an esthetician.  But then, I remembered – Gordon Ramsay.  He was shot down by his trainer so bad he cried like a little baby in the corner of his kitchen.  Donald Trump – how many times has he filed for bankruptcy?  Jewel – lived in her car before being discovered.  Matt Groening – his school teacher told him his cartoons would amount to nothing.  

End result?  I am going to perfect my Art – and be the Best Out There!

Ever run out of makeup ideas or get stuck in the same-o same-o makeup routine?  I have.  When this happens, I usually flip through magazines or scout out the internet to check out “the latest” on tips and trends.  

And as massive and as thorough as those routes are, there are times that it’s just truly necessary to have actual makeup books on hand.  Books that cover, in detail, the exact instructions to follow or branch out from.  Books that are dedicated to the creative world of makeup.  

I, myself, would love to own every possible makeup book out there, but that would only happen in a perfect world.  In reality, here are seven of my favorites.  Click on them to check it out for yourself!

1.  Makeup Makeovers by Robert Jones – Does a great job of covering application techniques by face shape and an all-around thorough read.

2.  Makeup: The Ultimate Guide by Rae Morris.  Now this book is hot.  Need inspiration?  Need creativity?  Here ya go.  Tons of rockin’ looks for every ethnicity to try.

3 & 4.  Making Faces and Face Forward by Kevyn Aucoin.  Feel like looking like Marilyn Monroe?  How about Linda Evangelista?  Mr. Aucoin’s books showcase some phenomenal works of art- and the best part?  He shows you how to achieve the very same looks.

5.  Makeup Your Mind by Francois Nars.  He’s already got a racy makeup line out there.  Here, he shows you how to apply makeup and where to apply makeup.  The style of the book is fun, too, with transparencies to guide you.

6.  Vogue Makeup by Juliet Cohen.  If you’re looking to better your skills from head to toe, this book is a great go-to.  It covers all the details including nails. 

7.  And last, but not least, Don’t Go To The Cosmetics Counter Without Me by Paula Begoun.  Okay, so I don’t always agree with this cosmetics cop, but I know for sure that this lady knows her sh’tuff.  Better yet, in addition or as an alternative to buying her book, sign up for her all-inclusive, ever-present, ever growing website beautypedia.com.  It’s normally $24.99, but if you type in beauty50 as a promo code at checkout, you’ll get 1/2 off.  It’s Totally worth it. Or, Click Here for a Free Month of beautypedia.com.

My opinion? Is a resounding Yes!  Even if you are religious about your skin care regimen, getting a facial will still do wonders for you.  There are things an esthetician can do professionally for your face and skin that requires more than just dabbing on a lil’ bit o’ this an’ a lil’ bit o’ that every day and night.  You will reveal an unmatched glowing kind of beauty (especially after exfoliation!).

Benefits of a Facial:

- Deep cleansing.  Your esthetician will be using a professional spa product line that will contain important ingredients that cannot be found in your neighborhood Target.  These ingredients will do the things that you just cannot do on your own.  Every client of mine always walks out with a new skin revealed.

- Exfoliation.  Now this is my favorite step of a facial because this is where the exciting changes really begin.  There’s nothing more gorgeous than a fresh face with no pollutants.

-  Increases circulation and detoxifies.  With every facial is a face, neck, and shoulder massage (except for flash mini facials for those on the go).  The massage portion of a facial gets your blood flowing, stimulating your face and skin, bringing to your face and skin invigoration and releasing from it – toxins and waste.

-  Stimulates the skin functions and metabolism.  This will keep your skin resilient and in tune with you.  That means you’ll have better overall skin protection.

-  Slows down premature aging.  How? You might ask.  Well, #1.  All the reasons listed above and below.  #2.  Sunscreen is always used at the end of a treatment (along with several anti-aging products).  3.  Estheticians are skin care specialists – they will have the current industry know-how on the steps necessary for anti-aging.

-  Alleviates conditions such as dryness, oiliness, or redness.  These skin conditions happen for a variety of reasons, and estheticians have seen them all.  Although there isn’t a solution or immediate release for all conditions, there are ways to help alleviate persistent skin hang-ups – and any good professional product line will be able to cater to most of them.

-  Softens wrinkles and aging lines.  This is a result of stimulating your face with anti-aging solutions and massage.  Although there is no natural way of reversing wrinkles and fine lines, it’s never too late to start combatting them – and what better place to start than in a facial room?

-  Helps clear up blemishes and minor acne.  Extractions.  Most estheticians I know really like this part of the facial.  My reason is because unclogging those pores and extracting all of that oil out will only further the end-result beauty process.  Some blemish-prone skin will need to maintain a series of facials before results will show, but there’s no doubt about it – you will leave your favorite day spa with a fresh face.

…so do you really need a facial?  It’s your decision.  There’s no science that says it’s absolutely the path to take, but I’ve helped too many women feel better about their face and skin to deny that facials are an absolute must.  If you don’t want to go but once a blue moon – hey – more power to ya – that’s better than nothin’.

