Over 40 and Not Pleased With What You See in the Mirror?

Do you notice changes in your skin and coloring that leave you looking tired or older than you would like to admit? Have these changes affected your confidence and self esteem?

If so, you are not alone.

I hear this consistently from women coming to me for a new look: “I just turned 40+ and everything is different. I don’t look the same and I don’t know what to do.”

As you age, the vibrancy you once experienced in your youth starts to fade. The more you have lived and enjoyed the outdoors, the more it shows in your skin. As you transition into your non-reproductive years your hormones change and this creates changes within your body and appearance. The things you normally do to take care of yourself may not work as well anymore.

We experience life cycles very much like the seasonal cycles of Mother Nature. The more you do now to take care of yourself the more rewards you will reap later in life.

Have you noticed any of the following:
Change in skin tone and elasticity
More blotchiness & sun damage
Less eyebrows and thinning of the hair
Lackluster hair and faded color

Here are the top 5 things you can do for a Healthy Glow:

1. Find a hairdresser who specializes in color and can create a look that enhances your best features. Maintain your color and cut every 4 – 6 weeks.

2. Join me for a make-up lesson using Mineral Make-Up with a built in SPF of 26. I designed Face Options for business women on the go. Click here to find out more.

3. Re-evaluate your skin care regime – if you don’t have one, find a good esthetician and start using one now.

4. Drink more water. Clean water keeps you hydrated and allows for healthier looking skin and body tone. Half your weight in ounces is the recommendation.

5. Avoid the largest contributors to aging: sun exposure, tanning beds, cigarette smoke – both 1st and 2nd hand smoke, alcohol, caffeine and fast or processed foods.

Join me for a class and I will share my beauty secrets with you…

Make-Up Workshop in Pasadena, CA – Saturday, November 17th

Bertaut Reiki 1 in Pasadena, CA – Sunday, November 18th

Make-Up Workshop in Pleasant Hill, CA – Saturday, December 1st

Bertaut Reiki 1 in Concord, CA – Sunday, December 2nd

Inner & Outer Beauty Retreat Northern CA– January 11 – 13th

Wrinkles are Not a Normal Part of Aging!

Famous French designer Coco Chanel started the tanning ritual in 1920. While sailing aboard an aristocrat's yaught she got a suntan. By the 1940's tanned skin was very fashionable and shown off by celebrities wearing bathing suits in their pin-up posters.

Although small amounts are necessary to metabolize vitamin D, we discovered that the risks far outweigh the benefits of long term sun exposure.

While losing some elasticity and muscle tone are a natural part of the aging process, wrinkles are a sign of external aging factors that you can avoid for the most part.

Here are the top 5 Contributors to Wrinkles & Aging:

#1 Risk to Aging is UV Radiation due to Sun Exposure & Tanning Beds

Years of sunbathing damages the collagen, elastin and matrix of the skin creating excessive wrinkling and sagging.

#2 Cause = Cigarettes - 1st & 2nd Hand Smoke

Each puff off of a cigarette creates so many free radicals that the body's built in defense mechanism is helpless to combat them. Free radicals damage cell components and their ability to reproduce healthy cells.

#3 Cause = Drugs & Alcohol

Long-term use of alcohol, prescription and/or recreational drugs creates oxidative stress.

#4 Cause = Food; Processed, Deep fried, Charbroiled, Rancid Fats, Microwaved

Consistent unhealthy food choices create oxidative stress and break down the body's ability to repair itself.

#5 Cause = Stress & Anxiety

A stressful lifestyle creates inflammation in the body and oxidative stress.

What are Free Radicals & Oxidative Stress?

Free radicals are unstable oxygen atoms that cause damage to all parts of the cell. This cellular damage accelerates aging and creates disease in the body. Not being able to reproduce healthy cells the skin's cellular matrix is broken down, collagen fibers become inflexible and deep furrows appear in the skin as wrinkles and sagging.

This damage does not stop with the skin. Eventually it leads to damage to the organs and then to the body's systems creating one or more of a multitudes of diseases.

The bottom line is...healthy cells maintain a healthy body. We each have a natural defense mechanism in place within the body to neutralize free radical formation by producing a variety of Antioxidants. Oxidative Stress takes place when free radicals exceed the body’s defense mechanism and supply of antioxidants.

