Holiday Beauty Tips

As we head into the holiday season, it is time to see people and be seen as we celebrate together. It’s also the perfect time to do that “cleanup” and recovery from the sun damage that we sustained as we were having a blast this summer. The days are shorter and presumably cooler, so we dermatologists call it “laser season.” There are many options at our disposal to help you look and feel your best, including procedures and at-home beauty tips. These tips and many more can be found in Seven Days to Sexy: Insider Secrets from a Celebrity Beauty Doctor, available at Amazon.com now.

Eyes: The eyes are always the most captivating. With expressions and glimmer, flirtation and mystery, the eyes definitely have it! The delicate skin around the eyes is often the first to change, giving way to signs of aging. At our office under-eye circles can be rejuvenated with hyaluronic filler, and skin can be tightened using the Thermage radiofrequency device. For crepey skin, a TCA peel can be performed once or twice to iron out those lines. The eyes look more beautiful and dramatic when framed with reasonably long eyelashes. Eyelash extensions are a popular option. So is the very affordable Ardell® lashes applied with Duo® glue. One tip to make the eyes look bright and youthful is to use a few drops of Visine just before your event. Be sure to only use it sparingly so that you don’t suffer rebound redness. Feeling great about the appearance of your eyes allows you to make eye contact with confidence. And confidence is beautiful!

Lips: The lips are another focal point, commanding attention in their own right as you speak and smile. For a full, youthful appearance, hyaluronic filler is a wonderful option. When done artfully and conservatively, the lips look soft, pillowy, and alluring rather than “ducky” and overinflated. This is an important youth-enhancing procedure that is often overlooked for fear of looking unnatural. In lieu of filler, lips may be enhanced by keeping them exfoliated. Delicious sugar scrubs, both home-made or store-bought are available for this purpose. Follow that up with lip plumper gloss by GrandeLips® or Lucy and Co® and voila!—smooth, plump, hydrated lips!

Cheeks: High cheekbones have always been in—from Bo Derek to Gisele Bündchen to Keira Knightley, the look is captivating. In our office, we love to use Voluma® or Lyft® hyaluronic acid fillers to augment the cheeks and provide a lift. Another option is to put your contouring kit to use. It takes a bit of practice, but after a few YouTube videos, you too can use light and shadow to give your cheekbones a sculpted look. My favorite palettes are KKW®, Becca®, and the more accessible Elf® brand.

Face: We love a smooth, clear dewy look for the skin. The procedures to achieve this are Jessner’s peels, Bella Microgold skin-perfecting facial, Bella FX radiofrequency microneedling, Fraxel, photofacials, VBeam, Silkpeel microdermabrasion, and more. At home, applying an Esthemax®hydrojelly mask a few hours before your event, followed up with a great primer—such as Dermblend® hydrojelly primer or Becca® translucent primer before applying makeup—can give the skin a smoother, tighter, more glowy look.

A few more holiday beauty tips: Drink plenty of water. Try to sleep on your back and take your vitamins at night to reduce puffiness. Wash all traces of makeup off every night. Jade rollers are an excellent way to deliver creams to the skin and improve lymphatic drainage. Make sure to care for your hands, neck, and décolletage as part of your routine. For a quick brightening of the teeth, Dr. George’s Dental White® is my favorite! For an instant tan, Westmore Beauty® Body Coverage Perfector is amazing.

And the mind-body piece: Remember that the holidays are for fun and togetherness. Try not to stress out.

The holidays are here, and it is time to look and feel our best. For more beauty tips like this, pick up Seven Days to Sexy: Insider Secrets from a Celebrity Beauty Doctor, available now at Amazon.com. It is a “Beauty Bible” that guides you on how to look your absolute best in seven days, seven weeks, and seven months, like the celebrities do. It has arrived just in time to help you get holiday ready. Happy and Merry everything!

By Anna Guanche, MD FAAD
Board-Certified Dermatologist
Bella Skin Institute

The statements in this article are for general informational purposes only and do not substitute for individual medical advice.