Amp up your eyes
Eyes are usually the feature that people notice first, so it’s important to make sure yours are giving off the right first impression. You want bright, wide-awake eyes that look young and vibrant. The key to pulling this off is by de-puffing them and eliminating dark circles on the day of the event. Use a cold compress or even a frozen bag of peas to cool down your lids for ten minutes, then use a product like Sothys – Active-Contour Age-Defying Cream (Eyes). It will reduce the depth of wrinkles and fine lines, and if you keep it in the fridge, it’ll have extra de-puffing powers. Afterwards, use Jane Iredale – Active Light Under-eye Concealer to hide dark circles and signs of fatigue without any creasing.

Steer clear of acne
Even if your high school days are over, that doesn’t mean that your acne has completely gone away. If you’re still prone to the occasional breakout, it’s important to take preventative measures before the event. Wash your face twice daily with a cleanser meant for acne-prone skin, and consider using a product with benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid afterwards. If you already have a breakout close to the event, do some damage control by warming up your skin with a warm compress, like a damp washcloth, for several minutes. Once your pores have opened, use two clean Q-tips to press on either side of a pimple to get rid of it, then use a zit-sapping product on top before concealer.

Get a dewy glow
You don’t want to look drab and burned out or oily on the day of your reunion, so use a product like BABOR – Advanced Biogen Intensive Repair in the days leading up to the event. Your face will have a smoother texture immediately and the formula will help with any scarring, abrasions and excess oil. Make sure to use plenty of moisturizer, and a facial spritzer like GloMinerals – gloMoist Hydration Mist can give you a quick pick-me-up, even in the bathroom of the venue!

Whiten your smile
There’s nothing like yellowing teeth to make you look older, so turn up the brightness of your smile with a kit like Supersmile – Professional Whitening System (Large). You’ll have much more confidence without even having to step foot in the dentist’s office. To get rid of any stains, you may want to try using hydrogen peroxide. Just dip a washcloth in it, then use it to scrub stains from the surface of your teeth. GoSMILE – TOUCH UP Mini (pear-licious) can also help you get rid of stains from coffee or wine on the day of the reunion.

Shine up your hair
Dull, dry hair can make you look much older, so it’s important to pamper your locks before the big day so your tresses will be glowing along with your face. Use a luxurious masque like BORGHESE – Fango Active Mud for Hair and Scalp, which will give you plenty of body and moisture. When you’re styling, use a shine spray like Hamadi – Shea Spray to get soft, luscious hair that your girlfriends will be jealous of.

According to the FDA, the two most important laws about cosmetics marketed in the U.S. are the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) and the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act (FPLA).

The FD&C Act prohibits the marketing of “adulterated and misbranded” cosmetics. A cosmetic is considered adulterated if:
• It contains a poisonous or dangerous substance which makes it harmful to users when used following directions.
• It contains any “filthy, putrid or decomposed” substance.
• It has been prepared or packaged under unsanitary conditions and is therefore contaminated.
• The container is made from a poisonous or dangerous material.
• It contains an unsafe color additive (except for hair dyes, which have more specific conditions).

Misbranded products are improperly labeled or deceptively packaged. If the labeling is wrong or misleading, doesn’t include required information or doesn’t prominently display information, it is subject to regulatory action. This is supposed to make consumers able to make informed decisions about which products they are using, but unfortunately many people fail to read the ingredients on products before they buy them.

In order to make sure you’re not exposing yourself to potentially hazardous ingredients in your makeup and skin care products, avoid using products which list one or more of the following ingredients on the label, according to OrganicBeautyTalk.com.

• Alcohol, Isopropyl. This is a drying and irritating ingredient that takes moisture away from your skin and degenerates your skin’s natural immune barrier, making you more vulnerable to bacteria and viruses. It may also promote premature skin aging. It’s made from a petroleum derivative and is found in skin and hair products, fragrance, and antibacterial products. Use a more natural cleanser, like Archipelago Botanicals – Morning Mint Soap, instead.

• DEA (diethanolamine), MEA (Monoethanolamine) & TEA (triethanolamine). These ingredients are restricted in Europe because of their known carcinogenic effects, but the U.S. has yet to regulate them. The chemicals may disprupt your hormones and can form cancer-causing nitrates in your body.

• Fragrance (Parfum). If a label includes synthetic fragrance, it could represent thousands of separate ingredients used to scent products, many of which are considered toxic or carcinogenic. Fragrance chemicals and ingredients have been associated with respiratory issues, reproductive issues, skin discoloration and even changes in the central nervous system. It’s better to scent products yourself with essential oils, or buy organic products like Janson Beckett – Certified Organic Cleansing Milk.

