Beauty Queen

Do you have a burning beauty question? From choosing the right red lipstick to finding the perfect moisturizer to meet your skin's needs, our resident Beauty Queen Paige Herman-Axel can help. She can tell you how to recreate a celebrity's red carpet look, offer you options for treating pesky pimples and clue you in to the latest must-haves. And don't be bashful because nothing is off limits-Botox and plastic surgery are fair game, too.

Paige spent a decade as a beauty editor on the front lines of foundation, injectable fillers, eye creams (and more!) and now she's at your service. While she may not be as fast as 911, she's your gal in the event of a beauty emergency, so go ahead and pick Paige's brain. Barring a beauty crisis of her own, Paige tries to answer all of your questions within 14 days.

Disclaimer: This website is for entertainment purposes only. The opinions expressed on this website are the views of individual writers and internet users and are not necessarily the views of BettyConfidential.com and/or Desha Productions, Inc. The content on this website is not a substitute for medical, psychiatric, or any other health services, and any individual requiring the care or supervision of a health care professional should seek professional assistance immediately.

Beauty Queen

At-Home Hair Help

Dear Beauty Queen: Do you have some tips for making my hair more beautiful at home since I don't have time to get to the salon?

Beauty Queen: Hair help can be as close as your pantry or  refrigerator. Think of it this way: Anything with fat in it that has a consistency that will stay on your hair for a short period of time can go a long way for smoothing and softening your strands. From avocado or yogurt to olive oil or eggs - with some honey or milk thrown in - all you have to do is work it through your hair, sit for a spell, wash it out and style as usual. Some women also swear by a beer rinse to boost shine. Personally I don't want my hair to smell like a brewery, but it may be a cost-effective treatment for you!

If you're not looking to play Iron Chef and make your own mask, you can't go wrong with Alberto VO5 Hot Oil Treatment. It's been around forever and costs less than $5. All you have to do is warm it up in a cup of water, apply and leave on for 1 minute, shampoo and style.

For the most bargain of beauty advice, you can also use your daily conditioner in a new way to reap maximum moisturization. Simply apply to damp hair, wrap your head with some plastic wrap and a towel, use a hairdryer (or the sun if you live in warmer climes) to heat it up, sit for 15 to 30 minutes, then rinse, style and enjoy a silkier head of hair.

Beauty Queen

Makeup Help for Your Coloring

Dear Beauty Queen: I'm trying to find the right eye shadow and lipstick colors to match my hair and complexion. I've tried for years and everything still makes me look washed out. I'm extremely fair (Irish roots, and all) with pink undertones and blue eyes. My hair is brown with auburn highlights. I'd like a simple, natural look for the daytime maybe something a little darker for night.

Beauty Queen: There are a few ways to approach your question, and my first advice is to reconsider your hair color. With fair, pink skin and blue eyes, have you ever thought about embracing your Irish roots and possibly going a little more red? You could start with a few highlights and this could offer you a whole new palette of makeup colors to work with. You may be surprised at the difference your hair makes...

But if you're looking for a quicker, less expensive fix, check out Almay's Intense i-Color collection the next time you're at the drugstore. It takes the guesswork out of selecting eye makeup by offering palettes designed to accentuate your eye color. The coordinating shadows, liners and mascaras make it easy, and going from day to evening is as simple as selecting a more intense color palette or dialing up the drama with extra eyeliner or mascara.

For lips, go sheer and neutral. If you play up your eye color your lips shouldn't compete. Start with a nude gloss and you can always make it more intense for nighttime by using a little lip stain that accentuates your natural lip color and top it off with a sexy gloss.

Beauty Queen

Acne Reliever

Dear Beauty Queen: What is the best acne product for those over 25?

Beauty Queen: The answer to this question really depends on the severity of your acne. If you have a rogue blemish here or there, a spot treatment may be your best bet, and in that case I recommend Soyka Dakar Drying Potion. You dab it on before bed and zits are practically gone by morning. $25, sonyadakar.com

But if your breakouts are more of a chronic problem, you may get the best results by using a regimen geared toward preventing acne. One of the best I've come across is Proactiv Solution. Odds are you've seen one of the infomercials featuring Jessica Simpson (along with countless teenagers who are now acne-free), but the truth is, this stuff works thanks to benzoyl peroxide. Just keep in mind that you should avoid this active ingredient (as well as salicylic acid, another popular acne treatment) if you're pregnant or nursing. Proactiv.com

Bargain pick: Found at drugstores nationwide, Acne Free is another benzoyl peroxide based three-step system that retails for less than $20.

Beauty Queen

Getting Rid of Wrinkles

Dear Beauty Queen: Can you tell me the effects of pure retinol on the skin? Is it safe to use and will it really stop wrinkles?

