Get Your Neon On for Spring/Summer! I ♥ ♥ ♥ Neon (particularly the pink & the green) !!

How cute are pink neon heels?!  A great pair of pink heels is at the top of my list for this spring and summer wardrobe. Pink is the new black! Don't reserve these beauties to wear only with that little black dress although that look is fabulous! Pink is amazing with turquoise, green, navy, chocolate brown, and black. Be bold! You will look sophisticated and strong.

perfect swimsuits for the summer!

Beauty trend: Nails & Hair

Make-up

Talented make up artist Darais Adam Christopher. The very first time I met him was in Glendale, CA in 2010. ♥ his work!

Hair Trend: Kim Caldwell

I love Kimberly Caldwell's short haircut. So, feminine and so chic! She looks great!
Photo credit goes to my talented friend Nelson Shen.

Beauty: Hair and make up

Check out the hair and make up- ♥ it!

Trendy Nail Art

Thanks to clever nail innovations such as Minx’s stick-on nail coverings, which are applied with a heat lamp in a salon. At Alexander McQueen and Loewe, models wore Minx customized nail coverings in delicate floral designs.

Top tip: To keep it tasteful, stick to pretty floral designs or plain gold or silver foil for an eye-catching yet elegant manicure.

Dior Addict Lipstick

Contains 25% less wax than classic lipsticks, and more gel; the result is a lipstick/balm/gloss hybrid w/ vibrant color. It feels really moist when you apply, but not sticky like a gloss. The color is pretty true to what you see in the tube, perhaps just a little more sheer. ($28 a pop, they’re not cheap, but what Dior item is?)

Beauty Tip:

Defining brows with a pencil can sometimes look too obvious. For a naturally filled-in finish, I recommend toning brows down. If you prefer to use a pencil, always choose one that’s a couple of shades lighter than your hair color. Even if your hair is the darkest brown, try using a dark blonde or taupe-colored pencil. I suggest to use pencils that turn to powder or eyeshadows are good to fill in & then shape it.

Eva Longoria

"I wanted to make her look incredibly sexy, like Sophia Loren," said makeup artist Stephane Marais, who focused on her eyes. After filling in Longoria's brows & creating a strong arch, Marais blended a shimmery bronze shadow all over her lids. He combed on a lot of mascara and glued on individual false lashes. "She's a lashes freak—the more I added, the happier she was," he says. Next, he contoured Longoria's cheeks with bronzer and applied an apricot blush before swiping on creamy beige lipstick to finish the look.

Bobbi Brown's eyeshadow palette

Bobbi Brown's party-perfect eye-shadow palette. The glossy purse-friendly case pops open to reveal 20 indulgent shadows ranging from easy-to wear metallics, pretty pastels, bold brights and darker shades for lining eyes. Party-eye perfection!

Colorful hair trend

Many Celebs have been spotted with colorful hair trend, including Ashley Olsen, who had pastel blue hair streaks à la Proenza Schouler, Kelly Osbourne who did the ultra cool all-over pastel thing, Katy Perry & more. To get this look, you’d need to add a pop of color with extensions.

 Avril Lavigne                          Katy Perry

MAC make-up

me 
 

Summer Hairstyles! Making waves.

 All you can hear is click, click, click - and all you can see are flashes from cameras snapping in every direction. Everywhere you walk heads turn and stare. Whispers of praise fill the air. With a fearless sense of style and confidence, you strut down the catwalk. Today, you are the star, and you owe it all to your fabulous new summer 'do. Okay, so you may not actually be walking down a runway. But there's no reason you can't look like it.

You want to be a socialite, a surfer girl, or a sophisticated diva? You can pull off any look you want with the right hairdo. The secret to wearing the hottest celebrity looks in real life begins with scissors. This season, the most popular styles are no-fuss, easy-to-do and simply sexy. To pull off these effortless looking styles, you must have the right cut. With a great haircut, the rest is easy.

This summer the streets will be sizzling with style. French twists, basic braids and loose ponytails are favorite picks. This look is about saying it without screaming it. It's a no-fuss, less-is-more look that can be worn anytime.

To keep up with the latest trends you will also need to travel back in time. You are going to bump into some new versions of old favorites. Don't worry, you won't have to dust off your leg warmers, but you will have to get your fingers ready to start scrunching. This time around it's a softer, lighter and more natural scrunched look.

Another popular blast from the past style is popping up on foreheads everywhere. That's right! Bangs are back and they're hotter than ever.  Long, short, heavy or wispy -- everywhere you turn, you will surely bump into bangs.

Texture and layers are the secrets behind achieving these great looks.  The long layers at shoulder length with the swooping bangs is very popular. For shorter hair, I recommend lots of texture and movement. Dont try to look as you've spent hours in front of the mirror. Look terrific without going over the top.