• Mineral Oil, Petrolatum. This ingredient is a petroleum by-product that coats skin like a plastic, which clogs pores and prevents skin from eliminating toxins. This can cause acne and slow skin development – resulting in premature aging. It dissolves your skin’s natural oil and causes dry skin.

• Parabens. These ingredients often start with prefixes like propyl, isopropyl, butyl, isobutyl and methyl. They are preservatives which mimic estrogen and can disrupt your hormone systems. Many products these days are labeled paraben-free, such as PRIORI – CoffeeBerry Perfecting Minerals Foundation SPF 25 – Perfecting Foundation 4, which is 100 percent natural.

Next time you’re looking to buy beauty products, be sure to search for the ingredients and avoid those which could negatively affect your health!

Surgically, the most “bang for your buck” is simple eyelid surgery… blepharoplasty. The procedure can be done in the office under local anesthesia with, occasionally, mild IV sedation. The downtime is minimal and generally consists of wearing sunglasses for a week (not a bad idea in the summer anyway, since UV rays cause cataracts!). Furthermore, your vision will probably improve because you’ll get less “dry eye” and your eyes won’t get as tired.

Redundant skin is carefully removed, bulging fat pads can be trimmed and the results take away 5-10 years in 45 min to an hour.

The scars are concealed in normal skin creases and, are even MORE invisible because who doesn’t wear eye shadow?

Just a thought for the day.

If there’s a thing or two you’d love to change about your appearance, consider this Independence Day your official call to action against unsightly blemishes of all varieties. Here’s a comprehensive list of the top beauty bummers that plague women in the summer, as well as a few things you can do about them.

Spider veins: Varicose veins may be something you’re confronted with all year round, but at no other time do they become more oppressive than when you’re out on the beach in your skivvies. If you’re determined to restore your legs to their former glory in time to hit the waves, realize that the main cause of these uglies probably has something to do with your genes (sorry Mom). What you can do is exercise often and eat well, which generally helps to promote healthy circulation. Elevating your legs for extended periods of time may also help in the prevention category. If you’re already afflicted with spider veins, however, you can try products before resigning yourself to laser surgery. Phytomer Beautiful Legs Blemish Eraser Cream enlists the aid of pearly particles to minimize the appearance of red and blue veins.

Cellulite: Together with its cousin Varicose, Cellulite is an oft-unwanted guest at the party. Before you go reaching for your dreaded beach cover-up, keep in mind that you’re hardly alone. Cellulite often has little to do with how in shape you are, and it afflicts even the thinnest of women. Beyond this, there are very few proven ways to get rid of cellulite for good, although diet and exercise are known to help reduce the appearance of dimples. If you’re looking for a quick fix before you hit the pool, try a product such as DS Laboratories Oligo.DX Cellulite Reducing Gel. The active ingredient targets the subcutaneous layer to visibly reduce the appearance of cellulite.

Oily skin and acne. Yes, with the balmy weather comes a bit of extra shine you didn’t bargain for. Fortunately, this is pretty easy to control. A mattifying serum is great for use under your makeup if your skin is seriously oily. In all other cases, a bit of primer topped with translucent powder should do the trick. Just be careful that you’re not using any makeup products that may clog your pores, as oily skin often comes with an additional unwanted consequence. If you’re prone to acne in the summertime, wash your skin and body with a face or body wash containing salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide. If you keep up with your exercise routine and avoid processed sugar, flour and other fatty foods, you may also see a marked reduction in breakouts.

Lackluster skin and hair. Even if you have no time to keep up with your tanning routine (hopefully from the bottle, at that), there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to sport a healthy glow, especially in the summer. Check in with your health routine (diet and exercise – do we sound like a broken record yet?) and evaluate your skincare products. It’s generally a good idea to exfoliate once or twice a week (any more will likely lead to sensitivity), and make sure you’re moisturizing every day (even if it seems like you’re sweating bricks). Beyond this, a highlighting cream for your face can help add a bit of luminescence where you’re lacking it, and a high-moisture hair mask used weekly can help make your locks glisten.

Perhaps Miss Middleton is here to teach us that you don’t need to shell out big bucks in order to look your best, especially if you already look amazing given the makeup skills you’ve perfected over the years.

Either way, we’re sure some of you are clamoring for a piece of the royal pie too – here are some basic do-it-yourself beauty tips, inspired by the ever glamorous and practical Kate.

Skin

Ever wondered how Kate managed to keep her skin so radiant and flawless through the months-long media circus that ensued following her engagement? Alright, we relent, not all of us have our photographs airbrushed when we make public appearances, but at least we can’t chalk this one up to our lack of a team of professional makeup artists.

