Et voila!  You asked for my Vi Peel photos, and here they are.  On the left is the “before” photo, taken six weeks ago.  On the right is the “after” photo, taken this afternoon.  I’m wearing mascara and a little eye shadow in today’s picture, but am not wearing any other makeup; both photos are WYSIWYG.  For a larger, in-your-face (or, rather, in-my-face) version, check out this link. 

Now that I’ve had a chance to compare the side-by-side shots, the difference is actually pretty remarkable and leads me to say that I would enthusiastically recommend the Vi Peel to those with pigmentation problems.  (My doctors at Profiles Beverly Hills performed mine.)  And, by the way, if the scary “Nadine without her makeup!” photo on the left isn’t the world’s greatest advertisement for Bare Minerals foundation (I told you all I had ruddy, messy skin!), I don’t know what the hell is.

Finally, visit my new Jolie page on You Tube for two laughable videos I took of myself the day and night following my Vi Peel with my new Flip camera.  Seriously.  No making fun.  (Um, and maybe you shouldn’t look at the videos while you’re eating.  Day two of the peel is absolutely disgusting.)  Loving my Flip, however!  I’ll start uploading some fun how-to videos for your enjoyment.

xo, J!

Apparently my Bare Escentuals TV spots have begun airing, but I have yet to see one.  If any of you spot Jolie on TV, let me know what channel and when so I can tune in and cringe at my frizzy hair and overly-shrill enthusiasm.  (”BEST…MAKEUP…EVER!!”)  Plus, more seriously, my mom won’t stop harassing me to give her the pertinent info…and you don’t mess with Mama Jolie!

Exciting news—I’ve finally had a chance to see an advanced copy of my Bare Minerals infomercial appearance, a half-hour segment completely devoted to the magic that is Bare Minerals foundation.  I pop up about twelve minutes in, yammering on about how obsessed I am…how crap my skin is otherwise…how it’s my number one beauty product ever, blah, blah, blah. The thing is, it’s 100% true—I wasn’t paid for my appearance in the infomercial, and agreed to it because I was thrilled to be invited to participate.  It’s damn near impossible to not become jaded by products; as a beauty writer, you test so many that they start to blend together.  So when you find something that really stands out, it’s a lightening bolt moment, and that Oh-My-God-You-Have-To-Try-This! love is what Bare Minerals (and all the Bare Escentuals products) inspires in me.

Why do I love it?  (Surely you’re sick of this by now!)  Here’s the five-second version: It’s weightless, it covers all my redness, pigmentation, zits and acne scars, and it doesn’t make me feel like I have paint on my skin.  Yeah, it has SPF, too, but even if it were SPF-free, I’d still want to make babies with it.

BTW, While most women who’ve tried agree wholeheartedly with Bare Minerals’ merits, occasionally I’ll get an email from somebody who questions my devotion.  (They’re all, “Jolie are you on crack?  I hate it–why are you so obsessed?”)  The most common complaints I’ve heard regarding Bare Minerals come from those with extremely dry skin, usually older women.  I always advise them to moisturize well before applying foundation, and also mention that the brush you use will determine the type of coverage you get.  (My favorite is the Handy Buki, which gives medium-to-full airbrush-worthy coverage.)  If you find that the foundation settles into pores, another complaint I’ve heard a few times, using a primer after moisturizing will help you look flawlessly smooth, dahlings.  The simple truth is that not all beauty products will work for all women; my favorite could be your least, or vice versa.  That being said, nearly every gal I’ve turned onto Bare Minerals has similarly fallen in love.  Hand over heart, Jolie pledges to (at least attempt to) always steer you right!  

Cosmetic Executive Women held their annual CEW Awards Luncheon today at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York; I’ve been lucky enough to attend myself twice, and it’s a huge to-do.  The ballroom is packed with tables full of beauty editors, high-profile executives and a smattering of B-list celebs, and everybody twitters and clucks and shrieks as the winners are announced.  (Yes, just like in high school when they announced Homecoming Court over the loudspeakers, only this time the role of Head Cheerleader will be played by Allure’s Linda Wells.)  Some of the the winners which also happen to be Jolie obsessions:

Scented Bath and Body - Prestige: Tom Ford Beauty Black Orchid Finishing Spray
I cannot express my love for this product enough.  I want to eat it.  I want to bathe in it.  I want to marry it and have all its babies.  It is so, so sexy—even more amazing than the already-fabulous Black Orchid EDT and EDP.  Tom Ford famously said when creating Black Orchid that he wanted it to smell like the inside of a man’s crotch, which is the very height of weirdness.  Apparently, the inside of a man’s crotch is also all in the world that Jolie desires to spritz on herself.  So, you know, that’s bizarre.

Facial Skincare - Acne Treatment: Bare Escentuals Rare Minerals Blemish Therapy
From my favorite beauty company comes a preservative-free, all-natural, mineral zit treatment that uses sulfur.  Dab it on at night and pimples will quietly flee.

