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Did You Know? Beauty Tips by Tori Lee

1. Did you know, you should keep baby wipes by your makeup set-up? Not only can you remove your makeup with them, but they work perfectly to clean your brushes between use and to clean your workspace. 

2. Did you know, the most effective way to apply your concealer under your eye is in a triangle shape with the point downward?

3. Did you know, your foundation and makeup looks much smoother on your face if you first remove any peach fuzz?

4. Did you know, using a lighted magnification mirror can tremendously improve your makeup application?

5. Did you know, CC cream is for “color correcting” skin & it works to treat skin issues like redness or sallowness usually by adding light-diffusing elements? It tends to be used more by women concerned with aging skin. Many CC creams contain an SPF (usually a higher SPF than BB creams) and provide very decent coverage. 

6. Did you know, BB creams are considered a “beauty balm” or “blemish balm” and have more of a lighter consistency than traditional foundation (and CC creams) and has added benefits such as an SPF & built-in primer? 

7. Did you know, you can join a beauty box subscription plan such as Ipsy, Glossybox, Birchbox, LaRitzy & many others that provide monthly goodies delivered to your door usually for under $25? They are a fantastic way to try new products and ones that you may never have come across if you weren't a subscriber. 

8. Did you know, if you are not a makeup person or simply do not have enough time, by just adding a tinted moisturizer, a coat of mascara and some lipgloss, you can look pulled together?

9. Did you know, contouring is not as difficult as you may think? With a simple brush stroke, using a slightly darker shade than your foundation, (either with a contour cream, powder or even bronzer) moving under each cheek bone up to the ear and down each side of the nose you can achieve a contoured look. 

10. Did you know, highlighting is just as simple? Highlighter pencils, creams, powders are available everywhere including drugstores, and the best place & easiest spots to highlight are straight down the middle of your nose & the tops of your cheekbones.  

11. Did you know, applying your lip liner after lipstick helps you to shape your lips easier?

12. Did you know, you can use an eyebrow pencil in a shade such as medium brown for a lip liner? 

13. Did you know, if you put one finger in your mouth after applying lipstick, close your lips around your finger and slowly pull it out, you will remove any excess lipstick?

14. Did you know, if you first apply an eyeshadow base (primer or even a cream shadow stick), preferably one with color, that almost any eyeshadow you use will not only last longer but you will get a more rich, pigmented color?

Tori Lee


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Another Year Older but Forever Young

As I approach another birthday on the calendar, I first think there must be some mistake and then I think again there must be some mistake, hehe!! In all seriousness though I realize now more than ever how fortunate I actually am to have reached another year older. Each day we get to live is really a gift that too many of us take for granted. It's true right?

I'd like to think that I have shared some good ideas & tips for feeling & looking younger in my previous posts. In this post my thoughts are leaning more toward frame of mind. If your ‘frame of mind’ is always thinking about age and the limitations caused from it, then you can easily get stuck. Do you ever think back to when you were younger and how everything just seemed easier in terms of how you thought about stuff? In other words when we’re younger we tend to think we can do anything and this is mostly because life hadn't had enough of a chance to get in the way!

As we've all heard, ‘age is just a number’ and I couldn't agree more. It’s a number that lots of us focus too much on whether in the work place, or in our daily lives. We use this ‘number’ to make excuses for things such as; “I'm too old to go skiing”-or- “I'm too old to join a gym” -or- “I'm too old to wear this or that”….you get the gist! My feelings are that as long as I'm alive, am I really “too old” for anything? NO, I'm not and you're not either my friends. Even if our bodies are getting more tired and begin to creak and squeak with each step, we can and must keep moving forward.

What if we got our minds back to where they were when we were young? It may sound easier said than done, but if you try each day to tell yourself that ‘things’ can & will happen (I'll let you fill in whatever you want ‘things’ to be), instead of always using age as a deterrent, 'things' will happen!

Staying positive (and I know you've all heard that a zillion times) is truly key in bringing peace to your life. A positive mind helps your body which helps your overall state of being.

