PREVENTION

Shiseido
Urban Environment UV Protection Cream SPF 40 ($30.00, shiseido.com)

PRODUCT 101: A feather-light daily sunscreen that provides exceptional hydration while protecting against external aggressors such as UV rays, dryness and air pollution for beautiful, healthy-looking skin. Exceptionally powerful formula effectively protects skin from harmful UVA/UVB rays that cause photo-aging. Hydro-Restoring Complex contains moisturizing amino acids that naturally exist in skin. Provides long-lasting moisture for skin that is smooth to the touch. Scutellaria Baicalensis helps prevent UV damage to essential fibroblasts which produce collagen and elastin, the key elements to resilient, youthful-looking skin. Rose Apple Leaf Extract counteracts oxidation, the process which accelerates skin aging, and helps prevent DNA damage caused by UV rays. Invisible on skin. Can be used as a makeup base for a beautiful foundation finish. Easily removes with daily cleanser.

SHADY LADY

DOLCE AND GABBANA TEAM WITH MADONNA TO CREATE SUNGLASSES FOR “THE WOMAN WHO WANTS TO FEEL LIKE A DIVA” – Lightning struck when Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana hosted a party for the superstar in Milan last summer: The trio would create MDG, D&G’s first product collaboration with a celebrity; perhaps to shield her from any harmful UV Rays of Light. “With the line we want to capture femininity and extreme sensuality,” says Gabbana. That same attitude was caught on film by fashion photographer Steven Klein for the ad campaign, which features the pop icon in a steamy embrace. Says Gabbana, “The images evoke the essence of a star like Madonna: admired, chased, spied on, and adored but never completely revealed.”

“Designing an eyewear line with Madonna was a new experience for us. The oversized and wraparound designs are sexy and very feminine, like our clothes. Madonna’s creative contribution and unique point of view were key, even in designing the MDG logo,” says both Dolce and Gabbana. Madonna and the designers have collaborated on numerous projects, including their first, designing costumes for her 1993 Girlie Show tour, and she currently appears in the design house’s spring ad campaign.

A GLOW FROM RIO

Warm colors are a girl’s best friend. Mimic the warmth of skin when achieving natural beauty. Keep in mind, it’s about quality, not quantity! Bronzing powder gives skin a healthy, sun kissed appearance, and you don’t have to spend a second in the sun. Look for warm golden or brown tones a few shades darker than your skin. The sheerer the texture, the more natural it will look. Bronzing powder also helps neutralize red or ruddy complexions.

Touch it. Feel it against your skin. Bronzing powder should feel silky soft and fine, like any loose powder, or if it comes in a compact, like pressed powder or blush. The softer the texture, the more your skin will radiate a natural flawless glow.

The trick is to shine through your makeup, rather than hide behind, accentuate rather than change. Apply bronzing powder with a medium-sized fluffy brush. Try MAC 129 Powder/Blush Brush, ($34.00, maccosmetics.com), a full, rounded, all-purpose brush that I have been using for years. Use it over foundation or on bare skin. Rather than dusting a uniform layer onto the face, apply it where sunlight would naturally hit, the center of your forehead, the bridge of your nose, the tops of your cheekbones, and your chin. Finish it off by applying a warm peach blush on your cheeks, this will give you a more fresh and richer complexion. When you naturally tan, your skin is a little flushed and rosy.

Guerlain
Terracotta Light Sheer Bronzing Powder ($48.00, guerlain.com)
PRODUCT 101: This multi-tone bronzing powder has a light texture and doesn’t contain a ton of pigment, so it’s subtle and discreet enough to use even in the cooler months. It glides on smooth, not too shimmery and the application can be easily controlled. It can slightly warm pale and medium complexions, be paired with a darker formula to create a deep tan, or help build a warm base for a smoky eye.

MAC Cosmetics
Powder Blush, Style ($18.00, maccosmetics.com)
PRODUCT 101: This shimmering peach blush is universal. It flatters more complexions than cooler colors do, and it warms up the complexion a little bit, so it still looks natural and fresh. It’s soft and sophisticated, and has a subtle touch of pink that makes it look good on almost anyone.

LOOK YOUNGER

STEPS TO AGING WELL

1. Consume enough calories. With too few calories in your diet, the appearance of skin, hair and posture can suffer. In particular, foods rich in antioxidants, like berries, leafy greens and soy products, and those with omega-3 fatty acids, such as certain fish (salmon and sardines), olive oil and some nuts, may help ward off wrinkles.

2. Eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. They contain antioxidants, which fend off free radicals. (Free radicals build up in the body through daily living, are increased by pollution, smoking and sunlight, and breakdown cell membranes, contributing to aging.)

3. Cut back significantly on refined sugars and sugar packed soft drinks. Sugar causes reactions in your body that can contribute to the breakdown of collagen. Sometimes, I’ll have a craving for something sweet, like chocolate, instead I’ll find a substitution. I’ll have a bowl of blueberries instead.

4. Drink ten to twelve 8-oz. glasses of water or green tea a day. Inadequate hydration can lead to dry skin, which can make wrinkles more obvious. I love iced green tea, unsweetened of course, with a slice of lemon.

5. Limit yourself to no more than five to seven alcoholic beverages per week. Over time, excessive alcohol consumption will leave your skin looking sallow.

6. Take a multivitamin daily. Your supplement should have at least 400 IU of vitamin E; 25,000 IU of beta-carotene; 2000 mg of vitamin D; and other antioxidants. Among other positive effects, these antioxidants, combined with sun avoidance and protection, help skin wrinkle-free.

7. Always wear at least SPF 30, even indoors. Tanning robs the skin of collagen and leads to loss of elasticity. Even some indoor lighting emits damaging UV waves. If I could drink sunscreen for maximum protection, I would. I never go outside without a generous layer.

8. Use products with anti-aging ingredients. By your mid to late twenties, you need skincare with anti-aging ingredients: alpha-hydroxy or glycolic acids and vitamin-rich serums. Additionally, moisturizing daily will help keep wrinkles from becoming more dramatic.

9. Consider microdermabrasion or a chemical peel. These dermatologist-performed procedures can help erase the appearance of some sun damage.

10. Stop smoking. Smoking creates vertical lines around your lips and robs your skin of oxygen, muddying your complexion and undermining collagen production.

11. Exercise at least four times a week. A cardio workout will help keep your weight down and your energy levels up, and will improve circulation.

12. Reduce stress daily. Try yoga or meditation. Exfoliating is a simple stress reducer for me.

13. Get at least seven hours of sleep nightly. Less sleep may undermine the immune system and further stress the body by keeping it from repairing and replenishing cells.