Designer: Gary Graham

What to Wear in Abandoned Places

His designs are delicately crafted, incorporating Japanese dyeing techniques, distressed leather, reversible jackets, silks and intricate embroidery. Mythic, romantic, moody and rock star are some of the terms used to describe his collections. I say his clothes are what a poet and time traveler can wear to leap into centuries past or future without blowing her cover. He says, “It’s like Scarlet O’Hara after the war.” I got to interview Gary Graham and ask what’s a typical day in his life like, who are his influences and where he would go if he could time travel. Gary Graham’s designs are available at ABC Carpet and Home, on the first floor.

What were you like as a young boy?

I was really into Vincent Price and horror movies. I was very shy and stayed inside. I went to see Vincent Price give a lecture and he was so incredible and creepy and generous. I made lots of costumes and puppets.

When did you start designing?

I started designing my own collection in 2000.

How would you describe your design aesthetic?

Washed and worn, dark, romantic, past lives.

Who/What are your influences?

Its like Scarlet O’Hara after the war. That transition was a big influence or Dorothy in the reverse from distressed to clean. David Lean’s Oliver Twist (I wanted to be in that gang). Times Square with Robin Johnson. My mom’s tooled leather distressed stilettos from the 30’s. Tallulah Bankhead in Lifeboat sort of blew me away and made me think that there was a whole other type of person out there. Edward Gorey.

What kind of woman, do you think, likes to wear your clothes?

I just did a trunk show up in Calgary and all of the women were smart, beautiful, a bit off and completely amazing. I had so much fun. If there was a big fancy party with like a live band and a big staircase entrance, my customer would enter through the garden doors covered in mud or something like that and the leading man would fall in love with her and then she would ignore him and then regret it the next day.

What's a typical day for you like?

I wake up at 5:30 and meditate, drink coffee, do a power sketch stream of consciousness session, work out at the gym, get to the studio by 10 and meet with my team. Then the day just kind of happens. We design, make and sell clothes. Then I go home and go to bed. I do exactly the same thing everyday.

What music are you listening to right now?

Right at this moment, I am listening to Brian Eno. I’ve been listening to Meredith Monk a lot lately and also Marilyn Manson’s American Family album I’m relistening to. I listen to Svarte Grenier most Saturday mornings if I am home. Vorak, Irene Cara, Red House Painters, Minor Threat, this type of thing. First, Last, Always by Sisters of Mercy is one of my favorites.

What type of sunglasses are you into right now?

I cant wear sunglasses.

What public figure would you like to dress/design for?

I’ve dressed Lili Taylor and I love her to death. There is a scene at the end of Abel Ferrara’s, The Addiction where she is covered in blood walking through the streets that is just incredible. We have lots of cool women shop at the boutique but I don’t like to name names.

If you could time travel, what era would you go to and why?

I just read Luc Sante’s, My Lost City so I would like to go to 70’s NY for a couple of days. It seemed like a no man’s land. I like abandoned places.

Sheehan McGuirk

Fashion Stylist: J Lamar

Art. Future. Ferocity.


When I was a little girl, I watched my father dress for work. He discussed (in great detail) why he chose a yellow pocket square versus a blue one. He laid possible outfits on the bed and described how the print of a certain tie accented the fine grey stripe in his suit. It was from him that I first heard the Coco Chanel quote about taking one accessory off before leaving the house. Had my father been born in another time he may have been a fashion stylist, not a financial advisor.
Around the time I was under my father’s tutelage, a young boy in Bridgeport, CT was pulling from his first closet (his grandmothers) and reconstructing the vintage garments in an attempt to stand out from his middle school crowd. Years later, he’s found a way to get paid for his efforts and styles for runway shows, hi-fashion editorials and regular folks like you and me. With a number of reality shows about fashion stylists, a tabloid frenzy about a certain underfed celebrity stylist and the unfortunate lack of fashion “don’ts” on the red carpet nowadays (save for Cher) it seems fair to say this young man was born at exactly the right time. I asked Jlamar some questions.

