Dear Andi,

Now that the weather is warming up, what trends should I be looking for this spring?

The beautiful weather this weekend definitely got me in the mood to break free of the winter drudgery of chapped noses and dry skin.

Color is still huge this season but done in a softer palette of pastels. This look will be fierce on olive complexions or dark skin tones, but, unfortunately, will fade away on the fair skinned. If you want to update your colors but can’t pull off the lighter hues, try switching out your navy blue eyeliner for teal, another hot color this season.

Spring is also about a more relaxed look, which was shown in the deconstructed buns being worn on the red carpet this season. For an everyday look, try skipping eyeliner on the lower rim of your eyes and using brown mascara instead of black. To keep your eyes looking bright, add highlighter with a fan brush to the top of your cheekbones and up to your temples. No need to buy a special highlighter. For this trick, the lightest shade in your eye-shadow palette will work fine.

Now, there are a couple of trends I’m seeing over and over again, so I can’t ignore them, but I’m not totally on board. First, is the new neutral in nail colors, putty brown. To me this seems a little gray and drab, but perhaps this is one of those colors that really shines in person. If you’re curious and looking for an alternative to your standby neutral, try Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Commander in Chic ($7, at drugstores).

The whimsical nature of Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland has definitely caught the imagination of the fashion world, but the real life application eludes me. My imagination may be lacking, but where others see inspiration, I’m seeing a big list of don’t’s.

Urban Decay released the Alice in Wonderland Book of Shadows palette ($52, urbandecay.com) to celebrate the film and it definitely contains some gorgeous color choices, but unless you can’t resist the pop-up packaging (which is tempting), invest in individually packaged shadows that you know work on you.

Now if you’re tempted to follow Alice down the rabbit hole and can’t wait for Halloween, O.P.I. came out with a nail polish line to embrace the Alice craze. Now that sandal season is finally here, dress up your toes with Thanks so Muchness!, Absolutely Alice, Mad as a Hatter!, or Off with Her Red!

 

Dear Andi,

What’s your top five list of beauty “don’ts�?

Don’t skip sunscreen. Everyone says it; everyone agrees; few of us actually follow the rule. If you’ve ever seen me without my foundation and seen how many freckles I really have, you know that I am one of the worst offenders. If you find yourself thinking cheap and not wanting to spend the extra dough on the lotion with an SPF included, just think of the money you will save on wrinkle cream later! Make-up that includes sun protection, although not a bad idea, is not enough for any real protection, so lay it on thick up front.

Don’t get stuck with a product you hate. We’ve all done it…you love the color in the store and then when you see pictures from a big night out, realize you looked more Tammy Faye than Tina Fey. Don’t be afraid to take it back just because it’s been used. Remember that companies make money by encouraging brand loyalty and return customers. They want you to be happy and coming back for more. Even if you bought it at a drug store or market, check out their return policy or research the brand’s web site for options.

Don’t let your bathroom drawers look like an episode of Hoarders. Until recently, if my family had staged an on-air intervention, I would have been completely mortified. But, in a nesting frenzy during my last pregnancy, I decided to purge my beauty stockpile of anything that had not been used in 6 months, and I honestly have not missed anything that got tossed. If you have make-up or hair products that never get used (probably because you had not yet heard my helpful “don’t� about returns) try passing it on to a friend or sister that has different coloring or taste than you. Eye make-up, unfortunately, needs to find it’s way to the trash bin, because it is a nesting ground for bacteria. One quick tip: I bought three cheap bins that fit under my cabinet and designated each one for hair, body, and face. That way I know exactly where to look and when I have a bottle avalanche, everything still stays organized and doesn’t end up all over the bathroom floor.

Don’t spend your mortgage on “miracle� skin products. Products that claim to transform you over-night are usually making claims that cannot be backed up. The key to youthful skin is hydration (Drink that water, ladies) and the right combination of products for your skin type. Save that money for some Spanx…now those are miracle workers!

Don’t fight nature. If you have thin lips, don’t draw lip liner outside of your natural line to “fake it�. Full eyebrows? Clean them up, but embrace the drama they bring to your eyes. Please, please, please, don’t bleach your freckles. There is nothing wrong with enhancing your natural beauty (and yes, we all have it) but stay true to yourself. Where would Cindy Crawford be without her aptly placed mole? Well, she’d still be gorgeous…okay, not my best example, but you get the idea.

“Beauty Buzz� is sponsored by Hull Dermatology, with offices in Rogers, Bella Vista and at the Eureka Springs Hospital. Dr. Hull has published several scientific papers and has received numerous awards and honors for her work in dermatology. For more info, click here to visit the Hull Dermatology website or call them at 479-254-9662.

Question: My teenage daughter is incredibly self-conscious about the dark freckles on her nose and cheeks. Would skin whiteners or lightening creams help her?