Fortunately for us, it’s not beyond our grasp to get our hands on the same products that Kate relies on to nourish her dewy complexion. Ever since she was introduced to them by a friend, Kate swears by products developed by Swiss beauty brand Karin Herzog, according to Style.com. Karin Herzog’s U.K. managing director, Julie Cichocki, told the news source that Kate uses the Professional Cleanser, the Vita-A-Kombi 1, the Vita-A-Kombi 3 Spot Zapper and the Oxygen Face Cream.

This last ingredient in particular is something that will let women everywhere breathe a little easier – Karin Herzog was one of the first companies to use oxygen in its beauty products.

“Stress is the number one culprit for depleting oxygen in the skin, and, poor girl, what could be more stressful than an international announcement of a royal wedding, with cameras from every news agency pointed at you,” Cichocki told the news source. “A wedding of any kind is stressful for a bride, and still, her skin looked just beautiful – dewy, plump, fresh.”

Hair

You and I both know that we wouldn’t be so captivated by Kate’s effortless glamor if it weren’t for those commercial-worthy chestnut locks.

Kate’s hair is the next shiniest thing besides her engagement ring, so ladies who want to cop her look should reach for moisturizing shampoos and conditioners. A shine-enhacing serum or spritzer can help add a little extra reflective oomph.

As for that classic polished style, Glamour.com instructs women everywhere to nab it for themselves using “the round-brush twist.”

“Using a medium-sized, boar-bristle round brush, blow out your hair as usual, until it’s about 80 percent dry,” the news source explains. “Then start rolling sections onto the brush and [flip] it vertical to your head. Hold each section that way and blast with heat from the dryer for several seconds, then pull the brush straight down until the hair slides up and off.”

Voila – you’ve got sleek, subtle ringlets that will make for a rather royal impression.

Makeup

Last but not least, the moment you’ve all been waiting for – the beauty prowess that is now so accessible to women everywhere. Kate has inspired many with her clean, basic makeup that bodes well for a run down the grocery aisle just as well as it does for a professional photoshoot.

With the already-impeccable complexion you acquired thanks to Kate’s skincare regimen, apply just enough tinted moisturizer or foundation to even out your skintone.

A soft, rosy blush paired with sheer pink or neutral gloss will add the subtlest tint of color to lips and cheeks, as eyes are what tend to steal the show in true Middletonian fashion. A basic rim of black or dark brown liner applied to the top and bottom lash line is of utmost importance, followed by a couple coats of black mascara and a pencil or mousse to get those brows in tip-top shape.

If you thought that was easy, rest assured – the hard part largely involves waiting on that prince to show.

If you’re of the mindset that beauty comes from within, it goes to say that the vitamins and nutrients with which you supply your body have a lot to do with how you look on the outside. That being said, many of us may know this to be true without any knowledge of the food items or their individual applications. For the hungry and the curious, here’s a short, simple guide.

Fountain of youth

Before we delve into the nitty gritty, let’s all bring our attention to what’s arguably the most vital nutrient of them all. Water not only constitutes the bulk of our planet, our bodies and our life-force as a whole, but it’s also one of the most influential beauty tools.

Drinking your eight glasses is not a bunch of quackery – when you’re properly hydrated, you feel more energized, your skin glows brighter and even you hair retains more moisture.

Good, clean wholesome fun

Not surprisingly, what’s generally good for your nutritional health also packs some weight when it comes to your complexion.

“Diets rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains can make your skin glow, help clear up acne and fight aging and sun damage,” according to StyleList.com. “Likewise, meals laden with trans-fats, white flour, sugar and chemicals can leave your complexion looking dry, dull and lackluster.”

Their most basic advice? Skip processed foods, avoid anything that’s deep-fried, ditch the sugary drinks and opt for brown sugar or whole-wheat flour whenever you can.

Stock up on omega-3s

There’s a reason why Eskimos tend to be so happy – they’re always eating fish, after all. Not only do omega-3 fatty acids offer a major boost to your sense of well-being, as found in major recent studies, but they also offer a cure for a handful of different beauty ailments.

According to StyleList, foods rich in omega-3s are a good antidote for dry skin, psoriasis, acne, redness and inflammation.

Wondering how best to get your hands on this miracle worker? “These ‘good fats’ are found in fatty fish including salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring, halibut, as well as ground flaxseed, flaxseed oil, canola oil, soybean oil, walnuts, leafy greens, and tofu,” Health & Fitness reports.