What were you like as a boy?

An imaginative introvert with a great attraction to space and otherworldly things. I was very much into science fiction and the arts as a kid. I started out reconstructing old things I found around mine and my grandmother's house. I have a 'thing' about seeing the same stuff that I have on other people, so I started designing to make my wardrobe a bit more exclusive.

What do you do as a fashion stylist?

Being knowledgeable of designers and collections is a must. You do everything from researching inspiration for shoots and setting up appointments with showrooms to dressing models & creating/styling looks. Even the small things like steaming garments, setting up racks and taking inventory of loaned items. You do it all, and it's definitely to your advantage to know how.

How would you describe your personal style?

Hmm... I love to wear neutrals, especially black. Particularly, pieces that are strong and defined. I usually get dressed with a specific item in mind, and build a look from that. It's pretty entertaining to watch.

Who/what are your influences?

Art. Future. Ferocity.

Who are some of the designers you've styled for?

Marc Jacobs, Imitation of Christ, Vogue Italia, Womens Wear Daily.

You also design clothes, what's the name of your line and what’s the aesthetic?

I had a line out called Junk by Jlamar a while ago. It was a small line of shirts and accessories that were made with re-used fabrics and materials. I'm working on some really fun and interesting new stuff right now. It's all still in my head, and I need a good chunk of time to get it out and execute. You can email me at jlamar.w@gmail.com. Website coming soon!

What are three items of clothing that you’re really into right now?

1. Neon Yellow Patent dress shoes
2. Black Dior Homme pleated front trousers
3. An Ivory fencing uniform.

What trend would you like to see die?

Girls: I despise Ugg boots with all of my being.
Guys: Sagging pants. I mean... really?

What music are you listening to right now?

Kelis (always), punctuated by some 80's to mid 90's hip hop and r&b, classic/northern soul, doo wop, and depressing love songs.

What kind of sunglasses are you wearing these days?

Most of what I own is vintage, but I recently bought a pair of black/grey gradient wayfarers in Soho that I really love. I'm on the prowl for some Horn - Rimmed frames, though.

If you could style/design for anyone who would it be?

Bjork. She's insanely creative and uninhibited when it comes to fashion, and music. The closet for that project would be AMAZING.


Sheehan McGuirk

June Jacobs has been around since 1999 and is sold in high-end luxury spa’s like NYC’s Mandarin Oriental and Exhale. June Jacobs Spa Collection is botanically based and designed to bring a luxurious spa experience right into our own humble surroundings. The June Jacobs Intensive Age Defying Travel Kit offers 8 products including a mandarin cleanser and polishing beads, intensive age defying brightening eye cream and hydrating serum, body emulsion, SPF, complex cream and serum. It’s travel size so you won’t be hassled at the airport as you jet off to Turks and Caicos. The Intensive Age Defying Hydrating Mask is paraben and preservative free and is a powerful weapon against aging. It’s packed with ingredients that nourish, hydrate, help your skin produce more collagen and elastin and neutralize free radical damage. It’s a creamy consistency so you can apply it at night and let it work it’s magic while you sleep. For the ultimate anti-aging, anti-gravitation experience, apply the mask and strap yourself down in your bed with some heavy-duty steel tape, to train yourself to sleep on your back. Your friends will think you own a hyperbolic chamber.

Sheehan McGuirk

Get pampered at Spa Hydra

Spa Hydra
35-11 36th Street
Long Island City, NY 11106
Tel: (718) 267-7991

You wouldn’t expect it from outside the converted warehouse across the street from the Museum of the Moving Image in Long Island City, but inside is a seriously chic spa. The floor is laid with white marble and the separate, dimly lit relaxation area is just the type of place you want to chill before or after your treatments, sip your tea and research Britney’s breakdown. Body treatments and facials are available as well as top-notch massages, waxing and nails. Fun fact; did you know that after 10 years your mattress will weigh almost 15 pounds more than when you bought it? For $80 you can have a Signature Salt Body Scrub that smells amazing and leaves your skin so smooth your pants might fall off. It starts with a hot scrub, then a relaxing shower, and ends with a massage using a heated aromatherapy balm. For total enjoyment, promptly go home and get naked. --Sheehan McGuirk