Makeup: Eye Product - Mass: Cover Girl Lash Blast Mascara
Somehow, I didn’t get around to using this mascara until this morning for the very first time.  Predictably, I fell in love; the raves are all true, and it volumizes, lengthens and thickens like a dream.  This just might upstage Max Factor Lash Perfection as my favorite drugstore mascara. 

For a complete list of winners, click here, or check out Jessica Anderson from Sephora’s beauty blog’s live twitter updates from earlier.

Okay, people, I’ve gone over this a few times, but judging from some of the comments (not to mention the messed up makeup bags of my own friends), there’s a lot of confusion over how to properly use Bare Minerals!  At some point in time, like seventy years ago (or, I don’t know, seven), I watched the video that comes with the introductory kit, but I can’t remember if it explains this most crucial step or not: when you’re opening the jar, don’t remove the tape inside.  Rather, peel it back the teeniest bit to allow visibility of just a few holes.  Tap the jar onto the inside of the lid, allowing a small amount of makeup to escape—much less than you think you’d need!—and then swirl your brush around inside the lid.  (Hence the whole “Swirl, Tap, Buff” thing, which you can see in action at the website.)  When you’re done, retape the opening, so it’s completely closed.  If you take the tape off or pull it back too much, then a mess is absolutely guaranteed; with the tape securely on, all will be well in Mineralmakeupland!

Out of nowhere, my complexion has exploded in breakouts; I suddenly resemble a thirteen-year-old boy.  Pinpointing the cause of zits is always difficult, particularly when you’re a beauty gal who regularly switches up her routine and enjoys “experimenting” with products.  (Substitute the word “experimenting” for the phrase “being stupid” and then we’re in business.)  Could it be the samples of antioxidant infused, anti-aging Vivite?  (But the skincare rep said it wouldn’t flare up my skin!)  The hint-of-color-plus-SPF Neutrogena Color Boosting Sunblock SPF 30?  (Um, the bottle says non-comedogenic.)  The two days when I ran out of cleanser and was using whatever I scrounged up in D. and A.’s cabinets?  (So why isn’t their skin breaking out?)  Or maybe it’s that good ol’ standby: stress.  Whatever the reason, I’ve been fighting back with military precision: first up, thirty seconds of careful washing twice daily with my beloved Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash.  At night, I apply Clean and Clear Persagel 10, which contains 10% benzoyl peroxide.  In the morning, I apply Bare Escentuals Rare Minerals Blemish Therapy, an invisible, sulfur-based treatment, followed by the peptide-packed, one-of-the-few-products-that-definitely-does-not-make-me-break-out In An Instant Instant Firming Serum.  Finally, I’ve been blasting myself once a day with the ThermaClear Acne Treatment Device, a handheld bacteria-killing badass that is very quickly making a difference.  Of course, all this complexion warfare is leading to dryness, but my skin and I are negotiating a fragile treaty whereby it understands that if it stops looking like a pizza, I will stop infusing it with benzoyl peroxide and sulfur.  Alors, then everybody wins. 

I just took a peek at Sephora’s website, and lo and behold, the home page is devoted entirely to mineral makeup!  As you probably know—mostly because I will not shut up about it—I’ve been using mineral foundation for years, and consider myself something of an expert on the matter.  Not all mineral foundations are created equal, however.  Recently, I’ve been working with two facial plastic surgeons in Beverly Hills (much more on this later!), and I’ve been tapped as their skincare expert to help create an in-office and online store.  If you’re getting your face hacked to bits (in the name of beauty, bien sur!), there are two fairly good assumptions one can make: 1) You’re at least a teeny bit vain; and 2) Your skin is going to need some post-procedural TLC.  The leap to mineral foundation is therefore a natural one, since the best versions not only cover skin better than traditional foundation, but are also weightless and won’t irritate all those nips and tucks.  When I found out we couldn’t carry Bare Minerals (unlike some other cult mineral makeups, doctors’ offices can’t carry the brand), I was gutted, to say the least.  So began a search for mineral foundation that we could feature…and which I could stand behind.  And…sigh…the search is still on.  Over the years, I’ve tried Jane Iredale, Glo Minerals, Colorescience, L’Oreal, Hourglass, and blah…blah…blah.  I don’t like any of them, for various combinations of the following reasons: the powders aren’t as finely milled; the coverage is inferior; the packaging looks like it was made from recycled diapers, etc.  I’m always amazed when women corner me and ask, with a slight edge to their voice, “But, have you tried (insert mineral makeup brand here that is not Bare Minerals)???  It’s so much better!”  Alas, my friends, I’ve tried them all…and the only one I can get on board with is Bare Minerals–people are obsessed with it because it works.  And a couple of months ago, when Bare Escentuals approached me to appear in one of their infomercials…I agreed to extoll its virtues for free.  Why?  Like I said: because I’m obsessed…and because it works.