I have often said that I will not let getting older negatively consume my every day life. I will do what I can to fight aging and all the stereotypes that go with it through choosing great beauty products, making good fashion choices and most importantly staying in a positive frame of mind. The calendar may tell me I just turned 46, but in my heart I will remain 26 ;)

Here's to staying forever young,
Tori Lee 

Follow me on Twitter @BeautybyToriLee

IG @ToriLeesBeautyMix

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Five Beauty Tips for Women over 40 to Look & Feel YOUNGER!

“A woman does not become interesting until she is over 40”

~Coco Chanel

Number One Eyebrows- 

You may have heard that eyebrows ‘frame your face’. Well, they do they really do! If 
your eyebrows are un-kept, unruly & not shaped, your face doesn't look ‘complete’. Eyebrows are as popular now in 2015 as they were so immaculately shaped back in the 1950’s.

Not sure how to shape your brows? Girlfriends if you have a smartphone, tablet or PC simply search ‘eyebrows’ and you will be inundated with information. I can tell you that Anastasia from Beverly Hills has more brow products then you can ever imagine!

A few brow pointers; make sure your brows have a nice arch and that they extend outward just a touch. You should be able to draw an imaginary diagonal line (or hold a pencil as a guide) from the outer edge of your nose to the outer corner of your eye then up to your brow, and this shows you where your brow should end. Many women's brows stop short from over-plucking (mine included) and then are left that way. Take an extra minute from your current beauty routine and extend that brown line!

Let’s re-cap. If you put makeup on but ignore your brows as many of you do (come on admit it!) you are not finishing your look. It's like wrapping a present with no bow or ribbon. A cake with no frosting. Windows without blinds or curtains….you get the drift!

“I will never give in to old age until I become old.

And I'm not old yet!"

~Tina Turner

Number Two – Scent

Did you know that your perfume can make you smell old? Well it can my friends. Many ‘classic’ scents are just that….classic. Forget about all those old perfumes and try out something with a clean, light & fresh scent. Philosophy (available at Sephora) has a line of such fragrances in their ‘Grace’ collection. From body wash, body spritzes to eau de parfum’s, each offers a scent that is irresistibly attractive to everyone. CLEAN Perfume (also found at Sephora), is another fragrance collection I highly recommend.

Want an even cheaper option to ‘smell younger’? Try essential oils as a substitute for alcohol based perfumes. You can find these at drugstores, health stores as well as, you guessed it, Sephora, Ulta & Amazon. Lavender, rose or vanilla are my picks!

Number Three – Hair

I'm sure you all know your hair is an important asset in your beauty regimen right? So why let it go? Money? Not enough time? I am not a hair dresser although I admit I am pretty skilled with hair styling and using hair tools so for me it comes a bit easier. Believe me, you can spruce up your hair on your own for $10 or even less to get rid of those grays, ugly roots or even dull hair. Take some time in the drugstore beauty aisle, there are usually women who will help you, and pick out a shade closest to your own. I recommend Loreal Excellence or Garnier Nutrisse. It is actually a really SIMPLE application, just follow the instructions. If you can shampoo, you can color your hair!

Another tip for youthful looking hair. Try some face-frame highlights or lighten your base shade one or two shades. For this I recommend going to a salon. Highlights will bring some brightness to your complexion and a lighter shade overall softens a woman's look as she ages. 

“And the beauty of a woman with passing years only grows!”

       ~Audrey Hepburn

Number Four – Teeth

Ok, here we go. Yellow teeth make you look old! Let me repeat….yellow teeth make you look old!! There are so many products available right in your drugstore (including great whitening toothpastes, strips & mouth rinses) there is really no excuse for not giving it a try. If money is of concern there are even some home remedies you can make that work pretty good (do an internet search for ‘teeth whitening home remedies’).

The dental industry has come a long way with their whitening products that are gentler & less irritating to your gums, yet highly effective. If you've thought about whitening your teeth, now is a great time to give it a go! After all, whiter teeth make you smile more, give you more self-confidence and as mentioned, make you look YOUNGER!

Number Five – Nails

So yes you may do your nails, you may even go to the nail salon. But, you probably choose the same safe colors over and over like soft pinks, rose, mauve, lilac shades and maybe a French here or there. A simple and easy way to keep it young is to pick a young color. What’s a young color you ask? Think royal or navy blues, dark burgundies or gray/silver/gunmetal tones. It may feel weird at first or like your borrowing your daughter’s nail polish, but give it a try and expect to get many compliments!