Get Beautified at Priti Organic Spa

Priti Organic Spa
35 East First Street
NY, NY 10003
Tel: (212) 254 3628

Lot’s of salons smell more like a mortuary than a sanctuary. That’s courtesy of all the chemicals wafting through the air. Priti Organic Spa doesn’t compromise your health for your outer beauty. Have your feet soaked in mint and rosemary while your fingers are scrubbed with lavender and polished with 100% organic products. Bamboo flooring and an earthy design make this Lower East Side hideaway feel like a little slice o’ Thailand. Priti also provides organic facials using Stella McCartney’s Care and Dr. Alkaidis product lines as well as massages; both are very popular with mommies to be. After you’ve been beautified, walk across the street and get your brunch on at Prune. You may have to wait in line for a while but you’ll have the time considering how you just helped save the earth and got cuter at the same time. -- Sheehan McGuirk

Pure Spa and Salon
40-15 Queens Boulevard
Sunnyside, NY 11104
Tel: (718) 784-6400

Like other European owned and operated spa’s, Pure seems to adhere to a higher standard. You’re greeted with an authentic smile and a warm cup of tea. The reception area leads to a separate and spacious manicure and pedicure area (no awkward elbow touching) then through a long, candle lit hallway, off of which are generously sized treatment rooms, locker rooms for men and women and the first of two relaxation areas with complimentary snacks and more tea...score. Walk downstairs and the exposed brick and dimly lit relaxation area creates a cozy, urban shelter before you enter a treatment room and fall into a drooling abyss. No issues with pushy sales, overly chatty therapists or scary burning flesh, just an effective variety of relaxing, quality facials (using tried and true Dermologica products) and massages (shiatsu too) from therapists and technicians who know what they’re doing.

--Sheehan McGuirk

Sabon
93 Spring Street
(btwn Broadway and Mercer Street)
New York, NY 10012
Tel: (212) 925-0742

Like a singing ice cream shop or a one eyed, clairvoyant witch, Sabon has their thing that sets them apart from the competition. Sabon is a suds shop on Spring Street that sells all natural, animal free, handmade products from Israel (yeah, don’t pretend like you knew it from the name of the place). They slice up delicious smelling soap loaves and sell it to you by the morsel. You can get a 3.5 oz piece for about $6.00. With choices like Jasmine, Clove, Lemon Grass Olive Oil or Dulce de Leche, body salts, body creams, room sprays and candles, you’ll want to bring your competitive, long distance, sniffing skills. Also, you might want to bring dirty, unwashed, stinking hands because they will be washed, scrubbed and moisturized in public bathing ritual after which your hands will be vibrating from the power of the Dead Sea. That’s their thing.

--Sheehan McGuirk

Cure Beauty Bar
921 Fulton Street
(btwn Clinton and Waverly)
Brooklyn, NY 11238
Tel: (718) 622-7100

Sitting in a window seat inside Cure Beauty Bar on a soon to be spring day and watching all the people buzz around on Fulton Street makes me think how nice it is to be connected to humanity...while getting my nails did. Cure is welcoming and cool, with 70's R&B playing, soaps, and fun stuff made by locals and a display of jewelry that you would actually want to buy. Cure offers manicures, pedicures, facials (Evan Healy essential oil based skin care line) and massages at competitive prices (you can get a $20 manicure and an $85 facial) geared toward the au natural gal (or guy...they do a good amount of back waxing here). Located on street level, Cure welcomes walk-ins and spa parties (which are growing in popularity everywhere) and weekly discounts on manicures and pedicures.