Reduce your risk of disease by supporting your body's natural defense system.

Top 5 Steps for Healthier & More Vibrant Skin:

• Drink plenty of water, include colorful, fresh veggies and fruits daily, and practice moderation when it comes to eating foods that create free radicals.
• Take B Complex vitamins to help relieve stress.
• Include Vitamin E to protect the cell membrane and oil-soluble parts of the cell
• Take Vitamin C regenerates Vit E and protects the water-soluble parts of the cell
• Take Coenzyme Q10 to protect the mitochondria - energy production center of the cell

With some conscious changes and healthy additions you can ward off accelerated aging and look as young on the outside as you feel on the inside!

Why Foundation...Let Me Count the Reasons

Foundation is the key to your make-up regime. Without it, you won’t have a truly finished look. With a quality product, you won’t irritate or block your pores. Just remember to wash your face nightly with a good skin care cleanser, not soap. (Soap dries your skin and clogs pores.)

Here are the top 5 benefits of wearing foundation regularly:

1. It smooths and evens out your skin tone. No more blotchiness!

2. It brings more attention to your eyes.

3. It allows color cosmetics to blend well for a natural look.

4. It offers a protective barrier against the elements. Women who wear foundation regularly maintain younger looking skin longer. Face Options, Foundation provides an SPF of 26.

5. It gives a finished and more credible look. Whether for business or your personal life, you’ll look and feel better wearing foundation.

Click on the pictures below to see the dramatic difference foundation can make. Notice how the focus changes from the redness in the skin or circles under the eyes to the eyes.

Corey has a lot of red in her skin. She wears the Face Options color Resume for her foundation. The higher the SPF the better the coverage. Resume smoothes out Corey's color and she loves it.

Tonia has great skin...however the darkness around her eyes distract from her overall look. Notice how the foundation smoothes out her coloring giving her a brighter more credible look. Tonia wears Fortune foundation and now sells Face Options to her clients in her skin care business.

My favorite type of foundation is Mineral Powder - loose vs compact - because they are the closest to natural that you can find in a make-up. It provides medium to full coverage and is an excellent alternative to daytime make-up.

Mineral powders function as a foundation, concealer, powder and sunblock in one step. The products manufactured with no synthetic chemicals are virtually irritation free and furnish protection from UV rays and the environment.

Check the ingredient label as you should only have Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide as your sun protection, iron oxides for color, mica for shimmer and a couple of other ingredients to help smooth out the texture of the product.

More than 6 - 7 ingredients means the manufacturer has added fillers to make the product less expensive and this translates to less coverage and not as natural of a look on the skin.

As a general rule - the higher the SPF the better the coverage.

Take the Face Options Color Quiz

View the Database Foundation Colors

Step-by-Step Make-Up Lesson - Foundation

Make-Over Stories

Brows to Frame Your Face Beautifully

Before: The untamed brow

Above: I frequently see eyebrows that are uneven but here is an example with cowlicks as well. The brows are growing in different directions making them more of a challenge to maintain.

After: Grooming and Shaping

Each brow has its own unique shape. Matching two brows as closely as possible is the goal. I trimmed, tweezed and filled in her brows with iBrowser 2, to give them a more balanced and groomed look. She was very excited about her new brows.

Brows are probably the single most important feature of your face. I once had a client in a make-up class who I thought was angry at me. Every time I looked at her, she seemed to be scowling. After closer examination, I realized the shape of her brows made her look mad. They both went up to a sharp point at the arch of the brow, seeming to furrow her eyebrows. I grabbed my tweezers and scissors and went to work. I took the points off the top of her brows, trimmed and reshaped the rest. She looked like a new person!

Too much or too little in eyebrows can change the entire expression of your face. It is important to learn how to groom and trim them, if necessary, to bring out your best features.

Use a pencil or long brush handle to gauge the following:

The inner brow should line up with the side of the nose and inner corner of the eye.
The outer brow should line up with the midpoint of the lip, the side of the nose and the outer corner of the eye.
The arch should line up with the side of the nose and the outer edge of the iris (while looking straight ahead).

If you’re a brunette, select a brow color slightly lighter than your natural hair color. If you’re blonde, choose a brow color close to your root color.

