From spa treatments and masks to foundation and moisturizers, oxygen is one of the hottest ingredients around. But why does our skin need the added O2? We got the scoop from celebrity esthetician Joanna Vargas, who has worked on the glowing complexions of stars like Michelle Williams and Emma Stone. Uncover the various reasons oxygen and skin care go hand in hand.
As the season transitions from cold to warm, our skin can look a little sallow. "Winter really leaves the skin looking dull," says celebrity esthetician Joanna Vargas. "You can't exfoliate as much in Winter, so after a few months, people feel like they have aged 20 years. Everyone wants their glow back." We recently caught up with Vargas, who shared some excellent tips on how to shift our skin care regimen into Spring.
POPSUGAR: When should you stop using your Winter routine?
Joanna Vargas: When the heat officially goes off, I think it coincides with an increase of moisture in the air. That's a good time to make the switch.
PS: What types of products should you look for as the season changes?
JV: I think you should increase exfoliation to twice a week, and look for product that increases hydration and circulation. My Daily Serum ($85) is formulated to help with this. I also like Eminence Organics Sweet Rose Treatment ($58).
PS: Can your skin get stressed through seasonal change?
JV: Yes, the seasonal change can absolutely stress the skin, and the skin can show this by breaking out. Regular exfoliation and a light serum that oxygenates and hydrates the skin will go a long way to make a difference in its appearance as we transition seasons.
Cynthia Rowley went for a little dark romance for her Fall 2013 collection, which translated to a pretty and wearable look featuring a bold dark lip to match the nails, all courtesy of Beauty.com. We loved how the matte texture showed up on the lips and nails.
The look: A dark purple lip with soft curls
The inspiration: Urban romance
Trends: Playing with texture in the hair, makeup, and lips
Hair: Esther Langham for Alterna brought out the softness in the rather dark look with dry-textured curls. She applied the brand's 48-Hour Volume Spray to wet hair and rough blow-dried. Next, she made a crisp middle part and curled thick sections of hair using a 1 1/4-inch curling iron. She made sure to leave the ends out, so the curls weren't too precious. Once the curls were set, she went through them with a wide-tooth comb and finished them off with a little dry shampoo for a matte texture.
Makeup: The makeup brought out the darker side with a rusty-shadowed eye and a deep purple lip. Romy Soleimani for Beauty.com mixed the Joanna Vargas Rejuvenating Serum with Stila Pigalle and Fine Eye Shadows to give the makeup a lived-in quality. The focus was the deep plum lip, which was created using Stila's Gemma Color Balm all over the lips, and then topped off with Improvise and Glance Eye Shadows to deepen the color and add a matte finish.
Nails: Deborah Lippmann created the complementing manicure: a superdeep plum finished with a matte top coat. She used Dark Side of the Moon topped off with Flat Top to bring to life the dark-textured manicure — definitely a huge trend for Fall.
When it comes to winterizing your skin, you've heard the obvious tips and tricks before: keep moisturized, don't forget your sunscreen, and so on. But what about the little-known facts that your esthetician knows that could help you beat the cold-weather skin flake? "Your skin is your barrier and your protection from the elements, but it does take a beating in the wintertime," celebrity facialist Joanna Vargas says. She shares her insider tips for keeping your skin healthy as temperatures plummet.
Sensitive skin is a term that gets thrown around all too often. The truth is that most people who claim to have sensitive skin actually don't. "It's an overused phrase," says Dr. Elizabeth Tanzi, codirector of the Washington Institute of Dermatologic Laser Surgery in Washington DC. "They [people] may be overusing their products, leading to irritation." Skin is also more prone to irritation in the cooler months, so don't take a reaction to the frigid temperatures as a red flag for skin sensitivity.
So how do you know if you do actually have sensitive skin? There are a few tests you can give yourself. "Brush your fingers across the side of your face with light to medium pressure," celebrity facialist Joanna Vargas says. "If the skin turns red, it's sensitive." If you have a deeper skin tone that doesn't show red so easily, though, Dr. Tanzi has an equally simple tip for uncovering if your skin has a sensitive disposition. "You know you have sensitive skin if the majority of the products you place on your skin cause stinging or redness," she explains. This includes everything from face washes and moisturizers to foundations and blushes.
Understanding whether or not you truly have skin sensitivity is the first step in perfecting your skin care regimen. So if you haven't quite had that healthy glow you've been dreaming of, perhaps now you'll be a few steps closer to achieving it.
Looking to shrink your pores down to a less, ahem, visible size? Don't bother reaching for a product claiming to close them. "Pores don't actually open and close," says celebrity facialist Joanna Vargas. "What people are really complaining about is the fact that their pores are dirty, and it calls attention to them." So those large-looking openings that line around your nose and dot your forehead? Just in need of some serious deep cleaning. Joanna shares her insight and tips for keeping things looking tight when you keep reading.