--Sheehan McGuirk

Great Jones Spa
Greenwich Village
29 Great Jones St
New York, NY 10012
Tel: (212) 505-3185

Save your Starbucks dollars for a month and book a day at Great Jones Spa. While the prices are high, you’ll get a lot of oohhs and aahhs for your buck with a three story rock wall waterfall, a water lounge, thermal hot tub and cold plunge pool, chakra-light steam room, juice bar, complimentary snacks, and even disposable bathing suits in case you forget your own. The most affordable package is about $350 (includes tax and tip) and gets you a 60 minute Lavender Aromatherapy Massage and a 60 minute Lavender Naturopathica Facial and Lavender Foot Scrub, or book a single treatment, like a massage or facial for about $130. The variety of massages available, detoxifying and cleansing treatments and the energy work offered make Great Jones Spa well worth a Starbucks detox.

--Sheehan McGuirk

Be Treated Like a Queen at Ohm Spa

Ohm Spa
260 5th Ave, 7th Floor
New York, NY, 10001
(Btwn 28th & 29th Streets)
Tel: (212) 481-7892

The folks at Ohm Spa are particularly friendly (they ask for your shoe size when you book your appointment and have a proper slipper awaiting, upon your highness’s arrival) and anticipate your need to nosh by providing delicious snacks prior to your treatment. The mani/pedi room is large enough to accommodate your friends and the pedicure chairs offer state of the art massage. Facials and massages are custom fit for your needs and include options like cranio-sacral and a four handed massage where two therapists work in tandem on your body...ahhhhh. Ohm Spa is high quality along with its therapists, so the treatments are priced accordingly. You can expect to pay at least $130 for a facial or massage and sure, you might have to wait a month to get an appointment, but isn’t it nice to have something to look forward to?

--Sheehan McGuirk

Pureology
NanoWorks Luxury Hair Masque

Take a couple handfuls of straw, soak it in bleach and let it sit in the sun for several years. Afterwards you will have something, which resembled the hair on top of my head. After many years of emotionally unstable hair processing, pouring money into what should have gone to therapy, my poor cheveux was fried, dyed, and laid to the side. After one 5-minute treatment, my hair felt and looked human again and after about five treatments I was ready to buy stock in the stuff. Pureology’s Luxury Hair Masque is formulated with loads of high tech stuff to strengthen and restore color-treated hair and make it shine like the top of the Chrysler building! Pureology’s 100% vegan and the jasmine and vanilla scent is allergen-free. So our dreadlocked, hippie sisters can feel good about their do’s too.

--Sheehan McGuirk

Kiehl’s
UV Protective Everyday Facial Moisturizing Sunscreen Cream




My great Aunt Peggy lived by the sea all her life. Peggy was a devout Irish Catholic but spent most of her life secretly worshiping a Jewish fella named Sol. These ancient rituals required Johnson’s Baby Oil, cartons of cigarettes and tuna salad. By the end of her life, Peggy was still able to entertain the family by doing splits and somersaults in the den (yup, she was double-jointed) but spent her free time crafting folk art with her surgically removed melanomas. Kiehl’s UV Protective Everyday Facial Moisturizing Sunscreen Cream has UVA and UVB broad spectrum protection. It’s formulated with Mexoryl SX which is new (to the U.S.) and specifically designed to protect skin from the short UVA rays that were represented in Peggy’s popular “found art” period. Kiehl’s has a summer deal where if you order more than $50 on Friday’s they deliver for free. I think that Peggy would have liked that, don’t you?

Kiehl’s Summer Friday Delivery is available every Friday, from May 23 through Aug. 29 (Fridays, only.) Orders must be placed from 9 AM to 12 Noon on Friday. Orders are placed only through Kiehl's Since 1851 on the Upper West Side: 212-799-3438. Orders of $50 or more will receive free delivery to their office.