There you go, my top five tips and tricks to make us not only look younger but feel younger! I hope you try if not all of them, at least one!!

I am 45 years ‘young’ ;) a makeup artist and performer. I do feel truly blessed to have some great genes that may help me to look younger, but believe-you-me I also do whatever I can to slow down the aging process. Not that I'm ashamed to grow old but there's no reason, in my humble opinion, we should go down without a good anti-aging fight!

Stay beautiful & show me your new fabulous looks!

Twitter @BeautybyToriLee

Instagram @ToriLeesBeautyMix

Tori Lee 

Is There a Fountain of Youth? By, Tori Lee

                                 

It’s funny how when I was younger I thought being over 40 meant someone was OLD! Now that I am over 40 I beg to differ! We’ve all heard the expression ‘age is just a number’ and in theory that sounds great. It really is JUST a number. However, that number also represents changes to our bodies that occur that we basically have no control over. Sure we can get tummy tucks, liposuction, Botox, fillers, face lifts, and heck we can even get Brazilian butt lifts! The truth of the matter is that when we age, unfortunately so do our bodies. Do we let ourselves age naturally, or do we help slow down aging by whatever means necessary. To have work done or to not have work done, that is the question!
I am leaning towards the realization that the answer is a delicate balance of ones desire to change, social pressures, finances, & either contentment or discontent with how we personally are aging. The decision of course will be different for every one of us.

Let’s look at a couple pros and cons with some of our ‘fountain of youth’ options.

Botox – Pros

The pros are you will get fast results & therefore have instant gratification. Stubborn #11 vertical lines between your brows,
horizontal forehead lines & crow’s feet temporarily go away. They can inject so you get an eyebrow and/or smile lift. With creams and serums you may or may not even get results and you will need patience as they do not work as fast.

Botox – Cons

The cons are you will need to continuously get injections (up to 4 times per year). The cost can be quite high especially as treatments are only temporary. There is the possibility of various side effects. Some women wind up over-doing it and then have the exact opposite effect of trying to look younger.

Tummy tucks - Pros

Well the pros are you will have a flatter, thinner and more firm looking stomach without dieting or exercise.

Tummy tucks – Cons
Cons are; it’s surgery and with any surgery as you know there are many potential risks and side effects. There can be significant scarring depending on which type of procedure you undergo. Recovery can be rather long and it will cost you a pretty penny.



There are of course many tricks we can do to fool the eye without getting anything ‘done’. One quick fix for our flabby areas is to buy Spanx or any type of body shapers with some sort of control (spandex blend) built in. Buy the pieces for the areas you need most and then wear them daily. For example I always wear a cami/tank with spandex underneath my shirt. In fact I got so used to wearing them that I cannot go out now without one.


If wrinkles are your main concern yes creams & serums can help but they only work when used for a long period of time. There are quick-fix products you can buy that do not involve needles or surgery. They work to smooth wrinkles and tighten the skin however they are only temporary and last until you wash your skin. You apply the product to the troubled areas of your face, neck or décolletage. Now I admit some work better than others but overall they are a pretty good option. Just search “wrinkle smoother” and then find the best product for you based on need and budget.

Has your chest started to sag? Well of course exercising is a great choice and surgery is always an option. For a simple    fix have you thought about getting a professional bra fitting? Often times women wear the wrong bra size & style, and this can leave you with droopy boobies. Drooping and sagging of any body part makes us look, you guessed it, OLD! So clean out the old brassiere drawer, get fitted, and lift the girls up!!

Just because once a year we add another candle on our birthday cake doesn’t necessarily mean the way we look has to reflect that higher number. I would think everyone in some way misses something about our younger selves with respect to our current appearance. You can choose to age without doing anything and if you’re happy then obviously that’s all that matters. Or you can choose to fight against aging, which if you haven’t guessed by now is the route I’m taking.

If I do find a fountain of youth believe me I will be bathing in it daily. Until that happens I will continue my search of innovative products and ideas and have fun trying & sharing them all!

Youthful wishes,
Tori Lee K


Find me on;
Instagram @ToriLeesBeautyMix
Twitter @BeautybyToriLee