Blonde hair and summer have always gone hand in hand, but this year browns are moving in with a vengeance. There's been a brunette boom, and it's not slowing down.  You will undoubtedly start seeing darker shades on the beaches. There are still, however, plenty of blondes and light highlights to go around.  The sun is out and shining strong along with this season's most wanted looks. Have fun and show off your sense of style. You don't need to walk on a runway to turn heads. Nothing will spark up the summer season like a hot new hair style. Here's a list of the top ten most wanted:

1. Longish and Somewhat Irregularly Cut or Layered Bangs
2. Modern Scrunch
3. Relaxed Up Dos
4. Layered and Textured Bobs
5. Shaggy Surfer Style Layers
6. Choppy Crop
7. Softer Layers for Longer Hair
8. Short, Blunt Edgy for Shorter Hair
9. Shoulder Length Curls
10. Wavy Locks

Here are some of my favorite looks.

Trendy Bob Hair cut

 

 

 

 

Trendy Bob hair cut

False eyelashes/Eyelash Extensions

 

False eyelashes and eyelash extensions are the latest beauty obsession worn by celebrities.  Faux lashes are precisely placed around the lid using a safe glue which last for 4-6 weeks. The end result are full, lush lashes – and no need for layers of mascara or False eyelashes w hich you can put them on yourself which lasts more or less 24 hours. Here's how to do it yourself

1. There are about a million different types of lashes- long, super long, thick, different lengths, the same length, halves, different colors (every color of the rainbow), and even lashes that look like feathers, apply all of them the same way.
2. Good glue is the MOST critical component to having professional fake lashes.  Now you've got your lashes, you need to buy glue. If the lashes come with a tube of glue, save that for your purse (for touch ups or mishaps). That glue is ok for emergencies, but definitely not a good lash glue. Look for a clear glue like Sassi. It comes in a small glass bottle with a brush that looks a bit like a nail polish brush. A lot of small beauty supply shops sell such glue.
3. A flat brush with black liner is a good base. Ok, you've got your lashes and you've got your glue. First, apply eyeliner. Personally, I like to use a flat brush and apply a black powder liner as close to the lash line as possible. The brush allows me to get down into the lashes.  
4. Now, take the eyelashes out of the package (save the package to store them), and hold them to your eye. With a sharp sissors, cut a little bit off of the end so it won't bother the inside of your eye. Hold them up to your eye before you do it so you know how much to cut off. Cut one, then lay it next to the other and cut the same amount off of that one. 
5. Uncap the glue and drag the brush out, scraping off any extra. If your glue doesn't have a brush, use a toothpick (it's not quite as good, but it works). Spread the glue on the edge of one of the eyelashes. Let it dry for a second and then apply it to your eye. Lay it as close to the lash line as possible (use your eyeliner as a guide). Now, press down from the middle working outside and inside with a toothpick. As soon as you've got the entire lash applied, hold the outer and inner edges down with your fingers for a few seconds to ensure it adheres completely (otherwise once side will start hanging off in a few hours- NOT attractive). 
6. You've got one side on, do the exact same thing with the other side just don't forget to hold down the sides with your fingers (or a toothpick). If you mess up, try again. It's NO BIG DEAL. The first time you apply lashes should be a day when you have a lot of extra time and no where to go.
7. Once you've applied both lashes, go back to the first lash and use a black liquid liner (I like the liner in the pot with the liner tip) to fill in the line from the lash to the end of your inner eye. You may also want to go over the rest of the lash line. Then do the same thing to the other eye.
8. Now for my special secret: Use a spoon (yes an eating spoon, doesn't matter if it's plastic or silver as long as it doesn't have remenants of the soup of the day) although, I prefer not to use it for myslef however it might work for you. Lay the spoon on your lash line flushed up against your lashes. Now, apply your mascara- the spoon will help mesh your lashes to the fake lashes and give it a more realistic look. VOILA! You're lashed and lovely!
9. Apply your eyeshadow and the rest of your makeup. When you're totally finished, examine your lashes one last time, take the toothpick and prod them a bit- they shouldn't move. If an end is coming undone, just dip the toothpick in the glue and dot it where you need some stick. Remember to use dark shadow in the outer corners (swoop in towards the center) and crease to bring out your lashes. Lighest color should go in the inside and bright to the center. 

Eyelash tip:

Kate Bosworth looks as though she has naturally long lashes, but if you weren’t born with such a gift, it doesn’t hurt to fake it once in a while. Going with some cheap fake eyelashes is fine, you’re not going to keep them forever right? If you go with falsies that have a finer texture, they are going to look more real. These MAC 21 Lashes are only $12, and you could probably wear them again since they are decent quality.