--Sheehan McGuirk

Facial Fuel Anti-Wrinkle Cream
Kiehl’s


Kiehl’s has been around long before the dawn of the metro sexual. In 1851, it was formulated for men whose faces were thickened and stained by coal, various manures, scratched by horse and mule hair, and pocked by burning embers from lunch. Their faces told stories, stories that even back then, nobody wanted to read! Ye olde timey men wanted to feel purdy too! Kiehl’s Facial Fuel Anti-Wrinkle Cream isn’t greasy and easily absorbs to combat wrinkles and environmental stresses of the modern man. Made with chestnut extract, soy and vitamins, it hydrates while making skin feel denser and strengthened. Open the jar and the minty coolness tempts you to submerge your snout and never come up for air. While you’re down there you may hear the distant voices of your forefathers reminding you to exfoliate.

--Sheehan McGuirk

Purminerals
4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Makeup Foundation With SPF 15

Did you know that Egyptian commanders painted their nails and curled their hair before war? Historians claim their battle cry was, “Heey girl!” Our girl Cleopatra used Mother Nature to enhance her natural beauty; red ochre, kohl and lead ore were just a few of her divine secrets. Lately, there’s been a rebirth of ancient makeup practices. Purminerals is one of the companies doing mineral makeup well, so that you can have your makeup without the harsh, potentially damaging and allergenic chemicals. Their hot product is called 4-in-1 and is a foundation, concealor, SPF 15, and powder in a compact, along with a mirror and applicator sponge in one. It feels lighter on your face and appears more natural, because, well, it is...even in the harsh light off the Nile.

--Sheehan McGuirk

Smashbox has a cool product that’s especially handy when temperatures rise to ungodly numbers. Anti-Shine powder gel formula kills the oil slick that seems to surface on your t-zone, usually during an important interview, a hot date with Chip or 14 hour summer weddings. For the ultimate effect, apply Anti-Shine after moisturizing, then Smashbox Primer (what professionals swear by to virtually eliminate “imperfections”) then dab on a little Sheer Focus Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 15 and you’re ready for Chip’s smooth moves over a shared milkshake at The Peach Pit.

For more summertime saviors check out the live online classes where experienced Completely Bare technicians give you the 411 on waxing, here, there and everywhere at their first At-Home Waxing Webinar. Go to Completely Bare and click on Ask Cindy. Imagine, bikini line bruises and 2nd degree upper lip burns, a memory of summer’s past?

--Sheehan McGuirk

Long Last Glosswear SPF 15 and Self-Sun by Clinique

Clinique
Long Last Glosswear SPF 15 and Self-Sun

Before the big eighth grade dance, I bought my first tube of tanning cream and applied it liberally. The effect was neither subtle nor human. However, it did match the globs of glittery gloss covering my orange lips. Needless to say, tanning technology has come a long way. Now you can confidently apply Clinique Self-Sun, a body lotion with just a touch of bronzing power, and not worry so much about streaking or looking like a golden chicken mcnugget on the dance floor. Whip out Clinique’s Long Last Glosswear SPF 15 in front of the other girls in the bathroom and be prepared to share...except with you know who, who is the cold sore queen.

--Sheehan McGuirk

Forrest Rain Eau de Toilette Spray by Kiehl's

Become Enchanted with Forest Rain Eau de Toilette Spray

Kiehl’s scientists traveled to the Black Forrest and collected dewdrops from the lashes of sleeping fairy’s to make their new Forest Rain collection of eau de toilette, lotion and cleanser. It’s a blend of spicy and woodsy notes, fit for boy, girl or talking doe. It will conjure up images of grey haired wizards and velvety forest beds where the soil tastes like cinnamon and wet leaves taste peppery sweet. This scent is not for the uninspired, although it might work like pixie dust on an oblivious office crush while you’re hanging out by water cooler. When they ask what exactly you are wearing, you can offer the nape of your neck and say, “Why, it’s Forrest Rain, the top notes are Wet Grass and Muguet Petals, but you’re probably smelling the Damp Moss and Soft Musk.” After they get a good whiff of this stuff, you may have to slip your invisible cloak over their shoulders and find the nearest empty cubicle or available utility closet...it’s magic. Invisible cloak not free with purchase.

