I have a special treat. Angela Penhollow is a fantastic makeup artist that I have worked with and has agreed to be available to do makeup for seniors this year. I asked her a while ago to contribute to my blog, because I thought that my clients would appreciate some fresh and original insights from her expertise. This is her first article, which is timed perfectly for Spring. I hope you enjoy. Please feel free to post your thoughts in the comments section. Please help me give her a warm welcome.

Welcome Angela!


Spring is drawing near!  This is an exciting time of year in the beauty world when it’s time to loose the winter “blahs” and get ourselves looking our best for the warm months ahead.  I’d like to share with you some tips and tricks to help get your skin and make-up looking fabulous and warm-weather ready.

First, we must start at the foundation of ones beauty: healthy skin.  I truly believe everyone needs a good skin care regimen.  This includes, but is not limited to, a cleanser geared towards your specific skin type: dry, oily or combination.  An exfoliant, whether a physical exfoliant (with granules) or a chemical exfoliant; a good eye cream and moisturizer.  One of the most important of these steps, which is often over-looked, and extremely important during the winter months and thereafter, is exfoliation! Dry winter air sucks the moisture from our skin leaving it dull and dry.  Most of us try to combat this by slathering on the moisturizer.  The problem with that is the dead, outer skin cells soak up all the great moisture and are left sitting there on the surface leaving your skin looking dull.  The trick is to first use an exfoliant to slough off the dead cells and then moisturize the fresh skin below.  You can use more aggressive exfoliants one or two times a week or a gental daily exfoliant.  Don’t forget to do this for your face, body and even lips.  You’ll be surprised with how your skin will glow!

My second secret for glowing skin this spring is a tint of tan.  I am definitely an advocate of the airbrush or spray tan.  It’s not damaging to your skin like conventional tanning and technology has much improved since this method of tanning first came out.  No longer do you have to fear being orange! Before you go, be sure to exfoliate, then just follow the directions from the tanning expert, when getting a machine version, such as a mystic tan.  You can also see a professional to get airbrushed as light and golden tan or dark and bronzed as you like.  Instant tan!

Now to focus on the face.  Rule number one: don’t neglect your eyebrows!  The first thing that people see when they look at your face is your eyes and right above those eyes are your brows.  I find that a lot of people really struggle with their brows, so I decided to talk just a little bit about them.  I’ve never met anyone with perfect brows that didn’t have to work at them a little.  Brow shaping is really an art and should be left to the professionals if at all possible.  If you have been blessed with thick full eyebrows, see an esthetician or pro waxing technician for a shaping and regular maintenance (no over-tweezing at home please!).  If yours are sparse or barely-there, you can have them tinted by a professional, but don’t go overboard…only one or two shades darker than your natural hair color.  If that seems a little scary, see an esthetician or pro make-up artist that can teach you how to fill your brows.  In most cases, all you need is an angled brush and the correct shade of eyeshadow. It just takes a minute to do, but will make a huge difference in your overall look.  You will be amazed with how your brows will frame your eyes and draw attention to them.

Spring will also bring fun new shades of eyeshadow to play up your eyes.  Blue eyes: try violets, purples and plums.  Brown-eyed girls should try bright blue or blue-green.  Experiment with touches of color, but don’t go too over-the-top.  Meaning don’t use the color from the lash-line to the brow bone and mix in some neutral shades like creams, browns, golds or grays.  Also, choose a nude or soft pink lip color when playing up the eyes with bright or intense color.  Or, try the opposite, a sweep of soft gold on your lids and a pop of pink or fuchsia on your lips with just a touch of gloss on the center of the lips. You can finish your look with a hint of soft pink or peach blush and black mascara.  The trick is to have fun with your look and make it uniquely yours, these are only suggestions, there are no set rules with make-up!

Angela A. Penhollow
Professional Make-up Artist/Esthetician