By Dr. Cheryl Hull of Hull Dermatology

Any time we address the treatment of freckles and sun spots, it’s important to stress the importance of daily protection from ultraviolet radiation. No matter what treatment is used to treat freckles and sun spots, if proper protection from ultraviolet radiation isn’t used, the spots WILL come back. We all get some ultraviolet radiation every day, whether it’s through car windows, walking in parking lots or, more obviously, during any time of prolonged sun exposure, such as athletic events, time at the lake, etc.

Help your kids and teens develop a daily habit of applying a moisturizer with an SPF of at least 30. This doesn’t have to be a thick, greasy sunscreen. There are several facial moisturizers that are easy to find that have SPF of 30 or greater. I encourage patients to buy two or three of these products to compare and see which one feels best on their skin. Brands I highly recommend include Neutrogena, Cetaphil, Oil of Olay, Clinique and Blue Lizard.

To treat the freckles and sunspots, there are several different options. The first choice is daily application of a prescription-strength bleaching cream. These creams can often make the spots disappear very nicely. This can take a minimum of 2 months time.

The next option we often use in conjunction with bleaching creams is laser treatment. Intense Pulse Light laser is very safe and effective, is relatively painless, and there’s no down time. The freckles and sun spots darken over the following 1-2 weeks, and they then “fleckâ€� off. This may take 1-2 treatments. There are other treatment options such as chemical peels, laser resurfacing and lightening masks, but, for children, I treat these lesions most often with the two steps described above.

“Beauty Buzz� is sponsored by Hull Dermatology, with offices in Rogers, Bella Vista and at the Eureka Springs Hospital. Dr. Hull has published several scientific papers and has received numerous awards and honors for her work in dermatology. For more info, click here to visit the Hull Dermatology website or call them at 479-254-9662.

Finally, I found it! For years, I’ve been frustrated about mascara because I couldn’t find one I could apply without ending up with at least one or two globs of extra mascara on my lashes. Of course, when you get a glob on your lashes, you’ve got to get a tissue or a eyelash comb and clean up the mess. Arrrgh! It’s frustrating and time-consuming, and most mamas are typically short on time.

For me, the biggest problem is the big fat, caterpillar-like application wands which end up putting way too much mascara on my lashes. (That may not be an issue for those of you lucky enough to have thick, long lashes that can handle the big brush.) But, if you’re like me and you’re sick of the globs, I have good news!

I recently tried Maybelline Lash Discovery Minibrush Mascara, and I am in love. (It caught my eye because it said “no clumps, no globs” on the package.) I think I’ve finally found a mascara I can control. The application brush is teeny tiny — so thin you’ll think it’s designed for Barbie dolls or something. But I love the way it lets me get the mascara exactly where I want it, even on the tiny lashes near the corners of your eyes. If you want more mascara, just keep applying coats (but don’t let it dry in between.)

I’ve worn this mascara for about a week now and it hasn’t given me any problems with smudging either. And now I’m not dreading putting on mascara in the morning and dealing with the globs and blobs. You can find this mascara at Wal-Mart, Target or any drugstore. Cost is about $6. For the low price and ease of use, it has earned the distinction of being a “Motherlode Must-Have.”

(Note: We’re NOT paid by any store or manufacturer to write product reviews. We just write about the ones we really like and would recommend to friends.)

 

Dear Andi,

Help! I was messing around with my daughter’s pacifier (the green, hospital kind) last night and accidentally suctioned it to my chin, leaving a big hickey! Is there anything I can do to make it go away faster?

Dear Accidental Hickey,

When I stopped laughing (sorry, I can’t help myself) I hit the internet looking for miracle cures, but since a hickey is basically a bruise, there is not much that can be done. Apply a warm tea bag to the area for about 30 minutes to help bring down the swelling, which also works for blemishes.

From here, cover-up is going to be your best friend. A green tinged concealer, like Botanics Complexion Refining Concealer (Target, $9.99) works to minimize the redness. Don’t let the odd color alarm you; blend it well and then top with your regular foundation.

These tips will work for covering blemishes, sunburn, or when your teenage daughter comes home with a hickey, before you lock her in her room until she’s 30, of course!

In the future, let your baby keep her pacifier and, no matter how much it makes her laugh, sticking a suction cup toy to your forehead will also cause a huge hickey (this info is from an undisclosed source, but you know who you are).

“Beauty Buzz� is sponsored by Hull Dermatology, with offices in Rogers, Bella Vista and at the Eureka Springs Hospital. Dr. Hull has published several scientific papers and has received numerous awards and honors for her work in dermatology. For more info, click here to visit the Hull Dermatology website or call them at 479-254-9662.

To send a question to Dr. Hull or Andi, e-mail your questions to mamas@nwaMotherlode.com and the answer may be featured in this weekly column.