Sheehan McGuirk

Ahhh, it’s autumn, my favorite time of year. Unfortunately, the water treatment plant a few blocks away, doesn’t shut down for this particular reason. So, I strike a match and light some candles that transport me to a perfect fall, where I’m dressed in high boots and my fanciest church goin’ bonnet as “Paw” drives us in the covered wagon to the annual Cider Festival. Too bad my sister Mary’s blind but thankfully, her sense of smell is so astute she guides the way, “Hang a Louie at the rotting orchard,” she shouts, “Take a Rhonda at Old Man Crow’s tool shed.” Maw baked her prize winning pies and each of us are responsible for carefully holding one on our laps as we traverse the pre-industrialized, long, winding country road. The smell is like heaven but as usual, Mary won’t stop describing it in flowery detail. Now Paw’s praising her genius and Maw’s eyes are lighting up like there’s a pair of angel wings coming out from Mary’s backside. What about me? I’m the one who loves you the best! Mary might be prettier than I am, she might be smarter, she might have a hotter boyfriend than I’ll ever have, but I’m your half pint Paw! I’M YOUR HALF PINT!!!

This Little House on the Prairie episode was brought to me by Botanica Candle Company with help from scents like Pumpkin Pie, Pine Needle, French Vanilla, Frankincense & Myrrh, Yuletide and Hot Apple Pie. Available in votive’s, tarts and diffusers, each one has the seductive power to make you pull off your bloomers and take a bath in a barrel underneath the Harvest moon.

Sheehan McGuirk

Dr. Alkaitis Organic Skin Food

The Lithuanian, molecular biologist, chemist, ethnopharmocologist, child prodigy violinist, Doctor....is in the house! Whoop! Whoop! I can’t say enough amazing things about Dr. Alkaitis Organic Skin Food . Seriously, the dewy glow emanating from my skin after applying the Nourishing Oil and/or the Day Cream is like nothing I have experienced; fast absorbing, hydrating and long lasting. Did I mention I’m a Licensed Esthetician and can testify to the wonders of their Eye Cream even after a late night of overzealous imbibing? By the way, don’t be scared by face oils even if you have acne prone skin, (western women are a little behind the times when it comes to embracing facial oils) many people experience a little miracle when they stop stripping their skin and begin to nourish it with face friendly oils instead. Also, you’ll be able to read and understand all of the natural ingredients as they are not listed in Latin or scientific Sanskrit.

Strawberry, Oat Buds and Marigold Blossoms are just some of the ingredients that read like poetry but really feed your skin. Along with a cleanser, toner, day/night creams, a soothing gel and the aforementioned facial oil, Dr. Alkaitis’s line includes an active Enzyme Exfoliating Mask as well as three masks for different skin conditions. All of the products are biologically active, meaning they come alive when you activate them with a little warm water (like me, only with vodka). Some cool facts; the products are never more than two weeks old when they ship them, 100% certified organic aloe is the base ingredient not water, the products adapt to your skin so they are universally applicable, the Doctor manufactures everything himself in California and finally, perhaps most importantly, everything is edible.

Sheehan McGuirk

Eminence Organic Skin Care

The grapevines behind my grandmother’s tiny house were so thick I needed a machete to get through to the other side, where, allegedly a magical pony farm stood. My homemade machetes were flimsy but each year when the grapes came, I ran in the back to see if their color had changed to purple. Either way, I gagged the green ones down as I imagined collecting enough to sell and buy my own damn magical pony. Eminence Organic Skin Care’s new collection, Divine, is also inspired by grapes, Hungary’s Tokay Ice Wine Grapes. The Tokay Ice Wine Masque and Mimosa Champagne Sugar Scrub and Lotion are ripe with polyphenols, an antioxidant that will have you looking like you just walked out of a stroller. Coenzyme Q10, (a highly effective enzyme) digests impurities while nourishing your skin and can be found in each facial product along with hydrating and purifying essential oils like orange and quince. Eminence has been doing the organic thing since 1958, (that’s long before it was cool to shop at the Farmers Market in Williamsburg) and helped set the standard in organic skin care.