Tip of the Day:

Not everyone is blessed with glowing, clear skin.  It’s true.  What you can do though is make your best efforts to take care of the skin you have.  If you work with it, it shall work with you.  Cleansing, toning, and moisturizing is key of course, making sure to wash your face before bed and in the morning when you wake…ALWAYS!  Applying any sort of face makeup, liquid in particularly is best to do immediately after moisturizing.  The result will keep your complexion looking smooth and fresh. I try my best not to use face makeup for everyday.  However, when I do, my top choice is Dior- Capture Totale Foundation FPS 15 (With its unique blend of antiaging ingredients alpha longoza, and centuline, optical correctors, and HD liquid crystal pigments) and for everyday use DiorSkin Airflash (Spray Foundation).  Before applying foundation or spray, I use Dior concealer for dark circles or pimples.

Tips on How To Wear Pink Lipstick

Since the neon craze started, all the vivid colors got out in the streets, just like in the 80's. Electric vivid colored eyeshadow, hot pink lipsticks. The most eye-catching style is back in trend.  Here are some great ideas on how to wear the pink lipstick.

• When choosing the pink, be confident! You'll have to show lots of attitude when wearing such a bright color. Also, make sure you match it perfectly with the rest of your makeup. Choosing the Wright Lipstick Shade
• There's a large variety of lipstick shades to choose from, so it might seem a hard decision a bit but it's quite simple. As darker your skin tone is, the darker the lipstick should be.  Even if you have pale skin, choose the medium pink rather than a light one. Try to  choose the darker shades even if your skin tone is quite light.
•  Start with exfoliating your lips, use the lip pencil as a lipstick base. Then apply the new lipstick craze. If you opt for a glossy look, apply a lip gloss to make it shiny (I do this).  You can control the shade of your lipstick with the lip gloss.  If the lipstick turned out to light, than use a darker lip gloss, or vice versa. Also, using a brush to apply the lipstick would make a big difference. You need precision to apply such a bold color.

Never wear to much pink. Use it as an accessory. Keep the rest of your look simple, apply a smoky eye makeup and choose some chic clothes to wear. You can of course opt for retro looks, just make sure you don't have pink from head to toe. Use plenty of mascara and fresh eyeshadow. Choose dark clothing with the bright lip color.  Many celebrities have sported this retro style: Alexis Bledel, Rihanna, Rose McGowan, Christina Aguilera, Kelly Osborne, Jessica Biel, Taylor Momsen, Katy Perry, Kim Kardashian, Lady Gaga and many more.

Facial Tips for Models, Actresses and other public figures.

by Valentina MedSpa on Saturday, February 19, 2011 at 10:25am

H2O very important!

Valentina recommends you consume at least 60 ounces of water.  Water genuinely detoxes your body and prevents breakouts.  Without proper hydration, toxins build up and prevent your body from functioning properly.  This includes the ugly bumps and discolorations on your face. She guarantees you should also feel a physical difference in energy should you follow this advice.

Breakouts:
Pulling your hair back away from your face when sleeping and changing your pillowcase as often as every three days minimizes dirt or bacteria from seeping into your pores.  The hair and pillow cases can really attract a fair amount of muck and other skin irritators that you want keep away from your face as much as possible.

If you happen to be affected by a breakout, your best bet is to apply a product such as Clearasil and LEAVE IT ALONE. Don't touch or puncture/pop without consulting a dermatologist. It will increase the risks of bacterial infection and cause scarring.

Avoid Caffeine for Glowing Skin:
When you’re keeping a hectic schedule, many of us depend on coffee or a diet coke to keep us going- try to avoid it. It robs your skin of moisture and can cause your complexion to look flat and matted instead of fresh and healthy.  Try Acai, a berry from Brazil/or Acai drink  It contains high antioxidants, which is amazing for the skin and also contains anti-aging agents.

Daily Supplemen:
Omega 3 (aka fish oil). Adding this to your diet will help replenish natural oils in your skin and boost your skin cell generation process in the right direction. Creams, products and treatments only help maintain and can correct skin problems.  Focusing on the skin cellular regeneration process and monitoring what you introduce into your digestion is really the key to a fabulous face.

For further skincare information or consultations please contact us @ Valentina MedSpa 323.660.1010
Facebook:Find us on Facebook or visit us online @ ValentinaMedSpa

Golden Girl Look

Get in the mood for nude

A warm gilded glow is the most flattering look for all complexions and complements fashion's nude mood: beige stone and blush pop beautifully against a golden skin tone.  Add bronze, gold and champagne shades to your make-up bag. Oh, and keep up the daily sunscreen and tan commitment. The look is golden girl, not lobster lady. XoXo M

I use Dior, Chanel and Mac, so here are some beauty product tips.