Hair revival

There’s a whole grocery bag’s worth of stuff that will help you nab good hair days forevermore. According to The Frisky, reaching for salmon will get you the omega-3 fatty acids, protein, vitamin B-12, and iron that your tresses crave. Other hair-friendly foods include dark green vegetables, beans, nuts, poultry, eggs, whole grains, oysters, low-fat dairy items, carrots, beef and brown rice.

What’s your backup plan?

Getting the most out of the stuff you eat doesn’t involve a major dietary turnaround alone – lots of people take nutritional supplements to boost their intake of vital nutrients, and this can help give you that added boost that may be hard to attain just from one day’s worth of meals. Good news for you is that many companies create custom dietary supplements to specifically target your skin, hair or overall beauty needs, so you can be sure you’re getting all the good loving you need to look amazing.

Try Murad Pure Skin Clarifying Supplement for a complexion that can’t be beat, or try Sprayology Hair + Nail Tonic for beautiful hair and nails from the inside out – just two sprays below the tongue and you’re good to glow!

We wash, we exfoliate, we moisturize, we tone – we drink our eight glasses per day in hopes of achieving that ever-elusive perfect, dewy sheen.

The older we get, the more we have to adapt our habits to our skin’s ever-changing needs. That’s why it’s so important for women of all ages to be equipped with the proper knowledge to respond to the changes taking place in their bodies – the skin of a 20-year-old has different needs than the skin of a 47-year-old, but with the proper techniques, every woman can feel like a queen.

According to StyleList.com, “thanks to technology and all that we know about aging today, firm and glowing skin isn’t something you have to leave behind in your youth.”

That doesn’t mean having youthful skin comes without its own bag of issues, however. Many 20-year-olds are still plagued with occasional blemishes.

New York dermatologist Dr. David Bank told StyeList that young women might look for gentle cleansers that contain alpha hydroxy acid, glycolic acid or benzoyl peroxide, such as Neova’s Acne Cream.

As you get into your 30s, it’s a safe bet you’ll see less and less of the angry red stuff, but your skin might be less capable of restoring itself. This is about the time when blotchiness, dryness and tiny fine lines begin to appear.

To combat these dulling effects, Dr. Tina Alster recommends focusing on exfoliation and moisturizing, while Dr. Bank mentions that most of the stuff you used in your 20s to fight acne can also still be beneficial for anti-aging purposes. Retinol creams and glycolic acid are especially suited for fine lines and blotchiness, the news source reports.

Those who begin to notice signs of rosacea at this age are advised to avoid a self-diagnosis and to visit a dermatologist. Skin-care professionals usually have the most effective treatments for this inflammatory condition. If you do decide to self-medicate, you can use products such as Phytomer’s Rosee Visage Toning Cleansing Lotion and Accept Neutralizing Cream.

Women progressing into their 40s may see a marked progression of the aging effects they experienced in their 30s “due to weakening of collagen and elastin fibers, loss of fat and muscles, and coupled with gravitational pull,” Dr. Banks told the news source. “It’s not surprising that you will begin to see signs of sagging eyelids, drooping brows and hollowness under the eyes.”

The best advice is to up the strength of the exfoliation and moisturizing process, opting for subtle dermabrasion formulas with microcrystals and moisturizers with lots of glycerin. Bank recommends looking for formulas with anti-oxidants such as grape-seed extract or vitamins A, C and E, the news source reports.

Women aged 50 and over may begin to see more pronounced wrinkles as the moisture and fat content in their skin begins to wane. At this point, lathering on oil-rich moisturizers is a safe bet for the skin, which isn’t as prone to break-outs as it was years ago. Alster recommends products with collagen-building ingredients, such as retinoic acid, and hydrators like hyaluronic acid.

Bank says there’s something to look forward to in your 60s, which may bring skin less prone to hormonal fluctuations and a more defined bone structure. To prevent the dryness and itchiness associated with this age, look for creams with shea butter or serums with phytoestrogens, the news source reports.

Once you’re in your 70s, you can leave the soap behind. Look for soap-free cleansers that will help you retain as much moisture as you can – adding a vitamin C serum can help you with sunspots. Cellex-C Advanced-C Serum will do wonders for blotchiness and uneven skin tone.

And if there is one thing that you do take away from all of this, remember to always put on sunscreen. Applying SPF 20 or greater can be your number one defense against aging, no matter what birthday you’ll be celebrating this year.

Mention “Beauty Bridge” when you make an appointment at my office and receive 20% off all services. This includes BOTOX® and fillers, Laser Resurfacing and Tightening, and the  “6-Week 20 Pound Diet Plan”.

Call  Dr. Berger’s office at 212-838-6900

Just one more advantage to shopping at Beauty Bridge!

This offer is good through February 28.