Sheehan McGuirk

No Fuss Skin Care

I was raised by an Irish mother, while she was not from Ireland she was not so many generations away to have lost some essential Irish traits. One of them is no fuss. No fuss reveals itself in Irish cuisine (I am being very generous with that title!) but also in beauty rituals. The women of Ireland were, for the most part, not known for spending hours before the mirror pampering themselves with fine creams and exclusive serums. Perhaps it was because they were too busy trying to survive. Perhaps it was because the Catholic church looked down upon vanity. Either way generations later, I am inclined to agree with my ancestors.

I believe that caring for your skin should not be difficult. I believe that the best approach is a simple approach. Quality versus quantity. My job is to filter the excessive information from the beauty industry machine (that profits on our insecurities and whose favorite client is an uninformed, possible tired, possibly hungry client) and offer my clients the real stuff.

Like you, I am always learning. I belong to groups that share information and experiences, I take seminars, train with new skin care lines, read trade magazines and books and research until the wee hours on the internet. But my most treasured resource are my clients. As my father says, there is a reason why we have two ears and only one mouth. Your individual experience is invaluable to me and I am honored to listen, to learn and to offer what I have learned thus far, to help you. By now, you know, there won't be any fuss.

Sharing is Caring: Skin Care 101

If you'd like to know how to easily approach caring for your skin, it's simple, first, you must find a magical hummingbird, one whose tiny beak you will use to gather the pollen from an ancient Himalayan orchid. However, if you cannot find a magical hummingbird these steps will do:

Once or Twice a Day Depending Upon What Your Skin Requires:
1. Cleanse (w/ warm water, your skin should not feel tight or dry afterwards, allow your skin a gentle cleanse)
2. Exfoliate (no scraping, nice and gentle and only once or twice a week)
3. Tone (Alcohol Free, it restores the ph balance of your skin's acid mantle and allows for penetration of step 3)
4. Moisturize (feeds your skin)
5. SPF (protects your skin, UVA & UVB)

Important factors to consider are; determining what type of skin you have, what conditions you are experiencing (maybe a bit of menopausal acne is gracing you with its presence but your skin type is still dry) and what ingredients are in the products that you are using. Establishing a steady routine is surprisingly difficult for many of us but it is also important to do so to see results or consider different strategies. Advanced treatments like serums, gels, potions and lotions are usually applied after cleansing and toning, while your skin is still warm and damp. You can feel free to give your face a little massage while you apply it too, not only does it feel good it truly helps in penetration and improves your circulation.

p.s. anyone who knows where a magical hummingbird does exist, and knows of this ancient Himalayan orchid, please contact me asap.

WWOD?: Skin Care That Oprah Approves Of

It's 4 pm, do you know what station Oprah is on? I bet you do...large or small we love our Oprah. I've done a little footwork to offer a selection of The Great O's skin care suggestions. These can be found on her website of course, but I thought I'd save you the trouble of hunting and clicking.

What does THE O have to say about Wrinkles?
http://www.oprah.com/slideshow/omagazine/slideshow1_ss_health_o_200406_wrinkles

Is there anything specific that THE O uses?
Philosophy: Hope in a Jar: (Is this an Obama skin care product?!) Oprah loves this universal care cream that hydrates and gently exfoliates. Some people can't get over the smell though. Either way, what Oprah says goes.
www.oprah.com/article/style/skinandbody/health_beauty_hope

Is there a body lotion that The Great O suggests?
http://www.oprah.com/slideshow/omagazine/200801_omag_lt_beauty_lotions/2

Does The O get any "work" done? Well, I don't think she'd tell ever tell but she does offer a nice roundup of peels, injection and filler information on her site so she must approve: www.oprah.com/slideshow/omagazine/slideshow1_ss_beauty_skinbody_200703_face/1