The most natural brow color is a grayish/taupe color - (Face Options color - iBrowser). Variations of this color can be shaded with black for those with dark brown or black hair - (Face Options color iBrowser 2). For red hair a warm brown is best - (Face Options color - Impact).

Ready to create attractive brows? Using a synthetic angle brush, outline the top of the brow first and fill in from there. You want a smooth, even line to give your brows their shape and arch. For a more natural look, use the side of your brow brush or pencil when applying color. For the outer portion of the brow from the arch out, avoid drawing a curve, which produces a surprised, unnatural look. Instead, draw a straight line toward the line of the upper opening to the ear.

Step-by-Step Brow Shaping

iBrowser

Shadow Colors

Face Options Web Site

Color for Cheeks and Lips

Do you know the real difference between warm and cool colors? Warm colors have yellow in them, while cool colors contain some blue. Colors also have intensity, according to whether they are bright (high-intensity) or soft (low-intensity). Color value is how light or dark a color is. These concepts can help you choose the right colors for cheeks and lips.

Your natural coloring should indicate the best intensity and value of colors for your face. If you have high contrast in your coloring (dark hair and light skin), you will tend to be able to wear more intensity and deeper values in color. If your coloring is fair, you’ll tend to wear softer colors better.

Personal Chef Morgan B has warm coloring with red hair and a porcelain skin tone. Here is her headshot taken by one of my favorite photographers Karen Maze (see more at http://www.karenmaze.com/) Morgan has fair skin with medium contrast between hair and skin. She looks very natural in warmer shades. I used Face Options blush color Shares which is a warm pink blush and Cappuchino lip liner with Rosy Idea lip sheer.

Coordinate blush and lip colors by staying in the same color family. Use pink tones with pink, red tones with red and warm tones with warm. (The exception to this is using a natural “cheek” blushing pink with low-intensity, warm or cool colored lipstick.)

To select blush, hold color choices next to the cheek area to see which color enhances your coloring the best. If you are still not sure which color to choose, choose a blush color that corresponds to the natural color of your lips. Enjoy the natural daytime look this produces!

Face Options Blush Colors

Step-by-Step Blush Application

Face Options Lip Sheers

On-Line Lip Pencils

Lipstick Application

Lipliner Technique Made Easy

If you want to look more kissable, skillfully applied lip liner can do the trick. Balancing shape and fullness is key to the effect you want. You’ll want to look straight into a mirror (not at an angle), with your mouth closed, in order to see the true shape of your lips.

1. Start with the bow of your lips, by drawing a “bird in flight” pattern. Make sure that this line is smooth and even before going to the next step.

2. Start lining the center of the lower lip, making adjustments for fullness by lining on the inside, outside or directly on the lip line.

3. Extend the “bird in flight” to the corners of the lips meeting the lower lip line at the inner corner. Beware of the square lip look.

4. Extend the lower lip line to meet at the inner corner of the upper lip. As you line, make sure to have both lines meet to form a corner and not a square.

5. Use a firm lip brush to blend the inner portion of the liner for a blended look before adding lip color.

Avoid using dark lip liner with a much lighter color inside. This look distracts and takes attention away from an otherwise attractive make-up application.

Even if you’re already doing fine in the kissability department, lip liner is worth the extra time it takes to apply!

Lip Sheer Colors

On-Line Lip Liners

Step-by-Step Lipstick

Coloring the "Windows to Your Soul"

Want to help your eyes light up your face? With properly chosen colors, eye make-up makes your eyes magnetic and appealing.

Your eye color is accentuated best by colors in the same color family—for blue eyes, something bluish, for brown eyes something from beige to chocolate. Avoid shades brighter than your eye color, however, which tend to overpower the eye. To judge which colors will look best, hold shadow colors next to the eye in front of a mirror.

Eyes can sport a different color theme from foundation and blush as long as the eye theme matches the natural coloring of the eye itself. However, beware of using a warm eye color with skin tones that look better in cool colors. (Warm colors have yellow in them, while cool colors contain blue.) Sometimes a warm shadow that matches eye color does not look good on a yellow skin tone. The effect will appear “muddy-looking” and get darker over time.

Purple and lavender shadows look best on blue, or black/brown eyes. For other eye colors, purple tends to accentuate the red veins in the eyes. Over time, the eyes look tired and dull.

