Keeping Your Face On
Richmonder Kristy Petroski rarely wears more than a bit of powder and lip gloss, but for her wedding day last summer, she decided to try tinting her eyelashes.
"My hairdresser recommended it to me," says Petroski, 26. "It sounded really funny ... I was scared I would go blind." But the estheticians at Salon Vivace (3426 W. Cary St., 565-9000) assured her that the dye was natural and wouldn't harm her eyes — and Petroski actually found the process soothing.
"It was definitely comparable to using a really nice mascara, except there was no gunkiness, and my eyelashes did not stick together," Petroski says. "It was fabulous." Plus, eyelash and eyebrow tinting ($20 to $25 at Vivace) lasts two to three weeks.
A more permanent way to put on your face is with tattooed makeup, available at Permafaces (2817 N. Parham Road, 273-0533), which offers lip liner, complete lip color, eyebrows and eyeliner. "It is classic tattoo process, except our pigments are designed to be more subtle, more natural looking," says vice president Sean O'Brien.
Eyeliner and eyebrow tattoos range from $325 to $550 and last five to 10 years. The process takes 20 to 50 minutes and includes a topical numbing agent and pigment that's MRI safe and hypoallergenic.
Not-So-Hot Lips
When applying the physician-recommended shot glass full of sunscreen to the body, don't forget the lips, says Brooke Harton, master esthetician at La Bella Dona.
She recommends Burt's Bees products or a lip-repair cream called Ceralip Lipid Replenishing Lip Cream by La Roche-Posay ($12 for a half-ounce tube). Harton often mixes sugar with lip balm and applies it to her lips, a home remedy that gently removes dry skin from the lips. Then she advises staying hydrated and applying natural lip balm daily.
Another place to watch is the skin around the lips, where vertical lines can pop up after years of exposure. "You don't have to be a smoker," Harton says. "It's a combination of not using sunscreen or baking in the sun." A product just approved by the Food and Drug Administration is La Roche-Posay's Anthelios 60 ($30 for 1.7 ounces), which protects users from UVA and UVB (ultraviolet) light.
Mineral Glow
With summer's mandate for glowing faces, mineral makeup gives off a strong siren song. But does it really deliver on health claims?
Stephanie Farr, a makeup artist at Salon Vivace, says yes. Farr, 33, traded her heavy-makeup habits for Bare Mineral products, which she says ended her eight-year battle with adult acne. "I noticed extreme change in my skin within six to eight weeks," Farr says, adding that the acne cleared up and her pore size became less noticeable. She attributes those changes to the makeup's lightness and lack of chemical content.
Dr. Hazel Vernon, at Richmond's Commonwealth Dermatology, says she likes mineral products because of their natural look and quick application. "They are also a good choice for many people with sensitive skin, such as people with rosacea, eczema and those who are intolerant of foundations," Vernon says. Mineral makeup is best for those with oily or combination skin, she adds, but women who have dry faces can use the products by applying a layer of moisturizer first.
Paige Campbell, a makeup artist at Le Visage Makeup Boutique, says mineral products give skin breathability.
Vernon notes, though, that mineral labels need to be read carefully. "Most [allergic] reactions to foundations are due to the ‘filler' ingredients — fragrance, preservatives, etc. — which are not in the purely mineral products. Unfortunately, many of the products marketed … do have these filler ingredients." Vernon suggests that shoppers check labels before purchasing.
Bare Minerals, sold locally at Sephora (1420 N. Parham Road, 750-2800) and Le Visage (3007 W. Cary St., 342-5867, levisagestudio.com) ranges from $25 to $65.
