Preston Bailey Gorgeous flowers

Preston Bailey is a Panamanian flower designer who creates the most wonderful floral decorations. Among his clients are celebrities such as Oprah and Donald Trump and the cream of the cream of New York.

His work is breathtaking. He mixes colors and textures creating vibrant and beautiful ornaments. The pictures show some of his work. He also has written 3 books with beautiful photography. You can visit his website to see more of his work: Preston Bailey

Photos: Preston Bailey website and Brides.com

Model walk

As a follow-up to my previous video tip on how to walk like a model, here is another clip by top model Jessica Stam (she has modeled for Versace, for instance) with great tips on walking that brings out the best in you, makes your posture look great, and also makes your clothes look better on you.

Easter decorations with Peeps

Peeps are a tradition in Easter and other holidays. They are colorful and playful and they are ideal for decoration, but this obvious idea never crossed my mind. So when I saw it on Real Simple magazine I thought it was so clever, easy and cute. These are some pictures and on their website you can see more.

Latest cosmetics trends

I am a regular reader of Allure magazine and sometimes I like their picks of beauty products that actually work.

So this time they have picked these five products and in this video you can watch Amy Keller and Julie Chen demonstrate them.

1. Unusual colors for nail polish are the hot trend for spring. Chanel has a great satin blue nail polish and some very dark colors were seen on Beyonce and Aretha Franklin at the Grammys.
2. If you have had laser hair removal treatment, you know that at $600 or so per treatment, it can actually add up rather quickly. Now Tria At home laser (~$1,000) allows you to do the same treatment at home whenever you want. Like any other home treatment, the results may not be as good as a spa where a professional will work on you but if you want to save a few thousand dollars, it is worth it.
3. Dr N V Perricone who pioneered the use of peptides and neuropeptides now has the Perricone firming neck cream.
4. If you haven't yet tried false eyelashes yet, Laura Mercier false lashes are easy to apply.
5. Fekkai Hair Glaze is an all-natural product that seals color.
6. Finally, the Maia SatinJet Showerhead is a great way to have a hydrotherapy treatment at home. A great way to get a facial massage and if you want you can even add a aromatherapy treatment to it.

How to walk like a model?

If you notice the models on the runway or catwalk, you will observe that they have a very unique way of walking. We don't see many people walking like that in the mall or on the street. There is a reason why models walk the way they do. It makes models look more confident, sexy, and graceful. Plus, they get that perfect posture and almost all types of clothes look good on them. This video by Mac Folkes shows you how to walk like a supermodel. You don't always have to walk like them but it is a good idea to learn how it is done and then incorporate it in your walking style.

Asian makeup

If you are an Asian and have a yellow skin tone, Joy, a Ford model, has some great tips on how to apply makeup quickly. Actually, even though she is a model, she says that she can put her makeup on in as little as two minutes. Watch as she tells you exactly what to do so that you don't look made up but do have your makeup on and look very natural.

Beauty in the times of recession

Lately there is a lot of bad news about the economy and it looks like many people are trying to save money. But do not worry, your looks do not have to suffer for a shortage of cash.

Beauty products. According to many studies most beauty products give similar results; price does not determine their effectiveness. Some drugstore products perform as well as some of the most expensive beauty products. What is important is to read the ingredient list carefully before buying a product.

Moisturizers. The moisturizers from Olay Total Effects and Avon Anew gave as good results as Lancome and better results than pricier La Praire in a survey by Consumer Reports. There are many other great moisturizers at reasonable prices.

Cleansers. Avoid the expensive new cleansing wipes; they just add to your budget and are a big waste for the environment. You can get the same results just by using your hands, a hand towel or a marine sponge with your cleanser. Choose a gentle cleanser even if you have very oily skin.

Exfoliate. There are great products for exfoliation at reasonable prices. This is a step in your beauty routine you should not skip; you will see the difference. Although you can use sponges or home made products such as oats and yogurt, if you are past 30, perhaps, in addition to those you may to try microdermabrasion alternated with a peeling. My favorite peeling is "Peel and Reveal" by Elizabeth Arden.

Hair cuts. The shorter you keep your hair the more often you will need to go to the beauty salon. Geometrical haircuts such as the hair cut of the moment, the bob, require more visits to the salon. If you are short on cash choose less structured haircuts or longer lengths.

Color. Color is the money maker in beauty salons, especially highlights. It is easy to understand why, color treatments require frequent visits, and generally speaking, they are more expensive than haircuts. If you color your hair to cover grays, try at home color kits. Highlights and radical color changes are best to leave to the experts.

Manicures and pedicures. If you love to have them done professionally, try to space them out by maintaining them at home by repainting the nails and toes and exfoliating the feet. The cheapest alternative is to do them yourself.

Massages. They are great, not only for relaxation, they are also healthy because of increasing circulation and controlling stress. Try a massage school instead of a spa; they offer good quality massages at lower cost. Other alternative is to try spas like Massage Envy. They require membership and the client has to commit to one massage a month, but usually it is not a long term commitment and it can be broken with one month's notice. In my area the massage is only $38 and no tipping is required.

Styling your hair. There are salons that have hair boot camps to teach you how to straighten your hair. You can see pictures and try to imitate the styles. It is a rewarding experience to do your own hair. For special occasions, it is not a bad idea to get your girlfriends together to get ready.

Shop around and get creative for beauty products and services to fit your budget without sacrificing quality.

We have a lot of natural beauty recipes, that we have tried, in our Spa at Home section in the website.