For eyeliner, select a color that matches the color of the outer rim of the iris. For instance, brown eyes with a navy or deep gray rim can wear brown shadow with navy or deep gray eyeliner.

Whatever your eye color, stay away from bright eye shadow... unless you are very young or happen to be aiming for a streetwalker look!

Eye Source - Shadow Colors

On-Line Eyes (Eye Pencil)

Step-by-Step Shadow Application

Pencil Liner Application

Shadow Liner Application

Eyeshadow & Eyeliner Without Tears

Skillful application of eye shadow and eyeliner makes your eyes look awake, appealing and vibrant. Fortunately, the techniques you need to master for this are rather easy.

Avoid droopy eyes by following the line of the lower eyelid as a guide for shadow placement. Extend an imaginary line following the angle of the outer portion of the lower lid to the brow. Keep eye shadow inside this imaginary line.

For lining your eyes, a flat-topped, synthetic eyeliner brush and eye shadow give great results. Follow these steps for eyeliner that enhances the shape of your eyes and brings lots of compliments.

1. Work the eye shadow into the brush along the entire length of the brush.

2. Tap off any excess to avoid shadow falling on the cheek.

3. Hold your brush like a pencil. Start by placing shadow at the outer corner of the eye, working your way in, towards your nose. Place your brush on top of the lashes and press firmly onto the skin at the base of the lashes. Repeat this step all the way across the lid until you have a fine, well-defined outline of your upper lid. For more of an almond shape, use more liner on the outer corners of the eyes.

Be patient in learning this new technique. It may take three or even four times before it feels natural to you. Once you learn it, though, and get used to the natural drama it adds to your eyes, you won’t go back!

Eye Source - Shadow Colors

On-Line Eyes (Eye Pencil)

Step-by-Step Shadow Application

Pencil Liner Application

Shadow Liner Application

Color Selection for Foundation Step-by-Step

Use a Q-tip to sample foundation out of a bottle or container. For sanitary purposes, be sure to use the Q-tip only once. Apply a large dab onto the back of your hand or a metal template and apply it with a sponge or brush.

1. Try two to three colors that look close in color to your natural skin tone.

2. Match three places on your face: cheekbone, jaw line and neck.

3. With a wedge sponge, partially blend each color onto the skin.

4. Look for the color that disappears, even before it is completely blended.

5. If your neck is lighter than your face or vice versa, you will need to choose a color that either matches your face or your neck. If you choose to go with the lighter color for the face, make sure that it doesn’t leave an ashy or unnatural look. Sometimes mineral powders work best here, as you can wear the minerals on your neck to even out the entire look between face and neck, even your décolleté.

6. Apply foundation to half of your face first for comparison purposes. This way you can see the color and the difference that foundation makes in evening out your skin tone.

7. After all this, if the color you select doesn’t look good once applied to your face, remove it and try another color.

When you select the right color, mineral powder foundation looks like you’re not wearing anything on your face. You’ll get compliments like “Gee, you look great. What did you do?” or “Did you just get your hair cut?”

Mineral powder concealer in our “Cover Up” color neutralizes blue or purple circles under the eyes. Like all our mineral powders, it gives you coverage and sun protection in one easy-to-use product.

The Latest Make-Overs

I recently held two days of make-overs for women who were ready for a boost in confidence or just wanted an image update. I had them use a color in their before picture that was not the most flattering - but was something from their current wardrobe that they might wear. The after picture included some clothing from Cabi consultant, Suzanne Maese, who was kind enough to bring her clothes for us to use in the photo shoot.

As you will notice, color and make-up make a huge difference in your appearance. The make-up used was Face Options mineral cosmetics and the hair stylists are Amy Cole and Adria Romero of Essence Salon in Pasadena, CA.

L-R: Hair Stylists, Amy Cole and Adria Romero

My specialty is daytime make-up which looks very natural in person but tends to get washed out in photos if the lighting is not right - too bright in this case. This will be corrected for the next photo shoot. In person there was actually a bigger difference than you can see in some of the photos. The models were very happy with their new look and you can read their stories and comments below.

Meet Robbie P.