K writes:

Hey ‘Jolie in NYC’,I am in desperate need of something to reduce redness. Normally I just have really un-even skin but lately I am always red. I hate wearing full on foundation but I look permanently sun burned! I called my dermatologist but my appointment is two months out. He is killing me but whatever. Is there anything over the counter that works? Thanks for your help… You Rock! 

Hi K.! I feel your pain; I, too, have a complexion that tends to look tomato-red when left untreated. You might have rosacea, a fairly common skin condition that causes skin to flush when exposed to heat, sun, alcohol, stress, etc. (Basically, to life.) Definitely keep your appointment with your dermatologist, but in the meantime, there are products at the drugstore that might help. Check out the Eucerin Redness Relief line, Purpose Redness Reducing Moisturizer with SPF 30 or (for something pricier but a favorite of many) B. Kamins Booster Blue Rosacea Treatment. And not to be a total broken record, but you really should consider Bare Escentualsmineral foundation to help cover your redness. It feels weightless on your skin but covers redness like a dream (especially if you use the full coverage kabuki brush) and also contains sunscreen. (A note for those of you who have sensitive skin often irritated by sunscreens; physical sunscreens like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide—which is in Bare Escentuals—will normally not irritate skin. It’s chemical sunscreens, like Parsol 1789 or mexoryl, that cause more sensitive complexions to react negatively.) I hope that helps until you can make it to your derm!

A. writes:

I bought Bare Escentuals bareMinerals foundation and am still a little shaky applying it.  I’ve read the brief primer on Sephora’s web site but find steps like ‘buff the bareMinerals into the skin in a circular motion…’ (huh) a little hard to visualize.  I emailed Sephora to suggest that they offer a video demo.  Since you’re a pro with mineral makeup, I thought maybe you could offer some tips.  I was a little heavy-handed in the bathroom this morning (on only my second day wearing it) and had to start one side over again.  I think I might look like a ghost!  Thanks.

Hi. A!  Thanks for the question.  BE can be a little tricky to apply at first (and, seriously, what the hell does “buff it into your skin” even mean??) but it really is very simple once you learn how to do it.1) Take off the sticker from the jar (either fully remove it, or peel it back about halfway.)  You’ll see about twenty tiny holes, and that’s where you’ll shake out the makeup from.2) Sprinkle a little of the powder from the exposed (or half-exposed) holes onto the inside of the black jar lid.3) Take your brush and put it on the makeup in the lid, then move the brush around the inside of the lid, until you’ve swept up all the visible makeup there.4) Tap the brush against something (your wrist, the sink, whatever.  Anything will do!) to let the extra makeup on the outside of the brush float into the air.  (Don’t do this two inches away from your new black or white shirt, as you will then be covered in tiny particles of makeup!)  The point of the whole lid swirling/tapping exercise is to get the makeup on the inside of the brush, rather than sitting on the edge of the bristles.  This is so the makeup is applied better and more naturally, rather than glopped on.5) Spend about five minutes lightly applying the makeup to your face with the brush.  I like to start on my cheeks, working my way to the nose, go around the crevises of the nose, get my eyelids, go up to my forehead, work around the edges of my face, then go onto my chin and the area under the chin.  Take your time.  Buff, paint, press, insert-whatever-verb-you-want-to-use-here…just put the damn brush against your face and apply the stuff!6) Repeat steps 2 -5 as much as is necessary to get a good application.  Doing it once or twice will give you light, tinted-moisturizer-esque coverage; doing it several times will make your skin look as flawless as a china doll’s.  Have fun!

Beauty Question: Complexion Luminizers

Friday, August 19th, 2005

C. writes,

I would LOVE it if you would write something about luminizers (if that’s the right name for them). It’s obvious that every model/celebrity in every magazine is wearing it, yet the accompanying text will inevitably only mention a blush color–are they trying to perepetuate the illusion that celebrites actually just naturally sparkle and glow? I want to know what is really on Naomi Watt’s cheeks! 

Very astute observation, C.! Yes, most celebrities have liberal amounts of luminizing powder, gel or cream applied just so to make their already blessed complexions look magical, like they’ve been kissed by fairies or something. (Obviously impossible, unless Colin Farrell counts. I have heard rumors.) Anyhow, there are several great products you can use for the same effect, and some of them are dirt cheap—no Hamptons home required for a gazillion-dollar glow, I swear. Try Wet ‘n’ Wild Mega Glow Face Illuminator, which is under $3 and works just as well as pricier luminizers. Dab it in the inner corners of your eye, under your eyebrows on the browbone, and on the apples of your cheeks, blending slightly. Just be careful not to get it near your nose or in the area between your eyebrows—both are high-shine zones, and you might end up looking like an oil slick. If you’re more of a powder-lover, try Bare Escentuals Clear Radiance ($18 and worth every penny). I’ve spoken at length about my love for this product, which makes your skin look healthy and glowy. (Apply a very small amount with a brush in a C-shape around your eyes and up to your temples.) Voilà! Now you’ll be Beyoncé-on-the-cover-of-Dangerously-in-Love’s twin.