Beauty Queen: It's important to know that retinol is just one form of a vitamin A derivative used in skin care. Retinol is found in over-the-counter products at drug and department stores while prescription products usually contain a stronger more potent version called tretinoin. You asked about the effects of pure retinol, but you're not going to find a pure
retinol. You will find it in varying concentrations, and you can compare the levels in different products by checking the ingredient list to see how far down the retinol is (it may be listed as retinyl palmitate). The lower on the list, the lower the concentration, so keep that in mind.

Retinol is a great skin-care ingredient, and yes it really works. It softens wrinkles in two ways. First, retinol and tretinoin stimulate the skin's rate of turnover, which means it speeds your skin's natural exfoliation. Shedding the dull upper layers can smooth the appearance of
wrinkles. These ingredients have also been found to stimulate the skin's natural collagen production, which has a plumping effect on the skin. As the skin produces more collagen, lines appear less deep. But these products take time, and although you may notice a difference after a month or two, you should wait six months to see the full benefits.

Retinol and tretinoin are safe to use, as long as you're not pregnant or nursing. Although stronger prescription retinoids can cause irritation (which usually subsides in a matter of weeks), those with especially sensitive skin may want to look for a gentler active ingredient such as peptides.

Beauty Queen

Homemade Facial Masks

Dear Beauty Queen: What is a good face mask that you can make at home?

Beauty Queen: The easiest, cheapest, most versatile mask you can make at home doubles as a container of yogurt. No need to spring for the organic, probiotic or fat-free-regular, run-of-the-mill fat-full yogurt contains exfoliating lactic acid to help smooth the skin. To create a targeted mask, you can add an extra ingredient or two that you probably have in your pantry. Crushed almonds can be used to make more of a scrub, add honey (some say it has antibacterial properties) or tea tree oil if you're blemish prone, and oatmeal can soothe sensitive skin. Have fun experimenting, and odds are if an ingredient is good enough to put in your body, it's ok to put on your skin.

Beauty Queen

For the Grey-Haired Ones

Dear Beauty Queen: I see more multidimensional color shades in the hair are still in style for fall. What about grey hair? I have brown hair with more and more silver grey. I get lots of compliments on the grey but would like to add some streaks of multicolor. What do you suggest?

Sharon, Knoxville, TN

Beauty Queen: For this question, I consulted my friend and senior colorist/trainer for the Frédéric Fekkai salons, Brian Keller. He says multidimensional color is the way of hair color and colorists are going for more natural looking tones. "We're using grey hair as part of the hair color," he explains. "Greys are being blended and not always covered." The amount of grey that you have dictates how multidimensional color is worked in. Brian says, "I do low lighting on women with 50 percent or more grey hair," while semi- or demi-permanent color is best for those with less than 50 percent grey.

Beauty Queen

Help - I Need Longer Lashes!

Dear Beauty Queen: I'm totally overwhelmed by the choice of what eyelash-growing product to get (REVITALASH, JAN MARINI). The chat rooms have me completely confused. There is such a price range online. They are definitely not cheap. Should I even try one or could I harm my eyes?

Beauty Queen: I'm a huge fan of eyelash growth stimulators. Before my wedding I used Jan Marini's (the formulation has since changed, but it still works) and I literally had to stop using it because my lashes were hitting the lenses of my sunglasses. It was fabulous! And not only did they get longer, they got darker, too.

There's been some controversy about the safety of these products, mainly because some early versions contained a drug that the FDA deemed unsuitable for over-the-counter distribution. In addition, there were some legal issues surrounding the patent and who had the right to use this active ingredient as well. The products containing this ingredient have since been pulled from shelves and reformulated, so safety is no longer a concern. But naturally follow the directions and try to avoid getting the product in your eyes.

The product you choose is really up to you. First, some are more wallet-friendly than others. There are also different active ingredients. Jan Marini's Marini Lash uses a blend of peptides to stimulate growth while Osmotics Nutrilash (available at nordstrom.com) contains a combination of natural vitamins, minerals and amino acids.

While these over-the-counter versions can deliver noticeable results, Allergan (the company behind Botox) is planning to launch a prescription product called Lumilash in 2009. Once approved by the FDA, it will be available exclusively through doctors because it contains the aforementioned drug ingredient. Stay tuned to BettyConfidential.com for updates on this exciting beauty innovation!

Beauty Queen

Celebs and Their Fake Eyelashes

Dear Beauty Queen: What brand of FALSE EYELASHES do the celebrities use, and where can I buy them? I like REVLON, and like using false lashes, but would like to upgrade the quality.

Beauty Queen: You may be surprised to know that many of the lush lashes you see on your favorite stars aren't technically false eyelashes; they're actually eyelash extensions. This process involves applying individual lash extensions to your own lashes in a salon or spa setting over a few hours, at a cost of about $300 or more. The advantage: They can last for two months or longer. The caution: Be sure to go to a reputable professional
since we're talking about your eyes here.