Robbie is an Esthetician and successful business owner of Essence of You, a skin care clinic and spa in Bakersfield, CA. She has taken many of my classes and wanted to experience a make-over based on the image template we designed for her during my "Image & Essence" class. Robbie is someone you feel comfortable with right away. She has had an interesting and diverse life and is always good for a story or two. Normally very casual, she was ready for something new. Here is what happened when she arrived back home after participating in 2 days of hair and make-up make-overs.

Robbie's After Headshot

She wrote this the next day to me, "When I got home my husband met me at the door and I was pleasantly surprised. For the first time in 11 years he was speechless! He liked the new me!" She continued, "I appreciated being a part of your make-over days. I learned so much. Just think of the lives you changed in those 48 hours! When I returned to work I got all kinds of compliments. No one has seen me dressed up in years! Linda you truly have a gift the whole world needs."

Robbie's Before & After Pictures

Beautiful, romantic, together, ageless, confident, credible, healthy, charismatic, fun, innovative, describes Robbie's ideal image of herself.

Meet Patricia P.

Patricia is a successful business woman in real estate. With 28 years in the business she is a top producer. “I love matching people with homes and helping them to realize their ideal lifestyle." One look at Patricia and you see her fun and imaginative side. She is comfortable with herself and shows her uniqueness in her appearance. She was very excited to be a part of the make-over days. To Patricia a make-over means discovering a new faction of yourself. She shared, "I like being myself and taking care of myself. I’m one of my favorite people. I have worked hard to be this person so it’s okay."

Patricia's comments on the day, "It was a really nice experience and I thought it was really neat. I got a new perspective of myself through Linda's and Amy's eyes. I love it, I love the hair color and I do my make-up differently now. I have been filling in my eyebrows with brown now instead of the red color and I have been getting a lot of compliments on my new look."

Attractive, chic, memorable, ageless, confident, credible,accomplished, dynamic, fun, sexy, vivacious and imaginative, describe Patricia's ideal image of herself.


Meet Lori Ann Robinson
Lori is an award-winning costume designer who now has a successful Image Consulting business in southern CA. She is one of the first people I met when I moved to Pasadena and we have maintained a friendship ever since. Lori already uses my make-up, Face Options Mineral Cosmetics and comes in for regular updates.

She comments, "I love wearing Face Options! My skin looks flawless and I receive loads of compliments. I have tried many brands over the years, and Face Options mineral make-up is by far my favorite. I won't wear anything else." In regards to the make-over day, "Working with Linda is such a treat. I learn from her every time she applies my make-up. She is such a skilled and talented artist. We all had such a great time filming and watching each others transformations."

Glamorous, fun friendly, credible, vibrant, healthy, observant, cheerful, kind, entertaining and knowledgeable describe Lori's ideal image of herself

Meet Suzanne M.
Suzanne is a business owner with two hats. One is her professional job as an office space planner and contract furniture sales and the other is as a designer clothing consultant for Cabi clothing. Suzanne actually supplied the clothes for some of the make-overs in the photo shoot. Her love of matching clothing with the right people became clear in the two days we worked together.

Suzanne's comments, "Being a very busy woman and a single mom to a 13 year old boy, it is difficult to slow down and pay attention to my style. I wear beautiful clothes, get my hair cut and colored regularly, do pedicures and I have always believed that I do enough to express my success in my appearance. What was very evident after having worked with Linda is that I needed a tune up. After spending an afternoon with Linda I was told by two people that I looked great. When I asked in what way, each responded by saying that I looked younger and brighter. It is amazing what a little pampering and self-attention with Linda's guidance can do."

Attractive, stylish, noticeable, fresh, credible, successful, dynamic,
worldly, upbeat, original, adventurous, appealing, describes Suzanne's ideal image of herself

More Make-Overs

Meet Karen K.

Karen used to downplay her image to fit in at work...Guess what?

She was in the wrong line of work.

Confident, successful, stylish, contemporary, modern, fun-loving, credible and adventuresome describe Karen's ideal image for herself.

Her previous job as a social worker impacted how she dressed for work. Not wanting to make people feel uncomfortable around her by looking too successful or overdressed she downplayed her wardrobe and image.

Her friends recognized her creativity and sense of adventure...it just didn't show up in her clothing. Plus, the adjectives Karen chose for herself indicated that she was supressing her true self.

She has since changed careers and currently is working for a fashion publication while pursuing other more creative interests.

