Got Milk?

I'm so excited and can't wait to share with you the craziest tip I've ever been given to exfoliate your skin at home.....milk baths!

My friend came up to me the other day and asked me to feel her skin. As a professional I of course was intrigued and felt her arm. I've truly never felt skin as soft as hers was. I immediately asked her what she did to get skin that soft and she said she took a milk bath at home that morning. She then proceeded to tell me how I could do the same thing when I got home that night.

All you do is fill your bath tub with warm water and pour in an entire package of dry milk. Soak your body for about 20 to 30 minutes and voila....irresistible skin. The lactic acid that you can find in milk is a natural exfoliant. I use a lactic acid peel in some of my facial treatments at the salon. But it never dawned on me to use it for my entire body.

After trying this tip out myself....I'm hooked! You can bet I'll be treating myself to a milk bath at least once a week!

Let me know what you think!

See you soon,
Marlena Robbins
Licensed Facialist/Make-up Artist
Bree Salon, Studio City
818.508.4500

Does cold weather mean dryer skin?

Just because the weather is getting cooler and in some parts of the country a little rainier and snowier...doesn't mean we should be forgetting to moisturize.

Skin tends to get a little dryer with the seasons change. As you adjust to a new wardrobe, your skin is adjusting to a new climate. To help your skin through this change make sure to hydrate inside and out! The more hydrated your skin is the healthier it is. And therefore will adjust that much better to any change in the weather. Drink lots of water and make sure to always moisturize your skin day and night.

A good way to moisturize your skin during the day is to use a sunscreen and moisturizer in one. Because even if the sun isn't out a lot, the uv rays are still coming through and damaging the skin. At night your favorite night cream will do the trick!

Call me anytime for great moisturizer recommendations at any budget!

See you soon,
Marlena Robbins
Licensed Facialist/Make-up Artist
Bree Salon, Studio City
818.508.4500

Could New Moon equal a new you?

The other day I had a client come in and ask me to make her look like "Bella" from the Twilight series in honor of the latest film from the saga, New Moon, hitting the theatres this week. It got me thinking how interesting it is how pop culture can affect so many aspects of our life. Including beauty.

For my client I gave her a pretty soft gray smokey eye and a soft rose color on her cheeks to give her that flushed "Bella" look. I then suggested she use her new red lipstick (after all, it is this seasons hot color!) but blot it on the lips to give it almost a blood colored stained finish. Almost as if she herself had just had another amazing encounter passionately kissing Edward!

Something tells me that the "Bella" look may be the next hot trend of the season. And as a fellow Twilight lover...I couldn't be happier.

Call me if you want to know exactly how to transform into Bella yourself by knowing what products to use and how to use them!

See you soon!
Marlena Robbins
Licensed Facialist/Make-up Artist
Bree Salon, Studio City
818.508.4500

A girl never should kiss and tell...

One of the biggest make-up mysteries out there is the mystery of how to keep color from disappearing the second they hit your lips! Well, mystery solved. And I'm going to tell you how in a few simple steps.

Step 1. Take any cream based concealer that matches your skin tone and paint it on and around your lip area. This should act as a primer for your lips filling in any fine lines surrounding that area of your face.

Step 2. Frame your lips with a nice strong line around it's border and then lightly fill your lips in with that same liner. This will act as a glue for whatever color you place on top of it.

Step 3. Color your lips in with a lip color of your choice. Keep in mind matte textured lipsticks have the strongest lasting amount of longevity.

Step 4. Apply any gloss color of your choice. Keep in mind though, any product with a slippery texture will increase the color underneath to slip quicker.

By following these easy steps you are bound to find that your lip color will last significantly longer then if you simply apply and go! Reapplying will need to take place but not nearly as often.

And being that a girl should never kiss and tell....pucker up as much as you want. Your lips will still look amazing and your secret will be safe with me!

See you soon,
Marlena Robbins
Licensed Facialist/Make-up Artist
Bree Salon, Studio City
818.508.4500