But longer lashes don't have to break the bank - or take an entire afternoon. False lashes have come a long way, and there's a wide variety of high quality, natural looking lashes out there. The Japanese cosmetic company Shu Uemura makes a stunning array that can be found at select Nordstrom stores as well as shuuemura-usa.com. Make Up Forever's false eyelashes are another makeup artist favorite, and you can visit makeupforever.com to find a retailer near you.

Beauty Queen

Staying Pretty - Safely - While Pregnant

Dear Beauty Queen:  Help, I'm pregnant, and I'm scared to use all of my old skin care products-like Retin A. But I want to use something because I'm afraid
after nine months, I'll have aged nine YEARS! What can I use that's safe?

Beauty Queen: Now that's a great question ... As a fellow mother-to-be (39 weeks and counting!), I had the very same concerns, and just so you know, the same rules apply when you're breastfeeding, so you may be looking at a revised skin-care regimen for up to a YEAR and nine months.

First off, put the Retin-A away NOW. Yes, it works wonders, but not when you're pregnant (or nursing). Another ingredient you'll want to avoid is salicylic acid (which is found in some acne treatments). As a rule of thumb, if you're using any product that requires a prescription or has one of those "Drug Facts" labels on the back of the bottle, check with your OB before continuing use.

Personally, I made a pledge to use only "natural" or "organic" products when I became pregnant, since there is some controversy surrounding the use of some other common skin-care ingredients such as parabens and sodium lauryl sulfate (especially when pregnant). And in today's day and age, these cleaner, more "green" products are very easy to come by, even at the drugstore.

My advice would be to scale back your skin-care regimen to a gentle cleanser, eye cream, moisturizer and SPF 30. The most common skin-care issues during pregnancy are hormonally based breakouts and the development of excess pigment or dark patches on the face. If pimples becomeproblematic, Burt's Bees Herbal Blemish Stick is a great natural spot treatment. For dark patches or pigment, try Caudalie's VinoperfectRadiance Serum morning and night. The good news is, pigment changes can beminimized by avoiding sun exposure, so don't go another day without usinga SPF 30 that has titanium dioxide and/or zinc oxide as the active ingredients (since I'd err on the side of caution and avoid chemical sunscreens-you know, the ones you can't pronounce.)

Beauty Queen

Save Me from the First Signs of Aging!

Dear Beauty Queen: It seems like just about every magazine has a list of skincare products that we "really" need to use. I am a blond with light skin, in my early 30s and definitely showing it - I have a sunspot (bleh!) and uneven skin tone, plus a few lines that I know are just going to get worse. My biggest complaint: large pores that seem impossible to keep clean. So in your opinion, what products should I be using?

Beauty Queen: I understand your skepticism, but there's some validity to these lists. You'll always find the basics (cleanser, moisturizer, eye cream), and there happens to be a reason why every magazine has sunscreen on their list of "must-have" beauty products - it's the best way to keep your skin looking young and great. So, the first product I'm going to recommend is a daily SPF 30 to protect the results you're going to see from the other products. (You can find great products at your local drugstore or the department store; it's up to you how much you want to spend. Just keep in mind that more expensive products may be more "elegant" to use, and in the case of sunscreen this can mean less white residue.)

The bad news is that you can't really do anything about the size of your pores, but exfoliating more often can help keep them clear and less noticeable. The good news is, more exfoliation will help tackle your uneven skin tone as well. You can try a scrub or a cleanser with glycolic acid, and you may also want to add in a weekly at-home peel to help things along. But if you're really sensitive (as some of us with fair skin can be), opt for an enzyme-based cleanser. I really like Babor Intelli-zyme ($48, babor.com).

I'd also recommend an antioxidant-rich moisturizer for day and night that will help prevent your fine lines from getting deeper. There are so many available these days (at so many price points), but look for one that contains hyaluronic acid, which is a great hydrator that helps plump up the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles without clogging the pores. To maximize results, choose a moisturizer designed to help even out skin tone. Aveeno's Positively Radiant line is often recommended by dermatologists, and it won't break the bank.

Now for your sunspot. You can lighten it up with a variety of active ingredients, including kojic acid, azelaic acid and hydroquinone, all of which are available over the counter. Since you're only talking about one spot, I'd recommend a targeted treatment like DDF's Fade Gel 4. (If you're super-sensitive, avoid hydroquinone and go for DDF's Intensive Holistic Lightener).

If you're like me and have a dermatologist on speed dial, he or she can help you, too. There are prescription creams designed to lighten sun spots, you can try a series of light chemical peels to even out your skin tone, and your doctor also has access to super-charged skincare products that can help you turn back the clock and achieve your goals faster.