Karen comments, "Since the make-over, I feel really beautiful and am surprised at how good I can look. Because I am interested in fashion, my own sense of style and make-up is important, and the make-over gave me the tools to keep developing my own image."

Moral of today's story: Anytime you feel uncomfortable being you - you are in the wrong place, job...or with the wrong person or people. Change your environment to match who you are.

Meet Corey F.

Corey was a stay at home mom with no time for herself. One day she looked in the mirror and decided it was time for a change...

Beautiful, confident, credible, classy, sassy, fun and easy-going express Corey's ideal image for herself.

Before getting married, Corey had her own photography business as well as being a newspaper reporter for a daily paper in Central California. She put her career on hold to have a family. She shares, "Since quitting my job to have children, my personal maintenance went from minimal to zilch." After deciding to start her photography business again, this time in the big city, she realized she would have to address her image in order to be taken seriously.

When Corey came to me, the first thing I saw was red. Her face is very flushed and full of color. So much so that you don’t notice her great eye color or how perfectly her lips are shaped. I knew that toning down the red would give Corey a whole new look that would naturally enhance her best features. Add a great hair cut and color and you have a transformed mom ready to re-enter the working world.

After her make-over Corey says, "My make-over makes me feel like a movie star. It seems as though people are noticing me, and I feel more confident. When I walk around in the financial district, I can't believe my reflection. This is me, only better. This must be what movie stars feel like on the red carpet."

Corey sent me this note recently about my Mineral Cosmetics line, "I've been meaning to tell you for a while, I LOVE my foundation!!! I cannot live without it! It makes my skin even...no more redness. And, it feels good. I love it!

Thank you Corey!

Message in this story - Moms have images too! Set the example for your children to follow.

Meet Tonia W.

Tonia wanted more credibility as a professional in her industry...

Attractive, fresh, together, updated, confident, credible, powerful, radiant, original, healthy, progressive and experienced describe Tonia's ideal image for herself.

Tonia is a talented, esthetician, massage therapist and yoga instructor with a youthful look that can be perceived as inexperienced. Tonia didn't feel she was getting the respect from colleagues that she deserved.

Her friends described her personality traits as someone who is sweet, caring, nurturing, somewhat shy and timid. No one mentioned image. This was a sign to me that taking care of Tonia was not part of her daily routine. Although I had watched her grow and develop her confidence over the past few years, her image had stayed the same.

When I told Tonia about the make-over opportunity, she decided it was time to create a look that would reflected her new found confidence and expertise.

Afterwards she sums up her experience in this way: "It makes a huge difference in my day. I get compliments everywhere I go. Sometimes you see make-overs and the person is so different that it is not believable or practical. At the end of my make-over I still felt like me, but more polished. I now appear more credible as an esthetician."

She adds, "Linda's work with me over the past few years on my external image and self image has really helped me to take a deeper look at myself. I am always looking for ways to improve myself. Her methods are very specific and in my opinion are highly effective."

Thank you Tonia!

The message in this story - Your Image IS Your Business! Take care of you first as you will attract your ideal clients this way.

Want to learn more about how to do this for yourself? Join me at my signature workshop "Image & Essence" where I give you tools to be true to you in all areas of your life.

Make-overs performed with Face Options Mineral Cosmetics

Find out more about Bertaut Seminars

http://www.bertautbeauty.com/

Bertaut Beauty Blog

Linda's Earliest Make-Overs

I have been performing make-overs for as long as I can remember. I discovered this picture of me at the age of 4 holding my cat that I had dressed up and I don't even remember the cat.

Next was my dog, Lady. She was like my sister and only sibling growing up. She went everywhere with me 16 years. I only have one picture of her in a hat I had made from newspaper but I can remember many more make-over incidents with her as my model.

In the mid-80's I got Konika Snow. Notice a pattern here?

My favorite early make-overs were my trolls. In the mid-60's trolls had no decent clothes to wear. I didn't do anything for Barbie because she already had it all. I wanted to help the ones in need of my attention. Then one day as I explored my mother's sewing kit I found fabric, bric-a-brac and other essentials to design clothes for most of my trolls. Looking at this picture you can see why I didn't turn out to be a clothing designer.

Now I work on real people. Take a look at some of my more recent make-overs above...

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