Hi John,

Firstly, love your work!
Secondly, I have a question!
I have really thin lips and I am very self-conscious about them. Are there any products or techniques that you would recommend to make them appear plumper? Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Nicola

Nicola,

And I love you. Really. I do. A lot. There is a new gloss by Strixaderm called Plump Kiss that not only plumps out your natural lips safely, it gives them natural colour. The product stimulates circulation at the surface of the lip and warms them. The blood flow slightly swells the lips and adds a bitten colour that lasts for several hours. Unlike many, this one doesn't burn or sting - but you will feel the warmth of the product and action. Dior also has a similar product called Lip Maximiser, but the Strixaderm also has a shade range as well as the clear. Lightening the centre of your lip and/or adding gloss can also help the illusion of having fuller lips. If you wanted to go to a little bit more effort, apply a lip pencil in a shade that is as close to your lipstick shade as you can find. Use it right on the lipline - do not extend it. Next apply the lipstick. Now pick up a little bit of the lipstick from your lip on the tip of the pencil and gently "nudge" the line out. If you do it this way you won't be left with a pantomime dame mouth once the lipstick starts to fade (There is a video clip of how to do this on my Handbag TV clips if you need some step-by-step guidance...)! Should you want a serious and permanent solution, have a look at an archived Blog called "Getting Lippy" on a procedure called PermaLip. I have had about a dozen or so clients have this done and they are thrilled with the result. They have a website you can visit at www.surgisil.co.uk to find out more information and where you can have a consultation.

Thanks again Nicola and I hope that helps,
John

Hi,

I am a sixty-year-old woman who has some skin damage in the form of fairly pronounced wrinkles having sunbathed excessively in my twenties and thirties. My skin is not particularly dry and I need a day and night moisturiser but there is so much out there on the market and I feel so intimidated by the beauty counters of the department stores that I don't know where to start.

Please help.

Hello,

I do sympathise, but this may be a case where you are going to have to place your trust in the hands of one of these consultants. The key is that you need to hold your ground. If they start talking over your head...walk away. If they start to make you feel like you don't know anything...walk away. If I were to look at a product to repair sun damage induced lines - from what you have told me - I would look at one of two brands: Strixaderm or Dr. Lewinn's. Strixaderm is all tested by the American Medical Association and they will happily tell you the results of the trials and what to expect. The face cream (which you would use twice a day) is only £59. Dr. Lewinn's has a couple of sub-ranges, so you will need some help in selecting. Prices are in the average bracket and the range had been the number one selling brand of skincare in Australia for the past 9 years. That should set you off in the right direction, but in the end (unless you book an appointment with an unbiased beauty consultant): you are going to have to find a sales consultant that you feel comfortable with. I know...easier said than done!

All the best,
John


Hi there

I come from a mixed race background (Mother Indian/English - 50/50, Father Jewish/English - 25/75). People usually think I am Mediterranean/Italian/Turk or Cypriot. I only have one major problem - the dark circles under my eyes. I've had them as long as I remember; so extra sleep really doesn't have any effect (plus I'm a single working Mum and that extra sleep is a bit of a luxury anyway to be honest!), nor do any of the MANY creams, lotions potions that I've tried make any discernable difference. The only option I feel I have is surgery or decent make up - and I've yet to find the perfect coverage.

I'm 30 this year and so now have some fine lines immediately under the eye (like half moons under the lower lash line), which means that any concealer used ends up clogging here and I'm forever re-blending with my ring finger to avoid the highlight effect on my wrinkles. The skin under my eyes has a different texture than that of the rest of my face, which is pretty taut and smooth. Under the eye it is kind of dimply and bumpy, and the circles are very, very dark -not red, not blue, just dark. As are my eyelids and the bit above - although this doesn't bother me so much as it's much easier to cover up. At the moment I'm using a combination of concealers to try and get coverage and am still not happy with the result. This feels like an impossible task to try and find something that will cover the dark circles, blend with my skin tone, actually fix to the skin and stay for the day.

I really hope you can help. I'm so fed up with people telling me I look tired!!
I look forward to receiving your reply.

Thanks - Jen

Jen,

The best solution is always to treat the problem rather than try to cover it up. I should know – I have the darkest circles under my eyes you have ever seen! Plus, the more golden the skin (olive Mediterranean, Italian, Asian, Indian): the worse the problem. And as you have found out…more sleep doesn’t help. Even if you COULD get it! If I had a pound for every product that had promised to banish the shadows I could afford to have surgery. LOL. Mind you, there really isn’t anything they could do either. I have found a product by Strixaderm called S.O.S. though that has actually made a visible difference in the skin around my eyes. In trials, the darkness is reduced by 60% in only one month. Yes really. They even print the American Medical Association trial photos on the box. Puffiness is reduced by 40% and there is an immediate tightening effect within only 3 minutes. You can’t ask much more from an eyecream than that! The price is only £49.00 and you can apply it to the entire eye area twice a day…top and bottom. I have recommended it to hundreds of clients and get nothing but positive feedback. As for covering them up and staying the day, I have used Lauder’s Maximum Cover for so long that I can’t remember. It was born as a full-cover featherweight foundation for scars, birthmarks, and tattoos. It is waterproof and the shades are pretty decent. You can also do a waterproof cover product like DermaBlend or Covermark. They are heavier and a little bit trickier to apply, but the shade range is vast. If you want to try something else for days that you don’t have time to fuss, look at Benefit Lemonade. It is a yellow cream concealer specific to toning in the discolouration. The only problem you may find is the staying power. Becca concealers come in a shade range of 34 colours and the little compact is split so you have two densities and moisture levels of the exact same shade – so finding a match is usually pretty easy. I hope that helps put the world to rights! Or at least makes you look a little more refreshed…

Best,

John

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