To have – or to just admire from afar?  My opinion?  Just do it!  Bangs are up-to-the-minute plain sexy.  They’re hot and the celebs are havin’ fun with ‘em!  But don’t just hop on the boat ’cause o’ that - no – do it because it’ll flatter your face.  Worried about losing length?  Don’t sweat it – there’s a style for everybody.

Nowadays, there’s all kinds of bangs to choose from!  The newest bangs range from long and blunt to side-swept and wispy – which means there’s a style out there that’s going to be perfect for you. 

Ever notice how certain colors evoke certain feelings?  Just look up at the blue skies – you’ll feel a sense of wonder, a calmness.  Green grass – energetic.  A red sunset – gorgeous, passionate.  We are drawn to the colors needed to create balance in our lives – the goal in all healing.  Colors attract – certain clothing and accessories, colors in our homes, and even the foods we eat.

Red – Here’s the attention-getter.   Red is dangerous.  Furious, even.  At the same time, it’s very sexy, passionate.  Want in?  Get this lipstick and wear it for a day – I guarantee you’ll feel that hot red heat!

Orange - Think excitement, think enthusiasm, think warmth.  Ooh, think energy.  Need a pick-me-up?  Pin one of these in your hair.

Yellow - Ever wonder why lawyers like to scribble on yellow legal pads?  The color yellow inspires intellect & creativity.  Try this gold eyeshadow under your librarian frames and get to work on that blog of yours!

Green - Associated with nature, tranquility, good luck, health, and jealousy.  Say what you gotta say with this eye-catching statement!

Blue - Blue is the color of truth, serenity and harmony – soothing to the mind.  It’s good for cooling, calming, reconstructing, and protecting.   It’s the color of electricity.  Let it beam from your fingertips!  TIP:  Make sure to push down each cuticle with your thumb before brushing on color—it makes the dark polish look much better than if it had a cuticle border. 

Purple – Go ahead – put your tiara on.  Purple is all about royalty, regality, and nobility.  No one can deny your princess roots with these sweet Trufles!

The new oceanic metallic eye pallette?  Maybe you should have that, maybe you can live without it.  The latest lip plumper lipstick?  It might work – it probably doesn’t.  Some girls like to stock their kitchen pantry, some like to splurge on filling their walk-in closets.  Me, I believe in stocking and stacking to the fullest – your beauty pantry.  When it comes to your beauty pantry, there are some things you should have, some things you truly deserve to have, and then there are those things that you just must absolutely have.

1.  Cleanser, exfoliator, toner, and moisturizer.  Sunscreen and eye cream.  These are the most fundamental products for your daily regimen.  Along with these, you’ll need a wash cloth, qtips, and cotton balls.

2.  Hair gels, mousse, serums, spray, you name it – your hair will look and hold so much better with some products in it!  Whether you like to wear your hair short or long, blonde or red, your hair deserves that WoW! factor every day – so get rid of that hair elastic and let it all hang out!

3.  Blow-dryer, hair clips, curling irons, hot tools, headbands, elastic bands – essentials for getting that bounce.  

4.  Full makeup pallettes for different and seasonal looks.  Have that gloss ready for those summer nights.  Whip out the vamp lipstick for that holiday party.  You want to be ready for every event of the year.   Fill your makeup pallette to reflect as such!

5.  Eyelash curler – works wonders.   If you’re not already wearing falsies or extensions, this is your magic eye-opening tool right here.  It’s worth every penny.  Your peepers will look alive!

6.  Lip gloss.  Just because this naughty cosmetic works all year round.

7.  Vaseline petroleum jelly.  Ok, so Tyra made a huge deal out of this – but it’s a great way to add a lil’ bit o’ shine to your cheeks or lips.  You can even rub some on your decollete for a fabulous sheen.

8.  Bronzer.  There is no better way to say hello, spring! than with a light dust of bronzer.  This phenomenal cosmetic can add structure to your beautiful face like no other.

9.  Nail polish in every imaginable color.  This is my favorite indulgence.  As an artist, it’s hard not to get a lil’ crazy with the nail polish.  What a way to pack a punch to your outfit.  Plus, it makes me feel so carefree to wear a neon, turned-up turqoise shade!

10.  Tools of the Trade.  Makeup brushes, sponges, wedges, you will not regret splurging in this department.  Your makeup will cooperate so much better and as a result, you’ll look better.

11.  Aromatherapy, candles, and perfume.  A little goes a long ways – don’t overdo the scent of you.  But have some fun with different fragrances.  Fragrances improve your mood, lift your spirit, help with relaxation – the effects are amazing.

12.  Dry shampoo – for those days when you really don’t have time to wash, but greasy just won’t do!  Do the dry shampoo ~ you’ll feel that much more comfortable and confident. 

13.  Eye pillow, eye mask.  Every now and then we all experience a bad face day ~ and 9 times out of 10, it’s usually because of our eyes.  Having one of these bad girls handy will give you a lift in less than 10 minutes!

14.  Sunscreens – If you’re a regular reader, by now, you’ve noticed how much I embrace sunscreen.  It is the only true anti-ager out there if you use it religiously.  And not just any sunscreen will do – they are not all created equal.  Look for top ingredients that include avobenzone, titanium dioxide, and zinc oxide.  These ingredients will block UVA & UVB rays, giving you the best protection